Manipulation

Q looked pleased with himself as he and Kathryn made their way onto the bridge. Quinten ran circles around his parents until they reach the Captain's chair in which he promptly took up residence. Chakotay gave the boy a smile.

"Are you alright, Captain?" he asked.

"Yes. I've had a breakthrough."

"And that would be?"

"We use Q as our rescue team."

"One person to take on the Collective?"

"Omniscient being," Q corrected haughtily.

"Sorry. Still...do you think you can get through their defenses and convince Seven of Nine to leave with you? She's proven she's very stubborn when she wants to be."

"I realize that Chakotay, but I have faith in her. She wouldn't want to be assimilated back into the Collective. She'd do anything she could to resist."

"We know how well that works with species with no prior experience with the Borg. What makes you think she'll have better luck?"

"I have to, Chakotay. She values her independence and individuality too much to give it up without a fight."

Chakotay just shrugged. There was no way he was going to convince Kathryn that they might not have anyone left to save. He watched as she hit her comm. badge.

"Janeway to Torres."

"Torres here, Captain."

"How are we going with the modifications to the warp core?"

"We're just about done. Everything is lining up like we predicted. Another half hour at the most and we'll be ready to go."

"Alright. Keep working. Let me know as soon as you're certain it's operational."

"Yes, Captain."

"So, what's the plan?" Chakotay asked, looking at Q.

Q just shrugged, looking to Kathryn.

"We're thinking Q transports to the cube, finds Seven of Nine and brings her back."

"It can't be that simple, Kathryn." The First Officer led her a few paces away. "I don't know what happened yesterday that you're suddenly so eager to let Q use his powers but I don't have a good feeling about this. We don't know what the Borg can do to a Q."

"But we do know what Q can do to the Borg. Chakotay, you have to trust me on this. It's the best solution we've got. It presents the least number of casualties, the least number of crew members in danger."

"You're the Captain...and this is your call but I want you to know I don't support it."

"Your objection has been noted." She turned back to the rest of the bridge crew. "I will be monitoring Q's progress from astrometrics. As soon as the enhanced warp drive is online, we leave."

"Even if we don't have Seven of Nine?" Tuvok asked.

"Don't strain that overly logical brain of yours," Q muttered.

Tuvok raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"I can find the ship even if its light years away. You obviously don't understand the magnitude of my power."

Kathryn cleared her throat, attempting to interfere before Q succeeded in annoying the Senior Staff more than usual. "Gentlemen, leave the arguing for another time."

On the Borg cube, Seven was being watched closely by the Queen. It made the former drone exceedingly uncomfortable every time she received a smile or a hand brushed against her body. She had never noticed just how disturbing the Queen's attention could be. Seven had done her best to help whomever she could before being assimilated. She'd managed to get four aliens off the cube before being assimilated. She only hoped the Queen hadn't noticed.

"Well…what do you have to report?" the Queen asked.

Seven took a breath. "The process is complete. Three thousand being assimilated."

"Their technological and biological uniqueness has been added to our own. But…what is this I detect…" she trailed off until an image filled the view screen. "A ship…with four life signs."

Seven's stomach dropped as she watched the ship destroyed. A hand grasped her arm tightly, causing her to wince in pain.

"You thought you could sneak them out behind my back?"

"They did not deserve this fate."

"They would be so lucky. They are being given the opportunity to be made new, reborn to something better, something beyond their wildest imaginings."

Seven couldn't help but laugh. "Perhaps you should say that next. You might elicit a few volunteers."

"Humor…a human trait I still do not understand."

"Perhaps it is why you cannot see the innately good qualities in leaving a species alone."

The Queen's eyes narrowed as her hand struck Seven across the face. "You dare insult me?"

Seven took the blow in stride. She couldn't afford to show weakness. "In seeking perfection, you are flawed. Achieving such a lofty goal is unreasonable."

"It hurts me to hear you say that, Seven of Nine. I had such high hopes for you."

"I am sorry to disappoint you." Sarcasm dripped from every syllable.

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge if I were you. There are many who believe in our ideals." From behind Seven, a drone emerged, walking as if on autopilot towards them. "Perhaps he could tell you?"

Seven looked at the drone and something about his eyes caused her heart to skip a beat. It couldn't be who she thought it was, could it? Even after nearly two decades of being a drone they were still the same eyes. "Papa?"

The Queen just smiled to herself. Seven shook her head, taking several steps back. It was too much. Several junctures away, Q appeared, shaking his head. He didn't understand why he needed a phaser. They never did any good against the Borg adaptive shielding anyway. Still, Kathryn had insisted he take it be on the safe side.

"Why does everything have to be so dreary?" he muttered to himself as he walked through the corridors.

He pulled out a tricorder, scanning for Seven of Nine's comm. signal but quickly gave up. It was nearly impossible to get an accurate reading with all the interference from the Borg cube. He slid the device back into his belt and closed his eyes. There were easier way. His mind quickly became a detailed layout of the vessel.

"There you are," he murmured. With a flash he appeared, catching several drones off guard. He easily overpowered them before advancing on the core of the vessel. He could hear voices inside and one was clearly Seven of Nine.

"Captain Janeway will find a way to rescue me," Seven said confidently.

"She is not a fool. She knows she cannot breach our shields for long."

Q took that as his cue to saunter in. "Are you so sure of that?" he asked smugly.

The Queen looked at him and her lips curled into a smile. "Who are you?"

Q's hand flew to his chest, feigning hurt and shock. "I'm hurt. She doesn't know who I am? What kind of dominating force do you run?"

Seven did her best to keep composure. Somehow it didn't seem so implausible that Captain Janeway would send Q to rescue her. "He is a Q," Seven added.

A light seemed to dawn in the Queen's eyes. "A very powerful being…many admirable qualities."

"Yes, yes. I know. I am a Q after all. Unfortunately for you, flattery will get you no where…well maybe a nasty pocket of subspace. But only if you're lucky."

"Seize him!" the Queen shouted.

Drones began to advance on Q and he let out a groan. Seven of Nine took a step or two back until they were shoulder to shoulder. She looked down and pulled the phaser from his belt, firing at a drone.

"I suggest we leave now," she said.

"We haven't even started to have fun yet."

"Q…now is not the time for an exhibition of your powers."

"Not even just a little?"

"Q!"

"Oh alright."

The Queen watched as her drones fell around her. It was all falling apart. She needed to take back control. If she couldn't make Seven of Nine do what she wanted, she could at least make it difficult for her to return to Voyager. Suddenly, an alarm sounded signaling the self-destruct sequence had been initiated.

"Q we need to leave now!" As Seven looked around she caught sight of her father, so different from the man she'd admired as a little girl. She couldn't bear losing him again.

The next few minutes became a blur. Seven of Nine could feel her body being pulled through space. Flashes of light swirled around her face and her stomach lurched. As quickly as the disorienting sensation had begun, it was over. She looked around to find herself in Sickbay, Q standing beside her.

"What happened?" she asked, trying to steady herself against a bio bed.

"I got us out of there."

"Is it usually so…disorienting."

"You try moving three people in two opposite directions at once."

"Three?" She wore an expression of confusion.

"Us and your father."

"My father?"

"He's not here. I dropped him on another cube several light years away."

Seven blinked several times. She wasn't sure if she should be grateful or furious. On the one hand her father was alive, even if he still remained a part of the Collective. On the other, he was still part of the Collective and she had no way of liberating him.

"I think its customary to say 'thank you'," Q prompted.

"Thank you. It was a thoughtful gesture."

Q nodded just as the doors opened and Kathryn walked in. "Is everyone alright?"

"We are fine. Thank you for returning for me, Captain," Seven replied.

"We never leave a crew member behind."