Janeway: "Captain's log, stardate 54562.7. Since Garon and the survey ship became our charter members, finding new allies has gotten a little easier. My latest prospect is commander Bosaal, whose ship has technology that could help us escape." The picture shows the alliance ships, flying in formation.

Janeway brings Bosaal into the Messhall. Janeway: "Neelix, we have another guest for dinner." Neelix: "Always room for one more, Captain." Bosaal: "Who did you raid to get fresh vegetables?" Janeway: "They're replicated. One of the crews that joined us had technology that tripled our replicator efficiency." Neelix: "It may not be a gourmet feast, but we can feed five hundred people a day now, using half the power it took us a few days ago."

The Doctor brings a still very shy Fantome to the Messhall. They are communicating via musical notes which they generate on PADDs.

Tuvok: "Doctor." Doctor: "Hello, Commander." Tuvok: "How's your patient?" Doctor: "Technically he's not a patient any more, but it's taken me this long to coax him out of Sickbay. He's quite shy." The Doctor communicates with Fantome. "I'm telling him not to worry, that you're the one who keeps us all safe." Fantome replies. "He says thank you." Tuvok: "An ingenious method of communication." Doctor: "It began with a few simple words, but now we're capable of rudimentary conversation." Tuvok: "Tell him I'm pleased he's feeling better." Doctor: "I will." As Tuvok moves on the Doctor communicates with Fantome who answers with the notes we now recognise as representing "thank you".

	The Doctor and Fantome enter the Messhall.
	Bosaal notices Fantome and says to Janeway: "What's that parasite doing aboard your ship?"
	Fantome knows he is being talked about and rushes to hide behind the serving counter.

Janeway, coldly, to Bosaal: "I beg your pardon." Bosaal: "They're vermin." Doctor: "I don't know who you are, sir, but your choice of words is offensive." Bosaal: "What is offensive is the way they slip aboard during transport, hide in conduits, steal food, spread disease." Doctor: "Fantome is perfectly healthy, and unlike some people in this Void he hasn't stolen anything." Bosaal: "If my sensors could detect where they are on my ship I'd exterminate them. I suggest you do the same." Doctor: "Captain, this is outrageous-!" Janeway interrupts him: "Doctor!" The Doctor goes back to Fantome. Janeway explains calmly to Bosaal: "One of the principles of our alliance is that we don't discriminate. Everyone's welcome, as long as they follow the rules. If you're having a bad experience with the members of this species on your ship, I'd be happy to bring them to Voyager." Bosaal: "If you could find them." Janeway: "Now that we've had a chance to analyse Fantome's physiology, I think we can get a transporter lock on them." Bosaal: "Is this your way of enticing me to join your alliance?" Janeway: "I'm simply trying to demonstrate how co-operation and tolerance can benefit everyone." Bosaal: "Then we have an agreement."

In Main Engineering Torres and Garon are working together on a piece of equipment. Torres: "Now connect the primary emitter relay." Garon does so and a light comes on. "Online," he reports.

Janeway and Bosaal enter. Janeway asks, "How's it coming?" Torres: "Pretty well. We just need to-" Suddenly the equipment burns out with a spectacular flash. "Guess I was being a little optimistic." Janeway: "What's the problem exactly?" Garon: "We think we can establish a shield bubble large enough to encompass all our ships but we have no way to compensate for the graviton stress." Janeway: "Wouldn't a polaron modulator be able to do that?" Torres: "Unfortunately nobody in the alliance has one. We've been trying to build our own but so far..." Janeway: "Maybe we could trade for one or find a new ally who has one." Garon: "But it's not a common piece of technology and it's valuable."

Loquar, the Hierarchy ship commander and his officer, are in the Astrometrics Lab, overhearing the conversation. We do not know how much of the conversation they have heard, but we know they have heard Janeway say, "a new ally who has one." and Garon reply, "But it's not a common piece of technology and it's valuable." and Garon's additional words, "It may be difficult to convince anyone to part with it." Tuvok enters the Astrometrics Lab just as Janeway says, "You never know-" The rest of her words are cut off as the Hierarchy officers hear Tuvok tell them: "You are not authorised to be in here."

Loquar: "We're making a valuable contribution to the alliance." Tuvok: "By spying on restricted meetings." Loquar: "We've devised a new surveillance technique." Tuvok: "You've bypassed my security measures." Loquar: "We can observe activity on any ship in the Void without being detected." He switches to another transmission in which an alien can be swigging from a bottle: "This is the cargo hold of the Jelinian freighter. If I'm not mistaken the Jelinians are members of our alliance." Tuvok: "Which is why you shouldn't be spying on them." Loquar: "And why they shouldn't be hoarding their ale."

In Sickbay Fantome and other members of his species (who have been beamed aboard Voyager from Bosaal's ship) are busy communicating using musical notes, PADDs in their hands. Janeway enters and pauses for a moment to listen to them before applauding. Janeway: "Lovely piece, did they compose it or did you?"

Doctor: "They did, though strictly speaking it's not a composition, it's more of a conversation." Janeway: "I'm impressed." Doctor: "I wish I could take credit, but it was Fantome who taught the others, in a fraction of the time it took him to learn. They're a highly intelligent species." Seven: "The language is already developing its own grammar and syntax." Janeway: "That suggests they have a language of their own." The Doctor murmurs agreement. "It could be telepathic but they seem just as comfortable communicating with music now." Janeway: "Could their species be native to the Void?" Doctor: "It's certainly possible. They told us they were born here." Janeway: "Just when you think nothing in the galaxy can surprise you any more." Torres, via comms.: "Captain Janeway, please report to Engineering."

	Torres: "Just what we needed, Captain - a fully compatible polaron modulator."
	Janeway: "Where did you get it?" Bosaal: "A Kinjal frigate." Janeway: "Do they want to join our alliance?" Bosaal: "They're not interested." Janeway: "How did you get this?" Bosaal: "I traded for it." Janeway: "What did you give them?" Bosaal: "I don't answer to you." Janeway: "Did you steal it?" Bosaal's silence gives Janeway her answer.
	Janeway to Torres: "Disconnect the modulator." Torres protests: "Captain-" Janeway: "We're returning it to the people it belongs to." Bosaal: "They have no more use for it." Janeway: "You don't know that." Bosaal, meaningfully: "Yes, I do." Janeway: "You killed them!" Garon: "Captain, I don't like his tactics any more than you do, but why waste this technology when we're so close to escaping?" Janeway: "Because it's a violation of everything this alliance stands for." Garon: "Refusing the modulator won't bring back the people he killed." Janeway: "No, but using it would make us accessories to murder!" To Bosaal: "Take it and get out."

Bosaal leaves with the polaron modulator.

The top lefthand picture shows reduced number of ships in the alliance, flying in formation. Chakotay: "The Jelinians and the Kraylor have left with Bosaal. They felt you were being-" Janeway: "Impulsive and self-righteous? Is that what you think?" Chakotay: "You did what you had to do." Janeway: "Still, I made a mistake." Chakotay: "By telling Bosaal to leave?" Janeway: "Allowing him to join in the first place. " Chakotay: "You couldn't have known what he was going to do." Janeway: "Oh I had a pretty good idea what kind of person he was. That bigoted reaction he had to the Doctor's friend told me all I needed to know, but I ignored my instincts." Chakotay: "Why?" Janeway: "Because I thought his ship could help us escape." Chakotay: "You weren't the only one who wanted him in the alliance." Janeway: "Maybe not but if I'd listened to my doubt in the first place we wouldn't have lost the other two ships." Chakotay: "We'll find our way out without them." Janeway: "Where do we stand with the modulator?" Chakotay: "B'Elanna and the other engineers are working round the clock to build one. She thinks they'll be ready to test in a couple of days." Janeway: "So everyone's pulling together to make up for my mistake." Chakotay: "They have to. It says so in the Federation charter." They enter the Astrometrics Lab.

In the Astrometrics Lab. Janeway: "Good news, I hope." Tuvok: "I'm afraid not. It appears that Commander Bosaal is attempting to form an alliance of his own, with one of our adversaries." Loquar: "We recorded a tactical conversation that took place between them just a few minutes ago." Playback: Valen tells Bosaal, "Don't underestimate Janeway. I've been in battle with her twice." Bosaal replies, "Then you know Janeway's tactics. I have two other ships. We can take Voyager's food and weapons, if we work together."

Tuvok: "The rest of their conversation suggests they will attack within the next forty-eight hours." Janeway: "I'm so glad we taught them the value of co-operation." Tuvok: "Our power reserves will be severely depleted if we're forced to defend ourselves." Janeway to Chakotay: "Tell B'Elanna we don't have time to test her modulator. We've got to try to escape now."

 

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