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From: "Keith & Jessica Bratcher" <campbratcher@psci.net>
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Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 19:24:48 -0500
Subject: [ASCEM-S] NEW VOY/DS9 Cardinal Attractors 5/8 (J/G) [NC-17]
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Please see part 1 for codes, disclaimer, and warnings.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cardinal Attractors, part 5/8
by Penumbra (c) 2004
----------------------------------------------------------------------


"You ready to go, admiral?"

Janeway lifted her hand to stall Ensign McNamara's urgency, even as
her gaze remained on Garak and Picard. "In a moment, Eugene. I need to
have a word with the ambassador before we go."

"Very good, ma'am," the ensign replied, unease thick in his voice. 

Amused by her assistant -- a young man of certain intelligence, she
knew, but not quite knowledgeable about the ways of the world yet --
Janeway strained to hear what Garak was saying to Picard. "I won't be
long, Eugene," she murmured absentmindedly. 

As she strained to hear them, Janeway could distinguish Jean-Luc's
even, graceful baritone from Garak's melodious tenor but the topic of
their conversation remained a mystery because she couldn't quite hear
the words. Judging from the gestures, the ambassador was offering
profuse superlatives to the captain, who accepted them with the smile
and grace of a seasoned diplomat. The topic segued to Picard's outfit,
which apparently interested Garak somewhat for they launched into a
gesticulating, intense discourse. From Picard's smiles and tone,
Janeway could surmise that he was giving an abbreviated history of his
admittedly odd, colourful uniform to Garak's obvious delight.  

At length and with one final handshake, Garak detached himself from
the dialogue and approached Janeway. He still had that same predatory,
speculative look in his eyes when he stopped a few feet away from her
and smiled. 

"May I invite you to have a nightcap at my house? The sun rising over
the Nile is quite spectacular."

Janeway smiled. "No, thank you," she said, not unkindly. "I don't
think that would be wise."

"All I'm offering is a drink and conversation, Kathryn," Garak
protested with a humoured tone. It was obvious to Janeway that he
understood how the game was played and that the invitation was as much
a ritual as her refusal was. "Your honour will always be safe with
me."

"I have no doubt of that, Mr. Garak. It's merely my desire to get out
of this," Janeway demurred and gestured at her bodice, "corset as soon
as possible, in the privacy of my own home."

"However you wish, of course. But the invitation is always open."

Her smile turning warmer and more private, Janeway stepped closer to
Garak until she could feel the heat of his body driving away the chill
of the night air around them. "I just might take you up on
that...Elim," she said, enjoying the flash of surprise in Garak's eyes
at his given name, for he'd never given it to her.

"I stand in awe of you, Kathryn," he murmured and caught his hand to
press his lips to it. "Until then."

Ignoring the sound of a startled intake of breath coming from
McNamara's general direction, Janeway touched Garak's
browridge. "Soon," she promised, not quite knowing what exactly she'd
signed up for but recognising the inevitability of it. 

With an understanding nod and a small bow, Garak stepped back and
headed for his transport. His usual entourage of the three silent
Cardassian glinns that escorted him everywhere detached themselves
from the shadows of the parking lot and followed him. 

"To the Marseilles transport centre, Eugene," Janeway said as she
climbed into her hovercar. "On the double. I want to be back in San
Francisco as soon as possible. What time is it there?"

As he started the hovercar and made liftoff preparations, McNamara
glanced at the control console. "Almost 1530 hours, admiral," he
replied promptly. "Is there someone you'd want me to contact?"

Janeway tapped her fingers against the transparency window as they
took off, her eyes on the French countryside speeding past under her
in a blur as she thought. The solution to the Garak puzzle was eluding
her and presently, she didn't even know how to go about uncovering
it. 

"No," she finally said. "But set up a meeting with Nechayev tomorrow."
It'd be a start, and it was not like she needed to hurry when she
didn't even know where she was supposed to go.

"Very good, ma'am," McNamara replied smartly. 

Janeway smiled ruefully at her muted reflection on the window. "No,
it's really not good," she muttered to herself and sat back with a
sigh. "Not good at all."

* * * * *

By midday the next day, Janeway felt sufficiently recovered from her
insipid hangover that she could stop chain-drinking coffee. After
lunch, she took two antacids and a few deep breaths before entering
Admiral Nechayev's office.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," Janeway said and stopped to stand a few steps
from her superior's desk. "Any word regarding the mole?"

"There's been plenty of progress. We've identified the Section 31
operative from the data Ambassador Garak gave you -- a man working in
the xenobiology lab at the Annex," Nechayev said curtly. She nodded at
one of the visitor chairs in front of her desk. "Sit down, please."

Somewhat dazed, Janeway sat with an audible thump. "That was fast,"
was all she could think of saying through her surprise. 

"The information was remarkably thorough and conclusive," Nechayev
countered with a small, cold smile and folded her arms across her
chest. "All that was left to us was follow the ample breadcrumbs to
the most logical suspect. A five-year-old could've done that."

"Has he been taken into custody?" Janeway asked, referring to the
uncovered mole.

"Not yet. Venar and I both agree that waiting for a few days might
yield some additional results -- accomplices, comm procedures, that
sort of thing. He might also do something self-incriminating,"
Nechayev explained, her cold smile twisting wider. "Not that we can't
convict him on the evidence we have now."

Janeway glanced at the padd resting in front of her superior
officer. She cocked an eyebrow. "May I?"

"Go right ahead."

Janeway took the padd and pulled up the profile of their suspect -- 
work history, contacts, and surveillance holos. Giving it a quick
glance, she couldn't help the frown that gathered on her brow. "So
that's it?" she asked, setting the padd down on the desk again. "We've
got him, no complications, no doubts?"

Pursing her lips, Nechayev shook her head. "None." The clean-cut
nature of the case was obviously bothering her as much as it was
bothering Janeway.

"Who is he, really? Who is he to Garak? Why now, why me?" Janeway
asked, leaning forward. "What's really going on here, admiral? What
kind of a game have we been pulled into?"

Nechayev shifted in her chair, obviously uneasy with Janeway's barrage
of questions. "I have no answers to give you." 

Janeway glanced at the ceiling, frustration boiling in her mind. "I
think I need to have another chat with the good ambassador of
Cardassia," she muttered after a moment of silent contemplation,
feeling peeved with the whole affair. "It seems he's the one with all
the answers."

"Is that wise?"

Focusing her gaze back on Nechayev's worried countenance, Janeway sat
forward. "Probably not," she admitted with a rueful smile, "but I
don't think I have choice in the matter. I need to know."

"Just...I've heard things about him. Just be careful with him,
Kathryn. Please?"

"Oh, you know me better than that," Janeway admonished her obviously
worried superior, recognising the familiarity as a sign that they were
supposed to interact as friends. "Don't worry, Alynna. I'll be fine."

Nechayev smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "It could already be too
late for that."

-----------------------------
End of part 5/8.




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