Authors Note: This is the third story in what will hopefully be a long line of stories. This story continues the adventures of the Lieutenant Simon Hartstone. While not necessary to read the two stories "Punishment" and "Captured!" it would be advisable to set up why this new character is aboard Voyager. If you read "Training" I should let you know I have decided to take that down considering I don't know where to take the story as well as the fact of the matter is I wasn't too happy with the first chapter I wrote and the second chapter wasn't going so well either. I wanted to write a story that included the whole Hazard Team and not just about Lieutenant Hartstone and I obviously wanted to write a kick ass story as well. Also I don't know how to work out stardates, I have looked on the star trek website to try and discern a pattern for them but their doesn't seem to be one they just seem to be a load of random numbers, I have set this in season 6 after the episode "One Small Step." I wanted log entries to feature more as I think they were a primary way of story setting on most of the Star Trek episodes.
Happiness
Read Chapter 1 for disclaimers and some other junk. I have upped the rating in this story due to violence, language. This is not for the weak at heart so be warned!
Chapter 11: Saving the Day!
Phaser fire whizzed back and forth through the streets as the people just tried to stay out of the way. Janeway was moving from cart to cart while the Hazard team had the men distracted she was making her way towards the stage. The Hazard team were starting to get the better of the phaser battle obviously showing their skill and better training, staying down until a shot presented itself and then nailing it with precision. Eight of the twelve that had stormed the court yard were left face down in the dirt, or sprawled out on market stall as some of the team started to edge their way towards the stage to follow the Captain. The Captain stood up and took a clean shot at the Lord, which rocked him heavily before he came back, she set her compression rifle to maximum before shooting again but the shots having no effect.
"Your puny weapons can not kill me! You should know that more than anyone else" he walked towards her, as she kept firing but to no effect. She tried to move away as he was practically on top of her but before she could his right hand snaked out with lightning quickness and grabbed her by the throat he lift her up into the air. She struggled with the hand at her throat, grabbing and pulling at it trying to loosen his grip.
"And to think of it, I was grooming you for better things with me and then you go and do this!" he said as he squeezed tighter and the Captain was starting to struggle less as he cut off the oxygen supply. Suddenly a the Lord felt a sharp pain in his back, he dropped the Captain to the ground out of surprise, as she struggled to get her breath back she looked at the reason why she was dropped. Lieutenant Hartstone standing his right arm now covering the middle of his stomach where a knife had been previously, covering the wound with his elbow he was trying to hold the knife out forward trying to appear threatening. The Lord turned to him as he backed off
"You really don't know when to give up do you!" as Hartstone kept backing up "But I am interested as to why you are not DEAD YET!" as moved towards Hartstone menacingly
"Well it has interested me somewhat but a little talk with ones mother goes a long way" the Lord was extremely confused by this saying, as he wondered what the hell he was talking about more pain filled his back as Captain Janeway had recomposed herself and fired directly at the knife wound. Before the Lord could turn around to present his less vulnerable front, she fired again rocking him again. She switched her phaser to beam rather than a compressed bolt as the Lord turned around she fired straight for his head, which made him stagger holding his face. Two other Hazard Team members joined the Captain as she signalled to fire at his head, and they all concentrated their fire at the Lord's head, they all fired a continuous beam at his head. After about five seconds of phaser fire, the Lord's head swelled up with a very surprised look on his face before his head literally exploded. Covering everybody within a three-metre radius with brain, blood, and flesh. The Lord's headless body dropped to the floor and behind him they could see an obviously wounded Hartstone down on his knees before he dropped back onto his back clutching his stomach now with his whole arm, after dropping the knife. The Doctor, Crewman Jurot and the Captain ran over to the Lieutenant and the Doctor quickly opened his tricorder to scan Hartstone.
"We need to get him back to Voyager, now Captain, I could list his injuries but that won't do him any good"
"Is he able to transport" Janeway asked and the Doctor shook his head, quite hard.
"No Captain his life signs are barely registering on the tricorder" at which point the Captain tapped her comm badge
"Janeway to Delta Flyer, land as close to my position as possible and bring an anti gravity bed out, Lieutenant Hartstone cannot transport and he needs to get back to Voyager now"
"What about transport enhancers" was the reply from Seven, the Doctor shook his head
"Doctor says that Lieutenant Hartstone can't, he is to badly wounded to be able to transport in any circumstance, land the Flyer as close as you can and bring out an anti-grav bed"
"Yes Captain, I will be there momentarily" was the reply as the channel was cut, Janeway put her hand into Hartstone's who was now shaking quite badly
"How the hell did you find the strength to remove the knife from your belly, get up and stab him!" the Captain asked as the Hazard team made their way over having cleaned up the rest of the attacking force.
"Had to" Simon was obviously struggling for breath as the Doctor was given a hypospray by Jurot and he pressed into Hartstone's neck and pressed the button hearing the hissing sound as the medicine entered his system "you were in trouble, had to do something" he continued the sentence.
"What's going on?" Tom Paris asked as the command staff made their way over
"Well I have been brutally tortured" Simon took another long breath "and I am now bleeding to death, all why you stood their and cheered" Simon looked at Tom with a lot of fire in his eyes, if the Captain wasn't holding his one good arm, he would have found the strength again to raise up and slap him in the chops for asking such as stupid question. The Delta Flyer landed as close to the stage as could be allowed as the rear hatch opened and Seven of Nine came out pushing an anti gravity bed and she pushed it next to the stage where Lieutenant Hartstone was lying. Slowly the Doctor, Crewman Jurot, the Captain and Seven of Nine picked him up and slid him onto the bed, with a bump, which elicited a sharp draw of breath from Lieutenant Hartstone.
"Captain, what is going on, I thought you and him" he pointed at the headless carcass "were so close" Chakotay moved next to the Captain who was still holding Hartstone's hand.
"Myself and Mr Hartstone had a little talk while he was locked up in that cell, made me re-evaluate what I believed in. I managed to contact Voyager and after I got past a wary Ensign Munro I was beamed aboard the Delta Flyer, which apparently had been hiding in a sensor blind spot next to the warship. I was brought back to the Voyager where I had the chip removed, and with that the Doctor and Seven of Nine were able to come up with a defence to the mind control"
"I see" was the Commander's response not quite getting the whole situation.
"I need you, B'Elanna, Tom, Harry and the Hazard Team, find and organise the rest of the crew for immediate transport back to the ship"
"Aye Captain" Chakotay responded as the Captain boarded the Delta Flyer with the Doctor and Seven of Nine, with Lieutenant Hartstone passed out on the anti gravity bed.
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"Captain's Log, Stardate 53302.07, its been three days since we recovered the crew from the moon, most of the crew have had to be rehabilitated into life back on board Voyager, for the most part the experience has washed over the crew as they sit in the knowledge that they were not in control of their actions. However Lieutenant Hartstone experiences will not wash over so easily, he has spent the last three days in a coma thanks to the nature of his multiple injuries. The Doctor has managed to stabilise his condition but when he wakes up, I can't help but think, what he would think of the crew after this. Most of them being present for his execution, and cheering as well, I presume he won't hold it against them after all, they were under the suggestion of someone else, but the one thing we have all learned about Lieutenant Hartstone is that he is an unpredictable individual. Another person these experiences aren't exactly going to wash over is Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, after Lieutenant Hartstone and Seven of Nine extracted him from the cell he has been recovering from his own injuries. He was the product of intense study after being able to resist the mind control, the Lord wanted to know why that was so he had his brain chemistry scanned and analysed. He came under a battery of tests as well as being kept in that cell for a number of weeks being fed very little, and beaten up often, took its toll on him, but the again thanks to the Doctor exemplary care has made a full recovery and has returned to his duties. Computer end log"
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Lieutenant Hartstone let out a long groan as he stared up at the ceiling. He noted that it looked like the ceiling in Sickbay so he must be alive which elicited another long groan, he tried to rise up but after a sharp pain hit him through the stomach, he decided it wasn't such a good idea and feel back down again. The Doctor came round from the corner, with a medical tricorder in hand.
"Sickbay to the Bridge, Lieutenant Hartstone is awake"
"On my way, Doctor" the Captain replied
"How do you feel Mr Hartstone?" the Doctor helped Simon sit up slowly
"I feel like I was just hit by a shuttle" Simon replied, he tried to stand but the Doctor pushed him back onto the bed and shook his head
"Stay still" he said as he kept scanning, at that point the Captain entered sickbay
"Lieutenant good to see you're awake, how do you feel?" reiterating the Doctor's earlier question
"Honestly Captain, I've been better" he said as he shook his head, trying to wake up and shake the cobwebs out of his brain.
"Unfortunately its not over yet" the Doctor interjected "Mr Hartstone you are still going to have a lot of pain in your stomach, shoulder and your left arm will probably never be as strong as it once was." Simon nodded sagely at the information the Doctor was giving him "but the good news is that I can release you from Sickbay, but he wont be ready for duty for at least another two weeks." Simon was finally allowed to stand up but quickly held his stomach after the jolt from hitting the ground, made another pain jump sharply into him. He tested the fingers on his left hand, before swinging his left arm around noting there were some actions that he was unable to do without more pain.
"Thank you Doctor" as Simon started for the door, but it seemed that every step he took was like another knife was stuck in his belly
"Do you need some help getting back to your quarters Lieutenant?" the Captain asked, as she noted him moving very gingerly towards the door. Simon turned around to address the Captain
"No thank you Captain, I'll be fine its just that I am not going to break any speed records for getting from sickbay, back to my quarters" he turned back and he moved slowly out of the doors.
The Doctor and the Captain looked back at the doors as he slid closed
"This experience isn't over yet for Lieutenant Hartstone, I don't think he has ever been captured by the enemy, let alone tortured by one. I think this is a great shock to his pride, he always thought of himself as the invulnerable hero, who no matter what the nature of his injuries is always comes out and wins the day, especially after that business with the Antillians, and this has made him rethink that perception of himself." The Captain nodded understanding the Doctor's concerns and definitely agreeing with him.
"I'm just wondering how he will get along with the crew, most of them after all where there and watched every gruesome detail, and most of all they cheered"
"They were being mind controlled Captain!" the Doctor put the point forward
"Yes I know that, and you know that but I am hoping Lieutenant Hartstone remembers that also. Thank you Doctor I am returning to the bridge" The Doctor nodded as they both moved towards the door, the Doctor splitting off though and heading for his office, while the Captain left.