(I know it's been a while since I updated. Sorry! It's been busy around here lately! ;-)
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Axum was standing in the Enterprise's transporter room when the group from Voyager arrived. He nodded briefly to Admiral Paris, Tom Paris, Captains Janeway and Chakotay, and Icheb, but once he held out his arm to Seven, his gaze never wavered from her face. The group walked towards the Enterprise's Holodeck One, which had been set up to serve as the location for the signing of the treaty between the Federation, the people of Fluidic Space, and the Borg Resistance Group. Even the conference room on Enterprise was deemed too small to accommodate everyone invited to attend the event.
The Romulans' status was still only "observers," since they had yet to learn if their leadership would agree to all of the treaty's terms. As Tom explained to Icheb, as they followed the rest of their contingent to the Enterprise holodeck, "The Romulans don't dare sign anything until their Praetor and Senate have had a chance to pick it over with their Tal Shiar spy network, but they'll sign. They know as well as we do that snubbing the Fluidians is suicidal. Even the Borg at their greatest strength failed to beat them. If they came after us once we encountered them again at their station in the Delta Quadrant, they could have overcome Voyager, too. We're lucky they didn't want to, because by then, they knew how to defend themselves from the nanoprobe weapons we'd used against them before. Hey, if the Cardassians are signing this treaty, you know the Romulans will go along, if only to keep an eye on whatever everyone else is doing!"
When they entered the holodeck, Icheb asked Tom, "Did you help them create this setting? The room's decor looks an awful lot like your Palace Theater program."
"Reg Barclay did the actual work, although I gave him a few suggestions," Tom admitted, with a grin. The walls and ceiling were very reminiscent of Tom's movie palace. It wasn't an exact copy. There was a line of simulated windows along one side of the room, which displayed the same view of the Rift that appeared on the Federation fleet's viewscreens; and the floor was flat, since there wasn't any cinema screen.
While the room was still fairly empty when the group from Voyager arrived, it filled up rapidly as representatives of the Dry Space worlds began to arrive. Since Seven, Icheb and Tom weren't signatories of the new pact, they stepped behind Captain Janeway and Admiral Paris and positioned themselves along the wall of the room. Those who were recording their names on the document for posterity milled around in the center area. The buzz of anticipation from the Starfleet representatives began to increase in volume as the stragglers entered the holodeck.
Captain Picard came up to Icheb and said, in his beautifully modulated voice, "I hope you appreciate the honour that has been bestowed upon you, Cadet Icheb. When Captain Janeway suggested we invite you to this event, in view of your role in our coming to this day, I immediately seconded the motion. You should know the vote was unanimous in favour, as well. Your place in history is assured."
"I'm very grateful. I hope I will be of service to the Federation in the future as well. I'm thankful I've been welcomed to this quadrant as I have been," Icheb replied.
He noticed Captain Janeway turn towards them and smile. She must have overheard Picard's comment. She opened her mouth as if she was about to add something to what the captain of Enterprise had said; but a quick flash of light, to Icheb's right, drew her attention to that side of the room. Instead, she gasped, used a profane word that Icheb had never heard her use before, and said, "Today! Today, of all days!"
Two figures in admiral's uniforms approached. Icheb heard Tom groan, as if in pain. Seven growled, in a very creditable imitation of B'Elanna at her most exasperated. Axum shook his head in puzzlement.
Icheb knew the shorter of the two beings immediately. The taller one's identity seemed likely when Captain Picard uttered a sotto voce curse in French. Icheb was aware the being had been an unwelcome guest on the Enterprise on multiple occasions, just as he had on Voyager. When the tall one said, "Fancy meeting you here, Kathryn," Icheb recognized his voice. The other time he'd heard it, he'd been lying flat on his back in Sickbay - when the being in question spoke openly about his willingness for Icheb to die to teach his own son a lesson.
"Q! What are you doing here?" Picard said emphatically, confirming Icheb's conclusion that he was finally seeing Quinton's father in the flesh - or whatever the Continuum's equivalent of "in the flesh" might be.
"Why, I'm here to observe history in the making. Peace in our time! For a while, anyway, humanoid natures being what they are. This trans-dimensional accord is an impressive achievement, however. I wouldn't miss it for the world! Or worlds . . . whatever. I had to be here. I was, after all, instrumental in making it come about."
"You were what?" Captain Janeway almost spit out the sentence.
"I helped in many ways! I introduced you to the Borg much earlier than you would have otherwise encountered them, didn't I, Picard?"
"The assimilation of my parents and me on The Raven introduced the Borg to humanity," Seven sneered, holding on so tightly to Axum's arm that Icheb was certain he'd have bruises the shape of her fingers on his biceps.
"Irrelevant, to use a word you're so fond of, Annika 'Seven-of-Nine' Hansen. Starfleet had to know about them, since your father never bothered to relay any of his observations back to the Alpha Quadrant. The Federation needed to know about the Borg before the Collective invaded the Alpha Quadrant." Icheb could see Axum trying to calm his mother down; but Icheb had to admit that from what he'd learned, Q's statement was accurate. Mr. Hansen never had sent any of the data he'd collected on the Borg back to the Federation, even though Seven's mother had begged him to end his studies before the family was discovered.
Turning back to Captain Janeway, Q continued, "Now, as I was about to say before being so rudely interrupted, Kathryn, I pushed your little ship out of trouble a couple of times . . . "
"After getting us into trouble in the first place."
". . . and I gave you that homework to thank you for tutoring Junior here. Remember? You were on just the right course to encounter that amazing Borg construct that finally allowed you to get home, years before you would have gotten there. Which you didn't bother to use that other time when . . . oops! Pardon me. You don't like talking about that other Kathryn, do you? Well, anyway, you should be thanking me for all I did for you. Instead of staring at me like that."
From the way his captain was glaring at Q, Icheb didn't believe she was particularly impressed by his self-congratulatory statements. Quinton looked acutely embarrassed. "Um, Q, perhaps this isn't the best time to bring all that up."
"I'm just pointing out that my presence here is perfectly justified. Yours, however - well, we do everything together now, don't we? We're 'joined at the hip,' so to speak." Q grimaced, and Icheb ached to tell him the real reason they "do everything together now."
When that thought occurred to Icheb, he wondered if any other being from the Continuum might be in attendance. He quickly scanned the room, but he didn't immediately notice the person he was looking for. Admittedly, his view was obscured in many directions, now that the room was almost completely filled with Starfleet officers. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying any attention to the little drama occurring in this area of the chamber. Icheb had a hunch that Q had done something to hide them from the rest of those in attendance.
Quinton glanced over his shoulder. Icheb followed his gaze, and that's when he caught sight of the tall, dark haired woman in a captain's uniform, with a sardonic smile on her face, standing at the far end of the holodeck.
Grabbing hold of Quinton's arm, Icheb asked to be excused. Although Axum appeared to be having trouble following the ins and outs of the discussion, he nodded his head to acknowledge Icheb's request as the two young people walked away. Once they were three steps away, the group with Q became invisible and silent, confirming Icheb's supposition about why no one else in the room seemed to be aware of what was going on.
"Still interested in developing your diplomatic skills, I see," Icheb remarked, unable to keep from smiling at his companion.
"Despite the divine Cadet Verit's skepticism, I am. I'm developing an aptitude for it even more as time goes by. Needless to say, I get lots of practice, courtesy of Q, smoothing over the offended when the Old Man gets out of hand. Verit is here, isn't she? I made a quick visit to the Academy. Farys and Austin said you were both away on a training mission. I assume they didn't know where you two went."
"Yes, Verit is on Voyager. And by the way, she's married now."
"Ah, well, I know I never really had any chance at all with her. It just wasn't meant to be." By this time, the two had managed to dodge their way past the varied representatives and reached the figure at the far end of the room. "Hi, Mom," Quinton said, when they met up with her.
"Hello, dear. Still keeping an eye on the Wild One, I'm happy to see. I'll help you out today. We don't want him to embarrass you any more than he has already. It looks like Janeway would like to slug him in the mouth. He's riled up Picard, too. Once the rest of the Borg and the Fluidians arrive, though, he should finally settle down. I know he really does want to be part of this, even if he is woefully overstating his role." She smiled at Icheb and clapped him on the shoulder. "You didn't use the delivery method I anticipated, but you did well. Just as I knew you would."
They didn't get a chance to speak much more, for promptly at 1400 hours, General Korok led the rest of the Borg Resistance leaders into the holodeck, followed closely by Boothby and the other Fluidians. The last to enter was a tall, dark-skinned man in a uniform very reminiscent of a Starfleet officer's. Elim Garak, the primary Cardassian representative, gasped audibly. His smile of welcome was not shared by the other two Cardassian officials in attendance.
The leader of the Fluidians had taken on the appearance of the Bajoran's Emissary, once Captain Benjamin Sisko, the son of a human and a female Wormhole alien, who now lived in the Celestial Temple with her. All around them, Icheb heard people asking, "Is it really him? Are the Fluidians and the Wormhole aliens the same species?"
Boothby spoke first. "I know many of you must be curious about how we choose our Dry Space forms. We've been observing your peoples for quite a while now, long enough to figure out who would be appropriate for our own personalities. Our Prime Leader has taken a form that is familiar to many of you. I assure you, he chose this persona because the original was not going to be present at this meeting to confuse you about which one of them was which. Our dueling Admiral Bullochs taught us a thing or two about the advisability of trying that again!"
A wave of amused laughter circulated through the group. The two Bullochs looked sternly at each other, perfectly illustrating Boothby's point, before he continued, "I'd like to introduce you to our Prime Leader. You may address him simply as Sisko. It will save time. Prime Leader, the floor is yours."
The Sisko double thanked Boothby for the introduction. "I hope those who knew Benjamin Sisko are not disturbed by my assuming this form. I learned the original had a gravitas that was quite noteworthy for a Dry Space native. And by the way, we don't know what sort of being the Wormhole aliens are, either. But they are interesting, aren't they?" He smiled, and the atmosphere in the room, which had become a little intense, relaxed somewhat. The rest of the Fluidians and the Borg Resistance leaders were identified by name, as were all of the Starfleet representatives who were to sign the agreement.
The accord was read aloud so that all in attendance would know exactly what they were signing. Even though the document was considered to be a preliminary agreement, and its wording would undoubtedly be modified in places when it was presented to the Federation Council and all of its allies, everyone was certain that the main points would survive. The Fluidians and the former Borg wished to ally themselves with the Federation. Open lines of communication between all parties were to be maintained to avoid any "unfortunate misunderstandings," as had occurred when the Borg Queen had misrepresented the Fluidians' intentions towards those who dwell in Dry Space. Tactical information would continue to be exchanged among all signatory parties, as had already been shared during the treaty negotiations. (This proviso alone, Icheb knew, had been instrumental in convincing the Cardassians they should sign the agreement.) The initial representatives/liaisons to the Federation were named: Boothby for the Fluidians, and Axum for the former Borg. The Federation and its allies agreed to assist in the search for a planet where the Borg survivors could settle together, since many came from worlds which had been utterly decimated by the Collective. Many were apparently the last of their species and had no homes to which they could return. Others who might be able to return to their home planets would prefer to live with those who had lived as drones, since many were still recovering from their forced assimilations. General Korok had accepted the task of searching for more Borg survivors and would assist in the repatriation of all former Borg, until everyone was satisfied there was little likelihood of finding any other survivors.
The document was passed around and signed by those designated for the task. As he watched, Icheb could see why Quinton had been so fascinated by the process. It was certainly different from the way the Continuum operated - or the Collective, either. Since he was just an observer, Icheb decided that standing here, with Quinton and his mother, was as appropriate as standing with Seven would have been. Icheb had to admit there was some truth in Q's insistence that he'd contributed to the events of this day. Voyager's journey through the Delta Quadrant, which had, in fact, been the catalyst for this agreement, had required some very precise timing for everything to occur when and how it needed to, in order for all this to come about. Q did play a small part in it all, as did Quinton's mother, for suggesting that Icheb might be successful if he continued to work on a weapon to thwart assimilation. Perhaps having Quinton's very unique family present at the event wasn't the intrusion it initially appeared to be.
Afterwards, Quinton's mom asked, "I'll keep an eye on your father while you visit your friends on Voyager. But did you appreciate this view of the bipedal humanoid diplomatic process?"
"I did. It's a big moment in the history of this galaxy. I didn't want to miss it!"
"Q would have dragged you along with him, whether you wanted to come or not," She replied acidly. "Miss a chance to annoy Picard and Janeway? And both at the same time? Not a chance!"
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"Academy life a little dull after all the fireworks lighting the skies?" Professor Reagan asked as he encountered Icheb and Verit walking down the hallway of the main Sciences building.
Icheb chuckled, while Verit looked down at the ground to control her features to assume a suitably sober Vulcan mien. Sheepishly, Icheb admitted, "It is a lot quieter around here than I remembered, but that's okay. It was almost too exciting for a while."
The trip back to Earth had been anticlimactic until they entered the Sol System. The fireworks displays had been quite beautiful in their way. Icheb was able to appreciate them more this time than he had when Voyager had returned from the Delta Quadrant. Then, Icheb had been unnerved by the incipient changes in his life which he knew would occur upon his arrival in the Alpha Quadrant. The status of all the non-Starfleet regular crew was so precarious then. What would happen to the Maquis and the Equinox Five? Captain Janeway faced an inquisition about all the decisions she made in the Delta Quadrant, starting with the first one, which was to integrate the Maquis with her own crew and choosing to protect the Ocampa from the Kazon rather than return immediately to the Alpha Quadrant through the Caretaker Array with the Val Jean's crew as her prisoners. Seven and Icheb didn't know if they would be welcomed as individuals rescued from the Borg or as pariahs who could be punished as members of the Collective, however unwilling they might have been to act as they did.
Now, it was all so different. The Maquis had been welcomed home and honored for their role members of the crew of Voyager. While the Equinox Five hadn't fared quite as well, they were getting on with their lives. Marla Gilmore and Noah Lessing had even been asked to serve as "reservists" during this mission, and the tragic tale of the Equinox had never been publicly revealed, to their great relief.
The unit of cadets Icheb had "commanded" during this operation had already received commendations for their participation in "The Events at The Rift," as their citations identified it, even though Icheb thought they'd performed the normal duties expected of members of a Starfleet crew. When he mentioned that they hadn't really done anything "that special" to Verit, however, she stated pointedly, "No one knew our 'training cruise' would turn out to be so routine in nature when it began. You contributed much to all that happened, Icheb, even if your contributions occurred during the end stages of Voyager's journey. I am conscious of my good fortune. I was privileged to view momentous events at first hand. I will remember this for the rest of my life. And to receive a commendation when we are still cadets can only enhance our career prospects," she added, speaking practically and logically, as she always did.
When the fleet attained orbit around Earth, Starfleet Command ordered many of the admirals and captains to transport onto Voyager, which was then directed to land with great ceremony on the Presidio. Axum's sphere followed, with the Fluidians and other former Borg leaders on board with him. After a short welcome to the "honored guests of the Federation," commemorating the new accord, the assorted officials and admirals walked from there to Starfleet Headquarters. As Captain Janeway followed them down the planetary exit ramp, she groaned when she saw her ship's position. "You can see Alcatraz from here," she muttered. Fortunately, everyone who was going to had disembarked by this time, and Voyager was allowed to return to Earth orbit. "But it's only a matter of time before it returns for good," she moaned to Captain Chakotay. Icheb heard their exchange. While he couldn't be certain, Icheb had a hunch she was referring to something Admiral Janeway had told her once. It seemed to Icheb that the admiral's visit took place ages ago, even though less than a year and a half had passed.
Seven and Icheb were among the very few members of the gallery audience (thanks to their connection to Axum) who had been invited to view the final act of the drama, when the Federation Council ratified and signed the treaty which created the Federation-Fluidian-Borg Survivor Alliance. Two other observers, not invited, but impossible to exclude, also attended. Quinton and his father stood behind Captain Picard and Captain Janeway (much to her displeasure) during the signing.
Q offered to help find the new planet for the former Borg. "Are you certain the Federation President wouldn't want my assistance?" Q asked Picard and Janeway.
"No!" they said, in chorus.
The Borg Resistance representative to the Federation Council, as befit his new position, was more diplomatic. "We thank you for your offer, but your assistance will not be required, Q," Axum said firmly. And, to the surprise of those few who were aware of the presence of the Continuum's representatives in the audience, Q acquiesced.
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