Star Trek: Voyager - 042 - Protectors

by Kirsten Beyer

  “Given our first encounters with them, that’s not surprising,” Chakotay said. “But could we possibly be seen as enough of a threat to warrant these preemptive strikes? And bear in mind, I don’t think the Turei, Vaadwaur, or Devore were expecting to engage us out there.”

  “No, that was just a happy accident,” Janeway said grimly.

  “What do we do?” Chakotay asked.

  “We have reinforced our relay system,” Janeway said. “Should the attacks continue, we will have to deal with them. I was thinking of asking Neelix to do a little recon from time to time.”

  “I don’t think the people of New Talax are ready to face the Voth,” Chakotay said.

  “Just to gather intelligence,” Janeway said, raising a hand to forestall argument. “Obviously, I don’t want Neelix or his people engaging anyone.”

  “If they get caught looking, they might not have a choice,” Chakotay said.

  “Pathfinder is monitoring the system as well,” Janeway added. “They will keep us apprised of any activity they detect.”

  “From the Confederacy, we’re twenty thousand light-years away from the relays,” Chakotay advised. “Should we consider extending the system in that direction?”

  “Why don’t we wait and see how our early meetings go?” Janeway said. “If it looks like an alliance is possible, extending our communication system will become a priority.”

  “There might be more than one way to do that,” Farkas added. “We don’t know what the Confederacy might bring to the table.”

  “Good point,” Janeway agreed. “Vesta, Galen, and Voyager will depart for the Confederacy tomorrow at zero seven hundred. There are, however, a few additional issues.”

  “Such as?” Chakotay asked, sensing a distinct negative shift in her demeanor.

  “A medical crisis has emerged on several Federation worlds,” Janeway replied. “Starfleet Medical believes the illness is due to exposure to Caeliar catoms.”

  Chakotay was taken aback. “Is Seven vulnerable?”

  “No,” Janeway said. “The plague is affecting inhabitants of worlds where Borg debris was transformed. There is no indication that those who were provided with catoms directly by the Caeliar are in any danger.”

  “The only people the Federation know of that have Caeliar catoms are Seven and Riley Frazier’s people. How did the Starfleet Medical come to that conclusion?” Chakotay asked.

  “Two months ago, Axum, a former Borg drone, was recovered by Starbase 185,” Janeway replied. “He is currently being examined to enable our scientists and doctors to better understand catomic technology.”

  “Seven has been experiencing what she believes to be catomic communication with Axum,” Chakotay said.

  “How is that possible?” Janeway asked.

  “I don’t know,” Chakotay said. “She described the examinations he is enduring as torture. Doctor Sharak inhibited her neural pathways to prevent these communications from causing serious trauma to her.”

  “The Doctor took over Axum’s treatment at Starbase 185 as soon as the Galen arrived,” Glenn reported. “In order to save his life, the Doctor provided Axum with a small number of catoms he had extracted from Seven. That could explain what Seven is experiencing, Captain. But I can assure you that while he was in our care, Axum was treated with compassion.”

  “I don’t doubt that,” Chakotay said, “but where is he now?”

  “We don’t know,” Janeway said. “The Doctor expressed concern from day one that Axum might be in some danger from those studying him. But I find that hard to believe.”

  “I don’t,” Glenn said. “They’re terrified, Admiral. It’s not that they want to hurt him, but they have no idea what they’re dealing with, and they need answers yesterday.”

  “We don’t abandon our most cherished principles for the sake of convenience, do we?” Janeway asked. “I know things have changed in the last year, but not that much.”

  “If Seven, the Doctor, and Captain Glenn all share the same concerns,” Chakotay began, “I’d be hesitant to dismiss them out of hand.”

  “As would I,” Farkas agreed. “People do incredibly stupid things when they are frightened. We need to do anything we can to help them cure this plague.”

  “Starfleet Medical has asked that Seven return to the Alpha Quadrant at once,” Janeway said. “The choice will be hers, but I’m confident she will want to assist them.”

  “As am I,” Chakotay said, “if for no other reason than to assure herself of Axum’s well-being. But given her current medical issues, we can’t send her back alone.”

  “We’re not,” Janeway said. “Julia Paris, Tom’s mother, has petitioned the Federation Family Court for custody of Miral. The court has ordered mediation, and the Paris family has been ordered to appear.”

  For the first time in a long time, Chakotay remembered what panic felt like. “No one is taking Miral away from her parents,” he said coldly.

  “Julia needs to see her son,” Janeway said. “I know he’ll make her understand. We need to facilitate that meeting.”

  “Send Tom with Seven, but B’Elanna and Miral stay with Voyager, just in case,” Chakotay said.

  Janeway sighed. “The whole Paris family needs to appear.”

  “If we need to send B’Elanna and Miral back, we have to return to the Confederacy to do so,” Chakotay stated. His gut assured him that Tom would see this his way.

  “Why?”

  “They’re aboard Demeter, along with Counselor Cambridge and Lieutenants Patel and Lasren,” Chakotay said, wondering how quickly Kathryn would see through his lie.

  Janeway’s eyes met his with obvious disappointment.

  “That’s a problem,” Janeway said evenly.

  This was a more complicated matter than Kathryn realized. He was confident that once they were alone, he could make her understand that.

  “Seven and Tom will depart tomorrow,” Janeway ordered. “We brought the Home Free to facilitate their transfer.”

  Chakotay nodded and added, “We should send the Doctor, too.”

  “No,” Janeway said quickly.

  Chakotay was shocked by how suddenly she dismissed the notion.

  “Another officer from our fleet would be helpful to Seven, but the Doctor won’t be going,” the admiral continued.

  “Begging your pardon, Admiral,” Glenn interjected, “but the Doctor knows more about catoms than anyone else. He’s the obvious best choice. We just need to make Starfleet Medical see that.”

  “I was provided with all available data from their current research, and the Doctor will be free to review it and expand upon it from here. But he’s not the best choice to help Seven.”

  Chakotay found this hard to believe but also knew Kathryn wouldn’t make such a statement lightly.

  “What about Doctor Sharak?” Janeway asked. “He has treated Seven.”

  “Yes,” Chakotay said. “But he’s not the Doctor.”

  “Captain, my primary concern is for Seven,” Janeway said. “With her help, I’m sure those already studying the plague will make significant progress. Doctor Sharak will accompany her, and Commander Paris will be close at hand should any of our fears appear well founded,” she added, settling the matter.

  “What does Voyager do in the meantime for a chief medical officer and first officer?” Chakotay asked.

  “Can the Galen spare the Doctor for a few weeks?” Janeway asked Glenn.

  “Yes,” Glenn said.

  Turning back to Chakotay, Janeway asked, “Harry is next in command?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you have any concerns about making him your acting first officer?”

  “No,” Chakotay said.

  “Advise your crews accordingly, and be ready to depart at zero seven hundred,” Janeway said, bringing the meeting to a close. “Captain Chakotay, if you’ll remain?”

  “Of course, Admiral,” Chakotay replied.

  Kathryn Janeway hadn’t spent much time
imagining what her reunion with Chakotay would be like. Such thoughts took her too far from the present, but once she knew that he was en route, she had indulged in idle speculation.

  That speculation had not included the possibility that as soon as they saw each other again he would lie to her.

  As Farkas and Glenn departed, Janeway sat. Clearly sensing her misgivings, Chakotay did the same.

  “You left B’Elanna and Miral with the Demeter?” she asked pointedly once they were alone.

  “It’s good to see you, too,” Chakotay said. “I trust the review process went well for you?”

  “Computer,” Janeway called, “are Commander B’Elanna Torres and Miral Paris currently aboard Voyager?”

  Chakotay’s eyes did not leave hers as the computer replied, “Commander B’Elanna Torres and Miral Paris are not aboard Voyager.”

  Janeway wanted to feel relief, but couldn’t.

  “Kathryn,” Chakotay began, reaching for her hand.

  She pulled it away automatically, not knowing what to do with her absolute certainty that Chakotay was deceiving her.

  “This isn’t a game, Chakotay. Tom has to do this right, or Julia will never accept that she’s making a terrible mistake.”

  “He will,” Chakotay argued.

  “It will look like he’s starting off in bad faith.”

  “I don’t care what it looks like,” Chakotay replied. “If there is the slightest chance that the proceedings end with Miral clinging to her mother, crying hysterically as a court official pulls her free and gives her to Julia, it’s too much to risk.”

  “That won’t happen.”

  “B’Elanna is pregnant again,” Chakotay said.

  “Ah,” Janeway said, the light beginning to dawn.

  “If you’re wrong, having already lost Miral, B’Elanna then delivers another child that is also taken away from her.”

  Janeway shook her head, willing the thought from her mind.

  “Tom and B’Elanna should have the final say. If they both want to go, fine. But if they see this the way I do, at least now we have options,” Chakotay insisted.

  “I don’t need options, Chakotay. I need the truth.”

  “You need plausible deniability. I just gave you that.”

  “How?” Janeway demanded.

  “You don’t want to know.”

  “This isn’t going to work,” Janeway suddenly realized. “We’re supposed to be in this together.”

  “We are,” Chakotay assured her. “You honestly think I’m wrong?”

  “It’s not your decision!” Janeway said, her voice rising.

  Finally, Chakotay stood. He turned and moved toward the door but stopped just short of the sensor.

  “All fleet ships were programmed with a special protocol regarding B’Elanna and Miral when they rejoined us. Their identities are classified. Voyager is the only ship in the fleet where their comm signals read their actual names. When any other vessel inquires, they are listed as not present. I took a chance that B’Elanna had forgotten to revise the protocol.”

  He turned back. Janeway had risen from her chair but did not move to him.

  She understood why Chakotay was doing this. A few years ago, she might have done the same. But there was more riding on every choice she made than he could possibly understand. The last few months had shaken her perceptions of Starfleet Command. It was a pettier place than she remembered. It pained her to imagine descending to the same level as officers like Montgomery. She knew what Akaar expected of her, and a deception like this would threaten all she had worked so hard to recover as well as the fragile peace she had hoped to build on.

  But that didn’t make Chakotay’s fears easier to dismiss.

  “Tell Tom and B’Elanna everything. It’s their lives and their family. I’ll trust their instincts about this, and yours,” she added.

  “Thank you.”

  “But so help me if this becomes a habit between us . . .” she began.

  Chakotay smiled warily. “It won’t.” He stepped closer, asking, “What’s wrong with the Doctor?”

  Kathryn couldn’t contain the grim chuckle that escaped her lips. “You don’t want to know.”

  Chakotay’s obvious curiosity was elevated to concern. “Kathryn?”

  “You don’t need to know,” she clarified. “He is functioning within normal parameters. We’ll be working closely with him over the next few weeks, and if I think there’s a problem, I’ll inform you. I’m not withholding this as payback. I’m respecting his privacy.”

  “Fair enough,” Chakotay said. “We’ve prepared new quarters for you aboard Voyager. Ironically, I reallocated the former fleet commander’s suite to the Paris family. I figured they were going to need it.”

  “They are,” Janeway assured him. “But it doesn’t matter. I’ve been ordered to maintain quarters aboard the Vesta.”

  Chakotay started to ask her why, but seemed to think better of it. “I see.”

  “It won’t be a problem,” she assured him in a low voice.

  “Welcome home, Kathryn,” he said softly.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  VOYAGER

  “I’ll kill her,” B’Elanna raged.

  “She’s Miral’s only living grandmother,” Tom said, glad that he had sent Miral to the holodeck with Kula.

  “How does your mother not understand what we tried to do for her?”

  “She’s lost a lot lately, B’Elanna. She’s in twenty different kinds of pain. This is what Mom’s focusing on, but it’s not her real problem.”

  “No, now it’s mine,” B’Elanna insisted. “She’ll never see Miral again, and never lay eyes on her grandson.”

  “Let’s not overreact,” Tom said, struggling to maintain his composure. When Chakotay had told him of his mother’s court filing, Tom had felt exactly as B’Elanna did now. But he’d soon accepted that it was his actions that had brought all of this on, and he’d felt a sliver of compassion for his mother. Clearly B’Elanna was not so inclined.

  “Forget it,” B’Elanna went on. “She’s forty thousand light-years away. Starfleet isn’t going to force us to go back there. When our tour ends here, we can stay, just like we planned. New Talax is looking better by the day. Hell, maybe the Confederacy could use a sharp pilot and a fantastic engineer.”

  “No,” Tom said, his ire intensifying. “We did this to her. We have to make it right.”

  “All we did was protect her,” B’Elanna shouted.

  “But to do that, we lied to her. I almost lost my best friend over this, B’Elanna. I should have thought twice before telling my mom in a letter. It would have been different if we went to her together. She would have been so happy just seeing you and Miral. . . .”

  “You are out of your mind,” B’Elanna said. “Your mother has never known what to do with me. She tolerated me because she had no choice. Now she thinks she can take my children from me? Does she know nothing about Klingons?”

  “That’s enough!” Tom shouted. His anger was abruptly replaced by shame. The plan to guard Miral had been B’Elanna’s, with a little help from the Emperor Kahless, but he had gone along with it. If he was being completely honest with himself, the injury to his mother by this should be laid at his feet.

  B’Elanna crossed her arms at her chest. Her belly had finally started to swell slightly, and the sight of his developing son filled him with fierce protectiveness. Moving to his wife he wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll get through this. Remember the Warriors of Gre’thor? Remember the qawHaq’hoch? Remember when they had Miral and we had no leads? This is nothing compared to that.”

  “No, it’s worse,” B’Elanna said, pulling back. “It’s lawyers. They don’t care about the truth. They care about Julia getting what she wants.”

  “We’ll have representation, too,” Tom argued. “But it won’t matter. I can make my mother understand. She just needs to hear me apologize.”

  “Didn’t you do that about a thousand ti
mes in that letter?”

  “She needs to hear it from me.”

  “Then go,” B’Elanna said, moving away from him.

  “Alone?” Tom asked.

  “Miral and I stay here until this matter is dropped. Period,” B’Elanna said.

  It hadn’t been that long ago that B’Elanna had been terrified by the thought of living without him. That fear was obviously gone, mitigated by the far greater terror of living without her children. Tom understood, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

  “Okay,” Tom said softly.

  B’Elanna looked at him, her face red and her eyes glistening with tears she would not allow to fall.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he added.

  “You’re not leaving until tomorrow morning,” B’Elanna said hesitantly.

  “Harry’s taking over in my absence,” Tom said. “It will take me most of the night to bring him up to speed.”

  B’Elanna nodded. “I see.”

  “I love you, honey,” Tom said, too late.

  “I love you, too,” B’Elanna replied.

  Tom moved sluggishly to their quarter’s door, half hoping that B’Elanna would call him back.

  She didn’t.

  As soon as the doors slid open, Tom was greeted by the sight of Harry Kim lurking near the entrance.

  Without looking back, Paris said, “Come on.”

  They were a few paces out into the corridor when Kim asked, “You okay?”

  “Yep,” Paris said.

  “What about B’Elanna? Even through the bulkhead, she sounded really pissed.”

  “Do you blame her?”

  “The captain told me about your mother. I’m so sorry. I mean, I was angry with you for a long time, but I’ve never on my worst day questioned your fitness as a parent.”

  “Thanks,” Paris said.

  “You know I always wanted to make first officer,” Kim said, “but not like this.”

  “Well, don’t get comfortable,” Paris said. “It’s not permanent.”

  “I know that,” Kim said. “It’s going to be okay. You’ll fix this.”

  Paris nodded, wondering as each minute passed if this was going to be a more difficult task than he had been telling himself.