SEASON
ONE
CARETAKER
Part
7
Ocampa
Tom, Kes and
Neelix arrived at the bottom of the staircase, in the tunnels. Tom
flashed his flashlight up the stairs. "Harry!" Tom yelled.
He got no reply. The gang started to head up the stairs.
Tom tapped his commbadge. "Paris to Janeway. They're in one of the tunnels, Captain. I can't see them, but they're up there."
In: "Call for transport when you have them."
They all reached the top of the second flight when Kathryn's voice came back over the intercom.
In: "Janeway to Paris. The transporters aren't working. You'll have to find one of the breaches in the security barrier when you get to the top."
"Understood," Tom said, and he tapped his commbadge. He looked up again, and he spotted something. "I seem them."
The gang picked up speed to get up the next two flights of stairs. They finally reached the three. Harry weakly looked up at them.
"Took you long enough," Harry muttered. Tom helped him up.
"How can I let down the only friend I got," Tom said as he did so.
"Friend, what makes you think I'm your friend?" Harry asked. They both headed up the stairs, Harry had to rely on Tom for support. Neelix and Kes helped James and Jessie up. They all followed Tom and Harry up the stairs. Kes was helping Jessie, and Neelix was helping James.
"Paris to Janeway, we've got them Captain," Tom said.
In: "Don't wait for us, get them to safety."
"Don't worry, I know we can get through the barrier," Kes said Jessie's way.
Eventually the group reached what looked like an orange forcefield. Kes went up to it first. "Whatever you do, don't touch it. We've been told it'll burn your skin off," she said as she climbed carefully through the gap next to the field.
Kes got safely to the other side, then she helped Jessie through it.
Meanwhile
Kathryn,
Chakotay and Tuvok were only two flights of stairs behind the other group.
"They're not far ahead of us, keep going!" Kathryn called down to the others.
Meanwhile
The group
reached a dead end. Tom went back to the others. "I think we've
reached the top. Neelix, get out your phaser."
He and Neelix got out a phaser each, and they fired them at the ceiling. Rocks and dust came tumbling down, Tom and Neelix got out of the way quickly. Sunlight was starting to shine through the hole they made.
Tom was the first to climb to the surface. He turned back towards it, and he held his hand out for Kes. He helped pull her up to the surface. Then Tom helped Harry up, then Jessie, and then finally James. Neelix climbed out last on his own.
They all got to their feet, and they headed away from the hole. Kes was helping Harry, Neelix was still helping James, and Tom was helping Jessie. Tom tapped his commbadge with his spare hand.
"Voyager, can you get a lock on us now."
In: "Yeah, but there are only six signals."
"The others are still..." Tom said. Another blast from the array came speeding down only a few metres away. "Get down!" he yelled, as he pushed himself and Jessie to the ground. Everyone else followed suit. The blast crashed to the surface, causing the ground to shake.
Tom looked back at the whole, he saw nothing but dust blowing out of it. "Paris to Janeway? Chakotay, Tuvok do you read!" He got no reply. "Voyager, prepare to beam everyone in this group except me."
In: "Erm, right ok."
Tom stood up, and so did Neelix. "You're not thinking of going back there!" He looked down at the others. "The fool needs company. Take care of them dearest, I'll see you later."
Tom quickly took Neelix's commbadge and he handed it to Kes. "Make that four to beam up. Lock on the other commbadge, and energise."
Tom and Neelix headed back to the hole as the others beamed away.
Meanwhile
Kathryn was
tending to Tuvok (holding his face, that's what it looks like) as
Chakotay cried out in pain. Kathryn went over to him.
"My leg is broken, I can't move," Chakotay muttered.
"Hold on," Kathryn said.
Tom and Neelix arrived on the scene. Neelix and Kathryn helped Tuvok to his feet, and the three headed back the way Tom and Neelix came. Tom went over to Chakotay.
"Get out of here, Paris, before this whole place comes down!" Chakotay yelled. The staircase Chakotay was on fell slightly when it started to break away from the rest of the stairs. Tom tried to reach over to Chakotay.
"I intend to, as soon as I get you up," Tom said.
"You get on those stairs, they'll collapse. We'll both die," Chakotay said.
"Yeah, but if I save your butt, your life belongs to me. Isn't that some sort of Indian custom?" Tom asked.
"Wrong tribe," Chakotay muttered.
"I don't believe you." Tom reached over and he got a hold of Chakotay's right arm. "You'd rather die than me be the one to rescue you."
"Fine, be a fool," Chakotay muttered. He put his hand roughly on Tom's shoulder, and Tom pulled him up. "If I die at least I'll have the pleasure of watching you go with me!" Tom headed back up the stairs.
"Isn't there some Indian trick, where you can turn yourself into a bird and fly us out of here?" Tom asked.
"You're too heavy," Chakotay replied.
The stairs Chakotay was originally on broke away, and collapsed. Chakotay and Tom didn't hear the crash landing for a few seconds afterward.
Voyager,
Sickbay
The Doctor
was treating Tuvok, Chakotay, Harry, James and Jessie. Kathryn was
standing nearby.
In: "Bridge to Janeway. The Kazon guys are heading to the array."
Chakotay sat up. "Captain, tell the Marquis on your Bridge to report back to our ship." He stood up, and he headed over to James and Jessie, they had stood up as well. "Come on, we're getting back to our ship."
"Finally, that hologram really freaks me out," Jessie muttered as she, Chakotay and James headed out. Tuvok and Kathryn also followed.
"I strongly advice you to rest," the Doctor said to a closed door. He turned back to Harry who was getting off the biobed too. "Are the crew always this difficult?"
"I dunno Doc, my first mission," Harry replied and he walked out.
"Doesn't anyone know how to switch me off?" he said to himself.
Voyager
Kathryn,
Tuvok and Harry reached the Bridge as the Marquis crewmembers were
heading out.
"Get the weapons online, and get the shields to full," Kathryn ordered.
"Weapons online, shields at 100% Captain," Tuvok said.
"Red Alert," Kathryn commanded.
Marquis Ship
All the
Marquis crew entered the cockpit. Everyone took a station, and they
sat down at them.
"Ok, who's at Tactical?" Chakotay asked without turning around to see for himself.
"Er, I am," James said. Everyone felt rather scared.
"We're doomed," the Klingon girl whispered to Chakotay.
"Maybe not, B'Elanna, remember the old drill?" Chakotay asked.
B'Elanna nodded, and she turned to Tactical. "We just got a message from the Kazon James, they say you're gay."
"Why does everyone think that?" James said angrily, and he pouted.
"Probably because you are," Craig (who's just appeared out of nowhere) said. A girl the same age, who was standing next to him, laughed.
"Why do they think I'm gay, they haven't seen me yet?" James asked.
"Damn," B'Elanna whispered.
"Somebody must of told them," Chakotay replied.
"That's it, I'll show them who's gay," James said.
"How are you going to do that, date their girlfriends, wives and daughters?" Craig asked with interest.
"Ok, I'll just get my own back," James replied.
Chakotay briefly winked at B'Elanna, and they both turned back to their stations.
Jessie sighed, and she placed her hand on her forehead. "Maybe it's the whole 'everyone thinks his actor is gay' thing," she muttered to herself.
Voyager
Kathryn
turned to Tuvok. "We should beam over there." Tuvok nodded
in response. Kathryn turned to Tom. "Mr Paris, take the comm."
"Yes ma'am," Tom said, and he replaced the guy at the helm.
Kathryn and Tuvok headed for the turbolift.
"Erm, who is in command?" Claire asked.
Tom briefly turned around. "Who has the highest rank?"
Everyone looked around at each other. Everyone went a little nervous.
"The highest rank in the main cast is Harry," Lee replied.
Harry looked over the moon. "I'm in command? Cool!"
"Great, this is going to be fun," Lee muttered.
"Hey, another Kazon ship has just appeared," Claire said.
The viewscreen showed the new arrival, it was a huge ship. It looked 5 times larger than Voyager did.
"Holy s***!" Lee exclaimed. Everyone turned to him.
"Swearing on Star Trek, is that allowed?" Faye asked.
"Hell yes, everyone swear now," Claire replied.
Everyone did so, and the censor machine blew up. Everyone looked at each other nervously.
"It isn't now," Harry said.
"Damn, I was enjoying that," Lee muttered.
Harry shook his head and he worked at his console. "Voyager to Janeway. The Kazon's just got some backup."
In: "We need more time, can you hold them off for a few more minutes?"
"We can try, Kim out," Harry said.
"We can try, but we're not going to be able to," Claire said.
Marquis Ship
"Their
weapons array has been hit, they're in trouble," Chakotay said.
"Neither of us has enough fire power to stop that ship. James used all the torpedoes," B'Elanna said.
James tried to look innocent. "They called me gay."
B'Elanna rolled her eyes. "No they didn't, I just said they did so you'd go nuts with the weapons. You went a little too nuts."
James folded his arms and pouted. Jessie giggled slightly, "stop pouting, it always makes me laugh." James tried to stop pouting but he couldn't.
"I'm setting a collision course for the Kazon ship..." Chakotay started to say. The girl next to Craig screamed, and she ran out of the cockpit. Almost everyone else followed suit.
"You actually set a collision course on purpose? That's a novelty," Danny muttered.
"Be quiet Danny. B'Elanna, beam everyone on board Voyager. I'm staying here to pilot the ship," Chakotay said.
B'Elanna nodded, and she headed out of the cockpit. Everyone else that was left followed her.
"Chakotay to Paris. My crew's coming over. Tell one of your cracker jack Starfleet transporter chief's to keep a lock on me. I'm going to try and get some heat off your tail," Chakotay said.
Voyager
"Don't
think for a second this makes us even, Chakotay. Your life is still
mine, Paris out," Tom said.
The Marquis main cast came onto the Bridge.
"What are you lot doing here?" Harry asked.
"Well duh, we're here to watch dumb a**," Craig replied.
All the Federation main cast groaned, and they continued with what they were doing.
"He's getting too close," Claire said.
"We're getting you out of there Chakotay, Lee," Tom said. Lee nodded.
In: "No, not yet!"
Marquis Ship
Chakotay
watched as the Kazon ship loomed closer and closer. "Now!"
he yelled. He dematerialised, and a few seconds later the ship
smashed into the Kazon's hull.
Voyager
"Paris
to Transporter Room, do you have him?" Tom asked.
In: "They've got me."
Most of the Marquis crew sighed in relief.
The Kazon ship lost control and it slowly headed straight for the array. Within seconds the ship smashed straight through a part of the array.
In: "Janeway to Voyager, what's going on?"
"A Kazon ship has just collided with the array, Captain. Are you all right?" Tom replied.
In: "Affirmative, stand by."
Chakotay stepped onto the Bridge, and he joined B'Elanna, James, Tom and Jessie near the helm.
"What are they doing over there exactly?" Jessie asked.
"They're obviously trying to get the Caretaker to take us home," B'Elanna replied.
"Oh, super," Jessie muttered sarcastically.
About five minutes later Kathryn and Tuvok arrived back on the Bridge.
"Ready all tri-cobalt devices. Open a channel to the Kazon," Kathryn ordered as she stood back in the centre of the Bridge.
The viewscreen activated to show Javin. "Be advised Captain, I'm sending for additional ships."
"I am going to keep this quick, Javin. I am going to destroy the array," Kathryn said.
"You cannot do that," Javin said angrily.
"I can, and I will. Shut it off," Kathryn said. The viewscreen changed back to show the Kazon ships.
"The tri-cobalt devices are ready, Captain," Tuvok said.
B'Elanna went up to Kathryn. "What do you think you're doing. That array is the only way we have to get home."
"I know you may have family and loved ones at home, so do I.." Kathryn said.
"Speak for yourself," James muttered.
"I cannot sacrifice the Ocampa for our convenience. We'll have to find another way home," Kathryn said. She turned around and walked away.
"What other way home is there?" B'Elanna said angrily. Chakotay put a hand on her shoulder. "Who is she to be making the decisions for all of us?"
"She's the Captain," Chakotay replied.
"Fire!" Kathryn commanded. Everything went in slow motion as Voyager fired the tri-cobalt devices at the array. A few was all it took. The hull buckled, and it exploded.. sending debris everywhere.
"The lead ship is hailing us, Captain," Tuvok said.
Kathryn stared into space for a few more seconds. "On screen," she said quietly.
Javin appeared on the viewscreen once again. "You have made an enemy today." The viewscreen changed back.
"They're withdrawing Captain," Tuvok said.