"doctor to bridge she's waking up"
"I'm on the way"
and so James gets their and Jewel was quickly updated on what she'd missed. A short time later the crew got together to celebrate six and a half years of surviving the Delta Quadrant mainly in tact
"well it looks like we might just survive all the way after all"
"looks like doesn't it but we might not make it home in seven years after all maybe seventy but not seven"
"Lt. think you can continue working on the warp engine designs and see if we can go any faster and not overheat?"
"I'm working on it admiral just give me a few more weeks to three months and I should be finished"
"understood keep up the work because it looks like we're gonna need all the warp capabilities that we can get"
"aye sir"
well a few weeks later they were attacked yet again but this time it was only because they were trespassing in a new groups area and they didn't know that so once that was explained it was all good.
Well they reached the seven year mark fairly well and as it turned out the Lt. had discovered a few problems after the three initial months of work so he continued and on the seven year anniversary he could finally declare the new warp technology able to be used and he told the admiral that just as she was about to suggest warp nine for a few hours
"ensign same heading but lets increase to warp nine for a bit see if we can't cut down the time it takes us by a few years or months"
"admiral I have a better suggestion"
"what is it Lt.?"
"I say we go at warp thirteen for four hours and then drop to warp ten until you feel we should go back to impulse power and the reason why I said four hours is because the higher you go the faster the warp engine heats up and in all my tests that's how long warp thirteen lasts at least if you don't want to completely lose the warp engine."
"do it ensign"
and so they stayed at warp thirteen for four hours and then drop to warp ten unfortunately for them they had a little run in with the borg and they were definitely on the do not try and get home with their technology list. So instead what they had to do was try and outrun them or at least stay alive long enough for them to lose interest of course that is not an easy feat considering the fact that the borg did not like Starfleet at all so that meant that the crew was in for a long battle and of course there was no backup whatsoever.
"ensign see if we can't use the same technique that we've been using for cloaked ships on the borg"
"that's what I've been trying to do admiral but every move I make they counter it with an even better move we may just be assimilated after all"
"stow that talk right now ensign we are not being assimilated if I have anything to say about it after all we survived wolf 359 and these past seven years in this region of space I think we can survive the borg here even though we're alone"
"she's right guys ensign hard to port and then Lt. lets see how they like sonic phasers"
well it actually works and they were glad about it unfortunately the battle became more intense and Jewel was sent into yet another coma
well the crew was very discouraged they had reached the eight year mark but without a lot of hope of coming out of it alive as Jewel had been in a coma for a year so they had all taken heavy hits of doubt and they also had been less organized in fact the chief actually broke his own rules about warp power and they were at warp thirteen for seven hours instead of four it cost them about two weeks while the repairs were going on but at least their commanding officer was still alive even if they didn't know it. The doctor had just finished up some paper work when he thought he heard a sound coming from Jewel's bed but he knew it wasn't possible as she was in a permanent coma and would be declared dead as soon as they were at Starfleet medical they just had to wait until they could get home to confirm that she had died but when it happened again he decided to check it out and he found out that Jewel was really alive
"admiral but how you died over a year ago"
"what are you talking about doctor?"
"you've been in a coma for a year admiral I was just waiting until we could get you to Starfleet medical for final checks before declaring you dead"
"man I've missed a lot haven't I well might as well go to the bridge"
"not so fast sir you've been in a coma for a year like I said you are staying in bed until I say so"
"doctor my place is on the bridge I'm going and that's final"
"very well just don't strain yourself too much I don't want to have to see you again so soon after waking up from a coma because you did something stupid"
"understood doctor"
and so Jewel walks to the nearest turbolift and easily gives orders to get to the bridge and once there she hears an order that she decides to countermand as is her right as the commanding officer of the vessel
"belay that Lt. see about heading for home warp thirteen I say it's time we got out of this Quadrant"
they all turn shocked to hear her voice as they thought they'd never hear it again
"admiral but how?, you were in a coma"
"I know unfortunately my body was too weak to reveal that it was fully functioning so instead my mind put me into a forced coma so that my body would get a chance to heal without all the stress of a normal day of being a commanding officer I never meant to make you think you'd lost me but that's just the way my body decided to react"
"it's good to have you back admiral how about you take back your seat while I just stay in the background"
"thank you James well ensign you heard my order engage"
"with pleasure sir"
and so they do exactly that hoping to get home soon. A few weeks later they ran into some old 'friends' call Velnrons so they had to take care of them and since they had the training they easily took care of them with very little damage. Well they reached the eight and a half mark and they were talking to Starfleet command as to update them