1445 ZULU
Meeting Room
B'Elanna tapped her fingers on the table. Where in the world were they? She glanced at a clock on the wall. 2:45. Great, so now they've been here for 45 minutes without any explanation as to why this meeting was starting late, and they would probably be here for another 45 before someone had the decency to check up on them.
"I wouldn't be surprised if this Noortvan character is making us wait. Like we agreed on this morning, he's probably upset that he was assigned this task", Chakotay stated. He knew exactly what B'Elanna was thinking at the moment, and he didn't want her to still be aggravated when their welcoming party would arrive. God knows what she would say to them when they would walk through the door.
B'Elanna nodded, refusing to look at Chakotay. She hated it when people made her wait. Fine, just say if you're gonna be late, and that would be ok. But to act like their time was more important than hers and Chakotay's….She narrowed her eyes, planning on what to say when she would give these belated knuckleheads a piece of her mind.
The door slid open to reveal an older man, wiry and short in stature. Beside him was a younger, plumper( B'Elanna smiled when she thought of that choice of word) man with a small rectangular object in his hands, which appeared to be a PADD of some sort.
Chakotay and B'Elanna stood up, facing toward the men. "Oh, please do sit down. I'm sorry for the wait. No one told me I had an appointment until five minutes ago", the older man said, as he practically fluttered into the room. He walked over to B'Elanna and Chakotay, and executed a fast, but efficient, bow that any Nazi officer would have envied. "I'm High Council Member Nootvan, and this is my assistant, Bhun", he said as he pointed toward the tubby man. "Please, sit down. May I offer you any refreshments? You two must be very thirsty. Bhun, bring some tea for our guests", he said, hardly glancing behind him. The younger man glared at Noortvan's back before skulking into the hallway.
"Now, where should we start? You two are looking for parts for your ship? Well, that can be easily remedied. You have my complete cooperation. Please realize that I won't be able to personally help you with this, but Bhun would be more that happy to assist you", the High Council Member said with a gracious smile.
Chakotay glanced at B'Elanna, who returned the glimpse. He had the feeling that Bhun would have something to say about his happiness to assist. "Yes, well, I've been reading up on the current events of your planet, and I saw that you're running for the highest chair on the Council. So I can understand why you would be too busy to help the Lieutenant and I, and we certainly don't want to be a bother." Chakotay cleared his throat, trying to find the words to say what he wanted. "Are you sure that Bhun wouldn't mind assisting us? I'm sure that if you referred us to someone who sold the parts we need, we can take it from there."
Noortvan was silent for a moment. "Yes, I can see where you're coming from. And it is true, I am quite busy with other matters involving Blithia, so my time is hard to come by. Perhaps we can discuss this over the Late Meal, or your term for it, dinner. How does 8 o'clock sound to you? I'll have Bhun show you to your rooms for the night, where you can freshen up. Yes?", Noortvan questioned, pleased that he had all the plans in order.
Chakotay looked at B'Elanna, who shrugged her approval. "Thank you, High Council Member. We'll be looking forward to it." Chakotay held out his hand to Noortvan, who hesitated, then exclaimed, "Oh, yes, the handshake! I tried to read about your practices, and a handshake is very appropriate at this time, yes?", he asked as he pumped Chakotay's hand, then turned and took the hand of a surprised B'Elanna Torres, and shook enthusiastically. "Bhun should be here any moment with the tea. It always takes him so long, I'm sure he gets distracted by the pastries they make for the Late Meal."
B'Elanna smiled. She liked this man, though he was a bit odd. "I look forward to tonight, High Council Member", she said.
"Oh, and me too. It's a rare occasion when I get to dine with a beautiful lady. My dear Yetnia passed away 4 cycles ago, and I still miss her. In fact", he said with a mischievous tone, "I still catch myself looking behind my back when I talk to a pretty lady, expecting to see an enraged Yetnia with a club." He laughed, then added in a whisper, "But I'm sure you would be able to defend yourself, and me, too."
B'Elanna smiled, not being able to help herself. With that, Noortvan waived goodbye and exited the room. Still smiling, B'Elanna turned around to face Chakotay, who raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I wouldn't have figured him to be a flirt", he said with a smile. "Just behave yourself tonight, B'Elanna. I don't want a political scandal on my hands", he laughed.
She laughed. "Yes, well, I guess I'll just have to restrain myself, though it will be a trial."
Just then, Bhun walked into the room with a tray. He stopped when he saw only the Commander and Lieutenant. "Did High Council Member Noortvan leave? Well, it figures. So what am I suppose to do with you two?" he grumbled.
B'Elanna stiffened, angry that this upstart would be so disrespectful. Chakotay noticed this, and put a hand on her arm, hoping to calm her. "He asked that you show us to our rooms", Chakotay coldly said.
Bhun shrugged, not caring what the Commander thought. "Fine. Follow me", he said as he exited the room.
Chakotay and B'Elanna looked at each other. "Remember what I said, Lieutenant. I don't want any kind of trouble here, no matter if its deserved or not", Chakotay said, knowing what was going through her head.
"Understood." She followed after the Commander, hoping that Bhun would choke on the pastry he had hidden in his pocket.
1600
Guest Quarters
B'Elanna tossed the tourist pamplet she had been looking at on the coffee table. After taking a 30 minute nap, she had washed her face and brushed her teeth, hoping the time would pass by quickly. It hadn't.
She stood up and walked over to the bed and made it. After that 30 second chore was done, she sat down in the chair again. She glanced at the pamplet again, then stood up. Hopefully Chakotay was just as bored as she was and would agree to go and visit some of the tourist attractions that were downstairs in the lobby. She opened the door to her suite, quickly looking both ways. She knew that Chakotay's was just down the hallway, but didn't know which of the 2 doors was it.
She stepped out of her room and quietly closed the door behind her, walking toward the back of the hall. She gave each door a momentary look, then decided to go with the one on her side of the hall. Stepping toward it, she lightly tapped the chimer, hoping that she had chosen the right one. She waited a few moments, and just when she was sure she had the wrong door and at any moment an angry Blithian would come storming from the door, she heard a familiar voice. "Enter."
The doors slid open, she stepped through them, eager to step out of the barren hallway.
Chakotay stood up from the chair and walked toward her. "Are you as antsy as I am?", he asked.
She gave him a smile. "Actually, I was quite content in my room, but decided I had better come rescue you from tedium. And before you get down on your knees to thank me, I already have something in mind for you to do to make up for my unselfish act", she declared in her most arrogant tone.
Chakotay rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Lets just get out of here for a while."
She smirked. "Yes, lets."
1635 ZULU
Lobby
B'Elanna had never seen anything like it. She held it up, to see if there was a price on the bottom. After a quick gasp and almost dropping the figurine, she placed in down with the utmost care, careful not to break it for fear of becoming a slave to the clerk, because there was no way in high heaven she could afford this piece.
She walked over to another shop, this one catering to tools and a select display of weapons. She gave the tools a cursory glance, then walked over to the glassed in shelf of weapons. She almost turned away after a few moments before something caught her eye. She bent down, squinting her eyes.
"Hmm. It looks like a lighter", she said to herself.
"May I help you?", a voice asked from behind her.
B'Elanna started, then caught herself. Why was she so jumpy? Just clamp it down, Torres, she told herself.
"Umm, I was actually looking at one of those small silver things on the third shelf", she said. "What exactly are they?".
The man smiled, as if he was let in on a joke, while she was still trying to understand it. "Those are what we call cabzis", he said patiently, as if speaking to a child. B'Elanna gritted her teeth, but listened silently. "They have numerous purposes, but the chief one is a feature that can make a hand or arm, or whatever extremity, numb for 30 seconds. Its really quite popular here. I think it's a status thing with the younger ones, though I don't know why their parent buy them these. They can actually be very dangerous."
"Hmm, that's too bad. Besides that feature, what others are there?"
He took a key out of his vest pocket, and unlocked the door. "Why don't you look at one? Its really quite self explanatory", he said as he handed her one.
B'Elanna accepted it, amazed at its light weight. She turned it around and saw a small button on the side. She looked up at the salesman, who nodded her encouragement. She looked back down at the button, and then pushed.
At first she didn't notice anything, but then she got the strongest urge to sneeze. She wrinkled her nose, hoping to quail the urge. Then, just as she thought she had it under control, she started to sneeze uncontrollably. She was shocked at the force behind the sneezes, her head jerking up and down.
After what seemed 5 minutes of unrelenting sneezing, it suddenly stopped. Surprised, she looked up at the smirking salesman. "What the hell was that?", she asked angrily.
He smiled at her, pleased. "That, my dear, is what the cabzis can do. It can numb, force sneezing attacks, and also can make you have an itch so bad, you'll nearly take off your skin just to make it go away. See, all you have to do is point it at the person, push any of the three buttons, which are clearly marked, and enjoy", he said, almost gleefully.
B'Elanna looked down at the tiny silver thing that was capable of wreaking havoc so simply. She looked back up at the man.
"I'll buy it."
1700 ZULU
Lobby
"Hey, Chakotay, did you get anything?", B'Elanna asked, catching up with him
Chakotay looked back, surprised. They had agreed to meet up at the turbolifts in 15 minutes, so he was still browsing at a store that sold reading material. "Well, I did get a rock that the salesman assured me came from a planet whose sun capsized. I'm sure that I was taken advantage of, but hey, he was like a Ferrengi. I felt like I was at home", he said with a laugh.
B'Elanna grinned. "Well, I got something that I'm sure you'll appreciate. It reminds me of some Indian curse that I'm sure you could cast, if only it was possible", she said teasingly. She took out the small silver weapon, poised it in her hand, then shook her head. "I'm going to take pity on you, and just tell you about it, and not let you learn the hard way, like I did. You see, you push one of these three buttons, and it either makes you have a sneezing fit, a numb extremity, or itch yourself raw. Pretty neat, huh?", she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Yes, a regular hidden treasure you have there", Chakotay dryly said, rolling his eyes. "And also thank you for using that famous Torres self control by not attacking me with it. Its very really benevolent of you."
B'Elanna laughed, slugging his arm. "Well, I guess its high time to get ready for dinner. What do you say to escorting a nice, meek girl to her room?".
Chakotay swiveled his head around. "Sure, but I don't see anyone around here like that. Am I supposed to meet her or something?".
"Oh, that cut deep. Come on, maquis, you and I have a date to keep.
1745
Guest Quarters
B'Elanna quickly looked at the clock. As always, she was running late. She had 15 minutes before somebody would arrive to escort her to dinner, and she didn't even have make-up on yet. She rushed into the lavatory, and hurriedly put some eye shadow and mascara on. Tom was always telling her that she never needed make-up, but this was an occasion that warranted it. She needed to get those parts, and she needed to do it fast. If somebody just happened to give her special treatment because of the way she looked, so be it.
She walked out of the restroom and into the living area. Something caught her eye on the bed, and she walked over to it. The cabzis was laying on its side. She turned away, but hesitated. What the hell, she thought. She tucked the small silver object in her shoe, the thin metal fitting rather nicely, comfortably. 'You never know', she told herself. 'Maybe some guy will try to attack me, but all he'll end up with is whiplash from sneezing. Maybe even a raw patch of skin from a sudden rash.' B'Elanna chuckled to herself imagining it.
The chimer at her door went off, forcing her out of her reverie. "Come in", she said. The doors opened and revealed a small man in a dapper uniform.
"Ms. Torres, I am to escort you to the Dining Hall. Are you ready?", he asked. His palms were damp. This was his first night on the job alone, and he was nervous.
B'Elanna smiled at the young man. "Yes, I am. Have you talked to my superior, Commander Chakotay?".
The man nodded his head. "Yes, he's over at the turbolift, waiting for you and I", he said.
"Ok, I'm right behind you", she said, walking toward the door.
As soon as she got to the lift, she saw Chakotay. "I see that you're on time. It must be divine intervention", he teased. The Blithian gave them a confused look, not seeing the smile on B'Elanna's face.
"Yep, I'm a regular piece of proof that people can be on time, all with the good Lord's help."
The doors parted when they reached their floor, and the Blithian proceeded them. Just as all three of them got off the turbolift, the young man gasped. "Oh, I just forgot to get High Council Member Noortvan's schedule. He had asked me to go pick it up for him before I escorted you two down here."
Chakotay saw the look of horror pass across the man's face, and decided to give him a break. "We can go ahead and wait here for you. Besides, we are a good 10 minutes early. It won't hurt anything."
The man looked at him, grateful. "Thank you so much. And I'm very sorry for the inconvenience I've caused you both", he said as he hurried toward the turbolift. "There's a waiting room you can stay in till I get back. Its to your right, the second door down. Please, wait in there", he said as the turbolift closed its doors.
Both Chakotay and B'Elanna looked at each other. "Well, you heard the man. Lets go to the waiting room", Chakotay said, B'Elanna following. They reached the door, and just as Chakotay was about to open it, they heard voices coming from within.
"I told you I wanted it done today. It needs to be done today, you slime. This is what I get for trusting a lowly assistant to do the job that a real man needs to do," an angry voice hissed.
"Ok, I'll do it right now, if you want. But if I get caught, I want some insurance, agreed?", said a strangely familiar voice.
B'Elanna looked through the small window in the door, and gasped. She recognized Bhun, the assistant. The other man she had seen before, but she couldn't remember where. Maybe it was at that….
"What was that?", the man who was clearly in charge said. She saw him glimpse toward the window, and ducked.
"We need to get out of here", she whispered to Chakotay, who nodded. He had heard the conversation, and had also recognized not one man, but both of them. They ran toward the another hallway, and just as they entered into it, the door opened.
Bhun glanced down both directions of the hallway. "I don't see anything", he said to the man behind him. The man, used to getting his every whim satisfied, pushed Bhun out of the way.
High Council Member Aqwerty looked for himself. Nothing. He turned around and grabbed the chubby man by shirt. "You get the job done, or else", he hissed, "or I'll have someone else do it, then have them take care of you. I need to win this election, and I'm not going to let some old worthless man beat me just because he has charisma, you hear? There are things at stake here that your insignificant mind cannot understand. Now get it done. NOW", he gritted through his teeth, pushing the assistant down the hall.
Chakotay and B'Elanna raced down the hallway, almost bumping into Noortvan.
"Oh, there you are!", he exclaimed. "I was just on my way to the Dining Hall, care to join me?", he asked.
Just as Chakotay opened his mouth to say yes, Noortvan inhaled sharply. B'Elanna took a step toward him, holding out her hand. Just as she reached him, Noortvan staggered, blood bubbling from his mouth.
"Oh no", she breathed. Both she and Chakotay took an arm and half carried him to a door. Just as they got it opened, B'Elanna glimpsed Bhun, raising a weapon, and pulling the trigger. Debris sprayed her face, giving her the incentive to push the 2 men into the room.
"What the hell was that?", Chakotay bellowed. Noortvan made a wet sound in the back of his throat. "He's trying to say something", Chakotay said. B'Elanna leaned her head down, worry written on her face.
"Its going to be ok, just don't give up." B'Elanna knew that she was lying to the man, perhaps giving him false hope. But then again, she realized that Noortvan knew he was dying. He made another sound, his mouth working. "What is it?", she whispered.
He looked up at her, wondering if the pain would ever go away. No, he can't think of that now, he told himself. He needs to let these two know what to do after he was gone. After he was dead. "You need to get away and tell Vrant what happened today, tell him-", he coughed, blood dribbling down the sides of his mouth. "Tell him not to let Aqwerty get the metals." He closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Promise me", he said urgently, grabbing a hold of B'Elanna's arm.
"I promise", she breathed. He looked at her intently, then nodded his head. He let go of her arm, the same time his eyes closed.
Chakotay checked for a pulse. "He's gone", he said quietly. He looked over at B'Elanna. "We need to get out of here when we have a chance. B'Elanna, are you listening?", he added.
She nodded numbly. "Yes", she said, then looked up. "Bhun killed Noortvan. We need to find out why", she said simply.
"First we need to get out of here, then we'll worry about that, understood?". He stood up and walked toward the door and pressed his ear against it. "I don't hear anything, but that can change anytime, so we need to leave now." He looked over at B'Elanna. "Come on Lieutenant, that's an order."
B'Elanna seemed to snap out of her confusion. She stood up, walking toward her friend. "I think I know the way out of here", she whispered. "But I'm not for sure."
Chakotay nodded, then cracked the door, looking both ways. "Coast is clear", said. He stepped out of the hallway and darted to the other side of the wall. B'Elanna was right behind him. She led the way, continually looking side from side. They reached the end of the hallway, and stopped. She peeked out to her left, and didn't see anything. She nodded to Chakotay and started to step out first, but he stopped her. 'Me first', he mouthed. She paused, then nodded. He stepped out, and a figure jumped from a doorway and threw something at Chakotay. He immediately went down.
Just as the man, Bhun, was about to tackle B'Elanna, she let out an infuriated shout. There was no way she was going to let Chakotay and her be killed by this coward. She threw herself at Bhun who, perplexed, had paused. 'Big mistake, buddy', she thought. She landed on him, throwing him into the wall. Stunned, Bhun let out a small moan. B'Elanna drew back her fist and punched him, throwing all her weight into it. Bhun instantly slumped, unconscious.
B'Elanna hurried over to Chakotay, who still was passed out. She heard a shrill whistle, then a spot right above her head blew apart. She looked back and saw the man Bhun had been talking to earlier, loading his weapon. She hurriedly grasped Chakotay by his waist, and hefted him onto her shoulder. There were many times she had cursed her Klingon heritage, but now she was so grateful for her strength she almost started to cry. She dashed down the hallway, praying that the man hadn't loaded his gun. Right then she heard the familiar whistle, and a sudden explosive pain went up her thigh.
She gasped, almost tripping and dropping her load, then righted herself. She ran into a turbolift she spotted at the last moment. "Lobby", puffed. She saw the doors closing, praying that the man wouldn't catch up. Just before they were fully closed, she saw a had, palm first, rushing toward the doors. Right as they closed, she glimpsed an odd tattoo at the base of his palm, like an eye of a cat. The doors closed, leaving her alone with Chakotay in the turbolift. She knew that people would be looking for her and Chakotay in a short period of time, if not already. She glanced up at the light, wondering what she could do. Then a thought came to her. "Stop turbolift", she commanded. Their descent immediately stopped.
She gently laid Chakotay down. She bent close to his head, lightly slapping his face. He groaned, then opened his eyes. "You ok?", she asked. He focused his eyes, then nodded, wincing after he did so.
"Just have a headache. What happened?".
"Bhun and his friend tried to kill us, that's what happened. Listen, they've probably already alerted security, so we need to find a way out of here. The way I see it, we can climb up through the ceiling into the shaft, then find a way outta there. What do you think?", she asked, already trying to find a way to get up to the light.
Chakotay nodded. He looked over toward her, then gasped. "What happened to your leg!". He scrambled over to a puzzled B'Elanna. Then she remembered. And so did her body. She immediately felt the mind numbing pain in her thigh. She looked down at it, and let out an unladylike shriek.
Her left leg was covered in blood, and on the side of her leg, above her knee, was a huge gash. She plopped down to the floor, careful of her leg. Then she hardened her resolve. "We can take care it later, Commander. Right now we need to find a way out, before we're captured."
Chakotay looked at her, then her leg. He knew that she was right. But that wound looked terrible… "Ok, lets get out of here." He stood up, then placed his foot on the hand rail. B'Elanna gingerly got up, then told him something that blew his mind.
"Step on my shoulders, and then we'll be able to reach the light." She could tell he was ready to argue, so she gruffly added, "I'm Klingon, remember? I'm stronger than a lot of people, including you."
He stared down at her, flabbergasted. How would he explain to the Captain that he injured her Chief of Engineering by standing on her shoulders? But then again, maybe he wouldn't have the chance to explain if they both were dead because of his hesitation. He nodded numbly, gently placing his feet onto her waiting shoulders.
B'Elanna gritted her teeth against the pain and extra weight. Once Chakotay had his balance, he started to fiddle with the screws on the light. Sweat poured down her face, into her shirt. She could feel it trickling down her back and stomach, concentrating on the odd sensation. Anything to get her mind of the pain.
"Got it", Chakotay announced. He lowered the light panel and then tossed it to the floor. "Here it goes, B'Elanna."
She grunted her acknowledgement. Chakotay lifted himself off her shoulders, and into darkness. B'Elanna looked up, waiting for him to reappear. Suddenly she felt weak, and collapsed to the floor, numbly watching for Chakotay. His head appeared, and once he saw her on the floor, he started to scramble down to her. "No!", she yelled, lifting her arm to stop him. "I'm coming. Just whatever you do, don't come down. It took lots of hard work to get you up there, maquis, and don't be thinking I'm gonna be hauling your heavy rear end up there again", she added, trying to add bravado to her voice.
He nodded. "Then come on. No one's allowed to sleep on the job but me", he smiled, laughing gently. "Just stand up and grab a hold of my hand and I'll do the rest, ok", he added encouragingly.
She took a deep breath, then stood up. She leaned against the wall for a second, willing the dizziness to go away. She looked up at him, and said, "I don't think that scrawny arm is strong enough to lift me up." She smiled and gave him her hand.
"Ya, well, you got me figured out. All I have to do now is turn us into birds, then we can fly away. Its an old Indian trick, but for some reason it never works for me." He grabbed her hand, and started to lift her up. After a couple of minutes of countless swears and grunts, B'Elanna found herself beside him.
"Ok, lets find a way out of here, shall we?" She looked up and saw a shaft about two feet above them. She pointed to it. "Theres where we can go. Me first", she said as she started to lift herself up. Within four minutes, both of them were in the small shaft, wiggling through it. Ten minutes later, they came to grill. B'Elanna looked through it, then whispered, "It looks like a small maintenance room. I'll just try to get this thing off", she said as she started to wrestle with the grill. With a loud screeching noise, the grill fell off onto the floor.
B'Elanna slipped out of the confined shaft, and started to look around. Chakotay stepped beside her, and saw a bag full of clothes. He walked over to it, and started going through it, picking out a couple of uniforms and some towels. "Thank goodness these are clean", he said to B'Elanna, who had sat down on the floor, examining her leg. He walked over to her, and sat down in front of her. "Ok, let me see that leg."
B'Elanna stretched her leg out toward him. He gingerly grasped the fabric, and tore it apart, leaving her whole thigh bare. "Oh, B'Elanna, this doesn't look good", he stated, shaking his head as he started to clean the deep 6 inch gash with water. Once he was sure it was as clean as it would get, he started to wrap it up with the towels. All the while through Chakotay's ministrations, she kept on thinking of the events so far today. She knew it was cold blooded to think that if they had just come a few weeks before, then they wouldn't be in this mess. Noortvan wouldn't be dead-yet-, and they could have just gotten the stupid parts and would have continued on their way, oblivious. She sighed. If only…
"Ok, that should cover it as best as we can do now. Once we get back to Voyager, we can have the Doctor look at it." Chakotay saw the look in B'Elanna's eyes. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, we will be back on Voyager. Soon. I promise."
B'Elanna nodded, staving back the tears. "Then lets find a way." Chakotay helped her up, leading her to the only chair in the small room. She sat, favoring her left thigh. He walked over to the door, and put his ear to it. "I don't hear anything. Lets try to get out of here now, then find some way to communicate with Voyager, tell them we need help now."
Suddenly the door crashed open, hurling Chakotay into B'Elanna. As soon as both she and Chakotay looked up, they found 15 guards almost on top of them, weapons mere inches from their noses. Right behind them stood Aqwerty, who glided into the room. "No, my friends. You are quite mistaken. You see, there is no way I can let you both go, especially since you know my involvement with poor Noortvan's tragic death. Instead, I have place in mind that I think would be sufficient to get rid of you two. How do you feel about mining for radioactive materials?"
B'Elanna tightened her grip on Chakotay's hand. This mission was just getting more perfect as it went.
Meeting Room
B'Elanna tapped her fingers on the table. Where in the world were they? She glanced at a clock on the wall. 2:45. Great, so now they've been here for 45 minutes without any explanation as to why this meeting was starting late, and they would probably be here for another 45 before someone had the decency to check up on them.
"I wouldn't be surprised if this Noortvan character is making us wait. Like we agreed on this morning, he's probably upset that he was assigned this task", Chakotay stated. He knew exactly what B'Elanna was thinking at the moment, and he didn't want her to still be aggravated when their welcoming party would arrive. God knows what she would say to them when they would walk through the door.
B'Elanna nodded, refusing to look at Chakotay. She hated it when people made her wait. Fine, just say if you're gonna be late, and that would be ok. But to act like their time was more important than hers and Chakotay's….She narrowed her eyes, planning on what to say when she would give these belated knuckleheads a piece of her mind.
The door slid open to reveal an older man, wiry and short in stature. Beside him was a younger, plumper( B'Elanna smiled when she thought of that choice of word) man with a small rectangular object in his hands, which appeared to be a PADD of some sort.
Chakotay and B'Elanna stood up, facing toward the men. "Oh, please do sit down. I'm sorry for the wait. No one told me I had an appointment until five minutes ago", the older man said, as he practically fluttered into the room. He walked over to B'Elanna and Chakotay, and executed a fast, but efficient, bow that any Nazi officer would have envied. "I'm High Council Member Nootvan, and this is my assistant, Bhun", he said as he pointed toward the tubby man. "Please, sit down. May I offer you any refreshments? You two must be very thirsty. Bhun, bring some tea for our guests", he said, hardly glancing behind him. The younger man glared at Noortvan's back before skulking into the hallway.
"Now, where should we start? You two are looking for parts for your ship? Well, that can be easily remedied. You have my complete cooperation. Please realize that I won't be able to personally help you with this, but Bhun would be more that happy to assist you", the High Council Member said with a gracious smile.
Chakotay glanced at B'Elanna, who returned the glimpse. He had the feeling that Bhun would have something to say about his happiness to assist. "Yes, well, I've been reading up on the current events of your planet, and I saw that you're running for the highest chair on the Council. So I can understand why you would be too busy to help the Lieutenant and I, and we certainly don't want to be a bother." Chakotay cleared his throat, trying to find the words to say what he wanted. "Are you sure that Bhun wouldn't mind assisting us? I'm sure that if you referred us to someone who sold the parts we need, we can take it from there."
Noortvan was silent for a moment. "Yes, I can see where you're coming from. And it is true, I am quite busy with other matters involving Blithia, so my time is hard to come by. Perhaps we can discuss this over the Late Meal, or your term for it, dinner. How does 8 o'clock sound to you? I'll have Bhun show you to your rooms for the night, where you can freshen up. Yes?", Noortvan questioned, pleased that he had all the plans in order.
Chakotay looked at B'Elanna, who shrugged her approval. "Thank you, High Council Member. We'll be looking forward to it." Chakotay held out his hand to Noortvan, who hesitated, then exclaimed, "Oh, yes, the handshake! I tried to read about your practices, and a handshake is very appropriate at this time, yes?", he asked as he pumped Chakotay's hand, then turned and took the hand of a surprised B'Elanna Torres, and shook enthusiastically. "Bhun should be here any moment with the tea. It always takes him so long, I'm sure he gets distracted by the pastries they make for the Late Meal."
B'Elanna smiled. She liked this man, though he was a bit odd. "I look forward to tonight, High Council Member", she said.
"Oh, and me too. It's a rare occasion when I get to dine with a beautiful lady. My dear Yetnia passed away 4 cycles ago, and I still miss her. In fact", he said with a mischievous tone, "I still catch myself looking behind my back when I talk to a pretty lady, expecting to see an enraged Yetnia with a club." He laughed, then added in a whisper, "But I'm sure you would be able to defend yourself, and me, too."
B'Elanna smiled, not being able to help herself. With that, Noortvan waived goodbye and exited the room. Still smiling, B'Elanna turned around to face Chakotay, who raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I wouldn't have figured him to be a flirt", he said with a smile. "Just behave yourself tonight, B'Elanna. I don't want a political scandal on my hands", he laughed.
She laughed. "Yes, well, I guess I'll just have to restrain myself, though it will be a trial."
Just then, Bhun walked into the room with a tray. He stopped when he saw only the Commander and Lieutenant. "Did High Council Member Noortvan leave? Well, it figures. So what am I suppose to do with you two?" he grumbled.
B'Elanna stiffened, angry that this upstart would be so disrespectful. Chakotay noticed this, and put a hand on her arm, hoping to calm her. "He asked that you show us to our rooms", Chakotay coldly said.
Bhun shrugged, not caring what the Commander thought. "Fine. Follow me", he said as he exited the room.
Chakotay and B'Elanna looked at each other. "Remember what I said, Lieutenant. I don't want any kind of trouble here, no matter if its deserved or not", Chakotay said, knowing what was going through her head.
"Understood." She followed after the Commander, hoping that Bhun would choke on the pastry he had hidden in his pocket.
1600
Guest Quarters
B'Elanna tossed the tourist pamplet she had been looking at on the coffee table. After taking a 30 minute nap, she had washed her face and brushed her teeth, hoping the time would pass by quickly. It hadn't.
She stood up and walked over to the bed and made it. After that 30 second chore was done, she sat down in the chair again. She glanced at the pamplet again, then stood up. Hopefully Chakotay was just as bored as she was and would agree to go and visit some of the tourist attractions that were downstairs in the lobby. She opened the door to her suite, quickly looking both ways. She knew that Chakotay's was just down the hallway, but didn't know which of the 2 doors was it.
She stepped out of her room and quietly closed the door behind her, walking toward the back of the hall. She gave each door a momentary look, then decided to go with the one on her side of the hall. Stepping toward it, she lightly tapped the chimer, hoping that she had chosen the right one. She waited a few moments, and just when she was sure she had the wrong door and at any moment an angry Blithian would come storming from the door, she heard a familiar voice. "Enter."
The doors slid open, she stepped through them, eager to step out of the barren hallway.
Chakotay stood up from the chair and walked toward her. "Are you as antsy as I am?", he asked.
She gave him a smile. "Actually, I was quite content in my room, but decided I had better come rescue you from tedium. And before you get down on your knees to thank me, I already have something in mind for you to do to make up for my unselfish act", she declared in her most arrogant tone.
Chakotay rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Lets just get out of here for a while."
She smirked. "Yes, lets."
1635 ZULU
Lobby
B'Elanna had never seen anything like it. She held it up, to see if there was a price on the bottom. After a quick gasp and almost dropping the figurine, she placed in down with the utmost care, careful not to break it for fear of becoming a slave to the clerk, because there was no way in high heaven she could afford this piece.
She walked over to another shop, this one catering to tools and a select display of weapons. She gave the tools a cursory glance, then walked over to the glassed in shelf of weapons. She almost turned away after a few moments before something caught her eye. She bent down, squinting her eyes.
"Hmm. It looks like a lighter", she said to herself.
"May I help you?", a voice asked from behind her.
B'Elanna started, then caught herself. Why was she so jumpy? Just clamp it down, Torres, she told herself.
"Umm, I was actually looking at one of those small silver things on the third shelf", she said. "What exactly are they?".
The man smiled, as if he was let in on a joke, while she was still trying to understand it. "Those are what we call cabzis", he said patiently, as if speaking to a child. B'Elanna gritted her teeth, but listened silently. "They have numerous purposes, but the chief one is a feature that can make a hand or arm, or whatever extremity, numb for 30 seconds. Its really quite popular here. I think it's a status thing with the younger ones, though I don't know why their parent buy them these. They can actually be very dangerous."
"Hmm, that's too bad. Besides that feature, what others are there?"
He took a key out of his vest pocket, and unlocked the door. "Why don't you look at one? Its really quite self explanatory", he said as he handed her one.
B'Elanna accepted it, amazed at its light weight. She turned it around and saw a small button on the side. She looked up at the salesman, who nodded her encouragement. She looked back down at the button, and then pushed.
At first she didn't notice anything, but then she got the strongest urge to sneeze. She wrinkled her nose, hoping to quail the urge. Then, just as she thought she had it under control, she started to sneeze uncontrollably. She was shocked at the force behind the sneezes, her head jerking up and down.
After what seemed 5 minutes of unrelenting sneezing, it suddenly stopped. Surprised, she looked up at the smirking salesman. "What the hell was that?", she asked angrily.
He smiled at her, pleased. "That, my dear, is what the cabzis can do. It can numb, force sneezing attacks, and also can make you have an itch so bad, you'll nearly take off your skin just to make it go away. See, all you have to do is point it at the person, push any of the three buttons, which are clearly marked, and enjoy", he said, almost gleefully.
B'Elanna looked down at the tiny silver thing that was capable of wreaking havoc so simply. She looked back up at the man.
"I'll buy it."
1700 ZULU
Lobby
"Hey, Chakotay, did you get anything?", B'Elanna asked, catching up with him
Chakotay looked back, surprised. They had agreed to meet up at the turbolifts in 15 minutes, so he was still browsing at a store that sold reading material. "Well, I did get a rock that the salesman assured me came from a planet whose sun capsized. I'm sure that I was taken advantage of, but hey, he was like a Ferrengi. I felt like I was at home", he said with a laugh.
B'Elanna grinned. "Well, I got something that I'm sure you'll appreciate. It reminds me of some Indian curse that I'm sure you could cast, if only it was possible", she said teasingly. She took out the small silver weapon, poised it in her hand, then shook her head. "I'm going to take pity on you, and just tell you about it, and not let you learn the hard way, like I did. You see, you push one of these three buttons, and it either makes you have a sneezing fit, a numb extremity, or itch yourself raw. Pretty neat, huh?", she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Yes, a regular hidden treasure you have there", Chakotay dryly said, rolling his eyes. "And also thank you for using that famous Torres self control by not attacking me with it. Its very really benevolent of you."
B'Elanna laughed, slugging his arm. "Well, I guess its high time to get ready for dinner. What do you say to escorting a nice, meek girl to her room?".
Chakotay swiveled his head around. "Sure, but I don't see anyone around here like that. Am I supposed to meet her or something?".
"Oh, that cut deep. Come on, maquis, you and I have a date to keep.
1745
Guest Quarters
B'Elanna quickly looked at the clock. As always, she was running late. She had 15 minutes before somebody would arrive to escort her to dinner, and she didn't even have make-up on yet. She rushed into the lavatory, and hurriedly put some eye shadow and mascara on. Tom was always telling her that she never needed make-up, but this was an occasion that warranted it. She needed to get those parts, and she needed to do it fast. If somebody just happened to give her special treatment because of the way she looked, so be it.
She walked out of the restroom and into the living area. Something caught her eye on the bed, and she walked over to it. The cabzis was laying on its side. She turned away, but hesitated. What the hell, she thought. She tucked the small silver object in her shoe, the thin metal fitting rather nicely, comfortably. 'You never know', she told herself. 'Maybe some guy will try to attack me, but all he'll end up with is whiplash from sneezing. Maybe even a raw patch of skin from a sudden rash.' B'Elanna chuckled to herself imagining it.
The chimer at her door went off, forcing her out of her reverie. "Come in", she said. The doors opened and revealed a small man in a dapper uniform.
"Ms. Torres, I am to escort you to the Dining Hall. Are you ready?", he asked. His palms were damp. This was his first night on the job alone, and he was nervous.
B'Elanna smiled at the young man. "Yes, I am. Have you talked to my superior, Commander Chakotay?".
The man nodded his head. "Yes, he's over at the turbolift, waiting for you and I", he said.
"Ok, I'm right behind you", she said, walking toward the door.
As soon as she got to the lift, she saw Chakotay. "I see that you're on time. It must be divine intervention", he teased. The Blithian gave them a confused look, not seeing the smile on B'Elanna's face.
"Yep, I'm a regular piece of proof that people can be on time, all with the good Lord's help."
The doors parted when they reached their floor, and the Blithian proceeded them. Just as all three of them got off the turbolift, the young man gasped. "Oh, I just forgot to get High Council Member Noortvan's schedule. He had asked me to go pick it up for him before I escorted you two down here."
Chakotay saw the look of horror pass across the man's face, and decided to give him a break. "We can go ahead and wait here for you. Besides, we are a good 10 minutes early. It won't hurt anything."
The man looked at him, grateful. "Thank you so much. And I'm very sorry for the inconvenience I've caused you both", he said as he hurried toward the turbolift. "There's a waiting room you can stay in till I get back. Its to your right, the second door down. Please, wait in there", he said as the turbolift closed its doors.
Both Chakotay and B'Elanna looked at each other. "Well, you heard the man. Lets go to the waiting room", Chakotay said, B'Elanna following. They reached the door, and just as Chakotay was about to open it, they heard voices coming from within.
"I told you I wanted it done today. It needs to be done today, you slime. This is what I get for trusting a lowly assistant to do the job that a real man needs to do," an angry voice hissed.
"Ok, I'll do it right now, if you want. But if I get caught, I want some insurance, agreed?", said a strangely familiar voice.
B'Elanna looked through the small window in the door, and gasped. She recognized Bhun, the assistant. The other man she had seen before, but she couldn't remember where. Maybe it was at that….
"What was that?", the man who was clearly in charge said. She saw him glimpse toward the window, and ducked.
"We need to get out of here", she whispered to Chakotay, who nodded. He had heard the conversation, and had also recognized not one man, but both of them. They ran toward the another hallway, and just as they entered into it, the door opened.
Bhun glanced down both directions of the hallway. "I don't see anything", he said to the man behind him. The man, used to getting his every whim satisfied, pushed Bhun out of the way.
High Council Member Aqwerty looked for himself. Nothing. He turned around and grabbed the chubby man by shirt. "You get the job done, or else", he hissed, "or I'll have someone else do it, then have them take care of you. I need to win this election, and I'm not going to let some old worthless man beat me just because he has charisma, you hear? There are things at stake here that your insignificant mind cannot understand. Now get it done. NOW", he gritted through his teeth, pushing the assistant down the hall.
Chakotay and B'Elanna raced down the hallway, almost bumping into Noortvan.
"Oh, there you are!", he exclaimed. "I was just on my way to the Dining Hall, care to join me?", he asked.
Just as Chakotay opened his mouth to say yes, Noortvan inhaled sharply. B'Elanna took a step toward him, holding out her hand. Just as she reached him, Noortvan staggered, blood bubbling from his mouth.
"Oh no", she breathed. Both she and Chakotay took an arm and half carried him to a door. Just as they got it opened, B'Elanna glimpsed Bhun, raising a weapon, and pulling the trigger. Debris sprayed her face, giving her the incentive to push the 2 men into the room.
"What the hell was that?", Chakotay bellowed. Noortvan made a wet sound in the back of his throat. "He's trying to say something", Chakotay said. B'Elanna leaned her head down, worry written on her face.
"Its going to be ok, just don't give up." B'Elanna knew that she was lying to the man, perhaps giving him false hope. But then again, she realized that Noortvan knew he was dying. He made another sound, his mouth working. "What is it?", she whispered.
He looked up at her, wondering if the pain would ever go away. No, he can't think of that now, he told himself. He needs to let these two know what to do after he was gone. After he was dead. "You need to get away and tell Vrant what happened today, tell him-", he coughed, blood dribbling down the sides of his mouth. "Tell him not to let Aqwerty get the metals." He closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Promise me", he said urgently, grabbing a hold of B'Elanna's arm.
"I promise", she breathed. He looked at her intently, then nodded his head. He let go of her arm, the same time his eyes closed.
Chakotay checked for a pulse. "He's gone", he said quietly. He looked over at B'Elanna. "We need to get out of here when we have a chance. B'Elanna, are you listening?", he added.
She nodded numbly. "Yes", she said, then looked up. "Bhun killed Noortvan. We need to find out why", she said simply.
"First we need to get out of here, then we'll worry about that, understood?". He stood up and walked toward the door and pressed his ear against it. "I don't hear anything, but that can change anytime, so we need to leave now." He looked over at B'Elanna. "Come on Lieutenant, that's an order."
B'Elanna seemed to snap out of her confusion. She stood up, walking toward her friend. "I think I know the way out of here", she whispered. "But I'm not for sure."
Chakotay nodded, then cracked the door, looking both ways. "Coast is clear", said. He stepped out of the hallway and darted to the other side of the wall. B'Elanna was right behind him. She led the way, continually looking side from side. They reached the end of the hallway, and stopped. She peeked out to her left, and didn't see anything. She nodded to Chakotay and started to step out first, but he stopped her. 'Me first', he mouthed. She paused, then nodded. He stepped out, and a figure jumped from a doorway and threw something at Chakotay. He immediately went down.
Just as the man, Bhun, was about to tackle B'Elanna, she let out an infuriated shout. There was no way she was going to let Chakotay and her be killed by this coward. She threw herself at Bhun who, perplexed, had paused. 'Big mistake, buddy', she thought. She landed on him, throwing him into the wall. Stunned, Bhun let out a small moan. B'Elanna drew back her fist and punched him, throwing all her weight into it. Bhun instantly slumped, unconscious.
B'Elanna hurried over to Chakotay, who still was passed out. She heard a shrill whistle, then a spot right above her head blew apart. She looked back and saw the man Bhun had been talking to earlier, loading his weapon. She hurriedly grasped Chakotay by his waist, and hefted him onto her shoulder. There were many times she had cursed her Klingon heritage, but now she was so grateful for her strength she almost started to cry. She dashed down the hallway, praying that the man hadn't loaded his gun. Right then she heard the familiar whistle, and a sudden explosive pain went up her thigh.
She gasped, almost tripping and dropping her load, then righted herself. She ran into a turbolift she spotted at the last moment. "Lobby", puffed. She saw the doors closing, praying that the man wouldn't catch up. Just before they were fully closed, she saw a had, palm first, rushing toward the doors. Right as they closed, she glimpsed an odd tattoo at the base of his palm, like an eye of a cat. The doors closed, leaving her alone with Chakotay in the turbolift. She knew that people would be looking for her and Chakotay in a short period of time, if not already. She glanced up at the light, wondering what she could do. Then a thought came to her. "Stop turbolift", she commanded. Their descent immediately stopped.
She gently laid Chakotay down. She bent close to his head, lightly slapping his face. He groaned, then opened his eyes. "You ok?", she asked. He focused his eyes, then nodded, wincing after he did so.
"Just have a headache. What happened?".
"Bhun and his friend tried to kill us, that's what happened. Listen, they've probably already alerted security, so we need to find a way out of here. The way I see it, we can climb up through the ceiling into the shaft, then find a way outta there. What do you think?", she asked, already trying to find a way to get up to the light.
Chakotay nodded. He looked over toward her, then gasped. "What happened to your leg!". He scrambled over to a puzzled B'Elanna. Then she remembered. And so did her body. She immediately felt the mind numbing pain in her thigh. She looked down at it, and let out an unladylike shriek.
Her left leg was covered in blood, and on the side of her leg, above her knee, was a huge gash. She plopped down to the floor, careful of her leg. Then she hardened her resolve. "We can take care it later, Commander. Right now we need to find a way out, before we're captured."
Chakotay looked at her, then her leg. He knew that she was right. But that wound looked terrible… "Ok, lets get out of here." He stood up, then placed his foot on the hand rail. B'Elanna gingerly got up, then told him something that blew his mind.
"Step on my shoulders, and then we'll be able to reach the light." She could tell he was ready to argue, so she gruffly added, "I'm Klingon, remember? I'm stronger than a lot of people, including you."
He stared down at her, flabbergasted. How would he explain to the Captain that he injured her Chief of Engineering by standing on her shoulders? But then again, maybe he wouldn't have the chance to explain if they both were dead because of his hesitation. He nodded numbly, gently placing his feet onto her waiting shoulders.
B'Elanna gritted her teeth against the pain and extra weight. Once Chakotay had his balance, he started to fiddle with the screws on the light. Sweat poured down her face, into her shirt. She could feel it trickling down her back and stomach, concentrating on the odd sensation. Anything to get her mind of the pain.
"Got it", Chakotay announced. He lowered the light panel and then tossed it to the floor. "Here it goes, B'Elanna."
She grunted her acknowledgement. Chakotay lifted himself off her shoulders, and into darkness. B'Elanna looked up, waiting for him to reappear. Suddenly she felt weak, and collapsed to the floor, numbly watching for Chakotay. His head appeared, and once he saw her on the floor, he started to scramble down to her. "No!", she yelled, lifting her arm to stop him. "I'm coming. Just whatever you do, don't come down. It took lots of hard work to get you up there, maquis, and don't be thinking I'm gonna be hauling your heavy rear end up there again", she added, trying to add bravado to her voice.
He nodded. "Then come on. No one's allowed to sleep on the job but me", he smiled, laughing gently. "Just stand up and grab a hold of my hand and I'll do the rest, ok", he added encouragingly.
She took a deep breath, then stood up. She leaned against the wall for a second, willing the dizziness to go away. She looked up at him, and said, "I don't think that scrawny arm is strong enough to lift me up." She smiled and gave him her hand.
"Ya, well, you got me figured out. All I have to do now is turn us into birds, then we can fly away. Its an old Indian trick, but for some reason it never works for me." He grabbed her hand, and started to lift her up. After a couple of minutes of countless swears and grunts, B'Elanna found herself beside him.
"Ok, lets find a way out of here, shall we?" She looked up and saw a shaft about two feet above them. She pointed to it. "Theres where we can go. Me first", she said as she started to lift herself up. Within four minutes, both of them were in the small shaft, wiggling through it. Ten minutes later, they came to grill. B'Elanna looked through it, then whispered, "It looks like a small maintenance room. I'll just try to get this thing off", she said as she started to wrestle with the grill. With a loud screeching noise, the grill fell off onto the floor.
B'Elanna slipped out of the confined shaft, and started to look around. Chakotay stepped beside her, and saw a bag full of clothes. He walked over to it, and started going through it, picking out a couple of uniforms and some towels. "Thank goodness these are clean", he said to B'Elanna, who had sat down on the floor, examining her leg. He walked over to her, and sat down in front of her. "Ok, let me see that leg."
B'Elanna stretched her leg out toward him. He gingerly grasped the fabric, and tore it apart, leaving her whole thigh bare. "Oh, B'Elanna, this doesn't look good", he stated, shaking his head as he started to clean the deep 6 inch gash with water. Once he was sure it was as clean as it would get, he started to wrap it up with the towels. All the while through Chakotay's ministrations, she kept on thinking of the events so far today. She knew it was cold blooded to think that if they had just come a few weeks before, then they wouldn't be in this mess. Noortvan wouldn't be dead-yet-, and they could have just gotten the stupid parts and would have continued on their way, oblivious. She sighed. If only…
"Ok, that should cover it as best as we can do now. Once we get back to Voyager, we can have the Doctor look at it." Chakotay saw the look in B'Elanna's eyes. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, we will be back on Voyager. Soon. I promise."
B'Elanna nodded, staving back the tears. "Then lets find a way." Chakotay helped her up, leading her to the only chair in the small room. She sat, favoring her left thigh. He walked over to the door, and put his ear to it. "I don't hear anything. Lets try to get out of here now, then find some way to communicate with Voyager, tell them we need help now."
Suddenly the door crashed open, hurling Chakotay into B'Elanna. As soon as both she and Chakotay looked up, they found 15 guards almost on top of them, weapons mere inches from their noses. Right behind them stood Aqwerty, who glided into the room. "No, my friends. You are quite mistaken. You see, there is no way I can let you both go, especially since you know my involvement with poor Noortvan's tragic death. Instead, I have place in mind that I think would be sufficient to get rid of you two. How do you feel about mining for radioactive materials?"
B'Elanna tightened her grip on Chakotay's hand. This mission was just getting more perfect as it went.