DISCLAIMER: You all know the drill - Paramount is God. All hail Paramount. They own everything in the Star Trek Universe - I'm just using my overactive imagination to take their characters where they refuse to go. All in the name of fun, not profit (I wish).
ORDER AND CHAOS
CHAPTER FOUR: ALLIES
The bridge crew turned back to the screen in surprise as Axum's smile widened. "Commander Chakotay, I presume?"
"That's right," he replied, regaining his composure.
Axum looked around the bridge. "Where's Captain Janeway?"
Seven explained. "We were unable to rescue her. She is still with the Borg."
"Then I'm certain our assistance will be welcome. May I transport to your ship?"
Chakotay glanced over his shoulder and indicated to Harry to mute the transmission. "Comments?" he said, looking around the bridge.
"I think we can take him. We'll have him outnumbered," quipped Tom from the helm, earning him a glare from Seven.
"Mr. Paris' sarcasm not withstanding," said Tuvok, "I do not believe it would be wise to allow him on board."
Chakotay turned to the station behind the command chairs. "Seven?"
"We can trust him, Commander. You have my word on it."
He stared at her for a few seconds before he nodded. "That's good enough for me." He nodded to Harry to restore the audio. "We'll beam you over immediately."
"Thank you."
The transmission ended, and Chakotay started for the turbolift. "Tuvok, Harry, Seven, you're with me. Mr. Paris, you have the bridge."
"Yes, sir," snapped Tom.
"Security, report to transporter room two," ordered Tuvok. Seven stared at him warily but made no objection as the turbolift doors closed.
*
"They're ready to beam over, sir," reported Ensign Lang at the transporter controls as the four officers entered.
"They?" repeated Chakotay with a glance at Seven.
The young ensign shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, sir. Axum requested that he bring two of his officers."
Two security officers entered the transporter room and stood behind the others.
"Energize," ordered Chakotay.
Axum and two other drones materialized on the transporter pad. They immediately noticed the drawn weapons of the security team.
"You won't need those," said Axum, raising a hand. "But I understand your caution. I hope you'll realize it's not necessary."
Chakotay nodded at the security officers to lower their weapons. "Welcome to Voyager."
"Thank you. This is my first officer, Kor," he said, indicating the man to his left, "And my engineer M'Ahrel," he continued, motioning to the female drone on his right.
"I'm sorry to hear about your Captain," said M'Ahrel. "How can we help you?" Her voice would probably been very soft and gentle, but it was distorted by a vocal subprocessor.
"We've the Captain's cortical implant frequency," offered Harry, "But we haven't been able to locate her."
Seven finally tore her gaze away from Axum, glad for the distraction. "I believe she is in Unimatrix One, with the Queen."
"She's probably established some kind of dampening field," suggested M'Ahrel. "I'll help you try and neutralize it."
Harry nodded, and she stepped off the transporter pad and followed him out the door, escorted by one of the security guards.
"If your Captain is in Unimatrix One," said Kor, stepping off the platform as well, "You're going to need to penetrate their defenses."
Chakotay smiled slightly. "I take it you have some assistance to offer?"
Kor nodded. "Lead the way."
Chakotay started for the door, and Kor and the other security guard followed him. Seven watched them leave, and Tuvok looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll be fine, Commander," she assured him.
Tuvok glanced suspiciously at Axum, then reluctantly nodded for Ensign Lang to follow him as he left the room.
As soon as the doors slid shut, leaving them alone, Axum stepped off the transporter pad and approached her with a smile. "Your crew is very protective of you."
She smiled back. "They have adapted to my presence."
He stepped closer and reached up as if to brush her cheek, but recoiled when he saw the Borg implants on the back of his hand. He drew his arm back towards him, and touched the tubes and implants on his arm self-consciously. "I know I don't look the same as I did in Unimatrix Zero," he said hesitantly.
"Physical appearance is irrelevant." Seven regarded him with compassion. "However, our Doctor could attempt to remove your implants if it would make you feel more comfortable."
Their eyes locked and they stared at each other for a long time.
"I've been thinking about you," said Seven finally in a quiet voice. "I wondered whether you had been able to gain control of your vessel."
"It took me longer than I expected."
"I'm glad you came."
The corners of his mouth slowly pulled up in a smile. "I told you I would find you, Annika."
She stepped forward and embraced him fiercely, wrapping her arms around him. Taken by surprise, he stood motionless for a few seconds then slowly put his arms around her. His embrace was tentative at first, but then he gave in and pulled her close to him.
* * *
Most of the senior staff, along with Axum and his two officers, were gathered in the conference room. The late hour was obvious in the dark circles under nearly everyone's eyes and the empty coffee cups scattered around the room.
"It's not feasible," repeated Axum for the third time.
Harry refused to listen. "If we -- "
"Axum is right," interrupted M'Ahrel. "It would take too long to build another coil, and we don't have any to spare. We need to act now."
Chakotay and Kor were standing near one of the displays on the wall. "What are our other options?" he asked.
"Our cube could tow Voyager into the corridor with a tractor beam," suggested Kor.
Chakotay turned to his side. "B'Elanna?"
She cocked her head to the side, hands on her hips. "It's possible," she said, lifting one hand up. "We would need to reroute power to structural integrity to compensate for the strain, but I think it would work."
"Why can't we just follow the cube into the corridor?" asked Tom.
"You could," admitted Axum. "But you would have no way to open another corridor on your own to escape."
"You're forgetting something," interrupted Seven. "The Borg Queen will be watching for us. If she sees a cube towing Voyager she will attack us immediately."
Axum agreed. "There has to be some way to sneak past her."
"Voyager may be forced to remain here," said Tuvok. "An away team could accompany your cube to Unimatrix One and return with the Captain."
"We'll have a greater chance of succeeding if we have two ships," protested Kor.
"But the Queen will detect Voyager instantly," said Harry. "Unless you have a cloaking device I don't see how we can sneak by."
Axum looked up sharply and glanced at M'Ahrel.
She smiled slowly. "We might be able to help you there." She moved over to the display between Kor and Chakotay. "We can give you the specifications for the Borg sensors. If you remodulate your shields in precisely the right way, you should be all but invisible to the Queen."
"We tried that once before," said Tom. "But they adapted."
"Not to these modulations, they haven't. I invented them myself."
"How long would it last?" asked Seven.
She shrugged. "Twenty minutes at the most. Less if the Queen notices something suspicious."
"They'll still notice the tractor beam," pointed out B'Elanna, "Even if they can't see us."
They all considered this in silence.
"Maybe Tuvok's right," sighed Axum. "Maybe the answer is to leave Voyager here where the Queen can't see it."
Icheb, who had so far observed the meeting in silence, finally saw a chance to contribute. "A Trojan horse."
They looked at each other in confusion for a few seconds.
"An ancient Earth legend," he clarified.
He was still met with blank looks. Chakotay was the first one to understand, and he nodded with a smile.
"I think we've found our way in."
* * *
Seven accompanied the three ex-drones to the transporter room, along with two security guards.
M'Ahrel and Kor stepped up on the transporter pad, but Axum lingered.
"Good luck," he said, reaching over to gently brush her arm with his fingers.
"You too," she replied with a small smile.
"We'll contact you when we're ready."
She nodded, but he still hesitated.
"Are you sure you don't need my help here?" he asked. "I know my ship better than anyone on your crew. I may not have quite as much experience with Borg technology as you…"
"However, your knowledge is more recent than mine," Seven quickly added.
M'Ahrel glanced knowingly at Kor. "I'm sure we can take care of things from our end, Axum."
He didn't look away from Seven. "Are you sure?"
"We can contact you if there are any problems."
He nodded at them, and Seven turned to Crewman Nozawa. "Energize."
The two figures on the platform dematerialized, and Seven turned to Axum. "After this is over…perhaps we could spend some time together."
He motioned towards his implants. "Like this?"
"The Doctor can restore your appearance."
He smiled sadly and looked down at the ground. "Without my implants I wouldn't be able to function on the cube."
Her emotions were getting closer to the surface. "You could remain on Voyager."
He shook his head. "I can't leave my ship."
"You don't believe that Kor would be a competent leader?"
"No, I think he would make a wonderful leader. That's not the point."
She stiffened. "You plan to return to your vessel when our mission is complete."
"Come with me, Annika. You could help me fight the Collective."
"I have spent the last three years trying to regain my individuality. I have no desire to return to life on a Borg cube."
"We're not Borg anymore."
"I know…but Voyager is my home. I won't leave."
"And I can't leave the resistance."
They stared at each other in silence, each determined yet wanting a compromise.
"We've been fortunate enough to find each other twice," said Seven quietly. "It's unlikely we would be so lucky a third time."
Axum flashed her a wry smile. "Haven't you ever heard of fate?"
"I prefer to take my fate in my own hands," she said curtly.
He sighed. "I can't leave the resistance…and I can't ask you to live that kind of life. We'll just have to trust that we will find each other again."
Before she had a chance to answer, they were interrupted by Harry over the comm.
Kim to Seven of Nine.
"Yes, Ensign?"
We're ready to start on those shield modifications. We could use a hand down here.
"We're on our way."
There was a short pause. Did you say 'we'?
She glanced at her companion. "Axum has decided to remain on board and assist us."
Another short pause. Great, we can use an extra pair of hands.
"We'll be there shortly."