Prologue

'Have you ever had two…'

Tom Paris fell quiet as Captain Kathryn Janeway walked onto the Bridge from her Ready Room. It had been a quiet morning, in fact it had been a quiet week, but she had just finished her book and felt like it was time to check in on the crew.

Clearly they were having as busy a week as she was.

'Keep going, Paris, I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of that sentence,' she smirked to herself as she took her seat.

She glanced at Commander Chakotay. He was looking at Paris, a matching smirk on his face, leaning on his right hand side arm rest, perfectly groomed as always. He was holding a glass in his hand.

'I hope that's water, Commander,' she joked.

He looked at her, his smile broadening. 'You'll have to play the game to find out.'

'I feel like it might be better if I stay out of this one,' she returned his smile.

For a moment their gazes held, then they were snapped out of it.

'Go on Tom, finish the sentence,' Harry Kim piped up from behind them.

'Alright,' he turned around to face everyone. 'Have you ever had two, umm, dates in one night?'

She felt like had she entered the Bridge a moment later the end of the sentence would have been a little more explicit, but she let it go. There was nothing wrong with the crew having a little fun when things were quiet.

It was definitely better than the alternative depression.

Chakotay was surprisingly the only person who drank. She looked at him curiously, her head tilted to one side. As he put his drink back down he noticed everyone was watching him.

'Maquis leaders are popular with the ladies,' he looked at Paris. 'You can't tell me you never have?'

'Not in my life, that doesn't leave room for any after date activities,' Paris smiled, turning back to his post to check an alert.

'Maybe I should have joined the Maquis,' Janeway commented, smiling Chakotay's way.

He looked back her, and for a moment she thought it felt slightly awkward, then his smile returned.

'You wouldn't have any Starfleet rulebook to guide you,' he replied, then leaned a little closer. 'Besides, then I would be in charge.'

She smiled to herself, leaning back in her chair. 'Oh that's what you think, Commander.'

'Captain,' Paris interrupted.

She sat up a little, his tone was definitely more serious.

'Yes, Paris?'

He pressed a few buttons, zooming in on an empty section of space on the screen in front of them. 'I'm not sure what it is, but we're getting some very strange readings from this area of space.'

'Strange how?'

He was silent for a few moments, and suddenly the comms system came to life.

'Seven to Captain Janeway.'

Janeway hit her comms. 'Go ahead, Seven.'

'Captain, I am getting some very strange readings in astrometrix,' Seven explained.

'We're getting some very strange readings up here too,' she replied.

Janeway leaned back in her chair, watching the space ahead as a small blue line appeared, then opened wider. She silence that took over the bridge was almost deafening. After a few moments, Paris turned to look at Janeway.

'Ma'am?'

'Well if you insist,' she replied, standing up. 'But I'm coming with you.'