Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!newshosting.com!nx01.iad01.newshosting.com!yellow.newsread.com!news-toy.newsread.com!netaxs.com!newsread.com!POSTED.newshog.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: From: "Layla V." MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: NEW VOY "Absolute Power" Chap 7b 16/21 (C/P, J, AU) [NC-17] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 432 Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 12:55:40 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: newshog.newsread.com 1092142540 209.198.142.218 (Tue, 10 Aug 2004 08:55:40 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 08:55:40 EDT Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:82615 X-Received-Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 05:55:45 PDT (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) TITLE: "Absolute Power" Chapter 7b (July 2004) AUTHOR: Layla V CONTACT: v_layla@hotmail.com WEBSITE: http://www.geocities.com/laylatrek ARCHIVING: Personal website, CPSG, Cha_Club, ASCEML SERIES: Star Trek Voyager RATING: NC-17 for violence, sex and language PART: 16 of 21 CODES: C/P, J/m, P/T implied, All Voyager characters, AU, Angst, H/c, OCC SUMMARY: Voyager's encounter with an intergalactic STORY NOTES: Evil!Janeway alert. See Part 1 of 21 for the details. DISCLAIMER: All characters, other than the original ones created by me, are owned by Paramount. I am merely playing. No copyright infringement is intended. NOTES: Thank you, Britta, for your clearheaded suggestions CHAPTER 7b With a growl, B'Elanna Torres punched her console and shut off the data display. If she saw another Zokaa'rian guard enter Engineering, she swore she was going to phaser someone. Didn't they know her crew was still working on stabilizing the damaged systems? What business did they have poking their pointy long noses into her affairs when they knew Voyager had sustained such intensive damage? She sighed. The warp core had finally been retrieved, after they had gone through what had felt like insurmountable problems. The Flyer was destroyed. The Aeroshuttle was now considered crucial evidence in the whole disastrous affair and thus could not be touched. The two other shuttles, which were operable, had towing emitters that were offline. When the towing emitters were fixed, it turned out that their realignment fields could not be adjusted. When the realignment fields were worked on, the Zokaa'rian authorities turned up saying they wanted to inspect the precise safety procedures they were to follow in order to get the warp core back to Voyager in one piece. All that work had taken hours of arduous, back breaking maneuvering. And when it was over, the damned Guard Patrol had come knocking on their doors, asking to be let into their fold once more. B'Elanna saw the medical personnel take the last of the bodies out of Engineering and closed her eyes, feeling her throat suddenly tighten at the onslaught of emotions. Such carnage, she gnashed her teeth, and for what? Because Janeway had gone nuts? Fuck this. They should've asked her four days back and she would've told them Janeway was going bonkers then. She clutched the plasma torch tightly in her hand and then suddenly turned and banged it to the console, her wrath overwhelming her, lifted it and banged it again, her spine stiffening as her body shook in anger and a cry escaped her throat. She again raised the torch in the air, her face contorted with pain, brought it down to strike the terminal and suddenly her shoulders were seized from behind--strong hands halting her progress. She spun around to find herself in Chakotay's arms, his hands holding hers captive. She looked up into his face and found it tight with grief, searched his eyes and saw them shimmering with anger. "WHY?" she asked, and her voice sounded strange to her ears--ragged, uneven. "I don't *know*, B'Elanna!" He stated each word precisely. "The Doctor is checking her out." "The Doctor," B'Elanna snorted, pulling her hands out of his grip. "She deserves to be thrown into the fucking WARP CORE." "Not until we know why she did all this." He stared straight into her eyes, his voice hard as steel, and suddenly she knew he meant it. His anger was as deep, as smoldering and real as hers. "Fifteen people, Chakotay." She bit her lips and felt her throat tighten again. "We lost fifteen *good* people, all of them our friends today because of her." He sighed, his brow wrinkling, as he raised one shaking hand to run it through his hair. "I know." Of course he knew. She'd watched from her station as he'd gone and checked on all the dead, on all the injured--one by one. After the Maquis, she had thought she would never again see that sight, the sight of Chakotay visiting the dead and consoling the injured like that. Yes, they'd sustained casualties on Voyager before but never in such large numbers and never at any one time. She looked at the shadows under his eyes, at the lines on his face, and wrapped her arms around her body. It had been the same in the Maquis. He always forgot himself for his crew. Always. She saw the main doors open to admit Tuvok and the grim expression the Chief of Security's face told her they had even more problems staring them in the face than before. She felt Chakotay squeeze her shoulder. "I am counting on your clarity of mind, B'Elanna." He looked into her eyes. "I know we have a lot of grieving to do but I need your strength and support as a senior officer right now." B'Elanna saw the apprehension in his eyes and for a second wondered if he had spoken at all with Tom today. She knew Tom had been working on the injured in the upper level of Engineering after she'd told him to lay off her engines and go cool his heels. He'd not left Engineering since he'd arrived here this morning and it wasn't likely he was going to anytime soon. She also knew he'd gone into a kind of silent frenzied fit when he'd found Chakotay had gone after Janeway by himself, but he hadn't had the chance to do much else about it at that point. Everything had been blowing up around them at the time, and Tom's concern for Chakotay had to take a back seat in the circumstances. And looking at Chakotay, she suddenly knew that soundless rage existed within him too. But that he couldn't think about Tom right now, couldn't afford to worry about anything other than Voyager. That was why he was asking for her word. He needed her assurance that she would be there, that she would be strong, that she would not go into conniptions the next time things happened which she didn't approve. She looked up into his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll do my best, Chakotay," she said. "You have my word." The deep brown eyes stared into hers for a few moments and then Chakotay--as if he was content for now at whatever he saw in them--nodded and turned around. B'Elanna watched him walk over to Tuvok and saw the Vulcan speak to him for a few minutes--obviously giving him a report of some kind--and then the two currently senior most officers on Voyager walked out of Engineering. # # As Tuvok had hypothesized, it had been the incident with the Equinox that had turned the tide for Commander Chakotay as well, even if their journeys towards their objectives had taken different paths. "I realized the ineffectiveness of the protocols I'd designed all those years ago when she was able to block my access to all command systems during that incident." Chakotay looked at Tuvok. "She was unaware of the codes I'd put in place but she had still used cryptographic Borg algorithms to counter any possible intrusions. My programs remained untouched but they couldn't do the intended job because of the blocking system in place." "And therefore, when that crisis was over, and your command lockout removed, you redesigned your encryptions to overcome such hindrances in the future." "As a safety mechanism to avoid such events again, yes." That was the excuse Tuvok had given himself too. Before Equinox, he'd never doubted Captain Janeway's sense of reason. However, the aftermath of that had forced him to consider the issue of Voyager's safety in the face of the captain's infrequent bouts of obstinacy. But there were still questions lingering in his mind. Voyager's safety had been at stake. It seemed they had played with fire for too long. His brow furrowed, he turned to the First Officer. "However..." He looked into Chakotay's eyes. "Before those Borg algorithms were put in place, had you chosen to take the measures, the command system would've been vulnerable to any command override by yourself and your trusted Maquis comrades." The First Officer's eyes locked onto his, his disposition firm. "Only *one* comrade. And you're forgetting, Tuvok, no such measures were ever taken." "Curious." Tuvok frowned. "You placed the security of the entire ship in the hands of a noncommissioned officer who had previously been a wanted Starfleet felon." "Who could I trust after you turned out to be a spy, Tuvok?" There was a bitter twist to Chakotay's mouth and for a second he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. And then he opened them again. "Don't forget, I was a felon too. A wanted Maquis criminal. But I was also the newly designated First Officer on this ship and I had the safety of my crew to worry about." But Chakotay had been reinstated as a Commander, and given tremendous responsibilities that he had evidently been deemed worthy of. It was illogical to enforce measures that could've proven dangerous for the ship he was responsible for. "Mr. Ayala was hardly the individual to place such intricate safety proceedings..." "Mr. Ayala is now DEAD!" Chakotay's eyes shone with renewed anger as his voice hardened. In those eyes Tuvok also saw a hint of pain, which the commander had undoubtedly been trying to hide all this time to no avail. "And he died a loyal man who served this ship till his last breath," Chakotay said. "Now, I don't care if you refuse to give him proper credit, Tuvok, even though I thought he was a valued member of your team. This isn't the time to argue about security codes hacked or blocked or implemented. Those codes saved Voyager today and you know that." For a moment, Tuvok quietly contemplated the commander. It had not been his intention to revive Chakotay's grief. But it appeared in his endeavor to uncover the truth about the subterfuge--and it was a subterfuge, however helpful it may have turned out to be--he'd crossed the line. He couldn't blame Chakotay for his pain, for it was a human reaction. The commander's loss--Voyager's loss--was great. Mr. Ayala was only one of his shipmates who had lost their lives today. There were eight other Maquis as well as six Starfleet personnel who had also been killed in the explosions. He looked into Voyager's First Officer's eyes. "It would be illogical to deny the unprecedented assistance your programming expertise rendered today, Commander." He raised one brow. "As it would be to question Mr. Ayala's loyalty to Voyager and to your own authority from the time he was in the Maquis." As it was, it had only been the codes Chakotay had given him that had been at his disposal during the crisis. He had failed to raise Mr. Ayala for the remaining codes before the security officer had perished. The commander stared into his eyes, his gaze unwavering. And then the hard glint in them softened as he sighed. "If I didn't trust you now to save Voyager, Tuvok, I wouldn't have left those codes in your hands today." A show of faith. He was being offered an olive branch and Tuvok knew it was only logical to accept it. In Captain Janeway's current condition, the crew needed Chakotay's leadership capabilities. He tilted his head. "Your... change of opinion is appreciated, Commander." Chakotay looked down for a second, breathing deep, and then he looked back into Tuvok's eyes. "And I never got a chance to say this before but I wanted to thank you for coming after Tom and I." There was a slight hint of apprehension in those eyes and Tuvok wondered at its cause. "Down on the planet. For rescuing us." He frowned. "I was merely doing my duty as a fellow officer." "It is nonetheless appreciated," Chakotay replied, his demeanor enigmatic, and then he turned to his console, effectively signaling the change of topic. He picked up the padd lying on top of the console. "Now, let's talk about the other pressing matters at hand. Damage status?" With a slight mental shake, Tuvok turned the direction of his thoughts to focus on their current predicament. "Engineering has the most extensive structural damage. The plasma injectors distribution system will have to be rebuilt from scratch. The warp manifolds have to be repaired as the blast took away half the relays. The damage done to the living quarters during the spread of the fire was also severe. That includes various quarters on decks six, nine, and eleven." Chakotay frowned in concentration. "Mostly lower decks. Where the majority of the Maquis lived." "And quite a few Starfleet personnel as well." "Such devastation." A wave of distaste passed the First Officer's face and then he turned to Tuvok. "Any update from the Doctor?" "There are some crewmembers he has kept under observation for a few hours but none of them are in critical condition." Chakotay swiftly assimilated this then asked, "And Janeway?" "The Doctor is keeping her in Sickbay until she wakes up," Tuvok replied. "He hasn't found anything unusual in his neural scans, nothing anomalous which could provide any clarification about why she went out of control. There were no drugs in her blood stream, no abnormal compounds in her system. Perhaps questioning her could lead to some answers." "I wouldn't put too much faith in that, Tuvok," Chakotay said, a mysterious expression crossing his features for a moment--as if he knew things others didn't--and then he shrugged. "Are you sure its wise to keep her in Sickbay? We know what she's capable of. If she gains access to any systems..." Tuvok interrupted him. "We have an armed security detail to make sure nothing untoward happens when she wakes up. I can assure you, Commander, after what occurred today, none of them would show any kind of complacency in their duties to keep guard on her. And indeed, after I am through with questioning her, I intend to move her to the Brig. There is no doubt she has committed multiple offenses, has broken numerous regulations and bylaws within the Federation and Starfleet charter." Chakotay stared at him for a second and then nodded. "I'll leave the matter of keeping Janeway under guard in your hands, Tuvok. Now, what's the latest on the Zokaa'rian front?" "Captain Janeway was able to incur remarkable damage to several of their ships and asteroid settlements, most notably the Chieftain's Royal Vessel and the Zonal Command Center of the System Central committee, where you were finally able to stop her. There are several Zokaa'rians and Kel'zians injured but no fatalities were reported." "Thank God for that." Chakotay sighed as he scrolled through the data on his padd, his brows creasing as he read from the instrument. "The structural damage is bad enough as it is." "I've been contacted by the Zokaa'rian High Council several times," Tuvok said. "While they have been leaving us alone in the light of the damage Voyager suffered, they're impatient to question the command team members--namely yourself and I--as soon as possible." The commander nodded. "Well, we can't avoid them for too long. Contact the Great Overseer's office and see if we can..." "Bridge to Commander Chakotay," Ensign Kim interrupted him. Chakotay replied, "Go ahead, Harry." "Commander, the Guard Patrol high commander is hailing us. They are asking to be..." Ensign Kim paused, his voice unsure. "Wait, there was a hail coming from the Great Overseer's vessel as well. But it seems the Guard Patrol vessel cut it off." Chakotay looked at Tuvok with a frown. "Cut if off? How?" "All our datalinks to the station and to Kel'nohr's governing bodies have been blocked," Mr. Kim stated. "There's a dampening field around the deflector grid affecting all our communication systems." This brought Chakotay to his full height. He nodded to Tuvok as he turned to his office door. "I'm on my way." Harry continued reporting. "They've locked on to us with a tractor beam. We can't..." The commlink cut off as a shudder went through the ship and Tuvok knew that was evidence of the towing beam. "Tuvok..." Chakotay started to say something just as the whine of the Zokaa'rian Transporter sounded and five Zokaa'rians wearing Guard Patrol uniforms beamed inside the First Officer's quarters. An official who appeared to be the ranking officer stepped forward and before Tuvok or Chakotay could reach for their phasers, all the guards pointed their weapons at the two of them. "There's no need for you to go to your Bridge, Commander Chakotay. We're here to get you ourselves." "What is the meaning of this?" Commander Chakotay demanded. "What have you done to our ship?" "Your vessel has been boarded and is now under our control," the Zokaa'rian calmly replied. "You will accompany us down to the High Council's Headquarters and face charges." He pointed toward Tuvok. "You may serve as his official counsel." "Charges?" Chakotay frowned. Tuvok asked. "May I inquire as to what charges you have placed against my crewmate?" The Zokaa'rian official looked at Voyager's First Officer. "You've been charged with conspiracy to plot against the Zokaa'r Sovereignty in collaboration with your incarcerated Captain Janeway." # # END CHAPTER 7 Continued in Chap 8a _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: