CHAPTER SEVEN: LAST WORDS

Captain Kenneth Lutgen and Lt. Commander Tuvok were over on the array while all of the things were going on. Captain Lutgen was talking to the Caretaker in hopes that he would help to send them home.

"Please, help us reopen the rift that sent us here, you are the only one who can do that!"

"But you see I can't, if I do that who will look after the Ocompa?"

"Listen we do not belong here, we belong on the other side of the galaxy 70 thousand light years away from here, besides in our culture we had to learn how to evolve be ourselves, the Ocompa have to learn to do the same!"

"Listen I have a debt that can never be repaid!"

"You mean all of this was your fault, you mean to tell me that their planet being in the condition that it is, is all because of you?"

"Yes, we are just like you, explores, but something went wrong!"

"You mean there is another you?"

"Yes she is out their somewhere, you see when we came here something happened an accident now I have to provide for them fix what I did!"

While in conversation Captain Lutgen Received a Communications signal from Ensign Val, Captain, We have a problem. We are taking hits left and right how much longer will you be over there?"

"We are almost done, hold on!"

Then Tuvok came around and said," Captain I think I have found the computer to send us back to Federation space but it will be several hours before I can open a rift to get us back!"

Now if it were not a ruff situation Captain Kenneth Lutgen had to make a choice, how far does the prime directive apply even in the situations that they are in, after all they are not in Federation space anymore and their for it would be hard to apply things beings they are the only ones that can enforce the Federation protocols for the prime directive. Captain Lutgen looks at Tuvok and says,"We do not belong here, We did not ask to be involved in the situations that have transpired, but yet here we are faced with this problem, do not use the console let's get back to the ship and prepare to blow up this installation!"

Tuvok knowing well that Captain Lutgen was not making the choice out of logic but of peace for the Ocompa and their civilization, but yet he knew as well that they need not to get involved,"Captain, need I tell you that the prime directive here seems to apply?"

"Yes Tuvok, I know but even though we are here we need to do what is right. The prime directive states that we are not to get involved in pre-warp civilizations, but the thing is we are involved and we need to protect, your orders are to prepare two tricobolt devices and we are going to destroy this array! Understood?"

"Yes Captain I do!"

While on the way back to the ship Captain Lutgen made sure that he would have a good speech to back up his actions but he also had to realize that he would now have not one crew but two, a Starfleet crew and then the Maquis crew. Once on the bridge Captain Lutgen gave Tuvok the order,"Prepare the tricobolt device to fire on the array!"

"Stacy move the ship away to a safe distance so we will not sustain anymore damage!"

"Val hail the lead Kazon ship!"

Knowing that their were a lot of orders being given and a lot going Captain Lutgen watched both crews to see how each member would handle what was about to happen. As though knowing himself that were going to be a lot of things changing aboard the ship Captain Lutgen wondered one thing, how would both crews manage and get along. While he was thinking of this the view screen came up and Jabin was their,"Jabin, I am warning you to move your ships to a safe distance, I plan on destroying this array so no one can control it and or harm the Ocompa!"

Not knowing that Jabin was going to do he stood in hopes that Jabin would leave and that there would be no more conflicts,"No, I will not. I will not let anyone with such power to do such things!"

Knowing that this had to be done Captain Lutgen yelled,"Tuvok, are those devices ready?"

Then out of anger only thinking that the Captain was bluffing B'Elonna turned,"Why, that is our only way home, and you are going to destroy that array? How are we going to get home? You just can't decide the rest of futures as."

Knowing that this had to be done Chakotay turned and put his hand on Torres shoulder,"He is the Captain, stand down we have to listen to him now!"

During all of this commotion Captain Lutgen was watching the movements of both B'Elonna and Chakotay, which is when Captain Lutgen knew that Chakotay would make a good officer, first officer that is.

"Tuvok, fire those devices now!"

As if it were nothing they all just stood back and watched as the device made it's way to the array, then with a sudden burst of fire the device hit the array making it explode so the Kazon would not be able to get control of the array and kill or do damage to the Ocompa. Captain Lutgen knew now more then ever that these two crews would have to bind together as one crew on one ship. Once all was said and done the console at Val's station began to go nuts letting the crew know that they had an incoming message, Val yelled,"Incoming transmission!"

The Captain Knew it would be Jabin and knew that Jabin was going to state his peace, On screen!"

"You have made an enemy today Captain!"

Once Jabin was done Captain Lutgen went to his ready room and sat down, looking at his pictures wondering what was happening back at home, but now more choices lay ahead, what will they do, how will they get home, will Starfleet Command be looking for them? All these questions ran through Captain Lutgen's head, but the other problem, Stacy, She was only to be an observer now she will have to become part of the crew, a first officer beings his was dead and the other problem, two crews under one ship of Command knowing that this could not be Maquis ship but a Starfleet ship with the same rules and regulations as if it were like they were at home. IT was now going on 1500hrs (3:00) and the Captain needed to do something now, he had already talked to Chakotay and gave him the rank that he would have, and talked to him about his crew and how they would adjust on a Starfleet ship. Now came the other part, without wasting time he yelled over the Communications system,"Stacy, Please report the Captain's ready room at once!"

About three minutes latter the ready room doorbell went off and the Captain knew it was her, "Come in!"

"Captain you wish to see me?"

"Yes, please sit down, it seems we have a problem, we now have another crew aboard as you already know and I am without a helm officer, How do you think I should solve this problem?"

"Well I do not know, but what will I do after all I was just to be an observer?"

"Well I will tell you, First of all you have a body guard, Chakotay, he said something about you saved his life and now it belongs to you. Is that true?"

"Yes, yes it is and I believe I am going to like this!"

"Oh I would not be so sure of that, as you know I had to take on the other crew as well Chakotay is my First Officer everyone will have to report to him for their duty shift as well as take any problems they may have to him, As far as the other problem on this day I entered into the field log rank of Lt. Commander to Stacy Marie Jennings. Congratulations I only wish your father was here to see this!"

"OH don't worry, he will find out about it as soon as we get home, and believe you me we will. Now came the other part he addressed Chakotay and Stacy but the crew was next in line, Captain Lutgen sat up and move to the bridge knowing that he would have to be to the point. Once he entered the bridge he looked around at the crewman standing their, he walked by the stations looking into the eyes of all of them, then he stopped stood strait and said these words that had to be said,"We are alone, in an uncharted part of the galaxy, we have made some friends and we made some enemies, but let us not forget our objective, to find away home. We know that there is another Caretaker out their, we will find her we will try to find wormholes and rifts that will lead back to the Alpha Quadrant, but we have to focus on this, we have to work together as one crew on this ship & that would be a Starfleet crew. Someway, somehow we will get home, Stacy set a course for home!!!"

After stating what had to be stated Captain Lutgen went to his chair sat down and yelled,"ENGAGE!"

THE END

I hope you liked this story as well as the characters in it. Look for my other books filled with more adventure and more crew who want to make their home on Voyager...