Marooned - Christie Golden [21]
"Tuvok, what hit us?"
" An ion pulse. Unusual, but not unheard of. This storm system appears to be rife with them. It is extremely violent."
She heard a muttering from Paris that sounded suspiciously like "Tell me something I don't know" but chose to ignore it. :, Damage report?"
"The shields are down by forty percent," said Kim. "We've had a lot of injuries from the loss of gravity, but the doc says he's back in sickbay and is trying to handle it all."
"Tom, take us above one of the poles," Janeway instructed. "The storm should be less severe there. We'll be able to avoid the worst of it."
"Aye, Captain." But even as he spoke, she saw the crackling lights that heralded another ion pulse.
"Brace for impact!"
This time when the lights went out, they didn't come on again. The dull emergency lighting was all they had to see by, that and the red, throbbing pulse that signaled that the ship was still on red alert. Janeway swore.
"Tom, we've got to get to that pole!"
Bit by agonizing bit, the ship shook and swung until Paris got them to the planet's south pole. The storm subsided somewhat, but it still swirled angrily. Janeway caught her breath and was about to ask for a status report when Kim interrupted her.
"Captain, we're being hailed!"
"I knew it," said Janeway softly. More loudly, she said, "On screen."
The face that immediately appeared was handsome, intelligent, and bore a supercilious grin. It was also immediately recognizable. Janeway blinked, taken aback. She heard the swift inhaling of breath that told her she was not alone in her surprise.
"Aren Yashar," she said coldly. The Rhulani bowed his glossy black head in acknowledgment.
"Ah, Captain Janeway. We meet again. You impress me. I have the utmost respect for Voyager and its crew, but I really wasn't expecting you. Welcome to Mishkara!"
"So you're the leader of the pirates." She'd known he was in league with them, but not that he ranked so high.
Looking pained, Aren held up a webbed hand in offended protest. "Please, Captain. I am the leader of the Ja'in. Pirate is such a vulgar term, don't you agree?"
Janeway rose. Her battered body protested, but she ignored it, buoyed by righteous anger. "A vulgar term for a vulgar profession. Where is Kes?"
"Such forceful tones!" exclaimed Aren in mock horror, the smile still on his handsome face. "You needn't be so belligerent, Captain. Kes is here and utterly unharmed, I assure you. Kes, dearest." He turned and waved to someone offscreen. "Do come and say hello to your captain. She's quite concerned, and I'm anxious to reassure her."
A second later, Kes's face appeared on the viewscreen. Her eyes were large and intense, filled not with fright but with anger. "Kes," said Janeway, unconsciously taking a step forward toward the viewscreen as if she could touch the younger woman, "are you all right? Has he hurt you?"
She shook her blond head. "No, Captain. Aren is telling the truth, about that much, at least. I haven't been mistreated. Is everyone else all right?"
"We're fine," Janeway reassured her.
"There, you see?" Aren stepped forward and started to put an arm around Kes, but she twisted away violently.
That's the girl, thought Janeway with approval. Don't let him do a damn thing to you.
Aren reacted well, moving away as if respecting Kes's boundaries. He returned his attention to Janeway.
"I've had enough pleasantries, Aren. Return Kes to us at once and we'll take no reprisals. You have my word."
"And as half of the Delta quadrant knows, your word is good, Captain," replied Aren smoothly. "But so is mine. Have you checked the star charts I gave you?"
"Yes," Janeway said, reluctantly.
"And were they anything other than what I represented them to be?"
"No."
"Then we have made a fair trade. Kes for the star charts." He shrugged eloquently. "I confess, I don't see the problem."
"You behave as if you know a great deal about us,"