The Rescue

Part 5: The Mysteries We Understand.

The screeching of rusted metal stirred her from sleep. As B'Elanna opened her eyes the guard's hand closed around her neck, gasping for breath, she was yanked to her feet. * I hope they are as human as they look.* B'Elanna kicked with every ounce of strength she had, connecting with the guard's groin. Instinctively he released her, doubling over in pain. B'Elanna raised both hands, then delivered a blow to the back of the guard's neck sending him into unconsciousness. She started towards the cell door, but stopped dead in her tracks when her gaze met Bronn's. He was smiling. A disgusting smirk that made B'Elanna's stomach turn, not an easy task for a Klingon. Standing at the cell door with a set of guards, Bronn spoke up, "Well, well looks like I arrived just in time."

B'Elanna snapped out of her momentary trance, and strode towards Bronn. She attempted to hit him, but the guards intervened grabbing her arm.

"Now, now Lieutenant. I'm not here to fight."

B'Elanna's anger grew, "Then why are you here!?"

"Please calm down Lieutenant." With a nod to the guards, they grabbed her and walked her backward in the cell. The guard on the floor was beginning to come around when Bronn reached him. Bronn helped him to his feet and shoved him out of the cell. "You fail me again, and it will be the last time." A statement the guard knew to be true. He quickly left the room. Bronn turned to B'Elanna, the smile returning to his face, along with his pleasant almost caring tone of voice.

"Now Lieutenant, I've heard you are not eating. It is important that you keep your strength up."

"Why should I!?" B'Elanna snapped back.

"You have lots of important work to do." Bronn replied.

"Not important to me." * Besides he's taken away all I've cared about.* "Rather than play your little game, I will choose my own fate."

"What fate!?" Bronn said with a sneer.

" I choose not to help you, not to eat, and if I must die here.......... I will die...... but, I will die on my terms and with honor." *That sounds so.....Klingon.* She locked eyes with Bronn.

Bronn stared blankly at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. The laughter caught her off guard. Bronn waved his hand for the guards to leave the cell. He backed towards the cell door his gaze never shifting from hers. A silent battle of wills was being waged, both intent on winning.

"I will return Lieutenant."

"I can hardly wait.." B'Elanna replied sarcastically, her eyes still fixed with Bronn's.

Bronn's patience was shot. The lines in his face became more defined and his face reddened. "When I come back you will learn to obey, or I will inflict pain that you can't possibly imagine." He left with the guards, leaving her alone in the cell once again. B'Elanna sat wishing for her end to come soon. Without Voyager, her friends, or.....Tom...... She saw no point in living out her existence on this planet as a slave.....She had never felt so alone in all her life.......
 

Voyager

Captain's Log Supplemental

"It has been almost twenty-four hours since Denkar returned to Voyager with his ship's sensor logs and battle camera. Tuvok has worked almost that long on his analysis of the data Denkar recovered. Foremost on everyone's mind is Tom. We haven't heard from him in nearly a day. Surface scans were unable to locate him. It also appears that the sensor sweeps may have alerted the Aconden to our presence."

Tuvok tapped his comm. badge. "Tuvok to Captain Janeway."

"Janeway here.....go ahead."

"Captain... I have indeed found some... intriguing evidence to support our theories."

"Meet me in the conference room."

"Understood Captain.....Tuvok out."

Janeway's voice sounded throughout the ship, "All senior staff please report to the conference room." Janeway headed down the hall towards the turbolift. She was anxious to see what information the logs and cameras contained.

 
Conference Room

Janeway arrived and found Tuvok already waiting. Over the next couple minutes the rest of the senior staff filed in, all looking a little anxious. Janeway looked around the table pausing at the two empty chairs. *Tom and B'Elanna.. She wasn't accustomed to losing people... losing friends....* Tuvok stood and began going over some of his findings It wasn't until he addressed her that she realized how lost in thought she had been, "Captain...."

"Yes, Mr. Tuvok..."

"Captain...... I have gone over the sensor and camera data from Denkar's ship. I must conclude that the Conda ships did not take any technology from the shuttle." Janeway interrupted, "Are you telling me that they took nothing?"

"On the contrary Captain, they indeed took something. A crewmate, colleague, and friend..... they took Lieutenant Torres.."

A quiet murmur rose around the conference room. Tuvok saw the surprised look on everyone's face. He knew they would not believe it without further proof, which he intended to give them.

Janeway waited a moment for the room to quiet down. "Tuvok, that seems rather unlikely. How did you come to that conclusion?" Tuvok raised his eyebrow as Vulcans sometimes do, "Ambassador Spock often quoted a Vulcan ancestor 'If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable must be the truth'. I have done just that Captain. I will attempt to explain my conclusions." Tuvok began explaining that during the relatively short time span when the Conda ships ceased their attack on the shuttle, B'Elanna was captured.

Janeway interrupted, "So, how do we know she was taken off the shuttle?"

"Indeed, captain...." Tuvok replied as he turned activating the battle camera footage. The screen jumped to life with a magnified view of the shuttle window. They watched as the events unfolded....
 

Video: Camera 1... Audio: Added (based on known transmissions and video feed.)

[B'Elanna knew she was in trouble..... "Voyager.... I'm under attack by multiple ships. My shields are failing. I can't keep this up much longer." The shuttle shook as weapons fire hit the shields...... She was quickly punching the shuttle console, when another blast sent an eruption of sparks flying from the console. The shuttle drifted slowly towards Voyager. "Engines offline..." The computer announced. B'Elanna was now furious, slamming her fists into the shuttles console when the engines didn't respond, leaving her adrift. Startled by movement behind her she whirled to see an Aconden pilot. B'Elanna reached for her phaser..... it was not nearly in time.... A beam from the unrecognizable soldier hit her square in the chest throwing her backward on top of the shuttles console, her face contorted in pain. The intruder walked forward scooped B'Elanna up, slinging her over his shoulder and disappeared out of view..... The camera pulled back showing the Conda ships powering up, and moving away as a lone Conda vessel fired the final shots finishing the shuttle.]
 

The viewscreen faded to black as Tuvok turned from the screen, "I must conclude that the Aconden stunned Lieutenant Torres and transported back to their ship with her. They appear to have a specific task, which may not include Federation technology, but does involve Lt. Torres. I can only assume based on her work with the Aconden, and Denkar's statements that they plan on using her technical skills most likely building equipment for use in the ongoing conflict with the Warki."

Janeway, Chakotay, Harry, and Seven saw the same evidence, and they trusted and believed Tuvok's assessment.

"Your suggestions Mr. Tuvok."

"Captain, I believe we should begin monitoring surface transmissions, and using the sensors to search for B'Elanna's signature. Until we can locate her, it would be unwise to send an away team to the surface."

"Agreed."

She looked around the conference room again, "Mr. Kim, I want sensor sweeps looking for Tom and B'Elanna. And I want you to monitor all planetary communication. Perhaps we can intercept some useful information that will help locate the area where she is being held."

"Yes, captain I'll get on it right away."

"If that's all.....dismissed..."

Everyone headed towards the door, and their awaiting stations. Janeway watched them leave... * I hope Tom & B'Elanna are alive........ * She shuddered involuntarily at the alternative......

 
B'Elanna

B'Elanna had been sitting most of the day dreading Bronn's return. She could only imagine what type of pain would be inflicted on her. She had thought a great deal about death. She wished it would come... *I don't want to be someone's slave. * She had thought about killing herself. Two things prevented it. She had nothing to use... and it was a dishonorable way to die. Not that she had embraced the Klingon way of life or their ideals, but if she was going to die she had decided to take as many of them with her as possible. B'Elanna was physically and emotionally drained, she sat back against the wall, wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled her knees to her chest. She buried her face in her lap and wept quietly... She sat there rocking slightly back and forth.... Suddenly the sound of footsteps filled her with a sense of imperative doom. *He is returning. * She wiped her eyes and stood up ready to fight. Bronn came into view of the torchlight. The same smile decorated his face that had earlier in the day. "Ah, it's good to see that you're up lieutenant."

B'Elanna said nothing, but her eyes spoke volumes....

"And so... talkative too."

Bronn approached the cell door, and held up a small white collar. "A gift for you."

"No thanks.." B'Elanna snapped back.

"Not really a choice... This collar will keep you in line. If I decide you're not working up to potential or you are not obeying. Well, we either send sharp crippling pain through your body, or blow your pretty little ridged head right off."

What turned B'Elanna's stomach wasn't the thought of the pain, but that stupid smile Bronn wore on his face during his little speech.

*This is it Torres.... When he comes to put that thing on... *

Her thoughts were interrupted when some loose rock fell from the top of a wall about ten feet to her left. B'Elanna wasn't the only one to hear or see it either. Bronn and the two guards were all looking in that direction at the bits of rock that had wound up on the floor.

She glanced at the top of the wall. It stood almost ten feet, and had a small oval shaped opening in it roughly two feet tall, by about five feet wide. She could see nothing unusual, but they continued to look at the wall waiting for something else to occur, nothing did....... , but Bronn spoke.......
 

Tom

It wasn't daylight, dreams, or a loud noise that woke Tom. It was a headache that as far as he knew was the worst he had ever had, and he had had his share at the academy. The causes were entirely different. The academy had been due to stress and a little too much partying. This had to do with the large gash he received the previous day when he was blown into the cave. He touched his head..... the bleeding had stopped. He could feel the dried blood cracking with his every facial gesture. *Paris you may not be dead, but you probably sure as hell look like it. * Tom slowly tried to stand, which was almost impossible. The cut on his leg was also coated with dried blood, making his leg feel stiff. Tom walked in place trying to work the stiffness out. He looked at the phaser he had been carrying, realizing upon inspection that it was damaged.... * I'll get three or four shots out of it at best, * he thought as he looked around checking for a nice simple way out. Which apparently was too much to hope for. It seemed he had no choice, he started down the winding tunnels in the cave searching for some way out.......

About thirty minutes after starting his journey he heard voices, obviously guards. He hung back waiting patiently for the guards to move on. They were talking about Voyager's presence in Orbit. "You know that's why it's so deserted down here. I mean it's not like we're in any danger, but no... pull everybody from duty, sticking me..." The second guard corrected, "Us..." "Right, us..... Sticking us with a twenty hour shift!" He continued, " I think everybody is on alert." Tom smiled in the shadows. * That explains why I haven't run into any guards. * Hearing the guards grumbling about being understaffed and overworked actually made Tom feel better. And it definitely improved his chances for getting out unseen. Minutes passed before the guards moved on out of earshot. Tom continued down the hall. He paused, listening intently. He thought he heard crying. Yes, yes.... he did hear crying.....not loud, but a soft crying....and not too far from where he was either. He followed the sound... pausing occasionally to make sure he was heading in the right direction. He stopped when he reached the corner. Whoever it was, was right around the corner in the next room. He looked up seeing a small oval shaped opening in the wall. It was the only other opening besides the corner he stood at. Tom took a chance and peered around the corner...... In an instant he took it all in and stepped back behind the wall once again. Tom's heart felt like it was going to burst right through his chest... His mouth was dry.... Speechless he stood there tears cutting a path through his blood smeared face. It took a couple minutes for him to calm down. Seeing B'Elanna alive..... Seeing her crying softly.... She was the most beautiful thing in the world..... Tom couldn't wait to hold her.... He needed to get her out of there, and quick...... He remembered seeing another door in the room directly across from where he now stood. Tom decided it would be their escape route. He stepped away from the wall, readying his phaser, and headed towards the corner, the echo of approaching footsteps halted him in mid stride..... Tom threw himself back against the wall hard enough that pain shot through his back. He stood there frozen. He heard Bronn...... and listened as he explained some sort of collar device... Before Bronn finished Tom had decided on a course of action.... he would climb up to the oval-shaped opening in the wall, and use his phaser to take out B'Elanna's attackers. He wasn't going to lose her again. In seconds he scaled the wall....he was getting close..... almost there.... finally Tom reached his hand up on the ledge....... He struggled to pull himself up. Brushing his leg against the rocks he almost yelled out in pain. Then as if happening in slow motion, he re-adjusted his handhold and knocked some loose rocks off the ledge....... He instantly heard everyone in the next room get quiet. *So, much for surprise Paris. * The order Bronn spoke, "Check it out.", Hit Tom as hard as any blow..... In one small move he had gone from hunter to prey..............

To Be Continued....

Part 6: -coming soon!!

Comments? Email Me at TrekVoyagr@AOL.com

The Legal Mumbo Jumbo.....All Paramount Characters except Bronn, Warki, Aconden, Conda, and Denkar.... The Story well,....That is all mine....and owned and copyrighted by Me!!!