Part 6: Old Friend
Chakotay sat quietly in the Asteria's briefing room, going over the crew manifest of both ships. He'd been surprised to find out how many of his crew actually did survive, lessening his faith in internal ships' sensors. He still had 80 remaining on his crew of 170. Less than half, but a considerable amount none the less. The Asteria had lost 30, only a dozen officer's on the small ship remained, plus the imprisoned cadets. He thumbed through each PADD back and forth until the opening doors caused him to turn.
"Chakotay, this is Commander Justin Gardner." Kathryn made the brief introduction as they joined him at the table.
"Pleasure, Captain." Justin smiled tightly. "I'm sincerely sorry that your crew was caught up in this…" He paused.
Neither Chakotay nor Kathryn spoke, knowing Justin's thoughts. If both crews had more information…
"This went wrong from the beginning, on everyone's parts, but especially Starfleet's. We were all rushed through this." Kathryn's features were more relaxed than Justin's. "But, what's done is done."
"We've detained two on our ship." Justin commented, attempting to side step the grief for the moment. "Two of the Admiral's cadets were involved, although we're not sure how deep, and we don't know about Phoebe McKeith, she's in critical condition."
Kathryn took in a shallow breath. "Chakotay, were you able to get any information out of the relief officer for the Renegade?"
Chakotay shook his head. "The Doctor has refused to wake him. He's in a medical induced coma and if we pull him out of it, The Doctor believes we'll lose him."
Justin rubbed his eyes. "We could use your support as we confront the Renegade, Captain. What's the status of your ship?"
"The Cornelius faired well but my phasers are down and my engineer tells me it'll take dry dock to get them working. My support would only be so helpful."
"Perhaps for appearance sake?" Kathryn interjected.
"Show of strength?" Chakotay nodded as he locked eyes with her. "We have four more days to the Neutral Zone, the Doctor wants you back in Sickbay for some of that at the least. He's concerned his quick fixes won't hold out and that you might have some internal injuries yet."
Kathryn turned from both men and stared out the viewport. "I feel like hell." She confessed quietly. "I won't deny that, but I have a lot to do here."
Justin added his own in assistance to Chakotay. "Kathryn, if you drop on the Bridge from internal bleeding, you'll get less done than if you just go to Sickbay."
Chakotay stifled a building chuckle and she shot each of them a look.
"I'm going." She stressed as she turned on a heel and left for the transporter room.
Chakotay stayed behind as Justin brought him up to speed on the intelligence reports regarding the Renegade.
Kathryn winced as the Doctor tugged her shirt off and replaced it with the light blue medical gown. "All these years and your bedside manner still leaves a lot to be desired. I thought Kes would have worn off on you." She muttered.
"Your force of Mr. Paris on me following her departure countered all of it." He leaned close to her ear. "Oh, Admiral, you've been relieved of duty."
She started to protest as he grinned at her, than he held up a hand.
"Just until we've arrived at the Neutral Zone. You'll need rest."
She shoved him, a smirk beginning to form on her face. "And you wonder why I hate Doctors."
He pressed a small dose hypospray against her bruised neck. "A mild sedative for pain."
"Just don't know me out." She pleaded. "I plan to follow up on the reports from the Asteria."
He nodded as he began scans of her internal organs. "Lay down please."
She chuckled slightly. "Would that help?"
"I thought it would have been apparent you should have." He supported her shoulders with one arm as he helped her lie down. "Now, don't move."
"Aye, sir." She mumbled, feeling the exhaustion as soon as she body released the tension she'd bottled up.
Andrew paced the small confines of the Deck 5 Brig, a nervous energy building. He'd been sharing the tiny space with Va'Ler, who'd been attempting meditation. Finally he interrupted her. "I need to talk. I can't just sit quietly here until we get back to earth."
"You have to 'sit quietly'." She kept her eyes closed, fingers clasped except for the two index ones which were pointed out in steeple form.
"I take it you don't want to chat?" He stopped pacing as he watched her.
"Mr. Starlin, I would appreciate discretion in your interruptions of my meditation. In short, don't do it." There was an edge to the Half Vulcan's voice that startled Andrew. He'd been around a lot of Vulcans, even young ones don't let that icy tone break through.
He watched her a moment longer as her features melted back into the passive neutral of her culture. He spun around and approached the force field. "Sir, I need to speak with Admiral Janeway."
The Lieutenant rolled his eyes and hit his commbadge. "Brig to Admiral Janeway."
No response.
"Brig to Commander Gardner."
"Gardner here, go ahead, Mr. Stevens."
"Mr. Starlin has requested to speak to the Admiral, no answer on her comm."
Andrew continued his pacing during the pause on the Commander's end.
"No, she's off ship for the moment, and off-duty until we arrive. Request denied."
Stevens shrugged in Andrew's direction. "I'm sorry, Kid."
Andrew sank onto the bench opposite Va'Ler's and he continued to watch her, suddenly curious about the woman he'd been sent to report to that day in the Academy gardens. He closed his eyes remembering it.
* "You will do this, or your sister will die." The crisp Romulan voice bit out at him.
"I don't understand!" Andrew sobbed, his hands grasping the desk in his small student dorm room. "Prove to me you have her!"
The Romulan pulled the frightened teenager to the screen, her shirt was torn and her skirt was stained with blood. "Proof enough?"
"Lyssa…." He whispered as he touched the screen with his fingertips. "God, don't hurt her!"
"Do what you're told and we'll release her." The Romulan pulled Lyssa against him, and he ran his tongue up the side of her face. "Hurt, Andrew Starlin, is a matter of opinion."
The screen went black. "No!" He pounded the desk in front of him and sank down to his knees. Who could he tell? The Romulan indicated higher ups were involved and they wanted Janeway. Could she be involved too?
He caught his breath and stood up. The contact. She'd be leaving her final class soon. He grabbed a fresh tee and pulled it on as he ran out the door. He had to find the Vulcan.
She was leaving the building now. He ran to meet her.
"Va'Ler!" He took a calming breath, running through the orders he was given, exactly what he had to say. The codes. "Va'Ler, my father called and we were chatting, you know that stuff going on in Romulus?"
"On Romulus." She corrected coldly as she sat on a bench, her friend Phoebe sitting next to her.
"Whatever." He waved it off. "Anyway, he told me that his friend on the Enterprise heard Admiral Janeway sent them orders to break the Neutral Zone through sector ten or something and proceed to Romulus to meet with the Remans leader."
"Are you sure it's ten?"
That caught Andrew off-guard. She must have been waiting for this. They said she'd question it. "Umm, yeah, near outpost 43 in sector ten."
She nodded. "We need to speak to Admiral Janeway. She has connections, perhaps we could help with something."
Phoebe chimed in. "I saw her go into Professor Tuvok's office, she could be a while."
"We can wait." Va'Ler opened an old book, one of the Admiral's reading assignments no doubt. Admiral Janeway ascribed to the strangest practices in her assignments.*
Andrew wiped some tears away, remembering the fear in his sister's eyes and his convictions. He had to save her. What would happen now that he was in the Brig?
Chakotay's voice echoed through her thoughts and she spun around frantically, scanning a large crowd for his face. Where was he? She couldn't see him?
Chakotay! She was screaming his name as she spotted a muscular Reman dragging him away. No, please! Chakotay! Don't hurt him, please let him go! She tried to move, but her feet didn't listen.
Kathryn sat up gasping for air and pulling at the tight and sweaty collar of the medical gown. The tears were real as was the screaming apparently. Her throat was hoarse and both Chakotay and the Doctor were rushing over to her.
The Doctor called for the computer to raise the lighting and Chakotay wrapped his arms around her.
She pushed the tricorder the Doctor had whipped out away from her. "I was dreaming, not possessed." She growled at him.
Satisfied with whatever scans he had managed, he set the tricorder down and returned to the other side of Sickbay.
Kathryn pushed Chakotay back a little as she caught her breath. She let her eyes wander over the filled bio beds. The Cornelius was better equipped for triage and emergencies than the Asteria so all critical had been brought here. She spotted Val, and Phoebe…
Chakotay was rubbing her shoulder gently, almost unnoticed until her gaze returned to his. "Tell me…" He whispered.
She managed a smile and filled him in on the horrific looking Reman that had pulled him away.
"Well, you're okay now." He had a soothing touch and his smile always had a power over her she couldn't explain. Perhaps it had started on New Earth…
She sighed and let her head fall to the side. "Do you think your crew would object to me wandering the corridors in a medical gown?"
Chakotay grinned. "Anyone up at 0300 hours better be at their duty stations."
"Oh, Chakotay, you should be asleep!" She announced in a hush tone to keep the Doctor from scolding her about fellow patient etiquette.
He heard her regardless. "That's what I keep telling him. He insists he must stay at your side." The Doctor was muttering, her favorite of his human habits.
Chakotay ignored the Doctor altogether as he held his elbow up for her to take. She did and slid her small feet into the Starfleet boots at the bedside. Her appearance caused a delighted smile to spread on his face. Tangled hair, blue gown and matching pants, black military issue boots.
She gave him the look of death as she slid her hand from his elbow and slipped it around his waste.
"You're usually so kept." He whispered. "I love seeing you like this."
She smacked his chest with her free hand.
He pushed her hair behind her ears and escorted her out of Sickbay. "It looks cute." He added daringly.
"You're awake why?" She changed the subject back.
"Every time I close my eyes I see them kicking you, hurting you." He sighed. "It's hard to rest while your best friend is being beaten."
"I know the feeling." She mumbled referring to her own dream. "The difference is, I apparently got a few hours in first."
He pulled her close as they continued to wander the deck.
She relaxed into his embrace, enjoying the silence they hadn't shared in a while.
Finally he spoke. "One of your cadets was looking for you. He wanted to speak to you. Gardner decided not to tell you."
"As a First Officer, he's worse than you." She groaned before stopping in the corridor. "I have to tell him."
"Tell who what?" Chakotay stared at her.
"Andrew, about his sister. He deserves to know."
"There will be time." He put both hands on her shoulders. "Kathryn, don't push yourself yet. Your injuries were serious, some were going to become fatal. You owe it to yourself to rest. When the mission is over you can tell him."
She shook her head. "No, I need to do it right away. First thing in the morning." She looked up into his dark eyes and smiled. "Justin won't take too kindly to you telling me."
Chakotay returned the smile. "It's okay, I still outrank him."
She nodded, suddenly noticing they were at the turbolift and he had keyed it. "taking me away?"
He led her in. "Deck 2."
"Your quarters?" She teased.
"Innocent, I promise." He held his hands up laughing.
She settled onto his couch as he searched his private bedroom area. "Ahha!" He announced as he came out, proudly holding a wool blanket with earthen colors woven through it. He draped it over her, pulling it up under her neck. "I'd hate to deny you coffee, but I don't want to give any to you either."
She held a hand up. "I don't even trust water right now, but thank you." She gave him a soft smile.
He eased down next to her and leaned against her, pulling her tight against him. She pushed the blanket's edge over his lap and snuggled up to him further.
"Were you worried about me?" She asked quietly.
"I still am, Kathryn. You've been through so much these couple of days."
She covered a yawn with a closed fist. "I suppose I need worry from someone."
He pushed her backwards to lie down on the couch and settled in behind her, his chin resting on the top of her hair. It only took a second to find a comfortable position where neither felt crowded and she didn't fear rolling off. As soon as they were still, they both fell asleep.
To be continued….. Added that bit of drabble about two old friends, I thought it necessary after such an ordeal plus a nod to you JCers. More substance in the next chapter ;) Thanks for the feedback.
