Chapter 5~ Newcomers
Two and a half years after Voyager had been pulled into the Delta quadrant. He got telemetry from a long range probe he had launched two months earlier, which stopped his blood cold. The probe had been picked up by a Borg Cube. He was quick to bring this to Tempest's attention. Val wouldn't have as much information on why they were so dangerous. Tempest snarled. "We need to pick up the pace." "You don't have to tell me twice." Voyager grunted, making long range scans for transwarp signatures. "Stay close Val. Tempest we have no chance of going around their space. It encompasses thousands of star systems. "Understood." The older starship answered. "Why what's wrong?" She asked, though she practically clung to Voyager's flank. "Have you ever heard of Wolf 359? That was just one Borg Cube. We are going into Borg Space, with thousands of star systems under their control." Val whimpered and clung tight to him. "I don't wanna go through!" "We don't have a choice. We have no idea how long it will take us to go around." Val's little hull was quivering in fear.
Several hours later, Voyager picked up a transwarp signature heading right for them, but as the seconds passed it turned out to be an entire fleet of 15 Borg Cubes. Voyager was barely able to avoid being hit by them as they passed, but one stopped to scan Voyager Tempest and Val before rejoining the rest of the fleet. Voyager shuddered in panic. "God that was terrifying. Are you two alright?" Val whimpered and nodded. "W-was that the Borg?" "Yes, and more then we could possibly deal with. One Cube was at Wolf 359. We just saw 15 of them." If it was possible, Val looked even more frightened and clung tightly to Voyager's saucer. "We need to get out of here!" She wailed. "I am open to suggestions." Voyager replied. "What is the top speed the two of you can manage. I can travel at warp nine but even that can't out run the Borg." "Warp 8.5." Val replied. "Warp 7.5." Tempest grimaced. "I'm not as young as I used to be." "Speed doesn't have anything to do with age." Voyager sighed. "I have been doing studies on it." "Well you are going to have to push yourselves as hard as possible. the longer we remain here, the more danger we are in. Even still it is likely that not all of us are going to make it through this." "You two go on ahead." Tempest said. "I'll only slow you down."
Voyager shuddered after the interactions with the Borg and Species 8472. While the invasion had been stopped thanks to him. It had left him Partially assimilated. That tech was being removed currently. but he was very uncomfortable. Thankfully Val Jean and Tempest were left alone from such tampering. They were all able to relax when Kes managed to throw all three of them 10,000 light years closer to the alpha quadrant. Well away from Borg Space.
….
Three weeks later, they detected a small group of federation warp signatures. The warp signatures were identified as The USS Challenger, lead ship of the class. An Abbe Class USS Crusader and The USS Proxima, a Prototype battleship that was bred at the time of Enterprise NCC-1701, before the famous total refit, that lead to the birth of Excelsior. "Did the Caretaker send them all this way out here too?" Val asked, surprised to find so many Starfleet ships. "That is a good question." Voyager said with a groan. "Can you humanoids please hurry and get this borg crap out of me." he growled at his crew, But he was also bringing up the design specification of Proxima. "How fascinating. A Starfleet battleship, almost as big as a Galaxy class ship. But naturally no where near as advanced because of her era." "Don't underestimate her. Tech isn't always everything." Val smirked, thinking of her relatively low tech friends back home. "I agree. but it sure helps." "Aye." She eyed his new instruments. "Any chance of incorporating some of that stuff into your systems? It's certainly valuable." "I am sure it is. But it hurts. I don't care how much more efficient it makes me. I don't want it." Val brushed herself along the underside of his saucer to soothe him. "We should go find those federation ships." A Voyager shuttle said "For once I'm in agreement with the tin cans." Val said. "If I am a tin can then what are you. Sure you are bigger, But you are tiny compared to Voyager and Tempest." Val stuck her tongue at it. "Children enough!" Tempest called.
Several days later they managed to join up with the other Starfleet ship. Proxima was an impressive ship, a single saucer joined to a twin hull each with a pylon with two nacelles on it. Val stuck close to Voyager as they approached. She wasn't certain how the Starfleet ships would react to her. "Other federation ships. and ones I am not familiar with." Crusader said, looking over the trio of new arrivals. Proxima gave a smile and said that Voyager Tempest and Val were a sight for sore eyes. But Challenger was eyeing both Val, for being Maquis and Voyager, for the borg parts, with suspicion. Tempest dipped his head to Proxima. "I presume a being called the Caretaker sent you here?" "Yes that is right." She replied, that was over 80 years ago however. "It seems the only one familiar with current Federation events is Challenger. She arrived a little over 3.5 years ago, after her decommissioning." "I just got here a year and a half ago. Val and Voyager have been here an additional year. "I see. well it appears you all have me outclassed in almost every way. Would it be possible if I could be refit with your more advanced equipment?" The battleship asked. "It would be a little challenging. But it should be possible." Voyager said. Val shrunk back from Challenger's intimidating gaze.
Val did her best to hide under Voyager's saucer. "What is the matter little one." Proxima asked softly. "Is something making you uncomfortable?" Val merely whimpered and shrunk back, her eyes remaining fixed on Challenger who was glaring at her with her lip curling. "Do you have a problem Challenger?" Voyager growled, lowering his bow to force her to look him in the eye. Challenger to her credit met his gaze evenly. "No, sir." She hissed through gritted teeth. "Val has proven valuable out here. In fact I am sure I wouldn't be alive if not for her. It doesn't matter if she Is Maquis anymore. But her talent of being one is very useful." "Maquis? What are they?" Proxima and Crusader asked, having existed before the Maquis formed. "Terrorists." Challenger snorted. "Freedom fighters." Val growled. "Federation citizens." Voyager countered. "I don't want to here anymore about this. Is that understood Challenger?" "Whatever you say sir." Challenger growled. "But I recommend keeping your little pet close to you. I will be taking every opportunity i can to follow through with my standing orders regarding her kind." If possible Val's eyes went even wider and she clung tight to the Intrepid-class. "And what are you going to do when you arrest her. Is there a Federation starbase nearby that you will turn her over to? Hmm? No, Even DS9 is decades away." "We're our own justice out here Voyager. I am judge Judy and prosecutioner." She grinned. Val whimpered. Voyager growled. his borg equipment glowed as it came online. "We are going to need to work together in order to get home. You will do nothing against her until we arrive in the Alpha Quadrant. End of discussion." Challenger actually looked frightened at this and stood down. "Thank you." Val whispered to him. He shuddered and quickly forced the borg tech off line with a gasp. "nnggh. The sooner that crap is gone the better." Val licked his cheek. "Just try not to get mad like that okay? It may cause a worse problem." "If Challenger acts up again I no doubt will get angry." "She will try to kill me Voyager. I have no doubts about that." "But she isn't Cardassian." He said making sure Challenger could hear. "Unlike them we do not kill people. Yes, It would have been simpler if you had just relocated. But Enterprise told me that you are Federation citizens. You just didn't want to leave your homes." "Of course not. We settled those homes with the intention of staying there." "Now let's use that industrial replicator I have in order to refit Tempest, Proxima and Crusader. Just Like I did with you Val."
