# Chapter 5 – Ten of Twelve

The shuttlecraft shuddered and a low whine emanated from the port side indicating the nacelle was beginning to overheat. Seven glanced forward to the pilot's station from where she knelt beside Chakotay. She had left the planet's surface and set the shuttle to maximum warp once she tended to Chakotay's wounds and secured the prisoner. Some of the indicators glowed amber, but none was cause for immediate alarm. The warp drive would need some work when they returned to Phoenix, but that didn't concern her. She returned her attention to Chakotay. He lay unconscious on the equipment lockers. Seven placed her left hand on Chakotay's hands, which rested on his stomach, and wondered if there was something more she could do to help him. The tactile contact gave her some comfort, the Borg sensors on her fingertips detecting the warmth of his skin and a faint but steady pulse. Her other hand rested near his head, and unconsciously she also let the fingers of this hand touch his hair.

Suddenly the shuttle shook more violently, waking up the Klingon who was held in the back. The Klingon struggled against her constraints, and grunted in frustration. When she realized she was getting nowhere, her eyes darted around the shuttle, taking in every detail, until they came to rest on Seven and Chakotay. She growled when she saw Seven. "Stay away from him," she spat. "What have you done to him?"

Seven didn't look at the Klingon and attempted to remain calm. "I have repaired the damage you inflicted. The only reason you are still alive is because your species comes from the alpha quadrant, and so you might have information we need. You are now my prisoner."

"Am I to be assimilated?"

Seven ignored the prisoner and returned her attention to Chakotay. She examined the bandage on his side and was pleased to see the bleeding had finally stopped. He had lost a lot of blood, but appeared to be stabilized. Seven hoped if they could get back to Voyager and the Doctor in time, he would be fine.

"Release me," the Klingon said. "I am Chakotay's friend. I can tend to his wounds."

Seven turned and glared at the Klingon, again a feeling of rage welling up inside her as it had on the planet's surface. How dare she call herself Chakotay's friend. "I heard what Chakotay said on the planet," Seven replied, "but you are not B'Elanna Torres. I familiarized myself with all of Voyager's crew before this away mission, and Lieutenant Torres was a half-human, half-klingon hybrid."

"I am…" the prisoner started, but then hesitated. She simultaneously appeared confused and angry. Finally she added tentatively, "the Klingon half."

The shuttle shook again. Both Seven and the Klingon looked at the lights at the vacant pilot seat. "You're going to kill us all if we lose containment," the Klingon commented, although she said it half-heartedly, as if not fully believing it. Seven was unfazed. She knew the limitations of the shuttlecraft and wasn't about to risk their lives by pushing the engines too far. "Where are we going anyway?" the Klingon said, but again Seven ignored her. The Klingon watched as Seven passed her fingers through Chakotay's hair. "What are you doing?" And then as if seeing the tenderness with which Seven was treating Chakotay for the first time, she gasped. A look of horror crossed the Klingon's face. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Seven turned to face the Klingon with fury in her eyes and the Klingon flinched. "I am Seven of Nine, chief engineer of the starship Phoenix. It is to the Phoenix we are going, and I am Chakotay's friend." She turned back to Chakotay. Seven was done talking to the Klingon. She would allow Captain Janeway and Ak deal with her. The thought of how Ak might intimidate the Klingon gave Seven some inner satisfaction. They would be in communication range of the Phoenix shortly, and the priority now was to get Chakotay to the Doctor in Voyager's sickbay.

Soon enough, the computer's voice broke the silence. "Communication with Phoenix now possible."

Seven stood quickly and moved forward to the pilot's seat. Opening a comm channel, she said "Shuttlecraft to Phoenix."

"Go ahead shuttlecraft," Captain Janeway responded.

"Captain" Seven and the Klingon said simultaneously.

Seven glared at the prisoner. "Captain," Seven repeated. "we have a medical emergency. Commander Chakotay has been injured. Prepare the Doctor to receive him as soon as we're in transporter range."

"Understood. What happened Seven?"

"We were attacked Captain. I've apprehended the attacker and am bringing her back as a prisoner. She claims to be B'Elanna Torres, but is Klingon and does not match the description of Lieutenant Torres contained in Voyager's database."

"Captain," the Klingon called. "I can explain."

There was a long silence on the other end. "Prepare both Commander Chakotay and the Klingon prisoner for transport. We will beam Chakotay directly to sickbay when you are in range and the prisoner to the brig on Voyager. Bring the shuttle into Voyager's shuttle bay, and then join me to question the prisoner."

Seven was about to protest. Her desire was to go directly to sickbay to attend to Chakotay. She didn't want anything else to do with the prisoner, but she also realized there was little she could do to help the Doctor. "Understood."

"You will be in range in a few minutes. Stand by." The comm link went silent.

"Are you Borg?" the prisoner asked, studying Seven carefully.

Seven considered the question. Physically, she was nearly identical to how she was when a drone in the Collective. Cybernetic implants throughout her body, her human physiology repressed. And yet… She could feel the dried tears on her cheek, and her heart still ached at the thought of losing Chakotay. "No," she finally answered. "I am human. My link to the Hive Mind was severed over five years ago." The prisoner looked down, emotions played out across her face, but Seven couldn't read them. Was it guilt? Rage? Frustration? Time was running short, and soon both Chakotay and the prisoner would be beamed to Voyager. "You can explain to me," Seven said. "Who are you really?"

The prisoner looked up, her eyes haunted. She appeared confused and defeated. "Call me Ten of Twelve," she said with a laugh.

Seven thought the prisoner might be mocking her. But why? Before Seven could question her further about this designation, both the prisoner and Chakotay were beamed away in the transporter.

#

Captain Janeway waited outside the brig. Inside was perhaps a connection to Voyager of the past. But who was she? Could she be the Klingon half of her former chief engineer? She had witnessed first hand what the Vidiians were capable of medically, and it was fully possible. Her recollection was, however, that each half of B'Elanna couldn't exist without the other. The turbolift at the far end of the corridor opened and Seven of Nine stepped out. Janeway couldn't help but notice the blood stains on the armor of Seven's arms and chest. Chakotay's blood, shed by whoever it was inside her brig. More unusual was the look of concern on Seven's face. Janeway was so used to the impassive expression of Saychek, Seven's demeanor was a bit of a shock. Janeway motioned for them to continue into the brig. The Klingon prisoner stood up inside one of the cells when they entered.

"How is Chakotay?" the prisoner immediately asked with concern.

"The Doctor tells me he will recover," Janeway replied. "He lost a lot of blood, but Seven's first aid saved his life."

The prisoner stared back at them, a mixture of guilt and contempt in her eyes. "Are you now allied with the Borg?" she asked.

Janeway ignored the prisoner's question. She stepped up close to the force field that enclosed the small cell. "Seven informs me you wish to be called Ten of Twelve," she commented.

The prisoner turned, as if to hide herself. She started to say something, but then stopped.

"Why did you attack Commander Chakotay?" Janeway asked.

"I didn't know it was Chakotay!" the prisoner pleaded. It was obvious she was distressed at harming him. The prisoner looked over to Seven and added, "I saw a Borg, and I went to kill it."

"ej jey. yInlIj vIghaj.!" Seven shouted, and the prisoner stumbled back in alarm, despite the force field between them.

Captain Janeway was dumbfounded at the outburst. "What did you say to her?"

"I reminded the prisoner that I defeated her in battle and her life was now mine." Seven then turned again to the prisoner and added, "If she has a scrap of honor left, she will answer your questions with respect or I will rip out her tongue."

The prisoner's eyes widened. She nodded her head stiffly and said "HeQ jIH."

Seven seemed to reflect on something for a moment, and then stepped back to the brig's control terminal and cut the power to the cell's force field. The prisoner stood straighter, as if mustering her courage. Seven stepped up in front of the Klingon placing both hands on the other's shoulders. "vidiians maSuv. yaj'a'?"

The prisoner recognized this sign of respect, and offer. She placed her hands on Seven's shoulders. "Qapla'!"

Seven turned to Captain Janeway. "Klingons are an honorable species, Captain. We have an understanding. The force field is no longer necessary. Ten of Twelve will cause you no more trouble."

Janeway frowned slightly, but nodded. She turned back to the prisoner. "I'm glad we have that understanding." Janeway then leaned in closer. "Why do you wish to be called Ten of Twelve?"

"It is who I am," the prisoner replied. "If a similar designation is good enough for Seven of Nine, then it is good enough for me."

"You have no other name?" Janeway persisted. The prisoner hesitated, and Janeway suspected there was something more. "Hasn't someone called you by another name?"

"There was one," she finally said. "He was to be my mate."

Janeway was surprised. "What name did he call you?"

The prisoner breathed in a deeply, and then exhaled. "S'par," she whispered.

Janeway looked thoughtful. "Years ago, when we had a run in with the Vidiians, they used their medical technology to split my chief engineer, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, in two; her human half, and her Klingon half. You do have a striking resemblance to B'Elanna. Are you her Klingon half?"

S'par was silent for a time, her eyes downcast. "Not exactly Captain," she finally answered. "I have B'Elanna Torres' memories, or at least some of them, but I'm not B'Elanna Torres, nor even her Klingon half."

"Who are you then?"

"I am an echo of the Klingon half of B'Elanna Torres. I was created by the Vidiians as a test specimen to combat the phage. I was the tenth of a total of twelve that were manufactured. So you see, the designation I chose does fit. All of us were infected with different strains of the phage. Some of us survived."

"A clone Captain," Seven stated.

"And you were given B'Elanna's memories?" Janeway asked, feeling sympathy for her.

"I don't understand it completely myself. It was apparently necessary to give us some baseline of memories, language and emotions, in order for their tests and our responses to be valid." She looked again at Janeway. "I remember you, Captain, in a way. I remember Chakotay. I remember Voyager."

Janeway decided to cut right to her most pressing question. "Is the Voyager crew still alive?"

S'par now looked more distressed and sat down heavily on the single bench inside the cell. "I don't know," she replied in frustration. It looked as if she wanted to break something, but then calmed herself. "About two years ago, the prisoners in the compound mounted a revolt. Many of us were able to escape, but we were tracked into the foothills that border the compound."

"And the Voyager crew was among the prisoners?" Janeway asked excitedly.

S'par nodded. "They fought well," she observed. "Ayala and I held out longer than most, but he was captured. With luck, he died with honor. Eventually, I was the only one left. I intend to avenge him and all the other prisoners who were recaptured or killed."

"How were you planning to do that?" Seven asked.

"I've been studying their defenses for the past year and waiting for the right moment," S'par responded quickly, her voice now strong as she discussed her plans. "When I saw that shuttle land, I thought it was one of the shuttles the Vidiians took from Voyager. It was perfect. I planned to take it and use it to get back into the stronghold. When I saw Seven, who I thought was a Borg drone, I decided I should take care of it first." S'par turned to Seven, "My apologies, I did not realize you are now human."

Seven nodded diplomatically.

"Do you have knowledge of the layout of the stronghold?" Janeway asked. "Do you know where the prisoners are kept?"

"Yes Captain," S'par responded with a wide grin. Her eyes lit up at the thought of battle. "I can help you plan an assault on the stronghold. The Vidiians will drown in their own blood!"

"Captain," Seven interjected. "Commander Chakotay and I took extensive orbital imagery and ground holoimages of the stronghold. Perhaps S'par could use these to construct a map of the compound to aid us in our planning."

Janeway agreed. But could they trust S'par? She wanted to. Seven's endorsement of just moments ago rang in her ears, and she did trust Seven. If she could learn to trust six ex-Borg drones and command them as her new crew, surely she could learn to trust a Klingon clone. Perhaps there was room on this crew for one more wayward soul. "Excellent idea. S'par… do you mind if I call you S'par?"

S'par nodded.

"I'd like you to accompany Seven to construct this map."

Seven hesitated. "Captain, may I request someone else help with this matter. I would very much like to go to sickbay to attend to Commander Chakotay."

Janeway studied Seven carefully. At first she had been dubious of Seven's relationship with Chakotay, but now it was quite evident the two were very much attached and committed to the other. It was a mystery to Janeway how they would work it out, but they seemed to be doing just fine so far. She had also discovered in recent days that she was quite happy for her friend. Chakotay had finally found peace. Janeway knew Seven would submit to her authority and do what she ordered, but she also knew how important Chakotay was to Seven. "Very well. I'll work with S'par on the map of the stronghold, and call in Ak for assistance. You're dismissed for now, but please join us when you can."

Seven didn't bother to reply, but turned quickly and moved to the door. Both Janeway and S'par watched her go.

"I would never have guessed," S'par commented. "Chakotay choosing a Borg drone as a mate."

Janeway kept her thoughts to herself.

#

Chakotay could hear voices. There were two people talking nearby. Their voices rose and fell, like ocean waves on the shore, but he couldn't distinguish individual words. He felt groggy, but comfortable. Slowly his thoughts became more coherent, and memories began to tickle his mind for attention. A mountain lake accompanied by a feeling of contentment. A grand valley stretching out before him, but associated with it was an oppressive foreboding. And then a blade glinting in the sunlight and arching towards Seven's neck. "Seven!" he shouted and tried to sit up. He opened his eyes with difficulty and found himself on a biobed in sickbay.

The voices stopped and he saw Seven swiftly move to the side of his biobed. "I am here," she said simply.

The Doctor followed behind and examined the readings from the biobed's control. "As I said, the Commander is making excellent progress. He should be fully recovered in a day or two. You saved his life."

Seven turned to the Doctor. "Thank you Doctor. I will give you my decision in a moment after I speak with Chakotay."

The Doctor hesitated, but realized Seven's response implied a dismissal. "I will be right over here if either of you need me," he said, and headed to his office nearby.

"Are you OK?" Chakotay whispered, still feeling a bit exhausted despite just regaining consciousness.

"I am uninjured," Seven replied.

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"A blade, coming down towards us."

"We were attacked. You diverted the blade before it injured me. I subdued the attacker and then repaired your injuries as best I could. I brought the attacker back here. She is a clone of the Klingon half of Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres."

Chakotay laughed, but it came out more like a cough. Seven had her own way of distilling information and telling a story.

"Be careful," Seven scolded. She waited for Chakotay to breath evenly again and then continued. "She is now helping the Captain construct maps of the stronghold to aid in our planning of a rescue mission."

"Voyager's crew?"

"Their condition is unknown, but likely many are still alive and held prisoner in the stronghold. I suspect the Captain will want to launch a rescue as soon as possible."

"Hopefully in a day or two when I'm back on my feet."

Seven glanced back towards the Doctor's office. "If you are well enough, there is something else of importance that I wish to discuss with you."

Chakotay again tried to sit up, but Seven placed her hand gently on his shoulder indicating he should remain where he was. He submitted to the fact that he would have to listen laying down. "What is it?"

"It is time for us to discuss, my secret. I asked the Doctor to research the possibility of removing all my Borg armor and implants using the information contained in the Borg data nodes. He has provided me with two options, both with serious implications."

Chakotay was about to mention a third possibility, that she do nothing, but understood how important it was for her to remove the Borg technology from her body. She wanted to look, and feel, more human. "What are the options?" he asked.

"The Doctor can remove about eighty percent of my Borg implants. This includes all the armor and many internal components. It would also require some extensive modifications to my cortical node."

"Cortical node?" Chakotay interrupted. "What is that?"

Seven frowned. "A device linked directly to my brain," she finally said. "It not only controls all of my Borg implants, but also acts as an interface between my thoughts and the Borg technology. On the outside, I would appear human with only a few implants still visible. Many of my dormant biological systems would begin to function again. The cortical node would remain, and due to the modifications, many of my implants would require weekly maintenance by the Doctor. Eventually these components would malfunction. When the cortical node malfunctions, it would mean my death."

Chakotay became concerned. He had never considered the possibility of the Borg implants failing. "How long will your cortical node last?"

"Drones are typically discarded after forty years of service, if they last that long. According to the Doctor, the Borg components aren't manufactured to last much longer than that. If we wait too long, any operation to remove the cortical node would be riskier and there would be a less likely chance I would recover."

Chakotay didn't like the sound of that. Even if she did nothing she would face that possibility. "And the other option?"

"The Doctor can remove all of the Borg implants, including the cortical node. There is much more risk, however, because I was assimilated as a child and many of my muscles never fully developed due to reliance on the Borg enhancements. I would require extensive muscle grafting, skeletal rebuilding, and physical therapy to regain the ability to walk. In truth, the Doctor was reluctant to discuss this option. Some of the Borg components that substitute for bones would have to be replaced with other artificial parts. There is a good chance I would never fully regain my ability to walk or use of my left hand, and of course I would be blind in one eye."

Chakotay detected apprehension in her voice and demeanor. There was something else. She sounded vulnerable. In the weeks he had known her, she had always seemed so strong and confident, until now. He reached out for her hand, and when Seven realized what he was searching for, clasped her hands around his. Chakotay squeezed her hands. "Know that I will be at your side, regardless of what you decide. It is your decision, and we can make anything work, together."

Seven squeezed his hand back and looked genuinely relieved.

"Which option would you prefer?" Chakotay asked.

Seven closed her eyes and seemed to hold onto his hands even tighter. "I want to be fully human," she finally whispered.

Chakotay understood. She had changed much in these past weeks. More free with her emotions and more accepting of her humanity. He had also changed. He no longer felt angry and alone. He finally knew where he fit and belonged in the universe.

"Doctor," Seven called. The Doctor immediately came from his office and stood beside the biobed. Seven didn't move from where she was, still holding Chakotay's hand. "It is time to inform the Captain and the rest of the crew. We will proceed with the operation to remove all my Borg components as soon as the Captain approves."

#

Thank you scifiromance, Rono777, Djsmith, and lmr0211 for your continued encouragement. It's great reading your comments. I've been slowly working on this chapter (and I'm afraid the next might take longer). And thank you stewyg86 and Soujiku for inspiring me to finally complete and post it.