"It's a food replicator... or at least, it was trying to be," B'Elanna said after examining the device.
We had stayed onboard the Kazon ship after the decontamination process for B'Elanna's examination, to help keep everything quiet about what had happened. It was easy to confirm that it was Starfleet technology, and the cherry on top, was that the bio-neural fibers that made up the pattern buffer relays could only come from the Voyager, as it was the first ship to have them. Finally, we had the smoking gun that there was a traitor onboard.
"We may take replicators for granted, but imagine what it would mean to a culture that doesn't have this technology," Janeway replied.
"They didn't use a thick enough interior shield casing. Once the nucleonic radiation leaked out, a cascade reaction was inevitable."
"Can you tell if any part of the console came from our ship?" Janeway asked.
"There's no doubt about it, Captain. The pattern buffer relays are clearly composed of bio-neural fibers. No other Federation ship would have them. Somebody on board the Voyager gave them what they needed. I guess they just didn't know what to do with it."
"Get everything packed away and transport the console back to the Voyager. I only want you two to work on this, and give me a complete report on everything we've found," Janeway ordered.
"Chakotay to Janeway. Long range sensors have picked up a Kazon Nistrim heading this way," Chakotay's voice came through her comm badge.
"Acknowledged. We are finished here, so we'll be beaming back in a few minutes," Janeway replied.
"Understood."
We helped B'Elanna and Raven pack up the equipment and then we teleported back to the Voyager. Tuvok, B'Elanna, and Raven took everything to Engineering while Janeway and I headed to Sick Bay. She wanted to check on the Kazon survivor and have the doctor check me over as well.
"Rebecca, I wanted to apologize for our reactions back on the Kazon ship," Janeway said while we rode the turbo lift together.
"You don't need to. A ten-foot-tall dragon-human hybrid is intimidating alone, but that form also releases a powerful aura. Raven describes it as being stared at by a hungry beast, and I've felt a few other threatening auras over the years, so I can understand. Katye got lucky with her Fairy Queen transformation; it's a bit provocative, but her aura feels intelligent, curious, and logical," I explained.
"Your transformations are not similar?" she asked with surprise.
"No. Our Dusa forms relate to our Souls, so every person is different."
"Souls? You mean your identity or consciousness?"
"In a sense, but there is a quantifiable source of energy behind what we call our Soul. Overusing it can affect stamina, perception, and even the ability to think while combining it with our mana and even our bodies, our powers can become significantly stronger," I said.
The doors opened, so our conversation ended there. We walked to Sick Bay and, while the Doctor filled in Janeway on the condition of the Kazon, Katye started to examine me with a medical tricorder. There were some traces of nucleonic radiation inside my body, but my natural regeneration was slowly purifying it.
"How are you feeling?" Katye asked as she scanned me.
"A bit of nausea, but it's going away quickly," I replied.
"The radiation levels in your body are dropping quickly; Natblida or dragon, take your pick for the explanation."
"You're the one who always needs a reason for everything, so have fun," I retorted.
"The Doctor has told me that Katye believes that you might be able to heal the radiation damage that the Kazon suffered, otherwise he will have to replace his blood with donors, but they are still going over the blood compatibility tests for the entire crew. That is, if you are feeling up to it," Janeway said, joining us at the bio-bed where I was sitting.
"I don't see any harm in trying," I replied, sliding off the bed. "Plus, it would give you and the Doctor a chance to see the healing process for yourselves."
Janeway gave me a nod and I slid passed Katye, and then made my way to the main bio-bed where the Kazon was lying unconscious. Kes and the Doctor stood behind the console, monitoring the Kazon's condition, while Katye reopened her tricorder and stood at my side next to him. Janeway stood off to the side, out of the way, but close enough that she could easily see everything.
Keeping my mind on the fact that his blood was the problem, I channeled my Light mana into my hands and created a golden glow. I placed them on his shoulder and arm which allowed me to infuse my mana into him. Slowly, the energy purified his blood, and I kept going until I felt the healing energy start to spread into his body.
"Incredible! All traces of the radiation are gone and the metal that had been fused to his blood is gone! How did you do it?" the Doctor asked with excitement.
"Magic," I chuckled. "My healing spell is more of an instinctual thing like how a bird knows how to fly or a fish can swim... I can direct it, but explaining it is about as easy as reciting Pi from memory."
"There is a type of energy that resides in our bodies which allows us to do various things, but Rebecca is the only one who can truly heal. I've tried to figure it out, but so far, I've only managed a minor regeneration spell based off of it, which can only remove fatigue unfortunately," Katye explained.
"He'll still need to sleep for a while before you can question him, Captain. The healing uses both my energy and the patient's stamina," I added.
"That's fine; we have other matters that we can work on until then," Janeway agreed. "Do you need to rest?"
"It can wait until we sort this matter out," I replied.
"Good. Doctor, alert me if he starts to wake up or there is any change in his condition," Janeway instructed before she headed out of the room.
I followed her into the corridor and then onto a turbo lift, heading up to Deck One, but then she ordered the lift to stop.
"Can you use your powers to uncover who betrayed us?" Janeway asked.
"I could, but would everyone be able to accept that I just knew who the traitor was? Without solid proof, your hands are tied, and you know it; this is a Federation ship, after all."
"You know, don't you?" she accused.
"Chiporofita... I know who the guilty party 'should' be, but I have no tangible proof other than they do not smell like the others of their race which isn't proof of their crime," I replied.
"Tell me," Janeway ordered.
"No."
"No? And why not, Captain?"
"Because you can't hide behind my powers any more than I can. Aside from the fact that most people do not understand them and fear them, things do change! I've lost those closest to me because things changed because of my actions. Revealing the traitor is going to hurt a lot of people, so it can't be done casually. We need real evidence," I explained.
Janeway's rising anger simmered down instantly when she understood what I was saying. My predictions were not always right, so condemning someone without proof was wrong. While I did want to reveal Seska right then, it would do a lot of damage to my relationship with Chakotay and B'Elanna, and possibly even make them bitter against Janeway for believing me.
"What can you tell me?" Janeway asked after a few moments.
I smiled and replied, "That First Maje Culluh is a sexist asshole who will likely try to kill the man in Sick Bay if you beam him onboard after the approaching Kazon ship hails you. He succeeded before, but these visions never include my actions, or the actions of any Vazukuru. Your traitor also managed to escape after being confronted, so I'll be bold enough to ask to be present when you do confront the person."
"Fine, you can stop the person from escaping, but I expect for you to come to me if you ever see this ship in danger," Janeway said firmly.
"Of course, Captain. I remained silent because I knew there was little danger directly to the ship and crew, yet it was also a complicated situation. I want to help, but unlike the Q, I understand that my actions have consequences. I may get a glimpse of the future, but it is just a single strand in the infinite possibilities of Fate," I replied somewhat cryptically.
She looked into my eyes for a moment, and I did not hesitate to stare back. My words may not have been the complete truth, but it was not the first time that I had to bend the truth while trying to keep my heart in the right place. We would be facing a lot of things in the future, so she needed to accept that I was here to help, but that I would also keep some things from her. Unlike the rest of her crew, I truly was her equal, and I did not need her any more than she needed me.
"Have you ever lied to me?" Janeway asked suddenly.
"Yes, in the technical sense, but not in the heart. I can't explain everything about me and my kind, but the lies I've made have been to make it easier for us to relate, nothing more," I said without hesitation.
She stared into my eyes for another moment before she looked away and ordered, "Computer, resume."
Janeway seemed to get the answer or feeling that she needed and let the matter drop. This was my first step into truly gaining her trust, but it could still be broken with ease if I made a real mistake. I joined Janeway in her Ready Room while Chakotay and Tuvok briefed us on what they had already discovered.
"Someone did make an unauthorized transmission," Tuvok said.
"And whoever it was, was an expert at covering their tracks," Chakotay added.
"The signal was masked by a test of the dorsal emitters that we conducted a week ago."
"Who was working on that test?" Janeway asked.
"Only the whole Engineering crew," Chakotay replied.
"We're trying to trace the station where the signal originated. Again, the perpetrator was skilled enough to make the tracking process extremely difficult for us," Tuvok said.
"It's like working backwards through a maze of circuits. We keep bumping into dead ends. Too bad that you can't snap your fingers and place the traitor in front of us, Rebecca," Chakotay said with the only bit of humor that he could muster up at the moment.
"Unfortunately, even if I could, that explanation would not work for the whole crew," I replied.
"I want you two to keep searching for answers and be sure to check everyone's story that was on the away mission," Janeway ordered.
"Finding out exactly where the replicator components were taken from could be a juicy piece of bait once we have some suspects, if they aren't tampering with that information already," I suggested.
"Do it..." Janeway agreed.
As soon as she gave the order, an explosion rocked the ship and the lighting changed as the ship automatically went into Red Alert. All of us rushed out of the room and onto the Bridge where Harry was typing away quickly at his console.
"Report!" Janeway ordered.
"There was an explosion in Engineering. B'Elanna and Raven have been beamed to Sick Bay with major injuries," Harry replied.
Both Janeway and Chakotay turned to look back at me, but I had already teleported myself by the turbo lift. I did not bother to say anything and walked onto the lift. Everyone could easily guess where I was heading, so I did not feel the need to explain.
Thankfully, the turbo lift right off the Bridge was next to Sick Bay. The Kazon had been moved to one of the side beds, and B'Elanna was laying on another one with minor burns. Raven was on the main bio-bed where the Doctor, Kes, and Katye were already around her and had started treatment. Her entire back had been badly burned and there were gashes which had been caused by bits of metal that the Doctor was currently pulling out of her body.
"Easy, Becca... her condition is stable. The Doctor will have no trouble treating her," Katye said, moving away from the table and straight for me.
In our last life, I had been the one who always seemed to get hurt, so seeing Raven like this made my blood boil. Unfortunately, my emotions were tied to my powers, so my aura was seeping out and a wisp or two of flames could be seen appearing on my shoulders. I took in a deep breath as she placed a hand on my chest.
"I guess this is what it's like when you've had to carry my broken body back somewhere," I said through gritted teeth.
"She'll be fine, I promise. This isn't Eden and medical technology is far better here," Katye replied.
"I can heal her."
"And you would be useless for the next day. There are still things that need to be figured out," Katye said as the usual voice of reason.
The doors to Sick Bay opened and Janeway and Chakotay walked in. Katye motioned her head towards them then headed back to the Doctor to assist him. I sighed and walked over to the two of them who had stopped at the foot of B'Elanna's bed.
"I'm sorry for rushing ahead. My emotions are harder to control than most people's, so I needed to confirm her condition before I became too upset and I did something by accident," I apologized.
"I understand, Rebecca. I've sent Tuvok down to Engineering to find out what exactly happened," Janeway replied.
"There was a boobytrap placed in the console," B'Elanna groaned as she sat up. "Somehow, my tricorder did not pick up traces of it before we beamed it over, but while Raven and I were examining it closer, there was suddenly a power surge. She reacted faster than I could see and threw both of us to the ground before it could explode in my face... She saved my life."
I gritted my teeth in anger since this was not something that happened in the show. It was just a minor change that I had made by retrieving the console instead of allowing the Voyager crew to do it, but that also meant that Seska's Cardassian blood was never exposed. There were already plenty of clues still pointing at her, so with my tip to Janeway that there was someone faking their race, I had thought that it would be enough. Unfortunately, there was no real way for me to predict the effects of my changes.
"Who all were in Engineering at the time?" I asked.
"Lieutenant Carey, Ensign Vorik, Ensign Seska, Nicoletti, Ashmore, Suder... but none of them went anywhere near the console," B'Elanna replied.
Janeway watched my expression while B'Elanna listed off the names, but thankfully, my anger was mostly under control, so I did not reveal anything.
"No one needed to if they could trigger the explosion remotely. Whoever did this was trying to destroy the evidence," I said, crossing my arms.
"But even so, we already know that the parts came from the Voyager. Destroying the console only slows down our ability to track down where the replicator came from," Chakotay said.
"Which is the point, they are waiting for..." I retorted, but then was cut off.
"Bridge to Captain Janeway," Harry's voice came through Janeway's badge. "The approaching Kazon ship is hailing us."
All three of them looked at me surprised since it was as if I predicted this, but I had already learned in my last life that little surprises like this would pop up at convenient times.
"Harry, bring up the shields and shut down all transporter systems. We're on our way to the Bridge," Janeway ordered.
"Uh... yes, ma'am."
"Janeway to Tuvok. I want you and your Security Teams to lock down the Shuttle Bay and make sure that no one enters," Janeway instructed as she led Chakotay and I out of Sick Bay.
I paused for a moment at the doorway and looked back at Raven. Katye caught my eye and gave me silent confirmation that she would watch over her. With little other choice, I left them behind and headed into the turbo lift with Janeway and Chakotay. We started for the Bridge, but like before, she stopped the lift midway.
"I want a name, Rebecca! Someone on this ship betrayed us and then tried to kill two of my officers, one of which you are clearly attached to," Janeway ordered.
I sighed, trying to smother my bubbling anger, and replied, "I can only prove that they are not who they say they are."
"We will find the evidence afterwards, but this is now a danger to this ship and crew!"
"I don't understand; you know who the traitor is?" Chakotay asked, surprised.
"Things can be different and that explosion in Engineering proves it because that was not in my vision! If I'm wrong..."
"What would you have done if Raven had been killed in that explosion?" Chakotay asked.
"Killed her with my bare hands, hopefully before I lost control of my powers and accidently destroyed the Voyager," I growled then sighed, "Seska... The Doctor can run a blood analysis which will prove that she is a Cardassian."
"That's impossible!" he scoffed.
"I know that you have feelings for her, Chakotay, but I'm telling you the truth. Originally, she had been injured, trying to get the console on her own, and then the Doctor would have discovered it while he treated her. She'll even try to deny it, saying that she had Orkett's disease which she only survived thanks to a bone marrow transplant from a Cardassian woman, but the Doctor can also prove that, that's a lie."
"She can't be," he continued to deny, but the tone of his voice had changed.
Janeway looked at Chakotay, who was clearly having a difficult time accepting what I had said, then back at me. "Computer, resume turbo lift," she sighed, "We'll handle this after we speak to the Kazon. The Doctor can confirm whether or not she is a Cardassian while also administrating an ARA scan during our questions. I promise that we will do nothing more without solid proof or her admission."
"Alright, thank you, Captain," he said quietly.
We reached the Bridge and walked out. Janeway had Harry hail the Kazon vessel and put it on the main viewscreen while Chakotay and I sat in our normal seats. First Maje Jal Culluh was just as pleasant in real life as he was in the show, so not at all. He was used to ruling over his sect, given to him by his father, through fear and violence, and the idea that women could hold an equal level of power and respect, had never once crossed his mind. He was a typical entitled leader whose obsession that he was the best, was quickly causing his sect to crumble under his ambitions and uselessness. Without Seska to coach him, there was a good chance that the Nistrim would collapse before the Voyager could leave Kazon space.
He demanded to speak to the survivor, and Janeway agreed, of course, because he was not a prisoner. The survivor had not woken up so far, but when we walked in with the Maje and his attendant, the Doctor was waking him up. Conveniently, he had no memories of what had happened and even denied ever traveling to the planet where we had been earlier that day. Janeway allowed him to leave with Culluh since it was clear that he would not be of any help to us.
After Culluh and the other Kazons were transported back to their ship, Janeway ordered for the transporters to be taken off-line again. Janeway and I headed back to Sick Bay while Chakotay and Tuvok went to collect Seska. We excused everyone but the Doctor from the room, and I asked Katye to make sure that Echo did not do anything reckless once she learned of everything that had happened over the past few hours. Our real saving grace for the past six hours was that she had started her training programs after Katye was called in to assist the Doctor, or Echo would have egged me into losing control after Raven was hurt; I had only been able to regain my composure so quickly because of Katye.
While we waited on Chakotay and Tuvok to return with Seska, I walked over to the bio-bed where Raven was laying, still on her stomach. Her outfit had been changed, and what I could see of her back seemed healed, but I still could not help thinking about how close I had come to losing her. I ran my fingers gently through her hair and sighed.
"There were numerous times in our old lives where I was the person lying unconscious because of whatever attack while she had to be the one worrying about me... I guess it's about time that she worried me," I said softly.
"I'm sorry, Rebecca, I..." Janeway started.
"Kathryn, this isn't your fault any more than it is mine," I said, cutting her off and using her first name to emphasize my point. "Being a leader means that you have to look at the bigger picture, which I learned a long time ago, despite never accepting it fully. I prefer black and white, but sadly the 'world' only exists in shades of gray. I could have told you about Seska sooner and she never would have had the chance to detonate the console because you would have moved her away from Engineering, even if I proved to be nothing but hot air. This happened because I wanted to prove myself, and my value, to you; ultimately, I got cocky."
Janeway was quiet for a while, but before she was ready to speak, Chakotay, Tuvok, and Seska walked into Sick Bay. The Doctor entered quickly afterwards, having already been briefed on what would be happening. Despite the different beginning, the questioning slowly fell into place with the show.
"...The one thing I still can't understand is... why?" Chakotay asked, having taken the lead in the questioning.
"I did it for you. I did it for this crew," Seska said with a bit of a self-righteous tone. "We are alone here, at the mercy of any number of hostile aliens because of the incomprehensible decision of a Federation Captain. A Federation Captain who destroyed our only chance to get home. Federation rules, Federation nobility, Federation compassion?" her tone was mocking now. "Do you understand? If this had been a Cardassian ship, we would be home now. We must begin to forge alliances. To survive, we must have powerful friends. The Kazon Nistrim were willing to be our protectors in return for some minor technology!"
"Minor technology that could change the balance of power in this Quadrant," Janeway said.
"Change it in our favor! That is all that matters at this point... building a base of power in this Quadrant! You are a fool, Captain," Seska spat then looked at Chakotay. "And you are a fool to follow her! I can't imagine how I ever loved you. Computer, Command XJL."
Despite the fact that transporters were supposed to be offline, I sensed the same sensors locking onto Seska position, and the ripple of Space energy which was the sign of a transporter beam, along with a blue light shimmering around her body. This was the moment that I had been waiting for, so with a wave of my hand I casted Spatial Lock and a shimmering orange barrier appeared, which covered a ten-foot radius of me. It was enough to cover Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok, and Seska, and painted a pretty obvious picture of what I had done.
"There are more important things than power, Seska," I said. "You gave up friendship, and love... because you didn't like Janeway's decisions? Please, you were selfish and wanted control. Be happy that I respect Captain Janeway after you nearly killed Raven, or your fate would be different."
::Unable to process command.:: the computer chimed.
"Bridge to Captain Janeway," Harry said frantically. "The transporter systems have come online! Some kind of program activated and overrode the Bridge's command with a security lockout. There was a transport that started, but before the sensors could lock onto the signal, something deflected them. All I can say is that it was something on Deck Five."
"Understood, Ensign Kim. Start working through the lockout then shut down our transporter systems again. Lieutenant Paris, set our original course towards the Alpha Quadrant and engage at Warp Six," Janeway instructed.
Chakotay could not stand the matter any longer and left Sick Bay. Tuvok escorted Seska to the Brig a few minutes later since she had already confessed. Janeway waited for another moment or two while I moved over to Raven's side once again then she left as well.
I ran a hand over Raven's head and said softly, "That's one problem solved, but what is going to take her place is still a mystery for now."