A/N Thanks for those reviews guys. Reviews keep this story alive. Just as a warning the end of this chapter talks about the subject matter of rape. You've been warned.
Chapter 2
The Kazon pt. 1
Acting Captain's Log Supplemental: Lt. Ballard has finally completed repairs on the ship and has started working on the Doctor now. Speaking of which, he reported to me that there was no change in Lt. Stadi's condition. He also informed me that he couldn't take over as CMO without a rank, so I've given him the rank of a junior grade lieutenant. I want the crew to be ready for whatever's out here so Lt. Commander Rollins is putting together a new security team. Before we leave the area we'll take time to resupply the ship, before setting a course back to the Alpha Quadrant.
The Bridge
Ensign Jetal didn't like the way Commander Paris was leaning over her shoulder, watching the helm station's readouts. For one thing, he was making noises: small "hmms" and "uh-huhs" like an Academy instructor, making it clear he was critiquing her performance, as if she wasn't good enough. For another, she was sure that he was looking at her breasts.
"Set course 145 mark 12, warp 2." said Paris.
"That's a little slow isn't it sir?" Jetal asked as she turned around to look at him.
"It is but we have to take it slow since we're approaching the edge of this system." Paris replied with a smile. "Besides we're searching for supplies remember?"
"Commander have a seat." Harry spoke up, seeing that Tom was teasing his new Helmswoman. With another wince, Harry took another dose of painkiller, that he had gotten from the Doctor and injected it directly into his shoulder, where it did almost nothing. Gritting his teeth, he was happy that the pain wasn't as bad as it was yesterday, but it still hurt like a bitch. "I think Ensign Jetal can do her job."
Letting out a sigh, Tom gave Ensign Jetal another look, before he took a seat next to the Captain. Giving him a sideways glance, Harry shook his head.
"Sir, long range sensors have just detected another ship entering the system at warp." Lt. Campbell reported. "It's on it's way to the inner system."
"Yellow alert." said Harry as he and Tom shared a look, before the bridge lightly dimmed. Hopefully whoever is on that ship has some answers on how we got here. Harry thought to himself.
"We've arrived at the coordinates, sir." Campbell reported after a few minutes.
"Good. Hail the alien ship." Harry replied.
"Hailing frequencies open." said Campbell. "Audio only."
"This is act... this is Captain Harry Kim of the Federation starship Voyager. Please identify yourself."
There was a long pause, making Harry wonder if the alien had heard him or not. "Go away," said a gruff voice on the other end.
Harry's eyes shot up and he looked towards Tom. At least he's not shooting at us, he thought. That's progress.
"Unidentified ship..."
"My name is Neelix, my ship is the Baxial, and I paid the Kazon Ogla for salvage rights in this field, so you can just scram." Neelix replied. "Take it up with them if you don't like it."
With a roll of his eyes, Harry made a "mute" gesture at Campbell, prompting her to mute the audio.
"Hostile little guy, isn't he?" Tom asked, as a few members of the crew nodded in agreement.
"He hasn't shot at us yet," Harry spoke up. "This is an uncharted part of space and for all we know that might pass for hospitality around here." with that said he gestured for Campbell to unmute the com-channel. "Mr. Neelix, we're not interested in jumping your salvage claim. We're a long way from home and we're just looking for some information."
"Tell him you'll pay him," Tom whispered. He had previous experience with traders, con-artists and salesmen and he knew that that ploy would work.
"We're willing to pay you for your time." Harry went on. It was worth a shot.
There was another pause, but this time it was very brief.
"Captain, he's opened a video channel." Campbell reported as she worked her station.
I'm glad I made Tom my XO. Harry thought to himself. "Put it on screen."
Campbell did, and Harry and Tom had to fight to not burst out in laughter. The alien on screen was short and stocky, made to look even shorter by an unflattering camera angle. He had a stiff mane on top of his head and spotted skin on his temples. The cockpit of his little ship was strewn with debris. He wore a suit of lavishly clashing colors.
He looks like a hedgehog, Harry thought. A hedgehog crossed with a used car salesman.
Neelix smiled at the camera, showing a mouth full of pointed teeth. "Greetings," he said. "What, um, what would you be willing to pay me?"
"Well, I doubt our currency is worth anything in this Quadrant of space." Harry spoke up, considering what else they could do. "But we'd be happy to barter supplies or services."
"Services?" Tom mouthed as he and Harry shared another look, making the Captain hunch up his shoulders.
Neelix seemed to think about that for a minute. Finally, he said, "How much water can you spare?"
"Ahhhhhhhh," said Neelix, as he slid into the bathtub of near-scalding water. The bathroom was thick with steam. Harry and Tom looked on. Apparently, Neelix didn't value his privacy much, or had a different concept of it from the rest of them.
He also stank like a monkey's ass and as if the computer knew it, it automatically dispensed soap into the water.
"I have to conserve water on my little ship," said Neelix. "Don't even have a shower. Ahhh...this is nice, forgot how nice a hot bath was." As he said that he seemed to get lost in thought and he suddenly looked self-conscious. "You know, my people are actually very hygienic. But when it's just me for weeks and weeks, there's no reason to waste water on a bath. That's what stations are for."
"And your people are...?" Tom asked.
"Talaxians, natives of Talaxia. About seven hundred light years away from here. I'm from a moon called Rinax...used to be a nice place."
"Used to be?" Harry asked with a frown, feeling that something wasn't right.
Neelix appeared somber for a moment. "Yeah. There was a...well, there was a big war. We, um, lost." Then he shook it off, and his voice and body language became upbeat again. "But, no use dwelling on the past, right? So where are you fine folks from?"
"We're from the United Federation of Planets," Harry replied, trying to match Neelix with his chipper attitude. "Tom and I are humans, from a planet called Earth."
"If you're from Earth," Neelix started in confusion. "...then why aren't you called Earthians?"
Harry and Tom looked at each other and shrugged. "I guess because it doesn't sound very good in our native language." Harry answered, which Tom figured was as good an answer as any.
"I see," said Neelix. "So where is this Federation of yours?"
"About seventy-five thousand light years from here" Harry informed him.
"Oooh, that's quite a ways. We don't see many from that far off."
"You mean there's been more like us?" Tom asked, suddenly perking up. He was hell bent in believing that this venture with Neelix was going to turn out to be a bust but now...
"Oh, yes! It was one or two every year, for years. Lately, though, it's been one or two a month. Nobody knows why the Caretaker does it. Usually it grabs them from somewhere nearby, but once in a while it reaches way out and snags somebody like you."
"The Caretaker? Who is that? Does he live on that station you told us about?" Harry asked, his mind going a mile a minute now.
"As far as anybody knows, he is the station." Neelix replied. "Nobody knows why he does it. It's been good business for the Kazon, though. And those of us living off the Kazons' table scraps." He suddenly looked embarrassed. "Not that, you know, it isn't terrible for the poor people who get sucked out here."
Harry chose to ignore the faux pas. "Why is he called the 'Caretaker'? What's he taking care of?"
"Nobody knows that either," he said. "If you ask me, there's something on the planet that he's orbiting. But that's just a guess."
"Has it ever taken another Federation starship?" Tom asked, just for the hell of it.
"I don't know." Neelix answered. "Usually we only find out about the ones Jal Jabin catches."
"Who is he?" Harry asked. "Who are the Kazons?"
"Jal Jabin? He's the Maje-boss-of this system. He reports directly to First Maje Jal Razik. He's the boss of the entire Ogla sect. They're the biggest Kazon sect, and they own everything from here to about fifty light years spinward."
"How many more sects are there?" Tom asked, getting engrossed in the alien's story.
"There are eighteen big sects," Neelix blurted out, but then he thought about it for a second. "Or nineteen. Sixteen. It's hard to remember; they're always marrying each other and having civil wars and the like. And then there are hundreds of smaller sects. Some of them are just one extended family with one ship. They fight each other all the time, unless they have someone else to fight." He eyed Harry and Tom. "People like you. Jal Jabin has hundreds of kills, if you believe him."
"Does anybody ever defeat him?" Tom asked.
"Sometimes," Neelix considered. "Most people just try to run away, but sometimes they fight. There was one species-a 'Jam Haddar'-which deliberately rammed their ship into Predator-that's his ship. It took them almost a year to repair it."
At least somebody fought back. Harry thought to himself.
"Captain, you might not want to stay here too long," Neelix replied, suddenly looking afraid. "Jal Jabin doesn't like sharing his loot, but if the Ogla think you're a threat, they'll come here with more ships to attack you."
"That's their mistake, then," Tom replied, but Harry could hear a whisper of uncertainty in his voice and even though he only knew him for a short time he could also see it in his eyes.
"We'd like to get out of here before the Kazons even know that we're here." Harry started. "That is if they haven't already detected us with their sensors. How do you know the Caretaker's name anyway?"
"Well, I know because it told the Kazons."
"It communicated with them?" Harry asked, his heart pounding. For the first time, they had something to communicate with. If you could communicate with it, you could negotiate with it.
Chancing a glance at Tom he looked to be having the same thoughts. Neelix tried to let them down easy. "It was only once, years ago. It told them they could come into the system, but they couldn't build a base here and they weren't allowed to try to board the station."
"Did they ever try?" Tom asked.
"Well, they could never find a way into the station," said Neelix. "But they tried building a space station, yes. In orbit of this planet."
"What happened to it?" Harry had to know.
"The Caretaker...moved it."
"Moved it where?"
Neelix started to fidget. "Um...the sun," he said.
"The Caretaker threw the station in orbit of the sun?" Harry asked.
"No," said Neelix. "It threw the station into the sun."
Tom and Harry then looked at each other, none of them able to think of anything useful to say. The tension however was broken by the intercom. Bridge to Captain Kim.
"Kim here." Harry said as he slapped at his com-badge.
We're about ten minutes away from the coordinates that Mr. Neelix provided us, sir. Campbell said over the com-line. The sensors are also detecting a large space station in the distance.
At least Neelix was telling us the truth about that. "We're on our way." Harry replied as he turned around just as Neelix started climbing out of the bathtub. Alarmed, Harry and Tom turned away; Tom tossing him a towel as he turned his head.
"Well," said Neelix. "It would probably be best if I got back to my ship. You're lovely people, but all that scrap isn't going to sort itself. If, um, you feel like throwing in a little extra payment, that'd be appreciated."
"Wait," Harry replied. "Has the Caretaker ever sent anybody home?"
"To be honest with you Captain, no. At least not that I know of." said Neelix. "The only way home is probably going to be the long way."
Kazon Vessel
"Move you stupid bitch!" a large Kazon male snapped out as he roughly yanked on the chains of his new slave girl. She was one of the Caretakers newest victims that he had deposited on that stupid useless Ocampa planet. She was an exotic beauty with cranial ridges and a bad attitude.
He had to admit that he liked her feisty attitude and the little thing put up a hell of a fight but in the end he had raped her several times over the last past week.
Pushing her roughly into a cage the young beauty fell at the feet of an equally beautiful elfish blond. Waiting until the Kazon male left the room, the blond reached down to help the fallen woman, only for her to literally growl at her and push her away.
"Take it easy." the petite blond said as she jumped to another corner of her cell. "I... I just wanted to see if, I could help."
"Unless you... unless you know a way out of here you can't help me!" the woman yelled back as she wiped a line of blood from her bottom lip and huddled in a corner. If only she hadn't of climbed out of those hidden tunnels on that planet, she wouldn't be in this mess. What made it even worse was she couldn't even use her full strength against her attackers because they were using some kind of muscle stimulant on her and that was combined with the fact that she had some kind of disease because of what they called the Caretaker.
"Look the Kazon... the Kazon took advantage of me too." the blond replied as she hung her head down in shame. "We shouldn't be fighting each other." Seeing that the alien woman didn't care about what she was saying, she tried another tactic. "My name is Kes."
Dropping her guard for a second the other woman, looked up at Kes and told her, her name. "I'm B'Elanna."
A/N Harry and the Voyager crew will finally meet the Kazon in the next chapter. And believe me it's going to get very rough after that. Please review. I also wanted to answer a question someone had about the light year discrepancy that they read in stories about Voyager. According to the Starfleet scale, it takes 70,000 light years to make it to the Alpha Quadrant from where Voyager is now and another 5,000 light years from entering the Alpha Quadrant to get back to Earth. That's why people on the show were flipping back and forth when they said 70,000 and 75,000 light years from home. I hope that answers that question.
