Disclaimer: Paramount owns all rights. This story is mine.
Summary:
Travelling through a quiet region of space Voyager's crew rescues the extraordinary crew of an Angalarian ship, before hostile forces destroy it. Forces which have only one goal, finding the key to the Angalarian world and to the mysterious secret that this species is keeping. A run against the time starts, when B'Elanna, Naomi, two Angalarian and the captain get kidnapped by the Samarian. An encounter with consequences, not only for hostages, but for the relationship of Voyager's command- team as well.
Rating:M
The Secret Of Angalaria
By Gine
First Chapter: Angels In NeedFor seven years they had been flying through the galaxy at warp speed. Thousands of worlds had been left behind in a silver stream of light in the dark vastness of space.
Unfamiliar stars marked their path as they chartered the unknown Quadrant.
Enemies and friends had been encountered on the journey that sometimes seemed so endless, and still they never lost faith that one day they would see their own stars again.
Being in space for so long, seeing the world around them change, just as quickly as the light races through time, Chakotay sometimes wondered, if there would ever come a day when they would no longer stand in awe or shock at the unforeseen encounters they came across on their way home. Watching the display of deep emotions in the eyes of Kathryn Janeway when the Angalarians contacted them for the very first time, Chakotay knew they never would.
For weeks they had barely seen any planetary systems. Voyager had passed through other regions just as devoid of life as this, dark regions without stars, where cold hands seemed to reach into the hull of the ship to leave behind restlessness and depression in the souls of the crew. But this region of space was quiet and peaceful. The dark shimmered like a polished mirror of a clear, blue lake in a midsummer-night, and the ship seem to glide through it like a sail boat through the first mists of a morning. Instead of cold they felt an inviting touch of warmth and calm. The silence was comfortable and after months of stress, the crew relaxed like never before.
Even on duty the atmosphere on the bridge was marked by an intimate routine, that kind that only people who know each other a long time and who trust each other can share. On days like this one, nobody could deny that Voyager had become more than a star-ship. It was home and the people living there were family and friends.
The command team of Voyager was deeply immersed in a quiet study of the latest reports, when without any warning a sudden shift rocked the entire ship. Voyager dropped out of warp to a dead stop and all the lights went out. People scrambled back to their stations as the emergency power kicked in.
"Report!" Just one powerful word from the captain and in seconds the relaxed peace of the bridge was replaced by a concentrated search for the reason for their unexpected stop.
"I don't have any explanation for what just happened, Captain." Tom turned around in his chair at the Con, confusion written all over his face. "We lost warp and impulse, but everything says that all engines are fully operational."
Before they even had a chance to contact engineering, the main-screen came online again, and in the darkness before them, a small glowing light appeared. In seconds it grew to an enormous spherical portal and bathed in an aura of transcendent light, an elliptical ship emerged. The opening in space collapsed and at the same moment all stations on board Voyager were operational again. Reports came in from all decks, but apart from a few bumps and bruises no harm was done.
"I think we just collided with an artificial ring-shaped fold of dark matter in space." Harry explained, still studying the data at his station. "That ship seemed to come right from the inside of the phenomenon."
"Through a ring-shaped fold? How is that possible?" Chakotay could see the wheels in Kathryn's scientific mind turning. "I thought we couldn't become aware of such an anomaly without recalibrating our sensors completely. And even then we'd have to know where to search for it. I can't believe we collided with one. And you say it's artificial, Harry? Who could be so technologically advanced to be able to create a fold of dark matter in space? I'm anxious to know if this ship could have the answers to those questions. Hail them, Harry!" The captain's eyes were focused on the view screen.
"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. We just witnessed your entrance into normal space. Do you need any help?"
No one answered. The alien ship, which hadn't moved for several minutes, now seemed to drift slowly away.
"Can they hear us, Harry?"
He looked clearly puzzled. "I can't answer that question? In fact, I can't even say if there is anyone to be asked. I read no life-signs, no engines, no weapons."
"We can see the ship, Captain, but the sensors show nothing. The scans are just a reflection of our own feedback." Harry frowned suddenly. "Something is happening, Captain. There seems to be an enormous power leak on their starboard side. I'm reading a massive energy output."
All eyes on the bridge crew were glued to the screen when the other ship started to sway. There was an abrupt series of lightening sparks and the shields lost their sparkling colour. Now they could clearly see the texture of the ship's white hull.
"I'm reading 78 life signs, Captain. No weapons. Shall I hail them again?"
"Yes, let's try …" The captain hadn't even finished her sentence when they all witnessed the most fascinating and beautiful transformation of light on the screen that any of them had ever seen.
A humanoid looking female appeared very slowly. Her skin was creamy ivory. Long silver hair framed her elegant features and she was looking at them with crystal clear blue eyes. Light seemed to radiate from her whole form. For a few seconds there was absolute silence. Even Tom was in awe, as if any comment he would have made had just stuck in his throat.
The alien woman studied Voyager's bridge crew with earnest eyes, her face seemingly unreadable. Her eyes wandered from Harry to Tom to Voyager's Security Officer and the blue of her eyes seemed to darken when she looked at Tuvok.
When she finally fixed her penetrating gaze on the pair in the middle of the bridge, the aura around her body seemed to sparkle. Her eyes radiated pure serenity and a brilliant smile graced her features.
"We apologize, Captain. Our appearance here disturbed your journey. My name is Namara. I was chosen to make contact with you. Our home world is Angalaria, a sun system with 11 planets. You entered our territory a few weeks ago." The woman sensed the silent question in the eye contact between Kathryn and Chakotay.
"Of course you didn't notice, Captain. Our world is hidden. A malfunction in the perimeter of our polara created the phenomenon that you call a fold in space. In the process our ship was catapulted into this sector. The polara is the only passage to reach Angalaria. It protects Angalaria from hostile infringements. As you already know, our ship has no weapons, because we have no need for violence. Our people have established peace for thousands of years. For centuries we have avoided contact with this side of space. Still there are rumours about our alleged high technological and cultural advancement and many have come to seek the secret of Angalaria. Some would sell lives for the knowledge of where our polara is located. They would never understand that the richness of our life is not of a material kind." The woman paused for a second; she was obviously deep in thought.
"What happened here today should never have happened, Captain? You now know where to find the key to open the door to our world. And our ship is irreparable damaged." Again her eyes studied the Command team of Voyager.
"Still I have hope that the spirits were with us today, for I can sense the great spectrum of positive emotions among your people, compassion, friendship, wisdom and love. I want to plead with you in the name of the 76 children on board this vessel, to help us return to Angalaria. This ship can never fall into wrong hands."
The graceful smile on Kathryn Janeway's face was answer enough for Namara.
"Of course we will help, Namara." There was still wonder written all over Kathryn's face. "You said you have 76 children on board and only 2 adults. Doesn't your ship need a crew to maintain and monitor the ship's functions?"
"No, Captain. This is purely a science vessel, built to educate our children about the nature of life. All our ships have a stationary navigational control in our own sun-system. Outside the guidance of the station, the ships are unable to move at all. Once we were thrown through the polara, there were only two options for us. Contacting our people for an emergency beam out which we couldn't as our communicational phalanx blew up. Due to the extreme pressure the ship had to compensate while passing through the polara."
Namara's last words were only whispered and the light around her body seemed to fade with it. "Or to self destruct the ship."
"But your people surely wouldn't abandon 76 children to die, would they?"
The captain's voice could barely contain the shock about Namara's revelation.
"No Angalarian would ever willingly abandon his child, Captain. Like I told you before, we avoided any contact with the outside world, in fact we never considered building bigger space ships to travel there. Our world must be protected. Once we passed the outer radius of the polara, we lost any chance to get back. We are adrift, Captain and there is no ship on the other side that could tractor us inside again." Namara's light was almost extinguished now.
"I can feel now that your ship has come a far way, Captain, so you have never heard the legend of Angalaria. I am looking forward to sharing it with you. Our children are bonded with their world and they would die a slow and painful death outside of it. For the next 11 days they are protected from the shadows. Once this time has run down, I would rather send my child into the spirit world than let it be exposed to the darkness."
"You can count on our help, Namara. I suggest we meet as soon as possible to assess your situation and decide the next steps."
In consideration of the already unsettled children, the Angalarian asked for a briefing on her own ship. The relief about the captain's immediate consent was not missed because the aura of light around Namara's form radiated again to full vibrancy.
An hour later the captain had assembled a team of engineers, including B'Elanna, Harry and Seven, leaving Voyager in the capable hands of her First Officer.
On her way to the beam out, Kathryn talked with Chakotay about this extraordinary first contact. Many things Namara had spoken of sounded unbelievable and mysterious, but from the moment she had appeared on the view screen, they had an absolute feeling of trust and goodness towards this stranger. They had no explanation why. It was just pure instinct.
Chakotay was not surprised when Kathryn stopped the turbo-lift for a short break. The familiar gesture of her hand on his arm and the affectionate expression in her eyes asked for the private closeness they naturally reserved for their off-duty times. He reached for her hand and his eyes reflected the broad band of emotions he held only for her.
"I can't explain it, Chakotay, but I haven't felt this calm and relaxed for a very long time and it happened the moment Namara first laid her eyes on us. It was like she could touch us with her mind and take away all our burdens. Suddenly there was just you and I, and all physical barriers vaporized in the warmth of the light that seemed to flow between us. I felt absolutely at…"
"Peace." They spoke the word in unison, a knowing smile on their faces.
When the away team materialized on the Angalarian ship, they were completely stunned by the breathtaking environment they found themselves in.
Prepared to see the usual design of a ship, like bulkheads, view ports, different decks and small cabins, they faced one big hall that was a green and blooming garden under a dome of light. The air was warm and pregnant with the sweet smell of flowers. They heard a melodious humming and the unique sound of children's laughter in the distance, but there no one was to be seen.
They turned around slowly, nobody daring to speak, as they all stared in wonder at the beauty around them.
Large trees with leaves painted in all imaginable colours surrounded the small clearing. A green path wove through the woods to a field of flowers, alongside which a small river sparkled in the light like fluid silver. If they hadn't known better, they would have sworn they had beamed down onto a planet. This was a living oasis in the darkness of space, and it felt completely different from any holo-projection. It felt real.
"What you see is real." Namara's voice broke the spell of awe when she emerged from the trees.
Slowly a few children followed her, guided by the other, obviously male adult, Namara had spoken of. One half of the children had the fair hair and water blue eyes that resembled Namara's, while the others studied the strangers with velvet brown eyes. Just like the complexion of their male leader, their skin was tanned instead of ivory cream and the beautiful long hair that framed their faces was black. They each represented their perfect counterparts.
The alien man joined Namara. When their hands met, it was more than just a touch. The deep connection between them was palpable even to an outsider. For a second both closed their eyes and the light around them melted into one spectral aura. Two halves of a soul became one.
"Welcome aboard Talaris. We have awaited your arrival." The man spoke with a sonorous voice. "I am Araman, mate of Namara. We are deeply thankful for your willingness to help us, Captain."
Araman had watched the emotional reaction of Voyager's away team and he could easily sense the curiosity and the unspoken questions.
"Like Namara told you, our ships are mainly built for one purpose, to study life. Life of every kind and form. Our people share a deep connection with nature, like the one you see here, and with the spirit. That is the essence of life and only to be seen for those who know. Talaris is more than a ship to us. It is part of Angalaria and our home, wherever we are. But I can feel that you and your crew know what I am talking about, Captain." Araman looked deeply into Kathryn Janeway's eyes and smiled.
"This ship allows us to live in an environment that resembles our home world, in fact it is part of it. So we, but most of all our children, are always in touch with the light that is the bond between all of our kind. We belong together like day and night. The light in our children is that of the innocent and they must be protected from any harm. As long as they are not bonded to their mate, the light can be stolen from them. Only the bond between the chosen can withstand the power of darkness. Our unfortunate separation from Angalaria has damaged Talaris severely. The power to keep it alive is draining quickly because we now need most of it to sustain the structural integrity of the ship's hull. We have mini-fractures all over the ship and an irreparable breach at the starboard side. I will show you around before we discuss how to proceed."
Namara gestured to the waiting children who had silently found themselves places to sit down under the trees.
"The children are exited to meet you. Most Angalarians have never met someone from the outside world, but we never lose contact with the other side. We are always aware of developments in this part of the Galaxy. In many ways we are bonded to it like we are to our own world. The time will come when Angalaria will reveal its secrets but this day is still far away."
Namara looked back at their guests. "But we can feel you will not bring any harm to our children. Please feel free to talk to them."
A small girl with fairy hair approached B'Elanna. Her eyes were glued to the soft swelling of B'Elanna's stomach. At first the girl carefully smoothed her hand over it before she finally rested her head on the Engineer's belly. A bright glow of light surrounded her face.
"You found your other half. You are chosen." B'Elanna was clearly overwhelmed by this emotional experience, but she smiled at the child and stroked her hand softly over the silver hair. The ray of light seemed to intensify with the touch.
At the same time a boy with raven black hair and walnut brown eyes had secretly wormed his hand in one of the captain's, who was still taken by the emotional interaction between the girl and B'Elanna. Suddenly all her senses were drawn to the child at her hand. He was still so small, but his eyes, so much like Chakotay's, radiated conscious wisdom and honesty.
"You are chosen as well."
Namara and Araman sensed Kathryn's shock and distress immediately, but the child was unimpressed by the stream of emotions that radiated from the Captain.
"Like I told you, Captain. Children are innocent and just see the truth of things. Look at the wonder in the eyes of a child when they admire the beauty of a simple stone or a single wild flower. They embrace everything with their heart. They don't ask for the consequences or the costs. The love of a child knows neither rules nor parameters."
Kathryn's eyes showed a hint of sadness when she nodded in approval at Araman's words. She knelt down beside the little boy and smiled at him.
"You are a wise little boy. Would you like to show me your wonderful ship?" The child beamed with pride before his eyes silently sought the permission of his teacher.
"You will be the official guide of the captain, Brana." Araman made a gesture to the little girl who still leaned against B'Elanna. "And Nalea shall accompany you."
For the next two hours they inspected Talaris to get a picture of the ship's condition. The damage to the hull was clearly the biggest problem, but many of the micro fractures had started to widen to dangerous proportions. If they wanted to tractor the ship, they would have to find a way to do it soon, although the ship already seemed too seriously compromised that it seemed almost futile to even consider towing it at all.
They discussed several options but finally decided to evacuate the ship before attempting to tractor it. Nobody could say if the structural integrity could withstand the stress of the tractor and to increase the chances of holding Talaris together, B'Elanna suggested sealing the bigger rifts from the outside. They would modify the phaser banks of one of Voyager's shuttles so it would operate like a laser to weld the fractures.
To save time, Voyager would start to evacuate the children under Commander Chakotay's command parallel to the repairs on Talaris.
Two shuttle teams were set up. Tom and Harry flew a shuttle to Talaris's starboard side, while B'Elanna and the captain took another to seal the more severe breaches on the port side.
The welding proceeded slowly, but with the right care, they would secure the Angalarian ship enough in order to tractor it into the radius of the polara again.
The evacuation was almost finished, when right in front of Talaris an unknown vessel de-cloaked. Before anyone had the chance to communicate, the strangers opened fire. The already damaged ship had no shields to hold off the attack and several torpedoes hit directly, the explosions ripping open the white hull. Only the emergency force fields in place prevented the ship falling apart.
Voyager was moving to shield Talaris from further fire, but the last chance to repair the ship was destroyed. All they could do now was beam the last Angalarians out before the ship exploded. Both shuttles scanned for the last of the children.
The sudden attack had come so quickly and violently that the children, in terrified panic, had run for safety in all directions. Namara and Araman searched desperately for the last five children. The dome of light had collapsed and in the dimmed light of the emergency power, the paradise was dying. The trees stood leafless and the field was burned brown. Finally they found two girls, cowering under a bush. Talaris had started to vibrate violently and they knew they wouldn't have time to look for the other missing children. When Harry beamed them out, they could only hope that the other shuttle had found them in time.
B'Elanna had recalibrated the sensors to penetrate the massive distortions that were the result of the direct hit to the power core.
"Captain, I am detecting three life signs. Two Angalarian and a human. It's Naomi." B'Elanna looked questioningly to the captain.
"She beamed down to meet Nalea and Brana after we left. Can you get a lock on them to beam them out?"
"We're too far away, Captain." B'Elanna's voice changed to a frantic tone. "I'm reading a massive power built up, Captain. We're running out of time."
"Hold on, B'Elanna. Initiate transport as soon as you have a lock." Kathryn's fingers flew over the helm. The shuttle made a roll and raced along Talaris's hull. Blue light filled the cabin and five seconds later the Angalarian ship exploded into a large ball of fire. The last thing B'Elanna heard before the shockwave hit the shuttle was the shout of her captain.
"Brace for impact."
Voyager lay dead in space but the strange vessel was slowly retreating.
"Report!" Chakotay had been thrown against the helm, but was already returning to his seat.
"Due to the massive shockwave, we have lost warp and impulse drive. We still have weapons. Shields are down to 47 percent. The unknown vessel has lost weapons, but they are still impulse capable. They seem to be retreating. Lieutenant Paris's shuttle just docked. We now have 76 Angalarian aboard Voyager." Tuvok quickly scanned from his tactical station again.
"The captain's shuttle is severely damaged. They have lost propulsion and are adrift. Structural integrity is holding so there is no imminent danger. I am reading 5 life signs, two are Angalarian. I assume the shuttle was in close enough range to beam out Naomi and the last missing children."
Chakotay was just about to order Tom to take the Flyer and tractor the lost shuttle back to Voyager when the hostile ship changed direction.
"They're going after the captain. Ayala, try to beam them out. Tuvok, target their engines and fire at will. We have to stop them." Chakotay shouted angrily and then shock and fear registered on his face. It was too late. Helplessly they all watched as the shuttle was pulled into the strange ship.
"We are out of range. I'm sorry, Commander." Ayala's eyes mirrored the horror in Chakotay's.