Redemptions of the Heart

By Oprelia

Rating: PG-13

Code: P, J/P

Category: VOYAGER

Genre: Action/Adventure/Romance

Disclaimer: STAR TREK: VOYAGER and all its characters contained within this story are owned exclusively by Paramount Pictures Corporation. No copyright infringements are intended.

Author's Note: Thanks to SabineQuinn for reminding me that Neelix had left in Homestead. How silly of me. I have changed that now to Icheb. You will understand why Icheb asks the captain later in the story.

Chapter Three

A Bump In The Road

*****

The spacious room was a mess, a reflection of the state of mind of its occupant. The computer terminal on the desk was still active and was casting the only light in the otherwise dim room. A half cup of cold coffee stood beside the computer, long forgotten, as had the other dozen cups or so. Lying on the large bed lay the occupant of the room, but she could not sleep. A chirp of the comm. system breaks her away from her melancholy thoughts. She immediately bolts upright into a sitting position

::: Bridge to Captain Janeway :::

"Janeway here"

::: Captain, I'm sorry for calling you so late but you wished to be notified of any developments :::

"You have something to report?" she practically demands.

::: Yes Captain. Sensors have detected the shuttlecraft Orion travelling on an intercept course. At maximum warp, we should rendezvous with the shuttle in two hours :::

"Understood. Proceed at Maximum Warp. I'm coming to the bridge. Janeway out" She rushes out of the bedroom and hastily dresses into her uniform before striding out the door. At this late hour the corridors are empty as she proceeded to the turbolift. Just as she reached the turbolift, a voice calls out to her.

"Captain! Has there been any news?"

"Yes Icheb. I was just informed that they have detected the Orion"

"That's excellent news Captain. And how are you feeling? I know that you must be relieved to have some news"

"I feel much better now Icheb. I'm glad that he's safe and finally coming home. I'd forgotten what it feels like to sleep without Tom holding me. These last three weeks have been terrible".

"Well everything is all right now. You give Tom a very big welcome hug from me"

"Thanks icheb, and I will" she replies and she turns around and hails the turbolift.

* * * * *

Lieutenant Kim was anxiously waiting for the Captain to arrive on the bridge. These last three weeks had been very hard on him. He knew that the new shuttle would need to be tested and as Chief Pilot and co-engineer of the enhancements to the shuttle, the task was clearly going to be implemented by Tom. His best buddy. The one person that was missing. He had all but given up on the search for his best friend. They had relentlessly searched the entire region for his trail this past two and a half weeks. Every ion, every trail was investigated until they were sure that the shuttle had stopped there. But the trail disappeared.

It must have been a large ship that overpowered the shuttle. Orion had been decked out with the latest in enhancements which made it almost as advanced as the Delta Flyer. A new shield matrix was installed along with enhanced sensors and manoeuvring thrusters. The structural integrity field had also been strengthen along with the warp and impulse drives. The shuttle would never have the grace of the Flyer but it would lessen our dependence on the Flyer for away missions.

When the new shuttles replace the existing set, more away missions could take place in relative safety. That was both Tom and Lieutenant Vorik's argument when they requested the design and construction of the new shuttles. But Tom was now missing on the shuttle's maiden test flight. Either the shuttle had a critical flaw that made the vessel lose control and was destroyed, the shuttle was outgunned despite the enhancements or a much larger ship overwhelmed the shuttle. He did not believe that the shuttle was flawed. Some of those new upgrades were already installed on the Flyer, and that test was successful, so the shuttle was clearly not flawed. No... Harry would not accept that. Secondly Tom was an excellent pilot. Any small vessel would not have been able to capture Tom. He would have evaded them too easily. He had to believe that Tom was ambushed and overwhelmed by a larger vessel.

The fourth option was unthinkable, that he went AWOL. His musings were interrupted by the arrival of the Captain.

"Lieutenant, Report!"

"Long range sensors have just detected the shuttlecraft Orion. It is travelling at maximum warp straight towards us. We will rendezvous with the shuttle in approximately two hours" reported Harry as he stood up from the Captain's chair.

"Are there any ships in pursuit Lieutenant".

"Negative Captain. Sensors are all clear except for a large ion storm in the another sector  which is affecting our scans but it is at the edge of our sensor range".

"Understood. Keep an eye out on the ion storm, I'll be in my Ready Room. Alert me when we are within communications range Mr Kim, and alert the senior staff" said the Captain as she turned towards her Ready Room.

"Yes ma'am" replied Harry.

Janeway quickly entered the room before she started weeping. She had refused to give into her emotions during the crisis but now with Tom within their grasp, she was finally able to release all her pent up frustration and feelings. Harry's use of the word "ma'am" reminded her of how much she missed Tom. Only Tom could say the word "ma'am" with a twang in it that made her want to smile every time he said it. She had been so lonely these past few weeks without her lover. She had already lost two fiancés, she didn't want to loose her third one.

Meanwhile Harry returned to his fourth option. He did not believe that Tom would leave Voyager. Not when he had just proposed to his love. Unless he was brainwashed or coerced, Tom would come back the Captain. Speaking of love, he could not even begin to fathom the king of pain and grief that the Captain was going through. He was Tom's best friend but the Captain was Tom's fiancée. Her soul mate mysteriously disappears straight after he proposes to her. He knew that she previously had two other fiancés and she lost them both. 'She must be extremely anxious', he thought. Tom had confided in him when he was contemplating his proposal to her. Tom had asked for his opinion. Tom had revealed to him the uncertainty he felt due to the other losses the Captain had endured throughout her life concerning her fiancés. Harry, seeing the love clearly evident on Tom's face and the Captain's face whenever he was with her, was overjoyed when Tom said that he was ready to remarry. 'I hope he is alive so that he can still marry her', thought Harry as he returned his attentions back to his scans.

* * * * *

# WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED SPATIAL TURBULENCE CLASSIFICATION ZERO-FOUR-THREE IN GRID EIGHT-NINE-FOUR #

# SEVERE DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED ON DECK THREE SECTION ONE-EIGHT SUBJUNCTION FIVE TO DECK TWO-THREE SECTION THREE-ZERO SUBJUNCTION ONE-SEVEN #

# PROPULSION UNITS ARE NON-RESPONSIVE. SHIELDS HAVE FAILED. SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TWO DRONES HAVE PERISHED #

# REGENERATION OF SHIELD GRID HAS COMMENCED #

# REPAIR OF MAIN PROPULSION UNITS HAVE COMMENCED #

The remaining drones began their assigned tasks. A single drone then accesses the navigational array.

# A VESSEL HAS BEEN DETECTED IN SPATIAL GRID EIGHT-NINE-ZERO #

# VESSEL IDENTIFIED. FEDERATION INTREPID CLASS #

# VESSEL DESIGNATION USS VOYAGER. WE WILL KEEP BE WATCHFUL OF ITS MOVEMENTS #

The drone then deactivated the terminal to rejoin the repair efforts.

# REPAIR OF SPHERE FIVE-NINE-ONE HAS HIGHEST PRIORITY #

*****

    Next: Chapter Four