Hear Voyager Coming

A few hours earlier.

She stood steadily on the bridge. The central viewer was split between a view of the planet below and and the globular eyes of a skeptical reptilian face.

"He's down there," Janeway's raspy voice intoned. "I'm going in to get them."

"Okay, we'll cover you from up here." The alien commander's translator gave slight indication of her frustration. "Good luck."

Janeway was more tense than she realized. Her legs muscles flexed. She acknowledged Chakhotay's carrying out her instructions.

"Mr. Paris. Bring us down where the Captain indicated," he directed.

"I know he's down there," she said. …and then, for what seemed like an exceedingly high number of times in recent hours, Captain Janeway added again, "I know it. I can feel his presence. I'm sure of it now."

200 meters below the surface, the Vulcan sat in what could have been mistaken for quiet meditation.

His companion, in a small subdivision of the underground tunnel complex, wanted to ask him a question, but Tuvok had raised his hand in a pausing motion. It was almost 4 minutes more before he spoke.

"I can hear the Voyager coming…" he said almost with almost religious satisfaction in his voice. "She's hovering overhead."

Taken aback, two huge dark globular eyes rolled forward to examine his warm blooded roommate.

"Are you sure?" The green brown creature crawled toward him with anticipation. "You can not really hear them from down here."

"Nevertheless, she is up there," Tuvok acknowledged. He broke his mediation pose and opened his eyes…his stoic terse manner returning, "Signal your people to stay in place and remain still. Our transporter energizer system is very efficient. It will detect and recover us all."

His commbadge sat on top of an improvised power source. He tapped it for the first time in months. It gave a slight whine of feedback.

"Tuvok to Voyager…"

Ensign Kim's voice cut in fast.

"Mr. Tuvok! Glad to hear you! We need to get you up here fast! Your status?"

"Sixty-seven to beam up. Thirty-four two person caves are in a helical pattern starting from 420 meters down. Be aware; radioactive ore will give you and occluded signal. We will remain in place."

"I don't believe it!" The lizardperson cocked his head. "I can hear the beaming taking place in the chambers below!"

"Please be more silent. This transport sequence will most likely take some rock with it. Our structure will not remain stable."

He imitated Tuvok as much as possible…maneuvering into a tight ball and even wrapping his tail around.

"One question, friend Tuvok," he said in a whisper. "Which side of you did you use to reached out? …to reach your 'captain-friend'? Your logical brain or your emotional brain? OH! I can feel it happening…"

"Both," whispered Tuvok. And as his companion began to glow, shimmer and fade away he reached out with his hand, "Live long and prosper, friend."

The sound of his voice made her let out a impassioned breath.

"Thank you…" she whispered with her eyes closed.

An eternity of time dilation passed before she could fairly fall back into her seat at the next report:

"Sixty seven good beam-ups." Mr. Kim announced with satisfaction. "Mr. Tuvok was sixty-seventh. We have everybody!"

The entire bridge seemed to give a collective sigh of relief. One, "yes!" was exclaimed from a crewman manning a side console station. Janeway herself couldn't have agreed more.

"Disperse the survivors to their ships," she ordered. "Send our wounded to sickbay. If Tuvok is capable…have him come to the bridge at his earliest readiness…"

…a column of sparkling light began shimmering above the elevated floor behind the command seats. Mr. Tuvok emerged there…a model conglomeration ultimate civilization and combat savagery.

His hair was in an uncharacteristic huge bushy afro. His face and skin alternately covered in camouflaging mud and green leaf dye. And his uniform clothing was a pattern of foliage mimicking spots of light green and dark green. It was a different version of her Vulcan that she had only seen maybe one or two other times before…in 20 years of adventures together.

She had honestly forgotten how completely he COULD change himself from the virtually monochromatic Vulcan persona when needed to for individual tactical measures. Anyhow, seeing him again, after so long, was tantalizing enough. This was extraordinary.

Tuvok, himself, was squinting just slightly enough to give the impression that he and the brilliant light of technology were in a battle that he had already going to win despite coming from a subterranean hideout. Yet, he also stood impossibly straight and erect as if he were presenting himself for an impromptu inspection. He straightened down his camouflaged tunic and adjusted the head band that held back his afro. He was really magnificent and startling to see at the same time.

Uncharacteristically, Janeway's heart skipped a beat. She took in the visual for what was probably just a brief second…but seemed longer. When she did not immediately address him he took the initiative to speak in the somewhat stylized language of the spacefaring tradition.

"Lieutenant Commander Tuvok: Requesting permission to come aboard and assume the Tactical Console." Though the greeting had the required impersonal formal structure and rhythm, he was unreservedly looking into her eyes with typical directness but atypical familiarity and personal engagement. She could almost swear there was the thinnest of smiles

It was all catching her off guard.

"Welcome back aboard the starship Voyager…" she managed to finally get out in a voice perilously close to a whisper. "You…you have Tactical con."

"Thank you,Captain," he replied. And then unnecessarily he added. "It is good to be aboard."

And, there was that damn barely slight smile again! Just enough for her to see it but not enough to be totally sure. She almost wanted to have his identity checked but his next moves reminded her of the efficient Vulcan she knew. Tuvok all but pushed aside his young deputy tactical officer who had been in charge of combat operations in his stead.

"You are relieved, Lieutenant Ammârix." Tuvok pushed buttons as if he had only stepped away from the console long enough to use the lavatory. "Tactical situation status report!"

Ammârix, after many years of serving under Tuvok knew how to be ready to report quickly and precisely to him.

"Shields up full and operating under normal parameters. Tubes 1 and 2 loaded with Mark 1 quantum torpedoes. 3 through 4 loaded with Mark XII photon replacements…"

Lt. Ammârix rattled of a battle briefing as quickly as she could apologizing for whatever shortcomings in the situation that she felt reflected a bad strategic positioning. She was as good an ersatz bridge officer as could be expected, but nowhere in Tuvok's league or experience. When she was finished Tuvok barely looked over at her but said:

"Your service has been adequate. Proceed with tactical coordination protocols with allied fleet. Thank you for your service."

Janeway was interrupted in her awe of all this by the allied alien fleet captain calling her.

"Captain Voyager," the bug-eyed lizardess addressed Janeway in her own way. "All mine are back! If only our situation were not so dire I would feel happy…yes? We read five of their ships just coming out warp behind us at the midway point and six in our path blocking our egress. It was a good effort, but I guess it was all for nought…"

"It's okay, Captain of Tiseeris," Janeway interjected as she now sat herself down firmly and pushed her spine into the secure cushioning of the Captain's seat. "My Chief Tactical Officer back on board now…and that makes it a whole different tactical situation..."

She took a deep breath and involuntarily gave a confident smile.

"Captain," Kim began. "Mr. Tuvok has been transported to sickbay but requests permission to join the bridge."

For the first time in what felt like weeks Janeway sat down in her captain's chair. She