DISCLAIMER: You all know the drill - Paramount is God. All hail Paramount. They own everything in the Star Trek Universe - I'm just using my overactive imagination to take their characters where they refuse to go. All in the name of fun, not profit (I wish).
RATING: PG-13 Nothing my momma couldn't read.
<< BACK TO PART II: THE CAPTAIN
B'Elanna and Seven were firing at the Vaadwaur on the cliff opposite the gorge when they felt the blast from the plasma grenade and ducked to avoid the flying debris. Realizing with dread which direction the blast had come from, B'Elanna looked over to the spot where Tom had been moments ago. Where he had been standing there was now a smoking crater and she could see his inert form laying a few feet away from the impact.
"Tom!"
She jumped up and tried to move towards him, but Seven held her back.
"Let go of me! He's hurt!"
"It is safer to stay where we are. There is no protection and you would be an easy target." Softening her voice, she added, "You will not be able to help him if you are injured as well."
B'Elanna was about to retort when she realized that Seven had a point. She would be out in the open if she went to Tom, and she knew that she couldn't put herself and her child in that kind of danger.
Seven tried to reassure her. "It does not appear that he was near enough to the blast to be severely injured. He is most likely unconscious."
They were forced to cut their conversation short by a sudden volley of phaser fire from the cliffs above them. They returned fire and took cover again.
"Did you hear something?" asked B'Elanna suddenly.
"No," replied Seven, but then she listened and did hear something. It was a distorted signal coming through their commbadges.
�to away team. Do you read? This is Ensign Baytart, please respond.
"Torres here, Ensign. We are under attack�"
�and require immediate assistance. Can you beam us out?
Baytart's shuttle was descending through the planet's atmosphere. "Not until I clear the ionosphere and get under the interference. I'll need another minute."
I don't know if we've got another minute. We're pinned down and have taken casualties.
"Can you give us some cover fire?" continued B'Elanna. Seven was busy trying to keep the Vaadwaur at bay while B'Elanna talked with Baytart.
Affirmative. Just tell me where you want it.
"The top of the cliffs surrounding our position. There are at least a dozen Vaadwaur stationed up there."
I've got the position on sensors but I'm not reading anyone up there.
"Believe me, they're there," she muttered as another phaser blast hit the rock they were hiding behind.
A phaser shot came from the sky and connected with the western cliff next to B'Elanna and Seven. No more shots were fired from there, and after a few intermittent shots the phaser fire from the northern cliff opposite the gorge stopped as well. B'Elanna and Seven looked at each other. After waiting a few more seconds to make sure that the ambush was over, B'Elanna ran towards Tom while Seven covered her. She could see Nicoletti and Yosa laying on the ground, unmoving. Ensign Ashmore was making his way towards them. She reached Tom's side and knelt down. Just as she turned him over and saw the burns on his face, Baytart's voice came over the comm again.
I've cleared the ionosphere. I'm locking onto all your commbadges and getting you out of there.
"Acknowledged," answered Seven before the entire away team dematerialized.
As soon as transport was complete, B'Elanna tossed Ashmore a medical tricorder and grabbed another one for herself. She examined Tom, and was relieved to find that he was not critically injured. He had some nasty looking burns on the left side of his face and some internal injuries, but he would recover.
Seven looked around the back of the shuttle and realized that not all the away team was accounted for. Ensign Ashmore was there, and Nicoletti and Yosa were injured but accounted for as well as herself and Lieutenants Paris and Torres. But there was someone else conspicuously absent. She moved quickly to the front of the shuttle.
"Ensign Baytart. Where is the Captain? She did not transport with us."
Baytart looked at his console in confusion. "I�I don't know�I'm not reading her commbadge on scanners."
"Her commbadge may have been damaged. Scan for her bio-signature."
He punched in commands on his console. "I'm�not reading it either." He turned around, concerned. "Was she with the rest of you?"
"I believe so. Keep searching while I ask the others." She returned to the back of the shuttle. "Does anyone know the whereabouts of Captain Janeway?"
B'Elanna was leaning over Tom, and she bolted upright. "What do you mean? She's not here?" she asked, looking around for the first time.
"She did not transport with us and Ensign Baytart is unable to locate her. Did you see her before we beamed out?"
"No � the last time I saw her was while the fighting was still going on." She stopped as Tom started to come to. "Tom�it's all right, you're safe."
He groaned. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine�Tom, do you know where the Captain is?"
"She was�" He moaned as he tried to sit up. "�right beside me when something blew me off my feet." He looked around and concern filled his voice. "Why�didn't you find her?"
Silence fell in the back of the shuttlecraft. They had all seen Tom laying face down in the dirt�right next to a huge smoking hole in the ground.
The inert form of Captain Janeway was surrounded by Vaadwaur soldiers. They were concealed in the small cliff that divided the floor of the canyon. A small cave in the wall of the cliff was hidden with a holographic projection, and they had erected a dampening field to mask their presence. They had stolen both technologies from other races, and they were proving to be extremely useful.
"Did you get her communicator disabled?" asked the one in charge, a female.
"Yes," answered another. "I overloaded the primary circuits. They won't be able to detect it."
"Then we wait," answered the leader, satisfied.
"For how long?" asked another of the soldiers. "We could be discovered � what if they come back?"
"We have waited 900 years to reclaim our glory � a few days in here is nothing. Remember that we will be well rewarded since we were so fortunate as to get their Captain. And Voyager won't come back because they can't detect us. This technology is probably far beyond their knowledge."
"Besides," interjected another Vaadwaur, "They know now that there is no dilithium here and will move on to another source."
The leader looked at Janeway. "When they leave the system, Commander Takken can come and fetch his new�toy."
* * *
Voyager's crew was devastated. For the second time since they had been in the Delta Quadrant, the crew was without their Captain and their First Officer. This time, however, they did not have the consolation that they were alive and thriving in a virtual paradise. This time, there was no hope of going back for them, no chance of finding a miracle cure or them following Voyager in a shuttle.
As soon as they had realized the Captain was missing, the shuttle had gone back and landed on the cliffs where the Vaadwaur had been positioned and B'Elanna and Seven had beamed down to the site of the ambush as soon as they were sure that the Vaadwaur were gone. They found no trace of the Captain in the immediate area, and they proceeded to check the gorge and the lower area Nicoletti and Yosa had been. They were meticulous, but there appeared to be no place where she could be concealed. Their tricorders and Seven's Borg implants were unable to detect the concealed cave or the people inside it, and they returned to the shuttle with the conclusion that the Captain had been vaporized by the powerful plasma grenade.
Tuvok had assumed command but was not well equipped to deal with the emotional fallout of the Captain's death only a month after the loss of their First Officer. He had made Tom the acting First Officer, probably against his inclination, and Tom was able to help the crew somewhat, but he was devastated as well and blamed himself for the Captain's death since he had been next to her.
He and B'Elanna had volunteered to clean out the Captain's quarters, but they couldn't bring themselves to recycle most of her things and were storing them instead.
B'Elanna picked up the copy of The Odyssey that was still sitting on the chair and smiled. "I think I might keep this. Chakotay gave it to her. Do you know the story?"
"Kind of," he said. "From what I remember, it seems appropriate � although I don't remember the hero dying before he got home," he added bitterly.
"I know�but I think the Captain wanted to get home more for the crew than for herself. You know how guilty she felt about stranding us here."
"Guilt � now there's something I can identify with." He snorted. "My dad's gonna love this. I managed to get his prot�g� and her First Officer killed."
B'Elanna walked over to the Captain's desk and folded the computer terminal closed without looking at the screen. "Tom � don't start this again. We were ambushed. There was nothing you could have done."
"She was right beside me," he insisted. "I could have pulled her out of the way if I'd seen it coming."
"But you didn't�and neither did she or she would have gotten both of you out of the way."
"I still can't believe she's gone," he said quietly, falling into one of the chairs.
"I know�the ship seems so empty without them�"
There was a saddened silence before Tom spoke again.
"B'Elanna, I was thinking�what do you think about naming our daughter Kathryn?"
His wife hesitated at this and didn't answer.
"What � you don't think it's a good idea?"
"It's not that," she insisted. "It's just that�I told her and Chakotay that we were thinking of naming her Miral�and they were both thrilled with the idea. They thought it was wonderful, so�I'd like to use it. We could always give her a middle name."
He nodded, and pulled her to him so she was sitting on his lap in the chair. "Or�we could always have another kid," he whispered in her ear.
"One step at a time," she grinned at him. She rested her head on his shoulder and they sat there for a long time, looking around the quarters and reminiscing about Captain Janeway.
* * *
Chakotay was sitting in the corner of his cell trying to figure out for the millionth time how long he had been here. He had finally concluded that they were lying when they told him that it had been two months � he estimated that he hadn't been here more than six weeks, and it was probably more like four or five. Even so, Voyager was probably long gone.
They interrogated him often, or so it seemed to him. He had lost count of the number of times he had been dragged to the dark chamber where they pounded him for information. No matter how many times he refused to tell them anything or told them that the information they wanted was useless, they refused to listen. Thoughts of Kathryn and the crew were what had sustained him these past few weeks. He prayed that they were safe, and knew that by keeping silent he was helping to make sure they stayed that way. He wondered about his friends � B'Elanna, Tom, Harry, even Tuvok and Seven. He would often sit in the silence of the cell and imagine that he was back on Voyager, sharing a poker game with Tom or going to the holodeck with B'Elanna. He tried to guess what they were doing, what their day had been like, but most of all he thought about Kathryn. He had often encouraged her to get to know some of the crew better, but she had never really taken his advice and he was the only person that she saw regularly off duty. With him gone, he feared that she wouldn't have anyone to turn to, and he wished that he was with her.
He was startled from his thoughts by the sound of a commotion in the corridor outside his cell. It had been a few days since they had last come for him, so he wondered if he was due for another interrogation. The other possibility was a new prisoner. There were lots of prison cells in this area of the ship. He recognized some of the other prisoners as Turei, but many species were unfamiliar to him. Every once in a while a new prisoner would be brought in and everybody got moved around. They liked to keep one prisoner to a cell, but the prison was filling up, and they never kept different species in the same cell.
Footsteps drew closer to his cell, and he tensed up instinctively. Two Vaadwaur appeared at the entrance to his cell. They had an unconscious form facedown between them, and were holding the prisoner up by the biceps while the feet dragged limply behind. He recognized the hair and the uniform before the forcefield was deactivated and she was dropped on the floor.
The instant the guards left, he ran to her and turned his new cellmate over to see the bleeding, battered face of his Captain. He let out an involuntary gasp and traced his fingers along the severe burns on her face. He put his arms under her and gently carried her limp form over to the bed sticking out from the wall. His side was still tender and he grunted in pain. He squeezed her hand and gently called her name as she moved slightly.
Her eyes fluttered open and through a haze she saw Chakotay standing above her. I must be dreaming again, she thought groggily. This isn't real, she told herself before darkness closed in again.
He could see her eyes were open, but she wasn't responding and didn't seem to recognize him. Her eyes only remained open for a few seconds before they closed again and she slipped into unconsciousness.
* * *
A few hours later, Captain Janeway struggled to pull herself out of the fog that clouded her mind. Her eyes felt like lead weights and it took her a few tries to get them open. She didn't recognize her surroundings, but she was laying flat on her back and could only see a metal roof above her and a wall to her right. She tilted her head up, but everything swam so she lay her head back down. She could feel something warm against her leg, but she didn't know what it was. Slower this time, she raised her head and then propped herself up on her elbows. She gasped when she saw the warm object that was resting on her leg � it was Chakotay's head. He was sitting on the ground next to the bed, and was sleeping with his arm resting on the bed and the side of his head resting gently against her knee. She stared at him for a full minute before she dared to speak, afraid that she was dreaming or hallucinating.
"Chakotay?"
He woke up with a start, surprised that he had drifted off, and looked up to see her staring at him, propped up on her elbows.
"How do you feel?"
"Shocked," she said. "What�How�" Her voice failed her as her grief and regret from the past month came crashing down on her.
"We thought you were dead," she whispered after a few moments.
He slid towards her and sat beside her on the bed to embrace her. She put her head on his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her face in his shoulder with relief. When she pulled herself together a few minutes later, she pulled away so she could see his face and put her hand alongside his cheek.
"We thought you were dead," she repeated. "You have no idea how lost I was without you." She moved her legs to give him more room and he sat beside her.
She wanted to know what had happened to him, so they shared what they each knew about the attack on the Flyer. She also told him about her dream and the ambush on the planet.
"If I'd only waited fifteen minutes before joining the away team, I might have found something," she explained. "From what you've told me, I must have hit on the transporter beam that got you off the Flyer. And then neither of us would be here," she sighed. "Do you really think the crew believes that I'm dead?"
He shrugged. "Probably." He reached up and gently ran his fingers over the raw red patch on her cheek from the plasma grenade. "If you were that close to a plasma explosion, they could have faked your death. They seem to want to avoid a confrontation with Voyager unless they have an advantage."
"And we're supposed to give them that advantage." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Chakotay�I'm so sorry that I didn't come after you. I should have looked harder."
"It's not your fault, Kathryn," he assured her.
"You know�Voyager could be on our tail already," she realized. "If anyone but a first-year cadet looks at my computer terminal they'll figure out that I was onto something about the attack on the Flyer and they'll come looking for you."
"If they can find us."
They heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Chakotay put his hand on her leg protectively � he suspected that Takken was coming to check out his new prisoner. Sure enough, the Commander appeared at the door with three guards.
"Good � she's awake. Take her to the interrogation chamber."
One of the guards trained a weapon on them while the other two moved forward and tried to grab the Captain.
"Leave her alone!" spat Chakotay, putting himself in front of her.
"Fine," said Takken. "Bring him as well."
The two guards dragged Chakotay out of the cell while the third one moved forward and followed with the Captain. They were taken to a dark room with a solitary chair in the middle. Takken shoved her into the chair and had one of the other guards bring in a similar one for Chakotay, which he placed opposite the Captain's. Their wrists were bound by metal shackles behind their backs, and Takken began circling them.
"As your comrade has no doubt informed you, Captain," he began, "We are intent on acquiring Voyager's technology. Since you did free us from stasis, we are willing to spare your crew�" He stopped in front of her chair and leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. "�if you are willing to give us your command codes."
"No deal," she drawled. "But I'll make you a deal � let us go and I'll forget any of this ever happened."
He drew back, surprised at her vehemence. Chakotay had merely been stoic and silent after his first few sessions, but this one was prepared to confront him.
"You really should think about it," Janeway continued. Her voice grew cold. "Because I assure you that you don't want to have to deal with my crew when they come looking for us."
"They won't be looking for you because they don't know that you're missing."
"Don't underestimate them," said Chakotay.
"You mean like I did when we took you?" Takken retorted. "They still think you're dead � both of you."
"Not for long," she said with a smug grin on her face. "I discovered evidence of the transporter beam that you used on Chakotay and it's only a matter of time before my crew finds it as well."
He was thrown for a minute, but he recovered and invaded her personal space again. "The command codes � now."
When she didn't respond, he stood up and delivered a vicious backhand to her face where she was already burned from the plasma grenade. The blow jarred her clenched jaws, crushing her lips and nose. She felt blood flow in her mouth and her vision darkened momentarily.
Chakotay kept still with difficulty. He wanted to scream at the guards and protect his Captain, but he knew that anything he did would make it worse.
Takken turned around to face Chakotay. "Perhaps you would be willing to give them to us now?"
When he was met with silence, he nodded and turned back to Janeway. "I suspected as much."
* * *
Captain Janeway slowly came to back in the cell. She ached all over, and her face felt like it was split in two. She momentarily wished for the painless oblivion of unconsciousness before she remembered Chakotay. She wondered if they if they had hurt him. They had literally pounded her for hours trying to get her to reveal Voyager's command codes. She had told them that they were useless since there had been a change in command, but they had refused to listen. She was hoping that they had not continued on Chakotay after she passed out when she felt his gentle touch on the side of her face. She wasn't on the bed this time � she was propped up against the wall of the cell and he was kneeling in front of her.
"Welcome back," he said as she slowly opened her eyes. "I was starting to wonder if you were going to join me again." The concern in his voice belied his joking words.
"Wouldn't miss it," she replied with a grin. He picked up a piece of his jacket that he had torn off and dipped it in a glass of water, then gently applied it to one of the burns on her face, causing her to flinch.
"Sorry," he said, eyeing her with concern.
She waved him off. "That's okay, go ahead." She looked at him carefully, noticing the remnants of cuts and bruises on his face, and he favored his side like he was injured.
"You've been going through this for a month?" she asked incredulously.
"More or less. At least before, I knew that I was keeping you and the rest of the crew safe by remaining silent. Now I have to watch you get beaten to a pulp right in front of me and there's nothing I can do about it."
"Hey," she said, putting her hand over his on her face. "We'll find a way out of here. I promise. Now, while you're doing that, tell me more about this Commander Takken and what he wants."
* * *
Just over two weeks later, they found themselves in the interrogation room again. Takken had come for one or both of them at least once a day since Janeway had arrived. At least it was easier to keep track of time now. It was rare that they were both unconscious at the same time, so they were able to tell as the days turned into weeks. They were both the worse for wear, sporting ugly cuts and bruises on their faces, and they could feel the bruises on their upper bodies that were concealed by their uniforms. The burns on Captain Janeway's face from the plasma grenade had begun to heal, but they were still sensitive because Takken liked to hit her there and continually aggravated the wounds.
They were both restrained in the same chairs as the first interrogation, but this particular session was unusual because Takken and the guards were huddled in a corner with a couple of Vaadwaur they hadn't seen before. Chakotay caught the Captain's eye and gestured with his head toward the group with a raised eyebrow. She frowned and shrugged her shoulders. They had been communicating nonverbally more often, especially when there were guards around. They had always been able to read each other well, so communicating like this was a natural step to avoid scrutiny. The group was still talking in the corner and seemed to be ignoring them.
Superiors? mouthed Janeway.
Chakotay shrugged and then after a moment's thought shook his head. It looked like Takken was still giving orders, so he didn't think that the newcomers were his bosses.
Takken finally broke from the group and walked toward them, followed by one of the strangers. Janeway's flinched momentarily when she saw that the subordinate was carrying some piece of equipment in his hand.
"Are you prepared to surrender your command codes?" Takken demanded. Janeway's only reply was a defiant glare. "Very well, then. You will be the first of our prisoners to experience our new acquisition."
He motioned to the Vaadwaur behind him who was carrying the equipment. He handed a small box about ten centimeters square to Takken and moved towards Janeway with the other item. It was a thin band of metal in a half-circle with what looked like electrodes at each end. Janeway drew back when he brought it towards her face, but she had nowhere to go and he secured it to her forehead so that the electrodes were on her temples and the band of metal spanned her forehead in between them. The subordinate withdrew and Takken began circling her, toying with the box in his hand. He pushed a button on it, and she reacted immediately. There was a burning sensation where the electrodes were touching her temples, and then she felt as though someone had set her legs on fire and she screamed in anguish. The skin on her legs felt like it was melting, and the pain was nearly unbearable. The pain subsided after about a minute, and she could faintly hear Chakotay yelling, followed by a loud thump that she assumed was one of the guards hitting him. Her vision was blurry for a few more seconds before she could see Takken standing in front of her.
"Interesting, isn't it," he commented. "We recently obtained it from a species a few hundred light-years from here with a particularly vicious criminal justice system. It directly stimulates the primary sensory cortex of the brain, producing the sensation of pain. That setting mimics third-degree burns." He looked at the box in his hand as if it were a religious object. "An ingenious device." He pressed another button and she experienced a searing pain in her chest, like someone was stabbing her with a jagged object. She was unable to even draw a breath to scream, and she writhed in silent agony before falling limp when the pain subsided. When she was aware of her surroundings again, she could hear Takken addressing Chakotay, who had probably been objecting again.
"Don't worry, Commander, you'll get your turn eventually if the Captain refuses to cooperate." He turned to her. "Well, Captain�excruciating, isn't it? Perhaps now you're more willing to share information."
She took a couple of jagged breaths before she was able to spit out her answer. "Sorry to disappoint you."
He shrugged and used the box again, sending a burning pain up her spine. It started in waves, but slowly became a single unbearable sensation of pain. At first she wasn't aware of anything but the agonizing sensation that moved up her back, but then she noticed the darkness closing in from the edge of her blurry vision. She tried to fight it but it kept coming. She could vaguely hear someone screaming, and just before the darkness closed in on her completely she realized that it was her.
* * *
The next sensation that she was aware of was that she felt like she was drowning; she was surrounded by darkness, and she was struggling to reach the surface but with no success. She slowly realized that she had been unconscious, and gradually became aware of a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes felt like they were fused shut, and she hurt all over. She could tell that she was laying on her side, but had no idea where she was. The memory of the torture come back to her in a rush, and she heard Chakotay calling her name.
"Kathryn? Can you hear me?"
She wanted to answer him, but when she tried to, nothing happened. She could tell that she was squeezing her hand, and with a great deal of effort and concentration she gently squeezed back.
His tone became more urgent. "Kathryn? Wake up."
This time when she tried, she was able to open her eyes. "Hi," she whispered weakly.
His shoulders sagged with relief. "Hi yourself. You gave me quite a scare." She was laying on her side on the small bed, and he was crouched down opposite her face with one hand on her shoulder and the other squeezing her hand. He moved the hand on her shoulder up to her face, cupping her cheek affectionately.
"How long was I out for?" she asked as she shifted with a soft groan.
"I'd guess three or four hours." His face was lined with concern. "It must have been awful," he said as he helped her sit up.
"God, Chakotay�It was excruciating," she said. "It felt like�I can't even describe it. It's beyond anything I've ever experienced. You can't imagine how real it felt."
"I wish I could," he said, his voice edged with bitterness and regret.
She looked at him affectionately. "I know you would have taken my place, and thank you for that�but I wouldn't wish that on anybody, especially someone I care about." He looked at her in surprise for a moment until he quickly convinced himself that she hadn't meant that in the way he had initially taken it, so he tried to push the thought from his mind. She was sitting up on the edge of the bed now, leaning weakly against the wall with her eyes closed. He was still sitting on the floor, with a hand on the side of her calf. He slowly removed it as he got up. "I'll get you some water," he mumbled.
She opened her eyes when he removed his hand from her leg. She had liked it there � it felt comforting. She realized now for the first time that she hadn't done anything about what she had gone through when she thought he had died. She had realized that she cared deeply for him, and she had regretted pushing him away for so long. Now here they were together, alone�maybe not in the best circumstances but she was with him � and here she was just letting him walk away again. She had meant what she had said just now � she did care for him. But he was so used to having to ignore comments like that from her that she wasn't too surprised when he moved quickly away.
He came back towards the bed and offered her the glass of water as he sat beside her. She drank it gratefully and handed him back the cup. Gathering up her courage, she reached over and put her hand on his leg. She felt him tense up and then relax under her touch.
"Chakotay�I meant what I said just now. I know now what that thing feels like�and if I had to watch them do that to you�it would be just as bad or probably even worse than going through it myself." He looked down at her hand and then slowly took it in his, running his thumb over the back of her hand before he looked up at her. "I just can't stand to see them hurt you," he said quietly.
"I know," she replied, and she quietly moved closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He put an arm around her waist, and she shortly fell into a peaceful sleep.
* * *
Janeway was pacing back and forth in the cell like a caged animal while Chakotay was laying on the bed. The Vaadwaur had waited about a week before they had used the synaptic stimulator again, but this time they had used in on Chakotay while she watched. He had provoked them intentionally when they came for them so that he would get the worst of it. A strategy for which she had chewed him out as soon as he had regained consciousness.
This has to stop, she thought, trying furiously to think of a way to escape as she paced. "There has to be some way out of here!" she insisted aloud.
On the bed, Chakotay rolled over to look at her. "Kathryn, even if we got out of the cell and past the guards, where could we go? We can't take over the whole ship."
"What if we attacked the guards on the way back to the cell," she continued, ignoring him. "If they thought we were injured or unconscious, they might be more careless."
"We usually are injured or unconscious, or both," he reminded her.
She looked at him in frustration. "You're not helping, Chakotay."
"Sorry, but it's hard to imagine fighting off a ship full of guards when your head feels like it's been in a supernova."
She stopped pacing long enough to face him with her hands on her hips, trying but failing to seem angry. "It's your own fault, you know. They would have left you alone if you hadn't provoked them."
"And if I hadn't, you'd be laying here instead of me," he came back at her. "And although it would keep you from pacing," he added with mock annoyance, "I think it's better this way."
"You stubborn�" she began angrily, then sighed. "I'm not getting into this again. Now, help me think up a way out of this cell before you get killed in some misguided attempt to protect me."
"Fine," he said. "On one condition � you don't do anything stupid."
"Like provoking a sadist with an extremely painful and dangerous torture device?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Exactly," he replied, ignoring her sarcasm. "Okay, so�we get away from the guards. Then what? Ask them to turn the ship around?"
"No, you're right�we can't take control of the ship � but we could send a signal to Voyager."
"Well, we don't know where their communications equipment is or how to get there, and we could be hundreds of light-years from Voyager's position."
"What do you suggest�that we just give up?"
"No�I'm just trying to be realistic, like any good First Officer. Not to mention keeping you from doing something that'll get you killed."
Frustrated, she pushed over the chair that was in the cell. Seeing the tray with the empty dishes on it from their last meal, she swung her foot at it. The tray and its contents went flying in all directions towards the forcefield. They bounced off it with a loud sizzle and the forcefield lit up. She started pacing back and forth again when something caught her eye. The tray and dishes were scattered along the length of the cell near the forcefield, but there was a familiar item outside in the corridor � one of the cups that had been on the tray. She stared at it in disbelief. She didn't think that it had been there before, but surely it couldn't have passed through the forcefield. She moved over to the tray and shifted the clutter around with her foot. There had been two cups before, but now there was only one. She looked back at the cup in the hallway. Noticing that she had stopped pacing, Chakotay sat up and addressed her when he saw her concentration.
"Kathryn�what is it?"
"I kicked the tray�and one of the cups passed through the forcefield somehow."
"What?" He got up and walked over to her. She pointed out the cup. "How is that possible?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe there was a momentary fluctuation in the forcefield, or�" She trailed off as her eyes darted back and forth along the length of the forcefield.
"Kathryn?"
"I just remembered a problem that Starfleet discovered years ago when they first installed forcefields in ship brigs." She knelt down and picked up the tray and a cup. She pushed the tray into the forcefield and moved it around, causing the forcefield to crackle and luminesce. When she was passed the midpoint of the forcefield, she tossed the cup at an angle toward the other end, but it bounced off and landed at Chakotay's feet. Still puzzled, he tossed it back to her. Holding the tray against the forcefield, she moved it closer to the end of the forcefield and threw the cup again. This time, it sailed through with a quiet snap. Chakotay's jaw dropped and he stared at her.
"How did you know how to do that?"
"When Starfleet first implemented forcefields, they designed them to reroute additional power to any part of the grid that was being disrupted. Like so," she said, touching the tray to the barrier and causing a loud zap and a flash of illumination. "What they didn't realize at first was that rerouting power to strengthen one section weakened the other areas of the grid, and the forcefield could be penetrated." She turned to him with blazing eyes. "I think we've found our way out. Now we just have to figure out what to do with it."
* * *
This time, it was Chakotay who was pacing back and forth in the cell. Takken had come for them again about an hour after they had discovered the vulnerability of the forcefield, and this time Chakotay had been unable to stop them from using the synaptic device on the Captain. Her agonized screams were still ringing in his ears, and he squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to shut them out. Watching them do that to her was worse for him than experiencing the effects of the device himself had been.
He continued pacing back and forth, occasionally casting an anxious glance at Kathryn. By his estimation, she had been unconscious now for almost twelve hours � although maybe it just seemed like that long without having her to talk to. He wouldn't normally be this impatient for her to regain consciousness � he knew that she would come to eventually and the longer she was out the more her body had a chance to recuperate � but he had figured out an escape plan and was eager to share it with her. He heard her shift on the bed and moved to her side.
"How do you feel?"
"Like I was in the middle of an antimatter explosion," she groaned.
She noticed that he was in an unusually good mood. Usually when she woke up his face was full of concern, but right now he looked like a kid at Christmas and was barely concealing a grin.
"What is it?" she asked, sitting up on her elbows.
"I want to show you something."
"What?"
"Our ticket home," he replied mysteriously as he helped her up.
Chakotay helped her over to the entrance on shaky legs and pointed down the corridor in the opposite direction from the interrogation room. Neither of them had been down that direction since they had first been brought in unconscious.
"Do you see that shelf in the wall near the bend in the corridor?"
"Yes."
"And can you see what's on it?"
She strained to see the small metallic object resting near the edge of a narrow shelf recessed in the wall. When she recognized it, she gasped and squeezed Chakotay's arm. "My commbadge!"
"You did mention contacting Voyager."
"Yes, but a commbadge has such a small range." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "If they were close enough�"
They moved over to the wall of the cell with Chakotay still supporting her. He sat down against the wall with his knees bent, and she leaned her back against his legs and rested her head on his knees.
"It's a paradox," she said. "We could signal Voyager if they came close enough, but they won't come looking for us unless we signal them first." She sighed and closed her eyes.
"They could be anywhere," he agreed. "And as far as they're concerned, we're dead. If somebody had discovered the analysis on your computer terminal, they'd probably have found us by now. You've been here at least three weeks. They won't be looking for us. Unless�"
She turned her head to look at him as realization dawned on his face. "Unless what?"
His mind was racing and he tried to explain while he was thinking. "Voyager won't come looking for us�so what if we went looking for them?"
"How? What do you mean?"
"What would Takken do if he thought he got the command codes out of us?"
Her eyes widened as she grasped his train of thought. "He'd go after Voyager," she whispered. "And with fake command codes, the crew wouldn't be in danger."
"That's true�but he has to believe us. I'm not sure he'd buy it if one of us suddenly folded."
"Maybe," she conceded. "So what if we appeared to compromise � give him something else instead?"
"Like what?"
"Technology. The Vaadwaur in one respect are just like the Kazon � they want Voyager for its superior technology. If they think they can get it, they'll go after Voyager with a vengeance." She was thinking furiously now. "What if we gave them a way to steal the technology?"
"Voyager would go after them to get it back."
"The more information we give Takken, the better," she said. "Because it will make the crew suspicious of where the information is coming from. With the recent 'deaths' of the two commanding officers but no bodies, they might put two and two together."
"If we made up a command code that was some sort of message, it would be like getting the Vaadwaur to send a coded transmission to Voyager for us."
"Like a stardate!" she exclaimed. "The Vaadwaur probably wouldn't recognize it, but the crew might."
"One step at a time," he said. "Tomorrow if the coast is clear we'll try and activate the commbadge, and then work on getting Voyager to find it."
"Tomorrow?" she repeated incredulously. "Let's do it now before they come for us again."
"This is going to take teamwork, Kathryn. If you feel stronger tomorrow we'll talk."
* * *
The next day, the Captain was laying on the bed, rejuvenated after a few hours of sleep. She was laying on her side with Chakotay still sleeping behind her, his arms wrapped around her. They had decided after the first couple of nights that this was no time to be shy and that it was pointless for one of them to sleep on the uncomfortable floor when they could both fit on the bed. When she let her guard down, she admitted to herself that she enjoyed it. She had often imagined what it would be like to wake up next to him and feel his arms around her, although she had certainly never pictured it like this. It was very soothing, however, and she felt safe. His breath on the back of her neck and the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest next to her back told Kathryn that he was still sleeping, so she remained still so as not to disturb him and continued forming their escape plan in her mind. If they gave the Vaadwaur a way to get some of Voyager's technology, without giving them anything that could actually harm the ship, she was certain that the crew would pursue them to get their equipment back. When they caught up with the Vaadwaur, she thought that they would try to disable the shields and then transport anything with a Starfleet signature back to Voyager. With any luck, that would include her commbadge. She had considered having one of them wear it so that they could be transported, but she had soon discarded the idea as too risky. The commbadge might be missed or discovered, and then they would be back to square one.
"Two heads are better than one, you know." Chakotay's voice whispering in her ear startled her. In her concentration she hadn't heard him wake up. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Fine," she said, still thinking. She rolled over onto her back and noticed his penetrating gaze. "Really, Chakotay, I feel much better today."
He looked satisfied with her assurances, so she told him what was on her mind as they untangled themselves and sat next to each other on the bed. "I think we should activate the commbadge now and figure out the rest later. It's quiet right now and we never know when we'll lose the window of opportunity."
"Right�you know, Kathryn, I might not be able to activate it," he said quietly.
"You're right," she replied. "You might not be able to�but I think I can."
"What?"
"I have more experience with commbadge systems than you. You weren't planning on doing something this reckless all by yourself, were you? I guess I'm rubbing off on you."
"If we get caught � "
"That's why you're going to keep watch while I fix the commbadge."
"It's too dangerous," he insisted.
"Not as dangerous as if you do it by yourself. You said that this would take teamwork, remember? Besides," she added, "You won't be able to protect me if you get yourself killed doing something stupid."
Resigned, he decided to go along with her plan. "Fine � but at the first sign of trouble you're getting back to the cell. Agreed?"
"Agreed." She took the chair and pushed it over to him. "Take this and shove it into the forcefield over there, like I did yesterday," she ordered, pointing.
"Wait a minute � what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to put my arm through the forcefield and deactivate it," she told him.
"I'll do it."
"No, you won't � Captain's prerogative. Besides, my arms are smaller and there's a better chance that I can get through it."
Deciding that it was useless to argue with her, he complied and after carefully checking the corridor for guards, he pushed the chair into the forcefield with a sizzle, holding it there. At the other end, Kathryn was holding the tray and shoving it into the barrier here and there. "A little to the left," she said, and when he moved the chair a little the tray finally poked through the forcefield near the edge. She reached out and stuck her left arm through the forcefield. It passed through it, but the forcefield was merely weakened, not deactivated, and she felt the skin on her arm blistering as it passed through the barrier. She could see scorch marks forming on her sleeve as well, so she suspected that she would be badly burnt. She reached over to the right and felt around the wall, connecting with the right button. The forcefield deactivated, and she looked at Chakotay before taking off in the direction of the commbadge.
"Keep watch," she said, pointing in the direction of the interrogation room and trying to ignore the pain in her arm. "I'll move around the corner and watch from that direction while I work."
He nodded. "Be careful � and good luck."
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