Ayala rushed onto the bridge and held up a padd. "Tuvok," he said. "I've got it!"

Tuvok turned in the command chair. "Whatever you possess must be a matter of great importance since you obviously lack the proper address and decorum for this ship."

"You bet it is." Ayala walked down to where Tuvok sat. "I know why we haven't been able to detect the Spada explosives. They're phased."

Tuvok took the padd from him and read the data. He glanced up and said, "Are you certain this is the correct frequency? There can not be any margin of error if we attempt to reveal phased weaponry."

Ayala nodded. "I'm sure. Just have to fire a phaser and the circuitry will be right in front of us, ready to disarm."

"If you are wrong, you will blow this ship and everyone on it into space."

Ayala braced himself and folded his arms. "That everyone includes me, sir. I don't want to die today. You think because I didn't graduate from your fancy academy that I can't disarm explosives or work with phase shifts? You were there with us in the Maquis. You know what I can do."

"Yes, and I also know that the interphase weaponry that Maquis experimented with was never implemented because of the obvious issues with stability."

Ayala took the padd from Tuvok. "I'm not creating the weapons, sir. I'm disarming them."

"And you believe you have the appropriate knowledge to bring the weapons into our reality and do that without having been involved in the creation of them?"

Ayala fixed him with a hard stare. "Scientific principles don't change in the Delta quadrant, Mr. Tuvok. Can I create the devices? No, I can't. Can I reveal them, disarm them, and get rid of the nasty things? You bet I can, especially when my life and a lot of other people's lives are at stake." He relaxed his posture and said, "I just need your permission to try, sir."

Tuvok cocked a brow. "You must do more than try, Mr. Ayala. You must do."

"Sir," the tactical officer looked up from his console. "I've inputted the frequency from Lt. Ayala's data. We're detecting multiple explosive devices in that area of the ship. He's right. They are phased just below what our sensors normally scan for."

Ayala grinned as Tuvok looked at his side computer to verify the report. "Can I end this for you now, Mr. Tuvok, or not? You can take the credit."

Tuvok considered the screen for a moment before saying, "It's not a matter of credit, Lieutenant. That implies an emotional payoff of which I am not capable of desiring. Mr. Barnes, notify sick bay to prepare for casualties. I want the security teams prepped and ready for entry at your signal, Mr. Ayala. When the explosives are safely disarmed, we will achieve entry and take the Spada rebels into custody."

Ayala clapped his hands together and said, "Aye, sir!" He ran up the steps as Tuvok called him back.

"Mr. Ayala, should your efforts prove to be unsuccessful, it is unlikely I will have the chance to commend you for your work. So, I shall do so now."

"Thanks." He grinned. "And, let me say that I always knew you had a little Maquis in you, Tuvok. You were too good a spy not to have a little bit of rebellion in you."

"Indeed. I hope our mutual civil disobedience does not prove to be our undoing. Dismissed."