Chapter 4: Prize Taken
While Janeway and her officers were on the surface, the advance party from Maccrage arrived. There were two tech priests, Brother Maldis and ten defense Auxilia troops disguised as scholars. Ensign Kim and Be'lanna were waiting for them.
"Welcome to Voyager. I'm Ensign Harry Kim and this is Chief Engineer Be'lanna Torres."
"I am Techmarine Maldis of the Ultramarines. These are Tech Priests Tenitis and Cochoger, and our scholars from the Central Librarium of Maccrage."
"Well if you'll come with me, I'll take you on a tour of the ship," Harry said.
"We would be honored. However our scholars would like to begin the cultural exchange at once."
"All right. Be'lanna could you show them to the Mess Hall? You can rest there and begin the cultural exchange," he explained to them. They nodded their heads. "Well now, let's get back to the tour." He showed them the mess hall, the arponics bay, and they then headed into sickbay.
"Computer activate the EMH," Harry ordered and the doctor appeared. The Tech Priests were a bit startled, and Brother Maldis gave a cool stare.
"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," he said, then noticed the new faces. "Ah, do we have guests Ensign?"
"Yes, and you might not believe this Doc but we're actually in another reality right now."
"Really? Well as usual I'm the last person to be infirmed of this." He said in a voice that was both tired and annoyed.
"What is this thing?" Maldis asked. The Doctor gave an angry look.
"I am this ship's Chief Medical Officer. You may direct your questions to me."
"The Doctor's a hologram," Kim explained.
"Astounding," one of the tech priests remarked. "A hologram capable of interaction and conscious thought." He pulled back his hood and for the first time everyone got a look at his face. They recoiled at the sight of his augmetic eyes, ears and the tube that surrounded his mouth and nose. His skin was a sickly pasty white.
"Oh my! What happened to you?" The Doctor asked. "You must have been in a horrific accident."
"What do you mean? Are you referring to my enhancements? They are blessings from the Machine God," he said while making the mark of the Omimsiah across his chest.
"Blessings? They look like you-" the Doctor began before Harry cut him off.
"They're entitled to their beliefs Doctor," he said.
"Do you not also believe in the Machine God?" The Tech Priest asked.
"We've never heard of him. We aren't exactly from around here." While Ensign Kim and the Doctor were busy with the Tech Priests, Brother Maldis extended one of his mechadendrites into a console and began downloading his virus.
"What are you doing?" The Doctor asked, noticing the tendril extending from Maldis's hand.
"I am merely accessing your medical database," he lied. The virus would take several minutes to adapt to Voyager's computers. "I apologize if I acted inappropriately"
"In the future you should ask before touching our systems since you're unfamiliar with them," the Doctor said. Maldis gave a nod.
"Now, our next stop is Engineering," Harry announced. This pleased Maldis. There would be no better place to monitor the takeover of Voyager.
Once the team arrived in Engineering, Maldis's armor gave a chime, signaling that the virus was ready to act. He sent the activation code and the signal that would alert the troops both on and off ship to move.
Across Voyager lights flashed and consoles lost power. Maldis and the Tech Priests pulled concealed Bolt Pistols from their robes and armor.
"What's going on?" Kim demanded before a Bolt Pistol was stuck under his neck. He stiffened.
"We are taking your ship. Resist and your skull will never exist again," Maldis hissed. The other crew members in Engineering froze. One foolishly tried to defend the ship with a hand phaser. The blast merely caused a small burn mark of Maldis's armor. The return Bolt blew the crewman's head apart. Blood and bone fragments pained his station and the crew members around him. "If any of you try that, you will suffer the same fate!" The others raised their hands in surrender.
Meanwhile, in the mess hall, Neelix and Be'lanna were trading cultural facts about their respective races. Then the head scholars' wrist comm. beeped. The lights in the mess hall flickered for a moment. In that moment the Defense Auxilia troopers drew concealed Needle Pistols, their needles filled with potent tranquilizers. They move quickly and secured the room, herding the occupants to the center. They cast off their robes, revealing their military uniforms.
"What's going on?" Neelix asked. One of the troopers backhanded him, sending him sprawling. He got to his knees and wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "What was that for?"
"Silence Xenos filth! You're lucky we don't kill you and all the aliens on your ship right now. I, however, will not hesitate to demonstrate what my gun can do if you persist with these questions." Neelix shut up and joined the others on the floor. "Team one, move and secure the ship's armories. Team two remain and guard the prisoners." He activated his comm. bead. "Assault unit two to Thunderhawks, you are clear to move in," he reported.
"We are en rout now." Came the reply.
On the surface, the Terminators around the landing party suddenly straightened and aimed their Storm Bolters at Janeway and the others.
"What is this?" She asked.
"You and your crew are now prisoners of the Ultramarines Captain," Calgar answered.
"Why are you doing this?" Tuvok asked.
"Because you and your entire crew are guilty of consorting with aliens and using devices unsanctioned by Tech Priests."
"We didn't now your laws. We only arrived in this place a short time ago," Janeway explained.
"That makes no difference. Your vessel is already being taken, and now we have its captain and senior staff."
Janeway was both terrified and betrayed. She had believed she had found a people who embodied everything the Federation stood for. Now they were acting more like Ferangi.
"Boarding team report," Calgar spoke into his communicator.
"The vessel is under our control. No losses. One enemy dead," came the reply.
"Excellent. I and Librarian Tigurius will be arriving shortly."
"You've killed a member of my crew?" Janeway asked.
"He must have resisted. You are fortunate I ordered our boarding parties to only capture your crew. If I had desired, every person aboard your vessel would be dead. Now you will come with me."
An hour later, the entire crew of Voyager was in the dungeons of the Fortress of Hera. Janeway went around and saw that everyone was all right. Many of the security officers were drugged from the needle guns when they had tried to desist. The Defense troopers and Space Marines had taken the entire ship in only a few minutes.
"I never saw men with such discipline and skill," one officer said. "They moved so fast and with absolute faith in their men."
"Well it looks like we're stuck here now," Paris said.
"Perhaps not," Tuvok said. "There may be a method of escape."
Ooh cliffhanger. See if the crew can escape in the next chapter. Also, see what horrors the mystery Inquisitor will put Janeway and the senior officers through. See you then. In the meantime review or Deamons will devour your immortal souls! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
ENTILZA