Elemental Bonds

Part One

Stepping off the transporter platform, Starfleet Captain Kathryn Janeway and her Borg astrometrics officer, Seven of Nine, moved quickly towards the door with little more than a nod for the young ensign on duty. The casual atmosphere of their all-too-brief shore leave was gradually being replaced with a sense of urgency to return to duty. Long-range scans had detected vessels approaching their location and the captain could not help but be concerned.

Based on both the information supplied to them by the Jarkart, and their own scans which had shown no populated planets in the immediate vicinity, Janeway was tempted to assume that their presence on the planet would cause no problems. Past experience however, had taught her that assumptions were often deadly. While there were no indications as to whether the aliens were friendly or hostile, she wanted her ship to be prepared for either event.

The corridors were deserted as they made their way towards the turbo-lift; the majority of the crew still being on leave. The silence seemed to almost echo in her ears and small talk seemed pointless. Instead, she focused on their rhythmic footsteps: the muted thud of her boot heels, the sharper impact of Seven's high heels against the carpet, and then their pause and shuffle as they entered the lift.

"Bridge," Janeway called as the door slid shut behind them.

Neither woman spoke as the lift moved steadily upwards; the distance between them seeming to grow as they neared the bridge. Frustrated by her own discomfort, Kathryn forced herself to consider the possible threat of the approaching vessels rather than to allow thoughts of Seven to occupy her mind.

It was possible that they had simply attracted the attention of passing ships who were now curious about the unexpected visitors. There was certainly nothing in the newcomer's stance to suggest aggression. They were still ten minutes away from Voyager, more than enough time to reassemble her officers should they present a threat. Until she knew more, the captain was reluctant to cut short her crew's shore leave unnecessarily.

She knew, without a doubt, that Seven had detected the change in her bearing the moment they beamed onto Voyager. Her command mask had fallen effortlessly into place, burying the relaxed and almost carefree woman that had spent the last two days remembering what it was like to be Kathryn.

The composed young woman now stood stiffly by her side: eyes focused on the turbo-lift door, hands clasped behind her back. For some reason the formality surprised her, and Janeway realised that it had been quite some time since Seven had adopted that stance in her presence. The former Borg seemed unreachable and detached, and the captain feared that the change in her own attitude had hurt the inexperienced woman.

Knowing that now was not the time to discuss it, Janeway promised herself she would find an opportunity to speak with Seven as soon as possible. It was important that she explain the need to keep their professional lives separate from their friendship. Stifling a sigh, Kathryn reminded herself once again how difficult a relationship between them was going to be.

The quiet that filled the turbo-lift was broken only as the doors opened onto the bridge. Seven moved immediately towards the operations console, neatly displacing Ensign Yates at the station, while the captain continued down the ramp towards the centre of the bridge.

"Welcome back, Captain. How was your break?" Commander Chakotay asked, standing to greet his captain.

"Too short, Chakotay," she replied seriously. Lowering herself into the command chair, Janeway waited a moment for the tall man to take his position beside her before asking for a report.

"No change. Neither shields nor weapons have been activated. They are moving at warp two and should be within communications range in a few minutes," Chakotay informed her.

Janeway took the data PADD he offered and quickly scanned the limited information they had gathered on the approaching vessels.

"Captain," Seven called from ops, "I have detected another ship on course for our position."

Janeway stood and turned to face her officer. "Does their configuration match that of the others?"

"Negative. They are heavily armed and moving at warp six on a bearing of three eight zero point four."

"From the opposite side of the sector," the captain confirmed. "I'm not sure I like the look of this. How long until they reach us?"

Seven quickly made the necessary calculations. "At their current velocity... six minutes."

Janeway considered her options in an instant. "Commander, I want all crew members recalled from leave."

Expecting the command, Chakotay sent a communiqu頴o the transporter room for priority beam-out as he tapped his comm badge to open a channel. "Chakotay to all hands. Locate all members of your party and prepare for transport. Senior officers report to the bridge."

Leaving the commander to oversee the arrangements, Janeway turned her attention to Ensign McKenzie at tactical. "Analysis?"

Straightening under her captain's gaze, the ensign ran an updated scan.

"No change in the convoy's status, Captain. Scans of the solitary vessel show it to be well armoured. Both their shields and weaponry are an easy match for Voyager's. And they're closing fast."

"How long, Commander?" Janeway asked, anxious to have her crew back on board and knowing it was all but impossible to transport that many people in the time they had remaining.

"We still have sixty crew members on the surface."

"Open a channel, all frequencies." Returning to her command chair, Janeway focused her attention on the forward view-screen, allowing her hands to slide along the armrests to settle on her lap.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. Please respond."

She waited a moment, hoping for a reply. The powerful vessel looming before her continued to close in silence.

"Are they receiving us?" She turned towards Seven and watched as her lightning-quick hands skimmed across the console.

"They are," Seven answered without removing her gaze from the read-outs before her. "A communication is being sent between the approaching ships."

Janeway hesitated for only an instant, her commitment to protect her ship and crew determining her actions.

"Can you intercept the transmission?"

"The signal is being sent on a narrow beam, however I believe I can access it." Seven spoke confidently. "The message is encrypted," she continued after a moment, the tone of her voice revealing as much annoyance as the former Borg was inclined to display.

Her fingers skipped over the controls as, using a series of decryption codes, Seven gradually re-formed the communication. "I have a partial message only, Captain."

"Do we have visual?"

"Yes," Seven stated, routing the transmission to the view-screen.

"On screen," Janeway said as it crackled to life.

A powerfully built man in grey and white overalls stood facing them, a line of soldiers aligned behind him. His face was hard and, as he began to speak, Kathryn decided immediately that he would be someone to watch carefully.

"...must be settled, Gragan. The Carn council will not accept this violation of our agreement. I suggest you come to a decision before my vessel reaches the planet, and our guests. Takut out."

"Have the other ships responded?" Janeway asked as the screen went blank.

"Not yet. I am continuing scans."

"They have powered their weapons, Captain! They will be within range in three minutes," Ensign McKenzie announced from tactical.

"One of the scout ships is responding, Captain," Seven added.

"It seems that got their attention. On screen, Seven."

With the rare opportunity to observe without being directly involved in the discussion, Janeway studied the occupants of the original approaching vessels. A tall, extremely thin man with ivory skin sat at a curved bench, his narrow fingers steepled under his chin. Behind him, a number of people of similar appearance could be seen working industriously at various posts.

"Deactivate your weapons, Takut. You have no authority here as yet. Any unprovoked confrontation will void your petition to this planet." He spoke in a rough whisper, pausing between sentences, as if it were an effort to speak the words. After a slow, unsteady breath, he continued, "The Delhari have been informed of a possible breach and will be joining us both shortly. You will refrain from making any contact with these people prior to their arrival. Is that understood?"

"Any sign of another vessel?" the captain asked, standing to face her officers.

Boosting power to the long-range scanners, Seven ran several sweeps of the surrounding area.

"There is nothing on sensors," she announced and changed the settings to request a new scan every three seconds.

"Keep looking." Janeway paused as the turbo-lift doors opened. Still dressed for leave, Tuvok, Paris, and Kim filed out, each man heading quickly towards his console.

"Take your stations, gentlemen," the captain said in way of greeting, belatedly realising that she was still wearing a pair of soft tan pants that were better suited to shore leave than the command of a starship.

Transferring her data to the rear science station, Seven moved to one side allowing Harry access to ops. He smiled only briefly in greeting before his face turned serious. Quickly calling for an update, he familiarised himself with the situation and the modifications Seven had made.

"Does the Borg have any information on these species?"

"They do not. There were no races in this area of interest to the Borg," Seven replied with a slight tilt to her head as she considered that conclusion.

Kathryn noticed the look of contemplation and a small part of her wondered if Seven still felt the impulse to assimilate the people and technology she came into contact with. As quickly as the thought came, she dismissed it. They were both inspired by a desire for knowledge, and she knew her second-guessing of Seven's motivations was below both of them.

"Captain, Takut's ship is within weapons range," Tuvok announced.

"Chakotay, I need shields."

"Twenty seconds, Captain," he replied, carefully monitoring the transporter room's progress.

"They have dropped out of warp, Captain," Ensign Kim said from ops.

"Hail them."

"No response."

The captain watched the approaching ship on the forward view-screen. Although considerably smaller than Voyager there was no doubting its strengths. What could only be phaser cannons lined the front underbelly of the ship. Its sleek nose and triangular wings spoke of increased manoeuvrability at combat speeds.

"Captain," Harry started only to pause as he received more information on his console. "The ship seems to be circling us."

"Circling?"

"They have begun a series of parabolic manoeuvres, each one decreasing their distance by nearly one hundred kilometres."

"Transporter Room One to the bridge." Ensign Lang's voice sounded over the comm channel.

"Go ahead."

"The crew is on board, Captain."

With a simple glance towards Tuvok, Janeway requested shields, "Thank you, Ensign."

Almost sighing in relief, she returned to her command chair. "Move us away from the planet, Tom. Full impulse."

"Full impulse," Tom acknowledged as the engines engaged.

Kathryn was barely able to register the subtle change which indicated Voyager was moving off, before she felt the deck vibrate beneath her feet as her ship slowed once again.

Voyager shuddered as multiple explosions sounded throughout the ship. Sparks erupted from the rear work-stations, the impact sending McKenzie to the ground as the remaining bridge officers fought to remain standing.

"Report!" Janeway yelled, pulling herself upright in her chair.

"Direct hit. Shields down to sixty-five percent."

"Captain! The scout ships have just materialized off our port bow!" Harry announced.

Three vessels appeared on the view-screen, a coruscating globe of light surrounding them like a bubble. Janeway turned to look at her officers, silently requesting an explanation.

"I am unsure of their method of propulsion, Captain," Seven offered, having commandeered the single undamaged science console. "There is no warp signature or any other evidence of them having traversed the distance. They simply appeared." Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"The fighter is breaking off its attack," Tuvok added.

The shields surrounding the three small ships disappeared as one of their number moved between Voyager and Takut's seemingly more powerful vessel.

"Takut has deactivated his weapon systems, Captain." Tuvok almost sounded relieved.

"We are being hailed."

"On screen."

"Audio only, Captain," Harry explained.

Once again a hesitant whisper filtered over the comm channel. "Voyager vessel, please hold your position. You will be contacted again shortly."

"This is Captain Janeway, I would like..."

A loud burst of static echoed through the room. "There can be no communication at this time."

"The channel has been severed, Captain."

"Friendly bunch," Tom muttered from the conn.

Pretending not to hear, Janeway walked around her bridge. The damage appeared to be minor; even now two officers worked to restore power to the damaged consoles.

"I want a full report, everyone. Harry, monitor any communications between the other ships. Seven, I want to know what powers that vessel," she said, gesturing towards the small ship that had claimed a post as sentry between them and the fighter.

Janeway intended to use whatever time she had available to study the two very different species, and their vessels, before their situation escalated.

Pausing at the door to her ready room, she cast a glance over the bridge at her mismatched crew, the odd combination of regulation uniform and casual civilian attire bringing a smile to her face, despite the severity of the situation.

"You have the bridge, Commander," she said, retreating to her office.

For two hours Voyager maintained position, her crew at their posts, as they waited. Having long since changed into her uniform, the captain sat at her desk searching for clues in the dregs of her coffee.

There had been no communication and no sign of either hostility or friendship between their neighbours. The ships sat quietly above the planet: forbidden to move, waiting for permission to speak.

Seven had been unable to determine the means by which the small scout ships had travelled a hundred million kilometres in the blink of an eye, although the Astrometrics department continued to study a stream of residual down-quarks that had been left in the ship's wake.

A briefing had been called for 1200 hours and Janeway was determined to have something to go on before then. While direct confrontation was the last course of action she wanted to consider, the longer she was forced to wait, the more enticing it seemed.

"This was not how I had planned to spend my day," she grumbled. Pushing herself to her feet, Janeway moved to stand at one of the large windows.

Two balls of yellow light marked the position of the smaller ships some distance away. Leaning against the bulkhead, she studied the spheres and considered her options. Chakotay was reviewing the information they had received from the recent talks with the Jarkart and so far had found no mention of either the Delhari or a race of people possessing a propulsion system at all similar to what they had just witnessed.

The captain had one hour to decide upon a suitable course of action. While she had no intention of interfering in the politics of this system, she certainly did not intend to get caught in the middle.

"Tuvok to the Captain." Her security chief's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Go ahead, Tuvok."

"Your presence is required on the bridge."

Already halfway to her ready room door, Janeway straightened her uniform and stepped quickly onto the deck. "Report!"

"Long range sensors have detected the approach of another vessel," Chakotay informed her.

"The Delhari?"

"Unknown. They are travelling at warp three towards our location."

"Analysis?"

"Shields and weapon systems have been activated. They are equipped with both trilithium missiles and phasers," Tuvok replied, continuing to scan the approaching vessel.

"Any reaction from our friends out there?" Janeway gestured towards the viewscreen.

"Negative."

"Then I guess we continue to wait." With a slight shrug of her shoulders, Janeway took her place in the command chair. Activating the console to her right, she accessed Tuvok's scans, curious about the newest member of their growing party.

*

"Captain, a communication is being sent from the approaching vessel to the scout ships," Harry announced after several minutes, breaking the silence on the bridge.

"Can we intercept it?" Janeway straightened in her seat.

"Receiving data now."

"On screen when you're ready, Harry."

After a few moments the forward screen flickered to life revealing a thin, olive-skinned gentleman wearing a patterned red and blue shirt and black vest, reminiscent of recent federation fashions. If it were not for his deep-set and hauntingly yellow eyes, Janeway decided he could quite easily pass as human.

"This is the Regoni, Delhari Diplomatic Detachment, Teragal in command. Reporting as per section 118 of the Colonization Conventions. We will maintain our position until notified."

The image of Teragal remained on the screen for several moments before it flickered out, returning to the speckled starfield.

Janeway turned to face her second in command, raising her eyebrows slightly before she spoke. "Efficient, if a little impersonal."

"Not your typical diplomat," he replied in agreement.

"Although he certainly seemed detached," she said with a small grin, before standing and taking a step towards the ops station. "Open a channel to the Delhari vessel, Mr. Kim."

"Aye, Captain. Channel open," the young ensign replied after briefly tapping at his console.

"Commander Teragal, this is Captain..." Janeway began only to be silenced by a burst of static. Moments later the ship rocked as they were once again blasted with weapons fire.

"Report!" Janeway called.

"The Carn vessel is moving to intercept," Tuvok stated, only the barest hint of concern evident on his smooth features.

"Full power to forward phasers." Taking a calming breath, Janeway returned to her seat, not wanting to be caught standing in the middle of the bridge with the possibility of a confrontation rapidly increasing.

"Captain, it appears the scout vessels have activated a tractor beam on the Carn fighter."

Anticipating his captain's request, Ensign Kim redirected the view screen to display the fighter. As Tuvok had stated, a white beam was being emitted from the tiny pods, enveloping the much larger vessel.

"Captain!" Harry called from ops, his voice, an octave higher than normal, clearly communicating his distress. "We have lost power to shields, the warp engine is off-line, long-range sensors are down." The young officer raised his head from his urgently flashing console to look at his captain.

"We have also lost power to the main phaser array," Tuvok continued from tactical.

"What is the source of the power drain?" Janeway stood and turned to face her crew, demanding an explanation.

"Gragan's scout ship is emitting a broadband dampening field which is preventing us from maintaining a stable matter/anti-matter reaction. The transporters and shields are being affected by a multi-phasic gamma emission, also originating from the scout. Long range sensors are being bombarded with conflicting data causing a feed-back loop in the main processors and multiple vacuums have formed in the pre-fire chambers initiating a safety shut-down of all phaser banks," Seven recited, not looking up from the science console or pausing in her analysis of Voyager's systems.

"Thank you, Seven." Janeway cast an impatient glance at the read-outs visible over her officer's shoulder as she considered her report.

"Torres to the bridge." The Chief of Engineering's voice called over the internal comm channel.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

"Captain, we've lost power to the warp engines." The Klingon's frustration was evident.

"We're working on it, B'Elanna! I need a repair team assigned to the phaser banks immediately. Level 4 safety suits. I want weapons back on line, Lieutenant!"

There was silence on the other end of the comm channel as the engineer obviously accessed her own internal sensors. "Acknowledged, Captain. Torres out."

"Seven, get those shields back up! Find a way to block those emissions!" Janeway yelled at Seven's back, hating the knowledge that they were essentially unprotected and defenceless. "Harry, can you filter out the extraneous data?"

"I'm trying, Captain," Kim replied, his attention focused on the readings flashing across his board.

"What's happening out there, Tuvok?"

"No change. The Carn remain tractored to the pods, their weapons and shields also appear to be affected."

"Do we have any idea how they are managing to affect Voyager's systems?" she asked her silent bridge crew.

Janeway stared impotently at the vessels hovering on the view-screen. Her expression hardening as the tether, which had held the fighter motionless, was released.

"Incoming transmission, Captain."

"On screen, Mr. Kim."

Once again an image of Gragan appeared, his thin face expressionless.

"As a previously petitioned planet, the presence of unauthorised persons on Dragatti II has resulted in a possible breach of the Gragan Colonization Conventions as established at Helcord," he rasped, his voice harsh and stilted. "All parties are required to submit their statements, those who require aid may ask at this time."

With a mental shrug, Janeway approached the image on the screen.

"I am afraid I am unfamiliar with the Gragan Colonization Conventions. We were not aware that this planet was under dispute and were simply passing through the system."

"Our monitors have revealed that large numbers of your people occupied the Selti region of Dragatti II for several rotations. The effect of your trespass is yet to be determined."

"I can assure you that no damage was done to the planet's ecology in any way," Janeway insisted.

The elderly man nodded slowly, his dark eyes moving behind Janeway to take in her crew members. The Starfleet captain remained silent, allowing the inspection.

"That is understood, Captain Janeway. Nevertheless, it has caused complications. As the representing Prime of the Gragan Empire, I must request that you hold your position while an inspection of the planet's surface is conducted by members of the Carn and Delhari councils."

"May members of my own crew be permitted to join the inspection?" Janeway asked, reluctant to submit to the findings of an unknown party, particularly when she was unsure of what exactly they were being accused of, not to mention the possible punishment.

"That will not be possible. You are required to prepare a statement on your activities in this area for submission to the enquiry. You will, however, need to make yourself available for the meeting that will convene following our return." The Prime sat almost motionless as he spoke, his hands remaining steepled under his chin. He was the embodiment of composure: eyes calm, head held high as he issued his commands, never once doubting that he would be obeyed.

And Janeway baulked at his assumed authority.

"Prime Gragan, what exactly are we being accused of?" The edge of steel to her voice was unmistakable.

"No accusations have been made at this point. It is required that we determine the level of contamination. Please hold your position while we survey the planet. The formalities are necessary." His voice seemed to soften as if understanding her apprehension. Janeway acknowledged his request with a stiff nod of her head.

His image disappeared from the view-screen and the captain turned to face her crew. "I want a meeting of the senior staff in fifteen minutes," she ordered before heading to her ready room.

Janeway sat at the end of the briefing room table, watching as her bridge officers took their places. To her right, Neelix, their head chef and morale officer, was speaking quietly to the Doctor. Their conversation paused as Ensigns Kim and Paris entered.

The two men had just taken their seats, after briefly greeting the captain, when the door to the conference room opened once more. Kathryn could not help but look up, hoping to see Seven despite the fact that she had seen her on the bridge less than fifteen minutes ago. She was not disappointed as the blonde woman entered with her chief engineer, their heads bent over a data PADD, followed by her first officer and security chief.

Unable to help the smile that crept slowly past her defences, Janeway watched the younger woman take her seat at the end of the table directly opposite her. As the remainder of her officers proceeded to their places, Kathryn allowed herself an extra moment to observe Seven, waiting for her to return her gaze.

When Seven did look towards the end of the table, it was with no more emotion than she could have expected from the former Borg a month ago. The young woman stiffly inclined her head in greeting before resting her hands in front of her as she waited for the briefing to proceed.

Was she angry? Janeway asked herself, her stomach suddenly feeling heavy. She didn't look angry, just... distant. Dammit! She had yelled at Seven on the bridge, but surely the young woman wouldn't have taken it personally?

Seven's composed expression and formal stance spoke volumes and Janeway forced herself to turn away from her friend. Focusing her attention on the problem at hand, she called the meeting to order.

*

"Astrometrics is studying the down-quarks we detected in the wake of the pods' passage. Seven seems to think they could be the by-products of an unknown propulsion system," Torres stated, glancing at the data PADD Seven had recently presented her with.

"Engineering is concentrating on getting the warp engines and phasers back on line. That vacuum did some damage. We've lost four emitter crystals and it will take some time to re-charge the coils."

"How long, Lieutenant?" Janeway watched as B'Elanna ran through the list of necessary procedures in her mind.

"Six hours, minimum, before I can give you phasers, maybe another two or three before we can re-initialise the warp-core."

Nine hours. And in the mean time they were surrounded by trigger-happy colonists and self-important bureaucrats who possessed the technology to render them powerless in an instant. Janeway sighed.

"As soon as you can, Lieutenant. Seven, I want you to work with B'Elanna, I need those systems back online."

"Captain, I believe the presence of singular down-quarks and isolated gluons to be of interest. Increased levels of those elementary particles were recorded throughout Voyager during the attack. I would like to continue to study the phenomenon."

Janeway turned her attention towards Seven. It was obvious the presence of so many elementary particles had her intrigued, Kathryn admitted she herself was interested to know what had caused them to remain stable for long enough for Voyager's scanners to detect them. But, as interesting as it may be, it was not currently a priority.

"After we have warp power you may have the resources you need to continue your studies. In the mean time, primary systems are a priority."

"Captain, I must..."

"Seven, I have made my decision," the captain insisted, levelling her with a stare that she hoped would convince the younger woman that now was not the time to continue the debate.

Relieved to see Seven back down, Kathryn again questioned the wisdom of pursuing a relationship with the headstrong woman. It was totally inappropriate for her to be openly questioning her commands as captain, and for her to be doing so when they had yet to even quantify the nature of any possible romantic interaction was unnerving.

Kathryn couldn't help but be increasingly sensitive to the younger woman's emotions and she imagined that Seven must be feeling extremely confused since their return to the ship. Their interactions had abruptly returned to captain and crew member and Kathryn suspected that for someone only new to the intricacies of human interaction, the change must be disconcerting. With a lingering look towards the end of the table, the captain re-shuffled her thoughts.

"Tuvok, what's your analysis of their offensive capabilities?"

Janeway listened as her security chief neatly outlined his findings, her attention divided between the soothing tone of his voice and her own unsteadying reactions to the stubborn woman opposite her. Unwelcome images of blue eyes made bright with passion, and dark with anger and hurt, flashed through her mind as Kathryn condensed what could only be their entire failed relationship into a few brief moments.

Dropping her eyes, she waited for Tuvok to finish, already having decided on a course of action.

"Commander, I want you to prepare a report for Prime Gragan: details on the number of crew on leave, their locations, activities, what they ate, what they took down to the surface with them."

Chakotay nodded as she spoke and Janeway felt a measure of control returning. Trusting in her first officer to complete the report, she concentrated on finding a way out of their predicament. Knowing already how Chakotay would word the statement, Janeway was once again grateful for the former Maquis' steady support. "Does anyone have anything to add?" Pausing to glance at each of her officers, Janeway gave them a chance to speak before ending the meeting. "Very well, let's get moving."

As data PADD's were shuffled and chairs pushed back, Kathryn remained seated.

"Seven, if you could remain for a moment."

The blonde women did not seem surprised by the summons. Pushing her seat under the conference table, she stood to one side as her crewmates filed out of the room.

As the door hissed shut leaving the two women alone, Janeway found herself hesitant to begin.

"You wished to speak to me, Captain?" Seven prompted.

"Seven," Kathryn began, stepping towards the other woman. "I realise that there has been a drastic change in our relationship as of late, but it is inappropriate for you to question my commands during a staff briefing."

Janeway paused a few feet from the taller woman, needing a little space as she waited for Seven's response. When her companion remained silent, she was forced to continue.

"If you have additional comments to make, they should wait until we are alone."

"I do not understand, Captain," Seven finally admitted. Kathryn was relieved that at least Seven was able to recognise that this would take some getting accustomed to.

"You can not allow any personal relationship between us to influence your actions towards me as captain."

"I have always questioned your command decisions in public," Seven announced, clearly confused by the course of their discussion.

Startled, Janeway looked away from Seven. Searching for the control that seemed so hard to maintain in the former drone's presence, she realised the truth of that statement. From the first day Seven of Nine had joined Voyager the two had butted heads. They rarely agreed on a course of action and Seven had never been shy when it came to announcing her opinion on any matter, regardless of protocol.

"Captain?" Seven closed the distance between them as if sensing Kathryn's turmoil.

"I'm sorry, Seven. I don't think I am handling 'us' very well at the moment," she replied, gesturing between them.

"I was not aware, Captain, that the current situation involved 'us'." Seven repeated the vague gesture the captain had used to indicate their relationship.

Rubbing distractedly at a niggling headache that was starting to form, Kathryn knew she was correct. Nothing had happened this morning to warrant their current conversation. Seven seemed to be coping quite well with the return to their duties. Better, at least, than she was managing herself.

"Kathryn," Seven spoke softly, her voice conveying her concern. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No, not you, Seven. Just a little conceit on my part. Everything is fine," she reassured, allowing her hand to rest on the plum-covered shoulder, needing the slight contact between them more than she realised.

With a gentle squeeze, she dropped her hand and stepped away. Recognising that the discussion was over, Seven straightened.

"I will report to Engineering."

"Dismissed," Janeway returned, relying on her command training to keep the emotion from her voice.

*

The bridge was a soothing hum of activity as Janeway neatly replaced Chakotay in the captain's chair. He held a data PADD in one hand, no doubt already documenting their activities on the planet.

Tom Paris had returned to his place at the helm; his job a mere formality as they remained at station-keeping. Behind her, Tuvok's hands moved fluidly over the tactical console, tracking the progress of the repairs and quite likely running various simulations on possible confrontations between their neighbours. At ops, Harry Kim's undivided attention was focused on the activities on the surface and, at the moment, that was what interested the captain most.

"Report, Harry."

"A total of twelve life forms have travelled to the planet's surface. So far they have remained in the region we occupied during shore leave."

"Transporter technology?"

Harry hesitated before responding. "Possibly. They materialised directly on the surface but... their technology is quite different to conventional matter/energy transport."

Turning in her seat, Janeway considered his comment. "Were any solitary elementary particles detected during or after their transport?" she asked, thinking about Seven's observations.

"Scanners are not currently programmed to look for subatomic particles, Captain," Harry replied uncertainly.

"Recalibrate them, Ensign."

"Yes, Ma'am." Harry immediately modified the search parameters as the captain waited, confidant at catching a glimpse of the short-lived particles.

*

Having expected to hear from Gragan long before, the captain was considering retreating to her ready room when Kim finally announced that the lead scout vessel was hailing them.

"On screen," Janeway said, sitting upright in her chair as the forward screen flickered to life.

"Captain Janeway, the represented councils have requested preliminary discussions. Do you wish to select someone to speak for you?"

"That won't be necessary, Prime Gragan, I would be happy to meet with the council," Janeway replied evenly, hoping that someone would soon explain the situation they seemed to have created.

"Acceptable." Janeway thought maybe she detected a note of approval in his voice. "For this initial meeting you may remain in the comfort of your own surrounds. Please make yourself available to begin at your convenience."

With a nod to Harry, Janeway ended the transmission. "I'll take any further communications in my ready room," she said, crossing the deck to her private office.

"Captain, the search parties have returned to their vessels," Harry interrupted. "Did you wish to see the results of our scans?"

"Not now, forward the scans to Astrometrics. You have the bridge, Commander."

"This is ridiculous, Gragan! The Carn refuse to demean themselves by accepting a world that has almost certainly been polluted by the presence of these people. We request a delay, during which time we can fully analyse the impact of their transgression."

Janeway sighed quietly to herself, having had enough of Verkold's demands and accusations over the past several hours. He quite frequently repeated himself and seemed completely unwilling to discuss the extent of their actions while on the surface.

A small, stocky man with a broad chest and muscled arms he reminded Janeway of a medieval Earth warrior with his thick, disheveled hair and prominent brow. His people had titled themselves the Carn Empire, a race of warriors whose conquests so far totalled their home planet and the previously unpopulated neighbouring moon. Their recent advances in warp technology had clearly given them the opportunity to expand.

The Delhari, on the other hand, were less overtly hostile, although Janeway had decided early in the discussions that their selected representative was not someone she would choose to cross. Imojan possessed a quick intelligence and frequently managed to outwit her more verbal counterpart. Regardless of the woman's silver-grey hair, if Janeway was forced to guess, she would say the woman was near to her own age and just as determined. Her haunting yellow eyes seemed to miss very little that occurred across the four-way communications channel.

Having survived the gradual death of their star almost a decade ago, the Delhari had been offered refuge by their closest neighbours, but resources were limited and the long-term effects of eleven million refugees were becoming obvious. In a bid to re-establish their independence, they had contacted the Gragan.

It was the nature of the thin mediators that interested Janeway the most. Little, if anything, of their history had been revealed during their discussions, although it was clear that both the Carn and Delhari accepted their domination without question. At first Janeway suspected that it might simply be the desire of each party to gain their favour, hoping to win custody of the planet that was evidently up for sale, but the way in which the more advanced race expected and received obedience made Janeway re-evaluate her initial assumption.

"I suggest we pause in our conversation to more fully study the details included in the Federation's statement," the Gragan Prime suggested. Janeway winced at the thought of the Federation as a whole being put on trial in the Delta Quadrant simply because her crew had enjoyed a few days planet-side.

"Gragan," Verkold almost growled, "I fail to see what more will be gained from reading the reports of these people. We have clearly seen with our own eyes the damage done to the surface."

"Verkold, you have expressed your displeasure at the remains of their village-fires already and on more than one occasion," Imojan interrupted. "While I agree that compensation may need to be considered to whomever takes possession of Dragatti II, I have no intention of allowing you to sabotage these negotiations with your games."

"I think perhaps a recess would be a good idea," Janeway reminded them, not wanting to cover this particular topic yet again and desperately wanting a cup of coffee, or maybe even some dinner, if they intended to continue their debate into the night as it appeared.

It was impossible to tell if their mediator was fatigued as he continued to speak in the same gravelly voice with which he had first greeted them. Tempers, however, were running short and Janeway suspected they could each do with some time to regain their composure.

Calling the discussions to a halt, the thin gentleman requested they return when they had had a chance to familiarise themselves with the documents presented so far.

Terminating the comm channel, Kathryn leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. "Computer, time?"

"It is seventeen hours, twelve minutes," the feminine voice informed her. It felt much later.

Downloading the reports supplied by the represented councils into a data PADD, the captain requested a coffee and took a seat on the upper level allowing a moment to enjoy the view through the large windows. Rubbing her tired eyes, she focused on the PADD in her hand.

Kathryn leaned against the turbo-lift as she returned to her quarters; the gentle curve of the wall seeming to cradle her shoulders. Gamma shift was almost due to begin and Engineering had long since reported all repairs completed. Not for the first time this evening she considered stopping by Cargo Bay Two, or perhaps Astrometrics, but she was tired and, despite her desire to see Seven of Nine, she longed for the privacy of her quarters.

Only sixteen hours earlier they were standing beside the river watching the sun rise together. Sixteen hours. It seemed like a lifetime.

The preliminary discussions with the Delhari and Carn had finally come to a close with all parties agreeing to disagree and postponing talks until tomorrow. Gragan had informed her that her presence would not initially be required while the offers for residency were considered and Kathryn wished they could simply be on their way. Her involvement certainly did not seem to be making the situation any easier. Having apologised repeatedly for her decision to send her crew members to the surface, she doubted there was little else she could do. They had been forbidden to return to repair the damage from their short stay.

She had been informed, in no uncertain terms, that protocol dictated she remain for the duration of the negotiations, which should have been completed from their home worlds rather than in orbit around the contested planet. With a sinking feeling, Kathryn realised she had not asked how long the talks were expected to last.

As the lift slowed and the door opened on deck three, the captain took a deep breath and stepped into the corridor. Making her way towards her quarters, she let her mind wander, remembering the last few days they had spent alone on the planet.

Perhaps the whole thing was a mistake. Her own distraction was certainly proof enough that it was affecting her ability to function. She should have known better than to allow anything to happen between them. It was simply unrealistic for a Starfleet captain to involve herself with a member of her crew. Particularly former Borg drones that had no concept of starship protocol and couldn't possibly realise what they were getting themselves in for. Although Seven certainly seemed to be handling the whole thing better than she herself was. If only the damn thing didn't feel so right!

Kathryn almost stumbled as she realised with a sudden clarity that it did feel right. Completely, irrevocably, right.

With an uneven breath she stepped into her quarters. The door hissed shut behind her. Without pausing, she crossed the few steps towards the comfortable, Starfleet-issue couch and slumped into the welcoming cushions.

She considered contacting Seven to explain why it was necessary for her to act as 'captain' when they were on duty, regardless of any relationship between them. Yet, it was obvious that it was not Seven that she needed to have that conversation with.

Her head was beginning to hurt.

Closing her eyes, Kathryn longed for the calm tranquillity they shared as they sat star-gazing by the river, the incredible feeling of Seven's arms around her, the simple joy of watching her sleep.

She smiled as she remembered the tiny noises Seven made as she slept: quiet mumbles and contented sighs. Wishing she could be with her tonight, Kathryn resolved to speak with Seven in the morning, determined not to give up without a fight.

Hoping that decision would bring some peace, Janeway pushed to her feet and headed towards the bedroom, slipping out of her command jacket as she walked. Dropping her clothes in a pile on the floor, she activated the hydro-shower.

Lowering her head and stepping into the stream of warm water, the auburn-haired woman delighted in the massaging pulses that hit the back of her neck. Her muscles were stiff, no doubt from hiking up and down far too many hills, intent on keeping up with her younger, and much fitter, companion. Yet, regardless of her body's fatigue and the stress of the past several hours, her mind refused to quiet.

While not overly concerned about tomorrow's meeting with their new acquaintances, she was nonetheless anxious to have the matter settled. It was obvious the Gragan were more powerful than they first appeared and Janeway hated going into any situation with only half the facts.

Shutting off the spray, she grabbed a towel and rapidly dried herself off, wrapping the damp cloth around her hair when she was done. Dressing in a pale cream nightie, Kathryn tucked a matching gown over her shoulders for warmth and headed back into the living area, selecting a book of 22nd Century Bajoran poetry as she passed the built-in shelving.

"Coffee, black," she requested, nearing the replicator. If she couldn't sleep, at least she could catch up on a little reading.

As the coffee materialized, the display panel above the replicator flashed briefly. "Incoming message," the computer informed her.

"Play message."

"Text component only."

Taking a short sip of her coffee, Kathryn tapped at the console, accessing the display.

"Join me for breakfast. 0600 in the mess hall.
Sleep well, Kathryn.
Seven of Nine."

Kathryn took a minute to consider the note... those simple words releasing a knot in her belly she was not even aware of until now. A broad smile worked its way across her features as she typed out a note of her own. Waiting a few moments to make sure the message had been successfully sent, she replaced her barely-touched coffee mug on the replicator platform and, stifling a yawn, padded across the floor towards her bed.

Seven was already waiting for her when Kathryn entered the mess hall. The blonde figure was unmistakable against the backdrop of space where she sat in front of one of the several windows that lined the large room. With a wave to Neelix, the captain wove her way through the gathering breakfast crowd.

"Good Morning, Seven," she said cheerfully as soon as she was close enough to be easily heard.

Looking up, Seven acknowledged her presence with the barest of smiles although the warmth in her eyes was clear.

"Captain, good morning."

"Did you want something to eat? I know you don't like coffee." Kathryn smiled warmly, remembering her failed attempt to introduce Seven to the wonders of caffeine.

Seven looked around her, as if realising for the first time that is was customary to eat when inviting someone to breakfast.

"I can see what Neelix recommends, if you don't mind sharing?"

Seven appeared relieved. "That will be acceptable. Kathryn."

Neelix was party concealed behind his kitchen bench as he stirred and tossed whatever it was he was cooking for breakfast. Hurrying towards him, Kathryn hoped that at least this morning he was preparing something that Seven might find appealing.

"What can I get for you, Captain?" he asked, his nose crinkling as he smiled.

"What have you got, Neelix?" she queried, peering into the large fry-pan.

"I would recommend the fried yams with some of those delicious soft nuts you and Seven found."

"I'll take a small bowl thanks, Neelix," she accepted, noting that the dish actually smelled quite appealing.

"Coming right up."

"And a coffee!"

"Of course, Captain." The small man smiled as he scooped several spoonfuls onto a plate, chatting amicably with various crew members as they, too, collected their breakfasts.

Returning to their table, Kathryn placed the dish and cutlery between them as she sat down. Ignoring a pang of uncertainty, she looked across at the woman whose simple presence was responsible for the butterflies in her stomach.

"Kathryn, this is not the first time we have eaten together in the mess hall."

"No, it's not," she agreed, waiting for Seven continue. Instead, the composed woman raised a finely sculptured eyebrow and glanced down at the captain's tightly clenched hands.

"No, it's not," Kathryn repeated, taking a deep breath. With an embarrassed grin she released her hands and reached for a fork, deliberately giving Seven's mesh covered hand a brief squeeze as she passed. "I am unaccountably nervous," Janeway admitted with a sheepish shrug, spearing a piece of something yellow with her utensil. "But I am adapting," she added, enjoying the small smile she received in response.

"I realise you are experiencing difficulties. I was concerned that you would not wish to join me this morning," Seven said quietly.

"I am not making this any easier for us, am I?" Janeway watched Seven carefully as she spoke. "Your invitation was very thoughtful."

"I wanted an opportunity to spend time with you outside of our duties."

"I know. I want the same. In all honesty, I think I needed this chance to reconnect." Placing her fork on the table, Kathryn looked up at Seven, briefly considering joining their hands before deciding against it.

"When this mess is over, would you like to have dinner? My quarters."

"You are referring to the situation with the Gragan?" Janeway nodded. "I do not believe that they warrant sufficient concern for us not to have dinner tonight."

Kathryn could not help but smile. "You don't?"

"No. We are rarely without conflict of one form or another. I do not intend to wait for our next period of shore leave before we proceed with our romantic relationship," Seven informed her.

"Fair enough then." Janeway grinned broadly, wondering what stroke of luck ever allowed Voyager to cross paths with the Borg.

An astrometrics report analysing the abnormally high levels of elementary particles was waiting for the captain when she arrived on the bridge-- only five minutes late for her duty shift. Seven had obviously been busy this morning.

"Any word from our friends?" she asked Chakotay as she took her seat.

"All quiet so far. I read your report; you think the Gragan hold some form of authority in this region of space beyond being the current owners of this planet?"

"Based on the dynamics of yesterday's meeting, I don't think there could be any doubt," Janeway replied, recalling the obviously domineering attitude of their representative. "Their superior technology could be the primary reason, but both Imojan and Verkold seem prepared to wait for their decision on the future of this planet."

"And what exactly is our position in all of this?"

"Honestly, I am not sure, Commander," the captain admitted. "For the time being, it is not causing us any harm to let them finish this debate. If the situation changes, we'll come up with something then."

"When are you scheduled to meet with them again?"

"I'm not sure. Prime Gragan said he would inform me when my presence was required," Kathryn said with a wry grin.

Chakotay's tattoo crinkled as he smiled in return, clearly appreciating his Captain's frustration at being expected to wait.

"Have you read over Seven's analysis yet?" Janeway asked, scrolling through the document.

"No, I haven't. Anything interesting?"

Janeway was silent as she continued to skim the report, fascinated and a little surprised by Seven of Nine's findings. Forgetting her first officer's question, she skipped to end of the file, curious to see Seven's own conclusions.

"Captain?" Chakotay prompted.

"I'd say this certainly qualifies as interesting," Janeway answered after a moment and handed the PADD to Chakotay.

She watched while he read through the report, running through the possibilities in her own mind.

"I'm not sure I understand." Chakotay returned the PADD, his face echoing his confusion.

"We've been detecting an increase in the number of quarks and gluons in the immediate area."

"Elementary particles," Chakotay added, obviously not fully grasping the science behind Seven's analysis.

"That's right. Except these particles shouldn't be able to exist individually long enough to be detected by regular scans. The forces between quarks and gluons is massive, they should have joined to form hadrons, a composite particle, long before Voyager's scanners detected them."

"And Seven thinks that these particles indicate an advanced form of intelligence?" the former Maquis asked somewhat sceptically.

"A different form of technology at least." Janeway wasn't ready to accept Seven's theories without a little investigation of her own, but she had to admit that this complicated things considerably. "I'll be in Astrometrics if you need me, Commander. You have the bridge."

Running through several avenues of investigation in her mind, Kathryn headed towards the turbo-lift, eager to reach Astrometrics.

*

"Run a chromodynamic analysis," Janeway suggested, her fingers moving rapidly across the flashing console.

"I am attempting that now, Captain." Seven divided her attention between several display boards as she waited for the computer to complete its calculations.

"Chromodynamic analysis complete," the computer informed them.

"Display results." The two women focused their attention on the graphs.

"Look here." Janeway pointed at a sudden drop in the chart.

"It appears the strong interaction between the particles was interrupted." Seven agreed.

"What could interfere with the bonds between particles in that way?" Janeway asked, talking partly to herself as she considered the possibilities.

"I believe the forces are being manipulated directly rather than simply being effected by an external reaction."

"What makes you say that?"

"The variations are too precise to be a random occurrence. The lack of any up-quarks following the breakdown of the bonds seems to suggest that they are being destroyed in the process."

"Or harvested," Janeway added, glancing up at her companion. "What if someone was breaking down millions of protons and neutrons, releasing the quarks from the strong interactions with the gluons and harvesting the up- quarks. We are able to detect the remaining down-quarks because there are fewer particles with which to combine."

Janeway was pleased when Seven appeared to consider her theory. Re-thinking the evidence they had gathered so far, she was relieved to find that it did seem to fit the data. If only they could determine how the particles were used and perhaps discover if they were indeed responsible for allowing the Gragan ship to travel across the system in the blink of an eye.

"You may be correct, Captain," Seven allowed and continued to consider their findings, the slight crease across her forehead evidence of her concentration.

Kathryn watched while she processed the information, captivated by the tilt to the younger woman's head and the pale blue eyes that were focused so intently. Seven seemed to see straight through her. Janeway almost laughed to herself when she realised that in many ways she did.

The impossibly arrogant and strong-willed young woman had conveniently ignored her rank, marched straight through her defences and demanded, with a smile, to be shown the woman hidden so well inside the captain's uniform. And Kathryn wanted more than anything to be that woman.

"However, the energy required to break the bonds between the particles would far exceed...."

Kathryn realised too late that Seven was speaking to her. The almost amused grin that tugged at the corners of her companion's mouth made the petite captain suddenly aware of the expression on her own face; adolescent infatuation was hardly attractive on adolescents, it certainly wasn't appropriate for starship captains.

"Kathryn." Seven interrupted Kathryn's internal reprimand. She seemed about to take a step forward before hesitating. "I am looking forward to having dinner with you this evening."

Seven's voice was nearly a whisper and Kathryn wondered if it was her insistence that their personal relationship not encroach on their duties that caused the slight tremor in the young woman's voice.

"So am I, Seven." Their eyes held for a moment before Janeway shook herself out of her daydream. Taking a small breath, she turned back to the astrometrics workstation.

"You don't think there would be enough energy created to make it worthwhile?"

"On the contrary, I think the potential is enormous. I am simply uncertain as to whether or not we are capable of fully understanding the possibilities that this creates."