Live for something. Do good, and leave behind you a monument of virtue that the storm of time can never destroy. Write your name in kindness, love, and mercy, on the hearts of thousands you come in contact with year by year; you will never be forgotten. No, your name, your deeds, will be as legible on the hearts you leave behind as the stars on the brow of evening. Good deeds will shine as the stars of heaven.
Kathryn felt the phaser beam as it shot through her transporter pattern. It added a different kind of tingle to the normal feeling of transport and for a moment she wasn't sure how it would affect her when she rematerialized.
For a moment, she wasn't sure she'd gone anywhere at all.
Harry had transported her directly to the bridge and she'd arrived in almost the same spot she'd been in on the other ship. Chakotay was next to her, dressed in his regular Starfleet uniform, and Kathryn thought she'd never seen a more comforting sight.
"Captain," Chakotay started to reach his hand toward her arm, as if he needed to feel her to know she was there. He dropped his hand suddenly, remembering where they were, but Kathryn reached up to pat his chest briefly.
"Commander, your timing is impeccable."
She turned back to face the viewscreen in time to see her counterpart roughly shove her own Commander Chakotay out of the way before assuming the same position on her bridge.
"What have you done to my ship?" she spat at the viewer. Obviously they thought Kathryn was solely responsible for their problems and she remembered Harry Kim and Mike Ayala being left in the Jeffries tube on deck twelve. She briefly hoped that they wouldn't be in too much trouble when they awoke. And she also hoped that Chakotay's counterpart would find some way to play dumb lest he be in quite a bit of trouble himself.
Quickly weighing her options, Kathryn decided to tip her hand.
"I uploaded a virus to your computer core designed to attack key systems. You've already lost shields, internal communication, and propulsion is limited. And that's just the beginning," as she spoke she reached to unhook the pouch on her belt containing the isolinear chips and turned to toss it up to Harry at operations. He deftly caught it and grinned as he pulled out the last chip and began uploading the data so Seven could make the final modifications to the deflector dish. "We know how to open and close those spatial rifts now. We won't hesitate to force you through one." Kathryn paused and folded her arms back across her chest. "My first officer made an offer to help you repair your ship. It still stands if you are willing to cease hostilities."
Silence descended again and Kathryn watched as Chakotay's counterpart, having stayed by his captain's side in spite of being shoved away, leaned to whisper something in her ear. She simply glared at him before turning to Tuvok and motioning to cut the comm. link.
Kathryn sighed as the viewer switched back to the space field. Then the ship shook around them and she and Chakotay both pitched forward to the railing.
"I'll take that as a 'no,'" she pushed back from the railing and issued orders as she moved to sit in her command chair. "Tuvok, lock phasers on their weapons systems and return fire. Let's see if we can help our little virus along. Bridge to Seven of Nine."
"Seven of Nine here. Captain, I have made the final modifications to the deflector dish and aligned the beam with the appropriate universe. A rift can be opened at your command."
"Very good, Seven. Stand by."
The ship rocked again and she watched the screen as the fire was returned. Then nothing else came.
"Captain, their weapons are down," Tuvok reported.
Kathryn nodded slowly. "Now what will you do, Captain?" she whispered.
"I'm showing their propulsion systems are completely offline. They're dead in the water," Tom called from the helm.
"Open a channel, Mr. Kim," and Kathryn waited for the familiar beep before continuing. "Captain Janeway," it felt odd to be addressing herself but she shrugged it off. "This is your last chance to accept our offer for help before we open a rift and tractor you in. Please respond."
Twenty seconds passed before Harry spoke up. "The message was received, Captain, they just aren't responding."
"Because they don't want to or because they can't?"
"They don't want to. I specifically directed the virus to leave external communications alone and sensors are reading that they are still fully operational."
Kathryn sighed and rubbed her temples briefly. "What's going to happen to them?" she whispered and glanced at Chakotay sitting to her left.
They locked eyes and he whispered the only reply he could make – one they both knew was true but had a hard time accepting. "It isn't our problem, Kathryn. It can't be."
"I know," she whispered before standing to issue the necessary orders. "Seven," she called, "Activate the deflector and open a rift 100 kilometers off the port bow. Tuvok, lock a tractor beam onto the other Voyager. Tom," she moved to stand over his right shoulder and placed a hand on the back of his chair. "Prepare to move them toward the rift. I want enough momentum to carry them through after we disengage our tractor beam."
A chorus of 'Aye, Captain's' was heard all around and Kathryn nodded with satisfaction.
Within minutes they were watching as the other ship drifted into the rift and out of sight. Once sensors confirmed their safe arrival in their own universe, Seven sent out another deflector beam to close the rift. Tom directed them to the first rift and they closed that one too.
And just like that, everything was right with the universes.
/\
Kathryn sat in her command chair for some time as activity on the bridge began to die down. Everything was normal again, at least as normal as it ever was, but she still felt odd.
Finally, she remembered she was still wearing her mirror universe uniform, if there was enough of it to call it that. She smiled slightly and felt a flush creeping up her cheeks. Glancing over, she met Chakotay's eyes and he smiled right back at her. He knew exactly what she was thinking.
Standing, Kathryn spoke to the entire bridge crew.
"I know this has been a pretty trying experience for all of us, some more so than others," she turned and nodded at Chakotay and Harry in turn, recalling all too clearly the pain that Harry had been forced to endure. She reached down and grasped Chakotay's hand before continuing. "You are all such good people, a captain couldn't ask for a better crew, and these past couple of days are further proof of just how much power good has over evil."
Chakotay gave her hand a squeeze, Harry nodded and gave her his best grin, and a soft "Here, here!" could be heard from Tom.
"And now, if you all will excuse me," a smile played across her lips, "I'm suddenly very aware of my state of dress and would like to slip into something more comfortable." She disengaged her hand from Chakotay's and moved toward the turbo lift. "Commander, you have the bridge."
"Aw, I'm disappointed!" Kathryn stopped short of the 'lift at the sound of Tom's voice. She turned to see him swivel around in his chair. He wore the same grin plastered across his face as his counterpart had and Kathryn remembered her decision to cut him some slack. "I'd hoped we'd have new uniforms around here! A change might be nice," he chuckled and Kathryn smiled in return.
"Perhaps I'll designate a 'casual Friday' for you, Lieutenant," she turned and stepped in to the 'lift.
"Excellent," Tom said, and genuine happiness could be heard in his voice. "I hope I can fill it out as nicely as Chakotay did."
Kathryn turned and held the 'lift doors open to see Tom's impish smile.
"Who said I'd let you wear a uniform like his?" She raised her eyebrows and leaned back slightly, gesturing to her halter-top and skirt.
Then the 'lift doors closed between her grin and Tom's astonished face.
