DISCLAIMER: You all know the drill - Paramount is God. All hail Paramount. They own everything in the Star Trek Universe - I'm just
using my overactive imagination to take their characters where they refuse to go. All in the name of fun, not profit (I wish).
RATING: PG-13 Nothing my momma couldn't read.
<< BACK TO PART X: THE DECISION
The first thing Kathryn became aware of was that something other than her pillow was against her cheek. The material was different, and it was warm and moving slowly up and down. She tried to clear the fog in her mind and remember where she was. The last thing she recalled was getting a massage from Chakotay. She slowly opened her eyes and saw something black and red in front of her. Lifting her head and moving her eyes upward, she saw the smiling face of Chakotay looking at her. They were still on the couch, and she was laying facedown partly on top of him, with her head on his shoulder and her arm draped across his chest.
"Good morning."
Her eyes widened. "Morning?"
"I guess my conversation was so exciting that you just couldn't stay awake," he chuckled.
"I'm sorry � I guess I had been up so long�and the massage you gave me was so relaxing�"
"No need to apologize. I got a couple hours of sleep, and waking up with you on my shoulder will more than make up for any sore muscles I get tomorrow."
"You could have just moved me or woken me up, you know," she said with a grin.
He was about to reply when his commbadge chirped at him. Kim to Commander Chakotay.
Kathryn's hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened � what would the crew think if they knew where he was at this time of day?
"Go ahead," said Chakotay with a grin at her shock as she pushed herself off him and into a sitting position.
We're receiving a distress signal. I think you should come to the bridge
"Acknowledged. Have you set a course?"
Not yet, sir � I'll explain when you get here. After a pause, he added, Should I wake the Captain?
Chakotay sat there with his mouth hanging open, not knowing what to say. Kathryn suppressed a laugh and tried to sound normal as she replied. "I'm right here, Harry � the Commander and I were just having breakfast. We're on our way."
When the link was closed, Chakotay looked at her appreciatively. "Quick thinking � too bad we haven't had breakfast together in, oh�four months. I think the last time was before the attack on the Delta Flyer."
She whacked him on the arm as she got off the couch and moved towards the bedroom. "Well, what if Harry asked the computer to track you down before he called? We might as well avoid speculation as long as possible."
"What if anybody asked the computer for my location anytime in the last few hours? We'll be hard pressed to explain my being in your quarters at 0500, even if it was completely innocent."
She poked her head out of the bedroom. "0500? Is that what time it is?"
He grinned. "No � it's 0720, so your breakfast story should fly with the crew."
Running a brush through her hair as she came out of the bedroom, she threw him a playful glare. "Well, we'd better get to the bridge before Harry has a nervous breakdown."
He followed her closely to the door, and she turned to face him before they left the privacy of her quarters.
"Duty calls," she sighed.
He smiled and reached over to her face, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
"It usually does�but somehow I don't mind as much this morning." His hand lingered on the side of her face, and on a sudden impulse he leaned forward and kissed her. She returned the kiss, putting her hand behind his head and running her fingers through his hair. They didn't last long before they mutually pulled away, although their faces were still close together.
"The bridge," muttered Kathryn, as if to remind them both what they had been doing.
"Right," he whispered. "The bridge." He stepped back and opened the door. "After you." He followed her down the corridor and they entered the turbolift.
"Deck one," ordered Kathryn as soon as the doors closed. They were standing close together, and Chakotay was surprised when he felt her seek out his hand. She gently entwined her fingers with his, just as he had done the day they had fought in the turbolift. He glanced over at her in disbelief, but she seemed to be oblivious and was staring straight ahead with a hint of a smile on her lips. As the turbolift stopped, she gently removed her hand from his and strode out of the turbolift as the doors opened in front of her. He recovered quickly and followed her.
"What have you got for us, Harry?" she asked as Ensign Kim gave up her chair. The day shift hadn't started yet, but some of the senior staff was already there � Seven was at her station behind the command chairs, and Tom Paris was at the helm.
"We're getting an automated distress signal, audio only," Harry informed the Captain.
"Let's hear it."
A severely distorted transmission was heard on the bridge. The static and interference made it difficult to even hear the voice, but if Kathryn had to guess she would have said it was a woman, and she sounded anxious. Only a few words could be made out of the garbled transmission.
��calling U.S.S. Voyager�if��receiving this���.need assistance��under attack. We are��
The transmission cut off abruptly, and the Captain turned to Ensign Kim, who was now at his station.
"What happened, Harry?"
"Nothing happened," he told her. "The transmission is cut off. There's no more."
"Can you clear it up?"
"I've been trying � nothing works. I can't cut through the interference."
"Where's it coming from?" asked Chakotay.
"A small unidentified vessel about two light years from here. They're being pursued at warp by four Brennin ships. If we set a course we could intercept them in a couple of hours, assuming they manage to stay at warp."
The Captain turned to Chakotay for advice. "I was hoping we could avoid a direct confrontation with the Brennin, but if we set a course for four of their warships�"
"We can't just ignore this distress call," he replied. "They were calling Voyager for help."
"That's what makes me suspicious � it could be a trap."
"What if it's not?" he returned.
"The Brennin ships have impressive capabilities � if it is a trap we could easily be outgunned. Even if it's not we could be in trouble."
"That ship is already in trouble. Since when are you unwilling to answer a distress call?"
"Since we're in the middle of an alien battleground," she snapped. "I'm sure the Brennin would go to great lengths to capture Voyager, even luring us into an elaborate trap."
"From what we've seen of the Brennin, I'd say that's not their style."
"How can you say that? They're paranoid, hostile �"
"But not devious or deceptive. Ask Commander Walker if you don't believe me."
She looked at him carefully for a few seconds before she came to a decision. "I believe you. Mr. Paris, set an intercept course at maximum warp. Harry, cut power to all non-essential systems. I don't want to attract any unwanted attention if possible."
She and Chakotay moved towards their chairs and sat down. She studied some information on the console in between their chairs for a moment before he leaned over towards her and spoke quietly.
"Seems to me we just had a professional disagreement � anything come screeching to a halt yet?"
She chuckled softly and shook her head. "Not on my end."
A little louder, he said, "Why don't we go finish our breakfast then?"
She frowned. "Finish? We never�" She winced and broke off as she realized the blunder she had made. Tom at the helm was looking at her with an amused look on his face, and she realized that the entire bridge had heard her over the comm before, claiming she was having breakfast. She quickly tried to cover, continuing where she had left off. "�even got started before we were interrupted."
"Nice recovery," he muttered under his breath.
"Why don't we replicate something in my ready room?" she continued. She saw Tom smirk, indicating that her recovery hadn't been as smooth as she had hoped, so she got up out of her chair and turned to Harry at Ops. "You have the bridge, Ensign." She knew that leaving the bridge to Harry was a slight to Tom, and she saw the puzzled look on his face. Deciding to get his mind even further off her slip of the tongue, she spoke loudly to Chakotay as they moved towards her ready room.
"You know, Commander, I heard you have some extra replicator rations � care to treat me to strawberry crepes?"
She looked at Tom out of the corner of her eye and saw him glare at her good-naturedly. Chakotay had known of Lieutenant Blake's pool skills in advance of the tournament of Sandrine's, as had many of the senior staff, and poor Tom had been milked out of a month's worth of rations.
"Sounds good," said Chakotay, looking at Tom pointedly. "I could go for an omelet."
As soon as the doors to her ready room closed, they looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"That should keep Tom occupied for a few minutes at least," said Chakotay.
"We can only hope," she replied as she moved toward the replicator. "Now � what would you like in your omelet?"
They had a quiet, comfortable breakfast, the likes of which they hadn't enjoyed in a long time. Chakotay was right � it had been over four months since they had last eaten breakfast together, and surprisingly it seemed to Kathryn as if it were only yesterday. Their comfortable banter as they ate didn't reflect the importance of their conversation last night � or rather early that morning. The only difference was in the occasional glances they stole at each other when they thought they would be unobserved. A half-hour later, after they had finished eating and they had each downed a few cups of coffee, they returned to the bridge and took their seats. The day shift was nearly in full swing, and most of the stations were occupied by their usual alpha shift officers.
They came within range of the mysterious ship after about an hour and a half.
"They're not at warp," said Harry. "Looks like their warp plasma network just collapsed � their warp drive is offline."
"They are under attack by seven Brennin vessels," reported Tuvok. "Four more are on long-range sensors on an intercept course."
"Red Alert," barked Janeway. "Onscreen." They saw what looked like a small cargo vessel surrounded by half a dozen sleek Brennin attack cruisers. The smaller vessel was attempting to return fire but had clearly taken heavy damage.
"Hail the Brennin," she ordered. When Tuvok nodded at her, she rose from her chair and moved towards the screen. "This is Captain Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. Break off your attack or �" She was cut off when two of the Brennin ships fired on Voyager and the bridge shook. She lost her balance momentarily and stumbled back to her chair.
"I guess they're not in a mood to talk," she muttered to no one in particular. She lurched sideways in her chair as another shot connected with Voyager.
"Shields are holding," reported Tuvok.
"Target their weapons array and fire at will."
Voyager's phasers powered up and fired at the nearest Brennin vessel, but did not do much damage.
"No effect," said Tuvok, stating the obvious.
"Hail the other vessel," she told him. "This is Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyager. We are responding to your distress call and are here to help you. Do you require assistance?"
The only reply was a distorted static.
"Harry, try and clear that up. We can't hear you," she said to the other vessel. "Please say again � do you require assistance?"
The reply was slightly more comprehensible this time, but only a few words could be made out.
Voyager���help��is badly�����casualties �we � � medical ��
"Their communications systems are barely functioning," said Harry. "That's the best I can do."
Can��us���urgent that��off���our���failing. Please�
"We're having trouble hearing you," said the Captain. "We're trying to help you."
�Janeway���respond��need �
The bridge shook again as the transmission was cut off abruptly.
"Shields at 65 percent," announced Tuvok.
"Get them back!" the Captain told Harry urgently.
Harry shook his head. "It's no good � their subspace transponder's offline."
The Captain moved towards his station. "How many people are on board?"
"It's hard to tell with all the weapons fire, but looks like about thirty lifesigns."
Onscreen, they saw a massive explosion on one side of the smaller, weakened cargo vessel.
"They're taking some pretty heavy damage, Captain. Their shields are failing and it looks like they've lost main power and weapons."
Voyager rocked again, more violently this time.
"Four of the ships are concentrating their fire on us," reported Tuvok. "Shields are at 40 percent."
"Full spread of photon torpedoes," she ordered. "Target their weapons and propulsion." She turned back to Harry's station. She was standing with one foot on the stairs leading up to Ops, with her hands on the railing in front of her. "Harry, is there any way to �"
She was interrupted when several consoles exploded around the bridge and the floor lurched under her. The bridge crew was tossed around violently, and she was thrown forward where she was standing. Her head contacted the railing in front of her, and she fell in a heap to the ground, momentarily stunned. She slowly pulled herself off the floor and looked around the smoking bridge.
"Report," she barked, oblivious to the blood trickling down her face from a gash on her forehead.
"Forward shields are down. Targeting scanners are offline," said Tuvok.
"Continue firing � manual targeting."
"Evasive maneuvers, Tom," ordered Chakotay from his seat.
"We're losing main power," reported Harry. "I'm switching to auxiliary."
She fell to her knees on the floor as the ship shook again, and more consoles exploded behind her.
"Hull breach on deck nine!" yelled Harry over the noise. "Emergency forcefields are in place. Fires on decks twelve and thirteen."
The Captain made her way over to her chair and sat down. When she did, Chakotay noticed for the first time the blood on her face.
"Kathryn, you're hurt!" he said, concerned.
"It's just a scratch," she said, punching in commands on the console between their seats.
"It looks pretty bad," he insisted. "Maybe you should � "
"I'm fine, Commander," she said forcefully, cutting him off.
"They hit the port nacelle," said Harry. "We're venting plasma."
"Bridge to engineering," said the Captain.
Torres here, Captain, came B'Elanna's voice over the noise.
"We need to stop the plasma leak if we're going to get out of here in one piece."
Understood, but we're losing antimatter containment � I have to stabilize the core first.
"Acknowledged," said Janeway.
"Captain, the other vessel is losing structural integrity," reported Harry. "They'll suffer a full structural collapse in less than a minute, and they're still taking fire."
"Can you get a transporter lock on them?"
"I'm trying," said Harry. "There's � " They were unable to hear the rest of Harry's sentence when the ship rocked from another shot. Captain Janeway was thrown from her chair, and Chakotay was nearly tossed from his. He reached out and grabbed her by the elbow to help her back into her seat.
"I've got a lock on them," reported Harry.
"Beam them directly to the cargo bay."
They waited anxiously for a few seconds while the ship rumbled beneath their feet. Two of the Brennin ships were still firing on the cargo vessel, and it suddenly disintegrated in a massive fireball. The Captain swiveled in her chair and looked anxiously at Harry.
"I've got them," he announced with relief after a few seconds. "Thirty-two lifesigns in cargo bay one."
"Let's get out of here, Tom," ordered Chakotay. "Full impulse."
"Yes, sir," said Tom, and Voyager began to move away from the pursuing ships.
Torres to the bridge � we've stopped the plasma leak. We've got warp five, but that's all I can give you for now.
"Good work, lieutenant. Tom?"
"You don't have to tell me twice," he muttered as his hands flew over the console in front of him, A few seconds later, Voyager jumped to warp.
"They're not pursuing," reported Harry with relief.
"Stand down red alert. Tom, you're with me," said the Captain as she rose from her chair. "Let's get down to the cargo bay and meet our new friends. Sounds like they might need medical assistance, and I'm sure the Doctor has his hands full in Sickbay."
Tom turned his chair around and got up, getting a good look at the Captain for the first time. "Looks like they're not the only ones who could use a medic," he said. "Maybe you should have the Doc take a look at you."
"I'm fine, Mr. Paris."
Chakotay rose from his seat and stepped close to her so no one else could hear him. "Kathryn. Go. To. Sickbay."
She glared at him. "When I'm done in the cargo bay."
"Fine. Then you won't mind if I come with you to see that you do."
She stared at him for a few seconds, and when he didn't back down she inclined her head towards the turbolift and turned away. He and Tom followed her as she walked to the turbolift.
"You have the bridge, Tuvok."
They entered the lift and the doors shut behind them. "Deck eight," ordered the Captain. Standing in the turbolift, she could feel their eyes on her, scrutinizing her.
"It's just a scratch," she growled.
Tom and Chakotay glanced at each other and raised their eyebrows. The turbolift stopped and they left it and walked down the corridor to the cargo bay. When the doors opened, they could hear the sounds of moaning and people in distress. Many of the thirtysome people who had been beamed aboard were injured, although most of the injuries did not appear to be serious.
"Tom, find out who has the worst injuries and start beaming them to Sickbay." He nodded and moved off into the crowd, and Kathryn surveyed the people in front of her. The ones closest to her were of a species she didn't recognize, a group of four individuals with thick, textured skin and stout figures. She and Chakotay moved towards them and they addressed her.
"Where are we?" asked one of them as they approached.
"You're on Voyager. Your ship was destroyed, and we beamed you aboard."
"Thank you," said another alien. "I'm afraid we have nothing to give you in return."
"We don't require anything from you," she assured him. "You asked for help, and we gave it."
The alien seemed surprised at this, but seemed to accept it after a few seconds consideration.
"Do you know why they were attacking you?" asked Chakotay.
"Since we were heading for Kesseret space, they assumed we were collaborators and were bringing information to their enemies. They began attacking us almost as soon as we altered course for Voyager."
The Captain and Chakotay looked at each other before turning back to the aliens.
"You were trying to intercept us?" she guessed, but before she got an answer something fell into place. "You've been looking for us, haven't you?"
Chakotay picked up on her train of thought and added, "Are you Hathoran?"
"Yes," said one of the aliens, with some surprise. "You've heard of us?"
"We heard that there was an Hathoran vessel looking for us," explained Chakotay.
Another alien, who hadn't spoken yet, chimed in, "Our clients have been trying to track you down for months."
"Clients?" said Janeway.
Before the aliens could respond, a woman's voice called to them from nearby. "Captain Janeway?"
They turned around to the source of the voice and saw a young woman, about twenty-five, making her way towards them. Their expressions registered shock when they saw that the speaker appeared to be human. She had long brown hair, with some of it pulled up at the back of her head but most of it cascading down her back, and she wore a loose brown shirt with a blue vest and matching pants.
"Captain Janeway?" the woman repeated as she drew closer, pulling them out of their surprise.
"Yes."
The woman sighed with relief. "I've been tracking you for over six months," she explained, then paused and took a deep breath. "You're probably going to find this hard to believe, but please bear with me. I'm from Earth, and�I'm a Starfleet officer."
Realization dawned on Kathryn as she looked at the young woman. She looked quickly at Chakotay and saw him staring at her with the same amazed look on his face that she was sure she had. Why it hadn't occurred to her immediately she didn't know, but in her sudden excitement she reached out and grabbed the girl's arm, interrupting her. "You're from the Yukon?"
Now it was the young woman's turn to be stunned. "Yes, that's right," she stammered, wondering how they could possibly know until another possibility occurred to her. "Have you�found others from my crew?" she asked haltingly, not wanting to get her hopes up.
Her question was answered before the Captain even opened her mouth when the cargo bay doors opened and Commander Walker entered, looking around anxiously. His gaze fell on the Captain first, and he started towards her with a hurried step. When he saw the woman standing beside her a fraction of a second later, though, he froze in shock and disbelief.
"Robin," he stammered. He swallowed twice before he was able to speak again. "Is�" He never got the rest of his question out before his attention was drawn to a young girl tearing towards him from across the cargo bay. She looked to be about twelve years old, and had long dark hair with curls that bounced along behind her as she ran across the room. The family resemblance was faint but noticeable, and Kathryn gasped when she realized who the girl was.
"Daddy!" squealed the girl as she reached him, and he leaned down and picked her up in his arms, clutching her close to him.
"Cassie," he gasped as he held her, trying to reassure himself that she was really there.
After a moment, Cassandra tore her attention away from her father long enough to look at the people gathered around her. She jumped down from her father's arms and looked at each of them in turn. When she scrutinized the Captain, she cocked her head to one side as if puzzled.
"So you're Cassandra," said the Captain with a smile.
"Yes," said the girl shyly.
She extended her hand. "I'm Kathryn Janeway, and this is Chakotay."
The girl's eyes widened and she slowly took the proffered hand. "Captain Janeway?" she asked with awe. When Kathryn nodded, the girl cocked her head to the other side and then seemed to gain some confidence. "I didn't recognize you," she said. "Your hair's down, and you're bleeding."
"It's just a scratch," she assured her with a smile.
Cassandra turned back to her father, and Kathryn looked again at the young woman standing with them. She was running her fingers through her hair and gave a deep sigh.
"I can't believe it," she whispered emotionally. "I never thought we'd find you, and I never dreamed you'd have already found some of us, especially Commander Walker. We saw his escape pod cornered by a Vaadwaur ship, so I thought for sure�" Her voice broke and she stopped and closed her eyes.
She opened her eyes again when the Captain addressed her. "What's your name?" she asked gently.
"Porter. Ensign Robin Porter."
The Captain extended her hand and Robin took it gently.
"Welcome to Voyager."
Amazingly, none of the injuries from the crew of the cargo vessel were critical, and nobody from Voyager had been seriously wounded. The Doctor barely had time to give them a report, because although there were no serious injuries, there were many minor ones and Sickbay was crowded. As soon as the Captain was satisfied, he turned away and began treating more patients.
"When will Mr. Paris be finished in the cargo bay?" he asked as he mended Ensign Lang's broken wrist.
"I'm not sure, Doctor, but I'm sure he'll come to Sickbay as soon as possible."
Ensign Porter leaned over and spoke quietly to the Captain. "What's his name?"
"I don't have one," said the Doctor grumpily. "Although I am equipped with superior auditory processors."
"I'm sorry�Doctor. I wondered if I could possibly give you a hand here. Looks like you're pretty busy."
He stopped what he was doing and looked at her quizzically. "Do you have medical training?"
She nodded. "I was the Yukon's medical assistant."
He grunted appreciatively and gestured to the other side of the room. "Ensign McCormick has two broken ribs that require attention."
Robin started towards the other side of the room, but before she got very far she faced the Doctor again.
"Doctor, if you need another set of hands, Cassandra there is a natural with a dermal regenerator."
"Who?" he asked, puzzled.
"Me," piped up Cassandra. "I'm Cassandra Walker. Robin's been teaching me to be her medical assistant."
The Doctor looked at her for a moment in amusement before eventually deciding that she might be of use.
"Very well, Miss Walker," he said, handing her a dermal regenerator. "Use this on the Captain. I have a feeling she might actually listen to you."
Chakotay actually managed a chuckle before he was silenced by a glare from Kathryn, but his shoulders continued to shake in amusement. Before she could notice his continued mirth or had to conceal that she, too, was amused, they were interrupted when the doors to Sickbay opened and two people entered.
One was a young woman, not more than seventeen or eighteen, with bright red hair that fell in loose ringlets around her shoulders. She had striking green eyes that lit up with a smile when she saw Mark and recognized Captain Janeway. The other newcomer was a man, about twenty-five, with short blond hair.
"Commander Walker," said the man in surprise as soon as they saw the group of people. Mark broke into a huge grin when he recognized some of his former shipmates.
"See?" Cassandra piped up beside the Captain, addressing the two newcomers. She had pulled a chair over next to the Captain and was climbing up on it so she could reach the wound on her head. "I told you he was on board. I'm only twelve and a half but I am empathic, you know."
"I didn't want you to get your hopes up," admonished the young redhead. "Your abilities aren't fully developed yet."
"This is Caitlin," said Cassandra as she ran the instrument slowly over the Captain's wound, indicating the young woman who had spoken. "She's been looking out for me."
"Caitlin Bennet," elaborated the young woman as she shook hands with Kathryn. "I'm a second-year cadet at Starfleet Academy. It's an honor to meet you, Captain."
"The pleasure's all mine."
The man with Caitlin extended his hand as well. "Ensign Michael Hawthorne. I'm one of the Yukon's pilots."
"A man after my own heart," said Tom as he entered Sickbay behind them. He introduced himself and explained that he was Voyager's conn officer. Seeing the questioning glance at the medical equipment in his hands, he added, "And medical assistant."
"Tom," said the Captain, "There's somebody here you might want to meet � Ensign Porter. She's the Yukon's medical assistant." When Tom's face lit up, she stole a glance at Chakotay and he picked up where she left off.
"I know how much you like working with the Doctor," he said, "So I'm sure we can put Ensign Porter's talents to better use elsewhere." Chakotay was barely able to keep a straight face at this comment. The Captain was not, and after a few seconds she let out a soft chuckle.
"She's over there, Tom."
The incessant movement of her head was impeding Cassandra's effort to repair the gash to her forehead, and the young girl finally became frustrated.
"Hold still, please," she said in a grave tone, and she put her hand on the Captain's chin to hold her head in place. She ran the dermal regenerator over the wound, and it quickly healed.
"Good as new," she said with a grin as she stepped down.
Mark turned his attention to the newcomers, especially Ensign Hawthorne, who was the senior officer of the group they had rescued.
"How many?"
"Nineteen," Ensign Hawthorne told him. "Two shuttles and three escape pods."
"What about the others?"
He shook his head. "Lieutenant Madsen's shuttle and the other two escape pods were destroyed by the same ship that cornered you and the others. We didn't think you had survived or we would have looked for you."
"That wouldn't have done you much good � we were all held prisoner until seven weeks ago when Voyager rescued us."
"How did you find us?" asked the Captain.
"We asked around � it was a long time before we first encountered a species who knew of you, but for the past few months the trail's been easy to follow. The Brennin had heard of you, but refused to tell us anything about where you had gone and when. We negotiated passage on the Hathoran vessel so we could cross Brennin space. We altered course after about two weeks when we detected you on long-range sensors."
"The Brennin started pursuing us, and we've been trying to outrun them ever since," added Caitlin. She took a deep breath as she looked around Sickbay. "Ninety-five people," she whispered, "And this is all that's left. I don't know whether it's a miracle or a tragedy."
Captain Janeway looked at the young girl with sympathy and reached out to put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
"Maybe," she said quietly, "It's both."
* * *
Voyager had weathered the Brennin attack surprisingly well, considering how badly they had been outgunned and outnumbered during the battle. The hull breach on deck nine was quickly repaired, so the crew turned their attention to the daunting task of accommodating thirty-two new passengers.
They had temporarily turned cargo bay one into a living area, setting up beds for their new passengers. The thirteen Hathorans would be leaving the ship within days since they had detected one of their vessels within ten light-years, but the Yukon crew of course wanted to stay on board permanently, which presented some problems.
Before they worried about where to put their new shipmates, most of Voyager's crew was curious to hear how they had managed to survive and track down Voyager. A few of the officers that had been rescued joined Voyager's senior staff in the mess hall for a thorough retelling of their adventures over the past seven months.
Ensign Porter and Ensign Hawthorne, the two senior officers of the group, were telling the story, although they had to put up with multiple interjections from around the table.
"I really don't know where to start," began Ensign Porter. "I'm so glad to have real food in my stomach I can barely think straight."
"How about at the beginning," suggested Tom, who had been treating Robin like his new best friend since she represented a permanent escape from Sickbay.
"After I gave the order to abandon ship," added Mark.
Ensign Porter took a deep breath and told them what had happened. She and Ensign Hawthorne, who were good friends, had arrived in the shuttle bay together and had started the launch sequence. They had been joined in their shuttle by three crewmen, Cassandra Walker, and Cadet Bennet. They managed to get the shuttle off the Yukon before it exploded, and even managed to avoid the Vaadwaur for a few minutes, who happened to be focused on another group of shuttles and escape pods (one of which was occupied by Mark). Their shuttle had been damaged and was not warp-capable, so they had to stay out of the way of the Vaadwaur until they could get away. Things were going well until one of the consoles overloaded from a damaged power grid, rendering Ensign Porter and two of the crewmen unconscious.
By this time, the Vaadwaur had captured the twelve crewmen that had been previously rescued by Voyager and had destroyed some of the other survivors so they began to turn their attention to the rest of the shuttles and escape pods. Ensign Hawthorne, thinking quickly, erected a dampening field to mask their lifesigns and with help from one of the engineering crewmen faked an impending warp core breach.
Not wanting to be in the vicinity of the explosion and believing there was no one on board, the Vaadwaur left them alone. Once they were gone, they eventually repaired the shuttle and were able to rendezvous with the few other survivors.
They were forced to set down on an M-class planet to regroup, and after stripping the escape pods of everything they could use, they crowded into the two shuttles and set off to try and track down Voyager. Their shuttles weren't large enough to support them for such an extended journey, and they eventually convinced a cargo transport to give them passage in exchange for some power cells. When they reached the end of the cargo vessel's course, they used the shuttles to get to the next inhabited system, where they offered to work on board a freighter in exchange for passage.
They continued like this for months, offering spare parts, the use of their shuttle, or their expertise to get them closer to the Alpha quadrant. They jumped from ship to ship, system to system, slowly getting closer to Voyager's trail. It was a long time before they actually heard of Voyager, while serving on a merchant ship that passed near the Nygean homeworld. After that, the trail was easier to follow, and they were soon led to the Brennin, who acknowledged that they had encountered Voyager, but they claimed that Voyager was collaborating with the Kesseret and refused to reveal any further information.
They determined that Voyager had probably gone through the war zone, but since they were weeks behind them, they decided to cross Brennin space since it was the shortest route. The ship they were on refused to get involved with the Brennin, so when they heard that the Hathoran vessel was looking for a good pilot and a couple of engineers, they offered their services in exchange for passage, and some spare parts in exchange for going into Brennin space and tracking down Voyager.
When they finally detected Voyager, they set a course for the disputed area of space immediately (although it cost them their last two plasma relays to convince the Hathorans that this was a good idea). The Brennin automatically assumed since they were heading for enemy territory that they were plotting against them and started pursuing them, finally catching them when Voyager found them.
"And here we are," finished Ensign Hawthorne with a sigh.
He was greeted with silence from around the table. Everyone was stunned and didn't move a muscle.
After a few minutes, the Captain recovered and spoke softly to the two ensigns sitting across from her. "Incredible," she said, shaking her head.
They were interrupted when Neelix arrived with desert. He had personally spoken with the recently rescued officers to find out what their favorite delicacies were, eager to please.
"Ktarian pudding," he announced with a smile at Ensign Hawthorne, "New York Cherry Cheesecake," which drew an eager look from Ensign Porter, "And caramel brownies," which was greeted by chuckles from Voyager's senior staff, especially the Captain. They helped themselves to the desert eagerly.
Mark insisted that Seven try the Ktarian pudding. "It's my daughter's favorite," he pressed her. "Try it � it literally melts in your mouth."
She raised an eyebrow but took the bowl from him reluctantly. Taking a tentative bite, she felt the foamy pudding dissolve on her tongue. "A curious sensation," she commented. "It is�delicious," she added with a small smile. Mark grinned and took some for himself.
Ensign Porter took a bite of cheesecake and moaned as it melted in her mouth. "If I ever see another emergency ration it'll be too soon."
Chakotay chuckled. "Well, I'm not making any promises, but I'll see what I can do."
Ensign Hawthorne leaned across the table and addressed Robin. "Do you remember when we were on that dilithium freighter? We tried to get our minds off that slop they called food by dreaming up a feast?"
She nodded. "And the first thing I thought of was New York Cherry Cheesecake�followed by a long, hot bath."
"I'm sure that can be arranged," said the Captain.
"We'll get you some quarters as soon as possible," said Chakotay. "But I'm afraid you'll have to share until we can come up with a more permanent arrangement � and even then you might have a roommate or two. Voyager wasn't exactly built for this many people."
"I've been living with eighteen people on crowded ships for over six months � I think I can handle a couple of roommates."
"Just be careful you don't get put near Harry," said Tom. "Unless you're particularly fond of saxophone music, that is."
"There's nothing wrong with my playing," said Harry defensively. "And it's better than getting stuck near you two and Miral � what have you been doing, teaching her Klingon opera?"
Tom and B'Elanna glared at him, but Lieutenant Oren diplomatically changed the subject. "Tom, you said you were going to bring up our idea with the Captain."
The Captain looked questioningly at Tom. He stopped glaring at Harry long enough to get a puzzled look on his face before he remembered what she was referring to. "Oh, right � our idea. Neelix suggested that we have a party on the holodeck to welcome our new crewmembers aboard."
"Sounds good, Tom."
"What have you got in mind?" asked Chakotay. "Another spectacular defeat at Sandrine's?"
"I was actually thinking of something a little more�formal," Tom told him, ignoring the jibe at his pool skills. "Lieutenant Oren and I were going through the database and we thought we might do an old-fashioned ballroom."
"A ballroom?"
"Yeah � marble floors, chandeliers, the works. Formal attire, no uniforms allowed. Neelix can take care of the food, of course. We can replicate some Saint Emillion, and I have a few bottles in my private stash that I'd be willing to break out for the occasion."
"Not too much, Lieutenant. We are in the middle of an alien war zone � I don't want to have half the crew intoxicated if we go to red alert."
"Noted," he said, returning her grin.
"Other than that � sounds wonderful. Get on it."
>> ON TO PART XII : THE BEST OF TIMES
<< BACK TO PART X: THE DECISION
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