9
Better Than One
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."
-Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
=/\=
"You told me that your people would keep this situation under control!" raged the man in the black cloak, his silver eyes flashing with displeasure.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." Admiral Ross shifted uncomfortably in his chair, wilting under the other man's penetrating gaze.
"I do. Your men are utterly incompetent."
"They're not incompetent," Ross protested. "We're dealing with an extremely dangerous and unpredictable criminal here."
The other man snorted and rolled his eyes. "My people would have no difficulty taking care of this problem. With your people in charge, he slipped right out from under your nose."
Ross attempted to placate his guest. "We're trying to find him now."
The man in black stormed out of the room, black cap swirling behind him. "Don't bother. I should have known I'd have to do everything myself."
Admiral Ross frowned as he watched the other man exit his office and felt a strange emptiness come over him at the lack of his companion's presence. He paused for a moment, wondering why he felt so lonely. Then the feeling passed and he looked at the stack of PADDs on his desk. He had a lot of work to do, and his workload had just been compounded by Commander Chakotay's escape.
...
Alynna Nechayev was fuming. She had read Commander Harkins the riot act that morning; how could the security at Pathfinder be so lax that one person with security codes was able to steal Starfleet's top-secret prototype shuttle? Seven, the prime suspect, had headed up the team that had designed the craft, and she had also designed most of the security systems to protect it. Starfleet Security was trying to determine whether she had acted alone or been coerced by a hostile force. Nechayev wondered if Starfleet's trust in the former Borg had been misplaced all along.
"Toddman to Nechayev."
She tapped her comm badge. "Nechayev here. What have you found, Admiral?"
"Security teams discovered that Commander Chakotay and Janeway's aide, Lieutenant Michael Ayala, are both missing. Voyager's former EMH also hasn't reported for his duty shift at Starfleet Medical. He could be deactivated, but I think it's likely that he is also gone."
"Thank you, Admiral. You can report back to Headquarters. Nechayev out." Alynna sat back in her chair and sighed. Chakotay, Ayala, Seven of Nine and the Doctor must have worked together to steal the prototype. She thought back to her meeting with Commander Chakotay only a few days before, and realized that those who had disappeared were Kathryn Janeway's closest friends and personal aide. There was only one explanation for this outrageous behavior. She pulled up her visual comm link and placed a subspace transmission.
A moment later, a familiar face appeared on the screen in front of her. "Admiral Nechayev," Captain Will Riker greeted her. "What can I do for you?"
"Captain, are you alone?" Riker nodded. "I need you to keep this classified for now. Limit knowledge of your mission to essential personnel only."
"Understood."
"Last night, Commander Chakotay and a group of his former colleagues from Voyager stole a prototype shuttle from Starfleet. The group includes Seven of Nine, who has been working on developing some highly experimental technology for the Pathfinder Project. I have reason to believe that they are headed to Br'nai with the intention of investigating Admiral Janeway's death. Your orders are to intercept them and stop them from causing a major diplomatic incident. I'll transfer all of the relevant data to you."
"Aye, Admiral." Will paused. "Why not send the Enterprise? I thought they were at Br'nai."
Nechayev shook her head. "The Enterprise left Br'nai almost two weeks ago. They're only a few days away from Earth and are bringing technology vital to the safety of the Federation. Your current location puts you well within range of Br'nai, and the Titan is the fastest ship in the fleet. The prototype is equipped with a highly experimental transwarp drive, based on Borg technology. If Seven has managed to perfect the drive, they could reach Br'nai within a day or two. You have the best chance of catching them. We must avoid a confrontation with the Br'nai if at all possible. The last thing we need is another war."
"Aye, Admiral," replied Riker. "We'll get underway immediately. Riker out."
Nechayev watched the Starfleet emblem return to the center of her screen. Somehow, she was going to have explain this blunder to the Federation Council, and that was a task she was not looking forward to.
...
Lethargically, Kathryn's mind struggled to penetrate the fog of sedation. She gradually coaxed herself back to consciousness, opening and closing her eyes and attempting to clear her blurry vision. It had been at least two days since her encounter with Dr. M'hel. She had not seen him since, but she was still seething at the idea of being used as one of his lab rats. She'd already had that experience with the Srivani, and once was enough. She wondered if M'hel had been telling the truth when he said that Starfleet believed her dead. How had the Br'nai managed to offer conclusive evidence of her death? Was it a lie intended to demoralize her? Had the doctor somehow manufactured convincing evidence? From the little she had seen of Dr. M'hel, she wouldn't put anything past him. One thing was certain; when she got out of this prison, she was going to make sure that everyone in the Federation knew the true nature of the Br'nai.
If she got out of this cell. She had no way of keeping track of the time when she was sedated, but she guessed she had been held for at least a week. She had tried again to speak with the diminutive Br'nai girl who brought her meals, but the girl refused to look her in the eye, let alone talk to her. With each day that passed, Kathryn felt despair beginning to overtake her. She could take the pain, withstand the torture, and face any challenge, but what she couldn't stand was helplessness. There were moments when she felt resigned to the lack of control, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that this was not a good sign.
If Chakotay were with her, this would be about the time that he'd be telling her to snap out of it. Sometimes, she played imaginary conversations with him in her head. She told herself that it would help her problem solve if only she could imagine his calm voice and his sage advice. But a part of her feared that the situation was hopeless. If everyone in the Federation really did believe she was dead, there was no chance of a rescue. If Chakotay really did believe she was dead...
A sharp pain shot through her abdomen, stopping her thought. It took her breath away, and she curled into a ball, clutching her stomach with one hand and gripping the edge of the cot with the other. She willed herself to take slow, deep breaths, and the pain gradually subsided. She thought that maybe if she stood, she would feel better. Sometimes moving around loosened her muscles and helped ease the soreness she experienced when she awoke. Very slowly, testing her mobility, she sat up on the cot. Her head spun for a moment, but then cleared, and she lowered her feet to the cold, metal floor. Using her hands for support, she shifted her weight to her feet and pushed herself up. For a moment, she felt better, but then the pain lanced through her midsection again, and she collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. The throbbing did not subside, but increased, and she saw black spots at the edge of her vision. Chakotay, she cried silently as the cell darkened. Chakotay...
...
Chakotay jolted awake. He thought he'd heard Kathryn calling him, but... No, he told himself. I was just dreaming. Seven's prototype, which she had named the Hugh, had a small cabin behind the bridge, and he knew it was wise to catch a few hours of sleep before they arrived at Br'nai. He had his hand on his communicator when he heard, "Seven of Nine to Chakotay."
"Chakotay here."
"We're approaching Br'nai."
"I'm on my way," he said, already out of bed and heading towards the bridge. As he took the seat next to Seven, he said, "Report."
"The transwarp drive is functioning within established parameters," Seven said, sounding a little smug.
Despite his concerns about their mission, Chakotay had to smile. "Your shuttle is getting quite a test run."
Seven raised an eyebrow. "Indeed."
"When we arrive, Seven, you'll accompany me to the surface. Doc, Ayala, you'll stay on the shuttle in orbit. Our first priority is to locate Kathryn, alive or... or not." He paused. "What do we know about the Br'nai defenses?"
"Very little," Seven replied. "Sensor records from the Enterprise indicate they have some sort of planetary sensor net and a small fleet of ships, but Captain Picard's report notes that their technology is extremely advanced. We should be prepared for anything."
"Commander, it's likely that Starfleet will send a ship after us," put in the Doctor. "They would hardly let a prototype like this go without a fight."
"Agreed. What ships are in range?"
Ayala turned to his console and checked the sensors. "The science vessel Cochrane is the closest to our position. The Titan is the only other ship in range."
"Hm," Chakotay pondered. "They'll send the Titan. It's the fastest ship in the fleet with the best chance of catching us. How long will it take them to reach us?"
"At warp nine point nine, it will take them approximately twenty-five hours and forty minutes," the Doctor replied.
"I hope that by then, we'll have Kathryn back."
"I hope that your optimism is warranted, Chakotay," Seven said softly, leaning over the console to speak privately with him. His eyes met hers, and he saw genuine care and concern there. There would have been a time that he would have felt incredibly awkward being in this situation with her, but now, he was glad she was here.
"What made you choose the name Hugh?" he asked quietly after a moment of silence.
"Hugh was the name of a Borg drone who was liberated from the Collective by the crew of the Enterprise in 2368," Seven replied. "I thought it was fitting."
"Very fitting." Chakotay paused, looking down at his control panel. "Thank you for doing this, Seven."
"You are welcome, Chakotay, but I am not doing it for you. I am doing it for Admiral Janeway."
"Of course. So am I." He said it almost too softly, but Seven heard it.
She reached over and placed her hand on his shoulder. Chakotay jolted; it was the first time she had initiated physical contact with him since their break-up over a year before. "You care for her a great deal, don't you?" Seven asked.
"Yes."
She nodded and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "We will find her, Chakotay." He placed his hand over hers, grateful for her support.
Less than an hour later, the shuttle arrived at Br'nai and dropped into orbit. "Multi-adaptive shields are functioning," Seven reported. "We are invisible to the Br'nai sensors."
"Scan for human life signs," ordered Chakotay.
"I am not detecting any human life signs," Seven said, "but there is a heavy dampening field around the research facility that is interfering with our sensors."
"Can we beam down?"
"The shield grid weakens in a few places. It should be enough to allow a transporter beam through."
"Good. Let's go." Chakotay gestured to Seven to follow him, and they stepped onto the shuttle's transporter pad. "If we don't signal for a beam out in twenty-four hours, your orders are to turn yourselves in when the Titan arrives," said Chakotay. From the moment they had stolen the Hugh, they had become outlaws, and he had no more right than anyone else to give orders, but he trusted the Doc and Mike to do as he asked. "Don't beam down to the planet or come looking for us."
"Understood," replied the EMH.
"Energize."
When he and Seven rematerialized, Chakotay found himself in a darkened research lab. The room was not large, maybe six meters by eight, and two long tables ran down the center of it. The tables housed several computer monitors, some of which remained active while others had been turned off for the night. Chakotay and Seven pulled out their tricorders and began to scan. "Chakotay," Seven whispered, "I am detecting one human life sign somewhere below this room. It's very faint."
Chakotay's heart began to pound. Kathryn. She was alive, just barely. He scanned the area around them, trying to find an entrance to the chamber below. "This way," he said, motioning to Seven with his hand. In one corner of the room, there was a strong dampening field, and he guessed that it masked an entrance to the underground chamber. Seven had caught on to Chakotay's thinking and was already trying to deactivate the dampening field.
"This area of the chamber is equipped with a cloaking device," she said. "I am attempting to deactivate it." Seven worked at the controls while Chakotay kept an eye on his tricorder, watching for approaching life signs. After a moment, the 'wall' in front of them shimmered and then ceased to exist, revealing a lift of some kind. The lift door slid open, and Chakotay and Seven stepped inside. For several seconds, they plummeted downward with no idea of where they were headed.
When the lift stopped and the doors opened, they could hear voices. They flattened their bodies back against the walls of the lift, waiting for the voices to pass. When the voices fell silent, they stepped out, phasers in hand, into a long, bright corridor. They crept down the hallway, and Seven glanced at her tricorder. "The shielding around this chamber is limiting the range of our tricorders."
"We'll split up at the end of the corridor," Chakotay whispered. "You go left, I'll go right."
"I believe we should remain together."
"No. We have a better chance of finding Kathryn if we separate."
"The interference from the shield grid will also inhibit the use of our communicators," Seven warned.
"We don't have much time," Chakotay hissed. "If we're discovered, the whole mission is lost. We'll be more efficient if we split up." They had reached the end of the corridor and now stood at the junction. They could hear voices in the distance and ducked back into the hallway, but the voices did not approach.
"All right," Seven acquiesced. "We will meet back at the lift in thirty minutes. If neither of us has found Admiral Janeway by then, we will reassess our plan."
Chakotay nodded, and they parted ways. He slinked along the corridor, body pressed against the wall, barely breathing. He froze each time he heard footsteps, willing them to walk in another direction. He approached a doorway and peered into the room through a small window in the metal door.
Five Br'nai males, all dressed in white tunics and wearing surgical masks, leaned over a long table. The men used instruments to poke and prod their subject, and when one of them raised a sharp metal object into the air, Chakotay could see that it sparkled with deep red blood. Human blood. Chakotay's heart pounded as he stood on his toes, trying to get a better view into the room, his attempts to remain inconspicuous forgotten. One of the men handed another a small dish, and the second man placed something into it. A third man held a tool that looked like a hypospray and filled it with green liquid from a nearby machine. Their movements contained none of the urgency of doctors trying to save a patient's life. He strained to get a better look at the subject on the table, and a glimpse of auburn hair was all he needed to confirm his fears. Caution abandoned, Chakotay's hand found his phaser as he burst through the doors. "Step away from her."
The Br'nai looked up in surprise. "Who are you?" one of them sputtered. "Who let you in here?"
Chakotay pointed his phaser at the man and stunned him. One of the other doctors moved towards a console in the corner, and Chakotay shot him, but not before he had activated a security alarm. Sirens blared through the research facility. As Chakotay felled another of the Br'nai, the remaining scientists scurried away. He moved quickly towards Kathryn's body, feeling his heart stop at the sight of her pale face and the blood seeping out of an incision in her abdomen. He leaned down to pick up her unconscious form. Her skin was cold and clammy, and he knew he had to get her to the Doctor fast.
The door to the research lab burst open and several Br'nai in black uniforms entered, swinging their rifles. "There's the intruder!" one of them shouted.
Chakotay had run out of time. He looked down at Kathryn's pallid face. I'm sorry, he thought, right before the pain of a disruptor beam lanced through his body and the world around him went black.
...
Seven had been creeping from corridor to corridor, searching for some sign of the admiral, but so far, she had only found a collection of offices and cubicles. A nameplate was mounted on every door, and each room contained a computer terminal and a small research area. This area of the facility seemed to be deserted at this time of night, and Seven had just begun to head back in the direction of the lift when she heard the alarm blare. Hearing footsteps behind her, she ducked into a darkened office and waited until they passed. She heard yelling and the hurried footfalls of people running. Chakotay, she thought. I should never have allowed him to go alone.
Seven weighed her options. She could follow the commotion and attempt to locate Chakotay, but it seemed highly unlikely that the two of them would be able to overwhelm an entire compound of Br'nai, even if they were scientists and not trained soldiers. So, careful to avoid detection, she made her way back to the lift. She had to get back to the surface where she could hail the Hugh. If there was one thing of which Seven of Nine was certain, it was that the collective was stronger and more resourceful than the individual. She had to find help.
...
The Doctor checked the sensors for the twelfth time in ten minutes. Chakotay and Seven had been gone for over an hour, and he had expected an update from them by now. He hoped that the multi-adaptive shielding would hide the Hugh from the Br'nai's sensors as well as Seven expected. He was having serious doubts about whether he should have agreed to go on this mission. Organic beings could be so reckless sometimes. He understood the commander's desire to figure out the truth about what had happened to Admiral Janeway, but wondered why he couldn't have found a way that was a little less risky.
"Relax, Doc, I'm sure they're fine," Ayala assured him, although his expression belied his own concerns.
The comm panel beeped, and they heard, "Seven of Nine to the Hugh. One to beam up." She was whispering, and it sounded like there was noise in the background.
"One?" the EMH asked.
"No time to explain. Beam me up!"
Ayala activated the transporter and a moment later, Seven reappeared behind him. "Seven, are you all right?" he asked. "Where's Chakotay?"
"I am undamaged," Seven said, moving swiftly to the pilot's seat. "But Chakotay has been captured."
"Captured?" the Doctor moaned.
"We require assistance." Seven's mind was racing. The Titan was on its way to intercept them, but she did not know anyone aboard. She could not guarantee that they would be sympathetic to her predicament. Then she had a flash of insight, and she whirled to look at the Doctor. "Is Voyager still on her test run?"
...
Tuvok sat back in his chair, surveying the bridge. They had completed testing of Voyager's new warp drive as well as several of its non-essential systems, but the major test - that of the quantum slipstream drive - still remained.
"We're receiving a subspace transmission, sir," reported Lieutenant Andrews from the ops station. "It's on an encrypted channel."
"Reroute the transmission to the ready room," Tuvok ordered. "I'll take it in there. Mr. Paris, you have the bridge." Tom took the command chair and Ensign Baytart moved to the conn while Tuvok hurried into the ready room. He activated the computer terminal and accessed the transmission. Seven of Nine, the EMH, and Lieutenant Ayala appeared in a shuttle whose configuration he did not recognize.
"Commander Tuvok," Seven greeted him. "We require your assistance."
Tuvok raised on eyebrow. "How so?"
Seven proceeded to explain the events that had occurred over the past few days: how Chakotay had been followed to his apartment, how they had stolen the Hugh to investigate Admiral Janeway's disappearance at Br'nai, and, finally, how Chakotay had been captured while searching for the admiral in the underground laboratory. "With Voyager's quantum slipstream drive, you could arrive here within a matter of hours, before the Titan is able to intercept us."
"And if we do, what course of action do you propose?" Tuvok asked.
"A rescue operation," Seven replied.
Tuvok considered this for a moment, evaluating the logical course of action. "On a test run, the captain has discretion over the vessel's mission. We will assist you."
A slight smile crossed Seven's features. "Thank you, Commander. The Doctor is transmitting our coordinates to you now."
"We will rendezvous with you in a few hours. Voyager out." Tuvok hurried back to the bridge. "Mr. Paris, take the conn," he ordered. "We are going to test the slipstream drive."
...
After a successful quantum slipstream flight, Voyager arrived at Br'nai and concealed itself in a nearby nebula. Tuvok contacted Seven, and she docked the Hugh in the shuttle bay. Moments later, the senior staff, along with Seven, Ayala and the Doctor, assembled in the briefing room to discuss their plan of action. Seven explained the events that had led to Chakotay's capture in the underground compound.
By the time Seven was finished speaking, B'Elanna Torres was fuming. "You didn't even try to help him?"
"I followed what I believed to be a prudent course of action," Seven replied calmly. "I do not believe that I would have been successful extricating Chakotay from the Br'nai alone."
"You abandoned him to those petaQs!" B'Elanna exploded, slamming her hand down on the table.
"Debating Seven's past actions will not help us to find the commander, or the admiral, if she is, indeed, alive," said Tuvok calmly. "We must decide how to proceed."
"We could take a bigger team to Br'nai," suggested Ayala. "Now that Seven has seen the inside of the facility where Chakotay is being held, we could be more effective."
"Seven only saw a portion of the facility," Tuvok countered. "We cannot assume that she will have all the information we need."
All eyes turned to the former drone, and she agreed with Tuvok. "I saw only a small part of the compound. I know the general area where Chakotay was apprehended, but I have no idea where the Br'nai would hold him if they chose to do so."
"It is also possible that the commander was killed," said Tuvok. "We have no guarantee he is still alive."
"But Seven did detect one human life sign," said the Doctor, "which means that as of a few hours ago, Admiral Janeway was most likely still alive. If there is even the slightest possibility that either of them is alive, we have to do whatever we can to save them."
"What do you propose, Doctor?" Tuvok asked.
"I'm a doctor, not a tactician."
"Why don't we hail the Br'nai and demand that they release our people. Call their bluff," suggested Tom.
Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "And risk a war or a major diplomatic incident? That would be highly illogical."
Tom sat back against his chair, folding his arms over his chest. "All right, Tuvok. What do you suggest?"
"We wait."
"Are you crazy?" asked B'Elanna. "Wait for what? Chakotay's not going to be able to get out of there on his own."
"I am not suggesting that we wait for the commander to emerge on his own. I am suggesting that we wait for reinforcements."
"Wait a minute," said Ayala, placing his hand outward to stop his Vulcan colleague. "You're not going to tell Starfleet about this."
"On the contrary," said Tuvok. "I have no intention of contacting Starfleet Command. However, long range sensors have detected the Titan. It should arrive within less than twenty-four hours."
"And what makes you think they're going to help us?" asked Tom. "Surely their orders are to apprehend the Hugh and escort it right back to San Francisco."
"I know Captain Riker, and he has known Admiral Janeway for many years. I believe that once he realizes the gravity of the situation, he and his crew will assist us."
"And if they don't?" asked B'Elanna.
"If they don't..." Tuvok paused. "I believe the human expression is that we will cross that bridge if and when we arrive at it."
The briefing room filled with laughter, a much needed release amidst the seriousness of the situation, as Tom corrected the Vulcan, "Come to it, Tuvok. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
...
Kathryn had decided that if she ever escaped from this cell, she was never going to lie on her back looking at the ceiling again. It was the only comfortable position she could find on the cot, and her body was too exhausted to do much more. The pain she experienced during waking hours had only increased. When she was conscious, she practiced Vulcan meditation techniques, solved quadratic equations in her head, translated phrases into every language she knew - anything to distract herself from her own fears. She kept going over her visit to Br'nai in her mind. Was there a clue she'd missed? Should she have paid more attention to her intuition? Could she have averted this disaster? Kathryn was a fighter by nature, but there was nothing here to fight, only a bleak unknown, a faceless enemy, a threat that couldn't be quantified. There was only her guilt and uncertainty which gnawed more deeply at her with each passing day.
She jolted as she heard a commotion outside her cell. Ignoring the pain that permeated her body, Kathryn jumped off the cot and pressed her ear to the wall. Hearing through the metal was difficult, and she could only make out a few words. An unfamiliar voice shouted, "Quiet!"
When Kathryn heard the second voice, she gasped aloud. "Where ... taken her?" she made out. But it was not the words that made her gasp, it was the voice, the very familiar voice of her former first officer.
"Chakotay!" she shouted, banging her fists against the wall. "Chakotay! I'm here!" But either he could not hear her or could not respond. She heard a series of thumps and then silence, followed by the barely audible approaching of footsteps. A moment later, the door to her cell opened and two of the hefty Br'nai guards appeared, Chakotay's limp body between them. "What have you done to him?" she snarled.
The guards made no reply - they never did - as they unceremoniously dumped Chakotay's body on the floor and retreated, the cell door closing behind them. Her pain, her guilt, and her fear forgotten, Kathryn knelt at Chakotay's side. The guards had left him face down, and she grabbed his shoulder and turned him over. She gasped when she saw his bloodied face and torn clothes. Briefly, she wondered why he was out of uniform, but she didn't have time to think about that now. She ran her hands over his body, trying to assess his injuries. He had obviously been severely beaten. My fault, she thought. This is all my fault.
She tore a strip of fabric from her now well-worn Starfleet jacket and ducked into the small bathroom to wet it. She knelt beside Chakotay's still form and gently applied the wet cloth to the wounds on his face. As she did so, he began to stir. "Chakotay?" she prodded. "Chakotay?" She cupped his cheek in her empty hand and moved her thumb back and forth across an undamaged patch of skin. "Chakotay, can you hear me?"
Chakotay's eyes opened, then widened. He must be hallucinating, he thought. Or maybe he was dreaming. Wasn't Kathryn dead? Hadn't he seen her lifeless form on a Br'nai operating table? Perhaps he was the one who was dead. Perhaps he was in the spirit world, because he thought he saw Kathryn's concerned face leaning over him, thought he heard her voice speaking his name. He felt the touch of her fingers on his cheek and the cold cloth against his wounds and realized that this was not a dream. Spirits, she was really here. In one swift motion, Chakotay pushed himself up into a sitting position and pulled her hard against him. "Kathryn. Oh my god, Kathryn. It's really you. You're alive."
Overwhelmed by the intensity of his emotions, Janeway returned the embrace and stroked Chakotay's hair as he buried his face in her shoulder. They remained there for several moments, holding each other tightly. When she finally felt Chakotay's grip release, Kathryn pulled away. They locked eyes and she reached out to brush the tears from his cheeks. He grabbed her hand in his and pressed his mouth to her palm in a reverent and passionate kiss. "You're alive," he whispered again.
"M'hel was telling the truth. Everyone really does believe I'm dead."
"They won't for long," Chakotay replied as she helped him stand and maneuver over to the cot. He sat down carefully, and she sat next to him, one leg folded up underneath herself. He had not let go of her hand. "Kathryn, I..." But he stopped, unsure where to begin. There was so much he wanted to tell her and so much he wanted to know. Finally, he asked, "Are you all right?"
The conflicting emotions that swirled in her were too complicated to explain, so she said, "I'm fine. Tell me what happened."
Chakotay began with all that had transpired at Starfleet since her alleged death: the Enterprise's swift recall to Earth, his and Tuvok's attempts to provoke a further investigation, the men watching his apartment. When he told her how Mike, Seven, and the Doctor had immediately jumped on board to help him find her, he saw tears in her eyes. When he recounted their break-in at Pathfinder and their theft of the Hugh, Janeway's eyes widened.
"You stole an experimental shuttle from Starfleet? Chakotay, you could all be court martialed for this."
"And if we hadn't, you would likely have died alone in this cell."
"But surely there was another way..."
He cut her off. "Ambassador V'tan manufactured evidence, Kathryn, and Starfleet bought it. Someone there has to be in on it. There wasn't anyone I could trust. I did my best to go through official channels, but sometimes, the Maquis way is the best way." He gave her a wry grin.
She halfheartedly returned the smile and then grew somber, digesting his words. "Thank you for coming after me."
Chakotay drew her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I always will."
"That still doesn't explain how you landed in my cell," she pointed out, and he proceeded to finish the story. He glossed over what he had seen in the laboratory, but Janeway noticed the omission and asked for more detail.
Chakotay told her everything he could remember about the men, the equipment, and the procedures he had seen in the lab. When he finished, she was silent for a long time, putting the pieces together in her mind. "Kathryn?" he prodded gently, squeezing her hand.
She pulled her hand from his and started to pace back and forth across the cell. "They've been using me as a lab rat. M'hel told me as much. When I was here with the team from the Enterprise, I saw his lab. He was performing experiments on other beings - 'inferior creatures' he calls them. And I'd bet they've done the same to you, or they will if they haven't started already. We have to stop them, Chakotay. We have to..." A sharp pain in her abdomen cut her off and she doubled over, crying out.
Chakotay was at her side in an instant. "Kathryn!" She fell to her knees, gasping for breath and clutching her stomach.
"Okay," she managed. "I'm okay." The throbbing subsided and her ability to breathe normally returned. She felt Chakotay's hand on her back, supporting her. Gingerly, she straightened, putting her hand in his and allowing him to help her back to the cot. She gripped his hand as another wave of pain washed over her, and he helped her lay back on the bed.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked, kneeling beside her. She placed her hand over the area where the pain seemed to center, in her lower abdomen above her left hip bone. "Can I take a look?" he asked gently.
Biting her lip as she looked down at him, Kathryn nodded. "The pain hasn't been this bad before."
Gently, Chakotay untucked her grey tank and pulled it up to her rib cage, exposing the soft white skin of her stomach. He noted some discoloration on the left side of her stomach, but he still couldn't see the area she had indicated. Carefully, he unclasped her trousers and opened them slightly. His touch held no hint of sexuality, and his mind didn't even register her black panties. Instead, he was looking at the skin above her left hip bone which was a deep shade of purple. He touched it and pressed down gently. "Does this hurt?"
"Ah!" Kathryn cried out, and Chakotay scooted quickly to the head of the bed, seizing one of her hands and running his other hand through her hair.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
She shook her head, biting back the pain. "Is it bad?"
"I think you're bleeding internally."
"Okay," she said, removing her hand from his and reaching down to re-button her trousers. She turned her head to look at him, finding the best captain's voice she could muster. "We'll get out of here, Chakotay. I don't know how, but we will."
Wordlessly, he smiled at her bravery and kissed her cheek. Then he climbed up on the cot beside her, spooning her against him, feeling the warmth of her body next to his, wrapping an arm firmly around her and pulling her close. Kathryn allowed herself to relax against him, to find comfort in the strength of his embrace and the constancy of his warm breath on her neck. Both exhausted, they fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
...
Ril stumbled as he crashed through the doorway to V'tan's living room, nearly knocking over an antique sculpture that the ambassador kept on the coffee table. "Master V'tan, there's an incoming transmission for you from Br'nai."
V'tan looked up at his bumbling assistant, barely moving his head. "Ril, must you come crashing in here like an elgibury? I'm sure the transmission could have waited long enough for you to walk through the door properly." V'tan sat in a large, leather armchair in the living room of his apartment, reading an old book and sipping his tirin.
"Apologies, Master V'tan," Ril said with a bow, composing himself. "The transmission awaits you in your office."
V'tan stood, leaving his glass and his book on the small table beside his armchair. "Thank you, Ril." He glanced at the chronometer. "It's late, Ril. Why don't you go home for the night?"
Ril bowed again. "Thank you, Master V'tan. Have a pleasant evening."
"Don't break anything on your way out, Ril." V'tan allowed himself a small snort of amusement. Ril was loyal, and just stupid enough to do whatever he was asked without thinking about it too much. Somehow, he even managed to complete his tasks most of the time, although often not without some sort of blunder. It was endearing, in a way, V'tan supposed as he walked into his private office and sat down at his desk. He accessed the incoming transmission, noting that it was not from Ch'a'fen. Instead, M'hel's face appeared on the screen. "Hello, Doctor."
M'hel smiled an ugly, toothy smile. "Good evening, Ambassador."
V'tan's eyes narrowed. The doctor seemed unusually pleased with himself, the way he used to act when they were children and he had captured an unusual, new creature to torture. "What happened, M'hel?"
"Someone showed up here today, looking for Janeway."
V'tan sat straight up in his chair. "What!?"
"Relax, Tan. I have the situation under control. Now I have two test subjects instead of one - an unexpected bonus. Not only do I have an unprecedented opportunity to study human genetics, I can study their behavior as well. What will they do when confined to one small room together, male and female?" M'hel's ugly smile became a sneer. "It will be so interesting to find out."
V'tan had heard through his sources of the disappearance of four of Voyager's former crew, along with their theft of some sort of experimental shuttle. Starfleet was trying to keep it quiet, but he had friends in very high places. "Are you sure there was only one rescuer?"
"Yes." The doctor hesitated. "As far as I know."
"Damn it, M'hel!" V'tan exclaimed. "Did you ever stop to think that this new lab rat of yours didn't come alone? There are four missing crewmen from Janeway's former ship. Four! Which means that there are three people who have escaped your clutches and now know of our facility. Even if they haven't put all the pieces together, they at least know that one of their group is being held on Br'nai. Did you take your mind off of your precious experiments for long enough to think of that?"
As V'tan spoke, M'hel seemed to shrink back into his chair. In truth, he hadn't thought of that, and V'tan's harsh words made him realize how shortsighted he had been. "No one is ever going to find them. The compound is hidden and the cloaking shield is fully operational."
"But someone did get through."
M'hel pressed his fingers together just under his chin. "He got in, but he didn't get out. His friends may have gotten away, but if what you say is true, they're already criminals. Surely, you can work that situation to our advantage."
V'tan sighed. "We can't afford to have the Federation suspect anything. Everything we've worked for could be ruined."
"I will not lose this opportunity for study," M'hel retorted, bristling. "You've always been the political expert. I'm sure you won't have any trouble diverting everyone's attention away from this little incident. And in the meantime, I'll be using my research to perfect our little project. Some human DNA could be very useful in our endeavors."
"All right. I'll take care of things on this end. But M'hel, no more prisoners. No other experiments. Your work is invaluable to me, but it will do me no good if we're discovered, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure that does not happen. Understood?"
The doctor's shoulders hunched as he cowered away from the view screen. "Yes, V'tan."
"Good." V'tan smiled gently, to show M'hel he wasn't that angry. Even as a child, M'hel had been desperate to please him - no one else, not his parents or his teachers, just V'tan. Even then, he had known that V'tan would someday have the power to make him into a great man. "Go back to your little experiments, M'hel. I'll speak with you later."
"Yes, V'tan. Thank you."
The screen went black and V'tan allowed himself a moment to scowl. M'hel was an incredible scientist but he knew nothing of people or politics. He became so lost in his world of experiments and torture that he quickly forgot all other considerations, and that was dangerous. Because of the doctor's work, V'tan had had to reveal to him a great many details about the true nature of his plan. He had no worry that M'hel would intentionally sabotage him or reveal his secrets; in that sense, trusting M'hel was much safer than confiding in Ch'a'fen. However, M'hel might unintentionally cause great harm to the project, if only because he had no broader perspective. He would have to be watched very carefully.
The ambassador activated his computer terminal, calling up information on Voyager's other missing crew members. When he noted their identities, his face lit up in a cunning smile and he felt his tension begin to melt away. A Maquis, a Borg and a hologram. His Federation colleagues already harbored suspicions against all three of those groups; it would not be hard to manipulate their misgivings to serve his own ends.