"I'd like to see Gray," Toshi asked Mara as they walked away from the briefing.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," the Catkin doctor said as glanced at Jens who was still at the table pouring over maps with McGrath and the Doctor. "Your father does not trust him."
Toshi turned and looked at her father. "He hurt Dad. I understand my father's grief. But Gray is still my uncle, my dad's brother." She studied Mara's face. "Are you making progress, can you cure him?"
"Gray is a damaged human being, Toshi," Mara said quietly. "People can't be 'fixed' like a clock. I do know this. Seeing Jack and the boy with the Adyan raiders made him realize that his abduction long ago was not his brother's fault. Jack was only twelve. It broke the resentment. Then watching Jack…hurt by the raiders has filled him with guilt and remorse. Your father's captivity is his fault." Mara stopped and looked at Toshi. "I had him on suicide watch for the first three weeks. I think he is past that now, but we must find Jack."
They turned the corner and entered the infirmary. Adjit turned from his task of stocking medical supplies.
"Adjit, I want you to meet Toshi," said the doctor. "Toshi, this is my son and my assistant, Adjit."
Toshi smiled and put out her hand. Adjit flushed a small smile, and shyly shook her hand and gave her a slight bow.
"Toshi, would you help Adjit stock the medical supplies? I'll talk with Jens about letting you see Gray." Mara then excused herself and left the two teenagers alone.
Ajit pointed to the boxes of bandages, then pointed to the storage shelf.
Toshi gave him a wry smile as she picked up the box, sorted out the different sizes of bandages, and handed them to him to shelve.
He then pointed to a large box of medications.
"You don't talk much, do you?" she laughed.
He blushed. "Sorry," he whispered.
"Let's start again," Toshi said cheerily. "My name is Toshi…and I don't bite."
"Ajit, my name is Ajit," he said softly finally raising his eyes to look at her face. "We will need to put the antibiotics on the third shelf on the right."
As they worked together, Ajit could see Toshi had all the easy charm of Jack, as well as his good looks. He began relax, pointing out the other areas of the infirmary.
Mara soon appeared at the door of the infirmary with Jens. The Time Lord's body was tense and he had a worried look on his face. Toshi and Ajit stopped working and met them.
"The doctor told me that you want to see Gray," he said grimly. "You know what he did."
Toshi nodded. "But I know that Dad loved his brother and wouldn't give up on him." She glanced at the doctor. "Mara told me that he realizes what he has done, and that he has changed. Maybe he is recovering."
Jen's eyes narrowed. "And maybe it's a ruse."
"Please let me see him."
Jens shut his eyes in exasperation. "Fine. But I want Mara, Ajit, and me with you. No one is to be alone with that man."
Mara pointed to a door down the hall from the infirmary. "This way."
They opened the door to find Gray sitting at a writing desk, making an entry in a journal. He closed the book, and stared at Toshi. He stood up as the group filed into his room. When he saw Jens, he looked away. The Doctor and McGrath silently joined them in the back of the room.
Mara stepped forward. "Gray, this is your niece, Toshi, Jack's daughter."
Toshi held out her hand in greeting. Gray slowly moved forward, shook it, and stepped back. He stared at her.
"You look a lot like him, …when he was a boy," Gray said softly.
"That's what he tells me," Toshi grinned. Then her smile faded. "So what do I call you? Gray? Uncle?"
"Gray's fine." He paused and looked down, "Toshi, I'm sorry about what I did to…"
"Mara said you weren't yourself," Toshi interrupted. "And that you are better now."
Jens shot an angry glance at the doctor, and opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it.
"I think so," Gray said softly watching Jens. "I want to help, if they let me."
Toshi turned to her father. "He can help us find Dad." She ignored the stony look on his face and continued. "I know he is like Dad, from the future, but he's lived with them, knows the pattern of the species. It is the same one, right?"
Jens looked at his daughter: Jack's blue eyes, Jack's cheeky smile, Jack's stubbornness.
"He can work under my supervision," offered Mara. "It would be good for him too."
"I don't give a damn what's good for him," Jens blurted. "I don't trust him!"
"Toshi's right," the Doctor said somberly. "He could be of some help."
McGrath nodded. "Anything would help. I'd certainly like to brief him."
Jens turned and looked at the faces of his team, then back at his daughter. "I guess I am out voted." He turned back to Mara. "You vouch for him, and the same conditions as before, no weapons."
Toshi went up to Gray and pulled him into a hug. "It's nice to have more family", and then kissed him lightly on the cheek. He tensed, taken aback by her warm greeting.
"Well then," the Doctor said. "It's time we get going." He led the group back to the table. Mara made room for Gray at her side with Jens. The maps were still spread on the table. Evidence of the Adyans was marked in green at three ports.
McGrath said, "From the evidence and from what the Doctor tells me, we may be dealing with a divided crew." He looked at the Doctor and continued. "From what you tell me, the Adyans are a powerful yet peaceful race. They chose to close their planet to outsiders centuries ago. However, there are always those who rebel in any society. This group started out wanting to explore, but at some point a mutiny occurred. The current leadership struck a deal with the Aurora Cartel, and you know how the rest played out. We are thinking that there are Adyans on board who don't want to be part of this, yet don't know how to get back home.
"How do you know that?" asked Jens.
"Three years ago in another star system, undercover operatives noted several Adyans were in town gathering supplies. They were contacted and offered amnesty if they would give us information. They were told how to contact the Conservancy and given a code sequence and password." McGuire pointed at the green symbols on the map, each on a different planet. "We think that the next strike is on Tau Ceti 4. It fits the pattern: lightly populated, rich in mineral crystals, and close to a major trade route. And there is one more thing."
Jens and Mara looked up from the map.
"We have evidence that Jack is in the area."
"How can you be sure?" Jens said cautiously.
Colonel McGuire paused then continued. "Because it is DNA evidence."
"What did you find?" asked Jens slowly.
"A towel with his blood on it was wrapped and left with the code sequence and password at a drop," McGuire said grimly. "It's him."
Jens drew Toshi closer to him.
McGuire continued, "I've asked the Doctor to go to the Adyan planet to get more intel on the raiders. I think we have a chance of catching them if we move quickly."
"I've received permission from the Adyan diplomat, and they are expecting us," said the Doctor.
"Us?" asked Jens.
"Toshi and I will meet with them," said the Doctor. "And Ajit."
They turned and looked at him with surprise.
Jens asked, "Why Ajit?"
The Doctor stared at Mara. "You know why."
The team's eyes turned toward the Catkin doctor.
The Mara stood uncomfortably in the Time Lord's gaze, and bit her lip. "He was too young to remember anything."
"What is she talking about?" Jens asked the Doctor.
"Ajit was not found after a battle killed his parents," said Mara. "He was found in a cave just like the one Gray was found in, just like the one Jack was left in."
Ajit put his hand against his neck and pulled down the turtleneck collar of his sweater. The scars on his neck were identical to Gray's.