Set during the fifth season, Voyager answers a distress call and finds itseld knee deep in kids.  A novella that includes the entire crew, with special emphasis on Paris/Torres.  Should probably be a pg-13, but I rated it R due to adult situations and language.The characters, settings and everything Trek is the propoerty of Paramount, Viacom, and all those other Fortune 500 types.  I just borrowed them to play a little, and have put them back nicely now that I'm done.No Good Deed Goes UnpunishedChapter OneThe shower door opened  and B'Elanna turned.  "Tom," she sighed, a slight degree of exasperation showing in her voice, "There is barely enough room for one in this stall, let alone two.""I thought maybe you'd want me to scrub your back."  "Hmph!" was her only reply.  After a moment, she sighed again, but this time there was no hint of exasperation.  "Tom, that is not my back!""No?" he laughed softly in her ear.  Before she could say anything, the captain's voice interrupted her."Janeway to Lieutenant Torres.""Torres here, Captain," B'Elanna tried hard to sound as if she didn't have company in the shower."B'Elanna, I know you're not scheduled for duty for another two hours, but I need the senior officers in the conference room in thirty minutes.""Aye, Captain.""And, Tom?"Startled, Tom promptly responded, "Yes, Captain?""I do mean thirty minutes."  There was just a hint of laughter in their captain's voice.  "Yes, Ma'am,"  he answered saucily.The lieutenants looked at each other and grinned.  Then, as B'Elanna saw the changing look in Tom's eye, she scrambled to exit the shower.  "Hey, the captain said thirty minutes.  Five to dress, five to get there, we got twenty whole minutes," Tom said, unsuccessfully trying to block her exit."Which I intend to use eating some breakfast.""Breakfast!""Yeah, you know, food?  I have to eat, Tom, to keep my strength up.  You've been depleting my energy reserves lately.  You do not want to find out what happens to a hungry Klingon."************************************************************************Already in the conference room, Janeway smiled.  There were times when  her helmsman bordered on the insubordinate with that wicked little 'Yes, Ma'am' response of his.  Affectionate insubordination, but insubordination nonetheless.  Still, he had pulled their cookies out of the fire often enough to earn the right to a little affectionate insubordination from time to time.  A very little.Her gaze returned to the window where the stars streaked by at the nearly inconceivable rate of  billions of kilometers per hour.  And still it would take them so long to get home.  She sighed softly.  How to maintain Starfleet level discipline on a ship tens of thousands of light years from Starfleet?  And should she even try?  In a few minutes, her senior staff would start coming through that door.  Not for the first time she thought about how headquarters would regard her selection of officers.  After all, of the eight people on her staff, only three were regulation Starfleet personnel, and one of those was an almost  wet-behind-the-ears ensign.     As for the others...she dropped her gaze to her hands where they lay curled around her coffee cup.  She could guess what headquarters would say about them.  A convicted felon who had been cashiered from Starfleet; two Maquis fugitives who would be indicted for treason if and when they got home;  an alien whose planet had never even been heard of by anyone in the Alpha Quadrant, let alone recognized as a member of the Federation; and a hologram.Her gaze lifted once again to the window, and a small smile played about her mouth.  There was no doubt that Starfleet would look askance on her choices.  But she could not imagine having come this far without a single one of them by her side.  In his or her own way, each of them was an inextricable link in a chain, and together they forged a formidable front.  This was no longer just a ship filled with Federation and Maquis, officers and crewmen.  Somewhere on this crazy ride they had become a family.  A noisy, squabbling, loving family which drew its collective strength from all the members.       And that was why she was calling this meeting.  A distress call had been intercepted  in the wee hours of the morning.  In the Alpha Quadrant, once she had learned the nature of the situation, she would not have stopped to consult her officers.  With regret, but without hesitation, she would have issued the order to deny assistance. The Prime Directive was unrelenting.However, maybe because they were so far away and alone out here, after she had learned the full nature of the rescue request, she knew that this was one time she was willing to ignore Starfleet regulations.  And with that, ignore years of  following the rules because that was what a Starfleet officer did.  It was not a decision she had made lightly.   Nor was it a decision she could make unilaterally.  She owed it to her "family" to get their input on this issue.  Though she was certain she knew what they would say.  In fact, now that she had thought about it, she wondered why she had even decided to seek their opinions.Her reverie was interrupted by the arrival of Tuvok, early as usual.  He nodded in her direction.  "Good morning, Captain."She gave him a bright smile.  "Tuvok." she answered.  Her oldest  friend, his was the voice of reason in the cold, dark night.  Of all the officers present, he would be the one to point out the error of her ways. He was the non-emotional counterpoint to her sometimes emotional desires.  She could not count the times that heated fury or icy fear had gripped her heart, wanting her to strike out at something, anything.   It was at those times she focused on Tuvok.  She thought about what he would say, how he would look at the situation.  And the calm of relentless logic would allow her to make her decision based on reason, not rage.The door slid open again to admit Chakotay.  His eyes immediately sought  hers, as they always did, and she quelled the spark that always shot through her to touch her soul.  He smiled sleepily at her and headed for the replicator to order a cup of coffee.  She hastily took a sip out of her own cup.  Chakotay was her strength.  Calm and assured to the point where she occasionally and shamefully found herself wanting to do something to make him lose his temper, she relied on him to keep her going when everything else had crumbled around her.  She found herself leaning on him more and more, a thought which had frightened her at first.  But he never pushed.  Never took advantage.  And slowly, so slowly, she found herself letting him in.Again, perhaps fortunately this time, she was pulled from her reverie by the swish of the conference room door opening to admit  Harry and the doctor.  Harry, as always, was pure Starfleet.  Every hair was in place, his uniform neat, his boots shined.  He smiled a pleasant good morning to her and the other officers present, then resumed  his conversation with the doctor.  They seemed to be discussing some sort of improvement in the ship's life support system, though she had come too late into the conversation to understand what Harry was talking about.  The doctor nodded in her direction as he took his seat."Good morning, Captain, Commanders, Ensign, Doctor!"  The eternally cheerful Neelix blustered into the room like a minor hurricane.  He was carrying a tray of  some sort of breakfast role, and Janeway heard her own tummy growl as he set it down in front of her and a tempting aroma wafted to her nose."Ensign Gallagher gave me the recipe for these.  I believe she called them 'sticky buns'.  I made them for the gamma shift last night, and they seemed to enjoy them."After only a moment's  hesitation, everyone but the Doctor took one.  When Tom and B'Elanna came into the room and saw their fellow officers licking brown sugar and cinnamon off their fingers, Tom gave B'Elanna a look that caused her to laugh out loud."Something funny, Lieutenants?"  Chakotay looked at the engineer and helmsman ."No, Commander,"  B'Elanna answered before Tom could open his mouth.  "We grabbed breakfast before we came.  If we'd have known you were serving breakfast here, it would have given us more time to... get ready."  She took her seat, refusing to look at Tom.Voyager's conn officer  took his seat next to her, trying to appear as though nothing was wrong.  Instead, he looked like a little boy who had just had his favorite toy taken from him.  Janeway stifled a laugh, while Chakotay hid his grin behind his coffee mug.  None of the others at the table seemed to notice.  Then Janeway remembered why she had called her officers together at the ungodly hour of 06:30 and her demeanor grew serious."About two hours ago Crewman Hamilton intercepted a distress call from a ship.  Of course, he immediately  informed me.  I followed through on the call, and spoke to a woman who comes from a planet called Doscene.  Their ship has been heavily damaged, apparently beyond any hope of repair.  She said they have been adrift for weeks.  Their life support systems are starting to fail, and rations are growing short."Janeway paused to look around.  She had the undivided attention of everyone at the table.    "The Dosceni are refugees.  According to Ar Ziel, the woman with whom I spoke, they have forty-seven people aboard.  Seven women, four men, and thirty-six children."    That brought a small ripple among her staff.  "Captain, I don't understand,"  Harry spoke up.  "Are we en route to provide assistance?"    His wasn't the only puzzled look at the table."Not yet."  Janeway answered.  She took a deep breath.  "These people are refugees from a civil war.  It was their own people who attacked them."Now understanding dawned on the faces of nearly everyone present, followed quickly by looks of dismay.  Only Neelix and the Doctor still looked puzzled.  "Captain?"  Neelix leaned forward.  "Why is that a problem?" He had been with these people for over five years now.  It was so unlike them not to offer immediate assistance to anyone in trouble that he was as baffled by their behavior now as he had been the first time he saw them put themselves in danger to help total strangers.  Chakotay had explained to him then that offering aid to those in distress was a maritime tradition that went back millennia on their home world.  Chakotay had said that on the sea, there were no borders or countries to divide people.  There was only man against the elements.  So a sailor in distress was offered aid, no matter what his nationality.  The same held true in space.  So he would have expected them to jump at giving help.  Especially when children were involved.Tuvok answered him.  "In Starfleet, we are guided by many rules and regulations, Mr. Neelix.  The most stringent of all the rules is the Prime Directive.  And one of the tenants of that rule is that we may not interfere in the political development of non-Federation planets.  Offering aid, even under such extreme circumstances,  can be considered a form of interference.""And there's more",  Janeway spoke again.  "Ar Ziel told me they were trying to get to a system  where she hoped her people could seek sanctuary.  To get to that world and return would take us nearly six weeks out of our way.  Plus, there is no guarantee that they could gain the sanctuary they seek.  In that case...."  She didn't need to finish her sentence.   "So, you see why I called you together.  If we do this, we not only will be violating Starfleet code, we will be adding nearly two months to our journey home, and we may end up with permanent guests.   Ultimately, the final decision will be mine and mine alone.  But I want to know how you feel about this.  Whatever decision is made, it will need to be made quickly. We're now only about an hour away from the Dosceni position."There was a silence so intense you could hear the measured breathing of several of the officers.  Finally, after a long moment, Tom leaned forward and spoke softly."Captain, why would you even need to ask us?"A tiny smile flitted across her face.  "Funny you should ask, Mr. Paris.  I was wondering the same thing myself moments before you all started to arrive."  She looked around the table at each person in turn.  What she saw there seemed to satisfy her.  Finally, she turned to look at Harry, who was watching her intently.  "Mr. Kim, contact Ar Ziel.  Inform her,"  she took a small breath and the tiny smile was back, "that help is on the way."Harry nodded acknowledgement of her order, but before he could make a move, everyone started talking."We'll need to set up triage.  I'm sure that under the circumstances, there will be sick or injured," the Doctor spoke up, almost cheerful at the thought of having to put his considerable skills to work.       "Right," Tom nodded.  "If you and Ensign Powell set up sickbay, I'll get Ensign Wildman to work with me at the Transporter Room.  We'll triage from there and send them to you as needed,"  He was rising as he spoke and without a backward glance walked out of the room by the doctor's side."That many people without food for so long will be very hungry,"  Neelix said as he followed behind them.  "Let me see, chicken soup with noodles, yes and Aktarian greel, and maybe a little..."  He continued to work out his menu as the doors closed behind him only to spring open quickly for B'Elanna."Thirty-six kids,  that's going to mean a lot of cots and blankets and pillows.  We'll have to clear one of the cargo bays..."  She slapped her comm badge and began giving orders to Lieutenant Nicoletti to roust Engineering even as she went out the door.      "Captain, I will need to study the Dosceni ship to make certain that all is as it should be.  Further, I will organize a Security team to beam over to the Dosceni ship to assist in the evacuation."  Tuvok at least looked at her for her nod of agreement before leaving.Chakotay rose also.   "I'll co-ordinate the rest of the crew, putting them where they're needed most."   He offered her a quick smile before he left.Janeway glanced over to Harry where he still sat.  He suddenly realized that he was the only one to whom she had actually given an order, and he was the only one still there.  Standing so abruptly he almost knocked over his chair, he quickly followed his senior officers out the door.Captain Kathryn Janeway looked around at the empty seats.  Grinning broadly, she held up her coffee cup and said, "Dismissed."  Then she reached for a second sticky bun.            Chapter Two       An hour later Captain Janeway strode through the halls of her ship with a look of pride on her face.  They may be a patched together crew, decades away from a starbase, but by God she would match her people up against the best that Starfleet had to offer.They had found the crippled Dosceni ship just a few minutes earlier, and Tuvok's team had already beamed over to help set up the evacuation.  Harry had gone with him to try and extract some medical information from the Dosceni's data banks.  His efforts to download the information directly from Ops had been hampered by the extensive damage to the Dosceni ship.  On her way to the Transporter Room to meet the refugees, she had decided to stop by the strategic stations to determine that all was in order.  Of course, she had nothing to worry about.       In the mess hall, Neelix had several pots going, and many of her crew were hard at work, making tea, peeling vegetables, stacking trays and preparing plates, cups and bowls.  To her surprise, Seven was there, listening intently as Neelix explained to her the exacting requirements needed to produce a good quality greel.         In sickbay, the doctor had  trays of instruments lined up.  Since they weren't sure of the extent of the injuries or illness they would encounter, the doctor and Tom had agreed that those in need of immediate medical attention would be sent directly to sickbay, while the others could go to the mess hall to eat and wait their turn for the mandatory physical exam.  For that reason, they were limiting the number of people transported at one time.     Someone had even thought to set up some chairs in the hallway outside sickbay in case there was an overflow.    And, everyone with any sort of background in the physical sciences had been recruited to serve as aides so that there was an attendant assigned to each biobed.            B'Elanna's engineers had pulled off a minor miracle.  In the course of an hour, with the help of crewmen from astrophysics, Security and Stellar Cartography, they had cleared a cargo bay  and set up a combination dormitory and nursery.       One section held two rows of cots, neatly made up with sheets, blankets and pillows.    There were even some with side rails and a few cribs arranged near the front.  Nicoletti explained that Lieutenant Carey had asked Harry to find out how many babies and toddlers there were, and set up the sleeping arrangements accordingly.       Another part of the room had several  tables and chairs.  And one big section was covered with a large, soft rug.  "Play area,"  B'Elanna answered Janeway's unspoken question as she walked up to her.  "Joe said kids need a place like that for playing."     Janeway started to comment on how good it was that they had the benefit of  Joe Carey's  experience as a father when her attention was drawn to a commotion in the doorway.  Joe Carey himself was standing there, with Ensign Vorik right behind him.  Both men were overloaded with  teddy bears.     It was Ensign Vorik's face that had caused the commotion.  Vulcan he may be, but there was no mistaking that pained look, as he frantically tried to prevent the bears he was carrying from sliding out of his arms.  B'Elanna choked down a laugh and Janeway found herself  hard pressed to keep her own lips confined to a pleasant smile.     "Lieutenant Carey, Ensign," she acknowledged both men as they dropped their loads on one of the tables near her and turned.      "I hope you don't mind, Captain,"  Lieutenant Carey said nodding toward the teddy bears.  "We used a few more replicator rations than we should have.  But, well, see, my grandfather was a cop, as were most of my family for generations back.  And cops carry a teddy bear in the trunk of their vehicles, you know, to give to kids when they're injured, or in some sort of traumatic situation.  And I know my own two boys have bears they love, so...." he shrugged.     "An excellent idea, Lieutenant.  An excellent idea.  You did good work here," her sweeping hand indicated the cribs and guard rails and the carpeted play area.      Carey blushed, "Thanks, Captain."  He looked around, his eyes taking on a distant look.  "It'll be nice to have kids around again, even if only for a little while."  With a start, he came back to the present, gave her a nod and turned to direct the long suffering Vorik to place one of the bears on each bed.     "Chakotay to Janeway,"     "Janeway here," she answered her commander's disembodied voice.     "Captain, Tuvok reports that they are ready to begin the initial transfer.  There are five people in critical condition who should be beamed directly to sickbay."     "Go ahead, Commander.  B'Elanna and I are on the way to the Transporter Room now. "       Although their sensors had indicated that Ar Ziel's description of their ship's condition was, if anything, understated, B'Elanna had requested permission to take an Engineering team over to see if they could somehow get the Dosceni ship functional.  Janeway had readily agreed.  Maybe with some spare parts from Voyager and B'Elanna's wizardry, the Dosceni could make it on their own.     When she and B'Elanna got to the transporter room, they found several gurneys lining the hallway, with crewmen waiting patiently to serve as transport.  While Janeway stopped just inside the doorway to speak to Ensign Wildman, B'Elanna sought and instantly found Tom, who was standing across the room with his back to the door, talking to Ensign Molina.       She continued silently across the room to stand just behind him.  He had his hands clasped lightly behind him and with a teasing smile, she reached out to trace a feather light pattern on his palm with her long fingernail.       Tom reacted with the same lightening speed that made him so good at the helm.  He reached back to capture her hand before she could move away.  Without even pausing in his conversation with the ensign, he pulled it around to hold it tightly pressed against his chest.  She had no choice but to follow her hand, since it was firmly attached to her arm.       "Tom!" she hissed, indicating that the captain was standing nearby.  Ever since she chewed them out for their all-too-public displays of affection, they had stayed a very discreet distance from each other, at least in public.     Tom finally glanced down at her and smiled wickedly.  But he allowed her to remove her hand.   In front of him, Ensign Molina grinned.  Behind, Captain Janeway pretended not to notice.  In truth, she still felt bad about the way she had spoken to them that day.  Yes, they had needed to temper their behavior, but she realized now that at least some of the cause for their hyperactive hormones was probably the lunatic scientists who were using them for guinea pigs.       And even though she had been suffering horribly from the experiments being run on herself,  she should never have told them that she felt she had misplaced her trust in them.  For one thing, she knew how much it had hurt them to hear that from her.  And for another, it was absolutely untrue.  There were times when, like all children, they annoyed the hell out of her.  But she always believed in them and their abilities.  She would have to find a way to tell them that, and soon.     The rest of the Engineering  team had arrived, and B'Elanna stepped up onto the transport pad.            "Be careful," Tom said softly, and she nodded at him, her eyes making a promise.     He watched until she vanished.  Behind him, Molina said, "You're a lucky man, Lieutenant."  as he began  resetting the coordinates of the transporter.      "I know," Tom answered, almost to himself.  Then snapping out of his abstraction, he turned back to the ensign with a broad grin on his face.  "I know, " he said again.          Chapter Three     The next several hours on Voyager were organized chaos.  Sickbay reported that the first of the casualties had arrived and at least two were critical enough to require surgery.       "Do your best to treat as many as you can where you are, Mr. Paris," the doctor admonished.  "We'll be very busy here for awhile."      Tom had grimaced at that.  A transporter room was not the best place in the galaxy to use as a sickbay.  It was going to be tight enough doing triage here.  Then Ensign Molina had announced that Ensign Kim was returning with the medical data and several of the refugees and there was no more time to think.     If there had been any doubts about the rightness of Voyager aiding the Dosceni, those doubts were dispelled with the arrival of the first refugees.  As the transporter beam completed its task, there was a moment of frozen silence as both parties assessed one another.       The Dosceni were  humanoid in appearance.  Two narrow ridges rose from the center of their forehead just above their noses to curve up over their eyes, then angled around into their hairline.  A single ridge followed the path from under their eyes to join the other two.  The effect was to elongate their eyes, giving them an elfin appearance.   Their faces were long and slender, which added to their fairylike look.Closer examination of those eyes revealed that their pupils were feathered around the edges, causing them to look almost like the eyes in a peacock's tail.  They were taller and slimmer than the average human also, to judge by the children and the young woman  who stood on the platform, a baby in her arms.  Their skin color was  varied,  ranging from a pale cream to a dark brown.       Among them on the platform was Harry, who was holding a toddler of about two.  The child was clutching the front of Harry's uniform tightly, in obvious terror.  Harry immediately began speaking softly to the child in an effort to calm him.       Two slightly older girls of about six or seven clung to each other, their eyes the size of saucers.  Beside them stood a boy of about eight, and a girl of  ten or eleven.  They all glanced at once toward the final member of their party, a boy who was no more than  twelve.  He was doing his best to appear unafraid, which had the affect of calming the other children.       All of them looked worse for the wear.  Their clothes were ragged, and they had the look of a people who had gone far too long without nutritious food and restful sleep.  A small bag of possessions lay at their feet.  The Voyager crew couldn't help but notice just how little each bag contained.     After a  moment, the Dosceni made the first moves.  The woman curtsied, and the girls immediately followed her lead,  while the boys bowed from the waist.  Captain Janeway acknowledged their greetings with a nod of her head.       "Welcome aboard Voyager.  I am Captain Kathryn Janeway.  This is Lieutenant Tom Paris and Ensign Samantha Wildman.  They are here to assess your conditions and determine if you need immediate aid.  Please step down and join us."     Harry stepped down first, handing off his charge to a cooing Ensign Wildman.  The child twisted his head around, ready to let out a wail as Harry left to get his information to sickbay.  But Sam's motherly instincts left her in good stead, and in a few moments she had  the child calmed.  Meanwhile, Tom began using the Paris charm to sweet talk the two little girls into stepping down and allowing  him to run a tri-corder over them.     "I am Ar Crotol, Captain, Chief Engineer of the Sky Rider.  Or at least what's left of her.  We are so grateful to you.  And this transporter device of yours, I am in awe."  The young woman moved forward from the platform, holding the baby against her.  Exhaustion showed in every line of her face and Janeway reacted instinctively, reaching out to take the child.       "No need for thanks, Ar Crotol.  We are pleased to be able to offer you assistance,"  the captain said as she cradled the child in her arms.  She looked up to smile at the woman just in time to see her slump down.       Ensign Molina moved quickly, catching her just before she hit the ground. Instantly Tom was there, kneeling beside her."Malnutrition and exhaustion as best as I can tell, Captain.  She's our first candidate for a direct trip to sickbay.  The children can go to the mess hall and wait,"  Tom pronounced as they lifted the unconscious woman onto a gurney and rolled her out of the room.      As they realized that they were being separated from the only adult present from their own world, the younger children began to cry.   But the older boy stepped forward and cut them short.     "They are sending Ar Crotol to a room to make her feel better," the young man admonished his young charges.  "And they are sending us to the room where they serve food.  Now behave as your fathers and mothers would want of you, and you shall eat this day."     Whether it was the mention of food or a reminder of who they were, the boy's words had their effect.  The crying  almost instantly dried up.  He turned to the captain.     "If someone will show us the way, Captain, we will leave to make room for the next arrivals."     Impressed by such adult behavior in one so young, Janeway signaled Ensign Swinn to take the children away.  She turned to look at Tom, who grimly shook his head.  She knew what he was thinking.  Who or what would attack a ship full of defenseless children?     They had cause to wonder that many times over the next several hours as the refugees arrived in varying states of health.  A few, including  a couple of the older women and one elderly man, had been exposed to radiation when their engine room virtually exploded on them.  Others sported broken bones, cuts, bruises and a few burns.  Tom treated what he could  in the transporter room.        Still, sickbay was overflowing and the doctor was calling frequently to find out when Tom would be joining him,  The mess hall was also rapidly filling up, and Neelix was in his glory, feeding people who were so hungry that they ate anything he put in front of them.     B'Elanna had contacted the ship to advise that it was useless attempting any repairs.  "There's not much left to repair, Captain.  The impulse engines are basically gone.  The warp core is beyond hope.  In fact, I'm not sure how they've managed to keep the ship stable and generate a gravity field and life support, let alone hold the damn thing together."      Janeway accepted B'Elanna's announcement with resignation. She had known what they were getting into when they had agreed to this.  B'Elanna requested permission to stay and maintain the systems the best they could until all personnel were off the dying ship.  Something in her voice told Janeway that the situation over there was not a pleasant one.       She glanced at  Chakotay, who had come to the transporter room to offer whatever assistance he could.  His presence was more than welcome.  Something about him calmed the children.  He had an almost mystical way of making even the most frightened among them feel at ease.  Sensing her eyes on him, he looked up at her with sad eyes, then turned to continue teasing a smile out of a tiny little girl  whose broken arm had been roughly splinted and bound.      Finally Tuvok contacted the ship to announce that the Engineering team would be beaming back with the remaining Dosceni children, all babies well under a year old.  The Security team  and Ar Ziel would also be coming as soon as one minor problem was resolved.     "Anything we need to worry about, Mr. Tuvok?" Chakotay asked.  If he didn't know better, he could swear that there was a hint of aggravation in the Vulcan's voice.     "No, Commander.  One of the Dosceni children is refusing to leave.  We will soon have the matter under control."     "Understood, Commander.  Notify us when you're ready," the captain told him.  She and Chakotay shared another look. It must have been some problem to ruffle Tuvok's feathers.  Janeway's omnipresent curiosity  went into overdrive.     Tom stood waiting, the tension of the past few hours evident in the set of his shoulders.  Then the transporter activated and the platform was filled with engineers and eerily quiet babies.  His eyes lit up when he saw B'Elanna standing there holding a wee bundle in her arms.  As the engineers moved forward to hand off the babies to the crewmen who had been assigned the task of caring for the youngest of their guests, B'Elanna looked up to see Tom watching her, a twinkle in his eye.     "Don't get any bright ideas, Paris," she muttered as she stepped down from the pad.  Tom's grin broadened, but he knew well enough not to say a word.  He watched as she almost reluctantly turned her charge over to Ensign Lang.  When she turned back to him, he was all business, using the tri-corder with practiced skill.     But Chakotay had seen the  by-play between the two, and some mischievous imp inside him made him move closer  to where Tom was standing. In a stage whisper he said, "Who'd have thought she would look so natural with a baby in her arms?"     Startled, Tom turned to him.  B'Elanna, who had stepped over to speak to the captain, froze in her tracks.      Chakotay acted like he had no idea she could hear him.  "You do like kids, don't you, Tom?"     Tom's eyes were huge as he frantically sought a way out of the hole the commander was digging for both of them.  B'Elanna remained unmoving, as if she had turned to rock.  He knew that no matter what he said, it would be the wrong thing.           "You know, she just looked so....maternal, standing there with that baby.  Didn't you think so?"     Tom gave him a look that let Chakotay know that he was going to pay for what he was doing.  Somehow, someway, someday Tom Paris would get his revenge.  Just as soon as Chakotay recovered from whatever it was B'Elanna was going to do to him because of this.     "Um." was all he managed to squeak when the doctor interrupted him once again, demanding to know when he was coming to sickbay.     Grateful for the doctor's acerbic ways for once, he croaked out that he was on his way and flew out of the transporter room, not even glancing toward a fuming B'Elanna.  She turned to glare at Chakotay, who in turn gave her a look of wide eyed innocence.  As B'Elanna also stormed out of the room, Janeway looked at him.     "You are a wicked, wicked man, Chakotay."       His only response was a broad, bright grin.     Ensign Molina, trying to keep a straight face, announced that Commander Tuvok was on his way.  Both Janeway and Chakotay turned expectantly, preparing to meet the woman who was Janeway's counterpart.        Chapter Four     The whine of the transport had barely finished when Tuvok stepped forward.  The annoyance which had sounded clearly in his voice earlier was either gone, or well hidden.  Based on the smirks on the faces of his Security team as they exited the platform and hastily left the Transporter Room, Janeway suspected the latter.       "Captain, may I present to you Ar Ziel, Captain of the Dosceni ship, Sky Rider?"     To the credit of Voyager's crew, not one of them flinched or looked away as Sky Rider's captain limped forward to greet her benefactors.     Up to that point, all of the Dosceni had shared an almost angelic beauty which was evident even in the presence of their injuries and illnesses.  Not so Ar Ziel.       Her face was hideously flawed and distorted by poorly healed wounds.  Although she wore her hair long like most of the Dosceni females, it did not disguise the bald patches caused by heavy scar tissue.  Her left arm dangled uselessly at her side. And she seemed to lean a little, as if one leg were longer than the other.     What made the disfigurement even sadder was the subtle evidence seen in the structure of her face that she had once been beautiful.  Yet, in spite of this marring, or perhaps because of  it, she held her head high.  As Ar Ziel moved awkwardly forward,  Janeway offered her hand in greeting.     "Captain, I cannot tell you how grateful we are..."     Janeway shook her head.  "No need, Captain.  We are pleased to offer our assistance.  It is one of the fundamentals upon which our Federation is based."     Ar Ziel smiled, the gesture pulling at her scarred face.  "Commander Tuvok has told me this.  Doscene was once invited to join a similar organization many years ago, though from his description, I doubt that they are on the scale of your Federation."  She did not elaborate on whether Doscene had accepted the invitation.     Chakotay cleared his throat a little, which caused Janeway to turn around.  "Forgive me, Commander.  Ar Ziel, may I present Commander  Chakotay, Voyager's First Officer?  And this is Ensign Molina and Ensign Wildman."     Ar Ziel sketched a small curtsy at the other crew members who nodded in acknowledgement, while Chakotay offered his hand.  "And who is this?" Chakotay asked as he looked over Ar Ziel's shoulder.     A small, dark haired boy with large gray eyes stood on the platform, his hand firmly tangled in the furry coat of the creature which sat beside him.  Except for the emerald green feathered eyes and two tufted horns which rose from just in front of its floppy ears, it looked like a  golden retriever.  A large golden retriever.  Even sitting, its head was higher than that of the boy's.      Moving slowly, so as not to startle the animal, Janeway knelt in front of the pair.       "What's her name?" the captain asked, for it was quite obvious that the animal was a very pregnant she.       The boy, who until that time had maintained an expression of unrepentant defiance, softened a bit.  "Fayren.  Her name is Fayren."     "Fayren,"  Janeway said the word as if tasting the flavor of the alien name.  "A good name.  I see she's going to have puppies."     He nodded affirmation.     Janeway reached out to stroke the soft fur, but before her hand made contact the youngster stepped defensively in front of the animal.  His lower lip trembled.       "You cannot kill her.  I won't let you."     "Petrek!"  Ar Ziel limped toward him.  "Captain, I apologize."     Janeway held up her hand.  "No, it's all right," she said softly as she looked deeply into the little boy's eyes.  The haunted, shuttered  look on his face was  one no child should have.  Whatever nightmare event had caused it, it was evident that this defiance was his way of covering his vulnerability.  She bit her lip and blinked back unexpected tears.         She reached up to lightly stroke the child's face.  Her voice was a caress.  "We don't kill little boy's pets where we come from.  And we don't attack children.  You and Fayren are safe here, Petrek.   I promise."     Petrek studied  her for a full minute until, satisfied with what he saw, he nodded and allowed Ensign Wildman to lead him and Fayren to the mess hall.       "I take it that was the small problem you had encountered, Mr. Tuvok," Janeway said as he helped her rise from her knees.     "Yes, Captain.  The child had apparently smuggled the animal on board and managed to keep her hidden from all the adults, though it would seem the children knew of her existence, since they were all sharing their rations with her.   Petrek did not wish to reveal her presence to his elders, but at the same time he did not wish to abandon her.  Hence the delay while we attempted to discover the reason for his recalcitrance, then had to convince Petrek to bring the animal from hiding so we could transport her.  He was not cooperative."      This statement, or rather the tone with which Tuvok delivered it, caused both Janeway and Chakotay to twist their mouths in an effort to hide their grins.  Vulcans are among the most logical creatures in the universe. On the other hand, there is no creature in the universe less logical than a six year old boy with a mission.  Add in an equally strong  stubbornness factor on both sides and they could imagine the conversation that  had ensued.  Ar Ziel, seeing their amusement, allowed herself to smile.  She had been witness to that conversation.  It gave her much insight into the manner of people she was entrusting with her precious cargo.  As did the senior officers' reaction just now.  She felt herself relax for the first time in many weeks.  Perhaps for once the Gods had smiled on her weary band, and they had fallen into truly benevolent hands.  She prayed that it was so."Captain, Ar Ziel has requested that we destroy the Sky Rider before departing. With your permission, I would like to make the arrangements."  Tuvok acted as if he hadn't noticed the smiles at his expense.     Janeway nodded acceptance as she turned toward Ar Ziel.  "You fear your attackers will return and attempt to trace you?"     "Yes, Captain.  We barely escaped them before.  The Sky Rider has no weapons.  We were accompanied by a small group of fighter ships.  They sacrificed their lives to keep us safe, though as you can see, we did not come through the attack unscathed.      "If we had not been so very desperate, I wouldn't have even sent out the distress call.  It was a gamble.  One that I was probably foolish to take.  These children cannot fall into Arb Swortaq's hands."     "Arb Swortaq?"     Ar Ziel studied the Captain's and Commander's faces for a moment.  This was another gamble.  Should she risk that these people wouldn't turn them over to their sworn enemy?  Or should she make  up an appeasing but non-threatening lie?  Trust and remain true to who she was?  Or lie, and become that which she despised?  She sighed heavily.  There was only one decision she could make.  And she was prepared for the consequences.     "Arb Swortaq is the leader of the military on Doscene.  It was he who overthrew our elected government and seized power for himself.  He maintains his power through torture and assassination.  His methods are most effective.  After several weeks in his jails, even the strongest among us would break."  Her eyes had become distant and she spoke so softly toward the end of her statement Janeway and Chakotay had to strain to hear her.     Then Janeway winced as she realized what Ar Ziel was saying.  "Your scars...," she began.     Ar Ziel lowered her head for a moment.  When she raised it, there was an expressionless mask over her face.  "Yes, Captain.  I was a guest of Arb Swortaq.  I was rescued after two months of his interrogation.  I hadn't broken yet, though another day, or even an hour..."  She bit her lip.       Then she continued with a sweep of her hand, indicating the door through which Petrek had just disappeared.  "These are some of the children of those on Doscene who are fighting to regain the freedom we once knew.  A decision was made to evacuate those that we could after Arb Swortaq hit upon the demonic idea of using the children of known or suspected rebels as bait  to lure their parents.       "To prove to the freedom fighters that he was prepared to follow through on his threats,  he publicly tortured and killed seven children.  Some of those children didn't even belong to members of the rebellion.  They were just handy."  She spat out the last word with bitter hatred.       "When some of the rebels did surrender in an effort to save their babies, he..."  She lowered her face again, unable to continue.     Janeway and Chakotay looked at each other in horror.  Throwing decorum to the winds, Janeway reached out to pull Ar Ziel into her embrace, her hand patting gently on the taller woman's back          After a moment, Ar Ziel pulled back and awkwardly wiped at her face.  "Forgive me Captain.  I don't know what's wrong with me.  Normally I'm not so emotional.  Perhaps I need to take a lesson from your Mr. Tuvok."     Janeway smiled at her.  "I would say you need food, and sleep and someone else to worry for you for a little while at least.  Come on, you can take a tour of Voyager at a later time.  But for now, I assume you would like to see how your people are doing and where we have you housed."       Ar Ziel nodded, "Yes, thank you, Captain.  I am most concerned about those who were critically ill.  As for the housing, I am certain that anything you have arranged will be satisfactory."     Janeway grinned as they headed out the door accompanied by Chakotay.  "Well, let's just say we managed to come up with something, though I will confess that making up sleeping arrangements for thirty-six children was a bit daunting.  We'll take you to sickbay first."     As they progressed through Voyager's halls, Ar Ziel  noted the efficiency and precision with which the crew went about its business.  Yet there was no feeling of oppression or unhappiness here.  Even more astonishing to her was the reaction, or rather the lack of it, to her appearance.  Eyes which met hers did not turn away in disgust.  There was curiosity there, yes, but not the morbid, demeaning kind.  Instead, there was a warm acceptance, a welcome she hadn't felt in a long, long time.     Sickbay  was a whirl of activity.  The hallway outside was filled with people, both Dosceni and Federation.  The former were seated on chairs while the later tended their injuries and offered them glasses of juice and water.  Ar Ziel greeted her people cheerfully, giving a word of encouragement here and there , soothing a worried sibling, and in general acting like a captain.  There was no evidence of her earlier display of emotion.  Janeway watched her in silent approval .       Inside sickbay was nearly as crowded.  There was a person on every bed, and a couple sitting on chairs like those in the hall.  Though there were many of the Voyager crew present, Ar Ziel immediately noticed a tall, light haired man who was running a piece of equipment up and down Elder Arb Frezter's leg.       The Elder was actually smiling at the young man, who was grinning back at him as though they had just shared a joke.  As if he could sense her looking at him, he raised his eyes to glance toward them and nodded an acknowledgement, then returned to what he was doing. She glanced around and smiled a greeting to those of her people who were sitting up and could see her.  When she turned back, she saw that the tall man had finished with Arb Fretzer and was walking toward them.     "Captain," he nodded, "Commander."  The latter name was spoken in a very cold voice.  The Commander grinned, but only said. "Lieutenant."     "Lieutenant Tom Paris. This is Ar Ziel, captain of the Dosceni ship.  She would like an update on the status of her people."  Janeway said by way of introduction.     Tom's lips tightened a little.  "Well, Doc's back in surgery.  One of the people who came over first."  He looked at Ar Ziel.  "It's the second trip.  I'm afraid it doesn't look good."     If it was possible, Ar Ziel paled even more.  "Which one?" was all she managed to croak.     "An older man.  I don't know his name."     She closed her eyes.  "Arb Forsta.  Chief of our Elders.  It was his leadership which guided the earliest days of the rebellion.  He is much loved and an inspiration to  our people.  He would never have left Doscene had he not been so weakened by injuries sustained in the war.   It was his decision to go which gave the others the courage to give up their children."She sighed, then looked at Tom.  "There was another who was critical.  A small girl...."     Tom glanced at the captain, then back to the Dosceni.  "She was the other one Doc had to take  into surgery earlier.  There was a lot of internal damage.  Right now her vitals are stable and she's sleeping.   For the moment, all we can do is wait."     "Seely is a strong child.  She is Arb Forsta's grandchild and as beloved as he.   She is... she will be, the rallying point for the people of Doscene.  She holds our future.  Please do everything you can for her, Lieutenant."  Without thinking she reached out and took his hand.     Tom looked at her, thinking that they were putting an awful lot on the head of one tiny little girl.  But he didn't say anything.  Instead, he patted her hand gently.  "We will, Ma'am.  We will.  As for the others, we can treat them all, though some will require a couple of days in sickbay followed by several days of rest.  Mostly everyone just needs food and a good night's sleep."     "I'll relieve you of bridge duty until this is over, Tom"  the captain said.     Tom winced.  "If you don't mind, Captain, I'd prefer to work my shift on the bridge.  I'll spend all the rest of my time in sickbay, I promise."     Janeway gave him a speculative look.  Then she nodded her agreement.  "Fine, but if I see you beginning to wear out from double duty, I'll pull you from the bridge, understood?"  Without waiting for his response, she turned to lead Ar Ziel and Chakotay out of sickbay.Chapter Five     To say that things settled  back to normal on Voyager over the next few days would have been an untruth.  But things did settle into a routine of sorts.  Crew members got used to looking down to avoid tripping over little ones playing in the middle of the corridors.  They also grew accustomed to locking doors and putting things in secure cupboards, out of reach of ever curious little hands.As for Carey's teddy bears, his father instincts had been right on target.  Though there was no creature on their home world which resembled them, the stuffed animals were greeted by the Dosceni children with happy little cries and instant cuddling. The bears also were the source of much amusement among the crew, since word of Vorik's participation in their production and distribution had spread, and just the sight of the children clutching them in their arms caused him to pale slightly.       Most of the crew took turns assisting in the mess hall, learning the fine art of coaxing a five year old to concentrate on his food and eat when  there were a hundred things more interesting than food to warrant his attention.  They also learned just how messy thirty-six kids and one large canine could be.  Still, for many of them, the kids, the noise and the mess were welcomed as reminders of those they had left behind.      Of all the members of Voyager, none was so happy as its youngest.  Naomi Wildman's entire repertoire of friends to this point had been holographic characters.  These kids were living, breathing, go-anywhere-on-the-ship, get-into-trouble and-share-the-blame friends.  And into trouble they all got, on a regular basis.     As residing guru of the seemingly magical starship, Naomi shared tidbits of her wisdom among her new found colleagues with an insouciance that left  her mother stunned.  From her comments, Sam realized that Naomi knew more about the crew and the ship than anyone thought possible.  More, perhaps, than her Uncle Neelix.  And that was saying a lot.     No crew member escaped her commentary.  She was overheard telling her adoring followers that Captain Janeway was a really nice lady, "but stay away from her until she had a cup or two of the brown stuff in the morning".  Harry, she explained, "was usually fun and in a good mood, except lately he'd been spending his play time with Seven, who was a Borg once, but she got  better".      B'Elanna was "not nearly as scary as you think,  She yells a lot, but that's just her way.  Ask her a question about how something works and she'll spend an hour explaining it to you.  Unless Lieutenant Tom is around.  Then they pretend they don't see anyone else and  make goo eyes at each other,"  she giggled, waggling her eyebrows in such a way that the other kids howled with laughter.       When she wasn't spreading inflammatory gossip, she was leading her troops in excursions to forbidden places.  By the end of the third day, after a particularly messy episode with a replicator and chocolate sauce, she was on the verge of being permanently banished to her quarters for the duration when she redeemed herself in a way only a precocious three year old could.       Knowing that she had gone 'just a little too far' this time, she dutifully presented herself to her mother in sickbay as ordered by Commander Chakotay.  She stood quietly off to the side, willing to delay the inevitable as long as she could.  She watched her mother trying to sooth a sobbing Seely, who had just learned that her grandfather had succumbed to his injuries a few minutes before.       As her mother held the weeping child, Naomi felt very bad, and tried to think of some way she could help.  Sudden inspiration caused her to fly out the door.   Sam, looking up just in time to see Naomi's abrupt exit, called out to her errant daughter to no avail.     A few moments later, Harry was coming out of his quarters when he saw one frustrated little girl attempting to drag a rocking chair out of her quarters .     "Whoa, Bit, where are you going with that?"  Harry asked as he stepped forward and held the chair in place.     "Sickbay."     "Sickbay?  Why?"           "Seely feels bad."     Harry sighed.  He had learned long ago that the only way to get a straight answer out of a kid was to pull it out, one question at a time, and hope that you remembered what you were trying to find out by the time that you got there.     "And the rocking chair will make her feel better?"       Naomi, hands on hips,  looked at him like he was the biggest idiot in the universe.  And as it dawned on him what she was doing, he realized that maybe he was.  He picked up the chair and headed in the direction of sickbay.     Naomi's chair, or more accurately, her mother's chair, had been given to Sam as a shower gift by the Engineering department.  They had all given up many replicator rations and spent hours pouring over the replicator menu and arguing about which was  the perfect chair.  They  finally settled on an old fashioned wooden rocker with a wide soft seat and gently padded back.  Sam had been thrilled with the gift.  She'd sat in it during her off duty hours, rocking back and forth and caressing her swollen belly, wishing desperately that her husband was there to share the rocker with her.     When Naomi was born, Sam  rocked her to sleep in it every night.  Every night, that is, except for when Seska had control of Voyager.  When they had been able to return to the ship, the rocker was missing from Sam's quarters, and her heart sank.  Then  Janeway found it in her quarters.  Apparently Seska had commandeered it for rocking her own baby to sleep.   Although grateful to have the chair back, Sam  refused to use it until she had thoroughly sterilized every square centimeter of it.     As Naomi grew older, the chair became her favorite place.  A refuge and sanctuary, it was where she sat curled up on her mother's or Uncle Neelix's lap as they read to her or told her stories or just sat and rocked while they held her close.  For her to be willing to sacrifice her beloved chair, even though it was only for a little while, was as pure an act of unselfishness as Harry, or most of the rest of the crew for that matter, had been privileged to  witness.        Not even the meanest among them thought to suggest that Naomi was trying to get out of being punished for the chocolate incident.  Especially since her mother had hugged her and told her how proud she was of her, then promptly grounded her  for the rest of the day.    Chapter Six     Tom sat watching the tableau taking place before him with an amused gleam in his weary eyes.  Moments earlier, Tuvok had entered the mess hall, trailed by a solemn Petrek and a panting Fayren.  Tuvok was doing his best to pretend that the youngster did not exist.  Petrek was doing his best to make certain the Vulcan knew he did.     Harry, also trailed by his own particular but much shapelier shadow, placed his tray on the table, making room for Seven to place hers beside it.       "What's so funny?"  Harry asked looking around the room.     Never taking his eyes off the stoic Vulcan sitting at a table with the equally stoic Petrek sitting across from him and Fayren sprawled on the floor at their feet Tom asked, "Harry, have you ever been around many cats?"     "Cats?"  Harry asked, confused.     "Yeah, you know, felines.  The domestic kind.  Kitties.  Cats!"     Harry studied his friend closely for a moment.  Tom had been working double duty shifts for five days now.  Perhaps it was beginning to effect him.  "Uh, yeah, I know what cats are.  My mom used to have at least a couple around all the time.  Why?"     "Did you ever notice that cats have this uncanny ability to know when you don't want them around?  Like maybe you're allergic to them, or you just don't like them.  And when they sense that , they make sure you are the one person in the entire room who receives their undivided attention.  If there are fifty  people all cooing over them and wanting to pet them, they will unfailingly go to the one person who doesn't want them within ten feet."     Harry's gaze followed Tom's to where the Vulcan and Dosceni child sat in glaring silence and a broad grin spread across his face.  "Good analogy," he laughed as he picked up his fork.  Beside him, Seven gave both men a puzzled look, but didn't say anything.       "So, what's this I hear about you and B'Elanna having a baby?" Harry asked, laughing again as Tom let out a groan and covered his eyes with his hands.     "Jeez, Harry, don't you start.  B'Elanna and I have been through enough the past few days thanks to Chakotay's sick idea of humor."     "B'Elanna doesn't blame you, does she?"  Harry asked, surprised.  B'Elanna had a quick temper, but she was usually careful to make sure only the deserving were on the receiving end of her acid tongue.     "Nah.  She was there, she knows I didn't do anything.  But man have we both gone through some teasing.  I've been waiting to hear that she's on report for popping some nitwit who's taken it too far.  Or even worse, for shoving Chakotay out an airlock."     "She's done better than that," Harry's grin was back.  "When was the last time you saw her?"     "Yesterday at lunch.  We've both been on duty since.  Why?"     "Well...it seems the commander's replicator mysteriously started flavoring every single item which came out of it with a very intense Tabasco sauce.  Including the toothpaste.....that he used.....to brush his teeth."     Tom laughed out loud.  "Oh yeah?  When?"     "This morning.  He came tearing out of his quarters, foaming at the mouth,  and started pounding on the captain's door, begging her for a drink of water.  Then he made her taste it before he took it from her."     "Oh," Tom gasped as he wiped at his eyes, "What I wouldn't give to have seen that."       "I am sure the Security sensors caught it," Seven said serenely looking up from her plate.     A glow sparked in both Tom and Harry's eyes, and in the kind of unspoken communication which develops between two friends who've been together for years,  they both knew they would live on the replicator credits from this one for a month.  That is, if someone else didn't beat them to it.     After a moment, Tom noticed Harry giving him a quizzical look.  Tom knew that look.  Harry had a question but was too polite to ask.     "Spit it out, Harry.  What's on your mind?"     Harry blushed,  then looked into his friend's eyes.  "Have you and B'Elanna given any thought to having kids?  Or getting married?  Or to what your future holds?"     Tom ran his finger up and down the handle of his cup for a minute.  "Some."  He looked up and twisted his mouth in a rueful smile.  "Aw, Harry, neither one of us is ready to talk  about  things like futures and commitments right now.  Think about it.  Until the past few years, neither one of us thought we had much of a future anywhere.  And as for commitments," he shrugged and looked down at his empty tray.  "We have. At least, I think we have. But not in so many words.  That is, what I mean... "  Tom's voice trailed off.  He gave Harry one of those looks that he hid behind when things were getting too close.       "But you guys love each other."     Tom smiled at the ensign's naivete.  "Maybe so, but love isn't everything."  When he saw Harry's startled look, he knew that he wasn't getting across what he was trying to explain.  He exhaled sharply and took his upper lip between his teeth, a sure sign of his frustration.  Rubbing his hand across his chin he tried a different tact."OK, I'll admit that at first I was ready to get on the comm and announce it to the universe when she told me she loved me.  Then reality set in and we realized just what we were opening ourselves up to, and that scared the hell out of both of us.  Especially B'Elanna.She's  really shy  about showing her feelings like that."  At Harry's look of disbelief, Tom grinned.       "OK, she's shy about showing her gentler feelings.   Harry, she went through a pretty tough childhood, and an even tougher adolescence.  It took me a long time to win her trust.  And even longer to win her heart.  We'll get there, eventually.  But right now.......       "It's kind of like when Q threw the Enterprise in front of a Borg cube.  The confrontation was inevitable, but Q made it happen a lot sooner than it should have.  That's why I could have slugged Chakotay.  He's usually much more sensitive to the feelings of those around him. So I don't understand why he said what he did."     Harry nodded, but in his usual effort to try to see the best in every situation he offered some defense in his commander's actions.  "Maybe he thought he was doing you guys a favor by getting you to talk about it."     Tom gave him a sardonic look.  "Right, Harry.  It was pure altruism on his part."  Then seeing the look on his friend's face, he backed down a bit.  "Even if that was it, like I said, it was the wrong time.  Hell,  Harry, I don't even know if B'Elanna and I can make a baby."     Those who study chaos theory and group dynamics will tell you that at some point in any large gathering of people, the usual ebb and flow of  noise  will come to a sudden halt.  The mathematical formulas which can predict when and how often this will happen in a given circumstance are part of most beginning theoretical math courses at the academy. These eddies of silence usually last only a matter of seconds.  Later Tom would wonder what twist of fate caused one to occur in the mess hall at the exact moment that Seven voiced a question.     "Do you mean that you and Lieutenant Torres have not yet engaged in sexual intercourse?"       It was also most unfortunate that Harry had chosen that time to lean back in his chair and take a big gulp of his tea.  His body jerked forward as he slammed the mug on the table.  The tea sprayed from his mouth like a fountain, covering the face and uniform of the man sitting across from him.     While the mess hall resounded with loud guffaws and choked laughter, Seven pounded a gasping Harry solidly on his back.  Tom calmly pulled his napkin off his lap and wiped at the mess on his face.       "Thanks, Harry."  Tom muttered.  Rising from the chair with as much dignity as his beet red face and soggy uniform would allow, he walked from the mess hall, wondering just how long it would be until B'Elanna caught wind of this incident.  He had a feeling  Tabasco sauce might be a pleasant experience by comparison.Chapter Seven     Five days after their arrival, Ar Ziel was the only Dosceni who hadn't been to sickbay for an examination.  This was not due to some artifice on her part.  The fact was, like her counterpart Janeway , she had just been too busy tending to the needs of her young charges to take the time out for her own welfare.  Which is why the doctor called the captain that afternoon and reminded her that Starfleet regs specified that all guests aboard a Federation star ship were asked to submit to a physical exam.       So Janeway tracked down the busy woman and offered to go with her to sickbay.  As the women walked down the halls, Ar Ziel noted the respectful nods issued not just to Janeway, but also to her.       "I marvel at the openness and acceptance of your crew, Captain," Ar Ziel said.  "My people and I have felt quite welcomed by them, in spite of the stress we are putting on your systems and supplies, and the disruptions to their lives.  And I am amazed at how easily so many different species live and work together."     Janeway smiled at the other woman's words.  "Oh, we have our bad moments, both on board Voyager as individuals and with the various species as a whole.  We're not saints by any means.  It took a lot of diplomatic effort to bring us to this point.  And still there are some species among us for whom conflict is a cherished way of life."     "Like your brilliant young chief engineer?" Ar Ziel asked.  Though B'Elanna had been nothing but polite to any of them, she had heard some of the comments from the Voyager crew about the legendary fiery temper of the woman who had boarded the Sky Rider in an effort to save the dying ship.       Janeway laughed.  "Yes, like B'Elanna.  She's half Klingon, you know.  They're a warrior species.  The Federation was actually at war with them until a few decades ago.  But we have forged a peace which has held."     She looked introspective for a moment before she continued.  "The place where I come from on Earth is part of the United States.  It was once called 'the melting pot' of the world because people from  nations all over the planet came there, living side by side, intermarrying, working together.  It was that very cultural diversity which made that country grow into one of the great powers, made it a leader in the world.       "That's a lot like the Federation.  We celebrate our diversity, because we know that together we are stronger than what we are apart."     Ar Ziel nodded her understanding.  "On Doscene, we learned that the strength of two metals combined in an alloy is often much greater than the strength of the metals alone.  It would seem you have applied that principle to your lives."     By that time they had reached sickbay.  As the door swished open, they were greeted by a scene of domestic tranquility.     Tom sat in the rocker, holding a sleepy Seely in his arms.  He was softly singing an old Celtic lullaby to the child.  Not wanting to interrupt, both women stopped just inside the doorway and listened to the words as the pilot completed that song and went on to another.  This one Janeway knew.  It was called the Skye Boat Song, an ancient piece that told of the downfall of some of Scotland's clans at the battle of Culloden, and their flight into exile with their fallen prince.       At first she wondered at his choice of song.  It was slow and gentle enough to qualify as a lullaby in tone, but not in content.  But as she really listened to Tom's smooth  tenor voice, she understood.  The song described the trip to the Isle of Skye   In spite of their grief over homes destroyed and loved ones lost, the Scots had placed all their dreams and fierce loyalties onto the head of one weary young man who lay on board, being  rocked to sleep by the rolling sea.  It was a song of hope arising from death.  It was Seely's song.     Tom rose and gently placed the sleeping child back onto the biobed.  Then, gesturing for the two women to come in, he led them across the room to the doctor's office.       "That song was deeply moving," Ar Ziel told him.  "And you have a wonderful voice."     Tom blushed a little at the compliment, and offered his thanks,  "My ancestors were supposedly involved in that little incident, though there has always been a great deal of debate as to which side they were on."       "I didn't know that," Janeway said, slightly amused at Tom's blush.  "We should do a genealogical comparison someday.  Maybe we're related."     "If we are, can I start calling you Cuz?"     "Not if you wish to retain your rank," she smiled sweetly at him.  Taking the hint, Tom looked at Ar Ziel.       "I take it you're here for your exam.," he said.       She nodded, "That and to see how Seely is doing."     Tom glanced over at the sleeping child.  "Better, much better.  In fact, Doc says she can be released in a few days.  And that some of her friends can start to visit her tomorrow."     Ar Ziel's smile pulled at the scarred tissue of her face.  "Now that is good news."       Her smile dropped to open mouthed surprise when Tom activated the doctor.  She had heard from her people about the hologram, but she had never witnessed it with her own eyes.  For some reason, the doctor had either been deactivated or otherwise occupied during her many trips to sickbay.     "I gather you don't have holo-technology," Janeway said as she noted the look on the woman's face.     "No, Captain.  This is not an area where we've developed any expertise.  I've never seen anything like this before."     The doctor seemed pleased with Ar Ziel's astonishment.  "Nor shall you any time soon, I assure you," he said rather smugly.  Then he took in the scar tissue on her face and scalp and saw the dangling arm.  He became the ultimate physician, his entire awareness focused on his patient.     He grabbed a tri-corder from a nearby table and began to run it over her.  "Hmm," he muttered as he walked around her.  He looked at the readings, then said abruptly,  "Take off your clothes."     Ar Ziel blinked, and blinked again.  Tom and Janeway both stepped forward.     "I think the doctor means he wants to do a complete exam.  We have a privacy screen and a medical gown for you," Tom glared in the general direction of the doctor.  He led her to a biobed across the room and set up the screen for her to change while Janeway and the doctor exchanged looks.       With a sigh, the doctor headed across the room to join Tom.  He had made a  faux pas.  Again.  Though why it was considered such, he did not understand, in spite of how far his social skills had developed.  He was a doctor.  He needed his patient to undress.  He told her so.  What was the problem?     After a moment Ar Ziel shyly stepped out from behind the screen.  Tom offered her a boost onto the biobed where the doctor had laid out several instruments.  He continued to run scans on her, accompanied by intermittent mutterings and exclamations.  Finally, the doctor raised his head to look at her.     "When would you like to start the repair work?"     Ar Ziel looked blankly at him.  "The repair work?"     "Yes.  Removal of this scar tissue is going to take quite a bit of time, and there is extensive damage to several of the bones and ligaments on your left side.  I know you will be with us for several weeks, but the sooner we begin, the sooner you can eliminate this constant pain you must be feeling."     Janeway was watching Ar Ziel closely.  After a moment, she moved forward.  "Doctor, permit me," she said as she stepped in front of the Dosceni captain and gently took her hand.     "What the doctor is trying to tell you in his own obscure way, is that he can undo most, if not all, of the damage Arb Swortaq had done to you.  You can be made whole again."     Ar Ziel looked at Janeway in disbelief.  She turned to look at  Tom, who was smiling slightly and nodding his head.  Then she looked at the doctor, whose expression of total self-assurance more than anything convinced her that she had truly understood what they meant.  Her lower lip trembled a little and she drew in a shaky breath.  Finally, she had enough control to say, "We can begin when it is convenient for you, Doctor."     Chapter EightJoe Carey looked up as the doors to Engineering opened and his face blanched.  "Lordy, lordy, Sue, time to head for the hills," he said softly to Sue Nicoletti.  Sue looked up to see what he was talking about and did some blanching herself.Everyone in Engineering knew what had happened in the mess hall at lunch time.  And everyone had offered a prayer to whatever deities they happened to believe in that their boss wouldn't hear about it until later, like when their shifts were over.  But there was no such luck for the hapless engineers.Lieutenant Torres had gone for a late lunch in a fairly good mood.  Tom was finally off duty that night.  Earlier that morning when he called to confirm their date for dinner in his quarters at 1900 hours,  she offered to make dinner at her place.  But Tom told her that he was one pooped puppy and that he would be more comfortable in his own bed.  Blushing, she smiled at his words and  responded by asking him if he really  thought he was going to get any sleep.  Her comment had drawn a snort of laughter over the comm link, and he signed off.   That was  before she went to lunch..  When she returned to Engineering an hour after leaving for lunch , there was steam coming from her ears.  She had gone straight to her work station and begun punching the screen with a ferocity that left no one in doubt that she was imagining it held the face of a certain conn officer.   After a few minutes she calmed down.  She was too good an engineer to risk ruining the equipment like that.  But she still snapped at anyone who had the misfortune to have to approach her.  So her crew became very good at solving their own problems for the rest of the afternoon.However, as the day progressed, Torres seemed to relax and everyone thought that the worst of it was over.  The lieutenant hadn't actually yelled at anyone for at least an hour.  In fact, she seemed to have begun to see some of the  humor in the whole thing, because a  smile would play about her lips from time to time.  Either that, or she was plotting some really nasty revenge.  What they didn't know was that she was waging her usual internal battle between the yin and yang which controlled her soul.  Part of her was ready to go slug Tom for putting her in such an embarrassing situation.  Until another part of her  remembered how it felt when he  slipped behind her and wrapped her in his arms. Then she would catch one of her engineers glancing at her with a  knowing look, and she would feel her temper flare again so that she was ready to go make pilot stew.  Except that thought reminded her of  the iron hot taste of Tom's blood, and remembering that taste also caused her to remember other things.  Her nostrils flared as if even now she could smell  the clean, masculine scent of him, a scent she would recognize in a pitch dark room filled with men.  Her fingers tingled as if she were running them across the firm muscle and soft reddish hair of his chest.  She could hear his husky voice whispering in her ear, telling her wonderful things, making her feel soft and feminine.  B'Elanna sighed.  Even as provoked as she was, she couldn't stay angry with that audacious, funny, arrogant, independent, loving, compassionate, pig-headed pilot.  She loved him too damn much.  Then the door opened and Seven walked in.  All Carey could think of was that old adage about  fossil fuel and flames.  Or, as his great-grandmother would say, "Like pouring gasoline on a raging fire!"Seven went straight to B'Elanna.  "Lieutenant, may I have a word with you?"Joe glanced around.  It was amazing how many people had suddenly found tasks which took them to the other side of Engineering.  Far enough away  to avoid injury, close enough to hear and see the explosion.       So everyone was taken by surprise when B'Elanna said calmly, "Of course, Seven, what can I do for you?"     Seven looked around at the crowded department and said in a low voice, "Perhaps we should speak elsewhere."     B'Elanna  simply shook her head no.  "It's all right.  We can talk here.  In case you haven't noticed, there is no privacy on a star ship."  As  she spoke, she raised her voice so that it carried all the way to the back of Engineering.  She was, after all, a thoughtful chief.  She wouldn't want any of her staff to have to strain their ears.     "In fact, Seven, I'm sure if you try hard enough, you can find someone who can tell you how many times a day each of us goes to the head, and how many cc's of urine we output each time we go."     Suddenly every engineer found something utterly fascinating to study on their consoles.     Seven chose to ignore the lieutenant's last statement.  She found it was best to do that when she didn't understand what  the Chief Engineer was talking about.       "I want to speak to you about the incident in the mess hall at lunch today."       When all B'Elanna did was nod, Seven continued, "I realize that you may misinterpret the situation, and I wish to assure you that Lieutenant Paris was not discussing the intimate details of your relationship with Ensign Kim or myself."     B'Elanna's eyebrows shot up.  She crossed her arms and leaned back against the console.  "Oh?  Then why did I spend most of my lunch hour dodging some very crude comments from some suicidal crew members?"     Seven's own eyebrow levered a bit.  "I cannot speak for the behavior of others.  I can only tell you what I know of the conversation at lunch."     B'Elanna didn't say anything, and Seven accepted that as permission to continue.     "Ensign Kim asked Lieutenant Paris about a rumor he had heard concerning the two of you.    Lieutenant Paris asked Ensign Kim..."     "Tom and Harry."  At Seven's questioning look, B'Elanna explained, "Their names are Tom and Harry.  You're giving me a headache with all this Lieutenant Paris, Ensign Kim stuff."     "Very well.  Tom told Harry he did not wish to discuss the matter, having already endured many  comments from the crew.  But Ens... Harry continued to pry.    Tom was reluctant to say anything, but he finally told Ens...er  Harry  that the  two of you would need more time together before making  decisions about your future.  "Then the lieutenant said that he wasn't even certain the two of you could conceive a child.  I misinterpreted his comment to mean that you had not yet engaged in..."     B'Elanna held up her hand and abruptly interrupted Seven.  "Yes, I know what you thought.  Go on."     Seven raised her Borg eyebrow.  "Ens... Harry explained to me after Tom left that the lieutenant had meant that Klingon and Human DNA are not compatible and it requires biogenetic Engineering to merge the two.  Since you are one-half Klingon, it is possible you will also need that type of assistance in producing offspring with a Human male."B'Elanna glanced down at the floor and let out a little sigh.  So that was it.  She knew that Tom wasn't the kind to go around bragging about what took place between the two of them, in spite of what people used to say about him.  She caught her lower lip between her teeth and chewed on it a bit.  Then she looked at Seven."Thank you for letting me know what happened."Seven studied the engineer for a moment before she nodded her head and started to turn away.  She was stopped at mid stride by B'Elanna's question, "Why did you feel the need to come tell me this?"  Seven turned those solemn eyes on B'Elanna, and for a moment B'Elanna thought she saw just a hint of vulnerability and extreme loneliness.  Then Seven raised her eyebrow  and the look changed to her usual enigmatic expression.   "I am not yet adept at following the subtle undercurrents and tides of emotions which frequently run through  human communications.  The hidden meanings and innuendoes are usually a puzzle to me.       "I have learned, however,  that the unspoken words in a conversation often say more than the spoken ones.  Even someone as obtuse in these matters as I could see that Lieutenant Paris has great feelings for you.  Just as your parents must have had great feelings for each other.  I felt it was....  important that you know that."       Seven started to walk away once again when B'Elanna grabbed her arm.  "What do you mean?  What do you mean that my parents must have had great feelings for each other?"     Seven turned her head, seemingly surprised that the lieutenant hadn't figured it out herself.     "It is my understanding that couples choose to reproduce  because it is one of the strongest ways of showing their affection for one another.  If the DNA of Humans and Klingons is so incompatible that a biogenetic engineer must be called upon to blend the two to form a viable zygote, then your parents must have loved each other a great deal and wanted you  very much to have gone through all of that to have you."  With that she pulled her arm free of B'Elanna's light grasp and left.     Seven's words left B'Elanna stunned.    She had never considered that aspect of it.  She hadn't thought about what they had to go through.  Which made her father's abandonment of them all the more strange.  Unless it truly was her fault.  Had the end result of that biogenetic Engineering been so hideous that her father couldn't stand to be around her?  NO!  She was not going to allow herself to slip back into that mind set.       She chose instead to concentrate on Tom.  Tom thought she was beautiful.  He said it so often and in such a way that she knew he truly meant it.  And he was a connoisseur.  If he believed it, then maybe everyone else would, too.  Including her. She was glad that Seven had explained so publicly what had happened.  Maybe now everyone would find something more interesting than her sex life to talk about.  As she glanced in the general direction of her seemingly busy staff, she allowed herself a sardonic smile.  Yeah, right.  When pigs flew! Chapter NineTom glanced around his quarters one last time as he ran a nervous hand through his hair.  B'Elanna hadn't called to cancel on him, which meant either she hadn't heard about his gaff in the mess hall, or she was waiting until she got to his quarters to kill him in private.  Whichever, he wanted everything to be as perfect on the surface as he could make it. He had cleaned his quarters, set the table,  and replicated Coq Au Vin., which was one of B'Elanna's favorite dishes.  After much debate, he had settled on a selection of twentieth century blues and jazz music.  The lights were dimmed, he was showered and dressed.  Now all he needed was B'Elanna.  Right on time, his door bell rang.  He plastered a smile on his face and keyed the door open, only to find no one there.  Surprised, he glanced up to see her leaning against the bulkhead across the corridor. Her arms were folded across  her chest, and she had a look on her face which Tom, for all his expertise, couldn't interpret.  She was also wearing a dress that would raise the blood pressure of a dead man.  Amused, he crossed his arms on his own chest and leaned against the door frame."Good evening?"  He made that a question."Let's get one thing straight, Paris.  I do not appreciate having my sex life discussed in public.  Never again.  Understood?"He nodded.  "Understood.""Good."  So  that's it, Tom thought.  Is it really going to be this simple?  But as she continued to stand there, unmoving, he began to wonder."Would the lady like to come in?" he asked, gesturing into his quarters with his arm."The lady's thinking about it," B'Elanna answered, her mouth twisting into a smile in spite of herself."Ah!  She wants to be coaxed."  Tom said, pushing himself away from the door frame and sauntering toward her.  As he reached her, she looked up at him with mischief sparkling in her eyes.  He leaned forward, stretching his arms out to either side of her and supporting himself against the bulkhead.  B'Elanna unfolded her arms and ran her hands up his arms to his shoulders.  "So, coax me," she whispered seductively.  Glancing up and down the corridor to make sure they were alone, he bent down to give her a quick kiss.  But before he could pull away her arms tightened around him, and she deepened the kiss.  He hesitated only a couple of seconds before he started giving back as good as he was getting.  He moved his hands down to her waist and pressed her against the wall in a move slightly reminiscent of their first official kiss.  A tiny whimper escaped her throat, driving him to pull her tighter against him.  Somewhere in the distance, Tom heard the sound of a door opening, followed by a soft whistle and a chuckle.  He lifted his head  just as two crewmen walked past them, though he didn't bother  to note who they were.  He looked down at B'Elanna and grinned. "Um...wouldn't you consider this  discussing our sex life in public, Ms. Torres?" he teased."Well, we weren't exactly discussing it," she demurred as she pushed past him to enter his quarters."Ah, semantics," he said as he followed her.  "I love semantics."She didn't answer, just let out a happy cooing sound when she saw what he had prepared for dinner.  She allowed him to seat her, and the next hour passed in relative calm as they told each other what had been happening in their lives.  The presence of the Dosceni aboard gave them a new topic, and they speculated about the refugees' chances for gaining asylum once Voyager got the children safely to their to their destination.As B'Elanna talked about the ship she had boarded and described the systems she had seen there, Tom watched her with growing amusement and more than a little desire.  Watching her quick mind at work was to him an extremely erotic experience.  Like the time they had worked together to try to find the mysterious author of the holodeck program 'Insurrection Alpha.'  As she stood beside him, the tip of her tongue thrust between her lips, her brow furrowed in concentration while she manipulated Voyager's computer system, it had taken everything he had to keep from scooping her into his arms and kissing her long and hard.     "Their technology is nowhere close to ours," B'Elanna said as she scraped the bottom of her desert cup, then licked the last of the Creme Brulee off her spoon.  "Yeah," Tom said as he put his own spoon down, "But all we've seen is some beat up old ship that Ar Ziel practically swiped in order to get those kids off that planet.  As it is, I overheard her telling the doctor that they had left several  behind, because they were unable to get them to the ship.  What's worse, they lost  10 kids when they were attacked.""Too bad we can't go and teach this Arb Swortaq a lesson, "B'Elanna growled.  "Agreed," Tom said as he tried to stifle a yawn.  B'Elanna rose and started to clear the table.  As Tom rose to help, she pushed him back into the chair."I'll do this.  I haven't been working double duty for nearly a week."  She hummed as she cleaned, making short work of the dishes and wiping the table with an efficient few swipes of the cloth.  When she was finished, she walked up behind Tom's chair and began to massage the back of his neck and his shoulders."You got about six hours to stop that," he mumbled as he bent his head down to give her better access.  She laughed softly, then continued humming along with the music.  "Janeway wouldn't take the conn away from you, you know," she told him a few minutes later as she realized how stiff his muscles were beneath her hands.  "You never know."  He didn't insult her by pretending he didn't understand what she meant.  "As great as the doctor is, the captain knows she needs a full time human medic trained as back up just in case.  If  I'm away from the bridge too long, maybe she'll figure I don't need to be there at all, and assign me to sickbay permanently."B'Elanna snorted at his reasoning.  "Tom, you're the best damn pilot on Voyager.  You're probably the best damn pilot in the Delta Quadrant.  And I might even concede that you rank among the top five in the galaxy.  Do you really think Janeway would take you away from the helm?"Tom just shrugged, and B'Elanna knew not to push it.  Tom needed to fly like every one else needed to breath.  He even had nightmares about being permanently grounded that woke them both from time to time.  Since she had one or two fears which ran almost that deep, B'Elanna truly understood where he was coming from.  After a few minutes, she noticed Tom's head drooping even further onto his chest.  "OK, Paris, " she patted him on the shoulder.  "I think it's time you went  to bed."  She bent to kiss the top of his head, then moved from behind him preparatory to leaving.  But she was stopped abruptly as Tom reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling her onto his lap."My thoughts, exactly," he said as he started to nuzzle her ear.  "I meant to sleep," she murmured as she turned her head to give him room to maneuver."That too,"  he concurred, moving down to her neck.B'Elanna just heaved a sigh of contentment and wiggled into a more comfortable position on his lap.  As she moved, she realized that at least part of him was wide awake."Hmm.  I see this unit comes fully equipped," she laughed as she wiggled on his lap again.She felt him smile against her neck.  "Multi-functional, too.  Allow me to demonstrate."  He moved to capture her lips with his while his hands were busy elsewhere.  After a moment she pulled away with a gasp."I see what you mean," she said appreciatively.He looked down at her, his eyes sparkling.  "So, you interested in this particular unit?"She ran her finger along the edge of his jaw while she pretended to think about it.  "Mmmmaybe.  But it seems to be awfully high maintenance.  What kind of warranty does it come with?"He suddenly grew still, and she looked up to see that his face had become serious.  He studied her for a minute, then raised his hand to smooth back her hair, cupping the side of her face with his palm, and running the pad of his thumb gently across her cheek bone.  "How about a lifetime guarantee?" he asked.  Her eyes widened as the implication of his words sank in.  It was her turn to study his face.  The cocky pilot was gone.  A serious, and uncharacteristically tense man was in his place.  Tom had just added another step to the intricately patterned dance which had caught them in its spell.    A slow smile spread across her face.  Tom's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he watched her.  He knew that look.  "B'Elanna, what are you thinking?" he asked uneasily.The smile spread into a grin as she moved her hand up to the back of his head and tangled her fingers in his soft hair.  "I was wondering if the original equipment on this unit will last a lifetime," she said,  "or will it wear out and we'll have to get replacement parts.""Oh, believe me, lady, this equipment is up to anything you can dish out."  he laughed as he ran a hand up her thigh."Oh yeah?"  She moved so that she now straddled him.  "We'll see about that."Many hours later an exhausted Tom Paris had reason to recall that part of their conversation.  As he snuggled further into his pillow, pulling a sleeping B'Elanna tighter against him, he made a mental note.  Never, ever challenge a Klingon-Human woman.  He grinned into the darkness.  At least, not until he'd had time to recover.    Chapter TenNeelix was clearing away the last of the mess from the noon meal, though with everyone's crazy schedule, the mess hall was seldom totally empty during what constituted day on Voyager.  So he was not surprised to hear someone coming in behind him as he studied the evening menu and made sure he had replicated enough eggplant.  He was going to try something called ratatouille and he wanted it to be perfect.He glanced out into the mess hall, but no one was there.  Puzzled, because he was certain he had heard the doors swish open, he walked around the counter and almost knocked over Petrek, who stood there with Fayren by his side.  "My, my.  I didn't see you there.  Are you all right?"     The little boy nodded silently.  The child seldom spoke aloud. In the three weeks the children had been on board, no one could recall him laughing or playing with the other children, in spite of their attempts to get him to join them.   He had kept mostly to himself.  When Tuvok was off duty, the child trailed after him almost worshipfully.  But Neelix knew that the commander was on the bridge at the moment.   "Are you hungry?  Would you like some fruit?"  Neelix asked.  When the child neither moved nor spoke, Neelix turned to the counter where he picked up a small blue globe that he knew was particularly sweet.  Just to a little boy's liking.  Reaching over the counter for a napkin and a knife, he took the child by the hand and escorted him to a nearby table."I'm Neelix, you know."  Neelix sliced into the fruit and offered some to the child and the dog.   Both accepted and bit into the juicy tidbit.  The sweetness of it brought a smile to Petrek's face.  Neelix finished slicing the globe and laid the pieces out where Petrek could feed them to both himself and Fayren."So, what brings you here?  I thought Ensign Hathaway was planning on taking all of you to the Pantherian Woods for a hike on holodeck one this afternoon?"Petrek dropped his gaze to the table and shrugged.  "You don't like the woods?" Neelix prodded.The child's eyes lifted to him with a yearning that startled Neelix.  "Oh yes," he whispered, "But I can't go there.""Why ever not?"  Neelix asked.  There was a great mystery here, and his Talaxian nose was  on the scent.    "Skyla and Morel can't go, so neither can I."  The words were spoken with resignation and regret."Skyla and Morel?"  Neelix thought he knew all of the children, yet he could not recall meeting any with those names."My sister and brother,"  Petrek said, emotionless.Surprised, Neelix spoke cautiously.  "I didn't realize you had a brother or sister, Petrek.  Why didn't they come on this trip with you?"Petrek looked up at Neelix.  The dark gray eyes were filled with tears, and anguish distorted his face.  He turned  from Neelix to stare out  the windows where the stars were streaking by.  His words were spoken so softly that Neelix had to lean forward to hear them.   "They couldn't.  They're dead.  Arb Pleckso's men came to our home and killed them.  I was hiding because I was so afraid.  Except when I saw what the men were doing, I tried to run out to stop them from hurting everyone, but Fayren laid on top of me and wouldn't let me up.   "Then after the men left, I tried to help my family, but they were all dead."  The boy spoke in a monotone, as if he were reciting some ancient piece of history rather than the horrific experience he had lived through.As he began to understand what the child had endured,  Neelix closed his eyes and swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat.   A rage he hadn't felt in a long time began to fill him.  Fighting hard to maintain control, he took the child's hand in his own."What you went through was terrible, Petrek.  And the men who did it need to be stopped from ever doing that again.  But you can't stop living your own life because of it.  I know your family wouldn't want you to. "For one brief moment Petrek looked as if he might yield to Neelix' soothing voice.  Then he violently pulled his hand away and stood up.  "You don't know," he shouted, "You don't know what it's like to see them all killed.  They're dead and I'm still here.  I can't ever forget that.  I can't play because Skyla and Morel can't ever play again.  I can't.  You don't know."   He stood there shaking, his breath coming in big gulping sobs.  Neelix reached out and grabbed him, pulling him into a tight embrace while the child cried and cried.  As he rocked and soothed the sobbing boy, his thoughts raced.  'So this is why.  Chakotay told me that my job wasn't done.  He was right.'Stroking the back of the boy's head, he spoke softly.  "Oh yes, I do know, Petrek.  Almost the same thing happened to me.  I lost my whole family in a war none of us started.  I lost my mother and father.  I lost my beloved sister Alexi.  I lost everything."  He pulled the boy away to look him in the face.  "I almost gave up and withdrew from it all, too.  But you know what?  I didn't.  I didn't because I realized that if I gave up, if I let them do that to me, then the men who killed my family had won.  They had killed everything.  "But so long as I was alive, and living my life with the kind of joy I know my family would want, then they could never win.  I am the best monument to my family that I could create."  He wiped at Petrek's tear soaked face.  "Do you understand?"  Petrek nodded, swiping at his drippy nose with his sleeve in a little boy gesture that was universal.  Neelix chuckled, and reached for the napkin.  He glanced across the room to see B'Elanna and Ar Crotol along with a few of the other engineers standing there silently watching.  He nodded at them, but kept his attention focused on the child before him.   Neelix  knew from personal experience that though the healing could now begin, Petrek would never fully recover.  The raw wound that gaped wide in his young soul would gradually mend enough that his life would go on.  But the scar would become a dead zone.  A dark and awful place inside him that Petrek would touch from time to time and remember.  "I'm so glad Neelix was able to get him to open up," Ar Crotol said with a sigh as she moved along with the others to a corner table away from the pair.  She had spent a lot of her time in Engineering since arriving on the ship.  Aside from the fact that she was enthralled with Starfleet technology, she and B'Elanna had discovered that they were kindred spirits. Each woman was enamored of machinery, finding in the smooth running parts and systematic programs an elegant beauty.  So Ar Crotol had jumped at the chance earlier that morning to do what engineers do best, solve a problem.They  had been running a diagnostic on the power relays on decks seven through ten, trying to track down a periodic power surge which was wreaking havoc on the equipment connected throughout those decks.  Since the surge was intermittent, and all the relays read as functioning in normal parameters when scanned, they had resorted to stationing an engineer at each relay and waiting until the surge occurred.  They had been at it for three and a half hours when the faulty connector was finally located.Problem solved, they had headed for a late lunch, only to enter the mess hall just in time to hear Petrek's outburst.  As Neelix continued to talk to the boy,  Ar Crotol explained his history."It happened about a year and a half ago, when he was five.  A neighbor found him wandering in the pasture of a nearby farm, half frozen and in shock.  When they went to his family's farm, they found that all of them had been massacred.  "It was set up to look like a robbery, but everyone in the district knew that Arb Pleckso, Swortaq's district general,  wanted the land that Petrek's family owned.  There had been a running feud between their families for decades.  Pleckso had actually tried to evict them when he first came to power, but Arb Mickelar, Petrek's father, defied him.  His family had farmed that land for tens of generations, and he wasn't about to give it up.  Resistance to Swortaq is strong in that area, so Pleckso has had to walk a fine line.  He couldn't just take what he wanted, so he resorted to murder."Since it appeared that everyone in the family was dead, Arb Pleckso declared the land property of the state and seized it for himself.  When he learned that Petrek still lived, and could claim the farm as legal heir, he set out to find the child and kill him.  It took everything we had to keep the boy safe, and Petrek will never know how many gave up their lives to make that happen."So, when we made the decision to remove the children from Doscene who were in the most danger,  Petrek was one of the first to be included."   The look on the faces of the engineers sitting around the table was grim.  B'Elanna's eyes glittered and her fist clenched and unclenched.  Even Vorik's usually placid face was taut, his lips a thin straight line.  Across the room, Petrek had calmed considerably.  Neelix  even managed to elicit a watery giggle from him a couple of times.  "So what do you say," Neelix patted Petrek's hand, "shall we go find Ensign Hathaway and finish out the tour of the Pantherian Woods with her?  I hear they're quite spectacular."At Petrek's nod, they rose to leave.  Neelix called over his shoulder to the group of engineers, telling them that there was some leftover Branthaw soup and some Caesar's salad in the kitchen.  They nodded their understanding as some of them headed that way to heat up their lunch.But as Fayren rose to follow Petrek, she let out a yelp and fell back down.  She tried to rise again, only to yelp even louder.  She lay on her side, panting heavily.  Immediately, Neelix slipped to his knees, running his hands over her side while the engineers came to help.  Neelix glanced up at them with a slight smile on his face."No need to worry," he assured them, " this lady needs to get to sickbay, that's all."  Everyone looked at each other in happy anticipation.  Puppies!  It had been a long time since they had been around  squirming, snuggly puppies.  Ar Crotol took Petrek's hand in a reassuring gesture and smiled down at him.Neelix attempted to lift the dog, but she weighed a whole lot more than he thought, and with a grunt, he had to let her go.  She whined softly, and licked at his hand.  Both B'Elanna and  Vorik stepped forward to offer their superior strength, when they were moved aside by their commander.  B'Elanna blinked.  She hadn't even heard him enter. Tuvok knelt on the floor beside Fayren and gently ran his hand over her swollen belly.  He glanced up at Neelix.  "It is her time, Mr. Neelix?"  "I believe so, Mr. Tuvok.""Lieutenant Torres, notify sickbay that we are on the way." he ordered as he scooped the dog into his arms and easily lifted her.  "Also inform the captain, and explain that I will be delayed in returning to the bridge.""Aye, Sir," B'Elanna acknowledged, while turning to shoo her crew back to the task of getting lunch.  She tapped her comm badge as Tuvok exited the mess hall, Neelix and Petrek following.  "Torres to sickbay," she called, amazed at how light-hearted she suddenly felt.   "Doc, have we got a patient for you!"Chapter ElevenThe children sat in a  semi-circle on the softly carpeted area of the cargo bay that had become their home.  Chattering away with an occasional high pitched giggle, they eagerly awaited Voyager's second in command to make his appearance in what was becoming an afternoon ritual. The story telling hour was about to begin. The children weren't the only ones present.  A sizable contingent of adults, both Federation and Dosceni, were also gathered.  Chakotay's skills as a folklorist were impressive, and all of the crew enjoyed hearing his recounting of the tales and legends handed down by his tribe for generations beyond counting.       Chakotay finally arrived, accompanied by Captain Janeway.  The children, used to this kind of entertainment at their own hearths on long winter evenings at home, settled to a respectful if somewhat fidgety silence.   Chakotay greeted them cheerfully and worked his way to the seat of honor, a chair placed at the front of the semi-circle.  "Today we will learn more about Brother Wolf and the Father of the Forest," he began, only to be interrupted by a commotion near the door."Seely!" a general cry went out as everyone looked and saw the doctor standing there with the little girl in his arms.  He set her down and watched her carefully as she quickly became the center of an adoring crowd of kids, all of whom wanted to welcome her back among them, and all of whom were talking at the same time.  "Take it easy with her," the doctor said, stepping into the fray and taking her hand.  "She's still a little shaky, so she'll have to go slow for a little while."  He smiled down at her.  "We've already talked about this, haven't we."  The little girl nodded her head, her eyes wide to show the doctor how sincerely she intended to follow his instructions.  The doctor, wise to the ways of five year olds, rolled his eyes and twisted his mouth sardonically. Seely turned back to the crowd of children, greeting each as if she hadn't seen any of them for a year, when in fact every one of them had been to sickbay several times in the past few days.  Though he wasn't sure if most of the recent visitors had come to see Seely or Fayren and her seven puppies.     Seely was laughingly being pulled forward when one of Voyager's crew caught her eye.  With a delighted grin, she made a beeline for Tom Paris, who was sitting on the floor between B'Elanna and the captain.  She landed in his lap and gave him a big hug.  "See," she told him proudly, "I told you I'd be out soon."Tom grinned back at her, returning her hug.  "Yep, you sure did." he said softly.  She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and  conspiratorial wink before she turned to find a seat next to Petrek, who smiled shyly at her. B'Elanna and Janeway both looked quizzically at Tom, who blushed slightly.   "What can I say?"  he shrugged.  "I seem to attract ladies with beautiful big brown eyes and ridges."  This brought a bark of laughter from the captain and a punch on the arm from B'Elanna.  "Ahem," Chakotay loudly cleared his throat, and the room dutifully settled down to hear the tale of Brother Wolf and the Father of the Forest.  But he was interrupted once again, this time by the claxon sounding red alert.  Tuvok's call over the general comm announcing it was redundant.  Everyone was already in motion.  Janeway slapped at her comm badge demanding to know what the hell was going on, even as she and the rest of the crew moved with lightening speed toward their respective duty stations."Scanners show five Dosceni ships on an intercept course, Captain.  They refuse to answer our hails and they're coming in armed and shielded.""Acknowledged.   Summon Ar Ziel to the bridge," she ordered as she, Tom and Chakotay hit the turbolift running.."You think they know we're transporting the children?"  Chakotay asked her as they waited impatiently for the lift to reach the bridge.  "Probably.  We destroyed the Sky Rider before we left, but they are capable of following a warp trail, and I'm sure they've put two and two together...""And come up with us."  Tom finished for her.  She nodded a grim acknowledgement as the doors of the lift opened and literally spilled them out.  Voyager had been hit by a volley of fire from all five ships at the same time, which shook the ship fiercely and sent everyone tumbling.  "Report,"  Janeway ordered, as both Tom and Chakotay reached out hands to pull her up.  She nodded her thanks and headed for her seat."They are still refusing to answer our hails, "  Harry answered.  The lift doors opened again and Ar Ziel came onto the bridge.  Harry, who hadn't seen much of her since the doctor had begun to perform his magic, did a double take.  She was walking without a limp, and she used both her right and left hand to grab the railing and hang on as Voyager took another hit.  But her face was the most astonishing.  Though a few of the scars remained, her face was nearly restored, and she was absolutely beautiful.That face paled as she looked at the screen and saw the five ships attacking Voyager.  "They're Swortaq's men, " she whispered.  "Shields are at 83% and holding,"  Tuvok clung to his console as another volley hit the ship, "or were holding.  Shields down to 74%.  Captain, their weaponry is not as advanced as our own.  If there were only two, or even three ships, we could outgun them.  As it is..."  He left the rest unsaid.Janeway turned to look at Ar Ziel.  "Your people don't seem too happy to see us.  They also aren't much interested in talking."  Ar Ziel shook her head.  "They won't stop until we're dead or captured.  Our escape was a slap in the face to Swortaq.   He has to make an example of us.  I'm sorry Captain.  I never should have gotten you into this."      Janeway ignored her last remark and turned back to the helm.  "Tom, can we outfly them?"For once, Tom didn't  take advantage of the straight line she had handed him.  "Yes, Ma'am.  They 're only capable of warp seven.  We can leave them in our dust.""Then do it," she ordered.  She hated to tuck her tail between her legs and run, but she had a bunch of kids to think about.  But before Tom could act, Harry  announced that two other ships had come into scanner range, and they were being hailed.  "They're not Dosceni, Captain.""Open a channel."The image that appeared on the screen caused everyone to blink.  The  man who stared back at them looked like someone out of earth's mythical past.   He had a double set of long narrow ears that pointed toward the back of his head.  His chin was long and rounded.  His startlingly brilliant green eyes slanted  upward as did his eyebrows.  He had two small but sharply pointed horns rising from the thick, almost fur-like sable brown hair which covered his head.  He was a handsome creature, and many of them recognized him as the living incarnation of Shakespeare's Puck from "A Mid Summer's Night's Dream".They had only a few seconds to study him.  Voyager was rocked by another volley of fire, and the man on  the screen wasted no time."Greetings,  I am Captain Ovron of the United Planetary Network star cruiser G'irndal.  Do you require assistance?"Janeway glanced toward Ar Ziel, who did not need an interpreter to understand her unspoken query.  Friend or foe?  Ar Ziel nodded the all clear.  This was friend.  Janeway turned smoothly back toward the screen.   "Captain Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager.  Thank you .  We could use a hand."The man's face glowed.  "Good.  I was hoping you would say that.  We'll discuss why you're in this jam later.  Let me talk to the Dosceni and attempt to use diplomacy."  Something in the way he said it made them feel that diplomacy was something that left a bad taste in his mouth.The screen cleared and Janeway and the others turned to  Ar Ziel.  She quickly explained, "The United Planetary Network is an organization similar to your Federation.   They invited Doscene to join them several years ago.  Our legislature was in the process of debating it when Swortaq took power.  He actually used the discussion about joining the Network as a sort of catalyst to help him with the overthrow.  There was a lot of fear on the part of some of the populace that Doscene would become a part of some huge megapower and lose its own identity.  Swortaq played on that fear......"Harry indicated that Captain Ovron was hailing them again and he opened a channel as the ship was rocked once more.  "Well, Captain, the Dosceni are being their usual charming selves and won't listen to reason.  I was  more or less told  that this was none of my business, even after I explained to their captain that he was violating United Planetary Network space.  So, if he won't back off, we have little choice.  Do you have anyone over there who can actually fly that beauty?"Chakotay chuckled as Tom glared indignantly at the view screen.  Janeway just laid a calming hand on his shoulder and answered simply, "We do.""Excellent!  There is a  tactic of which I am quite fond, but it involves some pretty tricky maneuvering.  I will need for you to spin on your axis and dive to come at their ships from below while my wing man and I attack from above on their flanks.  The goal is to meet in the middle without killing each other in the process.  Do you understand?"Janeway glanced down at Tom, who was laying in the program even as Ovron was speaking.  She didn't need to ask.  She just looked up at Ovron and nodded,  "Understood."  She then turned and said the words which brought both dread and exhilaration to the hearts of every crew member.  "Battle stations!"Ar Ziel watched  in awe as the mild mannered, gentle people who had helped her and her people so much turned into a well oiled war machine.  Young, sweet Harry stood at his station, a model of efficiency as he issued reports and responded to information relayed from systems throughout the ship, passing on what he knew to be important, storing the rest for later review.   Chakotay, the gentle story teller,  monitored every system, including the personnel, as he issued orders, coordinated efforts and maintained an aura of incredible calm.    Her attention was drawn to the lieutenant at the conn.  His long, skilled fingers flew over the console, and a look of intense concentration and pure joy mingled on his face.  She had heard many things about him since she had come on board.    As soon as she learned that he was the ship's pilot instead if its medical officer as she had at first thought, the things she heard, in fact his whole demeanor made sense.  Pilots tended to be entities apart from all others.  They lived in a place where not even the sky was the limit.  Now, as she watched him,  she was reminded of another pilot she had once known.  He had also loved to fly.  Was it really  five long years now since...  She bit at the inside of her cheek to stifle the rage which grew in her, even after all this time.  By the Gods, how she hated Arb Swortaq.Then  she had no time to think as Voyager suddenly swooped and dove as if it were trying  to curl in on itself.  The comm link squawked and B'Elanna's voice rasped out, "Paris!"  Janeway started to chastise her, but Tom beat her to it."Not now, B'El, I'm a bit busy.  You can scream at me later."Chakotay raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at the captain, who was biting very hard on her bottom lip.  Then Tuvok began firing and they turned their attention back to the view screen.  Janeway always marveled at how well Paris and Tuvok worked together.  At times like these, it was as if they were two bodies with one mind.  If she didn't know Tuvok so well, she could almost suspect that he was telepathically linked to Tom in some way.  It seemed as if he knew where Tom was going to end up before Tom started heading there, just as Tom seemed to know where Tuvok needed to be without Tuvok ever requesting it.  Tuvok fired ship's phasers with deadly accuracy, while Tom moved them so fast that the other ships were returning fire to the spot where Voyager had just been.  By then he had lined them up so Tuvok had another perfect shot.   Voyager continued to take hits, but in a matter of minutes the battle was over.  Two Dosceni ships were completely destroyed, one was a dead hulk floating in space, and two others had fled.  Voyager had done more than her share of the damage. Janeway had just finished ordering the crew  to stand down battle stations when Harry opened a channel and a grinning Captain Ovron filled the screen.  "You weren't joking when you said you had someone who could fly that beauty.   My pilot really  would like to meet him."  He nodded toward the woman standing beside him.  She was similar in appearance to him, except her eyes were a deep violet.  Both wore the same gray-blue uniform, though even that staid garment could not conceal the lushly ripe body beneath it.    As she glanced at Tom, her eyes narrowed a bit speculatively and she gave him an almost feral smile.  Tom's own eyes widened, he swallowed hard,  and lowered his gaze to his console."Oh, I can't wait to introduce her to B'Elanna!"  Chakotay uttered, which earned him a sideways scowl from Tom.Janeway was becoming a little annoyed with Chakotay's recent  and inexplicable tormenting of the  lieutenants, so she chose to ignore her first officer as she offered her thanks to Captain Ovron.  "No thanks are necessary, Captain. It is my duty as part of the patrol in this sector of Network space to make sure that passing ships make it through without harassment.  Besides, it was worth it to see that ship of yours in action."However, I would like to talk to you about your business here and the reason for the Dosceni to come so far out of their territory to attack you.""Fair enough, Captain.  My place or yours?" Janeway asked.  Ovron beamed lustily at her."Why, your place Captain.  You don't expect me to pass up an opportunity to come visit such a lovely lady, do you?" he asked.  Janeway smiled an acknowledgement of his double entendre and ordered Harry to send the coordinates to the G'irndal.  "I'll meet you in the Transporter Room, Captain," she told Ovron with a saucy grin. "Chakotay, you have the bridge," she tossed over her shoulder at him as she spun on her heel and headed for the lift.  Now it was Tom's turn to glance at Chakotay with a raised eyebrow.  Chakotay didn't see him.  He was staring at the closed lift doors, his mouth slightly agape.     Chapter TwelveKathryn usually awoke instantly alert, but not so this time.  Awareness seemed to creep up on her in tiny bits, starting with the sensation of being held warm and safe in someone's arms.  She was stretched against the length of him, her head nestled on his chest. The gentle rise and fall of his steady breathing and the rhythmic beat of his heart beneath her ear added to her feeling of security.  She  inhaled deeply and the familiar masculine scent of him washed over her, affecting her in a way she hadn't known for a long, long time.  She felt she could lie there forever.  Then a whispered warning flashed across her mind, so quickly she couldn't quite grasp it.   She wrinkled her  forehead trying to concentrate.  But lethargy took over and she gave up.  Instead, she moved even closer, wriggling against him as she would have snuggled further under the blankets on a cold winter's morning at home in Indiana. He sighed softly, turning to her, his mouth seeking hers even though his eyes remained closed.  He moved his hand to cup her rear, pulling her tight against him, while his lips reached their target, and she found herself being thoroughly kissed.  The whispered voice was growing louder, but she continued to ignore it as the kiss deepened and she felt his tongue invade her mouth.  She responded with surprising passion, enjoying the feeling of his hard, lean body pressed against her. Then she felt the hesitation in him. At the moment that he realized something was wrong, that the taste and texture of her mouth was changed, that the feel of her body against his was not quite what it should be, the voice inside her head became a screaming alarm as full awareness hit.  While  he was pulling away, she placed her hand on his chest and pushed.  "Wrong woman, Lieutenant!" she gasped, tumbling backward as Tom released her.  He stared at her in total bewilderment, then glanced around, not recognizing the room  they were in  nor  understanding  why he was lying on the floor with the captain in his arms.  He turned to look back at her, his eyes wide with alarm and the remnants something else."Sorry, Captain,"  he said as he rose quickly to sitting position, pulling his legs up and leaning forward with his arms across his knees.  Janeway didn't know whether to feel flattered at his obvious problem, or dismayed.  She chose the former, reaching out a hand to touch his arm.    "It's all right," she offered as she looked around the small, windowless room.  There was one door, which she was willing to bet was locked.  "How did we get here?"Tom was also looking around.  "I have no idea," he said, glancing down to verify that his comm badge was gone.  "The last thing I remember was walking across the hangar with you toward our shuttlecraft after the ambassador's aide dropped us off."Knowing it was futile, Janeway had nonetheless arisen to try the door.  It was locked.  She turned to Tom and nodded her agreement at his last memory.  "I heard someone walking fast behind us and had just turned to see who it was when everything went black." By now Tom had also arisen, and was inspecting every square meter of the small room.  He glanced toward a cubicle that held what appeared to be a toilet and a sink, then across the room toward the narrow bed which sat against one wall. A small table sat next to it.   There was an air vent of some kind near the ceiling above it, but since it was only about 8 centimeters wide, it was of no use as an escape route. "Prison," he muttered and Janeway flinched at the desolation in his voice.  For being such a charming and capable young man, he certainly seemed to end up incarcerated more often than anyone else she knew.   "Yes, but whose?  Our transactions with the Network have gone well.  Their methods and philosophies  remind me so much of the Federation it's almost scary.  There's no reason for them to have knocked us out and brought us here."  Tom licked at his lips and she could see that he was making an effort not to panic at the thought of being enclosed once more.  "Not the Network, no, unless their whole set up is some elaborate ruse, and I just didn't get that feel.  But the Dosceni..."Janeway nodded.  "It has to be.  Swortaq must be planning on using us as a bargaining chip."Tom grunted, "He doesn't know us very well if he thinks we would turn over a bunch of kids just to save our own skins."Janeway looked fondly at him,  then turned serious.   "But remember, we tend to base how we think other people are going to act on how we live our own lives, and that is especially true for  megalomaniacs like him.  From what we've learned of him, Swortaq would trade his own mother to save himself in a Vulcan second, and he has no reason to believe we won't."Tom looked at her, unable to mask the worry in his eyes.  "And you can guess what will happen when we don't."  Janeway could only nod.  After a moment of reflection she looked up at him and forced a smile on her face.  "It won't come to that.  I'll bet that Chakotay and Tuvok are already working on a plan to get us out.  So let's review what we know and see if there's a way we can help them."  Chapter ThirteenHad Janeway been able at that moment to see the two people in whom she had placed so much faith, she might not have been so optimistic.  Chakotay and Tuvok were sitting  in the conference room on Voyager with the other senior staff members, Ar Ziel, and  several representatives from the Network.  All of them were watching  B'Elanna pace the room like a caged panther.  "They have to be somewhere, damn it!"  she snarled.  "Captains and lieutenants don't just vanish into thin air."  Fascinated at the intensity of her emotions, Captain Ovron stared at her with a mixture of lust and  awe.  "What a magnificent creature," he muttered to himself, earning him a look of censure from Ambassador Dreeeeel and looks of disbelief from many of the other Networkers present.  Not that any of them disputed that B'Elanna was beautiful.  But her fiery temper, even when so obviously held in check, was more than any of them wished to tackle. Voyagers' officers were unaffected by her actions, partly because they were accustomed to  B'Elanna's impassioned outbursts, but mostly because they were in full sympathy with her.  They were feeling just as frustrated and helpless.  Since they had reported Janeway and Paris as missing, they had been permitted almost no involvement in the search for their own people.  The Network had its ways of discovering what was happening, they were assured, and any efforts by Voyager to help would only serve to get in the  way.To the Network's credit, they quickly determined what had happened.  Port Authority records showed that a Dosceni shuttle cruiser had been granted permission to land at Corrrder's capitol bay two days before the disappearance of Voyager's captain and conn officer.  The Port Commissioner admitted to being surprised at their appearance, since it was a number of years since any Dosceni had made their way into Network space.  But, since  he had no restriction orders against them, he granted them free landing privileges as he would have any travelers.  Nor did he have cause to question their departure, which occurred one hour after Paris and Janeway failed to report to Voyager."We understand your frustration, Lieutenant, but beg you to allow us to continue our investigation.  Based on the information we have already obtained, we have sent cruisers  back  to the point where the Dosceni attacked you in order to trace the direction of the ships that escaped.  Also, we have spread the word to all our associates to look  for any suspicious activity in their vicinity.  We do not take this matter lightly, I assure you," the ambassador spoke in his soft contralto trill.  "There has been some progress,"  Tuvok pointed out.  "We know who has them.  We are working on the where.  We need only determine the why.""We know the why," B'Elanna snapped.  "That p'taQ thinks we will turn over the children in exchange for Tom and the captain.""You are most likely correct, Lieutenant, but until we have confirmation of that matter, it is best to proceed with caution."Before B'Elanna could give  her blistering opinion of him and his Vulcan caution, a voice interrupted them. "Commander, we have an incoming message.  It's from the Dosceni.""Put it through,"  Chakotay ordered.  Everyone turned to look at the view screen.The pleasant looking man whose image appeared on the screen didn't carry the mark of a monster.  In fact, he looked quite ordinary.  For a heartbeat, a small degree of hope surged in a few of those gathered  in the room.  Then Ar Ziel hissed,  "Arb Pleckso!" and everyone who had heard Petrek's story knew that this was not a man who generated hope."Moroiska!  What a surprise.  I had heard that your beautiful face had been, er...rearranged.  I'm pleased to see that the report  was wrong," he beamed an oily smile her way.  Until that time the Voyager crew had only known her as the woman they had rescued from a dying ship.  They had seen her worn out and beaten, harried and desperate, grateful and complacent.  Now another Ar Ziel stepped forward.  Here was the woman who had managed to stay alive and unbroken after two months of torture; the woman who had bullied, stolen and killed to get a bunch of kids off a planet and into an uncertain future.Her face a mask of bitter hate, she stepped forward.  "Pleckso, what have you done with the captain and lieutenant?"  She demanded.Pleckso's smile  wavered only a little, though his eyes narrowed.  "Same old Moroiska," he finally chuckled.  "No time for amenities.  Very well, my dear, to answer your question.  We do indeed have your friends, and for the most part they are unharmed." "And what do you want in order for us to get them back?" Chakotay moved forward.  Pleckso turned his gaze toward the commander."Commander Chakotay, isn't it?" he asked, stumbling over the alien name.  "I see that Moroiska has found a kindred spirit.  You also go straight to the point.  It's a shame really.  No one has time for the social graces any more."Ambassador Dreeeeel moved to stand by Chakotay.  "By kidnapping these people off a Network planet, you have violated Network law.  Do you realize the consequences to you and your  planet if they are not returned at once?"For the briefest moment a look of dismay crossed Pleckso's face.   Then the look was replaced by a cunning smile.  "I have every intention of returning your people to you.  Just as soon as you return our Dosceni citizens to me.""And if we don't?" Tuvok asked. The smile faded and a sneer took its place.  "Well, then, we will have to up the ante a bit.  Since you wish to get straight to it, here it is.  If the children are not delivered to me in twenty six hours, then one of my guests will lose a hand  Then one half hour after that the other will lose an eye.  Next will come a foot.  And so on until....."  he shrugged, then grinned evilly, "until there isn't anything left to lose."B'Elanna surged forward, but was stopped from pushing her way to the front of the screen by Harry, who caught her around the waist and pulled her back.  She growled furiously at him, but didn't struggle."How do we know that our people are still alive?"  Chakotay demanded. "We want to see them." Pleckso nodded.  "A wise precaution, Commander.  I would ask the same.  I will present them to you once you have had time to consider my offer. And Commander, I urge you not to be foolish.  These children are strangers to you.  They mean nothing.  Would you really wish your captain to suffer so much on their behalf?   Would she want this?"  And with that he signed off."Well, Tuvok, there's your confirmation," B'Elanna glared at the Vulcan as if she were blaming him for Pleckso's behavior.Tuvok, long accustomed to the chief engineer's ways, merely nodded.  "Indeed."Chakotay interrupted them.  "Harry, can you get a fix on where that signal came from?"  Harry was already at a station, working.  B'Elanna left off glaring at Tuvok and went to help.  After a few seconds she glanced up at Chakotay."They're bouncing the signal, scrambling it like we used to do."Chakotay shook his head grimly.  He explained to the others in the room that it was an old Maquis trick.  You bounced the signal off objects, like an asteroid, or a planet or even a passing ship.  By the time it reached its destination, it was impossible to tell where it originated.Harry glanced up.  "Impossible this time, Commander," he was staring at the screen, "but a if we could get them to transmit twice more, the third transmission would allow us to triangulate on their position."  Chakotay offered him an encouraging smile.  "Then when he lets us talk to the captain and Tom, we've got to figure out a way to get him to contact us once more, and quickly."  Harry nodded.  Ovron stepped forward.  "We could act like we were disputing internally about returning the children.  You agree, the Network people say no, and so on.  You ask him to contact you again in a few minutes while you 'convince' us that it's for the best."Tuvok looked at Chakotay.  "That assumes that they will transmit a third time.  If they are alert enough to scramble the signal, it is unlikely they are unaware of our ability to fix a point in space with three transmissions."  Chakotay's smile faded as he glanced at the Vulcan.  With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair.  "Leave it to you to throw a bucket of ice cold reality into the picture, Tuvok.  But let's hope they aren't that bright.  It's a good plan, Captain.  We'll give it a try.""Commander,"  Ambassador Dreeeeel stepped forward.  Something in his attitude made Chakotay realize that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear."Commander, as you know, Network representatives are gathering for a special congress to consider offering asylum to the Dosceni refugees even as we speak.  But the hearing won't even begin until tomorrow, and due to the nature of this request, and the fact that it will probably plunge the Network into war with Doscene, many hours or even days of debate will ensue before a vote is called.  While I certainly hope that we are successful in tracking them down by any means..." The ambassador shuffled his feet, uncomfortable with what he was about to say.  "I regret that I have to say this, Commander, but under the circumstances..."Chakotay crossed his arms on his broad chest and looked at the Corrrder.  "I've found that it's usually best just to say what you have to say and get it over with, Ambassador."  "Well, I know that these children are in your care, but I hope you understand that we cannot allow you to turn them over to this man.  While they are not at present under our protection, you are still in Network space and...."  His voice trailed off as he took in the expression on Chakotay's face, as well as most of the Voyager crew.Chakotay's nostrils flared and he was obviously working to contain his anger.  Before he could speak, Ar Ziel stepped forward."Ambassador Dreeeeel,  you have known these people for only a few days.  We have lived with them for more than three weeks.  I cannot believe they would do anything to endanger the lives of these children."  Chakotay had managed to pull himself together, but his flat emotionless voice spoke volumes.  "Ar Ziel is correct, Ambassador.  And even more, we will do everything in our power to protect them.  That is our way."  He stopped for a moment to inhale deeply.  Then to the ambassador's surprise, a broad grin split his face."Besides, I'd sooner face the entire Dosceni army ba