His Final Gift

The building heat of the Krang laser weapon overpowered Casey's fading cry and took over Leo's already strained senses. Despite the pain, fear, and overwhelming guilt; he was relieved. It was almost over. He was done fighting, he had nothing left to lose, so he could finally just stop and let things end. And as the laser began to burn his dried out scales, the recoil of Mikey's portal blasted him into blessed unconsciousness.

"Ok, I think that's it. Torres to Bridge, we're ready down here Captain."

"Acknowledged Lieutenant, begin the test."

B'elanna braced one hand on the top of the console while entering commands with her other. "Initiating warp field test. Engines are disengaged and powering up. Seven?"

Straight backed across the aisle, the former drone answered, "Artificial dilithium is holding. Matter/anti-matter flow is stable."

"Alright, let's kick it into warp." The engineer carefully watched the screen as a warp field formed around their stationary vessel. "The field seems stable too. How's the dilithium now?"

Seven checked her readings again. "Still holding. Flow remains unchanged. There does seem to be a 12.4% reduction in efficiency from natural dilithium."

B'elanna shrugged a shoulder. "I mean, obviously we'd like it to be better, but if we run out of natural dilithium at least we'd still be able to keep moving at a decent clip until we can get more." One more check of the field and, "Ok let's see if the matrix can handle a greater flow. Simulate warp 2?"

"Agreed. Increasing flow rate by 5%." The gentle light of the warp core stuttered, and along with it every heart in Engineering.

"What was that?!" B'elanna demanded while checking over her own readouts. "The warp field is still stable!"

"As is the dilithium matrix and matter flow. I see no cause for any irregularity." Seven replied while double and triple checking all information at her disposal. "I recommend a shut down and full diagnostic."

"Shutting down!" the hybrid cried above the alarms that started ringing out across the two storey department, only for the core to flutter again. But this time it shook the ship.

"B'elanna?! What's going on down there?!" Chakotay bellowed over comms.

"No time!" She yelled back. "Seven what are you seeing over there?"

"The flow is shut down but fluctuations are continuing to occur." This time all lights in Engineering flickered along with the core.

"How? There's nothing left in there! … Maybe there's a residual charge in the EPS conduits. Vorik! Mulcahey! Lock them down!" In the same moment that the two moved to comply a bright light flashed in front of the core ejecting a mass across the room and into the Engineering doors.

Finally, everything shut down. Disconcertingly, this included the lights. "Everyone ok?!" B'elanna hollered out to her team. A round of assurances came back to her as the lighting gradually righted itself. While she made sure her section was back up and running, Seven pulled a tricorder and cautiously strode to the steaming lump that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

She dodged a few personnel frantically running about doing system checks and knelt next to what she now knew to be a life form. Crouching next to it, Seven reached out with the tricorder and ran it down the supine form while keeping a careful eye in case it chose to attack. Past the tattered, deep blue wrap, she could see blistered, light green scales. Reptile, humanoid, male, at least post-industrial level of development, prosthetic arm. And holding a sword? The readings from her tricorder had her hitting her combadge. "Seven to Doctor, requesting emergency medical transport. An unknown lifeform has entered Engineering, it appears injured and its life signs are fading."

"Acknowledged. Transporting two to Sickbay." The Doctor's response was her only warning before the world dissolved around her. Once new surroundings had resolved, Seven stood out of the way taking the visitor's weapon, while the Doctor descended with his medical tricorder adding to information Seven had already collected for him in the main computer. "First and second degree burns over 30% of his body, no spinal trauma, he's in neural shock; Seven help me lift him to the biobed." The two quickly heaved their visitor.

They had just noticed a deep gash across his stomach when the doors opened to let Tom Paris sweep in and take Seven's place assisting the Doctor. "What do we have Doc?"

The hologram grabbed a couple hyposprays as he answered. "Reptilian humanoid, appears to be male. Burns, neural shock, multiple contusions and lacerations, particularly one across the lower torso. Address that while I attempt to stabilize his neurological functions." Tom nodded and grabbed an autosuture to begin closing the largest wound from inside out, cleaning the area with a handheld sterifield generator as he went.

"Seven." The Doctor barked, "Grab 4 units of the iron-based blood replacer and get an infusion unit running." The purple clad drone dashed off into sickbay supply for the requested equipment, depositing the metal weapon on the central console as she went. Pulling off the patient's mask, the Doctor attached neural stimulators to his temples then started pulling the thick wrap up over his patient's head, sliding it out from under broad shoulders revealing an intricate shell. "Mr Paris revise from reptilian to terrapin-like?"

"Makes sense," the blond replied, "I'm working with some sort of organic armour here. It's got a consistency somewhere between cartilage and bone. Actually, I'm not sure the dermal regenerator will work on this Doc, should I use the osteo-regen?"

As Seven returned, and began hooking up the infuser, the hologram considered for a moment. "Put a sealant patch over it for now, I don't want to stress his system any more than it already is." Checking the readings of his own task, he side eyed the large mechanical bulk of his patient's prosthetic. "Seven, could you address that now? Given the state of our friend here, I'd rather not find out that that thing about to short out or something while it's still attached."

She had just discovered a buckling attaching mechanism to person when the doors opened again, admitting the Captain and Lieutenant Tuvok. Bracing against the central console, Janeway did her best to get a look at their potential stowaway. "Report Doctor."

"A little busy at the moment Captain. Our new friend here is in bad shape and I'm making a lot of guesses in his treatment. I'll get back to you as soon as I can, but we really need to concentrate right now."

There was a time and a place for a Captain to get out of the way and Katherine new this was one of those times. "Very well Doctor, report to me once you can. In the meantime," she turned to her old friend, "Tuvok, post a guard just in case. I hope we're about to make a new friend, but, "she ran a finger down the abused weapon laid out in front of her," past experience demands caution. "

"Understood Captain."