Captain's Log, Stardate 56388.2
The science team sent by Starfleet Command has informed me that the installation of the interdimensional drive has been completed and is fully operational. Final preparations for our departure first thing in the morning are underway – the entire crew is egar to go home – even Seven seems egar to go.
Speaking for myself I find myself saddened at the thought of leaving Ya'sa'ra though I am egar to go home. The Taelons and the hybrids – were still not exactly sure exactly to call them as we can hardly call them Human or Taelon since their a mix of the two – are such an interesting and still very mysterious group. I could spend months or years here talking with them and learning about their culture – but now that a good diplomatic framework has been established I do not doubt that we will soon meet again. Ambassador Vales has already told me that the Taelon ruling body the Synod is seriously considering the possibility of sending a diplomatic mission to the Federation.
I find myself hoping that they do decide to send a mission. There are so many mysteries surrounding both the Taelons and the hybrids. I have noticed that all the Humans on board seem to definitely have a bond with the Taelons especially – I have felt it myself, and I wonder could it have something to do with the history that we have forgotten. The more I think about it the more intriguing the possibility seems. Certainly a lot of history books are going to have to be rewritten.
And yet the consequences of this meeting with the Taelons also worries me. I have nothing wrong to say about the Taelons or the hybrids – they've been kind, courteous and helpful, the perfect hosts. No what is bothering me is the Jaridians. I have a feeling that we are going to meet again and I feel that we had better be ready for them when we do meet again. For somehow I doubt that the Jaridians are going to come in peace, even though we have no quarrel with them.
Captain Kathryn Janeway ended her log entry on that note. Somehow she just knew that last part, something inside her screamed that the Jaridians were an enemy and would do their best to destroy them. Why do I feel that about the Jaridians, she thought. From the moment she'd seen those Jaridian warships when they'd come out of ID space to do battle with the Taelons she'd known that they were an enemy that she should destroy before they destroyed her. Just seeing their ships seemed to trigger some instinctive warning buried inside her. Every other Human on the crew that she had spoken to had confessed the same feeling about the Jaridians. Somehow every Human – even B'Elanna who was only half Human – on board seemed to know instinctively that the Jaridians were their enemies. Interestingly though the non-Humans on the crew felt no instinctive feel of danger when they saw Jaridian ships. Could it have something to do with this bond we Humans feel to the Taelons, she thought, could it be that just as we know that Taelons are friends instinctively we know the opposite about the Jaridians? If that is the case then why is it like that.
The sharp bleep of the door chime jolted her out of her thoughts.
"Come in," she called out. The ready room doors slid open and Tuvok came in carrying a pad. "Yes Tuvok?"
"Captain all our departure preparations have been completed," Tuvok reported handing her the pad. "Ambassador Vales and the team sent by Starfleet are on board and comfortable in there assigned guest quarters. We can leave first thing in the morning."
"Excellent," Janeway said taking the pad and giving it a brief glance but not really seeing it.
"Captain may I make an observation," Tuvok ventured. At her nod he continued. "You seem to be distracted." Janeway looked up at the dark skinned Vulcan who had been her friend and counsel for many years.
"You're right Tuvok I am," she admitted standing up and moving around her desk and up to the couch on the upper level of the ready room below the view windows and sitting down. Tuvok followed. "Please sit," she said. Tuvok immediately obeyed.
"Tell me what is troubling you," Tuvok said knowing immediately from his captain's demeanour that she wished his counsel on something.
"Believe it or not it's the Taelons," Janeway began. Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "And about this strange bond that I feel towards them. All the other Humans on board – even B'Elanna – and she's only half-Human – that I have spoken to confess the same feeling."
"Curious," Tuvok responded.
"You could say that. And then there is the Jaridians. From the moment those warships came out of interdimensional space I knew somehow that they were an enemy that I had to destroy before they destroyed me. And that was before we even fired at each other. It was like an instinctive warning, something buried deep inside."
"Perhaps it has something to do with this bond you say you feel to the Taelons and to the hybrids," Tuvok reasoned. "And maybe it has something to do with the forgotten contact between Humans and Taelons that took place in the early twenty first century."
"That is what I was thinking," Janeway admitted. "But this whole bond thing is strange to start with. Tuvok the first time I ever saw a Taelon starship was eleven years ago when the Da'shi'ri intercepted the Al-Batani. As soon as I saw it I – and every other Human onboard – knew somehow that the Da'shi'ri wouldn't harm us unless we hurt them first – even before Captain Ju'su hailed us we knew he wouldn't hurt us. I know its illogical but we felt that way."
"Perhaps the Taelons can give you some answers," Tuvok reasoned.
"Perhaps," Janeway admitted. "Maybe I should go over to the space station and see if I can speak to Da'an or maybe General Kincaid can give me some answers."
"That might be wise captain," Tuvok replied. "The Taelons do have knowledge of that forgotten period in Human history, and from our conversation on the station when we first arrived here we know that General Kincaid was alive in that time. Perhaps they can provide you with some of the answers to your questions."
"You know what Tuvok I think I will go back onto the station," she said decisively. "Maybe then I won't be so bothered by this."
*****
A Few Minutes LaterCaptain Kathryn Janeway wandered down the corridors of the orbital station to which Voyager was docked looking for someone who could either take her to Da'an or Liam. There weren't many people around at such a late hour – apparently the hybrids needed to sleep just as much as full Humans did and she didn't know if the Taelons 'slept' as humanoids understood the term.
She had just found her way to one of the stations computer terminals and was trying to puzzle out how exactly to use it when one of her quarries found her.
"Kathryn," Liam Kincaid's voice said from behind her. She spun round sure enough Liam Kincaid was standing behind her a curious expression on his handsome face. "I am surprised to see you here I would have thought you would be busy preparing Voyager for your flight home tomorrow."
"We've finished preparing Liam," Janeway replied. "We will be ready to leave first thing in the morning."
"You got your ship ready in a seven hours," Liam exclaimed knowing from the reports submitted to him and Da'an by Tadoshi Nakamura and Su'ul that they'd only finished installing the interdimensional technology on Voyager seven hours ago. "I am impressed."
"We were very motivated," Kathryn replied with a smile. "We've been stuck in this quadrant for seven years. Now that its time to go home no one on the crew can wait, even Tuvok and Vorik – though being Vulcans they would strongly deny any implication that there feeling impatient to get home to their families."
"I don't know very much about Vulcans so I'll take your word for it," Liam replied. "So why are you on the station now?"
"I have questions," she admitted. "I am curious about this bond that me and other Humans feel to the Taelons. And the threat we feel whenever we even see a Jaridian warship."
"I see," Liam said nodding his head. "It is actually quiet complicated and standing in a corridor is not the best place to speak of such things. Please come with me."
Having little choice in the matter – not if she wanted answers to her questions – Kathryn followed Liam through the corridors of the space station. Even having been here for nearly two weeks now she still found the sight of so much organic technology amazing. The Federation had been trying to develop organically-based technology for almost a century – the potential uses for such technology were myriad – but they hadn't been able to master it, the closest they'd come was the development of the bioneural gel packs that had first been introduced on Intrepid-class starships like Voyager and on Sovereign-class starships like the Enterprise but had now been retrofitted into the computer systems of all Federation ships. Bioneural gel packs were a powerful technology but as organic technology went they were still very crude. Who knows maybe if we do end up forming an alliance with the Taelons their scientists and engineers might be willing to give us some pointers, she thought.
Liam led her through the interior of the space station for quiet some time. She was careful to keep close to him as they had now moved into parts of the huge orbital facility that were unfamiliar to her.
Finally after walking for nearly ten minutes they came to one of the inset sections of bioslurry that marked the position of a door. The plastic-like scanner panel beside it also helped to give it away. Calmly Liam reached out his hand and placed it on the panel, which immediately glowed beneath his touch as was normal. Then the bioslurry panel glowed brighter than its normal pale blue and simply vanished – which was something that Kathryn Janeway was certain she would never get used to.
"Come in," Liam said stepping into the room. Janeway followed him in and immediately realised that the room had to be Liam's quarters.
One thing that immediately struck her was that the room was quiet spartan with little in the way of individual possessions and mementoes – she would have expected someone who was as old as Liam was to have many personal possessions. The only personal things around that she could see were some antique books on a shelf and a couple of old-fashioned still photographs.
"Your wondering why my quarters are so spartan aren't you," Liam suddenly asked making her jump.
"Yes," Janeway admitted. "I don't mean to criticise but I would have thought…"
"That considering my age I would have many more personal possessions," Liam finished for her. "I do have Kathryn it's just they are not here. These are only temporary quarters, as I am not normally based here at Ya'sa'ra – I am after all a senior commander in the Defence Force I am not normally assigned to outposts like this one. The bulk of my personal possessions and mementoes are in my house on Tu'ru'sha – the Taelons new homeworld."
"Oh. Were you reading my mind then Liam when you knew what I was going to ask."
"Good heavens no," Liam exclaimed sounded repulsed by the very notion. "Though like all hybrids I am capable of telepathically scanning others I won't do so without permission. None of us will. We consider probing someone's mind without permission to be the height of impropriety." He saw Janeway nodding.
"The Betazoids and Vulcans are exactly the same," she said as Liam closed the door behind them.
"I am not very familiar with the races in your quadrant of this galaxy," Liam admitted. "I would like to be but this new war with the Jaridians has effectively put an end to most exploration and scientific missions. I am not familiar with a race called Betazoids."
"There a telepathic humanoid race native to the planet Betazed," Janeway replied. "All of them are telepathic from their mid teens onwards. Physically their almost completely identical to Humans – there are some differences in organ function and brain structure, and Betazoid eyes don't have separately coloured irises – a Betazoid iris is the same colour as the pupil. But other than that their genetically close enough to Humans to produce viable offspring without genetic resequencing of the child being needed – therefore hybrids of Human and Betazoid are quiet common."
"Ah I see. Please sit." Liam indicated some chairs in the living area. Janeway took a seat as indicated and Liam sat down in the one immediately opposite her. A small coffee table in between them. "Would you like a drink," Liam asked – he always made it a point to be a good host.
"No thank you."
"Very well then. Now you wanted to talk about the bond that exists between Humans and Taelons. And the sense of threat you feel whenever you see a Jaridian ship."
"Yes."
"The Taelons have been aware of Humans for thousands of years. They discovered Earth almost four and a half thousand years ago, little more than two generations ago by Taelon standards. Almost immediately one of the Taelons greatest scientists Ma'el – who is incidentally Da'an's parent – suspected something was different about Humans – that they were not just another primitive race."
"Fascinating but what does this have to do with the bond?" Janeway asked confused.
"Patience Kathryn. To understand the bond you must know about Ma'el." Janeway nodded in reluctant agreement. It wasn't as though she had much choice – not if she wanted to know. Somehow she suspected the Liam Kincaid was as stubborn as she was. If she wanted to learn about the bond then she was going to have to bear with him.
"Now where was I," Liam continued. "Oh yeas. Ma'el suspected that something was different about Humans as soon as he saw the data on Earth that the Taelon survey probe dispatched to the area had sent back. He was curious enough that he decided to go on an expedition to Earth – little realising that he was about to embark on a journey that would alter the destiny's of both races." Liam held up a hand to forestall the questions he could see forming on Janeway's lips.
"When he arrived on Earth," Liam continued, "Ma'el landed in Ireland and showed himself to a small group of locals. Their reason being that he was going to use their reactions to him to determine how he would conduct his observations while on Earth."
"Let me guess they ran away from him or attacked him," Janeway said knowing from history how xenophobic Humans had once been.
"Actually they did neither. Nor did they treat Ma'el like a god. The Celts especially viewed Ma'el as a wise magician sent by the gods to teach them and protect them. To the Celts Ma'el's technology looked like magic. The fact that Ma'el used his 'magic' to help Humans whenever there was a problem – like a plague – helped to build a bridge of trust. The only thing Ma'el wouldn't help with was war. Ma'el – like all Taelons – could not understand why different members of the same species would fight each other. Taelons – unlike most species – never fought each other not even in the dark days before the creation of the Commonality."
"Ma'el spent almost two thousand years on Earth," Liam continued. "Going from country to country, civilisation to civilisation, observing, learning and teaching. He came to love Humans – he saw even then that Humans had the potential to one day be a great race. Ma'el's explorations led to the creation of the spiritual bond that exists between Humans and Taelons. He also made a discovery that would later have a profound effect on both races."
"What?"
"Ma'el discovered that Humans and Taelons are genetically compatible with each other. He discovered that each race held the key to answering a problem plaguing the other. But that's a completely different story for another time."
"What about the Jaridians then," Janeway asked really wanting to know more about the relationship between Humans and Taelons – it sounded that it was going to be a fascinating story – but reluctantly agreeing to limit their conversation to her two original questions.
"That is also related to the bond," Liam explained. "You see Kathryn the Taelons and Jaridians are genetic brethren. They both evolved from the same ancient race – I should know the Kimera were there and saw it happen and I do have all the knowledge of the Kimera in my head. The Taelons and Jaridians split off from each other when the Commonality was created. Of the two the Jaridians are much more aggressive than the Taelons. The Jaridians desire the conquest of as much of the universe as they can get their scaly hands on."
"So just as the bond tells us that the Taelons are friends so it also tells us that the Jaridians are enemies," Janeway reasoned.
"Yes," Liam replied. "To the Jaridians other races are either slaves to be taken to serve them or enemies to be destroyed."
"So why have they allied themselves with the Delkari?"
"That we do not know," Liam admitted. "Though it is very out of character for the Jaridians to ally with another race. Unless it suits there purposes at the time. The current thinking in intelligence circles is that the Jaridian High Command headed up by the Emperor decided that they could not defeat us alone. So they sought out allies to use against us. Not that it has helped them much the war between us is practically a stalemate."
"Have you tried to negotiate an end to the war," Janeway asked.
"We have they ignored us. The only conclusion we can draw is that the Jaridian High Command is not interested in peace. Jaridia is ruled by its military, which is headed by the Emperor. Military dictatorships thrive on conflict."
"True," Janeway admitted thinking of the Cardassian Empire when it had been dominated by the Central Command, the Cardassian military had constantly worked to gain strategic advantage over the Federation even after they'd been defeated in the Boarder Wars. They'd resented the fact that the Federation was so much more powerful than Cardassia. The Cardassian military had viewed diplomacy as a weakness they'd only agreed to peace with the Federation for the alternative of all out war would have led to Cardassia being defeated and destroyed. "I hope the Jaridians leave us alone," she said. "We've been through enough war recently."
"As I said to Admiral Paris it is highly unlikely that the Jaridians will attack you," Liam replied. "They might be bold and arrogant but they are not stupid. They know how dangerous it is to fight a war on two fronts. It is highly unlikely that they will attack you but it is a possibility."
"I hope it remains just a possibility," Janeway replied. "I should get back to Voyager."
"Yes you should get a good nights rest before your flight home tomorrow," Liam said standing up. "Allow me to escort you back."
"Alright then," Janeway said standing up herself. Though she wouldn't admit it she enjoyed this kind of thing especially in the company of someone she liked. And she did like Liam, she liked him a lot.
"Shall we go," Liam said inclining his head at the door. Janeway nodded and with that they left Liam's quarters for the airlock where Voyager was docked.
*****
Captain's Quarters A Short Time LaterKathryn Janeway lay on her bed in her quarters on Voyager. Her conversation with Liam still playing over and over in her mind. He had answered her question about the bond and about the Jaridians but in doing so had raised yet more questions. Just how deep did the relationship between Humans and Taelons go. What was it that Ma'el had discovered on Earth so long ago that could have been so important to both their races? She supposed that those were answers that would only come in time and in many more conversations. Hopefully she would get to have those conversations – if the Taelons did indeed send a diplomatic mission to Earth.
After a couple of more minutes of silently mulling over the various questions she had about the relationship between Humans and Taelons she put them out of her mind and rolled over the soft fabric of her pink satin nightgown making a swishing noise against her bed sheets. Tomorrow was going to be an important day. Tomorrow they were going home, at last.
Within a few more minutes she was fast asleep.