Disclaimer: I am, in no way or form, associated with Star Trek. Unless, of
course, you consider a fan as someone associated with the series. But you
know what I'm trying to say. I am merely creating this out of my own
imagination. The characters that I create belong to me and any resemblance
to anyone living or dead is entirely coincidental. I may mention certain
events that have happened in previous episodes of Star Trek but they're
just references.
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This story takes place aboard a new starship. This time, it's the USS Explorer. It has been twenty years since Voyager returned safely to Earth and Ensign Harry Kim has since been promoted and is the captain of Explorer. His first officer is Commander Anika Hansen, better known as Seven of Nine. Also aboard the ship is Icheb, the young man who was set free from a Borg collective by the crew of Voyager. He is the tactical officer. Chief Engineer is Lieutenant Naomi Wildman, who is also Icheb's girlfriend.
Chapter 1
It had been nearly one month since the crew of Explorer said their goodbyes to their friends and family on Earth and they had settled into the familiar routine known aboard a starship. The plan was to spend a year exploring the Beta Quadrant. Many changes had been made to the starships ever since Voyager's return to Earth. After twenty years of research, it was now possible for them to travel between quadrants without having to be stuck, just as Voyager had been.
"How's everything going?" Harry asked Seven.
Her Borg implants had, with the help of technology, been removed and she now looked and behaved just like any other human being. Of course, she still had the ability to retrieve and ingest information, just as she had done twenty years ago aboard Voyager. It proved to be a useful skill.
Seven studied the data that she was holding. "Well, everything is working at peak efficiency. Almost everything anyway. Engineering could be a little more well-run if our tactical officer didn't make so many visits there."
Harry smiled. He could tell that Seven was trying to look stern and disapproving but he knew her better than that. She was glad that Naomi and Icheb were together. Her two protégés, as she liked to call them. She liked to think that she had a hand in bringing them together, although everyone knew that she had nothing to do with it at all. In fact, she had tried to keep the apart at the beginning, thinking that their having a relationship would distract them as they were studying at the Starfleet Academy. But she was wrong. Icheb and Naomi graduated at the top of their respective classes.
"Let's just hope that they don't get too distracted," Harry said with a laugh. "I don't need a warp core malfunction or to have some security protocols overlooked."
"Indeed."
Harry watched her as she stepped out of his office, as he liked to call it. He thought back to the time when he'd had a crush on her. It was just after they had rescued her from the Borg collective and she had been far from kind when she noticed his reactions towards her. He laughed when he thought about the time when she had practically thrown herself on him. Had he not been such a gentleman, he would have taken advantage of the situation. But he had only been young and rather inexperienced. He made a quick getaway.
Many years had passed since then and he'd had his fair share of impossible crushes. His best friend, Tom Paris, who was now a world famous holo- novelist, had never failed to laugh at his bad luck in relationships. Harry's bad luck didn't end when he married a pretty young lady three years after returning to Earth. She had died while giving birth to their twin children. Harry had been torn between grief and elation following that episode. But he knew he had to remain strong for his son and daughter. They were now sixteen years of age and since he home schooled them, he had managed to get approval for them to travel with him.
Sierra and Shaun looked just like their mother, Lana, save for their colouring. They took after Harry in that respect, with their dark hair and hazel eyes. Shaun was almost exactly like his godfather, Tom, interested in everything that had to do with speed. If he had his way, he would probably become a fighter pilot. Harry made a mental note to bring Shaun on his maiden flight aboard the Delta Flyer. Sierra, on the other hand, was as demure as any young lady could get, which was hard to find these days. However, she had the mental strength of her mother and that prevented the guys from taking advantage of her. Her physical strength was also an attribute and she got that from her daily ballet lessons and weekly yoga sessions in the holodeck. Needless to say, she had a beautiful body and that, coupled with her gorgeous features and brilliant mind, made her the object of affection among many a young man. Harry made a mental note to keep an eye on her. He knew how lonely single young men aboard a starship could feel. God forbid she run into someone like him!
Harry set his coffee on the table and went onto the bridge. After checking that everything was in order and giving Seven command of the bridge, he decided to pay his children a visit. Looking at his watch, he knew that they would be in the holodeck, finishing up an astrometrics lesson. He waited outside the holodeck for them and true enough, five minutes later, they stepped out, followed by two other children of the crew.
"Good afternoon, Captain," Vakto, the son of a Vulcan on the security team, said, when he saw Harry. Layla, the daughter of a Catarian in engineering did the same and hurriedly made her way to her room.
"Dad!" Sierra and Shaun exclaimed at the same time.
Sierra wrapped her arms around her father and planted a kiss on his cheek. Shaun, being a 'man', as he'd like to believe, avoided doing that at all costs, preferring instead to pat his father on the back.
"What? No kiss for your father?" Harry teased.
Shaun made a face and Sierra rolled her eyes.
"He's too 'manly', dad," she said sarcastically. "Let me know when he actually becomes a man."
Shaun glared at his sister. Despite the fact that she was the younger one by ten minutes, Sierra could easily outwit her brother, whose genius was confined to practical stuff. Harry smiled at the two of them. There had always been a friendly rivalry between them. They were a mature pair and both accepted that they were skilled in different areas. Both were fit young humans but their minds worked very differently. Sierra was absolutely brilliant when it came to academics. Shaun, on the other hand, was brilliant when it came to using his hands. In that sense, he was not very different from Harry and Tom, as they had spent many hours fixing damaged flyers aboard Voyager together. 'A typical male' was how Sierra liked to describe her brother.
"I was hoping to spend some time with you while I can," Harry said, putting an arm around his children on either side of him. "How about a meal at a nice Italian restaurant in 20th century New York?"
"Dad, what's the point of having an Italian meal in New York?" Sierra asked, pulling her hair back. "I think we should just go to Rome. Wouldn't that be a little more authentic?"
"We'll be dining in a holodeck," Shaun said, stating the obvious. "What's so authentic in that?"
"What do you want to do? Travel back in time?" Sierra countered. "Nice idea but I don't think that's going to happen. The holodeck is just about as authentic as we can get."
"Sorry to interrupt your plans, Captain," a voice from behind them said. "But Naomi and I have booked this holodeck. And Ensign Paterson has booked the other one."
They turned around to see Icheb and Naomi standing behind them, hand in hand. Harry smiled. It had been a while since he had spent some quality time with his children and he seriously considered assigning Icheb and Naomi extra work just so that he could have use of the holodeck. But he knew it wouldn't be fair to them. He should have planned ahead. He made a mental note to do that the next time around. How many mental notes was that? Three? In one morning? He had to start organising himself better. Being a captain was proving to be a tedious job.
"That's okay," Harry told them. "You go ahead. Well, kids, looks like it's the mess hall we're headed for."
Naomi laughed as Sierra made a face. It was a well-known fact that she didn't quite fancy mess hall food and was known to sneak out of her room in the middle of the night to cook her own meals. Juxlan, the Talaxian cook, was, obviously, none too pleased with her behaviour. He had made a few complaints about Sierra to her father but Harry explained that she had been a fussy eater from a young age and it had nothing to do with his cooking.
"I'm making my own salad," Sierra announced as they made their way to the mess hall.
"You're such a fuss pot," Shaun admonished. "You can't sneak around in the middle of the night for one whole year, you know."
"Watch me," Sierra said, shooting her brother a determined look.
"Oh, I will," he said, returning the look.
Harry shook his head. It was going to be a task keeping them from each other's necks. But somehow, he knew that he wouldn't have to worry about them. They were growing up and maturing and he knew that they would always be there for each other when it mattered the most. With a pang of regret, he thought of how proud Lana would have been with their children.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This story takes place aboard a new starship. This time, it's the USS Explorer. It has been twenty years since Voyager returned safely to Earth and Ensign Harry Kim has since been promoted and is the captain of Explorer. His first officer is Commander Anika Hansen, better known as Seven of Nine. Also aboard the ship is Icheb, the young man who was set free from a Borg collective by the crew of Voyager. He is the tactical officer. Chief Engineer is Lieutenant Naomi Wildman, who is also Icheb's girlfriend.
Chapter 1
It had been nearly one month since the crew of Explorer said their goodbyes to their friends and family on Earth and they had settled into the familiar routine known aboard a starship. The plan was to spend a year exploring the Beta Quadrant. Many changes had been made to the starships ever since Voyager's return to Earth. After twenty years of research, it was now possible for them to travel between quadrants without having to be stuck, just as Voyager had been.
"How's everything going?" Harry asked Seven.
Her Borg implants had, with the help of technology, been removed and she now looked and behaved just like any other human being. Of course, she still had the ability to retrieve and ingest information, just as she had done twenty years ago aboard Voyager. It proved to be a useful skill.
Seven studied the data that she was holding. "Well, everything is working at peak efficiency. Almost everything anyway. Engineering could be a little more well-run if our tactical officer didn't make so many visits there."
Harry smiled. He could tell that Seven was trying to look stern and disapproving but he knew her better than that. She was glad that Naomi and Icheb were together. Her two protégés, as she liked to call them. She liked to think that she had a hand in bringing them together, although everyone knew that she had nothing to do with it at all. In fact, she had tried to keep the apart at the beginning, thinking that their having a relationship would distract them as they were studying at the Starfleet Academy. But she was wrong. Icheb and Naomi graduated at the top of their respective classes.
"Let's just hope that they don't get too distracted," Harry said with a laugh. "I don't need a warp core malfunction or to have some security protocols overlooked."
"Indeed."
Harry watched her as she stepped out of his office, as he liked to call it. He thought back to the time when he'd had a crush on her. It was just after they had rescued her from the Borg collective and she had been far from kind when she noticed his reactions towards her. He laughed when he thought about the time when she had practically thrown herself on him. Had he not been such a gentleman, he would have taken advantage of the situation. But he had only been young and rather inexperienced. He made a quick getaway.
Many years had passed since then and he'd had his fair share of impossible crushes. His best friend, Tom Paris, who was now a world famous holo- novelist, had never failed to laugh at his bad luck in relationships. Harry's bad luck didn't end when he married a pretty young lady three years after returning to Earth. She had died while giving birth to their twin children. Harry had been torn between grief and elation following that episode. But he knew he had to remain strong for his son and daughter. They were now sixteen years of age and since he home schooled them, he had managed to get approval for them to travel with him.
Sierra and Shaun looked just like their mother, Lana, save for their colouring. They took after Harry in that respect, with their dark hair and hazel eyes. Shaun was almost exactly like his godfather, Tom, interested in everything that had to do with speed. If he had his way, he would probably become a fighter pilot. Harry made a mental note to bring Shaun on his maiden flight aboard the Delta Flyer. Sierra, on the other hand, was as demure as any young lady could get, which was hard to find these days. However, she had the mental strength of her mother and that prevented the guys from taking advantage of her. Her physical strength was also an attribute and she got that from her daily ballet lessons and weekly yoga sessions in the holodeck. Needless to say, she had a beautiful body and that, coupled with her gorgeous features and brilliant mind, made her the object of affection among many a young man. Harry made a mental note to keep an eye on her. He knew how lonely single young men aboard a starship could feel. God forbid she run into someone like him!
Harry set his coffee on the table and went onto the bridge. After checking that everything was in order and giving Seven command of the bridge, he decided to pay his children a visit. Looking at his watch, he knew that they would be in the holodeck, finishing up an astrometrics lesson. He waited outside the holodeck for them and true enough, five minutes later, they stepped out, followed by two other children of the crew.
"Good afternoon, Captain," Vakto, the son of a Vulcan on the security team, said, when he saw Harry. Layla, the daughter of a Catarian in engineering did the same and hurriedly made her way to her room.
"Dad!" Sierra and Shaun exclaimed at the same time.
Sierra wrapped her arms around her father and planted a kiss on his cheek. Shaun, being a 'man', as he'd like to believe, avoided doing that at all costs, preferring instead to pat his father on the back.
"What? No kiss for your father?" Harry teased.
Shaun made a face and Sierra rolled her eyes.
"He's too 'manly', dad," she said sarcastically. "Let me know when he actually becomes a man."
Shaun glared at his sister. Despite the fact that she was the younger one by ten minutes, Sierra could easily outwit her brother, whose genius was confined to practical stuff. Harry smiled at the two of them. There had always been a friendly rivalry between them. They were a mature pair and both accepted that they were skilled in different areas. Both were fit young humans but their minds worked very differently. Sierra was absolutely brilliant when it came to academics. Shaun, on the other hand, was brilliant when it came to using his hands. In that sense, he was not very different from Harry and Tom, as they had spent many hours fixing damaged flyers aboard Voyager together. 'A typical male' was how Sierra liked to describe her brother.
"I was hoping to spend some time with you while I can," Harry said, putting an arm around his children on either side of him. "How about a meal at a nice Italian restaurant in 20th century New York?"
"Dad, what's the point of having an Italian meal in New York?" Sierra asked, pulling her hair back. "I think we should just go to Rome. Wouldn't that be a little more authentic?"
"We'll be dining in a holodeck," Shaun said, stating the obvious. "What's so authentic in that?"
"What do you want to do? Travel back in time?" Sierra countered. "Nice idea but I don't think that's going to happen. The holodeck is just about as authentic as we can get."
"Sorry to interrupt your plans, Captain," a voice from behind them said. "But Naomi and I have booked this holodeck. And Ensign Paterson has booked the other one."
They turned around to see Icheb and Naomi standing behind them, hand in hand. Harry smiled. It had been a while since he had spent some quality time with his children and he seriously considered assigning Icheb and Naomi extra work just so that he could have use of the holodeck. But he knew it wouldn't be fair to them. He should have planned ahead. He made a mental note to do that the next time around. How many mental notes was that? Three? In one morning? He had to start organising himself better. Being a captain was proving to be a tedious job.
"That's okay," Harry told them. "You go ahead. Well, kids, looks like it's the mess hall we're headed for."
Naomi laughed as Sierra made a face. It was a well-known fact that she didn't quite fancy mess hall food and was known to sneak out of her room in the middle of the night to cook her own meals. Juxlan, the Talaxian cook, was, obviously, none too pleased with her behaviour. He had made a few complaints about Sierra to her father but Harry explained that she had been a fussy eater from a young age and it had nothing to do with his cooking.
"I'm making my own salad," Sierra announced as they made their way to the mess hall.
"You're such a fuss pot," Shaun admonished. "You can't sneak around in the middle of the night for one whole year, you know."
"Watch me," Sierra said, shooting her brother a determined look.
"Oh, I will," he said, returning the look.
Harry shook his head. It was going to be a task keeping them from each other's necks. But somehow, he knew that he wouldn't have to worry about them. They were growing up and maturing and he knew that they would always be there for each other when it mattered the most. With a pang of regret, he thought of how proud Lana would have been with their children.