title: Captain's Peril (Star Trek)
author:  William Shatner 
description: <b>William Shatner</b> is the author of nine <i>Star Trek </i> novels, including the <i>New York Times</i> bestsellers <i>The Ashes of Eden</i> and <i>The Return</i>. He is also the author of several nonfiction books, including <i>Get a Life!</i> and <i>I'm Working on That</i>. In addition to his role as Captain James T. Kirk, he stars as Denny Crane in the hit television series from David E. Kelley, <i>Boston Legal</i> -- a role for which he has won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. More information is available at williamshatner.com.
zlib_text: Star Trek - Voy - 001 -The Caretaker
  
  By: L. A. Graf
  
  Prologue
  
  A roar of scarlet light blasted through the tiny spaceship's bridge, and
  alarms screamed as if in surprise as the deadly tremor of a direct hit went
  rattling off down the ship's already battered frame. Chakotay wound his ankles
  more securely around the base of his pilot's chair to keep from being pitched
  to the deck, then tapped a rapid sequence on the panel without looking back to
  see how the rest of his crew fared.
  
  If he looked, he would have to go to them, and there was no place for that
  just now. A time to fight, a time to mourn, he tried to console himself.
  Chakotay didn't remember anymore what noble figure in his people's past had
  first said that. He wondered if that old Indian had ever faced anything quite
  like this.
  
  The ship's engines stuttered, then barked suddenly into life to spiral them
  off at an oblique vector.
  
  Another blast of light shattered across the viewscreen dominating Chakotay's
  vision, and this tim