There had been numerous speculations about the duration of Kathryn and B'Elanna's liaison. As the rumor mill would have it, most of the crew felt that B'Elanna's personality was too volatile to be tamed by even the commanding nature of Voyager's captain. But Kathryn adored the feisty Klingon, and had since the first time she had laid eyes on her.  Kathryn found her physical attributes exotic and her hot-blooded yet tender personality captivating.

Being Captain of a ship in Starfleet was many times a rewarding and fulfilling occupation, but too often it came with a high price.  The price of loneliness.  So although Janeway found Torres extremely attractive, she couldn't act on said attraction because of her rank.  It would not have been the acceptable thing to do.  So she was shocked yet enormously pleased when B'Elanna made the initial overture.  True to her Klingon nature, Torres pursued her relentlessly until Kathryn finally agreed to a date with her.  After that, B'Elanna seemed to make it her personal endeavor to do whatever it took to make Kathryn fall for her.  It worked - she fell totally and completely in love with her Chief Engineer, and Kathryn was convinced that B'Elanna loved her as well.

Regrettably it seemed that she was mistaken.  It was B'Elanna who had come to her and severed their relationship on the basis that she had found something with Seven.  Seven of Nine - the beautiful former Borg drone.  How could Kathryn compete with someone like her?  She glanced into her half empty coffee cup, noting that it had grown cold and sighed.  She remembered it as if it happened yesterday - the pain still fresh, even though it had been a year and a month since their break up. 

It was after a particularly difficult away mission.   B'Elanna and Seven's friendship grew while on a planet with a significant time variation.  What was to be a six-hour mission had turned into two days for Voyager due to sensor and transporter difficulties, and eighteen months for them on the planet.  So when they returned, B'Elanna felt that it would be better if she continued what she had found with Seven.  

Kathryn's reaction to the news was nothing short of classy.  Perhaps it was due to the self-reproach she sometimes felt that she had allowed herself the luxury of a relationship with B'Elanna or with anyone for that matter.  From time to time the guilt was nearly overwhelming - especially when she looked into the eyes of her chief pilot.  In a way she felt she didn't deserve the love B'Elanna had given her.  So when Torres told her that their relationship was over, she didn't make a scene or have any sort of emotional outburst.  Even though her heart felt as if it were crumbling apart within her chest, Kathryn Janeway quietly let her go.

She had a pile of reports on her desk that she was slowly making her way through.  However, on certain days, especially when the days were quiet, her emotions caved in on her and she wished somehow that time could be reversed so she could fight harder for her beloved. 

But her troubles were a double-edged sword.  Not only did she lose B'Elanna, but she lost her to someone who held a special place in her heart.  She considered herself blessed to be able to see Seven grow and develop into the human she had become, and felt immense pride that she herself had every opportunity to be involved in her growth.  Sevens beauty and grace was nothing short of extraordinary and her way of challenging Janeway's orders proved that she was definitely her own person and not easily influenced.  She had become an exemplary officer and her social graces had exceeded what many thought she was capable of.  More than once Kathryn felt desire for the voluptuous woman. And where Kathryn found Seven interesting and challenging, B'Elanna at first found her rude and extremely irritating.  So to say she was surprised at the fact that her lover wanted to leave her for Seven was an understatement. 

Although she had been reserved and seemingly accepting of B'Elanna's decision, it threatened to make her bitter and withdrawn.  Too many times Kathryn saw the two of them together and her heart clenched with intense jealously.  Nevertheless, life on Voyager continued.  She was still Captain and therefore expected to put her feelings aside to run her ship.  But it was in no way easy for her.   

Thankfully, Chakotay could see the all too familiar signs of her depression and quickly stepped in, offering his support and a welcoming non-judgmental shoulder to lean on.  His friendship had been monumental in keeping Kathryn from literally drowning in despair over her failed love life.  They had spent so much time together that there was speculation that the two of them were a romantic item.  There was, however, no truth to those rumors.  Janeway loved him like the brother she never had and was grateful to him for his intervention.   

The last few weeks the rumor mill was a buzz.  Apparently all was not well in paradise where B'Elanna and Seven were concerned.  They had entertained the crew with at least three public disagreements.  Kathryn tried not to think about it too much because it would be wrong of her to wish them ill will, but she often wondered what would happen if they did break up.  Would she be able to win B'Elanna's heart once more?  Would she yet again have the unspeakable joy of holding her, kissing her and making passionate love to her?  The possibility made her heart quicken and caused other parts of her anatomy come alive unwillingly. Nonetheless, she did her best to squelch those thoughts and feelings.  She would not do anything intentionally to break the couple up, no matter how much she loved B'Elanna.

 She was still looking out the view port, trying to decide whether she wanted to reheat her coffee when the message came through the comm. system.  "Captain, please report to the Bridge."

Sighing heavily and placing her coffee cup on the desk she replied, "On my way."

"Report."  Janeway said after exiting her ready room and moving toward her seat on the Bridge.

"Long range scanners have detected an M-class planet approximately one light year from our current position," Ensign Kim stated as he studied the readout at his station.  "The planet appears to be rich in dilithium deposits."

"Well it looks as if we'll get a chance to replace the warp core crystals that B'Elanna's been complaining about."  Captain Janeway smiled at her first officer then announced, "Mr. Paris change course toward the planet."

 Further scans indicated that the planet was the home of an apparent pre-warp civilization.  Per the Prime Directive, any thriving pre-warp planet was passed by and ignored, thus allowing it to follow its natural course until they began using warp technology.  However, Captain Janeway was unable to pass up a chance to replace the necessary mineral.  Additional scans found that there were significant dilithium deposits on a secluded part of the planet, so Janeway instructed Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant Torres to take a shuttle down to the planet.  The plan was to arrive discretely while Voyager remained in high orbit, obtain the dilithium and leave without anyone on the planet being privy to their visit. 

As an added precaution, molecular scans were done of some of the populated areas of the planet and that information was fed into the ships computer to give a possible visual of what the inhabitants looked like.  Both officers would be surgically altered to appear like the natives of the planet, just in case they were discovered. 

=^=

B'Elanna was sitting on one of the biobeds in Sickbay enduring the bedside manner of the doctor while having her appearance altered.  "Hold still Lieutenant unless you want your hairline across your eyes."

"I'm trying!"  B'Elanna said exasperated, "But this isn't the most comfortable procedure in the universe."  She had been pleased about being a part of the away team, but had she known that she would have to interact with the EMH, she would have gladly given the responsibility to someone else. 

"You have to look like the natives on the planet.  Now please...hold still!"  The Doctor replied, irritated with her irrational behavior.

"He's right B'Elanna."  Chakotay said calmly as Lt. Paris worked on his appearance.

"Oh please Chakotay," She quipped,  "The only thing you had to change was your hair, your tattoo and your ears.  No one's trying to remove your forehead.  Oh, and by the way, blond is not your color."

"You don't think so?"  He asked with mocking surprise. 

B'Elanna gave him her best 'fuck you' scowl, then jerked slightly at the tingle on her forehead.  "Are you almost finished?" she snapped, clearly losing patience with the whole ordeal.

"I would have been done a long time ago if you would just hold still and stop talking."  The doctor answered.

"Fine."  She muttered.

"And anyway, I'm not removing your forehead, I'm just shrinking it temporarily."  He noted.

"Whatever, just hurry up."  Holding as still as she could in order to get the annoying procedure over with, she couldn't help but notice the exchanges happening between Chakotay and Tom.  Tom was smiling more than usual and B'Elanna nearly did a double take when she saw that he stood between the Commander's legs waving the dermal regenerator altering his ears, instead of standing off to the side like the doctor did with her.  Occasionally they would look at one another and B'Elanna swore that she could almost feel the affection passing between the two of them.  B'Elanna vaguely wondered if she were the only one that could tell but it seemed so blatantly obvious to her what was going on that she doubted it.  She made a mental note to ask Chakotay about it when they were in the shuttle.

Soon both officers were physically ready for their mission.  B'Elanna had entered the shuttle and had already begun the flight prelims.  Although she was looking forward to the mission, she wished that she had some time to speak with Seven before she left.  She and Seven had another argument and she hated leaving with things unresolved.   They seemed to be arguing more and more lately over trivial things.  But somehow she would always manage to gain Seven's forgiveness.  Seven was a very important part of her life and she adored her.  She was intelligent, caring and incredibly sexy.  Just the thought of her made B'Elanna's breath quicken.  So why did she feel such a longing inside?  She knew the answer practically before she finished the thought - Captain Kathryn Janeway. 

B'Elanna had been dating Tom before she and Kathryn began seeing each other.  The relationship between her and Tom could be described as rocky at best.  The two of them had been so lonely, and needing to have someone in their lives at the time, that they both figured that sleeping together certainly was better than sleeping alone.  After a time, B'Elanna found that her true preferences were beginning to surface - and no matter how much she loved Tom, she was not 'in love' with him, and he was simply not what she wanted. Eventually they both agreed that it would be better to separate while they could still remain friends.  He was hurt, and angry with her for a long time, but eventually he did understand. 

About six months later, B'Elanna, looking for some relaxation away from engineering, went to the holodeck dressed in a short sun dress intending to start the resort program.  When she arrived, to her surprise it was already running.  She entered and found that the only member of Voyager's crew that was in the holodeck was the Captain.  She was dressed in a two-piece aqua blue swimsuit enjoying the warmth of the holographic sun. 

B'Elanna couldn't believe her luck.  It was the first of many holodeck sessions that she and the Captain spent together.  What started out as a bit of harmless flirting turned into a relentless pursuit in which B'Elanna's primary goal was to make Kathryn Janeway hers.  Somehow, B'Elanna was able to win the amazing woman's heart, and she couldn't have been happier.   

Then she and Seven were sent on an away mission and couldn't get back. B'Elanna missed Kathryn so much that her heart still clenched at the memory.  Seven at the time seemed to be very sympathetic toward her emotions.  She knew that B'Elanna was yearning for the Captain and feeling such a profound loss that it threatened to consume her.  So she did her best to make things better for B'Elanna.  It was awkward for her at first, as she had no experience comforting another person.  But as time went by, she made herself a very consoling presence in B'Elanna's life.

When it became apparent to them that Voyager was not going to find them, B'Elanna could not ignore the building attraction between her and the former Borg.  B'Elanna noticed also that Seven had changed from the rude emotionless drone she was when she first came aboard Voyager to a polite, caring and sensuous woman. B'Elanna found herself yearning for Seven's company.  The first night they made love had been wonderful.  Seven had been timid and unsure which appealed to B'Elanna's need to take charge.  Once they began, Seven's responsiveness was remarkable and B'Elanna knew that even though she loved Kathryn, if they were ever found she would be hard pressed to give Seven up because she loved her as well.  Shortly afterward, Voyager found them and of course she was in the precarious position of having to make a very difficult decision.

What a mess to find oneself mixed up in.  How could one person love two people so very much?   For all intents and purposes, most people didn't, and she felt that she should conform to what was considered normal and make a choice.  She chose Seven, saying that she felt a need to continue their relationship.  She expected there to be a loud, possibly physical fight between herself and Kathryn and was very much surprised when she just let her go.  It was gracious of her to step back, but B'Elanna knew from looking in Kathryn's eyes that it wasn't easy for her, nor was it something that she wanted.  The hurt in her former lovers eyes threatened to break her resolve so after telling her she was going to stay with Seven, she quickly left the Captain's quarters. The decision to leave cost her greatly for she still thought of Kathryn and yearned for her in the worst way. To this day, B'Elanna Torres loved Kathryn Janeway and often times she wished that things could have been different.  

At the same time, however, she loved Seven with her entire being.  They had lived together for the past year.  She loved her personality, her sense of humor, and her beauty.  And she also knew that she owed her an apology for the argument she started earlier that day.    She was just about to comm. her lover when Chakotay entered the shuttle.  Her conversation with Seven would have to wait until they returned. 

Chakotay stepped into the shuttle and did a double take when he saw the Chief Engineer.  "You look so different, I almost thought you were someone else."

B'Elanna's appearance was significantly altered.  Her cranial ridges were gone and her hair was now a jet black.  Her ears were pointed and she had smaller ridges on the bridge of her nose and on her chin.  Her eye color was also changed to an emerald green.  She very much resembled what the computer said a female on the planet looked like.

"Yeah, well, I still think blond is not your color."  B'Elanna  replied with a smirk. Chakotay's looks were very similar to her own.  His tattoo had been temporarily covered and he was given the same ears and ridges.  The only difference was that his eye color was changed to an onyx and his hair was nearly platinum blond. 

"Neither do I.  I nearly jumped out of my skin when I looked in the mirror in my quarters."  Chakotay sat in the pilot seat and began doing a prelim flight check.  "Are you ready?"

B'Elanna took her seat in the co-pilots chair and concluded checks of her own.  "Yes.  All is clear for take-off."

"Bridge, this is the Delta Flyer, we're ready to get underway."

"Acknowledged."  Replied Captain Janeway.  Then the shuttle bay doors opened and Chakotay cruised the agile vessel out into the vacuum of space.  "Have a good trip, Commander." 

"Thank you Captain."  Chakotay replied, as he set course and the shuttle moved toward the planet.

It would be about two hours before they breached the planet's atmosphere so both officers settled back in their chairs while the Flyer cruised on autopilot.  "So Chakotay, does Tom like your new look?"

"He says he likes my natural look better."  He answered before he could catch himself.

"Okay, that brings me to my next question.  How long have you two been involved?"

Chakotay felt a blush that started seemingly from the tips of his toes creeping up his neck and into his cheeks.  "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Chakotay"  B'Elanna replied triumphantly.  "You blush any harder and you'll be a deep burgundy before we reach the planet."

Sighing he replied, "Well I guess we couldn't keep it a secret for long, could we?"

"So, you never answered my question."  B'Elanna stated, crossing her arms in front of her.

"About 3 months."   

"From what I saw today in sickbay, it's a wonder you were able to keep it a secret at all." She smirked. 

"We didn't do anything to each other."  Chakotay said defensively.  "How could you even tell?"

"It wasn't what you did, it was how you looked at each other that gave it away.  You shouldn't be so easy to read, Chakotay."  She teased.  "Of course, he seemed to have the same problem toward you."  "And if you looked at one another like that elsewhere on the ship like you did in sickbay, chances are the entire ship was aware of your relationship within a few hours."

Closing his eyes, his humiliation complete as he thought of the past few days, he replied, "I don't even want to think about it."

 =^=

 Seven of Nine worked diligently at the engineering station on the Bridge, checking and cross checking the internal systems of the ship.  As usual, she endeavored to make sure nothing was amiss while covering the duties of chief engineering officer.  The bridge was quiet, she thought, unusually so.  After the first check in from the Delta Flyer, her thoughts drifted to her former mentor and friend.

Things had not been the same between Seven and Janeway since Janeway and B'Elanna broke up .  Of course she knew that was to be expected, since she was the cause.  Still, Seven felt a great loss because of it.  She never meant to hurt the Captain, and in actuality she didn't.  After all it was B'Elanna who made the final decision to stay with her and leave Kathryn.

That was something that completely astounded the former Borg drone.  She knew how much B'Elanna loved Kathryn and also knew why Kathryn reciprocated that love.  She herself cherished the chief engineer for the very same reasons.  Even though they had been missing for a little over a year, she knew, or thought she knew that once they returned, she would be forced to relinquish her feelings for her new lover.  Surely B'Elanna would want nothing more than to return to the warmth and security of Kathryn Janeway.  But B'Elanna had surprised her to say the least. 

Seven loved B'Elanna Torres with an intensity that she had never known before.  Love was a sensation that the Borg considered irrelevant and unnecessary.  So when she began to feel this intense emotion for the first time, she was startled and somewhat frightened to say the least.  Wishing, however, to explore more of her human side, she let the love she had for B'Elanna blossom and grow, and now she found herself daily thanking whatever deity was responsible for bringing them together.  Her only regret was that it was at the expense of Captain Janeway's feelings. 

As time went on, she noticed a change in her lover - an unspoken longing and sadness that would engulf her sometimes without warning.  That was usually when the arguments would happen.  Seven for a long time couldn't understand what was troubling B'Elanna so deeply.  Naturally what ever it was, she wanted to help her - to make it better somehow.  But whenever she tried to console her, B'Elanna was elusive, often defensive, and wouldn't allow for any assistance at all.  Finally, after considering all the aspects of their relationship, including how and why it began, she realized what the problem was.  B'Elanna was still in love with Kathryn Janeway.

This revelation should have sent her into a jealous rage.  At least her research in humanoid mating rituals told her so, but it didn't.  In fact, it seemed to sadden her immensely.  For she knew that Kathryn still loved B'Elanna as well.  She could see the yearning in her eyes when the Captain looked at her.  She also knew that Janeway's despair kept her locked in her ready room on many occasions.  Commander Chakotay had done his best to make sure she was all right, and Seven believed that he was at the very least, the life line that kept her from drowning in the inevitable melancholy state one experienced when they have lost someone they loved.  She also knew that the rumors she heard about Janeway and Chakotay being an item was nothing more than ships gossip.  There was no truth to it.  How could there be?  Kathryn was so obviously in love with B'Elanna, even Seven was touched by the magnitude of her emotions. 

But even though she felt a deep sense of empathy for Kathryn, she couldn't bring herself to give B'Elanna up at her own expense.  To say it would crush her to make such a sacrifice would be a grave understatement.  She couldn't imagine existing as a human without B'Elanna at her side.  The thought of losing B'Elanna caused Seven so much distress that she believed she would rather be assimilated back into the Borg collective than to have to experience life without her.   The situation was difficult at best and at the time she had no idea what to do about it.

Just then, the comm. system sounding interrupted her thoughts.  "Chakotay to Voyager..."

"Janeway here, Commander.  Is everything all right?" 

"Yes Captain.  We've landed on a secluded mountainside and have scanned for the dilithium.  We've located a possible patch about six kilometers from our present location.  We've also detected humanoid life signs in the same area as the dilithium." 

The Captain assimilated this latest information.  "Why couldn't we detect the life signs Chakotay is speaking of?"  She asked Ensign Kim.

"Captain, there appears to be some sort of dampening field in the area.  It's not natural, but man made."

"Captain," Tuvok began,  "It is possible that the inhabitants did not want to be detected and therefore have advanced far enough in their evolution to create a dampening field that would protect them from any possible intruders."

"Mr. Kim, can our sensors be modulated to penetrate the dampening field?"

 "Yes Captain.  I've been modifying them and I all most...there!  It's a small city.  I'm reading approximately 700 humanoid life signs."

Janeway considered this information carefully.  She knew that they would have to be very careful of their actions while on the planet.  "Mr. Kim, download the frequency modulation to the Commander's tricorder."

"Aye Captain."

"Commander, head for the location on foot.  See if there is any way you can retrieve the dilithium without being detected.  Have B'Elanna modulate your comm. badges to the frequency Mr. Kim has downloaded to your tricorder so we can keep a lock on you.  As always, keep me informed of your progress." 

"Aye Captain, Chakotay out."

=^=

"So what do we do for clothing?"  B'Elanna asked as she gathered supplies for their packs.

Chakotay reached in one of the storage compartments and pulled out two heavy cloth smocks.  "Here.  Put this on," he replied as he handed one of them to her.

"Not very stylish," B'Elanna pointed out as she donned the odd piece of clothing.

"It's not meant to be."  Chakotay put on the smock and closed it - securing it with small metal hooks that were sewn into the fabric.  "It's supposed to look bland.  This way, our uniforms won't be visible and we may be able to mingle with the natives long enough to find out what kind of currency they have and where we can pick up some proper clothes."

"What if this society believes in wearing the most loud and flashy outfits known to humanoids?  Or worst, what if they believe in wearing no clothing at all?"

Poorly suppressing a laugh, he replied, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

With their clothing secured, their badges recalibrated and their phasers safely hidden in the pockets of their smocks, they set off toward the village and hopefully a nice amount of the needed mineral.   They traveled for about an hour over mostly mountainous terrain.  Although it was rugged, the soil seemed moist and flourishing.  There were luscious growths of plants and grass that were quite beautiful.  If this hadn't been a pre-warp civilization, it would seem to be a likely place for some much needed shore leave for the crew. 

Hiking was not what B'Elanna would consider up there on the top of her list of enjoyable things to do.  Chakotay, however, seemed to thrive on treks through the wilderness, and wasn't showing any sign that he was ready to stop.  Fortunately, her Klingon side aided her in the physical aspects of hiking, so she did very little complaining.  

Soon, both officers were beginning to become fatigued.  Chakotay noticed that night was rapidly falling which meant that the days and nights were not like Earths.  "Lets find a place to set up camp for the night."

"Good idea."  B'Elanna replied.  She was tired and with the rapid decrease in temperature, longing to sit in front of a fire and warm up.  

After wandering a few more feet, they located a somewhat secluded area near a cave opening.   Carefully they made their way to the cave opening, scanning the inside for any sign of humanoid or wildlife.  They found neither so they decided to spend the night in the cave.

Both officers dropped their packs inside the cave.  "Well, it will keep us covered from the elements."  Chakotay noted.  He scanned the area for some bolders to heat up and found two small ones.  "If we had a third, we could make it nice and warm in here."

"I thought I saw a couple outside the entrance."  B'Elanna said.  "Be right back." 

As she stepped out side, she saw the rocks in question and reached for them.  When she bent down to lift the smaller of the two, something caught her attention.  Immediately she stood up and began scanning the area.   Her instincts were on full alert - telling her that something was out there but what? She had no clue.  She sniffed the air, hoping the shifting winds would blow the scent of whatever was out there in her direction, but she could only smell the fresh air and the green foliage.

Just then, Chakotay stepped outside.  "What's taking so..."  

"Shhh!" 

 "What is it?"  Chakotay murmured, his own defenses beginning to rise.

"Don't know..." She continued to scan the area, using her Klingon sense of smell to guide her, but found nothing.  After a few moments, she relaxed.  "Nothing.  Must be my imagination." 

"Thank goodness."  Inwardly sighing with relief, Chakotay bent down to grab the rocks.  "Let's go inside.  I need to contact Voyager and I'd like to warm up while I do."

"Okay," B'Elanna said.  Her eyes swept over the rapidly darkening area once more, before she turned and followed Chakotay inside the cave.

Several kilometers away, a hooded figure standing behind a large rock formation had just lowered his binoculars.  The officers had no idea that they were being watched.

=^=

Janeway sat on the bridge, ever so often checking the readings on the console of her chair.  She could feel Seven's eyes practically boring into the back of her head.  Vaguely she wondered why she seemed to be so conscious of Seven's every move, but mentally shrugged it off as being one of those finely toned senses a Captain developed making them aware of all that was going on around them.  

After hearing the latest report from Chakotay, Kathryn found herself in the mess hall.  She wasn't very hungry and had been running most of the day on autopilot, but she knew if she didn't eat the Doctor would be on her case.  So to avoid any unnecessary drama from the CMO, she chose a few of the choice items that Neelix prepared and found a seat in one of the far corners of the room. 

She took a few bites of the food, not really tasting it, and pretended to read a padd she brought with her for appearances sake, hoping it would keep anyone from bothering her.  She wasn't in the mood to socialize.  She wouldn't have come there at all except that resources were low and she was attempting to conserve her credits.  Her thoughts were occupied with B'Elanna, as would seem to be the norm over the past few weeks.  After all this time, she still hadn't gotten over her.  And the rumors floating around the ship about there being some dissonance between Seven and B'Elanna were not helping matters.  Suddenly the doors to the mess hall swished open and in walked Seven.  //"Perfect."//  Janeway thought, hoping against hope that she would not be noticed.

As Seven examined the food choices, her eyes took a quick and inconspicuous glance around the room.  Immediately she noticed Janeway huddled in a corner alone.  It was not the first time that the Captain seemed to deliberately set herself apart from the rest of the crew in a social setting.  Sometimes she didn't make an appearance at all - not letting something as insignificant as hunger bring her out of the safe haven that was her ready room.  Seven's advanced Borg abilities made her aware of the fact that Janeway wasn't really reading the padd that she so diligently stared at.  She was looking at it all right, but Seven could tell she wasn't really seeing any of the information the small instrument held.  It was an open message to everyone to leave her alone - a message the Captain used frequently.  The only one who studiously ignored it was Chakotay.  Unexpectedly, Seven realized that unless Chakotay was with her, anytime she came into the mess hall she was always alone. 

  Seven considered this new revelation carefully.  And in examining it came to the deeper and inevitable conclusion that Janeway would most likely not allow anyone else close enough to infiltrate her heart.  Reason - no one could take B'Elanna's place.  Kathryn wouldn't allow it.  All of a sudden, Seven desperately wished that someone would at least try. 

She had no idea what made her legs carry her toward the Captain's direction, but without warning she was standing in front of the table where she sat.  And as if she were powerless to prevent it, her mouth began to form the unavoidable question. 

"Captain Janeway, may I join you?"

She should have known that her attempt at looking busy would be futile and repressed the laugh that threatened to burst forth at the thought reference.  //Sometimes resistance is futile.//  Kathryn looked up into those impossibly azure eyes, and even though she dreaded any pending conversation they would have, she could not ignore the beauty that was Seven of Nine.  The blue Starfleet uniform she wore was flattering on her to say the least, and her hair cascading down just past her shoulders gave her a warm as well as sexy appeal.  Shortly after B'Elanna and Seven returned, Chakotay made a recommendation that Seven be given a field promotion to Chief Science Officer with specialty in Astrometrics.  Her work was, as always, exemplary and the Captain could see no reason (other than personal) to deny it. 

"Of course Lieutenant."

Seven slid gracefully in the chair across from Janeway, placing her tray in front of her as she did.  For a brief moment, Seven observed her Captain's face.  Although she smiled at her and was always the gracious host, Seven could see fatigue and a hidden sadness in her features.  Her smile did not reach her eyes as it did in the past and Seven felt a slight stab of guilt because of it.  "It has been a long time since we last held a conversation.  I wanted to know how you have been." 

Janeway vaguely remembered reading a report from the Doctor that Seven had the Borg implant removed that would hinder her emotions. It seemed to make a vast improvement in her personality.  "I've been fine, Seven."  She replied, smiling.  "Been keeping myself busy of course, - being Captain, it goes with the territory.  How are you?"

"I am doing well.  Since I no longer have a need to regenerate, I have found that my appetite has increased.  I notice also that I have to use great effort in controlling it."  Seven replied.  She speared a piece of what looked like chicken on her fork and popped it in her mouth.  After chewing and swallowing it, she said, "The flavor is quite satisfactory."

"When did you stop regenerating?"  Janeway asked.  She really did need to catch up on her reports.

"About three months ago."  She answered as she began attacking her salad with determination. 

Kathryn found it quite entertaining.  "I'm sure that Neelix is pleased that you're enjoying his cooking."

"This is one of his more palatable offerings."  She took a swallow of her water and afterward dabbed at her mouth with her napkin.  Looking at Janeway's half eaten food, she asked, "Are you not hungry?"

"I suppose I wasn't as hungry as I thought I was."  Janeway replied and pushed her tray to the side.  "I've had a lot on my mind - you know, ships business."  She lied. 

"I see.  Perhaps you could use some time on the holodeck."  Before Janeway could formulate a response, Seven continued with, "I have been researching the database for sport activities in an effort to maintain my... figure."

"Really?"  Kathryn asked, quite amused. 

"Yes.  I mentioned to B'Elanna that I thought I was getting...fat.  She effectively told me that I was...imagining things, but that if I was that concerned with it, I should look for an activity to do to keep me looking slim.  I found a game in the database called racquetball and have been playing it on the holodeck three times a week.  It is quite exhilarating."

Kathryn noticed that Seven still hesitated when expressing certain terms.  It was very endearing, even though the mention of B'Elanna's name was almost like a stab in her heart.  "I'll keep that in mind."  She replied a little too dryly.

Seven noticed the sudden stiffness in the Captain's disposition at the mention of B'Elanna's name, and was for a moment at a loss as to what to say next.  Suddenly she felt decidedly out of her element.   "How do you think Lieutenant Torres and the Commander are progressing on the planet?"  Seven asked with concern, and also with the hope of bringing the tension level of their conversation down a notch by switching the subject to ships business.

"According to their last check in, they're doing well.  They've found a place to camp for the night, and the bridge is keeping a constant lock on them."  Kathryn replied.  "Don't worry Seven.  Both of them are excellent officers and they will be just fine."  she reassured.

"I have extreme confidence in their abilities."  Seven stated.  "At times, however, I find that I feel a slight sense of anxiety whenever B'Elanna goes on an away mission."  Casting her eyes toward the table, she continued.  "I am very concerned for her well being.  If she were to become damaged or worst... These feelings are so new to me and I find them to be quite unsettling."

Janeway could see that removing that implant came with a price for Seven.  She felt a sense of sympathy for her, but at the same time was not in the mood to discuss B'Elanna with her.  "I'm sure they will be fine Seven."

Seven could sense that she was rapidly wearing out her welcome.  Despite her good intentions, the conversation had taken a turn for the worst.   "It has been a trying day, Captain," she said, again at a loss for words to add to the now awkward conversation.

"I agree, Lieutenant."  Janeway said casting her eyes briefly at Seven, then back to the table.  As perfect timing would have it, her comm badge chirped.  It was Tuvok.

"Captain Janeway, please report to the bridge." 

//"Thank goodness..."// she thought.  "On my way."  Gathering her tray to leave and effectively putting an end to this conversation, she said,  "If you'll excuse me..." 

"Captain, I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable."

Acknowledging her apology with a slight nod, Kathryn stood to leave. 

"Captain, I will be playing racquet ball tomorrow afternoon.  Would you like to join me?"

Kathryn was well aware that Seven was attempting to salvage what was left of their friendship.  She didn't see any harm in playing the game with her.  She also figured it would help boost her spirits to do some activity that didn't require a lot of thinking.  "Sure, Seven.  What time?"

"1700 hours on Holodeck 2."  She answered looking hopeful. 

"I'll be there."  She said, then had to control the urge to sprint out of the mess hall.

//"Well, at least she agreed to join me."// Seven thought to herself as she emptied her tray and exited the mess hall as well.

=^=

She made it on the bridge in record time, even for her.  Tuvok had informed her that they were receiving a distress call. 

"Let's here it Tuvok," Janeway stated.

"To anyone who can hear me, please, we need your assistance!  We are a transport vessel.  Our systems have been damaged.  Our warp drive is off line and life support will cease to function within the next 7 days.   Any assistance would be most appreciated..."  the message repeated in a continuous loop.

 "Ensign Kim, how far away is the vessel?" 

"It's about 5 light years from here, Captain.  At warp 8, we will reach them in 3 days."

"Helm, set a course."

  "Aye, Captain."  Paris replied.

"Harry, hail the Commander.  Seems like we'll be leaving orbit for a short while."

=^=

Captain Janeway informed her first officer of the situation and after assuring their safety for the time being, went to warp 8 in order to intercept the distressed ship.  Things would be quiet for a while, and given the stressful day she had, she left the bridge in Tuvok's hands and went to her quarters.

Kathryn leaned against the wall just inside her quarters and breathed a heavy sigh.  "Lights at eighty percent."  She commanded, then walked to her bedroom, unfastening her uniform as she moved. 

Her conversation with Seven earlier had been the most they had spoken to one another since B'Elanna had left her.  It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.  That is, until B'Elanna's name was mentioned.  If she experienced such a negative reaction every time Seven talked about her former lover, how would they ever become the friends they used to be?  Kathryn came to the unavoidable conclusion that they would not, and she made a mental note to cancel their game of racquetball.

Her heart was still too wounded to be able to listen while Seven Spoke of B'Elanna in a positive way or otherwise.  And if there was any negativity in their conversations, Kathryn didn't trust herself enough to not use that type of situation to her advantage. 

She stripped out of her uniform and undergarments, throwing them into the refresher.  Then she climbed naked under her covers and resolved to stay there for the next 6 hours.

=^=

Chakotay woke to his mouth being suddenly covered by a small hand.  "Shhh... someone is outside."

Chakotay quietly sat up and whispered, "How do you know?  This had better not be another false alarm, B'Elanna."

"I've been feeling uneasy most of the night, but this morning, I can smell who ever it is," B'Elanna replied quietly.  She grabbed both phasers, tossing one to Chakotay, then slowly got to her feet and moved toward the cave opening. 

Chakotay swiftly got to his feet and moved ahead of B'Elanna.  As they reached the opening, sure to Torres' instincts, a figure that looked to be humanoid sat approximately 6 meters away with his back facing the cave.  His long blond hair cascading down his back was pushed behind his pointed ears making visible a rather pleasing profile.  He sat with his eyes closed facing the morning sunrise and looked almost angelic as his hair gently blew in the morning breeze.  The ship's computer was quite accurate with their physical attributes.  He appeared to be meditating, but then to their surprise, the man spoke.

"Don't be afraid.  I won't hurt you."  He said, never moving from his sitting position.

Cautiously both officers moved toward him, armed with their phasers set on stun.  "It would seem that you have us at an advantage."  Chakotay said to the man. 

"Hmm...so it does."  He replied.  Then he slowly turned around to see the two aliens he had been following for most of the previous afternoon.  His eyes were warm and friendly as he said,   "My name is Rekpar.  I'm head centurion for the Gradian order. And you are?"

  "My name is Chakotay and this is my companion B'Elanna."  The Commander replied, never lowering his weapon.

"I am pleased to meet you.  Please, put down your weapons.  I mean you no harm."

"Really?  Then why were you following us?"  B'Elanna snarled. 

"I wanted to see if you were a threat to us in any way.  And you're not.  If I wanted I could have killed you while you slept.  But I see no need for such a harsh course of action.  Besides, it isn't often that we receive off-world visitors."

"Off world visitors?  You must be mistaken."  Chakotay replied, attempting to maintain their cover.

"I think not, Commander."  Rekpar replied knowingly.  "You both wear very convincing disguises.  In fact, they're almost molecular.  But your minds give you away.  You are clearly not D'breenian."  The stranger purposefully left out the fact that he would have been convinced of their lie had he not been witness to their shuttle descending from the sky. 

"Our minds?"  Chakotay asked, not liking the sound of this.

"A few of us on D'breen have certain abilities.  I believe your word for it would be telepathic."  He lifted himself from the ground and brushed the dirt from his garment.  "Although, I must admit that you both are very difficult to read.  It wasn't until you were resting that I was able to ascertain your thoughts.  Perhaps it is because of the differences of our species."  He said verbally speculating. 

Chakotay and B'Elanna looked at one another - a silent signal passing between them.  Their time in the Maquis made it necessary for them to learn how to make themselves virtually unreadable by the strongest of telepaths.  They employed that ability without Rekpar knowing.  He may know that they were off worlders, but nothing else would be revealed unless they wanted it to be - even while they were sleeping.  

Rekpar had no idea that their mental barricades had gone up as he said, "I sensed last night that you were looking for dilithium?"

"Yes."  B'Elanna replied.  "We use it as a power source on our home world."

"And where exactly is your home world?"  He asked with growing curiosity.

"It's is very far from here."  Chakotay replied.  "You say that you don't get many alien visitors.  Have you done any space travel?"

"Chakotay, we are an advanced civilization."  He replied proudly. "Our ships are equipped with the latest state of the art equipment and are capable of reaching speeds of up to warp 3.5."

That was exactly the information Chakotay was looking for.  They appeared to be technologically advanced, but their technology appeared to be significantly behind compared to Starfleets.  "So you use dilithium to power your ships?"

"Of course - along with a few other choice minerals.  We have plenty of dilithium and I'm sure my superiors are more than willing to share with you."  As he started toward the direction that their tricorders had indicated that the dilithium was located earlier, he gestured for them to follow him.  "Please accept our hospitality while you are here."

=^=

After walking a few more kilometers they came to the main square of a thriving city.  Merchants were set up along sidewalks advertising their wares to anyone who would listen.  Nearly every merchant had an assistant that when not doing any immediate work, appeared to be more interested in the ground than anything else.  Both officers found the behavior to be very unusual, however, they kept their comments to themselves until they had time to privately converse.

One of the merchant assistants looked up as the officers walked by.  She knew she was taking a chance - knew that she could be severely punished for casting her eyes upon a potential customer, but she felt compelled to do so.  //She's not like us...// the woman thought as she looked at B'Elanna with keen interest. 

There was something about the woman, however, and the assistant was pleased that the two strangers stopped for a moment.  The male conversed briefly with her master, but she was more interested in the Kobali woman. Suddenly without warning, their eyes met and to the assistant's surprise she could sense nothing from her, but could feel the presence of this woman searching her mind.  The Kobali woman's facial expression seemed to mimic the sadness that was in her own heart - as if on some level she could feel her emotions.  Could it be that she was an empath? 

The assistant wished she could read her thoughts but then decided that maybe she could send her a message.  //Help us...please.// she pleaded in her mind while staring unwaveringly into the strangers green eyes.

B'Elanna lightly gasps at what she saw.  For some unexplainable reason, she felt extreme desperation as she looked into the pleading eyes of the young woman.  She almost wanted to reach out and comfort her, so great was the sensation.  Then, Repkar continued down the street and as quickly as it appeared, the feeling was gone.  It left her a bit shaken and unnerved. 

Something was not right about this place, and although she was not one to walk away from danger, she felt a strong urge to leave the planet in a hurry. 

Soon they were all entering a very impressive looking building.  Chakotay and B'Elanna stood quietly off to the side while Rekpar conversed briefly with the building attendant.  "So what do you think of our new friend?"  B'Elanna asked.

"I think he is sincere.  He doesn't seem to means us any harm."  Chakotay replied.

"You're right," B'Elanna said with certainty, "but something very strange is going on here.  Did you notice those people in the market square?"  She asked.

"Yes.  Their behavior was very strange - almost as if they were afraid to look up." 

B'Elanna was unsure whether or not to tell Chakotay of the look shared between herself and the woman in the market place.  But before she could analyze it further, she noticed Rekpar approaching them with another of his species - a female. 

"Imperial Tess, may I present Chakotay and B'Elanna.  They are travelers on a peaceful mission."  Rekpar stated. 

The Imperial was very beautiful.  She was thin and fragile looking, however, she carried an air of authority that was quite obvious to anyone who set eyes on her.  She wore a long purple robe with intricate gold designs woven through the fabric.  Her hair was blond and she had eyes the color of lavender.  The significant contrast between her skin color and that of the other females they saw in the streets, made both officers wonder if her appearance had something to do with her position.

"We're very pleased to meet you, Imperial."  Chakotay replied. 

"And I as well, Chakotay."  She replied.  "I understand that you are looking for dilithium?"

"That's correct."  He replied.  "We're looking for supplies to aid us on our journey home."

"Is this person more to you than just a companion?"  She asked, glancing at B'Elanna as if she were nothing less than dust on the floor.

"If you're asking if we're mates, no.  We work together." B'Elanna answered.  She didn't quite know what to make of the Imperial, but she detected a smugness about her.  Immediately B'Elanna decided that she didn't like her attitude.

"She is allowed to speak for you?"  She asked Chakotay, completely ignoring B'Elanna.  She had heard of such atrocities permitted on distant continents of D'Breen, but she had no idea that one day she would witness it.

"I speak for myself."  B'Elanna stated angrily.

"Lieutenant," Chakotay warned.

The Imperial's eyes went wide as saucers.  "She has a military rank?"

Now it was Chakotay's turn to look astounded.  "Is there a problem?"  He asked.

"I have never heard of someone like her being granted the luxury of a military position!  Not even in liberal towns!"  She said, her voice carrying a subtle air of disgust.

"Someone like me?"  B'Elanna asked, clearly insulted by this woman.  "Look..."

Before the Lieutenant could say another word, Rekpar interrupted in an attempt to keep an already tense situation from escalating.  "Imperial Tess, I should have warned you.  They are not even of our species.  They are off-worlders.  No doubt their customs are completely different from ours."

"But they look as if they are from our world.  How is this possible?" the Imperial inquired.

"We have sophisticated measures that enable us to disguise ourselves."  Chakotay stated.  "We've come across hostile situations in the past looking for supplies.  We've found that it is easier for us if we blend in with a planets inhabitants."

With this new revelation, the Imperial's eyes softened and she looked directly at B'Elanna.  "Forgive my rudeness.  With the way you were dressed and your appearance, I thought you were native to our planet.  I didn't realize.  Please accept my apologies." she said, sincerity in her voice.

"Apology accepted."  B'Elanna replied.  Although she appeared calmer, still she was annoyed with the woman's assumption of her, whatever that happened to be. 

"Rekpar, please find suitable accommodations for our guests."  She said, then turned to both officers.  "Dinner will be served in my private dining room.  Would you do me the honor of attending this evening?"

"We'd be delighted, Imperial."  Chakotay replied diplomatically, flashing his killer dimples.

"Very well then.  Someone will be by your quarters to escort you to dinner when it is time."  Smiling sweetly, she turned and walked down the hallway, accompanied by two adolescent female attendants.

B'Elanna moved closer to Chakotay and whispered, "So because I look like this, I'm not worthy to even be spoken to?" 

"Apparently so," Chakotay said, "Why? I have no idea."

"Neither do I," B'Elanna replied, "And to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I want to know."

The officers were lead to what would be their temporary living quarters.  It was a large two-room suite beautifully decorated in white and gold.  The first room contained an ivory table with two ivory-rimmed chairs.  The carpet was a dark golden and was so soft it felt as if you would sink five centimeters into it.  A sofa sat in the main area of the first room facing a large window with a beautiful view of the city.  In the next room there were two full sized beds with a long nightstand between them.  Two small intricately designed lamps were strategically placed on either end of the nightstand so the person sleeping in the bed could easily reach over and shut it off.   Placed neatly at the foot of each bed was a robe, a white loose short-sleeved top and loose shorts with an elastic waste band. 

Picking up the shirt and top, she held it up to herself and said, "I hope these fit," although, it looked as if they were the right size for her.

Chakotay inspected his and said, "They seem to be a good judge of clothing size."

Off to the right side of the room was the bathroom, with gold fixtures and a marble white bath tub and commode.  The floor tile was also marble with gold designs and specks of gold scattered all through it. 

"Wow.  I'll bet even Starfleet Brass has never seen a room like this."  B'Elanna replied as she walked through inspecting the suite.  "You think she over did it just a bit?"

Chakotay chuckled a little and said, "Maybe this is her way of apologizing to you for her behavior earlier." 

"Maybe," B'Elanna replied still looking around.  "What was that all about anyway?"

"I don't know.  But I do seem to remember you resembling a lot of the people in the market place.  I appear to resemble the merchants themselves.  Maybe the people who were assisting them were something more than assistants."

"Or less.  Why don't we just ask them?"  B'Elanna asked.

"It's one of the first things on my agenda for dinner conversation."  Chakotay said.

=^=

Several hours later Kathryn was still lying in her bed with the covers up to her shoulders, staring at the ceiling.  Sleep, it seemed, was avoiding her and she found it quite frustrating.  She wanted more than anything to be able to temporarily escape her thoughts of B'Elanna.   Obviously, it was not meant to be as she wondered for the millionth time how both officers were fairing on the planet.  At one point, she had toyed with the idea of joining them on the surface, but decided against it.  She had complete confidence in her first officer's diplomatic abilities.  Besides, going down to the surface would mean that she might be spending an unlimited amount of time with B'Elanna which did not appeal to her at the moment.

After tossing and turning uselessly for a half an hour more, she sat up and commanded the computer to turn the lights on.  Sighing heavily she grabbed her pink satin robe and put it on, wrapping it around her small frame and securing it with the belt.  Padding to the replicator, she ordered a cup of tea and moved toward the sofa.  Sitting down, she reached for a book and opened it to the page she left off at, hoping that reading would relax her enough so she could fall asleep.

=^=

Dinner with the Imperial turned out to be just another boring diplomatic event.  The food was good however, and Chakotay and B'Elanna took the opportunity to indulge in the offerings.  It was one of the best meals they had since being in the Delta quadrant.

The conversation, however, seemed quite elusive.  Several times Chakotay tried to bring up the strange behavior of the merchants and their workers, but each time, Rekpar and or Imperial Tess did their best to change the subject.  He never did get the answers he was seeking.

B'Elanna sensed that something was not right with these people.  They seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the two of them being there.  At first, she thought it was her appearance, recalling how the Imperial first reacted toward her.  But as the evening wore on, she noticed that it was not only her, but Chakotay's presence as well that seemed to leave them unsettled. 

That evening, the two officers took turns in the bathroom preparing for bed.  B'Elanna finished last and emerging from the bathroom, she padded across the soft carpet to her bed and climbed under the covers attempting to find a comfortable position.  Finally, she settled down and with a sigh, tried to fall asleep.  But it didn't work.  Something wasn't right about these people and her Klingon senses were on full alert. 

"Chakotay?"

"Hmm?" He answered from his bed on the other side of the room.  He too was wide awake and staring at the ceiling.

"I can't sleep.  I keep thinking about those people in the market place."

"Me too."  Sitting up and letting the covers fall to his waist, he turned the light on and looked over at his friend.  "Why wouldn't they answer any of my questions?"

"Who knows?"  B'Elanna said as she sat up and turned the light on near her bed. "All I know is, I have a feeling that we should leave here.  And the sooner the better."

"Why is that?"  Chakotay asked.  Although he found the D'breenian's behavior odd, he didn't see any reason for them to leave right away.

"I've just have a bad feeling about this."  She replied.  Then she remembered earlier in the market place.  "Chakotay, I need to tell you something.  Back when we were on the streets, in the market place something happened.

"What?"  Chakotay asked, curious.

"While you were talking to that guy about the artifact, the woman who sat on the ground behind the table made eye contact with me."  After seeing the surprised look of her CO, she continued.  "She seemed to be so unhappy and..." she paused looking for the right word, "Desperate.  It really bothered me.  It was as if she were trying to ask for help but for what, I don't know." 

"That's very strange.  She never said anything to you?"

"No, she just looked at me with those piercing green eyes... I don't know, maybe I was just imagining things."

"Your intuition is usually pretty accurate.  I wouldn't just dismiss it as being your imagination."  Chakotay replied.  Just then there was a knock on the door.

Chakotay pulled the covers back and climbed out of bed.  When he opened the door, to his surprise stood a small child, no more than 10 years old.  She had long black hair which was pulled back in a pony tail, and deep soulful green eyes that looked as if she had witnessed much more than a person of her years should be allowed to see.  "Please sir, may I come in?  I must speak with you and your companion."  She said in a hushed tone, carefully looking about as if not wanting to be seen.

Chakotay stepped aside and let the girl enter.  "What can we do for you?"  He asked somewhat bemused.

She looked at him intensely for a moment then turned to look at B'Elanna.  Then removing a small metal box from her garment, she activated it and proceeded to scan the room with it.  

"What are you doing?"  B'Elanna asked noting the peculiar behavior.

After a moment, she turned the device off and placed it back in the pocket of her garment.  "I was scanning the room for listening devices.  I thought they would have installed one here, but they have not."

"Who?"  Chakotay asked, astonished that a child knew so much.

Sensing his thoughts, the girl said, "Do not be fooled by my appearance, as I'm not fooled by yours.  I am not a child."

"Well you sure look like one."  B'Elanna said. 

"You look like a Kobali, but I know that you are not."

"What's a Kobali?"  B'Elanna asked, not sure that she wanted to know.

"A D'Breenian slave."  The girl stated.

"Slave?"  Both officers said in unison.  Then B'Elanna said, "But I look like you.  Are you telling me that people who look like us are slaves?"

"Yes, all slaves, and for the most part, female.  I will explain everything later.  Right now, you need to leave this place and return to your starship."  The girl stated urgently.

"How did you know we have a starship?"   Chakotay asked.

"I can sense your thoughts.  I promise you, I will clarify everything on the way to your vessel, but it is imperative that you leave here at once.  I'm afraid the Imperial and those who are loyal to her have plans for the two of you.  Saying that they are not in your best interest is a severe understatement."

B'Elanna began immediately changing her clothes.  Her instincts had been telling her all night to get the hell away from there.  The girl's words were just confirming what she felt and she wasn't wasting any time trying to analyze the situation.  Modesty was a thing of the past as she pulled the night shirt over her head and replaced it with her own shirt.  She didn't care if Chakotay saw anything or not.

"Wait just a minute."  Chakotay said, still skeptical of the whole thing.  "Before we go anywhere, I want an explanation."

The girl sighed in obvious exasperation.  "Fine.  We don't have time to do this your way, however."  Then she looked intently in Chakotay's eyes.

He was mesmerized.  The girl's eyes were so deep and they seemed to be the window to her very soul.  Then like a warm blanket, he felt the presence of her in his mind.  He felt her fear for their lives and a sense of urgency from her, but no dishonesty.  It was enough to convince him.  After about ten seconds, he replied, "I understand.  B'Elanna, let's get out of here."

B'Elanna, almost completely dressed said, "You don't have to tell me twice."

He grabbed his pants and shirt, pulling them on quickly and watched as B'Elanna donned her cloak.  Then putting his cloak on, he turned to the girl and said, "How do we get out of here undetected?"

"Follow me."  She said, pressing an invisible sensor on the far wall to their room.  The wall shimmered and disappeared revealing a dimly lit passageway.  She led the way, turning to conceal the opening once they were safely inside, and then proceeded to walk down some concrete stairs.  After about 15 minutes, they reached the bottom and began walking in the only direction they could.  It was cold, and a little damp with a moldy smell wafting through the hallway.  The corridor was dimly lit as well, with a light connected to the wall about every 10 meters. 

They passed several other flights of stairs, each going up, most likely to another part of the building or to different buildings.  B'Elanna vaguely wondered where they would lead.  "Where are we? And for that matter, who are you?"

"I am called Dar and we are about 25 meters underground heading away from the city.  We have a long way to go before we reach the perimeter where we will not be detected."

They walked for what seemed like hours until they finally came to the end of the passage way facing a wall.  B'Elanna's legs ached and she was very tired.  Chakotay was also weary and in need of a few hours rest.  Sensing their discomfort, Dar said, "Don't worry, we're almost there."

"I hope so," B'Elanna said.  Very little made her as exhausted as she was at that very moment.  "My legs feel like molten lead."

"Most likely because the gravity level is significantly higher down here." Dar explained.  "You're probably not used to it.  Once we reach the surface, it will be easier to walk."  Then she turned, pressed a nearly invisible panel on the wall, and stood back slightly as another hidden opening was revealed.

Both officers watched, then their faces nearly fell as they saw another flight of stairs.  "You can't be serious."  B'Elanna stated.

"It's the only way out.  Come.  It's not much farther."  Dar said.

After about five of the longest minutes of the officers' lives, they finally reached the top of the stairs and another door. Dar opened the door and the three of them stepped through into what looked like an old barn.  There was straw spread on the floor throughout and what closely resembled a larger version of cows behind man made wooden gates.  The animals completely ignored them as if strangers coming into their home were a nightly occurrence. 

Chakotay and B'Elanna immediately noticed the difference in the gravity and felt some of the pull on their muscles ease.  And after Dar closed the passage door and concealed it, she lead them out of the barn and into a dark opened field.  "Where is your vessel?"

Chakotay pulled out his tricorder and scanned the area.  "This way, toward the mountains," he stated pointing north west and the trio started walking in the dark.  Chakotay briefly wondered about wild animals possibly attacking them in the middle of the night. 

"There are no carnivorous wild life here, Chakotay."  Dar replied. 

B'Elanna could tell that having his thoughts voiced before he even said them was beginning to annoy the Commander.  "Dar," B'Elanna began,  "Among our people, even among telepaths, we find it frustrating if someone constantly reads our thoughts."

"I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you."  Dar stated as she walked.  "I will try to at the very least allow you to voice your thoughts before I answer them."

"Good enough," B'Elanna stated.  "So, what were their plans anyway?"

"Yes, what were they planning to do with us?"  Chakotay asked.  "You made it very clear to me that they were going to hurt us.  What were they going to do and why?"

"The only danger to you Commander, would be if you tried to stop them," Dar explained, "However, their intent is toward the Lieutenant."

"Me?  Why me?"  B'Elanna asked.

"Because your thoughts cannot be read."  Dar stated.   At their astonished looks, she stated, "The Lieutenant has a natural barrier which keeps her thoughts completely hidden from us.  The Imperial wants to know how you are accomplishing this.  She intends to..." she paused looking for the correct word, "dissect your brain."

"Oh perfect, now I'm nothing more than some laboratory rat?"  B'Elanna asked sarcastically.

"A crude analogy, but accurate."  Dar stated.  "I imagine that if you were like the Commander that it would have been ignored."

"She could read Chakotay?"  B'Elanna asked.

"No, she cannot read thoughts." Dar stated, "Her adolescent slaves, the two that you saw with her earlier, read thoughts for her to a limited degree.  They informed her that they could not read either one of you.  The Commander uses an  effective barrier, but I or someone like myself in time could break through it if necessary."

"I spent the entire time during dinner trying to get past your mental block, Commander," Dar noted, "I was successful after about 30 minutes.  If I could break through your defenses then the other two slaves could as well, although it probably took them a little longer.  The Imperial deduced that your barrier was most likely the result of years of mental discipline."

"The gift you possess, B'Elanna, most likely has something to do with your being empathic."  Dar stated.

=^=

After about a half an hour of reading the same paragraph over and over again, Kathryn finally closed the book.  Her mind was not in any way, shape or form, able to concentrate on reading.  And she was still wide awake.  Her thoughts reluctantly began to drift toward the former Borg.  Seven had sought her out and attempted to converse with her.  It made her realize just how much she missed Seven's company.  Watching Seven explore her humanity gave her a feeling of happiness.  Seeing it blossom and grow gave her a sense of pride and she was very grateful that she had a hand in Seven's transformation.  She grew into a very warm and loving woman.   

Kathryn remembered their brief conversation in the mess hall.  Seven was much more relaxed around others on the ship now, and she figured it was due to her relationship with B'Elanna.  She hated to admit it, but B'Elanna seemed to be good for Seven in a way.

B'Elanna. - her very beautiful former lover.  These days the young Klingon was constantly on her mind.  She turned her body so she was lying across the couch with one arm underneath her head, and for the first time in months, she allowed her thoughts to revisit memories that she had avoided because the pain was too great.  She remembered how B'Elanna would let herself into her quarters while she was sleeping.  She would remove her uniform, gently pull the covers back and crawl seductively over her resting form, slowly kissing her way up her body until she was awake and fully aroused. 

One night in particular their lovemaking had been very intense.  Kathryn's eyes closed as she remembered B'Elanna's lips - how soft they were and how good she tasted when B'Elanna's tongue slipped inside her own mouth.  Kathryn moaned quietly and slowly undid the tie to her silk robe as the memories became more vivid in her mind.

It was a few weeks after the mission to stop the Malon from going after the probe that was stuck in the gas giant.  Previously she had discovered that her lover has been so depressed that she was literally hurting herself on the holodeck.  B'Elanna, who had been progressing well with her therapy sessions, had come home in a exceptionally good mood, which surprised and delighted Kathryn. 

Months had passed since the last time B'Elanna was even remotely interested in intimacy, and Kathryn's heart swelled when she felt B'Elanna's lips caress her own.  That night, B'Elanna kissed her like she had never been kissed - tenderly yet passionately and forcefully.  B'Elanna branded her that evening, biting her clavicle and tasting her blood.  The metallic flavor of her own blood on B'Elanna's lips was surprisingly intoxicating and she moaned with sheer need as her lover's tongue entered her mouth.

Lightly growling from her own building desire, B'Elanna's strong yet gentle hands began to explore the silky lips of Kathryn's sex.  When her fingers reached the opening to her lover's velvet passage, B'Elanna hungrily entered Kathryn's body, massaging Kathryn's clitoris relentlessly with her thumb.  At the memory, Kathryn's hands began to slowly and sensually move over her now exposed body, caressing her nipples until they were fully erect, and her center pulsed painfully with need.  Her breathing became noticeably erratic, and finally reaching between her legs, in an attempt to relieve the mounting pressure, her fingers glided effortlessly between the velvet folds and began circular strokes over her swollen labia.

She remembered how amazing it felt to her - how B'Elanna's fingers moved easily in and out of her body, how the ball of her hand persistently stroked against her throbbing center, sending waves of erotic pleasure rippling through her - how B'Elanna kissed her deeply and repeatedly - sometimes on the lips, plunging her tongue inside to make love to Kathryn's - sometimes on her face and neck, gently nipping at the sensitive flesh.  And after a prolonged time of that exquisite torture, B'Elanna shifted so that she was above her.  Her hand was still moving within Kathryn and she growled seductively as Kathryn brought her own hand between B'Elanna's legs and began to return the favor.    Kathryn closed her eyes and continued to pleasure herself as the memories took form in her mind.

//"Look at me Kathryn..." B'Elanna ordered.  Her eyes were full of passion and she gasped at the sensation of the warm silken flesh surrounding her fingers.

Kathryn opened her eyes and peered deeply into the brown orbs before her.  "You're mine."  B'Elanna said breathily,  "Do you know that?" 

"Yes," Kathryn replied panting as her inner wall began to contract.  Here, there was no rank, no ship, indeed no Starfleet.  Here there was only them and the intense love and desire they shared.

"Yes, you're mine, Kathryn Janeway, and I love you.  Never forget that."  B'Elanna purred.   That's when the magic happened.  Kathryn was suddenly hit with a wave of love and devotion that nearly left her breathless.  She gasped as the love caressed her mind and brought tears to her eyes at the very same time the most intense orgasm of her life rippled through her body at an alarming rate.  "Oh my God..." she groaned as she felt herself go over the edge concurrently as B'Elanna's orgasm tore through her.  The waves kept coming and coming and Kathryn repeated her lover's name until she went limp with exhaustion. //

Simultaneously with the memory of that moment, Kathryn brought herself to completion.  She moaned quietly as her hips undulated with strong contractions, until she went limp with exhaustion.  And as her breathing slowed and her thoughts returned to her reality, she was helpless to prevent the tears of regret that fell from her eyes. 

Soon the tears turned into intense weeping as her emotional barriers crumbled.  Not once since B'Elanna ended their relationship, did Kathryn pleasure herself with that memory.  That one encounter always made her question how B'Elanna could have left her.  She could feel their connection - the way B'Elanna looked into her eyes - the way their hearts seemed to connect and meld as one.  What had been wrong with her that B'Elanna couldn't continue to love her? 

Eventually, as the tension in her body began to flow from her, the racking sobs quieted.  Then, exhausted due to her activity, combined with the torrent of tears that followed, she was finally able to drift off into a fitful sleep.

=^=

Seven was lying in bed staring at the gray ceiling and wondering if sleep would ever come for her.  She turned over and watched the stars streak by outside the view port and sighed heavily.  

It was now crystal clear that the Captain was still very much in love with B'Elanna, and even more transparent that both women were miserable without each other.  And she herself was stuck in the middle.  Her borg logic deduced that if she didn't do something about this awkward situation soon, she would lose in the end.

Seven knew that there was a great possibility that when B'Elanna returned from the away mission, she would go to Kathryn and beg her forgiveness at leaving her.  She also knew, without a doubt that when it happened, Kathryn would not hesitate to take her back. How Seven and B'Elanna came together ultimately would not matter, and it brought tears to her eyes just thinking about life without the beautiful Klingon. 

It would only be a matter of time before B'Elanna couldn't deny her feelings for their Captain and where would that leave Seven?  She didn't know.  All she knew was that she could not bear to lose B'Elanna.   Despite her physical strength, her emotions - indeed her heart would be irreversibly damaged at losing her lover.  Seven now realized that she would do whatever it took to keep B'Elanna - no matter what the cost.

=^=

"Empathic?"  both officers asked in unison as they stopped dead in their tracks. 

"Where did she get the insane idea that I'm empathic?"  B'Elanna stated, laughing. 

"It's not an idea, it is a fact."  Dar stated resolutely.  After ascertaining Chakotay's thoughts of disbelief, she asked, "Are you saying that you are not aware of your abilities?"

"What abilities?"  B'Elanna asked, astonished.  "I'm not empathic."  B'Elanna denied, even though she subconsciously sensed no deception from this child like woman.

"Yes, Lieutenant, you are."  Dar stated.  "Again, I'm saying, don't be fooled by my appearance.  Even though I cannot read your thoughts, I can feel you're presence in my mind.  Even now, you're trying to see if you can sense truthfulness in me.  So tell me - am I being dishonest?" 

B'Elanna was taken back by the directness of Dar.  It almost felt as if the young girl was daring her to deny that she was empathic.  Dar had in fact been correct - without paying any attention to her own actions, Torres was relying on what she thought was her intuition to tell her whether this young woman was trying to fool her or not.  She could clearly sense honesty from her - nothing less. But before she could answer her, Dar noticed that they had halted their progress.  "We've been idle too long." She said.  "Keep walking.  We have quite a way to go until we reach your vessel."

"You've been sensing danger since you met the Imperial, haven't you?"  Dar asked laying soulful eyes on B'Elanna as they proceeded through the field of tall grass.

B'Elanna began to recall how odd she felt at meeting the Imperial, and how she felt as if the elusive woman was deliberately holding information from them, or to put it more accurately, lying to them.  She felt a sense of dread and panic even during dinner that she could not shake.  But she was not willing to admit to herself just yet that she was empathic.  "Yes, but, my people - Klingons, we have heightened senses.  You must be speaking of my intuition."

"I'm sure your Klingon senses are very strong, however, it has nothing to do with your mental ability to read emotions.  You are, whether you wish to accept it or not, empathic.  And the Imperial is intrigued by your ability to block others from your thoughts.  She wants to be able to do this as well."

"Why?" Chakotay asked, "Wouldn't the imperial at least need to be empathic in order to possess a natural ability to block her thoughts from other telepaths?"

"We don't know."  Dar answered honestly. 

"What does she have to gain from this?"  Chakotay asked. 

"She wants to stop our resistance movement."  Dar said.

"Resistance movement?" Chakotay asked.  "So your people are fighting for your freedom?" 

"Yes. Remember when I told you not to be fooled by my apperance?"  Dar asked. "Well, I am actually 38 revolutions old.  My natural aging process has been stunted so that I could get close to the Imperial and relay her plans back to our leaders in the resistance.  We've always been one step ahead of her because of myself and others like me who have been stratically placed within the hierachy of the Gradian Order.  She knows that it has something to do with the way my people can read thoughts.  She has never figured out who has been betraying her and she would never suspect me.  As a child, my abilities would ordinarily be limited until I reach a certain age."

"This sounds eerily familiar,"  Chakotay stated.  "Our people once made slaves of those whom they feared or felt that were inferior to them.  I didn't understand it then, and I don't understand the need for it now.  Don't they realize how much of an asset it would be for them if you all lived equally?"

"No, Commander, they don't.  They fear us - look at us as more powerful than them because of our ability.  So as soon as we're a certain age, we are sold into slavery.  We are taught to work and nothing else, and if we show any sign of rebellion or initiative, it is beaten out of us.  Most of my people cannot even read.  And the ironic thing about all of this is that my people have no desire for power.  All we want is to live in freedom."

They continued making their way through the dark field, which was dimly lit by the moon overhead.  Then Dar said, "Our resistance movement is growing stronger and stronger as the days go by.  One day, Commander, we will be free.  Free to live and not be fearful for our lives because of those who are afraid of us and our gift.  This knowledge alone is very frightening to the Imperial.  Especially since she can't hide her thoughts from us and it's working against her.   If she can figure out a way to block our ability to read thoughts, she could destroy us and continue to oppress our people.  That is why you must return to your ship and leave our planet...wait!"

She became very quiet, then gestured for them to follow her.  When they were safely behind some bushes, she whispered, "I sense three minds ahead of us.  They are close and they are looking for us."

Chakotay scanned the area.  "You're right.  Three humanoid males are ahead."

"What are they doing?"  B'Elanna whispered. 

"Searching for us."  Dar replied.  "They won't find us here."

They waited quietly watching with some anxiety how the men were moving toward them.  But they didn't see them and obviously could not detect them.  Finally, they left the area and the trio let out a collective sigh of relief.  "Let's go."  Chakotay said.

Shortly afterward they located the shuttle.  But before they entered it,  Chakotay remembered that Voyager was no longer in orbit.  "We can't leave, we don't have the dilithium we came after, and besides, our ship Voyager won't be back for another few days."

"Then we must go to my home.  You can hide there until your ship returns."  Dar turned and began walking in the direction of her home.

She lived in a small dwelling a few kilometers away from where the shuttle was hidden on the mountain.  The house had three bedrooms, each with a single bed, nightstand and lamp.  "I use these rooms to hide slaves that have escaped and who want to join the resistance."  She explained.  "Commander, you can take the one to the right, B'Elanna, the one to the left.  There is sleepwear in the drawer of each nightstand, and the bathroom is down the hall.  Get some rest, it's been a long night."  She said to both, then turned to walk toward the door.

"Where are you going?"  Chakotay asked.

"I must return to the Imperial's headquarters.  She will miss me if I'm not there in the morning."  She stated as she headed toward the front door.   "Don't worry, you're safe here."  She said with a reassuring smile.   Then she turned and walked out the door, locking it behind her. 

Both officers went to their respective rooms.  B'Elanna didn't even remove her uniform.  She was completely exhausted and lay down on top of the surprisingly soft bed.  As soon as her head hit the pillow she was sound asleep. 

About 2 hours later, B'Elanna woke with a start.  She wasn't exactly sure what had startled her, but she was shaken just the same.  She got up and opened her bedroom door.  "Chakotay?" she said, looking across the hall at the closed door to his room.  Then she walked across and opened it.  He was underneath the covers sound asleep. 

Suddenly, B'Elanna felt stupid.  It seemed that every since they arrived on this planet that she was jumpier than usual.  Dar had said that it was her being empathic that kept her on alert.  But she wasn't ready to believe that just yet.  She did not like the idea of being able to sense the feelings of others.  At times, her own Klingon emotions were volatile and difficult to control.  Having to deal with the emotions of others was not something she was looking forward to, although she had most likely been dealing with them all of her life.

Closing Chakotay's door, she turned to go back to bed when suddenly she saw a shadow, then a flash of pain hit the back of her head just seconds before she saw darkness.

The next morning, Chakotay woke up due to being urgently shaken by Dar.  "Commander!  Where is B'Elanna?"

"Huh?" Chakotay said, sitting up and rubbing his sleepy eyes.  "Isn't she in her room?"

"No!  She isn't anywhere in the house!  I knew I shouldn't have left."  Dar said, angry with herself.

"I've got to get back to my shuttle."  Chakotay said as he jumped out of bed.  "Maybe I'll be able to find her with the shuttle's sensors."  And within minutes, he was out the door with Dar following quickly behind him.

=^= 

 The day was dragging at an exceptionally slow pace and Kathryn was doing her best to stay away from everyone.  Although the previous nights indulgence allowed her to get some much needed sleep, it left her feeling even more desolate than before.  She once again left Tuvok in charge of the bridge and took shelter in the protective confines of her ready room. 

Once inside she replicated herself a cup of coffee then glanced toward her desk.  There were various data padds strewn across the top of it and since they appeared to be in a relatively calm part of space, she decided she would catch up on her reports. The mundane task might just help to get her mind off of her failed relationship.  

About three hours and 12 padds later, she was actually done.  She put down the last padd, and ordered her lights to be dimmed eighty percent.  In another 24 hours they would intercept the damaged vessel - at which time she would have to switch to command mode.  Truth be told, she never really left command mode.  Her mind was constantly busy with what was happening with the ship, what was going on with the crew, how their lives were progressing and how guilty at times she felt that they were stuck in this frequently hostile part of the galaxy because of a decision she made. 

She remembered that fateful day like it was yesterday - and how angry B'Elanna was at her because  she had given the order to destroy the array.  Even then, she could feel the attraction they had toward one another.  She closed her eyes and once again let her memories take form in her mind.

//"We can't let the Kazon take over the array.  We'll have to destroy it.  Tuvok set a course for..."  but her orders were cut off by a very angry female voice.

"Destroy it?  What do you mean destroy the array?  It's our only means of getting out of this God forsaken place!"  B'Elanna shouted. 

"B'Elanna, calm down!"  Chakotay shouted.

"I will not calm down!  Who the hell is she to be giving orders around here?"  She asked incredulously.  Then she turned and glared harshly into the most striking blue-gray eyes she had ever seen.  In spite of her anger, she was actually becoming aroused.  And it shocked her even more that she was feeling a mutual attraction from this woman, whomever she was.

"She's the Captain."  Ensign Kim announced.

B'Elanna continued to stare piercingly at the Captain, ignoring the feelings of awakening that began to build within her, until the woman looked away and started barking orders to the crew.//

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Janeway sighed and went to replicate another cup of coffee.  Her mind again drifted - this time landing on the Chief Science Officer.  She had to admit that she was mildly intrigued by the attempt Seven made yesterday to resume their friendship.  The young woman was nothing short of determined, and she knew that her canceling their game was not going to deter her forever.  Seven was working with Harry Kim at the engineering station that morning. She found that she was hard pressed to keep her eyes off of the woman.  She was strikingly beautiful.

It meant more to her than she wanted to admit that Seven wanted their friendship to continue.  Unfortunately, for her, her emotions were still too raw and exposed to even contemplate such a course of action.  She knew that Seven would not hesitate to discuss anything with her - even her relationship with B'Elanna.  And though it had been almost two years since their break up, Kathryn still was not over her.  She feared that it would be some time before she could allow a friendship to resume with Seven.

Kathryn vaguely wondered if her life would ever be less complicated than it was at that very moment.

=^=

The next day Voyager arrived at the transport's coordinates.  The ship appeared to only have about 5 hours left before there would be a complete shut down of all life support.  They arrived not a moment too soon.

The inhabitants were immediately transported into one of the shuttle bays, and the Doctor was stationed there to check them out and help any of the injured.   Once everyone was medically cleared, Janeway ordered three of Voyager's engineers over to the transport to work with their people to restore the ships vital systems.

All was going well with the repairs and soon the transport had resumed it's previous course.  Janeway was relieved.  She didn't like leaving her crew alone anywhere and she desperately wanted to return.  Hopefully the officers had collected enough dilithium to keep them going for at least another 8 to 10 months before they had to replenish their stock. 

Having worked nearly a double shift, the Captain finally stumbled into her quarters around 2200 hours.  She was hungry and very tired.  She undressed and took a quick sonic shower.  Afterward, wrapped in her satin robe, she replicated herself a bowl of soup, and ate it quietly while sitting on her sofa reading a book.  When she was done eating, she stretched across the sofa to continue reading, but fell asleep with the book resting lightly on her chest.

=^=

A few hours later, Janeway woke with a start.  Still lying on the sofa, she sat up quickly and reached over to grab her persistently beeping comm. badge from the table.  "Janeway here," She said into the air.

"Captain, please report to the bridge."  Ensign Kim stated. 

"On my way." She said.  Checking the chronometer she noted that it was 0300 hours.  "This had better be good."  She muttered to herself as she quickly dressed then headed out the door to her quarters.

When she arrived, she had just finished a huge yawn in the turbo lift.  "Ensign, it's 3 o'clock in the morning.  This had better be important."

A little intimidated, Harry replied, "It is, Captain.  We received an urgent message from the Commander.  Lieutenant Torres has been abducted."

Harry's words seemed to echo over and over in her mind.  Then mentally shaking herself  she said, "How much longer before we reach the planet?"

"24 hours at warp 9."  He replied.

"All senior officers report to your duty stations."  She said through the comm system.  Then turning to the officer at the tactical station she said, "Take us to yellow alert."

Soon  Tuvok,  Paris and  Seven arrived on the bridge.  They went to their stations and were advised of the current situation.  Then she ordered Tom to resume course at warp 9.   Now all they could do was wait.

=^=

Chakotay had spent the last several hours scanning the surface looking for B'Elanna, but to no avail.  It was as if she had disappeared from the planet altogether. 

"What do we do now?"  Dar asked, in silent awe of the technology the shuttle possessed.

"Do you think that the Imperial has her?"  Chakotay asked Dar. 

"I don't know, and I won't be able to tell unless I go back and spend some time with her."

"Fine.  You do that.  I have some things to take care of while you're gone.  I'll be waiting for you at your house with the shuttle in say about 3 hours?"

"Yes, that will do."  Dar replied.  She got up to leave and said, "Be careful, Chakotay."

He nodded to her and watched as she slipped quietly out of the shuttle.  Then he coded the ships sensors to scan continuously for any sign of B'Elanna, while he flew it toward Dar's secluded home. 

Several hours later, Dar returned to find Chakotay outside scanning the surrounding area for Dilithium and any sign of Klingon DNA.  "Dar.  Were you able to find out if the Imperial has her?"

"She does not.  But she was very upset at having found that the two of you had left.  She has sent people looking for you."  She replied.  She felt tired and worried.  If the Imperial didn't have B'Elanna, who did? 

 The look of fatigue in her eyes did not go unnoticed by Chakotay.  "Maybe you should get some sleep while..."

"Wait..." she said urgently.  But before she could finish her sentence, two humanoids jumped out of the surrounding brush and attacked them.

Both converged on the Commander, feeling that Dar's little form would be of no consequence to them.  But they were wrong.  As Chakotay did his best to fight the two intruders off, Dar picked up a large branch lying on the ground and swung hard, hitting one of the men in the leg.  While he screamed in pain, Chakotay was able to swing and knock out the other assailant with a left hook to his chin.

The other, angered by Dar's interference, backhanded the small girl and sent her flying across the pathway, where she landed and hit her head on the ground.  She was rendered unconscious.  Then he turned on Chakotay.

By then, however, Chakotay had grabbed his phaser, set it on stun and fired.  The man never knew what hit him.  Then catching his breath, he call out for Dar.  Within a few seconds, he found her, lying on the ground bleeding from a wound on the back of her head. 

Chakotay picked up her limp body and swiftly but carefully took her into the shuttle.  He lay her on the cot, then closed the hatch and began the launching sequence.  Soon the vessel began to move and he headed for the atmosphere, hoping he'd be safer orbiting the planet. 

=^=

Voyager arrived to find the shuttle orbiting the planet.  "Captain, "  Harry said, "There are two life signs inside.  One is very faint."

"Beam them directly to sick bay!"  She ordered.  "Tuvok, you have the bridge."

"Aye, Captain."  Tuvok said as he moved to the Captain's chair and watched as Janeway entered the turbo lift.

Five minutes later she was walking into sickbay.  "Commander, what happened?  Where is B'Elanna?"  she asked.

"I wish I knew.  I spent several hours scanning the area but I wasn't successful in finding her.  I'm not even sure who has her."  He replied regretfully.

Janeway showed no sign of emotion over the First Officer's words.  Her command shield was fully erect and she had no time to dwell on her feelings.  First and foremost, she had to find out what happened.  "Okay, tell me what went on down there?"

The EMH continued to work on their new passenger as the Captain listened with silent awe to the Commander's story.  "Empathic?"

"Dar seems to think that she is, yes."  Chakotay replied, glancing over at the young visitor.  "She said she could feel B'Elanna's presence in her mind."

"Empathic..." Janeway whispered to herself.  It certainly explained a lot.  "And you're saying that B'Elanna was completely unaware of this?"

"Captain, I've known B'Elanna for a long time.  If she knew she was empathic, she would have told me."  Chakotay said with certainty. 

"And you believe that it's the Imperial who has her?"  Kathryn asked.

"At first, I thought so, but Dar is certain that she doesn't."

The Captain turned to the Doctor.  "Can you wake her up?" 

"Yes, Captain, but she should rest until..." 

"Do it."  She said effectively cutting him off.

"Yes, Captain."  He said giving her a disapproving look.  He pressed a hypo spray to her neck and they all watched as the young girl's eyes fluttered open.

"Where am I?"  Dar asked as she looked around.

"You're on the Starship Voyager.  I'm Kathryn Janeway, and this is my ship."

"The Captain," Dar stated.  She could clearly read her thoughts as she peered into her blue-gray eyes.  Behind her command exterior was a woman who was in a near panic at not knowing what was happening to her officer and her former lover.  Dar almost gasps as she realized what B'Elanna meant to this woman.  "We have to find the Lieutenant immediately, Captain Janeway."

"Can you help us do that?"  She asked hopefully.

"I might be able to. I'm a little surprised that they didn't kill me.  They must know by now that I work for the resistance."  Suddenly her head began to pound and she started to wince in pain.  "I'm sorry, my head is hurting."  Then she pressed her small hand to her head as the pain began to increase. 

The doctor scanned her and saw that it was due to her injury needing time and rest to heal.  He filled a hypo spray and pressed it into her neck.  "This will ease the pain and you'll be able to sleep."  After seeing her visibly relax, the doctor said, "She needs to rest now, Captain."

Janeway understood and didn't push her any further to answer.  However, she was not happy about it.  They had no clue where B'Elanna was, and they needed this woman's help in order to find her.  She hit her comm. badge and said, "Janeway to Ensign Kim."

"Yes Captain," Harry replied. 

"Run a level 10 scan of the planet's surface.  Scan for Klingon DNA.  I want B'Elanna found as soon as possible."

"Aye, Captain."  He replied and the link was closed.

She looked at the Doctor and stated, "Inform me as soon as she is awake."  Then she turned to her First Officer.  "Chakotay, you're with me."  Then both officers exited Sick bay.

=^=

B'Elanna woke up with a throbbing headache.  As her vision slowly cleared, she looked around and noted that she was in a large room with a single door.  It was not at all where she expected to be, and she was both grateful and relieved that she wasn't strapped to some cold exam table.

She listened to the quiet for a few minutes, then briefly remembered what she, Chakotay and Dar were discussing while walking through the fields the night before.  She apparently was empathic.  It certainly explained several things that happened in her lifetime.

Even as a young child, she realized that she was sensing things from her mother and father - love and affection at first for her and for each other.  As she grew older, the emotions became darker and extremely disturbing - especially to a child.  Here parents were not happy with one another.  She knew they fought a lot, and that it was largely due to the fact that her mother being Klingon and her father being human were not very compatible.  She knew in her heart that her father loved her, but she also knew that he wanted to leave them.  Being a child, she didn't know how to tell him she didn't want him to leave, or know how to fix it so that they weren't so hostile toward each other. 

When her father finally left, she felt an immeasurable void in her heart.  She realized now, that she could no longer feel him and it brought tears to her eyes to this day at the memory.  Being able to feel her mother's sadness, she never said anything to her for fear that her mother would become even more miserable than she already was.  And as a result, she became withdrawn and angry.  The only peace she felt after that time was when she met Chakotay and joined his band of rebels.

During her time in the Maquis, they had run into several telepaths.  Some of them were loyal to the cause, but others, although she didn't deal with them personally, were working as undercover agents for Starfleet or the Cardasians.  Chakotay seemed to never worry that his thoughts might betray his crew or the cause.  When she asked why, he told her it was due to years of mental discipline.  At her request, he taught her his methods.  It made sense to her now that what took him years to perfect, only took her a matter of months. 

Then there was her relationship with Kathryn Janeway.  From the very first time they met, she was able to sense that the Captain was attracted to her.  As time went on and the feelings were consistently being reinforced whenever she was around Janeway, she finally built up enough courage to approach her romantically.  She knew or rather felt that the Captain would not rebuke her advances.  She remembered the incredible night with Kathryn when she felt so much uninhibited affection and raw devotion from her. It wasn't just a perception of love but the actual emotions from Kathryn that she felt.  It was  so intense, she guessed that if she felt it, then Kathryn did as well. It all made perfect sense now. 

And then there was Seven.  She recalled sensing how Seven with all her conflicting emotions beginning to grow and take form, had felt a slowly building attraction for her.  She briefly wondered if knowing how Seven felt caused her to subconsciously take advantage of the young woman, but quickly dismissed that idea.  She knew in her heart that she sincerely loved Seven, just as she truly loved Kathryn.

Closing her eyes and clearing her mind, she tried to see if she could sense anything around her.  For the first time, consciously using her abilities, she was able to discern very clearly, several minds.  And although she realized that she was in this particular room by herself, she was not alone.  The emotions she perceived from these people were somewhat calming, but alert as well.  She got the feeling that they, who ever they were, were constantly watching their backs.  Then another realization hit her with surprising clarity - she was not in any immediate danger.

"Where am I?"  She asked herself.  She sat up slowly in an effort not to aggravate any further the pain in her head.  That's when she heard someone coming.  She listened, and yet she still felt no danger at the approaching stranger.

The door opened and a light filtered through.  Then a man stepped inside and closed the door.  "You're awake, finally."  It was Rekpar. 

"What a surprise."  B'Elanna quipped, rubbing the bump on the back of her head. 

"I'm sure it's not," Rekpar replied detecting the sarcasm in B'Elanna's voice. 

"So now what?  You going to dissect me so you can see what makes me tick?" 

"I don't think so," He replied, grinning shamelessly.  "Not quite my expertise."

"Then what do you want with me?"  B'Elanna asked.

"Good question, Lieutenant."  Rekpar replied.  "First let me start by saying that you're in no danger - that is, unless your Captain won't help us."

For the first time, B'Elanna was able to detect a sense of ruthlessness from this man.  It however, didn't leave her feeling shaken, or even frightened.  She had felt this sort of emotion before, but she couldn't remember where.  "What does my Captain have to do with any of this?"  She asked.

"We need help to win this war, Lieutenant.  And with your advanced technology, we would be able to gain freedom for our people."

"Are you saying that you're also part of the rebellion?"  B'Elanna asked, sensing no deception from this man.

"Yes."  He replied.

"But you're a man.  I thought all the slaves were female?"

"Not all, most."  He confirmed, but he didn't say anything further.

"You're holding out on me, Rekpar,"

"So it's true.  You can sense my feelings."

"Apparently.  Now, answer my question.  Is there more to this?"

 "Yes.  Most of the males have features similar to yours - dark hair, dark skin and green eyes.  Occasionally, a few of us are born with light hair, dark or light skin, and blue or lavender eyes like the Imperial.  I am the product of my mother, who was a slave, and my father who was a master."

"How many of you are there altogether?  "  B'Elanna asked.

"There are several of us, but we all live hidden lives.  If it were found that we existed, we would be in grave danger."

"Where are Dar and Chakotay?"

"With your Captain, I imagine.  I haven't been able to reach Dar.  I'm worried about her." 

B'Elanna was suddenly hit with a wave of fear and remorse from Rekpar.  "Dar is very important to you isn't she?" she finally said as realization hit her.

"She is my sister."  He replied.   Then changing the subject, he said, "We need weapons, Lieutenant.  Although we are one step ahead of the Imperial, our losses are starting to catch up with us.  If we had advanced technology, we could end this once an for all and bring freedom to everyone on the planet."

"And what if my Captain refuses to help you?"  B'Elanna asked.

"Then we will kill you."  He stated clearly.

"Dar doesn't know you've done this, does she?"

"No.  I wanted to and told her so, but she wouldn't hear of it.  I was forced to take action.  This may be the only chance we'll have to change things."

B'Elanna now realized where she had felt the emotions she was feeling from Rekpar.  She felt them constantly while serving on the Crazy Horse with Chakotay.  It was a 'do what you have to do for the cause' feeling.  She herself had done things that she wouldn't have normally for the Maquis.  And she knew that if their demands weren't met, they would kill her, even though they didn't want to.

"I imagine we will be contacted by your Captain soon enough."  Rekpar stated.  "I will have someone bring you something to eat."  He said, then left the area.

Several minutes went by when a young girl, who by earth's standards was no more than 12 or 13 years of age, came to her carrying a tray of food and water.   She sat it down on the floor next to B'Elanna and said, "I hope you like it.  I'm not sure what you're used to eating, but I picked out one of my favorites." 

B'Elanna sensed honesty and a little bit of awe from the young girl.  She had long black hair, like her own, and the ridges on her nose and chin that were characteristic of the telepathic females on the planet.  She also had the most exotic blue eyes she had ever seen on a person.  "Thank you," B'Elanna said, then picked up a piece of the food and tasted it.  It was sweet, like a honeydew melon.  "It's very good." She replied, eliciting a wide grin from the young girl.  "What's your name?"  B'Elanna asked.

"I'm Aniah."

"And I'm B'Elanna."  She replied.  "How old are you Aniah?"

"I've been on D'Breen for 13 revolutions.  I live down here."  She said peering expressively into B'Elanna's eyes.  "I can't read you."  She said after a few minutes.

"So I heard."  B'Elanna stated, although she could sense this girls emotions quite clearly.  Her thoughts were very erratic and unpredictable which piqued B'Elanna's curiosity.

"I thought children didn't have their telepathic abilities developed."  B'Elanna stated, remembering what Dar said to her before she was captured.

"They don't, however, I'm not exactly a child anymore.  I'm in the second stages of my telepathic development.  But sometimes I have trouble controlling them."

"Oh.  Do you go to the surface often?" 

"No.  My family wants me to remain here for a while.  At least until I've learned not to read the others so aggressively.  When I can do it and no one know of it, I'll be able to leave."

"So, the others can tell when you read them?"  B'Elanna asked. 

"Yes.  My readings are so strong it makes their heads hurt.  That's how they can tell.  And if I were to live on the surface now, I'd be found out, and most likely killed."

"Just because you're a telepath?"

"Yep, but not just a telepath - a special telepath.  I'm a lot stronger than others my age.  If I were like the others, I'd just be sold into slavery and not killed.  The Gradians think we're dangerous."  Aniah looked at B'Elanna and said innocently, "You're very pretty."

"I am?"  B'Elanna asked.

"Uh huh.  I've never seen anyone look like you before." 

"Well, this isn't how I really look.  This is just a disguise."  She said gesturing toward her face.

"What do you really look like?" 

"Well, I have ridges here on my forehead," she said pointing toward herself, "And my hair is brown and cut short to my shoulders."   

"You sound very beautiful."  Aniah said.  "I wish I could see you without this disguise.  "Hey, I have an idea, why don't you project your thoughts to me and show me what you look like?"

"I'm not sure I can do that..."

"Yes you can.  Why don't you give it a try?  Just relax and look into my eyes when you do it."  Aniah stated excitedly.

B'Elanna smiled widely at the girl's enthusiasm.  "All right, you talked me into it."  B'Elanna did as she suggested and looked directly into her deep blue eyes.  She tried to send an image to her.

"I don't see anything," Aniah said.  "Why don't you try it again?"

"Okay," Then she tried a second time, but was unsuccessful.  Finally, after the third try and being somewhat drained from the effort, she said, "I just can't do it."

Aniah, looked disappointed at first, then chewed on her bottom lip as if in thought.  Then her eyes got wide and she said, "Why don't you try holding my hands!"

"I doubt it if that will help," B'Elanna said. 

"C'mon, please?"  Aniah pleaded. 

"Okay," B'Elanna said.  She took the girls small hands into hers and tried again.  This time, something different happened.

The girl smiled widely, then her eyes widened as she realized that an image was beginning to form in her mind.  She was seeing a beautiful female with forehead ridges.  "You are very lovely  - exotic, in fact."

"Kahless..." she gasped in amazement, "You can see the image?  I actually sent my thoughts to you?"

"Yes!"  Aniah giggled happily.  Then she stopped laughing and gazed at B'Elanna in wonder.  She released B'Elanna's left hand and reached toward her to feel where her cranial ridges were uppose to be.  "It's no wonder that she loves you so much."

That got B'Elanna's attention.  She let go of the young girls hands and asked, "Who?"

"Your Captain.  She's looking for you, you know."

"How do you know?"

"I can sense her.  Her emotions are very strong, and your essence seems to be wrapped around her heart."

"You can feel that from her?"  B'Elanna asked, her heart rate accelerating. 

"Sure I can.  Can't you?"

B'Elanna had misguidedly stumbled on a change in this species' evolutionary progress.  This young girl's abilities were far stronger than apparently anyone on her planet realized.  "Have you told anyone else that you can sense my Captain?"

"Only my father," She replied.

"Rekpar?"  B'Elanna asked, and Aniah nodded.

"How did you know he was my father?"  Aniah asked. 

"You have his eyes."  B'Elanna stated.

Aniah smiled and blushed slightly.  "I really like you, B'Elanna."

"I like you too, Aniah.  Say, can you do me a favor?"  B'Elanna asked.

"Well, I..."

"Can you tell me about your people?"  B'Elanna stated.  She knew that this girl would be completely honest with her.  She could perceive only innocence and a feeling of curiosity.

"Yes.  What would you like to know?"

=^=

Janeway sat on the bridge waiting for a report on the scansof the planet that were being conducted.  She was filled with anxiety over not knowing where B'Elanna was, and even further turmoil knowing that Seven was just as worried about her as she was.  The only thing that made the situation worst, was that for some unexplainable reason, she didn't want Seven to be hurt anymore than she herself wanted to be.  Why? She had no idea.  All she did know was that it was all very confusing.  Her head was suddenly beginning to develop a dull ache when her thoughts were interrupted.

 "Captain, we're being hailed, audio only." 

"Open a channel, Mr. Kim."  After the channel was opened, she said, "I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the ... "

"Captain, it's me."  B'Elanna stated.  "I'm all right.  They don't know that I still have my comm. badge."

Janeway's heart swelled with relief at hearing B'Elanna's voice.  "B'Elanna, where are you?"

"I'm not sure.  Somewhere under the surface I think."  She replied.

"Does the Imperial have you?"  Chakotay asked.

"No.  The rebels have me.  Specifically, Rekpar."

"Rekpar?"  Chakotay asked, with little held surprise.

"Yes, he works undercover for the rebels as the Imperial guardian.  They want to negotiate for my safe return in exchange for some weapons. "

"We may not be able to help these people, B'Elanna.  You know that."  Janeway stated.  "We cannot involve ourselves in their dispute."

"Captain, you might want to hear them out.  They don't know that I can talk to you so I'll have to make this quick.  They are being slowly wiped out, because of a race of people that find them dangerous simply because they are telepathic.  We've got to do something to help them."

Normally the Captain would have answered immediately with no.  But something told her that she needed to tread very carefully with this one.  But before she could voice her opinion, B'Elanna's voice could be heard again.  

"I'd like to stay here for a while and see if I can find out some more information."

"B'Elanna, we need to get you out of there,"  

"I know, but I just need a little more time... wait - Someone's coming."

"B'Elanna..." Janeway said, forgetting for a nanosecond that she was the Captain and on the bridge.

"Kathryn, don't worry.  I'm fine.  I'll contact you again, soon.  Torres out."  And the signal was cut.

Everyone noticed the change in their conversation, and had the good sense not to say a word. It was the first time that B'Elanna called her by her first name since their break up and it did not go unnoticed by Janeway or the rest of the bridge crew.  And it most certainly was noticed by Seven.

After an akward silence, Harry's voice stated, "Captain, I've located B'Elanna's signal.  She is in a hidden cavern somewhere north of the main city, but I can't get a lock on her.  There's some sort of natural barrier."  Ensign Kim announced.

"Good work, Ensign.  Keep trying to break through the interference.  I want to be able to get her out of there when she's ready, and sooner if there is any sign of danger."  She replied.  //B'Elanna, I hope you know what you're doing.// she thought to herself.

*************

The Captain sat in the mess hall, attempting to busy herself by reviewing the latest batch of reports that were  submitted. But it was no use.  Her mind was more on getting B'Elanna back in one piece than anything.  She had to trust her however.  B'Elanna made it clear that she didn't want to be beamed out just yet.  So against her better judgment, she decided she would wait until she heard from her Chief Engineer again.  Just then the mess hall doors slid open and in walked Seven. //Oh perfect.  Just what I don't need right now.// she thought to herself as the beautiful young woman made a beeline for her direction.

 "Captain, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course, Seven.  Have a seat."  She watched as Seven sat in the chair across from her. 

"Actually, what I wanted to speak to you about is of a personal nature, Captain."

"I see."  Janeway said.  "Aren't you going to get something to eat?"

"No, I will eat something later."  Seven replied. 

"I want to talk to you about B'Elanna."

Kathryn went visibly pale.  "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this here."  Kathryn said as she noticed other crew members entering the mess hall for lunch and giving them somewhat questioning looks.  "Let's go to my ready room," she stated and quickly got out of her seat and headed for the exit with Seven in tow.

The ride in the turbo lift seemed excruciatingly long with Seven giving the Captain sideways glances every few minutes.  Finally they entered Janeway's office and she moved behind her desk as if it would protect her from the onslaught of Seven's inevitable words.

Seven, noticing the protective stance that Janeway immediately took,  realized that she was not going to make this conversation easy.  And even though Seven was not prepared for that, she was determined to have this discussion with the Captain whether she liked it or not.  Now more than ever since being witness to the brief conversation both Janeway and Torres had.

"The other day in the mess hall, when I mentioned B'Elanna's name, you became markedly uncomfortable.  And I realized that you might not like me very much these days.  In fact, you probably detest me."

"That's not true, Seven..."

"Believe me, Seven.  I do understand how you were feeling.  I don't think and never have thought that you were capable of doing something as devious as steal her from me.  So, that being said, I don't see the need for us to discuss this any further." 

Janeway stated, hoping it would put an end to this painful conversation.

"Oh but I do, Captain.  I am... relieved that you do not see me as someone who would do such a thing, but this is not just about me.  It is about you and B'Elanna.  B'Elanna still loves you... and I think that you are still in love with her also."  Seven blurted out. 

Kathryn visibly flinched at Seven's words. She was literally shaking inside over that news that B'Elanna was still in love with her. Then with a firm jaw, she gripped the back of her chair and stated  "B'Elanna made her choice a long time ago.  She effectively ended our relationship when she told me she had to be with you.  Now, I'm only assuming that you've come to this conclusion about her feelings because the two of you have been having problems.  All couples go through similar episodes - especially young couples like yourself.  It has absolutely nothing to do with me."

Seven looked as dumbfounded as any former borg could look at the Captain's words.  Couldn't she see the obvious?  "Captain, are you saying that I am mistaken about your feelings for B'Elanna?"  Seven asked.

"How I feel is irrelevant.  The point is, that if you two really want to stay together, you'll need to work together to fix your problems.  But don't put me in the middle of this.  It isn't fair to you, or to me."  She answered with a little anger in her voice.  Then she stated firmly,  "This conversation is over, Lieutenant."

"But, Captain, I..."

"Dismissed." 

Seven bit back her nearly blinding anger and said with a slight tremor in her voice, "Yes. Captain."  Then she turned on her heal and moved toward the door.  But before she stepped close enough for the door to open, she said, "You did not deny that you still have feelings for her, Captain.  And I am certain that she still loves you.  Whether you like it or not, she does have a say in this."  Then she turned and left without a backward glance.

Kathryn couldn't pull her chair out fast enough before her legs seemed unable to sustain her weight.  As she quickly sank into her chair, her inward shaking began to manifest itself outwardly and she felt her hands quivering uncontrollably.  Could it be true?  That B'Elanna still loved her after all this time?  She didn't want to think about it - couldn't even let herself contemplate the  possibilities.   And just what exactly was Seven trying to do with this new found revelation of hers?  Torture her with it?

Then there was the fact that B'Elanna was empathic which meant that she could on some level feel the love and desire that Kathryn still had for her.  How come she never said anything to her?  Sighing heavily and feeling very exposed, Kathryn rested her forehead on the cold surface of her desk and wished, not for the first time, that she were anywhere else except on Voyager.

=^=

Later that night, Seven was lying on her bed, still dressed in her uniform, staring at the ceiling and wondering what the hell was wrong with the Captain.  It seemed absolutely illogical to her for anyone who has such obvious feelings for another person to react the way Janeway did toward her words.  After all, she only spoke the truth.

Seven learned, however, that humans tended to run from reality, as if it were some sort of torture device to be feared. Unfortunately there seemed to be very little that she could do about that. Though B'Elanna had been abducted, there was absolutely no doubt in Seven's mind that she would return to them safe and sound.  And being witness to the conversation shared between her lover and the Captain on the bridge earlier, only served as solid proof that B'Elanna was still very much in love with Captain Janeway.   Seven's brain would not quiet and her anxiety continued to build at knowing what would eventually happen once B'Elanna returned.   The question was, which one of them would she return to?  Herself, or the Captain?

Coming to a decision, she swiftly got out of her depressingly empty bed and left her quarters.

=^=

Kathryn entered her quarters and ordered the lights up to seventy five percent.  She pulled her outer jacket over her head until she was wearing nothing but her gray turtleneck and pants.  Tossing the jacket on her sofa, she sat down heavily next to it, leaned her head back to rest on the sofa cushions and closed her eyes.

She had been extremely shaken by her conversation with Seven.  Never in a million years did she expect to hear the startling information she heard from her about B'Elanna.  And to make a tense situation even worst, B'Elanna was on the surface of an alien planet, at her own request, attempting to help the very individuals that had kidnapped her. 

Kathryn briefly wondered what Seven was doing at that moment.  Was she in her quarters worried sick about B'Elanna also?  Was she anxious about where she would stand with B'Elanna once she returned to the ship?  And why in the hell did she care how it would make Seven feel if what she said were true - that B'Elanna was in fact still in love with her?  It was all so bizarre - she just wanted B'Elanna home.  She missed her, and God help her, she still loved her so much it hurt. 

She sighed heavily and sat up, contemplating getting a cup of tea and changing her clothes when her door chime rang.  Standing and walking toward the door, she was very surprised when the door opened and Seven was standing there.

"Seven?  What can I do for you Lieutenant?"   

"I need to speak with you."  She replied, and ignoring the Captains icy glare, walked in past her and settled herself in the chair next to the sofa.

Janeway did not want to have this conversation.  "Seven, I told you that our conversation was over."

"Our conversation is not over."  Seven said with surprising clarity.  Gone was the hesitation in her voice.  "I have something to say, and I believe, no, I'm certain that you need to hear it just as much as I need to say it.  And I'm not leaving until I do."  She said resolutely.

Kathryn truly did not want to talk about this.  She couldn't let Seven see her so vulnerable - let her be witness to her unstable emotions.  She momentarily thought about calling security, but decided she didn't want anyone else to be privy to her private life. Sitting on the sofa she said, "Look Seven, if you're worried about B'Elanna, she's fine.  I spoke with her earlier and..."

"I am aware you spoke with her, Kathryn.  I was there.  That is why we need to have this conversation!"  She said with total exasperation.

"Kathryn?"  The Captain repeated, "Since when are we on a first name basis?"  She said, her anger flaring at Seven's audacity. 

"Since we're both in love with the same woman!  In the name of all that is reasonable, how can you just ignore this?"  Seven asked her. 

To say that Kathryn was taken back was an understatement, and the shock on her face made Seven realize that she might want to be a little calmer for this.  "I apologize, I didn't mean to lose my temper."

"Oh please... you've got my attention now," Kathryn said incredulously. 

This was not going well at all and for the briefest of moments Seven considered leaving.  But she knew she had to do this or she would lose in the end.   She suddenly felt very tired as her own anger and exasperation seemed to melt away from her.  Taking a deep breath, she decided to try a more subdued approach.  "How would you feel if we lost her? If something went terribly wrong and she never came back to us?"

Kathryn's eyes unwillingly filled with tears that she did her best not to let fall at that question.  She pressed herself into the sofa and refused to meet Seven's level gaze.  It had been a long time since she had felt this vulnerable. 

"It would be devastating to me and I believe the same to be true for you."  Seven replied.

Kathryn pulled her emotions in check and said, "Well I'm sure she will be fine Lieutenant."

"Seven.  I'd like for you to call me Seven when we're not on duty or maybe Anika."

Kathryn's eyebrows raised at that, but she didn't answer.  She just sat on the sofa waiting with much trepidation for Seven's next words.  Finally after a few agonizing minutes, Seven got up and moved to sit next to her on the sofa.  Her heart began to hammer furiously within her chest, and she didn't quite understand why.  She watched as Seven folded one leg underneath her and turned slightly to face her, even though she was only sitting a few inches away.  Then Kathryn looked into her deep blue eyes, and saw warmth and affection that she never expected to see.

In a very soft voice, Seven said, "I know you still love her.  I could see it in your eyes every time you looked at her.  I used to think that maybe, with time, you would fall out of love with her.  Then I would not have to be so troubled over her realizing someday that she had made a big mistake choosing me over you."

Turning away from Seven, Kathryn said, "You must be relieved that she never did."

"Relieved, yes to a degree - but not like you think.  Because, what you do not realize is, that B'Elanna still holds you dear to her heart.  She is still very much in love with you. In fact, she has never stopped loving you."

Closing her eyes, Kathryn sighed and stated, "Seven, let me assure you, that I have no ties with B'Elanna.  She left me for you, make no mistake about that.  And whether or not she has feelings for me, she's with you now so it doesn't matter."

"I may have her physically and may also be in her heart, but you, Kathryn, you hold the key to her heart."  Seven replied. 

Kathryn did not want to hear this - any of it.  It was tearing her up inside.  It was bad enough to think that B'Elanna didn't love her, but to know she did and not be able to be with her was nearly unbearable.  "Seven, you have to leave, please..." she pleaded, her voice sounding raspy with need. 

"Why don't you tell me about her, Kathryn."  Seven whispered, ignoring her earlier plea and moving closer to her.  "I'll bet you never talked to anyone about what happened.  Not even to the Commander."

"I haven't," she admitted, her breath beginning to quicken. "And I'm not going to," she concluded.  She had no idea where Seven was going with this, and it all seemed so bizarre, she thought that she must be in some sort of alternate universe.

"You can try Kathryn, but this will not be ignored.  Even you are not strong enough to just set it aside like it doesn't exist."  Seven then moved in close, allowing her lips to lightly caress the Captain's cheek.  "I made a very important decision last night, Kathryn.  And no matter what you do, you will not change my mind about this."  Pausing briefly she asked, "When was the last time you let someone touch you?"

Kathryn couldn't help but close her eyes in response to the tenderness that Seven was showing her.  She felt her protective walls begin to crumble and she felt powerless to prevent it from happening.

"No one has shown you any love since the two of you broke up, have they?  Well, that's going to change."  Seven then turned Kathryn's head so that they were facing one another, and gently placed her lips on Janeway's.  The kiss was gentle and overwhelmingly loving, and eventually became very passionate.  Seven smiled inwardly when she felt Kathryn's hands wrap around her waist, then one hand thread gently through her hair. 

Finally after a long moment, Seven moved away from her lips to the side of her neck and began to nuzzle the soft skin she found there.  That was when Kathryn found her voice.  "Seven.... We can't do this.  It's not right."

"Yes it is," she murmured against her skin as she pushed Kathryn down so that she lay horizontally on the sofa.  Covering her body, she looked into her eyes, then captured her lips once more, before moving to the other side of Kathryn's neck.  As she kissed the soft skin, occasionally stroking it with her tongue, she inhaled deeply Kathryn's scent and moaned before she could stop herself.

"We can't, B'Elanna..."

"Will see this is best for all of us.  But first, I want to make love to you, so later, I don't feel like a stranger in our relationship."  She finished, as her hands slowly etched underneath the Captain's turtleneck.

"Our relationship?  You mean, the three of us?"

Seven stopped and looked deeply into Kathryn's eyes.  "It's the only resolution."  Then she kissed her once more, her mouth opening, her tongue seeking it's counterpart, as Kathryn moaned her appreciation.  After a long moment spent just experiencing the sweetness of her mouth, Seven pulled away and sat back, pulling Kathryn up with her.  Then lifting herself off the sofa, she pulled Kathryn into her bedroom.

Seven made short work of her uniform, leaving it in an unkempt pile on the floor, and while Kathryn gazed with lust at her body, she began helping her out of her offending uniform.  As the garments slowly made there way to the floor, Kathryn's last attempt at sanity surfaced.  "Seven, maybe we should think about this..."

"It's too late for that," Seven said, her hands gently kneading the supple flesh of Kathryn's breasts while she moved her lips lightly across her ear.  "Besides, it's been too long since you've been loved," she uttered, "B'Elanna and I will have to do something about that later.  Now...it's my turn."  She sucked gently on the flesh behind Kathryn's ear, then used her tongue to the ear itself.

"Seven..." Kathryn gasped, the sensation making her tremble with need.

"You are so beautiful," Seven whispered, and her heart soared when she felt warm hands begin to explore her body. "No wonder B'Elanna loves you so."

The next thing Kathryn knew the bed was underneath her, and a six-foot blond borg was on top of her, kissing her avidly.  Her hands were soft and she knew exactly what to do with them - how to move them over Kathryn's body in order to bring out the most favorable of responses. 

Kathryn's legs parted allowing Seven's leg to fall easily between them, her thigh pressing firmly against her pulsating vulva.  Seven could actually feel Kathryn's clitoris throb against her leg as she moved against her.  Then Seven became impossibly more aroused when Kathryn's hands slowly ran up and down the length of her body, toward the front to cup her breasts and glide across erect nipples, then up to thread through her hair as she kissed her thoroughly and lovingly. 

Kathryn's hips began to gyrate at their own will.  It had been so long - too long since she had been made to feel this way.  Seven's body was lovely, and supple and nearly everything she had longed for and missed.  It even surprised and delighted her how smooth and warm the metal plating over Seven's abdomen was.  Her skin was so silky and Kathryn took great joy in caressing her body with hands and lips.  A small part of her brain registered that she might regret her actions substantially when this was all over, but then that part ceased to function when she felt Seven's warm and moist tongue glide slowly across her nipples.  Resistance in this case was definitely futile. 

Kathryn watched as Seven move leisurely down her body then gasped as she felt warm breath gently fan over her throbbing center.  While she murmured incoherent terms of endearment to her new lover, she moaned loudly when she felt Seven part the soft lips and began loving her in a way that she hadn't been loved for what seemed like forever.

Seven found that she was enjoying this encounter much more than she had anticipated she ever would.  Being with Kathryn would be her second sexual experience, and she was unsure if she would find it as fulfilling as being with B'Elanna.  She was pleased that she had been wrong.  Kathryn was a very responsive lover if her moans and touches were any indication.  At the beginning her hands were alternating from threading through her hair, to stroking her back to grabbing and kneading the firm globes of her ass, and it was doing a substantial job of arousing Seven.  Now, her hands gently pushed her head even further into her gloriously warm passage and Seven was content to remain there for the rest of the evening.

Seven desperately wanted to continue tasting her, but her lover had other ideas.  Kathryn pulled Seven up toward her so that she was again resting half of her body on top of hers.  Then with a slow and gentle movement, she snaked her hand between Seven's legs, parting the soft folds of flesh and easily gliding her fingers deep inside until she could feel the rim of her opening.  She circled a finger around it unhurriedly and was immensely satisfied with Seven's moans of appreciation.  Then she slowly entered her.

"Ohhhh..." was the only response Seven was able to make.  She hadn't expected to feel such pleasure from any other woman except B'Elanna.  She looked upon Kathryn's face and thought to herself that she had never seen her as beautiful as she was at this very moment.  Her eyes were closed and she wore a look of abandon that could only be described as pure rapture.

They moved together, kissing, touching, making love to one another.  It was so much more than Seven expected, and wanting to experience even more with this incredible woman, she used three of her fingers and pushed them slowly and effortlessly into Kathryn's slick channel.

"Oh my God..." Kathryn hissed as she felt herself being filled for the first time in months.  "Oh yes..." she gasped at the sensation of Seven's fingers leisurely moving within her. It was so good, so unbelievably satisfying,  she couldn't imagine how she survived as long as she had without the feeling.  "I...I can't hold it..." she murmured.  It was too much.  She felt it start from the tips of her toes and the top of her head, rapidly raging through her and coalescing in the center where it exploded - her inner walls contracting so fiercely that it nearly snapped Seven's fingers.

Even through her forceful orgasm, she continued to urgently glide in and out of Seven's velvet folds, until Seven's soft moans became cries of ecstasy as she too tumbled over the edge.  The warmth that spread over her fingers from Seven's body was incredibly satisfying, and when it finally subsided, Kathryn wrapped both arms around her new lover, pulled her close and kissed her deeply.  Then pulling away from her to look at her flushed face and into her impossibly blue eyes, she whispered, "Thank you, Anika."  Then she pulled her close as tears fell from her eyes, "Thank you for saving me..."

Seven tightened her grip around Kathryn, letting her sob her release and her gratitude.   "It was a necessary but much desired compromise," she murmured quietly into her ear.  Eventually, Kathryn's emotional tide began to calm and she turned in Seven's arms and drifted into a deep sleep.  Seven lay with her head propped up on her hand and gently stroked the soft skin on Kathryn's shoulder.  Then she kissed her lightly on her cheek and settled down to rest herself, spooned against her new lover in a warm embrace.  Tomorrow was another day and she would need the rest for the second half of her plan.

=^= 

B'Elanna sat alone again wondering for the millionth time what exactly were Rekpar's plans for her.  She knew she had been sitting there for several hours.  Right after she severed the connection with Voyager, the young girl came back to remove her tray and then she disappeared leaving her alone again.  Shortly afterward B'Elanna fell asleep.  When she woke up she felt surprisingly well rested and assumed that she had been there all night.  But no one came, and she was left all alone with her thoughts.

Kathryn sounded both worried and relieved at hearing her voice.  B'Elanna missed her so much.  She had been so wrong to just leave Kathryn the way she did, and now she was afraid that she would never be able to be with her again.  Closing her eyes, an immeasurable amount of regret settled in her heart.  "I love you Kathryn," she whispered, knowing full well that the Captain couldn't hear her but needing to say the words anyway.

Just then she heard footsteps again.  Hoping it was Rekpar, she turned to see who was coming.  This time a tall, athletically built, and very attractive female entered the room.  She was not dressed like the others.  Her clothing was that of a warriors with brazen metals across the low cut collar of her garment.  It appeared to be made mostly of a material that resembled earth's leather.  She had her hair tightly pulled back into a pony tail that flowed long and halfway the length of her back.  And although her green eyes were warm, her jaw was set and her mouth a thin line.  Crouching down so that she was nearly face to face with B'Elanna on the floor, she peered into her eyes intently.  Then with a ruthless smile, she said.  "So, it is true.  You can't be read."

B'Elanna just stared at her, not willing to speak just yet.  "What is your name beautiful one? "

"B'Elanna."  She said, hiding her surprise at the complement. 

"A most unusual name.  Fitting for someone as striking as you."  She stated.  "I am Terra, leader of the Kobali rebellion.   Rekpar said that you were gifted.  He also said that your technology appears to be significantly more advanced than ours."

"If you say so," B'Elanna replied nonchalantly.  She looked away from her to the floor, but could feel the woman's steely gaze on her.  Suddenly, B'Elanna could sense annoyance from her.  Obviously she didn't like the reply she received, and B'Elanna figured that this woman wasn't used to someone else having an empathic advantage over her.

"Where are you from?" 

"Does it matter?"  B'Elanna asked defiantly.  She could sense that this woman was very unsettled and easily agitated, although she was attempting to keep a tight control over her emotions.  B'Elanna could definitely sympathize. 

"Tell me, what would your leader, your Captain, be willing to give us for your safe return?"  She inquired.

B'Elanna looked directly into Terra's eyes.  "If you're asking if she would give you our weapons in exchange for my life, no.  She won't.  She will not do anything to shift the balance of power on this planet."  B'Elanna stated firmly. 

"The balance of power?"  She asked incredulously.  "There is no balance here - only their rules and their power!  We have nothing because of their cowardice! They fear that which is unknown to them and as a result, oppress my people needlessly!"  She shouted.  "That is why we now exist.  We fight against those who wish to rule over us. Things will never be as it should if we don't have the resources to make it change.  You're technology would give us the means to make it happen."  

Standing, she paced the room for a few moments as B'Elanna's eyes followed her movements.  Then she stopped and crouched down in front of B'Elanna again.  "Surely one as lovely as you would be missed by your people.  And I know from reading Aniah's thoughts that your Captain loves you very much."  She grinned knowingly then added.  "Perhaps if we threatened to turn you over to the Imperial - maybe then she would change her mind.  Hmm?"

"I doubt that."  B'Elanna stated returning a steely glare.  "She doesn't respond well to threats - and neither do I." 

"Hmm...an admirable quality,  however, not a very smart one." 

"I'f you're trying to scare me, it won't work.  I'm Klingon.  My people live for a good fight." 

"Is that so?"  Terra replied angrily.  She croutched down again right in front of B'Elanna until they were face to face.  "Tell me, what if we were to abduct your precious Captain, your ship, and take what we want?  You share the same feelings for her, do you not?  I'm sure you would not want to risk her life, now would you?  Of course, we may not kill her.  There are many things worst than dying."

B'Elanna let out a low growl.  Without realizing it, the anger she was sensing from Terra was making her own temper rise.  It was one thing to threaten her - it was quite another to threaten those she loved.  Menacingly she glared at the woman. "You are treading on dangerous territory." 

 "So I am correct about your feelings for your Captain."

"Our feelings for one another are irrelevant."  B'Elanna stated, "If it is necessary for me to die in order for our technology to not be compromised, then I am prepared for that."

"Are you prepared to sacrifice her life?"

B'Elanna eyes narrowed as she realized exactly what this woman was trying to do.  "Why don't we cut the bullshit, okay?  You and I both know that you and your people are no threat to my Captain or my ship.  Besides, I wouldn't be sacrificing her life, she'd give it willing for the good of our crew - as would I."

Terra looked at her as if trying to decide if B'Elanna was bluffing or being truthful.  "Has she any idea how loyal you are to her?"

"She does."  B'Elanna said.  "At least where our crew is concerned." 

"You are a good woman, B'Elanna.  A pity," Terra stated,  "You and I may have become very good friends under different circumstances."

B'Elanna knew this statement to be true.  Although Terra seemed hardnosed, her heart seemed to be loyal to her people and gaining them freedom.  "Terra, whether or not you are aware of it, change for your people has already begun.  It may be a long time before you are able to make a large difference, but the day will come when you and your people will be free."

Smiling, she reached out and gently touched B'Elanna's cheek with one finger and B'Elanna could sense that it was no more than a friendly gesture.  "I will truly hate to see you die, B'Elanna."  Terra said.  She lifted herself from the ground and turned to leave.

"Terra," B'Elanna said, "Would you like to speak to my Captain?"

The woman immediately turned to face her prisoner.  "You can speak to her?"

"Yes.  In fact, I could have left here a long time ago.  But I want to help."  B'Elanna stated.

Terra couldn't hide her shock.  "I thought you said she would not help us."

"I said she wouldn't give you weapons.  I didn't say she wouldn't help." 

=^=

The next day, Janeway was on the bridge contemplating the major events that had taken place in her life.  B'Elanna had been kidnapped by a group of telepathic rebellions on what they had originally thought was a peaceful planet.  In addition, she was also being sought after by the ruling class of people on this planet for her ability to block mental invasions of her thoughts, which lead to the revelation that she herself was empathic.  At the very same time, Seven decided that she wanted to change the level of their, relationship with one another.   It was truly the most peculiar chain of events that she had experienced in a long while.

As a result of the previous nights encounter with Seven, she felt much more emotionally stable.  More so than she had at any time during the past year and a half.  And now, her primary concern was getting B'Elanna back home safe and sound.

Previously, before she had a chance to get to the bridge, she was contacted by the doctor and informed that their visitor was awake and wanting to speak with her.  As a result of their conversation, she found that Dar had no idea that her brother would take measures into his own hands.  She seemed visibly upset that he would defy her.  But under the circumstances she could understand.  Even though Dar had the outward appearance of a child, her mind was definitely that of a seasoned adult with amazing abilities that made Janeway wish she could keep her on board as an additional ship's counselor. 

During their conversation, Dar had informed her that there was absolutely no doubt in her mind that the Imperial was looking for the Lieutenant.  Although Dar was too far away to detect any thoughts on the surface, she knew for a fact that the Imperial would stop at nothing to get their hands on the engineer.  The only advantage they seemed to have was that Torres was with the Kobali and if the Gradian order discovered their location, the entire base would be relocated including B'Elanna.  This, however, did not make the Captain feel any better.

When Janeway arrived on the bridge, there had still been no word from the Lieutenant or her captors.  She was beginning to get worried.  The transporters still couldn't cut through the interference surrounding where B'Elanna was being held, and after the previous evenings events between her and Seven, she found that she desperately needed for B'Elanna to return home to them.  Unfortunately, all they could do at the moment was wait.

 She noticed Chakotay giving her sideways glances ever since she walked onto the bridge and briefly wondered what his problem was.   "Okay, what is it, Commander?"

Startled, Chakotay said, "Pardon?"

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"  She asked.

"I didn't know I was that obvious."  He explained with a smile.

"Well you are, so out with it."  She said, returning the smile.

"It's just that you seem different today.  In fact, you appear to be in an overall better mood.  If it weren't for the fact that I know you're worried about getting B'Elanna back, I'd swear nothing was bothering you."

"Actually, I do feel a little better,"  she said. 

"And exactly what brought about this change?"  Chakotay asked.

"Let's just say that Seven had made the ultimate of compromises."  She replied, a hint of mystery in her voice.

"Seven?"  Now Chakotay was thoroughly confused.  "Care to elaborate a little?"

"Well, I..."

"Captain, Lieutenant Torres is hailing us."  Tuvok interrupted.

"Put her through!   B'Elanna!  Are you all right?"  she shouted into the air.

"For the moment, Captain.  I have Terra here.  She is the leader of the Kobali rebellion and she would like to speak to you."  B'Elanna said.

Janeway listened along with the rest of the crew as the Kobali leader outlined exactly what she wanted from them.  But before she finished listing her demands, Kathryn knew what her answer would be.  "No.  I cannot and will not give you weapons.  It is out of the question."

As she stood waiting for Terra's reply, her mind began racing through other possible solutions to this problem.  Then as she began to quickly pace back and forth,  Terra replied, "Captain Janeway, as much as I do not like to take lives, I will if you make it necessary.  If you do not meet our demands, your officer will die."

Janeway hoped that the blood rushing from her face was not as visible to everyone on the bridge as she thought it was.  But the thought of losing B'Elanna like this was enough to make her physically ill.  Then she came up with an idea.  "How about I offer you something of equal value - say, medical supplies and replicator technology?"

"What is replicator technology?"  Terra asked intrigued. 

"It's a means of creating more supplies.  I'll pass this technology on to you in exchange for my engineer."  She stated, then held her breath while waiting for Terra's reply. 

For a moment there was only silence.  Then Terra said, "You have one of our people with you.  Her name is Dar.  We want her back as well."

"We'll send her along with the supplies.  Do we have a deal?"  Janeway asked as the rest of the bridge crew seemed to hold their breath. 

After a long pause, she finally answered.  "Yes.  How will we make the exchange?"

"We have technology that allows us to transport anything and anyone almost anywhere."  Janeway answered.  "When you're ready, the exchange will be immediate and simultaneous."

"Amazing."  She said, unable to hide her surprise.  "So, if that is true, why didn't you just take your Lieutenant?" 

"We would have, except you are in an area that has natural defenses against our ability to transport anything.  If it weren't for that, we would have taken her back long before any of this had happened."

"Indeed."  She said.  "When we have relocated to a place where the exchange can occur, we will contact you."

"Very well."  Janeway said before the connection was severed.  She knew that later she would probably receive a lecture from Tuvok about her disregard of the prime directive, but she didn't care.  If it would return B'Elanna to them, it would be worth the compromise.

=^=

Within two hours the exchange was made, and the bridge crew seemed to let out a collective sigh as a result.  B'Elanna was returned safe and sound, and was presently in sick bay where the doctor was restoring her normal features and checking to see that they hadn't done anything to harm her.

Janeway was sitting restlessly on the bridge.  She kept checking the chronometer reading on her console, then would occasionally get up and pace a small length of the bridge before returning to her seat, only to repeat the same sequence of events within a few seconds.

Chakotay had never seen her so edgy before.  She was keeping him quite amused for a while with her behavior and he knew the reason behind it.  Something happened to Kathryn the night before.  And in some form or fashion it involved Seven.  He was sure of it.  But what exactly happened, or what Seven's part in it was, he had no clue.  He only knew that he saw tranquility in her that he hadn't witnessed in a long time and he had a feeling it also had something to do with Voyager's Chief Engineer.   

Finally, after about the 16th time she paced the bridge and sat down to check the chronometer, he leaned in her direction and whispered, "Why don't you just go and check on her.  In fact, go home afterward.  I can handle the bridge."

"A little too obvious, I guess?"  Kathryn whispered with a smile that reached her eyes.

"Uh huh.  Go."  Chakotay said, grinning. "And I want details later."

Kathryn composed her features, got up from her seat and said, "Commander, my shift should have been over hours ago.  You have the bridge."

"Aye Captain."  He replied, suppressing a smile.  Then he watched as she entered the turbo lift.

"Commander, you have an incoming message," Harry stated.  "It's from Dar."

"Thank you, Ensign.  I'll take it in my office.  You have the bridge." 

=^=

B'Elanna finally made it to her quarters.  The doctor had spent two hours restoring her face, and verifying that she was without a doubt empathic.  When she asked the doctor how it could be, his only reply was "Actually Lieutenant, I don't know.  You are the first Klingon in medical history to have empathic abilities.  My guess is that one of your ancestors  was empathic or telepathic and the gene was assed on to you."  She was told also that her abilities were quite strong and that what she thought was instinct were actually her sensing the emotions of others around her.  She was told to make an appointment with Tuvok if she wanted to learn how to control them better or possibly expand them. 

She sat down on her sofa and unzipped her jacket making visible the gray tank top she wore underneath.  Then relaxing further into the sofa, she lay her head back and closed her eyes.  She opened her mind to those of the crew and to her surprise, could feel various emotions from them quite clearly - mostly a sense of well being could be felt, and relief that they would be leaving the planet soon.  She was concentrating so much, she barely heard the door to her quarters open.  

Not moving, she knew it must be Seven.  She was aware of a sudden sense of relief and a definite feeling of determination from her.  Besides, Seven was the only one that had the access code to her quarters.  Knowing that her beautiful lover was worried about her while she was gone, she fully expected for her to straddle her lap and attempt to kiss her into the next quadrant.  But to her surprise a different body fell on her - a smaller one, yet one that was so familiar to her that she was almost afraid to breathe too deeply least it disappear. 

"Kathryn."  She whispered.

Kathryn pulled her close, and sighed with relief when she felt B'Elanna embrace her just as tightly.   She thought that she would never hold her again - would always long for the feeling of her arms around her.  Kathryn pulled back and gazed deeply into soft brown eyes.  Gently, she traced the silky ridges on B'Elanna's forehead and said, "Oh my, how I've missed you."  Then she kissed her deeply, ravishing her lips for a long moment before moving to her neck and jaw as she urgently reacquainted herself with the woman she loved.  She slid down so her knees were resting on the floor, and still holding on to B'Elanna's middle, she pressed the side of her face into her torso.  Closing her eyes, she realized that she had found heaven once again.

To say that B'Elanna was more than a little confused was an understatement, but she didn't care.  Kathryn was here with her and she was holding her like she was the most precious being that ever lived, and it filled her with endless joy.  She closed her own eyes and reveled in her beloved's tight embrace.  But before she could give all of this any further thought, the sofa dipped on the left side of her and soft, full lips brushed against her temple.  "Welcome home, B'Elanna."  Seven said as her fingers gently played in her lovers hair.

"Seven?"  B'Elanna uttered, then looked into her eyes.  At Seven's smile, she finally realized what was happening.  She felt a vast amount of love from Seven and from Kathryn.  Not only that, but she sensed the affection they had for one another.  It was almost unspeakable - to even fathom that the two most imporrtant people in the world to her, were here with her now feeling what they were for her and each other was truly unbelievable.

Seven chuckled at B'Elanna's surprised expression, noticing that she had not released her hold on Kathryn.  "It's true, my love."  She said, then kissed her lips meaningfully.

Kathryn began to lift B'Elanna's top, desperately needing to feel her skin.  She kissed the supple brown flesh for a long moment, then paused, once again pressing her face into her midriff.  She inhaled deeply the scent of her, then tightened her grip as if she couldn't bear to go any further - as if any of it, all of it was too wonderful to believe.  Then tears of happiness began to fall from her eyes, and she was powerless to stop it, for she never thought she would ever be able to touch her like this again.

B'Elanna could feel it - all of it.  The raging, unyielding love that Kathryn had for her filled her mind and wrapped around her heart like a blanket - a love that she always had for her, and it brought unshed tears to her eyes as well.  Then she touched Kathryn's face and lifted it up so that she could look in her eyes, and with all the power she could muster, she mentally projected all the love she felt and had never stopped feeling for her.   She watched satisfied that Kathryn understood as more tears built up and spilled out of those impossibly beautiful blue gray eyes.  "I never stopped loving you, Kathryn.  Never."  She said emotionally shaken by her own emotions. Then she kissed her so deeply and fully it nearly took her breath away.  Seven, was so moved by what she had witnessed that indeed even she had tears gently cascading down her cheeks.

As their kiss deepened it became increasingly obvious that they needed a bed.  Somehow the three of them ended up in B'Elanna's bedroom.  Seven understood their need to re-acquaint themselves with one another, so she removed her uniform and watched the two of them as they stood face to face touching each other.   Old yet familiar movements were once again renewed as they languidly undressed one another. When both were completely nude, Kathryn embraced B'Elanna and kissed her zealously once again.   

B'Elanna pulled away from her and turned to find Seven lying on the bed watching them with smoldering eyes.  Then she crawled across the bed and into Seven's outstretched arms, kissing her deeply and murmuring quiet words of gratitude.  After a few moments, Seven moved behind B'Elanna as she turned to face Kathryn.  Kathryn climbed in the bed and moved over B'Elanna until she was in line with her face, and kissed her lips softly, letting her tongue thoroughly explore her lover's mouth.  Then she kissed her way down the silky soft bronze body until she was between her agile thighs.   

Seven turned B'Elanna's head toward hers and captured her lips in a searing kiss that seemed to leave both women shaken with it's intensity.  As they kissed, B'Elanna groaned into Seven's mouth when she felt Kathryn's tongue begin making love to her.  The double assault to her senses was more than B'Elanna ever imagined she would feel at once and it was all so erotic - so unbelievably passionate. 

Seven's hands were busy exploring the lithe body on top of hers, and she received enormous satisfaction from the sounds of pleasure that she and Kathryn were drawing B'Elanna.  Seven caressed her sides, pulled her nails across her abdomen and then moved them up to cup her breasts - squeezing them gently at first, then gliding her hands across them feeling her nipples move between her fingers.  "Sweet Kahless..." B'Elanna murmured as she raised her arms above her head and draped them lazily around Seven's neck so she could feel even more.

Kathryn was in heaven.  It had been so long since she had loved B'Elanna in this way.  The soft velvet skin, the sweet taste, the scent of her lover was absolutely incredible as she continued to lick and suck such an intimate part of her body.  Her own arousal was building at an insurmountable rate as she listened to B'Elanna's moans of delight.  Then, wanting to feel all of her, she inserted her fingers into B'Elanna's silken passage, not so gently hitting her cervix with each thrust.

B'Elanna could feel it building - could almost see it in her mind take form.  It came fast and hard and threading her hands through Kathryn's hair, she opened her legs as wide as possible and cried out in ecstasy as her orgasm rippled through her with the force of a warp core explosion. 

Finally B'Elanna's grip loosened on her lover's hair, and Kathryn slowly kissed her way up until she was pulled into a tight embrace.  Kathryn kissed her gently and then looked behind her to Seven, who still had her arms around B'Elanna.  Seven gently shifted so that B'Elanna now lay on the bed, and Kathryn took Seven into her arms and kissed her profoundly.

B'Elanna watched with wonder and after a few moments found her voice.  "Obviously some things changed while I was gone.  Wanna tell me when this all started?"  She asked, affection clearly in her voice.

Pulling away from her new lover, Kathryn said, while never taking her eyes off of Seven, "We will, sweetheart, but later.  There are more important things to take care of now."

"Indeed..." Seven replied, momentarily lost in Kathryn's gaze.

Then all conversation was forgotten when Kathryn began sucking her nipples as B'Elanna tongue began thoroughly exploring Seven's wonderful mouth.

=^=

Chakotay went to his office to listen to the message he had received from Dar.   He replicated himself a cup of herbal tea then went to sit at his desk.  Then accessing the message he sat back and watched as Dar's young face appeared on the screen. 

//"Greetings, Commander Chakotay.  I just wanted to again apologize for my brother's behavior.  It was his idea to abduct your Lieutenant, and had I known of his intentions, I would have put a stop to it before it caused you any grief.  Although his actions were less than honorable, they did succeed in helping my people.  The help that your Captain has given us will never be able to be repaid. 

My people have been oppressed for many revolutions simply because we are extrasensory.  We've been taken from our homes and forced to do the work that they themselves do not desire to do.  The don't even allow us to worship like we want to - we are made to serve their creator instead of our own.  We've been told that we are no more than savages because our way of living is so different from theirs - and yet, if they had looked to see, they would find that we are not that different.  We laugh, cry, get angry and we love.  The same blood coursing through us, runs within them as well.  We are all connected but they fail or rather do not wish to see this. 

It is my hope that someday we will be allowed to live as they live - that we will be unafraid to look into their eyes for fear of being beaten into submission; - that we will be valued for our opinions and for our contributions to our race.  I have a deep feeling that we will be victorious and that one day, our level of technology will advance to the level of yours for the good of our world.  

I know that the Kobali will never be able to express enough gratitude for your humanitarian gifts to us, so I wanted to  make you aware of some things that I was able to find out from the thoughts of your people.

Both you and your Captain have done an excellent job at merging your crews together.  They no longer think of themselves as two separate entities, but as a family.  You both should be commended for that.  They have a profound respect and loyalty for both of you. 

To you personally Chakotay, I am aware that there is someone on board that you have very strong feelings for.  I don't know his name, but I see his image in my mind - pale skin, blue eyes and hair the color of sunshine.  Don't be afraid to let him know of your love for him - he feels the same for you.

I hope you don't look at this as an invasion.  I did not, nor have I ever intended to pry into anyone's private thoughts.  Oh, and one more thing - I have attached a set of coordinates to a secret supply cavern belonging to the Gradian Order.  If you download them into your ship's computer, it will give you the exact location of a substantial supply of dilithium that has already been mined and is ready for transport.  Do not worry about taking it, the mineral will not be missed. 

Best wishes to you and your people on your journey home.  ay it be a safe trip, and maybe as both of our civilizations advance, we will see one another in the future.

Take care, Chakotay.//

As Dar's image on the computer screen switched to the Starfleet emblem, Chakotay pondered over the young woman's words.  Her people were very similar to his own ancestors and he sincerely hoped that they would be victorious in their fight for freedom. 

After sending the coordinates for the dilithium to Ensign Kim and ordering him to facilitate its transport, he sent a private message to Tom's console inviting him to dinner later that night.  He was finally going to tell him what he should have told him a long time ago. 

With a resolved grin, he returned to the Bridge.

Finis

(c) Blackcat, 2002

Authors Note:  This work of fan fiction was screaming to written after I read a Chakotay/Paris/Kim story titled "Tangled", by T'lyr.  It is one of my favorites and I'm grateful to T'lyr for feeding my muse.  =0) 

As always, feedback is appreciated and can be sent to blackcat66@email.com. Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames will be laughed at and then destroyed, so don't waste your time.  =0)

Note:  Part of the Femme Fuh-Q Fest - http://www.svpress.us/femmefuhqfest/