After sending Senna and Gadril out to buy a few small parts, the Captain and B'Elanna had finished reconstructing the transmitter. Senna had a keen scientific mind and had been able to help a great deal with the reconstruction process. She was thrilled by the prospect of contact with alien species and was trying to persuade her brother to let her keep the transmitter after the members of Voyager's crew left Kaylahn. Gadril wasn't so thrilled at this prospect, but he hadn't refused her yet either.
"All right," B'Elanna said from behind the console. "I'm ready to bring it online." Her ankle had fully healed thanks to Gadril's ministrations and she was back to her normal, fiery self.
"Do it," Janeway ordered from the other side of the console. B'Elanna connected a few wires and the old piece of equipment came to life. Janeway smiled. "Well done, Lieutenant."
"Now we just have to see if it works," said Tom.
Torres batted his arm. "It'll work."
It was early in the evening, and Senna was still out for the day. Gadril was downstairs finishing up with his patients. All the members of Voyager's crew were tired of being stuck in Gadril's small apartment for hours on end. "Ok, here goes," the Captain said under her breath, keying a code into the controls. "This is Kathryn Janeway to the starship Voyager. Does anybody read me?" They heard only static.
"Let me try adjusting the frequency," said Torres, standing at the Captain's side and quickly working the controls. "Try again."
Janeway repeated her hail, but again, they heard no response. "Try adjusting the bandwidth," she suggested.
B'Elanna made the necessary adjustments. "Try that."
"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway to the starship Voyager. Do you read me?" There was another burst of static, but this time it sounded like someone was trying to respond. "Can you clean that up, B'Elanna?" the Captain asked.
"I'm trying." Torres worked furiously at the controls. She had grown familiar with the alien system after her many hours of working with the technology, but it still wasn't as familiar to her as Voyager.
The Captain repeated her hail again, and this time a voice was distinguishable through the static. "This is ... Tuvok. It is good to hear ... voice, Captain."
"B'Elanna, can you clean it up a little more?" Janeway asked.
"Yes, ma'am," the chief engineer replied. She worked the controls again and then nodded towards Janeway when she thought she had fixed the problem.
"Tuvok, it's good to hear your voice as well. What's your status?"
"We have regained control of the ship from the Duar, Captain," said Tuvok, his voice coming through the transmitter more clearly now. "We have set a course towards the last known location of Captain Greeda's activities. We were hoping to find you there. Are you injured?"
"No, I'm here with Commander Chakotay, Lieutenant Torres, Ensign Paris and Neelix. We're all fine. Can you get a fix on our location?"
"Negative, Captain. We are receiving your transmission but we are unable to track it."
"I was afraid of that," B'Elanna muttered.
"Lieutenant, we are in an underground city," Chakotay spoke up. "The city is heavily shielded. You may not be able to detect it from orbit."
"Are you able to get to the surface?" Tuvok asked.
"I think so," the Captain replied.
"The planet is an M class planet," said Chakotay, "but the environment on the surface is extremely inhospitable. It's a very cold climate. There are some creatures that live there, but no intelligent life."
"Captain, I hope that this planet is near the coordinates provided to us by the Duar," said Tuvok. "Otherwise, it could be a very long time before we find you."
"Contact us on this frequency once you've reached the coordinates that the Duar gave you," the Captain ordered. "Let us know if there's a planet like the one the Commander described, and we'll come to the surface."
"Understood, Captain. I am... relieved... to know that you are well."
Janeway smiled. "I am relieved to know that you are as well," she replied.
"Voyager out."
With both hands resting on the console in front of her, Captain Janeway let out a long breath and let her head hang between her arms for a moment.
"Captain?" Chakotay asked, concern tinging his tone.
She raised her head and gave him a halfhearted smile. "I'm all right."
At that moment, Senna burst in the door, full of her usual enthusiasm. She saw them all crowded around the transmitter and asked excitedly, "Did you get it to work?"
"We did," the Captain replied. "Thank you for all your help."
"The only problem is, Voyager can't get a lock on our position because we're buried under so much rock," said Tom.
Senna's excitement dissipated into thoughtfulness. "Hm."
"Could we bring the transmitter to the surface?" Neelix asked.
"I think that would be hard to do without being noticed," replied B'Elanna.
There was a knock at the door and everyone froze in silence. "May I come in?" Gadril asked. They all relaxed as Senna opened the door for him. She hugged her brother and kissed him on the cheek. At that moment, Kathryn caught Chakotay staring at them. For a moment, she thought perhaps he was staring at Senna, but then she realized that he was watching the interaction between brother and sister. She reached over and touched his hand, briefly. He met her eyes and she looked at him in compassion, letting him know that she had seen his faraway gaze. He closed his eyes and nodded, barely perceptibly, acknowledging what she had seen.
Senna excitedly filled Gadril in on the conversation, and Neelix, Tom and B'Elanna filled him in on the rest of the events of the day. "I'm relieved that you were able to contact your ship," Gadril said.
"So am I," the Captain replied.
"Not that we haven't enjoyed your hospitality, Gadril," said Tom, "but we'd need some permanent paint if we were going to stay here forever and pass as Kaylahn ourselves."
Gadril chuckled. "I doubt that would be necessary. I don't think that even my people are that xenophobic." He paused. "So now what?"
"Now we wait for Voyager to arrive and hope that the coordinates the Duar gave them really do lead them here," said the Captain.
"Well, since it looks like you won't be our guests for much longer, how about some dinner?" Gadril offered. Everyone nodded and murmured their assent. Janeway looked around and knew that despite the circumstances of their meeting, they would miss Senna and Gadril. They had been true friends in a time of need, and that was a rare occurrence in their experiences in the Delta Quadrant.
"I'll help cook!" Neelix exclaimed, jumping up to follow Gadril into the kitchen. Tom, B'Elanna and Senna also followed, leaving Kathryn and Chakotay alone in the living room.
"Are you all right?" she asked him softly.
He was staring off in the direction of the kitchen and did not reply. Her hand on his chest brought him out of his reverie and forced him to look at her. "What?" he asked.
"Are you all right?"
"Oh. Oh, yes, I'm fine." He turned his head to glance in the direction of the kitchen again.
"Does seeing Senna and Gadril together remind you of your own sister?" Janeway asked.
This time, he heard her question and he turned to look in her eyes as he answered. "Yes and no. Senna is much smaller than Sekaya. She's a lot more innocent, too. But there is something about the way that they interact with each other that makes me think of my sister."
Kathryn nodded. "I know that you miss her."
"I didn't see her much after I joined the Maquis." Chakotay felt a lump forming in his throat. "If we ever get back to the Alpha Quadrant, I've already resolved to spend a lot more time with her."
She put both of her hands on his arms, bolstering him with more strength than she felt herself. "We will get back, Chakotay. I promise you that."
He gave her a slight nod, acknowledging the promise, but she could see in his eyes that he knew that she couldn't make this sort of guarantee with absolute certainty. "Come on," he said. "It smells like dinner is almost ready." She let her hands drop from his arms and followed him into the kitchen.
Their dinner with Senna and Gadril was enjoyable, as always. Gadril regaled them with amusing stories about his patients and his practice, and Janeway discovered that he was quite the storyteller. Senna listened to her brother's stories patiently, but it was plain that she really wanted to hear more from her guests than from her brother. They had long since explained about the Caretaker and how Voyager came to be stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Tonight's stories included the recounting of their encounter with a Romulan from the past through a wormhole, and several stories involving their adventures with Q. Neelix talked about Kes and his life before Voyager. Senna was a rapt audience; she hung on their every word.
As the Captain began to clear plates from the table, Senna followed her into the kitchen, leaving Neelix telling stories at the dining table. "Captain Janeway, may I ask you something?"
The Captain placed the dishes in the sink and turned around to face the small Kaylahn woman. "Of course, Senna. What is it?"
"Do you think I could come with you when you go back to Voyager?"
The Captain was taken aback, and it took her a moment to reply. "Senna, does your brother know you're asking me this?" she asked carefully.
The young woman's eyes fell to the floor. "I wanted to talk to you first."
"Why do you want to leave Kaylahn?"
Senna looked up at the ceiling and gestured to their surroundings. "I'm stuck here. All my life, I've dreamed of exploring other worlds; of contact with other species, but my own people won't allow it. They say it's for my own good, but really, they're just afraid that it would make their own lives more difficult. Going with you might be the only chance I'll ever have for a life outside a Kaylahn city."
Janeway regarded the younger woman thoughtfully. "I'll consider your request, Senna, but I want you to consider it, too. If you come with us, you'll never be able to come back here. You'll never see your brother or any of your family or friends again. When we do get back to the Alpha Quadrant, you'll be in an unfamiliar culture, and you'll be the only Kaylahn within thousands of lightyears."
This gave Senna pause, but she said, "I understand that, Captain. But if I don't go with you now, I'll never see anything but this planet for as long as I live."
"You don't know that. Your people were once a spacefaring people who communicated with other races. They could be that again. You could help them to become that again."
Senna looked up at the Captain with wide eyes. "Do you really think so, Captain Janeway?"
She smiled and put her hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "I do."
"I'll think about it," Senna said.
"Good. I'll consider your request, but before I give you an answer, I want you to talk to your brother as well."
"I will."
Janeway smiled again. "Good. Now, let's finish up these dishes."
...
Kathryn was roused from her sleep by the feeling of someone's hand on her shoulder and a familiar voice whispering her name. "Kathryn!"
Groggily, she opened her eyes. "What is it?" she whispered, finding her face only a few inches from the that of her first officer. He knelt beside the sofa where she had spent the past few nights.
"We're being hailed," he explained.
"Voyager?" she asked. Silently, he nodded. Trying not to wake anyone else, he quietly led her into the living room where he had been sleeping and where the transmitter sat. A light was flashing on the console and she hit a few commands. "Janeway here," she said softly.
"Captain," came Tuvok's voice. "We have reached the coordinates given to us by the Duar."
"And do you detect any planets that meet the description we gave you?"
"We do. There are two moons that meet the criteria Commander Chakotay mentioned earlier."
"All right," said the Captain. "We'll get to the surface as soon as we can. Remain in orbit until you detect our life signs or until you hear from us again. Our communicators should work once we reach the surface."
"Understood, Captain. Tuvok out."
Hands on her hips, her eyes questioning, Janeway regarded her first officer. "I think it might be easier for us to leave the city undetected if we leave tonight," Chakotay said.
Janeway pursed her lips. "Agreed." She paused, feeling his eyes on her. "Senna asked me if she could come with us."
Chakotay looked surprised. "She did?"
Kathryn nodded. "In the kitchen, just after dinner. I told her to consider carefully, and to talk to her brother. I don't know if she's had the time."
"Have you decided whether to grant her request?"
Janeway shook her head. "She and Gadril have been of great assistance to us. I wouldn't want to deny her the opportunity if it's what she really wants."
"But you're not sure that it is what she really wants in the long run," Chakotay finished for her.
"Exactly."
"Well," Chakotay said slowly, "let's cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we have to get everybody up and ready to move." Janeway nodded her agreement. Chakotay went to wake Tom, B'Elanna and Neelix, and she awoke Senna and Gadril, explaining the situation to them.
"It will be easier for you to escape undetected at night," Gadril confirmed. "But it will be hard for you to find your way in the tunnels alone."
"I'll go with them," Senna offered. Janeway shot her a look, wondering if she'd made a decision. "Just as far as the lift," Senna amended quickly, averting her eyes. The Captain knew from this gesture that she had not yet imparted their conversation to her brother. She had thought they'd have a lot more time. Janeway had sympathy for the young woman, but she wasn't prepared to wait around for her to resolve her questions. Every additional hour that they remained, they risked exposure, and who knew what that would mean for them or for their gracious hosts.
"It's too dangerous," Gadril argued. "I'll go."
"No. You need to be here in case anyone comes to the house, or in case something happens," Senna said. Gadril took a breath, about to protest, but he realized that it was futile, and he closed his mouth, saying nothing.
A few minutes later, the members of Voyager's crew were dressed in their uniforms for the first time in a days. Senna and Gadril had given them some extra clothing and blankets in case they were detained on the surface for any length of time. They also had a weapon to ward off attacks by tarpak... or by any Kaylahn who might want to stop them from leaving. They all hugged Gadril and thanked him for his hospitality
"I wish there was some way we could repay you," the Captain said.
Gadril shook his head. "I may not want to change the world like my sister," he said, glancing in Senna's direction, "but I do want to help those in need."
Kathryn smiled and shook his hand warmly. "Thank you." They all walked out the door, and Senna led the way out of the apartment.
They crept along the dark alley, past the rows of dark buildings. They didn't see a single person around. "Do you guys have a curfew here or something?" whispered Tom.
Senna shook her head. "This is a quiet neighborhood," she answered, in a tone that made it clear no other discussion was necessary. She led them through alleyways and back streets. She would investigate before they turned a corner, to make sure no one was lurking on the other side, ready to spot them and turn them in to the authorities. She couldn't take them on the most direct route to the tunnel, but she was trying to keep them on the least crowded path.
They had reached the end of an alleyway and Senna pointed. "There," she said softly to Captain Janeway. "There's the entrance to the tunnel."
At that moment, they heard a voice. "Hey! You there! Stop where you are!" A bright light shone in their direction, and a man in uniform was approaching their position.
Janeway squinted into the light, trying to see who was speaking, but Senna turned and said to her urgently, "You have to go now. I'll stall the inspector. Follow the tunnel straight back, and you'll get to the lift. You should be able to figure out how to operate it."
The Captain looked at the smaller woman. "If you want to come with us, Senna, now is your chance."
She shook her head. "If I don't distract the police, you'll never escape." She paused. "Besides, I think you were right, Captain. It's time for things to change around here, and the only person who knows how they should change is me."
Kathryn clasped Senna's hand. "Good luck. And thank you."
Senna nodded. "Run!" she exclaimed as the man holding the bright light drew closer.
The policeman thought he saw several figures run into the shadow, but by the time he reached the corner, there was only one Kaylahn woman standing there. "What are you doing out at this time of night, young lady?" he asked in the tone of a reprimand.
Senna had to think fast. She couldn't allow the policeman to become suspicious or to follow her friends. "My, uh, brother is a doctor, sir," she said, as meekly as she could, doing her best not to arouse suspicion. "He sent me out to get some supplies for him."
"At this time of night?"
She could tell the officer was not convinced, so she tried again. "He had an emergency patient and he didn't have the right bandages, so he sent me out to pick some up."
The officer narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure? I could have sworn I saw some people run into those tunnels just now."
Senna drew herself up to her full height; she still only came up to the officer's chest. "I didn't see anything like that, sir."
The policeman grabbed her arm. "Well then, why don't you come over to the tunnel with me and have a look," he said, his tone becoming more forceful.
There was nothing Senna could do as the policeman dragged her over towards the tunnel and shone his light into it. "Run!" Senna yelled into the tunnel, as loudly as she could. At this, the officer dropped her arm, called for backup, and began to run into the tunnel himself. Senna frantically tried to think of something she could do to help her friends.
...
"Run!" Senna's yell echoed along the rock walls of the tunnel. The Captain and the rest of the away team had already been moving quickly, but when they heard Senna's scream, they broke into a run, not knowing who or what was behind them, only knowing that they had to reach the lift before they were discovered.
It wasn't long before they heard voices behind them. Kathryn shared a concerned glance with Chakotay and began to run as fast as she could through the dark tunnel on the uneven ground. Tom, B'Elanna and Neelix were close behind. They weren't far from the lift now; they just needed to get inside and lock the doors.
"Ah!" B'Elanna stumbled and cried out.
"B'Elanna!" Tom exclaimed.
"I'm all right," she managed. "We have to keep moving." Paris looked at her with concern but knew she was right, and they continued on.
The voices behind them seemed to be coming closer. Finally, they reached the lift. They hurried inside and B'Elanna keyed the door shut. Just then, they heard a voice outside the lift, commanding, "Come out of there right now."
"Can you get it moving?" Janeway asked Torres, who was frantically working at the control panel.
"Just give me a minute, Captain."
"We don't have a minute, B'Elanna," Chakotay warned.
"If you don't come out of there right now, we're going to fire," the voice said.
"I'm almost there, Captain," said Torres. "Just a few more seconds."
Then, they heard a familiar voice outside of the lift. "Turn around. I'm here. I'm the one you want."
"No!" the Captain breathed. The voice belonged to Senna.
"Why you..." the first voice began to speak again, but before they could hear the rest of the sentence, the lift began to rocket towards the surface. It moved more smoothly than it had on their initial descent. After their experience with Kaylahn technology, B'Elanna was much more proficient at operating the lift than she had been the first time.
As soon as the lift began to move, Torres collapsed to the floor with a cry of pain. Tom was at her side in an instant. "B'Elanna, what's wrong?"
"It's my ankle again," she managed. "I think I must have re-injured it when I stumbled in the corridor."
Tom felt at her ankle and nodded. "You did." Then he did a double take. "You ran all that way with a broken ankle?"
She shrugged. "We had to keep moving or we might be dead by now."
"If Senna hadn't stepped in, we might be dead by now," Janeway said quietly.
"She was really something," Neelix mused.
"Hopefully helping us won't get her killed," the Captain said.
"Oh I doubt that, Captain," Neelix reassured her. "The Kaylahn may have some strange idiosyncrasies, but it doesn't seem like they're the type to go around killing their own people."
"I hope not," Janeway replied.
The lift jolted to a halt; they had reached the surface. Chakotay climbed out first, helping Janeway and Neelix by the hand. Tom lifted B'Elanna up to him and he helped her and then Tom. After only a few minutes, they were all standing back on the icy surface of the planet. B'Elanna was leaning on Tom for support. Neelix shivered as the wind chilled his bones. The Captain exchanged a glance with her first officer and tapped her comm badge.
...
"Ensign Kim, scan the surface," Tuvok ordered.
Kim did as he was told, but felt discouraged by the results. "I'm not reading any human life signs, sir."
"Perhaps they have not yet reached the planet's surface," said Tuvok.
"Or maybe they're on the other planet," Kim suggested.
"Possible," Tuvok acknowledged.
"Seven of Nine to the bridge," the former drone's voice came over the comm.
"Tuvok here."
"Sir, I have been scanning both moons extensively from astrometrics, and I would like to report that there are signs of a civilization on the other moon."
"Elaborate," Tuvok ordered.
"There are several structures that appear to have been built within the last few years," Seven explained. "Some of the metal alloys have a Duar signature."
Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, Seven."
"You are welcome. Seven out."
"Ensign Baytart," Tuvok said, "set a course for the second moon, maximum impulse."
"Aye, sir."
A few moments later, Harry Kim said, "Sir, we're receiving a transmission. Audio only." Tuvok nodded to Harry, signaling for him to play the transmission.
"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway to the starship Voyager. Do you read me?" They heard the familiar voice of their captain, and the relief on Harry's face was visible.
"Tuvok here, Captain. We do read you."
"We're on the surface of the planet," she said. "Can you get a lock on us?"
"I've got a lock," reported Ensign Kim.
"Beam us up, Ensign. We're ready to come home."
...
Voyager was prepared to resume its normal course for the Alpha Quadrant, but not without a little visit to Duar Prime on the way. Captain Janeway met with President Norro, who apologized profusely for the behavior of Captain Greeda and his crew. In order to make it up to her, the President had decided to throw a party in Voyager's honor before they resumed their course.
The party took place in a grand ballroom at the Presidential Palace. The room was lavishly decorated, and a large chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling. One side of the room was lined with tables of delicacies, while on the other side of the room stood a bar furnished with exotic drinks from all over the quadrant. Functions like this had been a rare occurrence during their six years in the Delta Quadrant, and despite the harrowing events of the past few days, the crew seemed to be having fun.
The Doctor had fully healed B'Elanna's ankle once again, although he'd been impressed with Gadril's treatment considering what he called the Kaylahn's "primitive medical technology." B'Elanna and Tom were laughing with Harry, trying to convince him to ask one of the Duar females to dance. Harry was not taking the bait. Neelix was in full ambassadorial mode as he spoke to President Norro and members of his cabinet.
"Do you think he'll have managed to double our food supplies by the time we leave this party?" Chakotay asked the beautiful woman on his arm as they glanced in Neelix's direction. Kathryn Janeway laughed at the question. The simple, royal blue dress she was wearing brought out the color of her eyes, and Chakotay enjoyed the way they sparkled when she laughed.
"I certainly hope so," she replied, squeezing his arm. Chakotay's white shirt accented his darker skin tone and the black of his hair as he escorted the Captain through the party.
"How was your meeting with President Norro?" he asked.
"It went well," she replied. "It seems that our first impression of the Duar was the anomaly." She paused. "I did learn something interesting, though."
"What was that?"
"Remember how we speculated about the shelters we found on the Kaylahn planet? Where they had come from and who built them?"
"I do," Chakotay said with a nod.
"Well, it was the Duar. The Duar have been considering colonizing that world."
Chakotay took a deep breath, considering what the ramifications of such a move for the Kaylahn. "Did you tell President Norro about the Kaylahn?" he asked.
"I didn't. They obviously don't want anyone to know where they are, and it's certainly not our place to change that."
Chakotay nodded. "That's true, but what would happen to them if the Duar colonized their world?"
Janeway smiled conspiratorially. "I don't think that's going to happen."
He caught the shift in her tone and looked at her closely. "Why is that?" he asked, a smile beginning to form on his lips.
"Well, I told the Duar how inhospitable the environment was on that planet, and offered them some of our astrometric data to help them find a better planet to colonize."
Chakotay smiled fully now. "Nice work, Captain," he said. "It seems that we found a way to repay our Kaylahn hosts after all."
She gave him her conspiratorial smile and did not reply.
...
Captain Kathryn Janeway sat back into her chair, enjoying the feel of it. She surveyed her bridge with satisfaction, noting that everyone was alert, ready and at their post. "I was a little worried I was never going to see you again," she said softly, in the direction of her console.
Chakotay leaned over from his chair. "Talking to the ship again?" he asked.
She nodded, running her hands down the arms of the captain's chair. "It's good to be back."
Chakotay caressed his own chair for a moment, taking in his last view of Duar Prime on the view screen. "Agreed."
Captain Janeway turned her attention ahead, towards Tom, who was smiling, happy to be back in the pilot's seat. He turned around and flashed a smile at her right before she ordered, "Ensign Paris, resume course... for home."
