The Third Nature -Book One of the Triad

Voyager fantasies by Lt Taya 17 Janeway

walking into hell, with both eyes open

The war room was bustling with activity as Janeway and Chakotay stepped through the doors of the massive room. Around them were many unfamiliar faces, the commanders of the Panizhe troops who had come from other encampments and had spent the days before the battle secreted in the Kundzan woods. As Janeway made her way through them they smiled at her.

Myriam was at the central table, talking in low tones to Nydea and Janae. She glanced up and saw Janeway coming, and motioned them over. "You are better, I trust?" she asked as Janeway approached the table.

"Much better," affirmed Janeway. "Kes has set up temporary quarters on Voyager to facilitate coaching of the crew," she informed Myriam.

"I know," replied the Mage, sounding halfway between amusement and annoyance. "She had to come through me, remember?" She sighed, and then looked perturbed, lost in her own worries.

Nydea picked up the thread of conversation. "As Commander Chakotay has probably already told you, we won the battle for Haldon, but it was on sheer desperation that we managed to do so. The battle could have gone either way. The point was, this battle was supposed to have been a guaranteed victory. Strategically speaking, Haldon is of no great importance to the Preeminence. It's located smack in the middle of the Great Plains, too far away from the river Hy and normal commercial routes. It might be closer to the hub of Licknok Moor than any other Ashkari encampment, but there are closer towns. So rightfully, Haldon should have been marginally guarded." Her dark brow puckered. "They knew we were coming."

Janeway shrugged. "Heavier armaments doesn't necessarily mean they were definitely expecting an attack," she reasoned. "They may have just taken precautionary steps. We are at war, after all."

Myriam shook her head. "I got word from my operative in the Eminent Palace. They shunted troops from Tiuagad- that's the nearest daer to Licknok Moor- to fortify Haldon. It wasn't precaution; it was an outright ambush. That's what worries me."

"A spy?" Chakotay asked as Janae looked down on the floor.

"Most likely." Myriam rubbed her hands over her face. "We don't know who it was, but we will have to keep closer tabs on our people from now on. Security will have to be tightened up, of course…" She sighed. "I should have known… If I could have planted a spy in House Maldor, she would have planted a spy here as well."

Then little Bryanna came up to her mother's side, tugging gently on her arm. "How about Perron?" she asked softly.

Janeway's eyebrows lifted slightly at that. Perron had been one of the young boys she'd seen in the children's room. How could he have been a spy?

Myriam took a deep breath. "That." She clenched her fists tightly. "We lost a number of men in this scuffle," she told Janeway mournfully. "None of them were fighting; they were all performing minor tasks such as fetching water, being couriers and on-site coordinators, but…" She lifted her shoulders in an elegant, perturbed shrug. "Many of them were captured by the Maldorian troops." She glanced down at Bryanna, her fingers gripping the child's shoulder. "One of them was Perron, Bryanna's betrothed. I'd hate to lose that child; I handpicked him to be her consort when she reached seventeen, but…" She sighed. "There is a code of honor regarding prisoners of war. They are held in captivity for the rest of their natural lives, never to be returned to their original Houses. However, they can be sold or exchanged as slaves. I want you to do just that."

Janeway nodded, intrigued.

"You'll be posing as a wealthy merchant whose is new to this area, who wishes to win the Empress' good graces. As a token of goodwill on both parts, you will exchange a couple of slaves: you will give her two, and you can take one back- Perron, naturally. I will procure these two slaves for you. In the meantime, I want you to keep both eyes and ears open and observe the events going on in the Palace. And while you're there, could you also look out for our operative? She hasn't contacted us for a few days; I'm beginning to get worried."

"Calista?" Janeway asked her, aware of Myriam's child-spy daughter stationed as a page in the Palace.

Myriam nodded.

"Am I to have any servants? Attendants? I am a rich merchant, after all."

Myriam gripped Bryanna's hand firmly, as if in reassurance. "Bryanna will follow you. She's court-trained, knows a lot about the Palace through her sister, and she will guide you through. However, attendants usually go in pairs, one male and one female. You will have to find someone else to go with you."

"I suppose it's asking too much to ask to bring Chakotay?" she began mildly. Myriam shook her head, and Janeway nodded. "I thought so."

"Attendants are usually children," Myriam told her.

"Josh then," said Janeway firmly. "Unless he's too old as well?"

"No," said Myriam. "Josh will be just fine. You may set out in two days' time."

"Captain, you can't go!" protested Torres as they walked down a corridor. "You've just recovered from a major ordeal, and you definitely aren't in any shape to face the Empress alone!"

Janeway raised her hand. "I appreciate your concerns, Lt., but in this case Myriam has specifically asked me to help her. I am obliged to aid her."

Torres shrugged as they rounded a corner. "Then let me do it. Or Seven."

"I'm afraid not. Neither of you belong to a race which the Empress has seen before; we don't want to prick her curiosity too much. Not when we are undercover."

Torres scowled. Can't you even take one of us with you?

Janeway sighed. "I'll be in contact with Voyager all the time, B'Elanna." She put a reassuring hand on her engineer's arm. "Don't worry too much. Besides, Josh and Bryanna are with me."

"A couple of kids. Great."

"One of whom, may I point out, is a wielder of Ocher Fire and has been training for several more years than you."

Torres laughed a little at that, the tension slowly draining out of her. "Well. I'll have to give her that, I admit." She shook her head. "I'm probably overreacting again. Nydea complains that I do that too much."

Janeway smiled. "So, how are your lessons with her, by the way? I haven't had much time for catching up on things going around on the ship."

"Oh, they're all right. A little tiring to begin with. but I'm getting used to the daily routine. I've learnt quite a bit so far, and I've done some sparring with Seven. She and Tuvok are going into that whole Vulcan-mind-technique regime." Torres rolled her eyes. "As the Doctor would say, more Vulcan mumbo-jumbo." She suddenly paused in her tracks, as if remembering something. "Oh, did you know that the Doctor finally figured out how to Cast? Yesterday Tom was making one bad joke too many during his sickbay shift, and the Doctor silenced him. Literally. Tom, of course, was quite shocked. And the best thing is, the Doctor's considered an inanimate object with magical properties, so he can Cast without sending out overtly male alarms to the Empress."

"That's wonderful," said Janeway, beaming. She took Torres' hand. "I'll leave the ship to you, Kes and Seven when I'm on this mission," she told her. "Shouldn't be that difficult to look after a small ship of a hundred and fifty, should it?"

"Don't bet on it. You don't know how much damage a magically talented hologram with an over-inflated ego can do."