Wish:
Fic: J/Kashyk ending with J/C.
Dark overtones but an upbeat ending (not fluffy, but hopeful).

Pairing: J/Kashyk, J/C
Rating: M

From Scratch

Prolog

He recalled the picture of the red haired woman. She had stood in front of him with squared shoulders and a provocative protruding chin. She had acted cold and distant in front of this man, as if the situation was still under her control.
He had seen the scattered thoughts in her, how she had clenched her fist, but no other sign for her tension.
He remembered that he had sent her a pejorative smile and the anger flashed in her blue eyes.
He knew that she wouldn't be easy to manipulate from that moment on, when he first saw her in her ready room. But he always loved challenges.

He clasped his hands on his desk and his lips formed a smug smile.

Chapter I

Captain Kathryn Janeway stood by the window after the Devore left her ship. With the left hand on her hip and in the right, a cup of coffee, she took a deep sip of the hot liquid to calm herself.
She didn't like this Inspector Kashyk. He was more arrogant and more obnoxious than the other inspectors they had met on their way through the Devore Empire. It has been the second inspection of his team and she hated how he hogged her ready room every time. Besides, he had asked the wrong questions. She had assessed that the Devore don't stop short of reading personal logs and to look through personal belongings but it seemed that Kashyk had a special delight in exploring people's personalities.
She took a deep breath. And if that wasn't enough the Devore ransacked her ship again and again. The doctor had told her a few minutes ago that some of the telepaths wouldn't survive another transporter suspension or at the least they would get serious health problems.
The past few days they tried to avoid as many Devore ships as possible but it wasn't always possible. The Devore use a special shield modification that Voyager's sensors couldn't detect and sometimes one or two of the Devore ships appeared out of nowhere.
They still had to withstand at least two more days but the transport shuttle changed the time again and they still waited for the new rendezvous co-ordinates.
She remembered how they had found the Brenari on a damaged transport vessel. The Brenari home system had been three small planets at the edge of the Devore System. But since the Devore extended their borders a few years ago they were hunted. Most of the Brenari could rescue themselves on a planet just a few light years away from Devore space but it was a rough environment and they didn't have the resources to survive there any longer. Because of that, the Brenari tried to find a new planet to live on. Because of their inferior technologies and the lack of resources the Brenari had to depend on the help from others to get through their enemies' space.
Some neutral species that also lived in Devore space send transports through space to smuggle the Brenari, but for a price that high, there were just a few Brenari who were able to afford such a trip.
Despite the high prices the transport vessels were small and sometimes badly damaged. More and more frequently the vessels got caught by the Devore.
Voyager met such a transport ship near the border just two days after they entered Devore space. Because she already knew about the regulations concerning telepaths and had to hide some of her own crew members she decided to help the small group.
The transport ship wasn't able to move because an energy relay had caused an explosion near the engines and had stranded it. Voyager detected a Devore Ship on an intercept course and after the Captain of the smuggler vessel explained the situation, Voyager beamed the Brenari on board to meet up with another vessel that would bring them to the wormhole.

Kathryn took another sip of her coffee. Her head was spinning and she couldn't think straight so she decided to make a stop at the mess hall to get something to eat and clear her thoughts.

=/\=

She was currently finishing her dessert as Commander Chakotay called her back to the bridge.
As the door of the turbo lift opened she saw a small vessel on the view screen.
"Report!" she ordered.
"It's a scout ship, one pilot none other crew" Chakotay informed her.
"The vessel hasn't raised shields or charged weapons" Tom said.
"We're being hailed." Harry stated.
Kathryn nodded and to her surprise Kashyks face appeared on the view screen.
*Oh no, not again* she thought. *Not him again*
"Captain" he greeted her.
She took a deep breath to sound not too bugged.
"Inspector"
"It's urgent that we talk!"
She wondered why he wasn't wearing his uniform and why he wanted to talk so badly confused her even more. There were countless things she would prefer to do than to talk to him. But she was also curious why he arrived alone and on a small ship.
"You know the way to my ready room." She said finally and left the bridge.

She sighted as Kashyk left her ready room.
The Devore knew that they were hiding telepath. They knew about the nebula, the transport vessel, everything.
And the only way to avoid a catastrophe was to trust this man to help them.
The situation couldn't be worse.
This man wasn't reliable.
His actual behavior didn't fit him. Even she didn't know him for long she knew that he wasn't someone who cares for others and especially not for telepath.
There had to be another reason for him to pretend to help and she had to find out why.
Also she had to find a way to save the telepath unknowing to him.
The door chime rang.
"Come in!"
Chakotay entered the room with a pad in his hand.
He stopped in front of her desk and gave her a questioning look.
"He asked for asylum." She said and stood up.
She walked over to her replicator and ordered herself a cup of coffee.
"Can I offer you something Commander?"
"A cup of tea please." he smiled.
She ordered his tea and they sat down on the couch.
"Will you accept his request?"
"I have to, Chakotay. He knows everything; about the telepath, the transport ship, the nebula, the wormhole … If I abandon him the Devore will catch us like nobody's business. If I accept and he is saying the truth he can help us out of Devore space without being caught."
"But if he's not …"
"… if he's not and I'm sure he's not… for that case we need a solution."
"And you already have one?"
"No not really. I think in first place we have to find out about his reasons. His change of mind came all of the sudden. A few hours ago he was the exemplary Devore inspector and now he wants to help telepath. Maybe he makes a mistake or becomes careless if he thinks that we trust him and buy his story. She took a sip from her cup.
"Our other problem is what to do with the telepaths" Chakotay said.
"If the transport ship can't bring them to the wormhole theirs and our only chance to survive is that we find the wormhole by our self before the Devore ships find us."
Janeway stood up "Kashyk said he wanted to proof me that there are Devore ships in that nebula. I'll meet him in astrometry to see what we're dealing with. Meet me in an hour in the Brenari quarters. I want to see if they know something more about the wormhole and good hearted Devore."
She put her cup back into the replicator and headed to the door. Chakotay followed her.

=/\=

Kashyk stood in front of the big view screen as Kathryn entered the astrometry.
"You wanted to show me that the nebula is a trap." Kathryn said challenging.
He took the few steps and joined her at the controls.
"Use these specifications to recalibrate your sensors Captain." He smiled and handed her a padd.
She took a short look at the data and identified them as the specifications for the Devore shields.
*If the Devore really don't know about his plan* she thought *this specifications can save us a lot of trouble and inspections.*
He watched her from behind as she worked on Voyagers sensors and his eyes wandered over her back. Even without turning her head she felt his eyes on her back and could imagine his sly smile.
*So you think I'm so easy to impress Inspector* she thought. *A few sensor specifications. But two can play that game.*
The way he watched her made her feel uneasy but she had to grin and bear it.
She needed him to feel save.
As she finished she turned to him and gave him a sweet smile.
"It worked."
He returned her smile "As you can see there are some Devore ships in this nebula."
She cursed under her breath as she looked at the screen again and tapped her combadge.
"Janeway to Seven of Nine and Tuvok. Meet me in the astrometry."
There were a dozen Devore ships in that nebula, invisible to regular sensors. A perfect trap they would have walked into if Kashyk hadn't warned Voyager.
When Seven and Tuvok arrived she let Kashyk show them the ships.
She watched him carefully *he plays well* she thought and waited for his next explanation.
"We were the one who changed the rendezvous coordinates." He said.
"Alright Inspector you helped us to avoid this ambush, what now?" She was angry with herself that they didn't notice that the last transmission they received from the transport vessel was actually sent from a Devore ship.
It was a relief for her that Kashyks plan was also to find the wormhole. That would make the whole thing a lot easier. To pursue a second plan with Kashyk unknowing would have been hard to handle.
After she finished the meeting with Seven and Tuvok she ordered a security officer to bring Kashyk back to the meeting room.
With Tuvok she set out for the Brenari quarters.
"What do you think about our guest Tuvok?" she asked.
"It seems that his interest in finding the wormhole is as large as ours. Either because he needs an escape route or to get the Devore a chance to caught more telepaths."
"And what do you think is more likely?"
"Both possibilities have an equal probability. On the one hand he had given us lots of information to avoid the Devore ships and he is alone on board. He could be telling the truth. On the other hand it could be a well planned trick."
For the last minute she had the same thought over and over again. There had to be hint, maybe just a little inconsistency in his actions to reveal his true motives.
"Tuvok! I need you to do something for me." She handed him a padd.
He read it and raised an eyebrow.
"As you wish, Captain."

They met with Chakotay in front of the Brenari quarters.
"Some Devore ships close by Commander?"
"No Captain everything quiet at the moment."
She smiled at her first Officer and they entered the room.

After a short talk with the Brenari she was still uncertain what to think about Kashyk.
"There had been sympathizers before." Left her question still open.
She didn't want to throw him in the brig, which would cause only more problems.
Kashyk could really help them to find the wormhole; he was clever and knew the territory better than they did. She just had to ensure that the Devore wouldn't get any information from him.
She needed him to trust her. He mustn't figure out that she hid something from him.
At least they had a course and she ordered Chakotay to search for Torat.

Kathryn stopped in the doorway of the meeting room.
Kashyk walked up and down at the window.
She studied him over a minute.
She couldn't deny that he was an attractive man. She liked the deep black hair and his angular face. She had loved to watch his lips while he talked during the inspections.
Her plan could be dangerous and she knew it. But she would enjoy the little game she was going to play.
She still didn't like him for his thinking but except for his behavior now and then he was very handsome.
"Nervous?" she asked and Kashyk stopped walking.
She sized him up and decided for herself that his black uniform suited him more.
She liked the black leather gloves but this wasn't the moment to think about it.

=/\=

With a short call over the comm she asked for the status of the search for Torat before she went back to her quarters. She needed a break and she breathed in deeply as the door shot behind her. She changed in something more comfortable and sat down with a book and a cup of hot tea.
She couldn't finish the chapter she was reading before the door chime sounded.
"Come in" she murmured and hoped that the concern of her visitor wouldn't take much time.
Kashyk walked through the door and a security Officer stopped in the doorframe.
She nodded and he took his place in front of her quarters.
"How can I help you?" she asked and stood up.
"I'm sorry Captain" he said "I'm not used the time zone on your ship. On a Devore ship it would be early afternoon." Not really a lie but he knew for sure that it was late at night on Voyager by now.
"So how can I help you compensating this time differential?"
"You could bear me your company." He smiled seductively.
That wasn't exactly how she imagined the rest of the day but maybe it would open new possibilities to her.
"Can I offer you something to drink?" she asked with a small smile.
"Through the Inspections I found something in your database that sounds interesting. It's called wine?"
*First day on my ship and he's already in my quarters asking for wine* she thought but nodded and walked to the replicator. She ordered him a glass of red wine and for herself a cup of tea.
As she returned he sat on her couch already and watched her closely.
She joined him and handed him the glass.
For a few minutes both remained silent, Kashyk tasted the wine and looked around.
He knew these quarters. While Voyagers first Inspection he surveyed some of the quarters by himself. But now that he knew who its resident was he found it even more interesting.
Kathryn smiled as she watched him drinking his wine. She wondered what effect alcohol would have on a Devore. She replicated real alcohol purposely. Maybe it would lose his tongue.
"That tastes wonderful." Kashyk smiled.
"Tell me" she asked "what do you want to do when we left the Devore Space?"
"Until the last days I never really thought about it." He answered.
"I never had the opportunity to leave. But I think I'll find myself a world where nobody knows the Devore and start a new life, maybe to raise a family."
"That sounds romantic."
"Kind of but I always dreamed to have a little family sometimes. What about you Kathryn… please excuse me is it okay if I call you Kathryn?"
"Sure, I'm not on duty right now."
"Well, is there a family waiting for you at home?"
"You studied my database you should know that." She teased him.
"I have to confess that I indeed know that. But you would be a great mother why don't you have two or three little kids already?"
"Let just say I wasn't the right time yet. And maybe this isn't the right place to talk about family plans." She changed the subject.
More and more his glass emptied and Kathryn brought him another one, white wine this time.
He told her some stories about his childhood while he emptied this second glass and after his third glass of wine he moved closer to her.
"I like the color of your hair." He said suddenly and placed his left hand on her knee.
"Devore woman have always black hair. I like that shiny red." He murmured while he took a close look at her hair.
A sudden shiver went through her body as she felt the warmth of his hand through her trousers. She knew she shouldn't let him touch her like that but she enjoyed the sensation it caused.
His hand moved a little while he talked and she caught herself as she moved a little closer to him. She savored the light touch of his hand but she suddenly came to her senses when it moved up to her tight.
"It's late." She said and stood up "I think we should find some rest."
"Thank you for the wine. Good night Kathryn." He answered with a smile and left her quarters.