"SHIT!"

Ken's eyes shot open at Tom's yell and the simultaneous sound of feet hitting the floor at speed. He sat up in bed and saw Tom hopping on one leg while trying to drag his pants up the other. Noticing his audience, Tom blushed and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm gonna be late for shift," he explained. 

Ken checked the time, then gave Tom a reassuring grin.

"You've still got forty minutes. What's the rush?"

"I need to get back to my quarters to wash and change," Tom replied, hunting desperately for his boots.

"No you don't. I'll replicate you a fresh uniform."

"I can't afford it," Tom replied. It was partly true. Although. thanks to the Captain, he had enough credits to his account, he didn't want to waste them

"Did I say anything about *you* paying? Stop rushing around. Use my bathroom and I'll get you some clean clothes and breakfast while you shower and shave," Ken replied. Then, seeing the guarded look on Tom's face, he sighed. "I'm not trying to *pay* you for last night, Tom. I just wanna do something nice for you, honey. It...well, it's been a long time since I had the chance to spend my credits on anyone. Let me? Please?"

It was the endearment that convinced Tom that Ken was sincere. A totally unfamiliar feeling of warmth flooded through him at the softly spoken words and the almost bashful expression of hope on Ken's face. It was impossible for him to refuse the generous offer without hurting the big, gruff and yet surprisingly soft-hearted man, despite the fact that the *real* reason he was in a panic was that he was supposed to contact the Captain before his shift started.

Still, he told himself, if she *really* wanted to talk to him she could call him into her ready room. 

~#~#~#~

"Right on time," Kathryn said, mysteriously, as the Ready Room door chimed a mere few seconds after she had handed Chakotay his coffee and had taken her own seat.

Chakotay turned slightly, his eyes widening in surprise as the Chief Engineer entered the room.

"You already know Joe, of course," Kathryn said smoothly. "What neither of you are yet aware of, is the fact that you're both SCC. Lieutenant Joe Carey, SCC Engineering Corps, meet Commander Chakotay of the Special Ops Division."

Carey's face mirrored Chakotay's own shock at the announcement but he stepped forward and offered his hand. Chakotay took it and they shook, both applying just a little more pressure than was comfortable. Since the integration of the Maquis crew, they had locked horns several times over B'Elanna's presence in Engineering and although Carey had never been insubordinate, neither had the two men ever made any pretence of liking each other. Kathryn smiled internally as she identified the alpha male posturing of the two men but decided to cut it short. There was no time for them to play power games with each other.

"Joe, I've kept you in the dark until now because Chakotay's true identity has been on a need-to-know basis. To set the record straight, however, he not only holds the rank of Commander within the SCC but he's been working undercover in the Maquis. Our mission was *never* to capture Chakotay. Our target was always Tuvok, the  FIA operative working on the Crazy Horse."

Carey's cautious expression changed to a look of deep respect and his grip loosened on Chakotay's hand.

"It's an honor to be properly introduced, Sir," he said with quiet sincerity. "I apologize for any inappropriate attitude I may have shown you in the past."

"As far as you were concerned, I was a Maquis fugitive who had no right to wear this uniform," Chakotay replied easily. "You have always treated me with professionalism regardless."

Carrey smiled with obvious relief. Kathryn rolled her eyes impatiently and gestured for them both to sit down.

"The reason I've brought Joe into this is hopefully obvious," she began.

"I assume you're depending on his engineering skills to create our 'accident'," Chakotay replied.

"It has to look authentic," Kathryn agreed. "I've already discussed the methods with him. The only fact he was unaware of until this meeting was your own role in the proceedings. Perhaps you could fill the Commander in, Joe."

"Although Voyager has a number of internal safety protocols to prevent this kind of sabotage, they don't allow for the idea that the Captain herself would initiate them. With her command codes we can pretty much make the on-board computer see anything we want it to see," Carey explained. "We're attempting a localized depressurization that 'apparently' is caused by an external collision. It's relatively easy to create the illusion that we've strayed into a dangerous meteor storm. As long as all visual monitoring posts are manned by our own people, I can send a series of shockwaves through the ship to imitate the effect of meteors striking the shields. The record will show that a single meteor managed to penetrate our subsequently weakened shields and impacted on the outer hull directly outside the hold doors of Cargo Bay 2. The depressurization will appear to be nothing more than a tragic accident."

"How are you going to explain the fact that Tuvok and the rest were inside the cargo bay at the time?" Chakotay asked.

Kathryn shrugged. "Everyone knows he's reorganizing supplies. The duty roster will show that the casualties had all simply volunteered to assist him and that they were busy moving stock when the meteor struck."

"I've rigged the hold doors to explode inwards, as though struck from outside. We don't have to worry about planting meteor debris though. As soon as the inner seal is breached, everything and everyone in the Cargo Bay will simply be sucked out into space," Carey continued.

"What about the supplies we'll lose?" Chakotay asked.

"Most of the containers are sealed. We can retrieve them when we go body hunting. We need to at least be seen to attempt to retrieve the dead for proper burial," Kathryn explained. "It adds credence to the idea of the incident being simply an accident and means we should be able to get most of our supplies back at the same time."

"As soon as the doors are breached, an emergency forcefield will be formed to seal the cargo bay off from the rest of the deck. There's absolutely no risk to anyone else on board," Carey added.

"How do we explain rescuing Tom and Tuvok?" Chakotay asked.

"Because Voyager will attempt to repair the external breach with a forcefield, there will be a thirteen second window of opportunity between the *meteor* and the decompression when that forcefield fails," Kathryn replied. "Samantha Wildman, another of *our* people, will be assigned to Transporter Room One tonight. She'll 'realize' the cargo bay has been struck and will attempt to rescue those inside. 'Unfortunately' she will only manage to isolate Tom's pattern before the room decompresses. She'll make a second, desperate attempt to grab people as they are being swept out into the vacuum and will be successful in isolating Tuvok's signal but not until he has already been pulled out of the ship. The effect of the vacuum on Tuvok's body will explain the need to place him in stasis."

"Is that just the official story, or the way you intend it to really happen?" Chakotay asked. "It only takes seconds for a body to explode in vacuum. What if Sam can't lock on to Tuvok in time?"

"Put it this way," Kathryn replied. "As much as I want Tuvok to stand trial, I won't loose any sleep over the idea of him dying that way."

Chakotay frowned, his eyes darkening with worry.

"Sam will get Tom *before* he's pulled out into space," Kathryn reassured him, instinctively sensing the source of Chakotay's fear.

"What is it with Paris?" Carey asked. "Is he one of us then?"

"Yes," Chakotay replied, glaring warningly at Kathryn. "He is."

She narrowed her eyes slightly but nodded.

"Tom's working undercover," she agreed, not willing to actually lie to Carey but deliberately allowing him to misunderstand her comment.

"Then you'd better warn him not to stand too close to the hold doors," Carey replied. "Transporter or no transporter, if he's within two meters of that explosion he'll be ripped into pieces."

Chakotay blanched and Kathryn hurriedly dismissed Carey, sensing the Commander was about to erupt. She was right. No sooner had the door closed behind the Lieutenant's back than Chakotay surged to his feet.

"You said he wouldn't be in danger," he roared.

"The odds are that he won't," she replied. "The cargo bay is huge. The probability is that he won't be anywhere near the doors."

"But he could be."

Kathryn nodded.

"He could," she allowed. "But there's no possible way to warn him to stay away from where the explosives have been planted without him guessing what we're about to do."

"So tell him," Chakotay demanded. "He's obeyed you without question so far."

"Only because he believes I'm FIA. My decision to kill the mutineers will shatter that illusion and Tom's programmed obedience to me will end the moment he realizes I'm working for the SCC."

"Then change his duty shift. Keep him away from the cargo bay tonight."

"I can't. Tuvok might suspect something. We have to stick with the original plan. I've told you before, Chakotay. No matter how much I personally feel sorry for Tom, I won't let my sympathy for him affect the job I have to do. Neither will I let *you* put the ship in danger because you're thinking with your dick."

Chakotay glowered at her darkly but gave an abrupt nod of acknowledgement.

"Speaking of which," Kathryn continued. "Tom didn't report in to me this morning before starting his shift and I don't want to risk calling him in here with Tuvok on the bridge. It could look suspicious. Do you know if he managed to convince Dalby?"

"According to the computer, he stayed the night," Chakotay confirmed, his glower deepening. "And Dalby *paid* for a new uniform for Tom this morning. The bastard must have been so eager for a piece of ass that he simply ripped Tom's clothes off his body last night."

"Then we can assume Tom succeeded," Kathryn stated calmly, ignoring the outraged look on Chakotay's face. She imagined the Commander was struggling not to seek out Dalby and kill him for handling Tom so roughly but, since he knew Dalby would die with the other FIA, she was confident Chakotay would contain his anger. "Presumably Tuvok will give Tom the name of the last operative tonight."

"Isn't that a bit late under the circumstances?"

"As long as Tom can identify who it is, that's all that matters. I don't want to risk any contact with Tom until after the operation goes down. We'll deal with the final operative tomorrow."

"You're assuming Tom will tell you the name. It's hardly likely he'll do under the circumstances. By this time tomorrow he's going to have guessed that you're SCC."

"Yes," Kathryn agreed. "He's going to hate me and he's highly unlikely to ever trust me again. On the other hand, there's no reason for him to suspect that *you* were involved in this, Chakotay. As far as Tom is concerned, you're no more or less than a Maquis who is being forced by necessity to co-operate with me. No matter how frightened he is that you'll turn him away, he'll run to you because there won't be anyone else that he believes he can trust. He'll be so surprised and grateful when you offer to help him that I expect he'll tell you anything you want to know."

"You want me to lie to him, Kathryn?" Chakotay demanded, his eyes shadowed with hurt. "Don't you think there's already too many damn secrets between Tom and I?"

"For your own relationship, perhaps. But if you don't take control of him, he's going to be a danger to the ship. What's the point of this whole elaborate charade if Tom Paris takes it upon himself to march into the mess hall tomorrow morning and announce that this wasn't an accident and that I killed these people because they were FIA? Half the fleet crew don't even know the FIA exist and the other half are Maquis. What if the Maquis believe that I'll kill *them* next? Unless you convince me that Tom is under your control, I'll have no option except to put him in stasis too."

"What about Tom? How the hell will *he* feel when he finds out that I'm SCC? He will, Kathryn. Maybe not for a time, but eventually the truth always comes out, doesn't it? I'm going to take him back into my life, back into my bed, and one day he's going to find out I'm SCC and you *ordered* me to seduce him."

Kathryn sighed sadly.

"Let's just hope he's more understanding than you were under the same set of circumstances," she replied.

~#~#~#~#~

Tom hurried off the bridge, barely sparing a nod towards Harry who was still waiting for his shift replacement to arrive, and dove into the turbolift before Tuvok could follow him. He'd been pleasantly surprised that the Captain hadn't called him away from the helm for an update. He assumed it meant she was confident that he'd been successful with Dalby. It wasn't her assumption that pleased him, although it suggested she had faith in his abilities, it was the fact that he really didn't want to talk about what had happened the night before.

Particularly not with Tuvok.

It was enough that he'd turn up for tonight's meeting with Ken in tow. Tom didn't see why he should be required to give any details to either Tuvok or Janeway about *how* he'd achieved Ken's co-operation. He was confident of his own ability to hide how much Ken's unexpected kindness had affected him so it shouldn't have bothered him to give a report. He'd learnt years previously how to hide his own feelings while describing the various sexual acts he'd been forced to participate in. He had an extensive vocabulary of terms with which to describe the different ways his targets had pounded him through their respective mattresses. So perhaps the reason for his reluctance was simply that Ken had been so different.

Even when he'd slept with Chakotay, despite his astonishment and emotional confusion at Chakotay's gentleness, the joining had still been accompanied by intense fear. Every moment in Chakotay's arms Tom had been too aware that his happiness was temporary and that, regardless of his feelings for the older man, their relationship wouldn't survive the revelation of his own status as a spy and a mod.

With Ken there had been none of that fear. Ken knew he was a spy, seemed to understand that Tom had never been given a choice about it, had treated him with the delicacy of a lover in bed despite his knowledge that Tom was a whore and, most importantly, although Ken didn't seem to know about his modifications, Tom had the feeling that Ken might not even care.

Just thinking about Ken, while he sat at the helm, had kept a low warm glow of happiness burning inside him all day. Tom was pretty certain he hadn't fallen in love with Ken, because his feelings were more like the pleasant contentment after a satisfying meal rather than the sharp, fearful tension that Chakotay had always inspired in him. His conclusion was that love hurt, that it led to pain and bitter disappointment, so it couldn't be love that was making it hard to keep a smile off his face. 

Still, whatever it *was*, it felt good.

~#~#~#~

"Hi," Ken said, with a tentative smile and wary eyes. "I hope you don't mind me coming around to your quarters like this."

Tom stepped back to invite him inside, his brow wrinkled in confusion. "We said we'd go to the meeting together," he reminded the older man.

Ken flushed a little under Tom's scrutiny.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But I'm a bit early."

"Only two hours," Tom replied, with a grin.

"I…um…I wondered whether you'd eaten yet."

"Not yet. I…well...I've been avoiding Tuvok, to tell the truth."

Ken tried unsuccessfully to hide an expression of hurt.

"Did you think I'd change my mind and let you down?" he asked quietly.

"No," Tom reassured him quickly, stepping forward to reach forward and stroke Ken's arm gently. "It's…well, you're not the only sleeper who refused to join the mutiny. I was scared he'd make me…"

Ken's eyes darkened as he understood what Tom was trying to say. "Never," he growled, throwing his arms around Tom and squeezing him tightly. "I won't let him. I'm going to make it perfectly clear to him that my co-operation will only last for as long as you're exclusive to me."

Tom stiffened in his arms, his earlier feeling of warmth suddenly replaced by chill at Ken's possessive words.

"Hey," Ken soothed, as he felt Tom go rigid. "I'm just gonna *say* it, to get him off your back. You don't owe me anything, kid. Last night was…well, it was the most wonderful thing that has happened to me in years. I don't expect you to feel the same way. Hell, even if you come with me when I leave the ship I'm not gonna assume that means you want to sleep with me. All I'm saying is that whether you want this thing between us to carry on or not, I'm happy to tell Tuvok we're together if that stops him using you."

"Really?" Tom asked, his eyes widening with surprise. "You'd do that? Protect me even if I refused to sleep with you again?"

"Shit, Kid," Ken snarled. "You think I gave you all that crap about your being an FIA whore just so as you'd become *mine* instead? I'm not proud of my life, Tom. I sold my soul to the devil twelve years ago because I couldn't keep my dick in my pants when someone only half-as-pretty as you offered me his ass. But I'll tell you something for nothing. Even that poor bastard at Risa was in my bed 'cos he wanted to be. He might have been a whore, but he was a free, street-wise one who screwed me out of more credits for one night than I earn in a month. I might have taken advantage of someone's greed on occasion but I've never taken advantage of anyone's vulnerability."

"I didn't mean to upset you," Tom whispered, a little afraid of Ken's vehemence.

"And the last thing I wanted to do was upset or scare you," Ken replied contritely, as he saw Tom's complexion pale. "You have no reason to trust me, Tom. Fact is you'd be a fool to even try. Nobody does anything for free. I'm not even really doing this for you, I'm doing it for *me*."

"I don't understand."

"Penance maybe. The laying of a ghost. Maybe I just want to save your ass because of that poor little bastard who died on Risa. I couldn't do anything for him, but I can do it for you.  Besides, I kinda *like* you."

"You do?" Tom asked, with a cautious smile.

"Sure. You seem a damn good choice to run away with. Least when we run out of conversation, you'll still be pretty to look at," Ken grinned.

"Maybe you could do more than just look," Tom suggested, his eyes sparkling.

Ken's mask of complacency crumbled and a light flush rose over his features.

"I…um…told you I don't expect…" he mumbled, ducking his head uncertainly.

"I know," Tom replied, stepping forward and kissing Ken's forehead tenderly. "Maybe *that's* why I want to," he explained. "Because you *don't* expect me to."

~#~#~#~

"What the hell is Paris playing at?" Carey grumbled. "Wasn't he supposed to get Dalby to the cargo bay for this meeting?"

"Yeah," Chakotay growled back, his stomach churning slightly as the computer confirmed that Tom was still in his own quarters. With Dalby.

"I guess we could go ahead with the plan anyway," Carey suggested.  "It would save Sam having to scoop Tom out of there."

"Absolutely not," Kathryn replied firmly. "Not only would that leave us Dalby to dispose of but we'd still be in the dark about the identity of the last operative."

"The way I see it, Dalby isn't going to be a threat if he doesn't want to join the mutiny. Besides, there's no guarantee Tuvok *will* tell Tom who the last operative is tonight," Chakotay suggested, regretting the fact he wouldn't get the chance to blow Dalby out into vacuum but definitely preferring the idea of blowing the cargo bay while Tom was safely in his own quarters.

Kathryn turned her irritation in Joe's direction.

"I just don't understand how you could manage to plant the explosives but couldn't manage to set up a simple bug to monitor what's going on inside the cargo bay."

Carey shrugged slightly. "He's installed some form of electronic jamming device," he explained. "I couldn't get around it. I *could* have disabled it, but it would have alerted him. Can't we move the plan back to tomorrow night?"

"I don't dare take the chance," Kathryn replied. "Tuvok has enough people and sufficient weapons to make his move now. We need to stop him now, while we still can."

"Lieutenant Paris has exited his quarters," the computer announced blandly.

"Alone?" Kathryn demanded.

There was a momentary delay as the computer struggle to interpret her question.

"Is Crewman Dalby with Lieutenant Paris?" Chakotay clarified.

"Affirmative."

"Looks like the game's on then," Carey announced with obvious relief but only Kathryn returned his smile.

~#~#~#~

"We're really late," Tom moaned, as they approached the Cargo Bay.

It was the fifth time he'd said it during the short journey but, instead of being irritated, Ken just squeezed his bicep to comfort him and said, for the fifth time, "It's okay, Tom. I'll take the blame. You just keep quiet and let me deal with Tuvok."

This time Tom actually seemed to hear him, because he hesitated mid-step and half-turned back to look Ken in the face.

"It was worth it," he whispered. "Even if Tuvok *does* kick my ass."

Ken returned Tom's hesitant smile with a full-wattage beam.

"I can't believe my luck," he told Tom. "I never even dreamt that someone like you would ever be interested in someone like me," he admitted. "Talk about beauty and the beast. You could have anyone, Tom. Anyone you want. God only knows what you see in me."

"Yeah?" Tom replied, with a bitter laugh. "You seem to be forgetting that except for Harry and the Captain, everyone on this ship hates me."

"Only because they don't know you," Ken replied firmly. "And even though they *think* they hate you, they still want you. Whenever you walk into a room, *everyone* turns to look at you. They all want you, Tom."

"They just want my ass," Tom replied dismissively.

"Maybe so," Ken agreed, "but once they got to *know* you their feelings would change. I don't know why I'm saying this but you need to think things through, Tom. You could do a hell of a lot better for yourself than me."

"Don't...don't you want me to leave with you anymore?" Tom whispered, his face falling.

"Of course I do. All I'm saying is that it might not be *your* best option. You said it yourself, the Captain *likes* you. Why the hell are you helping Tuvok? Why don't we turn around right now and go see her, tell her what's going on? She'll protect you, Tom. I'm sure she will."

"I can't," Tom blurted, hating himself for not having the courage to simply tell Ken what was really going on. Yet, although it almost choked him to keep lying, he wasn't able to break the years of conditioning that had programmed him to obey a senior FIA officer like Janeway. "What about you?" he asked desperately. "She'll throw *you* in the brig."

"Maybe," Ken agreed, "but I doubt it. Not if I turn myself in now. I can see her not wanting to keep me on board but, since I don't want to stay anyway, it hardly matters."

"You promised me," Tom accused, hiding his own grief and shame behind a mask of betrayal. "You *promised* you'd join the mutiny. Or was that just to get my ass?"

Ken reeled as though he'd been slapped. A flare of anger rose in his eyes but, as he saw Tom's white face and trembling limbs, the anger was swiftly replaced by pity and a sad understanding of Tom's reaction.

"I'm sorry, Tom," he soothed. "I understand if you're too scared to stand up to Tuvok. God only knows what the FIA has done to you to make you so frightened, but I can imagine what your life has been like so it was stupid of me to think you could defy them this easily. I'll come to the meeting like I promised, just...just give it some thought, okay? Just *think* about telling the Captain before it's too late."

Relief flooded Tom and he pressed his face into Ken's neck, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He'd talk to the Captain, he decided. He'd ask her for permission to let Ken know who she really was. *Then* Ken would understand and hopefully forgive him for not explaining sooner.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow," he promised, and although his voice was quiet his sincerity was evident to the older man. 

"Okay," Ken agreed, so impressed by Tom's courageous promise that he couldn't see any harm in waiting a few hours. "We'll *both* pretend for tonight, then tomorrow we'll talk to the Captain together."

And, hand in hand, they walked into the cargo bay.

Go to Part Twenty-One