To The Journey

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. This is an AU story.

Chapter Three: The Investigation

"How is it possible," Picard asked irately, "that the Maquis knew we were going to be there? We didn't send a single message about our intentions off this ship, but there's no way that was a coincidence."

What was supposed to have been a simple mission had ended in disaster. They'd been trying to intercept a Maquis ship. Instead, five Maquis ships had intercepted them. Although all five combined made up less than half of the size of the Enterprise, they had put their numbers to good use. They had flown a complex enough pattern that it had been nearly impossible to keep track of all five at once, and the damaged Enterprise had had to retreat. They had luckily not been pursued by the Maquis, but they had lost five crewmembers, with another seventeen seriously injured, and the amount of damage that had been inflicted would take several weeks to repair.

"I have a thought, Captain," Tasha said softly, "but you're not going to like it."

"Say it anyway. I need to know how this may have happened."

"Well, Captain, in our attempts to combat the Maquis we've placed operatives inside their cells. Might it be possible they've done the same to us?"

"I don't see how that could happen," Will frowned. "It isn't as easy to get into Starfleet as it is to get into the Maquis."

"But Starfleet officers have defected to the Maquis," Tasha pointed out. "Couldn't they have told a potential defector to keep the uniform on and his or her eyes open?"

"She has a point," Data said.

Picard sighed, putting his head in his hand. "That means that anyone who knew about our plan in enough advance is suspect."

"Captain, that list comprises one hundred and twenty-three known personnel, to say nothing of anyone who might have found out accidentally. That includes the entire security staff -"

"Thank you, Mr. Data. I'm well aware of the scope of this situation."

"Oh." Data looked faintly abashed. "Of course, sir."

"I think we may have to call in backup."

"Uh, Captain, if I may," Will said softly, "the last time you decided to call in backup to investigate a potential traitor -"

"Yes, yes, I know, Number One. No one hopes more than I that that won't happen again. But this ship cannot function if we have a security leak."

Tasha nodded. "Agreed."

xxxxxxxxx

Fortunately for all of them, Admiral Ross did not display the same obsessive tendencies as Satie had. He was eager to flush out the spy, but he clearly wasn't going to go on a witch-hunt in the process.

At the moment, he was talking to Tasha. "You say your entire security team knew about this?"

"We were anticipating boarding the other ship. I needed everyone fully aware of what was going on."

"How many people is that, Commander?"

"Total security compliment is fifty-nine, including Lieutenant Worf and myself."

"Commander, I hope you understand that until we have some idea what's going on, anyone who was privy to this information is suspect. That includes the entire senior staff."

"I understand, sir. Though I'd like to say for the record that every member of the senior staff has my utmost confidence."

"Your Captain said the same thing."

"Admiral, I think it's important to check with everyone, make sure they never discussed this with anyone. We never thought to make it confidential, there didn't seem to be a reason to, and I don't want the real spy being overlooked because we're busy investigating a list they're not on."

"Fair point. So who else knew officially?"

"The entire senior staff, of course. All three bridge shifts for the three days prior, I don't remember exactly who that was but it should be on the duty roster. Select members of pretty much every department remotely relevant. I think Data said it was a hundred and twenty something."

"Plus anyone they might have told."

"Which I'm hoping is a short list."

"So am I, Commander. So am I. Your report says you were able to take a prisoner?"

"A group of seven beamed over when we lost shields. Six beamed back, but there was a transporter problem and we were able to arrest the seventh before they got a chance to try again."

"Then we'll question him too."

xxxxxxxxx

"You wanted to see me, Admiral?" She could tell from his most subtle signals that this wouldn't be as pleasant as their last conversation.

"Yes, Commander. Sit down."

She obliged. "If I may be so bold, what's this about?"

"Commander, you do remember me saying that everyone with knowledge of the plan was suspect? Including you?"

"You've already questioned me."

"Thank you, Commander, I was aware of that. I've had some interesting discussions with a few members of your crew regarding your feelings towards the Maquis."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Is it or is it not true that you've expressed sympathetic thoughts towards them?"

"I have said that I am sympathetic to their reasons, if not their methods, yes."

"I have it on the word of an Ensign Loretta McIntyre that following a shuttle crash you cooperated with a group of Maquis."

"I did what was necessary to survive long enough to be rescued."

"She also said that you engaged in a long personal conversation with one of them."

What harm could it do now? "The person of whom you speak is the now-deceased Lieutenant Tuvok. He was a Starfleet operative."

"How would you know that?"

"He confided in me. Admiral, we both know that the families of undercover operatives are always told. The man to whom I spoke has always been like a father to me."

"You also conducted a private conversation with Tom Paris after he was arrested."

"If you look into it, you'll find that Tom and I share - shared - a personal connection as well as a common ancestry."

"You have an explanation for everything, don't you?"

"Since everything I've said is the truth, I should think so."

"Commander, can you understand how this looks from my end?"

"Yes," she admitted.

"I want it to be clear that you're not being charged with anything. However, you are a likely suspect in this case. With that in mind, I'm temporarily relieving you of duty and confining you to quarters for the duration of this investigation. If, at the end of the investigation, there is no evidence of wrongdoing on your part, this incident will be removed from your record and it will be as though none of it ever happened."

Not in people's minds, she wanted to say, but a line from Picard's favorite author jumped to mind. The lady doth protest too much, methinks. To argue would only serve to solidify a case against her, a case that was now just a whisper of doubt. So she nodded slowly.

xxxxxxxxx

"You don't think I did it, do you?"

Data being Data, he had found the loophole in her confinement. She wasn't allowed to leave, but there was nothing in the rules about others not being able to enter. The entire senior staff was assembled in the Second Officer and Head of Security's quarters, sitting around the poker table. But Tasha couldn't forget the circumstances.

Everyone was momentarily shocked into silence. It was Deanna who spoke first. "Of course not. I sense no deceit from you, and anyway, I know you too well. Regardless of your beliefs, you'd never put this ship or especially its crew in danger."

This was met by murmurs of assent from the group, and Worf growled almost threateningly. "Your personal feelings are none of Starfleet's business. Why should anyone have revealed them to the Admiral?"

"He probably asked for anything that might be relevant," Tasha said passively. She might be angry about being confined, but she didn't blame the officers under her command.

"I promise you," Will said firmly, "that we'll expose whoever it is and get you cleared."

xxxxxxxxx

Data strode purposefully down the hall. He knew it wasn't his place, but he had to talk to the prisoner. Two days of trying to find evidence to clear Tasha of the crime hadn't worked. He knew that the prisoner had already been questioned, and he didn't know exactly what he wanted to accomplish, but he didn't want Tasha just to be released on no proof of guilt, because he knew that if they didn't prove she was innocent, there would still be doubt in people's minds.

He stopped when he heard the prisoner talking to his guard. He had just intended to wait for a break in the conversation, but as he heard what they said, his tricorder was instantly in his hand. It looked like he would get what he came for, and he'd never have to say a word.

xxxxxxxxx

Tasha was in more than a little trouble. She couldn't explain why the ship's internal sensors had registered her leaving her quarters when she knew she hadn't. Unfortunately, she didn't have an alibi. Data had been working.

"If you didn't leave your quarters," the Admiral demanded, "then why do the sensors say you did? And that you removed a phaser from a storage locker?"

"I don't know."

"Not good enough."

"It's all I have."

"Then let me offer another explanation. You left your quarters, thinking you wouldn't be caught -"

"That's not the way it happened!"

The doorbell rang, and Ross sighed. "Come in."

Data stepped through the door. "Admiral."

"Mr. Data, Commander Yar had been accused of violating her confinement."

"She did not. I can prove it."

Two identical looks of shock met him.

"I recorded this conversation from outside of the brig approximately two point one minutes ago." He began linking the tricorder into the ship's computer. A man's voice sounded. The prisoner's voice.

"...don't suspect you're the one who told us?"

"Who, me?" A woman's voice, this time. "They don't suspect a thing. They're too busy keeping an eye on my commanding officer?"

"They think your CO did it?"

"Thanks to some carefully placed information I gave the Admiral when he questioned her. It's all true, she really is a sympathizer, but she'd never go beyond saying she understands our cause. She's too Starfleet. Perfect for us. Enough sympathy to come off suspicious, but not someone we'd ever possibly be able to use."

Ross glanced over at Tasha, somewhat apologetically. It was pretty clear now that she'd been set up.

"So what happens now?"

"I rigged internal sensors to show that she left her quarters. Now I'm going to unlock this with the Commander's authorization. This chip has that same authorization. Now, this phaser I got out of a storage locker."

"Her authorization?"

"Of course. Once you're out, I'll give you the phaser, and you stun me. Then use the chip to steal a shuttle and get out."

"What would I do without you?"

The recording cut off. Ross was the first to speak. "Commander Data, do you know who the woman was?"

"Ensign Loretta McIntyre, of Security."

"Computer, locate Ensign McIntyre."

"Ensign McIntyre is in the holding cell bay."

"Is there anyone else there?"

"Affirmative."

"Commander Yar, would you do the honors?"

She couldn't suppress a small smile. "Computer, lock down the bay doors, authorization Yar Theta Nine-Two-Five and deactivate manual override. Do not release without the command codes belonging to Lieutenant Commander Data."

"Lieutenant Commander Data, please confirm."

"Confirming. Authorization Kappa Alpha Four-Six-Zero-One-Seven-Zero-Four."

"Accepted."

"You're with me," the Admiral said, "both of you."

xxxxxxxxx

Data unlocked the door and the prisoner almost tumbled through the door he'd clearly been struggling to open. Data and Tasha grabbed him instantly, and Data restrained him while Tasha relieved him of the stolen phaser and turned it on the Security Ensign standing a few paces back from the door.

"Ensign Loretta McIntyre," the Admiral declared, "you're under arrest for treason and obstruction of justice."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I beg to differ, Ensign," Data said over the man's head. "Five point three minutes ago I recorded a conversation between you and our prisoner in which you freely admitted to telling the Maquis about our intended raid and to framing Commander Yar for the crime."

"Do you deny this, Ensign?" The Admiral asked sharply.

"You know what? No. No, I don't. What Starfleet is doing in the Demilitarized Zone is wrong. You know that, Commander," she added to Tasha, "I've heard your perspective."

"That doesn't mean that what the Maquis are doing is right!" she countered sharply. "What about the five people killed last week? What about the seventeen still in Sickbay? Are their lives worth less than the lives of the colonists?"

Loretta only glared at her, saying nothing.

"Confine them," the Admiral ordered. Both prisoners were walked into holding cells, and the forcefields were activated.

xxxxxxxxx

"Commander, I want to apologize again for the events of the last few days."

"You've already apologized, Admiral, and I've already accepted."

"In that case, allow me to offer some advice. Your opinions are your own, and I've no right to tell you what to think. However, I'd be more careful about who hears your thoughts. If another incident like this happens, I don't want someone like McIntyre able to pin it on you."

"I appreciate that, Admiral."

"Now that said, I've been reviewing the mission specs and the logs of the incident. Did you come up with the original plan for the strike?"

"I did."

"And you were at tactical during the ambush?"

"Yes."

He shook his head in amazement. "Impressive, Commander. Very impressive. Commander, would you ever consider leaving the Enterprise?"

"Leave the Enterprise?" she repeated in shock. "Why?"

"Have you ever heard of the Dominion?"

"No." Unbeknownst to Tasha, there would come a time in the not too distant future when she would long for this ignorance. "Who are they?"

"A Gamma Quadrant alliance that the Federation has recently come into contact with. Earlier this year, they abducted several Federation officers and plugged them into an elaborate simulation where the Federation allied with the Dominion."

"To see what they would do," Tasha finished.

"Exactly. More recently, a combined force of the respective secret services of Romulus and Cardassia attempted an attack on a Dominion stronghold."

"Why?"

"Preventative measures, I presume. I don't always understand how those sorts of people work. It didn't succeed anyway. Both fleets were annihilated."

Tasha barely kept her composure. "Annihilated?"

"So you see, if they decide to attack us, we could find ourselves in real trouble. Good tactical strategy could make all the difference. I could offer you a position at tactical headquarters, a leadership position even. Or if you'd rather be on the frontlines, we have several ships about to be launched that could use a strong first officer. If things keep going the way they have been, you could have your own ship in a year."

Tasha lost all battles to keep her composure this time. For a long moment, she stared at the Admiral, trying to process what he'd just said. But reason took over quickly, and she prepared to shock him as much as he'd just shocked her.

"Admiral, I appreciate your offer, truly I do, and I appreciate your confidence in me. I'd be willing to collaborate on any strategical projects, but I'll be doing it from here. If we ever get into the sort of situation we all hope we'll never deal with, if it really gets bad, I'll reconsider your offer, but until then, this is where I belong. This is my ship, and these are my people. I can't just leave because someone made me a better offer."

He sighed. "You've been spending too much time around Commander Riker."

"Maybe so, sir. But my answer stands nonetheless."

"So does my offer, Commander. If you ever change your mind, just give me a call and I'll find something for you."

"Thank you, Admiral."

This idea came from a reviewer. Can't remember who it was, but thank you whoever you are.

For anyone who doesn't do DS9, yes, we'll be seeing more of the Dominion in later chapters.

Please review. I've had only two reviews per chapter so far, from the same people. I know more than two people are reading and enjoying this, so say something! As anyone who's reviewed me before knows, I'll respond to any and all signed reviews, and I really do read them and take suggestions into account.