Seven of Nine - Christie Golden [39]
There was a long, tense moment in which no one not the Imperial ships, not the mystery rescuers, and not the Starfleet ship-moved.
And then, lacking the grace of the Tuktak vessels, the Imperial transport ships turned away from the field of battle and headed back toward the waystation.
Janeway began to tremble as the adrenaline ebbed.
She closed her eyes in relief for a second, then returned her attention to repairing the damage. She'd start with the wounded.
Sliding out of the chair, she knelt beside the limp body of Tom Paris.
She pressed a finger to his pulse erratic, but there. He looked like hell. His handsome face was burned, the flesh baked and cracked. She hoped there was no permanent damage.
"Emergency medical transport. Lock onto Paris's signal and beam him to sickbay now." She watched as Paris's body shimmered, then disappeared.
She rose on legs that trembled and felt pain shoot through her knee.
Obviously, at some point she'd torn the ligaments doing... something.
"Anybody else hurt?" The rest of the bridge team seemed to have survived intact. She limped toward her chair and sank into it.
"Captain," said Kim, "We're being hailed."
"I do not want to talk to another stationmaster right now, Harry.
Tuvok, damage report."
"Captain," insisted Kim, "it's not from the waystation. It's from our friends."
A smile touched her lips. "Onscreen."
"It's audio only," Kim said, putting it through.
The voice that rang through the bridge had been mechanically distorted.
It buzzed and hummed, but the words were understandable.
"Captain Janeway?"
"Yes, I'm Captain Yathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager. Please identify yourself. I'd like to be able to thank the person who saved our lives by name."
"I regret that I cannot comply at this time, Captain," replied the artificial voice. "I have instructions for you, and you must obey them to the letter."
Janeway frowned. She glanced over at Chakotay and saw her own doubt and concern mirrored on his dark face.
"Whoever you may be, I am grateful to you for my life and those of my crew. But I don't take kindly to being instructed-" "Captain. I must insist. You have seen what the Ku can do. You know what they want.
If you wish to survive and keep the Skedans aboard alive as well, you must comply with my instructions."
She thought about her ship, damaged and unable to go to warp for who knew how long. Janeway took a deep breath.
"What are these instructions?"
"You must proceed directly to the Lhiaarian homeworld, bearing four-six-" "I know where it is," said Janeway. "Why?"
"You must follow the specific route we are transmitting to your operations officer. This is the only route on which we can guarantee your safety. Once you have reached Lhiaari," the mechanical voice continued, ignoring her pointed question, "You will have an audience with Emperor Beytek. You have friends on Lhiaari, Captain. You may count on this.
But we can continue to protect you only if you obey these instructions."
Janeway was stunned. That quickly, that unexpectedly, she was assured of an audience with the Emperor-the very thing they had been seeking since they entered Lhiaarian Imperial space.
She thought for a moment. These people, while their identities were unknown, had certainly saved her skin. They seemed to know exactly what was going on. They knew the Ku, knew the Skedans were on board, and promised an audience with the single most difficult person to contact in the sector.
"Silence audio," she told Kim. "Annika, do you does Seven-recognize these vessels?"
The young woman frowned and chewed her lower lip, concentrating.
Finally, she shook her head.
"I don't know," she replied. "They don't appear to be familiar, but.
.." Her voice trailed off. Little was familiar to her now, and they all knew it.
Janeway nodded her comprehension. "Suggestions?" she asked, glancing from Chakotay to Tuvok.
"It could be a trap," said Tuvok.