Part Two: The USS Asteria NCC-2954

Kathryn and the three cadets beamed onto the USS Asteria, registration NCC-2954, at 0600 hours sharp, less than an hour after discovering there was a mission at all. They were greeted in the tiny transporter room by Lieutenant Valerie Johnson.

"Admiral, their Starfleet issue uniforms are ready in the crew quarters, the last two bunks Ma'am."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Kathryn allowed Johnson to lead herself and the three out and down the single width corridor to the crew quarters.

They gathered the uniforms and went to the private bathrooms to change as Kathryn left Lieutenant Johnson with them and headed for the bridge.

"Admiral on the Bridge!" The Commander announced as she entered.

"Thank you…"

"Justin Gardner."

Justin. She hadn't given a thought to her first love in a long time. Now a man by the same name was serving as her second in command. "Pleasure, Commander." She shook his hand as she ascended the quick two steps to the aft point of the Bridge. Three other officers were in place, one at tactical, another at the ops station, and the last at con. "Is everyone on board? Admiral Paris is eager for us to get underway." She inquired as she made a quick visual inspection of the ship's command deck. It was an older design, mimicking the Galaxy Class, albeit an infinitely smaller type with no saucer section to it. It was a sleek ship with a slender bow and short port nacelles, a lower subsection that made it appear to be Galaxy class.

"Yes, Admiral." He sat down and punched up Starfleet Command on the Main Viewer. "You're through."

"Admiral Paris, we're all set." Kathryn spoke as she reached the Command level of the Bridge again, hands firmly on her hips.

"Stay at high warp once you leave the system. I'm sending the ship carrying the Renegade's replacement tactical officer to meet you at pre-determined co-ordinates. Commander Gardner has that information, once you rendezvous with that ship, their Commanding officer will have further information. I'm sorry to keep you in the dark, Admiral Janeway, but before you reach the Neutral Zone you will have every bit of information necessary."

"Yes sir."

"God speed."

She smiled and nodded before turning to the officer at tactical. "End transmission, Ensign."

"Yes, Ma'am." Her fingers tapped a couple of keys before finding the right one.

Kathryn settled next to Gardner. "Are they junior officers?" She whispered as she leaned her chin to rest on her palm.

"Junior when it comes to space travel, yes. However, all officers on board are cleared for highest security in Starfleet Intel and have minimum twenty years in service. I'm the only experienced space traveler, short of our engineer."

She raised an eyebrow and her lip curved up in the truest Janeway smirk. "Let's not get into any trouble out here than, ey?"

"Aye… Admiral." He returned the smirk, and tried to convey his assurances in this particular crew.

"Admiral?" Lieutenant Johnson came up from the turbolift on the side. "Did you want the cadets on the Bridge?"

"Yes, I think it would be good as we leave. What's your post, Lieutenant?"

She stood to the side as the three emerged and retreated to the rear of the Bridge. "Chief of Engineering, Ma'am. And if you no longer need me, I think I'll return there."

Kathryn nodded in dismissal and turned her head to look at her two students and their friend. "Phoebe, what's your last name?"

"McKeith." She whispered.

"You are so quiet. Before we jump to warp, are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely, Admiral Janeway!" There was a sudden confidence to her voice as the possibility of losing this experience dawned on her.

"Alright than." She stood and motioned Andrew over. "How good are you?"

"Enough to make my pleading less showoff and more honest than you think I'm being." He grinned down at her from his, she had to guess, 6 inches above her.

The ensign sitting there gladly surrendered. "If he does alright, may I return to crew quarters for a time?"

Kathryn nodded hesitantly. "Give it a try, Andrew."

Andrew sat and punched in the coordinates on the PADD sitting beside him.

Kathryn turned to the Ensign. "I was about to say, if he makes it out of the system, yes you can."

He smiled softly. "I'm sorry, Admiral, I should have informed you, I'm a Betazoid."

She looked semi-relieved that his mind-reading was just that. "That's fine ensign, hang tight until we know for sure."

"Have some faith in me, Admiral, just because my tests are always late doesn't mean I'm incapable like Va'Ler thinks I am." He paused with his finger hovering over the final button in the impulse engine ignition sequence. "Admiral?"

"Engage, Cadet." She patted him on the back as he punched it and the ship jumped to high impulse. "When we're out of the system, go to Warp 7..." She paused and turned to Gardner.

He stood. "Warp 8.3 is the acceptable maximum on this ship."

"Thank you, Commander. Warp 8.3 when we leave the system."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Tactical?"

"Ensign Ena Rose, Ma'am." The Bajoran officer responded.

"Ensign Ena, maintain yellow alert for the time being."

Ena nodded and entered the command into the console. The Bridge lights turned from the standard fluorescent colors to the pale yellow, indicating a heightened alert status.

"I'll be in the briefing room and appreciate you joining me when we've gone to Warp, Commander."

"Yes, Admiral." He stood as she left for the turbolift.

Gardner stood silently for a moment before turning to the two cadets still at the back. "You're in the Admiral's class?"

Va'Ler clasped her hands behind her back. "I am, Sir. Phoebe McKeith is in Professor Ratheele's third year science class."

"We don't have a science officer on this ship. It may be good for your resume." He looked back at Va'Ler. "And what do you plan to study?"

"I am taking classes on multiple subjects, Sir."

"Ok." He turned and walked to the front of the Command Level. "I think you can go Ensign Velt." He gestured to the Betezoid con officer.

"Yes sir."

Gardner waited as they passed the rock that is "planet" Pluto and Andrew pushed in the sequence to take her to Warp 8.3."

"We're on our way, Commander." Andrew was ecstatic as he leaned back, a grin spreading across his boyish features.

Gardner rolled his eyes. "You have the Bridge, Lieutenant." He angled a glance towards the Ops officer who quickly exited the station and approached the Commander. "Anything happens- the slightest thing concerns you, notify the Admiral or myself immediately."

"Understood, Sir." He agreed.

Kathryn had taken a short stroll around the five floor ship. Deck one was the Bridge and Bridge alone. The second deck was the briefing room, something that was not stocked enough to be a sickbay, as well as emergency pods and a tiny shuttle bay she was sure Tom Paris himself couldn't dock a shuttle in. The third floor was the transporter room, galley, and crew quarters, three rooms with 4 sets of bunks each. As well as the Captain and first officer's quarters. Two small rooms each with a private bath. It was in hers that she found a PADD with detailed information on the escalating Reman crisis and more details than originally provided to the Command Board regarding the violent attack on the Romulan Senate. She stowed them in the small desk before continuing her stroll. Deck four was odd to her. This tiny ship had a large compliment of torpedoes and probes, housed in a special bay area, bigger than the one allotted to the shuttle bay. She browsed them before taking the turbo lift to the final deck. There she found engineering. She remembered the first ship her father had taken her to and this engine room was similar in size and specs. She smiled as she walked to the warp core, which had been updated to reflect what Voyager had in hers. "Lieutenant?"

Johnson peeked over the edge of the second level past the open deck plate she was doing something to with a hydrospanner. "Admiral? Checking the ship out?"

"Yes I am. What's the crew compliment right now?"

"Not as many as we were planning to run with, but the risky business of intelligence demands perfection, no substitutes. I'm surprised Admiral Paris allowed you to take Cadets." She dropped the hydrospanner to the lower level and cursed.

Kathryn picked it up and climbed the access ladder to the second level.

"Thanks." She took it gratefully and set it beside her as she wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead.

Kathryn crouched down next to her. "Can I help?"

"No." She sighed and rolled onto her back, pressing her palms against her eyes. "Would you know I've worked in this engine room for twelve years and they still won't give me what I need to keep her together?"

Kathryn crossed her legs and played with the hydrospanner, letting the grease dirty her far too sterile fingertips. "You sounds so much like my last Chief Engineer."

Johnson sat up and pushed the deck plate back down, covering the wires beneath. "Yeah? On Voyager? When she first came out I got a tour! Oh, bioneural gel packs, plasma cooling circuitry? I want that engine room." She smiled, "I applied too, but…" She sighed. "I knew your first engineer, it devastated me to see he was killed on the first mission. Kinda makes me glad I didn't get it though."

She nodded and pursed her lips. "How risky is this mission?"

"You weren't briefed?"

Kathryn shook her head. "No sooner did Paris give me orders and my apartment was raided by armed Starfleet Security officers on a threat against me. They scooped me up and shipped me off."

"That's funny, he told us you'd be prepared."

"Briefed and prepared are very different things to me. Admiral Paris knows what I can handle off the cuff, but I have a meeting with Commander Gardner to discuss it all when we leave the system."

Johnson stood up and wiped the grease off of her hands with an old towel. She studied the Warp core a moment before deciding it wasn't operating at warp. "I think you have a few, wanna look her over?"

Kathryn smiled at Valerie Johnson, she could befriend this woman, even on a four week mission. "Definitely, Lieutenant."

"As for your question of crew, I'm not sure exactly how many made it aboard, I have four engineers and perhaps you can spare that Vulcan cadet, I read her file last night after you spoke with Admiral Paris, she seems to have a knack for mechanics."

Kathryn nodded as she followed her down the ladder.

"If you don't mind dropping protocol my way, you can call me Val, everyone else on the ship does."

"Okay, Val. If you've served on this ship for 12 years, you're not an intelligence officer?"

Valerie crawled into a Jeffries tube indicating Kathryn follow her. "Not out and out, but I've long been cleared to Code Blue level one, because of the nature of the missions this ship embarks on."

Kathryn nodded, despite the fact that she was behind Valerie. "She's all yours, she's an eager student, very capable and the top of all of her classes."

"What do you teach?"

"Entry level."

Valerie turned around almost completely, surprise registering on her features. "Respect for experience not withstanding, Admiral, you should be teaching the teachers."

Kathryn shook her head. "I wasn't sure I wanted to teach at all. This is my first year, but I may consider taking up a science course or two next semester, assuming I survive this Jeffries tube."

"Yeah, it's considerably smaller than regulation, but it does the job. I wanted you to see just how old the network is." She pushed the last hatch aside and scooted through into the central cross point for the circuits. "It's a damn mess in here all the time."

Kathryn bit her lip trying not to grin as she stuck her head out. "Definitely like my engineer."

"Gardner to Janeway."

Kathryn tapped her commbadge. "Go ahead, Commander."

"Admiral, we've gone to warp. Are you in the briefing room?"

Kathryn struggled to contain a chuckle. "No, Commander, I am in the Jeffries tube."

Valerie broke out in laughter as she followed Kathryn back through to Engineering.

"I'll meet you up there. Janeway out."

"I can picture his face. Oh and he usually goes by Justin, unless you're on that protocol thing. We usually drop it quick, Intelligence officers are so used to undercover work that rank doesn't usually stick."

"Justin I can't do." Kathryn said simply as she climbed out of the Jeffries tube and offered a hand to Valerie.

"Oh?" She took her hand and ducked out, nearly tripping as she did.

"Long story." Kathryn headed for the door. "I'll see you later."

"Yes, Ma'am."

When Kathryn arrived at the briefing room, Gardner was sitting to the side of the large, rounded out table, staring out the viewport. She cleared her throat and he jumped, turning the swivel chair around completely.

"I didn't hear the door. Please, Admiral." He stood and indicated the seating as she approached the other side of the table and he eased himself down as she did across from him.

"I didn't mean to startle you, Commander." She leaned her elbows on the table and folded her fingers together, studying his features closely. "Will you be filling me in?"

He nodded and stood, heading for the computer console. "Computer, display Renegade ship schematics, including crew quarters, and sensitive areas, voice authorization Gardner Pie Three Feita."

The computer responded by displaying the requested schematics and flickered through each frame, pausing only five seconds for each.

"Computer, transfer to Admiral Janeway's quarters and encode, security clearance Janeway only."

"Transfer complete."

Kathryn watched as he repeated this procedure through several more screens, including the Renegade Captain's personal logs as received by Starfleet Command. When he had finished with the fifth, she felt the need to interrupt. "I suppose I have a lot of catching up to do, despite my level of involvement in the Romulan situation."

"Quite." He confirmed before continuing with the information transfer. It was so heavily encoded that the computer would not allow access from just any console despite security clearances.

She rested her chin on top of her folded fingers and continued to watch him until he returned to his seat. She leaned forward as though afraid to ask what she was thinking. "Commander, what is going on?"

"This Captain has refused two direct orders to assist the Enterprise with the Reman problem, and when he requested a replacement tactical officer he gave no reason for it. He's privy to many of the direct communications between Command and the Enterprise and knew of your involvement on the investigative board. It's believed he intercepted your communiqué to Captain Picard."

"That wasn't classified in and of itself. So, why bother? Do they think he was involved in the threat against me that happened this morning?"

"All I know of that particular threat is that Admiral Paris received a message stating that you wouldn't survive your trip to the Academy and considering you leave early he assumed there was something in your apartment. We can speculate that he was involved, but not for sure. Communicating orders from the Neutral Zone to operatives on Earth in a matter of hours is no small feat." He leaned forward now and dropped his voice to just above a whisper. "Paris thinks that your students are involved, specifically the Vulcan."

Kathryn shook her head firmly. "No. That's not possible. I've been the victim of more than one mutiny and a few traitorous moves while in the Delta Quadrant, and think I can read them better than that."

"I hope for your sake, and hers that you're right, but for now she thinks she's helping out and your inclusion of the other two will keep our concerns under wraps. We'll know for sure when we get to the Renegade. Having a Betazoid officer was no accident either."

"But not a secret." She offered, remembering the Ensign's confession.

"Correct. Everything is set in motion and once you read through those files I can supply more information on the specifics of this mission."

"Commander, if they suspect Va'Ler, what good would a Betazoid do? The Vulcan mind is so level and controlled that he wouldn't get a read on her."

"The thought pattern behind that is that Va'Ler is young, and if she's been influenced by Romulan traiors it's possible that she is not fully in control."

"I suppose I'll get to those reports now, sitting here speculating isn't helping me." She sighed and stood. "Will you be on the Bridge if I have questions?"

"No, Admiral, I'll be in my quarters doing much of the same."

"I see, well… I'll talk to you later."

"Oh, Admiral?"

She stopped at the door, sensing this was coming considering her recent conversation with Valerie.

"You can call me Justin."

"Okay." She didn't turn, didn't smile and was painfully aware of the nauseas feeling rising in her.

Justin watched her go. He sighed remembering reading her psychological profile when Paris had the intelligence agents scope her students out on the first day of class. Her fiancé, the first one, had died in traumatic accident she had witnessed. He was an intelligence specialist named Justin. He shook it off, what's done was done and there was no taking it back. It was good though, to see what made her tick, what made her stop and think and what made her squirm and hurt. He didn't like doing it to someone who was on his side, but it's what made him a good agent.

He waited another moment, not wanting to end up running into her near the officer's quarters, figuring he had upset her some and she'd want to be alone. Besides that, she had a lot of work in front of her, they all did.

To be Continued….