10
Deceptions
"Podràn cortar todas las flores, pero no podràn detener la primavera."
-Pablo Neruda
=/\=
Lieutenant Reginald Barclay looked around anxiously. He had no particular reason to be worried, but he'd been on edge ever since the Pathfinder break-in and Seven's disappearance. Starfleet was furious at Seven and some had accused her of being in league with the Borg, but Reg knew better. He'd worked side by side with the beautiful ex-drone for almost two years, and no one had worked harder at finding ways to stop the Borg than she had. As Reg stood in Pathfinder's astrometrics lab, he shook his head ruefully. If it weren't for Seven, they wouldn't have any of this technology. If she were truly in league with the Borg, wouldn't she have destroyed it before she disappeared? Reg feared what would happen once she and the other former members of Voyager's crew were captured. They could have their ranks stripped, be dishonorably discharged from Starfleet, or even face imprisonment. Just thinking about it made Barclay more nervous. If the admiralty had only been willing to investigate Admiral Janeway's death, none of this would have happened.
Reg had become close with many of the Voyager crew since their return to the Alpha Quadrant. He felt a special affinity for them, and they had accepted him as one of their own more readily than anyone else ever had. He glanced at the chronometer - only a few more seconds before the Midas Array was in place.
When Neelix's face appeared on the screen a few moments later, he looked worried. "N... N... Neelix," Reg stammered, feeling his anxiety increase even further. "Is something the m... matter?"
"Yes," the Talaxian said gravely. "We have a problem, Reg."
"What is it?"
"We've heard some disturbing rumors in the past few days."
"What kinds of rumors?"
Neelix looked around and lowered his voice, probably to make sure that Brax didn't overhear him. "I don't have any solid evidence of this, mind you, but the rumors come through credible sources. It seems that the Borg are on the move."
Barclay gulped. "The B...B... Borg?"
Neelix nodded. "I don't know what it means yet. We've got our sensor array working overtime, trying to pick up anything that might give us an indication of where they're headed, but Earth has always been one of their prime targets. I think it's safe to say that you should go to red alert."
...
Janeway and Chakotay had only slept for a few hours when the guards came and took Chakotay away. Janeway protested, insisting that he didn't know anything of value to them, demanding that they take her instead, but, as usual, the guards gave her no acknowledgement. She wanted nothing more than to lunge at them, raking her nails through their beady eyes, but she knew that such a gesture would only endanger her life and Chakotay's. When the guards left, she wanted to get up and pace - anything to feel the exhilaration of action - but she knew that if she was bleeding internally, the best thing to do was to lie still, so she remained on the cot, staring up at the ceiling, trying to hold onto the feeling of safety she had experienced in Chakotay's arms.
She didn't realize that she had dozed off until she was jerked awake by the sound of the cell door opening. She sat up on the bed as Chakotay staggered into the cell, two guards flanking him. Kathryn was already on her feet when she realized that M'hel was standing in the doorway behind them. "What do you want?"
"I suggest that you stay away from him, Admiral," M'hel said in his high-pitched, nasal voice.
"I'll do whatever the hell I want," she snapped, moving towards Chakotay.
"Suit yourself," said M'hel, and gave a sign with his right hand to the guards. One guard grabbed Chakotay roughly and held him still while the other punched him hard in the stomach. Chakotay doubled over and groaned in pain. Janeway backed away, following M'hel's instructions. "So you can be cooperative," the doctor mused.
"What do you want?" she asked again.
M'hel smiled a lecherous smile. "I'd like to see how you react if we do... this." He gave another signal to the guards, and they began to take turns throwing punches at Chakotay. He evaded the first one, but his parry sent him right into the waiting fist of the second guard, who hit him squarely in the jaw. The guard's fist sent Chakotay reeling, and the first guard took the opportunity to hit his midsection. The other one got in another punch before Chakotay went careening to the floor with a loud groan. One guard stood over him, poised to sink the toe of his boot into Chakotay's ribs.
"Stop it!" Kathryn screamed. "Stop it! Stop it!" Disregarding M'hel's instructions, she threw herself between Chakotay and the guards, attempting to shield his body with her own. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw M'hel hold up a hand. The guards stepped back, retreating into the corners of the cell. "What do you want from us?" Kathryn bit out.
"I already told you, Admiral. I want to study you. I didn't expect, originally, to have the pleasure of studying your... companion and your relationship with each other. That is an unexpected bonus, I must admit. I'll be able to write a book about human behavior by the time I'm done with you."
"We are not lab rats! If you wanted information about our culture, you could have just asked. We would have shared willingly. Now, you'll get nothing from us. Ever."
"You fail to understand, my dear. Where would the fun be in simply asking? Lists of data can only give a scientist so much information. Seeing how you react when circumstances are utterly out of your control gives me a profound insight into the inner workings of the human mind. For example, have you ever crawled into bed with him before today?" M'hel gestured to Chakotay's limp body on the floor.
It was bad enough that he was experimenting on their bodies, but M'hel's candid admission of his attempts to toy with their emotions was the last straw for Admiral Janeway. Anger bubbling over inside of her, she lunged at the doctor, grabbing for the weapon he kept at his belt. He was so unprepared for her advance that she actually managed to snatch the gun before the guards grabbed her and wrested the weapon from her control. The guard who had seized the gun from her pulled back his hand and she anticipated the sting of his fist on her cheek, but the blow never came.
Instead, M'hel was laughing. "Stop!" he ordered the guards in between guffaws. "Stop." The guard lowered his hand, but the other Br'nai continued to restrain her, holding her against his massive chest. When M'hel recovered his self-control, he narrowed his eyes. "That was an impressive stunt, Admiral. Don't try it again. Next time, I won't stop them, and my guards would love the opportunity to take out their frustrations on you."
"They seem to have already done so, on Commander Chakotay," Janeway grated.
"Those weren't the kind of frustrations I meant."
Janeway set her jaw, refusing to allow him the satisfaction of thinking he had shocked her. "My crew knows that we're here," she said, "and they won't let you get away with this. When they find you, your entire operation will go to hell."
M'hel smirked. "I doubt that, Admiral Janeway. Have a pleasant evening." He shuffled out of the room, and the guard released her, jerking her shoulder roughly as he did so. As she knelt beside Chakotay's still frame, one of the guards took advantage of his proximity and gave her a swift kick in the ribs as he exited.
Kathryn cried out in pain as the kick sent her tumbling backwards onto the cold floor. I will not let them beat me, she thought, feeling tears sting the back of her eyelids. I will not let them get away with this. She crawled back over to Chakotay. His face was covered in blood where the guards' punches had broken the skin. His shirt had been torn across the midsection, and deep purple bruises marred his flesh. As she looked down at his battered face, Kathryn trembled with rage, her hands balled up into fists, hot tears running down her cheeks. For a moment, she thought she might vomit, but she swallowed hard, forcing down the bile that threatened to rise in her throat. Her body shook with sobs as she moved to the bathroom to wet the piece of fabric she had torn from her uniform earlier. She rinsed it and then returned to Chakotay's side, attempting to clean his wounds. She moved through a haze of anger, her vision blurred by tears. By what right? she screamed silently.
The cell door opened again and Kathryn looked up, prepared with a biting accusation, but it was only the Br'nai girl who brought the food. She placed the tray on the floor of the cell and began to retreat when Kathryn reached towards her. "Please help me move him to the bed. He's hurt."
The girl looked around nervously, as if trying to decide whether or not this was a violation of her orders. Finally, her gaze settled on Chakotay's battered form, and she gave a small nod. She got under Chakotay's legs as Kathryn lifted his torso. The movement sent a shooting pain through Janeway's abdomen, but she ignored it, breathing deeply and focusing instead on the Br'nai girl. This was the first time she'd been able to elicit any response from the young woman.
"I need some clean cloth," Janeway said, gesturing to the dirty rag she had used. "I need to clean his wounds, or else he will get sick." She pantomimed as she spoke, but the girl gave no indication of whether or not she understood. "Please," Janeway said. "I need your help, or he could die." She thought she saw the girl nod, but she wasn't sure. The young woman left the tray of food as she always did and exited the cell. She would be back in an hour or so to collect the dishes.
Kathryn examined the food: a bowl of broth and a hard cracker for each of them - a standard meal in the prison. As she sat down to drink her broth, Kathryn realized that she was still shaking, and she ran through some of Tuvok's meditation techniques to calm herself as she ate.
She took the second bowl of broth over to Chakotay. She sat on the cot behind him and propped his head up on her lap, trying to coax him awake. "Dinner time," she said, holding a spoon of broth to his lips. He groaned but didn't open his eyes. His lips parted, and he allowed the spoon into his mouth. As he tasted the food and swallowed, he opened his eyes and found himself staring up at Kathryn's face. From the look of it, she'd been crying. "You have to eat," she said, feeding him another spoonful.
"I wonder how many lowly commanders have had the pleasure of being spoon-fed by an admiral," he joked, trying to make her smile. With her help, he managed to sit up and took the dish from her. His hands quivered as he spooned soup from the bowl.
"How do you feel?"
"Like I just went a couple rounds with an angry Nausicaan." He saw her worried look and reached out to touch her cheek. "I'm okay."
"What happened when they took you?"
"About the same thing as when they brought me back here. They took me into a room and one of their thugs beat me up. They didn't even ask me any questions. I don't understand what they want."
Kathryn grimaced. "I'm beginning to. When did you black out?"
"The last thing I remember is you yelling at them to stop."
Janeway told him what M'hel had said, omitting the piece about their sleeping arrangements.
"So they're seeing what happens when they beat me?" Chakotay was becoming agitated. "I'd think that was pretty obvious."
"I don't think M'hel is interested in the physical side of it, at least not exclusively. I think he wants to know how you'll react... and how I'll react."
Chakotay's expression darkened. He put down the bowl and began to stand. "Why those..."
Kathryn stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "You need to eat," she said firmly.
"Is that an order, Admiral?" he retorted, and immediately regretted it as he caught the pained expression that flickered across her features. "I'm sorry. I'm angry. Angry at this whole situation." He slumped back against the wall.
She squeezed his hand and put on a brave face. "I'm angry, too, Chakotay, but we have to stay united on this. Okay?"
He nodded, burying his gaze in his soup bowl. They sat in silence while he finished the soup and ate his cracker. A little while later, the Br'nai girl came in to take the dishes. She didn't meet Janeway's eyes or say a word, and Kathryn felt her hopes evaporate. But after the girl left, Kathryn saw something on the ground where the tray had been. When she stood and walked over to see what it was, she found several strips of clean, white cloth. She picked them up and pressed them to her heart, her back to Chakotay, hiding from him the tears that stung her eyes. She felt the soft fabric beneath her fingers, knowing that what she held in her hands was hope.
...
B'Elanna Torres paced back and forth along the length of her quarters, trying to contain her anger and avoid waking her husband and daughter who slept in the next room. She was still fuming at Seven, and Tuvok's decision only added to her frustration. They were supposed to be rescuing Janeway and Chakotay, not sitting here waiting. She understood Tuvok's logic, but that didn't mean she had to like it.
"B'Elanna, come to bed," Tom urged, emerging from the bedroom. He wore a t-shirt and boxer shorts, his hair mussed.
"I can't sleep."
"You have to rest," her husband coaxed her. "You've barely slept for the last two days."
"Chakotay and the admiral are trapped down there, undergoing who knows what kind of torture by these Br'nai monsters, and you want to sleep?" She stopped pacing and turned to face him.
"B'Elanna," Tom said softly, stepping closer to her and taking her shoulders, "they're my friends, too, but we agreed to wait until the Titan arrives. No rescue operation will be a success if we're exhausted."
"I'm tired of waiting." She shrugged off his hands and began to pace again. "What if Riker doesn't want to help us? What if he toes the Starfleet line and drags us back to San Francisco? Where will that leave us?" Her volume increased as she spoke.
"Shh! You'll wake Miral," Tom hissed. He took his wife's shoulders again, forcing her to look at him. "B'Elanna, we all agreed that this was the best course of action. I know you're angry and frustrated and worried. We all are. Chakotay and the admiral are our friends, and I know that Chakotay means a lot to you. We will get them back. You just have to be patient." B'Elanna slumped against Tom's chest, and he gathered her in his arms. She held him fiercely, as if the warmth of his embrace could make her anger and fear disappear.
"Tuvok to Paris."
Tom tapped his comm badge, disengaging from the embrace but keeping one hand firmly on B'Elanna's shoulder. "Paris here."
"Please report to the bridge."
"I'm on my way. Paris out." He looked at his wife and kissed her on the forehead. "Try to get some rest, okay?"
"Okay." She grabbed his hand as he was about to head out the door and pulled him back to her, pressing her lips to his. "I love you," she whispered.
"Me too."
When Paris arrived on the bridge, he relieved Baytart from the conn. The Doctor, Seven and Tuvok were also present, and Tom briefly wished that Harry was there, too. His friend was really going to feel like he missed out on this one, but it was probably for the best. The last thing Tom wanted was for Harry's impeccable Starfleet record to be tarnished, and they were definitively all about to tarnish whatever Starfleet records they had left.
"The Titan has entered communications range," Seven reported.
"Open a channel," ordered Tuvok.
William Riker's face appeared on the view screen. "Commander Tuvok. I didn't expect you to be hailing me."
"Captain Riker, I am aware that Starfleet has sent you to bring the Hugh back to Earth, but another situation has arisen, and I would like to request your assistance."
"I take it that the crew of the Hugh is now aboard Voyager?"
"They are. But I have new evidence in the matter of Admiral Janeway's death."
Will's attention was piqued. "I'm listening."
"We have proof that the Br'nai manufactured evidence to prove that Admiral Janeway's was dead, and we have reason to believe that she is alive and being held on Br'nai. In an attempt to rescue her, Commander Chakotay has also been captured by the Br'nai. I ask that you review our evidence before you decide on your next course of action." Tuvok signaled to Seven with one hand. "We are transmitting the data to you now."
"We'll review your data. If I'm not convinced, our orders stand. If you will not turn the Hugh and its crew over to me in that case, I will have no choice but to open fire. Riker out."
The view screen went black and Tom whirled around in his chair. "Well, Tuvok, I hope your instincts are right."
"It is not a matter of instinct, Mr. Paris. It is a matter of logic."
Tom turned back to the conn. "Yeah, right. Whatever you say."
...
"Commander Liara, you have the bridge," Riker said. Without a request from him, Deanna stood and followed him into his ready room. Internally, he smiled. They worked well together, and the empathic connection they had forged long ago had only strengthened in the year since their marriage. Once in the ready room, Will sat down, opening his computer terminal to examine the data. Deanna came around behind him to look over his shoulder. "What do you think?" he asked.
"Commander Tuvok honestly believes what he's telling you."
Riker nodded, and together, they poured over the data that Voyager had sent them. When they had finished looking through it, Will looked up at his wife with concern. "Senior staff, report to the briefing room."
After a little over a year of working together, the relationships among his senior staff still felt somewhat clumsy to Riker. He knew he had been spoiled serving aboard the Enterprise for so long, and that, given time, his staff would work together seamlessly. He had developed an excellent relationship with his first officer, the half-human, half-Bajoran Commander Liara Aves. She was the first to arrive in the briefing room, following closely by the ops officer, Lieutenant Ajit Sood and the chief of security, Lieutenant Commander Devan. Devan was a Zaldan, a species known for their tendency to be blunt. Lieutenant Nathaniel Rand, Riker's chief engineer, was the youngest member of the senior staff. He had been at the top of his class at the Academy only a few years earlier, and his inventiveness and ingenuity had earned him high praise from all of his professors as well as his former commanding officer, Captain Shelby, who had remained a friend of Riker's ever since the Battle of Wolf 359. Riker had stolen Alyssa Ogawa from the Enterprise for his CMO.
Riker filled his staff in on the situation on Br'nai and the new evidence he had received regarding Admiral Janeway's death. "Thoughts?" he asked.
"I don't think we can trust the Br'nai," Commander Liara replied, brushing a strand of short, black hair out of her face.
"Agreed," said Riker. "But like it or not, they are our allies, at least for the moment. We don't want to risk starting a war."
"With the information Voyager has provided, I might be able to program our scanners to penetrate the dampening field around the research facility," said Lieutenant Rand. "I might even be able to figure out a way to transport directly into the underground lab."
"Work on it," Riker ordered.
"Captain, I think you should approach the Br'nai through official channels," Deanna suggested. "Tell them we're here to apprehend the 'criminals' who stole the Hugh but that some of the crew members are missing, and that we won't leave until we find them."
Riker nodded slowly. "They'll need to cooperate or risk losing the alliance. That will buy us some time to investigate what really happened." Riker looked around the table. "Deanna, Alyssa, Commander Devan, you'll accompany me down to the surface. Lieutenant Rand, work on a way to get through that dampening field. Dismissed." The senior staff hurried out of the briefing room, and Riker headed for the bridge, taking the captain's chair. "Hail Voyager."
Tuvok reappeared on the screen, and Riker informed him of his plan. "I will send a team to work in tandem with yours," said Tuvok. "If Lieutenant Rand can find a way to beam through the shield grid, my team can beam directly to the underground lab while you distract the Br'nai above ground."
"Agreed," said Riker. "I will contact Emperor Ch'a'fen. Titan out." Tuvok's face disappeared, and Riker turned to Lieutenant Sood. "Open a channel to the Br'nai."
"Channel open."
"On screen." A Br'nai male appeared on the screen in front of him. He had dark hair and the characteristic dark stripe running from the tip of his nose to his forehead. "This is Captain Riker of the Federation starship Titan."
"I am R'fet of the Emperor's Royal Guard. How may I assist you?"
"I am here on an urgent mission from Starfleet Command. I need to speak with Emperor Ch'a'fen."
"Please wait," R'fet replied, and the screen went blank.
A moment later, a man appeared, dressed in white robes, seated on a throne. His blonde hair glistened under the lights and his piercing black eyes flashed. "Captain Riker, I have been expecting you. I am Emperor Ch'a'fen."
"Emperor," Riker said with a small bow, "as I'm sure you've already been told, I'm here to apprehend the criminals who stole a starship from us and came to your world without authorization."
"Frankly, Captain, I'm astonished that you permit such breaches of security," the emperor replied. "I would never allow such a thing."
Will glanced over at his wife, noting the look of deep concentration on her face. She was sensing something; he could tell, but he'd have to wait to find out what. "It's not typical for Starfleet to have breaches of this kind, Your Highness, I assure you. I plan to take these criminals back to Earth with me immediately. However, one of them is missing on your planet. I'd like to ask your permission to send an away team to search for him. We must apprehend him before we return to Earth so we can correct this security breach."
"I was not aware that one of the renegades was on Br'nai. How did they breach our security?"
"I haven't learned that yet myself, but his colleagues, who are in my custody, have informed me that he went to the facility where Admiral Janeway disappeared, and is now missing."
Ch'a'fen studied Riker for a moment. "Captain, I will allow you to send a team on one condition. They will be accompanied by members of my Royal Guard at all times."
"Agreed. Titan out." When the screen went blank, Will turned to Deanna.
"There's something strange about him. I can't quite put my finger on it."
"Strange, how? Is he lying?"
She shook her head. "No, he's telling the truth, or at least he thinks he is." She thought hard for a moment and then shook her head again. "I'm sorry. I can't be more specific right now."
Riker looked at the screen. The Br'nai obviously had a lot to hide. The question was what they stood to gain from their deception.
...
Chakotay had been sitting on the ground next to the cot, Kathryn's hand resting comfortably in his as she'd slept, when the guards came in. They roughly pushed him aside and dragged her out of the cell. He had tried to stop them, but his attempts had only earned him another punch in the gut. He felt the tenderness around his ribs; chances were good at least one of them was broken.
That had been several hours earlier, and Chakotay was still seething. He hadn't been this angry since his Maquis days, a constant rage bubbling just below the surface. When Kathryn was in the room, he could contain it; his desire to protect her outweighed his anger, but now his fury threatened to boil over. His mind cycled through a list of questions: What did the Br'nai want with them? What made Dr. M'hel so sure he could get away with imprisoning two Starfleet officers? Kathryn had alluded to genetic research, but what could be so important to the Br'nai that they would risk war with the Federation?
The images of Kathryn's bruised skin and tear-stained face kept returning to his mind. Again and again, he heard her scream, "Stop it! Stop it!" as the Br'nai guards beat him. He clenched his hand into a fist and slammed it angrily against the metal wall of the cell, letting out a guttural yell. Agony jolted through his arm, and he forced himself to calm down. Breaking his own hand wouldn't do either of them any good, so he stood and began to pace. The throbbing pain he felt in his midsection was almost satisfying.
You deserve it, he thought. You couldn't rescue her from these monsters and you can't protect her now. She could be lying under a surgeon's knife at this very moment, helpless as they pick her apart piece by piece. You might never see her again, and she'd never even know... You're a coward, Chakotay. Even as he said the words to himself, he knew that they weren't true, but he felt he deserved the self-inflicted punishment, so he continued, running over the sequence of events again and again in his mind. I should have done something more. I should have stopped it. I wasn't there when she needed me. Finally, he sat down on the edge of the cot and lowered his head into his hands, releasing a loud sob; he remained motionless as utter despair crept over him. He didn't raise his head until he heard the cell doors open.
He looked up to see two Br'nai guards dragging Kathryn's unconscious form between them. They dropped her on floor and left. Resisting the urge to lunge after the guards and attack them, Chakotay lifted Kathryn's body and carried her to the bed, cradling her against him. As he placed her down, he felt something wet, and when he drew his hand away, it was smeared with blood. Gently turning her onto her side, he saw a deep red stain seeping through her grey tank. The "doctors" were getting more and more careless. She had told him that at first she hadn't even been sure they had done anything to her. Now they cut into her and failed to close the wound properly. There was still a clean piece of cloth that the girl had brought them, and he used it as a compress on the gash, holding it against the side of Janeway's back firmly until the bleeding stopped.
She began to stir and tried to turn over as she opened her eyes. "Chakotay?"
"Don't move," he said quietly. "You're bleeding."
"We have to get out of here."
"Agreed."
"When the girl brought us our breakfast this morning, while you were asleep, I asked her to help us. I'm still not sure she understands me, but after she brought the cloth last night, I'm hopeful."
Satisfied that the bleeding had stopped, Chakotay knelt at the head of the bed, near Kathryn's face, so it was easier for her to meet his eyes. "Kathryn, I was thinking, when they took you this afternoon, there are so many unfinished conversations between us. I..."
She cut him off, placing her fingers over his lips and shaking her head as if to say, Not now. Not here.
He closed his eyes, understanding her request. "Kathryn, if we don't make it out of here..."
"We will, Chakotay," she said softly. "And then we'll have all those conversations. Every single one of them. We can even have them twice if you want," she joked, trying to raise his spirits.
She succeeded, at least partway, as he gave her a halfhearted smile. "I just want you to know..."
"Shh, Chakotay," she replied, putting her fingers over his lips again, this time more tenderly. "I know."
He nodded, his smile reaching the corners of his eyes as he captured the fingers pressed to his lips and kissed them. He touched his lips to her forehead as she drifted off into a troubled sleep, and he kept vigil over her. His anger no longer overflowing, he sat near her and stroked her hair as she slept.
When the girl brought their supper, her dark eyes met Chakotay's fully for the first time. He caught a glimpse of something in her unreadable expression as she handed him the tray of food. Her eyes flicked to Janeway's unconscious form and the bloody rags on the floor. She blinked twice and looked down at the napkin on the tray before she released it into Chakotay's hands. Then, she turned and quickly left the room. When Chakotay put down the tray and lifted up one corner of the napkin, he discovered that it concealed a sharp blade.
...
Seven and Tom Paris materialized aboard the Titan and found themselves face to face with Captain Will Riker and his away team. "Lieutenant Tom Paris, sir," he said, extending his hand to the captain.
Riker stepped forward and shook Paris' hand. "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant. And you must be..."
"I am Seven of Nine."
"Pleased to meet you," Riker replied, grasping her hand with a smile. He'd heard a great deal about the former drone, but this was his first opportunity to meet her in person. There was something about her that reminded him a little of Data - the way that she seemed not at all and completely human at the same time. "This is Counselor Deanna Troi, our CMO, Dr. Alyssa Ogawa, and my Chief of Security, Lieutenant Commander Devan." Riker turned to the young engineer who stood behind the transporter controls. "Lieutenant Rand?"
Nathaniel Rand looked up from his work, a strand of his sandy hair falling into his face. "Lieutenant Paris, I'm going to piggyback yours and Seven's signals on the away team's transporter beam. The Br'nai won't be able to detect the transport. I've found a weakening in the shield grid so I can beam you directly to the underground tunnels. Hopefully it's out of the way enough that you won't have any company." He gave Seven a lopsided smile, but when she did not return the gesture, he continued awkwardly. "So... uh... I'm ready whenever you are, Captain."
Riker nodded. "Energize." While Riker, Troi, Devan and Ogawa met Dr. R'lar at the Science Foundation, Paris and Seven found themselves in the bowels of the underground research facility, facing a maze of tunnels.
Seven tossed Tom a tricorder and activated her own. "I have modified these to compensate for the interference from the shield grid. Their range will still be limited, but they will function in this environment."
Paris nodded and activated the tricorder. "This way," he said, and they walked into the darkness.
...
Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the cell, and Janeway's ears perked up. She exchanged a glance with Chakotay and made sure the blade was fully concealed in her sleeve. He nodded, and she took her prearranged position, lying on the floor with him kneeling beside her. She gave him a wink and he squeezed her hand. Just as the cell doors opened, Chakotay became frantic. "Help me!" he screamed. "Please, get a doctor. She collapsed and I can't wake her!" He shook Kathryn's limp body, inadvertently sending a jolt of pain through her midsection. She forced herself not to react.
As they had hoped, one of the guards took the bait. As he leaned over to peer curiously at Janeway's body, Chakotay sunk his elbow into the back of the guard's neck, causing him to stumble forward. Swiftly, Kathryn rolled away, leaping into action before the guard's weight fell on her. Her roll took her towards the second guard whose hand was already on his weapon. Completing her roll, Kathryn sliced his leg with the blade, causing his shot to miss badly. She clasped her hands together, and, hoping Br'nai physiology was similar to human, she swung her fists firmly into the guard's groin. He groaned in pain, doubling over.
On the other side of the cell, Chakotay had knocked the weapon out of the other guard's hand, but the guard had, in retaliation, grabbed Chakotay's wrists and pinned him against the wall. Allowing his anger full reign, Chakotay threw his head into the guard's nose, and the Br'nai lightened his grip on Chakotay's wrists and recoiled. Chakotay took advantage of this momentary disorientation and pulled his hands away, landing a solid punch to the Br'nai's jaw. Wiping blue blood from his nose, the guard raised his fist to retaliate, but Chakotay was prepared and he was furious.
Kathryn had managed to wrest her guard's gun away from him and shot him neatly in the chest. She whirled around, prepared to deliver the same fate to the other guard, but Chakotay already had the situation in hand. He had wrestled the guard to the ground and was beating him, the alien's blue blood spattering on the walls of the cell and on Chakotay's clothes. Pure hatred shot like daggers from his eyes as he rained blows down upon his victim.
"Chakotay!" Kathryn said sharply, but he didn't seem to hear her. She was sure the guard was already dead, but Chakotay kept pummeling him in rage. "Chakotay!" she yelled, louder this time. "Chakotay!" Something in her tone finally pulled him out of his fury. He looked up at her and then down at the guard and the blood on his hands. "Commander," Janeway said in her most authoritative voice, "we have to move. There's no time."
Coming to his senses, Chakotay grabbed the disruptor rifle from his bloody victim and followed Janeway out of the cell. They could hear voices approaching; no doubt someone had heard the commotion of their fight. They began to run, disruptors at the ready, until they reached an intersection in the corridor and stopped, unsure which way to turn. They heard footsteps and froze; Chakotay instinctively stepped in front of Kathryn, trying to protect her. The footsteps were closing in on them from all directions; they had nowhere to run. One set of footsteps was nearly upon them, and Janeway motioned to Chakotay to take one side of their approaching attacker while she took the other. They both stood, weapons aimed towards the figure that emerged from the corridor.
It was the Br'nai girl. As soon as they recognized her, they lowered their weapons. The girl motioned to both of them silently, indicating that they should go with her. Exchanging a glance, they followed her as she led them down the corridor from which she had come. Their pursuers were gaining on them, voices and footsteps closing in. The young woman stopped midway down the corridor and knelt down, pulling a grate away from the juncture between floor and wall. She gestured at the opening and then slipped inside effortlessly, motioning for Janeway and Chakotay to do the same. As the sound of the Br'nai guards approached, Janeway saw no other option. She lowered herself into the hole, and Chakotay was right behind her, pulling the grate closed over their heads. By the time the guards reached the corridor, their prisoners were long gone.
...
"Captain Riker, I can assure you our teams have canvassed this area dozens of times," R'lar said. "There has been no sign of any of your people."
"I appreciate your assurances, Dr. R'lar, but we'd like to see for ourselves if you don't mind."
Reluctantly, R'lar stepped aside. Everything at the facility had been turned upside down ever since the Enterprise had first arrived, and all he wanted was for his life to return to normal. He didn't need interference from Starfleet and he certainly didn't want the Emperor's Royal Guard looking over his shoulder.
"Deanna, Commander Devan, check out the main building in the center. Dr. Ogawa and I will start here," Riker ordered. One member of the Royal Guard followed each team. Riker doubted that the Br'nai were careless enough to leave anything incriminating lying around, but it didn't hurt to look. Besides, the longer they kept the Br'nai distracted, the better chance Paris and Seven would have of figuring out what happened to Janeway and Chakotay.
Troi and Devan fanned out towards the large dome in the center of the complex, the guard only a couple paces behind them. Something felt strange to Deanna. She'd felt unsettled since their arrival on Br'nai, but she hadn't been able to figure out why. As they neared the dome, her feeling of unease grew stronger. They entered it, and she stopped dead in her tracks.
"Commander?" Devan queried.
She pulled out her tricorder and studied it for a moment before asking, "How many life forms do you detect below this chamber?"
Devan looked down at his tricorder. "Below? I don't detect any life forms below this chamber."
Deanna nodded. "Neither do I. But there are thousands." She gestured to Devan. "Come on. I want to ask Dr. R'lar some questions." They hurried back across the complex and found Riker, Ogawa and R'lar in one of the smaller buildings.
Riker was surprised when Deanna and Devan reappeared, but he sensed the anxiety emanating from his wife. "Deanna, what's wrong? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she replied, turning to R'lar. "What's below this facility?"
"Below?" the scientist asked uncomfortably. "Rock, I believe, composed of several different minerals..." R'lar trailed off as Deanna crossed her arms over her chest.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she accused. "There's something else here."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," R'lar replied, and it didn't take an empath to sense that he was nervous.
"You're lying," Deanna stated. Riker's hand went to his phaser.
"That's enough!" R'lar sputtered. "This investigation is over. Get out of my facility! Out! Out! Out!" The scientist's voice became shrill as he gestured wildly with his arms.
Deanna sensed something else nearby that caught her attention, a familiar presence, and Will heard her voice in his head. Keep them distracted.
"I'm sorry, Dr. R'lar," the captain said, "but we're not ready to leave yet. We're here with Emperor Ch'a'fen's permission. You wouldn't want to risk a diplomatic incident, would you?"
R'lar gulped. He knew the emperor wanted to maintain good relations with the Federation, and he realized that the more he protested, the more suspicious he would appear, and the more likely Riker was to press the issue. Not only would this put at stake the project to which he had devoted his life, it would incur the wrath of Dr. M'hel, and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. "Very well," he relented. "Continue your investigation."
...
The tunnels were dark, cramped and hot. Chakotay felt sweat trickling down his back and watched as it dripped off his nose and onto a rock. They had followed the girl through a series of tunnels, but each time one of them tried to speak, she shushed them, indicating it wasn't safe to talk. The girl moved nimbly, but Chakotay and Janeway had a hard time matching her pace. Chakotay was sure he had at least one broken rib, and it was getting harder and harder for him to breathe in the thick underground air. He glanced back at Kathryn, who trailed slightly behind him. She looked pale, but she nodded to him to continue.
Despite the warm air in the tunnels, Janeway was cold. Her fight with the Br'nai guard had reopened the wound in her side, and she guessed that she was losing blood, but she knew they couldn't afford to stop moving. She tried to keep up with Chakotay's steady pace, knowing that he, too, was in pain. As they crawled, the tunnel around them became wider and taller. The girl stood in front of them. "It is safe to speak, now," she said.
"Thank you," Chakotay replied. He lowered his hand to Kathryn, and she let him help her to her feet. She immediately realized that had been a mistake as black spots threatened the corners of her vision and the walls seemed to spin around her. "Woah," said Chakotay softly, catching her and steadying her against him. "You okay?"
She shut her eyes against the dizziness and gripped Chakotay's arm with both hands. "I think I need to sit down."
"Okay." Gently, he lowered her to the ground, and as he did so, his hand brushed the raw wound and she winced in pain. Chakotay immediately realized what was happening. Checking the wound, he saw a dark patch of fresh blood spreading across Kathryn's top. He turned to the girl. "She needs medical attention."
"It is many lengths to the surface," the girl replied, "but when we reach it, you can bring her to my village. We don't have technology. It's not like here. But my people will take care of her."
Chakotay looked down at Kathryn, whose features were pale, and took her hand. Her skin felt cold and clammy, but her eyes were bright and determined. "We'll make it," she assured him as she let him pull her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her waist, careful to avoid her wound, and she slung one arm over his shoulder so she could lean on him for support. Janeway looked at the girl. "What's your name?"
"Mei," she answered shyly.
"I'm Kathryn. He's Chakotay. Thank you for helping us, Mei." The girl nodded and Janeway gave her a reassuring smile. "Let's go."
...
Tom and Seven had been wandering through the barren white corridors of the underground compound for quite some time but had found no evidence of the admiral or the commander. They had tried to avoid the more populated areas, using the modified tricorders to scan for life signs. "We might have to move in closer," Tom said. "If you..."
The beeping of Seven's tricorder cut him off. "Lieutenant," she said urgently, "life signs, this way: two human and one Br'nai." They headed in the direction of the signal, but after only a few moments, they ran into what appeared to be a dead end. "There appears to be a cavern of some sort behind this wall," Seven observed, looking at the readings on her tricorder.
Paris examined the panels on the wall and pried one loose. He staggered backwards with the force of the pull, but when he regained his balance, he saw that there was a large cave behind the wall. He climbed through the opening and offered his hand to Seven, assisting her as she followed.
The cavern was not large, but several tunnels split off in different directions. Seven motioned for Tom to follow her down the tunnel to their right. "We do not know if the Br'nai are holding them captive, or how long it will take someone to notice that a panel was removed from that wall. We must be prepared." She drew her phaser.
"Agreed."
She glanced down at her tricorder again. "They are moving. This way." The air in the tunnels was stifling, and Seven felt herself beginning to sweat - a decidedly unpleasant human trait. The life signs on her tricorder moved slowly, and she and Paris only walked a few more meters before she saw two familiar figures down the tunnel.
"Admiral!" Tom called. "Chakotay!" He began to move at a faster pace, and Seven followed, jogging behind him.
"Tom!" Chakotay exclaimed with relief. "Help me. She's injured."
Paris moved swiftly to Chakotay's side. "Tom," Janeway managed. "It's about time you showed up." She slung her arm over Paris' shoulder, and he took her weight from an exhausted Chakotay.
"We would've been here sooner, Admiral, but we, uh, ran into some friends along the way."
Seven gave Tom a disapproving look. "I believe Lieutenant Paris is attempting to use humor to diffuse a tense situation."
"That's all right, Seven. I've actually missed Tom's humor." Janeway tried to sound lighthearted, but the frailty in her voice betrayed her condition.
Chakotay noticed the Br'nai girl cowering in the corner and spoke to her softly, "Mei, these are our friends. This is Tom, and that's Seven. They're here to help us. They're going to take us away from your world."
Unexpectedly, Mei threw herself on her knees at Chakotay's feet. "Please, Master Cha-ko-tay, let me come with you. Once it is discovered that I helped you, my life will be over. Even if I return to my village, Dr. M'hel will find me and punish me."
Chakotay glanced at Kathryn and she nodded. He reached down and drew Mei to her feet. "I'm not your master, Mei. No one is. If you would like to come with us, you may, but our home is far from here. If you leave Br'nai now, you might never see your family again."
"I have no family," the girl replied with surprising strength in her voice. "Only orphans are taken to work at the secret place, so that no one will miss them, and they will not be able to return home and reveal the government's secrets. Once Dr. M'hel discovers that I have helped you, he will kill me." Chakotay nodded his acceptance of her decision.
"The shield grid is weak enough for transport just a few meters from here," Seven said, leading the group down another tunnel.
When they arrived, Paris tapped his comm badge. "Paris to Titan. Five to beam up." The transporter beam caught them, and as they rematerialized in the transporter room of the Titan, Tom realized that Janeway had gone unconscious in his arms.
...
The away team had just resumed their search when R'lar was called away from them. Deanna couldn't hear the conversation, but she felt the Br'nai scientist's sudden apprehension and anger, and Riker caught the words "escape" and "prison" in the dialogue. He signaled the rest of the away team that it was time to go. As they edged towards the door of the building, one of the emperor's guards stepped in front of the door to block their path, drawing his weapon.
The captain tapped his communicator. "Riker to Titan. Four to beam up." Another guard had stepped close and pointed a rifle at them.
"They're trying to block the transport, Captain," Rand's voice replied. "Attempting to compensate."
"Now, Lieutenant!" Riker ordered. Through the window, he could see another group of Br'nai approaching the building, and they were all armed.
