"The Internal Council is deeply obliged to you Captain for agreeing to accompany me to my new post on Kamsia…" The Padrian ambassador paused to take another long sip of his glass of kanaar, the Cardassian drink being the only one on board which suited his physiology. "I myself ma eternally grateful, the trip from Padria to Kamsia hasn't been an advisable one of late."
Janeway delicately dabbed off the remains of Neelix's attempt at Padrian cuisine with a napkin before answering. "Kamsia is on our route, it's no problem to take you to your new post Ambassador, not after how gracious and hospitable your government has been to us."
The ambassador inclined his head in acknowledgement of the compliment. "You may not find the Kamsians so open but they are harmless…"
Chakotay spoke up from his place across the table, anything to avoid having to take another sip of kanaar, besides he was intrigued by the ambassador's earlier comment. "Is there some dispute or spatial anomaly which makes the journey between the planets difficult?"
"Oh no, it's a recent development. A Borg cube appeared just outside of the orbit of Kamsia four days ago. We have to take such threats into consideration…"
Janeway's eyes went urgently to Seven at the foot of the table. "Is this area known for Borg activity Seven?"
"No, this sector is far from the perimeters of Borg space." Seven replied conclusively. In spite of this her curiosity was piqued. "Do you have any more detailed information?" She asked the ambassador.
"Apparently it just appeared out of nowhere, materialised in front of the scanners. There was quite a panic on the surface but it was heavily damaged, the Kamsian planetary defence net managed to neutralise it but I believe there's still half a cube floating in the sky. They're desperate to get rid of it; it's understandably undermining their trade."
"What do you think Seven?" asked the Captain.
"The most plausible explanation is that it somehow fell out of transwarp."
"Maybe we could figure out some way of disposing of this cube, help the Kamsians out. We need deuterium and they trade in it don't they?" Harry mused thoughtfully.
"Seven?" The Captain questioned, approving of Harry's suggestion.
"It's possible Captain." Seven answered noncommittally.
"You are excused to investigate. We'll be there by morning." The Captain swiftly ordered after only a moment's consideration.
"Yes Captain." Seven rose to begin her task with no further fuss but as she left the table the Doctor felt the need to issue her a reminder.
"Don't work too late. I want you to get some regeneration in before your maintenance check tomorrow." Seven nodded silently but not before she caught Chakotay's watching eye and rolled her own slightly, getting a barely noticeable shrug from him in response before taking to her heel and leaving the Mess Hall.
The Padrian watched her go with a curious frown settled on his features. "You've done an admirable job of civilising her Captain, is she trustworthy?"
Chakotay squeezed the glass in his hand to breaking point, not listening to the Captain's nondescript, civil reply as he fought a tide of protective anger. Not trustworthy! Loyal almost to a fault was more like it! If only they knew he'd much rather be alone with Seven in Astrometrics than trapped on the diplomatic roundabout.
Seven pressed firmly down on the doorbell, a muffled call of "Enter" preceded the door's smooth opening and she stepped inside. "Good Evening." She said softly.
Chakotay rose swiftly from his chair and kissed her in greeting. "After six months you still use the doorbell? I gave you the key code long ago!"
"I know and I appreciate it, but it's only courtesy." She replied, putting her arms round his neck in a silent request for closeness which he immediately granted. Kissing his neck she murmured, "That dinner was even longer than usual, did any interesting topics arise after my departure?"
He laughed softly. "Not unless you count a complete appraisal of the Ambassador's family and connections interesting! I was hoping you'd give me an excuse to leave…"
"There was little for me to do, Astrometrics' scans were inconclusive on the study of the cube." She couldn't say she was particularly disappointed; she was perfectly willing to avoid the Borg wherever possible. Carefully she undid the collar of Chakotay's formal uniform and let her hand roam over his upper chest. "My time is limited tonight…" She said quietly with an undercurrent of suggestive impatience.
"Doctor's orders I know. No more work talk tonight I promise…" He murmured in her ear as his hold on her tightened and he guided her deeper into the room.
The outline of familiar objects in the room became clearer as sleep loosened its all consuming grip on her and her brain slid into wakefulness. 0146 hours, if she left to regenerate now she'd have a full four hours… This thought drifted away as she once again pressed her face into Chakotay's upper arm and gazed through half closed lashes at his soundly asleep face. The index finger of her cybernetic hand brushed absent-mindedly against his tattooed forehead and down his cheekbone. Six months of peaceful, private life with him had put things into perspective after so long as a clueless observer. She loved him so, hoped she had made that clear to him but she knew they couldn't be in this bubble of privacy much longer; others would start to intrude and judge… It wasn't that he was ashamed of her, she knew him well enough to know that wasn't the case but they had never made their feelings clear to anyone but each other and who else did they need? She sighed, she really would need to regenerate, they'd had enough close calls with the Doctor and she wasn't in the mood for another. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed she began to dress. Why was it that she always slept to his left? Perhaps such habits were customary or expected? She leaned over and gave Chakotay a gentle parting kiss; it was of no relevance if he'd never complained.
The lilac orb of Kamsia almost completely filled the screen but it was the decimated remnants of the Borg cube in it's orbit which held the attention of everyone on the bridge. "It's like a monster's taken a huge bite out of it…" muttered Tom in awe.
Seven lifted her head up from her console, eyebrows fully raised. "An unusual piece of imagery Lieutenant but incorrect. It appears one of the transwarp engine's cooling tanks exploded."
"A cooling tank did that? Must be a heavy duty piece of tech." B'Elanna commented.
"It is." Seven confirmed.
"Is the engine salvageable?" The Captain asked.
"Unknown. Wait…" Seven's hands sped over the console, something had caught her eye. Confirmation made her gasp. "Part of the cube is still viable; there are life signs, twenty Kamsians, three Tellerites, a Vulcan, two humans…"
"Humans?" Gasped the Captain. Gripping the edge of her chair as the rather daunting decision came to her she suddenly said, "Open a channel to Kamsia."
The Kamsian leader appeared on the screen. "What can I do for you Captain? Thank you for bringing the Padrian Ambassador with you."
Janeway waved her hand dismissively. "Prime Minister, do you realise there are twenty of your citizens on that cube?"
He uttered a deep regretful sigh. "The crew of the Almiva, lost to us before we could fully disable the cube. If you are able to recover the bodies we would be grateful."
"There are no bodies, they're alive."
"As drones? We will send ships to finally destroy the vessel if its still active…"
"We can hopefully restore them as individuals, we've done it before."
The Kamsian bit his lip, "It would perhaps be best to allow the families to grieve…we don't want drones here…"
"Prime Minister, there are six Federation citizens on that cube and I intend to rescue them, I cannot leave your people…think of their happiness at their return…"
He frowned in thought for a minute and then spoke again somewhat reluctantly. "As you wish, but be discreet about it!" The view screen went blank and Janeway turned to Seven. "You, the Doctor, Chakotay and Harry all beam over to the cube."
Seven's eyes focused anxiously on Chakotay but the Captain looked firm. "Yes Captain." She murmured submissively.
Chakotay walked past Harry standing next to the transporter pad and made his way to Seven, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, I'm sure the Captain would understand…"
Seven twisted her head round to face him, eyes flashing. "It's you who should not be going!"
"Don't worry, I can look after myself just fine…" he replied, more testily than he had intended.
Harry glanced up from his away kit at the angry whispering, unable to miss that Seven and Chakotay were standing closer together than was natural for colleagues. He smirked out of their sight, the rumours had been swirling about them for months but they hadn't exactly been seen making out under a console, no one had been able prove anything and now here he was witnessing was seemed to be a lovers' tiff! He would win the bet with Tom and B'Elanna…
"Ready to disembark?" The Doctor's voice echoed through the small room and Seven and Chakotay parted, albeit only by a small distance, stepping onto the transporter pad together.
Seven apprehensively rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the dim green lighting, flickering in and out with the power surges. Behind her the Doctor shuddered. "I think this is even creepier than you described Ensign." Harry nodded mutely in agreement as he took in the piles of battered Borg corpses.
"Creepiness is not a quantifiable entity Doctor." Seven stated coldly.
Chakotay intervened, "We'll look for survivors." He pulled out his tricorder and headed towards a doorway. "The twenty Kamsians are in there."
"That is a Development Bay, where newly assimilated adults wait for their implants to mature." Seven informed him.
"Where do they put the kids?" asked Harry apprehensively, not sure if he wanted to know.
"In maturation chambers, the Borg children were in them, remember?"
"How could I forget?" He replied shakily.
"Let's just get on with it and get out of here." Chakotay remarked sharply.
"I concur." Seven mumbled as she climbed over limp bodies until her tricorder picked up three faint signals. "Here are the Tellerites Doctor."
The Doctor followed her and began more detailed scans. "They're barely alive, I'll need to take them to Voyager and come back." When Chakotay nodded he pulled out three transporter beacons and pinned them to the three listless bodies. "Voyager, four to beam up."
Chakotay shivered as a sudden nervous chill ran up his back. "How many more are we looking for Seven?"
"A Vulcan and two humans."
As Chakotay and Harry looked around closer to the transport site, Seven followed her readings for the humans and ventured further into the cube. Suddenly she saw them, one hanging out of a regeneration alcove, eyes blinking robotically and the other, a female, moved blindly and mindlessly with flailing, injured limbs. Cautiously she approached the less mobile male, his single unaltered blue eye staring at her penetratingly…
"Here's the Vulcan, she looks a little more stable…" Harry spoke of the half dead once Vulcan drone at his feet only to be interrupted by a piercing cry somewhere between a horrified scream and a panicky sob.
Chakotay's heart plunged in fear. "Seven…Seven!" He called in desperation, immediately setting off at a run in the direction of the cry.
He found her backed against a wall to such an extent shards of metal were piercing her back, pale as the drones around her and staring in petrified shock at the drone at the other wall. "Are you alright? Did it hurt you?" She didn't respond other than to utter a high pitched whimper. He followed her gaze and memories, not his own but hers left over from their link almost five years before, made everything clear. "Oh God…" he whispered as the reality sunk in. These words seemed to break the hold on Seven somewhat but her treacherous eyes only travelled as far as the female before she was hit again by shock and fear. Chakotay was ready this time and caught in his arms as she fell to her knees. "Whoa, honey…" He murmured in her ear as he tried to keep her conscious.
Harry came in to see them both collapsed on the floor, Seven sagging lifelessly against Chakotay. "Chakotay what the hell…"
He didn't look at him, just kept staring at the two drones. "They're…Seven's parents…"
A/n: How am I going so far? Please review especially since this is a new fic!
