Chapter Five
Ready Room
A Short Time Later
The soft jolt that ran through Voyager's deck startled Kathryn Janeway out of the report she was reading. It was a complete analysis of all the damage that Voyager had sustained in the battle with the Delkari and how long Lieutenant Torres estimated it would take to repair. Some repairs had already been made - for example impulse power had been restored though warp drive was still out Janeway tapped her combadge.
"Janeway to bridge what's going on?" she asked.
"We're back in normal space captain," Chakotay reported. "According to our navigational sensors we're nearly a thousand light years from where we were. The Wasarin's tractor beam has released us now that our impulse engines are back on line and we're back in normal space." A thousand light years, she thought, in what ten minutes. With that kind of speed we could be back at Earth in no time. She put the pad she was reading down on her desk and stood up.
"Have the Taelons given us any directions for entering orbit or docking with an orbiting station?"
"Not yet captain. The Wasarin is communicating with the main orbital station at this time. My guess is that they'll contact us shortly." As Chakotay was speaking Janeway rounded the edge of her desk and headed for the door.
A moment later she was stepping out onto Voyager's bridge. Damage control crews could still be seen moving around the three shattered consoles and around the science station where power relays had been overloaded during the battle. She paid them no mind as they went about their work patching up the damage until more permanent repairs could be made. Moving to the command chair she sat down just as the incoming signal chirp sounded.
"We're being hailed by the Wasarin," Harry Kim reported.
"On screen." General Kincaid's face and torso appeared on the view screen.
"Captain Janeway allow me to welcome you to the Ya'sa'ra system," Liam Kincaid said from the screen. "I have been speaking with what you would call the dock master on the orbital station. They've agreed to allow you to dock and make repairs. Members of the engineer caste on the station will do what they can to assist you but I am afraid that our knowledge of Federation technology is somewhat limited. If you tell us what supplies you need we will make sure that they are delivered to you."
"I will have a list made up," Janeway responded. "General there are a number of things that I would like to discuss with you."
"Oh?"
"First off my crew is somewhat tired. I was wondering if you would allow them to go down to the planet in small groups on shore leave once our repairs are completed."
"I am not the person you have to ask for that kind of permission
captain," Liam responded.
"There is a representative of the Taelon Synod on board the space
station at the moment I can arrange for you to speak with him if you
wish."
"I would appreciate that."
"Then I will arrange it. Is there anything else?"
"I believe it would probably be best to discuss it with the Synod representative that you spoke of."
"Ahh I see. I will meet you on the station when you dock. I am sending docking instructions to you now." Janeway glanced over at Harry who nodded indicating that they have received the instructions.
"We have received your transmission."
"Good. We will transport your guest off your ship in a moment. If there is nothing else to discuss Captain Janeway then I will see you on the station."
"Very well general I will see you then." Liam nodded at her then disappeared from the view screen as the Wasarin stopped transmitting. Janeway turned to Harry. "Transfer the docking instructions to the helm Mr Kim." She then turned to Tom sitting as usual station at the helm - though he was hiding it she could tell that he was uncomfortable being here. "Mr Paris take us into dock."
"Aye captain." Tom whirled back to his station and paid close attention to the information that Harry had just transferred to his station and used it to plot an approach course to the space station that was currently on the otherside of the planet.
Commander Chakotay watched silently from the first officer seat. He had picked up on Tom's strange nervousness and discomfort about being in this place - being around the Taelons in general seemed to make him uncomfortable. Why he didn't know. It was obvious to him that Captain Janeway knew but he had absolutely no idea why. He wondered idly if it had something to do with that part of Tom's service record that nobody could get into - the part that was classified to captains eyes only. After a couple of more moments thought Chakotay put it out of his mind. If it had been necessary that he know he didn't doubt that Kathryn would have told him provided it wasn't something really personal to Lieutenant Paris - then she would no doubt have asked Tom for permission first. But as far as he knew that had not happened. So he put it out of his thoughts for now at least. A bleep from ops caught his attention momentarily.
"Captain our guest has been transported from sickbay to the Wasarin," Harry Kim reported calmly. Janeway simply nodded.
At that moment the impulse engines engaged and Voyager began to move slowly at first since she was at a dead stop. Even with impulse engines it took a few seconds for seven hundred thousand tons of starship to actually get moving at the sublight speeds she was capable of. But once Voyager got moving she could move quickly like a space born cheetah. As she did now accelerating rapidly to full impulse power.
The planet they were currently looping around was quiet beautiful Janeway thought. There were three large continents in addition to the polar ice caps, two in the northern hemisphere and one in the south. The rest of the planets surface was ocean that was an unusual bluish-green in colour. Fluffy white clouds swirled in the atmosphere. Orbiting the planet laid out in a series of concentric shells that seemed to encompass the entire planet were what were obviously defence platforms - such things tended to be obvious no matter what design the platforms were. These appeared to be laid out a bit like flowers with three petal-like sections at the top and a smoothly curved central pod that ended in a circular maw. Like the Wasarin they were constructed of organic materials. Clearly the Taelons used little or no metal in their technology - which was unusual. Only a few races used organic based technology.
In addition to the defence platforms dozens of ships of various descriptions hung in orbit. Some had similar configurations to the Wasarin and to the ship that the Al-Batani had encountered just over a decade ago - clearly warships. But others were completely different in design and ranged in size from the ship they'd rescued the hybrid from to vessels roughly the same size as Voyager.
Then Voyager rounded the curve of the planetary horizon and what everyone saw next took their breath away - with the exception of Tuvok of course. Hanging in orbit of the planet was an immense space station that defied description in its pleasing but very alien design. The station was huge even bigger than some of the orbital stations found in Federation space. Hanging close to the station was a ship that defied description as well. It was massive at least twice as big as a Borg cube and yet was almost translucent. Ribbons of light and energy could be seen moving beneath the transparent outer hull.
Voyager slowed down noticeably as Tom reduced power to the engines as they closed rapidly on the station and began their approach for docking.
A moment later Voyager's main port side airlock nuzzled against one of the stations docking ports - which looked more like a branch of a tree than a docking port. The impulse engines shut down and the docking thrustors fired but once to bring them to a dead stop. The station airlock locked onto Voyager with a faint thud. Space around Voyager abruptly seemed to shimmer as somekind of force field was activated.
"We have just been encompassed by some sort of focused gravimetric force field," Harry Kim reported. "According to sensors every ship that's docked with the station is gripped by a similar field."
"Probably designed to keep ships in place," Chakotay reasoned.
"A logical conclusion commander," Tuvok agreed from tactical.
"Captain we're receiving a message from the station," Harry Kim reported. "They basically say welcome to Ya'sa'ra and that a number of people are waiting on the station to greet us and discuss our needs."
"Well we better not keep them waiting," Janeway said. "Mr Kim respond to the stations communication and say that I'll be over shortly." Harry nodded. Janeway stood up from her chair. "Chakotay, Tuvok your with me, have Neelix join us at the airlock. Mr Paris you have the bridge."
Chakotay stood up from his chair and followed his captain and friend over to the turbolift. Tuvok joined them just as they were about to get in. The last thing Chakotay saw of the bridge before the turbolift doors closed was Paris relinquishing the helm to another bridge officer and moving over to sit in the command chair.
A few minutes later Janeway, Tuvok, Chakotay and Neelix stood in the chamber of Voyager's airlock as it automatically began to cycle. Since there was atmosphere on the other side there was no need for the chamber to depressurise so as soon as the inner doors closed the outer doors opened. It was a safety feature built into all Federation ships and into the ships of most other races that the outer and inner airlock doors couldn't be open at the same time.
After taking a deep breath Janeway walked through the airlock to the station side. As they crossed into the station they all passed through a pair of sophisticated force fields that seemed to function as the stations airlock at least near to the ship. Beyond it was a wide hall that went on for quiet away.
As they walked down the hall Janeway paid attention to what it was like. The bulkheads were softly curved and made of the same organic materials as the hull and seemed to be marbled with a web of shimmering colours that seemed to flow through the interconnected network of the marbling like water. Light came from bone-like ridges spaces equally along the corridor. The floor and ceiling were the same. And everything gave off a soft blue glow. Tuvok scanned the wall with his tricorder.
"Fascinating," Tuvok reported. "These walls are definitely made of organic materials of unknown type. The marbling that we see is a network of some sort of energy conduits carrying an energy form of unknown type."
Before Janeway could respond they came to the end of the corridor and came face to face with a blank wall. As they approached a large part of the wall glowed brighter and seemed to dissolve away revealing a reception chamber beyond. Cautiously Janeway and company stepped through the opening that had so unexpectedly appeared in the wall.
Two individuals were waiting for them in the reception room. One was General Kincaid and the other was a short willowy alien with pale skin. A Taelon. The being wore a blue jumpsuit similar to the ones Kincaid and all the hybrids they'd so far seen seemed to wear but without the military sash, belt and shoulder tabs.
"Captain Janeway a pleasure to meet you in person at last," Liam said softly making the Taelon gesture of greeting, he did so automatically as he was so used to it by now. And he had always hated handshakes since for hybrids like him and for Jaridians and Taelons hand grasping was often the prelude to intense private sharing. "Allow me to introduce Da'an a senior diplomat and member of the Synod." Liam didn't say that Da'an had once been the North American Companion since the reference would be meaningless to Janeway. Humans no longer remembered the Taelon visit to Earth. All of their records of the contact had been destroyed in the nuclear holocaust of the Third World War and the nightmare that had followed before the contact with the Vulcans. And the Vulcans had never met the Taelons so they had no record of them either.
"Greetings to you Captain Janeway," Da'an said softly making the greeting gesture. He was delighted to actually be speaking with a full Human for the first time in nearly four centuries. He'd missed them since the Taelons had left Earth. True he could still talk to Liam and to all the hybrids - most of whom were descended from those Volunteers and Protectors who'd come with them - but it just wasn't the same.
"Greetings to you to Da'an," Janeway replied mimmicing the greeting gesture as best as she was able. Tuvok, Chakotay and Neelix we're doing the same. "This is my First Officer Commander Chakotay, my chief of security Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, and this is Neelix."
"Greetings to you all and welcome to Ya'sa'ra. Captain Janeway Liam," Da'an threw an affectionate glance at the tall Kimera hybrid standing next to him, "here tells me that there are a number of things you would like to discuss with us."
"Yes."
"I have been instructed by the Synod to discuss these matters with you. Would you please follow us."
With that Liam and Da'an turned away and began to move deeper into the space station. Janeway and company hurried to catch up.