Pathfinder

Kathryn and the Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant

Once upon a time, there was a young, beautiful and courageous woman from Indiana. Kathryn was her name - feisty Kathryn with the red hair and blue eyes.

One day it happened that Kathryn and her ship were caught in a bad storm. Thunder rolled and her small ship turned and tumbled, and tumbled and turned. She began to wonder if it would ever stop, when all of a sudden, everything came to a halt and silence fell upon her.

Finally, after she'd made sure that she was unharmed, she stood and took stock of her ship and her surroundings. Kathryn had to fight tears at seeing her ship in shreds; there was no way it would take her home again. But eventually she did cry when she realised that she didn't know where home actually was. Everything looked so strange and the stars weren't the ones she knew.

"Oh Neelix," she said, turning to her dog that she always took with her on journeys. "What shall we do? Where shall we go? I miss my home!"

Neelix wasn't able to answer her of course, but he gave a bark that he hoped sounded encouraging.

Suddenly there was a blinding light and Kathryn and Neelix found themselves on an old farm that looked so much like home, and yet not.

An old man sat there, looking equally lost.

Even though she was so far from home, Kathryn was still a brave woman and after calling Neelix to follow her, they made their way over to the lonely man.

"Good evening, Mister. I'm lost because my ship was hit by a very bad storm. Can you show me the way home?" She asked politely, sitting down on the bench next to the old man.

"Oh no, you don't have what I need!" The old man just winked at her and stood to leave.

"But wait!" Kathryn sprang to her feet, following the man. "Can't you help me?" She asked again. "I don't know where I am and I really miss my friends and my family. I miss home!"

"Oh go away, woman!" The man said again, waving at her. "I don't have what you want! Just leave!"

"But..."

Suddenly the old man stumbled, his mouth forming a silent scream as he fell to his knees.

"Oh Mister! What's happening? Are you hurt?" Panic built in Kathryn's chest. What could she do?

The old man now needed his hands to keep him from falling to the ground. At first Kathryn thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but she soon realized that the old man was definitely shrinking, shrinking, shrinking and changing until there was only a stone left.

Shocked, Kathryn clamped her hands over her mouth to stifle a scream, still her curiosity got the better of her and she slowly made her way over to the stone.

‘Oh don't do that Kathryn,' Neelix barked. ‘Your curiosity will get us in deep trouble some day!' But as he was still only a dog and therefore unable to speak, his remark went unnoticed by Kathryn. Not that she would have cared even if she could understand him.

Kathryn crouched down in front of the stone, and sticking out her hand, poked the stone at first, before she was finally brave enough to take it in her hand.

As soon as her fingers closed over the rock, voices filled the air, and looking up she noticed that she was surrounded by strange, angelic people.

She stood in haste, letting the stone drop to the ground. "Please, I'm sorry. I didn't do anything. It's not my fault!" She pointed at the stone.

A lone woman stepped out of the mass, so young and somehow still so wise.

"Hush girl," she said, and her voice sounded like music. "You've done us a great favour and freed us from the evil Caretaker, The Wizard Of The East. I, Kes, The Good Witch Of The North and the whole Ocampa village will be forever in your debt.

"Oh, but no," Kathryn shook her head, and her red locks bobbled. "I did no such thing. My ship got lost in the storm you see. And I only wanted to ask that nice man for a way home. But suddenly...," she trailed off.

"Oh, my dear; still we thank you. For now there are lives full of exploration and learning in front of us."

"Are you able to show me a way home?" Kathryn asked hopefully. "You see my dog Neelix and I are very homesick."

"I'm sorry, my dear I don't know where your home is, but I know someone who will be able to help you. He's a very wise man."

Hope was building in young Kathryn's heart.

"You have to find The Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant. I'm sure he can help you. He knows everything."

"But where do I find The Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant," Kathryn asked, stumbling slightly over the strange words.

"Here my dear," Kes took her by the arm to a path that was dotted with yellow. "Just follow the trail of the yellow wormholes. At the end lies his castle."

"I thank you, Kes. I really would have liked to stay longer, but I have to find the Wizard now, since I miss my home very much." With that, she turned and waved one last time, before she disappeared down the trail.

Neelix followed her, barking.

***

Little did Kathryn know though that the trail of yellow wormholes was a long one, and soon she was tired and her feet were hurting. Eventually she had to rest in a cornfield next to the road.

"Oh, Neelix," she said, taking the small dog in her arms and scratching him behind his whiskers. "What do you think? How long will we have to go before we find the Wizard's castle?"

"Go away!" A voice suddenly said.

Kathryn looked up in surprise. What was that? Who had said that? She looked at Neelix. Could it be? That land was so strange... But her dog just stared back at her. Shrugging, she just wanted to put the incident on her ever too overactive imagination, when she heard the voice again.

"Go away I said!" A rustling sound followed.

Kathryn sprang to her feet and turned. There in the middle of the cornfield stood a scarecrow, waving with its arms as crows picked blades of straw out of his body.

"You evil birds," she said, climbing over the narrow fence that divided the field from the roadside. "Go away, you evil, evil birds. I know you from home, you're no good!" She eventually reached the scarecrow, waving her arms to chase he crows away. They gave another ‘cra cra' and at last, unwillingly flew away.

"Oh, I thank you, my dear lady," the scarecrow said. "I just wish they would leave me alone. Sometimes I wish for some more brains so I wouldn't have to hang here all day." It suddenly looked sad.

"But Mr. Scarecrow, I know just the man who could help you. I'm lost far from home and I'm on my way to the Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant. I'm sure he can find you some brains too!" Kathryn said, excited that she wouldn't have to go all the way alone.

"I've heard from the wizard many times." The scarecrow said. "I'm sure if he can't help me, no one can! I'll come with you."

Kathryn cheered inside and helped the scarecrow to untie itself from the wooden cross where it had been tethered.

"Thank you," the scarecrow said, as it sprang to the ground next to her. "I'm Harry. Harry the scarecrow."

"Hello, Harry," Kathryn said. "My name is Kathryn. Come let's visit the wonderful Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant.

With that they went their way, and Neelix followed them barking.

***

After some time they came to a forest, a forest that was so deep and black that they weren't sure if maybe night had fallen over the Delta Quadrant.

"Oh, Harry," Kathryn said. "It's so dark here and scary. I'm not sure if I made the right choice to come here. Now we're all trapped in that dark and evil forest because I alone made the choice to see the Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant." Her shoulders sagged and tears started to build in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"But Kathryn, I think Kes told you that the Wizard will be your only chance to find home. And it was my own choice to accompany you. I'm sure we'll find a way out of the forest soon," Harry said, but he had to admit that he found the forest very scary too.

"No, we'll never get to him," Kathryn almost wailed. A sound Harry wasn't too keen to hear, as it didn't seem to fit her usual character. "I'm so sorry..." This time she did wail and threw herself to the grassy ground, obviously not willing to go any further.

Suddenly a wild roar filled the forest, making Kathryn leap to her feet again and both Harry and Neelix jump.

"A lion!" Kathryn screamed, moving closer to her two friends.

"People!" The lion screamed and tried to hide himself behind his paws.

Kathryn furrowed her brow. That wasn't the reaction she expected from a dangerous beast.

"You're scared of us?" She asked, trying to keep a straight face.

The lion peeked out from behind is fingers and nodded twice, before he hid behind them again.

"But you don't have to be scared of us," Kathryn explained. "We mean you no harm!" Harry nodded in agreement. Neelix barked, which made the lion jump again.

Eventually he sighed, and let his arms drop to his side. "Oh, I wish I had more courage and more self-esteem," he sighed.

"We are on our way to The Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant to find a brain for me and a way home for Kathryn. Maybe you should come with us and ask the Wizard too?" Harry suggested, always hopeful to find a new friend.

"Oh I don't know....should I?" The lion asked.

"Sure," Kathryn nodded vehemently. "The more the merrier! What's your name?"

"My name is Tom," the lion said, hanging his head, still unsure if he had indeed found new friends.

"Hello Tom," Kathryn said, looping her arm through his. "Let's find the Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant." She looped her other arm through Harry's and off they went with a spring in their steps; Kathryn's moment of doubt forgotten.

And Neelix followed them barking.

***

They walked and walked and walked, and while there had been a spring in their steps at the beginning of their journey it was now long lost as the trail of the yellow wormholes wore on and on.

"I'm tired," Kathryn started to whine at some point when the forest already lay miles and miles behind them, and she plopped down to the ground when she noticed another blister forming on her feet. "Damn", she swore under her breath. "Next time I know better than to wear 5 inch high heels while going on a trip. I have a headache and I really would kill for a cup of coffee now." She picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it away in anger. Not having paid any attention where she'd thrown the stone, her ears perked up though, when she heard a loud ‘clonk'.

Her scientific mind was alert at once - even though Neelix thought she was just nosy - and she sprang to her feet. Searching in the knee-deep grass that grew next to their trail, she suddenly noticed a shiny ‘something' before she recognized a Tin-man lying in front of her. She got a little scare at first as seeing his surly face. But then she thought he actually looked rather funny with his bald head.

"Oh look, a Tin-man," she stated the obvious and motioned for her friends to come nearer. "How sad for him lying here all alone and forgotten."

Harry, Tom and Neelix came nearer to her, even though they weren't so sure about what to think about Kathryn's new find. Neelix sniffed at the Tin-man's body and suddenly a jerk went through the mechanical man that made Neelix yelp and lunge for safety in Kathryn's arms. He tripped over the tin-man's body though and a metallic plate sprang open, revealing some kind of battery.

"It seems he's running low on energy," Harry stated, pointing at the energy cell that glowed deep red.

"Yes, but look he's holding some sort of case in his hand, maybe there are new batteries in there," Tom pointed out and opened the case. Surprise ran through him, when he found that the case was indeed filled with a gallery of new batteries. Taking one, he gave it to Kathryn who replaced the old energy source with the new one. In a blink of an eye, the energy bar in the man's belly changed from red to green. A small whine was heard and all of them took a step away, just before the tin-man sat up with a jerk.

"Please state...," he interrupted himself. "Who are you?" He asked turning to the newcomers.

"This is Harry the scarecrow, Tom the lion and I'm Kathryn," Kathryn introduced them. "Oh, and this is Neelix," she added as the dog edged forward again, demanding more attention.

The tin-man ‘hmmphed' and stood with jerky moves.

"Have you forgotten to turn me off?" He asked.

"No," Kathryn shook her head. "We come from a long way from here and we only just arrived. But is it possible that you do know where I could get a cup of coffee?" She asked, taking a chance.

"Coffee?" The tin-man huffed. "I'm a tin-man, not an inquiry-office."

"Oh, you're not a well-mannered man," Kathryn scolded him. "I asked nicely!"

Suddenly the man's shoulders sagged. "Oh yes, people have complained a lot about my bad manners. I just wish I had a heart so I could feel and could understand the people around me better."

"We are on our way to see the Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant!" Harry said, speaking for the first time. "Kathryn wants to go there to find a way home, Tom wants to go there to ask for some courage, and I want to go there to ask for a brain," he added, more excited over his statement than he actually should be.

"Yes, maybe you could ask him for a heart," Kathryn said, while Tom nodded in agreement.

The tin-man ‘hmmphed' again. "Maybe you're right. I've heard about the Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant many times. Maybe it's time for him to meet me!" Kathryn nodded even though she wasn't sure if the tin-man had gotten the prospect of the wizard finally meeting him right.

"So let's be on our way then. We've already gone such a long way now, it can't be much further. But tell me tin-man, what's your name?"

The tin-man thought for a while. "I have no name yet," he finally said. "Just call me...tin-man until I find one."

And with that off they went to find The Wizard Of the Delta Quadrant.

Neelix followed them barking.

***

Finally, after what seemed like days and days of walking Kathryn noticed that the trail of wormholes began to get wider and wider, while the scenery around them got greener and greener. And suddenly, after rounding yet another corner, tripping over yet another stone and climbing yet another mountain, they finally spotted what they thought would be the castle of the Wizard of the Delta Quadrant. Even though Kathryn admitted that it wasn't how she'd always imagined a castle. There were no towers, no battlements, and it was all green. Actually, it looked rather sterile and boring.

They came to a halt in front of a big door. Finding no bell or something similar, they simply decided to knock, hoping they would be heard. The door opened even before the last knock had echoed through the castle's halls.

A shy man stood before them, with flowing hair and his eyes downcast.

"Wh...wha...what c...c...can I do for y....you?" He asked.

"We've all come a very long way," Kathryn explained. "And we want to see The Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant."

"S...sure, please come in," he said, stepping aside.

They stepped inside, and again Kathryn thought that this really didn't look like a castle at all. Actually, it looked rather boring inside too and not as though the person living here would be any fun at all.

They followed the strange man until they entered a small room, decorated with lit candles and colourful orchids. In the middle of it, sat a man, clad in a tunic.

"Not what I expected a throne room to look like," Kathryn mused aloud. "I thought it would be a lot bigger and with knights and all."

"A bigger throne room is not logical," he other man said, standing. "I'm Tuvok The Wizard Of The Delta Quadrant. What is your desire?"

"Oh, Mr. Tuvok," Kathryn said, realizing that she now was so close at her goal. "I'm stranded here against my will and I really want to go home! Are you able to send me home? These are my friends," she pointed at her companions. "Mr. Kim is asking for a brain, Mr. Tom is asking for some courage and self-esteem and Mr. Tin-man is asking for a heart. Are you able to give these to them?"

Tuvok meditated long and hard over that plea, and Kathryn actually started to think he'd fallen asleep, when he finally looked up again. "You will get what you desire," he stated, arching one of his brows. And Kathryn almost cried tears of joy; he continued though. "But I want you to do me a favour first. Show me the heart of Seven The Witch Of The West."

"You want us to bring you somebody's heart?" Tom asked, already trembling at the very thought.

"Witch Seven is not doing any good in the Delta Quadrant. Show me her heart and I will fulfil your wishes." Tuvok bowed his head once.

"Okay," Kathryn said. "But where do we find this Seven witch?"

"Just follow the trail of nano probes," Tuvok said, already turning his attention to some kind of strange metallic figurine in front of him.

Kathryn and her friends sighed once, knowing that their time was up.

A little afraid of the new goal that now lay in front of them, they left the castle to search for Seven.

And Neelix followed them thinking that this strange man was no fun at all.

***

It took them four long years before they finally found The Witch Of The West. Four long years that made Kathryn and her new companions friends and a team who trusted each other.

Finally, the trail of nano probes got wider and wider and after climbing yet another hill - a fact that made Kathryn wonder why all castles lay beyond hills, especially when they didn't even look like castles at all - they stood in front of a building that only could be the home of Seven The Witch Of the West. Again, there were no towers at all, no battlements, nothing like that. Instead, it just looked like a grey cube with harsh lines and a green glow here and there.

They stopped to rest and went over their plan one last time. It was a great plan they thought, especially since they'd had four years to form it. It was such a clever and monstrous plan that only the five of them knew and talked about it.

Convinced that their plan just couldn't fail they nodded, high-fived one last time, Neelix barked and off they went to get Seven's heart.

They didn't get far though, because Seven, of course, had her spies everywhere and had known for years that they were coming. They'd only taken a few steps before they were stopped by four ugly looking beings - half human, half machine - and their great plan fell into thousands of tiny pieces.

"We are here to bring you to Seven The Witch Of The West droned one of them."

Kathryn felt a shiver of fear run down her spine.

"Follow us," another one said. "Resistance is futile."

"These are really creepy," Harry whispered into her ear, as they were flanked by the four soldiers and escorted inside the castle.

Again, the inside wasn't at all like Kathryn had imagined. The walls were held in a cold, metallic grey and everywhere you looked you saw three or more of Seven's soldiers, doing whatever they were supposed to do. Somehow, they reminded her of a hive of bees she knew from Indiana - a thought that brought her homesickness forth once more.

She was saved from sinking further into her depression, by their arrival in Seven's chamber. The sight that met Kathryn and her friends made her think that she might actually prefer depression this time.

The chamber was dark, filled with green light here and there, and far too spooky a castle for Kathryn's taste.

Stepping further into the room, they came to a halt in front of some kind of stasis field. Kathryn hadn't noticed at first, but rounding the field now, she saw that a man was being held inside - a man with black hair, a strong build and some kind of mark on his forehead. His eyes were closed, as if he was meditating, but suddenly his eyes sprang open and his gaze met hers. He stared hard, at first, as if he'd expected someone else, but then his eyes widened in surprise, before his gaze turned gentle.

Butterflies suddenly fluttered inside of Kathryn, a feeling that was somehow strange, yet so exciting to her. ‘Where have you been?' She silently asked. ‘I never knew I was lost, until I found you.'

She lifted her hand, as if to touch him, even though she knew it was impossible through the energy field. Still, she held her hand as close to the surface she could, even as the heat of the energy started to burn her palms. She knew he would have tried the same - would have tried to touch her - if he hadn't been trapped.

Kathryn could have stood there forever, lost in his eyes and forgotten all about their plan to find a way home, if the cold voice of another's arrival hadn't broken into her small haven.

"I'm Seven The Witch Of The West. You will be assimilated!" The cold voice stated, and Kathryn looked to her right just in time to see a tall, blonde figure emerge from the darkness from where she surely had seen the whole silent exchange between Kathryn and the wondrous man.

"Assimilated?" Tom asked, not having heard that kind of word before, but he was certain he wouldn't like what the witch had in mind. "I...I don't want to be assimilated."

"Resistance is futile," Seven merely stated, one brow arched before she came closer.

"Why is this man trapped?" Kathryn asked, not caring what Seven was talking about. Who cared about getting assimilated, when you'd just found the love of your life?

"Get away from him," Seven said. "He's mine. He's going to be my mate."

"Then why is he trapped?" Kathryn asked again, trying not to think about the squeezing pain in her heart at recognizing that he was already promised to someone else. "Shouldn't he be standing with you?"

"He is still ... unsure about his feelings," Seven cocked her head to the side, while trying to explain.

"Unsure?"

"Yes, he still needs persuading."

"Persuading?!" Kathryn almost exploded, oblivious to the danger they were actually in. "Why should he need persuading when he...," suddenly understanding dawned on her. "He doesn't love you!"

"He will eventually," Seven stated, already bored by the conversation.

"He will...?!" Kathryn shook her head, not believing what she was hearing.

Seven sighed. "He has to...he's the perfect mate. He is the right age to be a father to our children. He is a strong build and he's rather ... attractive."

Kathryn had already seen a lot in her life, but she decided that this person was the nuttiest one she'd ever met. Attractive? That man was a hunk!

"But shouldn't he be in love with you and you with him?"

"Love is irrelevant."

Yeah, sure.

"What a cruel woman," Harry, who'd somehow sneaked over to her, whispered in Kathryn's ear. "Just as if she has no..," he paused, looking at Kathryn.

"Just as if she has no heart," the both ended the sentence together.

"Maybe we've been wrong all those years! Maybe Tuvok didn't want to bring us her physical heart, but to awaken her heart, her feelings?"

"Maybe," Kathryn shrugged. "I think it's worth a try. Physically we wouldn't stand a change against her whole army."

"But Seven, don't you have a heart?" Kathryn asked loudly. "He is not in love with you and you're not with him. Maybe you should wait until you find your one true love? Holding someone hostage is not the right way to form or force a relationship." She tried to explain, but was only met with one more of Seven's cool stares.

"Love is irrelevant," the Witch only repeated. "But I see you're rather...," she paused, searching for the right word, "fond of him. He is yours, if anyone of you is able to beat one of my drones."

And as if by a silent order, three drones moved to stand next to her.

Kathryn's mouth got dry, and she turned to the mystical man in the middle of the room. She knew he wasn't able to move at all, but somehow it seemed to her as if he shook his head slightly, begging her not to put herself in such danger; that he wasn't worth it.

Still, Kathryn knew that she had to rescue him, or die trying.

Stepping forward, she was about to announce that she was ready for the fight, when a paw came down on her shoulder, holding her back.

"Don't do it, Kathryn," Tom said, his voice quivering with fear. "Don't go....I'll do it."

"But," Kathryn started to protest.

Tom merely shook his head. "I'm stronger than you."

Taking one last deep breath, he turned to the drones. After silently watching them for a while, he eventually picked the biggest, bulkiest one. It wasn't that he thought himself strong enough to match the drone, but he was fast, and he hoped his opponent was not.

Both of them stood in silence for a moment, each waiting for the other to strike. Suddenly, as if by a silent signal, both the drone and the lion moved. The drone moved forward, his arm extending as some kind of tubules shot forward. Tom sprang up high in the air and landed behind his opponent. His feet barely touched the ground before he jumped again, turned in mid-air to land on the drone's back, ramming his claws into its metallic skin.

Something close to a groan escaped the drone's throat, before he suddenly toppled face down to the ground.

Tom paused in his crouching position, waiting for his enemy to strike again. When nothing happened though, he stood, confusion written on his face. "That was easier than I thought it would be," he said, before moving to stand next to his friends.

"That drone has malfunctioned," Seven stated. "I refuse...." She was cut short by someone clearing his throat. Looking up, her gaze fell on the last person of the group. A Tin-man; an individual she hadn't paid any attention to yet. Still, when their eyes met, warmth suffused her, and something began doing flip-flops inside her metallic belly. Confusion filled her; never had she felt like that before. Who was this man who was able to evoke such feelings inside her?

"You," she said, motioning for the tin-man to come nearer. "What is your designation?"

"Me?" The Tin-man asked. "I have no name, if that's what you were asking." He did as he was asked though and stepped up to her. She'd been partially hidden from view before this and he was surprised by what met his sight when he came nearer. Her slim figure was framed by light from above, which made her golden hair shine and her face glow. He came to a halt in front of her and they were eyeing each other with interest. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, they fell into each other's arms and were engulfed in a deep kiss.

Kathryn, Harry and Tom wrinkled their noses at the new turn of events.

"Ewww," Tom said, as the couple suddenly broke apart again with a smacking sound.

"Oh, what is this beating inside of me?" The Tin-man asked, holding a hand over his chest. "Could it be that, after all these years, I've finally been given a heart?"

"Oh, my love," Seven said, and again their heads moved closer.

"Hey!?" Kathryn suddenly interrupted them. "Does that mean that you have no interest in him anymore?" She pointed to the stranger that was still being held behind the force field.

"Oh he...," Seven winked at them, and shrugged. "You can have him. He's too old for me anyway."

And again, as if by a silent order, the green shimmer around the man vanished, finally setting him free. He stumbled slightly when he stepped down from the platform, but soon he found is footing and he turned to the woman who somehow managed to save him.

Kathryn was in his arms at once, and their lips met in a searing kiss, which took Seven and the Tin-man as a cue to kiss again too.

Harry and Tom looked at each other, standing between the kissing couples. "Don't even think about it pal," Tom grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

Finally, both couples broke apart and heavy breathing filled the room.

"Now that we've managed to find Seven's heart we have to go to Tuvok again," Kathryn said. "He still has to fulfil his promise to bring me home. Will you come with me?" She asked, turning back to her new love.

"I will go wherever you go, Kathryn," he said, and a shiver ran down her spine as her name rolled over his lips in such a caressing way.

Suddenly a blue shimmer appeared in the room, followed by a strange whining noise. Tom, now more courageous than ever before, stood in front of his friends to protect them from whatever was about to happen. Soon all relaxed though, as they noticed the familiar form of Tuvok.

"Tuvok," Kathryn said, stepping forward. "We've not only managed to awaken the heart of Seven the Witch of the West, but I also found the love of my life. Please Tuvok, will you fulfil your promise and send me home?

"You have succeeded indeed and I will grant you your wish," the dark-skinned wizard said, arching a brow. "Here, take these two cups filled with coffee, drink it all at once and say ‘there's no place like home'.

For a moment, Kathryn thought Tuvok might be making fun of her, but somehow he didn't strike her as someone who played tricks on others. And since she didn't have any other ideas, she figured she might as well try his unorthodox method. After all, she hadn't had any coffee in ages.

So, after a quick goodbye to her friends and even Seven - who was now wearing a small smile on her face and actually seemed rather nice - she took her love's hand in hers. They lifted the cups to their lips and while gazing into each other's eyes, they drank their coffee in long gulps, the hot beverage burning their throats.

Having emptied the cups they didn't waste another second before they started their chant.

"There's no place like home, there's no place like, there's no ..."

The last thing they heard was Neelix barking happily before her friends gasped in surprise. But Kathryn and the dark-haired man didn't hear them anymore, since they were indeed...home.

***

And one early morning, somewhere deep in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Kathryn Janeway woke, laughing.

The End