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
Firefly/Serenity is © Fox/Universal
Matron
It was inevitable that Janeway would seek me out again. It was inevitable that we would have to talk about everything that had occurred. Thankfully I had several months of Scion induced forced therapy behind me, Janeway was not as lucky. For it was a week or so ago that she had ordered me to be a weapon, since she had betrayed me. I could tell while we spoke in company of each other and others that she was ill at ease, that something gnawed at her. I let her come to me, it was safer, she too had a temper.
My door chimed in the early morning the day after Q's involvement in everything had been revealed. I was already on my couch and I simply stared for a moment, waiting for something other than the chime. It came in the form of Janeway speaking.
"May I come in." She didn't use my name, either of them.
"Come in." I said flatly as I stood from my couch.
She walked in and looked around. My room had gained a few more decorations; broken pieces of the device lay on a table where I still looked at them in fascination as they should have been taken when Chaos reformed it and left. There was also the remains of Early's gear, my sack from The Orville and a few other little tokens I picked up.
"Quite a collection..." She said, olding her hands over themselves several times. "I can't..."
"Janeway." I took over the conversation. "What you did was wrong, I can't pretend it wasn't."
"I know." Janeway sighed. "I know."
"Thankfully for both of us I got the help I needed." I put my hands on her shoulders. "I forgive you. I hope you can forgive me for my anger."
"Easily." Janeway took a deep breathing sigh and she even seemed to move as if a weight had been lifted. "So, a whole bunch of different realities?"
"Seven, maybe eight or nine." I shook my head. "I can't be sure on the second one and there was a point where the device wasn't what transferred me."
"Sounds..." She looked at a loss for words. "Well chaotic."
"It was, but each and every trip had a purpose. A person who showed me what I needed to see and hear even when I didn't want to." I let her sit in one of the few chairs I managed to convince Mal to let me have. "And then I met the man who reminded me what my faith is based on."
"Sin?" Janeway smirked, but straightened out. "I'm sorry."
"Not wrong though." I nodded to the replicator.
"I think if I had more coffee today I'd vibrate into another reality." She seemed defeated for a moment. "I think I'll have whatever you have."
"So be it." I grinned as I reached behind my couch and pulled out my thermos and two glasses.
"That's cheating." She sighed as I poured the drinks. She still took it with a thoughtful sigh.
"But Forgiveness is what my faith is based in." I continued. "Forgiveness of self and others and the love of family and friends and to hold it close." I took in a deep breath, closed my eyes and opened them. She was staring at me.
"You know your eyes almost have a reptilian quality when you do that." She observed. "The Union doctor maybe right about you mysterious DNA guardian."
"Doc also thinks so." I nodded as I slammed the drink back in one go. I shook as it burned down my throat, then leaned back against my couch.
"We'll be taking on Q's son starting next week." She said. "We won't be able to return Serenity in that time frame."
"So the little shit will have to walk lightly." I said and took a breath. "Good. He needs to learn to respect us."
"Oh it gets better." Janeway smiled. "No powers save for the ability to forgo sleep and food if he chooses."
"Oh Janeway, is it Christmas time already? I didn't get you anything, neither did River I'm sure." I smiled.
"Speaking of." She took her glass and downed the drink, her face was priceless. "Oh that's terrible. How do you all drink that?"
"Fast." I grinned.
"I'll think I'll take a lemonade after that." She blinked as I stood up and tapped in the order to the replicator. "What happened to voice controls?" I pointed to another table where a fresh pile of components sat. "Oh."
"She got mouthy." I said flatly as I handed her the drink. "River?"
"Well, I looked over the files we have on her and the situation with their reality." She leaned back in the chair. "I'm not sure I feel comfortable sending them back."
"They can't stay here." I sighed. "The Kazon would devour them."
"I know." She nodded. "I said I wasn't comfortable, but I have to for multiple reasons. Still, we have some things that can help them."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing they haven't already seen o been given by Enterprise mind you, but still it's something." She said. "Did you know Picard gave them several kilograms of platinum."
I thought for a moment. "That explains the charity jobs." I scratched my chin.
"More than that, they know exactly what was done to her." Janeway's voice was steel. "If you ever find your way back there and you can put those men and women where they belong, will you?" A moment of clarity passed between us as I simply nodded. "I'm happy with that." She smiled.
"Janeway..." I tilted my head. "Have you talked to the girl?"
"She terrifies me quite honestly." Janeway frowned. "She can't filter anything out and it could be a problem if she reads the wrong thing."
"She already has Janeway." I laughed. "Her range is pretty damn impressive."
"Well." She sighed and took a sip of her drink. "Crap."
"Mei-jadhi-n'yaka-de..." I started, she immediately paid attention. "Speak to her please, her insights could be the difference between life and death at times."
She nodded in understanding before finishing her drink and standing. She went to the door, then turned to me. "What did that mean?"
"You're not my captain." I said as I stood. Her face faltered for the briefest moment. "The words alone mean 'sister' and 'master', when combined they mean Matron." I explained. "Matrons are the females who can override Elders on their home world." She didn't smile for a few seconds and then simply nodded as she left.
A few moments later I walked out with my glove and com-badge. I tapped it. "Harry, get the team together, I'm gonna run some exercises."
"You just got back!" Harry said from the other end.
"I know, I got six months to make up for!" I grinned.
"You were gone a week here!"
"Just get them together for me." I rolled my eyes as I got into the turbo lift. River and Simon were already in it.
"She said you were plotting evil fun and that we needed to join in." Simon sighed.
"You're a darling." I smiled at River.
"Cerberus has lessons to teach." River smiled back. "She's happier than you know."
"I kinda figured. You tell the others to meet us at the holodeck?" I asked.
"Yes. Shepard Book suspects why." River explained as she held her hands behind her back in a straight, eerily familiar fashion.
"She is confident." River said.
"Seven's not a bad role-model." I nodded.
"She threatened to break Jayne's arm." Simon nodded. "I can't argue with that statement, I just really felt like mentioning that." He was smiling.
"What'd he do this time?" I groaned as the doors parted and we walked out.
"Is this about Jayne?" Kaylee asked as she and Inara joined us.
"Specifically that Seven of Nine threatened to break his arm." Simon explained.
"Oh when he tried to put his arm around her?" Kaylee asked, we were moving fast through the halls.
"Ai ya!" I groaned as we came to the doors, Serenity's crew was all present. I looked at Jayne and merely shook my head.
"What?" He asked as I walked into the holodeck.
"I suspect you really are far luckier than you should be." Simon smirked as he and River followed me in.
"What'd I do now?" Jayne groaned like a petulant child. River giggled as that thought crossed my mind and likely Simon's.
CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF==== Chapter 28=====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF
Harry Kim arrived in Holodeck 2 with the team. He was however very confused when he saw Robert Stracker with the crew of Serenity. He was even more confused when the "loading area" was called up.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
"Yeah." Crewman Anderson added. "They're not crew."
"One cannot exclude the possibility of the existence of hostile alien life on our universe, therefore Cerberus wishes us to be prepared." River Tam said as she silently pirouetted about the area gathering weapons of her choice.
"Aren't you psychic?" Chell asked with a look of disbelief.
"I read." River said flatly. "Your mother would dislike the state of your room." She then smiled. "She would be happy to see you though." She then just as quickly went back to browsing the weapons. "I can only read so far though and preparedness is important for facing unknowns."
"I was told I get to shoot things." Jayne raised his hand. Stracker simply sighed and put his face into his over-sized palm.
"Is the Captain ok with this?" Harry asked.
"I didn't really ask since you know this is kind our thing." Stracker said. "Besides we gotta get something down to train our people."
"Preparedness is important." River echoed her earlier statement and then froze. "Errors on lines 556 and 723."
"What?" Harry asked.
"She sees us." River said flatly as the loading area's lights flickered.
"Fuck." Stracker sighed. "We haven't debugged beastie in a while."
"Everyone, suit up!" Harry shouted. The team sprang into action grabbing weapons and their armors and shields. "Did you set it to go?"
"No." Stracker grumbled and then took a deep breath and opened his eyes with focus and intent.
"Time to be good guys I assume?" Mal asked as he checked the recreation of his own weapons.
"Time to break things." Stracker grinned. "Time to be Vile."
"You heard the man, call signs if you got'em." Anderson smiled.
"Valkyrie." River handed Anderson a recreation of a stubbed rifle like Zoe's.
"I like it." Anderson smiled. "I'm gonna register that."
"You got one for Harry?" Chell asked.
River walked up to Harry Kim and looked at him. Then she giggled. "Axiom"
Harry Kim simply smiled and shook his head. "Well thank you that's going to stick now." He sighed with a small bit of regret as to not having made his own.
"You are one of the foundations." River smiled as she went to Chell. "Sparkplug. You bring life to a cause."
"Uh..." Chell blushed. "Thanks?"
"I do not." Seven of Nine began.
"No, they are gone. You are you." River smiled. "Cerberus knows."
"Jehdin." Vile said in a soft his. "Self, one."
The word seemed to affect Seven of Nine and she simply nodded.
Then the loading area shook and a wall collapsed. The large form of a praetorian came charging towards the group. Everyone but Vile and Harry scattered. Then just as it was about to reach them it froze.
"Computer end program beastie xmp." Harry said.
"Bring up editing console." Vile joined in the sigh. Then looked to the large group. "Keep getting ready, we're working on her before we go in."
"That was the third redundancy." Harry said as he walked to the console. "She needs a complete reset."
"I already did that a week before I was taken..." Vile said. "I think."
"We might need to consider wiping her." Harry admitted.
"I'll ask the Janeway, it's a valuable training tool and I don't want to just destroy it unless I'm sure." Vile nodded. "But yeah it's..." He arched an eye brow. "Well she's being isolated right the fuck now and wiped."
"That was fast." Harry said.
"She was still running." Vile growled. "I'm rebooting the entire program." A yelp of surprise came from several people as the benches they had been sitting on disappeared.
"Sorry guys, need to completely reboot." Harry explained.
"She is gone." River said. "But not forgotten."
"Right." Vile took a breath as he rebooted the program. "Let's play." He grinned darkly as the loading area came back up. Everyone took to grabbing their gear once more.
CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF==== Chapter 28=====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF
After three hours of giving Mal and the others a crash kainde survival course I had to let them go, if only to keep Wash and Inara from trying to strangle Jayne and Anderson. I couldn't help but give Anderson the usual warning glances as we trained, but I did not expect Jayne to suddenly start encouraging her. When they left they seemed to be joking with each other.
"She's gone." I told Harry as I brought the console up again. Ch'rega took this time to come up to us.
"Vi-" she paused. "Stracker?"
"Vile works in the field." I said as I typed away. "Otherwise Stracker is fine, just don't force yourself to use it."
"Stracker." She said. "The girl, she is an oracle?"
I stopped typing. "No one's told you?"
"I have been focusing on my on training since you were taken." She admitted. "When they arrived I felt it best to avoid them."
"Ch'rega." I sighed. "They're as much family to me as this crew is."
"Family?" She blinked in astonishment.
"Yes. Even you." I nodded to River was now standing behind Ch'rega.
The Klingon woman turned with a trepidation I would not have expected of her, then she bowed to River.
"Cerberus protects everyone." She smiled. "Even tuq qup. Which you are not."
"Definition please?" I asked.
"Houseless." Ch'rega said as she sat down. "I gave up everything to help here."
I tilted my head and looked at River. She smiled.
"Cerberus takes in lost puppies too." River then pulled the larger Klingon woman to her feet. Even Ch'rega was surprised by that.
"I don't understand." Ch'rega blinked.
"You're of the house of Voyager now." I growled out. "Our clan." I locked eyes with her. "Are you a guardian or a hunter?"
"I am a warrior!" Ch'rega shouted in her usual tone.
"Then keep the home front safe." I said simply as I pushed the console down. Satisfied that wee beastie was finally put to rest.
"She will be back." River warned, I tilted my head and she simply nodded.
"We'll keep an eye out." Harry agreed.
"It won't help." River's voice was filled with terror. "She will be more than light and force."
I blinked and looked at Harry and Ch'rega. Neither could make heads or tails of the statement.
"I don't know either." River admitted. "Please stay safe."
I put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Always."
"Liar." She shot back, "Cerberus can't not protect."
I smiled and ruffled her hair. She wasn't happy, but I couldn't blame her at this point. She left a moment later, leaving me with Ch'rega and Harry.
"Purge the program." I said.
"Scratch?" Harry asked.
"No risks or chances." I nodded.
"We need to train the crew though." Ch'rega pointed out.
"I know, we'll get that done then wipe it." I sighed.
"Don't worry Vile, we'll get it." Harry said with a wary look in his eyes.
I shook my head. "Like I said if Stracker doesn't feel right don't force it. Truth is it doesn't always feel right for me."
"Fair enough." He sighed. "Just don't call me 'Axiom' anywhere but the field."
"Sure thing." I smiled. "Just don't call me 'Robbie'."
Harry held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not stupid."
"Why not?" Ch'rega asked.
"Long story Ch'rega." I sighed. "Short version, only Kaylee and one other get to call me that."
"Ensign Flores?" Ch'rega asked.
"Ok, maybe three." I grumbled. "The other being the threat to existence that is my sister."
Ch'rega merely bowed and left in a hurry.
"It's nice to know Robin still scares the piss out of people who've only read about her." I smiled.
"Imagine is she had been on the mission." Harry smirked. "She would have made things more complicated."
I simply laughed as we exited the holodeck.
CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF==== Chapter 28=====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF====CoTG:CF
The Xenomorph: So yeah for got to give the reveal last chapter. Ardwolf's crew of Serenity, from "Lost in the Woods". Used with permission. Thank you again Ardwolf.
