"The shields are holding Captain," came Seven's cool voice from her combadge, "However we have dropped out of warp and are under attack."
"By the Jen Hadar?" asked Janeway, already striding out of Sickbay, in full command mode.
Soeur seemed to be following her, and gasped loudly.
"It appears so Captain," answered Seven.
"That is not possible," said Soeur insistently, "We have been out of their territory for weeks."
"Scans show that we are not," said Seven with no emotion, "We are approximately two months into Jen Hadar territory, at normal warp speed."
"Explain yourself," said Janeway darkly, raising herself up on her heels and rounding on the K'Terran.
Soeur's face fell, "I…..I can't Captain…..Be'nl's calculations must have been wrong…..it has been…..a very long time since we used this type of travel."
Janeway stared at the alien for a long moment.
"It doesn't matter right now," said Janeway, voice clipped, stepping into the turbolift, "We have to stop the Jen Hadar from destroying our ships. Then we can start pointing fingers."
"Engineering is reporting the collapse of the Esoterian gas core," said Seven over her combadge as they sped up to Deck 1.
"Is it going to explode?" asked Janeway urgently, "What caused it?"
"It seems to have stopped working, and imploded on itself," said Seven coolly, "Minimal injuries reported, cause yet unknown."
"I should see if I can help my sisters," said Soeur in dismay as they arrived at Deck 1.
"You aren't going anywhere," commanded Janeway with steel in her voice, staring her down, "Not until we get the Jen Hadar off our tail."
"We did not mean to abandon you Captain," said Soeur, voice serious, "We truly wish to help. But we shall do what we can here,"
Janeway nodded at her, and hurried to her command chair.
"How many ships are we facing?" asked Janeway.
"Sensors show 10, Captain," said Seven, "We are surrounded on all sides."
"Their favorite tactic," said Janeway.
She turned to Soeur, who had taken Chakotay's seat, "Can you destroy them as you did last time?"
"It is unlikely Captain," said Soeur in dismay, "Those were only border pirates. These will be much larger ships, drawing strength from their nearby planets and bases."
"Our shields are much improved over last time Captain," said Seven from the Tactical Position, "I estimate they will last 3.4 hours at this level of assault."
"It is unlikely they will increase the attack," said Soeur, "They will most likely wait us out. Your species is….valuable to them."
"Then there's a chance," said Janeway, nodding, "Seven you have the Bridge, let me know of any changes immediately. Soeur, you're in my Ready Room, now."
"The Jen Hadar are your males," said Janeway, rounding on Soeur the moment the Ready Room doors closed.
Soeur made a gasping noise, and hummed for a brief moment, closing her eyes, but she opened them quickly and nodded as she winced, "Yes, Captain."
"How did they know to attack us? The minute we drop out of the….speed we thought we were going, they spring. You know more than you're saying," she hissed dangerously, staring the K'Terran leader down, "I want to know everything."
Soeur was silent for a moment, eyes panicked.
"You exiled your men, but they didn't die," pressed Janeway, "I assumed it was generations ago, but Gretchen said you're thousands of years old. Why are you at war with the Jen Hadar? Are you still trying to destroy them?"
"We have never tried to destroy them Captain," said Soeur after a long moment, "They attempted to destroy us, every female."
"Why would they try to kill all the females of their own species?"
"To reproduce," said Soeur, shuddering.
"That seems counterproductive," said Janeway flatly, almost in shock, "Has your species always been that way?"
"No Captain," said Soeur sadly, "Fertile females, those who were not chosen as priestesses as children, always had a much shorter lifespan than the males. This was accepted….and would have been always….Except for the disease that swept through our females….more of them were dying in childbirth….we did not know why, but they did," said Soeur, humming to herself, "Still they mated with our mothers, knowing the disease had spread to all of them…..they wished to sacrifice them for the future, for their children….but they did not tell them the truth….."
"How awful," said Janeway, "That's why your reproductive organs were removed when you were born?"
"Yes," continued Soeur, "It was the only way to save us from the disease. The males did not care for our lives, and our mothers were dead, but they had traveled to the priestess plants before their deaths…..Every 1,000 years our species mates….all fertile females are pregnant together. The women go on a great pilgrimage to the priestess planets….to worship and cleanse and be cared for….there a few of the priestesses discovered the truth, and told our mothers that they would all die."
"And so our mothers did not return to their homes as planned….they gave birth to their children on the priestess worlds and quickly passed away," Soeur gulped and her eyes became misty before she steeled herself and continued.
"We became an all female race….the K'Terrans, which means against the Great Heresy…..the heresy that females exist only for reproduction," said Soeur intently, "That we are not ourselves a life with purpose, but the means to an end. That our wills and lives may be taken from us."
"What happened to the boys that were born?" asked Janeway.
"There were no boys," said Soeur evenly, "Or very few….we do not often speak of them….they became eunuchs and serve the priestesses….our sex is determined by temperature and other factors in late utero….similar to your Earth cookodile I believe?"
"Yes," said Janeway.
"They hoped that they could use our generation to produce sons and more daughters they could use the same way," said Soeur, "But we shall all go extinct instead. That is our wish….the wish of all true K'Terrans."
There was a very long pause and then Soeur whimpered suddenly and looked in both directions, lowering her pitch to a whisper that was almost inaudible, "There are false sisters…."
Soeur looked distressed and unable to speak. She mouthed something inaudible.
"Who allied with the Jen Hadar…." finished Janeway automatically, as chills spread through her stomach.
There was a very loud, very high pitched shriek of terror from Soeur, and she hid her head in her tentacle arms in distress.
"You are very different from us Captain," said Soeur, hanging her head and speaking softly, "Very different….and yet you have females….and they can have children…you yourself have a daughter….this makes you targets….they will use you….or your organs…."
Janeway nodded solemnly, taking it in.
This is very bad…..
"They do not truly wish to destroy your ship, Captain," continued Soeur, "Once your shields drop they will beam you off, or board Voyager…and do what they wish to you…you would not be the first…..Many, many alien females have been slaughtered….we have long patrolled the border to stop this, but most sisters do not concern themselves with the lives of aliens….We had hoped by joining with you we would encourage more of our sisters to help the other races escape the Jen Hadar….but instead we brought this on you…we are….most sorry."
"We have heard the whispers….but we never imagined…." said Soeur, voice choking, "One among us…we could die from the shame…the horror….to betray a fellow female…we shall take off her head, and curse her body, and she shall burn in the volcano under the sea," said the K'Terran, voice growing dark and violent.
"Is there any way of finding out who it was?," said Janeway urgently, "It's very important we stop the traitor before she knocks out our shields, or finds another way to end our resistance."
"Be'nl has gone missing," sputtered the K'Terran in agony, pushing the words out through her tightened throat, "We cannot find her. And she is in charge of the Esoterian gas core, and the calculations…..we cannot believe it…but….but…."
The K'Terran looked off, and seemed to gulp again and again, humming to herself. Finally she looked back at Janeway.
"Be'nl is a genius," said Soeur, very, inexpressibly sad, "Ever since we were very little, when we would splash in the water together, chasing golden fish in the sun's rays….Be'nl would create things….she is most intelligent…if anyone is capable of escaping the ship unseen it is her…..or perhaps she hides on your ship waiting for her moment to help hand you over."
I can't let that happen….. I can't let my crew be used like that…
"We'll find her," said Janeway, voice deepening and back turning ramrod straight, "But we need to stop our shields from failing while we search. Do you have any ideas?"
The K'Terran sagged bonelessly and looked down, "We shall perform The Song for you Captain, it is the least that we can do….We shall make preparations, and be ready when your shields fail."
"What's the Song?" asked Janeway in confusion.
"It is a shield…of sorts," Soeur continued hopelessly, "The Jen Hadar will have no power over it…we can continue at a slow warp speed, out of their territory."
"That's quite an advantage," said Janeway searchingly, "You don't seem happy about it,"
"I do not relish giving the order Captain," said Soeur, rising up slightly, "The Song will cost each sister who takes part in it approximately a year off her life for each hour she sings. More if she is not particularly strong or skilled and much more as she becomes tired."
Janeway gasped, "Soeur I…..You're talking about months, maybe years at low warp…We don't want you to do that…..surely there's another way...You could all die."
I'm willing to bet they could slip away from this much easier if they didn't have Voyager to protect.
As if she could hear the thought in her breath Soeur raised her body up completely and stared at Janeway, steel in her voice, "We are also proud Captain. We also have beliefs we would give our lives for. If you wish to honor us as beings, to honor us as fellow females, you will accept our decision in this matter."
"I….." Janeway nodded, "I do, but I won't stop looking for alternatives."
Soeur smiled with her four lips, "We did not expect anything less from you, Captain. If you approve I shall go to make preparations?"
Janeway nodded.
The Captain breathed out, and shook her head vigorously to clear it as the K'Terran left.
I feel guilty…..but there are much more important things to think about right now…..like stopping The Song from happening and keeping us all in one piece.
I know something…..I know something I'm not quite grasping…..What is it?