Cepheus: Star Trek Voyager - Episode 2: State of Flux

I'm playing a solo session of Cepheus Engine: Alpha Quadrant, the Star Trek rulebook for Cepheus. We're playing as the crew of the USS Voyager. Session zero is here. To view all the episode posts click the Star Trek Voyager tag on the sidebar.

Introduction

This is season 1 episode 10: State of Flux. Another good one that has plot twists and should provide some opportunities for roleplaying.

The Adventure

It's stardate 48658.2. A few months have gone by since the tragic death of Neelix at the hands of the Vidiians, and the crew of the USS Voyager have found a Class M planet with lush vegetation. Commander Chakotay, leading a large away team on a foraging mission, hears someone calling "Commander!" from up on a hill behind him. It's Lieutenant Joseph Carey, running towards him clutching a piece of fruit.

"Look at this," He says, handing Chakotay the brownish green fruit. "I think they're some kind of apple. There are trees filled with them just up on that ridge, as far as the eye can see."

Chakotay makes a check (Difficulty 8)

2 +2 Survival +1 Int =5. Failure!

"Good job Carey," Chakotay says, ignoring everything his father taught him about wilderness survival, "It looks delicious, in fact I've been peckish all morning." He bites into the fruit, smiles, chews and swallows it.

"How is it Sir?" Carey asks, his eyes filling with hopes and dreams of promotion - he'd been in line for the top job in Engineering when the Chief Engineer was killed during the disaster that stranded them in the Delta Quadrant, but the job had gone to the Maquis member B'Elanna Torres in the end.

"It reminds me of..." The Commander breaks off mid-sentence and coughs. He keeps coughing, and his face begins to turn red. Carey asks if he's alright, then starts slapping him on the back frantically as Chakotay grabs at his own collar, pulling it open. Other crewmen nearby start to notice the commotion and run over.

Chakotay collapses on the ground. "Carey to Voyager, medical emergency!" The Lieutenant shouts into his commlink. "Beam the Commander and I to sickbay!"

Chakotay is suffocating and suffers 1D6 damage per round. Transporter Chief Aimee Mathis is on duty again.

Mathis makes a check (Difficulty 8)

10 +2 Transporter +2 Dex = 14. Success!

Mathis quickly locks onto their combadges and beams them into sickbay. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." The Doctor says when Carey activates him.

"The Commander, he ate a piece of fruit I found down there, and now he's choking or something!" Carey stammers. He and the Doctor lift Chakotay onto the bed and the Doctor goes to get a hypospray.

"And where is said fruit now?" He replies.

"I don't know, I guess he dropped it."

"Well don't just stand there man, call one of the away team down there and get them to bring it to me immediately!" The Doctor snaps at him, and he runs out of the room.

The Doctor makes a check (Difficulty 6)

4 +3 Medicine +2 Dex = 9. Success!

He injects Chakotay with something to open up his airways, and he begins to breathe again, but he's unconscious now since his Endurance has been reduced to zero. The Doctor scans him with his medical tricorder.

The Doctor makes a check (Difficulty 8)

8 +3 Medicine +2 Int = 13. Success!

"That's not good." He says, reading the tricorder screen. It seems the fruit was highly poisonous, and it's now in the process of paralyzing Chakotay from the feet up. In a couple of hours it will reach his heart, and he'll suffer a heart attack and die. Carey runs back into the room holding the offending fruit. The Doctor plucks it out of his hand and takes it over to the medical equipment on his desk. Then his combadge pipes up.

"Janeway to sickbay, what's going on down there Doctor?"

"I'm afraid Commander Chakotay has eaten a poisonous fruit from the planet, Captain. I'm going to analyze it and attempt to synthesize an antidote."

"And if you can't?"

"Then... He'll die."

We're fading to black on a closeup of The Doctor's face and going to the title sequence already, and we're only 20 seconds into the real episode!

The Doctor makes a check (Difficulty 8)

3 +3 Medicine +2 Int = 8. Success!

The Doctor gets to work. He finds that the fruit shares a lot of DNA with other poisonous fruits found in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, catalogued in his database, and within an hour he's able to make an antidote quite quickly. In the meantime Lieutenant Carey has beamed back down to the planet to supervise the away team.

Meanwhile on the bridge, the officers are waiting patiently for the team to do their work while the ship orbits the planet.

Paris makes a check (Difficulty 6)

2 +1 Physics +1 Int = 4. Failure!

Tom Paris is at the helm, watching the clouds swirl in the atmosphere of the planet below. For a moment he thinks he notices something catching the light above the planet, but then he remembers Tuvok already did a standard scan when they arrived which found nothing. It was probably just a reflection in the viewscreen.

Down on the surface, Lieutenant Carey asks all away team members for a routine check-in over the comms. Everyone checks in except Ensign Seska. "She was picking berries with our group" Ensign Kim says, "Over by the hillside. There were caves nearby."

"If she went inside one it could be blocking her combadge signal. I'll start wrapping things up here, we should get back to the ship soon. Why don't you go and look for her, Ensign." Carey walks towards the others, leaving Kim to head off in the direction of the hills.

Taking out his tricorder, Harry Kim walks along the hillside scanning for Starfleet combadge signals.

Kim makes a check (Difficulty 6)

7 +3 Small Equipment +1 Int = 11. Success!

He is able to separate a lone signal from the noise of those of the away team. It is indeed coming from inside a cave, weak as it is. He walks into the cave mouth and begins following a tunnel. Almost immediately he hears alien voices talking to each other and presses himself against the wall, closing his beeping tricorder.

Kim makes a check (Difficulty 8)

11 -3 Stealth = 8. Success!

The voices pass by, heading along a tunnel that crosses this one. Kim peeks out from behind a rock and recognises the distinctive pinecone-shaped hairstyles of the Kazon - the tribal raiders involved in the disaster that stranded Voyager in the first place! He sneaks down the tunnel, phaser in hand, trying to see where they went. Turning a corner he comes face to face with Ensign Seska, also pointing a phaser.

"Oh, thank the prophets!" The Bajoran officer exclaims. Seska was a member of Chakotay's Maquis crew who joined Voyager along with him and Torres. She explains that she saw mushrooms growing by the mouth of the cave and thought they'd make good provisions, then got lost. "We've got to get out of here" Kim says. He's about to explain that the away mission is wrapping up, but when they turn round they see two Kazon standing in front of them at close range holding disruptor rifles!

Here are the stats for Seska and the two Kazon warriors.

Ensign Seska

STR: 8

DEX: 9 (+1)

END: 9 (+1)

INT: 11 (+1)

EDU: 10 (+1)

Skills: Marksmanship: Modern-3, Combat: Unarmed-2

Weapon: Type 2 phaser set to power level 2 (Stun a humanoid)

Kazon Warrior 1

STR: 8

DEX: 7

END: 9 (+1)

INT: 7

EDU: 10 (+1)

Skills: Combat: Unarmed-0

Weapon: Disruptor rifle set to power level 2 (Stun a humanoid)

Kazon Warrior 2

STR: 7

DEX: 8

END: 3 (-1)

INT: 5 (-1)

EDU: 6

Skills: Combat: Unarmed-0

Weapon: Disruptor rifle set to power level 2 (Stun a humanoid)

The Kazon have the drop on Kim and Seska, so they'll get to attack first. I'll narrate the fight and then show the dice rolls afterward, since it makes it a bit easier to read and you can ignore the geeky combat stats if you want.

The Kazon are already pointing their guns at the officers. They both shoot at Kim but miss and he returns fire, hitting one of them with his phaser and knocking him out. Seska shoots at the other but he ducks out of the way at the last moment. He fires back while he's still unsteady on his feet from dodging, hitting the rock wall behind them.

Kim shoots back again and misses, then Seska takes a moment to carefully line up a shot. She shoots the second Kazon warrior square in the chest and he's thrown backwards onto the ground, unconscious.

Round 1, Kazon Turn

The Kazon roll initiative, and Kazon Warrior 2 goes first.

Who does he aim at? (50/50)

Kim.

Kazon Warrior 2 shoots at Kim.

9 -3 Marksmanship: Modern -2 Close range with rifle -1 Low light = 3. Miss.

Who does Kazon Warrior 1 aim at? (50/50)

Kim.

Kazon Warrior 1 shoots at Kim.

10 -3 Marksmanship: Modern -2 Close range with rifle -1 Low light = 4. Miss.

Round 1, Starfleet Turn

The officers roll initiative and Kim goes first.

Kim shoots at Kazon Warrior 1.

10 +4 Marksmanship: Modern -1 Low light = 13. Hit!

Kazon Warrior 1 reacts: Dodge. Kim gets -1 DM to his attack, but still hits.

Kazon Warrior 1 is stunned and falls unconscious.

Seska shoots at Kazon Warrior 2.

5 +3 Marksmanship: Modern +1 Dex -1 Low light = 8. Hit!

Kazon Warrior 2 reacts: Dodge. Seska gets -1 DM to her attack so she misses.

Round 2, Kazon Turn

Kazon Warrior 2 shoots at Kim.

5 -3 Marksmanship: Modern -2 Close range with rifle -1 Low light -1 from dodging = 0. Miss.

Round 2, Starfleet Turn

Kim shoots at Kazon Warrior 2.

4 +4 Marksmanship: Modern -1 Low light = 7. Miss.

Seska aims at Kazon Warrior 2, then shoots.

5 +3 Marksmanship: Modern +1 Dex +1 Aim -1 Low light = 9. Hit!

Kazon Warrior 2 reacts: Dodge. Seska still gets 8 which is a hit.

Kazon Warrior 2 is stunned and falls unconscious.

The pair of them leave the Kazon where they lie and run back down the tunnel and outside. It seems they're not being followed, and they're able to contact the ship and beam back up.

Chakotay has recovered from his poisoning and is enjoying some time off in his quarters, doing some traditional artwork of the kind favoured by his tribe, a drawing on a flat rock. Seska rings his doorbell and comes in with a pot of mushroom soup, made from the mushrooms she found outside the cave.

"It's a shame about Neelix, but the galley crew have really stepped up and done us proud in the last few months. This is delicious." Chakotay says, slurping it down.

"Oh, this wasn't the galley crew's work. They said there weren't enough mushrooms to go around, so me and some of our comrades arranged a distraction while Jackson and I snuck in and liberated some mushrooms."

Chakotay makes a check (Difficulty 8)

3 +2 Law: Federation +1 Int = 6. Failure.

Chakotay sniggers. "Well done on a successful mission, comrade. I guess you can take the girl out of the Maquis but you can't take the Maquis out of the girl." They laugh and he greedily guzzles more soup.

Just then, he gets a call over the comms. "Crewman Waller to Commander Chakotay."

"Go ahead crewman." He replies.

"I'm in the galley, Sir. We've had a break-in, someone's stolen all the mushrooms Ensign Seska found yesterday!"

Let's give Chakotay one more check to see if he can do the right thing, since he's now got the choice of lying to a colleague or doing his duty as a Starfleet officer.

Chakotay makes a check (Difficulty 8)

8 +2 Law: Federation +1 Int = 11. Success!

Chakotay looks at the delicious soup again, then throws his spoon down in disgust. "I know, Waller. I've just caught the person responsible. I'll handle it from here. Chakotay out."

"What?" Seska exclaims. "It's not like I kept it for myself, I brought it to the first officer!"

"Thereby including me in your criminal conspiracy. We're Starfleet now, Seska. We need to act like it."

"But-" She starts before she's cut off.

"Replicator privileges revoked for two days. Everyone, including me."

Seska tries to argue with him but he threatens her with the brig. She responds by trying to rekindle their long dead romance, over before they arrived in the Delta Quadrant, and when he reminds her that they mutually agreed it was a bad idea back then, she threatens to pounce on "young Ensign Kim". He watches her leave his quarters, smiling as he reminisces, but then his eyes land on a soup stain on the carpet, and he scowls. "Janeway to all senior officers," His combadge says, "Please report to the bridge."

"We require help. Anyone who can see this message, please help." A Kazon says on the bridge's viewscreen, the picture distorted and jittery. His ship interior looks dark and smoky, and he shudders in pain as he speaks.

"It is a Kazon-Nistrim ship, Captain." Tuvok says. The bridge crew understand his warning: the Nistrim sect have been especially hostile to them during their encounters.

"We need immediate assistance!" The Kazon says. "We have lost... all -ugh- bridge operations. Barely able to function!"

"Mr Kim," Janeway says, "Can you determine if this ship has sustained genuine damage?"

Kim makes a check (Difficulty 8)

10 +5 Sensors +1 Int = 16. Success!

"There are fluctuating nucleonic patterns." He replies after running a scan. "It might indicate a reactor breakdown on board." Still unsure if it's a trap, Janeway then orders Paris to run an extended scan to identify any other Kazon ships that might be nearby.

Paris makes a check (Difficulty 8)

7 +2 Sensors +1 Int = 10. Success!

"Nothing showing up, Captain." He reports. She tells him to keep scanning and set a heading to intercept the crippled ship. She turns to Chakotay who has just arrived, telling him this could be an opportunity to make a friend, something they badly need out here in the Delta Quadrant. An away team is assembled: Chakotay, Tuvok, Torres and Seska. They beam over to the Kazon ship without incident.

The bridge is dark and filled with smoke. Lights flicker here and there but they can't see any signs of life. It looks like the structure of the place has been warped somehow. Large bulbous shapes stretch out of the walls, floor and ceiling as if the metal has been melted and boiled. Tuvok notices what looks like the tips of a pair of boots sticking out of one of these lumps of metal, and raising his torch reveals a dead Kazon crewman half inside it, seemingly fused with the metal. The others find more of them, faces poking out of walls and random limbs hanging limply from giant blobs of metal.

They get their tricorders out and being scanning.

They all make checks (Difficulty 8)

Chakotay: 8 +2 Small Equipment +1 Int = 11. Success!

Chakotay is the first to detect high levels of nucleonic radiation coming from a certain spot on the bridge. There's none where they're standing though. Tuvok suggests the ship might have activated an automatic containment system when the incident happened, and puts out a hand in the direction of the radioactive area, only for it to be repelled by a forcefield.

They all make checks (Difficulty 8)

Seska: 7 +2 Small Equipment +1 Int = 10. Success!

Seska is walking around the edge of the forcefield and detects one lifesign on her tricorder. She moves over to have a look and finds the Kazon who contacted them, barely alive and hunched in the corner. Chakotay has him beamed directly to sickbay.

Tuvok makes a check (Difficulty 8)

10 +1 Small Equipment +1 Int = 12. Success!

Tuvok finds the source of the radiation: a blown up console. It looks different to the rest of the technology on the ship. More modern with a sleeker design.

Torres makes a check (Difficulty 8)

4 +2 Small Equipment +1 Int = 7. Failure.

"Hmm. It's definitely too advanced to be Kazon tech, but I can't determine anything more about it." She says. They can't learn anything more here, so they return to Voyager. In sickbay, the Doctor is running a diagnosis on the Kazon man.

The Doctor makes a check (Difficulty 8)

7 +3 Medicine +2 Int = 12. Success!

Janeway, Chakotay and Tuvok arrive just as he finishes. He explains that almost every cell in the Kazon's body has been altered somehow. His blood cells have bonded with metallic matter. Chakotay explains what they saw on the Kazon ship: the crew fused with the warped bulkheads and floors. The Doctor recommends a total replacement blood transfusion in order to save his life, which means they'll have to find compatible donors from the Voyager crew. Kes, watching from nearby offers to run a screening of the crew's medical records to find suitable candidates.

Leaving sickbay, Chakotay and Tuvok tell the Captain about the piece of alien technology that seemingly exploded and caused the disaster. "Can we transport it over here and study it more closely?" She asks.

Chakotay makes a check (Difficulty 8)

8 +2 Transporter +1 Int = 11. Success!

"No, not with those levels of nucleonic radiation. The transporter beam would disperse." He replies, remembering his transporter training from the Academy.

"We need to find out where they got that thing, and who gave it to them. Maybe we can win their trust if we solve this mystery for them." She says.

Later that day Torres is hosting a brainstorming session in Engineering to try to figure out a way to retrieve the alien console, with Janeway, Chakotay, Ensign Seska and Ensign Carey. No one can think of a way to do it without seriously risking the lives of an away team. Seska suggests creating a mobile forcefield around one person who could then get close enough to the console to move it, but Torres throws the idea out as too risky. Any random subspace disturbance would wash that crewmember in radiation and kill them instantly.

Carey makes a check (Difficulty 8)

4 +2 Engineering +1 Int = 7. Failure.

Torres makes a check (Difficulty 8)

5 +3 Engineering +1 Int = 9. Success!

"We could use an expander to manipulate the forcefield." Torres suggests. "Push it out of the way along with the radiation contained within it, leaving the console outside." Janeway asks how long this would take, and Torres says they can have it ready tomorrow. Janeway demands it tonight, but Torres bluntly tells her that she doesn't exaggerate: If she says it'll be tomorrow, it'll be tomorrow. She's no Scotty, that Torres.

Torres decides to take an away team to the ship consisting of Seska, Carey and Nicolletti. She asks for their help in preparing the equipment first.

While they assemble what they need, Kes calls Seska on the comm to ask if she ever gave a blood sample for her medical file after joining the crew, since she's looking for donors. Seska tells her that she didn't, but her blood wouldn't be any good anyway since she caught a disease as a child that left it infected, with doctors warning her never to become a blood donor. The other engineering staff are busy finding bits of gear for their mission, and Seska attempts to sneak into the turbolift.

Seska makes a check (Difficulty 7, the others are distracted)

11 +1 Dex = 12. Success!

No one sees her slip into the turbolift.

Meanwhile on the bridge, Tom Paris detects another Kazon ship approaching and trying to hail the disabled one. It's 4 hours 20 minutes away, and since they have no useful information for the Kazon yet, Janeway decides not to contact them.

A warning beeps on Harry Kim's console. Someone has just beamed over to the Kazon ship without permission. It's Seska, he reports. Chakotay calls her and demands to know what she's doing. "Torres's plan would take too long, mine is better" She replies, a personal forcefield generator strapped to her arm. He begins to order her back, insisting it's too dangerous, but they hear a scream followed by an explosion which is quickly cut off as the comm channel fails.

"Get her out of there," He orders Kim. "Send her to sickbay!"

"Energising." Kim does an emergency transport himself.

Kim makes a check (Difficulty 8)

8 +1 Transporter = 9. Success!

He quickly beams Seska into sickbay where the Doctor runs over and scans her. The signs of nucleonic radiation injuries are obvious since he's treating the Kazon for the same thing. her face is red and burnt all over and she's lost consciousness. He asks Kes for her assistance in treating her. Torres, annoyed to hear what Seska did, gets to work running simulations in Engineering to ensure her plan will work.

A few hours later the second Kazon ship arrives, so the Captain hails them and introduces herself. The reply comes from First Maje Culluh, the leader of the Nistrim sect. He thinks Voyager has attacked the ship.

Janeway makes a check (Difficulty 8)

10 +3 Diplomacy +1 Int = 14. Success!

She explains that they responded to a call for help and found only one crew member alive, and rescued him. Culluh demands to see him, and orders Janeway to prepare for his arrival on their ship.

Paris makes a check in order to make one of his quips (Difficulty 6)

8 +1 Int = 9. Success!

"Friendly sort!" He says. Maje Culluh beams over with a Kazon warrior, and Janeway takes them to sickbay. The Doctor explains he's been able to stabilise the patient by completely replacing his blood with that of good samaritans from Voyager. Janeway tells Culluh about the explosion and their efforts to figure out what exactly the alien console is, but he cuts her off. The ship will be towed back to a Kazon starport for their own investigation.

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that just yet." Janeway says.

"And what gives you the right to stop me?" He asks.

Janeway makes a check (Difficulty 8)

12 +3 Diplomacy +1 Int = 16. Success!

"That console came from an unknown party, potentially a far more advanced civilization than yours. If they're acting against you, you might need our help against them. It's in your interest to work with us." Janeway reasons.

The Maje's face hardens, but he thinks for a moment. "You will leave us with him." He says. Janeway walks over to the Doctor and whispers to him that she'd rather the Kazon didn't take the patient back to their ship yet, in case he wakes up and can be questioned.

The Kazon warrior edges closer to the patient. Suddenly he twists a ring on his finger and a tiny needle flicks out of it.

Kazon Warrior makes a check (Difficulty 7)

6. Failure.

He is about to stab the sleeping Kazon in the neck but Tuvok is watching him and manages to rush him, putting an absolute belter across the Kazon's face like an enraged drunk man outside a kebab shop at three in the morning in early 21st Century Britain. The Kazon staggers backwards into the wall, and Janeway draws her phaser and shouts "Stand down!"

The Kazon shakes off the hit and glares at her, lunging at the other one desperately only to be stopped by Tuvok. Kes is cowering in the corner while the Doctor panics, knocking a tray of hyposprays onto the floor.

Tuvok grabs the Kazon by the scruff of his neck and pounds his fist into the man's face like a sledgehammer a second time. Teeth go flying and the Kazon slumps to the floor, knocked out.

Kazon Warrior makes a check to avoid stabbing himself with his own poisoned needle as he falls (Difficulty 8)

12. Success!

Here's the combat breakdown.

Kazon Warrior

STR: 10 (+1)

DEX: 7

END: 8

INT: 9 (+1)

EDU: 10 (+1)

Skills: Combat: Unarmed-1

Weapon: Poisoned needle (lethal)

Round 1, Starfleet Turn

Tuvok uses a minor action to run at Kazon Warrior, then attacks him.

10 +4 Combat: Unarmed +1 Str = 15. Hit!

Damage: 1D6 +7 Attack roll effect = 13.

Kazon warrior loses all his Endurance and his Strength is reduced to 5.

Janeway draws her phaser and shouts "Stand down!"

Opposed roll: Janeway vs Kazon Warrior

Janeway rolls 3 +3 Diplomacy = 6

Kazon Warrior rolls 11 and wins. He'll attempt to kill the other Kazon again since he can only use his poison once.

Round 1, Kazon Turn

Kazon warrior makes another check to stab the sleeping one (Difficulty 9 since Tuvok is between them now)

8. Failure.

Round 2, Starfleet Turn

Tuvok attacks Kazon Warrior.

12 +4 Combat: Unarmed +1 Str = 17. Hit!

Damage: 1D6 +9 Attack roll effect = 11.

Kazon Warrior loses the rest of his Strength and his Dexterity is reduced to 1. He falls unconscious.

"Get off this ship!" Janeway shouts at Culluh. Tuvok calls a security officer down to sickbay, who drags the Kazon Warrior to the transporter room, while Culluh follows with Tuvok. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Kes speak to the Captain privately. Kes explains that she's analyzed Seska's blood while searching for a donor for her, and found that it's not at all similar to Bajoran blood. It actually indicates that she's Cardassian.

Janeway summons Tuvok and Chakotay to her ready room to discuss what this means. Tuvok tells her Cardassian spies have been known to undergo cosmetic surgery in order to infiltrate the Maquis posing as Bajorans. Chakotay is gobsmacked. Tuvok was undercover for Starfleet, Seska was undercover for Cardassia... was there anyone on his former ship who really was working for him?

Janeway says he can question her once they've recovered the damaged console from the other ship. She calls Torres.

Torres makes a check. Has she managed to prepare for her mission? (Difficulty 8)

12 +3 Engineering +1 Int = 16. Success!

"We've finished the simulations Captain, we're ready to beam over." She replies. They do so, and Janeway returns to the bridge where they are hailed by First Maje Culluh. He says their sensors have detected Starfleet crew trespassing on their vessel, and that if they attempt to remove that console he'll treat it as an act of war. But they still haven't learned anything about the console and its nucleonic radiation. They need to analyze it so they can treat Seska and the injured Kazon, or they'll never find out if she's a foreign agent and won't be able to gain favour with the Kazon for saving one of them.

Janeway makes a check (Difficulty 8)

7 +3 Diplomacy +1 Int = 11. Success!

Janeway replies "You know, I'm really easy to get along with, most of the time... But I don't like bullies, I don't like threats, and I don't like you, Culluh." The Maje kills the transmission, and Tuvok reports that their weapons systems are powering down. It seems the Captain's show of strength was the right approach to dealing with the Kazon. However if Culluh has called reinforcements it may not be enough.

"Janeway to Torres." The Captain says into her combadge. "I don't want to rush you but how much longer do you need over there?"

Torres makes a check. Has she been able to decontaminate the console and beam it over? (Difficulty 8)

12 +3 Engineering +1 Int +1 Assistance from team = 17. Success!

"We're finished Captain, we've already beamed it over." Comes the reply. In a few minutes the Captain is in engineering examining the console with Torres.

Torres makes a check (Difficulty 6)

8 +3 Engineering +1 Int = 12. Success!

"What the..." The chief engineer says, scanning the console with a tricorder. "Captain, this is identical to a Starfleet food replicator!"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. But they didn't use a thick enough shield casing. Once the nucleonic radiation leaked out, a cascade reaction was inevitable."

"Can you tell if it definitely came from our ship?"

Torres identifies bioneural fibres within the replicator, the state of the art alternative to fibre optic cabling that was unique to Voyager as the first of its type of ship. "Somebody onboard Voyager gave them what they needed, I guess they just didn't know what to do with it."

Janeway is reeling from this shock when the Doctor's voice comes from her combadge. "Sickbay to the Captain, please come down here at once, and bring security. We have a situation!"

A couple of minutes later the Captain walks into sickbay with Chakotay, Tuvok and a security officer. The room is in disarray and she's shocked to see Seska and the Kazon warrior wrestling on the floor. "They both woke up at the same time and started shouting accusations at each other, Captain. I couldn't bring up a forcefield in time to keep them separated!" The Doctor says.

"It's all your fault!" The Kazon yells at Seska. "You tricked us, tried to blow up our ship with that thing!" He grabs her and tries to line up a punch.

"I gave you what you asked for you fool, it's not my fault you skimped on the components!" She retorts.

Tuvok and the security officer easily pull the sick pair apart and sit them on separate beds. Neither has the energy to put up a fight and Tuvok quickly gets the full story from them. Seska hid a subspace message to the Kazon captain in routine flushing of the warp nacelles a few weeks previously, offering to give him the secrets of replicator technology in order to begin building a base of power in the Delta Quadrant and manipulate the local factions. She accuses Janeway and the Federation of being weak, and making the wrong decision to destroy the Caretaker's array and strand the whole crew here just so she could follow Federation morals.

She asserts that if this was a Cardassian ship they'd have been home by now, and that the replicator was only a minor piece of technology anyway, a small price to pay for protection while they travel through this region of space. But Janeway reminds her that this minor piece of technology could forever change the balance of power in the Delta Quadrant. It's what the Prime Directive is all about.

Seska declares Janeway and Chakotay both fools, and despairs at the fact that she once loved Chakotay. Without warning she says "Computer, command XJL." and disappears before their eyes, having been automatically beamed away using an encrypted transporter beam.

Tracking the destination, it seems she's now onboard a Kazon ship 14 kilometres away and two warships are approaching Voyager's position. It would be a very difficult battle, so Janeway orders Paris to go to warp and resume their journey home... But something tells her they haven't seen the last of Seska the Cardassian spy.

My Thoughts

That was fun, the plot diverged quite a bit from the original episode. The funniest thing was that within the first 20 seconds of the show Neelix identified an extremely poisonous fruit, so without him there Chakotay almost died right at the start of a Chakotay episode.

In the show B'Ellana Torres identifies the replicator as soon as they find it on the Kazon ship so they know right away that they must have a traitor onboard. The main plot then becomes Chakotay trying to figure out if his ex girlfriend really is a Cardassian spy, with her muddying the waters by claiming she had a bone marrow transplant from a Cardassian to cure her childhood disease, hence having Cardassian blood type, and then trying to frame Lieutenant Carey for giving away the replicator.

The wounded Kazon is killed by the guy with the poison needle so they never get to hear his side of the story. Seska is proved guilty by way of a ruse by Tuvok and Chakotay who plant information with both her and Carey to see who contacts the Kazon with it, but I decided to have Seska and the Kazon both wake up at the same time to clear up the whole matter in one scene as the session was getting pretty long by that point and I wanted to wrap it up.

The main thing I learnt from playing through this episode was that Tuvok has a mad right hook on him.