Roots and Wings

by Amalgam000

Sequel to Gravitation. Days before a trade summit that Adm. Janeway is presiding over between Maradibaya and a Federation colony, the latter is struck by an anonymous attacker. As Kathryn, Chakotay and the Voyager crew struggle to cope with the consequences and find the culprits, the events force Kathryn and Chakotay to deal with the one thing they never talked about: kids.

11. Chapter 11

PART III

Chapter 11

Tuvok brought up the map of Gianfar on the shuttle viewscreen and Kathryn, Seven, as well as the two security officers, Lieutenant Ng and Ensign Fharad, huddled around to study it. Tuvok tapped the consoles to zoom in on the coordinates that they had been given, which showed them the FarTech facility from above. It sat far on the outskirt of the territory claimed by the Janit settlement, kilometers from any settled areas. A pod road connected the facility to the rest of the settlement, and closer to the building itself, that part of the roadway was lined by tall trees. The facility was an aesthetically-built structure, shaped like an elongated hexagon and chalk white, framed by door-to-ceiling windows on many sides. It was positioned right on the ragged coast, overlooking a turquoise sea, while it was surrounded by a red, rocky and rather inhospitable-looking desert on the other side. Only the immediate area around the facility was lush with vegetation. Tuvok then overlapped the image with the blueprints of the compound that Prime Minister Kumara had just provided them, dating from when the structure had first required a permit to build in that area, seven years prior.

With Lara's testimony, they now had grounds to at least search the facility. But an official Gianfarian search as ordained by the prime minister required time to plan and implement, and might get caught in red tape. Especially as most of the law enforcement were already assigned to the search and rescue in Dråkin-Mati. Acutely aware of this, Kumara had given Kathryn and Starfleet full jurisdiction over the case, though it might well be political suicide for him, to hand over the reins to Starfleet rather than to a civilian authority. Kathryn had assured him that she'd do what she could to help him deal with the fallout once this was all over.

"How do you want to proceed, Admiral?" Tuvok asked.

As she squinted at the map, Kathryn felt a sense of urgency that she couldn't quite explain. It was a hunch, pure and simple, that they needed to act fast. "It's clear that we need to act now. Whoever is behind this is getting desperate – to force Lara to attack the prime minister so recklessly? In broad daylight? And if they're getting desperate, then they will also be more likely to commit mistakes. Reveal themselves. Now that we know that Kai Logan worked on weaponizing Kiradil for FarTech, and that FarTech ordered the tempering of the shields through Lara, what we need now is actual proof of the agency's involvement in the attack itself to support Lara's claims. I think we need to get in there," she added, pointing at the facility shown on the viewscreen.

The secrecy surrounding the facility and its managers made it difficult to use the regular channels, and Kathryn couldn't stop thinking about what Devin, that young man, had said: they're untouchable.

That sounded very much like a challenge, and Kathryn enjoyed a good challenge. So she knew that she'd have to be a bit more… creative on this one. The way she saw it, their assembled team right here was much better equipped to deal with this and get the necessary proofs than a whole squadron of law enforcement officers. Infiltrating the facility might be their best bet. It was riskier, but Kathryn had never shied away from taking such gambles based on her instincts. A little voice in her head – which sounded annoyingly like Chakotay's – told her she was rushing things, but she silenced it with a shake of the head, and decided to listen to her instincts. But for this to work (and to minimize the risks) she needed more intel first.

Kathryn turned to Tuvok. "Are our sensors equipped to scan for Kiradil? If so, it might narrow down our objective – if we could get concrete evidence that they're weaponizing Kiradil in that facility, it would be a good start."

"Not in their current configuration," Tuvok replied, "but updating the sensors should be an easy task."

"Do it."

"Even with the modifications to our sensors, we will need to get closer to get a reading," he pointed out as he started to work at the console.

Kathryn nodded, turning to Ensign Fharad. "Take the helm. Set a course for those coordinates." He sat down and soon they were up in the air.

"Five minutes until we're in sensor range," Fharad said. So they continued to brainstorm about ideas and strategies until Fharad chimed in again. "Admiral, we're in sensor range now."

"On screen."

They all squinted at the new images and sensor data. The visual was similar to the one on the previous map – a view of the facility from above, but the sensors now caught other things as well. For one, there were dozens of life signs scattered all over the facility.

Secondly… "There," Tuvok said as he pointed to a large room on the first floor. "That signal indicates the presence of Kiradil in this large room, which is labeled as a laboratory on the original blueprint."

Gotcha. Kathryn resisted the urge to grin in triumph. But then she looked more closely at the data. "Is that an energy shield? That circular shape that surrounds the compound?" She asked.

Seven nodded, frowning as she studied the sensor readings. "Yes. As I suspected; the facility is protected by a dome-shaped force field similar to the one protecting the settlements from meteor showers. This FarTech facility is located well outside the range of the settlements' force fields, so it is only logical that it would have one of its own."

"Unfortunately it also means that it won't let anyone in or out via transporters," Kathryn reasoned.

"It would also preclude a shuttle-based assault, if you were considering an air strike as a diversion or back-up," Tuvok added. " If we are to coordinate with anyone outside the facility we will need to get inside first in order to disable this shielding technology."

"Excuse me for asking," Ensign Fharad chimed in, "but doesn't the interference that hindered transporters in Dråkin-Mati affect our ability to beam out anyway?"

It was Seven who replied. "If we were to try to transport to the ships in orbit, yes, that is possible; however if we use the shuttle's transporters, we should be able to transport without the interference being an issue, given the closer range. Again, assuming that we would find a way to disable that force field first."

"There are two breaches in the shielding dome that surrounds the facility – here, and here," Tuvok analyzed, pointing at the map, "each apparently acting as doorways allowing individuals to go in and out freely." Kathryn followed his indications. One of the breaches was directly on the pod road and the main entrance, creating an invisible gate, and the other was located on the side of the facility.

"So walking in shouldn't be a problem," Lieutenant Ng commented.

"At this point I'm more worried about walking out," Kathryn drawled under her breath.

"There," Tuvok pointed to a different area, "is the likely power source responsible for the force field facility. If we plan our infiltration carefully, a team should be able to access the force field and disabling it, ensuring our way out and opening up the possibility of using air support."

Heads bobbed as they took this in, each deep in thought. They spent some more time analyzing the data from the various rooms, looking for doors, stairs, ventilation shafts, armed guards, security systems. Once they had a plan (and a plan B, and a plan C) Kathryn was satisfied. "Tuvok, alert Voyager and the Katherine-Johnson of our plan. Tell them to be ready for plan C, in case A and B fail." Because even though Kathryn believed a small infiltration team would get better results, she wasn't reckless enough to go in without backup. "Ensign Fharad, you'll remain on the shuttle to beam us out once we've disabled the force field, if necessary. If things go awry you're to get the hell out of dodge and call for help."

He nodded gravely.

"The rest of us will-"

"Forgive the interruption, Admiral," Tuvok cut in, frowning at the console. "It appears we have an intruder on board. I apologize for not noticing the life sign sooner."

Kathryn frowned. "What? Who?"

Tuvok gave her a look before he stood and calmly made his way to the back compartment – though he made no move to reach for his phaser. Kathryn and the others stood to their feet curiously. Tuvok opened the back compartment and looked back at Kathryn. A tiny foot in a purple sneaker was sticking out from behind a crate, barely visible.

Oh no, no, no…

Kathryn gave a mental curse. Drawing in a slow breath, she exchanged a look with Tuvok again. "Emani! Come out here, please," Kathryn commanded sternly, rubbing her forehead. That child was incorrigible!

Emani shuffled to her feet and slowly stepped into the light of the doorway, her whole body language manifesting guilt, her chin pressed to her chest, her arms squeezing a well-loved plush bunny against her chest. When she looked up through her eyelashes, Kathryn beckoned her closer with her index finger, watching her approach. Emani obeyed, all but dragging her feet, as if she were heading for the chopping block.

"Well?" Kathryn prompted unhappily, placing her hands on her hips. "What do you have to say for yourself? I told you to stay with Travid. This is not a game, Emani."

Meanwhile, Seven and the officers returned to their posts and resumed planning exit strategies based on the new layout information provided by the sensors. But Kathryn's attention was entirely on the young girl.

Emani's voice was tearful when she spoke. "I thought you were forgetting about me. I thought you would never come back, like my daddy, and Katie and Mrs. Jenkana!"

There was such fear and anguish in her voice and her watery eyes, it took the wind out of Kathryn's sails. She let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose and stepped closer, crouching to be at eye-level with her. Emani wouldn't quite meet her eyes. "I promised I would come back, didn't I?"

Emani nodded, biting her lips as if to keep them from trembling. Clearly it hadn't been enough to convince her.

Kathryn sighed, closing her eyes. "Did you tell Travid where you were going?"

Emani shook her head.

"The poor man's going to be worried sick." She glanced over her shoulder. "Tuvok, could you please send a message to Travid Jenkana in Dråkin-Mati, letting him know that we have Emani?" When Tuvok nodded, Kathryn returned her attention to the girl, placing her hands on her upper arms to make her meet her eyes. "Emani. You've gotto stop running off like that. The people who care about you, whose job is to make sure that you're safe, like me and Travid and Chakotay – we get really scared when you leave without telling us. Do you understand?"

Emani nodded slowly, but then she sniffled and raised her eyes back to meet Kathryn's. "Do you really care about me?" She asked in such a small, hopeful voice that Kathryn's heart squeezed painfully.

She sat on her heels to meet her eyes squarely. "Of course I care about you. Which is why I'd hate it if anything happened to you. And I know Chakotay feels the same way. In fact, I think he'd be really cross with me if you got hurt or got lost under my watch. I really don't want him to be mad at me, do you?"

Emani shook her head. "Me neither." But then she placed her small hand on Kathryn's shoulder in a show of support. "But don't worry. Chakotay doesn't get mad. He always says kind things, even when I disobey."

Despite still being angry for her sneaking, Kathryn had to bite her lips to hide her smile at this. She schooled her features into a neutral expression. "Well, maybe you're right, but I really don't want to find out either way." Now… What in the world was she going to do with her? They were too close to FarTech to turn back now, the agency would have detected them approaching by now, and Kathryn felt they would be losing precious time if they came about to return Emani to Travid. Another option would have been to transport her to Voyager, but like Seven said, they still couldn't transport directly to the ships, so… That only left one option: Emani would have to stay in the shuttle with Ensign Fharad while Kathryn, Tuvok, Seven and Ng went inside – she would be safe here, but she had to stay here. So Kathryn stood to her feet and took Emani's hand to bring her into the cockpit with her and sat her down in one of the seats. She bent over to meet Emani's eyes again. "Now listen, what we're doing here is very serious, and it could be dangerous. So I need you to sit here very quietly. Now is the time to be as quiet as a mouse, can you do that?"

Emani pressed her lips together and nodded, sitting very still, her eyes wide. When Kathryn straightened, Tuvok updated her on the plan they'd worked out and she nodded, satisfied. Tuvok then opened a secure channel with Voyager and the KJ to let them know of the plan. As he spoke, Emani approached the console curiously and, looking up at the viewscreen, suddenly gasped, and tugged on Kathryn's sleeve to get her attention.

"Not now, sweetie. Alright, let's get this show on the road," she told the officers.

Emani tugged with more urgency. Kathryn frowned as she gave in and looked down at her. "What is it?"

Kathryn frowned as soon as she saw Emani's expression; her eyes were wide, riveted to the view of FarTech on the screen. She wasn't staring with curiosity, but with a stark, uncontrollable fear. She tugged on Kathryn's sleeve harder so Kathryn had no other choice but to lean in, and Emani spoke into her ear in a low voice. "I know this! This is the place my daddy went to work. He took me inside sometimes and he let me play with some of the stuff when he worked. But one day, he went there, but he never came back. Please don't go there!"

Though her plea tugged at her heart, Kathryn merely rested a hand on her shoulder. "I know sweetie. I have to go in, but I have every intention of coming back. You still have to teach me how to play keko, remember? I wouldn't miss that for the world."

"Perhaps the child knows something of the leaders of this facility," Seven commented. Kathryn hadn't realized she'd come to stand next to her.

Kathryn frowned as she redirected her gaze to Emani. Her father had died months ago, and Emani was so young, she doubted she would remember anything but… she did seem to have a pretty good memory. She had learned all of the names of the star systems last night after hearing them only once. Kathryn frowned as she sat in the seat facing Emani's, leaning her elbows on her knees. "Emani, have you ever overheard your father say anything about the people he worked for? What did he think of them? Did he like them?"

Emani's brows knitted together in concentration, and she shook her head. "He said they aren't kind people. He said he worked there only until things got better."

"I see. Did he ever tell you their names?"

When Emani considered this, biting her lip and frowning in concentration, Tuvok approached as well. "Did he ever warn you to stay away from certain individuals, perhaps?"

Emani's frown deepened, but then she gasped, her eyes going wide. "Oh yes! There was a man one time… Daddy told me to hide if Ba... Bak…Barka… He's tall, and has yellow hair, like her," she said pointing to Seven.

"Bakar? Jaidan Bakar?" Kathryn offered, her gaze sliding to meet Tuvok's.

Emani nodded. "Yes! Him. Daddy told me to go to my room if he came to the house. He only came one time. I hid, but I saw that he was wearing the same shiny purple badge on his chest as my daddy." She frowned in memory. "I remember because my daddy always told me not to play with the one he had, but it was such a pretty color sometimes I would take it to look at it…"

Kathryn nodded to herself in a mix of triumph and trepidation, heart racing. This was the connection they had been waiting for between what Lyat'ib had told Chakotay about Bakar's interest in Maradib weaponry, Lara's testimony, and Kai Logan's weaponizing Kiradil! Now all they had to prove was that Logan's research and findings – as well as any additional FarTech research – matched the weapon's signature that had targeted the colony. Kathryn suddenly felt much more confident that going inside the facility was the right thing to do: not only did they need that proof, but there was also a good chance that Bakar would be in there. Two birds with one stone, as it were.

Kathryn returned her attention to Emani. "Thank you, Emani. You may very well just have cracked the case."

Emani smiled proudly.

"If Bakar's in there, let's go get him and bring him to justice. Alright let's head out. Fharad," Kathryn paused to meet the young ensign's eyes. "Do not let that girl out of your sight," she ordered with a warning glance at Emani. "Tie her to a chair if need be." Emani's eyes widened at the threat.

He nodded gravely. "You can count on me, Admiral." Kathryn nodded in satisfaction when Emani shrank a little into her seat.

oooOooo

Harry walked next to Lara in glum silence, still trying to wrap his head around everything that had happened. Lara was quiet too as he and a security officer escorted her to Voyager's brig.

"Away team to Lieutenant Kim. We have located and made contact with Lara Urial's family, they're safe, if a little frightened."

Lara's eyes shot to Harry with such hope and relief that Harry almost smiled. Almost. He nodded before pressing his combadge. "Thank you. Have you explained to them what's happening? Are they willing to come on board Voyager for protection?"

"Yes, sir. They also insist on speaking with miss Urial once they get onboard."

"Yes of course. Get them to Dråkin-Mati and transport to Voyager as soon as possible. Remember that they may be in danger, do what you must to ensure their safety."

"Acknowledged."

"Thank you," Lara whispered once the communication ended.

Harry sighed, still looking straight ahead. "I'm just doing my job."

By then they'd reached the brig, so Harry gestured for her to walk into the cell before he stepped back and erected the force field.

"So you won't even talk to me now? I told you, that wasn't me! You can't be angry at me-"

"I'm not angry, Lara. Disappointed, maybe. But really, I shouldn't be. I barely know you."

She took a step toward the field, but had to consciously stop herself from going further. "I didn't have a choice," she said through gritted teeth.

"That part I understand." Harry shook his head, a rush of anger boiling out of him. "But tell me this: did you befriend me because I was from Voyager? Were you just pretending to like me to get information on our operations this whole time? Seven told me how you were asking questions about Voyager, how long we'd be here. Were you just gathering intelligence for them all this time? Is that why you approached me? Because you figured I would get you access to the prime minister?"

She flinched, blinking in surprise. She swallowed and her eyes searched his face. "Yes. But only at first. They wanted to have information on Voyager's resources on the ground and you seemed… approachable." She tilted her head pleadingly. "But I quickly realized that there was so much more to you than meets the eye. There isn't a bad bone in your body, and I…" She shook her head. "The more I got to know you, the more I felt that I needed to get away from those awful people. That I was losing myself to them. Do you understand?"

"Oh so not only were you using me to get information, but you were also using me to get off this planet?"

"No! That's not what I meant at all."

"You know what? Never mind. I need some sleep. I'll check up on you later."

Before she could say anything else, Harry turned on his heels and left.

oooOooo

A breeze blew up from the sea, but the air felt warm in her lungs when Kathryn inhaled. As she led the group along the shaded path to the front doors of FarTech, she looked around warily, exchanging glances with Tuvok and Seven when they spotted hidden surveillance equipment here and there. But they made their way without incident and when they walked up the breach in the force field – that invisible doorway – Kathryn stepped through as if expecting to set off something, but nothing happened. So they walked up the main steps to go inside, and there too, the doors slid open before them automatically. So far, there was nothing suspicious about this building at all. If anyone else had taken these steps, they would have only felt like they were moving through a well-manicured landscape and welcoming architecture. But Kathryn's hunch that this was all a front only increased the easier it got to get inside. It did very much feel like a trap – but one that was, so far, completely unnoticeable except from the prickling sensation on the back of her neck.

Once inside, Kathryn shivered at the sudden coolness of the air conditioning. The interior of the lobby was as sleek looking as the outside with wide, open spaces, door-to-ceiling windows and furnished with stylish sofas and colorful local plants. Prototypes of FarTech's various inventions were on display around the room. The group made its way to what looked like the front or information desk, where two Gianfarian clerks, a man and a woman, were busy working at their computer screens. The shuttle's sensors had picked up on their signals, so this was expected. The two clerks greeted them with easy smiles, though their eyes widened a little at the official look of their group. Kathryn's eyes drifted to the shiny violet employee access badges with the FarTech logo on their chests. The badges were exactly like Emani had described. "Welcome to FarTech," the woman said. "How can we help you?"

Kathryn plastered a smile on her face and leaned with her elbow on the counter. "I'm Admiral Janeway and these are my associates – Captain Tuvok, Lieutenant Ng, and Seven of Nine," Seven placed her hands on the counter as well, interlacing her fingers, making all of her implants fully visible.

Earlier, they had debated about what they could say that would grant them access to the facility. An idea had come from Seven. "The Borg," Seven had said suddenly, brows knitted together.

Kathryn had blinked. "What?"

"The people behind this agency, this collective, FarTech. They act like the Borg."

"What do you mean?"

"They take the technology of others and assimilate it into new forms – remember what Commander Torres said about the ship's signature – that it was an amalgam of various technologies. And if they truly targeted the settlement in order to assassinate the prime minister, or stop the summit, then it would appear they have no qualms to conquer and destroy to achieve their goals. Since I have been on this planet, my Borg implants have seemed to attract much attention from the residents. If I am correct, the Board will find my presence there… intriguing, and will likely let us inside, if only to allow them better access to my nanoprobes. And if it fails," she went on with a shrug, "we will have our other plans to fall back on."

"We're here to see Mr. Bakar," Kathryn now said with a pleasant smile, "I believe he'll be expecting us."

Her request to speak with Bakar by name seemed to throw off the two clerks (as intended) because they exchanged a brief, uncertain look. "Um, Mr. Bakar, you said? I don't- uh. Give us a moment, please."

"By all means. Take your time. It's nice to be out of the heat." She turned to Seven. "Isn't it?"

"Yes," was Seven's succinct answer. Kathryn shook her head at her in mild exasperation and Seven raised an eyebrow.

Meanwhile, Tuvok was slowly walking around, his hands clasped behind his back, making it look as though he was merely taking in the large room and various prototypes on display. When in fact he was taking a strategic position in relation to the man behind the counter. At the same time, Ng leaned against the counter facing away from the clerks and crossed his arms. The clerks wouldn't see that he was subtly using his tricorder and studying the blueprints they'd downloaded into them. Kathryn saw him and Tuvok exchange a glance.

The two clerks were arguing with each other in hushed tones now. Shaking her head in frustration, the woman used the communication console to open communications with someone and turned to face away from them as she spoke under her breath. Kathryn exchanged a look with Seven when the woman threw an assessing look at Seven over her shoulder. Was it possible that Seven's idea would actually work? The woman ended the communication and the two of them argued a little bit more. Until, eventually, they returned with rather fake and anxious smiles on their faces. "We're sorry. The Board is not available to take appointments at this time."

"Oh, that's too bad, because I really can't take no for an answer," Kathryn drawled. It was the cue Tuvok and Seven had been waiting for – Tuvok used a speed vault to swing his legs over the counter and Vulcan-pinched the man while Seven immobilized the woman and kept her from pressing the alert while Tuvok moved on to her. The woman fell to the ground with a thud after Tuvok pinched that spot where her neck met her shoulder.

"Well, I can't say we're off to a great start," Kathryn mumbled. "But we know what to do, let's go."

They split up. Tuvok and Ng's job was to disable the force field to allow them to transport out, while Kathryn and Seven would head for the large laboratory where the sensors had detected Kiradil. Kathryn took the woman's badge, while Ng took the man's. So after Tuvok used a one-way mind meld on the two clerks that would make them forget about what happened and ensure they wouldn't wake up for the next few minutes, they dragged them into the supply room behind the counter and locked the door. Then the teams parted ways.

Kathryn and Seven walked as fast as they dared while making it look like they belonged and knew where they were going. The key to blending in a crowd was to walk like you knew where you were going, and it seemed to work. They met with a number of personnel on the way – they all either stared or stopped as they passed, eyebrows raised high, but no one stopped them. Did they know what was going on in this place? Were they complicit in the attack? Or were they just victims of larger forces, like Kai Logan and Lara?

After nodding agreeably to a woman in a lab coat, Kathryn discreetly pressed her combadge. "Janeway to Fharad, come in."

There was no response. Kathryn exchanged a concerned look with Seven as she tried again. Nothing.

"Something is hindering communications outside the facility," Seven said as she studied her tricorder. "Perhaps a jamming frequency, or some kind of other barrier that was invisible to our sensors."

Kathryn cursed under her breath – that was something she had not anticipated. Communications had never been a problem in the settlements before, even when the shields had been up, so this shield must be different, somehow. She tried Tuvok next. To her relief it worked, so they assumed the interference was only effective to block communications between the inside and the outside of the facility.

"Perhaps we should abort," Tuvok suggested. "Our inability to communicate with anyone outside this facility just made this… incursion much more risky. We no longer have back-up – either from the shuttle or from the reinforcements we planned."

"You're right. But we can't turn back now. Bakar knows that we're onto him now – I'm sure he's here, otherwise those two clerks would have denied his ever being here up front. So we need to act, otherwise he'll find a way to destroy or manufacture evidence, or escape. We can't let him get away with this."

"I agree," Seven concurred. "The risk is worth it. We will adapt."

"Very well," Tuvok conceded. "I felt it my duty to mention the risks."

Kathryn smiled wryly at that. Ever the logical security officer. "How close are you to your target?"

"Estimated time of arrival is 20 seconds."

Kathryn exchanged a look with Seven after she'd checked her tricorder. Good, the two teams were more or less synchronized – a set of double doors was already visible at the end of the corridor that led to the lab where the Kiradil had been identified. When they reached the doors, she glanced at Seven. "How many life signs in there?" She asked under her breath.

Seven glanced at her tricorder again. "Three. In the back."

Kathryn lifted her hand, but at that moment Tuvok spoke through the combadge again. "We have a problem, Admiral. The power source is itself protected by some kind of an energy barrier. It appears to be Kiradil-powered and therefore is impervious to our technology. We have no way of disarming it."

Oh that was not good. "Damn it," Kathryn muttered under her breath. "Alright, rendezvous with us, we'll probably need your backup. We're at the main lab now, we're going in." It was now or never. Kathryn didn't wait for Tuvok to try to talk her out of it.

She waved her hand in front of the door panel, and much to her surprise, the doors slid open. It was almost too easy and her stomach tightened uncomfortably. As expected, there were sounds and hushed voices coming from the back, hidden behind rows of instruments, shelves, crates and devices. With a nod at Seven, Kathryn pulled her phaser and they both went in as quietly as possible. They hid behind a shelf to peer around when they got close enough to see movements. Kathryn peeked around slowly. There were three men – one of them was the blonde-haired Jaidan Bakar himself – the very same man she had sat across all day yesterday in the damn briefing room, the same man she and Captain Peres had entertained on Voyager several times over the last year. Had she been blind not to see through him? She hated the fact that he had successfully fooled her. Two armed men were standing next to him – security guards. Bakar had his back to them and was hurrying inputting commands into a holographic computer screen, and every once in a while, tossed PADDs and various devices and prototypes into a wheeled bin – either to destroy or to take with him. Whatever he was trying to do, they couldn't let him finish the job.

"You look like a man in a hurry, Mr. Bakar," Kathryn said as she put her phaser back inside her jacket and stepped around. Seven followed a moment later. The two security guards instantly whipped around and raised their weapons toward them. Kathryn stopped and raised her hands, and spied Seven doing the same next to her. Seven's glare in her direction seemed to ask whether she knew what she was doing.

Kathryn certainly hoped so.

Bakar blinked at them, and though he looked disheveled, his movements were strangely calm now as he regarded them. He straightened. "Admiral Janeway. I was told you had decided to grace us with your presence. But please, come in. To what do I owe this pleasure? If you're here to get me to reconsider about the summit, I'm afraid you've come a long way for nothing," he said amicably as he took one step closer to them, gesturing to his guards to lower their weapons. His gaze was measuring, assessing, completely unafraid. If the two clerks at the front desk had spoken to him earlier, then it was likely that he knew that there were supposed to be four of them as well. Kathryn could almost see the calculations that went through his mind as he tried to anticipate their moves.

"I hope you don't mind us showing up unannounced, Mr. Bakar," Kathryn replied in the same fake, conversational tone, anything to keep stalling until Tuvok and Ng arrived, "but I've been curious to see this place. I've heard much about it recently. I'm a scientist myself, you see. This looks like an impressive place you have here. I suppose my invitation for a tour got lost in the mail?"

He smiled and Kathryn felt her blood turn cold. Not because there was anything vicious in that smile, but rather because there was nothing in that smile, nothing except cold calculation. Either he was so sure of himself that he didn't feel threatened in the least, or he was a sociopath. The first, she could use to her advantage. The second, however…

"I'm honored to learn of your interest," he replied conversationally, "but I'm not a scientist myself. Merely a… visionary. Others do the science for me. I'd be more than happy to give you a tour now, if you wish. Both of you." His eyes shifted to Seven. "We haven't been introduced."

Seven opened her mouth but Kathryn beat her to it. "This is Seven of Nine." Bakar had been on Voyager several times over the last year, but Seven was rarely present in the briefing room or the social, diplomatic events, so it was possible that they had in fact never met in person.

"Yes, I remember hearing that Voyager had a former Borg drone on her crew. Fascinating," he said as he tilted his head as if to better peer at Seven's ocular implant.

A movement from behind and above the security guards caught Kathryn's eyes. She fought the urge to widen her eyes in surprise (and relief) when she realized that Tuvok and Ng had used the ventilation shafts to find an alternative mean of entering the room, and she could now see Tuvok get ready to climb down on the wall to their left, with the objective of incapacitating the security guards from behind. Kathryn returned her attention to Bakar, who was still in a staring contest with Seven. As much as Kathryn would love to see who would win that, now was the time to act. Seven was so tense, Kathryn was almost afraid she'd snap.

"Another time, perhaps. I'm afraid this isn't a social visit," Kathryn replied, dropping the act and squaring her shoulders. "There have been some rather… intriguing allegations against you and this agency. So I thought I'd come and clear this up in person."

Bakar turned to Kathryn again, and she felt Seven relax ever so slightly and roll back her weight from the balls of her feet and into her heels. "We don't have anything to hide," he replied, as if inviting her to ask her questions, though the cunning look in his eyes belied his words.

"I was informed that your lab has been researching how to weaponize Kiradil."

"So?"

Tuvok was slowly getting down from the vent now, being remarkably quiet. Kathryn opened her mouth-

At that moment there was a hissing sound from the main lab doors and quick footsteps coming their way, snapping everyone's attention. When she turned around toward the sound and saw Emani run around the shelves, Kathryn felt the blood drain from her face. No, no, no! The girl skidded to a surprised halt when she saw them all standing there. Breathing hard, her eyes widened in pure terror and her mouth formed a silent 'oh' when she saw Jaidan Bakar and the two armed men, their weapons whipping around at her.

"Hold your fire!" Kathryn yelled before she could stop herself, but luckily the two men obeyed, stunned to find themselves aiming at a little girl. How the hell had Emani found them all the way out here? A wave of fear engulfed Kathryn and for a long second she was rooted to the spot, her mouth going dry, her thoughts racing. She looked behind Emani expectantly, hoping and dreading to see Fharad come rushing after her. But Emani was alone. Had something happened to the Fharad or the shuttle?

Kathryn took a careful step toward Emani, holding up her arms as if to diffuse the sudden tension she felt in the room and in the armed security guards. She hated having to turn her back on Bakar, but she knew she could count on Seven and Tuvok to watch her back. Kathryn opened her mouth to speak to Emani but Bakar beat her to it, his voice smooth as honey; it crept up the back of Kathryn's neck unpleasantly. How had she not seen him for what he was all this time that she'd spent negotiating with him?

"Emani Logan! What a surprise. How you've grown," Jaidan said all too pleasantly. "What are you doing here?" He added with a chuckle that sounded terrible rather than amused.

Emani was still rooted to the spot, wide-eyed, her legs visibly shaking, her breath coming in shallow bursts. Kathryn swallowed with difficulty as she took one more step in Emani's direction, trying to hide Bakar and the others from her field of vision and get her to focus on her. Only her. "Emani," Kathryn said carefully, raising her hand in a pacifying gesture, willing the girl to meet her eyes. She licked her lips. "Emani," she said again in a lower voice, boring her gaze into hers, but all the while using her index finger to point to the combadge pinned to her uniform, drawing Emani's attention to it. She tapped it with her fingers a few of times as she spoke. "Now is not the time to be a little mouse, do you understand?" She said with a pointed nod.

Emani blinked and gave a barely perceptible nod, her eyes still wide, but slowly retreating back toward the doors. Kathryn sensed movement behind her so she met Emani's eyes again "Emani, RUN!"

At the same time, Bakar ordered "Get her!" And one of the security guards started after her.

Emani didn't need to be told twice. Her face still contorted in fear, she darted off the way she'd come, and sped out of sight and through the doors.

Then everything happened at once: Tuvok and Ng made their moves. Tuvok incapacitated the first security guard without problem, while Ng tackled the second officer, the one going after Emani, from behind. They fell to the ground and then struggled around a weapon, but eventually Ng got shot with the energy weapon, and he fell to the floor. Seven lunged at the same security officer and in a series of swift moves disarmed him, then engaged him in hand-to-hand combat.

Meanwhile, as soon as Emani had darted for the door, Kathryn had spun around, reaching into her jacket for her phaser, only to find herself face to face with Bakar. Before she could react, she felt his fist – or something – collide with the side of her face with such strength that it sent her tumbling to the floor. Dazed and head spinning from the blow, she saw him toss a device in the bin he'd been filling up before leaving the room in hurried steps.

"Seven!" Kathryn cried to get her attention and slid her phaser across the floor in her direction. By then Tuvok had come to Seven's aid to incapacitate the second guard, so Seven heard Kathryn's cry and immediately grabbed the phaser and started running after Jaidan, who disappeared through the doors. Seven sped up in pursuit, but just as she reached the doors a shimmering violet light flickered from the ground all the way up to the ceiling, and Seven found herself slamming right into it, as if into a solid wall. It was some kind of energy barrier, no doubt erected by Bakar on his way out. Seven cried out, bounced and fell on her back, unconscious.

Tuvok ran to the doors and touched the energy barrier with his hand, but then snapped it back immediately, looking back at Kathryn. He shook his head then rushed to her, but she gestured for him to go to Seven instead while she gathered her wits. She hauled herself to her feet, her head spinning as she made her way to the bin. "How are they?" Kathryn asked Tuvok.

"Alive, but unconscious. You?"

Kathryn dismissed his concern with a shake of the head – but then regretted it when the movement made her sway on her feet. Tuvok caught her elbow. The nausea only increased when she looked inside the bin. Bakar had left them a parting gift, one that she was vaguely familiar with because the year before a Maradib woman had used it to destroy the quarter of the mountain at Ardok, nearly killing her and Tibeya in the process: a ticking explosive device.

"Oh, not again."

oooOooo

Emani ran and ran and ran, her vision blurred with tears and her chest so tight it was hard to breathe. She realized with shame that she had wetted her pants because she'd gotten so scared, but she didn't stop running. The alarm sounding in the bright building was loud in her ears as she retraced her steps and she resisted the urge to cover her ears. Many grown-ups were rushing to get outside because of it too, so they didn't pay any attention to her. When her legs took her outside and into the bright sun they were tired, but she didn't stop and ran all the way to the shuttle. She didn't look at the man in uniform who was lying outside and dove inside.

Not long after Kathryn and the other adults had left Emani in the shuttle with the man in yellow uniform, he had suddenly said to himself, "Damn it, what the hell are they doing out here…." Then he'd quickly hidden Emani in the back of the shuttle. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he'd bent to look into her eyes. "You DO. NOT. MOVE. Not until I give you the okay, got it? And don't make a sound. Just stay hidden, right here, until I come back, okay?"

But he hadn't come back. Emani had nodded numbly, terrified, covering her ears with her arms, squeezing her eyes shut tight, hugging Mrs. Hoppington tight. But when he didn't return, Emani got even more scared. She had been there before, the place where her daddy had worked and she was so scared that Kathryn wouldn't come back too…. So not knowing what else to do she'd left the shuttle and ran inside to find her. The adults she saw had been surprised to see her and some of them had tried to catch her, but Emani hadn't stopped, going for that room where her daddy had worked. And then she'd seen them… Kathryn, and those bad men that her daddy had warned her about. The memories had come to her in a flash and she'd felt like she had turned into a statue with fear.

Run. That was what Kathryn had told her to do. So she had.

Now she was back in the shuttle, hiding underneath the main console, making herself into a little ball, as small as possible.

Now is not the time to be a quiet little mouse.

Remembering Kathryn's words, and the way she had tapped her communication arrow, Emani unpinned the one Chakotay had given her. Just press it, Chakotay had told her, with a kind smile.

So she did.

oooOooo