Disclaimer: No ownership; just coveting.
Chapter Three
Present...
Chakotay tapped his combadge, "Chakotay to Voyager." He struggled to peer through the ash. Vague moving shapes began to appear, ghostlike, around misshapen lumps of stone and metal.
"Tuvo..." crackle, "some kind....ference... the planet." There was more static. "...mander, do you read?"
"There's been an explosion," Chakotay shouted. "I can't find the rest of the away team. I can't find the captain."
"...tect two other human lifesigns....your proxim....tempting to lock on..." Tuvok's voice dissolved into static once again.
"Hold on, Tuvok! There were four of us." Fear and dread clawed at Chakotay.
"The sensors only... three hu... eed to return immediately." Chakotay's features shuttered, as he went on autopilot. He knew that if there was continued danger, as first officer, he needed to be on Voyager. It did not make him feel less guilty about whomever he was leaving behind.
"Lock on the human signatures, and beam us up," he ordered. He felt the familiar tingle steal over him. With him on the transporter pad, were Paris and Ayala, looking as bewildered and grimy as he felt. Paris had a jagged cut above one eye that was trickling blood. Ayala was cradling his left arm. They looked at each other in alarm.
"Did either of you see the Captain?"
"No," Paris responded, "We were both thrown into the street, off to the side." Chakotay nodded to indicate that that had happened to him as well. "If she was still near the building when those columns collapsed..." his voice trailed off. Chakotay hit his combadge.
"Chakotay to Tuvok," he said urgently.
"Tuvok here."
"Contact the Torvalans. Find out the cause of that explosion. If there seems to be no additional danger, send a security team down there. Keep scanning for the captain. I'm on my way to the bridge."
"Commander.." Ayala tried to interject.
"You and Paris report to sickbay," Chakotay interrupted tersely, and then he was gone.
When he strode onto the bridge, he was all business, squelching the agony he felt in his soul at Kathryn's unknown status.
"Tuvok, have you been in contact with the Torvalan government yet?" he asked.
"I have spoken with a deputy minister. They are understandably in some chaos at this time. I understood their leader to have been killed in the explosion."
The First Prefect, Chakotay thought. Kathryn had been standing right next to her.
"Do they know what caused the explosion?"
"There is apparently a splinter group trying to oust the current administration. The minister informed me that the rebels do not approve of the recent election of a woman to the highest seat of government. There have been several assassination attempts."
"Then it had nothing to do with our presence on the planet?"
"On the contrary, the minister believes that hearing of Voyager's imminent arrival, also with a woman in a position of ultimate authority, may have sparked this latest act of terrorism."
"Take them both out, make a more powerful political statement," Chakotay murmured, his heart aching. Kathryn.
"So it would seem, Commander."
"We've been up here long enough. We need to find the captain," Chakotay said, not waiting for a response from Tuvok. "Chakotay to Sickbay."
"Sickbay here," came the voice of the EMH.
"How are Paris and Ayala?"
"Lieutenant Paris has laceration above his eye, as well as a concussion. He will cleared for duty tomorrow. Lieutenant Ayala broke his left ulna and dislocated his elbow. The damage has been repaired."
"Good. Doctor, get your emitter and report to the transporter room. I want you down on the surface with us in case the captain is injured."
"Aye, sir," the doctor replied. Chakotay turned to Tuvok, his tone and look brooking no argument.
"Have two security officers report to the transporter room. You have the bridge." He looked at Tuvok. "I have to go down there." Tuvok looked back at him for a long moment.
"I understand, Commander."