Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager and all characters therein are the property of Americans who are not me. No infringement of copyright is intended.

NB: This story is set approximately around Season 5-7, but not particular spoilers other than this happens after Thirty Days (but after Tom re-makes it to Lieutenant again) and before Drive. Rating T/PG14

OF RYALS & RELATIONSHIPS

Chapter 2 – A Fair Trade

"We can replicate the Beryllium but that's not the point," Captain Janeway commented wearily to her First Officer, Commander Chakotay, on the Voyager's bridge. "We need to be conserving our equipment and supplies as far as possible, and replicating sufficient Beryllium to meet such extortionate prices cuts down on the viability of trading here even further. On the other hand nothing is more demoralising than having to cut life support to half the ship and have people sleeping in dormitories with no holodeck or replicator rations."

Chakotay commiserated, having received the depressing report from the group on how expensive everything was, but the traders were in control, having all comers over a barrel and knowing it fully. There was no way Kathryn Janeway would continue past this point even though the dust storms' damage to Voyager was comparatively minor. She would never forgive herself if a crewmember was seriously injured or killed by a system they didn't repair simply because of cost.

"Like Ensign Wildman said, Hobson's Choice," he admitted.

"Yes…remind me to get Tom Paris to explain that," Janeway sighed. "Alright, if we pare down our list of requirements to the bare minimum of –"

"Captain, we are being hailed from the surface." Tuvok interposed softly.

"I thought everyone was back on board?" Chakotay queried.

"That is correct; we have no personnel on Ryzak."

"Greetings? Oh, B'Elanna Torres? Greetings?" a voice trilled uncertainly.

"On-screen." Janeway and Chakotay both stood up. "I'm Captain Janeway of Voyager?"

"Ah, you command the Voyagers?" the speaker was a tall alien with short, spiky black hair that made him look like a talking yard-brush.

At least, Janeway mentally thought the alien was male; there was something about him that seemed to emanate a masculine sort of aura. "That is so. May I enquire as to what you want with my Chief Engineer?"

The alien's eyes widened. "Chief? Oh, I had no idea she carried such rank in your hierarchy…well, er, foredate –"

"I'm sorry?"

"Ah…er the day before this one?" the alien clarified. "B'Elanna Torres stopped my Regulation Module from overloading and exploding. It would have been very nasty. However, it does need a complete overhaul and I was wondering, if perhaps, B'Elanna might…?"

"We were intending to leave this system as soon as our business was concluded. B'Elanna is really very busy preparing our own systems for departure, Mr…?"

"Jeren, Trader Jeren," he responded, "But please Captain, I wouldn't ask this work for nothing. B'Elanna refused any reward for her actions, the least I could do is offer some recompense. What about plasma coils at fifty percent discount per pair – a quarter Beryllium Ryal?"

Both of Tuvok's eyebrows rose at this and beside her Janeway felt Chakotay's body stiffen. "A quarter Ryal per pair; that seems most generous, Jeren…" she said, thinking furiously.

"Not at all, I'm still making a profit at a quarter Ryal. Believe me, Captain, were I to give you most of my inventory in thanks for what B'Elanna did, it would still cost me less than the price of having to repair my premises and fight off legal charges had anyone been injured – or worse – in any explosion."

"Mr Jeren, I will provisionally accept your offer and allow B'Elanna to do the work, if she's agreeable." Janeway said cautiously, "Would you also happen to stock power couplings?"

"Of course, my business is spacecraft parts and maintenance supplies. I could send you my complete stock inventory and a price list immediately, if you wish?"

"That would be appreciated." Janeway said, "I will speak to B'Elanna now myself."

The communication link ended and a second later Harry Kim's station beeped. "He's sent us the inventory," the Ensign confirmed, forwarding it to the computer console in the separating arm between the Captain's chair and First Officer's.

Both peered at it eagerly and then raised incredulous eyes to each other. "Two Beryllium Ryals per pair of plasma couplings? That other trader was going to charge us six Ryals per pair!" Janeway said gleefully as she straightened back up. "Janeway to Engineering!"

"Here, Captain?" Lt Torres voiced sounded clearly over the internal comlink.

Janeway explained the situation and B'Elanna was happy to take a look at Jeren's cylinder again, "…but depending on the problem it could take me several days, even if it can be fixed." She warned finally.

"Thank-you, Janeway out." The Captain turned to the two men who were respectively her second and third in command, and above all her most trusted counsellors. "Chakotay? Tuvok?"

"I'd say yes, Captain," Chakotay recommended. "At these prices Jeren can supply 95 of everything we need at less than half the price of what everyone else is charging. We can't pass that up even if we do have to stay a little longer, and besides it would do everyone good to be able to have a few days of R&R on an actual planet. After a while not even several hours on a holodeck can erase the knowledge you've been trapped for months in a giant tin can."

"I concur with Commander Chakotay," commented Tuvok. "In time terms of our reaching the Alpha Quadrant, remaining here for two or three extra days is insignificant, and it would be psychologically and operationally beneficial for as many of the crew as possible to be able to spend more than a merely a few hectic hours on a planet."

To be continued…

© 2005, C D Stewart