Disclaimer: Paramount owns all. I'm just playing.
~~~
Nothing happened. Kathryn, whose eyes were fixed firmly on the Cardassian woman's face, saw she was startled and then alarmed, before her usual caustic expression returned. Then it was her turn to jump in surprise as B'Elanna's voice emerged from her communicator.
"Kathryn, can you hear me?"
She pressed her palm against the device. "I can hear you. We all can. How did you-"
"Never mind that." She could almost hear the grin in the young Klingon's voice. "Hello, Seska. Going somewhere?"
Seska's eyes narrowed but she didn't respond.
B'Elanna chuckled. "Didn't think so. I found your program. Very clever. Very clever indeed."
Chakotay cut in then. "B'e? What are you talking about?"
"You were right, Chakotay. Seska had a little back up plan. She set up a program that would allow her to beam up to Neelix's ship if anything went wrong down there. Not to worry, I've taken steps."
A grim smile worked its way across his face. "Good", he said. "I like your kind of steps."
There was a muffled thud as Tuvok hit the floor. Kathryn turned towards the sound to see that Kumuda had somehow knocked him unconscious. Her security chief now held two weapons. One was trained directly on her, the other on Chakotay.
"Put your weapons down", she demanded.
Kathryn held up one hand. "Kumuda, don't do anything stupid. We should-"
Kathryn's reply was cut off by the sound of a phaser shot. Ensign Cook cried out as she slumped to the floor, her phaser clattering from her hand.
"Bad move", Kumuda said, stepping smoothly over the two bodies. "Now you three", she gestured towards Tom, "put your weapons down."
"Kathryn?" Tom said.
"Do it."
"Glad to see you haven't lost any of your style", Seska said.
"You didn't think I'd let you get away with it by yourself, did you?" Kumuda leveled her weapons again at the others. "Drop them, or die."
Three phasers were lowered to the floor.
"So this is what you were planning", Kathryn said quietly. "Not very subtle really. I overestimated you, it seems."
Kumuda ignored her and raised her voice. "B'Elanna Torres", she snapped. "Reactivate that program, or your friends will die."
There was silence.
"I know you can hear me, B'Elanna Torres." Kumuda glared at Kathryn. "Tell her."
"B'Elanna", Kathryn said. "Don't do it."
"Stupid woman", Kumuda hissed. She pointed her phaser at Tom, her finger pressing down on the trigger.
"B'Elanna", Chakotay snapped. "Do it."
"No, don't," Tom said.
"I wish you'd make your minds up", the Klingon said. "Alright, it's done."
Kumuda scowled at Seska. "You double crossed me, you lying Cardassian bitch".
Kathryn almost laughed at that. "That's rich, coming from you."
"Be quiet, or die, Janeway. Give me that device." She snatched the object Seksa held. "And I want the padd with the specs."
"What specs?"
"Don't think I won't kill you", Kumuda said softly.
"How do I know you won't kill me anyway?"
"You don't know that."
Seska stared at her for a few seconds, her eyes calculating, then jerked her head towards the nearest console. Kumuda moved towards it carefully, her weapons still trained on the group. She quickly downloaded Harry's files into a padd, then shoved it under her belt.
"Good", she said. "Very sensible." She threw a quick glance around the room, as if measuring their positions. "Now, I want to see the prisoner."
"What?"
Kathryn wasn't sure if it was Tom or Chakotay who had spoken. They were both staring at her security chief in astonishment. She too felt bewildered. Could Kes have been right after all?
"What do you want that sniveling worm for?" Seksa said.
"He can help me."
Seska snorted. "I doubt that."
"That's my business, isn't it."
She slipped one of her weapons into its holster, then used her free hand to snap open a tricorder.
"He's behind that door", she said, gesturing to the rear of the compound. "One human male."
"Harry?" Kathryn said softly.
Seska glanced at her sharply. "What?" she said.
Kumuda pocketed the tricorder and pulled out her second phaser again. "I want the prisoner."
Seska's eyes snapped from Kathryn's face to Kumuda, then back to Kathryn. Suddenly, inexplicably, she began to laugh.
"You! I knew it!"
Seska's laugh trailed off as Kes and Louis Zimmerman burst through the compound door. Then she began giggling again. "It's a reunion. A Liberty reunion. Welcome one, welcome all. Except for you", she said to Kumuda. "You're welcome, of course, but not as one of the original gang."
"What are you doing here?" Chakotay said. He shot a dark look at the doctor, who shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I told you to stay on the Liberty."
At that Seska stopped laughing. "The Liberty? So, it is here. How did you manage that. And with her watching? Impressive." She gestured towards Kathryn.
"Shut up", Kumuda ordered. "All of you."
"Or what?" Seska taunted. "You won't rescue Ensign Dim? Dim Harry Kim?" She chuckled again. "Oh my."
Louis cast a worried glance around the room, assessing the situation. He rested a hand on Kes' arm to stop her rushing forwards.
"Don't", he said under his breath.
"You'll never see Harry Kim again, you know", Seska continued. "That room is rigged to blow if you go anywhere near it."
"You're lying", Chakotay said.
Kumuda, her eyes darkening, scanned the room again.
"There's no sign of explosives", she said warily.
Even as she spoke, she stepped backwards, moving slowly towards the exit.
Kes shook off the doctor's arm. She took in the crumpled form of Tuvok and the young Ensign lying beside him.
"What have you done here?" she demanded, glaring at Seska. "And where's Harry?"
Seska opened her mouth to retort, then doubled over in pain. Kes' eyes flashed with anger, her gaze firmly fixed on the Cardassian woman. "Where's Harry?"
Seska groaned, clutching her stomach.
"Like it? This is what you did to Sam. This is what you did to me."
The others stared at her in astonishment.
"Kes?" Kathryn said. "How are you… What are you…"
Her questions trailed off as Kes stepped closer to Seska. As the Cardassian howled with pain, Kes raised her voice. "Where's Harry? she demanded.
A stack of padds rose from the nearest console and flew towards Seska. One by one they buffeted her body, before clattering to the floor.
"Kes?" Chakotay said.
Other objects began rising into the air, whirling around and around. Padds, mugs, spare parts, even a computer terminal. Some sped towards Seska, collided with her then fell. Others crashed against the ceiling and the walls. The sound of the wind Kes was generating grew until it was an audible howl. Kathryn found herself struggling to stand up straight as the gale tugged against her.
"What the hell is going on down there?" B'Elanna asked.
"Where's Harry?"
Seska screamed, bent double in the whirlwind Kes had created. One hand reached out towards Kes, her fingers forming into claws, as she tried to stand.
"She's getting away!" Tom cried.
Kathryn turned to see Kumuda sprinting through the front door of the compound. She stared from the door to Kes, then at Seska, then towards Chakotay.
"Go!" he yelled. As he turned back towards Seska, a flying piece of a console screen clipped the back of his knees and he fell, groaning.
With a last agonized glance at him, Kathryn bent to scoop up her phaser. Tom did the same, then followed her out of the door. Amid the confusion, Seska managed to straighten, then fumbled beside her.
"No!" Louis cried. "Kes!"
He leapt towards her, pushing her small form aside just as Seska fired. The phaser beam hit him squarely in the back and he crashed to the ground, the young woman trapped beneath his limp body.
"Louis?"
Kes struggled to free herself, wriggling out from under him, then turning to cradle his body in her arms. "Louis?"
Sobbing with rage, she threw her hand out towards Seska. The phaser rifle flew from Seska's hands, smashing against the far wall. As Seska gaped, Kes' hand began to glow. A fireball as large as a Terran pumpkin shot from the Ocampan's palm.
Seska screamed as her body ignited. Chakotay, pushing himself up from the floor, froze in horror as the flames swallowed her whole. Her mouth opened wide as she howled in agony. Seska tried to take a step forward, her arms waving helplessly. As the flames ebbed she tripped and fell, never to stand again.
The wind stopped. The flying objects dropped to the ground. In the sudden, terrible stillness that followed, Chakotay could hear Kes' ragged breathing and her quiet sobs. In the stillness another voice moaned. As he shook his head to clear it, he realised it was Tuvok, who was also rising to his feet. He gazed around the chaos of the room, taking in the fallen bodies and counting those who were missing.
As the two men stared at each other a new sound broke into the silence. It was another man's voice, followed by a dull thump, as though fists were pounding against solid titanium.
"Let me out!"
"There is someone in there!" Chakotay said.
The rear door of the control room opened inwards. Hogan and Michelle Trent burst inside. They both drew up quickly at the sight that greeted them.
"What the hell-?" Hogan said.
"Let me out!"
Chakotay nodded sharply at Tuvok. "Get those two back to Voyager. They both need medical attention. I'm assuming Kathryn has another doctor there."
Tuvok bobbed his head, then moved to stand beside Kes, who was still cradling Louis' limp body.
"Help! Let me out!"
"You two", Chakotay snapped, stepping passed Seska's crumpled body, "help me force open this door."
~~~
As Kathryn ran, she slapped her communicator with one hand. She pushed the words out through her quick breaths.
"B'Elanna? Are you still there?"
"I'm here. What's happening down there?"
"Kumuda is getting away. Tom and I are chasing her", Kathryn swerved to avoid tripping over a rock, trying to keep her eyes on Kumuda's back. She was only twenty metres away now. They were drawing closer. "We need your help. If she uses Seska' program to transport to Neelix's ship, you'll need to take the Liberty-"
"She can't do that".
"What?"
"I didn't fix the program. I just told her that I did."
Kathryn didn't reply for a moment, just concentrated on lengthening her strides.
"B'Elanna", she breathed eventually, "you're a treasure."
"Always happy to help. Torres out."
Tom put on a burst of speed, his loping strides allowing him to pull up beside her.
"Guess this is becoming a unfortunate habit for you", he said.
Gripping her phaser tightly as she swerved another rock, Kathryn couldn't even risk a glance at him.
"What?"
"People you trust. Betraying you."
If Kathryn had any spare breath she would have laughed. "Tom. I never trusted Kumuda".
Suddenly the woman they were chasing stopped dead, turned to face them, then disappeared. Kathryn stumbled, then came to a halt, her hands resting on her hips.
"Where the hell did she go? B'Elanna said she didn't fix the program."
Just then her communicator chirped.
"Captain?"
It was Cavitt's voice this time.
"Janeway here."
"We have a problem, Captain. I don't know how she did it, but it seems Kumuda had a program in place allowing her to tap into our transporter system."
"Is she onboard?"
"She's beamed herself to the Talaxian's ship. It's powering up engines. I'm sorry Captain."
"She's a Section 31 agent, Cavitt. Don't take it personally. Get a tractor beam on it."
"Aye".
"And two to beam up."
Tom opened his mouth to protest, but Voyager's transporter chief was quicker.
~~~
"You bastard!"
It took the combined strength of Michelle and Chakotay to hold Hogan back. He'd launched himself at the prisoner as soon as he'd stumbled free of the cell.
"Take it easy, Hogan", Chakotay said.
"You killed Sam. You murdered her!" Hogan spat at the man.
Michael Jonas merely blinked back at him, his dark eyes uncomprehending.
"Come on, Hogan."
"He killed her!"
"I know. I was there. Just take it easy."
Chakotay shot a glance at his former ship mate, who was staring with bleary eyes around the compound.
"I don't think he even remembers. Look at him."
Hogan stopped struggling, letting his hostile eyes roam across Jonas' bruised body.
"I remember", Jonas said hoarsely. "Some of it, I remember. She made me do it." He turned sorrowful eyes back to the three figures before him. "She made me do it."
"Can I let you go?" Chakotay said.
Hogan shook off their restraining hands, then paced a few steps away. "I don't want to be anywhere near that", he said, jabbing his finger at Jonas.
"Fine", Chakotay said. "Get back to the ship then. Check with B'Elanna and Janeway about what's happening out there." As Hogan continued to glare belligerently at Jonas he snapped, "Hey? Are you with me?"
"Fine. I'll go".
Hogan stomped towards the entrance.
Chakotay turned his gaze to Jonas. "You're not my favourite person, either, you know."
"No, I don't suppose so."
Chakotay breathed heavily for a moment, still stunned by the events that had just occurred. He pushed Jonas unceremoniously towards a chair, then slumped into another beside it.
"Talk", he ordered.
In halting words, Jonas told how he had rescued Seska up when the Kazon had abandoned her, how she had taken over the ship and plotted their return to the Alpha Quadrant. She had contacted Kumuda, then Lamond. Together they had organised the shuttle's destruction. She'd been aboard the Cardassian warship, and had beamed out Harry's notes on the specs moments before. Then they'd come here. He'd been sickened by her deception, by her willingness to sacrifice Sam and Kes, and later, by the deaths of his former shipmates. He'd tried to escape, managing to reach Neelix's shuttle. For some reason none of the weapon systems worked. The Cardassians had easily overpowered him and brought him back to the base.
He'd reached his incarceration in the cell when Chakotay's communicator chimed.
"It's me", Hogan said tersely. "Kumuda is escaping on Neelix's ship. Voyager's trying to stop her but she's slippery. If you get back here Torres says we can help chase him."
Jonas laughed, a weak brittle sound.
"She's not going anywhere", he said. "Do you think Seska would leave her escape route there, for anyone to find?" He gazed around the room, still partially blinded from his time in the cell's darkness. "Where is she, anyway?"
Chakotay grabbed him by the shirt. "What did she do?" he demanded.
~~~
Kathryn stepped out of the lift quickly, with Tom trudging reluctantly behind her.
If Cavitt was surprised to see the young man he didn't show it.
"We can't maintain a tractor lock on the ship. She's using some kind of dispersal beam. Tuvok has taken Doctor Zimmerman to sickbay", he reported, as she strode towards the Captain's chair.
She nodded. "Any news yet?"
"Sorry, Captain, it's too early to tell."
Kathryn turned her attention back to Neelix's small craft.
"Ready all weapons", she ordered.
Before Kumuda's replacement had time to respond the small craft exploded in a blinding fireball. When the golden haze cleared there was nothing left of Neelix's ship.
Janeway slowly stood up and turned to her first officer, her hands finding their familiar position on her hips. "We didn't fire. What the hell was that?"
In the Cardassian compound, Jonas stopped laughing and began coughing up blood.
~~~
end of part thirty three
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