Disclaimer: I don't own Voyager; I can only claim a handful of characters who will appear in this story. (Why do we even put disclaimers in? Is it some attempt to make sure people know we're not stealing copyrights or something?)


Annie put a hand to her forehead and rubbed her temples. She'd just finished a double shift in Engineering and was exhausted. They were experiencing problems with the warp core, and they were dangerously close to a war zone. So far, they hadn't been struck by enemy fire, but there was no saying when someone would get trigger happy and mistake them for the enemy.

"Computer, dim the lights to fifty percent." She said as she stepped into her quarters. The light in the room reduced dramatically. Lights always bothered her when she had headaches, and now was one of those times. She went straight to the bathroom to start getting ready for bed. The first thing she did was take a pair of pajamas from the shelf next to the mirror. She changed out of her uniform and into the pajamas, then brushed her teeth. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she groaned quietly.

"Ugh, I must be getting sick." Her fair skin was paler than normal, and combined with the headaches, that wasn't a good thing, "I'm putting in for vacation after this. Or a week on the Holodeck." If all went well, they would b back on Earth in a week. But, there was still the problem with the warp core to worry about.

"Couldn´t I have picked a normal desk job? Noo, I chose to be an engineer, so I could make the old man proud of me." She muttered to herself as she brushed her hair out. Like most of the other women on the ship, she kept her hair tucked up. As a result, her hair ended up wavy in some spots, and completely straight in others. Not that it mattered, because she was going to wash it in the morning. She finished getting ready to go to sleep, and then went to her bedroom.

Like the other quarters, hers was the standard gray found on all Starfleet vessels. She kept family photos on the wall, and candles in the windowsills. Most of the pictures were her with her brother, the person she was closest to. Her parents divorced while she was in her first year at the Academy. Her brother, just two years older, was also at the Academy, and it was difficult time for both of them. But, it had made their bond stronger. They were together so much that people often mistook them for a couple instead of siblings. The candles were reminders of her mother, who always kept candles in the house. At night, her mother would light the candles in the whole house. Now, even when they weren't lit, the candles served as a reminder of calm, happy times when her family was still together.

She took a lighter from the small table beside her bed, and lit the candle in the windowsill next above her bed.

"This one´s for you, Mom." She whispered, looking out in the vast space. All she could see were billions of stars, and a handful of planets off in the distance. With a sigh, she turned away from the window and climbed into bed. She pulled the blanket up around her shoulders, and closed her eyes. She could feel herself slowly falling asleep, and welcomed the escape it gave her.

Meanwhile, on the bridge…

"Captain, we´ve just been struck by enemy fire." Tuvok informed Captain Janeway from his station. Janeway looked back at him from her chair.

"Which would explain why it felt like we just got hit." She replied, sounding a little irritated.

"Well, maybe it was just an accident." Tom reasoned, trying to deny what they were all thinking.

"Let's hope you're right, Tom." Janeway responded. They exchanged an anxious look. Another jolt shook the ship, then was followed by yet another.

"Once could have been mistaken as an accident, Captain, but this is obviously an attack. I suggest we either retreat or retaliate in like manner." Janeway rose from her seat and looked out at the battle being waged in front of them.

"I'd rather take the first option, but we still don't have the warp core back online." She said, turning to face the crew. Tuvok looked up from his controls.

"One of the ships has broken away from the battle and is heading straight for us." He stated in typical Vulcan manner.

"Open a channel." Janeway told Tom.

"Channel is open." Tom reported. Janeway nodded.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the Starship Voyager. We are peaceful explorers, and have no wish to hurt anyone. We are here while we repair our warp core. Please, cease fire, or I will be forced to take action." She looked up to Tuvok, waiting for a response. The ship shook again.

"Shields are down to seventy-three percent, Captain." Janeway signalled that she'd heard.

"Fire torpedoes, Mr. Tuvok."

"Engineering to Bridge, we´ve been hit down here!" B´Elanna´s voice came over the intercom.

"How´s it coming with the warp core?" Janeway asked.

"Okay, but some of the other systems are going haywire. I can't keep up with the repairs while we're under attack."

"We've returned fire, and hopefully they´ll back off. You'll just have to hang in there."

"Understood. B´Elanna out." Janeway looked back up at Tuvok.

"Other than Engineering, what levels have been hit?" She asked.

"Levels 11, 14, and 22. Nobody has reported any injuries, though."

"Keep me posted." Janeway replied, "I'll be in my ready room."


A/N: This is my first serious Voyager fanfic, so please let me know how I'm doing. I'm sure I'll make mistakes about the crew and the ship, so I hope you guys will help me out!

L.C.