Maquis Act 44
Scene 1
Chakotay was starting to worry about Kathryn. A week had passed since they rescued her from the Entity and she hadn't mentioned her ordeal once. As the Captain of a Federation starship, she would've had to deal with her problems alone. He knew she was a strong resilient woman but everyone needs someone to talk to. It was a shame that Astra was still at the Base because they were close friends.
He watched her finish her meal and head straight to bed. She didn't even pretend to sleep. Kathryn lay on her cot and stared at the night's sky until she drifted into a troubled sleep. Since Q had taken the Entity away she had not slept.
B'Elanna came to sit by him, "Do you think we will get a full nights sleep tonight? I would offer to talk to her but we have nothing in common."
"I'm worried about her. We have to find a way to make her talk about her ordeal," confided Chakotay.
"The Entity was in control of Mira for two centuries. They have the most common ground so they could talk to each other.
"The Klingons aren't known for their sensitivity but that was pretty astute. I will tell Kathryn that Grandpere asked for our help."
The following morning, Chakotay took Kathryn to one side.
"Grandpere would like us to talk to Mira about her possession by the Entity. She lived with it for so long that she may have become dependent on its life force."
"I'm not so sure that I could help her. Since my abduction, I've had trouble sleeping. I haven't resolved my own issues yet."
"Helping Mira would help you to come to terms with what happened. Her Grandpere thinks that she would respond better to a woman," explained Chakotay."
"I'll try but I can't promise anything," warned Kathryn, "I'll have some breakfast then walk over to the cave."
Chakotay put his hand on her shoulder for support, "When you're ready to talk - I am a good listener.
"It made me feel vulnerable. Even though I don't have Voyager - I am still a Starfleet Captain."
"You are one of the strongest and most resilient woman I have ever met. You will come to terms with what happened and put it behind you soon.
Q walked into the camp and coughed, "I was going to apologise for my interruption but I wouldn't mean it."
"What happened to the Entity?" asked Chakotay.
"I took it to a monastery in Tibet on Earth. The monks operate a holding facility for the evilest creatures in the Universe. These entities feed on violence and anger. After a few years with the monks, they starve to death."
"That is brilliant, you actually kill them with kindness," remarked Kathryn.
"I can't take all the credit, another Q convinced the monks to help us with our work," said Q. "I wanted you to hear the news from me. Do you think you could stay out of trouble long enough for me to have a rest."
Kathryn smiled, "You don't have to keep saving me, Q. I managed to survive before you came into my life?"
"You have a habit of getting under my skin, Miss Janeway and I can't figure out why?"
Kathryn stuck her tongue out, "You have never met a female who doesn't treat you like a God!"
"How do you know that I'm not a God?"
"I prefer my Gods with a little less arrogance. Your pleasure-seeking lifestyle isn't divine."
"You are an infuriating woman but I relish a challenge. You are all I can think about when I'm not with you. I have business in the Continuum but I will return to continue this conversation soon."
Q clicked his fingers and vanished.
Chakotay was angry and a little jealous, "What was that all about?"
"Q was trying to flirt with me. I keep telling him that I'm not interested but he won't listen."
"I apologise Kathryn, It's none of my business who you flirt with. I want to get away from this cursed planet as soon as we can."
Kathryn agreed with him, "We are in a precarious position. We have to focus on leaving the Island. Once we collect Tom and Astra, we have to locate a starship capable of reaching the next planet."
Scene 2
Tom was getting used to his solitary life. For the first week, he rehearsed what he was going to tell the others about Astra's disappearance. He set out every day to look for her but decided to give up after he'd scoured the local area with no luck. His first priority was to find transport to take him to the Island. Tom knew something had gone wrong or they would have returned by now.
He started to check all the structures that looked big enough to house a shuttle. After a few fruitless days, he was ready to give up - when he spotted what appeared to be an old airport. He had read about early flight so he recognised a hangar. He couldn't believe his eyes when he finally gained entry. There was a fleet of primitive shuttles for domestic use, more like airborne taxis.
Tom returned to the Base to collect as many tools as he could find. After he examined one of the shuttles he realised that he could adapt it to travel short distances. After he'd completed the adaptations he intended to go to the Island. He needed to find out why the others hadn't returned to the Base. If there were survivors, he could take them to the next planet in the Solar System. According to the records stored at the Base, the planet was rich in natural resources. There was nothing written ab
He was in the middle of stripping spare parts from another shuttle when he heard:
"Okay I didn't expect a warm welcome back ignoring me is a little harsh."
Tom froze for a few seconds then he gave Astra a big hug, "I'm so glad that you're alright. I thought you were dead. Where have you been?"
"After I've showered and had dinner, I will tell you everything."
Scene 3
When Kathryn arrived at the cave there was nobody there. She didn't think they'd have gone far so she went to look for them. As she made her way through the jungle the temperature started to climb. She began to strip off because nobody enjoys sweating.
Kathryn pushed her way through some dense foliage to find a huge, deep azure blue pool. It even had trees around the edges to provide shade from the sun. She examined the area to see if there were any hidden dangers.
It was so hot that she risked stripping off all her clothes and made a perfect dive into the pool. The water was so cold that it took her breath away. After she acclimatised to the temperature the water was perfect. She turned over to float on her back. She had quite a shock when she heard a round of applause.
"Thank you my dear - that was quite a show!" shouted Q.
If you were a gentleman, you would have covered your eyes," snapped Kathryn.
Q smiled with a glint in his eye, I have never masqueraded as a gentleman. I don't see a towel so how were you going to dry yourself?"
Kathryn blushed because her original plan was to lie on the grass and let the warmth of the sun dry her.
"Would you cover your eyes so I can put my clothes on. It doesn't matter if they get wet," pleaded Kathryn.
Q shook his head enjoying every moment of her embarrassment. He sat down on the grass to make himself comfortable while he waited for her to get out of the water.
"You must have seen thousands of naked females in your immortal lifetime - why pick on me?" asked Kathryn.
"Don't be so modest Kathy. From my viewpoint, you have nothing to worry about. How do you keep in shape?"
Kathryn thought about the phaser in her bag. It would wipe the smile off his face if she shot him. Q walked over to her pile of clothes and picked up the phaser.
"For such an educated female, you do have a lot of violent thoughts."
Kathryn gasped, "Oh my goodness, you can read my thoughts. Don't you have any respect for my privacy?
"Why don't you come out because you're starting to turn blue," teased Q.
He clicked his fingers to produce a fluffy towel and laid it on her pile of clothes.
Kathryn tried one last time, "You could behave like a gentleman. Hand me my clothes and look the other way while I get dressed"
"I will put a large hole in your body if you don't follow the lady's instructions. I know that you are immortal but it will sting like hell," warned Chakotay.
"Do you have to spoil all my fun. Why were you following her Captain Stalker?"
Chakotay was starting to lose his temper, "I don't have to explain anything to you. Turn around or I will forget that I have principles."
Q thought about sending Chakotay to the other side of the galaxy but he wanted to impress Kathy. He whispered something in his ear then he vanished.
Chakotay held the towel out and averted his eyes. Kathryn dressed behind a convenient bush.
"What did Q say to you before he disappeared?"
"Some nonsense about revenge. I didn't listen to his ramblings."
Chakotay didn't like lying but wasn't going to tell her the truth
She is mine and I will return to for her. You may have won the battle but you haven't won the War.
Scene 4
Astra finished her battle rations and drank a large beaker of water in one go. Tom was sitting on the edge of his chair waiting for her account of the last two weeks.
"You know about the Q?" asked Astra.
"Yes, he made a nuisance of himself. He appeared on the USS Enterprise whenever he felt bored. Captain Picard couldn't get rid of him because he was so powerful" replied Tom.
"They have too much power for such an immature species," stated Astra.
"Are you a Q? Joked Tom.
"No, but my species is older than the Q."
Tom sat up and started to pay close attention, "You had better tell me the whole story."
"I am an Ancient. I won't tell you how old I am because you will not believe me. We are much older than the Q. When the Q ascended we were waiting for them. Our Elders offered guidance to help them understand the responsibilities of infinite power."
"From everything I've read, your Elders didn't succeed," commented Tom.
"It soon became clear that the Q didn't want our help. In fact, they wanted to be the most powerful species in the Universe. To achieve that goal they had to banish the competition."
"I can guess what happened next," added Tom.
"They started to attack our homes in the Continuum. Our males didn't have experience of fighting or defending themselves. The Q's raids on the Continuum continued until the majority of my people were dead or missing. A handful of survivors fled to other worlds to ask for asylum. The Q made it their mission to erase us from the timeline. They hunted us like wild animals. I took refuge in a monastery in a remote mountain range on Epsilon Prime."
"I'm surprised they took you in - most orders do not accept females," commented Tom.
"The Monastery ran a school for orphans. I shaved off all my hair and wore a novice robe. None of the order questioned my right to be there.
"Was the monk who travelled with you one of that order?" asked Tom.
Astra replied, "That was my master. He taught me everything I know about spiritual matters. The Monastery was the perfect sanctuary for me to reflect and learn from my experiences."
"What made you leave your sanctuary?"
"I started to get restless - I wanted to discover how the Universe had changed in my absence. My Master decided that it was the perfect time to undertake his last pilgrimage with me. I knew that he was only accompanying me to keep me safe. He knew I was too naive to survive in the modern world.
Before we left our home I spent a year training in martial arts and weapons. As an Ancient, it didn't take too long to learn these new skills.
Astra continued, "During our journey, we explored everywhere in the Universe. The ability to teleport enabled us to visit remote places that weren't included on any maps."
Tom was curious, "What stopped your pilgrimage?"
"My Master contracted a terminal illness. His last wish was to die surrounded by his Brothers. When we boarded your ship we couldn't believe that you were explorers as well. When I met Kathryn I felt an immediate connection."
"I know exactly what effect she has on people! I couldn't stop thinking about her after she visited me in prison," admitted Tom.
"I know that you are going to ask me - why didn't I use my powers to send you home?"
Astra had been waiting for that question since she decided to reveal the truth to Tom.
"It doesn't work like that. If the Q sensed a major alteration in the timeline, it would alert every Q in the Galaxy to my position," stated Astra.
"How did you manage to fit into our group without anybody discovering your secret?" asked Tom.
Astra laughed, "I haven't needed to use my powers. I can defend myself and use my brain without extra help.
"Does Q know what you are? I can't see him keeping your secret unless it benefited him."
"Don't worry about Q - we have an understanding," swore Astra.
"Do you know what happened to others on the Island?" asked Tom.
"They are the reason for my disappearance. That morning I sensed the crash and their injuries. Healing is one of my gifts. If I can reach the injured in time, I can even bring them back from death. If I am too late the life force will have left the body and I can't help them," explained Astra.
"Were any of them killed in the crash?" asked Tom.
"Ayala was near death but I managed to bring him back. I healed Kathryn, the Captain and B'Elanna afterward. Healing requires a lot of energy so I was very weak. I had enough power to teleport to the Monastery. The Brothers looked after me until I was strong enough to return."
"I would share your secret with Kathryn. She'd rather hear it from you than a stranger. I am honoured that you decided to share your secret with me but what happens next?"
"I will help you to restore the shuttle and even add a few modifications of my own to improve them. When the vessel is ready then we can rescue our crew mates."
Tom smiled when he realised that his impossible repair job had become a lot easier.
Scene 5
Chakotay was silent on their walk back to the Camp. Kathryn was starting to get angry with his sulking.
"I didn't invite Q to watch me skinny dipping."
"Didn't you? He must have had some encouragement because he thinks you belong to him."
This comment made Kathryn lose control of her fiery temper. "How dare you! I have informed Q every time we meet that I'm not interested in having a relationship with him. What else can I do to convince him? He can insert himself into my life whenever he chooses."
"Why does he think that you will leave us and run off into the sunset with him?" enquired Chakotay.
"Q has a monumental ego. Females usually fall at his feet. If I had welcomed his attention he would have lost interest in me."
"Don't you want an easier life? If you accepted his proposal the Universe would be your playground. You only have to say yes!"
Kathryn was speechless then she slapped him around the face.
"You think that I should sell myself for an easier life? Am I so shallow that I would break my promise to inform my crew's relatives that they died in the line of duty? You don't know me at all!"
Kathryn was so hurt and upset that she tried to hit him again. He caught her hand this time and pulled her towards him. He kissed her hard before she pulled away from him, eyes blazing.
"What did you do that for?" asked Kathryn, ignoring the obvious.
Chakotay sat down on a tree stump and covered his face with his hands. He was so ashamed that he'd behaved like Q - taking what he wanted!
Kathryn knelt beside him and pushed his hands aside. She brushed away a tear from the corner of his eye. Chakotay closed his eyes so she couldn't see how much her touch affected him.
"Q might forget about me. He has the concentration span of a small child. I refuse to massage his ego so he'll look for another target elsewhere.
"I don't think you'll find it easy to get rid of him. As he said you aren't that easy to forget"
"Let's head back to the camp," said Kathryn.
As soon as they left - Q reappeared. Would she choose Chakotay over him? He loved a challenge and recently his life had become a little dull and tedious. He found humans fascinating. He decided to pay more attention to this little group and especially Kathryn Janeway.
Scene 6
When they reached the camp Kathryn and Chakotay went their separate ways. He was distraught because he realised that he could drive Kathryn into Q's arms if he didn't control his emotions. Chakotay couldn't endure the thought of them as a couple.
The others were doing their own thing so he decided to find a quiet place to sit and think. He walked to the river and sat down to take off his boots so he could dangle his feet in the water. Chakotay looked around because he thought he heard a cough. Ariel revealed himself sitting on the bank by his side, smoking a clay pipe.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you Captain but you look like a man who needs someone to talk to."
"I didn't mean to invade your privacy," apologised Chakotay.
Ariel was feeling nosy, "Don't give it another thought - what drove you to need solitude?"
"A woman!" blurted Chakotay.
Ariel nodded his head, "We have something in common."
"What about you?" asked Chakotay.
Ariel sighed, "The same - it doesn't matter what I do - it's never enough."
"As Captain, I owe a duty of care to my crew. I had a relationship with one of my crew mates which didn't end well. She dumped us on this planet to die. My ex-lover persuaded my crew to mutiny so she could steal my ship.
"Do you think this other woman would do the same?" asked Ariel.
Chakotay replied without hesitation, "Never, she has too much integrity."
There was a small flash of light to signal Ariel's disappearing trick. Chakotay had enjoyed their conversation so was a little annoyed.
When he returned he had good news, "A ship landed on the other side of the island. A male and female alighted to plan their search of the island. They talked about their missing crew members."
Is the female tiny with white hair?" asked Chakotay.
"Yes, and the male is as tall as a tree and deafens our ears," described Ariel.
"Could you take me there, please? You have described our friends whom we left on the mainland," asked Chakotay.
"Of course, return to your camp as I have work to do. Make ready. I will ask my most trustworthy friend to guide you."
Chakotay decided to go alone in case it was a false alarm. He needed a walk to clear his head.
The Sprite arrived to take him to the landing site. On their first meeting, Chakotay could tell that he wasn't the warm and fuzzy type.
"Keep up giant or you will get lost and die!"
Chakotay stifled his laughter in case he offended his tiny guide.
"Don't worry I can keep up with you on the ground but your wings give you an unfair advantage."
"I will slow down due to your advanced age," said the insolent Sprite.
Chakotay was starting to lose his patience, "Can we get a move in before I forget that I am a pacifist and stamp on you."
The Sprite was gleeful, "You have threatened me now so my obligation to Ariel is over. Find your own way, stupid giant!"
He stuck his tongue out and vanished.
Ariel reappeared, "What did you do to him? He was shaking and in tears when he returned to the village."
Mira skipped along the path behind Ariel, singing.
"He was telling lies - he didn't want to go so he tricked Captain Chakotay into losing his temper. I will take him, then you can deal with Dandelion."
Chakotay walked behind Mira who continued to skip along the path. When the sun was its highest they sat down to rest. Mira picked fruit from a nearby tree.
"You should never pick anything from a tree unless you're sure that it's safe." advised Chakotay.
"Ari and his tribe showed me everything safe to eat in the jungle in case I got lost." replied Mira.
Chakotay bit into the fruit which tasted like a peach flavoured apple. After eating two pieces of fruit he felt full again.
Mira held up her hand and put her finger on her lip. They stopped talking and eating so they could listen to the voices.
Mira whispered, "Follow me!" She changed direction towards the voices.
Chakotay could hear Tom Paris before he came into view. He sat down in the grass to wait for them.
"How did you get here? Have you found transport which is capable of leaving the planet?"
"Nice to see you too, Chakotay. How are Captain Janeway, Ayala and B'Elanna?"
"Everyone is fine. How did you get here?" asked Chakotay, who was starting lose his patience.
"We found a shuttle which we managed to repair. Astra thinks that it was a prototype for development. It is like the Val Jean with enough room for all. Astra thinks that we can improve the engine to make it faster."
Chakotay closed his eyes and thanked his spirit guide.
"We will collect the others then have a meeting to decide what to do next."