Star Trek Liberty
By Kyizi
Episode 1: Caretaker, Part 1
~*~*~*~*~*~
Disclaimer: Some of these characters do not belong to me, and neither does the universe in which this story is created. The story line that this fic will take and the new characters, however, do belong to me, so please, if you wish to use them, contact me and ask first.
Please note that some of this comes directly from the transcripts and that those parts do not belong to me.
Rating: If you can watch Voyager, then you can read this.
Category: AU
Distribution: Please email if you want it, I'll likely say yes.
Feedback: Always :)
Email address: kyizi@hotmail.com
Notes/Summary: I've had this story in my head for a long time. It's kind of a what if, and eventually I hope that some of you will join me in this little universe that I'm creating and write some of the episodes yourself.
What could have happened if Voyager had been destroyed by the array in the pilot, instead of the Maquis ship, Liberty? Read and you'll see my version of WCHH.
Since this universe is the same until the end of episode 2, I'm planning on taking these first two episodes (i.e. Caretaker Pt I and II) to introduce you to the characters that will be a part of this Universe. Although the series will focus on the crew as an entirety including the regulars that I have chosen to keep, these two episodes will focus only on the minor characters, as you already know what happens with the main crew.
If I seem to spend more time with one crew than the other, sorry, but I'm just following the scene changes in the actual script. They spend most of their time with the Voyager crew at the start.
Sources: I used the book "Pathways" by Jeri Taylor for a small portion (If you haven't read it, do – it's fantastic!) and I'd like to say a big thanks to the people that run the Lower Decks, Delta Blues and the Star Trek Dimension Projects websites, as I needed their help with the episode summaries, a lot of Voyager's minor character that will play a part in this series and the layout etc of the ship. You guys are God(esse)s! ;)
~*~*~*~*~*~
Unhappy with a new treaty, Federation colonists along the Cardassian border have banded together. Calling themselves "The Maquis", they continue to fight Cardassians. Some consider them heroes, but to the governments of the Federation and Cardassian, they are outlaws.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"I still don't trust him."
"You don't trust anyone," he laughed. Smirking at her glare, Antonio shook his head and returned to his work, taking the pad she handed to him. The noises around them wouldn't allow them to forget just how much danger they were in. Suddenly, the ship shook violently, throwing them to the opposite wall, and Antonio grimaced as a few of his colleagues landed on top of him.
"When we get through this, y'all need to think about losing a few pounds. Oomph." He glared at Kerris, but at the look in her eye, he didn't push the matter, after all, he figured he had deserved to be hit.
"What're the shields at?" he asked, crossing immediately to the panel at the other end of the room. It was smoking slightly and the sparks didn't inspire much faith in its operational abilities.
"Seventy. We're losing them fast," Kerris growled, "damn it I hate this!"
Antonio sent her a reassuring smile, but didn't say anything. He stared at her bandaged hand guiltily and shook his head, turning back to his padd. He crouched down to open the panel at his feet and cursed himself again for talking her into the tennis match. Granted, if it hadn't been for the surprise attack that rocked the ship suddenly, she would not have fallen on her hand, but it still didn't make him feel any better about it. She was their pilot, and a damn good one, just what they needed to get themselves out of a mess like this, and thanks to his sudden urge for a midnight bout of tennis, they had the Vulcan manning a station on the bridge.
The ship rocked suddenly and he cursed as his head hit the wall. Rubbing his forehead, he urgently set about realigning the circuits, all the while listening to the open comm. that was echoing throughout the ship.
"Damage report." Chakotay's voice echoed about them.
"Shields at sixty percent."
"Damn it, Nye, I thought you said they were at seventy!" Antonio ran across the small room to the control panel, ignoring the icy look on Kerris' face as she attempted, with her good hand, to stabilise the environmental controls.
"Well they were. I apologise for letting the Cardassians try to blow us up. Next time I'll try to make sure they miss."
"Anyone ever tell you you're a charmer?"
"Anyone ever tell you you're an asshole?"
He smirked and winked at her, "All the time." Suddenly another blast hit and he felt himself falling, hitting the floor with a painful thud.
"Shields at fifty percent."
He could hear the voice twisting around him, tweaking at his ears with a wavering resonance. The hollow sound he always felt when hearing a voice over the comm. didn't help him focus the sound any easier.
"Antonio!" Kerris' voice was echoing and distant at best but he tried to focus. "Tolaris, open you're God damn eyes!"
Antonio tried to comply but his eyelids began to get heavier, he felt the world spinning as he heard Kerris yelling at Thomas to help him, then everything went black.
~~~~~~~
Focus, Anna, you can do this. She sighed and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, scrunching her face up in concentration. She could hear the people about her and forced herself to block out the sound. She'd always felt like an intruder in their minds, like an unwanted houseguest that wouldn't leave, and she knew that they thought it as well. She could hear I, after all.
"Faye, you almost done there?"
Turning to look at the Chief Engineer she gave him a wavering smile, "A- almost, I-I just need to, well, I mean, I'm almost done."
The man laughed, startling her a little, "You don't need to sound so scared, Cadet, I'm not going to bite. You should be able to tell that, thought you were a mind reader."
Anna smiled and looked at the ground, "Well, I try not to listen if I can help it."
He laughed and crouched down beside her. "Look, I know this isn't your chosen career, but if you want to get into anything at the academy, you have to pass this. You're capable, I've read your file, just try not to be so nervous, right?"
Anna smiled at him and nodded, "Right."
"Now get back to work." He stood and gave her a wide smile; "The Captain wants this thing operational when she gets back."
"Where is she?"
"Well, that's really none of your business, now is it, Faye." He raised his eyebrows and she nodded, but she couldn't help overhearing his parting thought. Tom Parris had better be worth all this trouble.
Anna frowned as she turned back to the control panel before her, her mind occupied with the name. She knew Admiral Paris had a son called Tom, but she also knew from rumours her friend Carol liked to spread, that Tom was in jail. Shaking her head she decided it was best not to think about it. She had a habit of unintentionally picking up people's thoughts whenever they were thinking of whatever she was preoccupied with, and she hated doing it.
Sighing, she focused once again on the padd in her hands, trying to get her mind to align the circuit in her head. It wasn't working, all she could see was lines and after a while, they turned into one big blur. Grunting in frustration, she dropped the padd to the floor and sat back on her feet.
"Do you require some assistance?"
Anna turned and looked up at him, "I-I'm sure I'll get it…eventually."
The man nodded and remained silent for a moment before kneeling next to her. "I understand that your pride will not allow you to ask for help, but it is illogical not to learn from those around you."
"I am not too proud to ask for help." Anna said softly. She regarded the Vulcan a little warily; she had always been uncomfortable around them. She would hear the occasional thought, but mostly it was the feelings that disconcerted her. They were there, no matter how hard they were repressed and hidden away, she could feel it. So much power was left untapped in those emotions and it unnerved her to sense it when all she was greeted with was a cool, impassive exterior.
"Then why do you refuse to accept mine?"
"Because I know I can do this, I might not be able to find the answer at this moment in time, but I've read about this, and I will do it on my own."
"I see." The Vulcan nodded and stood.
"You see what?" She asked, not liking the quirk his eyebrow had suddenly given.
"I see that you wish to prove that you do not need to use your abilities to find the answer. However, it would seem that you have little choice. If you should hear it in someone's mind, it will give you the same result as asking them. Would it not be better then to simply ask first?"
Anna glared at him, "I can think for myself, thank you," she said coldly, "I don't need to listen to anyone else to find the answer. It will come to me on its own."
The Vulcan inclined his head and left, leaving Anna glaring at his back. She wasn't sure whom she was most angry with. The Vulcan for being so…well, Vulcan, or herself for allowing her anger to get the better of her. He was higher in the chain of command than she was, well, everyone here was. She was the Cadet that had to prove herself in order to pass her practical module and instead she was being rude to people who had already passed their exams.
Sighing, she turned back to her circuit and picked up the padd. It was still a mystery to her, but she could feel an idea forming in the back of her mind. Within minutes she was smiling as she tapped the final key, realigning the deflector.
"Good work." She turned and smiled at the woman she recognised as Meghan Delaney. She couldn't mistake the twins, they gave off different vibes, but she liked them both, even if Jenny did make her feel a little dull and frumpy in comparison. Meghan, although equally as beautiful, being identical, had a more relaxed manner and she felt instantly at ease with the woman.
"Thanks,"
"And don't worry about Vorik, he can be a bit of an ass, but he does mean well."
"That's the Vulcan, I assume." Anna said grinning.
"Yeah, he's nice enough, but most people can only take him in small doses. Don't let him get to you."
"I won't." She placed the panel back in place and took Meghan's offered hand, standing again. "What are you doing down here? Stellar Cartography a little dull today?"
"Needed a walk," Meghan grinned and indicated the padd in her hand. "Had to get a report from Ballard. I swear that woman would forget her head if it wasn't screwed on. She's already left for lunch, lucky for her she left this somewhere I could find it."
Anna laughed and shook her head, "I've barely met her, but her reputation precedes her." Meghan smirked. "Well, I'd best head up to decks six and twelve and check everything out before I let the Chief know I'm finished."
Meghan laughed, "Chief? We call him the dragon!"
Anna smiled and nodded her head, neglecting to tell Meghan that he knew about the nickname and was planning on a little revenge, in the form of extra work. She and Meghan walked to the door and headed for the turbo lift.
"I'm meeting Jenny, Celes and Telfer for lunch, you're welcome to join us if you like." Meghan said as she exited the lift. "We're meeting at Quark's in ten if you're due a break."
"I think I get off in half an hour," Anna said, trying to remember, "I can join you then if it's all right."
"'Course." Meghan smiled and winked before turning to join her sister at the end of the hall.
As the turbo lift closed and began to move again, Anna smiled to herself. She had been terrified when she'd been assigned to Voyager for her work experience. She knew that it was a new ship with a new Captain, but she'd heard a lot about the Captain and she was terrified to meet her.
Janeway was rumoured to be ruthless, and despite her knowledge that Carol's information was rarely from a reliable source, she couldn't stop herself from imagining being stuck on a ship with a merciless Captain and no friends. Luckily for her, things seemed to be going well, she was handling the work as best she could and she was making friends. What more could she want? No, she was feeling relaxed and was actually looking forward to her short time on Voyager.
~~~~~~~
Lyndsey shook her head and laughed as she watched Harry being cornered by the Ferengi. She knew she should get up and help him, but she just found it all too amusing; Harry had to be one of the most gullible men in the universe. She took another sip of her drink and continued to watch, a little put out that her viewing came to a close when a rather handsome man came to her friends rescue.
She shook her head and turned back to the others at the table. She had zoned out the minute Pablo and Ane had started to talk about the latest Velocity tournament in Vienna. Lynsey loved to play Velocity, play being the operative word. She had little patience to sit and watch unless she was studying opponent's moves, gauging people to see whether or not she should play them, figuring out strategic patterns. And even then, she usually tired of it. She preferred to be doing something.
"…are you even listening?"
"Huh?" Lyndsey smiled and shook her head, "Sorry, I was miles away." She placed her fork on the plate, noting that Harry and the other man had left the bar and turned back to her friends. "What were you talking about? I tuned out about twenty minutes ago."
"I noticed," Pablo said, smiling, "You had that cute little smile on your face, so you were obviously paying more attention to Harry than to us."
Lyndsey rolled her eyes and turned to Ane, "What were you saying?"
"I was asking if you were up for a Velocity tournament when we set off. Could be fun to get some of the crew involved, might help to get everyone on friendly terms."
"Well, aren't we the little motivator today." Lyndsey smirked, "Yeah, sounds like fun, count me in."
"Great, now I can finally beat you."
"In your dreams, Pablo. You couldn't beat me if your life depended on it."
"That's only 'cause you cheat."
"I do not!" Lyndsey sat up in her seat; "I have never cheated in my life…well, not with you anyway."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Pablo wiped his mouth with his napkin and placed it on the table, smiling at Lyndsey's glare. "We'd better get back to the ship. Don't know about you two, but I'm planning on getting some sleep before my shift starts."
Ane grinned, "Oh, that's right, you got the graveyard shift, didn't you?"
"Yeah, laugh it up. You know they need someone with my talent on at night. It's people like me that keep ships like that in pristine condition."
"Sure it is." Lyndsey smiled, "Well, I'm actually due back on duty five minutes ago, so I think I'd really better move."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ane asked mockingly.
Lyndsey feigned a glare and stood up. "Funny. See you later, have fun working tonight, Pablo." She smirked and walked towards the door, narrowly missing the Ferengi that had earlier detained Harry.
She quickened her step, suddenly remembering that she had a report to hand in to the Delaney Sisters in Stellar Cartography. She quickly made her way to engineering and headed for her workstation, frowning when she noted that her padd was missing.
"Damn it, I'm sure I left it here." She turned and began to search the area surrounding her desk, knowing all the while that it was useless. She knew she was a bit scatter brained, but she also remembered leaving the padd on the top of her station. It was definitely missing.
"If you're looking for your report, I think one of the Delaney sisters took it."
"They did?" she turned around.
"Yeah, she was talking to the Cadet for a bit, I'm sure she had it with her."
"Thanks, I was terrified I'd lost it for a moment there."
The woman smiled, "No worries. I'm Aeva, Aeva Zain."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lyndsey, Lyndsey Ballard."
"Ah, the infamous Lyndsey. I'm less surprised that you lost the report now."
"Hey! I think I resent that! Who told these lies about me?"
Aeva smiled, "Don't worry about it. I just heard a few things on the shuttle on the way in. Harry Kim…"
"You don't need to say another word, that explains it all. I'll kill him."
"Yeah, well, you could always get him back."
"I could, but Harry's so stiff and nervous that it'd probably kill him anyway."
Aeva laughed, "He seemed all right to me."
"Oh, Harry's a sweetie, love him to bits, but when it comes to work he's just a little too tense. Feels the need to have everything running perfectly, has to be in control of everything. He's just a little nervous about meeting the Captain."
"Who isn't?"
"True." Lyndsey smiled, "Do you mind if I ask, but are you joined?"
"Yes. For about three years."
Lyndsey nodded, "I've never actually met a trill who was joined before. Then again I've only ever met three. I spent a lot of my time in the countryside on Earth and Bajor when I was little, hence why I've been living it up since I went to the academy."
"Ah, I see." Aeva smiled, "I'd better get back to work. I think the dragon's on his way over."
"Catch you later." Lyndsey smiled and turned back to her workstation.
"Ballard, so nice of you to return."
She looked up and gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I was on DS9 and…"
"I don't want an explanation, just get back to work. And I think Meghan Delaney would like a word when she gets back from her lunch. Something about incomplete analysis."
Lyndsey groaned, "Yes Sir." Today was going to be fun.
~~~~~~~
Samantha Wildman sighed and rubbed her eyes. Her headache was overpowered only by the ache in her stomach. She had a ton of work to do on the crew bios, she wasn't feeling her best and to top it all off, the day had only just begun.
The Captain had informed her of a few last minute changes to the crew, meaning that she had to get the information on the new crew from the archives as well as the reports from the doctor. She looked up as the door hissed open and tried her best to smile at Kayala as she entered.
"You okay, Sam?" her friend asked, concern marking her brow.
"Just feeling a little off colour. Would you mind making start with the crew manifest? There are a few new additions and I'd like to get all the information at the ready before we leave dock."
"Sure, I'll get right on it, but in case you hadn't noticed, we left dock a few minutes ago." Kayala smiled and took a seat next to her. "Maybe you should go see the doctor."
Sam smiled, "I'm fine, really. It's nothing that a little less stress and a little more time won't cure."
"If you say so."
"Besides, I'm sure the Doctor has more to worry about than someone who hasn't had enough sleep."
"Gresk' keep you up all night?" Kayala asked wagging her eyebrows.
"Kay!"
"What?"
Sam smiled, "Mind your own business and get back to work."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Sam shook her head and looked back at the screen in front of her. She was looking forward to getting back out on a mission, even if there would likely be little for her to do, given the nature of it. Xenobiology rarely came in useful on seek and capture missions, but with Star Fleet you could never be sure. She usually liked to spend the time compiling crew files; something she made sure was always kept up to date.
Sighing, she rubbed her stomach and sat still for a moment, giving her nausea a moment to pass. She knew that Kayala was right, she probably should go to sickbay, but she shook her head and looked back at the screen. Whatever it was, it couldn't be that bad. Sam decided to ignore it; it would likely go away on its own.
~~~~~~~
Carey grunted as he made his way through the Jeffrey's tube and back towards engineering. As much as he moaned about it, he did love getting into the bowels of the ship, as he called them. There was rarely a time when he was required to do so, but he enjoyed being able to see the inside of the ship. He liked knowing his way about.
Pulling himself out of a small passage, he turned himself upright and began to climb the ladder. He knew they must have been approaching the Badlands and was determined to be back in engineering before they got there. If this group of Maquis were anything like he'd heard, then engineering would need all the help it could get.
Climbing his way back through the ship he smiled, thinking of his family. He couldn't wait until he could see them again. The mission end coincided with Hunter's eighth birthday and Joe couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he realised that they were finally taking a holiday to Jakala. He'd never understand children. Hunter had been desperate to visit the city since he had done a project on Bajor in school, although Joe was sure he just liked the sound of the name. Hunter was strange like that.
Smiling, he shook his head and fixed the strap of his repair kit, pulling it higher on his shoulder. No, he definitely couldn't wait.
"Brace for impact."
The Captain's voice echoed in the empty space around him and he quickened his pace, determined not to be on the ladder when they hit whatever they were heading for. As he was nearing the top the ship shook suddenly and he cried out in surprise as his foot slipped off the rung. Swaying precariously with one hand, he heard his repair kit hit the ground where it had fallen from his arm. He took a moment to breathe before pulling himself back onto the steps. He had to get to engineering.
~~~~~~~
"Repair crews, seal off the hull on Deck fourteen."
"Aye, Captain." Aeva struggled to maintain her breathing as she led her crew to deck fourteen. Her heart was beating faster than she thought possible, but she wasn't sure what was worse, the adrenaline, the worry about what exactly they had got themselves into or the nervousness of being in charge, even if it was only of four other crewmembers.
She began to cough as they pried open the doors. The smoke was blinding and she felt her eyes stinging. Motioning for the others to follow, she hurried towards the breach, jumping quickly out of the way as the panel to her left sparked and finally burst into flames.
Instructing Telfer to deal with the fire, she led the others to the breach, joining another team there. She conferred quickly with Baxter and both teams set about repairs. All the time she was working a sense of foreboding began to build inside her. Perhaps it was the part of J'Tala that was left within. The old farmer had always had some strange sixth sense about him, and it had haunted his successors whenever they least expected it.
Shaking the feeling off, she continued to work, conferring with her crewmates where necessary, but trying her best not to say too much. She had a bad feeling that things were about to go very wrong.
~~~~~~~
1 End Part
Okay, I've decided to post this in 2 parts. I have written all of episode 1, I'm working on Episode 2 and I'm hoping there'll be enough interest that some of you will want to write future episodes. If anyone's interested in writing, sharing ideas etc. then I've started a Yahoo!
To join the Liberty Yahoo! Group, you can subscribe at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/star_trek_liberty
I'll also post a character list in the files section after I've written Episode 2 so that you can read all about the newbies and find out some helpful information. I'd post it now, but then I'd be spoiling who lives and who doesn't! ;)
Feedback is a wonderful gift, please give generously :)
By Kyizi
Episode 1: Caretaker, Part 1
~*~*~*~*~*~
Disclaimer: Some of these characters do not belong to me, and neither does the universe in which this story is created. The story line that this fic will take and the new characters, however, do belong to me, so please, if you wish to use them, contact me and ask first.
Please note that some of this comes directly from the transcripts and that those parts do not belong to me.
Rating: If you can watch Voyager, then you can read this.
Category: AU
Distribution: Please email if you want it, I'll likely say yes.
Feedback: Always :)
Email address: kyizi@hotmail.com
Notes/Summary: I've had this story in my head for a long time. It's kind of a what if, and eventually I hope that some of you will join me in this little universe that I'm creating and write some of the episodes yourself.
What could have happened if Voyager had been destroyed by the array in the pilot, instead of the Maquis ship, Liberty? Read and you'll see my version of WCHH.
Since this universe is the same until the end of episode 2, I'm planning on taking these first two episodes (i.e. Caretaker Pt I and II) to introduce you to the characters that will be a part of this Universe. Although the series will focus on the crew as an entirety including the regulars that I have chosen to keep, these two episodes will focus only on the minor characters, as you already know what happens with the main crew.
If I seem to spend more time with one crew than the other, sorry, but I'm just following the scene changes in the actual script. They spend most of their time with the Voyager crew at the start.
Sources: I used the book "Pathways" by Jeri Taylor for a small portion (If you haven't read it, do – it's fantastic!) and I'd like to say a big thanks to the people that run the Lower Decks, Delta Blues and the Star Trek Dimension Projects websites, as I needed their help with the episode summaries, a lot of Voyager's minor character that will play a part in this series and the layout etc of the ship. You guys are God(esse)s! ;)
~*~*~*~*~*~
Unhappy with a new treaty, Federation colonists along the Cardassian border have banded together. Calling themselves "The Maquis", they continue to fight Cardassians. Some consider them heroes, but to the governments of the Federation and Cardassian, they are outlaws.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"I still don't trust him."
"You don't trust anyone," he laughed. Smirking at her glare, Antonio shook his head and returned to his work, taking the pad she handed to him. The noises around them wouldn't allow them to forget just how much danger they were in. Suddenly, the ship shook violently, throwing them to the opposite wall, and Antonio grimaced as a few of his colleagues landed on top of him.
"When we get through this, y'all need to think about losing a few pounds. Oomph." He glared at Kerris, but at the look in her eye, he didn't push the matter, after all, he figured he had deserved to be hit.
"What're the shields at?" he asked, crossing immediately to the panel at the other end of the room. It was smoking slightly and the sparks didn't inspire much faith in its operational abilities.
"Seventy. We're losing them fast," Kerris growled, "damn it I hate this!"
Antonio sent her a reassuring smile, but didn't say anything. He stared at her bandaged hand guiltily and shook his head, turning back to his padd. He crouched down to open the panel at his feet and cursed himself again for talking her into the tennis match. Granted, if it hadn't been for the surprise attack that rocked the ship suddenly, she would not have fallen on her hand, but it still didn't make him feel any better about it. She was their pilot, and a damn good one, just what they needed to get themselves out of a mess like this, and thanks to his sudden urge for a midnight bout of tennis, they had the Vulcan manning a station on the bridge.
The ship rocked suddenly and he cursed as his head hit the wall. Rubbing his forehead, he urgently set about realigning the circuits, all the while listening to the open comm. that was echoing throughout the ship.
"Damage report." Chakotay's voice echoed about them.
"Shields at sixty percent."
"Damn it, Nye, I thought you said they were at seventy!" Antonio ran across the small room to the control panel, ignoring the icy look on Kerris' face as she attempted, with her good hand, to stabilise the environmental controls.
"Well they were. I apologise for letting the Cardassians try to blow us up. Next time I'll try to make sure they miss."
"Anyone ever tell you you're a charmer?"
"Anyone ever tell you you're an asshole?"
He smirked and winked at her, "All the time." Suddenly another blast hit and he felt himself falling, hitting the floor with a painful thud.
"Shields at fifty percent."
He could hear the voice twisting around him, tweaking at his ears with a wavering resonance. The hollow sound he always felt when hearing a voice over the comm. didn't help him focus the sound any easier.
"Antonio!" Kerris' voice was echoing and distant at best but he tried to focus. "Tolaris, open you're God damn eyes!"
Antonio tried to comply but his eyelids began to get heavier, he felt the world spinning as he heard Kerris yelling at Thomas to help him, then everything went black.
~~~~~~~
Focus, Anna, you can do this. She sighed and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, scrunching her face up in concentration. She could hear the people about her and forced herself to block out the sound. She'd always felt like an intruder in their minds, like an unwanted houseguest that wouldn't leave, and she knew that they thought it as well. She could hear I, after all.
"Faye, you almost done there?"
Turning to look at the Chief Engineer she gave him a wavering smile, "A- almost, I-I just need to, well, I mean, I'm almost done."
The man laughed, startling her a little, "You don't need to sound so scared, Cadet, I'm not going to bite. You should be able to tell that, thought you were a mind reader."
Anna smiled and looked at the ground, "Well, I try not to listen if I can help it."
He laughed and crouched down beside her. "Look, I know this isn't your chosen career, but if you want to get into anything at the academy, you have to pass this. You're capable, I've read your file, just try not to be so nervous, right?"
Anna smiled at him and nodded, "Right."
"Now get back to work." He stood and gave her a wide smile; "The Captain wants this thing operational when she gets back."
"Where is she?"
"Well, that's really none of your business, now is it, Faye." He raised his eyebrows and she nodded, but she couldn't help overhearing his parting thought. Tom Parris had better be worth all this trouble.
Anna frowned as she turned back to the control panel before her, her mind occupied with the name. She knew Admiral Paris had a son called Tom, but she also knew from rumours her friend Carol liked to spread, that Tom was in jail. Shaking her head she decided it was best not to think about it. She had a habit of unintentionally picking up people's thoughts whenever they were thinking of whatever she was preoccupied with, and she hated doing it.
Sighing, she focused once again on the padd in her hands, trying to get her mind to align the circuit in her head. It wasn't working, all she could see was lines and after a while, they turned into one big blur. Grunting in frustration, she dropped the padd to the floor and sat back on her feet.
"Do you require some assistance?"
Anna turned and looked up at him, "I-I'm sure I'll get it…eventually."
The man nodded and remained silent for a moment before kneeling next to her. "I understand that your pride will not allow you to ask for help, but it is illogical not to learn from those around you."
"I am not too proud to ask for help." Anna said softly. She regarded the Vulcan a little warily; she had always been uncomfortable around them. She would hear the occasional thought, but mostly it was the feelings that disconcerted her. They were there, no matter how hard they were repressed and hidden away, she could feel it. So much power was left untapped in those emotions and it unnerved her to sense it when all she was greeted with was a cool, impassive exterior.
"Then why do you refuse to accept mine?"
"Because I know I can do this, I might not be able to find the answer at this moment in time, but I've read about this, and I will do it on my own."
"I see." The Vulcan nodded and stood.
"You see what?" She asked, not liking the quirk his eyebrow had suddenly given.
"I see that you wish to prove that you do not need to use your abilities to find the answer. However, it would seem that you have little choice. If you should hear it in someone's mind, it will give you the same result as asking them. Would it not be better then to simply ask first?"
Anna glared at him, "I can think for myself, thank you," she said coldly, "I don't need to listen to anyone else to find the answer. It will come to me on its own."
The Vulcan inclined his head and left, leaving Anna glaring at his back. She wasn't sure whom she was most angry with. The Vulcan for being so…well, Vulcan, or herself for allowing her anger to get the better of her. He was higher in the chain of command than she was, well, everyone here was. She was the Cadet that had to prove herself in order to pass her practical module and instead she was being rude to people who had already passed their exams.
Sighing, she turned back to her circuit and picked up the padd. It was still a mystery to her, but she could feel an idea forming in the back of her mind. Within minutes she was smiling as she tapped the final key, realigning the deflector.
"Good work." She turned and smiled at the woman she recognised as Meghan Delaney. She couldn't mistake the twins, they gave off different vibes, but she liked them both, even if Jenny did make her feel a little dull and frumpy in comparison. Meghan, although equally as beautiful, being identical, had a more relaxed manner and she felt instantly at ease with the woman.
"Thanks,"
"And don't worry about Vorik, he can be a bit of an ass, but he does mean well."
"That's the Vulcan, I assume." Anna said grinning.
"Yeah, he's nice enough, but most people can only take him in small doses. Don't let him get to you."
"I won't." She placed the panel back in place and took Meghan's offered hand, standing again. "What are you doing down here? Stellar Cartography a little dull today?"
"Needed a walk," Meghan grinned and indicated the padd in her hand. "Had to get a report from Ballard. I swear that woman would forget her head if it wasn't screwed on. She's already left for lunch, lucky for her she left this somewhere I could find it."
Anna laughed and shook her head, "I've barely met her, but her reputation precedes her." Meghan smirked. "Well, I'd best head up to decks six and twelve and check everything out before I let the Chief know I'm finished."
Meghan laughed, "Chief? We call him the dragon!"
Anna smiled and nodded her head, neglecting to tell Meghan that he knew about the nickname and was planning on a little revenge, in the form of extra work. She and Meghan walked to the door and headed for the turbo lift.
"I'm meeting Jenny, Celes and Telfer for lunch, you're welcome to join us if you like." Meghan said as she exited the lift. "We're meeting at Quark's in ten if you're due a break."
"I think I get off in half an hour," Anna said, trying to remember, "I can join you then if it's all right."
"'Course." Meghan smiled and winked before turning to join her sister at the end of the hall.
As the turbo lift closed and began to move again, Anna smiled to herself. She had been terrified when she'd been assigned to Voyager for her work experience. She knew that it was a new ship with a new Captain, but she'd heard a lot about the Captain and she was terrified to meet her.
Janeway was rumoured to be ruthless, and despite her knowledge that Carol's information was rarely from a reliable source, she couldn't stop herself from imagining being stuck on a ship with a merciless Captain and no friends. Luckily for her, things seemed to be going well, she was handling the work as best she could and she was making friends. What more could she want? No, she was feeling relaxed and was actually looking forward to her short time on Voyager.
~~~~~~~
Lyndsey shook her head and laughed as she watched Harry being cornered by the Ferengi. She knew she should get up and help him, but she just found it all too amusing; Harry had to be one of the most gullible men in the universe. She took another sip of her drink and continued to watch, a little put out that her viewing came to a close when a rather handsome man came to her friends rescue.
She shook her head and turned back to the others at the table. She had zoned out the minute Pablo and Ane had started to talk about the latest Velocity tournament in Vienna. Lynsey loved to play Velocity, play being the operative word. She had little patience to sit and watch unless she was studying opponent's moves, gauging people to see whether or not she should play them, figuring out strategic patterns. And even then, she usually tired of it. She preferred to be doing something.
"…are you even listening?"
"Huh?" Lyndsey smiled and shook her head, "Sorry, I was miles away." She placed her fork on the plate, noting that Harry and the other man had left the bar and turned back to her friends. "What were you talking about? I tuned out about twenty minutes ago."
"I noticed," Pablo said, smiling, "You had that cute little smile on your face, so you were obviously paying more attention to Harry than to us."
Lyndsey rolled her eyes and turned to Ane, "What were you saying?"
"I was asking if you were up for a Velocity tournament when we set off. Could be fun to get some of the crew involved, might help to get everyone on friendly terms."
"Well, aren't we the little motivator today." Lyndsey smirked, "Yeah, sounds like fun, count me in."
"Great, now I can finally beat you."
"In your dreams, Pablo. You couldn't beat me if your life depended on it."
"That's only 'cause you cheat."
"I do not!" Lyndsey sat up in her seat; "I have never cheated in my life…well, not with you anyway."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Pablo wiped his mouth with his napkin and placed it on the table, smiling at Lyndsey's glare. "We'd better get back to the ship. Don't know about you two, but I'm planning on getting some sleep before my shift starts."
Ane grinned, "Oh, that's right, you got the graveyard shift, didn't you?"
"Yeah, laugh it up. You know they need someone with my talent on at night. It's people like me that keep ships like that in pristine condition."
"Sure it is." Lyndsey smiled, "Well, I'm actually due back on duty five minutes ago, so I think I'd really better move."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ane asked mockingly.
Lyndsey feigned a glare and stood up. "Funny. See you later, have fun working tonight, Pablo." She smirked and walked towards the door, narrowly missing the Ferengi that had earlier detained Harry.
She quickened her step, suddenly remembering that she had a report to hand in to the Delaney Sisters in Stellar Cartography. She quickly made her way to engineering and headed for her workstation, frowning when she noted that her padd was missing.
"Damn it, I'm sure I left it here." She turned and began to search the area surrounding her desk, knowing all the while that it was useless. She knew she was a bit scatter brained, but she also remembered leaving the padd on the top of her station. It was definitely missing.
"If you're looking for your report, I think one of the Delaney sisters took it."
"They did?" she turned around.
"Yeah, she was talking to the Cadet for a bit, I'm sure she had it with her."
"Thanks, I was terrified I'd lost it for a moment there."
The woman smiled, "No worries. I'm Aeva, Aeva Zain."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lyndsey, Lyndsey Ballard."
"Ah, the infamous Lyndsey. I'm less surprised that you lost the report now."
"Hey! I think I resent that! Who told these lies about me?"
Aeva smiled, "Don't worry about it. I just heard a few things on the shuttle on the way in. Harry Kim…"
"You don't need to say another word, that explains it all. I'll kill him."
"Yeah, well, you could always get him back."
"I could, but Harry's so stiff and nervous that it'd probably kill him anyway."
Aeva laughed, "He seemed all right to me."
"Oh, Harry's a sweetie, love him to bits, but when it comes to work he's just a little too tense. Feels the need to have everything running perfectly, has to be in control of everything. He's just a little nervous about meeting the Captain."
"Who isn't?"
"True." Lyndsey smiled, "Do you mind if I ask, but are you joined?"
"Yes. For about three years."
Lyndsey nodded, "I've never actually met a trill who was joined before. Then again I've only ever met three. I spent a lot of my time in the countryside on Earth and Bajor when I was little, hence why I've been living it up since I went to the academy."
"Ah, I see." Aeva smiled, "I'd better get back to work. I think the dragon's on his way over."
"Catch you later." Lyndsey smiled and turned back to her workstation.
"Ballard, so nice of you to return."
She looked up and gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I was on DS9 and…"
"I don't want an explanation, just get back to work. And I think Meghan Delaney would like a word when she gets back from her lunch. Something about incomplete analysis."
Lyndsey groaned, "Yes Sir." Today was going to be fun.
~~~~~~~
Samantha Wildman sighed and rubbed her eyes. Her headache was overpowered only by the ache in her stomach. She had a ton of work to do on the crew bios, she wasn't feeling her best and to top it all off, the day had only just begun.
The Captain had informed her of a few last minute changes to the crew, meaning that she had to get the information on the new crew from the archives as well as the reports from the doctor. She looked up as the door hissed open and tried her best to smile at Kayala as she entered.
"You okay, Sam?" her friend asked, concern marking her brow.
"Just feeling a little off colour. Would you mind making start with the crew manifest? There are a few new additions and I'd like to get all the information at the ready before we leave dock."
"Sure, I'll get right on it, but in case you hadn't noticed, we left dock a few minutes ago." Kayala smiled and took a seat next to her. "Maybe you should go see the doctor."
Sam smiled, "I'm fine, really. It's nothing that a little less stress and a little more time won't cure."
"If you say so."
"Besides, I'm sure the Doctor has more to worry about than someone who hasn't had enough sleep."
"Gresk' keep you up all night?" Kayala asked wagging her eyebrows.
"Kay!"
"What?"
Sam smiled, "Mind your own business and get back to work."
"Yes, Ma'am."
Sam shook her head and looked back at the screen in front of her. She was looking forward to getting back out on a mission, even if there would likely be little for her to do, given the nature of it. Xenobiology rarely came in useful on seek and capture missions, but with Star Fleet you could never be sure. She usually liked to spend the time compiling crew files; something she made sure was always kept up to date.
Sighing, she rubbed her stomach and sat still for a moment, giving her nausea a moment to pass. She knew that Kayala was right, she probably should go to sickbay, but she shook her head and looked back at the screen. Whatever it was, it couldn't be that bad. Sam decided to ignore it; it would likely go away on its own.
~~~~~~~
Carey grunted as he made his way through the Jeffrey's tube and back towards engineering. As much as he moaned about it, he did love getting into the bowels of the ship, as he called them. There was rarely a time when he was required to do so, but he enjoyed being able to see the inside of the ship. He liked knowing his way about.
Pulling himself out of a small passage, he turned himself upright and began to climb the ladder. He knew they must have been approaching the Badlands and was determined to be back in engineering before they got there. If this group of Maquis were anything like he'd heard, then engineering would need all the help it could get.
Climbing his way back through the ship he smiled, thinking of his family. He couldn't wait until he could see them again. The mission end coincided with Hunter's eighth birthday and Joe couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he realised that they were finally taking a holiday to Jakala. He'd never understand children. Hunter had been desperate to visit the city since he had done a project on Bajor in school, although Joe was sure he just liked the sound of the name. Hunter was strange like that.
Smiling, he shook his head and fixed the strap of his repair kit, pulling it higher on his shoulder. No, he definitely couldn't wait.
"Brace for impact."
The Captain's voice echoed in the empty space around him and he quickened his pace, determined not to be on the ladder when they hit whatever they were heading for. As he was nearing the top the ship shook suddenly and he cried out in surprise as his foot slipped off the rung. Swaying precariously with one hand, he heard his repair kit hit the ground where it had fallen from his arm. He took a moment to breathe before pulling himself back onto the steps. He had to get to engineering.
~~~~~~~
"Repair crews, seal off the hull on Deck fourteen."
"Aye, Captain." Aeva struggled to maintain her breathing as she led her crew to deck fourteen. Her heart was beating faster than she thought possible, but she wasn't sure what was worse, the adrenaline, the worry about what exactly they had got themselves into or the nervousness of being in charge, even if it was only of four other crewmembers.
She began to cough as they pried open the doors. The smoke was blinding and she felt her eyes stinging. Motioning for the others to follow, she hurried towards the breach, jumping quickly out of the way as the panel to her left sparked and finally burst into flames.
Instructing Telfer to deal with the fire, she led the others to the breach, joining another team there. She conferred quickly with Baxter and both teams set about repairs. All the time she was working a sense of foreboding began to build inside her. Perhaps it was the part of J'Tala that was left within. The old farmer had always had some strange sixth sense about him, and it had haunted his successors whenever they least expected it.
Shaking the feeling off, she continued to work, conferring with her crewmates where necessary, but trying her best not to say too much. She had a bad feeling that things were about to go very wrong.
~~~~~~~
1 End Part
Okay, I've decided to post this in 2 parts. I have written all of episode 1, I'm working on Episode 2 and I'm hoping there'll be enough interest that some of you will want to write future episodes. If anyone's interested in writing, sharing ideas etc. then I've started a Yahoo!
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I'll also post a character list in the files section after I've written Episode 2 so that you can read all about the newbies and find out some helpful information. I'd post it now, but then I'd be spoiling who lives and who doesn't! ;)
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