Disclaimer: Paramount owns all. I'm just playing.
Summary: Voyager draws closer to the Olbäk system, where the Liberty is waiting.
~~~
"It must be the right time of the year for reunions", B'Elanna said warmly, shaking the other woman's hand, and bobbing her head towards her companion. "We only just picked up Tom and Chakotay again, and here you two are."
"Indeed", Tuvok said. "But as I have news to tell you, perhaps a celebration could wait until another time."
B'Elanna grinned at him. "Do you think I'd let you wander off without explaining how you met up with Michelle Trent, of all people?"
"Quite. I don't suppose, by any chance, the Liberty's conference room has been moved to larger quarters?"
She chuckled at that. "Afraid not, Tuvok. Still the old maintenance room. We did pick up a few extra cushions though, for those very long meetings."
"How thoughtful."
They continued their banter as B'Elanna lead Tuvok and Michelle to the Liberty's conference room. There they were greeted by Chakotay, Tom Paris, Kes, and Louis Zimmerman. Once the introductions and welcomes were completed, the party all seated themselves, and the discussion began.
"As humans say, first things first", Tuvok began. "I should ask how you knew to come to this system."
"We could ask you the same thing", Chakotay replied. "And we want to know why you went AWOL, and were picked up from earth by another Maquis fighter. They seem to be equally as important questions."
"You could draw straws", Tom suggested.
They both ignored him.
"Tom and I met a contact on Deep Space Nine", Chakotay said. "He told us to come here. But so far we haven't found anything except for Neelix's abandoned ship."
He glanced around the table, remembering the emotions that sighting the familiar vessel had awakened in them all. Kes, only newly awakened from her strange illness, seemed the most shaken. Her shock was understandable, given that she had visited the craft to rescue Sam Wildman from Michael Jonas, who had subsequently poisoned them both. Sam had died shortly afterwards, while only Kes' unique Ocampan physiology had saved her.
"That told us that Jonas brought it here", he continued. "But we scanned the planet it was orbiting. There's no sign of life down there. Where did he go?"
"Our scans also showed the ship was damaged by Cardassian fire", B'Elanna said. "We thought Seska and Jonas were working together. Why would the Cardassians fire on his ship?"
"I do not know that", Tuvok said. "But I can tell you the story of how I came to be here, and what I have learned."
"I can't believe you went AWOL", Tom said. "You of all people. I'm impressed."
Tuvok ignored that remark. "The circumstances seemed to warrant drastic action", he replied. He settled back into his seat, preparing to tell his tale. "As most of you know, Captain Janeway and I were conducting our own investigation into what happened at Jotham Four. We managed to find a recorded transmission incriminating Euan Lamond. The transmission, however, was stolen from the Captain's apartment, as the backup copies were from mine. The attempts to cover up the incident and the later accusations made against you- " here he nodded towards Chakotay "-suggested to us that there was a wider conspiracy at work."
"We figured that much out", Tom said.
"Indeed. Captain Janeway and I were both sent on a new mission, aboard Voyager, to track your Maquis cell. A short time into our mission I was recalled and replaced with a security officer from Euan Lamond's vessel."
"I don't imagine Kathryn was impressed with that", Chakotay said.
"No", Tuvok responded dryly, "she was not. Neither was I. But as it happened, Starfleet's decision to recall me to Earth for reassignment had unexpected consequences. I was able to continue my investigation into the theft of the records. With more time at my disposal, my efforts bore fruit."
"You caught the thief?" Tom said.
"Not exactly. But I was able to track down enough people who felt wronged by Euan Lamond to put together a picture of what had happened. One was a particularly helpful security agent. He was dismissed from his post on the Tanazaki for prying into affairs that, apparently, were not his business. He had a most interesting story to tell."
Tuvok paused, gazing around the room. "Once I'd pieced together the puzzle, I managed to use my knowledge of the Maquis to contact an operative, who was able to arrange transport off Earth."
Michelle smiled at him grimly. "My pleasure", she said.
"The disaffected security officer knew more than those who dismissed him were aware. Certainly he would not have been able to wander free otherwise," Tuvok said.
Tom pulled a face at that. "Are you stringing us along on purpose? What did you find out?"
Tuvok raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on his interruption. "Seska, as you may have suspected, was not acting without orders when she first infiltrated the Maquis. She is a member of the Obsidian order."
Chakotay pulled a sour face, but didn't appear surprised.
"Who are they?" Kes asked.
"The Cardassian secret police", Tom said.
"Not quite", B'Elanna added, "but near enough. They're secret agents, a special branch of the military."
"Tom's contact on DS9 did tell us that Gul Trefek wasn't acting on the orders of either the military or government when he destroyed that shuttle," Chakotay said.
"Quite", Tuvok said. "Seska was on board his ship at the time. But that is only part of the story. It is true that Seska made a deal with Captain Lamond to destroy the shuttle. But that is not what she was supposed to do."
The others present stared at him.
"Supposed to do?" Louis echoed.
Tuvok nodded grimly. "Seska made a deal with Lamond, but in turn, Lamond was being manipulated by a Federation agent. The deal was really made with Section 31."
Collective gasps were heard around the table. Kes gazed at them all in confusion.
"Should I ask…" she said.
"Our equivalent of the Obsidian order" ,Tom supplied. "Except they aren't supposed to exist. Doesn't really fit in with tidy Federation ideals."
"That's putting it mildly", Louis said.
"In any case", Tuvok continued, "according to my information, the Section 31 agent and Seska made a deal, which would enable them both to steal the guidelines to the transwarp specs that Harry was transporting. They were supposed to share the information. The Cardassian vessel was only supposed to damage the shuttle, not destroy it. Lamond knew that much, and was supposed to stand by and allow it to happen."
Chakotay was nodding in understanding. "So Seska double-crossed the Section 31 agent, and destroyed the shuttle instead."
Tom looked puzzled. "Why would she do that? Why not steal the specs for herself?"
"Maybe that's what she really did", Kes said quietly.
Chakotay swore softly. "A long time ago, Kathryn told me that Starfleet would kill to get their hands on those specs. She meant it as a figure of speech. But now…"
Louis frowned at him. "But Tuvok said Seska was responsible for destroying the shuttle."
"If you want to be literal about it", Tom said, "but I'd say the Section 31 agent was just as guilty." He peered keenly at Tuvok. "Do we know who he was?"
"Yes."
Louis still appeared confused. "Why would Seska kill the person carrying the specs then?"
"Maybe she didn't", Kes said.
Louis shot her a warning look, but didn't respond.
"Wait a minute", Chakotay said. "Just who is this Section 31 agent?"
"Her name is Lieutenant Sari Kumuda."
Tom let out a low whistle. "She's the one who replaced you on Voyager?"
"Yes."
"And we heard that Voyager is heading this way."
"Yes. I contacted Captain Janeway and told her to come to this system."
B'Elanna shook her head. "Why? To meet us? There isn't anything here except for Neelix's ship."
"There is", Kes said, her voice stronger now. She shook off Louis' restraining hand. "I saw it in a vision. There's a Cardassian base."
The others fell silent, staring at her.
"Kes is correct", Tuvok said, after a moment, still watching the young woman. "Her mental powers have indeed been growing rapidly. Another informant told me there is an abandoned Cardassian base on the second moon of the fifth planet of this system."
"Do you think Seska is there?" Chakotay asked.
"I'm sure of it", Kes said.
Michelle, who had been quiet throughout the discussion, now spoke up. "Tuvok thinks that Kumuda is using her new position on Voyager, waiting for Kathryn to catch up with the Liberty, and then Seska, and to take any opportunity to recapture the specs."
"They want them that badly?" Louis said.
"I'm afraid so", Tuvok agreed.
"That isn't all", Kes said. Ignoring Louis' warning look, she went on. "The Cardassians are holding Harry prisoner."
There was an uncomfortable silence in the room as the others stared blankly at her. Eventually Michelle spoke.
"Harry Kim? But I thought he was dead." She glanced around at the others. "Didn't he die on the shuttle that exploded?"
No one else met her eyes, except for Kes, who was shaking her head vigorously. "That's what we all thought", she said, "but I saw it. The Cardassians are holding a prisoner on that base."
"How?"
"I wasn't sure. But it makes sense, given what Tuvok told us. If Seska was able to beam the specs away before the shuttle was destroyed, why not Harry as well?"
The others continued to avoid her eyes, their silence hanging awkwardly in the small room.
Tuvok spoke slowly. "It is possible you are correct, Kes. The odds however, that Mr Kim survived the explosion, are not high."
"I don't care about odds", Kes said shortly. "I know what I saw."
Chakotay glanced from Kes to the doctor, whose hooded eyes were heavy and dark.
"Alright", he said, "you're telling me that this Section 31 agent is on Voyager right now, and they're heading this way?"
"They will reach this system in a matter of hours", Tuvok said.
Chakotay's brow furrowed as he thought through what Tuvok had just told them. "Then it seems clear what we need to do."
"Does it?" Tom said. "How about enlightening the less brilliant among us?"
"We need to come up with a plan to snare Seska", B'Elanna said.
"More than that", Chakotay said, "we need a way to warn Kathryn. She's carrying a spy along with her, and doesn't even know."
"And we have to rescue Harry", Kes put in.
Chakotay gazed at her steadily for a few moments before giving her a curt nod. "If Harry Kim is down there", he said, "we'll find him. Perhaps you two could ready sickbay for our confrontation with the Cardassians, just in case."
Louis and Kes both stood to leave the room. As the young woman departed, something seemed to pass between Chakotay and the doctor. The latter grimaced slightly, then shook his head, before following Kes out.
Chakotay sighed. In the uneasy silence that followed their departure, a thought seemed to strike him, and he shot a curious look at Tuvok. "Does Voyager know what they'll find in this system?"
Tuvok regarded him steadily, before shaking his head. "I merely told Kathryn where to come."
As the two men held each other's gaze, B'Elanna glanced from one to the other. She saw that Chakotay's shoulders, which were stiff a moment before, had relaxed slightly at the Vulcan's response.
"What do you mean?" she said.
Chakotay opened his mouth to reply, but Tuvok spoke first.
"I believe that Chakotay was asking whether the Voyager crew are aware of the Liberty's cloaking device."
It was Tom's turn to frown. "Huh? I didn't hear him ask you that."
Tuvok continued to watch Chakotay, his gaze firm. "Even if Captain Janeway had not discussed the matter with me, I read the transcript of her debriefing. She did not inform Starfleet about the other information we stole from the Kazon."
B'Elanna appeared stunned for a moment, then broke into a wide grin. She leaned over and slapped Chakotay on the shoulder. "What do you know?" she said. "She didn't tell them, after all."
"No", he said quietly.
"Aren't you pleased? You were right, I was wrong. I didn't want to tell her about it, remember?"
"I remember. You were very cranky."
B'Elanna glanced around the room. Michelle fidgeted with her fingers, obviously still confused by Kes' earlier declaration. Tom was staring glumly at the table, lost in his own thoughts. Tuvok watched her impassively, Chakotay grimly.
"I don't know why you're not happier", she said. "If Kathryn didn't tell Starfleet, then presumably her crew don't know why she's coming here either. They certainly won't expect us to be here, hiding from them. We have the advantage. That's what we've been hoping for. That's why we went to all that trouble to get the damn thing working. And better still, Kathryn wasn't a snitch."
At that Tom raised his head, shooting her a sharp look before returning his gaze to the table. She frowned. What was his problem?
"I'm worried", Chakotay said, rubbing his palms lightly on the table top. "If Kathryn doesn't know her security chief is a double agent, she could be in big trouble."
"She can handle it", B'Elanna said.
"Perhaps", Tuvok suggested, "we need to start by thinking of a way of contacting Voyager, without the rest of her crew knowing."
They sat in silence for a few moments. To B'Elanna's surprise, Tom spoke up first.
"I have an idea", he said.
~~~
Kathryn stared moodily at the viewscreen in front of her, trying not to drum her fingers on her armrest. They had arrived in the Olbäk system. Waiting for them, orbiting the fifth planet, were two vessels. Voyager's long range scanners had detected them both hours ago. As they approached, Ensign Cook had scanned the vessels, declaring them both to be abandoned. One was of unknown configuration – a small alien craft sporting what appeared to be damage from Cardassian phaser fire along both sides. The other was the Federation runabout they had seen heading for the system. Tuvok's runabout. If Tuvok wanted to meet privately with her, why did he leave his ship so openly exposed? And where was he now?
"Confirming scan", Cook reported. "There's no one on the runabout. The unidentified vessel is also empty."
A corner of Kathryn's mouth quirked upwards at that. "There may be no one aboard", she said quietly, "but I doubt there's nothing there."
"No ma'am", Cook replied.
Kumuda's fingers danced across the security console. "It's definitely the same runabout we saw earlier, Captain. The one that was reported leaving the Sol system."
"Any life signs on the planet?"
"No, Captain."
Kathryn shifted in her seat to glance around the bridge. She was aware that most of her officers were staring back at her, waiting to see what she would do. Only Cavitt, sitting silently beside her in the first officer's chair, continued to watch the viewscreen. She swallowed a small smile of satisfaction at that. After annoying her for weeks, she was now starting to think of Cavitt as a friend. Maybe it wasn't much, but given the circumstances, it helped.
"Well," she said settling back into her chair. "There must be something nearby that Mr Tuvok came to find. And that vessel," she added, gesturing to the smaller craft, "is not unidentified. If you examine the debriefing reports I made to Starfleet recently you'll see that it matches the description of a ship belonging to a Talaxian named Neelix."
Cavitt stiffened slightly in his chair. Cook shot the Captain a puzzled look. Although she couldn't see her, Kathryn was sure that Kumuda had made no response. If any of what her security chief had told her earlier was true, she must have known Seska and Jonas had abandoned their craft here.
"What's a Talaxian?" Cook said.
"They're a species native to the Delta Quadrant", Cavitt replied.
Kathryn considering her options. If Tuvok knew Neelix's ship was here, why did he lead Voyager straight to it? What did he want her to find? Perhaps he had left her a clue, either on the stolen runabout or aboard Neelix's ship. But it that were the case, how could he have expected her to reach both ships without interference? And where was Tuvok now? She could think of no simple solution. Given Tuvok's logical approach, she had to assume that meant he had left no obvious clues for her, but was waiting for her to make the first move before he revealed his hand.
"I want two away teams", she said. "Commander Cavitt, you take Ensign Cook and beam over to the runabout. See if you can find any clues as to where its occupants might have gone. Lieutenant Kumuda, take a team to the other vessel. See if you can find out how long it has been abandoned, and what might have happened to cause that structural damage."
Both officers nodded their assent. As Kumuda strode towards the turbolift, Cavitt hesitated, turning back to the Captain's chair.
"Captain, may I see you for a moment? In your ready room?"
Kathryn nodded, gesturing for Kumuda to go ahead. Cavitt followed her into the ready room. She waited until the doors slid shut behind her, then turned to face him.
"What is it?"
"Captain, I think we should talk about this situation."
"Oh? What situation is that?"
"Off the record?"
"Alright".
He shifted on the spot awkwardly, then ran a hand through his greying hair. "I know that there have been difficulties between us in the past. Whatever you may think, I am genuinely sorry for that. My behaviour has not always been… appropriate. But I've tried to make up for that."
Kathryn narrowed her eyes, but nodded. "Go on."
"The fact that I've made mistakes doesn't justify your lack of trust in me."
That wasn't what she had expected. "You think I don't trust you?"
Cavitt smiled ruefully. "I know you don't, Captain. Perhaps your suspicions are justified. After what we discussed on the colony world…" he trailed off, his cheeks reddening. Recalling the scolding she'd given him that day, Kathryn repressed another smile. "Like I said, I've made some mistakes. I'm not proud of that. But my involvement with Admiral Groot has ended."
Struck by his honesty, Kathryn didn't reply. His behaviour had been different since then, she thought.
"The simple fact is, Captain, you've kept me on as your first officer. If you aren't happy with me, you should have requested someone else."
Kathryn stared at him, and this time he met her gaze firmly.
"I'm not… dissatisfied with your performance. Not recently."
"Then I think I deserve to be kept in the loop."
"About what?"
"About what's going on here. There are two ships out there. One was brought here by a friend of yours, who went AWOL after trying to clear your name. Perhaps you don't know what he's doing here, but I can't believe that you know nothing. But that's what you've told me, nothing."
Kathryn opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off.
"I'm not done. There's that other ship, the Talaxian one. I've read your reports about the Delta Quadrant, Captain. I know that the last time you saw this ship it was steaming into the wormhole, the same one that brought you home, carrying a man who betrayed you to the Kazon. Shortly afterwards, you discovered he'd poisoned two of your crew, killing one of them."
She felt a dull tinge of pain at the reminder of Sam's death. "That's true."
"I've also read reports about what you claimed happened at Jotham Four. I know it isn't on the record, but you believe this traitor brought back a Cardassian who'd infiltrated the Maquis. She's the one you believe was responsible for destroying the shuttle."
Kathryn stared at him, taken aback. "How do you know that?"
"I have my sources."
When she narrowed her eyes, he added, "Alright, I'm asking you for honesty, fair's fair. Admiral Groot's aide told me, the last time I... well, the last time I called to report in. We were friends, although that doesn't excuse her telling me. She was just gossiping, I'm afraid."
Kathryn considered his words. Cavitt had reported on her activities to Admiral Groot, but now he seemed genuinely remorseful. She'd argued that Chakotay's crew deserved a second chance. Surely she should be able to say the same for this man. For some reason, the words of a favourite Academy lecturer came back to her then.
"Don't try and file people away like they're data chips", he'd said. "People don't fit into neat little slots. You may think you're being clever, figuring them out, but it's really you who loses. You just end up with rows of little people, squashed into their neat little boxes. All the mystery, all the surprises that people embody, gone. What a waste."
She always worked hard to relate to people. In her earlier commands, on her brief stint with Voyager, and then on the Liberty. Winning the respect of Chakotay's crew had given her such satisfaction. She'd been proud to think she'd kept those words in mind and hadn't pigeon-holed people, but let them stretch and surprise her. Perhaps she'd been too distracted since her return from the Delta Quardant, too caught up in her own drama to consider how she was treating Voyager's crew.
"You're right", she said eventually. "Fair is fair. The truth is, I don't know what Tuvok is doing here. He sent me a message telling me to come to this system, but he didn't tell me why, or what I would find. Given how unusual this behaviour is for him, I had to conclude it was something important. I came here because he's an old friend, and I trust him. That's all I know."
"And the other ship?"
"I didn't know it was here. Perhaps that's what Tuvok wanted us to find. Though why it's been damaged by Cardassian fire…" her voice trailed off. "I don't know. The last time I saw this ship Mr Jonas was aboard. I have reason to believe that a Cardassian agent named Seska was also aboard. I'm afraid, Commander, that this is all I know. I'm not concealing information from you."
He watched her carefully for a moment.
"The strange thing is, I believe you."
"Good. I think that's the way it's supposed to work between Captain's and their XO's."
Cavitt was still frowning. "Then why isn't Kumuda asking more questions? From the little I know of her, she's an inquisitive officer. Has she already asked you about this situation?"
Kathryn bit her lip, then shook her head. Cavitt may have changed his tune, but she wasn't sure yet how much she could rely on him. She would wait until the away teams reported back before telling him about Kumuda.
"No. I haven't told her anymore than I've told you." Drawing on the truth, she added, "I'm sure that Captain Lamond didn't always confide in her, either. Sometimes the Captain can't always speak his mind."
"Or her mind".
"Right."
"Tell me something, Captain, do you really believe that Captain Lamond betrayed the Federation to the Cardassians?"
Kathryn recalled the coldness in Lamond's eyes, the way his voice had strained as he spoke of his son's death. She shook her head. Maybe Lamond didn't belong in a little box, either.
"He betrayed good people", she said quietly. "Whatever his reasons, they paid with their lives. That's all I know."
Cavitt bobbed his head once, then turned to leave.
After he was gone, Kathryn sank down on the couch, gazing out of the window. Her thoughts meandered as she considered her situation once again. Did she really have an ally in Cavitt? If she did, it was an unexpected boon. He could help her, once she found out exactly what Tuvok had in mind. How could the Vulcan just disappear into thin air like that?
The odd thought made her head snap up quickly.
"Thin air", she whispered to herself. "Thin air. The Liberty!"
Her mind awhirl, she stared out of the window, as if by force of naked will she could discern a hidden ship. Could it be possible? Could B'Elanna have constructed and installed the cloaking device this quickly? If so, could the Liberty be in the Olbäk system at this very minute? The possibility made her heart began to pound rapidly. Was that why Tuvok had come here? She thought again of the story the Potemkin's Captain had told her – that they had captured a stolen vessel, believing two Maquis to be aboard, but the men seemed to have vanished.
Her mouth dry, Kathryn pushed herself up from the couch. That must be it. All the pieces fit. Tuvok must somehow have contacted the Liberty, and arranged to meet the Maquis vessel in this system. Before she could act on her suspicions, a hail accosted her.
"Captain?"
"Commander?" she frowned. "I thought I told you to –"
"I'm aboard the runabout, Captain. There's something here that you have to see."
"Can you be more specific?"
There was silence, followed by what sounded like the soft rustle of material.
"Cavitt?" she said.
"I don't think so, Captain. It's hard to describe. You need to beam over here, right now."
Kathryn's hands found their way to her hips. There was a strange tension in his voice she hadn't heard for some time.
"Are you alright, Commander?"
"I'm fine. But I think you should hurry over".
Still frowning, Kathryn bobbed her head. "I'm on my way. Janeway out."
Over on the runabout, Cavitt let out a small breath of relief. He stared grimly at the barrel of the phaser which was pointed squarely at his temple.
"I think you can put that down now", he said. "She's coming."
~~~
end of part thirty
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