First Glance,  Part 3 - Rescue
by Cheile


        Daren slowly walked the halls leading to the brig.  He had gotten 
Chakotay’s permission to have Stadi moved into his quarters.
        Stadi.
        Despite the fact that she was a Starfleet officer and part of Janeway’s 
crew, he had to grudgingly admit that he was attracted to her.  She was 
small and slender, typical of most Betazoids, with silky black hair and 
dark eyes, quiet and soft-spoken.
        A sudden thump distracted him from his thoughts.  He shrugged it off.  
But another thump sounded, followed by a short, piercing scream.
        That was Stadi’s voice!  Daren followed the echo into the hearth room.  
The sight he came upon shocked him.
        Stadi lay on the floor.  A nasty bruise was swelling on her forehead 
and her blouse was partially ripped.  Tiernan hovered above her, an evil 
grin on his face as he pinned the helpless Stadi, his intent obvious.
        As Daren watched, Stadi screamed again and attempted to struggle away 
from Tiernan.  But Tiernan tightened his grip and slapped her hard 
across the face.
        "You’re not getting away, Stadi.  Not until I’m through teaching you a 
lesson."
        Pure terror filled Stadi’s eyes.
        Daren whipped out his phaser.  "Let go of her, Tiernan."
        Tiernan turned, surprised at being caught.  "Daren!  It’s not what you 
think--"
        "Forget it, Tiernan.  I’m not falling for it."  Daren tapped his 
communicator.  "Daren to Chakotay."
        "Go ahead."
        "I’ve just found out something you should know."
        "On my way."

        Chakotay stopped in the doorway of the hearth room.  At first, he 
couldn’t figure out what was going on.
        Then his eyes landed on Stadi.
        Her hair had fallen out of place, as if it had been pulled at.  An ugly 
bruise covered half her forehead.  Her eyes were full of terror.  And 
she was trying to hold the front of her blouse together.
        "Stadi, who did this to you?"
        "Tiernan," she whispered.
        "She’s lying!" Tiernan burst out.
        "Don’t even bother lying, Tiernan.  I saw it, Commander.  Had I not 
stopped him, he would have most likely raped her."
        Chakotay slapped his communicator.  "Chakotay to security.  Lock 
Tiernan in the brig--twelve hours."
        "Aye, Commander."
        The security team led Tiernan away.  Once he was gone, Chakotay 
approached Stadi.
        "I know that you’re afraid, but don’t be.  What Tiernan did to you is 
wrong."  He reached up and touched the bruise, noticing her wince.  
"Daren has asked that you stay with him."
        A hopeful look filled Stadi’s eyes and she glanced furtively at Daren.
        "I have given him permission.  Go with him.  Let him treat that bruise 
and you can rest."
        "Thank you, Commander," Stadi said softly.  "Even though I don’t 
deserve it."
        "You may deserve it more than you think, Stadi."  With that, Chakotay 
left the hearth room, leaving Daren and Stadi alone.

        Kathryn paced restlessly in her cell.  Cavit was already dead.  What 
would happen next?
        As if to answer her question, Daren came around the corner, dropped the 
force field on her cell and walked in.  Signaling Edwin, he waited for 
the field to be regenerated, then turned to her.
        "I came to tell you that Stadi is safe.  She’s in my quarters, under 
guard, resting."
        "Safe?  What happened to her?"
        Daren sidestepped the question.  "I am only letting you know because I 
know you care about your crew.  Commander Chakotay has assigned her to 
me.  You have my word that I will not harm her."
        "I want to see her."
        "I’ll bring her down later."  Daren left.

        True to his word, Daren brought Stadi down later that evening.
        "Stadi--does he tell the truth?"
        Stadi nodded.  "Daren is a gentleman.  He does not make untoward 
advances, nor does he eye me as Tiernan does.  I am not meaning to sound 
treasonous, Captain--but I trust him."
        "I understand," she replied.  "Is there anything you need, Stadi?"
        "I can’t find my bracelet.  I think I lost it during the attack.  Can 
you look for it?"
        Kathryn knew how important the bracelet was.  It had been in Stadi’s 
family for nine generations.
        "I’ll see what I can do."
        "Thank you, Captain."
        Kathryn squeezed Stadi’s hand, then Stadi turned to go.

        Once Chakotay had given his permission, Kathryn went down to the hearth 
room.  She scanned the room with her eyes.  Not seeing it after a 
cursory glance, she circled the room once, looking in the corners and 
under the chairs.  Finally, she knelt down and began feeling for it.  
The light gold could easily blend in with the floor color.
        Kathryn was on her hands and knees when a voice startled her out of her 
search.
        "Well, what have we here?"
        She jerked her head up.  Tiernan was standing not three feet from her, 
smirking.
        "I’m looking for something," she explained.
        "Oh really?  And do you have permission to be out of your cell?"
        "Commander Chakotay gave me permssion to look for Stadi’s bracelet," 
she said haughtily.
        "I don’t believe you."  Without warning, he grabbed her by the wrist.  
Although Kathryn was taller, he was twice as strong.
        She struggled, but only succeeded in getting slapped.
        "Don’t fight me, Starfleet bitch," Tiernan growled.
        He flung her to the ground.  Her head smacked against the stone floor 
and she moaned, nearly knocked out by the blow.  She was vaguely aware 
of Tiernan ripping at her blouse, but she was so dazed it was hard to 
find the strength to fight.
        "Insolent little bitch."  Tiernan’s voice again.  "Once I’m through 
with you, I’ll save the commander the trouble of doing away with you.  
I’ll do it myself."
        "Let me go!" Kathryn cried.
        Tiernan slapped her again.
        "Chakotay!" she screamed.
        "Oh no, you don’t."
        Kathryn tried to push him away, but to no avail.  He was too strong.
        "Chakotay!"
        "Be quiet!"
        "*Chakotay!*"
        Tiernan’s hands wrapped around her throat.

        Chakotay, while strolling the halls, snapped to attention when he 
thought he heard a female voice call his name.  He looked behind him, 
but no one was there.  Shrugging, he continued on.
        "Chakotay!"
        He shook his head.  Now he was hearing things.  Funny though, that 
voice sounded exactly like--"
        "*Chakotay!*"
        Kathryn!  Listening for the echo, he dashed down the short flight of 
stairs to the hearth room.

        Kathryn was in a daze.  Tiernan’s last slap had split her lip and it 
was bleeding.  Her arms were pinned above her head as his hands brutally 
explored and squeezed painfully.  Every time she struggled, she was 
slapped so hard her ears rang.
        "Chakotay," she cried, hoping he would hear her.
        "Shut up," Tiernan snapped.
        "Go to hell," she whispered.
        His hands went to her throat again.  "Insolent Starfleet bitch, I’ll 
teach you to--"
        "Let her go, Tiernan."
        Tiernan spun around and his jaw dropped at the sight of a furious 
Chakotay, pointing a phaser directly at him.
        "Commander, I--"
        "Don’t bother, Tiernan.  Get the hell away from Kathryn before I cut 
out your worthless heart."
        Tiernan dropped the unconscious Kathryn with little care and stepped 
away from her.  Once within arm’s reach, Chakotay grabbed Tiernan’s arm 
and slammed him hard against the wall.
        "If I find out that you ever do this to Kathryn again--or Stadi---or 
any of the Starfleet women, I’ll execute you myself."
        He tapped his communicator.  "Chakotay to Torres."
        "I’m here, Chakotay."
        "I’m in the hearth room.  Come get Tiernan."
        "On my way."

        Five minutes later, Torres came into the room.  Tiernan was leaning 
against the wall, scowling.  She barely acknowledged him because the 
next sight shocked her--Chakotay kneeling on the hearth room floor, 
cradling a bruised, brutally beaten Kathryn in his arms.  He arranged 
her blouse so that it covered her, then rose and turned to B’Elanna.
        "Get Tiernan out of my sight, B’Elanna.  Do it before I put Kathryn 
down and do something drastic."
        B’Elanna nodded, pausing to grab Tiernan by the arm on her way out.

        Heedless of some of the glances he was getting, Chakotay carried 
Kathryn through the halls to his quarters.
        Daren met up with him at his door.  "Commander, I--my God!  What’s 
happened to Captain Janeway?"
        "The same thing that almost happened to Stadi."
        "Tiernan?"
        Chakotay nodded as he rushed through the open door.
        "Is there anything I can do, Commander?"
        "Post an extra guard near the brig.  I’m taking no chances."
        Once Daren had gone, Chakotay dug through the medicine cabinet for the 
hypo and other medicine, then went back to Kathryn.  She was moaning and 
tossing back and forth.
        "No, no.  Chakotay, help me...."
        "Shh, Kathryn.  I’m right here."  Chakotay gathered her into his arms, 
cradling her as he began treating her bruises and cut lip.
        He was enraged at the way Tiernan had treated her.  He trailed a path 
with his fingertips along her shoulder, down her arm and over one 
breast.  Mesmerized, all he could do was let his touch drift across her 
silken skin, all the while resisting the urge to take her--erase the 
pain Tiernan had caused.
        Ordering the computer to turn the lights out, he kicked off his shoes, 
then lay down, cradling her against him as he drifted to sleep.

        Kathryn awoke, disoriented.  The last thing she remembered was Tiernan 
attacking her and screaming for Chakotay.  She tried to sit up, but pain 
exploded in her head.  She fell back.
        Where was she, anyway?  This wasn’t her cell in the brig.
        "Computer, low illumination," ordered a familiar voice.
        Light blinded her for several moments.  When her eyes focused, she saw 
Chakotay.
        "Wh-what am I doing in here?" she asked, suddenly frightened by his 
presence.  She noticed belatedly that she was bared from the waist up 
and quickly crossed her arms over her chest.
        A bemused smile touched Chakotay’s face.  "It’s a little late for 
modesty, Kathryn.  I’m the one who treated your injuries."
        "What happened?"
        "Tiernan tried to assault you."
        "You mean he--"  Kathryn couldn’t say the word.
        "Raped you?" Chakotay finished.  "No, but he came damn close."
        "How did I get away?" she whispered in disbelief.
        "I stopped Tiernan just in time."
        Kathryn nodded, then winced as she tried to stretch her neck.
        "Be careful.  The bruises will still be there for a couple of days."  
He reached out a hand to caress her neck, remembering the soft skin just 
a little ways below.  What he wouldn’t give to take her in his arms 
right now and make her tremble from his touch.
        A tremble went down Kathryn’s back and her eyes uncertainly met his.  
Then she pulled away, wincing at the pain in her head.  "Don’t touch 
me."
        "I won’t hurt you."
        "I’ll not submit to you."
        "Remember, Kathryn, I’m the one in command now."

To be continued......


Legal B.S.  Main characters belong to Paramount, story, Daren and 
Tiernan belong to me.  Copyright 1997, by Cheile.  Comments - 
cheile@hotmail.com