It was honestly impressive to watch eight teams of specially trained workmen assemble the space station's framework. I put my own ship and Voyager's smaller sister ships on patrol duty, just in case, and set up sensor buoys all along the perimeter of the space the Federation was going to claim. It expanded out the normal sensors even father than the Caretaker's technology did.
The next month passed by quickly, with many dinners and crew mingling, especially once Commander Crusher learned about the Delta Quadrant colony. He was surprised there was no genetic drift or anything else caused by the living conditions or being on a planet with a marginal atmosphere. He even asked for access to the intact seeds and other samples the science teams had gathered.
Everyone cheered on all seven ships when the starbase's main power was turned on. Many checks were run, again and again, just to make sure everything was functioning properly. No one complained that it took another three days to confirm everything was performing within the proper parameters.
It was at this point that Captain Janeway handed over copies of the last of the files and reports everyone in the three ships under his command had compiled. They included the interstellar map they had meticulously made and the individual scans of planets, ships, systems, and stellar phenomenon they had encountered during their time in the Delta Quadrant.
Commander Crusher was quite relieved to have them and his squadron would have the best start to their first deployment. Unlike a normal one, they would switch out their ships every four months, so they only had three more months before their replacements showed up and they could return to Federation space.
The final test was activating the distortion wave and sending a ship back. Thanks to Voyager's presence, the squadron didn't have to sacrifice part of their own strength to send one of them back. Their orders would need to be changed in the future to bring along a small scout ship to make the transitions back and forth.
Janeway made the suggestion that both the USS Forerunner and USS Retaliation would be perfect for a job like that, so Commander Crusher endorsed it and amended it to the modification of his orders. He gave a copy of them to Janeway and wished him good luck.
Voyager, Forerunner, and Retaliation flew into the proper position for the launch and Crusher voiced the countdown. At the count of one, the starbase activated the array technology and created a distortion wave. At zero, it hit the three ships and their shields glowed as they rode the distortion wave all the way back to the United Federation of Planets in the Alpha Quadrant.
*
I held in my sigh as I sat in the room chosen for the Formal Board of Inquiry. It wasn't about my ordering the harsh quarantine procedures, although that was brought up, and wasn't about commissioning ships without proper authorization. Oh, no. It wasn't anything as important as that.
It was about the 'unconscionable and constant leak' of Starfleet secrets to a member of a species they didn't know the origin of and had no way to confirm. Apparently, it didn't matter that Odo was fully trusted by the Bajorans and the Starfleet personnel on DS9 and was fully commissioned under Federation law.
Odo's previous association with the Cardassians, literally doing the same job, put her loyalty into question. Why? Because she had 'full and unregulated access' to my mind and everything I knew. After they interrogated me about why I never told anyone about it, I spoke loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear... and the next few rooms... and most of the building, actually. Magic was good for that.
“Does Starfleet command require every citizen to report and disclose the personal, religious, and sexual natures of their consensual relationships?” I asked and everyone fell silent. “Because, I will warn you now. If you dare think you can dictate to an entire race that they must disclose who they choose to form bonds with, then you'll splinter the main core the the United Federation of Planets.”
“We just finished entering into the records that no one knows the origin of the changeling's race!” The arrogant man in the center responded, a little hotly.
“That changeling has a name, sir. It's Odo Ital.” I said, calmly. “I also wasn't speaking about her.”
“Then who do you mean?” The woman next to the man asked. “It's quite the bold threat to say it will split the federation.”
I held in my smile. “The Vulcans were the first extraterrestrial race to join the Federation.”
She gasped and her fellow panellists had their faces pale.
“Yes, their mind meld with their chosen mates is well documented. What are they going to do if you make it a standard order that they must disclose their previous partners to Starfleet Command and then have to report all their subsequent partners every seven years for the rest of their lives?”
Every single person in the room, the witnesses, the audience, and the panellists turned to look at the sole Vulcan sitting in the gallery. Commander Oh gave everyone a calm face and didn't say anything.
“Commander, if you would be so kind to give us your insight?” The middle man on the panel asked.
Commander Oh glanced at me and then back at the man. “Captain Janeway is quite correct. Neither I, nor will my fellows ever disclose private information, compromise our religious rites, or give up the identities of our chosen partners.” He said and the entire panel looked uncomfortable. “Not all of us are married or fully bonded to someone.”
I let them stew on that for a moment before I tried again. “I would like to know how it came about that you did discover such a personal and private secret.”
I'm very sorry about that. Odo thought to me, full of sorrow.
And I told you it wasn't your fault. Spock and I echoed each other.
Then why ask about it? Odo asked.
So it can be added to the official record. Spock answered.
“That's immaterial.” The man in the middle said. “It was discovered and the information leak needs to be...”
“It's not immaterial, since it's the reason we're here.” I interrupted him. “And if you finish that sentence, I'll see you finished on the duelling floor.”
The man's mouth snapped shut with a loud click. His thoughts whirled around, his obvious plan to blame it on Odo to have her persecuted, and possibly disposed of, was falling apart. When he went to take a drink of water, I transfigured it into the same substance I used back in Game of Thrones to make a fortune in golden dragons.
“Now tell everyone how you found out and why you're pushing so hard with this.” I ordered.
“When Starfleet Operations checked the report a mere Constable had sent ahead about the battle your ship was in with the Dominion, they determined it was coded for a federation captain and she didn't have high enough access for that data.” The man responded.
Dammit, I didn't think of that. I thought to Odo. I sent you a copy of my own data access to the information and not a general access copy.
It's all right, Kevin. Odo thought with love. If you can forgive me for what happened afterwards, I can easily forgive you for that.
“The foolish Founder's child the humans named Odo, claimed to hate how you were tortured by your decision to condemn an entire people to death, then she trusted her filthy human friend with the secret that she was bonded mentally with you.” He said and shuddered. “The mere thought of touching a human mind is repugnant to me and I want to punish her for her insolence against our people.”
Now every eye in the room turned to stare at him, especially his fellow panellists.
“Through you, I can get to her. I hurt you, I hurt her. When she's prosecuted for sharing state secrets, I'll secretly set her free and she will see the error of her ways and return to our people more enlightened about the true nature of the universe.” The man continued and then realized what he just said.
One of the panellists waved over two security guards.
The man jumped to his feet with panic on his face. “I meant every word I said!” He exclaimed and then shook his head and stepped back from the long curved desk. “I'm trying to cover up my infiltration by putting Starfleet's interest onto you and her!”
“Sir, I need you to calm down and put up your hands.” One of the guards said and aimed his weapon at him. “You are under arrest, whoever you are.”
“I'm not Admiral Hendricks! I killed him almost a year ago! His wife is a shrew and didn't care I no longer tried to have sexual relations with her!” The man almost spat and stumbled backwards when his knees hit the chair behind him.
“Don't move!” The other guard shouted and raised his gun. “Surrender now!”
“I'd rather die than capitulate to you idiot solids!” The man spat, shook his head again, and tried to run.
Both guards fired and the stun setting had no effect, except to make the being glow softly.
I tried to trip him and he rolled up into a ball and kept rolling. He was going to reach the door and escape, since he could change into any shape, even liquid, and slip through any crack or crevice. I pretended to pull out a phaser and stood, changed the beam to blue, and fired it on stun as I used my ice powers to freeze the being solid.
Everyone in the room gasped and turned to look at me, even the two guards, which gave me the perfect opportunity to freeze over and shatter the gun in my hand into small shards. I frosted over my hand as well to cover up that the gun was fake and I hissed and dropped back into my seat as I hugged my hand.
“Captain!” “Janeway!” “Kevin!” The mix of yells cut through the room.
“Sit down!” The woman in the next seat shouted and stood. “I said, SIT DOWN!” She yelled as she slammed the gavel twice and it echoed loudly in the room.
Everyone stopped moving and the ones closest to me reluctantly sat down right behind my chair. I felt a couple of hands on my legs and one on my back, which moved in a soothing manner. When I glanced back with my X-Ray Vision instead of turning around, it was Helen Kim's hand and she had an epic blush. Not surprisingly, Tammy Paris was behind her and whispered encouragement in her ear.
“Men, take that thing away and make sure it stays frozen for now.” She ordered and they gave her a pointed look. “Put it in a freezer or something.”
The two guards nodded at the valid suggestion and one of them quietly called for a cargo lift.
Let me have a go at him, Kevin. Odo thought and her emotions were not kind ones.
I doubt we'll be allowed anywhere near him, now that he's been exposed as part of the Dominion. I thought back.
She sat back down and looked at me. “Captain Janeway, do you need immediate medical attention?”
“No, ma'am. I can survive with frostburn until the proceedings are over and can get it looked at then.” I answered and she looked impressed.
“Very well. Let's continue.” She said and didn't tell the people around me to go back to their regular seats. She went over the papers on her part of the desk and shook her head. “After reviewing the paperwork, knowing the entire case has been manipulated from the start by an imposter, I hereby declare any previous decisions concerning Captain Janeway behind closed doors will be re-examined with fresh eyes.”
That was news to me and I touched her mind, only to see several promotions for myself and my crew had been universally denied and that was before the inquiry had been announced.
The woman panellist gave me a nod. “I suspected this was an unfair manhunt from the start and I'm sorry I was proven right.”
The doors opened and a workman brought in a cargo hauler and a miniature tractor beam to move the ball of ice onto it. The two guards escorted it out and the doors closed behind them.
“At least it happened before a miscarriage of justice was perpetrated by this panel.” She said and the others nodded. “I declare that all charges are unfounded and this formal inquiry closed.”
The people in the gallery cheered and the people sitting around me jumped to their feet and hugged me. I felt a few kisses on my cheeks and ears and didn't complain. I let it go on for a minute before I stood and hissed in fake pain again. That made a few people gasp again and I was summarily rushed out of the room towards the closest medical facility to get my hand checked over.
A week later, I was called in to face a review board. That was a small surprise, considering the previous inquiry, then they started listing all of the things I had done as captain on the Voyager. They even accessed my personal logs for references, to make sure I wasn't fudging things, and referenced bridge recordings of my orders and many reports from crew members.
I didn't really think I had done that much, actually. Instead, I was commended for my level head, keeping myself and the entire crew calm in many situations where most people panicked, and then praised for making the hard decisions and also negotiation a lasting peace with the Kazons by beating them at their own game of proving myself and the Federation as powerful warriors.
After hearing all of that, I expected to be promoted to Commodore, since I had created my own squadron of ships and led them successfully through hostile alien territory for several months. Instead, I was promoted to Vice-Admiral and given overall command of the Array Program, since I had been the one to start the whole thing off in the first place.
I was a bit stunned at first, then stammered out acceptance, which made the review board chuckle. They then told me that Captain Cavit and Captain Tuvoc reacted in almost the same way when hey were assigned to keep their built ships, after they went through proper testing by Starfleet's Starship Design Bureau. I thought that was fair, because we used their standards and then exceeded them anyway.
The funny thing was, nearly everyone on my ships had earned commendations and promotions, most of them were to keep them in their current positions, since the expediency of combining jobs had worked better than I thought it would.
The review board had also adopted my idea to use the two new ships as scouts to send along on the Array Program. Commander Crusher's endorsement also helped, along with the reports about both of the smaller ships performing so well during such a hard deployment.
Both Odo and Spock congratulated me as soon as I was dismissed. I was to take a two week vacation before I had to report to my new position and I could feel nothing but regret over having to leave Voyager behind so soon. It brought my thoughts back to Captain Kirk and how she had continually refused promotions after demotion herself to starship captain again, just so she could get back out there.
You will spend the first week of your vacation with me. Spock thought to me, imperiously.
Of course. I responded automatically, since I was planning to do that anyway.
The second one with me? Odo thought, her slight surprise at being considered for that, even after what happened, made me smile.
Well, you are closer. I joked with a mental chuckle.
Odo scoffed and shook her head at me. Spock gave us a feeling of amusement.
I freely admit that miss being around the both of you, physically that is. I thought to them, my mental voice serious. I don't want to take you away from the important work you're doing, though.
You won't. Odo and Spock responded.
Your presence will help me, as you very well know. Odo added.
Your presence will help keep me grounded as well. Spock commented. We cannot be working all the time or we will burn out long before our important work is finished.
I mentally nodded in agreement. Then I'll see you after I get my things in order here.
I look forward to it. Spock thought and her mind receded as she concentrated on something else.
I sighed when Odo receded as well. I had a few people to visit and inform of my promotion to my new lofty position, and was sure that my first stop at Guinan's bar would take care of most of that. He did have access to all the best gossip.
Plus, I hadn't seen either him or Jeanne Picard in almost six months and I wondered how they were holding up with everything going on, or in Picard's case, not going on. She still hadn't figured out it was me that helped her after her breakdown and that made me smile every time I saw her.