Seven of Nine - Christie Golden [66]
Janeway and Tuvok exchanged glances. She kept her expression neutral, although her heart began to race.
"Commander, rye lost them," said Kim worriedly.
"What do you mean?" replied Chakotay.
"I mean, I've lost them. The transporter lock has been interrupted, the communications channel is being blocked-" He glanced up at Chakotay. "If there's trouble, they're on their own."
"Keep monitoring the situation, Ensign," Chakotay said at last.
"Reestablish that lock at the first opportunity."
"Aye, sir."
Janeway made note of every inch of the room as she and her crew stood awaiting the arrival of the Emperor and his lora. She hadn't wanted to come without a weapon, but it had been part of the terms of the meeting. She supposed she understood the precaution. You didn't get to talk to the head of Starfleet Command with a phaser on your hip, either, no matter who you were. But now things had taken an ominous turn. If the news she bore was not to the Emperor's liking, what was to stop him from executing the three Voyager crewmembers on the spot?
No one would hear anything. It would be so easy.
She didn't think such a bureaucratic society would summarily execute them for what she was about to announce, but she couldn't be sure.
That was a risk she and her crew were willing to take. What had been done to the Skedans was monstrous, and the lora needed to know just what its adored Emperor had done to an innocent race. It was a task Janeway had to perform if she were ever to be able to sleep a whole night through again.
By twos and threes, the lora entered, nodded at the Federation representatives, and stood stiffly behind the single chair. At last, the Emperor arrived. He strode into the room, head held high, robes fluttering, and seated himself in the chair.
"Captain Janeway," he said, his voice a purr. "You wished to see me?"
The moment had arrived. Janeway stuck her chin out and regarded Beytek. "I did. Thank you for granting us an audience. Xanarit has made us feel most welcome."
I can sense the quarry, came the happy thoughts of the youthful kitten.
Seven nodded to herself. She could somehow sense them, too, though there was no logical means of explaining the knowledge.
A voice reached her ears and her head whipped up.
"Thank you for granting us an audience. Xanarit has made us feel most welcome." The voice belonged to Captain Kathryn Janeway. It reverberated and echoed; in the back of her mind Seven analyzed the primitive communications system, thought of six ways to adjust it to improve performance, and dismissed it. She focused instead on the words, wondering why Janeway had changed her plan. The meeting was supposed to be private, and yet here was the captain, her face broadcast on the huge screens, her voice loud and clear.
"My crew and I have traveled far. We have seen many worlds, met many people-even visited many empires. I must say that in my opinion, for as large and diverse as the Lhiaarian Empire is, it is extremely efficiently run."
Loud cheers and other noises of appreciation from the watching throngs.
Seven quickened her pace. For the maximum dramatic effect, Tamaak will strike at the moment when your captain reveals the depth of the Emperor's treachery. The thought was from Druana, who knew such things.
Again, Seven nodded, as if the voice belonged to someone matching her stride for stride who could see and acknowledge the gesture. The thought crossed her mind that she was becoming used to these voices in her head. She didn't know if she should be comforted or disturbed.
They were directly ahead. Six meters. Something broke inside Seven and she shoved forcibly. "Let me through!" she cried, her voice rising. She was jostled and squeezed between bodies, and she knew that if she went down she might not get up again. She couldn't breathe and began to flail with her hands.
Suddenly she was seized