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His angry words confirmed Janeway's fears, but she stuck by her decision. "I still have to try. Besides, you heard Tialin. Our job is to gather the dark matter that's been scattered throughout the quadrant. If we run away now, the Romulans will pursue us to the best of their ability, distributing still more dark matter among innocent star systems. No, Telek. I can't permit that to happen."

Her blue eyes gleamed. "We make our stand here. We reason, or we fight. Two options. And if we fight, we live or we die." She turned to Telek and regarded him steadily. 'Two options."

"If I may, then," said Telek with admirable calm, "I should like to remain on the bridge. They may listen to one of their own."

"Dr. R'Mor," said Tuvok. "You are a traitor as far as the Romulans are concerned. I do not think they will be inclined to pay any heed to anything you say. Your presence on this bridge might be a detriment if we do manage to open negotiations."

"You still think me untrustworthy, is that it, Tuvok?" asked R'Mor sadly.

"No," said Tuvok, surprising Janeway. "I trust you completely. It is your comrades in the Alpha Quadrant whom I do not trust."

"Stay, Telek," said Janeway. "You have the right to be a witness, if nothing else." As she gazed at the screen, which still showed nothing but stars and black space, she saw Chakotay's empty chair out of the corner of her eye and felt a sudden ache.

Chakotay. Please be all right, wherever you are.

Ensign Jenkins had taken Paris's place at the conn, her fair hair a touch longer than Paris's, and Janeway silently mourned Tom's absence as well.

"They're within visual range."

Janeway didn't ask for it to be put on screen. There would be nothing to see. She instead touched a lighted button at her side, and her personal viewscreen moved slowly into place. On the computer screen, she could see the Romulan ships as she could not with her own eyes: thirteen of them, their graphic symbols etched pale green, advancing with a single purpose upon her ship.

"Mr. Kim, open a hailing frequency."

"Channel's open, Captain."

Her eyes on the tiny symbolic ships, Janeway said, "This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. We have the ability to detect your dark-matter cloak and compensate accordingly. We must warn you that the dark matter is affecting your vessels and your bodies. It is dangerous and will eventually destroy you. We have the technology to remove all dark matter from your ships. We have done so with our own vessel. Please, call off this attack and let us discuss how to help you."

Silence. "No response, Captain. They didn't even open a channel to receive it."

"As I said," said Telek heavily. "They will not listen."

Still, Janeway tried again. "Our two governments are not at war. You are in grave danger. I repeat, halt

your attack and we will give you the information to prove that we are telling you the truth."

Still nothing. Harry Kim shook his head.

Briefly, Janeway closed her eyes. Like everyone else in Starfleet, she'd been taught a suspicious dislike of the mysterious, exotic, dangerous Romulans. Telek R'Mor's first visit had done much to dissipate that old prejudice, and the extended time she had shared with him on this second encounter had shattered it utterly.

Oh, certainly she had problems with their government's policies. And it appeared mat even the Romulans themselves had disagreements with the shadowy Tal Shiar. But at the end of the day, the Romulans were people, individuals, even the members of the Tal Shiar and the senators. They had wives, husbands, children, parents; they laughed and wept and enjoyed good food and drink and art just like anybody else.

Those centurions aboard the vessels had, by stubbornly refusing to listen to what Voyager had to say, figuratively signed their death warrants. If they were not destroyed outright in the battle that was about to begin at any moment, they would die soon nonetheless, and die horribly,