The past few weeks had been a nightmare, everything that had happened still left Q on edge, especially with that Borg blonde on the ship, what was her name? Seven? The whole incident with the Borg and the alien species, and Voyager being trapped in Borg space. It wasn't safe here, they had pissed off the Borg, and with one 'captive' on the ship they were at constant risk. He had spoken to Kes about this a few times, the risk of being in Borg space, the risk of having one of them on Voyager even if Kathryn felt she could 'help' her, the risk making enemies with a far more advanced alien race, so advanced even the Borg had trouble with them. He questioned Kathryn's choices and he wasn't alone in doing so. Others on the crew questioned her short lived alliance with the Borg and keeping Seven on the ship. If it had been up to Q he would have tossed it off Voyager and gone one with his day not giving it a second thought. Continuing down the hall Q found himself on constant high alert, even as Tom came up behind him and threw an arm around him Q jumped off the ground and prepared himself for a fight against that female Borg. Spinning on his toes he took up a fighting stance that would have guaranteed his ass getting handed to him only to see Paris standing there laughing. "A little spooked there Q?"
"You would be too if you were me." He grabbed his chest and took in a deep breath feeling like he was going to have a heart attack thanks to Tom Paris.
"Afraid of the Borg?"
"Aren't you?" As much as he loved Tom Paris for who he was sometimes he wondered if the man enjoyed flirting with danger far too much, after all he did have a thing for the half Klingon. Most didn't have the nerves for that.
"Of course I am but you don't see me jumping every time someone walks up to me." Paris joked back and patted Q a little harder on the back as if he was trying to prove something. Paris was cocky and didn't fear much but Q could not say the same without his powers. If he could snap his fingers and send the Borg into to nearest nebula then he wouldn't be that concerned either. Since that ability was gone he was a prime target for assimilation. Just imagine, all the knowledge of the Q in the Borg's hands. Not just that either, he had Janeway and Amelia to think about as well. If they assimilated Janeway now then they could assimilate Amelia. A Q Borg, a Borg with all the powers of a Q, that would spell disaster for every humanoid race. Something Janeway likely hadn't even considered.
"Try having someone you love and a child trapped here in Borg space..." Q muttered and crossed his arms feeling a little helpless. His powers would have been very appreciated about now but this was why they had been taken away. He would have used them to change the destiny of humans, he would have used them to move Voyager out of Borg space, to 'delete' the Borg if need be, to change the history and fate of this crew and hundreds of species in this part of space. Paris wrapped an arm around Q's shoulder giving him a brotherly half hug to brighten up the mans day but it wasn't working.
"Don't worry Q, I bet the Captain has something up her sleeve." Q put on a half hearted smile and nodded his head, she better because he was all out of magic tricks. As if to make matters worse the hallway went dark, the red lights lighting up along the edges of the ceiling. Red Alert, now he really felt empowered. Paris looked around a moment, hearing the warning ring out over the com system. "I need to get to the bridge. I'm this ships best pilot."
Grabbing his arm Q started following after him. "I'll come with you, in case someone gets injured on the bridge I can provide some medical assistance, and maybe some counseling to your wayward captain." He was telling a half truth, he really wanted to be on the bridge to make sure Kathryn didn't make another stupid choice and put them at more risk, more importantly HERSELF. "It's the Borg isn't it." His voice sounded grim.
"Don't jump to conclusions, it could be a bug on the windshield." Paris joked. Look at him, so calm in a situation where they were staring down death itself. What the hell did this man eat for breakfast?
"Too late, I have already concluded it's the Borg." They ran together to the turbo lift heading up to the bridge. Once the men stepped out they saw just what Q had feared, a Borg cube. Paris went straight for con as Q walked up behind Janeway. He knew he was still not allowed on the bridge but perhaps she would make an exception over this. "Captain." Q spoke up and rested his hand on the small of her back.
"Q, I don't need you hear, I need you in sickbay with Kes and the doctor. Everyone at their stations."
"With due all respect Janeway I'm staying here with you, I'll be needed on the bridge even more should something go wrong and a member on the bridge needs medical assistance." The couldn't fight a Borg cube, they were going to have to run from this fight and hopefully Paris could accomplish such a task. Q was counting on him.
"Fine just stay out of the way." She pushed him aside. "Raise shields."
As soon as the Cube was close enough it locked a tractor beam onto the ship, at this rate they were not going to get out. Not without help, Q ran over to one of the stations controlled by a bridge crew member and pushed them out of the way. "Don't tell the captain about this." He ordered the crew member, another ensign. Not that Q outranked them but he still had all the knowledge of a Q. If he couldn't use his powers to 'blink' the Borg away then he would think them out of trouble. Pressing his com badge he glanced back making sure Janeway wasn't looking. "Torres can you hear me? I'm going to ask you to make some very specific changes in the shields frequency, don't question anything just do it."
"Captain they are pulling us in. I can't break free." Paris didn't bother to turn to look at her as he tried to get them free.
"Captain someone has discharged a tachyon burst against the hull of the ship." Tuvok warned as the ship shook violently for a moment.
"Captain we broke free." Paris called back seconds later.
"Get us out of here Mr. Paris." She turned to look for Q unable to find him, what the hell was he up to.
"Perfection Torres, now they are going to try to fire at us, the shields won't be at full strength, we have to get them back to to their maximum and change the frequency to disrupt them, like Teth did when he took over the shields. It should absorb energy but if they fire a photon torpedo at us...we might need some help. I'm going to try to get to engineering from here." Q stumbled as the firefight got underway already. The ship shaking once again as she took fire from the Borg cube. He was stuck between wanting to go back and protect Kathryn or get to engineering and protect the crew. Being human, making sacrifices, family vs friends. Being human was bothersome, you had to make choices, something Q had never been good at. Tapping his com badge he tried to contact Kathryn and let her know just what he was up to. "Captain, Kathryn, it's Q, I'm going to engineering to help, Kathryn please respond." He growled and rolled his eyes tapping his badge again. "Doctor you might be getting a few patients into sickbay. Alert Kes."
Unlike the captain the doctor responded quickly. "I can't find Kes, she's not in her quarters nor in sickbay."
Q grumbled, this wasn't going according to plan. "I need to get to engineering."
"And I need you here Ensign Q." The doctor responded.
This whole situation was tumbling wildly out of hand. First things first, he had to get back to the bridge, then to sickbay, and right to engineering. No problem. Ensign Q, to save the day. Another volley of attacks and Q stumbled in the hall falling up against one of the walls. Getting back to his feet he reached the bridge again opening the door and nearly tripping over Tuvok on the floor. "Tuvok." Q grabbed the Vulcan and helped him up. "Where are the shields at?" The Vulcan coughed on the smoke that filled the bridge. It looked like his tactical station had experienced a bit of an energy overload and blew out. Seeing the Vulcan wasn't in immediate danger he passed him up and looked over to see Paris still at the helm, Commander Chakotay down on the floor along with a few others on the bridge. "Chakotay? Are you alright?" He yelled over at the commander.
"I'm alright." He called back, groaning as he pushed himself upright.
Another volley of fire from the Borg cube sent Q stumbling back onto the floor and seeing Kathryn get up off the ground, her forehead bleeding. "Kathy." Q pushed himself back up and crawled over to her looking at the cut on her forehead. "Lets get you to sickbay."
She pushed him away. "It's just a scratch, there are others on the bridge who need to get sickbay more than I do." Stubborn until the end.
Pressing his com he grabbed her arm. "Doctor, I'm coming down to sickbay with a few patients."
"It's about time, I am being over run with people coming in from Engineering."
The ship shook again knocking Q back onto the floor and nearly taking the captain with him. "The ships hull is becoming unstable." Tuvok yelled over the sound of the twisting hull. "It's coming from inside the ship."
"What the..." Q furrowed his brow as she ship shook again.
"Kes is in the shuttle bay, she's starting up one of the shuttles." Tuvok continued.
Another volley from the Borg cube his the ship making the bridge light up for a brief moment. "Come on Kathy, Chakotay you have the bridge, Torres is bringing the shields back. I'm getting Kathy to sickbay and heading to engineering to help."
"Q if you have forgotten I am the captain, I give the orders." Janeway snapped at him as he put an arm around her.
"Oh shut up Kathy, yell at me later if you want to but you don't need to be on the bridge while it's falling apart."
"That is precisely where I need to be." She argued back.
"Two months from now you can standing on a burning bridge all you like but not with that baby in you. Risk your own life but it's not fair to risk Amelia's." She glared at him knowing he was right, she really hated it when he was right. Pressing his com badge he tried to contact Kes now. "Kes get to the sickbay, we need your help."
"I can't do that Q, I'm sorry." Her response was quick.
"Why not? Are your legs broken? If no then get to sickbay."
"I can."
"Well then I am coming down to the shuttle bay to drag you to sickbay." He growled nearly tearing his com badge off his uniform.
"I know you don't understand now but it will make sense soon enough, trust me Q. This is the only way."
He rolled his eyes, cryptic, why was it everyone who had the smallest telepathic ability in the humanoid world had to be cryptic? He had never been cryptic. Getting outside of the bridge he brought Kathryn with him to the turbo lift. "Sickbay." Q ordered the computer as it started it's decent. Everything was going smoothly for once, not really. The ship was hit by the Borg cube again causing the ship to shake the the turbo lift to get stuck. "Great." Q walked over to the turbo lifts doors and tried prying them open with his bare hands. "Kathryn give me a hand?"
She didn't respond, partially curled up on the other side of the lift, she looked to be in more pain than she had on the bridge. Had she taken a harder hit to her head than he had thought? He couldn't be worried about it now. Over her com badge he could hear Kes's voice. "Captain, I would like to thank you for everything you have done for me but I'm afraid I have to leave you now. Please don't ever forget me." She paused a moment making Q reach for the captains com so he could yell at Kes even if it wouldn't do them any good. "You have done so much for me over these past years, let me do something for you."
Just as he grabbed Kathryn's shoulder the ship shook again nearly throwing the two of them to the other side of the lift. Before Q could hit the ground he felt that funny and familiar feeling he use to get back when he teleported about. His body dematerializing but this wasn't a transporter beam on Voyager, it was something else. It was another Q.
