The BLTS Archive- The Sting Of Betrayal
by Joanne Collins (luchenbackoutlaw@gmail.com)

---

Disclaimer:  Everything Trek belongs to Paramount/Viacom.

Please do not distribute, archive, etc, without my permission.  May be
archived on the ASC archive, and R'Rain's Slash Archive only.  Others
*must* ask. Please do not link to the story without my permission.

This one's for Siubhan, Mona, and any other Seska fans out there.

---

Life had the strangest way of changing on the turn of a moment,
B'Elanna reflected.

One day she had been attending Starfleet Academy, the next she left,
not entirely voluntarily, but it had been for the best.

She had managed to find an engineering job on a small trading vessel,
not knowing that it was carrying weapons for the Maquis, and had
almost been captured by Cardassians. The memory of her encounter with
Gul Tancret still caused a shiver, all these months later.  Luckily
the Maquis who were supposed to get the weapons had rescued her.  She
had finally found a place where she fitted with the ragtag group of
freedom fighters.  She would be forever grateful to Chakotay for his
rescue of her.  She had thought briefly that it might have been more
than gratitude, but a short time with the cell had brought her to the
realisation that the gratitude had been uppermost in her mind, and she
had realised that her feelings for the man were not as strong as she
had thought.

The rest of the Maquis cell were an odd assortment of people.
B'Elanna liked Miguel Ayala, he reminded her a lot of her father.
Jerron...Jerron was like the little brother she had never had.
Richard Hogan was almost as obsessed by engines as she was, Kurt
Bendara earned her respect when he saved Chakotay's life, and then
there was Seska.  B'Elanna wasn't sure how she felt about the Bajoran
woman.  She was beautiful, that was obvious just by looking at her,
but there was something that B'Elanna just wasn't quite sure about,
although she could never put her finger on it.	They weren't close,
and B'Elanna didn't think there was a reason for that to change,
although Seska seemed to spend more time in her company lately.  In
fact, now that she thought about it, Seska seemed to seek her out a
little more often, but it was always about a ship's problem, and
B'Elanna *was* the engineer after all.

The days passed quietly, the occasional raid or engagement stirring up
emotions and bringing, as Miguel was fond of saying, a little
excitement to the days. Excitement that B'Elanna and her engines, as
she referred to them, could well do without.	There was simply not
enough time to effect the necessary repairs in between fights, and it
was getting to a point where they would have to lay low for a while,
or risk almost certain death from warp core breach.  Chakotay
understood the dilemma, and for the time being was willing to hold off
on the raids, but a fight with another ship was something that simply
*couldn't* be avoided, without great risk of capture.  B'Elanna
understood that, but she simply couldn't allow the warp core to be
under too much stress.  It was touch and go as it was.  What she
really needed was about a week to upgrade and fix what she could.  Her
impossible requirement was for that same week to be spent at a
starbase, but the few that would not turn a Maquis ship in were worse
than useless for parts and labour.

Chakotay promised four days, the absolute *maximum* they could spare,
at one of the starbases where they would at least be able to work in
peace, but they had to get there first.  B'Elanna was working on a
conduit when, to her dismay, the ship shook.

"Dammit!" she cursed, the ship was not battle-ready by any stretch of
the imagination.

"You know it must have been a case of having to.  Chakotay wouldn't do
this if he didn't have to," Richard said, as soothingly as possible
under the circumstances.

"That isn't a lot of help, Richard," B'Elanna replied, turning back to
the electrical wires that refused to be bent any more.  B'Elanna
cursed again, this time a Klingon insult about the paternity of
whoever it was firing on them, and plunged the tool she was holding
into the depths of the conduit.

Later, she would not recall how it played out.

She must have pressed against the wrong wire, for a shower of sparks,
followed by a small explosion, was all that she remembered.

Hours later, she woke in her darkened cabin.  She could feel a damp
cloth on her forehead, and reached up to remove it.

"You're awake?" a voice whispered, B'Elanna couldn't place it, except
that it was female.

"Yes," she whispered, unable to say more.  She opened her eyes a
little more, wincing at the dim light, and a face moved over her.

"Seska?" she murmured, wondering what the Bajoran woman was doing
taking care of her.

"Try to sleep some more," Seska replied, her tone as unexpectedly
gentle as the hand that brushed B'Elanna's hair back from her
forehead, and the not-quite-felt brush of lips on her ridges.

B'Elanna complied, simply because she didn't have the strength to get
up yet, and she knew it.

Although she couldn't see it, an expression of cunning calculation
played across Seska's features at the lack of reaction to the tender
caresses.

"A lack of reaction in the state she's in is better than a negative
reaction," Seska murmured to herself.  Her plan was progressing more
quickly than she had hoped.  Phase two could be set in motion the next
time B'Elanna woke.

When B'Elanna next woke, after a healing sleep, she could hear the
sound of crying.  As she became fully aware, she realised that it was
Seska.  As she stirred, words became audible amidst the sobs.

"When Chakotay and I weren't mean to be, I accepted that, Prophets.
But you *can't* say that B'Elanna and I aren't meant to be too.  That
would be too cruel, and I know You are not cruel.  That is how we are
taught as children, that if there is one missed opportunity it is Your
will, that we are to wait for the next chance.  But to lose two, You
just *can't* do that to me."

"Seska?"  B'Elanna's words were soft, but the other woman heard them.

"B'Elanna, thank the Prophets!  If you had slept much longer...it
might have been a sign that you were hurt more badly than I had
thought.  And I couldn't bear that.  I couldn't bear to lose you."

"Lose me?  Why would you care if I live or die?  Well, beyond the fact
that you know me, of course."

"I spoke too soon, I'm sorry B'Elanna," Seska looked embarrassed.

"You haven't spoken yet," B'Elanna didn't know what this was about,
and maybe Seska would prefer to forget it.  She would give her the
chance.

Seska made to sit beside B'Elanna on the bed, but hesitated and pulled
a chair beside the bed instead.

"I didn't intend for you to find out this way.	I don't know if I
intended for you to find out at all.  I was considering going
somewhere else, maybe Cardassia Prime, to help with the efforts there,
or anywhere I wouldn't be in such close proximity to you all the
time."

"Seska, your efforts are so important to us.  You can't leave."

"It would be easier not seeing you every day.  Prophets, B'Elanna, I
thought it was just a crush at first.  I...noticed you one day.  You
were coming out of a stream on that Class-M planet we spent a few
weeks on, naked.  Gods, you were so *beautiful*, all I wanted to do
was touch you.	I thought it was just lust, you know?  A gorgeous
naked woman, or man, isn't so unlikely to induce lust, after all," and
this was not a lie, Seska had become extremely aroused on seeing
B'Elanna's naked golden skin.  It had been the chief reason for her
choice of the engineer, she could not implement her plan with someone
she could not bring herself to bed, and Chakotay had been singularly
unreceptive to her suggestion that they rekindle their brief affair.
She began her practiced speech.

"I kept noticing you, thinking how beautiful you were, wanting to hold
you, to find out how you kissed, how you felt in my arms.  And then I
started making excuses to see you.  It was always over a minor ship's
problem, a broken conduit or anything else I could think of.  But it
was always an excuse, I only wanted to see you.  I realised, after
that skirmish with the Cardassians, that it was more than lust, but I
still hadn't realised. Then...this happened, and I finally admitted to
myself that I am in love with you, B'Elanna."

B'Elanna couldn't help a gasp of shock.  Although she'd expected the
other woman to say something, this was not it.  Her mind whirled with
confusion.

"I shouldn't have said anything," Seska spoke after the silence had
lengthened uncomfortably.

"Yes, you should have.  I'm not sure how I feel, this is so sudden for
me, but I'm glad you told me."

"I'm glad you don't hate me, anyway."

"I never did."

"Never?"

"I didn't *like* you at first, but that's not the same thing.
Seska...would you kiss me, please?" B'Elanna clasped the back of the
other woman's neck, running her fingers through her chestnut-coloured
hair, lips parting as Seska moved to cover them with her own.  The
kiss began gently, but Seska's tongue probed B'Elanna's mouth
insistently, deepening the kiss.  B'Elanna moved to the fastenings of
Seska's clothes, but the other woman stopped her hands before she
could start unbuttoning.

"Not yet," Seska whispered, although the mere touch of the half-
Klingon's lips had started her juices flowing, she could feel them
soaking through her clothes, and she wanted nothing more than to
devour the other woman's sex, it was too soon, both physically for
B'Elanna, and, more importantly, for her plan.

"Why not?"

"Because you are still suffering from the aftereffects of the
explosion.  You can't even get out of bed for another twelve hours,
medical orders before you argue, and trust me, you will need *all*
your strength if and when we make love."

"When," B'Elanna replied with a wanton smile.  "Definitely when."

"You do feel something, then?"

"I want you, Seska.  Whether it's any more, that I don't know yet."

"May I ask, have you done this before?"

"You mean with a woman?"

"Yes."

"There was someone, back at the Academy," and B'Elanna was lost for a
moment in a memory of dark Betazoid eyes.

"I'm glad.  Although being the first would have been nice too."

B'Elanna smiled, kissed Seska's enticing lips one last time, and
drifted into sleep.

"Proceeding according to schedule," Seska whispered to herself.
B'Elanna was clearly not physically indifferent, and that was very
important, she could not bring attention to herself by becoming
involved in anything non-consensual. Seska had not lied about her
physical attraction to B'Elanna, although she had almost gagged at the
sickly sentiment she had had to add to her story.  There was only one
person she truly loved, and he was back on Cardassia Prime.  But for
the short term, B'Elanna would be an adequate replacement.  From her
memory of Klingon passion, not to mention Human, she should at least
be physically satiated.  And she liked the way the other woman's mind
worked.  If her heart had not already been taken, maybe...but it was
better that she would not be distracted.

Seska became distracted from her reflections by a throbbing between
her legs. That kiss had been much more arousing than she had let on.
B'Elanna was deeply asleep, so she slowly eased the trousers she was
wearing down past her knees. She braced herself on the back of the
chair, eased her panties below her hips, and sighed in relief as she
touched her throbbing clit.  The relief turned into more throbbing
need as she stroked gently, and she moved two fingers from the other
hand inside, stroking her clit, pulling hard.  She exploded in orgasm,
her cry stifled in her throat so as not to wake B'Elanna.

Seska came back to herself slowly.  That had been...acceptable, but
she craved to feel another's touch on her most sensitive, secret
places.


B'Elanna followed the medical orders and rested for the next day.  She
was still not allowed back on duty for another two days, so she had
time to think.

She did want Seska.  The one kiss they had shared had hardened her
nipples and dampened her sex, setting all of her nerve endings to
tingling.  Was there more to it, though?  She didn't know, and she
didn't know if it was fair to the other woman to begin a relationship
that might not go anywhere.

"So I tell her that and leave it up to her," B'Elanna said to herself,
showering before meeting Seska for dinner.

She didn't have a lot of call for formal clothing, but the blouse was
a pretty pattern, and it made the jeans seem more dressy than they
were.	A little makeup completed the picture, although B'Elanna
didn't see herself as beautiful, she thought that she looked quite
attractive.

B'Elanna knocked on Seska's door, and was pleasantly surprised to find
the other woman dressed similarly to her, although her blouse was
black and she wore black cloth trousers.

"Come in, B'Ela.  I've prepared some traditional Bajoran dishes for
us," Seska smiled, feeling her arousal grow at each step the other
woman took, those beautifully narrow hips swaying enticingly in blue
denim.

"I will have her," Seska thought.

B'Elanna sat down, the V-neck of the blouse showing her small but
beautifully formed breasts to advantage.  Seska had to restrain
herself from leaping on the other woman, instead bringing out the
first dish, a traditional appetiser.

The entree was a vegetarian dish, one that Seska had developed a taste
for when serving on Bajor.	She loved seeing B'Elanna's tongue
lick the sauce from the eating utensil.  She wanted that tongue to
lick her the same way.

She was almost undone by the dessert, a positively sinful concoction
of Thalian chocolate and Bajoran tenel-berries, which B'Elanna seemed
to delight in licking as erotically as possible.

"We need to talk," B'Elanna said as they relaxed on Seska's couch
after the meal with glasses of Bajoran spring wine.

"Do you want me?"

"That's not the point, Seska.  The answer, for what it's worth, is
yes.  But I have to tell you my feelings first."

"Go ahead."

"I'm not in love with you, Seska.  It's too soon to know if I will
fall in love with you, but I want to give it a chance.	Can you accept
that?"

'It's even better than I'd hoped, no messy emotions to deal with.
Unless she's silly enough to fall for me, which I can't do anything
about,' Seska thought. Aloud, she replied, "I couldn't possibly expect
you to be in love with me yet, B'Elanna.	And of course there's
a chance that you won't fall in love with me, but there's just as good
a chance that you will.	And who knows what tomorrow's going to bring
anyway?	Life's a gamble.  And if all we ever have is one night, that
will be enough."

B'Elanna put her wine glass down.  "I think it will be more than one
night," she whispered huskily.

The trip to the bedroom was short, the women caressing and kissing
each other as they removed their clothes.	Seska latched onto
B'Elanna's neck as the other woman pulled the covers down.

"I want you inside me," Seska whispered.

B'Elanna smiled, with an edge of arousal making the smile almost a
leer.

"When I'm ready."

Seska shivered with desire and anticipation.  This was what she
wanted, an equal in bed, at least as close as she could find.  She lay
back, the first time would be to earn B'Elanna's trust, so she would
let the other woman do whatever she wanted.  There would be time to
introduce other...pleasures later.

B'Elanna kissed Seska, exploring the other woman's mouth with her
tongue. When Seska tried to caress her tongue with her own, B'Elanna
teasingly pulled hers out of her lover's mouth.	Seska moaned in mock-
protest, although she exulted inwardly at B'Elanna's lack of
submission.  She would teach the other woman of the joys of temporary
submission later in the relationship.  Then her thoughts short-
circuited as B'Elanna kissed across the swell of one breast, finding
the hardened nipple and biting down, with quite a bit of force.	Seska
arched her body toward the mouth that was driving her wild, loving
B'Elanna's slight roughness.  Just enough to make it..interesting.
B'Elanna was stroking the other breast with her fingers, rolling the
nipple between them, until both breasts were aching with need.
B'Elanna stimulated the first nipple until it was almost too sensitive
to be touched, then moved to the other.  Seska delighted in this
worship of her breasts, her lover on Cardassia Prime was a little too
concerned with penetration to pay much attention to foreplay, and this
was a new experience for her.  She sighed with pleasure as B'Elanna
teased her throbbing sex with a finger, her juices so copious that it
slid in without the slightest resistance.  B'Elanna's mouth wandered
over Seska's stomach, the muscles clencing as that talented tongue
played over them.  B'Elanna paused a moment, looking at the damp patch
of curls, then she plunged her tongue in, finding Seska's swollen clit
immediately.  Seska thrust her sex into B'Elanna's eager mouth,
feeling the other woman's lips and tongue move over her.  B'Elanna
took the engorged clit into her mouth, feeling it swell more as she
tongued it.  B'Elanna flicked her tongue against the swollen organ,
and Seska's climax hit, her juices spurting into B'Elanna's eager
mouth.  One long, loud cry of pleasure, and Seska lost consciousness.

"Wow," B'Elanna thought, "That never happened before..."

Seska woke in a moment, the pleasure had just been too intense.  She
smiled at her new lover, liking the contrast of her pale, surgically-
altered skin against B'Elanna's golden-bronze flesh as they lay
together.

"You taste good," B'Elanna smiled.

"You feel wonderful," Seska replied, kissing her, tasting herself on
B'Elanna's lips.

B'Elanna arched to meet those lips, and she started shaking as one of
Seska's hands moved over her body.  She cooed with pleasure as one of
her breasts was lovingly fondled and squeezed, then the fingers danced
down her stomach, finding the patch of matted curls that hid her sex.
One finger lightly tapping on her clit, with three finding their way
inside her slick tunnel, brought her orgasm out of her.	Her juices
covered Seska's hand, and she sighed with pleasure.

"Thank you," she whispered as Seska cleaned them with a soft towel.

"Want to sleep here?" Seska asked.

"Yes, I'm not moving," B'Elanna replied, kissing her new lover.


The relationship continued, but Seska 'realised' that her emotions had
run away with her when B'Elanna had almost been killed, and her
feelings, like B'Elanna's, weren't love.  She liked B'Elanna, and the
lovemaking was wonderful, but it wasn't forever, both of them knew it.
They drifted apart after a few months, and the eventual break was only
a formality.  They remained friends, though, and came together again
after Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant for a brief time,
although they realised that it was not so much attraction as hanging
onto something from back home.

When Seska was revealed as a Cardassian spy, it completely shocked
B'Elanna. She wished she could go to Chakotay and tell him that he had
not been the only one so intimately tricked by Seska, but she could
not bring herself to tell anyone.

It took a long time for her to get over Seska's betrayal, and by the
time she could look to anyone for a relationship, those that she found
the best possibilities, Chakotay and Tom Paris, were involved with
each other.  Harry Kim, much as she loved him, was not right for her
and she knew it.

She of course never considered Kathryn Janeway...

---

The End