Star Trek: Voyager - The Neverending Night
Chapter 7
15 Sep 2021“Tom, I really don’t have time for this.” B’Elanna Torres said exasperated.
“Come on, just try it out. It’ll be fun, I promise.” Tom Paris replied.
Despite all that was going on, Tom Paris still had some holodeck time left over and he wasn’t about to let it go to waste. The crew still had use of one holodeck, but they had been limited to half an hour each. Paris was determined to make the most of his time. He had restarted the Captain Proton programme right where he had left off. Harry was too busy commanding Voyager during the night shift to play Buster Kincaid. B’Elanna on the other hand was free. Despite her protests to the contrary, Paris knew that she was just trying to avoid having to participate in the holoprogram.
“And who exactly am I supposed to be?” Torres asked, halfheartedly. She hadn’t even bothered to change into an appropriate costume, instead simply wearing her standard issue Starfleet uniform. Though the golden shoulders of her top, signifying the engineering department, had been turned bright grey to suit the programme setting.
“Ah, right.” Paris said, walking over to her already fully dressed in his jetsuit and rocket pack. “You’re Constance Goodheart. You’re my secretary.”
“I’m your secretary?” Torres asked, insulted.
“Yeah, you tag along on all the missions.” Paris continued, not even noticing Torres’ reaction. He pointed over to the Robot across the room. “Now, I want you to keep the robot occupied while I save Earth.”
“Why do you get to save Earth?” Torres inquired incredulously.
“Because I’m Captain Proton.” He said, stating what he thought was plainly obvious. “I’m the hero.”
Torres scoffed. “And I’m just supposed to stand around while you get to save the day?”
“Well no, you have to help me by keeping the Robot busy.” Paris said.
Torres folded her arms with a sigh. “Tom…” She began.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be great!” Paris said half encouragingly, half impatiently. “Computer, resume programme.” He said to the holodeck computer.
In an instant, the Robot was hobbling toward B’Elanna, arms flailing about uselessly. “Citizen of Earth, surrender!” It said in its synthesized voice.
Tom quickly abandoned B’Elanna in order to attend to the rocket ship; to save Earth, presumably. B’Elanna just stood motionless, arms folded. Watching the poorly designed robot incompetently approach. Just then, she noted the very obvious box shaped looking panel on the robot’s chest. Ducking underneath the Robot’s attempts to grab her, Torres opened up the panel with ease to reveal a simple fuse system inside.
It can’t be this easy. She thought to herself.
Torres reached inside and yanked out one of the fuses. The Robot’s movements became sluggish before slowly dying, having been deprived of power.
“Surrreeennnnn-” The Robot attempted to say before shutting off completely.
“Done.” Torres proclaimed. “Now what?”
Paris walked back over to Torres with a look of disappointment. “Come on B’Elanna, give it a chance. The galaxy’s at stake, remember?”
“How about…” Torres started, trying to come up with the most irritating suggestion she could possibly think of. “…we switch roles?”
Paris looked at her confused. “What do you mean?”
Torres’ eyes began to gleam. “I can be the intrepid savior of the galaxy…” She wrapped herself around Paris’ arm in mock affection. “…and you can be my secretary.” She said with a smile.
Paris guffawed in disbelief. “I don’t think it works that way.”
“Why not?” Torres asked.
Before Paris could think of a good answer, the rocket ship control room juddered. Was it the programme? Paris didn’t think so.
Over the shipwide comm system, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok’s voice made the announcement. “Red alert. All hands, report to battlestations.”
Paris and Torres gave each other one quick look of urgency before departing the holodeck. Torres left for engineering, while Paris made his way up to the bridge.
Paris heard Janeway’s commands as he stepped off the turbolift. “Charge weapons, shields to full!” Janeway commanded.
“What’s going on?” Paris asked, moving quickly over to his post at the helm.
“A subspace funnel just opened.” Chakotay said. “It pulled in a new vessel.”
“Two warships are approaching it.” Tuvok added quickly. “One of them is the Krebor.”
Janeway didn’t even have to think about who to target first. “Target Valen and hail him.”
Valen appeared on the viewscreen, replacing the image of the trio of ships engaging each other. “Captain Janeway.” Valen said with cold intensity. “We meet again.”
“Our last encounter ended rather abruptly for my tastes.” Janeway quipped back.
“And not soon enough for mine.” Valen said with a smile. “I suggest you withdraw from the area. I wouldn’t want any further undue harm to come to your ship.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Janeway replied. “Break off your attack, or you’ll be fired upon.”
“So that you may take their resources for yourselves?” Valen probed.
“No.” Janeway said. “So that we can protect them.”
Valen brought up his hands and laced his fingers in front of his face. As if Janeway’s presence was more of a curiosity, rather than an inconvenience. “And what exactly are they to you?”
“Just some people caught in a bad situation.” Janeway proclaimed. “Like the rest of us.”
“Still clinging to your nobility, I see.” Valen observed. “In that case, let us put that sentiment to the test.” He said before closing the channel.
“Valen is locking weapons on us.” Chakotay reported.
“Return fire, take his weapons out.” Janeway ordered. “And hail the new ship.”
The bridge was rocked as the Krebor’s phasers smashed into Voyager’s shields. A new image flashed on the main viewscreen. A rather rotund man appeared. He was totally bald and his external facial features such as his ears and nose were inset into his face. His skin was smooth, brown and leathery, most likely owing to an aquatic evolutionary chain. “I surrender!” The man shouted abruptly.
“We’re here to help you.” Janeway said. “Can you target the smaller warship?”
The man shook his head furiously. “We’re a survey vessel. We’re not equipped to fight!”
Another blast from the Krebor tossed the bridge sideways. Janeway clutched the sides of her seat for support. “Status?!”
“Shields at sixty percent and falling.” Tuvok reported.
“Fire torpedoes, full spread.” Janeway ordered.
Voyager swung around, pointing its bow directly inline with the Krebor. From the fore-facing photon torpedo launchers, a volley of bright yellow spheres shot out one after the other. They flashed and twinkled as they traveled almost like shooting stars streaking across the sky. Two of them missed their mark as the Krebor veered sideways to evade them. The second two were able to compensate for the movement and impacted directly into the Krebor’s shields. Causing the tan colored shield bubble protecting the Krebor to scintillate and flare as it absorbed the incoming energy.
“Two direct hits.” Tuvok reported. “But the Krebor’s shields are holding at eighty percent.”
The report caused Janeway to turn around in surprise. Cardassian technology had always lagged behind Starfleet in every aspect. By all accounts, the Galor class vessel should have inferior weapons and shields compared to Voyager’s state of the art systems. “How is that possible?” Janeway asked.
“The shield output from the Krebor far exceeds that of typical Cardassian design.” Tuvok said. “Evidently, Valen has been able to upgrade them since his stay in the Delta Quadrant.”
“Ours?” Janeway asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.
“Down to thirty.” Tuvok replied grimly.
“Captain.” Paris said from the helm. “The smaller ship is continuing to outmaneuver us. I can’t maintain position to protect the other ship.”
Once more, the bridge pitched over as more weapons fire impacted the shields.
“Torres to bridge!” Torres’ voice said over the intercom.
“Go ahead.” Janeway replied.
“Captain, our power reserves are at critical levels.” Torres said. ”At this rate we won’t be able to maintain the containment field inside the warp core. We’ll be dead in the water in less than three minutes.”
“Captain.” Chakotay said in a hushed voice, not wanting to outwardly contradict the Captain. “We should retreat. We’re outnumbered two to one and we’re not a match for the Krebor in this condition.”
Janeway knew Voyager was being pushed to its absolute limits. But she couldn’t give up. Even if Voyager were to limp away now, they wouldn’t even last a day. It was now or never. “Not yet.” She replied.
“You may want to reconsider that Captain, there’s another ship approaching.” Paris said. “We’re about to be outnumbered three to one.”
Was this it? Janeway wondered. Had she come all this way, made all the tough decisions, fought battle after battle only to be stopped here in the Void?
“Perhaps not.” Tuvok said. The entire bridge crew turned to look at him, hanging on his next words. “The third vessel belongs to Mister Garon. He’s firing on the other two vessels.”
Garon’s ship swooped in between the Krebor and the smaller attacker, diving like a hawk. Two blue beams of light erupted from wing mounted disruptor cannons, one beam for each vessel. Garon’s ship pummeled the smaller attacker until it’s shields failed and it was forced to withdraw. Evidently, this new development caused Valen to reconsider the odds. The Krebor broke off, engaging its cloaking device and slinking away.
For a moment, everyone on the bridge was stunned before Tuvok broke the silence. “The two attacking vessels are retreating. Captain Garon is hailing.”
Janeway hesitated for a moment, having been fooled one too many times already. “Get a weapons lock on him. Then open the channel.”
Captain Garon, still dressed in his utilitarian crimson uniform, appeared on the main viewscreen. “Why are you targeting me?” He asked suspiciously.
“Because I don’t know what your intentions are.” Janeway said.
“Haven’t I just made that clear?” He replied. Janeway didn’t say anything, either out of caution or not wanting to jinx the situation. Garon straightened himself, standing at attention on screen. “I have decided to accept your offer of allegiance.”
Janeway allowed herself one very well deserved moment of reprieve. “In that case.” She raised herself from her chair smiling confidently as she walked up to the viewscreen. “Welcome to the Alliance.”