Note to readers: - To those of you who have reviewed in the last months, thank you! I do intend to finish this story; I did not stop due to the negative reviews…

Real life work commitments and other things lead to me having no Internet access as I am spending time in Africa over the next few months.

This will mean there could be a number of weeks wait between chapters but I will try my best to get access the Internet and have it done soon.

Thank you for you patience, I hope you still continue to enjoy and don't get too put off.

I shall try to get 2 or 3 more chapters up in the next day or so.

Thanks. X

The beginning will be the end of all things.

Chapter 14

The only one

"Well?" The leader of the secret sect called the Trade asked as one of his followers timidly entered his grand office.

"We lost her." Squeaked the extremely high-pitched voice of his small male follower.

"We don't even know if they have her." The Bolian leader stated simply without even taking the time to glance up at his tiny human who was watching him closely.

Sifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other the tiny man squeaked, "She wasn't with Chakotay"

That had got his attention and in tern had earned the small man a glare. "Well were is Chakotay?" Zife asked in a warning tone that the next news should be good news.

"We… er… we don't know." Squeaked the now very worried man.

"How can you not know where he is, surely you kept him in sight?" bellowed Zife now pulling himself to his full height and glaring at the much taller man.

There was a tiny terrified squeak from his subordinate from which the words "not exactly" were distinguishable

"By not exactly I assume you mean no you did not?" demanded Zife.

"No" squeaked the little ma.

"Do you not realise that man will stop at nothing until he gets his wife back?" Zife demanded as he paced the for in anger "if you want to find Kathryn Janeway you follow Chakotay."

"He has Voyager," insisted the small man.

Zife rounded on the unfortunate fellow as he growled, "Voyager is an out dated intrepid class ship, don't you dare tell me the Trade are no match for such a ship."

"Why do we want her anyway?" questioned the little man.

"That is not your concern" Zife hissed through gritted teeth and then adding off handily "it is to do with who her son is"

"So you intended to kill her?"

"What would you have me do?" asked Zife almost compassionately "I had her forced into prison but as soon as she is released she goes looking for him" the turning back to his angry self he snapped "I gave her a chance"

"Why does it matter anyway?" questioned the squeaky man trying to get the attention off Zifes anger.

"Because her son holds the key to all of the federations darkest days," muttered Zife almost under his breath.

"So it's her son we need to kill not her." The small, older man told her.

"Why are you so obsessed with saving Janeways life?" Zife demanded suddenly.

"I admire all who achieve what she has, you're a fool if you don't" the small man admitted.

Zife snorted shook his head and said, "You my old friend are the fool"

"Janeway should be respected, there are few who could achieve what she has."

"There is only one cardassian-human hybrid and only one mother." Zife pointed out solemnly.

"And you would kill her?" came the high-pitched question.

"I don't want to, but she left me no choice, I warned her, I forced her in to prison for her own protection and went to see her there, I told her she can never search for and find her son."

"And now he has found her?" came the slow squeaky question.

"She went looking for him, he knew that." Pointed out Zife.

"How did he know that Janeway is his mother?"

It was then that Zife made a statement that made little sense to the small squeaky man who clearly just wanted to leave; "guilt is a powerful thing, it will make any man buckle under it, Owen Paris didn't stand a chance without Edward Janeway to back him up."

"But as soon as she finds out her son is the one who has her-" began the small man trying to work it out in his head.

"I don't think he will force his only leverage straight away." Interrupted Zife.

"He looks human"

"That thing is nether human nor cardassian, I don't ever want to hear you say that again." Yelled Zife in a sudden fit of rage.