Japanese Stone Garden

by evie4

B'Elanna's change after the Barge of the Dead affects everyone. Events in the Alpha & Delta quads shake up Voyager & the Federation. Starfleet shows its true colors. Bajor and Tuvok are caught in the middle. Harry grows up. Seven adapts.

5. Starfleet Command

The following day Captain Janeway, stopped Tom at the end of Alpha shift as he was leaving the bridge.

"Mr. Paris, if you have a few minutes I'd like to meet with you."

He really didn't think it was a question or an option so he simply nodded.

"Sure, captain, I don't have to be in sick bay until Gamma shift so I've got some free time now."

She nodded and headed toward her ready room. But not before tossing a mild 'I told you so' look in Chakotay's direction. Tom missed that because he instinctively turned to look at Tuvok before following the captain.

Once they were seated on the couch,

"Tom, I am very impressed by your proposal. I couldn't put it down last night and definitely think we need to start working on it as soon as possible."

Tom didn't say anything. He was preparing himself for the brush off so he processed her words in a delayed sort of way. He had no idea what she was thinking or what she really meant because he kept his shields up and tight the entire shift. After his complete breakdown yesterday he wanted to make sure he never picked up anything from her or Chakotay again. He'd have to take them both at face value from now on. The captain noticed he hadn't said anything initially. She also noticed that he was silent from the moment he agreed to meet with her. She really didn't know what that was about but after meeting with Chakotay yesterday she sat for some time mentally going over their interactions over the past year. She also thought about the things Neelix brought to her attention. Moral Officer was not in the Starfleet handbook but it really should have been. Nothing got by that man. Now she was aware that there was a definite shift in Tom's personality, routine and behavior that hadn't gone unnoticed by the rest of the crew.

According to Neelix, Tom is still polite and in good spirits but his social time is limited to four members of the crew and Naomi Wildman. That was a surprise. Tom was always the social butterfly. Or so she thought until Neelix laid it out for her. Then things didn't make much sense. But he seemed to notice slight changes in him after Tom and Tuvok started working together on the holo programs. However, Neelix said that the biggest change occurred after they left the Banean system. It seems that B'Elanna was the most vocal in her defense of him to the rest of the crew who openly speculated on the possibility that he was guilty. This caused her to consider her own conduct and attitude at the time. The crew takes their lead from their commanding officers. She did not voice her suspicions to anyone but Tuvok but it was pretty obvious that she wasn't defending him to them either. If the captain and first officer thought he did it, what could she expect from the crew.

"Tom?"

"Yes, captain."

"You're not saying anything."

"I was waiting for you to lay out the plan."

He did not seem upset in the least. Just the same as during the meeting. She decided that it was best not to dredge that up or call either of their misgivings to his attention if he hadn't noticed them. She did not want to put him on the spot.

"Well, the plan is pretty much up to you since this is your creation. Select your team and start putting together a work schedule. Obviously, we'll make reassignments to cover your bridge shifts so you can devote your time to building it. Unless we run into some problems that will require your expertise on the bridge, consider yourself on full time Delta Flyer duty. That includes sick bay. I hadn't realized you were working there as much as you have been. The Doctor can get along without you for awhile."

Then she smiled at him warmly and he returned it. But he was still guarded on the inside. He wasn't going to let himself get sucked in again.

"Alright captain. I'll speak with B'Elanna to see what her schedule is like. And I'll forward you all the information you need. Progress reports will be submitted weekly and you can expect daily updates. I was thinking shuttle bay 3 would be the best location for construction. I'll need a certain amount of holo deck time reserved so that the others can familiarize themselves with the project and I still want to test the changes in the warp coil and cylinder reaction that the Flyer will have. Once I have all that worked out, I'll set the schedule and send you the report so that you can monitor our work."

She tried her darnist not to react to his level or preparedness and simply nodded.

"Sounds good to me. Pull anyone you need and as I said, we'll work something out with their schedules. Really, this is amazing work Tom and I am beyond impressed. I am so proud of you."

Rising from his seat,

"Thank you."

With that, he walked out and headed toward engineering to speak with B'Elanna. He figured that she, Seven and Harry would make up the team and they'd just have to work hard to get it done in time. He thought wrong. Tom still had to speak with Tuvok and wasn't particularly looking forward to it but figured he'd do that before heading down to Engineering. After confirming his location, Tom headed to Tuvok's quarters. On the way he contacted B'Elanna and said that he'd meet with her later to discuss putting together a work schedule because the captain approved the project. That's all he said over the com link and she understood completely.

He wasn't sure where to begin so he really didn't say anything and just sort of stood there looking stupid. Tuvok expected this reaction. He did not know how his meeting with the captain went but he was certain Tom would stop by to discuss the previous day's events. Still unfamiliar with human emotions and responses, Tuvok learned to anticipate their actions over the years.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Huh?"

"I offered you a beverage."

"Oh, sorry. Thanks. Um, spiced tea I guess."

Tom had taken to consuming Vulcan food and beverage around Tuvok just to make sure he didn't select anything that would be offensive to him. Some things he liked better than others as they reminded him of many human dishes. Vulcan food was generally bland. Normally, he's certain he'd notice it but considering the outrageous amount of spices and seasonings Neelix loads the food in the mess with, he welcomes it. For awhile, he really didn't think his taste buds would survive. Only the Bolian members of the crew enjoyed Neelix's cooking and eagerly awaited new 'creations'. They were his best customers.

Tuvok silently prepared the tea and set the tray on the coffee table then sat and waited. He knew Tom was uncomfortable but he also sensed that he should remain silent and allow him to direct the conversation. Tom must have picked up on this because he took a seat and began.

"Thank you. Before you say no thanks is necessary and you merely did the logical thing, I still appreciate it. If you hadn't helped...well we both know I wouldn't be sitting here thanking you."

"You are welcome."

Tom took a deep breath then got to the thing he really wanted to know but wasn't sure he wanted to ask.

"How come you didn't say anything before."

"As I said, I inadvertently acquired that knowledge. Since you did not tell me I concluded that you did not wish for me to know."

Tom sees the logic in that—sort of. But it still doesn't make sense. The point was to conceal it, not have him pretend he didn't know. Tuvok was fairly certain he was following Tom's thought process but deemed it prudent not to comment. With that answer, Tom decided he should get to the heart of things.

"Then why'd you continue to be my friend? Why still hang out with me?"

This was not something Tuvok considered. He had no clue what Tom was talking about.

"I do not understand. What does knowing have to do with our friendship?"

"I'm an empath. You can say it. And, yeah, I don't understand why a Vulcan would want to spend time with an empath."

Now Tuvok gets it. He finds Tom's reasoning amusing but thinks it wise not to mention that.

"Vulcans experience emotion. We are sentient organic beings like others. We do not express them and we do not allow them to dictate our actions. There are some Vulcan's who have mastered Kolinahr, the state where they completely purge all emotion. They are rare."

"But most people don't know that."

"Yes, but you do. The perception of Vulcan existence and the truth are two different matters. It would be illogical for me to pretend I do not experience emotions when I do. I do not, however,...advertise that fact."

Tom smiled. That was Tuvok's version of a joke and he got it.

"So you don't mind?"

"You are who you are. Your gift is yours. It is a part of you and no more or less offensive to my...Vulcan sensibilities than the color of your eyes."

Then he stopped because he was about to turn the conversation in a different direction and was not sure Tom was ready for it. It was necessary based on the events of yesterday.

"First, my silence is assured. It is not my place or my intention to make public that which you desire to keep private. We should discuss some additional meditation exercises that may be helpful given your...unique situation."

That was news to Tom and he didn't try to hide it. Tuvok noticed that Tom had a habit of tilting his head slight to the left when he was surprised or required more information. He said nothing about this mannerism or that it appeared to be something he'd unconsciously developed over the last 6 months.

"There were significant differences between the mind meld we shared yesterday and the first. While I learned that you are empathic the first time; I was concentrating on gathering information from the memories stored in the Banean implant. Yesterday we experienced a complete unification of thought, memories and emotions while working to rebuild your mental shields and strengthen your defenses."

Yeah, Tom thought a lot about that late that night. He pretty much crawled inside Tuvok's mind and camped out there for a couple of hours in order to retain his sanity. He now realizes that he was as wide open as it gets. And, he's pretty sure that he doesn't have many, if any, secrets from Tuvok anymore. Course he learned a heck of a lot about Tuvok in the process.

"You're a pretty unique and powerful telepath as far as Vulcans go. That must have really made you stand out."

"You are familiar with the various forms of Vulcan telepathy?"

Sheepishly,

"Uh, yeah. After the first time I looked it up. Vulcans keep a lot secret. Or, deem a significant amount of information irrelevant to off worlders."

"You are learning to speak Vulcan."

"In Vulcan and Federation Standard." Then he laughed.

"Then you are familiar with our history. There have been many grey areas in the past."

"Well, the path to enlightenment gets rocky some times. Seriously, I hadn't thought about it until then. I think its generally accepted that all Vulcans can initiate mind melds. The controversy around that is interesting but not important. Personally, I'm glad you can or I wouldn't be here. But I meant your other telepathic abilities. That's pretty cool."

"It seems that you were more aware than I initially concluded."

"No. I was pretty much as gone as you suspected. Completely incapable of defending myself—or controlling the situation. But in your mind, it was a different story. I have no idea what was happening in my head or what you saw for the first couple of hours. I accept that and all that comes with it."

"A productive and satisfactory attitude."

"So, what new meditation exercises do you suggest and why?"

Tuvok took a few moments to phrase his thoughts in his head before speaking but Tom cut him off.

"I think we're past that now and you can just say anything you want to me. I'll deal with it."

"I did not think that it was possible for a human to suppress the depth and extent of emotions that you do. That is commendable. It is also detrimental to your continued existence because of the way you are doing it. Merely stacking emotions on top of one another without releasing them completely is adding to the psychic strain you are no doubt experiencing. It helps that you are no longer...wearing the mask as you did in the past."

Tom saw the logic and the wisdom in those words so he accepted them without offense. There really wasn't any need to hide with Tuvok anymore so he didn't bother playing dumb.

"Ok, lay it out for me."

That did surprise Tuvok. He did not expect Tom to react so logically to the situation. Then again, Tom tried his hand at thinking and acting logically on occasion so Tuvok decided he was not surprised. He took time explaining all that he concluded during their session and his reasoning for the various techniques. Tom didn't object since he really didn't have anything better. That prompted Tuvok to finally ask about his training.

"Yeah, that was informal. As you guessed, it's a state secret so to speak. The only person I actually told was B'Elanna the night before the meeting. She's a little too perceptive some times. She stopped by to tell me that neither she or Seven would submit the proposal and did some kind of Klingon voodoo thing on me because she figured out a heck of a lot of stuff just by looking at me. I didn't give her any details and we didn't really discuss it but she understood why I really didn't want to do it.

As for my training. Funny but that happened by accident. I suppressed a lot of stuff. Always have. You know about Caldik Prime, who doesn't. Anyway, I never made a statement because I never wanted to speak, think about or relive it. Empaths shouldn't be around the dying. Its major sensory overload and can kill you if it doesn't drive you crazy. Anyway, I started dating a Betazoid. I have no idea how I thought I'd keep my secret from her. When two empaths...."

Then Tom stopped because he wasn't sure if he was going to offend Tuvok with this. Vorik's pon far was still fresh in his mind after having treated him in sick bay. It was obvious Vulcan's didn't talk about sex but he wasn't sure if that was for every species or just themselves. After a mental 'whatever' he continued.

"are intimate there are no barriers. Its like standing between two mirrors. I didn't know this ahead of time or I never would have let things get that far. Everything surfaced and there wasn't anyplace to put it so it was like a waking nightmare playing over and over in my head. No one knew what was happening. No one knew anything. The only way for me to purge the emotion was to confess. Or so I thought. I don't regret telling the truth. Well, I hate how my life turned out but it would've come out sooner or later. After I was done with the inquest she showed up. Didn't wait for me to pretend I didn't know what she was talking about. Said I needed to be trained and that she would teach me everything she knew. She never said a word. Kept my secret til the day she died."

Tuvok said nothing during the story. It answered many of his questions but still left a major one unanswered.

"How did you survive prior to that?"

"Grit and determination. You've probably seen more of me than anyone else. More than even she did so I won't pretend with you anymore. You know things weren't exactly kosher in my house growing up. As a kid I didn't know it wasn't normal to feel the emotions of others so I never said anything. Kids are pretty good at defending themselves when they have to. Pure self preservation instinct caused me to create enough mental shielding to survive. As I got older I realized what I was and taught myself as much as I could. There was no way I was going to say anything. Good thing I didn't or I'd be some diplomatic attache on some boring outpost instead of trapped in the Delta quadrant on a ship full of people who, well, you know."

Impressed. Tuvok found nothing about Tom's situation amusing. But he was impressed that he'd managed to make it through his entire childhood with only the skills he taught himself. Tuvok thought he definitely had potential to learn a great deal. Human empaths were rare. Human telepaths were more common though they weren't the norm either. He knew Tom's abilities were very strong after the first mind meld but assumed that he found a teacher secretly some time during his adolescence. Yes, Tuvok learned a great deal about Tom Paris yesterday but now he realizes he didn't even scratch the surface. The confession that his childhood was unpleasant was news to him. He knew that his father disavowed him after the Maquis arrest but did not know there was something serious during his formative years. He said nothing.

"I am impressed by the level of control and skill you managed to teach yourself. It is a credit to your ability and your strength."

That was the highest praise possible from a Vulcan and Tom knew it.

"Thanks."

Tom knew that Tuvok was curious about his meeting with the captain but wouldn't ask. He was planning on telling him anyway so it wasn't a big deal. They still had much to discuss about his meditation regiment so Tuvok suggested that they talk over dinner.

"I'm never one to pass up free food. Whatever you're having is fine with me."

Tuvok merely raised an eyebrow in response as he moved toward the replicator. Tom correctly interpreted that to mean, 'be careful what you ask for' and laughed.

Harry and Seven were hold up in his quarters again and B'Elanna didn't even bother asking about that. For the past two months those two were up to something. Harry was more obsessive than usual about his study of all things Borg. Initially, B'Elanna was happy because she thought he'd be of immediate and useful assistance in engineering or on the occasion Seven needed a tune up. Seven wasn't overly pleased with that phrase. Harry was helpful but whatever he was working on didn't have anything to do with upgrades she wanted to make so she ignored him. It wasn't until late one evening when he, Seven and B'Elanna met at Tom's to discuss the work schedule that she got her answer. Pleased, she agreed to help.

"Gee, is everyone working on upgrading something around here except me?"

"I believe you spent a considerable amount of time last month modifying the deflector array. I am almost certain that you did considering Astrometrics was deemed a nonessential system and shut down while you conducted numerous tests."

"And I believe that Astrometrics benefits from those modifications just as much as the rest of us. The last time someone took shots at us, we were able to defend ourselves quite nicely. Notice no one in your department is dead."

"Whenever you two are finished, can we get back to the reason you guys are camped out in my living room?"

"Of course."

"So, I can count on the three of you right? Maybe you can ask Vorik to help out."

When the three of them looked at each other without answering he knew they were up to something. When they kept staring at B'Elanna he knew they decided she was going to have to be the hammer on it. Whatever, he had a relaxing evening with Tuvok and he one a game of chess. He could take it.

"What now?"

"Nothing like that Tom. Look, this is your project and of course we'll help out. No way I'm not gonna have a hand in building something like this. But, its still your project."

"And?" He has no clue what B'Elanna is talking about. Harry steps in.

"We think everyone should know it."

As if that answered his question.

"First, who cares who knows it? Second, what's this got to do with whatever you guys decided I don't need to know because no one wants to tell me?"

"Fine. We feel you should select the team from engineering and whichever other departments are necessary and that it shouldn't be just us. You need to be the one who is clearly running the show."

"And if it flops, I'll be the one taking the heat?"

"Precisely."

"Seven, that wasn't part of the plan. Nor is it an incentive to convince him to go along with it."

"Mr. Kim, whispering is ineffectual as Tom is sitting next to me. If I can hear you, logic dictates he can as well."

"Borg enhanced hearing, you never know. Seriously, help or go home. And don't raise that eyebrow at me!"

"Tom, B'Elanna and Harry are correct. I, too, have every intention of participating on this project to the fullest extent possible. However, you cannot deny the long term benefit of establishing yourself now. It will pave the way for future projects."

Tom nodded then turned a suspicious gaze on Harry the stool pigeon wondering if he spilled the beans on that as well.

"No, I didn't say anything. Geez, cut me a little slack."

"Fine. Do you guys have suggestions as to who I should select? Most of them would be coming from your department, B'Elanna. You willing to let them go? The semi-organic shielding is gonna take some time to perfect, Sam Wildman's expertise in xenobiology will be crucial so I was going to speak to her department head too."

"Yeah, I thought about that after you sent the all clear. I'll work something out. Besides, if I'm short staffed there are a few people in....oh I don't know Astrometrics I can snag and bring over to the light side."

"Pilfering staff would be unwise. But, should you wish to set a precedent, I will adapt."

Tom and Harry exchanged looks and rolled their eyes at this exchange.

"Productive people. Let's stay productive."

And that was pretty much all that was needed to set everyone to task. It took less than two hours to work up the schedule and iron things out because Tom thought about this and made some preparations when he thought B'Elanna would agree to present things. It only made sense to raid her staff. After they were done B'Elanna turned to Harry.

"Ok, secret agent number 5, what have you been up to?"

"Ever since we made contact with the Romulan listening post in the Beta quadrant I've been thinking of ways to make direct contact. Haven't actually worked that out because we're not stationary and the ship doesn't have the power to do that. Especially in some of the more dense areas we travel through. But, thanks to Borg technology, obsession and a touch of desperation on my part I've figured out a way to boost our communications signal. Oh, and the modifications you made on the deflector array are coming in handy. It'll also mean taking a walk in negative G in order to implement some of my other changes but the upgrades to internal systems and sensors come first."

Tom and B'Elanna just stared. Then they smiled.

"Way to go Harry! Why didn't you say something before?"

"Yeah, it makes your obsession with unlocking the mystery that is Borg algorithms seem normal. I thought we were gonna have to hire a deprogramer or something."

"Thanks for your support!"

To say the engineering team was surprised was an understatement. They would've expected to be pulled out of shift to work on something like this but 1) they never considered something like this and 2) they did not expect to be reporting to Tom Paris and not B'Elanna or Seven. No one said a word when they caught the chief's death glare of silence as Tom stepped up and started outlining the project in front of them. They couldn't believe it. Then they read their padds and couldn't believe they were going to try something like this. The engineer in all of them came flying out of the closet and the questions were hot on their heels. After glancing through the initial information, they didn't care who came up with it. They just wanted more information. It didn't take long for all of them to realize that there was a hell of a lot more to Tom Paris than any of them expected. B'Elanna, Seven and Harry were on the team but they weren't running things, Paris was. Amazing.

Captain Janeway couldn't stay away. She was just as eager to help as the rest of them and actually asked Tom if she could work a few shifts with the others. He hid his surprise and his fear. Not so well that she didn't pick up on that last one. She should have known he'd be suspicious that she was merely there to check up on him. B'Elanna and Seven worked with her enough over the past few years to know it was the engineer in her screaming for a chance to have a hand in it and nothing else. She amended her request saying that she didn't care which team he assigned her to and that it should be something nonessential since the captain had other duties. She also commented that Harry dragged her into his project so her time was being split three ways. That was enough to ease his mind and he readily agreed after that. This told her that she had quite a lot of repair work to do with Tom Paris and that she owed him a great deal. Both as captain and as his friend.

Harry's super powered communications system didn't take long to upgrade. Janeway took a few minutes to consider her crew and her ship. The later would confound Starfleet Corps of Engineers when they returned. Between B'Elanna, Seven and Harry there wasn't a portion of the ship that didn't have something Borg attached to it. Janeway still did not understand how B'Elanna's mind worked but she counted herself as one of the masses with that one. Her chief engineer did things that Starfleet absolutely said were not possible. That warp core no longer hummed, it sang. The manual said 79% was high efficiency. They never got to know B'Elanna because she already broke 91% and would not stop until she hit triple digits. She wouldn't even comment on the fact that there was no such thing as an Astrometrics lab in Starfleet. They never met Seven of Nine. She was pleased with their work and proud of her crew.

The reward came just a two weeks after Harry worked his magic. About an hour before the end of Alpha shift in a particularly boring area of space something happened. B'Elanna was working on the bridge that day and noticed Harry engaged in strange activity for about 15 minutes. Or strange for him at least. She caught Tuvok's eye but he could not tell what had Harry's attention any more than she could. They'd have to wait. They didn't have to wait long.

"Captain, incoming subspace transmission. It's a Starfleet signature."

Every head on the bridge turned in his direction.

"Come again?" Her heart was pounding.

"There's another Federation ship out here in the Delta quadrant?"

She did not want anyone to suffer their plight but it would be good to see a familiar face.

"No Mam. This one is coded from Starfleet Command. Hold while I confirm identity signature."

He closed his eyes and shook his head before looking up but everyone noticed that he wasn't looking at the captain and he no longer looked happy.

"Harry? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Confirmed point of origin, Alpha quadrant. Recommend all stop. Time to intercept 42 seconds. Starfleet Command signature belongs to...Admiral Eugene Paris."

At those words Tom turned around and was suddenly very occupied in a navigation systems check. The captain didn't catch that because she was looking at Harry but Chakotay and B'Elanna did.

"We are being hailed."

She practically shouted,

"On screen."

"Captain Janeway! We've been trying to reach you all for some time now."

"Admiral, this is a surprise. We weren't sure if the Romulans would forward the message."

"I am pleased to say they did. Once we had even the slightest hope that Voyager survived the Badlands we got to work. The Pathfinder station was created for the sole purpose of initiating and maintaining connection with Voyager. We wanted to insure you knew we were thinking of you and that you all are not alone."

"You have no idea how happy we are to hear that."

"Any word on the Maquis ship?"

"Actually, yes. We are one big happy crew now."

"I see." He did not seem enthused by that answer but there wasn't anything they could do about it.

"Yes, if it weren't for the Trinity, Voyager would have been destroyed. Her captain, Commander Chakotay is our First Officer. If he hadn't sacrificed his ship we would all be dead. We are one Starfleet crew and have been for over four years."

She was sure to get her point across so that there would be no confusion should a worm hole miraculously open up in the next 2 minutes and deposit them somewhere around Risa or Mars. He got the point and took that time to inspect the crew. His eyes settled on B'Elanna as the most obvious standout. There was only one Klingon in Starfleet and he was not on board Voyager last time Admiral Paris checked. Janeway followed his eye.

"Voyager's chief engineer. Lt. B'Elanna."

"I see." Then he moved on quickly.

"It will take some time, but we want to be able to establish a mail delivery system. Real time communications will be rare but we need to keep in contact while we work to find a way to get you all home. I taught you well Katie so I know you have four years worth of reports to file as well as your captain's log." Then he laughed.

"Yes you did. And, you'll get the pleasure of reading as much as you like if you send the coordinates."

Just then she noticed the look of horror and fright that crossed his face but he didn't say anything.

"Admiral? Is something wrong?"

"Captain, turn around. Slowly."

She did but when she didn't see anything she wasn't sure what his problem was so she turned back to the screen in obvious confusion.

"Admiral?"

A response came just as the bridge doors closed behind its most recent arrival,

"I believe he is referring to me, captain."

Realization set in.

"Oh, Admiral. This is Voyager's chief Astrometric's officer, Annika Hanson. Thanks to her, we've gotten this far. She's literally been the star pointing us in the right direction home."

Nonplused, he continued to stare at Seven. A few other heads popped into the background behind the Admiral and did the same.

"I see." Then he shook it off. He was going to have a hell of a meeting with Starfleet Security later but since Voyager's bridge crew, at least, didn't seem to be assimilated drones he wouldn't say anything to her now.

"Well, if you transmit an updated crew manifest we'll be sure to contact all the families to let them know that their loved ones are safe and on their way home."

No one said anything but it was more than obvious that Admiral Paris hadn't bothered to glance in the direction of the helm once. Even when he made his more than thorough inspection of the bridge.

Captain Janeway made two modifications to the crew manifest before transmitting it. The first thing she did was change Seven's name to Annika Hanson, deleting all reference to Seven of Nine. Yeah, she and Seven would fight about that later but Katherine Janeway wasn't stupid. She knew trouble when it was staring her in the face. The second thing she did was check to make sure there were no traces of the name Torres ever being in the record so that they could not track her back to Starfleet Academy yet. She did not like the way Admiral Paris was looking at B'Elanna and didn't want them building a case against her this soon. Then she verified that the manifest matched exactly what B'Elanna listed on the change of name form. B'Elanna, Daughter of Miral of the House of Ko'Thor, place of residence Qo'noS. Let them fight about arresting a Daughter of the Empire later.

"I'm transmitting the information now."

After a few seconds,

"We've got it. Clarinet? What's this?"

"Yes, I promised Harry Kim's mother that I'd make sure he got his clarinet. In his rush immediately after the graduation ceremony to check in with the ship, he forgot it. That's a special note to let her know that he replicated one and not only has he been practicing but his music has lifted our spirits continuously over the last four years."

When she said that she looked toward Harry and smiled. He blushed and put his head down. Admiral Paris exhaled, relieved that at least someone on the bridge was actually a Starfleet officer other than Janeway and Tuvok, and amused at the situation considering their current circumstances. Really, this was not the way Janeway envisioned her first communication with Starfleet and hoped it wasn't being recorded but knew that it was. She wasn't prepared for this and it caught her completely off guard. She also didn't think that she'd be defending so many members of her crew at once. Yes, now she sees how odd it is to have a Maquis first officer, a paroled ex con as a chief helmsman, a Borg Astrometrics officer, and Klingon chief engineer. It was probably a heck of a lot more than they expected to find. She's just grateful Neelix didn't take that opportunity to pop onto the bridge with a fresh pot of coffee. She wasn't sure how she'd explain a Talaxian Moral Officer/Ambassador Extrodinare. That definitely wasn't in the Starfleet manual!

"Captain, if you would transfer me to your Ready room I need to have a private word with a member of your crew."

Completely misunderstanding his intent,

"Of course, Admiral! That is completely understandable. Tom..."

Admiral Paris didn't let her get another word out.

"Commander Tuvok, a few minutes of your time."

Yes, Admiral."

Tuvok moved gracefully toward the captain's Ready room. Janeway couldn't believe what just happened and her expression was more than obvious. Only then did she notice Tom staring straight ahead with an impassive mask on his face. She could have kicked herself for being presumptuous. But it just didn't occur to her that after thinking his son was probably dead for the past four years he wouldn't want to speak with him! She hated the fact that she just made that crystal clear to everyone on the bridge so she sat down waiting for Tuvok to end the call that she knew was as much about her as it was about the rest of the crew. Tuvok was the only known and trusted member of the crew. He was Vulcan and he served his first tour of duty in Starfleet long before any of them were born. He'd seen it all.

She knew they were all questioning her sanity as well as the security of the ship and crew at this point. Tuvok was the only thing that would assure them Voyager shouldn't be shot down on arrival. Janeway slumped back in her chair and tried to keep up appearance for the rest of the bridge crew. She was thanking the heavens that only senior officers happened to be on duty during this time. They would have great deal to discuss later and the Admiral's reactions and comments could at least be contained. She caught Chakotay's eye and nodded knowing they had to talk first. Somehow the welcome home wasn't feeling so welcome to more than a few of them.

Once Tuvok re-entered the bridge he took his station without a word. Janeway ordered helm to continue on their present course at warp 4. Even she didn't have the heart for anything faster at that point. B'Elanna knew the day would come. She'd face it like she swore to face everything else. With honor, no matter what happened. That was not her concern. She really wanted to give Admiral Paris a lashing for his behavior to Seven and especially Tom. She knew it had to hurt and she truly hoped that Tom was blocking out as much as he could. After the staff meeting where he submitted his proposal she understood that he had to be alone after something like that so she would not go to him. She'd simply be there when he was ready to talk. Seven said nothing else after addressing the captain then taking her station. She was keenly aware of the eyes on her across the view screen but gave them nothing. She also made sure to keep her face turned to conceal as many of her Borg implants as possible and made sure to keep her hand down. She was not ashamed but Captain Janeway's use of her human name was all the warning she needed. Seven did not want them studying her too closely.

Tom knew Harry was concerned. The expression on his face as he verified the I.D. told him all he needed to begin preparing for his worse nightmare. Yeah, he'd deal with it later. Something else held his attention after Tuvok took the call in private. Tom did not turn around or give any outward sign of his suspicions but he knew what he felt. Something was most definitely wrong and Tuvok was at the center of it.

After Alpha shift Janeway didn't think she had to tell any of them to hold off broadcasting this latest turn of events. No one except Harry was guaranteed to make it out of this alive. Now she understood that Harry had some specific knowledge or understanding that a call from Admiral Paris would not be a good thing for her ace pilot. She'd deal with that later. There were too many layers to it and too much subtext. She knew she'd have to be at the top of her game before even trying to broach the subject with Tom. She wasn't going to request Tuvok brief her on the subject or substance of his communication with the Admiral. Nope. He'd tell her all he could and she's sure he'd edit out the most damning information while leaving her with all the relevant facts. For someone who did not deal with human emotions, Tuvok was pretty good at understanding them. They understood each other. She did tap Chakotay and lean in.

"Let's not do this in my Ready room. My quarters in an hour. I'll spring for dinner."

"The Last Supper."

"Not in front of the children, Chakotay."

Then she laughed. Because she knew she probably wouldn't be laughing later.

Harry said nothing as they all filed into the turbo lift. Really, he couldn't help thinking it looked like a funeral procession. He was trying not to look at Tom. Tom was forcing himself not to look at Tuvok. B'Elanna and Seven were determined not to look at anybody. Harry got off and followed Tom without a word. He'd walk him to his quarters and if Tom wanted to talk or hang out, they would. Otherwise he wouldn't say anything. As happy as he was that his parents and grandparents wouldn't worry or mourn him anymore, he felt guilty about his part in the whole thing. Magnified communication senors and an upgraded deflector dish! Just great. The captain didn't look the least bit relaxed and Harry caught her tap dancing just like everyone else. It was going to be a mess. Once they were almost to Tom's door he turned to Harry,

"Really, I'm alright. I just need some time alone. Got a lot to work through."

Harry looked at him carefully. He just wanted to make sure this wasn't going to be the thing that broke Tom. Things had started looking up for him. Word spread about the project and people were amazed and being really nice to him. Asking him questions and treating him with as much respect as the others. He noticed that Tom no longer seemed to care if he had the good opinion of his fellow crewmates but was still polite and unassuming. He hated that every time something started going right for Tom, their was some cosmic conspiracy poised to knock him down.

"Ok, but if you want to talk or hang out, you know I'm always available."

"Yeah. You're my best friend Harry. The best friend I've ever had. I know."

Harry nodded at that and then walked on to his own quarters. He had a lot to think about.

B'Elanna did not get off on deck 9. She stood in the turbo lift silently. Seven noticed that she didn't request the holo deck either so she said nothing. The doors opened and Seven stepped out heading for Cargo bay 2. B'Elanna was right behind her so she knew her friend was offering some support. Seven wasn't sure what her situation would be when they arrived in the Alpha quadrant. Until that communication, it was all theory and the probability wasn't very high. She never mentioned the exact percentage she calculated to the crew. That would not help their situation. It would probably rank up there with one of those offenses the captain explained could incite humans to start throwing tomatoes at you. She did not understand humanity. Why they would through vegetation at a person citing facts was beyond her. Then she remembered this was also the specie who had a propensity to shoot a messenger so she considered tomatoes an acceptable alternative. Seven had the distinct impression from Admiral Paris' reaction that Starfleet Security and Starfleet Medical would not be waiting for her with a bag of tomatoes.

Tuvok entered his quarters and engaged a privacy seal. He absently noted how many times senior staff did that over the last year. Brushing that thought away as irrelevant he headed to his bedroom and changed. Then he made himself comfortable on a meditation pillow and lit his meditation lamp. He had a great deal of work ahead of him.

Tom sat silently on his couch for several minutes. He knew there was a lot going on. He also knew that Tuvok was certain he'd picked up on something even if he didn't know the extent or specifics. He thought about all that happened on the bridge and he thought about the man doing everything but looking in his direction. His father knew he was sitting there. That's the only reason he didn't bother glancing at the helm while he was checking out everyone else. He wasn't going to get anywhere sitting in the dark so he changed out of his uniform and sat down to work through one of the meditations Tuvok taught him to help expel his emotions. He was most definitely suppressing a great deal on the bridge. Now it was time to face them.

"Eugene, you can't be serious."

"I am. That's my report people. I saw most of it with my own eyes. You all watched the recording."

"A Borg drone as chief Astrometric officer. We don't even have Astrometrics departments on star ships!"

"Well, Hiram, consider their situation. They're in completely uncharted territory."

"True, Tan'lin. And since the Borg probably assimilated half the species in the Delta quadrant it seems she's the best person for the job."

Sarek interjected.

"She did not appear to be a Borg drone."

"You saw the implants!"

"I saw remnants of implants. It is only logical to conclude that she was, at one point, a drone but no longer is."

"So. She's still a potential threat!"

"She could also be a potential break through in both technology and security. Think of what we could learn from her."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Well, it wouldn't take much to get her on a table and find out how it works."

Sarek is as repulsed as a Vulcan can get though he see the logic in that.

"When last I checked, the Federation did not dissect sentient life forms."

"I didn't say that."

"Didn't you?"

"Dr. Crusher, you are the only one here who's had experience with removing implants. What do you say?"

She did not like references to Captain Picard's time with the Borg. Starfleet Security never let him forget it.

"The situation is different and you all know it. We were in the Alpha quadrant. I had access to a great deal of resources and personnel that Voyager does not. And, we have no proof that she wasn't severed from the collective prior to even joining Voyager's crew. She may have been free from the Borg for years before they met her."

"Or not."

"This is pointless. We've done a check on Annika Hanson. She is a Federation citizen, born right here in San Francisco. Her parents were Starfleet researchers. They tracked what we now know was the Borg for years and were lost. We also know that their 6 year old daughter was on board at the time they stopped communicating with us. Where else would she have been for the last 19 years if not with the Borg?"

"She has legal rights. Captain Janeway made her a senior officer. You saw her expression and everyone else's on the bridge. They had no clue what had you so upset. She had free access to the bridge and no security detail. Its obvious, from the limited information we have, that Voyager does not consider her a threat."

"Voyager is not the Federation. If she arrives in the Alpha quadrant in Federation space, she comes to Starfleet Security for...debriefing."

Sarek, again must point out the obvious. Some times humans were too paranoid.

"She has committed no crime that we know of. No greater crime than Jean Luc Picard and he is the captain of our Flagship."

"You want to offer her a commission?"

"Let's not get off track here gentlemen. Eugene, what about Tuvok's findings?"

"According to him, her place on the ship is secure. She is considered a valuable and trusted officer. She has even had command of the ship on more than one occasion."

"What!" The general response from the entire room.

Paris lays out what Tuvok mentioned about the 4 months Voyager was in the dead zone and all of the crew had to be put into stasis. She was in complete control when they were not.

"Interesting. Sensory deprivation does not affect her as normal humans.

Beverly Crusher is compelled to point out some of the things Paris briefed her on earlier to keep people thinking about her as a person and not a lab specimen.

"184 people trusted her not to assimilate them in their sleep or head for the nearest Borg cube. She also leads away missions, has a staff of 30, and has headed engineering at times when the chief engineer is away."

"And that's another thing. What of this Klingon chief engineer?"

Paris is neutral on this because it really doesn't matter at this point.

"It appears that she is a citizen of the Empire from the crew manifest. I suppose opposition to Cardassia was incentive enough for her to join them. We don't know."

Commander Nelson did his homework as soon as he was briefed on Paris' findings. Maquis and Borg on a Federation ship was too much for him. He started researching B'Elanna as soon as he found out there was a Klingon on board Voyager.

"Yes, but further checking reveals a bit more about her."

"Such as?"

"Three years at Starfleet Academy. Dropped out. She had some adjustment problems. Understandable considering the climate and her being Klingon."

Seems several people had the idea to start digging into B'Elanna's past. Admiral Bates, head of Starfleet Security, filled in the rest.

"She was captain of the decathlon team. According to reports, the coach was irate when she dropped out."

That eased the tension and let everyone laugh.

"There's more. This is interesting. Her problems with her professors seemed to be her inability to conform to Starfleet Corps of Engineer standards. She said they were too...restrictive. That and her unwillingness to limit herself to accepted Federation science principles. There's a letter in her permanent file from Dr. Chapman, head of the Engineering department. It states that if she ever wished to return he would sponsor her reapplication without hesitation. I spoke with him and gave him an update on what we learned. He was excited that she was doing what he always said she was capable of."

"She's 25 years old and chief engineer? That could ONLY happen on Voyager."

"Guess you didn't look at her test scores."

He passed the files around.

"Oh."

"Yes. Had she remained, based on these grades, it appears she would have been 1st in her class with the highest grade point average in Starfleet history. Dr. Chapman said she has one of the most complex and fascinating minds he'd ever encountered. I'm not prepared to say anything about her. I have no clue what she's capable of or what she's done so far. In addition to everything else, she's one of the group of the only surviving Maquis. Charges were dropped because we assumed they all died. Now we have two of them serving as senior officers."

"Perhaps there was some duress or pressure placed on Voyager's crew. Perhaps Captain Janeway felt she had to do it."

"It is unlikely they would have all survived four years in the Delta quadrant if that were the case."

"Sarek, must you always be so logical?"

"Yes."

"This is getting us no where. We'll have to wait for Janeway to forward the reports. Something tells me there is a bit of revisionist history taking place right about now."

Paris does not like that comment at all and turns to his colleague with a stern look.

"Be careful how you speak of my protegee. She's fair and by the book. You also keep forgetting Tuvok. He is not under duress and he's the one I trust the most to be objective and logical. Even considering the information I gave him."

Chakotay needed several minutes to sit quietly and process some of the various things that happened on the bridge before meeting with Katherine. Until today, getting home was the mission but it was still abstract. Making contact was surreal and it was a relief to know that family members of the crew would no longer worry. The Maquis were a different story and he wasn't as prepared for how he would address their specific questions, concerns and fears. Yes, he was ready to use that word now after the twice over Admiral Paris gave them. His rather intense inspection of B'Elanna caused him a great deal of concern. Her current situation is unclear. Before the Academy she was a citizen of the Empire and lived the majority of her life on Qo'noS. He's not sure if that will be significant protection. Seven's situation is critical. He has no illusions that a meeting with Starfleet Security and Medical wasn't taking place at that very moment. He knew they were reviewing that recording for every piece of information they could garner. Katherine's use of Seven's human name was a dead give away that she knew exactly what her mentor was going to do. Now they have to seriously consider the possibility that her life will be in danger should she return to the Alpha quadrant. Federation citizen or not, she has Borg implants and even if they don't cut her into pieces, they'll arrest her as a threat. Of that he's certain.

He also has to assimilate some of the other strange things that happened. It was obvious that Harry knows something by his reaction. Finding out who sent the signal was the thing that caused his entire demeanor to change.

"You would have thought he was announcing that the entire crew except those on the bridge were recently assimilated."

Then he remembered why that wasn't funny.

Chakotay always assumed that Tom was spoiled and privileged. An Admiral's son getting special favors and never having to work for anything. The man didn't look at him once and it was pretty clear to Chakotay that Harry knew that would happen. Now he realizes that there is a lot more going on with Tom Paris than he suspected and that some of his resentment was misplaced. Katherine's words were not lost on him. He did not know that Tom wanted him brought into the loop but she refused. Now he wonders what was going on back then. He has taken a lot of time since that conversation to really search and evaluate his behavior. From strictly a command perspective, Chakotay has to admit that he's been out of line for the last four years. He is the first officer and he allowed his personal feelings to do more than affect ship's business. He knows that many of the crew take their lead from him. He's certain that the Maquis, especially on the lower decks, really gave Paris the treatment Chakotay couldn't on his behalf. That was wrong. Then he considers how he felt Tom made a fool out of him and ruined his credibility. Now he has to admit that his behavior didn't do him any favors.

Once he enters he takes a whiff of the air and turns around with a quizzical expression but doesn't ask.

"Seven explained that I, in my limited individualistic way, managed to confound Borg logic and prove them wrong."

"Ok, I'd love to hear this."

"She informed me that in the last 4 years, she peeked at my replicator logs, I have burned or otherwise destroyed 27 Yankee pot roasts. She then went on to say that I should abandon my obsession with trying to make it and consider a new dish because persistence is futile."

Chakotay didn't think he'd be able to smile at anything for the rest of the night but those words made him laugh openly and it felt good. Once he finally recovered,

"So what are we having tonight?" [Please don't let it be peanut butter and jelly again.]

"I know what you're thinking. No peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."

"Thank you!"

The captain and Chakotay spent a very long night going over their current situation and trying to come up with some solutions. They both realized Seven's predicament was going to be a lot more difficult than they anticipated. As First Officer, Chakotay serves as the JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer on board. He would have to begin researching Federation law to find some kind of protection from what they both assumed was waiting for Seven should she enter the Alpha quadrant. Janeway reminded him of his own status but Chakotay wasn't concerned.

"Katherine, I'm not worried about me. Unlike B'Elanna, I am a Starfleet Academy graduate and a commissioned officer. I earned the rank of Commander. I also knew exactly what I was doing when I joined the Maquis. Everyone's reasons varied, but I had plenty of experience and a complete understanding of the situation. They'll treat me like all the other Starfleet officers charged for the same conduct. Of course, your little song and tap dance about me sacrificing my ship to save all the lives on board Voyager is sure to earn me a few points."

Then he smirked and leaned back against the couch.

"Are you saying B'Elanna didn't know what she was getting herself into?"

"You aren't going to trick me into going there." They both laughed and he continued.

"She was alone. She'd recently dropped out of the Academy. She had nothing but her displaced anger, her pain and a brilliant mind that craved the opportunity to work as an engineer. I'm not saying she wasn't dedicated or committed to fighting the injustices of the Cardassians. She was. She was also 20 years old with her own problems.

Technically, the only thing they know to charge her with is being a member of the Maquis. That's enough in it self, but unlike Tom, they didn't catch her in the act of doing anything."

Then realization crossed his face and he poured himself a another glass of their secret stash of contraband Romulan Ale and knocked it back in one shot.

"Then why are you all of a sudden looking worried?"

"Because I just considered some things that make her situation completely different from the other former Maquis members of the crew. I'm not sure what they'll do to her or how they'll treat her especially when they read the reports and find out about Dreadnaught. She designed and built the ultimate smart missile and until we ran into it here in the Delta quadrant, I didn't even understand just how good she really is. She was 21 years old and did it at one of our camps by herself using the materials we were able to get our hands on. She didn't have access to Starfleet personnel or any of the trappings that go along with a sophisticated Federation research lab.

Think Starfleet Security is going to want her running around loose with a pardon? Or running around period after serving whatever time they give her? Nope. Not to mention that she now has access to a great deal of classified Starfleet information as well as an extensive amount of knowledge of Intrepid class ships. Not that you'd know it by the amount of Borg enhancements she made to the ship. That's another thing. Her knowledge and obvious success with adapting Borg and various other Delta quadrant based tech to Federation equipment. I'm sure they'll consider her almost as much of a threat as Seven if she's allowed to go free."

Janeway hadn't thought about it to that extent or that negatively. She knew they'd have problems but hearing someone else say it out loud just made everything seem worse. In an act unbecoming a Starfleet captain she reached over and picked up the bottle of Romulan Ale, tipped it back to her mouth and took a long swig. [This is going to be a mess!]

They all seemed to recover to some degree or another during the night and assembled around the conference table for the meeting none of them wanted to have. Just as she suspected, her neck was hanging in the noose along with everyone else's. No one, including the captain, uttered a word during his report. No one made any comments afterward. They were simply riding the wave trying to take everything in. After Tuvok completed his report the captain started to speak. It was only then that she realized he was not finished. The pause meant this information was relevant but not connected to the rest of his report.

"I apologize for cutting you off. Go ahead Tuvok."

"As a result of certain observations during the sub space communication, it was deemed—necessary that as head of Voyager's security I be made aware of some specific events that occurred recently so that I prepare to act accordingly."

That was just cryptic enough to raise the tension level in the room even higher.

"Alright." She doesn't want to know this, she's sure. She knows he's stalling so it must be bad.

"Chancellor Gowron unilaterally nullified the Khitomer Accords. The Klingon Empire is no longer a friend of the Federation."

With that last sentence Chakotay and Janeway heard B'Elanna's back door slam shut. Neither had a chance to pull her aside before the meeting to explain their take on her unique situation. The captain wanted to sit both B'Elanna and Seven down to try to allay their concerns and get their input on what can be done about their unusual circumstances. This new twist was not helping. Harry hoped things couldn't get any worse last night. He know realizes that was merely a pipe dream. Neelix is trying to figure out the best way to be of assistance in case she becomes distraught. Tom is still dealing with something else but he figures there's a size 14 shoe hanging somewhere above just waiting to drop.

Everyone turned to look at B'Elanna. She was shocked. But she was also confused. Why, after all these years, would that happen? She knew she was 4 years out of the loop of information but she could not, for the life of her, figure out what could possibly cause something like that to happen. Her mind was racing to solve the mystery with the facts she had. Everyone was looking at her with concern because she's just sitting quietly with a thoughtful yet intense expression on her face. Then she looks over at Tuvok and surprised them all,

"Romulans or Cardassians?"

He did not think she had it in her and merely raised an eyebrow in response. She knew the meaning behind that particular gesture. The Vulcan non verbal for touche.

"Cardassians."

They seemed to be having their own private conversation so no one interrupted and no one was going to try. B'Elanna nods absently then makes a huge leap that even Tuvok wasn't prepared for. Hey, she can't help thinking of the worse case scenario considering the crappy life she had so its not that big of a jump.

"Am I under arrest?"

Eyes wide and mouths hanging open, everyone was shocked by that question and even the captain didn't have the faintest idea why B'Elanna would ask it. There were the obligatory and customary gasps and sounds of shock and outrage from her friends around the table. She ignored them. Tuvok did as well.

"Not at this time."

"Ok, give me...6 hours warning. I'll need to prepare Engineering and there's some personal stuff I have to do. I promise I won't run."

"Your honor would not permit you to do so. I am not concerned."

Genuinely touched, "Thank you."

Then they both turned back to the rest of the group like they were chatting about the weather. Some times a captain should not know certain things. Some times a Starfleet officer shouldn't know things so that there is plausible deniability in the future. She knew this was one of those times. She didn't care.

"One or both of you will explain why B'Elanna questions if she is under arrest. She has no connection to whatever political maneuvering has recently taken place in the Alpha quadrant."

B'Elanna threw Tuvok the 'I got this one look' and then turned to the captain.

"This isn't political maneuvering. Many things must be happening in the Alpha quadrant that we are unaware of because the balance of power is shifting or being shifted by several key players. Tuvok didn't say the Klingon High Council. He said Gowron, unilateral, nullify and Khitomer all in the same sentence. That means something very specific has occurred within the Empire. It also means that the Federation involved itself in the affairs of the Empire to a degree that, that interference had to have led to some small scale direct conflict. Whatever is happening was originally between the Empire and the Cardassians. I'd guess armed invasion and occupation of Cardassian territory for expansion or as retaliation. For the Empire to take that step means it believed something significant changed or was about to change within the Cardassian government.

Federation involvement, ie direct opposition to what the Empire felt was its affair and no one else's, led the High Council to relinquish ALL its power to the Chancellor to do whatever must be done. NOTHING has ever occurred in our history to provoke that kind of reaction. That means every member of the High Council and every Klingon in the Empire is pissed. The Federation must have allied itself with Cardassia against the Empire for the High Council to have moved in this way.

The logical conclusion is that Starfleet Intelligence suspects that the Klingon Empire is about to declare full scale war against the Federation. It is also logical to conclude that Starfleet Command has revoked my field commission or deemed it invalid. They would not have ordered Tuvok to 'act accordingly' had they not officially ruled that I am not a Starfleet officer. This is a Federation ship. I am not a Federation citizen. Congratulations captain, when war officially breaks out, I get to be your first P.O.W."

Then she laughed dryly, shook her head and sat back in her chair. They were all torn between staring at B'Elanna and turning to stare at Tuvok so they did both. No one said anything as they tried to take it all in. This made no sense. They weren't sure which was more shocking—being at war with the Empire or that Starfleet actually wanted Tuvok to arrest B'Elanna as a prisoner of war if it should happen.

The captain is finally able to speak as she leans back in her seat and closes her eyes,

"This is too much. What ever happened to getting good news from home?"

Chakotay can't believe its happening again. But the Klingons? He just can't see how the Federation would side against the Klingons in favor of Cardassia.

Harry turns to Tuvok genuinely confused,

"Tuvok, is she right? The Federation joined with Cardassia against the Klingons?"

"B'Elanna did an excellent job of reasoning through the situation. Everything she said is true."

Seven lost all her composure with that.

"This is illogical! I will not even attempt to address the personal implications of this nonsense because it is apparent that those considerations did not factor into their decision. Captain, you taught me about Federation values and its ideals of inclusion and respect for individuals while in pursuit of a policy of cooperation and peaceful coexistence. Where is this famed Federation commitment to justice and individual liberty I have been studying all these years?

Perhaps I should remain silent and implement 'don't rock the boat protocol' because I am certain that Starfleet and the Federation powers that be hold little regard for my personal or individual liberties and are likely formulating a legitimate reason for Tuvok to arrest me as well. Perhaps my mere existence will serve as sufficient justification. But I will not be silent on this. If Starfleet will not adhere to its espoused code of honor, I will.

There is no logical basis for their decision from a pragmatic perspective. The purpose of confinement of P.O.Ws is for military or political leverage. What leverage can B'Elanna give them in the middle of the Delta quadrant? There is no political collateral to be gained from this course of action. The act of singling out B'Elanna specifically and revoking her field commission strikes me as nothing more than malicious contempt and racial prejudice. B'Elanna has done nothing but fulfill her duty to this ship and its crew for over 4 years. Starfleet has not even bothered to learn anything about her contribution, her performance as an officer or her genius as an engineer.

We are 60,000 light years from the nearest Federation outpost or space station and Starfleet Command has ordered Tuvok to arrest our Chief Engineer? That is not logical. We are constantly under attack from numerous hostile species with no support and no allies in unchartered and unfamiliar space and they expect us to incarcerate our Chief Engineer?

There are 185 organic beings on Voyager and only one of them is Klingon. Starfleet holds the power because this happens to be a Federation ship. With the exception of the Bajoran members of this crew and Neelix, everyone else on this ship is a Federation citizen. But as Bajor is under consideration for membership in the Federation, I suspect those crewmen will be given some special dispensation. B'Elanna has no protection, no outside support system and they know this. pujwI' HIvlu'chung quvbe'lu'. There is no honor in attacking the weak. That is what this is, an attack. What is their recommendation should no peaceful solution to this situation arise? What will happen should the Empire prevail against the Federation in this pending war? Is Tuvok to release B'Elanna so that she can arrest everyone else as P.O.Ws in the name of the Empire? I can find no logic in this. It is madness!"

That is as irate and emotional as they have ever seen Seven and no one says anything for several moments as they simply stare at her. Tuvok's secretly pleased with Seven's response and B'Elanna's rational demeanor. B'Elanna turns to her and smiles warmly.

"Dujeychung jagh nIv yItuHQo'."

Seven is starting to regain her composure but is still visibly distressed. She looks B'Elanna straight in the eye and responds.

"nIteb Qob qaD jup 'e' chaw'be' SuvwI."

After a few moments of silence the captain stands. She looked around the table sizing up each of her officers carefully then nodded as she came to some internal decision. She placed one hand on Seven's shoulder in a calming gesture before she spoke.

"Harry?"

"Yes, captain."

"Take Norma Rae here to the mess hall for a cup of herbal tea. Chakotay, start working that project. Tom, you have the bridge. B'Elanna—let's take a walk."

Admiral Bates was not as floored as the reassembled group sitting around the conference table stunned into silence because he had time to get over his shock after watching the recording numerous times. He really did not know what to think when he received the incoming transmission. Tuvok's orders to record the briefing and forward it directly to Starfleet Security were clear so he had no doubt that they would be carried out. He was prepared for typical Klingon outrage and some degree of violence. Perhaps a few bloody noses and some broken bones. He was not prepared for this young woman to sit there and quietly piece together the situation or arrive that the correct conclusion on her own. Tuvok was ordered not to disclose that information. How she figured it out was a complete mystery until Bates considered the words of Dr. Chapman. [Complex mind huh?] But the Borg's reaction was beyond anything he expected. Honestly, he did not expect her to have a reaction. This was both a test of Tuvok's loyalty as much as a means to gain insight on Captain Janeway's competency. Her unusual behavior and decisions with regard to the Maquis and bringing a Borg drone onto a Federation ship as crew had everyone at Starfleet Command and Security questioning her fitness for command. This made more than a few people sit back and rethink the situation.

Commander Nelson asked the only question he could think of.

"What was that exchange at the end between the Klingon and the Borg?"

Sarek's patience is constantly tested by his colleagues but he responds nonetheless.

"The Klingon's name is B'Elanna, as you well know. She said there is nothing shameful in falling before a superior enemy. Miss. Hanson responded that a warrior does not let a friend face danger alone."

"So, she considers Starfleet and the Federation the enemy. Then Eugene's original order seems justified."

Ta'lin doesn't have Vulcan patience to contend with, she's Andorian and really does not care,

"Where do you get these things? Did you not just watch the same recording as the rest of us? The use of the term enemy has nothing to do with Starfleet or the Federation and you know it. Aside from it being an expression, it is more accurately directed at someone harboring thoughts like yours. Everything both those young women said is true and we all know it."

"It would seem that Miss. Hanson has unknowingly demonstrated that she is not a Borg drone for those who still retain some doubt on the matter. It would also seem that she has a much stronger grasp of Federation values than others. Any question as to her humanity or sentience should be put to rest. Her commitment to logical interpretation is encouraging. B'Elanna appears to have a unique ability to extrapolate information and follow through to the logical conclusion. Most interesting and most refreshing."

"Don't start handing out IDIC medals just yet Sarek. She's still Maquis and she's still a citizen of the Empire."

"She didn't sound Maquis to me, Hiram. Go back and listen to her last words. I think that uniform means a hell of a lot more to her than we realized. And I should point out that while many of the people in this room have consistently made negative comments and assumptions about her, she has remained neutral in both her assessment and her opinion of Starfleet and the Federation. No offense Sarek, but she was damned near Vulcan in her methodical approach to figuring out the situation here."

"I take no offense, Dr. Crusher. Indeed, it was a compliment."

Bates said nothing up until this point. He still wasn't sure about Annika Hanson but he was also a practical military man. The plans they drew up for both of them were necessary. He does admit that her words have caused him more than a few moments pause.

"Miss. Hanson was impassioned in her criticism of our actions with regard to B'Elanna. Captain Janeway appears to be mentoring her so that might answer some questions as to her—ability to live within the Federation. I find B'Elanna's grasp of political strategy interesting for someone with no practical experience in the area. Her observations were astute and she came to the right conclusion with nothing more than a statement from Tuvok."

"What are you saying?"

"Just what I said and no more. There is obviously more to both women than we originally assumed. We are not the only ones with a copy of this recording. Dr. Pulaski, I think it will be a bit more difficult than you first imagined to get Miss. Hanson on the table once the Judge Advocate General gets a hold of this."

She didn't want to admit it but those were her thoughts as well. She also did not like Beverly Crusher's involvement or knowledge of this matter. Crusher would oppose all her attempts. She is their only expert in this field but Pulaski is the head of Starfleet Medical and she sees the potential for scientific advancement slipping through her fingers.

Ellis Vaughan said nothing on either woman at any point since Bates asked him to return to Starfleet HQ for a meeting on Voyager. He read Eugene's report and watched the recording of his conversation with Janeway with interest. He made no comment on the briefing notes as he prepared to sit in on this meeting. Many times he struggled not to laugh. This was one of the best shows he'd seen in a while. He caught Bates' eye. Yeah, there were a lot of things he was going to have to address in private but he had to say something now.

"Miss. Hanson raised a valid point that we were unaware of. We do not know their situation except that Voyager is alone in the Delta quadrant. If we actually want them to return to the Alpha quadrant should we incarcerate their Chief Engineer? We haven't gotten Janeway's reports so we don't know anything that she may have done. She was 21 years old. There's a reason Janeway made her Chief Engineer at that age. I think we might very well be putting the ship and crew in jeopardy for no valid—dare I say logical—reason other than our own policies here.

And how long do we expect Tuvok to keep her in the brig if we do go to war with the Empire? Unless they find a worm hole or some other way home, it's a 60 year trip. She supposed to stay in there for that long? She may not have graduated from the Academy but it obviously wasn't because she didn't have the ability. It was because of the prejudice and intolerant climate that we all know exists. Point is, she gave it her all for 3 years. Is this how we treat a former Starfleet cadet?"

Then he sat back in his chair having said all he intended to say on the matter.

Two hours later the heads of Stafleet Security, Intelligence and Command assembled in a secure room with Commander Ellis Vaughan to discuss the particulars of the situation.

Admiral Macleod of Starfleet Intelligence turned to Vaughan to get his opinion.

"Ellis, you haven't said much. What's your take on this Voyager situation?"

"You guys should have called me earlier."

That set off warning bells. They all noticed that he was looking at Paris when he said that. Never one to back down or shy away from anything,

"You've got something to say?"

"I'm just wondering why you gave Tuvok the order on B'Elanna so quickly. You didn't even know she'd attended the Academy at the time."

"Considering the circumstances it seemed prudent."

"Uh huh. And now that you've had more than a 10 second look at her do you think that order was necessary, especially without any of the facts?"

"If you've got something to say, say it."

"This is going to get messy. Legally, there shouldn't be too much of a problem. But if the press finds out it could be a huge scandal."

"Ellis, you have the cat that ate the canary look. What do you know? And what's the press got to do with it?"

"I'm just wondering if any of you researched her background."

Bates exhaled. If that's all he was worried about there wasn't a problem.

"Yeah, you weren't here for the briefing yesterday. Besides, it wasn't that hard. Only two Klingons have ever been accepted into Starfleet Academy. It was easy to check her out."

Vaughan shook his head at their mistake in not seeing the potentially sticky situation.

"Half Klingon. An extremely important fact you all seem determined to overlook."

"I'm not following you and I'm not liking where this is going."

"Follow this. Her father is Admiral Enrique Torres."

Dead silence after every head in the room snapped around and stared at him in disbelief. That makes absolutely no sense to any of them and it wasn't something they were prepared for Vaughan to say. No one is sure what to think about that.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Fleet Admiral Torres. Commander of the 7th Fleet. The guy who, by the way out ranks all of us, happens to be in charge of keeping the Romulans away. The guy whose daughter you ordered arrested as a Federation P.O.W. Hmm."

Bates and Paris just stare at each other. Macleod is kind of ticked. As head of Starfleet Intelligence he hates how Vaughan shows him up some times but since this is really juicy stuff he lets that slide.

"How do you know that?"

All he gets is an incredulous look in return.

"Never mind forget I questioned your abilities. But it wasn't on her Starfleet application. Her father is listed as John Torres. Nothing in her record connects them and she never mentioned it to anyone."

"Gee, I wonder why. Enrique Juan Torres. Juan is still Spanish for John guys."

Paris isn't going to be taken to task for his decision. And he doesn't like Vaughan's sarcasm.

"She's Maquis. I made no special requests or consideration for...Tom. She shouldn't get any."

"We aren't meeting about a Maquis issue and you know it. We're meeting because you ordered Tuvok to arrest her as a P.O.W. because she is Klingon. Not for anything she did but because of her DNA. Hanson was dead on in her assessment of why B'Elanna's field commission was revoked."

"Its war time."

"Yep, in the Alpha quadrant. But in the Delta quadrant its just 185 people trying not to get blown apart while they take the longest trip in Starfleet history. They have no way of communicating with anyone in the Alpha quadrant except through Pathfinder. Its not like any of them knew what was going on here. You couldn't have waited a day or so to get some more information? Perhaps there was an argument to be made that she is a Federation citizen. But that doesn't matter, its done now."

Bates still has his concerns about Seven but wants more information on B'Elanna.

"I have never seen Enrique with any Klingon."

"Yeah and no sailor ever left a little something extra behind when pulling out of port."

"Now you have something to say?"

Donald Mcleod hadn't really said anything since they entered the room. He just wanted information.

"There was no sorted one night stand or pit stop in port. Enrique was married. That's right, he was married to a nice respectable Daughter of the Empire. Miral was a botanist doing research on Kessik 4. They split up when B'Elanna was 5. The two of them moved back to Qo'noS and never saw him again."

"Well I'll be damned."

"You think B'Elanna knows who he is?" (who said men don't gossip?)

"Only she can answer that and she's obviously not talking about it. You think its just a coincidence that she left Qo'noS—all the way in the Beta quadrant—bypassed a hell of a lot of campuses and came all the way to San Francisco just to attend the Academy? She listed a father on her application then. Now, according to that crew manifest, she doesn't even acknowledge that she ever had a father so what does that tell you? Then again, maybe she doesn't know since he's still alive."

The others laugh. Vaughan doesn't.

"I was serious. Hey, I'm no expert on Klingon honor but something tells me ditching your kid for 12 years and then ignoring her or pretending she doesn't exist while she's studying at the academy for an organization in which he is one of the highest ranking officials qualifies as a dishonorable act. From the way Tuvok spoke to her she follows the code. Heck, she just found out she's about to be arrested as soon as he gets word that we're at war and she wants a grace period so she can make final arrangements with her engineering staff. You heard her, 'there is nothing shameful in falling to a superior enemy'. Sounds like an honorable woman to me.

But the point you're forgetting is HE knows who she is. Deadbeat dad or not, think he'll want his daughter locked up as a P.O.W.? I'm thinking not. But even if he keeps quiet, it could still get out. I know, wonder who else knows? And that's when everything gets messy and public. Starfleet Admiral allows his Klingon daughter to rot in the brig of a Federation ship lost in the Delta quadrant while the Federation is at war with the Klingon Empire. Oh yeah, the headlines, I can just picture them now."

Bates and Macleod aren't looking well at this point. Paris isn't sure what to think about this. He was just so shocked with everything he saw on the bridge, not to mention having to deal or not deal with his son. Maybe it was a bit rash. Watching today's recording confused and irritated him. Katie giving his screw up command of her bridge was too much. Still, he isn't ready to concede.

"Well, it gave us a chance to get some inside information and see how they operate."

Vaughan is remembering why he keeps turning down promotions. He could have been an Admiral 50 years ago but likes what he does and the lower rank conceals his covert activities. He spends more time in the field than all these guys have combined in the last 15 years.

"Yeah. Gave us an up close and personal view of Annika Hanson. Pretty spunky isn't she? I always liked spunky women."

Then he laughs. The others just stare at him. Macleod is compelled to speak.

"You can't be serious. She's Borg."

"Keep telling yourselves whatever you need to keep the fear and the prejudice alive. You guys know exactly what you heard and saw. She isn't a Borg drone and all we know it. I can't tell you all how to run your divisions but the three of you have to see the legal and political mind field staring you in the face. She read you guys like a book. And I'm going to pretend, at least for the rest of the day, that there wasn't some discussion yesterday about dissecting her. Because that's what it sounded like to me."

"We've taken steps to prepare to assess any potential threat she might be to the Federation. That is one of our responsibilities."

"Hope you calculated the Janeway factor."

"What are you talking about?"

"She's your protegee, Eugene. You know her better than all of us. I don't know her personally so all I'm going on is what I saw."

"And what did you see?"

"Same thing you guys did. Once she got over the shock and Annika came down off the mountain top, I saw a captain loading her guns about to circle the wagons to protect her crew."

"She can hardly defy a direct order."

"Order to do what? And how are you going to enforce it from 60,000 light years away? They have been in the Delta quadrant for 4 years. Think about the knowledge they must have gained. We have no idea about the skills or abilities of the rest of the crew but you guys decided to go after two of the ones I'd lay odds could have been of invaluable assistance to the Federation."

"What do you mean could have been?"

"I think B'Elanna probably won't set foot in Federation space again. I wouldn't if I were her. And, if Janeway can arrange it, I'm sure there'll be a Klingon War Bird or two waiting to pick her up as soon as they get close enough to home. Hmm, Miss. Hanson seems to have a strong foundation in Klingon honor, justifiable disillusionment and fear of Starfleet and the Federation, and a flare for the language. She and B'Elanna seem close. Might be room enough for two on that ship."

Then he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the coffee table while the other three men sat silently thinking about the situation.