Free Ghost of a Chance by Charles G. McGraw, Mark Garland Page A

have a lot more questions than answers, and I intend to start changing that ratio.”
    “An excellent suggestion,” Jonal agreed.
    “You too, Neelix,” Chakotay said, which seemed to please the Talaxian not in the least. He wanted to be with Kes, of course, but right now she didn’t need him as much as Chakotay did.
    As the commander turned, he realized that Mila had drifted nearer to Paris and had already engaged him in a separate conversation.
    The commander cleared his throat loudly. Paris looked up and instantly caught the meaning of Chakotay’s forbidding glare. The lieutenant stood up and took Mila gently by the arm, then turned her away from the helm station. “We wouldn’t want you accidentally to touch anything,” he said in explanation. “Why don’t you go with the commander?”
    “Oh, of course,” Mila said, obviously somewhat embarrassed.
    Everyone smiled.
    They might all be spies, Chakotay thought. The question was whether or not it mattered. Either way, he intended to find out.
    “Are you coming along?” Mila asked Paris.
    “He is of more use to me out here,” Chakotay said.
    Mila looked remarkably childlike as she tipped her head.
    “Please, Commander, I insist. After all, your vessel, like our own, is at station-keeping. Do you not value Paris’s opinions?”
    Chakotay didn’t like being squeezed, but then, he didn’t like much of anything that was going on just now. What all this amounted to was another delay, and it wasn’t worth that.
    “Very well,” he muttered, allowing the irritation to show in his voice.
    B’Elanna Torres stood not a meter from him, squarely between the Drosary and the ready room door with her arms folded in front of her.
    She would be the next one the Drosary wanted to come along. That was clear enough. “Is there anyone else you’d like to have join us?” the commander asked.
    Mila looked directly at B’Elanna, then looked away. “No, this will be sufficient.”
    The look on B’Elanna’s face could have soured Drindorian dragon’s milk.
    Chakotay shook his head, then threw up his hands. “Good,” he said, glancing at B’Elanna as he brushed past her. “Someone has to get some work done around here.”
    “Commander, it’s all right,” Torres said as the ready room door slid open. “It’s more than all right.”
    Chakotay paused and held her gaze for a moment. He had seen her this serious before—an overreaction in most people, but not in her, especially when lives were at stake. Just now he found her mood a comfort. He nodded to her and went inside.
    As they gathered in the small, sparsely appointed ready room, Mila managed to get a smile out of Paris, who seemed clearly to be warming up to the beautiful young Drosary, a reaction that Chakotay had to admit was understandable, even under the circumstances. Tassay remained close by Chakotay’s side as he stood in front of Janeway’s desk and leaned back against it. The others settled on the large sofa on one side of the room. Tassay sat on the end nearer the commander.
    “Where is your captain?” Jonal asked. “I had hoped to continue our discussion with her as well.”
    “She… has been detained a while longer. I have full authority to negotiate.”
    Jonal’s expression did not change. “Very well, Commander.”
    “My first priority is to rescue the crew of our shuttlecraft,” Chakotay said. “I think we should start there. The Televek apparently thought that in order to warn our people about something down there, it was worth endangering their lives. You were going to tell me what that something was.”
    No one said a word at first. Chakotay watched the Drosary for a moment, noting the silent communication that went on almost constantly among them. He sensed an earnestness about them now—a sincerity that seemed to transcend even this most awkward situation. He didn’t trust the Televek, but he felt almost certain these three Drosary could be trusted to a point, that they were not