Tuvok took a short breath, acknowledging all the teams reporting in that they had found nothing.
Of course not, He thought. In order to perform an effective search quickly they needed more data. As did he.
Where to find it? He started first in Astrometrics.
Seven's tone had been quite concerned. The malfunction of her comm badge was also very suspicious. Tuvok's demeanor did not change as he approached Astrometrics, but he did draw his phaser and scanned the room.
Nothing seemed off at all upon first inspection.
Save that Seven was not present.
Did he examine the physical scene first or see what Seven was working on?
Either way, he shouldn't waste time debating. He elected to inspect the physical elements. If there had been a confrontation, there should be physical evidence left behind. Should this be the case, it would be the fastest way to determine if they had an invader, or what might have happened to Seven.
He immediately turned around, and scanned for evidence of more than the usual residual DNA at the door, and obvious possible point of contact.
Residual results only. He tried again in probable areas, such as near her console, near her regeneration device, and across the hall.
Negligible results.
It had been nearly ten minutes since he had first received her call.
Frustrating. He initiated a quick Vulcan breathing exercise. Returning to a calm and curious state of mind.
Then, he returned his gaze to Seven's console. He saw immediately that she had been researching something in Voyager's computer. It did not take him long to realize that the computer errors they had been experiencing on the bridge, such as those that reported Seven's position in several places simultaneously, with what Seven had been researching.
As before, Tuvok found himself confounded as to why Seven had not reported what she had found when it turned out to be significant, instead of researching it further without informing an officer such as himself.
In the collective, we find a complete answer before reporting the results. Tuvok could hear her voice in his head. The same answer she always had, no matter how many times he had tried to explain the importance of keeping her superiors informed.
If he successfully found her alive, perhaps she would find this situation instructive.
Pouring through the research of the computer system Seven had previously been looking into, Tuvok quickly saw which way it was leading her. The fact that her specialized tricorder was missing, indicated she had likely "taken the show on the road," as Mr. Paris was fond of saying.
Tuvok was about to follow in her footsteps when he noticed something on Seven's console. It was influenced by Borg tech, but his tricorder was doing a fine job of translating it, and he could understand the basics of its use through its layout.
A green indicator light was flashing live on the part of the screen which clearly indicated live communications as he recognized his own speech toward her com from their last vocal encounter. The Borg text was strange, but the phonetics for "Tuvok" and "Seven: were clearly in the communication line.
Some was using the subspace communications of Voyager right now. Seven had uncovered the masking of this channel so it was clearly visible to her.
By correlating one to the other, Tuvok was able to find the communications on his tricorder, piercing some device that was tied into masking that the communications was taking place.
"There are few true coincidences," He said out loud. It was unnecessary and perhaps irrational, but it focused his mind one the chase ahead, since there could be little doubt now. Twenty minutes, what his colleague had uncovered all led to one thing-
Seven had been kidnapped.
In Tuvok's experience, kidnappers rarely lingered very long after doing the deed. They would seek escape. If they had not left already, that left one of two places to check immediately.
Tuvok contact the security teams from his badge, had half of them secure transporter rooms, and half meet him in the shuttle bay.
That awful, rotting face appeared. They weren't even bothering with subterfuge.
"You were instructed to wait for our instructions for exfiltration, agent" The Vidiian translator chirped in perfect Tlaxian.
"This is an emergency," He said through his communicator, still using his privacy device to connect to the subspace capability of Voyager', through his cloaked channel.
"I assume they are onto you?" The wrapped face asked. However, he didn't even wait for Neelix to respond. Instead he waved his hand dismissively. "If you have the target, we are ready to receive it. We anticipated the eventuality of your discovery. Do they know who you are yet? Or merely that the target is missing?"
"The latter," Neelix said quickly. He had tweaked his Vidiian holo projector to look like a meal cart, he hadn't thought of it at the time. He had also had to waste time using a Vidian phase inducer to hide some of the damage outside of his quarters.
"Excellent. Move to your Shuttle Bay 1 with all alacrity," He said, his visage winking out on the holo device.
These guys sure didn't mess around.
He also didn't trust them at all. He had learned a few tricks over the years, without even needing their tech. He used a hyperspray to inject his special concoction, and added another sedative for good measure. He then wheeled his "food cart" to the cargo bay. He could tell anyone asking that he was getting supplies for the perfect Tlaxian Chili.
"We're entering an asteroid field captain," Harry Kim said on the bridge.
"I'm sure yourself and Mr. Paris will keep us safe," Janeway said. "I have every confidence. We have a situation to deal with.
"Janeway to Tuvok," the captain said. "Progress Report."
"We believe someone is trying to kidnap Seven of Nine," Tuvok said. "Myself along with Security teams are on our way to secure possible means of escape before the culprit can succeed.
"Captain, there's something happening," Kim said.
"Hold on Harry, not now," Janeway said.
"Unknown Ship appearinf dead ahead!" Paris said. "Coming, out of an asteroid- It's right in front of us!"
"Shield's up!" Janeway said.
Unsurprisingly, his tricorder was pulling him right towards Shuttle Bay 1, tracing the source of the hidden communications line. He hurried his pace. This may be his only chance to recover Seven.
Few people stopped Neelix as he made his way towards the Bay. He just nodded and waved at them, his Neelix suit still holding up, likely only for a few minutes longer. The Viidians had offered to give him a whole new set of skin for purposes of subterfuge. Can you believe that? Neelix had declined and managed to save his gagging for after they had signed off.
He made it to the Shuttle Bay, but no one was inside.
Perfect.
He wheeled his cart towards the end of the bay, right near the force field.
"Hail them," Janeway said, right as the ship emerged from some kind of holographic asteroid, and fired something right at them.
"Incoming!" Paris said.
Tuvok reached the long hallway to the shuttle bay just as something hit the ship. He lurched to one side, losing his footing against the hallway.
"Damage report," Janeway said.
"It looks like, is that no damage?" Paris said. "No wait, it looks like there's damage to, just the shuttle bay shields? Is that right?"
"It's some kind of thermic weapon that's targeting our shields," Kim said.
"Where did Tuvok say he was going?"
"He said the shuttle bay. He said that Seven was being kidnapped."
"Lock on to Seven's signature with the transporter," Janeway said immediately.
"I can't find it!" Harry said.
Neelix caught himself as the ship shook. An object that looked like a metallic barrel slammed into the Shuttle Bay doors, destroying a big piece of them, and ripping a hole in the shields. The wind roared, as it was sucked into space. Shortly after, a small ship flew through and landed. The shield shimmered back into existence a second later. The back of the ship opened up and what looked like some kind of fleshy chest opened up.
His communicator made a horrible noise and the wrapped Vidiian appeared.
"Put the target into the Preservator," The voice rasped in Tlaxian.
He whistled a bit as he quickly pushed the cart to the gross mess of blood and veins, deactivating the Vidiian forcefield/hologram tech on the cart, and picking up Seven in his arms. The trunk had already healed any initial breaking that may have started. A pity.
"See you later, darling monster," He said jovially, dumping her into the back. The portal immediately closed with a shudder, like she had been swallowed by some creature. "If you expect me to climb into that thing," Neelix began.
The shuttle immediately took off again, thrusters whining in the air and knocking Neelix off his feet from the turbulent air. Another projectile hit the shields, and another hole opened up.
"Hey, wait!" He screamed. "This wasn't part of the deal! I need to get out of here! This wasn't part of the deal. You owe me! You'll be sorry! She's worth nothing without me!"
"You will still be paid, mercenary" his communicator snarled. "You have not yet been identified, by your own words, and there is no room in the scouting ship. Your job is not yet finished." The ship disappeared through the hole, leaving only roaring wind behind.
"Should I return fire?" Belanna asked.
"You can't, Seven must be in there," Said Paris.
"I will not lose her!" Janeway shouted. Lock onto the ship. Beam the whole blasted thing into the Cargo Bay!"
The small ship swooped like a flying insect, and vanished right into an asteroid, disappearing before their eyes.
"Lock phasers on that asteroid" Janeway said. "Just the top of it. Crack it open. Fire."
Phasers erupted from Voyager and the top of the Asteroid sheered right off. Without being prompted, Paris piloted the ship up to look down into the hollowed out asteroid that had been covered with a holographic field.
Empty.
"Do a scan for engine signatures," Janeway said.
"I don't see anything but ours," Paris said quietly.
The shields shimmered back into existence just in time for Neelix to hear the telltale beep of the back Shuttlebay door opening. A familiar Vulcan was entering the room.