Chronicle of the Guardian: Chaos Factor

By THE Xenomorph

I own only the character of Vile, Catlina Flores, the Hybrids and the Scions

Star Trek Voyager is © Paramount

Aliens vs Predator is © Fox

A Suffering Captain

"Report." Captain Janeway glared at her screen while Seven of Nine began to go through the entirety of the scans that were performed on the ad-hoc containment room. The scans showed little evidence of anything happening outside of a minor anti-matter leak.

Seven of Nine looked confused and then shook her head. "There is nothing Captain." She looked angry for all of a second. "No trace of Vile." Her voice was steeled more than usual, Janeway knew the former Borg was trying to comprehend the loss of a friend and devoted protector of the crew. "I..." Her head wiped around as she seemingly tried to locate something. "Chaos is toying with me."

"Don't assume so much." Janeway sighed. "The comment Chaos made leads me to believe Vile will return."

"We must simply wait?" Seven scoffed.

"No." Janeway practically growled the reply. "It took one of my crew, we're going to get him back whether or not it wants us too."

"How?" Seven asked.

"Captain, Quarantine is lifted." The voice of the Doctor came over the comm.

"Excellent, gather the senior staff for a meeting we have a friend to rescue." Janeway said as she exited the room and went straight for her quarters. Images of Vile and the crew flashed through her mind, she would not have worked so hard to help someone just to have that monster take it all away from both of them. She would save Vile even if it cost her what she had remaining of her humanity.

She was just putting on her newest uniform jacket when a voice crept into her room and the temperature plummeted. She took a moment to notice her breath and another to notice the stars outside her window were gone. She could only think of one thing this could be, it was cold stark reality that she and all her crew were heading towards everyday.

"So I assume you're Death?" Janeway did not want too turn around but something compelled her and there she was face to face with a robed skeleton, scythe in hand. "Classical."

The form then dissipated and recollected into the form of a floating green robe, it's head held darkness save for two glowing cyan orbs. In what were obviously invisible hands were two cups of coffee. The temperature also slowly rose.

"I'm glad to get your attention." Death spoke. "Now, we need to talk."

"I'm not going to let him des-" Janeway was cut off as Death passed her a cup.

"He won't." Death's eyes seemed to give a gentle smile. "Vile, in all his incarnations is one of Chaos' favorite people. A hopeless optimist trapped in the body of an eternal cynic."

"The perfect contradiction." Janeway smirked.

"Exactly, much like my friend." Death nodded to Janeway's table and the two moved to sit.

"We couldn't have saved Carey." Janeway sighed.

"No." Death nodded and Janeway felt an invisible hand on her shoulder, it felt ragged and old, but comforting.

"Why are you here?" She finally asked after a few moments of silence.

"Don't become what would drive him away." Death said softly.

"I supposed you have a solution?" Janeway laughed.

"I would say 'have faith', but I'm as far removed from that as Vile is apart of it." Death smiled again.

"He would go that route too." Janeway shook her head. "So what, just wait?"

"Never just wait Kathryn Janeway, never just stand idle." The eyes of death began to glow white. Janeway pulled back a small bit. "Always pursue your way home."

"And what about my crewman?" Janeway steeled her voice.

"He will return and he will bring those in need." Death spoke, "Please be prepared to help them or you will loose him to his own grief."

"No." Janeway's voice was ice now. "You won't take any of them."

Death merely stood from his position at the table. His form rose higher until it became the black robed skeleton once more. "I do not desire them, but if they pass I must lead them home."

"And where is that?" Janeway snapped right before the skeletal hand wrapped over her face.

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Voyager coasted through space at it's usual pace. It was peaceful and enjoyable to watch. Then Janeway realized she was watching her ship from the outside. She immediately tried to stand only to find she was unable to.

"The spiritual is not something you're used to." Death spoke, it was back to it's black robes, though the pits of the skull's eyes now glowed with a cyan light. It waved it's hand and Janeway righter herself.

"What's going on?" She tried to gasp for air.

"Your ship, if you do not heed my words." Death pointed to the metallic scarring along the hull. Battle scars the ship had yet to repair.

"We won't make it." Janeway felt the light of hope in her die.

"You will always make it Janeway, you and the majority of the crew." Death spoke, "Vile's presence changed that, now every trip is dice throw and you will need every advantage to bring everyone home."

"I won't use him like that again!" Janeway roared.

"Who said I was implying that?" Death's head rolled to face her.

"I've already lost so much of my own humanity, morals and my sanity I cannot loose my crew, my family." Janeway felt a darkness welling and then Death's hand was on her shoulder, comforting and terrifying all at once. "Even if I have to go in their..." Death's hand pulled her up and the image shifted.

Voyager changed in all but a moment. The scars were not gone, but they were far less of a worry. Another ship traveled alongside Voyager it looked familiar to Janeway but she could not place it immediately. Then she noticed the other ships, smaller mining ships and something akin to a vanguard ship. She took a deep breath as she saw the ships fight and defend Voyager, share in her victories and her defeats.

"What is this?" Janeway asked.

"Hope." Death spoke.

"And I need to use him like a tool for this?" Janeway felt the darkness flood back.

"You need to be human and let him be human too." Death spoke, "But for now Janeway, you have born a Sufferance well and you should rest."

"A wha..." Janeway was about to ask, but never finished before she awoke on her bed, her door chiming.

"Come in." She sprung to her feet.

"Captain are you ok?" Chakotay came in, a phaser ready as if expecting trouble.

"No, but I guess I overslept when I shouldn't have." Janeway shook her head. "I'll be at the meeting room shortly.

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T_X: Pffft, I dunno what I'm doing anymore. If you're reading this help I'm trapped in my TV!

Wraith: No he isn't. He's just loosing his mind.

T_X: **Mimes being trapped in a box**

Wraith: No. **beats the author with a newspaper** Bad writer.