Protocols Unknown: A Decision of The Stars

Two to Beam Out

Janeway held her tightly, one hand around Naomi's back, the other resting against her head. "You did everything right," she whispered. "You kept her safe as long as you could."

"I tried. I really tried."

"You did more than try," Janeway said. Her voice cracked, heavy with grief and awe.

She looked at Harry over Naomi's shoulder. He nodded, lips pressed into a firm line. Ready.

Janeway tapped her comm badge, her voice trembling but clear.

"B'Elanna—two to beam out. Naomi and Ensign Kim."

Naomi jolted. Her fingers tightened around Janeway's jacket like she was bracing for a storm. "No—I won't leave her—"

Janeway pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. "Naomi, listen to me. You've already saved her more times than we can count. You made it this far. You survived. You're brave, and you're strong, and now it's our turn."

Naomi shook her head. "But what if—what if she's scared? What if she wakes up and I'm not there?"

Janeway's own eyes shimmered. "She'll know you kept going for her. She'll know you fought. And she'll know I'm not leaving without her."

Harry stepped forward without being asked. He gently scooped Naomi into his arms, careful not to startle her. She didn't fight him—not really—but she clung to Janeway's jacket until the last possible second, her fingers slipping away like the end of a tether.

As the shimmer of the beam began to wrap around them, Naomi reached toward Janeway one last time, a final plea bursting from her chest.

"Please—please find her."

Then they were gone.

Janeway didn't move at first. Her eyes stayed on the spot Naomi had disappeared from, her breath still catching in the echo of that final plea.

Then she straightened. Her spine lifted, her shoulders squared. The grief didn't vanish—but it folded back into resolve.

Paris stepped up beside her. "Ready, Captain?"

She met his eyes, calm and cold as starlight. "We finish this. Astrea's still here. Somewhere."

The cube vibrated with a deeper hum now, the walls tightening around them like a held breath.

Weapons raised, hearts set—they moved forward, deeper into the dark.

The cube vibrated with a deeper hum now, the walls tightening around them like a held breath.

Weapons raised, hearts set—they moved forward, deeper into the dark.

The corridor twisted into a circular chamber lined with blackened conduits. Janeway tapped her badge.

"Janeway to Tuvok. Report."

Static, then Tuvok's voice: "No biological traces in our quadrant. No indication of recent movement. Seven concurs."

Janeway exhaled. "We're approaching the central Plexius. Stand by to converge. We'll regroup there."

"Acknowledged," came Tuvok's reply.

Minutes later, they emerged into the heart of the structure—a cavernous space, all skeletal beams and flickering light. Tuvok and Seven stepped in from the opposite side, their expressions grim.

"Nothing," Seven said. "No drones. No infrastructure. Just silence."

Janeway gave a tight nod. "Same here. We found Naomi, but no trace of Astrea."

Before anymore was said, the floor beneath them shimmered.

A transporter beam—unannounced and unexpected.

The warp field hummed around them, tension coiled so tight the silence felt like pressure in the air, as if the ship itself was holding its breath.

Janeway stood behind Icheb's chair, her arms crossed, jaw set tight. The faint reflection of starlight flickered in the viewpane behind her, but her eyes stayed locked on the boy at the console. Beside her, Seven stood with equal weight—shoulders straight, hands at her sides—but her body was braced. Not angry. Not yet. But close.

"Icheb," Janeway said, her voice low and clipped. "You just beamed us out without authorization."

"That was a direct override of protocol," Seven added, sharper, though not unkind.

Icheb didn't flinch. He kept his eyes forward, back straight, fingers poised over the console. "Let me speak," he said evenly. "And you will understand."

He turned slowly, gaze landing on Seven first.

"I did what you asked," Icheb said. "I watched. I followed the pattern. And it moved—she moved."

Icheb nodded. "We already had the connection. Before you entered the cube, we locked in the link. While you were inside, I monitored the pattern—traced her resonance as it started to shift. I did what you asked. I watched. And I saw it move."

He adjusted the display, revealing a shift in energy patterns, a new resonance blooming like a pulse in the dark.

"She's here. They moved her." Icheb stated as he pointed to the 1st cube in sequence.