Confrontation
"Report!" Kathryn demanded as soon as she reached the bridge.
"Wouldn't answer our hails," Chakotay confirmed. He relinquished the command chair as she stepped down in the well of the bridge. "The shield generators were repaired at least," he said. "But their tactics have shifted."
"Harry, open a channel." Kathryn grabbed the arm of her chair to settle into it even as Tom nosedived in front of an oncoming large Hirogen ship. Scattered around and behind it were another dozen smaller fighters. "Hirogen ship, this is the USS Voyager, halt your attack. We have an accord with your people."
"You are a lone ship in an empty sector of space." Appearing onscreen, the Hirogen ship's commander barked a laugh. "You are prey."
"I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager," she replied. "We made an accord with Turanj of the Hirogen on stardate 51715.2."
"Turanj died in disgrace. Your accord is not with us," he replied. "Your people's entrails will adorn my walls." The transmission cut out and the ship was rocked by phaser fire from multiple ships.
"The shields appear to be holding for the moment," Tuvok reported. "But they are no longer modulating."
"So Seven's solution didn't work," Chakotay said.
"We can't just sit here and have them fin—" Kathryn started to say when the forward shielding took a direct hit, and the Hirogen phaser released by the larger ship somehow drilled through.
Harry reported, "Hull breach on deck 3."
"How the hell? Compromised shields and now they can drill through and hit the hull itself?"
The ship continued to be rocked by phaser fire from the fighters as the larger ship slid out of formation. Tuvok's hands moved steadily over his console, gathering readings. "It appears to be a transphasic photonic charge. They are recharging."
Disbelief colored her words. "A projectile weapon that pops in and out of phase?"
"That would allow it to bypass even modulating shields," Tuvok concurred.
"Where the hell did they get that?" she demanded. Such a weapon hadn't been on any Hirogen ship they'd met in the past.
Chakotay pointed out, "We don't have time to find out."
Kathryn agreed, "We just have to stop it."
Harry reported, "Initial readings indicate that the origination point of the beam is a retractable cannon on the ship's underside."
"So they'll angle up just before deployment. Good work, Harry," she praised. "Tuvok, can we target the cannon?"
As Voyager dodged and weaved and deployed its own phaser cannons in defense, Kathryn held onto the arms of her chair and tried to focus on the different readouts she was receiving. "We have to get to the underside of that ship."
Tom pointed out, "Every time I dip below 180 with them, a phalanx of the fighters intercept."
"So they know that's their weak spot," Chakotay said.
"Seven could get the targeting in microseconds," Harry muttered. Kathryn heard and her heart hurt. Seven wasn't here.
"Do the best you can, Harry," she encouraged. "Prepare a tractor beam. Maybe a lock on when we see it can give the targeting computer extra time."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Tuvok, don't wait for my order. When you have the shot, take it."
"Of course, captain."
The dance of ships in the forward viewscreen continued. And she could almost sense the smaller ships crowding around Voyager's nacelles, pesky mites looking to distract, but if they stayed focused…
Abruptly the endless night outside the ship lit up as an ion trail flowed from behind a photon torpedo…
And whiffed right by the underside of the large Hirogen ship. "Damn." She ordered Tom, "Come about. Let's break their blockade."
As the small fighter ships on screen were disabled one by one, Chakotay said, "Live to fight another day."
"They've decided we're vulnerable," Kathryn said. "This isn't over until we get them to stand down, destroy that cannon, or destroy them."
"Or all three," her first officer agreed.
The hiss of a hypospray against her jugular awakened Annika. "Doctor," she said, looking up into the face of the holographic EMH.
"Don't move. Your systems are still critical, but for the moment, it seems, you're stable."
"I blacked out."
"Yes, you did."
"Is the...Kathryn safe?"
"You were able to set up multiphasic shielding before you collapsed. But the Hirogen attacked again."
"Hirogen...species 478."
"Yes, I suppose so."
"That species does not possess the technology that attacked Voyager."
"There, apparently, you're wrong," he said. "The captain ascertained that they have a transphasic cannon."
"It must be stolen."
"Perhaps." The Doctor's mild words were in contrast to his strong hand preventing Annika's attempt to get out of bed.
"Let me up. I must help Kathryn."
"Captain Janeway," he said carefully, "is on the bridge with her first officer and security officer and they are developing a plan as we speak." He continued to hold her down. "You are a civilian and critically injured. You can't help her right now."
"I could help her if I had my memories back."
"You don't actually know that."
"I can feel it," she insisted. "When I feel, I find solutions."
The Doctor looked and sounded like he was expelling a sigh, a contrary notion for a hologram. Annika frowned at him. "We've already discussed that your Borg systems are offline, that we think that's the culprit for your memories as well."
"Yes, but I was able to help when I ignored that."
"And we have no idea why that was. Besides, it's clearly not safe for you to simply block half of your mind–you collapsed and had a cardiac episode."
"Then fix it," she demanded.
"I can't," he replied firmly. "We've tried injecting nanoprobes. Apparently without any systems responding to them, they simply flush right back out, inert."
Annika closed her eyes, pushing her mind back to when she had been working in Astrometrics. It had been a chaotic time, but she was certain she had found order. If only for a moment. "Being Borg can help me save this ship," she stated. "I should be assimilated again."
"Well, we're fresh out of Borg," the Doctor said.
"Icheb," she replied. "He can assimilate me."
"Your human immune system is just returning to normal. You really want to tax it with assimilation?" he argued.
"What other choice is there, Doctor?" she stated.
"I'll have to clear it with the captain – and Icheb will have to agree," he said.
"I will talk to Kathryn. We must act quickly before the Hirogen return."
After setting Tuvok, Harry, and Icheb down with the data they had gathered from the Hirogen's transphasic cannon, Kathryn left them with, "You have about an hour, gentlemen," and hurried off to sickbay.
The Doctor had reported Annika was awake and had something she needed to discuss. Striding through the sickbay doors, she couldn't help comparing the present quiet to the organized pandemonium of before and take a deep breath to soak in some of the calm.
The sight of Annika standing at a console along the outside of the doctor's office momentarily struck Kathryn with joy. Up and around was a good sign. "Annika?" she asked tentatively. "Should you be out of bed?"
"I am attempting to determine the probabilities of my plan so that I may convince you of its efficacy."
Wow. Okay. That sounded a lot like Seven. Kathryn stepped forward. "Where's the Doctor? Do you want some help?"
"The Doctor is not a suitable distractor; he is programmed to solve problems."
"You don't have a problem?"
"I need a distraction," Annika replied. She turned and Kathryn saw her face light up even as her fingers flew over the console. "I am glad to see you," Annika's voice was now light and filled with joy. "I worried about you during the Hirogen attack."
Kathryn felt her throat tighten and she stepped up next to the console, lifting her chin to look into Annika's eyes. "I was worried about you, too," she admitted.
"I am glad you think of me," Annika said. "It gives me hope we will resolve our difficulties and resume our relationship." The console under her fingers beeped. Her fingers paused and she glanced down, away from Kathryn. Curious, Kathryn looked down as well. Annika said, "That's it," and the joy in her voice seemed to have multiplied.
"What is it?"
"I don't know that I can explain it," Annika said uncertainly, "but I shall let you read it. Perhaps that will be enough."
"Something you can't explain? That you developed yourself? You're brilliant, and I'm sure whatever it is will work."
"Part of me is certain," Annika said. "But I am only able to access it if I deal with it indirectly." Kathryn heard the frustration in her tone as the young woman explained herself.
B'Elanna's theory was looking more and more right. She looked Seven over. A bandage seemed to have replaced a starburst on her right cheek. "You're actually losing them now?" She cupped Annika's cheek, feeling the bandage for herself. The skin was hot but seemed cooler than her hand she'd touched earlier. "Are you all right?" She looked at the implant over Annika's brow.
"The Doctor referred to them as 'rebels without a cause'." Annika's tone became exasperated. "He said my human immune system is killing the last of them off." Then she looked at Kathryn and anxiety filled her eyes. "But you need – I need their input...to be of use to the ship. To be of use to you."
Still cupping Annika's cheek, she lifted her right hand to cup the other side of the young woman's face. "Listen to me," she said, her voice barely fighting past tightness. Focusing her gaze on uncertain blue, she swallowed to clear her throat. "Your usefulness isn't why I care...Annika, I care because you're you."
She pressed her lips to Annika's, but then, hearing Annika's sigh, she softened the kiss to a caress of her upper then lower lip. A gasp echoed in her ear when she moved over the bandage next and kissed the battered skin at the edge of Annika's jaw. Annika's hands slid into her hair and the kiss was resumed, this time by Annika herself.
When they parted, Kathryn was enthralled by Annika's determined expression. "I need my implants, Kathryn," Annika said. "You must agree to the procedure."
She leaned back and looked at the console. "What procedure?"
"She wants Icheb to assimilate her."
Kathryn turned to see the Doctor coming out of his office. He held out a PADD to Annika. "I've run a hundred simulations," he said.
"And?"
"The procedure has a slim chance of success. Just 51 percent."
"But I will regain my cortical processor's connection to my Borg components to augment my higher brain functions."
"Yes. But there's a 90 percent chance we'll lose you, Annika," the Doctor said with emphasis. "You will return to being fully Borg. What gains you've made in discovering your humanity these last two years will be lost."
Kathryn couldn't help it; she gasped. Annika's gaze slid from the Doctor to her. She recalled all too easily the drone who had first arrived on Voyager as liaison. Hard, unyielding, and infuriating to deal with. But once she had seen little Annika Hansen on that biographical data file when they ran her DNA, she'd known she would do everything she could to help that human girl emerge from her shackled life. And she had. Now here she was. Asking to be returned to the Borg. Kathryn's breath hitched as she remembered their conversation in the brig:
"We will be autonomous, independent."
"That's what individuality is all about."
"If at that time, we choose to return to the collective, will you permit it?"
"I don't think you'll want to do that."
Annika touched Kathryn's cheek drawing her back to the present. "You helped me find my humanity before, Kathryn. You can do so again."
Icheb reported to sickbay when summoned by the captain. Annika studied him as he approached the biobed where she sat. "Your face is bandaged," he observed. "You have begun losing implants."
"Yes," she replied.
He looked down and she guessed he noticed the tight grip Kathryn had on her hand when he said, "It is compromising your existence."
"Yes," she said again. "Icheb, I am certain we were friends, good friends, before I lost my memories." He smiled at that, but his gaze remained troubled. "You have been more helpful and more kind to me than almost anyone since my accident, and I feel our friendship deeply now as well. I trust you."
His smile widened. Annika felt Kathryn's grip tighten on her fingers and she glanced to see the woman firming her jaw, as she blinked against the shine Annika could see building. Kathryn pulled her lips into a tight line to prevent speaking and ground her molars. Annika squeezed her hand. Believe, she wanted to say. Kathryn glanced at her, but she wouldn't hold her eyes. She pulled her hand free of Annika's and walked several steps away, her back to them.
Annika turned to Icheb. "I have devised a solution to my condition and the Doctor has run the simulations and verified it will work."
"Yes?" Icheb said. "How can I help?"
"You must assimilate me," she said. He backed up. "It is the only way, Icheb. I need to have order restored. So that I can recover and help Voyager."
"Tuvok and Harry and I have been working on the Hirogen problem." Icheb shook his head. "B'Elanna has been working on another option for your implants."
"This will work better than those. It is perfect." Annika said. "It is Borg."
"Captain?"
Kathryn turned and Annika saw anger and betrayal, worry and deep, deep pain in the woman's gray-blue eyes. "It's her decision."
"But Tuvok's plan for the Hirogen?"
"Captain to the bridge," Chakotay's voice erupted from the captain's comm badge.
"He'll bring it to me," Kathryn said. She slapped her badge and said, "On my way, Chakotay." She started for the door but then turned back. "Icheb, you...look at Annika's...and the Doctor's simulations."
"I can't...the Borg don't…" When the captain rushed out of the sickbay, Icheb turned to Annika. "We will be a collective," he said.
"I know."
"But I'm not...you want me to be in charge of you?"
The ship rocked as the Hirogen obviously had reached Voyager's position and renewed their attack. There was no more time to waste. "I trust you," she emphasized. "You will make the right decisions when we are Borg."
Icheb swallowed. He looked to the Doctor before finally straightening his shoulders and looking back at Annika. "Show me the data."
She smiled and slid off the biobed, taking him into the Doctor's office.
