Part 2 – The Setup

Disclaimer: All Voyager characters are the property of Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chakotay awoke slowly, his ears picking up the almost silent pulsing of Voyager; a sound almost felt rather than heard. He stretched a little, enjoying the feel of the woman asleep in his arms. Then he leaned down and softly kissed her hair, murmuring soft words to her in his native tongue.

Turning slightly, Kathryn moved closer while savoring the feeling of security in his arms. She felt totally loved by this man.

"Come on, we have to get up." He caressed her lips with his.

"No," she said snuggling in even closer. "I want to stay here forever."

"Here, forever, sounds wonderful Kathryn, but I think someone would eventually come looking for us."

"Yes, Tuvok!" She chuckled, as she moved her face up to accept his kisses.

"Kathryn, if we don’t stop now we are going to be late." He warned. "We need to eat breakfast with the crew. You know they expect to see us."

=^=

They weren’t late for breakfast, although the decision to shower together didn’t save any time.

Everyone seemed glad to see them. Tom Paris sat with them filling them in on the changes that had been made. They were just finishing up when Tom called to someone.

"Hey Crag, aren’t you supposed to be at the conn." He motioned at the tall blond woman to join them.

"Mr. Paris, I am on a break, the first one I might add since 0400 hours this morning. We ran out of coffee on the bridge and I just came down for a cup." She grinned at him.

"Chakotay, Captain, its good to have you back," she said to the others at the table. "I’ll see you at shift change, Tom." She took her coffee and left the mess hall.

"I think I have competition for my job," Tom laughed.

"Amanda Crag was one of the best pilots we had in the Maquis. I was lucky to have her on the Valjean, and we are lucky to have her here with us now." Chakotay stood picking up his dishes.

"The word going around is that Amanda is seeing a lot of Kenneth Dalby," Tom grinned.

"Good," Chakotay finished up the last of his breakfast. "They both lost so much to the Cardassians. Maybe they can find something together." He gave a discrete wink to his captain.

Laughing, Kathryn drank the last of her coffee, gathered her dishes and headed for the kitchen.

"See you in a little bit, Paris," Chakotay turned and followed the Captain with his dishes. Then they both left the mess hall and headed for the bridge.

=^=

The morning passed uneventfully until they received the message.

It was transmitted from an unmanned message buoy. The Captain ordered them to drop out of warp and had Harry open a channel. It was out of focus and appeared hurriedly made, but the face on it was unmistakable. Seska!

"Chakotay they’re going to take your son. When Culluh saw the baby, I hear them coming, I don’t have much time, the baby wasn’t his…Please Chakotay, help us. Not for me, for your son!" Her frantic cries of "no," and "don’t take him," were suddenly cut off as the transmission ended.

Kathryn looked over at Chakotay, in time to see the look of dismay pass over his face, then disappear behind his command mask.

"Mr. Kim, trace what you can from the message. Tuvok you have the bridge," she got Chakotay’s attention. "Commander, let’s go to the ready room."

=^=

Chakotay and Kathryn had been discussing the situation for a few minutes when he suddenly leaped up from his chair and paced the room, his fists clenching in anger. "This is not my responsibility. She has no right to expect me…"

"She knows you Chakotay, she knows how you’d react when you saw your son in danger."

"I have a duty to this crew, Kathryn, as well a duty to you. I can’t just leave and go looking for the child. We are just starting our own relationship."

She reached over to him rubbing his arm with her hand. "I’d never consider letting you go into a Kazon Nistrim stronghold by yourself." She led him to the couch and sat next to him holding his hand. "When she sent us the first message, about impregnating herself with your DNA, I wanted to scream. I felt like she was stealing my child; the one I wanted with you. Even though he is not my child, he is a part of you and I want him."

"What do you think we should do, Kathryn?"

"If we do this, we do it together. That’s something else Seska would know too."

Chakotay begin to relax, as he pushed his anger away. He was ready now to make plans, now that he knew Kathryn was still his. "Do you think it is a trap?"

"Do I think that Seska is capable of manipulating you and me with this? Oh yes."

"On the other hand, it was time for her to deliver and that baby we saw did look part Cardassian and part human."

Kathryn continued his thought, "And knowing Culluh, I’m sure his pride was wounded and when he realized the child wasn’t his. It makes sense, Chakotay. It might all be true."

"Still the safest thing would be to ignore this message and resume our course."

"Chakotay, you know more than anyone else just what life for a Kazon child would be. Would you want to subject your son to that ordeal? I’m not going to resume our course just yet. I want you to think about this Chakotay. This has to be your decision. If you choose to go after him, I know I speak for the entire crew, Starfleet and Maquis alike, when I say we’ll stand behind you."

He pulled her into his arms, "I know that, Kathryn. I just don’t want to risk what we are building together."

"Chakotay, I know the pain of losing a child. You’re not going to lose me over something Seska did."

"I think I need a vision quest."

She smiled at him. "Your medicine bundle is still in the shuttle. Go on, take a couple of hours and then we’ll meet with the senior staff for a briefing."

She walked with him back to the bridge, and to the turbo lift, quietly giving him her support.

=^=

The shuttlebay was quiet as he walked across to the McCool. He searched through the belongings in the tub until he found the medicine bundle and his akoonah.

He knelt down on the floor, opening the large piece of natural suede that held the items together.

He held his hand on the akoonah until he could feel the beginnings of the vision quest. He picked up the carved river stone, cupping it in his hands as he closed his eyes and chanted.

"A-koo-chee-moya. We are far from the sacred places of our grandfathers. We are far from the bones of my people. What I ask on this day of sorrow and uncertainty, that the wisdom of my father find me, and help me understand my dilemma. Speak to me father, speak to me in my dreams."

As if from a great distance, Chakotay heard his father speaking. "I’ve never seen you so troubled, Chakotay." He opened his eyes and found himself home, in the clearing near the house he grew up in. It was night and his father was beginning to place wood for a fire.

Chakotay walked over and sat down beside the old man.

"I have a son, father." Chakotay almost whispered.

"A son Chakotay? Oh, this is the reason for your despair. Was he born with two arms and two legs and a heart that beats?"

"Yes, but…"

Kolopak cut him off, "Then this is a cause for celebration. You will make a fine father, you needn’t worry."

"I’m not sure I’m willing to be a father to him."

"Hmm, not willing," Kolopak seemed confused.

"He was born without my consent. I had no part in it."

"No part in it," there was humor in the old man’s voice. "It’s been a long time, so forgive me but it seems that I had to play a part before your mother could conceive."

"My DNA was taken from me and used by a woman to impregnate herself without my permission."

"I see, you are trying to decide whether you should accept the child into your heart."

Chakotay sighed, "It’s more than that, father. I have a relationship with a woman that I believe is my soul mate."

"But it must begin with that. Is this woman telling you to forget your son?"

‘No, father, Kathryn told me that she feels like this child was stolen from her, from us both. I think she actually wants him. But the boy’s mother is the problem. I once cared for her only to find out that she lied to me, and now this! How do you take a child into your heart who is forced upon you by a mother’s deception."

"He knows nothing of deception. He is innocent. Centuries ago when the women of our tribe were raped by white conquerors, many gave birth to their children, and we did not reject them. They were accepted by this tribe. One was a direct ancestor of ours, Chakotay." Kolopak paused closing his eyes. He appeared to be drawing on some deep memory. "His name was Ce Acatil. He became a great leader of our people. Here is a man who was given life without his mother’s consent. Are you so different from her, and is your child so different from Ce Acatil?"

"No," Chakotay sighed.

"He is your son, Chakotay, and he is a child of our people."

Chakotay felt the real world returning, as the soft ground he was kneeling on became the hard deck of the shuttlecraft. He opened his eyes, pausing for a moment to center himself, then begin to wrap up his medicine bundle. He always knew that he would have to go after his son, but he was now at peace with the idea.

He placed the bundle with the other things in the tub, then turned to find Kathryn, in the shuttle, waiting for him.

"How long have you been here?"

"Not long, are you ok."

"I am now."

"We do have to go after him," she said, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest.

"Kathryn, are you ok with this? He is half Cardassian. I will not trade him for you."

"Chakotay, I am fine. He is your son, and a part of you. Don’t worry about that. He is a little boy that needs us, not just you, us!"

=^=

The briefing started when the two commanding officers arrived. Neelix began by suggesting a contact be made with the nearby Talaxian mining colony. They might be able to offer help if it was needed.

There was a long discussion about modifying the deflector grid to employ an echo displacement making the Kazon sensors see false images of ships coming to aid Voyager. The Doctor suggested installing holo-projectors along the hull with parabolic mirrors to reflect three-dimensional images of friendly ships.

As the meeting begin to wind down the Captain spoke, "I know we are all aware of how clever Seska is. I believe that there is a high probability that this is a trap. The capture of Voyager would be a great prize to Culluh, and Seska is perfectly capable of using her own son as bait. I want us to put together some plan now; a way to make Voyager unusable to them if they should take her."

"Captain." Tom spoke. "We could use the self-destruct."

"Tom, there has got to be another way. This ship is our means to return home. I’ll only destroy it as a last resort. What I’m thinking is some sort of computer program that could be released if they board us. A type of a shut down program. Can it be done, B’Elanna?"

"It should be possible, but what is going to stop them from forcing one of us to give them the codes to override it?"

The Captain nodded at Tom, "This is where you come in. I think that several of us should work on the program in such a way that none of us knows the complete code. I think that Tom and one of the engineers should try to sneak the key off Voyager. If we are boarded, they’ll have the codes, and we will be able to use the transporters on the shuttlecraft to retake our ship.

"There should be some sequence to the lock down. The transporters should go offline immediately. That way we cannot be beamed off the ship and scattered. This should force them to set the ship down somewhere, and if they wanted us back they would have to come and get us."

"I get it, and when the ship sets down, the whole thing just locks down!" B’Elanna continued for Captain Janeway, her dark eyes sparking as she worked on the solution to their problem. "I think that you and I along with Carey, Vorik and a couple of others could work on the program, without anyone knowing the whole key, and then one of the engineers could go with Tom to the Talaxians, carrying the key in a modified tricorder.

"Who would you suggest?" Captain Janeway asked. "I don’t want to be obvious."

B’Elanna continued, "You are right, both Joe Carey and I should be here, Seska would expect to see us, but there is someone else that Seska never paid much attention to, Susan Nicoletti. She is a good engineer."

"Oh," Tom groaned "Don’t send me out with cold hands, cold heart Nicoletti."

"Mr. Paris, what is your problem?" The Captain caught him with her best glare.

"Nothing, Captain," the pilot sighed.

"Paris, you’re a pig." B’Elanna replied lightly elbowing him, then turned her attention to the Captain. "I’m sure we could do this. I have one more suggestion, Captain."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I think that we should arrange to have some things with us. Just in case we are put off the ship. We could hide parts for communicators, tricorders and small phasers. The heels of shoes would work for a lot of items. We couldn’t take many but even a few items would help considerably."

"I agree. Assign a group and let’s get started."

The Captain made assignments and then dismissed the senior staff.

"Just a minute," Chakotay spoke up. "I want to thank you for this."

Tom patted the older man on the back, "Commander, I believe I speak for everyone on this ship, when I say there is no way we will leave any of our children in Kazon hands."

=^=

It was afternoon when they received a distress call from a badly damaged Kazon shuttlecraft. Captain Janeway called for a red alert and then had the injured pilot beamed to sick bay.

Chakotay recognized the Kazon immediately. He was Tierna, one of Seska’s aides. The Commander walked to the biobed just as the injured man regained consciousness.

"Seska is dead!" The injured man pulled himself up, and then fell back onto the bed.

After a hypospray injection the Kazon seemed to gain a little strength and then continued, "Culluh cut her throat and when I tried to escape he disabled my ship and left me in space to die."

"What about the child?" Chakotay whispered.

"The child is being sent to the Gema Four colony to be raised as a servant."

"You will help us find this Gema Four colony, and my son," and with that Chakotay turned and went into the Doctor’s office.

The Doctor reported that Tierna’s injuries, although numerous, were treatable. The only thing that troubled him was an abnormal increase in the number of his red blood cells. He was also concerned that there was no way of confirming if his story was true or not.

"Commander, he would have been dead in another hour if we hadn’t come along."

=^=

Chakotay joined Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Torres in Engineering to get their reports.

"The molecular variance residual on his shuttle has evidence of disruptor blasts and the signature is Kazon, so at least that part of his story is true," B’Elanna told Chakotay.

Harry continued, "Plus we confirmed nitrogen tetroxide was in the cabin. If all this was part of a Kazon scheme, he would’ve had to be willing to breathe poison for hours before we got here."

"Have we found anything at all that would cast doubt on his story?" Chakotay questioned both officers.

"No," Kim offered.

"For the prize of Voyager, almost any Nistrim would have been willing to breathe poison for hours. I still don’t trust him." Chakotay turned and left the sick bay.

=^=

It was early evening when the last briefing was held with Tierna. He offered to help by showing them a route which would take them safely past the Kazon fleet and after some persuasion he gave them the command codes for the Nistrim defense net that allowed them to see the placement of their forces.

"You are entering a section of space populated by Kazon factions that are loyal to no one. They will attack without provocation."

"Tuvok, have Tierna escorted to the security deck." The captain ordered.

As soon as the Kazon man had left, the real briefing began.

B’Elanna reported that the shutdown program was complete and should be ready to implement in the morning. She also reported that the entire crew had various parts hidden in their uniforms.

Harry had the echo displacement online and the holo emitters and parabolic mirrors would be in place tomorrow, and they could start testing.

All reported that the crew had been briefed and were ready. Seska would find a lot of changes since the last time she was on Voyager.

"Good people, now go get something to eat and get some rest, I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a long day." The Captain dismissed them.

As soon as everyone else had left, Kathryn turned to Chakotay, and settled into his arms.

"This is not the homecoming I expected." She lay her face against his chest listening to his heartbeat.

"Nor mine." He just held her for a while drawing strength from her. "We should follow our Captain’s orders," he smiled.

"Yes," she answered, looking forward to lying in his arms.

=^=

The attacks began the next morning.

Kathryn and Chakotay were awakened by the red alert signal. They quickly dressed and headed for the bridge.

The first attack was short and primarily focused on the starboard ventral damaging the secondary command processor.

The captain canceled the red alert, replacing it with a yellow, then began to send the bridge crew to get breakfast in small groups.

The second attack came about ninety minutes later, again focusing on the starboard ventral, and causing the isolinear controls to go offline.

The attacks continued the rest of the morning. Each time they focused on the starboard ventral complicating repairs on the secondary command processors.

Finally after the fifth attack left the isolinear controls non-functional, the Captain called a halt. Decks twelve and fifteen. Sections A4 through C18 were damaged, and deck twelve was in a shambles.

"Why would these factions of Kazon, loyal to none, all have the same agenda?" She spoke looking around at her bridge crew.

Chakotay stepped up, "And why would that agenda focus on a non-essential area of the ship?"

"I feel like I’m being pecked to death by ducks," she replied. "The only reason to damage the secondary command processors is to make the self destruct useless, and Seska would know that. I think it’s time to change our course." She instructed Tom to lay in a new course in a different direction.

Just as soon as the course change was initiated, eight large Kazon carrier ships appeared.

"Funny how they show up right after we reverse course." Chakotay said looking at the readouts.

"They are eight minutes away, approaching in classic Cardassian formation. Furthermore they have left Voyager with an obvious avenue of escape." Tom reported.

"I don’t trust their avenue of escape. Mr. Paris, set a course to intercept the lead Kazon ship. Mr. Kim, send in the cavalry. Tom, I think it’s time for you to go."

"Yes, Captain." and he called for Nicoletti to meet him in the shuttle bay.

As soon as he turned over the helm to Ensign Crag, he made his way to the turbolift.

Harry activated the sensor echo displacement, and immediately four of the Kazon ships broke off to engage the illusory Talaxian ships.

=^=

Tom sat in the McCool, running through the last minute checks when Lieutenant Nicoletti entered the shuttlecraft.

She was carrying the modified tricorder with her. As she turned to fasten her seat belt she caught sight of a large wooden vat that sat in the rear of the shuttlecraft.

"What is that?"

"I don’t know," Tom replied, "but we’re certainly not taking it with us." He activated the transporter and beamed Kathryn’s bathtub and the couple’s belongings into a corner of the bay, behind some storage containers.

Tom activated communications, "Paris to Janeway."

"Janeway here," the captain replied.

"We’re ready to go, Captain."

"Good luck Mr. Paris. I’ll have Tuvok give you as much cover fire as possible."

"We’ll see you later," then Tom activated the shuttlebay doors and moved the small ship away from Voyager.

=^=

On the security deck, Tierna aroused himself from a deep meditative state, and began to remove miniscule devices from their hiding places on his body.

Moaning low Kazon chants, he began to assemble the parts.

=^=

The bridge was a mass of activity as photon torpedoes were randomly detonated in the Kazon ship’s path. The holoprojectors helped by confusing the enemy and allowing Voyager extra hits.

Voyager continued to fire phasers in an effort to cover the shuttlecraft as Paris and Nicoletti made their escape.

=^=

Tierna took the long needle from the device he had assembled. He made a fist to bring up a vein and screamed at the top of his lungs as he plunged the needle deep into his arm.

His body suddenly swelled and then exploded.

=^=

The explosion was felt all the way to the bridge.

"Report!"

"There was a massive discharge on deck eight. We’ve lost a primary plasma conduit. Now we have power failures all over the ship. We can’t go to warp as the containment field generator was destroyed. The navigational array is offline, the driver coil assembly is destroyed and the impulse engines are offline." Harry was not painting a pretty picture.

Kathryn looked over at Chakotay, a question in her eyes. He gave her a small smile and nodded his approval.

"Computer initiate program, Janeway Maquis 47," she nodded at her first officer and he approved her command.

"Computer authorization, Chakotay Starfleet 74."

"Captain, the transporters are offline," Harry reported.

"Thank you, Mr. Kim." She put her hand in Chakotay’s, "Well, here we go."

=^=

Voyager hung in space, with the Kazon ships surrounding her. On board the crew watched and waited for their next move.

"Captain," Harry Kim reported. "We are being boarded through the shuttle craft bays."

Tuvok continued, "I show intruders on decks five, six and seven. There has been weapons fire."

Kathryn looked over at Chakotay, "I just don’t want any of our crew hurt."

"They are good, Captain, and they all know what to do."

"Intruders on Deck One." Harry called as the turbolift doors opened. "Kazon on the bridge." Then Tuvok lifted his phaser and fired.

"Cease Fire!" the Captain ordered. More Kazon poured onto the bridge.

The Kazon begin the force the bridge crew down on the floor in front of the command chairs. Chakotay pulled Kathryn down beside him as Tuvok calmly walked over and sat on her the other side. They huddled together each one trying to protect another. Ayala sat on the other side of Chakotay. Amanda was between Kim and the other security man. They just quietly waited. It didn’t take long.

Captain Janeway stood up and spoke to one of the Kazon, "I wish to speak with Maje Culluh.

"That is easily arranged, Captain." Culluh swaggered onto the bridge as if he owned it. Of course he thought that he did. He was closely followed by a very much alive Seska. She carried a small bundle in her arms.

"Hello, everyone." She gloated. "What do you think of your son, Chakotay!" She pulled down the blanket and they could see the baby. He had black hair and dark eyes and with the exception of the Cardassian mark on he forehead he looked human. "He has your eyes don’t you think? Thank goodness he doesn’t look too human, you all have such weak foreheads."

Chakotay glared up at her. "May he grow up never knowing the contempt his father has for his mother."

"I think I can assure you of that Commander, I intend to take him for my own son. A man who violates a woman under his own command doesn’t deserve a son." Culluh spat the words out, contempt ringing in every word.

"What! Is that what she told you!" Chakotay started up but Kathryn held him back.

"The boy will be trained as a Kazon askara. Already he has helped us win the greatest battle in our history."

The Captain stood up. "Culluh, I’d like to discuss what happens now."

Culluh slapped her down with the back of his hand. "You will be give no more respect than any Kazon woman now that your ship and technology are mine. I will tell you when you may speak."

Kathryn fell back into Chakotay and Ayala’s arms. They quickly righted her but Chakotay stayed very close.

"Allow my crew to live. They were following my orders." She tried to pretend meekness but it wasn’t easy.

"You are worse than she is," Culluh shook his finger at Kathryn, then gestured back at Seska. "What is it about the women from your quadrant. You know she even contradicts me in front of the senior askara. My own woman, disputing her Maje in front of others. It is your fault, you have let your women get out of control."

"You know you have my deepest respect," Seska said in attempt to smooth his ruffled feathers, but inwardly seething.

Culluh finally noticed his surroundings. "Why is it so dark in here? Somebody turn up the lights, and get the repair crews to begin work immediately. I want to leave for the Hanon system as soon as possible."

"What’s in the Hanon system?" Chakotay questioned.

"Your new home. Take them to the cargo bay. Take all the crew to the cargo bay and have them check all quarters," Seska ordered.

His men waited until Culluh snapped his fingers in approval.

"No, wait," Seska stepped down among the bridge crew. "Leave Amanda here." She singled out the blond pilot. "She can pilot until we get someone checked out."

She then turned to the Commander. "Goodbye Chakotay, I’ll take good care of our son."

As the crew was herded off the bridge, Seska sat down in Chakotay’s seat as Culluh sat in Kathryn’s. She adjusted her jacket and put the baby to her breast and began to feed him.

=^=

The crew was pushed and shoved into cargo bay 2. The Kazon searched all parts of the ship, pulling crew out wherever they found them. Neelix was shoved out of the mess hall. Sam Wildman was pulled out of her quarters with only enough time to grab a couple of blankets for Naomi.

The Kazon reached the sick bay, pulling injured personnel out of biobeds. The doctor, seeing that he could be of no help, called for his program to shut down and restart in twelve hours.

They continued until Cargo bay 2 held almost one hundred and fifty people.

=^=

The command crew sat in the middle of the cargo bay, and by using the agreed upon hand signals they knew each of the crew were ready. Now they would only wait.

They quietly got the emergency medical equipment, stored in the bay and begin to take care of the bumps and bruises caused by the Kazon as their guards just watched and laughed.

Sam and several of the crew replicated extra diapers and stuffed them in their jackets.

"Have the crew get as much rest as possible," Kathryn ordered. "This isn’t over yet."

They all settled in and waited.

=^=

Culluh called for a report. "How long before we have transporters?"

"Transporters are still offline. I don’t know when they will be up." Seska snapped back.

"Then we’ll just have to land and put them off," he smiled.

"I don’t like it, Culluh."

Crag felt the sweat trickle down her back. She knew her job, and how much everyone was depending on her, but she was in an impossible strain. She was glad to see the Hanon system as they entered it and made their way to the fourth planet.

She felt Culluh’s eyes on her. "Prepare for landing," he ordered.

In an effort to cooperate, as she was ordered, she began the verbal run through to set down the ship for the young Kazon pilot next to her.

"Stand by to engage atmospheric thrusters," she chanted. "Engage view screen, extend landing struts."

The young Kazon watched her every move, committing them to memory. She realized that the Kazon didn’t understand the technology they were using and depended on simple memorization to run the ships they took.

"Ready environmental controls," she said, beginning the final sequence to setting the ship down.

Then as she felt the gentle bump of landing, she gave the final orders, "Disengage engines, and secure thruster exhaust." Then she allowed her body to slump in relief.

She heard Culluh order the shuttlebay doors open and the crew to be put off. She felt a Kazon hand on her arm as one of Culluh’s guards pulled her out of her seat and shoved her to the turbolift.

Just as the last of the crew were leaving the ship, she was forced into the shuttle bay and outside with the rest of the crew. She saw Ken Dalby waiting for her at the end of the ramp, and ran all the way into his embrace.

As they walked outside, Kazon went through the crew grabbing each combadge, and putting them into a sack.

Culluh personally took Kathryn’s combadge, "A fitting end for a people who would not share their technology. Let’s see how you live without it."

Then he turned and reentered Voyager.

The command team began to split the crew into four groups and as quickly as possible without raising the Kazon’s concern, they left the area.

Just as time was running out, they saw Voyager attempt to take off and then settle back down as all her systems shut down.

Kathryn gave the order, "Run!" and run they did.