SquidgeWorld Archive

Parallel Voyage: Getting Home
by Jeffrey Harlan
lead_ink@yahoo.com


Series: Voyager (Parallel Voyage)

Rating: PG-13

Codes: Kim/7, Tom Paris/B'Elanna Torres, Janeway/Chakotay, Tu

Summary: Sequel to Survival Instinct (Episode Addition). In the sixth year of Voyager's journey through the Delta Quadrant, it is discovered that someone has sabotaged their attempts to get back home, but trying to find out just who is responsible may tear the crew apart.

Set shortly after the episode "Survival Instinct."

DISCLAIMER - The Ferengi, er, the Borg, I mean Paramount/Viacom own the names of characters, places and all that other
spiffy stuff we see and hear and drool over (like Seven... mmm, yummy!) on Star Trek. They say as much in the credits, and on their website, and on the packaging of the videos, and... I digress...

No copyright and/or trademark infringement intended.



B'Elanna Torres woke with a start, sweat soaking the sheets of the bed she shared with Tom Paris, with whom she had moved into larger quarters a few months earlier.

It had been nearly a year since Voyager had discovered the late Starship Challenger adrift in space, plucked from death in the Alpha Quadrant eighty years previous. The crews had integrated well.

Not so lucky was the crew of the Starship Equinox, who had only come aboard a few weeks ago, just over five months after Paris and Torres decided to live together. Some were locked up in the brig. All had been broken to crewmen, subordinate even to the other enlisted crew aboard Voyager, though those were few.

Paris stirred, but did not wake.

Let him keep his dreams, Torres thought.

She crawled out of bed, her dream nagging at the back of her mind. Something about getting home. Something telling her it
should have already happened several times over.

Torres grabbed her terrycloth robe from the chair she'd draped it over only a few hours earlier. Throwing it on, she went into the living room area of their quarters, sat down and grabbed a PADD.

Keying it into the ship's main computer, she played off a hunch from her dream.

Oh, gods, Torres thought. This can't be right.

Torres retyped her command sequence. The results were the same.

Sabotage.

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

Tuvok looked up from the PADD.

"Fascinating," he said, simply.

"I think we can discount the Challenger and Equinox crews," Torres said.

"How have you reached this conclusion?" Tuvok asked.

"Because," she answered, "the sabotage has been ongoing since our second year in the Delta Quadrant. We didn't find the
Challenger and the Equinox until our fifth year."

"That is logical," Tuvok said, "but still flawed. We cannot discount the possibility that whomever purpetrated these acts of sabotage is - or was - not working alone. He or she may have recruited one or many accomplices from the new crew, if that person found someone similarly disaffected with the prospect of returning to the Alpha Quadrant."

"That would be just about anyone from the Equinox," Torres observed darkly.

"Indeed," Tuvok agreed. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Lieutenant."

"Let me know as soon as you find anything," Torres said, standing.

"I must, of course, inform the Captain first," Tuvok said.

Gods! Torres thought. It's just a figure of speech!

"Right," she said instead. Torres turned and left Tuvok's office. As she made her way to the turbolift, she passed the brig, where, through the bulkhead, she could hear one of the Equinox's senior staff yelling at the guard on duty.

Well, she thought, at least we can rule _them_ out.

Torres stepped into the turbolift when it arrived and the doors opened. The doors closed behind her with a soft hiss.

"Seven of Nine's quarters," she instructed the computer.



Part Two

B'Elanna Torres pressed the chime signal at the door of Seven of Nine's quarters.

Six months before, Harry Kim convinced Seven that she should move into her own quarters, rather than the cargo bay that she had lived in for nearly two years, saying it would help her better understand humanity if she lived as one of them. Kim had even helped install an alcove in not only her new quarters, but also in his own, in anticipation of their rapidly-progressing relationship.

Torres pressed the chime again, growing impatient. She'd never known the ex-Borg to take so long to answer the door.

Maybe she's sleeping for once, Torres mused.

The doors parted, revealing a bleary-eyed Harry Kim. He was dressed in a standard-issue robe that he'd obviously thrown on in a hurry.

"Harry!" Torres exclaimed in surprise.

"Hi, B'Elanna," Kim said. "What brings you here at oh-dark-hundred?"

"I'd ask you the same thing," she quipped, "but I think I already know the answer."

Kim started to blush, looking at his feet in embarrassment.

"Don't sweat it, Starfleet," Torres said. "Is Seven up?"

"I think so," he replied. "Is this one of those conversations where I should excuse myself to my quarters?"

"Actually, I think I can trust you," Torres said, glancing over each shoulder at the opposite ends of the corridor.

Kim noticed the nervous glances. "Come on in," he said. "I'll let Seven know you're here."

A few minutes later, the three were seated at the coffee table in Seven's living area - Seven and Kim on the couch under the windows and Torres in the chair opposite them.

"There's a saboteur on board," Torres said, breaking the silence.

"What?" Kim asked, shocked.

"Someone apparently doesn't want to get back to the Federation. Someone is willing to go so far as to destroy every attempt we've made to use some alien technology to enhance our propulsion systems."

"You mean," Kim said, swallowing, "that the simulations were right? That we should have been able to use all these technologies we've found?"

"At least a half dozen times over," Torres said, sullenly.

"Do you have any suspects?" Seven asked.

"I'm not sure," Torres said. "I handed my data over to Tuvok, so he's really in charge of the investigation."

"Is it the Equinox crew?" Kim asked.

Torres shook her head. "No, the sabotage has been occuring ever since our second year in the Delta Quadrant."

"So they're out of the picture," Kim said. "And so are the Challenger crew."

"And me," Seven said.

"Right," Torres said. "Whomever's responsible may have recruited. Certain members of the Challenger and Equinox crews - particularly with the Equinox - may not feel so great about getting home to a nice, warm prison cell."

"Yet you believe that I was not affected," Seven said. "You came to me for my aid, convinced that I would not have collaborated with a saboteur."

"Exactly," Torres said. "You might also have an insight into possible suspects."

"I will compile a list," Seven said.

Torres stood. "Thank you."

After Torres left the room, Kim turned back to Seven. His face was a palette of fear, anxiety and confusion.

Seven cocked her head to the side. "Are you in love with me, Ensign?"

Kim's face melted into a crooked grin. "Absolutely."

"We have one-point-five hours until our duty shifts begin," Seven said. "Let us return to the bedroom."

"Seven, there's not that much time to sleep. We might as well get ready for work."

"I did not say we would be sleeping."



Part Three

"Sabotage," Captain Kathryn Janeway said. "You're certain?"

"Without a doubt," Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, the Human/Klingon hybrid and Voyager's Chief Engineer, said.

"I have opened an investigation into this matter, Captain," Voyager's Chief of Security, the Vulcan Lieutenant-Commander Tuvok said. "If it becomes necessary, I will require your permission to view the personal logs of our suspects."

"Let's take that on a case-by-case basis, Tuvok," Janeway said, shifting in her chair.

"As you wish, Captain," Tuvok said without missing a beat.

"Do you have any suspects yet?" asked Janeway's first officer, Commander Chakotay.

"Nothing conclusive as yet," Tuvok admitted. "I intend to narrow the list of crew members with the skills necessary to accomplish the sabotage and establish their locations when each act
occurred."

Janeway stood at the head of the conference room table. "Keep me informed, Commander," she said. Then, looking at the faces of her senior staff, "Dismissed."

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

"Who would object so much to our returning to the Federation that they'd sabotage the ship?" asked Lieutenant-Commander Everett Dyson of his friends, seated for an informal conference in the Mess Hall.

The room was empty, save Neelix and those seated with Dyson. No one wanted this to get out. At least, not yet.

"Did you say someone's sabotaging the ship?" Neelix asked, aghast.

"Yes," Dyson said, "and keep it to yourself. If whoever is responsible knows we're looking, they'll go underground so fast and so deep, we'll never find 'em."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Torres said.

"I was there when Kirk uncovered the conspiracy to assassinate the Klingon Chancellor," Dyson said. "I knew Valeris at the
Academy, so I know that _anyone_ can do the most horrific things if they're convinced they're doing them for the right reasons. Even Vulcans."

"I remember reading about that in the Academy," Kim said.

"Thank you for reminding us how much time we've missed," Dr. Danielle Marcus said icily.

"I'm sure Harry didn't mean anything by that, doctor," Dyson interrupted. "As for my question, who would do it?"

"Who on this ship," Marcus asked, "will probably go or has been
to prison?"

"I didn't do it!" Ensign Tom Paris roared, knocking his chair over as he jumped up in fury.

"I wasn't saying you did," Marcus responded as Torres began to pull Paris back into his chair.

"You sure implied it pretty heavily," Paris glowered.

"Look," Dyson said, "we have to be able to trust our friends. Tom's proven himself. I don't think he's involved."

"Commander Dyson is correct," Seven of Nine said, speaking for the first time that evening. "There are now nearly two hundred people aboard this vessel. We cannot blindly accuse one another. It would be unproductive and divisive."

The table was silent as they all pondered Seven's words.

Finally, Kim broke the silence, saying, "Look, it's late, and we've all got duty in the morning. We can't accomplish anything here, so let's just go try and get some sleep."

Everyone nodded their assent, and they began leaving the room.

"Look," Marcus said to Paris as he and Torres left the room, "for what it's worth, I don't think you did it either, but like Commander Dyson said, we can't trust _anybody_ anymore."

Paris looked at her for a moment, then walked off towards the turbolift.



Part Four

"What the hell was that about?" B'Elanna Torres asked Tom Paris after the door to their quarters slid shut.

"I'm sorry," Paris said. "Ever since I heard about the sabotage, I feel like everyone's pointing their finger at me. I'm the only one on board who's been in prison and, except the Equinox crew, I'm the only one who's been busted down in rank."

"And unlike them," Torres finished, "you've been here since the beginning."

"Exactly."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"B'Elanna," Paris said finally, "I _didn't_ do it."

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

The next morning, Seven of Nine entered the office of the Chief of Security and handed a PADD to Lieutenant-Commander Tuvok.

"I have compiled a list of every person aboard Voyager who may have a motive for not returning to the Federation," Seven said. "The highlighted names have been aboard since Voyager's first year in the Delta Quadrant."

"There are seventy-eight names on this list," Tuvok observed.

"Correct," Seven said. "Considering there are nearly two hundred People aboard Voyager, that is a substantial reduction."

"Thank you, Seven," Tuvok said. "I will take this information into consideration during my investigation."

Seven nodded, turned and exited the office.

Tuvok's attention returned to the PADD, glancing first at the list of highlighted names.

Thomas Eugene Paris. A convicted felon, he may fear re-incarceration. Also, his relationship with his father may spur him to remain in the Delta Quadrant. Specific instances of insubordination . . .

Neelix. A native of this region of space, he may not wish to continue on the journey towards the Federation . . .

Chakotay. The leader of the Maquis cell that the Voyager was following, he may fear incarceration for crimes committed as a member of the Maquis. Specifically, he . . .

B'Elanna Torres. As a member of Chakotay's Maquis cell, she may fear incarceration. Also, as Voyager's Chief Engineer, she has full access to the ship's systems. Incidents with the Captain . . .

Kathryn Janeway.

Janeway? Tuvok thought in surprise. I had not seriously considered the Captain a possible suspect.

He read on: Due to various violations of Starfleet regulations over the course of Voyager's journey through the Delta Quadrant, she may fear incarceration or other official reprisal for her actions. Specifically, she has aided and collaborated with the Borg, a known threat to the Federation, violated temporal security regulations, ignored the Prime Directive on several occasions, as well as other violations of Starfleet protocol.

Tuvok set the PADD on his desk. No, he had not seriously considered her, yet Seven's argument was quite
logical.



Part Five

"Lieutenant," the Vulcan engineer, Ensign Vorik, said flatly, "may I inquire as to what you are doing?"

Lieutenant, junior grade, Clark Bowman, a security officer and one of the survivors of the late Starship Challenger, pulled his head out from under the EPS conduit embedded in a wall in a relatively concealed corner of Main Engineering. He looked at Vorik for a moment.

"No," Bowman said, returning to the EPS conduit.

Vorik stopped, confused. He was junior to Bowman, so he couldn't force the issue, but Bowman was a security officer, not an
engineer; what business did he have to go poking about unannounced?

Vorik stood in place for several moments, then turned and walked back to Main Engineering proper. Bowman heaved a sigh of relief, turning his full attention back to what he was doing.

A few minutes later, he was interrupted again.

"What are you doing, lieutenant?" a voice resonated within the small anteroom. Bowman pulled his head out of the wall
panel again.

"I'm never going to get anything done," Bowman began, "if I keep getting interrupted." Bowman noticed who the newcomer was. Lieutenant Joe Carey, assistant chief engineer, stood with his fists on his hips, Vorik at his side. "Uh, sir," Bowman added as an afterthought.

"You didn't answer my question," Carey said.

"I'm, uh, I'm," Bowman began. He was beginning to lose his composure. There was no way he could avoid having to answer Carey's questions.

"Engineering to security," Carey said, tapping his communicator. "It would seem we have caught a saboteur. Please send
a team down immediately."

"Acknowledged," came Lieutenant-Commander Tuvok's voice over the ship's comm system. "We are on our way now."

"Vorik," Carey said, "take him into custody." Turning to an ensign passing the anteroom, Carey continued, "Ensign, come here and find out just what this man was doing to the ship."

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

"Lieutenant Bowman," Tuvok repeated, "why were you attempting to reroute the warp plasma into the EPS console you were detained at?"

"I-I," Bowman stuttered, "I can't."

"You cannot what?" Tuvok asked.

"I can't tell you," Bowman said.

"You cannot tell my why you were in Main Engineering. Why can you not tell me this?"

"I can't," Bowman repeated. He was sweating profusely from the combination of the stress of the situation and the lights shining on him in the interrogation room, the better for the sensors to record every nuance of this interrogation.

"You have not answered my question, lieutenant," Tuvok said.

Bowman was beginning to crack. He couldn't handle the stress of the position was in.

"She made me do it!" he yelled, suddenly.

"Who?" Tuvok asked. "Who compelled you to attempt sabotage on the ship's warp core?"

"Captain Janeway!"

Tuvok's eyes widened, an eyebrow automatically launched upward. Was he simply attempting to shift the pressure off of him, or was he actually telling the truth? If so, the implications of Bowman's confession were staggering.



Part Six

"You don't seriously believe I'm involved in all of this, do you?" Captain Kathryn Janeway asked incredulously.

"I have a sworn statement from Lieutenant Bowman," Tuvok said, "that specifically names you as the architect of his attempted sabotage."

"And you believe him?" Janeway countered. "He was under your interrogation for six hours. _Six_hours_ you had him
under those lights, badgering him. How can any of what he said be admissible?"

"By itself, the evidence is circumstantial and mere hearsay," Tuvok admitted. "That is why I must review his personal logs."

"Do you think he'd be stupid enough to say in his log, 'I think I'll blow up the warp core today'?" Janeway asked.

"I do not know. That is why I must review them," Tuvok said.

"I _know_ he's not that stupid. Permission denied," Janeway said.

"You do not have the authority to deny that access during this investigation," Tuvok stated.

"Bullshit. I'm the captain."

"You are also a suspect," Tuvok countered. "I must review them. I am simply informing you that you are under investigation yourself."

"Tuvok," Janeway said. "We've known each other for years. You know me. I wouldn't do this."

"Nor did Commander Dyson and I believe that Valeris would commit treason and conspiracy nearly eighty-five years ago."

"So that's it?" Janeway asks. "You're going to investigate me like some cloak and dagger miscreant?"

"Yes," Tuvok said. He turned and left the captain in her Ready Room.

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

"Do you really think she did it?" Lieutenant-Commander Everett Dyson asked his old friend, Tuvok.

"I do not know," Tuvok said. "I must not discount the possibility."

"I still can't get over how much you've changed," Dyson said. "And it's not just the uniform. You used to be so... I don't know. Young."

"I was undergoing the Kohlinahr when the Challenger disappeared," Tuvok said. "I did not complete the training, but that
which I did changed my perspective and sharpened my logical reasoning."

"Captain Spock never finished it, either," Dyson said.

"How did you become so privy to the life of Captain Spock?"

"I overheard Captain Sulu and Commander Rand talking about him once, after you left the Excelsior," Dyson said. "It was just after I'd gotten promoted to full Lieutenant. I was doing some grunt work on the comm station. Rand used to be Kirk's yeoman, back when she and Sulu were both on the Enterprise.

"They don't make captains like that anymore, do they?"

"Times are different," Tuvok replied. "The emphasis of Starfleet has changed to strengthening security and improving peaceful relations with our neighbors. That may no longer be the case, however. The Federation was at war the last time we heard from the Alpha Quadrant."

"Yeah, I've been reading about that," Dyson said. "The captain put me in charge of developing a new communications system so that we can send messages like you did through that array, but without having to be dependent on some alien species' technology. That way we won't get into a fight with yet another heretofore-unknown alien race.

"Guess it's the best she could do with someone who's specialty no longer exists as an exclusive branch within the fleet.
Pity, really. The communications officer really did do more than just sit there with an antenna in their ear."


Part Seven

"You've solved the case already?" Chakotay asked. "Who did it?"

"Lieutenant Bowman was telling the truth," Tuvok said. "It was, indeed, Captain Janeway."

"Where's your proof?" Chakotay challenged. "I'm sure as hell not going to let you throw her in the brig unless you have some _damned_ good evidence."

"After comparing logs," Tuvok said, "concerning previous attempts to find a faster means of propulsion from as early as Mr. Paris' ill-fated attempt at transwarp to the most recent incident of Mr. Bowman's attempted sabotage with possible motives and Bowman's own statements, I believe I have sufficient evidence to place Captain Janeway under arrest."

"Nevertheless," Chakotay said, "I'd like to see a full report before you take any further action."

"I anticipated as much," Tuvok said, handing a PADD to Chakotay, "and took the liberty of preparing one for you."

Chakotay took the PADD glancing at the cover page.

"Give me some time to read through this before moving forward."

"Of course," Tuvok said.

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

"It is my distinct pleasure," Janeway began, "to promote Ensign Harry Kim to the rank of Lieutenant, junior grade, for excellence in the performance of his duties, uncommon valor on numerous occasions and, above all, he has earned the respect of the entire crew."

The mess hall burst into spontaneous applause as Janeway pinned the black pip onto Kim's collar.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant Kim," Janeway said. "This is long past due."

Paris and Torres came up to Kim, Seven of Nine not far behind.

"Way to go, Harry," Paris said. "It's about time."

"Yes, congratulations, Harry," Seven said, giving Kim an awkward hug.

On the other side of the room, Chakotay pulled Tuvok aside.

"I can't argue with the logic of your report," Chakotay said. "This isn't the time or place to arrest her, though. She's not going anywhere. It can wait until tomorrow. I've got a plan."

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

"Good morning, _Lieutenant_ Kim," Chakotay said as he stepped out of the turbolift, surveying the Bridge with a glance. "Aren't you a little early for your shift?"

"Just a few minutes," Kim admitted. "Seven got up early this morning to assist Commander Dyson with the communications project the captain has him working on."

The turbolift doors opened again to admit Tuvok and Paris.

"Commander, Lieutenant," Tuvok said, nodding to each as Paris took his station at the helm.

"Is the captain in her Ready Room?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes, sir," Kim said. "She's been in there for about a half an hour now."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Chakotay said, then he turned to the Vulcan security officer. "Tuvok."

Chakotay and Tuvok walked over to the door of the Ready Room, where Chakotay activated the signal chime.

"Come in," Janeway's voice came over the comm.

"Captain," Chakotay said after the doors shut behind him and Tuvok.

"Chakotay, Tuvok," Janeway said warmly. "Good morning. What can I do for you?"

"Captain, we know," Chakotay said.

"Know what, Commander?"

"I have corroborated Lieutenant Bowman's statements," Tuvok said. "The evidence is sufficient to warrant your arrest."

"You can't be serious."

"I am a Vulcan," Tuvok said. "I am always serious."

"Commander," Janeway said to Chakotay, "what do you have to say?"

"I've read his report," Chakotay answered. "Reluctantly, I have to agree with him."

"This is mutiny," Janeway said. "You're both relieved of duty. Get out of my sight before I call security."

"You do not have that authority, Captain," Tuvok said. "According to Starfleet protocol, the weight of evidence is enough to arrest you and relieve you of duty, pending court-martial."

"You've got a choice, Kathryn," Chakotay said. "Either come with us peacefully, or we'll have no choice but to escort you from the Bridge at phaser-point."

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

Janeway, Chakotay and Tuvok crossed the Bridge from the Ready Room to the turbolift. As the doors parted and the three
entered the waiting lift car, Janeway stopped.

"Mr. Kim, the Bridge is yours," Janeway said, then entered the turbolift with Chakotay and Tuvok, leaving behind them a confused Bridge crew.



Part Eight

Word of Janeway's arrest and pending court-martial as the architect of a five-year-long sabotage ring spread through the ship at warp speed, decimating morale just as quickly.

Despite his best efforts, Neelix was unable to lift the crew's spirits. The ship's mood was unusually subdued.

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

Seven of Nine entered Sickbay, expecting to find her mentor and father-figure of the past three years, the Emergency Medical Hologram, but the Doctor was nowhere to be found. Instead, Dr. Danielle Marcus stepped out from the duty doctor's office.

"Can I help you?" Marcus asked.

"I believe so," Seven said. "I have been feeling unwell for the past several days. Are you familiar with Borg medical profiles?"

"I've been studying yours," Marcus admitted, "just in case something like this should happen. Go lie on the main biobed."

Seven complied and Marcus activated the sensors.

"So you don't normally get sick?" Marcus asked.

"My nanoprobes act as an advanced immune system," Seven said. "I can become ill, but it is unusual."

Marcus studied the readouts transmitted to the PADD in her hand.

"Well, I'll be damned," Marcus breathed.

"Doctor?"

"Congratulations, Seven. You're going to have a baby."

"I am pregnant," Seven said, shocked. "I-I must inform Harry." Seven stood from the biobed, passed the nurses - who came to see who had come into Sickbay - and absentmindedly exited the room.

"What's with her?" one of the nurses asked.

"She's pregnant," Marcus said, a little shocked herself.

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

"You are the first officer," Tuvok said, "therefore, it is you who must assume command of the ship and preside over the court- martial."

"I'm not Starfleet," Chakotay argued. "Not really. When we get back - and we will, soon - how will the almighty admiralty view the court-martial of the Starfleet captain and succession by a Maquis?"

"We are following Starfleet regulations," Tuvok countered. "We are still operating within the law. There is nothing the 'almighty admiralty,' as you put it, can say."

"True enough," Chakotay agreed, "but they'll talk. You can bet on it."

"Do not concern yourself with how you are viewed by others," Tuvok said. "Do what you believe is right."

"'Don't try to be a great man, just be a man and let history make its own judgements,' is that what you're trying to say, Tuvok?"

"In effect, yes."

"Great," Chakotay said. "That's how I got involved with the Maquis to begin with."

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

As Seven of Nine exited the turbolift, all eyes on the Bridge turned to her.

"Seven!" Kim exclaimed, surprised by her unexpected appearance.

"What can I do for you, Seven?" Lieutenant-Commander Dyson asked, rising from the center seat.

"I require Lieutenant Kim," Seven said. "If I could have a moment to speak with him privately in the conference room...?"

"Absolutely," Dyson said, a little confused and, simultaneously, curious. If Seven was coming to the Bridge to see him in the middle of his shift, Dyson reasoned, it must be important.

A crewman took Kim's place as he left his station, following Seven into the conference room. They sat on one side of the table and turned their chairs to face one another.

"So," Kim said, "what is it, Seven?"

"Do you recall our conversation last year," Seven asked, "after we left the Holodeck and I expressed a desire to procreate?"

"Yeah," Kim answered. "We agreed we weren't ready to have kids yet, but we did become intimate eventually."

"Do you still object to having children, Harry?"

"I'm still not sure if we're ready for that yet," Kim said. "Kids are a big responsibility." Kim looked into Seven's eyes. "If it's this important to you, though, that you've brought it up again now, I think we should talk about it more when I'm off duty."

"Then I should not abort the fetus," Seven said.

"What?!" Kim exclaimed, utterly shocked. "You-you're pregnant _now_? Why didn't you say so?"

"I felt I should ascertain your position on child-rearing before informing you," Seven answered. "If you were still opposed to having children, I would have aborted the fetus until such time as we were both prepared to begin a family unit."

Kim opened and shut his mouth, as if to say something, but no words would come out. Finally, he found his voice. "Seven," he said, "it's not that simple. A family is based around love and caring and compassion. You don't just get an abortion because having a kid is incovenient to us without even telling me! This is my baby too!"

"Then you wish to keep the child?"

"Yes!" Kim exclaimed, a massive, goofy-looking grin crossing his face. He wrapped his arms around Seven in an enormous hug. "Seven, we're going to be parents!"

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

A few hours later, Seven entered the Brig, stopping near the force-field sealing Janeway's cell.

"I was wondering when I'd finally get visitors," Janeway quipped. "Does this mean you've agreed to act as my defense counsel?"

"No," Seven replied. "I am not convinced of your innocence in this matter. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience act in your defense." Seven paused. "I have come to see you on a... personal matter."

"Really," Janeway said, disappointed. "Still, it's the most conversation I've had in days. Shoot."

"Since I came aboard this vessel, you acted as a surrogate mother to me. I felt you should be aware that I feel... betrayed."

When Janeway didn't react, Seven continued.

"Also, despite my feelings, I nevertheless felt compelled to inform you that I am pregnant. Harry and I will be moving into shared quarters soon, and Harry has asked me to marry him."

Janeway harrumphed. "So, life goes on."

"Yes," Seven said as she turned and exited the Brig.



Part Nine

Chakotay hit the bell with the gavel in three double-tap groups, then set the gavel beside the bell.

"These proceedings are now in order," Chakotay said. "Captain Kathryn Janeway, you stand accused of sabotage and conspiracy to commit sabotage. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Janeway said.

"Let the record show," Chakotay said, "that the defendant has entered a plea of not guilty. You may be seated. Mr. Tuvok, please proceed with the opening statements for the prosecution."

"The prosecution shall show," Tuvok began, "that on multiple occasions, beginning as early as Stardate 49373.4, Captain Janeway and her cadre of saboteurs have willfully disrupted attempts by the crew of this vessel to return safely and expediently to the Alpha Quadrant.

"Her own saboteurs have confessed to Janeway's oversight and planning of each act of sabotage, meticulously constructed with the attention to detail of a scientist to conceal the obvious signs of tampering.

"Indeed, it shall be proven that Captain Janeway's irrational fear of reprisal from Starfleet Command upon return to the Alpha Quadrant for violations of protocol, negligence and collaboration with known threats to Federation security such as the Borg led her to willfully engage in sabotaging attempts to speed our return to our homes and families." Tuvok took his seat.

"Mr. Vorik," Chakotay said, "please proceed with the defense's opening statements."

"Thank you, Commander," Vorik said, standing. "Captain Janeway has been wrongly accused of these crimes. Allegations of her masterminding a plot to prevent her own ship from returning home - a mission she, herself, has worked diligently toward - are not logical.

"Indeed, the record clearly shows Lieutenant Bowman - caught in the act, I might add - did not name Captain Janeway until six hours into interrogation. The prosecution's entire case is built upon heresay and idle speculation.

"Granted, there are questionable events in the Captain's record, but bear in mind she could not call Starfleet Command for help or authorization at the first sign of trouble and had to make the best of bad situations. Her alliance with the Borg was seen as the lesser of two evils, and the choice was not an easy one.

"But the alliance with the Borg - short-lived that it was - does not mean that Captain Janeway would sabotage her own ship and destroy her own goal of returning home within our lifetimes." Vorik sat down again next to Janeway.

"Thank you, Mr. Vorik," Chakotay said. "Mr. Tuvok, call your first witness."

"The prosecution calls Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres."

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

"Captain," Vorik said to Janeway in a private conference room, "I cannot argue with the evidence Commander Tuvok is presenting, yet as your defense counsel, I must. How can I argue in your defense when I am no longer convinced of your innocence? I feel that you are not sharing all the evidence with me."

"What," Janeway asked, "do you want a mind meld to see if I did it? Hell, no!"

"I suggested nothing of the kind," Vorik said. "I simply asked you to confirm that you are not hiding anything from me."

"And if I am?"

"Then you should change your plea and throw yourself upon the mercy of the court."

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

"Captain Janeway," Tuvok said, rising, as Janeway sat in the witness booth, "did you blame yourself for nearly causing the
deaths of the Mahjes of the major Kazon sects during the attempted summit and alliance with the Trabe on Stardate 49337.4?"

"Of course," Janeway said. "I organized it. The Trabe tricked us all."

"Did you feel that Starfleet would not look kindly on nearly beheading the leadership of the Kazon?"

"Objection," Vorik said, rising. "Captain Janeway was unaware of the Trabe's intentions."

"Sustained," Chakotay said.

"If I may rephrase the question?" Tuvok asked. Chakotay looked at the others on the panel, then nodded. "Did you believe Starfleet Command would be displeased with your involvement in the matter?"

"A little," Janeway admitted. "But as Vorik pointed out, I didn't know the Trabe would try to blow up the building we were holding the summit in."

"Did you feel strongly enough that you would sabotage the transwarp fields..."

"Objection," Vorik said again, once more rising from his seat. "Captain Janeway has not been identified as the saboteur."

"Commander," Tuvok said, "that is what I am trying to establish."

"Objection overruled," Chakotay said. "Proceed, commander."

"Did you feel strongly enough to sabotage the transwarp fields during Mr. Paris' ill-fated transwarp flight?"

"I didn't sabotage the shuttle," Janeway said sternly.

"That was not my question," Tuvok said.

"Yes," Janeway conceded. "I felt strongly enough, but I didn't do it."

"Instead, you had Crewman Swinn sabotage the shuttle for you, correct?"

"Objection," Vorik repeated, rising from his chair once more to address the panel. "Captain Janeway has not been identified as either the saboteur or the mastermind of an alleged sabotage ring."

"As I have said," Tuvok interjected, "that is precisely what I am attempting to establish."

"Objection overruled," Chakotay said.

Janeway sat in silence.

"Captain," Tuvok said. "I have Crewman Swinn's sworn statement indicating you did. Is this true, or did she perjure herself?"

Janeway remained silent.

"Kathryn," Chakotay said softly, turning to Janeway, "you _must_ answer the question."

Janeway's head fell, her posture slumped. After a moment, she resumed her rigid posture. "Yes," she finally said, almost inaudibly. Then, "Yes, it's true."

There was a collective gasp throughout the ship, as everyone watching the proceedings heard the captain admit her
guilt. Vorik sat in stunned silence.

"Do you also admit," Tuvok said, breaking several moments of silence, "to arranging the other acts of sabotage, notably Stardate 51978.2 and Stardate 52201.3?"

"Yes," Janeway said, louder this time.

Tuvok turned to the panel headed by Chakotay. "Commander," he said, "the prosecution rests."

"This court is in recess," Chakotay said, "until 0800 tomorrow." He picked up the gavel and rang the bell.

**********

"Kathryn Janeway," Chakotay said the next morning, "it is the judgement of this court that you be stripped of all rank and privileges. You shall be imprisoned until our return to Federation space, at which time your case will be turned over to the Starfleet Judge Advocate General Corps, for review and resentencing."

Chakotay rang the bell for the final time, rose and exited the courtroom.



Part Ten

"So now you're going to take the ship home," Janeway said to Chakotay through the Brig forcefield.

"That's right," Chakotay responded. "B'Elanna's reinstalling the slipstream drive components. We'll test everything, make sure it works, run a few hundred simulations to be sure, then we'll be on our way."

"And you're the captain now," Janeway said. "How convenient for you."

"I wanted Tuvok to take command," Chakotay said, "but he insisted. I was your first officer and the next in the chain of command. He felt it was logical that I assume command."

"So," Janeway said, "what, you're here to gloat? To tell me you're getting the ship home instead of me?"

"No, nothing like that," Chakotay returned quickly. "I'm - I'm just trying to put some demons to rest." Chakotay paused. Janeway looked at him dubiously. "I want you to know, I bear you no malice. I couldn't, because I care about you, Kathryn. I have ever since New Earth. I just wish I could have told you under different circumstances."

Janeway was, to say the least, surprised. "Chakotay," was all she could say.

"I have to go to the Bridge," Chakotay said, turning. He left the Brig without either of them saying another word.

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

A week later, Chakotay walked onto the Bridge. The excitement in the air throughout the ship was electric. They were almost home.

"Captain," Lieutenant Harry Kim said from the Operations station, "Engineering reports we're ready to get underway."

"Excellent news, Mr. Kim," Chakotay said. He pressed a button on the arm of the center seat.

"This is the captain speaking," Chakotay said, his voice resonating throughout the ship. "We are, as you are all no doubt already aware, preparing to engage the Quantum Slipstream drive. We're going home. It will take a few months, even with the slipstream drive, but we _will_ be home. Good luck, everyone." Chakotay pressed the button ending the transmission. "Mr. Paris, set a course for home."

"Course already laid in, captain," Paris said.

"Engage," Chakotay said, taking his seat at the heart of the Bridge.

Voyager streaked ahead into the slipstream towards home.


End