by Alys Landale
“Damn,” she said as she felt the slight tug of a tractor beam latch onto her ship. It wouldn’t be long until she was transported aboard whatever ship had caught her. Preparing herself for her new surroundings, she swore she would make this a lot harder for them than they had anticipated.
“I’m only picking up one occupant aboard the shuttle. I’m beaming her to the brig.” said Harry.
Janeway nodded and turned to Tuvok. “Tuvok, how about we go pay a visit on our prisoner.”
The human and Vulcan then proceeded on their short sojourn to the brig. For the first time they would finally be able to see one of the legendary Resistance soldiers face to face.
Aria felt the transporter beam engulf her body. She watched as her surroundings changed from that of her shuttle to the interior of this new ship. After a second of taking in her surroundings, she realized that she was inside the ship’s brig.
The two ensigns took a couple of seconds to stare at her and then approached their new prisoner. One thing was for sure, they hadn’t suspected on the person being as attractive as this.
Aria sensed their thoughts. From her vantage point inside her cell, she could see that they hadn’t yet erected the forcefield. She had to make her move quickly.
Ensign Roberts turned back to his console and was about to place in the commands to erect the field when he heard it. So preoccupied had he been with the young woman inside the cell, he had taken longer to do his job than usual. Now it was too late.
In one swift move, Aria had gotten out of the cell and disabled the guard closest to her with one sudden blow. Now it was time for the man behind the console. She watched as he went for his phaser, but beat him to it by just a second. Knocking the phaser out of his hand, she kicked him in the gut with one knee and then delivered him a right punch to the temple.
Taking the phaser, she prepared to leave. All she had to do was find shuttlebay and steal a shuttle. That shouldn’t be too hard. After all she had done it before. There was just one problem this time: she didn’t know how to fly their shuttles.
Janeway and Tuvok walked down the corridor towards the brig. They passed by B’Elanna on their trip. The half-Klingon nodded to them and then proceeded on her way. There was a faulty conduit on this level that she had taken upon herself to see to.
The captain continued on her walk but was taken by surprise as an alien woman popped up from behind the corner. Janeway stared at the woman for a few moments. It wasn’t the woman’s tall pointed ears, her violet eyes, or even her blue hair that caught Janeway most by surprise. It was the phaser she held in her hand.
“Don’t move,” she said and then directed her gaze at Janeway. “You. You’re going to get me out of here.”
The captain said nothing. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Tuvok was steadily making his way closer to the young woman. Janeway hoped that the she didn’t notice this as well.
Aria watched the dark man slowly approaching her. “Back off.” she warned. “Or else I’ll put a hole through your chest.”
Tuvok stopped in his tracks. “It would not be logical to pursue that course of action. The odds of your escape are very diminutive. It would be best if you surrender now.”
Aria tried to keep her attention trained on both those present but was caught off guard when Janeway’s comm badge bleeped to life.
“Captain, we can’t get anyone in the brig to answer their comm line.”
Aria let her gaze slip to Janeway for one moment and that was all it took for Tuvok to knock the phaser out of her hand. Janeway then addressed Chakotay, “Chakotay send a security team down here immediately.” and then ended her transmission.
She watched as Tuvok and Aria tackled on the floor. She had been confident that the Vulcan would be able to easily take this small woman, but now she wasn’t so sure. The girl was proving to be an experienced fighter.
Aria punched Tuvok hard in the chest. He appeared somewhat unfazed by her blow and kept on attacking. *Okay* she thought. *You want to play rough, do you?*
Wrapping one leg around his torso she used all her weight to try and flip him off her. It worked and now she was free to get back on her feet. The Vulcan lay in an awkward position on the floor and before he could get to his feet as well, she delivered him a hard kick in the jaw which finally proved to disable him. Aria then turned to Janeway.
B’Elanna stood up from where she had been crouched at the wall panel. A security team stormed past her before she could ask what was going on. Leaving her work, she decided to tag along for once. Some curiosity was eating away at her insides now and she just had to appease her appetite.
She followed the team back down the corridor to where she had seen Janeway and Tuvok earlier.
Janeway stared into the woman’s violet eyes and then delivered a punch. Aria managed to just barely avoid the blow and instead took the captain’s wrist in her hand and twisted the older woman’s arm behind her back.
Janeway struggled for a minute before settling down. “Now that’s better,” said Aria. “How about we take a trip to shuttlebay.”
At that moment the security team Janeway had summoned made its way around the corner. Tuvok appeared to be coming out of his stupor as well.
“Back,” yelled Aria, “or she dies.” The Nalyan then placed her other hand around Janeway’s throat as proof that she meant business.
The security personnel reluctantly stepped back. B’Elanna, who was taking up the rear of the team did the same as well.
“Good,” said Aria. “Now the guns.”
They threw down their weapons and took an extra step back. None were willing to place their captain’s safety on the line. Aria made her way past them as she made sure to keep her gaze secured on each in order to see them make their move. Finally her eyes rested on the Chief Engineer.
Aria just stared at the woman. She was the same woman as in Rune’s dreams. The exact same woman. Aria’s grip loosened as her mouth fell open and her eyes grew two sizes larger.
*How can she be here. What are the odds that I would ever run into whoever ‘she’ is?*
The others around her noticed Aria’s stare. B’Elanna especially noticed how this strange woman kept her eyes focused on her. *What’s her problem?* thought the half-Klingon.
Tuvok came up from behind the two and grabbed Aria’s arms in one swift movement. Janeway took a large step away from the woman. She was surprised to see that the prisoner was offering Tuvok no resistance this time. She just continued to stare at Torres. The Vulcan was also perplexed by this behavior though he didn’t outwardly show.
“Take her to the brig Tuvok,” said Janeway. “I’ll inform Takma about our findings.”
Aria walked along with Tuvok in quiet acquiescence. She occasionally stole a glance back at B’Elanna. It was eerie seeing the woman who had for so long had haunted Tom’s dreams was actually alive. Aria had thought it was likely that the woman had existed but never in her life did she think she would see her face to face.
*Just where the Hell have I ended up?* she wondered.
Chakotay approached Janeway as she came onto the bridge.
“I take it everything’s been taken care of.” he said.
The captain shook her head in disbelief. “That woman could have had the chance to escape. She was able to knock the hell out of Tuvok and was on her way to shuttlebay. But then she stopped. When she saw B’Elanna all she did was stare at her and then didn’t struggle anymore when Tuvok recaptured her. It’s strange.”
Chakotay seemed perplexed as well, partly because he still didn’t know exactly what had happened. Torres then walked onto the bridge.
Both captain and commander turned to her. B’Elanna just shot them a look as if saying: ‘don’t ask me.’
Harry then piped up. “What’s so important about B’Elanna?” After receiving an angry stare from the half-Klingon, he decided to rephrase his statement. “Umm, not that you’re not important, just why would the prisoner abandon her esca
pe to become preoccupied with you.”
Janeway then cut in to stop his babbling. “We know what you mean Harry. I’d like to know what her story is as well. But for now I think we’d best contact Takma and inform her about our finding.”
Aria sat on the floor of her cell. There were now four guards place in the brig to guard her instead of the usual two. Tuvok stood just outside her cell as well.
He started the conversation. “You had us at a disadvantage. It would have been logical for you to continue through with your escape plan yet you abandoned it upon seeing Lieutenant Torres. Explain your reasons.”
Aria stared up at him. Her violet eyes caught his for a brief moment as she scanned him with her mind. From what she could tell, he wasn’t a member of the Empire. He wasn’t even aware of what the Resistance really was.
She was discreet enough that he didn’t feel her presence within his mind. She then broke her connection and answered his question. “I have my reasons, not that you’ll know them.”
He just kept his eyes focused on her, not an emotion played across his face. He then walked away and left her with the guards.
She kept her position on the floor. If these people weren’t part of the Empire then what were they doing here? She needed answers. Violating all the rules she had ever set for herself, she decided on what she must do.
She stretched her mind out around the ship and began to scan the thoughts of all the personnel aboard the ship. If one of them was an Imperial soldier then she would find him. She began with the first person she saw, the guard sitting behind the console.
Takma received the message from Janeway immediately. She had been keeping track of Voyager since she left the base. Although the tracking mechanisms she had embedded within Voyager’s computers told her the overall whereabouts of the ship, she couldn’t tell what other ships were around. However, she could guess what the incoming message was about.
“Captain Janeway, I take it everything is alright.” she said with feigned concern.
“I was calling because it seems we have found the missing Resistance shuttle in this area. There was only one occupant but we have her in custody.” said the captain.
Takma’s guesses were correct. “I’ll inform General Kail of these findings immediately. He’ll be coming to retrieve your prisoner as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, we’ll be waiting here at these coordinates until he arrives.” Once Janeway said this the transmission was ended. Takma then hailed Kail.
“General Kail,” she said once she had gotten him on the comm. “It seems that Voyager has found that Resistance shuttle. Go to these coordinates and retrieve the prisoner. We can use her against Landis hopefully. Once you reach Voyager, retake the ship. Try not to damage it but I want that vessel back. It’s done its job. Understood.”
Kail nodded. “I’ll leave right away. It shouldn’t take over half a day to reach those coordinates. Kail out.”
The transmission ended and Takma leaned back in her chair. Things were going well. Now all she had to do was sit back and wait.
Janeway was ready to do anything but sit down and wait. She wanted to get back on the road to home, but she had promised Takma that she would wait on Kail to come pick up this prisoner.
The prisoner. This woman was an enigma. She had the chance to escape but abandoned it when she saw B’Elanna.
*What’s her interest with B’Elanna?* Janeway wondered.
The captain decided to end her wondering and go down to the brig and get some answers. There was something about this woman that seemed strange. Like she shouldn’t betray her. But that was ridiculous. Her people had attacked Voyager and other Imperial bases.
But still, there was something that just didn’t’ seem to add up.
She got out of her chair and after telling Commander Chakotay he had the bridge, she proceeded on her course to the brig.
Aria had scanned over half the ship and had still found no one who appeared to hold any allegiance to the Empire. They all seemed to share the same story. Takma had befriended them and given them a research base to rebuild their ship after a Resistance vessel had almost destroyed them. She now realized who that vessel was. It was the Jihaid who had crippled them almost a year ago and now all those on board held a malice to its captain, Rune Landis.
The doors to the brig slid open and Janeway walked in. The older woman looked at the prisoner on the floor. Aria had not moved from her position since arriving in the brig.
The captain cut to the chase. “Who are you and what was so important to you about Lieutenant Torres that you abandoned your escape?”
Aria scanned her and found the same thing as she did in the rest of the crew. She then responded. “Sorry, I don’t talk to strangers.”
Tuvok had told her that this woman wouldn’t talk but she had believed that maybe she could break through the prisoner’s insubordinate attitude. As she looked at the woman on the floor she began to doubt herself. It was clear by the firm expression on her face that she wasn’t going to talk but Janeway refused to give up.
“It would be a lot easier if you would just talk to us. Maybe if we knew your side of the story we could help you. We could speak on your behalf to Takma. I’m sure she would make your sentence lighter.” said the captain.
Aria sent her an incredulous look. “I don’t live in a fantasy world like you. The only lighter sentence I could get from Takma is a quick death and I don’t even expect that.”
Janeway had never heard this about the Pretor’s wife. Then again, this was just a Resistance officer. She must be biased.
As Janeway thought of a better approach to this, Aria spoke up again. “You would do best to let me go. My captain will come for me and when he does, your ship will be destroyed.”
“You underestimate us. Just who is this great captain of yours anyway?”
Aria decided to answer this one question of Janeway’s. “You might have heard of him before. His name is Rune Landis.”
Janeway’s mouth went dry for a second. She knew of this man. He had been the one who had almost destroyed them in the first place. Without saying a word, the captain strode off towards the bridge. She would have to inform the rest of her bridge crew about these happenings.
Aria watched her go. It wouldn’t be long before Rune came. She decided she had better contact him before he showed up. Despite these people’s misgivings regarding the Empire, she didn’t want them to be destroyed. She set forth to contact her captain.
Paris sat in his seat aboard the Jihaid. It wouldn’t be long before he had reached Aria’s coordinates. Perhaps just another hour.
*Rune* came a voice in the back of his mind. He recognized it immediately as Aria.
*Aria, is anything wrong?* he asked. She wasn’t known to contact him unless it was an emergency.
*Oh not much. You remember that alien ship we almost destroyed a year ago.* she sent him an image of it and he responded with an affirmative. *Well it’s back and I’m currently a resident in its brig.*
*We’ll be there in an hour. Will you be alright till then?*
*Yes,* she said. *But when you get here, don’t damage the ship. These people are misguided but that’s about it. All they’re trying to do is get home.*
*Sure* he said. *This should make it a little more interesting anyway.*
She laughed at his comment. He always did seem to love taking risks. But when it came to putting others at risk he always skulked away from it.
*We’ll make this an in and out run* he told her. *Just be ready when we come.*
*I will* she said. *And try to be careful. These people aren’t as stupid as we first thought them to be.*
*Me? Not careful? Where would you get such an idea?* He knew she was referring to his extensive amount of hours spent in sickbay.
*You know what I mean. Now just hurry up and get your ass down here.* she said.
It was his turn to laugh. *Yes ma’am* he replied and they ended their conversation. Others on
the bridge were used to his conversations with Aria in such a way, so few said anything.
Paris then turned to Danag. “Danag, raise our cloak and scan for an alien vessel in the area we should find Commander Brandwin.”
“Aye sir.” replied the man at Ops. “I’ve got a vessel and it appears that the Commander’s shuttle is inside it.”
Paris nodded. “Yes it seems she got captured but she isn’t in any danger at the moment. From what she told me, I don’t want to destroy this vessel. I think this is just an in and out mission.
Sargon and I will go in and get the Commander, hold the Jihaid just outside the other ship’s orbit.”
“Will we be using the back-door procedure?” Meylin asked from her position at Tacticianal.
Tom nodded. “I’ll hack into their systems and disable their weapons and shielding. Then we can beam in and get Aria out.”
He then called Sargon over the comm system. “Landis to Sargon.” he said.
“Sargon here.” came the reply from Engineering.
“Sargon,” he said. “Do you feel in the mood for some action?”
The Parvanian’s eyes lit up. If he wasn’t such a good engineer, Paris would have transferred him to security. The man was the best officer he had for any type of battle situation.
“You know me, I’m always ready for some action.” replied Sargon.
From her console, Meylin rolled her eyes. She new the comment had been directed at her. The Parvanian seemed hell bent to get her to acknowledge their relationship but she still held out on him.
Paris saw her reaction but said nothing. “Get your equipment ready. We’ll be leaving in an hour. Landis out.”
With the transmission ended, Tom turned back to Meylin. “You have the bridge,” he said. After a nod from her, he left the bridge and prepared to get ready for this mission. It seemed to be a quick run, but something told him that there was more to it than that.
