Disclaimer:
Paramount Pictures own all things Trek. I make no money from
this story. All characters besides the STV senior staff, are
mine. Do not archive or post anywhere else without my written
permission.
Betareaders:
Thanks to Pol, Snowolf, Jay, Glynis and Saffron. Any mistakes
lingering are purely my own!
Pairing:
J/7
Rating:
NC-17. Same gender love between adult, consenting
women.
Violence:
Yes, some. It's an action story.
Format:
Different fonts and background colour describe changes in past and present. I hope
this will work out well in simple html. Let me know if it
doesn't come out right. Thank you.
Summary:
An unexpected attack destroys the most joyous moment, so far, in
Janeway's and Seven's life. The consequences are devastating and
the crew is now held hostage, fearing their captain is dead.
Chapter
7
“You
ready, Neelix?” B’Elanna glanced over her shoulder at the
stocky Talaxian man crawling behind her.
“Yes,
although I have to admit, my old legs weren’t meant to crawl
like this, Lieutenant,” Neelix groaned. “Any signs of the
bad guys?”
B’Elanna
checked the tricorder left behind by one of her crewmembers when
they were attacked. “Hold it,” she hissed, stopping so
quickly, Neelix bumped his forehead against her bottom. “Hey.”
“Sorry,
B’Elanna.”
“I
have four alien signatures in engineering.” Damn. They
better not be messing with my warp core. Pushing the
tricorder inside the waistband of her trousers, B’Elanna
clutched her phaser. Feeling her upper lip pulling back in a
snarl of its own volition, she knew her Klingon lust for blood
was taking over. “Stay next to me. We only get the element of
surprise once.”
“Right.”
There was an unmistakable sound of Neelix swallowing
spasmodically.
Moving
along the Jeffrey’s tube, they reached another hatch, this one
locked with B’Elanna’s own algorithm. She opened the front
of the console and blinked when she saw it fully operational.
“Someone’s booted the main computer,” she whispered. “Who
the hell are these guys to override the command team’s
security codes?”
“You’d
think these brutes wouldn’t be able to,” Neelix agreed,
pushing up along side her. “Can you get us in there,
Lieutenant?”
“Shouldn’t
be a problem now that the main frame is online.” B’Elanna
took a deep breath, keeping her voice low. “Computer, override
engineering lockdown, Torres Gamma-Delta-Four-Four-One. Silent
mode.” If the computer acknowledged out loud, the aliens
behind the hatch would hear it. The muted click when the locking
mechanism opened was the only sign the computer had heard her
command.
“It
worked,” Neelix breathed. “Now what?”
“Now
we peek inside.” B’Elanna turned towards the hatch and
pushed it open half a centimetre. Squinting through the crack,
she could see movement on the other side of the wall. For all
she knew there could be a mercenary standing on the other side
of the hatch, but that was a risk she’d have to take. She
counted three forms working on the console on the opposite wall.
They’re screwing around with my computer! “Neelix,”
she whispered. “Is your phaser set to heavy stun?”
“Yes.”
“Something
tells me we better change it to kill. We can’t take any
chances with these idiots.”
Neelix
looked apprehensive, but obeyed her directive. “All right.”
“I’ll
take out the two to the far left. You fire at the one closest to
the warp core. There’s a fourth and we’ll have to find him
quickly. Hopefully he’ll be startled enough to delay his
response.”
Nodding
solemnly, Neelix’s usual benevolent face was dead serious. “I’m
ready.”
B’Elanna
stopped for a second and turned towards Neelix again. “Here
goes nothing,” she whispered in a faint growl. Leaning
forward, she pressed a kiss on a stunned Neelix lips and flung
the hatch open. B’Elanna fired her phaser towards the two men
about to remove components from the computer console.
They
cried out in short agony before falling to the floor. Above her,
Neelix placed one hand on her shoulder for leverage and fired at
the third alien. His aim was good, but the man was quick in his
response. He skidded to the right, and took cover underneath the
work console.
“Come
on!” B’Elanna jumped out of the hatch, bringing out the
tricorder with her free hand, trying to pinpoint where the
fourth intruder was. The readings showed he was right above her
and she raised her phaser to fire, only to find herself staring
into the muzzle of a disruptor.
“You’re
one tough bitch,” the mercenary snarled. “I thought we
killed you the first time. Well, I figured I’d get a crack at
it later.” He took aim and B’Elanna dove to the left,
rolling away from the hatch opening. She hoped the alien didn’t
realise Neelix was still inside the Jeffrey’s tube, she fired
towards the bulky Sidior, hitting his shoulder.
He
didn’t even scream, merely staggered backward, firing at her
continuously. B’Elanna ducked under a console, hearing it
explode and found herself engulfed in a rain of sparks. The
smell of singed metal and circuits hurt her nostrils.
B’Elanna
turned her head she tried to spot the man Neelix had injured,
but could not detect him. Worried the thug might not be
seriously wounded, B’Elanna took a deep breath before rolling
along the floor towards another computer console, firing above
her head as she did.
Suddenly
a hard weapon’s muzzle pressed against her neck out of nowhere.
“Got you now, esh’t’cha!”
Her
blood ran cold and then red hot a second later. Furious, B’Elanna
pushed her elbow back, hitting the surprised alien before
twirling and firing her phaser in his face. The man flew
backward and ended up lying slumped on the floor, his features
unrecognisable.
Gasping
for air, B’Elanna fought back nausea; all too aware this
distraction meant the man on the second floor had probably used
the time to relocate. She carefully peeked though the smoke from
the consoles, but couldn’t see him.
Neelix
now took the opportunity to move out through the hatch, and
crawl over to her. “B’Elanna …”
“I’m
fine. Where is he?” She motioned upward with her chin.
“I
think he moved towards the warp core up there. It’ll be hard
to get up there. We’ll be sitting ducks, if we try to climb
the ladders.”
“Right.
Come, we have to try something.” B’Elanna crawled towards
the opposite wall, trying to stay under the consoles as much as
possible, Neelix following behind her.
Her
back was beginning to ache again. The mild sedative Tom had
given her in sickbay was wearing off quickly. Unless they took
the mercenary out now, she’d be incapacitated by pain in a
short while.
“Don’t
move, or you’re about to fry.” The cold voice from above
startled B’Elanna, making her roll over, raising her phaser. A
well aimed shot out of nowhere tossed the weapon painfully from
her hands. “I said, don’t move,” the mercenary growled,
where he leaned out from the second floor, holding onto the
railing with one hand, aiming straight at her chest with the
other.
Neelix
pressed himself flat behind B’Elanna. “Let me at him,” he
hissed almost inaudibly.
“No.”
B’Elanna mouthed. “Wait.”
“Any
last words?” the alien taunted her. “You’re going to what
ever pitiful afterlife your species pray to. Now.”
“I
don’t think so.” A throaty, beloved voice, created a
waterfall of tears streaming down B’Elanna’s face. Above her
a beam from an alien weapon singed through the air, tossing the
alien into a spin, sending him crashing to the floor a few
metres away.
She
stared up at a woman, barely recognisable as Captain Janeway,
flanked by two female aliens. B’Elanna wept like a child. “Captain
…”
“God,
B’Elanna!” Janeway threw herself to the floor next to her
engineer, and pulled her into a firm embrace. “I feared you
were dead.”
“Captain!
We thought they killed you!” Neelix scrambled toward them,
placing his arm around the two women in a bear hug. “Oh,
Captain, I’m so glad to see you. We’ve almost given up hope.
I guess some of the crew fear the worst.”
“Neelix
…” Janeway’s voice cracked as she kissed them both. She
stared at them with intense, blue eyes, in happy recognition
before straightening her back. She motioned behind her. “This
is Kingas and Mirish. They belong to a rebel unit and we’ve
launched a major attack against Masier and his goons. They also
saved my life a while back.” She stroked B’Elanna’s
shoulders in a gesture of comfort. “We have work to do. You up
for it, Lieutenant?”
“I
need more pain relief,” B’Elanna confessed. “But after
that, just put me to work, Captain. That reminds me, we need to
bring comm badges. Neelix. Look in my office. Somewhere on the
desk.” She was nao gasping at the searing pain in her back.
Neelix
scrambled towards the door to her office, retuning almost
immediately, the pockets in his pants bulging. “Found at least
thirty of them.”
“All
right, I’m ready.” B’Elanna tried to get up.
Janeway’s
brow furrowed. “You’re not looking well. Wait a second.
Computer. Give me the locations of the remaining live alien
signatures.”
“Four
alien signatures present in the officer’s mess hall. Eight
signatures present in cargo bay two.”
“All
right. I think we can safely make it to sickbay. Who’s there?”
Janeway asked.
“Tom,
the Doctor … and Harry.” B’Elanna knew her voice gave her
away. She stared up at Janeway, allowing the captain to help her
on her feet. Next to Janeway stood two striking woman, alien,
but obviously on the Voyager captain’s side.
“Something’s
wrong with Harry?”
“Captain
…” B’Elanna was now closed to overwhelmed with pain and
fatigue. “Kathryn …” She began to cry soundlessly. “We
brought him here as a last resort. Harry’s dying.”
After
a moments silence, Janeway wrapped her arm around B’Elanna’s
waist, pulling her towards the door, which showed obvious signs
of having been blasted open at one point. As she leaned against
the captain, B’Elanna knew she would never forget the look on
Janeway’s face when she told her about Harry.
***
The
diodes flickered, an increasingly maddening tempo, and began to
hurt Seven’s human eye. Closing it, she regarded the small
lights with her optical implant, noting there were 62,500,000 of
them per square metre. She let her implant scan up and down the
tall walls of the cave room, including the ceiling, and
calculated there was an impressive 7,812,500,000 diodes, each
able to display colours from infrared to ultraviolet. The
mathematical exercise only rendered her a certain amount of
distraction and comfort. Tugging at the fastening mechanism
keeping her hands locked to the glass poles, Seven sobbed once. Kathryn.
When
she closed her eyes, she could almost feel the warm, loving
touch of her lover, as if Kathryn was indeed alive. She
has to be. Surely I would experience a sense of devastating loss
if she wasn’t? Our bond is strong. She is strong. I cannot
fail her by being any less.
The
diodes began pulsating between blue, yellow and bright pink.
Faster and faster, they pulsated, drew her in, making her dizzy
and sleepy. Her knees buckled, making her inhale sharply in an
attempt to not succumb. Outraged at this new attempt from the
unknown beings responsible for her predicament, Seven gave a
short, sharp cry. “Show yourselves!” She trembled with anger
and resentment, and pulled violently at her hands, not caring
about the blood trickling from her right, human wrist. “Cowards!”
she screamed, her voice breaking.
Seven
knew she had never been this furious. Fuming, she ground her
teeth together, a feral growl beginning in the back of her
throat, pressing past the clenched teeth in a formidable roar.
“I challenge you! Show yourselves!”
Suddenly
all the diodes shifted to a bright purple and a low hum
resonated from the ceiling. Seven bit back another display of
her fury, staring up with eyes burning of unshed tears. Are
they coming now? Am I about to expire without knowing if Kathryn
has gone before me … or if she is out there, on her own?
A
tingling sound, not unpleasant, spread along her arms,
reverberating through her body, returning the dizziness. It was
as if someone had sedated her. What
are they preparing me for that require anaesthetics?
The
dais vibrated subtly beneath her feet. Seven was nearly
unconscious and her last thought before her system shut down,
was that whoever was keeping her prisoner was about to
demonstrate their purpose for doing so.
***
Janeway
pulled the now slumping B’Elanna toward sickbay. When they
reached a corner in the corridor, Kingas moved past them, making
sure none of Masier’s men were in the corridor ahead of them.
“Here,”
B’Elanna whispered huskily, handing the tall Samarior her
tricorder. “You can scan with this to make sure. Just punch in
the command here.” She pointed weakly at the small screen.
“Here,
let me take her. We need to move quickly, Captain.” Mirish
took B’Elanna from Janeway, lifting her up on strong arms. “This
little creature weighs nothing.”
‘The
little creature’ gave Mirish a disdainful look, making Janeway
smile, despite the serious situation. “Thanks. Let’s move
then.” She followed Kingas who waved them forward and they
moved with significantly increased speed down the corridor.
Reaching a turbo lift, Janeway raised her disruptor, sighing in
relief when the lift was empty. They crowded inside, Mirish
holding onto her Klingon burden.
“I’m
Mirish,” she introduced herself, giving the nonplussed B’Elanna
a broad smile. “You’re captain here is sure glad to see you.”
Janeway
cupped B’Elanna’s cheek. “I’m here. Things are happening
outside and the crew is doing their best to take control of the
situation.”
“They’re
weakened, Captain,” the Klingon stated sadly. “They’re not
in a state to fight.”
“Ah,
don’t sell them short,” Mirish said, her voice convincing.
“From what I saw, the Voyager crew still knew how to fight for
themselves.”
The
turbo lift stopped, delivering them just outside sickbay.
Suddenly afraid what she might see, Janeway stopped outside the
door.
“Captain?”
Kingas squeezed her shoulder gently. “Let’s go in. Time is
running out.”
The
comment made Janeway bite down hard on her lower lip to break
out of her lapse into the world of loneliness and fear she had
battled for months. ”Come on.” She pressed the door open
with the suction handle still attached to it and walked inside.
The
Doctor and Tom Paris were leaning over Harry’s still form on
the main bio bed. The two men wheeled at the sudden sound of
people entering, their phasers raised.
“Captain?”
Tom’s voice was hardly audible. “B’Elanna? Are you okay?”
When his wife nodded yes, he turned his attention back to his
captain. Tears rose in his eyes and suddenly Janeway was wrapped
up in his arms. “Oh, hell, Captain …” His strong shoulders
shook for a short moment before he straightened up. “Damn, it’s
good to see you.” He glanced at the tall women next to her.
“Friends of yours, I take it, ma’am?”
Janeway
introduced Kingas and Mirish. “How’s Harry?” she asked,
slowly approaching the bio bed. She glanced at the EMH and
halted mid stride. “Doctor?”
“Captain.
I’m relieved beyond words to see you.” A range of emotions
flickered over the hologram’s face. “We’ve feared for your
safety. For your life.”
“And
I for yours. Glad to see they kept your program safe,” Janeway
managed, feelings threatening to overwhelm her. She placed a
quick kiss on his cheek, and walked closer to Harry. The young
ensign was pale, a ventilator breathed for him, and several
infusions were hooked to his veins. “He’s alive still,”
Janeway whispered.
“Yes,
and his saturation is increasing, and so are his other vital
signs. There is hope for young Harry still,” the Doctor
murmured in her ear. “We can assume he hears us now.”
“He
can?” Janeway stepped up to Harry’s still form, leaning over
the young man she loves so much. “Harry? It’s your captain.
You’re doing a great job fighting your way back to health. I
can’t captain Voyager without you. You’re first choice gamma
shift captain. You have to get better.”
There
was no sign Harry responded to her, but behind Janeway, B’Elanna
inhaled deeply and let the air out in a trembling sigh. “I was
afraid that …”
“But
he’s still here,” Tom interrupted her. “And so are we.
What’s next, Captain?”
“Seven’s
been taken to ‘join the Shantari’,” Janeway replied, the
thought of her lover made Janeway’s stomach shiver in a
dizzying spiral. “It’s a form of ancient sacrifice. Masier
apparently is trying to keep the Shantari at bay by offering
something resembling the old tradition. This time, he went for
gold and decided on Seven.” She heard her voice become a low
growl. “We need to render him and his buddies harmless, Tom. I
can use some suggestions.”
“Since
the computer suddenly came online, I can make my way to the
bridge and fire up the futon torpedoes.”
“No,
it may backfire against us. We want what’s left of Voyager
after these scavengers have gutted her, to remain intact. How
about the phasers?”
“The
ship should sustain that, even if she’s on her struts,” B’Elanna
said. The Doctor had injected her with a hypo spray and she
managed to walk over to the others. “I can reroute the
computer in engineering to the Doctor’s console in his office
and monitor the ship from there.”
“Can
you get the warp core online?” Janeway asked.
“I
don’t know, but Seven and I left some backdoors in the system
should it … ever become necessary.”
“Very
well. Do it.” She turned to Tom. “Where’s Chakotay?”
“He
and Tuvok went to get help from some of the security officers
and set out to find Seven. We saw them march her straight into
the jungle.”
“I
know where they’ve taken her, where your people are heading.”
Kingas hoisted her backpack up further. “We can’t stay here
any longer, Captain, if we’re to find your woman before the
Shantari come.”
“All
right.” Janeway took a deep breath. “B’Elanna, reroute the
main view screen feed into one of the computers here. When you
have the systems online, start by erecting a force field around
cargo bay two and the mess hall. Cut life support to those areas
and decompress them.”
“Got
it, Captain.” There was a contented feral looking B’Elanna’s
eyes.
“After
that, chose your targets carefully. Once our crew sees Voyager
firing at the enemy, I know they’ll start to board the ship.
In the meanwhile, Doctor, you have two assignments. Keep Harry
alive and B’Elanna protected. You can’t let the enemy enter
sickbay under any circumstances.”
Her
voice left no room for misunderstandings and the Doctor nodded
solemnly. “Yes, Captain. I will not let any harm come to
either of them.”
“Harry’s
prospects?” Janeway was afraid to ask, but needed to know
before they left.
“If
I can keep him hydrated and nothing creates unforeseeable
complication, he has a chance. I can’t promise though. He’s
a very sick man.”
“Very
well. I know you’ll do your best, Doctor. He couldn’t have
anyone better taking care of him. Now, let’s get those comm
badges active, Neelix.”
Immediately
animated and eager to help, Neelix lit up. He took a comm badge,
snapping it on Tom’s shirt. “Computer, associate this comm
badge with Tom Paris bio signature.”
“Communication
badge activated.”
Janeway
repeated his actions before handing two comm badges over to the
Samariors. “Here. Computer, activate these two guest comm
badges to Kingas and Mirish.” The computer confirmed.
“Will
these really enable us to communicate?” Kingas asked. Janeway
knew the Samariors’ communication devices were crude at best.
The small comm badge must seem futuristic and alien to the two
women.
“Yes.”
After one more glance around sickbay, seeing B’Elanna
hammering away at the Doctor’s computer console in his office
and the EMH leaning over Harry, she raised her weapon in a
defensive position when walking toward the door. “Let’s move
out.” She motioned Tom, Neelix, and the Samariors to follow
her, Janeway led her impromptu away team through the winding
corridors of Voyager.
The
floor and wall panels were torn away in places, wires hanging
from the roof, and several of the computers were missing. Her
heart would have bled for Voyager if it wasn’t already drained
from the agony of not knowing what was happening to Seven. Her
crew’s welfare tore at what little room she had left for
worrying and Janeway knew the risk for overloading was great.
She knew slipping into her captain skin was her only chance of
staying on course with this mission. Janeway inhaled through her
nose and out her mouth, moving easily through the familiar
setting. She knew this was their only chance.
“Janeway
to B’Elanna, report.”
“Force
fields erected and life support cut to the sections. I’m ready
to commence phaser fire and also decompress the areas you
ordered in a couple of minute, Captains.”
“Good.
We need it to cause a diversion. Keep me posted.”
“Yes,
Captain.”
They
reached the ramp leading out of the shuttle bay. Janeway made
sure nobody hid among the Delta Flyer and other shuttles,
Janeway noted the mercenaries had not been able to penetrate the
lockdown she’d placed on the small ships during the attack.
“Computer. Reverse safety lock on shuttle bay spacecraft.”
“Affirmative.
Safety locks reversed.”
“Torres
to Janeway. I’m ready to lay the first round of phaser fire.
The computer’s detected a large complex at the other side of
the tarmac, holding enough technology to host the tractor beam
that pulled us in from orbit.”
Kathryn
felt a feral grin spread over her face. Glancing at Kingas,
seeing the other woman nod in consensus, she made the call. “Take
it out, B’Elanna.”
“Yes,
Captain. Firing phasers.”
Voyager
shook momentarily, but remained steady on her struts. When
Janeway heard a rumble in the distance she knew it was their cue.
“Keep’em busy, Lieutenant, we’re out of here.”
“Got
you, ma’am. B’Elanna out.”
Janeway
took a firmer grip of her weapon and began a cautious descent
down the ramp, followed by Kingas, Mirish, and Tom. When they
reached the bottom, weapon’s raised and ready to fire, they
stopped in their tracks.
