The lift doors slid open and the Borg stepped out and extended their arms, assimilation tubules reaching out towards the battered crew.

Phaser fire lit up the bridge. Two of the Borg were struck down, but while one received a phaser shot from Kathryn straight in the torso it lumbered forward and smacked her in the face, sending her flying into the tactical console where there was a dull thud and she slid to the floor unmoving. The Borg drone reached over and released its assimilation tubules, stretching towards her neck. Only to receive a smack on the back of the neck by Commander Chakotay, who grabbed the drone and threw it into the ops station in an effort to protect his captain.

The Borg drone was finally finished off when it pressed its hand onto a loose wire and received a highly powerful shock of electricity which coursed through its body.

The Doctor pulled out his medical tricorder and quickly scanned the captain, while Chakotay lifted her gently off the edge of the console and laid her down carefully on the ground.

‘Is she okay?’ Naomi asked, crawling out from her hiding place and kneeling down next to her captain.

‘Slight concussion, but she’ll be fine.’ The Doctor replied cheerily, replacing the scanner and closing the tricorder. ‘She should start to come round now,’ he added, injecting hydrozine into her neck through a hypospray.

‘Ouch,’ Chakotay’s sister said. Phoebe, although worried, grinned. ‘She’s made of strong stuff,’ she said.

‘B’Elanna, Harry, try to figure out a way of sealing the lift doors. Tom, do everything you can to get us away from that cube and nebula!’ Chakotay said, as Kathryn’s eyelids fluttered.

‘Ah captain, welcome back to the land of the not crashed and completely zonked out,’ the Doctor said, as Kathryn opened her eyes.

How do you feel?’ Naomi asked as Chakotay helped his captain to sit up.

Kathryn grimaced. ‘I feel like I did after the time Tom dared me to go without coffee for a whole week,’ she said, rubbing her head.

From the helm, Tom laughed at the memory as Kathryn stood up and leant on the console. ‘You did it though,’ he said grinning, ‘we never saw you without a coffee mug in your hand for a whole month!’

Admiral Patterson laughed. ‘Somehow that isn’t hard to imagine,’ he said. ‘I just wish I’d been there!’

Harry rolled his eyes at Tom and tapped a few command controls into his ops station. ‘I’ve programmed the computer to emit an EM surge, captain,’ he said.

Kathryn looked up at Chakotay. Chakotay nodded.

‘Do it ensign,’ Kathryn said.

Harry nodded. ‘Emitting EM surge in 3…2…1…’

There was a bang and a flash and the science console beta 12, which was normally ensign Wildman’s outpost, exploded in a flash of light. There was a fizz, a crackle and a pop as the force field shut down and the cloaking field was cut off, revealing the Starfleet officers and the crew’s family.

For a moment, no-one said anything. Kathryn and her small group just stared at them with dim comprehension, trying to make sense, trying to decipher what they were doing there, how they got there.

Kathryn opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again.

Elizabeth Paris broke the silence first.

‘Tom!’ she cried beaming, and ran forward to embrace her younger brother.

‘Lizzie?’ Tom said staring in joy, ‘how… how did you get here.’

‘Those damn Borg!’ Elizabeth said laughing, tears welling up in her eyes from happiness.

Kathryn stared at her mother and sister, Phoebe grinned and Gretchen beamed with pride.

Admiral Patterson stepped forward smiling. ‘It’s good to see you again Katie,’ he said to Kathryn, ‘your sudden disappearance gave us a good scare for, ooh, five years was it? Before we made contact?’

‘Four years sir,’ Kathryn replied, ‘and it’s good to see you too!’

Harry Kim smiled at his parents, a big genuine grin that stretched right across his face. And then the ship lurched and the all went flying.

‘We’re being pulled into the nebula captain!’ Tom yelled from the helm. ‘I’ve lost impulse, navigation, warp drive, thrusters, the view screens down… and so is helm control!’

There was another violent lurch, and the lights went out, plunging the bridge into darkness

‘Uh, I’ve also lost the lights, captain.’ Tom said.

‘Harry,’ Kathryn called out, ‘how close are you to console alpha 6?’

‘I think it’s on my left Captain,’ Harry called back, ‘I’ll just go check…’ there was a thud as Harry caught his leg on the edge of his console and he gave out a muffled ‘oof’. There were a few more thuds as he made his way round the console and railing and some barely stifled giggles from Naomi Wildman, who, frightened by the sudden darkness, had crept over to Kathryn and taken her hand. Kathryn gave Naomi’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

‘I think I’ve got it, captain,’ Harry called out suddenly.

‘There should be an emergency lamp in the storage unit above it,’ Kathryn called out.

Phoebe Janeway listened, slightly bemused to this odd conversation. ‘Is this normal then Kathy?’ she called out to her sister.

She heard Kathryn sigh, ‘on average… yes.’ She replied.

‘It’s either this or an invisible alien invasion,’ B’Elanna chipped in.

‘Or a fleet of ships converging on us at the same time,’ Tom said from somewhere very near Samantha Wildman’s husband’s (whose name was Greskrendtregk) shoulder, making him jump.

‘Borg cubes are close enough to a fleet of ships, especially when they appear out of nowhere,’ Naomi Wildman said, determined to be included in the conversation. There was a general muttering as everyone considered this and Chakotay said, ‘good point Naomi,’ making Naomi blush.

‘I don’t know why everyone sounds so put out,’ the Doctor said, ‘you should be used to this by now, after all, isn’t one of the prime directive’s commands “please ensure your ship is destroyed at every available opportunity”?’ He was widely shushed.

‘Okay, got it!’ Harry said triumphantly. There was a pop and suddenly Harry’s face was illuminated by the glow of the lamp in his hands.

The lamp cast an eerie glow over the bridge. ‘Try taking the power cell out and putting it into the console,’ Kathryn said, moving closer to Harry while she could momentarily see. Naomi followed. Although being slightly scared she was also fascinated by the goings on and thrilled to be included in such important adult discussions, especially to be acknowledged by her captain and first officer in front of two highly distinguished admirals.

The lights went out for a moment, bringing back the crushing darkness. Naomi clung to her captain, who put an arm around her.

Then there was a warm buzz as the systems restarted themselves using the small and low power cell provided by the lamp. Kathryn gently untangled herself from Naomi and, moving over to the now flashing ops console, entered a few commands. The bridge became dimly illuminated, systems and controls flashed and buzzed.

‘I think I can get the view screen back up,’ Tom said. He tapped a few controls and the view screen lit up, displaying the dark and creep inside of the nebula, and even worse, the sight of the Borg cube in front with a tractor beam dragging Voyager through.

‘I’m no longer reading Borg signatures on the ship.’ B’Elanna said from her console.

‘Resistance is futile,’ quoted Chakotay, who walked over to Naomi and grinning creepily at her.

Phoebe Janeway ran forward and threw her arms around her sister’s neck, who was then mimicked by Chakotay’s sister who hugged her brother.

‘Starfleet captains should attend to the needs of her crew first,’ Tuvok said suddenly standing up.

Kathryn smiled at him. ‘Tuvok,’ she said, ‘as glad as I am to see you up and about, go and see your wife. That’s an order.’ Admiral Paris laughed at this as he clapped his son on the back.

Harry hugged his parents and Greskrendtregk moved forward to introduce himself to his young daughter, who shook his hand solemnly.

Tom walked over to B’Elanna. ‘Aren’t you going to see your dad?’ He asked. B’Elanna put her hand on her pregnancy bump and looked at Tom. ‘Only if you come with me,’ she said.

Tom slipped his arm around her waist and together they walked to B’Elanna’s father, John Torres.

‘B’Elanna,’ he said. ‘It’s good to see you; I’m glad to see you looking so healthy, and congratulations!’ he added, hugging her. Then he turned to look at Tom, ‘this must be your husband, Tom isn’t it?’

‘That’s right, it’s nice to meet you,’ Tom said, shaking his hand.