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“Way ahead of you, Stevens,” Gold said with that avuncular smile of his that meant he was being indulgent of the silly engineers and their endless ramblings. “They don’t need our help with that—there’s already a passel of S.C.E. folks on-station. What they do need help with is getting Empok Nor’s fusion core from Trivas to DS9.”

Faulwell spoke up. “Are we sure there’s anything there to take? I mean, if the station’s just sitting there . . .”

Duffy shrugged. “The lieutenant seemed to think there was.”

“Uh, sir?” Corsi said as she stared down at a padd. “I’m looking over the records of the station right now. From the looks of it, it’s a security nightmare.”

“Oh, c’mon, Corsi,” Duffy said with an incredulous look. “The station’s in the middle of nowhere. The Cardassians didn’t just abandon the station, they abandoned that whole star system—and it’s still unclaimed. It’s got to be the least strategically valuable piece of real estate in the sector.”

“Maybe, but besides the mission Stevens mentioned, there’ve been a bunch of incidents on the station. It’s been used as a ‘neutral territory’ meeting place on more than one occasion, and a group of Bajoran cultists used it as their base of operations last year. Last reports do have it being abandoned, though.”

“So what’s the problem?” Duffy asked.

Corsi finally looked up from her padd and fixed Duffy with a withering look. Stevens found he couldn’t help but contrast it with the expression on her face not fifteen minutes earlier when she was asleep. “The problem is that anybody can just waltz in. The station has no defenses worth mentioning, but plenty of equipment that might attract salvagers. I can easily see Ferengi, Yridian, Orion, or Cardassian pirates—not to mention someone like the Androssi—gutting the place. We need to be on alert for anything. Whatever or whoever you send over there, I want a security detail of at least five.”

Duffy nodded. “Fine.” He looked around the table. “This is a straight-up nuts-and-bolts operation, so it’ll be me, Stevens, Blue, and Soloman. Fabe, you’ll be especially useful, since your time on DS9 means you actually know these systems.”

“Well, mostly,” Stevens said. “I mean, I spent most of my time on the Defiant, and the station had been pretty thoroughly modified by the time I got there. Empok Nor’s still pure Cardassian. I’m not saying I can’t do anything, but I don’t want anyone getting raised expectations or anything.”

Smiling, Duffy said, “Don’t worry about it, Fabe—we always have low expectations for you.”

A chuckle passed around the table. “Gee, thanks,” Stevens said sardonically, and he considered throwing something at the second officer.

“Anyhow,” Duffy said, turning back to Corsi, “counting this Nog guy, that’s five—one security guard for each of us.”

“We may want to double the security detail.” Corsi’s lips were pursed.

Duffy frowned. “We’ve already got a ten-person away team, Commander. I think making it fifteen is excessive.”

“I don’t. Those cultists I mentioned? I just noticed who led them.” She held up her padd, the display of which now showed a familiar Cardassian face. “Dukat. You remember, the guy who brought the Dominion to this quadrant in the first place? And before that, the station crawled with Jem’Hadar, Vorta, Ferengi—not to mention that mission that Fabe mentioned with the Cardassian booby trap.”

Stevens looked up sharply. She called me “Fabe.” While on duty. In a meeting, for crying out loud. What the hell—?

If Corsi or anyone else noticed the slip, they didn’t show it.

“A ten-person team is enough,” Duffy said.

“Good,” Gold said, cutting off Corsi’s protest. “We’re set to rendezvous with the Rio Grande at 0830. Make sure the team’s ready, Commander.”

Duffy got up. “Yes, sir.”

A buzz started to sound in the room as people got up from their chairs. Corsi, Stevens noticed, shot a venomous look at Duffy before turning and leaving the observation lounge. Pattie also didn’t get up from her chair