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Birthdays and Nightmares

A:N/ A big shout out to iShipStarShip for all your encouragement, guidance and inspiration. Without hesitation I recommend the work of this amazing fanfic writer and, if you haven't already, please read iShipStarShip's latest Voyager fanfic, Thank-Q.

After a long, uneventful shift on the bridge, Alexandria retires to her quarters for some relaxation. Earlier in the week, she promised herself to revisit a book she read as a child, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Something about the events that transpired aboard the Enterprise triggered a desire to reach back to her childhood. As she opens the book to chapter fifteen, Alexandria's remembers reading the C. S. Lewis novel and was fascinated by the characters, especially the Lion. She even watched an old animated cartoon that was produced based on the book. To this day, though she would never admit it, the death scene traumatized her. Fatigue seeps into her body and Alexandria eyes slowly close as she descends into a deep sleep dreamy state.

She opens her eyes.

Alexandria looks down to find a prototype compression assault phaser rifle in her hands. She raises it slightly towards her chest to check the setting. It is set to kill.

A quick survey of the area reveals everything around her is alien. Darkness surrounds her; greys meld into even darker blacks accented with orange hues. Thick misty air fills the voids and a single deep breath confirms its heavy coldness. Silence is everywhere and the ground is an unforgiving hard cold.

"Alex!" calls out a voice from the distance.

Alexandria turns around towards it.

"Alex," calls the voice again, seemingly further away this time.

Desperate to find the voice, she spins towards it.

"Alex, Alex…"

Adrenaline takes over and Alexandria and explodes into a sprint and races towards the sound. The labyrinth environment twists and turns around her and then the complex passage suddenly come to dead. She circles back only to return to where she started. Alexandria continues to struggle to find her way through the alien surroundings, until she hears the voice call again.

"Alex."

Alexandria turns around and finds herself inside a massive dome shaped room with a transparent dome. Beyond the dome a starship is trapped, held by a massive beam of energy; Voyager. Her eyes follow the beam emanating from beyond and she moves towards it. As she approaches the centre of the room the aroma of burnt flesh fills the air around her.

Sharp, surgical slashes appear on several central columns of the structure. Alexandria runs her fingers through the artificial scarring that could only be caused by high energy particle weapons fire. As she approaches a group of four columns, blood stains tracks lead to behind a column where the bodies of three Starfleet officers sprawl out from behind.

"They're dead." Alexandrian eyes redden in rage but she knew they were all dead.

"Alex," calls out the voice, again.

Alexandria explodes into a sprint. Weapons fire streaks past her as he runs past the remain columns. She passes through a vestibule and into a darkened hallway. Alexander narrows her eyes to and makes out the outline of two forms and approaches. A body is face down and blood drenched. Besides the body sits a blue Bolian staring at the body in dread; a dark blue blood covers his face.

Alexandria reaches down and presses on the side of the neck. At first hope is lost, the skin is cold, but suddenly she feels a pulse. "She's still alive!"

Alexandria keys her insignia.

"Emergency site to site transport, two to beam up,"

The Bolian looks up in shock hearing the order and reaches out to Alexandria.

"Energize," orders Munro.

The female officer and Bolian dematerialize, vanishing into air.

Alexandria stands up and proceeds forward towards a light. She comes to a hallway that leads to an elevator. She enters and the elevator begins to ascend. Tightening her grip on the handguard with a sense of finality, Alexandria knows this maybe the last time she feels anything. Resolute in her conviction she proceeds down a dark and winding passageway built with arched ceilings and walls lined with thick cables.

Alexandria steps carefully through another passageway with deadly silence.

"Hazard…" Janeway's voice booms over the communicator but the transmission breaks up. "… Voyager has been caught…," the transmission breaks up again. "We don't know how long…," the transmission cuts out and ends.

"Understood," Munro closes the channel with a tap of her comm badge.

Upon approaching the central chamber, Alexandria sees the source of the brilliant beam of energy that traps. Her eyes trace it back to a tomb like structure. Suddenly, a massive creature emerges from the confines of its sarcophagus. Grotesque even to the most alien of creatures it rises far above the lone ensign and eclipsing the light.

"What are you?!" Munro exasperates.

It stirs with an uncomforting sound before it answers in a thunderous, echoing voice.

"Your harbinger."

Alexandria raises her rifle to the side of her face and takes a firing stance.

"Not today."

She pulls the trigger and a blast of phaser energy blinds out everything around her.

"Ahhh!" Munro explodes out of the nightmare.

With blurry eyes, Alexandria tries to make out the time. "Ugh," Munro whimpers after realizing the time. Dailia's birthday is in an hour, time to get ready.

=/\=

An hour later the crew of the Enterprise have gathered to celebrate the birth of one Suri Dailia. From bulkhead to bulkhead, colorful streamers and banners hang adorn the tritanium hull. At the forward-facing window of the mess hall a massive 20-foot rainbow inspired birthday banner hangs from ceiling against the window side of the hall and spans at least ten feet. Beyond the transparent aluminum windows of the mess hall lies Starbase 375. It glows with iridescent white and blue ascents against the starry space it floats in.

For Orions, birthdays are a cultural staple amongst their people. It is a celebration of the past as much as a celebration of the future. For Klingon's, it's just annoying.

"Alexander," call out Dailia.

Worf grunts and approaches his better half.

"What's wrong with you,"

"Nothing," he replies with oblivious conviction.

Suri chuckles and shakes her head.

"Why don't you go and talk to some of your friends," she suggests encouragingly.

"About what?"

A hopeless endeavor.

Eyes quickly zero in onto the Mess Hall's door entrance as Alexandria Munro emerges from within their doors. On right side, Pete Wiley and Jeffery Townsen are seated at a table and watch the ensign approach. Pete Wiley watches with heightened curiosity.

"She is a few years older than you," remarks Townsen.

"Yeah," replies Wiley unable to break his gaze.

"You have a thing for older women?" chuckles Townsen.

"Uhh?"

"Wow," scoffs Townsen.

On the other side, in a more secluded area Captain Jonathan Kirk shares a table with Chief Engineer David Gates. He draws a smile as lively laughter fills the air.

"It's good to see you smile instead of shake, sir,"

Jonathan scoffs.

"Low even for you, chief,"

They watch the ensign as she approaches.

"How's the new blood?"

"Munro," remarks Kirk.

"Yes," affirms Gates. "I hear she has made quite the impression,"

"That she has," agrees Kirk.

As he takes a sip of a clear, non-regulation spirit and notices Genevieve and Riker looking over at them. Jonathan raises his glass to them, Genevieve and Riker, seated at the bar, raise theirs in kind. She then turns to Marina and gives her a quizzical look.

"Where is Saren?" asks Picard.

"Really?" quips Riker, adjusting herself for comfort. "She begged me to take this shift."

"Right," chuckles Picard.

Riker watches the group of children playing in the corner of the mess hall.

"Can you believe it?" with a maternal instinct. "Children on a starship?"

Genevieve watches a duo of children run by them.

"Not by choice," remarks Picard. "One time you could never image having children on a starship. Later, it was encouraged…now it's seems it's the only place that safe for them."

"A new normal," states Riker.

"Is that what they call it?" quips Picard. "Nothing normal about any of this."

Marina notices that Genevieve's attention is not on the playing children and instead focused on the Ensign Munro

"What do you think?" asks Riker.
"She's, different," remarks Picard.

"In what way?"

"She just is,"

"In what way, specifically, Gen?" presses Riker.

"One thing's for certain, I don't believe for a second, she's just an ensign."

Alexandria locates Suri from within a crowd of people that have gathered around her. She cheerfully approaches the beautifully dressed Orion.

"Hey,"

"Hey!" greets Dailia. "O-M-G, thank you for coming."

"Thanks for the invite, ma'am," quips Munro.

"Alexandria, I already warned once, its Suri from now on," scolds Dailia with a smile. "You've earned it."

Alexandria simply smiles. "Oh, I… uh.. brought you something," she adds.

Suri's eyes widen at the thought at the prospect of the surprise present. "Really," exclaims Dailia in delight.

Alexandria reveals a palm size box wrapped in pastel pink wrapping paper tied with a white.

"Hehe.." giggles Dailia as she pounces on the box and tears it open.

From within its confines, Suri draws out a necklace from the jewellery box.

As she lifts the necklace high above her head to bring the necklace's charm to eye level, the dark medallion shaped center piece sparkles with uncharacteristic brilliance.

"What is it?" she asks in wonderment.

"It's Klingon," replies Munro. "Ancient Klingon."

Suri facial expressions conveys absolute shock.

"Actually, Alexander gave me the idea," adds Munro. "I want you to have it."

"What?!" exclaims Dailia. "You didn't replicate this?"

"No, it is real."

"Worf!" yells Dailia. "Worf!"

Startled, Munro takes as step back, at the Orion's outburst. Worf quickly arrives by her side with a look of dismay to her suddenly outburst.

Suri hands over the necklace to Alexander. "What is this?"

Alexander's eyes widen upon casting his eyes upon the charm of the necklace and then takes it into his hands.

"It is the mark of Kahless" answers Alexander.

Alexander swings his head towards Alexandria. "Where did you get this?"

"It was my friend's," replies Munro with a distant voice.

"To a Klingon warrior, this is a priceless," states Worf. "Why are you giving this to her?"

"Now, she is my friend," replies Munro.

Alexander stares at Alexandria intensely.

"Thank you," replies Worf with deep gratitude in his voice.

At a distance Genevieve and Riker watches as Suri squeezes the life out of the ensign Munro. Alexandria wishes them well and begins to head towards the exit leaving the two to embrace in sheer happiness.

"Munro, over here," yells out an exuberant Riker just as Munro comes to the exit.

"What are you doing?" asks Genevieve with a tinge of distain.

Alexandria approaches the table occupied by Genevieve and Marina.

"Ma'am's," Munro looms over an open seat at the table.

"Please, sit down," says Riker

Genevieve looks over at Riker who simply raises her eyebrows in delight.

"Lieutenant, Commander," she regards the women.

"So," says Marina. "How are you finding your new post."

"It's, good, ma'am" Munro replies.

"Why is it that you're still an ensign?" bluntly ask Picard.

Marina throws her head into hands.

"Ma'am?"

"You know what I mean, ensign,"

Alexandria curves her lips into subtle smile.

"Permission to speak freely, ma'am,"

"With me ensign, consider it a standing order."

"I see," impressed with Picard's forwardness. "What I can say, is that, I did what I had to do."

"Oh," remarks Picard. "That is?"

Alexandria contemplates her next words.

"Survive."

Munro comes to her feet.

"By the way, you're welcome."

She regards the two women and then her leave.

"Well that went well," quips Riker.

Genevieve lets out a sigh. "Not really."

Author's Note:

Originally Alexandria's dream was part of chapter 29 and felt somewhat out of place. I decided to shift the dream to chapter 30 where I think it flows better as the story unfolds.

During the completion of this chapter I had a breakthrough for the plot and wrote the subsequent two chapters all at once. Instead of the posting them individually, I decided to post it all at once. Thank you for reading.

Please Review, Favourite or Follow so I know you want more