#I wish we knew what happened with naomi though because I was rooting for their relationship

[lulu2992]

I’ve never updated this but I feel like doing it because the team has slightly changed since I made the post :)

One of the DLCs asked me to hire a DJ, but because my team was already at maximum capacity, I had to part ways with one of my operatives. I chose Rimsky Watson because, since he’s a Royal Guard, I knew where to easily find him if I ever wanted to “visit” him again.

So my final team, minus Rimsky and with the bonus Prestige Operatives, also included these lovely people:

Becky Vanterpool - 24 - DJ

Aiden Pearce - 55 - Vigilante

Wrench - 41 - Your Future, Husband

Mina Sidhu - 19 - //PROPERTY OF OMNI//

Darcy Clarkson - 25 - Assassin

Helen Dashwood - 78 - Retiree

And as I expected, I saw our friend Rimsky in the wild, just doing his job:

THE FULL TEAM

In order of recruitment, from left to right and top to bottom:

Afficher davantage

[typeonpaper]

𝐦𝐢𝐦𝐢    ;    ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ ʜᴜᴛ ᴄᴏɴꜰᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴᴀʟꜱ  #5 !  ( day 17 )

are you happy with how the recoupling went for you? did you get your first choice ?

  “ luke was my first choice, and i'm happy i got to pick him, although i do kind of wish he'd had to pick...” mimi admits, twiddling a lock of hair around her finger. validation is important to her, almost as much as touch, so it’s nice to hear when someone admits ( in front of everyone )  that they want you.  “ i guess after the whole sitch with dylan, it would've been nice to hear him grovel. i do have some reservations, what with the kissing and the lying, but fingers crossed we can move past it. ”   mimi holds her hand up in the air, one finger crossed over the other.  “ don't fuck up again, luke ! haha. ”

what was the biggest surprise of the recoupling for you ?

 “ kenny picking romi, for sure. i felt like she'd go for someone less... married off. like yeah, it’s fun to rock the boat, but if you’re like, rocking the boat just for the sake of making a stir, and you’re not actually gonna get anywhere with the person you chose, it feels like a wasted shot, no ?  callie would have been the obvious choice. callie and kenny... calkenny ? kencal ? whatever. i'm rooting for them. ”

how do you feel about losing charlotte ?

 “ oh crap. charlotte ! ”   mimi starts, clutching her face in shock. she knew they were missing someone !    “ yeah, that's literally devastating. couldn't have happened to a nicer gal, I-M-O. but also like, not being shady, but it's hard to make a lasting impression if you blend into the background ? don't get me wrong i LOVE charlotte. but that's probably just because she agrees with everything i say. ”  on reflection, most of mimi’s strongest female friendships start that way. big personalities and more argumentative types tend to rub her the wrong way.  “ anyway, charlotte, if you're watching this, you're doing amazing, sweetie. i can't wait for your dms to blow up with kind, sweet, princes ready to whisk you off your feet ! give my love to enzo. ”

what do you think of the new bombshells, maddox and sebastien? are either of them your type/someone you’d go for?

“ hell yeah. i mean, i probably shouldn't say that — i'm back with luke now — but last time i was in here i was like, producers ! send me a sexy bombshell !  and they sent two ! damn. ”  not that they were sent specifically for mimi. and clearly neither of them were that interested. “—and NEITHER of them picked me for a date. also damn. like, what the fuck ?  i feel like seb has this fun, infectious kind of energy to him that's impossible not to like. and maddox... well... he's like if someone got dwayne the rock johnson and rege jean page and mixed them in a blender. every time i look at him, my mouth starts to water. but he picked naomi for his date, so he's made his bed ( though clearly not with naomi )  so i guess he might as well sleep in it. ”  she’s done the whole being-second-best-to-naomi thing. she’s not about to catch that vibe again. not only is it exhausting, it’s demeaning. what’s so fucking great about naomi anyway ?  other than a fat wallet and a reliable father figure, what does she have that mimi doesn’t ?    “ boy, bye ! ”

who do you think they’re most likely to go for ?

“ maddox is clearly gunning for naomi. ”  which has her miffed, to say the least.  “ he picked kenny too, but i feel like that's a dead ting. i'm pretty sure i'd have more luck with kenny than maddox would. she's not batting for maddox's team. i actually think it's like, a totally different sport. with seb, it's harder to guage. maybe marcus, although that would be a gamble. i hope he goes for dylan. that way, he'd be out of mine and luke's hair. ”   god knows they could do without the added stress of another love triangle.

is there anyone in the villa outside of your couple that you’re still trying to get to know?

“ totally controversial, and this is strictly off-record, but i get the vibe that there’s like, unfinished business with josh. i don't care, i'll say what i want. ” she shrugs, tossing her hair over her shoulder, and placing a sizzling finger against her own ass.  “ and maybe maddox ? if i can get over the fact that he didn't pick me for a date. ” 

[couragehopelovefaith]

Aladdin (2019) review (contains spoilers)

So... I went to see “Aladdin” tonight and wanted to write down my thoughts. If you haven’t seen the movie yet and don’t want to get spoiled, don’t read any further. 

The original Aladdin is good, but I very rarely re-watch it. So I didn’t have many expectations. But this live-action actually might be my favorite made so far, for so many reasons.

First… The Genie. While I have a huge respect for Williams and his work, I have watched the original movie in English only once, so I don’t have as strong emotional attachment to him as some others might have. When the trailers and clips came out, I knew from the moviemakers’ tweets and announcements that the production was still on going. Even so, I did not have any critizism for Will Smith’s performance or the CGI. But when I saw him on screen… gosh, he melted my heart. Him and the script added so much more depth to Genie’s story and his part and performance were very well done and funny in their own way - and also way more emotional than I expected. I actually clapped, when he panickally asked Aladdin to wish something in the end and cautiously rehearsed to say no for once. I had no idea Smith could sing so well, so that was a pleasant surprise. I hate when people are trying to copy their predecessors, so I was really glad that Will made Genie his own while still honoring the original work. So please… don’t let this movie slip away just because of your prejudices.

Yes, Jafar was not as “rough”, chilling or threatening as in the original, but he was still convincing, especially when his “true colors” came out. He wasn’t meant to be all evil right from the start - or at least show it to the audience. I actually prefer villains, who show their true essence little by little and deceive the heroes. I liked the fact that his agenda was more political and that we get to know more about where he actually comes from and how he was treated. (Plus, let me tell you, some theorists who made guesses about his roots will be very pleased.) Jago was made really plausibly, and he preserved his sassy and funny side. I am a bit sad that we did not see “Prince Ali reprise”, but I also understand why they left it out. “The second rate”-reference from the sequel was a nice detail as well.

I really liked the new characters, especially Dalia, they were really entertaining and refreshing add to the story. Abu and the Carpet stole my heart from the very first moment, and I actually gasped in pain, when the Carpet was ripped. I had no problem with the white character, either. Still, Rajah was my ultimate favorite in the end. ;) 

I also adored the fact that Sultan was more than a little comical relief (although, the moment with him, Genie, Aladdin and Jasmine was HILARIOUS). A part of me wanted to see Jasmine as a slave and tricking Jafar by her “affection” to him, but Jafar actually trying to kill Sultan and her friend to get Jasmine to agree to marry him is way more efficent and horrifying. Even though I knew what was going to happen, “That was close”-moment with their wedding was also very thrilling.

Naomi was, IS, Jasmine. I liked the changes in her story so so much. She was able to keep Jasmine’s wittiness and independence, but also add some sadness, gentleness and wisdom in the character. Some people might disagree, but her wanting to know more about her people, acknowledging her blindness and prejudices and becoming a Sultan and was everything I hoped and more. I also loved how she at first was guarded and distant towards Prince Ali, became suspicious about Aladdin’s true identity, and wanted to know more about him. Their balcony scenes and discussion after “A Whole New World” are way better in this movie, in my opinion. When it comes to the original, I was always really disappointed that Jasmine didn’t get her own song. Now we have it - and It's perfect as far as I’m concerned. Naomi’s voice and the way that the scenes were created, were mesmerizing. I seriously got some chills and tears in my eyes, and bumped my fist through the air. Yes, it is quite different from the rest of the movie, but that only makes it unique for me. When the soundtrack was published, I listened this song for hours - and cried everytime. It’s such an empowering song and I think many people in different circumstances will relate to it. Some people refer to it as “second Let it go”, but in my eyes it's actually really different and better. One of my favorite things about this movie is the fact that they deepened the relationship between Jasmine and Aladdin. This is actually one of the most romantic remakes as well. 

In addition to “Speechless”, “Arabian Nights” is my favorite from this movie. The whole first scene and how we fly from the sea through the whole Agrabah is really fascinating. I also loved that they chose to make it longer, since it was my favorite from the original and I remember thinking: “Oh, is it over already? So pity.” But all the other songs were great as well. I was a bit worried about “A Whole New World”, since it is such an iconic masterpiece, but it was carried out beautifully. The special effects and Will’s Performance in “Prince Ali” and “A Friend Like Me” were breathtaking. I didn’t think “Prince Ali” as too slow or plain, and, in my opinion, more Genie-transformations would have made the scene confusing and hard to follow. Maybe that’s just me. It was really hard for me not to start dancing and singing from the top of my lungs. 

Aladdin was perfectly casted as well. Mena Massoud isn’t the most impressive singer, but he figured out the essence of Aladdin and sounded very close to the original, while adding his own layer to it. I especially adored the second reprise of “One Jump Ahead”, but other his songs were also good. I like that in the “One Jump Ahead” he actually sounds like he is running away from someone. The good change was also that you could actually see how he changed his mind about freeing the Genie little by little and how he didn’t capture the essence of Prince Ali right away, but was really awkward and nervous at first (it was visible in, for example, “Prince Ali”, where his confidence grew gradually). Plus, the fact that the Genie emphasized the rules and the importance of “putting your words” right while doing the wishes was clever. All in all: charming, sensible, funny and natural performance by Mena. 

As a side fact, the costumes were both close enough to the original ones, but they still had some originality, which I really respect.

The long story short: do yourselves a favor, and go watch this diamond (pun intended). In my opinion, it really is worth of your time. I got the feeling that there might be a chance for the sequel. Hopefully it will happen at some point. 

[dwaynepride]

Forgiveness Isn’t So Easy

Hannah&26 / ...as an apology

Words: 1,508

Warnings: None

Tags: @tammy-gregorio @hannah-sloane-38 @pageofultron @stanathanxoox @starryrevelations @thebeckyjolene @diaryofafan17 @specialagentlokitty

Trying to lead a team when one of its members was royally pissed at the leader wasn’t an easy feat. Hannah has always prided herself on being able to work with anyone. To put aside disagreements and differences because there was a job to be done, and people could get hurt if she didn’t.

But to be fair, Hannah had never been so personally involved with anyone she worked with. Not to this extent. And so when there’s a bad argument between you and her, it’s worse than a fight with a colleague. More personal and hurts a hell of a lot more.

She knows she shouldn’t be, but Hannah was glad when you spent most of the day out with Chris. Driving all around the city, chasing leads, providing the space you both needed to cool down and think about the fight. Really, it was all Hannah could think about today. Maybe she wasn’t so good at compartmentalizing her feelings as she thinks she is.

It was mostly the things she said that weighed on her conscience. It was startling, how easy it was to let the rage take over and force Hannah to say things she didn’t mean to say. Anything to hurt you. And you did the same; even having the gall to mention Naomi. That’s what really drove her over the edge.

But now, after nearly an entire day of silence, Hannah didn’t expect to feel so hesitant to face you. She sits in the car, hands gripping the steering wheel tight, head craned so she can see the front door of the office. The car you and Chris used today was parked in the little driveway by the door; you were just inside.

And it was getting late, so this was probably the perfect time to talk. The others would be heading home soon, and Hannah can keep you back for just a few minutes.

Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.

It’s a little difficult to put into action, though. She gets out, locks up the car, and approaches the office. Slowly makes her through the door, expecting to see her team at their desks but finding the room empty.

For a moment, Hannah wonders if she missed her chance. But then she picks up a few voices coming from the kitchen. She couldn’t make out any words, but it was obvious the team was still here. Hannah’s gut twisted with anxiety, and she couldn’t truly decide if this was good news or bad news.

Nevertheless, she makes her way to the kitchen. Offering a smile when she enters, but it immediately disappears when Hannah sees the state that you and Chris are in. Busted up faces that made her wince. Chris has an ice pack on his hand while you keep one balanced on your knee. Somebody obviously beat you both to hell, and despite her anxiety, Hannah immediately feels the familiar pull of concern and protectiveness. “What the hell happened?”

You’re not looking at her. It’s Chris who responds, and Hannah has to force herself to look at him. “Ah, just a few thugs who thought they could take us. Nothin’ to worry ‘bout,” he says, trying to sound as if his face wasn’t currently bruised and swollen.

So Hannah doesn’t buy his version of things. “It looks they put up a good fight,” she replies grimly. Her own feet ignores the order to stay rooted in the doorway; Hannah walks up to the island, where Sebastian was currently smoothing a bandaid over your temple. “You guys alright?”

It sounded like that question was aimed toward you. Even if it was, you only respond with a short nod. “They’re sitting in a jail cell. Let the LEO’s deal with them; we have enough on our plate.”

You were right about that. And Hannah knew she outta let you go home and rest. Maybe even offer you and Chris a day or two off to heal, even though she knew you wouldn’t take it. So instead, she just sighs. “Alright, I think this is a good time to call it a day,” Hannah states. “Go home, and we’ll pick everything back up in the morning.”

Chris, despite his brave face, was more than happy to oblige. He’s half-limping after Tammy and Sebastian, who are debating whether or not to pick up dinner on the way home or forage for food in their fridge.

You stand to do the same before a look from Hannah stops you. “Can we talk?”

Her eyes are wide and pleading. You almost say no and walk around her, but it’s that look in her eyes that stops you. Why? The reasoning isn’t clear; you’re still pissed at her, that much is certain. The anger’s been stewing in your gut all day - though, a lot of it certainly came out during the fight with the thugs.

Your legs ache too much to stand, so you back up to reclaim your seat by the island. Hannah glances out, assuring the rest of the team was gone before she takes the seat beside yours. A little too close, considering the animosity. Hannah’s legs press against yours, but her touch is already easing some of the pain of your battle wounds.

“What about?” You ask tightly. Playing dumb would only delay the conversation, but you weren’t willing to start things off.

Hannah’s head gives a light tilt, eyes growing just a little soft. You figure it’s only because your face is patterned with bruises and cuts. And as frustrating as her gaze is, you knew you’d look the same if Hannah were the one all beat to hell. “Well, I was thinking about you all day. Thinking about what happened, and what we said, and how to fix things,” Hannah says with a steady voice.

You’d be lying if you said the opposite. That you weren’t going over every word of the fight and wondering how it got so bad. So your eyes lower away from hers, and Hannah knows you well enough to know you’d been doing the same. “And I wanted to say that I’m sorry for everything I said, and...”

Hannah trails off, and just as you look up to see what was wrong, she’s raising a hand to your head. One of her fingers lightly prod the bandage that Sebastian had just put on, and your head immediately ducks away. “What are you-”

“You’re bleeding right through the bandaid!” Hannah huffs in exasperation, standing from her seat and immediately reaching for the box for a new one. “Maybe I should take you to the hospital. This could be serious.”

You exhale slowly, eyes flickering up to watch Hannah as she gingerly peels off the new bandaid and sets it aside. And she was right; you bled right through it. Still, you shake your head. “It’s not that bad. It’ll stop bleeding soon,” you tell her calmly.

Hannah doesn’t seem convinced. “You don’t know that,” is her curt reply; low, so she can concentrate on getting the bandage on right.

And once it’s on, you reach up and curl your hand around hers. Squeezing it tight and letting your conjoined hands fall into your lap. At the contact, Hannah’s eyes immediately come to yours, and the surprise that sits there momentarily overshadows the concern. “I’m fine, okay? You don’t have to worry so much.”

Her eyebrows knit together, and you can tell she’s about to argue. About to push that you really should get to a hospital and maybe get a couple stitches. But before she can, you tighten your grip on her hand. “And I’m sorry for what happened yesterday. You didn’t deserve any of the things I said, and I wish I could take them all back. And I hope you forgive me.”

That shut her up. Hannah blinks once before a small shadow of a smile comes over her lips. She squeezes your hand back, and even raises her other one to cup over your unbruised cheek. “Of course I forgive you. I forgave you as soon as I saw all those cuts and bruises,” she responds softly.

The skin of her hand is warm and soft; a stark contrast from the blunt fists you were subjected to earlier. The feeling makes you sigh, and you find yourself leaning into the familiar touch because it takes away all the pain of the bruises. As if Hannah and her touch was just the pain reliever you needed, and right now, you couldn’t be bothered to remember why you ever wanted to fight with her and make her hurt with your words.

The moment lasts for several long heartbeats before Hannah motions her head toward the office. “But we are going to the doctor, and that’s an order from your team leader.” She dips her head in slowly, and with the gentle kiss to your forehead, you knew the doctor’s visit wouldn’t be needed, as long as she was around. “And then we’ll go home.”

[florrickandassociates]

TGF Thoughts: 3x05-- The One Where a Nazi Gets Punched

One recap down, two to go. Think I’ll be able to write them before the next ep airs? I doubt it. 

The episode opens by confirming Maia’s gone from RBL: Her name’s no longer on what used to be her office, her documents are being shredded, and all her personal belongings are in a box.

Marissa decides to pick a fight with an associate over Maia. “If you didn’t like Maia, you could have just come out and said that,” Marissa says. Uh. I don’t think Maia got fired because one associate didn’t like her but okay Marissa. The associate insists she’s not happy because she didn’t like Maia, she’s pleased that the zero-tolerance policy is being enforced consistently.

I do wish people would stop saying “Maia’s been arrested twice” because one of those arrests was in no way her fault. Every time anyone tries to use that as an argument, it makes me want to defend Maia even though I totally believe the partners had reason to fire her.

“Maia didn’t use drugs,” Marissa, who faked a drug test on Maia’s behalf, insists. Alright Marissa.

The whole 22nd floor starts to bicker, and Julius goes to inform the other partners that Marissa is stirring the pot. “She’s only stirring the pot because she feels that Maia was made a sacrificial lamb to the fact that the partners don’t want to pay for true financial parity here,” Diane says in defense of Maia/Marissa. Does that mean Diane wants to take whatever pay cuts and struggles come with paying true parity? Or does that just mean Diane wants her goddaughter to be able to get ahead?

To pay everyone the same amount at each level (which I’m not convinced actually gets at the root of the problem if they don’t put measures in place to make sure performance evaluations and opportunities are also awarded equally) would cost the firm $800,000 a year. That’s less than I thought, if only because whenever the partners are personally liable for something it’s always at least a million a person and when they bring in a big client it’s always like 35 million dollars/year in billing. And didn’t they pay off lots of the women Reddick assaulted with at least 800k?

Adrian is very right: this strategy would also raise the lowest performers to the level of the highest performers (within their job title), and then the highest are going to want more, and then the problem resets. How do you determine who the highest are, and which of the highest threaten to leave and which stay no matter what, and so on.

“Maybe we should consider it a human resources issue,” Julius says. Maybe? MAYBE? You’ve got associates fighting while on the job and internal documents circulating and you’re only NOW thinking to involve HR?

Julius wants to hire an expensive sensitivity trainer to talk to the associates instead of paying them more. Sounds like something the partners need more than the associates. Also would that go over well? I’m imagining the associates being like, wait, they have money for this but not money to pay me fairly? And now they’re telling me I need sensitivity training to cover their own asses, as though I just decided to pay myself less? If they do this sort of training in conjunction with an actual fix, sure, whatever, they may need it just to deal with the infighting. But alone? Noooope.

This conversation gets interrupted by an assistant telling Adrian that Judge Dunaway is wondering why he’s not in court. “An associate” is there and Dunaway wants to know why no one else has showed up. None of the partners knew anything about a motion in this case, so they suspect Maia of trying to steal their client.

I think Maia could try to steal a client, but I don’t think she’d ever think to do it.

They put Maia on their biggest case? Just Maia and Lucca and the partners? This sounds wrong.

Maia’s not returning Diane’s calls. I think it’s pretty clear that Diane wants the best for Maia, but I can totally see why it might not feel that way to Maia. She’s not handling this in the most mature way, but I’ll cut her some slack. She was just fired, after all!

Lucca and Jay are in the middle of nowhere, poll watching. Lucca worries this assignment is punishment for stirring up the salary drama (though idk how anyone other than Jay would know to tie it to Lucca!) and I don’t think she’s wrong. She’s a fucking department head and they have her out poll watching?

Maia isn’t the surprise co-counsel: Blum is. That makes way more sense, but also, UGH. I’m over Blum.

This case is interesting but I’m still going to write it up as “Case stuff happens” for the most part. Its premise is more interesting than its execution. I kinda just want to Google what kinds of suits are pending against real life genetic testing companies.

Blum got on this case because of documents he stole from Diane’s office. It is very possible RBL has worse security than Alicia’s apartment building.

Maia’s got a new job at something called Consult-a-Lawyer, a phone helpline that charges clients by the minute (and makes sure each call takes many minutes). This seems terrible.

Lucca and Jay talk with their Republican counterparts; they disagree but can at least talk about their disagreements. Also, none of them are really there to be poll monitors; they are there to try to sway the election results by fighting to selectively enforce rules. I’m sure they’d take issue with that phrasing but that’s what they’re doing.

Marissa’s noticeably grumpy at work and tells Diane it’s because her “best friend” was fired. Marissa says and does so much stuff that no one else could get away with; this is not a proper way to conduct yourself at work-- especially towards the people who are on your side.

Diane is reaching out to other firms on Maia’s behalf. That’s privilege at work right there.

Diane tasks Marissa with watching Blum. She also confuses Marissa and Maia, which is weird since only one of them is her goddaughter.

I am SO OVER Blum. Why is he so loud?! When I watch these episodes first thing on Thursday mornings, the last thing I need is his maniacal screaming.

Marissa is unimpressed with Blum.

OH MY GOD MAKE HIS LOUDNESS STOP. I just don’t care. Just gonna let this next bit with the song play while I change my sheets, because I have nothing to say about it.

And then I did laundry, went on two trips, and visited a bunch of bookstores and now I’m back, three recaps behind.

I didn’t even get to the credits before I stopped writing!? Me of three weeks ago, what were you doing?! (The credits are 17 minutes in, to be fair.)

He’s so loud! So! Loud!

Some sort of white (male) supremacist group shows up at the precinct Lucca and Jay are monitoring.

Diane and Liz meet with the sensitivity consultant, who has them do an exercise as a test. It’s one of those games where you take a step forward/backward if a sentence describes you. Neither Diane nor Liz wants to participate, but the game ends up working on them: turns out they both like singing, Prince, Roma, and Hannah Gadsby. LOLLOL I believe every one of those things.

I don’t know what Lucca thinks Diane will be able to do to help with the white supremacists, but she probably doesn’t suspect Diane’s going to have her unwittingly help #Resistance.

Case stuff happens. It involves Blum singing. Go away.

Jay calls Naomi with the story about the Red Jackets, while Diane’s #Resistance buddy (what is her name? I’m going to have to pay more attention because she is “The Young One Who Does Computer Things” to me, but she’s been in enough episodes I should probably learn her name) gets the Red Jackets fired.

Case stuff happens. Blum puts another actor on a stand as a witness.

Marissa comes to visit Maia at work. At this job, Maia actually has to do work and gets negative feedback when she doesn’t do work well, so as happy as she is to see Marissa (and the Sunglasses of Badassery), she can’t chat long.

Maia is not as happy to help with work related things. In fact, given that I’ve seen the next two episodes (and the end of this one), Marissa reaching out to Maia about something work related may even make Maia feel like her work friends never really cared about her.

Marissa also brings Maia a list of three firms where Diane’s put in a good word. “Diane doesn’t care about me,” Maia, who got the only two jobs she’s ever held because of Diane, insists. Sure, Maia. But I won’t criticize her too much-- she WAS just fired.

Marissa loudly informs the entire Phone-A-Lawyer office that it’s “not fine” to work there. I love Marissa but she lacks self-awareness, like, all the time when she’s not undercover.

Maia’s supervisor isn’t pleased Marissa’s shown up during work hours. She asks her to leave, but does help out with the case.

“If you don’t call them, I will,” the woman in the cubicle next to Maia interjects, offering Maia some much-needed perspective. Maia’s been through a lot, but it’s still clear she’s not someone who has ever had to worry about money.

Lucca calls the police on two of the Red Jackets (they’re sex offenders) just as Naomi’s news van shows up.

Naomi and Jay are a couple which surprised me but, you know, I don’t hate it. Actually, I think I like it.

The judge Adrian is sleeping with does him a favor in court. This relationship? I don’t think I like it.

Diane and Liz regroup about the sensitivity consultant. Liz doesn’t think she’s worth the money, since no sensitivity game will ever solve racism (she’s right-- I don’t know that I think they’re completely useless but they are never going to get at the root of the problem). Diane suggests midyear bonuses instead; Liz points out they’ll know they’re being bought off.

Then something magical happens: Diane and Liz start SINGING! It’s so fun. It’s also a great character moment. We’ve never seen Diane have a female peer at work she could just be herself around, and this strengthens the Diane/Liz friendship that’s driving a lot of the season.

A sex scene quite rudely interrupts the wonderful duet.

If anyone’s written anything on Judge Hazelwood, I’d love to read it. I’m intrigued by her use of power but I think I need to read someone else’s take to fully understand what the writers are (attempting to) do with her.

“Your head is like a sculpture. I want to cut it off and put it on my desk,” is a VERY DISTURBING LINE.

Maia’s using her mom’s maiden name again-- smart. And she took Diane up on the interview offers-- also smart. (Yes, I’ll call her privileged for even having those offers, but I don’t take issue with her using connections. I don’t care if she’s privileged; I care when she lacks self-awareness about it.)

The job won’t start until November, which makes Maia angry. She sees this as Diane trying to fuck her over, when really she’s been offered a job 30 seconds after introducing herself because Diane’s recommendation means so much. Maia TURNS IT DOWN, even though it’s a promise of good work in six months and the best lead she has. Unless there’s going to be something in the contract about how she cannot accept another job if one comes up in those six months before she officially starts, WHY? WHY TURN DOWN GOOD WORK AT A TOP FIRM JUST BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD DO BETTER? YOU’RE WORKING AT PHONE-A-LAWYER.

And this dude gives her so many chances-- he even says to let her know if she winds up being available.

Her only question is whether Diane knew about the late start date. The interviewer thinks so, and Maia takes it as a personal insult. Oof. You know what most low-ranking people who are fired for drug use get? Here’s a hint: it’s not interviews at three top firms with the highest recommendation from a well-respected name partner.

NOTHING about this reaction from Maia is out of character for her. I just have no patience for it.

Adrian and Blum collaborate in one of the more interesting scenes they’ve done with Blum. He’s loud and devious, but he’s not stupid. And watching Adrian understand and go along with Blum’’s strategizing-- setting the stage for him to normalize all of Blum’s other, more illegal antics as appropriate workplace behavior-- is fascinating.

Naomi is polite when interviewing one of the Red Jackets, but she refuses to shake his hand. I like that moment.

Jay punches one of the Red Jackets after the Red Jacket antagonizes him. The Republican poll monitor sees the whole thing, but decides to say nothing. (The point, basically, is that we can find common ground with people we disagree with, and that only CERTAIN people we disagree with are actually the enemy.)

A riot breaks out and we see only a little bit of it before Jay starts monologuing about his belief that Nazis should be punched. Dunno to what extent I agree (slippery slope, etc) but I do know I’m not going to waste any time being outraged over one of them being punched.

More case stuff happens.

Lucca, Jay, and Naomi share beers after the riot. They’ve all emerged from the riot safely. This is a nice scene; I love watching these characters just hang out. Apparently Jay had a crush on Lucca for a little while, which I find kinda cute as long as it doesn’t go anywhere beyond that (SO OVER WORKPLACE ROMANCES ON THIS SHOW).

Maia calls Lucca, but Lucca can’t get any reception so she decides to be 2x14 Alicia and find a high spot on top of a car. Her phone still gobbles the call, though. Maia takes this, too, as a personal insult.

Diane calls Maia and Maia refuses to answer. Oh, Maia. If I got the sense she wanted to do this without help-- kind of like s7 Alicia not wanting to answer to anyone-- that would be one thing. This just sounds petty.

Oh goodie! We get MORE BLUM in the future: he’s now working with RBL on the Second Helix case for the near future. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

Maia’s packing up her apartment now that she can’t afford the rent, and another firm Diane set her up with tells her the soonest they can interview her is in a month. Well, at least she’s still trying. She throws her phone on the floor in frustration, and I do feel bad for her. Just, like, not that bad.

Lucca shows up at Maia’s door, since Maia’s now not answering her phone. Lucca explains her day and why she wasn’t near her phone-- and her reasons are, of course, valid-- and Maia just doesn’t care. You’ll remember that Lucca doesn’t have friends and that when Lucca shows up for someone, she’s all in. Maia, who is actually friends with Lucca, has not picked up on this (or is not willing to acknowledge it). Lucca offers to get dinner (and to pay), and to spend time away from her baby after a stressful day. She says she feels awkward about how things went down at work.

Maia doesn’t just decline the invitation or say it’s not a good time. She says she and Lucca were “work friends” and shuts the door. Well, that’s harsh. I don’t really fault Maia for feeling detached from her old workplace or awkward around her old work friends, or for needing time to herself. But wow, this is a phenomenally awful way to treat a friend. (And not that I need to pile on more, but Lucca and Marissa have both been FAR more supportive of Maia than Maia’s ever been of them.)

[mittensmorgul]

rewatching mid s8 on the TNT loop today, and between 8.08, 8.09, and 8.10, with the power of 6 additional seasons of hindsight to read into these scenes with, I’m taking an interesting incredibly-zoomed-out meta view of these plot scenarios as a statement on reading the narrative.

Combined also with the fact I’m reading all the mid s10 meta as it unraveled in the blog archiving project, and it’s all just dramatic irony, but only with the benefit of the correcting lens of hindsight.

Cas and Sam’s stories in 8.08-- with Sam talking about making things right instead of just avoiding dealing with his problems regarding Amelia, which he also explains to Fred Jones and Cas overhears-- are running almost at an inverse, but along the same theme. Sam was unable to choose his own fate regarding Amelia because of circumstances beyond his control, despite what they both may have wanted to choose for themselves. Her husband’s return rendered Sam’s wishes and intent toward Amelia irrelevant. Her choices (i.e. to reject Sam and resume her relationship with her husband vs accepting Sam and abandoning her husband) overrode his.

Similarly, Cas’s wish to return to heaven on his own terms and “do penance” for his past actions was overridden by Naomi’s literal mind control over him. In HER mind, Cas was doing penance for his sins, but it wasn’t on his terms. And as we learn later, if she’d only let Cas operate on his own instead of sowing these seeds of distrust, they all likely could’ve avoided yet ANOTHER cosmic disaster at the end of the season-- Cas desperately trying to do penance to Dean (and failing) and being vulnerable to Metatron’s manipulations-- all leading to the Angel Fall event in 8.23.

At the root of all of these problems were the lies told “to protect loved ones” that put them in these circumstances to begin with. Trying to “do the right thing” by keeping loved ones “safe” and that leading directly to all the bad things happening has been a theme since the pilot episode, also only revealed through hindsight regarding why that demon was even in the Winchester house on that night in 1983 to begin with.

It’s when family doesn’t work together, when they attempt to protect each other by hiding the truth and trying to solve their problems alone that they’re inadvertently manipulated into breaking the universe again.

Mary hid her deal with Azazel, Sam hid the whole demon blood thing, Sam hid his soullessness (well, he didn’t know what exactly the problem was but he knew something was very very wrong with him) Cas hid what he was doing throughout s6 with Crowley and Purgatory and the war in Heaven. Those were all choices, though.

Now in s8, Sam’s choices were taken away. Cas’s choices were taken away. It’s the same problem, but from a different angle, with a different set of complications.

By s10, the issue was back within their control, and Sam again actively chose to work behind Dean’s back for a cure for the Mark, but the problem was similar to their s4 issue again... yes Sam may have actively chosen this, but like in s4, he was working from the wrong playbook. Assuming the wrong thing was the problem, and assuming the solution to that problem was the most obvious course of action to take instead of assuming his view of the problem was entirely fundamentally wrong.

Assuming in s4 that Lilith had to die to stop the apocalypse was the wrong assumption, because killing her STARTED it instead. Assuming that Dean needed to have the Mark removed to solve their problems with that curse only unleashed an even bigger problem into the world when Amara was let out of her cage.

Interesting parallel there... but back to the point.

Where we are in s14, six years out past this section of s8, demonstrates a shocking progression of character development. Everyone is actively trying to find the right words now. They’re all actively continuing to work TOGETHER, as a TEAM instead of attempting to take on problems on their own out of a misguided desire to protect each other. They’re all being HONEST, and trying to UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE STORY, and work from a place of ACTUAL FACTS instead of running willy-nilly at problems.

Granted, Dean said yes to Michael and then regretted it, and they all thought he’d been released and was safe from Michael taking him back again, and they may have been wrong because of misguided assumptions and hope for the best, but they aren’t actively being manipulated or having their choices taken away from them about how they’re going forward from here.

Well, Dean’s got the entire burden over the loss of his free will riding on him because of Michael, but everyone else? Yeah, they’re capable of choosing, especially now that they have a better view of the whole truth of the situation.

Back to 8.09 for a second... Martin is like... the avatar of this concept for me. He thought he understood the Winchesters, thought he understood vampires, thought he understood the situation with Benny and Dean, and was absolutely convinced he was 100% right in luring Benny to his death. He even went a ways toward convincing Sam of this, because Sam wanted a reason to prove that Benny needed to die (or at least stay the heck away from Dean). Sam, granted, had his own personal reasons for wanting Benny gone-- to do with feelings of personal failure, resentment, and distrust-- but Martin’s words didn’t exactly give Sam reasons to reconsider his position.

But Martin refused to hear the truth. He refused to accept Dean’s statements on what was really going on, and so did Sam. Martin had his version of the story, and Dean had his story. No amount of pointing out to Martin that he was flat-out wrong was enough to sway him in the least, so he took matters into his own hands, CONVINCED of how right he was, and it led to his death. Benny killed him in self-defense.

Dean tried to explain this to Sam, but Sam assumed he’d been right about Benny all along, and refused to listen to the truth. It only solidified Sam’s opinions about Benny, and his resentment and distrust of Dean.

There’s a big difference between someone else actively trying to hide the story, and refusing to see the story as it’s being laid out in full detail, you know?

I’m having the meta version of Cas nearly breaking out of Naomi’s control before she forces him to kill Samandriel, almost achieving self-awareness of the point I was attempting to make here, but then Naomi exerts her control over him in that moment of weakness and drags him back to heaven to fix that glitch.

[sylvasthesnowfox]

8. hopeless

Rei's enthusiasm faded rapidly as she approached the far towers. She hated coming to this place, if she was being honest; she would spend all her time practicing magic and studying if she could, but Yomi seemed to want to pace their lessons, to give time for Rei to internalize them before continuing. She supposed it made sense, but...

But it meant a lot of time walking through a silent, dying world with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company.

That wasn't really fair. Naomi tried her best to be good company, but she just wasn't always around, and even when she was... it was hard to keep Rei's mind from wandering. Magic was so fascinating. Her task, her destiny, was fascinating. She liked to think about those things, to imagine what would come next, and try to plot a course from here to there, try to anticipate the secret that Yomi kept hinting was coming, the answer to the holy question how do we save this world.

Some days, though, it was so quiet and hollow, the world felt so empty and small... and it was hard not to think about the lack of an answer.

Rei had lived her life with the knowledge that the end was coming, that she was going to witness it, and that she was going to reverse it. It was her purpose. It was the first thing she could remember. Yomi had taught her to think of the world from the perspective of a designer, to understand all the parts of existence and life and the way that they interacted with one another; Rei, in her enthusiam, had taken that a step further to ask herself how things could be. Why is there wind? Air? Space? Gravity? All of these things held some purpose, right? There was a reason for each of them. Why is there love? Hate? Greed? Mercy? Why is there disparity? Why is there difference? Her life had led her on a journey of skepticism against every natural law, wondering whether perhaps there was another way, wondering if perhaps she could do something better. To be here now, at the apparent end of the world, was incredibly exciting. It was her chance to put her research and philosophy into practice.

But no one else felt like that. It had been strange at first to watch it happen, but it made sense, too. No one else saw this like she did. Even the people that knew she intended to save the world, even some of them that knew she could do magic... what reason did they have to believe in her?

For a while, Rei had made it a point to explain herself to everyone that asked her, to assure and soothe the worries of the survivors, because they were here on her account - it only seemed fair. But people asked her the same things. People lost their faith. Ignored her. What can you say to someone that's determined not to listen to hope? Increasingly often Rei found that she dreaded being near other people. She wanted to practice and theorize and plan in peace, away from their expectations and their hopelessness.

That was why she liked being around Naomi and her friends so much. They believed in her! Especially Naomi, ever her greatest ally. Rei thought it was very sweet how, upon learning that Rei intended to recreate their world, Naomi had announced her intent to serve as Rei's bodyguard on the spot. And good thing, too! Yes, the Outsider this morning had been considerably more abstract - and less immediately threatening - than usual, and thus outside of Naomi's expertise to deal with... but Naomi's guardianship had been very deeply appreciated on more than one occasion.

From the skyroad, Rei entered the towers at the fifty-fifth floor; she approached the elevators, tapped the ‘down’ button, and stood back with bated breath and closed eyes - imagining that the door was going to open and her destination would simply be on the other side. She heard the chime sound and gestured with a flourish for no one to see, then opened her eyes - but alas, it was just an empty elevator car. (Phobos, unseen and unheard, huffs with disappointment, and continues to silently cheer for her new friend.) So unfortunately, Rei was forced to ride the elevator the ordinary mundane way.

Her destination was the thirtieth floor atrium. Atriums had been a growing fashion trend of high-rise buildings like this one in the decade or so before the apocalypse; you'd dedicate a multi-floor-height space to excessive, extravagant plant life and broad tiled walkways, each often spilling out into the mid-level streets adjacent. Essentially, they were to be used as environmentally controlled indoor parks. Before the end, they were bustling spaces full of life and activity.

Eliza had repurposed this one, however, tearing out the plants to make room for potatoes and corn, things that were easy to grow and could be used in a variety of ways. It was a clever use of the space. Eliza was good at coming up with clever solutions to these sorts of problems. She was also good at convincing people to follow her instructions and contribute to building a plan, because she was good at planning out how to meet everyone's needs. There had been a lot of fighting and disagreement when the end had first happened, and it was only recently that it had started dying down - but Eliza's voice had reigned loudest and clearest the entire time, and that's why everyone now still looked up to her as the leader. Just as well; it meant Rei was more likely to be left alone and given space to study and practice.

She had thought, or hoped, that Eliza might be here inspecting the still-young plants, and there were a few people awake now tending to them, ensuring they were healthy, but Eliza was not one of them. Rei delicately approached one. "Emily?" she asked, her voice soft, as felt appropriate anytime she was here without Naomi or Eliza around.

"Oh," Emily gasped, looking up. "Oh, Rei." She had been one of the students that Rei and Eliza had befriended before the end; her pink hair was fading back to brown at its roots and her tan was all but gone now, though pretty much everyone was paler than they'd started by now. "Looking for Eliza?" Rei nodded. "She's still doing the rounds. We thought we would get a head start."

"Do you know which block?" Rei asked hopefully.

"Probably forties," Emily said. Rei nodded with gratitude; Emily hesitated, so Rei hesitated too, before realizing that Emily had probably thought she was going to say something else, and now they were awkwardly still trapped in conversation. "So," Emily said nervously, "um, how's... how's it coming?"

Emily had been one of the initial nay-sayers. She assumed Rei had lost her mind and refused to talk to her, instead supporting Eliza's efforts to take charge of the survivors and organize them into something that could maybe survive a limited space for a long period of time. But after Rei started demonstrating actual magic, Emily - like many - had gone through a change of heart, and come out one of Rei's most adamant supporters. One of. 

But that was months ago, and now, Emily seemed so... tired. Too tired for faith. They hadn't talked in weeks, and Rei avoided the subject of her work in general when it wasn't her closest friends, the only people she still thought of as believing in her. So this question honestly caught her off-guard.

"Slower than I'd like," Rei said honestly. "But! I'm going to do it." Emily smiled weakly; Rei knew that smile very well, and shook her head fiercely. "I mean it," she said fiercely. "I'm going to do it. I'm learning a lot, it's just hard to show it compared to what I've already figured out how to do, but I know for sure I'm getting closer!"

"I hope I'll get to see it when it happens," Emily said softly, still smiling. Rei nodded, pressing her lips together.

"I..." Rei swallowed. "I'll make sure," she promised. "You and Eliza take care of everybody else until then, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Emily agreed. Rei thought a bit of life came back to her eyes, but that was probably just wishful thinking.

She found Eliza on the forty-third floor. The fortieth floor block - floors 40 through 44 - were one of the major residential blocks that was still stable enough for electrical power and plumbing to work reliably, so that was where most of the survivors lived. On the forty-third floor, down the west hallway, there was a door left open that shouldn't be; hesitantly Rei poked her head through it and called Eliza's name, and Eliza leaned out of a side door and into the main hallway.

"Rei," Eliza sighed. She looked far too weary for so early in the day. "Come here. You should see this."

Rei didn't know this resident's name. He was older than her, somewhere around the age Yomi looked - which is to say, mid thirties, ish? - but frail and white-faced. His room was in disarray, clothes littering the floor in piles, and he himself was curled sideways on his bed, but as Rei entered Eliza rounded the bed with fast steps and grabbed him by his collar, hefting him up as though to threaten him. He didn't react; his expression didn't change, eyes didn't focus, nothing. Eliza reared back and slapped him across the face, so loud and sharp that Rei's ears rang for a moment, and she recoiled as though Eliza had struck her instead. She was going to cry out in alarm, but... the man still didn't move. His head lolled back into its previous position, gazing roughly down at Eliza, eyes still unfocused, expression still utterly empty.

"There has got to be a better way to prove someone is in a coma," Rei said faintly, as Eliza laid him back down again and folded her arms.

"He's been listless for a few days," Eliza sighed, ignoring her, "but so have most people. This is new."

"Do you think an Outsider is involved?" Rei whispered, in horror. (Phobos shudders at the thought. What kind of outsider would do this...?!)

"I don't know," Eliza admitted, "but it wouldn't surprise me if not." She turned to Rei with a critical expression. "I don't suppose Yomi has taught you any mind-reading or healing magic or anything useful like that, has she?"

Rei winced. "You don't need to be mean," she muttered. Eliza scowled, closing her eyes. "I did learn something new today that we might be able to work with..."

"Sounds like theory," Eliza murmured.

"Yes," Rei said carefully. "But - "

"I don't need theory," Eliza growled, opening her eyes again, "I need results. Do you understand what's happening here, Rei? If he remains catatonic, I get to decide whether someone has to force feed him, or if I'm just going to let him die. Isn't that just a lovely choice?"

Rei sighed heavily, pinching her nose, her hand rising slowly to cover her eyes. "Eliza," she muttered, "I'm working as fast as you can. My role is to recreate the universe - that's been my focus all along. I don't know what you want from me."

"What I would like," Eliza said levelly, "is for you to learn how to actually help these people. Keeping them alive apparently isn't good enough anymore, since they'll just..." She gestured angrily to the man on the bed, who hadn't so much as twitched since Eliza laid him down again.

"I'm sorry," Rei sighed, shrugging and letting her arms fall limp at her sides. "I'm trying my best."

Eliza pressed her lips together for a moment, still watching the stricken man in his bed. "Yeah," she muttered angrily, shaking her head and walking past Rei, her gaze cast to the floor. "I'm sure you are."

"Where are you going?" Rei called, springing after her. "Did you want me to teach you what I figured out or not?"

"I have shit to do," Eliza barked back, without looking, setting off down the hallway again. "Sorry."

Phobos watches the unmoving man for some time after the girls leave.

Is he dead? she asks Yomi, without thinking whether or not Yomi knows or sees. She realizes she has forgotten that she's in real space now, and that she has to obey its rules, including the rules of distance and line of effect. Yomi is not here, and can't hear her. It's an unsettling thought.

She guesses that Rei has gone back to the elevator, and moves as silently as she can through one of her little rifts to the elevator car. But Rei is not the one she finds there; it's in fact Eliza. She decides this is okay. Maybe she will learn something new this way.

The elevator is going down. It's going down very far, in fact. Phobos wonders where the ground is.

[thetruecaptain-blog]

Assured Destruction

Dumping my feelings here and it’s probably going to be a total mess and in no particular order because I’m just typing it as it pops into my head. Spoilers for 3x03 “Assured Destruction” below

1. That scene with Jim and Naomi in the first five minutes was fucking painful. I knew as soon as I watched it that this was going to be an hard ep, and boy was I right. I’d like to think that Jim doesn’t actually want Naomi to leave, he’s just still so hurt and everything is still so raw and there’s that petty voice in the back of his head saying “what’s the point, she’ll do whatever she wants anyway.” Naomi’s face there killed me. Jim no, this isn’t what you want, you don’t want her to leave. I’m clinging to comfort in knowing that there’s no way they don’t make it through this. They’re going to come out the other side even stronger than before. 

2. Mei!! Katoa!! They are so adorable, but also it’s killing me knowing what’s happening to Katoa and how this is going to turn out for him. And wow, are we actually seeing hints of a soul in JP Mao?? Hard for him to maintain his distance and pretend they’re doing a good thing when he’s looking a test subject in the face and she undoubtedly reminds him so strongly of his daughters when they were her age. He’s called a halt to the experiment but from the look on Strickland’s face it’s not going to be so simple. That was the look of a desperate man, a man who will do anything to keep his project going. I have a feeling things will not end well for JPM. 

3. Talissa’s reply to Alex. Ouch, but also... on some level I was rooting for her?? I love Alex but she’s right. And honestly she was a hell of a lot more reasonable about her reply than I think I could have been?? Still, it was hard to watch. I think Alex was sad and full of regret but ultimately relieved because... well, they’re no longer an obligation. 

3. NAOMI AND ALEX IN THE GALLEY. FAM. THIS IS WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR. Or... one of the things I was waiting for. God, I almost cried. Alex seeing through his anger to recognize that Naomi is standing by her people. Alex being able to relate to that and respect that. “I wish I was that strong.” Oh, Alex, you are. You are. And we’re going to see that when you fight to keep this family together. The lasagna. She refused at first but then his line “the cheese isn’t real but the love that went into it is.” kfjaksdjfkdfj like just rip my heart out why don’t you. I swear Cas gets better every time he is on the screen. 

4. I was disappointed that we didn’t have more from Naomi on a personal level but my god I enjoyed seeing her go toe to toe with Avasarala. To be honest I’m with Naomi - I don’t think Chrisjen is being totally up front and Naomi absolutely senses that. She's not totally on point about Avasarala's intentions, but of course she's not going to trust someone like Chrisjen. Likewise, Chrisjen exhibited some pretty blatant racism/prejudice, though it's always hard to tell how much of that she actually believes and how much is meant to provoke a particular reaction.

5. “I’d say cry me a river if I thought you knew what one was.” Rude. But I laughed. 

6. AMOS AND PRAX. YES. I NEED MORE. 

7. Oh maaaaaaaan that hit on Earth. Fucking Errinwright. The way he’s turning that blame around on Anna when that shot never would have happened if Earth hadn’t fired in the first place. Anna’s face, though... god, Elizabeth is so perfect in this role. You could see it dawning on her, could see how it cut right down to her soul. All those lives. 2 million people. 

8. I HAD MORE and I definitely have a LOT of feelings about Jim but tbh I’m gonna leave that subject to @rociposse because she always has fantastic Holden meta, and if you don’t follow her already you should!! My mind is super scrambled with feelings so I’m gonna stop here before I become totally incoherent. Also this post is probably unnecessarily long already.

Each episode is getting better and better, I can’t wait for what’s to come this season! 

[voyagerafod]

Star Trek Voyager: A Fire of Devotion: Part 3 of 4: Sweeter Than Heaven: Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Samantha Wildman was tired, but smiling. For the third night in a row, Naomi had slept through the night without waking up in terror. The worst of the flashbacks and nightmares caused by the broken memorial the crew had encountered over a week prior had passed, but for days after the nightmares had kept Naomi, and consequently Samantha, awake to the point of exhaustion.

Seven of Nine had been there when she could, but she was undergoing treatment from the Doctor for PTSD as well, in addition to the time she needed to spend in her alcove. When the Voyager crew had made first contact with the people of Norcadia Prime, and the locals had offered them shore leave, Captain Janeway had jumped at the chance, and even Samantha considered taking the opportunity to go, only her recent phobia about leaving the ship really stopping her.

Samantha looked at the chronometer and groaned. She knew that she shouldn’t be forcing herself to stay awake like this, but the ever present fear of Naomi needing her in the middle of ship’s night again kept her from being able to just lie down. She glanced out the viewport at the planet below, and hoped her crew mates were having fun at the various sporting events they were attending. She blinked slowly, and realized that she just couldn’t keep going. She had a shift in a few hours, where her only companion in the lab would be Equinox survivor James Morrow. Morrow had not been the one who had shot Seven, and the man did seem genuinely repentant over what he had done under Captain Ransom’s orders, but that didn’t make it any easier.

She crawled into bed, hoping she wouldn’t oversleep, and closed her eyes.

It could all be worse I suppose, she thought.

---

“No thanks,” Captain Janeway said, politely declining Chakotay’s offer to carry her bag to the Delta Flyer for her before she left. It was lightly packed, as she didn’t expect too much to happen on her visit to the Pandari homeworld, a planet in the system neighboring the one her crew was enjoying their shore leave at.     “While I’m gone though,” she continued, “you may want to run a diagnostic on the shield generators. It’s way overdue.”     “Done and done,” Chakotay said.     “And don’t forget to keep tabs on Neelix’s little project in the mess hall.”     “He’s still trying to enhance the plasma burners in his stove?”     “I keep telling him that it won’t make his cooking go faster, but you know how he gets when he latches onto an idea. He should run out of steam on this one eventually.”

The two continued chatting idly as they walked down the corridors until they had reached the door to the shuttle day.     “I have to admit,” Janeway said, “I feel a little guilty about leaving right now. A lot of the crew is still dealing with the ramifications of that broken memorial on Tarakis.”     “We’re doing okay,” Chakotay said. “The worst of the nightmares have passed for everyone, and those lucky enough to not have started getting the flashbacks have all stepped up their game. Even Angelo Tassoni is being, well, at the very least he’s not being belligerent. I’d call that a step up.”     “I have to say,” Janeway said, “apart from him the rest of the Equinox survivors really came through for us during the whole mess. Still-”     “Even the Captain deserves a vacation once in a while,” Chakotay said, smiling, clearly seeing through Janeway’s stalling. “The ship will still be here when you get back.”     “It better be,” Janeway said, entering the shuttle bay.

---

    “Tell me that’s not lunch,” B’Elanna Torres said after entering the mess hall, and seeing a large bowl of yellow, something, on the counter.     “It’s leoa root oil, for my skin,” Neelix said, turning around. B’Elanna winced when she saw how nearly half his face looked red.     “What happened?” B’Elanna said.     “I was so excited to visit one of those Nocardian beaches I’d heard about, I forgot to take my dermaline hypospray.”     “So that red is sunburn? Yikes. It hurts just looking at it,” B’Elanna said.     “I fell asleep under two suns,” Neelix said.     “I told him to just see the Doctor,” Brian Sofin said, B’Elanna finally noticing him standing nearby. “He insists on the homemade remedy though.”     B’Elanna chuckled.     “Well,” Neelix said, “how’s your shore leave been?”     “We’ve spent the last few days at Tsunkatse matches,” B’Elanna said. “You seen any of them, Brian?”     “Nope,” Sofin said. “Still not allowed shore leave remember?”     “Right, sorry,” B’Elanna said, forgetting for a moment the status of the Equinox survivors on board. So far, of the five, only Marla Gilmore had been allowed to go planet side, and that was for a mission, and only because so much of the rest of the engineering staff was barely holding it together thanks to false memories of a war crime. “It’s exciting to watch. Just two athletes in peak physical condition going at it in a controlled setting, no weapons, rules to make sure no one gets killed. A great sport. You should come down to the next match this afternoon, Neelix.”     “I might just do that,” Neelix said. He looked past B’Elanna. “How about you Seven?”     B’Elanna turned around, and saw Seven of Nine and Tuvok sitting across from each other, going over a pair of PADDs. She remembered that the two of them were planning a scientific excursion.     “I have no desire to do so,” Seven said.

“Fair enough,” B’Elanna said. “So, where was it you two were going today?”

    “There is a micronebula,” Tuvok said, “approximately 1.6 light years from here on the verge of collapse. We intend to take a shuttle to study it.”     “An away mission during shore leave?” Neelix said.     “Only partially,” Seven said. “While I witnessed several such occurrences as a drone, I have never had the chance to witness such a phenomena as an individual.”

    “Well, whatever floats your boat,” B’Elanna said. “Will Sam be going with you?”     “Regrettably, no,” Seven said. “She still has… concerns about leaving the ship.”     “And by concerns you mean she’s become downright superstitious,” B’Elanna said.     Seven sighed. “I was attempting to put it diplomatically. I tried to convince her to come along, but she still believes that something terrible will happen if she ever sets foot off Voyager again.”     “Has she tried talking to the Doctor about that?” Neelix asked. “That doesn’t seem like a very healthy way of thinking.”     “She has,” Seven said, rolling her eyes. B’Elanna thought at first she was offended at what Neelix said, but what she said next clarified things. “The Doctor was not as diplomatic as I was.”     “Oh dear,” Sofin muttered.     “It is remarkable to me,” Seven said, “just how much offense a sentient being can cause when they have no intent to do so.”

    B’Elanna stifled a laugh, while Neelix nodded in agreement.     “Well,” she said to Seven and Tuvok, “try to enjoy yourself out there, Seven.”

---

    Seven of Nine began assembling the gear that she and Tuvok had determined they would need once they reached the micronebula. As she did so, she once again felt a moment of guilt, leaving her family behind, but Samantha had insisted she not pass up the opportunity, and Naomi had not had a flashback or a nightmare in days.

    She heard the door to the cargo bay open as she continued to pack, one full bag already resting near her alcove. She turned and saw Tom Paris enter.     “Here’s the navigational data you asked for,” he said.     “Thank you,’ Seven said.

    “How long are you planning on being gone?” Tom said, looking at the already full bag, as well as the one Seven was currently working on.     “Approximately 48 hours,” she said. Tom chuckled.     “Just like B’Elanna,” he said.     “Clarify,” Seven said, wondering what he meant.     “She likes to overpack too,” Tom said.     “Is this another example of details about your relationship I do not need to know?” Seven asked.

    “What are you implying?” Tom said.     “I believe the word is ‘oversharing.’ Sam taught me about the concept. I have found that it has helped avoid many potentially embarrassing moments when engaging in dialogue with the rest of the crew.”     “C’mon, I don’t talk that much about my relationship with B’Elanna.”     “Ensign Paris,” Seven said. “you told me what your ‘safeword’ was last year. I looked up what that meant. I never needed to know that much about your personal life, and I wish it were possible to forget. There is a reason I drink my tea in larger mugs now.”

    Tom was silent, looking as if he wanted to say something, presumably to defend himself, but eventually he just sighed.     “Okay, yeah, I see your point. I’ll work on that.”     “Please do,” Seven said. Tom left, and she continued packing, setting aside some items she realized there was a far less than 50% chance that she would actually need. Once the task was completed, she made her way to the shuttle bay, where one of Voyager’s smaller shuttles would be waiting for her since the Delta Flyer was already in use by the Captain.

    When she arrived, she saw Samantha waiting for her, and she smiled. “Sam, are you coming with us after all?”     “No, sorry,” Samantha said, “I don’t think you could pay me to get in a shuttle again. No, I’m just here to see you off. Naomi would be here, but I decided to let her sleep in.” Sam stepped forward, put her arms around Seven’s waist, and kissed her on the lips.     “Mmm,” Seven said. “I will certainly miss that while I am studying the micronebula.”     “Stay safe,” Sam said.

    “I intend to,” Seven said, moving towards the lowered ramp of the shuttle with an extra spring in her step.

---

    As the shuttle made its way to the micronebula, Seven of Nine found her thoughts drifting back to her wife and step-daughter back on Voyager, the guilt over leaving them having come back again, despite the fact that on multiple occasions both of them had made it clear they were fine with Seven going on this excursion.

    Seven looked at the chronometer.     “Two hours, thirty-seven minutes, thirteen seconds,” she said.     Tuvok looked at her, saying nothing.     “That is how long we have gone without verbal communication,” she added.     “Why is that remarkable?” Tuvok said.     “While I have improved considerably in my time aboard Voyager,” Seven said, “I still sometimes find extended periods of silence uncomfortable.”     “A side-effect of your time in the collective,” Tuvok said.     “Correct.”     “Silence does not affect Vulcans in the same way. I apologize for not taking that into consid-”     Tuvok’s apology was interrupted by the sound of the proximity alert, letting them that an unidentified ship was approaching. Seven checked her sensors and confirmed that the vessel was on an intercept course.

    “Attempting to hail approaching vessel,” Tuvok said. The noise of an ignored communication channel request told Seven that there was no response before Tuvok did.     “I am suddenly grateful that Sam decided not to come along,” Seven said. “This would only reinforce her belief that leaving the ship is ‘bad luck’.”     “Tuvok to Voyager,” Tuvok said, apparently as certain as Seven herself was that the approaching ship was a threat. There was no response, and a half-second after Tuvok attempted contact, the lights in the shuttle began to flicker.

    “The vessel is emitting some kind of dampening field,” Seven said, working her console as best she could while its display went back and forth between functioning and not. We’ve lost weapons, engines, shields-”     Every light on the shuttle went out all at once, the hum of the shuttle’s engines falling away.     “And everything else too,” she added bitterly before a sound drew her and Tuvok’s attention. They looked back, and saw a device beamed into the rear area of the shuttle. It was small, round, and had blinking red lights on it. Tuvok quickly stood up and took out his tricorder and began scanning it. Seven wondered how Tuvok knew his tricorder would still work, but decided that he didn’t and had simply acted on instinct. Luckily for them, it did work. That however proved to be the only good news.     “It’s an explosive device of some sort,” Tuvok said. “I will attempt to disarm it.”     “The lights on the device are pulsating at an accelerated rate,” Seven said, sliding down despite knowing that her seat would likely provide little cover. “You don’t have time.”

    Tuvok reached out, but his hand hit a force field around the device, the lights blinked faster and-

---

    “Borg-enhanced physiology,” Seven heard a voice say as she awoke, unsure where she was, knowing only that she was lying down on something cold and metal. “You should have superior strength, agility, stamina, visual acuity.” Seven opened her eyes, and saw an alien knelt down beside her, scanning her with some sort of device. She sat up, ready to attack the man, as disturbed by his tone of voice as anything else in the situation. Memories of being on a shuttle with Tuvok flooded back to her.

    “Welcome to Tsunkatse,” the alien said, smiling. It was a smile that she liked to see coming from Samantha, but in those instances Seven had adjusted her appearance for the express purpose of such a reaction. From an alien who was talking about her potential fighting skills, it was disturbing.     Tsunkatse, she thought. The matches the crew have been watching. Is this how they recruit fighters for the matches? Kidnapping? The crew won’t approve of this when they find out.

    “Since the game’s inception,” the alien kept talking, in a tone that she believed Samantha would’ve referred to as ‘sleazy’, “our audience has never had the pleasure of seeing a drone compete.” The alien stood up and walked away. It was only then that Seven realized she was sitting in a cage of some sort. The bars were very wide apart, it would’ve been easy to squeeze herself between them, but she imagined that her captors had already thought of that.

    “You,” the alien said, pointing at Seven, “are going to be a very popular attraction.”

Once her head was clearer, Seven took a quick look around. She saw a number of other aliens from species she did not recognize engaged in training exercises. She also realized she recognized the alien who was talking to her. He was a Norcadian. She didn’t know him personally, but she’d seen a number of his race aboard during the first contact party days before.     “Where’s Commander Tuvok?” she said.

“Your comrade from the shuttle? I’m afraid he was injured in the explosion.”     Seven stood up. “I wish to see him. Now.”

    If the Norcadian was intimidated by her. He made no show of it, continuing to smile.     “Certainly,” he said, waving his hand. Another alien nearby moved towards one of the doors to the area where Seven was being held captive. “You’ll learn that nothing is more important to me than the well-being of my fighters.”     “Yes,” another male voice said. Seven glanced to her left and saw a Hirogen, the first she’d seen in years, and at least at first glance the oldest. “Penk’s generosity is legendary.” The Hirogen then laughed, as did many of the other aliens, all dressed in similar silver garb. Seven deduced that these were other fighters.

    “Quiet!” Penk yelled, but his smile quickly returned. “He’s envious because I’ve found a new favorite.”     “I have no intention of participating in your game,” Seven said angrily, the idea of committing an act of violence against another sentient for any reason other than self-defense repulsive to her.

    “Aggressive. I like that,” Penk said. The sound of an automated door opening caught Seven’s attention. She saw two armed men walking in a visibly wounded Tuvok, who was breathing heavily and clearly had trouble walking under his own power, the upper part of his uniform charred.

    Seven moved in to help, taking Tuvok from the armed men, and helping him to lie down on the cot in her cell.     “He requires medical attention,” she said.

    “That can be arranged,” Penk said.     “Then arrange it,” Seven said, wondering if she could take down the man and his armed guards fast enough to avoid getting shot, since she had her doubts that these weapons had stun settings.     “You haven’t won a single bout,” Penk said. “And already you’re making demands like a champion.”     “Will you treat him or not?” Seven said.     “Will you fight?” Penk said flatly. Seven understood exactly what that meant.     “Do not comply,” Tuvok said, “My condition is not severe.” Seven looked at him, at the burns on his forehead and cheeks, and had to refrain from calling the Vulcan out on his obvious lie in front of strangers.     “Spoken like a true competitor,” Penk said. “Willing to ignore his injuries for the sake of the contest. Schedule a bout for him, a red match. Put him up against the Pensarkan.”

    “A red match,” the Hirogen said, “doesn’t end until one of the competitors is killed. Your friend would not survive.”

    “But you might,” Penk said, still looking at Seven.     “Give her a blue match, Penk,” the Hirogen said. “You wouldn’t want to lose your new favorite her first time in the pit.”     Penk looked contemplative. It was the first time Seven could think of where she saw a captor openly considering advice from one of their captives.     “Yes,” Penk said. “We should start her off slowly.”     Seven looked at Tuvok, who was now struggling to keep his eyes open.     “Treat him,” she said, “and I will comply.”

    Penk simply grinned, and for the first time, Seven understood what other humans talked about when they said someone had a face that looked ‘punchable.’

---

    B’Elanna looked at the list of Tsunkatse matches on the PADD in her hand, gathered around a table with Commander Chakotay, Tom, Harry, and Joe Carey, although the latter of the four had no particular interest in the bouts and was only there because all the other seats in the mess hall were taken.

“What about the seventh match?” she said. “I’m picking the Vensiddian.”     “Same here,” Chakotay said.     “He lost his last two times out,” Harry said.     “But he’s undefeated against left-handed fighters,” Chakotay said,

“You should trust him, Harry,” Tom said. “Chakotay knows a thing or two about southpaws. He’s our resident expert on boxing, remember?”

“Yeah,” B’Elanna said. “A passion of his we didn’t know about until last year.”     “In my defense,” Chakotay said, “when before that, incident, did I ever have cause to bring it up?”     “You never brought it up when we were in the Maquis either,” B’Elanna countered.     “Okay,” Chakotay said, “you got me there. I do love boxing, I guess I just never really felt like sharing it.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Joe said. “We all have little things we keep to ourselves. Did you guys know I build ships in bottles?”     “Really?” Harry said. “I tried that once in the academy. Did a pretty poor job of it.”     “I can give you some pointers if you’d like,” Joe said.     “Maybe,” Harry said. “I’ll think about it.”

“Joe’s right,” Tom said. “Let’s not give the commander a hard time for telling us about every single thing that interests him.”     “What about the Pensarkin-Bendali match,” B’Elanna said, chuckling, “unless you guys want to talk about tiny wooden boats some more.”

“Too close to call in my opinion,” Harry said.     “Agreed,” B’Elanna said.     “Well, I’ll let you know how it turns out when I get back,” Chakotay said.     “Wait, what?” B’Elanna said.     “I rearranged the duty schedules this morning after something you said to me, about delegating,” Chakotay said, the smile on his face growing as both Harry and Joe suddenly pretended to be fascinated by the ceiling. “You’ve got the bridge starting at 1400 hours.”     “Oh, this is payback for me telling you to put off the diagnostic on the shield generators isn’t it?” B’Elanna said.     “I thought you’d be pleased that I took your advice,” Chakotay said.     “Unbelievable,” B’Elanna groaned.     “Honey, look at it this way,” Tom said, getting up from his seat to stand behind B’Elanna and rub her shoulders. “You get to sit in the big chair.”     “Small comfort,” B’Elanna said.

---

    The Doctor ran his medical tricorder over Neelix, lamenting that he was here right now instead of visiting one of Norcadian museums he’d hoped to see before Voyager left. He could be looking at artifacts of cultural significance, paintings, sculptures, but no, here he was about to give a lecture to a Talaxian with yellow blisters over half his face.     “You’re having an allergic reaction to the ointment you made for your sunburn,” he said. “I hope you’ve learned your lesson. Talaxian homeopathy is no substitute for medical science.”     The Doctor filled up a hypospray and pressed it against Neelix’s neck on the non-sunburned side.     “This should help with the swelling and discoloration. But you’ll have to stay out of the sun.”     “But what about the rest of my shore leave?” Neelix asked.

    “I suggest you limit it to indoor activities,” the Doctor said, taking out a PADD that he’d been reading earlier. It contained a list of just such activities, and he was more than willing to share it with Neelix if it meant not having to deal with him as a patient for awhile.

    “Hmm. Well, Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant Kim invited me to one of the Tsukatse matches. I could go with them.”

    The Doctor sighed. “I’m disappointed in you Mister Neelix. Cheering for one individual to inflict serious injury on another hardly seems like an activity you’d enjoy.”

    “It’s not like it’s a bar brawl or anything, Doctor,” Neelix said. “It’s a regulated match, with rules, and all the participants are well trained. Sure it can get a little brutal, and accidents can happen, but unless you’re dealing with a really corrupt organization every fighter involved knows what they’re getting into. Risks included.”     “If you ask me,” the Doctor said, “there’s not that much difference between a regulated fight and just a plain fight. Surely you can find some other way to occupy your time that doesn’t involve fisticuffs.”

    “Well,” Neelix said, “what do you suggest?”

    “As a matter of fact, I was planning a visit to the Norcadian Museum of Entomology this afternoon. There’s a fascinating exhibit of beetle larvae from their equatorial sub-continent. You’re welcome to join me.”

    “I’ll have to think about that one, Doctor,” Neelix said.

---

    “Tsunkat! Tsunkat!” Neelix chanted along with the rest of the crowd as two humanoid alien women battled in the Tsunkatse arena. Chakotay sat next to him, Harry Kim in Tom Paris sitting in the same row. Neelix had spotted a few other various crew members scattered throughout the seats, but he and the other three were the only Voyager people in this particular section.

    “You were right Commander, this is exciting,” Neelix said once the match was over. “Two opponents alone in the pit with only their strength and agility to protect them.”     “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Chakotay said.

    “I don’t quite understand the rules though,” Neelix said.     “It’s simple,” Chakotay said. “A Tsunkatse fighter wears a polaron disruptor on both of their hands and feet. Each disruptor delivers a bioplasmic charge when it comes in contact with one of the opponent’s target sensors.”     “So there is strategy involved,” Neelix said.

    “A fighter has to attack their rival’s sensors without exposing their own,” Chakotay said.

    “Are you two gonna talk or are you here to watch?” Tom said.     “At ease, Ensign,” Chakotay said. “I’m just answering the man’s questions.”

    Loud music began playing and Neelix looked around as nearly everyone stood up and began applauding, including Tom, Harry, and Chakotay, so he quickly joined in. He looked expectantly at the arena pit's entrance doors, awaiting the entrances of the next combatants. It was his second match of the night, but he still felt as excited as he had for the first. One of the doors opened, and the first of the combatants stepped out; a tall, well-built man. Looking extremely confident, he acknowledged the cheering crowd with a single, raised eyebrow. The cheering grew even louder.

    This one must be particularly popular, Neelix thought.

    “He looks like he could pick up a shuttlecraft,” he said aloud.     “He’s a Pendari,” Harry said. “They’re known for their superior strength.”     “And their bad temper,” Tom added.     “I hear they have a tendency to throw their opponents into the stands,” Harry said.     “Be ready to duck,” Tom said.     Neelix chuckled. The music swelled once again, and the Pendari’s opponent began to step-out. Even when he could see with his own eyes who it was, he still had a hard time believing it.     “Seven?” Neelix said. He looked over at the others, who appeared as shocked as he was. Taking a closer look he realized that Seven did not look too thrilled to be there herself, and he doubted it had anything to do with the majority of the crowd jeering as soon as she came out the door.

    He tried calling out to her, and he could hear Chakotay and the others doing the same, but if Seven heard them she gave no indication. She and the Pendari circled each other slowly, disdain apparent on the latter’s face. Neelix could see his lips moving but couldn’t make out what she was saying to Seven. Seven replied with an inaudible comment of her own, and the Pendari responded by making a mocking gesture before punching Seven, knocking her into the wall of the arena. She quickly got back up and dodged a second and third punch while making no apparent effort to punch back. She kept talking, and though Neelix couldn’t make out the words, he thought for a moment that she was taunting her opponent, perhaps trying to goad him into making a mistake.

    “It’s no use, she can’t hear us,” he heard Harry say.

    “Chakotay to Voyager, come in,” he heard Chakotay say, barely loud enough to be heard over the crowd’s cheering when Seven was knocked back by a kick to the chest.     “Calling to give me a blow-by-blow description of the match, Commander?” B’Elanna’s voice replied over the comm badge.     “Seven of Nine is in the pit,” Chakotay said.     “What?” B’Elanna replied.     “No time to explain, just beam her out of there.”     There was no reply. Neelix kept watching, and almost cheered as Seven delivered a kick that got the Pendari right in the face, but it barely phased him. He moved forward, but Seven delivered two swift kicks to his chest sensor, driving him to his knees with the pain of the shock.

    “Maybe she can win this,” Neelix said under his breath, but his hope was short-lived as with shocking speed the Pendari got up and knocked Seven to the floor with his arm. Seven got back up quickly and delivered a solid kick, but the Pendari man quickly shook it off and knocked her to the ground again with one punch.

    “I’m locked on to the coordinates of the pit,” B’Elanna’s voice said. “Seven’s not there.”     “I’m looking right at her, B’Elanna!” Chakotay said.     “Not according to these sensors.”     “Maybe their lifesigns are masked,” Harry said.     “Try recalibrating the bio-scanners!” Chakotay said.

    A few seconds later, Neelix watched as Seven and the Pendari began to fizzle out, as though they were holograms and not real people. It took him a second to realize that that was exactly why B’Elanna couldn’t get a lock on. The crowd booed when the image of the fight faltered.

    “The only readings I’m picking up are photonic,” B’Elanna’s voice said.     “They’re transmitting the fight from another location,.” Tom said, having obviously reached the same conclusion. Neelix turned towards Chakotay to ask if they could trace the source of the transmission but a loud thud drew his attention back to the arena in time to see Seven go down. That sound he’d heard had been a hit, and though he hadn’t seen it, he knew it had been a brutal one as Seven was on one knee, and visibly struggling to get back up. The Pendari picked her up and threw her against the wall. She got back up, and tried to get behind the Pendari to get another kick in on one of his target sensors, but he grabbed her leg and threw her back down to the ground. The two traded punches, hit for hit, Seven managing to briefly knock her opponent back with an uppercut.

    “Keep trying,” he heard Chakotay say. He wondered for a moment what the Commander meant, but it occurred to him that maybe B’Elanna was trying to find the source of the transmission. He hoped it happened quick.   

    Seven managed to knock the Pendari to the floor again. He did not get up, noticeably dazed from her attack. She leaned over him, and against all logic Neelix yelled at her to end the fight, to knock him out. Her arm was raised, fist clenched, ready to strike, but she hesitated.

“What the hell is she-” he heard Harry say, but before he could finish the thought, the Pendari recovered and kicked her in her stomach, then got up and hit her in the face. He stood at her side, facing opposite to her, and locked his arm across her throat and other shoulder. He then landed a sharp blow to the sensor on her back, and then, in a move that caused Neelix to gasp, lifted her up with his locked arm and fell forward, bring her over and down on her back, very hard. He knelt next to her, hit the target sensor on her chest, and Seven, while still visibly breathing, and moving her head, did not get up. Didn’t even try.

The crowd began to chant again. “Tsunkat! Tusnkat!” This time however, the Voyager crew did not join them.

---

    As Janeway piloted the Delta Flyer, she listened to Commander Chakotay’s report on what had happened. She had briefly been tempted to chew him out for allowing one of their own to get kidnapped while she was away, but she was able to maintain her cool. Partly due to the fact that her own memory reminded her of all the times a crew member was stolen from under her nose. Ripping into Chakotay over this just wouldn’t be fair.     “We’ve scanned the Norcadian surface, Captain,” Chakotay said after filling her in on the details of the fight, and how they couldn’t find any sign of Tuvok or the shuttle either. “There’s no sign of them.”     “Any luck tracing the transmission?” Janeway said.     “We’re trying but it’s not easy,” Chakotay said. “There are transmissions being sent to every planet in the sector.”

    “I guess you aren’t the only ones who enjoy this sport,” Janeway said.     “It could take days before we can figure out where Seven and Tuvok are being held,” B’Elanna said.     “What about diplomatic channels?” Janeway said.     “Neelix is meeting with a group of Norcadian officials,” Chakotay said.     “Well, let’s hope he gets their cooperation,” Janeway said.     “When can we expect you back?’ Chakotay asked.     “I’m at the outer rim of the Pendari system,” Janeway said, looking down at her console. “At best, I’m 48 hours away.”     “Sorry to cut your vacation short, Captain,” Chakotay said.     “It’s alright, Commander,” Janeway said. “Just keep me informed. Janeway out.”

    I wonder how Samantha is taking this, she thought.

---

    “That went better than I hoped,” Tom said. He was seated at his station on the bridge, B’Elanna and Chakotay standing next to him. When the communication with the Captain ended, everyone returned to their stations.     “Has anyone told Sam yet?” B’Elanna asked.     “Neelix took care of that before he left,” Harry said. “To say she’s pissed would be an understatement, but at least she knows for sure Seven’s alive right now. It’s not like when the Equinox crew took her and we had no idea.”     “Do you think this is how the Norcadians get all their fighters?” Tom said.     “Doesn’t matter,” Chakotay said. “That they kidnap people and force them to fight at all is an insult to the sport.”     “At least we know she can hold her own,” B’Elanna said. “If she hadn’t hesitated towards the end of that match she’d have won it. What do you think that was even about?”     “We can ask her when we have her back on board,” Chakotay said. “I want ideas people. Even stupid ones. Whatever it takes to get our people back.”

---

    Seven awoke, once again, on the metal cot she’d been on when this whole thing started. The Hirogen was standing over her with some kind of device. She fliched and went to grab it, but the Hirogen made no effort to stop her.     “It’s a dermal regenerator,” he said while she looked at it closely.     “You should be using this on Tuvok,” she said.     “I already did. While you were resting,” the Hirogen said. “Now hold still and let me finish, the device is almost out of power.”

    “Why are you helping us?” Seven said.     “I recognize fellow hunters when I see them,” the Hirogen said.     “I’m no hunter,” Seven said.     “I saw your match today,” the Hirogen said. “Your skills are impressive.”     “The Pendari would disagree,” Seven said as she sat up.     “You almost defeated him. But at the last moment, you hesitated. You… questioned your desire to destroy your prey.”     “I have no such desire,” Seven said. “I only desire to return to my ship, to my wife and our child.”

“Really?” the Hirogen said. “I thought I saw it in your eyes. With the proper training, you could become a champion.”

“Until my ship comes to rescue us, my only goal is to survive.”

“Do you know the difference between a survivor and a champion here? There isn’t one.”

The sound of the door opening and footsteps approaching ended the conversation. Penk walked in, flanked by two guards. He stepped into her cell while the Hirogen moved to the side. He was smiling that punchable smile again, and she wondered if even Naomi would hold it against her if she broke a few of his teeth.     “I wanted to be the first to congratulate you,” Penk said.     “I lost,” Seven said.

“Exactly,” Penk said with a chuckle. “There’s a great deal of hostility toward the Borg in this sector. Whenever the Pendari landed a blow, our audience grew. We’re getting tens of thousands of requests to see you fight again.”     “She needs time to recuperate,” the Hirogen said. “to prepare for the next bout.”     “I agree,” Penk said without even looking at the Hirogen. “There’s a red match scheduled for tomorrow. The Pendari was supposed to compete, but I’ve entered you in his place.” Penk laughed and started to leave, but turned around, smiling at Seven again. “If three billion people paid to see you hurt, imagine how many will pay to see you die.”

Once he was gone, Seven sighed. “Survival may be more difficult than I imagined.”

“You will win the match,” the Hirogen said, smiling himself, but looking up at the ceiling.     “Why do you say that?” Seven said.     “I know your opponent; I know his weaknesses. I can train you to defeat him.”

“I told you, I will not kill anyone in that arena,” Seven said.

“Consider the alternative,” the Hirogen said.     Seven stood up. She turned to look at Tuvok. She thought about Sam and Naomi, how the latter had just come out the other side of one trauma relatively unscathed.     I can’t leave them, she thought. Even if they look at me differently if they know what I had to do to survive, that would have to be better than dealing with losing me like this.

“Teach me,” she said.

---

    Seven had lost track of time. She was uncertain if the training had gone on for only a few hours, or if it was the next day already. She had managed to compartmentalize, keeping thoughts of her loved ones and how worried they must be at bay, or at least enough to keep her from losing focus on the lessons her Hirogen teacher were giving her.

    “You’re letting your elbow fall, exposing your target,” the Hirogen said.     “You’re mistaken. My arm is positioned properly,” Seven said. “‘When executing the Tanyk Defense, the blocking elbow must remain parallel to the median sensor,’” she added.

    “Ah, The Book of Tsunkatse,” the Hirogen said. “I see you’ve studied it well.”     “Tuvok borrowed it from one of the other fighters,” Seven said. “I am attempting to perfect a defense based on-”     The Hirogen cut her off with an attack that caught her off guard and her on the ground in seconds.     “That was not one of the 33 sanctioned maneuvers,” she said, as she got up, the Hirogen still kneeling in the spot where he landed after his strike.     “There must be 34 then,” he said.     “I was unprepared for your attack,” she said, realizing as the words left her mouth that that was the point.

    “Is that what you’re going to say to your opponent?” the Hirogen asked. “Stop thinking like a drone. Sanctioned maneuvers, perfecting defenses? You cannot assimilate Tsunkatse from a book. You must live it. Feel it. In your heart. Your movements must become instinct. An attack could come at any time from any direction. You must learn to improvise.”     “Like this?” Seven said, before delivering a swift but intentionally short kick that allowed her to quickly to punch him in the side when he raised his arms to block. The Hirogen cried out in pain from the hit. “I’ve observed you often favor your left side.”     “Very perceptive,” the Hirogen said while he rubbed the point of impact from the punch. “It’s a wound I sustained in one of my first matches. After 19 years it still hasn’t healed properly.”

“You’ve been here a long time,” Seven said.     “I was taken during my son’s first hunt,” the Hirogen said. “He was so proud to be with his father. Watching every movement I made imitating my gestures.” He took a deep breath. The next words that came out were tinged with anger. “But instead of bringing home his first trophy he saw his father become someone else’s prey.”     “Do you know what happened to him?” Seven asked.     “I never saw him again,” the Hirogen said. Seven felt empathy for him. ”All Penk would say was that the boy was too small for competition.”

“Perhaps he managed to return home,” Seven said, though deep down she knew that was overly optimistic. She stepped forward, but the Hirogen, while still favoring his side, hit her with a sudden kick, knocking her back into a wall. He charged, fist raised as if ready to strike, but he stopped.     “You lowered your defenses,” he said, calmly, as though he hadn’t just kicked her hard enough to almost knock out her breath. “Why?”     “I was...” Seven said, pausing to take a breath.     “What?” the Hirogen asked. “Feeling sorry for me? My tragic past?”     “Yes,” Seven said.     “You must never sympathize with your prey. Unless you accept that, you will die.” He stepped back, lowering his fist and returning to the center of the room. “We’ll continue.”

---

    “Has Mister Neelix returned to the pickup point?” Chakotay asked Lieutenant Kittrick.     “Not just yet sir,” she said. “But he isn’t due for another two minutes, and he has checked in regularly.”     “I know,” Chakotay said. “I’d just rather not see another one of my crew being forced to fight against their will.”     “Understood sir,” Kittrick said. “Though, I did hear that Seven of Nine handled herself pretty well down there.”     “That she did,” Chakotay admitted.     “And I also heard that the outfit they put her in was-”   

    “You do know she’s married, right Lieutenant?”     “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”     Chakotay shook his head. The crew had been given more slack than usual since the encounter with the Nakan massacre memorial. Perhaps it was time to tighten things up a bit again. Not to the level that they would be if they were in the Alpha Quadrant of course, but as the Captain herself had said several years ago, that ship had long since sailed.

    “Neelix is reporting in,” Kittrick said.     “Beam him up,” Chakotay said. Soon, Neelix was stepping off the transporter platform and walking right up to him.

    “How did it go?” Chakotay asked. When Neelix replied, Chakotay struggled to remember a time before when he had heard the Talaxian speak with so much sarcasm in his voice.     “Oh, the Norcadians were shocked to learn that off-worlders might be participating in the fights against their will. The ambassador promised to being an immediate investigation.”     “You don’t buy it,” Chakotay said. It was not phrased as a question.     “Not for a nanosecond. I spoke to one of the Pendari delegates. According to him, a huge percentage of the planet’s revenue is derived from Tsunkatse. Nobody wants to do anything that might interfere with the game.”

    “So,” Chakotay said, “they turn a blind eye to the recruitment tactics.”     “We’re not going to get any help through official channels,” Neelix said. “It’s hard to accept that a civilization’s favorite pastime is cheering innocent people who fight each other.”     “If Seven and Tuvok hadn’t been abducted,” Chakotay said as he and Neelix headed for the turbolift, “we might still be cheering too.”

    The two of them made their way to the astrometrics lab, where B’Elanna Torres and Harry Kim were hard at work.     “What have you got?” Chakotay said as he entered the lab.     “Well,” B’Elanna said, “one of the reasons we were having trouble isolating the source of the transmissions was because they never seem to be coming from the same place twice.”     B’Elanna pulled up a map of the sector on the lab’s large screen.     “At first,” she continued, “we thought the matches were being held in different locations. But then we realized that what we were looking at was a flight path.”     “They’re transmitting the fights from a ship,” Chakotay said.     “Like a travelling carnival,” Harry said, entering a command on his console, bringing up long range scans of the ship they believed to be holding their people. “A heavily armed and armored carnival. Five million metric tons, reinforced hull plating protected by covariant shielding, neutronic weaponry.”     “It’s way out of our weight class,” B’Elanna said.     “The bigger they come, Lieutenant,” Chakotay said. He turned to Harry. “Transmit these coordinates to the Captain. Tell her we could use a hand.”

---

    “Excellent,” the Hirogen said after Seven completed a display of some of the techniques he’d shown her. “When your opponent enters the arena, what do you see?”     “My prey,” Seven said.     “And what do you do to your prey?”     “Hunt it down and kill it.”

    “Go rest before your match,” the Hirogen said. He then turned and walked away. Seven in turn headed in the opposite direction. Part way there, she turned.     “Thank you,” she said to the Hirogen.     “Thank me by winning,” he said, tapping his chest.

    Seven continued on. She now stood next to Tuvok, who was able to move around and more alert now thanks to the Hirogen’s treatments. He was working on trying to disable the ship's shields and dampening field from a panel he had opened.

    “Penk’s guards are doing their inspection rounds,” she said. “Progress?”

    “Without access to a control interface I can’t disable the shields from here,” Tuvok said. “Your training?”     “Complete,” Seven said.

    “Are you adequately prepared?” Tuvok said as he replaced the panel he’d removed.

    “The Hirogen is an efficient instructor,” she said, sighing. “He believes I’ll win.”

    “This troubles you?” Tuvok asked.     “The idea of killing someone for the entertainment of others is detestable,” Seven said.

    “Is the idea of losing your own life for the entertainment of others more palatable? As a drone, you took many lives.”     “I was acting as part of the collective,” Seven said.

    “You’re worried you won’t have the strength to accomplish the task on your own.”     “No,” Seven said. She thought back to the Equinox when she had taken Captain Ransom's comm badge away from him, condemning him to death to the alien species he had been exploiting. She still had never spoken of it to anyone, not even to the Captain, who had given her the order to make sure Ransom remained behind as part of the agreement to spare Voyager and the other Equinox survivors. She hadn’t thought about it until now, had pushed it out of her head so she could say with a straight face to Penk that she wasn’t a murderer. “I’m afraid that I do.”

    A hatch at another end of the room opened, and one of Penk’s guard stepped in, soon followed by Penk himself.     “It’s time,” he said.

    Seven headed towards the door, ready to face whatever happened, and hopeful that if she did have to kill, again, that her beloved Samantha wouldn’t be seeing it happen on live broadcast. As she moved, Tuvok grabbed her arm.     “Do whatever it takes to survive,” he said.

    Seven didn’t reply. She simply took in a deep breath and followed Penk’s guards as they escorted her to the entrance to the arena. She could hear the music starting, the sound of cheering crowds. The door opened and she stepped out, walking to the end of the arena and turning around so she would be facing her opponent when whoever it was stepped out. The crowd jeered as she walked. They wanted to see her blood spilled. She intended to disappoint them.

    The music reached a crescendo, and her opponent stepped into the light, and her jaw hung open when she saw who it was. The Hirogen.

    Bastard, she thought.     “You knew,” she said, as the two of them began to slowly circle each other.

    “Yes,” the Hirogen said. The buzzing noise indicating that the match had started went off, but neither sentient made a move just yet.     “Training me was a deception,” Seven said. “You wished to familiarize yourself with my weaknesses.”     “I was helping you to overcome them,” the Hirogen said, feigning an attack, causing Seven to take a defensive stance.

    “Why?”     “19 years is a long time,” the Hirogen said. “I’ve grown tired.”

    “You wish to be killed in the arena,” Seven said.     “I want a death my son would be proud of.”

    “I won’t be the one to provide it,” Seven said.     “Then I will be forced to kill you,” the Hirogen said, sounding disappointed.

---

    “Approaching the vessel,” Tom said. Voyager was already at red alert, Chakotay in the Captain’s chair. The Commander still held some hope they could avoid a fight, but it was a slim hope. Luckily, he knew he could count on Tom to outfly that other ship. What Voyager lacked in armory it more than made up for in maneuverability compared to it.

    “Take us out of warp,” Chakotay said. “Raise shields and charge weapons. Harry, any sign of Tuvok and Seven?”

    “Our sensors can’t penetrate their shields,” Harry said with a heavy sigh. Chakotay couldn’t blame him. That was hardly the first time he’d had to give that exact report.     “Hail them,” Chakotay said. The viewscreen showed a small office. A Norcadian sat down at a desk facing the viewscreen.     “This is not a convenient time,” he said.     “I’m Commander Chakotay of the starship Voyager. You’re holding two of my people.”     “You’ll have to be more specific,” the Norcadian said, as if being accused of abduction was an everyday thing for him As far as Chakotay knew, perhaps it was..     “Commander Tuvok and Seven of Nine. Return them, now.”

    “The Borg drone and her friend. Hmm. I’m afraid she’s occupied at the moment.”     “You have 30 seconds before I open fire,” Chakotay said, already sick of this man’s bureaucratic tone.

    The Norcadian leaned forward and locked his fingers. “A fighter. I respect that. But you’re no match for me.” He touched a button on his desk, and the connection was cut, the viewscreen returning to a view of the ship.

    “That went about as well as I expected,” Chakotay said.

---

    “We can still find another way out of this,” Seven said, after having sent the Hirogen to the ground with a well-placed strike to his back.     “There is no other way,” the Hirogen said. Seven got into an offensive stance. “You’re still dropping your elbow.” He kicked. Seven blocked it, but the time it took her to do so allowed the Hirogen to get in close and deliver two swift punches to the sensor on her back, each hit sending a shock through her body painful enough to make her cry out, though not enough to make her lose her balance.     “Make your choice,” the Hirogen said. “Hunter, or prey?” Seven refused to answer. The Hirogen twisted her arm. “Hunter or prey!” He repeated. Seven managed to break his hold on her arm and sent him flying backwards with a swift kick to the face. She pressed in delivering multiple blows to his chest sensor, making him wince with each hit. She successfully dodged a punch, using the momentum to get behind him and deliver a kick to his back sensor, which glowed as he grunted in pain. He took another swing, but missed. This was not him throwing the fight however, Seven could tell. He was getting tired. She was winning. Her train of thought derailed quickly when the Hirogen broke through and landed a kick on her chest sensor, causing her to stumble back into the wall. She narrowly avoided a punch to the face, ducking as he charged her.

---

    “Direct hit to their aft shield generators,” Lydia Anderson said from tactical.     “Still can’t get a lock on Seven,” Harry said, “but I’ve got Tuvok.”     “We can’t beam him up yet,” Chakotay said, “our shields are still up. Keep targeting those shield generators. If the whole thing comes down they might surrender rather than risk us rupturing their hull.”     The ship shuddered under the impact of enemy fire. The shields were holding, but just barely. It would’ve been worse, but Tom’s piloting had kept a good portion of the enemy fire from hitting them at all. Chakotay knew that luck couldn’t hold out forever though.

    “Shields down to 40 percent,” Anderson said after the last hit.     “Harry, can we at least get an idea where the arena might be on the ship?”     “Not sure how but I’ll think of something,” Harry said.     “Make it fast,” Chakotay said.

---

    “You’re getting weak,” the Hirogen said as he back-handed Seven across the face. She stumbled, tried to straighten up, only to get knocked violently backwards when the Hirogen hit her with both fists, one into each shoulder blade. “I should’ve found worthier prey.” He charged forward, and used his momentum to flip Seven over his back, sending her crashing to the floor with a loud grunt.

    The fight was taking its toll on her. Even with her enhanced strength, even with the knowledge of multiple fighting techniques, and even with the desire to see Samantha and Naomi again driving her, she was all but spent. Her breathing was ragged, her muscles were sore, and she could feel the bruises forming on her body.

    “Perhaps your mate will find someone stronger next time,” the Hirogen said.     That touched a nerve in Seven. Without even thinking she got back up and with speed that surprised even her she went from that to a jump kick that struck the Hirogen in the face, hard enough to send him to the floor. He tried to get up and she kicked him, knocking him back down, He rolled and tried to stand up again, but she met him with another kick that knocked him on his back. Seven stepped back, allowing him to get back up.     “Is that the best you can do?” he said, right before Seven delivered another kick to the face, one to his chest sensor, and then punched him right in the eye socket. The Hirogen stumbled back and groaned as he hit the wall.

---

    “Shields are down!” Anderson yelled after the last volley of enemy fire hit Voyager.     “Tom?” Chakotay said.     “Doing what I can,” he said.     “Might as well beam Tuvok out,” Chakotay said. “Any luck finding Seven?”     “I’ve got an idea,” Harry said “Of where she is I mean. There’s a part of the ship that has different shielding than the rest. My guess is that’s where the arena is. The problem is, it’s multiphasic. I can’t get a clean scan through it.”

    “Should I get us out of here before they knock out our propulsion?” Tom asked.     “Not yet,” Chakotay said. “If we can’t beam her out, maybe we can shut down the transmission.”

    “If nobody’s watching, why continue the fight,” Tom said, nodding. “Good thinking.”     “B’Elanna?” Chakotay said. “Figure out a way to jam the signals coming from that ship. Time to ruin a lot of fight fans day. Lydia, start targeting their signal generators.”     Anderson’s reply was cut off by a violent shudder as the ship was hit. Sparks flew from somewhere, Chakotay couldn’t quite tell where, as he’d instinctively covered his face when he saw the flash.

    “Hull breach, deck 11,” Harry called out.

---

    Seven pressed her assault on the Hirogen. If killing him was what it took to see her family again, then she would do it. This was not a difficult moral quandary that would weigh her down for the rest of her life like with Ransom, this was pure, simple, survival. With her teeth gritted, she punched him in the face several times, knocking him back. She ran to the nearest wall and braced herself on it as the Hirogen charged at her. She greeted him with a hard kick to his chest sensor that lifted him clear off his feet and flipped him over, dropping him to the floor with the loudest thud Seven had heard yet the entire battle. The crowd, wherever they were, rose to their feet and began the "Tsunkat!" chant. Obviously the excitement of the match had overrule their hatred of the Borg, and they were now cheering for her.

---

    Chakotay felt the deck rock under him as the ship took another hit.

    “That one took out our weapons,” Anderson said.     “Another vessel’s approaching,” Tom said. “It’s the calvary.”     Chakotay looked up as the viewscreen showed the Delta Flyer swooped in and began firing at the arena ship, its small size allowing it to more easily dodge the counter attacks, while Voyager’s shuddering lessened as some of the fire was no longer directed at them.

    “Hail her,” Chakotay said.     “Channel open,” Harry said.     “Good to see you, Captain,” Chakotay said.

    “Nothing like getting back to work after a long vacation,” Janeway said.     “We need you to target their signal generators,” Chakotay said.

    The viewscreen showed the Flyer firing its phasers, getting in closer than Voyager ever could, and blowing part one of the many satellite dish-like protrusions on the side of the arena ship.

    “Good shot, Kathryn,” Chakotay said.     “They’ve reduced power to their force fields,” Harry said, “trying to compensate for the loss of that transmitter by directing it to the others. I’m able to pick up two lifesigns. One’s Seven, the other’s a Hirogen. I can’t get an individual lock though.”     “Get them both,” Chakotay said. “Anderson, send a security team to transport room one.”     “Aye sir,” she said.

---

    Seven let loose a flurry of punches, none of them as strong as some of the others she’d thrown, but each one still managed to keep the Hirogen off balance. She grunted with each connection. He managed to get in several shots of his own against her chest sensor, each hit sending intense, painful shocks through her body, but she refused to fall. This had gone on long enough for her. Either he went down, or she did. She broke through his defenses and hit his chest sensors several times, causing him to fall backwards, crying out in pain. She didn’t allow him the luxury of lying down. She grabbed him by his uniform and held him up with one hand as she repeatedly hit his chest sensor, watching the red glow and hearing his grunts of pain with each hit.

    Eventually, he buckled and fell to the ground. She knelt next to him and raised her arms, ready to bring both fists down on his chest sensor, but she hesitated, something she did not expect..     “Never… let your prey suffer,” the Hirogen said weakly, clearly spent, and accepting his defeat. “Kill it.”

    She prepared to deliver what probably be the killing blow, when she felt the familiar tingle of a transporter beam engulfing her. When the beam was gone, she was on one of Voyager’s transporter pads, her arms still raised, ready to strike, her breathing heavy, but she could not bring herself to move. She glanced to her right, and saw Lieutenant Ayala and two other security officers flanking him, all with hand phasers at the ready.

    “Seven?” Ayala said.     “It’s all right,” Seven said, slowly lowering her arms. “This fight is over.”

    She stood up, then held out her arm. The Hirogen, his own breathing labored, sighed, and took it, allowing her to help him up.

---

    Samantha sat on the sickbay bio-bed next to Seven, holding her hand while the Doctor scanned her. Both women knew it was not necessary, but neither cared. Both listened quietly while Commander Chakotay spoke to the Hirogen.

    I had no idea they were that spread out, Samantha thought. To find Hirogen this far out from where we first encountered them, with the transwarp conduits, wormholes, and subspace catapults we’ve come across since then? It’s a wonder any Hirogen ever see each other, let alone us.

    “We found a Hirogen hunting party less than three light years away,” Chakotay said. “They’ve agreed to rendezvous with us.”     “I’m grateful,” the Hirogen said. Chakotay left, and the Hirogen looked at Seven.     “Doctor, would you leave us for a moment?” Seven said.     “Very well,” the Doctor said, nervously. “But if you should need anything, like an analgesic, or a phaser rifle…”     “That won’t be necessary, Doctor,” Seven said.     “Do you want me to step outside too, hun?” Sam said.     “No,” Seven said, squeezing Sam’s hand gently. “That’s not necessary.”     The Hirogen stood up, and slowly walked over to them, nodding politely at Sam.     “A phaser rifle?” he said.     “I apologize for the Doctor,” Seven said. “He’s a bit overprotective of me.”     No argument there, Sam thought.

    “He doesn’t realize how well you defend yourself,” the Hirogen said. He looked down, and ripped the chest sensor on his outfit off, handing it to Seven. “A trophy.”     “Thank you,” Seven said. “What will you do now? Search for new prey?”     “No. This time I will be searching for my son.”

    “If he is as clever as his father,” Seven said, “he may be difficult to locate.”     “I’ve been wondering,” the Hirogen asked, “would you have killed me?”     Seven looked at Sam. Sam simply put a hand on her shoulder. Seven looked back at the Hirogen, who patiently waited for an answer.     “I don’t know,” Seven said. Sam wondered if that was for her benefit. She must think I would stop loving her if she said yes, she thought. She leaned over and kissed Seven on the cheek.     “You were doing what you had to do to survive, to come back to me,” she said. “I wouldn’t think any less of you if you had.”     “Your mate speaks wisely,” the Hirogen said. “You would do well to listen to her.”     Seven smiled, looking at Sam but speaking to the Hirogen. “You aren’t the first sentient to tell me that.”

    “Well, fortunately, you were right. There was another way out,” the Hirogen said. With a polite nod to both Seven and Sam, the Hirogen turned around and left.     Seven sighed and leaned into Samantha.     “Did you mean that?” Seven asked.

    “Of course I did. I don’t like violence, I’ve never hidden that. But there is big difference between murder and self-defense. If you’d enjoyed killing him, that would be something to worry about, but the fact that you didn’t want to is proof to me that you’re a good person. And it should be proof to you too.”     Seven nodded, and glanced over in the direction of the Doctor’s office.     “Sam, I have a question to ask you.”     “What is it, Annie?”     “I was led to believe you did not like the way I looked in silver, is this correct?”     “You’re talking about the silver monstrosity right?” Sam said. “No, the color was actually the least of that uniform’s problems. It was just badly designed. That collar looked like it was cutting off your circulation. Why do you ask?”

    “Because I couldn’t help but notice that since you got to sickbay that your eyes have occasionally wandered downward from where my face is,” Seven said.     “Ah,” Samantha said, feeling herself begin to blush. “Well, I mean, it is rather, um.” Sam looked around herself to see if the Doctor had reentered. “You wouldn’t mind keeping it would you?”     Seven sighed. “I know you love me for many reasons, but there are times when I wonder… Fine, I’ll keep the outfit. But I’m not keeping the target sensors.”     “I wasn’t going to ask you to,” Sam said. “But even with them, it looks good on you.”

    Seven laughed. “One could make the case that you are unhealthily obsessed with my breasts, Samantha Wildman.”

    “You’re only noticing this now?” Sam said, with a wink.     “What are you two giggling about?” the Doctor said as he reentered from his office.     “Nothing that is any of your concern,” Seven said.