summary:

TITLE: Janeway Redux
AUTHOR: halfofone
RATING: R
CODE: J/7
FEEDBACK: Constructive feedback welcome.
SUMMARY: Set after five years after the events of Counterpoint in season 5. Janeway gets remade and returns to find her old ship. She needs Voyager and the crew but can they trust her?
SPOILERS: Some Season 4 and Season 5 spoilers.
ARCHIVING: If you want ... I would quite like to know where.
DISCLAIMER: TPTB are Paramount/Viacom. In a perfect world I would own Star Trek but it's not and I don't.

disclaimer:

TPTB are many. In a perfect world I would be one of them but it's not and I'm not. No infringement of copyright/trade marks or other intellectual property is intended. This story was written for fun and not profit.

warnings:

Warning: This story includes same sex relationships between women. If you are offended by this or it is illegal where you live or you are underage then please read no further.

Full warnings, credits and disclaimers can be found in the contents page and chapter 1.

text:

Part 5 - The Search Begins

The same star date - Ninety light years away

Seven of Nine looked at the view screen with concern. A wide scan revealed very large numbers of ships of different sizes travelling at high warp away from the immediate area mostly heading further into Devore territory. The cause of this exodus was not apparent however she reasoned, it might make it easier to travel unnoticed as part of the multitude.

Seven noticed one small ship seemed to be at a standstill. It was only half a light year distant and appeared to be Brenari. She set a course for the ship although she was not exactly sure of her purpose other than a need to start her search in earnest; the occupants might offer some information.

As she approached, a scan revealed the ship was damaged and the engines were non functional but the damage did not seem to be the result of phaser fire or torpedoes. The most likely scenario was a genuine malfunction. She could detect two humanoid life forms which the ship sensors did not recognise.

Seven hailed the stricken vessel. "This is the Federation shuttle Faraday - damaged Brenari vessel please state your condition. Do you require assistance?"

A shaky female voice replied "We are fine, no problem. There is nothing to worry about. Please continue on your way."

Puzzled Seven answered. "Pilot of Brenari vessel, your ship is obviously badly damaged, are you certain you do not need any help?"

"We are perfectly alright and can defend ourselves if necessary," the shaky voice insisted. "Please just go."

"As you wish. But may be you can assist me. I require information. I am looking for a female humanoid taken prisoner by the Devore Imperium: Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager. Do you possess any information which may facilitate location of the captain or of Devore prisoners in general."

There was a momentary silence and then the voice returned a little stronger. "Listen I know nothing about Devore prisoners or your captain. I'm sorry. Goodbye." The comm connection was broken. Seven decided to waste no further time wondering about the strange little ship, laid in her original setting and altered course.

She had just moved the Faraday back on course when the occupant of the damaged ship reopened the hailing frequency.

"Hello? Are you still there? Please we do need help. We did not mean to offend you."

Seven felt impatient. The pilot of the Brenari vessel did not seem to know her own mind and was therefore unlikely to be of much assistance.

A sudden phaser shot across the bows of the Faraday from another larger ship which dropped out of warp 200,000 kilometres away did not improve Seven's temper. The attacking ship hailed her. "Be gone. The Brenari ship is ours. We claim it. Leave before we are forced to destroy you."

Seven scanned the attacker. The ship was large and well armed but the technology was inferior and presented no danger to the Borg enhanced shuttle. She realised now why the Brenari ship had suddenly decided that they did need her help. Seven decided that a strong reply would save time and fired the shuttle phasers. The Borg weapons sliced through the opposing ship's shields and impacted on the hull causing a lot of damage.

Seven then hailed her attacker. "Desist from your attack and you will be permitted to leave..." before she could finish the ship had already turned tail. The ex-drone was pleased with the efficient outcome.

Seven of Nine then returned her attention to the damaged vessel still lying motionless in space. "Brenari vessel is any further assistance required."

After a short time the occupant replied. "Our vessel is too badly damaged to repair. Could you tractor us to Halten space port at the following coordinates?"

Seven performed some brief calculations and responded "My ship is insufficiently powerful to tractor your ship. I cannot comply with your request. I will take your crew to the space port as it does not involve a substantial deviation from my route. Do you wish to proceed?"

"That would be better than nothing I suppose."

The woman's voice sounded a little ungrateful but Seven was not concerned.

"Please prepare for transport to my ship on my mark."

Two small humanoid figures appeared on the tiny shuttle transporter pad. The female was standing and the other, a male, was lying prone. The female looked at Seven and her features contorted in terror. She screamed "Borg" and then fainted. The man pushed himself upright against the back of the shuttle and covered his face, cowering.

Seven of Nine had elicited many similar reactions in the past: victims of the Borg collective; races encountered by Voyager over the last twelve months; but she could not remember feeling quite so irritated before.

She compared the behaviour of these two sorry specimens to Captain Janeway when the latter was negotiating an alliance with the collective and realised yet again that her Captain was not as others.

The male was an unremarkable looking bony specimen having grey slightly scaly skin. His head had a light covering of thin ginger coloured hair through which the grey skin on his skull was clearly visible. Two round pale grey eyes peered nervously from under deep set brows. His other facial features seemed even less conspicuous. Small thin grey nostrils atop a thin white lipped mouth. He had no chin to speak of and his face appeared to recede straight into his neck. The woman was similar in colouring and appearance but slightly larger and bulkier. They were both clothed in orange one piece uniforms.

Seven addressed the cowering man.

"Calm yourself. I am not a member of the Borg collective. You are in no danger." She retrieved a medical tricorder and ran a scan over the man. "You are in need of medical attention. You have a fever." The man took his hands away from his face and stared at her. She offered him two tablets from a medi-pac, saying "Take these. They should reduce the fever and combat the infection."

He shrank back from her borg hand still obviously terrified. Seven offered a formal introduction.

"I am Seven of Nine Tertiary adjunct of unimatrix 01, formerly of the Borg Collective and before that I was a human designated Annika Hansen. You may call me Seven of Nine."

The man was still gaping stupidly at Seven and two rows of small jagged teeth could be seen set well inside his mouth. Seven felt her irritation and sense of repulsion increase.

"Your designation?"

The creature did not reply.

Exasperated she dropped the tablets on the floor beside him and turned back to the shuttle controls. She set course for Halten space port at a speed of warp five, anxious to be rid of the annoying hitch hikers.

She became aware of whispering behind her back and turned to look. The woman had recovered from her faint and was huddled against her crew mate. They both still looked very fearful but the woman finally spoke in a thin quavering voice. "Are you going to assimilate us?".

"As I have said I am not with the Borg collective now. I will transport you to Halten space port now. We will arrive in three hours and twenty three minutes." Seven turned her back on them again and rather hoped that they would remain quiet.

An inconsistency occurred to Seven.

"I am curious as to where you have acquired your knowledge of the Borg. I was not aware that the Borg were known in this sector."

The two beings looked at her as though she were mad. The male whispered fearfully as though he might be overheard.

"We did not know of the Borg until they invaded our sector eight days ago. Fourteen systems have been taken already. We escaped from Gill IV with only minutes to spare and we had been trying to reach Halten for three days when our engines failed. We are told that the Imperium will defend that space."

Seven considered the new information. The presence of the Borg explained the mass movement of ships in the area. It also created an added urgency. Seven had reasoned to herself that if the Devore did not immediately execute the Captain then they would keep her alive and imprisoned and Seven would have time in which to complete her search. Now she had to find the Captain before the Borg completed their assimilation of the Devore. This might not be a very rapid process depending on the strength of the Devore defences, but it would happen and even her most optimistic estimate only gave the Devore between two and three months before all five hundred systems in the Imperium were assimilated.

She addressed the two shivering grey rat like creatures in a sharp voice. "What do you know about the non-Devore Detention and Resettlement Zone?" (This was the place mentioned by Prax as the likely destination for the Captain.)

The aliens jumped nervously and the male replied almost whimpering "We know nothing beyond this dear borg lady. It is a terrible place, a prison planet. No one ever comes back. I have heard that there are great mines of some importance and all the miners are slaves drawn from the prison population. Even those with short sentences don't survive long enough to return."

"What are the co-ordinates?"

"We cannot say kind borg lady, the resettlement planets are very closely guarded by the Imperium and their locations kept secret to prevent their discovery by insurgent forces."

Seven of Nine controlled the fear that ran through her at the thought of Captain Janeway dying in a place like that. She told herself that the Captain would survive longer than most and certainly long enough for Seven to find her.

Seven ignored her passengers after that. They sat huddled together whispering quietly. The journey proceeded without further incident. Seven concentrated on giving any potentially threatening vessels a wide berth.

Fifteen minutes out of Halten space port she activated the fore view screen to reveal a very large and impressive space station about 50 kilometers across. What she supposed was the region adjacent to the docking ring was thronged by ships and looked chaotic.

Turning to the two aliens Seven requested their assistance. "What is the procedure for contacting the space dock controllers and arranging docking?"

The sight of the space port seemed to put some backbone into her guests who both crowded a bit nearer. "It depends who you know and what you have to offer....." The female almost smirked. This reply meant nothing to Seven and the little rat elaborated. "You see there are strict commercial rules for obtaining clearance, highest bidder wins. But we know some people who may be able to cut you a better deal. If you were interested." The creature sounded wheedling.

"I do not have time for this. I will beam you directly to the space port. Please step on the transporter..." before Seven could finish speaking she felt pain explode all over her body. The grey aliens had each produced some sort of weapon from the pockets of their orange coveralls and she was caught and held in two red-orange beams of energy.

She could hear the male speaking.

"That should be enough my dear but we must keep alert, we don't want our Borg escaping now do we." The energy beams were cut off and Seven collapsed on the floor. She tried to move but was completely paralysed. "I am very sorry Miss but this ship and your good self will be worth a great deal to the Devore authorities or the Free Alliance. Best offer gets the prize. Now my dear wife it is time to call in some favours."

The male moved to the communications console and began to key in commands. His spouse kept her weapon trained on Seven.

After nearly fifteen minutes of intense activity the male left the console and sat down. "Now we wait my dear." He looked closely at Seven "I think I see our friend here twitching sweetcakes, give her another dose of medicine. To keep her quiet you understand." Seven felt intense pain as the paralysing energy beam enveloped her body. But she couldn't move or cry out. After a minute it stopped. "That's better. Much quieter." her tormentor muttered.

And so it continued. Hours passed. The two ratty humanoids sat cuddling and murmuring sweet nothings to each other only occasionally getting up to ensure that Seven was completely immobile. Seven wasn't sure which was worse, the pain of the paralyser or the nauseating sight of the canoodling rats.

A chirrup from the communication console brought them to their feet, the male rat whined with excitement as he read the incoming transmission. "Well me dear it seems our contact has come through with a deal. We are to leave the goods at the following coordinates. Payment has been made fifty percent in advance and the rest on delivery." His wife giggled with nervous delight.

A few minutes later the ship shuddered and started to move.

Addressing his wife, the male rat explained, "Our contact has arranged a ship to tow the merchandise to the appointed place." He looked at Seven and grinned maliciously, showing his jagged teeth.

"Well we must be leaving you now young Borg lady" he said. "I am sure you will be safe and if you are not then I hope the end is painless." The rodentine beings turned their weapons on her for a final paralyzing blast and then on a pre-arranged signal they transported off the vessel leaving Seven alone and immobilised.