Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [64]
"We have a visual," Stephens said as the fact became evident.
The face on the screen was that of a male who could have easily been Jonal's brother. The room in the background was well lit and decorated with colorful tapestries. Several other figures stood about, apparently attending the communication. They all looked much the same.
The women could have been Mila and Tassay's sisters.
"You're all Televek," Paris said, stating the obvious, squirming to no avail.
"So it would seem," Chakotay muttered.
"Gantel," Jonal said, acknowledging the image on the screen.
"The bridge is secured. We are in control of the ship."
Gantel's expression didn't change. "Already?"
"There was no choice. They are fairly bright, as you know. They were about to scan Shaale's fleet. They would have figured the situation out."
"That is what I like about you, Jonal, your ability to adapt. It is just as well. Our pods are ready. The teams have been assembled. We can begin launching almost immediately. You haven't damaged anything valuable, have you?"
"Of course not."
"So you are pirates," Chakotay said.
"Oh, we are much more than that, and you, my friend, are a fool," Mila replied. She jerked Paris off the floor to punctuate the statement, and to still his struggling body. "All of you are fools. No wonder you wandered so far from home and got lost."
"I liked Jonal's opinion better," Paris muttered.
"Whatever, it still doesn't change the fact that they have some very impressive technology," an impatient Gantel said from the screen.
"Most of which we will find quite valuable, I am certain. Jonal, do you intend to stand there like that until we relieve you?"
"No, of course not," Jonal replied. He turned to Chakotay.
"Commander, tell all of your people to move toward the forward area of the bridge, between the helm and the main screen. They won't be needed for a while, and we can keep a better eye on them there. We will tend to all stations. Your only task now is to wait quietly."
"And after you've stripped Voyager of whatever you want, what will you do then?" Chakotay asked, as the bridge crew began to comply. "What happens to us?"
"They'll either kill us, or leave us here to die," Paris said bitterly.
"We have no intention of stripping your vessel," the Televek commander answered from the screen again. "I plan to take the whole vessel home!
After we've finished using it to help retrieve our salvage from the planet, of course."
"Do you have any intention of helping those people down there?"
Chakotay asked, his tone implying he already knew the answer.
"We are interested in the defensive system that protects them," Gantel said. "We have no need of the Drenarians, nor do we need any of you.
The most obvious solution is to escort all of you down to the planet, once we've disarmed the system. Then we'll let the universe decide your fate."
"Leave all our troubles behind," Jonal said, smiling at Chakotay.
"It is amazing that so primitive a race could create such a ship," Tassay remarked.
"Indeed," Mila said.
"Such a windfall," Gantel agreed.
"We aren't so primitive," Paris said. "What makes you think you're any better?"
"Oh, but we are better, and we are right," Jonal said, letting go of Rollins and motioning him to join the others, who were nearly all gathered in front of the viewscreen now. Mila let go of Paris, who moved slowly away from her. Finally Tassay let Chakotay go as well.
Jonal and Mila collected two discarded phasers and trained them on the crew.
"You are barbarians, thieves, and liars," Chakotay said in response.
"Not at all, Commander," Jonal said. "You see, we represent a leap in evolution far beyond what any one aboard Voyager could boast. Our instincts are empathic. They no longer alert us to primitive dangers long vanished from our way of life. We react instead to other intelligent beings' minds, to their psyches, their most immutable characteristics. This facilitates