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The young Romulan, her features gaunt and almost skeletal, leaned forward. Her silver eyes snapped with intensity. Blood dripped onto the console.

'I want to save my people," she said, "and I believe you can show me how."

Then the compelling silver eyes rolled back into her skull and Jekri Kaleh collapsed.

CHAPTER 15

"WE'VE GOT TO GO BACK!" PARIS CRIED. "I GAVE TRIMA my combadge. If she's using it, she's in terrible danger! She wouldn't risk giving herself away otherwise!"

"Danger? From what? Give what away?" asked Ezbai, hut comprehension spread across Chakotay's dark face.

"Tom, hurry! They're here!" said Trima's voice, issuing from the combadge. A scream, then nothing.

"She's The Silent One," Chakotay said, drawing his weapon. "And Ioni and the others went back to kill her."

"Now, wait, Ioni may be a little harsh, but-" Ezbai began, but Paris and Chakotay ignored him. They set off at a dead run the way they had come, and Ezbai and his crew had no choice but to follow.

Paris felt his body threatening to betray him with every step, every painful, gasping breath he drew. You listen to me, he told his body firmly. Get me to Trima

and I'll feed you* massage you, bathe you, and relax you when we get home. Just stay together long enough to get me to Trima!

They heard the screaming soon afterward. It seemed to take forever, but they finally burst through the underbrush to a scene of absolute chaos.

Nearly all the little huts, some of which Tom and Chakotay had helped build with their own sweat, were on fire. Paris caught glimpses of bodies lying still in the grass. He hoped desperately they were unconscious, not dead, but Matroci had been shown no such mercy. Whoever it was who had killed him, and it was beginning to look as though the murderers were members of Ezbai's team, had come back for more.

Much more.

The smoke stung his eyes and he blinked, trying desperately to focus. Over the cries of fear and the crackling of the flames came another sound, one he had never expected to hear in this quiet little place: the unmistakable, singing sound of a directed energy weapon being fired.

"Oh, God," Paris whispered, and forced his protesting body to run toward the sound. His own phaser, set on stun, was already in his hand. Behind him, he heard Chakotay shouting orders.

More weapons fire. Tom tripped over something and went flying. He hit the ground hard, and gasped as he got to his hands and feet.

He had tripped over the prone form of a villager. Every cell in his body was screaming for him to find Trima, but in a way each person here was dear to Tom. He quickly flipped the prone form over, and realized it was Yurula. He felt for a pulse. Relief washed over him. There it was. She was injured, but she would not die.

He clambered to his feet. Not a second later, a figure jumped out of nowhere. A rifle of some sort was pointed right at him. Paris didn't hesitate. He fired, and the figure tumbled. Paris jumped over it and kept running. He would have to remember to thank his body later for its cooperation.

He was disoriented by the thick, black smoke and the licking orange and red flames of the inferno. Which way was Trima's hut? Was it even still standing, or had loni and her followers burned it, with Trima inside, to the earth?

"I don't like where that thought's going," he muttered to himself. But dammit, where was it?

Screams came from the nearest hut Children's screams. Paris's blood ran cold. He'd always thought that was a clich6, but at the awful sound he felt he had ice water in his veins. The hut was ablaze, its match already twisting as if with a Me of its own, curling into dark wisps as it burned. At any moment, die whole structure would go.

Covering his face as best he could, Paris charged the burning hut. Three children were inside, two girls about ages twelve and three and an infant. The older girl clutched the baby in her arms.

"Come on!" Paris cried. Although it was too smoky