Coran grew dim. "I'm sorry."
He aimed and fired.
Everyone faced away in terror as the shot fired. The room went silent.
"You son of a bitch!" screamed Katianna. "You shot me!"
Coran looked at her, bewildered. "How did you--?!"
Katianna pushed the Bajorans holding her out of the way, pulled out her phaser, set it to stun, and shot Coran.
Coran flew back and landed painfully on the floor.
Katianna then kicked a Bajoran in the knee and held the phaser to his head. "One move, I'll kill him. Let them go."
The Bajorans did as they were told, shocked to see that Katianna was alive and well.
Jarrod, Troy, and Kara were also amazed. Laurissa, however, seemed to have expected that. She ran to Katianna. Katianna hugged her. When Laurissa pushed away, she said, "I knew you'd be okay, mommy."
Katianna tilted her head. "How did you know that, honey?"
"That man told me." She pointed at the Bajoran who had brought her down the stairs.
She looked at the man. "He... what?"
Coran got up, slowly, explaining, "I had him explain to your daughter that this was a test. If we had been successful in killing you, then we would have prevented the great evil from entering our world. If, however, even after having taken all measures to end your life, we had still failed, then your supernatural protection is evidence that the Light wishes this child to be."
Katianna looked at him for a moment, then she shot him again. "Idiot."
Jarrod suddenly jumped at the sound of a beep. He lifted a com device out of his pocket. "I gave Kassia this frequency in case she discovered anything new in the Book." He activated it. "Jarrod here."
[Jarrod! Put Katianna on!]
"She's listening."
[Katianna, the child is not evil!]
Katianna shook her head. "Gee. Thanks, Kassia," she responded sarcastically. "You're a lifesaver."
[There's more! The Book of Light is very clear on the child. 'But the coming of the Child will be endangered. The Dark will seek this Child, and, when all has culminated, there will be no birth.']
Katianna stumbled back. "No birth? There can't be 'no birth.' I will make sure that there is no birth. No one is going to take this child from me!"
[Katianna, I'm sorry. I'm just the translator. I don't want to be traced, so I have to disconnect the stream now. Be careful.]
Jarrod put the device away.
Katianna shook her head. "Oh, there will be a birth. If I have to face the entire galaxy, this child will be born!"
Troy interrupted her. "Uh, Kat."
"What?!" she answered angrily.
"You're... um... you're leaking."
Katianna looked at the floor under her. A puddle of water had developed without her knowledge. "Not now," she pleaded with the universe.
A Bajoran ran into the cabin. "Two Klingon warbirds have just decloaked and are landing in the clearing!" He noticed Coran laying on the floor. "Sire!" He helped Coran up.
Jarrod faced Coran. "You led them straight to us!"
Troy ran to Katianna. "We need to get you and Laurissa downstairs!" She grabbed Katianna and helped her down to the basement. Laurissa followed.
Jarrod walked to the center of the cabin. "All right. You now know that Katianna and her child are of the Light. Your duty hereafter is to protect her. We need to arm ourselves and protect Katianna!"
The Bajorans cheered and began to collect weapons. Kara Lac walked up to Jarrod. "I'll tend to Katianna."
"Katianna has Troy tending to her. I need you up here with me."
Kara looked at the floor. "I cannot fight. I have never held a weapon. We have been a pacifist ra--"
Jarrod handed Kara a phaser rifle. "You love Katianna, and you want to care for her. Right now, she needs warriors, not a midwife." She held Kara in his arms. "We need you. The fate of the universe could very well be at stake."
Kara nodded slightly. "What do I do?"
Jarrod smiled. "Hold the rifle with both hands. Point at the enemy, and pull this trigger. There is little recoil, so you should be fine. I'll be right next to you if you need help." Jarrod ran off to prepare his jury-rigged army for battle against the Sons of Kahless.
Kara just stood there, looking at the rifle as if it were something to be despised.
Troy carefully guided Katianna down the stairs. She stumbled slightly as she tried to step down one step at a time.
When Katianna reached the bottom of the staircase, she screamed.
Troy reacted with worry. "What's wrong?!"
Katianna gave him a sharp look. "I'm in labor! What do you think is wrong?!"
Troy just kept her moving until they reached a table that had been prepared for her. She laid on it, practicing the breathing that she had already had to do once before.
Troy put on some gloves. Then, he covered Katianna's lower body with a blanket and proceeded to pull of her pants. "Now, just breathe." Once the pants were off, Troy looked under the blanket. "Whoa!" He looked up quickly. "You're fully dilated! We'll have that baby out in no time!"
He prepared to inject Katianna with a local anesthetic.
The Klingons began to leave their ships.
Jarrod, Kara, and the Bajorans lay still within the cabin as the Klingons made their way slowly through the clearing. When they passed Troy's car, Jarrod got up. "Troy, forgive me," he said as he fired a photon grenade at the car. It exploded, sending Klingon warriors flying and causing the others to momentarily retreat.
Coran questioned Jarrod. "Are you not worried that they will attack the cabin from their ships?"
"No," Jarrod said, "They don't want to hurt the child or the mother. At least not until they get them to Qo'noS."
"Jarrod, watch out!" screamed Kara Lac as a Klingon fired two disruptor blasts at the cabin, nearly hitting Jarrod. Kara shot the Klingon three times, killing him. She then froze.
Jarrod looked at Kara thankfully. "You've saved my life. Good work."
Kara hesitated. "Uh... thank you."
The Klingons began to charge.
Jarrod faced the Bajorans. "Stand strong, men! Here they come!"
The Klingons and the Bajorans began to exchange fire.
Troy yelled happily, "You're crowning!" He felt the head. "Wait." He inserted his hand a bit further. "Uh oh."
Katianna became worried. "Uh oh? What do you mean, 'uh oh'?"
Troy looked up. "The baby's coming out rear first." He moved his hand deeper inside her. "Uh oh."
Katianna yelled, "Stop saying 'uh oh' and just tell me what's wrong!"
Troy looked up again. "The umbilical cord seems to be wrapped around the baby's neck. I can't get him out." He began to search for a laser scalpel. "I'll have to perform a Caesarian. Is that all right?"
"Anything! Just get him out!"
"Okay." Troy pulled out the scalpel and pulled Katianna's shirt up a bit further. "I'm ready to begin." As soon as he touched the scalpel to Katianna's belly, a white energy seemed to draw up the scalpel's injury. The scalpel could not pierce Katianna's skin.
Troy looked up again. "We have a problem." He pointed to his scalpel. "Whatever's protecting your child is also going to kill it if I can't cut into you."