Janeway and Tuvok had arrived in sickbay. The Doctor had surgically removed the microchip from Tabor's brain and he held it out to the Captain.

She took the chip and asked Tuvok "Do you recognize this design in any way?"

Tuvok studied the chip, and then he told Janeway "Yes, in fact, I do. This is a type of chip that only the Maquis use to enhance their antiquated technology."

"Okay, so we know that the real assassin is still a Maquis." said Janeway. "But who could it be?"

"I am uncertain." Tuvok answered. "We will need to conduct more investigations in order to fully understand the nature of the current situation."

Janeway agreed with him. She then noticed that the bio-bed that Tabor had been lying on was empty. She asked Tuvok "Where is Crewman Tabor at the moment?"

"I've confined him to quarters for the moment." Tuvok told her. "But I wish to begin questioning him as soon as possible."

"Go ahead." said Janeway. "Let me know if he comes up with any helpful information."

Tuvok nodded and left the room. Kathryn turned to The Doctor and ordered him "Keep me apprised on Tom."

"Aye, Captain." said The Doctor.

…

Crewman Tabor was in his quarters. He was kneeling at a type of Bajoran alter and praying to the Prophets. His eyes were shut tight and he prayed in his thoughts Prophets, please, forgive me for not being able to control myself in this catastrophe. Forgive whoever used me in their attempt to kill Tom Paris. And for whatever crimes he may have committed in the past, forgive Tom Paris and let him live.

He stopped praying when the bell at his door rang. He opened his eyes and called to the door "Come in!"

Tuvok entered the room with a PADD in his hand. He stood by the door and glanced at Tabor. He saw what the young Bajoran was doing and inquired "Am I interrupting anything important, Mr. Tabor?"

"No, Lieutenant, please come in." said Tabor. He stood up and offered Tuvok something to drink from the replicator. Tuvok politely turned down his request and sat down at a table. Tabor then sat down across from him and asked "What may I do for you, sir?"

"I'm here to ask you a few questions about your experience." said Tuvok.

Tabor sat up in his chair and said "Ask away."

Tuvok prepped the PADD and then asked his first query: "Do you remember anything from either of the instances when you were hypnotized?"

"I'm afraid not, sir." said Tabor. "Based on what I already know about the two times I was in a trance, I had been asleep at the start of both of them." He suddenly had a spontaneous realization. "However, I do recall something from the second wave of hypnosis."

"What would that be?"

Tabor tried hard to recall the detail he remembered. He definitely remembered something, but was uncertain as to what it was exactly. Finally he was able to comprehend the detail: "While I was sleeping yesterday, I heard a very faint voice in the back of my head."

"Do you recall anything about the voice?" asked Tuvok.

"Well, I do remember that there was light and easy-speaking." Tabor told the Vulcan. "It was the voice of a woman. It seemed to be gentle, but it was demanding something of me."

"Demanding what exactly?" asked Tuvok.

"I believe…" Tabor began, "I believe that was the voice of the assassin ordering me to kill Tom."

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"Alright." said Tuvok. "So now we know that the assassin is female. Who do you know in the Maquis that is female and has the skills required to go to this much trouble?"

"Well, considering how many people still have been acquitted by their alibis," said Tabor, "there are eight in total, but the two with the most skill needed are Anne Smithee… and B'Elanna."

"Why Miss Torres?" inquired Tuvok.

"I don't know." said Tabor. "It could be possibly that she had me knock her out before I was used in the second murder attempt on Tom's life. But I don't think B'Elanna would do something like this."

"Nevertheless, you are right to consider all possible scenarios." Tuvok encouraged the young Bajoran. He got up and said "I will present this information to the Captain. Perhaps we will find the assassin sooner than we think."

Tuvok left Tabor alone in his room. After sitting in silence for a few moments, Tabor went back to his alter to pray to the Prophets some more.

…

Captain Janeway was in her ready room, studying the report Tuvok had given her. She sat at her desk wondering who the assassin could be. She too did not believe that B'Elanna should have been on the list, but she had always trusted Tuvok's judgment before. She decided to go along with what Tuvok had reported. After a few more minutes of wondering, her combadge beeped.

"Doctor to Captain Janeway." The Doctor stated over the comline.

Tapping her combadge, Kathryn said "Janeway here. What is it, Doctor?"

"Captain, please report to sickbay." The Doctor answered her. "Kes and I have discovered something you may want to know about."

"I'm on my way."

…

Janeway quickly arrived in sickbay and went over to The Doctor and Kes.

"Were you able to make progress in developing a cure for Tom?" asked Janeway.

"We believe we may have found a way to cure him, Captain." The Doctor grinned.

"How so?" asked Janeway.

"Listen closely." Kes instructed her. "We will need to proceed carefully in this process."

…

Near the end of the day, Janeway had announced that The Doctor and Kes had discovered a cure to the rest of the crew and that they would administer it to him in the morning. Right then, they needed to wait until the terionium disulfide was at the most ideal stage for the treatment to be administered.

That night, sickbay was closed and The Doctor had deactivated himself. Most of the lights in sickbay were off and the only person there was Crewman Lang. He had been assigned to watch over Tom in the night shift. Ensigns Murphy and Rogers had been assigned to watch the entrances to the room.

The hallways were dimly lit that night. Almost the entire crew had gone to sleep.

Suddenly, down the hall, there came a loud noise. Murphy drew his phaser and went to investigate. But while he was away from his post, a shadow approached sickbay.

On the inside of sickbay, Crewman Lang was sitting in The Doctor's office, keeping an eye on both entrances. When the main one opened, he quickly turned his head towards it. No one came through. He drew his phaser and went to the door. He looked down both ends of the corridor, and no one was there.

"Murphy?" he called out. There came no response. Lang just shrugged to himself and turned back into sickbay. Once back inside, he was almost promptly knocked out by an unidentified figure. Lang groaned and fell onto his back.

The figure turned its attention toward the medical database. It approached the workstation and accessed the files labeled "Tom Paris Treatment."

The figure located the file labeled "Terionium Disulfide Treatment" and deleted it. Then it looked around the room and saw the rack of medicines and sedatives. The figure walked over to it and found the container labeled "Terionium Disulfide Cure." DNA. The mysterious individual placed the container on the counter and took out a phaser. The figure set it on the maximum setting and pointed it directly at the container.

Just then, the lights activated and Chakotay, Tuvok, and four security guards stormed into sickbay. They all pointed their weapons at the figure, who still had its back turned to them.

"Turn around." Chakotay ordered the person. "Very slowly."

The figure complied with his order. Chakotay was stunned when he saw who it was. All he could utter was "Anne?"

The figure was Anne Smithee, one of Chakotay's longtime friends in the Maquis. She still had her phaser pointed directly at the container labeled "Cure."

"You're the assassin?" said Chakotay.

"Yes." she said. "And I will not be unsuccessful in my work."

Immediately, she vaporized the container with the phaser. Grinning wickedly, she looked at Chakotay and told him "There's nothing you can do to try to save Paris now."

"That wasn't the cure." said Chakotay.

"What?" said Smithee.

"That was just a test tube filled with water and food coloring." Chakotay explained. "And that file was just a list of Tom's favorite foods."

"But I thought you said you had a cure?" Smithee then realized the answer to her own question. "Oh, I see now. You just claimed that The Doctor had found a cure in effort to draw me out into the light."

"I'd say my plan worked quite well." said Chakotay. "And by the way, your attempt on Tom's life won't succeed. Kes and The Doctor have already found an actual cure, but in order to keep Tom safe, they have told no one a single detail about it except me, the Captain, and Tuvok."

Smithee developed a very tense look on her face. She was clearly infuriated by the fact she had just been uncovered by Chakotay and that her plans were not going to succeed.

"Why did you do it, Anne?" asked Chakotay.

"He betrayed us." said Smithee. "He was going to get the rest of us arrested just so that he would be freed from prison."

"I don't like it either, Anne." said Chakotay. "But right now, none of that matters. The rest of the Maquis and I have forgiven Tom."

"I am a very forgiving person too, Chakotay." said Smithee. "But the one thing I never forgive is treachery. In my eyes, treachery is the worst sin one could make and all traitors should be killed."

"In a way, I betrayed your people, Miss Smithee." Tuvok pointed out.

"That's different." said Smithee. "You were just doing your job. Paris was doing it for his own benefit. He deserves to die."

At this, Smithee pointed her phaser at Tom's unconscious form and said to the six people in front of her "Any of you take as much as a step closer, and I'll kill him."

"Logic indicates that you will murder Lieutenant Paris regardless of whether we stay back or not." Tuvok noted. "To do nothing would be highly illogical."

"I've invested too much into this to let it fail." said Smithee. "I'm going to finish what I started!"

"Anne, don't do this." Chakotay tried to convince her.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to disobey your orders, Commander." said Smithee.

"Anne, if you even try to fire that phaser, I will shoot you." Chakotay threatened.

Anne chuckled and said "Earlier I ingested a type of compound that strengthens the body against phaser-fire. Anything under the setting of kill is completely useless on me."

Chakotay realized just what the current situation called for. He was going to have to choose whose life had to be saved. Then he made his decision. He set his phaser on kill and kept it pointed at Smithee. She could just stare at him in disbelief.

"You would kill me- a friend of nine years- to save him, a devious reject?" she presumed.

"He is not as devious as he used to be, nor is he a reject." said Chakotay. "And no friend of mine would kill an unconscious person in cold blood."

Smithee kept her phaser pointed at Tom. Chakotay ordered the four security guards to step out of the room and leave him and Tuvok alone with Smithee. They agreed and left.

Chakotay told Anne "This is your last chance. Put that phaser down. NOW."

Smithee then looked at Tom Paris' unconscious form on the bio-bed. So many thoughts were going through her mind at that moment. In the end, she lowered her phaser. Chakotay and Tuvok did the same. Smithee said "Well, I suppose that I can come to forgive him."

Chakotay was about to give her a friendly grin when she abruptly added in "Or perhaps not!" and pointed her phaser back at Tom.

In a split-second, Chakotay raised his phaser and fired at Smithee. The beam of energy hit her directly in the chest. She fell backwards against the wall and died in a sitting position.

Chakotay could only breathe in deeply and stare at her. He had just killed one of his own people to save Tom's life. Unable to hold himself together, he dropped the phaser and went to stand against the wall for support. Seeing the Commander's reaction, Tuvok asked him "Sir, are you feeling alright?"

Chakotay assured the Vulcan security chief "I'm fine, Tuvok. Just notify the Captain that the assassin will not be making a third attempt on fate."

"Yes, sir." said Tuvok.

Once the Captain had been notified of the situation, Smithee's body was taken to the morgue. Crewman Lang was revived, having only a bruise on his forehead. The good news kept coming when Kes and The Doctor spoke with the Captain when she came down to sickbay: they had found a cure at last!