Redemption
Chapter 6
Disclaimer - Paramount and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right. The story line belongs to me.
A special thanks to: My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.
The doors to the turbolift opened and Captain Janeway strode onto the bridge. Stopping at the tactical station, she glanced at the screen there. "Any sign of the away team?" She asked Tuvok.
"No, Captain. We've been scanning for the shuttle's signature but have not been able to locate it. We are still two days from the rendezvous coordinates." The Vulcan answered calmly.
"I'm worried about that Kazon ship, Tuvok." Turning towards the helm she stepped down to the lower level. "Lieutenant Baytart, please enter new coordinates. We are heading for the planet and will meet the away team there." She sat down at her command station and stared out the large viewscreen, hoping the away team was not in any danger.
* * * * *
Heading down the corridor, he was grabbed abruptly by someone he had never seen before. Strong hands held his left arm tightly. Another set of hands grabbed his right arm and he was pulled into a darkened cell. As his eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, he was aware of two others in the cell. He turned his head to see a large man looming over him. "What do you want?" He asked defiantly, trying to pull his arms free. The man, who he felt to be the leader of the little group, was silent. He looked him over with a sly grin and snapped his fingers. The fourth man, much bigger than the other three, suddenly seized the collar of his prison jumpsuit and began to open the fasteners. "No!" He struggled to move away. "God, no."
Chakotay was awakened by the anguished cry from the other bunk. Opening his eyes, he sat up. A wave of dizziness came over him and he pressed his left hand against the side of his head until it passed. He swung his legs over the edge of the bunk and went to the side of the younger man. Tom was curled on his right side with his back pressed against the bulkhead, the blanket clutched tightly in his hands. His words were mumbled now with his breath coming in small gasps. Chakotay leaned down and touched his shoulder. He could feel the trembling beneath his hand. "Paris, wake up. It's okay, you're on the shuttle." There was no response, only the sharp breaths. He shook him again. "Paris, it's only a bad dream."
Tom's eyes opened suddenly and he pulled away from Chakotay's hand. Pushing himself into sitting, his gaze focused light years away, he continued to shudder as his breathing evened out. Chakotay walked slowly to the replicator and came back to the bunk. "Here, take this."
Tom accepted the steaming mug from him and held it in a shaky grasp. He took a sip and looked back up at Chakotay. "Thanks. What is it?"
"It's a special herbal blend of tea. It'll help you sleep." Chakotay answered in a quiet voice.
Tom lowered the mug. "I don't think I want to go back to sleep. Sorry, I woke you."
"That's all right. I guess our talk last night dredged up some bad memories."
Tom closed his eyes to clear his thoughts. Looking up to Chakotay, he frowned. "What are you doing up? You were supposed to stay flat on your back."
"Actually, I'm feeling better." Chakotay lied.
Tom set his mug down and pulled the medkit out of the locker under his bunk. He took the tricorder and passed it over the back of Chakotay's head. "The pressure is down but you still need to take it easy. Try not to move around too much for the next 24 hours."
"Okay." Chakotay answered.
Chakotay shivered slightly and going to the replicator ordered a second mug of tea. "I think the temperature has dropped again." He pulled one of the blankets off of his bunk and wrapped it around his shoulders before squatting next to Tom's bunk. "I'm getting worried about Ayala and Kim. They should have been back hours ago."
Tom took another sip of the tea and drew his blankets up to his chest. He glanced at the chronometer and out the front viewport. "It's already 04:30, hopefully the sun will be rising soon and we can try to go look for them." They could hear the winds from the ion storms howling outside. "The storms seem to lessen during the day and maybe we can raise them on their commbadges." He took several more sips of the hot liquid and yawned slightly. "I guess this does help you to relax." He gave Chakotay a small grin and lowered himself down onto the bunk.
Chakotay took the mug from Tom, finished his own tea and placed the mugs in the recycler. He moved to the front of the shuttle and stood at the viewport. Come on Ayala. You have to be okay. We've lost too many Maquis crew already. Returning to the bunks, he noted that Tom was once again asleep. He lay down on his bunk, covered himself with the two blankets and closed his eyes.
* * * * *
Harry stumbled as the Kazon pushed him out of the cave. The sun was just starting to come up over the distant ridge. He and Ayala had been surprised by a band of five Kazon warriors at the site of the dilithium crystals. Harry had heard enough through the translator to realize that the Kazon shuttle had also crashed due to the severe ion storms over the planet's surface. Ayala's and his hands had been bound behind their backs and they had been taken by gunpoint to the cave, where they spent a cold night. Neither man had been given a blanket, though the night had been brutally cold. At least they had been out of the wind. The Kazon's scanners had picked up Voyager's shuttle as it entered the lower atmosphere and they bragged about how they managed to shoot down the Federation shuttle. Harry was relieved to know that the crash was not due to anything that Tom did. Now in the near darkness, they were on the move again. The Kazon's instruments were leading them right to Voyager's shuttle and Harry was devastated that they could not warn the Commander and Tom of the approaching danger.
"Hey! Take it easy. I'm moving as fast as I can. I'm too stiff from sleeping on the cold dirt floor." Ayala snapped as he too was pushed down the rocky slope from the cave. His complaint was met with a sharp blow to the middle of his back with the end of the phaser rifle that the leader carried. He stumbled and would have fallen but Harry stepped in front of him to steady him. "Thanks." Ayala said in a low voice and resumed his descent from the cave.
They walked on in silence for several hours until they came over a small ridge. The Kazon started to babble among themselves as they pointed to the shuttle. They moved back from the ridge, hauling the two men with them. Ayala suddenly pulled away and ran towards the top of the ridge shouting. "Chakotay! Kazon!" One of the men aimed his rifle at the fleeing man and fired. Ayala fell to the ground, stunned. The Kazon pulled him down the slope.
* * * * *
"Ayala. Chakotay to Ayala. Come in Greg. Chakotay to Ensign Kim." There were no responses except the ever present static. "The storms have let up they should be within range if they're on the way back with the dilithium crystals."
Tom sat on the floor of the shuttle trying to get their scanners operational. "One more wire and I think this will be back up." He connected the last wire and sent power into the scanner. "I'm picking up several life signs and they're not far from here." Tom glanced back at Chakotay who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat. The commander still looked like he was in pain and his eyes were closed until Tom mentioned the life signs.
"Several? Are any of them Ayala or Kim?" He leaned forward but winced as he brought his hand up to the side of his head again.
Tom stood up and passed the tricorder in front of Chakotay. "The pressure is building up again; you need to lie down." He reached for a hypospray but Chakotay pushed his hand away.
"What life signs are you reading?" Chakotay spun his seat around to face the scanner. "There's nothing here. Are you sure you picked something up, Paris?" He still wasn't sure how much he could trust the younger man.
Suddenly, the shuttle was rocked with phaser fire and the hatch lock was blown open by a small explosion. Chakotay grabbed for his phaser but was stopped by the hatch swinging down and the arrival of four Kazon warriors, in the doorway, holding rifles. Motioning the two men to the hatch, two of the Kazon moved forward in the shuttle. Chakotay walked down the small ramp to see Ayala and Harry sitting on the ground with their hands bound behind their backs. He turned when he heard a commotion at the top of the ramp. Tom was resisting the Kazon and arguing with the man. The Kazon lifted his rifle and slammed the end of it against the side of Tom's head, knocking him off the side of the ramp. Tom hit the ground and rolled towards the ramp. He stayed on the ground, at the edge of the ramp, for a few moments. Then he stood up slowly and moved towards the other crew members with blood running down the side of his face from a gash over his right ear.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Paris? Trying to get yourself killed?" Chakotay snapped as Tom sat down next to him. One of the Kazon came and snatched Tom and Chakotay's commbadges and pulled the phaser off Chakotay's belt. They were ordered to stand and marched about two hundred feet from the shuttle. Chakotay and Tom had their hands bound and the Kazon returned to the shuttle. They closed the ramp, manually locking it from the inside, engaged the engines, and took off from the planet's surface leaving the Voyager crew members stranded.
to be continued…..