by Melanie
"I see." He was only slightly calmed. "Progress report?"
"C'Nar reports no luck with Voyager."
"Tell him to keep trying."
-------
When the lights went out so had Harry's computer. His frustrated groan was overshadowed by the scuffling noise he heard an instant before the blue glow lit the room. A huge form in an all-concealing cloak was standing over the unconscious, possibly dead bodies of Ksu and Nru. Before he could move, Harry found the figure was beside him. One big hand clamped over the ensign's mouth, the other around Harry's right bicep to hold him in place.
"Listen, and listen carefully," a voice from inside the shadows of the hood whispered urgently. "You are in a Gherop base-"
"Gherop?!" Harry gasped behind the hand.
"Listen! Don't speak! Now turn around."
The hands released him and forced him to do as ordered. Harry was certain at any moment he would be shot in the back. Instead, the clothes the figure had been wearing were thrust piece by piece into Harry's hands.
"Put these on. Now!"
Quickly, he began yanking on the clothes over his uniform while the voice continued.
"Your ship deliberately was attacked by the Gherop. It was all part of a plan to verify the reports E'Arte had received of her capabilities. That's why any time your Captain attempted to contact the attackers to diffuse the situation they would not respond. You could not be permitted to see their faces or once you arrived here, you'd recognize them and not fall for their lies."
"But how did they know we'd come here?"
"They ensured it by herding you in this direction, inflicting just enough damage that you would be certain to come to Rachar for repairs, but not be destroyed."
"But how'd they know we'd come here?"
"Because in this area there are no other planets of sufficient advancement to provide you with parts. Once you arrived here, they planned to take Voyager and use it to end the rebellion of their slaves here."
"Slaves?" Harry tried to turn around only to have the hooded cloak flung over his head.
"Don't turn around! Just listen and put that on. There's not much time. You were kidnapped as part of their plan. They were lying to you. You're not infectious. They gave you the welt deliberately to make you think infection was a possibility and to keep you from demanding to be returned to your people. They wanted you available so when Voyager was taken, you could answer any questions they had and teach her how to use her."
"It was all a lie?"
"Yes. They're the evil ones, not the Verta. The rebels are fighting for their freedom from the Gherop. The only ones they kill are the Gherop and the P'Chi."
"But the P'Chi are Rachar."
"And collaborators with the Gherop enslavers. They betray their own people in order to live privileged lives. But we don't have time for this. We will talk more later. In these clothes, with the low level of light, they won't suspect anything. Just don't show your face to anyone! Take this." A piece of paper was pressed into Harry's hand. "This will show you the way out. Once out, go straight into the woods. Wait there. You will be met. Now go."
Unceremoniously, Harry was shoved out into a mercifully empty hallway without ever knowing the identity of his savior.
-------
Tom was counting his lucky stars. So far none of the Rachar or greys he had passed had challenged him as to his presence. They were all too intent on rushing to their destinations to take note of an unfamiliar face also rushing somewhere. Because of this, it was a simple matter for him to descend to the next level and begin setting his enhancers. His casually attaching them to the walls here and there was not noticed in all the confusion.
"Sunbird," Sunfire said over the communicator lodged under the skin behind his left ear, "one more should do it."
He made a soft, affirmative noise and continued down the hall. "Done," he whispered a moment later.
"I've got locks on all of them and on the grey on Voyager."
"I have a 42 percent lock on the Captain," he heard Seven say in the background.
"Where?" he whispered.
"Level eleven."
He started down the steps to the next level. "She alone?"
"Two greys two meters from her."
"Any further sign of Harry?"
"No," she responded with what he thought may have been a touch of regret. Of course it might not have been. The farther he descended, the more difficult it was becoming to hear those on Sunfire clearly.
"Keep a lock on the others and be ready to beam them out," he instructed as he passed five greys having a very loud argument. "I'll get to the Captain."
-------
"Lieutenant, repeat," Seven commanded. "Lieutenant."
"There's a glitch in the communications systems," Sunfire complained. "I'm tracking it down now.
Seven rose from her station. "When you find it, I'll begin repairs if you instruct me regarding your systems."
Neelix impatiently interrupted. "How long will that take? It sounded like he wanted us to beam them out now."
"There was more to the message than merely 'lock,' 'others,' and 'beam out,'" the EMH frowned.
"Yes," Seven concurred "but what was it?"
"He said he wanted to get them out all at once," Sunfire insisted. "All of them disappearing will raise the alarm and make it more difficult for him to get the Captain and-"
The Talaxian refused to be swayed. "But the raised voices we heard. While we're standing here debating, the crew could be in trouble. He could have been trying to tell us there was a change in the plan and to not wait."
The ship could not argue with him there. Reluctantly, she made "an executive decision" as Tom called it. "Okay, let's do it and hope we're right."
-------
C'Nar suddenly materialized in the middle of nowhere on the surface. For at least a minute, he looked around, not believing what had happened. At last, he shook off the confusion and reached for his communicator. It was dead. No other option available, he immediately began hiking for the settlement in the distance to report in.
-------
Voyager's crew began materializing all over the ship over the next two minutes. Chakotay, who appeared on the Bridge with the others who had been in the nearby cells, instantly leapt up the stairs to the Tactical console and began reviewing their status. The others were dispatched to man the various other stations. Only briefly did he glance up when the turbolift doors opened and Tuvok entered.
"Commander," the Vulcan nodded and assumed his station as the First Officer stepped back.
"I don't know what's going on," Chakotay admitted. "I can't access anything."
"Perhaps we can remedy that situation," the EMH said in a superior tone as he and Neelix appeared next to the Helm and Seven at Ops. "Or rather Sunfire can."
"It's done," Seven announced as all over Voyager control was returned to the proper crew.
Chakotay hurried over to the two males near the Helm. "What's going on?"
"A rescue," the Doctor said with a smug look. "And a rather successful one so far."
"So far?"
"Mr. Paris is going after the Captain now. Ensign Kim however remains out of reach though we have a general location. Seven of Nine is attempting to narrow it down now."
Neelix turned to Baytart sitting open mouthed, starting at him from the Helm. "Ensign, you may want to correct Voyager's orbit before she crashes."
"What?" Pablo jerked and whirled around to check his board. His fingers flew across the console and made the necessary corrections.
"How did you know that?" Chakotay asked.
"Tom noticed it the instant he saw Voyager from Sunfire. He couldn't do anything about it because the greys might have seen the correction and realized someone had to be accessing the ship's systems."
"Tell us everything that's hap-"
"We have another problem," Seven interrupted.
"What?"
"Me," the other ship interrupted via a cra
ckling commline.
-------
"E'Arte?"
"Not now, I'Nu," the Gherop leader growled, not looking up from the console at which he and the installation's facilities manager were poring. "Can't you see we're trying to figure out why the main power went out?"
I'Nu moved further into the room. "There's another ship in orbit."
The older Gherop's head snapped up. "What?"
"It only appeared briefly, but it matches the description of the smaller ship that was accompanying Voyager. Sunfire."
"But she was supposed to have been destroyed!"
"Obviously they were wrong."
"Show me."
I'Nu led him over to a display where the last few minutes of sensor data was played back. Sunfire was visible only for a split second, but when he slowed the sensor recording down, it showed her quite clearly.
"We don't know how she was able to appear and disappear like that, but she was there."
"And she might know we have Voyager's crew and ship. Contact C'Nar," he yelled to the communications officer. "Tell him to redouble his efforts. I want control of that ship!"
"I cannot reach him, E'Arte," the young officer cowered a second later.
"What?!"
He swept over and shoved the officer out of the way to do it himself. When he too failed he growled and appeared ready to slam his fist into something or someone. Expecting it would be the communications console or officer, everyone stepped back.
"Bring me Ensign Kim," he growled.
"But the ruse," I'Nu objected.
"Should have worked by now if it was going to work at all! Bring him to me. I want him."
"Yes, E'Arte."
The clerk ran out of the room.
-------
"Chakotay to Engineering."
"Engineering here," B'Elanna responded.
"We're sending your replicators patterns for two parts. The instant they're ready, I need an engineer to install them on Sunfire."
"I'll go myself."
"That is not necessary," the ship broke in, audio increasingly static-filled. "Seven of Nine is capable of-"
"We need her here on the sensors, looking for Paris, Harry and the Captain," the Commander objected.
"I'll go myself," B'Elanna repeated. In the back of her mind the idea, she thought the ship's tone was rather cold and sharp through the interference but she could not explain why. Ignoring this thought, she hurried over to the replicators. "What are they for?"
"My cloaking device and communications. Sunbird patched the cloak, but it's no good. It failed only a moment ago. It may not survive the next time."
"They're appearing now." She grabbed them and her engineering kit. "Joe, you're in charge. I'm going to over to Sunfire."
-------
Harry did his best not to die of shame. As he sped up the stairs, everywhere he saw proof he had been tricked. The grey aliens -- Gherop he now knew to call them -- along with P'Chi and other Rachar -- some in chains, some free or as "free" as slaves could be -- were going here and there in the eerie blue gloom. Once he believed his benefactor's story, he could only wallow in self-pity. Someone had fed him a line and he had swallowed it. Eagerly. For all his claims of having matured over his five years on Voyager, he still was the green young ensign Tom had saved from the machinations of a Ferengi on DS9. How was he going to face the Captain after having nearly handed over her ship to the enemy?
Tiredly, he continued to force himself to move upwards. The lift system would have taken less time, but he would have been stuck in close quarters with anyone. Someone would have noticed he was neither Rachar nor Gherop. The stairs were easier since he had a legitimate excuse for keeping his head down to watch his steps and with everyone else would be rushing down or up them so no one would see him long enough to notice.
-------
Rounding a corner to descend to level nine, Tom bumped into a hooded grey who had been climbing the stairs without looking where he was going. Automatically, the figure raised its head to check what it had bumped into and Tom saw a flash of black hair and brown eyes. In that instant there was no sign of recognition from Harry towards Tom, but there was the other way around. Using some light fingers, he slipped an enhancer into the deep pocket he found on the inside of the cloak then hurried passed Harry
without a word. The enhancer was so light weight, the ensign would not know it was even there until after Sunfire beamed him out. Tom only hoped Harry could stay out of the greys' clutches until then.
-------
'Damn,' Harry swore to himself and sped up his progress up the stairs as best he could in the crowd and still not draw attention. 'If that Rachar gives the alarm, I'm done for.' His only hope now was to reach the exit marked on his map before they started searching for him. Providing they had not noticed his absence already.
-------
"Commander, I have Ensign Kim's life sign," Seven almost shouted.
"Then beam him up."
"He's in the middle of a crowd."
"I don't care at this point. They'll have noticed we're gone by now anyway. Get him."
"Yes, Commander. Beaming him straight to the Bridge."
The grey clothed figure who appeared on Voyager's Bridge was a surprise, one which immediately was surrounded by people with phasers drawn. The weapons lowered as his hood did.
"Harry!" Chakotay grinned and the ensign thought the Commander might hug him. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," he nodded, removing his disguise.
"Good, disguise. How'd you manage to get it? I tried knocking out one of them. I came to the conclusion the greys' heads are too hard to-"
"They are Gherop," he said, avoiding the Commander's eyes. "The greys are Gherop."
"What?"
"It is a very long story."
"How did you get away?"
"Someone helped me escape. I did not see the face, but I was given these clothes and a map of the base showing me the quickest route out. I was supposed to rendezvous with someone -- probably Verta -- hidden out in the woods somewhere."
"Why...?"
"I don't know."
"We'll piece it all together later. Right now I need you to take your station and-"
"I can't."
"Why?" He looked the younger man up and down. "Are you hurt? Doctor-"
"I'm not hurt," he insisted, waving away the EMH and finally meeting the Commander's eyes. "I was helping the Gherop to try to take Voyager!"
The Bridge crew gasped and took a mental step back.
"We know," Seven said, still at Harry's station. "However, Ensign, knowing you as we do, we do not believe it was of your own volition."
"They tricked me, or rather the P'Chi did on their behalf," he confirmed. His head whipped around to Chakotay. "The Rachar are slaves and some of them, the P'Chi they call themselves, are collaborators with the Gherop. They claimed to have "liberated" me from the Verta who were trying to use me to get the Captain to put pressure on the government to free their people. They also claimed the Verta may have infected me with a deadly illness. Then they told me the Verta had taken Voyager and had the crew captive and asked me to help them get control of the ship to save all of you and themselves too, from the rebels wanting to use Voyager on them." His eyes dropped as did his voice. "But it was all a lie."
The Commander nodded. "We've been lied to ever since we arrived here, that much is for sure. But that is no reason to remove yourself from duty, Ensign," he disallowed, guessing Harry's reasoning for refusing to assume his post was guilt over his actions. "You were tricked. What you did was not your fault."
"But-"
"Commander," Tuvok interrupted, "ships are launching from the surface."
"Red alert! Shields up. Harry, get to Ops. We'll argue this later."
"Commander, with the shields up we will not be able to beam the Captain up once Tom is close enough to her with the enhancers," Neelix reminded him.
"If those ships attack and we don't have the sh
ields up, there won't be any ship to beam her up to."
"I can beam through my shields," Sunfire informed them through a still imperfect commline. "I'll get
them."
Stepping up to his station, Harry turned and blinked at the screen. "Tom is down there somewhere?"
"Yes," Seven nodded, removing the enhancer from his pocket and showing it to him. "Clearly you encountered him somewhere. The evidence is right here."
"I didn't...." His mind flashed back to the blue Rachar with whom he had collided. "That was Tom?"
"Can we discuss this later?" Chakotay demanded. "Here come the ships."
-------
Unaware of the battle now beginning so far above them, Tom was almost down to the Captain's level. As he descended, he continued to place enhancers, hoping they would be powerful enough to permit Sunfire to beam him and Janeway out instead of him having to risk taking her up a few levels to a point where he knew she could reach them. Wanting to check, he tried again to contact the ship. She still did not answer his hails. Something was terribly wrong. He could feel it. But freeing the Captain had to take precedence right now.
Without guidance from his colleague, he had to rely on the tiny tricorder on his wrist to help him pinpoint the Captain's location down a near empty corridor. It was not difficult for him to find her cell. The two guards standing to either side of the doorway were a dead give-away. In the time it took for their brains to register his presence, two blasts from his phaser pistol had both of them in heaps on the stone floor. Checking their vitals, he found they still lived and he searched them for the key to the cell.
-------
Head still ringing from E'Arte's rough treatment of her during their "chat," Kathryn was not certain she actually had heard a commotion outside her cell. Regardless, she picked herself up off of the mat that was her bed -- well, hers and the local wildlife's. Considering they kept her in total darkness anyway, the sudden switch to emergency power had gone unnoticed by her. The door slowly creaking open did not. Fervently, she wished she had a weapon she could bring crashing down over the head of the person
entering, but her bruised ribs reminded her trying to fight her captors was a lost cause that only would get her hurt more. So instead she stood there, waiting for their return for more questioning.