“Your weapons
and propulsion have been disabled. Lower your shields and prepare to be boarded. The Arcalian Protectorate hereby claims your
vessel.” The three
eyes in the forehead of the scaled alien never blinked as they delivered their ultimatum.
“Engineering,
report!”
“We’re
dead in the water, Captain. We’ve got no engines, we’ve got no weapons and they’re using a dampening field
in their tractor beam to block our power converters. Unless we can break free of that tractor beam, this fight is over.”
“Keep
working on it B’Elanna!” Turning to the science station behind her, Janeway locked gazes with the beautiful former Borg drone who held her heart.
“Seven,
anything?”
“Lt. Torres’ report sums up our position,
Captain. Without breaking free from their tractor beam Voyager is helpless. But if I can reverse several of the power relays
here on the bridge, it may be enough to fire a feedback pulse through our deflector array and break their tractor beam.”
“Do
it, Seven! B’Elanna, send a feedback
tachyon beam through our deflector array. Seven is getting you power now.”
“Acknowledged,
Captain. We’re ready down here.”
The
lithe ex-drone leapt for the access panel beneath the Tactical station. Ripping off the protective cover, she began the dangerous
process of cross-linking power relays. Suddenly, the ship lurched violently. The panel exploded in a shower of sparks and
blew Seven of Nine into the bridge railing. She groaned as blood dripped down her face and she gingerly felt for her broken
ribs.
“Seven,
are you all right?” screamed Janeway.
“I
will survive, Captain. But I am…impaired…by my injuries…”
Jumping
to his feet, Chakotay spun around the command chairs toward the open panel. At last, he thought, the chance I need to show
Kathryn what she’s
been missing. What kind of man she could have in me.
“Don’t
worry, Kathryn. I’ll
save Voyager!”
“Chakotay,
NO! You fucking idiot, you don’t know the right couplings to…”
Voyager
rocked violently again, this time pitching the bumbling First Officer into the open panel. His body fell against two open
contacts, completing the circuit arc. As 80,000 kilovolts flowed through his body, a tachyon feedback pulse shot from Voyager’s
deflector array destroying the Arcalian warship in a huge fireball.
“Engineering!
Status?”
“We’ve
got full power back, Captain, but weapons will take another few minutes.”
“Well
done, Lt. Torres! Stay on it!” Turning toward her helmsman she barked, “Mr. Paris, get us out of here; warp 8!”
“Aye,
aye, Captain!”
The
surge of power vibrated in the deck plates as the star field blurred in the warp bubble. Janeway jumped to her feet and swung
around the railing. Kneeling next to her lover she gently examined the gash on her forehead. Janeway stood and helped Seven
to her feet as she supported her lover with an arm around her waist. They looked down at the charred body of the First Officer.
“Well,
I guess the fucking idiot did save the day…Computer, two to beam to Sick Bay.”
The End
