Chapter 49

Fair Trade

Captain's log Stardate: 50425.1: We've reached the extent of our knowledge of this region of space. Until Seven can decipher the rest of the Caretaker's regional maps of this area, I will have to rely on Neelix more than ever.

Neelix's Quarters

"Where is this coming from, my sweet?" Neelix asked of his girlfriend as she started to walk away from him. Deciding to give her a hug, she flinched away from his touch.

"Neelix, you're smothering me." Kes told him, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Is it... is it someone else?" the Talaxian asked in fear that someone else had gotten into her heart. "You've been spending an awful lot of time with Tuvok. Is that..."

"Neelix don't be ridiculous." Kes cut him off sharply. "Tuvok is like a father to me and he's married. Neelix, I'm almost three years old and while I've been on the Ares, I've seen so many beautiful things. Beautiful things that I want to explore."

"Well apparently you have your heart set on exploring these things by yourself." Neelix replied, deflated.

"Neelix... it's just..." Kes stopped as she let out a breath and took Neelix's hand in hers. "I'm tired of dealing with your jealousy and I hate how you always try to include yourself in everything I do. I need space... and just time to sort out my feelings."

"Then, I'll give you all the time you..."

'Mr. Neelix, you are needed to Astrometrics.' Seven called over the comline.

Giving Kes a stern look Neelix took his hand back and tapped his combadge. "I'll be right there Seven." the Talaxian said cheerfully as the comline was cut. "At least somebody needs me around here." he said with disappointment evident in his voice as he swiftly walked out of the room, leaving Kes alone.

Astrometrics

As the doors to Astrometrics opened, Seven turned from her work and gave Neelix a warm smile as he walked into the room.

"You... ummm wanted to see me, Seven?" Neelix asked nervously.

"Are you all right, Mr. Neelix?" Seven asked with a raised eyebrow. "You seem... preoccupied."

"Oh, I'm fine... just fine." he replied, making a show of flashing his sharp teeth. "You ummm... needed me for something?"

"Yes." Seven replied as she slightly narrowed her eyes. "It's going to take me several weeks to decipher the Caretaker's astrometric charts to plot a more efficient course. I... I must admit that I don't know this region of space well or what hostile alien inhabitants dwell here." she admitted reluctantly. The one thing she might have missed about being a Borg drone was the daily updates of information that was uploaded into her node processor. "So I must rely on your knowledge of this sector of space. We are approaching the Nekrit Expanse and I needed to know an efficient course for the ship to take to navigate through it."

"The... the Nekrit Expanse, you say?" Neelix asked as he started to fidget. "Ummm, wouldn't it be best if we just fly around it?"

"No." Seven replied as she turned and brought up a simulation of the expanse. "As you can see it's thousands of light years wide."

"Oh... you're talking about that expanse."

"Mr. Neelix, you do know this part of space don't you?" Seven questioned as she turned off the simulation.

"Of course I do." he replied as he lightly tapped his hand on a nearby console. "Of course I do... not. Seven I... I haven't been past the Nekrit Expanse. You know for a fact that the main reason your father let me come aboard was as a guide through the Delta Quadrant. I can't advise him of anything about what lies ahead."

"But you have other functions on this ship." Seven argued. "The ship's cook serving as one example."

"Seven you and your father are better chefs then I'll ever be." Neelix told her. "I've tried to find some other area where I might be useful, but, the truth is, I'm not needed."

Before Seven could argue with him, her father's voice sounded over the comline.

'Mr. Neelix, you're needed to the Bridge.' Sisko started. 'I'm in need of your expertise.'

"I'm... umm... I'm on my way Captain." Neelix replied nervously as he looked to Seven.

"Do not worry Neelix." Seven said as she stood to her feet. "My father will understand that..."

"Seven he'll probably kick me off the ship." Neelix interrupted.

Wanting to tell him that he was overreacting, Seven merely put a hand on his shoulder. "I will accompany you to the Bridge."

The Bridge

"Mr. Neelix during our study of the expanse we located a trading outpost a few light years from it." Ben said as Neelix walked over to him. "I've already talked to the manager of the station named Bahrat. Since your background is dealing and negotiating I'd like for you to take the lead on this away mission and get these supplies." he said as he handed the alien a padd.

"Oh, I can do that." Neelix muttered. "You can count on me, sir."

"Good." Ben replied with a nod of his head. "Tom and B'Elanna will accompany you. As soon as you get back I want you to give me the coordinates we need to get through this region."

"Umm, sir... I..."

"Captain, may I accompany Mr. Neelix to the trading post?" Seven asked cutting Neelix off.

"I hardly see the purpose of an Astrometrics officer going on this away mission." Ben said as he gave her a look.

"There are... certain items that I'd like to see if I could acquire." Seven told him as she and Neelix shared a look.

"Permission granted." Ben replied. "Tom and B'Elanna are waiting for you in the Transporter room, so get a move on it."

"Yes sir." Seven said with a nod as Ben watched her and Neelix walk out of the room.

Trading Post

Neelix walked out of Bahrat's room and let out a sigh. Walking through a sea of merchants and potential buyers, he saw Seven waiting for him near a group of people trying to sell her narcotics. He was happy that Captain Sisko had the foresight to make Seven wear a cloak whenever she went on an away mission with many different species in one place. Ben didn't know how the other species would handle it if they found out that she was a former Borg drone and honestly he never wanted to find out. Waiting until Seven made the drug dealers leave, Neelix walked over to her.

"I take it that you did not manage to get the supplies we needed?" Seven asked, given Neelix's downcast look.

"No... actually, I managed to negotiate getting all of the items on Captain Sisko's list." Neelix told her. "Even those spindle bearings that you were asking about. They'll be transferred to the ship within the next couple of hours. The one thing he didn't have was a map of the Nekrit Expanse."

"I didn't fair any better in my search for a map." Seven admitted. "Perhaps we should just return to the ship. As Tom would say we'll just wing it in regards to navigating through the Expanse."

"Did, I hear you two say you needed a map of this region?" a cloaked lizard looking figure said as he walked over to them.

"Yes." Neelix replied as he and Seven shared a quick look. "Do you have a map?"

"Do I have a map ha ha, my friend I have the most detailed map you'll ever find of the Expanse." the lizard replied with a throaty laugh. "I am Marlak. Please follow me to my merchants booth."

As the lizard started to disappear through the crowd of people Neelix suddenly looked over to his companion. "So what do you think?" he asked.

"He is of a half mammal, half reptilian sub class of humanoid, devoid of what I need to know if he's lying or not." Seven replied.

After talking to Odo and Dr. Erin she discovered she had an uncanny ability to tell if most humanoid species were lying or not through their facial expressions and the way they spoke. Since the reptilian didn't have facial ticks like a regular humanoid would have, she couldn't determine if he was telling the truth or not.

"Well, I guess we have to follow my gut instinct on this." Neelix replied as he started to follow where the reptilian was leading. Not having much of a choice Seven came up behind him.

After a few minutes of walking, Seven noticed that they were getting further and further away from the merchants square. She didn't have to be a Ferengi to know that one wouldn't conduct true business this far away from your clients. Something was definitely wrong.

"I think we've come far enough." Seven announced as she stopped walking.

"I think we have as well." Marlak replied darkly. Reaching under his cloak he pulled out a gray pen sized cylindrical piece of technology. Pushing a button on the side of it a bright series of flashes erupted from it making Neelix and Seven pass out.

With a smile on his face, Marlak watched as his minions came out of the shadows and started to take the both of them away, before following up behind them. If he had of paid better attention, he would have seen that someone was watching them.


"Isn't this place... quaint?" B'Elanna sarcastically asked as she looked around.

"Let's just tell the truth and say that this place is a dump." Tom chuckled. Seeing a nice looking blue dress displayed behind a window. "That's probably the second most beautiful thing, I've seen since coming here."

"Oh?" B'Elanna asked as she followed his line of vision and admired the dress herself before turning back to him. "And what was the first thing?" as she asked that, Tom just smiled at her making B'Elanna instantly know what he was talking about. "Take it easy flyboy." she said as she looped her arm around his.

"Hey, I just thought about something." Tom said as they started to walk together. "I haven't seen Neelix or Seven in awhile."

"Way to spoil our magical moment." B'Elanna joked, before turning serious. "But now that you mention it, I haven't seen them in awhile."

"Seven this is Tom." Tom said as he tapped at his combadge. Not getting a reply, he tried again. "Seven... Neelix somebody respond." still not getting an answer he tapped his combadge once more. "Paris to the Ares Transporter room."

'Transporter room here sir.' a males voice said over the comline.

"Can you give me the location of Neelix and Ensign Sisko?" Tom asked.

After a few minutes the man replied. 'I'm not picking up their combadges and they didn't transport back up to the ship.' He said making Tom and B'Elanna give each other a concerned look.

The Ares

Holodeck

Paris

Dax glanced back at the Eiffel Tower as the moon's light cascaded over the city. Smiling back at her companion, who was wearing a tuxedo and opening a bottle of wine, she placed her elbows on the table before she spoke.

"It's a nice night, Constable." the beautiful Trill woman replied as she wrapped her shawl over her shoulders. The two of them had been dating for the last few weeks and she had quickly figured out that he had a thing for Kira. He never told her in words but it was in his every step and the way he spoke to the other woman. He knew that he could never have Kira now but, Dax hoped that she could be the one to replace what feelings he had in his heart or whatever Shape-shifters had that was the equivalent of a heart. "It's a little chilly though."

"Oh?" Odo asked as he handed her a glass of Chateau Margaux. "Maybe I should ask the Computer to raise the temperature?"

"Or you could just sit down next to me and keep me warm." Dax stated with a smile. Caught off guard, Odo's eyes went wide for a second before he sat down next to her. Placing her head on his chest, her hands suddenly started to roam lower making Odo jump. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"There was no harm done, Commander." Odo deflected as he turned his gaze away from her and looked at the moon. "I just never..."

"Don't worry." Dax said lowly as she placed both hands on his face and made him look at her. "I'll steer you around the curves." with that said she sat in his lap and gave him the most passionate kiss she had given anyone in a couple hundred years. His metamorphic body finally responded and he placed his hand on the small of her back.

'Constable, you're needed to my Ready room, now!' Ben's voice boomed over the comline.

"Damnit!" Dax and Odo said at the same time as they gave each other a look.

"I'm sorry." Odo apologized as Dax got off of his lap.

"This isn't your fault." Dax told him with a weak smile. "Just go, we'll... catch up with this later."

"I'm on my way." Odo said as he stood to his feet, morphed back into his Starfleet uniform and gave Dax a nod and walked out of the room. Watching him leave, Dax let out a sigh before turning around and taking a sip of her wine.

Trading Post

Bahrat's Office

"So you mean to tell me that with a space station this size, you don't have enough surveillance equipment or adequate security?" Odo asked with a scoff as he folded his arms over his chest.

"It's not as if I have volunteers coming out of the woodwork to help me." Bahrat shot back. "I'm doing the best job I can with what I have. I don't know how your species operates in the Alpha Quadrant or on your ship but..."

"Believe me, the way we operate is better than yours." Odo replied as both men started to give each other a hard look.

"Constable, we didn't come here for that." Chakotay said trying to calm the situation down. "There has to be some footage or at least a witness that saw Neelix and Seven being taken away."

"Perhaps, I can be of some help to you." a voice said from behind them. Turning the group saw a Talaxian male, probably the same age as Neelix.

"Who are you?" Ben asked through narrowed eyes. According to his guide other Talaxians had never traveled this far.

"Oh forgive me." the Talaxian said as he extended his hand. "My name is Wixiban."

"Ignore him, Captain." Bahrat cut in. "He is nothing more then a vagrant on this station."

"A vagrant that possibly was a witness to a crime." Odo replied with a roll of his eyes. "Wixiban tell us what you saw."

"I actually caught a glimpse of my old friend Neelix." Wix started. "I was just about to approach him and his companion when I saw a Tikiguania approach them."

"A Tikiguania, here?" Bahrat asked as his eyes widened.

"Who are these... Tikiguania?" Sisko asked as he looked between the two alien males.

"They are notorious slave traders in this sector." Bahrat answered. "They are known to be... very ruthless. They'd even sell their own mothers if it would gain them a lot of profit."

"And you didn't know that they were on your station?" Odo asked, irritably as he turned from Bahrat to Wixiban. "Go on with your story."

"I followed them deeper into the station and then the Tikiguania took out a neural disrupter that knocked out Neelix and the young woman he was with." Wix finished.

"Do you know where there... base of operations is located?" Sisko asked, lucky that they had caught a break.

"Yes and I'll take you there for..."

"A fee... harumph... why am I not surprised?" Odo scoffed.

"We'll pay anything to get Se... our shipmates back." Chakotay interrupted, slightly in a panic. "Just give us the coordinates we need."

Getting Odo's attention, as Wix and Chakotay conversed, Ben pulled the changeling to the side.

"What do you make of... Mr. Wixiban?" Ben asked.

"Harumph, Wixaban." Odo replied as he bounced his head around a little. "I smell trouble. I smell a thief, and just the faintest aroma of jail."

"But do you smell if he's lying?"

"No, I don't." Odo replied as he gave Sisko a look.

"Let's just hope that you're right, Constable." Ben said as he walked back over to the others. "Mr. Wixiban..."

"Wix." the Talaxian said with a friendly smile. "I like to be called Wix."

"Wix, I'd like for you to come with us." Ben continued. "We'll agree upon compensation as we travel to where ever it is we have to go."

"That's more than fair." Wix said with another smile.

"Good." Ben replied as he tapped at his combadge. "Ares, four to beam up."

"I'll be back for you." Odo said to Bahrat. "I'll show you how to really run a station." he said as the transporters beam swept them away.

Slave Processing Camp

A seven foot tall reptile stood over Seven and smiled as he placed a device around her neck and a metal device over her Borg arm and wrist.. When the reptile activated it, she leapt up in pain.

"You are now the property of the Tikiguania Order." the reptilian slaver told her with a hiss in his voice. "Break the rules, and you will suffer. Follow the rules, and you will suffer less. Take her."

With that said two reptiles stepped forward and grabbed Seven around the arms and she was thrown into one of a number of cages filled with people of assorted races. As she looked around she saw Neelix cowering in a corner.

"Neelix." Seven said as the Talaxian looked up and saw her. Finally looking at his face she figured out why he was cowering in a corner. The Tikiguania looked to have done a number on him because of his bloody lips and bruised right eye.

"Seven!" Neelix shouted as he stood to his feet.

"Are you all right?"

"I might look a little worse for wear but I'm fine." Neelix replied cheerfully with a smile. Looking closer, Seven also saw that he was missing a few teeth. "This thing hurts though." he said as he touched the collar around his neck.

"Don't touch it." Seven cautioned. "I will require some time to examine it but from the torture devices that I remembered other species using that looked similar the results of removing it could be... disastrous."

"Thanks for the warning." Neelix replied with a gulp. "Where are we?"

"I do not have any information on this species but from what I was told we are in a Tikiguania Order slave market."

"A slave market?" Neelix asked as he started to pace. "Seven I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"You had no way of knowing what was going to happen." Seven assured him as she took a look around. "From what I can tell we're being processed for auction."

"I just don't believe this." Neelix said as he sank back down to the floor. "I've read every data padd of every protocol for away missions. I thought I was prepared, that I knew what to expect. Boy, was I wrong. Me and my damn gut instinct."

"If you wish, when my father comes for us perhaps I can help you go over those protocols." Seven told him. "Then I'll show you everything that I think is flawed with it."

"I'd like that." Neelix said as he started to perk up a bit. "I'd like that a lot." as he said that the giant slaver came into the cell and started to haul Seven away. "Leave her alone!"

"Neelix, don't!" Seven warned as the Giant sneered and pressed a button on his arm that gave the Talaxian a punishment zap, that sent him convulsing to the floor.

With a laugh the Giant took Seven up to an auction block, where he effortlessly lifted her up to let the buyers have a better look. As the bidding started, electronically, Seven looked out into the crowd and saw many species she'd never seen before.

"You should do well Sisko." the Giant said over to Seven as the auctioneer started to go on and on about her price. "You should sell high and be used as a sex drone."

"You know who I am?" Seven asked in confusion.

"Everyone in this sector knows who you, your father, and the infamous USS Ares is." Giant told her. "Why do you think we knew what device to put on your wrist to stop you from using your assimilation tubes? After what the Borg have done in the Delta Quadrant you'll be lucky to be used as a sex slave. Believe me there's more than a couple of species here that have grievances with them." he told her as he looked up to the electronic counter. "You're doing well." he said as the bidding finally ended, making him rejoice at the amount she had been bought for. "Three million Kizeti! Not even my sister sold for that much."

Picking her up with one hand, he took her off of the auction block and into the main market as Marlak and her alien purchaser came over to her. With a nod to the slave master he walked off into the crowd.

"You're a Borg drone?" her human looking purchaser asked. He was a sickly looking black man but Seven could see a dark fire burning in his eyes.

"Yes." she answered with a lack of anything else to say.

"You're much more attractive than the average drone." the old man replied as he looked at her up and down.

"I am no longer part of the Collective."

"Good for you." the man said as he looked as if he were reconsidering something. "My name is Terkim and I bet you're wondering why I bought you?" as Seven just stared at him, he continued. "I am an El-Aurian and in 2265 your people destroyed my home world."

"And you've waited until this long to seek your revenge?" Seven asked curiously.

"Believe me, I've wanted to seek my revenge many times." Terkim said as he started to cough. As he moved his hand away, Seven saw a string of blood coming out of his mouth. "I had a few others that managed to escape El-Auria with me but they left to seek new lives on other planets. We were plotting a way to hurt the Borg but they gave up. I've been traveling for a long time and I'm old now and it's time for me too rest. But before I do I just want the Borg to feel pain, even if it's just one of you." he said as he reached up and gently stroked the bottom of her chin. "Your eyes are bright with wonder like my favorite niece Guinan used to be. Because of what your people have done, I don't know if she's dead or alive. I wanted you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry but for the next few days, before I take my last breath, I'm going to torture you."

"I don't think so." a voice said from behind him as they stuck a phaser under Terkim's neck. Looking behind him, Seven saw her father, Odo, the MACO team, and Chakotay, who had a phaser trained on her buyer.

"Chakotay?" Seven asked as she felt her restraint switch off. Taking it off her neck, she slapped the slaver across the head with it, knocking him out. As Neelix and the other slaves saw her take her collar off they followed suit and made a break for it.

"Dax, start beaming these people out of here, five at a time." Ben ordered as he slapped his combadge, still training his phaser at the slavers that tried to approach him and his crew. Giving Odo a nod, the shape-shifter started to round up the slaves in a certain spot to be beamed up as the MACO team joined Ben in keeping the slavers back.

Suddenly Giant came up behind Seven and squeezed her neck with his shovel sized hand. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"With me!" Sisko shouted as he sprinted forward and kicked the alien in between his legs. With a howl of pain, the Giant toppled over and writhed on the cold hard floor.

"I'm not for sale." Seven replied as Ben handed her his phaser rifle. Gladly accepting it, she trained it on the downed alien.

Turning, Ben saw Terkim coughing up bits of blood on the floor as the old man sank down to his knees. "I should leave you here to die." Ben told him darkly.

"Father we can't leave him." Seven said to her angry father.

"But..."

"Father, please."

Hearing the pleas of mercy in his daughter's voice, Ben reconsidered. "Sisko to Ares." Ben said as he slapped at his combadge again. "Beam us up."

The Ares

Ready Room

Ben angrily paced around the room with his hands behind his back as he regarded Neelix, who was watching him nervously with his one good eye. Looking over at Kira, she just nodded her head passively.

"I've talked to Seven and she informed me that you don't know anything more about this region of space." Sisko started. "Do you care to explain to me why you lied?"

"Sir, I... I just didn't want to disappoint you." was all Neelix could say.

"You disappointed me the moment you decided to cover up that you didn't know about this part of space." Ben countered. "You and Seven could have been killed."

"I... I'm sorry sir."

"Luckily for you, your friend Wixaban told us where we could locate you."

"Wix... Wixaban is here?" Neelix asked in surprise.

"Let's not change the subject." Ben said as he slapped his hand on the Ready room table. "You're also lucky that once we searched the Tikiguania slave database we also found a map of the Nekrit Expanse. I'm going to be perfectly honest with you Neelix. You're not only a member of my crew but you're also a member of a family. If you lie to me again..."

"It won't happen again, Captain." Neelix assured him.

"Good." Ben replied as he sat down in his chair. "Now get to Sickbay and get yourself cleaned up. Then I'd like you to go to the Transporter room and escort Mr. Wixaban off of my ship."

"Yes, sir." Neelix said, happy that he still had a home, as he stood to his feet and walked towards the door. As they opened, he saw Kes and Ensign Daws standing in front of him.

"Oh, Neelix you look terrible." Kes said as she reached up to caress his face. Flinching away from her touch, he mumbled a "I'm fine" before looking to Andrea, who was smiling at him.

"You mind if I walk you to Sickbay?" Andrea asked, making Neelix smile himself.

"I'm happy to see that someone cares about me around here." Neelix replied pointedly as he wrapped the young woman's arm around his and started to walk away. Looking at them sadly, Kes decided to go to her room.


"You know, I'm seriously considering banning away missions." Ben said as Kira sat down in his lap. "Have you noticed that every time we go on one something goes wrong?"

"You know we need supplies."

"There is one thing I like about away missions though." Ben replied as he gave it some thought.

"What's that?" Kira asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It makes me frisky." he replied as his hands started to roam her body.

Dax's Quarters

"Harumph, that damn Bahrat couldn't run a station if his life depended on it." Odo was saying as Dax slipped into the other room. "If I was there..."

"Let's not talk about work right now." Dax said as she walked into the dimly lit room wearing a body hugging black teddy. "Let's... just let our bodies talk for awhile."

"As you wish, Commander." Odo replied with a wide smile.

Sickbay

"For a moment there, I thought I had lost you." Chakotay said as he gave Seven a big bear hug. "I talked to Ben and he agrees that we should stop doing away missions."

"I doubt my father would seriously consider doing that." Seven replied.

"It was just a little joke." Chakotay chuckled.

"Yes very little." Seven replied as they both smiled.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Chakotay asked, suddenly turning serious.

"The Borg destroyed everything Terkim was." Seven told her boyfriend as she clutched her data padd a little tighter. "This is the least that I can do for him."

"I'll be in my room if you want to talk." Chakotay replied as he reached out and squeezed her hand. Breaking their brief touch, he suddenly walked off. Watching him leave, Seven turned around and walked into the main Sickbay area and saw Dr. Erin standing over her patient.

"How is he doctor?" Seven asked as Erin turned and looked at her sadly.

"He won't make it through the night." the hologram replied. "I'll leave you two alone to talk." she said as she walked into her office.

"So have you come to watch me die, drone?" Terkim asked as Seven walked over to his bio-bed.

"Yes." Seven replied honestly. "But not for malicious reasons. I thought that you could use some company before you move on to your species after life."

"How considerate." Terkim whizzed out. "Well pull up a seat then and watch the old man die."

Finding a stool, Seven pulled it up to the bio-bed and sat down beside him.

"I... found this in the ships database." Seven said as she handed him the padd she was holding. As he saw the face of someone he hadn't seen in over a hundred and thirty years he almost broke out in tears. "I remembered the name Guinan and I looked her name up in the ships database. She is serving on the USS Enterprise as it's host and bartender."

"Forever being a listener." Terkim mumbled to himself as he looked up at the beautiful blonde. "I don't understand. I told you that I was trying to torture and then kill you. Why are you being nice to me?"

"I know that I can never correct the injustice that was done to you or your people." Seven said as she started to choke up. "But I wanted to make sure that on the journey you are about to take, that you were happy, even if it was just for a second."

"You're also asking for forgiveness and I'm going to give it to you." Terkim said as he reached out and grabbed Seven by the hand and gave it a squeeze. "Monsters don't cry and I see that you can't hold in your tears that much longer." he said as Seven wiped at her eyes. "I do have a strange request..."

"I'll do anything." Seven said, cutting him off.

"Will you pretend to be my niece?" he asked. "I.. I'll never see her again now and I want her name to be the last word that comes from these lips."

"I do not mind." Seven replied as he squeezed her hand again.

With that said the two of them sat for hours and talked about life, love, and what lied ahead on both of the journey's they were about to take. After six hours of talking and laughing, Guinan and Terkim's conversation was over. With tears staining her eyes, Seven reached over and closed his eyes. Terkim was finally free.

A/N I've been sent some pm's and I'll respond to them later. Please review...