Chapter Nineteen
Still trying to process what they saw, Harry and Chakotay stared at the tools in disbelief. This bundle of tools definitely hadn't been there the night before, they'd made sure to grab everything before the plasma storm hit, and there was also no doubt in their minds that these were some of the tools stolen from their shuttle when they first arrived. Harry had used several of them himself on previous away missions. Chakotay took the bundle to get a better look, just to make sure he was seeing things correctly. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he was seeing things; he was dehydrated, malnourished and sleep deprived, so it wouldn't be a stretch for him to also be delusional. If he was, then he and Harry were sharing the same delusion, because they were both seeing the same thing. Sensing that something was wrong, Tom cross the camp to figure out what was going on.
"What's that?" he asked as he materialized next to the two men.
Rather than attempt to cover up the discovery, Chakotay replied, "Tools from the shuttle."
"What?" Tom immediately snatched the bundle out of Harry's hands to get a better look. Sure enough, they were exactly what Chakotay said, not that he had ever doubted the First Officer, he just didn't expect anything from their shuttle to reappear. The concept of some of their stolen supplies being returned sounded like everything the Kalrussians were against. Tom turned around to face Notaxi and Henan, as if they could explain what was going on. Caught off guard, Henan stopped preparing the fire and stood up.
"Are you sure?" he demanded. Anger flashed across his face. It was fleeting, but Chakotay still saw it. He glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye to see if he had seen it as well. If he had, his expression didn't give it away. While this was definitely unexpected, there was no reason for anger. If anything, this was cause for celebration. These tools might be exactly what they need to get off this planet once and for all.
"Yeah, these are definitely our tools," Tom replied with surprise. It helped being the only Federation ship for tens of thousands of lightyears, it made it easy for them to identify their belongings, especially in instances such as this.
"Let me see," Notaxi insisted as he crossed the camp to get a better look. Chakotay held open the bundle for Notaxi to look at. When the Ighanian tried to grab the bundle, Chakotay quickly closed it. He had no why idea, it was just instinct. Now that he had these tools back, he wasn't going to let them out of the hands of either himself or his crew, just to play it safe.
"They're just tools from our shuttle," he said with surprising authority as he eyed the Ighanian cautiously. He turned to Harry, thrusting the makeshift bundle into the Ensign's hands. "I want you to take these tools and see what you can do with the comm system on the shuttle." He wasn't sure if the tools would be enough to fix anything on the shuttle, but it was the first glimmer of hope they'd had in days.
"Aye, Sir."
Harry turned to walk away, but Chakotay called after him, "Take the mobile regenerator with you too. See what you can do." It was a long shot. There were simply too many parts missing from the lifesaving device to get it to work, but Harry didn't have the heart to tell his commanding officer. Perhaps he would be able to salvage some parts from the shuttle to get the regenerator to work now that he had tools, he could actually get some useful parts off the Delta Flyer, they had infused it with Borg components after all. Chakotay had to hold on to some hope, no matter how fruitless it may be, especially after his conversation with Seven last night. The reappearance of the tools might be exactly what his spirit guide had been talking about in the first place. With his newfound orders, Harry took the tools and mobile regenerator and headed up to the shuttle for another day of attempting to get the technology to work.
With Harry gone, Chakotay returned to Seven's side. Ever since their late night conversation, she had barely moved. Out of extreme paranoia, he couldn't help but press two fingers to the side her neck. He hated that that was his first instict, but he knew that she was barely hanging on by a thread. Seven had a pulse, but it was incredibly weak. She wasn't going to last much longer. He stroked her cheek affectionately. Her skin still felt like fire beneath his tanned fingertips. There was only so long a person's body could sustain itself with a fever this high before finally shutting down, and he knew it. While he was grateful for the return of the tools, he would rather the parts for the mobile regenerator or some of the medical supplies returned. He mindlessly twirled a strand of limp blonde hair around his fingers and thought about what he could do to help her. Unfortunately, nothing immediately came to mind, but that wouldn't stop him from giving up.
"I'm going to get you back to Voyager," he promised, making sure to keep his voice low so only Seven could hear, if she was awake that is. "And we're going to have lots more date nights." He had no idea why he added that last part, it just came out. Once he said it, however, he realized how desperate he was for another date night. He wanted nothing more than to sweep Seven off her feet with romantic gestures to show her how much she meant to him. All he wanted was a chance to show her. He grasped her hand in his and brought it to his lips. It was the only romantic gesture he could do right now.
Tom took a seat next to Chakotay inside the cave. After his conversation with Seven last night, the First Officer refused to leave her side, even for more than a few minutes. He needed to be there in case anything went wrong. He glanced up at Tom for a split second before his attention turned back to Seven's unconscious form.
"How is she?" Tom asked.
"Her pulse is weakening, her fever's still high, and I can't wake her," Chakotay replied. His voice was tight with emotion. Tom pulled out the tricorder and scanned Seven. Everything Chakotay had just said was true. Without a medical tricorder, however, that was all he could figure out. "Her body is also rejecting her implants at a much faster pace." To make his point, Chakotay picked up her hand and pushed up the sleeve of her tunic. Deep jagged gashes ran the length of her forearm, exposing metal underneath. If she wasn't taken care of, and quickly, her implants would cease to function, and her body would simply shut down.
"It won't be long until the implants are damaged beyond repair," Tom commented. He hadn't meant to sound so negative, it just came out. As soon as the words left his lips, he snapped his mouth shut and told himself that he needed to think more before speaking. He could see in Chakotay's eyes that he was barely holding on at this point, no matter how much he tried to act like he was in complete control of this stressful. He was on the verge of becoming a broken man. Tom couldn't blame him. It had been B'Elanna who had been in such a state, then he would undoubtedly act the same way, it was a basic instinct for a man in love.
"We'll get her back before that happens." Chakotay didn't sound like he believed his own words. He was just saying them because that was what was expected of him. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to remain optimistic, especially when he saw Seven on death's door.
Sticking by Chakotay's side for moral support and Seven's side for medical support, Tom glanced over at Henan and Notaxi, who were standing side by side on the far side of the camp, just barely in his line of vision. The Ighanians seemed to be caught up in a pretty heated discussion of some sort. Henan motioned angrily at his comrade while Notaxi shook his head and shot some sort of angry retort that only seemed to cause Henan to grow even more angry. Unfortunately, the pair were too far away for him to hear what they were talking about. Out of curiosity, he strained to hear their conversation. He didn't mean to pry, but if something was going on with them, he felt like they had a right to know since they were helping each other out. After a few minutes, Tom gave up and instead got to his feet to get a cool cloth for Seven's forehead. It wasn't much, but it was the least he could do to help her. He wished that all those years of medical training with the Doctor had prepared him for a situation like this, but he'd never thought he'd be stranded on a mostly deserted planet with a dying crewman and no medical supplies.
Unfortunately, the tools provided by the mysterious benefactor weren't exactly what Harry needed to fix either the shuttle and the mobile regerator, but he was able to do some minor repairs on the Delta Flyer. It wasn't much, but it was something that helped him feel useful around here. He wished there was something more that he could do to help. Last night, he'd inadvertently overheard the conversation between Seven and Chakotay. He hadn't meant to, he heard voices and wanted to make sure everything was alright. While it had been reassuring that Seven had been awake and apparently lucid, even if it had only been for a few minutes, now he knew that she had given up. That wasn't a good sign. She was a fighter, she'd been assimilated by the Borg, manipulated into returning to the Borg, nearly forced to fight to the death and had countless other mishaps over the years, and she'd always come away with flying colors. Now, she might die because some aliens stole her mobile regenerator and scrapped it for parts. It wasn't how she deserved to go, or anyone for that matter.
Harry had been so wrapped up in his work and thoughts about Seven's condition that he didn't immediately notice a small light blinking on the communication console. When he did notice, he couldn't figure out who could have possibly left them a message, there was still too much interference in the atmosphere for any message to really get in or out. Confused, he sat at the console and pulled up the message. With any luck, Voyager had found a way to get a message through the interference in the atmosphere and left them a message telling the away team that they were on their way. Hopefully, this entire away mission would be over shortly, making it nothing more than a horrible memory. At first, there was nothing but static and interference when Harry tried to play the message. He was about to give up when an image materialized on the screen. It wasn't Voyager, the message had been recorded inside the shuttle.
Henan approached Chakotay as he sat vigil next to Seven. His movements were hesitant as he twisted his hands nervously in front of him. Right away, he could tell that there was something bothering the Ighanian. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Sensing something was bothering him, Chakotay got to his feet. Tom followed his example and stood up as well. For a moment, they looked like they were standing over Seven to protect her.
"Notaxi and I were talking," Henan admitted. "And we'd like to come with you guys." Tom and Chakotay exchanged brief glances. Suddenly their disagreement on the edge of camp made sense, they were apparently discussing if they wanted to join Voyager's crew. It would be a difficult decision to make, even if it meant leaving a desolate planet such as this; it had been their home for several years, and they were asking to join an unknown crew. There was no doubt in his mind that they would try to return Henan and Notaxi to their home planet, but if they couldn't, they would become a part of their crew and return to the Alpha Quadrant with them.
"That should be alright," Chakotay finally said. "I'm not the Captain of Voyager, so I have to check with her first, but I can't imagine she'd say no; you both have been indispensable to helping us. It's the least we can do to help you." Henan glanced down at Seven with despair in his eyes.
"I just wish we could have done more," he admitted sadly.
"You've already done so much," Tom assured. It was true. Without Henan and Notaxi, he was sure that he and Seven would still be trapped in the cave with Harry and Chakotay wandering around aimlessly in search of them. Had that been the case, he was sure that she would be far worse off than she was, which was hard to believe. They had barely been scraping by in there; not that they were doing much better out here. At least now they were all together, and Chakotay could try to take care of Seven to the best of his ability. If only there was more to do than just sit around and watch her body shut down.
Shocked and utterly confused, Harry sat back in the chair and ran his hand over his face. He'd played the message back, twice, and he still had no idea what to make of it. None of it made any sense to him. His mind spun at warp speed as he attempted to figure out what was going on and what to make of it. He looked at the tools scattered across the floor of the shuttle. Just a few hours ago he'd been grateful to have the tools returned, but now he had no idea what to make of them or anything else for that matter. Everything about this away mission was enough to drive him crazy and put him off volunteering for any away mission until they got back to the Alpha Quadrant. It was supposed to be an easy mission, and they should have been back on Voyager by now. Figuring it would help to hear the message again, Harry played it back for a third time. He had no idea what he had expected hearing the mysterious message yet again, but it was the only thing he could think of for right now. Nothing had changed, it was the exact same message as before. It still left him feeling conflicted and torn. He had to tell Chakotay, but he had to find the best time to do so. This wasn't something he could simply show up at camp and blurt out without warning. There needed to be some sort of prelude, and he needed more than just one short message to support himself. For all he knew, it was all another trap.
Harry had been so wrapped up in trying to make sense of the message that he didn't hear the new background noise at first. Gradually, the noise grew louder until it finally caught his attention. Fearing it was another plasma storm, he terminated the message early and went outside to investigate. The skies were clear, not a cloud in the sky, so it couldn't possibly be a plasma storm. At first, he couldn't see what was making the noise, but then he saw it in the distance. A smile broke out across his face. After nearly a week and a half, Voyager had finally arrived. They were saved.
Those left behind at the camp heard the noise as well, although not as quickly as Harry. Confused, all four men emerged from the cave. In order to get a better look, Tom shielded his eyes against the blinding sun. Although it was a few kilometers away, and the view was partially blocked by the sun and several large rocks, there was no doubt in his mind what was going on; he'd recognize that starship anywhere.
"Well, Henan, it looks like you'll be able to ask our captain for passage sooner than you thought," he commented with a smile as he clapped his new friend on the back. The foursome watched as the starship landed about a kilometer past where the shuttle sat. At long last, they were going to get out of here. Chakotay glanced back towards the cave where Seven was resting within its dark shadows. Before he went to retrieve her, he knew he had to take care of things out here. They couldn't just up and leave, he wasn't sure if was entirely safe to pick Seven up and carry her across the desert to Voyager.
"Tom, I want you to go meet Harry at Voyager." he instructed. "Make sure the Doctor comes out here. Tell them it's a medical emergency, and we need an immediate evacuation. We'll wait here for you."
"Aye, Sir." Without missing a beat, Tom jogged off across the desert. There was a newfound optimism that consumed the entire away team. Almost since the moment they got here, they had been anxiously waiting for this moment. They were finally getting out of here.
In the dim lighting of his quarters, Chakotay sat back in one of the chairs and kept his eyes trained on the PADD in his hands. Even from behind, he looked so peaceful and undeniably attractive as eh took care of some work. He always worked so hard. If anyone deserved a break, it was him. Smirking sweetly, Seven silently crossed the room and slid her arms around his shoulders from behind and nuzzled his neck affectionately. Given their close proximity, she could smell his aftershave mixed the faint hint of the spices he used to cook sometimes and a masculine smell that was uniquely his own. She found the blend of smells relaxing and comforting, something that would always remind her of him. Although the behavior was out of the ordinary for her, it also felt completely natural to her. Ever since their first kiss, she felt like Chakotay was the one who usually initiated affection between them, and she wanted to show him that she was capable of being the one to take charge every once in awhile.
Almost immediately, Chakotay stiffened under Seven's touch. It wasn't the reaction she expected from him. She had expected him to make some sort of sweet, flirty comment, not put his hands on her arms and push her away. Confused, she took several steps back as he got to his feet and put the PADD down on the coffee table.
"Have I done something wrong?" she asked. He sighed and refused to even look at her. It was then that she knew she had definitely done something wrong, although she couldn't figure out what. As far as she knew, everything was fine between them.
"This isn't working, Seven," he stated bluntly.
"What? Explain." This didn't make any sense to her. They'd just had a wonderful, romantic dinner together and even fooled around a little on the couch before settling into a quiet evening of enjoying each other's company while each getting some work done. Seven knew that relationships weren't her area of expertise, but she would like to think that she would have been able to see something like this coming.
"Did you really think this would work out?" Chakotay sneered. This wasn't like him at all. Even when he was angry, he was surprisingly calm and easy going, it was one of her favorite qualities about him. Everything about this was wrong. "You're a drone, a mindless Borg." He took a few menacing steps towards her, causing her to continue to back away. This wasn't the Chakotay she knew. His usually caring and almost playful eyes were cold and full of hatred. "You're the cause of millions of deaths." Despite her attempts to back away, he continued to approach her. "You can try your best to pretend to be human, try to make friends, go through the motions, but you're not convincing anyone. You're a Borg, and it's only a matter of time before the Captain realizes it and sends you back to the Collective." Tears sprang up in Seven's eyes. She never wanted to go back to the Collective; she'd rather die than have her individuality robbed from her again. The Borg was a fate worse than death.
"No," she sobbed. She continued to back away until she hit the wall. Chakotay didn't stop coming; she was trapped with no way to escape.
"Nobody on Voyager wants you here. You might as well just leave. Nobody will even miss you." Out of instinct, she threw her hands up and cowered beneath Chakotay's towering form as he stood practically on top of her. Her knees buckled slightly as she tried to shrink away from him, to escape his verbal attack.
"Stop it!" she screamed in agony as her knees finally gave out, and she crumpled to a heap on the floor.
Harry immediately abandoned his work in the shuttle and dashed across the desert as fast as he could to get to Voyager. He'd only gone about half a kilometer before running into Tuvok and the Doctor. Never before had he been so relieved to see either of them. He skidded to a stop. Although he'd only run a little while, the searing heat made it seem like ten times the distance. Despite the fact that he only wore his grey short-sleeved undershirt and pants, sweat poured freely down his back. Compared with the heat inside the shuttle, being out here actually wasn't that bad once he stopped running.
"I'm so glad to see you," he gasped as he momentarily caught his breath. His dark hair flopped in his face, but he ignored it for right now.
"We got your distress calls, but we couldn't make out the full messages," the Doctor blurted out without so much as a proper greeting. Given the circumstances, it didn't bother Harry. "What happened? Who's injured?"
"It's Seven. We were lured here with a false distress call, and the aliens who sent it out stole everything off our shuttle, including her mobile regenerator. We managed to get it back, but it's been scrapped for parts. She's in bad shape. We have to hurry," he explained earnestly.
"Take us to her," Tuvok commanded. Harry didn't need to be told twice. He motioned for Tuvok and the Doctor to follow him. There was so much more for him to tell them before they got to the camp. He just hoped he would be able to explain everything in time, as once they got there, they would need to leap into action before it was too late for everyone, not just Seven.
Sweat poured down Tom's neck and back as he ran as fast as he could across the desert to intercept the rescue team. His legs screamed in protest as they pumped back and forth, pushing him forward, the sand slipping beneath his feet and making it harder to run, but he kept moving, he couldn't stop, not now. Whenever the heat became too much, and he wanted to stop to catch his breath, he pictured Seven laying on the floor of the cave, delirious with fever and on death's door. That was enough to motivate him to push forward, ignoring the heat as one foot flew in front of the other, propelling him forward across the barren, dusty landscape.
Three hazy figures appeared on the horizon as Tom mentally encouraged himself to keep running. They'd made it this far, he could keep running, no matter how exhausted and malnourished he might be. Slowly, the three figures became clearer until he saw that it was Harry, Tuvok and the Doctor, all rushing quickly across the desert towards him. He continued to run until he was right in front of them, and he skidded to a stop.
"Thank God you're here," he gasped as he doubled over to catch his breath.
"How's Seven?" the Doctor pressed. Tom shrugged.
"The same, I think," he replied. "I'm here to help escort you back to the camp. We need to get her out of here."
Tom turned to head back to the camp, but Harry spoke up, "Tom, wait, there's something you need to know." Frustrated, the Lieutenant turned around and glared angrily at his best friend. Now wasn't the time, and Harry knew it. He knew that Seven was on borrowed time, and the quicker they got back to the camp, the sooner they could get her out of here and put all of this behind them.
Back at the camp, Chakotay was starting to grow restless. He could see Voyager in the distance, it shouldn't take this long for them to get back to the camp. They were so close to rescue, and yet, it felt so far away. If there was any hope for Seven, they needed to evacuate her from this awful planet as quickly as possible. He paced nervously next to Seven's unconscious form. Outside the cave, Henan and Notaxi seemed just as eager to get out of here. They shoved their minimal belongings into their bags and broke down the camp. Chakotay knew that he should help them break camp, but he couldn't bring himself to leave Seven's side. He needed to be with her, just in case something went wrong. She'd made it this far, he refused to let anything happen to her now, not when they were on the verge of being rescued.
By the time Tom and Harry brought Tuvok and the Doctor to the cave, the camp had been completely broken down. Henan and Notaxi appeared to be ready to go immediately, but they couldn't just up and walk out of here. Tom wiped a layer of sweat from his forehead.
"This way," he announced as he lead the way into the coolness of the cave. Tuvok and the Doctor ignored the Ighanians as they entered the cave behind Tom. As soon as Chakotay saw them, he immediately perked up.
"Commander," Tuvok greeted with his usual calmness as he nodded in Chakotay's direction. Ignoring all formalities and greetings, the Doctor knelt down next to Seven and began to dig through his med kit. Chakotay crouched down next to him.
"How long has she had a fever?" the Doctor demanded as he scanned her with his medical tricorder.
"Four or so days," Chakotay replied. He tried to read the Doctor's expression as he analyzed the tricorder in his hand, but the Doctor was exceptionally good at his poker face.
"Has it always been this high?"
"The first day or so, it was much lower," Tom replied as he stood over the pair. "But then it spiked overnight, and it's been about the same ever since. She probably had a fever for a few days before it spike and just never said anything. You know how she is." Yes, he was very much aware of how stubborn Seven was. He couldn't decide if she, B'Elanna or the Captain should get the award for the most difficult patient, all three of them were the proverbial thorn in his side. The Doctor kept his face neutral, but inside he was starting to feel incredibly stressed. A human body shouldn't sustain a fever this high for long periods of time like this. It should have broken by now and undoubtedly would have if it hadn't been caused by her lack of regeneration.
"When's the last time she was awake?" Tom sighed. He had no idea.
"Late last night," Chakotay replied. Surprised, his head shot up. As field medic, that would have been useful information to know. "She was lucid too, but only for a few minutes." This was news to Tom. Even when he saw Seven awake, she hadn't exactly been completely with it. The Doctor closed the tricorder and replaced the scanner in its proper slot. "How bad is it?"
"High fever, weak pulse, damage to the nervous and respiratory systems, along with rejection of her implants, and her nanoprobes down to 17% efficiency and dropping as we speak, along with the requisite dehydration and malnutrition the three of you are most likely suffering from as well." The Doctor sounded clinical and surprisingly calm, which frustrated Chakotay. He couldn't figure out how he could be so calm right now. After everything he'd just rattled off, it was even more evident that Seven's life was in jeopardy. In a way, he was glad he hadn't known all that before, it would have only caused him to become more stressed out, without anything to do to help her. "We need to get her out of here right away. If there's any chance of her surviving, she needs to get back to Voyager."
Tuvok immediately tapped his comm badge and said, "Tuvok to Voyager." He waited, but there was no response. "Commander Tuvok to Voyager, please respond." Once again, there was nothing.
"There's too much atmospheric interference," Tom pointed out.
"The comm badges were working sufficiently on Voyager."
"The artificial atmosphere on board probably helped," Chakotay commented. "We'll have to carry her to Voyager ourselves." With all the weight Seven had dropped over the past few days, it shouldn't be too difficult to carry her the few kilometers to Voyager. Even if it was difficult, it would be well worth it because it meant finally getting her the help she so desperately needed.
Chakotay gently cupped Seven's cheek in his large hand and ran his thumb over the hot, hollow flesh. Despite his affectionate touch, she didn't move. He firmly believed that if Voyager hadn't shown up today, then she wouldn't have survived; she might not even survive a few more hours like this.
"Seven, we're going to carry you to Voyager," he explained gently. Even though she couldn't hear him, he took solace in telling her what was going on, it was his way of acting like everything was fine. The Doctor put a tentative hand on the First Officer's arm.
"Commander, she can't hear you." He sounded crestfallen. Now that he had a chance to carefully examine Chakotay up close, he could see that his health was starting to decline as well. Dark circles lined his eyes, which told the Doctor that he wasn't sleeping, and based on his sallow skin, it was evident that he wasn't eating either. Once he got Seven stabilized, he would turn his attention to Chakotay and get him back on his feet as well. This away mission had clearly taken its toll on everyone involved.
"Commander, I need to talk to you," Harry muttered under his breath as he materialized at Chakotay's side. Shocked, the First Officer looked at him. Harry certainly had poor timing. They were about to evacuate Seven out of here, now wasn't the time for any type of discussion.
"Not now, Ensign," he snapped as he slung one of Seven's limp arms over his shoulder. Tom locked eyes with Harry for a moment as he followed Chakotay's lead.
"But it's important." Tom and Chakotay got to their feet, pulling Seven upright with them. Her head flopped forward, and she made no sign of being aware of what was going on around her.
"Tell me when we get to Voyager." Chakotay firmly held onto Seven's arm to keep her in place as he and Tom began to carry her out of the cave and into the sunlight. After spending over a week in the darkness of the cave, Seven flinched and moaned from the sudden addition of sunlight. Out of instinct, Chakotay gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, but she didn't respond. The flinch and moan had been instinct, not a sign of lucidness.
Once outside, Notaxi and Henan snatched up their bags and slung them over their shoulders. There was excitement and eagerness in their eyes as they prepared to leave as well. Harry eyed them suspiciously but kept his mouth shut. His mind whirled as he attempted to figure out what to do next, how to handle this situation. He'd have to improvise when they got back to Voyager, it was the only thing he could think of.
"Are these the aliens who helped you?" Tuvok asked Chakotay as the trio passed by him.
"Yeah, I told them they could come with us," the First Officer replied. "Without them, Tom and Seven would still be stuck in the cave. It's the least we can do." Tuvok pursed his lips in protest but kept his thoughts about the situation to himself. The more pressing matter was to get Seven back to Voyager safely, not argue with the Commander. Like Harry, he was also formulating a plan.
It was slow going as the small group worked its way back to Voyager. At first, Seven's slight frame hadn't been very cumbersome, but after carrying her for over a kilometer, both Tom and Chakotay's shoulders were starting to ache. Neither man complained though. They had come this far, and they weren't going to give up or dare complain. Just like when they had carried Seven out of the cave, both men suppressed any discomfort they experienced and pressed on no matter what. They could see the light at the end of the tunnel, or, in this case, Voyager, which called to them, beckoning them to come home and put all of this behind them.
Overhead, dark clouds began to accumulate. The wind began to pick up as it swirled around the slowly progressing party. Chakotay and Tom were so caught up in what they were doing that they didn't notice right away. Harry, on the other hand, was on edge. His eyes darted back and forth across the landscape. His body was tense, ready at any moment to leap into action. A pit was starting to form in his stomach, but he did his best to ignore it as his fingers grazed against the phaser from Tuvok that rested in its holster. Harry glanced up and grew alarmed at the dark clouds forming overhead
"Commander," he called. Chakotay's head shot up. As soon as he saw the clouds, his heart skipped a beat. He should have expected as much. Anything that could go wrong during this away mission did go wrong, why should he expect any different now? He glanced back towards the cave. He had to make a split second decision on whether to keep going or turn back. They'd made it this far, there was no telling when they'd be able to get Seven out of here if they headed back to the caves. They needed to get back to Voyager, and now they were under even more pressure to hurry.
"Keep going," he ordered. "We'll have to make it in time." As much as he tried to hide it, there was uncertainty in his voice. He hoped he had made the right decision. He had to think about the away team as a whole and not let his emotions drive his decisions. They would continue to move forward as long as possible, not that there was anything here that could provide them with shelter. They were essentially trapped in the open expanse that stretched between the caves and Voyager.
Lightning flashed overhead, plunging the darkening landscape into temporary, near blinding light. The wind was picking up at dangerous speeds, it nearly knocked Harry over as he walked in front of Tom, Seven and Chakotay. Chakotay stopped and momentarily let go of Seven's arm. Tom didn't protest as he supported Seven's full weight. His shoulders groaned in adamant protest, but he ignored them as he tightened his arm around her fragile waist to keep her upright, which was made more difficult by the wind blowing all around him.
"Doctor," Chakotay called over the sound of the wind. "You need to get back to Voyager, If your mobile emitter comes off in the wind, we'll be even worse off than we already are."
"But Commander," the Doctor protested.
"That's an order." The Doctor closed his mouth and glared at Chakotay for a split second before turning to rush back to Voyager. It went against everything in his nature to leave Seven behind in such a critical state, but he knew that Chakotay was right. With Tom as field medic, the away team had managed to keep her safe thus far, and he had no doubt that they would continue to do so during the homestretch. They were in the home stretch now.
No sooner did the Doctor disappear towards Voyager did strange clouds start to appear in the distance. Unlike the clouds from the plasma storm, these clouds were low to the ground and appeared to be made of dust and sand. The dark clouds overhead and flashing lightning made it difficult to see what it was. All they could tell for sure was that it was approaching them.
"What the hell is that?" Tom blurted out from his position next to Chakotay. Gradually, shapes began to take place. They appeared to be low flying, box shaped structures hovering just a meter or so above the ground.
"It appears to be some sort of shuttle," Tuvok replied.
Wide eyed, Chakotay announced, "It's the Kalrussians! We need to get out of here...now!" Panic filled his voice. Right as he turned to grab Seven's arm to help Tom carry her, a fist came flying out of nowhere and made contact with his jaw. Shocked, his hand flew to his mouth as he stumbled backwards and looked at Henan, whose hand was still clenched tightly in a fist. The Ighanian looked shocked, not at what he had done but at the fact that Chakotay was still on his feet. Before any member of Voyager could pull out his phaser and react, a blast came out of nowhere and sent Henan flying through the air. The Ighanian landed on his back with a sickening thud that everyone managed to hear over the sound of the wind and thunder. Still reeling from the blow, Chakotay's head shot up. He was sure he was seeing things, as he saw Aritlin standing in the distance, still holding his phaser high.
Author's Note: I have been trying to properly upload this chapter for a while now, and I have no idea what happened. kept formatting it weird, which made it an absolute nightmare. I hope it works and I hope you liked this chapter. I apologize profusely for any problems.