Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager and all things contained therein are the property of Paramount Pictures. No infringement intended. See Chapter One for details.
Chapter Three
B'Elanna Torres had seen many wondrous things along this journey. Subspace inversions, quantum singularities, and binary pulsars. She'd even seen three stars go supernova in less than three days thanks to the Continuum Civil War. But the sight before her now was, without a doubt, the single most stunning stellar phenomenon she had ever witnessed.
They had been traveling through
the wormhole for over seven hours now, and B'Elanna found herself as enchanted
by the image on the view screen as she had been in the first instant. The inside of the wormhole was a twinkling
and twisting kaleidoscope of intense lights and colors more radiant that she
had ever seen. Blues, pinks, and
purples of such luminescence, it was dazzling. "Incredible." She muttered.
"How are the shields holding up,
Lieutenant?" Chakotay pried his eyes
away from the screen to look at his friend. He was glad she was there on the bridge with the rest of the senior
staff. Hopefully things would stay
quiet during their exit, and she could remain. She belonged with them for this long awaited moment.
She punched away at her
console. "The modifications we made are
working. The shields have taken a
beating, but they're holding."
Janeway grinned as she watched the
pride swell on Chakotay's face. He told
her seven years ago that B'Elanna was the best damn engineer she could find,
and he was right. She was probably the
closest thing Chakotay had ever had to a sister, and his affection for her was
clear. "Good work, B'Elanna." He said.
"Mr. Kim, how long until we reach
the end of this light show?" Janeway asked, tearing her eyes from the
spectacular sight long enough to look at the young ensign.
"We'll reach the terminus of the
wormhole in approximately 12 minutes, Captain." The excitement radiated from Harry's handsome face. His dark eyes were all aglow with the
anticipation of seeing his parents again. Harry was the Kim's only child, and Janeway knew they would be proud of
the officer and the man he had become.
"I never thought I'd say this."
Paris quipped. "But I can't wait to see
my dad." His blue eyes twinkled with
the joy that comes with self-forgiveness. Tom had changed his entire life during his time on Voyager. He left the Alpha Quadrant a cocky,
immature kid with a chip on his shoulder the size of the Horse head
Nebula. But he was returning a
trust-worthy and compassionate man with much to offer the world.
Janeway smiled warmly at him,
gratification etched in her expression. "I'm certain your father will feel the same way, Tom. Any parent would be proud to have a son like
you." She flashed her pilot a lop-sided
smirk. "Now keep your eyes on the road,
hmmm? It'd be a shame for you to crash
my ship three minutes before we emerge in the Alpha Quadrant."
He beamed a smile at his captain
before turning around. "Yes, Ma'am."
Tuvok watched Neelix as he paced
the upper level of the bridge, the Talaxian's usual ebullience was magnified by
the palpable excitement in the air, and he simply could not sit still. So he had stalked the bridge, his yellow
tuft of hair forever moving in the tactical officer's peripheral vision. Finally, Tuvok could stand it no more. So much for Vulcan control.
"Mister Neelix! Would you please be still? Your constant pacing is distracting, as well
as a safety hazard. You should remain
seated until we re-enter normal space."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Vulcan. I'm just so terribly excited." He
enthused. "We're traveling through this
wormhole and I'm seeing colors I never imagined existed! Why, it is a handsome sight, isn't it my
stoic friend?"
Chakotay chuckled aloud at the
look of barely controlled annoyance on the Vulcan's face. "You've got to admit, he has a point,
Tuvok. It is beautiful."
Tuvok raised a very Spockian
eyebrow. "The fact that it is
aesthetically pleasing does not negate the fact that Mr. Neelix should be
seated."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly sit there
idly like this is just any other day." He turned his yellow eyes to his Vulcan … friend, a jovial smile on his
face. "You seem to have forgotten, I'm
about to see Earth for the first time!"
"Our emergence from this
interspatial flexure is likely to be turbulent." Said Seven with her usual
aloof detachment. "You will be unable
to view Earth if your cranium collides with a console and you are rendered
unconscious."
"Oh, my…" Neelix stammered, his whiskered face growing
slightly pale at the thought. "Well,
that is a most valid argument, Seven. Thank you for pointing it out." He took his seat to Janeway's right, his hands wringing nervously in his
lap as he tried to sit still.
His attempt at silence lasted only
a moment. "Captain, I have a wonderful
idea!"
Of course he does. She
thought.
"This is the perfect time to sing
a traditional Talaxian merrymaking song." He tugged thoughtfully at his yellow whiskers. "I know the perfect one. It starts out…"
"Mr. Neelix…" Janeway said, trying
to sound more patient than she felt. "Perhaps we should save the singing until we've emerged from this
anomaly in one piece." She reached over
and patted him on the arm affectionately. "Take a deep breath and try to relax, hmm?"
"Or if that doesn't work, I could
always sedate him." The Doctor intoned smugly. He gazed snidely at Neelix from his seat at Chakotay's left.
Janeway shot the hologram her most
terrifying Shut Up or Die glare, despite the fact that she wanted to
laugh aloud. Sometimes her people were
so predictable.
Harry's voice brought them back to
the moment. "Normal space in 5, 4, 3…"
Their exit from the wormhole was
indeed a bumpy one, as Seven had promised. Tom Paris clutched the edge of his consol, working the controls and
maneuvering Voyager as only he could. Somehow, he managed to keep the ship on an even keel even as his teeth
rattled in his skull.
Once they cleared the terminus,
they found themselves a few hundred thousand kilometers from the edge of the
Terran system. A few minutes at impulse
speed and Pluto would be within visual range. The bridge was silent and all eyes focused on the view screen, each crewmember
enraptured as they took in the sights of Alpha Quadrant constellations they
thought they might never see again.
Janeway had, at some point, risen
to her feet and moved with insentience toward the huge screen. Her voice betrayed only a fraction of her
emotion as she finally spoke. "Estimated
time to Earth, Commander Tuvok?"
"29 hours at full impulse,
Captain." He answered so quickly that
Janeway knew he'd anticipated her request and had done the calculations before
the words even left her mouth.
Tom's hands hovered over his
console, ready to carry out the order he knew his captain was about to
issue. Janeway noticed and chuckled to
herself. Seems my crew aren't the
only ones who've become predictable. She smiled radiantly and nodded at her pilot. "Do it, Mr. Paris."
He returned her smile. "Aye, Captain. Setting course for Earth. Full impulse."
Kathryn turned her attention to
Harry. "Mr. Kim, send a subspace
message to Starfleet Command. Inform
them of our ETA and that we've arrived from the wormhole safely." She met eyes with each member of her crew
briefly, her friends, and hoped desperately that she'd done the right
thing. "Tell them Voyager is
coming home.
"Yes, Ma'am." He answered
enthusiastically, that familiar boyish smile on his dark face. Kathryn was
certain she would remember that smile for the rest of her life,
As much as she would've liked to
remain on the bridge with her crew, watching as each familiar planet appeared
on the viewer, she knew she couldn't. In just over 24 hours, they would be at Starfleet Command, where every
action, every decision, every log entry would be reviewed and probably
questioned. She had a lot of work to
do, and a lot of coffee to drink. So,
with a sigh of resignation, Captain Janeway turned to bridge over to Chakotay
and headed to her ready room. How do
you wrap up a seven-year journey in one day?
Chakotay watched her retreating
form, knowing that she was going into her sanctuary to prepare her defense to
Starfleet … just in case. He prayed
silently to his spirit guide that she wouldn't need it, that none of them would
need it.
Kathryn Janeway leaned back in her
chair and gazed at the image of Jupiter on her small console. They'd come into visual range of the gas
giant about 15 minutes ago, and she'd been staring at it ever since. Jupiter Station pirouetted gracefully in its
lazy orbit around the Jovian planet. They could've docked there, of course, just as they could've docked at
DS9. Utopia Planitia at Mars Colony was
also an option, according to Admiral Paris. But he had understood when Janeway told him that she preferred to
proceed straight to Earth. The crew
needed the time to prepare. She needed
the time to say goodbye, and to hopefully ease her fear and doubts.
She leaned forward, inhaling
deeply of the steam rising from her coffee mug. How many cups had she had today? She'd lost count. Her beloved
java wasn't providing its usual succor.
Suddenly, a hand reached around
from behind and snatched the cup from her lips. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. Truth be told, she'd expected it sooner or
later.
"I was starting to wonder if you'd
forgotten about us, Q." She swiveled her chair to face him and folded her arms
across her chest. "After all, we've had
several hours of omnipotence-free serenity, you know. I thought perhaps you'd found another group of mortals to
ingratiate yourself on."
"Oh, don't be insulting,
Kathy. It doesn't suit you." He stroked her hair patronizingly as he slid
past her and took a seat on the corner of her desk, the cup of coffee still in
his hand. He brought it to his nose and
sniffed, a disdainful expression spreading across is face. "Ugh! That smells absolutely dreadful! What do you see in it anyway? You know, Chuckles is right about one thing. You drink entirely too much of this stuff. It's bad for your mortal health, you
realize."
She ignored his nagging and
decided to get straight to the point. "I'm really rather busy, Q. I'm
afraid I don't have time to play." She
plucked a PADD from the stack on her desk and began tapping the small buttons. "So I'd appreciate it if you'd just cut to
the chase. Say whatever it is you came
here to say, and let me get back to my work."
"Yes, your precious reports. You humans record every ridiculous detail of
your brief existence, as if someone were actually going to care enough to read
it." He snatched the PADD from her hand
and pretended to be reviewing it. "I
hope you have them all in order. Starfleet can be so staunchy and self-important about these
things." He ignored her glare, as he
always did, and with a snap of his fingers, moved them both to the sofa.
Janeway rolled her eyes and leaned
away from him slightly, a tired expression on her face. "What is it you want this time?" she asked
wearily.
"I'll excuse your lack of
hospitality because I know you're little excursion through the wormhole must've
been taxing on your infinitesimal human mind." His voice took on an uncharacteristic serious intonation. "I'm here to ask you one more time to listen
to reason. There's still time. You could turn your little ship around
before the wormhole collapses and return to the Delta Quadrant."
She stared intently at him "And why would I want to do that?"
He put a hand on her knee. "Because it's where you should be. Why can't you understand that you don't
belong here?"
What the hell did he mean by
that? "Don't belong here? What are you talking about, Q? This is where we came from, where we
originated. It's the nature of almost
every species to return to their homeland. And it's been this crew's shared goal for nearly a decade. Now you're telling me I should abandon it
just as I'm about to cross the finish line. How would I ever justify that to my crew?"
"Yes, yes, yes." He sputtered
quickly. "Your precious crew. You're so fiercely dedicated and loyal to
them, though I can't imagine for a second why. But I dare say, half-wits that they are, you'd be doing them a favor if
you reversed course. Oh, they won't
like it, of course. But if they knew
what lies ahead, I assure you, Kathy – they would thank you."
Her eyes narrowed
suspiciously. "You keep eluding to the
fact that we're in for a massive disappointment when we reach Earth, or that
something terrible is going to happen. Yet, you won't say what." She
stood and stared down at him, her hands on her hips. "Enough of the cryptic insinuations and enigmatic remarks,
Q. For once, can't you just come right
out and say whatever it is you're trying to tell me? What could possibly await us that is atrocious enough to justify
damning this crew to a life in the Delta Quadrant?"
"You know I can't answer that,
Kathy. The Federation isn't the only
society with moral directives." He
ignored her disbelieving snort at the mention of Q morality.
Janeway found the mere thought of
Q respecting any directive, moral or otherwise, every bit as absurd as the
thought of voluntarily returning to the Delta Quadrant. "You're saying you have a Prime Directive to
adhere to?"
A look of utter annoyance crossed
his face. "Honestly, Kathy, you can be
so trying at times. Must you think of
everything in Starfleet terms?" He
shook his head at her. "We Q aren't
uncivilized super beings. The Continuum has laws just like everyone else. And, as you saw for yourself during our war,
the punishments for violating those laws can be terribly severe."
Janeway shuttered at the memory of
her near execution at the hands of the Continuum. Perhaps Q was serious after all. But, unfortunately, it was irrelevant. She'd need a damn good reason to even consider turning her ship around. And so far, all he was offering were
foreboding insinuations veiled in his customary insults. And that just wasn't good enough.
"Sorry, Q…" she said as she moved
toward the door. "But I'm not
biting. I'm willing to bet that nothing
terrible is waiting for us, and that all this is just your latest game to amuse
yourself. I'm finished performing for
you. I have a crew to attend to."
He almost couldn't believe what he
was seeing. Was she about to walk out
on him? Walking out on a Q? A near God who had taken time out of his
galaxy cruising to assist her inconsequential group of circus monkeys? How dare she? He rose to his feet and stepped in front of her. "Know this, Kathryn. If you step out that door, I'm not going to
follow you."
"I'm counting on it."
"I mean it, Captain. If you walk out on me, I won't stop it. I'll stand by and watch it all unfold, but I
won't lift an omnipotent finger to help you. You'll have to beg me, first."
Janeway shot him a pointed glance
before stepping through the doors. "We
never asked for your help, Q. Not
once." And then the doors swished shut
behind her.
"No…" he muttered. "But you're going to need it."
In a snap he was wearing the
uniform of a Starfleet Judiciary Admiral, a gavel bearing the image of the USS
Voyager across the top resting in his hand. "Very well, Kathy. Let the games
begin."
"Earth Station McKinley to
Voyager. You are cleared for docking."
The cheers and whoops of joy
erupting throughout the ship made it almost impossible for Janeway to maintain
her own emotions. The bridge was
crowded. Every person who could think
of an excuse for being there was present. She could've cleared out the extra personnel easily. But she found that being surrounded by them
was especially comforting now. And she
couldn't blame any of them for wanting to be present at this moment. They had done it. They were home!
Kathryn looked out at the image of Earth spinning slowly beneath
the orbiting shipyard, and without even realizing it, she reached a hand out to
Chakotay. He took her small hand in his
larger one, squeezing it affectionately. An awed smile curled on his lips as he turned to face her. "You did it, Kathryn. You brought your crew home."
"No, we did it,
Chakotay. I couldn't have done it
without you." She gazed adoringly at
the faces of her bridge crew. "All of
you."
Janeway stood and moved to the
center of the command level, her shoulders squared and her head held high. "All hands, this is the captain. As you all know, we are now in orbit around
Earth. We're home." Emotion crackled through her voice, and she
was sure she heard a soft sobbing behind her. She didn't turn to see who it was, affording them the respect of
privacy. They deserved this moment,
each and every one of them.
"In a few moments we'll be
disembarking. You'll soon be reunited
with your friends and families. The
next few weeks are likely to be a little crazy and we may not see much of each
other. So let me take this moment to
tell you that it has been an honor to serve with each of you. You have all shown a courage and bravery I
could never have expected." She swiped
at a tear that had escaped down her cheek. "I want you all to know that captaining this vessel and this crew on
this incredible journey has changed my life. It was the steadfastness and dedication of each and every one of you
that made our survival and our return to the Alpha Quadrant possible. I couldn't have had a better crew had I
handpicked each of you myself. And I am
forever changed for the better by knowing you. When you leave this ship today, you do so with my respect and
admiration. And also with my
thanks. Janeway out."
Chakotay stood beside her, his
hand on her shoulder. "I believe that
it's customary in these situations for the captain to exit first." He held his arm out to her, as he had done
countless times before. "May I have the
honor?"
"I would have it no other way."
She choked, wrapping her arm in his. She looked to her senior officers. Tom, B'Elanna, Harry and Tuvok. The Doctor, Neelix and Seven of Nine. They all stood at attention, expressions of unabashed devotion and
respect for the captain that led them home on their faces. "I hope you'll all be right behind me."
"We always have been." Tom said
affectionately, taking his wife's hand and falling into step behind his
commanding officers. The group walked
together down the corridor, and off of the ship they'd called home for nearly a
decade.
The first thing Janeway noticed
when she stepped into the docking bay was the absence of the mob of media and
family members she had always imagined would be present. She supposed it was her distraction by that
fact that kept her from noticing the large Starfleet security teams that moved
toward them as they descending the short stairway. That is to say, she was too busy wondering where the camera
flashes and tearful on-lookers where to notice that the Maquis were being
apprehended one by one as they exited the ship. She didn't notice until Chakotay was ripped from her arm by a
gangly, beady-eyed ensign that looked almost young enough to be Naomi Wildman's
playmate, and taken into custody.
"What is going on here?" she
demanded. She met eyes with Chakotay,
seeing a calm resignation in his face. Did he expect this to happen? If
so, why had he agreed to come back? He
gave her a sad smile.
"It's probably just a formality,
Kathryn." He tried to reassure her. "It'll be okay once they review the logs and see that we were loyal to
Starfleet."
She was about ready to believe
him, until she saw a kicking and screaming B'Elanna Torres being torn from the
hand of her husband by two security officers. "Let me go, or I'll rip your arms out of the socket."
"Hey, buddy! Take it easy!" Tom shouted as the officers
manhandled his wife. "She's pregnant
damn it." He locked eyes with her. "Don't fight them, B'Elanna. You have to stay calm for the baby's
sake. We'll get to the bottom of
this. I swear it."
Janeway stepped in front of the
highest-ranking officer she could find. "I demand to know what's going on here. I want to see Admiral Paris. Now!"
A figure approached from the side,
his large dark shadow filling her peripheral vision. "I'll handle this, Commander." He said to the security
officer. Finally she would get some
answers. Janeway pulled her shoulders
back and prepared herself to demand the release of the former Maquis. She turned to face the owner of the shadow,
and gasped in horror at what she saw.
"Captain Janeway, I presume. I am Gul Navette and this is Admiral
Sutherland. It is an honor to meet
you."
A Cardassian … a Cardassian!!! …
stood before her, hand extended in greeting. Not only was he giving orders to Starfleet officers, but worst of all he
was in the company of two Admirals. No,
upon closer inspection she amended that thought. It was one Starfleet Admiral, and one omnipotent being in an
Admiral's uniform.
She grabbed him by the lapels,
gripping the fabric tightly. "This is
your doing, isn't it Q?"
"I beg you pardon." Gul Navette
said to her, a confused and slightly startled expression on his scaly face.
"Uh… you might want to calm down,
Kathy." Q said condescendingly. "They
can't see me. And I don't think giving
them the impression that you're insane will help your situation." He pried her hands from his uniform. "Besides, I already told you, I am just here
to watch. Anything that happens now is
purely due to the actions of your fellow humanoids. I'm just a spectator at this little freak show."
A sense of panic washed over
her. If Q didn't create this, then that
meant it was real. How could that be
possible? How could a Cardassian be
rubbing shoulders with Starfleet Command? A sinking feeling descended in her stomach as she realized that she had
delivered Chakotay and the others straight into their hands. She had failed them in a way she'd never
thought possible. There must be a way
out.
She locked eyes on the Admiral and
tried to pull herself together. Q was
right. The last thing she needed was
for the powers that be to question her sanity. Tuvok had made his way to her and now stood at her side. She drew strength from him, and when she
spoke, her voice was strong and unwavering. "Admiral Sutherland, I demand to know why members of my crew are being
taken into custody."
"They're being detained to await
trial for their crimes." He said, his voice carrying a haughty, nasal
intonation.
"To what crimes are you
referring?" Tuvok asked.
"Why, crimes against the
Cardassian Order, of course." Said Navette. His tone was as nonchalant as if he were merely discussing the
weather. "They're members of the
Maquis, Captain Janeway. Surely you
didn't expect them to just go free."
Hatred flashed in her eyes as she
glared at Navette. "What I expected was
for them to be treated fairly. They
haven't been Maquis since the day they joined my crew. They've served Starfleet for seven years
faithfully. These actions against them
are atrocious!"
Admiral Sutherland took Janeway by
the arm and attempted to lead her out of the docking bay. "Admiral Paris awaits your arrival at
headquarters, Captain. I suggest you
come along quietly if you don't want to find yourself going to jail along side
your friends."
Janeway jerked her arm from his
grasp and opened her mouth to reply, but Tuvok's steady grip on her shoulder
silenced her.
"Captain, I believe that your
resistance will only serve to further complicate the situation. I understand your discomfort, however, you
will be of no use to the former Maquis if you are incarcerated. It is in our best interests to proceed to
Starfleet Command. Perhaps we will get
some answers from Admiral Paris."
Yes, that was it. Owen Paris was one of Kathryn's strongest
supporters since she entered the academy. He would get to the bottom of all this. "Yes, you're right Tuvok. Let's
get to Starfleet Command and find out what in the hell is happening here."
Janeway glanced one last time at
her crew, most of who didn't resist as they were carted off to jail. They went along peacefully, probably believing
that their captain would come to their rescue and have them out in time to be
home for dinner with their families. She hoped like hell that their faith in her was justified. "This certainly isn't the homecoming I was
expecting." She muttered as she followed the Admiral out of the docking bay.
Q fell into step beside her. "Well, Kathy, I hate to say I told you
so. But…"
"Shut up, Q!" she snapped.
"I'm sorry, Captain Janeway. Did you say something?" Gul Navette asked.
"Of course not." She smirked at Q. "I just had a mosquito buzzing in my ear. You know how pesky those little things can
be."
Q fixed his gaze on Tuvok. "Is she always this cranky when Chuckles in
away?"
Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "Yes."