Romancing the Stone
Stage II: Diamond in the Rough

by
Darrel W. Beach
Apr. 1998
Revised, May 2000
Revised, July 2002

Author's Note:
This story continues the events chronicled in Stage I: Breaking Ground.
Time placement is the second season of Star Trek: Voyager, immediately
preceding the episode "Resistance".


Chapter 1

	"Okay, Tom, spill it: what happened with you and Calloway last
night?"
	Tom sat down at the table with his breakfast.  "What are you
talking about, Fowler?"
	"Don't play innocent with me, Lieutenant, it won't work.  Jarvis
saw the two of you leaving Holodeck 2 together."  The ensign flashed a
cunning grin.  "You sly dog, you!  I didn't think you could pull it off
so quickly.  So what did you two do on your date?"
	"We weren't on a date," Tom replied stiffly.  "I just took her to
Sandrine's for a drink and some time to unwind."
	"Ooh, Sandrine's.  The Marseilles waterfront's a pretty romantic
location to spend time unwinding."
	Tom gave Fowler an annoyed look.  "Will you knock it off?  We were
*not* on a date!  Calloway would have my head if I even thought about
taking that kind of credit.  We hardly even spent ten minutes alone
together the whole night.  I was only around her long enough to make
sure she talked to someone else."

	Leena wished she had insisted on changing before going to
Sandrine's, but she wasn't about to give Tom the satisfaction of seeing
even more compulsive behaviour.  He was smug enough in his role of
amateur counsellor already.  Besides, what did one wear to a
hologrammatic representation of a modern French bar with 20th Century
decor?  She was tempted to ask Tom just what it was that fascinated him
about the era; from what she understood, several of his contributions to
the holodeck library echoed that time.  It was probably just the huge
amount of film footage that started to become available in the mid-
1900's.  It really was the oldest time that one could see and hear
readily: antique enough to be exotic, but easily accessible.  She'd
always been far more drawn to 18th & 19th Century history and literature
herself.  Leena stifled a grin at the thought of Tom Paris struggling
through a book like "Middlemarch".
	She startled at the touch of his hand at her elbow.  Tom smiled
slightly at her surprise.  "Your shot Calloway," he said, pointing the
tip of his cue down the pool table.
	"What?  I get a turn?  There must be some mistake here, there are
still some balls left," she replied as she walked around the end of the
table examining her options.
	Tom smiled a little more.  "Was that a joke?  I think you might
just be starting to enjoy yourself."
	"Not with leaves like this I'm not," she teased.  Leena brought
her cue behind her back, creasing her brow slightly as she nudged the
cue ball into the three.  Her ball rolled for the corner and fell into
the pocket with a satisfying click, only to be followed ever so slowly
by the white ball.  She shook her head and reached down to fish them out
of the pocket.
	"If it's any consolation, they say that skill at pool is a sign of
a misspent youth."  The tips of Tom's fingers brushed her palm as he
took the cue ball from her.  Leena looked away, disturbed by the
contact.  This had been a mistake.  Tom might not be quite the villain
she had branded him, but she couldn’t see this friendship going anywhere
good.  She cringed at a picture of herself waking up in bed next to him
someday, absolutely mortified.  The cowboy probably notched the
headboard with his conquests, for God's sake!  She watched another ball
drop into the side pocket, then glanced over to see him shrug and smile
at her in that infuriatingly self-satisfied way.
	Tom rounded the table and took aim at another ball, leaning low
over the green felt surface.  Leena asked herself just what it was she
found so fascinating about the sight.  He was tall, trim, fit, but so
was much of the crew.  Starfleet had virtually mandated that she be
surrounded by vigorously handsome young men, so why was she so drawn by
the most unsuitable of the lot?  Because it bothered her, she answered
herself, and she spent too much time thinking about how it bothered her.
She had a sudden mental image of Tuvok lecturing his crew about
detaching oneself from one's emotions, and focusing on the task at hand.
Perhaps she could extend the lesson.  The ship might not be under fire,
but she'd been letting herself play a pretty embarrassing game of pool,
and she could do something about that.  Well, if she ever got another
shot.
	Tom did finally miss and gave Leena her chance to shoot.  She kept
her mind clear, thinking only of her form, the angle she needed, where
on the cue to strike, where she wanted the leave to go.  She could cheat
the pocket a little and get both the seven and the one in.  Thwack,
click and click again.  The seven fell in the corner pocket and the cue
ball rolled a hand's width to the left, directly behind the one.  If she
kissed it with just a little follow she ought to be able to shoot the
two along the rail at the other side of the table.  She stroked gently,
hitting high on the ball.  It rolled into the one then followed a little
on the path to the pocket, but stopped well short as the yellow ball
fell with yet another satisfying click.  She met Tom's eyes with a wide
smile.
	"I definitely think you're starting to loosen up," he said,
nodding slightly.
	*Or to focus* she corrected silently.  Let him think what he
would.  Leena met his look and nodded slightly, then cleared those blue
eyes out of her mind.  She picked the spot on the rail she needed to hit
in order to send the two along the edge toward the pocket.
Unfortunately she would leave herself a difficult lie.  Her other balls
hadn't moved far from where they started at the beginning the game.
Sending the cue around or through that mass would be a tricky shot.
Someday she had to learn to break well, but right now she scolded
herself for becoming distracted, and refocused on that point along the
rail.  She sank the two, but as anticipated she didn't have another
shot.  Leena tried a combination to send a ball into the side pocket.
It broke the balls apart and she didn't scratch; it could have been
worse.
	"You've been holding out on me, Calloway," Tom told her as he eyed
his choices.  She just shook her head and laughed.  "A nefarious little
plan you've got going here.  All the clear shots are solids.  You think
you can trick me into sinking your balls for you, don't you?"
	"Of course not, I just wanted to leave them in your way."
	"Very clever."  Tom carefully surveyed the positions on the table,
his brows furrowing as he tried to find the right shot.  That last run
of hers had clearly caught him off-guard.  "Looks like I'll actually
have to try with this one."  Tom settled on a difficult bank shot, then
sunk it solidly.  He looked up at Leena with bright, boyish glee.
	*And you, Mr. Paris, have nefarious plans of your own, don't you?*
Leena watched with amused resignation as he cleared the rest of the
table.
	"Good game, Calloway."  He offered his hand to her.  She looked at
him sharply.  "Not a close game," he said with a look toward the
numerous balls remaining on the table, "but a good game."
	She cocked her head and crossed her arms, fighting off the same
smile that adorned her opponent.  The man was absurdly incorrigible,
cocksure.  He could certainly lay it on thick when he wanted to.  It was
charming, in an odd sort of way.
	"Care for a rematch?" Tom prompted.  Leena looked to the side as
she considered this.  She'd proved her point: she'd been a sport.
Granted, Tom's suggestion to go for a synthale and relax might do her
some good, but that didn't mean she had to spend all her time with him
either.  Considering the isolation she'd experienced the past couple of
months, and the few beers imbibed during the game, it wasn't prudent to
linger here in the low light with Tom for very long.  "It's not that
serious a question Leena," he teased.
	"I'm just wondering if now is the time I suggest a high stakes
wager, and start playing for real."
	"You're on, Calloway.  I'll even give you odds."
	"Calling my bluff?" Leena asked vaguely as she noticed some of her
shift mates come in.  Tom wasn't really her problem: they were.  In
hiding from her pain she had shut out her co-workers.  These three
weren't even Maquis, but she didn't think she'd exchanged more than
twenty off-duty words with any of them.  It was time to close the rift
she'd created between herself and the rest of the crew.  She indicated
the trio to Tom, saying more seriously, "I think maybe I'd just like to
sit and talk for a bit."
	"Sure thing."  He replaced his cue in the rack, as did she a
little more slowly.  She considered her next task.  If she'd
choreographed the event properly she'd have sat down earlier with Tom
and their shipmates would have quite naturally joined him.  Now she had
to approach them, or follow Tom's lead like a puppy.  She wasn't about
to back down from what she had set her mind to, she decided.  She strode
over to the table and let Tom follow behind, stifling his amusement.
	The three ensigns at the table looked up with some surprise at her
approach.  It was far from flattering, but Leena smiled nonetheless.
"Is there some problem, sir?" McCormick asked, straightening in her
chair.
	"None at all," Leena heard herself say, "but I was wondering if
Mr. Paris and I might join you?"
	"Of course."  "Sure."  McCormick and Napoli replied
simultaneously.  Leena just nodded and sat down.  Tom followed suit,
turning his chair to straddle it and rest his arms over the back.  The
three ensigns looked nervously between Leena and Tom.  Leena consciously
relaxed her jaw and folded her hands on the table, waiting out the
pregnant moment in silence.  She would *not* blather.  Julie McCormick
looked expectantly at her for a moment, then when she decided Leena
wasn't planning on any announcements she met Leena's eyes and smiled,
giving her a cursory nod.  The ensign then tilted her head to look at
Tom and asked.  "Did you find the archive information you were looking
for the other day, Tom?"
	That was all the opening Tom needed to launch into explanations
about a new holo-program he had been working on.  Leena barely attended
as he rebuffed them with plans to create a ground vehicle race
simulation, complete with details about various track and weather
conditions.  It was when he mentioned the 1952 Austin he was designing
for the program that she realized that this was another 20th Century
inspiration.  "What is it with you and that era?" she said bluntly.
	Julie started giggling.  Napoli and Hunter looked at the ensign
questioningly.
	"What?" Tom asked bemused.  Leena studied her lap for a moment
then took a deep breath before responding.
	But McCormick beat her to it.  "She's right!  I've wanted to ask
just that for some time myself.  Mr. Paris, just what is it with you and
20th Century holodeck themes?"
	"Coincidence, mostly," Tom admitted, smiling, "although it also
has a lot to do with a hobby of mine.  The evolution of transportation
technology fascinates me, and the 20th Century was the earmark of all
self-powered vehicles.  It's amazing how much our ancestors advanced
automotive technology back then.  They had a lot of interesting ideas
about how to put an engine together."
	"Are you sure that's the only reason?  My sister once dated a guy
who also loved to play with big machines.  She swore he did it because
he felt insecure about his physical endowments.  What about you, Mr.
Paris?"  McCormick tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't hold back
her laughter when she asked, "Are you trying to compensate for getting
the short end of the stick?"  Leena couldn't help herself from
chuckling.  Hunter put a hand over his mouth to conceal a grin.  Napoli
seemed slightly offended by McCormick's remark.
	"You just forfeited your chance to find out, McCormick," Tom
teased, getting up.  "I think I'll go find someone to play pool with, at
least that way I won't be picked on.  Enjoy your little party."
	The women laughed more openly as Tom walked away.  Leena felt a
little guilty for laughing at Tom's expense, but it also felt good to
see that Tom could be humbled.  She was already beginning to like Julie.

	"They must have talked for a good hour and a half.  When we left,
I asked her what they talked about.  Turns out that she and McCormick
share an interest in volleyball and long distance running.  Leena also
served under Ensign Hunter's brother on her first mission out of the
academy.  Believe it or not, she actually thanked me for dragging her
butt to Sandrine's."
	"Man, that is sad," Fowler said melodramatically.  "And here I
thought the snake-charmer was up to his old tricks.  My faith in you is
severely shaken, pal."
	"Very funny, Rob.  I'm just glad I was able to get Leena to loosen
up and start living again.  She might even have a chance at being happy
out here."
	"Oh, you are a noble man, Tom Paris," Rob made no attempt to hide
his mockery.  "You just remember that we still have a bet going."
	"Patience, my good fellow, patience," Tom replied.  "Last night
was only the first step.  The seeds have been planted, and it won't be
long until I reap the benefits of my labour."  He polished off his
breakfast with a final dramatic gesture.  "Now, if you'll excuse me, I
have to report to the bridge.  My two weeks of detention are officially
over."
	"Don't forget to write, Tom, or I'll get lonely," Fowler cracked.
Tom laughed as he left the mess hall.

                             *     *     *

	Janeway's scowl deepened the more she studied the figures on the
engineering console.  She had known for a long time that they would
inevitably run into some kind of problem with the engines.  The only
recourse was simply to prepare as best they could in anticipation.
Unfortunately, according to B'Elanna's report, the crisis they now faced
was one of only a handful of scenarios in which they hadn't been able to
cover yet.  "Tellerium."
	"That's right, Captain," Torres said.  "I've tried every other
alternative to maintain a steady power output level, but frankly, if we
don't find a source of tellerium soon we'll lose the warp propulsion
system."
	This news didn't seem to surprise her all that much.  Tellerium
was not easy to acquire in the Delta Quadrant, not so much for its
rarity, but because Janeway wouldn't allow herself to violate the Prime
Directive.  In prior negotiations the demands of the tellerium merchants
were simply unreasonable.  Now with their supply dispensed, sticking to
their principles grew increasingly difficult.  "I see.  Right now we're
about a day away from Alsauria; Neelix says we should be able to obtain
a new supply there.  Do you think the engines will hold out long enough
to reach it?"
	The half-Klingon frowned.  "Possibly, but I wouldn't count on it,
Captain.  The matter-antimatter reaction rate is already at 81% of
normal, and the way it's dropping we might not be able to reach the
system in time to keep the nacelles operational."
	"What if we reduced speed?"
	Torres performed a few quick calculations in her head.  "If we
drop to Warp 3 we might be able to reach the planet and have enough
power left to sustain normal ship functions for another day or two.
However, that's assuming we can keep the M/ARA stabilized, and I can't
give you any guarantees."
	Janeway nodded grimly.  "Just do the best you can and keep me
informed of your progress.  We can't afford to be caught flat-footed out
here."  She tapped her commbadge.  "Janeway to Bridge."
	Chakotay's voice cut over the hum of the warp core.  *"Bridge
here, Captain.  What can I do for you?"*
	"Commander, have the conn reduce speed to Warp 3 immediately.
We've run into a problem down here."

	Concern immediately set into the first officer's features.
"Anything I should know about?"
	*"I'll fill you in when I get to the bridge.  Right now, get that
speed down to Warp 3."*
	"Aye, Captain."  Chakotay shifted his gaze to the conn.  "You
heard her, Lieutenant."
	Tom was already a step ahead of him.  "Warp 3, aye, sir."  A vague
unease settled over him the moment he heard the edge in the captain's
voice.  If they were reducing speed this much perhaps their engine
trouble was more serious than he first surmised.  Tom chewed his lip.
He picked up every hiss of the turbolift doors opening, a sound that
otherwise would not have deserved such attention.  However, anticipation
of the captain's arrival had put him on full alert.
	Several minutes later Captain Janeway finally made her entrance
with Torres in tow.  "Commander, Lieutenant Tuvok, Lieutenant Paris,
Ensign Kim, to the conference room, please.  Lieutenant Rollins, you
have the bridge," she ordered, not breaking stride.  Everyone fell into
place behind her, the agitated pilot taking up the rear, while the
replacement crew quietly and smoothly took over the bridge.

Chapter 2

	The captain allowed everyone to sit before engaging discussion.
"Okay, people, we've got some serious trouble on our hands.  Everyone
should know that one of our current priorities is to find a source of
tellerium to keep the propulsion systems on-line.  Well, as of now it's
our top priority.  Even as we speak, our power transfer rates are
dropping because we haven't replaced our supply yet.  I shouldn't have
to tell anyone what would happen if those rates fall too far."
	She didn't have to tell Tom.  *Voyager* would either become a
gigantic paperweight on some alien planet or a lifeless hulk of metal
adrift in space.  Neither option really appealed to him.
	"The good news, at least, is that we're currently on course to a
planet where Neelix says we'll be able to obtain some tellerium.
However, of what Neelix has told me so far, Alsauria is currently under
the rule of the Mokra Order, a militant faction that is mistrustful of
off-worlders.  His contact is a member of the local underground
resistance.  Considering our present situation, we might have to make an
ugly bargain.
	"This mission is not going to be easy.  Everyone will have to stay
on their toes to make sure the ship keeps running long enough for us to
achieve our objective.  Harry, I want you and B'Elanna to work on ways
to keep our power output levels stable until we reach the planet.  Once
we're there, the lieutenant will accompany Neelix and I to the surface."
	Dissatisfaction blanketed Chakotay's expression, but Tuvok voiced
the concern.  "Captain, I do not approve the idea of you visiting a
potentially hostile planet."
	"I understand you're concern, Tuvok, but I'm still going.  This is
too important for me not to go."
	"Then I must insist that I accompany you, Captain," he said.
	Janeway almost smiled.  "Very well then, Lieutenant.  If that's
all, then everyone is dismissed."
	Everyone took a moment to look at each other before filing out of
the room.  "Tuvok, could I talk to you for a minute?" Tom asked on his
way out.
	Tuvok stopped and turned around to face him.  "What is it you wish
to discuss, Mr. Paris?"
	"I -" Tom stepped aside to allow the rest of the senior staff to
pass through.  "I wanted to thank you for assigning me with Lieutenant
Calloway for those two weeks."
	"Curious," the Vulcan replied.  "At the beginning of your redress
you were complaining that Lieutenant Calloway was an unsuitable
supervisor.  I take your sudden reversal of attitude to mean that you
have worked out your differences with her?"
	Tom smirked.  "I guess you could say we've reached an
understanding.  Anyway, I thought you might want to consider moving her
to one of the day shifts.  I think she might finally be ready to make a
change."
	"Indeed?"  Tuvok thought about the idea for a second.  "I shall
take your suggestion under advisement, Mr. Paris."
	"Thanks, Tuvok," Tom beamed.  He returned to the conn, leaving the
Vulcan to stare after him.

	Leena frowned at the terminal in the security office, rereading
the shift report.  What place did such petty theft have on a starship?
Starfleet provided everything.  One piece of data from the offender's
profile glared out at her: he used to be one of the Maquis.  The fact
that Leena had noted his former allegiance irritated her.  It bothered
her more that two weeks ago she wouldn't even be questioning herself for
noticing this information.  She hated to think her mind was so clouded
with prejudice.
	The door's whistle distracted her obsessing.  She forgot about him
altogether when she looked up to see Tuvok walk in.  She rose, stepping
around the console to allow him access to the station, but Tuvok made no
move to take the place behind the desk.  Leena stiffened, looking
inquisitively at the officer.
	"Lieutenant, I wish to speak with you.  You have a half hour
before your next duty shift, do you not?"
	"Yes, sir.  I wanted to double-check the duty roster and look over
some of the event reports from the previous shift, however there is
nothing here beyond the routine.  What did you want to talk about, sir?"
	"Please tell me your impressions of events during the past two
weeks you supervised Lieutenant Paris."
	"The ship has been rather quiet recently, sir.  Those weeks were
unremarkable except for the friction between Lieutenant Paris and
myself.  We have since come to an understanding, so I don't anticipate
further difficulty should we be assigned to work together again."
	"How would you characterize your relationship with the
lieutenant?"
	Leena startled slightly.  *What relationship?* she wanted to ask,
but then she reminded herself how precise Tuvok was.  If he had
suspected them of any romantic indiscretions he would have phrased his
question more explicitly.  She took a moment to gather her thoughts;
Tuvok valued composure and she valued his opinion.  "It began
adversarially, as you are aware, sir.  I believe Lieutenant Paris
resented the reassignment, found the work tedious and considered me to
be a petty martinet."  Tuvok raised an eyebrow at this description,
prompting Leena to seek more neutral language.  "For my part, I was
unduly prejudiced by the lieutenant’s previous involvement with the
Maquis and the rumours I had heard regarding the shuttlecraft accident
on Caldek Three.  I allowed myself to become angry with his casual
insolence."  *I’ve done it again* she thought to herself.  "Excuse me,
sir, I believe 'insolence' is the wrong word, but that is how I saw it."
	"I find that it is frequently an apt description of Mr. Paris'
manner," Tuvok replied.  Leena stifled a nervous chuckle.  "However, I
am more interested in the means by which you reached this
'understanding' with the lieutenant."
	"Yes, sir.  Tom explained the circumstances of the shuttlecraft
accident.  I was surprised by his honesty, insight, and remorse, as well
as disturbed by Starfleet's cursory review of the incident.  I realized
I had developed a habit of making reflexive judgements, based on
prejudice.  Upon further introspection I decided that I had allowed my
frustration with being here in the Delta Quadrant to overwhelm me.  I
resented my crewmates and had isolated myself to a degree that
interfered with my duty."
	"It is indeed dangerous to allow emotions to cloud one's reason.
I had intended that you might provide Mr. Paris with a beneficial
example of self-discipline, but instead he seems to have prompted you to
re-evaluate your own conduct."  Tuvok arched an eyebrow at his own
comment as if disturbed by the irony.  "Although inadvertent, there is a
useful lesson to learn from this incident with Mr. Paris.  An attitude
of objective detachment is invaluable to a security officer."
	*Not quite the lesson Tom outlined, I'm sure* Leena commented to
herself, amused.
	"How has this affected you interactions with Mr. Paris and the
rest of the crew?"
	"Tom and I are on amicable terms, sir, though I am still somewhat
wary of his motives.  I am also coming to know my own security crew
better, in particular Julie McCormick."
	"Mr. McCormick is a very promising individual.  It would benefit
both of you to encourage her training," Tuvok said in approval.  "What
about Ensigns O'Donnell and Kayla?"
	Specifically, he was asking about the two former Maquis and her
incident with them last month.  "I underestimated both of them, and, I
think, treated them badly, sir.  They are still reserved with me, but
things seem to be improving now," Leena replied.  When she thought of
it, the only one who seemed to hold a grudge was Kayla.  The Bajoran
woman seemed actively suspicious of her motives, but Leena suspected it
was more of a case where their personalities conflicted too much.  Some
people were simply destined not to like each other.  She didn't think it
would be appropriate to single her out, so she said nothing.  "If I may
ask, sir, why are you curious about my relations with my crewmates?  Has
there been some complaint?"
	"Not recently.  Lieutenant, though I cultivate detachment I am by
no means ignorant of the effects of strong emotions.  I consider it part
of my duty to make a study of crew morale.  You earlier stated that you
had isolated yourself from the rest of the crew because you had allowed
your frustration to overwhelm you.  This is precisely what I had
observed, which is why I granted your request for a transfer to duties
below your capabilities; a choice, as you will recall, I strongly
discouraged.  Mr. Paris believes you are ready to resume your former
responsibilities.  I am attempting to ascertain if he is correct."
	"Tom asked you to switch my duty shift?" she demanded.  To her
dismay, Tuvok cocked his head in that tiny bird-like gesture that meant
she had caught his attention.
	"You suspect his motives?"
	*Not frequently enough* she thought ferociously.  Was Tom brown-
nosing, or was he just hoping to get her into bed without having to
sacrifice too much sleep?  It might be neither, she scolded herself.
She needed to calm down.  It might be so simple as Tom trying to help
her career back on track now that he had taken her on as his pet
project.  The prospect was insulting, but comfortingly innocent.  "I
don't know, sir.  Perhaps," she confirmed, "but the important point is
whether it's a good idea.  I had intended to ask to return to my former
duties eventually.  While I was still considering the question myself,
Tom seems to have concluded rather quickly that I'm ready now."  *Am I?*
	"Are you?" Tuvok prompted.
	Of course he would ask that!  "You've taken me a bit off guard,
sir, how soon do you need an answer?"  She immediately winced at her
response.  *What a moronic thing to say* she reproached herself.  How
much time did she need skulking around checking equipment lockers before
she decided she was ready to function?  "Actually, sir, I believe my
resentment itself did not make me incapable, but I allowed it to dictate
my withdrawal.  I am determined not to choose that course again."
	Tuvok was looking at her with a slight quizzical crease between
his brows.  Leena wondered how much her face was broadcasting as she
waited for his response.  "I believe you are determined, Lieutenant, and
I have never doubted your abilities, only your will," he said finally.
Leena allowed herself a relieved smile.  "Please report to the security
office tomorrow at 14:00 to go over your new duties."

	B'Elanna waited patiently for the doors to the captain's quarters
to open.  Never before had she thought to bother the captain during her
off-duty hours, but she felt this news was too important and sensitive
to use the ship's comm systems.
	"Come in."  Janeway was pleasantly startled when her chief
engineer entered the room, but immediately became concerned when she
saw B'Elanna's expression.  She set down her book and got out her easy
chair to address the situation with the same serious manner.  "What's
wrong, Lieutenant?"
	"We're not going to make it to Alsauria in time, Captain.  At
present the reaction rates are at 58% of normal.  The reaction assembly
is under control, but the plain truth is that we're using up too much
power."
	"Would it help if we cut speed again?"
	B'Elanna shook her head.  "The savings we'd get from generating
the warp field would be negligible compared to how much energy will be
used in the extra time it'll take to reach Alsauria.  Our best solution
is to start shutting down all non-essential systems to minimize the
power drain."
	Janeway held her chin in thought.  "All right, do it.  Cut power
and life support to all non-essential decks, and take the replicators
off-line for starters.  I'll have Chakotay make up a list of other
areas we can divert power from as well.  If that isn't enough to give
us enough leeway, let me know and we'll try to work something out."
	"Aye, Captain."  B'Elanna nodded, turned on her heel and left
quickly.

                             *     *     *

	Leena watched the activity on the bridge from her standby
position.  It felt like an eternity since she last stood here, ready to
assume Lt. Tuvok's place at the tactical station.  Tuvok's new duty
assignments surprised her, as well as his new staff rankings.  As if to
signal his confidence in her to the whole department, Leena found her
name slotted first among all chief assistants, putting her second behind
the Vulcan in terms of departmental authority.  From the standpoint of
seniority and experience the choice made sense, but Leena still felt
flattered.  Tuvok was going out on a limb by bestowing her such a huge
responsibility with little time for readjustment.  A tingle of
anticipation tickled her extremities despite her best efforts to control
her emotions.  This wasn't the first time she stood on this spot, but it
had been a long time.  She just needed a little confidence in herself to
justify the Vulcan's faith.  Leena drew upon her inner strength to quell
her nervous energy.  She would prove herself to Lt. Tuvok and Captain
Janeway that a year spent hiding from the world hadn't affected her
abilities.

	*Voyager* finally limped its way into the Alsaurian system.  Tom,
like many of the officers, had been on edge for the last 36 hours.
System after system went off-line around him as B'Elanna and Harry
desperately worked to save power.  They couldn't get that tellerium fast
enough, in his opinion.  "We're dropping out of warp now, Captain, and
switching to impulse drive."
	"Thank you, Lieutenant.  Janeway to Torres, you're clear."
	B'Elanna's voice came in clear over the comm line.  *Aye, Captain,
taking the warp control system off-line now.*
	Tom watched his flight control panel as the appropriate controls
went dead.  "There she goes."
	"All right, Tom, lay in a course, one-quarter impulse.  Neelix
says the Mokra Order has established an orbital sensor net around the
planet, so we'll take up a position behind their moon.  If we're lucky
they won't notice our arrival, but if they do we shouldn't startle them
by going in too fast."
	"Understood, Captain.  I'm taking her in, nice and slow.  We'll
achieve orbit around the far side of the moon in approximately one
hour."
	"Fine, that should give us plenty enough time to prepare.  Tuvok,
I want you, B'Elanna and Neelix to meet me in my office in five minutes
for one last debriefing.  I want to make sure all our options are
covered.  Commander, you have the bridge."  Janeway retreated into her
ready room even as her orders were acknowledged.

	Leena felt her confidence slip at the captain's orders.  She
hadn't known that Captain Janeway would be part of the away team.  No,
that wasn't entirely accurate; Leena knew the captain would want to lead
the negotiations for the tellerium.  She just hoped the negotiations
wouldn't take place planetside.  With the captain gone, that left
Commander Chakotay in charge.  The Maquis.
	Leena mentally kicked herself, angry for allowing her prejudice to
resurface.  Commander Chakotay had the qualifications to be the
executive officer.  He had graduated from the Academy, command level
experience, and understood Starfleet protocols as well as anyone.  She
just had to get over that one detail, the one where he defected from
Starfleet to help lead a band of marauders bent on starting a war with
Cardassia.
	"Lieutenant Calloway, I will turn control of the tactical station
over to you now."
	Leena's head snapped up to face her superior.  She could not avoid
blushing.  "Aye, sir.  Good luck with your mission."
	The Vulcan nodded and retreated to the captain's ready room.
Leena again glanced at the first officer.  She steeled herself for the
next few hours, reminding herself that this assignment was temporary.
Certainly she could stand to receive his orders for a couple of hours.

Chapter 3

	The news spread quickly.  Someone had alerted the Mokra Order of
the away team's presence on the planet surface.  Neelix managed to
procure the much-needed tellerium, but in the interim a squad of storm
troopers had intercepted Lt. Tuvok, Chief Engineer Torres and Captain
Janeway.
	No one was really sure how the Mokra Order had learned of their
presence.  *Voyager* had managed to move in behind the Alsaurian moon
without being detected, much to Neelix's and Janeway's relief: the Mokra
Order were not inclined to fair trade, and most likely would have
demanded restricted Federation technology in order to do any kind of
business.  That didn't seem to matter now, though, even if they did
achieve their objective.  Tom ran a systems check for the umpteenth
time, frustrated with the bitter irony that had unfolded a mere twenty
minutes ago.

	The moment the bridge lights returned to normal intensity Tom let
out a cry of victory.  *Voyager* would not be fated to spend its
remaining days drifting through space, a willing trophy waiting to be
claimed by the Kazon or any other scavenging race.  He set co-ordinates
directly out of the system, eagerly awaiting the captain's return to the
bridge to give her quintessential orders.  He should have suspected
trouble when Chakotay walked out of the turbolift with Neelix instead.
There was a certain urgency in the commander's voice when he ordered him
to break orbit that put Tom's hackles on end.
	"We'll be in full view of the planet in a few seconds," Tom
announced, carefully monitoring his navigational instruments.  "Their
orbital sensor net has picked us up.  They're scanning the ship."  An
alarm chirped.  "We're being hailed."
	Chakotay didn't hesitate.  "On screen."
	The peaceful view of Alsauria dissolved to black, replaced with
the image of a dark, intimidating figure.  "I am Third Magistrate Augris
of the Mokra Order."
	The commander didn't sound the least bit intimidated, however.
"Commander Chakotay, of the Federation starship *Voyager*."
	"May I assume you're seeking permission to conduct business with
us?"
	"No.  Some of my crewmembers have already been to the surface.
We've lost contact with them."
	*That explains why he sounded tense earlier.*  Tom had a feeling
things were going to get worse before they got better.
	Augris didn't look the least bit surprised by Chakotay's
information.  "I see.  You must have been unaware of our regulations.
I'll transfer a complete copy for future reference."
	"I have reason to believe they're being detained."  There it was.
Tom silently cursed himself for the accuracy of his own pessimism.
	"Detained?  That's possible.  I'll look into it for you.  I'll
contact you shortly."
	"Thank you."  Chakotay closed the channel.
	"He's not like any Mokra I've ever met," Neelix said suspiciously.
"I can't believe he'd really help us."
	Chakotay had to admit that his first impression of the magistrate
could have been better, but Augris really hadn't said anything to
indicate an ulterior motive.  Despite his gut feeling, he had to give
him the benefit of a doubt.  "If there's any chance for a diplomatic
solution we have to pursue it."  Still, there was no sense in turning a
blind eye.  He moved to the command pit and began accessing the file of
Mokra Order regulations.  Studying their ordinance structure was always
a good way to learn about a society, and the more he knew of their laws
the better chance he had of getting the away team back.  "In the
meantime I want continuous scans of the surface.  Standard search
pattern."
	"Aye, sir," the officer manning Ops acknowledged.
	Tom was no Betazoid, but he had to agree with the Talaxian.  There
was just something about Augris that didn't fly right.  Their away team
was in trouble.

	Leena listened uneasily to Chakotay's talk with the magistrate.
She paled as she realized what scene probably lay behind Augris'
bureaucratic facade.  She considered what Neelix had said about the
Mokra Order and felt her gut clutch.  She had seen missions go wrong
before.  A tight, simple plan could come suddenly undone by some trivial
error.  The away team couldn't have been down there for more than an
hour; plenty of time for a quick stop and go, but not so long that they
would arouse much suspicion, much less a response.  So how did the Mokra
Order know where to find them so quickly?  What wasn't Augris telling
them?  If they had the officers in custody they could be interrogating
them now, maybe even torturing them.  Conversely, the government might
just want *Voyager* to think they had the crewmen. Leena couldn't see
why, though, unless they were buying time to organize a retaliatory
attack.  Perhaps Augris thought they would make some sort of panicked
call to their resistance contacts, and he wanted to discover who those
were?  The worries chased themselves in circles around her head.
*You're making this too complex,* she admonished herself.  There’d only
been time for some snafu, no time for the plots within plots she was
imagining.  What was logical?
	The captain might have been spotted with a known rebel.  If the
Order was as paranoid as Neelix claimed she might even have been picked
up for jaywalking.  The reason really didn't matter: with such an active
resistance on the planet, the authorities would likely link any unusual
event to rebel activities, including a group of trespassing aliens.
Interrogation of the away team would result for details of their
association with the resistance.  Of course, having absolutely no
information to give them, the away team would be branded as
uncooperative and subjected to punishment, even death.  It was only a
matter of how long the inquisition would last before that judgement was
reached.
	If she could trust this line of logic, what would become of the
ship?  Was Chakotay capable of captaining a Starfleet vessel?  Granted,
the man held his own as a leader.  He had a friendly air of authority
and a charisma that helped him bond with the crew.  His ability to evade
the Cardassians for such a long time with an antediluvian craft showed
that he knew how to survive.  He had even sacrificed his own ship to
prevent *Voyager*'s destruction.  Chakotay had proved himself under
Janeway's command, upholding Starfleet standards.
	Still, that must have chafed him.  He had been a Maquis captain.
With no one to countermand him, why shouldn't he be a Maquis captain
again?  There were no Cardassians out here to fight, so perhaps the crew
wouldn't notice the subtle shift away from Federation restraint.  The
Maquis were brash, bold and stubborn.  *Voyager* was a single ship lost
in the midst of unknown peoples.  An overbold misstep could easily
plunge the ship into more than they could handle.  It had chilled her to
listen to Chakotay negotiate with Augris.  She just didn't trust his
finesse and control the way she did the captain's.  What would it be
like to have to go through this sort of situation again and again,
worrying whether Chakotay would take the decisive action rather than the
wise one?  Her mind dredged up case studies from her Advanced Tactical
Strategies course at the academy.  Decker, Hilton, Kirk, Sulu: all
former ship commanders who flew in the face of Starfleet, making up
their own rules whether or not the situation truly deserved it.  She
remembered how disturbed she was reading those case studies - more
precisely, how often the captains escaped the review board with a
minimal amount of punishment.  Her professor had explained that times
were different back then; starship captains were given more leeway in
such command decisions because the Federation was still going through a
delicate adolescence.  That wasn't such the case anymore, though.
Starfleet would be less forgiving of Chakotay's brand of leadership
today, even barring the fact that he wasn't even a legitimate candidate
to captain one of their ships.
	And what would become of her?  She could follow the line of
command, obey orders, but how could she function in a crew that didn't
hold her loyalty - if she even had a place at all, that is.  Officers
surround themselves with people they can trust.  Usually that meant
people who were like them, whose actions and words seemed right to the
commander.  How long would it take Chakotay to see her caution as
cowardice, her reserve as arrogance?
	The doors to the captain's office whooshed open, breaking Leena
out of her trance.  To her indignation fifteen minutes had elapsed since
Commander Chakotay had severed communication with Augris, and already he
had commandeered the captain's office.
	He went straight to Ops.  "Any progress, Harry?" Leena heard a
genuine note of concern in his question.
	"Not yet, Commander," came the grim reply.  "We still haven't been
able to pick up any kind of transponder signal from their communicators.
The sensor net might be interfering with our scans."
	"Do what you can, but keep trying.  Augris will be coming aboard
in less than two hours for a personal meeting.  I'd feel a whole lot
better about talking to him if I knew we could pull our people out of
there in case things fall apart."  He turned and looked stone-faced at
Leena.  "While we're on the subject, Lieutenant, assemble a security
detail to escort the magistrate's party from Transporter Room 3 to the
conference lounge.  I've invited him aboard as a gesture of good faith,
but I want an eye kept on him.  I don't want him looking at anything he
shouldn't see."
	At least he was smart enough to worry about their visitor.  "Aye,
sir."
	Leena reviewed Augris' transmission while making her selections.
She didn't trust that shady looking figure.  Her stand-by replacement
could cover the bridge.  Leena put her own name in the last entry,
following Lt. Karlock's.  She knew Karlock well, having worked
extensively with him in the past.  Karlock had a knack for catching
details, even when it looked like he wasn't paying attention to what he
was guarding.  Tuvok would agree, nothing less than the best would be
appropriate for this particular assignment.

	Harry still had not located the away team by the time the
magistrate arrived.  Uneasily, Leena looked on as Chakotay greeted
Augris.  The official seemed to ignore his surroundings, but she
distrusted his arrogant air of nonchalance.  Chakotay seemed not to
notice the way the official walked around the room as if he owned it.
	"I know we can work out an arrangement that your superiors will
find reasonable," Chakotay said congenially.  "As you say, I'm sure this
has all been a misunderstanding."
	"I truly hope so, Commander."  Augris continued to lazily scan the
room, seemingly not paying attention to anything in particular,
including Leena and Karlock.  Then he looked evenly at Chakotay.  "Tell
me, Commander, if your Federation is as open-minded as you claim,
perhaps you can explain the presence of your guards in this discussion?
I'm beginning to get the impression you don't trust me."
	Chakotay's lips tightened.  Of course, Neelix had said the Mokra
Order was very paranoid.  "Of course not, Magistrate.  This is
Lieutenant Calloway, our head of security on *Voyager*.  Ship's protocol
dictates that she be present during all diplomatic affairs."
	"And what of him?"  Augris threw an intimidating glance at
Karlock, but the guard did not react.  "What rationalization do you have
to explain his presence?"
	"Mr. Karlock is Ambassador Neelix's personal guardian."
	The Talaxian decided to contribute his own voice to the
commander's falsehood.  "That's right, and I must insist that he stay.
I'm sure you can appreciate the desire to feel protected, having brought
your own attendant."
	Augris' eyes flicked reflexively to his bodyguard, then afforded
himself a hint of a smile.  "That's understandable, I suppose.  However,
that does not change the fact that you have surrounded me with your
sentinels, Commander."
	"I would hardly call Lieutenant Calloway and the ambassador's
escort 'surrounded', Magistrate."
	Augris looked down his nose at the first officer.  "Really,
Commander, I won't stand to be mocked or insulted.  I came here in the
interests of helping you find your missing comrades, nothing more.  If
you do not intend to afford me the respect I deserve, perhaps I should
take my leave of you."
	Chakotay frowned.  It seemed that Augris was taking full advantage
of their situation.  The magistrate well knew how important it was for
them to recover the away team, and that he was their only source of
assistance.  "Surely we could work out some type of compromise?"
	Augris sat there feigning serious contemplation of Chakotay's
appeal for a minute before responding.  "The ambassador may keep his
assistant, but the woman must leave the room.  I could never trust a
woman to keep a conversation confidential."
	Leena felt her cheeks burn with fury, but checked herself before
she could say anything to antagonize the magistrate.  She reminded
herself that tolerance for the cultural beliefs of alien races was one
of the tenets of Starfleet.  Despite his chauvinistic attitude, Augris
was a guest, and one who knew the whereabouts of Captain Janeway and
Lieutenant Tuvok.  Leena was afraid, though, of what holding such a
bargaining chip would mean.
	Chakotay looked at her sternly.  She could only guess what was
running through his mind.  He couldn't seriously consider Augris'
suggestion.  At the very least he should comment on Augris' unhealthy,
sexist attitude toward women.
	The commander stood up, not giving Augris even a sideways glance,
and faced her. "It looks like I'll have to ask you to leave the room,
Lieutenant."
	A muscle in Leena's jaw twitched.  The commander wasn't putting up
much of a fight to keep her there.  He had chosen the quick fix over
caution, without a hint of disapproval.  She could tell that Augris was
up to something, but it wouldn't do any of them a bit of good if she
wasn't there to find out.  "Sir, I wouldn't advise that course of
action."
	"We'll be all right, Lieutenant.  You have your orders."  His face
was set and cold, but his eyes flashed a sincere apology.
	Leena scowled, ignoring his olive branch.  "Yes, sir."  Sending a
commanding look to Karlock, she made her way out.  Leena caught Augris'
leering grin and shot him a withering look.  If only she'd had a phaser
handy, she would have shot him with that, too.
	The minutes ticked by.  Leena gnawed on the bitter pill Augris had
fed her.  He'd played her and Commander Chakotay for suckers, and he
delighted in letting her know it, too.  He had practically dared her to
defy the commander's orders, knowing full well that it would provide him
more ammunition in the negotiation for the away team.  Leena imagined he
wouldn't scruple to drive a dirty bargain if he could let down his
official face.
	Still, the commander had capitulated too much to Augris.  He could
have made some excuse to keep her in there.  He probably could have
found a way to keep Lieutenant Tuvok.  It reinforced the idea that
Chakotay hadn't accepted her as chief of security, even temporarily.
She glared at the conference room doors.  Not knowing what was going on
behind the bulkhead drove her mad.  What rash concessions might the
commander make?  Or would he push the magistrate too hard, dooming the
away team?
	Leena almost jumped when the doors snapped open.  The magistrate
had concluded the meeting and decided to make his leave, his bodyguard
in tow.  Like finely tuned machinery, Leena's team stepped into position
and led the way back to the transporter room.  Leena noticed the
magistrate's look of smug satisfaction as they passed and her anxiety
climbed another notch.  Whatever happened in there, it seemed that
Augris had them in a corner.  She stopped Karlock as he exited the
conference room.  "Let's take a trip to the security office, Karlock.  I
need to know *everything* that went on in there."

	Leena felt the muscles between her shoulders clench as she walked
back onto the bridge.  Somehow it didn't sound right.  The room was
mostly quiet, save for the padding of hurried footfalls and the low
tones of rushed conversations.  The trilling of an electronic control
pierced her ears through the relative silence, making her flinch.
	She quickly assessed the bridge.  Tom sat at the navigation
console looking completely stressed.  A couple of engineers milled
about, busily attending to minor repairs.  Ensign Harry Kim and Neelix,
the ship's morale officer, looked busiest of all in the oddest of
collaborations, totally absorbed by the data on a science console.
Commander Chakotay, she noted with a twinge of bitterness, was nowhere
on the bridge.  She could only guess what he was up to.  As she watched
the activity, irritation suddenly stabbed her.  She had no tasks
assigned her.
	Reassuming the tactical station, she immediately queried the
computer for the commander's location.  As she suspected, he had
returned to the captain's office.  *He sure has some nerve.  Does he
think no one's noticed his little manoeuvre?  The chair is still warm,
as they say.*  She would have to enlighten the commander about this
oversight, but first she had to attend to a higher priority.  She
quietly made her way behind the bridge to the captain's ready room and
pressed the chime.  After a brief eternity, the door slid open.
	Commander Chakotay sat cross-legged on the floor over in the
captain's lounge, gathering up an assortment of trinkets placed in front
of him.  Leena had long since heard about the commander's meditation
rituals.  'Vision quests' as it had been put.  She wondered what sort of
visions he was actually looking for, though.  The fact that he had
already made himself at home in the ready room didn't inspire any
reassurances about his intentions.
	Chakotay finished packing up his spirit bundle before focusing his
attention on the entrant.  "Hello, Lieutenant."  He pushed himself into
a standing position and presented her with a congenial smile.  "I trust
that our new 'friend' the magistrate has left?"
	"Yes, sir.  Magistrate Augris and his attendant were escorted to
the transporter room and beamed off the ship without incident."
	The commander sat down behind the captain's desk and sank into the
back of the chair until it tilted.  "Thank you, Lieutenant.  That's one
burden I'm glad to get rid of, at least for the moment."
	"Permission to speak, sir?"  Leena ventured.  The mention of
Augris' name brought back a memory of their unspoken disagreement.
*Might as well have that out now.*
	Chakotay's smile evaporated.  He suspected what she wanted to talk
about.  He shifted his weight and casually leaned over the captain's
desk, folding his hands in front.  "What's on your mind?"
	"To be candid, sir, I think you should have tried bargaining with
Augris a little more before throwing me out of the conference room.  He
had an agenda for that meeting."
	"I know you're weren't happy with that decision, Lieutenant, but I
didn't think it would be wise to provoke him.  We couldn't have afforded
the time to forge a compromise if he had walked out.  If anything, it
was probably better that we got him to stay.  After you left he started
making veiled accusations that we have been in league with the local
resistance movement.  I would guess that he's been interrogating the
away team the entire time also."
	"Yes, sir, I know.  Lieutenant Karlock already debriefed me on the
meeting.  That raises another question, though.  Since we now have a
reasonable idea of what Magistrate Augris is up to, why does the bridge
look as though the captain's already back on board?"
	"We're doing all we can at the moment, Lieutenant.  If you've got
any ideas for a rescue plan, I'd be happy to entertain them."
	"Not at the moment, sir, but if there's any way to get the captain
off the planet you'll be the first person I see.  You can count on
that."
	Chakotay stiffened at the subtly threatening tone.  He nodded,
perhaps finally understanding the cause for her attitude.  "Dismissed,
Lieutenant."
	Leena pivoted and marched out of the office.  If the commander
couldn't provide her with any useful work, she'd just have to find it on
her own.

Chapter 4

	Tom allowed the hint of an arrogant smile to show.  Following the
face-to-face conference with Augris, Chakotay had immediately put Harry
to work with Neelix to assay the planet's defensive capabilities.  That
made two things abundantly clear: the captain and the others were
probably still alive, and Chakotay was finally taking matters into his
own hands.  It looked like they would be mounting a rescue operation
after all.
	Of course, it wouldn't be easy, according to the data Harry and
Neelix had assembled.  Beaming directly into the prison simply couldn't
be done.  Aside from being heavily shielded and teeming with guards, the
Alsaurian sensor net would immediately detect *Voyager*'s transporter
signal.  The away team would be surrounded in no time, no matter where
they beamed in.  Regardless of the plan devised, the sensor net proved
to be the biggest stumbling block.  Again, Chakotay dumped the
assignment into Harry's lap, much to the ensign's frustration.  Out of
the corner of his eye, Tom caught Leena's reaction to Chakotay's
delegation.  It sure didn't look like relief.

	Leena gripped the sides of the security console so hard her
knuckles whitened.  Apparently that little exchange in the captain's
office meant absolutely nothing to the commander.  From the very first
moment he had set foot back on the bridge Chakotay had been directing
the crew as if she didn't exist on the same physical plane.  Was this
just a sample of what she could expect if they couldn't get the captain
back?  Getting pushed aside while the situation spun out of control
around her?  If excluding her from Harry Kim's impromptu presentation on
the Mokra Order's defensive perimeters hadn't been enough to raise her
ire, inviting Tom Paris to listen in instead sent her blood boiling.
Dammit, didn't Commander Chakotay realize what kind of stake she had in
this rescue operation?  She decided to eavesdrop on the congregation at
the science station beside her anyway.
	Neelix was in the midst of explaining the prison's defenses to the
commander.  "My sources tell me it's surrounded by metaphasic shields."
	"Can we find a way to beam through them?  The Mokra aren't
familiar with transporter technology."
	Harry offered a suggestion.  "There is a periodic fluctuation in
the shields' energy pattern.  I'm working on a way to take advantage of
it."
	"There's only one problem with that," Neelix said.  "If the Mokra
detect us breaking through their shields we'll be surrounded by soldiers
in seconds."
	"If we could beam in close enough to where the away team is being
held, we might be able to get in and out of there before the Mokra had a
chance to react."  Leena threw a sour glance behind Tom's back.  *Who
are you trying to kid, Lieutenant?  We don't know exactly where they
are.  Quit acting like you've actually got something useful to
contribute to that discussion and pay attention!  I should be the one
looking at that data, not you.*
	Harry echoed Calloway's thoughts, albeit less snappishly.  "We
can't locate the away team from here.  The detention level is
subterranean and the rock is too dense for our sensors to penetrate.
You'll have to look for them after you beam into the prison."
	"Too dangerous, we can't risk beaming in."  Chakotay reconsidered
the important facts of their discourse.  The Mokra Order certainly
backed up their paranoia well.  A simple search and rescue couldn't be
done.  Even a sophisticated plan looked doubtful of succeeding.
Nonetheless, something had to be done to extract the away team.  He
couldn't see Augris' hospitality improving much after his visit to
*Voyager*.  "We'll have to find a way that the Mokra won't detect.
Sounds like a challenge for you, Mr. Kim."
	Leena's reserve finally cracked under the weight of that order.
She locked her arms at the elbows to keep from shaking her grip free.  A
murderous scream of rage swelled within her, but caught in her throat.
Did the commander think Tuvok was the only capable security officer on
the ship?  Remove him from the picture, and suddenly there was an
unfillable void?  Drawing upon her very essence of self-control, Leena
fought the stifled cry until it finally subsided.
	"Are you feeling all right, Lieutenant?"
	Commander Chakotay's concern surprised her.  It took her a moment
to realize how hard her breathing had become.  "No, sir, I am *not* all
right," she panted, practically gasping for air.
	"Should I tell Sickbay to expect a patient?"
	"No, sir.  My problem doesn't concern my health, it concerns your
attempts to undermine this rescue operation."
	Suddenly the bridge became deathly quiet, every set of eyes now
focused on the tactical station.  The commander looked quite steady for
a man in complete shock.  "Excuse me?"
	Leena managed to collect herself.  She squared her shoulders and
tried as best she could to look him straight in the eyes.  "I have cause
to believe that you are subverting the command structure of this vessel,
sir."
	The commander did not take kindly to her accusation, but he
composed himself remarkably.  Twin tempests brewed in his brown eyes,
yet his voice remained incredibly calm.  "Follow me, Lieutenant."  He
took a few steps toward the captain's office, then stopped and checked
over his shoulder to make sure she following.  She hadn't moved an inch
from the security station.  His voice took on a slightly harder edge.
"I gave you an order, Lieutenant.  Move it."
	Leena felt the stares of everyone on the bridge trained on her.
Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to cause a scene in front of so many
people.  Her resolve wavered slightly while she considered how she could
lose the respect of her peers by losing face.  Mustering up her
remaining conviction, she fell in behind Chakotay.  Tom, Harry, Neelix
and the others watched on steadfastly as they disappeared into the
captain's ready room.
	The moment Chakotay heard the entrance close he whirled around to
confront his accuser.  Leena stopped in time to prevent bumping into him
but she backed up half a step reflexively.  The commander immediately
moved closer and made himself as tall as possible.  It was a fairly
common tactic that command officers used to intimidate their taller
subordinates.  Crowd them, make them as uncomfortable as possible.  "You
want to tell me what just happened out there?"
	Leena looked directly into his eyes and stuck her chest out as far
as she could to neutralize his intimidating posture.  She resisted a
smile when he stepped back to avoid bumping into her bosom.  "I thought
I made myself quite clear, Commander.  I'm questioning your motive to
usurp command of this ship."
	"That's quite an accusation, Lieutenant.  Do you have any evidence
to back that up?"
	" Where shall I begin, sir?  When you allowed Captain Janeway to
beam down to a hostile environment?  All the times you bent over
backwards to cede to Augris' stipulations?  Your decision to have Ensign
Kim attempt to break through that sensor net, when there are other
officers on this ship who are more qualified for the assignment?  If you
had bothered to read the ship's personnel files, you would know that I
have had extensive studies in defensive systems architecture at the
Academy."
	Chakotay folded his arms across his chest.  "In case you've
forgotten, Lieutenant, it's the first officer's responsibility to review
and maintain those files on a regular basis.  So, yes, I happen to be
fully aware of your background."
	"And yet to chose to overlook my qualifications in light of this
assignment.  Why is that, Commander?  Aren't you supposed to be looking
out for the crew's best interests, or is it just the Maquis' interests
you're looking out for?"
	Chakotay's posture sagged, his adversarial demeanour replaced with
resigned sadness.  He sighed, its sound reflecting the strain of having
faced this situation far too many times already.  "Please have a seat,
Lieutenant."
	His change in attitude flagged her temper slightly, but not quite
enough.  "Thank you, sir, but I'd prefer to stand."
	"Suit yourself."  Chakotay opted to lean against the captain's
desk.  "Tuvok told me about the transition you're going through.  I
understand why he did that now.  He wanted to be certain that you could
avoid a confrontation like this one.  I don't think he could have
anticipated the situation we're facing now, but the intent was the same.
I usually don't respond well when the crew accuses me of mutiny.
	"Lieutenant, I understand what you're feeling.  You're at a very
vulnerable point in your life right now, and you don't know whom to
trust yet.  It's been a difficult adjustment for all of us here.  There
isn't a person here who didn't lose a friend or two because of the
Caretaker, and there were a lot of us who blamed Captain Janeway for the
loss of our ship and our opportunity to return to the Alpha Quadrant.
Some of my crew still haven't gotten over it yet, in fact.  However, the
point is, the rest of us *did*.  We accepted that we would have to co
operate with your crew and to do what we could to get home."
	"I've heard all of this before, Commander, and nothing you've said
so far has convinced me that you wouldn't jump at the chance to turn
*Voyager* into a trophy for the Maquis."
	"Lieutenant, do you know what took place between the captain and I
after the Caretaker's Array was destroyed?"
	"I think it's fairly obvious what happened."
	"Maybe it's not as obvious as you'd like to think.  Captain
Janeway asked *me* how to merge the two crews together.  It was
basically my decision for *Voyager* to remain a Starfleet vessel.  The
captain recognized the potential difficulties involved in asking my crew
to abide by Starfleet regulations, and she gave me the option to
choose."
	She peered at him through slit eyes.  "And you're telling me you
just chose Starfleet?  I find that hard to believe.  I doubt the captain
would have seriously let you decide the fate of our crew without making
a case for Starfleet."
	Chakotay's lips twitched upward.  "You're probably right,
Lieutenant.  The captain's not one to give up her principles easily.
But believe it or not, I did opt for Starfleet.  It wasn't an easy
decision to make, though.  I had to consider what was best for the whole
crew, and it involved more than taking into account what the captain
wanted.  I chose Starfleet because I thought it was the best way for the
two crews to work together as a single team.  I knew it would be
difficult for my crew to accept that decision, but I figured it would be
a lot harder for Janeway's crew to adjust to running a Maquis ship.  You
outnumbered us almost 4 to 1; I can't imagine trying to deal with that
much animosity - it's been a struggle as it is now.  I think the
decision has worked out for the best, though.  My men have made the
adjustment.  Your people have supported them.  If we can't get the
captain back, I see no reason to upset the balance we've achieved.
However, I'm not willing to consider that decision yet.  We *will* get
the captain back.  The same goes for Tuvok and Lieutenant Torres."
	Leena could feel her foothold crumbling.  His arguments were very
reasonable.  "Well, if you're so concerned about their safety, why have
you been putting me at arm's length when you know I can help?  If you'd
give me half a chance I know I can break their defenses!"
	"I'm sorry about that, Lieutenant.  I didn't want to subject you
to any undue pressure.  I thought you had enough problems already
without also having to deal with the sensor net.  Now I see that was a
mistake.  As first officer it is my responsibility to make the best use
of my crew.  I hope you'll forgive me of that error."
	Her knees buckled for a moment and she grabbed the nearby chair to
steady herself.  The apology had initially taken her by surprise, but
his plea for forgiveness completely rattled her.  The man was deeply
concerned about her opinion!  "Y-you meant well, sir."
	"Thank you, Lieutenant.  If you feel you're up to it, how about
assisting Ensign Kim?"
	"I believe I can handle that, sir."
	"Glad to hear it.  Now I suggest you two get a move on, we're a
little pressed for time."  She started for the exit, but he stopped her
midway.  "One more thing, Lieutenant.  If you ever talk to me again like
that I'll have you thrown into the brig, understand?"
	Calloway instantly felt a respect for Commander Chakotay growing
within her.  She pulled herself straight to attention and locked as
professional a look on him as possible.  "Aye, sir.  Perfectly."
	Satisfied with the response, the commander nodded.  Leena resumed
her pace and left the office.  Chakotay waited a moment.  *May you
conquer your demons soon, Lieutenant.*  He put his business face back on
and returned to the bridge.  He took his place in the captain's chair
and started scrolling through data on the attached console.
	"Commander Chakotay really is concerned for the captain's well
being, isn't he?" she murmured to Harry as the ensign joined her at
Tactical.
	"After all the times he's already gone to bat for her?" he
countered.  "The commander's completely given his loyalty to the
captain.  He'll do whatever it takes to get the away team back safely."
	"I'm beginning to see that."  Leena drew a thin smile in reply to
Harry's own grin.  "All right, let's see what we're looking at.  Tell
me, what sort of deterrents are we up against?"
	"There are a few," Harry said, punching up the schematics on the
security console.  "The prison occupies approximately 175,000 cubic
metres of territory on the eastern side of the capital, most of it
underground, and is patrolled by a staff of 200 armed guards on rotating
shifts."
	"That's a pretty large facility.  You think they have a real
problem with crime or is it just the political dissidents that get
special treatment?"  They exchanged a wry look, then Harry continued.
	"Whether they realized or not, the Mokra Order couldn't have built
the prison in a better spot.  The density of the rock is high enough to
block our sensors, which not only means we can't locate the away team,
but our transporters become less effective.  We could probably beam the
rescue party into the mouth of a tunnel, but any deeper in and there's
no telling where you'll materialize.  And if that isn't enough, they
have what looks like metaphasic shields extending 150 metres from the
perimeter of the facility.  We can't even get close to the compound with
a transporter signal, much less beam into one of the tunnels, without
alerting them."
	"Is there any possibility we can shut down their generators?"
	Harry shook his head.  "They're too heavily monitored, and that
runs into another problem: the sensor net.  It seems extraordinarily
sensitive to electromagnetic fluctuations.  They might even have the
ability to track our sensor sweeps.  The moment we beam a second party
to the surface the Mokra Order has pinpointed our location and
dispatched their soldiers to intercept us."
	"Harry, let's focus on the sensor net a little more.  Do you have
any schematics?"
	"Hang on a sec."  A pull away shot of Alsauria replaced the prison
blueprints.  Several points glowed to life, identifying the sensor net
nodes.  "There.  As you can see, the sensor net consists of 98 nodes
spaced equidistantly and cross-linked in hexagonal grids."  As he spoke,
little orange lines fanned out from the glowing points, creating a mish-
mash picture of the planet.  "Each node has its own fusion generator,
pumping out power at 8.34 THz, which might account for the net's
sensitivity."
	"Have you tried finding any holes we could sneak through?"  Leena
knew he would have tried already, but thinking aloud always helped her
focus on the problem.
	"No luck.  It's the power output; the sensor fields the nodes
produce are so strong they bounce off their own neighbours.  It's like
wrapping yourself up with a quilt made of duranium instead of cotton
fleece.  You're going to know when someone tries to poke a hole in it."
	"What if we tried disabling some of the nodes?  Could we create
our own hole?"
	In response, Harry isolated a schematic of a node, creating a
split-screen view.  "I thought of that, too.  The material used to
construct the nodes is quite dense; I had a hard time getting the
sensors to penetrate the casing.  Most likely we won't be able to send
an overload or shutdown command to the computer bank because our signal
will just bounce off the skin.  Either we use a subspace pulse or the
phasers to penetrate it, but in both cases we'll end up destroying the
entire node.  Unfortunately, even if the Mokra Order doesn't notice that
we've blown up their property and immediately start firing on us, the
high output of the neighbouring nodes easily compensate for the disabled
one.  We'd have to take down at least half a dozen nodes before we could
sneak a transporter signal through, and by then it won't make a
difference if we just decided to land the ship instead."
	Leena frowned: so much for that idea.  There had to be something
they were missing.  No security system was ever completely foolproof.
"I think I need to see more, Harry.  What we got here isn't going to cut
it."
	"Like what?  I've already shown you all the schematics I could put
together."
	"Then I'll start from the beginning.  Pull out every sensor log
we've got since we entered the system.  There's got to be something
we're overlooking."

Chapter 5

	Something was there.  She could sense its presence hiding amidst
all the calculations and vectors, taunting her.  She just couldn't see
it.
	Every idea she conceived to disable the network fell flat.  The
Mokra constructed five levels of backups and other fail-safes into each
node to guard against everything from computer viruses to radiant solar
activity.  Anything that could adversely affect the operation of a node
would trigger an alert to a control station on the planet.  She hated to
admit it but using stealth to rescue the landing party looked
impossible.  Leena stopped to rub the fatigue from her eyes and work out
the knots forming in her shoulders.  How long had they been sifting
through these files?  "Harry, what time is it?  Harry?"  She looked
around, found the ensign hunched over the Ops station, looking as
haggard as she felt but still engrossed in his work.  She had to give
the guy credit: he knew how to work.  "Computer, what time is it?"
	"The time is seventeen-hundred thirty-four hours."  More than two
hours since they had started scrutinising the logs.  Nearly six hours
since the away team was first reported missing.  For all she knew Tuvok
and the captain could be dead for real now.  Hopefully those slimy Mokra
weren't as impatient as she feared.  Uncertainty could be a terrible
weapon when wielded effectively, and Augris certainly seemed to know how
to handle it.
	"How's it going, Harry?" she asked, walking over to Ops.  Her
voice was flat, listless.
	Harry took the interruption to scrub his tired face.  "This is
pointless, Leena.  I really don't know what you think we'll find in all
this."
	"Come on, Harry, don't give up on me now.  Where's that ingenuity
you were bragging about earlier?  I could use some of it right now."
	"Sorry, but I'm fresh out of ideas.  There's just no way to knock
out that net."
	Leena braced herself over the console, bowing her head in
frustration.  "There has to be a way.  No system is perfect.  Maybe if I
beamed into one of those nodes, looked at it first hand...."
	"I hate to say it, Leena, but we're running out of time here.  I'd
like to analyze one myself, but we've already spent two hours on this
problem with no results.  I think it's time we cut our losses and try
another approach."
	"What do you mean exactly?"
	"Well, if we can't beam down undetected, maybe we can try to
confuse them."
	"And how do we do that?"
	"I have an idea."  Activating a few keys, Harry displayed a
simplified diagram of the prison and *Voyager* in space above it.
"Before we started working on this I was developing a way to beam
through the prison's metaphasic shields.  I think I've found a way to do
that using a radion beam.  By modulating it to the right frequency and
timing it to coincide with the fluctuation I found, we can create a
large enough hole to push a transporter beam through.  It wouldn't be
that difficult to hide a transporter signal in a radion beam."  As he
spoke, the diagram animated his explanation.  "Now comes the neat part
of this plan.  As Neelix said, the Mokra Order will know where we are
the moment we penetrate the shields.  However, if we use more than one
radion beam targeted at different co-ordinates around the prison they'll
have a harder time tracking us down.  It's not fool proof, but it should
give the rescue party a few extra seconds to make their way into the
tunnels before they're spotted."
	Leena mulled over the information.  Definitely it was a risk; in
the worst case the team would still be caught right away.  The sensor
node problem continued to nag her, but she knew it was time to give that
a rest.  Unfortunately, Harry was right.  They didn't have the luxury of
studying them up close.  "I doubt we'll get anything better.  I think we
should go forward with this plan."  The reality chafed her, though.  All
that effort, wasted.

	"Yes, sir!" Tom responded enthusiastically to Chakotay's order to
assemble an away team.  Frankly, it was about time they finally got off
their cans and did something.  He slid out of his chair and worked his
way to the security station.  "Nice work, Calloway," he murmured.  "I've
got to give Harry credit for channelling your stress into that console.
The way you were going, I thought you'd start cracking heads at any
moment."
	Leena glowered at the pilot for his unintended slight.  "Keep
talking, Paris.  I'm sure we could arrange something."
	"Uh, maybe later."  Tom took a step back.  She'd reacted a little
stronger than he'd expected.  She obviously wasn't as happy about the
plan as the rest of bridge.  He had to diffuse this situation, and
quickly.  "Anyway, how about taking point on our little prison raid?  I
hear you're pretty handy with a phaser."
	That seemed to work; Leena lowered her ire.  "Then you have a good
ear."  She hesitated.  "I just don't know if I should go, though; right
now I'm second in command of security.  My place is on the bridge."
	"Leena, I've been watching you all day.  I know how much you want
to go down there and get Tuvok."  He gripped her shoulder supportively.
*"Don't worry about the bridge, it'll still be here when we get back."*

	She sighed, defeated.  Tom was more perceptive than she gave him
credit for.  He had teased her with the right bait to get her mind off
her recent futility: an opportunity to lead a charge to find Tuvok.  As
the acting chief, she shouldn't have considered leaving her post; she
could put *Voyager* in the dubious position of losing its top two
security officers.  However, she felt the pull of loyalty to Tuvok.  If
there was a chance to get him out, she wanted to be there to do it.
"Murphy, cover for me."  She hustled into the turbolift before she could
change her mind.  Tom followed her in.  "Exactly what kind of moron do
you take me for anyway?"
	"Pardon?" he asked, startled.
	"Cut the act, Lieutenant.  I know what you're up to.  You think
that by doing me a few favours that I'll feel obligated to reciprocate."
	Tom looked genuinely hurt by the accusation.  "You wound me,
Calloway.  How is it that you see an ulterior motive behind everything I
do?"
	She looked squarely at him.  "Tell me I'm wrong then.  Are you
trying to score brownie points with me or not?"
	Tom levelled his gaze with hers.  "Absolutely."
	Leena stood there, thunderstruck.  Somehow she expected him to
dodge the question, or at least lie in that playful style of his.  Not
for a second did she believe he would come right out and admit the
truth.
	"I'm not going to lie to you, Leena.  I'm doing this because I
want to prove to you that I'm capable of being unselfish, and because I
want you to like me.  Can you think of a better way to befriend a person
than by doing nice things for them?"
	Her mouth bobbed, trying to find purchase on an acceptable
response.  "Uh...er...no."
	"Good.  I'm glad we got that straightened out."
	Leena had to consciously force her legs to operate in order to
follow Tom out of the turbolift and into the transporter room.  It took
her brain a few minutes to process what had happened.  She likened the
experience to being run over by a hovercar.  By the time she regained
rational thought Neelix, Pietr Ogdanovich and Justin McCabe had joined
them.
	Tom tapped the badge on his chest as soon as they assembled on the
pad.  "Paris to Bridge.  The away team is assembled and in position for
transport."
	"Acknowledged, Lieutenant.  Stand by."
	The next minute was surprisingly tense as they waited for
Chakotay's order.  Leena shifted into full alertness.  Tom fidgeted,
double-checking the setting on his phaser.  What were they waiting for?
	Chakotay's voice finally broke the suspense.  "Transporter room,
stand down.  Sorry, away team.  It didn't work."

                             *     *     *

	Tom couldn't take the waiting anymore.  Who knew what tortures
Augris was inflicting upon the away team while he held *Voyager* at gun-
point.  At least he hadn't shot at them yet.  That meant Augris still
had something he didn't want them to have, namely the away team.
Unfortunately, he didn't know how much longer that would still be the
case.  It was so damn frustrating, this feeling of helplessness.
	"Commander."  Tom jumped at Harry's agitated tone.  He looked up
at Ops.  Just the expression on Harry's face made the hair on his arms
stand up with anticipation.
	"Give me some good news, Mr. Kim."
	Harry obliged.  "There's a disruption in the shields around the
prison."
	Chakotay looked up at the ensign, pleasantly surprised.  "That
qualifies.  Good work."
	"I wish I could take credit for it, but it's coming from inside
the prison."
	"Can we get through?"
	"Yes, but the Mokra will detect our transport."
	"Sounds like they have other things to worry about right now," Tom
said.  The possibilities of what was taking place down in the prison ran
through his head.  Equipment malfunction, maybe?  That seemed far-
fetched.  More likely that someone had employed some creative
maintenance, and he could think of three people off the top of his head
who had the technical knowledge and ability to implement it.  He
approached the first officer.  "That disruption might not be accidental.
Someone in there might be trying to get out."
	Chakotay frowned.  "That's a big assumption."
	Tom pressed.  "Even if our people didn't cause the problem, you
know they'd take advantage of it.  This is our best chance to find
them."  He knew Chakotay couldn't argue against that reasoning.
	Still, the commander appeared to consider the situation.
Obviously he worried how long *Voyager* would be unable to withstand the
Alsaurians' ion cannons once the transporter signal was detected.  But
if they didn't act now they might lose any chance they had to get them
back at all.  Augris surely would have them killed once order was
restored in the prison.
	Chakotay looked briefly at the exterior view of Alsauria, then
back at Tom.  "In about 30 seconds the Mokra are going to open fire.  I
don't know how long we'll be able to wait for you."
	That was all Tom wanted to hear.  It didn't matter to him that he
could have just volunteered for his last away mission.  "Understood."
Turning on his heel, he gave Leena a nod and made a break for the
turbolift.  She was waiting in the car when he reached it.  On the way
down he signalled Neelix, McCabe and Ogdanovich to join them on the
double.  The turbolift doors snapped open and they jogged down the
corridor.
	Leena noticed the broad grin on Tom's face.  "You're really
looking forward to this, aren't you?"
	"I guess it's the irony of the situation," he replied.  "An ex-con
breaking *Voyager*'s chief of security out of jail?  I wonder what Tuvok
would have to say about that?"  He was rewarded with the sound of
Leena's laughter as they entered the transporter room.

	Leena squinted her eyes to adjust to the low-lit tunnels.  No
surprise, really; making prisoners the most uncomfortable in their
rehabilitation environment was usually indicative of most despotic
ruling bodies.  Tom immediately had his tricorder activated and scanning
the branched entrances.  "I'm reading a large concentration of humanoid
life signs about 500 metres north-east of us.  I'm guessing we'll have
to take the left tunnel.  McCabe, you and Ogdanovich take point.  Neelix
and I will be right behind you.  Calloway, cover our backs, make sure
than no one tries to sneak up behind us.  Okay, let's move it, but be
cautious."  The unit headed briskly into the mouth of the left tunnel.
	Leena side-stepped her way down the corridors, glancing over her
shoulder every few seconds.  She kept her composure up and her body
relaxed even though adrenaline coursed through her veins.  Damn, it felt
*good* to be lurking behind enemy lines, under the constant threat of
being caught, her phaser resting comfortably in her palm.
	Leena was impressed with Tom's display of leadership.  It
contradicted the image of the cocky, malingering coward she had
envisioned of him.  A lot of things he'd done lately had surprised her,
though.  He had shown her one of the skeletons in his closet to
vindicate himself against her hasty conclusions.  He had given her a
kick in the pants when she needed it.  He had gone out of his way to put
her career back on track.  He wasn't nearly the villain she had made him
out to be.
	"Whoa!"  Everyone froze and centred on Tom as he stared at the
tricorder readouts.  "Move it!  I just read two pulsed energy discharges
at our destination."
	The quintet bolted down the corridor.  Leena's heart pounded with
fear, not exertion, terrified that they hadn't acted fast enough.  She
couldn't begin to measure how sick she'd feel if Captain Janeway and
Lieutenant Tuvok had been executed mere moments before their liberation.
	McCabe and Ogdanovich rounded a bend and ran into a couple of
armed guards.  The guards were more surprised than anything, not
anticipating that a pair of Starfleet officers would suddenly be bearing
down on them.  The security officers, prepared for confrontation, didn't
even slow down their charge.  They disappeared down the next turn before
the guards toppled unconscious to the tunnel floor from a pair of phaser
stuns.
	Tom pumped his legs harder to try to keep up with McCabe and
Ogdanovich, grimly wondering if he should increase his daily exercises
when he returned to the ship.  *At least Neelix appears to be labouring,
too.  With a physique like his, he *should* be struggling to keep up.*
Looking past a shoulder, Tom caught a most welcome sight: twenty metres
down the corridor stood B'Elanna and Tuvok!  He broke stride, jogging
his way down to a steady walk.  *I've got to find a swimming program for
the holodeck,* he lamented, pulling in large doses of oxygen as he
approached the two other lieutenants.  Tuvok looked a little roughed up,
and B'Elanna a little shaken, but otherwise relieved to see the rescue
team.  "Man, I never thought I'd say this, Tuvok, but you're a sight for
sore eyes."
	The Vulcan held a steady gaze at Tom.  "Indeed."
	Leena came in behind Tom and gasped when she saw Tuvok's battered
countenance, eliminating the feeling of elation when she espied him from
further down the passage.  "Sir, are you all right?  What did they do to
you?"
	"Do not be concerned, Lieutenant.  I was subjected to physical
duress by Magistrate Augris and his enforcers, but they were not
successful in their objective of extracting information."
	With that addressed, one question remained.  Tom beat her to it,
though.  "Where's the captain?  Is she here?"
	"She's in the tunnel off to the right just ahead, Tom," B'Elanna
said distractedly.  Tom slipped around the group and down the tunnel.
Neelix took his cue and tagged along.
	"Lieutenant Calloway, we are on our way to recover a number of
captives belonging to Mr. Darod's resistance movement.  We will require
assistance to escort them out of these passages."
	Leena looked over her shoulder.  "Ensign McCabe, Ensign
Ogdanovich, please escort the lieutenants and show them the way out."
She then looked back at Tuvok.  "If you don't mind, sir, I'll stay
behind and escort the captain back to the ship."
	Tuvok lowered his eyebrows slightly and, almost imperceptibly,
nodded.  Leena recognized his gesture of approval, and the significance
of it touched her.  He knew of the regard she held for Captain Janeway.
"Very well, Lieutenant."  He then motioned at the ensigns to follow his
lead and the group disappeared down the tunnel.
	Leena followed the path Tom and Neelix had taken, wondering what
was delaying them.  Neelix stood at the mouth of the adjoining tunnel
looking unusually sullen.  Her anxiety resurfaced.  What had happened?
She quickened her pace, and stopped abruptly when she reached the
Talaxian.  What she saw took her breath away.
	In the middle of the chamber, Captain Janeway huddled over the
body of a man, her tears staining his face as well as her own.  Knelt at
the captain's side, Tom gave her both emotional support and enough
personal space to grieve.  That single moment topped off all the
redeeming qualities in Tom that Leena had seen in one day: loyalty,
compassion, altruism, frank honesty, courage, leadership...was this the
same Tom Paris she thought she knew?
	"We'd better go now, Captain," Tom gently advised.  "This place is
going to be crawling with guards pretty soon."
	Janeway caressed the dead man's face one final time, wiped away
the moisture in her eyes, and stood up.  "All right, I'm done.  Darod,
just make sure Caylem receives a proper burial.  He deserves that much
respect, at least."  The man must have made quite a sacrifice for the
captain to be so concerned, Leena thought.  She wondered how he was
connected to the events that had recently taken place.
	"Don't worry, Captain, I'll make certain he gets the best of
treatment, and a monument erected in his honour."
	Janeway smiled at Darod.  "Thank you."  She glanced at Tom and
Leena, telling them she was finally ready to leave.  Leena led the way
out as Darod moved to gather Caylem's still form.  "Tom, thank you for
giving me that last moment.  Caylem had his peculiarities, but he was a
truly brave and caring person."
	"I could tell he meant a lot to you, Captain.  Believe me, I know
what it's like to lose someone very special and not have the chance to
pay them the proper respects."
	Leena's stomach twisted into a knot when she heard that.
"Captain, I believe we're clear to beam up to the ship now."
	"Very well, Lieutenant.  Any time you're ready."
	Leena gratefully tapped her communicator.  "Lieutenant Calloway to
*Voyager*.  We have four to beam up."

                             *     *     *

	Leena winced again at the sight of Lieutenant Tuvok's contusions
as she walked into the Security office.  The Vulcan's tolerance for pain
was admirable but the visible discolourations on his face indicated just
how cordial his Alsaurian guests had been.  She derived some small
satisfaction from knowing that Augris had been killed at the hands of
Caylem.  The old man had deserved such an honour after the years of hurt
and suffering Augris had inflicted upon him.  Regrettably he had also
perished in the attempt but he would at least be rewarded with being
rejoined with his family in the great hereafter.  "You wanted to see me,
sir?"
	"Yes, Lieutenant, I do."  Tuvok set down a report on his desk.
"I've had the opportunity to speak with Commander Chakotay since my
return to the ship."
	*Uh-oh.*  A heavy feeling settled into her chest.  She dreaded
what he would have to say about what they inevitably discussed.
	"The commander informed me of his altercation with you on the
bridge.  I found myself troubled by his account of the incident.  Your
adversarial conduct with Commander Chakotay was insubordinate and
unbecoming a Starfleet officer, Lieutenant," he said grimly.  "That is
not the type of behaviour I would have expected from you."
	"I can explain that, sir," she replied, although she didn't
believe she could.
	"Indeed?" Tuvok questioned.  "You accused the commander of
mutiny."
	Her face turned a bright shade of red.  That statement sounded
more like a death knell than an observation.  "It was...in my opinion,
sir, that Commander Chakotay's decisions were not made for the best
interests of the ship.  I...suspected...that he might foil our attempts
to rescue you and the captain, and take command of the ship for
himself."  Her voice, in line with her confidence, fell flat.
	"I see."  Leena heard, in spite of the speaker, the disapproval
and disappointment in Tuvok's voice as he acknowledged her explanation.
"Lieutenant, considering the recent social and career changes you are
experiencing I understand how your present state of mind might be
agitated.  That does not, however, excuse your reckless manner on the
bridge.  Your affront to Commander Chakotay was highly inappropriate and
irrational."
	She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes.  "Yes, sir.
I'll accept whatever discipline you deem necessary."  She could already
see her recent promotion snatched away.
	After an indeterminable silence Tuvok folded his arms across his
lap.  "I have discussed this matter with Captain Janeway and the
commander.  The commander has decided not to make an issue of this
confrontation.  He explained how his precautionary attitude toward you
served to instigate this affair.  By his estimation you have already
punished yourself enough with your self-imposed confinement and
therefore he did not see the need to strip you of rank or sentence you
to confinement.  The captain supported his recommendation.  She also
added that, although your infraction is sufficient grounds for dismissal
from Starfleet and confinement to the brig until you can be brought
before a judicial panel, *Voyager* must make full use of everyone aboard
if we are to succeed in our task of returning to the Alpha Quadrant.
This I have taken in consideration.
	"I must confess that I am partly responsible for this outcome,
since it was I who confided in Commander Chakotay of your infirmity.
However, it still does not excuse your transgression against him.  Your
accusations were based on incomplete information and personal emotions.
As a security officer, you should know the importance of gathering
evidence through unbiased, controlled procedures.  It is therefore my
judgement that you be suspended from duty for the next 72 hours to
contemplate your actions on the bridge.  Your position as assistant
chief will of course be re-evaluated as well.  At the end of your
suspension you will be put on stand-by duty until further notice."
	Leena waited for him to continue.  There had to be more to her
punishment than that.  After a long moment she realized he wasn't going
to say any more.  "I don't mean to criticize, sir, but that's it?  No
demotion?"
	"Your wariness of the commander's motives closely resembles my own
caution when the two crews were first merged into one.  My daily
interactions with the commander and the others, however, enabled me to
work past my initial suspicions.  You, on the other hand, voluntarily
removed yourself from such interactions; you do not have the same
insight that I have amassed.  Thus, it is logical to suggest that your
mistrust of the Maquis would have been supplanted if not for your self-
imposed isolation.  It would not be appropriate to penalize you."
	Numbness enveloped Leena.  Under ordinary circumstances she would
have been facing some time in the brig, probably even a court-martial
hearing.  She should feel happy that circumstances were far from
ordinary on *Voyager*.  So why did she feel so hollow all of a sudden?
	"You may return to quarters, Lieutenant, unless there is something
you would like to discuss further?"
	"Hmm?  Oh, n-no, sir.  Thank you, sir."  Leena left the room in a
daze.  She found it difficult to accept this slap on the wrist as just
for her atrocious behaviour.  It didn't seem big enough for some reason,
only she didn't know the reason.
	She wandered through the corridors, trying to make sense of the
impossible situations that had played themselves out in the last few
days.  She had a rakish pilot, who had a great deal more character than
anyone realized, vying for her affections.  This very same person, a
moral misfit, had bested her in a trial of compassion and honesty, had
set her on the path to personal stability, and still she had almost
mutinied against her first officer.  Now she had been given a light
reprieve from her superior when, by all rights, he should have
prosecuted her to the fullest extent of the law.  Just thinking about it
made her head ache, so instead she let her mind go blank.  The thinking
could be put off until such time that she would be better equipped to
handle it.  Which, at the rate she was going, would take far longer than
the three days she'd just been given.

Chapter 6

	Ensign McCormick turned into section 38 on Deck 5, pausing briefly
along the passage to check the cabin numbers.  The rumour mill was now
in full swing regarding Lt. Calloway's disappearance.  Some people
claimed that Tuvok had confined her to quarters for the remainder of
their journey.  Others said the captain had stripped her of rank and
ordered her to de-oxidize every single circuit board in the ship.  Still
others had heard that Calloway had resigned her commission.  Some of the
stories circulated seemed pretty outlandish, but the fact that Julie
hadn't seen a trace of Leena anywhere in the last day had her concerned.
Leena would be able to clarify matters for her, once and for all.
	She stopped in front of a door and depressed the touch pad along
the jamb.  A few moments passed but no one answered.  "Computer, is
Lieutenant Calloway still in her quarters?"  The computer confirmed
Leena was there.  She pressed the pad again, thinking she could have
been napping or distracted, then a third time: still no answer.  She
tapped her commbadge instead.  "Ensign McCormick to Lieutenant Calloway.
Leena, I know you're in there."
	*"Leave me alone, Julie,"* the pin growled back.
	"Leena, I'm your friend.  Talk to me."
	*"No.  Go away."*
	"I'm not leaving until you let me in.  I'll ask Lieutenant Torres
to override the lock on your door if I have to."
	Leena responded with an irritated sigh.  *"All right, fine.  Come
in."*  A second later the door opened to a darkened room.  McCormick
walked in before the lieutenant changed her mind.  She nearly tripped as
the doors closed behind her.  Stars streaked past the lone window in the
den, distorted by the warp field surrounding the ship.  As such, little
light actually entered the room.  "Computer, increase the light in this
room to half-full intensity."  Now with the ability to see, Julie
approached the entrance to Leena's bedroom, which quickly swallowed up
the low light from the den.  She rapped lightly on the doorsill.  "Are
you decent?"
	Leena laughed bitterly.  "That's a matter of opinion."
	The ensign risked a look in.  Through the shadows she saw
Calloway's prone form stretched out atop her bed.  It looked like she
hadn't bothered to change out of her uniform; the low light managed to
highlight a swatch of gold fabric on her shoulder.  "I came to see if
you were still among the living.  I haven't decided yet."  The joke fell
to the floor hard.  McCormick decided that this conversation would be
difficult to get through.  "Lieutenant Tuvok wasn’t too hard on you, was
he?"
	"He wasn't and he was, depending on how you look at it.  He took
me off duty for three days."
	"And?"
	"That was my first reaction, too.  That's it.  Just time off to
reflect on how I screwed up."
	"Then I don't get it.  Why are you acting like your career is
over?  You should consider yourself lucky that he didn't throw you into
the brig."
	"I think I'd feel better if he had."
	This certainly wasn't getting her anywhere.  If she wanted to
change Leena's mood she had to penetrate the barriers she had erected.
"Is it okay if I turn the light up a little in here?  I have a hard time
talking to shadows."
	Leena sighed irritably again, but said nothing right away.  Julie
was about to interpret her silence as an affirmative when she finally
responded.  "Lights, dim setting."
	Julie could now see the rumpled condition of her uniform and her
dishevelled appearance.  Not only had she not changed, she probably
hadn't even moved from that spot.  "Is this all you've been doing since
yesterday?  Lying in the dark staring at the ceiling?"
	"Pretty much."
	"Why?"
	"Why not?  It's about the only thing I'm good for."
	"Gee, we're feeling just a *little* bit sorry for ourselves,
aren't we?"
	Leena finally moved, propping herself into a sitting position.
"How would *you* feel if you realized that antagonizing people was the
only skill you have?"
	"Lighten up on yourself, girl.  I doubt that anyone here thinks
you're a detriment to the ship.  You just have to get back into the
swing of things, get used to working with the big boys again.  Argelis
wasn't built in a day, you know."
	The lieutenant flopped back down on the mattress.  "It was
embarrassing, Julie!  I specialize in tactical architectures.  I should
have been able to break that sensor net, but I couldn't!  I've never
felt so incompetent in my life!  Then to top it all off I go and accuse
Commander Chakotay of being a worse officer than I am.  I'm a
hypocritical bigot.  I don't deserve to wear this uniform anymore."
	"Then take it off," Julie snapped.
	"W-what?"
	"Go to the captain and tell her you quit.  Ask her to drop you off
at the next habitable planet, if that's what you want."
	"That's not what I want, Julie."
	"Then what *do* you want, Lieutenant: to stay in this room for the
next seventy years feeling guilty?  You think you can't hack it as a
security officer because of one lousy day?  I've got a news flash for
you: everyone has bad days.  You deal with the share of junk life hands
you and you move on.  If you're lucky you run into people who care
enough to help you dig your way out if you can't do it by yourself, but
they'll stop trying if you keep burying yourself in it."
	Leena sat up again.  "Julie, I...."  A blush burned her cheeks.
"I'm really sorry.  I didn't mean to push you away like that.
Everything's been happening so fast lately, I can't cope with all of
it."
	McCormick softened her stance; Leena had understood the message.
"Then be thankful you still have two more days to sort it all out.  I
know it was to tough to hear, Leena, but sometimes friends have to be
tough to be kind."
	Calloway pushed her legs over the foot of the bed and smiled
wanly.  "No, I deserved it.  I've been told I can be quite stubborn when
I put my mind to something.  But where do I even start?  There's so much
to think about."
	"My advice would be to forget all about it for a while.  Do
something to relax, then come back when your mind is free of clutter.  I
guarantee you'll have an easier time of it."
	"Think so, huh?  Got any ideas?"
	"As a matter of fact, I do.  Feel up to logging a few miles
through the Trenamen Foothills?"
	Surprise and curiosity gripped the lieutenant.  Trenamen was one
of her favourite holodeck settings for running.  How did Julie know
that?  Had she looked through her holodeck programs?  "How do you know
about Trenamen?"
	"I grew up near there.  You've been there?"
	*So, it was only coincidence.*  Leena found the probability
staggering.  "Only on a holodeck, but I do a lot of my running there."
	"Woah, this is *so* weird!  It's like we were meant to be friends
or something."
	Julie's observation hadn't occurred to her, but now that she
thought of it, it did seem that they were destined to become friends.  A
sportive grin worked at her features.  "Stranger things have happened.
So how soon do you want to go?"
	Julie beamed broadly.  "Meet me at Holodeck 2 in ten minutes,
okay?"
	"I'll see you there."

	Leena always loved the smell of the air in the Trenamen Foothills.
Maybe the native conifers had something to do with it, but she felt
enervated every time she parsed the forest-side trails.  Just feeling
the coolness of the shadowy path intermixed with the sun's warmth made
her feel better.  It was a shame she hadn't of thought of doing this
herself.  *Wallowing in self-loathing will do that, I guess.*
	Julie was already limbering up at a designated rest point.  She
just smiled at her friend's arrival and continued her exercises.  There
would be time enough to talk on the track.  Leena stretched her own
muscles, working out the tension and stiffness built up from a full day
of inactivity.  That would definitely cut into her usual pace time, but
she didn't care.  She wasn't here to race.
	Sufficiently warmed up, the pair trotted on to the path and
assumed a leisurely pace.  Before long they were chewing up ground at a
steady clip.
	"So you grew up here, huh?"
	"Sure did."  Julie pointed westward.  "My family lives in a
settlement about thirty kilometres that way, straight over the river."
	"Sounds wonderful."
	"It had its moments.  Every summer until I went to the Academy
we'd pack up and camp out in these forests for a whole week."  She
chuckled.  "I used to hate it.  My brothers Jarod and Michael could turn
any holiday into a miserable experience.  I never thought I'd miss them,
but I do."  The conversation stunted for a few moments.  Leena worried
that she had inadvertently raised a sore spot for Julie, but the ensign
resumed a lighter air.  "What about you, Leena?  Got any brothers or
sisters back home?"
	"No.  My parents were lucky to be together long enough to have
even one child."
	"They were both 'Fleeters?"
	"My mother was.  My father worked as a mineralogist, mostly for
terraforming projects.  In fact, that's how they met.  My mom's ship,
the *Descartes*, was called in to deliver supplies to the Beta Epsilon
project.  It was love at first sight.  A week later they decided to get
married."
	"Wow, that was quick."
	"Yeah, but it didn't happen until the following year.  The
*Descartes* was sent on a scientific exploratory mission.  My father
said it was the longest year of his life waiting for her to return.  By
the time my mother pulled into space dock the wedding arrangements were
all completed.  Two days later they had the ceremony and made up for a
lot of lost time on the honeymoon.  That's where I come in, and that's
when everything began to change.
	"The pregnancy was not all entirely well planned.  My parents
still barely knew each other apart from their subspace communications,
and all of a sudden they were looking at becoming a family.  My mom
requested a transfer to Outpost 115, where my dad was currently working
as a senior researcher.  They were both committed to making the family
work, and for a while it did.  Unfortunately, my mom got restless.  She
missed the feeling of being on a starship, and she found out that living
with a research scientist wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.  I'm
not sure if she told dad that, though.  If it hadn't been for me she
would have left him a whole lot sooner.
	"It was tough on both me and my dad when she decided to go.  I was
almost three years old.  The *Turing* was coming in to deliver medical
supplies and a transfer of personnel.  When my mother found out she put
in a call for consideration.  The captain of the *Turing* liked her
credentials and offered her a post, which she accepted.  She explained
to my father that it was just to satisfy her craving to be back out
among the stars, but by then I think he knew that the love just wasn't
there anymore, so he didn't fight it too much.  He filed the divorce
papers six months later.
	"At my mother's insistence, I stayed behind.  She called home
fairly frequently at first, mainly to see me for a short time and to
apologize for being so far away, but as I got older the calls got fewer
and further between.  I never realized that she wouldn't be coming back
until dad finished his research project and signed on to another
terraforming project in the Coriolis sector."
	Julie looked rather stricken.  "Oh, that must have been awful,
finding out that way."
	"I'll say.  I thought it was my fault they broke up.  It took
quite a bit of therapy with my father and a bunch of counsellors to get
over that hurdle.  I can remember the toughest one; the counsellor
actually managed to get a hold of my mother and arrange a group session
with both my parents on her ship.  I was eight years old at the time.  I
really hated my mother.  I accused her of abandoning me.  It took a
couple of weeks, but we eventually reached an understanding.  In time I
even learned to forgive my mother."
	"Look, Leena, if you don't want to talk about this I'll
understand."
	"It's okay, Julie, really.  That was twenty years ago.  I've
accepted what happened."
	They continued on in silence for a while.  Leena wondered if her
friend felt awkward with the turn their discussion had taken.  She
couldn't blame her if she did; growing up in a broken family wasn't
easy.  The nights spent wondering when her father would come home or if
her mother would call.  The frustrations involved with dealing with
family care facilitators or having no one around to help at all.  The
hardest part was probably the travelling.  For a few years she and her
father moved from one project to another, at times just long enough to
make a few friends before having to leave for his next assignment.  She
was a frightfully lonely child.  This past year was probably the closest
thing in years to match that feeling of loneliness.  Wilton, June and
R'Kesh, her closest friends, all cruelly snatched away from her by the
Caretaker.  Perhaps some of her resentment stemmed from being thrust
back into the role of that little girl reluctantly stripped of all ties
to security.
	"Your parents never remarried then?"
	"My father didn't.  He occupied himself with his work mostly, but
he never met anyone he really wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
As for my mother, she dated around quite a bit with guys she worked
with.  I don't know if she ever planned to marry again.  Then when she
called me on my sixteenth birthday I found out she was seeing some
lieutenant in security.  They'd been dating for a few months and she
seemed pretty serious about it.  She took it a lot slower with him,
though; she wanted to be sure she didn't get burned a second time.  It
took her three years to make that commitment again.  To my knowledge
they haven't had any kids yet, but then I haven't spoken with her in
about two years."
	"It must have been rough growing up with one parent, especially
one as busy as your dad."
	"It was a real struggle, all right.  I basically had to learn how
to take care of myself.  Then I had to look after my father, too - you
know, keep the place clean, prepare meals, that kind of stuff -
whenever he was too tired or too busy with his research.  I'm sure I
impressed him, taking on so many responsibilities and still manage to
keep on top of school studies.  Sometimes he practically had to force me
to go out and do 'kid' stuff and appreciate the advantages of youth.  He
pretty much helped me become the woman I am now."  Leena chuckled
softly.  "In fact, he probably influenced my Starfleet career more than
he realized."
	"Really?  How does a scientist influence his daughter into
becoming a security officer?"
	"Well, the self sufficiency was a start, but it really began when
I was fifteen, when I really started to mature.  If you can believe it,
I was a late bloomer."
	The ensign's eyes widened.  "With breasts *that* size?  You're
putting me on."
	"Not a bit!  At fourteen I still looked like a ten-year-old.  It
was torture seeing all the other girls sporting brassieres.  Then came
the growth spurt to end all growth spurts.  Seven and a half inches in
six months, and I went from being washboard flat to the bustiest girl in
class.  My father panicked a little; his little girl wasn't so little
anymore, and he worried that I might be taken advantage of.  He enrolled
me in a martial arts class so I'd know how to take care of myself in
situations where men might force themselves on me.  Unfortunately, it
came in handy a number of times, but I suppose it was better to break a
few noses than wind up a teenaged parent.  The real obnoxious guys
learned to keep their distance after awhile, especially after I got a
few inches taller.  It's harder to intimidate a young woman who's the
same size as you."
	"I suppose there are some real advantages to being tall, aren't
there?  I mean, you probably get more respect for your opinions and
decision because of your stature."
	"Well, maybe, I guess, but then I also have to deal with people
who don't take me seriously because of my chest size.  I think that was
a major motivator for me to join Starfleet.  Appearance doesn't matter;
you get recognized for what you do, not what you look like."
	"That probably didn't stop half the campus from hitting on you,
though," Julie chaffed.
	Leena laughed.  "Not a chance."  They shared the jollity for
another few minutes.  "I'm sorry, I've got to stop.  I can hardly
breathe."  They slowed down to a stroll, allowing her to claim a second
wind.
	"Damn, I haven't had this much fun for months!  We should do this
more often, Leena."
	"I agree.  I hate to admit it, but I'm glad you suggested this.  I
almost feel like a new person."
	Julie grinned.  "I thought so.  There's no better way to deal with
frustration than airing it out."
	"That's not quite what I meant."
	"I think unconsciously you do.  You may have accepted what
happened to you in the past, but how many times have you actually told
anyone about it?  Not many times, I bet.  I feel honoured that you
picked me to share it with."
	"Now you're starting to sound like Mr. Paris.  How many
psychoanalysts do I need anyway?"
	The ensign looked at Leena sideways.  "Is there something going on
between you and Tom that I should know about?"
	"What?  Don't be ridiculous.  Whatever gave you that idea?"
	"Ah, so there is something going on.  I thought as much when I saw
you with him in Sandrine's.  I didn't want to say anything, though."
	"You were right not to.  I was there only out of professional
courtesy."
	"Right.  You were probably wondering what he looks like out of
uniform."
	"Julie!"
	"You've got to admit, he is cute."
	"That doesn't automatically mean I want to jump him.  A week ago I
could barely tolerate being in the same room with him."
	"All the more reason why you two should date.  You two are
intensely passionate together.  The bad times can be rough, but the
making up will be all the more spectacular!"
	Leena's face grew hot with embarrassment.  *What a filthy mind
you've got, Julie!*  "This is insane!  Sure, he's attractive, but so are
80% of the guys on this ship.  What makes Paris so special?"
	"He's got charm, he's a bit rebellious...some women are attracted
to an element of danger.  He's a challenge."
	Could that be it?  Did she see Tom as a challenge to overcome?
"This is stupid.  I don't know why I'm even considering this."
	"I think the question you should be asking yourself is why you're
trying so hard to push him away.  He obviously interests you, otherwise
you wouldn't be so hung up about him."  Julie assumed a pensive
appearance.  Leena wondered what she was thinking.  "Maybe it's not the
relationship you're scared of.  I think you're more afraid of being
rejected."
	"Excuse me?"
	"No, think about it.  You said how hard it was making friends
growing up.  You'd form a bond with someone, then you'd experience pain
when the bond was severed.  It's not unrealistic to assume that you've
developed an extreme view of friendship.  If a bond looks safe -
obviously like the one we have - you snap it up and hold on to it as
tightly as possible.  On the other hand, if there's any room for doubt
in a possible friendship you shy away because you only see the potential
for failure, not the opportunity of success.
	"Now expand on that to what happened with your mother.  Losing
someone that significant in your life seriously hurt you, so the thought
of forming an intimate attachment to another person scares the hell out
of you."
	"I'm tired of talking about this.  It's not like you're actually
going to convince me to ask him out," Leena snapped.  Julie's words were
hitting a little too close to home, and she didn't want to think that
she might actually be right.  "You know, as much as I've enjoyed our run
together, I think I'm going to call it a day."
	"Oh, I'm not chasing you away, am I?  I was just making
conversation."
	"No, I just don't want to risk an injury.  My legs are starting to
tighten up already.  I'd love to do this again next week, though."
	"I'd like that, Leena.  I'll enter it in my schedule."
	"Perfect.  I think I'll freshen up and see myself to the mess
hall.  Feels like I haven't eaten in days.  Computer, exit."
	"My advice: stay away from the blue stuff."
	Leena looked over her shoulder as she headed for the exit and
smiled.  "Thanks for the tip.  I'll see you later."

Chapter 7

	*Damn.*
	The instant she turned the corner Leena began to think about
Ensign McCormick's cutting, yet startlingly plausible explanation of her
dysfunctional behaviour.  She blamed herself for letting it happen.
*What's the expression? 'The best way to remember something is to tell
yourself not to think about it'?*  She was getting really tired of all
this self discovery.  This was all Paris' fault; this never would have
happened if he had done his job right.  She would still have the
semblance of a normal life, blissfully unaware of how messed up she
really was.
	Could Julie be right?  Was she being so defensive around people
because she never really had a permanent home?  She hadn't considered
that the inconvenience of repeatedly making and losing friends as a kid
could develop into a psychosis.  No, that was ludicrous.  If it was that
traumatic she wouldn't be able to make friends with anyone, and that
certainly wasn't the case.  She'd made friends with people before Julie. 
McCormick didn't know what she was talking about.  Leena walked into her
cabin, confident that she had figured out the flaw in Julie's argument. 
All she needed now was a quick shower and a hot meal and she'd be ready
to deal with her misconduct on the bridge.
	"Hah!  So much for your pathetic armchair analysis, Miss Freud!
'I'm so honoured you chose me.'  You act like you're my only friend on
the whole ship.  Well, I've got news for you.  I know plenty of people
on *Voyager*.  There's Walter Baxter...well, I guess he's more of an
acquaintance than a friend...no, I thought Lise and Greta were kind of
annoying...um...I never really knew Molina, he just used to join us for
volleyball on occasion...."
	Slowly, the impact of what she was saying hit her.  Of course she
knew these people, but they weren't her friends.  They were *their*
friends.  Wilton's.  June's.  Raon's.
	Leena turned off the sonic shower and carefully leaned against the
stall.  Baxter, Molina, the others...they were but a few people she knew
only by association with her real friends.  She hadn't put much effort
into getting to know them much more than in passing.  She only tolerated
their presence because either Wilton, June or Raon would invite them to
join their various outings.  It wasn't like she hated them, she
just...well, one thing or another would stand out that put her on guard.
	"Oh, my god."  Leena buried her head in her hands.  She assumed
her wariness was a result of her defensive training.  Now it looked like
Julie's theory was a more likely explanation.  It certainly made more
sense, especially considering her behaviour following the Badlands
incident.  With her three closest friends gone, the agony of losing
those relationships yet again forced her into retreat.  Everything was
falling into place, and it made her ill.  "Just...just calm down, Leena.
Take a deep breath.  You're strong.  You can work through this."  She
shivered against the cold reality that was setting in.
	She stepped out of the shower and slipped into her robe and
slippers.  The sick feeling still remained.  Memories of the Badlands
and the Caretaker forced her to relive the moments of helplessness, the
uncertainty of her survival, then the discovery that she was suddenly on
her own again.  And all she did in response was to run away and hide and
hope that everything would solve itself without her intervention.  She
never even tried talking about their deaths with any of their friends.
Maybe it would have been better if she had died instead.  At least she
would have died relatively happy, and hardly anyone would have regretted
the loss.
	It was pointless to think that way, though.  Whether they deserved
to die or not, whether she deserved to die or not, this was how it
turned out.  She couldn't change the past, no matter how much she wished
it.  All she could do was deal with the present.  There was just one
problem with that, however.  *Could* she deal with the present?
	'If you're lucky you run into people who care enough to help
you....'  McCormick's words echoed in her mind.  She didn't have to do
this alone.  Juile was already offering her support.  Then there was
*him*.  Leena would probably welcome the ensign's assistance, but Paris
was a different story.  His notion of help carried a price she wasn't
sure she wanted to pay, even though both he and Julie encouraged her to
do it.  It didn't help that her wariness of the lieutenant could be due
to a psychological defense mechanism.  If Julie was right, she actually
*wanted* a relationship with him.  Sure, he had some redeeming
qualities, but he was almost as messed up as she was.  On the other
hand, he sort of knew what she was going through.  He'd know how to
guide her through the process of recovery.  They had more in common than
she first thought.  Of course, that didn't mean they were meant to be
together, but perhaps there was enough there to forge a respectful
friendship.  That was if she could keep a level of objectivity.
*Sometimes the greatest accomplishments are achieved by a leap of
faith.*
	Leena suddenly remembered her plans to eat in the mess hall.  She
was actually grateful for the distraction.  She needed some time to
build up her courage.  Making a leap of faith might have been the right
thing to do, but it didn't make it any easier.

	Tom watched with satisfaction as the black ball glided smoothly
across the table's felt surface and dropped into the pocket, making it
his fourth straight win since he had picked up a stick this evening.
Good fortune was smiling on him.  Hell, he'd been on an amazing run of
luck recently: first bad, then good, and down and up again like an
amusement park ride.  Daydreaming on the bridge led him to encounter a
very attractive, *very* resentful woman.  The challenge to correct her
behaviour was daunting, but worth the risk: sharing a skeleton from his
closet had earned him a grudging respect and a tentative friendship.
Now the recent crisis with the away team had been allayed in a most
satisfying manner.  He dared not pinch himself in case this was all a
dream.
	He cued in on the sound of creaking metal hinges.  Turning, Tom
spotted a figure standing in the doorway, silhouetted by a dusty shaft
of light breaking in from outside.  The door swathed the beam of light
as it swivelled close, allowing Tom to place the new patron.  The sight
of Leena Calloway both surprised and stirred him.  For the first time
since they'd met she wasn't wearing her uniform.  He ran a double take
to make sure he wasn't mistaking her for someone else, but there was no
denying it.  He followed her with his eyes as she walked to the bar and
ordered a drink, recognizing the same movements of her tall, shapely
form.  Had the temperature in the room suddenly risen?
	Tom felt his heart thud against his chest in spite of himself.  He
hadn't experienced a case of nerves like this since he developed a crush
on his seventh-grade teacher.  Leena just looked so completely
different, like undergoing some miraculous transformation into the most
alluring, feminine creature in the universe.  Her hair certainly did
look better down, casually brushing over her shoulders.  Her form
fitting, forest-green top looked like it was made of crushed velvet, so
it showed off her body as much as it concealed.  He ducked away as her
head turned in his direction, embarrassed that he might be caught
staring.  God, he felt like that schoolboy again.  He tried focusing on
the table set-up instead, but he had a difficult time concentrating on
the game.

	Leena knew Tom had been watching her the moment she entered the
tavern.  She wondered how she ever convinced herself to wear this outfit
in the first place.  This inevitable conversation with him still
disquieted her, so she'd take any advantage she could get.  If only the
outfit she selected didn't make her feel so sleazy.  She took a drink
from her Singapore sling, lamenting that the illusory beverage couldn't
help bolster her confidence.  She glanced over her shoulder just in time
to catch Tom looking away.  Apparently her choice of apparel was
effective.  Reassured, Leena drained half of her glass and made her way
to the pool table, where Tom was lining up a shot.  *Well, here goes
nothing.*  "Good evening, Mr. Paris."
	Tom nearly scratched his shot, so caught up in trying not to pay
attention to her that he hadn't noticed her come up behind him.  He shut
his eyes and stifled a frustrated sigh.  He looked ready to fly apart at
the seams, but in the next moment his composure fell back into place.
She found that quite remarkable, though she had to remind herself that
he'd probably had plenty of experience socializing with beautiful women.
"Hello, Calloway," he replied insouciantly.  He turned away from the
table.  "That's a new look for you.  Not bad."
	The remark made Leena conscious of her appearance again, making
her blush.  "Um, thanks.  How's the pool going?  Are you winning?"
	Tom looked back at the table just in time to see Gaunt Gary put
the finishing touches on the game he had just scrubbed.  He grimaced.
"At one time I was.  Say, care for a game?  I'll even spot you three
balls to start."
	The thought of giving Tom the pleasure of watching her bend over
the table did not pass well.  She would lose her advantage too easily
that way.  "No, thank you.  I know a hustle when I hear one.  Perhaps
you'd like to join me for a drink, though?"
	"Now how could I pass up an offer like that?"  Tom flashed a
beguiling smile at her as he rested his cue stick on the table and
shoved his hands into the rear pockets of his slacks.
	*Damn, why did he have to do that?*  Leena could only manage a
timid smile in return.  Tom obviously had a lot more practice at awkward
situations like these and knew how to handle himself.  She tried to plot
another course of action as she found a place to sit.  A few moments
later Tom joined her at a semi-secluded table, a mug of draught ale in
hand.
	"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company tonight,
Lieutenant?"
	"Coincidence mostly.  I didn't even know you'd be here.  I just
came for a drink, something to do.  I've got a bit of spare time these
days, you know.  Lieutenant Tuvok did not exactly appreciate my sense of
tact regarding the commander."
	"Ah."  He began to laugh, despite his best efforts to stay
neutral.
	"What's so funny?" she asked, both curious and a little annoyed.
	"Sorry, but there was a point when I thought you'd literally
explode.  Chakotay even looked afraid for his life for a moment there.
What was that old saying?  'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?
He'll be thinking twice about any decision he makes when you're within
eyeshot."
	Leena pictured Commander Chakotay scurrying for cover like a field
mouse at her appearance, and the image made her laugh as well.  "I guess
there *are* some advantages to being taller than your commanding
officer."  She felt a little better with the release of tension.
Perhaps she could make it through this evening after all.  She just had
to believe in herself.  "I can still hardly believe this."
	"What?"
	"That I'm sitting here with you, having a conversation about
nothing in particular.  A few weeks ago I wouldn't have been caught dead
in the same room with you.  Ironic, isn't it?"
	"Well, you won't hear me complaining."
	"I feel like a complete idiot, though.  I believed you were the
one with the reprehensible personality, not me."
	"Not being too hard on yourself, are you?  Hey, we all make
mistakes.  How else are we expected to learn right from wrong if we
don't screw up once in a while?"
	"I'll remember you said that."  Tom had just given her a fantastic
opening.  She hesitated a moment, though.  Was this what she really
wanted to do?  Well, he had just given her all the justification she
needed.  She wouldn't know if she were making a terrible mistake
otherwise.  "I'd like to know if you'd like to have dinner some time."
	Tom had been about to get up to order another drink when she
finally spoke.  He froze half-crouched over the table.  "Come again?"
	"If I'm going screw up I might as well do it in grand fashion.  Is
tomorrow night all right?"
	Tom fell back into his chair.  He shook his head vigorously.  "I
must be hallucinating.  Did I hear that right?  You're asking *me* out
on a date?"
	"That's what you wanted, wasn't it: an opportunity to prove
yourself worthy?  Well, here's your chance."  She stood up.  "One date.
I choose where and when we meet.  If you pass muster I'll consider
dating you again, otherwise you never bother me again.  Is that
acceptable?"
	Tom was still shell-shocked from this unexpected role reversal.
"Uh...yeah, sure."
	Leena grinned.  "Great.  I'll let you know as soon as I've
scheduled some time for one of the holodecks.  Enjoy the rest of your
evening, Tom."

	Tom watched her leave the tavern, and continued to stare at the
doors for minutes afterward.  Not one muscle moved the entire time, not
until Harry finally approached him.  "Tom, are you all right?  You
haven't moved an inch since I've come in."
	A stupid grin appeared on the lieutenant's face.  "She called me
Tom."

Epilogue

	Leena walked into the mess hall showing more confidence than she
actually felt.  She knew she had to do this eventually, but was she
really ready for it now?  Attaining closure for such sensitive issues
could be strenuous, drawn out procedures, and she was already dealing
with many complicated problems.  If she tried to take on too many things
at once her problems would only get worse.
	She spotted him sitting amongst a gaggle of chattering crewmen,
both Maquis and Starfleet, and he appeared to be enjoying the
conversation immensely.  She didn't seem surprised.  He had always been
a laid back individual.  A little too laid back, she had thought once.
Now she could see that it was his approach to bonding with others.  His
manner, his posture, the way he talked - it was all non-threatening, an
open signal that he was willing to give any stranger the benefit of a
doubt.  Perhaps it was a good idea to approach him first after all.
"Lieutenant Baxter, could I have a moment of your time?"
	The parlance all but died out in response to the sudden
disruption.  Walter Baxter diverted his attention from the group.
Recognizing the face of the inquisitor and her sombre expression, his
smile diminished to a fraction of its normal self, replaced by a pensive
curiosity.  He excused himself, addressing the table without looking
back.  "I'll be back in a minute, fellas."  At Leena's direction, they
moved to a more sequestered table.  "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"
	"Please, Leena will do; technically I'm not on duty right now."
	"Okay, Leena.  I'm Walter.  What's up?"
	"I, uh, have a favour I wanted to ask."
	"What kind of favour?"
	"Uh, well, this is kind of difficult to ask."  The room seemed to
be getting uncomfortably warm.  *Quit stonewalling.  Just get it out.*
"Please tell me what you remember about Wilton Suombattu."

End Stage II