'Janeway' sat slowly down in the command chair, relishing the feeling of being in command of this marvellous vessel. She leaned towards the center console and set to work decrypting the Captain's command codes.

Behind her, the turbolift doors opened. "Chakotay!" B'Elanna cried out. Janeway turned and saw her kneeling beside the first officer's prone form. "What happened?" the engineer asked.

"I don't know," Janeway said. "The room was filled with smoke and we passed out. I only woke up just now."

"Smoke?" B'Elanna frowned. "I don't understand. The environmental controls seemed normal." She stood up and approached the engineering station. "Everything looks fine here. It must be another glitch."

"Well, whatever it is, you'd better go and fix it. Now."

B'Elanna blinked at her harsh tone, then frowned again. "How did your eyes get so dark?"

'Janeway' raised a hand and smoke began to swirl around B'Elanna. It quickly encapsulated her, and she slumped to the ground, unconscious.

These pesky mortals with their too many questions. No matter. Their captain is incapacitated and soon all, including this ship and crew, will be mine.

Kathryn awoke slowly and opened her eyes to an inky black fog that swirled around her. She waved it away from her face and sat up. She was surrounded by nothing but this swirling, smoky darkness, and as far as she could see she was alone.

She got to her feet and felt her throat. It was a little sore, but still attached.

"Show yourself, coward!" she shouted into the darkness.

The smoke swirled before her, but it wasn't a snake that appeared in the darkness. It was a tiny lizard. Her spirit guide, she realized.

"It's been a while since I've seen you," she said.

And whose fault is that? The lizard retorted softly in her mind. It sauntered towards her and she knelt down to see it better. You're in a bit of a predicament.

"So I've noticed."

What are you going to do about it?

"What can I do?" Kathryn raged. "I'm helpless, trapped somewhere, I don't even know where. This fucking… snake… thing has taken over my best friend's body and for all I know my entire ship, and I can't do a damn thing about it." She hurled a fist at the swirling smoke and heaved a sigh.

You might be trapped, the little lizard told her, but you're far from helpless.

Kathryn eyed her small friend. "Oh?"

Even as a child there is one skill you always possessed that gave you power over others' minds and emotions. A power that will serve you well in the fight to come. A wide grin split the lizard's face. You have the power to annoy.

"Crew of the Voyager," Janeway's voice filtered throughout the ship, "your captain is dead, and this ship is mine. You will all submit to me. You will worship me as my devoted followers. Any resistance will be met with harsh repercussions so don't bother trying. You are all mine!"

It switched off the comm and smiled a malevolent smile. The ship orbited the planet containing this Being's Sanctuary and as soon as it figured out the controls for the transporters there would be a horde of new followers to worship its Divine Being. The thought sent a shiver of delight up its spine.

"Demon! Hey, demon!" The voice of its body's previous host echoed through its skull. "It's come to my attention that you have me trapped inside my own mind. This simply will not do, and I promise you won't be able to keep me in here forever."

"Oh yes I can," the Being hissed.

"No you can't. I'll wear you down and I'll find a way out and when I do, ohh there will be hell to pay!"

The Being sneered and did not respond. This human was a minor inconvenience, nothing more.

Janeway stood in the empty black space, the little lizard perched on her shoulder. "You can't hide from me forever!" she shouted into the darkness. "Show yourself! Come in here and fight, you coward!"

She heard a deep, echoing laugh but the snake did not show itself.

Don't give up, the lizard said into her mind. You will wear it down eventually.

"But how can I beat it?" Kathryn asked. "It's so powerful and I'm… trapped."

You have the power of your mind. That is your greatest weapon.

"But how do I use that weapon?"

Think of what you want to do.

"I want this thing out of my body."

So focus on getting yourself back into your body and the intruder out.

Kathryn scrunched her eyes closed and tried to focus on being back in control of her body again.

Take it easy. Don't force it. Focus on the end result, not how you're going to get there.

The snake hissed in frustration. That pesky human was stronger than it had anticipated, and it seemed like she had help. It tried to block the unknown presence but couldn't keep it out, and now it was helping the human captain to fight back.

It hissed and slapped a hand down on the console. This human was too much trouble to keep around. It would have to terminate this body and find another. Perhaps the first officer would put up less of a fight.

The ground shook violently beneath her, knocking Kathryn off her feet. "What's happening?"

The intruder is attempting to shut down your internal systems, the lizard responded. You must fight!

"How?!"

Breathe. Stay alive. Just keep breathing.

"That won't do you any good," a different voice hissed. Suddenly, out of the smoke swirling around them, the snake slithered towards her. "It's time for you to let go."

The snake darted at Kathryn, and she dodged out of its reach. "I'll never give in to you and you know it."

"It's not me you should give in to anymore," the snake hissed. "It's fate now."

"Call it what you want," Kathryn threw herself towards the snake, grabbing for its throat but missing, "but you will never win. Not while I'm still here."

"You will not be here for much longer." The snake coiled up on itself. "As we speak, I am slowing down your body's systems. Soon your body will no longer be alive and you… will be gone."