Part 3
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| End and Begin Again | |||||||||||||||||||||
| by Lady Janus | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Disclaimer: See Part 1. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| End and Begin Again | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Part 2b: Vanquishing demons (continued) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Rating: PG-13 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gedrek was practically panting over the small sample of kalcite ore as his subordinate carefully tested the purity of the substance. He had insisted on meeting Voyager's Captain with an equal number of his own officers. Besides the terrier-like scientist, three large security guards resembling overgrown mastiffs had accompanied Gedrek in one of their barely space-worthy shuttles. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Kathryn studied the five large "doggish" aliens with a small, bemused smile. Obviously descended from some sort of canid, the Dregardrak had a few traits that would have given them an advantage over the average dog--a nice set of nimble fingers for starters. A large brain and the move to a more bipedal stance, though rather hunched over, would have put them far ahead of other canine families on their world, the way it had given humans advantages over other primates. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Pure," Carrgak yapped softly in amazement as he showed his instrument to Gedrek. "Absolutely pure!" | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "You won't find any purer," Kathryn replied confidently. "I hope it is to your satisfaction, Gedrek." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "It is," the alien answered with a feral grin. "And now we will relieve you of all of it!" The Dregardrak guards pulled their weapons and aimed at Janeway, while Tuvok, Ayala and U'Lanai pulled their phasers. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Kathryn smiled at Chakotay sitting next to her. "Do you think we'll ever meet a species in this God-forsaken quadrant that won't pull some kind of weapon on us?" she asked in exasperation. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "I hear that the Bretori are very reasonable," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "I claim this ship for the glory of the Dregardrak Empire!" Gedrek roared. A small, snub-nosed weapon, different from the large, clumsy energy rifles his guards carried, appeared in his hand like a conjurer's trick. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Look, Gedrek," Kathryn said coldly. "Put those weapons away and we might just let you leave with your toll." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Your ship is outnumbered three to one," he said triumphantly. "And another two ships are but a few mostrrrak away. Surrender your ship now and I will consider sending your crew to the Codrakkark mines." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "How magnanimous," Kathryn drawled. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Gedrrrekkk! Our weapons!" howled one of his guards. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gedrek snarled and fired at Kathryn, but Tuvok was faster, stepping in front of her and taking the brunt of the blast while firing his own phaser. Gedrek went down under Tuvok's fire as the alien guards charged Ayala and U'Lanai. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Kathryn dove towards Tuvok's body lying prone on the deck and began to check his vitals while Chakotay shouted for Harry to beam the aliens back to their ship. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Two of the guards went down under Security's phaser assault and the aliens' battle howls became cries of dismay as they found themselves dissolving before their very eyes, but Kathryn had no time to pay attention to them. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Janeway to Sickbay, emergency transport of Commander Tuvok and myself." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| She met Chakotay's gaze. "I'll take care of the ship," he promised as the briefing room dissolved around her. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "What happened?" the Doctor demanded. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know," Kathryn replied, helping him get Tuvok's body onto a biobed. "Their weapons were supposed to be deactivated as soon as their shuttlecraft entered the shuttle bay." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The Doctor frowned. "This looks like something akin to a Romulan disrupter or a neural whip." He turned to Wildman. "Ten micro litres of neuresthamine," he ordered. "And I need you to synthesise a week's supply of Vulcan tri-ox." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Right away, Doctor," she replied, quickly entering her commands into the medical replicator. She handed him the instrument that appeared a moment later, then hurried into the med-lab to synthesise the tri-ox. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The Doctor quickly dispensed the contents of the hypospray into Tuvok's neck. Tuvok's eyes snapped open and he gasped, a painful groan escaping his lips as he tried to sit up. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh no you don't!" the Doctor said pushing him back down. "You're not going anywhere. A little more power to that disrupter and that blast would have turned your central nervous system to hash. Lie still or I'll activate the bed's field restraints," he threatened. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuvok turned his gaze to Kathryn and she could see pain in his eyes. "Captain," he whispered hoarsely. She leaned in close so he would not have to strain his voice, but she knew what he was going to say; she knew the reason he'd stepped in front of that killing blast as soon as he'd seen Gedrek's snub-nosed weapon. "I forgot to check for disrupter signatures." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| She nodded; another lapse in memory and judgement. "It's all right, Tuvok," she said quietly. "Rest now." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| She met the Doctor's eyes as he dispensed another hypospray and Tuvok's eyes fluttered shut. "Could the neuro-stabiliser be losing its efficacy so soon, Doctor?" she asked bluntly, afraid of his answer. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "It shouldn't be," he replied regarding Tuvok with a puzzled look. "It's the standard treatment for this condition. I shouldn't have to be adjusting the dosages this quickly--he shouldn't start deteriorating noticeably for another four or five years. I'll have to study this further." He looked at her speculatively. "Captain, I know this may violate the Temporal Prime Directive, but did Admiral Janeway say anything to you about this condition?" | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Her lips twisted bitterly at the mention of her future self. "I wish she had, Doctor and damned the Temporal Prime Directive!" she replied with regret. "All she would say was that Tuvok had this condition and that there was a cure in the alpha quadrant, but by the time Voyager got back, it was too late for him." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| She found compassion in the holographic man's eyes. "Don't worry, Captain," he said. "I still have a few options I need to investigate further. I'll do my best for him." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know you will, Doctor," she replied, squeezing his shoulder gently. "Keep me informed." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, Captain," he said and she left sickbay lost in her thoughts. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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