The BLTS Archive - Rescue by ILuvKate --- "B'Elanna, Seven, you're with me," Kathryn Janeway turned from the viewscreen as her conversation with the Quikotrian Prime Minister terminated. "Get your equipment and meet me in the Transporter Room. "Aye, Captain," B'Elanna Torres nodded to Seven of Nine and they left the Engineering station to go to the turbolift. Kathryn turned to Chakotay. "Commander, you have the bridge," she said to her First Officer. "We should be returning by the end of the day." "Very good, Captain," Chakotay said. "You will be checking in every ninety minutes?" "That's correct," Kathryn said, turning toward the turbolift. "I'll see you this evening." --- Kathryn, B'Elanna, and Seven materialized in a large, airy atrium on the surface of Quikot VII,a class M planet that sensors had shown to be rich in some materials B'Elanna needed for the engines. They glanced around as the transporter beam released them, taking in the high, arched ceiling, the spacious rooms, adorned plentifully with lush greenery, and the wide square windows set all around. A male and female, wearing silver shimmering garments with hoods walked up to them, and as Kathryn and the others turned toward them, the two aliens stopped dead and gasped in astonishment. Kathryn and B'Elanna glanced at each other and Seven arched a quizzical eyebrow. For a moment, Kathryn thought the aliens were reacting to Seven's Borg appearance, but then she noticed their gaze was riveted on her. "Is something wrong?" she asked. The aliens seemed to realize they were gaping and quickly recovered their composure. "Forgive us, Captain Janeway," the male said with a quick sidewise look at his companion, "we--you--you resemble someone we know." Kathryn smiled. "There is an ancient saying in my culture that everyone has a twin. Apparently I do." "Yes," the female spoke for the first time. "You do. The resemblance is quite remarkable." "Perhaps I can meet her," Kathryn suggested, smiling. "She no longer lives," the female said. "I am sorry," Kathryn responded. There was a short awkward pause and then the male spoke briskly. "I believe we have some business to attend to," he said. "That is correct," Kathryn said. She indicated B'Elanna."This is my Chief Engineer who will see to the gathering of the minerals and crystals we need." The man nodded. "And," Kathryn continued, "this is Seven of Nine, who will oversee getting the medical supplies we spoke of." The two aliens nodded to Seven and Janeway was relieved to see that they apparently didn't know about the Borg, or didn't fear them. "I am Tral and this is Bliin," Tral introduced himself and the woman with him. Both of them extended their hands, palms down, crossed over each other. "Welcome to Quikot VII. We are honored by your visit." Kathryn inclined her head. "We are honored to be here. Thank you for inviting us to come." "This way, please," Tral said, gesturing toward a table set about with large, comfortable chairs. "Please join us for some refreshment before we begin our business." "Thank you," Kathryn said. "We would be pleased to join you." B'Elanna observed Kathryn Janeway's poise and grace as she dealt effortlessly with the social aspect of alien first contact. She had often wished she possessed the captain's social skills; hers were so lacking. She was impatient with repartee, small talk,and the give and take of conversation, and did it poorly. Perhaps she could learn from watching Voyager's commanding officer and become more comfortable with interacting with people. They all seated themselves around the table exchanging small talk while silent servants glided about, serving trays of food and glasses of beverage. Tral asked them about their adventures in the Delta Quadrant and Kathryn related some of their more colorful adventures. deliberately leaving out any mention of the Borg. Tral, in turn, told her something of Quikotian society and customs. As they were finishing their refreshment, a man wearing a golden garment and hood, entered and crossed swiftly to Tral, bending to whisper something in his ear. Tral turned his head and murmured something in return. The man in gold nodded and left the room. "Forgive me," Tral said to Kathryn. "Some minor business." "That's quite all right. I completely understand," Kathryn replied. She lifted her glass with its deep pink contents that swirled curiously with something thick and gold. "This drink is delicious," she said. "It is, is it not?" Tral agreed, sipping his own drink. Each person's pink swirled with a different color of thick substance. B'Elanna's was a deeper gold.. Seven's was brilliant red. Tral's was pearly white, and Bliin's was blue. Tral had told them that the swirls reacted to the body heat of the person holding the glass. "It is said," he told them, smiling, "that if two people who do not know each other have the same colors, that they are meant to become partners, either in some emotional context, or some social one." Kathryn and B'Elanna glanced at each other and smiled, seeing the similarities in the colors of their drinks. Kathryn raised her glass to B'Elanna, who did the same. "We should get on with the business at hand," Tral said briskly several minutes later, when everyone had finished their repast. "Seven, Bliin will take you to the medical supplies depot. B'Elanna," he gestured to a slim woman who had entered the room and stood waiting, "this is Viran. She will help you with your mineral and crystal needs." B'Elanna and Seven rose and left with their companions. Tral turned to Kathryn. "May I show you this complex?" he inquired. "I would love to see it," Kathryn said. "It is quite beautiful." They rose and strolled away from the table. Tral began to tell her the names of the plants that hung and grew in planters everywhere. They came to a large hanging pot from which spilled a snowy profusion of pure white, feathery blooms whose leaves were so dark a glossy green, they were almost black. The blossoms had a crisp,spicy fragrance and Tral told her smell them. She stepped over to the pot and cupped one of the frothy white blossoms in her hand and breathed deeply. It was the last thing she remembered. --- She awakened, sneezing violently. She sat up and sneezed a half dozen times before the attack passed. She looked around, bleary-eyed, wondering what had happened. To her amazement, she found that she was stark naked, sitting in the middle of a huge, soft bed of some sort, surrounded by an expanse of rose-colored satin. "What in the name of--?" she muttered. She scooted across the smooth breadth of rose and stood up. She sneezed twice more. "If this is a sickbay, then I'm the Queen of Sheba." She looked around to see if her uniform lay anywhere nearby, but it was nowhere to be seen. She wondered, irritatedly, what the hell was going on. Why had she passed out? Why had her clothes been taken? and what was this place? "Hello?" she raised her voice, speaking to the air. Silence greeted her words. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?" she tried again. She turned quickly as a door slid open and a tall, dark-skinned man, wearing a shimmering garment of deep rich purple glided into the room. An ivory sash draped from shoulder to hip covered with badges and ribbons indicated he was someone of stature. Kathryn tried to pretend that she was not naked, that she wore full dress, and faced the man squarely, lifting her chin. He studied her silently for a few seconds, his eyes resting on face longest before traveling down her body in a brief glance. A look of ineffable sadness ghosted across his face, shadowing his eyes, and Kathryn remembered the reaction of Tral and Bliin when they'd first seen her, and their explanation that she resembled someone who no longer lived. "Irban." The single name seem to wrench from the lips of the man in purple, and his face contorted. "The creator has sent you back to me in the guise of another." "I am not Irban," Kathryn said, taking a step toward him. "I--" "You are unaware," he said gently, with a pitying look. "You are Irban. Returned to me by the Creator. I knew that somehow, my entreaties would be answered. And they have been." He came toward her as if to embrace her, and Kathryn took a step backward, raising her hands defensively. His face darkened. "You will not rebuff me," he said in an ominous tone. "The law is clear. I am Hah'drahn." "I don't know your law," Kathryn said. "And I don't care who you are. You will let me go at once. I am not this person named Irban. Irban is dead!" She hoped to shock him back to reality, but his face was serene. "You were dead," he said soothingly. "You have been returned to life. By the Creator whom I honor." "I must contact my ship," Kathryn said, trying to keep her voice calm. "They will tell you who I am." "It does not matter who you were," he said calmly. "We are together again, and that is all that matters." This time he stepped forward and seized her immediately, crushing her in his embrace. "Let--me--go!" Kathryn said angrily and sought to break his grip on her. When he didn't loosen his arms, she got one hand free and slapped him, hard. He went stock-still, the color draining from his face. The print of her hand stood out nearly purple on his cheek. He brushed it absently with his fingertips. "Do you know what you have done?" he asked in a voice hollow with shock. Kathryn stood, fists clenched. "I just slapped you," she retorted, "And if you don't let me go this moment, I'm going to--" "I am Hah'drahn. It is forbidden to rebuff me in any manner. You will be put to death," he said woodenly, staring at her forlornly. "I just have you returned to me only to lose me again." He pushed his sleeve back and pressed something on his wrist and immediately, the room was filled with soldiers. He looked at them blankly as if he did not know why they were there and then gestured distractedly at Kathryn. "She struck me," he said, his voice empty. "Take her to the prison." Two soldiers stepped forward and seized Kathryn. She struggled uselessly in their grip as they dragged her past the silent, staring Hah'drahn and out the door. --- "Torres to Captain Janeway," Torres said again for the third time. She frowned at the silence on the channel and glanced at Seven. "What's going on?" she wondered. "Where is the Captain? She's never late for a rendezvous." She paced away a few steps, hands on hips scowling at nothing in particular. She tapped her commbadge. "Torres to Voyager." "Chakotay here, B'Elanna," came the voice of Voyager's First Officer." "Commander, the captain is not at the rendezvous point and she's not responding to hails," B'Elanna said. "Stand by, B'Elanna," Chakotay said. "We'll see if we can locate her." Chakotay turned to Tuvok. "Mr. Tuvok, see if you can locate the captain." Tuvok's fingers moved over his displays. "I have located her, Commander," he said. She is some three kilometers distant from Lt. Torres' position." He paused. "She seems to be incarcerated in the prison, Commander." He looked up at Chakotay who frowned. "What in the world--?" He tapped his commbadge. "Voyager to Torres." "Torres here." "B'Elanna, scans seem to indicate that the captain is in a prison," Chakotay said. "Prison?" came Torres' incredulous response. "Why on earth would she be in prison?" "Find out and report back to me as soon as you can," he replied. We'll beam you there." "Will do. Standing by. Torres out." B'Elanna turned to Seven. "Let's go see what the hell is going on." They dematerialized in a blue shimmer to reappear a few seconds later in front of a building that was long, low, and grey. Windowless, with few doors, it presented a menacing appearance. B'Elanna and Seven walked over to a small stall where a sentry stood watching them. "I would like to speak to someone in charge, she said. Remembering her thoughts about the captain's diplomatic talents, she added, "Please." "What is your business?" the sentry demanded gruffly. "We believe our captain is in there," B'Elanna said evenly. "We would like to find out what is going on." "If your captain is in here," the sentry replied, "then it is because he had committed a crime." "She," B'Elanna corrected him, "and she has committed no crime. Please allow me to talk to the person in charge so I can get to the bottom of this." It took several minutes of persuasion, with B'Elanna holding on to her temper with an effort, to persuade the man to let her see the director of the prison. She was escorted into the office of a woman dressed in shimmering black, who glanced up as Seven and B'Elanna were ushered in. "I am Lt. B'Elanna Torres of the Starship Voyager," B'Elanna introduced herself. "This is Seven of Nine. We would like to talk to you about why our captain, Kathryn Janeway, has been imprisoned." The director laid aside a PADD and folded her hands. "She struck the Hah'drahn," she said briefly. "That is a capital offense. She has been arraigned and found guilty and will be executed tomorrow at the solar rise." "E-executed?" B'Elanna echoed, glancing at Seven. "Y-you can't..." "Our law is quite specific," the director told her. "And we have not only the Hah'drahn's account of the attack, but a visual record." "Who is the Hah'drahn?" B'Elanna asked. "The ruler of Quikot," the director said. "The representative of the Celestial One sent to this planet to guide us and rule over us. Your captain rebuffed him, struck him, even, and she will die according to the law." "She was unaware of the law," Seven interjected in her didactic way. "Had she known the law, she would not have transgressed." "She was Irban in a borrowed body," the director said. "Irban knew the law." B'Elanna looked at the director blankly. "Irban?" she said. "You're wrong. She's Kathryn Janeway from the Alpha Quadrant. She is not this Irban." The director turned without reply and pressed some keys on a computer terminal near her elbow and turned the screen toward B'Elanna and Seven. On the screen was the picture of a woman who bore an identical resemblance to the captain. Beside it was a picture of Kathryn in her uniform. "So she looks remarkably like this Irban," B'Elanna said. "But she's not her." "The Hah'drahn says the Creator, the Celestial One, sent Irban back to him," the director said. "That is why you were directed to Quikot." "That is ridiculous!" B'Elanna burst out. "Look, our Chief Medical Officer can show you scientific and genetic evidence that our captain is Kathryn Janeway and not this Irban!" "I am sure you could manufacture all the evidence you think might refute our facts," the director said imperturbably. B'Elanna, fists clenched, took a step toward the woman, but Seven grasped her arm. B'Elanna pulled out of her grip impatiently. "Let's go," she growled at Seven, and they turned and left the facility. "All right," B'Elanna said, as soon as they had left the prison and were a safe distance away. "We've got to get the captain out of there, so let's come up with a plan. "The Federation's Prime Directive," Seven began pedantically, "clearly states that--" "Don't quote the damned Prime Directive to me!" B'Elanna snapped. "All I'm interested in is getting the captain out of there before they execute her. Are you going to help me, or not?" Seven studied the angry Klingon for a moment. "I will help you," she said. She flipped open her tricorder and scanned the prison. "However, we face a difficult task in getting Captain Janeway out. There is an energy barrier surrounding the division where she is being kept." "Energy barriers can be circumvented," B'Elanna muttered, studying her own tricorder. "It's a simple ion plasma discharge." "You will need to be at the controls in order to disable it," Seven predicted, watching the readout. "So," B'Elanna said briskly, "we'll find two guards, overpower them and take their clothing." "I believe your plan is flawed," Seven said. "The guards all wear a monitor of some type. If they are neutralized, an alarm sounds." B'Elanna glared at the ex-Borg. "Could we possibly do one thing without a twenty-minute discussion on how the Borg could do it better. --- Kathryn, in a plain white jumpsuit, lay on the narrow bunk of the cell to which she was confined, with one arm across her eyes. A glaring, harsh white light spilled from a recessed fixture in the cell's ceiling and it hurt her eyes. They were going to kill her in the morning. The so- called "arraignment" to which she'd been taken after the soldiers dragged her out of the Hah'drahn's presence, had been completely perfunctory. She'd already been tried and sentenced before she stood in front of the magistrate in his shimmering black with its dull gray sash across the front. After he had pronounced sentence, she'd been hustled away to this cell and put inside. The cell was small, square, and starkly bleak. The only furniture in it was the narrow bunk projecting out from one of the three gray walls. A crackling purple energy barrier buzzed and snapped at the front, and the vibrating hum hurt her ears. She sat up, restlessly. She was going to die at dawn, and if she didn't want to die, she was going to have to get out of here. No doubt the ship now knew where she was and probably what had happened, but she knew transporters could not lock onto her through the energy field that surrounded this cell block. They risked violating the Prime Directive if they tried to break her out, but she was past caring about that. She needed to find a way to get out herself, or at least help them rescue her. She stood and prowled the cell. The energy barrier at the front increased its uncomfortable noise as she approached it, but she steeled herself against the discomfort and studied it intently. Her head began to pound and her eyes began to water and she moved away from it. She jumped as something materialized on the floor next to her and she looked down to see a tray of food. She wasn't hungry and ignored it, stepping toward the energy barrier again. Peering through slitted eyes she noticed a small panel in the upper right corner above the door. Good. Maybe that was a chink. She studied the tray on the floor thoughtfully and bent to pick it up. The eating utensil was plastic, but the tray was not. However, she couldn't figure out how to use it to do her any good. --- "All right," B'Elanna said when she and Seven rendezvoused after making a circuit of the Quikotian prison. "What've we got?" "A difficult problem," Seven said. "There is no entry into the prison." B'Elanna listened to her with only half her attention. She snapped her fingers. Tapping her commbadge, she hailed the ship. "Chakotay here," came the voice of the First Officer. "Commander," B'Elanna said, "Have the computer replicate two black Quikotian prison guard uniforms and beam them to us at these coordinates." She explained her plan to Chakotay who cautioned her to be careful. A few minutes later, two black shiny bundles materialized at their feet. "We run the risk of being captured and incarcerated ourselves," Seven said dubiously. "Are you with me or not?" B'Elanna snapped, picking up one of the bundles and shaking it out. That was hers. "Put it on. We're going in." She stripped off her jacket and trousers and pulled the shimmering black garment on. "And you're going to go through the energy barrier just as you did on Arturis' ship," she added. She'd already reconfigured Seven's eye implant as Kathryn had done in the brig of Arturis' ship." Dressed in the black uniforms, they cautiously approached the prison where the main controls for the energy barrier were and Seven stepped through it effortlessly. She calmly rendered the sentry on duty unconscious and bent to scan and disable his body monitor quickly and efficiently before it triggered the alarm. The tricorder yielded the barrier's access codes and Seven turned it off to let B'Elanna through and then reactivated it. "Let's go," B'Elanna whispered and they disappeared through the door and into the corridor. --- Kathryn paced the cell, thinking furiously. There must be a way to short the energy field. Her head pounded painfully from her repeated forays next to it to closely study the small panel above it. She'd swept the food off the tray and put it in a corner of the cell out of the way. The tray refused her efforts to bend or break it and she was reluctant to strike it against anything for fear of alerting the guards. She stood studying the small sensor panel in the corner above the barrier, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Then she turned and went over to the spot where she had placed the food from the tray and picked up a strangely-shaped piece of fruit with a pale purple pebbly skin. She took the eating utensil and punctured the skin, running the instrument around so that she crudely sliced the fruit open to reveal a deep purple flesh. She put her tongue to the oozing juice that dripped from the cut flesh and whistled silently. Very acidic. She'd remembered trying to eat the same fruit with the first Quikotians they'd met when they beamed down, and putting it aside because of the strong sharp taste. She punched a couple of holes in the cut surface of the fruit and then went over to the barrier. Spearing the fruit on the end of the eating utensil, she gritted her teeth against the discomfort of the barrier, and stretched up as far as she could, jamming the cut fruit against the sensor panel. With a hissing snap and crackle, the energy barrier began to flicker, and the hum increased in intensity, making her groan in pain. Resolutely, she continued pressing the fruit to the panel, tears streaming down her face. With a low humming whine, the barrier began to die away, and finally glimmered into nothing. Kathryn quickly put the fruit and other food on the tray, laid it by the bunk and lay down on the bunk facing the wall and pretended to be asleep, sure that the shorting out of the panel would surely alert the guards. When several minutes had passed without the arrival of guards, she got up and stepped quickly out into the corridor. She made her way cautiously down the corridor, listening carefully for footsteps.She heard some and ducked into a small alcove, tensed, waiting for the figure to pass. As soon as the black-clad figure had passed her position several steps, she silently stepped out and delivered a sharp chop to his neck that dropped him like a stone.She found his weapon, and some shackles and manacled him, dragging him into the alcove. Then she hurried down the corridor. She came to a corner and peered around it cautiously. A guard rounded the corner and she took him down with a quick blast of the weapon she'd purloined. She continued on down the corridor, stepping over the inert form. Suddenly she came to a stop, listening. She could hear faint voices a short distance away and they were arguing furiously. Straining to hear, she finally recognized them and rolled her eyes. B'Elanna and Seven squabbling and bickering. Those two...! "You two!" B'Elanna and Seven both nearly levitated at the captain's sharp rebuke behind them and they whirled, bringing phasers up. B'Elanna's eyes widened as she saw the captain and Seven merely looked bemused. Kathryn came up to them. "Can't you two do anything without fighting?" she demanded. "It's a good thing my rescue didn't depend on timely action by you. Let's go." Chagrined, the two younger women followed her down the corridor. B'Elanna diffidently offered to show her the way they had come and she consented. --- Back on board Voyager, with the ship speeding away at Warp 8, Kathryn, once more in uniform related the events on Quikot to Chakotay and the other senior officers. She turned to B'Elanna and Seven, who were still somewhat abashed and smiled at them. "Forgive me for being so short with you in the prison," she said. "If it hadn't been for your efforts in shorting out the alarm system, I'd never have made it out of my cell. Thank you." They looked happier. Kathryn dismissed everyone except Chakotay and told him humorously about finding the two bickering in the corridor. "It's just as well that you initiated your own plan," he said. "At least you got free sooner." "True," she agreed laughing. "I think we should start pairing them, though, whenever we can. They need to develop a friendship and we can benefit from their expertise." --- Copyright 1998 --- The End