SYMBOLS

CHAPTER 50

Chakotay listened to the crackling fire as he watched the others sleep. He found it much more difficult to stay alert without company. He could hear the wind howling at the entrance to the cave and left the three sleeping bodies to venture out into the strong sea breeze. The air was chilled and lifted the newly dried black shirt from his back. He could hear the sound of waves colliding on the sandy shore, and the occasional blast of ocean spray suggested the lowering tide hadn't moved too far away.

In the darkness, he sat alone and contemplative amid the steep sand hills.

From the start, he'd been conflicted about this mission. He couldn't see the logic in Kylani's decision to bring Tayna home to a place where she'd be hunted down. Then Kylani died and Captain Janeway took up the exact same cause. The time he'd spent in the Anawin City hadn't changed his mind at all, if anything it had strengthened his beliefs. Tayna could've easily died twice that day - in Zeron's raid and in the ocean. The longer she spent on Anawa, the higher the odds they were going to deliver her to her mother dead. At what point did Tayna's survival become secondary to the objective of returning her home? For Tayna, almost anywhere would be safer than Anawa, even Voyager.

He knew Kathryn Janeway was focused on the goal of getting Tayna home. When she set her mind to something, almost nothing distracted her from the end goal and she rarely had a change of heart halfway through. Spontaneity was not one of her many strengths, no wonder she gravitated to Tuvok. Yet to him, this time, she seemed torn. Her words reinforced their mission, but her actions suggested her heart was up for the challenge of keeping Tayna. So why couldn't she make the crossover and change her mind if she wanted to? Something had to be stopping her. Lots of incidental reasons sprang to his mind, but very few significant ones. If only he could read her thoughts.

Chakotay gazed up at the night sky. As he did, he remembered the symbol he'd seen previously in the stars and pondered on it for a while. The mountain lion had more than one meaning; he hadn't considered that before, maybe that was the answer.

It was a dark night, blacker than the last one they'd spent on Anawa, although there were still a few stars and the far-off moon lighting up the smoky night sky. Some of the stars were flickering in brightness. Chakotay wondered whether Voyager might be in the vicinity of the shining lights. Amid the blanket of stars, was one pale green one. It caught his eye. The green star blinked high up over his head, while Chakotay watched it glow brighter and then disappear. Seconds later, it reappeared at a different point in the sky. He was mesmerized.

He watched the green light go through the pattern of disappearing and altering location several times, before he was sure the object was neither a star nor a meteorite.

Paris woke with a start and stared up into Chakotay's face.

"Is it my turn already?" Tom whispered.

"I need you to take a look at something."

Tom stood and hastily followed Chakotay out of the cave.

"It's really cold out here," Tom said, still half asleep, as he exited the cave and the icy wind hit his face.

"Can you see the green light?" Chakotay pointed up at the night sky. "What do you make of it?"

Tom looked up at the distant green light that glistened high in the sky. Suddenly it disappeared. Then moments later, it reappeared at a slightly lower point in the sky. Tom affirmed Chakotay's guess. They were probably seeing the traditional maneuvering pattern of an Anawin ship, and it was slowly descending.

"We should let the captain know," Tom said. He started walking back inside the cave.

"Not yet." Chakotay gripped his arm to keep him stationary, saying he wanted them to wait a while longer to be absolutely sure of their finding.