12

Discoveries

"Immediate necessity makes many things convenient, which if continued would grow into oppressions. Expedience and right are different things."

-Thomas Paine, Common Sense

=/\=

"Kathryn, we were so relieved to discover that you were alive."

"Thank you. I take it you've read my report?" Janeway sat in Voyager's ready room, speaking to Owen Paris via subspace.

"Of course. We all read it. What was done to you was terrible. I'm so sorry."

Janeway forced her expression to remain neutral. "What legal action will be taken against the Br'nai?"

Paris grimaced. "That might be difficult."

"What do you mean?"

"Admiral Nechayev, Admiral Ross and I met with Ambassador V'tan today. He's expressed his deepest condolences about what happened to you, but he explained that this doctor - what's his name?"

"M'hel." She couldn't conceal her disgust as she spoke the Br'nai doctor's name.

"The ambassador informed us that Doctor M'hel was acting completely on his own. Apparently, the man's never really known where to draw the line as far as his research is concerned. Ambassador V'tan assured us that the doctor will be imprisoned immediately, and his underground lab will be confiscated by the Br'nai government."

"I have a hard time believing that M'hel was acting alone. He had extensive resources in his laboratory. Where would he have gotten access to all his equipment and personnel without the support of the emperor or some other high official?"

"I asked the same question. Apparently, the doctor has been skimming it off the top of what the government gives to the Foundation for its research and development projects."

Janeway sat back in her chair, her mind racing. It seemed incredibly unlikely to her that M'hel had really acted on his own, but it was possible that the ambassador really didn't know what was going on. "I don't like it, Owen."

"I can't say I like it much myself, but we have to respect the Br'nai's right to handle their own people."

"I understand. What about our orders to return to Earth in the face of a Borg threat?"

"That comes directly from the Federation Council. I don't like it any more than you do, and after this incident, I understand why you don't trust the Br'nai to defend us. Honestly, I don't, either. But the Council believes we'll be safer if the fleet retreats to the Federation border and holds the line here."

"I know I was in the Delta Quadrant for a long time, but I don't remember the Federation Council interfering in decisions like this before."

Paris' face wrinkled in consternation. "You're right, I suppose. I hadn't thought about it that way. The Council does seem to be passing more and more resolutions these days, ever since they invoked the Emergency Powers Rule. It's an Andorian councilman who's behind most of these new proposals. He seems to be quite cozy with Ambassador V'tan, from what I've heard."

"Wait. The Andorian councilman who asked that the fleet be held at the Federation border is also in bed with the Br'nai? Doesn't that strike you as more than just a coincidence?"

"We have no proof of any foul play."

"I could show you some proof," she grated, her lips drawing together in a tight, thin line. "What they did to me..."

"Kathryn," Owen said in a fatherly tone, "Ambassador V'tan has assured us that Dr. M'hel will be severely punished."

"I don't trust Ambassador V'tan."

"I'm sorry. That's the best we can do." Paris paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts and glancing at a PADD on his desk. "When can we expect you?"

"Well," Janeway said slowly, "we have some repairs to do... but we'll return to Earth as soon as possible."

Paris looked at her for a moment, wondering if he had imagined the glint in her eye as she spoke. Something about her tone told him that he didn't really want to know. "There's one more matter that I'd like to discuss with you."

"The illegal actions of Chakotay and the others," she guessed.

"Yes."

"Admiral, I think that in light of the fact that they saved my life, they should be fully pardoned."

"I agree with you," Paris admitted, "but others don't feel the same. Ever since suspicions were raised about Maquis involvement in the Paris bombings, public sentiment against men like Chakotay and Michael Ayala has become almost as negative as it was during the war. And with a new Borg threat emerging, Seven of Nine is likely to be viewed with suspicion as well."

Janeway gritted her teeth. She had worked hard upon Voyager's return to ensure that the Maquis, Seven and the EMH had been granted their freedom and full rights as individuals, and she refused to let that work to go to waste now. "Starfleet officers in the past have done far worse to save others and have been exonerated for it. Kirk did it multiple times."

"That was a different time." Owen paused. "Look, Kathryn, I agree with you. And I'm not the only one. Perhaps we can sway the others in our favor. Best case scenario, they end up with a formal reprimand, perhaps a brief suspension of duty or a demotion." Another pause. "Worst case scenario, prison time."

Janeway leaned forward. "I will not allow that to happen. They put their lives on the line to save mine because Starfleet wouldn't. To punish them for that would be wrong."

"Perhaps. But it's not only up to you and me. You'll probably be taken out of the decision making process entirely. Admiral or not, you'll be seen as biased."

"I won't let them take the fall for this, Owen."

"Hopefully it won't come to that." Paris glanced to one side. "Kathryn, I have another meeting. As I said, I'm relieved you're alive. We all are. Admiral Patterson sends his regards especially. We'll be in touch. Paris out."

Janeway sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest as the Starfleet emblem appeared on the screen in front of her. The idea of the Federation Council giving Starfleet orders troubled her. The council members were politicians; they didn't understand how Starfleet worked or what the best course of action would be. It was maddening enough to get orders from admirals who did nothing but sit behind a desk all day, but to be directed by politicians? It didn't make any sense. She thought back to what Paris had told her. An Andorian councilman... What did the Andorians and the Br'nai have in common? She had just moved forward in her chair to access her computer terminal when the door chimed. "Come in." She looked up to find Tuvok standing in the doorway, and she smiled. "Tuvok, I'm glad to see you." She stood and rounded the desk to sit on the sofa. "Would you join me for a cup of coffee?"

"Tea, please." He sat beside her on the sofa as she ordered their drinks from the replicator. "May I infer from your gratitude at my presence that you are in need of my counsel?"

Janeway sat down beside him with a rueful smile, handing him his tea and cradling her own mug in her hands. As she steadied herself with Tuvok's calm presence, the contents of her conversation with Admiral Paris spilled out of her. "This is not the Starfleet I remember, Tuvok."

"Change is inevitable in long-lasting organizations."

"I know that. But sometimes change is welcome and sometimes it isn't."

"You do not welcome these changes?"

She shook her head. "The Federation Council has always had authority over Starfleet, but in the past, they've allowed us to operate independently, and I think we've been very successful. The more influence the Council gains over our operations, the more I worry."

"You believe that the Council will not use their new power wisely."

"Exactly."

Tuvok took a sip of his tea. "I see the logic behind your concerns; however, it is not a productive use of your time to worry about something over which you have no control." Janeway sighed and nodded, her expression self-deprecating. "However, you may be able to have an impact on one of your concerns."

"Oh?"

"In addition to recent actions by the Federation Council, you are concerned by the negative attitude that has developed toward the Maquis, and the impact that attitude will have on Commander Chakotay and the others who helped rescue you." Janeway nodded; Tuvok had an uncanny ability to understand her deepest thoughts simply by observing her. "I am still captain of this vessel, and our orders are to test the vessel's capabilities. If Starfleet wishes Voyager to be battle-ready, we must test its systems more extensively before we return to Earth."

A small smile began to creep up the corners of Janeway's mouth. "What do you suggest, Tuvok?"

"When Commander Chakotay and I began to investigate your disappearance, I did my own analysis of the Paris bombings."

"You thought the events were related?"

"I did not know. It seemed plausible." Tuvok paused as she considered this possibility for the first time. "Commander Chakotay learned that the ship carrying the Maquis who were accused of the bombing was destroyed a short distance from Deep Space Nine. To my knowledge, no one has investigated this explosion further. I believe a trip to Deep Space Nine would be warranted."

The smile that had begun in the corners of Janeway's mouth had now become a full-fledged grin. "Do it."

...

The senior staffs from Voyager and the Titan crammed into Voyager's briefing room. Everyone was murmuring quietly, wondering what was about to take place. Admiral Janeway cleared her throat and the low hum of conversation ceased when she informed everyone of the change in orders from Starfleet Command.

"That's crazy!" Tom Paris blurted out. "They expect us to trust the Br'nai to protect the Federation from the Borg?"

"Mr. Paris," Janeway warned. Tom closed his mouth, but Kathryn could see the fire blazing in his eyes. She turned to Tuvok, and he explained their plan of action. As Voyager's acting captain spoke, Janeway could see the expressions on the faces around her begin to brighten. Tom stopped scowling, B'Elanna looked interested, and Chakotay made no effort to hide his grin.

"Well," Riker said when Tuvok was done, "I guess the Titan won't be heading back to Earth right away either."

"Why is that, sir?" asked Lieutenant Rand.

"We have to repair our forward sensor array after those Br'nai ships attacked us. We won't be able to, um, complete our mission without it." Riker's eyes sparkled as he spoke, and everyone in the briefing room seemed to catch on. Lieutenant Rand was the last one, looking confused for a moment longer before understanding finally dawned. Riker met Janeway's eyes. "While Voyager heads to Deep Space Nine, we'll be running constant sensor sweeps, keeping an eye out for Borg activity."

"Good," said Janeway. "Dismissed." As everyone filed out of the briefing room, Janeway caught Seven's eye and motioned for her to stay behind. When they were alone, she said, "Chakotay told me about the Hugh's multi-adaptive shields."

Seven bristled. "Starfleet wanted a shuttle that could evade the Borg. I could not comply with that request and abide by the Treaty of Algernon."

Janeway held a hand up. "I'm not going to punish you, Seven. In fact, I think we can use your prototype shuttle to our advantage. I want you and the Doctor to stay here and keep an eye on the Br'nai. You should be able to remain in orbit and avoid detection. Starfleet may trust them, but I don't. You're to report any unusual activity directly to me."

"Understood." Seven turned to leave.

"And Seven?" The blonde whirled back around. "Let's keep this one out of the log books, okay? Something tells me we're going to be in enough trouble as it is."

...

Even after all his experience with them, the name 'Borg' still struck fear into Captain Jean-Luc Picard's heart. The news of their impending attack was unsettling, but even more unsettling was the fact that he had been ordered to complete his mission and deliver the anti-cloaking technology from the Br'nai to Earth rather than prepare to engage the Borg. Sitting in his ready room, Picard was pondering his next move when the door chimed. "Come." Geordi entered, PADD in hand.

"Captain, I finally realized where I had seen that Br'nai metal before."

"Where?"

Geordi handed the PADD to the captain. "In an analysis of the Paris bombings."

Picard sat up straight in his chair as he looked at Geordi's findings. "Have you ever seen this metal anywhere else?"

Geordi shook his head. "No, sir."

"Thank you, Mr. LaForge. I'll report this to Starfleet. You're dismissed." Geordi left the ready room, and Picard lifted his finger to place a call to Admiral Nechayev. Perhaps there was another explanation, but given what had happened to Admiral Janeway, it certainly seemed plausible that the Br'nai had had some involvement in the bombings.

Before Picard could place the call, Harry Kim's voice came over the comm. "Bridge to the captain. You have an incoming transmission, sir, on a secure channel."

"Put it through to my ready room." Picard activated the view screen on his terminal, and a moment later, Will Riker's face appeared. "Will," he greeted his former first officer with a smile.

"Jean-Luc, we have to talk."

Picard's smile disappeared when he saw the worried look on Riker's face. "What's wrong?"

Riker filled Picard in on recent events and told him of the strange presence Deanna had sensed on Br'nai. "My orders are to return to Earth with Commander Chakotay and the others, and leave the Br'nai as our first line of defense against the Borg, but we've been delayed. I've informed Starfleet that our forward sensor array was damaged by the Br'nai, and we won't be able to head back to Earth until we've repaired it."

Picard did not miss the glimmer in Riker's eye. "I understand. This isn't right, Will. Starfleet hasn't thought this through. Geordi just found evidence that the Br'nai may have been involved in the Paris bombings."

"What?"

Picard nodded, his mind racing. If the Br'nai technology he carried truly was essential to the safety of the Federation, he couldn't risk turning his ship around. On the other hand, if the Br'nai had been responsible for the Paris bombings, the technology he carried could be a ruse designed to make sure the Federation flagship was nowhere near the defense perimeter when the Federation was attacked. He didn't trust the Br'nai to protect the Federation any more than Riker did, and the idea of leaving only the Titan and Voyager to engage the Borg left a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. He looked up at Riker. "The Enterprise will be there as soon as we can, Will, and in the meantime, I'm going to call in some favors."

"Thank you, Captain. Riker out."

With a small tug on his jacket, Picard stood and strode onto the bridge. "Helm," he ordered as he took the command chair, "lay in a course, heading one eight seven mark five."

"Course plotted and laid in, sir."

"Engage." Picard tapped his communicator. "Picard to LaForge."

"LaForge here, Captain."

"Geordi, I'd like you to take a closer look at the technology we got from the Br'nai. Look for any inconsistencies, incompatibilities with our systems - anything that seems out of place."

"I'll get right on it, sir."

Picard turned to his operations officer. "Mr. Kim, send a transmission to Qo'noS. I need to speak with Ambassador Worf."

...

The girl's quarters were dark when Kathryn entered. "Mei," she called, "are you here?"

Timidly, the girl poked her head out of the bedroom. "Yes, Kath-ryn." She spoke haltingly, the word still foreign on her tongue.

"Are you all right, Mei? Have you had enough food? Do you have everything you need?"

Mei bowed in the traditional Br'nai manner. "Yes, thank you, Kath-ryn. Master Cha-ko-tay and Master Tom have been very kind to me." The girl looked up at Janeway with a shy grin, and, not for the first time, Janeway wondered how old she was. She couldn't be much more than a teenager. "I have not had so much food since..." She paused. "I don't think I have ever had three whole meals a day!" The girl beamed with gratitude, and Janeway's heart went out to her. She couldn't imagine how bad the circumstances must have been in Mei's village for her to take a job in M'hel's facility. How could the Federation have formed an alliance with people that treated their citizens so badly?

"Mei, no one here is your master. You may call them Chakotay and Tom, and you may call me just Kathryn. All right?"

"All right."

Janeway sighed, wishing Neelix were here. He'd know exactly how to handle this situation and would be an expert at taking Mei under his wing. Instead, she'd been left alone in her quarters most of the time, with a few daily visits from Chakotay and Tom. But now, Janeway was here with a job for the young woman. "Mei, do you have any experience taking care of children?"

The girl's face lit up. "When I was younger, before I worked for Dr. M'hel, I took care of my younger cousins all the time."

"Tom and his wife, B'Elanna, have their daughter, Miral, with them on the ship. They need someone to take care of her while they are working. Do you think you could do that?" Mei nodded vigorously. "Good. B'Elanna will bring her to you. She'll give you the instructions you need."

"I will be glad to have a task," Mei replied. "I wish to repay all you have done for me."

"You don't owe us anything, Mei. You saved our lives; we are the ones who are in debt to you." Janeway regarded the girl for a moment before continuing. "There's one more thing you need to know. This ship may soon be in the middle of a very dangerous battle. You will need to keep Miral calm and remain calm yourself, even if strange things are happening all around you. Can you do that, Mei?"

The Br'nai girl nodded again. "Yes. I can do that."

"Bridge to Janeway," Tuvok's voice came over the comm.

"Janeway here."

"We're coming up on Deep Space Nine, Admiral."

"On my way." Janeway put a hand on Mei's shoulder. "Will you be all right?"

"I will be all right, Kath-ryn. Thank you."

Janeway smiled; Mei was going to be just fine. She turned on her heel and headed for the bridge.

...

As Voyager was cleared for docking, Janeway exchanged a glance with Chakotay. He had not been with her on the day of Voyager's launch, but he realized that this must be a strange moment for her, docking Voyager at Deep Space Nine, where their journey had commenced so many years before. "Full circle," she murmured quietly, so that only he could hear. He resisted the urge to reach out and take her hand, turning his eyes straight ahead, watching the station grow larger on the view screen.

"Docking clamps engaged," Paris reported as a small jolt rocked the ship.

"Well done, Mr. Paris. Tuvok, Chakotay, you're with me. Tom, you have the bridge." Paris stood to take the command chair as Ayala quickly replaced him at conn.

As Tuvok, Chakotay and the admiral emerged into the station, they were met by a Bajoran woman with short hair and a stern expression on her face. "Admiral Janeway," she said, her severity melting into a smile, "I didn't expect you back so soon."

"I didn't expect to be back so soon. This is Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok."

Kira shook both their hands. "What can I do for you, Admiral? I was told we'd be on our own if the Borg attack."

"We're making a little detour on our way back to the Federation border," Janeway replied, exchanging a glance with Chakotay. "Right after the Paris bombings, you detected an explosion near the station. We need to see your sensor logs from that day."

"May I ask why you're so interested?" Kira watched as Janeway and Chakotay exchanged another glance.

"Let's just say we're not convinced that Starfleet has investigated the incident as thoroughly as they should have," Chakotay replied diplomatically.

"I see. You should know that our sensor readings were inconclusive. I know the official story was that the explosion was accidental. We were never able to confirm or deny that. If the ship was attacked, it was with technology we've never seen before."

"Do you have reason to believe the ship was attacked?" Janeway asked.

"Not necessarily," Kira replied. "We haven't been able to find any cause for the explosion whatsoever." She gestured to them with one hand. "Follow me." Chakotay fell into step beside her and Janeway and Tuvok followed. "You were in the Maquis, weren't you?"

"That was a long time ago."

"Might I point out, Commander, that you seem to have revived your Maquis tactics of late?" suggested Tuvok.

Chakotay let out a small chuckle. "Point taken, Tuvok." He turned back to Kira. "You were on the station during the war?"

She nodded. "Eleven years. Since Captain Sisko went missing in action almost five years ago, Starfleet has sent me two possible replacements. Neither of them lasted, so here I am." She threw up her hands.

Chakotay had the distinct impression that she preferred it this way and that there weren't many Starfleet officers she'd accept after Sisko. "I never had the pleasure of meeting Captain Sisko. He must have been a very special man."

"He was," Kira said softly.

"I'm sorry," replied Chakotay.

"Don't be. Captain Sisko did what he had to do. Besides," she continued with an enigmatic smile, "I still think he'll be back someday."

They entered the promenade, and Chakotay winked back at Kathryn as he remembered their chance encounter there. This station seemed to enter their lives at fateful moments - Voyager's launch, the moment that had reestablished their connection, and now. Kira led them past the promenade to the central core of the station. She called to one of the officers who was busy at his station. "Nog!"

A Ferengi turned around, noticing Kira and the three visitors. "Yes, Major. What can I do for you?"

"This is Admiral Janeway, Commander Chakotay and Commander Tuvok. They're here to look at our sensor logs from the day of that explosion. Help them with whatever they need, okay?"

"My pleasure," Nog said with a gallant smile. He extended his hand to Janeway. "Admiral Janeway, it's truly an honor to meet you. I've heard so much about you, and Voyager."

"Lieutenant," Kira reminded him, "I didn't call you over here to gossip."

"Sorry, Major."

Nerys gave the Ferengi lieutenant a bemused look. "I'll be at my station if you need me."

"Yes, Major," Nog said. Then he turned to the console in front of him and pressed several buttons. "Here are the sensor logs from the day in question, Admiral."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," said Janeway. "That's all we need right now."

"I'll be right here if you need me, Admiral." Nog stepped off to the side as the three officers from Voyager began the tedious task of reviewing the logs nanosecond by nanosecond.

They had spent over an hour looking at the data frame by frame, and Chakotay's eyes were beginning to glaze over when something caught his attention. He bolted upright in his chair and looked again to make sure he had not been mistaken. "Kathryn," he said excitedly, "look at this." She stepped quickly to his side. "What do you see?"

"It looks like a residual ion trail," she said slowly, but even as she spoke, she noticed something else. She pointed to a distortion in the trail. "What's that?"

"I think it's a transmission." Chakotay glanced over at the Vulcan, still working at another console. "Tuvok, can you isolate this data stream? I'm sending it to your station."

"I will endeavor to do so, Commander." As Tuvok began to work at segregating the data, Chakotay watched over his shoulder.

"Something about that bandwidth seems familiar," Chakotay mused under his breath as he watched Tuvok untangle the complicated sensor readings.

"The signal is somewhat degraded," the Vulcan reported, "but I believe you are correct, Commander. It is a message, but not an audio communication. It is a visual transmission."

"Let's see it, Tuvok," said Janeway, who had joined Chakotay behind Tuvok's station. She didn't know what she expected to see on the screen, but she had expected it to be recognizable. Instead, the symbols that appeared in front of her might as well have been gibberish. Tuvok seemed equally confused. Beside her, she heard Chakotay inhale sharply, and when she looked up at him, his face was white. "Chakotay, what is it?" she asked, touching his arm.

He stared at the screen for a moment longer before he blinked and looked down at her. "I know those symbols. We used them in the Maquis."

"What do they mean?"

Chakotay reached over Tuvok and pointed at the screen. "Attack. Unknown assailant. Secret message. Bajoran." Chakotay's arm fell back to his side as he stared at the symbols.

"What does that mean?" Janeway asked, gesturing to the final character in the sequence.

"That's Sveta's signature. She was the one who sent this message."

From behind them, they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, and they whirled around to see Lieutenant Nog. "Maybe there's some relation to the Bajoran body that was found on the station around the time of the explosion."

"A Bajoran body?" Chakotay asked.

Nog nodded. "I don't know the specifics. Let me get Major Kira for you."

A few moments later, Kira appeared and confirmed Nog's story. "A few days before that explosion occurred, an Bajoran body turned up on the station. A male. We haven't been able to identify him. It didn't occur to me until now that the two events might be connected somehow."

"A Bajoran with a secret message," Chakotay realized.

"What happened to the body?" asked Tuvok.

"I think it's still in the morgue." Kira tapped her comm badge. "Kira to Bashir."

"Bashir here."

"Julian, do we still have the body of that unidentified Bajoran?"

"Yes, it's in the morgue. Why?"

"I have some visitors who'd like to see it."

"By all means, send them down."

"Lieutenant Nog, take our guests to Dr. Bashir." The Ferengi nodded and led the three into a lift. As they walked, Janeway watched Chakotay with concern. He looked as if a ghost had arisen right in front of him. Perhaps it had.

...

Waves lapped up on the shore in a consistent rhythm, and grainy sand slid between her toes as she walked. She did not know her destination, only that her steps would carry her wherever she needed to go. When she saw a figure in the distance, she knew that he was her stopping point, and she began to run along the beach, her feet slipping in the sand. The distant form ran towards her, and moments later, they were locked in a tight embrace. She felt his lips on hers and she kissed him as though she were starving and he had the only food she required.

He was the one to break the kiss. He pulled back from her and held her face between his hands. "Annika, my sweet Annika."

"How have you come here?" she asked. "Unimatrix Zero was destroyed."

"I don't have time to explain," Axum replied. "This isn't Unimatrix Zero, but I had to find a way to reach you, and, my darling, I finally have." He pressed his lips to hers again, but broke away quickly, glancing behind himself. "I don't have much time. I came to warn you."

"What is it?" she asked, reaching one hand up to stroke his hair.

"The Borg are coming. I wanted to get there in time to save you, but our recent battle took a lot out of us and we need to finish repairs before we can come to you." His image began to decay, as it had in her first vision. "You must be prepared. I wanted to help you, my love, but they're coming... too... fast..." He struggled to stay in the moment with her as he was torn away. "Too... fast..." His body shimmered out of existence, and her hands held nothing but moonlight.

Seven's eyes snapped open and she stepped down from her alcove. "Regeneration cycle incomplete," said the computer. Seven ignored it.

She moved quickly to the cockpit of the Hugh. "Seven?" the EMH asked with concern. "Are you all right?"

"I need to contact Admiral Janeway."

"What happened?" the Doctor asked.

"I have received another communication from Axum." Seven did not look at the Doctor as she spoke, but her hands trembled as she accessed the communications panel. "The Borg are coming now."

...

"Here are his belongings," said Dr. Julian Bashir, handing a small box to Admiral Janeway. They had learned little from the unnamed Bajoran body. Organ failure had been the only cause of death that Bashir had been able to find, and there was no evidence of either murder or suicide. It appeared to be a natural death, and the Bajoran male had been labeled as a "John Doe." Images of him had been sent to Bajor and the worlds near Deep Space Nine, but so far no one had been able to identify the body. The few belongings that had been found on his person had been stored in a small box in case his body was later claimed.

Tuvok examined the contents of the box. There was no identification and only a little bit of cash. He'd had a standard Bajoran communications device and an isolinear chip. Tuvok held up the chip and examined it, then scanned it with his tricorder. Janeway and Chakotay watched him expectantly. "It contains the account number and password for a bank account on Ferenginar," Tuvok informed them.

"Ferenginar?" asked Bashir. Tuvok nodded. "Come on," said Julian. "I know just who you need to talk to."

The three officers followed Bashir through the station and to the Promenade. When they arrived at Quark's, a familiar Ferengi greeted them. "Doctor!" he said. "What can I do for you?" Then he noted the three officers with Bashir. "Admiral Janeway and Commander Chakotay, back so soon? Black coffee and cinnamon tea, was it?"

A bemused expression crossed Janeway's face; she was impressed at the bartender's memory. "I'm afraid we don't have time for that today," she replied, gesturing to Tuvok to hand over the chip. "We were wondering what you could tell us about this. It contains information regarding a bank account on Ferenginar."

Quark studied the chip carefully. "It looks authentic. Whose account is it?"

"The chip was found on the body of an unidentified Bajoran male," Tuvok explained.

"A Bajoran?" Quark seemed puzzled. "I've never heard of a Bajoran investing in a Ferengi bank."

"We'd like to know more about this man and his bank account," said Chakotay. "Can you get us that information?"

"I'm sure we can come to an agreement. You don't happen to have any gold-pressed latinum on you, do you?"

Bashir stepped between the Ferengi and Chakotay. "How about you just give it to them, Quark, and I'll agree not to tell Major Kira about the shipment of Romulan Ale you smuggled in here last week."

"But how did you... When did... I didn't..." Quark stammered. Bashir gave him a stern look, and the Ferengi sighed. "All right, all right. I'll get your information for you." He glared at Bashir. "Thanks a lot, Doctor."

Julian smiled, pretending not to notice the sarcasm in the Ferengi's tone. "I live to serve."

"Paris to Janeway." Tom's voice sounded concerned.

She tapped her comm badge. "Janeway here."

"We've just received a transmission from Seven of Nine, Admiral. She's picked up four Borg vessels on sensors."

Eyes wide, Janeway looked up at Chakotay, and the worry on his face mirrored her own. She turned back to Quark. "Inform us as soon as you have more information about this account."

"I'll do my best," the bartender replied, visibly distracted by the prospect of incoming Borg vessels.

Janeway turned to Bashir. "Thank you for your help, Doctor. Please thank Commander Kira for her hospitality." Bashir nodded, and Janeway tapped her comm badge. "Janeway to Voyager. Three to beam up."

As the three officers dematerialized and Bashir left the bar, Quark turned back to his bottles and muttered under his breath, "If the Borg assimilate us, I don't know what good that information is going to do anyone."

...

"Everything is prepared for the attack, V'tan, exactly as you asked," M'hel whispered, glancing around his laboratory nervously to make sure no one else was in earshot.

"And the Borg's course has been confirmed?"

"Yes, I verified it today myself."

V'tan's eyes glinted with excitement. "This was fortuitous, Hel. I couldn't have planned a better time for a Borg attack if I had tried. Now, you're certain that everything will go exactly as we planned? No improvisation this time, not even for the sake of science."

"I'm certain, V'tan."

"And Ch'a'fen knows nothing about this?"

"Nothing. He'll be just as surprised as Janeway when there is no first line of defense against the Borg." M'hel emitted a harsh chortle. "The Federation is done for, V'tan, and by the time the Borg return for us, we'll be ready for them."

"Excellent," V'tan replied with a satisfied sigh. "Everything is proceeding exactly as I planned."