The petite, auburn-headed woman sat curled, one leg hitched under the other, on her Ready Room couch. Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the Federation starship Voyager, held a mug of black coffee carelessly while she tried to relax the muscles in her chronically stiff shoulders. Pale blues, reds, and yellows glanced off the smooth planes of her face as she stared out the large porthole at the nebula her starship had been passing on a parallel trajectory.

The diffuse nebula was one of the largest and most spectacular Voyager had encountered on its trek though the Delta Quadrant. The luminous, cloud-like structure had been Voyager's constant companion for nearly 30 light-years. Janeway had been elated to see it appear on the Bridge view screen some two hours earlier. Voyager had been traveling in the Aeristi region of space for nearly three weeks and the journey had been frustratingly unexceptional. The energetic captain suffered the most from the monotony; although at least now, she had something to engage her scientist's mind if not distract her conscience.

It seemed like her guilt came upon her most fiercely when Voyager and her crew went through long, intermittent periods of nothingness. Better to have encounters with strange phenomena or be attacked by hostile Delta Quadrant natives--anything was better than nothing, even if it meant delays getting home to Earth.

"Captain, we are receiving a distress call," broke over the stillness of the Ready Room, startling Janeway from her musings.

"Report, Mr. Kim," the captain barked, striding through the pneumatic doors onto the Bridge.

The dark-haired ensign regarded his console and then his captain. "The call appears to be coming from a ship on the other side of the nebula, approximately four light-years from our location."

"On screen," ordered Janeway, pacing across the length of the Bridge. Through the hazy space dust appeared a single-man shuttlecraft, which seemed to hang motionless in space.

"Hail them," the captain ordered.

"Channel open, audio only." Kim informed the captain.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager. We received your distress call. Can we provide assistance?"

After a few moments, a deep voice replied, "Yes, Captain, I am Drayen Trayik of Krados. My ship's warp drive manifold is malfunctioning and I can't get the thrusters back on line."

Janeway reacted composedly, "We could tractor your ship into our Shuttle Bay. I'm sure my engineering staff would be happy to help you with repairs."

"I suppose that is the most mutually conducive answer. Thank you, Captain," the voice vibrated with only a hint of trepidation at being pulled into the belly of a much larger, more powerful, unknown alien ship.

*******

A large humanoid male emerged from the single-man ship as Janeway arrived in the Shuttle Bay, his attention focused entirely on the gray-eyed captain. "Captain Janeway?" the broad-shouldered alien inquired.

Janeway nodded slightly, extending her hand in greeting. She was struck by the towering height and dark, good looks of Drayen Trayik. "He looks remarkably like a human male except for that small ridge on his chin. . . . In a certain light it could look like no more than a scar," the captain thought with interest as Trayik encapsulated her smaller hand in his strong, warm one.

"Thank you for aiding me. I have been stranded for 96 hours, and until you arrived, well, I was beginning to think that this area of space was uninhabited and possibly unexplored," Trayik stressed, brushing a stray lock of hair away from his dark eyes.

"Yes, we have been traveling through the Aeristi system for three weeks and it does seem . . . empty. Our only company has been the large nebula. I presume that is why you're in this region?" the captain deduced, noticing the small smudges of silicate lubricant on Trayik's sharp, angular features.

Trayik watched the intense light of the shuttle bay play across the captain's face, casting shadows as she spoke. The sharp cheek bones, strong chin, and perfect nose were as sensuous and enchanting as her throaty voice. Her body was small, but lean and agile. Her power and command was clearly her own brand of confidence, femininity, and intelligence.

"Actually, Captain, that is correct. I am the, ah, astronomer for my colony in the Rhighan cluster, approximately 200 light-years from the Kypros Nebula. Our resources are limited and often unreliable," Trayik said pointing to his ship, "But I was granted the opportunity to study the nebula as a potential energy resource and I grabbed it without thinking about the possible consequences. In retrospect, maybe I should have turned down the assignment." The burly man gave Janeway a quirky, half grin that dimpled his cheeks.

Janeway returned the smile diplomatically. "Well, then, we will see what we can do about repairing your ship and getting you back to your research." 

Almost as if on the captain's cue, the assigned engineering team flowed into the shuttle bay. 

"In the mean time, unless you would like to supervise the repairs, why don't we get you situated into guest quarters?"

"That would be wonderful, Captain. I could use some cleaning up. I'm sure your crew is capable of repairing my little ship without my assistance. Like I said I'm an astronomer not an engineer," Trayik stressed, following Janeway through the sliding doors into the corridor.

*******

Trayik trailed Janeway into the Guest Quarters. The rooms were spacious for the lack of decoration and the predominant color, a gray-blue blend, was plain but appealing. A bright bouquet of Vendorian blossoms sat in the middle of the dining table, welcoming the new guest and making the rooms appear less sparse and more elegant.

Janeway extending her arm gestured to the boundaries of the room, "Mr. Trayik, please make yourself comfortable here. If you should need anything, you can access the ship's computer by, well, simply addressing it and stating your request."

"Addressing it?" Trayik asked dubiously.

"Yes, like this . . . Computer, please lower lights by one quarter." The lights lowered and Drayen heard the computer warble it's completion tone. 

The captain continued, "If the computer needs more information to complete your request, it will ask for it."

Drayen turned from inspecting the room and looked at Janeway. "Ask?"

"Yes, the computer will speak to you . . ." Janeway demonstrated, "Computer, locate the lieutenant."

A pleasant but monotone female voice replied, "Cannot complete request. Please, specify."

"Computer, locate Lieutenant Torres," said the captain restating her request.

"Lieutenant Torres is in Engineering." the voice droned.

"See, it's that easy," Janeway reassured Trayik who only raised his black brows and shook his head in speculation at what other incredible devices and mechanisms this vessel might contain.

"Well, Mr. Trayik, I have duties to attend to, but if you would like to join me for dinner at 1900 hours, I would love to know more about your home world," the vital captain favored the dark-eyed man with a wide smile.

For a moment Drayen stood transfixed just looking at her. "My, God! She has a stunning smile. It lights up the entire room. I have never seen anything like it." The vibrancy of the smile faded a degree, which reminded him that he should answer, "Of course, Captain, that would be wonderful. I look forward to it."

With a nod of her head, Janeway left Trayik in the Guest Quarters.

Alone now, Drayen more thoroughly inspected his surroundings. Under the low illumination, the room was utilitarian but comfortable. He gazed around, noting the opulent use of technology--a replicator, a sonic shower, a universal translator. This was a sophisticated ship unlike anything he had encountered. "Of course, I haven't ever traveled but in one ship and that didn't last long. . . . This ship, though . . . this Voyager is fast, dynamic, with a large crew compliment to take care of her. . . . Strong and commanding captain. . . ." Drayen thought with a crooked grin. "A lovely, female captain, who I will be joining for dinner this evening. . . ."

Drayen considered making this temporary situation more permanent. "After all, I have a lot to offer--intellect, courage, and this body is strong and handsome. I could be valuable to the captain and her ship," he thought with an honest detachment.

Trayik addressed the ship's computer the way Janeway showed him. "Computer, what time is it?"

The female voice intoned, "1720 hours."

Realizing that he only had until 1900 when he was to join the captain, he, with the help of the ship's computer, showered and sent his clothes through the replicator to get rid of the smell of silicate. When Drayen felt he was back to looking his best, he accessed the ship's unrestricted database for information about the romantic rituals of Earth. He had to put his best foot forward for the striking captain.

*******

At 1700 hours, the two security officers, who had unbeknownst to Trayik been standing security detail outside the Guest Quarters, escorted him to the captain's private dining room.

The door slid open and Drayen Trayik stalked into the captain's dining facility. Janeway was taken aback. The tall man had his arms full . . . flowers, wine, and a box of chocolate? In retrospect, she should have limited his access to the replicator.

Drayen took in his surroundings. As in the Guest Quarters, the same functional furnishings accented the room. To his immediate right, behind a counter, he noticed a tall, pale woman with a silver implant above her eye. She appeared to be making something that emitted a sweet-scented aroma. He smiled at her. "She must be the cook," he thought. Only then did he glance down, noticing the dinner table was set for three. He felt his disappointment well up inside him. He wanted to be alone with the beautiful, imposing captain. 

"Mr. Trayik?" Janeway questioned, trying to decipher Trayik's confused expression.

"Ah, yes, Captain," Trayik said, spotting the captain across the room on the other side of the dining table. "I brought some . . . some stuff. I hope they are appropriate."

"Of course, Mr. Trayik, the flowers will look lovely on the table, and I'm sure the wine and--what is that? Truffles? Well, they will go wonderfully with the dinner Seven has prepared. Oh, I'm sorry, this is Seven of Nine." The petite captain extended her arm out and gestured to the blond woman Drayen had seen earlier. "She is Voyager's Astrometrics officer. Seven, this is Mr. Drayen Trayik." 

Seven stepped out from behind the counter, approached the two, and stood near the captain. She nodded her head in greeting, "Mr. Trayik."

The large man trailed his eyes down Seven's long figure, taking extra time to inspect the cybernetic implants embedded in her abdomen, arm, and hand. The look was long and lingering and Janeway didn't like it. She knew that it was difficult to not stare at Seven; she had so many beautiful and unique attributes. Janeway couldn't be too upset with those who couldn't keep their eyes to themselves; after all, she had a difficult time doing it herself. But, she also strived to protect the young woman from such blatant insensitivities.

Janeway could feel Seven grow stiff at the silence and close inspection and attempted to distract Trayik. "Seven and I have a standing date for dinner each week. We are glad you could join us."

Trayik felt a bit indignant, but replied amiably. "How nice for you both and thank you for the invitation."

"It's very nice for me. Seven labors in the kitchen and I just show up to enjoy the delicious meal and enchanting company," Janeway said, flashing Seven a brilliant and wicked smile.

Drayen watched the flush of color rise in the young woman's face and how she bashfully returned the captain's smile. Janeway seemed to be extremely fond of this crew member and Trayik couldn't blame her. Like most Organics, the captain would likely be drawn to strength and beauty. Apparently, Seven had both in abundance.

Trayik refocused his attention on Janeway when she spoke again. "Seven really is the most marvelous cook. Tonight, she has prepared a meal of Country-French cuisine--spinach salad, Beef Wellington, and sautéed asparagus with mushrooms. I hope you'll find everything suitable."

"I'm sure Seven is a grand cook and you, Captain, are a most generous and captivating hostess," Trayik said, moving smoothly around the women to the head of the table and pulling out the chair for Janeway. He wasn't sure what was the purpose of this ritual, but Janeway smiled at him gently as she took her seat. 

"Seven?" Trayik gestured to a seat on the other side of Janeway.

Seven's eyes darted from the open chair to Janeway and then to the face of the large alien. She exhaled, saying "Thank you, Mr. Trayik, but I must bring the food to the table. I can seat myself."

As the evening progressed, Drayen felt an increasing comfort with the two women. Janeway was a remarkable and compassionate woman and Seven really was superiorly intelligent and her body was amazingly strong being scattered by those cybernetic implants and infused with nanotechnology. Her stance and speech were far too stoic, but that could be changed. 

Janeway watched the large alien reach across the table and help himself to another bread roll. That's his fifth roll. What kind of metabolism could process that many carbohydrates in one sitting? The thought occurred that Trayik may not have eaten or drank anything during the 96 hours he was stranded. The captain recoiled from her own lack of empathy. "Mr. Trayik, can I offer you more wine?"

"Yes, please," Trayik admitted. "This drink has interesting properties. It's pungent and tangy. I like it very much." 

The gray-eyed captain poured the rest of the burgundy liquid into Trayik's wineglass. "Wine is a Terran specialty. It is made from a fermented fruit called grapes."

"It is just wonderful . . . so lively and spirited, much like you, Captain," Trayik complemented, grinning lopsidedly at Janeway.

Janeway smiled good-naturedly at the enthusiastic man. "Thank you, Mr. Trayik."

"Indeed," Seven murmured. Looks aside, Trayik was full of hot air. Not that Seven disagreed with the tall alien, but she disliked the easy way he tossed compliments and intimations at Voyager's captain. 

Hearing the low utterance from Seven, Kathryn settled her eyes on the former Borg. Seven had been very quiet tonight. She guessed that Seven felt displaced by Trayik. She's used to having my undivided attention and I love giving it to her. . . .

"The meal was exquisite, Seven. Thank you for sharing your culinary talents," the redhead complimented.

"Yes, Seven, dinner was superb," Trayik blurted. "I can say honestly I have never eaten anything so flavorful and satisfying."

Seven grinned almost imperceptibly at Janeway and then glanced at Trayik. "Thank you. I am glad you both enjoyed it. Captain, I must excuse myself. Tonight, I am assisting Icheb with his studies."

"Yes, of course. How are his studies for the Academy coming?" Janeway questioned.

"He is advancing at a remarkable rate," Seven assured as she got up from the table. "He is intelligent and adaptable. I am proud of his dedication."

Janeway nodded up at Seven and offered, "We all are."

 Kathryn met Seven's eyes and held them, noting the lovely sparkle in the pale orbs. In her quiet way, Seven had become nurturing and protective of Icheb. It's becoming on her. She absolutely glows when she speaks about him. She is so beautiful. . . .

Seven regretted having to leave. The way Janeway looked at her hinted at promises of more intimate moments alone. Also, she didn't want to leave the captain with Trayik unattended. Outside now, Seven glanced back as the doors slide closed. Scrutinizing the guards posted outside the captain's dining room, Seven felt a little more comfortable. She nodded civilly at them and headed for Astrometrics.

The captain watched Seven leave. The feline sway of her stride made Kathryn feel a little giddy. Or was it the wine? To offset the dizziness, the Captain made her way to the replicator. The warm exchange between her and Seven energized her and now she had coffee on her mind. "Mr. Trayik, it appears to be just you and me now. Can I interest you in trying another Earth delicacy?"

"Captain, I believe you could interest me in just about anything," Trayik intimated. "And please, Captain, call me Drayen."

Janeway hesitated, ignoring the insinuation. "Coffee, then, and maybe we should break open that box of truffles, Drayen?"

"Great!" the large alien exclaimed, getting up from the table and taking the coffee cup from her. He brought the cup to his lips, smelling the sharp, hot liquid.

*******

Trayik peered over Seven’s shoulder as she punched commands into the Astrometrics console. She sighed loudly and he realized that he was crowding her and it made her nervous. He certainly didn't want her to be tense. He moved over to the wall behind the main console. Running his fingers over the panel in the wall, he seemed to be considering something. However, he was making Seven regret that she had--at the captain's request--agreed to show him around Astrometrics. Seven glanced back, and then spun completely around to face him. "You should not touch that. It is a power conduit. You may harm yourself."

"Oh, sorry, I don’t mean to ah . . . ," switching the subject, Trayik said, "I was wondering if you might share some of your information regarding the nebula. I mean with your advanced technology, the data you have collected would be invaluable to my people."

"How did you know that I was studying the phenomena?"

Seven stated suspiciously. She couldn't help but feel distrustful of this man. He had had been stranded in a shuttle craft that required only a minor adjustment to the thrusters. She had overheard B'Elanna say that he was pretty, but that he must be dumb as a Targ. Seven was not inclined to agree. She didn't believe that Trayik was unintelligent, so logically there had to be another reason for his behavior. Besides, she didn't like the way he interacted with Captain Janeway.

Sensing her wariness, Trayik answered evenly. "You’re Voyager’s Astrometrics officer. I just assumed you would have, at the very least, a scientific interest in the Kypros Nebula."

The assumption was logical and Seven pushed down her misgivings. "You are correct. I have collected nine gigaquads of information. To where would you like for me to download it?"

"We can transfer it to my ship’s database. After you have connected, I will input the code you will need to proceed with the download. Can I enter it from here?" Trayik asked, pointing to the input pad and display next to her.

"Yes." Seven confirmed.

Trayik circled around Seven to stand on the other side of the ex-Borg. Trayik watched Seven closely, waiting for just the right moment. That moment came when Seven placed both her hands on the console's primary input pad.

He willed the switch, placing both his hands on the input pad in front of him. The extra flow of energy caused erratic readings to appear on the view screen. Seven glanced up to question Trayik just as she felt an undeniable warmth at her fingertips. The warmth flashed up her arms, and she felt an alarming loss of control in them and then throughout her body. For a moment, she thought she was experiencing paralysis. But then, she felt her legs lift and move, yet she hadn't made any effort. She heard her voice speak, trying to rouse Trayik who was lying unconscious on the floor. Seven's mind searched for an answer--Species 8962--suddenly, she understood.

*******

The Captain strode though Voyager's corridors into Sick Bay where she approached Voyager's EMH, concern etched across her face. "Report, Doctor."

The holographic doctor put down the hypospray on the tray in front of him, and turned to address Janeway. "Mr. Trayik appears to be suffering from memory loss."

"How did it happen?"

The EMH lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Well, according to Seven, they were transferring data about the nebula to his ship's database, when there was some sort of malfunction in the console Trayik was working at. The console emitted a low-voltage shock. Given Mr. Trayik's physiology, the shock interrupted the hippocampus."

Janeway crinkled up her brow. "Is he awake?"

"Dazed but awake. However, he has no recollection of how he came aboard Voyager." The doctor tightened his thin lips, reservation spreading across his face. "Captain, I can't find any evidence of injury, but apparently, the last thing he remembers is approaching the nebula."

"Can I speak with him?"

"Of course, Captain. It's possible the memory loss is temporary and the more exposure he has to people and places he has seen and been in the last 72 hours, the more likely he will be to regain the memories he has lost."

Janeway came up next to the large man lying on the biobed. She moved her hand to rest on his powerful chest, only meaning to comfort him. She was surprised when he seemed to cower away from her. She removed her hand.

"Drayen?" the captain searched the alien's dark eyes for any recognition, but found none. She tried again, "Mr. Trayik, I am Kathryn Janeway. I am captain of the vessel you are on. You came aboard approximately 72 hours ago. We answered your distress call."

"Distress call?" asked Trayik quietly, pushing himself off of the biobed.

Janeway got the impression that he was trying to escape from her close proximity, so she stepped away from him, giving him more space. Janeway's mind sparked, "Where the hell is all that bravado? He looks like a shuttle caught in a tractor beam." 

Janeway tried to soothe the frightened alien, "Yes, your ship's warp drive was malfunctioning and the thrusters were offline. We were assisting you with repairs."

"I--Is my ship repaired?" Trayik stammered.

The captain was uncertain how she should answer the question. She didn't want Trayik operating a shuttle if he was incapacitated, but she couldn't very well lie to the man. "Well, yes, but wouldn't you like to try to recover before leaving?"

A rush of words came from Trayik. "No--please, Captain. This is very disconcerting. I--I would like to return home. I believe my recovery will come much sooner if I'm allowed to go home."

"Mr. Trayik, you're not a prisoner here. You can leave whenever you choose. I am, however, concerned about your injury." Janeway imparted her concern. "Would it be all right if I have my Emergency Medical Hologram, the Doctor here, contact your people to tell them what's happened? An injury of the nature you've received can be insidious. I would like to make sure your medics are advised of your condition."

"Yes, Captain, that would be kind of you," Trayik thanked Janeway.

End of Part I