Part 8

Admiral Janeway sat in her office at Starfleet, staring absentmindedly at the screen in front of her, wondering what the hell she was going to do now. She had been beside herself, desperate to talk to Seven. She had been waiting four years to speak to her, wanting nothing more than to explain and try to make things right. She had thought about what she would say and how she would express her regret, but when she actually had the chance, it didn't even come close to how she had planned it out in her head. Clearly she had screwed that up royally.

Seven had been so cold to her. It shouldn't have been a surprise, really, so why did Kathryn think this would be any different? She had been so cruel and harsh with her their last few weeks on Voyager, so what did she expect?

It had been a week since she watched Seven walk away from her again, and now the blonde was in another galaxy, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

"Admiral," the cadet greeted, as he poked his head in. "Your sister is here to see you."

Grimacing, Kathryn paused a moment before nodding. "Send her in."

"Hey, Sis," Phoebe exclaimed as she bounded into the room. The younger woman's face fell as soon as she saw her older sibling. "Whoa! What's with the face?"

Kathryn sighed and rolled her eyes. "I have no face."

"I know; that's exactly what I'm talking about. So, what's going on?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, running a hand through her hair.

"Uh huh," Phoebe grunted as she took a chair opposite Kathryn's desk. "You know you can talk to me…. right?"

Kathryn's eyes slipped shut momentarily. "I…" she began, then groaned and got a far off look in her eyes.

Phoebe's lips thinned with a poignant pause. "I think I know what this is about."

The older Janeway eyed her cautiously as she softly shook her head. "Of course you do," she muttered dryly. "So, what is that you think you know?" she bit out.

Unfazed, Phoebe leaned back in her chair. "You must have seen her."

The line in Kathryn's forehead creased dramatically. "Excuse me?"

Annoyed, Phoebe sighed. "Seriously? Don't play stupid with me. I know you, Sis, and I can see that you're hurting. I also know that there's only person who can affect you like this."

"Phoebe," Janeway warned.

Nonplussed, Phoebe just waved a hand in the air. "Oh stop. You know that authoritative look doesn't work on me. I'm not gonna quiver in my boots like all your little cadets."

Kathryn had been barely holding it together since seeing Seven, and everything she had been suppressing….the pain, the regret, the loss….it all just boiled over. Slamming her fist on the desk, she stood up. "I don't know what to do! No matter how hard I try, I can't make it go away," she finally admitted.

Phoebe's eyes went wide. None of this came as a surprise to her, she just never thought she'd see the day her big sister actually admitted it. Stunned, it took her a moment before she could respond. "Then stop trying. Just tell her how you feel."

Kathryn inhaled as a tear inched its way to her eye. "I did try. She hates me," she rasped.

Phoebe narrowed in on her sister, who was now perched at the window. She watched as she gazed across the grounds of Starfleet. "Do you honestly believe that she hates you? I mean, deep down in your heart, that's what you really think?"

Kathryn finally turned to look at her sister and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yes," she fired dramatically, wondering if Phoebe was really that dense, or perhaps becoming hard of hearing

Phoebe snorted a giggle as she stood and came to her sister. She softly placed her hands on Kathryn's biceps, forcing her to look directly at her. "If that's true, then she obviously feels something for you."

"Duh, she hates me."

Once again Phoebe snickered, which she knew irritated her big sister. "Hmmm," she hummed, placing a finger to her lips, which sported a smug smile. "You know, they say there's a thin line between love and hate. And trust me, there is a very thin one between you and Seven," she breathed. "It's obvious you two love each other. You're both just sooooo stubborn that you can't admit it, so instead you just fight to cover it up."

The mere suggestion that Seven loved her was so foreign to Kathryn that she quickly dismissed it and walked around her sister. "You have no idea what you're saying. How could you? You don't even know her. You're just trying to make me feel better."

"Yeah, okay, you keep telling yourself that," Phoebe voiced with a roll of her eyes. "Go ahead and give up. In fact, stop trying and just go on and be miserable for the rest of your life. Keep going out with boring old men. That's really working out well for you," Phoebe exhaled harshly. She went back to the chair and picked up her bag. "Of course, the big sister that I've always known and looked up to always fights for what she wants. She never backs down until she gets it, and she sure as hell doesn't let anyone stand in her way. Oh hell to the no! She fought tooth and nail to be a damned Starfleet Captain so she could explore the stars, not some Admiral who sits around a desk all day and mopes." She paused for a moment, then went to leave, when she heard Kathryn speak. Her voice broke, and it was so soft she almost didn't hear it.

"She's on the Enterprise, and won't be back for a long while."

Phoebe turned back to glance at her. "Then damn it, Kathryn, maybe it's time you got yourself demoted."

Shocked, Kathryn gave her an odd look. "What?"

"You're not a stupid woman. You know what you need to do, so go on and do it. Just go! Right now, before you talk yourself out of it." She titled her head in thought. "In fact, I'll tell Mom that you had no other choice….you were ordered to," she winked.

Kathryn's lips finally curled into a smile. It was tiny, but Phoebe noticed it just the same, and it made her own widen. She hadn't seen that smile in years. She opened the door to leave, but unable to resist, she swiveled back. "Captain," she grinned. "I'll let myself out. Oh, and please call before you depart."

Kathryn loved how that sounded. "Will do," she nodded, feeling a rush of energy course through her veins. She had a mission, and Captain Janeway always completed her missions.

…

The USS Firebolt wasn't Voyager, but Captain Kathryn Janeway did not mind as she shifted comfortably in her chair. She inwardly smiled as she gazed out her viewport, watching the distorted whites fly by.

The new uniform took a little to get used to, but all in all the change was good. After all, some things were worth it. She had managed to streamline her demotion, which had come as a shock to her superiors, but now she was on her first mission with Firebolt. It was a simple mission, and she knew she was on a short leash, but it didn't matter. She was back out among the stars, and on her way to intercept a certain sovereign class ship. Well, that was her mission, not Starfleet's, but she decided that since it was on the way, why not? Okay, maybe it was a little out of the way. Sort of.

"Captain," her first officer interrupted her thoughts as he cleared his throat. He was Efrosian, and the way he was glaring at her made her wonder if he was angry that she had been given command of this vessel instead of him.

"Yes." She wasn't about to address him by his name yet, since she wasn't certain she would get the dialect right.

"We are not on the right course to Gideaon."

"Yes, I am well aware of that," she answered.

He gave her a bemused look as she continued to glare at the man who had the audacity to question her authority this early into the trip. "I was…"

Not wanting to hear any of his questions, Janeway cut him off. "I have my reasons," she voiced firmly, then stood up and raised her chin. "We are to meet up with Enterprise, and that is all you need to know. I'll be in my ready room."

…

"So, Commander Hanson, since we finished early, I was thinking the away team could stop by this local establishment and get something cool to drink," the young ensign asked with hopeful eyes.

"That would be a no," Seven told him tightly.

"But I don't see why…"

Annoyed, Seven remained firm. "Peace has ended here, Ensign Rigor. The opposing Narvists separatists have been demanding sovereignty from their homeland on the northern continent. Because of the terrorist attacks, any type of recreation has been strictly prohibited."

"It looks all right to me," he interjected, and spun around. "Why do you have to be so rigid with the rules?"

Seven gritted her teeth. This crewman was really getting on her nerves. It was like he couldn't care less about the command structure. "If you continue to be insubordinate, Ensign, then I will be required to write you up. Do you understand?" Her voice was void of any hint of annoyance.

"I understand," he responded.

Seven suddenly felt like something was off and she scanned the area as she drew out her phaser. "We should arm ourselves," she commanded quietly to her away team.

Suddenly a round of arsenal flew out about them and they quickly scattered to nearby cover. Seven immediately slapped her com badge. "Seven to the Enterprise," she breathed raggedly.

"Enterprise here."

"We've been ambushed, we need to beam out."

She didn't hear their replay, all she could hear was the whimper coming from Ensign Rigor. "Comman…" She knew right away she needed to secure medical help for him. Just as she began to assess his injuries, two more of the Narvists came at her. She immediately dropped one with her phaser. The larger one rounded on her with his archaic sword, almost hitting her in the arm, but she managed to swiftly duck. She swung at him with her Borg enhanced fist and punched him, and it only took one hit to land him on the ground with a thud. As she was about to come at him again, she felt something hit the back of her head. Wincing, she turned on her attacker with hard eyes, when she felt the transporter, and then she rematerialized back on the ship.

Rubbing at the back of her head, Seven felt the knot, but overall she was thankful she was mostly unharmed. She quickly took in the rest of the away team, who were not so lucky. They were beaten and bloody, and she was immediately concerned for at least two of them.

Once again, she tapped her com badge. "Seven to Dr. Crusher."

"Crusher here."

You need to get here right away. We have several wounded."

"I'm on my way."

Seven bent down next to Ensign Rigor and felt for a pulse. It was faint, and his features were sluggish as he looked at her with wide frightened eyes.

"Lie still. You will be alright."

"I…." he muttered, then passed out.

The whoosh of the doors indicated that the doctor had arrived, and Seven turned to greet her. "Come on, I need your help," Beverly commanded.

Seven jumped right in to assist, and was getting ready to help Beverly perform a crucial medical treatment when the com broke through.

"Picard to Dr. Crusher."

"Go ahead," she breated.

"Lieutenant Marsh informed me of the situation," Picard began. "It looks like you are needed in sickbay. Larz just coded."

"Well, Dr. Rush will have to take care of him. I'm a little busy trying to revive a wounded body with sleight of hand. Crusher out."

Seven knew that Beverly was the only one aboard Enterprise that could talk to Captain Picard in such a manner, and that was due to their romantic coupling. She smiled as she thought back to Voyager and how she was the one who dared to talk to Kathryn that way, although that had nothing to do with having a relationship with her. She shook head at the realization that she really did exploit her position on Voyager, and that Captain Janeway really should have reprimanded her more than she did. Come to think of it, did Kathryn ever write her up?

She was broken out of her thoughts when her com went off. "Picard to Seven."

"Seven here."

"Report to the bridge; we have a situation."

Seven eyed the doctor, and Dr Crusher nodded. "Go."

"On my way," Seven said and swiftly made her way to the nearest lift.

"Seven," Picard greeted, then noticed she looked a little rough around the edges from the incident. "Are you okay?"

"I'm functioning within normal parameters."

"Good," he breathed. "We are to remain in orbit. Chief Ambassador Hyrig has just requested to beam aboard to negotiate terms of our insubordination."

Seven's ocular implant rose somewhat. "We followed your command, Sir."

"I know that, and I know what he is trying to pull, and the thing he wants will be a demand us as a Starfleet cannot grant him."

"I do believe that he will not accept that."

"I do know that." Picard exhaled. "What's the saying Seven? Danged if you do….."

"Danged if you do not." Seven finished.

Picard offered her a small smile. "Are you feeling up to another away mission?"

Seven only paused for a moment. She desperately wanted to see Selene. She hadn't seen her in over 48 hours. "Aye sir."

"You and Security officer Harrad will take a team to the western side and talk to the Fredess and see if they can offer some way through this without the federation getting more involved." He watched Seven turn to leave before adding. "You better go down this time heavily armed."

Seven nodded and left the bridge with Harrad and headed straight to the armory.

Picard blew out a breath before the comm. rang out. "Chief Ambassador Hyrig requests permission to beam aboard."

"Granted." He said firmly then cut the transmission and turned. "Escort him to conference room 1." He got up out of his chair. "Seven I sure hope you find a solution soon." He said under his breath.

Picard delayed entering the conference room as long as he could, and when he entered and greeted his arrogant guest and was ready to hear him out. "Captain?" the comm. went off.

"I am in an important meeting."

"Seven needs to talk with you, sir privately."

He nodded his head and strood. "Sorry about this, I'll be right back."

Hyrig's large nostrils flared even bigger and he glared. "The longer this takes Captain, the more people will die."

"Understood," Picard said evenly and left the room. "Go ahead Seven," he said tapping his comm. badge.

"I have some leads here, you just need to stall longer."

Picard gritted his teeth. "Hurry up Commander." He cut transmission and was about to head back in the room.

"Bridge to the Captain."

"Yes."

"We have a ship approaching."

"Red alert." He commanded. Picard eyed the conference room and knew he would have to wait. This ship was more important.

As soon as he entered the bridge he noticed the ship right away, and smiled.

"We are being hailed."

"Open a channel."

"Sorry to just show up unannounced, but it looks to me like you might need some help."

"It is very welcomed, Captain."

"Request to come aboard?"

"Request granted."

Transmission ended and he turned to his ready room. "Send in Captain Janeway as soon as she arrives."