"ALLIANCES" is correct!
To explain...
Janeway says to Chakotay that he can't get in the mud with the Kazon and complain about getting dirty.
The Trabe used Janeway's good will to enact their assassination plan on the Kazon leadership.
As for the 5 Maquis...
Michael Jonas - This episode started his signals to the Nistrim.
Hogan - He was quite candid with Janeway after the funeral, and with Torres in Engineering later.
Torres - Her telling Hogan all he has to worry about is keeping the dilithium chamber filled while Janeway has to worry about the entire ship and crew, and she said Kurt Bendera saved her life when she was in Sickbay.
Chakotay - He made the arrangements for the funeral and spoke about him, plus his conversations with Janeway throughout about making an alliance with Kazon factions.
Kurt Bendera - The funeral scene was his, and the whole scene was a recount by Chakotay of the kind of man he was and how he saved the lives of numerous people there.
Question: did I make it too challenging or cryptic? If so, I can adjust my clues in the future.
Side note: except for Chakotay and Torres, every named Maquis in this episode eventually dies. Bendera, Jonas, Hogan, Seska... this seemed to be a running gag to me back when this first aired.