Voyager
Thoughts = ‘I’m thinking in Italic.’
Normal Text = Normal Text
Speaking = “I’m talking in Quotation Marks.”
Sound Effects = BOOM!
Computer = “Shields at 100%”
Raffi woke with a gasp and grasped her head in pain as two different sets of memories warred with each other. After a few moments passed, Raffi was able to get her bearings. She took a moment to go through the new set of memories and realized what one of the ripples from her presence on Voyager. Her husband, Lincoln Hwang, had died during an attack almost three months ago. Although, from what she could gather from her new memories, he had become somewhat estranged from her since Voyager became trapped in the Delta Quadrant. ‘Seems things were always destined to fall apart between us.’ She placed a hand on her slowly swelling belly. ‘I promise, things will be different this time and I will help you find Pel again. Now, Mama’s got work to do and to prepare for your Mom’s awakening. First things first.’
“Computer, [Beep] What is the stardate?” Raffi asked.
“It is Stardate 47634.44.” The Computer answered.
“A week before Seven joins. Why am I awake so soon?” There was a flash out of the corner of her eye and two letters appeared on her nightstand. She picked up the one addressed to her and read it.
Dear Raffi,
First and foremost, if you break Seven’s heart there is a steadily growing line of people ready to kick your ass, including me. Secondly, I had you wake up a week before Seven so you can help Aunt Kathy and the others prepare for her arrival and awakening. Do not tell her about Seven’s lineage or my identity. Just tell her about the mission and that it is extremely important Seven survives and is severed from the Collective. I know she will have a hard time believing you so give her the second letter and that should help.
- Q Jr.
P.S. I’m sorry about your husband. I wish I could have warned you.
Raffi smiled and looked up at the ceiling and said. “It’s not your fault. Sometimes there’s no changing how things end.” Raffi took a deep breath. “Time to face the fire that is Captain Janeway.” She tapped her comm badge. “Raffi to Janeway.”
“Something wrong, Crewman?” Janeway answered.
“Yes and No, Captain. I need to speak to you about something extremely important and I’m afraid it can’t wait.” Raffi stated grimly
On the bridge, Janeway shared a curious look with Chakotay. That didn’t sound good. What could have happened? “Very well, Crewman, report to my ready room.”
“Aye, Captain. Oh, and Captain, you’ll need to gather the senior staff for this.” Raffi, unknowingly channeling her favorite Xb, closed the comm channel. That and her last comment caused a few raised eyebrows.
*Moments later*
The senior staff had all gathered in the staff room, with the exception of the Doctor due to maintenance on his matrix and emitter. They were now waiting for Raffi to show up. They were all wondering what this was all about. What was so important that it not only required the whole senior staff but couldn’t wait? Just then, Raffi entered the staff room. One look at her and everyone could tell something had changed in her since they saw her yesterday.
“You alright, Raff?” B’Elanna immediately asked. Raffi gave a huffed laugh.
“Not yet and ya’ll certainly won’t be after this meeting.”
“Which brings us to the question of why you asked for this meeting.” Janeway said turning the conversation to the main topic.
“Right, to put it bluntly, we have a week to prepare for the arrival and awakening of someone who is integral not only to Voyager’s journey home but to a shit storm years from now.” She stated. She told them about how she and a few others were sent back to different points in time, of the mission, the limitations they were under, and who was already awake. It took them a few moments to process all that she had said. B’Elanna was the first to respond.
“How can we trust that this is real and not some kind of side effect of something else?”
“I was told to give this to the Captain and that it would help prove that it’s real.” Raffi replied, hand Janeway the letter from Q Jr., not that she would know it was him. Janeway opened it and read the contents.
Dear Janeway,
You don’t know me yet so I will just say I’m the Time Travelers’ Friend. By now Raffi has told you of what has happened and of the mission. I have just one thing to say to help you understand that this is very real and very important.
When you were a little girl, your mother made pop-up books. Your favorite was the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard is awake and has completed his tasks. There's no Scarecrow in this story, just the Lion and Tin-man. The Lion is awake and told their story. Now, the Tin-man's arrival approaches and only the Lion can help Dorothy prepare. The fate of far far too many are counting on the waves of change they will create. So, what do you say Dorothy? Will you travel this yellow brick road with them?
- The Time Travelers’ Friend
P.S. The Tin-man holds a secret that will be very important to you and is very precious to the Wizard. Don’t let anything happen to her.
Janeway sat there for a moment thinking over everything and came to a decision. Folding the letter up, she turned to Raffi with a serious look on her face.
“Where do we start?”
“You mean this is real, Captain?” Harry Kim asked incredulously.
“Yes, whoever wrote this knows a few things that only my family should know. Add that to the fact that we all know this is not something anyone on board this ship would take lightly.” Everyone nodded at that. Time travel and especially for something like this was not something to joke about.
“Thank you, Captain. To answer your question, we start by making sure we’re ready for what needs to be done just to get my partner aboard Voyager.” Raffi said.
“What do you mean? Isn’t he already on Voyager?” Tom Paris spoke with confusion.
“She and no. That’s where things get tricky. I know when she boards Voyager. I can’t tell you how it happens which you won’t like when I tell you who she is. All I can tell is how to be ready when the time comes.” Raffi explained.
“Who is she?” Chakotay inquired.
“Her actual name is complicated and it’s not my place to explain nor is she obligated to tell anyone,” She stated, giving some of them a stern look. ‘Except Janeway.’
“You are stalling, Crewman.” Tuvok interjected.
“I wasn’t kidding with the complication. However, her current name is…..Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One.” With that all hell broke loose.
Once everyone had quieted down, Janeway turned to Raffi and spoke in a very serious tone. It was just one word.
“Explain.”
“She was assimilated as a six year old child. She is still under the control of the Collective and Queen right now but Voyager will sever her connection and free her very soon. What we need to be ready for is her reaction when she wakes up. Especially if she wakes up just after being freed.”
“How do you know that we’ll be the ones to free her and when?” Chakotay inquired.
“Because you were the ones who freed her in the other timeline.” Raffi told him.
“What did you mean by we have to be ready for her reaction?” Neelix asked, having been quiet for the most part.
“She has rather bad flashbacks of her time with the Collective. She will most likely awaken mere moments after being freed,” Raffi explained. “Which means she will still be in her Borg Armor. Once she’s severed, the only ones who will be able to safely approach her to help ground and calm her down will be the Captain, B’Elanna, and I.”
“That’s oddly specific.” Chakotay commented.
“Yeah, why you three?” Paris jumped in.
“I would be safe because before the time travel we were lovers and she had flashbacks back then but never once hurt me.”
“What about me?” B’Elanna asked.
“It’s a bit complicated but no matter how at odds you two were, and ya’ll were absolute hellions, you both trust each other with your lives. She even came to you when she was dying at one point. She also mentioned having a few flashbacks around you but that you always grounded her even though you never knew. I have a theory about that too.”
“What’s your theory?” B’Elanna responded.
“She mentioned a few times that when she was four years old, she had made a friend who was half Klingon and four years older than her. She could only remember a few specific details of that time. They met on Deep Space 4.” That caused B’Elanna to freeze. ‘It couldn’t be. Is she really...alive?’ “She doesn’t remember her friend’s name, just her nickname for her.”
“Which was?” B’Elanna asked with a slight waver to her voice.
“She called her, Bear.” B’Elanna suddenly couldn’t breathe as years of buried emotions came flooding back. Raffi and Janeway both moved to her side.
“Take deep breaths, B’Elanna.” Janeway told her. She repeated the words while helping the engineer catch her breath. After a few moments, B’Elanna was able to speak.
“Tiger....She’s alive. After all these years, she’s really alive.”
“Yeah, she’s alive and we’re gonna get her back, Lanni.” Raffi said, using her own nickname for B’Elanna. B’Elanna took a few more deep breaths before she looked to Janeway with a determined look.
“We have to get her back, Captain. I promised to always protect her and they took her away. My mom and I knew she wasn’t theirs. She smelled and acted nothing like them.”
“Who?” Janeway asked. Raffi was the one who answered.
“The Hansens.”
“Wait a minute, you still haven’t said why the captain is one of the people she wouldn’t hurt.” Paris butted in, barely hiding the jealous look in his eyes at B’Elanna’s reaction and determination. Ever since the Pon Farr incident, B’Elanna had not only rejected his advances constantly but had been avoiding him too. Raffi and Janeway both noticed the look in his eyes and barely hid their glares. ‘If he’s done or tries anything with either woman…’
Raffi thought about how to answer without revealing Seven’s secret. ‘How do you explain something like that without giving any details? Especially after B’Elanna’s comment.’ Suddenly, there was a bright flash and a small note appeared in her hand. It had just two words.
Tell Her.
Raffi sighed. This was getting to be more difficult than they had originally thought. She looked at Captain Janeway, who noticed the resigned look in her eyes.
“I take it, this not only has to do with B’Elanna’s comment but has to do with the name complication and comments in the letter.”
“It does and I’m sorry this is how it’s coming to light. She had hoped to tell you herself. She only learned of it just before we were sent back.” Raffi said. She took a deep breath and, keeping her eyes on Janeway and B’Elanna, she told them what the Hansens had done and who her real parents were. Everyone was quiet afterwards until Tom Paris decided to let his jealous talk and how little he had paid attention.
“Who cares? Why should I stick my neck out at all to help some Borg Drone?”
B’Elanna let out a roar and tried to lunge at him but was stopped Chakotay and Tuvok. “P’Tak! How dare you! Let me go!”
“I’m not gonna lose to some stupid machine!” Tom Paris shouted, truly showing how much of a man-child he still was. That was the last straw. Janeway leveled him with a death glare that would scare even the Borg Queen.
“This is the final straw, Paris. As of this moment, you are demoted to Crewman with no chance of promotion. You are stripped of your position as Pilot.”
“What?! I’m the best damn pilot on this ship! You need me!”
“Actually, Lt. Kestra Troi is a great pilot and even had better test scores than you did. She’s flown a number of shuttles and has a high recommendation from the instructors at the Academy before joining the Maquis.” Tuvok interjected. ‘Kestra Troi?!’ Raffi was shocked at the name. Janeway made a note of it before continuing.
“Furthermore, you will be spending time in the brig until you grow the fuck up. Afterwards, you will have no rations for three months and no holodeck time for six. I have had enough of your childish behavior. It ends now. Tuvok, have a security team escort Crewman Paris to the Brig.”
“Aye Captain.” The security team arrived within minutes and took Paris to the Brig. Once he was gone, B’Elanna calmed down and moved closer to Raffi.
“Chakotay, call in Lt. Troi so she can be brought up to speed.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
Once Kestra Troi had arrived and been brought up to speed, everyone sat back down. B’Elanna choosing to sit next to Raffi. Janeway then turned to Raffi and spoke.
“Before we continue with the discussion, I would like to know why you were so shocked at the mention of Lt. Troi’s name.” That caught Kestra’s attention.
“As was mentioned before, we knew there would be Temporal Ripples and that the past would be affected but the only one that had been noticeable before our jump was Natasha Yar surviving the mission she had previously died on.” Raffi began. “I don’t know too much about Kestra, just that she was Deanna Troi’s older sister and had died a few months after her sister’s birth.”
“I know the event you’re talking about. I almost did die that day. Truthfully, I should be dead but something saved me. I felt what I can only describe as a wave of energy move through and around me. The next thing I know, I’m waking up coughing in my father’s arms.” Kestra said. “They were very protective over me after that. It got some bad that as soon as I was old enough I left home. I lost contact with them and my sister after I joined the Maquis. I don’t think they even know I was on the ship that got ‘lost’ in the Badlands.”
“Hmm, it could be that because of the change in your placement and time of awakening, especially so close to another’s, caused another side effect on the past.” B’Elanna suggested.
“Either way, we have preparations to make for...the rescue of my daughter.” Janeway interjected, still adjusting to having a daughter, nevermind a daughter with Picard. Raffi smiled slightly at that.
“I definitely see part of the resemblance between you and Seven. She paused before calling you her mother while trying to process that fact.” Kathryn smiled softly in response to that tidbit. “As to the preparations, there isn’t really much we can do until the time comes other than being as ready as we can be for the flashbacks and her awakening. If you would like though, I can tell what I know about her but I do request a few other people be given the full brief beforehand so they can hear too.”
“Who? And why?” Chakotay asked.
“Kes for one. Sam and Naomi Wildman, the Delaney sisters, and Tal Celes. Kes saved Nick’s life but something happened before she could thank her. Sam, the twins, and Celes worked closely with her and became like older sisters to her. Naomi, however, was her first and best friend. Having them close, once she’s calm, would help Nick a lot.”
“What happens to Kes? Can we stop it?” Neelix spoke worried for his former lover.
“I don’t know but I know Nick has some kind of plan in mind. She always talked about wishing she could have helped her. Nick is her parent’s kid and they both are known for stubborn and seemingly impossible achievements.” Raffi said with a grin.
“If it’ll help Tiger, I’d say go for it, Captain.” B’Elanna agreed.
“Well, if we have nothing else to discuss on the matter at present,” Kathryn paused, looking at Raffi, who shook her head. She nodded to Chakotay who quietly summoned the women and young girl. “Then, B’Elanna, Raffi, how about we move this to my ready room. Chakotay, Mr. Kim, Lt. Troi, you have the bridge. Tuvok, make sure Mr. Paris is settling in. Mr. Neelix, when the others arrive, bring them to my ready room. Dismissed.” The men and Kestra all pouted, except for Neelix and Tuvok, as they filed out. The three remaining women moved to the Captain’s Ready room to wait for the others.
A few minutes later, Neelix, the women, and Naomi arrived. Janeway quickly brought them up to date. The new arrivals were shocked at the news of time travel and the uncovered secret of the captain’s hidden daughter. They were naturally confused as to why they had been included. It was young Naomi who voiced this confusion.
“Why are we being included?”
“Because you are all important to Nick,” Raffi began to explain with a smile. “Kes, you saved her life from a failing implant in her brain with your growing psionic abilities. You gifted her the continued life to be free. Sam, Meg, Jen, Celes, you four worked closely with her and became like older sisters to her. You gave her the gift of sisterly guidance. Naomi, out of all of you, are the most important.”
“Me?”
“You were her first and best friend. You gave her the gift of a friend in her time of need. You not only taught her about being an individual but gave her some to grow alongside. You both helped each other learn, grow, and succeed.”
“Wooow.” Naomi said. They were all stunned at this new information as were Neelix, B’Elanna, and Kathryn. Raffi laughed.
“I swear, some of the stories she would share with our crew had us all in awe, laughing so hard we cried, and eager to one day meet you all.”
“Well, I’d love to hear some of them and about Seven. You did say you would tell us what you could.” Kathryn spoke, smiling and curious to know more about her daughter.
“So I did.” Raffi acknowledged with a grin. She spent the next few hours telling them stories about Seven and what she was like.
B’Elanna soaked up every word. Some might wonder why she reacted so strongly to the news about her childhood friend. She could tell them but they would never truly understand just what she meant to her.
Eight year old B’Elanna Torres was sitting all alone in a quiet corner of the Mess Hall on Deep Space 4. She felt miserable and angry. She had tried to play with some kids on the station but, just like back home, they refused, saying they didn’t want to catch her ridges.
She’d been sitting there for a few hours stewing in her anger and misery when she felt a tiny hand touch her forehead ridges. She immediately looked up to see a small blonde human girl, who couldn’t have been more than four.
“What are you doing?” B’Elanna asked, still startled by the girl's sudden appearance.
“I heard some big kids saying if somebody touched you or was touched by you, they would get ridges like you,” The tiny girl told her before pouting. “It didn’t work though.”
“If you heard that, then why try? Aren’t you scared?” B’Elanna said grouchily. The little girl smiled before saying.
“Nope! I’m not scared of you. I think you look so pretty with your ridges. I thought if I touched them, I could have ridges too and be pretty like you!”
B’Elanna was stunned. This tiny human girl wasn’t afraid of her? She thought she was pretty? Thought her ridges were pretty and wanted her own? No one, not even her own father, had said or thought those things about her before.
“Do you...maybe want to play...with me?” B’Elanna asked, suddenly feeling rather timid.
“Really?!” The girl said excitedly. B’Elanna nodded. The tiny girl grin then suddenly threw her tiny arms around B’Elanna’s waist and hugged her tight. “Let’s play!”
The two girls induced themselves but quickly decided to use nicknames because of the little blonde’s trouble with saying B’Elanna’s name. They quickly became inseparable.
As they spent time together, B’Elanna became very protective of her tiny Tiger, the tiny blonde always finding some way to physically latch onto her. She was B’Elanna’s first and only friend and like all of her, human and Klingon. B’Elanna’s mother, Miral Torres, had also come to love and be protective of the tiny girl.
Neither mother or daughter liked Tiger’s so-called parents. They smelled and looked nothing like her and treated her with indifference. They were very obviously negligent just from how they never once looked for her during their entire time at the station, nevermind the few things they picked up on from Tiger herself.
When they heard that they were planning on going to Borg Territory and were taking Tiger with them, they fought hard to keep them from taking her. Sadly, without solid proof of the neglect and them not being Tiger’s parents in any way, they weren’t able to stop them.
Months later, they received word that their ship had been lost and Tiger was presumed dead. Both felt the loss of the tiny girl who had brought such joy to their lives. B’Elanna, however, took it the hardest. She became even angrier than before. She even began to blame her mother for not fighting hard enough. As time passed, she began to bury the memories of her Tiger.
Now, her Tiger was alive and she was going to get her back. She was not going to let anything happen to her again without one hell of a fight. ‘I’m sorry for blaming you, Mom. I promise I will do better, be better, and I won’t let anything happen again.’