The Third Nature -Book One of the Triad
Voyager fantasies by Taya 17 Janeway @ Nimgil
objects in action
Dawn.
The reddish glow of the sun tinted the wisps of clouds hanging in the sky as it shook off the last residues of night. The daer was a hive of activity: in the war council room, Myriam conferred with the other Warriors, finalizing their strategy; in the distance, the first battalions of Ashkari fighters moved towards Licknok Moor.
Dawn.
In the Delta Flyer, hovering in low orbit, Paris and Torres prepped for battle; on Voyager, nestled in the safety of the green forest, Kes was acclimatizing herself to the controls with Tuvok's help. The slanting rays of the sun filtered through the treetops, reflecting dully off the hull and giving the ship a languid, dappled appearance.
Dawn.
In her palace, Nayrn Maldor contemplated the reddish horizon from the cool safety of her throne room, immeasurably proud and seemingly impervious, oblivious to the rumblings far abroad; she flexed the intricate Ring on her wrist.
Dawn.
Janeway slowly opened her eyes, feeling the warm rays of the sun on her pillow. The memory of the night before enveloped her like a fragile, soft blanket; the unpleasant side effects of the Joining had faded away, and she felt refreshed, reborn. A small smile creased her face: no matter what the outcome of today's battle, the events of last night could never be compromised. For the first time in so many years, she felt at peace with herself.
She stretched, and at that moment she realized that Chakotay was no longer by her side. Puzzled, she sat up, pushing aside the rumpled bedclothes. "Chakotay?" she asked tentatively, surveying the room.
There was a soft rustling sound as Chakotay pushed aside the strands of rice across the doorway that separated the living and bed rooms. In one hand he held a tray containing a basket of wheat rolls, some sausages, several fruit spreads and a jug of bright orange juice. "I fetched something from Neelix's kitchen," he said. "I thought you might be hungry. We have a long day before us."
Even the thought of the battle ahead couldn't entirely dispel the euphoria Janeway felt. A small smile found its way to her expression, and she watched contentedly as Chakotay set the breakfast tray before her and climbed back into bed, beside her. "How's everyone holding up?" she asked.
"Pretty good. Morale is high; everything is proceeding according to plan." He nodded towards the window. "We move out in four hours." He gazed at her. "And you, Kathryn? Ready to lead troops in battle?"
Her smile widened as she tilted her head to a side. "As always." She picked up one of the wheat rolls and took a bite. "These are good. Neelix made them?"
Chakotay laughed. "Kathryn, as you said, they taste good. Do you think Neelix made them?" As Janeway gave a short, amused snort, he reached out and stroked her hair once, gently, his mood sobering. Sensing this, Janeway looked up, an unspoken question in her eyes. He met her gaze and said softly, "Be careful, Kathryn. The last thing I want to do is lose you."
Don't worry, she reassured him. We have the blessings of the gods.
"Is that what Seven says?" he asked with a light dancing in his eyes. "She's made some pretty good predictions lately, you know. She predicted last week's freak shower with pinpoint accuracy, and she's started to get some visions of what's going to happen after the battle is over."
Janeway smiled. "Does that include images of my rubbing your feet while children run around the house screaming?" she asked with a wicked glint in her eye.
Chakotay's only acknowledgement of her underhand ribbing was a dimpled smile on his part. "She's doing very well, Seven."
Janeway nodded. "I'm still surprised. Tuvok... we are going to have a very long talk after all this is over."
"You can't blame him. He thought it was the logical thing to do. Although I'm convinced he wasn't entirely willing—he loves his wife, despite his claims to the contrary. Seven must have coerced him into this somehow."
Janeway chewed thoughtfully on her wheat roll. "It must have had something to do with her visions," she reasoned. "Seven hardly seems the domestic type..."
"Neither do you," Chakotay teased in return.
"Low blow!" Janeway took a sip from the juice and rose from the bed. "I'd better start getting prepared for the battle. Myriam's final briefing is in an hour's time."
One hour later the Warriors and the senior crew were all gathered in the war room. The tension in the room was nearly palpable: despite all their recent victories and the strengthening of the Ashkari troops, they had never taken on a target as massive or well-protected as Licknok Moor before. They'd spent the better part of the last year planning for this offensive, and the most of the last few weeks preparing solely for the attack, but they were still uneasy. Janeway suddenly realized how many uncertainties there were in the battle to come: and everything depended on its outcome. This was the final showdown, the paramount battle they could not afford to lose. Lose the battle, and they would lose the war, and the effort of a thousand years would be rendered useless.
"This is the final plan," said Myriam, her clear voice, commanding and strong, carrying out to the rest of the room. "We have fifty battalions stationed around Licknok Moor." With a wave of her hand she brought up the tactical projection of Licknok Moor. "Twenty-five battalions will be deployed at each one of the two entrances. Each of you-- " she gestured to the Warriors around her—"will be responsible for one battalion each." She activated the motion-imaging function, and bright red dots, representing the battalions, began to move, infiltrating the city. "Meanwhile, the Delta Flyer will mount an aerial assault, helping us to bring down the city walls and destroying the aerial and fortress armaments." With another slight movement of her hand, a large yellow dot swooped in above the simulation, targeting the cannons mounted on the city walls, and engaging in mid-air combat with small Maldorian fighters. "And finally, we have our fleet. The moment Nayrn realizes we are attacking Licknok Moor, she will send for reinforcements. The job of our fleet, led by Voyager , will be to hold off the Maldorian fleet and protect our ground-based shield generator so Nayrn cannot transport her troops into the city itself, by conventional means or otherwise. This means that they will have to go on foot—and this means that reinforcements will take several hours to arrive." A tensely feral smile touched her face. "That gives us several hours to get our business done."
There were small murmurs of consent from around the room, and the Warrior shifted from foot to foot, made restless by their continual lack of tangible activity. They had already been briefed beforehand, and the final briefing, which was nothing new to them, was chafing on their nerves. Battle-lust ran high in the room; all the women wanted to do was get their hands on something warm and start the blood spilling.
Myriam continued relentlessly, pulling up another schematic, this time a detailed map of the interior of the Eminent Palace. "Now, once our troops have entered the city, the two elite battalions are going to infiltrate the Palace, while the rest of the battalions will take control of Licknok Moor instead. The two battalions inside the Palace will be led by Kathryn and Janae— " she gestured to the two of them—"and they will carry out the most important function of all: they will find the Empress, they will topple her, and they will bring the Ring of Eminence back to us."
More murmurs, more shuffling.
Myriam leveled her piercing gaze at the occupants of this room. "I cannot emphasize how important this victory will be to us. This will be our last victory, after which there will be an end of war! Yesterday out Seers saw a positive outcome for this battle, and I have a good feeling about it also. The blood and strength of our ancestors is behind us! We will not fail them, will not fail their memories, will not fail their effort and their vision. We will not fail today!"
In an impulsive surge, Torres cried out, "Victory! Victory to Ashkar!"
The cry was caught on by the Warriors surrounding her, and spread throughout the room quickly. Nearly a hundred people, shouting at the top of their lungs in unison, clenching their fists in the air, as a synergic energy surged through them. "Victory! Victory to Ashkar! Victory!" The reverberations shook the war room and could be heard for miles.