Chapter 4

THE MOMENTS TICKED BY, and still no sign of Chakotay.

Kim stood in the open doorway of the shuttle, phaser at the ready, scanning the area for any sign of his captain and friend. Kim was worried. The last he’d heard was that two people were dead and Chakotay was under direct attack, and the captain hadn’t answered any subsequent attempts to contact him.

Two more minutes, Kim told himself. Then we go after him. I’m not going to leave him here.

Just as he turned, mouth open to issue the order to Kaylar to locate Chakotay’s signal and start a rescue—or, he thought grimly, a recovery—attempt, he heard a sound from outside.

Whirling, his phaser in his hand, Kim saw the figure of Chakotay hastening toward the shuttlecraft. Kim’s relief at seeing his captain alive was mitigated by what Chakotay carried in his powerful arms: the limp body of First Officer Andrew Ellis.

Chakotay glanced over his shoulder as he ran toward the safety of the shuttle, indicating to Kim that the danger was still out there. He stepped aside as Chakotay hurried up the ramp into the shuttle and cried, “Kaylar, get us out of here! Now!”

“Aye, Captain,” the young security officer replied. Her fingers flew over the controls and the shuttle lifted off quickly, if not exactly smoothly.

“There’s no interference from the storm this time.” Patel’s voice drifted to Kim’s ears. She sounded sleepy, and he saw how heavily she slumped against Niemann’s broad chest. Kim was glad they were leaving. Patel needed more help than they could give her with the medikit.

It took a second for her words to register, and then he realized she was right. Trust Patel, possibly dying of her wounds, to be thinking about such things. There’d be time to analyze and ponder the whys and wherefores of the weather patterns on this planet later. Right now Kim was content to simply be grateful that they were able to leave so quickly.

He assisted Chakotay in placing Ellis’s bloody body on the floor as gently and respectfully as possible. Chakotay looked at the face of his first officer for a moment, then reached down and closed the unseeing eyes.

“What happened?” asked Kim. He was aware that his voice was hushed.

“Probably the same thing that happened to you, from the looks of it,” said Chakotay, eyeing Patel with concern. “We were attacked by several strange-looking creatures.” He swallowed, then continued in a voice he obviously kept steady with an effort. “They

they got Sekaya first. Ellis was closest and he tried to defend her. I was the farthest away and I had the time to react, to fire on the creatures and drive them away. But by the time I reached Sekaya, she was dead and Ellis was fatally wounded.”

“Captain, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

“Nothing to say, Harry. But thank you.”

Kim hesitated. “I’m glad you were able to recover Commander Ellis. But what about Sekaya?”

“I’m—I was—the closest relative she has in this area of space. According to our customs, I had the right to decide what to do with her body. I made the decision that the living were more important than the dead, that I should leave Sekaya behind in order to try to save Ellis. Unfortunately, he didn’t live much longer after that.”

“We can go back for your sister’s body, too, if you would like. Give her a proper burial. I mean, if you want to. If that’s what your tribe does.” He realized he probably sounded like an idiot, but he didn’t care. Chakotay knew him well enough to know the sincerity that lay behind the clumsy words.

“I know we could, but I don’t think we should. We need to get Patel to sickbay. How badly injured is she?”

“I’m not a doctor, but she lost a lot of blood. We were able to close the wounds, but there’s some internal damage and a few ribs are broken.”

Chakotay smiled sadly. “Then once again, Harry, the living are more important than the dead.”

“We could come back later,” Kim insisted.

“No. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do before I decide whether anyone comes down here again. And those creatures

well, let’s just say that I’m not sure what kind of shape my sister’s body would be in by the time we found it.”

Kim was confused. They could lock on to even a trace of Sekaya’s DNA and transport whatever remains there were. Kim hadn’t done much talking with Chakotay about his beliefs and tribal traditions, but he knew that the people of Dorvan V had taken their chances with Cardassian occupation rather than abandon the planet that had become their home. It made sense to him that if someone died, his or her wish would be to be taken home and buried in that place, that land that was obviously so sacred to Chakotay’s people.

Maybe Chakotay was worried that it might look as if he was exploiting his position as captain. He’d recovered Ellis, but not Sekaya; granted the honor of a proper “burial at sea” for his first officer, but not for his blood sister. It was just the kind of noble gesture Chakotay would make.

But he didn’t have to. It was an unnecessary sacrifice. Kim thought about arguing the point.

Chakotay touched Ellis’s hand one last time, rose, and slipped into a seat beside Kaylar, taking over from her. Kim grabbed the medikit and followed.

Chakotay looked at him. “Put that away, Lieutenant,” he said. “I’m fine. The wounds are superficial. Nothing that can’t wait.”

Kim made a little noise of amused exasperation. First Ellis, now Chakotay. There must be something about being first or second on the rungs of the command ladder that made you want to refuse medical treatment in all but obvious emergency situations.

He couldn’t help but glance back at the mutilated body of Ellis. Strangely, Ellis’s face seemed younger in death than in life to Kim.

A thought occurred to him. “Sir,” he said to Chakotay, “what were you and Sekaya doing on the planet?”

“Ellis had found something he wanted us to see,” Chakotay said. “Something he thought might be of archeological interest to us.”

“What?”

Chakotay turned to Kim and there was anger and pain in his eyes. “Does it matter now?”

“No,” said Kim, “I guess not. But I—”

Patel sighed softly and her head rolled onto Niemann’s shoulder. The small motion grabbed Kim’s attention instantly.

“She’s unconscious,” Niemann said in answer to Kim’s unspoken question, after quickly placing two fingers on Patel’s throat to check for a heartbeat.

“We’ve got to get her to sickbay,” said Kim to Chakotay, who nodded acknowledgment.

“Voyager is in visual range,” said Kaylar.

“Chakotay to Voyager.”

“Campbell here, Captain.”

“Open shuttlebay doors in preparation for emergency docking. Notify Dr. Kaz that we’ve got wounded.” He paused. “And dead.”

“Aye, sir. Shuttlebay doors open.”

Chakotay maneuvered the shuttle to a swift, smooth landing. The minute they touched the deck he said, “Everyone to sickbay. Let’s go.”

Kaz was nervous as he awaited the arrival of the injured and wondered as to the identity of the dead. He could feel Gradak just below the surface of his conscious mind; subdued for the moment, but seething, awaiting the time when he could shoot to the surface and share his torment.

You stay where you are, Kaz thought, and wondered if this was how people who were beginning to go insane felt. But no, this “multiple personality disorder” he had was not a manifestation of a traumatized brain, but a literal truth. Joined Trills did have multiple personalities inside them. They just didn’t usually manifest quite so vigorously.

But once the sickbay doors hissed open and his eyes fell upon the limp form of Devi Patel, looking like a child as she was carried by the large Niemann, his mind snapped to attention. He needn’t have worried; Gradak fell back before the medical emergency and Kaz quickly had Patel stabilized.

Once she was out of danger, Kaz turned to Chakotay. “You look like hell,” he said, “all of you.”

“Thanks,” Kaylar said wryly.

Kaz gestured that they should all sit on the beds. Chakotay shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Kaz raised an eyebrow, but a quick look at Chakotay revealed nothing dire. Chakotay could be treated last if he wanted.

“What happened?” Kaz asked as he began to examine Kaylar. “Who was

?”

“We were attacked by several strange creatures on the planet,” Chakotay said. “Kaz

they got Ellis. And Sekaya, too.”

Kaz looked at Chakotay, deep sympathy flooding him. “Chakotay

damn. I’m so sorry.” He also felt more than a twinge of guilt. I’m sorry, Ellis. Sorry for everything.

“I’ve ordered the body put in stasis,” Chakotay continued. “When all this is over, we’ll give him a burial with full honors.”

“I assume you want Sekaya in stasis as well,” Kaz said, thinking about the beautiful woman he’d met only briefly. She had all her brother’s charm and charisma, and he’d hoped to get to know her better.

“I had to

to leave Sekaya on the planet.” Chakotay rubbed his eyes and sighed.

“We can go back for her,” said Kaz.

“Maybe later, after all this is taken care of,” said Chakotay.

Kaz looked at him searchingly. Over the last six months he’d gotten to know the captain pretty well. Chakotay was under real strain right now.

“Captain,” the doctor said, keeping his voice formal, “I think perhaps you ought to have a seat on one of the beds and let me examine you.”

“I said I’m fine,” Chakotay snapped. At once he softened. “Sorry. Treat them, Kaz. I’m going up to the bridge, and then I have to talk to Fortier and tell him his brother and the other colonists were probably killed by monsters and that I can’t allow him to return to the home he and his people loved. I’m not looking forward to that.”

“I understand,” Kaz replied.

Chakotay started to leave, then turned. “By the way, I want you to delay the autopsy on Ellis.”

Kaz frowned. “That’s standard operating procedure, sir. I’m required to perform it.”

“I said, delay it. We’ve got a lot going on right now, and there’s no point in you wasting time on an autopsy. We know what killed him.”

“With all due respect, Captain, we really don’t know for certain what—”

“I saw it, Doctor.” Chakotay’s dark gaze was cold and angry. “I watched him die, firing a phaser in a futile attempt to try to save my sister and me. Sekaya was dead by the time I reached her, but Ellis—he died in my arms as I tried to get him to safety. Like I said, Kaz. We know what killed him.”

The door hissed closed behind him. For a moment Kaz stared at the door, then turned his attention back toward the patients.

“Hell of a first mission,” Kaylar said bitterly.

Kaz nodded, slightly distracted. Gradak was stirring again, now that the emergency had passed. They shared emotions: shock at the senseless deaths mingling with anger. For Kaz, the dead were only slightly known, but for Gradak—

A wave of deep agony, of profound loss, washed over him and almost made him stumble.

“Stop it,” he hissed, under his breath.

Kim looked at him. “Doctor?”

“Nothing,” Kaz lied quickly, “this medical tricorder could use some readjusting.” He retrieved another one to continue the pretense, although he knew there was nothing wrong with the first.

The silence was uncomfortable and heavy with sorrow. Kaz quickly treated Kim, Kaylar, and Niemann, all of whom had only minor injuries.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Kim. “It got me from behind.”

“Us, too,” said Niemann, and Kaylar nodded.

“Some kind of large predator, certainly,” Kaz ventured. “With nice long, sharp claws.” He looked at them. “You are all cleared to resume your duties.” He wanted them out of here. He didn’t want to risk them seeing what Astall had walked in on.

“How’s Patel?” Kaylar asked, walking to the smaller woman’s side and looking down at her with concern.

“I expect a full recovery in a day or two. She lost a lot of blood, and there are some internal injuries, but she’ll be just fine.”

The relief on all their faces was painfully obvious. They’d just lost two colleagues; they didn’t want to lose another one.

“I suggest you return to your stations,” Kaz said, trying to hurry them along. “Captain Chakotay will need everyone ready and alert.”

“You’re right, Doctor,” Kim said. He gestured to the others. “Let’s go, guys. You did a good job down there today.”

Kaylar and Niemann exchanged glances. It was clear they disagreed with their superior, but neither said so.

Kaz exhaled and closed his eyes when the door hissed closed behind them. He wiped his forehead, feeling the skin warm and wet on his fingers.

The mission had taken a disastrous and tragic turn, and a previous host was all but taking up permanent residence inside his mind. He was more than ready for this to all be over.