Ship's log, Stardate 55001.6 Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay have been relieved of command, per Starfleet orders. However, I will not destroy their dignity by confining them to the brig. I am disobeying a direct order, on my personal responsibility.
I am also going on record to protest and object to this decision by the Federation and Starfleet Command. This decision could have waited until we had returned from the Delta Quadrant to be announced. I am also objecting on the grounds that neither person will be allowed to directly cross-examine living witnesses against them and could be seen as a denial of their rights.
I have decided that a 60 day delay is called for, in order to give us time to prepare a suitable defense. I have assigned Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01, as their representative for the proceedings and Lt. Tuvok has volunteered to act as a co-counsel. Seven has yet to decide if she wants his assistance, but, I suspect that she will.
I have decided, and Captain Janeway concurs, that Ensign Harry Kim should be given a promotion. I, therefore, am granting a field promotion to Lt(jg) Harry Kim, effective immediately. I feel that he is more than overdue for a promotion and he has shown that he can handle the added responsibilities that come with the rank. In fact, he already is handling the responsibilities and the added hollow pip will reflect his status. I am confident in the young man's abilities to be an effective Gamma Shift commander and will soon be ready to fleet up to Beta Shift on alternating days instead of the Gamma Shift. However, the Gamma Shift bridge crew and Kim have shown that they've jelled as an effective shift and Seven's informal efficiency briefings have reflected favorably upon this setup, so I am hesitant to change it.
The sphere is still waiting for my reply to Starfleet and has matched our course and speed towards the Alpha Quadrant and home. I suspect that Starfleet will not fully appreciate my reply as it will be very caustic, I'm afraid.
* * *
I was in the middle of my first shift as Acting Captain and not really enjoying it. I couldn't merely sit there and pretend that I was enjoying this situation with most of the senior staff still seething at the orders from home.
However, as I sat in the "Big Chair", I knew that some good would come out of the situation, at least for Harry Kim, who still didn't know that he was being promoted.
I decided, though, to surprise him and went into the Ready Room for a moment.
"One hollow pip, enclosed in a small flip top box similar to the old Earth jewelry box," I said to the replicator. A moment later, there was Harry's new pip, neatly placed in a box.
I left and headed for the center of the Bridge.
"Harry," I said, "Come down here, please. I need to discuss something with you."
He came down to me and stood at attention.
"I couldn't help but notice that you're out of uniform, Harry," I said.
His reaction was that of what every person does when informed that their uniform is not correct and looked at his shoes, then, checked to see if he left his fly undone.
I handed him the box, "I believe that you will find the way to correct the situation in here."
He opened it and saw the gleaming metal pip. I took it out of the box.
"Harry Kim. There are not many times that an admiral gets to do something that he enjoys. This is one of those times. After consulting with Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay, and for services provided to this crew as well as dedication to duty, I hereby grant you the field commission of Lt(jg). You've earned this rank, son," I said as I attached the pip to his collar.
The bridge crew broke out into applause and Tom stood up and said, "Congratulations, Lt. It took you long enough, though." I merely smiled and let the senior staff enjoy the boosted morale for a while.
"Harry, you know that you will have the traditional wetting down party in the near future, to celebrate your new rank. The first drinks are on you," I said, "Also, you can take an additional 5 hours of holodeck time to celebrate, if you desire. Prepare the party at your earliest opportunity, please."
"Aye, sir," he said and resumed his station.
"Mr. Tuvok, you have the conn. I will be in the ready room if you need me," I said. I figured that I might as well draft my message to Starfleet while I was in a good enough mood to do so.
"Acknowledged," he said and moved towards the center seat. His relief moved into the station as I walked past to the ready room.
I sat down and grabbed a datapadd to begin drafting my reply. I wanted to take the time to write it before I actually sent a verbal reply. It took over an hour to make the rough draft, then, another 30 minutes to rephrase some areas that I didn't like.
"Computer, begin visual recording, encode it for immediate delivery to Starfleet Command and route it to Admiral Owen Paris with copies to the current Starfleet CIC and Federation President. Route the message through the Borg Sphere currently matching our course and speed. Include personal logs of myself, Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay from the time of the Voyager-Borg Alliance and any logs from when the Hirogen took over the ship."
"Acknowledged. Begin recording," the computer said.
"Mr. President; members of the Federation council; Starfleet Command CIC and Admiral Paris. As you are aware, you have ordered me to relieve Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay of their commands. I have done so and taken command of this ship.
"However, I cannot comply with the order confining them to the brig. I have confined them to their quarters instead, where they have 24 hours guards posted. I have assigned them a legal representative in the form of Seven of Nine, the former Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 and co-counsel Commander Tuvok. Both are felt to be well versed in Federation Law and relevant regulations.
"As you know, Captain Janeway made a temporary alliance with the Borg Collective several years ago that was the basis for the current alliance that the Federation shares with the Collective. This initial alliance benefited this ship with the addition of Seven of Nine, formerly known as Annika Hanson.
"What you may not be aware of is that there was a necessity for this alliance. I am including my personal logs as well as the personal logs of the Captain and First Officer and submitting them as defense exhibits 1 through 30 or however many logs are included.
"These will show the necessity of such an alliance in that while the Borg attempted to assimilate who they called Species 8472, they unwittingly unleashed a race of beings into this universe who would have destroyed all known and unknown races in the Galaxy. The Borg were unable to stop or resist Species 8472's attempt to destroy the Collective and we realized that if they could defeat the Collective, they could not be stopped. They had sworn to purge our galaxy of humanoid life My logs will show that Species 8472 had the ability to explode planets. One bioship was able to destroy Borg Battle Cubes and as few as three could destroy an armada of Borg Cubes of more than 25 ships.
"We made a tactical error in dealing our technology to the Hirogen as the holograms turned against their creators. The Captain does regret that action, but, we still do not feel that it's worthy of such a heavy charge.
"But, I have also made other decisions. In order for the Captain and First Officer to have enough time to prepare a defense, I have ordered a 60 day delay in implementing the order to return at all due haste. While we can catch a ride with any Borg ship, I feel that the Federation is making a rush to judgment and attempting to deny the Captain and First Officer their Fourth Guarantee rights. This I cannot condone and is within Starfleet regulation 1695 Section 5(C)2.
"I have also made a further decision. In accordance with a historical precedent in the case of UFP v. James Tiberius Kirk, I am standing with my shipmates and their fate shall be mine as well. I permitted and watched as these so-called violations took place, even if I could have prevented them.
"If this means that I am cashiered out of Starfleet, so be it. If I am forced to resign, I will do so. If I am forced to resign, though, the Federation would immediately and permanently lose my services as a diplomat, Borg liaison, and other things that I routinely do to assist the Federation. I would disappear and head for a destination as yet unknown. You all know that I am able to hide in any populated planet by altering my form to match one of the locals.
"Basically put: If I leave because of this action, the Federation would be on their own and even if the Council itself approached me because they needed my help, I would refuse. If the Borg Alliance is severed for whatever reason and outer colonies fall to the Collective, do not come running to me to get the Queen to back off as I will refuse your plea for help. Also, I brokered the alliance, if you recall, a year ago. I am hesitant to inform the Collective that they should consider the agreement to be irrelevant except for giving this ship any needed protection while we make our way home or protecting any planet we choose to settle on instead of coming home.
"If the Collective decides to terminate the agreement and begin assimilation, you'd better pray that Captain Picard is still on somewhat friendly terms with Q, or start praying to whomever you call God.
"Mr. President. I do not make threats here. But, I will promise that I will walk away from the Federation and renounce my citizenship. If that means staying in this quadrant, I will do so and if any member of the crew wishes to join me, they would be welcomed to do so. If that does happen, no Federation personnel would be allowed within 50 parsecs of wherever we landed.
"I urge the Federation to reconsider this hasty action. I realize that we would have to face the music when we returned, but, we will not be coerced into giving up chances to explore this section of Space because some admiral got an idea to fry this crew for trying to get home. Dragon out."
I hit my adaptive commbadge and told the sphere that a message was incoming, and then, they would be able to depart for their next mission. Moments later, the sphere entered a transwarp conduit and left.
I had a feeling that within an day or two, another Borg ship would be visiting us to either deliver the message from the Federation or to bluntly inform us that we're heading home and that resistance is, indeed, futile.
The Federation, however, knows that I make an excellent First Contact officer and that they'd still be at War if I hadn't forged the current alliance with the Borg. Most species that I've encountered saw my assuming a "native" form as doing them honor and not an insult, which benefited the Federation greatly in the long run. I suspected that many bouts of "hurt feelings" had been averted by my assistance.
But, I had a ship to run in the meanwhile, so I returned to the Bridge.
Paris asked, "Did you tell the council off?"
"Yes," I replied, "I did, Tom. No, you may not know the contents of the message I sent, that is privileged information. Let's just say that I have put my career on the line for this ship as well as my reputation. We may know within a day or two at most what the reply is. If it's what I think, a Cube will be by to tell us that resistance is futile and that we're heading back home, whether we like it or not. If that happens, Tom, and you're on duty, do not resist, just follow my lead.
"Also, to head off any protests or what-not, if the Federation does persist, I am going to resign my commission and renounce my citizenship and settle here. You may pass the word that any crewmember that wants to join me, is more than welcome to. We'll have Borg protection no matter what."
Harry asked, "Is that a wise decision, Admiral?"
"No," Tuvok replied, "It's neither sound, wise, nor logical. But, if I know the Admiral, he's going to call on precedent as well as his reputation. You're doing what Admiral Kirk did at his Court-Martial, correct, sir?"
"Yes," I replied, "I am doing just that and hoping that the Federation will have a reason to pause in their decision or at least give us 60 days from today to work up a defense for the captain and First Officer. If not, we're as good as dead as far as a defense is going. Until we know, we're going to continue on our way to our next stop, a planet that Seven believes has a suitable amount of fuel to get us a lot closer to home. Set course, 257 mark 135, warp 6, Mr. Paris and engage when ready."
"Aye, sir," he replied. A moment later the new course was set and we were on the way.
"According to this, our destination is 500 light years away," Tom said.
"Excellent," I said, "We'll get there is a few days, correct?"
"Aye, sir," he replied. I leaned back to relax for a moment.
"Admiral," Tuvok said, "When is the last time you slept?"
"About 48 hours ago," I replied, "Why do you ask?"
"Even you must get some sleep at some point. Your command abilities will suffer as well as your ability to be a father to your infant will suffer."
"I've gone without sleep for over a week, Mr. Tuvok, without any lasting effect. Fortunately, my immortal nature gives me a lot of leeway when it comes to sleeping."
"It is illogical to push yourself beyond what you can safely do, sir," he replied, "Regardless of your immortality, this ship needs a leader who is mentally and physically fit to command."
"I can't argue with that point, Mr. Tuvok. I'll get some sleep when this shift ends."
"Alpha shift will end in 30.45 minutes, sir."
"Understood, Mr. Tuvok," I said, standing up. I knew when I was out-gunned.
"You have the Bridge, Mr. Tuvok," I said, "Alert me if anything comes up that I should know about."
"Sir," Harry said. I turned to face the newly frocked Lt(jg).
"Go ahead, Harry," I said.
"Well, I just wanted to thank you for giving me this promotion. Does tomorrow sound good for that party you mentioned?"
"Hopefully, yes. Work out the details with Neelix and let me know. Also, you've earned that pip, Harry. Do me proud," I said.
"Aye, aye, sir," he replied and I headed for my quarters. A few minutes later, I was there and relieved Seven, who was babysitting Gabrielle and working on the defense of our senior officers.
"You are 26 minutes early, Admiral," she said formally.
"I know, Seven. Tuvok insisted that I get some sleep. I've been so worked up about this legal problem with the Captain that I neglected to get any sleep, so I gave him the bridge until the end of the Alpha shift. Where's Naomi?"
"Naomi Wildman is in Holodeck 2, running one of those Flotter holo-novels she loves. She is scheduled to leave in 90 minutes as Crewman Chell is scheduled to use it then. I instructed her to return here when she was finished."
I nodded, "You may return to Astrometrics, your alcove, or stay here, Seven. I am going to take Tuvok up on his advice and get some sleep."
"I will stay here to supervise the children, then."
I nodded, "That's acceptable, Seven. I will see you in a few hours. If you need to leave, either take Naomi with you or get Icheb to watch the kids for me. Naomi's mother and Neelix will be returning soon from their trip, so, if I'm still sleeping, just leave me a note or something, please."
"Understood. Good night, Dragon," she said.
"Good night, Annika," I said with a grin. I was beginning to get her used to her human name because I had a feeling that we would be home a lot sooner than her projections indicated and "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01" just wouldn't fit in too well, I was afraid. But, who knows what would happen. People back home might like calling her Seven instead of Annika. If that was the case, my efforts would be irrelevant...and I would enjoy that.
I went into my bedroom and looked in on Gabrielle, who was also sleeping, it looked like. I smiled and gently caressed the toddler's face. She knew who it was and snuggled a little bit in her sleep, rubbing her head against my palm. I actually envied her because of her innocence and youth protected her from most problems while, I had a monster one to deal with.
I laid down and fell asleep before my head hit the pillow, it seemed. As I slept, I dreamed that I was watching Kirk's court-martial and plea of guilty to all counts against him while I stood helplessly as the Federation sentenced him to a dishonorable discharge and life in a rehab colony without parole to answer for his crimes against the Federation. As Kirk turned, he turned into Janeway as Spock was sentenced for treason against the Federation and conspiracy to violate the Prime Directive. Spock then turned to face me and changed to Chakotay while the Federation then turned on me and stripped me of my rank and threw me out of Starfleet as well. The members of the Council then started laughing at me and my foolishness, even the Vulcans were laughing and taunting me, saying that I would never live up to their standards. Then, I was grabbed by a Borg Drone and wheeled around. The drone attempted to assimilate me, but, the drone looked like Seven when she was still a drone.
"Dragon, your biological essence will become one of us. Your abilities will become ours, making us completely perfect. The Federation shall fall to the Collective. Resistance is futile," the Seven drone said.
In my dream, I was helpless as the tubes plunged into my neck as I lashed out, striking the drone and trying to shape shift, but, the nanoprobes had been injected. I roared as loud as I could as everything went dark...I looked down and saw the exoskeleton of a drone, then, I was being shaken and some drone who looked like the non-drone Seven was trying to talk to me..."Dragon? Are you OK?"
The scene dissolved and I was back on Voyager. The real Seven was shaking me and, before I realized it, I lashed out and knocked her into the far wall of my quarters. That woke me up.
I raced over to her and felt for a pulse. She had one, but, it was weak.
"Dragon to Doctor," I screamed, "Medical emergency in my quarters! Get down here immediately, there's been a dreadful accident!"
"Paris here," I heard, "A medical team is on the way."
"Understood," I said, trying to remain calm.
"What happened, sir?" he asked.
"I had a nightmare and Seven tried waking me from it. I knocked her across my quarters. She's badly injured." My voice cracked at the end.
"Sir," he said, "Try to calm down. The medical team will be there in a moment. Don't try to move her."
"I have no intention of moving her," I said, "Dragon out."
The medical team, led by Paris entered and examined Seven.
"Let's get her to sickbay," he said. "Paris to transporter room. Five to beam directly to sickbay, medical priority one."
They beamed to Sickbay, where I beat them with my teleport by mere microseconds.
"Activate EMH!" I yelled.
"Please state the natu...my God!" he said as he saw Seven.
Paris said, "She's suffered major injuries. Flailed chest, her right arm is broken and both legs. Punctured lungs, both of them. Her cranial implant is damaged."
Hearing the extent of her injuries was just too much and I sat down, in tears, as the EMH began to repair her injuries. He'd be busy for a while.
Naomi came in and saw what happened. She sat down next to me and gave me what I really needed and that was a hug.
"Seven will be OK," Naomi said.
"No, she'll never be all right, Naomi. I don't think she can forgive me. I do not deserve it."
"What happened?" she asked, obviously wondering what happened to her friend. I told her and she merely absorbed it. Seven's influence was telling.
"Dragon," Naomi said, "It wasn't your fault. It sounds like a bad nightmare that you had and you reacted automatically. Could you have known it was really Seven or a dreamed Seven? Also, did you know that you're in mini-dragon form?"
I looked at myself and realized that she was right. I must have actually shape changed in my sleep. I changed back to human and wiped my eyes.
"I'm not sure, Naomi. One minute, I was on a cube, seeing myself as a drone, then, Seven was there and then, she was at the far side of the quarters."
"You see," she said, "I don't think that you really knew. I get confused when I wake up from a nightmare, why shouldn't you be the same?"
Paris came over, "She's a smart kid, isn't she?"
I nodded.
"She's right, sir. You couldn't have known if it was real or in your dream. Doc has her in surgery, but, he thinks that the damage isn't that severe. Her nanoprobes are responding to the emergency and helping to regenerate her bones and repairing other injuries. Admiral, she'll be fine. She couldn't be in better hands."
About an hour later, most of the senior staff had heard about the accident and come by to cheer me up. They all understood what had happened. Seven was already out of surgery and resting comfortably.
The Doctor called me into his office and proceeded to update me on her condition, which was still serious and that she would be spending at least a few hours in sickbay, mainly to ensure that her implants would recover. Her biological damage was repaired, but, I worried about how she would react.
"Doc," I said, "I've never been so ashamed in all my life. Seven seemed to be concerned for me and almost died because of that. I don't know if I can face her for a while."
"You'll be relieved to know that she woke up for a few moments after the operation and asked to see you. She didn't seem angry at the time, though."
I nodded and went to look in on her, guilt plaguing my soul anyway and would until she woke up. If she forgave me, I would try to forgive myself. If not, it was a long voyage home.
She was resting comfortably and I could see by her vitals that she was stable. I took her hand.
"Seven...Annika," I began, "I don't know if you can hear me, but, I want you to know that I am very sorry for what happened to you. I don't expect you to forgive me and I know that you feel that an apology is irrelevant, but, I need to give you one. Everyone says that they understand what happened and that they don't hold anything against me. But, Seven, I hold it against myself. I went too long without proper rest and you suffered as a result. I will bear this dishonor."
Her eyes fluttered open and saw me there, trying to hold back a fresh onslaught of tears.
"You are upset," she said weakly, "I heard what you said to me. There is nothing to apologize for, nothing to forgive, Dragon. Don't blame yourself. I heard your distress and came in to help, the fault is mine."
I smiled despite myself, knowing that Seven, in her own way, had forgiven my actions. I realized then, that my feelings for the former Drone went above friendship.
"How do you feel?" I asked.
"I've been better," she replied, "I feel like my ribs have been damaged."
"Not physically, Seven," I said, "Emotionally or mentally, I meant."
"I'm upset," she replied, "I shouldn't have tried to wake you in that state. You kept screaming about Borg and assimilation tubes. I saw you change form and I reacted to help. I'm sorry for the pain you are feeling."
I took her hand and caressed it, wishing that I could use my healing touch to help her, but, the EMH had already taken care of her physical wounds.
"Don't be sorry, Seven," I said, "Part of me is glad that you wanted to help. You've finally gotten in touch with your humanity and your instincts. I'll adapt. I shouldn't stay long. Doc will complain if I keep you from getting your rest and regeneration. Get some regular sleep, then, regenerate in the alcove for as long as the doctor says to."
Seven looked at her hand and saw me caressing it. She made no move to remove her hand.
"I care about you, too," she said. I grinned, "How about a date when you're up to it?"
"I'd like that," she said in reply. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and left, knowing that something good had happened out of a near tragic occurrence. The EMH gave me a glare as I walked by. If I didn't know better, I'd've sworn he was getting jealous.
I returned to my quarters and laid down. Gabrielle was with one of her other babysitters and they left a padd saying to get some rest and that they'd take care of her for a few extra hours. I authorized a few extra holodeck hours for B'Elanna since she gave up her free time to come to my aid. Paris also would benefit since he was also helping. Even with our problems, they cared enough to take some of the stress off of me for a few hours. I fell asleep thanking whoever was watching out for Seven and I. They were earning their "pay".
I awoke 8 hours later, fully refreshed and went to see how Seven was doing. It turned out that she had gone to her alcove for further regeneration and I didn't want to bother her if I could help it. I started walking around the decks for a while and, somehow ended up near Janeway's quarters. The guards recognized me and let me pass. I needed to talk and she was a good listener when she wanted to be.
"Hi, Captain," I said, "I just came by to see how you were holding up."
"Well," Janeway replied, "I've got a lot of free time on my hands now. I heard that there was some excitement earlier. Want to talk about it?"
I told her what happened and as Janeway listened, I could see her face getting a tad angry, but, considering that Seven was OK, her face softened, especially when I told her about my feelings towards Seven.
"I suppose that I should give you a chewing up one side and down the other," she said, "But, I know you well enough that you gave yourself a major dressing down, right?"
"Yes, Ma'am," I said, "You think I'm hard on the crew at times, I'm hardest on myself when I screw up, Kathryn. If this were any other crewmember, I'd put them on report and I intend to put myself on report when I see Tuvok."
"You'll do no such thing," she said, "I might be relieved of command right now, but, I can't let you punish yourself for what sounds like an honest accident. Let it go. Seven isn't holding a grudge, is she?"
"No," I replied, "She's regenerating and accepted my offer to take her on a date later on."
"That's good news!" Janeway said, "It's about time you realized what's going on. Chakotay and I noticed it for the last few months how you and her were getting along. Seven even asked me a few weeks ago how she could get your attention romantically. I didn't think that you'd end up clobbering her like that. But, things might work out in the end."
I then updated her on what I told the Federation and she was surprised. I expected a reply any moment and it was not going to be a good one, I feared. At best, they'd agree to my "terms". At worst, they'd strip me of rank and court-martial me alongside Janeway. I was not looking forward to their reply at all.
Janeway was sympathetic to my plight and agreed that I had to make a stand somehow. She joked that she'd rubbed off on me a little too much. I promised to give her some freedom if it was possible to spend time in the holodeck. I also had hoped for plans to re-instate both of them if the Federation agreed to my "Terms".
"Don't get your hopes up, sir," she said, "You're taking a huge risk and I'd hate to think that they called your bluff."
"What bluff, Kathryn?" I retorted, "They know that I don't bluff unless I have to. This is serious. There's a lot of Class M worlds here that I can settle on and, if any crewmember or officer wants to join me, I will welcome the company. The Federation can't do much if the Borg will not cooperate, and I can ensure that. The UFP wouldn't exist in it's current form if I hadn't been able to convince the people of Earth that we can co-exist peacefully with alien species. They only need examine their history books."
"That's true," she said after a moment, "I still wonder if that war we missed could have been prevented."
"Doubtful," I replied, "Some species still would have started a conflict. Look at the first Federation-Klingon conflict. They just wouldn't listen to reason, so we had to fight. At least the two sides are friends again after that war."
My commbadge chirped, "Dragon to the Bridge. We got company. One Borg Cube has dropped out of transwarp."
That didn't sound good to me. "I'm on my way," I replied.
To Janeway, "You might want to prepare for a fight, Captain, or at least being grabbed by a tractor beam."
I turned and walked to her doors and left. I figured that there was no sense in waiting, so I teleported to the bridge.
"Hail the cube, Mr. Kim," I replied.
"Channel open," he replied a moment later.
"We are the Borg. You have a high priority message from the Federation Council," that voice of theirs said. It was still ghastly sounding, foreshadowing evil, even if they were somewhat friendly or at least neutral to us.
"Let's hear it," I said.
"This message is encrypted and requires your voice verification," the Collective said.
"Fine. Download the message to this vessel and stand by for my response, please."
A moment later, Harry said, "The download is complete, sir. The Cube has severed communications."
"Play the message Harry," I said, "The senior staff needs to hear this."
The viewscreen displayed the Federation logo and the computer said, "Voice Verification is required to play this message."
"This is the Dragon, computer, play the message, please," I commanded.
"Voiceprint verified," the ship's computer replied.
The face of Admiral Paris appeared.
"Greetings, Dragon. The Federation has received your message and they asked me to reply. They are not pleased that you threatened to resign and renounce your citizenship. However, they have relented, fearing the loss of your services to the Federation. You have been given your 60 days to prepare any defense for your Captain, but, you have been given a written reprimand for not putting the Captain and First Officer into the Brig.
"Starfleet is not pleased that their orders have been refused, but, Starfleet is also painfully aware of your absence and the vacuum it creates for the Federation. Their original intent was to strip you of rank, however, the threat of a termination of the Borg Alliance and resulting assimilation was enough to give them pause to reconsider. We cannot withstand a prolonged conflict with the Collective and the mere mention of a termination of the Alliance that has already benefited millions of Federation Citizens and Starfleet officers is not welcome news.
"Admiral, from one flag officer to another and as your friend...Don't push your luck. The Council was in a state of collective wrath at your comments, and, any further defiance may completely overcome your reputation and honor. Please don't make us call your bluff. Paris out." The logo reappeared for a moment before the stars reappeared on the screen.
We all breathed a sigh of relief. I could live with the reprimand and had no intention of further pressing my luck with the Federation. I sat down in my chair and, for the first time in days, felt the pressure ease a little bit.
"Mr. Paris, continue on course for that refueling stop. We're going to need it, I think. Mr. Tuvok, effective immediately, you're on detached duty to assist in the defense of the Captain and First Officer. Work with Seven of Nine after she completes her regeneration after the mishap. I want as good of a defense as possible. Collect whatever evidence you can find to assist in their defense. If you need character witnesses, this crew stands ready to cooperate. We've already lost a day and a half and need to get that made up ASAP.
"I'll be in the ready room, replying to this latest message."
I rose and went into the ready room to give my reply. Unlike the first one, this one, I knew what I was going to say.
"Computer, begin recording message to the Federation Council, Starfleet Command and Admiral Paris. Route through the Borg Cube for immediate delivery.
"Esteemed members of the Federation Council, Starfleet Command and Admiral Paris. I accept and acknowledge the written reprimand you desired to lodge against me without further comment.
"I want to thank you for showing the restraint that I was hoping for as well as the delay in the proceedings. We may require an extra two days or so, due to an on board mishap involving myself and Seven of Nine. This mishap, I respectfully place at your feet. This occurred as a direct result of your ill considered actions that caused a severe nightmare to happen to me and Seven accidentally was injured trying to help me. Her injuries were life-threatening at the time, but, she will fully recover according to our holographic Doctor. This is of little concern now.
"I am requesting all data that the Federation has and any and all evidence against Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay. We will run a Board of Inquiry here on Voyager at the first available opportunity, though, to determine the need for an actual court-martial. I, of course, must recuse myself from running this Board of Inquiry and request that someone from the JAG office preside over the meeting. I will coordinate with the Collective to relay the subspace meetings in real-time. They have the resources to do this feat and falls under the alliance guidelines. They will cooperate, I hope.
"I did not enjoy having to draw down on my accrued store of trust and honor, as well as putting my reputation on the line. However, I felt that I had to move to protect this crew and their rightful leadership. I'll admit that I am strongly biased in this matter. Anyone who knows what we've been through, really knows, would understand why I'm biased.
"In the interest of fairness, I will not plan on resisting any further orders, however, I do reserve that right, should it arise. Times change, members of the Council, and I can hope that they change for the better with this crew.
"I do wish to clarify one point that was raised. There was no threat intended, expressed, implied or otherwise regarding a termination of the Borg Alliance. I had run tactical simulations within the last few months and the situation, if the Alliance was terminated, would be hopeless. Within two Earth years, the Federation, Klingons and Romulans would fall to the Collective. Humanity would be quickly reduced to a few individuals trying to escape assimilation. I wouldn't be able to handle the guilt. The Alliance is as strong today as it has been in the past few months. It benefits both the Collective as well as the Alpha Quadrant as a whole.
"That said, and comfortable in the facts that I know and will certainly make the Federation aware of, I shall sign off. Live long and Prosper. Dragon out."
A moment later, the message had been delivered. My commbadge chirped.
"State your intentions," the Borg said without preamble.
"Our intentions are to go towards a planet in spatial grid 645-D6 in order to refuel our vessel, then continue towards the Alpha Quadrant with all due speed. I intend to release your vessel in a few moments. I may require assistance in the near future to initiate a sub-space transmission to the Alpha Quadrant that needs to be relayed quickly. Would you make all necessary arrangements with the required Borg vessels?"
"Yes," the Borg stated and the link went silent as the nearby Cube left as quickly as it came.
I left the Ready Room and went back to my center seat. "Report," I said to Tom.
"We are on course for our pit stop. At current speed, we will be there in 5.57 days. Neelix and Ensign Wildman were dropped off by the Borg Cube while you were away. Neelix found your leftover dinner from the other night and pronounced it the best he'd ever tasted. Ensign Wildman wanted to thank you for watching Naomi while she was away."
"Sounds like you've been busy, Tom," I said.
"Not anymore than usual, sir," he replied.
I looked at the chronometer and saw that there were a few hours left on the shift and got determined to enjoy them while I could. Fortunately for me, this actually happened and the shift went by without any further excitement. I had the ship's speed increased, mainly because the sooner we re-fueled, the sooner we would get home and I was in favor of that, as long as we weren't dragged there by some Borg vessel.
Seven's long range scans had determined that our stop was a Demon Class World, which would require my assistance. It was severely taxing on my abilities, but, worth it in case someone got into trouble. But, that 500°K was a bear to deal with, even for a few seconds. The radiation was no picnic, either and was the higher threat to my immortality. While my body would heal quickly from the heat burns, it took a while to fight off the radiation effects if they were strong enough. Several times, I ended up in sickbay with extreme radiation poisoning and got chewed by the EMH, who seemed to enjoy that. I wondered if the Borg hadn't inserted a few sub-routines of their own, but, originality was not one of their traits unless the Queen had done it. The drones merely complied with what the Queen said, even if the command was to dive into a star. She'd been known to blow up her own craft to eliminate malfunctioning drones from what Seven told me in the past. That was worth a shudder, to say the least.
I headed back to my quarters to get some rest. I was still feeling wiped out by the mishap with Seven as well as the stress of the last few days.
On the way there, I decided to check up on Seven and see how she was doing. My stop in sickbay only determined that the Doctor had sent her to her alcove to regenerate for at least 12 hours. The Doctor was also adamant that she be left alone and practically shooed me out of the sickbay.
"You look tired, Dragon," he said, running his tricorder over me, "Your blood sugar levels are depressed, serotonin levels elevated as well as other waste products. Get some sleep, that's an order."
"Aye, Doctor," I said. I changed form to teleport.
"No," the EMH said, "I would appreciate it if you went normally. I'd rather have to carry you to your quarters as opposed to declaring you dead due to a teleportation mishap.
"Besides, the tricorder also picked up some elevated pheromones from you and, surprisingly enough, Seven seemed to be displaying similar reactions. Most interesting."
"Doc," I said, changing form back, "I realized something earlier today."
"I know," he replied, cutting me off, "It doesn't take a hologram to see that you're in love with Seven. She feels the same about you, I think. She was worried how you were adapting to the accident in your quarters."
"I'll live, Doctor," I said with a grin, "She understood what happened, and that makes a lot of difference to me. She reminds me a little bit of someone I knew in the distant past. We'll talk later. I seem to recall a medical order being given, so, I'll take my leave for now."
"Good night, Admiral," he said as I left. He was right, now that I wasn't distracted, I was really beginning to feel the pull of sleep on my limbs. If I teleported, I might have emerged in the warp core...a fatal mistake that would result in permanent death if I emerged on the anti-matter side as well as possible destruction of Voyager milliseconds later as my stored power would probably be released as well and causing a breach.
I used the turbolift and got to my quarters. Gabrielle was still with her daily baby-sitters and I let them know that they'd have to hold onto her for a while, with the proper additional holodeck time bonus or additional replicator rations given.
I went to bed shortly after that and was asleep within seconds, I thought. This time, my dreams were peaceful ones.
I awoke 8 hours later and realized that I was getting pretty hungry. After altering my clothing to a more casual style, I headed for the mess-hall, where Neelix was waiting for people to come in.
"Hi, Neelix," I said, "Mind getting me some coffee?"
"Not a problem, sir," he said and a few moments later, had sat down across from me with the hot drink. Normally, I didn't drink coffee, but, I was in a good mood for a change.
"How goes the captaining?" he asked.
"I'm not enjoying it, Neelix," I said, "This situation is one big Charlie-fox as far as I'm concerned."
"What?" he said.
"Sorry," I apologized, "Charlie-Fox is an old Earth military term, actually the old United States military, that basically meant that a situation is pretty bad. Different branches had a slightly different turn of phrase, more crude, actually. But, it still meant the same.
"I'd like to personally get my hands on the person or persons responsible for putting the Captain and Chakotay into this mess. It's not like it would have waited a few more years since there's no time limit to charge someone with a PD violation. That and Murder are the only crimes that have no statute of limitations."
"This is weird," Neelix agreed, "How is the Captain holding up?"
"Bravely," I replied, "It's hard on her, though. She could use a visit from our morale officer. So could Chakotay, if I was reading him correctly a few days ago."
"I tried to visit, but, the guards said 'No visitors'."
"I'll tell them that you're permitted to visit them as needed. It must have been after normal hours, then. However, the morale officer needs to be able to keep the spirits of the prisoners up.
"You've got my authorization to take them whatever they need, short of weapons or other items that could be used to escape, of course. I'm not putting them on a 'bread and water diet', that's for certain!"
"I had some of that Earth dish you fixed a few days ago," Neelix said, "You must show me how to make that sometime."
"On one condition, Neelix," I replied, sipping the coffee, "No leeola roots. Also, please try to follow the recipe as closely as you can. I used up half of my stored rations feeding the crew, so, I really cannot help there too much."
"Deal," he said, "I'll keep the roots out of the recipe. Besides, I ran out a few days ago."
There was a cheer from the few others that were in the mess hall. I figured that within a few hours, everyone on board would know that the "curse" of leeola root stew had ended once and for all.
I suppressed a chuckle. Neelix had just admitted that he was out of his favorite plant and it wouldn't have been right to further embarrass the poor guy.
"Well, at least those guys' morale is better," he said, dismissing the embarrassment. He certainly was one of a kind with his ability to not get offended over little matters, but, there were the times when he got offended, especially when it came to Naomi.
By then, it was time for me to get Gabrielle from her sitter, so I took my leave of Neelix after promising to get him a copy of the lasagna recipe at my earliest opportunity.
When I arrived at Lt Carey's quarters, Gabrielle was happy to see me and raced over to give me a hug.
"Where you a good girl?" I asked. She nodded, obviously. I looked over at Carey and he nodded.
"She's a doll, sir," he said, "No trouble at all. I just gave her a bath and dinner, which she seemed to enjoy."
"Excellent," I said with a smile, "Lt. Carey, you have a choice of added holodeck time or additional replicator rations, both usable whenever you feel like it."
"I'll take the rations, sir. There's certainly going to be times when Neelix does that blasted stew of his and I can't stomach that stuff anymore."
"Well," I replied, "I'll authorize an additional day's worth, but, Neelix just told me that he ran out of leeola roots."
"Woo Hoo!" he said, then looked embarrassed, "Sorry, sir, it won't happen again."
"Forget about it," I said, "I'll probably be hearing similar shouts and cheers all through the ship over the next few hours. I'm not going to hold that against anyone. I was getting tired of it as well, to be honest."
"Thank you, sir," he said, "I'm looking forward to watching her again."
"No problem," I said, "with my increased duties, you'll get plenty of chances to baby-sit. But, there seems to be a informal competition to see who gets to watch her. It seems that a lot of people want to score some added 'brownie points' with me and taking care of the little one here seems to be the ticket many are looking for. But, I will have to narrow the list down to those that I trust and Gabrielle likes. If she's miserable, I can't force her to go a second time.
"We'll certainly be calling on you again, though, right, Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle nodded her head, getting what I meant. I made a mental note to ask the EMH to measure her intelligence as best he could and see how smart she was. I knew that she was already smarter than most humanoid children her age. I know that Naomi enjoyed playing with her.
I wondered if her cranial implant had anything to do with her higher intelligence, though. If so, I would have to consider leaving it alone or upgrading it as she grew. My ethical problem was that I did not want her dependant on Borg technology unless it was necessary. Seven had told me that it was extremely rare for a neonatal drone to be forced out of the maturation chamber so early, and if the brain hadn't fully developed, the cranial implants/cortical nodes were vital...removing them would certainly kill the drone unless replaced within a minute or two at most.
If so, Gabrielle was in for a lifetime of replacements and/or upgraded implants. I was already glad for the EMH's increased medical database. The Collective had shared all their medical knowledge and that included Gabrielle's race, fortunately. The EMH, in turn and part of the original agreement, had developed improved techniques and relayed them to the Collective where the data was assimilated. I hoped that our EMH's new techniques were passed over to the Federation where they would be of use.
It was interesting, though. I had heard that his skills had been passed on to the EMH mark 3, mark 4, and mark 5 series. We had, in turn, received the upgraded EMHs, but, kept them as backups if our Mark 1 had problems. I didn't feel right just installing the newer versions over our current EMH. I had no idea what would happen, to be honest. It wasn't like if I could just go down to the holodeck and run experiments on the backup of our current EMH to see what would change, besides the physical parameters.
As stubborn and big-headed as the Mark 1 we operated tended to be, he had developed a decent bedside manner and his invaluable assistance in helping Seven reclaim her humanity did not deserve being "re-programmed" without his consent. We owed him that much, and then a whole lot more, I felt. I also remembered the chewings I gave to several crewmembers and officers who were treating the EMH as if he did not exist or was a walking medical database. He'd expanded his basic programming to the point that I thought of the EMH as a flesh and blood doctor who I would trust with my life if I had actually been injured to the point of temporary death and required some medical protection until I was able to be revived or revived on my own.
After I left Carey's quarters, I decided to make a pit stop to see the Captain and Chakotay. Both loved seeing Gabrielle and that, in itself, is a morale booster for anyone on board. Gabrielle might have been my child officially, but, no child had 150+ adoptive parents. The crew adored her, and it's not because of my dual-ranks or Seven's more direct, blunt ways. Gabrielle was just a lovable infant. I worried about Naomi, though. She's the first born child on Voyager and while she still holds that title and always will, the affections of the crew seemed to have shifted from Naomi to Gabrielle over time. But, I think that the crew realized that there should be enough love to go around. Besides, even though it was unintentional half the time, the crew did seem wary of incurring my wrath, even the Marquis members seemed to know that crossing me is comparable to ticking off a pack of Klingon targs or a wild Vulcan sehlat. It was difficult the first few months after we were stranded here, but, sometimes, my presence was a hindrance when the Marquis crew members clashed with the Starfleet crew, but, after Chakotay used a rather mean right-hook on one of his former crew, they started to toe the line more with how Janeway wanted things done and they quickly found that while I was trying to stay neutral, if either Janeway or Chakotay had to refer any crewmembers to me for disciplinary action, I'd come down on the person quite harshly if the facts warranted the actions.
"How about we go see Aunt Kathy, Gabrielle?" I asked her.
"OK," she said, squirming to get down, "Wanna walk!"
"It's a long way to walk, kid," I said, putting her down anyway. Gabrielle needed to learn endurance and the walk to see Janeway was as good as any to begin teaching her. I already had her at walking about 25 meters before she would be able to get a lift. I was going to try for 50 meters today and see how she tolerated it. If she handled it without any problems, I would stay at that distance for a while, then, add more to it slowly.
I held her hand, though, as we walked to see the Captain and, before we knew it, we had walked well past 50 meters.
I stopped and crouched down to her, "Want to keep walking, or you want to be carried?"
"Walk!" she demanded. I shrugged and we continued on the way. I knew that shortly, she would want to be picked up. Sure enough, when we got to the turbo-lift, she looked up and said, "Carry, please."
I chuckled and picked her up, "I knew that you couldn't walk all the way, kiddo. But, I'm proud of you for walking all that way. That deserves a treat when we get back, doesn't it?"
"Strawbewwy?" she asked. I nodded. It seems that Seven had shown Gabrielle a particular treat.
"Sure," I said, "I could go for some myself, actually. Maybe Aunt Seven would like to join us?"
"Momma likes those," Gabrielle said. I sighed quietly. Seven was a mom whether she liked it or not and with the Doc disabling her emotional restrictor a few weeks ago, Seven had really opened up. She was sometimes confused by her stronger emotions, but, with her friends helping her to adjust, it was getting easier.
I remembered when she had actually cried for the first time. Her and I were talking about the superdrone that had been created accidentally and at the subject of his death, her grief finally came to the surface. She sobbed into my shoulder for a long time while I tried to comfort her and explain that it was normal to grieve for a lost loved one. Seven never could admit until then that she had loved One like a son and his sacrifice had almost caused a shutdown at the time. If she hadn't of gone to her alcove, she probably would have "malfunctioned". She even apologized for her loss of control!
"Seven," I had told her, "don't apologize for being human again. It might surprise you to know that I felt the loss as much as you would have at the time and I think I shed the tears for both of us afterwards. Even I do mourn a death, but, One made the only choice he could and saved us in the process. His deactivation/death was one of the noblest things I ever witnessed and one of the most honorable deaths that any culture would respect. B'Elanna told me that he was certainly in Sto-vo-Kor, and she's not that religious.
"Grief, even repressed as yours, needs to be vented at some point, Seven. It doesn't to anyone good to keep that tight of control unless the person is a Vulcan, and even they will grieve in their own ways and privately. They'll meditate or be with their spouse and family and, as you know, no other Vulcan will intrude on that private time unless there's a very good reason.
"He's the one who totally convinced me that maybe not all Borg were evil, Seven. You, of course, were the initial drone who could adapt to a complete change from an evil personality to someone that I would trust with my life. Your being level headed under extreme pressure is an asset to every member of the crew.
"Just don't keep your emotions too wrapped up. I'm always available if you need to talk things out or even use as a 'punching bag' if you ever were to feel the need to punch someone. I heal a lot quicker than anyone else in the crew and I wouldn't take it personally."
"Beating up a crew member would get me thrown into the brig, Dragon," she said, wiping her eyes. Gabrielle was confused by the change in Seven and picked up on her mental distress and started crying softly.
"That is normally true, Seven, but, you have my permission, so that's different." I went to get the baby, but, Seven cut me off and picked her up.
That had an effect on the two of them. Seven smiled and Gabrielle looked up and touched Seven's cranial interface, like she wanted to use it, but, that was impossible. Seven went impassive again as Gabrielle's tiny fingers roamed Seven's interface and skin.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Gabrielle accessed my cranial implant somehow! She didn't hurt me, though, just surprised. A drone needs assimilation tubes or a neural interlink to do that."
"Interesting. I thought the Doctor had removed that implant a few months ago."
"He did," Seven replied, puzzled. I wondered if it had regenerated or if this was a fluke. I made a mental note to take Gabrielle in for a checkup.
But, as I remembered that incident, we reached the Captain's Quarters.
I buzzed and there was no answer. I wonder if she's sleeping, I thought. I buzzed again and still there was no answer.
"Computer, override lock on Captain Janeway's quarters, authorization Dragon Alpha 1143," I said. The door opened and I peeked in. What I saw was enough that I handed Gabrielle to the nearest guard and raced in, the other guard behind me.
Janeway was on the floor, her wrists cut deeply.
"Keep that baby out of here," I snarled to the guard.
"Dragon to transporter room 1...Medical emergency. Lock in on Janeway's commbadge and transport directly to sickbay as well as myself, priority Alpha 1!"
That meant that any transports waiting would be forced to wait a tad longer as the Captain and myself were transported to sickbay. The doctor was off-line.
"Computer, Activate EMH, now!" I said.
The Doc appeared and said, "Please state the nature of the medical emergency."
"It's the captain," I said, "She's tried to commit suicide!"
The Doc shoved me aside and examined the Captain.
"She's lost a lot of blood. Her wrists have deep cuts, severing tendons and blood vessels. Did you bring her directly here?"
"Yes, Doctor," I said, "I didn't want to risk my healing touch."
"That was a good decision, Admiral," he said, "The effort would have killed her. She'd lost enough blood that the attempt would have failed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a patient to treat."
I waved the EMH on to do his job, and he started muttering to himself in the process. I only caught a few bits and pieces, mainly that she'd lost a lot of blood and he couldn't risk a blood expander. She was in a deep coma, and the prognosis was not that good.
"Dragon to Security Team 2. Bring Chakotay to Sickbay, immediately. Tell him that something happened to the Captain."
"Acknowledged," one of Chakotay's guards said. A moment later, I heard, "Medical Emergency!"
"Damn!" I said and after a quick shape change, teleported to Chakotay's quarters. He, too, was on the floor, but, without any obvious wounds. I picked him up and teleported to Sickbay.
The EMH ran a scanner over Chakotay and muttered, "Poison. He's also in a coma. Vital signs are deeply depressed."
"I'll be right back, Doctor," I said, playing a hunch. If correct, time was important, so I teleported back to his quarters and looked around. I saw an old style mortar and pestle. I looked into it and saw the remains of crushed leaves and a paste.
I walked over to the replicator, "Computer, what were the last 10 items requested from this replicator?"
"Unable to comply. That information has been locked out."
"Well, unlock it. Authorization Dragon Alpha 1102," I ordered.
The replicator gave me the list of the herbs Chakotay had ordered. As I feared, in a separate order, the computer would merely comply. If Chakotay had ordered them pre-refined, the computer would have refused and triggered an alert to sickbay as well as myself.
"Computer, you will no longer dispense the herbs Commander Chakotay ordered through the replicators without my direct authorization. Set authorization code Dragon Gamma 369 and lock to my voiceprint."
"Acknowledged," the computer said, "New access code accepted and locked."
I hated to do that, but, until I knew that this was a one time event, I was not about to risk a repeat. I got the remains of the leaves and paste and went back to sickbay.
"it's about time that you got back here," the EMH said, "I need to know what the Commander took so I can treat it."
"Here you go," I said, "It's an herbal mixture."
"Excellent!" he said. He went over to the sickbay replicator and got the right stuff to give to the Commander. After giving it to him, he motioned me into his office.
"Admiral," he said, "Captain Janeway needs a lot of blood to replace what she lost and a lot of rest. I'm monitoring her for signs of brain damage. I've had to keep her in a coma to protect her higher brain functions. The captains injuries were caused by a knife she must have procured recently. They were quite deep, I'm afraid.
"The commander is also in bad shape. He took enough of those herbs that he should be dead already. He's got a strong will to live and should recover in a few days. Fortunately, thanks to my skill, both will be fine physically. Mentally...I wish we had a regular counselor on board."
"This ordeal shouldn't have sent both over the edge, though, Doctor," I replied, "Both have handled situations that were more difficult, but, it looks like I got my work cut out for me. Let me know when either of them is recovered enough to answer some questions.
"Before you object, I will need to act as their personal counselor. I need to know why they tried this stunt. It's not like either of them."
I was deeply concerned at their state of mind. Nothing was making sense and I was beginning to wonder if Q had anything to do with our present situation.
"Well, the Captain will need to remain in her coma for at least three days until I'm sure that she is replacing her blood loss and her internal organs are undamaged. In a day or so, you might be able to speed up that process somewhat. I'll know more by then.
"Chakotay should recover in a few hours, though, but, I'm going to keep him here for at least 24 hours to be on the safe side."
"Please keep me informed," I said, "If you don't mind, I need to head back to Gabrielle. I was somewhat in a hurry and handed her off to a guard. She's probably frightened."
"She might be, but, I think she's got that emotional inhibitor active. That might protect her and, to be honest, while Seven no longer needs hers, it might be good for Gabrielle to keep hers for a few more years."
"I'll have to think about it, Doctor," I said, "I don't want to shield her from all of her emotions."
"I understand," he said, "I need to check on my patients anyway. If anything major happens, I'll let you know."
I left sickbay and returned to the Captain's quarters and picked up Gabrielle.
"Wanna see Aunt Kathy!" she exclaimed.
"Well, little one," I said, "Aunt Kathy had an accident. I had to take her to see the Doctor so she can get better. I'll take you to see her in a few days, though, kiddo."
"Unca Chakokay?"
"You're pretty good, Gabrielle," I replied, "He's not feeling well. He ate something that he shouldn't have and had to also see the Doctor. We can visit him soon, though."
"Awwww!" she said. That just about summed up my emotions as well, but, for a different reason. I was still worried about them both. Had they entered into some kind of suicide pact? Or was this some sort of coincidence. I was still pondering if Q had been playing a game, but, the times he visited us, he was quite serious and not in a game playing mood like he normally was with Jean-Luc Picard. Also, I had a feeling that he wouldn't intentionally hurt Janeway. He seemed to have more than a passing interest in her, almost like friendship, I thought at the time.
But, since she's the "godmother" of Q, the son of Q and Q, I doubted that Q (the father) would allow her to die before Q (the son) had fully matured. Q (The mother) would have ample reason to hurt Janeway, but, seeing how Janeway brought Q (the parents) together, that was also not overly logical. But, then, the Q weren't subjected to the constraints of pure logic all the time.
As I returned to my quarters and placed Gabrielle down for a nap, I saw a distinctive flash of light in the room. Q (the father) had popped in for a visit.
"I couldn't help but notice your problems," he said in greeting.
"What do you want, Q?" I asked politely.
"To see how Kathy and Chuckles are doing," he replied.
"You don't know?" I asked.
"Nope. I've been busy lately in the Gamma Quadrant," he replied.
"Well, for your information, Captain Janeway and Chakotay are both in the care of the Doctor. Both tried to kill themselves," I said, "Also, both are relieved of duty by some idiotic Starfleet vendetta that suddenly happened. I was wondering if you had anything to do with this problem. But, I believe your statement about being in the Gamma Quadrant."
Q was impassive for the most part. But, he did look worried a little bit at the news of Janeway's suicide attempt.
"I couldn't hurt your precise captain," he said in his usual huff, "She's the godmother to my son, for Q's sake!"
"Q," I said, "Calm down before some nearby star goes nova on us, please. She'll be all right in a few days...unless you want to help a little bit?"
"Well," he said, "since you asked...why not?" He snapped his fingers and, sure enough, a moment later, my commbadge chirped.
"Sickbay to the Dragon," I heard.
"Dragon here," I said, "Let me guess...Both Janeway and Chakotay are awake and back to normal health?"
"How did you know?" he demanded.
"Well," I said, "Q decided to pay us a visit and did one of his rare good deeds for the era."
"I see," the EMH said, "I'm releasing them both to their quarters since they are both in perfect health. Doctor out."
"Rare good deeds?" Q asked, seemingly offended.
"You do not exactly have a perfect record with humanity, Q," I replied, "But, I am grateful for your help regardless of why or how often. I'm more willing to give the benefit of the doubt, Q, in that you are able to form friendships with beings whose lives are measured in nanoseconds to a Q."
"You're right," he said, surprising me in the process, "The Q owe a debt to you puny humans that we are having a hard time repaying."
"I am not exactly human, though, Q," I replied, "You know that I'm a dragon with some interesting abilities. But, I know how the Q feel. Many humans and other species feel that they always should repay me in some fashion for what I do naturally. Janeway did save your species from itself, but, you had to want to adapt for the better and that was the start.
"The Q can repay their debt by just acknowledging that you're grateful for our help once in a while. And, if we need the help of the Q, it's given freely and without reservation. Also, maybe try to give someone who is truly worthy, the power of the Q, even if it's limited."
"Well," Q said, "We've been impressed with you for a while now."
"If you're heading where I think you're heading, Q, that's not such a good idea to give me your powers. I'm honored by your statement, however."
"Come on," he replied, "We've been wanting to see how a non-Q will handle the immense powers handed to them. Our first try wasn't exactly a rousing success."
"I know about how you tried to tempt Commander Riker by giving him the power of the Q. That really wasn't fair play because you knew that he would become corrupted by the power. What would the Q have done if he turned against you and basically sealed everyone inside your realm? It could have happened, you know."
"We'd be stuck, obviously. That's an interesting point you've raised, but, the collective desire is to see how you can handle it. You've already developed a lot of skill and experience."
"That's true, Q. In my long lifetime, I've had to learn from my mistakes. Tell me something, Q. Has any member been punished for abusing their powers or shirking the responsibility that comes with the immense power of the Q?"
"Yes," he replied, "I've been punished with the loss of my powers and immortality. In fact, I requested to be put on the Enterprise. You should have read the reports Jean-Luc wrote concerning that incident. They weren't very funny."
"I can imagine. I'll have to look up his logs on that, but, now that you mention it, I recall that incident being mentioned around the Admiralty Hall with a few chuckles. Counselor Troi's mother bemoaned the fact that she wasn't there to see a Q as nature intended."
He blushed, "It was the most embarrassing moment of my eternal life. The other Q really got a laugh out of my sentence, but, it taught me a lesson I haven't forgotten. It was also quite painful."
"I know. I read Data's impressions a few months afterwards. He was puzzled as to why Guinan implanted a fork into your hand. He remarked that he felt weird when you gave him the gift of laughter and was grateful afterwards."
"That tin man should have been grateful," he said.
"Q," I said sternly, "I do not appreciate you calling Commander Data a tin man. If you want me to try your little experiment, it would be appreciated if you'd at least refrain from degrading comments. It also demeans a member of the Q and shows a lack of exemplary Q-ness and taste."
He grinned, "You've passed my little test. I wanted to see if you understood the meaning of being a Q and how a Q should behave. If you want the power of the Q, it's yours at your beck and call."
He left with his flash of light.
After he departed, I knew that he'd given me the power of the Q anyway. I figured that I would put it to good use somehow, but only when I really needed it. I knew that I had to return to Earth, though, and get to the root of Janeway and Chakotay's problems. That was a priority with me.
I decided that a senior staff meeting was needed to fully explain what had transpired.
"Dragon to all senior staff. There will be a meeting in the Conference Room in 30 minutes. This is an important staff meeting and all senior staff are urged to drop whatever they are doing and attend. Dragon out."
"Dragon to Tuvok. Please escort Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay to the Conference Room. I need to talk to them before the senior staff meeting. Thanks."
"Acknowledged," he said, "Tuvok out."
I walked to the Conference Room, after making sure that Gabrielle was being watched. Ensign Wildman was available, so her and Naomi headed for my quarters.
I arrived a few minutes before Janeway and Chakotay. Both stood at attention.
"At ease, folks. Have a seat," I said pleasantly. There was no sense yelling at them for a foolish impulse, I thought.
"There's something that's been bothering me for a little bit," I said, "I'm wondering why two of this ship's officers tried to kill themselves. But, before you explain, let me assure you that this is off-the-record and stays in this room. I suppose it had something to do with your confinement, correct?"
Janeway nodded, "Yeah, it was. Chakotay and I agreed that it would be better for all concerned if we were no longer here."
"Kathryn, Chakotay. You're two excellent officers. I'm not speaking as an admiral, but, as your friend. My stored reports have nothing but praise for the both of you, but, now, I might have to tarnish this record with a brief mention of this suicide attempt. This is unbecoming of a Starfleet officer unless there was no other choice in the matter.
"You're both well-respected not only by myself, but both Starfleet and Marquis crews. My door is always open to you, it always has and always will be. This crew needs their captain and First Officer and, effective immediately, you're both re-instated and released from custody on my personal authority."
"Can you do that, sir?" Janeway asked.
"I'll defer that answer to the staff meeting, Kathryn," I said, "Let's just say that Q is being a nice guy for once and in more ways than one."
Realization dawned in both their eyes, though.
"You're a Q, sir?" Chakotay asked for them both.
"I could never put anything past you," I replied, "Yes, I guess that I'm a Q for now. I haven't tested out my enhanced powers, but, I plan on returning to Earth, solo, and see what happened to cause your problems. I'll get the answers I seek, then, come back to Voyager to see it home, under it's own power, though. But, I'll let the crew decide, though.
"I do not plan on using my Q level powers that often since my normal powers are usually enough to give us that slight edge we've always enjoyed as well as our Borg friends also giving us an additional advantage."
"But, you're willing to use your new powers to intercede on our behalf and place yourself above the Federation and Starfleet," Janeway noted, "I think I speak for Chakotay when I ask you not to do this for us. We're both grateful that you're willing to do this, but, we both refuse this assistance."
I was puzzled, "Captain, I think you're jumping to conclusions. I'm not going to Earth to force them to drop the case and see things my way. I am seeking answers, not concessions by force, nothing more. If they still want to try you when we return, I won't stop them by force or otherwise. While the Q might want to interfere in such a manner, I do not think it's fair for anyone if I abused this new-found power. What I actually hope to do is change the nature of the Q so that they think about their actions before they affect other species."
"How would we know that you're going to just get answers instead of using force?" Janeway asked.
"You doubt me?" I asked in return, somewhat shocked that Janeway would doubt me, "Before you answer that question, I'm still the same person that you've known for the last eight years. Having to voluntarily give up my rank while on board to maintain a reasonable chain of command has changed who I am, Kathryn. I'd gotten so used to having that rank and people asking 'How high, sir?' whenever I said 'Jump', that this trip was an education in itself. I don't plan on using the Q powers to force the Federation to do something that they might not want to willingly do.
"On that, you have my word."
"No, Dragon," Janeway said, "I don't doubt you now. I had to see if you would change drastically with the power of the Q."
"Captain," I said, "In Earth's now distant past, I'd dealt with other beings with similar powers. There were various gods in ancient Greek Mythology. But, they were real enough to me when I had the opportunity to talk to them. They once offered me the food of the Gods to help stop an invasion from a being known as Dahok. I was eventually forced to become one of the Greek Gods for a while and it didn't change me to something worse. In fact, a few years after doing that, and when I was certain that Dahok would never return, I gave up those powers and asked that Zeus take them back. He was saddened by my request, but, he stripped the powers from me after seeing that I didn't really want them. I don't really want the power of the Q, either, but, I might as well try to enjoy it whenever possible or needed...but, more needed, I hope."
"Go on and do what you have to, sir," Janeway said as the doors opened and the senior staff started filing in. Seven was carrying Gabrielle for some reason. I shrugged my shoulders and motioned her to take her seat.
"Gabrielle was upset and Ensign Wildman asked me to relieve her when all efforts to calm Gabrielle proved futile," she explained. I nodded and went over to touch Gabrielle.
The rest of the senior staff found their seats and they all looked at me to see why I called the meeting on such short notice.
"A short while ago, as you know, there were several mishaps, some including Seven and myself. Others involved the Captain and First Officer that required a visit to sickbay for both of them.
"But, while I was in my quarters, I received a visitor. That visitor was Q."
There was some reaction from the senior staff, except the EMH, Seven and Tuvok, of course.
"While he was here, he took care of the Captain's injuries as well as Commander Chakotay's. The nature of the injuries is on a need-to-know basis, though.
"But, Q also did something else that Gabrielle here might have picked up on."
"What is that?" Tom asked.
I snapped my fingers and an apple appeared in my hand, causing a major reaction with the senior staff.
"You're a...?" B'Elanna asked. I nodded, "Yeah, I've been given the power of the Q. No, I did not ask for this nor desire it. But, I will take full advantage of it.
"Effective immediately, I'm reinstating the Captain and First Officer as well as releasing them from custody. I am heading home for a few days to see why the Federation and Starfleet are suddenly interested in alleged PD violations that might have occurred well away from the Federation and will have little effect on the stability of the quadrant. This is a solo trip back to Earth, however.
"I will, however, take the time to visit with your families and tell them how you are doing. I am sorry that I can't take you home just yet and rest assured that as soon as I know that no one will be arrested on sight unless they need to be, I'll drop this ship into Earth orbit or permit this crew to make the journey home ourselves and without my Q powers bringing us home. Either way, I am with this crew until such time as we all set foot on Earth as one crew and as a family.
"If you want to drop off more letters home, get them collected. I will leave in six hours. But, I do not want to be disturbed. I want to spend the time with Gabrielle and Seven.
"I'm sure that there have already been rumors and I want to confirm them partially. After the accident in my quarters, Seven and I realized that we share strong feelings for each other. Seven, I hope my change in status doesn't affect us too much. If it does, though, I will understand and adapt.
"But, there is something that I want to do in front of everyone. As you may know, I've been working on weaning Gabrielle off of her remaining implants and I'm worried that the implants would have interfered with her physical growth eventually. I am going to remove that worry at this time."
"Wait," the EMH said, "You've not had the time to learn to really control these powers. I cannot sanction this idea medically, until such time as I am certain that you are in full control."
He was right. I had just used my powers to create an apple for their first usage and while that was easy enough, I wasn't certain that I could fully control them. My trip to Earth would have to wait. I knew that I would make it home, but, if Starfleet didn't give me the answers I liked, my new powers would assert themselves with my mere thoughts. I needed to learn to finely control them.
"Thank you, Doctor," I said, "I am in agreement with you. I'm going to postpone this trip to Earth, but, I still want some quiet time when we're finished here. Tuvok, will you help me in learning to control my abilities as time permits?"
"I would be honored," he said, "I will set up a schedule for us to meet."
"Acceptable," I said, "Since we're here, let's just go ahead and have the daily meeting. Captain, the floor is yours."
The meeting lasted for another 90 minutes as Janeway got caught up on ship's business.