Part twenty one of "Little blue world" - an AU series
by Jinny W
August 2001
Disclaimer: Paramount owns all. I'm just playing.
Summary: Using different methods, the former Liberty crew try to find out who betrayed the Maquis.
~~~
Tom Paris had seen a few bar fights in his time. He'd been involved in several and had even started one or two. He knew a good brawl when he saw - or rather heard one. The echoes of splintering furniture coming from The Hustler gave a good indication that such a fracas was now taking place. Tom glanced again at the sign. This had to be the place Ayala described. Knowing that Chakotay was inside Tom quickened his pace and hurried through the low slung doors. As much as he'd like to see Chakotay with a black eye, or even two, the prospect of rescuing him and having the older man owe him a favour was equally as appealing.
Tom skidded to a halt just inside the door, gaping at the sight that greeted him. The Maquis leader stood roughly in the middle of the room, an array of overturned furniture surrounding him. Several unconscious men slumped to one side of the room. Chakotay faced the only remaining drinkers in the bar, three scruffy looking strangers who were backing slowly away from him. As Tom watched the barman poked his head around the corner of his tap room, then prudently withdrew again to wait for the fight to subside.
"Bar's closed", he muttered to Tom as he retreated.
Chakotay didn't look to see who the newcomer was but continued to advance steadily on the frightened men. The man in the centre, a bearded fellow of around forty, held up his hands in a futile attempt to placate him. Tom squinted at him, trying to recall why he seemed familiar.
"We don't have what you're looking for", he stuttered.
Chakotay took another threatening step forwards, halting at a small table which separated them. "No", he said in a low voice, "but I think you know someone who does. Or you know someone who knows someone."
The bearded man glanced around him nervously, as his two companions retreated to the safety of the far corner. Tom eyed Chakotay in appreciation. This was a side of the man he had never seen before. He'd heard Chakotay raise his voice once or twice but had never seen him angry. B'Elanna told him once that watching Chakotay fight was like dropping a poisonous snake into a room full of society ladies drinking tea. Chaos.
"Most of all," she added, "it's terrifying how silent he is."
On his ship, among his own people, Chakotay had no need to police their loyalty. Tom was beginning to understand why.
The dark-haired man stood slightly crouched, ready to pounce. The sleeves of his tunic were rolled up roughly. On one forearm Tom could make out a trail of blood. Whether it was his own or an opponents, he couldn't tell. Aside from this Chakotay seemed unharmed. Tom shot another quick glance around the room. It appeared as though he'd already flattened nine men, broken six chairs and overturned as many tables. He didn't want to think about the number of glasses that now adorned on the floor. An earsplitting crash broke the brief stillness. Tom snapped his head around to see that Chakotay had thrust aside the small table. A stack of empty glasses shattered as they made contact with the ground. When the bearded man winced Tom realised where he'd last seen him.
"Cruine", he whispered to himself.
"I'm running out of patience," Chakotay said quietly.
Cruine shook his head. "I don't have any information to give you."
Tom stepped forwards. "That isn't what I heard", he called out.
Chakotay half-turned towards him but didn't take his eyes off the frightened man. "Hello Tom", he said casually, as though he'd been expecting him.
"Hello", Tom said mildly, then turned his gaze back to Cruine, who was staring at him suspiciously.
"I don't know what you mean", he said weakly.
Tom smirked at him and took a few steps closer. "Oh, I think you do. I've been having a chat with your friend Mr. Gollan", he said. Cruine winced again, an almost imperceptible gesture Tom was sure Chakotay hadn't missed. "He was most helpful."
The silence that followed stretched out agonizingly while the bearded man considered his options.
"Alright", he said quickly, his eyes darting from one man to the other. "Perhaps I do know something about the incident you're interested in."
In one smooth movement Chakotay seized his collar and dragged him towards a chair. He pushed Cruine roughly down into it, then stood menacingly over him. "Talk", he ordered, still breathing heavily.
"A few days before the Cardassian cruiser arrived here there was a young man - a human - who came into this bar. He was looking for a Cardassian soldier." He glanced up quickly then continued. "He mentioned a name, I don't remember it. He said they were old friends."
"You didn't think that was strange, a human with a Cardassian friend?" Chakotay hissed quietly.
"Of course I did", Cruine said quickly. "But we don't ask too many questions round here. I figured it was a business deal of some kind. If it was, it wouldn't be surprising if he was trying to offload all his goods, the way things are right now."
"What do you mean by that?" Tom asked, moving closer to them.
Cruine eyed him contemptuously. "Don't you know anything? War's coming."
Tom stared at him. "War?" he said blankly.
Cruine narrowed his eyes, as if suspicious Tom's ignorance was a trick. "People are saying the Cardassians have been rearming and are ready to break the treaty".
"What else do you know?" Chakotay demanded.
"Nothing", Cruine said. "I swear. When the Federation shuttle was destroyed I assumed the man had been one of the Maquis, ratting on his crewmates who were deserting." As if forgetting who he was speaking to he spat on the floor derisively. "Nasty business."
Chakotay grabbed him by the collar again, causing Cruine to choke. "What do you know about the Maquis amnesty?"
Cruine spluttered in alarm. "Hey! Only what everyone around here has been saying. It was on the grapevine, man! Same way we heard about the shuttle being destroyed."
Chakotay loosened his grip slightly but didn't release him. "What did he look like, this human?"
"I don't know." The bearded man thought for a moment, then glanced at Tom. "About his height and build. Fair-haired. Shifty looking. Obviously nervous as hell."
"And that's all?"
"That's all, I swear."
Chakotay gave him a last glare then let go. "If I find out you're lying", he said, his face close to Cruine's, "I'll come and find you. I promise you that."
"I ain't lying", Cruine whined.
Chakotay straightened, shot a quick glance around the bar, then turned and began to stalk out. Tom followed him, having to hurry to keep up with his large strides.
"What are you doing here, Paris?" Chakotay said as they stepped out into the street.
"I never left", Tom said. "I hadn't got around to deciding where to go when the shuttle was destroyed. Since then I've been doing the same as you, trying to find out what really happened up there." He glanced back at The Hustler, a wry grin on his face. "Not exactly the same as you", he amended.
"Did you know that man?" Chakotay said sharply. "And who's Gollan?"
"A card shark. So is that guy, Cruine. I played poker with the two of them in another bar about a week ago."
"Would Gollan know anything that could help us?"
Tom shrugged. "Don't know. I haven't seen him since then."
"But you said-" Chakotay broke off, smiling tightly. "Very clever, Paris", he said.
"Not really", Tom said. "It was obvious there was no love lost between them. I just played on Cruine's sense of paranoia by letting him think his rival had spilled the beans."
"So have you found anything out?"
"No," Tom admitted. "That's why I decided to go looking for you. I figured you'd be investigating on your own, so I headed back to the camp. Ayala told me where you'd gone."
Chakotay grunted.
"You didn't seem surprised by what Cruine said about the Cardassians rearming", Tom commented.
"I'm not", Chakotay replied. "Our intelligence told us the same thing. There have been odd troop movements, as well as a series of border skirmishes with the Federation."
"Why hasn't this been on the news?"
"I suspect both sides want to keep it quiet."
Tom scowled. "Do you think that's why Starfleet hasn't been kicking up a fuss about the shuttle?"
"Possibly. But I think the Cardassians are playing the game too." He slowed, then gestured where he was headed with his arm. Tom swerved to avoid a young boy on a hoverbike and then hurried to catch up to the older man.
"How so?"
"A Maquis raider in the DMZ managed to escape from another Galor class cruiser four days ago," Chakotay said. "According to our intelligence they were almost done for. The Cardassians should have pursued them more vigorously, but they didn't. They let them go, Tom. They never let you go."
Tom frowned, thinking hard. "You're saying you think their priorities have changed? That they're too busy preparing for a coming war to worry about the Maquis now?"
"That's what it looks like. We're small fry."
"Then why attack the shuttle?" Tom asked. "That doesn't make sense."
Chakotay slowed, glancing at him shrewdly. "No", he said, "it isn't logical."
"So it might not have been sanctioned." Tom thought this over for a moment. "And who do you think the man was that Cruine mentioned? Could it have been Jonas?"
Chakotay drew up short, but didn't respond. He glanced at the grimy street around them, which was almost deserted.
"Do you think it was Jonas?" Tom continued. "He's shifty looking. And if he came out of the wormhole where we did, he might also have headed for this colony."
Chakotay eyed him carefully. "Maybe", he said. "But I don't know why Jonas would be looking for the Cardassians."
"And Jonas couldn't have heard about Kathryn's amnesty idea", Tom said. "He'd have no way of knowing that some of the Maquis were leaving. So how could it have been him who told the Cardassians about the shuttle?"
"I don't know", Chakotay said shortly. "And to be honest, I'm running out of ideas. And bars," he added ruefully.
"Well, I have one", Tom said. "An idea, that is, not a bar. If you're willing to listen."
Chakotay stared at him intently, measuring the younger man. "The last time I saw you Paris, you were drinking too much, behaving like a juvenile, and acting like you wanted to blow me out of an airlock. Why would you want to help me now?"
"I'm not doing this for you", Tom shot back. "I'm doing it for Harry. And for Kathryn", he added more softly. "Wherever she is, she'll want to know what really happened here." Chakotay continued to gaze at him inscrutably, so he went on. "You know her", he said. "The trade was her idea. She'll be blaming herself, you know she will."
Something in Chakotay's face seemed to soften at the mention of Kathryn. Tom blinked at the emotion-filled expression that flickered across his features. Again he seemed to be a completely different man to the one who had torn the bar apart only minutes before. Then as soon as it had appeared the gentle cast vanished, to be replaced by his more usual bland mask. "It wasn't her fault", he said tightly.
"I know that", Tom said, "and you know that. But we need to find out exactly who is to blame. If that means working with you, well," he pulled a face, "I'm prepared to stomach it."
To his surprise Chakotay chuckled. "I don't like you, Paris", he said, "that's no secret. But two of my closest friends, both very intelligent women, seem to. I'm sure there's a reason. What did you have in mind?"
Tom grinned at that. Perhaps, he thought to himself, he had misjudged this man after all. "I think", he said, "we should go for a trip to DS9."
Chakotay's smiled disappeared. "DS9? They'll arrest me if I set foot on the station."
"Not if no one notices you," Tom said. "We could leave the Liberty here, take a transport ship. Sneak in and out before Security is any the wiser."
"Why go there? It will take us seven days to get there at least."
Tom's grin grew broader. "I think we need to get ourselves some new outfits," he said enigmatically.
Chakotay sighed. "If this is a joke, Paris-"
Tom shook his head. "Scout's honour," he said, holding up his hands.
Chakotay screwed up his face. "Scout's honour?"
"Never mind. I have a friend on DS9. Well", he hesitated, "not exactly a friend. An old acquaintance. He has contacts. Good ones. If any one can find out what went on aboard that Cardassian cruiser, he can."
Chakotay nodded slowly. "Fine", he said. "Just don't make me regret this."
~~~
Doctor Zimmerman hesitated in the doorway, staring at his former Captain. Kathryn was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of her terminal. Two side access panels were open and wires were running from the lower panel to a tricorder and another object he didn't recognise. As he stepped closer he could see that Kathryn held a small tool and was wedging something inside the other hole.
"Doctor", she said, without looking around. "Take a seat. I'll be right with you."
The doctor sank into one of the comfortable guest chairs, continuing to watch her work with interest.
"You wanted to see me, Kathryn? Is this a bad time?"
Kathryn glanced up at him and grinned. "Just be a touch discreet about what you didn't see me doing here."
"Alright," he said, obviously mystified.
Kathryn swore and snapped the top panel shut. "I need another regulator." She pushed herself up from the floor onto the larger couch.
Zimmerman pursed his lips, but decided not to ask. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"It's about Kes." Kathryn gestured to the replicator. "Can I get you a drink?"
The doctor shook his head.
She chuckled as she made her way over to the replicator and ordered herself a coffee. "It's been a week. You'd think I'd be used to having one again by now, but the novelty still hasn't worn off."
Zimmerman frowned. "No doubt you're overdoing your caffeine consumption."
"No doubt" Kathryn said mildly, taking a sip, then returning to the couch. "And you're trying to avoid the subject. Kes."
He shifted in his chair. "Well, as her doctor, I am worried about her. She still isn't eating properly and I doubt she's sleeping much either."
"That's to be expected at a time like this. I'm not sure she's come to terms with what happened yet. Until she's accepted Harry's death she can't begin to grieve for him."
"Yes," he said quietly.
Kathryn continued to eye him carefully. "But I think you know that isn't what I meant. Kes told me she thinks you're avoiding her."
"I've been busy over the past few days, that's all", the doctor said. "I've been working on my submissions for the debriefing."
Kathryn nodded. "Uh huh. Which gives you a convenient excuse for avoiding her."
"I'm not - " Zimmerman broke off, then shook his head slowly. "Being around her is... difficult." Kathryn stared at him blankly. He sighed and muttered, "I love her, Kathryn."
Her mouth fell open for a moment, then she snapped it shut, and slid her coffee mug onto the table. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise."
Zimmerman sighed. "No. Why would you." He began rubbing his hands together absently. "On the Liberty we spent a lot of time together. We became close friends. But I thought... I kept telling myself she was too young for me. I didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for."
Kathryn felt herself nodding in agreement, thinking of her own experiences, then forced her mind back to the present. She noted suddenly the awkward, slightly pained expression on the doctor's face and wondered why she hadn't paid more attention to it before. "It's always hard to take that step, Louis," she said quietly.
Zimmerman nodded and continued. "Then she and Harry... then the two of them... Then it was too late."
"Does she know how you feel?
"No," he said. "Now he's dead I can't possibly tell her. How can I? It would be so crass, like a vulture swooping in."
Kathryn felt a sudden rush of sympathy for his situation. "I'm sorry", she said softly. "I don't know what to tell you." They sat in silence for a few moments longer. "You're still one of Kes' closest friends", she continued. "She needs your support right now, even if it is difficult for you. Even more so when we get to Earth, a place she knows little about. Where she's a stranger."
The doctor nodded. "I know. I know I'm behaving childishly. I just thought that if I didn't have to -" he broke off, shaking his head. "I'll deal with it", he concluded. Then as if seeing it for the first time, he glanced at the terminal and its loose wires. "What are you doing, Kathryn?"
Kathryn followed his gaze, grinning tightly. "Something B'Elanna taught me, bless her."
"I'm assuming it's not a modern art form."
Kathryn laughed shortly. "No. It's a method for getting information the computer is not altogether sure it wants to tell you."
His eyebrows shot up. "You're hacking into the computer?"
"You could say that." She smiled quickly again. "I'd rather you didn't say it to any of this crew though."
"Why?"
Kathryn looked at him steadily. "Did Kes tell you about her vision?"
"Vision? No." He seemed puzzled. "Then again, as you said, I haven't spoken to her for a while now."
Kathryn sighed. "I think you'd better go and talk to her." She glanced at her modified terminal again and shook her head. "Lately, Louis, I've been feeling like we didn't come back to the right quadrant after all."
Zimmerman smiled dejectedly. "Are you going to tell me this is all a bad dream next?"
Kathryn thought of all the things that had happened to them in the past few weeks. The death of Sam Wildman, Kes' illness, her parting from Chakotay, leaving her new friends, the shuttle explosion, Harry's death, her suspicions about Lamond... She shook her head again sadly. "I wish it was, doctor. I wish it was."
She slid back to her former position in front of the terminal and opened the side panel again.
"I don't suppose you know anything about accessing encrypted systems?" she said absently.
Zimmerman shrugged. "I know my way around computers."
She glanced up at him, a smile working its way across her face. "Then come down here and give me a hand."
"Me?"
"Why not? Unless you've got B'Elanna Torres hidden up your sleeve, which would be quite a trick. In which case I'd much prefer her help."
The doctor managed a smile at that. "I'm afraid not."
Kathryn gestured at the wires. "We're running out of time. I need this information before we dock."
Zimmerman shuffled over so that he could see what she was doing. "What information? What are you looking for? Couldn't you just ask Lamond?"
Kathryn shook her head. "Doctor", she said, "you really haven't been paying attention, have you?" She sighed. "Alright, I'll fill you in. But it's a long story, so first of all," she added, "pass me the rest of my coffee."
~~~
B'Elanna tried to keep her annoyance in check as she glanced around the bar. This colony was far too close to a Starfleet research station for her liking. That had been the reason they'd come here though, to trade for components a dealer had been able to steal from a Starfleet shipment. Components she hadn't been able to procure anywhere else. Unfortunately it also meant that if they weren't careful they'd run into some of the more adventurous researchers who had strayed from their labs to experience the local nightlife. The last few pieces of equipment were stowed in the cargo bay of the small ship they had hired. Now B'Elanna was impatient to get back to Jotham Four and start work installing them on the Liberty.
She sighted Hogan at the bar counter and made her way to his side. "We're ready to go, Hogan", she said quietly. "What are you still doing here?" She glanced down at the half drunk bottle of spirits in front of him. "That is not going to help, you know."
Hogan's lip curled up. "I'll drown my sorrows my way, you take care of yours your way." His eyes darted to the yellowing bruise on her right cheek. "Don't tell me you weren't thinking of Harry when you broke that guy's arm last night."
B'Elanna bit back an acrid reply. It was true she hadn't been handling the news of her friends' deaths very well. The scuffle last night hadn't been related to the incident at all, but she had to admit that she found the emotional release gratifying. "We should go", she said instead.
"There's someone else who wants to talk to you."
"We have all the parts we need".
Hogan shook his head. "She just wants to talk. She says she has information about Lamond."
B'Elanna frowned at him. "The Starfleet guy? Why are we interested in him?"
Hogan cocked one eyebrow. "Apparently he has a grudge."
"Against who?"
Hogan jerked his head towards a table in the corner where a human woman who looked about B'Elanna's age, or perhaps a little younger, sat watching them. "Go talk to her, Torres", he said. "Then we can get the hell off this rock."
"Who is she?"
"Her name's Michelle Trent. She's a friend of Shett Felipe".
Now B'Elanna's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. "No kidding", she said, flashing another look at the tense young woman. "He saved my butt once when Chakotay and I were trapped in a firefight with a Cardassian patrol."
Hogan nodded. "He's probably saved all our butts at one time or another."
B'Elanna leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. "Is his cell active in this area?"
"I don't know. Would you just go already?"
"Okay, okay."
She left Hogan sitting at the bar and made her way carefully over to the corner table. As she approached the woman offered her a tentative smile. B'Elanna didn't return the gesture, but slipped quickly into the opposite seat.
"You have information?" she said bluntly.
"Yes", the woman said. "My name is Michelle. I'm a friend-"
"Of Shett Felipe", B'Elanna finished, "I know."
"Do you know him?"
"We've met. I'm B'Elanna, by the way."
"Yes, I know." The younger woman's hand tightened around her nearly empty glass nervously. "I understand that you were on the Liberty when the Cardassians attacked the Starfleet shuttle at Jotham Four."
B'Elanna nodded. "I'd just left the area. My friends weren't so lucky."
"I'm sorry."
"Hogan said you had information about Lamond?"
"Yes", Michelle took a quick sip of her drink, then returned to gripping the glass. "Euan Lamond is not to be trusted. I don't know exactly how he did it, but I know he's responsible in some way for what happened."
B'Elanna's eyes narrowed. "How do you know?"
"For the past few months Lamond has been obsessed with tracking down Maquis cells. Even when it hasn't been his mission he's been taking on extra work, going out on his own but using Starfleet resources."
"Why? Why would he do that?"
"He blames the Maquis for the death of his son." Michelle sighed and pushed her long red hair back from her face. "According to Starfleet records, his son was killed when a Maquis raider attacked McKinley station."
B'Elanna eyed her curiously. "And you don't think that really happened?"
"I know it didn't", she said forcefully. "Lamond has been misinformed. He's been on this crazy mission to track down who's responsible and he's wrong. I was there on the station. Felipe was leading the attack."
"Wait a minute", B'Elanna held up her hand. "Are you Starfleet? And how do you know Shett Felipe, anyway?"
"Is that important?"
"I think it is. If you want me to trust you."
Michelle sighed again. "Alright", she said quietly. "I was Starfleet. I was serving as an NCO at McKinley. I'd been there for about a year. For the last eight months of that time I'd been collecting information and passing it on to Felipe whenever I had the chance."
"What type of information?"
"Anything that would help. Shipments, Starfleet movements, plans to catch them." She smiled at B'Elanna. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but believe me, I'm on your side. As for Felipe," she blushed slightly, "we've been together for more than two years."
B'Elanna repressed a smile at that. "He's your lover?" she said, remembering how impressed she'd been with the tall Bajoran man. "Lucky you".
"My husband now", Michelle said. "We married when I left the station to join his group. But I'm getting ahead of myself." She drained the rest of her drink before continuing. "Starfleet knew about the plans for the raid. An informant working within Felipe's cell had turned them in. When I found out I tried to warn them off but it was too late. Starfleet thought they were prepared but they'd underestimated Felipe's tactical skills."
"Bad mistake", B'Elanna commented. "If they paid more attention to his work in the Bajoran underground they might have been less cocky."
"True", Michelle agreed. "Anyway, the plan to capture him didn't go... well, according to plan. Felipe escaped with the others who'd boarded the station and managed to get back onto their ship. That's when I joined them. While they'd been raiding supplies they also damaged some of the monitoring equipment. There was confusion in the control centre. No one really knew what was going on."
"Then?" B'Elanna prompted.
"As we were escaping someone from the station began firing. They missed our ship, but they hit a shuttle that was on a routine test flight. The pilot didn't even know a raid was in progress."
"Lamond's son?"
Michelle nodded. "Yes. The shuttle was destroyed."
"Then Starfleet blamed the Maquis? Why?"
"I don't know exactly", Michelle admitted. "It wasn't until days later when we intercepted a Starfleet transmission that we learned they were blaming us for the deaths."
"Someone else died?"
Michelle pulled a face. "Yes. Me. Can you believe that? They didn't even do a proper search for my body. I was declared MIA, presumed killed."
B'Elanna stared at her, her forehead wrinkled in concentration. "It's not that I doubt your story, Michelle. If Shett trusts you, that's good enough. But why would they lie about who was responsible? And why say you were killed too?"
Michelle shook her head helplessly. "As far as we could reason, they were trying to cover their own mistake. No one suspected I was involved, so they didn't bother to investigate the possibility I might have left voluntarily." She leaned closer to B'Elanna, lowering her voice but talking urgently. "As far as they're concerned now is a really bad time for the Maquis to be gaining sympathy. Starfleet is going all out to try and clamp down on sympathizers and to put the best face on their efforts. Bad publicity for us is good for them. With the Cardassian situation the way it is, tensions have been increasing across the board."
B'Elanna nodded. "I've heard there have been a few skirmishes."
"Some of them involving us. Some between Starfleet and the Cardassians. The Maquis have been a sticking point in Federation relations with the Cardassians since the formation of the demilitarized zone. The Cardassians always think Starfleet is too soft."
B'Elanna thought for a moment. "Wouldn't the Maquis be less of a problem for both sides now, not more? We assumed that's why Command was willing to agree to our amnesty proposal in the first place. Because we didn't really matter that much anymore, not compared to the information we had to offer, anyway."
Michelle bobbed her head in agreement. "Yes", she said. "But Starfleet command is still doing its best to prevent a war. They're running scared, lurching from one crisis to another. They certainly don't have the political will or the backbone to say 'come home, all is forgiven' to all of us. I'd say they're divided between those who want to forgive and forget and those who want to use this excuse to crack down on the Maquis once and for all. Either way, they want the issue to disappear."
B'Elanna smiled grimly at her. "That's almost exactly what I had in mind."
Michelle frowned at her. "Sorry?" she said.
"Never mind," B'Elanna grinned again. "I have something up my sleeve at the moment. If it works out, you might hear from me again." A sudden thought seemed to strike her. "Didn't you say Starfleet thinks you're dead?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you correct them?"
Michelle shrugged. "They're not looking for me, so why invite scrutiny? They take a particularly dim view of their own leaving to join up. You probably know that already. Anyway," she shrugged again, "My parents were both killed years ago and I was an only child. Filipe is my family now."
B'Elanna smiled, then quickly sobered. "Do you think Lamond would believe it if someone told him he's been lied to?"
Michelle considered the question, then shook her head. "I don't know. From what I've heard of him he's spent the last weeks riding a wave of fury. That's hard to come back from. Besides, who would tell him? And why would he believe us over Starfleet?"
For some reason a sudden image of Harry's face sprang into B'Elanna's mind and she fought back a surge of nausea. "Do you think he's mad?" she said quietly. "Crazy, I mean?"
Michelle shook her head again. "I don't know. Surely his crew would have noticed."
B'Elanna sighed. "I guess so. Maybe Kathryn's been able to find that out."
"Kathryn?"
"Janeway", B'Elanna said shortly.
Michelle frowned. "Isn't she with Starfleet?"
"Yes", said B'Elanna softly. "But so were you. So was I, for that matter. I know it's different, but I still think... " She sat staring at her hands for a moment longer then roused herself. "Thankyou", she said, pushing herself out of her chair. "I hope this will help."
"So do I".
B'Elanna nodded. "Good luck to you."
The younger woman smiled, small dimples appearing on her freckled cheeks. "And to you, B'Elanna Torres." She grew serious then, reaching out a hand to catch B'Elanna's arm. "Find out who did this", she said quietly. "And make sure they pay."
B'Elanna bobbed her head again. "I will", she said. "And they will pay. Count on that."
She turned and strode quickly back to the bar, the memory of Harry's trusting face still fresh in her mind. "Come on, Hogan", she said, slapping him roughly on the shoulder. "Let's head back to join the others. We have work to do."
~~~
end of part twenty one
~ read part twenty two ~
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