Part 14 added on 21 Dec 2001
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: PG13
Striding onto the bridge, Kathryn Janeway tried her best to put the recent conversation with Seven from her mind. It wasn't easy. Knowing that the young woman was actively pursuing a sexual relationship, even if she hadn't actually performed the act itself, was rather disturbing. It wasn't that she disapproved of Seven's choice of partner, after some thought Kathryn had realised that B'Elanna was an ideal match for her young charge. They were both highly intelligent, single minded, obstinate, loyal, honest and probably too much for anyone else on the ship to handle. A match made in heaven, or at least the weirdness that was life in the Delta Quadrant. No, Kathryn had no objections to Seven's choice. She objected to the thought of her child taking that final step into adulthood.
Shaking her head, Kathryn took her place on the bridge and attempted to focus her thoughts on the, somewhat precarious, retreat they were about to put into action. It didn't work. As she brought up the sensor readings for the projected trajectory of the torpedoes, all Kathryn could see was Seven's openly inquisitive face as she asked about the best way to initiate a sexual encounter. It was one of the few instances when Kathryn Janeway had been truly flummoxed. Rationally she knew Seven was a grown woman, with the sexual urges of an adult, but that hadn't stopped her from picturing the younger woman as a naive child who was in someways reliant on her for instruction. Not in matters of science or engineering, but in matters of humanity.
She should have realised that Seven wouldn't wait around to be hand-fed every advance in her growing self discovery. It was so like the young woman to make this giant leap in her individuality without asking for any help. Kathryn punched a few more buttons to access the latest systems checks from engineering, her mind slowly beginning to focus on her task. Seeing Seven's ID affixed to one of the reports, Kathryn knew the young woman had made it back to engineering and in record time. This brought a smile to her lips, as she recalled the eager anticipation that had flashed across Seven's once impassive face, as she was allowed to rejoin B'Elanna. It was a sight that made Kathryn mourn the loss her own first love, while at the same time rejoice in Seven's new-found happiness. She just wished that happiness hadn't included discussing sexual strategies with her.
Kathryn's sigh garnered a concerned look from Chakotay, who immediately began scanning the data on his console to see what had brought about the melancholy sound. Kathryn ignored him, knowing she only had a few minutes to settle her mind before they began their escape attempt and the best way to settle it was by working through her problem. So leaning back in her chair, Kathryn tried to order her thoughts into a logical pattern that would have made Tuvok proud.
She was disturbed that Seven was anticipating taking such a giant step, as making love for the first time, without asking for her advice or blessing. At the same time, she was also disturbed when Seven came to her to discuss the means by which to precipitate her first sexual encounter. The contradiction wasn't lost on Kathryn and it brought another smile to her lips. Tuvok was right, she was acting like an overprotective mother. She needed to let go and allow Seven to make her own decisions, while waiting patiently in the wings to offer guidance and support. She just prayed that guidance could bypass further talks about sex.
Engaging the comm. Kathryn hailed engineering, the sound of B'Elanna's calmly authoritative voice reminding her that it was the young half Klingon who would be guiding Seven through this next stage in her growing humanity. Then recalling Seven's determination when discussing her plans to instigate a sexual encounter, counter to B'Elanna's wishes to take things slow, Kathryn sent out a little prayer for her chief engineer. The young woman didn't stand a chance.
*
Having been given the order to proceed by the Captain, B'Elanna signalled her engineering team to activate the modified Borg cloak, that would camouflage the ship as a piece of floating solar matter. It was a delicate procedure, that required constant adjustments from her team to counteract the interference from the dying sun's radiation and constant vigilance to detect any problem areas related to the enemy vessels' sensor capabilities. All their hard work could be made useless in less than a second if the vessels' sensors were able to see past their disguise and then it would simply be a matter of running as fast as they could and praying they could somehow evade the other ships.
"All systems are at peak efficiency." Came Seven's controlled voice, as her fingers flew gracefully across a console.
B'Elanna watched as Seven's hands seemed to caress the console, finding the action oddly arousing, until she remembered her decision to slow down their relationship. Silently she chastised herself for letting her hormones get the better of her, again. "Right. Prepare for torpedo launch sequence."
Seven contacted Tuvok on the bridge to co-ordinate the launch of the torpedoes. Her specific task in the forthcoming procedure was to monitor the sensor readings from the sun's corona and to chart any shifts in activity that could alter the expected consequence of the torpedoes detonation. After the torpedoes had detonated, Seven became responsible for tracking the solar debris and plotting a course that would keep them from colliding with any of the objects, while at the same time making it appear that they were just another lump of molten rock. "Torpedoes launched." She informed B'Elanna and the rest of the engineering team, her blue eyes never leaving the stream of sensor readings that cascaded down her console. "Detonation in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Detonation sequence complete."
"Shields at 72%." Vorik intoned, calmly diverting all excess energy to bolster the shield matrix that would protect them for the millions of tiny particles that had been sent hurtling through the system by the explosion.
Seconds after the detonation, Captain Janeway had given the order for Voyager's departure and the ship had began a spinning motion away from the sun. The readings B'Elanna spied on her console, made her glad the inertial dampners surpressed any feeling of motion for those inside, otherwise the constant rotation would have made her sick to her stomach by now. She briefly wondered how those on the bridge were handling the sight of the stars swooping across the view screen, in a carnival ride of galactic proportion. She hoped for their sake the Captain had turned the thing off, or perhaps just restricted the view to the chief pilot. Green was such a good colour on Tom.
"Why are you laughing?" Seven asked quizzically, her voice low so as not to attract the attention of those around her.
B'Elanna spared the other woman a fleeting look, noting how the young blonde was managing to keep abreast of her work while at the same time garner her with a questioning gaze. "An... Illogical thought." B'Elanna finally answered, not sure how to easily explain her wish to see Tom vomiting his heart out on the bridge.
An ocular implant rose, but Seven said nothing, too absorbed in the newest readings from the sensor array. "I am detecting a large piece of solar material on a direct course with Voyager. Impact in one minute twenty-eight seconds." Seven fed the information to the helm, along with the latest report on the positions of the enemy vessels, all of which had moved after the initial explosion.
*
On the bridge, Tom received the latest reports from Seven, which not only indicated the threat of the approaching rock but the imminent arrival of an enemy ship. He had been briefed countless times on his duties during the present mission; to keep Voyager's speed and trajectory in accordance with the other pieces of debris, to avoid collisions with any substantial pieces of solar matter and finally, to keep as much distance as possible between Voyager and the three enemy ships. At the time he'd thought it a 'piece of cake', now he wasn't so sure.
With less than two minutes to make his decision, Tom put aside his usual bravado and nonchalance and let his instincts take over. For once he wasn't trying to impress anyone, or score brownie points to further his career or chances with the ladies. His sole concern was to save his own life and that of everyone he knew. The man now at the helm of Voyager was very different from the boy who usually piloted the ship, for those precious moments, Tom became the man he should have been; responsible, intelligent and brave.
"Enemy vessel approaching." Came Tuvok's voice, the Vulcan's monotone drowned out by Tom's frantic thoughts and calculations. "They will be within optical range in one minute eighteen seconds."
With those words the tension on the bridge intensified. They all knew of the dangers of optical sight, where Voyager was so close to an enemy that they could literally see the ship with their own eyes. For all their technology and the hard work of the engineering team, they had only ever managed to find a way to fool the other ships' sensors and computer networks. The simple notion of someone actually getting close enough to see Voyager unaided by sensors was normally too farfetched to be seriously considered.
"Brace for impact!" Tom shouted, working too fast to inform his commanding officers about the course of action he was attempting. "Aft-shields to maximum."
Changing the rotation of Voyager by 0.89 degrees and increasing their speed by 2%, Tom set them on a collision course with a lump of molten solar matter the size of a large city. The rocks size alone was enough to flatten Voyager like a tin can, but add to that its velocity and you had a disaster waiting to happen. In a matter of seconds Voyager's, dimmed, view screen was consumed by the sight of the approaching rock, its bulk blocking out even the rays of the nearby sun.
"Collision in ten seconds." Tuvok announced, at the same time bracing his hands against the side of the tactical console.
Tom was glued to his sensor readings, waiting for the exact moment when the rock totally obscured them from the view of the enemy vessel. When that moment came, he increased the power to the impulse engines for two seconds, while changing their heading by a further 4 degrees. Voyager closed in on the rock, impact now unavoidable.
"All hands brace for impact." Janeway shouted over the comm., her announcement coming too late for most, who found themselves buffeted from one side of their work station to another, as the two objects slammed into each other.
Voyager shook, the shield matrix close to buckling under the extreme pressure, before Tom once again engaged the thrusters. Using the proximity of the rock for a block, Voyager pushed off in the opposite direction, its previous speed and rotation once again attained.
"Damage report." Kathryn ordered, still uncertain about what had just happened. "Mr Paris, mind telling me why you decided to play chicken with a speeding asteroid?" Her voice was agitated, but not yet angry.
"One moment Captain." Tom replied, as he diligently re-calibrated his flight path sensors. "Using the rocks own momentum and rate of rotation, I calculated that an increase in our own speed and a minor change in angle, would allow us to safely rebound from the rocks surface." One look at Kathryn's face told him she wasn't as yet satisfied. "The changes were minute and as such would go unnoticed by the other vessels, while at the same time allowing us to alter our course and take advantage of the rock for protection."
"Protection?"
It was Tuvok who answered, having received the latest report on the position of the enemy vessels. "Captain, it would seem that by altering course, we have become masked by the 'rock' from all direct sensors and optical readings. We are of course, still visible by indirect sensors but these have so far proven to be fooled by our cloaking device."
"So they can't see us." Kathryn bestowed a warm smile on the helmsman, for the first time in days she actually remembered why she'd allowed him to become a member of the senior staff. "Good work Mr Paris. Although a little warning next time would be appreciated."
"Yes ma'am." With those words and the praise of his captain still ringing in his ears, the conscientious pilot was once again transformed into the boy pilot who was trying to work out how to best use his latest success to his own advantage.
*
The collision with the rock had left the engineering team scrambling desperately to maintain the shields and protect them from the force of the crash. Sparks rained down from one of the relay conduits on the upper tier, where several of the systems had shorted out, and several of the engineering team where nursing injuries inflicted by the sudden and momentary loss of the inertial dampners.
Still smarting from the bump to the head she had received in the collision, B'Elanna hailed the bridge only to be assaulted with the news of how masterful Tom's piloting had been, while at he same time receiving a reprimand for her language. Looking around at the mess that had assailed her engine room, B'Elanna just wanted to flatten Tom and send him to the Starfleet equivalent of drivers ed.
"Ensign Paris' rather unorthodox approach seems to have produced exemplary results." Seven commented, having read the sensor logs concerning the event.
B'Elanna just looked at her incredulously. "Look what he did to my engine room!"
"We are experiencing temporary difficulties." Seven acknowledged. "However, his handling of the situation did enable us to not only avoid the large piece of solar material, but to further mask our signal from the approaching enemy vessel."
B'Elanna looked ready to argue but was forestalled when Seven passed her a data padd containing the particulars of Tom's actions and quickly moved off to help Vorik with the shield enhancements. Reading through the data, B'Elanna had to admit that Seven was right, Tom's actions had been exemplary and very probably saved them from being detected. She just wished he could have done it without reducing her engine room to a junk yard.
"Shields are at 87%." Seven informed her, having retaken her place at the main sensor console. "It should be sufficient to protect the ship from further damage until we have adequate time to make repairs."
"Good." B'Elanna handed Seven back the padd. "You were right about Tom, he did do a good job." After scanning her own console once more, she added. "I guess I sometimes forget what a good pilot he really is."
"His skill in that area does seem to be above average." Seven concurred.
"It's a good thing really." B'Elanna added with a smile. "Otherwise there'd be no reason to keep him alive."
Seven looked at her in mock surprise, before the tiniest of smiles edged her lips. "Of course, once the new pilots have been trained, that reason would no longer be relevant."
The two women took a moment to share a fond smile, before carrying on with their duties and helping to put as much distance between them and the enemy as possible. Until finally the Captain announced they were out of immediate danger and going to warp.
To Be Continued.