Greetings, reader number ! Thanks for your interest!

Disclaimer: We've all heard it, read it and can recite it in our sleep…the Almighty Paramount and Viacom own the universe and all things Star Trek. No copyright infringement is intended.

Rating: PG-13 for violence.

Author's notes: Many thanks to my friends, Ghostwriter and Jules for their comments and help, especially Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter was kind enough to set aside her own work for a few hours to act as my editor-in-chief so I could get this story posted before I became a conquest of one certain Talaxian Hedgehog. So I owe her a debt of gratitude!! One lesson learned while writing this little tidbit…NEVER EVER post an unfinished story to a JetC pond! And to those of you lurking in the shadows with cattle prods and paint pellets…here's looking at ya! And leave Ghosti alone!!!

Mind Over Matter

By Renegade

May 1998

********

Tears streaked down her face as she gazed down at his lifeless form on the bio-bed. She was in shock. He was dead.

"Captain? Captain?" The Doctor's normally stoic voice was thick with concern for her well being.

She slowly raised her head and looked at the Doctor through eyes reddened by crying. Her left hand touched his cheek while her right gripped the side of the bed for support. Her knuckles white against the bruises and abrasions on her hands and arms. "I'm all right."

The Doctor lowered the tricorder and looked at her as Tom Paris and Tuvok approached her side. "Captain...I'm sorry... there was nothing more we could do."

Tom closed his own eyes to the tears threatening. His neck and face still showing signs of bruising. "If only we hadn't gone down to that planet....If only I'd seen it coming.... Before it was too late...."

"No one could've known Tom. Don't blame yourself. If anything...I'm to blame. It's all my fault."

Tuvok placed a comforting hand on the Captain's shoulder. "The situation could not be avoided Captain. You must not blame yourself for the inevitable."

She glanced back down at him. Her fingers traced the lines of his tattoo, as she lowered her lips to kiss him one last time. Tears dampened his skin as she spoke softly. "I'll always love you Chakotay.... Please forgive me...."

The Doctor sighed and glanced up at Tuvok. "Captain....Commander.... Please.... I need to finish."

Tuvok glanced at Tom and they gently pulled her back from the bed. "Captain...please allow the Lieutenant to take you back to your quarters. You're in need of some rest."

Kathryn's eyes narrowed as she looked at her Chief Security Officer. Pulling her arm from Tom's grasp, her voice thick with venom as she spoke. "I'm in need of absolution Tuvok. Not Rest. Chakotay is dead.... And I killed him...."

********

****4 days earlier****

Kathryn awoke suddenly at the sounds of his cries. *Damn it… This is the third night in a row….* "Chakotay!"

He was drenched in sweat and breathing hard, shuddering from the images that had invaded his mind once more. "I'm sorry…."

Kathryn wrapped her arms around him and kissed his brow. "Oh Chakotay…you can't take many more sleepless nights. The same nightmare?"

He tried to still his breathing as he put his hand on hers. "Yes…." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. For the first time since he had left Dorvan V, he felt out of sync, out of touch with his own self. For over five days the images had been haunting him. He had tried to speak to his spirit guide but it had been no use. Even his spirit guide had been avoiding him. Avoiding the malevolent thoughts that seemed to be permeating his mind every night and in the past couple of days…every waking moment.

It was unlike Chakotay to keep things from her, but he was keeping this to himself…. Perhaps because he didn't know how to tell her what had happened…. Perhaps to try and protect her…. She knew what his answer would be, but she pressed her hand against his chest, speaking softly. "Care to talk about it?"

He could only shake his head. The words barely audible as he tightened his hand around hers. "No…. Please Kathryn…I can't…. "

Kathryn studied his face closely. The normal bronze warmth of his skin had been replaced with a cold pale. His face was drawn and his eyes had dark circles beneath them. His eyes, which had always held a sparkle, were now dark with pain and despair. He had not had a good night's sleep since returning from that planet over five days ago. He had seen something…something horrible… something that he didn't mention in his report…but she knew it had happened. She knew because it had been Tom that had finally come to her three days ago…concerned about Chakotay….

*********

Kathryn had been deep in thought, studying the reports from the away team. It was there in every report…every report but the one from her First Officer…. A horrible cataclysmic event had happened and every life form had been destroyed. The reports had been gruesome, Apocalyptic, in fact… but the details were missing from the one report she had expected to find them in. Chakotay's. In the past four and a half years, she had come to rely on his reports above all others. Perhaps, now more than ever…. She had trusted him with the lives of this ship and the crew, but she had finally given in to the feelings and emotions that had been prevalent between them for some time, and now she not only trusted him with her life, she trusted him with her heart. Trusted him to always tell her the truth…. So why was he lying to her now? Was he lying? Or just not telling her everything?

The chime to her ready room sounded, interrupting her thoughts. "Enter."

As the doors slid open, Tom Paris stepped forward hesitantly, glancing nervously back over his shoulder at the bridge. "Captain…may I have a word with you?"

She knitted her eyebrows. Something on the young Lieutenant's face concerned her. "Of course Tom. Please come in and sit down."

Tom hesitated for a moment before taking a seat across from her at her desk. "Captain…. It's about Commander Chakotay." He tensed his jaw.

Her eyes narrowed. Tom Paris was always the jokester, always the one to lend a quip to lighten the air on a too often tense bridge, but now his face was dark with concern. "What is it Tom?" He inhaled deeply and glanced quickly down at his hands. They were shaking. She leaned forward. "Tom? What's wrong?"

Tom raised his eyes and met hers. "It's Chakotay, Captain. Something happened to him on that planet. I just know it."

Her heart leapt. "What do you mean Tom? What happened?!"

Tom swallowed hard. "When we got down there, we were all in shock over the images, the carnage that we encountered. It was awful. Chakotay took the lead…. He ordered complete scans of the entire area, ordering B'Elanna and me to gather readings from the power plant, while the others began their analysis of the life forms…" He paused. The images invading his thoughts were horrible and he closed his eyes to gather his nerves. "Chakotay headed for the area, he believed to be the center of the disaster…ground zero…"

Kathryn frowned. "Alone?"

"Yes… He didn't want to risk the others with possible radiation poisoning. Yet, I can't understand why. The whole team had been inoculated with Arythrozine as a precaution, the readings were sporadic, and the levels weren't dangerous, but he still insisted. B'Elanna and I were nearby, taking the readings from the plasma conduits when we heard something…. Something eerie…. The next thing B'Elanna and I knew he was screaming…. Screaming in pain…. When we reached him, he was kneeling on the ground, his hands clenched to the sides of his head, his face contorted in pain, and his uniform drenched in blood…."

Kathryn gasped. The reports didn't mention that. "What?!"

"But it wasn't his!"

"What the hell happened Tom?"

"That's just it Captain. We don't know. We were more concerned about Chakotay, but he kept saying he was all right. He couldn't explain how the blood got on him. Yet he was in so much pain! When B'Elanna touched his shoulder, he pulled away from her like she'd struck him with a red-hot poker. The tricorder didn't register anything, but the blood was there Captain. And Chakotay kept staring into the ashes. I asked him what had happened… It wasn't like him to keep staring into oblivion like that. He said he had just had a horrible vision of what had happened to those people, but there was something more Captain…. Something in his eyes, that for one split second scared the spirit of Kahless right out of B'Elanna, and the shit out of me…. Excuse my French…."

She narrowed her eyes once again. Tom's face said it all. He was scared. She swallowed slowly, hesitant to ask her next question…. "Tom…what did you see?"

Tom rubbed his hands together. "Evil Captain… Pure, malevolent, evil."

********

Tom's words were now ringing in her ears as she gathered Chakotay's shaking body in her arms. Tears were welling in her eyes as she kissed the top of his head. This was the third night in a row that he had had only a few brief peaceful moments of sleep. He was exhausted, and she knew he hadn't eaten anything, despite her pleas to the contrary. She'd ordered him to Sickbay, but he had refused. He had only relented after the Doctor threatened to relieve him of duty, but it didn't seem to have made a difference. Despite efforts to the contrary, Chakotay was wasting away in front of her eyes, and she felt powerless to help him. Something had happened to him…something so horrible that he was afraid to share it with her…. The woman he had said he loved more than life itself, and wanted to share his life with…. The woman who shared his soul….

Tom had said that he and B'Elanna had been afraid…. And now Chakotay….her First Officer…her lover…her pillar of strength…was afraid…. Not only was he afraid, he was scared to death. She pulled him closer as he shuddered once more. Whatever it was…she had to find out…. She had to find out before it killed him…and her in the process….

********

It had been well over a week since they had left orbit around that planet. A planet of doom. The morale of the crew had been strained to the breaking point. Tensions were high, and emotions were strained. Particularly those of the officers and crew members that had been on the away team….

Chakotay had grown more and more distant from her, and the past two nights had refused to join her not only for dinner but in bed as well.

After four and a half years of being apart intimately, she feared being apart from him forever not only as her lover, but as her closest friend as well. She would lose him, unless she could break through the walls that had formed between them over the last week.

She entered her code on the lock outside his door, and entered into the darkened room. She could see his silhouette seated on the floor with his medicine bundle laid out in front of him. His hand was on the akoonah, and his eyes were closed, but his face was tense and troubled. She quietly sat down across from him, studying him carefully. His face was a harsh reminder of that away mission. Ever since then, he had become a barren shell of his former self. Withdrawn, and pale. A shadow of what was once a strong, virile, handsome man. All of the scans had been negative, and the Doctor had been unable to find anything physically or mentally wrong with Chakotay, but something was wrong with her beloved…something was terribly wrong. She closed her eyes and silently asked the spirits of his ancestors to help him finally find peace tonight.

Chakotay was too deep within his trance to sense her presence. "Akoocheemoya…I remain far from the sacred places of my grandfathers, far from the bones of my people…Help me Great Spirit to purge this evil…." His breathing slowed, signaling his entrance into the spirit world.

Kathryn continued to gaze at him intently. She had watched him so many times as he walked with his spirit guide but tonight was different. Something wasn't right. He was still too tense. She watched his muscles tighten and strain with every breath. His face contorting in pain. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he fought the images of his trance. He began to shake, his body contorting into vicious spasms. She reached out to touch him, staring in horror as he shuddered and collapsed into a heap, an agonizing scream escaping his lips.

"Chakotay!" She moved next to him instantly, placing her hand on his chest as tears flooded her eyes. "Chakotay! Can you hear me? It's me…it's Kathryn…." Her hand flinched. His chest was ice-cold and she gasped.

His eyes suddenly snapped open. He grabbed her wrist and glared at her. "Get out of here! You're not welcome in my presence!" He shoved her back from him with such force that she scraped her forearms on the carpet trying to stop herself from sliding into the wall from the momentum of his attack.

He stood and towered over her. She raised her head to look at him. The tears broke free. "Chakotay…Please…It's me…."

She reached out her hand once again, pleading with him. He glowered down at her. His gaze, chilling her to the core. She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a cry of fear from escaping. He grabbed the front of her tunic and shoved her into the wall, his eyes flashing his threat. "I said…Get out!"

She recoiled in horror from the look in his eyes. Her voice caught in her throat as he clenched her shoulders tightly, causing her to wince in pain. "Chak…" Her feet were a mere few inches off the ground, but she felt like he was holding her at a towering distance. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her eyes were locked on his, and she gasped.

He brought the back of his hand across her mouth, drawing blood from her lips. "I'm not Chakotay!" And with that he dropped her to the floor like a wet rag and left his quarters in a furor.

She crumpled to the floor, shaken and shuddering from the feeling that was overwhelming her. She was not a religious person, but a prayer escaped her lips… she had just seen the devil himself….

*********

It was several moments before she could gather her nerve and she stood on wobbly legs. She stumbled out into the corridor, holding her arms, trying to shake off the feeling of pain as well as fear. Tears were streaming down her face and her vision was blurred. As she fell against the wall, Tom was rounding the corner, heading back to his quarters for the evening. His heart stopped when he saw her, struggling to stand against the railing outside of Chakotay's quarters.

"Captain!" He caught her as she crumbled into his arms.

She spoke breathlessly as he wiped the blood from her face. "Tom… Chakotay…."

"Paris to Kim! Two for emergency transport to Sickbay!"

As they materialized in Sickbay, the Doctor was already scanning Kathryn's body for further injuries. Tuvok entered through the doors, a look of concern on his usually emotionless face. The emergency transport had immediately been displayed across his console on the bridge.

"Report Lieutenant." His normally stoic voice seemed strained at the sight of his Captain's bloody face and arms.

"I found her outside of the Commander's quarters sir. He did this…"

Tuvok signaled security as Kathryn shook her head violently and grabbed Tuvok's hand. "No…it wasn't Chakotay…"

Tuvok studied her. "Captain?"

The Doctor closed the tricorder and looked at her quizzically. She looked at Tom as she tried to regain her composure. "You were right Tom… I saw it…"

Tuvok raised his eyebrow in consternation and stepped closer, noticing Tom's body tense in fear. His Vulcan senses registering the absolute fear in both the bold young Lieutenant and his strong willed Captain. "Saw what Captain?"

"Evil Tuvok…. Pure, malevolent evil… And it's possessed Chakotay."

The three men in front of her exchanged quick glances. The Doctor spoke first. "That's impossible, our scans on the Commander have showed no signs of any alien lifeform."

Tom closed his fists to keep from shaking. "Does the devil constitute an alien lifeform?"

Tuvok raised his eyebrow at the human's reference. "Evil does not have to manifest itself as the 'devil' Lieutenant."

Kathryn touched his arm. "Devil or not…something evil has taken over Chakotay and it's killing him."

Her gaze didn't waver but her voice did, and Tom found himself reaching instinctively to comfort her. She looked at him through tears. "We have to save him, Tom…. We have to save his soul…."

********

Chakotay clasped his hands to the sides of his head in desperation. His thoughts were only of the woman he had brutally attacked in his quarters. Kathryn… His beautiful Kathryn… The pain increased ten-fold as he collapsed against the bulkhead outside of Astrometrics. His mind was twisted in confusion and pain. He had just hurt the woman he had sworn to protect, and his emotions were sickening him. He felt his insides turn to liquid fire as he pleaded with the entity holding him captive. *Why are you doing this?! Please! Leave us alone! Let me go!*

The laughter resounded in his head and he cried out in pain. *You are a pathetic species! Your emotions betray you Commander! Perhaps I should take her instead!*

Chakotay flung himself into the wall in a rage, clutching his temples. He yelled through the pain. "Leave her alone!"

The laughter turned to rage. *Then give me what I want!*

"Never!" His face contorted in painful desperation.

*Then I will take it by force!*

His eyes closed in agony as his brain caught fire with the thoughts invading it. He struggled against them, but it was futile. The pain was too great to bear. He clutched his chest and gasped in horror as realization set in. The fight he had been waging for over five days now was over. A silent prayer escaped his lips as the blackness engulfed him. "Akoocheemoya…Kathryn…"

*You will give me the souls of every member of this crew Commander…beginning with your own….* Chakotay slumped to the deck as the evil presided over his body, encompassing him in its malevolence.

********

"Intruder alert!" Tuvok's voice sounded over the intercom as the red alert klaxons initiated. "All security personnel to seal off all decks, including Engineering, all transporter rooms, and the shuttle bays! Commander Chakotay is to be considered extremely dangerous. All phasers set at maximum stun."

Kathryn keyed in her security code on the padd outside of Chakotay's quarters. The sound of Tuvok's orders causing her hands to shake uncontrollably. Tom's hand covered hers in a futile attempt to calm his nerves as well as her own, as the doors slid open. "He'll be all right Captain. We'll find him."

Kathryn's eyes were glazed with tears. "We have to Tom…before it's too late."

"Do you think you can find out what happened to him?" Tom shuddered at the coldness of Chakotay's quarters as they stepped inside. A chill running down his spine, signaling his fear. "Dear God it's cold in here!"

Kathryn hesitated slightly as her own body felt the icy temperature of her First Officer's cabin. She inhaled deeply and stepped into the cold darkness of Chakotay's quarters. She could feel the evil surrounding them and she fought to control her darkest fears. Fears that she may already be too late to help Chakotay. "I have to try Tom. Something horrible happened to him down on that planet and again tonight…Here…in his cabin…." She shuddered as she grasped her upper arms in fear, rubbing them to ward off the icy cold that was gripping her very soul. Her voice faltering as she continued. "He was talking with his Spirit…" She stopped suddenly and clutched her chest, gasping for air as her eyes widened in terror at Tom.

"Captain!"

"Akoocheemoya…Chakotay…" Her eyes closed and she slumped forward. Tom caught her as she collapsed into his arms.

"Oh God! Please no…" He clutched her to his chest as he started to hit his comm badge, but her hand closed around his.

"No Tom… I'm all right…" Her eyes glistened with tears as she tightened her hand around his. "It was Chakotay."

"What?" Tom's eyes widened like saucers.

"It was him Tom. I felt him. He's trying to tell me something…." Her voice was wavering, both from fear and from the arctic cold seeping into Chakotay's quarters. Her face registered the thoughts running through her mind at that very moment. She looked up at him imploringly. "Tom…Help me…I have to try and find out what happened. Hand me his medicine bundle."

Tom studied her for a moment before reaching over to pull the animal skin and its contents toward them. "Captain…Are you sure? How are you going to be able to…" He stopped as he felt a cold rush blow by him. He shuddered and turned towards the direction from where it came. Nothing. A cold chill ran down his spine and he turned back and looked down at the woman in his arms. "Captain…if you don't mind…whatever is it is you're going to try…can you try it somewhere other than in here?"

She shivered and inhaled deeply once more. "No Tom. I can't. I have to do it here…in his quarters…if there's anything left of Chakotay, it will be in here…before he…" She touched her cheek where the bruise of his blow was still prevalent. "I have to stay Tom. He's trying to tell me something, and it has to be here…with this." Her hands clutched the contents of the medicine bundle to her heart before gently laying them on the carpet before her.

Tom gazed down at her and blinked back the tears that were threatening his eyes. *Dear God in Heaven, she'd face down the Devil himself to save Chakotay…* He nervously glanced around and shifted closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "If you're staying then so am I. I owe him at least that much. He still owes me at least two week's worth of rations. Besides…what would the Devil want with my soul anyway?" His face flashed a false smile for her benefit.

She grasped his hand and squeezed it tightly. His false humor warming her heart. "Thank you…Tom…" She smiled faintly trying to warm the chill surrounding them. "Don't worry…I'll make sure he pays you back…"

She lowered her eyes to the contents of Chakotay's medicine bundle, silently praying that she wasn't going to perform a horrible sacrilege by using his bundle instead of her own. But something told her it had to be done. A voice that kept resounding in her head…Chakotay's voice…a plea for help…a cry of painful desperation from the man she loved. Her eyes could no longer hold back the tears, and they streaked down her face as she touched the stone to her lips. "Fight it Chakotay…fight it and hold on…hold on my love…please…hold on…." She felt Tom's hand squeeze her shoulder tighter and she touched her fingers to the akoonah, inhaling deeply, letting it calm her nerves and allow her entrance into the spirit world. She slowly grasped the stone in both hands and closed her eyes. Her voice softened. "Akoocheemoya… We remain far from the sacred places of our grandfathers, far from the bones of our people…Help me Great Spirit to help Chakotay. Help me to purge this evil that has taken over his body and make him whole again…" Her breathing slowed and her body relaxed.

Tom knew enough from what B'Elanna had told him, that the Captain was no longer with him, but walking in the spirit world beyond. He gently laid her back on the carpet, keeping his hand on her shoulder, more to keep himself calm than comfort her. He felt the cold rush of air again and quickly glanced down at her face. Her eyes were still closed and her breathing steady. He steeled himself to the blast of Arctic air and took a deep breath. *Please God…let this work…quickly….*

********

Kathryn walked slowly towards the fallen log at the edge of the clearing. She recognized the small creature bathing in the warmth of the sun. She reached out her hand to it, smiling. "Can you help me little one?"

The small salamander cocked its head and looked up at her. It seemed to be studying her.

"Please…. It is Chakotay…. He needs my help and I need to know what to do to purge the evil that has possessed him."

The salamander flicked its tongue at her hand as its tail twitched. Its eyes shifted to the skies overhead. The wind had picked up, the temperature dropping, as the skies grew suddenly dark and foreboding.

"What is it? What's happening?" Kathryn's voice grew tense.

The little lizard looked at her once more and scampered off into the thicket surrounding them.

"Please! Don't go! Help me!" Kathryn jumped over the log and took off after the lizard. "Please stop! I need your help!" She kept running, following the flash of green and yellow deeper and deeper into the dark forest. The wind was howling through the trees, chilling her to the bone, but she continued her pace. Never slowing until she reached another area, dark and thick with briar bushes. Her heart pounded in her chest from her run as well as her fear, but she was determined to find the salamander. She had seen it run into the thicket. "Where are you? Please…show yourself to me…. I must know what to do…I must…"

She stopped cold. Her words caught in her throat as her eyes locked on the two golden orbs staring out at her through the underbrush. A chill ran up her spine. She stepped back slowly as the orbs approached from the briars concealing it. A low growl emanated from its throat as it bared its teeth.

"Dear God!" She whispered as the wolf eyed her, studying her next move, stalking her.

She couldn't take her eyes off the wolf as it approached her. The words caught in her throat as she realized its intent. "Please no…please…I have to help Chakotay…I have to…" She screamed as it lunged at her, forcing her back into the briars, growling and snarling as it gripped her throat.

She clutched at its mane, trying to hold it off, as a surge of heat surrounded her and a blinding light flashed before her eyes. She screamed once more in agony from the fangs gripping her jugular, and silently prayed for something to kill it with. As the heat and light engulfed her, she focused on the eyes of her attacker, instantly aware of what and who it was…Her heart froze as the word escaped her lips… "Chakotay…"

********

Her eyes fluttered open and she was breathing heavily, struggling for air, her heart pounding in its chest cavity. Her eyes tried to focus as her mind raced to make sense of the horrible vision she had just witnessed. Her hands instinctively went to her throat, rubbing it protectively. *Chakotay…why?* She looked up at Tom, her voice suddenly weak. "Chakotay…Tom…he's in Engineering…" She gasped. Realization set in. Her eyes widened and she clutched the front of Tom's uniform. "My God! Tom! He's going to breach the warp core!"

Tom hit his comm badge. "Paris to Torres come in!" Silence. "B'Elanna! Come in Please! Tuvok! Chakotay is in Engineering!"

Kathryn was pushing herself up, clutching Tom's shoulder for support as he pulled her to a standing position. "Tom help me…We've got to get to him…"

Tom's mind raced as his thoughts went to Engineering and B'Elanna. His voice betraying the urgency of his thoughts. "Come on… Can you walk?"

Kathryn nodded. "Yes…just please…we've got to hurry." She leaned into him for support as they ran out of Chakotay's quarters. Neither one noticing that as the doors slid closed behind them, they became sealed with a layer of ice.

********

Kathryn hit her comm badge in desperation. "Janeway to Tuvok."

"Tuvok here Captain. We are outside Engineering."

"Hold your position Tuvok. Tom and I will access Engineering through the Jefferies tubes."

"That approach is inadvisable Captain. The Commander has sealed the doors and it is probable that he has locked out the entrances to the Jefferies tubes as well. Captain, the Commander has overpowered three of my men, and killed Ensign Fahey. I must consider him extremely dangerous."

*Ensign Fahey?…She was so young!* Kathryn's voice faltered as she spoke. "Tuvok…Please! Chakotay is not himself…He's possessed! Hold your positions! Let Lieutenant Paris and I handle this!"

Tuvok's voice was stern. "Captain…I must insist…"

"I'll handle this Tuvok! Janeway out." She turned quickly to Tom. His face reflected his frustration. He keyed in the code to open Jefferies Tube 8. "Are you all right Tom?"

Tom bit his lower lip to still his rage. Fahey had been a good friend. "I'm OK… But…Fahey…how could Chakotay have killed her?"

Kathryn forced back the tears welling in her eyes. She placed her hand on his shoulder and bid him to look at her. "Tom…you know as well as I do it wasn't Chakotay…."

Tom looked at her through tears of his own. "I want to believe that Captain…"

Her eyes flashed. "You have to believe that Tom. I can't do this alone. I need your help."

Tom started to climb into the Jefferies Tube. His face somber. *How could he kill her? Who else is he going to kill?* He glanced back at the Captain. "Come on. B'Elanna's in there, and I'll be damned if I let him kill her too."

Kathryn grabbed his shoulder. "Tom. Look at me." He pulled his shoulder away from her hand. Her eyes flashed once more. "Damn it Paris! Look at me! You know Chakotay won't kill her. Either you believe that and help me or I'll do this myself. I won't let that alien devil kill anyone else…Chakotay…or B'Elanna. Now are you with me or not?" Her voice betrayed her sudden rage at the young lieutenant inches away from her.

Tom lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry Captain. I know it wasn't Chakotay that killed Fahey…it's just B'Elanna's in there with that…that…devil."

Kathryn's voice softened but her eyes revealed the determination of her heart. "So is Chakotay, Tom. And I'll be damned if I let anything happen to him."

Their bodies disappeared inside the Jefferies Tube as the hatch closed behind them, icing as it did so.

********

"Chakotay! Please listen to me! Don't do this…Please…!" B'Elanna was gazing up at him, her face bloody from a severe blow from the back of his hand. Her eyes were widened in terror. Her Klingon half gave her superior strength at times, but she had never felt the power and strength like that in Chakotay's hands and arms as she had fought with him only moments before. "Chakotay! It's me! It's B'Elanna!"

His hand came across her jaw once more. A cry of agony escaped her lips as she collapsed to the floor.

He towered over her. His eyes were black with rage. "Your soul will be a fine addition to my collection…. It is filled with strength and fire."

B'Elanna swore at him in Klingon. "I won't be a part of anyone's collection!" She lunged at him in a rage, her right fist making contact with his temple. He screamed in agony, before grabbing her wrists and throwing her into the console. B'Elanna struggled and kicked at him. "Chakotay!"

His eyes seemed to flash momentarily, recognizing her. "B'Elanna?" As soon as he spoke he clenched his temples in agony. "No!"

*Kill her! She is an obstacle to our objective!*

Chakotay looked into B'Elanna's eyes imploringly as he backed away from her, stumbling as he did so. His mind was on fire, as he screamed. "No! I can't…I won't let you do this!"

*You have no choice Commander…Kill her…*

Chakotay shuddered and clenched his fists. His voice was filled with rage. He was struggling for every breath. His head and his chest were being constricted in a vice and he gripped his throat as the words broke the barrier of the alien's prison surrounding him. "NO! You kill for the sport! You killed millions of people to 'add their souls' to your collection…and I'll see you in Hell first before I let you take hers or the others on board this ship!!"

*Then follow me to Hell, Commander…*

An evil laughter permeated through Engineering and B'Elanna felt a cold chill run down her spine. Her eyes met Chakotay's as she gasped. He crumbled to the floor in front of her, his face contorting gruesomely. She instinctively reached out to him. Her eyes misted with tears at seeing him in so much pain. "Chakotay…"

As her hand touched his shoulder, his eyes shot up to her, black and emotionless. She tried to recoil from him, terrified at what she saw. A cry of fear escaping her lips, as his hands found her throat and closed around it. As she felt her last breath leave her lungs, her eyes closed to the sight of Tom and the Captain on the catwalk overhead.

********

Tom's eyes darkened instantly at the sight before him, and he yelled in desperation, firing his phaser. "B'Elanna!!" He didn't have to think twice. He leapt from the catwalk towards Chakotay. Momentarily stunned, Chakotay dropped B'Elanna's limp body to the floor, and turned his attention to Tom. Tom rolled away from him and fired his phaser. It hit Chakotay directly on the right shoulder above his chest wall. A howl of pain escaped Chakotay's lips as he stumbled backwards. Tom couldn't believe his eyes as he pushed himself up. Chakotay had regained his footing and glared at him with lifeless eyes. Tom's eyes were locked on his. His mind racing as he fumbled with the setting on the phaser. *Damn…that phaser blast should've dropped him where he stood…* He started to raise it once again, but Chakotay lunged at him knocking it from his hand as they fell into the console.

"Tom!" Kathryn ran down the stairs and headed for B'Elanna's body. She quickly checked for a pulse. Satisfied that B'Elanna was still alive, she sighed and closed her eyes as words of thanks left her lips. The commotion behind her drew her attention to the matter at hand. The warp core. She quickly glanced at Tom.

He was fighting Chakotay with every ounce of energy his body possessed. He caught her eyes. "B'Elanna!"

Kathryn ran to the console in front of the warp core. "She's alive! Tom! I've got to stabilize the emitters! He's powered down the dampening field, and initialized the breach!"

He gathered every angry thought in his being and swung his fist at Chakotay's shoulder, knocking him away from him. "Do what you have to do Captain! I'll take care of the Commander!" His eyes narrowed with his resolve as he glanced quickly at B'Elanna's still form. His own rage fueling his strength against the beast in front of him. "You damn son of a bitch! Leave us alone!"

Chakotay released a hiss of pain and threw himself at Tom. His hand grabbed Tom by the throat and flung him into the bulkhead so forcefully that Tom's body went limp instantly as his head collided with the hard surface. An evil grin crossed Chakotay's lips as he watched Tom's body drop to the floor in a heap.

Kathryn didn't have time to think about Tom while she watched in horror as he slumped forward. Her eyes briefly bored through the back of Chakotay's back, before turning her attention back to the warp controls.

Chakotay slowly turned and glared at the back of Kathryn as she huddled over the console. He took several steps towards her before she realized he was there. As she started to initialize the dampening sequence, she felt his hand on her shoulder. She gasped and turned to face him. "Chakotay! Please!" Her eyes pleaded with him. He glared at her. She was frozen. His gaze locking on hers. Her hand covered her mouth as she gazed into his eyes…Chakotay's eyes…eyes that were no longer his…. "Chakotay…" His name left her lips in anguish.

She felt herself falling. His hands were around her throat. His eyes boring into her soul. She felt her heart pound in her chest from the fear overtaking her. Her thoughts raced. The man standing before her with his hands on her throat was her First Officer, her closest friend, her lover. She felt the blackness overcoming her senses, but she fought it. She had to get through to the man she knew was still alive in the shell of Chakotay's body. *Chakotay…hear me…please…I love you…. I'm here to help you…to help you fight….Please…You must fight this…*

His eyes flickered for a moment and she knew in her heart that he had heard her. She closed her eyes to concentrate harder. *I love you Chakotay. Please come back to me… You must fight…You must…* A searing heat shot through her brain and she cried out in pain.

*Chakotay is mine! As you will be…*

She felt the cold seep into her body and she opened her eyes, fighting the wave of pain coursing through her. She shuddered as she felt the evil begin to permeate her skin. Her heart pleaded with him. Her voice barely a whisper through his death grip. "Chakotay…" As blackness began to engulf her, she saw the annihilation of the planet, the millions of lives 'it' had destroyed for the sheer pleasure of the 'kill.' She could feel their pain, their fear as death overcame them and she saw Chakotay being consumed in the evil of its aftermath. Kathryn cried out in desperation. "No! Chakotay!" Her eyes snapped open suddenly and she kicked him with all the power she possessed, pushing his body away. Chakotay was stunned by her sudden show of strength and his hold loosened. It was enough. Kathryn broke his hold on her throat and dove for the floor.

*Kill Her!*

Chakotay grabbed at her legs, falling on her as he did so. Kathryn twisted beneath him, kicking him in the right shoulder as she struggled in his grasp. Chakotay screamed in agony. "Ahhh…Kathryn!"

Kathryn turned her head towards him and their eyes locked. "Chakotay?"

*KILL HER!*

Chakotay grabbed his head, fighting the thoughts overtaking him, his hands trembling as they pressed against his eyes. *Never!* The word was in vain. His strength gone. Something snapped and he threw his weight against her once more, grabbing for her arms.

Kathryn screamed as his nails raked into her skin. Her eyes caught sight of Tom's phaser only a few feet away. Her mind raced as she glanced over to Tom. He was unconscious. As was B'Elanna. And the doors were still locked down. Tuvok was only a few feet away on the other side of those doors, but he could've been on the other side of the quadrant. She was alone. Alone with the man she loved more than life itself. Alone with a malevolent entity hell bent on destroying him and her ship.

She inhaled deeply and gathered her strength. She struggled once more to free herself, clawing the metal grating, trying to pull herself closer to the phaser. She felt his hands on her throat once again, stronger, tighter…the weight of his body slowly squeezing the air from her lungs. She stretched her right arm, straining her fingers to grab the butt of the phaser between them. Her eyes glazing over with tears as her heart pounded in her chest. She was gasping for air, struggling to breathe, the blackness of death beginning to overcome her. *God in Heaven help me…* A silent prayer as Chakotay tightened his hold on her throat.

She strained once more, and her fingers closed around the phaser. She brought her arm close as her fingers pushed the setting.

Suddenly, without warning Chakotay leaned into her and placed his mouth on her jugular, clamping down with his teeth. *Do it Kathryn…Please…You know what you have to do…*

Her eyes widened in terror as Chakotay's voice echoed in her head. She pushed against him, twisting her head to look into his eyes. "Chakotay?" His eyes flickered briefly and she gasped as realization hit home.

"Dear God No!"

He could only look at her, willing her to do his bidding. *Please Kath…* He couldn't finish the thought before he lost control again.

*His soul is mine…Kathryn…* It's evil laughter once again emanating and resonating throughout Engineering.

A cold blast hit her and Kathryn looked up at him through eyes filled with determination and hatred. Her voice was steady, filled with vehemence as her eyes locked on Chakotay's. "You forget one thing…I've seen you for who you really are. A malevolent evil that must take the lives and souls of those it cannot have freely. There is one edict that holds true throughout the universe…Evil must be invited into a soul…But as far as Chakotay is concerned, you weren't even on the guest list…!"

*You are wrong! His soul is already mine…*

"You are nothing more than a thief! You stole what was not rightfully yours!" Kathryn's eyes narrowed and glared at the entity staring back at her through the blackness of death shrouding Chakotay. "And you cannot possess what was given to me freely, in love…and what I will take back, in love…"

Suddenly there was a flicker, a spark of realization and resolve. The eyes that held her captive, were the eyes that were reflecting the feelings in his heart…his soul. Strengthened by the eternal flame of love that burned between them, Chakotay's eyes gazed into hers and filled with tears. His thoughts were his once more. *I love you…*

Kathryn's eyes welled instantly with tears of her own, hearing his words spoken from the heart, her own heart breaking as her hand closed around the phaser. *I love you…*

Their eyes steady and locked on each other, Kathryn fired at point blank range….

********

A blood curdling howl was released from his lips as Chakotay's body suddenly sagged. Kathryn shuddered as she felt the cold rush of air surround them and then disappear instantly, a rushing noise permeating the walls of Engineering as the entity fled the ship. Its intended catalyst of destruction was no longer under its control and it screamed in anger, the sound resonating throughout the ship.

Kathryn dropped the phaser and grabbed Chakotay's shoulders as he collapsed on top of her. Her arms bruised and bloody from their struggle, were barely strong enough to hold him. Tears were streaming down her face as she rolled him onto his back. She pushed herself up on her knees so she could examine his wounds. Her hands covered her mouth as she gasped at the sight before her. Chakotay's chest had been laid open by the blast of the phaser. Her aim had been true, at point blank range, a phaser set on maximum stun was a weapon of death.

She clutched his shoulders and pulled him to her breast with strength she never knew she had. Her head dropped back as she raised her face to the ceiling. Her cry turning into a wail of agony. "Dear God No!… No! Chakotay!!!" Her sobs wracking her body as she cradled him. She stroked his face and hair as she rocked him gently, whispering his name over and over again as she kissed his lips, cheeks and the lines of his tattoo.

B'Elanna stirred and gazed at the sight before her. "Spirit of Kahless…" Her hand covered her mouth as a cry of grief escaped. Time seemed to stand still. Her eyes were locked on the two forms in front of her. Her captain was cradling the body of the man she loved. The man she loved so much that she had just killed him. Tom moaned and her attention shifted. She pushed herself up quickly, running to his side. She clutched him in desperation. "Tom! Are you all right?"

Tom wrapped his arms around her, as tears filled his eyes. "I'm fine…Thank God you're all right…" They were clinging to each other in desperation and grief. Tom pushed himself up and stood with his arms wrapped tightly around B'Elanna's trembling body. Her head was buried in his shoulder as he stroked her hair, placing tender kisses on her cheek. "Sssh…it's all over…. It's gonna be all right…. It's gone now…" His eyes fixed on Kathryn's as she looked over at them, her face in pain. Tom's voice cracked with emotion. "Captain?"

Kathryn stared back at him through eyes now barren of life. She slowly shook her head. Chakotay was dead.

********

Though it had only been a few minutes, an eternity seemed to have passed. As the doors to Engineering slid open, Tuvok and his security team froze in their tracks. Tuvok's shoulders sagged at the sight that greeted them. His eyes caught Tom's. Tom slowly shook his head and closed his eyes, tightening his hold on B'Elanna's shuddering form.

Tuvok sighed and stepped forward, holstering his phaser. He knelt down next to Kathryn and put his hand on her shoulder. "Captain?" She didn't hear him. "Captain…Please…" He placed his right hand over hers and gripped it. "Captain…please let go…" No words came, only a violent shaking of her head. Tuvok inhaled and gently pried her hands from Chakotay's lifeless body. She struggled against him, shaking her head, as she reached out her arms towards Chakotay. As he pulled her away from him, he relayed orders to the team. "Take the Commander's body to Sickbay immediately." As the team started to move him, Kathryn's legs weakened, an anguished cry escaping her lips and she collapsed into Tuvok's arms.

*********

"Captain? Captain?"

She could barely hear the Doctor through the tears in her eyes and the grief in her heart. Her life, her reason for living was lying on the bio-bed in front of her…dead. And she had killed him.

Words were spoken from voices she barely recognized. Was that Tom saying something about not going down to that planet in the first place? And Tuvok…the inevitable? What was inevitable about this? She killed Chakotay. She killed him to save his soul and lost her own in the process. The words were swimming in her brain, her mind struggling to comprehend the events of the past few hours. She gazed down at her arms. Arms that would now be forever empty. With no love to hold it together, her heart shattered into a million pieces. She touched a hand to her lips. Never again would she feel the warmth of his kisses, the fire in his heart…the passion in his soul.

His soul. The soul he had given to her in love. The soul she had taken back from a malevolent evil bent on destroying him and Voyager for the sake of its 'collection'. The soul of the Angry Warrior she prayed would finally find peace in the arms of his ancestors.

She glanced back down at him. Her fingers traced the lines of his tattoo, as she lowered her lips to kiss him one last time. Tears dampened his skin as she spoke softly. "I'll always love you Chakotay.... Please forgive me...."

She felt their hands on her shoulder, pulling her away from him once more. Pulling her away from her life, her love, her soul…

Did Tuvok just say something about rest? *Damn you Tuvok…have you no emotion…no compassion…* She heard the words come from her mouth…words of anger…words of guilt. She spoke them with venom. "I'm in need of absolution Tuvok. Not Rest. Chakotay is dead.... And I killed him...."

********

She didn't feel Tom wrap his arms around her, nor remember him and B'Elanna taking her back to her quarters, holding her tightly in their arms as she sobbed endlessly for hours. She only remembered keying in her access code and stumbling into his quarters. Locating his medicine bundle she clutched it to her breast, collapsing on the bed where they had made love only a few nights before. She pressed the bundle closer as she wrapped her body around his pillow, breathing in his scent, his cologne. The cries began anew and she sobbed his name repeatedly, pleading with the heavens to be taken with him.

"Akoocheemoya…Please Great Spirit…I cannot live without him…I love him too much to let go…Please take my soul as I did his…." She cried until finally her eyes closed in exhaustion and grief. Her mind filling with memories of the man she loved. Memories of close to five years of friendship, companionship, and love….

********

The grassy area beneath her feet seemed familiar…the fallen log was there, as well as the little salamander. The warmth of the sun bathed her as she approached her tiny friend.

"Oh little one…please…take me to him…I no longer want to live if he cannot be by my side."

It cocked his head and looked at her quizzically.

"Please…I want to be with him. I need him. I love him."

It seemed to shake its head and her eyes filled with tears. "But you don't understand…Without him…without his love…without his soul I am empty. Barren… I love him so much…how can I ever go on without him?"

The tiny lizard turned its head in the direction of the thicket nearby. The wolf stood at the edge of the clearing eyeing her carefully with its golden eyes. It slowly approached her. Kathryn did not move, her eyes locked on the golden orbs holding her gaze. She inhaled deeply as it crouched on its haunches readying itself to strike. She was not frightened this time. This time she knew what was to come. As it lunged towards her she opened her arms to it and threw her head back to give it the access it needed. She felt the warmth of its breath on her neck and closed her eyes, awaiting the blessed pain that would release her to the spirit world where she would join her beloved.

But the pain did not come, only the warmth of its breath, and its kiss upon her lips. Her fingers dug into the soft fur, pulling it closer, bidding it to take her life.

"Please…take me…take me to him…"

*Kathryn…*

The voice was his and she felt her heart leap as she arched her head back further. "Chakotay…I'm coming!" Her arms tightened around the wolf's body, her voice filled with anguish and longing as she spoke. "Please…make your bite true and swift…I cannot wait any longer… Chakotay!"

Still the bite did not come…only soft kisses and the warmth of something…someone…surrounding her.

*Kathryn…Wake up…*

She felt the wolf looking down at her and she gazed once more into its eyes…His eyes…Chakotay's. Slowly, the wolf faded as her vision cleared…. "Chakotay?"

"Yes…my love…I'm here…" His voice was soft.

Kathryn stared up at him in disbelief, taking in his form, staring at his chest and shoulder. Only the charring of the uniform left any evidence that it had not been a nightmare…it had been real. "Chakotay? I thought…You were…I killed…"

His arms wrapped around her, surrounding her, as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her with all the love and passion he possessed in his soul. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, mixing with her own as he spoke, his voice overflowing with emotion. "Oh Kathryn! You are my life, my love…. You could never kill me. You gave me my life back when you took it. And your endless love gave me back my soul…."

She clutched at him, her arms straining to pull him even closer. Tears of joy streaked down her face as her mind registered the realization that her beloved was holding her close, wrapping his strong arms around her. Chakotay wasn't dead. He was alive. He was alive and in her arms! "Gods Chakotay! I do love you more than life itself."

Chakotay nuzzled her hair, clasping the back of her head, as he gazed into her eyes. For several moments their eyes were locked, their innermost emotions passing between them. It was at that moment Kathryn realized what he meant, what her visions had meant. The wolf was his Spirit Guide, and it had given her the knowledge she needed to save him…to save his soul. She had walked in his Spirit World with his Spirit Guide.

He nodded slowly. He didn't have to speak for her to hear the words. *Yes, my love…when two souls become one…everything is shared…they can never be apart.*

As they embraced each other passionately Kathryn knew that from this moment on, her heart was his. Her soul was joined to his for an eternity and beyond. Their thoughts would always be shared. Her mind was one with his…and nothing…nothing else would ever matter….

****fin****