Chapter 8
When the door to the briefing room slid open, Kathryn found herself stepping right into the middle of a heated argument – if not seconds away from an outright altercation – between the Maradib Preceptors and the Gianfarian representatives. Delegates on both sides were up on their feet and shouting over one another, leaning threateningly over the table. Tibeya and the two security officers had placed themselves strategically to intercept actual blows, extending their arms as if to keep them apart.
When they spotted Kathryn, the Maradib Preceptors turned their anger on her. "Admiral, this is unacceptable! We refuse to remain here and be insulted by our so-called allies. We will leave this instant, and we demand that High Councilor Lyat'ib be returned to Maradibaya at once!"
Kathryn blinked, steeling herself. "The Councilor is free to return to Maradibaya whenever he chooses, and so are you." She raised her hands in a pacifying way. "But may I at least ask what happened? Tibeya?"
Tibeya stiffened and threw a quick, sideway glance at the Preceptors before returning a pleading gaze to Kathryn, her lips tightly sealed, her black eyes wide. Kathryn recognized her mistake at once; asking Tibeya, a low-status Maradib, to speak up against high-status individuals was highly inappropriate in the eyes of the Preceptors. She rubbed her forehead in annoyance – she'd been through this often enough by now that she really have known better.
"We have wasted enough of our time here!" The Maradib Preceptor exclaimed, further insulted by her cultural mishap. "We, the Preceptors of Maradibaya, agree that there is no sense in pursuing this… alliance. Not when there can be no trust or respect. We thank you, personally, for your diplomatic efforts, Admiral, but we must take our leave."
Kathryn's thoughts raced. How could this have unraveled so quickly? And could she do anything to stop it? With a sigh, she realized that it wasn't actually her job. From the get-go, this project had been Kumara's and Lya'ib's, not hers or Starfleet's. Her job was that of a mediator, since Starfleet had no stake in this particular trade alliance, but she felt emotionally invested now, after spending so much time bringing these two peoples closer. However if the two societies wanted to put an end to it, she had to resign herself to that. Well, at least for now – Kathryn wasn't very good at giving up. But she did have other, more pressing fish to fry, such as discovering who had attacked the colony and ensuring everyone's safety moving forward.
So she returned her attention back to the Preceptors. "You want to leave? Fine. But may I at least suggest that we provide you with an escort to Maradibaya? If High Councilor Lyat'ib was the intended target of this attack, then it might be best to offer some extra protection in case-"
"This will not be necessary!" Another Preceptor cut her off. "We are quite able to defend ourselves. Good day." And on that the four Preceptors stormed off, chins held high, one of them throwing Tibeya a disdainful glance as he walked past her. Kathryn met Tibeya's stunned and apologetic expression with one of her own.
"I am sorry that it came to this," Lin Fasu of Dråkin-Mati told Kathryn. "But perhaps it might be best to cancel the summit altogether at this point. Besides, I'm eager to return to my people. They need me."
This brought Kathryn's attention back to the Gianfarians deputies. "Of course I understand, but…What the hell happened?" Kathryn asked, leaning her hands on the table as she met the gazes of each of the representatives. Fasu looked guilty, Bakar looked bored and Einbach looked affronted.
"We've learned that the weapon that attacked us bore a Maradib signature," Jaidan Bakar said off-handedly, "we won't pursue an alliance with a people bent on destroying us."
Kathryn's frown deepened. How the hell had they found out about this? Before Kathryn could open her mouth to say that the presence of the Maradib molecule didn't automatically mean that the weapon was of Maradib origin (though it was definitely worth investigating), Peter Einbach beat her to it.
"We will return home now, Admiral," he told her rather haughtily. "We have more pressing matters to attend to than indulge the fragile egos of the Maradib." And on that the three of them filed out of the briefing room. Only Fasu gave Kathryn an apologetic look as she passed by.
With a sigh, Kathryn looked at the only Maradib left in the room. "Tibeya, have you checked on Lyat'ib's status this morning? How is he? Will he be okay if the Preceptors take him back to Maradibaya now? Is he well enough to be moved?"
Tibeya nodded. "I believe so. His condition is improving, but he was still unresponsive – unconscious earlier. The nurse said it was likely a temporary condition and that it was only a matter of time before he recovered consciousness. But I was unable to speak to him directly."
Kathryn closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Seriously, she'd only been away for a few minutes…! She was just about to apologize to Tibeya for putting her in such an uncomfortable position when the door opened and Chakotay strode in, eyebrows raised.
"I just saw the delegates storm off. I take it they went from threatening to pull each other's hair to actually doing it?"
"Something like that," Kathryn sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly. She straightened as she inhaled. "I was hoping to speak with Lyat'ib myself today, but with the Preceptors taking him back to Maradibaya, that's not going to be possible. I'd like you – the both of you – to go after them and make sure that Lyat'ib stays safe. He's in a rather vulnerable position right now and I don't like it. I hate to ask, but…" She couldn't see any other way to get answers from the Maradib and protect Lyat'ib at the same time.
Tibeya frowned. "But the Preceptors-"
"Refused the offer of an escort, I know," Kathryn finished for her. "So you'll have to be discreet. Are you comfortable with this, Tibeya?" Kathryn asked, lending some weight to her words, making sure that the young Maradib understood what she was asking.
Tibeya considered it for a moment before she nodded, slowly, her eyes wide.
"Good. While you're there, I have a couple of errands for you two to run on my behalf."
"Whatever you need," Chakotay replied without hesitation, resting his hands on the back of the chair in front of him, despite the fact that she no longer had any authority over him.
Kathryn smiled gratefully. It felt so good to have him here, in this room, by her side again. "First, as soon as Lyat'ib is well enough, I'd like you to speak to him on my behalf. Let him know that the alliance is hanging by a thread, and that we need him back – that is if he even still wishes to pursue it. I'm not going to force anyone's hand – if the Maradib and the Gianfarians want to call it quits, fine by me. But at this point it hangs on the two leaders. Right now I'm more concerned with finding out who did this. So I'd like you to ask Lyat'ib if he has any idea who could be behind this attack, and whether the Maradib usually use Kiradil in a way that would match the weapon's signature we detected after the attack."
Tibeya's eyes widened. "The Gianfarians were speaking the truth about the discovery of Kiradil in the weapon's signature?"
Kathryn nodded. "I'm afraid so."
Tibeya nodded, but her brows were deeply furrowed together.
Kathryn went on, returning her attention to Chakotay. "In line with that, I'd like you to learn whatever you can about the status of the Restorationists, or of any other Maradib political factions that are opposed to the summit. We're looking for anyone who might be invested enough in ending this alliance to send secret infiltrators or agents to Gianfar to sabotage the force field ahead of the attack."
It was Chakotay's turn to frown – apparently he hadn't been aware of that part. Kathryn beat him to it. "Seven found evidence of tempering. That's why the force fields had been malfunctioning recently."
His frown deepened but he nodded. "Anything else?"
"Yes: be careful. And stay in contact, please."
They both nodded, then Chakotay glanced at Tibeya. "I'll meet you in the shuttle bay in a few minutes."
After Tibeya left, Kathryn found Chakotay's gaze again. They shared a sigh and a long look, silently acknowledging how quickly things had gone downhill, as well as their disappointment that their long-awaited quiet time together would once again need to be postponed until he got back – and in all likelihood, until all this was over.
"Are you really okay with this?" Kathryn asked with sudden uncertainty. Because she didn't want him to feel like he had to go because she'd told him too. This wasn't who they were anymore – though admittedly this was a mold that was sometimes hard to break out of and she'd had to work hard on that over the last year.
His gaze softened, because of course he could read her like a book. "Of course. Maradibaya's nice this time of year," he added with a crooked smile.
"I admit," Kathryn started in a softer voice, "after what happened while you were in Dråkin-Mati yesterday the last thing I want is let you out of my sight." Because that fear still lingered, somewhere inside her, and she had to use all the strength she had not to listen to it. "But there's no one I trust more than you with this."
He responded with a soft , understanding smile. "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. With Tibeya with me, I'll be about as safe as it gets. And then when this is all over we'll have our vacation."
Kathryn smiled at the thought, the warmth and the promise in his eyes. Out of nowhere, his words from the night before sprang into her mind, unbidden, and Kathryn blinked and looked away, breaking the moment.
"Okay. What is it?" Chakotay said with a frustrated exhale.
Kathryn's eyes shot back to him. "What?"
He was frowning, his jaw muscles flexing in frustration. "Kathryn…You all but walked out on me last night… and you didn't come back. I hate to read anything into it in case it doesn't mean anything, but I hope you'd tell me if there was something on your mind. Especially if it was something I did." He inhaled, squaring his shoulders as he did, his brows knitting together in concern, suddenly looking uncharacteristically unsure of himself. His voice was much lower when he spoke again. "I know our lovemaking was a little… I don't know, rougher than usual last night, so if I got carried away and-"
Oh Chakotay… Kathryn was quick to shake her head, though her cheeks burned at both the memory and the bluntness of his words. She immediately stepped up to him and reached out to squeeze his hand, hard. Rough was entirely the wrong word. Because what she remembered was how intense and passionate and uninhibited it had been. And a sense of … wonder. And love. Deep, unadulterated love. "No," she said resolutely. "You know I was right there with you every step of the way, last night." Oh yes, he remembered now too, she could tell from that sudden gleam in his dark eyes. It was enough to make her toes curl a spread the flush from her cheeks to her neck. "In fact," Kathryn went on in an even lower voice, pushing through the slight discomfort that tightened her throat at revealing some of her vulnerabilities, "what would you say if I told you I'd never let go like that with anyone before?" She admitted with a dismissive chuckle, as if to make light of it. There wasn't much that made Kathryn feel vulnerable, especially around him, this man who always made her feel safe and cared for, but admitting that was definitely one of those things. Kathryn Janeway liked to be in control in all aspects of her life, and so to lose herself in him so completely – and have him find her over and over again… It had been exhilarating. Powerful. Significant. But of course he knew that about her too, and so when he replied he was fully serious, his gaze holding hers.
"I'd say… that I'm humbled and touched, that you trust me enough for that. And…" He let out a quiet sigh. "That I'd never quite let go like that either."
They shared another long look, until Kathryn broke it, her hand coming to his chest. "But… you're right. I didn't mean to walk out on you last night, but there has been something on my mind. Something I think we need to talk about."
He nodded slowly, as if he was waiting for her to say more. When she didn't he let out a disbelieving snort. "That's it? You won't even throw me a bone?"
She smiled. "It can wait until you get back," she said instead, patting his chest. This was too big a topic to start now.
"Fine." He nodded again squeezing her hand one last time, though he looked far from satisfied with her answer. "Alright, I really should go – I need to tell Emani I'll be gone for a while. I feel bad leaving her, but I can't really take her with me to Maradibaya, can I? I suppose I could take her back to Travid on the way, though."
Kathryn shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I can take care of her while you're away. With the summit off the table for now, I'm not so tied up as I was expecting." She gave a crooked smile. "I've commanded a starship of over a hundred people for seven years – I should be fine with a five-year-old girl for a night or two, right?"
Chakotay looked pleased that she offered. After a beat he smiled in amusement, nodding with eyes narrowed playfully. "I think I can convince her that you're okay."
Kathryn blinked in mock indignation. "Just okay?"
His lips twitched and his eyes seemed to dance. "Now you're just fishing for a compliment."
The door opened before them just as a quiet chuckle escaped her, and it felt good, after that rush of anger toward the delegates earlier, and worry and guilt about Emani, and the whole turmoil about the idea of families and children and parenthood. However rather than stepping through Chakotay kept watching her, as if he couldn't quite get himself to move.
"Go," she told him with a move of the head. "Tibeya will be wondering what's taking you so long."
He sighed. "Right. I'll contact you as soon as we touch down in Kirali."
"Be careful. Oh – one more thing." At the last moment she caught his arm to pull him back to her. "Yesterday I forgot to kiss you goodbye before you left – I'm not making that mistake ever again." She cupped his chin and brought him closer so she could press her mouth to his. He returned her kiss immediately, his hands gently tangling in her hair.
It's only when they pulled apart that Kathryn realized the door to the bridge was still wide open, and that the usual sound of voices and commands had fallen suspiciously quiet. Chakotay seemed to come to the same conclusion and together they looked out toward the bridge. The officers there seemed to spur into motion but it was clear that they had been gaping half a second before. Most of them were staring all too intently down at their consoles or trying not to smile not to be obvious.
"Eyes up front crewmen!" Peres's first officer, Commander Abimbola, ordered, trying to bite back a smirk of his own from where he stood by the helm.
Grins widened around the bridge and Kathryn shared a sheepish – but not entirely sorry – smile with Chakotay before he cleared his throat, tugged on his shirt, and then with one last look at her turned to leave. As for Kathryn, she had to bite her inner cheek to keep herself from smirking as she stepped onto the bridge.
oooOooo
As soon as the first Voyager shuttle touched down on Dråkin-Mati, Seven commandeered it so that she could open a secure channel with Voyager. After Devin had told Seven and Vorik about the rather mysterious laboratory accident that had killed one of his professors, Seven had deemed it worthwhile to raise this to the captain. It probably meant nothing, but Devin had looked acutely grateful that she would look into this, so she had been reluctant to retract her assurances that she would relay this information.
After learning of the reason for her call, Captain Peres requested Captain Tuvok and Commander Torres to her ready room to attend the conversation as well, knowing that Admiral Janeway was presently engaged in a meeting with the summit delegates.
"That's all fascinating," Commander Torres said once Seven and Devin had explained, "but we'd need a way to compare the weapon's signature to see if there's an actual connection. Explosions happen – it doesn't mean that it's connected at all to what happened here."
"I agree," Captain Peres said.
"As do I," Captain Tuvok added.
At that moment, the officers on Voyager were distracted by the sound of the door opening and a second later Admiral Janeway entered the captain's ready room. "As you were," she told the attendees in response to their movements to rise. She greeted them all with a stern nod, including Seven, who almost felt like she was in the room with them, even though she was speaking to them from the shuttle on the surface.
"I take it the meeting with the delegates didn't go as planned," Tuvok stated.
Janeway shook her head. "Let's just say they suddenly decided they'd overstayed their welcome. I'm afraid your trick of leaving them alone in a room didn't work this time, my friend." She shook her head. "I didn't mean to interrupt. Please go on."
They quickly brought the admiral up to speed. Janeway leaned her forearms on the back of Tuvok's chair and frowned pensively when they were done explaining the situation. "FarTech… I know that name." Then she clapped her hands together when it dawned on her. "Emani's file. The man who died in that accident was Kai Logan, Emani's father. His file didn't say anything about a lab accident, only that he worked for that agency." The others seemed to ponder whether they should know who 'Emani' was – the name certainly didn't sound familiar to Seven.
So Seven was surprised when Devin nodded eagerly. "Yes! That's him! You know Emani?"
Janeway dismissed the question with a move of her hand. "Yes she's here on board with us. What's the connection with what happened here?"
Seven shook her head. "None, for now. Except perhaps for some similarities in the way the blast behaved. The agency declared it an accident, but Devin and others suspect that it might not have been the case. But, even if that is the case, I agree with Commander Torres; we need more evidence before we validate this information as bearing any relevance to our current situation. A molecular signature comparison would be helpful."
Janeway nodded. "And there's the matter of jurisdiction. It's not our place to investigate an accident that has no bearing on the interstellar politics of the Federation. We'd need more to go on that would connect to our current situation first."
Captain Peres turned to Commander Torres. "B'Elanna, any updates on the weapon's signature that could help us narrow it down?"
B'Elanna let out a long sigh. "Nothing new about the weapon's signature per se, but after Admiral Janeway and Chakotay identified the unknown trace elements as Kiradil, that Maradib molecule, I decided to look more closely at the sensor data gathered from the cloaked ship's power engines. It seems to suggest that it was a mix of various technologies – Federation warp core, Klingon cloaking technology, and then Maradib Kiradil-based fusion reactors… But there's also evidence of trace elements that didn't match anything from our database. Whoever it was, they know how to combine disparate technologies, and innovate with their own ideas."
Janeway nodded slowly, chewing on her inner cheek contemplatively. "That might do it, B'Elanna. You said that they knew how to combine disparate technologies, and innovate…Like a secretive research agency like FarTech might?"
Commander Torres blinked. "I suppose, yes."
Janeway nodded slowly. Then she frowned at the screen, looking directly at Devin. "You said Kai Logan was your professor at university. What was he working on? What was his area of study?"
Devin blinked at the unexpected question. "Industrial and chemical engineering."
Janeway nodded, taking this in. "Do you know what he did for FarTech? Any connection with Kiradil or Esheeyab?"
Devin shook his head. "He never really said – or published anything about it, as far as I know."
Janeway nodded again as she straightened and paced a couple of steps, her hand on her hip. "The obvious lack of transparency nags at me, and I think we have enough ground to at least ask some questions about the explosion and what Kai Logan was working on when he died. Seven, I'd like you and… your friend here to look into this, if possible find out if there are any possible connections between his work and the Kiradil molecule. I understand that Mr. Kim is still on Gianfar, get him to help. You might also want to talk to Prime Minister Kumara – I heard he's recovering. When he's available to meet with you, ask him what he knows about that so-called research agency."
Seven nodded, but when she looked at Devin, she found him frowning. "What is it?"
Devin shook himself. "It's just.. FarTech… They're kind of… untouchable. I don't know how much we'll be able to find out."
"He's got a point," Janeway interjected, looking at Seven. "Try to be discreet. And try not to be too… direct." She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow in a rather comical, doubtful expression. "What I mean is – try not to come off too… confrontational."
Seven frowned, unsure why the admiral seemed uncertain that she could accomplish this. "Acknowledged."
Janeway gave a satisfied nod. "Meanwhile," she tapped Tuvok's shoulder with her index finger, "I'd like us to start looking at those documents more closely. My schedule's opened up unexpectedly," she drawled sarcastically, referring to the cancelling of the summit meeting. "We should also add news outlets and police reports about that lab accident to our list. See if we can find any connections on our end.
"But why would a research agency from Gianfar attack their own colony?" Captain Peres asked, puzzled, after a moment.
Janeway shook her head. "I don't know. I realize I'm grappling at straws here, but we need to find out who is responsible for this. The death toll keeps getting higher as we continue the search and rescue operation, and I can't, I refuse to let this case grow cold. Not on my watch. Got it?"
All the officers nodded eagerly, and even – Seven noticed with some amusement – Devin. Perhaps she should convince him to attend Starfleet Academy, he certainly seemed to respond to a concrete command structure.
"We will report to you regularly," Seven replied.
"Good luck. And Seven," Janeway added, "be careful."
oooOooo
Harry and Lara had been partnered with a couple of Medical corps officers to resume the search and rescue operations. The teams had been working nonstop since the previous day, so most of the perimeter had been successfully surveyed by now, especially with the help of the artificial gravity generators that Tibeya had loaned the teams, which had really improved the efficiency of the whole operation. Be that as it may, there were still some sections of the settlement that remained buried under rubble, so Harry and Lara had been put to work. At some point, Tom had returned from Voyager along with several more officers and joined Harry and Lara's team.
Despite the fact that their task was a harrowing one and could never qualify as anything remotely fun, Harry was glad to be doing it in Lara's company, and getting the opportunity to get to know her better. Now that she had recovered from her earlier frustration, she had reverted back to the mischievous, bubbly personality that Harry had liked from the first moment he'd met her. They spoke about all kinds of things as they worked clearing rubble – Harry told her about some of his adventures as a Starfleet officer while she told him about her life here, on Gianfar, her studies, her friends, her parents and her older brother and younger sister. Harry found it harder and harder to deny it: he liked her. A lot.
"Say Lara, you're from Gianfar, right? What do you make of all this?" Harry asked curiously at some point. "Does your people have any enemies that would want to target one of the settlements?"
She frowned. "Why do you ask?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm just curious to know what you think. Aren't you curious to know who's behind this?"
"Well, sure, but… I'm not really in a position to know much about it. I mean there's always internal politics – some people resent Kumara for relying so much on Starfleet, while others oppose the trade alliance with the Maradib. And the settlements can get competitive against each other, but not to the point of killing each other. I did hear some people say that with the summit going on, maybe the Maradib…"
Harry frowned, looking up from his tricorder in surprise. "Really? You think the Maradib might have done this? But why?"
"I'm not saying I believe it, but they are rather…" She scrunched up her face (in a rather cute way), searching for the right word.
"Aloof?" Harry suggested.
"Outlandish."
Well Harry couldn't argue with that, but he couldn't help it, he snorted in amusement. She threw him a questioning, slightly indignant glance. "What?"
"It's just… I think that's precisely the way the Maradib think about Gianfarians. They're terribly wary of outsiders too."
She chuckled as well, shaking her head. "I see your point. I promise I'll make an effort to be more open-minded, if only to prove the Maradib wrong!"
Harry smiled. "In any case, I find it hard to believe that they would just attack like this, out of the blue, without any clear motive. If they wanted to make a statement, they would claim responsibility for it. This attack, it was the work of cowards – hiding behind a cloak, targeting civilians like this – and none of the Maradib I know are cowards, quite the opposite. Besides, their leader was here, touring the settlement when it happened."
"Yes, I suppose you're right." She nodded, her expression distracted. She brightened again. "But you must see all kinds of different people as a Starfleet officer."
"Yes, you could say that."
He was distracted from his conversation and his work when he heard Seven call his name. He paused what he was doing and, finding her walking toward him with Devin, went to meet with them, wiping his dirty hands together and using his sleeve to wipe off sweat from his forehead.
"We have new orders from Admiral Janeway," Seven told him with a curt greeting nod at Lara, Tom and the others.
Harry nodded for her to go on.
"We are to investigate the laboratory accident at FarTech after all. Admiral Janeway deemed it potentially relevant."
"Oh. Okay," Harry nodded. "What does the admiral have in mind?"
"She did not specify. But she asked that we be discreet."
"Alright. Well, I suppose we could start by asking Professor Logan's colleagues at University what they know about FarTech. Lara-" Harry started as he turned to her, only to find that she had moved further away, her back to their group, lending a hand to Tom as he lifted a heavy piece of debris. Harry had been about to ask her opinion, but seeing her out of earshot, he dropped it.
"I can do it," Devin volunteered with a solemn nod. "I know everyone in the faculty. I can go back to Kop now and contact you if I find out anything interesting."
They all nodded in agreement, so with a nod and a brief glance over his shoulder, he darted off. Harry returned his attention to Seven.
"I believe we should focus on learning what we can about FarTech. The prime minister's office should have information about the agency. And Admiral Janeway suggested with speak with Kumara as well, when he is well enough."
Harry nodded. "Alright. Give me a minute. By the way," he paused to glance at Seven again. "What happened to Vorik?"
"He has been assigned to work with Commander Torres on the distribution of transporter pattern enhancers so that we may use transporters directly from Dråkin-Mati."
Harry nodded, unable to keep in a smile as he resumed his way to go speak to Lara. He could only picture the secret, semi-sadistic glee on B'Elanna's face at ordering Vorik around, asking him to walk around for miles with those bulky devices.
With a rather so-not-subtle knowing look, Tom left to another area when he saw Harry approach Lara. "What's going on?" Lara asked even as she remained focused on her tasks.
"I guess you could say I've been reassigned. I've been asked to look into FarTech. You know, we could probably use your help, given that you knew Kai Logan."
She shook her head. "Sorry. I can't. I-" she hesitated but then shook her head again. "I can't. I have some things to do that can't wait much longer. And I need to check in with my family. I was waiting for you to be done with your discussion before telling you."
"Oh," Harry frowned dubiously. "Are you sure you're okay?" He pressed. Because it was obvious she had just lied through her teeth. And there was a nervous, frayed look to her now that hadn't been there before reminiscent to her expression earlier that morning, like she was on the verge of tears – or possibly a mental breakdown.
She laughed it off, but even that sounded off. Jittery. Bitter, even. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm fine. Just… go do what you need to do. I'll catch up with you later, okay?" She added, touching his arm.
Harry watched her for a moment longer, then nodded. "Okay. Take care, Lara," he told her seriously, because he couldn't help but be concerned about her.
oooOooo