INITIATIONS
Episode 21

Part C
 

Chakotay and Kar manage to escape to Chakotay's captured shuttlecraft and launch away from the Kazon ship. Kar: "Will Razik be alright?" Chakotay: "Don't worry. He's only stunned." The shuttlecraft is hit by weapons fire. "Didn't take them long to get those weapons back online, did it. Computer, prepare to go to warp." Kar: "No. The ship is much clumsier at lower speed. We should try to outmaneuver them." Chakotay: "You're the boss." To the computer: "Initiate evasive pattern theta-two. Full impulse." Kar: "I can give you the shield frequencies of their ship. We can hit them back easily." Chakotay: "It may mean something to you to die a violent death but I'd like to get out of this without killing or being killed." Kar: "You'd rather die in your sleep a wrinkled old man?!" Chakotay: "Sounds about right. Computer, damage report." Computer: "Aft shields at 63 per cent." Chakotay: "We're not going to make it like this. Computer, scan for an M-class atmosphere." Computer: "There is an M-class moon at bearing 108 mark 18, distance 1.9 million kilometres." Kar: "That's Tarok, where the Ogla conduct training exercises." Chakotay: "Anybody training there now?" Kar indicates no. "Computer, lay in a course to the moon. Evasive pattern omega-one. Maximum impulse." Computer: "Warning: aft shields have been penetrated. Core breach is imminent." Chakotay: "Computer, prepare for long-range transport. Two to beam to the surface." Computer: "Transport is not recommended. The moon is out of safety range." Seconds later the shuttle explodes!

Tuvok: "The ion trail is beginning to dissipate." Janeway: "All stop."
Kim: "I'm picking up debris again: more duranium, magnesite, carbon residue. It's the remnants of another ship." Janeway, via comms: "Bridge to Engineering. Lieutenant Torres, prepare to receive another debris sample."
Torres, via comms: "Acknowledged." Kim: "Transport under way." Torres, via comms: "Torres to bridge. Sample received." Janeway, via comms: "Let me know when you've got something, B'Elanna." Torres, via comms: "I've got something right now. It's a piece of Chakotay's shuttle."
Chakotay is probably dead!

Chakotay checks on his companion: "Kar." Kar gets up and looks round. "It worked?" Chakotay: "The computer said the transport wasn't recommended. It didn't say it was impossible. With any luck, Razik will think we didn't survive the explosion, then maybe you'll get your name dying in battle." Kar: "In battle? That wasn't a battle! We didn't even shoot back! And now I'm stranded here, with you."
Chakotay: "Yes, you're stranded here with me. And I'm stranded here with you...because, for some reason that escapes me for the moment, I keep saving your life. Now if you want to hate me for that, fine, but I'd really appreciate it if you kept it to yourself." Kar: "You don't know-" Chakotay: "To yourself!!"
Chakotay tells him: "First thing we've got to do is find some shelter and get out of this heat. Any suggestions?"
Kar hesitates, wondering whether to co-operate. Then he points a way.
Chakotay: "I think we're finally beginning to understand each other." As Chakotay moves off ahead Kar calls after him: "You don't know what you're doing." Chakotay: "What did I just say?" Kar: "Get down!" He throws a stone in the direction Chakotay was heading. It is destroyed by a sudden explosion.....
....forcing Chakotay to dive for cover. Chakotay: "What the hell was that?" Kar: "A proton beam. They're hidden everywhere, along with biomagnetic traps and disruptor snares." Chakotay: "Charming." Kar: "I told you. The Ogla train on this moon. I was here myself last year, with Razik."
Chakotay: "So I guess you know your way around?" Kar: "I know that you're in my territory, and if you want to live to become that wrinkled old man you're going to have to do what I say." Chakotay: "It looks like you just saved my life. Twice more and we'll be even."

The senior staff are gathered in the Briefing Room, with the Doctor reporting via the wall-monitor. Doctor: "I've finished analysing the shuttle debris and I found no evidence of human remains." Janeway: "Then it's possible that Chakotay wasn't killed in the explosion." Doctor: "That is correct." Janeway: "That's the first good news I've heard all day. Thank you, Doctor." Doctor: "My pleasure. Now, would you mind having someone transport this junk to the cargo bay. It's cluttering up my lab." Janeway: "Of course, Doctor." She does not do so then and there, however. She and the others turn away from the monitor screen, forgetting him, to concentrate on the matter in hand. One wonders whether the shuttle debris will be removed from Sickbay any time soon. Janeway: "Alright then, if Commander Chakotay wasn't in the shuttle, where is he?" Tuvok: "From the dispersal pattern of the debris, we've been able to extrapolate Chakotay's course prior to the explosion." Janeway: "It appears he was heading for an M-class moon in this system." Kim: "And we found a residual energy displacement within the debris field that is consistent with the explosion itself." Janeway: "You think he may have transported to that moon?" Tuvok: "We tried to scan the surface but there is intense radiothermic interference." Janeway: "Radiothermic?" Torres: "It appears to be coming from subterranean energy sources: several carefully concealed weapons systems - phaser banks, forcefields, proton discharges." Kes: "Kazon. When they captured me I saw how they concealed their weaponry." Neelix: "I believe you call them booby-traps." Janeway: "Then this moon is some kind of Kazon fortification?" Kes: "Or it may simply be a training site." Neelix: "For the Kazon, live ammunition is a very effective teaching tool." Janeway: "In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I choose to believe Chakotay made it to that moon. Mr Kim, see if you can determine the most probable location he would've beamed to. Lieutenant, you and I will lead the away team." Tuvok: "As you wish, Captain. But I must point out that due to radiothermic interference we will not be able to communicate with the ship." Torres: "I'm already working on a dampening field to cut through the interference but it'll take several hours at least." Janeway: "I don't want to wait that long, but keep trying. Neelix, Kes, you're our two Kazon experts. Kes, you'll come with Tuvok and me. Neelix, you said you wanted more to do. Well, now's your chance. I want you on the Bridge with Mr Paris in case we run into any Kazon ships." Neelix is eager to help. "Don't worry, Captain. You can count on me to keep those nefarious Kazon at bay." Janeway: "Dismissed."

Chakotay and Kar find shelter in a cave. Chakotay works the controls on his tricorder and places the instrument on a rock. Kar: "What are you doing?" Chakotay: "I'm setting my tricorder to emit a homing signal." Kar: "What for?" Chakotay: "So when my people show up they'll know where to look for me." Kar: "They won't come. They'll think you're dead." Chakotay: "They're very persistent. I'm betting they haven't given up on me." Kar: "Maybe I should kill you and steal your technology and deliver it to my people. Then they'd have to give me my name." Chakotay: "You just won't give up, will you?" Kar: "You won't stop me from earning my name, Federation." Chakotay: "Not Federation. Chakotay! That's my name." Kar: "Did you have to earn it?" Chakotay: "No, not exactly." Kar: "Then your name means nothing!" Chakotay: "My name was a gift from my tribe. I cherish it every day of my life, just as I cherish the Federation uniform." Kar: "I should respect you because you wear that uniform?" Chakotay: "Your name, my uniform, not much difference. We both have to earn them." Kar: "What did you have to do to earn your uniform?" Chakotay: "Study, years of study, learning about science and ships and navigation." Kar: "I suppose they don't expect you to prove your battle skills." Chakotay: "No, they prepared us to defend ourselves in battle. They prepared us very well. Then we had to pass many difficult tests before we were given the right to wear the uniform." Kar: "You're saying that my name and your uniform mean the same thing, but you're wrong!" Chakotay: "Why? What's so different about us, aside from the fact that I keep saving your life and you keep threatening to kill me?" Kar: "I must protect my territory. Territory is power." Chakotay: "Let me tell you something. I have no interest in your territory or anybody else's. My people taught me a man does not own land. He doesn't own anything but the courage and loyalty in his heart. That's where my power comes from. I think we both could use some sleep, don't you?" With that he lies down and apparently goes to sleep, bemusing Kar by this show of trust.

On the Bridge Neelix carefully sits in the First Officer's chair, pleased with himself for being needed and allowed to do so. Kim: "I've got a Kazon raider approaching at bearing 288 mark 9." Paris gets up from the helm and stands to face the viewscreen. "On screen. Open a channel." Razik appears on the viewscreen, Haliz standing slightly behind him to his right. Paris: "I'm Lieutenant Tom Paris of the Starship Voyager." Razik: "Jal Razik, First Maje of the Kazon-Ogla. I will speak to your Captain." Paris: "I'm in command right now, so you can speak to me." Haliz whispers something to Razik who then says to Paris: "You are trespassing in Ogla space. Why do you orbit our moon?" Paris: "Just stopped to make a few repairs. We'll be on our way in no time." Razik: "That is a lie. You are here looking for your Commander Chakotay." Paris: "Now how would you know about that?" Razik: "Quite simply we killed him." Paris looks at Torres. Paris: "Under what circumstances?" Razik: "He kidnapped a young man during his escape. It became necessary to destroy his ship. No doubt you found the remains, so I suggest you depart immediately." Paris: "Thanks for the advice." Neelix: "What a most unusual offer. A Kazon-Ogla maje allowing a trespasser to leave his space unharmed? What would the other Kazon say about this new merciful attitude of the Ogla?" Razik: "Don't tempt me, Talaxian. We'd just as soon open fire." Neelix: "Would you?" Paris: "Neelix!" Neelix: "No, I don't think so. That would attract every rival sect to your secret training base, wouldn't it? Now, I know your ships, maje. I even sold a few Plaxan sensors to the Ogla a few years back. I have no doubt that you read the same lifesigns on that moon as we have." Haliz: "Perhaps one of those lifesigns belongs to your captain." Razik: "If you've detected the extensive weaponry deployed on the moon, know this: with one remote command I can cause that weaponry to self-destruct, destroying the surface of the moon and everyone on it." Neelix: "Neither of us wants that, do we? Think of the cost of replacing all those weapons. Awfully hard to come by in this region, and it would make you so vulnerable to your enemies." Paris: "We'll leave as soon as we've retrieved our crewmen - all of them including Chakotay." Razik: "He's alive?" Paris: "And if one of your people is with him he'll be returned to you." Contact ends.

Neelix makes himself comfortable in the First Officer's chair.

Kim: "They're moving into a lower orbit. Looks like they're intending to enter the atmosphere." Paris resumes his seat at the helm. "I need communication with the surface, B'Elanna, and soon." Torres: "I still haven't been able to get the dampening field working. I can't even give you an estimate."
Kim: "Shall we take Voyager down?"
Paris: "I've already run a soil analysis. The surface won't support a landing."
Torres: "Then I guess the Captain's going to be greeted by some unexpected visitors." Neelix, pleased with his contribution: "At least we've bought her some time."

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