CHAPTER FIVE: FIRST CONTACT

While in transporter room three they get their things ready to go down to the surface and look for their people, Captain Lutgen is looking around at the two crew's, One Starfleet and the other Maquis, While he was looking around at them he was thinking what will happen if we do get stuck here in another part of space, will these two crews make it, will they learn to get along, while in thought the transporter officer tells the Captain that he is ready to transport them to the surface, Captain Lutgen gives the order and the officer transports them to the surface. While on the surface the Captain looks around in curiosity's wondering what happened to the planet, where are the people who live here at, and how do they survive on this planet, after all for a class "M" planet their should be water, plants, trees, people wondering around having fun recreating, and enjoying the things that their culture likes to do, but where are all the people, in confusion he looks at Nellix and asks, "Where are the people who live here at?"

"Oh you mean the Ocompa, well they are here but we have to go and talk to these people called the Kazon Ogla they will know where we could find them!"

"The Kazon Ogla who are they?"

Now the Captain thought oh boy we are in trouble who are these people what are they like, man to many things to remember but he was sure of one thing, this would make one hell of a report when he had they got back home. While walking on this deserted planet they came up on this little city, it looked old and abandoned but Captain Lutgen saw some people they were running to them yelling things at Nellix, Captain Lutgen thought that this would be good, maybe they are friends with him, then all in the blink of an eye they grabbed him raised him and then they took the weapons of all the officers that were on the planet while they had their trained on them. After all of this happened Captain Lutgen thought to himself this is not happening, it can't be, Nellix was put up against the wall he was talking to some of the Kazon military officers telling them he needed to talk to their first Maje the ever so wise Jabin!"

Looking around trying to get some ideas to get their weapons back and then get their people out of their, this guy came out of this complex, he looked at Nellix and warned his people away, Captain Lutgen wondering if this Jabin dude hoping that it is so he could get the answers that he needed to get the crewman they lost. Jabin looks at Nellix and asks him "What do you come to steal now you thief?"

"Jabin I brought you water, water Jabin for all the things that I took from you, show them Jennings!"

Knowing well she needed to do she handed Jabin the water bottle and watched him take a drink, then Nellix told him, "There is more, their ship has this technology that can make water out of thin air but you have to help us first!"

"Help you, how can I help someone that has the technology to create water out of thin air!"

The Captain was watching these men for a few minutes and then he decided to interject what might be the best thought yet, "Yell here let me make you a deal! If we give you the water can you tell us where we might find these people called the Ocompa?"

"Well sure, she is Ocompa, but what would you want with them, they only 9 years and they are worthless, she escaped from an underground cavern only few get out and wonder to the surface, but they always go back, we caught her before she had the chance to but she will not give us the information we seek to find these people!"

So in honor of the agreement that the Captain made Captain Lutgen tapped his communicator and said

"Voyager, beam down the water containers we set up!"

Then right out of thin air came two containers, they were filled with water, all the Kazon ran to these and grabbed as much water as they could but before they were able to begin taking water from them, Nellix pulled out his phaser and pointed it at Jabin, "Drop your weapons or he dies, NOW!"

Knowing that Nellix meant business Jabin ordered his crew to put down their weapons and so they did. Although Nellix had other plans while the Starfleet crew grabbed their weapons Nellix told a girl named Kes to come here after he did that he also said, "Captain, I strongly suggest you get us out of here!"

Without further delay Captain Lutgen tapped his communicator and yelled, "Voyager 6 to beam up!"

Before the transport procedure began Nellix shot at the two big water containers and they watched the Kazon fight over the water that was poring out of them. Once back on Voyager Nellix looked at Kes and asked her, "Told you I would be back didn't I dear?"

All were stunned and turned and looked at the two hugging each other in love. Captain Lutgen suggested that they get Kes down to sick bay so she could get treated for her injuries, while in sick bay their was disagreement between Nellix and Tuvok, Tuvok out of logic asked, "If you knew that our people were not down their then why did you lead us their?"

"I made a promise to Kes that I would return for her!"

"Well you should have let us know, so that way we knew and could take the proper security precautions!"

While all of this was happening the Doctor turned and gave his medical opinion, "This is sick bay not a chat area if you wish to chat go somewhere else do not..."

Before the Doc could finish, "Computer deactivate the E.M.H program!"

The Doctor disappeared and the Captain yelled, "I do not care about what just happened, let's just find our people and get the hell home!"

Nellix with other things in mind told Kes, "Well now that I have you back, lets go and live our lives!"

Kes knowing that their crew was on their planet responded, "We should help these people get their crew back, they helped us now we should help them too!"

Captain Lutgen was confused, these people were strange, and first they meet this alien named Nellix then the Ocompa then the Kazon Ogla, what next? In acceptance Captain Lutgen responded, "You know where our people are being held?"

"Yes the Caretaker has been bringing people their for months, but they all have died from this rare illness, we have not been able to figure this out though, I will lead you through one of the caverns, the one I came through should still be open!"

Now the Captain was getting short fussed, but he kept his faith that Kes would help them find their people and get them home. Once on the surface they entered a cavern that led them to a city where it was bigger then the Voyager crew and the Maquis crew had expected, Kes took them to a person who might know where the sick were taken after they brought here by the Caretaker, Daggin was his name when they got to the garden where Daggin was working and Kes picked him right out of the crowd, "Daggin, I have brought some people who are trying to find their missing crew, do you know where they are taken once they get here?"

"They are taken to a medical facility on the other side of the colony!"

Before he could start his next sentence another man came along using his powers to talk in their mind he said, "They are not to be here, they do not belong here they must go back from where they came!"

Kes knew that these people did not have the ability to talk using their minds so she told he guy, "They do not posses the ability to talk with their minds you will have to speak if you wish them to answer you!"

"You do not belong here, Kes why did you bring them here, they might be helping the Kazon!"

"NO, they rescued me from the Kazon, they are trying to find two of their crewman they were brought here by the Caretaker. Where are they?"

"They are on the other side of the colony, but they maybe dead most people who are brought here by him do not live no more then a week, but they have not been seen for days."

"Good then they might still be alive, follow me!"

So as ordered they followed her and she told them where one of the caverns were, "Stacy and Nellix you go to that one over their Chakotay and I will take the one over their, if you find them get them to the surface and contact us!"

So as ordered they went to the caverns, once they entered they saw two different kinds of footprints, once Stacy saw them she knew that they were in here. So she yelled at Nellix "This way, come on!"

Going up the stairs they saw this light, once they saw the light they ran to it and seen their men laying their .

"Jennings to Captain Lutgen, We found them Captain and we are getting them to the surface now!"

"Good Stacy we are on the way get back to the ship as soon as possible!"

Meanwhile back on Voyager Rollins who was left in charge was monitoring the array, "Captain, the array has quit firing energy surges at the planet but it arrears to be getting ready to fire something else, maybe a weapon of some sort!"

"Acknolaged, keep me informed!"

Then as if it were not enough Rollins came over the communicator, "Captain it is firing en energy weapon at the planet!"

Back on the planet surface Stacy taped her communicator and yelled, "Jennings to Voyager, Lock on to my com badge and beam them to the ship!"

Nellix in disbelieve looks at Stacy and says, "You are not planning on going back in there are you?"

Stacy responded with, "Yes, why?"

"Well then may the foolish get luck and be brave!"

"You look after them honey and keep them safe!"

Jennings and Nellix went back into the cavern to get the remaining crew and lead them back to the surface. Once they found them Nellix grabbed the Captain and Tuvok, Stacy went for Chakotay, Chakotay looking injured yelled, "Get out of here can you not see that this is going to collapse any minute?"

"Yeah but I figure if I save your life then your life belongs to me!"

"Wrong tribe!"

Stacy knew that if she helped that his life belonged to her but as stubborn as he was he was not going to let her help him, finally Chakotay got tried of it and said, "Well fine if you want to help I will let you, if I am going to die at least I will get to watching you go with me!"

Stacy knew though if she moved just right she would get them both out of this mess. Once she had Chakotay in her hands she lifted him up and took him to safety but not a minute too soon for right after she did the staircase collapsed and it fell to the ground where thee stairs would forever lay.