"What are your intentions?" I ask hoarsely "What do you want from us?"

"To learn what I do not know and I have" The Ensign answered cooly

"And what do you know now?"

The woman turns back to her wall of notes and stares for a long moment.

"Humans are…" she pauses pulling together her thoughts "…so simple and yet so complex. There is a deep longing and adoration for one another yet you set yourselves to such shallow levels. You have a such an ability to evolve yet you fall for your primal urges. But I can't blame you…." she turns to me with a look with what I can only define as motherly adoration "…you're so young."

I want to laugh. I want to mock the absurdity of a woman barely into her twenties calling me young. But I see it deep in her eyes, I can sense in her presence that she is far beyond the years of her exterior. Why did I not see this coming? It's not uncommon for creatures to shape themselves into a mold to better access human understanding. If a creature had the ability to mask themselves, what a perfect opportunity to study an oddity without the danger of being the odd man out.

"Have you made a conclusion?" I ask

She frowns.

"Can you really ever make a conclusion to a scientific study? They are always changing. But yes, I believe I have reached somewhat of a conclusion."

A cold creeps up my spine and I begin to sense a darkness looming near by.

"And what is that?" I ask tersely

She sighs and pats my hand that is still linked in her arm.

"I very much like you, Kathryn. I might even say that I will miss you," she replies softly "Do you know what is the most terrifying fact about an enemy?"

"No. What?"

"That they do not believe that they are the enemy."

"What are you saying?"

"Your kind is…worrisome. Every species we have crossed have been known to be destructive in their infancy, so I cannot blame your need for protection as you would call it. But in your brief history here in the great land of space, your kind has shown a characteristic that cannot be condoned and cannot be ignored."

"What?" I ask impatiently

"The dishonesty of your nature" she states plainly

"How in the world has Starfleet…has Earth been dishonest? We simply wanted to explore and meet new life. We have done that. Yes, we have had to learn through failures and through trials but we have always been in the search to do good."

"To do good for yourselves? For others?"

"Yes."

"What determines what is good? Why do you get to determine what is good?"

I look at her, bewildered. It has not been the first time that Starfleet and the human kind has been accused of arrogance, brutality and ignorance. I do forget how young my kind really is compared to other races. But over the few hundred years that human kind has travelled space, have we not fought to show our kindness? Has it not been Starfleet's goal to be a symbol of peace and unification? My father had spent most of his adult life defending that very goal. I strive to adhere to that goal every day that we spend drifting alone in this chaotic existence called the Delta Quadrant.

I have read the logs of Jean Luc Picard. I have spent years studying the history of alien species far more advanced than my own. I am aware of where this conversation will be going.

"No. I don't know if there will ever be a clear deciding factor of what is truly good and every species tries to find their answer to that. But I can assure you my people are a benevolent race. We have evolved into peace or at the very least working towards that. Please, whatever you're planning, at least spare my crew."

The Ensign simply returns a small smile before pressing her hand against the panel once more. The notes fade away to be replaced by what appears to be a timeline of Starfleet's history.

"Look at this. Years…years of jumping planet to planet telling creatures what is good and what is right. You have built quite an empire. You have convinced a number of species to throw away their beliefs, their culture, their essence…to what? To represent what the human deems right. You have destroyed civilizations with a pleasant smile on your face. With diplomacy you have eradicated what it meant to those creatures to be unique and to be their own. "

I feel anger bubble up inside me. I will not stand by quietly as all that Starfleet has fought to be accomplished be torn apart.

"We have been peace…" I begin

"You have been poison!" she spits before I can continue

We pause as we glare at one another. I realize our arms are no longer entwined and we face each other in raw form. No more games. No more hidden walls. No more.

"We have never asked a race to throw away what they believe in or who they are. That's the very reason we have the prime directive!"

"Oh yes. A list of rules that you so conveniently ignore when the situation suits you."

"Fine." I half whisper "For the sake of argument. What if we are completely wrong? What if everything we have done is in vein? Then what gives you any more right than us to decide? What places your decisions above the decisions of my crew?"

"Nothing" she replies cooly "But you see, Captain, I just have one advantage in this situation."

"What is that?"

"That when an intruder is in your home and is threatening your safety, you have the right to eradicate the threat."

"So by being lost in the Delta Quadrant I'm a threat to you!?"

"No" she says before dropping her voice to a maternal tone "It's because you are human that you are a threat to me. Though it is not your fault and I have seen the endless good in you." for the first time I see real emotion dancing in her eyes "….even though I have grown so fond of you and your crew. Your nature threatens livelihood and it is my duty to protect that. You have to understand."

I turn from her and make my way down a darkening hallway. I scan the walls searching for a sign of escape. Where is a force field to fling yourself into when you need one?

"Where are you going?" The Ensign asks not bothering to follow

"Back to my ship!" I bark back

"I'm afraid that's not possible"

"To hell it's not!"

The Sickbay is a flurry of motion. The Doctor races about the room of a hospital as he attempts to revive the intrepid Captain. He is well aware of each second passing by, narrowing his chances to not only revive her but ensure she will return to him in one piece. Quickly, he places a cortical stimulator upon her forehead. He checks the volts, his thumb hovering over the button that will send a surge throughout her body.

"Kathryn" The Ensign calls out to my retreating form "This is out of your hands now"

The hallway is easing into near pitch black but I venture on. I wonder how she got a hold of the controls in Voyager, if she has others now taking over Engineering. But then I remember about the walls, the feeling of hurtling towards the other side. I reach out, blindly. Once again, I rely on my sensation of existence.

"Kathryn" she calls again, her voice floating behind me

"I didn't realize we were on a first name basis"

"I would think crying in a cell over me would break down a couple walls"

I slow but do not stop.

"That was before….this."

"I'm sorry that I hurt you."

She sounds sincere but I continue into the darkness.

"You know this is futile."

"Is it?"

Suddenly, the lights in Voyager comes in to life in one bright flash before dying out all together.

The Captain's body seizes as the volts run through her but she collapses back down onto the biobed, unaffected, not moving. The Doctor raises the voltage.

"I will not go to your Earth. I will not destroy your people…"

I stop. I should take some relief in that but it does not ease the impending doom upon my ship and crew.

"….but I cannot allow you to return home." she continues

"Why?" I ask the darkness "We will be gone. Out of your home."

"You said it yourself" she replies "You are explorers. A crew lost for years returns home with tales of creatures and places they've never heard before. It's only natural for the need to for them to come see for themselves."

I turn to the voice floating behind me.

"This doesn't have to end this way. We can make a deal…a treaty! I can promise you that Starfleet will not enter your territory. We can set a boundary!" I plead

Her body jolts off the bed but returns to stillness. The Doctor raises the voltage, just a hair.

The lights are alive once more and I jump back when her face appears inches before mine. I back away slowly as we are plunged into darkness once more.

"Treaties can be broken. Boundaries can be ignored."

"I understand but…"

"Kathryn, you're dying."

The darkness is heavy and only growing in its strength. A hand gently brushes against my face.

"This can't be it"

"Shhhh"

The darkness feels so heavy.

"I can't let this…"

The darkness is consuming.

I'm pulled into a warm embrace.

"Let go, Kathryn. Its time to let go."

"Come on Captain!" The Doctor urges as his thumb hovers over the button.

"Wait!"

The Doctor presses the button.