I'm not sure where this comes from, but I came up with it while 
listening to the song quoted in the beginning.  :)  It's not much, 
but I like it.  


A Glimpse of the Past
by
BGM

There's something happening here,
What it is ain't exactly clear,
There's man with a gun over there,
Telling me I got to beware...
I think it's time to stop,
Children,
What's that sound,
Everybody look what's going on.

-- For What It's Worth [Buffalo Springfield]

Garak wiped at his brow, a look of utter helplessness on his face.  In
his hand he held the phaser tightly, so tightly in fact he could feel
the little frayed grooves bite into his skin.  He stooped low,
pressing his back against the refuge his team had dug for themselves. 
Tears spilled from his eyes, and he looked to the sky, to the Gods,
for guidance.  All he spied was disrupter fire, streams of colorful
beams breaking the air with high pitched screams, the smell of burnt
flesh reaching his nose.  To the side, another Cardassian glanced at
him, ducking reflexively every time a streak of fire hit too close.

"Garak!" he hissed.  "Focus, we need everybody alert Soldier."

Garak refused to look back at his commanding officer.  He simply lay
there, panting as he clutched his weapon against his breast plate.  "I
can't--"

"I don't want to hear those words Soldier!" the Gul said, his voice
rising over the thunderous explosions setting off around them.  "Those
rebel nose-jobs aren't going to stop just because we ask them
politely.  Now get your act together Garak, and use that weapon of
yours for something other than a protective blanket."

"I can't!" Garak cried, scrambling into a more protective stance.  "I
.." he stopped, hyperventilating slightly.

"Coward!" Gul Thoran spat in disgust.  He clambered up and pointed his 
disrupter to the Bajorans in reply.  His weapon never discharged.  He 
cried out, flung back against the jagged rock by the force of a 
phaser blast.  A moment more of excruciating agony, and he vanished 
with a reek of singed flesh.  The young Cardassian stared, his jaw 
hung open.  He wiped at his brow again, and hoped the fire works 
would end soon.  They stood no chance.  He'd calculated that as soon 
as they'd caught the ambush.  He was no soldier, but that day he'd 
decided to be one.  And it had nearly cost him his life.  He looked 
down at the disrupter in his hand, then dropped it with a sob.  
Gathering mud and twigs with trembling hands, Garak dug himself a 
grave.  When the Bajorans came to inspect the sight, there was no 
trace of the spoon-heads, and they smiled with satisfaction, walking 
off with the badge of the Obsidian Order they'd happened to find 
lying on the ground.  In fine print, Garak's name, number and title 
were etched.  What a trophy, one of them had smirked.  The same man 
clasped a warm hand on the young red-head accompanying them and 
grinned.  "You did well," he praised.

The woman beamed happily, clutching her weapon proudly.

Garak closed his eyes and wondered how he ever survived that.

~~~

Garak stared at the seal of the Order on his desk, his lips pursed
thoughtfully.  In front of him, Kira stood, hands locked behind her
back.  "I thought you might like it back," she said without emotion. 
She turned to leave, and glanced over her shoulder.  "I never liked it
anyway."

Just as she was at the door, Garak looked up.  "Why?"

She paused, gathering her thoughts.  Finally she shrugged, still not
looking at him.  "We're both survivors ... in a way."  She glanced
back.  "When I read the name on the seal, I thought back on the
incident and I'm sure I never saw you there ... but the badge was
there.  So you were hiding.  You decided not to kill to preserve your
life.  I guess ..." She crumpled her forehead with disgust.  "I guess
that makes you better than me, in that respect."

"I was a coward," he whispered, looking down.

"Whatever you were, it helped you survive.  Be thankful for that, at
least," she hissed, then was gone from his shop.

He looked after her for a long moment before he glanced down at the
badge.  Fingering it slowly, he pursed his lips then dropped it neatly
into the recycler chute.  He sighed, and went about his morning chores
without a second thought.

THE END