Chakotay’s Cave

CHAKOTAY: 

From the look of these sensor readings, 

Seska wants us to come after her.

JANEWAY: 

Commander.

CHAKOTAY: 

I think Seska's leading us into another trap. 

She masterminded a precision raid 

that made us look like first year Academy students, 

but she left a warp trail for us to follow. 

After such a flawless performance, 

why would she suddenly made that kind of mistake?

JANEWAY: 

You think she wants more than the transporter. 

Are you suggesting we don't follow her?

CHAKOTAY: 

No, I agree with everything you said about preventing the spread of our technology. 

But conventional tactics aren't 

going to work with Seska. 

We'll need to come at her 

with a few surprises of our own.

JANEWAY: 

I'm open to suggestions.

TUVOK: 

Perhaps Commander Chakotay 

could use his intimate knowledge of Seska 

to manipulate her in much the same way 

She manipulated Us.

[Engineering]

TORRES: 

The module Seska stole contains 

a quantum resonance oscillator. 

So, we modify this coil scanner to detect the oscillator, 

then we get close enough to beam it back.

CHAKOTAY: 

I'm betting Seska's figured out a way 

to shield the module from our transporters. 

We might have to destroy it instead.

TORRES: 

How do we do that?

CHAKOTAY: 

We borrow a trick from Seska's book. 

Remember how we disabled the computer core on the Cardassian frigate orbiting Bajor?

TORRES:

Seska modified an anti-proton beam 

to penetrate its shields and hull.

CHAKOTAY: 

Exactly.

TORRES: 

But if I remember correctly, 

the beam was only effective from an extremely close range. 

How do we get near enough to the Nistrim ship?

CHAKOTAY: 

One thing at a time.

TORRES: 

You're taking this all very personally, aren't you?

CHAKOTAY: 

Why shouldn't I?

TORRES: 

You're not responsible for what happened.

CHAKOTAY: 

Oh no? I let her join the Maquis. 

I took her into my confidence. 

I even got intimately involved with her.

TORRES: 

So you have lousy taste in women. 

Look, Chakotay, she fooled us all. 

She was My Best Friend. 

Or at least, that's what I thought.

CHAKOTAY: 

Well, I for one, am through being manipulated by her.

TORRES: 

Are you sure? Because she's affecting you. 

That's just where she wants you. 

Don't tense up.

CHAKOTAY: 

So now I'm getting advice about 

controlling My Emotions from you.

[Ready room]

JANEWAY: 

Come in.

TORRES: 

Do you have a minute, Captain? 

It's about Chakotay.

JANEWAY: 

That's not exactly my favourite subject 

right now, Lieutenant.

TORRES: 

Well, I thought that maybe I could explain -

JANEWAY: 

Explain what? Why my First Officer 

publicly defied my authority by 

commandeering a shuttle 

without permission?

TORRES: 

I know it was never his intention to defy you. 

He respects Your Authority.

JANEWAY: 

But?

TORRES: 

But he's a very proud man. 

And he's been embarrassed by Seska. 

JANEWAY: 

What Seska did, she did to all of us. 

Frankly, I find it more than a little self-indulgent 

of Chakotay to assume this is all about him.

TORRES: 

He never said it to me directly but, 

I think he was in love with her. 

And then he found out that 

everything he knew about 

her was a lie. 

You said that he publicly 

defied Your Authority. 

Can you imagine what it 

must have been like for 

someone as private as Chakotay 

to be publicly humiliated 

by someone he loved? 

And then, as if that weren't enough, 

she came back to taunt him 

in front of the entire Bridge crew.

JANEWAY: 

I'm sure it was very painful for him. 

But what you're saying is, he's got 

a personal score to settle.

TORRES: 

That's only part of it. 

I know Chakotay. 

This is his way 

of Taking Responsibility. 

In His Mind, he's trying to protect The rest of Us 

from a dangerous situation which he created.

JANEWAY: 

Maybe. But that doesn't give him the privilege 

of ignoring this ship's chain of command.

TORRES: 

I know that. It's just that 

Chakotay would never 

tell you any of this himself.

JANEWAY: 

And, assuming we get him back in one piece, 

you want to make sure I take his personal feelings into account before I decide how to discipline him.

TORRES: 

I know that you're well within your rights 

to throw him into the brig, but, well —

JANEWAY: 

Chakotay is lucky to have 

such a good friend. 

I'll tell you what. 

Why don't we deal with getting him back 

in one piece first? 

We can worry about the discipline later.

TORRES: 

Thank you.