The Third Nature -Book One of the Triad

Voyager fantasies by Taya 17 Janeway @ Nimgil

war, peace and unexpected traitors

B'Elanna Torres stood by the circular table in the war room, along with about thirty other Warriors, including Nydea, their head warrior, and Janae, the young dual-talented Mage. A hushed, expectant silence fell across the table as Myriam activated the holoproj at the center of the table, projecting a spinning, coruscating city. No, not a city. It was too small to be a city- it had to be a daer. Torres studied the thickly constructed walls, defense perimeters and heavy-duty shield generators. It was well fortified, for one thing. Their shields might be even stronger than the penetrating power of Voyager's revamped shielding.

"That's not Licknok Moor," said Janae, her eyes narrowing. "It's Tiuagad."

"So it is," said Myriam. "We've had a change of plans. This is going to be the final target before the conquest of Licknok Moor. It is too heavily fortified for us to ignore it while we strike at the city center."

B'Elanna reached a hand out to touch the projection, as if the physical contact would help her reach that impenetrable fortress, to let her understand it. "Our weapons will have a difficult time penetrating their defenses," she said. She closed her eyes, tried to feel the currents in the Fire Sphere that might help her reach out and connect to that daer far out to the north. But all she felt were chaotic tides pulling and tugging at her mind; she could not read them, as Seven could. "There are too many uncertainties."

"You can never have too few uncertainties in battles like these," said Janae sharply to B'Elanna.

B'Elanna bared her teeth, ready to respond with an appropriate challenge, but Nydea raised her hand, calling for silence. She circled the hologram, studying it with her tactician's mind, snapping into battle-ready mode. Identifying weaknesses, visualizing threats, formulating plans. Finally she took a deep breath. "It will be a difficult battle, but I believe we can do it." There were brief titters amongst the ranks of the Warriors that quickly died down. Nydea continued speaking. "It may be well fortified, but the layout of Tiuagad is no different from that of any other daer we have requisitioned." She pointed to the four gates. "I believe that our old modus operandi will suffice for these four entrances, although we should double the number of Warriors to counter the increased fortification. But these-" she made a sweeping gesture to the mounted guns in the turrets, "will pose a problem." She gazed at the ring of Warriors evenly. "What is required here is an aerial assault." She glanced directly at B'Elanna as she said it.

B'Elanna caught on to what she was saying at once. "You want Voyager- the ship herself- to attack the outposts."

Nydea nodded.

"But—how about the Eminent army? The Empress has only a small fleet in the planetary shipyards now, but Voyager  will need to hold them off for us," said Janae. "We only have one other ship in our vicinity now."

"If we make our attack swift enough, the Empress will not have enough time to muster the fleet before Tiaugad is taken. Protocol dictates that she not continue the battle after victory is declared," said Tiranna, a dusky-skinned, weatherworn fighter.

"Protocol," spat Janae disdainfully. "We all know that the Empress doesn't give a damn about protocol."

Tiranna bristled, but Myriam raised her hand. "Halt. Now." Both women backed down, and Myriam turned her glance to Janae. You will treat your elders with the respect accorded to them, she said to her. Janae lowered her head but otherwise said nothing.

"We can call for other Ashkari ships from the surrounding planetary systems," suggested Sylfael, one of the centauriform Warriors, her thick hair braided high upon her head. "Then Voyager would be free to attack Tiuagad."

"It is hard to hide the trail of mass ship movement," said Myriam quietly.

"No, wait," B'Elanna interrupted. "We could use the Delta Flyer instead: she's fast and well shielded, and we can enhance her weaponry to specifically target the turret guns. That would leave Voyager free to defend us from the fleet. Kes can fly Voyager."

"Kes is... adept at flying Voyager ," admitted Nydea. "But who will pilot the Delta Flyer?"

B'Elanna glanced around the table at the gathered Warriors, mildly surprised. Wasn't it obvious? "Tom, of course."

"A man?" asked Janae skeptically. "No offense, but he wouldn't stand a chance against the Mage operating those guns." She shook her head. "One of us should fly it instead."

"No offense, but Tom built and designed this ship himself," countered B'Elanna. "No-one else here is qualified enough to fly the Delta Flyer better than he."

"Harry's taught me to fly shuttles; the Delta Flyer is no different," rebutted Janae. "I should be the one on the Delta Flyer."

"No can do," snapped B'Elanna. "The Flyer is our ship, and Tom Paris will fly it, or no-one."

Janae appealed to Myriam. "Coordinator?"

Myriam sighed. "Normally, I would think that the idea of a man leading a crucial phase of a battle laughable. The fact stands that they can't be trained in our arts while the Preeminence is incumbent. However," she sighed, "these are not normal times. I'm afraid that B'Elanna may be right. Tom Paris served us well during the Battle of Haldon. His piloting skills are admirable, and he's a quick study." She turned to face B'Elanna. "Alright, then. Kes will pilot Voyager, and Tom Paris can take the Delta Flyer. But I want you in the cockpit with him, B'Elanna."

Janae made as if to protest, but Myriam silenced her with a look. Janae gritted her teeth and stepped away from the table. "I concur," she said quietly.

Nydea nodded. "Now, then. We must refine our plans for the attack."

Murmurs of agreement rose from the assembled throng of Warriors. They drew around the table, beginning to make plans.

Hours passed before the meeting was concluded. The sun was sinking dusky red in the sky, and the sparrow magpies were warbling in the scarletwoods ringing the main clearing. Mage boys played rounderballs in the reddish sunlight, kicking up swirls of brick-colored dust.

The Warriors silently filed out of the great war room, heading back to their abodes to contemplate the battle plans they had made that day. B'Elanna was one of the last to leave; as she crossed the threshold of the room, Myriam called to her. She paused at the doorway, wondering what it was that Myriam wanted from her.

The elder Mage smiled at B'Elanna as she came closer. "You performed very well at the gathering today," she told her. B'Elanna merely nodded at the flattery. Myriam walked contemplatively around the table, rubbing her jaw with one hand. "Nydea is not growing any younger; she's nearly twice my age. She wants to retire once this war is over. And she's looking for a successor." She stopped pacing and turned to face B'Elanna across the table's width.

It took a little while for the intention of her words to sink in. B'Elanna blinked. "Me?" She gave Myriam an incredulous look, thousands of reasons against the mere idea instantly popping into her mind. "You're not serious. I mean, I don't even know if Voyager will be remaining in this universe after the war is over. That decision isn't for me to make. Besides, there are so many other candidates better qualified than I am!"

Myriam raised an eyebrow. "Like whom, for example?"

B'Elanna's mind scrambled for a suitable candidate. "Janae."

Myriam paused in her tracks, and remained still for an unnaturally long time before she replied. "Janae is... ambitious," she conceded. She paused again, as if considering saying something, before dismissing it and continuing on another unrelated thread. "You are one of the best Warriors that we've had in a long time, B'Elanna, there's no denying it. If Nydea thinks that you are worthy enough to be her successor, it's good enough for me. You possess courage, honor, quick wits—all invaluable skills for a Warrior, but even better ones for a leader. Trust me on this, B'Elanna; should it ever come to pass, you shall make a great Head Warrior."

B'Elanna chuckled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." Then she paused and sobered. You had something to say about Janae.

Myriam twisted her fingers together, seemingly unusually nervous. "There... is another reason I wanted to talk to you." She made her way around the table, back to B'Elanna's side. She lowered her voice. "I want you to keep an eye on Janae."

B'Elanna glanced keenly at her. "What's wrong with Janae?"

Myriam looked downwards, then back up again. "As I said, Janae is ambitious. Yet I'm afraid that she will never rise to one of the top positions within House Ashkar." She gazed intensely at B'Elanna. "Very few people know that Janae's natural Casting ability is Emerald Wind."

"Wind?" B'Elanna's brows drew together in surprise. "I'd never have guessed it, with the way she wields Fire..."

"It is a rare gift... or curse, depending on how you choose to look at it," said Myriam. "Some of us are born with this ability to manipulate similarly-ranked combinations of power in any Sphere. But their skills can only be limited; they cannot specialize their powers; and like their talents, they tend to drift through niches in society and life. Most of the cases are those who wield low power combinations, such as Cerulean Fire. Janae is the first in Mage history to have the ability for the strongest combination." She sighed. "Janae can Cast with Ice as well as she can Cast with Fire. But her strength is still greatest in her native sphere, Wind."

B'Elanna paused to consider this. "She wields Purple Ice as easily as Scarlet Fire..."

Myriam nodded. "It is a stigmata... one which she hasn't learnt to live with yet. She still dreams of glory and power, without realizing that she probably has already risen as high as she will ever go in her life." Myriam put her hand on B'Elanna's. "She is in a dangerous position. You should watch her carefully. Janae can be extremely cold and ruthless at times."

B'Elanna set her jaw resolutely. "I will."

She turned to leave, leaving Myriam alone in the war room. The great bronze doors had been left slightly ajar; she pushed them fully open with a gentle touch of her hand. The swinging doors nearly crushed the small figure crouched near the entrance- Bryanna.

The small child leaped up to avoid the swinging doors. "Is my mother done?" she asked B'Elanna in a childishly sullen tone. "I've been waiting ages."

B'Elanna felt a smile coming on. "Alright, I won't hog your mother anymore," she told the girl.

Bryanna turned to enter the war room, then paused. "I hope the war turns out okay," she said, before pushing the doors open and going in to find her mother.

B'Elanna watched the doors close. "So do we all," she said softly.