Leaving Trebus was hard. For me and Chakotay. The two weeks we spent transporting between Trebus and Earth turned into three and a half when we decided to take a vacation at Risa. We stayed in a home owned by one of my father's friends, so we were away from everything that makes Risa terrible to me.
After ten days of nothing but skinny dipping, talking and walks on the beach we had to head home.
As soon as we landed I had to get straight to work. Admiral Thomas, my father and I worked 14 hours every day preparing for the Federation Council.
Today, I go before them and have to answer any questions they have about why I broke one of the most cardinal rules in the Federation.
When I walk into the official chambers flanked by Admiral Thomas and my father I am shocked to see the Federation President herself.
Standing at the podium, we wait to be addressed.
"Fleet Admiral Thomas, Vice Admiral Janeway, and Lieutenant Janeway, the floor is yours."
"Federation dignitaries, I am sure you have all reviewed the information sent to you two months ago about a temporal event. That event and the subsequent actions taken by one Lieutenant Janeway made me call you together. I open the floor for questions. You may address any of us."
The first question came from the President herself. "Lieutenant Janeway, in your words, why do you believe your experience qualified as a loop hole for the Temporal Prime Directive."
"The Temporal Prime Directive was established as it stands today almost one hundred years ago by the United Federation of Planets. The events I became aware of are enough to destroy the Federation. Without a Land to govern them, laws are useless any way."
"Can you discuss the Borg with us please?" One of the Andorian Ambassadors asks.
"Certainly. The Borg began hundreds of thousands of years ago. They are cybernetically enhanced and work through collective thought. There is no thought of life when they assimilate whole cultures. If a cybernetic virus sweeps through a cube, the queen is willing to destroy the cube as well as the thousands of drones on it without a second thought. I cannot stress enough there utter lack of emotion when murdering or assimilating. They have no morals or priorities unless it is in regards to achieving perfection. They have six transwarp hubs throughout the universe. These hubs have apertures allowing the Borg to appear anywhere in mere moments. Seven of Nine, the Borg I rescued on Voyager, told me that there are seven apertures within one lightyear of Earth alone. There are hundreds throughout the Federation. And the Borg believe they are unstoppable. Before they assimilate they end a lengthy diatribe that ends with 'resistance is futile.' That is their mentality, and I can say without a doubt that it isn't an empty threat."
"And Species 8472?"
"They are resistant to Borg assimilation. As I said to the Admiralty council, 8472 was beating the Borg in war. In minutes, they can destroy whole planets. They could wipe out the Federation within a matter of weeks. They are destructive to the point that as Captain of Voyager I made an alliance with the Borg because they felt like the more trustworthy option."
"You told the Admiralty that there is a cure. We saw the specs, but something was missing."
"We did develop a way to beat them, but there is a major problem. The only way we found to defeat 8472 was to modify Borg nanoprobes. Do any of you have nanoprobes lying around?" I am met with hundreds of head shakes. "If the Borg attack it will only be necessary to get nanoprobes from a few drones. I feel confident in our scientific ability to adapt with that first step."
"The other thing you mentioned was the Cardassians."
"I mentioned a treaty. I mentioned mass murder. I mentioned an inevitable war. I mentioned things that you don't even need my future to believe the Cardassians capable of. In my timeline, it happened a decade from now in 2370. Of our 150 members, 87 disbanded from the UFP by the time I was pulled into the Delta Quadrant less than one year later because of the fallout from the Cardassian treaty."
"Over half of our members left within a year."
"As reason for leaving they all read along the lines of the UFP not being trusted to protect them. Most of your home worlds are member of the Federation for the added safety and trade benefits. If those two things are compromised, how many of your worlds would leave the Federation? I would guess the answer to be a majority."
"You've given this council a lot to think about. Admiral Thomas, I believe there is something you would like to say."
"Lieutenant Janeway, on behalf of the Federation, I hereby grant you the rank of full Commander. When we start building Voyager in 18 months, I hope you'll be her Captain. Until then, you will head the Borg preparedness department. Since what you have said here is still need to know, the official name is the Defensive Preparedness Department. See you Monday, Commander."
With that, he puts a pip in my palm and leads our way of the chambers.
