The unforgiven

Part 01

"Chakotay, surely you must see that there really is no good answer to this situation." She said hoping to reach a diplomatic resolution with her first officer. She hated to feel at odds with him. At times, she truly did lean on his strength.

"I understand that putting this to the crew like Seven is some sort of prize would be a disastrous event. But there are other?options. I am the first officer. There's no reason for you to do something that you will find wholly unpleasant. Think of Seven. I'm not sure that this is the lifestyle choice that she wants." He said trying to choose his words closely. He was positive that the Borg drone was a complete heterosexual. To her, he suspected anything else would seem illogical.

"This isn't something new for me Chakotay, if that's what you were trying to get at." The Captain mumbled wishing that she could have avoided this particular conversation with her first officer.

He didn't say anything at first. He had never even guessed at such a possibility. And she said it so calmly and coolly. It was almost like he felt weird for not having known.

"I see." He mumbled unable to even come up with an appropriate response for such news.

This woman had been engaged to a man. And as far as he knew, all her past relationships had been with men. He couldn't believe that this small tidbit had somehow managed to slip beneath the surface.

"But what about Seven?" He asked still believing that the drone could only ever be interested in the opposite gender.

"I gave her a choice but she refused to answer. And I believe that this is something she would find?agreeable." The Captain said trying to find the most delicate way to tell her first officer that Seven of Nine, in her opinion, was infinitely more attracted to women then men.

Chakotay didn't know how to respond. He felt like the entire ship had just crashed down around him. The two women that he thought that he knew had just upset his entire world. And he was at a complete loss for words. And the Captain could see it as she stared at him through unblinking eyes.

But thankfully, the man never had to find the words to end their rather awkward discussion. Tuvok called the Captain. And Seven of Nine had officially been found.

He thought that put an end to things. Tuvok had just given him a saving grace to get out of the tension filled ready room. But the Captain wasn't done with him yet. She stopped his retreat with cold hard stare.

"This doesn't leave this room. I hope I can count on your propriety." She said knowing that Chakotay would keep her confidence.

"Of course?Captain." He said wanting nothing more then to retreat to the safety of his quarters.

He had much to think about. He had much to question. The Captain may be sure of Seven's sexual predilections but he couldn't help but think that she was wrong. But on some level, he hoped that the Captain wasn't. He wanted Seven to survive this with her dignity in tact. And if the Captain wasn't truly certain of the drone's feelings on the matter then Chakotay knew trouble could easily abound.

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She stood outside of the Y'rian holding cell wishing that there were something she could do to comfort the drone. But the Captain knew that such an effort would only prove fruitless. Seven didn't want her comfort or her company. The drone had made that abundantly clear.

"You gave us all quite a scare Seven. There are wild predators in these woods." The Captain said standing a safe distance from the cell.

It seemed ridiculous to distance herself from the drone in this manner. After Seven had been returned, the Y'rians adapted a more old-fashioned approach to holding the drone. They chained her to small indentation in the wall of her cell.

From all accounts Seven seemed comfortable enough. Her body was seated in a rather easy manner. And the chains themselves seemed to have a soft protective layer where they enclosed Seven's wrists. It was clear that the drone was not suffering.

"Your concern is unwanted." Seven snapped wanting the Captain to leave her be.

She knew that Voyager would betray her. She knew the second she felt herself being transported that her destination wouldn't be one of safety. And she knew that the Captain would ultimately pay her a visit.

And Janeway was the very last person that she wanted to see. She couldn't face the Captain, not when she was feeling so unkempt and filthy. Her hair had long ago tumbled free of its normally intricate confines. There were twigs and leaves filling her blonde tresses. Her face was smeared with the dirt of a hard-earned and ill begotten escape.

Upon her return, the Y'rians had declared that the first order of business would be to clean her up. She must look her best before the ceremony. They intended to bath her, braid her hair, color her face, and scent her skin. And Seven didn't want any of it.

But she knew that she didn't have a choice. And as awful as her upcoming beauty treatment would be, it would be made worse by an attending audience. Seven certainly didn't want the Captain to watch such proceedings.

"I am concerned about you Seven. I'm not enjoying this." The Captain said wondering if there was some way she could get through to the drone.

She wanted Seven to know that she did care for her. If only the drone would stop her silent screams of hatred and rage. Perhaps she should tell Seven how she felt. Maybe it would make things easier for the drone if she knew that the ceremony was being performed with someone that loved her.

"I want you to leave." Seven whispered barely able to keep the tears from her eyes.

She wouldn't cry, not in front of the Captain. She didn't want Janeway to know how weak she really was. She didn't want the Captain to know that in a way, she had already been broken by the fear.

"I understand that you're angry with me." The Captain began stopping her thought short when she heard the stifled sob erupt from the drone.

She wanted to go to the frightened blonde. She wanted to wrap her up in strong embrace and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But she couldn't do that. And for no other reason then she really didn't know if everything would in fact, be okay.

"You told me that I was an individual now! But I'm not." Seven seethed in a low tone of bitter rage. Kathryn had never heard the drone use such a tone. It was almost like she was some sort of wounded beast.

"You are taking away my free will. And this?" Seven stopped allowing her arms to pull at the chains for effect.

"This is something even more abhorrent then what the Borg did to me." She said letting her words slice through the Captain's heart like a flaming dagger.

Janeway wanted nothing more then to turn and run. She was hurting the drone. And she wanted to rip her own heart out. It was simply unthinkable to her that she could be wounding Seven in this way. All she had ever wanted to do was love the drone. And here she was, inflicting a cruelty that seemed unimaginable.

Part 02

"Seven?the ceremony. Are you sure there is no one that you will choose?" She whispered in a low steel voice. She wanted Seven to take this burden from her. If the drone would only pick someone then perhaps she could find a way to sleep at night.

"Take me back to Voyager! Please!" Seven implored unable to stop the tears falling from her eyes.

She suddenly didn't care that the Captain saw her at her weakest. But to the Captain, it was a situation wrought with irony. For the longest time, she had coddled and embraced Seven towards her humanity. And now, at a time of much pain and anguish Seven was perhaps at her most human.

"If you will not select someone then I will perform the ceremony with you." Janeway said unable to keep the steel tones of command out of her voice.

Seven looked at her with icy terror in her eyes. She had never expected such an outcome. She had never expected Janeway to volunteer herself for such a task.

"No! You can't." Seven cried out unable to even think of something more horrible.

"You're not giving me any other option." Janeway whispered wanting to say so much more.

But what could she really do? The time had long since past for her to confess her true feelings for the Borg. If only she had told Seven that she thought of her as far more then a simple prot駩 so much could have been spared.

Yet, she had been afraid to reveal too much of herself. She couldn't share those things with Seven. She was the Captain. Any relationship with a crew member would be at best be inappropriate at worst. It could even be seen as favoritism or a complete misuse of her authority.

Seven stared at the woman trying to reveal with her eyes what her lips couldn't. She wanted the woman's comfort. She wanted her protection. But more then that, she wanted to believe in her love.

For a long time Seven had come to believe that Voyager's rather solitary Captain had come to have true feelings for her. It was easy enough to detect the familiar symptoms of physical attraction. Her Borg implants were quite acute at reading the signs of arousal.

But Seven knew that she was widely considered attractive. It wasn't the aspect of physical beauty that intrigued her. To her, Kathryn Janeway was so much more then a beautiful form. The Captain was strong, resilient, creative, intelligent and honorable. It was the woman's qualities and characteristics that had attracted the Borg to the woman in the first place.

At first, Seven found herself wanting to emulate them. Janeway was a respected member of her collective. It would only be prudent to adapt the characteristics that Voyager's crew seemed to so highly value.

But the Captain had quickly put a stop to her becoming a mere copy of her own personality. And truthfully, Seven doubted that it was a task she could even have accomplished. Though she did respect and even envy Janeway's character and her abilities, Seven knew that now, she was in fact an individual.

The Captain had gone out of her way to guide Seven in the ways of humanity. She had encouraged the drone to develop her own set of likes and dislikes. She had encouraged Seven to grow.

At times, the drone knew that they disagreed on many things. But Seven also knew that in many ways, Kathryn appreciated their rivaling opinions. Janeway enjoyed being challenged. And Seven knew that of everyone on Voyager the Captain tended to find her company the most stimulating.

That's why this entire situation seemed so completely unthinkable. Seven had nearly been certain that the Captain shared her feelings and her unspoken affection. But the drone also knew when it came to matters of the human heart, one could never truly be sure of anything.

Without her mentor's knowledge, Seven had begun exhaustive research on romantic love. She had scoured the ship's database for all knowledge of love. She had analyzed her data received from her former connection to the Hive mind. She even began individually grilling members of the crew.

She wanted to know what it was to love. She wanted to know how one knew when they were in fact, in love. And more then that, she wanted to know how to express such an emotion that at times lacked the very definition of words.

It was an odd thing, but her most conclusive research came from the Borg. Through the millions of individuals she assimilated Seven could now almost feel their memories. There was so much love that had been lost. Husbands, wives, children, friends and lovers had all been taken by the Hive. They had all left loved ones behind. And now, Seven found herself wanting to weep for their loss.

But through her research Seven had arrived at one conclusion, she was indeed in love with Captain Janeway. And the next course of action was obvious, she must begin a course of romantic wooing designed to bring about a physical union. And then, after the appropriate amount of time had passed she would confess her feelings to the Captain.

To Seven, it had seemed like the natural progression of things. After all, she suspected that the Captain shared her feelings. And the drone theorized that the older woman simple couldn't put her emotions into words.

But now as she sat there chained to a Y'rian wall, Seven began to question her research and the Captain's feelings. During her study, the drone had learned that love was often associated with other feelings like kindness, care, and deep need to protect. But at the moment, the Captain was exhibiting none of the aforementioned feelings. In fact, her actions were the exact opposite.

She wasn't trying to ply the drone with care or kindness; she was simply issuing an order that stood to hurt the drone as nothing else ever had. And the worst part was she didn't seem to care. The Captain was showing no signs of guilt or even remorse.

And Seven couldn't believe that she had been so terribly wrong. She had firmly believed that Kathryn Janeway harbored strong feelings of care, friendship and love for her. But now, the drone was beginning to wonder where her judgment had been in error.

It was quite clear that the Captain didn't care for her at all. If she did love Seven, she would never willingly subject her to the painful humiliation of the Y'rian ceremony. From that, Seven could only imagine that all of her findings had in fact, been in error. The Captain did not love her. And now, Seven felt the pain well in her chest to a drowning level.

Part 03

Kathryn stood in the small room that the Y'rians had afforded her. She knew that now there was no more chances to back out or change her mind. She was going to change Seven's life forever. And the thought was a bitter pill to swallow.

She stood in the long red robe that the Y'rians had so graciously provided. It was of fine quality and what must be expensive material. But she had no desire to marvel at its craftsmanship. She just wanted to get things over with.

In the large amphitheatre behind, Kathryn could hear the crowd gathering. Everyone was excited to see the Borg. T'knar hadn't been wrong when he suspected that Seven's very presence would draw quite the audience.

"You are having second thoughts." T'knar called out softly from behind. He had decided to wait with the woman. Her nerves very obviously needed soothing.

"And third and fourth?" Kathryn mumbled turning to face the man that had taken this rather unpleasant task upon himself.

She walked towards the only window that the small room contained. They were several stories up. And the bright lights of the metropolis below caught her vision and her interest.

If this hadn't happened?if Seven hadn't been tricked by one eager man?Kathryn knew this could have turned out so very different. The Y'rians were a race that they could learn much from. And even though they had abandoned much of their technology in favor of a simpler existence, Janeway knew that it didn't change their knowledge. This was a species that at one time traveled the Delta Quadrant from one side to the other. There was much that they could have learned?but now, such an amicable exchange of information was looking like a near impossibility.

"May I ask you something?" He asked tapping his long walking stick lightly on the floor.

There were many things that he wanted to tell her. If she had been any other person, he would have. But he suspected that this formidable woman would not appreciate his comments. He wanted to tell her that she looked stunning in the long sweeping crimson robe.

He wanted to tell her that Seven was lucky to have someone who obviously cared so much. But more then that, he wanted to tell her that although things now looked bleak some day this would all be behind them.

He wanted to tell her that this was an opportunity. He knew that she was looking at this ceremony as the end to her relationship with the drone. And he knew that that simply didn't have to be case. She should look at it for the wonderful possibility that it was. She could start a brand new relationship with the drone today, in front of the eyes of hundreds of supporters. They bond together in the throws of physical affection and love. They could allow themselves to experience the emotions that they had obviously been hiding for far too long.

But he knew that the Captain wouldn't want to hear such things. Her back was rigid and her stature was one ice. Her stare was devoid of empathy or emotion. And her voice was strangled to a mere whisper. This was not a woman ready to accept the situation for the wonderful gift that it really was.

"Why are you doing this? Your vessel could easily remove the woman from our custody. You could go on your way and we would be powerless to stop you. Why put yourself through this? It is obvious that you don't appreciate the ceremony for what it really is. It is obvious that both you and the other woman see this as punishment and not the opportunity of a lifetime. So I must ask you, why Captain?" He asked wondering if the woman would even open up to him.

And for the longest moment, she didn't. She just stood there staring off into the distant Sodic night. It was clear that his statements and his question both bothered and intrigued her.

"It is the laws of my people. Surely, Tuvok told you all this." She answered knowing that her Vulcan security chief certainly would have explained their customs to the Y'rians.

"Yes, he explained as much. But Captain, you are a great distance from the home of your people. In fact, you may never return again. But yet, you are willing to do something that you find so obviously repugnant to please the heads of your government in the off chance that one day, you see them again? I'm afraid I don't understand your reasoning." He said wondering if she would clarify.

Obviously, she owed him no explanation. But he suspected that she might give one anyways. It was quite clear that she wanted to rationalize her actions. And he knew that for her sake and the drone's, the Captain needed to be sure that she was in fact doing the right thing.

"Those laws are all that we have. Out here, we couldn't survive without a code to live by. And even though the Alpha Quadrant is so very far from were we are, I vowed to uphold the laws of my people. It's part of being Captain. It's who I am. If I didn't follow these rules?I don't know what we would have but chaos." The Captain explained realizing that she was doing more then justifying her action to T'knar.

She was explaining the situation to herself. She might not like what she was about to do. But she knew that she had no choice.

Seven wouldn't experience any permanent physical injury as a result of this ceremony. In fact, Kathryn's fondest hope was that she wouldn't have to experience pain at all. Other then her personal feelings for the drone, there was no compelling reason to not uphold the Prime Directive. As a Captain, she knew that this was the only decision that could be made. But as a woman, her stomach lurched in anger at what she was about to do.

"There is something else that must be addressed." T'knar said knowing that the issue he was about to put before the Captain was one of grave discomfort. And he certainly didn't look forward to hearing the response spill forth from her lips.

Part 04

"It has come to our attention that Seven of Nine carries uncharacteristic physical strength. Though we would never wish to think of such a thing, we believe that it is possible that she will try to flee. Or worse, she could attempt to injure you." T'knar said wondering if the Captain had already considered such a possibility.

It was clear from the shocked look in her gaze that she hadn't. She wanted to believe that Seven would obey her order to submit, but she knew better then that. The drone would never comply. And under the circumstance Kathryn couldn't really blame her. She suspected that if the roles were reversed she too would put up quite a fight.

"Do you have any suggestions?" She asked the man wondering if the Y'rians had already found a way to deal with this rather unfortunate dilemma.

"Yes? If you wish, we can chain her to the sacred cloth. Unfortunately, she would be unable to move with you. The giving of pleasure would be rather one sided. But she would be unable to hurt you." He said explaining the situation to the Captain.

She stood there feeling an insurmountable wave of confusion threaten to engulf her form. Never in a million years had she expected to have to chain Seven to merely allow her touch. She had wanted the drone's love. And yes, she had even wanted her body. But never did she imagine having to do this.

The woman in her wanted to scream. But the Captain knew she was only doing what her duty and command required of her. Using that part of her that had become so dominant since their stranding in the Delta Quadrant she turned to T'knar with an unblinking stare.

"Do it." She seethed giving the order she knew that was cause the drone unquestioning emotional anguish. But she could help Seven through this. She had to believe that her love for the drone was strong enough?strong enough to repair their trust.

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Seven had terrified all her attending groomers. They had tried to prepare her with the utmost sanctity for the event that was too unfold. But she would have none of it. She had thrown their instruments of beauty at them. She had torn their clothing to shreds. And she had all out attacked the guards they had sent. She wasn't satisfied until they left her alone in the quiet safety of the small bathroom.

She had bathed and dressed, for no other reason then she simply wanted to wash the dirt and grime from her body. It wasn't to please the Captain. Now she couldn't imagine herself caring what the older woman thought ever again.

Once she had emerged from the bathroom clean and dressed in the ceremonial garb they had rushed to chain her right back to the wall. She had let them wanting to conserve her strength for the physical union ahead. If the Captain thought that she was going to make this task easy for her, then Janeway was most assuredly mistaken.

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As Kathryn walked into the center of the amphitheatre she couldn't help but notice the entire place was filled to the brim. It appeared to be standing room only. And the Captain briefly wondered if the Basilisk had ever been so packed.

It was quite clear that everyone had an interest in seeing the drone succumb to the familiar ritual of sexuality. She knew that many of them were probably there just to get a good hard look at Borg physiology. But Kathryn had discussed this particular aspect with T'knar. And she had no intention of showing them anything more then they absolutely had to see.

She was surprised that no one was screaming or chanting. She had expected slurs or catcalls of some kind. T'knar had assured her that to his people this was a sacred and holy ceremony. But she hadn't believed it, not until she walked into the silent Basilisk.

She waited in the center of the room as T'knar walked to the podium. She knew that he was about to begun the opening chant. This was simply another part of the ritual.

She looked over to the center of the room knowing that in a few short moments the drone would be appear on the white bed before her. The Y'rians called it the sacred cloth. But to the Captain, there was really nothing sacred about it.

It was the place where she would seal the fate of her relationship with Seven. It was the place where the drone would lose her innocence. And it was the place where she would ultimately destroy Seven's faith and trust.

Suddenly, she noticed that T'knar had stopped his chanting. She knew it meant the time was upon them. All this time of wrestling with her duty verses her feelings had finally boiled down to this one moment.

"It is time to begin." He said leaving the podium.

She stood there, mentally knowing what was to happen but still finding herself shocked and off guard. The air shimmered before her and suddenly Seven appeared at her side. The drone was shocked to find herself already chained to the bed beneath. She looked around confused at first to find her surrounding so quickly altered. But then she saw the Captain at her side. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. But she could do nothing of the kind. The only small and pathetically human thing she seemed able to do was cry.