ALLIANCES
Episode 30

Part A

 

Voyager is under attack by Kazon warships.

On Voyager's bridge, the crew have to shout to make themselves heard above the sound of the ship's shields being pounded by enemy weapons.

"Captain." Janeway: "Report!" Kim: "It looks like the Kazon have retreated, Captain. We must've hurt them." Paris: "Not as bad as they hurt us! All engines are offline!" Tuvok: "Captain, shields are down, as are all weapons arrays."
Chakotay: "We'd better pray they don't come back - we're sitting ducks."
Janeway signals engineering via comms: "Janeway to Engineering. What's your status?"
Torres replies via comms from engineering where it is mayhem: "We're in bad shape, Captain. We had to shut down the warp engines to avoid a breach. The impulse engines are gone too. I think I can give you thrusters but I've got a lot of casualties down here I've got to attend to first."
A console explodes.
Crewman Michael Jonas calls to Torres: "Lieutenant! It's Kurt Bendera. He's hurt pretty bad." Torres rushes over. "No!"
Jonas: "His console exploded, caught him right in the face."
Torres: "We've got to get him to Sickbay right away." She signals Sickbay. "Torres to Sickbay."
It is very busy in Sickbay with the Doctor and Kes dealing with casualties. The Doctor replies while he treats a patient, via comms: "I hope this is urgent, Lieutenant. We have our hands full at the moment." Torres: "I'm setting up an emergency transport. One of my people is severely burnt." Doctor, via comms: "Very well. We'll do what we can."
On the Bridge, Kim updates Janeway: "More damage reports coming in, Captain. There's a hull breach on deck 4, forcefields in place. Repair crews on the way." Chakotay reports: "There've been casualties on all decks. No fatalities so far."
Paris: "Captain, request permission to give Torres a hand in Engineering. Maybe I can get propulsion up and running." Janeway: "Good idea. Go ahead." He leaves in a hurry.

Tuvok: "Captain, my readings indicate the navigational deflector has sustained massive damage. It will be necessary to repair it before we can achieve warp and thruster power."
Janeway: "Get repair crews on it. Mr Kim, I want a complete analysis of all the damage we've sustained."
Kim: "Yes, ma'am!"

In Sickbay the Doctor carries out emergency treatment on the injured Bendera but says to Kes: "He's not responding. 75 milligrammes of impedrazine. That might help stimulate his cardiac functions but he's sustained so much injury it might be too late." Kes reports: "It had no effect." Doctor: "Cortical stimulator." Kes applies the cortical stimulator but an alert sounds, indicating the cessation of life - Bendera has died. Doctor to Torres: "I'm sorry. He was too badly injured." Torres sighs heavily. "He saved my life once, near the Cardassian border."

Janeway is in her Ready Room. The door signal sounds. door signal "Come in." Chakotay enters. standard doors Chakotay: "Crewman Bendera's dead." She sighs. "The Doctor couldn't do anything." Janeway: "I'm sorry, Chakotay. I know you were friends. Will you arrange a memorial service?"
Chakotay: "I'll get right on it." Janeway: "Was there something else?" Chakotay: "Yes. Like it or not, it seems we're in a situation where the rules have changed, and maybe, if we're going to survive out here, we have to start changing too."

Janeway: "What do you mean?" Chakotay: "When we first started out trip home, you made a conscious decision to treat Voyager as a Starfleet ship with a Starfleet crew following Starfleet rules." Janeway: "That's right." Chakotay: "Starfleet works well in the Alpha Quadrant, but out here... Maybe we should be thinking more like the Maquis. The Maquis had to survive on their own. We were up against insurmountable odds. We had to create our own opportunities for success because nobody was willing to help us. Sound like anybody you know?" Janeway: "If you're suggesting we abandon our principles just because we're out of hailing range-" Chakotay: "Captain, this was the fourth attack in two weeks. We've lost three crewmembers to the Kazon, a dozen more have sustained serious injuries. This ship has taken so much damage we'll be lucky to get warp drive online again. And we can count on the fact that the Kazon will be back." He makes his way toward the door but turns back before leaving to add: "I don't think we can afford to keep doing business as usual." He exits, leaving Janeway to ponder his words.

Many crewmembers are assembled in the Messhall for Bendera's memorial service. Chakotay gives the eulogy.

Chakotay: "A lot of us can say we're alive today because of Kurt Bendera. There was never a better man to have at your side, never anyone more willing to take on the tough jobs. The first time I met him was in a mining community on Telfas Prime. Some of the miners objected to my sense of humour and decided they should break a few of my bones. There were four of them and one of me, and I was taking a beating. Suddenly this man I'd never seen before came out of nowhere and evened things up. We stood back to back. Pretty soon the others decided my sense of humour wasn't so bad after all. I thanked the man. He just grinned and said, 'I like a good fight.' He was my friend from that moment on. And he kept fighting the good fight, right up to the end. I'll miss him."

Below: some of the crew as they listen to Chakotay.

Neelix in the foreground, behind him are Lieutenant Ayala and Ensign Kim.	foreground: Crewman Hogan
Lieutenant Torres	Chakotay concludes his eulogy. Janeway is standing next to him.

As Chakotay concludes, the gathered crew stand.

Chakotay signals an officer: "Ensign." The Ensign blows the bo'sun's whistle as they all pay their last respects. This ends the memorial service.
Janeway pats Chakotay's shoulder, both as comfort and to indicate he spoke well.

Crewman Hogan approaches Janeway. He asks: "Captain, can I ask you something?" Janeway: "What?" Hogan: "Now that the Kazon have stepped up their attacks a lot of people think we're not going to make it out of here alive." The conversation draws attention. Tuvok and Paris, who were talking to each other, turn to listen. Hogan continues: "I'd like to know what you have to say about that." Janeway: "Is there anything you have to say about that? I assure you, you can speak freely." Hogan: "I'd give them what they want - give them the replicators and transporters and whatever else it is they're after." Janeway: "I'm sure you realise that would be a violation of-" Hogan interrupts impatiently: "I know all about the Prime Directive." He starts to sound defiant: "But you know what: the Federation's 70,000 light-years away." His friend Jonas puts a hand on his shoulder, conveying his sympathy and also silently urging caution. "What does it matter what people do to each other with our technology?" Janeway: "I appreciate your concern, Crewman." She continues grimly: "But let me make it absolutely clear: I'll destroy this ship before I turn any part of it over to the Kazon." Hogan's eyes blaze at this brutal slap-down.

As she goes to walk out, she passes Chakotay and mutters contemptuously: "So that's how the Maquis would do it, hmm?" Chakotay looks across at Hogan. He realises that Hogan, a man who has just lost his friend Kurt, needed to have been dealt with more tactfully, and he hurries after Janeway.