MAQUIS Kill or be Killed

Act 18 - Scene 1

The Botha sat back on his chair, closed his eyes and waited for the game to start.

Kathryn noticed that the sky was changing from black to grey. There was just enough light to see shapes. She was standing in front of the rough shelter that she'd built from branches and foliage. She found a pool of liquid but decided not to drink as it was black. She stubbed her toe on something hard as she went to find water. She knelt down on the floor where she found a gun with a note attached to it. The note was simple and direct,

Kill or be killed

It seemed that whatever had abducted her wanted to play. She picked up the gun and examined it carefully. Kathryn test fired it at a target. The tree disintegrated leaving only sawdust. Now she was comfortable that she had a weapon that she could defend herself with. She tucked it into the waistband of her pyjamas. The sounds of voices all through the night proved that she wasn't alone. Kathryn decided to find out if there were any other abductees and work together with them to escape. If she did meet another lifeform, she would try to communicate with it. Hopefully they could learn from each other. She would not shoot to kill unless her own life was in immediate danger.

Kathryn heard a loud buzzing and felt a stinging pain in her ear. She touched it with her fingers and came away with blood on her hands. She crouched down, scanning the terrain to spot who was shooting at her. There was a white blur as a creature ran across a clearing in the distance. She fired instinctively because she was startled. Kathryn hadn't expected an attack so soon. She needed to find cover as she was out in the open.

Scene 2

Seska picked up the gun she found and went straight into hunting mode. She ignored the note lying beside the weapon. As a Cardassian operative, she was a predator not prey. It would not bother her if she killed everyone in the forest to survive. She along her chosen path keeping under cover. There was a blur of movement in the distance. She aimed and fired. Damn she must have missed as her prey dived for cover. If she couldn't kill something soon she would have to head for the high ground to pinpoint their lair.

Her thought processes were interrupted when she felt a sharp pain in her arm. Seska turned her arm to look at the damage. There was a large patch of blood on her sleeve. She realised that somebody had shot her.

She screamed with rage and frustration, "Cowards, I'll kill everyone of you."

Seska dropped to the floor to find a way to stem the bleeding. She tore a strip off the end of her blouse and tied it around her arm to use as a tourniquet. The she scraped some dry black moss off a tree and pressed it to her wound. She went into shock and started to shiver.

Her priority was to find shelter. Most predators were attracted to the smell of blood. She forced herself to get back on her feet and move towards the densest foliage to find a place to hide.

Scene 3

Ayala found his unusual present next to him when he woke up. This was a surprise as he'd been sleeping on a branch in one of the older trees. He was still hungover so he'd found the safest place he could think of to rest. It was a perfect position where the branches were quite close together. This provided a shelf on which he could sleep without being seen.

He picked up his gun, stripped it down and reassembled it with ease. He didn't want to test fire the weapon until he was on the ground. The noise in the treetops might attract the wrong sort of attention to him.

He thought about the incident between Chakotay, Kathryn and Seska as he climbed down the tree. He knew Chakotay respected her but he hadn't guessed what his true feelings were. If Seska hadn't tried to kill them, they would have ended up in bed together. All he could think of, as he disarmed the crazy bitch, was the pain he felt seeing Kathryn with his best friend. He still loved Chakotay like a brother but the man attracted a lot of female attention. It seemed unfair that he should have Kathryn as well!

If he hurt his ankle or knee at this moment it would be fatal . He froze when he heard a loud growl. He was in an awkward position. If he jumped from this height he could break his ankle. Climbing back up the tree was a bad choice because the rustling would alert the creature to his position. He tried not to move. Ayala was praying that the creature had a short attention span. His arms and legs were starting to cramp.

When he hit the ground he ran straight for cover. He'd received combat training from Maquis instructors. The Rebels had to train their men to fight professional Cardassian and Starfleet soldiers. Ayala had to start hunting as soon as he touched the ground. He couldn't risk becoming a 'sitting duck '. He hadn't seen any signs of life since he appeared in the forest - which didn't mean that he was alone. Predators spend hours stalking their prey. Chakotay's experience as a tracker would have been useful now.

Scene 5

Chakotay was glad that his father's spirit was his guide as he didn't feel so alone. He knew that he was asleep but realised that he was still in danger. If he died in his subconscious he would not wake up. He had experienced lucid dreams before but nothing as realistic as this one. The dream walker must be close to manage the dreamscape of so many people.

He didn't recognise his surroundings so this scene wasn't from his memories. He didn't understand the need for this elaborate game. If they wanted the ship it would have been easier to kill them in their sleep. His best guess was the dream walker wanted to play with his victims and watch them suffer.

He noticed the signs that someone had passed through this way earlier. There were spots of blood on the floor and tracks leading away. He spotted broken branches heading south so he followed them. As he followed the tracks he realised that his prey was still injured and bleeding.

He arrived at an area where the creature had rested. There were signs of a fire and the alien had made running repairs to his wound. The area was littered with blood soaked cloths. Chakotay surveyed the area. If he wanted to hide and lick his wounds, where would he go? He noticed some undergrowth in the distance. A wounded creature would instinctively find somewhere to hide.

He knew that he couldn't have a relationship with Kathryn Janeway. The situation with Seska was proof that it didn't work. Unfortunately he couldn't change the way he felt about her. Chakotay could use alcohol as an excuse for his behaviour but he hadn't been drunk when he kissed her. Ayala was another complication. The man was like a brother and he knew that he had feelings for Kathryn as well. Chakotay heard a sound to his right so he ducked behind a bush. It was a bipedal creature with long white fur. He could see that it was injured so he waited. There was no need to attack it as it wasn't doing him any harm. The alien was wary of outsiders because it hid behind a large area of undergrowth.

Scene 6

Tom was doing his hourly round of crew bunk checks. Everyone was peaceful until he reached Seska's bunk. Her arm was bleeding so much that it was dripping onto the floor.

"Doc we have a problem, Seska is hurt and she's bleeding heavily."

"Can you transport her to sickbay Mr Paris and send Captain Janeway back to her bunk."

"It's been a long time since I used a transporter but I'll have a go."

He was glad that he didn't have to carry Seska. There was something about her that didn't fit. He knew that she'd been outspoken about not allowing him to join the crew again. He hadn't spoken to her the last time he was on board so he didn't understand her hostility towards him.

He went to the tiny transporter and managed to complete the successful transfer of both women. As soon as she reached Sickbay the Doctor started to work on her along with Astra. After he stopped the bleeding he injected her with an antibiotic. There was only a small scar left when he finished his treatment.

They had tried everything they could think of to find a successful method to disrupt the energy field. Seska wasn't the only member of the crew to suffer spontaneous injuries. The doctor,Tom and Astra were getting desperate.

"Doctor I need you to sedate me."

"Whatever for? Do you feel tired? It's not a convenient time to take a nap." said the Doctor looking confused.

Tom, Doctor, I am going to share a secret with you and I would be grateful if you could keep it to yourselves.

Both men nodded their agreement.

"I am telepathic. They allowed me to work with Star because of my abilities. If you put me to sleep I can consult Star about our situation. He has been around for thousands of years so he should provide useful counsel."

As they hadn't found a way to disrupt the energy field, Tom was ready to consider any suggestions.

They transported Seska back to her bunk. Astra lay down waiting for the Doctor

"Are you sure this is safe?"

"Yes Doctor I have done this on many occasions." She had only done this once before but Tom and the Doctor didn't need to know that.

Astra lay back and started to concentrate on her breathing and relaxing all her muscles one by one. She thought about sitting in her favourite place on her home planet. The garden in the Monastery where Star lived and worked was serene and colourful.

Scene 7

She remembered everything Star had taught her. Astra found herself on a bench. in her favourite spot in the Monk's garden. She waited for Star to arrive.

"Astra child I hope you are well."

"I'm fine sir but my friends on the ship aren't fine. They are under attack by a dream walker."

"Are you certain?"

Yes, one of the crew started to bleed while they were dreaming."

"You will have to enter their dream and find the dream walker. Then you must make him leave."

"How do I do that?"

Find everyone and bring them together. You must confront and overpower him but he must not die or you will all be trapped there forever."

"How will he return them to the waking world?"

"When he surrenders to you he will release the dreamers from his world."

She knelt down and put her hands together. He touched her head.

"I have missed you child. I hope you will have many adventures with your new friends."

"Thank you sir."

Scene 8

She closed her eyes, when she opened them again she was back in sick bay. The Doctor and Tom couldn't wait to hear what Star's advice was.

After she told them about her meeting they were certain that she could not enter the dreamscape alone. Tom volunteered to go with her.

"I have received years of training to practice remote viewing. How can you learn it in a few hours."

"He doesn't need to use the same method as you. Tom wasn't trapped with the others because he sleeps in sick bay on the opposite side of the ship from the crew bunks. If we sedate him in one of those bunks then he should enter the dreamscape in the same way as the others."

The Doctor and Tom finally managed to convince Astra that he could help. The plan was that Tom would sedate himself. As soon as he was safe and comfortable then the Doctor would inject Astra in sickbay . It was essential that they find the others. Everyone had to confront the Dream Walker to force him to surrender.

They decided to eat, take a nap, then go into battle. Their plan relied on the group's ability to neutralise the dream walker. He must have attacked other crews so he wasn't going to be easy to beat. They had to be strong and resolute.

Later that day they met in sickbay. The Doctor gave Tom a hypospray to put him to sleep then he went to lie down on a spare bunk. When he was comfortable he injected himself in the arm and lay down. When he opened his eyes he was standing in the black forest. He sat down to wait for Astra to find him.

Astra tried to centre herself before she went into the dreamscape. She knew that she had to be strong to save the others. She formed a mental picture of Tom so she didn't waste any time.

"Ready Doctor," said Astra.

"Good Luck," replied the Doctor.

Scene 9

Astra opened her eyes and realised that she was in the dreamscape. She saw Tom sitting patiently waiting for her.

"Let's start hunting. We have to find everyone before we can end this nightmare."

Astra closed her eyes again to see if she could sense anyone nearby.

"Have you found anyone yet?" asked Tom impatiently.

"I am not a machine and it's difficult to sense anything as they are still asleep."

Astra pointed north, "That way."

"How do you know which way to go?"

"I can sense energy and a presence over there.

As they closed in on their first target, Astra signalled him to stop walking. "The creature is injured. As it is a predator we must approach it with care."

They saw some movement in the bushes ahead. Astra told Tom to wait then she went on alone. She knelt down and bowed her head in a submissive gesture. She waited for the creature to understand that she meant it no harm. Astra watched with horror while Seska crawled out on her hands and knees towards her. She heard Tom shout as she rushed to help her.

"Astra, what are you doing? You don't know whether that creature is harmless or not?"

"Tom, what are you talking about? It's Seska and she's injured. We need to get her back to the ship."

Tom looked confused, " I can see an alien with long white fur, orange eyes and a snout."

Astra closed her eyes and opened her senses. She could feel the glamour around Seska's form. She tried to block the signal.

"What the hell is going on, I can see her now?"

"Someone is trying to hide her identity. My guess is the dreamwalker wants them to hunt each other."

"Seska are you able to walk with us?"

She growled at Astra as though she was trying to kill her. Astra shook her gently to try to force her to start thinking like a soldier.

"You have to come with us and we can't afford to keep fighting with you or fetching you if you run away."

Seska broke away and started to nod. Astra was pleased that she seemed to be coming out of her feral state.

Scene 10

Chakotay watched the group from behind the bushes. He watched Astra talk to two aliens. He was going to try to help her when one of the creature became aggressive but she dealt with it.

He remembered his father's advice not to believe the evidence of his own eyes. Something was wrong with this scene. Why was Astra here talking to the aliens. If they were trying to attack the crew why didn't she attack them. He knew that she was an experienced assassin with a high level of skill in all martial arts. He decided to trust his instincts and walked out of the bushes towards the group.

Astra walked over to Chakotay really glad to see him.

"What were you doing with the aliens, do you know them? With my record you are a double agent as well"

"I just need to adjust your perspective sir."

Chakotay could see Seska and Tom Paris clearly now.

"Report please!"

Astra told him everything she knew up to this point including her conversation with Star. Chakotay took charge of the group.

"How many of us are here?"

"We think that four of you are part of the dreamscape. We are missing Kathryn and Ayala."

Chakotay wondered what sort of reception he'd get from Ayala?

Scene 11

Ayala had been tracking one of the aliens for the whole day. He knew that he should kill it but he just couldn't do it. The only race he killed without conscience was the Cardassians.

The alien creature sat down to rest. He couldn't shake the idea that there was something familiar about this creature. It was quite beautiful. As the darkness settled it's fur started to glow with a luminescent white light.

Kathryn needed to rest as she had been walking for hours. She felt dizzy so she put her head down. She caught a glimpse of something in the bushes. She relied on her instincts and she didn't feel threatened. She walked over slowly so she didn't frighten her new friend. As she got closer she also thought there was something familiar about it

Ayala watched the creature walk towards him and he started to panic. He aimed the gun at the alien's head hoping that it would stop where it was. Luckily it stopped.

Kathryn couldn't understand why the alien was growling and aggressive. She hadn't made any sudden moves. She began to feel threatened so she raised her weapon.

"Kathryn, Ayala don't shoot each other!"

Astra rushed over to stand between them. She removed the glamour so they could see each other.. After they had finished hugging each other in relief, Astra brought them down to Earth. We have to find the dream walker.

The Botha was disturbed. Another telepath had invaded his dreamscape. He was furious with the invader. He opened his mind and searched for the interloper.

It had already interfered with the Botha's plans so it was going to suffer.