Janeway and Chakotay sprang forward, swords drawn, blocking the pirates from moving further inside. With all the force of a wave crashing into the rocks, Federation swords slammed against pirate cutlasses. The sound of metal rang out as steel crashed into steel, over and over. The captain's armor shivered from minor hits, but she never slowed down. Her entire world narrowed down to nothing more than dodge, block, strike, and counterstrike. When the pirates pressed closer, Neelix and Paris joined the fray. Instantly, the sound of battle in the room doubled to a roar. Despite her intentions, Janeway found herself pulling back. The room was too small for all the action it was seeing and the battle was getting claustrophobic. More pirates jumped into the room and the odds suddenly changed from four against four to four against six. Risking a look backwards, she saw Tuvok still working on the lock, while Torres rose unsteadily to her feet, knife at the ready. Kes knelt next to Kim, reassuring him. The pirates surged again, forcing them further into the room.
"[I can call them off, Janeway!]" Jabin called through the chaos. "[All we want is that book!]"
All this over that damned book. She risked another glance; Tuvok was no further along now than when he had started. She only had one option now.
Sorry, Mark. This is going to take a little longer than three weeks.
Carefully, she inched her way over to where she had taken cover when the pirates forced their way into the room. With a yell, she kicked her opponent hard in the stomach, sending him staggering backwards. Not wasting her chance, she kicked her near forgotten torch in the air and grabbed it with her free hand. Thank the Heavens it was still burning.
"Tuvok, get down!" she shouted. He ducked and she flung the torch at the book.
"[NO!]" screamed Jabin, seeing his last hope engulfed in flames. He fell silent, then charged forward, yelling, "[Kill them! Kill them now!]"
The last pirates in the stairwell shoved their way in and surrounded Janeway and Chakotay. Without a word, they stood back to back to face their opponents. The pirates were nearly in a frenzy to kill them, but the fighting became easier now that she didn't have to watch her back. Their swords spun back and forth through the pirates, each filling the gaps the other left on both sides. He was much better than she'd expected. It was almost like they'd been fighting together their whole lives. What she wouldn't give to have him as an officer on her side.
Well, maybe now with the book- she forced the thoughts out of her mind. All her energy had to go into the fight – there was no time for distractions. Every time she knocked one of the pirates back, another one recovered and jumped forward.
Chakotay seemed to sense the same thing. "I don't think this is working!" he said.
"It's not!" she answered. "Tuvok, we need a solution!" She threw a glance at her weapons master and saw him folding his hands in concentration. Not what she had expected. She drew a breath to call him again, when he suddenly shouted, "Brace yourselves!" Janeway and Chakotay crouched, waiting.
With a massive rumble, the floor shivered and heaved, knocking all the pirates off their feet. The pair stood back up, with the captain shouting, "[Let's get out of here!]"
Chakotay sheathed his sword and moved to help B'Elanna, when a flying blur came out of nowhere and slammed him sideways. Before he had finished moving, part of the ceiling came crashing down on the spot where he'd stood moments before. The blur that slammed into him turned out to be Paris. The traitor quickly jumped off him and hauled Chakotay to his feet. Both of them started for their stricken friends. B'Elanna wobbled, but managed to throw her arm around him. It took both Paris and Kes to get Kim on his feet. Together, they half-ran to the portal as the pirates struggled to rise. Most of them were covered in ceiling rubble, but there was still no time to waste. The Vulcan snatched something from the ashes of the stone book before joining them. As they approached the wall, Chakotay shot Paris a look.
"What were you thinking, Paris?" he said. "Why did you save me?"
Paris gave that arrogant half smile Chakotay both remembered and hated.
"Well, I thought about letting you die, but I decided I liked the idea of you owing me your life a lot more."
Next to him, B'Elanna groaned and mumbled something threatening. He couldn't tell if it was directed at him or anyone in particular.
"[How do we get it open?]" asked Neelix as they drew up to the wall. "[It looks pretty solid to me.]" He rapped it with his knuckles to emphasize his point. Suddenly, the light increased and the gap between the stones became wider. He laid his hand on the wall and the gap grew even wider.
"[Together,]" said Janeway, catching on. "[Everyone, one hand on the wall.]" The group obeyed and the wall slid apart with a grinding noise, flooding the room with brilliant light. Chakotay heard a stone shifting behind him, but didn't bother to look. They stepped through and all at once found themselves on Voyager's weather deck. The sunlight was something of a shock after the dimness of the Caretaker's dwelling, but the fresh air gave them new strength. In fact, B'Elanna pulled away from him and marched over to Janeway.
"What were you thinking?" she demanded. "How could you destroy the spell book? That was our only way home!"
"I'm aware that everyone has loved ones and obligations back in the Federation," said Janeway, "So do I. But I'm not willing to trade the lives of the Ocampa for our convenience. We'll just have to find another way." She turned and began to walk away, but B'Elanna grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"What other way home is there?" she said. Chakotay yanked her back before she resorted to violence. Instead, B'Elanna turned the force of her anger on Chakotay.
"Who is she to be making all these decisions for us?"
He took a moment to consider this, rejected all the self-righteous reasons he knew she had and he agreed with, and simply said, "She's the captain."
B'Elanna huffed and folded her arms. Janeway regarded him evenly, then handed him the paper the Caretaker had given her. "The four of you get to sickbay and have those spells reversed. Tuvok, you're with me."
Paris led the way to the lower decks. Chakotay stared at him, wondering just whose side he was on now.
Janeway watched them go, sparing a thought for her fiancée, her family and the families of her crew, left behind in the Federation. If only there had been a way to send a message or… She put it of her head. There was nothing more to be done now.
Most of the deckhands had heard Torres' outburst and were looking at her with fear and disbelief. Before she had a chance to explain, Rollins came running up to her.
"Captain! Ensign Kyoto says a new pirate appeared on the ship in a flash of light, exactly like you did!"
"What?" She grabbed his spyglass and ran to the rail to see for herself. Sure enough, there was Jabin, pointing at Voyager and yelling. "He must have followed us."
"Followed you?" said Rollins. "I thought that portal only led here."
"The portal must send a person directly to their own specific ship," she explained. "Jabin wants us dead. We're going to have to find a way to lose him. Tuvok!"
He came to attention across the deck at the sound of his name.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Run out the guns and prepare to fire on my command."
"Aye, Captain." Tuvok called the gunners to their places and headed below deck. Paris and Kim, followed by the two renegades, came out after he disappeared. She waved them all over to her.
"Jabin's on the pirate ship," she began to explain, but Ensign Kyoto interrupted her.
"Shoals off the starboard bow, Captain!"
"Could we lose them in the shoals?" asked Chakotay as Neelix came over.
"It's risky. We'd have to be careful not to run aground," said Janeway.
"It's probably not worth it," said Neelix. "They'd simply follow the path you took around the shoals."
"What if they couldn't see us?" said Paris.
"What's there to hide us?" said Torres. "We're in the middle of the ocean!"
"Maybe if we had a way to create a smokescreen…"
"A Firestorm!" said Kim. "We'll just have to light the oil right on the water."
Janeway stared at the irregular motion of the water they were rapidly approaching, remembering Paris' demeanor back in the prison where she'd found him. That cocky, irresponsible rogue had disappeared almost the moment Ensign Kim had gone missing, replaced by a man desperately wanting a second chance. Done right, that second chance could make a lifetime of difference. Maybe this was one of those times. At least she knew he cared enough not to ruin it this time.
"Mr. Paris, can you get us through the shoals?" she said.
A slow disbelieving grin spread across his face. "Yes, ma'am."
"Then go take the helm." She dashed to the relay box. "Tuvok, belay my previous order and get all archers on deck, as well as the oil reserves. We're going to launch a Firestorm."
"Aye Captain," he answered through the box. "However, I must point out that we may not possess enough crewmembers for a proper execution."
"Understood." Janeway hadn't realized that. They would almost certainly need a massive smokescreen and if they were short handed-
"We'll help," said Chakotay. She smiled at him, grateful all over again for his unexpected presence.
"Good. Send your people to the aft railing. I'll see if we have enough bows."
"Sure thing. B'Elanna, go see if you can find that jar of liquid fire we had."
Her jaw dropped."You want to give it to them?"
"They need our help. We have to work together now."
Torres rolled her eyes in answer and dashed below deck. Janeway turned to see Paris at the helm, looking as if he truly belonged there. We'll see…
"Rollins!" she called. "Start taking soundings. We don't want any last minute surprises."
"Aye, Captain," he answered, heading for the equipment locker.
"Lieutenant Carey," she called, "what was done with the damaged sailcloth from the fore mainsail?"
"It's below, out of the way," he answered. "But it's torn and useless now."
"Never mind that. Bring it up here, on the double."
He turned and dashed below to grab it, nearly colliding with the contingent of archers coming up from the ladder.
"They're gaining on us, Captain!" said Paris.
She nodded at him, then commanded, "Archers, take your positions on the aft deck!"
They moved into place as Rollins shouted, "By the mark ten, Captain!"
She headed up to the aft deck, shortly joined by Tuvok and Torres carrying huge jars, who were closely followed by Carey holding a giant lump of sailcloth. Janeway started tearing the sailcloth into long strips and tying them together. Tuvok passed around bows and arrows; the renegades only hesitated a moment before taking theirs. Paris made minute adjustments to the helm, never taking his eyes off the horizon.
"That should be long enough," said Janeway, tying one final knot. "Carey, give me a hand with this." The two worked together to shove the line of cloth into the larger of the oil jars.
"By the deep seven," called Rollins. Janeway and Carey grabbed the jar, hauling it up to the aft deck. Setting it on the deck, she yanked the cloth, now soaked in oil, back out of the jar and handed it to the archers.
"Hang on to it until I tell you otherwise," she told them. They stretched it out until it ran the entire length of the aft rail.
"The Kazon continue to gain, Captain," said Tuvok.
"Throw it!" she shouted. The archers threw it as far as they could, spreading the cloth as wide as it would go. Perfect, she thought.
"Light it, quickly!" she called. Tuvok nodded, lighting a small torch. Starting at each end, he lit the oil soaked cloths tied to the arrows. The archers who got it first passed it quickly to their neighbors.
"Archers, take your marks!" They drew back their bowstrings with one smooth motion.
"Fire!"
Fifteen bolts of light flew through the air toward the black line on the water. Some made the target, but many fell wide. The fire caught instantly, sending a cloud of black smoke over them. People began coughing and choking, but otherwise stayed at their posts.
"Prepare to fire!" shouted Tuvok, taking up his own bow.
"Stagger the rounds, Lieutenant," said Janeway. "Continuous fire – make that screen as dark and wide as we possibly can."
"Aye, Captain. Ensigns, take aim. Crewmen, wait for my order." Satisfied that he had control of the situation, Janeway turned her attention to Paris, whose face was furrowed in concentration, just as Rollins called, "By the mark two."
"How are you doing, Mr. Paris?"
"There's a channel deep enough for the ship between two sandbars. It's going to be tight, but I think we can do it." She threw a glance over her shoulder. The smoke was none too healthy, but the outline of the pirate ship was fading into the blackness.
"Cease fire," called Tuvok. "We need not waste any more arrows."
"Mr. Paris, it's all up to you now," said Janeway. For once, Paris said nothing; merely kept his hands the wheel and concentrated. The crew watched as the sandbars in the water slid around the ship. Suddenly, the deck jerked sideways, sending everyone stumbling.
"Sorry," murmured Paris, still watching. "That shouldn't happen again."
Several tense moments passed in silence, until Rollins let out a shout, making everyone jump out of their skin.
"By the mark five!"
"We're out!" shouted Paris. The crew let out a short cheer of relief.
"They might still be following us," said Chakotay, effectively killing the mood.
"Tuvok?" said Janeway. Tuvok nodded, once again moving in his Far Sight form. His spirit-self drifted away from the ship and through the smoke. Only moments later, his eyes snapped open and he shouted, "Incoming!"
The crew threw themselves to the deck as several arrows whistled through the air. One landed with a thump in the main mast. No more followed. Janeway stood and wrenched it free. Something was written on the side.
"'You have made an enemy today,'" she read out loud. "The Kazon?"
"They are not pursuing," said Tuvok.
"Good. Begin repairs." She headed for her office, taking one last look at the arrow before she flung it over the rail.