PART II

Chapter 6

Chakotay and Kathryn sat on the floor with their backs against the bed sideboards, Kathryn half-leaning against Chakotay's side, empty plates scattered all around them. When his stomach had growled earlier, disrupting their quiet torpor and sparking a round of quiet laughter and playful kisses, they'd tossed on some clothes before Chakotay had reheated their forgotten meal and brought it to the bedroom. They'd settled to eat on the floor.

They barely said one word as they ate. It was rather unusual for them to be so quiet, and that silence felt strangely solemn to Chakotay. As if the horrors and anxiety of the day continued to haunt their thoughts. Or perhaps it was the emotional intensity of their lovemaking that still permeated the air between them. Wild and desperate, their coming together had been at once poignant and exhilarating, driven by a ferocious need to feel alive and to reassure themselves that the other was alive, too. A far cry from their more typical playfulness, tenderness or unhurried explorations.

Chakotay was reluctant to disrupt the quiet, yet he found himself eager to lighten the mood and shake the heaviness. So he spoke, quietly. "When I stopped by the Wildmans' earlier, it struck me, how fast Naomi is growing up. She's no longer a little child, is she?"

Kathryn chuckled softly as she pushed her empty plate to the side and bit into a grape. "Don't remind me – to think that she was born on Voyager... But it is rather heartwarming to see what a kind and happy person she's becoming."

Chakotay nodded. "She was great with Emani." The girl had been reluctant to leave him at first, but Chakotay had reassured her that he would still be there, just a couple of floors away. And then Naomi had gently stepped up to her and introduced herself, inviting her to play. Emani had assessed her with a square look for a few seconds, but then she'd grinned excitedly and taken Naomi's proffered hand. They'd run off together to play, and Ensign Wildman had given him a reassuring smile.

"Are you ever going to tell me about her? Emani?" Kathryn asked innocently, but her blatant curiosity brought a smile to his lips. From her tone it was obvious that she'd been curious about her but had been reluctant to pry. His smile faded as he remembered the circumstances that had led him to take Emani under his wing – how distressed and scared she had been when he'd found her in that room with Travid. "She was so brave," Chakotay added quietly once he was done telling her everything that had happened, his voice sounding hoarse to his own ears, as if he'd inhaled too much dust and smoke throughout the day. "Her whole world had just fallen apart around her, but she just… kept going. Trusting me to make sure that nothing would happen to her."

"She has good instincts, to have put that trust in you. She couldn't have found a more reliable or thoughtful protector."

Chakotay's lips curved slightly at her compliment and he reached around her to squeeze her shoulder and tuck her a little into his side. "Careful, you're showing your bias there, Admiral," he said as he brought her closer so he could kiss her temple.

"Oh no," she laughed quietly, "I speak from first-hand experience." She sobered and placed a comforting hand on his knee. "But he way you took care of Emani – that's a tremendous responsibility to bear. Then again, I suppose that's what parenthood is all about."

Just the thought was exhausting. Chakotay scoffed jokingly, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "What a relief that it was only for a day, then," he replied, chuckling wryly. "More?" He asked with a gesture at their plates as he stood to his feet, gathering dishes on the way.

He didn't look at her so he failed to register the stunned, knocked over look that crossed her face at his comment, or the way her eyes had snapped to his face.

"No thanks," she replied belatedly as she stood to help with the dishes too, dropping them on the counter before she disappeared in the bathroom. When she got out some time later she was fully dressed again, her hair no longer tousled but carefully styled, and sliding her arms into her uniform jacket. Her lips were drawn into a tight line, and her brows creased as she tugged on her cuffs.

"Where are you going?" Chakotay asked in genuine surprise.

"I have work to do."

"Right now? It's past one in the morning."

"When has that ever stopped me?" She drawled, one corner of her mouth curling wryly, but at his unfazed expression she shook her head. "I'm not tired."

Chakotay's lips curled into a sly smile. "Then we did something wrong earlier."

She smirked as she tugged on her shoes, giving him an arch look through her eyelashes. "Oh I beg to differ." But still, despite that quip, despite the flush that spread over her cheeks at the memory, there was something serious, distracted, about her that hadn't been there before. She shrugged when she felt his steady, studying stare on her. "I suppose I'm still on San Francisco time." She made her way to him, resting her hands at his waist and planting a kiss on his shoulder blade. "You go on to bed, we'll clean up tomorrow," she told him with a glance at the dishes.

Chakotay nodded absent-mindedly as he watched her go over his shoulder, frowning. He couldn't remember them ever sleeping apart since they got together, save from the times when they were actually apart because of their travels, and it struck him as…significant. He didn't want to read too much into it in case it meant nothing – after all, the day had been stressful for both of them and he could understand if she felt restless, but… He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd missed something.

Something important.

Or maybe he was just imagining things, and she really was just jetlagged.

oooOooo

Kathryn made her way to the mess hall completely oblivious to her surroundings, on full autopilot, her gaze directed to the carpeted floor. Chakotay's words kept playing over and over in her mind, like a song stuck in her head.

What a relief that it was only for a day, then.

Normally, she would have replied to his quip with a witty reply of her own, something sarcastic to keep the banter going. But not tonight. Not about this. Because unexpectedly, his statement had struck her to the core, bringing with it a powerful realization: up until that very moment, Kathryn had never realized just how much she wanted to have a family with him. Children… the thought was overwhelming, and yet…

Over the last year, she'd discovered whole new sides of Chakotay that she had ever only glimpsed as his captain; the romantic lover, the obstinate arguer, even the "charming boyfriend" when she'd taken him to meet her sister and mother (she'd teased him about it mercilessly afterwards)… Yet, there was one side of him that had come as even more of a surprise: that fatherly side that she got a glimpse of when he was with Miral, and more recently, with Emani too. Witnessing it had always sparked something in her, some unnamed tender longing. But his words tonight had made her face up to what, exactly, that longing was. They had never discussed it, having kids, and though the thought had crossed her mind before, it was usually in passing, always somehow relegated to something to discuss tomorrow, or the day after, or whenever things settled. But of course things never really settled in their busy life.

But his words… what if he had been serious? He'd chuckled wryly as he'd uttered them, and yet she couldn't assume that he had been joking, not about something so important as children. After all he wasn't the kind of man who professed a particular affinity with kids in general, and Chakotay usually meant what he said, at least on some level.

What a relief that it was only for a day, then. As he'd said the words Kathryn had become aware of a sudden, vast chasm being created between them. She hated that sudden tightness in her stomach with a passion, but she couldn't for the life of her shake it off. It was striking, when she had never felt as close to him as she had in his arms, not an hour before – not just physically, but emotionally, soulfully. And they had been on the same page about so many things for so long now that she couldn't remember the last time she had felt such a distance between them; it had probably been back in the Delta Quadrant, when they'd disagreed on the paths or actions to take. She recalled a couple of times in particular when her determination or self-righteousness had taken her too far, creating micro-fractures in the hull of their friendship. But every time this had happened in the past, they had always found their way back across that distance, mending the cracks, but for some reason she drew little comfort from the thought tonight.

Of course she knew, on a rational level, that the only way to settle this would be to talk to him about it, but she didn't trust herself to do it right now, not when she was still reeling from her own epiphany, and what it would mean for them if he had meant it… Which was why she had felt the need to get some perspective away from him first. Putting her head to a work-related problem would help. It usually did. Perhaps this wouldn't feel so big once she let time do its thing.

Which was why she was now headed to the mess hall for some coffee, readying herself to start sorting through the set of documents Tuvok had been able to access from Gianfar. She didn't want to disturb Tuvok now, but Kathryn needed something to distract her, so she'd look at them on her own.

The mess hall was quiet at this time of night, but when she turned around from the replicator, black coffee in hand, she was surprised when her eyes fell on Samantha Wildman sitting at a table with Chakotay's young charge, Emani. Samantha looked like she was barely awake, but Emani was drinking a glass of milk, ankles crossed and legs swinging under her chair, chatting animatedly.

Kathryn found herself smiling curiously as she approached them. Sam straightened when she saw her approach. "Admiral Janeway!"

Emani looked up at her. "Her friends call her Kathryn," she told Samantha rather matter-of-factly.

Ensign Wildman looked like she didn't know how to respond so Kathryn decided to save her. "Some of them call me Admiral, too," she replied as she sat at their table, throwing Ensign Wildman an amused glance. Samantha relaxed. "What are you two doing up so late?" Kathryn asked, taking a sip of her coffee while she studied the girl. Ensign Wildman had given her a bath, and Emani was now squeaky clean (save for a milk mustache) in her pajamas, with her brown hair loosely braided.

"Emani was having bad dreams," Samantha explained as she pushed a rebellious strand of hair behind Emani's ear. "I thought some warm milk and a change of scenery might help." She leaned a little closer to lower her voice. "She asked to see Commander- I mean Chakotay, but I didn't want to bother him in the middle of the night."

Kathryn shook her head dismissively at her concern, but couldn't help but notice how Sam struggled to stifle a yawn. It was also clear from the restless energy emanating from the young girl that there was no sleep in sight for her, so Kathryn redirected her gaze to Samantha. "I'm happy to stay with her, if you'd like to catch some sleep before it's time for your duty shift." Sam started shaking her head, but Kathryn gave her an encouraging nod. "It's okay, really. I wasn't going to sleep any time soon, anyway," she added with a gesture toward her PADDs and her coffee.

"Oh I couldn't…"

Kathryn looked at Emani, resting her chin into her palm. "What do you say? Is it okay for me to stay here with you, so that Sam gets some sleep?"

"Yeah!" Emani nodded before she drank another mouthful of milk, legs still swinging happily.

"Good enough for me," Kathryn declared. "I insist."

Sam hesitated. "If you're sure, Admiral…" She relented and stood to her feet. "Alright, but please if you change your mind..." Kathryn nodded reassuringly, and then the ensign was off.

Kathryn directed her attention to her PADD, but she couldn't help stealing glances at her young companion. There was something charismatic about her. Sure she had beautiful features, but it was more than that. There was a keen light in her eyes, a vivacity that made them sparkle with intelligence and curiosity. The small cowlick on one side of her hairline gave her an energetic, untamable and headstrong look, and so did the dimples in her cheeks when she smiled. Kathryn found herself smiling as she watched her drink her milk, still swinging her legs. Though being here with a child did nothing to ease the gnawing sensation in her stomach lingering from Chakotay's words, it still felt strangely right to get to know this little girl. Or, perhaps… as much as she loved seeing Chakotay with her, perhaps she also envied, just a little, the bond that Chakotay had forged with her. Perhaps she was curious to find out what that was like.

"Kathryn…" Emani started, saying her name slowly, quizzically, making Kathryn smile.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Do you have a cat?"

Kathryn's smile broadened into a grin at the question. Clearly she was still processing the fact that she now knew two different Kathryns, and was still looking for similarities between them. "No. In fact I'm rather partial to dogs myself."

"What are those?"

Kathryn gave a loud gasp and grinned, leaning closer to give her a mischievous look. How could Gianfar not have dogs? "Oh my! You, young lady, are in for a treat. Are you done with your milk?" She asked, handing Emani a napkin for her to wipe her mouth when she nodded. "I have an idea. Come on."

"Where are we going?" As soon as they left the mess hall, Emani started skipping alongside her, as if she saw patterns on the carpet and the game was to avoid them. Kathryn rather envied that bustling amount of energy right about now.

"A room we call the Holodeck."

"And there are dogs there?"

"If we want there to be. It's a place of make-belief, where stories come alive all around us. You'll love it, you'll see." When they got to Holodeck 1, Kathryn thought about a program for a moment, considering the children's stories that Naomi loved, but then she settled for an old favorite of hers – Maestro DaVinci's workshop. She removed the characters and asked the computer to program a quiet, happy and gentle Golden Retriever for Emani to meet instead. The workshop was a quiet environment, so Kathryn would be able to do her reading while Emani got acquainted with the concept of dogs.

It was love at first sight and Kathryn couldn't help but laugh when the dog licked Emani's face and ears, making her giggle. After showing her how to pet the dog properly, she left Emani sitting in front of the roaring fireplace, the dog lying down with its head on her lap while she petted him, spoke to him and examined him from all possible angles. Meanwhile, Kathryn went to sit at the desk to take up her PADDs again. However it quickly became obvious that reading was out of the question for the time being; Emani kept chatting, asking a million questions. Why were dogs' noses wet? Why did they have a slight bump on the top of their skulls? Why didn't they have as much hair under their belly? Why didn't they have scratchy tongues like cats? It went on for a while, but Kathryn had to admit, she found a kind of kindred spirit in the girl's natural curiosity – she remembered feeling that same unsatiable desire to know everything as a child. Kathryn responded patiently to her questions, until more and more time elapsed between them, and eventually Emani fell asleep, lying down with her head on the dog's warm body.

Kathryn smiled in satisfaction and went to wrap Emani in her uniform jacket and placed a cushion under her head. She watched her sleep for a moment. She could see how Chakotay could come to feel so responsible for this child's well-being, even only knowing her for a few hours. She had a trust, an openness, a way or reaching out about her that was very compelling. Kathryn thought back to what Chakotay had told her about Emani's parents. Curious to see if she could dig up more information, Kathryn picked up her PADD again and decided to search the Federation database for any records of other relatives. The colony's administrators had sent them the last census report from Dråkin-Mati, so Kathryn cross-referenced that list as well. She found confirmation that a Kai Logan had died several months before, leaving behind his daughter Emani. His file photo showed a handsome and jovial-looking man with similar coloring as Emani, though Kai's hair was black instead of her lighter brown. There was something that reminded Kathryn of Chakotay about Emani's father. They didn't look alike per se; Kai Logan was younger, of a more slender build and he sported a well-trimmed dark beard, but the skin tone, dark hair and above all, the smiling eyes, reminded her of Chakotay's. Was this why Emani had trusted Chakotay from the get-go? Oh she didn't doubt that Chakotay could have inspired that trust on his own merit, but perhaps that slight resemblance with her father had made Emani instinctively look up to him. Well, whatever the case, Kai Logan had been teaching engineering at Kop University while also being listed as an employee for some agency called FarTech. Kathryn had never heard the name, so she assumed it to be a research center on Gianfar. But there was no mention of other relatives for Emani. She'd have to track down Emani's birth record for more information, then.

Moving on from looking for Emani's parents, Kathryn focused on her task at last. She turned her attention to the colony's census, scanning it for any information or names that might seem relevant to the attack. The colony's census was being updated in real time based on the day's search and rescue tally, so many names had an additional entry that listed either: "Deceased," "Missing," or "Located survivor," as well as additional comments. One entry caught her eye, making her heart give a painful lurch: Kathryn Oikara, 4 years old, deceased. This had to be the friend that Emani had referred to, the one with the cat. The young Katie had been fatally injured during the destructive aftermath of the attack and she had not survived her injuries. Kathryn gasped in shock and covered her mouth with her hand. Oh poor Emani. How would they break the news? Kathryn's heart bled for her, for everything and everyone she had lost. To be only five years old, and to have lost so much… Amid her sorrow for the little Katie and Emani and all those whose life had been stolen or destroyed by the attack, she felt a swell of rage build inside her against whoever had been evil enough to target the settlement. Civilians. Families. Children.

She focused on that rage and let it fuel her determination. She set the census aside and all the feelings that came with it, then she returned to work, more determined than ever to find out who was responsible.

oooOooo

Seven gave up on sleep or any kind of rest after 3 hours and 35 minutes of lying on the small, uncomfortable bunk bed. She was listless, unable to clear her mind the same way as she would in her alcove.

After she and Vorik had completed their analysis of the shields and downloaded the information into their PADDs the evening before, they had intended to return to Voyager, only to find out that the transporters were not yet operational. Commander Torres had informed Vorik that they would need to install pattern enhancers at various location across the colony to enable future use. But that would take some time, so it would have to wait. So Seven and Vorik had taken the pods to Dråkin-Mati to catch a shuttle back to Voyager. Devin had asked if he could accompany them to Dråkin-Mati and Seven had had no objection, so, being more familiar with the settlements, he had led them there.

The pod had dropped them off some distance from the point of impact, so they'd walked the rest of the way. Eventually they'd reached the epicenter and the three of them came to a stunned pause as they took it in. Devin had cursed, and Seven had understood the impulse. At night the sight was eerie, with artificial lights casting strange shadows on the skeletal structures of gutted buildings. Lieutenant Kim had found them unexpectedly.

"What are you doing here?" Lieutenant Kim asked as he jogged up to meet with them.

"Our work has been completed in Kop," Seven replied. "It's time that we return to Voyager. Why are you still here?"

Even to Seven's untrained eye and the semi-darkness around them, his expression turned sheepish. "Well, a couple of reasons, I guess. Captain Peres asked me to keep an eye on Prime Minister Kumara."

"He's alive?" Devin asked, wide-eyed.

Harry nodded, shifting his attention to the third member of their party.

"This is Devin," Seven said. "Where can we find a shuttle to return to Voyager?"

"Actually, I think you may have missed the last one," the lieutenant said with an apologetic expression. "They'll be back tomorrow with more supplies. But I was just on my way to find a spot to sleep for the night, I can show you. The main sleeping quarters have been set up over there."

Seven exhaled, irritated. "I won't be able to regenerate in such an environment."

Kim shrugged. "Feel free to ask around for other shuttles or give the transporters a shot, but if I were you I'd find a nice spot before all the good ones are taken, and bunker down for the night."

Seven sighed through her nose. "Very well. Lead the way, Lieutenant." As they started walking, Seven glanced at him. "And the second reason?"

"What?"

"You said you were here for two reasons. You only mentioned one."

"Oh," he lifted his hand to rub his neck uncomfortably. "It's not important." At Seven's insistent gaze he sighed in resignation and looked furtively around. "Fine! I met a girl, alright?" He blurted in a whisper.

Seven merely raised an eyebrow. Here? In the aftermath of a disaster?

He obviously noticed her expression. "Hey, it's not like I did it on purpose! It just… happened. Anyway, we got separated earlier. Hopefully I'll run into her again – there's something about her... If you hear something about a 'Lara,' let me know!"

Seven frowned. "I will not indulge your romantic impulses. The last time you were incapacitated for months." Harry gave her a look.

"Lara Urial? Yeah, I know Lara," Devin said unexpectedly, and Harry's head whipped around to the young man eagerly.

"You do?"

"We're both in the same graduate program. We have the same classes and professors. She came to help?"

Harry nodded. "How well do you know her?"

Devin frowned. "Not well. We haven't exactly been running in the same circles lately."

By then they had reached the makeshift sleeping quarters, and, finding this conversation irrelevant to her own predicaments, Seven had left them to it with a parting nod. As she had made her way through the rows looking for an unoccupied room, she felt the stare of the residents who were still awake prickle the back of her neck as she passed the rows of cubicles separated only by thin curtains, the sound of their frightened whispers just barely reaching her ears. Seven caught the word 'Borg' a few times, but had ignored them or the fear – sometimes touched with awe, sometimes with disdain – in their demeanors. Finding a suitable area, she'd sat down on the bunk bed, and closed the curtains.

But all through the hours of the night, she had been unable to rid herself of the unease brought on by the whispers and distrustful looks that had followed her earlier. Her subconscious mind kept showing her memories from the crowd in the square, the accusation in that young woman's face as she had taken hold of her elbow. So her senses remained on high alert even as she tried to relax, startling her every time she heard someone walk by her curtains, or whisper in hushed tones nearby. She had never realized until then how at ease she felt on Voyager.

So eventually she gave up the futile attempt at rest and rose in order to search for the facilities that would allow her to go through her morning hygienic rituals. When she stepped outside the shelter, there were still dozens of responders and volunteers searching through the debris, and by the weary looks of them, they had been at it all night. She made her way to the main relief shelter, in search of sustenance. She was still determined to return to Voyager as soon as possible, but until shuttles actually returned, or the transporters were enabled, Seven decided she would make herself useful on the surface.

Bringing her tray with select food items with her, she sat at an empty table. The dining area was deserted at this time and Seven found herself appreciating the peace. It occurred to her that, only a few years ago, this kind of silence would have unsettled her. But after the continuous mayhem of the previous day, she found peace in it.

"Hello. May I sit here?"

Seven looked up from her breakfast to find a young woman with a tray of her own waiting for her approval. Seven looked around – the other tables were still empty. She opened her mouth to reply that she would rather be alone, but before she could utter a sound, the young woman slid into the seat across from her with a smile. Her energetic disposition seemed to clash with the quiet of this early hour, Seven's mood, and the devastation outside the shelter.

"You must be the friend that Harry told me about. Hi, I'm Lara," the intruder said as she extended her hand over the table.

Frowning and still slightly irritated at being disturbed, Seven shook her hand nonetheless. "You may call me Seven."

So this was the individual that had caught Lieutenant Kim's eye the day before… Seven opened her mouth to reiterate that she was not in the mood for company, but, once again, Lara beat her to it. "I couldn't help but notice the Borg implants, which is how I recognized you. Harry said he worked with someone who used to be a Borg. Forgive me for asking, but, do they hurt?"

Seven raised an eyebrow, surprised at the bluntness of the question. Her friends on Voyager were usually more… tactful. "No."

"Ah. That's good!" Lara smiled. "Did you come here to help with the search and rescue too? I thought most of the Voyager crew had returned to their ship."

Seven sighed as she resigned herself to give up on solitude and returned to her meal. "Yes. Well, apparently some of us missed the last shuttle last night. You will no doubt be happy to learn that Harry Kim was among them," Seven added.

Lara's lips twitched as she nodded. "He is very nice." She frowned in a playful way. "There's got to be a catch! What is he like?"

Seven glanced at her. "If you are looking for information about Lieutenant Kim's character or specific romantic qualities, I'm not the right person to ask. I can, however, tell you that he is not deceitful. He's a competent officer, well-liked by the crew."

Lara frowned in amusement at Seven's clinical description. "Oh. Good. I suppose." She paused for a moment as she chewed on her bread. "So how long is Voyager going to be in orbit?"

Seven raised an eyebrow at this, uncertain what to make of the question. The phrasing struck her as odd, but perhaps this was an indirect way of asking how long Lieutenant Kim would be in the area. And if that were the case, Seven was in no mood to indulge anymore of this small talk. "I don't have that information. Now, if you don't mind, I would rather eat in silence."

Lara recoiled in surprise, her smile fading. "Oh. Of course. I'm sorry."

They were distracted from their (now quiet) meal when Lieutenant Kim, Ensign Vorik and Devin entered the shelter, looking as though they, too, had gotten but little rest – in fact they seemed to be arguing about someone snoring. Nevertheless, Lieutenant Kim smiled when he spotted Seven and Lara. After some basic greetings, they sat down to eat their breakfast with them. Seven couldn't help from noticing how tense Lara and Devin became as Devin took his eat and they glanced at each other. It only lasted for a moment, and then Devin looked away, jaw muscles clenched.

"Devin was just telling us," Lieutenant Kim started telling Seven (though his gaze and smiles were more often than not directed at Lara, clearly he was oblivious to what Seven had just witnessed), "Vorik and I were discussing yesterday's explosion, and speculating…"

Vorik looked mildly insulted. "I do not engage in speculation, Lieutenant, but in logical debate."

"Of course, that's what I meant. Anyway. Devin told us of something that happened last year – an explosion that destroyed an entire lab at an agency called FarTech in Jenit, killing one of the engineers."

"Why is this relevant?" Seven frowned, but she couldn't help but glance at Lara when the young woman stiffened at the mention of the explosion.

Lieutenant Kim shrugged. "Apparently it razed the lab in a similar way to what happened yesterday. It might be worth investigating."

Seven nodded as she considered. "Perhaps. You must forward your insight to Captain Peres and Admiral Janeway. Commander Torres is working on identifying the weapon's signature as we speak. This explosion might provide a useful comparative baseline."

Harry nodded, then redirected his gaze to Lara. "Did you know about that accident, Lara?"

The young woman nodded, wiping her mouth with her napkin. "Of course I did. The engineer who died was one of our professors," she added with a nod to Devin. "It was terrible."

Devin snorted, his eyes riveted to his plate, even while four pairs of eyes snapped in his direction at the sound. "I don't recall you shedding a tear for Professor Logan, Lara."

"Oh and you did, perhaps?" She countered.

The tension suddenly increased as Seven watched the interaction between the two students. "As a matter of fact, he was like a mentor to me!" Devin said through gritted teeth.

Lara opened her mouth to counter, eyes flashing, but Lieutenant Kim intervened, looking perplexed by the acerbic tones between the two. "Hey! No need to get all worked up. I didn't mean to dig up old wounds. Let's… talk about something else."

"Actually," Lara replied as she stood to her feet, her brows still furrowed together and her lips drawn into a line. "I have to go. I'll see you later."

They watched her go in surprise, then Harry turned to glare at Devin, as if to say 'what did you do that for?'

Devin shrugged, but he still appeared upset by the conversation, frowning into his plate as he stabbed at his food with his fork. "Hey I told you we don't socialize. There's why."

Harry stood to his feet. "I better go check up on her. I'll catch you all later."

Seven exchanged a glance with Vorik, the only other person at this table who had no stake in the emotional tension around them. "Well, I believe it falls on us to tell the captain about the FarTech explosion, then," Vorik suggested wryly.

Seven arched an eyebrow. "Apparently." She turned to Devin. "But first, you must tell us what you know – and why you think this may be worth investigating now."

oooOooo