Voyager kept an eye on the long-range sensors, but the Hazari remained out of sight. None of my group was surprised about that as Echo had left behind a few Spell Stones on the Think Tank's ship, which allowed us to keep tabs on them. They were still attempting to crack Raven's encryption, much to Raven's delight, so the Hazari should only be a fleeting memory from now on.
Aside from giving Voyager a copy of the data that Raven had... acquired from the Think Tank, she had also added that information to our 'special' holo-deck, allowing for the members of the Think Tank to join it. While I wanted nothing to do with the geniuses of the Delta Quadrant, Katye, Raven, and surprisingly even Echo had drafted a few of them into their regular instructors on the holo-deck; I could already foresee our sparring sessions becoming more complex.
On a rare day off, and alone, I decided to make a few bottles of Spirit Wine. I summoned Ishu, my ghostly chimera assassin, and had him help correct my technique. Thankfully, his attitude had done a one-eighty since I first beat him and forged our contract, so he was more than happy to help me. We made three bottles, one by one, which I marked special as Ishu warned that these would be nearly twice as strong as the normal ones that I made, but before I could start my fourth bottle, I received a page through the comm system.
"Janeway to Rebecca. Meet me in Sick Bay," Janeway said.
I sighed, releasing Ishu, then tapped my badge and replied, "Understood. I'm on my way."
Any time that I was summoned to Sick Bay always ended up with some kind of trouble, episode or not. There was an episode that was due to pop up, and none of us were excited about it even though Janeway would likely assign us to handle it. Sadly, stepping into the room, I saw two Malon laying on a couple of bio-beds, so I was sure that we had stumbled into the episode.
The Malon, garbage men of the Delta Quadrant, had been traveling with a full load of toxic waste when their ship 'malfunctioned' and was on the verge of exploding, which would flood a five light-year radius with theta radiation. Of course, it was not a simple malfunction, but rather a member of the Malon crew who sabotaged the ship. Having absorbed so much radiation, his body mutated and was dying, so he decided to take everyone with him. B'Elanna crossed paths with him while she tried to repair the ship, but in the end, Voyager had to direct the ship into a star that would contain the radiation.
With me joining the group in Sick Bay, the Doctor woke up one of the Malons, so that Janeway could question him. His warning about his ship being ready to explode was similar to the one he gave in the episode, and while Janeway was determined for us to shut it down before it could, our warp drive was knocked out due to the heavy theta radiation. Just as we guessed, Janeway asked me to lead the away team over to the Malon frigate to contain the toxic waste with the help of the two Malon workers, though both had their objections initially which was quickly suppressed by Janeway's threat to return them to their escape pods.
Although it was an episode where you got to see some of B'Elanna's growth in controlling her Klingon temper, it was still better for us to handle the mission. Seven still gave Janeway the backup plan of directing the ship to fly into a star, but I had confidence that we could handle the matter on our own. When Katye and I both transported onto the Malon ship, we both quickly realized that we had the ability to convert the radiation into pure mana without too much difficulty. Thanks to that, we were able to pass through the levels quickly and get the Malon frigate under control, once we dealt with the over-radiated Malon that was determined to die with a bang.
Despite our powers keeping the radiation at bay, I still needed three showers before I finally felt clean again. I would risk Janeway's anger before I agreed to another stay on a Malon frigate. It was ridiculous how much grime and filth got on us when we did little more than walk through the corridors, freaking trash barge of the galaxy.
After that, we all had a few quiet weeks. No crazy space anomalies, giant alien life forms, or battling alien empires, just mostly empty space for us to travel through. It gave us all a chance to focus on our training via the Mental Plane and holo-deck. After so long, I was almost excited when Janeway called me to her Ready Room.
I walked into the room to find Janeway looking around her desk almost frantically until she found a small pip on the ground. She was in her dress uniform, which reminded me that we were meeting the Kadi today. While they seemed somewhat familiar, I wanted nothing to do with an over-religious cult-like alien group, nor did anyone else from my group. Neelix had been going on all week about everything that he was preparing for the ambassador.
"Help me with this," she said, holding out the pip.
"As long as you aren't calling me to join you on this mission," I grumbled and took the platinum stud.
"As entertaining as it would be to watch you battle your boredom, I need this to be a successful mission if we are going to get the minerals that we need," she retorted as I pinned the pip in place.
I shrugged, "I'm not a diplomat, nor do I want to be."
Janeway chuckled, shaking her head, and picked up a pad then handed it to me. "I'm sure you heard about B'Elanna and Seven last night?"
"B'Elanna and Seven?" I asked with a bit of amusement and curiosity before glancing through the information, the pieces falling into place.
"Apparently, Seven has been watching Tom and B'Elanna for the last few weeks and the lieutenant confronted her in the Mess Hall. Aside from very detailed notes about that couple, she has been studying another unique relationship onboard the ship... yours, or rather, your group's."
"Oh? This should be good," I chuckled, curious to see what Seven thought of our relationship.
Janeway moved behind her desk and took a sip of her drink before saying, "I also found that she plans to join your crew."
"Mmm... Katye's decision, approved by the rest of us. Seven's root with the Borg language gives her incredible potential as an arcane mage, like Katye. Not only will Katye be an excellent teacher, but arcane magic is the best for combatting the negative effects of my own, so an extra hand would be nice... but all of that relies on us returning to the Alpha Quadrant, so nothing is formal," I explained casually, getting to the part that I wanted to see.
It seemed that our dear Seven had been studying us for quite some time, even longer than B'Elanna and Tom. Our relationship was not easy for her to figure out as Katye was not the type to show a lot of affection in front of outsiders and, unlike Tom's and B'Elanna's room, the Fae Dragon was properly sound-proofed. By Seven's opinion, Katye was the one in charge of our five-person relationship and I was the "puppy" that ran between all the girls; while not wrong, the analogy still stung my pride.
"She better hope she stays out of the relationship, or I'll show her who the real puppy is," I grumbled to myself.
"I take it she said something you don't agree with," Janeway said, suppressing her chuckle.
"Something like that," I retorted, tucking the pad under my arm.
"Well, since you have recruited Seven to your crew, I hope that you can handle this. Although Seven did not break any rules, I don't want her treating the ship like a nature preserve," Janeway instructed.
"I'll have Katye talk to her. She'll listen to her more than me any day," I agreed.
"You aren't... planning to bring her into your 'group', are you?" Janeway asked.
"We haven't finalized any plans for her exact recruitment into the lesbian coven, but they are in the works," I chuckled, then said, "We aren't actively drawing her into our relationship. We don't even know if she's into women, hell, she probably doesn't even know. Seven's decisions are hers, and hers alone; no one is going to go out of their way to pull her over to us."
Janeway smirked at my statement and replied, "I'm just saying it because it seems like Seven might be ready to try being in a relationship. It would be a big step for her, and I hope you would encourage her."
"Sure, and I'll suggest the same to Katye."
"Good. Now, I need to be off before I'm late," Janeway stated.
"Have fun with the Kadi," I replied as I headed for the door.
While she headed to the Bridge, I took the side door and snuck off the deck without passing anyone else. Technically, I had a duty shift in the Aeroponics Bay, but I was not in a rush and made my way to Sick Bay instead. Katye and Danara were on duty, working on a bio-bed, but they must have been doing some maintenance on it as no one was lying on it.
"Ai hodnes... what brings you here?" Katye asked with surprise.
"Janeway. She wants you to have a chat with our newest member. Encourage her pursuit, but remind her that people don't like being studied," I replied, holding out the data pad that Janeway had given me.
"They grow up so fast," Katye chuckled, scanning my mind for the general details. "Alright, I'll talk to her by the end of the day."
"Thanks... Danara, you're looking lovely as always," I said.
"Thank you, Rebecca," she replied.
"The Doc is still treating you right? Do you need me to give him any lectures?" I asked with a smile.
Danara's cheeks reddened as she stammered, "The Doctor is a per... perfect gentleman."
"Well, if that gets boring, just let me know. I'm sure that I can give him plenty of tips for you," I teased with a wink.
"Be gone, mischievous Dragon," Katye ordered.
I snickered but did not argue. Poor Danara was bright red, still not used to my teasing, despite the years onboard. Eventually, I found my way to the Aeroponics Bay and started my shift. It was a quiet day, as were most, in which I harvested a few baskets of vegetables and sped the growth of everything else in the room. After I dropped off the vegetables in the Mess Hall kitchen, as Neelix was busy with the Kadi ambassador, I was done for the day and hurried back to our ship, so that I could find out how Katye's talk went.
I was not the first person back on the ship, as Katye had beaten me here, but it was her guest that amused me. Seven was standing next to her in the kitchen, helping Katye prepare the ingredients for our dinner. Filigree was laying on her stomach on Katye's couch, reading a data pad and kicking her legs back and forth absentmindedly.
"Have you been good today?" I asked, walking up to Filigree's side and messing up her hair.
"I'm always good!" Filigree defended.
"Until Naomi pulls you into something," I chuckled. "Hey, Seven, joining us for dinner?"
"Yes, Katye insisted for me to join you all tonight," Seven replied without looking up from her chopping.
"Well, that's good. If you really are going to join our crew whenever we return to the Alpha Quadrant, you should hang out with us more often. Getting used to our group isn't a quick process, and you'll be stuck with us for a long time," I said, walking over to the kitchen. "Would either of you like a drink?"
"Peach wine tonight," Katye replied.
"Alcohol impairs my cortical function. Water will suffice," Seven stated.
"That's the point of it, Seven," I chuckled, pulling out a bottle of peach Spirit Wine.
"Don't let the alcoholic corrupt you, Seven," Raven called out as she climbed the stairs to the second floor.
I laughed as I pulled out cups for everyone and threatened, "I guess this alcoholic doesn't need to make any more strawberry wine then."
"Did I say 'alcoholic'? I meant award winning 'vintner'," Raven said quickly as she closed in to my side and slid an arm around my waist.
"Cute," I smirked and kissed her on the cheek.
I noticed Seven eyeing us out of the corner of her eye. Although I wanted to tease her, I knew that I would have plenty of time in the future. Seven was not shy about most things, so if she wanted to know anything, I knew that she would ask flat out.
Raven pulled me over to the counter where we normally sat while Katye cooked. I poured wine for the three of us while I condensed some water in the air to fill Seven's cup.
"So, where is Echo and L'Naan?" I asked as I sipped on my drink since both should have been off today.
"L'Naan traded some holo-deck time with Tom, so they're likely busy killing holographic dragons. She said they have it until nineteen hundred hours, so we don't need to wait on them for dinner," Katye explained then grabbed her drink and swallowed it down in one go.
{Jok yu for not inviting me.} I complained through our link.
Echo did not answer in words but allowed me to 'see' through her eyes. Several dozen drakling laid dead at her feet and L'Naan's, yet more were running towards them. Her bow appeared in her hands, and she drew back the string, forming a mana arrow of black and icy blue. Although she was not sharing her senses or thoughts of what she was doing, I could recognize that this was a new elemental combination spell.
She released the string and the moment the magic arrow struck its target, the center drakling in a group of six, a deafening crack split the air, followed by an eruption of icy winds laced with swirling flecks of black. The blizzard howled outward in a furious vortex, consuming everything in its path with an unnatural chill that gnawed through stone and steel alike. Shards of obsidian-flecked frost spiraled violently, their jagged edges biting into the ground and draklings before vanishing into the maelstrom. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the storm collapsed inward, the winds dying with an eerie finality. In its wake, an eerie silence settled over the battlefield, broken only by the faint creak of ice settling. The targets, now statues of frozen death, stood locked in place, their forms encased in a smooth sheet of frost with a haunting black tinge. If the draklings had survived the blast, they would no doubt be infected by the Yin mana poisoning that I was sure was infused with the spell.
"Damn... that's a nasty spell," I commented with annoyance as I knew I would be on the receiving end of it soon enough.
"What?" Raven asked.
"Echo showed me a new spell of hers: Dual-elemental combination of Ice and Yin, judging by the colors. It's going to be annoying in our spars," I grumbled.
"Dual-elemental spell? Even I haven't completed one," Raven complained with a sigh.
"Echo has been focusing on multi elemental spells since we joined Voyager, and you had a pretty big interruption to your training. In a sense, you're stuck in the same situation that I was in our last world, plenty of potential, yet not enough time to focus on one thing. Our simple-minded lovers can focus on one thing while we want to focus on everything to make sure that they will stay alive," Katye teased.
I rolled my eyes while Raven chuckled.
"Besides, even with the dual-elemental spell, you still have more raw power than Echo and L'Naan combined... you just need some time to refine your style," Katye added with a smirk.
"Or you could just slack off and let me pamper you every day," I offered, pulling Raven closer and resting my chin on her shoulder.
"You wish," she chuckled and kissed my forehead.
Yet again, I noticed Seven's eyes stealthily on us as she continued to work over the stove, next to Katye.
{So? How did it go with Seven?} I asked Katye telepathically, no longer able to resist.
{When she agreed to join our crew, she assumed that she was also agreeing to joining our relationship, which was why she was studying Tom and B'Elanna and us. She 'did not know what role she was expected to fill'. Obviously, I cleared up the confusion, insisting that we are not expecting her to 'join' us that way. She is welcome to join us if she wants, but she is more than welcome to pursue anyone that she wants. If she wants to stay with them in the Alpha Quadrant or even have them join our crew, that's her decision and we will respect it, unless her partner of choice has ill will.} Katye replied while flipping the steaks on the burner.
{Aww... I thought you wanted the hot ex-Borg.} I teased.
{There's no need to rush or push her. Seven is still figuring out who she is and needs people around her who will support her more than some fun between the sheets.}
{True, and it's not like our bed is lacking anyways. I wonder if she will still get feelings for Chakotay by the end? If they start a relationship, we might be able to rope Chakotay into our crew for the next universe and make him our public relations person, ha!} I sent back, unable to stop a chuckle from escaping my lips.
"Private conversations?" Raven asked with a smirk.
"Maybe," I replied, then kissed her cheek and sat up straight. "Need another?"
"Sure," she agreed.
"Me too," Katye added.
"As you wish."
I poured us another round of shots which we sipped on while Katye and Seven finished cooking. Dinner was nice with light conversation as it was just the five of us. Surprisingly, Katye and Raven pulled Seven down to our engineering to show her some of the designs that they were working on for the next evolution of the exo-suits. Although she could not enchant items herself, Seven's understanding of the Borg language allowed her to understand the principles behind them. Like Seven, Raven had all of the knowledge of the Borg crammed into her head, so she had a lot of new theories on how to combine more technology into the suits.
I watched them for a bit, as what they were discussing was way above my head, happy at how well they meshed together. It was clear that Seven would be a great fit, even if things just remained platonic. Now, we just needed to figure out how to convince Seven to use my two holo-deck programs, so that she could get an understanding of the two worlds before we make it to the Alpha Quadrant. That would be fun...