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“It was odd that he insisted on being the one to recover the shuttlecraft,” Astall said. “My assumption was that he wanted some time alone, to collect himself before stepping back into his role as captain.” She hesitated slightly, but Kaz was getting to know the Huanni pretty well by this point.

“But?” he pressed.

“I don’t know him particularly well. But it just didn’t seem like the sort of thing he would do. And it definitely strikes me as odd that he didn’t want to retrieve poor Sekaya’s remains.” Quick tears filled her eyes. “I liked her a great deal. I would have liked to have paid my own respects. And it’s what her people would have wanted.”

A flash of a memory filled Kaz’s mind; a memory that was not Jarem’s. A betrayal by someone he trusted.

“You all right, Gradak?” The voice belonged to Arak Katal, who was looking at him with concern in his eyes.

Gradak Kaz ran his hands though his graying hair. Funny, he thought; it hadn’t been gray so very long ago. It had never been gray while Vallia was alive. His heart contracted and he wondered if he would ever recover from the shock his system had endured when he learned what his beloved had undergone at the hands of the Butcher, Crell Moset. He hadn’t believed the rumors; hadn’t wanted to believe them. Surely, not even the Cardassians could be so without compassion. Surely, the rumors of vivisection, of deliberate mutilation and callous observation, of planned infections, surely these were just frightening tales dreamed up by a frightened people.

“Jarem?”

This man had offered sympathy, had offered a means of revenge. Had convinced so many to trust him, and yet he had deliberately set the Cardassians and the Jem’Hadar upon innocent children. No one could be trusted. Everyone was planning something behind his back. There was a conspiracy. These creatures were tortured beings, like Vallia had been tortured, by the monstrous Cardassians—

He whirled at the touch of a hand on his shoulder, and it took fully three seconds before he recognized Astall.

“Jarem, I’m really worried about you. I think we should bring Vorik into this.”

He ignored her statement, staring with fresh, suddenly seeing eyes. He stabbed a finger at the screen.

“Gradak thinks it’s a conspiracy,” he said hoarsely. “And I’m not so sure he isn’t right.”

The Changeling braced himself when he entered sickbay. To his irritation and sudden worry, he saw not just Kaz, but the Huanni and Patel all clustered around the computer. As one, they looked up when he entered.

“What’s this all about, Kaz?” “Chakotay” demanded.

“Atrocities,” said Kaz promptly. Astall nudged him and he amended, “or at the very least a tragedy that demands investigation.”

The Changeling was suddenly glad he’d taken the time to order Tare to head for Earth at warp eight. It would buy him a little time, at least. He had a sick feeling he knew what was coming.

“Explain.”

“Our levelheaded science officer Patel kept her wits sufficiently about her to get a good, solid scan of one of the creatures even as it attacked her.”

Little Patel stood up slightly straighter, and although her eyes were modestly cast down, she was clearly appreciative of the compliment.

The Changeling knew what response was expected of him, and even as he wished he could throttle the troublesome human, he said, “Good work, Patel.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Things were fairly quiet, so I analyzed the data she’d collected,” Kaz continued. “Captain—I told you that I found human DNA in these creatures. Not humanoid—human.” He paused to let his captain absorb this information. “And there’s more. It’s specific human DNA. And I’ve identified it.”

“Who?” demanded “Chakotay.”

Kaz swallowed and exchanged glances with the two women who flanked him. “Marius Fortier’s. And…yours.”

It was a huge leap. How the hell had Kaz managed to make it? This was not supposed to happen. He should have been well away from here with no one the wiser. And yet, thanks to the curious Patel and the startlingly astute Kaz, the Changeling realized he had two choices: He could continue to proceed