I've reached a point in this story where I haven't decided yet what to do. I'd be interested if anyone is intrigued enough for me to keep writing...I'd love to get some feedback! Thanks.
It had been three months since they had arrived on Trelok and Janeway sat watching the news communications on the screen in Anka's living room. The "peace effort" was going well. People had accepted that Janeway and Anka's alliance was a step forward and that, with her help, they would be able to overcome the Brahids. Janeway didn't know what her information had actually done or if the Trelok had even attempted to engage the Brahids.
Kathryn heard Anka enter at the front door and stood up as he walked in the room. She nervously looked at the floor, unsure what mood he was going to be in. As she saw his eyes flash, she quickly scrambled away from him, but wasn't fast enough to avoid the first blow. Once she was on the ground, he wrenched her arm behind her back.
"You've held out long enough about the Brahid defenses. I need to know now. How do they keep themselves shielded from us?"
Kathryn didn't respond and he pulled on her arm more sharply. She heard a tear at the same time she felt the pain. A scream escaped her lips and she crumpled over. He hit her until she only heard ringing in her ears and nothing else.
"Please, Anka. I don't know." The words came out in a whimper, but she was long past feeling shame for that weakness.
He growled in disgust, kicked her, and walked away towards his office. She heard him talking through a communicator, ordering troops to converge on the city center. When he was finished, he came back into the room and glared at her. Kathryn shuddered when he came closer, but he just looked at her and said, "Stay here. There are guards outside the doors."
With that, he stormed out the front door. Kathryn pulled herself up off the floor, holding her arm. It was then that she saw that the program on tv had been interrupted by the newscaster. When she looked closely at the screen, she saw images of small ships streaking across the city sky. The picture flashed and she was looking at soldiers sweeping through the city streets. But, they weren't Trelok soldiers. When she looked more closely, she saw that the figures were human, but not dressed in the typical Brahidian way. Instead of loose, leather outfits, they had on tight, protective uniforms.
They carried guns and around them buildings were collapsing as if there was an earthquake, although the ground under the soldiers feet was steady as they marched together. The announcer was urging citizens to stay inside, that the military was on its way and would take care of the problem.
In the second it took Janeway to assess the situation, she had pulled herself together and taken stock of what she needed to do. She snuck down to the basement, where the tunnel led into the prison. Anka had been so sure of her obedience, that he had only stationed one guard at the mouth of the tunnel. With the element of surprise, she easily dispatched the man and was able to run into the courtyard of the prison.
On the other side, she found Chakotay and the crew innocently going about their regular evening routine.
He looked up in alarm as he saw her coming and ran to greet her.
"What's going on, Captain? Are you okay?"
She ignored his second question and said, "I'm not sure what's happening, but I think the Brahid are here."
As she said this, two ships streaked above them and they heard an explosion as the wall surrounding the prison smashed into pieces.
People came flooding through the opening, straight towards Janeway and her crew. When Janeway saw Avani in the lead, she ran towards her.
"Avani, what's happening?"
"We have to get you out of here, Captain. We are temporarily in control of the city, but the Trelok have reinforcements on the way and we won't be able to hold them off."
She turned towards some of the soldiers behind her and directed them to secure the prison. As they left, she turned back to the Captain.
"We need to get your crew out of here. We have a transport ship landing about a mile outside of the city. Can your people make it?"
Janeway nodded, "They'll be fine."
"Fine, let's get going then."
"Avani, I can't leave." Janeway lifted up her pant leg and pointed at the metal bracelet around her ankle. "It will kill me if I leave the city or try to take it off. You'll need to take my crew for me."
Avani started to respond, but one of her soldiers came running back to her.
"Their reinforcements are here. We can't leave through the front. We don't have time to take out the wall in the back."
While Avani discussed options, Janeway had come up with her own.
"I can hold of Anka, at least for a moment. Go now."
"Captain, no, we're not going to leave you behind."
"You don't have a choice, Avani. Please, get my crew to safety." Janeway's eyes pleaded with Avani.
For the first time since they greeted each other, Avani took a long look at Janeway, taking in her haggard appearance and bruised face. Finally, she nodded sharply and said, "Good luck, Captain."
Janeway turned to Chakotay, who was already preparing his arguments against Janeway staying behind.
"No, Chakotay. Promise me you'll get the crew home."
"Captain, don't do this." Chakotay's voice was angry.
Janeway didn't say anything but took a last look at her crew, reached up and kissed Chakotay on the cheek, and turned and sprinted back to the house.
Before heading back upstairs to the apartment, she stopped at the body of one of the prison guards and took his weapons from him. She headed upstairs and looked out the front window, where Anka was organizing his troops to enter the prison.
She took a deep breathe and started to open the door to head out, but before she could she heard a noise behind her.
"Captain, what are you doing?"
Janeway froze in disbelief at the sound of the voice. Slowly, she turned around.
A few yards away from her, Kalle was standing in the middle of the room, wearing Brahidian clothing and looking like she had been through hell. Her hair had been pulled back but half of it was coming out of its binding and it hung down, sticking in the sweat on her face. Her clothes were torn and damp.
"Kalle? But, they told me you were dead."
"They lied."
Janeway studied the woman, taking in the sight of her. Even though she looked exhausted, she seemed composed. Her face showed no emotion and Janeway felt a sharp pang when it reminded her of the last time she had seen Kalle.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to stop you from committing suicide." She walked over to Janeway and peered out the window. Then she knelt down and looked at the bracelet. "We need to get the control from Anka and turn it off."
"Kalle, you should go back with the others. You're not safe here."
"Captain, you don't get to tell me what to do anymore."
Janeway recoiled at the words as if she had been hit.
"Kalle, I...I'm sorry."
Kalle looked at her and for a moment Janeway thought she saw a softening in the woman's eyes. But it was gone quickly enough that Janeway wasn't sure if she imagined it.
"I want you to follow me out the door. Stay behind me at all times, do you understand?"
"No, Kalle, I'm not putting you in harm's way."
With an exasperated sigh, Kalle pushed past Janeway and opened up the door.
"Follow me or stay here." With that, she left and Janeway rushed out after her.
Outside, Anka looked up when the two women emerged. Immediately, dozens of weapons were trained on them.
"Commander, we're here to ask that you deactivate Captain Janeway's bracelet."
Janeway waited for him to laugh at them, but instead saw Anka looking at Kalle assessingly, She also thought she saw a glint of fear in his eyes, but since he was always so self-assured, she didn't think it likely.
"If you do, Commander, we'll leave you alive. Otherwise, I can get the control off your dead body."
Anka responded to this, "I don't do well with threats, Kalle. By the way, it's good to see you again."
Kalle frowned, "Commander, make your decision."
Anka didn't, but started walking slowly towards them. "I missed you after you left my care. I made a mistake giving you to Mayvik. I should have kept you for myself. I guess it worked out, though, since I was able to have your Captain here instead."
Kalle hissed at that statement and started to rush at him, but Janeway quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back, "Kalle, don't."
Kalle stopped, took a deep breathe and then smiled, "It's over, Anka. Give up now and we can all live in peace."
"You know that's not possible, Kalle. Peace is something you and I will never have."
Without turning, he raised his arm and Janeway heard the weapons behind him click on. She braced herself, accepting her fate. She was still holding Kalle's arm and the warmth running between her and the other woman calmed her. She closed her eyes and waited.
She heard an explosion and her body tensed, but she didn't feel anything. She opened her eyes, to find Anka's men had been thrown aside, bodies slumped on the ground. Anka was backpedaling away from them.
Kalle took a step forward, eyes blazing, "Don't move, Commander."
He didn't listen, but instead turned to run. Kalle flicked her hand out and the ground exploded in front of him. Janeway fell back in shock as debris from the street rained down on them. Anka stumbled away from the gaping hole in front of him and then turned to the side, but the street split apart, forming a wide crevice that dropped into blackness.
He looked at Kalle and said, "You're an abomination." He grabbed his wrist and ripped the control off it, threw it at Kalle, turned and sprinted in the only direction left to him.
Kalle let Anka run, instead reaching down to grab the control. She pressed some buttons and Janeway looked down to see the light on the bracelet turning off. Kalle leaned down and tore it off.
"Come on, we need to get out of here."
"Kalle, wait, what just happened?"
She might as well not have spoken, because Kalle ignored her and ran back towards the hole in the prison wall. Janeway had no choice but to follow.
The two of them ran across the yard and through another gap in the opposite wall that led out into the edge of the city.
Janeway had to sprint to keep up with Kalle. Her shoulder was sending shooting pains down her back with each step and she was quickly exhausting what little energy she had. They zigzagged through the city streets until they reached fields that surrounded the city border.
The two women ran through them, scrambling over stone walls and between the trees that bordered each field. In the distance, Janeway could see a large ship was landing.
As they got closer, Janeway could see that the ship was taking fire from Trelok soldiers who were converging on the landing site.
Kalle picked up her speed, barely looking back to see if Janeway was following. Janeway yelled at her to stop as they reached the fighting, but Kalle wasn't listening.
As soon as they got to the edge of the weapon's firing, Kalle ran towards the fray. Eyes blazing, she raised her arms in front of her and held out her hands palms facing towards the soldiers. Janeway felt the air around them became heavy and she found it harder to move, as if she was trying to run through butter. The air whipped around her and the first wave of Trelok soldiers were lifted off their feet, thrown back, and crushed on the ground.
The soldiers behind them didn't even pause, but climbed over their fallen comrades, as they ran at Kalle and the ship. Behind, the Brahid ship had landed and Janeway saw her crew being escorted up the ramp to safety. Brahidian soldiers were surrounding them protectively, weapons firing into the crowd of Trelok soldiers coming at them. Smaller Brahidian fighter ships were shooting at the Trelok's as they zipped above the field. Bodies from both sides lay littered everywhere.
Janeway struggled to keep up with Kalle, but the other woman had already reached the Trelok and was fighting them hand to hand. Janeway watched her engage one of the soldiers, but it looked as if Kalle wasn't even touching her opponent. With each blow she made, energy radiated out to impact dozens of the men around her.
As she cut a path through the men, Janeway saw that she was beginning to slow down. Her movements because jerky and sweat was pouring down her face. She stumbled a few times but immediately pulled herself back up to continue. Janeway caught up to her and, when Kalle stumbled again, Kathryn put her arms around her to help her up.
Kalle shrugged her off and yelled, "Get to the ship and tell Avani to get our people on board. They need to leave now."
Janeway didn't miss how Kalle said "they" and she said, "You're not coming with us?"
"The ship won't make it out of here if I don't hold off the rest of the troops. Go, now."
They were about fifty yards from the ship now and a few Brahidian soldiers ran to them, grabbing Janeway to help her to the ship. She fought their hold and ran back to Kalle.
"I'm not leaving you behind."
Again, Janeway thought she saw Kalle's eyes soften.
"You can't help, Captain. Your ship needs you. And I have to stay."
Janeway wanted to say that she needed Kalle, that she couldn't lose her again, but she felt herself being pulled back and, this time, the grip around her arms was tighter. Kalle had already turned back to the fighting.
Other than the guards stationed at the ramp, everybody else had boarded the ship. They pulled Janeway up, who was still fighting to get back to Kalle. At the top of the ramp, Avani greeted them and pulled Janeway aside.
"She can handle herself, Captain. This is her choice, don't take that away from her. Focus on your crew."
Janeway took one last look out the window, where Kalle was struggling to hold back the hundreds of men surging at the ship.
She heard the engines engage and as the ship lifted off, Kalle pushed back the crowd of men around her. She knelt down and laid her hand on the ground. A ripple ran out from it and the entire ground around her heaved. Roots from the trees around the edge of the field reached up through the dirt and grabbed at the men above. The soldiers, unable to keep their balance with the ground bucking beneath them were scrambling to avoid the roots that were wrapping around their legs and panicking.
In the middle of the chaos, Kalle was lying on the ground, unconscious.