Songs of a life Ch.7

Author's note: It has been quite a while since I have updated this story and my others for that matter. My apologies and I hope you enjoy the last stretch of this story.

Much needed hope

With every step she took, pain scaled her spin and caused her to wince. Barely eight months pregnant, B'Elanna made her way to her quarters. It amazed her that something as small as a baby could cause such discomfort.

The past months had passed with ease. No complications with her pregnancy, Voyager hadn't encountered any species of threat and she had surprisingly not come upon anything overly difficult pertaining to Engineering. The last problem she could remember was right before Chakotay and the Captain had approached her about the baby. The plasma manifolds weren't holding charges and causing both impulse and warp engines to disengage, oddly the problem was simple to fix and had disappeared after she reinforced the manifold packs.

B'Elanna was grateful for the calmness that had engulfed Voyager. In the wake of sudden tranquility, she had begun to develop quite the friendship with Janeway, not by her own will. But eventually B'Elanna realized the comfort that Janeway exuded and she was grateful that Janeway had been so protective of her. After all she was carrying the captain's baby.

At first, the captain would visit at least twice a day "to make sure you're alright" as she so often put it. Each visit would be a little longer than the previous and their conversations would take on a more personal aspect every time. She had even gone as far as asking B'Elanna to call her Kathryn when off duty. B'elanna never took her up on the offer. Janeway had also asked her to take a maternity leave as soon as she was 35 weeks but she declined to that as well and maintained the attitude that she was perfectly capable of working, despite her growing stomach and frustrations.
Kathryn rushed about the quarters preparing for diner while Chakotay was dressing in the next room. They had decided to move their diner with B'Elanna up an hour because of the lack of activities on Voyager. However, they hadn't anticipated how long it would take to dress and prepare dinner and B'Elanna was expected to show up any minute. Kathryn was still running around trying to set the table and pin her hair up when the door chimed.

"Just one moment." She rushed around trying to fix all she could with the few seconds she had left. "Come in"

B'Elanna entered wearing a light blue maternity dress and her hair down around her face. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers that she automatically handed to Kathryn.

"Thank you but flowers weren't necessary."

"I wanted to thank you and Chakotay for diner," she looked around for a moment and said "By the way where is he?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming" Chakotay ran out of the bedroom still trying to arrange his shirt. At the sight of him, both of the women began to laugh.

"That's quite the welcome Chakotay."

"Anytime B'Elanna."

"Shall we sit" Kathryn motioned towards the table.

All three moved towards the table. B'Elanna and Chakotay took their seats while Kathryn brought a platter of food over from the replicator.

"So what are we..." B'Elanna was interrupted by a jolt from the ship and a sudden black out. Before anyone knew what had happened the lights came back on.

"Janeway to Bridge"

"Captain, warp engines and impulse abruptly went offline as well as all power except for life support. We have lights, turbolifts and sickbay online again but all engines and weapons are unoporational."

"We're on our way." She immediately rose from her seat and headed for the bridge with Chakotay and B'Elanna close behind.

"Report" Janeway ordered as soon as the turbolift opened.

"Captain, we haven't been able to get engines and weapons online again but we have found the reason they suddenly shut off. The plasma manifolds aren't holding charges and if we attempt to re-initialize the warp core or the weapons bay they will overload."

"Plasma manifolds? We had the same problem eight months ago but we solved it. Obviously we didn't have the right solution." Janeway made her way over to the Ops station where Harry Kim was reading off what he knew of the problem so far.

"Run a level nine diagnostic on the manifolds themselves to make sure the plasma walls haven't began to decompose." B'Elanna chimed in. Harry did as she instructed.

"They seem to be virtually none existent. Almost as if a toxin made it's way into the bioneural circuitry and ate at the wall like a virus. I'll search the system for any parasites."

"If there is a toxin affecting the bioneural circuits wouldn't it affect the crew as well and how would it have degraded the entire propulsion and weapons systems without us detecting some sort of problem before." Chakotay asked what Janeway was already contemplating.

"Unless it's specifically formulated to affect our propulsion and weapons systems. It could also be rapid enough that once it begins to attack the system, degradation happens at such a rate to where system failures appear on a mass scale first. But why would this parasite only affect these specific systems. If it is indeed a virus the entire network on the ship would be affected. All are connected through the bioneural pathways from replacators to environmental control."

Janeway walked over to the tactical station where Tuvok was.

"Any ideas Lieutenant?"

"It appears to me that we are under attack. By those who wish to leave us incapable of defending ourselves. It would be illogical to rule out a natural phenomenon but the evidence in this instance points to sabotage."

"B'Elanna go to engineering and see if you can find a way to bring at least impulse back online."

"Aye Captain"

"Tuvok try and get some weapons online. Even if all you can get is phasers. I want to be prepared for whatever it is we are battling here. Harry have you found anything?"

"There was a trail of biomatter residue left behind on the interior lining of the manifolds. I ran it through the ships database. The DNA doesn't register with any know federation parasites."

"That's not a surprise. Nice work Ensign. Use long-range scanners and look for any ships in the vicinity. They are most likely cloaked but I'd like to get a head start if they are out there. Chakotay join me in my ready room."

She walked to the ready room door and motioned Chakotay in. After the door closed she went directly to her desk.

"I want you to go to Engineering and make sure everything is running smoothly down there. Keep an eye on B'Elanna, she's in no condition for a battle."

"Don't you think you're being too protective of her? She is perfectly capable of maintaining Engineering."

"Chakotay, she's carrying very precious cargo and I would feel more comfortable if I knew she was being looked after. I might be a little over cautious but this is our child I'm talking about."

"Alright but I don't think she will be to happy about me watching over her shoulder."
"Ensign realign the warp trajectory and reinitialize the particle injector."

"Yes Ma'am"

B'Elanna was trying an old Maquis trick to get the impulse engines online. They would only last a few hours but she didn't have any other options at the moment. She made her way over to the main engineering console and as she began to work the same ensign she instructed to realign the warp trajectory called out to her.

"Lieutenant that console is going to overloading, move..."

A huge cascade of light hit B'Elanna in the face and flung her to the ground. She landed on her side barely missing her stomach. The console she was near was smoking and had taken three other crew members out along with B'Elanna. Chakotay entered Engineering as the console exploded. He covered his eyes from the blast and rushed over to where the officers were laying. B'Elanna's face was severely burnt and she was unconscious; the other three weren't badly hurt and were being attended to. Chakotay placed B'Elanna's head in his lap.

"Sickbay Medical emergency, two to beam!"