Not
far from him, Commander Kelly stood at attention, her
dress
whites making her look rather distinguished, something Janeway wasn’t
used to
seeing in her problematic exec. Standing next to
her, Ro Laren, the ship’s security chief and first officer in all but
name to
Janeway,
spoke quietly with her two-person security team, making a last
minute
check of their readiness.
Slouching against one corner of the
transporter
console, Dr. Pulaski folded her arms over her chest and looked
simultaneously
bored and annoyed at being required to attend the diplomatic
conference. Behind
the console, B’Elanna focused on her task, waiting on the word to
activate the
transporter controls, while beside her, the ship’s chief science
officer peered
over her shoulder, undoubtedly...and probably deliberately...annoying
the
volatile Klingon as Seven offered some last minute advice on the best
way to
perform the upcoming transport.
Janeway’s eyes lingered on Seven of Nine with
deep
pleasure, thoroughly enjoying the sight of the cool blonde in her full
dress
whites. She quite looked forward to returning to their quarters once
the
diplomatic amenities were over so she could remove Seven's uniform in
as
sensual a manner as possible. Of course, the rough patch they had gone
through probably exacerbated how much she wanted and needed her beloved
spouse. Janeway felt a clench in the pit of her stomach at the reminder
of that dark time.
“Captain, we’re being hailed,” B’Elanna said,
interrupting Janeway’s wayward thoughts. “The delegation is prepared to
beam
up.”
“Do it.” Janeway straightened her shoulders
beneath
the white tunic trimmed with gold and turned to face the transporter
dais. Her senior officers took up position on
either side of their captain
in the standard greeting formation. As Kelly stood immediately to her
right, Janeway could feel Seven move to
her left, so aware of her presence that she didn't have to look. Ro
remained somewhat apart from the group, standing off to
the
side, and watching closely as a hum filled the air and sparkles
appeared
before
coalescing into five individual figures.
The Wakardi were a humanoid species in the
sense
that they boasted the usual number of arms and legs and recognizable
sense
organs in the appropriate place on their faces. Distinctive
ridges radiated from each corner of their temples and
swept upward on a gradual incline to meet at the back of their heads. Hair grew from beneath these dual ridges,
falling to their shoulders, in varying shades of red, brown or blue as
per
individual, but leaving smooth domed skulls that gleamed faintly in the
overhead
illumination. Their eyes were wide and
evenly spaced, vibrant yellows and browns with large black pupils that
left
little
white to rim them. Dressed in finely woven
tunics
and trousers, they all possessed long capes that flowed gracefully
around their
slender forms, the high collars framing their intellectual features.
Two were female, including the central being
who
carried a large, ornate wooden box. She
handed it to the male beside her and stepped forward, bowing slightly
to the
group awaiting them.
“Greetings to you all.” Her
tone was low and laced with musical intonations. A
pleasant, well modulated voice, Janeway
determined, crucial to a female in her position as head of the
delegation. “I am Speaker Heirra, lead
member of the
Wakardi.”
Janeway stepped forward and also bowed
slightly,
matching the mannerism offered. “I am
Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Millennium.” She turned and
as if on cue, Jiidan moved forward. Despite his cute and cuddly
appearance, he
was an experienced and formidable diplomat. “This
is Minister Jiidan of the Confederacy.”
“We welcome you to our hearth,” he said in
his
somewhat squeaky tone. Janeway resisted
an urge to smile. The Soularri undoubtedly
appeared quite unthreatening to the Wakardi…a very
useful advantage to the technologically advanced species that were the
true
powerbrokers in the United Confederation despite the presence of other,
more
physically imposing races.
“We know of the Confederacy,” Heirra
responded
graciously, bowing to Jiidan. “We are
very interested in discussing future ties with your government.” She looked around with a somewhat evaluating
expression. “Is this your entire senior
staff, Captain Janeway?”
Janeway felt a small fissure of something
resonate
through her, though she wasn’t sure what or why. Too often, alien body
language
and intonation inspired instinctive emotions from Humans that could
easily be
misconstrued and thus, held no place in a diplomatic exchange. Still,
she
exchanged a glance with Ro, relieved when she saw that the security
chief had
also noticed it, confirming it with a slight nod to the captain.
Confident that she could leave whatever it was with
Ro,
Janeway refocused her attention on the delegation.
“May I present my first officer, Kiara Kelly.” Kelly inclined her head respectfully. “Beside her is our Chief Medical Officer,
Dr. Kate Pulaski, and on my other side is the head of our science
department,
Lt. Annika Hansen.” Seven’s ocular
implant lifted slightly as she dipped her
head in acknowledgment of the introduction.
“At the transporter controls is my chief engineer, Commander
B’Elanna
Torres, and finally, our chief of security, Commander Ro Laren.” She didn’t acknowledge the two security
guards,
D’vor and Decker, flanking the door and Heirra affected not to notice
them.
“A multi-species crew, Captain, I am most
impressed.” Heirra frowned
slightly. “Yet, it is an all female
command structure?”
Janeway blinked and suddenly realized what it
must
look like to the Speaker. “I assure
you, we in the Federation and Starfleet hold no gender bias,” she
explained
with a smile. “I recruited the best officers I could find for
my senior
staff and in this case, they just happened to be female.”
She didn’t mention that she had no control
over
Kelly being on Millennium. Besides,
she reminded herself firmly, her young exec had been
improving steadily in both attitude and competence over the past few
months. It wasn’t her
fault that Admiral Nechayev had certain motives in assigning personnel
to
Starfleet’s most advanced and far ranging deep exploration vessel.
“Believe me, males and females hold equal
legal and
social power in the Federation, regardless of the cultural dictates of
the
individual species that belong to it.”
“I am…relieved to hear it, Captain.” Heirra motioned to her companions. "May I present Berrell, my second.”
Berrel nodded but otherwise did not move. He seemed burdened by
the box he was holding that, from appearances,
seemed
rather heavy...though Heirra had wielded it easily.
“Healer Kaleen is the head of our medical
sector.” Kaleen was smaller than the
others and possessed a compassionate demeanor. She inspired trust
just from
her kindly expression, which Janeway supposed was a useful attribute in
a
doctor. Not that she was used to it in
her own, of course. She shot a look at
Pulaski who still looked extremely bored by the whole thing.
“Lestiat is the head of our population
services.”
Janeway didn’t know what that was but suspected it had something to do
with
security. He had a bulkier build than
the others and wore a more ornate belt. The captain suspected it must
contain
at least a minimum of protective weaponry; though obviously nothing
that set
off the subtle sensor scans Janeway knew Ro was conducting.
“Lastly, may
I introduce Trevarti, our most prominent scientist and leading expert
in his field
of space relations.”
Trevarti bowed deeply, his bright eyes
assessing the
Starfleet members with what could only be fascination.
Janeway lifted her arm toward the door in
invitation. “We have set aside a
conference room for your talks with Minister Jiidan.”
“You and your staff will also be attending
these
initial talks, will you not?”
Janeway thought she heard a slight anxiety
behind
the question and, once more, wondered at it. “That
can be easily arranged,” she said in a reassuring tone,
not
missing the sour expression on Pulaski’s face. Obviously
the doctor had been hoping that her presence would
only be
required in the initial greeting in the transporter room. Janeway
smiled at her
cheerfully and motioned toward the door again, just for her.
“Excellent,” Hierra said. “I
would like to know more about the Federation, as well the
Confederacy, though I’m not entirely sure how such similar yet
apparently large
and different governing bodies can exist side by side.”
“That’s because we’re not side by side,”
Janeway
explained smoothly as she led them out into the corridors and to the
turbolifts
at the end of the corridor. “The Federation is actually in the Alpha
Quadrant,
a great distance from the Confederacy. Using a
transwarp/slipstream form of propulsion, our engines allow Millennium
to ’jump’ several thousand lightyears at a time, though any true space
exploration must
be done at traditional warp speeds. Years ago, a
wormhole facilitated our encounter with the
Confederacy
purely by accident, granting us the known coordinates to make our jump.” She didn’t add that the wormhole had
initially led from the Delta Quadrant, not wanting to get into the
whole
explanation of USS Voyager and being
lost 70,000 light
years from home.
“Fascinating, and you have many ships like
this?”
“Millennium
is unique,” Seven spoke up behind them before Janeway could prevent it. “Though there are others in production, no
other vessel in Starfleet currently possess our technology.”
Janeway shot a quelling glance over her
shoulder at
Seven before managing a smile for Hierra. “Scientific
exploration is one of the Federation’s priorities.”
“As is making friends,” Jiidan offered. “We in the Confederacy welcomed the chance
to know and become allied with such diverse beings.”
Hierra focused her attention on him, bending
her
head as they walked together, falling behind the captain who allowed it. After all, it was the Confederacy that would
become the true ally of Wikira Prime, not the Federation other than by
proxy. She glanced over at Kelly who
had been walking on Hierra’s other side.
“What are we offering the Wakardi?” she asked
in a
low voice. She had left the
arrangements of the conference room to Kelly and hoped she wouldn’t be
disappointed. “That seems a substantial
gift they’re bringing along.”
Kelly looked back at the box Barrell was
lugging,
her green eyes narrowing. “The
traditional gifts to a first encounter, Captain, which should be more
than
sufficient an exchange for whatever they have in mind...provided it’s
not extremely extravagant,
like one of their firstborn or something.”
Janeway lifted a brow at the attempt at
humor;
perhaps not in the best taste but still somewhat amusing.
She smiled briefly at Kelly, thinking that it
had been an effort for the other woman and she needed to reward it.
The main conference room had been prepared
with
padds, a glass of water and a small gift at each place setting. At one
end, a
long counter contained various dishes of finger foods under stasis
fields,
ready for the delegates when they took time for a break. Janeway
directed the
Wakardi to the starboard side of the conference table while her crew
took the
other, backs against the large viewports that looked out onto the green
and
turquoise planet Millennium was
orbiting. Jiidan settled into his place
of prominence at one end of the table, directly opposite to where
Janeway sat
down. Ro took up a position at the
captain’s left shoulder after dispatching her security team to
positions
outside the door. Behind Janeway and Ro was another counter stacked
with
various containers holding more gifts and examples of possible trade
items for
the delegates.
Once everyone had settled and the opening
comments
were finished, Hierra took the box from Berrell and slid it carefully
across
the table. “On behalf of the Wakardi,
may we present this small token of appreciation to you, Captain
Janeway.”
Janeway felt a certain qualm at the gesture,
since
it should have really been offered to Jiidan, but she lacked a graceful
way to
get out of it without potentially embarrassing the Wakardi or
humiliating
Jiidan by making him look powerless. Glancing at the minister, it
seemed to her
that he was amused rather than offended. Of course, the Soularri was
accustomed
to and even liked remaining unobtrusively behind the scenes. She supposed this was just another example
of it.
“Thank you, Speaker,” she said with a warm
smile and
reached for the box.
Suddenly, she heard a small sound to her
right. Distracted, she turned to look at
Ro who had
a frown marring her brow, and her dark eyes narrowed dangerously as she
looked at
the box. Blinking, a little annoyed
that she was so easily distracted and hoping the delegation didn’t
notice,
Janeway once more reached for the box, fingertips just brushing the
edge when
Ro abruptly shouldered her aside.
Janeway tumbled to the deck, banging her
elbow
soundly and wringing out a startled curse from her lips. Astonished and
dismayed, she looked up to see Ro draw a type-one phaser from some
hidden
pocket of her dress uniform.
Without hesitation, Ro fired directly at the
Wakardi
delegation across the table.
Seven didn’t
quite know what was happening, but her
response was instantaneous. She leapt to her feet and seized Ro’s arm
in one swift motion, removing the weapon with her other hand. At
the
same time,
almost as if they had planned it, Kelly tackled Ro and threw her
against the
bulkhead, twisting her arm up behind her back. On the deck, Janeway
muttered a
startled curse and crawled to her feet amid the sudden chaos that had
descended
upon the room as Ro’s two security officers burst in through the doors.
They
were clearly confused and alternated between trying to cover everyone
with
their phasers and glancing uncertainly at their security chief pinned
by the first officer.
“What the hell is going on?” Janeway took a
horrified look at the main delegates who were slumped over the table,
though,
somehow, Trevarti had been missed by Ro’s attack. He
was cowering back against the far bulkhead, staring wildly at
the Starfleet officers surrounding him.
She bestowed a furious gaze on Ro. “Commander,
explain yourself!”
“Don’t open that box, Captain, or you’ll end
up just
like them.”
While Kelly maintained a grip of steel on Ro,
Seven
exchanged a glance with Janeway and immediately pulled a tricorder from
inside
her tunic, scanning the box in question.
“Captain, I am detecting organic material
inside.”
Seven frowned, troubled by the data she was reading and wondering how
it had bypassed the transporter sensors.
“Lifeforms. Six...no
seven individual creatures.”
“Captain, take a look at the back of their
necks,”
Ro said urgently. Seven was unsure if
the hint of strain in her voice was from the hold Kelly had on her or
because
she desperately needed the captain to believe her.
Janeway’s jaw tightened, but she leaned over
and
pushed aside the high collar of Heirra’s robe. Seven
could hear her breath catch as they all saw the small tube
protruding from the base of Heirra’s skull.
“My God.” Janeway straightened, her face tightening into a stone
like
mask. “Number One, release Commander
Ro. Take these...beings into
custody. And secure that box!”
“Captain Janeway, I must protest!” Trevarti
had
straightened and offered every indication of being greatly offended.
“I’m sure you must,” Janeway said frostily,
“but you
see, this isn’t the first time we in the Federation have encountered
your
species. Specifically, the species currently in control of the bodies
of the
Wakardi.” She nodded at Ro who had
retrieved the phaser from Seven. “Take them.”
Seven still didn’t understand what was going
on but
she trusted Janeway implicitly, so she didn’t say anything as Ro and
her
security team gathered up the delegates, along with the box, and
escorted them
from the room. Kelly waited until the
door had hissed shut behind them before turning to Janeway.
“Captain?”
“Stardate 41775,” Janeway said tightly,
resuming her
seat at the head of the table. At the
slight nod of her head, the rest also sat down, regarding her with
varying
degrees of puzzlement and concern.
“Starfleet Headquarters was infiltrated by alien parasites that
took
over the minds of key senior officers and began to position ships and
personnel
in preparation for an invasion. Fortunately, the
conspiracy was uncovered by Captain Jean Luc
Picard of
the USS Enterprise and he, along with
Commander Riker, were able to burn out the parasites, including a
dominate
queen that had taken over Dexter Remmick, Admiral Quinn’s aide.” She paused. “Commander
Remmick did not survive though the others were freed
of their
drone parasites unharmed. Apparently, the ‘drone’ parasites couldn’t
function
after the destruction of the mother creature and vacated their hosts of
their own accord. In truth, one of our
mandates
while in the Beta Quadrant was not only to cement formal diplomatic
ties with
the Confederation, but to try to track down the eventual destination of
a
homing beacon that was transmitted by Remmick before his death.
Starfleet
believed it to be an area somewhere in the Beta Quadrant.”
Seven went back over her memories that had
been
assimilated by the Borg from Starfleet officers at Wolf 359, making
connections
between that and the knowledge accumulated by the greater Collective.
“The Borg
identify them as Species 075,” she said suddenly, causing Janeway to
lift a
startled eyebrow. “They were deemed
unsuitable for assimilation due to their requirements for a host form.”
“Plus, I can’t see the Borg liking the
competition,”
Pulaski broke in dryly. “Don’t they
also have a hive mind civilization?”
“An inferior type of communication,” Seven
told her
with a touch of what might have been arrogance had she paid attention.
Across
the table, B’Elanna smiled faintly. “Outside of
the liquid medium that is their natural habitat,
they
require their hosts to communicate, unlike the Borg whose thoughts are
as one.”
“They manage quite nicely, from what I
understand,”
B’Elanna said. “How did the Borg encounter them?
Did the Collective invade the Beta Quadrant
or did they come to you?”
“Members of Species 075 were assimilated in
the
Delta Quadrant, along with their host beings, Species 074, which called
themselves the Varmuur. All were traveling in a type of ship that the
Borg has
not encountered before or since, though it was deemed very worthy
of
assimilation. It was
powered by an experimental transwarp unit and was the Borg’s first
encounter
with the technology. The Collective subsequently improved and perfected
the
propulsion system to what is currently used by Borg vessels.”
B’Elanna nodded slightly, her dark eyes
thoughtful. “So this Varmuur actually
invented
the transwarp. Interesting. Perhaps they were
testing
the transwarp unit in the Beta Quadrant and just ended up in the wrong
place at
the wrong time. Maybe that’s how they ended up in the Alpha Quadrant as
well.”
“Perhaps.” Seven made some adjustments to her
padd.
“The data indicate a stasis unit containing the creatures was found
next to
the wreckage of an unknown type of ship on a planet not far from
Federation
borders. If the hosts were killed in a crash of some kind, the
parasites would
have retreated to the box to wait for a new set of hosts, which a
Starfleet
away team so aptly provided.” She looked
up as the door hissed open and Ro reentered the conference room, taking
a seat
next to Janeway. "How did you know the
Wakardi delegation had been compromised, Commander?”
“Honestly, I didn’t, other than their unusual
insistence on having all the senior staff present,” Ro admitted, after
a glance
at the captain. Seven realized this
would be more an explanation for Janeway than for the rest of the crew
at the
table.
“It could have been just a cultural
requirement but
for some reason, their repeated demand for the complete senior staff’s
presence
set off alarm bells from the moment they stepped on the ship. Prior to our mission here to the Beta
Quadrant, I underwent the usual upgrade to my tactical training at
Starfleet,
which included a refresher on all the data from the HQ Conspiracy. The
ornate
decorations on the gift box were familiar and I finally remembered I
had seen
them in Picard’s command logs pertaining to that incident. I realized I
only
had seconds to act if my suspicions were correct, and though I risked a
court
martial by stunning the delegation, the other choice of doing nothing
seemed
more dangerous.”
“You chose correctly, Commander,” Janeway
told her,
approval strong in her tone. “Where’s
the box now?”
“Dr. Kahn has taken responsibility for it. As
a
Trill, she has some familiarity with this type of creature, though I
don’t
think the parasites are very similar to the symbiots. I did brief her
fully on
how careful she has to be while examining it.
Some of the log entries showed the creatures in action and
apparently
they can propel themselves good distances. Once they’re on your person,
they’re
extremely difficult to dislodge before entering the body via the
nearest
orifice, usually the mouth.”
Pulaski and B’Elanna winced visibly, while
Seven
considered the prospect of what had almost happened to them with
considerable
distaste. Though she wondered if the
creatures could actually infiltrate someone with Borg implants. It was
possible
her nanoprobes would immediately work to repel the invasion, destroying
any
parasite as they would any other virus or infection.
It was an intriguing line of inquiry to pursue but not at the
moment. She turned her attention on the captain, recognizing from her
expression
that Janeway was outraged, her eyes a dark, stormy gray.
“They were planning to infect the entire
senior
staff. From there, it would have been a small matter to take over the
ship!”
“The ship would undoubtedly only be the first
step,
Captain,” Jiidan pointed out, his voice brittle and quite unlike his
normal
tones. Seven realized he was extremely angry, and perhaps even a little
afraid.
“I require more information regarding your earlier encounters with
these creatures.”
“Of course.”
Janeway glanced at Seven who promptly downloaded the required
information from the ship’s computer into her padd and passed it down
to the
Soularri minister. As she did, she noticed the others had also updated
their
padds and were busily bringing themselves up to speed on the available
data,
particularly Kelly who had probably still been a child when the
attempted
invasion of the Federation occurred.
“What now, Captain?” Kelly asked as she
scanned the
data. “If the official delegation is infected, then we can expect that
the
entire planet is compromised.”
Seven took note of Janeway’s expression, the
tightening around her eyes, the taut set of her mouth, the way her jaw
moved
slightly, as if she tasted something unpleasant. “You’re
quite right, Number One.” She lifted her
chin and touched the golden comm badge resting on
her left breast. “Helm, break orbit and
take up station keeping on the outer rim of the system.”
“The Wakardi will probably object to our
taking off
with their delegation,” Pulaski said dryly. “The parasites may even
realize
they’ve been discovered.”
“Probably,” Janeway agreed, “but there’s
little they
can do about it. The Wakardi vessels
lack the capability to chase us down or engage us in battle with any
hope of
success. The creatures appear limited to the technology of their hosts.”
“You are assuming this is the only planet
involved,”
Seven said in the pragmatic tone she utilized whenever she imparted
unpleasant
information to her captain. “It is
possible this is merely the farthest they have dispersed in this
direction, and
every planet along any future path we take may also be infected.”
“And some of those planets may possess a
higher
level of technology,” B’Elanna added.
“Technology that could be on the way here very shortly if the
Wakardi
parasites can communicate with others of their kind.”
“Perhaps we should simply return the
delegation and withdraw from the area,” Ro suggested.
“Leave the Wakardi to the mercy of the
parasites?” Janeway frowned.
“I don’t like that idea, Commander.”
Seven frowned, uncomfortable with where the
captain’s thoughts might be leading. She was all too familiar with that
tone,
reminded sharply of an encounter with the Borg during their first year
mission
to the Delta Quadrant. She ended up having to go onto a Borg sphere and
altering their computer’s memory banks in an effort to make the
Collective
think they had already assimilated a planet before they actually did.
“It may be our only option,” she interjected
firmly. “They may infect all the Wakardi, and I
know of no way to remove parasites from millions
of
individuals. It is impossible to unassimilate an entire planet.”
Kelly’s green eyes were bright.
“We might not have to,” she said.
“Federation scientists speculate that it’s the mother creatures who
actually
lead each individual colony. Without the queen directing them, the
others
voluntarily leave their hosts and die. Get rid of the queen, and you'll
get
rid of the
drones spawned by that queen.”
“But a mother creature can't be removed,”
Pulaski protested strongly. “According to this, the only way to get rid
of a queen is to burn it out...which kills
the
host.”
“The host is already dead,” Kelly argued. “I
don’t
think there was anything left of this Commander Remmick by the time
that thing
got through with him. Did you see how big it was?”
From the heat in the various voices, Seven
concluded the senior staff had viewed the logs recording the final
encounter where Picard and Riker confronted Remmick.
It was
fortunate that Starfleet Headquarters maintained monitors in all their
communications rooms, or they would have lacked even that limited
amount of
data regarding the creature. The devastating phaser fire that exploded
Remmick’s head and burned away the parasite nesting inside his torso
had left
little in the way of organic matter for Starfleet scientists to
evaluate.
“Nonetheless, before we start randomly
burning down
sentient beings in the hopes of taking out a queen, I think we need to
investigate
this situation a little further.” Pulaski’s sarcastic tone was
absolutely
withering and Seven noted the flush in Kelly’s cheeks.
“The good doctor is quite right,” Janeway
said,
putting up her hand to calm any emotions that might be rising too
quickly. “But so is Commander Kelly. I don’t want to just walk away from this
without exploring every possibility. We
need to discover if there’s anything we can do to free the Wakardi, and
we’ll
start with the delegates. Kelly, you
and Ro are with me. Seven, I want you
to find out everything you can about the creatures in your lab. Try to come up with a way to remove the creatures en masse. Commander Torres,
we need to be ready for
anything, and that includes running for the Confederation if it comes
to
that.” Her eyes were unyielding as she
regarded her staff.
“Whatever happens, the invasion stops here. We’re not going to let it expand into the Confederation, and subsequently, into the Federation.”
Not that the beings currently in the brig appeared to be very intimidated. Rather, they seemed fairly angry at being treated like common criminals. Heirra stood as close to the force field as she could without being repulsed, glaring at the captain and two officers standing just beyond.
By the console, Kelly noticed the assistant
security
chief M’Reek monitoring the brig controls. He
glanced up and met her eyes and she looked away, feeling
flustered
and uncomfortable. He had been distant
lately, ever since she had told him of her growing attachment to him. She told herself bitterly that she should
have
been content with the casual relationship of physical pleasure they
shared, and not expected anything more. That was the story of her life,
it seemed. They always came on to her in the beginning, made a big
production of how much they cared about her, but once she started to
care in return, once she opened up her heart to them, they decided it
wasn't anything that they wanted after all. Then they went off to
something and someone else, leaving her alone and hurting, and
wondering why she had been so foolish for believing anyone could love
her, determined never to be so stupid again.
“Captain Janeway, I demand an explanation for
this...” Heirra faltered, seeming unable to come up with a suitable
adverb,
“horrendous treatment.”
“As I told your associate, we’ve encountered
your
kind before.” Janeway’s lips were thin,
her words bitten off like pieces of ice.
Kelly wondered if almost being invaded by a parasitic creature
had
actually frightened the captain. She
certainly knew it had given her the crawling yips. Even
now, the hair was standing up on the back of her neck as
she
observed the aliens, knowing that their minds weren’t their own, but
rather
being controlled by bug-like creatures residing inside their skulls.
“The Wakardi have never encountered the
Federation---” Heirra began.
“Not the Wakardi, but the creatures you carry
within, the creatures actually controlling the hosts. Those,
we’re quite familiar with.”
There was a pause as the prisoners exchanged
glances,
and when Heirra faced them again, there was a subtle change in her
features. An
impassive coldness prevailed, almost a deadness to the facial muscles,
as if,
since there was no longer any need for deception, the creature could
take
complete control rather than merely ’direct’.
“Very well, release us and return us
to our world. It is clear you do not
want our gift.”
“Gift?” Janeway echoed in evident disbelief.
“What
kind of gift is taking over the bodies and minds of others for your own
ends?”
“We wish only peaceful co-existence. When we first encountered the Wakardi a
century ago, they were chaotic, disruptive, and dangerous.
They lived in a state of constant war amongst
their various tribal groupings. Even during times of what they called
’peace’,
there were still several ongoing, armed conflicts occurring in
various
areas of
their planet. We brought stability to their world and they have
flourished in
the years since, both technologically and socially.”
Kelly thought it sounded like a more polite
form of
’resistance is futile’ but the end result was just the same. Ro moved
up beside
the captain and whispered something in her ear, too low for Kelly to
catch
it. Frowning, Kelly glanced at Ro who
obligingly leaned closer and filled her in.
“According to our scans, Heirra is hosting a
mother
creature,” she murmured.
Kelly felt her eyebrows raise and her skin
crawl as
she looked at the leader of the delegation with new eyes. How much of
Heirra
had the parasite eaten away? And how could the body work with all those
organs
gone? Did the parasite’s own organs
take over?
She felt like throwing up and swallowed hard.
Janeway positioned herself just outside the
forcefield, glaring at the Wakardi as if sheer force of will could make
the
creature within the host come out and confront her.
“That’s certainly one viewpoint, but I wonder what would happen
if the individual you have enslaved could speak. I
wonder what her viewpoint would be?”
Heirra looked at her with scorn. “She would
thank us
for preventing her species’ inevitable destruction.”
Janeway’s lips parted, about to say something
before
she seemed to reconsider. Instead, she paused, took a deep breath and
offered a
smile that Kelly found somewhat out of place. When she spoke, her voice
was
very mild.
“Perhaps you’re correct.”
Startled, Kelly found herself murmuring a
quiet
“Captain?” while on the other side, Ro shot Janeway a swift, sharp look
before
returning her attention to the brig. Janeway’s eyes flicked over to her
first
officer in an unmistakable expression of warning, and Kelly promptly
shut her
mouth, though her mind was seething. What was
the captain up to?
Heirra appeared vaguely surprised as well.
“I’m glad
you see it that way, Captain.”
“I’m not saying that we’re going to allow you
to
infect any of us,” Janeway continued in that calm, reasonable tone,
“but it’s
undeniable that we know little about you and your kind. Our primary
mission has
always been to explore new life and new civilizations. To deny
ourselves the
opportunity out of fear would give no honor to the ideals we profess to
hold.”
“Then you'll release us?”
“What I’m offering is an exchange. We’ll resume orbit around Wakira Prime,
continue to treat you as guests, a delegation of your people as it
were, while
we learn more about you. In return, you will make no attempt to
retrieve
your...’gift’, nor will you take any threatening or inappropriate
action
against the crew or our Confederacy guest. Is this acceptable?”
Heirra looked suspicious. “Why
not simply return us to our home and be done with it?”
Janeway’s features hardened. “You made a
blatant
attempt to hijack our ship by taking over the senior staff during a
diplomatic
negotiation. In many cultures, that’s
considered a formal declaration of war. I’m offering you the
opportunity to
continue a diplomatic exchange of ideas. If that’s not acceptable, then
I must
approach the situation from a position of aggression and you’ll be
considered
prisoners of war.”
Put that way, Kelly suspected that Heirra had
little
choice. She wasn’t entirely sure what the captain was up to but she had
come to
trust Janeway to a certain extent over the past few months. She simply didn’t believe Janeway was so
gullible or bound to Starfleet principles that she’d let the Wakardi
run about
the ship without proper supervision.
She didn’t like the idea of letting them out of the brig at all,
of
course, but she was willing to go along with it for now.
“You will have an honor guard attending to
you at
all times,” Janeway added smoothly, “and your individual quarters will
be
shielded by the appropriate medical quarantine forcefields. All
negotiations
will take place in a similarly shielded briefing room, and once they're
complete,
we’ll return you to your planet unharmed. You have my word as a
Starfleet
officer and a representative of the Federation.” She hesitated. “I
cannot speak
for the Confederation in this matter, of course, but I will speak to
the
Minister on your behalf.”
Heirra looked at the others in her group and
opened
her mouth. An odd, low-level buzz, shading almost into a screech,
issued from
her lips, and Kelly’s skin did its best to crawl off her body and
across
the
deck to huddle in the corner. Janeway winced visibly, and Ro set her
teeth
though she didn’t take her eyes off the prisoners. Obviously, this was
the
parasites’ true form of communication, one that defied the Starfleet
translator’s
abilities to decode, and after a few more painful exchanges, Heirra
finally
dipped her head and faced the captain.
“I accept your terms, Captain Janeway.”
Janeway motioned to Ro with a slight gesture
of her
hand. “Please see that our guests are escorted to the quarters we made
up for
them and be sure they have the proper attendants present.”
Another way of telling Ro to keep a security
team on them at all times. Ro hesitated briefly, a troubled expression
in her
dark eyes, but she nodded and went over to M’Reek, speaking intently to
him,
too low for anyone else to hear.
Kelly stood by quietly, frowning as the force
field
was dispersed and several security officers escorted
the
Wakardi delegation from the room. After
they left, she turned expectantly to the captain. Ro was already
speaking with
her.
“Captain, are you completely sure about this?”
“Laren, we don’t know enough about these
creatures,”
Janeway told her. “Now that we know they exist, this will allow us a
closer look at
how the creatures interact with their hosts. It may give us a key in
how to remove them.”
Kelly wondered if this was a moment where she
needed
to play devil’s advocate and offer an opposing view to her captain. She was with her on wanting those things dead
and gone, but she also remembered that there were certain other factors
involved.
“This may be a matter of the Prime Directive,
Captain,”
she
heard herself saying, hardly able to believe what was coming out of her
mouth. “The Wakardi have not requested
that we free them. Even in the event we do come
up with a quick and easy way to remove the
parasites, are we then supposed to stay
around until
they manage to rebuild their society that has been directed by the
parasites for
decades?”
Janeway’s expression was unfamiliar, and it
took
Kelly a moment to realize it was actually approval, albeit, surprised
approval. “Those
are good points, Commander. We have no
idea how extensive this infestation is. If it is
only key politicians who are controlled, like Heirra,
then we’ll essentially be destroying their government if we chose to
act
against them. That’s not something to
be taken lightly no matter what the circumstances.”
Ro frowned at them both. “I would think the
hosts want these
things
gone, but how can they ask if they're infested?”
“That’s why we have to find out exactly what
we’re
dealing with.” Janeway’s fingertips
touched lightly on Ro’s shoulder. “I
want you to keep a close eye on them, Laren. Any sign that they’re up
to
something,
you have my authorization to act in any manner you see fit.”
“I understand, Captain.” Ro looked
pleased at the blanket authority offered to handle things her way
if
necessary.
“Number One, you’re with me.”
Kelly fell into step with Janeway as they
left the
security section. On the turbolift, Janeway instructed it to take them
to the
bridge. As the lift began to ascend, the captain turned to Kelly. “I need you to go down to the planet and
check things out.”
That wasn’t exactly on Kelly’s list of
preferred
things to do, but she also recognized that Janeway was giving her a
mission,
her trust as it were, and that was not something to dismiss lightly,
particularly after she had worked so hard to earn it the past few
months. So instead of the objections she
wanted to
offer, she merely nodded.
“Alone?”
“No, but neither do I want a lot of my people
down
there. We need to know if there’s any sign of rebellion against these
things.
Is everyone infested? If not, does the average Wakardi citizen know
about
the
creatures in their midst? It’s a reconnaissance mission, nothing more. I heard you were good at those.”
Kelly felt a sliver of pride ripple through
her. “I am, but Captain, I’d like to
take Ro with me. She has the most familiarity with this sort of
mission.”
“I’d rather she be on the ship monitoring
things,
but you’re right, she’s the best for the job and she can’t be in two
places at
once. I’ll have to trust that she’s taught her people well.”
“I’d also like an
experienced science officer along.”
Janeway’s expression did not
alter, but there was a barely detectable pause before she spoke. “Lt.
Wildman
is the head of biometrics and has a great deal of experience in
xeobiological
surveys.”
Kelly had been hoping for
Lt. Hansen, but she supposed it would be a bit much for the captain to
volunteer her wife for what could be a dangerous mission. Samantha
Wildman was
probably the next best thing. “Very well,
Captain. When would you like us to go?”
“Right away. Check with
sickbay. They’ll be able to disguise you so that you’ll look like a
Wakardi.” Janeway hesitated. “And not just
a Wakardi.”
Kelly nodded. “I
was thinking the same thing,
Captain. Supposedly being infested might get us
into places we
wouldn’t otherwise have access to.”
“No heroics, Commander. I
need you all back safe.”
“Understood.”
The turbolift stopped
and Janeway stepped off onto the bridge. Before the doors slid shut,
she glanced back and offered an encouraging smile that was surprisingly
welcome. Then Kelly inhaled deeply and tapped her communicator.
"Commander Ro, I
need to see you in sickbay immediately. We have a mission."
Their quarters were
empty
when Janeway finally made it back. Though it was only midway through
the beta
shift, she didn’t think Seven was working late. Surprised, she lifted
her head.
“Computer, locate Seven of Nine.”
“Seven of Nine is in her quarters.”
Frowning, Janeway checked
the bedroom and the ensuite before realizing where she had to be.
Attached to
their quarters, accessed by a door between the kitchenette and the
dining nook,
a lush garden…a Valentine’s Day present from the captain…had been
incorporated
into the ship’s design. Seven often spent her free time amid the
growing things
that were a decided contrast in surroundings to all her years as a
technical
being with the Borg.
Sure enough, Janeway
discovered Seven sitting peacefully beneath the apple tree that was the
centerpiece of the garden, her legs crossed and hands resting palm up
on her
knees, her face in calm repose as she meditated. Nearby,
a tiny waterfall cascaded into a picturesque fountain, offering a
soothing melody of sound. Stealthily,
Janeway took a seat on the wooden bench and watched her with quiet
enjoyment. It had been Sek/Kes who
had
taught Seven how to meditate on Voyager,
though it hadn’t been anything she utilized often. It
was only in recent months that Seven had
begun meditating on a regular basis. Janeway
wasn’t entirely sure why, but if it granted Seven a
sense of
peace and stability, then she was all for it.
She even wondered if she should take up the practice.
Seven had exchanged her
dress uniform for dark pants and a simple, wine shaded blouse that left
her
forearms bare, and displayed a dipping neckline to reveal the beginning
of
generous cleavage. Janeway regretted
that she wouldn’t have a chance to remove those dress whites, but Seven
still
looked good enough to eat, her long hair cascading in a golden flow
over her
shoulders and back.
As if detecting Janeway’s
presence and quickening desire, Seven’s eyes popped opened, cool pools
of blue
that analyzed the captain in a heartbeat. A
small smile lifted the corner of her full lips.
“Kathryn.”
“Do you know how gorgeous
you are?”
The gray curve of ocular
implant rose slightly. “I am fully aware of
how amorous you are.”
“I’m amorous because you’re
gorgeous.” Janeway offered her most charming leer.
“A somewhat superficial
reason to be attracted to me, but it shall do for now.”
Janeway smiled broadly and
rose from the bench, moving over to the soft turf beneath the spreading
branches of the tree. It was in full bloom and the sweet perfume of
blossoms
filled her nostrils as she sank down into Seven’s lap.
With a happy sigh, she slipped her arms
around Seven’s neck and rested her head on the strong shoulder, burying
her
face in the warm skin of her throat.
“God, I love this.”
Seven’s arms tightened
around her, and Janeway felt her lips brush lightly over her forehead
and
temple. “I love you.”
Janeway relaxed, feeling her
muscles grow slack as Seven supported her, leaning back against the
solid truck
of the tree. There was plenty of ship’s
business that she needed to discuss with her, particularly pertaining
to the
parasites, but for the moment, Janeway allowed herself to bask in
Seven’s warm
embrace, shutting away the universe outside the confines of this
artificial
park. Perhaps it had been a gift intended only for Seven, but there was
no
question that Janeway enjoyed and needed this small slice of paradise
just as
much.
“Busy day,” she murmured.
“Unquestionably.” Seven
kissed the top of her head. “Do you wish to discuss it?”
Janeway groaned softly in
negation.
“Is anything wrong?” There
was a note of concern in Seven’s voice.
“I just want you to hold
me.”
“As long as required, my
Kathryn.”
Janeway took that
as permission not to be captain for a little
while longer, a valuable and cherished gift that only Seven could grant
her.
She had always possessed such special ability but Janeway was aware of
it now
more than ever, accepting of its power and fully surrendering to it,
less
inclined to struggle against whether she should allow it of herself or
not. Overhead, she could hear the flow
of air in the leaves of the tree, the circulation provided by the
ship’s vents
located at the top of the high bulkheads making it sound like an actual
breeze. Beneath her cheek, the steady
throb of Seven’s heart beat in her ear and flooded her with
contentment, making
her feel safe and loved.
She no longer felt worried
or weary or any of the other things that had plagued her when she
walked into
the quarters. Perhaps she did meditate, after all, she decided happily,
just
not in the way other people did. Her
meditation merely required the strong arms of her beloved surrounding
her and
the heady fragrance of Seven’s scent filling her lungs with every slow,
measured breath. And with her eyes closed, she could almost believe she
was on
the farm in Indiana, with no demands on her, no need to worry about a
ship or
crew, having no more cares than what she should have for dinner.
Speaking of which. Her eyes opened and she drew back from
Seven slightly, just enough so
that she could deliver a lengthy, loving and slightly lascivious kiss. “Hmm,” she murmured when they finally
parted. “What’s for dinner?”
“Whatever you wish,”
Seven told her as she uncoiled from the ground, lifting Janeway up at
the same
time until they were both standing on their feet.
Tucking her arm in the crook
of Seven’s elbow, Janeway walked with her back to their quarters, the
gravel of
the path crunching beneath their feet. “What about something exotic,
like
Vulcan or Bajoran?”
“Or Orion?”
Janeway felt a pleasant
thrill go through her. “Or Orion,” she
agreed readily.
Something light and
flavorful that could be fed to each other in small pieces by their
fingers
seemed just the thing to finish her day properly. She didn’t want to
have to
think about the parasites that infested the
planet
below, and worse, what she might have to do about them...assuming she
could do
anything.
As Seven started replicating
the various finger foods, Janeway set up the coffee table with glasses
and a
bottle of wine. Cushions were tossed onto the deck where they could
recline in
comfort, and Janeway slipped out of her boots, wiggling her toes with
relief as
she leaned back against the base of the couch.
She sipped from her glass, smiling briefly as Seven deposited a
platter
of meat and cheese pastries along with another of sliced vegetables and
fruit. After going back to retrieve a multi-sectioned dish containing a
variety
of dips
ranging from spicy to sweet, Seven lowered herself to the pillows next
to
Janeway.
“What troubles you,
Kathryn?”
Janeway resisted the urge to
sigh as she savored a bite-sized morsel that combined spinach, cheese
and some
kind of meat inside the pastry pocket.
“Just the usual,” she replied after she swallowed a sip of wine.
“Whatever
happens over the next few days, I’m going to have to make some hard
decisions.”
Seven nodded thoughtfully as
she slipped her arm around Janeway’s shoulders, pulling her close. “I understand. Even if we can find ways to
remove the parasites, how many planets in this sector have been
compromised?”
Janeway lifted a finger to
rub her right temple fretfully. “Exactly. Are we supposed to clear out
an
entire sector? Find their home world and destroy it? The time and
resources to
carry out such an effort are beyond Millennium’s
capability or mandate. Then there’s the question of whether we even
should or
not.”
Seven blinked, surprised. “There is an
ethical
reason not to?”
“Not just ethical reasons,
but also procedural ones.” Janeway sighed.
“Like it or not, the parasites are sentient. We may not like
their
methods of conquest or how they conduct their civilization in the
aftermath,
but no one has formally asked us to intervene, and even if the Wakardi
somehow
could, I’m not sure the Prime Directive would allow for it.”
“I understand. Any worlds
already infested by Species 075 may be inviolate,” Seven said. “Indeed, Starfleet did not intervene when
the Cardassians occupied Bajor because Bajor was not a member of the
Federation. They could not even offer any assistance until the
Cardassians had
been overthrown by the Bajoran freedom fighters.”
“I don’t like it, but that’s
the way it is.” Janeway shook her head
as she retrieved another cheese pastry.
“And although our treaty with the Confederacy includes a mutual
defense
pact, that doesn’t necessarily include interfering with their
neighbors,
even at
their request. This may be a Beta Quadrant problem that doesn’t concern
us
other than making sure the Federation is protected from any future
invasion.”
“But what if Jiidan requests
our assistance?” Seven stroked Janeway’s hair lightly, tangling her
fingers in
the auburn strands. “Not directly, but
indirectly.”
“What do you mean?”
“If we determine a way to
remove the parasites without harming the hosts on a global level, we
wouldn’t
have to utilize the technique ourselves. We could offer it to the
Confederacy,
just as you offered modified nanoprobe technology to the Borg in order
to fight
Species 8472.”
Janeway tried not to wince,
though she felt the comment in the pit of her stomach like a sharp
thrust of a
knife. “That isn’t really a good example, Seven,” she admitted
reluctantly. “In
fact, I was forgiven that violation by Starfleet as a ’necessary
command
decision in the field’ when in reality, they could have just as easily
court-martialed me for it instead.”
Seven blinked. “You never
told me that,” she said slowly after a moment.
“It wasn’t anything I was
particularly proud of.”
“Yet, you would do it again
if the circumstances were the same.” Seven eyed her knowingly.
“You’re probably right,”
Janeway agreed with a sigh, “but knowing what I know now, I’m not sure
these
circumstances
warrant similar actions.”
“Because it is not our ship
or the Federation that is directly endangered by the parasites?”
Janeway shot her a sharp
look but Seven’s face was innocent and she realized it was an honest
observation, not one designed to prick her assumptions as other
comments by her
spouse could often be. She dipped her
head. “Partly, but there would be some who would counter that by
claiming that
not helping the Confederacy would be opening the way to the parasites
for a
future takeover of the Federation.”
“The Confederacy does not
possess slipstream technology,” Seven pointed out. “Other than our
communications array and visits by starships like Millennium,
there is no danger to the Federation at all. Even the
initial incursion by the parasites seems more an accident of
circumstances than
a concentrated attempt to invade the Alpha Quadrant.”
“Provided their transwarp
technology doesn’t progress any further,” Janeway reminded her. “Then
they can
reach us easily.”
“The Borg enabled the
technology to work properly because of the contribution from many other
assimilated species. It is unlikely that the Varmuur will advance
any further in
the technology without such assistance. Otherwise,
the parasites would be more widespread.”
Janeway shook her head
fretfully. “We have no idea how widespread these things really are in
this
sector, or even how they go about deciding how and where to expand next. That’s why we need to know more.”
“Is that not why you
dispatched the away team to the planet?”
“That doesn’t mean they’ll
come up with all the answers.” Janeway exhaled softly. “In fact, let’s
hope
they don’t find out more than we bargained for.”
Seven recycled the last of the dishes and ran a cloth over
the counter in a final cleanup. Janeway had already retired to the
bedroom
where Seven knew she would be waiting with amorous intent, having
easily read
the signs all evening. She wasn’t adverse to that, but she did need a
moment to
herself to think about other things. It continued to bother her that
she had
hurt Janeway so badly in recent weeks. She still believed she had a
right to
be angry over the circumstances but she realized she had reacted to the
anger in an inappropriate manner by seeking out Lenara Kahn for comfort.
She could not change what
she had done, but if she could fully understand why she had pursued
that
particular course of action, then she would be unlikely to repeat such
behavior. Even if part of it was trying to hurt Kathryn in the most
efficient
manner, there might be more to it, and she wondered if she needed to
speak with
Kes about it. Though not as comfortable and trusting with the Ocampa as
she had
been with her holographic counterpart, Sek, she had reached the point
where she
could accept any advice the counselor offered and perhaps even allow
her close
enough to accomplish some valuable insight into her psyche.
Her still developing psyche.
Seven considered that for a long moment, wondering why that particular
point
had floated up in her mind and what relevance it could hold. She
finally
decided that it would be wise to discuss it with Kes. After all, that
would be
where the counselor could help her the most.
Shrugging lightly, she put
away the cloth and moved toward the bedroom, glancing at Janeway who
looked up
from the book she was reading. The garish cover displayed a bearded
civil war
soldier embracing a voluptuous southern belle whose generous cleavage
was in
grave danger of spilling out over the low cut dress, undoubtedly
because of the
improbable bent over backward position in which the man had placed her.
Seven
resisted the urge to shudder at such puerile data being absorbed by
Janeway
even as she tolerated the guilty pleasure the captain experienced while
indulging in historical romances. At least, she no longer regularly
participated in holographic versions of such novels, Seven reminded
herself
philosophically.
“A moment, Kathryn.”
“Take your time.”
The offhandedness of the
comment was not at all indicative of Janeway’s true feelings, Seven
knew and
she felt vaguely amused as she entered the ensuite. With pleasant
anticipation,
she took care of her few ablutions before returning to the bedroom
where
Janeway lounged beneath the sheets, the book no longer visible. Seven
wondered
if she had been reading a ‘dirty part’ prior to putting it away. Or
perhaps it
was merely Seven’s appearance that caused the high color in Janeway’s
high
cheekbones, the visibly increased respiration and the defined glint in
the
bluish eyes.
“Hello,
darling.”
Seven smiled and slipped out
of the robe, easing into the midnight blue Starfleet-issued sheets, but
to her
surprise, Janeway didn’t immediately reach out for her. Glancing over
quizzically, Seven saw that Janeway was now on her side, regarding her
with
quiet intent, chin resting on the palm of her bent elbow. Her eyes
seemed to
glimmer in the lowered illumination and Seven lifted her hand to gently
stroke
curve of her face, fingertips light on the soft skin.
“Kathryn?”
“Just
appreciating the sight of you.”
“Indeed.” Seven slipped her
palm around Janeway’s ear to the back of her head, pulling her close in
a warm,
melting kiss. Her lips were so soft, yielding to Seven, and she
deepened the
exchange, enjoying the play of Kathryn’s tongue against her own.
She was pleased by the
captain’s restraint, well aware of her level of desire, yet
Janeway was
apparently willing to indulge in these moments of tender anticipation,
showing
how much she cherished Seven rather than merely wanting her. Seven
didn’t know
how long they kissed, only knowing there was something extremely
intoxicating
about it before Janeway finally made a soft sound at the back of her
throat,
almost entreating, and Seven immediately molded herself against her
body.
“What?” she murmured
quietly.
“Nothing,
just thinking that perhaps you have to almost
lose something to know how precious it really is.”
Seven responded with another
kiss, running her hands down the smooth line of Janeway's back,
fingertips
bumping
over the spinal ridges. The gentle curves of her breasts flattened
against
Seven’s more full ones as they clung together, their kisses becoming
forceful,
almost dueling in their desire. Janeway
moaned softly, falling back onto the mattress as Seven pressed her
down, easing
over on top of her. Her legs spread, falling apart naturally to support
Seven’s
groin on the cradle of her pelvis and Seven made a small sound of joy,
pushing
against the tender flesh rhythmically with her mound.
“Oh, darling, can you...”
Janeway’s voice trailed off as she tried to breathe and Seven caught
her breath
at the chill of pleasure that fissured through her, knowing exactly
what she
wanted.
Lifting up, she positioned
herself so that they were connected intimately, legs entangled, ridge
skidding
over ridge in delightful friction, moisture mingling to make everything
wonderfully wet and slick. Seven was always required to take the lead
in this
position, being far more flexible and controlled than Janeway but even
she
couldn’t maintain it before the sheer intensity got the best of her.
This was no different and
soon she
had to relinquish her posture, falling onto Janeway’s breasts, licking
and
mouthing her nipples avidly as her right hand quickly sought out the
juncture
of her legs, fingers fondling the sensitive bundle of nerves fervently
before
plunging deeply into the warmth of her body.
Janeway arched and groaned
and muttered incoherent comments that indicated her steadily increasing
desire.
Gripping Seven’s shoulders tightly, her nails dug in slightly as it
grew more
overwhelming. Seven could feel the
sharp pricks as the skin was broken, but she didn’t cease, taking an
odd sort
of pride in the small pains. Then Janeway was there, trembling
violently in
release, a guttural groan that reverberated from the very pit of her
stomach.
Feeling rather gratified
herself, Seven pulled Janeway close in the aftermath, cuddling her as
she went
boneless in her arms, a perfectly sated smile of bliss on her face.
There was
an intense satisfaction in knowing how much she could pleasure Janeway,
and it
was times like these that Seven completely understood the smug look
that
occasionally appeared on the captain’s face after making love.
“Wonderful.”
Seven nuzzled her lightly.
“I am pleased you enjoyed it.”
Janeway opened her eyes and
studied her for a moment. “What about you?”
“Oh, I enjoyed it as well.”
Janeway chuckled huskily.
“No, I mean, what do you need, my love?”
Seven considered the
possibilities.
“Perhaps if you would…” Her
voice lowered and she completed the thought via a soft whisper in
Janeway’s
ear.
“Oh, my.”
Much later, she lay back
against the sheets, heart slowly beginning to ease its pounding, her
respiration finally reaching a point that she wasn’t gasping for every
breath.
Janeway could certainly look as smug as she wanted at this point, Seven
decided, because she had more than earned the right. Vaguely,
she was aware of Janeway pulling the sheets up over
their bodies and asking the computer to lower the temperature of the
room two
degrees.
“Darling?”
“Yes, Kathryn?” Weakly, she
lifted her hand and stoked Janeway’s hair where her head rested on her
breastbone, the rest of her warm body pressed close to Seven’s side.
“Are
you going to sleep?”
“I am merely recovering.”
Seven exhaled slowly, feeling a pleasant yet insistent lassitude seep
through
her body. “Did you wish to converse?”
Sometimes the energy and endurance of her compact spouse staggered her,
particularly when she compared what should have been mere flesh and
bone to
cybernetic implants and Borg nanoprobes.
“Not if you’re sleepy.”
Seven lifted her eyebrow,
assessed the tone of the comment and sent a fleeting thought to her
cortical
node to release more nanoprobes into her system, chasing away the
fatigue
dragging her down. “I am not sleepy,” she said truthfully.
Janeway sighed and didn’t
speak for several minutes. Seven wondered if she had drifted off and
contemplated the most efficient way to toss her out of bed and on to
floor.
“Kathryn?”
“Sorry, darling. Just
organizing my thoughts.”
“Are you about to make some
kind of presentation to me?”
Janeway lifted her head and
looked at her. Seven could see her easily in the lowered illumination,
her eyes
a warm blue with a faint shade of gray that indicated she was slightly
troubled. “Are you being sarcastic?”
Seven, about to respond
tartly in order to continue the parrying of wits with her, reconsidered
and
said instead, “What troubles you, Kathryn?”
“Just wondering if I did the
right thing by sending Kelly down to the planet.”
“Ah. Do you have doubts
about her proficiency regarding the mission?”
“No, that’s actually the
strange part. I’m convinced that this military type of operation is
precisely
the kind she’s good at. Plus, with Ro
and Samantha Wildman along, I have no worries that she’ll go off half
cocked on
her own.”
Seven hesitated. “Half
cocked? What does that mean, Kathryn?”
Janeway made a sound of
startled amusement. “Sorry, darling. I meant that she would operate
without a
plausible plan of action.”
“And half cocked means that?
What does fully cocked mean?”
“Oh, God, it means…uh, just
a second while I think about it. It’s
an expression but I’m not entirely sure of the origin.”
“Is it a sexual reference
regarding masculine appendages?”
Janeway laughed. “No,
I don’t think so.” She paused.
“I think it has to do with ancient weaponry.
A gun, similar to the ones we used in the holoprogram with the
riverboat, has to be prepared prior to firing. Pulling back the
‘hammer’ is
called ‘cocking’. If a gun is
‘half-cocked’ it is more likely to be discharged accidentally and is
negligently dangerous.”
“Interesting. And you
believe that Kelly would do this?”
“No, I don’t think she will,
that’s my point. I’m completely confident in her abilities to carry out
the
mission.”
“Then what concerns you?”
Janeway sobered and stared
into the darkness. Seven waited
patiently, observing her profile, which was clearly visible to her
optical
implant despite the lowered illumination.
“I think I may have sent her
off without the best away team possible.”
Seven considered the words,
and more importantly, Janeway’s tone. There was an undercurrent of
shame
present, regret and dismay at some self-revelation. “Explain.”
“She asked for an
experienced science officer. I recommended Lt. Wildman.”
“Lt. Wildman is
exceptionally competent in her abilities, particularly on away missions
dealing
with alien cultures.”
“Yes, but she wasn’t the
best option available.” Janeway lifted her head, peering at Seven
though she
doubted Kathryn could see her very well in the darkness.
“You are.”
Seven blinked,
surprised. “You are correct, I am
superior to Lt. Wildman in this regard.” It was said without pride,
merely a
statement of fact as Seven saw it. “Why
did you not…” She hesitated, considering it and finally understanding
what had
happened. She felt a sliver of anger
resonate through her at what was an ongoing…if minor…conflict between
them. “You did not want me to go on the
mission.”
“No, I didn’t.” Janeway’s
tone was hard, but it was directed at herself rather than being
defensive
toward Seven. “It was a mistake. It’s one I’ve made before and one I’m very
much afraid I’ll make again. I’m simply
not objective when it comes to you and your safety. I have no excuse,
particularly when I think about Naomi. If anything were to happen to
Samantha…”
Seven
felt her anger dissipate at the very real guilt in
Janeway’s voice and pulled her close.
“I spoke with Samantha prior to her transport to the planet,”
she
assured her quietly. “She was very
excited about joining the mission. I know that sometimes she feels that
she
does not have the opportunity to contribute to away missions as much as
she
would like. This will grant her some valuable experience.”
”That
doesn’t make what I did any better.”
“No, but sometimes you can
do the right thing for the wrong reason. That does not make it any less
right.”
Janeway hugged Seven
tightly, almost fiercely. “I know I can’t protect you, as much as I
would like
to.”
“No, but neither can I
protect you, particularly during a major crisis, so perhaps we can only
indulge our
protective natures during small incidents such as these.”
“So you forgive me?” Janeway
asked wistfully.
“Of course. Do you forgive
yourself?”
“I suppose I have to, don’t
I? Especially if you tell me to.”
“I do.” Seven nuzzled her
tenderly. “Go to sleep, Kathryn. It
will be better in the morning.”
And as Janeway drifted off
in her arms, Seven waited patiently for the alertness caused by her
boost of
nanoprobes to wear off so that she could sleep as well.
Kelly felt the top of her head, her fingers
sliding over the smooth skin of her skull and hoped Pulaski was correct
when she said there was a method to revese the cosmetic procedure as
easily as it was to create it. Turning away from the window that looked
out over the town square, she glanced around the hotel room where they
were currently holed up. The Wakardi culture was approximate to Earth's
mid-21st Century technology, an amazingly secure and peaceable society,
with
little in
the way of crime and no conflicts reported anywhere on the planet, just
as the
parasites had stated in the brig. In any given location, the away team
could
detect the creatures infesting various key government officials,
including the
presence of
one or more mother creatures in the larger cities, though it appeared
that the
average citizen was unaware of their existence. Kelly found that rather
interesting because it led to the inevitable question of what would
their
reaction be if they knew? Would there
be worldwide panic and consternation? Or perhaps she was
underestimating the
Wakardi. Perhaps they would
collectively shrug, conclude they were better off, and go back to their
own
personal pursuits.
She
did know one thing they couldn’t find was any trace of
a resistance group against the planetary government, and that was very
uncommon. Even in the most stable of societies, there were always a few
malcontents no matter how limited they might be in number. But there
was
absolutely nothing here, which meant either all citizens loved their
government…very unlikely…or the parasites were very efficient at
rooting out
the slightest hint of sedition and removing it.
Kelly
suspected the latter. Whatever benefits
the parasites might bring, their incursion into
the Federation showed they were utterly ruthless. Plus, this place was
just too
peaceful, particularly for a species that had experienced conflict and
intertribal wars so recently in their past. From
what the away team could discover in various historical
archives
around the planet, all conflict ended a half century earlier,
with an
encounter with an alien vessel that had crashed on their main continent. In the decade that followed, the Wakardi
made rapid progress to a global peace and developed into the society
they were
today. Historians had concluded the Wakardi had experienced a
world-wide shock
to their collective system, a ‘wake-up call’ as it were, that their
warlike
ways had no place in a greater universe that supported many other
species, any
one of whom could be more powerful and dangerous than they were. Being
united as a people was their only true form of defence.
Though
the
away team thought it had less to do with such noble
aspirations and more to do with the parasites taking over key
government
officials in various parts of the world and working together to create
a
society in which they could thrive.
The
sound of the door made Kelly reach for the phaser
concealed in her cloak, wrapping her fingers around it tightly before
relaxing
as Ro and Wildman entered. Ro looked completely
comfortable as a Wakardi, and if it weren’t for the familiar
features…albeit,
lacking the Bajoran ridge…Kelly wouldn’t know her as anything other
than what
she was pretending to be. She suspected she and Wildman were far more
awkward
in their approach to infiltration, though so far, there had been no
indication
of suspicion from anyone.
“Anything
new?”
Ro
dropped her satchel, a beaded variety of the type many
Wakardi utilized, onto the table and shook her head with an air of
weariness. “Not beyond what we already
know. The town’s mayor, deputy mayor and treasurer are all compromised,
but no
one else appears to be. We can’t detect any mother creature. This town
is
probably too small for one.”
“Why
does no one notice? The neck tubules if nothing else.”
Fretfully, Kelly sat down at the table and poured some fruit
juice
from the cooled pitcher resting on the surface into
three glasses. Both away team
members
looked a
little warm since the current climate wasn’t conducive to cloaks.
Wildman
offered a grateful look as she drank the reddish
liquid. A solidly built woman with blonde hair, she tended to be
reserved, but
possessed a vibrant sense of humor. Kelly rather liked her. She may not
have
possessed all of Lt. Hansen’s abilities, but she was competent and
genuinely
pleased to have been assigned to the away team.
“The
Wakardi prefer long hair as a rule, even the males,
and that keeps the back of their necks covered most of the time,”
Wildman
offered. “Also, most of those infested usually don’t have families so
it’s not
as if anyone would get close enough to notice under normal
circumstances.”
“And
that’s not a sign as well?”
“Apparently
it’s preferred by the voters that their
representative not have family ties,” Ro said as she settled onto the
sofa,
shooting her a sardonic look. “They
tend to elect a single person before a married one. I’m not sure if
that’s
normal to the Wakardi culture or introduced by the parasites when they
first infiltrated
them. I don’t think it would be too hard to introduce the concept that
those
without personal ties would be better able to concentrate on their
responsibility to the people than those with families.”
Kelly
thought about it. “That’s true in some cultures in
the Federation as well.”
“Then
there are those for whom family and clan ties are
predominant and a single person would never be able to hold office. The
Klingons, for example, believe that anyone unable to maintain a strong
clan
would be unable to be a strong ruler for his or her people.” Wildman
shifted in
her chair to look at Ro. “Speaking of
families, Commander, I haven’t had the chance before now to
congratulate you.”
To
Kelly’s surprise, Ro suddenly looked bashful, and her
skin took on a decidedly pinkish glow. “Thank
you, Lieutenant,” she said shortly, in a tone that Kelly
had
difficulty recognizing. It sound embarrassed, yet at the same time,
there was
an undercurrent of pride and joy present. She
frowned.
Wildman
must have noted the confusion because she reached
over and patted the first officer on the arm.
“Commander Ro is about to become a mother.”
Kelly
was glad she wasn’t drinking any of the fruit juice.
As it was, she choked involuntarily.
“You’re pregnant?!?” It was so
far out of the realm of anything she thought she knew about the
security chief
that she could only gape stupidly at Ro.
Ro’s
dark eyes narrowed slightly, but she inclined her head
slightly. “No,” she said coolly. “B’Elanna is.”
Kelly
felt her face burn. “I’m sorry, Commander that was…it
was a stupid comment. I was just surprised.”
She swallowed hard, feeling gauche. “Congratulations.”
There
was a bit of an awkward pause and Wildman finally
broke it by motioning to the communications device that came with the
hotel
room. “Let’s order up some dinner. I’m tired of trying to eat in
restaurants and
eavesdrop at
the same time. I can’t enjoy my food.”
Kelly
nodded, seizing on the suggestion like a lifeline.
“Excellent idea. Lieutenant, you seem to have the best grasp of their
menu
selections.”
“It
may even be tasty,” Wildman said with a grin.
At
this point, Kelly would settle for edible. She
thought the hardest thing about
reconnaissance missions was finding something to eat. All
species had their own tastes and flavors and while it was
easy to make sure meals were compatible to their digestive systems, it
was a
lot harder to find something palatable.
As
Wildman busied herself with the online menu at the
communications console, Kelly moved over and took a seat next to Ro. “Really, Commander, I’m very happy for you.”
“Thank
you.” Ro said dryly. “So I guess this doesn’t fit
into your preconceptions of what a security chief should be.” As Kelly struggled to find a response, Ro
finally let her off the hook by smiling. “Honestly, Kiara, don’t worry
about
it. I never thought of myself as parent
material either…until I settled down with B’Elanna. In any event, the
best
security chief I know has always had a family. He said it made him more
perceptive of the motivations of certain individuals. What people
wouldn’t do out
of
loyalty to an organization or to a chain of command, they would do in a
heartbeat if it meant protecting their family unit.”
“I
hope that isn’t why you’re having a kid…to gain a
greater perception of others.’
“No, it’s simply
because it’s the right time. We both
want it.”
“Does
the captain know?”
Ro
actually laughed. “There’s very little that gets
by Janeway on the ship. She was
one of
the first to know and she actually asked me when I was going to
announce it.”
Kelly
thought about that. “I guess I never considered
families as being compatible with being a Starfleet officer.”
“If
I may speak freely, Commander?” Ro glanced briefly over
her shoulder. Wildman had finished ordering and had disappeared into
one of the
bedrooms, leaving the senior officers to their conversation.
“Of
course, always, you know that, Ro.”
“Honestly,
you need to stop going into things with
preconceived notions. They rarely hold
up and usually get you into trouble.
The great thing about Janeway is she
always
tries to leave her options open for as long as possible.”
“Exactly.
Another captain might have refused to learn
anything about the parasites before trying to destroy them simply
because of
what happened in the Federation. It’s a great captain who can search
for other
ways to resolve a situation before going with a decision that can’t be
undone.”
“She
doesn’t think I can make a good first officer.”
“Oh,
I suspect she left that open, too, mostly for you
to prove her wrong.”
Ro offered an encouraging smile. “Listen, during our last mission into
the
Delta Quadrant, our first officer was a man named Zar Tulek. He looks
like a
Cardassian, even though he’s a Bajoran hybrid, so right away, a lot of
us in
the crew were very uncomfortable with him, even hostile, particularly
me. It took a while to get past the surface to realize how outstanding
an officer
and person
he was. Janeway may have held the same reservations, because she’s been
a
prisoner of the Cardassians in the past, but from the very start, she
never treated him any
different than the rest of her crew.”
Kelly
blinked at the information about Janeway and decided
that she needed to study the captain’s record a great deal more
carefully. Read
between the lines of the reported incidents rather than simply accept
the
blandly worded Starfleet documents at face value. She also wondered
what her
response would have been to this Zar Tulek, and realized it would have
been the
same as the members of the crew who would have been openly hostile. It
wasn’t something she was proud of, whereas
before, she
might have considered it a matter of being cautious.
“Where
is he now?”
“He’s
the captain of Voyager. He learned a lot
from Janeway. You can, too.”
“I
am trying, Ro,” Kelly admitted, somewhat bashfully. “I know
that a lot of my thinking when I first came on board was pretty stupid.”
“Not
stupid, just...like I said, preconceived. Get over that and you’ll
be ahead of the game.”
Kelly
shot her a surreptitious glance sideways. “Why
are you doing this? You’ve been trying to
help me
from the moment I
came on board even when I was a complete idiot.”
Ro
lifted a brow, a small smile curving the corner of her
mouth. “To be honest, you kind of
remind me of me, when I was your age. I was just as big an idiot, but
fortunately, someone took me under his wing and believed in me. You
just have to allow yourself the same opportunity."
Kelly wondered if it
were really that easy.
Janeway regarded
Nechayev's image on the viewscreen in her ready room, noting that there
was a little static in the transmission from Earth, causing the image
to resonate slightly. That was to be expected since it was being
bounced through four communications relays and two different quadrants.
She was suddenly reminded that it wasn't so long ago on Voyager
that she would have given anything for even the most static filled
communication from the Federation.
“We have a way to kill them,” Janeway corrected. “Seven…Lt. Hansen…with assistance from Dr. Kahn, has come up with a way to calibrate the sensors to pinpoint their particular bioelectrical energy patterns, which differ from the drones. By targeting those patterns on the planet, we can transmit a plasma based signal that will disrupt their biomolecular fields and kill them instantly, unfortunately, killing their hosts as well. In turn, their particular colony of drones will be nullified, forcing them out of their respecitve hosts. But the question