Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager and the characters within do not belong to me. If they did, then there would be no end to the possibilities. Unfortunately, Paramount has Star Trek in their evil clutches and my fleets of old birds-of-prey (armed with Leola root and commanded by Admiral Neelix) aren't up to facing a Borg/Ferengi/Dominion armada. I am just playing around with those adorable characters. I promise I will not make any money off of this story.

Title: Pax Vobiscum

Author: Locutus

Codes: K/7, A, Mild Violence, Slight Language

Rating: PG-13

Part: 1/?



On a desolate planet in the realm that only two Starfleet ships had ever deeply penetrated, a shrill whine could be heard.

If one were standing there, watching the event, they would see two beams of light shimmer into existence and then fade away, leaving two figures behind in their wake.

One had a shimmering body suit that had been torn and bloodied up in random areas. The other was no worse for wear, unless you considered the fact that most of his friends had just been killed by people he once considered friends.

Pulling out the tricorder he was given, he quickly did a scan of Seven of Nine to make sure the wounds weren't worse than they seemed.

With a dejected sigh, Harry Kim closed the only piece of advanced technology given to him, idly wondering if those still on Voyager were better or worse off than they had been before.

He pushed that thought aside, boldly telling himself that although Kathryn Janeway had occasionally made decisions that were questionable, she was the most honorable woman he had known.

Harry fought side by side with her in the end, Tuvok's body laying serenely next to him as if he was in a peaceful sleep.

He was there, taking down one of his former crewmates with his phaser when his Captain was mowed down by a security officer.

He would have fought to the end had he not been shot in the arm in the next instant.

But Ensign Kim was now on the planet, his wound tended to, his only companion a tricorder and an equally mechanical Seven of Nine.

She had made progress, but her Borg nature took over in times such as these. This time, Harry thought as he looked over at her, she would probably assimilate him before they got out of it.

All of these thought went through his mind within a couple of seconds, at which time he realized that they'd need to do something with themselves.

"Seven, we need shelter if we're going to get out of this alive."

She simply glanced over at him and in one fluid motion, snatched the tricorder from his hands and opened it once more.

"There is a small forest with a river running through it 6.47 kilometers northeast. I suggest we take shelter in the caves near there. The resources will be invaluable."

Without even waiting for a nod from her companion, Seven started off with a brisk pace.

'This is going to be great…I can just see it now.'

He ran off after her.



About half way there, Seven suddenly stopped and looked at him carefully for the first time since they had arrived on the planet.

"Captain Janeway was, bra…flawed. She should not have let the mutiny get the best of her. A true leader would have assimilated them back into the collective."

She began walking again, leaving behind a fuming Harry.



When he finally caught up with her, she was already surveying a cave near the river.

"This will suffice. We must…"

"Seven."

Harry's voice was enough to rupture Seven's efficiency.

"Captain Janeway was the most kind, brave, compassionate and caring woman I have ever known! She is thrice the person you are! How dare you desecrate her memory by attempting to tarnish her life only hours after she died trying to protect the very ideals that the Federation is based on?"

Seven's face went from a look of defiance to almost fear. This went unnoticed by Mr. Kim, who was now yelling louder than a drunken Klingon that had just been cheated by a Ferengi. Birds were flying out of the trees and animals were scattering as if the voice of God has just spoken.

"I don't care what's happened to you in the past years, every time there is a problem you become Borg. Well assimilate this; you are nothing more than an under-zealous, conceited, egotistical child in a woman's body that just happens to know what makes an engine tick. And you couldn't even do that as well as Voyager's chief engineer!"

He wasn't ready to say his traitorous friend's name yet. It didn't take any of the effect the statement had on Seven at all.

She looked as if she was about to speak, but instead kept silent.

"I'm going to go collect firewood. If you run into trouble, deal with it yourself. I'm sure you can just fill whatever animal comes your way with nanoprobes."

Seven starred after him, and finally just fell into the dirt. She lay there incredibly still, and after some minutes, she shed a single tear.



About 20 minutes later, Harry had managed to gather firewood and explore a good portion of the surrounding area. He was still angry at Seven, but was now beginning to regret what he had said.

The look in her face when he had left said it all

He set down the wood and went inside the cave to look for Seven.

He found her in almost the exact same spot he had left her, standing in the middle of the cave. It might have looked as though she had stood like a statue the entire time.

Harry was contemplating this possibility when he saw the single tear stain on her cheek.

"Seven, listen. It's been a long day. Not only had have my best friends just taken control forcefully of the ship that has been home to me for the past 5 years, but my Captain has also been slaughtered while standing right next to me. When you talked about her like that, I just blew up. That's all I did. I didn't mean you any harm; I mean we both have to fend for ourselves out here."

He realized he was babbling and stopped to wait for Seven to say something.

"You meant what you said about me?"

The look in her eyes was that of Naomi's after she did something she had truly regretted.

She straightened her posture.

"Ensign Kim, I am…sorry…for what I said to you. Captain Janeway was the most influential person in my life; she attempted to make me more human. These attempts will not have been in vain. Will you…help me Ensign?"

For the first time in what had seemed like years, but had only been hours, on a desolate planet, in a desolate sector, in a desolate quadrant, Harry Kim laughed.

"You can start by calling me Harry."



End part one.