Spirit Walk_ Enemy of My Enemy (Book 2) - Christie Golden [11]
“What happened?” asked Kim. He was aware that his voice was hushed.
“Probably the same thing that happened to you, from the looks of it,” said Chakotay, eyeing Patel with concern. “We were attacked by several strange-looking creatures.” He swallowed, then continued in a voice he obviously kept steady with an effort. “They…they got Sekaya first. Ellis was closest and he tried to defend her. I was the farthest away and I had the time to react, to fire on the creatures and drive them away. But by the time I reached Sekaya, she was dead and Ellis was fatally wounded.”
“Captain, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing to say, Harry. But thank you.”
Kim hesitated. “I’m glad you were able to recover Commander Ellis. But what about Sekaya?”
“I’m—I was—the closest relative she has in this area of space. According to our customs, I had the right to decide what to do with her body. I made the decision that the living were more important than the dead, that I should leave Sekaya behind in order to try to save Ellis. Unfortunately, he didn’t live much longer after that.”
“We can go back for your sister’s body, too, if you would like. Give her a proper burial. I mean, if you want to. If that’s what your tribe does.” He realized he probably sounded like an idiot, but he didn’t care. Chakotay knew him well enough to know the sincerity that lay behind the clumsy words.
“I know we could, but I don’t think we should. We need to get Patel to sickbay. How badly injured is she?”
“I’m not a doctor, but she lost a lot of blood. We were able to close the wounds, but there’s some internal damage and a few ribs are broken.”
Chakotay smiled sadly. “Then once again, Harry, the living are more important than the dead.”
“We could come back later,” Kim insisted.
“No. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do before I decide whether anyone comes down here again. And those creatures…well, let’s just say that I’m not sure what kind of shape my sister’s body would be in by the time we found it.”
Kim was confused. They could lock on to even a trace of Sekaya’s DNA and transport whatever remains there were. Kim hadn’t done much talking with Chakotay about his beliefs and tribal traditions, but he knew that the people of Dorvan V had taken their chances with Cardassian occupation rather than abandon the planet that had become their home. It made sense to him that if someone died, his or her wish would be to be taken home and buried in that place, that land that was obviously so sacred to Chakotay’s people.
Maybe Chakotay was worried that it might look as if he was exploiting his position as captain. He’d recovered Ellis, but not Sekaya; granted the honor of a proper “burial at sea” for his first officer, but not for his blood sister. It was just the kind of noble gesture Chakotay would make.
But he didn’t have to. It was an unnecessary sacrifice. Kim thought about arguing the point.
Chakotay touched Ellis’s hand one last time, rose, and slipped into a seat beside Kaylar, taking over from her. Kim grabbed the medikit and followed.
Chakotay looked at him. “Put that away, Lieutenant,” he said. “I’m fine. The wounds are superficial. Nothing that can’t wait.”
Kim made a little noise of amused exasperation. First Ellis, now Chakotay. There must be something about being first or second on the rungs of the command ladder that made you want to refuse medical treatment in all but obvious emergency situations.
He couldn’t help but glance back at the mutilated body of Ellis. Strangely, Ellis’s face seemed younger in death than in life to Kim.
A thought occurred to him. “Sir,” he said to Chakotay, “what were you and Sekaya doing on the planet?”
“Ellis had found something he wanted us to see,” Chakotay said. “Something he thought might be of archeological interest to us.”
“What?”
Chakotay turned to Kim and there was anger and pain in his eyes. “Does it matter now?”
“No,” said Kim,