บท 78: Echo's Conviction
As promised, I did not interfere with Echo's decisions, even when she chose to wipe out the fortress. The bubbling anger in her voice when she contacted me to lock onto Chakotay's position was unmistakable, as I have heard it several times before, though this fury was deeper. When I did beam her up, she was covered in blood and had a few minor wounds, but nothing serious. She allowed me to heal her before she left to clean herself up. With Chakotay still unconscious on one of our couches, I reported Echo's success at finding the commander to Janeway as I piloted the Fae Dragon back to Voyager, leaving out her rampage through the Vori fortress.
In the months to come, the Kradin would be able to drive the Vori troops off the planet due to the loss of the fortress. Using that momentum, the Kradin would drive out all of the Vori forces from their lands within the next few years. While they could have pushed their advantage to fully claim the Vori empire, the Kradin did not and chose to strengthen their defenses to protect their people from future invasions. No one would know of Echo's contribution, myself included, but Karma would remember her good deed and aid her when she needed it most...
A month had passed since Echo had rescued Chakotay. Things had been quiet, extremely so, which meant that I was on edge that an episode would pop up at any moment. My biggest complaint was that I had no idea of the stardate of each episode, since it did not make sense to me back then. I had no real idea of how much time there was between episodes, so quiet days bothered me more and more when they built upon each other, especially when Katye was due to wake up.
"Echo to Rebecca. Katye woke up," my comm badge chimed.
Echo's voice woke me from my meditation in the Aeroponics Bay. It was the middle of the night, and I was technically still on duty, but I did not care. I had already told Janeway that Katye would be awake in this twenty-four-hour window, so she knew that I would abandon whatever post that I was at, which was why I was scheduled here for today and tomorrow.
"I'm on my way," I replied, tapping my badge.
I shifted into the Yin Realm as soon as I finished speaking, then raced back to our ship. While I could pass through the bulkheads of the Voyager as if they were not there, I could not enter the Fae Dragon through the Yin Realm, so I stepped out right in front of the door which opened automatically. I hurried upstairs, but only found Echo, Nyka, and Filigree waiting on the couches.
"Katye wanted to shower in peace," Echo remarked as I came up the stairs.
I huffed, but did not argue as I found my way to my couch. If I had spent two months in a comatose state, I would also have wanted a shower when I woke up, despite the efforts that were made to keep me clean. In fact, I had done the same once I had the strength after the battle against Iseto's forces. I sat down, adjacent from Echo, and waited, drumming my fingers across the couch seat. Echo ignored me, her greatest 'power', and we sat for nearly an hour before the door to the bedroom opened.
"Despite Fae's shielding, I could still feel the tension from the other room," Katye remarked, drying her hair, as she walked in. When she pulled the towel off her head and looked at us, she stopped mid-step and exclaimed, "What the fuck happened? And where the hell is Raven?!?"
I let out a heavy sigh and replied, "I made a terrible mistake..."
I went on to explain everything that had happened while she had been unconscious, not hiding anything. There was no anger from Katye because of my mistake, only sorrow and pity, which I honestly had a harder time dealing with than Echo's anger. I told her about Unimatrix Zero, and Susanna's suggestion and offer.
To Echo's and my surprise, she immediately refused while her aura rippled lightly, meaning that Alkatyenia had warned her not to undergo the assimilation process. She quickly explained that my Chaotic nature could easily corrupt her if we were connected on such a deep level; just like my weakness to Order, Katye had the same weakness to Chaos. Echo would not be at the same level of risk, so Katye did not argue with her request to be assimilated, much to my disappointment, but I would honor my promise... after I told Janeway about it.
"Rebecca, what brings you here? I would have thought that you'd spend the entire day waiting for Katye to wake up," Janeway remarked from the couch when I entered her Ready Room.
"She woke up during the night, and I've explained what happened while she was unconscious. While her reaction was much tamer than Echo's, I still preferred hers over the pity," I sighed.
"Well, I'm glad that she is awake, but I have a feeling that updating me on her condition isn't your only reason for visiting me," she replied.
"No, it's not. Now that Katye is awake and sided with Echo, I can't delay this any longer. I am going to assimilate Echo, but I have several reasons before you try to argue with me about the decision," I said before she could butt in. "For starters, when I regenerate, my mind is pulled to a unique Mental Plane that many Borg can access while they regenerate, including Raven. Echo would also have that chance to see her along with reading my mind over great distances, which could be useful in many different situations. The main reason, though, is that this Mental Plane would give her the chance to train to resist and reverse the effects of Chaos corruption that is inherent to my most powerful magic. Typically, I direct it, preventing it from going out of my control, but in moments of extreme stress, I can warp reality to my Will, infecting whatever I'm trying to do with the corruption. If I was trying to save someone's life, I could but that person would slowly become twisted by the corruption until they are a completely different person. Katye's affinity with Order is already resistant to the effects to a certain level, but Echo needs to learn how to protect herself, and this Mental Plane is the perfect opportunity for her."
Janeway was quiet for a short time before she let out a heavy sigh, "I imagine that my opinion on this matter means little to you."
"Honestly, I don't know if I am for or against this specialized training, but I gave Echo my word that it was her decision. Katye is willing to focus all of her off-duty hours to come up with a way to remove the Borg technology completely from our bodies, in case Raven truly does fall to their clutches. Within a year or two, I'm confident that she will have significant progress on removing the technology from us, and I'm confident that Raven will last three to four years at her current strength. The significant problem is that I am at the core of all of these events, and Chaos does what it wants. No matter what... It's going to happen whether or not you like it, hell, it's not like I do; I just can't go back on my word."
She let out another sigh and let her head roll back, dramatically. Due to my rank, there had always been an easiness between us, so I got to see sides of her that the show never revealed. She rubbed her temples and stated, "And the danger that this poses to the rest of the galaxy?"
"Definitely less than Raven being in the clutches of the Borg," I retorted.
She sat up straight and gave me a hard look. "You understand that this is yet another danger that you are unleashing upon the galaxy? On my crew? If Echo became a true Borg, my whole ship could be overrun before we could even mount a proper defense!"
"Is it really so different from Seven? You liberated her from the Collective, and she even betrayed your trust, yet she is still here," I shot back. "This does pose a danger, I won't deny it, but I believe that Katye and I have sufficient strength to stop her, if needed. It's also not something that will suddenly spring up; we'll see the danger coming and there is the fact that Katye isn't undergoing assimilation, so she is yet another failsafe."
"And the next time that you two are heavily injured and unconscious or unable to overpower her for months? Should I just lock her in the Brig and hope that's enough to contain her?"
It was hard to resist the smirk on my face at the thought of Echo locked in a cell for a few weeks, but I also understood that it would actually be difficult for the Voyager crew to restrain her.
I sighed, "Kathryn, I understand your concerns... hell, I agree with them, but the decision isn't mine, unless I want ruin a relationship of over fourteen years. Yes, I can tell her no, and she would have no option other than to deal with it, but it would also completely destroy our relationship at this point. Yes, our relationship might be able to be repaired in the future, but the fact that I didn't trust her to stand on her own feet would always lurk in the back of her mind, and likely my own. When we return to the Alpha Quadrant, because I refuse to say that it's a possibility, my group will be leaving this dimension. I'm an unstable element, no matter how much I try to struggle against it, so we need to move on where the collateral damage can be minimized."
Janeway looked at me with shock and surprise, not expecting that I would say that we were leaving 'once we had the chance'. There was a limit to what she would believe, or understand, if I was completely honest with her, so I could only speak in half-truths. Once Voyager reached the Alpha Quadrant, our journey here would be done, and we would move on to whatever twisted story that we decided to follow, book, show, movie, or video game.
Surprisingly, though it really should not have been, Janeway deduced, "You know that we'll make it back to the Alpha Quadrant."
Rubbing the base of my horns, I debated on the value of giving her more information and sighed, "Do you truly want to know? Because if I tell you, the future will likely be changed significantly and what I can tell you will likely be ruined."
My statement was confirmation enough that they would return home, not that Janeway ever showed much doubt. Anymore, and she would have an idea of what was ahead of her which could change her decisions, possibly foregoing the majority of my knowledge of the future.
Janeway huffed with annoyance and retorted, "You can't expect me not to ask when you dangle vital information over my head."
"I don't, but I do want you to remember the price that comes with my 'advice'. For all my 'power' and 'knowledge', I'm still part Borg and my lover is their captive. Shit happens, and I'm already too rooted in your journey for you to escape that fact, so the actions of me and my crew need to be limited when possible. Stepping in here and there to save a life or to prevent some damage to the Old Girl might be a minimal change, but it will affect our journey, and the Delta Quadrant as a whole, causing significant changes to what I know, whether it's an old or new 'vision'," I replied.
Janeway sighed and looked out of the window behind her. She was quiet for a few minutes then asked, "Is there nothing that I can say to change your mind?"
"My mind, no; I'd rather be kicked off the ship, but if you think you could actually talk some sense into Echo then please... I know that there is danger in this choice, but that is also how our kind grows."
"Fine, I will try talking with her."
"If I may be so bold as to ask for a request, I would like to ask permission to have both the Doctor and Danara study the assimilation process in Sick Bay, under every scan that they, and Katye, can come up with. Katye's hope is that the information will aid her research to remove the technology from us, since extra info can't really hurt," I said.
"I agree, more information can always help. Let me talk with Echo before you undergo this... 'procedure'," Janeway replied.
"Thank you, Captain," I said with a slight bow because I truly expected her to argue with me more.
"Don't make me regret this, Rebecca," Janeway said.
"With every fiber of my being, I will do whatever it takes to stop Echo if she loses herself to the Collective," I promised then walked out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Janeway drummed her fingers on her desk, unable to focus on the monitor in front of her. Rebecca's words kept playing in her mind, but she knew that there was nothing that she could do to stop it. Even if she did kick Rebecca and her crew off of Voyager, the danger to the galaxy would still exist, and many of her crew would question her decision.
The door chimed and Janeway said, "Enter."
Echo, with Nyka resting across her shoulders, walked into the Ready Room with a neutral expression and stated, "You called me, Captain."
"I did, and I imagine that you know why," she replied.
"Becca told you about my decision to be assimilated by her."
"Correct... While I am closer to her, we have had our dealings, especially recently, so I know that you can be more stubborn than a Ferengi being told to part with his last bar of latinum. According to Starfleet's directives, Rebecca has every right to commandeer this vessel, and, at this point, she could do it with a half decent reason why and few people would oppose her. I can't order her not to do it and kicking your group off the ship would cause much more instability amongst my crew than your assimilation... So, I want you to explain to me why you are so desperate for some training that you are willing to risk your free-will for."
Echo raised an eyebrow at her statement, surprised that she was not being berated for her choice. "How much has Rebecca told you about our past together?"
"Honestly, not much. I know that you all fought in a war, possibly multiple ones. She lost a lover and had to watch a friend go through the same because of her actions, but details rarely come up," Janeway sighed.
"That's because she's still haunted by those actions, even if she has accepted the decisions that she made," Echo retorted then sighed heavily. "May I sit?"
"Of course."
Echo clicked her tongue and Nyka jumped down to the ground, before she sat and the little fox leapt into her lap, where she settled into a small ball. "Rebecca's and Katye's past lives, before they were turned into Vazukuru, were similar to the average person of the twenty-first century of your Earth... The Earth that I was raised on was much different. There was no World War Three and a Zefram Cochrane to meet the Vulcans that brought Earth to a new enlightenment... instead, my Earth was destroyed by a rogue AI through a nuclear fallout, long before I was born. My people knew of the Old World, but their technology was a taboo; we lived like tribesmen, only using cold weapons.
"I had been born a slave to the Queen of Azgeda, and was raised from a young age to be an assassin and a spy. At the age of six, she deemed that I was too weak-hearted for her needs, so she ordered my adopted sister, a girl who I grew up with and who always protected me growing up, to kill me. My sister told me, even as she 'struggled' to kill me, to fight back and show my worth to Nia... and, I did and ended up killing her in the process. From that day forth, I was known as Echo, taking my sister's name to further Nia's goals, and I grew into a great tool for her over the years. I killed at her command, reaping dozens of lives, which caused far more to fall under her control... and never thought anything about those who I had harmed.
"At twenty-seven, I was captured by the greatest enemy of the Twelve Clans, which Azgeda was a part of, and not because I was trying to infiltrate their ranks. The Mountain Men, as we called them, were phantoms that haunted the Capital of the Twelve Clans because they did use the technology of the Old World, guns, vehicles, gas weapons, and missiles that could wipe out cities. I had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was taken by their harvesters. I was thrown into a tiny cage, alongside hundreds of my brethren, where we were treated as less than animals because our only value was to be harvested for our blood to reverse the radiation damage the Mountain Men had suffered. I watched countless Clan members die due to their practices, and was next among those to be drained when Rebecca, leading a small team, came and destroyed the Mountain, freeing all of us. The only casualty was her lover who had followed her, under his own choice, but she blamed herself for his death...
"Katye came to me after I had been freed and gave me an offer. I could still be Nia's pawn, or I could help her, and Rebecca, to protect the future. The reason why they were careful taking down the Mountain was because they needed it; another Praimfaya, which scorched the Earth before, was coming. The world would be destroyed, yet again, because of a nuclear powerplant's destruction due to time, on the other side of the world. There was nothing that they, or any of our people, could do to prevent this disaster, so they captured as much as they could that might survive the second apocalypse... but only four thousand could be saved out of two hundred thousand. They made their choice, dividing the seats equally amongst the Thirteen Clans, Becca's and Raven's group being the extra one, and things seemed to fall into place with Katye's plan.
"Rebecca and I were deep undercover, convincing Queen Nia that we were on her side, opposed to Katye to hold off the war that she was ready to wage. Things played out, just as Katye had hoped, but none of us expected the changes that had occurred. Katye, much later on, told me what likely caused Iseto, the Blodripa, to come after us. He was a rogue Vazukuru that wanted to overthrow Katye's reign, and his powers were crueler than you can imagine.
"While Rebecca and I were acting as double agents, Katye and Raven took on a secret mission. They went and shut down the rogue AI that had caused the destruction of the Old World before it could enact the second part of its plan, to enslave all of humanity, because it deemed that that was the only way to save humanity from the approaching disaster. While they succeeded in their goal, Fate proved that it was not something to be tested as that rogue Vazukuru had powers similar to what ALIE could do, but stronger...
"He could stir a person's anger, hatred, and fury, and turn it to whatever target that he deemed; even Raven was affected enough to shoot Rebecca in the back, but that had been his undoing in the moment, as it allowed Becca to regain control of herself and save the three of us that had been sent with her to negotiate for the members of the clans that he had pulled under his banner... She carried me, and the other two, in a form weaker than her Dusa form, which failed near the end of our escape... At the last moment, before the transformation failed, she twisted so that she took the brunt of the impact; I was the one who would have taken the hit when she fell out of the sky. Anyone else, the best that they could have hoped for was that they were paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of their lives, but with her healing magic, she was able to get herself back on her feet within a week.
"Iseto did not stop the march of his army, and even gathered more of the clansmen that had been 'left behind' as he approached the bunkers. His army was large enough to destroy one of the shelters since it was above ground, and we feared that his power could penetrate the ground, infecting the people within the bunkers, so we used the last missile to thin the size of the army. Roughly forty thousand were killed, but another twelve thousand survived, including Iseto, and their march continued.
"Back then, Rebecca and Katye had only been training their powers for less than a year and didn't have even a hundredth of the power that they do now. They were still stronger than a normal person, but against an army of that size, it was a death sentence to face them alone, yet that was exactly what they were ready to do to stop his advance. Raven and I both had to convince them to take us with them, and they only agreed because we promised to stay on the back lines and flee as soon as things started to fall apart.
"While you and your crew are willing to give up your lives to help another person, to stand in front of an army with nothing but a pair of swords, a handful of weak spells, and less than a year of training to learn how to fight without flinching... to be the one who took the first step forward... I knew in that moment that I would follow Rebecca through the Gates of Hell, and she had not even started fighting yet.
"For hours, she fought on the front line with a bit of support from Raven and me while Katye remained safe in the Yin Realm, drawing other parts of the mob at Rebecca's order. She was much weaker than Becca at the time since much of her time was taken by managing the Coalition. By the time that the cannon fodder were all killed, Rebecca was only standing out of pure determination and stubbornness. Her body was pushed past the point of exhaustion, and her mana reserves were so low that she should have been in a coma, if not dead, yet she remained on her feet.
"Iseto's personal guard, people that could tap into a small fraction of his power which made them stronger than a normal person, approached next, but they did not want to fight her, rather Katye. Rebecca killed one of them out of instinct before Katye stopped her and accepted Iseto's challenge. There were several dozens of them, perhaps a hundred in total, and they came in groups of two then three then four... the number kept growing until they were able to draw Katye's blood which was at ten. She took more hits with the next wave, and, despite her exhaustion, Rebecca forced herself to her feet to help Katye after ordering me to get Raven and run.
"The rest of his personal guards rushed them once Rebecca joined the fight, and they took them all down, but Iseto still remained. I only know of what happened in their fight from Rebecca's point of view after she told me about it years later, but I don't doubt the truth of it. He toyed with both of them as he mocked them, completely convinced of his victory because, for all common sense, they did not have the strength to oppose him. Her last memories of the fight were of Katye being knocked out, and Iseto's hand around her throat, forcing her to look at all of the death that her decision had caused... she knew that she had, in a way, caused everything around her to happen, but the voice of her teacher came to her.
"'Accept the past and learn from it; it cannot be changed, but you can grow from it.' She told me that something within her unlocked as she was able to shed the guilt of the events that she had caused to unfold, intentionally or not. She managed to kill Iseto and healed Katye of all of her wounds before passing out, and Raven and I were able to find her hours later without a scratch on her body, aside from her missing fingers. After that day, she had gained her Dusa form we realized...
"During the Final War, only Katye and Rebecca fought against a small army and twelve true Vazukuru. Even more than the battle against Iseto, they were on the verge of being killed, but Katye's past-self forcibly awoke itself to save both of them. The Elder assigned to watch over them, since their past selves were incredibly powerful, intervened and helped reseal Alkatyenia, but it was too late to stop the effects of the Final War. All of humanity, across seven worlds, was wiped out in a sense, but Raven and I were saved by that Elder and given a chance...
"He could grant us the power to stand at their sides, but our lives must be tied to theirs. If either of them was to die, unless our Souls were strong enough, we would die as well, and if both did, there would be nothing that we could do to prevent our deaths. There was not a shred of doubt or hesitation when he gave me the chance to become like them... I never had a home, a family, even anything like peace before Rebecca and Katye entered my life, so now can you understand why I'm not scared to lose my free-will? If it means that I can stay with them for a moment longer and help them along their journey, I am willing to undergo any challenge in front of me."
Throughout Echo's story, Janeway's expression change numerous times. While there was some information that did not quite fit with what she knew, her gut told her it was something that they could not discuss directly. At the end, despite all of her misgivings, there was nothing that she could come up with that would have the slightest effect on Echo's conviction, even she could not help but look at Rebecca in a new light, and understand Echo's position.
"You have the next two weeks off, unless something unexpected happens. Recover first then start your training; you don't need to go into it at a weakened state. You're dismissed, Ensign," Janeway said after several minutes of silence.
Echo nodded her head and picked up Nyka before walking out of the room. Janeway sighed heavily once she was gone, before she stood up. She walked around and made her way to the replicator where she ordered a cup of black coffee. Taking her cup, she moved so that she could look out of the window as the stars streaked passed.
"The difference between the troubles that follow a Captain and a Vazukuru is that we avoid them when possible while your group faces them head on," Janeway muttered to herself as she thought about the night that Rebecca offered to bring her into their group on the Garunian world. "All that power comes with risks, yet you've overcome them in the past... I hope this is another one that you can."
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