DISCLAIMER: All references to Star TrekĀ® or any of its characters are the copyright of Paramount, Inc. The "Gauntlet" series of stories is a non-profit endeavor solely for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement is intended. The "Gauntlet" concept, including the Abrasite setting, 13 Portals, Map Keeper and other unique characters in "Gauntlet 1," "Gauntlet 2" and "Gods of the Corn" are the property of Karen Tomlinson. "The Third Portal" story's unique mileu and characters are the property of this author.

RATING: PG-13

NOTE: To read the stories preceding this one, please go to an earlier version of "The Second Portal" at sky dot prohosting dot com/jsnexus/50of47/portal dot html for the links. Just replace the word "dot" with a period. The Author's Notes there contain links to the three stories which begin this series.

SUMMARY: Having safely come through the Second Portal, Voyager's crew is back in normal space. They will begin their search for the Third Portal map after enjoying several days of shore leave and completing much-needed repairs to Voyager.

The Third Portal

by 50of47

Last Time on Star Trek: Voyager:

Once Voyager had safely passed through the First Portal, Captain and crew found themselves in an alternate reality. The Magol and two ships out of the other ten that had entered the wormhole with them survived the journey. The Magol captain, Gunlag, set out in pursuit of Voyager and the map after forming an alliance with the Abuskat and Tarkada, the alien races aboard the two other surviving ships.

Just as the last quadlet of the Second Portal map was fusing itself to the other three, a Magol alliance raiding party snatched it from the away team's hands, leaving Voyager no other choice but to attempt to travel through the Second Portal with only the First Portal map's incomplete protection.

The Magol succeeded in forcing the Abuskat ship into a particle fountain, where it was destroyed. They then entered the Second Portal with only that Portal's section of the map and were subsequently destroyed themselves. The Tarkada entered the Second Portal at the same time as the Magol, and successfully made it through to Third Portal space.

Voyager's crew recovered the stolen portion of the indestructible map when it was ejected from the Portal along with the debris from the destroyed Magol ship. By using the recovered quadlets in combination with the First Portal set previously gathered, Voyager and itscrew safely passed into Third Portal space, where Janeway ordered Tom Paris to set the ship down on a friendly planet for much-needed repairs. The governmental officials of Sirana also extended shore leave privileges to the crew.