Don't move.
What's this?
We found him just past Grove Yellow.
- Arms? - None.
- These colours? - We didn't ask.
He's no Krady beast, is he?
No, sir. But he doesn't bear Vori colours.
His glimpse is too tame to be a Kradin.
I hadn't fathomed that, sir.
Well, fathom it now.
He's no nemesis, is he?
I'm not certain what he is, sir.
You were drilled to fathom the nemesis?
And we abhor none but the nemesis.
No, sir. None but the nemesis.
Then set him loose.
Didn't you hear, novice?
Thanks.
Go take provisions.
I'm sorry.
Go.
I take it you're in charge here?
Team Leader Brone, Vori Defence.
Commander Chakotay,
of the starship Voyager.
Sorry for my defenders.
They're new to the clash and see the nemesis all around.
- The clash? You're at war. - You've strayed into the fullness of it.
That explains why my shuttle came under fire.
A defender glimpsed a vessel falling in Grove Yellow.
It must have been yours.
- Why fly so close to this sphere? - I was on a survey mission.
I picked up traces of omicron radiation so I slowed down to look.
As soon as I did that I came under attack.
I had to make an emergency transport to the surface.
- It will be the Kradin who fired. - The Kradin?
Our nemesis.
I see.
I explained that I had no hostile intentions but they just kept shooting.
The nemesis fire on any craft that doesn't show Kradin colours.
I tried to contact my ship but my communicator's broken.
All dispatching in the clash zone has been suppressed.
I have to find my vessel. Maybe it's salvageable.
Little likely. We're clustering with the 7th Contingent, two new lights from now.
They'll have means to signal your people. Walk with us to meet them.
I appreciate the offer but I can't wait two days. I have to find my vessel now.
It wouldn't be sharp to return to the trunks. The nemesis is there.
Then I'll have to do my best to steer clear of them.
- If your tactic won't change. - It won't.
It's sharper to wait for the new light.
Then I'll take your advice and wait.
Provisions?
- It's not so savoury. - Thanks. I'm sure it will be fine.
They call me Rafin.
Chakotay. Pleased to meet you.
In the trunks... did you glimpse any?
- Any what? - Krady beasts.
No, I didn't.
Rafin's never glimpsed the face of the nemesis either. Have you, Rafin?
No.
- It's my first walk in the clash zone. - You'll glimpse them in the soonafter.
When you do, you'll fathom there's no heart thumping beneath their flesh.
How many beasts will you send to the Wayafter, Rafin?
I couldn't say.
Me, I'll nullify one for each brother and cousin that I've lost.
And then one more after.
- True or not, my allies? - True!
So I ask you again, Rafin. How many will you nullify?
As many as I am able.
You've got the trembles.
If you don't wrestle your trembles to rages, ally,
the nemesis will nullify you.
This nemesis of yours. Why do you call them "beasts"?
It's told they all wear the same horrid face.
Their flesh is gnarled and blistery like the rotting trunks.
Their glimpses flame like fire.
And if you dare near enough, their breath stinks of muck.
People say terrible things about their enemies
to make them seem worse than they really are.
Some young Kradin soldier might be more afraid of you than you are of him.
The nemesis wasn't scared to fume my village.
Nor scared to nullify my cousins and brothers in their sleep.
And my old mother's mother, too.
Never told an unkind word nor nullified an insect in all her days on this sphere.
That's pretty rough.
And who but a Krady beast would leave the nullified bodies of ours upturned
so they'll never descend to the gloried Wayafter?
- What do you mean by upturned? - Which of you will walk with Chakotay?
I appreciate the offer but I'll be fine on my own.
You don't fathom the trunks or carry arms.
One of my defenders will walk with you. Which will it be?
- You, Rafin. - Sir... I...
I'll walk with the stranger. If any beast comes to clash, I'll nullify the beast.
Well told, Namon. Close your glimpsers, defenders.
And dream of your sisters and mothers.
Have you never nullified another, stranger?
Killing's the worst thing I've ever had to do.
Then the nemesis you nullified wasn't half so beastly as the Kradin.
Maybe not.
In their glimpsers, we're less than nothing.
They flame our homes, take our plantings,
make playthings of our sisters.
If you were a Vori, you'd crave to drive them from this sphere, just as I do.
Maybe I would, if they did things like that to the people I love.
But on the sphere I come from, we try to find other ways to resolve differences.
Peaceful solutions. Negotiations.
You don't fathom the nemesis.
No. I suppose I don't.
Beg the power you believe in that you never will.
The light will be old soon. We'd be sharp to cluster with the others.
In a few minutes. We should be getting close.
You'd be sharp to do my tellings.
Go back if you want to. I've got to keep looking.
No, wait.
I pledged to walk with you.
Glimpse there.
Doesn't look like there's much left of my shuttle.
You'll have to walk with us to the 7th Contingent.
Don't make me kill you.
How is he?
Nullified.
We beg peace from the power who made us Vori,
and we commend our brother, Namon, to the gloried Wayafter.
- What's this? - Namon's coverings.
Shouldn't they go to his family?
It's a long walk to the cluster mark. It's sharper to blend with the trunks.
Your fleet colours will get us all nullified.
I'm sorry about what happened to Namon.
The nemesis has nullified mine and ours in the before, and will in the now.
But in the soonafter, we'll send them flying from this sphere,
and go back to our sisters and mothers.
Take it.
This isn't my war. I'm not planning to shoot anybody.
If we greet the nemesis in the trunks you'll fire like the rest.
As long as you're with us, you do my tellings. Fathom?
Fathom.
- Rafin. - Yes, sir.
Drill Chakotay to fire Vori arms.
Now you.
Your glimpse is too low.
With these arms, it's sharper to aim higher than the mark.
You're good.
- Don't mock me. - I was paying you a compliment.
It is one matter to fire at clay marks but much another to nullify the nemesis.
That's what Namon told. And he told the truth before he went to the Wayafter.
He was right. Killing's not easy.
Risking my own days and nights to drive the nemesis from our sphere.
That should be as easy as a long sleep.
Who taught you that?
My brothers and uncles who were in the clash.
Brone, my driller.
And Namon, my ally
who was nullified because of me.
You think it's your fault Namon died?
If I didn't have the coward's trembles, I would have walked with you.
Then it would be me and not he who went to the Wayafter.
You weren't the one who pulled the trigger, Rafin.
And there's no shame in being afraid of fighting. Having the trembles is natural.
- How do you fathom that? - Because I've been in battle before.
Fighting to free my people from a nemesis called the Cardassians.
These Cardassians... were they beasts?
Let's just say they weren't very friendly.
The point is, even though I believed in what we were doing,
I always felt fear before a fight.
But you wrestled your trembles to rages, didn't you?
- I guess I did. But that doesn't mean... - I was told to drill you, Chakotay.
But it's you who have drilled me.
Drilled me to fathom the rages.
Brone.
- What is it? - I don't know.
Neck-strapped and upturned. Left to be cooked by the glare.
He's one of yours?
By his coverings he's of the 7th Contingent.
- Likely a scout walker. - Desecrated by the Kradin.
He'll never turn his face to the Wayafter.
We're 300 footfalls from the cluster mark. Signal the 7th.
Again.
- Why don't they answer? - Maybe they moved their camp.
Little likely. Walk to the cluster mark and glimpse what you can.
- Sir! - What?
Let me go.
Well told, novice. Keep the talk low and your glimpse wide.
Sir!
- What have you glimpsed? - The 7th Contingent, sir.
- Nullified. - What? All of them?
At least 20 defenders. And that's not the whole terrible of it.
They're all...
- They're all... - Tell it, Rafin! They're all how?
Like him, sir. Upturned.
- Staked to the dirt and upturned. - Those motherless Krady beasts.
Do you glimpse the fullness of it now, stranger?
Yes, I think I do.
Now you fathom why we name them beasts and not men.
I'm sorry.
We are much more than sorry.
- Aren't we, defenders? - Yes, sir!
- The nemesis wants your plantings. - True! True!
He wants your homes.
He wants your sisters.
- Does it suffice him to nullify you? - No!
He craves to shame you, mock you, keep you from the gloried Wayafter.
- We're wearied of it, aren't we? - Yes, sir!
- We're wrestled to the rages for it! - Yes, sir!
And we're not gonna swallow it! Not in the now, or in the soonafter!
Assault!
Sly yourselves and fire back!
- Motherless beasts! - Rafin, no! Stay down!
I'll nullify you all!
Hold on. I'm gonna get you out of here.
Please. Turn my face to the Wayafter.
A defender! Mark, neighbours! A defender!
Welcome to Larhana settlement, gloried defender.
You're brightly greeted.
Captain's log, stardate 51082.4.
After searching for two days, we've found what's left of Chakotay's shuttle.
I can only hope the commander has fared better than his vessel.
Commander Chakotay's shuttle was hit by enemy fire,
and crash-landed on the southernmost continent.
- In the war zone. - I'm afraid so.
- Can we get a lock on him? - Too much atmospheric radiation.
- We don't know if he's alive. - Why don't we assume he is.
- I should have gone. - It's not your fault, Tom.
What we've got to do is deal with it. B'Elanna, modify the scanners.
- Cut through interference. - Aye, Captain.
- Neelix, do you know about this war? - It's vicious.
Ambassador Treen's people have defended themselves
from a savage aggressor for more than a decade.
Would he help us find Chakotay?
- He's willing, but he may not able to. - His resources are extremely limited.
And the situation is chaotic.
But he's assured me, if his troops do find Chakotay,
he'll get transported to the nearest command post.
Let's hope he doesn't meet the aggressors first.
Captain, let me lead a team down there.
I understand how you feel, Tom, but one step at a time.
Ask Ambassador Treen for any tactical support he's willing to provide -
maps, weapons analyses, intelligence reports.
Before I risk lives, I want to know what we're getting ourselves into.
By your coverings, you're a novice, defender.
Do I tell the truth?
Listen, there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not a defender.
My shuttle was shot down and I landed in the clash zone.
I met up with one of your patrols. They gave me this uniform.
- Which contingent? - The 4th.
The 4th? They're sturdy clashers.
Tell us. Did you and your allies drive the nemesis from the trunks?
We put up a brave fight.
You are a gloried defender even if you claim not to be.
Marna tells the truth, Chakotay. You are welcome among my neighbours.
Thank you. That's very kind.
Do you crave anything more? Drink? Warm coverings?
What I need is some communications equipment to contact my crew.
We have no means to signal your people.
The Kradin drove us from our homes and plantings and took all our machinery.
Do you know where I might find some place with communications equipment?
- The restock unit. - Where is it?
It's not near. At least 10,000 footfalls through the thick of the trunks.
Then I'd better get started.
- The new light is coming. Rest till then. - Yes, please. Rest until the new light.
I think I will.
Come, neighbours. Let's give Defender Chakotay some quiet.
I wanted to know if you crave more.
- No, thank you. - Oh.
But it was delicious.
And the blossoms? Do you like them?
I planted them myself.
They're very pretty.
I've heard tellings that the Kradin leave our nullied defenders upturned.
Is it true? You can tell me.
Penno says I'm too small to be told, but I'm not.
The Kradin don't respect your beliefs.
The Kradin are beasty. I don't fathom why they flamed our homes.
- Nor why they crave to nully us all. - I don't either.
We never took their plantings. We never nullied their brothers.
- So why do they hate us? - I wish I could tell you.
Hate's not something I understand very well.
My brother's a defender, too.
- Really? - He left two plantings before.
I was much smaller then.
He was sturdy and pleasing to glimpse in his colours.
Like you.
Maybe you've glimpsed him. He's called Daryo.
There are a lot of soldiers in the war. I only met a few of them.
He's a team leader of the 7th Defence Contingent.
The 7th. Are you sure he was with the 7th?
They're very sturdy in the clash. Have you heard of them?
- We were to rendezvous with them. - Why didn't you?
- You would have glimpsed him. - We were ambushed before we could.
But when you go back to the clash, likely you will glimpse Daryo then.
You could take a letter to him.
I'm not going back to the clash zone.
I've got to get to the restock unit and contact my ship.
Then bring my letter to the restock unit. A defender there can take it to Daryo.
Will you do it? Please.
I'll go write it now, before the new light comes.
- I wish you a good day. - Thank you.
Provisions for your long walk.
- Walk well, Defender Chakotay. - Thank you both.
You've all been very kind.
Writings for my brother. You'll be sure he gets them?
- I'll do my best. - Your best will be enough.
The pretty smell of the blossoms will hold the nemesis far away.
Then you'd better keep one for yourself.
Offer no opposition, or you'll be nullified.
No evidence of cellular residue on the shuttle wreckage.
So Chakotay may have survived.
Unfortunately the wreckage was found inside enemy territory.
So he may have been captured or killed by the nemesis.
There you go looking on the bright side again, Tuvok.
- What is this "nemesis"? - The term they use for their enemy.
Apparently they shoot without warning, use biochemical weapons,
routinely massacre civilians.
If we run into them, they won't be hanging out a welcome sign.
- I want a team on the surface. - Tuvok, let's get moving.
My tactical analysis does not bode well for the success of such a mission.
Given the situation in the battle zone,
there's a very high probability that an away team will sustain heavy casualties.
- Are you saying we abandon Chakotay? - On the contrary.
- I suppose you have an alternative plan. - Indeed.
The least risky course of action is for a single crew member to infiltrate,
accompanied by a commando unit that Ambassador Treen will provide.
Fine with me. When do I leave?
Something tells me that's not what Tuvok has in mind.
Naturally, I am the logical person to carry out this mission.
Naturally.
- Get down there. - Chakotay!
I heard the explosions. I came back to help.
- What did the Kradin do to you? - They interrogated me.
- Where's your grandfather? - I don't know.
He's very grey and his heart's not sturdy. He needs me to tend him.
You.
You, I want to talk to your superior.
Hey, I want to know what you've done with this girl's grandfather.
He's old and needs medical...
Chakotay!
Penno always tells it will be brighter when the new light comes.
Your grandfather's a wise man.
That's right. Now get some sleep.
You'll tend me, won't you, no matter what comes in the soonafter?
Close your glimpsers.
And dream of your gloried brother.
Move along!
Where are they taking them?
They'll be walked to the extermination facility.
- Why? - Because they're too long-lived.
The Kradin think them unfit for toiling. They won't make good servers like us.
- Offer no resistance. - Penno!
- Karya!
- Where are they taking you? - Be sturdy, my daughter's daughter.
- Who'll tend to you? - We'll glimpse each other again.
In the Wayafter.
- Set him loose! - Karya!
- Be still! - Keep your hands off her!
Don't touch her!
- What's the matter, pretty one? - Set my mother's father loose!
- Is that the man you mean? - No! Karya!
Please! Set him loose!
You don't want to see him suffer, do you, pretty one?
No.
The old Vori's suffering will be over soon enough.
No! Penno!
Take this screeching waif to the extermination facility.
No! Chakotay! Set me loose! Chakotay! Help me!
Motherless beast!
- Are they ready to beam aboard? - Aye, Captain.
Energise.
Welcome aboard, Ambassador. Thank you for helping us find our crewman.
Your thanks are unnecessary, Captain.
Any victim of our bloodthirsty nemesis, the Vori,
will always find friends among the Kradin people.
Chakotay.
Be calm now. I'll set you loose.
Sorry to leave you upturned so long.
I had to shroud myself till the Kradin walked on.
- The villagers from the settlement? - They were walked through the trunks.
- And your defenders? - All nullified.
Thank you for coming back for me. You put yourself at risk.
And you, Chakotay, clashed beside us though you're a stranger to this sphere.
I glimpsed you chancing your days and nights to save Rafin from our nemesis.
You tell the truth when you name them beasts.
What will you do now that your men are gone?
Join with the 5th Contingent. They're trying to free the villagers.
It doesn't go brightly for them.
- I'll come with you. - No.
I'll bring you to command to signal your people.
That can wait till the soonafter.
In the now, you need my help to nullify the nemesis.
Back walk! Back walk!
The nemesis is nearing! It's sharper to back walk!
Brone!
Vori soldiers, you are surrounded.
Lay down your arms and surrender.
- Hold your fire. - You'll have to nullify me first!
Hold your fire, Commander Chakotay.
- Do not fire, Commander. - How do you know my name?
- I am Lieutenant Tuvok. - Tuvok?
Don't walk any closer!
I have come to bring you back to Voyager.
Nullify him, Chakotay! It's a Kradin tactic!
I assure you, Commander, this is no ruse.
It is Lieutenant Tuvok. Don't you recognise me?
He's the nemesis!
You're a Kradin beast.
You destroyed that village, nullified Penno, took away Karya.
She was only a child!
They've brainwashed you, Commander. Look closer.
Try to recall. Your shuttle was shot down.
These people, the Vori, they captured you.
No. They rescued me.
They is what they want you to believe.
But they have been indoctrinating you, training you to fight their war.
Take one more step and I'll nullify you.
You are Commander Chakotay of Voyager.
You are a scientist, an explorer. You are not a killer.
- Tuvok. - Yes, Commander.
How can you wear those colours? They're Kradin.
They're beasts. Murderers.
On the contrary. They are the ones who helped us locate you.
We tracked you to a Vori training camp. We infiltrated it but you were gone.
They had already brought you here to fight this battle.
Before today, nothing you experienced here was real.
It is the method the Vori use to conscript and train soldiers.
- I don't believe you. - I will prove it to you.
If you will lower your weapon.
Do you recognise this place?
It's the Larhana settlement.
A defender! Mark, neighbours! A defender!
Defender! Karya!
Welcome to Larhana settlement, gloried defender.
You're brightly greeted.
Captain's log, stardate 51096.5.
Although Tuvok has managed to bring Commander Chakotay safely back,
it may be some time before his psychological wounds are fully healed.
My guess is the Vori used a combination of mind-control techniques,
including photometric projections, heightened emotional stimuli,
and psychotropic manipulation.
From your hypothalamus' condition,
you were so mixed up they could have convinced you your mother was a turnip.
Everything I experienced was a simulation?
Except for the battle you were fighting when Tuvok found you.
Attacking the simulated commandant
marked your graduation from basic training.
And the men I fought beside. None of them were real?
- Namon and Rafin weren't killed? - They were part of the simulation.
The idea was to make you bond with your fellow soldiers and the villagers
so their deaths would enrage you.
- Why me? - Luck of the draw.
You were passing through and you were as promising a recruit as anyone else.
We're told the Vori have dozens of these facilities,
where they conscript their own people, and any aliens they can capture.
In short, you've been subjected
to a highly sophisticated form of propaganda.
Then the Kradin don't kill civilians?
- They don't desecrate the Vori's dead? - I don't know.
But the Kradin accuse the Vori of the same kinds of atrocities.
I cared about the Vori.
But I hated the Kradin. I wanted to kill every one of them.
Evidently, that was the point.
Captain, Ambassador Treen would like to speak with the commander.
I wish to tell you how pleased our people are to hear of your recovery.
I'm only sorry we weren't able to rescue you sooner from our nemesis.
- Have I said something wrong? - I don't know.
If you'll excuse me, Captain.
Chakotay.
I wish it was as easy to stop hating as it was to start.
English (en)