"Redblind" P/T, J/C, aliens

[Voy_Girl]

Jenny stifled a yawn. She hoped she would feel a little more alert if she was more exposed to the chilly air, but not even removing the jacket and tucking up the sleeves of the turtleneck helped. "I am so hopelessly bored."

"Then take a look at this. I think it's gets lighter over there."

"You do? Where?" She hurried to Harry's side.

"There!" He pointed. "The storm is abating."

Jenny gazed up on the light green clouds, smiling as she noticed a faint shimmer of light behind them.

"I expect contact with Voyager soon," Harry said contentedly, placing his hands on his hips.

"I expect a few hours in Neelix' resort... And if that's not impossible; twice the hours in a tub."

"I understand completely... It's not exactly a clean job we've gotten on our hands."

"Tell you what, Harry." Jenny raked her fingers through her let-out hair.

Studied a strand of it carefully, contemplating. "Let's make a bet."

"A bet?"

"Janeway and Chakotay's friendship - I bet three holodeck hours it's a budding love story.

Notice, I said budding not blooming. You in?"

"All right. Three hours on that it's as normal as a friendship established in the quadrant can be."

"Don't you believe in love? I've heard Lyssa is a hopeless romantic."

Harry looked a little dumbfound, the second before a tentative blush crept over his cheeks, climbing towards his ears. "Of course I believe in love! I... But..."

Jenny gave him a scheming grin as he stumbled on the words. Unable to hold a giggle back, she boxed him on the arm. "I'm just pulling your leg!"

He had another dumbfound moment, then began to laugh, draping an arm over her shoulders.

They continued to laugh the tension off, supporting one another as the clouds dispersed more and more.

*~*~*

498... 499... "Five hundred!"

On B'Elanna's suggestion, they had agreed upon resting each five hundredth step, something Tom hurried to point out.

"I hoped we would do 500 meters too," B'Elanna looked back. "But it's more like 250."

"Did you really think we'd be able to take one-meter-steps?"

She chuckled, tearing her gaze from the lump behind them that was the shuttle.

"That maybe was jumping to conclusions."

They took a gulp each of the tepid water in the canteen. "What do you say; should we do the next five hundred now?" asked Tom.

"Fine. Sit down at 3000?"

"Two thousand."

"Two and a half."

"Fine," he held up both hands in surrender, then carefully made sure his bandages were in place. When he was done, they began to walk again.

"2500 it is," she said after only a few steps. "Just don't faint on me before that."

"I'll try to restrain myself."

She sighed, kicking a small stone out of her straight path. "Any suggestions on what to think about for the next 500 steps?"

"Well... You could always imagine the warp core is placed way over there, just waiting to breach."

"That'll only stress me out."

"Think about... Your last date then."

"You know I don't date!"

"Oh, please forgive me for insinuating something so odd and unusual, and-"

"You don't dare to open your mouth for the nest four hundred and twelve steps!"

"Actually it's four hundred thirteen. Now it's twelve."

*~*~*

[Thomas]

You've got a great balance going between each location.

[Voy_Girl]

[Voy_Girl]

Janeway had hoped the rest of the ship would be better off. But no. The hallways were narrow, and lit with a strange brown light.

After Doxa had peeped into the little engineering with Janeway close upon her heels, she led the way to a niche in a hallway quite far away from the engineering where Janeway had left her three crew members.

There were a couple of mucky easy chairs placed next to a big plant which had leaves that sparkled in every shade of red and orange.

"What do you think?"

Kathryn sat down in one of two brown chairs, though she placed herself a bit awkwardly out on the edge, since the back was tilted backwards a bit too far for her taste."Your warp engine was pretty impressive." She stuck to the core itself, not wanting to complement the entire engineering with its dirty floors and lack of enough efficient consoles.

She did not envy her away team who had to spend time in there.

"I know." Doxa leaned all the way back in the rust-red armchair of her choice.She shamelessly placed her dirty boots on the darned cushion too. "Should we talk about the dilithium now?"

"I only came to discuss B'Zaal."

"Oh, well." She reached out and clipped off a few glowing orange leaves, popping them one by one into her mouth. "Let's get it over with."

"He is in Voyager's brig. For injury and neglecting all kinds of courtesy."

"Yeah? I'm sure he's just fine in there."

"Excuse me?"

"I couldn't care less for B'Zaal, with his robes and his perfectly structured sentences... He'd do better as a statue outside the headquarters he usually works for. In my opinion, he can stay in your brig."

Janeway bolted up from her seat, staring at the woman who indifferentlyreached out to take another handful of leaves. "You are wrong, Doxa. We are not at all alike. I'd never leave anyone from any alpha quadrantic species alone on an alien ship! No matter on what he or she had done, or whether I liked the person in question."

"That's really too bad, because..." Doxa rose slowly. "I have my heart set on getting that dilithium, And when my heart-"

"My heart is set on something too. Which it's to not help you."

*~*~*

"Look! What would you say this is?"

Tom crouched beside B'Elanna, even though it hurt virtually everywhere. It had been 2500 steps, and he needed to rest his legs a little. "There's been water here?"

"Exactly," she stroked over the wavy pattern in the gravel. "Did you notice if the landscape started to stoop a little?"

"That has to be very little. A rainy season, winter?" Tom rose, pressing a palm to his forehead, to stop the ground from moving.

"Any liquid would get here quite fast, if it's stooped a little ever since we left the shuttle."

"True... But where is it?"

"We'll have to work our way to it." Torres rose, tentatively looking back. The shuttle was out of sight since long.

* * *

They had passed two hundred meters behind them - 420 steps - when their search was over.

Only it was not as evident as they had imagined.

Torres did notice it first, when she kicked a few small pebbles in front of her, and they suddenly disappeared. Cautiously, she walked the few meters to the place where the pebbles had vanished. "I've found the water."

Tom joined her, for a moment just staring down at the cobalt blue water several hundred meters down. "It's a crater."

It was indeed a crater, perfectly round and with a diameter too big to waste a guess on. It was filled with the most wonderfully colored liquid. There was a barely noticeable breeze, but still, light blue and grey waves rolled over the surface, gently lapping at the hollowed out rock.

B'Elanna took a deep breath, as if to fill her lungs with the fresh air she expected and anticipated, but which wasn't there. "Should we sit down and have our tasty, nutritious lunch here, since we did skip breakfast?"

"You might want to use those bars for something else."

She glanced at Tom, who had turned his head, now staring behind him with round eyes.

"Like what?"

"A bribe."

Puzzled, Torres turned around fully, when a movement caught her eye.

They were everywhere. Not just the two dozen; more like a couple of hundreds.Their slimy weapon hung from the parted lips. The fangs were showing, they were moaning, hissing, howling - and they advanced.

*~*~*

[Thomas]

Cue a swooping shuttle to beam them up!

[Voy_Girl]

Wouldn't that be just perfect?

[Voy_Girl]

"Thank you, Neelix!" Chakotay placed a hand on the Talaxian's shoulder. B'Zaal lay sprawled behind them, utterly unconscious.

Neelix, who cradled his hurt hand, looked up. "I just finished your work, commander.
Suddenly, he drew a sharp breath, and opened his eyes wide. "What's Kes going to say?"

"I have to go to the bridge... Will you follow me?"

"I can't. Samantha is needed both here and there, and I have to take care of Naomi."

"Of course, your priority lies there." Chakotay pressed Neelix' shoulder one last time, then stalked away, heading for the nearest turbolift.


* * *


There was a febrile activity on Voyager's bridge, though Tuvok was the only superior officer there.

"Where's the captain?"

Tuvok looked up from his console to answer the commander's question. His gaze quickly flew over Chakotay's bruised face. "She has beamed on board the Lakmaran ship to speak to the commanding officer."

"Psychopath..." Chakotay mumbled, B'Zaal's ill-omened word the only coherent thought which bounced around in his pounding head. Quickly, he entered the turbolift again.

* * *

"Commander...?"

The young man who operated the transporter looked up, frowning quite artfully, when Chakotay took the distance from the doorway to the transporter pad in three strides.

"Beam me to the Lakmaran ship!"

"But sir..."

"Now!"

The last thing Chakotay saw of the transporter room, was how Joe Carey stormed in.

*~*~*

Doxa grabbed Kathryn's shoulders, digging her fingers into them. "If I don't get it from you, B'Zaal will get it from your ship. And I will take it from him! So either way, your dilithium will end up powering my engines!"

With a grim look on her face, Janeway shook off Doxa's hands, turned and stalked away.

"Yes, captain... You better hurry." Doxa chuckled behind Kathryn's back."Tenny!" The boy immediately popped up from somewhere. "I want you to go to the command central and tell them there that they can prepare to fire at... Voyager."

Kathryn sped up her steps, determined to summon her team and return in time to defend her ship. the adolescent boy hurried past her, eager to carry out his important orders.

She deliberately stayed a few steps behind him, until they both had rounded a poorly lit corner, and thereby were out of Doxa's sight.

She reached out and touched the boy gently on the shoulder. To her surprise, he not only stopped, but turned around to face her, too. He was almost exactly as tall as her, maybe a centimeter, or so, shorter.

"Tenny... Don't go to the command central."

"I'm sorry, but I have to do my job."

"At least give me a chance to go down with my ship."

"I'm sorry!" He was getting uncertain, his conscious surfacing. "Doxa will get there in just a few seconds after me, anyway."

"A few seconds can be worth dozens of lives!"

"But if Doxa is distracted, she won't give any orders, and our weapons officer is forbidden to fire at will."

"Thank you!" Kathryn blurted out, a little taken aback. Where did that come from? "You better go now."

"Can I? Have I bought you seconds?" Telly asked, now clearly worried, as Janeway ushered him forward.

"Many. Thank you. And remember; you can do anything you want!"

As soon as the boy was on his way, she tapped her com badge, hoping it'd work.

:::Janeway to Voyager:::

:::Captain?::: Tuvok's dark voice responded a moment later.

:::Charge weapons, beam B'Zaal to where Doxa is, and get the three 'fleeters

out of here!:::

:::What about you, captain?:::

:::I have to stay here for a while:::

:::But we can not --:::

:::Fire when the shields can't stand any more direct hits. Only then,
understood?:::

:::Yes, captain:::

Sighing, she ended the transmission, and set course for a command central she had no idea how to find.

*~*~*

[Thomas]

It's all happening.

Chakotay and Janeway are going to team up... and get lost?

[Voy_Girl]

You wish!

[Voy_Girl]

To Kathryn's surprise, the central was much closer than she'd expected it to be. She merely had to pass through two corridors, one as dark as the other, until she found herself outside an open door. She could hear voices. And she recognized them both.

The command central was bigger than it had appeared on Voyager's main screen, with a respectable number of shining consoles placed in diagonal rows with three in each, all manned.

It was well-lit and light; clearly the most lavished part of the alien ship.

B'Zaal and Doxa stood in the middle, both loudly declaring what they thought of one another.

Of course, they touched the dilemma with the dilithium quite fervently, skillfully accusing the other for not having it.

"What are you waiting for?" He finally said, loud and clear. "If this is your ship, then make it fire at that Voyager."

"Representative B'Zaal," Janeway spoke up, with a firm voice. She left her unnoticed spot by the doorway, approaching the two Lakmarans she aimed her words to."She can't fire without dropping the lock, as well as the only hold, she's got on one of the planets down there."

"Is that true, Doxa?"

"Yes! If you wouldn't spend all of your time cooped up in the headquarters, you would know that kind of stuff!"

"What are you doing here?" B'Zaal seemed to realize that Janeway should be on her ship.

"You shouldn't question me. Especially not since it's due to me you're here with your own people. Doxa here gladly would have left you locked up on Voyager."

"What?!"

Doxa gave him an overcome look, then sighed. "Drop the lock, and fire!"

* * *

Janeway had time to see how a trembling Tenny backed into a corner. Then, a surge of power shook the clumsy ship, as the first set of torpedoes were emancipated and released.

Several torpedoes were fired: one wave had barely subsided before another one began.

Kathryn had to grab hold of the nearest console, glancing at the woman who occupied it. She was holding on for all she was worth.

"Why aren't they firing back?" B'Zaal dared to ask after the shakings had stopped.

"Because," Doxa turned to Janeway with a smug smile touching her dark lips. "They can't risk to hurt their captain."

"Then let's keep her here," B'Zaal took a step forwards, raising a hand to grab her.

Kathryn was just about to drop a crushing commentary about his face, when someone else beat her to it.

"I don't think you should do that. Unless you want to add another shade to that face of yours. I'm sure the Talaxian chef would be glad to help you."

"Chakotay?" Janeway turned around, facing her first officer. Tattoo, bruised jaw and all.

"Kathryn, are you all right?" He placed both hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently.

"I'm fine," she assured him, then reached up to touch his jaw. "But there's something slightly different about you."

"Fire," Doxa groaned a few good meters away.

*~*~*

[Thomas]

Fine. They team up, get to the command central, save the day, then get lost on their way back.

[Voy_Girl]

[Voy_Girl]

Meanwhile, aboard Voyager, Tuvok hailed the transporter room. He informed the crewman, and Carey who still was there, that they had to respond to the Lakmarans' fire, since shields were failing. The command team had to get away from the alien ship.

"What should I do?" The crewman was nearly frantic, fixing a pair of imploring eyes on Joe Carey. "Tuvok will start firing within seconds."

Joe shrugged, frowned, and finally grabbed hold of the younger man's arm. "Just beam them anywhere!"

* * *

Kathryn and Chakotay materialized to the tunes of an enticing, brittle birdlike song. Lush green grass extended beneath their booted feet.

He still had his hands on her shoulders; she still cupped his sore cheek.

She cleared her throat, and withdrew her hand. He coughed a little, doing the same.

A few meters away, Harry Kim turned to a grinning Jenny Delaney. "Try the Bolian bubble bath."

*~*~*

[Thomas]

So they're on one of the planets with Harry and Jenny now?

And you call that an addition? More!

[Voy_Girl]

I know...


*****************


The drooling jaws of the closest animal came alarmingly close to B'Elanna's legs.

Dealing with the unsettling thought that those creatures probably could scent their own unfinished business, she kicked at it, taking yet another step backwards.

It wasn't long before both she and Paris would either have to jump into the water, or resign themselves to the habitants.

"Have you ever had the feeling that it'd be welcome to faint, thus giving yourself a third choice?" Tom took another step too, more because she did it, than because he absolutely had to.

"Why faint, when you can wish for a bat'leth or a phaser?"

"Good point."

They took another step, in unison this time. Those creatures were everywhere, closing in on them from every possible direction. Each time one of them moved forward, another one immediately took its place. To Paris and Torres, it was like staring out over a sea of brown fur, bobbing up and down in a co-ordinated flow.

The worst part was that the little army ended abruptly a couple of meters behind the first row, but it was impossible to get there.

"Since this seems to be my last chance... What was it you wanted to say last night?"

Unconsciously, Tom and B'Elanna moved closer to one another.

"I... wanted to say that you aren't exactly the first choice on my list of 'people I'd like to be trapped on a planet with hostile wild life with'. But it hasn't been as bad to be here with you as I thought."

* * *

In the blink of an eye later, the biggest of the animals in the first row narrowed all three of its eyes, ran up, and flew through the air.

The howling when it fell all the way down to the surface of the water echoed in the deep crater. It did not understand anything. The lunch had been so close, and yet, now it was no longer there.

[Thomas]

*Looks about for the swooping shuttle*

[Voy_Girl]

Look harder! It is there, somewhere... But then again, maybe not.

[Thomas]

I know what else I don't see: more story!

[Voy_Girl]

"What about the unnatural light?" Torres asked, fixing her eyes on Tuvok from one of the bio beds.

The sensors were fully operative again, the Vulcan had scanned the surface of planet Y, and was busy reporting the data to Torres and her companion.

"It appears to be a period of darkness on the part of the planet you were on. To be able to see, a thin line of luminous rocks has been placed directly under the utmost layer of soil with even intervals. It had to be done by the local inhabitants."

B'Elanna locked eyes with Tom, who sat up on the other bed, while Kes scanned him. They both frowned, finding the thought impossible.

"We'll have to investigate that further another time and another place, lieutenants Torres and Paris are going to leave now." The Doctor put in, motioning to the two mentioned to stand up.
"I have other patients to care for."

"Of course," Tuvok nodded, watching as Voyager's physician ushered Tom and B'Elanna to the door.

* * *

Thus, not even half an hour since they had been beamed aboard again, they were out of sickbay. And they had survived yet another of the surprises the Delta Quadrant offered.

"So, according to the Doctor we were both were worse than we wanted to confess." Torres said, while looking down at her torn, dirty uniform.
At least she was neat again, and the clean part could be easily arranged.

"The Doctor got something more to add to his memoirs."

They stood outside the closed door that led to the sickbay, neither of them wanting to rush away without proper closure.

"Well," Tom laughed a little, held out a hand. "Thanks for a good cooperation."

"The same. And the arrangement is over now."

"Of course," he freed himself from the clasp of hands, which grew more and more firm from B'Elanna's side.

"Which means I can finally... If you're such a good pilot, why couldn't you have flown us to safety?!"

"Hey! You could've helped me!"

"How?"

"I'm sure you have some knockout Maquis trick up your sleeve..."

"Don't start!"

"Sore spot?"

"Don't start!"

On every deck Paris and Torres passed before they had settled things for the time being, they had elicited both chuckles and knowing grins from various crew members.If the couple would have taken the time to notice those reactions, they would have realized that they had been missed.

*~*~*



No swooping shuttles this time... Merely the transporters. Same old, same old.

[Thomas]

Meh, at least they were rescued.

[Voy_Girl]

"Captain's log, supplemental. We defeated the Lakmarans with a couple of well-aimed blows below the belt, so to speak. They limped off, and we did not pursue them. Tuvok handled the situation exemplary.

When the Lakmarans left, it was revealed that they had more knowledge about a certain type of technology than they admitted. It was them, who, in addition to the ion storms disturbed our sensors. Thus when they were gone the ion storm had cleared up, and we were able to bring back Sorensen, Jackson, Kim and Jenny Delaney without problem. As for Torres and Paris, the transporter saved them from a bit of a tight place. Tuvok was able, to lieutenant Paris' great relief, restore the shuttle in more or less one piece.

For the future, I will consider a way to warn other travelers for the Lakmarans and their insidious stratagems. If given no other chance, the Lakmarans will have to find and mine their own dilithium, just as everyone else. End log."

Kathryn raked a hand through her let-out hair. The chime outside her door craved her attention. She rose from her sofa, stretching out her grey turtleneck. She was going to answer it personally, partly because she needed to stretch, partly because she could guess who was out there.

"Chakotay. Come in."

He nodded, walking into her, not one hundred percent illuminated, quarters.

"Is there something important?"

"No, I... Was nearby."

"There's those explanations again..."

"And decided to stop by and see how you're feeling."

"I'm a little tired, but that probably passes for everyone else on board. How about you?"

"Just as tired as everyone else. And my jaw is a little raw." He touched the healed, but still a little sore, spot with one hand. With the other, he declined Kathryn's offer to sit down. "There is something else, too."

"Spit it out, commander." She sat down in the sofa again, folding her arms expectantly.

"Did you become upset when I appeared on the Lakmaran ship? After what happened in the mess."

"No. It's two different things. On board that ship, I could have been in trouble if it hadn't been for you."

He smiled, placing his hands on the small of his back."I think they were taken a little aback, yes."

"And the transporters kicked in, in the right time."

"Should I remind you again to complement Neelix?"

"Actually, I have something in mind for him, but I could need some help with the... plan."

"So we're still having our dinner tomorrow?"

"Why shouldn't we? Besides, it's your turn to cook."

"Sad but true," Chakotay chuckled. "Is there a special theme I should consider?"

"How about 'we're on our way again'?"

"All right. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an errand to take care of."

"Something important?"

"Very. It involves an engineer and a certain replicator."

She merely smiled, shaking her head a little.

"Good night, Kathryn."

"Good night."

Chakotay left, leaving a Kathryn Janeway lost in thought behind.

After a minute, she rose and walked up to her viewport. Stars that streaked by like white lines on dark paper was all she could see. And for the moment, that was enough for her.

She smiled a little.

Voyager and her crew were indeed on their way again.



THE END

[Thomas]

I have to say, I wasn't expecting the ending to be so soon, but it's a good one.

[Voy_Girl]

I'm sorry, but I had no time to make it longer, since it had a sort of deadline.

[Thomas]

Ending's good nonetheless,

[Voy_Girl]

Thanks, I kind of hoped it would be.