INITIATIONS
Episode 21

Part B
 

On board Chakotay's shuttlecraft, the Kazon youth is struggling against his bonds.
Kar demands furiously: "What am I doing here?" Chakotay: "You're welcome." Kar: "What?!" Chakotay: "It's a human expression. You thank me for saving your life. I say 'You're welcome'."
Kar ignores Chakotay's peaceful overture and snarls in frustration as he goes on struggling against the restraints. Chakotay continues: "I accept your surrender. Look, I promise you as soon as we get back to Voyager we'll find a Kazon ship and hand you over to them."
The Kazon youth is far from pleased by this. "You should've let me die." Chakotay: "I'm not in the habit of killing children."
An audio alert sounds and the computer reports: "Warning, alien vessel approaching at 022 mark 8." Chakotay: "What's your name, son? Your name?" Kar: "Why do you want to know my name?" Chakotay: "I want to let them know you're on board." Kar: "I'm called Kar."
Chakotay: "Computer, open a channel." The computer does so. "Kazon vessel, I have a young man on board you might know. He goes by the name of Kar. I'd say he's about thirteen. I'd like to arrange for his transfer before I return to my ship." To the computer: "Computer, confirm channel is open." Kar: "Confirmed. Transmission has been received." Chakotay to Kar: "Talk to them. Tell them you're ok."
Computer: "Warning, Kazon vessel has engaged a tractor beam." Chakotay: "Full reverse." Computer: "Unable to comply. Tractor force exceeds available engine power." Chakotay: "They're pulling us in." Kar: "Kill me! Please." Chakotay: "Why are you so eager for me to kill you?" Kar: "Because there are worse things than being killed by your enemy."
The shuttlecraft is pulled in toward the Kazon ship.

As Chakotay is forced into a room by his Kazon-Ogla captors he tries reasoning with them. "Look, if you check your long-range sensors you'll find a big ship out there! It's called Voyager! And by now it's on its way to find me."

Haliz tells Kar: "Kar, I told Razik you weren't ready."

Chakotay to Kar: "I have a fair idea why I'm here. But why are they doing this to you?" Kar ignores him and protests to Haliz: "I was ready, Haliz - ready to kill or die! I felt the flames touch my skin!"
Haliz: "Go back in, Kar."
Kar does so but still tries to protest: "It was this fool, this Federation, who doesn't even have the courage to kill his enemies. He pulled me out with that transporter we've heard about." Kar turns on Chakotay. His words are for the benefit of both Chakotay and Haliz. "Like the Nistrim and the Relora before you. You come into our space, showing off your uniforms and displaying the markings of your Federation, with no respect, as if you own this part of space. But it belongs to us!" To Haliz: "I tried to kill him, Haliz." Haliz pushes Kar. "I want to see Razik. Tell Razik I demand to see him."
Chakotay: "Who's Razik?" To Haliz: "You tell this Razik that Federation Commander Chakotay demands to see him."

Kar to Chakotay: "What are you doing?" Chakotay: "Razik is obviously your leader. I'm hoping if he's strong enough to be in command he's wise enough to listen to reason." Kar laughs grimly. Vehemently: "You see this? This is debris from a Nistrim frigate. The man you are demanding to see destroyed it, killed more than one hundred in a single shot. Before that his name was only Ra. Now he is called Jal Razik. And this tunic belonged to a Relora warrior. He was killed by the bare hands of another Ogla, called only Hali. Now that man is called Jal Haliz, one of our greatest fighters. And this bracelet belonged to the man who killed my brother, my brother Jal Kinell, who earned his Ogla name by dying bravely in battle. But I, I will never earn my name, in life or in death, and I have you to thank for that."

Paris: "We're approaching Chakotay's last known co-ordinates, Captain." Janeway: "All stop. Full sensor scan, Mr Kim." Kim: "I'm picking up floating debris, composed of duranium, magnesite and electro-ceramics, also heavy traces of carbon residue." Janeway, via comms: "Bridge to Engineering. Prepare to receive debris samples for analysis." Torres, via comms: "Aye, Captain." Paris: "Transport complete." Tuvok: "Captain, I am detecting an ion trail leading away from this location." Janeway: "Chakotay's shuttle?" Tuvok: "The signature of the radiation is not consistent with Federation propulsion systems."

Paris: "So what are we saying here? That someone blew up Chakotay's shuttle and then took off?" Janeway, sharply: "That's speculation, Mr Paris." She adds: "But that trail's the only clue we have to Chakotay's whereabouts." Paris: "Laying in a course." Janeway: "Engage."

Razik enters the room.
Razik: "Hello, Kar. I never thought I would see you like this." Kar: "It was not my fault. It was his technology!"
Razik: "Don't make excuses, Kar. An Ogla has no room for excuses." Kar: "No. No excuses."
Razik tells Kar gently: "I forgive you. Hold that in your heart." Kar tries not to weep. He knows there is no escape from punishment. "No, please..." Razik: "You will eat at my right hand tonight."
Razik speaks to Chakotay: "Why did you save him? It's a very ineffective way of waging war." Chakotay: "I'm not at war with you." Razik: "I wish I could say the same." Chakotay: "We're not familiar with this part of space. If I'd seen a map identifying this as Kazon-Ogla territory, I wouldn't have been anywhere near it." Razik: "Unfortunately, our territorial claims change every day. Maps do not serve us well. You did him a great disservice, you know." Chakotay: "I guess if he'd killed me my uniform would've made you all a fine trophy."
Razik: "Your uniform may yet decorate our wall. You may not think you're at war with us, Federation Commander Chakotay, but everything you are is a threat to us. The Kazon fought long and hard for their independence against uniforms like yours." Chakotay: "Uniforms maybe, but not like mine." Razik: "Your uniforms, your laws, your technology - you are not welcome here." As he leaves he orders the guards: "Get him something to eat. The execution is tonight." He does not say who is to be executed, leaving Chakotay wondering.

Janeway is with Torres who has been running an examination of the debris sample beamed aboard earlier. Janeway: "Well?" Torres: "Most of the debris we've examined is composed of a polyduranide alloy which isn't used in the construction of Federation spacecraft." Janeway: "So it wasn't Chakotay's shuttle that was destroyed." Torres: "The ship was Kazon."

That evening, Haliz enters with a group of male Kazon-Ogla youths, contemporaries of Kar. They are dressed like Kar, and armed as he was when he was captured. Chakotay: "You get them involved young, Haliz." Haliz: "As soon as they're old enough to protect their younger siblings."
Chakotay to the youths: "So they brought you here to see your first human. Take a good look. You won't see any hate in my eyes. I'm a gentle man from a gentle people who wish you no harm."
Razik: "That's enough." Chakotay: "I know you'd like them to hate me, Razik, but I want their first impression of humans to be a good one."
Razik addresses the Kazon-Ogla youths: "You've been brought here to learn what it means to be a Kazon male. You all know Kar. You've learned to fight together, haven't you. Kar was sent to kill this man, to earn his Ogla name, but Kar failed and will not earn his name even in death. Who would be willing to kill the human?" He raises his gloved hand and at once the youths signal their willingness by putting up theirs to join his. Razik tells Chakotay: "So much for first impressions, Federation." To the youths: "I'm proud of you. Each will get your chance some day."
Razik continues to address the youths, looking at Kar. "But that's not what we're here for today. We are here to learn the price of failure in battle."
He proffers a Kazon gun to Chakotay. "Take it." Chakotay: "What for?" Razik: "So that you can kill Kar as you should've done." Chakotay is horrified. "You want me to kill a child? in front of other children? What would it accomplish?!"
Razik: "It will teach these little boys an important lesson. And after you do that, you'll be free to go. You may think I want your friend Kar to die, but you'd be wrong. I've seen too many Ogla die at the hands of our enemies. That is why must learn there are no second chances in battle. That is why Kar must die." Chakotay: "If I refuse?" Razik's look answers him - he will be killed instead, and Kar would die anyway. Chakotay takes the weapon but....
.....he does so clumsily, deliberately dropping it. It falls to the deck with a clang, clearly heard in the tense silence.
Slowly he bends to pick it up. As he does so he suddenly seizes Razik. Holding him hostage with the gun aimed at him, he tells Razik: "I'll be needing my shuttle back."
Haliz aims his gun but Chakotay is using Razik as a shield.
Razik demands: "Do you think you can escape us in that little vessel of yours?"
Chakotay: "That's a chance I'm willing to take." To Kar: "What about you?" Kar is surprised by the offer. Razik to Kar: "Let the coward run." To his guards: "Prepare his shuttle." Chakotay: "Want to come? There doesn't seem to be much of a future for you here." Razik: "He'd rather die than run like a Calogan dog with you, Federation."
But Kar sees things differently. He seizes a weapon and aims it, joining Chakotay. "If I die here, I'll die without a name and Razik taught me only cowards die without a name." Razik: "You won't find your name running after the Federation!" Kar: "Maybe not. But that's a chance I'm willing to take."
He and Chakotay hastily leave the room and head for Chakotay's shuttle. Kar tells him: "I'll show you how to disable the weapons systems." As soon as Razik's usefulness as a hostage is over, Chakotay hits him.

Kazon graphic web work by me. About the Kazon graphic / How to use the image map (pop-up)