A War For The Death of A Boy

The Queen quickly explained to Eponie and the Enforcer about the other team.

"Well, at least we know they're fine, and they now know we're on Voyager." Olympia said. "Perhaps we could enhance Voyager's transport systems to maximum capabilities, and beam the team directly onto this vessel?"

"It is a good idea" Cyan agreed, "but the ships would still have to be within detection range to allow the transport. If that were to happen, we can't be sure we could safely extract our team before the Raptor engaged in an all out attack."

The system enhancements aboard Voyager had been moving along quite well, but the lack of bodies had put Cyan well behind their original schedule. If arrangements could not be made to get the rest of the team here, she was not sure that Voyager could make do with what had been accomplished to date. She would need to find a way to slow Voyager's progress towards the intercept point without alerting Captain Janeway; or risk opening a portal to Voyager, and sending more Amazons. Either option only addressed one of their major obstacles, she was still unsure as how to proceed in getting the rest of her team off the vessel she would need to destroy. Time was quickly running out.

"I believe I can complete most of the major weapon enhancements within two days time" Olympia said, "but I can not be positive they will be enough to defeat the Raptor without shield enhancements."

Eponie responded in turn, "I'm going as fast as I can on the shields, but there is no way I can complete both that and the warp drive maximums. We've been working around the clock for five days now, and other than the Borg, I'm afraid the crew of Voyager is almost out of steam. Even if we were able to complete the enhancements, I'm not sure they would be in any condition to remember how to use them, and frankly I'm not so sure about myself."

"Olympia" Cyan began, "what are the implications of having Matt open a new portal here on Voyager and sending some help?"

"Frankly Cyan, I've thought of that. I'm not sure we would be able to explain their arrival significantly without Captain Janeway revoking our ship access until she was satisfied that they did not pose a threat. Either way, I just don't think we will have enough time."

"On top of that" Eponie continued, "even if Voyager's enhancements were completed in time, we can't fire on the Raptor, our own people are there."

"I'm very aware of that Eponie!" Cyan snapped.

The Enforcer turned and headed for the door knowing well enough that the Queen was done talking. "I'm going back to tactical and completing the weapon upgrades. I will have them on-line within 36 hours my Queen." The door shut, and the Enforcer was gone.

Eri couldn't believe that the Jedi had cut off their only chance of getting off this ship. They had finally been able to get into the engineering room, but were not surprised to find the portal gone. Of all the places the Jedi could have picked to talk, it had to be there? Eri shook her head in disbelief. Could one race of people really be this unlucky? The rest of the Amazons had spread about the ship again, while they waited to hear from the island. Eri had made her way back down towards the boy's quarters. She had been growing very irritated over the last few days, and couldn't wait to get off this ship. She also wished more and more that Cyan were here; she really needed to talk with her. Saran, Corde, Tinka and Stud Boy had actually made the waiting almost tolerable. Each one of them had kept Eri laughing at one time or another; but whatever the Queen had planned, she had better do it soon.

The door to the room slammed shut behind Cyan, as Eponie turned to find herself facing Captain Janeway.

"Scheesh! You startled me!" Eponie said.

"Sorry about that" Janeway said," I barely kept from being flattened by your buddy there; it didn't leave me with much of an opportunity to announce my arrival." Janeway smiled.

"It's alright Captain. After all, it is your ship." Eponie tried to muster a smile.

"I guess we're all pretty tired lately. That's actually why I'm here. Although I appreciate all of your hard work, I can't help but feeling you have us all working under some kind of deadline. I realize my crew has been rotating through their normal schedules, but it has come to my attention that the three of you haven't. Any enhancements that are completed at the time of your departure will be an improvement on anything we already have." Janeway smiled, "I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I don't want your stay with us, to be the death of you."

Eponie smiled awkwardly at the irony, "Don't worry Captain, I can assure you, we are definitely built to last."

"Well, I trust you know your own limitations, and I'll leave it up to you. It wouldn't hurt you to take a few more breaks every now and then though. I think Cyan could probably use one" as Janeway motioned towards the door.

Eponie was unable to hide the thoughts on her face any longer. "Cyan is very concerned about the safety of our people, Captain."

"Well, I can certainly understand her position." Janeway said with genuine sympathy.

"Cyan's niece is among one of the individuals we are trying to contact. As I'm sure you could imagine, this has made the whole situation alot more personal. Keeping busy with Voyager's enhancements has helped to keep our minds focused on something else."

"Perhaps a break is not what you need then....." Janeway said as they made their way to the door.

Eponie headed towards Engineering as Janeway's footsteps faded behind her, "Oh, on the contrary Captain, a break is all we're asking for!"

Time seemed to drag by on the Starship Raptor for the five Amazons. Each of them did what they could to make the best use of their time; but until they were able to communicate with their Island again, or find something else that might assist them in getting off the ship, the days only made the warriors feel more and more trapped. Eri had grown especially quiet, and spent many hours watching the boy, and speaking to no one. Saran even raised some enthusiasm from Corde and Tinka in helping her to develop a new line of toothpick weapons - (things were starting to look bleak folks).

StudBoy had been able to isolate the TPM piece he believed was the problem. He was slowly re-building the remaining component pieces as the other Amazons listened just outside the main bridge and communications deck of the vessel. Eri had organized the warriors into shifts earlier in the week; but after several days, it was obvious that nothing really happened outside of that one area.

The younger of the two Jedi Knights was currently at the helm of the Starship Raptor, when he turned to address the hooded figure who stood behind him.

"Master, we have detected another Starship rapidly approaching our coordinates. I am not sure they have acknowledged our presence."

"They know we are here" the elder Jedi stated flatly as he turned to face the young Queen. "Your transmission has alerted the enemy to our whereabouts, we will have to attempt to out run them."

The Amazons looked on in disbelief. Voyager? Already? Time was running out quickly. Eri signaled for the group to leave while motioning Stud Boy to try and contact Matt again.

"Corde, you and Saran neutralize the crew members on the lower levels. Stud, you and Tinka get to the communications room and see if you can get the schematics on the approaching vessel." Eri turned to leave as Saran touched her arm, "Where are you going?" she asked quietly.

"I need to eliminate a potential obstacle," Eri replied without elaboration, "Oh, and Stud Boy, get that TPM working or we can kiss our island goodbye."

Matt and Vicky both looked up in exasperation. "Anything?" they said in unison.

"Nothing at all." Ashana replied.

"Wait a minute" Labris drawled as her eyes darted back and forth over some papers in front of her, "it says that Voyager was finally destroyed with a Laser Impulse Blast from the PH707, right?"

"Yup! It was pretty much dead in the water before that," Matt replied, "but that's what finally did it in."

"Well how could that be if the Raptor is technically classified as a non-military vessel? They would have had other weapons, but not that one aboard ship."

The five Amazons sat silently for a minute digesting what Labris had said.

"A third ship?" Vicky asked in almost a whisper.

"Had to be." Labris replied.

"But if that's true" Matt said as he looked over at the holo-image of the Starship Raptor, "we are about to destroy the wrong ship."

Stud Boy turned to face Tinka, "It doesn't make sense. From the readout's on our scanners, the dimensions of the approaching ship aren't even close to that of Voyager."

"Let me see that" Tinka said as Stud Boy passed her the scanner. Tinka studied the screen for a minute, before uttering, "Uh Oh...."

"What is it?" Stud Boy asked.

"This other vessel is practically identical to the one we're on except its PH707 Impulse capable, unlike the Raptor." Both Tinka and the Stud Boy looked at each other in disbelief, and then back to the scanner screen.

"Of course" Tinka mumbled, thinking back to the briefing, "only a military classified Starship would have that kind of firepower. The Raptor didn't destroy Voyager," Tinka tapped the moving readout, "this other vessel did."

"Are you kidding me?" Cyan exclaimed as the crew members of Voyager turned to look at her. The bridge fell silent as Janeway approached the Queen.

"Cyan?"

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better EVERY MINUTE!" Cyan said to no one and everyone at the same time. She turned to face her Princess, "Seems we're going to spare your boy after all Eponie, at least for now."

Cyan turned to face Janeway who was already getting ready to ask her own slew of questions. Cyan held up her hand, and Janeway froze. "Captain," Cyan began, "we need to talk.... and quickly."

Cyan leaned against the railing of the bridge and slowly explained everything. "The enhancements we have nearly completed aboard your vessel were not done out of the goodness of our heart Captain. There is a Starship approaching Voyager's coordinates that is currently carrying five members of my team." Janeway stared in amazement, "The ship is called Raptor, and is presently being pursued by another Starship of military classification. It is our belief that this pursuing vessel will destroy Voyager, and along with it, your entire crew."

Janeway's face hardened as both Eponie and Olympia stared in surprise at the Queen. "I realize you have no reason to trust us Captain, but I also know that your subtle little assessment of us on the holo-deck has convinced you of our skill set. If you do not allow my warriors to assist you, Voyager will be destroyed."

It became obvious that Action Kate had replaced Captain Accommodating somewhere in Cyan's revelation. Janeway approached Cyan with a hardness on her face that the crew members of Voyager knew all to well.

"Apparently there has been some confusion Cyan. I was under the impression you were merely a guest aboard my vessel, and I was still in charge. So, let me clear a few things up for you. I will not engage in battle or an alliance with ANY vessel before I have determined for myself the impact upon both Voyager and the lives of my crew members. And yes, I am very aware of your skills, but if you insist on pursuing me to these ends, I'm sure we can give you a run for your money!"

"Do you really have any idea who you are talking to, or who we are?" Eponie snapped as she stepped between Cyan and Janeway, "The three of us could wipe your entire crew out in the blink of an eye!"

Eponie sensed Cyan moving forward and held up her hand to stop her. The Queen took a step back and let the Princess continue.

"Please Captain, I know your instincts are to protect the lives of your crew, but so are ours. Let me explain it all to you, and then you can decide. Please, for the sake of everyone, hear me out."

The Queen and Olympia exchanged glances as they saw Janeway nod her acceptance to Eponie's plea. Cyan leaned back again against the railing admiring the Princess and her ability to out-talk anyone. Eponie started from the beginning…. "We are from an island, and we are Amazons. On our island......"

The four Amazons looked over at Eri as she came through the door. Tinka quickly relayed the new information to the team while passing the scanner around.

"This changes our priorities, right Eri?" Saran asked.

"We need to contact Matt" Stud Boy said, "and get a new extraction site. The Queen will need our help to get Voyager online."

"But what about the boy?" Corde asked.

"We need to tell the Queen about the other Starship first" Saran said, "she'll be targeting the wrong ship unless we can get to her."

The Amazons continued to discuss what they should do next.......

"Eri? Eri? Hey, Eri?"

Eri looked over at Saran.

"You with us?" Saran asked.

"Come on!" Eri said as she turned towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Saran asked as she glanced around at the others.

"We're going to go see a couple of Jedi, and tell them a story; a story about an Amazon away team……"

"And then what?" Stud Boy asked, following Eri out the door and into the hallway.

"We're gonna ask them to tell us how it ends."

Matt and the others stood around the conference table discussing all that Stud Boy had told them.

"The Jedi have agreed to work with Voyager to ensure the destruction of the pursuing Starship." Labris said, "This should allow Captain Janeway sufficient resources to secure Voyager's survival."

"That's if Eponie was able to convince Janeway to trust them." Larc said.

The island had not heard a word from the Queen or Princess since Eponie had begun talking to Janeway. If they did not convince the crew of Voyager soon, they would run out of time.

"Matt" Cyan's voice came over a speaker in a panel at the end of the table.

"Captain Janeway has agreed to allow us to continue. I need the coordinates of the Raptor in order to have our team beamed directly aboard Voyager."

Labris began computing the coordinates as Vicky explained the remaining details to Cyan and the entire bridge of Voyager.

"The Raptor has agreed to join you in the attack. You should be able to complete Voyager's enhancements within twelve hours of the arrival of the rest of our team. If Voyager maintains a course for the Class 3 planet in section 894, at a speed of 6.4 light years, it will allow you the necessary time you will need before engaging the pursuing Starship."

Labris gave the coordinates of the Amazon team, as Harry Kim locked on to the five Amazons from the bridge of Voyager.

"Got them Captain. Beaming aboard now."

"Gotta go" Cyan said, "Finally, a fight! Scheesh, sorry about your beach party guys."

"No problem" Vicky said, as she winked at the small group surrounding that table, "It was a cloudy day here anyway."

Five forms began to materialize on the bridge of Voyager, and it wasn't long before Eponie, Olympia and Cyan were standing face to face with the rest of their team. There was still alot to do, but nothing was going to take away from the excitement of seeing one another again. Eventually, Cyan dismissed the team to their individual sectors to complete the enhancements of Voyager's systems. They had 12 hours according to Vicky's calculations and there was still alot Cyan needed to explain to Janeway.

"Cyan?" Eri said as she caught up with the Queen. The Amazon leader turned to see her niece walking directly at her. The Queen's focus had increased greatly once she had been sure Eri and the rest of the team were safely aboard Voyager. They had not however, had an opportunity to talk privately about all that had happened on the Starship Raptor, and by the look Eri's face, it had not gone well.

Cyan became painfully aware of the growing emotion in the girl's eyes as they began to fill with tears. Eriadu the warrior had disappeared for the moment, and the Queen saw only the child who had come to her so many years before. Eri ran into Cyan's arms and hugged her tightly as she spoke barely loud enough to be heard.......

"He was just a boy Cyan, and I had to make a choice, and this time I chose..…...." the girl paused, "I chose differently."

The Queen continued to hug her niece as she finally began to cry.

"There is no "I" when it comes to us Eri....... not anymore; only a "we"........" Cyan stopped and thought for a moment before she continued, "and perhaps we chose better this time....."

The Queen and her niece began walking towards Voyager's engineering room where Eri would be working with B'Elanna Torres.

"Come on, lets kick some butt and get outta here" Cyan whispered to the young warrior, "I think we're both ready to go home."