by Alys Landale
She swayed for a while. She silently cursed the force fields around the base. That had taken more out of her than she was willing to admit. Getting her bearings, she released the force field and approached the man on the floor.
"Nice job." His voice was rough but stronger than she had first thought.
"Can you walk?" She prayed he could. If not, they were both in trouble.
He nodded and she helped him to his feet. "What's the plan?" he asked.
"Hopefully, we get out of here alive."
*
Captain Nikon sat on the bridge of his ship.
*Hopefully not my ship for long* he thought miserably. One thing the Empire didn't tolerate was failure and he had done so on the last two missions he had been assigned to.
*I'll make it up with this one* he swore to himself. After all one ship couldn't stand up to the weapons that he currently harbored.
"Sir, we are approaching the ship," came a voice from the Conn.
"Have they detected us yet?'' Nikon asked. They had been approaching the ship by staying close to a nebula. The captain wasn't scared of a fight but experience told him that surprise was always the best weapon.
“We have not yet been detected.”
"Good, take us out of the nebula. Target their weapons and propulsion. I need this ship in one piece by the time this is over."
B’Elanna strode into engineering. It looked the same as when she had left it. Ensigns were busy about their tasks. Joe was overseeing their work.
*What did I come down here for?*
The feeling still lingered. She needed to be here.
"Lieutenant? I thought the captain had given you time off."
B’Elanna was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Joe Carey's voice.
"I decided to come down here to see how things were going. I couldn't let you…" Her voice was cut off as the entire ship swayed under the force of a blow.
"What the hell was that?!" B’Elanna roared.
The answer to her question came form Janeway's voice over the Comm line. "All crew to battle stations. Red alert!"
Janeway pulled herself up from the floor.
"Report." she ordered.
"Shields are holding Sir. It looks like someone is trying to target our weapons." Harry replied.
"Who?" The captain didn't need an answer as she saw the view screen project a ship coming from the nebula. It looked like it was older than Star Fleet and had seen more battles than a Klingon Bird of Prey.
"Looks like that's our culprit." said Chakotay.
"Hail them." All the hollowness that she had felt in the past few days was slowly filling with silent rage. She was not going to let anything happen to the rest of her crew.
"They aren't responding.'' reported Ensign Kim.
"Well, we tried. Tuvok target their weapons systems.
Maybe we can get them to talk if they don't have their guns to keep them so busy."
"Firing." Tuvok fired two photon torpedoes at their assailants. Neither penetrated the ship's shields.
"They were not able to break their shielding Sir."
Before Janeway could reply, the ship was jarred to its side. Somehow, they didn't have much of a problem with the shields of Voyager.
"Damage." she asked.
"We've lost Warp," said Chakotay. "Another hit and we'll be dead in the water."
Anger flickered across Janeway's face. "Get me engineering."
"You picked a great time to come back," said Joe in all sincerity. He hated to think if he were in charge of this mess.
"Shut up Carey and keep working. I want that Warp Drive back on line." B’Elanna was fuming. Couldn't Voyager manage to stay out of a fight for just one week?
"I need a report from down there now." Janeway's voice flickered over the Comm line.
"Give me five minutes and I can have the warp drive working again," replied B’Elanna. She was so busy, she didn't care to elaborate.
Janeway didn't ask what she was doing down there. She didn't have the time. "Do it," was her only reply.
B’Elanna grabbed a tool kit. "Okay Vorik, the two of us are going to replace the fried conduits in Jeffrey’s Tube 69. Joe you're in charge here."
She left with Vorik on her heels. *What a great way to start the day.*
*
Tom Paris followed the woman as she led him into the hallway. It was still a little difficult to walk but he found his equilibrium to be returning quickly.
Connley thanked the Spirit that Takma had ordered so many of her men away to take care of that ship. She felt sorry for the crew, but a lack in security that large had provided her with the perfect means for escape.
She looked around the corner. It was all clear. She motioned for Tom to follow her. It appeared he wasn't as badly injured as she had thought.
"Just two decks down and we'll be in shuttlebay," she whispered.
He nodded and they continued on to the lift that would take them down. Connley couldn't believe her luck. No one had found her yet.
*Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought.*
She should have known better than to tempt fate by that thought, because before she was able to check the lift for any occupants, the doors slid open to reveal a very puzzled Doctor and two very large guards.
Doctor Rosin stood inside the lift fingering his neck carefully. He was on his way to run a few tests on his 'patient' and decided that a couple of extra guards couldn't hurt anything. He wasn't willing to have his neck ripped off again.
The lift stopped on his level. As the doors opened, he was confronted by the site of a guard and his patient standing behind her. *What the hell.* he thought.
He was too stunned to move even when the gun was brought level with his chest and fired.
Connley shot the doctor first but wasn't quick enough to take out the other two guards. They raised their guns at her and before she could blink, she felt the excruciating sensation of burning tissue coming from her left shoulder.
Pain delayed her senses and instead of shooting them, she shot the control panel for the lift. The doors closed automatically and she leaned against the wall as the shots finally ended.
"So much for going unnoticed."
*
Captain Nikon smiled. Only a few more direct hits and he would have fully disarmed the ship. He thought of how Takma would reward him for this victory.
*A promotion, a Fleet of my own perhaps.*
He let the thrill of victory overwhelm him as he ordered, “fire at will."
It was time for the kill.
"They are powering weapons again, Captain." Tuvok's voice was as emotionally detached as always. It was a stark comparison to the others on the bridge.
"Is there anyway to penetrate their shields?!" Janeway was running out of ideas. They had to do something fast.
"Captain," came Seven's voice from the science station. "The nebula that they were hiding in is becoming unstable. If we were to fire our weapons into it, I do not believe their shields would be able to stand the blow."
Janeway gave the former Borg an appraising gaze. This was just the break they needed.
"How far would we need to be to avert being caught in the explosion as well?"
Harry replied, "If we're going to make it to a safe distance we'll have to get the warp drive back on-line."
Janeway nodded. Another blast rocked her ship. Now all she needed was to call Engineering. "B’Elanna, we need warp now."
The half Klingon grumbled a few inaudible curses before replying. "Just a few more seconds... Okay you have Warp 4 but I can't be sure how long it will hold up."
*You take what you can get* thought Janeway.
"Tuvok fire three photon torpedoes into the nebula on my mark. Once fired I want us at warp 4 out of here. Understood."
The ensign at the Conn said, "Aye Sir."
"Good. Now, Mark!"
*
Paris caught Connley as she slumped against the wall.
"So m
uch for keeping our cover," she said.
Her left shoulder was covered in a dark purple blood. Tom could see torn pieces of flesh through her uniform. If it hadn’t been for the armor she was wearing then her arm would have been torn off.
"Tell me how to get to shuttlebay," he instructed.
She looked into his blue eyes. They were filled with resolution. She knew somehow that they would make it out of here alive.
"We can't take this lift so we'll have to use the other one on this floor. It's down this corridor about..."
"Don't move!"
The voice startled them both. Connley hadn't anticipated being discovered this fast. There holding a gun to her head was
General Kail and behind him stood eight other guards, all of them with their weapons focused on Connley and Paris.
"You should have known better than to fire your weapon. Any unauthorized discharge of weapons immediately set off a silent alarm. I suppose I am just lucky that I was on this level when it went off." Kail's voice took on a tone of utter malevolence as he let these words drip from his lips.
Tom didn't move. He knew that if he did the woman beside him would be killed in an instant. Along with himself.
Connley however pushed herself away from Paris and stood face to face with Kail. She smiled at him as seductively as possible and then spat in his face.
He wiped the saliva from his chin and stared at the woman before him. No Parvanian would ever attempt to do that even if they had defected from the Empire. He wiped the saliva from his chin. What was this creature that had the guts to do this. Instead of voicing his question, he back handed her across her cheek and temple.
Pain surged through her head as the force of the blow hit her full on. She didn't have much time before the general had her neck in his hand and was roughly feeling around her face to find her disguise. He succeeded as the black wig she had been wearing came off in his hand. Ocean blue hair fell below her shoulders. But Kail paid little heed to that. He was more struck by the tall slim ears that rose almost an inch above her head.
Paris thought he had seen something similar to that before. Those ears... The word ‘cat’ popped into mind but had little meaning to him.
"You're a Nalyan." spat out Kail. "I haven't seen your kind in this sector for decades."
"Well now you have." Connley ground out. One thing that she had always learned, never show your fear to the enemy.
"And I can make sure that I won't see anymore again." Kail lifted his gun to her head.
Connley held her breath, as she looked her enemy in the eye. If she was going to die it would be with honor.
The last thing she heard was the fire of a gun and then darkness surrounded her.
*
Three Photon torpedoes were released from Voyager. Nikon dismissed it. They couldn't penetrate their shields. Victory was already his. Soon he would have that ship and Takma's praise would come along with it.
Then he noticed that the torpedoes were not aimed at him but the nebula.
"Oh my S...."
His words were left unfinished as a huge explosion engulfed his ship. The outer shields didn't take long to breach and as they went so did the hull and everyone inside.
"Okay get us out of here."
Voyager was already on its way as the words left Janeway's lips. They jumped to warp 4 just as the explosion reached where they had been a moment before.
All the bridge crew let out an audible sigh as they fell out of warp safely away from the explosion.
Janeway fell into her chair. "Good work people, good work."
*
Kail pulled the trigger on his gun. Nalyan's were some of the best warriors ever to exist. It was a powerful man who could claim to have killed one.
But instead of getting his wish, he watched as Paris pushed Connley to the floor and took the brunt of the shot. Kail's eyes widened as his shot didn't even phase the man. The laser seemed to not even cause any more pain than a pinprick.
Tom grabbed the gun out of the general's hand. He proceeded to shoot one guard after another as shots continually hit him without inflicting the slightest damage. Finally, Kail was the only one left.
"I take it you're the one in charge," Tom said.
Connley shook her head as she picked herself up off the floor. She had managed to fall on her bad shoulder and now excruciating pain flowed through her body. She shook it off.
Kail nodded to Tom. The general was staring down his own gun, and this time it was the dangerous end that was pointed at him.
"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind escorting us to shuttlebay. We'll be leaving now if you don't mind." Tom pushed the general in front of him and shoved the gun into his back. He turned to Connley, "are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said this through gritted teeth. "Let's just get the Hell out of here."
"You heard the lady," he told Kail. "Now move."
Doctor Rosin lay in the lift. His head was swimming but by some miracle, he was still alive. However, he opened his eyes to find that the floor was now covered in blood all around him. He closed his eyes again. The sight of others' blood was one thing, but that of his own always made him a bit queasy.
The door slid open.
Takma could have never been prepared for what she saw. On the floor of the lift was the body of Doctor Rosin, his left side little more than shredded flesh. But having schooled her emotions throughout her life, she only allowed a brief flicker of shock to pass over her face.
"Get a stretcher!" she ordered to the other guards in the lift. Then she knelt beside Rosin. "What happened?"
He coughed a little but was only able to get one word out. "Escaped."
*That really tells me a lot* she thought.
Allowing the stretcher crew to take him away, she stopped a guard in the hall. "I want to know what's going on and I want to know now!"
The man lowered his head. "I'm sorry I don't…
Takma slapped him hard across his face. "Then find out! Now go!"
He left at a jog. She cursed herself for hiring such idiots.
*I guess I'll just have to find Kail. He'll know what's going on.*
Kail knew exactly what was going on. He was leading two escapees to the shuttlebay and once his services were complete he would be extinguished. He needed a plan and he needed one fast. His great intellect had already formulated numerous ones but all seemed to end the same way: him dead.
"Here we are," said Connley. She stepped forward and unlocked the doors to shuttlebay.
Tom didn't let his eyesight leave the general. Kail's time was running out.
"Keep him here. I'll go get a shuttle ready." Connley left.
"Kail do you know what the Hell is going on around here." Takma's voice chirped over his comm line.
Paris gripped his gun tighter. Without words, he was able to convey his message to Kail: don't screw up or you're dead.
Kail replied in a tense voice. "No, I don't."
Takma paused for a few seconds then replied, "Well, find out and get your ass down here."
Kail smiled inwardly. That was the chance he had been waiting for. Unknown to his captors, the message that he had just given Takma was part of a code. If trouble ever arose, he was ordered not to respond in any length, as he would usually do. Then
Takma would use his comm line as a honing beacon and find out where he was before she replied. Maybe his luck was looking up.
Connley came out of the shuttle. "The shuttle's ready, but I can't get the hanger doors open." She turned to the general, "I suppose you can help us with that."
Kail tensed. Through the corner of his eye, he could see something that the other two had missed. Tom caught a slight reflection from the general's eye. Quickly he threw himself and Connley to the ground before red laser beams shot through the air where they had just been standing.
Kail took the liberty of the moment to its full meaning and ran over to where the guards were standing. "Kill the woman but keep the other
one alive," he barked out and grabbed a gun from the closest guard to him.
Takma ran through the corridors. Shuttlebay wasn't very far now; she could already hear the gunshots.
"What's our status!" she yelled to one of her men. She had just deployed every guard she could spare to shuttlebay for some reason unknown to her. The tone of Kail's voice over the comm line had told her that whatever was happening was pretty damn bad.
"There are two aliens trying to escape, came a reply.
Takma sucked in a large breath. She only knew of one alien aboard, and that was her 'guest.' She wondered how he had gotten out of his cell. Those thoughts were soon abandoned as she realized that if he escaped all her plans would be ruined.
"I want them brought in alive. Do what you have to but the one with the bond hair is not to be killed."
Tom and Connley ducked behind one of the computer consoles. It provided mediocre protection from the shots that rang out around them but something was better than nothing. Connley gripped her shoulder. *Why does everything have to involve shooting at me or pushing me on my left side?*
But that was usual for her. She was a trained warrior and there was no way she would fail this mission. There was just too much at stake. So instead of letting her thoughts drift to the burning pain coursing through her left arm, she picked up her gun and started picking off the guards standing beside the shuttlebay door.
Tom looked at Connley. She hadn't spared a moment's notice before she had taken her gun and had begun shooting again. But two against at least twenty didn't play for good odds.
He needed a plan, and suddenly he had one.
"Can you hold them back while I do something," he asked Connley.
She didn't let her sight leave the enemy but replied, "Yeah but what are you planning on doing?"
"I have no idea." Tom's words puzzled Connley but she didn't say anything.
