Title: The Crazy Horse

Author: Scorpio

Archive: Yes please.

Fandom: StarTrek: Voyager

Pairing: J/C (pre-slash!)

Rating: R

Catagory: AU, drama

Series: A Second Chance; cpt 1 The Crazy Horse

Status: New, complete

Disclaimer: All things StarTrek belong to Paramount/UPN (i think?). I'm just playing with them. No infringement intended.

Notes: For Cinder who is a Harry-O-File and wanted a P/K pairing in my TS/ST:VOY x-over even though I planned a C/P pairing. Well, it's not the same story line Sweety, but there *will* eventually be a P/K pairing. Just for you. And for Tricia, who encourages me to write and thinks I do okay for such a new fandom (well, new to *me* anyway!) Thanks Hon!

Summary: A spatial rifts brings old enemies and even older friends...

Warnings: Violence

The Crazy Horse

by Scorpio

"Captain. Sensors show a spatial rift forming 500 kilometers to the starboard bow."

In a Vulcan gesture of trust, Tuvok did not bother to glance questioningly at Harry Kim over at Ops. He simply used the tactical scanners and sensors to analyze the area indicated.

"Confirmed. It appears to be growing at an alarming rate Captain."

Kathryn glanced over from Ensign Kim to her Tactical Officer and nodded sharply before swinging around to face the view screen in front of the Conn.

"Full sensor sweeps Mr. Kim. Put it on the view screen."

"Yes Ma'am."

Instantly, the wall sized view screen flickered and the scene changed to a slightly angled panorama of the starfield surrounding them. A small swirling blue and lavender dot was visible in the precise middle of the region of space shown.

"Magnify."

Ensign Kim didn't answer, he simply did as ordered. Suddenly, the tiny swirl of blue and lavender jumped to greater size and detail. Violent green bolts of energy discharge raced out of it's nuclei only to disperse into space. It was lovely to look at, but an unknown thing could be either a danger or a ray of hope.

"Captain. Sensors show that the growth rate of the rift is accelerating. It's highly unstable and the plasma energy discharge is volatile and uneven. It *does* show properties of a wormhole, but they are rough and jagged. It doesn't appear to be... natural."

"Not natural? Do you mean that someone or something created this rift?"

Kathryn glanced back towards Ops only to see Harry Kim shrug slightly.

"Unknown Captain. The readings are fluctuating rapidly, so it's hard to pin it down. I'm reading something that seems to be ion emissions, like you'd find from a warp core."

Kathryn looked back to the view screen. The aperture of the spatial rift seemed to expand greatly.

"Captain. I am picking up the presence of two ships approaching us through the rift. It appears to be..."

Tuvok was cut off from finishing his sentence when a small ship with heavy damage burst through the rift in a bright flash of light, only to be followed closely by a second, larger ship. Chakotay jumped to his feet.

"The Crazy Horse!"

Everyone on the bridge held perfectly still for half a second as they watched Chakotay's long destroyed ship enter it's death throes, a Kazon WarShip hot on it's tail. Then, as one, everyone flew into action.

"Captain! I'm reading a Warp Core breach in progress on the Crazy Horse. Only two life signs."

"Can you get a lock on them?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Beam them aboard! Now!"

Harry didn't answer, he was too busy activating the transporter.

"Tom! Take us around. Evasive pattern Delta-Omega III!"

"Yes Commander."

The starfield on the view screen swirled dizzily as Tom executed a daring maneuver. The bridge crew all tilted to one side as inertial dampers tried to keep up with the pilots ace flying.

"Got 'em Captain."

"Good job Mr. Kim. Open a channel to the Kazon WarShip."

A soft chirping sound echoed throughout the bridge.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. Break off your attack on the Crazy Horse. At once!"

The view screen flickered briefly and then a larger than life image of an arrogantly sneering Kazon looked down upon the bridge. It took an awful lot of self discipline for Kathryn to keep her feelings of anger and disgust from showing in her facial expression and her voice.

"I am Captain Jra'oule Kzarton. Lower your shields and return my property to me or face attack by my ship."

"Captain. Readings from the Crazy Horse show that a Warp Core breach is imminent in... 15 seconds."

Kathryn nodded at Harry Kim, then turned back to the view screen and the ugly face of Captain Kzarton.

"I can't lower my shields. The Crazy Horse is going to self-destruct and you know it. Besides, I don't *have* any of your property. I've had *nothing* removed from your ship."

The Kazon snorted and glared. v "You removed two of my slaves from the Crazy Horse. One called Chakotay and one called Paris. They are *mine*! I demand their return. Immediately!"

Everyone on the bridge stopped what they were doing and looked at the screen, expressions of stunned disbelief etched onto their faces. Chakotay went pale and Tom groaned low in his throat.

"I can see them right on your bridge Captain. Don't try to lie to me! You have fifteen seconds to comply."

The view screen switched to the starfield once again. It was just in time to see the Crazy Horse explode into a million pieces of space debris. Suddenly, a chirp over the comm grabbed everyone's attention, followed quickly by B'lanna's voice.

"Captain. The readings that I'm getting here in Engineering show that the reason the rift is so unstable is because it originates in an alternate timeline. I know every detail about the Crazy Horse like the back of my hand. I was Chief Engineer on that ship for two years. The Invariance Wavelengths are off by a fraction and the Ion Signatures are of a slightly different frequency."

"Does the Kazon ship show similar readings?"

"Scanning now Captain."

"Keep me informed."

"Captain."

Kathryn turned around to look at Tuvok. His one eyebrow was arched up near his hairline in a Vulcan indication of high emotion.

"The rift is collapsing in on itself. Whatever was keeping it open apparently originated inside of the Crazy Horse. It began to crumble the second the Warp Core exploded."

"Captain. I..."

Kathryn looked over to her obviously upset First Officer. Compassion rose up in her at the sight of her lover having to once again witness the destruction of his beloved ship, not to mention the fact that his double was now on board Voyager after having suffered enslavement at the hands of the Kazon, their very first Delta Quadrant enemy.

"Don't worry Chakotay. I have *no* intention of giving up your doubles to the Kazon."

Gratitude washed over his handsome features and she smiled. Their silent communication ended abruptly as the view screen flared to life once more. Captain Jra'oule Kzarton sneered down at them.

"Your time is up. Return my slaves to me or I shall open fire."

Kathryn didn't even acknowledge Kzarton's presence beyond a quick glance.

"Harry. Cut transmission. Red Alert! Everyone to Battle Stations!"

Klaxon's rang out loud and clear as flashing red lights bathed the crew in their eerie glow. Everyone on the bridge responded in the calm controlled manner of a battle-tested crew, working as one unit with one goal.

"Shields at maximum, Captain."

"Mr. Paris. Evasion pattern Sigma-Alpha IV-D."

"Aye Captain."

"Mr Tuvok. Fire at will."

The humming sound of the Fazor Banks loading was quickly followed by a swift succession of sizzling jolts of energy being loosed on their target.

"Direct hit to their deflector array."

A sudden jolt hit the ship, followed by a slight shimmy.

"Shields down to 90% Captain."

Lieutenant Paris gritted his teeth. He always took it personally when an enemy could out shoot his flying, even when he was following a prescribed set of maneuvers.

"Targeting life support."

Another volley of fazor fire sizzled across open space to impact against the shields and hull of the Kazon WarShip. This was followed by a series of return shots. A shudder through Voyager let everyone know that another hit was taken.

"Shields down to 80% Captain. I'm also showing reports of a plasma leak on deck two and injuries on decks five and seven."

"Acknowledged."

"Captain. The Kazon's are firing up their weapons array. Sensors indicate that they have a projectile weapon comparable with our photon torpedo's. I suggest that we come up close under the belly of their ship. A concentrated burst of missiles to their navigational array should cause a ship wide chain reaction similar to a Warp Core breach. We would, however, have to come in closer than shields will allow. They would have to be dropped to get into position."

"I see."

Kathryn took a deep breath and glanced over at her lover's tightly controlled expression. The tense shoulder muscles and the white knuckle grip he had on the arm of his chair spoke eloquently of his feelings, however. She made her decision.

"Prepare the Photon Torpedo's Mr. Tuvok. Mr. Paris, go to manual evasive maneuvers. Don't let us get hit, but get us in position so that Tuvok can do what needs to be done."

"Yes Ma'am. Hang on everyone, this will be a bumpy ride."

Tom took a deep breath and then his hands flew over the panels of Helm Control. Inertial dampers fought to keep up with the myriad of twists, turns, swirls and loops that the pilot executed. Fazor fire and projectile missiles were avoided as Tom made Voyager fly and dance in tight arcs and wide loops. Suddenly, in a dive that sent everyone to grasp for purchase from the nearest surface, Voyager swooped down under the belly of the Kazon ship.

"Lower shields Mr. Kim."

"Aye Captain. Shields Down."

"Fire Tuvok!"

Without answering, Tuvok shot off several volleys of Photon Torpedo's at the WarShip in rapid fire succession.

"Direct hit Captain."

Without waiting for orders to do so, Tom veered sharply to the left and down, pulling Voyager away from the Kazon WarShip.

"Raise Shields."

"Shields back up to 85% Captain."

"It appears we were successful Captain. Sensors show a massive build up in the Kazon's navigation controls. It appears to be overloading their engines."

"Target their engines with the Fazors Mr. Tuvok."

"Yes Captain."

The sizzling sound of fazor fire zipped through the bridge. Seconds later the Kazon ship began to deteriorate as large chunks started to crumble and break away.

"Get us away from here Mr. Paris. Warp 7."

"Yes Ma'am."

Voyager turned swiftly to the heading that they had been following and then in an instant the starfield on the view screen altered slightly as they jumped to Warp.

"Computer. End Red Alert."

The klaxon's ended, leaving a deafening silence in their wake and the hellish red glow dissipated into clean bright white once more. Everyone was silent and solemn. They all knew what had to be done, but each were nervous about it for their own reasons. Finally, Kathryn broke the silence.

"Chakotay, Mr. Paris. Would you please join me while I go greet our guests?"

Chakotay stood. No one could see the slight tremors that felt like full blown earthquakes running through his body. Tom stood up and was instantly replaced at the Conn by Ensign Sandleman. They turned to follow Captain Janeway to the turbolift.

"Lieutenant Tuvok. You have the bridge."

"Aye Captain."

END
A Second Chance
The Crazy Horse