Desecration

See Chapter One for details. Standard legal BS applies. Star Trek: Voyager and all things contained therein are the property of Paramount and Viacom. No infringement intended. The evil Kirov and all the rest of the Variquians, however, are mine, mine, mine. (Though I'm not sure if I should be proud or ashamed of that fact.)

Desecration

Chapter Five

"Seven? Seven, can you hear me?"

The doctor's anxious voice floated to her ears. She wanted to respond, to tell him that she could hear him, but her body felt so cumbersome. Her limbs would not cooperate. They were so heavy. She willed her eyes to open ~ just a crack and then the brightness forced them closed again. She tried to speak, but a soft moan was the only sound that escaped her lips.

Her face… there was something on her face. A slight weight and pressure that did not belong there. A small resistance when she tried to exhale that had not been there before. It made her feel as though she were suffocating. She reached for it, instinctively trying to tear it from her nose and mouth. Strong hands seized her wrists, restraining her with a gentle but firm hold.

"Listen to me, Seven." It was the doctor. "You have to leave the mask on. You cannot breathe the atmosphere in this room. Do you understand?"

Her head was spinning, her thoughts disorganized and confused. She tried to focus on the familiar voice and comply with its instructions. She nodded her understanding, ignoring the tooth-splitting pain that erupted in her head with the slightest movement. Pain is irrelevant.

"Yes, I understand." She croaked, her normally eloquent voice hoarse and muffled by the mask.

"We need to get out of here before our friends wake up." Chakotay prodded impatiently.

The doctor nodded in agreement. "Help me get her up." he ordered. The tone of his voice softened as he turned his attention back to the fairer of his two patients. "Can you stand?"

She felt strong arms hoisting her to a sitting position. A wave of nausea washed over her and she fought back the urge to lie down and sleep, to block out the unpleasant sensations. She focused all her energy on the doctor's voice. "I will try."

The two men coaxed her to her feet and helped her move shakily toward the door. The Borg woman tried to take as much of her own weight as possible. She disliked requiring their assistance. She was unaccustomed to such helplessness and dependency. In the collective, she would've simply been deactivated if her damage was not repairable.

"Well, this is your plan, Doctor." Chakotay said as they guided Seven out the door. "Where to?"

An expression strongly resembling panic washed across the hologram's face. "Well, I …"

"Let me guess. You don't have a plan." Chakotay finished for him.

The hologram didn't even have the good grace to look contrite. He glared indignantly at the commander. "Do I have to think of everything? My quick thinking got us this far. Now it's your turn." He folded his arms arrogantly across his chest. "You're the Commander here… so command!"

Chakotay opened his mouth to retort, but stopped himself. The doctor's irritating sense of superiority was hard to take to put it mildly. But he did have a point. His fast action had saved Chakotay from being tossed into the cargo bay, where he would be no good to Kathryn whatsoever. Give credit where credit was due after all.

His brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to focus his swollen brain. Deck five, they were on deck five. What was nearby that could provide them access to the main computer, but out of the way enough so as not to be flooded with Variquian guards. Suddenly, his chocolate eyes lit up with hope. "Of course. That's the perfect place." He said more to himself than anyone else.

"Commander?"

"This way." he said. Together the two men lead their injured crewmate down the corridor.

"I have notified that rest of the fleet that we are in control of Voyager, High Commander." said Jalek. "They are inquiring as to their next orders. Do you desire them to escort us back to Variquia, or shall they move on to their next mission?"

Kirov only half listened to Jalek's incessant garble. His mind continually returned to the petite human woman he was holding captive in her own office. She intrigued him. Her fiery spirit and defiant blue eyes captivated him. He knew that as soon as he gained control of their computer, he should kill her in front of her crew as he had done with every other leader of every other ship he had ever captured for his government. Nothing humbles a crew or breaks their spirit quite as beautifully as watching their captain die before their very eyes. A leader is seen as unstoppable, almost immortal by his or her crew. Janeway's death would remind this arrogant crew of their own mortality. He could see how beloved she was by them. Losing her would take the fire and drive out of them, strip away their desire to live, making them perfect slaves for the mining colony.

He knew all of this, yet - he wasn't sure that he could bring himself to do it when the time came. Oh, he had the normal violent impulses toward her of course, as was his ethnic nature toward all females. But he also desired her, though, not just physically. Yes, he wanted to touch her, wanted her to pleasure him, be his lover. But he also wanted to posses her heart, and her soul. He wanted her to want him in return. He had never known that kind of longing before. Perhaps if he took her away from here, away from her crew and her ship, he could force her to…"

"Sir?"

Jalek's voice drew Kirov out of his evil musings. "What is it?" he snapped.

"The other ships, High Commander. What are their orders?" the Subcommander said, more than a bit impatiently.

Kirov regarded his subordinate with undisguised abhorrence. "Tell them to move on. We do not need them here."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not sure that is wise. They may be able to assist us in decrypting the codes to this computer." Jalek argued. "Until we have those, we are not fully in control here."

"Are you questioning my ability to lead this mission, Subcommander?" he said in a low, deadly voice.

"No, sir. I am merely concerned. You seem… distracted."

Kirov whirled on him, anger burning in his cat-like eyes. He drew his weapon from his belt and slammed the butt of it across Jalek's forehead. Purple blood oozed from the new gash above his right eyebrow and drizzled down his face.

"If you ever question me again, I will peel your flesh off with my teeth and shove it down your throat. Do you understand, verrulk?" he sneered, boring into Jalek's skull with his icy glare.

"Yes, High Commander." he said evenly. His words were submissive, but he met Kirov's eyes steadily, almost defiantly. His hatred of his superior was evident on his pale, bloodstained face.

"You have your orders, Jalek." He snarled, heading for the ready room. "Tell them to move on. We have things under control here."

Jalek said nothing; he merely nodded his acknowledgement as he watched Kirov's retreating form enter the captain's office. He was spending far too much time dealing with that puny female. He should torture her and get the codes, and then blow her tiny brains out in front of her people. That was they way it had always been done. Jalek rose to his feet and tried to push down the nagging thoughts that his leader's fascination with Janeway would likely be their undoing.

Kirov felt Jalek's gaze attempting to burn holes in the back of his head as he walked away. But he ignored it. Perhaps later he would kill the audacious bastard just to relieve some tension. But for now his thoughts were on Janeway. He wondered absently why the guard hadn't summoned him yet. Surely she was conscious by now…

The ready room doors hissed closed behind him, and Kirov felt his knees grow weak for the split second it took him to regain his composure. The answer to his question of not being summoned was spread out gruesomely before him. There, in front of the sofa where the prisoner had once been, lay the body of Trebin. His purple blood was spattered all over the room; the dark, clotted tissue was a stark contrast to the sedate gray interior and carpet. The bittersweet scent of drying blood and seared tissue flooded his nostrils.

Kirov didn't check for a pulse, or even bend down to look for any signs of life. It was obvious Trebin was dead. His eyes were wide open and fixed, his ghastly white face frozen in an expression of shock, or was it terror? He didn't need to get any closer to see the fist-size hole in the dead man's throat.

He used his booted foot to roll Trebin onto his back. A sinister grin crossed his face as he noted the unzipped trousers. So, Janeway had tempted him and the weakling was unable to resist her charms. Then his death was a perfect end to a cowardly, worthless life. "I told you not to touch her, you fool." he hissed to the corpse. "You're lucky Janeway killed you. If I would've caught you putting your hands on her, I would've gutted you like a fish and fed you your own innards for supper." He gave the body a hard kick, shoving his lifeless head into a pool of his own clotted blood. A fitting end, he thought.

He began searching the room for Janeway. She couldn't have gotten out of the ready room. There was no way she could've made it past the guards on the bridge. He was sure she was hiding somewhere, and he intended to find her. She must be punished for what she did, even if the fool had deserved it.

"Come out, Captain. There is nowhere for you to go. You can't hide forever." He called to her even though he knew she would never answer. He would search every cubic millimeter of that room until he found her. She was a tiny woman; she could be hiding almost anywhere.

He made his way over to her desk, and that's when he saw it. A small door in the wall, why hadn't he noticed it before! He twisted the handle and the hatch opened easily. It was clearly an access tunnel of some kind. He knew instantly that she had climbed into it, broken limb or no, and was at that very moment crawling away from him. He worked to squeeze his much larger body into the tunnel. Wherever she was, she was much smaller and therefore could maneuver through the narrow tubes with greater speed than he could. She was also armed with a Variquian energy weapon that, judging by the size of the hole she blew in Trebin's neck, was on a high setting. He would have to be sly and calculating to catch her, and he would catch her. No matter the cost.

Kirov had made a career out of seizing new technology and controlling lesser species. And he wanted this woman with a burning need that had to be filled. He would find her and take her for his own. She would resist, but that would only make the reward sweeter. Janeway was cunning, but he was down right conniving. He was a master of stealth, a well-trained stalker. The hunt was on, and he always got his prey.

"Dammit!" B'Elanna cursed as yet another attempt to break Seven of Nine's Borg encryption codes failed. "I really thought we had it that time."

"As did I." replied Tuvok.

"Ahhh!" the half Klingon screamed in frustration. "This is useless!" She slammed her fist into the console.

"Easy, B'Elanna." soothed Harry. "We'll get it. We're getting closer every time." When B'Elanna said nothing in response, he took her gently by the shoulders. "We'll crack these codes if we just stay calm and keep trying."

"That is unlikely." Came a familiar voice from the open Jeffries tube hatch they had themselves used to enter the science lab. The trio whirled toward the sound, reflexively drawing their weapons.

"I will be unable to assist you if you shoot me, Lieutenant." Seven said as she climbed out of the tube.

God, I hate Borg humor. B'Elanna thought sarcastically as she put down her weapon.

"Seven!" Harry cried, moving toward her. "You're okay! What…"

"There will be time for explanations later, Ensign Kim." she droned. "However, I am… glad to see you as well."

Harry smiled and nodded his understanding.

Chakotay and the doctor followed the Borg out of the tube and sealed the hatch. "I see we had the same idea." said Chakotay, a gentle grin on his face as he regarded B'Elanna. She was a dear friend, and he was more than a little relieved to see her pretty face. It brought him a bit of comfort.

"Great minds think alike." Torres replied, returning his grin.

Seven began tapping away at the console and B'Elanna stepped up to assist her. Chakotay approached Tuvok, delibratly tuning out the doctor who was regaling young Harry Kim with his heroic tale of anesthezine and unconscious aliens.

"I am glad to see that you are well, Commander." the Vulcan said. "I suggest we compare our plans and combine our efforts."

"Agreed."

Tuvok fixed his dark eyes on the human. "I assume your first agenda is to rescue the captain."

"You assume correctly." Chakotay answered, already taking on a defensive posture. He was fully expecting an argument on that subject from Tuvok. The typical Starfleet 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.' speech. But Tuvok surprised him.

"That was our first priority as well."

Chakotay grinned and clapped Tuvok on the shoulder. "You never cease to amaze me, Tuvok." The comment earned him a very Vulcan raised eyebrow. "You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine." he said.

Tuvok began to speak. "We concluded that if we…"

Captain Janeway couldn't remember a time when she was so happy to see the inside of a Jeffries tube. She crawled as quickly as she could with her one useful arm. She made a conscious effort to block out the pain. If she didn't find a way to regain control of her ship, a broken arm would be the least of her problems.

Focus Kathryn, she thought to herself, you have to make this work. She moved as quietly and quickly as she could, given the circumstances, pausing every now and again to listen for the sounds of anyone in pursuit. She knew it was only a matter of time before the guard's body was discovered. But the only sounds she heard were the soft hum of B'Elanna's beloved engines, and the thudding of her own heart.

Her destination was the transporter room on deck four. It was clear from their attack strategy that the Variquians either did not posses or were completely unaware of transporter technology. Not an uncommon thing in the Delta Quadrant. She intended to use that to her advantage.

She paused, momentarily unable to recall which tube would lead her to the access ladder for deck two. That's when she heard it. She held her breath and strained her ears to listen for the tiny, almost inaudible sound. Yes - there it was again. It was a faint, dragging sound. The unmistakable sound of someone trying to be silent as they drug themselves along the tube. She knew that sound as well as she knew her own voice. She had been the creator of that sound more times than she could count. It was accompanied by the even fainter sound of labored breathing. Someone was stalking her! And whoever it was, they were working hard at it.

The sound of her own racing pulse pounded in her ears. She had to move quickly. They were close enough for her to hear their breathing, so she didn't have much time. She shot a quick glance over her shoulder, but could see no one. Finally, she came to the ladder that led down to deck two. She was down that slim ladder in about three steps and immediately dove into the next tube. She could hear someone behind her. She had to find somewhere to hide.

Her mind raced as she began to crawl along the tube. She was about to open the hatch to access the ladder to deck three when she felt strong, cruel hands seize her by the ankles. She was jerked roughly backwards as her knees were pulled out from under her. She hit the floor flat on her stomach, her face slamming into the cold metal grates she had been crawling on only seconds before. She felt the warm blood flood her mouth as her teeth pierced her lips on impact.

She was being drug backward by her ankles, her broken arm screaming in protest, her small body weakened by repeated abuse. She tried to crane her neck around to catch sight of her captor, and that's when everything went dark. She had served on starships long enough to recognize the stillness accompanied by a complete power loss. She had no idea what was going on outside or on the rest of the ship. But whatever it was, she knew it wasn't good. They had no engines, no weapons, no shields, nothing. Primary power was off line and secondary systems were apparently not responding. Voyager was dead in the water. And she was trapped in a Jeffries tube in the pitch-black darkness. Not exactly what she had planned.

She stifled a painful moan as she was flipped onto her back. She couldn't see even an inch in front of her face. But she knew as the large body came down on top of her that it was Kirov. She knew by the way he stoked her face in the darkness, almost loving, almost tender. Then, as she had anticipated, his touches grew rough and violent. He seized a handful of hair on the top of her head and pulled painfully, eliciting a small cry from her.

"You belong to me, Janeway." he hissed, his foul breath flooded her nose. "You must be punished for killing one of my men. I despise such ugliness, Captain, but you must be taught a lesson. You must learn that you are no longer in command. You will answer to me, serve me… pleasure me. And your lessons begin right now."

She squirmed under him as his hands slid under her bloodstained turtleneck. The feel of his hands on her skin made her stomach lurch. "No!" she screamed. She clawed at his face, at his neck, anything she could reach in the darkness. "I will not be your victim!" She struggled violently to free herself.

Kirov laughed fiendishly as she wiggled beneath him. "Such anger and fire in you! That's the very reason I chose you, Captain. Such passion for one so small and delicate." He slid his hands slowly up her ribcage. A low groan rumbled in his throat. "So soft…" he mumbled as his lips came down, covering hers in a vile kiss…

"What the hell happened?" B'Elanna snapped.

"I'm not sure." answered Harry. Light flooded the dark room as the ensign switched on his wrist beacon. The others quickly followed suit.

"I thought we were only going to kill main power to disorient them while we access the transporters. What happened to the auxiliary power?"

"I have merely created the appearance of complete power failure. I have rerouted auxiliary power to this station and to the transporters." Seven stated calmly. "We still have life support and artificial gravity. However, to those on the bridge, it appears that we are suffering total systems failure. It will take them several minutes to discover my deception."

"That should be enough time." said Chakotay. "Tuvok, can you locate the captain's signal?"

Tuvok punched at the controls with a speed and efficiency surpassed only by Seven of Nine herself. "I have located her com signal. Attempting to get a transporter lock." Tuvok shook his dark head. "She appears to be in Jeffries tube 13 alpha, between decks two and three. That area experienced an overload during the power transfer and has a ruptured plasma conduit. I cannot get a lock on the captain. The interference is too great."

The color drained from Chakotay's face. She was obviously trying to escape before the lights went out. "Are there any other life signs in there with her?" he asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

Tuvok tapped his controls. He read the information and then looked to Chakotay with an expression as close to anguish as a Vulcan could manage. "There is one life sign in the same location as Captain Janeway. It is Variquian."

Chakotay reached for a compression rifle and moved toward the door.

"Where are you going, Chakotay?" B'Elanna asked, concern deepening the ridges on her forehead.

"I'm going to get her." Tuvok opened his mouth to speak, but Chakotay cut him off. "I don't want to hear it, Tuvok. She's in trouble. If that Variquian doesn't kill her, the ruptured plasma conduit will. I'm not going to stand here rerouting power while she dies! I have to get her out of there."

Tuvok seized a rifle for himself and followed Chakotay to the door. "I was merely going to suggest that the security chief accompany you, Commander. With two of us, there is a much higher probability of success."

Chakotay afforded the Vulcan a quick smile of gratitude. "B'Elanna, start beaming every Variquian life sign you can find into cargo bay three. The dark should keep them disoriented long enough to keep them from escaping while you beam them in there and erect a force field." B'Elanna nodded. She and Seven went to work immediately. "Harry, find a way to get our people out of cargo bay one. We're going to need their help." He met eyes with each of the three officers he was leaving behind, grateful for their loyalty. "Captain Janeway will want her ship in perfect condition when she returns to the bridge." No one said it, but he knew they were all thinking it. 'You mean if she returns to the bridge.'

Hold on, Kathryn. I'm coming. Just hold on.

"What the hell?" Tom Paris muttered.

"What happened to the lights?" Neelix said, reaching out a hand in the darkness to hold onto Tom's shoulder.

"I don't know. Maybe Tuvok and B'Elanna caused it." He grabbed hold of Neelix's arm. "One thing's for sure, though. Even if they didn't cause it, I bet they're taking advantage of it. And so should we."

"But what can we do?" Neelix asked. "We can't see a thing."

"That's right. And neither can Dracula and his blood-sucking buddies over there. There are more of us than them in this cargo bay, Neelix." Tom said excitedly. "I say we rush them."

"Oh my!" muttered Neelix. "Well, I suppose if you think that's the best way…"

Tom moved toward the shadowy outlines of bodies he could see huddled before him. "Listen up people. I've got an idea." he said to the group. "It's time to kick some alien ass!"

Murmurs of approval were heard around the huddle. "Now this is more like it. Taking action! I'm going crazy standing here waiting for them to kill us all. We're with you, sir." said a familiar voice. Ensign Wildman, Tom thought.

"Well, this will certainly be good for morale." Neelix said to no one in particular.

"Please, don't do this." Kathryn gasped, clutching Kirov's arms and trying to pull them from her shirt. "Not here, not like this."

"Silence!" Kirov backhanded her across the face. She was unprepared for the blow, unable to see it coming in the darkness. Her eyes slammed shut as the pain exploded inside her skull. She wasn't sure how much more of this her body could take. She knew she had to find a way to escape.

As if sensing her thoughts, Kirov felt along her body until he found the energy weapon she had tucked in her waistband. He ripped it from her and concealed it somewhere in the darkness. "Foolish woman! If I would've leaned too hard on that weapon it would've fired. You could've killed us both."

Janeway suddenly noticed the smell in the Jeffries tube. She had been so disgusted by the taste of the alien's mouth that she had attributed her nausea to that. But she knew this scent, recognized it immediately. "We have to get out of here."

"You are hardly in any position to give orders, Captain." Kirov hissed in her ear, his hands resuming their journey under her shirt.

"Listen to me, Kirov." she said calmly. "There's a plasma leak nearby. Can't you smell that? If we stay here, we'll both die."

He lifted his head from where he was nuzzling her neck and sniffed. "You're right. I do smell it." He moved off of Kathryn and again seized her ankles. He began pulling her back in the direction they had originally came from, feeling the walls for the nearest hatch.

He pulled her down the ladder and closed his hand around the handle of the hatch. "Where does this door lead? And don't lie to me, or I will destroy this ship and kill your crew."

"You don't need to threaten me. I want to get out of here as much as you do." she snapped, sick of his constant attempts to terrorize her. "It leads to deck three."

"Deck three." He repeated. "Very well." He turned the handle and Janeway heard the hatch slide open. Kirov wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. He held a weapon to her head with the other hand. "Make a single sound, and I will splatter your brains across this entire deck for all your crew to see. Do you understand me?"

"Yes." she said quietly.

She relaxed her body and resigned herself to being drug along the corridor. She couldn't escape while he held a weapon against her temple, but she'd be damned if she were going to help him. She allowed her body to hang limply, forcing him to basically carry her dead weight.

The back up lights flickered on, casting an eerie glow on the walls. At least now she could see where he was taking her to probably rape and then kill her. She watched with numb detachment as they passed the door to her quarters. Home. How she wished she were there at that moment. Then the pain returned ten fold as Kirov drug her past Chakotay's quarters. Her heart ached, a lump rising in her throat and forcing the air from her lungs. God, how she missed him. How she regretted hiding her feelings from him. She allowed her mind to wander through the memories of the hundreds of times she had stood and keyed in her override code at that very door. The times she had come to his peaceful quarters for comfort, advice, or even just dinner. She had loved him each of those times. She had loved him since New Earth. She longed for the opportunity to tell him that she loved him, to see those dimples and that smile that lit up his whole face. But now… she would probably not have that chance, and it was her own fault.

"The force field is in place." Seven said, still tapping away at the controls. "And I have restored secondary power. We should proceed to the bridge and restore main power."

"Let's go." agreed B'Elanna.

The two women headed for the turbo lift. They had successfully transported all but two of the Variquian life signs into the cargo bay while the lights were out. They were unable to lock on to the remaining two due to the interference in that area of the ship. B'Elanna tried to push back the thoughts of what they might be doing to the captain at that very moment. Chakotay will get her back. she repeated to herself.

"Bridge." Seven ordered as the turbolift doors hissed closed. She regarded Torres with large blue eyes.

"What?"

"The efforts you made to decrypt the codes…" the blonde woman began.

"What about it?" Torres said impatiently.

"You were nearly successful. It is… impressive."

B'Elanna chuckled and clapped Seven on the shoulder. "That's high praise coming from you. Thank you."

"You are welcome."

B'Elanna was relieved to see that the bridge was empty as she stepped out of the turbolift. Though the Klingon part of her enjoyed a good battle, her human side would just as soon get to work at fixing things. She was, after all, Chief Engineer.

Tom failed to suppress his boyish laughter when the back up lights flickered on and he realized that there were no longer any Variquians in the cargo bay. That was not the most amusing part of the situation however. The real comedy lie in the faces of the shocked Starfleet officers who had only moments ago been pounding the hell out of Variquian soldiers and were now swinging at the air. "Hey, hey… take it easy. They're gone." He shouted, grabbing a rather zealous crewman by the arm just as he was about to blast Paris across the face.

The young man stared at Tom, shock evident on his face. "I'm… I'm sorry, sir."

"Ah, it's alright Baker. But next time, fight with your eyes open." he chided.

The room turned silent as the cargo bay doors hissed open. They all turned in anticipation, expecting to see the amazing disappearing guards returning.

Instead, they saw the dark hair and smiling face of Harry Kim. "You guys want out, or would you rather stay in here until we reach the Alpha Quadrant?"

"Harry, Harry, Harry!" Tom cried, rushing over to slap his best friend on the back. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see your ugly mug!"

Harry grinned at the cocky blonde pilot. "Good to see you too, Tom."

"Don't get me wrong. I mean, not that I miss them or anything. But, where did all our vampire friends go?" Paris said.

"Our guests are now enjoying the scenery in cargo bay three." Harry said with a satisfied grin. He chuckled as he watched the inquisitive expression on Tom's face. "I'll fill you in on the way to the bridge, Tom." The young bridge officer then turned his attention to the rest of the crew. "Everyone else, return to your duty stations and wait for instructions."

Harry listened to the chorus of "Aye, sir" from his shipmates. He took a brief moment to gaze at them, grateful to see them again. And he felt a pang of sorrow that Ensign Taylor was not among them. Her loss would be felt by each and everyone. But, there would be time to grieve later. Right now, they needed to get their captain back.

Kirov continued to drag his captive toward the turbolift. She was silent, limp in his arms, and he wondered for a brief instant if she were unconscious. She had lost a lot of blood while in his custody, and he had nearly killed her more than once. He knew she would die soon if he didn't get her injuries treated. And he didn't mean to inflict such harm on her, but she angered him so. She was always pushing his buttons, disobedient and headstrong as she was. He forgot his strength with her until it was almost too late. But he knew without a doubt that he would kill her before he would ever let her go. He would kill her in an instant.

As he rounded the corner, two figures stepped out of the shadows. "Stop where you are and drop your weapon."

Kirov glared at the two men and pushed his weapon tightly against Janeway's skull. "Back away, or she dies."

"There's been enough bloodshed, Kirov." Janeway's head snapped up at the sound of that voice. Chakotay! "You're men have been captured. You're the only one left."

"Lies!" he howled, tightening his hold on the captain.

Chakotay locked eyes with Kathryn, her normally radiant blue eyes swollen and bleak. She stared back at him, not wanting to look away for fear that it was all a dream. He tried to send her reassurance, comfort her without words.

"Drop your weapon." Tuvok repeated.

Kirov grabbed hold of Kathryn's obviously broken arm and twisted it ruthlessly. She cried out in pain as the shards of bone pierced her skin. Fresh blood poured down her arm and dripped onto the gray carpet. Chakotay watched in horror as her arm rotated grotesquely in the wrong direction. "Back away or I'll rip it off and shove it down her throat!" Kirov hissed.

Chakotay nodded to Tuvok and both men stepped back a few paces, still holding their weapons firmly. The commander tried to control the rage that was building up inside him. He would be no use to Kathryn if he didn't keep his cool.

"Let her go." Chakotay said, locking eyes with the alien. "She needs medical treatment before she bleeds to death. I'll be your prisoner in exchange for her. She'll be no use to either of us if she dies while we stand here staring at each other."

Kirov sneered at Chakotay, a fiendish laugh escaping his throat. "She belongs to me. I would rather see her dead than let her go. Now stand back, or I'll blow her head off while you watch! And then I'll kill you. Nothing would bring me greater pleasure than to blast a hole in your head the size of a torpedo. Now back off!!!"

"Stand down, Chakotay." Janeway croaked, her voice hoarse and shaky from the pain.

"Kathryn?" he said in disbelief.

"Stand down, Commander. That's an order. This ends here." She said, staring pointedly into his dark eyes. "Enough lives have already been lost. I won't be responsible for your death too."

"Captain, please. You don't know what you're saying…" he began to protest.

"Dammit, Chakotay! You have your orders. STAND DOWN, NOW!" Her command tone had resurfaced almost instantly, but Chakotay could see the fatigue on her face, the weakness taking over her body. She would die if he let her go, he knew it as sure as he knew his own name.

Suddenly, the sound of weapons fire distracted all of them. Chakotay whirled to see Subcommander Jalek coming up from behind, firing at the group but hitting no one.

Kirov took full advantage of the distraction and pulled Janeway around the corner shielding her body and his own with the bulkhead. He peered around the corner to see Tuvok approaching his position. He fired on the Vulcan without the slightest hesitation. Janeway watched in horror as her oldest friend and officer fell to the deck, his body shaking in agony. "Tuvok…" she whispered before she could stop herself. God, please let him be alive.

Chakotay took a hit in the leg from Jalek's weapon and fell to the ground, unable to hold his own weight. The pain coursed through his veins, overshadowed only by his rage. "Kathryn!" he screamed, scrambling to his feet and supporting himself by leaning on the wall. He watched helplessly as the two Variquian's shoved her into the turbolift. He dove forward in a desperate effort to reach her, just as the doors hissed closed in his face.

"Where are you taking me?" Kathryn asked as he drug her out of the lift and down yet another corridor.

"Shut up!" Kirov yelled, seizing her roughly by the hair and pulling her head back until he could see her face. "Not another word or I swear I'll rip your voice box out! Just shut up!"

"What is you plan, sir?' Jalek finally spoke.

"We need to get off this ship."

Oh god! The realization hit Kathryn like a freight train as they entered the room. The shuttle bay! He was taking her off her ship! She immediately began to struggle against him. Fear and anger rejuvenating her strength.

"What do you mean 'get off this ship'?" Jalek challenged. "Our men are being held in the cargo bay. We can't just leave them!"

"We can, and we will." Kirov said, his voice strained as he struggled to maintain his hold on Janeway.

"This has gone far enough, Kirov! You're obsession with this… this female has completely obliterated your judgment."

"Enough, Jalek." Kirov snapped. "Just get in the shuttle."

"I will not. Nor will you. We have to rescue them! I've indulged your fascination with her long enough. I won't stand by and watch you abandon loyal Variquians just to gratify your sick fantasies of this human!"

Kirov regarded his second in command emotionlessly for a moment, and then pulled his weapon from its holster. "Very well. Have it your way." He said evenly. Then he aimed the weapon and shot Jalek squarely between the eyes.

Janeway watched as the body slumped to the deck, purple blood pooling around their feet.

"He deserved it. Pay no attention." Kirov said as he shoved Kathryn into the shuttle.

"Chakotay to the bridge."

"Paris here. Go ahead, Commander."

"Do we have main power back up yet?" he asked, feeling Tuvok's neck for a pulse. He allowed himself a sigh of relief as he discovered that the Vulcan was still alive.

"We're working on it." came B'Elanna's voice. "We've got some fried relays. I'm attempting to bypass."

"Tuvok's injured. Get a medical team down here, now." Chakotay heard alarms sounding on the bridge. "Paris, what the hell is going on up there?"

"We have an unauthorized launch in shuttle bay one, sir."

His heart sunk to his feet. He already knew who it was before he even asked the question. "Who is it?"

"It's Kirov. And he's got the captain. He's erected a scattering field. I can't get a transporter lock on her!" came Harry's near panicked voice.

Chakotay instantly forgot his pain as he broke into a dead run for the turbolift. How could an alien with no knowledge of transporter technology erect a scattering field? The computer! Damn, sometimes technology was a merciless thing. He kept an open com channel with the bridge and monitored their progress, or lack there of. They were attempting to lock on with a tractor beam.

"Status." He demanded as he stepped onto the bridge.

"We've got them with a tractor beam, but I don't know how long it'll last. We don't have the power for this. We took heavy damage in the battle and we still haven't been able to restore main power." B'Elanna reported. "I'm rerouting every bit of secondary power I can get my hands on to hold them here."

"Seven, find a way to get main power restored. We need to…"

He was cut off mid-sentence as the ship shuddered and B'Elanna's console exploded. She was annoyed, but uninjured.

"What the hell was that?"

"They sent a feedback pulse through our tractor beam." Harry shouted over the commotion. "They've broken free."

Chakotay watched as the small shuttle jumped to warp, taking Kathryn light years away from him in an instant.

He headed for the turbolift doors. "Set a pursuit course. Maximum impulse. You have the bridge, Paris."

"Sir?" Paris asked in confusion. Where the hell is he going?

"I'm taking a shuttle and going after her."

Paris rose to his feet. "You'll need a good pilot, Chakotay. Let me come with you."

Chakotay shook his head. "No, Tuvok is in sick bay, that leaves you in command. I need you here."

"Then let me come. I can pilot a shuttle." said Harry, his love for Captain Janeway displayed clearly on his young face. "You'll have a better chance if there's two of us."

Chakotay almost chuckled. Had the senior staff been taking lessons in persuasion from Tuvok? "Fine, Harry. You're with me. Let's go."

Kathryn sat weakly in the co-pilots seat of the shuttle. Kirov had locked out her side of the controls. Good thinking on his part really, as she would rather crash this shuttle and die than spend her life being his possession.

She eyed the energy weapon on his belt. It was almost close enough for her to reach out and grab it. She had to distract him somehow. "Where are we going, Kirov?"

"Far away from your ship, I assure you." He glanced briefly at her, and then returned to tapping the controls. "You will learn to trust me, Janeway. Oh, I know you hate me now, but that will change. When there is no one but you and me, you will grow to appreciate my company."

"And if I don't?"

He shrugged. "It makes no difference. You will do as I say. Your survival will depend on it. Learn to like it or spend your days hating it. That is up to you."

The proximity alarm sounded, indicating the presence of another vessel. Janeway leaned slightly in her seat so that she could see the readouts on the monitor. Another shuttle! A Starfleet shuttle! They were coming after her. For the first time in hours, her heart soared with hope.

Kirov said nothing. He simply began a series of evasive maneuvers. He had obviously been expecting them to pursue. And to Janeway's dismay, he was proving to be a very skilled pilot. Fortunately for her, so was whoever was piloting the other shuttle.

The small spacecraft lurched violently as it was hit by phaser fire. Janeway recognized the attack pattern. It was one of her own creations, in fact. They were attempting to take out Kirov's propulsion and weapons. The shuttle rocked under the barrage of directed energy fire. Her anonymous officer in the other shuttle was doing an amazing job of keeping up with Kirov's evasive maneuvers. Despite her fatigue and desperate situation, she felt a moment of pride wash over her. She had an excellent crew, every last one of them.

"Stay with them, Harry." Chakotay's fingers moved rapidly over the tactical controls. He was taking careful aim, trying to disable the shuttle, but not destroy it. He only prayed that Kathryn would still be alive when they finally managed to knock out the engines and shields.

"I'm doing the best I can." answered Harry, sweat droplets forming on his furrowed brow.

Chakotay fired again. "A direct hit." he crowed. "Their shields are down. Can we get a lock on her now?"

Harry shook his head, his dark hair hanging in his face. "No, she's in the front of the shuttle. The scattering field is still in place in that section. It has been emitting on the same frequency the entire time." Harry locked eyes with Chakotay. "I don't think he knows how to use it. If I can remodulate the transporter to…"

Chakotay shook his head and rose to his feet. "Forget it. We don't have time to conduct experiments. Their shields are down. Beam me into the aft section."

Harry hesitated only briefly. There would be no talking Chakotay out of this one. The determination burned in his dark eyes.

"Yes, sir." Harry moved them as close to the other shuttle as he could. "Energizing."

Janeway watched as the monitor displayed their failing shields. "Our shields are gone. If they fire again, we'll be destroyed. Hail them and tell them you surrender. It's your only chance, Kirov."

He glared at her, hatred coloring his pale face. "They won't destroy this vessel as long as you are on it, Captain." he growled. "They would never hurt you."

She met his glare, defiance burning in her warp core blue eyes. "I would rather die than spend my life with you. They know that."

"You will never see them again! You belong to ME!" Kirov lifted a hand, probably to strike her, and then froze as the computer alarmed, alerting them to an intruder. Someone had beamed aboard! Janeway took advantage of the alien's momentary distraction and jerked his weapon from the holster at his waist.

He turned on her, his eyes wide with disbelief. He pulled a jagged hunting knife from his boot with lightening speed and dove for her. She fired without hesitation. Unfortunately, not before he managed to plunge the dagger into her abdomen. The searing hot pain tore through her middle and coursed through every nerve in her body. A tortured scream tore from her throat, a voice she didn't even recognize as her own. She stared in abject horror at the knife handle protruding from her abdomen.

The force of the blast sent Kirov reeling and he slammed into the bulkhead, his hands clawing at the wound on his chest. He slid to the deck in an unmoving heap.

Chakotay entered from the aft section and ran toward her, dropping his phaser to the deck. "Kathryn! Are you alright?"

It was him! She was afraid to trust her eyes. She had longed to see his chocolate eyes again, to feel his soft touch on her shoulder again. Was he here, or was this just the last flickering of the dying neurons in her brain, an hallucination before death?

"Chakotay…" she said weakly. She rose to her feet, wanting to throw herself into his arms. But a wave of vertigo crashed in on her and she felt her knees buckling. She glanced down at the puddle of her own blood, now gushing from the wound in her abdomen. Chakotay's eyes followed hers and he stared, mortification spreading across his features, at the knife in her stomach. He reached for her limp body as she collapsed to the deck.

"No!" he cried. He crouched down and took her into his arms. "Kathryn! It's going to be okay. Do you hear me? We're going to get you back to Voyager, get you some help. Just stay with me."

He tapped the combadge on his chest. "Chakotay to Kim."

"I'm still here, Commander. Is everything okay over there?"

Chakotay choked back the sobs that were begging to escape his throat. "The captain is hurt. Beam us to your shuttle, and then set an intercept course for Voyager. We've got to get her to sick bay."

Chakotay scooped Kathryn's small body into his arms and lifted her off the floor. He held her to his chest as the transporter beam engulfed them.

The color drained from Harry's face as his commanding officers materialized in front of him. Chakotay held the captain's limp body in his arms, cradling her as one would his most treasured possession. She was covered in blood, her pretty face a sickening chalky white, in the few areas that bruises didn't cover.

Harry moved to assist Chakotay, and that's when he saw the knife embedded in her abdomen. "Oh my God!" he gasped before he could stop himself.

"Get a med-kit over here, now." Chakotay ordered as he gently placed Kathryn on the small sofa. He took her petite hand in his and brought it to his lips. So cold. She had lost too much blood.

He took the med-kit from Harry and began doing what little he could for her, trying desperately to keep her alive until they reached Voyager. He didn't remove the knife in case it was acting as a cork and blocking off any severed arteries. He stabilized it as well as he could with what meager provisions he had available. He covered her legs with thermal blankets and tried to keep her body temperature up. Her breathing became ragged and irregular. He was no medic, but he knew what that sound meant. She was dying.

"How long until we reach Voyager?" he choked.

"About 7 minutes, Chakotay. I've already alerted them and the doctor is standing by."

I'm not sure she has that long. "Shave every second off that time you can, Ensign."

"Understood." Harry understood completely. His captain was dying, and 7 minutes might as well be an eternity.

Chakotay stoked her hair and cheek with all the tenderness of a lover, the lover he had never been to her. "Kathryn," he spoke softly in her ear, the tears flowing freely down his cheeks. "Stay with me. I can't lose you now!" He brushed her cold lips with a gentle kiss, hoping for a response, but not really expecting one. "Help me keep you here. I love you. I need you, this crew needs you." He wrapped her frail, broken body in his arms. "Stay with me, Kathryn. Stay here in this moment with me. Don't let go."

"Voyager to Chakotay."

The commander had never been so glad to hear Paris's voice in his entire life. "Go ahead."

"You're within transporter range now, Commander. And we are back at full power."

Relief washed over Chakotay's suddenly aged face. "Beam the captain and me directly to sick bay."

"Commander, please step back and let me do my job." The doctor chided. "The captain is stable now. But she is still sedated from the surgery. I promise I will notify you the instant there is any change."

Chakotay nodded and stepped back a few feet. He knew he should be on the bridge, but he couldn't leave her. He had decisions to make and a cargo bay full of Variquian soldiers. He moved over to the biobed where Kirov's body lay. He stared at the huge wound that Kathryn had inflicted on the alien in an attempt to save her own life. He hated to admit it, but he was relieved that the bastard had not survived. He knew he would not be able to control his actions if he had.

A rage the likes of which he had not known in all his time on Voyager washed over him. The last time he was filled with such hatred, he had bashed a cardassian's brains out using only a large rock and his bare hands. He knew that if Kirov had survived, he would've killed him with his own two hands, just as he had that soldier. And he would've enjoyed it.

"Well this is certainly unexpected." murmured the doctor as he stood over the diagnostic display at Kathryn's bedside.

"What? What is it?" Chakotay asked, moving to her side in an instant.

"She's regaining consciousness already." An expression strongly resembling pride washed over his holographic face. "I've always said that Captain Janeway was a fighter."

Chakotay took her hand in his and brought his other hand up to brush the stray locks of red hair from her face. Her eyes fluttered open and her hand gripped Chakotay's tightly.

"Kathryn? Can you hear me?"

"Chakotay…" she croaked, her groggy blue eyes searching for his. "Is that really you?"

He allowed a small chuckle. "It's really me. I'm here. You're going to be just fine."

She smiled at him, grateful to hear his voice again. "My crew…" she said, trying to sit up.

"Easy, Captain." the doctor said, gently lowering her back to the bed. "You're body has been through a tremendous amount of strain and abuse. Even more than you normally inflict on it with your lack of sleep and absurdly long work hours. Not to mention your numerous cups of coffee and failure to eat anything of sustenance." Chakotay shot him a sharp looking, stopping his tirade instantly. "You'll need to rest."

"The crew is fine. They're eager to see their captain well and barking out orders again." Chakotay teased.

"Chakotay," she said, a slight twinkle returning to her eyes. "Starfleet Captain's do not bark."

He grinned happily, overjoyed to see her playful nature returning despite her ordeal. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Doctor, could you give the commander and I a minute alone, please?" she asked, never taking her gaze off Chakotay.

"Of course." The hologram collected his instruments and retreated to his office. "When they need me to save their lives, I'm the most popular being on the ship. But as soon as they're well again, it's so long, Doctor. What's a hologram to do?" he muttered under his breath.

"What is it, Kathryn?" Chakotay asked, concern evident in his eyes.

She looked nervously at him, obviously having a hard time finding the right words. "You know that I have imposed certain parameters for our… our relationship."

His heart sank. She must've heard his confession of love on the shuttle and was going to put him in his place. "Kathryn, I…"

"Shhh" she said. "Please, let me finish." She took his hand, enfolding it between her two smaller ones. "When Kirov was dragging me to the shuttle bay, we passed your quarters. I experienced a sorrow and regret unlike any I have ever felt before." She looked deeply into his eyes, as if summoning the courage to say what was in her heart. "I thought of all the times I had come to your quarters, all of the times you have been there for me."

"As you have for me." he added softly.

"I knew I he was going to kill me. And all I could think of was how much I would miss you. And… how much I regretted hiding my true feelings from you. I wanted nothing in this universe more than just to see you again, and to tell you that I… that I love you, Chakotay. I promised myself that if I ever got to see you again, I would tell you the truth."

"Oh, Kathryn." he chocked. He gathered her up in his arms, placing tender kisses in her hair. "I love you too, I have from the beginning." The tears flooded his eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks. "I thought I had lost you for good. Oh, God! I never want to let you go."

"Then don't." She clung to him, feeling safe for the first time since this whole thing began, maybe for the first time since they became stranded in this quadrant. She wasn't sure how they would work this into their command relationship, or how the crew would react. But as he kissed her tenderly, his lips brushing hers in a new kind of intimacy, she knew it was right - and she couldn't deny it any longer.

EPILOUGE~

Captain's Log, Stardate XXXXX.X

Commander Chakotay has successfully delivered the remaining Variquian's to the closest uninhabited M-Class planet. They have no technology at their disposal, so with any luck, we will never see them again. We have jettisoned the body of High Commander Kirov into space in a torpedo casing, as is our customary procedure. He was given no honors or fanfare, however, I felt it was imperative that he be given the same burial as we would provide any other sentient creature. To do any less would only serve to lessen our own humanity, to make us into the very thing we despise. And I felt personally responsible to see it through, as I am the one who took his life ~ whatever it was ~ away from him.

As for me, the doctor had finally declared me 'fit for duty'. I am eager to take my place on the bridge and return this crew to our primary goal ~ getting home.

Janeway straightened her collar as she stepped into the turbolift. It felt so good to have her uniform on again. "Bridge." she ordered. She had been relieved to learn that Commander Tuvok had fully recovered from his injures and returned to duty a few days ahead of her. Repairs had gone off without a hitch, and they were ready to resume their course. They were just waiting for the order from their captain.

The doors opened and Captain Kathryn Janeway stepped out of the turbolift to see a full bridge. Everyone who had any excuse to be on the bridge was in attendance. Her heart soared at the loyalty and devotion she saw on their faces.

"Captain on the bridge!" Harry called, and the entire room snapped to attention.

Janeway walked slowly across the upper level, making eye contact with each and every officer along her path. She made her way to the command level where Chakotay stood at attention in front of his chair. She locked eyes with him briefly, allowing the respect and admiration she saw there to wash over her like a gentle wave in the ocean.

She stood and observed her crew. They were all there: Harry, B'Elanna, Seven of Nine, Tom, Neelix, Tuvok, the doctor, and her beloved Chakotay. She fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, and as she spoke her voice cracked with emotion.

"I don't know what I've done to deserve this crew, but I want you to know that I value each and every one of you. I think we've proven that together, we can survive just about anything. And we will survive the Delta Quadrant. We will see our home again, together. To that end… Mr. Paris, set a course for the Alpha Quadrant, warp six."

FINI ~

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