Atonement Read Free

succeed in allying themselves with the Confederacy and turning them against us. But she also intends to discover ‘Meegan’s’ true intentions toward this region of space.”
    â€œThat’sgoing to be a little hard to do while she’s fighting for her life,” Cambridge said.
    â€œNot necessarily,” Decan said.
    â€œI realize that Admiral Janeway is accustomed to multitasking, Lieutenant, but that’s a tall order,” Cambridge observed.
    â€œIn addition to requesting a personal security detachment, the admiral’s only other nonnegotiable demand prior to her surrender was that the Kinara transmit her trial in real time to the fleet and the Confederacy,” Decan said placidly. “I suggest that our first duty is ensuring that all parties assembled here enjoy unrestricted access to the upcoming trial.”
    â€œHow are we supposed to do that?” Lieutenant Lasren asked. “The trial is set to take place aboard the Manticle . They are the ones who will control any transmissions. They can shut it down whenever they like.”
    â€œNo, they can’t,” Torres corrected him.
    â€œOnce they open the transmission,” Kim continued for her, “we can capture the frequency and send our own control virus through their carrier wave. Our open channel will replace theirs and stay open as long as we want.”
    â€œOr until they shut down their entire communications array and perform a hard reset,” Torres noted.
    Chakotay stared at Decan’s implacable face. Although Voyager ’s captain had known Kathryn longer and much better than her aide, Decan had been by her side constantly throughout her negotiations with the Confederacy. His observation struck Chakotay as significant, and he was frustrated that he could not yet make the connection it seemed Decan already had. “Why did Admiral Janeway insist on this?” Chakotay finally asked.
    â€œIt is my belief that the admiral intends to resolve this situation long before her trial can conclude,” Decan said.
    For the first time since Kathryn’s capture, a faint spark of hope lit Chakotay’s eyes as the significance of Kathryn’s nonnegotiable demand suddenly became clear to him. That spark faded just as quickly as the many possible flaws in her planbegan to take horrific shape in his mind’s eye. Setting them aside, he smiled grimly, saying, “That’s how she intends to beat them.”
    MANTICLE
    Admiral Kathryn Janeway should have spent the last several hours reviewing her memories of Voyager ’s first encounters with the Turei, the Vaadwaur, the Devore, and the Voth.
    Instead, she could not stop thinking about a kiss.
    When Decan had told her of his telepathic sense that Devore Inspector Kashyk was literally of “two minds,” internally divided between ancient rage and a desire to see Kathryn safe, the final piece of the puzzle she had tried to solve for weeks—ever since she had learned of the alliance between the Devore, the Vaadwaur, and the Turei, and the actions of the Voth against her fleet’s communications relays—had finally locked into place.
    Lieutenant Barclay had been obsessed for months with locating their rogue hologram, “Meegan.” Janeway had added this concern to her lengthy to-do list upon assuming command of the Full Circle Fleet, and it had rested in the back of her mind until it was forced out of the shadows by Decan’s revelation. The only plausible explanation for the recent alliance between these four familiar, hostile, and xenophobic species was some powerful outside influence, and an ancient species with access to all of Voyager ’s databases that could possess high-level individuals at will was an incredibly likely candidate.
    Janeway had asked Lieutenant Lasren to accompany her to the Manticle , and his subtle nod before he departed had confirmed what the kiss with which she had greeted Inspector