"Captain, I have located the data banks that would send us home, but it would take several hours to activate."
"We don't have several hours.", said Janeway. "This array could go up any minute!"
Suddenly, the whole array shook. They did not know it, but the damaged Kazon ship had plowed into the array.
Explosions rang out all over the place. Suddenly, the old barn image began to shimmer and change.
Janeway activated her communicator.
"Janeway to Voyager. What's going on?"
"The Kazon ship was damaged.", Paris replied. "It collided with the array."
The image inside the array had now changed completely. The old barn was gone replaced by the rooms they had seen on their first visit to the array, when the Caretaker was trying to see if they met his needs, and before them, the Caretaker had changed.
He was no longer in his humanoid form. Instead there was a pulsating blob-like mass.
"The Caretaker?", asked Tuvok.
"The self-destruct program has been damaged!", the Caretaker said. "Now this station will not be destroyed, and the Kazon will take control of it, and the Ocampa will be destroyed!"
Then, before their eyes, the Caretaker began to shrink, until he was no bigger than a human hand.
Then, his form solidified. Janeway and Tuvok crouched down, and Janeway picked up the 'rock'.
"Captain, I can still activate the program to get us home."
"And what about the Ocampa? Do we let them fall under the control of the Kazon?"
"The Prime Directive would seem to apply in this matter. We can do nothing to help them."
"Can't we? We didn't ask to be involved in this, but we are. We can't let the Ocampa die like this. We must destroy the array."
The Defiant now neared the Bajoran wormhole. As they got nearer, Dax picked up a signal from D.S.9. The image of Admiral Necheyev and Borath soon appeared before them.
"Return to the station, Commander!", Necheyev ordered.
"Not while this madness is happening, Admiral.", Sisko replied.
"There is nothing you can do, Commander.", said Borath. "The Jem'Hadar will hunt you down as they have done other enemies!"
"They'll have to catch us first! End transmission!"
Dax cut the transmission.
"Doctor, fire the torpedoes at the wormhole!"
With the torpedoes loaded into the tubes, they were soon fired.
There was nothing anyone on D.S.9 could do but watch as the three torpedoes struck the entrance of the wormhole.
Seconds later there was an implosion, and the entrance to the distant Gamma Quadrant was sealed, seemingly forever.
Just as the entrance was destroyed, three Jem'Hadar ships and two Runabouts approached them.
"Engage cloaking device and get us out of here!", Sisko shouted.
They soon became invisible to their attackers. Shortly afterwards they returned to the station, hoping to catch the Defiant another day.
On board, Dax, Bashir and O'Brien turned to Sisko as Zarkoff entered.
"What now?", asked Dax. "We can't return to the station."
"There is one place where we can go for the moment.", Sisko said, looking at Zarkoff.
"Set a course for the Time of Legends, ahead, warp nine."
Janeway and Tuvok had returned to Voyager, knowing what they had to do.
"Prepare the tri-cobolt devices.", Janeway ordered.
"What?", boomed Torres. "What are you doing? You can't destroy the array!"
"I'm aware that everyone on this ship has friends and loved ones they want to get back home to. So do I. But I'm not going to trade the Ocampa's lives for our convenience."
Janeway then took her place in the captain's chair, realising that she had just made the most difficult choice of her entire career.
Meanwhile, Chakotay had had to keep a hold of Torres. It looked as if she was about to boil over.
"Who is she, making this decision for all of us?"
Chakotay answered in just three words.
"She's the captain!"
Chakotay did not argue with his engineer. Although he wanted to get home also, he knew Janeway was right.
The devices were ready, and loaded into the launching bays. Seconds later, they were away.
They soon crashed into the array, causing a massive explosion. Moments later, the array was nothing more than scrap metal.
On the bridge, everything was silent. Their one chance of getting home was gone.
The silence was broken by Kim.
"Captain, we're getting a call from the Kazon."
"On screen."
Jaben was soon on the screen before them again.
"You have made an enemy today."
The screen went blank. It was as if everyone on the ship was numb, having come to realise the situation they now found themselves in.
A short time later Janeway sat in her Ready Room when the door buzzer sounded. A few moments later, Paris entered.
"You wanted to see me, Captain?"
"Yes, come in. I thought that you'd like to be one of the first to know that I've invited Chakotay and his crew to become a part of this crew."
"And does that mean you'll be providing me with a bodyguard as well, Captain?"
"Not needed. Chakotay has seen to that, something about his life being yours."
"This is going to be fun!"
"Don't count on it! He's also going to be my first officer, responsible for every officer on this ship, including the officer responsible for the conn."
Paris smiled. He knew what was coming up.
"The log will show that as of this date, I am granting a field commission of lieutenant to Thomas Eugene Paris!"
Janeway then shook Paris by the hand, congratulating him. A broad smile appeared on his face.
"For once in my life I'M speechless!"
"I only wish your father could hear about this."
"Don't worry. He will, when we get home!"
Then, just as Paris was about to leave, the door buzzer sounded again, and Neelix and Kes entered.
"Captain!", said Neelix. "There's something we'd like to talk to you about!"
"Neelix, your ship is stocked with as much water as it can carry!"
"Captain, we want to go along with you!", said Kes.
"We're not a passenger ship!", Janeway replied.
"We don't want to be passengers!", said Neelix. "We want to join your crew! I will anticipate your every need! You need a guide, I'll be your guide! You need a cook, I'll be your cook! It will be my job to anticipate your every need, and I anticipate your first need will be me!"
Janeway could do nothing but smile. She knew that if they were to ever get back home, they needed the help of people like Neelix and Kes. She gratefully accepted their offer.
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