Disclaimer: Paramount owns these characters (and half the world). I make no money off of this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Misinterpretations

by Tamar Richardson

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Part 3

"Your attack on my vessel was unprovoked-"

"No it wasn't!" Paris growled.

"As I was saying we don't have your Captain or your Commander on board. Why would you even think such a thing?"

"There is section a on your ship that is about the size of two holding cells," Tuvok retorted, "Until yesterday, our sensors were unable to penetrate that area. Today we were able to scan the space and found two human lifesigns."

"Impossible!" Cirak exclaimed. "I repeat, there are no humans aboard this ship," he paused. "I have just been informed by my government that this incident has caused great distress on homeworld. They have given me full permission to use any means necessary to stop you from doing any more damage." The communication was cut.

Voyager rocked back and forth. "Damage report?" Tuvok asked.

"Shields down to 20 percent," Ensign Kim responded. The ship was hit again, sparks flew from a nearby conduit. "Shields down, weapons down, hull breaches on decks 4, 7, ..." He would never finish the report. The Zanon had hit the warp nacelles with some sort of super quantum torpedoes. The nacelles had exploded along with the rest of the ship. Voyager and her crew were dead.

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"Did the plan work?" the captain of the pirate ship asked.

"In a way," the first officer responded.

"Specify."

"We were able to use the sensors to project the false human lifesigns in the Zanon ship, but..." he paused.

"But what?"

"The Zanon took unfamiliar actions. Instead of tractoring the ship to the nearest Zanon starbase, they fought back, destroying Voyager. Captain?"

"I am disappointed, but it wasn't your fault. However, you must deal with the prisoners."

"Aye, sir."

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"Kathryn," Chakotay whispered, nudging her side, "Are you awake?"

"I am now," she responded.

"I'm sorry, but I just heard some news about the attack on the ship earlier today."

"No need to apologize. What is it?"

"It was the Zanon. Unfortunately, they were defeated."

"Perhaps they are helping Voyager rescue us."

"If they are, they were very successful," he responded, haughty.

"Chakotay, do they have you on psychotropic drugs?"

He smiled. "Is it that obvious?"

She nodded.

They heard footsteps outside the cell area. Chakotay crawled across the cold floor. He put his head as close to the bars as possible in order to get a better view. He saw two shadows just outside the door.

"Has everything been prepared?"

"Aye, sir."

"Call security and have them take the prisoners to the death chamber. Now that Voyager has been destroyed we don't need them." He started to laugh a horrible, revolting laugh. His partner soon joined in the hideous laughter.

Chakotay's face went deathly pale. He turned his head to look at Kathryn. She look like she was going to be sick.

"All those people..." she trailed off. He crawled back over to where he had been. Chakotay reached his arm through the bars and put it around her.

Foot steps started to approach them. Chakotay released his grip around her shoulders and stood up. He offered her a hand. She accepted, but didn't to let go. She wanted as much human contacted before she went to the great beyond.

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The security guards came and took them to the "death chamber". The "death chamber" in fact was some sort of depressurization room. Their deaths would be slow and extremely painful.

They were thrown into the chamber. They felt the loss of oxygen to their lungs. "I can't believe this is happening," he commented.

"Me neither," she replied.

"So, this is the end?" he stated. "We're going to die. I admit I have but one regret."

She smiled, "Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"That I never told you how I feel."

"There's still time." Kathryn's and Chakotay's breath was becoming more and more labored. They both felt dizzy, the room was spinning around them. He had to say it before he lost consciousness.

"I love you, Kathryn."

"I love you, too." Their lips touched. Chakotay pulled away. She was gone. Her eyes had closed and her breath had stopped, she was gone. He laid her body down on the floor, for he didn't have the strength to keep her up. He pushed her hair out of her face and then left this world himself. This was the end. Or was it?

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