The planet was small and red, much like the Alpha Quadrants Mars and scans had shown massive amounts of duterium which is what the Voyager desperately needed right now.  All non-essential systems had been running at minimum for weeks now, holodecks were off limits, and replicators were being used for emergencies only, so when Seven's long range scans in astrometrics had come up with results, there was great relief.

Captain Janeway had ordered Seven, B'Ellana and Harry on the away mission to collect their precious load.   Earlier scans had also shown that the planet was uninhabited, so they had no problems taking the Delta Flyer into orbit and landing. They had worked all day only stopping for a break at lunch, of course Seven had thought this was inefficent, and had carried on working. 
"Come on Seven you need to eat and rest for a while" Harry had said to her.  
"I will, when we return to Voyager" she replied.  
And now the shuttle's holding bay was full, and they were heading back to Voyager.

"I can't wait to get into a sonic shower and get a good nights rest,” B'Ellana was saying rubbing they small of her back. 
"Sounds good" Harry smiled "What about you Seven, looking forward to crawling into your alcove?" 
Seven frowned at Harry's question, "Ensign I do not need to crawl, I simply step... "  
"Never mind" Harry cut her off "I know you dont crawl, it's just a saying". Seven frowned again, Harry looked over to B'Ellana who was trying hard not to laugh, she soon stopped when Seven anounced that they were being scaned. 
  
"Source?" she demanded.
Seven checked the readings on the console in front of her, "A large vessel ahead, point two light years" she replied not taking her eyes of her console.
"Harry hail them"..."This is lieutenant B'Ellana Torres of the Starship Voyager, who are you and why are you scanning us?”
"Harry?"...  
"No responce lieutenant"
"Seven scan them see if we can determine who they are."
Seven nodded and tapped at the console, "Lieutenant I am unable to detect any life forms” she paused  "But I am reading some kind of weapon signiture"..."They're firing."

"Sheilds." B'Ellana barely managed to order before it hit like some kind of energy wave, the Delta Flyer was rocked in the impact, all the consoles flashed then went off leaving them momentarily in darkness before they flickered and came back online.
"Report." B'Ellana demanded
"All systems functioning normaly, no damage" Harry replied                                                       "Lieutenant the vessel is leaving at warp 4" Seven said reading the compter in front of her.
"Well I'm not hanging around to see if they come back, Harry resume coarse back to voyager".

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-CHAPTER 2-

Back on Voyager Captain Janeway had ordered the three to sick bay to see if the doctor could determine weather there was any affect from the weapon that hit them. She had also set several crew men working on finding if any damage had been made to the shuttle, gather any information they had managed to collect. Also to try and work out what exactly they had been hit with. In the mean time as no one seemed hurt she saw no reason that they should deviate from their coarse home in search of the ship that had attacked the shuttle.

"You can get up now,” the Doctor said as he lowered the restraints of the bio bed. She looked tired, Harry had already told him of her refusal to eat and rest during their work. Maybe that would explain why, but other than that she seemed fine and his scans on them all had come up clear, but there was something about Seven that he was uneasy about. He was probably being over protective of her, he always was. He watched her as she sat up and slid off the bio bed, she hated having scans, and he hated giving them, he knew how much they distressed her. They reminded her of the things the Borg did to her, but she never spoke about these things, she locked them away, only her big blue eyes told the secrets she would never tell.

"Doctor!"
"Sorry! Seven yes, what did you say?"He was suddenly aware he must have been staring, had she noticed, if she did, she didn't say.
"I asked if I was free to leave now" she replied.
"Yes, and I want you to eat something, and then regenerate for at least 8 hours, and report back in the morning".
"Yes doctor " she almost whispered as she left the room, there was definitely something very different about her, she never used that tone in her voice unless she was unwell or affraid.

He decided to report to the Captain, although he didn't really have anything to report, but he knew that she would be just as concerned as he was.
The Captain had a special connection with Seven also, he new it so did most of the crew, everyone but Seven knew how much she meant to them, to him.

"I don't know what it is Captain, but there is something she's just not herself, so quiet, distant"…
"We will just have to keep a close eye on her Doctor, will you keep me informed?"
"Yes Captain, I have asked her to report to me in the morning"
"Good" "I will see if I can get anything out of her after the morning briefing, dissmissed".

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-CHAPTER 3-

All the senior staff was in the breifing room, the meeting hadn't started yet they were waiting for Seven to arrive.
"She must be held up with the Doctor" Janeway said taking a sip of her coffee and burning her lips on the hot liquid.
"Janeway to Doctor, is Seven going be long, we're waiting for her?"
"Captain! Seven's not with me, I thought she had ignored me as usual"
Janeway looked worried, "Janeway to Seven Of Nine"...
"Seven respond” no answer came
"Tuvok you're with me, Doctor meet me in the cargo bay, Seven may need you"

As they walked to the cargo bay her mind was spinning, what on earth was wrong, it wasn't like Seven to be late. She was usualy the first to arrive, and to not answer the conn, maybe she was still regenerating and nothing was wrong at all.
When they arrived at the cargo bay Seven was nowhere in sight,
"Computer locate Seven Of Nine"       
"Seven of nine is in the cargo bay" the responce came
At the same time the cargo bay doors opened and the Doctor rushed in, 
"Where is she?" he looked so concerned.

It was then that they heard a small whimper from behind one of the cargo containers, Janeway moved forward to look and what she saw could have melted the hardest of hearts. There before them was a small child, a little girl about six years old with blond hair that fell to her shoulders and hung in large soft ringlets at the ends, her big blue eyes which could tame a klingon were filled with tears. Janeway could tell instantly who this child was but how it happend was another matter. The child cowered beside the container wearing one of Sevens unitards which was far too big and hung off her shoulders giving such a pathetic sight, that even Comander Tuvok seemed to be sympathetic.

"Hello" Janeway said gently "I'm Captain Janeway this is Leutenant Comander Tuvok and this is our Doctor, you are on the star ship Voyager. Whats your name?" as if she didn't already know what the answer would be.
The child looked from one to another and whispered "Annika"...

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-CHAPTER 4-

Janeway took a deap breath "Hello Annika, do you know how you got here?"
"No, where are the Borg, are they going to assimalate me, where’s Mommy and Pappa?"
“There are no Borg here sweetheart, you’re safe here with us” Janeway replied taking a step forward.
But the child edged backwards away from her looking uneasly over Janeways shoulder at the Borg alcoves behind her. She looked back at Janeway with a quetioning look and then back at the alcoves.
“Oh it’s ok there are no Borg here, but we do have a friend who used to be Borg” Janeway looked over at the alcoves “She still needs to regenerate though, but she’s not on the ship right now she’s”…
“She’s on an away mission” the Doctor offered
“Yes” said Janeway “Now how about you go with the Doctor and he can check if you’ve been hurt?” Janeway smiled at her “Maybe he can help you replicate some clothes that fit and then take you to the mess hall for something to eat”
Janeway looked up at the Doctor who nodded and smiled lovingly at the child.
And with a big sigh and a slight unhappy nod the child looked up at the Doctor and held up her arms for him to pick her up.
The Doctor gave his Captain a look, and then picked up the frightend little girl he knew he already loved. As they walked out of the cargo bay she nuzled her head into his neck and sobbed quietly, the doctor stroked her hair and whispered “Everything is going to be alright now Annika, I’m going to take good care of you”…  
 
 

…To be continued…