Course Correction Studio

Tag: Dani Janeway

  • Homecoming – Chapter 6

    May 26th – Dani Janeway’s 20th birthday. She, Kathryn, and Chakotay had decided that a small gathering at the apartment would suffice, and the whole affair had worked out wonderfully. Many Voyager crewmembers attended, as did other friends, such as Will, and family. They’d all come bearing gifts and goodwill.

    “I didn’t expect this to turn out so well,” Chakotay whispered to Kathryn, as he surveyed the filled apartment.

    “Me either,” Kathryn whispered back. “I expected many people to be too busy to attend.” She watched Dani, who was standing across the room in the center of a group that consisted mostly of Voyager alumni. “I’m glad they didn’t have anything better to do.”

    “I hear you’ve got the Academy test in a few days,” Tom Paris said. He belonged to the group that hovered around Dani.

    “Yes, the day after tomorrow,” Dani replied.

    “You aren’t nervous, are you?” Harry Kim asked. He’d been the Ops officer on Voyager, and after spending seven years as an ensign, had finally been promoted to lieutenant.

    “No. It won’t be any different from the stuff I’ve been doing for the past seven years. What I’m worried about is the interview.”

    “Ah, don’t worry about it,” Harry said. “You don’t have anything to worry about. Just go in there and be yourself. Don’t go in there praising the ‘Fleet’. That’s not what they want to hear. Trust me.”

    “Dani, why would the interview concern you more than the written exam?” Icheb asked.

    “I don’t know,” Dani said. “I guess it’s because when you take the written exam, it’s just you…and the computer. With the interview, it’s you and a few Starfleet brass.”

    “Dani, you’ve probably spent more time with the brass than all of us put together,” Tom said.

    “Not like this.”

    “Nonsense,” Tom insisted. “You’re on a first-name basis with the entire admirality.”

    Everyone in the little group, except Icheb, broke into laughter. Dani glanced across the room and caught Will’s gaze. He was standing in a group with Voyager’s Chief Engineer, B’Elanna Torres, and holographic doctor.

    “It’s about that time,” Tom said.

    “What time?” Dani asked.

    “Time for you, the guest of honor, to make her speech,” Tom revealed.

    Dani started to protest. “No, no-” But Tom had already started to process of gaining the other guest’s attention. He picked up a spoon from a nearby table and started to lightly tap it against his punch glass.

    “Attention, everybody!” Tom announced. “Attention!” Everyone turned to Tom. “The birthday girl-” Harry coughed quite noticeably. Tom looked at him and was silently reminded of something. “Oh, excuse me,” Tom said. “The birthday woman has an announcement to make.” He looked at Dani, who was blushing. “Ms. Janeway?”

    Will immediately noticed how beautiful Dani looked. He’d initially noticed when he’d first seen her after Voyager’s return, and he’d noticed it a few moments ago when his eyes had met hers from across the room, but to him, it seemed that she grew even more beautiful each time he looked at her. ‘I’m glad no one here is a telepath,’ Will thought. ‘At least, Ihope no one here is.’

    Dani smiled, somewhat embarrassed by all the attention. “Thank you, everyone,” she said. “I know this wasn’t a surprise party, but I’m still astounded by the number of people who actually showed up. I didn’t expect so many. No offense or anything, but don’t you people have lives?” There was a wave of light chuckles. “No, really, thanks for coming. I really do appreciate it. Um…this is one of the best birthdays I’ve had in a long while. Not only because I’m finally 20, but also because I get to spend it here, on Earth, with all of you. Thank you.”

    Everyone clapped. As everyone once again broke off into groups, Dani abandoned the party for the balcony. She walked over to the railing, drink in hand, and stared out at the city. The Golden Gate Bridge at night. ‘So beautiful,’ she thought. There was a time, about one year ago today, actually, when she thought she’d never see that sight again.

    Will stopped at the balcony doors. He’d expected to find Dani out there, but she looked so engrossed in her thoughts that he didn’t want to disturb her. But she must’ve realized that someone was standing in the doorway because she turned her head. When Will realized that he’d been spotted, he decided that he might as well join her. He stepped out onto the balcony, closed the door behind him, and joined Dani at the rail.

    “Will,” Dani said.

    “Hey,” Will said, stepping to her side. “I just wanted to tell you again, happy birthday.”

    “Thanks – again.”

    “Also, I want you to know that I’m proud of you.”

    “You? Proud of me? What for?”

    “I know you don’t like people saying this, but we all know it’s true even if you don’t think so.”

    Dani let out a frustrated sigh. “If this is about the Academy-“

    “It isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, we’re all proud of you for that, too, but that’s not what I was going to talk about. We’re especially proud of you for what you’ve been through and how you went through it.”

    “I did what anyone else would have done.”

    “Maybe, but it’s the way you did it. Your attitude. From what I hear, you gave so many people so much hope. They looked at you, and they didn’t see you, the person who probably had the most cause to complain, complaining. So, they felt like they didn’t have the right to complain. And if you don’t complain, that means you hope.”

    “Oh, I complained. I just didn’t do it in public.”

    “And it’s just that kind of thinking that makes a good command officer.”

    Dani smiled, waiving the usual ‘I haven’t taken the test, yet’ speech. “Command?”

    “Yeah,” Will said.

    “I never really considered going to command school,” Dani said. “I’ve been pretty focused on Starfleet Medical.”

    “You should think about it. I think you’d make a good command officer. How could you not? It is in your blood, after all.”

    Dani nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

    “Congratulations, Dani,” Will said. “On the birthday.” He bent down and kissed Dani on the cheek.

    As Kathryn passed by the balcony door, he saw Will bend over and kiss Dani on the cheek. Any other person kissing Dani, and she would have immediately dismissed it, but since it was Will, for some reason, she couldn’t let it go as harmless, as she walked away from the door.

    ‘If only that had been a few inches to the right,’ Dani thought, of Will’s kiss.

    ‘If only that could have been a few inches to the left,’ Will thought, as his lips were leaving Dani’s face. The thought caught him by surprise. ‘Where did that come from?’ he asked himself. It was an empty question. He knew where it had come from. It had come from the same place that prompted him to do what he was about to do next. Quite unexpectedly, Will bent down and kissed Dani again, this time squarely on the lips.

    When they parted, they were both shocked. Neither of them had expected that. As a result, neither of them really knew what to say. That’s when Tom Paris unknowingly saved the day (or the night, rather).

    Standing in the doorway, Tom said, “Hey, Dani – get back in here. You’re missing your own party.”

    Dani wandered away from the rail and walked back into the apartment and the party.

  • Homecoming – Chapter 1

    19 year-old Dani Janeway looked around her quarters. It was hard to believe that it wouldn’t be long until she would be back in her bed on Earth. Her old bed. At home. For some reason, that phrase felt foreign now. She was at home. Voyager had been her home for seven years, the whole last half of her childhood. Just like everyone else on board Voyager, she was overjoyed at the thought of knowing that they had finally made it back to Earth, but part of her wished she could stay on the ship. She would miss her time on Voyager and the excitement of not knowing what the day was going to bring. But then again, she was happy that her family wouldn’t have to face danger every time they turned the corner.

    The whole latter part of her childhood. In a few weeks she would be turning 20. Officially, she would be an adult, although unofficially, she had been one for years. Her experiences on Voyager had forced her to grow up much faster than others her age had. She didn’t regret it, though. She was a better person for it.

    But what if she wasn’t ready to enter the world? After all, she had only been twelve when she’d been catapulted from the Alpha Quadrant. Had things changed much? Even if they hadn’t, she hadn’t ever lived as an adult before she’d left. How was she to know what to expect?

    That’s where her parents came in. They’d help her. She thanked her lucky stars that they hadn’t been lost in the Delta Quadrant, though there had been many times when she was sure they were goners. There’d been plenty of times when she thought she’d been a goner, herself. But they’d all made it through, and now it was time to move on. Her next step: Starfleet Academy. If everything went as planned, she’d enter in the fall and begin her studies at the Academy with an emphasis on medicine. But she couldn’t get ahead of herself. She hadn’t taken the first entrance exam, yet. It was March, now. The written exam wouldn’t be given until May. In all truth, it wasn’t passing the exams that she was worried about. She knew she would pass the written exam, and the interview wouldn’t be a problem. She just wanted to make sure that she would get in on her own merit, and not because of who her mother or father or grandfather were.

    Dani took one last look around the barren room before finally leaving. She looked around the living room as she passed through, and a thousand nostalgic memories flooded her consciousness. She didn’t dare reminisce for too long, however, because she knew that if she did, she would never leave. She walked out the doors of the quarters, abandoning one life for another.

    xxx

    The next night, Starfleet threw a celebratory ball for Voyager’s crew. Even though it was a formal event, the purpose for the occasion was so unique that all officers were permitted to dress in attire other than their dress uniforms, and most did. Most of the women, including Dani’s mother, Kathryn Janeway, wore formal gowns. Dani wore a sleeveless two-piece made of white satin. Most of the men wore formal suits. Like some of the women, some of the male officers opted for the formal dress uniform. A few even wore old-fashioned tuxedos, one of those few being Tom Paris. That was expected of him, he was such a history buff. The surprise of the evening was that Tom had talked Chakotay into sporting the traditional black and white outfit, too.

    Despite all the friends she’d made while she was on Voyager, there wasn’t really anyone here she could talk to tonight. She looked around the room. She didn’t really know anyone here, except those from Voyager, and they had already integrated into the party, mixing and mingling with old Starfleet buddies or long lost family members whom they hadn’t seen in seven years. This was one of the few times she wished her mother would take command and start dragging her to different groups. As if it were an answer to her prayer, Dani saw her mother walking toward her. She watched the long dress flow about her as she glided across the room. The royal blue gown she was wearing really brought out her eyes.

    “Dani,” her mother was saying, “I have to re-introduce you to so many people.”

    “‘Re-introduce?’” Dani asked.

    “Yes,” said Kathryn, taking her daughter’s arm. “It’s been so long since they last saw you. Just look at it like a big family reunion.”

    Kathryn led her daughter to the large crowd she had been apart of. This was obviously the party’s hotspot. This was something her parents had prepared her for. Voyager’s crew members had become celebrities the moment they’d sent their first transmission to Starfleet Headquarters from the Delta Quadrant. That status had exploded the moment they actually reached the Alpha Quadrant, and it was just outrageous by the time they’d reached Earth. Kathyrn and Chakotay had been so concerned, they had wondered if Dani would benefit more by delaying taking the entrance exams for the Academy a year or two. But Dani was adamant about taking the exams as soon as possible, and her parents relented.

    Now, Dani wondered if her parents hadn’t been right in making that suggestion to delay testing. As she and her mother approached the group, everyone turned to stare at her. There had to be 20 or 30 people at least standing around them.

    “Everyone,” Kathryn announced, “I’d like you to say hello to my daughter, Danielle.”

    “Dani?” one man said, closing the space between himself and Dani. He sounded surprised. “This is little Dani?”

    Dani studied the man’s face. It was familiar, in more way than one. He was an older gentleman, around 60 or so, with blue eyes…

    “Dani, you remember Admiral Paris,” her mother said.

    That was how she knew him! This was Tom’s old man.

    A smile broke out on Dani’s face. “Of course. Your son taught me how to fly a shuttle.”

    “Learning from the best, I see,” the admiral said, a twinkle of pride in his eyes.

    “My mother wouldn’t stand for anything less.” Dani looked at the faces in the group. She realized now that she did, in fact, recognize a great number of them. Colonel Kira Nerys, from Deep Space Nine; Ambassador Spock; Captain Montgomery Scott; Captain Morgan Bateson. She remembered meeting most of these people in the course of her life. It was part of the experience of being a Starfleet brat. Her scan of the group brought her to Captain Jean-Luc Picard, of the Enterprise, and his second-in-command, Commander William Riker. She knew Riker, alright. She’d had a crush on him since she was 11. If one thing had remained the same while she was in the Delta Quadrant, it was most definitely that.

    “Well, well, well,” the commander said to Dani, “I see someone’s grown up. How old are you now?”

    “I’ll be 20 in two weeks,” Dani replied.

    “Typical teenager reply…” Will said.

    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Dani asked.

    “Just what I said. Whenever you ask teenager her age, she always tells you how old she’ll be on her next birthday,” Will explained. “Like it actually makes a difference.”

    Dani looked up at the tall, bearded man and instantly remembered how her crush on him had developed in the first place. “It does sometimes, like when your birthday’s only two weeks away.”

    “Maybe…”

    “So…I hear you crashed a starship while I was away,” Dani said matter-or- factly.

    “More like totalled,” Will corrected.

    “I bet Captain Picard hasn’t let you drive his knew toy, yet, has he?”

    “He has.”

    “While he was off the ship or just off-duty?”

    Will didn’t say anything. He just stared down at this beautiful young woman who used to be the cute little girl he’d always joked around with. “Would you like to dance?”

    Dani looked up into Will’s impossibly blue eyes. “Okay.”

    Dani and Will left the group largely unnoticed and moved to a large open area in the middle of the room. It wasn’t until after they’d started dancing that Dani realized that there wasn’t anyone else out there with her and Will.

    “No one else is dancing,” she observed.

    “Does it really matter?” Will asked.

    “I don’t guess it does.”

    Chakotay nudged Kathryn with his elbow. When she looked up at him, he nodded at Will and Dani. Kathryn followed his gaze to the unlikely couple, the only couple on the dance floor.

    “Well,” Kathryn said, “it seems like she’s found someone to keep her occupied.”

    “That’s what I was afraid of,” Chakotay said. “It was different when she was younger. Now…”

    “You’re worried about his intentions,” Kathryn suggested.

    “Aren’t you? Riker is known for being a bit of a ladies’ man.”

    “I’m not going to lie to you; I am…concerned, but whether we like it or not, she’s not a defenseless little girl. She’s a young woman. I think she’s old enough to make her own decisions.”

    Kathryn looked up at Chakotay. “She’s never let us down before,” he said. “I don’t see any reason for her to start now.”

    So, the social gathering wore on through the night. Things had certainly changed for Dani. She’d spent the better part of the evening with Will and his circle of friends. Even though they were all scores older than she, herself, she had fun just the same. It was much better than standing alone by the punch table all night. Before she knew it, the party was ending, and it was about time to go.

    “My parents are giving me that it’s-late-and-we’re-ready-to-go look, so I guess I’ll give them a break,” Dani said, observing her parents. They were lingering near the exit, looking dead at her. It wasn’t unreasonable, though. The party was winding down, and most of the guests were preparing to leave..

    Dani looked up at Will. “I had a great time tonight, thanks to you.”

    “I’m glad to hear it,” Will said. “I hope this won’t be the last time.”

    Dani pondered these words for a moment before answering. Either he was just being nice, or he was asking her out. “I’m sure it won’t.”

    “When are you going back to Indiana?” Will inquired.

    “As soon as all this investigation stuff is done,” Dani replied. “Probably another few weeks. Until then, we’re staying in an apartment building not too far from Headquarters. That’s where they’ve got most of us.”

    “Oh,” Will said. “Well, I’ll keep in touch.”

    Dani smiled. “Good. See you around.”

    “Bye.” Will watched as Dani turned and walked across the room to her parents. She turned and looked back at him as she was walking out the door. Chakotay followed. He caught Will’s eye and did not look at all happy.

  • Delta Wild – Chapter 4

    “Computer, run program ‘Velocity’.” The holodeck doors opened, and 14-year-old Dani Janeway walked into the simulated game room. Her fingers danced over the computer console near the holodeck entrance. A blue disk appeared in the air near the middle of the room. It levitated patiently while Dani entered the commands for a playing partner. The partner, a holographic man who appeared to be in his early thirties, and two game phasers appeared. The partner and Dani each picked up a gun. “After you,” the man said. Dani nodded. She pointed her phaser at the floating disk and fired. The disk ricocheted off the back wall. The man shot at the disk. The game had begun.

    30 minutes later, Dani found herself in sickbay with a sprained ankle. Everything had been going fine until about the fourth game. She had been going for a particularly difficult shot when she’d slipped and fallen on her ankle. The injury was so bad, they’d had to beam her to sickbay.

    The Doctor waved a medical tricorder over the now-healed ankle. “Hmm…you’ll have to stay off of it as much as possible for the rest of the day, but it should continue to heal quite nicely.”

    Dani slowly rotated her foot. Her ankle still hurt a little but not nearly as much as it had when she’d first injured it. Maybe her mother wouldn’t have to know after all. She looked from her ankle to the doctor.

    “Doctor, you practice doctor-patient confidentiality, don’t you?”

    “Why, of course,” the Doctor answered. “I am, after all, a professional. Whatever takes place inside this room is confidential.” He saw Dani close her eyes and breathe a sigh of relief. “However, your mother already knows about your injury.”

    Dani opened her eyes and looked at the Doctor.

    “Mr. Kim informed her of the internal transport,” the holographic image explained. “Bioscans alerted her that it was you and that you were injured.”

    The sickbay doors slid open and Kathryn dashed in.

    “Dani!” she said, walking over to the biobed. “What happened? Are you alright?”

    Just then, Chakotay came through the sickbay doors.

    “What happened?” he asked stepping into place on the side of the biobed opposite Kathryn. He looked at Dani. “They told me you were transported here.”

    “She was,” the doctor answered. “She was unable to walk.”

    Kathryn looked at the Doctor, then Chakotay, and finally at Dani again. She stroked Dani’s hair, which was still damp from the sweat she’d worked up on the holodeck.

    “Are you alright?” Kathryn asked Dani.

    “Oh, yes,” the Doctor said, answering for the young teen. “Just a bad sprain. She’ll be up and around in no time.”

    “What did you sprain?” Chakotay asked.

    “Her ankle,” the Doctor said.

    “How?” Chakotay asked. This time the doctor did not answer. However, neither did Dani. She just looked down at the bed.

    Chakotay looked to the Doctor. “Doctor, could you tell us how Dani sprained her ankle?”

    “Why certainly,” he said. “She was on the holodeck playing Velocity.”

    Dani looked at the Doctor in disbelief. She couldn’t believe he’d told.

    “Hey! What happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?” Dani asked.

    “It’s still being enforced. What’s said in this room won’t go beyond these walls,” the Doctor said.

    “I should’ve realized it sooner,” Dani said. “Of course it won’t go beyond these walls when you’re confined to them!”

    “Well, now that they know, maybe we can avoid another incident like today’s. Besides, what would you have me do? Lie to the two senior officers on the ship?”

    “Yes,” Dani said. She looked at her parents. They did not seem at all happy. That little comment she’d made had probably just made the hot water she was in about ten degrees hotter.

    “Thank you, Doctor,” Kathryn said, dismissing him. He obediently left the three of them alone. “Velocity, Dani?”

    “Yes,” Dani replied quietly.

    “I’ve told you you’re not ready for that game,” Kathryn said. “You’rreflexes aren’t quick enough, yet.”

    “Mom, I was doing fine until I fell,” Dani argued.

    “Okay, so why did you fall?” Chakotay asked her. Dani didn’t really have an answer for that one. The only plausible explanation was that her mother was correct – her reflexes weren’t good enough. But there was no way she could admit that. If there was one trait she shared with her mother, it was stubbornness. So she just shrugged her shoulders.

    Chakotay and Kathryn glanced at each other.

    “Can you walk?” Kathryn asked Dani.

    “I think so,” Dani said.

    “Good, because you’re going to need to,” Kathryn said. Dani immediately took this as a sign that punishment was imminent. She hopped off the biobed.

  • Delta Wild – Chapter 2

    Twelve-year-old Dani Janeway materialized on the pad in Voyager’s transporter room. She looked around the room. Thankfully, no one was in there. All of the crew had beamed aboard earlier that day.

    ‘If I’m lucky, I might be able to go the whole trip with out getting caught,’ Dani thought as she left the transporter room.

    She ventured into the hallway, cautiously looking all around her. To her surprise, she didn’t see any crew in the hallway. She walked on with a little more confidence. Then she stopped. She couldn’t wander the hallways forever. She needed a hiding place. She listened. Footsteps. Someone was coming. She would need to find a hiding place fast. She looked around, but there was nowhere. She couldn’t risk going into a room. There could be someone in it. Her eyes scanned the wall she was standing beside, from top to bottom.

    And there it was. Her salvation – a jeffries tube. She bent down and, with some force, removed the cover. She scurried into the tube. Once she was in, she reached out and picked up the door. She pulled it shut.

    Just as the conduit door was being pulled shut, Captain Kathryn Janeway was coming around the corner. Tuvok, Voyager’s chief tactical officer, was with her.

    “All systems are on-line and operating at peak efficiency,” Tuvok reported.

    “Thank you, Lt.,” the captain said. “Are we ready to disembark?”

    “We are.” The two stepped into a waiting turbo lift. The doors slid closed, and the turbo lift began to move upward.

    “Are you ready for this, Lt.?” Janeway asked her second officer. The Vulcan continued to stare straight ahead.

    “Please elaborate?”

    Janeway sighed and rephrased her question. “Are you prepared to undertake this mission?”

    Tuvok looked at his captain. “Yes. I must say that I am very well-prepared.”

    “What about our crew?” Janeway asked. “Do you think they can handle this?”

    “The first voyage of a new ship is always…trying,” Tuvok said. “However, I believe we have an exceptional crew and that the transition will be less trying than usual.”

    Tuvok’s assurance that they had a good crew somehow made Kathryn feel better about the first assignment on this new ship.

    The turbo lift came to a halt and the doors opened. Kathryn glided onto the bridge.

    “Captain on the bridge!” someone announced. The crew members on the bridge stood abruptly at attention.

    Kathryn proceeded slowly toward the captain’s chair. Her chair. Chakotay stood in front of his chair, which was positioned beside hers. Kathryn stopped in front of her chair. She turned and looked at the officers, her officers, standing around the bridge.

    “At ease,” Kathryn said. The officers relaxed and went back to doing what they were doing before she’d arrived. Kathryn looked at her first officer, who remained standing in front of his chair.

    “Welcome to the bridge, Captain,” Chakotay said with a little grin. Kathryn grinned back at him.

    “Thank you, Commander,” Kathryn said. Chakotay gestured toward the captain’s chair. Kathryn looked at it. She walked over and sat down. Chakotay sat down only after she did. ‘Chivalry,’ Kathryn thought, running her hands over the arms of the chair. A brand new ship. All hers. She looked at her helm officer, Tom Paris, sitting at the pilot’s station. He was facing her, awaiting her orders.

    “Mr. Paris,” Kathryn said, “take us out.”

    “Aye-aye, Captain,” Paris said, swiveling around to face his console. Kathryn watched the view screen intently as the ship slowly moved away from Deep Space Nine.

    “Did Dani seem okay when you left her?” Chakotay asked.

    “Yes,” Kathryn answered. “Why?”

    “She seemed upset earlier,” Chakotay revealed. Kathryn looked over at her husband.

    “Oh, you mean that?” Kathryn asked. “Yes, she was still a little upset, but she’s just going to have to get over it, Chakotay. We’ve both got jobs to do and she’s just going to have to learn how to accept that.” She kept her voice low, so that the other crew members couldn’t hear the content of their conversation.

    “But, Kathryn – you have to understand that this is a big change for her. And it is a little sudden. It’s going to take a little getting used to. For all of us. We’d gotten into a pretty comfortable routine when I was teaching at the Academy.”

    “I know. I just thought that now that she’s older, she could handle it. In fact, I thought she’d enjoy some time to herself,” Kathryn admitted. “I mean, in a few years, she’s going to be begging us to leave her alone.”

    “We just need to give her time,” Chakotay said.

    Chakotay and Kathryn looked at the view screen ahead of them. They were no longer at one of DS9’s space docks. The captain and the first officer exchanged a glance, then Kathryn looked back at the screen.

    “Mr. Paris, set a course for the Badlands and engage,” Kathryn ordered. “Warp five.” Within a few seconds, the stars that lay ahead of them became streaks of white as the ship jumped to warp.

    Xxx

    When Dani opened her eyes, she forgot where she was for a moment and then immediately remembered. She was inside one of the jeffries tubes onboard Voyager. She realized that she must’ve fallen asleep, but she had no idea for how long.

    “Computer,” Dani summoned, “What time is it?”

    Before the computer could reply, a violent tremor rocked through Voyager. Dani was thrown around inside the small area a few times before she was able to brace herself. It was a good attempt, but it was in vain because the shaking grew in intensity and became almost unbearable. The ship tilted, and Dani lost her grip. She slid backwards, headfirst, toward an intersection. Her body turned. She hit the back panel with considerable force and was held there by gravity.

    After about two minutes, the shaking ceased, and the pressure being exerted on Dani was lifted. How she survived without passing out was a mystery, but Dani wasn’t one to question things like that. She rolled over and gave a silent prayer of thanks. Then she decided that the best course of action would be to let her presence be known. She got up on all fours and started crawling toward the exit. It would mean a serious chiding from her parents, but she had to find out what was going on. If Dani had understood correctly, this was only supposed to be a negotiation mission. That’s why she’d decided to sneak on board in the first place. It wasn’t supposed to be anything serious.

    Xxx

    On the bridge, members of the crew had also experienced the extreme turbulence that Dani had. It had been so bad that people had been thrown from chairs. Everyone was on the ground.

    Kathryn slowly pulled herself to her feet, surveying the damage on the bridge as she stood. Some of the officers were getting up, as well. Some were not. Kathryn helped Chakotay to his feet.

    “You alright, Commander?” Kathryn mumbled.

    “Never better,” Chakotay replied, rubbing his forehead. Kathryn walked over to Tom Paris, who was lying on his back next to his station. He was coming around, but slowly. She reached down and felt to make sure there was a pulse. When she was satisfied there was one, she called his name and shook him lightly. He opened his eyes.

    “Wha-what happened?” he managed to say. Kathryn managed to help him to his feet. Chakotay and the few other crew members who had remained conscious after coming through the turbulence were doing the same to other crew members.

    “I don’t know,” Kathryn said, answering Tom’s question. “Report!” she ordered to anyone who could respond. Chakotay manned a computer console on a wall and started to read out a list of damaged systems.

    “Propulsion’s out,” he said. “So are navigation, shields, main power on all decks…” He paused as he sifted through the never-ending list. “Just about everything.” He looked at Kathryn. “Whatever got us got us good.”

    “Do we have communications?” Kathryn asked. She waited as Chakotay searched through the list.

    “Yes,” he finally said.

    “Good. Put me through to Starfleet Command.” Kathryn waited to be patched through. When it didn’t happen, she turned to Chakotay.

    “Commander,” she said.

    “I can’t,” Chakotay said.

    “Why not? I thought you said we had communications.”

    “We do have communications. We also have sensors, and right now the sensors are giving me some information you might not be too happy to hear.”

    “Commander, there’s a lot I’m not too happy about right now. I’m sure one more thing couldn’t hurt.”

    “I think I’d have to disagree. Sensor readings show that we are no longer in the Alpha quadrant.”

    “Gamma?” Kathryn asked, already contemplating a run-in with the Jem-Hedar or the Dominion. Chakotay looked at her with an expression she couldn’t quite pinpoint, even though they’d been married for nearly 15 years. It was that of fear, shock, surprise, and uncertainty.

    “Delta,” he said. Kathryn looked back at the view screen. They had been transported to the Delta quadrant? But that was over 70,000 light years away from the Alpha quadrant. That meant that it would take them…

    Kathryn’s thoughts were interrupted by the voice that came from her comm badge. “Security to Bridge.” Kathryn tapped her comm badge.

    “Captain here,” she said. Tuvok, the ship’s chief of security, spoke.

    “Captain, there’s someone I think you should meet with.”

    “Lt., can this possibly wait till some other time? Perhaps someone else could see to it right now. I’ve got so many problems, I don’t know where to start.”

    “Captain, I strongly advise that you see to this matter yourself.” Kathryn sighed.

    “All right, Lt. Bring whoever it is to my ready room,” she said. “Janeway out.” She and Chakotay looked at each other as she walked across the bridge to her ready room. He was helping more people to their feet.

    Kathryn walked into her ready room and looked around, assessing the damage the room had sustained. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too severe. A few things tossed to the floor. She bent down and picked up a few PADDs that had been thrown to the floor. She placed them on her desk. Her comm badge chirped. Chakotay’s voice flowed into the room.

    “Chakotay to Janeway,” he said. Kathryn tapped the device resting on her chest.

    “Yes, Commander-what is it?” she asked.

    “I’d like to go down to engineering,” the commander said. “I can’t seem to get any sensor readings from that area.”

    “Go ahead, Commander.”

    “Chakotay out.”

    Kathryn walked over to the counter beside the ready room doors. There was nothing resting on it, as there should have been. Kathryn’s eyes wandered from the barren counter to the floor. The contents of the counter were scattered across the floor, in front of the table and the couch. She sighed and looked up from the floor to the mirror hanging over the counter. She was surprised to see that it was still on the wall. She was also surprised by her appearance. She hadn’t had a chance to look in the mirror before now and, frankly, her appearance was horrid. Her short auburn hair was scattered about her head, and she had small scratches on her cheek from where she’d scraped herself when she’d fallen. She’d also managed to bang her head in the process, and a nasty bruise was developing on her forehead.

    While she was studying her reflection, the door chimed. She combed her fingers through her hair in a futile attempt to tame her wild locks and then turned and walked over to her desk.

    “Come,” she said. Tuvok entered. There was someone behind him, but Kathryn couldn’t see who it was.

    “I believe there is someone you’d like to speak with,” the Vulcan said.

    “Yes, Tuvok, I got that much from you earlier,” Kathryn said, trying to peek around Tuvok at the mystery person hiding behind him. “Well, let’s have it. Who is this person I so urgently need to speak with?”

    Kathryn hadn’t known who to expect, but the person who stepped out from behind Tuvok had not been anyone she’d expected to see.

    “Dani!” Kathryn exclaimed. Dani looked up at her mother, whose expression reflected a mixture of anger and surprise. Dani wasn’t sure if she should say anything. What could she say? She didn’t think there was anything she could say that would prevent the verbal lashing she was about to receive.

    Kathryn looked away from her daughter. She looked over at Tuvok.

    “Thank you, Lt.,” Kathryn said. The security officer took this as a dismissal and obediently left the room.

    Kathryn looked back down at her daughter. She was seething with anger. She opened her mouth to say something, but brought her hand to her comm badge instead.

    “Janeway to Chakotay,” she said.

    ‘Oh no,’ Dani thought. She’d known that her father would find out when she’d decided to make her presence known, but somehow the thought hadn’t seemed so…menacing when she was climbing out of a jeffries tube.

    “Chakotay here.”

    “Report to my ready room right away,” Kathryn ordered.

    “On my way,” Chakotay replied. “Oh, and by the way, we do have auxiliary power, so you can have a cup of coffee. I know you’re probably needing one by now.”

    ‘You have no idea,’ Kathryn thought, looking at her daughter.

    “Thank you, Commander,” Kathryn said.

    “Chakotay out.”

    Without another word, Kathryn walked over to the replicator. “Computer-coffee! Hot!” she barked. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot while the smoldering cup of coffee materialized. She picked up the beverage and walked over to her desk. Dani began to speak, but Kathryn cut her off by raising her hand. She sat down in her chair and slowly took a sip of the still steaming coffee. Dani imagined that was the state her mother’s temper was in right now – steaming.

    “Sit,” Kathryn said sternly. Dani knew enough to follow her mother’s orders. She promptly sat down in one of the chairs in front of Kathryn’s desk. The door chimed. A sudden feeling of absolute doom came over Dani.

    “Come,” Kathryn said, her blue eyes still trained on Dani. When Chakotay walked through the door, Dani wished there was some way she could disappear into the chair she was occupying. Kathryn looked at Chakotay and stood. He put on brakes as soon as he saw Dani sitting in front of Kathryn’s desk.

    “Dani?” His response to her presence aboard the ship appeared to be less angry than Kathryn’s, but he had been just as surprised. He took a few steps toward his daughter, somewhat bewildered.

    Dani hesitantly looked up at her father. “Hi?” she said. It came out as more of a question than a greeting.

    Chakotay looked at Kathryn and then back at Dani. For some reason, Dani felt the need to say something.

    “Okay. Okay. Before either of you say anything, just let me explain.”

    “Explain?” Kathryn said. “Yes, I’d say you have a lot of explaining to do. Explain to me how you ended up on this ship. Explain to me why you’re not back home, with your aunt. Explain it to me, Dani. Enlighten me.”

    Dani stood, quite timidly.

    “Sit down!” Kathryn ordered. No sooner had the words left Kathryn’s mouth than Dani was back in her seat.

    “Dani, what are you doing here?” Chakotay asked more calmly than Kathryn had. Dani fidgeted a little and attempted to start her explanation a few times before she actually settled on one beginning.

    “Um, it’s kind of interesting, actually,” Dani began.

    Kathryn walked around her desk and behind Dani’s chair. She looked at Chakotay. She could see that he wanted Dani to continue.

    “Go on,” she said to Dani. She continued to pace.

    “Well…” Dani started again. She could try to sugarcoat it, but what good would that do? She decided she should just be frank. That was usually best when she was dealing with her parents. She sighed.

    “I was bored. I just wanted to have a little fun, so I sneaked onboard right before we left DS9. I mean, it was just going to be negotiations, so I figured that if I stayed out of sight, it wouldn’t be that big of a problem.”

    “Gods, Dani…” Chakotay said. He leaned against the desk. “What were you thinking?”

    “I just wanted some excitement, Dad,” Dani said. “It’s not a big deal.”

    “Not a big deal?!” Kathryn stopped pacing. Dani turned sideways in her seat so that she could face both Chakotay and Kathryn. She had stopped herself from exploding earlier, but she couldn’t contain herself any longer. “Dani do you have any idea where we are?”

    “The Badlands?” Dani asked.

    “Wrong,” Chakotay said. “We’re in the Delta quadrant.”

    “What?!” Dani exclaimed. She almost stood again, but one glance at her mother made her reconsider. “How?”

    “We don’t know,” Kathryn said. “We’re not dealing with that right now; we’re dealing with you.” She walked over to her daughter. “Now, I don’t know what possessed you to think you could hide on this ship for an entire voyage, but you were seriously out of your mind. Where were you going to hide?”

    “Well, I was in a jeffries tube-“

    “A jeffries tube?!” Kathryn and Chakotay exclaimed in unison.

    “Yeah,” Dani said looking from Chakotay to Kathryn and back to Chakotay again. “I mean, I came out after all that shaking.”

    “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?” Kathryn asked. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

    “I didn’t think it was going to cause this much trouble. I’m sorry, okay?”

    “Yes, I know you are, and you’re going to continue to be sorry for a long time after this,” Kathryn said. “Do you know how far the Delta quadrant is from home?”

    “No,” Dani said simply.

    “Well, it’s a pretty good distance,” Kathryn said.

    “It’s about 70,000 light years,” Chakotay said, his anger starting to surface. “Do you know how long it’s going to take us to get back to the Alpha quadrant?”

    Dani didn’t bother to answer this time. She just shook her head, slowly.

    “A long time,” Kathryn said. “And let me tell you, you’re going to be spending a large part of it unhappy because of this little stunt, young lady.”