Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, I just borrowed them.
Twisting Canon- Part Three
Current time
Captain's Log:
Given our bad luck with nebulae, it is with an uneasy spirit that I order Tom to fly us into the closest on sensors. Unfortunately, Voyager's energy reserves are dwindling, and it has been longer than I like to consider since we've encountered anything but warring races, xenophobic cultures and the like, which typically don't express any desire to trade in a peaceful manner. This nebula, according to our readouts, possesses exactly what we need- a high level of omicron particles. Detailed scans show it isn't another life form- we've definitely learnt from that mistake- and so I won't allow any vague, superstitious worries deter us from our goal. I just hope this doesn't turn out to be another fiasco…
"Let's move, Mr Paris," Janeway ordered, standing on the Bridge with her hands on her hips.
"Once more unto the breach?" Chakotay suggested sympathetically.
She sighed. "Sure feels like it. By the way, Mr Kim, just to double check, we are sure this isn't a life form, right?" Janeway asked the Ensign at Ops, half teasingly.
"Yes, ma'am," he answered with a little grin. Janeway turned and rolled her eyes at him- the 'yes, ma'am/ no, ma'am' was a little joke between the two of them, and she could use the light heartedness at the moment.
"Keep that up and you'll never make Lieutenant," she reprimanded him mockingly.
"Did I ever have a chance?" he muttered.
Paris looked around at his friend with fake sympathy, "Oh, well, Harry, just think- next data stream, your mother can lecture the Captain on your many merits and the thousand and one reasons you should be promoted."
Kim groaned. "She would, too!"
"Don't worry, Harry, I've already passed that particular hurdle already," Janeway said in mock sympathy. "I'm afraid I've had to explain to her that, in light of our current circumstances, it's quite frankly impossible to promote everyone who deserves it, due to the fact that we'll end up with too many people giving orders and not enough to carry them out!"
Kim looked at her, horrified. "She didn't-?"
Janeway cracked a grin. "You're right, she didn't."
"Sucked in!" Paris cheered.
An exaggerated sigh was heard from the Engineering console from their half-Klingon engineer. "Stow it, flyboy," B'Elanna Torres ordered.
Paris slid her an appreciative grin. "Far be it from me to go against a lady's wishes."
"It's never stopped you before," Janeway and Torres said simultaneously, startling laughs from everyone at their unintended chorus, almost but not quite masking the sudden series of bleeps from a console.
"Captain," Tuvok pronounced. "There appears to be another vessel in this nebula."
"Great. Bets on whether this is some sort of religious landmark and we're to be destroyed for our sacrilege?" Tom made sure to keep the comment low so that the Captain wouldn't hear him. Her appreciation for his brand of humour tended to degrade in tense situations.
"This is odd…uh, Captain?" Harry looked over at her. "I'm detecting a Starfleet signature. In fact, I can match it to one of our shuttles!"
"'Once more unto the breach' indeed," Janeway said, sharing a grim glance with her First Officer before looking back to Tactical. "Well, Tuvok, what do you recommend?"
"I believe that we should attempt to track and locate the shuttle and its occupants," he said to her.
She rolled her eyes, even as she asked, "Harry, just to clarify, is the shuttle still on board Voyager?"
"Yes, Captain."
Janeway looked back at Tuvok steadily, arching a challenging brow as she referred to his earlier recommendation, "Oh, I don't know, Tuvok, we don't know what the situation is."
"Often we do not possess all the facts. That does not hamper you- or are you advocating prudence for once?"
"And they say Vulcans don't have a sense of humour. Mr Paris," she raised her voice. "Alter course to intercept."
"Already on it."