Chapter 5 || Contents || Chapter 7

I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway. Welcome aboard Voyager.

The captain's voice was low and barely civil as she met the party from the Kazon vessel in transporter room two. It was hardly a welcome by any standards. Even if Seska had previously been unsure of her reception by Janeway, there was no doubt of it now.

Seska stepped down from the transporter platform. Her hair was an unkempt mess of tangles and her sunburned skin clearly showed the signs of the harsh climate of the Kazon homeworld. But despite her ragged appearance, a slight, haughty smile curled her lips. Hello, Captain. We meet again.

Janeway crossed her arms and stubbornly raised an eyebrow at the renegade Starfleet officer. As if on cue, Lieutenant Tuvok's security force chose that moment to pull their phasers and direct them at Voyager's two guests. Tuvok stepped forward while his team covered him and quickly but thoroughly frisked Seska and Maj Koren. The Kazon growled menacingly until two phasers were braced on either side of his head to keep him quiet. The lieutenant confiscated six different weapons from the Maj's hidden pockets. Seska was unarmed.

Seska sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. Still the same charming captain, aren't you? When Janeway didn't even bother to reply, she said, Look, we came here to offer some information that can help you. But we can easily go back to the Kazon vessel and forget this whole thing.

Chakotay glanced at Janeway. Her stance was dangerously provoking, and Tuvok's security procedures, though necessary, were also leaning heavily towards becoming insulting. He knew it didn't take much to arouse Seska's temper, and that would get them nowhere. He shifted his position a fraction and let his hands relax against his side, hoping to communicate his concerns to the captain without voicing them.

Janeway glanced at him from the corners of her eyes and gave a nod of understanding. With an effort, she tucked her chin in and uncrossed her arms to attain a more open, trusting posture. As a last act of faith, she motioned the security officers back a few steps, leaving room for Seska and Koren to move.

It worked. Seska relaxed her temper before it exploded and she demanded to leave the ship. Now are you going to listen?

The captain gave a nod. Yes, you can have your say. What kind of equipment do you need?

Seska sent a look towards Chakotay, but she met only coldness there as well. She turned back to Janeway. I'll need a computer terminal and a viewscreen. You might as well assemble all the important brass in the conference room; at this point I only have the patience to go over this once.

Janeway debated the proposal for a moment. Finally, she agreed. That's acceptable. Expect to be under heavy guard the duration of your stay. And be warned, Seska; one suspicious move, even the hint of a trap, and I won't hesitate to beam you and Maj Koren directly into space. Do you understand?

Seska glared at Janeway, her face sullen. I understand, Captain.

Good. Show them to their quarters, Lieutenant.

The security detail opened a path into the corridor. As Seska came up to Chakotay, he reached out and grabbed her arm. She jerked back in surprise, but his grip remained firm. I'll give you a chance to hand it over before I wrestle you to the floor and take it myself, he said.

Janeway gaped at him, stunned. Commander, I -

Chakotay leaned in threateningly on Seska. Maj Koren pushed aside one of the security men like he was a stuffed doll, only to be surrounded in the next heartbeat. Tuvok stood protectively in front of Janeway, who had whipped out her own phaser and had it pointed at the Kazon.

Koren glared at the commanding officers in fury. This is an outrage! She is my property and here on your request. Or have you already forgotten? I demand that you release her!

Chakotay looked at Koren. She was also once a member of my crew. I haven't forgotten, but remembered. Hand it over, Seska.

With a scowl carved deeply into her face, Seska wrenched her arm out of the first officer's steel grasp. She pulled off her boot and with the flick of her thumbnail, twisted a tiny yet lethal phaser from between the boot's heel and sole. With great reluctance she handed it over to Chakotay.

Koren gasped. You were ordered to be unarmed at all times!

Seska gave him a curt laugh and replaced her boot. As if I could ever trust any of you not to harm me! As if you ever gave me a reason to, she ended softly, and glanced again at Chakotay.

He held the weapon up to examine it, refusing to meet the woman's eyes.

Captain Janeway knew she had to regain control of the situation quickly, before anything more happened. Lieutenant Tuvok, she said, take Maj Koren to the brig. Keep him under surveillance and make sure he doesn't make contact with his ship.

Am I to be your prisoner then, Janeway? Koren asked, still managing to be threatening even in his present predicament.

Yes, Janeway answered simply, wearily. You are. If I have to, I'll blow all of you back to your homeworld where you can rot in Hell for all I care. She turned her back on the Kazon's protests and looked at Seska. Commander, escort her to the conference room and keep her there. Call the senior officers as well. I'll be with you in a minute.

The group left, one security detail half walking, half dragging Maj Koren down the corridor towards the turbolift and the unused brig. A silent Seska preceded Commander Chakotay out the door, her eyes trained in momentary defeat on the floor. Before he disappeared into the hall, Chakotay turned and looked at Janeway.

She was standing with her hands on her hips, her head back and her eyes contemplating the transporter room's uninteresting ceiling. With her head tilted like that, her loosened hair fell almost to the middle of her back. He heard her heave a frustrated sigh, and suddenly he wanted to apologize for their argument earlier in her ready room. It seemed they were always disagreeing in that room. He wished it wasn't like that. He opened his mouth to speak, but Seska was already in the corridor, and instead of voicing his thoughts, he followed her out the door, leaving Janeway alone and ignorant to her first officer's reflections.

The captain was involved in her own contemplations. This is turning into one hell of a day off, she thought.

It took Seska an hour to cajole the computer on board Voyager to create the schematics of a device that she insisted would send the ship back to the Alpha Quadrant in a simple series of jumps through space. It took her only a few minutes to convince B'Elanna Torres that she was completely out of her mind.

Are you kidding us? That would never work! Torres snapped in disbelief.

All the officers crowded around the conference table trained their eyes on the chief engineer. Would you mind explaining your thoughts, Lieutenant, Janeway ordered dryly. She had expected misgivings concerning any wonder device that promised to get them home easily and neatly. As usual, Torres was the first to voice her doubts.

B'Elanna looked at her captain and back at Seska. We could never produce enough energy to power that thing to make a jump like you're suggesting. The warp core would melt into slag before we even had half enough speed.

Haven't you been listening, B'Elanna? Seska asked in irritation. You don't need the warp engines.

That's impossible. What were you going to do, use the thrusters?

Don't insult me, Torres!

Then make some sense out of all this...this....

It works on the same principal as the transportation device that we tried to interface with Voyager once before.

Kim interposed, You mean folding space?

Seska nodded, her enthusiasm quickly restored as she began the explanation again. Only this is compatible to Federation technology and doesn't need the gravity of any planet to boost its power.

Then how do you plan to generate its energy? Chakotay inquired next.

By putting the transporter into a continuous loop, then feeding that curvilinear information through the folder -

That's what you call your device? Kim interrupted again, trying to keep track of everything going on.

Yes, Seska continued. It's the transporter that actually does all the work, but it won't use any more power than it takes to transport Chakotay down to a planet through normal weather conditions. All you need is a push from the impulse engines to get the ship moving, then set the loop, and energize. It's simple.

If it's so simple, how come nobody else has figured this out before now? Torres asked, still unconvinced.

Because Voyager is the only vessel in this entire quadrant that has transporter technology. The Kazon can't even conceive of something as simple as a transporter, let alone build one.

What would we do without the transporter? Paris stated satirically.

Tuvok glanced reprovingly at Paris, but directed his words at Seska. If the Kazon have no transporters, and we assume that you have been with the Kazon for the duration of your self-imposed exile from Voyager, then how do you know that this `folder' of yours actually works?

Seska stared Tuvok right in the eye and said, I built my own transporter and tested it.

Janeway stood up at that statement and leaned across the table in Seska's direction. You what? You constructed your own transporter for every Kazon in the entire quadrant to use? How do you expect -

Relax, Captain, Seska said. I didn't give away your precious technological secrets to the Kazon. When they asked what I was building, I told them it was an air cooler.

Torres balked in surprise. And they bought that?

Seska's gaze was one of burning honesty for a change. It's hot there, Torres. Before I was done, I had orders to build a dozen more.

Paris chuckled. I bet you did.

But Paris was the only one present to find any humor in the situation. Lieutenant Tuvok stated, You lied.

You don't get far in my profession by not telling a few lies, Tuvok.

Well, that's true enough, Janeway said almost to herself. She resumed her seat and stared at the table while she thought through the proceedings of the last few minutes. Finally she looked at Seska. I'm puzzled, Seska. Where did you get all the pieces to assemble your own transporter?

Seska glanced at Chakotay. Maquis learn to improvise. I used what I could scrounge up from the Kazon dumps in my free time.

Free time from what? Paris asked.

Seska wilted him with a glare. Slave duties, you idiot! What do you think? This hasn't exactly been a vacation for me.

A murmur rose around the table as they all contemplated being forced into service for the Kazon. Paris decided he would rather finish out his sentence at the penal colony than rely on Kazon for his well-being.

But Chakotay was shaking his head. I don't buy that.

Do you think I'd lie about something like that, Chakotay? Seska was barely able to ask.

I don't know. He swiveled his chair away from his former crewmember's incredulous stare. But I do know what a Kazon slave looks like. I saw Kes before we rescued her, and she was in much worse condition than you are. You look downright healthy in comparison.

Seska's eyes bored into the back of the commander's head until at last he turned again to face her. I guess Kes didn't know how to play the system. Like anything, you get out of it what you put into it.

The implications of Seska's words hung in the air of the conference room like a cloying fog, and several mouths dropped open in shock. Janeway was the first to recover her composure and conceal her dismay from the rest of the crew. She exhaled a breath that she had apparently been holding and quietly asked, What were the results of your tests?

Seska licked her lips and cleared her throat. It works just like I thought it would. I placed a high resolution homing signal inside a container and put it all inside the transporter. Then I initialized the random loop, turned on the folder and poof, no more container.

Where did it go? Harry Kim asked when it appeared that nobody else wanted to prompt her into continuing.

Right where I sent it. The Alpha Quadrant.

Torres was amazed. But how can you be sure?

Because it came back covered in high radiation ion particles. And the only star system I know of that has the three suns necessary for that specific type of particle radiation is....

Cardassia, Janeway finished for her.

Seska nodded approvingly.

That doesn't prove anything! Paris interjected. There could be any number of systems here in the Delta Quadrant that have that same radiation high - particle - whatever you called it. All you've shown is that you sent your container somewhere. It doesn't prove where, he stubbornly affirmed.

That's what I thought. So before I brought it back, I did some more testing, just to be sure. Using the coordinates of Terrock Nor as a reference, I sent it through the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant.

Geez, you sent it right past Deep Space Nine, Kim said as if mesmerized by the closeness to home that DS9 represented.

There was no doubt as to the refuse particles plastered all over the container. The only place in the entire galaxy you can find that is the wormhole.

Tuvok asked, How did you get it back?

Seska shrugged. The same way I sent it.

Just think of the telemetry needed for that much precision! Kim breathed in awe.

Paris whistled. That must be some homing beacon you have.

Just because the Kazon don't use transporters doesn't mean they're not good at other things, Seska retorted.

How long did the whole procedure take? Chakotay asked.

From start to finish, thirty-seven minutes.

A gasp rose from the Starfleet personnel. Janeway sat back in her chair, clearly as amazed as the rest at this information.

It was Tuvok who jolted his fellow crewmembers back to reality. Seska, where is this device now?

The look of accomplishment vanished from her features. She hesitated It's still on the Kazon homeworld. I didn't dare risk bringing it on board with me; they would have realized I wasn't following the plan if I'd brought it with me.

Now the real story comes out, Paris said. I knew the whole thing was too good to be true.

Wait a minute, B'Elanna interrupted. What plan? What are you talking about?

Seska sighed. We were sent over to hold you in this position until the reinforcements arrive.

Janeway straightened. Reinforcements? What reinforcements?

There's nothing to worry about. I told the Kazon that you're in much worse shape than you really are. They think you're weak and underpowered, that you're running low on practically everything, that they have you outgunned. A few ancient backup ships are preparing to rendezvous at these coordinates and assist in your capture. But there's no way they can possibly defeat Voyager.

Captain Janeway immediately called the Bridge, but there were no indications of any other ships within sensor range except those clustered around the M class planet in the nearest system. She glanced at Chakotay, but his dark look was as inscrutable as ever. Finally she looked at Seska. How do you plan to get your device onto this ship? Or is that the plan at all?

No, it would be too difficult to move it without being discovered. I was hoping to reproduce it here on Voyager.

What about you? Chakotay asked softly. Do you plan to return to the Kazon ship to continue your facade of help?

Seska grunted a laugh. They'll never miss me. I can give you invaluable information pertaining to the Kazon culture and way of thinking. I know exactly what they plan to do. If you'll just let me stay....

Well, now we know what your intentions are. Janeway's interruption halted Seska's pleas. The captain looked down at the table, running over everything she had just heard. She honestly didn't trust Seska yet, but the desperate look in the Cardassian's eye tugged at her sympathies. Even though this woman had technically deserted her Starfleet and Maquis comrades, she still deserved better than a life as mistress to a Kazon maj. Anybody deserved better than that, she decided.

Janeway looked up and broke the silence that had settled over the group. Well, I don't plan to sit here and wait for the Kazon ship detail to come along at their convenience. Lieutenant Tuvok, have Seska confined to quarters for now and place a guard at her door.

But Captain... Seska began, a frantic note creeping into her voice, and she gripped the table edge so hard her knuckles turned white underneath the dirt covering her skin.

I'm sorry, Seska, but at this point that's the best I can do. Lieutenant, she ordered.

Tuvok turned and pointed at the four crewmen belonging to the security detail. Keep her under close scrutiny. Saunders, the first watch will be yours. Ensign McGill will relieve you. Dismissed.

The four golden uniformed officers motioned for Seska to fall into line, and with one last look of appeal sent to Chakotay and Janeway, they left the room.

She's lying, Tuvok stated the minute the door whooshed closed.

At the same time Paris said, Don't believe a word she says, Captain. I've seen that look in her eye before.

Kim turned to argue, But we have to at least give her the benefit of the doubt....

What? Paris asked in disbelief. Give her anything and she'll take you for a ride! She's got something else up her sleeve, you can bet on it.

Torres cut in next, speaking loudly to be heard and gesticulating wildly with her hands. I don't know if I buy her `folder' theory. I just don't see how it can work. It all sounds too simple, too pat.

Too good to be true? Janeway asked.

B'Ellana nodded emphatically, and Paris rejoined by commenting, My experience is that if it sounds too good to be true, you can bet your last chip that it is.

Captain, I ask your permission to go over her schematics a little closer... Torres was asking.

Kim interrupted, Yeah, even I'm not sure if you can bring back anything over that much distance with a transporter. I mean, how did she recall the container? Did she use some kind of return homing beacon that mixed with her transporter?

But even then she'd have to have two transporters - her initial one should still be locked in that induced loop she was talking about.

Kim snapped his fingers. That's right. She didn't say anything about a second transporter.

A general cry rose over this discovery until Janeway held up her hands to quiet the noise. It's clear we don't have all the information we could use in this case. Lieutenant Torres, I want you and Ensign Kim to analyze her schematics and see what you can make of them. Tuvok, see to it that our Kazon friend in the brig is returned to his own vessel. I don't like having a Kazon on this ship and I'm not afraid to admit it's making me a bit nervous to even have him confined in the brig. I don't trust them.

A wise decision, Captain. They have showed themselves to be extremely duplicitous in our past dealings with them.

Paris snorted. That's an understatement.

Chakotay spoke up then. Why don't you fill him in on our less than extreme circumstances before sending him home. Maybe we can make them a little nervous about the success of their own plans before they're set in motion.

Good idea, Commander. Do that, Lieutenant, Janeway said.

And what about Seska? Kim asked, stopping everybody's departure from the conference room.

Chakotay caught the captain's eye. She nodded slightly, then turned to the crew. Earlier the commander pointed out to me that though Seska is in truth a Cardassian spy, we owe her a debt that can be repaid in only one way. As much as I dislike it, it is my responsibility to see that she makes it safely back to the Alpha Quadrant. I take this responsibility very seriously. She'll spend the trip confined to quarters or in the brig, but if it's at all possible, we must see that she gets back home. She looked at each officer it turn, waiting to see if anybody would choose to raise an objection. She was pleased, but not surprised, when none of them uttered a word. Dismissed.

Once Maj Koren was again aboard his own ship, Janeway gave the command to move off. Let's see what they do if we back off a bit. Mr. Paris, aft thrusters, then resume our original course at impulse speed.

Aye, Captain. Course resumed, impulse speed.

Mr. Tuvok? Anything?

Tuvok's fingers danced over his sensor control board. They are powering up their engines, Captain. It appears they are heading back to Kazon space.

There they go, Paris commented as the ship disappeared from their main viewscreen.

Janeway sighed heavily. She leaned forward in her seat and studied the carpet, her elbows on her knees, her hair hanging over one shoulder.

Chakotay put her thoughts into words. At least we know how much they valued Seska.

Or their plan to capture us, Paris added. I guess they didn't want to take on a fully armed Federation starship.

Well, said Janeway, I guess that's that. Commander, you have the Bridge. I'm going for a walk. She rose and smoothed the wrinkles from her vest.

It's still your day off. I don't want to see you on the Bridge again until tomorrow's duty call, Chakotay reminded her.

Janeway grinned slowly. As you say, Commander, she retorted lightly.

Commander Chakotay had just resumed the captain's seat when a call came over the comm channels for Lieutenant Tuvok. Chakotay's heart jumped in reaction, thinking it might already be some trouble with Seska, but Tuvok's explanation put that fear to rest, at least.

Commander, it appears that an altercation has occurred between Ensign Farrell and Ensign Monrow over...I fail to fully understand the report, but the ensuing fight is apparently over Jenny Delaney. It has escalated into a brawl in crew quarters between Maquis and Starfleet crew members. I believe your help would be beneficial in this instance.

A fight, Chakotay repeated and looked up to the ceiling. That's just what this day needs. Mr. Paris, you have the Bridge. Come on, Tuvok, let's go separate the bad boys. He grunted as he rose, not relishing his coming task. Can't these kids learn to play nicely together? he muttered and followed Tuvok from the Bridge.

Chapter 5 || Contents || Chapter 7