Aurora Borealis

Chapter One: Starlight

"Have you got any idea of how this will look to my father!" the young blue alien exclaimed at the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager. "He will most certainly not like this at all. He will think it my entire fault."

Kathryn sighed for the one hundredth time. "Princess Takara, I promise I will explain everything to you r father once we arrive."

"You think he will listen to a woman captain? He won't!" at he final words Takara began to weep and kneeled. "I want my mother!"

Chakotay giggled and turned away so Takara could not see him. Kathryn grinned and shook her head. The meeting with the Karankas had not gone well. They refused to make a peace treaty with the Karun. Now war was sure to follow.

The doors of the turbolift opened admitting the entrance to Neelix and the newest member of their crew. She set her eyes on the woman crying and started laughing. Neelix stared at her with distress in his eyes; asking for her to keep quiet.

Takara angrily stood and met her face to face, her greenish eyes furious. "You dare laugh at me!"

"Yes."

Takara raised her hand in the air. "YOU FOOLISH RAT!"

She caught Takara's hand before it hit her face. Everyone gasped. Janeway made her way towards the conflicting party and stood next to Neelix.

"Let go of my hand!" Takara commanded.

"As you wish."

"Captain Janeway, this foolish, stupid girl deserves to be thrown in the brig! I command you to do so."

"No can do," Janeway replied angrily. How dare she order me around in my own ship?

"OH AND MAY I ASK WHY?"

"Because I am Princess Lady Starlight, simple as that."

At that Takara who was on her mid twenties gasped and kneeled in front of her. Her long blondish hair covering her quivering face and unshed tears. Starlight smiled and winked at Janeway and at a smug looking Chakotay who showed her a thumb up.

"Forgive me my Lady of the Stars, I did not know…"

"Get up you crybaby!"

Takara did as ordered.

Starlight looked at Janeway and smiled. "Listen to me and listen well. The only one here than can tell Janeway off is me. The only one that can kick her pretty little butt is me. And when you are aboard this ship or anyone else's it is their rules you follow. Got it!"

I don't think I liked that part of her kicking my butt, but if it will make Takara keep quiet…I won't bother. Thought Kathryn as Takara nodded.

Two hours later Kathryn Janeway quietly sat in her ready room's sofa. A hot cup of coffee in her hand and a pile of reports on the table. She groaned and leaned back. She could not help the smile that spread in her lips. Princess Takara had left without saying a word and she actually apologized for all the trouble she'd cause and for saying Neelix's cooking was the worst she'd ever tasted.

Thanks to Starlight's help the Karankas and the Karun had come to an agreement. The crew had even been invited to a celebration of twenty days. For the most part they stayed for four days and left the following day.

"Having a nice nap?" Starlight's familiar voice snapped Janeway back to reality.

"How did you get in here…"

"I have my ways. After all just cuz I'm human doesn't mean I have to act like one."

Kathryn stared at the sad-tied face of the young eighteen year old woman. She still couldn't believe that a girl like her had been created by the Borg. She was not like those things at all! At least she did not act like them or Seven.

"What are you doing here? You usually hate having meetings with me so this comes as a surprise."

Starlight made a puppy face and bowed her head. "Okay here's the deal. Seven has not stopped asking about my life wit the Borg-being that I don't have any Borg implants and such. So I said to myself, what place would Seven least expect to look for me. So…TARA! Here I am."

"Hmm. So in other words you are hiding."

"YUP!"

Kathryn laughed and placed her cup down. "Seven is just curious about you. Since the young Borg children left and Icheb doing so much work with B'elanna, I think she feels somehow connected to you."

"Good point…but still…I feel like my big sister is always after me. That's not a good feeling."

"Have you ever had a big sister?"

"No and before you ask nor a brother, or dad…or mom."

"Strange…"

"What?"

"I remember you calling the Borg Queen mother when I was taken prisoner by your little group."

Starlight turned her eyes into the stars passing by. "Since I opened my eyes for the first time aboard the Borg Sphere I was created in, I was told she was my mother. That I had to obey her in any way I could." She twists back to Janeway, who is looking at her sadly.

"So I grew up with the idea of her being my mother and did my best to always keep her happy. She was different with me. In away I think she did think of me as her child. Her human child. A few years later-when I was about eight, 'my group' as you call it, and I were send to assimilate a planet named Asturia."

"Make sure no one is left, dear," the Borg Queen spoke as she slowly made her way to her mechanical body.

"Yes mother," a small curly haired girl with black jeans and a black shirt replied.

Finally in her body the Borg Queen stepped out of where she stood and kneeled in front of her. "I want you to be careful too. I don't wish anything to happen to my little one."

"I'll be safe, mother."

"Good. Now go and do as I've said, Starlight."

"That day I felt something weird from the time when I awoke. I took it as just nerves since it was my first mission without elder Borg looking at everything I did. But I should have known it was more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Things hidden from me were soon to be revealed."

At that precise moment the red alert sounded making both women jump.

"Chakotay to Captain Janeway."

"Janeway here, Chakotay. What's going on!"

"She's here," Starlight whispered running out of the room.

Kathryn ran after her but stopped short of crashing with her as she exited. Starlight stood paralyzed staring at the view screen. Kathryn looked to find Chakotay who was already giving orders.

"It's the Borg."

TBC