Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [56]
"That is the only logical explanation," Janeway said.
Tuvok looked at her. "Captain--" "I know," Janeway said, grinning. "I read your mind." She turned toward the shuttle again. "This also means that everything Gantel and his advocates told us was a lie," she muttered. "At least we have to assume as much. Which means that three Televek are up there on my ship right now, lying to Chakotay. And we don't know exactly what they're up to. We must make contact with Voyager again at any cost."
"There are probably more Televek inside the shuttle as well," Tuvok pointed out. "In all, too many to attempt a frontal assault."
"If the main hatch is blocked, we'll just have to think of something else," Janeway said, looking around, seeing no easy approach. Each of the Televek was holding a stubby energy rifle, and the sentinels were spaced fairly evenly around the shuttle.
Thick, knee-high grass covered the ground between the tree line and the shuttle, but it would not provide any real cover.
"Any trace of sensor equipment in use?" she asked Tuvok.
"I continue to find none, Captain," Tuvok said, holding his open tricorder out again, moving it gently from side to side.
"They don't need sensors," Kim said. "With all that open ground we'll never get close without drawing their fire."
"Agreed, Captain," Tuvok said. "I am scanning several bodies in the grass, all approximately twenty meters from the shuttle.
They are almost certainly Drenarian."
"Nan Loteth's people," Janeway concluded.
"I'll bet they never knew what hit them," Kim said.
Janeway briefly envisioned the scene, energy beams striking unprotected flesh from well beyond the range of the Drenarians' primitive weapons.
She shook the image off, but as she peered out into the tall, soot-covered grasses, she could see several dark shapes. The three officers observed a long moment of silence. Nothing changed in the field.
Janeway looked out to her left, eyeing the bluff where she had fallen the day before. A large part of hillside had fallen away during the last big quake, but the newer edge was rather like the old. She had an idea. She didn't like the variables, but there wasn't time to worry about that.
"We'll have to split up. Tuvok, I want you to stand by here.
Try to get a little closer if you can, but keep your head down.
And keep your face covered, so you won't choke on the dust.
Don't risk being seen. Kim and I are going to work our way up there and attempt to draw some of those guards away from the shuttlecraft.
If that strategy works, the rest will be up to you."
Tuvok briefly appraised the situation, then nodded. "I understand, Captain."
"Good. If you're able to get aboard, I want you to get communications working first. Contact the ship, tell them what we know. After that, if possible, see if you can get the transporter operational."
"Captain, even if I am able to do so, I doubt we will be able to transport anyone up to Voyager's high orbit," Tuvok said. "The same magnetic fields that are hampering our communicator signals might well distort the transporter beam."
"I know," Janeway said. "And you're right, but I may have something else in mind. Don't worry, I'm not holding you to any promises."
Tuvok gazed out at his target. "Very well, I will do my best."
Janeway touched Tuvok's shoulder, stopping him as he instantly prepared to belly-crawl out beyond the tree line. "I know you will," she said.
"And we both know we have to try to make this work. But not at the expense of one of my best officers."
The Vulcan turned to her for a moment. "That would be an unfortunate waste." His expression did not change. She didn't expect it would.
Janeway nodded and let him go.
They watched Tuvok inch his way out through the grass. Then Janeway slid back, signaling Kim to follow, and the two of them headed toward the higher ground.
***
"On my mark." Chakotay watched from the captain's chair as the smallest of the three moons drew nearer,