Part 10

And Chakotay, all though he didn't openly challenge her position on the matter, in her eyes he had done something far worse. He hadn't bothered to confront her directly. He had made his opinion known in a silent but rather public manner.

Everyone on the bridge now knew that Chakotay disagreed with her. And by the end of shift, practically everyone on board would know. And the Captain didn't appreciate such rather abject disregard for her authority.

"Why haven't you begun sensor sweeps?" She asked her first officer in a low threatening voice that sent chills down the spine of everyone around.

"I wanted to wait until you had heard the?news." Chakotay answered clearly not getting the response that he had been hoping for.

He had wanted the Captain to take this opportunity to rescue Seven, another might not come along. But instead of using this for the wonderful gift that it was, Kathryn Janeway was clearly going to stick with her original intent.

And Chakotay couldn't be more disappointed. But he wasn't just bothered by her somewhat arbitrary command. He was disappointed in her as a woman and as a human being. He didn't think she was capable of such a thing. But he was beginning to wonder if he ever knew her at all.

"Find her?NOW!" The Captain snapped rushing back into her ready room before another word could even be spoken.

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She sat huddled on the cold dirt floor wondering how things had turned out this way. She hated being alone. And now, she was alone not only in measure of distance but in destiny as well.

It was a situation that reminded Seven of waking up an individual. Being disconnected from the Hive was a pain she never thought that she would recover from. The drone never believed that she could be an individual.

But truthfully, Seven didn't desire a solitary existence. She had never known one. And from what she knew of humanity, she had no desire to join their ranks.

And yet, Kathryn Janeway had changed all that. She had taught the drone that there was life out there filled with wonders, excitement, pleasure and pain. And she learned of the Captain's world like a small child eyeing a candy store. She never reached out for too much. She didn't want her questioning touch to be smacked away. And Seven knew that there were limits to her discovery. The Captain kept a rather tight leash on her efforts.

But Seven had never resented the woman's guidance. Instead, she found herself wanting to please the woman. She wanted Kathryn to be proud of her efforts.

And yet, Seven knew that unquestionably it was more then that. She wanted the woman to feel for her. She wanted the woman to love her.

That was why Seven just couldn't understand why the Captain was abandoning her now. Kathryn always told her that there would be times when she couldn't be her mentor or her friend. But Seven resolutely felt like this shouldn't be one of those occasions.

She wasn't asking the Captain to do something extraordinary. She was simply asking for the Captain to recognize that now, she was in fact an individual. She expected the same freedoms and rights as everyone else aboard Voyager. She just didn't understand how the Captain could possibly rationalize this ultimate betrayal.

And yet, Seven knew that right now it didn't matter. She was safe, if only for the moment. She had firmly lodged herself in the mouth of the nearest cave.

Once she had found shelter, the drone had been unable to keep going. She just sat there cowering on the ground. She dreaded the moment that the Captain appeared or transported her back into the holding facility.

But Seven knew that the cave would slow down their sensors. She had bought herself a few extra moments of time. And now, all she had to do was find a way to escape not only Sodic but Voyager as well.

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"Captain, our sensors have been unable to locate her. She must have gotten rid of her comm badge. And she's apparently found some way to mask her presence." Lt. Torres muttered knowing that Janeway was not going to be pleased.

She had already heard about what happened on the bridge. It was clear that Chakotay and the Captain were nearing the boiling point of a full out confrontation. And B'Elanna had no intention of being anywhere near the strike zone.

For the most part, she was trying her best to stay out of their disagreement and the ship's rumor mill. She might not like Seven but no one deserved this, not even a former Borg drone. And truthfully, there was a part of B'Elanna that just didn't understand the Captain's reasoning.

The surly Klingon engineer knew all too well how the Captain felt about the towering blonde. Janeway had become the drone's mother, mentor, friend, confident, and perhaps even romantic interest all into one. Though, until recently B'Elanna had never even conceived of the Captain being able to harbor such feelings for a woman. Janeway just seemed too plain, wholesome and traditional for Sapphic urgings.

But the more she thought of it, the more B'Elanna wondered if there wasn't some truth behind the rumors. After all, Janeway was a strong woman. It was clear that perhaps the woman would prefer to take a wife then become one herself.

"I see. I didn't realize that you were so fond of Seven." Janeway said crossing her arms neatly across her chest.

"What? I'm not! Not that that has anything to do with anything." B'Elanna hissed not afraid to show her hybrid temperament in front of her commanding officer.

"Then explain to me why our sensors can't locate the only Borg on entire planet full of Y'rians." Janeway hissed suspecting that an alliance had been formed right behind her very back.

Lt. Torres might be many things but negligent or inefficient at her job wasn't one of them. The Captain believed that her first officer was behind B'Elanna recent display of incompetence. He was dividing the ship against her. And Janeway wouldn't stand for it.

"I think you just answered your own question Captain." B'Elanna snapped knowing that she was treading on very thin ice.

She saw a familiar look of ire crossing Janeway's face and knew that it was time to reel in her hostility. She hadn't come her to fight. She had only come to deliver the information that no one else would.

"Seven is a drone. She's resourceful. She must have realized that Voyager would look for her, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten rid of her comm badge. She's found some way to avoid our sensor sweeps." B'Elanna quickly explained not wanting to be the first example of Janeway's bitter rage.

At first, Janeway didn't respond. She walked across her ready room not even bothering to give the engineer the courtesy of a harrowed glance. She was so angry she couldn't even speak. And the worst part was she didn't even know if her feelings were justified.

B'Elanna could be telling her the truth. If that were the case she had no business wanting to scream and yell at her first officer. She knew she needed more information before she started saying things that she would only regret later.

Part 11

"There must be some way to locate her." Janeway muttered wondering why it was that her staff had yet to resolve this problem.

"Well, there is another factor. The planetary shield is blocking most of our triangulated feed." B'Elanna added wanting the Captain to know that she had done her duties as was required of her.

"Wasn't Seven working on a way to deactivate it?" The Captain asked finally daring to face her engineer.

The Klingon was caught off guard by the question. The drone had been dutifully working on a way to deactivate the shield from space. She felt that should the Y'rians ever decide to once again resume space travel, they would find the feature useful and efficient.

No one had asked the drone for her assistance. She had leant it in an effort of good will fueled by her natural Borg scientific curiosity. But more then that, B'Elanna easily recognized that the drone had done it to impress Janeway herself. The Captain had emphasized upon the young woman the importance of developing peaceful relations and always extending a helping hand. And now, it would appear that Seven's good intention was about to be her own undoing.

"Yes, Captain she completed work on it." B'Elanna answered tensed for the command that she knew was coming.

"Good, deactivate the shield. Find Seven. And transport her back to the holding facility. Notify me when it's done." The Captain snapped returning to her desk.

B'Elanna didn't wait to be dismissed. She knew that Janeway's demeanor had already told her everything that she needed. Her presence was no longer wanted or required. All the Captain cared about was returning the drone to the Y'rians.

"Well?" Chakotay asked as soon as B'Elanna cleared the ready room.

"She wants us to use Seven's designs to lower the planetary shield. We're to locate Seven and return her to the holding facility." The engineer answered not really any more pleased with the news then Chakotay.

She stood there lingering for just a moment. The silence was so thick on the bridge that it seemed the noise of a falling feather would shatter it all. She was wondering if the first officer would dare to challenge the Captain. It seemed that everyone was curious as well.

But he only nodded sending the Klingon on her way. He didn't take the stand that they had all be hoping for. He didn't give into their need for drama or conflict, as a bored crew tend to hope for. He only sat there trying to collect his calm and focus his intent.

He had no intention of letting this happen without once again, trying to talk the Captain out of it. He couldn't just abandon Seven, his feelings ran too deep for that. And with that, he knew that it was time to have a very long discussion with the Captain herself.

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Seven sat there holding her legs to her chest. If anyone could see her they might think she resembled a small child. She certainly felt like one, all frightened and alone.

Logically, she realized that her chances for escape were slim. The Y'rians had no space travel. She couldn't just stow aboard one of their vessels and hope for a brighter future.

And she certainly couldn't live amongst them. There appearce was different from her own. And her Borg implants would stand out anyway.

There didn't seem to be much that she could do to prolong the inevitable. Briefly, Seven gave thought to simply remaining in the cave. She could survive for a while longer. But her body would eventually need to regenerate. And the Y'rians simply didn't have the technology to accomplish such a feat.

Voyager was the nearest source of aid for her technological needs. And it also appeared to be the only way off of Sodic. But the drone didn't want to give into the Captain's request. It was too cold and despicable.

So, despite her Borg logic the drone chose to remain on the ground. Eventually Voyager would find her and the Captain would pass judgement on her latest behaviaral infraction. But at the moment, Seven just didn't care. She wouldn't make this task any easier for the woman that she had once called her friend.

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He patiently waited outside her door for admittance. He knew that she was delaying him just to prove her authority. And it was a small thing that he could live with. After all, he hadn't come to discuss the most pleasant situation.

But she finally conceaded to allow him entrance. He took a deep breath before entering her inner sanctum. He had the distinct impression that once the door shut, he wasn't going to be free of her anger for quite some time.

"Unless you've come to tell me that Seven had been located, save your breathe." The Captain snarled already bracing herself for a confrontation.

"No, she hasn't been. But B'Elanna is working on lowering the planet's shield. It shouldn't be long now." He said meekly knowing that it would be far too presumption to take a seat.

"Thank you for the progress report. Dismissed." She snapped practically daring him to give her cause for alarm.

Chakotay had sensed this fight brewing between them for quite some time. But he had never expected it to come to a head this way, not in this rather unfortunate circumstance. And despite popular opinion on the ship, this heated verbal exchange wasn't even about their traditional differences. They weren't disagreeing because he at one time was Maquis and she was a born StarFleet tradionalist. This fight was about no one else but Seven of Nine.

He knew that the Captain had long ago discovered his feelings for the drone. He also knew that she stoutly disaproved of them. Though he had no real idea why.

She practically growled anytime he was physically near to the drone. She would purposely separate them at times when their combined efforts would prove more beneficial. And she all out went out of her way to make sure that they didn't spend any time alone together.

Chakotay was still simmering about the time that the Captain conviently arraged a Velocity match at the same time he had planned to surprised Seven with a romantic dinner. He had made the mistake of telling Kathryn of his plan. He had wanted her input. After all, she knew the drone better then anyone.

But Kathryn had done her best to keep them apart. She had ruined his rather hard earned surprise. And then when he confronted her about it, she unconvincingly said that she simply forgot.

He knew her too well for something like that. And frankly, he was growing rather sick of her mother hen routine. Seven was all grown up and more then ready to explore all sides of her humanity. Kathryn was just too blind to see it.

"Was there something else Commander?" She asked daring him to cause a scene.

It was quite clear to her that they both had things that needed to be aired. She couldn't afford to have poor relations with her first officer. They needed to function smoothly and in concert. They couldn't have this tension between them. And if he was ready to discuss it, she was more then willing.

Part 12

"Yes, actually there is something else. I want to talk about Seven. If you're adamant that she go through with this rather?arcane ceremony, I want to volunteer my services." He said without flinching, and a lesser man would have.

The Captain issued him a stare that she reserved for no one but the Borg Queen herself. Chakotay felt his pulse race in his chest. He had never seen the woman so livid, not with someone who wore the same uniform that she did.

"I'm going to forget that you said that. And I think that you should do the same." She snarled pushing away from her desk.

She stood there, standing away from him feeling an emotional distance as wide as the Grand Canyon. She had never felt so out of sync with Chakotay. Until he started developing this rather unhealthy fascination with her drone, he had been her only true confident. Now she felt like he was nothing more then an enemy.

She knew that she couldn't let her feelings do this to her. She was a Starfleet Captain. It was time to push aside these juvenile urges and be the better person.

But that was so hard to do, especially when it involved Seven of Nine. When it came to the drone, she felt less like an accomplished Captain and more like a human woman. Her feelings were passionate for the drone. And whenever Chakotay came around the tall blonde, she felt all her possessive instincts run into warp speed.

And it was made worse by the fact that Chakotay wasn't just some normal crewmember. He was her first officer. He was her friend. And here they were, fighting over a woman that in reality neither had any real claim to.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled unused to acting so out of character. But this situation had pushed all her buttons and had her completely out of sorts.

"This situation is difficult?on us all. But no more so then Seven." He said allowing for her rather unplanned outburst with the humility that she had come to expect from him.

"You're right about that. When I saw her down there?I nearly changed my mind. She's so frightened Chakotay. I don't think I've ever seen her like that." Kathryn said slumping back down behind her desk with an exhausted sigh.

"Can you blame her?" He asked softly wondering if there was an ounce of doubt left behind the Captain's otherwise confident exterior. She didn't grace him with a response. She only stared conveying her thoughts that indeed, this conversation was going nowhere.

"Did you ask Seven? Does she have a preference?" Chakotay asked wondering if there was someone on board that had caught the drone's interest.

"No, there's no one that Seven finds?acceptable. She refused to give me a response. I told her that if she didn't pick someone I would have to." The Captain asked leaning back in her chair looking at the exhausted form of her first officer. She knew that it was worry. Everyone was hoping for Seven's safe return.

"And have you?" Chakotay asked wondering who it was that the Captain found as acceptable for her drone. It was quite clear that he didn't measure up to the Captain's standards. And he was beginning to wonder who did.

She stared at him knowing that her response might come as a shock. And she really didn't want to have to explain herself to him. This was the type of information that would spread through Voyager like wildfire. She had hoped to spare the drone the burden of gossip. But on a ship the size of Voyager, the Captain knew it was an impossibility.

So, without flinching or backing away from his stare she met his gaze with a firm resolve. She crossed her legs and neatly folded her hands on her desk. She wanted to appear calm and focused. She wanted to convey with her body the confidence that her heart didn't share. She couldn't argue about this. The subject was just too explosive.

"Me." She said without hesitation or the appearance of doubt.

At first he just said nothing. He stared at her like she was a science experiment gone horribly wrong. It was like he couldn't even begin to comprehend her words.

Quickly, he realized that he must be missing something. The Captain must have some sort of ulterior plan. She couldn't possibly intend to do what he suspected.

If there was one thing he was completely sure of, it was that Captain Kathryn Janeway was a traditionalist, in every possible sense. He knew she tried to laugh at her parent's upbringing and claim a more open mentality as any good Starfleet officer would. But he knew her. In her heart, she was just like her family.

"I don't understand." He said waiting for her to clarify.

She had read the expressions crossing his features. She should have known it wouldn't be easy. She had hid much of herself from Chakotay. She was a private person by nature but at times her command demanded it. And now, she would have to reveal things about her personal life that she would just as soon leave undiscovered.

"What's there to understand? Someone has to go through the ceremony with Seven. And since she wouldn't chose, I did. So, I've decided to perform the ceremony with her." She explained never once showing a single emotion.

He seemed to be reeling from the impact of her words. He was shocked, confused and angry all at once. But the anger definitely seemed to be winning. All those times that he thought her interest in Seven was maternal? All those times that she went out of her way to show Seven what it was like to be human? All those times that he thought were nothing more then platonic companionship were suddenly being seen in a whole new light.

"You? I don't understand. Are you just doing this to resolve a difficult situation? Or is there more to this decision then that?" He asked knowing that he wasn't mincing his words.

He should. He should tread lightly around this issue. But he just couldn't do that. He felt too strongly about Seven to hedge things like that.

She was silent as she listened to his words. It wasn't the questions themselves that mattered. It was everything that he wasn't asking. She knew what he wanted to know. She just wasn't sure that he deserved to know.

"Yes, this situation is proving far more difficult then I ever envisioned. And looking to the rest of the crew to fulfill in this rather unorthodox ceremony could certainly be problematic. How could I possibly ask someone to do this? It wouldn't be fair to them or Seven." She said knowing that her words, though a bit misguiding were at least sounded in logic.

She would never ask someone on her crew to do something that she herself wouldn't. And although many members of the crew had already 'volunteered' their services, she wouldn't subject Seven to that kind of treatment. The drone was already going to go through so much as it was.

"And that's all this is? This is about you being judicious and fair?" He asked knowing that his tone had come out as just shy of insubordinate.

She looked at him desperately trying to clear the steel from her gaze. She knew that his questions were coming from a place of care and concern. She shouldn't fault him for that. And yet, her every native instinct was telling her to put him in his place. Seven was hers and she wouldn't let anyone else touch the drone.