Chapter 12
She had checked and crosschecked every single connection, and still she had not been able to discover what the problem was. The shields were down, that much was clear. And for all she knew they could have been down for hours. They would never have known if it had not been for the Cardassian warships that were now bombarding the base with their torpedoes.
"Lojal! When you beamed us aboard the Starfleet vessel this morning, did you have to lower the force field?"
"Yes. And I swear I put it back up straight after Voyager was secured in the docking bay!" the Bajoran standing next to her defended himself.
"He's right." Bendera intervened, as he entered what served the Maquis as the control room that covered all of their subterranean base's systems -- not unlike main engineering aboard a starship.
"I saw him do it."
Lojal exhaled the breath he had been holding for some time now. Finally someone was here to stick up for him. The last thing he needed was the wrath of a half Klingon to hail down on him. He was in enough trouble as it was. If they could not get the shields back up, the Cardassians were going to come in and slaughter everyone. Not that there would be anyone left to slaughter, because if Camet and his people continued to bombard the base the way they were doing now, there soon would not be much left of it, or anyone within it for that matter. The place was already a mess. Ever more chunks of rock tumbled to the ground with every new jolt. The whirling particles of dust in the air made it difficult to see and breathe.
We're all going to be buried alive..., Lojal thought in a burst of panic as he dodged a large piece of rock. It barley missed him. Lojal had never liked the fact that their current hideout was underground. For the first few months, claustrophobia had almost killed him. Not that he could have told anyone about it. No one cared about such things when their very existence was constantly under threat, each and every day -- except for Lojal...
"I don't get it!" B'Elanna yelled at no one in particular.
"B'Elanna, we have to get out of here!" Bendera said.
She ignored him. She had twenty people working on this. They could not leave now. They had to find out what was wrong. They had to get the shields up and the weapons online. They could not just run away from the enemy. They had to defend themselves and blast those warships to hell. And Camet with them! Another torpedo struck the base, and everyone flung themselves to the ground, arms protectively held over their heads. This time it was bad. A large boulder hit a plasma container towards the rear of the room. Another shattered a nearby control panel. The sparks ignited the escaping plasma. The result was a deafening explosion. Bendera heard screams from the rear of the room. The sweet smell of burned flesh spread through air. When the dust of the falling debris had finally settled a little, his eyes beheld in horror that two Maquis had been partially incinerated. Parts of their clothing stuck to an amalgam of blackened flesh, bone, blood and debris. To his relief they were both dead. They could not have suffered for long. He could not even make out who they were. The fire had completely burned out their faces. Bendera fought the urge to retch.
They had to get out of here fast, before they were all killed.
"B'Elanna, forget the shields! We have to get out of here! Now!"
She would not budge.
"Everyone out of here, now! Do as Chakotay said! Try to get to Voyager! If any of you run into the Starfleet crew, take them along! Come on, B'Elanna! I don't think the ceiling will hold much longer!"
B'Elanna was still ignoring him. She felt responsible for their current tactical vulnerability. The Cardassians would never have located them, much less have been able to attack them, if the force field around the base had been active. And weapons were offline, as well. It didn't seem right. As a matter of fact it reeked of sabotage. But she felt that she should have known that something was wrong. She was the chief engineer. The shields and weapons were her responsibility... She felt someone yank at her legs.
"Come on! There's no time for this!"
Bendera was trying to drag the half Klingon out from under the console, only to have her boot collide painfully with his jaw.
"Hey, watch out! Save that for the Spoonheads! Come on, B'Elanna! You've heard Chakotay! That's Camet out there! Are you really that keen on ending up in one of his death camps?"
B'Elanna took a last look at the console's connections. Everything was in place. The problem must lie somewhere else. But where? The power was online, since environmental controls were still functioning, and the control panels were all lit. So it could not be the power generator. She let out an exasperated growl and shot out form under the console.
"ALRIGHT! I'm coming!"
For the first time since the attack had started she took a look around herself. Large chunks of rock, debris and clouds of dust were everywhere. In shock she made out two burned bodies that lay among the rubble -- smoke rising from their blackened forms. Her heart stopped a beat. She had not even realized that someone had died, so self-obsessed had she been under that console. A pang of guilt hit her, as she realized that the two Maquis would probably still be alive, had she ordered everyone to leave the room a few minutes back.
"It's not your fault, B'Elanna! You were trying to do your best to get us out of this mess. But the time for repairs is over. We need to get out of here! Come on!"
Bendera dragged the shocked engineer along with him. Then the bombing stopped. An unearthly silence settled around the base, only to be suddenly interrupted by the harrowing bellow of the intruder alert claxons. The Cardassians! They were in the base! B'Elanna pushed all feelings of guilt aside, and they made a mad dash for Voyager. At least that was where she thought Bendera was running. Unexpectedly he turned into one of the smaller tunnels to the left.
"Kurt, that's not the right way! Where do you think you're going?"
"To the brig! I'm going to get the Starfleet people!"
"It's too late for that! You'll never make it! They're not worth it, Bendera! They're our enemies! Let them deal with the Cardies!"
"No! They're innocent bystanders, Torres! They were dragged into this! You heard Chakotay! He said to help them. And that's exactly what I'm going to do!"
B'Elanna let out an exasperated growl.
"Alright! I'm coming! Can't let you go alone now, can I?"
Bendera gave her an appreciative smile. To be honest, he had not been looking all that forward to his one man mission and was relieved to have some company, even if it was hot-tempered, moody half-Klingon.
04:00 hours, Brig, Maquis Base
The crew was crouched on the floor of their cells, trying to dodge the onslaught of rocks and debris. The force fields on their cells crackled as the power surged on and off, then on again, with each jolt of the base. Shouts of "Hey, what's going on?" and "Let us out of here!" echoed from the walls of the cells. The two Maquis guards were just as horror-stricken as their prisoners, trying desperately to avoid being hit by the hail of rocks that descended on them. Then Chakotay's voice bellowed over the comm-system...
"This is Chakotay to all hands! We're under attack by Cardassian warships. Help the Starfleet crew out of the brig, and make your way to the docking stations. Try to get out of here somehow, and assist the Starfleet crew! Do not surrender under any circumstances! Camet is leading them! I repeat! Get out of here, and help the Starfleet crew! Camet has come to take over the base! Do not surrender! Chakotay out."
Expectantly the Starfleet crewmembers looked at the guards. The guards panicked and made a wild dash for it, leaving Voyager's crew trapped in their cells.
"HEY, WAIT!" Tom Paris shouted after them.
But it was pointless. They were gone.
"Oh, this is great! The Cardies are about to have a party here, and we're trapped! If that ceiling doesn't crush as us all, Camet and his troops will! And all I wanted was a little parole... I should have stayed in prison! I knew this was a bad idea..."
"Shut up, Paris!" Lieutenant Rollins barked.
"The Cardassians are our allies. They've come to get us out of here, you useless piece of shit!"
"Oh, I love your terms of endearment! Still, it's hardly the time, nor the place for such a demonstration of friendship! You know, I spent one week in the Maquis, and I learned one thing very fast! The Cardassians don't have allies. Especially not Camet! We've got to find a way out of here, before they find us!"
In the cell at the end of the corridor Tuvok frowned. Cavit had not said a word since the last briefing. He still sat in the same corner of the cell, apart from the rest of the senior officers, eyes dazed with some sort of manic trance.
"Commander Cavit, I strongly suggest you speak to the crew!"
Cavit did not acknowledge the Vulcan's presence with as much as a glance. He just sat there, staring into thin air.
"Sir, you've got to tell the crew to remain calm!"
Still no response from Cavit. Tuvok's eyebrows rose in the manner so typical of Vulcans -- the closest they get to a display of emotion. He glanced in the direction of the trouble. It looked like the skirmish between Paris and Rollins was going to turn into dogfight at any moment. Someone had to stop them, before their scuffle turned into a riot that would endanger the entire crew. But it seemed unlikely that Commander Cavit was going to say anything comprehensive for a while... Tuvok's duty as the next in the line of command was clear.
"Alright. I am afraid that Commander Cavit is indisposed. I am hereby taking over command, as Starfleet protocol dictates. Mr. Paris, you will remain where you are! Mr. Rollins is correct. We have nothing to worry from the Cardassian Empire. They are our allies. Mr. Rollins, I expect more delicate behavior from a Starfleet officer. Your loss of control will be noted in my official log. Furthermore I am ordering you all to remain quietly in your cells, until we are rescued. Is that understood?"
Reluctant and not so reluctant responses of "Yes, Sir!" came from all directions.
"Damnit, Tuvok! We're going to die here if we don't get out!" Paris blurted.
"Mr. Paris, I am ordering you to remain silent until asked to do otherwise!"
Paris was just about to retort when B'Elanna and Bendera burst into the brig, both gasping for air.
"Okay, people! Listen up! We're going to get you out of here. You'll follow us to Voyager. You've heard Chakotay. We're here to help."
Bendera announced. Seconds later the force fields were lowered.
"Remain where you are!" Tuvok ordered.
Paris ignored the Vulcan and stepped out of his cell.
"Mr. Paris, you are under orders to remain in your cell!" Tuvok announced.
"You're forgetting something, Tuvok! I'm not one of the crew, remember? I'm only an observer. I don't have to follow anyone's orders around here. I'm going to get out of this mess, and fast! I suggest the rest of you do the same!"
B'Elanna stepped forward.
"I don't believe this! Here we are, risking our skin for you damn Starfleet people, and you refuse our help? For all I care you can go to hell! I'm not going to hang around. Suit yourselves! You deserve everything you'll get!" she wailed.
The captives were becoming restless. Who should they believe? A bunch of renegades, or their commanding officer? If they disobeyed a direct order, they would have to face a court marshal. But if what Paris and the Maquis claimed was true, then remaining in the cells was tantamount to suicide. Tuvok's brow creased in thought as he studied the two Maquis. If there really were no danger, then it would be illogical of the Maquis to ask the crew to leave their cells. The Maquis appeared sincere in their effort to help the crew. And could he really ignore this chance to get out of the brig? Was this not the kind of opportunity they had all been waiting for? And then there was the fact that the ceiling was indeed threatening to descend upon them all, although the jolts appeared to have ceased for the moment. Considering all circumstances, remaining in the cells would be entirely illogical. Tuvok turned towards the two Maquis.
"Alright! We will come with you to Voyager. I am ordering all crew members to follow these Maquis in an orderly fashion."
Most of the crew seemed relieved to be able to escape the cells. It was easy to become claustrophobic when god knows how many tons of rock were threatening to cave in on you. Tuvok addressed the senior officers.
"Ensign Kim, Lieutenant Carey! Commander Cavit requires your assistance."
The Ensign and Voyager's chief engineer reluctantly approached the commander. But then Strafleet training kicked in, and they picked him up, half carrying, half dragging Cavit out of the cell.
"Alright. We'll split up in two groups. One led by me, the other one by B'Elanna. This will give us a better chance of reaching Voyager. If we go together and get caught, than that will be the end of it. At least this way, if one group gets caught, the other one might still make it to the ship." Bendera announced.
Tuvok split the crew into two groups. He, Ensign Kim, Lieutenants Stadi and Rollins, as well as Joseph Carey joined Kurt Bendera's group. Cavit, now supported by two Ensigns, was assigned to B'Elanna's group, to which Tom Paris had also assigned himself.
"Alright. B'Elanna and I will take two different routes to Voyager. Follow us! But you're going to have to be quick about it. We don't have much time. The Cardassians will get here any moment. Come on!"
The two groups went their separate ways.