What Price Freedom?
by Christina
Inspired by an original story by Yatokahc, Christina and anonymous

spoiler: How far will former Borg Drones go to maintain their freedom? The ex-drones of the Trefla have found out. But will they survive?

Prologue

The Past

Kathryn Janeway leaned back in her chair and stared at her desk, the log she was working on forgotten for the moment.

Had it just been over a month since Commander Chakotay had been brainwashed by Riley to save her Borg colony?

The colony was an interesting development: Starfleet had thought a mass liberations of Borg-drones was impossible. Janeway chuckled bitterly. Too bad there was no way of telling Starfleet of their findings.

A beep from her computer reminded her of the open log.

"Computer, playback log."

"Stardate 50770.3," her recorded voice said, "Commander Chakotay, despite his reservations about the Eromeans, has again met with their ambassador. I am beginning to agree with his objections. After three days, we're no closer to obtaining permission to mine for dilithium on the seventh planet. The Commander's last message was over an hour ago..." Whatever she was going to add was lost as her combadge chirped.

"Captain," Ensign Kim said. "We are detecting weapon's fire in the capital." She stood quickly as he finished. "We have initiated return transport of the away team."

"Report!" Alarm klaxons punctuated Kathryn Janeway's demand as she strode out of her ready room onto Voyager's bridge.

"Sensors have detected three Eromean cruisers bearing one seven nine mark one three, heading directly toward us. Their weapons are powered and their shields are raised," Tuvok informed her as she made her way down to the command level of the bridge.

"They are not answering hails, Captain." Harry looked up from his console, watching her as she moved to stand behind Tom at the helm.

She glanced at Harry, nodded, then turned her attention to the main view screen. "On screen."

Three Eromean warships loomed on the main view screen. Kathryn watched as the three black ships approached, an involuntary shudder traveling down her spine.

"Ensign, is the entire away team aboard?" she asked without diverting her eyes from the main view screen.

Harry checked the transport log. "Negative, Captain. Commander Chakotay was not beamed back. It's possible that the Commander's comm badge has been damaged. Attempting to locate any human lifesigns."

"Captain, we will be in range of the Eromean ships in fifty two point three seconds." Kathryn glanced at Tuvok.

"Acknowledged, Mister Tuvok. Ensign, any luck yet?" she pressed, returning her attention back to the main view screen.

"No, Captain. Still scanning."

"Lieutenant Paris, prepare to go to warp seven on my mark."

"Aye, Captain." Tom guided his hands quickly and adeptly over the navigational console.

"Thirty nine point zero five seconds," stated Tuvok with dispassionate accuracy. "Captain..."

She once again turned to face her tactical officer, anticipating his forthcoming advice-advice that she didn't want to hear.

"No, Tuvok," she interrupted.

"Captain. we must consider..."

She shook her head, looking directly at him. "No. I'm not leaving him here. If we don't get him back now, we never will." Tuvok was right; Voyager was no match for the three Eromean cruisers bearing down on them. However, Chakotay was still planetside, in all probability very seriously injured. She could not abandon him or any of her crew-not if he was still alive. And she had to believe that he was. "Ready forward phaser array."

"I've found him, Captain!" Disquiet quickly overshadowed Harry's excitement. "Lifesigns are extremely faint. I almost missed him."

*Bless you, Harry! Hang on, Chakotay.* "Lock on to his coordinates, and beam him directly to Sickbay. Bridge to Sickbay. Commander Chakotay is being beamed directly to you. Notify me as soon as you have him."

"Acknowledged," replied the Doctor. Less than a second later came the words she so wanted to hear. "Sickbay to Bridge. We have him."

"Raise shields!" Kathryn pushed all thoughts she had of Chakotay to the back of her mind, ignoring the overwhelming urge to run to Sickbay. She couldn't afford to dwell on him, on his condition; right now she had to get Voyager to safety. "Mister Paris, get us out of here, warp seven."

"The Eromeans?" Janeway asked after Voyager jumped to warp, leaving the Eromeans behind.

Harry smiled with relief. "They are not pursuing us."

Finally, some good news, she thought as she tapped her combadge. "Janeway to Sickbay."

"This is the Doctor."

"What is Commander Chakotay's condition?"

"Commander Chakotay is unconscious. He was shot with some sort of projectile weapon in the abdomen and groin. Once we stabilize him, we will be operating."

Kathryn sank into her command chair. "I see." Her voiced dropped somewhat. "Thank you, Doctor. Keep me informed. Janeway out."

Chakotay knew he was dreaming, but he couldn't seem to wake himself up. The images crowding into his mind filled him with such complete horror that he felt physically ill, but he couldn't block them out. "Trefla, Trefla," the words repeated themselves over and over in whispered, voices while the images of men and women writhing in agony were everywhere he looked.

Then the dream changed, and he seemed to be walking amongst them. Everywhere he went, they looked up at him with hatred in their eyes.

"You could have stopped this," a woman's voice called to him bitterly. "Why wouldn't you help us?"

He turned to where a woman sat on the ground. Her pox covered face, full of open open, oozing sores, almost hid the fractured remains of what could only be Borg implants. He involuntarily tapped the back of his own neck, where Riley had placed the neural link. Was this another example of her duplicity? The thought horrified him-he wanted to run away from the mysterious woman, from all things Borg. He started to turn away.

Then he noticed the baby she held in her arms. Its entire body was also covered with the oozing lesions. It was crying weakly; but was obviously so sick that it had little energy to do even that.

He knelt before the woman, forgetting his own fears. "I don't understand. How could I have prevented this?" He gestured with his hand as he looked around him. "Are you Borg?"

The woman looked at him skeptically. "How can you pretend to be ignorant? You know what has happened!"

Chakotay looked back at her. "Please, you must believe me, I don't know what you are talking about. If I could help, I would." He looked around and closed his eyes, trying to block out the sight of the tortured, twisted bodies. Chakotay opened his eyes and stared at her. "I don't even know who you are..." The vision started to blur and fade away.

"Do not worry. You will know when you see," a new, feminine voice said softly, it was familiar yet not..

The last sound he heard was the woman's voice pleading with him. "Please, you are our only hope...our only hope...our only hope."

Chakotay opened his eyes with the echo of the woman's words ringing in his mind. He knew immediately where he was. His body hurt all over, but his mind was clear. He had to help the Treflans. He didn't know how-and he didn't know when-but he just knew.

Kes's hand rested on his forehead as she stared down at him. "Commander, you need to rest."

"I must help them." He struggled to get the words out.

"You will."

"I will," Chakotay closed his eyes as he attempted to remember the dream. "Trefla."

"Yes, the Trefla." Kes looked at him with a puzzled expression. "It was a dream."

"I don't even know who they are. But I must..." He felt the sensation of a hypospray on his neck.

"You need rest, Commander," Kes said with a whisper. She frowned as she straightened. "Trefla...Liberty."