The sun was getting ready to set when the weary group finally arrived at their destination, the campground just below a steep outcropping of rocks about two-thirds up the South Mountain. Some of the warriors had obviously gone ahead, for there were already several campfires blazing, and animal carcasses were stuck on spits above the flames, their fragrant aromas wafting though the balmy air.
Next to some tall trees Ayala could make out three wooden structures; one of them was a sturdy-looking shed with no windows and a door with a heavy bolt on it.
"This is where they will keep the filled sacks of tea leaves," the slave next to him said, having seen his inquisitive look. "The other two shacks are the women's living quarters."
"And where are ours?" Mike asked.
His question was answered when the warriors ushered them all past the shacks and towards a wide, rectangular hole in the ground. One woman retrieved a wooden ladder from one of the shacks and lowered it into the hole. Obediently the slaves began to climb down into the hole one by one. "They've got to be kidding," Mike muttered to Tuvok, but they had no choice but to follow suit.
The hole was about eight feet deep and long enough for all twenty slaves to comfortably lie next to each other. Mike was surprised to find the bottom of the hole covered with a mossy grass that proved to be surprisingly soft. Not long after the men had settled in, two women lowered the grilled meats down to them along with several buckets of water. Then they hoisted a large wooden grate in place over the hole.
"Home sweet home," Mike said sarcastically between mouthfuls of food.
Tuvok remained silent, chewing diligently. Mike knew that the Lieutenant Commander, like most Vulcans, abhorred meat, but logic dictated that Tuvok needed to gain strength for his upcoming intentions by any means necessary.
Darkness was approaching quickly, and soon the men were no longer able to see each other in the murky hole. Conversations hushed, and before long most of the slaves were asleep. Mike very much wanted to go over tomorrow's plans with Tuvok once more, but he knew it was too risky. In these close quarters any of the slaves could overhear them and thus put their scheme into jeopardy. He felt his own eyelids growing heavy; the day's exertion and his full belly finally caught up with him and he was soon fast asleep.
Tuvok, on the other hand, was in deep meditation. His mind once more minutely retraced the entire route their captors had taken, from the point of the initial attack until they had reached the village, and from there on the trip up the South Mountain.
He concluded that, even at a steady pace, it would take him the better part of an entire day to reach the Delta Flyer.
The length of the route back to their original landing place didn't bother him; he remembered another trek undertaken, this one a seeming eternity ago, on his home planet of Vulcan. It had been a solitary pilgrimage to the sacred mountain of Selaya, and he had walked for forty days through the desert, enduring days of blistering heat, nights of chilling cold, sandstorms and nocturnal predators. He had carried nothing but a simple knife with him. His only nourishment during the entire time had come from the raw flesh and blood of the desert animals he was able to catch. Many times during the arduous trek he had battled his emotions as they threatened to manifest themselves through fear, despair and loneliness. But when he had finally arrived at the foot of the sacred mountain, more dead than alive, he had nevertheless emerged from this self-imposed trial stronger than he had ever been.
He stored his mental map in a compartment of his mind and moved on to do a few more meditative mental exercises until his mind was calm enough for him to sleep.
THE ESCAPE…The slaves woke to the sound of the wooden grate being removed from the lip of their hole. The ladder once again appeared and the men ascended in an orderly fashion.
Their day had begun.
A well-trodden path led them further upwards, and after a short trek they arrived at a wide glade overgrown with tea leaf bushes in full bloom. The women immediately made themselves comfortable among the soft, mossy grass that carpeted the entire ground while the slaves got under way with the leaf picking.
Although Mike tried to be as careful as possible, his hands and arms were soon bleeding from numerous tiny pricks from the vicious thorns. After a while he heard Tuvok cough and watched with hooded eyes as the Vulcan calmly put down his sack and walked towards the nearest water bucket. Mike waited until he had had a long drink, then quickly strode towards him. He yanked the wooden ladle out of Tuvok's hand.
"Leave something for the rest of us, will ya?" Mike snarled as he dipped the ladle into the trough to drink.
Tuvok's eyebrows shot up and he reached for the ladle. "I was not finished yet, Lieutenant."
"Yes, you were, as far as I'm concerned." Mike tried to keep the dipper out of Tuvok's reach, but the Vulcan was faster, and a short tug-of-war resulted. Out of the corner of his eyes Mike could see two guards approaching them, and he let go of the ladle to give Tuvok as mighty shove. The Lieutenant Commander took two steps backwards, then lunged himself at Ayala, and the two men landed in a tangled heap on the ground, grappling with each other.
The two guards broke into a run and tried to break up the fight. The instant they reached them, the two men immediately ceased their fighting and attacked the guards. Tuvok managed to yank his guard's dagger out of her hand. His fingers shot to the side of her neck, and a well-placed Vulcan neck pinch rendered her unconscious. In the meantime, Mike was busy trying to keep his guard pinned to the ground. The two men cast one quick look at each other before Tuvok hurled himself into the underbrush.
Mike looked up and saw two more guards sprinting towards the spot where Tuvok had just disappeared. He jumped up and threw himself directly into their path. He tripped one of them, but the other one simply sidestepped him and aimed a powerful punch at the side of his head. Pain exploded at Mike's temple and he fought to remain conscious. His foot came up and caught the woman in the chest, but the kick wasn't strong enough to stop her. Hands grabbed at his hair. "May your feet be light as feathers, Tuvok," he thought just before he saw the wooden club coming towards him…
THE CHASE…Tuvok moved with a certitude born out of lifelong discipline of mind and body.
Speed was of the essence, as he knew that if his pursuers caught up with him, death was imminent. The only way to lose them was through sheer endurance. Confidently he leapt over roots and other obstructions on the ground and used the guard's dagger like a machete to clear the way before him. Like a marathon runner, he kept his speed steady and his breathing slow and deep. He was in excellent physical condition, but he also had a long and treacherous way to go, and the flimsy leather sandals on his feet were more of a hindrance than a help. However, his sensitive Vulcan ears were an advantage to him as he listened for both the sounds of pursuit behind him and for any sounds of danger from the jungle all around. At the same time, he was trying to keep his bearings solely from the mental map in his head.
He moved down the mountain as swiftly as possible, knowing that he needed to reach the shuttle before nightfall. Even with his superior survival skills he didn't dare navigate in the dark and thus risk losing his way.
The shouts of alarm from the glade were quickly receding, but the unmistakable sounds of pursuit were following him steadily. He wondered how many warriors were tracking him, and he increased his speed slightly.
At the foot of the mountain the jungle loomed, waiting for him in silent vigil. Tuvok paused for a moment to get his bearings, then plummeted into the dense foliage. Not a second later an arrow burrowed itself into the trunk of a tree where he had just stood.
Tuvok ran.
IN THE JUNGLE…Exhaustion. Extreme fatigue. A serious weakening of body and mind.
Tuvok felt it all as he continued to surge ahead through the unrelenting jungle environment. The canopy of tree tops above him was too dense to correctly make out the position of the sun, but he was fairly sure that by now it was well into the afternoon. It had been quite some time since he had last heard definite sounds of pursuit behind him, and for the first time in hours he slowed down his pace a bit. He did not believe for a moment, however, that he had lost his pursuers, for he was fairly certain that they knew where he was headed; at least one of their guards on the mountain had also been among their captors from the jungle.
Suddenly, out of the periphery of his vision, he saw movement to his right. Instinctively he jerked to the left, away from any imminent danger, but with his mind momentarily distracted he failed to see the dangerously precipitous slope suddenly gaping before him. Before he knew it, the trees were gone and he was tumbling down the steep embankment. He flailed his arms, trying vainly to break his fall. A sudden, sharp pain in his right side made him draw a jagged breath just before he crashed into a rotting tree stump.
For a moment he was dazed before he willed the pain aside and pulled himself to his feet. His knife was gone, lost during the fall. No time to look for it. The piercing pain in his side made him look down. Blood was oozing from a large, jagged gash, but he had nothing to staunch the flow with. Tuvok crouched behind the fallen tree trunk, peering up at the embankment and caught a glimpse of green skin, the glint of a spearhead. As he watched the hill he gradually became aware of a steady sound behind him; the rushing of water. He had reached the river, whose winding path would lead him back to the clearing where the shuttle was parked. He was almost there.
Looking back, he saw the riverbank not three meters behind him, its far bank lined with tall reeds sticking stiffly out of the water. Cautiously he crept towards the river and eased himself into its gurgling waters. With a deep breath, he submerged himself and swam towards the far bank. He surfaced amidst the thicket of reeds. Out of sight of his pursuers he hung suspended in the water, the wound in his side throbbing painfully, the cold seeping into his weary body. Tuvok closed his eyes and took another deep breath. One of his earliest lessons in Vulcan meditation had been to train his mind to compartmentalize physical discomforts such as pain and elemental extremes, and now seemed the perfect time to put his training to use.
Gradually his metabolism slowed and his breathing became more even as his lips formed the silent words of the Chant of Serenity.
The three warriors who just arrived on the other side of the river never noticed him.
MEANWHILE…
Chakotay and Harry were still working on the extension of the depository when they noticed the commotion at the main gate. A warrior, leading a bound Mike Ayala on a rope around his neck, had entered the village and immediately hurried towards the manor house. Chakotay saw Niukia step out onto the porch just as the warrior reached the patio steps. After some gesticulating and exchange or words, the Queen's daughter broke away from the woman and came straight towards them with long, determined strides, closely followed by four of her guards. Even from the distance Chakotay could see her eyes blazing. When she came within reaching distance, two of her hands shot out towards Chakotay's chest and roughly pushed him against the depository wall. She pulled out her hunting knife in the same motion and pressed it against his throat. "You've planned this all along, haven't you?" she hissed into his face. "But it will do you no good. Your Sahni-skinned friend will be caught, and then he will die alongside you."
She signaled her guards. "Take them to the cage. No food or water until the fourth one is caught and brought back here."
The women took them to the central square, where Mike had already been thrown into the cage. With all three of them, the small prison was hopelessly crammed. They were forced to huddle close together, trying to make themselves at least somewhat comfortable. There was a nasty bruise and some dried blood on the side of Mike's head, but despite their precarious situation, the Lieutenant flashed his crew mates a crooked grin as he relayed the details of Tuvok's escape to them.
VOYAGER…Many miles above them, Captain Janeway paced before her desk in her ready room. An hour ago the search team had reported back from the planet with the same results as the other two teams before them: No combadge signals, no bio-signature readings.
The heavy atmospheric interferences also made their readings next to indecipherable.
For four days, the search teams' shuttles had been orbiting and scanning the planet's two continents from the upper atmosphere for any sign of the missing away team, but other than the empty Delta Flyer, positioned at its correct landing coordinates, they had come up with nothing. Kathryn had decided to leave the shuttle where it was for now, a hopeful gesture, for if there was any chance the away team might find their way back to it from wherever they were…
She wrung her hands in frustration. At least they had not found any bodies yet. That was a good sign, she kept telling herself.
The search teams' scans had revealed about a dozen villages of various sizes within a reasonable distance from the Delta Flyer. 'The next logical step would be to start knocking on some doors down there,' she thought to herself and turned back to the topographical map of the search area on her computer screen.
Suddenly her combadge chirped.
"Paris to Captain Janeway." Tom's voice sounded excited. "We've just received a transmission from the Flyer. It's Tuvok!"
KATHRYN'S PLAN…Sickbay's double doors had barely opened before Kathryn Janeway burst into the room.
Her chief of security lay on a biobed, still clad only in his torn linen kilt and sandals. Upon his arrival on Voyager in the Delta Flyer a few minutes ago, Janeway had ordered him beamed directly to Sickbay. The Doctor was hunched over him, dermal regenerator in hand, treating a large gash in his side.
"Maybe I should just print 'Finishing Line' on the door threshold, the way this woman always sprints in here," the EMH mumbled without ever looking up.
Kathryn came to a stop at the head of the biobed and looked down at the Vulcan. "It's good to have you back, Mr. Tuvok."
She smiled at him, but he saw the unspoken questions and concerns in her eyes and came to the point without preamble. "Captain, the others were unharmed up until yesterday, but because of my successful escape, these conditions are very likely to change, so we must proceed with utmost urgency."
Tuvok had always admired the iron control the captain showed at moments such as this. Janeway wasted no time with other questions, simply replied, "Agreed. Meet me and the rest of the senior staff in the briefing room right after your clearance from Sickbay. We will work out an immediate recovery plan for the away team."
She squeezed his shoulders reassuringly, gave the EMH an unmistakable 'Get him back on his feet as fast as possible' look and left to gather her officers.
The four remaining senior officers of Voyager met in the captain's briefing room immediately after Tuvok had been released. They were seated at their respective places around the briefing table, and everyone was painfully aware of Commander Chakotay's and Ensign Kim's empty seats.
Dressed once again in his black and gold uniform, Tuvok recounted the events of the past few days in his customary emotionless voice; from their capture to a detailed description of the fortified village and the women's amazonian society up to the current, precarious situation of the remaining crew members on the planet.
Captain Janeway sat at the head of the table, listening quietly, her fingers steepled before her and a blank expression on her face until Tuvok relayed the royal women's nightly requests for Chakotay's and Harry's presence at the manor house. Her head whipped around and she stared at her chief of security with an unbelieving and pained expression for a moment before her captain's mask slipped back into place.
"Are you saying that Chakotay and Harry are down there, having sex with beautiful women every night?" Tom shook his head, trying vainly to hide his grin. "Why don't I ever get to go on the really interesting away missions?"
A kick from B'Elanna made him wince sharply.
The Vulcan chief of security turned to him with a penetrating stare. "First of all, Lieutenant, these carnal interactions are taking place after a full day of taxing physical labor. I am sure that the Commander and Ensign Kim, if given a choice, which they are not, would prefer a good night's sleep instead."
Tom's grin had disappeared, but Tuvok was not finished yet. "Secondly, may I remind you that, if you had been part of this mission, it would most likely be you instead of Lieutenant Ayala, who would be tending crops throughout the day and sleeping on the floor of the slave's quarters after a bowl of river snail stew as your only nourishment."
Now it was the pilot's turn, together with every one else in the room, to stare at the Lieutenant Commander.
"Tuvok, if I didn't know any better, I'd guess that you are…emotionally charged."
"You have guessed wrong, Lieutenant," the Vulcan replied austerely. "I merely disapprove of your inappropriate remark."
Paris' eyes narrowed. "Hey, I never meant…"
"Gentlemen," Captain Janeway snapped. "Let's postpone any debates about morally correct behavior until after we have rescued our crew members." She cast the pilot a harsh glare. "I need suggestions, good ones; not petty squabbling or inane remarks."
"Yes, ma'am." Tom mumbled.
Restless, Janeway rose and paced behind her chair. Tuvok's revelations about what was happening to Chakotay and Harry rocked her more than she could let her crew see. She felt bad for Harry, of course, but Chakotay…Kathryn swallowed hard, took a deep breath and looked over her assembled crew. "Ideas, anyone?"
"I believe that, with a woman such as Queen Loor, a show of superior strength would be the best strategy." Tuvok declared.
"A show of strength?" Janeway's brows knitted together. Tuvok knew this look well; it was his captain's mind going into overdrive. Suddenly she looked up.
"Tuvok, I think you just gave me an idea…"
BACK ON THE SURFACE…Barely two hours later, ten people were assembled in Shuttle bay Two, having just finished loading up the Delta Flyer.
Captain Janeway, B'Elanna Torres, Seven of Nine, and Samantha Wildman manned the first shuttle while Jenny and Meagan Delaney, Marla Gilmore, Susan Nicoletti, and Tal Celes piled into the second. Tuvok piloted the Delta Flyer. He was alone, since most of the cargo space of the Flyer was taken up by the numerous equipment necessary to put the captain's plan into action. They touched down at his predetermined coordinates, just outside the perimeters of the valley, under cover of night. B'Elanna immediately went about scanning the village nearby.
"I'm reading their combadge signals, but they are too faint for a safe transport." She tapped the transporter controls some more before she let out an angry growl. "It's all this damn atmospheric interference."
She turned to Janeway. "If we did try a beam-out, I couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't arrive in here all morphed into one. So much for plan A."
Janeway put a hand on her chief engineer's shoulder. "It's all right, B'Elanna. That's why we brought plan B along."
The women sprang into action, silently unloading half a dozen bulky, yet mobile containers from the Flyer. After only a few minutes they were all bathed in sweat and their uniforms stuck to their bodies like glue.
"Kahless, this is like breathing through a wet dish rag down here," whispered B'Elanna as she leaned against one of the metal boxes, wiping the perspiration from her ridged forehead. As a Klingon, she was usually more comfortable in a warmer climate, but the humidity on this planet was more than even she was used to.
All around them the jungle was anything but asleep as the cries of nocturnal animals vibrated in the air. Janeway looked towards the distant mountain ridge silhouetted by only the faintest sliver of gray.
Dawn was near; it just hadn't made it over the mountaintops yet.
"We don't have much time left," she said, "let's finish positioning these." She grabbed one of the containers and headed off into the night. After only a short trek she reached her destination; the edge of the valley that held the fortified village. She placed the box beside a tree trunk and positioned it so that its projector faced the open area of the valley, knowing that at several other key positions her crew women were doing just the same. Picking up handfuls of leaves and twigs, she covered it up as best as possible and crept back towards the shuttles.
Ten minutes later the women of Voyager were gathered around the Delta Flyer where, inside, Tuvok had just finished the final remote check-up of the camouflaged equipment. "Everything is functioning within normal parameters, Captain," he stated, tapped several more commands, double-checked the data streaming across the console before him and finally gave Janeway a satisfied nod.
Kathryn went to the replicator in the back of the shuttle, asked for coffee and settled herself into a seat with her steaming mug.
"So far so good. Now we wait for dawn."
CONFRONTATIONS…
And daybreak came, approximately thirty minutes later.
Starting at the tips of the high trees and working its way down, the sunlight bathed everything it touched with a warm, yellow glow. Suddenly, the early dawn silence of the valley was broken by a high-pitched shout from one of the village's watchtowers. The call of alarm was instantly taken up by the guards from the remaining three towers, and within moments the village square began to fill with female figures, sleep-tousled yet alert, not to mention armed. All were heading towards the fortress walls, crowding into the watchtowers and onto the battle platforms to look out onto the valley.
Queen Loor and her daughter were among the warriors hurrying towards the East Tower, from which the initial warning shout had come.
The two women stood side by side, looking out over the sight before them in silent astonishment; the entire valley floor was crowded with bodies as far as their eyes could see. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of women, all dressed in matching uniforms of black with either red, gold or blue colors across their shoulders. Each woman was holding a menacing looking weapon in her hands that Queen Loor recognized as the same type of firearm Niukia had taken from the four male strangers.
The Queen had no doubt as to who these women were, and why they were here.
With intrepid eyes she scanned the silent crowd, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.
Next to her, Niukia turned to the watchtower's guard. "How could an army of such size have amassed right under your nose?" she hissed. "You were sleeping, weren't you?"
She was about to backhand the guard, but her mother calmly put a hand on her arm. Niukia followed her Queen's gaze and saw a small woman emerge from the cover of a large tree. Her own weapon was still holstered and she was dressed exactly like the rest of the alien army, but Queen Loor immediately recognized the familiar demeanor of a leader. From the frontlines of her army, two women, one of them blond, the other one dark-haired with strange ridges on her forehead, detached themselves and flanked their leader as she walked by them. The women crossed the bridge over the moat and approached the village's closed gate with determined strides. Then the leader put her hands on her hips and looked up, her blue eyes wandering over the green faces of the warriors glaring back at her.
She could clearly see the dozens of arrows and spears aimed at her from above the fortress walls, but there was no fear in her eyes; just a steely determination.
"I demand to speak to Queen Loor of Sultaar," she called out in a smooth, steady voice.
"So the Sahni-skinned one did make it back to his people," Niukia remarked tightly to no one in particular before she leaned forward. "And who addresses her?"
The slight woman squinted her eyes. "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager," she answered. "And I believe you have something that belongs to me."
WOMEN AND WARRIORS…An older woman came up beside the younger one, snobbishly looking down at the small alien female.
"Kathryn Janeway," she called, "you come to reclaim what now belongs to me! And what do you have to offer in exchange for their return? There is nothing we need, and nothing we would want that is of alien origin." The Queen looked smug.
Janeway wordlessly nodded at B'Elanna and Seven who aimed their phasers at the nearest tree and fired. The energy discharges instantly engulfed the tree in a blaze of fire.
Kathryn turned back to the green-skinned Queen and declared, "We do not want to harm you or any of your people. But we will not leave without our crewmen, and we are going to retrieve them by any means necessary."
Queen Loor barked a harsh laugh. "You are a fool if you think that this little demonstration of your weaponry would intimidate me. Even as we speak, each one of your men has a dagger pointed at his throat." She held up one of her hands with a smirk. "I have to wave but one finger and your men will be dead within a heartbeat. Even with all of your firearms combined, you would not reach them in time."
Janeway exchanged a look with B'Elanna and thought for a moment. "Then there is only one thing I can offer you: My discretion."
Queen Loor gave her a puzzled frown.
"You see, our voyage so far has been long, and we still have quite a distance to go," Janeway continued. "During our travels we have encountered numerous alien species, many of them highly aggressive and keen on nothing but conquests. Their weapons are more destructive and their intentions far less peaceful than ours. And if the location of your world with all of its villages should somehow fall into the hands of such hostile People From The Sky, neither you, nor the Sahni, would ever be safe again."
Kathryn shrugged her shoulders innocently. "Would you really risk all that for three useless males? They're only men, after all."
Next to her, Torres bit her cheek, but Janeway's poker face never wavered.
Queen Loor was quiet, her brows furrowed as she contemplated the words of the alien woman. Next to her, Niukia sucked in her breath and her hand went to the hilt of her sheathed dagger. "How dare she threaten you! I shall…"
Her mother's sudden, powerful grip on her wrist startled her into silence. The two women locked eyes and the young warrior was surprised to see a hint of amusement rather than anger on her mother's face.
The Queen nodded to her. "Get the men."
"What?" Niukia's voice rose slightly, and immediately the Queen's look hardened.
"I mean...you are giving in to them, my Queen?" Niukia asked in a more muted way.
Queen Loor sighed. "It's not about 'giving in'," she explained to her daughter. "But there are times when there is more at stake than one's own pride, and I believe that now is such a time." Loor's head inclined towards the silent, alien army outside her gates. "You have seen what their weapons can do. How many of our warriors' fire-arrows do you think it takes to do that?" The Queen was looking intently at her daughter. "A wise ruler knows when the needs of the many outweigh the desires of the few, and the safety of your tribe must always be your first priority. When your time comes to rule, and you are faced with similar decisions, I hope that you will make the right choices."
Niukia stared at the floor, her mother's unassailable logic slowly calming her temper.
Then her head came up, and for a long moment she intensely regarded the small, redheaded stranger standing several yards below her.
Next to her, her mother resumed her train of thought. "Besides," Loor continued, "she has a point; they are only men, and frankly, I'm already tiring of my new toy."
"I'm not," Niukia pouted half-heartedly.
The Queen looked out onto the valley once more. "You shall find a new one. Now go and get the males."
ILLUSIONS…
From their positions inside the cage, Chakotay, Harry and Mike had no way of following the events that were unfolding outside the village gates. Consequently, they were not sure whether to be hopeful or despondent when they saw the warrior Niukia stride across the square towards them, but the fact that she was alone gave Chakotay a small measure of encouragement. She unlocked the cage doors and waited silently while they exited the confined space and stretched their cramped muscles. Chakotay glanced at her, trying to read her face, but the younger warrior's expression was strangely calm as she motioned for them to follow her. The little group made their way through the village towards the main entrance where two other warriors were already unbarring the wooden gate. They cracked it open just far enough for the men to fit through.
Niukia stood off to the side of the door, her eyes never wavering from Chakotay's face.
"You have a good woman waiting for you out there," she said solemnly and with not a hint of sarcasm when he walked past her. Then she turned and strode back towards the watchtower.
As Mike, Harry, and Chakotay cleared the gate, the scene before them stopped them dead in their tracks for a second. But the first officer's mind quickly grasped the situation, and a tiny smile crept into the corners of his mouth.
A few feet away from them, Kathryn Janeway was waiting, standing regally before her vast army of Starfleet women.
"Keep moving," he mumbled to Harry and Mike. "Don't look surprised. Keep your faces neutral."
When Kathryn saw the three figures emerge from the gate, her heartbeat quickened, and a flood of relief washed through her. Those past few minutes she had been waiting for the Queen's answer to her veiled threat had seemed like the longest of her life. Even when the heavy gate opened, she didn't know what or who would be coming out. When she recognized her crewmen, her knees actually started to shake, but she kept her posture upright and her face emotionless.
Chakotay, however, saw her eyes sparkling brightly as he approached her. His heart pounded heavily in his chest as he willed himself to walk with even strides. Out of the periphery of his vision he saw the spears and arrows of the Sultaari warriors aiming down at them from the battle platforms behind the fortress walls.
Then, at last, he stood before her, their eyes locking, speaking silent volumes to each other.
She held out her hand and he took it. Her warm touch and loving gaze went straight to his wounded soul, and the healing process started instantly.
He wanted nothing more than to get off this planet and back home, to Voyager.
Simultaneously they turned and started to leave, but suddenly there was a whirring noise in the air, and an arrow struck the ground just before the captain's feet. Her head shot up, and she saw the Queen calmly lowering her bow. B'Elanna and Seven were already aiming their phasers, but Kathryn raised her hand, motioning for them to freeze.
The two leading women looked at each other.
"Janeway of Voyager," the Queen said formally, "I have kept my part of the bargain. I expect you to keep yours."
Kathryn nodded solemnly. "You have my word. And I shall not go back on it."
Then she turned and led her little group back to the shuttles.
Queen Loor watched the still assembled alien army. None of the females moved, but Loor wasn't concerned, determining that the women were simply guarding their leader's retreat.
Tuvok initiated the launch sequence as soon as Kathryn, Chakotay, Mike and Harry boarded the Delta Flyer. The three crafts were airborne within moments, and exactly fifteen seconds after launch, six camouflaged holographic projectors self-destructed simultaneously from their hiding places at the perimeters of the valley. With them, an entire army of female Starfleet warriors vanished out of existence to the outraged shrieks of numerous green-skinned warriors, who just now realized how badly they had been tricked.
BACK ON VOYAGER…The way from the turbolift to the Holodecks seemed twice as long as usual to Kathryn as she walked down the corridor towards Holodeck Two, Commander Chakotay's present location according to the ship's computer.
On the way back from the planet, the three men had been unnaturally silent, and as much as she wanted to reassure and comfort her crew members, and especially Chakotay, the back of the Delta Flyer had not seemed an appropriate counseling location at that time.
After thorough examinations and some patching up, the Doctor had declared all three fit for duty once again, but Kathryn had ordered all four members of the away team to take some time off. As soon as work permitted, she had hurried to her first officer's quarters, just to find them deserted; but even without the computer's help, she would have known where to look for him.
The double doors swished open. She stepped into the Holodeck, and immediately onto a rocky ridge. Chakotay sat on a blanket, directly at the edge of the precipice with his back to her, his legs hanging over the edge. He was looking out onto a beautiful wooded valley that stretched seemingly into infinity below him. To his right, a turquoise waterfall roared down from a jagged mountainside and into a pool that sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow. Not far from them, a majestic bald eagle soared lazily upwards on an unseen current of air.
She could see from her first officer's rigid posture how tense he was, so she wordlessly sat down beside him on the blanket, letting her legs dangle over the edge in synchrony with his. For a while they simply sat in companionable silence, listening to the sounds of nature all around them.
"It's so peaceful here," she exclaimed after some time.
Overhead, the eagle let out a piercing cry, and Chakotay sighed. "Canela National Forest in Brazil. One of my favorite spots on Earth."
His eyes continued to follow the eagle's flight. "I could always feel my soul breathe here," he whispered.
They both wordlessly watched the eagle for a few more moments.
Chakotay finally broke the silence. "I know what you are going to ask, and, no."
"No what?"
"No, I'm not ok yet, but I will be." He exhaled heavily. "I believe this falls into the category of 'I must soothe my bruised, chauvinistic ego all by myself.'"
Kathryn almost grinned. "I've met quite a few chauvinists in my life, and you are most certainly not one of them." She looked at him tenderly. "I can't make you talk about it if you don't want to, but I hope you know that I will always be here for you when you are ready."
He returned her gentle gaze and nodded solemnly before he turned to watch the eagle again. It was quite some time later before he resumed talking.
"I'm worried about Harry," he said quietly. "Back on the planet, I tried to talk to him about…our situation…but I'm afraid I wasn't very successful."
"Physically, he is fine." Kathryn replied. "He was released from Sickbay about an hour ago."
Chakotay looked at her. "That's good, but it's not what I meant."
"I know." Kathryn said solemnly. "But I'm sure you did whatever you could. Maybe Harry just needs a best friend to talk to. Tom is with him now. I think he knows best how to get through to Harry. And with time, he'll be all right."
Chakotay seemed to contemplate the waterfall. Then he shook his head sadly.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the way the men on this planet are living their lives, Kathryn. They seemed to have accepted their fate without as much as a question."
He made a helpless motion with his hands. "I know that slavery and indentured labor is part of Human history, but it has been abolished for so long that even our history records barely brush on it anymore. But then to suddenly come face to face with this horrible practice, and what's worse, to hear these men speak of their lot as if it were the most natural thing..."
"To them it is." Kathryn gently reminded him.
Chakotay looked angry now. "But it shouldn't be!"
"I completely agree with you." she said. "But you have to remember that before they heard you speak, these men did not know that life is different on other worlds."
She saw his puzzled look and explained. "Tuvok has told me about the things you've said to the slaves in the longhouse. How you have described life on Earth and how men and women can coexist without suppression.
"Chakotay, you have already done more for these people than I think you are aware of. You have sown the seeds for change, shown them that there are indeed other ways to live.
I believe that every species possesses a fundamental instinct to be free. In the case of the Sahni and Sultaari men, this instinct surely exists as well, but has merely been dormant up until now. Knowledge is power, and now that you have bestowed that power on them, I firmly believe that in time, things will change, because once the desire for freedom takes hold, nothing will be able to stop it from blossoming."
Chakotay merely shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, but who knows when that will be? So what good is that to Kiar, or any of the other slaves? None of them will live to experience freedom."
"True, change takes time, but don't you see? It all starts with an idea. And that idea is there now, firmly implanted in their heads, and with time that idea will turn into reality." Kathryn's eyes were intense. "They might not be free during their lifetimes, maybe not even their sons, but their grandsons…"
Chakotay still looked dejected.
Kathryn sighed, studying his handsome profile. Was it her imagination or were there some lines on his face that hadn't been there four days ago? Her thoughts were churning inside her head. What could she possibly say to him that would serve as even a small measure of comfort after what he had been through for the past few days?
She drew a long breath. "Chakotay, whatever happened inside the manor house…"
At that he suddenly turned to her. "I fulfilled my part of a business deal, Kathryn. She threatened me with the lives of the crew." His eyes bore into hers. "I've never felt so violated, so soiled. The first thing I did after I left Sickbay was to take one of the longest showers ever. It didn't help, though. Memories don't wash off."
He stared into the distance again. She waited, sensing that he needed some time to put his thoughts together.
"She broke me like a bucking stallion." His voice was no more than a hoarse whisper.
"And then she used me like her own personal breeding stud."
Kathryn's heart constricted at the look of utter distress on his face.
Instinctively, she put her hand on his shoulder, but he flinched from her touch.
She tried to catch his eye. "She might have had your body at her command for a while, but she never had your soul." Her voice was intent. "Your spirit is indominable. Maybe you can draw some strength and consolation from that?"
His face became a little softer. "Thanks, Kathryn, but that still doesn't make it much easier to deal with."
She tried a different approach. "Chakotay, imagine if things had been the other way around; if it had been me who had been with the away team. If I were caught by a band of male warriors and would have to assure the safety of my crew members, I would have made that same deal. Then how would you feel about me?"
But Chakotay was already shaking his head. "How could I ever feel anything but love for you?" he said softly.
"Exactly," she replied simply.
She moved closer to him and slowly stroked the side of his face with a gentle hand. Chakotay closed his eyes, but did not flinch as he had earlier. Instead, he inclined his head slightly, leaning his cheek into her open palm. This gesture of his consent for physical contact sent relief gushing through her and she draped her other arm around his neck, caressing the short hair at the nape of his neck.
She did not get any further than that; suddenly Chakotay's arms shot out and pulled her against his chest in a crushing embrace. His mouth clamped down on hers in a fierce kiss so full of need that her heart ached all over again for him.
He clung to her like a drowning man, showering her face and neck with kisses between whispered exclamations of 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you.'
Kathryn broke the contact with his lips just long enough to unbutton her uniform pants. He was already pulling his shirt over his head. They were naked in no time at all.
Chakotay hurriedly moved the blanket a few yards away from the edge of the cliff before he pushed her gently but insistently onto her back and moved between her legs.
Their lovemaking had thus far always been gentle and on equal terms, but today Kathryn instinctually knew that, no matter how he chose to love her, she had to let him lead; that this time he had to be in total control. It was part of his soul's healing process.
Chakotay looked down on her, this woman he loved with every inch of his body, mind and soul. A few hours ago she had saved him, and she was about to save him again.
He kissed her long and deep before he slid into her warm depths.
EPILOGUE…Later, they lay side by side, facing each other. Chakotay looked into her eyes.
"My heart…in your hands," he breathed.
"I'll take good care of it," she whispered back.
Chakotay smiled for the first time since he had left four days ago. "You already have."
He seemed calmer now, his earlier look of dire distress had dissolved.
Her hair had come undone, and he was playing with one of the auburn strands, twirling it around his finger. "About what you said earlier…that only a body can be possessed, but never a mind…" He paused, as if at a loss for words.
Kathryn nodded wordlessly.
"You wanted to know whether I could derive comfort from that."
"Yes?"
He studied her face, and after a while he nodded. "Yes, I think so. I believe that, with you by my side, I can overcome anything."
On the horizon, the eagle had long since disappeared and the sun was slowly sinking behind the line of trees, but Kathryn's smile brightened the room like no holographic sun ever could.
THE END
If you enjoyed this story, and would like to read the NC-17 version of it, you can find it on my website. The link is displayed in my bio.