Reunion
Disclaimer - Paramount and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right. The story line belongs to me.
A special thanks to: My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.
Chapter 3 – Michael Gwynn
The doors to sickbay slid shut as Tom followed the captain into the corridor. Despite his long legs, he had to quicken his pace to catch up to Janeway as she strode towards the turbolift.
They entered the lift and Janeway turned to face the doors. "Bridge." She snapped; her voice was sharp and she had fire in her eyes.
Tom had seen that look before and knew better to question her about what was going on. He'd learn about it with the rest of the senior crew. He stifled a yawn as he leaned against the back wall of the lift. He fought to keep his eyes open. He was so tired and would like nothing better than to retreat to sickbay and curl up again with B'Elanna and his daughter. My daughter. I'm a father. She's beautiful and so tiny and helpless.
* * * * *
The lift stopped and Tom followed the captain across the bridge to her ready room. He took his seat next to Harry who gave him a confused look. Neither man knew what was happening to their triumphant return to the Alpha Quadrant.
Janeway moved quickly to the end of the table and sank into her seat. She looked at each of her senior officers in turn. They were more than just starship officers; over the past seven years, they had become her friends and family.
First, there was Tuvok, her oldest and dearest friend as well as her advisor, at her left. He had helped her with the many decisions that led them home. She respected his opinion and often sought out his counsel late at night when she couldn't think.
On the far wall over Tuvok's head, she saw that the doctor's face had appeared on the console's screen. The hologram had evolved from a temporary medical backup program into a trusted member of her crew.
She noted that Harry sat next to Tuvok with a worried look on his face. He had been so homesick when their journey had begun. A too young, green Ensign; he had grown up and was now a fine officer with a bright career in Starfleet ahead of him.
Next to Harry, she saw Tom slumped in his seat rubbing his eyes. Janeway remembered the scared young man she had brought onboard from the Aukland Penal Colony. He had matured into a valuable member of her crew; a husband, and now a father.
She then turned to see that Seven of Nine was sitting next to Chakotay. The angry young Borg had reclaimed her human roots and had learned to interact with the crew. Her technical knowledge had aided them many times over the past three years.
Finally, Chakotay sat at Janeway's right-hand side. The renegade Maquis captain had turned into her trusted second in command. He stood behind her decisions but had the courage to let her know when he felt she was in the wrong. They had learned to work together for the good of the entire crew. Chakotay's gentle strength lends a quiet dignity to the bridge. I couldn't have chosen a better first officer.
The entire crew had followed her loyally and now she had to deliver the news that she had received from Mars Base. Clearing her throat, she tapped her commbadge. "Janeway to Ensign Baytart."
"Baytart here, Captain." The pilot answered.
"Ensign, I want you to maintain the current orbit around Mars. You are not to change course without direct orders from Commander Chakotay or myself."
"Aye, Captain." Baytart responded.
"Harry, who's your relief at OPs?" Janeway asked turning to the young man.
"Ensign Lang, Captain." Harry answered.
Janeway tapped the badge again. "Ensign Lang this is Captain Janeway."
"Yes, Captain?" The soft voice of the Ensign came over the comm system.
"Ensign, I want you to maintain communications silence. If Admiral Gwynn wants to talk to me, tell him that I am unavailable and will get back to him." Janeway ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am. Understood." The ensign responded as Janeway cut the link.
The captain stood up and moved to a screen on the near wall. "I received a message from Admiral Gwynn on Mars Base. I feel that you all need to hear what he said." She clicked on the screen and the Admiral's face appeared.
Janeway's voice could be heard off screen. "Admiral, have you heard any news from Headquarters regarding contacting our families?"
"No, Captain. You will not be hearing from Headquarters or your families yet. I have placed a communications blockade surrounding your ship. Your Starfleet crew needs to go through debriefings before they are allowed to proceed to Earth." His face was stern as he stood at attention.
"Admiral, what do you mean by my Starfleet crew?" The wariness was evident in Janeway's voice.
Gwynn glanced at a PADD in his left hand and looked back at the screen. "Captain, I have a list of names of the Maquis and Equinox members onboard Voyager. They are to be detained in our brig until their cases can be processed."
Janeway could be heard to gasp softly. "Admiral, I have one crew only and they are a Starfleet crew."
Chakotay stiffened as he heard the animosity in the Admiral's voice when he mentioned the Maquis. He glanced back at the captain and could see the resolve in her face. He knew she was not about to give in to the Admiral.
Gwynn's voice continued. "You also have onboard an 'observer'; a Thomas Paris. You picked him up at the Aukland Penal Colony where he had only served part of his sentence.
Tom's eyes widened when he heard his name. He stared at the screen as his face paled.
The captain's straightforward answer was heard. "Lieutenant Paris is a respected member of my Starfleet crew and my chief pilot. His service on this mission was in exchange for a favorable review at his next outmate meeting. I'm sure that the Federation will consider his time on Voyager as time served."
Admiral Gwynn's eyes darkened. "No, Captain. The Federation does not consider Mr. Paris to have served his sentence. He is a convicted felon who only served 18 months of his ten year sentence. He will be removed from your ship when you dock and be remanded into custody at the maximum security facilities at the Altherian Colony here on Mars to serve the remainder of his sentence."
Tom groaned quietly as he clenched his hands. "No. I can't do it. Not again."
Janeway again answered Admiral Gwynn. "Admiral, I demand to speak to Starfleet Headquarters. No one from my crew will be removed from this ship until we've returned to Earth."
"Captain, my security detail will beam aboard Voyager when you dock. I will expect to meet you on your bridge at that time. Gwynn out." The Admiral cut the link and the screen went dark.
The captain resumed her seat and looked around the table at the shocked expressions of her senior officers. "Needless to say, we will not be permitting any of the Mars Base personnel to board Voyager." Turning to Chakotay, she ordered. "Commander, I want you and Tuvok to bring up maximum shields and prepare weapons for a defensive stand."
Chakotay answered her in a quiet, steady voice. "Yes, Captain."
"Harry and Seven, I want you two to go to Astrometrics and get some kind of message through this blockade." They nodded as they prepared to leave the bridge. Janeway then turned to the wall console and addressed the doctor. "Doctor, how are Lieutenant Torres and the baby?"
"Miral is beginning to awaken and she sounds hungry. What should I tell the Lieutenant?" The doctor asked.
"I'll tell her the news when I get down there. I'll be on my way shortly." Janeway then rose and moved to stand next to Tom. She placed one hand on his shoulder and felt him trembling under her touch. "Tom, you're not going anywhere but home. But first, I need you at the helm. We may be in need of some fancy flying at high warp." She gave his arm a gentle squeeze and then turned to the others. "Chakotay, you have the bridge. The rest of you have your orders. I want this ship secured and a message gotten through to Starfleet Headquarters."
They all filed out of the ready room except Tom, who stared at the wall screen. In a low shaky voice he asked Janeway. "What will happen to Miral if they take both B'Elanna and me?"
Janeway sat down in the chair next to Tom and took both of his hands in hers. "Tom, look at me, please." He turned towards her and she could see the fear in his eyes. "Tom, I give you my word, you will not go back to any prison. We will get this straightened out." She gave him a slight smile.
Tom tentatively returned her smile as he shook his head. "I'd better get to the bridge, Captain." His voice was husky with emotion as he started to stand.
Janeway stood up with him. "Tom, I want you to lay in a course heading towards Earth. We may need to leave with very short notice."
"Yes, Ma'am." Tom responded, straightening as he headed towards the door to the bridge.
"Tom." Janeway called softly. As he turned back to her, she smiled again. "I'll be in sickbay, meeting my newest crewmember." She then moved to the outer door of her ready room, heading towards sickbay.
Tom hesitated then moved quickly onto the bridge.
* * * * *
"What do you mean, she's unavailable!" Admiral Gwynn's voice boomed throughout the small room that contained the command center for Mars Base.
A tall, Bolian ensign cringed at the show of temper from his commanding officer. "That's the message I got back from Voyager, Sir. Captain Janeway is unavailable and she will get back to you."
"I want to know what the hell is going on aboard Voyager and I want to know now!" He shouted to the small staff that stiffened at his tirade.
The junior officers had suspected that Admiral Gwynn had not been acting in a rational manner for some weeks now. He had given and immediately rescinded some rather bizarre orders regarding shuttles entering Mars space. He had banned communication with Starfleet Headquarters and had locked down the base several times. This incident with the crew of Voyager just emphasized his odd behavior. Voyager had been declared missing almost six years ago and then suddenly news had come from Starfleet headquarters in San Francisco that the ship and crew were in the Delta Quadrant. The personnel at Mars Base had been thrilled when they first heard the returning ship would dock at their base. Many of them saw the crew as heroes who had beaten all odds to get back home from 70,000 light years away in only seven years. The small number of officers in the command center soon realized that this was to be no ordinary visit. They heard the Admiral threaten the captain with the removal of certain members of her crew. They admired her stand against the strong willed Admiral.
A slight, dark haired ensign moved quietly towards the back of the command center. She saw her chance when Gwynn was shouting at the communications officer and silently slipped out of the room.
* * * * *
Captain Janeway entered sickbay to find B'Elanna sitting up on the biobed, Miral cradled in her right arm. As the captain walked towards her, B'Elanna carefully pulled the sickbay blanket over herself and leaned against the back of the biobed.
"Captain, what's going on? Why are we approaching Mars Base and where is Tom?" The strain of the past few days was apparent on B'Elanna's face.
The captain came to stand at the side of the biobed. She looked at the infant, now asleep in her mother's arm and reached out to gently touch the top of her head. "She's beautiful, B'Elanna." Janeway then turned her attention to her chief engineer. "B'Elanna, we have a problem. There's an Admiral Gwynn who seems to be in charge of Mars Base and he's threatened to remove the Maquis and Equinox members of the crew."
B'Elanna took a sharp breath as she looked up into the captain's face. She knew that Janeway was leaving something out. "What about Tom? Where is he? Is he safe?" The fear growing in her heart.
The captain took B'Elanna's hand as she answered. "Tom's safe; he's at the helm right now plotting a course away from here. We may need to leave without any notice to the base. I have Harry and Seven trying to get a communication through to Starfleet Headquarters.
"I understand, Captain. We need to have the Warp core up and running." B'Elanna said as she shifted her weight trying to sit up comfortably. "I have to get down to engineering." She pulled the blanket off and began to swing her legs off the side of the biobed.
The captain gently pushed her legs back onto the biobed. "Lieutenant, you're not going anywhere. You need to rest. Lieutenant Nicoletti and Ensign Vorik can handle engineering."
"But Captain, I need to be there." B'Elanna tried to argue although she felt the fatigue and soreness from the past few hours.
"B'Elanna, we can set up a terminal here in the doctor's office and you can communicate directly with engineering if you really feel that they need your input." Janeway turned as the doctor walked towards them. "Doctor, is Lieutenant Torres up to using your office to confer with the engineering staff?"
The EMH glanced at the readings above B'Elanna's head and shook his head. "Why does anyone bother to ask for my professional opinion when you all do whatever you want?" He huffed at the two women. Then giving them a smile he reached for the baby. "Of course, Captain, Lieutenant Torres is more than welcome to use my office terminal. I'll just hold my goddaughter."
B'Elanna handed him the baby and reached for the blue robe on the foot of the biobed. The captain helped her stand up and walk to the doctor's office. Janeway pulled out the chair and helped her sit down at the desk. B'Elanna turned on the console and called for engineering.
Janeway glanced at the doctor who was softly singing to Miral and headed out of sickbay. "I'll be on the bridge." She said as the doors to sickbay slid open.
* * * * *
The communications officer at Mars Base frantically tried to raise Voyager as Admiral Gwynn paced behind him. The Admiral had been furious when he was told that Captain Janeway was not available to him. He was quite used to having his orders followed immediately. The young ensign had only served at the base for less than a year but had heard many stories regarding the Admiral's feelings towards the Maquis and Admiral Owen Paris.
Michael Gwynn had come from one of the smaller planets in the Tartikoff belt and his family home had been destroyed in a raid by the Maquis. He had been teaching at Starfleet Academy when his city had been attacked. His wife and three sons were killed in a fire fight almost four years ago. When news reached the Alpha Quadrant that Voyager had not been destroyed but was trying to return home, Gwynn became deeply depressed. His appearance in his classes became erratic and several students complained to Admiral Paris who was in charge of the department. Gwynn was forced to resign his teaching position and reassigned to Mars Base. His behavior deteriorated further when the Pathfinder Project established direct contact with the Voyager crew. Now, as the ship finally reached home, he had made his move to seek revenge against the remaining Maquis and the Paris family.
* * * * *
Captain Janeway entered the turbolift and, before she could give the order to have the lift move to the bridge, the ship was hit with rocket fire. The lift lurched and the captain was thrown hard against the back wall, striking her head. As she felt the blackness claim her, she heard the red alert klaxons sounding.
to be continued…