by Alys Landale
As always, I don’t own any of the Star Trek characters. They are all property of Paramount. However, I do lay claim to Xara, Aria, Danag, Satira, Meylin, Sargon, Takma, Kail, etc... (Quite a few names, huh.) Anyway, here is part six of the Fates Series.
Alys Landale
The Fates Series
An Unexpected Reunion
B’Elanna ran a hand through her hair. It had been one of those days. She’d been working on the new warp-core for almost eighteen hours straight. There had been little time for rest. She had forced herself to keep this deadline. She had said she could have this thing finished and ready to roll within a month. Now, she had one day to go and she was sure she would have all the kinks worked out before tomorrow came.
She had long since shed her uniform jacket. It just seemed too binding for her to work in. Now her tired muscles were beginning to ache. She leaned her head to one side as she stretched her arms out behind her. She closed her eyes. It felt so good to have her muscles stretched again.
When she opened her eyes again, she was aware of another set of sky-blue orbs resting on her at the moment. She quickly brought her arms back down to her sides from where they had been stretched behind her back.
“What is it?” she asked.
Tom let a smile play on his lips. He walked over to her from where he had been standing on the other side of the core. “Nothing. Just wondering if you’re ever going to take a break,” he said.
She put her hands on her hips. “And what about you. You’ve been here for almost two days straight.”
Tom shot her another smile as he approached her. Positioning himself behind her, he put a pair of strong hands on her shoulders and began to massage them. She let out a moan of pleasure as he kneaded out the stress in her shoulders and neck.
He finally spoke again. “You forget, I’m used to only getting a couple of hours worth of sleep. You need a little more.”
“I can take it Paris.” There was a slight growl of challenge in her voice as she responded to the man behind her.
“Then I suppose you can get back to work.” He stopped massaging her shoulders as he said these words. She let out a soft growl of protest but turned to face Tom nonetheless.
His face was covered in a bemused smirk as she watched him. Humor twinkled in his eyes. She couldn’t help but smile as well. It was hard to believe that over a month had passed since Tom had been returned to Voyager. It had been a month since he had recovered some of his memories of her. And it had been a month since they had begun to see each other once again, on a more...personal level.
She could see that his eyes were waiting for an answer. “I suppose I have been overworking a little,” she conceded.
He shook his head. “That’s quite an understatement. And just when do you prepare on resting.”
She grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. “As soon as I’m done here.” The smile she wore had grown exceedingly larger. Now they were engaging in the same playful arguing as usual.
Joe averted his gaze as the two of them continued in their usual banter. Tom could sense the man’s feeling of awkwardness.
Reluctantly he decided to end this little prelude. He’d have to wait for better things.
Both he and Torres were barely centimeters apart. His eyes rested on her as he whispered. “I don’t think any of you’re duties include foreplay in Engineering. As much as I’d like that, your engineers seem to be a little uncomfortable right now.”
She averted her gaze from Tom’s eyes and looked around her. All her crew had somehow found looking at empty panels or blank Padds extremely interesting.
She let go of Tom’s shirt and backed away. “Come on, let’s get back to work.” she told him. They only needed to make a few last minute adjustments and Voyager would be able to take its first flight through a subspacial current.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Tom responded and returned to a console next to Torres. She stole one last glance at him before she got to work.
Janeway couldn’t help but smile. If all went as planned, they would be back in the Alpha Quadrant within the week. Her smile grew wider as she thought about her home on Earth.
Chakotay noticed Janeway’s expression. “Thinking about home?” he asked.
She nodded. “I see you caught me Commander.”
“It wasn’t hard,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a person on board who isn’t thinking the same thing.”
“Yes,” she said. “With the progress we’re making now, it’s hard not to get your hopes up.” She paused as her thoughts turned to a different subject. “I suppose we owe Tom a lot.”
He noticed that her voice was a lot softer as she said her last words. His brow furrowed. “You’re worried about him.”
She smiled a bit more sadly. “I don’t know Chakotay. Everyone’s so excited about going home, but what about Tom.
He doesn’t remember his past, but he’ll still have to face it. I don’t know. I just keep remembering something he told me when he first got back. He said he’d help build this core if he got to use it to get back to the Empire.”
“You can’t really think he’s going to leave now. He’s got B’Elanna to keep him here now. From what I’ve seen, he’s not going to leave her.”
Janeway could see the truth in Chakotay’s words. But still, that couldn’t shake the doubt in her mind.
Paris entered his quarters for the first time in almost two days. He had relinquished his shifts at the helm and had, instead, spent his time in Engineering. Only Torres was second in time spent in Engineering. Now she followed him into his quarters as well.
Tom checked to see if Xara was present. It looked as if she was still out with Naomi. He then wrapped an arm around
B’Elanna as he pulled her inside with him.
She let out a feral growl. “I thought you wanted to save the foreplay for bed.”
He smiled mischievously and then picked her up in his arms in one quick move. She couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
He seemed to weigh her in his arms for a moment. “You know, I don’t think you’re as heavy as Xara.”
She gave him a deep kiss. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” After a few more kisses, she finally asked. “So what were you planning on doing with me?”
“You know I hadn’t thought that part out just yet.” He then carried her over to the bedroom.
She let out another growl. “Let me guess.” she said.
He put her down under the covers. “Don’t get any ideas Lieutenant. I’m going to make sure you get some rest before our flight tomorrow. We don’t need our chief Engineer falling asleep at her station now do we?”
She was about to protest but a yawn replaced her words. She then looked at him. He showed no traces of fatigue. “And you go even longer than I do and don’t look a bit tired.” she said.
“What can I say? I’m just built for it.” He lay down in the covers with her. After a while, his thoughts turned inward.
She could see what he was thinking. “You’re thinking about tomorrow aren’t you?”
He nodded. “After tomorrow we should be back in the Alpha Quadrant.” His voice showed his lack of enthusiasm.
“And what about you. You don’t seem too enthused,” she said.
He looked away. “I just... I don’t remember anything about my life back there. I don’t much of a life to go back to.”
B’Elanna’s voice took on a much softer tone as it brought up the conversation that had taken up much of their time over the past month. “And what about the Empire. You’ve got a way to get back there now.”
He looked into her eyes. He saw the worry in hers and she could see
the indecision in his. He got out of bed and began to pace the floor.
“I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to continue. “I have responsibilities I can’t give up. The
Resistance is always short of officers and ships. And now with Takma as Pretor, there’s no telling what she’s done. But...”
B’Elanna got up as well and walked over to him. She wrapped two arms around him from behind and leaned up against his strong back. She then continued his sentence for him. “But you have responsibilities here as well.”
He turned around so that they now stood face to face. Their lips were little more than centimeters apart. “I don’t give a damn about any of these responsibilities. Neither Resistance nor Starfleet. What I care about is you.”
She was caught off guard by his sincerity. “You can’t just throw away your life because of me, though.” She paused for a second as she came to a decision. “You’re going back to the Empire,” she told him. “And I’m going with you.”
His eyes opened in surprise. “Do you know what you’re saying?” He asked. “The Resistance...”
“Is just like the Maquis.” she finished. “I don’t belong in Starfleet. I belong with you and you belong in the Resistance. So you’re stuck with me Paris. Whether you like it or not.”
His face broke into a smile. “I love you.” he told her and then bent down to kiss her. The kiss quickly escalated into burning passion. They didn’t even separate as they made their way back to the bed.
Tom began to pull off B’Elanna’s shirt as she did the same to him. Sleep would have to wait until a later time.
The senior staff met in the Captain’s Ready Room. Everyone around the table was brimming with excitement. Even Seven looked somewhat eager to begin the flight. Harry took her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze to convey his enthusiasm as well. She raised an ocular implant but squeezed his hand in return.
“Well, I think we all know what we’re doing here.” Janeway said. “Now why don’t we get down to business.”
Paris and Torres took center stage. B’Elanna looked to Tom before she began her speech. “As you all know, we finished working out all the kinks in the core yesterday. Tests have been run, systems checked. I’d say we’re ready to go.”
Janeway smiled. “Well put Lieutenant. Is there any reason at all that would prevent us from proceeding today.” No one said a word. “I’ll take that as a no. Good then, today at 1300 we will bring the new warp core online. Have everyone ready by then. That’s all.”
Xara and Naomi were on their way to Naomi’s quarters. Both of them were excited about the coming trip, but it was curiosity that provoked this emotion. Neither shared the reminiscence that the rest of the crew possessed.
“I wonder what it’ll be like.” Xara said. The Delta Quadrant had been her home for as long as she could remember.
In a few hours though, she would be a stranger in a strange land. The explorer within her perked up at the thought. Her excitement grew even more.
“I don’t know,” Naomi said. “But my mom is really excited and says it’s the best place she’s ever known. It must be pretty great.”
Xara nodded. Rune had been running flight simulations in the holodeck all week as well as putting extra time in Engineering almost constantly. Now it was time for all his efforts to be fulfilled. Soon they would be back in the Alpha Quadrant. But still, she wondered what was happening back in the Empire.
*
“Bring the aft shielding back online!” Consul Maris was at the head of the Resistance ship, Trelin. He wondered for an instant just how they had gotten into such a situation.
“Sir, we don’t have enough power.” Danag replied. “We have to retreat.”
The Consul shook his head. The ship rocked to its side as it took another shot. He looked at the empty captain’s chair. The ship’s captain had already died in one of the previous battles. Now it looked like it was up to Maris to get them out of this.
“Meylin, fire three torpedoes at the Imperial Battleship now.” he told her.
She gave a firm nod and did as she was told. The Imperial vessel’s shielding flickered for a moment. This was his chance.
He brought his communicator online. “Sargon, reroute all power to engines. We’re getting out of here now.”
“Power is rerouted sir,” the Parvanian told him.
Maris gave a sigh of relief. “Take us out of here,” he told his helmsman.
“We can’t out-run that kind of ship sir.” Danag said.
“I don’t intend to.” The consul walked over to his helmsman. “Take us into that asteroid field. A battleship won’t be able to maneuver inside there.”
The pilot did as he was told.
“We can’t let that Battleship get away.” Maris told his crew. “If they succeed in their plans... I don’t even want to think about that.”
Danag struggled at his controls. So far, the hull hadn’t been breached but the shielding had been shot to hell. *Of all times for us to get sent on a mission of this nature.* he thought.
The ship wasn’t even equipped for this type of battle. It’s primary mission was only to escort Consul Maris to a safer Resistance Base. But once they had found out what this Imperial vessel was about to perform....
Maris interrupted his thoughts. “You all know that we can’t defeat this vessel in the state that we’re in now.”
*Tell me something I don’t know.* Danag thought bitterly.
“That’s why we’ll be attacking them just before they implement their plan.”
That, Danag didn’t know. “You’ve got to be kidding,” he said. “They’ll be opening a corridor to subspace. If we attack then, we could get sucked in ourselves. And our shields definitely couldn’t handle such extremities.”
“That’s why timing is key in this procedure.” Maris told him. “We are not sure of the exact coordinates Takma is wishing to reach, but knowing her if she succeeds in getting there, it wouldn’t be good.” Everyone was silent. “So we wait here until she opens the corridor. Then we make our move. If there are any objections, speak now.”
Silence prevailed on the bridge. Danag cast a worried glance to Meylin but she remained impervious to his look.
“It’s settled then.” Maris announced. “We attack when they open the corridor.”
“Where did that Resistance ship go?” Takma ordered. She sat on the bridge of her ship waiting for a reply. If all went as was planned, she would soon have the greatest treasure imaginable. She would have a means of conquering the entire galaxy, and perhaps even beyond that.
“They have entered an asteroid belt at coordinates 28993.56 by 68760.7. Our weapons, however, will not be able to penetrate the field.”
Takma turned an eye to the speaker. It was a six foot tall Borg drone, or a very close resemblance to a Borg drone. In fact, her entire bridge was littered with similar crewman. Only a few were still unassimilated.
“Ignore them,” she told the drone. “They pose no threat to us. We shall go ahead as planned. Prepare to open the corridor in one hour.”
She smiled to herself. Soon all her problems would be solved. She thought back to all the research her scientists had brought to her from their findings on Voyager. This new warp-drive was one of the greater treasures, but she would have to say that these drones had to be her favorite. They were so much more productive than regular crewmen. And she had finally been able to find a use for those damn prisoners in the concentration camps.
*I suppose I owe Voyager a debt of gratitude.* she thought bitterly. *If it wasn’t for Seven of Nine’s nanoprobes, none of this would be possible.*
A year’s worth of research had provided her with her own personal collective. It had only been a month ago, that she had first begun the assimilations, but that didn’t matter. She had pushed back her experiments so that her husband would not discover what she had been up to and have her executed for treason. But once Captain Landis had disposed of him, all
her fears had been eradicated.
She regretted having lost Rune of course. He would have been a marvelous experiment and probably could have added a more advanced system to her drones, but what was done was done. He was dead and she had her collective. It was small, only about five thousand drones at present, but it was growing. And it was growing fast.
Her thoughts turned to other things. If events went as planned, she would soon add millions to her collective and then billions. She looked down at the information on her console. Voyager had been a bountiful source of resources indeed.
*
Tom sat down at the Helm. He had navigated through subspace a few times before, but if there was one thing he could be certain of, it was this: you could be certain of nothing. Subspace was one of the most unpredictable regions to navigate through, especially when traveling through a rift such as the one they would soon be engulfed in.
He checked his console. So far everything looked good.
“Mr. Paris, are we ready?” Janeway’s excitement was conveyed to everyone as she spoke her words. They all knew that this would have its dangers, but thoughts of home seemed to outweigh all their worries.
“Yes Ma’am.” he told her. “I’m preparing to open the thresh hold.”
She gave a terse nod as he entered the commands for the procedure. Soon they would be on their way.
The subspacial warp core came online. B’Elanna stared at it as the billowing cylinder radiated a faint teal color, and then changed to that of a deep violet. It looked like they were about to begin.
“Everyone, at your stations.” B’Elanna knew the risks of this all too well. If for whatever reasons, the engines failed on them, the whole ship would be thrown out of the rift they were entering. A detour that quick, would be sure to rip Voyager’s hull in two. That’s why she held her demeanor even more seriously today. Nothing was going to cause a problem if she could help it. Nothing.
Janeway watched as the space outside of Voyager began to shift from opaqueness to a sea of violets and blues. The particles seemed to wind their way around Voyager as if the ship was merely a pebble in a sea of subspace.
