Disclaimers apply as usual.

A/N: I'm working hard to get this all up so I can start writing again. Thanks for all your patience!

Two days after they had meet up with Voyager Gaffa, Casius' second in command showed up at their door again, this time stating that the Supreme Commander wanted to speak to Lieutenant Barrett. Sarah had been quiet, lost in thought most of the way back, while Tom and B'Elanna had been animated, trying to come up with theories as to why Casius had manipulated them, so easily too. The only words that she had uttered had been that he had manipulated them so easily was because he had played off of their emotions. All of them were worried about the others, had fears of what not finding them meant, Casius had felt that and used it against them.

Tom was lying on his bunk when Gaffa appeared. He didn't like the fact that the Supreme Commander wanted to see Sarah alone. After their last exchange, Tom knew that the Gerroan could not be happy with her and that made him all the more dangerous in the young pilot's eyes.

"Did he say why he wanted to see me?" Sarah asked, coldly from her bunk.

"No," Gaffa said. "And it should not matter. When the Supreme Commander summons you, you do not question why, you just go."

"Well, you can tell the Supreme Commander that he's going to have to tell me why," Sarah snapped. "Because I'm not leaving this room until he either does, or when we're back on Voyager."

Gaffa's eyes darkened with malice. "Stupid nulpias."

Sarah stood up. "You keep calling me that, why? Is it because I'm a woman? Or is it more?"

His face paled a little. "That is not your concern, Lieutenant."

"It's not?" Sarah spat. There was no response. "Tell the Supreme Commander if he wants to see me, to send a reason, or I'm not leaving this room. Dismissed." She waved her hand absentmindedly and went to sit back on her bunk, her backside to the Gerroan officer, who scowled at her and stormed out of the room, the door clanging behind him.

Tom and B'Elanna looked at each other. "Maybe you should have gone," Tom finally ventured to say.

"Why, so he can manipulate me even more?" Sarah snapped back. "I'm done playing his mind games. It's time that he played mine."

Silence fell over the three officers. B'Elanna shivered, she was sure that she could hear the Supreme Commander screaming from three or four decks up because of Sarah's refusal to go and see him. Her dark eyes flitted about the room. She would be glad to be gone from this place. Even the prospect of spending the rest of her life on a Federation starship was better than this place.

Fifteen minutes later the door flew open again. Gaffa was standing there looking angrier than before. "Supreme Commander Casius says that he does not have to give you a reason, he is the Supreme Commander of the Gerroan Fleet. Now, he demands that you speak to him, immediately. He has Valia Jourid waiting in an interrogation room for you."

Valia Jourid. The name sounded familiar to Sarah. She casually turned her face over her shoulder to look at Gaffa. "You just gave me the reason, Gaffa. Did you do that because you're afraid if you go back there, a second time to tell Casius that I'm not coming, that he'll do something to you? Frankly, I think that's why you're all here, you're all afraid of him."

"Gerroan officers are not cowards, Lieutenant Barrett."

Sarah stood, slowly; she wanted to make him sweat a bit. The truth was she was really going to go, but it was fun watching this pathetic man squirm in front of her. "Well from where I stand, it sure looks that way. Now you said that Casius had a Valia Jourid with him, who is that? I don't think I've heard that name before."

Gaffa didn't see through her lie. "She is one of the higher ranking officials in the Kreyole government. If anyone knows where your people are it's her."

Tom jumped up on his bunk, excitement burning in his eyes. "You have to go Sarah; you can't just sit here now. Enough with the mind games, so Casius manipulated you! It's time to put your damn foot down and end this!"

Her sapphire eyes burned through him, to the very core. "I know that Lieutenant Paris." She turned back towards Gaffa. "Take me to see Casius, but I'm going on my on accord, not because he demanded it."

"Very well, Lieutenant, this way."

Straightening her uniform she made a silent exit, ahead of the Gerroan officer. Once they were outside the doors, and they had closed, Gaffa pulled out a small device, pressed a button and the two were swept up into a transporter beam. When they came out of it, they were standing in large, ornate corridor, similar to the one at the Hall on New Gerroa. Sarah felt her senses begin to tighten. Where were they?

They made their way down the long hallway, shoes echoing off of the large marble walls. At the bottom of some stairs, two guards were waiting for them.

"Where…are we?" Sarah finally found her voice to ask Gaffa.

"This is the prison, or at least the entrance to it, on the Vaga Colony. Supreme Commander Casius is beyond those secured doors, however, the guards are going to have to make sure that you are not armed before you enter," Gaffa replied.

Before Sarah could respond one of the guards ripped her combadge off. She began to protest, but Gaffa stopped her. "I know that it is not a weapon, but no method of communication with the outside world is permitted inside the prison. You will get your communicator back when you leave." He gestured for her to follow. "This way please."

She climbed up the steps behind him, the guards following closely on her heels. They passed through large steel doors that creaked open after Gaffa had entered an access code in a nearby panel. Before her was a rather…damp and dark passageway, lined with cells, their green force fields the only light in the corridor. It was considerably less ornate in here, and as she stepped inside she caught the glimpse of several prisoners, all Kreyole from the looks of it.

In fact, as they glided along past more cells, she realized that she had yet to see any Gerroan prisoners. "Um, Gaffa, if you don't mind my asking, where are the Gerroan prisoners kept?"

"You expect us to put Gerroan criminals in here with the unholy ones?" a guard snapped behind her. "Gerroan criminals at least deserve to rot in their cell without all the nulpias around."

Unholy ones? "Silence, Garver," Gaffa snapped holding a hand up. "These people do not understand our ways; let us not burden the young woman with it, shall we?"

They twisted down another long corridor, more cells lining the walls. At the end of this corridor was another set of steal doors. They stopped at them and Gaffa punched another access code and the doors creaked open. In the dim light of the room, Sarah could see Casius sitting at a large, round table. He had a smug look on his face as she entered. She had the strongest urge to slap it off of him. "You failed to tell me that we would be making a detour to another colony. Tell me, Casius when were you going to return me to Voyager?"

"Have a seat, Miss Barrett."

Sarah sat in the chair farthest away from him. "You wanted to see me."

"Yes," Casius replied, gesturing for Gaffa and the guards to leave. "You'll be pleased to know that we've arrested one of the higher ranking officials in the Kreyole government."

"Oh, so they're a government now, are they? What happened to being people who didn't conform to your beliefs, Casius?" Sarah snapped. She was tired of being taken advantage of, tired of stumbling and falling every time that life handed her a harsh blow. But not this time, she almost felt sorry for Casius that he was going to get the brunt of her fighting back. "Tell me the truth, no more skirting around the issue, because quite frankly, I'm sick of it. If you're not going to help me then I suggest that we part ways…amicably, and I'll continue on with Voyager to find my people."

Casius seemed speechless. "You honestly believe you'd make it?"

"You'd be surprised how strong our sense of survival is," Sarah snapped.

"Bring her in," Casius said into a small communicator that he had concealed in the palm of his hand. Two doors in the back of the room opened and a Kreyole woman was lead in, dragged roughly by her arms, and forced to sit in a chair. Sarah noticed that this time Casius didn't ask the guards to leave. "Lieutenant Barrett, this is Valia Jourid."

The woman didn't acknowledge her, just looked stoically ahead, like a Vulcan would, Sarah noted.

"Valia, tell Miss Barrett where her people are being kept," Casius replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jourid replied. "I have never seen this woman, or anyone resembling her, at anytime."

Sarah saw the muscles in Casius jaw tighten.

"Tell her."

Jourid remained where she was looking ahead. Casius got up and began to pace, rambling on angrily about what was going to happen to her if she did not comply. Sarah didn't hear what he said, Jourid had looked right at her and suddenly a voice filled her mind. Your people are safe with us. They got off on a transport and our heading to a hidden base about fifteen light years from here. Get back to Voyager and set a course, four one three mark two zero. We're not you're enemies, they're waiting for you.

Sarah blinked, opened her mouth to say something then thought better of it. What do I tell Casius?

Tell him that you are done working with him, and go your separate ways.

"Valia, tell her! You know what will happen if you don't!"

I'm sorry, I didn't know they were going to use me like this.

It's not your fault. There's still time to save your people and your ship, if you break all ties with Casius now.

"Valia I grow tired of this, tell the nice young lady what she wants to hear."

Jourid sat there, mouth clamped shut. Casius pulled out a hand rifle and gave her one last warning. Sarah gasped and jumped as he fired a shot right into the Kreyole's chest. "Foolish nulpias." He waved a hand and the guards took the body away. He turned to look at her. "It seems Miss Barrett that you are still going to need my services."

In all her time studying the Borg or other terrorist groups she had never actually seen someone killed because of their actions. Inside she could feel herself shaking with silent rage. When the woman had been brought in here, she had known some how that it was going to come to this, but it still did not make it right. She was beginning to wonder if Captain Janeway had seen something similar and parted ways with the Gerroan. Now, Casius wanted to use her to find them. She wasn't going to allow that to happen. Sarah stood, shaking her head. "No, Casius, I've had enough of your services. We'll take it from here. If you would kindly allow me and my officers transport back to Voyager—."

His hand grabbed onto her arm forcefully. "If you think you can survive without us out there, you are more of a fool than Valia was. Voyager will never last."

She pushed away. "We'll take our chances," she hissed. She glared at him, hoping it was her best imitation of a Janeway command glare. "Now, please, Supreme Commander, let us return to our ship."

Casius let go of her arm and pressed a button on his communicator. The doors swished open and the officer who had escorted her there stepped in. "Gaffa will take you back to your people. Voyager will be given five hours until she has to depart our space. If during that time you change your mind, we can continue this partnership, but after that, you are on your own Miss Barrett, and may the gods have mercy on your soul."

The new hiding place was more depressing then the last one, Chakotay thought with dismay as he wound his way through dank corridors to find Kathryn. Since they had fled Delvor Chakotay had noticed that the Kreyole had been treating them with a cold shoulder, some of them were down right rude, spitting at them, uttering hateful words. He wasn't sure what had caused things to go sour and Kathryn had ordered that the three of them try to find out what was going on.

It had not been easy. Many of the Kreyole were either afraid of him or mad at him. He had resorted to eavesdropping to gather information and what he heard had troubled him. Now he was trying to find Kathryn amongst this mess.

She was tinkering at a console, perhaps trying to send another message to Voyager.

Chakotay stopped next to her, leaning against the console. "I've found out some things, you?"

"Nothing," she said, not looking up from her work. "I've been trying to set up communications to get in touch with Voyager. What did you find out, Commander?"

"You're not going to like it," Chakotay warned her.

Kathryn frowned. "I'm finding that this whole situation is not likeable, spill it."

"Apparently, Sarah never got your first message. She was present at the ambush on Delvor."

Now her blue eyes snapped away from what she was working on to stare at her first officer. "Tell me that she wasn't directly involved."

Chakotay shook his head. "She wasn't, I guess that's the only bit of good news that I have. Rumor has it that Casius told her that we had been taken hostage by the Kreyole, along with one of their high prophets. With no one to contradict the story, naturally Sarah had to go along with it."

"He used her emotions to get what he wanted," Kathryn replied, shaking her head. "Any word on what happened to her afterwards?"

"None," Chakotay answered. "I'm sure the Gerroan Fleet is keeping an eye on her and Voyager."

"All the more reason we need to get in contact with them," Kathryn said, going back to work. "Tuvok's working on getting the Kreyole back in our favor. I suppose seeing one of our officers present at the ambush would make them weary. I can understand why they would be, we could very well be working for the Gerroan."

Chakotay let out a short breath of air. "I can't imagine Sarah would have gone along with it if she had known what was really going on."

"Which leads me to believe that she didn't know what was going on," Kathryn said. She stopped her work for a moment and stared blankly ahead, her eyes glassing over with intense thought. "You know she asked me why I didn't want her to come on the first contact mission with the Fedori. I told her that the three of us were capable of handling a first contact situation. If only I knew what was going to happen, perhaps I would have changed my mind. I wanted her to find her way, but having this thrust upon her lap…"

"Do you trust her Kathryn?"

"Yes."

"Then everything will be fine."

Her eyes traveled to his again. "Will it Chakotay? If we thought we were under a lot of stress here, running from this race that considers themselves superior to all others, then what must it be like for her, now that she's been manipulated by them? I want to think that she's going to rise above it, but her track record…Chakotay, it could only make things worse for her."

Chakotay shook his head. "You're wrong, Kathryn. I think she's going to surprise you. And I think in the long run it's going to be better for all of us."

Before Kathryn could answer, Tuvok stepped up to join the group. "I believe I have found a small group of Kreyole willing to help us Captain. They are friends of Valia Jourid, the woman that was captured during the ambush. She was in telepathic contact with them before she was apparently killed or thrown into prison by the Gerroan. When that happens, they are given a neural inhibitor of some kind to quell their telepathic abilities."

Kathryn felt her heart thunder in her chest. If that was the case, then Sarah could very well have been drugged by those monsters and Kes as well. She felt a shiver make its way up her spine despite the fact that it was hot in the compound they were in. "What did they have to say, Tuvok?"

"Valia spoke to Lieutenant Barrett, instructed her to break contact with the Gerroan and head here."

"And?"

"That was it."

"Is there anyway that they can contact Sarah now?"

Tuvok looked puzzled. "Captain, you have been working on the communications array for the past three hours and have yielded no results. I don't see how Valia's friends will be able to help."

Kathryn's eyes seemed to light up with a fire that had not been present the past few days. "They can, because they can reach out to her telepathically."

"Captain?"

"Let's go," Kathryn instructed her officers. "I have a plan."

Casius sat in the darkness of his private chambers on his warship, nursing a strong cup of Gerroan tea. Things had not worked out like he had envisioned them working on. They had captured Valia, yes, but her silence had only added to the outrage of the young human woman, and Casius had needed her and her ship to flush the remainder of the Kreyole out. In the last few years the Kreyole had become smarter, more resourceful, had picked up allies from neighboring star systems, thus making his job more difficult. Voyager had been a blessing, really, he had used their emotions to get what he had wanted, to find where Valia was hiding and bring her in. Of course the story that their colleagues had been taken hostage was all fabrication, but if the crew was anything like the captain, he had known that they would not be easily swayed with the truth.

Sarah Barrett had fallen right into his hands. And for that reason he felt like he was going to get burned by it later, maybe much later, down the road, but he knew that he was not done dealing with Voyager, Sarah Barrett, or Kathryn Janeway just yet.

The doors to the room slid open. Gaffa stepped inside.

"Are they away?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Good, the tracking device is on board Voyager?"

"Yes, sir."

Casius felt a sly grin form on his face. I told her it was foolish to think she could survive on her own. Now, she's going to realize that when it's too late. Pity, I liked her. "Excellent. Let me know when they reach their destination. Follow at five light years behind them; keep us under the dampening shields, understood? I don't want Lieutenant Barrett finding us out here."

Gaffa nodded his head and left the room. The game, Casius thought with amusement, was on.

Kathryn Janeway tried to fall asleep but sleep had eluded her for the past two weeks. Rolling over onto her side on the bedroll she watched as Chakotay slept. Tuvok was asleep on the other side of her, but she found studying the commander much more interesting than watching the Vulcan sleep. He was laying on one side, his face to her and she briefly wondered if he had fallen asleep studying her. When she had first been married, troubled with thoughts if she could keep up a healthy relationship with Bryan and a career, she had often laid awake for hours just watching him sleep, the rise and fall of his chest. Suddenly she felt embarrassed. She shouldn't be watching her first officer that way.

Rolling over onto her back she balled her fist up and pressed it against her forehead. She tried to settle her thoughts on her children. God I hope Voyager is safe, I hope they're safe. As far as she knew, the Gerroan had no idea that she had children on board her ship, and from what she had been told, Voyager had not even been fired on by the powerful aliens.

Good news was hard to come by in this place though. For every little bit of good news she heard rumored around here, there always seemed to be more bad news. Earlier that day, while her and Chakotay had been chatting with Valia Jourid's friends and if they had any success in contacting Sarah Barrett telepathically, which they hadn't since Valia had spoken to them before her death, the captain and first officer had overheard a group of Kreyole teens saying that Voyager had been "blasted out of the sky" when they had parted ways with the Gerroan Fleet. Chakotay had spent the entire afternoon trying to quell those rumors and the concerns it was causing her, saying that they were rumors, nothing more.

Kathryn couldn't put it to rest though. Her babies were on that ship and if what those teenagers had said was indeed true, her children, along with one hundred and forty people had died at the hands of the Gerroan while looking for her.

Tears began to press the backs of her eyes. What she wouldn't give for a cranky Ava to be begging to cuddle up in bed with her right now, or for Michael to be babbling away nonstop about his latest school project? Her troubled thoughts settled on her son now. He must know that something was wrong, that his mother was not back on Voyager when she had promised she'd be there. He must be frightened, Kathryn thought, finally letting the tears escape. She had told him once, after Bryan had died, that she would never abandon him. What must he be thinking right now? That she had gone back on that promise? That she had indeed abandoned them?

Footsteps could be heard approaching and she wiped the tears away from her eyes. No sense in letting a late night Kreyole wanderer see her emotional lapse.

"Captain Janeway?" a voice whispered.

Kathryn sat up to see Ravior, one of Valia's friends leaning down at her feet. "Yes," she whispered back, careful not to wake Chakotay or Tuvok.

"We've just picked up a Federation ship entering the system," Ravior told her.

Her heart leapt. "Have you had contact with them yet?"

"No, they're still too far out of range."

Kathryn got to her feet, throwing the threadbare blanket she had wrapped around her to try and stay warm to the ground. "I want to be there when you make contact. I can't sleep anyways." She glanced down at her sleeping officers and wondered briefly if she should wake them. They haven't slept in days, Kathryn concluded, and decided to let them sleep. With a small nod of her head she told Ravior to lead the way. Excitement began to creep into her tired veins. She was about to have real time contact with her ship in two weeks. If that wasn't the best news she had gotten for a while, she wasn't sure what was.