^{search engine keywords: Star Trek Voyager Caretaker USS Voyager Maquis Kathryn Janeway Chakotay Starfleet Tom Paris B'Elanna Torres, Tuvok, Neelix, Deep Space 9}

Unhappy with a new treaty, Federation Colonists along the Cardassian border have banded together. Calling themselves "The Maquis", they continue to fight the Cardassians. Some consider them heroes, but to the governments of the Federation and Cardassia, they are outlaws.

A Maquis raider flees a Cardassian Galor-class ship. They exchange weapons fire. The Cardassian ship remains unharmed but the much smaller Maquis ship is beginning to suffer heavy damage.

Chakotay

On the small bridge of the ship, there is the commander, Chakotay, a Native American human, seated at the helm.

Tuvok

B'Elanna Torres

Also: B'Elanna Torres, a half-human half-Klingon, engineer, seated to his right; and Tuvok, a Vulcan, seated to his left, in charge of weapons, tactical and sensors. They are all seated. Ayala, Chakotay's right-hand man, a human, is working standing in the background.

Chakotay: "Damage report." Tuvok: "Shields at 60%." Torres: "Our fuel line has ruptured. Attempting to compensate." The Maquis ship takes another hit. "Damn it! We're barely maintaining impulse. I can't get any more out of it." Chakotay: "Be creative." Torres: "How am I supposed to be creative with a 39-year old rebuilt engine?" The Cardassian commander signals and his image appears on a viewscreen. "Maquis ship, this is Gul Evek of the Cardassian Fourth Order. Cut your engines and prepare to surrender or we will-" Chakotay cuts off the transmission. "Initiating evasive pattern omega. Mark!"

Tuvok: "Shields at 50%." Chakotay: "I need more power if we're going to make it to the Badlands." Torres: "Take the weapons offline. We'll transfer all power to the engines." Tuvok: "Considering the circumstances, I question that proposal at this time." As the Cardassian weapons continue to pound the Maquis ship, "What does it matter?" yells Torres. "We're not making a dent in their shields anyway!" To Chakotay: "You wanted 'creative'." Chakotay: "Tuvok, shut down all the phaser banks." To Torres: "If you can give me another 30 seconds at full impulse I'll get us into the Badlands." Tuvok: "Phasers offline." Chakotay: "Throw the last photons at them and then give me the power from the torpedo system."

Tuvok: "Acknowledged. Firing photons."

Two photon torpedoes are fired from the aft launchers, but they impact harmlessly against the Cardassian ship's shields.

Chakotay: "Are you reading any plasma storms ahead?" Tuvok: "One, co-ordinates 171 mark 43." Chakotay: "That's where I'm going." Tuvok: "Plasma storm density increasing by 14%, 20, 25..." Chakotay: "Hold on!"

See also Slideshow: 14 screenshots from the Badlands sequence (not in image tallies)

As the Maquis ship enters the Badlands, an area of widespread plasma storm activity, Tuvok reports: "The Cardassian ship is not reducing power. They're following us in." Chakotay: "Gul Evek must be feeling daring today." But the larger Cardassian ship is not as manoeuvrable as the smaller Maquis raider, and is unable to dodge fully a whirling plasma storm. There is an explosion where the two meet. Tuvok: "They've taken a hit on their port side. They're sending out a distress signal on all Cardassian frequencies." Chakotay: "Can you plot a course through these plasma fields, Mr Tuvok?" Tuvok: "The storm's activity is typically widespread in this vicinity. I can plot a course but I am afraid it will require an indirect route." Chakotay: "Gives us time to make some repairs."

Suddenly there is a flash of white light. Chakotay turns to Tuvok. "What was that?" Tuvok: "Curious. We have just passed through some kind of coherent tetryon beam." Chakotay: "Source?" Tuvok: "Unknown."

He indicates the scanner read-out. "Now there appears to be a massive displacement wave moving toward us." Chakotay: "Another storm?" Tuvok: "It is not a plasma phenomenon. At current speeds it will intercept us in less than 30 seconds."

Chakotay hurries back to the helm. "Anything left in those impulse generators, B'Elanna? Torres: "We'll find out!" Tuvok: "Still exceeding our speed." Chakotay: "Maximum power!" Tuvok: "The wave is continuing to accelerate. It will intercept us in 8 seconds. Five...."

Then all goes white, as ship and crew vanish!

Penal settlement, New Zealand, Earth.

One of the prisoners at prison labour.

A female voice enquires: "Tom Paris?" He looks up at the sound of his name.

A captain in Starfleet uniform is standing there, looking at him. She says: "Kathryn Janeway. I served with your father on the Al-Batani. I wonder if we could go somewhere and talk?" Paris: "About what?" Janeway: "About a job we'd like you to do for us." Paris: "I'm already doing a job, for the Federation." Janeway: "I've been told the Rehab Commission is very pleased with your work. They've given me their approval to discuss this matter with you." Paris: "Well, then I guess I'm yours."

They walk together in the grounds. Janeway: "Your father taught me a great deal. I was a science officer during the Arias Expedition." Paris: "You must be good. My father only accepts the best and the brightest." Janeway: "I'm leaving on a mission to find a Maquis ship that disappeared in the Badlands a week ago." Paris: "I wouldn't if I were you." Janeway: "Really." Paris: "I've never seen a Federation starship that could manoeuvre through the plasma storms." Janeway: "You've never seen Voyager. We'd like you to come along." Paris surmises: "You'd like me to lead you to my former colleagues." He tells her: "I was only with the Maquis a few weeks before I was captured. I don't know where most of their hiding places are." Janeway: "You know the territory better than anyone we've got." Paris: "What's so important about this particular Maquis ship?" Janeway: "My chief of security was on board, under cover. He was supposed to report in twice during the last six days. He didn't." Paris: "Maybe it's just your chief of security who's disappeared." Janeway: "Maybe. That ship was under the command of another former Starfleet officer, named Chakotay. I understand you knew him." Paris: "That's right." Janeway: "The two of you didn't get along too well, I'm told." Paris: "Chakotay will tell you that he left Starfleet on principle, to defend his home colony from the Cardassians. I, on the other hand, was forced to resign. He considered me a mercenary, willing to fight for anyone who'd pay my bar bills." He stops and faces her. "Trouble is, he was right." He gives his answer to her proposal: "I have no problem helping you track down my friends in the Maquis, Captain. All I need to know from you is: what's in it for me?" Janeway: "You help us find that ship; we help you at your next outmeet review." Paris makes a sound which acknowledges this. Janeway: "Officially you'd be a Starfleet observer during the mission." Paris: "Observer? Oh, hell, I'm the best pilot you could have." Janeway: "You'll be an observer. When it's over, you're cut loose." Paris: "Story of my life."

A shuttlecraft heads across the top of the Federation station, Deep Space 9.

On board are Lt. Stadi, Voyager's conn officer, a Betazoid, who is ferrying Tom Paris.

Paris: "Stadi, you're changing my mind about Betazoids." Stadi: "Good." Paris: "Oh that wasn't a compliment. Until today I always considered your people warm and sensual." Stadi: "I can be warm and sensual." Paris: "Just not to me." Stadi: "Do you always fly at women at warp speed, Mr Paris?" Paris: "Only when they're in visual range."

USS Voyager, docked at one of the upper pylons of Deep Space 9, comes into view, and Paris sees it for the first time. Stadi tells him: "That's our ship. That's Voyager: Intrepid class, sustainable cruise velocity of warp factor 9.975, 15 decks, crew complement of 141, bio-neural circuitry."

Paris: "Bioneural?" Stadi: "Some of the traditional circuitry has been replaced by gel packs that contain bioneural cells. They organise information more efficiently, speed up response time."

Stadi does not fly directly into Voyager's Shuttlebay but passes round the starboard side so that Paris can take a look.

Lt. Stadi pilots the shuttlecraft over Voyager's upper hull. (pop-up window)

Star background by me.

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