Chapter 19 The Rescue
Janeway
Commander Chakotay and I could not persuade Malakye to release Tuvok despite our best negotiations. We negotiated with them while sitting in my waiting room, and it was both
agitating and exhausting.
"You are aware that the Ka'zon wish to destroy your planet," I drily countered after thirty minutes of discussions had passed, and there weren't any solutions yet.
"Yes, we need your protection," Malakye informed.
"Not until Tuvok returns to Voyager," I shook my head and firmly declared, "How do I know if he's still alive and well?"
Malakye pushed a button on his remote that showed Tuvok bound on a lab table, and I made my fists into little balls in anger.
"Tuvok, are you well?" I gasped as I saw my Vulcan friend. Scrutinizing him, Tuvok appeared to be uninjured.
"Affirmative, Captain. Did they explain the reason Malakye is detaining me?" He speedily questioned.
"Something about finding a match for their ancestors to stop their species from dying," I vaguely responded, " They found one in the twenty-first century."
"Yes, I made contact with this magnificent earth woman who is a match," Tuvok slowly revealed, then hesitated. He was usually forthright.
"And," I prompted, observing my officer's uneasiness, which was wholly uncharacteristic of him.
"Captain, you have known me for a long time," Tuvok began in his usual seriousness.
"Yes."
"And you trust me," our tactical officer asked. I felt baffled at his point, but I nodded.
"In Vulcan culture, it is believed that each one has a soul mate for life, a t'hy'la. This woman, Aurora Simmons, is mine, and we have fallen in love. Will you allow the two of us to rejoin Voyager," he solemnly requested
As the picture went back to the ancient-looking Malakye, who had a smug smirk on his face, I noisily gasped.
"If you help us fight the Kazon, then I'll return Lieutenant Tuvok and Aurora to you after I extracted the DNA we needed," he reported with a sneer.
"Why are the Ka'zon so upset with you," I asked suspiciously, and Malakye looked sheepish.
"I need the whole story without details left out NOW, or I will just blow up the whole planet," I firmly demanded, putting my hands on my hips. It was a bluff, but I grew tired of Malakye's games.
Reluctantly, he elucidated that the Quiroll befriended the Ka'zon many years ago, but due to a misunderstanding, they were not allies anymore.
"What caused this disagreement?" I questioned, my brows furrowing.
"We stole some of their technology that makes time travel possible," Malakye stated with a shrug.
I turned my back to him and rolled my eyes upward for a moment. Sighing, I looked at Commander Chakotay, who found it amusing.
"It sounds like you are at fault, Malakye," my first officer gravely stated as I took a moment to breathe deeply and regain my composure.
"Regardless, I have something you want, your dear Lieutenant Tuvok and his t'hy'la," Malakye snobbily responded.
"What if I persuade the Ka'zon not to destroy your planet, and then we retrieve Tuvok and the woman," I suggested because my Vulcan friend romantically linked with a woman, a human, nonetheless, seemed bizarre.
"You have two hours, Captain," the elderly gentleman instructed.