STAR TREK: A Long Road (Voyager Fix It Quest)

The image resolved into a shimmering, greenish oval of space, peppered with dots and red symbols. "That symbol looks familiar," Janeway said, pointing at the wave of green, turning to Tom. "Is there anything in the computer on it?"

"That's the...Haakonians..." Tom said, slowly. "The Haakonain Order."

"We need to get Neelix in here," Janeway said, tapping her combadge. "Neelix, report to astrometrics once you have a chance. We have something you may be able to provide input on."

A few minuets later, Neelix was walking into the bay, and let out a soft 'ahhh' as he saw the screen they were looking at. "I see why you needed me, Captain," he said, frowning intently. "It looks like that area of space is occupied by the Haakonian navy. I knew after they and Talax sued for peace, that they'd keep expanding in some direction. I just never expected it was going to be this way..." He frowned, regarding the display slowly.

"It looks like recently occupied territory," Amy said, rubbing the back of her neck. "There's lots of starbases with naval detachments at them - I bet they're recent constructions, or they're local facilities that have been repurposed."

"You'd think the Kazon would pitch a fit," Torres said, frowning as she crossed her arms over her chest. "This is their region of space, isn't it?"

"The Haakonians are using the same level of technology as everyone else," T'are said, nodding. "The data-files on their ships say they're on par with Kazon, just more focused on direct energy weapons and...well, less dispersed. The Kazon have more, but they're covering more space. The Haakonians are focused, and they're looking to hold territory. I think...based on our interactions thus far, the Kazon are less interested in territory than they are in dispersed rulership. So, the Haakonians conquer a few planets and hold them down - what do the Kazon care? The Borg aren't going to notice or care either."

She paused, then blushed and smiled at Neelix. "S-Sorry."

"No, you're right. And...I can only hope th-" He stopped up short. He frowned. "I recognize that signifier. It looks like this entire region of space is under the direct rulership...of Admiral Jetrel Haaktrear, the Butcher of Rinax." He looked away from the display, his eyes somber. "He led the attack on Talax that ended the war."

Everyone was quiet, considering that. Janeway frowned. "What do we know about Admiral Jetrel other than the fact he's a skilled and brutal admiral?"

"He's married," C'nola said, thumbing through the data files she had displayed on her padd. "Wife, son...dead brother, dead father, dead cousins, dead first wife..." She whistled softly. "Lots of assassination attempts. He must either be extremely cool or the worst kind of person." She smirked. "Knowing our luck, he's like Abaddon but less of a pussy." Amy snorted but at everyone's blank looks, C'nola sighed. "Like...Space...Mitler or...whatever his name was."

"...you mean Hitler?" Tom asked.

"Yeah that guy," C'nola said, distracted. "Oh, his kids in the service. We can kidnap him!"

"We're not kidnaping a child," Janeway said, while C'nola snickered.

"He's twenty two," she said.

"We are not engaging in kidnapping unless it becomes necessary," Tuvok said, his voice firm. "What about that area, which shows no sign of Haakonian patrols?"

"Oh, that's an OOD," Janeway said, immediately. "An Object of Unusual Dimensions - it appears to be a 1AU energy shell sitting where...hmm..." She stepped forward, brushing Tom and T'are away from the controls. She overlaid the data they had with the Alpha Quadrant's data on the region - and the shell seemed to sit directly over a main sequence star with a single planet in orbit around it. "It looks like about four, five hundred years ago, that shell appeared around that world."

"Since the Haakonians are giving it a wide berth," T'are said. "I bet they have the same Borg aversion ideals as the Kazon. So...if we charted a course past it!"

"Isn't that exactly what the Kazon don't want us to do?" Torres asked, frowning.

"Do you want to deal with an entire militarized, recently conquered sphere of influence?" Janeway asked. "We can avoid poking the OOD with a stick if we restrain ourselves, I'm sure."

The crew nodded, and Neelix sighed.

"Me?" he asked. "I'm just glad we won't have to deal with...any of them." He shook his head. "I know, you're not supposed to judge an entire people for the actions of a few - but these won't just be any Haakonians. They'll be the jackboot and the bayonet, the bleeding edge of Haakonian imperialism." He shook his head, frowning darkly at the map.

"Then we'll stay out of their way, get through all this as easily as possible, and be on our way," Janeway said. "Any disagreements?"

A series of agreements came from everyone - save for Brian Wacoche, who spoke up last: "If we have some chances to maybe liberate a planet or two, could we at least consider it?"

"If we have the chance," Janeway said, firmly. "If."

"All right, the brainwave scanner and emitter is running," the Doctor said. "We'll be keeping a firm eye on everything through every step of the process and- oh." He frowned.

There had been no fanfare nor dramatic moment of transition. Just one moment, Phoebe was holding Kat's hand. The next, the nebula was gone, dissolved into its component parts by the tachyon impulses and the emitters they had set up...and Phoebe was gone with it. Kat, despite being prepared for it, felt a lurch in her stomach. SHe breathed in and out, trying to be calm. She just needed to-

Well, this new, Phoebe's voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once, ringing around inside of Kat's head as she sat up, blinking.

"What?" Kat asked.

"The process is complete and we've finished the scans - it all happened rather fast, but we should have a full write up for the medical journals, assuming you sign off on the matter of privacy," the Doctor said, then blinked as he noticed Janeway wasn't listening to him in the slightest.

It seems that we're more able to communicate now! Phoebe said, her voice sounding delighted. No more only writing letters.

"It seems," Kat said, slowly. "That the reintegration of, ah, the Janeway System...has...produced closer communication between me and my sister. Shared memories too, as well."

"Remarkable," the Doctor said. "And convenient, as well. Phoebe did say it was rather annoying to have to do all her inter-system communications via letter writing campaigns. Now, as you are fit to return to duty, I would like to ask you for the use of my sickbay - I have checkups to do."

Janeway nodded, slid from the chair, adjusted her uniform, and started out of the room.

She was halfway down the corridor before she started to laugh - drawing a startled glance from several officers walking past her. She grinned, shook her head, and murmured under her breath: "Fair enough, Phoebe, fair enough."

The Doctor frowned. "...maybe I should have stuck a forehead thingy on her."

"Did you call it a forehead thingy?" C'nola asked as she walked into the room, stretching her arms over her head. "I'm here for my checkup, doc."

"I have no idea what you mean, Miss C'nola," the Doctor said, with haughty and cold pride.