CHAPTER TWELVE

Kathryn didn’t go back to the bridge, but instead locked herself in her quarters. She ripped her jacket off and threw it at the couch, stalking around the living room clinching her fists. Annika was sleeping with B’Elanna. "How long has it been going on?" Janeway wondered. "I can’t believe I went down there and begged her to come back to me. What was I thinking? Sure, they both tried to say nothing had happened, but that bite on Annika’s shoulder was unmistakable. It was just like the one Seven had put on the Chief Engineer when the Borg had her bout with MPD. Oh, god," Kathryn thought. "Is that what happened? Did the attack trigger another personality split? No, B’Elanna had been far too familiar with Seven when she came breezing out of the shower. But, Seven had been drinking last night, and god knows what she went through with Walker."

Janeway went to the com panel at her desk and called up the full security report. She scanned it and sank into her chair. She was relieved to see that Walker hadn’t had a chance to do more than hit Seven... "God, I can’t believe there can be anything to be thankful for about that." It appeared that even while intoxicated, Seven was formidable. Even after he broke her cheekbone and gashed her face open, the Borg managed to deal with him. From what the captain could tell, B’Elanna had gotten there when Walker was getting ready for another attack. "And just what was B’Elanna doing hanging around? Stop it. Just be glad she was there for Annika." Janeway studied the rest of the report and was shocked to see that Annika had drank eight brandies. It was a miracle the Borg was conscious, let alone able to defend herself and Janeway suddenly had a very dark thought. "Seven was obviously beyond drunk, and if B’Elanna did sleep with her... B’Elanna is experienced, Seven is..." The captain decided it was time for a talk with her Chief Engineer. She grabbed her jacket and headed for her ready room.

"Janeway to Torres... Lieutenant, report to my ready room, Janeway out."

Torres saw Seven to her quarters and waited to make sure she was okay being back there alone. She needn’t have worried because Seven considered the incident over. Not that it was even much of an incident though, Seven thought Walker was a rather inept attacker. B’Elanna then headed for Engineering and got into the turbolift and was less than thrilled to see her lover Tom Paris.

"B’Elanna," he said as soon as the doors shut. "What happened last night? And why didn’t you call me?"

She took a deep breath and let it out in a loud slow sigh. "I don’t think your Delaney of the week would have appreciated me interrupting you."

"Hey, B’Elanna, it’s not like that. We were just in the holodeck."

"Well, if you don’t mind, I prefer to keep out of your dates." Torres realized she didn’t have much patience for her lover lately.

"Never mind that. What happened last night?"

"Tom, why don’t you talk to someone else. I’m tired of talking about," she lied. She really hadn’t talked about it much at all.

"B’Elanna..." He tried to snuggle into her and kissed her neck then tied to nip at her jawline, which only reminded B’Elanna how much better Seven had been at arousing her... "Yeah, when she thought you were the captain." Torres pushed Paris away.

"All right," she said. "Walker busted into Seven’s quarters last night and attacked her."

"Is she okay?’ he asked.

"She’s fine now, but the bastard broke her cheek and put a huge gash on her face."

"I heard through the grapevine that he attacked her, but there aren’t many details floating around yet. So... Did she ask him over? What was he doing there?"

B’Elanna shot him a look of undiluted rage. "She was sitting in her quarters and he came in and tried to kill her. Any other stupid questions?"

"I... Well, I just meant, I didn’t think he’d–

"Yeah, you didn’t think."

"Why are you so uptight?"

"Tom, he... She was bleeding all over the place... If I hadn’t come in when I did, I don’t know what would have happened."

"What do you mean? You were there?" he asked as he moved closer and gentled his voice.

"I heard the struggle so I went to help."

"Are you okay?" he asked. He was sincerely concerned, but instead of comforting the Klingon, it simply aggravated her further. She tried to hide it.

"Yeah, Walker may have had a chance against a drunk Borg, but he’d never seen a pissed off Klingon."

"You didn’t kill him, did you?" he said as he rubbed her arm and smiled.

"I wish. Seven pulled me off him. Can you believe that? Then security got there and all my fun was over." B’Elanna was doing her best to sound cavalier. She didn’t want Tom to know how upset she really was.

The captain’s voice cut off their conversation, "Janeway to Torres... Lieutenant, report to my ready room, Janeway out."

"Shit," B’Elanna said.

"What’s that about?" Tom asked.

"I’m sure it’s about last night," she said gravely. She was right.

Janeway’s ready room door chime sounded. The captain was behind her desk. "Come in," she said calmly. She was captain, and it wouldn’t do to turn this into a catfight.

B’Elanna came in and stopped in front of Janeway’s desk and stood formally. "Captain?"

"Lieutenant, sit down." It was not a request. B’Elanna sat slowly, her eyes never breaking contact with the captain’s. Janeway leaned back in her chair and cleared her throat. "Do you know why I asked you here?"

"I have a pretty good idea, but why don’t you tell me." Torres wasn’t going to squirm under the captain’s pressure.

"I understand that Seven was intoxicated last night, eight brandies if I’m not mistaken." The captain knew damn well how many drinks the report listed.

"If you’re implying that Seven brought on the attack, I resent that," Torres said bluntly.

"You resent it?" Janeway didn’t like the possessive phrasing. "I know Seven wasn’t responsible for Walker’s actions. I’m concerned with her ability to make decisions after the attack. More specifically, her capacity to give consent."

B’Elanna felt her cheeks darken as her temper flared. "Excuse me? Do you have a question, Captain?"

"I think any questions were answered by the mark you put on Annika’s shoulder. I’m concerned that one of my Senior Officers had relations with a highly intoxicated member of my crew. Given Seven’s lack of tolerance for alcohol, I’m surprised she was still even conscious."

Torres stood and leaned onto the captain’s desk. "I did not take advantage of her, and I resent you implying I did."

"Sit down," Janeway ordered.

Torres inhaled deeply and then sat. Janeway had no idea how close her Chief Engineer had just come to decking her captain. "I don’t have to force myself on anyone, and I don’t need to get anyone drunk to..." She let the sentence hang, she was angry, and wanted the captain to squirm.

"Even if there wasn’t force involved, there is the legal matter. If she was impaired, she couldn’t legally give consent," Janeway said trying to sound official.

"Permission to speak freely, Captain," B’Elanna bit each word as it came out of her mouth.

Janeway nodded.

"Why don’t you just come right out and ask me be if I slept with her? That’s what you want to know. You dumped her and you’re pissed because you think she jumped into my bed."

"Enough," Janeway ordered. "I’m trying to clarify a legal issue."

"Oh, bullshit. Seven and I both told you we didn’t have sex. If you can’t believe us, that’s your problem, not mine."

"And I suppose that bite just magically appeared?" Janeway’s Captain’s composure was becoming an endangered species. "So much for not having a catfight."

B’Elanna rubbed her face. "If you had taken the time to ask, I could have explained, so could have Seven."

Janeway bit her lip and eyed her Engineer. She slowly nodded for her to continue.

"You broke her heart," B’Elanna said and saw Janeway flinch. Torres had never seen the captain flinch before. "Seven was very drunk," B’Elanna continued. "Walker showed up and things got ugly. I got there at the end of it and she didn’t want to stay in her quarters so I offered to let her stay with me." B’Elanna saw the captain shift uncomfortably in her chair. "To be honest, Captain, the only reason I’m telling you any of this is because Seven loves you, and god help her, she wants you back. Anyway, she stayed over."

Kathryn cut in with a subzero tone, "And her shoulder?"

"Yeah, I was getting to that. We were sleeping together, sleeping, okay? And she had a rather erotic dream, and, well, I had also been drinking earlier so I was a little... okay, I was hammered, and ..."

"You were asleep when you bit her?"

"Ah... well, no. Damn it. It really doesn’t matter. All that matters is that things got a little confusing, but we stopped before anything major happened... and she was practically asleep. We stopped. That’s what matters... We were both drunk and she thought I was you. Okay?" Torres said in a flurry.

"You and I don’t look much alike. Is that the story you’re sticking to?" Kathryn questioned skeptically.

"Yes, damn it. And it’s not a story." Torres wondered what gods she had offended in her short life to get her so thoroughly buried in targ dung. Whatever she did, it must have been big.

Janeway’s heart wanted it to be true, but the logical side of her still had questions. "And you bit her because? ... Don’t try to tell me you thought she was Tom."

B’Elanna sighed. She couldn’t even remember the last time anything had went her way. "I did not think she was Tom... or anybody else... I knew who she was." B’Elanna Torres wondered how difficult it would be to start a convent on board Voyager. It really was her only option. B’Elanna took a deep breath, bit the bullet, and finished, "And, I thought she knew who I was."

"I see," Janeway said. As cold as Janeway’s voice was, it wouldn’t have surprised B’Elanna one bit to find out the captain had liquid nitrogen in her veins instead of blood.

"Captain, why did you break up with her?"

"I don’t think that’s any of your business," Kathryn said. Definitely liquid nitrogen.

"You just grilled me about Seven and I, and you can’t honestly expect me to buy that you were worried about legal consent. I think you owe me a little something."

"I think you expect too much, lieutenant," the captain stated. B’Elanna felt the first tinges of frostbite nipping at her cheeks.

"Then you at least owe it to Seven. Do you know what she thinks?" The captain’s eyebrows raised. She definitely wanted to know, B’Elanna decided. "She thinks that you are repulsed by her Borg implants, that you saw the matrix in her breast and couldn’t stand it."

"What?" Kathryn leaned forward, her face obviously pained. Torres realized the captain wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings when it came to Seven.

"She’s convinced that you’re disgusted with her."

"That’s insane," Janeway squeaked. The ice flow was beginning to melt.

"Well, maybe if you told her the real reason, she wouldn’t have to feel disgusting. It doesn’t help that as soon as you two got naked, you got all weird and dumped her."

"Where did you get that?" Kathryn snapped, then realized she probably revealed more than she should have.

"Well, she said you thought her breasts were disgusting, so I kinda’ assumed you’d seen them," B’Elanna said as she waved her hands in the air for emphasis.

"She started to undress in front of me, so I turned around. I didn’t see anything." "Well, I did see something, something that was anything but disgusting, but it’s none of B’Elanna’s business."

B’Elanna realized two things; First, the captain’s reaction had been the same reaction that B’Elanna had when she saw Seven naked. She simply turned away. And second, she’d better not let Janeway know just how much she had seen, and touched for that matter, because her captain would not like it. "You really need to talk to Seven," B’Elanna finally said.

"I appreciate you concern, but I’d like to keep my personal affairs as private as possible. And right now, there’s not much left that hasn’t been made public."

"It’s not public. I’m her friend, she trusts me."

"Obviously she thinks of you as a little more than a friend," Janeway said. The liquid nitrogen was back. "I do appreciate your concern. Dismissed."

B’Elanna got up to leave, glad to be out of the hot seat, but then stopped and turned. "Captain," B’Elanna said. "I’m an honorable person. I would never take advantage of Seven. But I think there’s something you’d better know."

"Yes?" Janeway asked.

"She’s very beautiful, but you know that, and she’s smart, and funny."

"Your point?" Kathryn wondered when Torres had the chance to see Seven’s humorous side, and she felt the pang of jealously.

"I’ve been nothing but honorable. But, when someone throws something away... no matter how stupid their reason... there’s no dishonor in picking it up for yourself." Torres turned and left the room.

Janeway watched and consider B’Elanna’s last comments. She made it perfectly clear that she knew what Seven had to offer, and that if Kathryn wouldn’t fix things with Seven, B’Elanna would be more than willing to step in.

Kathryn considered what else that meant. "Seven and B’Elanna were NOT sleeping together." She let out a relieved sigh. "How could I have messed things up this badly? I practically handed Seven to B’Elanna on a silver platter." Then Janeway realized something else. "Good lord, I don’t own her. She’s not my property." Kathryn’s mind raced back over the previous night, going over every word she and Seven had exchanged. Seven was extremely self-conscious about her Borgness, and as Kathryn remembered their conversations with that in mind, she kicked herself for not catching it herself. "On, Annika, I’m an idiot. How can you possibly love me?" Then Captain Kathryn Janeway made a command decision, she was going to get Annika Hansen back even if she had to crawl on her knees to do it. If that didn’t work, Seven of Nine would just have to be assimilated by her captain. Kathryn wasn’t going to lose the best thing that ever happened to her. And if Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres decided to get in her way, well, she’d find herself on the receiving end of a formal challenge. Kathryn didn’t appreciate the Engineer marking Seven’s pristine skin.

Seven of Nine finished straightening her quarters. It had taken some time and a great deal of effort to remove her blood from the carpeting. She was still wearing the clothes B’Elanna had loaned her. She found them extremely comfortable. She would have to replicate some for herself. B’Elanna had referred to them as her last vestiges of ‘dyke wear,’ although Seven had no idea how they related to trenches used for the transportation of water.

Tuvok had left ten minutes earlier, having interviewed Seven personally concerning Ensign Walker, so when she heard her door chime, she was quite surprised. She opened the door and, for the second time in one day, she stared at her captain unable to speak.

"Annika, can I come in?" Janeway had her arms crossed over her chest, not as any form of body language but to hide her shaking hands.

Seven nodded, the only form of communication she was capable of at the moment.

Kathryn went into the living room, relieved to see the signs of the assault gone. "It looks a lot better in here."

Seven’s eyes widened and she regained her voice. "I was not aware you had seen the damaged caused by Ensign Walker."

"Oh damn," Janeway thought. She decided she should come clean with the young Borg. "I was concerned when I read the report this morning and I came to see you. When there was no answer, I let myself in. I’m sorry I invaded your privacy."

Seven’s eyes would not meet the captain’s. "And I was not here."

"Yes," Kathryn said as she went to Seven and took her arm. "Why didn’t you let them call me last night?" she asked gently.

Seven looked into Kathryn’s eyes. "I was afraid you would not come."

Kathryn sucked in a breath with such surprise and force that the environmental controls probably thought there had been a hull breach. She put her free hand on Seven’s opposite arm and squared her body to the former Borg. "I will always be here for you. I’m just a touch of your com badge away."

"Even after everything that has happened?" Seven asked quietly.

Kathryn swallowed. She had decided to be honest, so, that meant being honest about everything. "The only thing that has happened is that I said stupid things I didn’t mean, then made assumptions that weren’t true, and then said even more stupid things," Kathryn said as she guided Seven backwards to the couch where they both then sat.

"You’re assumptions were logical given the appearances presented to you." Seven dared to hope this horrible situation would have positive outcome.

Kathryn allowed a hint of her long absent half grin. "I notice you didn’t try to argue the ‘stupid’ references of my statement."

Seven allowed a half grin of her own. "You are the captain. It would not do to argue with everything you say."

"Since when?" Kathryn’s asked as her heart warmed with the familiar banter she had sorely missed.

"Since I fell in love with you," Seven said with absolute sincerity.

Any remaining detachment Kathryn had been imposing slipped away. She lifted Seven’s chin so she could watch Seven’s eyes as she spoke words that would change both of their worlds. "You have know idea how much I needed to hear those words," Kathryn admitted.

Annika’s eyes ignited and her elegant features came alive. "I do love you, Kathryn."

Kathryn Janeway felt her soul returning. It didn’t matter that Earth was decades away, because Kathryn was looking at her home. "Annika, I love you." Her had never left Seven’s chin, but now she slid tenderly along the young woman’s jaw and then up to stroke her cheek. "I can’t imagine being without you," Kathryn whispered.

"You do not have to," Seven said and turned her head toward Kathryn’s hand kissing her palm. She felt Kathryn shiver so she kissed her palm again and again moving up to the wrist, then continued up Kathryn’s arm.

Kathryn released a moan she had been waiting to give Seven for far too long. When Seven’s delicate kisses reached Kathryn’s elbow, Janeway could stand no more. She moved her hand behind Seven’s head and pulled her into an experimental kiss. She heard and felt Annika moan into her mouth so she let the overwhelming passion cross her lips and fill Seven. They fell back into the couch, and mouths met in hungry gasps as each woman tried to absorb the other until finally Kathryn eased back and gently caressed Seven’s cheek.

"Annika," Kathryn said as she leaned toward her beloved blonde. "You’re so beautiful, my darling."

Seven looked into Kathryn’s eyes and saw only sincerity. She leaned over and kissed Kathryn wanting to feel her sweet captain’s lips, but Kathryn stopped her.

"I want you to believe me, Seven." The captain took both of Seven’s hands in her own and squeezed them to emphasize her point. "You’re the most stunning woman I’ve every met, and not just your physical appearance. You have a beautiful soul, darling. You own my heart."

Seven’s throat ached and she felt tears forming in her eyes. "Kathryn, I am yours. I have always been yours."

Kathryn smiled, knowing that while it wasn’t exactly accurate, since the exdrone had not been exceptionally fond of her in the beginning, but the idea was sweet. "I love you, Annika."

"I do not require five dates to decide if I wish to make love to you," Seven said.

Janeway pulled Seven’s hands to her mouth and began alternating between them, depositing whisper soft kisses. "How many do you require?"

"I have all the information I require," Seven said while leaning over toward the older woman. She shifted her position and kissed Kathryn. The kiss started out as a gentle greeting, but her tongue caressed Janeway’s lips until they opened. Seven immediately let her tongue cross into Kathryn’s mouth.

Kathryn pulled Seven’s hair out of its bun and dug her hands into it, she loved the feel of the silky strands between her fingers, and she wondered what the golden silk would feel like slowly running down the length of her body. She realized she was probably about to find out.

Kathryn pulled away and held Seven’s face in her hands. "Are you sure?"

"I am certain, Kathryn. I want to be with you. So much … that when I see you, it is painful… my chest aches, and I cannot take a full breath… My stomach feels… I cannot describe exactly how it feels, but it is not normal…" Seven leaned over and kissed Kathryn. Suddenly she felt as if her head was moving, and there were other feelings, lower on her body. She pulled away. "I am also having other… sensations… not pain… but distracting none the less."

Janeway took both of Seven’s hands in hers and looked into her frosty blue eyes. "I think I can help you with that, my love," Kathryn said quietly.

"Your love?" Seven smiled at the intimate term.

"Why don’t we go into the other room, my love?" Kathryn said, kissing Seven’s fingers, her eyes never braking contact with Seven’s.

Seven’s smile broadened. "Will you let me to carry you?"

"My love, I’ll let you do anything your heart desires."

Seven stood and gently lifted Kathryn then carried her toward the bedroom. As she passed through the doorway Kathryn bit Seven’s neck. Seven caught her breath and had to lean against the wall to steady herself.

"If you continue this," Seven whispered, "we will not reach the bed."

Janeway released Seven’s neck and bit the young woman’s ear. "Then I suggest you hurry."

Seven made her way to the bed and laid Kathryn onto the mattress. "My research suggests that hurrying is not the preferred method." She climbed onto the bed straddling Kathryn and then lowered her body onto Janeway’s.

"I wanted you to get me to the bed quickly, that doesn’t mean I want to hurry now," Kathryn said as she pulled Seven to her. Kathryn lifted her head and gently let her lips meet Seven’s. She twisted and rolled Seven onto the bed next to her. "We don’t have to rush if you’re not ready."

"But I am ready," Seven insisted. "Ready is an inadequate term to describe my state of preparedness."

Janeway laughed. "Okay." She leaned over and rested her hand on Seven’s cheek. Her skin was like smoldering velvet under Kathryn’s fingers. Seven reached out and stilled Kathryn’s hand, catching the captain’s eyes with her own. The intensity Kathryn saw startled her.

"Kathryn," Seven began. "I have done extensive research on the recreational coup... making love between women, from the most basic to the most exotic. I am immeasurably eager to explore every aspect of love making available."

Kathryn watched as Seven’s smile took on an almost savage quality. It had been some time since Janeway had been intimate with anyone, and a great deal longer since she’d been with a woman. Kathryn began to speculate as to just how thorough an investigation Seven had done. Knowing Seven, damn thorough. Then there was the little matter of the bite B’Elanna had inflicted... Kathryn hoped the mark was gone.

"Uh, Seven?" Kathryn asked as she intercepted the young Borg’s hand, which had been moving down the captain’s belly. "I’m not sure how ready I am for all of the activities you’ve researched. Just how exotic did your studies get?"

Seven paused. She had assumed that Kathryn would be experienced in every aspect of pleasuring another woman. "I understand that anything we do will of course be limited to activities of mutual consent. I would never expect you to do something that you are not comfortable with."

"When exactly did I become the novice here?" Kathryn thought. The confident captain found herself intimidated by the prospect of Seven’s vast research. "Just shut up and enjoy," she finally told herself. "Well, my love, why don’t we just see where things go, and I’ll let you know if any problems develop."

Seven smiled as she moved on top of the captain, but as she leaned down to kiss the captain she paused. "I will endeavor to please you," the exdrone added sincerely.

"Why would you do anything else?" Kathryn teased, but she was quickly silenced by her Annika’s lush mouth.

Seven’s lips met Kathryn’s and they lingered, absorbing the softness offered. Janeway eased back into the bed as Seven ran her hand across Kathryn’s chest and she pulled Seven’s weight onto her. It felt so good to accept the intimate press of a lover, so she groaned her approval. Kathryn dug her fingers into Seven’s hair and captured the blonde’s lips, sucking on Seven’s tongue as soon as it was offered. Their kisses became more urgent, each woman’s body demanding that their explorations move beyond the meeting of mouths. Seven pulled back first.

"I wish to use my mouth elsewhere. Is that all right?"

"Oh yes," Kathryn whispered.

The former Borg began to nibble at Kathryn’s neck, but she missed the sweetness of her lover’s mouth, so she went back to refresh her memory. Seven moved up and slowly lowered her mouth to Kathryn’s, gently sliding her tongue out to meet her lover’s. As the kiss intensified, Seven’s hand moved around Kathryn’s shoulders and she tugged at the captain’s jacket. She briefly wondered about the protocol of making love while Kathryn was on duty, but the thought was quickly pushed out of her mind by more pleasant sensations. She had no way of knowing that Kathryn had taken the rest of the day off. In a few short moments the jacket was tossed across the room and Seven’s hands slid down lifting Kathryn’s blue grey undershirt. Kathryn leaned off the bed and only broke the kiss to allow Seven to pull the shirt over her head. Seven tossed the shirt off the bed and looked down at Janeway. She carefully ran her hand over the sports bra covering Kathryn’s breasts, mesmerized by the sensations bombarding her palm from touching Kathryn’s breast. Kathryn’s nipples hardened at the closeness of the young woman’s hand and Seven lowered her head and kissed Kathryn’s exposed chest, then moved her mouth down over the cotton material to take the captain’s nipple between her teeth. Kathryn’s head rolled to the side and she gasped.

"Is that okay?" Seven asked, concern again coloring her voice.

"Yes," Kathryn said grabbing Seven’s head and guiding it back to her breast. "Don’t stop."

Seven took the nipple in her teeth and tugged at it. She used her fingers to guide the bra up and off of Kathryn’s body, smiling as she took in the vision of Kathryn’s exposed breasts, creamy mounds topped by rose petal tips. She reached out her hands and covered Kathryn’s breasts and gently squeezed the exquisite skin. Janeway arched into Seven’s hands. Seven decided her clothing had suddenly become irrelevant so she leaned back and pulled off her own top and bra in one motion. Kathryn marveled at the woman positioned over her. Seven’s full breasts bounced as Seven went back to studying Kathryn’s body. Kathryn couldn’t resist the temptation and she reached up and cupped the Borg’s breasts in her hands. Seven’s eyes widened and she had to let go of Kathryn, catching her weight by placing her hands on either side the captain’s shoulders. Kathryn used the opportunity to capture one of Seven’s nipples in her mouth. Seven leaned closer to give her lover better access, and Kathryn didn’t disappoint. She took her hands and massaged the willing young blonde’s breasts and moved her mouth back and forth between the two nipples that had hardened to dark crimson pebbles.

"Kathryn," Seven cried out. "I cannot…" she gasped for breath. "I cannot hold myself up while you are distracting me…"

Kathryn shifted her hips and Seven fell to the bed. Janeway rolled over onto her flushed lover and went back to Seven’s breasts with loving vigilance, alternating between the two. Seven ran her hands through the older woman’s hair, amazed at the softness while Kathryn slid back up to Seven’s mouth and tenderly kissed her young Borg soulmate.

After many heated moments, Janeway pulled back. "I’ve waited so long to hold you," she said with smolderingly intensity.

Seven’s voice cracked as she spoke. "I am yours, Kathryn," Seven promised.

Kathryn’s smoky blue-grey eyes met Seven’s crisp blue. "And I am yours, my love." Two sets of eyes locked recognizing their mates.

Seven pulled Kathryn down for a brief kiss. "I wanted to touch you in so many places, but I cannot seem to concentrate on anything other than your hands on me." Seven took Kathryn’s hand and placed it at the top of the pants restraining her blonde curls between her legs. "Make love to me," Annika pleaded.

Kathryn leaned down wanting nothing more than to give Annika all the pleasure the universe had to offer. She moved slowly down past Seven’s neck and was thrilled to discover no sign of the bite; Seven’s shoulder was as perfect as the rest of her alabaster skin. Kathryn continued down to her chest and recaptured her nipple. Meanwhile her hands moved down and slowly pulled down Seven’s pants. Seven lifted her hips and kicked off the restraining garment and then she helped guide Janeway pants off and they let the length of their naked bodies press together. They moaned in unison at the shared warmth. Seven couldn’t imagine any more exquisite existence… then Kathryn’s hand moved down to the juncture of Seven’s legs and the young Borg discovered her error. Kathryn caressed her with such tenderness and love that Seven felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She stifled a sob and Kathryn paused to look into her lover’s eyes.

"I love you," Kathryn said simply, then took Seven. Kathryn gasped as she reached the barrier of Seven’s virginity. She moved up and kissed her lover deeply as she broke through to the areas she alone would ever know. She eased back from the kiss and watched Annika’s face as she moved deeper into her beloved, her fingers entering slowly to allow her young lover to adjust to the sensation of being filled for the first time. Only then did she begin her slow ministrations. When Seven’s breath finally came in jagged short breaths, the captain moved down and put her mouth over her lover’s center.

"Kathryn," Seven called out in a ragged, throaty voice. "Yes…" then the young Borg screamed out, incoherent, unable to process the flood of emotions and sensations, as well as a great deal of fluid. Janeway intensified her actions as she felt Seven contract around her fingers. Seven’s cries grew louder and she arched toward Kathryn again and again until she finally collapsed and quivered at each touch of Kathryn’s tongue. Janeway gently released her lover and crawled up to hold her. Seven clung to her, laboring to lift her arms while Kathryn kissed Seven’s face, tasting the salty tears. She smiled at her young lover and Kathryn realized that she too was crying. Kathryn had never felt so much while making love to someone, it overwhelmed her and she clung desperately to Seven. They stayed in the embrace until Seven’s breathing approached normal. Only then did Kathryn shift to Seven’s side where she could reach out and caress the former Borg’s face.

Seven turned to Kathryn and mirrored the caress. "Do you remember when I told you that art was irrelevant?"

"Yes," Kathryn said. She didn’t quite know where Seven was going with the conversation, but she followed eagerly. "We were in my DaVince program… Why?"

"I was wrong," Seven said and then leaned over and kissed Kathryn’s forehead. "Only poetry or paintings can adequately convey the love and passion I feel for you. I wish that I possessed those skills to impart my feelings to you."

"You just did," Kathryn said as she took Seven’s hand in hers. "You, my darling, have the heart of a poet."

They held each other a while longer, until Seven shifted her weight to one side and looked at Kathryn with a gaze of desire that made Kathryn dizzy. Seven’s voice was deep, and husky, and almost unrecognizable. "I want to make love to you, Kathryn."

"I’m yours," Kathryn told the eager young woman.

Then Seven began a complete and thorough discovery of Kathryn’s body. The novice took great pleasure in kissing, licking, and biting each centimeter of her lover’s skin. She used her first exploration to gauge Kathryn’s reaction to stimulation of every inch of her skin; every response was of course recorded by her Borg enhanced memory. After that, Seven began to apply the vast knowledge she had acquired. She especially enjoyed gaining practical experience to go along with the written data she had accessed from a conference held on Riesa. It had been called ‘the Sapphic Conference on Cunnilingus,’ and Seven found it most informative. When she finished her exploration, her auburn haired lover was covered in sweat and completely exhausted. Kathryn was in awe of the passionate woman who seemed to discover every erogenous spot on her body. Janeway thought at several times during the night that she had died, in fact on two occasions the captain had actually lost consciousness. The first time, Kathryn had quickly returned to her body, a blessing, because Seven was already in the process of calling for a medical team to assist her fallen lover.

During the night, they would take short breaks to recover, using those moments to whisper lover’s secrets, of moments when each had wanted to approach the other, or when one had thoroughly distracted the other while on duty. They were both surprised by how long they had each wanted the other. Seven had attributed it to her own superior skills at masking her emotions and Kathryn’s ability as Captain to always appear constantly aware of every situation, but mildly bored. Kathryn of course decided it was because they were both too stubborn to face reality, that, and the fact that she didn’t think her ‘Captain’s look’ ever took on a bored expression. In the early hours of the morning, Kathryn had watched as Seven fell asleep in her arms. The young woman was even more beautiful in slumber than she was in the throws of passion, a fact that confounded the captain. Seven’s beauty during their lovemaking had almost broken Kathryn’s heart. Now, looking at her sleeping lover, she could only stare in silence, tears trailing down her cheeks. She couldn’t bring herself to go to sleep, afraid she might miss one second of Seven’s beauty.

Somewhere after 05:00 hours, Kathryn did drift off, her body snuggled beneath the larger woman’s arm and leg. For someone only sharing a bed for the first time, the lanky blonde had quickly adjusted to hogging the entire bed. Kathryn realized that Seven had shared B’Elanna’s bed the night before and if this was the way the former Borg interpreted ‘sharing’ a bed, no wonder B’Elanna had a momentary lapse in her willpower. Kathryn realized that she had been overly harsh with the half Klingon. Jealousy tended to do that. She really should thank B’Elanna; it was that threat of losing Annika that had gotten Kathryn off of her butt enough to fix things with Seven. Kathryn realized that her Chief Engineer was indeed a woman of honor... especially after Seven explained in meticulous detail about her night with the Klingon hybrid. The former Borg was especially interested in why both the captain and the Engineer found Seven’s nudity so distracting. Then Kathryn heard about Seven’s waking up and kissing the frustrated B’Elanna, thinking she was Kathryn. Yes, B’Elanna Torres had been put through a very tortuous night and had remained more virtuous than the captain would imagine herself being in the same situation. An evil grin crossed the captain’s face as she pictured poor B’Elanna waking up with Seven’s hand clamped onto her breast, a very skilled hand; Kathryn could attest to that.

Seven shifted, putting more weight onto the smaller framed Janeway. Not that Kathryn minded, she found the feeling of Annika Hansen draped across her quite wonderful, perhaps a little too wonderful. It wasn’t like she could move in with Seven if things continued to go well. Starfleet regulations were very specific when it came to officer’s cohabiting. Romantic interaction was not a valid reason to live together, in fact it was reason to bar two officers from sharing quarters, especially with the captain. No, that just screamed sexual impropriety and harassment. The only exception was in the case of marriage, and Kathryn Janeway did not want let herself even begin to go there. This was only their first night together. No, the captain wasn’t about to even buy the map that would give her directions on how to go there.

Seven awoke and realized that she was reclining. A smile covered her face as she realized the warm, pliable mass beneath her was Captain Kathryn Janeway. She inhaled deeply and her senses filled not the aroma of her metallic cargo bay, but with the scent of her crew quarters and the remnants of arousal. Seven careful moved away from her lover so she could look at Kathryn’s face. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and was astounded to see that it was 09:31 hours. She and Kathryn had made love until after 03:00 hours, which meant that Seven had slept for six hours. Seven found this sleeping quite satisfying, especially when she awoke with her own Starfleet issue Captain as a pillow.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Kathryn Janeway sat in her command chair staring at the planet on the screen. It was emerald green with seafoam clouds lacing its surface. In a word, it was beautiful. It reminded Kathryn of home. It was M-class and had the beginnings of an ecosystem that would probably produce flora and fauna like that of her sorely missed Earth. Of course, it would take about 350,000 years for any life forms bigger than a tribble to appear, but the crew found the planet comforting. It had two small moons. Those did not comfort the crew. The larger of the two was slightly bigger than Earth’s moon. It was the source of the bizarre crystals the artificial asteroids had been composed of.

It had taken five weeks to arrive at the moon, and those five weeks had been busy ones.

Ensign Walker had confessed to his attack, but only after Seven inserted her Borg assimilation tubules into a com panel and proceeded to play a recorded image of the entire account. After the horrible experience from her erroneous retrieved memories about an alien named Kovin, the young Borg had altered her eyepiece to record the images she saw. The young Borg would then erase the memory chip each month, a time she deemed sufficient to avoid any further mistakes. Faced with a visual record of his actions, he confessed. Voyager once again sported an occupied penal facility, which did not please the captain.

Janeway had not seen any of the proceedings, which, despite the fact that she knew it was best, still angered her. Her relationship with Seven made her involvement impossible so Chakotay had handled the entire affair. Kathryn also decided against watching Seven’s digital replay. She couldn’t do that without going down to the brig and killing Walker herself. As it was, she had no idea how to keep an inmate for the four years of his sentence, let alone what to do with him once his term was served. She hoped by the time that day came, she would have her crew home, the he would be Starfleet’s problem.

Kathryn had also used those same five weeks to continuing falling deeper in love with Seven of Nine. The young woman was insatiable, wanting to make love every waking moment when they weren’t on duty. Well, actually, she wanted to make love when they were on duty too, but Kathryn had to draw the line somewhere. Kathryn had discovered that Seven had been correct, Kathryn definitely preferred being sexually satisfied to being well rested. In between love making marathons, they spent hours talking about everything and nothing, and Kathryn Janeway could not have been happier. Everything was perfect, or rather as perfect as any relationship could be. They had arguments of course, but Seven’s logic and Kathryn’s patience saw the couple through them, then they would make love for hours. It took some serious convincing on Janeway’s part to get Seven to quit calling it ‘make up sex,’ a term she undoubtedly picked up from Voyager’s Chief Engineer. Seven also continued to deepen her friendship with the Klingon, at Kathryn’s urging. The two were developing a strong friendship that allowed Seven an entry to Voyager’s informal crew social gatherings, something Janeway couldn’t offer. The misunderstandings with B’Elanna were in the past, and Kathryn trusted Seven and B’Elanna completely. Yes, for the most part, everything was perfect, except for the mysterious moon, and Kathryn Janeway was about to deal with that so she could focus on the only two things that mattered, getting her ship home and loving Annika Hansen.

"Tuvok, Report," Janeway asked.

"Nothing so far, Captain, but the interference is still too intense to scan through," Tuvok’s deep voice echoed across the unusually silent bridge.

The captain glanced over at Commander Chakotay. He nodded, his face was solemn, but he watched his Captain with confidence. He had argued long and hard against Janeway’s decision to investigate the moon, but once the decision was made, he stood behind his Captain.

Chakotay cleared his throat before speaking. "Mr. Kim, send in the probe."

Harry Kim keyed in the launch sequence and they all watched as the slender silver probe shot toward the moon in a lazy arch. Every member of the bridge crew silently held their breath as the probe neared the moon’s orbit, every member with two exceptions. Tuvok watched impassively from his station at tactical as did Seven of Nine who stood calmly with her hands clasped behind her back at the aft science station. Seven let her eyes drift back down to her com station as she watched the telemetry coming in.

"I’m getting faint power readings," Seven reported. The crew released its collective breath and all eyes shifted to Seven.

"Borg?" Janeway demanded.

"I am uncertain. It is not one that I recognize, and yet it is… familiar," the former Borg drone said.

"The probe is being scanned," Tuvok announced in his calm voice that grabbed the crew’s attention.

"By who?" Janeway stood as she spoke. They watched the screen as a green light seemed to come out of nowhere to cross the probe again and again. Just as suddenly the green fingers of light disappeared.

Tuvok spoke next. "Curious. It seems to have allowed the probe to pass."

"Maybe whoever is out there isn’t hostile after all," said Tom Paris, the youthful helmsman, shifting in his chair.

Janeway pulled her jacket down smoothing her uniform over her svelte hips. "Maybe… but keep us at Yellow alert." She quickly shot a glance at Seven. "Seven, are you feeling anything?"

Seven raised an eyebrow almost to her hairline. "Nothing out of the ordinary." Seven knew better than to announce to Kathryn that she was feeling arousal just by being in the same room with her beloved, but she would bring it up when they were alone. These things always made Kathryn release a deep resonating laugh when they were alone. Seven rechecked her telemetry. "The probe sensors are not strong enough to penetrate to moon’s interference."

Harry Kim confirmed Seven’s findings. "Nothing’s getting past the moon’s atmosphere, Captain."

Janeway rubbed her lower lip. Seven watched and felt a twinge in her abdomen. She remembered her own tongue gently touching the exact spot just prior to starting her duty shift. Seven loved waking up with Kathryn, whether in the captain’s quarters or her own new lodgings. She was yanked from her pleasant musings by her beloved’s voice.

"Our hosts don’t seem to mind our visit. Mr. Paris, move us in, one quarter impulse," Janeway said quietly. She watched the screen as she continued. "Tuvok, let’s stay alert." Tuvok didn’t answer, though if he had it would have been to point out that he was always alert. Paris eased the ship forward and the crew once again held its breath.

The green flicker of light appeared out of the empty space and began scanning Voyager.

"Steady," Janeway said. "They just want to find out who we are." She nodded toward Mr. Kim. "Ensign Kim, make sure hailing frequencies are open. Let’s make sure we don’t hurt any feelings."

The green light of the scan suddenly broke through the bridge walls in three distinct beams and moved slowly across the bridge. It passed harmlessly across the room and each crewmember. Seven of Nine moved away as it neared her. She bumped into her com station and it overtook her. She flinched, but then realized it was painless. The eerie green beam flickered brighter and all of the beams shifted to her, moving quickly up and down her body.

"Captain?" Seven said. There was fear coloring her normally neutral voice.

Janeway watched, her eyes widening. "Back us out of here Mr. Paris," Kathryn said, her own fear now coloring her voice.

But it was too late.

The fingers of the scanners abruptly disappeared as a tractor beam appeared from the surface of the moon. It rocked Voyager as it gripped her in place.

Janeway didn’t hesitate. "Tuvok, remodulate the shields." It took several seconds for her realize her order hadn’t been followed. "Tuvok…"

Janeway turned and saw her chief of Security backed against the rear wall of the bridge. His face was covered in sweat and contorted in terror. Janeway spun to face Seven and Kathryn’s eyes widened as she saw her lover backed against her com station. Seven’s eyes where open as wide as Kathryn had ever seen, and there were tears streaming down the young former Borg’s face. She was pressed against the station with her fingers digging into the tabletop.

Janeway turned to Ensign Kim. "Harry, the shields." Ensign Kim’s fingers flicked across his com panel as he tried to break the grip of the tractor beam. Janeway covered the ground to where Seven and Tuvok were huddled in three leaps. "Janeway to sickbay, Medical emergency on the bridge. Doctor, I need you now." Kathryn looked into her lover’s eyes, but Seven didn’t seem to notice her. Janeway moved away from her and went to Tuvok’s tactical station. She manned the position herself.

Kim’s voice cracked. "Captain, I can’t break free."

Janeway tried from her position. "Why aren’t they attacking?"

"Who are they?" Paris asked. He was trying unsuccessfully to break the ship free by changing the direction of the impulse engines.

The Doctor materialized and instantly went to Tuvok. "The other telepathic crewmen have already called sickbay," he said instead of a more formal greeting. He injected Tuvok with a hypospray and the dark skinned Vulcan seemed to slowly become aware of his surroundings.

"Mr. Tuvok, feeling better?" the hologram asked.

"I should not be feeling at all," Tuvok pointed out.

"Doctor," Janeway barked. "Check Seven."

"Yes, of course." He went to the terrified blonde and tried to inject her with a different hypospray.

"No," Seven yelled. She pushed him away and bolted for the turbolift doors. Janeway saw her and realized her lover was in a state of complete panic.

"Computer," Janeway ordered. "Seal the bridge." Seven ran into the turbolift doors with a resounding thud. She had expected them to whisk open, but they stood firm. The Doctor and Janeway both moved toward Seven.

"Let me go," Seven demanded. Her eyes darted from side to side in search of some escape and she spun, facing the crew and then abruptly turned back and began to pound on the doors. "Let me out," Seven screamed.

"Annika," Janeway said as she moved slowly toward her. Kathryn’s hands were held in front of her, reaching toward Seven. "It’s okay. Let the Doctor help you."

Seven turned and stared at Janeway. She pressed her back against the turbolift doors and shook her head slowly side to side. "No. I must leave this place."

"Yes," the Doctor said as he tried to get close enough to inject Seven with his heavy-duty adrenal suppressant. "We will leave. Now just let me…"

Seven took the hologram’s arm and twisted it. It made a nauseating crack as she snapped the elbow out of the joint.

"Do not touch me," Seven said as she continued to twist his arm.

"Really, Seven," he said with a bored look and pulled his arm away, snapping it back into place. "Brute force has no effect on a hologram."

"Annika," Kathryn moved closer to Seven. "Let us help. You know I would never hurt you."

Seven tilted her head to one side and tried to focus on Janeway. Tears were still flowing down the terrified Borg’s cheeks. "Kathryn," she whispered. "I am frightened."

"Captain," the Doctor said. "Stay back. She could injure you."

"She won’t hurt me," Kathryn said as she moved closer to Seven. "I trust her." Kathryn got within an arm’s length of Seven and then her eyes locked with her lover’s. "Annika…" Seven fell into Janeway’s arms and began to weep. "Shh, I’m here Annika," Janeway said into her ear.

"Kathryn, please make it stop," Seven begged. "I am dying."

"No, you’re not," Janeway said gently, though she had nothing to base her diagnosis upon. "I’ve got you."

The Doctor moved in and injected Seven. She didn’t respond other than gripping Kathryn harder. The crew had missed most of the exchange. They had been trying in vain to break free from the beam holding them in place. Janeway glanced over Seven’s shoulder and watched as Tom Paris repeatedly shifted the ship’s direction.

Chakotay shook his head. "Captain, we’re not going anywhere. The tractor beam isn’t budging, and the engines are starting to overheat." His voice was strained and he looked over at the captain for reassurance. "The beam isn’t trying to move us, just keep us here."

"Shut the engines down, Tom," Janeway said softly. She turned to face her crew. Seven still clung to her like a child, and Janeway cradled her, ignoring the looks from her crew. "Chakotay, any other signs of life from the moon?"

He looked at his com panel as if it were a clouded crystal ball. "Captain, I’m not even sure the tractor beam is sign of life. I think that thing is automated."

Janeway gently stroked Seven’s hair. "Why did it let the probe through and not us?"

Seven pulled back. "I am Borg," Seven said and felt Janeway stiffen. "Captain, the scanners focused on me. That is when the tractor beam was activated," the exdrone clarified.

Janeway squeezed Seven’s arms. "It recognized your Borg technology." She backed away from Seven, who seemed to be regaining her composure. "So what do we do now?"

Seven did not hesitate. "I will take a shuttle and leave Voyager."

"What?" Janeway and Chakotay said in unison.

"I am the reason Voyager is in jeopardy. I will leave and the crew will be released," the Borg rationalized.

"No, Seven," Chakotay said. "We don’t know that it would release us, and we won’t risk you."

"He’s right," Janeway said.

"Illogical," Seven said.

"On the contrary," Tuvok said. His voice was as haggard as Janeway had ever heard it. "That would not solve our problem. There is still the matter of the Borg alcoves. They would register as Borg technology and we would still be trapped here."

"Tuvok," Janeway said gently, "I appreciate your support, but you should be in sickbay. Seven, you too."

"I’ll take them immediately," the Doctor offered.

"No," Seven stated flatly. Her composure had indeed returned, along with her stubborn streak. "The Doctor cannot help me. I will be of the most use on the bridge." That said, she went to her com station and began checking the data.

"Seven," Janeway said patiently. "I think you should go to sickbay, and that’s an order."

Seven ignore the comment completely. "The tractor beam is Borg." Janeway was at Seven’s station before the ex-drone could continue. "It is of the same era as the technology from the asteroids."

"Fine…stay," Janeway snapped. "Doctor, get Tuvok to sickbay." The Doctor was about to insist that Seven go as well, but Kathryn Janeway could intimidate even a hologram. He quietly guided Tuvok to the door, when it wouldn’t open he looked to Janeway.

"Captain?" the hologram asked.

"Computer," Janeway practically growled. "Release bridge lock down." The doors opened and the two exited.

Seven rested her weight against her station. "The tractor beam is coming from a small valley on the rim of the third ridge from the moon’s equator. But Captain, my Borg proximity detector has not activated."

"Why not?" Janeway asked.

"I can only assume the inhabitants of this moon are not using the same transceivers as we found on the asteroids."

Janeway was angry with herself for bringing her ship into this mess. Her voice was harsh. "What the hell is going on here? We’ve got Borg technology that attacks Borg, and a Borg tractor beam pinning us here but nothing else. They’ve got us trapped here and they aren’t doing anything about it."

Kathryn’s tone cut Seven deeply, that, combined with the absolute terror she was feeling, was overwhelming the young woman. She looked at the captain and spoke tentatively. "Captain, you are mistaken. They are doing something."

Janeway was about to snap at Seven until she looked at her. Seven was even paler than she had been the day she has passed out in the turbolift, and there was a thin sheen of sweat on her brow. Seven of Nine did not sweat.

"What are they doing, Annika?" Janeway asked.

"They are killing me," Seven stated.

Janeway felt as if the bridge had just decompressed. It must have, because her breath was forcibly ripped from her chest. She couldn’t draw in another. There must have been a loss of pressurization and her legs refused to move.

Chakotay stood and moved toward Seven. "What do you mean, Seven?" His face showed only concern.

Janeway found her voice and her legs. "Annika, you just refused to go to sickbay, and now you drop this on us? What’s going on?" Janeway reached Seven and put her hand on her lover’s forehead, wiping away the sweat, so natural on any other person on board, but not on Seven of Nine. The captain was scared.

Seven leaned into Kathryn’s hand. It felt soft and comforting. She would miss Kathryn. "Borg drones do not feel emotions," Seven explained. "Like Vulcan’s, the Borg deem them illogical and irrelevant. Like Vulcans, the Borg cannot process them." Seven paused and looked into Kathryn’s smoky blue eyes.

"And?" Janeway prompted.

"Like Vulcans, I believe emotions will prove fatal for Borg as well," Seven said.

Chakotay was now at Seven’s side as well. "You’re not Borg anymore, Seven," he said. "You’re human, and we humans do not die from emotions." He reached out and touched Seven’s arm.

Seven answered Chakotay but her eyes never left Kathryn’s. "I still have the Borg cranial implants. They handle most of my autonomic functions and process my glandular responses. There is a signal sending the feelings of terror. The intensity is increasing, and the physiological responses will increase beyond survivable limits. I calculate that in four hours and six minutes my body will cease to function."

Captain Janeway fought the urge to sprint to her lover as she decided to take Seven to sickbay herself.

The Doctor was siting at his desk trying to calm Kathryn Janeway down. "Captain," the Doctor said for the forth time, "I’m doing everything I can."

"Are you saying we should just let her die?" Janeway demanded.

"No," he said. He straightened in his chair and gave her an indignant glare. "I’m a Doctor not an engineer. Find some way to shut down the signal from the moon."

Janeway leapt to her feet and leaned onto the desk. "Don’t you think I thought of that? We can’t get a phaser lock on the transmitter. There’s too much interference from the crystals the moon is made of."

"Then send someone down there," he offered. "Send a shuttle. As long as there’s no Borg technology it shouldn’t be bothered."

Janeway stared at him. In her overwhelming fear for Annika, she hadn’t thought of that. She stood away from the desk and crossed her arms. "Janeway to Chakotay, prepare a shuttle for launch."

The shuttle moved out of Voyager’s shuttle bay. It was thrown from side to side as it moved away from the tractor beam. The tractor beam had attached to the opposite side of the ship, allowing Chakotay, Torres, and Paris to take the shuttle away from the confining beam pinning Voyager to the moon. Paris piloted the ship in a wide arch away from the beam.

Chakotay rubbed the parallel lines of his tribal tattoo over his left eye. "Easy, Tom. Nice and slow."

"I brought Voyager in nice and slow, and look where that got us," Paris said.

"Let’s hope the second time’s the charm," Torres chimed in. She tried not to think about Seven back in sick bay. Chakotay told her the Doctor had to pump her full of adrenal suppressants just to keep her from going into cardiac arrest. "I don’t think Seven has time for a third try."

The handsome first officer nodded. "The Doctor said the drugs he gave her can keep her heart rate down, but he can’t help with the fear."

"Fear?" Paris rolled his eyes. "You were on the bridge, Chakotay. Would you call that fear?"

Torres grabbed Paris’ arm. "What do you mean?" She had been in Engineering during Seven’s attack.

Paris looked back at his controls. "B’Elanna, I never even seen Seven mildly frightened. This was abject terror. And Tuvok… It effected him too. He practically keeled over."

"He’s right," Chakotay said. "Lieutenant Kai was in sick bay. She’s part Betazoid. She said she’s never been so terrified in her life."

Torres’ eyes widened. "Kai was in the Maquis. She’s been in Cardassian torture camps. I can’t imagine anything worse than those places."

Paris was confused, he knew most of the Maquis and he couldn’t remember a Betazoid rebel. "Why would the Cardies want a Betazoid?"

B’Elanna answered. "She’s one quarter Betazoid, three quarters Bajorian. You know her. We used to call her ‘the Kai.’ She used to be a Vedic’s aid back home."

Paris cut her off, "We’re coming up on the scanner." On cue, the green flickering tendrils enveloped the shuttle.

"Janeway to Chakotay, any problems?"

The thin streams of lights passed over the ship and crew and then abruptly disappeared. The three shuttle occupants looked at each other confirming what they had all witnessed.

"No problems," Chakotay answered. "How’s the crew?" He didn’t specify which crewmembers. He and Janeway both knew he meant the empathic crewmen and Seven.

"Holding their own," Janeway said. "I want you to get in there and shut that thing down as fast as you can. But be careful. There may be a Borg presence."

"We will. Chakotay out." He turned to his skeleton crew. "You two ready to take on the Borg?"

Torres glanced at the phaser rifles lying on the deck. "No problem. We’ll just go charging in there and take on the whole Collective. Today is a good day to die."

"Speak for yourself," Paris said. "I’ve got two hours in the holodeck reserved for tomorrow."

Chakotay brought them back into focus. "If there are Borg here, they won’t be in any condition to bother us. Not if they’re affected like Seven."

The shuttle came in low above the Moon’s surface. It was bleak, nothing more than shades of grey. As soon as they dropped below the moon’s thin atmosphere the interference reduced enough for the sensors to function.

"The tractor beam is coming from just over that mountain range on the horizon." Paris said. He slowed the shuttle wanting to be ready for whatever was beyond their line of site.

The panel in front of Torres beeped. Her fingers moved from key to key as she confirmed what her sensors told her. "Damn…"

"B’Elanna?" Chakotay asked.

"I’m getting a clear reading. And you’re not gonna’ like it. I know I don’t."

"What?" Paris whined.

"Borg technology, and lots of it. Kahless. It must be an entire colony." B’Elanna’s voice trailed off as she got more data from the scanners.

"Do the Borg have colonies?" Paris asked.

"How should I know?" B’Elanna snapped.

Chakotay tapped his com panel. "Chakotay to Voyager…"

"Voyager here," Janeway responded.

"Captain," Chakotay said evenly. "Be ready to go to warp as soon as we get the tractor beam down. It looks like we may have a Borg colony on our hands. Don’t wait for us."

Janeway leaned back into her command chair. She couldn’t fathom what a Borg colony would even look like. "Relay your telemetry to us. I want to see what you’re seeing." Her com panel beeped and when she looked at the data her heart hammered in her chest. There was more Borg technology registering than five Borg spheres. She didn’t even know what she was looking for. She only had one choice. "Commander, hold your position." She took a deep breath. "Janeway to Seven of Nine… Report to the bridge."

Seven of Nine sat in Chakotay’s normal chair. Not because she was acting as First Officer, but because she could barely stand. She looked over the incoming data and frown lines darkened her delicate features. Janeway felt her heart turning to stone. This young woman had somehow come to mean everything to her. They had only been actually dating for less than six weeks and already Janeway knew that Annika was the love of her life. This precious young woman was now barely managing to sit not three away, out of sickbay, risking her life, on Kathryn’s order. It was killing the Starfleet captain.

But Captain Kathryn Janeway always did her duty. Janeway’s voice was almost casual, "Commander, we’re keeping the com open. Go ahead." Janeway watched the screen in front of her. The shuttle was relaying its view to Voyager. The image was fuzzy and static crackled over the com.

"Aye, captain," Chakotay said. They watched as the shuttle covered the distance toward the mountain range. The view opened up as the shuttle cleared the top of the highest peak and they continued down into the valley and passed over oddly contoured hills, but there was no sign of any Borg colony.

"Seven?" Janeway asked. "What does a Borg colony look like?"

"There has not been a Borg colony for almost a thousand years. The Borg have complex structures in space." Seven thought about the complex Kathryn had rescued her from when the Borg had reclaimed her several months earlier. Seven’s eyes drifted to the screen. Her eyebrows raised in unison and a look of horror replaced the terror that had been there over the last hours. "Commander, magnify image in quadrant gamma six," Seven said, her voice shaking.

There was a delay as Chakotay directed the sensors to magnify the image. The screen faded and then the close up came into focus. The tiny misshapen hills were revealed for what they were. They were not hills at all. They were not a Borg colony. The ‘hills’ were piles of dead Borg drones. Tens of thousands of drones heaped on top of each other in haphazard piles that filled the screen.

"My god," Janeway said under her breath.

"Are you getting this?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes," Janeway said.

"Seven," Chakotay asked. "What could do this?"

Seven stared at the screen. "I do not know." The screen revealed kilometer after kilometer of Borg bodies as the shuttle flew over the corpse-strewn landscape toward the transmitter. Seven covered her mouth with her hand as she took in the images in front of her. Drones. Tens of thousands of drones littering the surface of the moon. She had been like them, part of the Collective, a single mind. Now they were dead.

Torres cut in, "Captain, the bad news is we still can’t get phaser lock. We’re gonna’ have to land."

Janeway’s eyes were locked on the carnage on the screen. "What’s the good news?"

"We still haven’t gotten any signs of life. And, all of the bodies are Borg."

Seven flinched and inhaled deeply. Kathryn shot a quick glance over and confirmed that her lover had been stung by B’Elanna’s good news.

"Lieutenant, how long have the bodies been there?" the captain asked. Janeway knew that even though Seven was no longer of the Collective, the deaths of thousands of Borg drones were disturbing to the young woman. Fellow drones had been her only connection to the universe for eighteen years.

"That’s good news, too," Torres responded over the com link. "The most recent are several hundred years old."

Seven accessed the com panel closest to her. "She is correct. Most of the organic components of the drones have disintegrated."

"You mean decomposed," the Doctor corrected. He was standing behind Seven, having insisted on accompanying Seven to the bridge. It was the only way he would allow her to leave sick bay.

"It means the same thing," Seven noted dryly.

"Well," the Doctor said as he brushed at a holographic wrinkle on his uniform, "one is more humane."

The captain eyed the two, they were constantly bickering, it usually aggravated her, but right now she was just relieved that Seven felt well enough to banter with the hologram. "Chakotay," she said, interrupting, "How close are you to landing?"

The First Officer’s deep voice came back somber, and resolute. "We’re coming up on the best landing site now. It looks like the transmitter and the tractor beam are both emanating from a system of caverns. We’re gonna’ have to hike in."

Janeway didn’t like that. "What about transporting in from the shuttle?"

Seven answered before Chakotay could. "That will not be possible. The interference from the crystal formations makes transport impossible. However, there is something unusual about that as well."

"Oh?" Janeway said. "Chakotay, you agree?"

"There’s no way to get a lock," the commander said.

Seven responded. "I am getting a better understanding of the lunar structure. The crystal formations are not responsible for all of the interference. There is an artificial source of energy that is sending out a static shell of interference using the moon’s atmosphere as a conduit."

Chakotay’s voice came over the com, "In English please, Seven." Seven began to respond but stopped. She had been speaking in English, and even if she hadn’t, the com badge’s universal translator would have relayed the message in Chakotay’s chosen language.

Janeway had been studying the same data as Seven. She handled the Commander’s request, "What she means is that the energy source is focusing the interference and bouncing it off of the atmosphere. Once you cut the power, we should be able to get transporter and phaser locks on any part of the moon."

"We’ll keep our eyes peeled," Chakotay said. "Tom’s bringing us down now."

The shuttle came to a gentle rest near the entrance of a large cave. In addition to being a complete smart aleck, Tom Paris was a gifted pilot. The three officers watched as the shuttle door opened. They had already concluded that the moon’s atmosphere was sufficient for Humans. The air would be a little thin, but with an injection of a tri-ox compound before landing, the trio would be able to manage without problems. They each slung a phaser rifle over their shoulder and then gathered up their assorted tools.

Chakotay stood at the door. "Ready?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," Torres said.

"What happens if I say no?" Paris asked.

Chakotay ignored Tom’s comment. "Watch your tricorders for any signs of life and there may be booby traps."

B’Elanna rolled her eyes. "Join Starfleet, see the universe, explore new worlds..." She was in the rear. She stepped off of the shuttle and her foot landed inches away from a Borg skull. The white bone blended with the moon’s surface and she only saw it because of the various implants embedded in the bone. "Kahless! Oh, man! Tom, at least you could have warned me about that thing."

Paris was pale, his strawberry blonde hair standing out against his pasty complexion. He glanced back at his lover and then nodded forward. "Get used to it." There were drone remains scattered as far as the eye could see.

Torres moved closer to Tom until she was almost touching him. "What the hell happened here?"

Chakotay held his arm up and made a fist. Torres and Paris immediately stopped. Chakotay then signaled them to move forward to his position. "Easy," he said. "My tricorder is picking up a scanner of some kind about two meters ahead at the mouth of the cave."

"Got it," B’Elanna said as she aimed her tricorder at it.

She moved quickly toward it and then knelt down next to the side of the cave entrance. She opened her tool kit and removed a small laser cutting-torch. She adjusted it and then ran it back and forth over the rock. The rock vaporized to reveal a complex alloy wall beneath. She adjusted the tool again and then cut through the alloy and lifted out a section of the metal to reveal an intricate tangle of wires. She looked at the electronics and tilted her head to one side. B’Elanna Torres was a brilliant engineer, so it took her only a moment to see what she needed. She reached in and pulled out a small relay switch.

Chakotay smiled at his tricorder. "That did it. I should bring you along more often."

They continued into the cavern for almost one hundred meters. They moved with painstaking deliberation. B’Elanna had to disengage nine scanners and six automatic phasers, but at least they hadn’t found any more bodies. The rock walls gave way to alloy corridors after another ten meters, and unfortunately the technology was classic Borg. They moved quietly through the long halls lit by eerie green illumination that seemed to come out of the cracks in the walls.

"Nice place," Paris said, needing to break the silence of the catacombs.

Torres continually looked back at her two companions. "It’s so damn quiet," she whispered. "Our feet aren’t even making any noise." Every step was muted, as the floor surface seemed to absorb the sounds from their feet. B’Elanna found in down right ‘creepy.’

"B’Elanna," Tom whispered and pointed up ahead where the corridor began to open up into a large room. They all scanned the area and agreed that the power source was further in.

"Stay together," Chakotay ordered. "Let’s get this job done." He took the lead and guided them to a corridor that branched off of the large room. He nodded and they went down the new direction. Three more stops for B’Elanna to defuse scanners and phasers and they reached a large formidable door.

Tom smiled. "B’Elanna, you’re up," He said making a grand gesture for her to pass as if she were visiting royalty. He even bowed. Torres ignored him and went to work on the door. After ten minutes she threw her tricorder across the quiet corridor. The floor absorbed the sound of its impact, which only angered the Klingon hybrid even further.

"I can’t get past the Borg encryption codes," she admitted.

"What about cutting through?" Chakotay asked.

B’Elanna smiled and shook her head. "Not in this lifetime. This alloy is even stronger than duranium. The other walls we’ve passed through have been made up of titanium duranium alloys. I don’t know what this thing’s made of, but we don’t have anything on Voyager to cut through it."

They all stood in silence, each trying to come up with something.

Tom checked this tricorder again. "The power source is back there, right?"

"Yeah," Chakotay said, not sure where Paris was headed with his current train of thought.

"These readings I’m getting suggest that the interference is being generated from the other corridor," Paris said, smiling at his companions. "We can get to the source of the interference."

"And?" Torres demanded. "Even if we can get rid of the interference and get a phaser lock from orbit, this alloy is too much for Voyager’s weapons. Our scans suggest the entire inner structure is encased in this stuff. There’s twenty meters of this alloy over our heads."

"Yeah," Paris explained. "But not the corridor where the interference is coming from. We can get to it, then if the interference is gone, we can use the transporters."

"And?" Torres demanded.

Paris smiled. "Seven can get through the Borg encryption codes. We can have her beamed down from Voyager."

"Whoa," Chakotay said, holding up his hands. "Did you notice all those Borg remains out there? Seven might not survive long enough to even reach this door."

B’Elanna added her own analysis of Tom’s brilliant theory. "Are you out of your freaking mind? Seven’s going through hell. You bring her down here and the effect will probably be magnified. Seven’s not just some walking decryption device that you can check out of Voyager’s arsenal like a hand phaser. She’s human. You can’t put her through any more than she’s already been through." Torres moved closer to Tom and was about to inflict a little terror on Paris as a reminder of what Seven was enduring, but Chakotay rudely interrupted.

"B’Elanna," Chakotay said, "We don’t even know if we can deactivate the interference. Let’s start there."

"And then what?" B’Elanna shouted. "You like fly boy’s idea? This isn’t some holodeck game. There’s no ‘to be continued’ where the blonde beauty is miraculously rescued by Captain Proton."

"Easy, B’Elanna." Chakotay put his hand on her shoulder. "No one’s decided anything. Maybe if we can get a lock from Voyager we’ll have other options. Let’s just see what happens." He watched as she relaxed enough for her shoulders to loosen.

"Fine, but just remember, Seven’s not your own personal Satan’s Robot to bring out of the closet for emergencies like one of the Proton episodes." Torres gathered her tools and put them into her kit so she could go deactivate the interference generator.

Captain Janeway looked at the empty First Officer’s chair for the third time in five minutes. Seven had been perched there until the Doctor had moved her into Janeway’s ready room almost an hour earlier. Seven had managed to stay on the bridge up until then without making any complaints, but then, Seven never complained about her own malaise. It had been the Doctor who insisted she go to lie down. He suggested the ready room because he knew the captain needed her on the bridge at a moment’s notice. What he hadn’t told the captain was that he doubted he could do anything for Seven in sickbay if she took a turn for the worse.

"Tuvok, anything?" Janeway asked.

The Vulcan would have been irritated if he was prone to emotions. The captain had asked him the same question every few minutes for the last hour. She knew as well as he did that there had been no word from the away team, but his voice showed none of his impatience. "Still nothing from the away team, Captain. Commander Chakotay did say he would contact us as soon as possible."

Janeway nodded. She was losing her patience, but her calm expression suggested nothing more than curiosity. She stood and turned to Tuvok. "You have the bridge. Notify me if you hear from them." That said, she went to her ready room.

She walked calmly through the doors and looked at her couch as the doors hissed closed behind her. Annika was prone on the couch with her eyes closed and sweat matting her normally perfect hair to her forehead. The Doctor stood at her side and watched her chest rise and fall. He heard the captain enter but did not look up as he scanned the ex Borg drone and then closed his medical tricorder.

"How is she?" Janeway asked.

"Kathryn," Seven said as she sat up.

"Down," the Doctor ordered without any pleasantries. His brutish bedside manner was well known on Voyager, but this order was worse than normal. Janeway assumed it wasn’t the first time Seven had tried to get up.

"I want to see the captain," Seven insisted.

Janeway crossed to her lover and knelt beside her. "Lie down. I’m right here." Janeway took Seven’s hand in hers and kissed the pale knuckles one at a time as the Doctor busied himself with the med kit he had on the coffee table while Janeway spoke to her lover. "How are you, my love?"

"I miss you," Seven said. "I am… frightened. The emotions from the moon are quite disturbing. And while it is not logical, I find I require your presence more. Yet I know that it will not lessen the effects of the moon’s signals."

Janeway’s lips curled up to a tiny smile. "It’s not logical, Annika. Love never is. You’re scared and hurting. Of course you want to be with me. It’s perfectly normal."

"How can you function with such intense need for the companionship of another?" Seven did not understand the workings of human romantic interactions and needed answers.

Janeway used a small towel from the coffee table to wipe Seven’s forehead. "We just do."

"That is not helpful," Seven informed her lover.

"Sorry," Kathryn said. She was about to say more but the Doctor eased past her.

"Hold still," he ordered Seven. "No more fidgeting," he added grouchily as he injected her with the adrenal suppressant.

"I do not ‘fidget,’ Doctor," Seven informed him. "I merely attempted to find a more comfortable position when you last injected me."

"I thought comfort was irrelevant," he quipped.

Seven glared at him. He was a well-designed hologram, just as annoying as a real human.

Tuvok’s voice came over Janeway’s com badge. "Captain to the bridge. Commander Chakotay has contacted us."

"On my way," Janeway said, looking at Seven and then the doctor.

The Doctor’s hand caught Seven’s shoulder as she tried to get up and he pushed her back to the couch. "I believe it would be best if she remained here until she’s needed."

"Seven, stay here. I’ll call you if I need you." Kathryn said. She leaned over Seven and put her mouth against her beloved’s ear. "I love you."

Seven’s hand caught the back of Kathryn’s neck and held her close. "And I love you," she whispered.

Janeway came out of her ready room and immediately noticed that Commander Chakotay’s image filled the main screen, the dark, handsome First Officer standing inside the shuttle. Janeway took her chair.

"Report," she ordered.

"As you can see, we’re back on the shuttle. The interference is gone, but we can’t get to the power source of the tractor beam," Chakotay said. "We’ve found and deactivated quite a few scanners and antipersonnel devices."

"Booby traps?" Janeway asked. "These aren’t like any Borg we’ve ever seen. Why haven’t you deactivated the tractor beam?"

"Can’t get to it. There’s a foreign alloy we can’t cut through," he said, then hesitated, not wanting to make the next suggestion.

"What’s your plan?" she asked.

Chakotay ran his fingers over his tattoo. "We know where the tractor beam is, but it’s protected by a Borg encryption code. Captain… Seven’s the only one who can get through it."

Part 5