"A Separate Peace"
by Andra Marie Mueller

PART TWENTY-TWO : 'Deal With The Devil'

SUMMARY : Janeway reunites with Chakotay's crew to present Starfleet's proposal to the Maquis.

See Part one for author's notes and disclaimer

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U.S.S. VOYAGER

Inside her Ready Room, Janeway was reviewing the latest personnel reports from Cavit when the door chime sounded. "Come in."

The door swooshed open, and Tuvok walked into the room, carrying a data PADD.

"Good evening, Captain."

"Good evening, Commander. What can I do for you?"

"Mister Darjenko has agreed to meet with you," Tuvok told her. "He will be transporting aboard with two of his crewmates when we reach Trezar."

"Fine. I’ll leave the security arrangements up to you, but remember that the Maquis will be on board at my invitation. I expect them to be treated accordingly."

"Of course, Captain."

"Was there anything else?"

The Vulcan handed her the PADD. "These are the results of the latest tactical simulations," he told her. "Both Voyager and her crew appear to be in top form."

"Present company excluded, of course," Janeway responded lightly and glanced down at her swollen stomach. "I look like I’ve swallowed a watermelon whole."

"How are you feeling?" Tuvok asked.

"My lower back is starting to bother me, but the twins have been fairly quiet the past few days, so all in all I’m doing well. Thank you for asking."

"Permission to speak freely, Captain?" Tuvok requested suddenly.

"Always, Commander. What’s on your mind?"

"I am uncertain that our negotiations with the Maquis will obtain the alliance Starfleet is hoping for," Tuvok stated. "I believe that the Admiralty may have allowed themselves to be swayed by overconfidence that the Maquis will be willing to realign themselves with Starfleet."

"The Maquis have a lot to gain with this alliance, Tuvok," Janeway responded. "If we defeat the Dominion, then the Maquis earn their freedom from the Cardassians and the Federation."

"I do not believe obtaining that freedom holds the appeal for the Maquis that Starfleet Command is assuming it does."

"Why not?"

"Given the very nature of their existence-which was solely to protest the Federation’s treaty with Cardassia that resulted in the change of authority in the Demilitarized Zone- they may feel that allowing the Dominion to overtake the Federation may be poetic justice."

"I don’t think so, Tuvok. I’ll grant you that the Maquis have reason to hate what the Federation has done, but at heart all of them are survivors. I’m fairly certain that whatever their grievances are with us, realigning themselves with Starfleet is preferable to witnessing a coup d’etat if the Dominion gains control of the quadrant."

"You have never given me reason to doubt your judgment before, Captain. For all of our sakes, I hope this will not be the first time."

"That makes two of us. I’ll see you in the morning."

"Sleep well, Captain."

Tuvok left the room, and Janeway walked over to stand by the window, staring out at the stars as she absently rubbed her stomach. Between her fights with her family and Starfleet Command, as well as the discovery that she was pregnant, Janeway had been given little time to mourn Chakotay. Yet her impending reunion with his crew was triggering that grief and unleashing a fresh round of anguish.

It’s been almost a year, and I miss him more every day, she mused silently. I never even got the chance to say good-bye.

As if to mock their mother’s melancholy mood, the twins chose that moment to stir, vying for position in Janeway’s womb and eliciting a chuckle from her.

"All right, you two; I get the message. No moping."

Smiling to herself, Janeway turned to go back to her desk.

 

The following afternoon, Janeway was in the conference room awaiting the arrival of the Maquis. Tuvok stood silently at her side, having overridden her objections and appointed himself her personal guard for the duration of the Maquis’ visit.

"I assure you they aren’t going to kidnap me again, Tuvok," Janeway protested. "My abduction ten months ago was Chakotay’s idea."

"With all due respect, Captain, I would prefer not to take any chances with your safety while the Maquis are on Voyager."

"I can take care of myself, Commander."

"Under normal circumstances I have no doubt that you can," the Vulcan allowed, "but in your present condition it is best to take precautions."

"Never argue with a Vulcan," Janeway mumbled.

"The Maquis are ready to be beamed aboard, Captain," the transporter chief announced over the intercom.

"Energize, Mister Green."

Terven Darjenko, Red Hawk and Gray Feather materialized at the far end of the room, and the trio took a quick glance at their surroundings before shifting their attention to Janeway. The group exchanged astonished glances at her obvious pregnancy, than Gray Feather approached Janeway.

"Chakotay would be very pleased," she said simply.

Janeway smiled. "Thank you."

The two women exchanged a hug as Darjenko and Red Hawk walked over to join them, and Janeway released Gray Feather as she turned to face them.

"Welcome aboard, Gentlemen."

"Thank you, Captain," Darjenko responded formally.

Janeway glanced at Red Hawk. "Hello, Red Hawk. It’s good to see you again."

"Likewise, Captain," Red Hawk returned. "Congratulations on your impending motherhood."

"Thank you. Allow me to introduce my chief of security, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok."

"It’s been a long time, Commander," Darjenko replied.

"It has indeed, Mister Darjenko," Tuvok allowed.

Janeway glanced at Tuvok. "You know each other?"

Tuvok afforded her a brief glance. "Mister Darjenko and I served together on the Columbus several years ago," he revealed.

"Small world," Janeway said. "Well, let’s get down to business. Gray Feather, gentlemen; have a seat."

The group seated themselves at the table, and Janeway waited until they were settled before addressing them. "As I indicated in my message to Captain Darjenko, I am here to present the Maquis with a proposition from Starfleet Command, which will hopefully prove to be mutually beneficial for everyone."

"What type of proposition?" Darjenko prompted.

"As you know, the Cardassians have allied themselves with the Gamma Quadrant’s Dominion Fleet, and it’s a safe assumption that they are planning to launch an attack against the Alpha Quadrant. If that happens, the Federation will cease to exist, as will the Maquis. Starfleet Command feels that by working together, we can defeat the Dominion and maintain control of this quadrant."

"What’s in it for the Maquis?" Red Hawk asked. "Quite frankly, Captain, the loss of the Federation would be a welcome relief after nearly two decades of political power games."

"Consider the alternative," Janeway countered. "If the Dominion gains control of this quadrant, how long do you think it will be before they start exterminating the rest of the Maquis? They have their own soldiers–these Jem’Hadar-so they won’t have any use for a group of people who are self-declared enemies of the Cardassians, as well as a Federation that no longer exists."

"An interesting argument, Captain," Darjenko allowed. "However, you still haven’t answered the original question: What’s in it for the Maquis?"

"If you help us defeat the Dominion, than Starfleet Command is prepared to give all of you full pardons," Janeway told him. "All charges incurred by your activities in the Maquis will be dropped."

"What about our homes? With the treaty between Cardassia and the Federation now nullified, there is no reason for the Council not to give us our homeworlds back."

"That issue is one you’ll have to debate with the Federation Council yourselves. The Admiralty’s only concern is ensuring containment of the Dominion."

"Tell me something, Captain," Red Hawk interjected. "What assurances do we have that Starfleet Command will keep its word? As I recall, they made a similar deal with Chakotay, only to change the rules halfway through the game."

"Chakotay left them no choice when he kidnapped me," Janeway pointed out. "In any event, the fate of the entire Federation hangs in the balance, and in all honesty the Admiralty is running scared. Between the ongoing conflict with the Maquis and the occasional skirmishes with the Borg, they don’t have the resources to fight a war against the Dominion on their own."

"How much time do we have to make a decision?" Darjenko asked.

"Based on the information we’ve been getting from Deep Space Nine, we estimate that they will launch an attack within the next week."

"A week?" Darjenko echoed. "If the war is that close, why did Starfleet Command wait so long to come to us?"

"We had to find you first," Janeway explained. "After you left Cornellia, you didn’t exactly leave a forwarding address. It took almost six months to track you to Trezar."

"How did you find us?" Gray Feather asked.

"Let’s just say that Starfleet Intelligence is very good at what they do," Janeway evaded. "In any event the clock is ticking, so I am going to need an answer by the end of the day."

"You will have one," Darjenko assured her.

 

DEEP SPACE NINE

Sisko was in Quark’s, finishing lunch with his son, Jake, when he received a page from Kira.

"Ops to Captain Sisko."

"Go ahead, Colonel."

"Captain, you’d better get up here. We’ve got trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Two Cardassian warships and a Jem’Hadar battle cruiser have just emerged from the wormhole."

"Go to Red Alert, Colonel. I’m on my way."

 

By the time Sisko reached Ops, the rest of his senior officers were already present. Acknowledging them with a brief glance, he directed his attention to Kira. "What’s our status, Colonel?"

"None of the ships are responding to our hails, Captain," Kira answered. "They’re just sitting there doing nothing."

"What’s their weapons status?"

Kira ran a quick scan. "All three ships are fully armed, but their shields and weapons systems are off-line."

"They could be waiting for reinforcements," Worf suggested.

"What do they need reinforcements for?" O’Brien prompted from beside him. "Those three ships already have enough firepower to take out the station."

"That’s a comforting thought," Dax mumbled.

Sisko glanced at Worf. "Commander, get to the Defiant and prep her for takeoff. Maybe we can convince our visitors to go back where they came from before their friends arrive."

"Aye, Captain."

"Mister O’Brien, are those new shields you’ve been working on for the station ready to be activated?" Sisko asked.

"As ready as they’ll ever be," O’Brien answered.

"Then get to it."

"Yes, sir."

O’Brien headed out of Ops as Sisko turned to Kira. "Colonel, contact Starfleet Command and find out if there are any starships in the vicinity," he requested. "If our visitors out there are waiting for reinforcements, we’re going to need some of our own."

 

TREZAR OUTPOST

Darjenko, Red Hawk and Gray Feather had returned from their meeting with Janeway and presented Starfleet’s proposition to the Maquis.

"How do we know we can trust Starfleet?" Brev asked. "Or Janeway, for that matter."

"Janeway has no reason to lie to us, Korran," Darjenko replied. "She came here asking for our help."

"How do we know there isn’t another starship or two en route to Trezar to take us all into custody?"

"Starfleet has bigger problems than the Maquis these days," Darjenko said. "The Cardassians have allied themselves with the Dominion and are on the brink of attacking the Federation. Starfleet needs our help to defeat them and ensure the safety of the Alpha Quadrant."

"What do we get out of it?" Dubuque prompted.

"Our freedom. Starfleet Command has agreed to grant us all full pardons if we help eliminate the Dominion threat."

"And you believe them?" Brev pressed.

"Under the circumstances, yes," Darjenko responded. "We can’t afford to fight a war on two fronts; neither can they. It makes sense to work together toward the common goal of neutralizing the Dominion Fleet."

"Terven is right," Red Hawk declared. "Whatever differences we have with the Federation, it would still be better for our own survival if we fight with them instead of against them."

"It’s what Chakotay would have wanted," Gray Feather added.

"My decision is made," Darjenko declared. "Now it’s time for the rest of you to decide if you are with me or against me. If you chose to join me, be on the Cloud Dancer within the hour. If you chose to take your chances on your own, than stay on Trezar and hope the Dominion doesn’t find you."

"You’re a fool to trust Starfleet, Darjenko," one of the Maquis shouted.

"Maybe, but I’d rather fight for my freedom on my terms than lose my life on the Dominion’s."

 

U.S.S. VOYAGER

Seated in her chair on the Bridge, Janeway was finishing her review of the tactical simulations Tuvok had given her when Kim addressed her.

"Captain, we’re receiving an Alpha One Priority signal from Deep Space Nine."

Janeway exchanged a curious look with Cavit. "That doesn’t sound good," she said and got to her feet. "Put it on the viewscreen, Mister Kim."

Kira’s image flickered to life. "Captain Janeway," she greeted. "We need your help."

"What’s the problem, Colonel?"

"There are two Cardassian warships and a Dominion cruiser camped just outside the entrance to the wormhole, and they seem to be waiting for some of their friends to show up. Starfleet Command has dispatched the Excelsior to give us some back-up, but they are at least an hour away."

Janeway glanced at Tuvok. "Commander?"

Tuvok checked his computer panel before responding. "At maximum warp, we can reach Deep Space Nine in approximately one hour," he revealed.

Janeway returned her attention to Kira. "Tell Captain Sisko we’re on our way, Colonel. We’ll get there as quickly as we can."

"Thank you, Captain. Kira out."

The viewscreen faded to black and Janeway turned to Kim. "Ensign, open a channel to the Maquis."

Kim ran a hand along his panel. "Channel open, Captain."

"Janeway to Captain Darjenko."

"Darjenko here."

"I hate to pressure you, Mister Darjenko, but the Dominion has just raised the stakes in our little power game. I just received a communiqué from Deep Space Nine informing me that they’ve got three ships positioned within striking distance of the station, and they’re requesting Voyager’s presence. I’m afraid you need to give me an answer now about what the Maquis are going to do."

"In that case you’ll be pleased to know that we have decided to accept Starfleet’s offer," Darjenko told her. "I believe you Terrans have a saying; ‘Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t’".

Janeway chuckled. "I don’t know if that was a compliment or an insult, Captain, but I’m glad to have you on our side. How soon can you have your ship ready to depart for DS9?"

"Give me ten minutes to organize my crew and then we’re good to go."

"The clock is ticking, Mister Darjenko; make it eight minutes. Janeway out."

 

DEEP SPACE NINE

"Sisko to the Defiant."

"Worf here, sir."

"The Excelsior and the Voyager are on their way, Mister Worf. What’s your status?"

"The ship’s systems are on line, and we are ready for departure," Worf reported. "Sensors indicate the Dominion and Cardassian weapons are still powered down."

"Acknowledged, Commander. Ease out slowly and put the Defiant between those ships and the station."

"Aye, Captain. Worf out."

In his office, Sisko glanced across his desk at Dax. "Well, Old Man, it looks like we’re about to find out just how much of a beating the Defiant can take."

Jadzia smiled. "Have a little faith, Benjamin. The Defiant held its own against the Borg, so going a few rounds with the Dominion should be a piece of cake."

"I hope so."

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Part 23