Shadow of the Past

Prologue: The Mission

Lund passed Admiral Paris a cup of coffee, which he took a drink from before setting it on the coffee table. Lund sat down with her tea on the couch that was at a right angle to the armchair that Paris was sitting in. They were in the living room of Lund's and Methos' quarters on the Enterprise, Methos was on duty at the moment. "I thought I made it clear that we did not want special privileges," Lund told the Admiral.

"You aren't getting any I'm here because I need you for a special mission. You just happen to be the best person for the job, you'll even be promoted if you take the job."

"Tell me what I would be doing." Lund had no patience for this kind of shit from Star Fleet Brass that had kept the secret of immortals locked up, after Methos and her had gone through hell to try to bring immortals out of hiding.

"We want you on Voyager, to try to talk to the Maquis, maybe come to an agreement with them."

"I won't trick them, if that's what you want me to do. Besides Methos and I have just come to be on talking terms five years ago after avoiding each other for a century and a half. I'd like to stick around him for a while."

"The mission won't take long, only a couple of months, a year longest."

"I'm a doctor Admiral, not a politician. It's been more then a thousand years since I last negotiated any kind of treaty."

"You know what people want, your a psychologist, a doctor, you understand politics, your immortal, and you are a military strategist."

"The only one of those I've been in the last five hundred years is a doctor," Lund glared at Admiral Paris darkly. "I'll take the mission...."

"Excellent," Paris said clapping his hands together.

"Not because I think I'm the best person, but because I will make sure that any agreement I make is honored." Lund could not possibly make her tone more insolent. "Any agreement I make <will> be honored, I have a lot of support in high places. I am in particular favor with the Klingon Empire, and the Vulcan High Council."

"Is that a threat Lieutenant," Admiral Paris said standing trying to intimidate Lund.

"No it's a warning, and it's Lieutenant Commander, now that I've accepted the mission." Lund said leaning back on the couch to show she was not intimidated in the least by the Admiral, which she was not, she had no reason to fear the mortal even if he was more then a foot taller then her.

"Be ready to leave on Friday," the Admiral told her forcefully then left. Lund giggled just as the door opened to let him out of the room.

'Ass hole' Lund thought after he left. Admiral Paris hated people he could not control, Lund was neither intimidated by his size nor rank, she had lived far too long. The Admiral had a real problem with immortals because they had lived a long time and even the ones considered to be young were older then him, which made him uneasy. Paris hated Lund, the Klingon Empire recognized her as an honorable warrior, and the Vulcans recognized her for her meditation techniques. Lund decided that she should tell the Captain and Methos about her promotion and new mission, she should probably write the MacLeods and Peter too.

***

'Hey Duncan, Amanda. What's going on? Get this I've been promoted: Lieutenant Commander. I'm also going to be on another mission for a couple of months. I'll be on Earth Wednesday and Thursday, I leave Friday. I'll be there alone Methos does not have shore leave until Sunday. I got to go, Methos doesn't know what's going on yet. I'll see you Wednesday. Can't wait, your friend Lund.'

***

"Lund, why?" Methos whined.

"Because I trust me more then I trust Star Fleet, and if I can help these people I have to try. I understand where they're coming from, and so do you." Lund said shoving various items into a trunk.

"But we've only been talking for five years, Lund."

"I know but the Maquis are right, they smell a war coming. They're only doing Star Fleet a favor; the Cardassians are too occupied with them to get the war moving. Because of the Maquis Star Fleet will be ready, they'll be armed and chasing the Maquis when the Cardassians make their first move, and Star Fleet will only have to divert a few ships."

"Fine," Methos said leaving Lund's bedroom and heading towards his own. Lund packed Thistle and her sickle and several dirks and shut the trunk before Methos came back. "You can't go with out this," Methos told her handing her a small golden locket.

"Oh, Methos, how sweet, I won't take it off." Lund said as Methos fastened the chain around her neck.

"It was for your birthday but you won't be here. I'll go meet your commanding officer now." Methos said picking up Lund's trunk.

Methos walked Lund to the transporter room carrying her trunk. When the siblings entered the transporter room they found the whole senior staff waiting for them, all of them were holding presents. Captain Picard gave Lund a three hundred-year-old hard cover copy of 'War and Peace'; she received a large pot of honey from Dr. Crusher. On top of the presents from the Enterprise crew Lund received a box of gifts from the crew of the Legend. After the brief party Lund and Methos beamed over to Voyager. Once there the Captain greeted them along with Admiral Paris.

"Captain, Admiral," Lund greeted them picking up the two boxes full of presents.

"Captain Janeway I'd like you to meet your negotiation officer Lieutenant Commander Lund Walker, and her older brother Lieutenant Methos Walker."

"Captain Janeway," Lund said shifting the boxes to shake the Captain's hand, Methos shook it after Lund.

"You have quite a lot there," the Captain said to Lund in reference to her luggage.

"Well, what's in the trunk Methos has is the only stuff I've owned for more then ten minutes. I was ambushed by a surprise party in the transporter room." Lund explained.

"I'll show you to your quarters so you can put that stuff down." The Captain said laughing.

++++++

Chapter 1: Secrets, Space, and Midnight Snacks

Voyager, Delta Quadrant: Four years later

Lund filliped and flopped in her bed, she finally threw her covers off and looked at the time. It was twelve o'clock at night and again she could not sleep. This had been going on for several weeks; she was getting just enough sleep that no one would notice. Lund jumped out of bed and pulled on her house coat and leather shoes. Lund then slipped out of her room and made her way to the mess hall. This was becoming a tradition, no one had said anything about the missing food and drink so far, Lund assumed that she was taking too little for any one to notice, which she tried very hard to do. Once in the mess hall Lund ordered the lights on and headed for the fridge. Lund opened the door and stuck her head in.

"Caught you!" a familiar voce called from behind her. Lund screamed and jumped. It was not like Lund to scream but it was better to scream then kill the person that startled you.

"Shit, Neelix, you scared me." Lund said turning around to see the ship's cook glaring at her, Lund thought it fortunate that Neelix could only be mad at anybody on Voyager for all of ten seconds.

"What does 'shit' mean?" Neelix asked cocking his head to one side.

"Never mind, it's a rude word for poop, used in the twentieth century on Earth, I suggest you not repeat it."

Neelix only nodded for a bit then after a moment spoke again. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Getting a snack, I guess that my snacking hasn't gone unnoticed. I'm sorry Neelix." Lund said hanging her head.

"Don't worry about it," Neelix said getting Lund her snack. "What I'm interested in is why you're up so late."

"I don't have problems any different from everybody else on this ship," Lund spat, not meaning to be rude.

"No two people's problems are the same because no two people are the same," Neelix said leading Lund over to a table and pulling out a chair for her. "Now, how long has this been going on?" Neelix asked sitting down himself.

"Since the last mail communication..." Lund choked.

"What was the letter about?" Neelix asked tenderly putting his hand on Lund's.

"It was nothing bad, my brother is getting married, to my best friend, her name is Rebecca."

"Now, now, what's so bad about that that it keeps you up at night?" Neelix patted Lund's hand.

"Nothing, I approve and I'm very happy for them both. The thing is Methos and I had only been on talking terms for five years when I took this mission. Before we had our fight that split us up Methos had a girlfriend, her name was Alexa, and she died a year after they met. I never got to meet her. I just wasn't there. I didn't find out till several years after she died that she even existed. Later we had our fight and didn't talk for several years. Then we started talking and realized how much we missed each other when we got assigned to the same ship by some twist of fate. Five years later I took this mission. Now here we are four years later, in a couple of months they get married, on my birthday. They said they wanted me to be the maid of honor, but they won't put anyone else in my place, Methos will even make sure there is an empty place setting for me next to the Bride at the high table."

"He told you that?" Neelix asked.

"No, but I know him he'll do it."

"You're upset because you'll miss the wedding." Lund only nodded, she was on the verge of tears. "It's okay to be sad," Neelix said gently.

"What kind of a sister am I?" Lund yelled planting her elbows on the table, burying her face in her hands and beginning to cry.

"There, there," Neelix said after rushing over and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"First I don't know about his love, then I walk out of his life, and now I'm missing his wedding." Lund was feeling very alone and helpless at this point and gave herself over to her sobbing.

"Come, come, now. You must love your brother very much, and you miss him a lot. I'm sure he loves you and misses you too. It is that kind of devotion and love that will get this crew back home. For now though, all you can do is cry it out." Lund cried for several more minutes, then sat up and wiped the tears off her face.

"Neelix, has anybody ever told you how sweet you are?" Lund said with a sniffle.

"No, but thank you. Listen any time you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm ready to get mine wet. Or if you need some one to talk to, just come my way." Neelix smiled and Lund smiled back.

"Thank you," Lund said standing up. Lund gave Neelix a quick hug then turned to head for her room. "Thank you," Lund whispered under her breath as she walked a way, "but there are some things about me that no one for seventy thousand light years can understand, and no one must know."

Neelix heard Lund's last statement, but did not ask about it. Something told him that what ever the youthful First Contact Officer was hiding, it was not for him to know just now.

***

When the morning staff meeting came to a close and dispersed Neelix remained behind to talk to the Captain. Captain Janeway was in a particularly good mood this morning, the crew was being good there were no complaints, the ship was running smoothly, on top of that there were a few planets, a nebula, a star, and a comet along Voyager's path that every one wanted to stop for. "What can I help you with Neelix?" Janeway asked cheerfully leaning back in her chair and taking a drink of her coffee.

"Well, I thought you should know I caught the person that's been raiding the fridge at night." Neelix said with worry on his voice the statement Lund made that he was not supposed to have heard still bothered him.

"Who was it?" Janeway asked too cheerful to notice the gloom in Neelix's voice.

"Lieutenant Commander Walker."

"Lund?" Captain Janeway sat up, "that's not like her."

"No, it's not," Neelix confirmed. "Her brother is getting married in a couple of months, on Lund's birthday, she's really upset that she's going to miss it."

"That would upset her, I met her brother when he escorted her on board. They are very close."

"So I gathered last night. I was thinking about throwing her a birthday party, but she rarely comes to the parties. She tends to avoid large groups. She seems withdrawn from the crew as well. Captain that girl has secrets."

"I know Neelix, but I don't really know what to do about it. What ever secrets she has, they do not directly relate to our voyage." Janeway pointed out.

"Captain Janeway, Walker is lonely, and she's going to be lonely for the next seventy years that it takes this ship to get home. I'm not worried about her social life or her duties, I'm worried about how long someone that lonely can stay sane."

Captain Janeway lowered her eyes and thought. Neelix was right seventy years on a ship full of people and still being totally alone would try someone's sanity.

###

Flashback: four years ago prior to Voyager launch

Janeway had seen this coming; Admiral Paris and Lieutenant Commander Walker were trying to stare one another down. The Admiral did not seem to like either of the Walkers. The four of them were in the Lieutenant Commander's quarters, where Lund had just set down her boxes. Paris had started a battle of wits in the hall which, he promptly lost. Lieutenant Walker seemed to be enjoying his little sister's triumph over the Admiral. Janeway took the moment to take the Lieutenant aside; "Admiral Paris doesn't like you or your sister, why not?"

"Because he can't control us and we happen to be in particular favor with the Vulcans and Klingons, don't ask it's a very long story. But Captain," Methos called Janeway's attention back to him, "promise you'll take care of her, she can't be this strong all the time."

"I promise," Janeway said, and she knew by the look in his eyes that the Lieutenant believed her.

###

"I promised I'd take care of her," Janeway finally said.

"Pardon Captain?"

"I promised her brother that I'd take care of her," Janeway started, "Admiral Paris hates her, and she stuck him where she believed he belonged. She's so strong and I never saw that strength falter."

"I did," Neelix said softly, "she cried last night."

"Neelix," Janeway said as she got a flash of inspiration, "Find out what her interests are, then find members of the crew that have the same interests...." Janeway did not get the chance to finish.

"I know exactly what to do Captain!" Neelix said excitedly and ran off.

***

"May I ask where you are going Lieutenant Commander?" Tuvok asked as he fell into stride with the immortal.

"You may," Lund began politely, "I am going to the holo-deck to do my kata and some meditation."

"I have heard about your particular form of meditation and was wondering if you might teach it to me." Tuvok said not bothering to turn his head to look at Lund.

"I would be honored, but you might want to change into something that is easier to move in," Lund said gesturing to her white practice dress that she was wearing.

"Indeed, then I will meet you in the holo-deck in a few moments." Tuvok then disappeared

Lund had only to wait a couple of minutes before Tuvok entered the holo-deck. Tuvok looked around, curious about what the recreation was of. Coming out from behind a column Lund satisfied the Vulcan's curiosity. "This is my brother's program, its a recreation of the temple of Bast that used to be close to Memphis. Follow me." Lund lead Tuvok through the brightly painted blossoming papyrus column forest that was the outer court yard, there was also a wall around the court yard high as the columns, it like the columns was brightly painted with inscriptions. It was night and the stars could be seen above the columns, the courtyard was lit by torches. "How much do you know about Earth's history?"

"I confess I do not know much." Tuvok said as they came to a door, which was just an opening in the brightly painted wall. Lund stopped at the door and turned to Tuvok.

"Memphis was the capital city of ancient Egypt one of Earth's longest lived civilizations, it lasted three thousand years. Bast was a warrior cat goddess, as a warrior she was known as Sekhmet. Bast was also goddess of the hearth. This is one of her smallest temples it has only three court yards, the first one which we just passed through only has sixteen columns." Lund led Tuvok through the door into the second court yard. There were no columns in the second courtyard but very high walls, as high as the papyrus columns of the first court yard surrounded it. The walls were painted with scenes of cats hunting in the marshes by the Nile. In the center of the court yard there was a pond with fish and lotuses in it. In the center of the pond there was a fire in the center of a large stone lotus blossom, it was the only light source in the courtyard. The courtyard was also populated with cats; the cats darted to and fro chasing mice and rats or came to the pond for a drink and fish dinner. "Here is where we meditate."

"It is a well chosen place," Tuvok said looking up at the stars and sliver of a crescent moon.

Lund simply nodded at her companion. "Stretch" Lund told Tuvok as she began to stretch herself. Lund went through various modern stretches such as push-ups and sit-ups and jumping jax, when she was done she turned to Tuvok who was on the other side of the pond. Lund waited until he was finished. "I will begin my kata now," Lund told Tuvok, "I cannot teach it to you, you must watch and copy my movements." Tuvok raised one eyebrow at her. "I learned the kata when I was very young, it has become second nature to me and I never think of the movements, before the end of the kata I will not even be aware I am moving. Once my kata is completed there will be very little that can shake my concentration." Lund then began her kata, it was a mix between what Methos and Chin-Lee had taught her. Tuvok watched and copied her movements very closely; the movements were slow and graceful. When Lund was finished she sat down on the ground her eyes lightly closed. Tuvok went through the kata a few more times before he himself gained the concentration of his companion.

Lund slowly opened her eyes and looked over at Tuvok. "What did you think?" Lund asked in Vulcan.

"I think it is something that requires more then one lesson." Tuvok replied in the same language "I did not know you spoke Vulcan."

"I am a diplomat, I speak many languages, it always impresses someone when you can speak their language. Now," Lund said switching to English, "how about a test of skill? Computer Mac's dojo. How are you with long blades?"

"I consider myself very good, but I will not fight a women." Tuvok said standing up and folding his hands behind his back as the temple and stars disappeared.

"Oh, please! This is the twenty-fourth century for crying out loud. Come on Tuvok I've had to put up with holographic simulations that <I> programmed for the last four years, besides the safety protocols are on."

"I will agree to spar with you but if I win you will teach me the kata better." Tuvok said with no emotion.

"If I win I'll teach you the kata anyway, but you and I become sparring buddies, deal?"

"We have an agreement," Tuvok said before ordering his blade, "computer a modern Vulcan long sword of the Tu'roc variety." As Tuvok said the command the curved blade appeared on the floor in front of him.

"Computer Thistle," Lund commanded and a recreation of her sword appeared on the ground in front of her. "I have many sparing programs, I like to use the same sword. This is a Celtic iron long sword." Lund explained as she picked the sword up. "I am ready when you are." Lund said taking up her stance, "and don't go easy on me compassion is an emotion."

With Lund's words Tuvok took up his starting stance, "ready?" he asked. Lund answered by attacking and startled Tuvok by her sudden movement. Tuvok blocked just in time, but almost fell over in the process. Lund wheeled her sword around tossing it from her right hand to her left behind her back before attacking again, aiming for Tuvok's stomach this time. Tuvok parried the blow and attacked Lund. The fight lasted twenty minutes, Lund wondered what Tuvok would have said if she told him she was going easy, but then if she won too quickly there would be no point, in the Vulcan's mind, in sparring with her again. Lund decided to wait until the Vulcan made a visible mistake, eventually he did and Lund took full advantage of it by disarming and tripping him.

"You are a worthy opponent," Tuvok said picking himself off the floor.

"Ah, but I had two advantages, a sword that I am used to," Lund said thinking of what an understatement that was, "and I have the home front advantage."

"Then next time we will have to spar in a place I know and you do not, but I would not ask you to give up your weapon." Tuvok said bowing.

"Thank you," Lund said bowing to Tuvok, "and tell Mr. Neelix thank you too."

"So you know that Mr. Neelix informed me of your interests."

"I do, I suspect that every one with an interest common to mine will see me with in the next few days." Lund laughed.

"Thank you, you know many things that I would like to learn. Shall we set an appointment?"

"How about every third day, ship's condition and shore leaves depending, same time?"

Tuvok only bowed in agreement, then turned and left.

++++++

Chapter 2: The Innocent

"The planet's atmosphere is nitrogen-oxygen, and almost the entire planet is tropical or sub-tropical except near the extreme poles," Seven reported at the briefing.

"There appears to be no evidence of buildings or other structures on the planet surface," Ensign Kim added.

"Useful compounds?" The Captain asked.

"Copper, tin, gold, diamond, and jade are the only things we won't have to mine for." Chakotay answered.

"We may be able to find some food on the planet surface," Neelix suggested, "we might also use this as a quick break, to get some people out who've been stuck on the ship for a while."

"Point taken Mr. Neelix," The Captain started in her best formal tone, "Lieutenant Paris, Ensign Kim, Chakotay and Lieutenant Commander Walker, will go on the field trip."

"But Captain..." Chakotay started.

"No buts. I don't want us to have a case of depression on this ship and if Lund does not start interacting with the crew more that is exactly what we will have. Walker is interested in anthropology and so are you, any farther questions?"

"No ma'am" Chakotay answered snapping to attention.

***

"Something tells me I have Neelix to thank for this," Lund said to Harry Kim as they walked to the transporter room.

"Yup, I'm supposed to talk to you about music, Tom had dibs of the twentieth century, and Chakotay gets anthropology," Kim told her with a broad smile.

"I must say everyone is going to a load of trouble over nothing."

"Neelix thinks that you're lonely, and that you don't socialize enough, he's got the Captain thinking that you might slip into a depression or worse if you don't open up," Kim told her.

"I do suppose I am anti-social, but I hope that no one expects me to open up too much, the only one in this life I'm an open book to is my brother and I have no intentions of changing that."

"Why not, we could be seventy years getting home?" Kim said cocking his head to one side.

"I'll just say that I had to leave home sooner then I expected and leave it at that."

"For now, but by the end of the year we are going to be best friends." Kim said returning to his smile.

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a threat or a compliment." Lund said looking at Voyager's youngest crewmember.

"A compliment because I will have to spend a lot of time on you," Kim said as they entered the transporter room.

"Could you two be any slower?" Tom Paris joked as the oldest and youngest crewmembers of Voyager came through the door.

"If you wanted us to we could." Lund answered back, joking with the tall blond Lieutenant. Tom Paris was in his late twenties; he was a wise cracking, practical joker with an interest in twentieth century history. Lund often thought of how easily he would have fitted in back then. Tom was the son of Admiral Paris; Tom disliked his father almost as much as Lund did. Tom was a troublemaker but it did not surprise Lund that his best friend was Harry Kim probably the most polite and careful person on Voyager, he certainly had the cleanest record on board the ship. Both Harry and Tom were half a head taller then Lund. Harry was tall dark and handsome, and visibly of oriental decent, hence the last name Kim.

"Let's get going people," Chakotay said as he climbed up onto the transporter pad. The rest of the group obeyed the informal order and climbed up after him. Chakotay nodded at the crewman at the transporter controls, the crewman activated the transporter.

"The Amazon or Thailand?" Lund asked once they rematerialized.

"The Amazon," Tom answered taking off his uniform top. The rest of the landing party followed suit; this left the three guys topless and Lund in a gray standard issue tee shirt. After tucking away their unwanted clothes the team set out. The air was very warm and very wet; everyone's clothes were damp with in a few moments. Each person on the landing party was equipped with tricorders, they scanned what fruits they could as they went along, and picked the edible ones. The fruits fit to eat they put into collapsible transport boxes.

"That's interesting," Lund said after scanning one particular fruit.

"What is it?" Harry asked picking a few fruits off an exotic tree and placing them in a transport box before heading over to Lund.

"There aren't any animals," Lund said looking around puzzled.

"So, we scared them off," Harry said looking around.

"No, we would be more likely to attract animals. Animals are naturally curious, the reason wild animals on Earth stay away from people is because they have evolved to fear humans."

"So maybe the animals are very small," Harry offered.

"Nope, plants evolve with animals to ensure their survival, these fruits are the size of a pineapple. So there has to be an animal around big enough to eat them. And whatever size the herbivores are the carnivores will be big enough to eat them." At that Harry began looking around nervously. "I wouldn't worry about it Harry, they will only kill to eat and I doubt that humans are their natural food source."

"What are you two chatting about over there?" Tom asked as a box disappeared from in front of him.

"Lund is missing the animals," Harry told his friend.

"What animals?" Tom asked.

"Exactly!" Chakotay said coming out from behind a bush where he had been picking fruit. "I was wondering if anyone else would notice."

"No, foot prints, no sounds, no droppings, and no sightings." Lund said, there was an under tone of worry in her voice.

"Well, it is the middle of the day," Harry started looking up at the sun, "maybe everything is sleeping."

"Maybe," Lund echoed not buying the Ensign's explanation. "Speaking of the middle of the day I suggest we find a stream and eat our lunch."

"Good idea," Chakotay cheerfully agreed with the immortal's suggestion.

"Let me just finish this box," Lund said turning back to her fruit, she and Chakotay cut down a few more of the large fruits, Lund used a dirk and Chakotay used a phaser. Meanwhile Tom and Harry went to finish packing Harry's box.

"I think I heard water off in that direction," Chakotay said pointing to indicate the direction after both boxes were beamed up to the ship.

"Follow the leader," Lund said as she made a graceful gesture with her hand to indicate that Chakotay should lead the way.

"Weird," Harry said once they were moving, Lund turned around to see what the matter was. "My fingers are swollen," Harry told her.

"Don't worry about it it's just a reaction to the heat. Mine are puffy too." Lund dropped back to show Harry her fingers, which were quite fat rather then boney as they were on the ship.

"So, Lund what's.... Ooff" Harry started, then tripped over something and crashed to the ground.

Lund dropped to her knees beside Harry, "are you okay?" Lund asked as she helped him into a sitting position.

"I'm fine, what did I trip over?" Harry looked around till he found a root jutting out of the ground. "Stupid place to put a root." Harry said half joking.

"That isn't a root, Harry, that's a bone." Lund informed him pulling out a dermal regenerator.

"How about we move off the skeleton first?" Harry said gesturing to the bones that ran between Lund and himself.

"Let's" Lund said standing up; she then helped Harry up. Lund then used the dermal regenerator to heal his cuts. Then the two shipmates headed after Chakotay and Tom.

***

"Where are they!" Ensign Kim demanded to no one in particular.

"I told you they probably went right at the boulder instead of left. Don't worry they can take care of them selves." Lund said examining some rocks. Lund and Harry had found the stream and eaten their lunch; they had also tried some of the fruit they picked. It had been an hour since Harry fell and they lost the other half of their landing party. Harry and Lund had talked about music while Lund examined some large rocks, which turned out to be diamond. "We should start working anyway." Lund stood up and walked over to the nearest tree with fruits, scanned them with the tricorder, unfolded a transport box and began picking the fruit.

Lund's com-badge beeped at her just as her and Harry finished filling the first box. "Captain Janeway to Lieutenant Commander Walker," Lund heard when she tapped it.

"Walker here," Lund answered looking at Harry.

"The other half of the away team is missing you." The Captain said in an unhappy tone.

"Sorry Captain, Ensign Kim tripped. When we went to follow Chakotay and Tom they were gone," Lund explained.

"Understood, prepare to beam up." As the Captain said this Lund collected up her rocks and hid them in her uniform top.

"We're ready Captain...." Lund broke off as Harry swooned. "Captain Ensign Kim just fainted, beam us directly to sick bay." Lund said as she caught hold of Harry and eased him to the ground.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked as Lund and Harry appeared in sick bay.

"The Ensign fainted," Lund said helping the Doctor move him from the floor to the nearest bio-bed. Lund then handed the Doctor his medical tricorder, which was closer to her.

"Computer seal off sick bay!" The Doctor ordered after a quick scan, the computer beeped in compliance.

"Damn," Lund swore, "how bad is it?"

"I don't know yet. Captain the other members of the away team need to be scanned for a virus."

"Acknowledged Doctor I'll get back to you." Lund and the Doctor waited for several minutes in silence then the Captain called them back. "Nothing Doctor."

"Good," the Doctor said releasing a sigh, "sick bay is off limits Captain. Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Commander Walker have been infected." The Doctor informed Janeway as he ran his tricorder down Lund's body. "The virus is contagious."

"Keep me informed Doctor, Janeway out."

"I can't be infected!" Lund told the Doctor.

"But you are, the only thing is I don't know why you aren't showing any of the symptoms. By all rights you should be on the next bio-bed." The Doctor told her forcefully.

"Is there any way I can help?" Lund asked to Doctor.

"No not yet, you should lie down and get some rest," the Doctor instructed softly. Taking the Doctor's advice Lund ordered a blanket from the replicator then hopped up on the bio-bed next to Harry's. Lund checked the timepiece on the wall she decided to sleep for an hour. Lund fell asleep listening to the Doctor humming.

The Doctor busied himself about Ensign Kim until he saw Lund drift off. Then continuing to hum he prepared a sedative hypo-spray and administered it to the sleeping officer.

Lund opened her eyes and noticed that it was dark. Lund slid off the bed and crashed to the floor. It was then she remembered where she was, she was in sick bay. In the bio-bed beside the one she had fallen asleep on lay a very sick possibly dying Harry Kim. "Computer lights, dim." Lund commanded, as she did a soft gloaming came from the ceiling above her.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked weakly from his bed.

"I'm fine, I just thought the floor was a lot closer then it was. How about you?" Lund asked standing up and walking to Harry's side.

"It hurts a little," Harry said trying to shift his position. "What happened?"

"You fainted before we beamed up, I had us sent directly to sick bay. The Doctor says we've been infected with a contagious virus, sick bay has been sealed off." Lund explained, wishing at this point that she had never unloaded on Neelix.

"Then you should lie down."

"I'm only carrying the virus, I have not experienced the symptoms. You should get some sleep."

"I can't it hurts."

"I'll get you some pain killers and a mild sedative," Lund said as her eyes welled with tears.

"The Doctor will be mad," Harry said as Lund administered the hypo-spray.

"I'll deal with the Doctor," Lund said, "Don't close your eyes yet." Lund then went to the replicator "a large mug of warm milk three quarters full a small bowl of honey and a spoon." Lund came back to Harry after she had mixed and stirred the milk and honey. "You should drink this." Lund said softly helping Harry to sit up.

"What is it?"

"It's an old Earth remedy for sickness along with chicken soup, it's warm milk and honey." Harry gave Lund a curious look, "just drink it Ensign and that's an order."

Harry tried not to laugh; he could not recall Lund ever giving him an order. She always asked, it was times like this Harry could feel just how much everyone on the ship cared for each other. He thought how lonely Lund must be never opening up to anyone, Harry was determined to find out whatever secrets she was hiding. Then he would guard the secrets as closely as his own life. As he finished the milk he reflected on how difficult this was going to be, Lund had been hiding form everyone but her brother for so long it would take something monumental to get her to open up. Maybe if he kept her talking while the Doctor was not around, she might blurt something out if she got comfortable enough. Now he had the perfect opportunity to find out about her, he practically had a monopoly on her time, at least until he recovered. When he was done the milk Lund took the glass to the recycling station. She came back and helped him lie down. Harry closed his eyes, as he did he heard Lund whisper goodnight. He heard Lund hop up on the bio-bed beside his, she then ordered the lights off before beginning to sing softly in a language he could not understand, still the sound of her voice and the song itself were beautiful, he fell asleep listening to the song.

***

Methos and Lund were walking the streets of Paris; it was warm and raining lightly. Earlier Methos had offered Lund his arm now they shared her umbrella. Rain was a good thing in Paris; it tended to keep the more annoying tourists in their hotels. Lund was holding the umbrella and Methos was holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. They were headed towards Alexa's grave. Lund had paid for the flowers this being her first time to see Alexa. It was not long after the ill-fated group trip to Thailand. The two immortals walked silently in the rain, the left the shopping areas. After several hours they came to the cemetery. Methos stepped out from under the umbrella; Lund folded the umbrella up to let the rain fall on her head. Methos would not want the umbrella any more; the rain refreshed, renewed, and made it seem as if the heavens themselves were crying for the loss of Alexa. "I loved her so much," Methos told his sister. Lund put her arm around Methos' waist, even with a steady voice and the rain streaming off his face Lund could tell he was crying. "I only wish you could have met her."

"Some day a very long time from now I will meet her." Methos gave his sister an odd look. "Even immortals have to die someday, and you have to believe there is something after death. Even immortal lives are short compared with true eternity."

"When you meet her I will be there to introduce you."

"The time between us will not be far apart," Lund said. The siblings stood there in silence. Lund was not sure how long they stood there, it could have been a quarter of an hour or it could have been four hours. At one point Methos put his arm around Lund's shoulders. Eventually Methos was ready to leave, with his arm still over her shoulders and her arm still around his waist; they left the graveyard. As they exited the gates Methos stopped to look back, when he did they were attacked. Lund lost sight of Methos as five or six men wrestled her to the ground. Lund saw a flash of blue on the wrists of a number of men, these were Hunters. Once they had her pinned down one appeared over her with a sword. Lund thrashed one last time with all her might. As she did she found herself on the floor in sick bay with the Doctor standing over her.

"Are you all right?" The Doctor asked.

Lund remained silent for a moment; things were coming back to her. It had been three hundred years since that day but the Hunters were never there. After going to see Alexa they returned to their apartment and watched reruns of 'Hogen's Heroes' in German. Lund let out a long sigh; "I'm fine it was just a bad dream. How's Ensign Kim?"

"Not good," the Doctor shook his head as he helped Lund up off the floor. "The virus was dormant but some how got into his blood stream."

"He tripped over some old bones on the planet," Lund offered, "scraped himself up pretty bad, I didn't think it was bad enough that I couldn't handle it."

"You did well, but I'm afraid it won't be worth much in four hours." The Doctor bowed his head sadly. Lund walked over and took Harry's hand. "I found a cure and the rest of the crew is being vaccinated, but he's too far along."

Lund stood silent for a moment looking into the pale face of her friend, Lund caught herself on the thought, and yes Harry was her friend. "I can save him," Lund told the Doctor.

"You know a cure?" the Doctor asked hopefully.

"No, not a cure an alternative to death." Lund looked up at the Doctor who was standing on the other side of Harry's bio-bed.

"Any alternative is a good one," there was a gilt of hope in the hologram's eyes.

"There are two things you need to swear to me before I do anything, first you will not interfere no matter what I do. It may look really bad but I know what I'm doing, okay?"

"I swear on my Hippocratic Oath that I will not interfere."

"There are two more things but they tie in together, one: no calling for help, and two: you will tell no one how he was saved, you will also not record it in your personal log, what I do here now no one must ever know of," Lund instructed firmly.

"What if I need to use the same thing again?" The Doctor asked not at all liking this part of the agreement.

"You won't, Harry Kim is the only person on this ship who can survive what I will do. You will want a full explanation but you and Harry will get it together, there is quite a lot to explain and I don't want to do it twice. Now promise!"

"Yes! Fine! Anything to save his life, just get on with it" the Doctor pleaded.

With the Doctor's word Lund slipped the dirk hidden in her sleeve into her hand and buried it in the young Ensign's chest. "I'm sorry" Lund whispered as she pulled the dirk out.

"What have you done!" The Doctor yelled and went to get his medical tools. Lund chased after the hologram, she turned him around grabbed him by the front of the shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"If you heal that wound the virus will kill him." Lund said as she let the surprised Doctor go.

"If I don't heal it the wound will kill him." The Doctor yelled.

"No it won't, not him, and not me. The virus is in my blood stream remember but I'm not dying."

"What does this have to do with you killing Harry Kim!"

"Everything, and he's not dead, the only thing that can kill him now is if someone cuts his head off." The Doctor only gave her an odd look. "Give me three hours, then you can do what ever you want."

"Three hours," the Doctor said in a warning tone. "Clean that off," the Doctor ordered referring to the dirk.

"He might want to see it, I wanted to see my last mortal blood on the blade that killed me," Lund said remembering that day long ago when her life was changed forever, she even rubbed her back where the killing blow was made all those years ago.

"Last mortal blood?"

"Last mortal blood," Lund nodded then gestured for the Doctor to come closer, Lund slipped another dirk from up her sleeve into her hand. The Doctor gave her a curious look. "Old habits die hard," Lund explained. Then she put her left hand against the wall and slammed the dirk into it. She removed her hand from the wall and grabbed the Doctor's sleeve with her right hand so he would not go get his surgical tools, she then pushed the dirk into her hand more so that the Doctor could see the blade go strait through her hand. "You can get the tricorder and take a reading if you want." The Doctor not meaning to picked up his tricorder and took a reading of the dirk through Lund's hand more as a reflex then an assurance that it was actually there. Lund then pulled the dirk from her hand, in a few seconds the wound was gone with nothing but the dried blood to show for it.

"How?" was the only thing the Doctor could get out as he followed Lund to the washroom where she cleaned off her hands and the dirk.

"I can answer 'what' and 'why' but not 'how'." Lund returned to the spot she had put her hand against the wall and cleaned it off with a cloth. "I'll explain everything when Harry comes to."

Sure enough twenty minutes to the deadline Harry stirred and woke. Lund who was sitting on the bio-bed next to his put down the book she was reading, hopped off the bio-bed and called the Doctor as she proceeded to Harry's side. "How are you feeling?" Lund asked softly, the Doctor was already on the other side of the bio-bed staring down at Harry in amazement.

"My chest hurts," Harry told her.

"It would, anything else?"

"No, but I had a dream that you killed me," there was a confused undercurrent in his voice.

"It was no dream I stabbed you in the heart," Lund reached over and picked up the dirk from its place on the ledge at the head of the bio-bed, Lund showed the bloodstained weapon to its victim.

"Then the Doctor saved me, some cure, but it worked."

"It was not a cure Harry, there was nothing the Doctor could do for you, you were too far gone for saving. It was an alternative, but the Doctor did not touch you, if he did, you would be dead in an hour and twenty minutes."

"I'm confused," Harry said shaking his head, "if the Doctor didn't touch me I should be dead."

"I was wondering when you were going to say that," Lund said smiling softly. "You said you wanted me to open up to you and that we were going to be best friends by the end of the year. Well, you were right, now I tell you everything you want to know. The truth is if you were human, you would be dead."

"What!" Harry and the Doctor said in unison. "But my mom and dad were both human," Harry continued on his own.

"Take it easy, yes your parents would be human, mine were too. You and I Harry are of a race of people who have no origins and have been around as long as modern day humans have existed, we are sired by human parents, unaware of what we really are. We are immortals. My name is not Lund Walker, it is just Lund, I was born in the Highlands of Scotland two thousand two hundred and ninety-nine years ago, my self adopted brother Methos is the oldest of us living still, he is fifty-five hundred."

"This is a little far fetched," Harry said doubtfully.

"Doctor," Lund said handing him the dirk that she put through her hand. The Doctor looked at it for a moment, he knew what he was supposed to do, and after a moment of silence he did it. The Doctor grabbed Harry's hand and shoved the dirk through it; Harry let out a yelp of pain as the Doctor pulled it out. "Look at it," Lund demanded shoving Harry's wounded hand in his face. As Harry looked he saw the wound heal, the Doctor noticed he healed slower then Lund, but decided that was because she was older.

"Immortal?" Harry echoed.

"Immortal," Lund confirmed, "the only way you can die now is if someone cuts off your head. You should not have anything to worry about though, Star Fleet intelligence knows about immortals, they have shown no signs of being hostile towards us, and the game is over for now, but it's unlikely it will ever start up again."

"The 'Game'?" Harry asked.

"The game is the reason that Methos is the oldest of us. Before First Contact all immortals participated in the game. The game was a series of one on one fights to the death between immortals. Some immortals fought to destroy the most evil of our kind who would pray on mortals, others for the prize, I'll explain that in a minute, and others fought for the Quickening, I'll explain that in a minute too. The game had only three rules, 'fighting on holy ground is forbidden', 'the fights must be one on one with no interference', and 'there can be only one'. The prize would be awarded to last one of us living, no one knows what the prize is some believe that it was to rule over humanity, but that became pointless upon First Contact, others believe it is the ability to have children, grow old, and die peacefully. For those who would believe that, the prize was not worth killing for."

"What do you believe?" Harry asked curious, what she believed suddenly mattered to him very much, Lund was his only guide into the New World of immortality.

"I don't know," Lund told him. "The Quickening, is very important," Lund continued. "It is what makes us what we are. When we lose our heads our Quickening goes to the immortal that took the head or if we were not killed by an immortal, to the closest immortal within a certain radius. The Quickening is pure energy and manifests itself as a small concentrated lightning storm, there has not been a Quickening released for almost three hundred years. The only way to see it now is when a severe wound is healing, tiny lightning bolts will appear to mend the wound."

"I have two questions," Harry reported," first how big is the radius and what happens if there is no immortals within it? Second what was the point in killing me with a dagger? No pun intended."

"I don't know how big the radius is, and if there are no immortals around there is no physical manifestation of it and it just disappears. Most immortals are afraid to die with no one to take their Quickening, as long as our Quickenings survive there is part of us that lives still. As for stabbing you, before immortals become immortal we are what are referred to as pre-immortals. Pre-immortals live the same way as mortals, until their First Death is experienced, the First Death must be violent and almost immediate, I'd say not more then twenty-four hours, after that dead is dead. If a First Death is never experienced then the pre-immortal could die from sickness old age or slow acting poisons. Now-a-days pre-immortals are with one exception never brought into immortality, for several reasons. One is that not as many people are murdered now, what violent accidents there are usually blow people to bits beyond hope of returning to life, and the last is that Doctors can usually keep pre-immortals alive long enough to kill them."

"I have a question," the Doctor said after his long silence, "how many immortals are there?"

"About three thousand," Lund answered. "Most are between one and two thousand. Anyone over two thousand is considered an elder and highly respected. Anyone under a thousand is considered a child, but you Harry. You are the youngest of us and the only immortal never to have taken a head, you are the only innocence we have."

"You've decapitated people?" Harry asked, there was a tone of disgust in his voice.

"I have killed many immortals, and mortals. I fought the Romans in the Gaelic Wars, and secretly in the revolution lead by William Wallace. Before William Wallace died I was a warrior first and a Healer second, but after that I was a doctor first and an immortal second. Yes, Doctor, it may surprise you to know that I have been a doctor all my life, my mother was the Healer in my village she taught me healing till I was fifteen then she died. I have medical degrees from the first universities to offer them, most of the time it was necessary to cut my hair short and pose as a boy. In fact until I accepted this mission four years ago I was a doctor, Star Fleet changed my records saying I started at the academy as a doctor but changed my major to politics."

"You mean you have almost twenty-three hundred years of medical experience!" There was a strong light of curiosity in the Doctor's eyes.

"You later, him first," Lund said forcefully.

"How did you know I was a pre-immortal?" Harry asked.

"Can you stand up?" Lund asked, Harry jumped off the bio-bed, he swayed a little but regained his balance on his own. "Go to that end of the room. I'm going to go to the other end, then I'll walk towards you."

"Then what?"

"If the room is big enough you'll see." With that Lund turned and headed towards her end of the room and Harry followed by the Doctor headed to his end of the room. "Ready?" Lund shouted from her end.

"Yep," Harry answered. Harry watched as Lund took a few steps towards him, Harry suddenly felt a buzzing in his head, he put his hands to his temples. The buzzing became a throbbing, when Lund was halfway across the room he could not stand it any more. Harry let out a cry and sunk to his knees holding his head. Lund then rushed across the rest of the room. Lund knelt beside Harry when she reached him.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked. "The tricorder isn't picking up anything."

"It won't. Are you okay Harry?" Lund asked putting her hand on his shoulder. "I guess my presence is a little much for a new immortal."

"I'm fine my head really hurt for a moment there, what was it?"

"It's how we recognize other immortals, and pre-immortals. Pre-immortals can't feel immortals but immortals can feel them. The older the immortal the stronger the presence, don't worry it always hurts the first couple times, soon it will only be a little annoying. It usually takes about fifty years before an immortal can feel a pre-immortal. With you I don't know, I will be the only immortal you feel as long as we're on this ship, and you won't have to take any heads."

"What now?" Harry asked. Lund thought he looked rather like a very lost puppy.

"Now you become my student, it is customary among immortals that when a new immortal appears he or she is taken as a student of an older immortal to be taught how to live and survive as an immortal. You must learn some history, some dead languages, and how to handle a sword. We will also have to find you a kata. I was adopted by Methos and his brother and first student whom is now dead, Kronos for saving Methos' life. Kronos never had any students but it is custom of the family into which I was adopted that the first student of each immortal in the family becomes family. Now stand up little brother you have much to learn." With that Lund pulled Harry to his feet.

"Little brother? I'm your first student?"

"You are, sort of, it's a long story."

"Why do I have to learn dead languages?"

"Because I never met an immortal who could speak less then five Earth based languages. I myself speak over fifty languages some Earth based less then a quarter alien. You will need to communicate with in our family for that you will need Sumerian, Ancient Egyptian, Etruscan, Ancient Greek, and Old Highland Gaelic, my native language."

"But shouldn't your native language been English?" Harry looked puzzled.

"When I was born Harry, English did not exist. Anyway, you will also need German, French, Latin, we can work on Spanish and Italian later, Arabic, and Mandarin."

"That totals nine languages!"

"Yep, and we've got seventy years."

"What happens in ten years when everyone notices we aren't getting any older?"

"Hopefully the Doctor can help us there, in fact now that he knows he has to help us conceal what we are. Immortals are a level seven Star Fleet security clearance."

"There is no such thing as a level seven security clearance, the highest level is six," the Doctor protested.

"There is, a level seven is not necessarily for high ranking offices, it applies to anyone in Star Fleet or that has a home world governed by the Federation. Only four Admirals, two ambassadors, and the President know about immortals. Everyone else who knows is either an immortal, a good enough friend of an immortal to know, and Watchers, most of them are civilians, except for a few friends and the Watchers that followed Methos and me into Star Fleet."

"What are Watchers?" Harry asked.

"Watchers are an organization of men and women who have been watching immortals and recording our lives for over forty-five hundred years. There are no Watchers on Voyager, they used to have to spy on us but now the oath has changed, thanks to dear old Joe Dawson, they now get to interact with us."

"Joe Dawson?"

"A very important person in immortal history. He died back in the early twenty-first century, he was a good friend." Lund smiled remembering the good times at Joe's Bar. "Now Doctor, how about seeing if we're still carrying the virus and reporting to Captain Janeway that Ensign Kim has recovered."

With the request the Doctor scanned both immortals with a tricorder, "the virus is gone." The Doctor tapped his com-badge to contact the Captain.

"Janeway here go ahead Doctor."

"Captain I am pleased to report the quite sudden recovery of Ensign Kim, he is on his feet and doing fine. I am sorry for the worry that I caused by my earlier report. I believe that since the virus had been dormant for so long it was weak and could no longer resist the Ensign's immune system."

"Thank you for the report Doctor, it is a relief to know that Ensign Kim will pull through this after all."

"I would recommend two days before either Walker or Kim return to duties, and three days before one of Mr. Neelix's parties."

"Understood Doctor, when will they be released from sick bay?"

"Right now, the virus had been neutralized."

***

My Dear Brother Methos;

I did get your last letter and wish you all the best. My only regret is that again I am not there for you, and that I will not get a chance to pass on some sisterly advice to Rebecca. I only hope that this journey will not take as long as it's supposed to. I believe I can see two of Neelix's parties coming one for my birthday and your wedding, but also one for Ensign Harry Kim's and my return to heath after being sick. Only Harry was sick but I was carrying the virus. We were stuck in sick bay for over twenty-four hours, though I slept most of the time. Unfortunately Harry was and there was only one way to save him, he is my first, that means there are additions on this side too. I hope no one else reads this, it might give them the wrong idea. Unfortunately I have left my letter writing till the last minute again, I still have Duncan and Amanda, and Peter to write. I wish you well, and all the best, tell Rebecca that I warmly welcome her to the family.

With Love, Your Sister

Lund

***

++++++

Chapter 3: Spin Control

***

My Dear Sister Lund

I only had an hour to write this, but I felt I needed to reply to your letter. I thank you for you blessings on my up coming marriage, you will have to start writing Rebecca every month instead of every third month, she is family now. Tell this Harry to start writing me. Just remember new ones mean you need to hike up you damage control. I was pushing to pull the cloth off, I guess now I'll have to push harder. Hopefully it'll be out before you get home. Love you miss you, bye.

Your Brother

Methos

***

"sen-i iahw, Tom khenty khnems." Harry struggled with the words.

"My brother is old, Tom is my best friend? No, it's; seni iahw, Tom khnety khenems." Lund corrected.

"seni iahw, Tom khnety khenems. Can we do German now, it's easier?"

"No lesson is over for today, we'll do German tomorrow. You have lots of time to learn. But Egyptian is a must or you'll never be able to keep up with Methos and me once Rebecca dies."

"You keep talking about it like it'll happen any minute, they aren't even married yet," Harry said sounding very angry.

"She's a good friend, but mortals die Harry. I'm over two thousand years old, when I was young people lived short lives, till fifty or sixty, in the middle ages the numbers dropped fifty-five was good and old, things change and now mortals are living a hundred years on a regular basis and their lives are still short. Harry I perceive a century the same way you perceive a year. Immortality does have its draw backs."

"Watching everyone you love die! I'd say draw back is an understatement!" Harry yelled.

"At least you'll have your civilization for the next two centuries! The rest of us are living in an alien civilization in a strange time when nothing we were taught has any grounds! Damn it, Harry Methos can't even remember his time! You have two very important things, your life and your time, be grateful!" Lund yelled back at Harry.

"I'm sorry," the new immortal said hanging his head, "I had no idea. This is all so overwhelming."

"It's okay," Lund said softly putting her hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know what you're going through, I was young too, it was a very long time ago but I still remember the confusion. Becoming immortal takes a lot out of a person. I would not have made you one of us if I thought you couldn't handle it. You are one of the lucky ones. I was buried after my First Death; it was almost two weeks before my teacher Chin-Lee dug me up. We had better go now we'll both be late for our shifts."

"Hold that terbo-lift," Tom called to Harry from down the hall.

"I'm not going anywhere," the young immortal reassured.

"Thanks," Tom said once inside the terbo-lift. "I'm wondering about you Harry, you've been spending a lot of time with Lund."

"So what are you wondering?" Harry asked but he already knew what was coming.

"I'm wondering how a guy like you gets a girl like that."

"It's real easy Tom, I just asked her to teach me German and fencing."

"What?" Tom asked turning to look at his friend.

"Lund and I are not together, she is teaching me German and fencing. You can come if you're interested."

"One question, what's fencing?"

"She is teaching me how to use a sword but the class comes with meditation, Tuvok comes every third day. First we meditate; using the kata method Lund is teaching both Tuvok and me. After that Tuvok and Lund spar, Tuvok loses every time."

An evil smile drew itself across Tom's face. "Every time?" Harry only nodded. "How many people will she teach?"

"Twelve." Harry said as the terbo-lift stopped.

"When does Tuvok come next?"

"Tomorrow." Harry said and headed to his station.

***

Tuvok looked at the screen in disbelief; he had been working on this in private since his first session with Lund four weeks ago, now he found what he had been looking for. The Doctor on the Excellciar, Dr. Lilly Foster had the same face and DNA as Lund, but she was not the only one, there were two before her and one after, spanning two hundred years. She appeared every fifty years was around for thirty then disappeared for twenty years, except for the last time she had been around for a little more then ten years before disappearing just in time for Lund Walker to show up. That was not all though there were other pictures from before Earth's Third World War and from the war itself, she had been a famous Doctor in that war and in the other wars before it. There were hundreds of pictures of her some were even painting form before Earth became industrialized, there was no way Lund was under a thousand years old. Tuvok transferred his findings to a pad and started for the bridge.

As he came onto the bridge he heard Harry and Tom tossing a joke, he ignored them and headed for the Captain's chair where Janeway was seated. "Captain Janeway I have a matter of importance I wish to discuss with you in private if you please."

"Certainly Tuvok," the Captain said and lead Tuvok to her ready room. "What is it?" she asked once the doors closed behind her.

"Lieutenant Commander Lund Walker is not what she seems." Tuvok passed the pad with the pictures; "those pictures show that she has been alive for at least two hundred years, from Star Fleet records. But if one would believe the pictures as well as the DNA matches she has been alive for more then a millennia."

"Tuvok send for Lund." Janeway ordered mesmerized by the pictures. "How did you find this out?" Janeway asked after Tuvok had followed her order.

"When she taught me the kata she spoke in Vulcan and said something about being a diplomat. It triggered a memory I could not quite place. I found it, the exact same thing was said to me by Dr. Lilly Foster aboard the Excelsior. I found the other pictures by accident."

"You called for me Captain?" Lund asked coming through the door.

"I did, explain these." The Captain ordered passing Lund the pad with the pictures.

Lund paled when she saw them, 'not good' she told herself hoping the Captain and Tuvok did not see her pale. "Neat," Lund said collecting herself again, "these all look like me."

"They all are you," Tuvok corrected.

"What are you?" Janeway demanded.

"What do you want from me? I was born and raised in Scotland, Earth. Both my parents were human."

"Don't lie to me Walker!" Janeway said getting angry.

"I'm not lying to you and I never have lied to you. Earth is as much my home as it is yours. If you flip a coin long enough it will eventually land on its side."

The Captain just shook her head, "Tuvok take her to the brig, she can stay there until she's ready to tell the truth."

With that Tuvok grabbed Lund's elbow and hulled her out of the room onto the bridge and down to the brig.

***

After his shift Harry Kim headed down to sick bay to see the Doctor. Seeing his teacher and now older sister hulled off to the brig was somewhat less then inspiring, it lead him to wonder what would happen if they found out about <him>. Memories of what had happened in Fairhaven came to him. The Doctor was by no means an expert on this particular problem, but until Lund told them otherwise Harry decided that he better remind the Doctor to keep his mouth shut. "Doctor," Harry called as he entered sick bay.

"I was wondering when you'd show up Ensign, I heard about Lund."

"Yeah, well I still have to figure out how much the Captain knows."

"All she's got are some very convincing pictures, enough for them to figure her at a thousand. Captain Janeway is getting me to go through Lund's medical records."

"And?"

"It looks like you people were built to hide, other then being textbook specimens you look like normal mortal humans. What should we do?"

"Keep our mouths shut and try to stick close to the truth as we can, we do nothing until Lund gives the word."

"I don't want to lie to the Captain."

"Then don't, you said yourself that Lund and I looked human. Could the scans have been forged?"

"Not a chance," the Doctor gestured with his hand.

"What about the virus I had is there a chance that it could be carried by a human."

"Yes, the chance is not big, about one in two thousand, but those aren't impossible odds either."

"See all you have to do is tell the truth. I'm sure that the Captain doesn't suspect me yet."

"That'll be all Mr. Kim," the Doctor said as the Captain came in, "I just wanted to give you one last check. You've made a complete recovery. You won't need to be back until physicals, yours is in four months."

"Thanks Doc," Harry said following the Doctor's lead.

"Doctor, you looked up Walker's medical files?" Janeway asked.

"I did," the Doctor answered, "there is nothing unusual about them. Lund's in good heath for her age, and the virus has been eliminated by her immune system."

"The scans weren't forged?" Janeway demanded.

"No a chance, Ive looked at all her medical scans and transporter logs. Perfectly normal!" The Doctor cheerfully informed the Captain.

"Something doesn't add up," Janeway muttered to herself.

"Uh, Captain Janeway," Harry interrupted Janeway's train of thought, "may I go see her?"

"Who?" Janeway asked shaking her head as if she was shaking off sleep.

"Lieutenant Commander Walker," Harry answered.

"Oh, right, sure," the Captain said not really paying attention to the young immortal.

Harry got out of sick bay as fast as he could trying not to attract attention, so as Janeway would not be able to notify him if she changed her mind or thought about the question. Harry headed to the brig at a normal walking pace any faster might attract attention. It was too late to really worry about that though, sticking so close after coming out of sick bay attracted attention as Harry was informed of when he talked to Tom in the terbo-lift. Harry took the nearest terbo-lift down to the level of the brig, and then headed down the hall to his destination, as he got closer to the brig he felt the buzzing in his head. Harry put one of his hands to his temple and rubbed it in a circular motion. Feeling Lund still hurt a little; Harry took a moment to try to figure out what Methos might feel like. Harry shook off the thoughts, he was never going to get used to this. He laughed out loud at himself for the thought, when something told him that Lund had probably once thought the same thing. The buzz grew as he approached the brig, then stopped when he stepped through the doorway and saw Lund. "You can go," Harry told the crewman at the guard station. Harry watched the guard go then locked the door, froze the internal sensors and shut down the force field for Lund's cell.

"How's it going out there?" Lund asked from her bunk.

"Not the best, the Doctor is keeping his mouth shut until you say otherwise." Harry said walking over and setting himself on the stool across from the bunk.

"I hope no one's waiting for me to say otherwise or you'll be waiting along time, Janeway can't keep me in here all the way home. What is it about gray prisons anyway, that is an ancient trend that never seems to go out, everyone has gray prisons." Lund said smiling softly remembering all the times she was rescued or had to rescue someone from gray makeshift basement prisons.

"The Captain only wants the truth..." Harry tried.

"If I tell the Captain the whole senior staff will have to know, then it'll leak around the ship. No, if people are going to find out about me it'll be on my terms, and no one else's."

"It's me we're talking about too Lund."

"Yes, I know, but there are three thousand immortals back on Earth and I can't ensure the silence of a hundred and fifty-three people. Remember what happened with Fairhaven?"

"Yes, but it's not the same."

"It is the same, Harry! It will always be the same!" Lund jumped off the bed onto her feet.

"What are you afraid of?" Harry asked softly tilting his head to one side.

"Everything! Hunters, experimentation, dying, torture, slavery!"

"We are a civilized species, and I don't think you have to worry about Hunters."

"Not Hunters, Watcher Hunters. They were a group of renegade Watchers that killed immortals."

"People have changed, since then Lund."

"People never change!"

"This crew is our family, we can trust them."

"No," Lund shook her head; "this crew is not my family nor yours as of three weeks ago. We are immortals the only families we can depend on are each other. You and Methos are all I have, and Methos is on the other side of the Galaxy. Methos tried to show us to the world, because his will to hide no longer cancels out the fear of exposure."

"Why are you so scared?"

"Do you have any idea how old I am?"

"Youre two...."

"For two thousand two hundred and eighty-two years I have been living in fear of mortals. I was a women to the Celts, but I'm a girl, a child."

"I guess we'll just have to wait till this blows over then, I'll tell the Doctor. I better go before someone starts wondering about me."

"Bye little brother." Lund said giving him a hug.

Harry stood up after the hug and went back to the controls at the guard station. He fixed the sensors and put the force field back up, then unlocked the door and left the older immortal with her guard.

***

Harry was glad for his early wake up call the next morning; Lund had successfully projected her fears onto him. Harry had been dreaming about him and his sister being burnt at the stake by the Voyager crew, lead by Captain Janeway, with Tom, Neelix and the Doctor restrained but trying to help them. On his way to the bridge Harry wondered if there was something else behind the friendly eyes of the people he met on his way to the bridge. Harry was even more nervous once he got to the bridge. Would he receive such a friendly 'good morning' from Janeway if she knew the truth, or did she know already? Was she trying to lull him into a false sense of security only to pounce when she was ready? Harry felt a good deal safer once Tom appeared. Tom would be his friend no matter what he was. Harry promised right then and there to himself that Tom would know what he was as soon as he figured it out himself. Lund had said that telling a mortal you are immortal and how to kill you is the highest mark of friendship you can bestow on them. Tom deserved that much from him. A soft beeping and a flashing light on his control consul took him away from his thoughts. "Captain, we're being haled."

"On screen Ensign," Janeway commanded.

Harry obeyed the order. The aliens that appeared on the screen were human looking except for their colouring, they were blue or green or teal. Their hair was blue or green or teal or purple or white or black, and all their eyes were black, there seemed to be no distinction between the purple and the iris, if there was an iris. One alien in the center of the screen was wearing silver uniform, the rest were wearing gold uniforms, and it was the alien in the sliver uniform that spoke.

"I am Captain Kertu of the Starship Guardian. You have entered Krilt space. State your business." The alien in the silver uniform spoke with an air of authority.

"I am Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyager. I would like to respectfully request passage through your space."

"Why?" Captain Kertu demanded.

"We are a very long way from home, we are from a planet called Earth in the Alpha Quadrant. We would go around your space but it would take an extra year, to do so. We will abide by your laws and any regulations you set down for us."

"If you will give me a moment I will have to speak to my superiors," Kertu said gracefully, "I will hale you when hey have reached an answer, but for now kindly leave your shields down and weapons off line."

"Certainly," Janeway said with a slight bow of thanks. At that point the screen switched form the aliens to their ship and the stars beyond. "Cross your fingers," Janeway told the bridge crew cheerfully.

While Harry waited for the aliens to call them back he went through some readings in German that Lund had assigned to him. After about half an hour the alien ship haled them again, Harry informed the Captain and she told him to put it 'on screen' again.

"Captain Janeway, you may plot a direct course through our space, you may not exceed warp five. My superiors would allow you to go faster if you would like to initiate a formal First Contact at our home-world, then we will allow you to go at your maximum warp." Captain Kertu informed Janeway.

"We would be delighted to initiate a formal First Contact."

"Excellent, I'm sending the course to you. Ambassadors from our home world will greet you once you arrive there. Perhaps you would stay several weeks, my ship goes in two weeks I would like to speak with you in person Captain Janeway."

"I'm sure we can spare the time, and my crew needs a break."

"Then I'll see you on Theon Captain."

"It will be my pleasure."

"You best get going Captain, my people are expecting you." Kertu said cheerfully with a wide smile.

"Thank you very much, and good-bye."

"No thank you Captain we never get travelers from so far away. I hope to see you soon, good-bye." On that friendly note the screen again switched to the alien ship. Janeway had Tom immediately lay in the course then called a staff meeting.

***

With Lund in the brig Captain Janeway chose Harry and Tom to assist Neelix and by this time the entire crew had heard of Lund's imprisonment. In fact it was top gossip on the ship and it made Harry very uncomfortable, one slip up was all it took, Harry was grateful that the Doctor was on his side. On day after business had been concluded between Harry, Tom and Neelix they fell to talking about the reasons for Lund's captivity.

"The Captain hasn't told anyone why Lund was arrested," Tom stated answering Neelix's question.

"But rumors have been flying around," Harry said trying to seem like he new as little as they did, "if the ship went that fast we might be home by now." The comment got wide smiles out of Neelix and Tom.

"Some people are saying that she's some kind of strange Delta Quadrant being, but I've never seen anything that looks THAT human," Neelix commented.

"She can't be from the Delta Quadrant!" Harry insisted, "she came with us from Earth and she had a brother back home."

"True," Tom started, "but it could be something like the Silver Blood."

"It could be," Harry lied.

"Tuvok must have been the cause of her arrest," Tom added. "He talked to the Captain in her office just before Lund was dragged in."

"I've already tried to talk to Tuvok," Neelix said, "he won't say a thing."

"Has anyone tried asking Captain Janeway?" Harry asked.

"Chakotay tried," Tom answered, "it really must be something because Janeway wouldn't tell Chakotay anything! I was actually wondering if you knew, you've been spending an awful lot of time with her since you came out of sick-bay."

"I keep telling you," Harry said somewhat annoyed, "I got her to open up. I was trying to make her more social, it was working. Wasn't it Neelix?"

"I did see some changes in her behavior, I thought that she might actually start coming to my parties."

"See!" Harry said in an I-told-you-so tone. What Harry did not say was that the only reason that she would start coming to parties would be to keep an eye on him.

"I don't want to say anything I can be hanged for," Tom said in a whisper leaning closer to is companions, Neelix and Harry leaned forwards too. "But, I don't think what ever Lund is in the brig for that she would endanger the crew. I really believe that the Captain made a bad call locking her up and not telling anyone why. Even if she's not the real Lund, she wants to get back home as much as the rest of us."

"I hate to question the Captain," Neelix said still in a whisper, "but I think you're right Tom."

Harry in this serious moment fought to keep from smiling he now knew whom he could turn to for sure if he was ever discovered. It also seemed to Harry that Neelix had guessed something earlier about Lund, and was hiding what he knew or thought he knew.

***

Neelix carried the tray of food down the hall to the brig, he wondered for a moment if he really needed to do this; Lund had hardly eaten a bite since she has been put in the brig. Something was wrong, and Neelix felt it, even though Lund seemed to accept the punishment. As Neelix entered the brig he saw Lund put down the book she was reading. Lund had taken to wearing her supply of white dresses in the brig and seemed quite relaxed in them. Neelix told the guard that he could go. After the guard left Neelix locked the door and turned off the audio sensors and the force field. "And how are you doing today?" Neelix asked bringing the food tray over and setting it on the table in the cell.

"I'm quite well," Lund answered almost cheerfully, "a little suffocated but no worse for the wear. Though I doubt that I could be much more worn."

Neelix understood that there was a private joke in the statement but decided to ignore it and move on. "I think you are a little worse for the wear!" Neelix replied, "you almost haven't touched your breakfast."

"It has no taste," Lund shrugged. "It's not your cooking Neelix," Lund recovered quickly not intending to insult her friend. "I'm afraid it's me, I don't do well in captivity."

"How do you mean?" Neelix asked.

"I'm claustrophobic, but at least I'm not underground, although with no windows it might be. I have to keep telling myself that I'm on a starship, to keep from flipping out." Lund smiled.

"I'm sure I can get you moved back to your quarters, then you'll have a window," Neelix offered.

"No, I'll be fine, I've been in tougher spots."

"Let me guess, you just can't think of any?"

"Actually I can think of lots, but I've never been in a spot anything like this."

"I don't suppose that you'd want to talk about those tougher spots?"

"No," Lund laughed, "I would not. I'm sorry Neelix I'd rather not tell you at all then lie."

"I understand," Neelix said. "The Captain seems to be keeping a few secrets herself. She won't even tell Chakotay why you're in here, the gossip is really flying out there!"

"I shouldn't wonder. But don't tell me, I abhor gossip. I would like to know if Harry is keeping up his German?"

"He is, and he is very good at it. Speaking of language what book are you reading?"

"It's called the Iliad."

"What's it about?"

"Well, it's a famous piece by a man called Homer who lived in the Greek civilization on Earth. It's about a famous war called the Trojan War."

"War is not a good thing to keep in your mind."

"War has never been pretty, even on Earth, but in the time of the Greeks men fought with swords and spears in hand to hand combat. I'm not saying war was good back then but we would have been much better off had was stayed in the pre-industrial era when concerning war. Besides it isn't all about war, it's about being human, and how even beings of great power like the Greek gods of old could be petty. There is a warning about being vain in this book if you know how to read it. Truth is half the crew couldnt read it, it's written in old English."

"You make it sound like an excellent book, and it looks well read."

"I've read it many times, I knew the story before I read it."

"Then what's the point of reading?"

"For fun, for a good story. If you want I have a standard copy in my quarters, it's not as elegant but it gets the same points across, you can borrow it."

"I think I'll do that, but I better go I have to start lunch for the rest of the crew."

"I'll see you later Neelix."

"Till dinner," Neelix said then took up the breakfast try, put down the force field, turned on the audio sensors and left.

***

Harry smiled widely as he shook the hands of some Kriltian officials; it had taken them two days to get here. Harry was especially exited as this was his first away mission as an immortal, his last away mission almost a month ago now had made him what he was. Harry had never been able to think that it was Lund that had made him immortal, she was after all the one who stabbed him, he would always think of the away mission as what made him immortal. He had even got to talk to Lund before he left; Neelix who kept her well fed had let him take a snack to her. Harry felt a little worried about Lund now seeing as Neelix was on the planet with him. Neelix had left Naomi in charge of feeding Lund. For a moment Harry pictured Naomi heading through the halls of Voyager with a tray of food in her hands, Naomi would not accept any help either she would insist on bringing the food to Lund herself. It would be a special treat for Lund too, Lund loved children, Harry suspected that it had something to do with the fact that Lund could not have children herself. Harry however was not the only one excited about the away mission, Tom was exited too he rarely got to do any diplomatic work.

The first thing Harry, Tom and Neelix were shown was a museum dedicated to early space expeditions of the Krilt. Tom enlightened the Krilt about the earliest human space explorations in the twentieth century. The Krilt and Neelix seemed especially interested in the space race between the Russians and the Americans in the latter part of the twentieth century. Harry told the Krilt about the first warp engine and the formation of Star Fleet and the United Federation of Planets. Neelix added comments whenever he could think of something pertaining to the present subject. After the museum the Krilt officials told the away team that they would go to the government buildings, which were on the out skirts of the city.

The buildings were white and the architecture was beautiful, there were people everywhere. Harry, Tom and Neelix were lead to the nearest building. Inside the doors there was a short white dead-end hall. The away team did not react fast enough for them to escape the doors, which were locked behind them. Their escorts drew phasers. "What's this about?" Tom asked automatically raising his hands.

"This is about your technology," their blue skinned escort Ku'rat told them. "Kill them." Ku'rat ordered the other two Krilt.

As they raised their weapons Harry charged all three Krilt, taking several hits from the phasers he still managed to knock all thee down. There were some wild shots that blew holes in the walls and ceiling and scattered large pieces of shrapnel. Tom knocked out one of the Krilt, while Harry knocked out another, and Neelix called to Voyager for help. Just as Tom finished knocking out his Krilt Ku'rat came up behind Harry with a long piece of shrapnel. Tom yelled but it was too late, Harry turned to respond to Tom, when he did Ku'rat rammed Harry in the stomach with the shrapnel. Tom then shot Ku'rat with his own phaser, then rushed over to Harry.

"What were you thinking?" Tom asked kneeling beside his dying friend.

"I'll live," Harry told him. "You have to pull the shrapnel out," Harry said coughing up blood.

Tom did as he was told, Harry passed out as the shrapnel came out. "Away team to Voyager," Tom tapped his com-badge.

"Voyager, go ahead," Tuvok answered.

"We need you to beam us directly to sick bay Harry's been hurt." Tom never got a reply, but the three of them were beamed directly to sick bay.

"Help me get him on the bed" the Doctor ordered Tom and Neelix as they materialized in sick bay with Harry. Once up on the surgery bed the Doctor took a good look at Harry's wounds, they consisted of a number of phaser burns and one large hole through his gut. If it were any one else the Doctor would have given them up for dead. Harry was immortal though and even if he looked like a human from the biological standpoint he was not, the only authority in this case was Lund. So the Doctor called the brig on his com-badge, "Doctor to the brig."

"Ensign Peterson, what do you need Doctor?"

"I am going to beam Lund to sick bay I need her," the Doctor did not wait for a reply instead called the transporter room and had Lund beamed directly to sick bay.

"Oh gods!" was Lund's expression as she took in the scene. She rushed over to Harry on the surgery bed and took his hand. "Are you alright?" Lund asked in a very worried tone.

"It hurts, but other then that I'm fine," Harry informed his sister weakly. "We were attacked. They were going to kill us. I guess I messed up didn't I?"

"No, no you didn't," Lund said gently. "Our secret is not worth lives, you saved Tom and Neelix, they are unharmed. You have put this on your own terms, remember what I said about that?"

"I remember." Harry paused and coughed up some blood. "Are you still scared?"

"Yes, but Methos told me once that if immortals were able to evolve out of the game maybe mortals can except us."

"Hey, we're out here discovering things about the Delta Quadrant, maybe it's time to discover something about what we're heading back to."

"That is a very good idea." Lund was about to continue but Harry choked up more blood so Lund changed the subject. "You need to relax and let go, it is time for you to die now."

"I can't relax...."

"Let me guess," Lund cut her little brother off, "there is something telling you to hang on to life with all you have. You are immortal you will revive, but to heal you must die. I know it is not that easy, but if I break you neck there will be no way for you to struggle for what you have already lost, life is pain for you now it will no longer hurt when you wake."

"Break it!" Harry ordered. Lund then let go of his hand and moved around to the front of the bed. Lund put her hands in position and quickly twisted.

"Security!" Captain Janeway yelled, she had come in sometime when Lund was talking to Harry, Lund neither saw nor heard her come in.

"Computer Emergency Force field 'I'," the Doctor yelled before the security crewmen could get close. Lund gave the Doctor a curious look. "I programmed it after, I thought it might come in handy," he said shortly.

"Get that force field down Tuvok," Janeway ordered.

"Don't bother," the Doctor started, "there are only three people on this ship that can bring that force field down and all of them are on this side of it."

"Why are you protecting her Doctor?" Janeway gestured at Lund. "She just killed Ensign Kim."

"Tell me Captain, is it possible to kill the same person twice?" the Doctor asked.

"What are you talking about?" Janeway demanded.

"What indeed," was the Doctor's reply.

This turned Janeway's attention to Lund. "What are you?" she demanded. Instead of answering right away Lund in one graceful gesture undid the large bun which she always kept her hair up in. With the movement Lund's strait red hair came tumbling down over her shoulders down to her waist. But there were more changes the hairstyle, Lund suddenly seemed to stand out, like this was not where she belonged, and the white dress that seemed odd just a moment before suddenly seemed become her. There was also a different air about her, one of dignity, similar to the type that older Vulcans had about them, but it was a sad dignity rather then emotionless. Lund's features also smoothed out so she looked younger, barely twenty. Her eyes Janeway recognized, they were similar to the eyes of a long lived species that had spent too much time on Earth, or of someone who had survived a tragedy in which everyone else around them died.

When Lund spoke there was a thick Scottish accent in her voice. "I must, Captain, keep my tongue still on that matter. For the devices by which we have come to this stand off here and now are not my own devices but the devices of the young Harry Kim"

Janeway rubbed her temples confused, if she did not know better she would have assumed that she was no longer speaking to the same person who she saw comforting Harry Kim only moments ago. "You're saying that you can't tell me what you are because Ensign Kim revealed you?"

Lund threw her head back and laughed at Janeway's question. "By the way you speak, Captain, one might think me difficult to comprehend."

"You are difficult to understand! Talk normally!" Janeway ordered.

"Normally, Captain? You must then tell me what exactly you consider normal. I could, Captain, speak my native tongue Gaelic, which is quite normal for me, but I am unaware of any knowledge which you may have of that particular tongue."

"I demand to know what you are as Captain of this ship!"

Lund threw her head back once again and laughed. "I shan't beg your pardon on this, but, Captain. You have not the right to ask that of me."

"I am the Captain of this ship that gives me the right!"

"NO!" Lund yelled stepping forward. "No, you have no rights to know what I am on that ground. Other commanding officers, crewmates, fellow warriors, friends, they never knew, tell me now what gives you the right to know?"

"I have the right to know because this is a Federation ship and you are not a species under the Federation!"

"I never lied to you Captain, I never told you I was human. I did have human parents and I was born on Earth. In fact we are indigenous to Earth. I have more right to be on this ship then anyone here! Be patient Katherine, in two hours you will know what you wish to know." No one spoke now. It was evident now to everyone in the room that Lund was far more powerful then Janeway. All of Janeway's power lies in her title and last name, when Lund used the Captain's first name the power balance was destroyed.

"Captain?" Tuvok asked returning his Captain some of her power.

"Two hours," Janeway said submitting to the more powerful will of Lund.

"Captain, that is illogical, all we need to is cut power from sick bay..." Seven attempted. Janeway had not even noticed the Borg women until now.

"Two hours!" Janeway repeated more forcefully turning around to face Seven.

"She killed Harry and reprogrammed the Doctor!" Tom yelled.

"I will do what is best for Harry Tom, in two hours you will see that," Lund said in a tone that ended all conversation. Lund then backed away from the force field and leaned over Harry on the bed. The Doctor had provided two wash clothes a large bowl of water and a towel; Lund used these to clean Harry up. It was quite evident by the conversation that no one had heard her conversation with Harry, except for maybe Neelix, he had not said anything. Continuing to clean off Harry Lund addressed Neelix. "Neelix, why have you remained silent?"

"Because," Neelix began, "there are some things about you that no one for seventy thousand light-years can understand and no one must know."

Lund made no reply; she only turned her head to look at Neelix and nodded. Then she turned back to Harry.

At half an hour to the deadline Janeway called Chakotay down, now the entire senior staff was there, and at five minutes to the two-hour mark Harry gasped for his first breath of new life. Lund turned Harry onto his side and he promptly choked up more blood. After some coughing and sputtering Harry took a few deep breaths and sat up, "do you ever get used to it?"

"It takes a while." Lund smiled then gestured to the people on the other side of the force field. "But right now you have some explaining to do little brother. This is a very important lesson, most students must learn it on their own, but I will be here if you need any help. Doctor the force field."

"Computer lower force field," the Doctor commanded, the command was rewarded with a beep and a flash of blue light from where the force field was as it came down. When it came down the only one in the gaping crowed who could move was Tom, Tom arrived at his friend's side as he hopped off the bed.

"I can explain," Harry told Tom, "I was going to tell you but I'm not even sure how to explain it to myself let alone someone else. Truth is that Lund did me a favor by breaking my neck, I was in a lot of pain. I needed to die to heal but there is so much of me that is still mortal, and I was holding on to life as hard as I could, Lund saved me a lot of pain. This isn't the only time she's killed me though," Harry then recounted what happened in sick bay when he was dying due to the virus and Lund stabbed him.

"I still don't understand," Janeway commented when Harry finished.

"I suppose I wasn't too clear, and that's why I haven't said anything to Tom yet. I don't know what I am!" Harry said frustrated, he hopped back up onto the bed not knowing what to do.

"Take it easy," Lund said putting a hand on his shoulder. "We are known as immortals."

"Immortals, so Harry is an immortal?" Tom asked.

"Yes, but not just any immortal, the youngest and first immortal to appear since the creation of the Federation." Lund looked around at the confused faces, Harry had told his story but did not include an explanation of immortals and pre-immortals although he did stress the fact that he did not know what he was. "At any given time," Lund continued, "there are one thousand pre-immortals, now pre-immortals are not distinguishable from regular mortals and do not know what they can become, they live grow old, get sick and die like normal mortals, unless they die violently and instantly. That is when immortality is triggered, when a pre-immortal becomes an immortal they stop aging and cannot die, except when beheaded."

"I understand now... I think." Tom said, "but why did you call him little brother?"

"I won't go in to any details, but you all know I have a brother Methos, now immortals can't have kids, our parents are mortals, most of us believe that immortality is a genetic mutation. Anyway, sometimes to keep the road from becoming too lonely you create a family either by marrying another immortal, or by adopting other immortals as siblings. Methos adopted me, I had three other brothers at one time but all are now dead. It is customary in our family to adopt our first students as siblings. Harry is my first student."

"May I inquire what makes Ensign Kim your student?" Seven asked raising an eyebrow at Lund.

"It is customary among immortals for older immortals to take in new immortals to teach them how to survive in the world, as immortals and as part of the now extinct Game." Lund realized after a short pause and as Chakotay began to open his mouth that she had not explained herself well enough. "The late Game is not something you need to know about suffice to say that it didn't matter after First Contact."

"This is confusing," Tom said rubbing his forehead.

"Try finding out your immortal!" Harry said.

"I pity you buddy," Tom slapped Harry one the back.

"You look more confused then anyone else Chakotay. I should think you understand this better then anyone, your people had many legends about us. I ran in to quite a lot of trouble with them." Lund said moving away from Harry towards the First Officer.

"The Elders used to tell tales of a race of warrior men and women who fought an eternal war over who would win humanity. A tale favored by the women of my tribe was one on an immortal warrior girl with hair of flames who came from far across the seas to save us from an immortal man come from the north to destroy our people for those that brought him up." Chakotay looked up at Lund. "Were they speaking of you?"

"They were," Lund nodded. "I had come to the New World for the first time, unfortunately I was robbed and shot within four hours of arriving. I fled into the woods and was there some months before an elder of your people recognized me as an immortal. He asked me if I would except the hospitality of his village, I accepted, I felt I needed to find out how immortals came to be known in the New World. All I found out was that there were legends of us and that the Elders could tell us by our eyes. Your people treated me no different from one of their own, and I did not have to hide, so I stayed with them and for thirty years lived in peace. An immortal came, he was only about a hundred, he came from one of the tribes in the north and his mission was to destroy your people and take your land for his tribe. I will say nothing else save that the fire works intrigued your people."

"A Quickening, you killed him," Chakotay said bluntly. The statement attracted the attention of everyone in the room.

"You sound like you are disappointed in me Chakotay," Lund smiled.

"No, you're just not what I would expect," he answered.

"And what would you expect?" Lund asked putting her hands on her hips.

"I don't know a warrior dressed in animal skins, with a sword on a sword belt a crescent blade stuck in the belt and perhaps a few small daggers up your sleeve."

Lund laughed at Chakotay's picture of her and called his attention to her hand as she let a dirk slide down from up her sleeve. Chakotay smiled at Lund. "You see your picture was not all wrong, and I did dress in skins and wear my sword on my belt. I am or was trying to blend in as much as possible, skins would make me stand out."

It was Chakotay's turn to laugh, "I suppose it would make you stand out.

"How old are you?" Janeway asked from behind Lund.

"Me," Lund laughed, "on my birthday I'll be twenty-three hundred.

That left the entire crowed opened mouthed except for the Doctor and Harry who already knew. "And your brother, Methos?" Tom asked being the first one to recover aided by Harry who seemed indifferent.

"Methos is my elder by over thirty-two hundred years," Lund answered.

"Five thousand five hundred!" Chakotay yelled.

"Who is the oldest immortal?" Janeway asked.

"Methos," Lund smiled, "appropriate he and Harry should be brothers, the youngest and the oldest."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Janeway asked softly

"Remember what happened in Fairhaven Captain?" Lund asked not really meaning it to be a question.

"How could I forget."

"No matter how much you pretend that the holo-deck was malfunctioning, it wasn't. You programmed the people of Fairhaven to be human and that's exactly what they did, to a tea. To be frank, I'm scared. I survived the Game, the Gaelic wars, the Huns, shipwrecks, all three World Wars, the Witch-Hunts, and the Hunters of the twentieth century. I survived when three older bothers died. I came close to burning at the steak more then I care to remember and was actually burnt once. I survived because I knew how to hide. The time you live in I can't expect you to understand. Humans could not get along with other humans that were different then them, how could we expect you to get along with another species. Especially with us being immortal, that Captain is the source of much jealousy, and jealousy leads to hatred. I'm just rambling now, sorry, I can't explain it." Lund shook her head and turned away from the Captain.

"No, I'm sorry," the Captain put her hand on Lund's shoulder. "You have been a loyal officer, I should never have pushed you. As an apology you and Ensign Kim will get three days on the holo-deck as soon as we get out of this. It appears to me that Harry has a lot to learn"

"Thank you Captain. Would it be possible..." Lund started her request.

"Your secret will not leave this room," Janeway told Lund then addressed everyone else. "And that's an order. From this moment on it is only for Harry and Lund to decide who knows about them and it is no one else's place to utter a word of what happened here today."

"Captain, could I ask you one more favor?" Lund asked shyly, offering back the power she had taken from Janeway earlier.

"What is it?" Janeway asked.

"Well Captain, I'm not a diplomat, I haven't been for a very long time. I've been a doctor most of my life. I'd like to turn my hat over to Neelix and start helping the Doctor."

"How about a compromise? I'm sure the Doctor would love and extra pair of hands sometimes, but sometimes it's really slow in here. We do however need a counselor, and I'm sure you've been through almost everything. I'd also like you at the staff meetings."

"Sounds good, Captain, I'll convert a part of my quarters into an office."

***

Dear Methos,

Lund said that you wanted me to write you, us being family and everything. I would first like to congratulate you on your up coming wedding. Lund is really racking herself because she can't be there. I think you should know about my little slip, Lund keeps saying that 'no matter how old you get you still trip over your own feet, puppies tend to do it more often because they have their ears to worry about too'. Anyway, Captain Janeway, Chakotay, Seven, Tom Paris, Neelix, Tuvok, the Doctor, and a couple security crewmen were there and Lund had to explain most of it. I would like to ask a favor of you. It would mean quite a lot to me if you would meet my parents, I don't know why. I certainly don't want you to tell them but it would make me feel better if you met them. Thank you.

Harry Kim

***

++++++

Chapter 4: From the Shadows of the Soul

Lund rushed to sick bay, nothing had happened yet but why takes chances. It had taken them two days but they were now nearing the edge of Krilt space and several Krilt ships were closing on them. Lund was on the bridge when the sensors detected them too close for comfort, Lund had not even asked for permission to leave. When she got to sick bay Lund found the Doctor off line. "Computer activate the EMH!"

"What is it?" The Doctor asked appearing before Lund.

"We're heading into rough waters, the Krilt are getting close, too close." Lund told the Doctor calmly.

"Thank you, this is the first time I believe I've had any kind of warning."

"You should have been with me getting out of Roman territory in one thirteen. We had plenty of warning but no doctor, except me, but I couldn't very well lead and doctor at the same time."

"What happened in one thirteen?" the Doctor asked unsure if he wanted to know.

"I took a Celtic army into Rome, well, we never got as far as the city itself, our mission were to stir up our Gaul cousins into a rebellion. We weren't supposed to go as far as Rome. Darius and I went in, we were Generals under a number of Chieftains by that time, and we were unbeatable together. Anyway we left a good chunk of Rome in ruin, when we were on are way out we needed to cross the Rhine river, the Romans tried to ambush us," Lund took a moment to smile at the memory. "They tried to use our own techniques against us, we ambushed the ambush," Lund laughed. "Those Roman swine ran faster then any horse once they realized they had been out witted. I lost one man in that battle, of the two legions only four Romans survived, and they ran with their tails between their legs with their silver eagles."

"You think that is a good memory?" the Doctor frowned.

"Don't look at me like that! That happened back when you were fighting for more then your country. I loved those days and would repeat them if I ever got the chance Doctor. The killing, the Game, those I could do with out, but I told you that in my youth I was a warrior first and a doctor second. If your people were being sold for slaves, if your land was being taken, if your life and the lives of your friends depended on it, and if your very way of life was threatened you would not fight?"

"I would not."

"It is very simple to say that, any man of the time could refuse to fight, but any women who wanted her freedom had to fight. You know what it feels like to be looked down on, I never treated you like any thing but an equal."

"True."

"It was because I had to cut my hair and pretend to be a boy to be a doctor. I could make no living of my own and had to depend on Methos sometimes. I remember a time when a women was worth less then an ass."

"Sorry" the Doctor said, "there is a saying that goes with this situation 'never judge a man till you've walked a mile in his boots'. Although in this case it would be 'women' and 'in her boots'."

"Well said Doctor."

"We should get ready." The Doctor started to get out his tools with Lund's aid. Then the ship shook, and the power failed for a moment. Lund was knocked from her feet with the Doctor who phased out for a moment. After Lund and the Doctor recovered them selves there were a few more shots taken at Voyager and casualties started coming in. Lund went to the bridge with a medical kit on Captain Janeway's request.

The bridge was a wreck when Lund reached it, only the emergency lights were on, some consoles had exploded, and there were electrical fires everywhere. Some crewmen were trying to put the fires out; everyone on the bridge was burnt. Lund took a glance at her apprentice, there was not much left of his face but she could see it healing, and he was still working. Lund ignored him and went to Chakotay who was lying on the floor, he was badly burnt and had a broken leg. Lund moved him out of the way and put him safely in the corner by two bulkheads, then treated the worst of his burns. After Lund had finished with Chakotay she moved to Captain Janeway and treated her burns while she was calling out orders. Then Lund went to Tom and worked on his burns, then to Tuvok, then Lund started on the crewmen who had come up to fight the fires. Once Lund had finished with them she helped them put the fires out. Suddenly Lund's sixth sense began to scream at her, Lund looked up at the view screen in time to see three Krilt ships collide not fifty kilometers off the bow, there was some weapon fire involved too, but Lund could not tell from whom it came. The explosion came with a brilliant flash of white light, it knocked Lund off her feet and she felt her skull smash on something just before she died.

***

"I've looked every where Captain, I can't find her!" Harry said after checking the ship for the third time.

"Maybe you missed her," Janeway suggested.

"I wouldn't think that possible," Harry started.

"It's a big ship," Janeway interrupted.

"It's not that," Harry explained, "you see if Lund is within a fifty meter radius I can feel her."

"Feel her?"

"It's part of the immortal deal. I can feel other immortals, it's kind of like a buzzing in my head, that's how Lund knew I was a pre-immortal. I can't feel pre-immortals yet, Lund says maybe when I've been immortal for fifty years. Lund can even tell how old or sometimes who an immortal is by their 'buzz'. I can feel Lund if she's two decks above or below me."

"She couldn't have just disappeared," Janeway stated the obvious out loud.

"The Krilt must have transported her on to one of their ships," Harry said sinking miserably into the chair in front of the Captain's desk. "We need to get her back Captain!"

"We'll get her back, Harry don't worry."

"What happens when they figure out that they can't hurt her?" Harry asked in despair, remembering Lund's out spoken fear about being experimented on.

"Don't worry. I have an idea, you the Doctor and B'lana can work on something to extend you ability to 'feel' Lund."

"I doubt that would be possible, Captain, even medical science in our time can't detect immortals. As the Doctor commented we've been built to hide."

"There has to be something different! There has to be! I want you three to try."

Harry nodded, rose, and headed for the door. The he stopped in front of the door. "Captain," Harry said turning to face her.

"Yes Ensign?"

"If we come up with anything it will have to be destroyed before we get back to Earth."

Janeway only nodded and Harry left the room.

***

The mist thinned and cleared from Lund's eyes, she looked up. 'White ceiling, white ceiling,' she thought as she looked up, 'where was there a white ceiling on Voyager?' There were no white ceilings on Voyager. For a moment Lund thought that this might be a dream, she did crack her skull open. Lund heard some one coming and shut her eyes, she could hear two people enter the room.

"Do you think it'll pull through?" Lund heard one voice ask it was not a familiar voice so Lund figured that she still had the universal translator with her.

"It looks like it will, Captain." Another voice answered. "But I can't be sure, these aliens seem a lot like us. Look over here. See? It has a brain in its head, and has its heart in its chest, and here's the stomach. Even the eyes are almost like ours, except for the coloured part here. It's to prevent too much light from going into the pupil, the aliens have very weak retinas."

"Can you tell whether it's male or female?" The Captain asked.

"Yes, I can guess, I believe it is a she, but I believe that this one is barren."

Lund heard one of the Krilt come back towards her. Lund felt around in her sleeves but could not find any of her dirks. They must have taken her clothes, Lund had not noticed due to the thick fluffy blankets that covered her. Lund thought for a moment if the Krilt and humans were so similar then Lund would not need a knife of any kind to kill. Lund took the opportunity given to her and pounced on the Krilt that was leaning over her bed. Lund was able to trip the Krilt and get him into a position she could break his neck in. Lund stood with her steel strong arms around the Krilt's head, the Krilt was grabbing at the arm around his neck. He was in a sitting position but lifted off the ground by Lund; the Krilt kicked his legs as he struggled. "I'm no expert on Krilt but logic dictates that if your brain is in you head then breaking your neck will kill you. Move and he dies!" Lund told the other Krilt.

"You are very violent," the free Krilt said.

"Violent! Your people try to kill my friends and almost succeed and now that you've kidnapped me, you're calling me violent? Are you the Captain or is he?" Lund demanded.

"He is, and I'm the doctor, we mean you no harm." The Krilt begged.

"Bull shit!" Lund swore, "I'm not Krilt but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. You were going to use Harry as a hostage. I am a warrior and I would DIE first. I still wouldn't try anything if I were you I could take more of your people then any would expect before I go." Lund hoped the doctor would not call her bluff, she had no doubts of her ability but what was in question was her will. It had been along time since she had killed a mortal with her bare hands. Suddenly what the crew of Voyager thought of her mattered, what Janeway would think mattered. Then from some place deep inside her she felt her little bit of Death rising inside of her, and a thousand good-byes from Methos echoed in her head all saying 'come back no matter what it thanks' he used to say. In earlier years his good-byes included the saying 'live and let die'. Lund hardened her hart to the opinions of her shipmates. When the doctor called the guards she tossed the Captain away from her breaking his arm in the process. Three guards rushed in and Lund killed two before reinforcements came. Lund killed in total about ten guards and wounded many more. She was finally caught when a ricochet from a phaser struck her on the shoulder, and six guards pounced on her.

***

"Captain Janeway," Tuvok said over the com-badge, "we are being hailed by one of the Krilt ships."

"On my way," Janeway answered and quickly headed out to the bridge. "On screen!" Janeway ordered as she stepped out of her ready room.

When the screen showed the bridge of the other ship every one on the bridge of Voyager was dumb struck. The Krilt captain was had black hair and blue skin, his right arm was in a sling, next to him was Lund. Lund was practically wrapped in chains. She also had four guards holding her tight as they could. Seeing this Janeway ordered to have Harry called to the bridge. As soon as she did this, the Krilt captain started to speak.

"You need not know my name Captain Janeway," the Krilt began. "As you can see I have one of your crew under my care. And for your sake I hope that the one of your spices that I have picked up is unique."

"Why is that?" Harry asked coming on to the bridge. Harry strode up till he stood beside Janeway.

"Because she killed ten of my crew with her bare hands, my people may be forced to kill all of you."

"I assure you Lieutenant Commander Lund Walker is unique on this ship, she is not human...."

"She is a Celt." Harry interrupted so that Janeway would not give away that Lund was immortal, the Krilt would not know what the Celts really were.

"In that case," the Krilt Captain said you will surrender your ship to me or she will die."

With that Lund threw a bit of chain over a hook in the ceiling and hanged herself. Harry watched and refused to turn away, the rest of the crew on the bridge gaped in horror while Lund suffocated herself, Tom and even Chakotay turned away. Lund spent the last bit of life keeping the Krilt crew away from her. It was not until Lund had died that the Krilt were able to get her down. Lund's death was new experience for both crews; neither had seen such a violent death. Harry finally had to turn his head away as the Krilt guards unwrapped the chain from around the old immortal's neck. Janeway had to remind herself that Lund was not actually dead. Harry leaned over and whispered to Janeway after he had calmed himself. "Captain, Lund will not be used against us. Fire on the ship!"

"Lund is not dead!" Janeway reminded Harry.

"He knows that better then you do Captain," Chakotay whispered in her other ear. "She is a warrior and knows the risks, the Krilt now have nothing on us. Lund will not be used against us."

"If you don't fire now she'll wake up and they'll know. She is willing to die for this ship Captain. If you don't fire she will endure a fate worse then death for any immortal." Harry said urgently.

The pleads of both Harry and Chakotay made Janeway think, they both knew more about Lund then she did. Janeway bowed her head and sighed. Then raised it to the screen and addressed the Krilt captain. "Now, you have no hostage, you took the wrong crew member. I suggest Captain that you surrender the body before we blow you out of this quadrant!"

"You want the body? Fine we'll give it to you!" Then the Krilt captain turned to the guards, "have it shot out of one of the torpedo tubes."

"Tuvok," Janeway turned to face the Vulcan, "terminate transmission." Tuvok did as he was ordered. "Prepare to beam Lund aboard as soon as she is shot out."

Tuvok nodded and watched his control board. After a few moments he tapped some controls and looked up. "Lieutenant Commander Walker is on board."

"Good," Janeway said firmly. "Fire phasers, disable them so they can't follow us."

The order was followed, as soon as it was Janeway ordered top warp on a course home. Then Janeway took Harry to sickbay to see Lund.

***

Lund's face was deathly pale and her lips were blue. There was still a chain pattern on her neck. Janeway felt sick when she saw the body. Lund's hands and arms up to her elbows were black and so were her legs up to her knees. Harry felt sick himself, he went through all the stories of different ways that Lund had died, being hanged and freezing to death were in the top five worst ways to die. Although hanging and freezing were also in the top five of the most frequent ways to die. Harry leaned forwards to brush a stray hair away from the dead immortal's face.

"Don't touch her!" the Doctor warned, "it would be like touching an open flame."

"How long?" Harry asked the doctor.

The hologram shook his head. "I don't know enough about immortals to tell. All I know is that she heals faster."

"How come she heals faster?" Janeway asked the Doctor out of curiosity.

"I assume it's because she's older. But we may never know immortals are undetectable by modern medicine. There are no anomalies in their blood or DNA. Lund said once that the existence of immortals proved that there was still room for magic in the Universe."

"Doctor you're a scientist, you know there is no such thing as magic." Janeway scolded.

"Actually Captain I don't know, not anymore. Immortals do seem to have something magic about them. You can take Lund or any immortal for that matter, if they are dead for several hours there is extensive brain damage, and space would automatically freeze any oxygen in the brain making it unusable, the brain damage alone should kill her. And Harry even if I had been able to bring him back after four hours, the brain damage would have been so extensive that he would be unable to continue his duties. I'm just talking about the stuff I can't fix."

"So then you believe in magic?" Janeway asked stunned to be hearing this from a hologram.

"I believe that magic is just a word for unexplained science." Every one seemed to agree on the Doctor's point and the conversation turned. The three talked about everything from warp drive coils to family back home to immortals while they waited for Lund to revive and some thirty minutes later she took her first breath of new life.

Lund immediately began shivering; the Doctor turned up the heat and gave her some blankets and tea. "What happened?" Lund asked as soon as she could.

"They shot you out into space!" Harry informed his teacher.

"No wonder I'm so bloody cold," Lund swore as she looked at her still black hands.

After Harry briefly informed Lund about what had happened, Lund was just about healed, she was still very cold but she was healed enough for Janeway to ask the question that Harry was dreading the Captain would ask.

"Did you really kill ten Krilt?" Janeway asked bluntly.

"Yes, I did." Lund answered without regret or pride. "I think that at least three more should die of the wounds I inflicted."

"That's all you have to say for your self!" Janeway yelled.

"What else should I say?" Lund started, "do you want me to lie and say that I'm sorry I killed them? I'm not sorry one bit. I'm not proud of what I did but don't ask me to regret it."

"People died! You're telling me it didn't matter!" Janeway said frustrated with the cold immortal.

"If I cared about every one I've killed I would have gone mad long ago! I have killed tens of thousands in my time, and I can remember every face if I try. Now there are ten more do think that matters much to me? I am a killer and a murderer; it's what I do to survive. Do you think I can forget, or just give up what I've done all my life? If you want an immortal that regrets everyone he's killed talk to Duncan MacLeod!"

Janeway was shocked as were Harry and the Doctor. "Do you realize you can be tried for murder?" Janeway asked.

"Do you think it would be the first time? I'm no angel Katherine. I will never be able to wash all the blood off my hands. Once I would not have killed those Krilt, but along time ago after I had grown out of killing mortals there was an incident that changed that."

"What was this incident?" Janeway asked.

"You don't need to know, but in my world Janeway it's 'live and let die'. There is too much for you to understand, immortals have a black name and a dark history, thank what ever god you believe in that Harry may be free of that which all others of his kind suffer."

"Get some rest be ready to start your new duties tomorrow." Janeway ordered coldly as she turned away.

***

It had been almost a week since her capture, Lund had eaten a lot and meditated a lot, she also practiced with Thistle, and she felt that something was not quite right. Lund sat now over the open flame of a candle, her mind drew her back into the past, back before the Federation, before the liberation of women, before the thousand years of hell, and indeed before she had even met Methos. Her mind brought her to the top of a hill on the back of a strong horse, she was looking across a valley to the hills on the other side, their tips lined with eight legions of Roman soldiers. Lund snapped her eyes open, she knew now what may relieve the weight on her mind, battle, it had been so long. Lund remembered the recreation Methos had done from her own diary of the Battle of the Lunar Valley, called by the Celts the Battle of Blood Valley. It was fought by the army of Darius and Lund on Britannia in the Highlands in defense of the Celts. Seven thousand Celts against eight legions, they had driven the Romans from Scotland for almost the last time that battle. Lund blew out the candle in front of her, then stood and dressed in battle armor. Lund put on a sleeveless dress split in four sections below the knees; it was woven with hard leather and iron studs. Over this Lund put on a sleeveless leather shirt also studded with iron, she also put on wrist guards leather and studded with iron, these reached from her wrist almost to her elbow. Lund then laced to her feet high leather boots again studded with iron. Her iron studded leather sword belt went on next, and last upon her brow went a leather headband with an upturned iron crescent which was placed in the middle of her forehead. Lund then painted her face arms and legs in intricate patterns of blue paint. She then collected up her weapons; Thistle, her sickle, and five dirks; two for her boots, two for her wrist guards and one for her belt. Lund then headed for the holo-deck.

Lund met no one on the way to the holo-deck, once she was there she told the computer to bring up the recreation of the battle and remove the female general from computer play. Taking her spot on a brown horse beside Darius, Lund disengaged the safety protocols and began the battle. Lund's horse moved restlessly under her. "Keep that thing steady!" Darius said beside her.

"I know how to ride a horse Darius!" Lund spat.

"I don't want a premature charge, you can ride a horse but can those that follow you?"

"They better be able to, they're Celts."

"There is much strength in your people, it makes me wish I was born to them."

Before Lund could answer a cry broke lose from the Romans, to that Lund answered with a more terrible war cry, which was the signal to charge, and charge they both did. The Romans from the south and the Celts from the north, they met like two thunderstorms in the valley. Lund and Darius immediately broke a hole in the Roman's first line, as soon as they did the rest of their army poured through. Then together they broke through the second, third, fourth and even fifth, line. The typical Roman strategy was broken; one line fighting for a bit then pulling back and letting the second line fight and so on. Lund and Darius had seen this used too many times and were by now used to it and knew exactly how to break it. The Romans were thrown into confusion and soon Lund saw better fighting on the ground then on her horse so she got off and joined the fray, lending her horse to one of her wounded warriors. Horses and chariots were of little use now anyway, the ground was much like that of a bog, but instead of being soaked with water the ground here was soaked with blood. Lund killed Roman after Roman; she was soaked with head to foot in blood some of it even her own.

Meanwhile Captain Janeway had decided on a nice quiet walk through the London Botanical Guardians. When Janeway stepped through the doors she could not believe her eyes. She was in the middle of some kind of battle the ground was covered with blood and bodies. Janeway was about to call for the program to be shut off when a Roman soldier attacked her. Janeway dodged the blow but the spear the Roman thrust at her did not totally miss its mark, it sliced open the Captain's left arm. Janeway clutched at her arm in dismay. The Roman wielded back for another strike, when Janeway heard a blood-chilling cry. Following the cry to her rescue was a warrior all covered in blood, the female warrior broke the Roman's spear with her sword then killed him by slashing open his gut then stabbing him in the heart. The warrior turned around to face Janeway; it was Lund.

"Sorry about that Captain," Lund said. "Computer freeze program!" The battle came to an instant halt around them.

"What is going on here Lieutenant?" Captain Janeway demanded.

"Here," Lund gestured with her sword, waving it in an arc out over the battle. "Here, it is General."

"What do you mean? Why are you dressed like that? And why are the safety protocols off?" Janeway said gesturing to the wound on her arm.

"Katherine," Lund started, "this is the first part of my life. Computer replace female general, turn on safety protocols, and have the warriors ignore us, then begin recreation." After the battle started moving again Lund led Janeway through it. "This is a time when warriors actually fought for something. See that man there the one that just beheaded the Roman?"

"Yes," Janeway choked in disgust.

"He is Darius, the greatest general to ever live. We were unstoppable together; we could have taken on Rome then ruled all of the Empire and Europe right up through the Middle Ages. Darius eventually left after ten years, we both left, and it was leave or rule. Neither of us was up to ruling so we both left. Afterwards Darius went east to the Alps and his own people the Goths, he swore to himself at the beginning of the Middle Ages that he would take his army from the mountains to the sea." Lund smiled softly at her last memories of Darius.

"He didn't make it did he?" Janeway asked.

"No, he didn't," Lund started.

"He was killed?"

"No," Lund laughed, "something happened, he changed. Two thousand years ago now he brought his army as far as Paris. At the gates of Paris he met a holy man, an immortal. Darius killed him, and after that became a holy man himself. Fifteen hundred years later he died in Paris at the hands of mortals in his own church. Duncan poured his ashes into the river." Lund bowed her head and shed a single glistening tear for her old friend. "So, it was in that way he came to the sea."

"This all seems so horrible, is this what really happened?" Janeway said refering to the battle.

"Yes," Lund smiled, "Methos made this recreation, it came directly from my diary." Janeway turned to Lund with a look of disgust on her face. "See over there?" Lund pointed with her sword, "that's me." Lund noted Janeway's digust. "This was my time, it fight, die, or become a slave. Those were the three choices in my time. For six centuries my people fought, I was there for four of them. But all things must end, as did part of our victory."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if the Romans had conquered Scotland, not everyone could have been made a slave. Some would be taken as slaves others would have been allowed to live under Roman rule, but for a woman, as I'm sure you know, living under Roman rule meant slavery. Women were not even people under the Roman Empire."

"Were women any different under the Celts?"

"Yes! My Father gave me this sword, and you should have seen the pride in his face the first time I beat him in sparring! Unless you were in the Chieftains family son or daughter made no difference, only men could be Chieftains, but only women could be healers."

"Lund?" Janeway asked. "What will happen to Harry?"

"It depends." Lund said slowly.

"On what?"

"On Methos if he can get the Federation to reveal the secret of immortals. If Methos doesn't get the Federation to declassify immortals then Harry will have to go into hiding. If Methos manages to break this open then Harry can do almost what ever he wants."

Janeway nodded then smiled, "I believe you have a battle to get back to." Then Janeway left the holo-deck.

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Chapter 5: Black History

It was late when Lund woke from a horrible dream; it was about Methos as a Horseman. The guilt of missing Methos' wedding no longer kept her up. Now, the nightmares of Methos woke her in the night. The same ones that Methos used to wake from and cry like an infant. The ones that he would call her from the opposite side of the Earth just to have her voice comfort him, the ones when he woke and would weep in her arms till the noon light shone through the curtains. Lund ordered the lights on; she was not overly surprised when she saw Kronos sitting on the armchair in her room.

"Some dream," Kronos started, "dreams like that do not trouble me anymore. I no longer dream of those times, although your dreams, they do frighten me."

"I can't picture you frightened of anything, well almost." Lund laughed, but it came out as more of a cough.

"You've seen me scared once," Kronos said brushing the line of conversation aside.

"It was my eyes that you backed away from!" Lund said with an under current of pride in her voice.

Kronos frowned, "I'm not here to talk about what I'm afraid of."

"No small talk, eh?"

"Not this time. I came because Darius was worried about you."

"So why didn't he come?"

"The reason he was worried about you. The battle today, he thinks Death is starting to get to you, I thought you had it under control after five centuries."

"It's been too much lately," Lund started.

"I know the fight with Methos, hiding on Voyager, young Harry, it is a lot."

"What do you think of Harry?" Lund said turning and lying on her stomach so she could see Kronos better.

"He's a good kid...." Kronos started in a non-committal tone.

"That could be an insult coming from you," Lund said, she knew Kronos too well to except that as a compliment.

"He's different, not much of a warrior, you may have had your moral code but at least you were that."

"He's a soldier," Lund said defending Harry.

"Soldiers follow orders, warriors know when to follow orders."

"It's a different world, Kronos," Lund said slightly annoyed with her brother.

"I know, you'll raise him well. At least he'll have a chance we didnt all and all I think my life would have been better with out War or Death. But Death is why I'm here."

"I don't know what to do, the holo-deck is not going to keep Death in check for any length of time. Sean have anything to say?"

"Sean says to spill," Kronos shrugged.

"To who?" Lund said raising herself up on her elbows. "Harry? He is too young to understand. Methos? He's on the other side of the Galaxy. Maybe Tuvok? He would be perfect... IF, if he had emotion. Janeway would listen then she'd lock me up as an accessory to genocide!"

"What about that Neelix fellow?" Kronos suggested, "he offered his ear when ever you needed it."

"True, but he does seem rather far from home, I do think he's less innocent and more wise then he looks. But he carries so many problems, and Death isn't a light burden. This must have been how Frodo felt carrying the ring!"

"On your way to Mordor? The ring did destroy itself." Kronos said in attempt to comfort his sister. Kronos suddenly laughed.

"I don't see whats so funny!" Lund scolded Kronos.

"Let me explain," Kronos said putting up his palm. "If you're Frodo, and the ring is Death, then Methos is Bilbo."

Lund smiled, trying to picture Methos as a hobbit. "You do realize that all these metaphors would make you Gollum."

"Yes it would, but it's not the same ring then," Kronos said turning serious.

"True," Lund said solemnly. "Look I'll talk to Neelix tomorrow."

"Good," Kronos said standing up; he walked over to the bed and kissed Lund on the forehead. "I'll see you later."

"No, you always see me, I'll see you later." Lund smiled, "what are you up to?"

"I was going to scare the shit out of our little brother." Kronos said beginning to fade.

"Kronos!" Lund called him back.

"What?"

"Don't over do it!"

Kronos only faded with a wide smirk on his face. Lund then turned so she was on her back and drifted back into the sleep that she had never really woken from.

***

"Hey, Kid wake up, Kid!" Harry heard a voice say over him. Harry snapped his eyes open. When he did he found himself looking into a pair of ice blue eyes, one of then had a vertical scar running vertically across the eye, but the eye seemed fine. Harry jumped those were not eyes he knew, a scar like that he would have noticed.

"Who are you and how did you get on the ship?" Harry demanded with no fear to be heard in his voice, as he sat up.

Kronos smiled and backed up a bit. "I like you Kid," he said. Kronos was tempted to add a bit about sparing the Kid's life if Kronos had met the Kid way back when but decided against it. "My name is Kronos."

"You can't be Kronos! Kronos is dead, he died in the twentieth century!" Harry insisted.

Kronos smiled, still no fear in the kid's voice. "You are very right, and if I'm dead I can go anywhere I need to be, that's how I got on the ship. If you ask Lund in the morning she'll tell you that you weren't dreaming. In fact I told her I'd be dropping by to see you, so she'll probably ask you how it went."

"What do you want?" Harry asked more curious then angry now, something made him believe what he was told.

"Well," Kronos started, "I've been keeping an eye on you ever since you became family and I wanted to see what you're like in person."

"Well?"

"I think you're a good kid, but I can't decide whether you're brave or just stupid."

"How do you mean?"

"I don't scare you Kid."

"So what?" Harry said crossing his arms.

"So, I scare everyone Kid, even Lund and Methos." Kronos said crossing his arms and smiling.

"Maybe I know something they don't! Besides Lund isn't scared of any immortal, and you're her brother, why should she be scared of you?"

"Because she knows something you don't. Every one fears what I used to be Kid, if they don't they're either insane or really stupid."

Harry did not know what to say, in life this guy had been something that scared people, scared everyone. Then Harry thought of what to say. "But you aren't what people are scared of any more."

"Good point Kid." Kronos unfolded his arms. "You're a smart one, I'll be proud to have you as a brother."

Harry smiled some how Kronos' expectance of him seemed important.

"Now, to more pressing matters. You may never see me again in your living years, I hope they'll be long." Kronos added widening his smile, he really did like the Kid. "Listen and listen good!" Kronos warned growing serious once more. "I'm here to give you a warning, and no questions please, there isn't much time;

A struggle begun long ago,

Hidden beneath years of snow,

Shall arise in the blackness of space,

Many light millennia from its starting place,

The last of four great evils living still,

Shall surpass Artemis' iron will.

She will attempt to conquer Death,

But the Black Death will not conquer Death,

The wanderers shall not return to any familiar place,

For all shall parish in the blackness of space,

But when the child speaks to the old man,

The Ancient will reveal all he can.

Healing is out of the Innocents hand,

But he may pull her fully out of the Dark Land,

The answer lies locked in the past,

The one with clean hands needs to return fast,

If the Innocent does not try,

Only the Witch shall know to fly."

Kronos finished the warning and looked at the puzzled Kid before him. "Did you get all that?" Kronos asked.

"Not really. Why not just tell Lund? She'd understand it better then me."

"Cause, Kid I was told to tell you. It wasn't my choice." Harry's attention wavered as he thought about the warning. "And Kid," Kronos said bringing Harry's attention back to him. "Don't screw this up. If you do Lund and I share the same fate, and Lund doesn't deserve that no one does." With that Kronos faded into thin air, with only a whispered "good-luck".

***

The next morning Harry was not too sure of what happened the night before; Lund had said something about the dead visiting in the night to give warnings. Harry shrugged the dream off and got ready for the staff meeting that morning. Harry thought about stopping by Lund's quarters to pick her up for her first meeting, but then decided against it. When Harry got to the meeting room just off the bridge everyone but Lund was already there. The Captain sat at the head of the table and on her right sat Chakotay, there were two empty chairs, one on Janeway's left hand, and the other was between the first empty chair and Tom. Harry took the chair beside Tom. Harry and Tom struck up a conversation, they talked for twenty minutes, Lund did not show up.

Janeway was tired of waiting so she tried to raise Lund on her com-badge no one answered. "Does anyone know where Lund is?" Janeway asked after a few more minutes, she had directed the question at Harry. Every one shook their heads.

Harry fidgeted a bit then spoke up. "This isn't like Lund, maybe something's wrong."

"How do we know what Lund's like?" Janeway asked standing.

Harry jerked back in his chair as if he had been bitten. He imagined himself in two thousand years. "That's not FAIR!" Harry said digging up some courage. "It's not her fault she is what she is, I think you'd be a little reluctant to give away what you are if you had been burnt at the steak for it!"

Janeway's stony gaze seemed to melt at Harry's emotion filled statement. "Burnt at the steak?" Janeway echoed.

"Burnt at the steak, hanged, drowned, thrown in various types of pits, and that's just the beginning of the list." Harry had stood up and ticked off each of the ways of dying on his fingers. "I may not know her entire life but I got the gist of it, Lund isn't like this there IS something wrong."

Janeway nodded, she would not punish Harry for this, and she had insulted him first. Janeway made a silent wish that Harry would be better off then Lund in twenty centuries. "Okay Tuvok, Tom and, the Doctor, go see what's keeping Lund."

***

When Tuvok, Tom and the Doctor reached Lund's quarters the doors were locked, after ringing the bell several times Tuvok used his security override to unlock the door. The room was dark and very warm Tom could feel the heat seeping into the hall. Tuvok sensing something wrong drew his phaser and was about to step in. The Doctor stopped him, and went in first instead. "Computer lights," the Doctor ordered. The lights came on, and the room appeared normal. It was as neat as it usually was, the only difference the Doctor noted since the last time he was here was that Lund's sword Thistle was proudly displayed on the wall near Lund's bed, along with Lund's sickle. The Doctor walked right up to Lund, all the covers but a single sheet had been kicked off. Lund was sleeping or so it seemed. As the Doctor got closer her noticed a kind of black blister on Lund's cheek. The Doctor took out his medical tricorder and scanned Lund. "Stay back!" the Doctor, yelled to Tom and Tuvok.

"What's wrong Doc?" Tom asked concerned.

"She's got a high fever and she's dehydrated. It might be contagious, so I'm not going to take her through the ship. Shut the door and seal it, no one gets in here, I'm going to have us transported to sick-bay."

Tuvok shut and sealed the door, then went to contact the Captain and inform her of the situation. Tom stopped Tuvok. "Tuvok" Tom said calling the Vulcans attention just as he was about to contact Janeway.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Tuvok said giving Tom all his attention.

"I think we should tell them in person, Harry's going to be devastated."

"Would you care to explain yourself Lieutenant?"

"Look, Harry's just found out he's not human, the only person who knows what's going on is Lund. First she's kidnapped now this. I don't want him to overhear. I want to tell him and the Captain at the same time in person."

Tuvok nodded, this was an emotional matter, and Tom seemed to know best.

***

An hour later a staff meeting was held to discuss Lund's strange sickness. The Doctor had determined the what ever it was it was not contagious but he would still not allow anyone to see her. When everyone had come in to the meeting room the Doctor began. "I don't know what Lund has, well, let me rephrase that. Lund has a high fever, a cough and black blisters on her skin. She is also having difficulty keeping the amount of water in her body up due to the fever. Any water she drinks is sweat out in a matter of hours. I know the symptoms but I can't find what's causing them."

"Could she have picked something up on the Krilt ship?" Janeway asked.

"I doubt it," the Doctor started. "Ensign Kim was down on the surface of the Krilt home world, if it was cause by the Krilt he would have it too."

"Are there any diseases that Immortals are susceptible to?" Tuvok asked not sounding the least bit concerned, but then he was a Vulcan.

"Lund said she never knew of any, she swore on her sword." The Doctor added.

"Swore on her sword?" Janeway echoed.

"Lund was a warrior," Chakotay explained, "an oath sworn on her sword is more binding then an oath sworn by any god."

Janeway nodded not really understanding but the look on his face told her that Chakotay know more then he was telling. Janeway decided to ignore it, if it was about Lund and Lund had not told her then she was not supposed to know. Janeway looked over at Harry who usually answered any questions anyone had about Lund. Harry seemed to be off in another world. Janeway decided not to bother him, besides he did not know much more about Immortals then any one else.

"It seems," Tuvok began, "that the only logical course of action would be to contact some of some authority on this matter."

"There is no authority on Immortals." The Doctor reminded Tuvok bluntly. "Immortals spend all their time hiding, they never had time to figure out what makes them work. They never let anyone else look into it either."

"Wait Doc," Tom started, "the authority on Immortals would be the person who's lived longest as an Immortal right."

"You mean Methos!" B'Leana said with pride in her voice.

"Right!" Janeway said. "Tuvok initiate emergency hale to Star Fleet." With that everyone in the room emptied onto the bridge and began working.

It was only a few minutes before they were able to raise Star Fleet. When the hale was answered there was a fuzzy image of a tall man with brown hair and dark eyes on the screen. "Captain Janeway," the man said saluting, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"May I ask who you are?" Janeway said hurriedly.

"Lieutenant Duncan MacLeod." The man said saluting again.

"Duncan!" Harry yelled from his post.

Duncan smiled, "you must be young Harry Kim! I must say you've given our..." Duncan paused searching for the right word "community."

"You're..." Janeway trailed off leaving it up to Duncan to fill in the blank in his own mind.

"Yes, actually almost half the scientists working on the Voyager Project are. Is Lund there? I'd love to talk to her."

"I'm afraid that that's what this communication is about. We need to talk to Methos."

Duncan paled, "I'll transfer your communication to him," Duncan choked.

Duncan tapped some buttons on his control console and the screen switched, to the federation symbol. After a few minutes a skinny man in his late twenties with brown hair, hazel eye and a big nose appeared on the screen.

"Hello?" Methos said.

"Methos!" Janeway said urgently.

"Captain Janeway, Mac said there was some kind of trouble involving Lund."

"Lund is sick, we don't know what it is. The Doctor believes it could be fatal."

Methos turned ghostly pale, it looked like he was trying to speak but no words came out.

The Doctor decided to describe Lund's symptoms to Methos. "She had a high fever, she'd dehydrating fast, she had a cough and sort of black blisters all over her skin."

Methos paled even more if that was at all possible, he uttered something in a language that no one could understand. The he seemed to shake himself and turned his attention back to Voyager. "Captain the symptoms your Doctor has described are symptoms of the Black Death."

Harry remembered the poem that Kronos had told him the night before. "But Death will not be conquered by the Black Death." Harry whispered. Everyone turned towards Harry. Harry looked up, "Lund doesn't have any kind of virus," Harry announced. "It's all in her mind she's trying to kill herself. But Death will not be conquered by the Black Death!"

"What do you mean Harry?" Janeway asked.

"Last night I had a dream," Harry started, "or may be it wasn't a dream." Harry said coming forward towards the screen. "I met...."

"Kronos!" Methos finished for Harry.

"Yes Kronos, he told me a poem, some kind of warning."

"Not a poem," Methos put in, "a prophecy. What was it?"

Harry rattled off the prophecy. "That means something to you?" Harry asked reading Methos' face.

"Yes," Methos started. "About five hundred years ago, Lund took the Quickening of a very old Immortal. That Immortal was part of an ancient and terrible legend, for years the educated have scorned it, as a myth, but I know it was true, I was there. The Quickening was that of Death of the Four Horsemen. The strange thing was that Death wasn't beheaded, he turned mortal for a short time, and then he was able to take his Quickening back from Lund and become immortal again. The thing is, that he didn't get all his Quickening back, some of it stayed with Lund, and he got some of Lund's Quickening."

"So then it's the last two lines of the first verse. The last of four evils living still, shall surpass Artemis' iron will."

"Yes," Methos confirmed, "Lund is often referred to as Artemis in prophecies"

"Who is the 'one with clean hands'?" Harry asked, but no answer ever came, there was too much interference, the image and the sound were lost.

Janeway after a moment of silence gestured to Tuvok to turn the screen back to the stars ahead. "So," Janeway said, holding up both palms to everyone, "first before we go any farther, how do immortals take each other's Quickenings?"

Chakotay cleared his throat. "My people," he started, "have long told legends of immortals. My people believe that immortals fought an eternal competition, a series of one on one fight to the death. When an immortal dies the Quickening, which is the energy which makes them what they are, is transferred to the immortal that is closest and still living in the form of lightening...."

"Lund says," Harry cut Chakotay off, "that more is just transferred then energy, their thoughts, an all their memories come with it."

Janeway nodded solemnly. "What's this game?"

"The game is a series of fights to the death, there are three rules; one on one fights only, no fighting on holy ground, and most importantly, there can be only one. The one, gets the Prize, when he or she has won."

"Prize?" Tuvok asked before Janeway could.

"Some," the Doctor started, "believe that the prize was rule over humanity, other believe it is the ability to grow old, die, and have children."

"And Lund played in this game?" Janeway asked almost insulted.

"The elders, tell that so long as there is one immoral willing to fight another none can escape the game." Chakotay explained.

"Lund never played the game," the Doctor broke in. "Lund defended herself, and if she didn't kill they would have kept coming, and one day she said if she didn't kill that one day she would have turned her back too soon."

"Okay," Janeway began desperate to change the subject, "so, we know, who Death is, and who Artemis is. Now who's left? The child, the old man," Janeway said beginning to tick them off on her fingers, " the Ancient, the wanderers, the one with clean hands, the Innocent and the Witch."

"Methos must be the old man and the Ancient," Neelix said.

"Harry must be the child," Tom put in, "When Harry talked about his dream to Methos, Methos told us all he could."

"If I may say Captain," Seven started, "I believe that when the prophecy referred to the wanderers, it was referring to this crew."

"Lund said in sick-bay that Harry was the only innocence that their race had, so Harry must be the Innocent." The Doctor put in.

"So that leaves the Witch and the one with clean hands.

After a moment of silence Harry spoke up, it seemed the silence was growing too close. "Lund once said something about a Witch of the Wood."

"Witch of the Wood? That might just be what we're looking for." Janeway said, proud to have almost figured out the riddle.

"Yes," Harry started, "but I don't understand why the Witch of the Wood would be in a prophecy warning of Lund's ill fate. From what I was told Lund and the Witch were bitter enemies. Come to think of it I never really understood that either."

"You never understood why Lund and the Witch were enemies?" Janeway asked.

"No," Harry shook his head, "Lund never told me why. The Witch was an immortal a Druid priestess for a time, and it seems that neither of them gave up the old Celtic gods, I'd think they'd be friends."

"Can we ask Lund about it?" Janeway asked the Doctor with a considered undertone in her voice.

"No," the Doctor said sadly, "she delirious from the fever. She's not speaking English, I tried to get the computer to translate, but I found out she's mixing a whole slew of languages, throwing them together and coming out with a sentence."

"It can't be that hard to translate, if we picked it apart right, how many languages can she possibly know?"

"Over fifty," Harry answered. "Ranging from Ancient Egyptian, Sumerian, ant Etruscan right up through Greek, Latin, Gaelic and Arabic, to English, Vulcan and Klingon. She speaks several tribal languages from Africa, to the Americas, to Australia."

"But she's not old enough to speak Egyptian!" Janeway commented.

"No she's not," the Doctor explained, "but Methos is."

"If only we could talk to the Witch!" Neelix sighed under his breath.

"Neelix! That's a great idea!" Harry shouted. "We can talk to the Witch!" Harry was met by the blank stares of everyone on the bridge. "Lund created a replica of her home on the holo-deck, it's accurate down to the last blade of grass. The Witch of the Wood, lived in a cottage in the forest near Lund's home."

Janeway immediately perked up; "Doctor, Harry, Neelix, and Tuvok come with me, Chakotay you have the bridge."

***

Harry led the way through the forest, explaining that he had never been to the cottage of the Witch of the Wood. Harry was wishing he might get some hint by the feel of another immortal, but this was the holo-deck. Suddenly Harry grabbed his head and sunk to his knees. "What's wrong?" Janeway asked."

"Another immortal," Harry choked.

At that moment and immortal immerged from the bushes of the forest. She was tall, and had long brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a white dress and had a blue upturned crescent painted on her forehead, she held a long sword with both her hands. There was a moment of silence and the Witch looked the small party over, then she put her sword back in its sheath. She stepped forwards and helped Harry up. "A bit much for you little one?" she asked.

"You're the Witch of the Wood?" Harry asked.

"My name is Cassandra," she confirmed. "But I don't expect that your Mistress and sister would tell you that, we are far from friends. Even now after the Game's end we dare not go near each other if we can help it."

"Why?" Harry asked bewildered. "You keep the same gods, believe in the same magic...."

"It is the company she keeps that prevents us from being friends. I blessed her birth and sought her after her first death, but I did not find her until it was too late, she would have been my best pupil." Cassandra hung her head in sadness. "She willingly save that which has now brought about her doom."

"She saved Death?" Janeway asked stunned.

"Saved and befriended him, and War. I assume she never told you their real names?" Cassandra paused and looked around no one seemed to know. "War is Kronos and Death is Methos, the heart and head of the Four Horsemen."

"You lie!" Harry said backing away from Cassandra.

"I do not lie," Cassandra said grabbing Harry's wrist. "It was Methos who killed me and it was Methos who brought me to the Horsemen camp to be a slave..."

"And it was Methos that let you go." said another voice through the woods. The party and Cassandra turned and looked through the trees, and there they saw a man clad in monk's garb, he had a kind face, soft brown eyes, and brown hair, and his accent was German.

"State who you are," Tuvok demanded.

"He is Darius," Janeway said. Everyone stared at Janeway; Cassandra was amazed that the mortal Captain knew who Darius was. "I saw him once in one of Lund's recreations, but he was knocking off someone's head at the time."

"Captain," Harry said urgently, "Darius shouldn't be here this is supposed to be the year before Lund died."

"You are absolutely right Child," Darius said to Harry. "But I had to come, the Sorceress Cassandra is making things worse then they already are. Lund is a good woman, and Methos is a good man. Lund did the one thing for Methos no one not even Duncan MacLeod and Amanda could do. She knew his history and ignored it; she did not forgive it for she knew it was not her place to do so. She saw the guilt he felt and lent her shoulder, and her ear to him. So as time passed Methos was able to leave the Horsemen behind. In the end the world is a better place for the existence of Methos, the Family has a black history, but its name is black no longer, and the most recent addition will only improve it." Darius smiled and turned to Harry. "Child, leave the past in the past, I may have washed my hands but yours never knew the blood of our kind. Learn your lessons well." Darius then took Harry's hand put something in it and closed Harry's hand around it, "she will need more heart then her own." Darius the turned to the rest of the party, "all have heavy hearts so far from home. Lund will need more strength then her own and only one of you has it, you know who you are." Darius smiled one more time, then turned to Cassandra. "You should not allow your mind to wander so far from home, I will help you back." With that both Darius and Cassandra faded, and the immortal presence vanished.

"Computer end program," the Doctor ordered.

"No!" Harry shouted, he wanted to se what Darius had given him. When the gray walls of the holo-deck were the only things to be seen Harry still felt something in his hand. "It's not part of the program," Harry said holding up a small leather pouch.

"Is it just me or does this seem a little weird?" Neelix asked, "Harry felt the presence of Cassandra the someone who isn't part of the program give Harry something real."

"Maybe I should reverse my decision on what magic is," the Doctor said.

"I also sensed the minds of Cassandra and Darius." Tuvok added, "Cassandra seems to have some telepathic abilities."

"Wait you're saying that Cassandra, projected her mind into a hologram, and that Darius was actually a ghost."

No one answered; no one had an answer. They stood silent for several minutes. Harry decided to see what was in the leather pouch that Darius had given him. He opened the pouch and shook the continence into his hand. A sapphire beetle fell out into his hand. Just as Harry was about to call attention to it Chakotay burst into the room with a security team.

"Captain, what happened?" Chakotay asked.

"What do you mean 'what happened'?" Janeway asked Chakotay.

"We picked up another life sign and some weird energy flux coming from here."

Janeway just let her mouth drop open. "I think I need a very strong drink." Janeway said wishing there were something to sit down on. Chakotay opened his mouth to ask a question, Janeway stopped him with a gesture, "don't ask," was all she said.

Then Chakotay caught a glint of blue in Harry's hand. "Hey, a heart Scarab!" Chakotay said when he saw what Harry was holding.

"Heart Scarab," Harry echoed weakly. Then without warning Harry bolted out of the room at full speed. The rest of the crew in the holo-deck took off after him.

When they caught up with Harry he was in Lund's quarters looking for something. "What are you looking for?" Janeway asked.

"The key to that box," Harry pointed to a fairly large wooden box set up by the bed in place of a night table. The box was richly carved and had an oddly shaped keyhole in it.

"What's in the box?" Neelix asked.

"A Heart Scarab among other things. Lund always keeps it locked." Harry stooped looking and brought the Heart Scarab over to everyone else. "See this?" Harry asked flipping the scarab over so that the inscription in the gold on the underside could be seen Harry was pointing to a group of symbols. "It's part of my training to learn Egyptian, I don't know much, but I do know that these symbols read Methos. Methos once gave Lund a Heart Scarab."

No more words needed to be said everyone that had been on the holo-deck to see Cassandra and Darius began to look for a key of some kind. Chakotay and the security team just stood by the door and watched. After a few minutes of looking, the key was found.

"I've got it!" The Doctor cried holding up a silver Celtic cross. The Doctor took off the chain and fit the top half of the cross into the keyhole and turned. He was rewarded with loud click. The others hurriedly cleared off the top of the box.

Inside the box they found other boxes, but harry was looking for one in particular. It was a beautiful gold box with many gemstones set into it.

"How do you know it's that one?" the Doctor asked.

"Lund told me, this was the only box I was never allowed to touch, but she told me what was in it." Harry opened the box slowly, there was a small blue silk pillow that came up to the top of the box, and Harry took the pillow out. There was a pillow below the first one but it was bole shaped and looked to be made for something very specific. Harry took the Heart Scarab and placed it in the second pillow, it fit.

"Okay, so it fits," Neelix said, "what does that mean?"

"Harry you said that Methos' name was on the back?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes," Harry said slowly.

"Heart Scarabs represent the hearts of their owners. If this is Methos' Heart Scarab, then that means he's given Lund complete control over his life. Methos and Lund probably believe the in the meaning of the Heart Scarab, in ancient times it was very powerful." Chakotay explained.

Harry put the first pillow over the scarab then shut the box. "This belongs with Lund then," Harry said.

***

Even having found out who everyone in the riddle was did not improve Lund's condition; it had been three days since she had fallen ill. The Doctor saw little hope for survival. Now Lund lay on a bio-bed with Thistle on one side and her sickle on the other. Lund had her right hand over her heart and under her hand was the Heart Scarab. It had seemed to comfort her when she received it from Harry. Since then she had asked for her sword and sickle, they certainly did not help, Lund seemed ready to die once she got them. Tuvok quietly sneaked into sickbay, Darius had been talking to him on the holo-deck, he had the strength to help Lund. The Doctor would never allow a mind meld, Tuvok knew that it had to be done though. Tuvok sealed off sick bay, there was no trouble coming and the Doctor was out doing other things. After Tuvok was satisfied that no one could get in or out he headed over to Lund and put his fingers on her face. "My mind to your, my thoughts to your thoughts," Tuvok whispered. As he was hurled into a world he could never have imagined, he was supposed to take Lund into his mind but instead he was pulled into Lund's. There were so many memories, Tuvok saw battles, Quickenings, mortals that died long ago, he saw births, and lives saved. He saw friendship, betrayal, love, hate, and death; there was so much death, so much sorrow. When Tuvok found he could not take it any more he felt someone pull him away, and then he found himself kneeling on a beach soaking wet, Lund was there. She was dressed in a long white cotton dress that covered her ankles. She wore a silver belt crafted to look like a chain woven of many flowers, no buckle could be seen. On the belt there was a soft leather sheath which held Thistle, also stuck in the belt was Lund's sickle. Lund also wore soft, pale leather wrist guards, which covered her arm from her wrist almost to her elbow; these could be seen due to the drooping sleeves of Lund's dress.

"That was stupid," Lund scolded Tuvok.

"I'm here to help," Tuvok argued.

Lund pulled Tuvok to his feet, "I don't suppose that you considered that entering the mind of a twenty-three hundred year old immortal might be just a little bit dangerous."

"I assumed it would be. I do not see how you are able to control your mind so well." Tuvok looked around it appeared he had been pulled out of a lake. There were only small ripples on the lake and it mirrored the orange sky. The sun was sinking behind hills to the left of the beach. As Tuvok followed the shoreline with his gaze he saw mountains rise up to snowy peaks which also seemed orange. The mountains then faded into high hills on the right side of the lake. The land seemed flat in the area of the beach; trees grew at the edge of the beach. There was a soft breeze and the air temperature seemed just right. "What is this place?"

"This place was a must, all immortals need to have a place in their minds to go during a Quickening, it has other uses too. You're lucky you fell into my memories."

"Explain," Tuvok asked.

Lund took his hand and led him through the trees that formed a forest on the edge on the beach. After a bit of walking they came to another beach. Tuvok had been pulled out of a lake, what he saw now was an ocean. "These are the memories of everyone whose Quickening I ever took."

"What is that?" Tuvok asked pointing to a figure hooded and cloaked in black pacing on the water near the shoreline.

"That," Lund said with a disgusted look on her face, "that is the reason I made myself sick. That is Death."

"What happens if it comes on to the beach?"

"Then I become Death."

"That is what killed Cassandra?"

"Yes, how'd you know about that?"

"Harry was told a prophecy, it had something about a witch in it and he thought of the Witch of the Wood."

"Then you know that that used to be Methos?"

"Yes, but that has no relevance in the current situation. How do we get rid of it?"

"We don't," Lund sighed, "it's impossible, the Four Horsemen cannot be destroyed. Three may have died, but their Quickenings still exist. In Duncan, in Methos, and in me. Don't even think about transferring Death to your mind. If I'm having trouble keeping him down, then you won't have a chance. Don't even say you can do it 'cause you're a Vulcan. You may be Vulcan but I've kept evil Quickenings down all my life, which is longer than you'll ever live."

"Have you thought about challenging it?"

"You must be kidding! Fight Death!" Lund thought for a bit then turned to Tuvok. "But Death was Methos, it can't know any more then Methos did. I can beat Methos!" Lund smiled and drew her sword and her sickle. Lund walked over to Death; she took a deep breath when she reached the water's edge then stepped out on to the water. "I challenge you."

"You will lose," Death said in an unnatural hissing voice. "Whether you kill me or I kill you, you still lose."

"Then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and at least I'll go out fighting."

"I will fight you," Death threw back his cloak and hood to reveal a man armored only in pale leather. He wore a leather sleeveless shirt decorated with white stones and under it he wore a long sleeved white tunic. His pants were like his shirt of pale leather decorated with common white stones. His face was covered by a helmet with a mask formed to look like a skull. He drew his sword it was of silver. For a moment Lund wondered at the blade, silver was not commonly used, then she remembered that both neither mortals nor immortals had the skill in the Bronze Age to work with hard metals such as iron, and steel had not yet been invented.

Death attacked without warning using moves that Lund recognized, her and Methos had often practiced together back in the twentieth century. The fight was quickly won, for she had improved but Death had been dormant. Lund simply tripped Death he knelt before her. Lund did not strike the killing blow. Instead Lund removed the helmet, and saw the face she expected to see the face of Methos. Half his face was painted blue. Lund tore a bit of her dress and wiped off the blue paint. She then knelt down and kissed him on the nose. "I have won the fight, but Death will not be stopped by death, you are part of my brother and of me to destroy you would be to destroy Methos and myself. Go back into the waters and remain there." With that Death sunk into the water and Lund returned to the beach where Tuvok was waiting.

"He may return," Tuvok stated once Lund got back on the beach.

"No, he won't, he can't, ever."

"He is there, and therefore can return."

Lund laughed, "no, you don't understand. It was you who gave me the idea to not kill him, logic dictates that if you want to get rid of something to make sure it never comes back you have to destroy it. The thing is if illogic were tangible it would be a Quickening, Methos told that to me not long after First Contact. I received my little bit of Death through a Quickening and therefore the way to get rid of Death was not to get rid of it at all but to consent to keep it. You see I love my brother, as a brother mind you, but to love anyone you have to love all of them and everything they are, and loving Methos means loving Death, because Death is part of Methos. Knowing that there was a little bit of Methos in me got me through a lot of tough spots, but I always resisted Death, tried to forget him."

"Then it appears that I was mistaken about both types of humans, there does seem to indeed be a logic that you follow, a illogical logic."

"In all my life I don't think I've ever had a better description of the workings of the immortal mind, as for mortals I cannot say. We better get going, I don't think the Doctor or the Captain would agree to a mind meld."

++++++

Chapter 6: Family Matters

Lund was completely worn out. Lund was running special interest courses for the crew. The courses included various language courses, old English Literature, ancient world history, immortal history that was the most popular course since Lund had chosen to reveal the secret to the entire crew, medical history, and various martial arts courses. Lund even taught Naomi, Naomi's mother decided that if Naomi was going to be around immortals then she should know some of the languages that they spoke. After two hours with Naomi and another four hours with her other classes Lund was barely able to make it to the mess hall. Lund walked through the mess hall door to find that it was dark, true it was late but there were usually some crew members eating this late. "Computer lights," Lund ordered.

"Surprise!" was yelled when the lights turned on.

"What are you trying to do give me a heart attack?" Lund demanded from the people in the room.

"Can immortals have heart attacks?" Janeway asked with a wide smile.

"Yes they can, they just don't stay dead for very long." Lund said glaring darkly at Janeway. "Did you ever hear what happened to the last people to throw me a surprise party?"

"No," Tom answered shortly.

"Exactly!" Lund said with an evil glare.

"Come on Lund you're not mad," Harry said.

"I hate surprise parties," Lund said smiling.

"Here's the cake!" Neelix cried bringing it to a table close to where Lund was standing.

The cake was iced with white icing, decorated with green icing leaves, and blue, yellow and pink icing flowers. In the center in big blue letters 'Happy Birthday Lund 2300' was written. There were twenty-three candles on the caked. "We couldn't fit twenty three hundred candles on the cake," Neelix explained before Lund blew them out.

After the candles were out Lund attempted to cut the cake but someone started to yell "speech! Speech!" the yell was taken up by everyone else in the room, until Lund allowed herself to be helped up on to a chair by Chakotay.

Lund raised her palms for quiet and the room went silent. "Thank you all for this wonderful birthday," Lund began. "I'm sorry I distrusted you all so much for so long. I've missed many good friends and a caring family," a cheer went up in the room and died down after a moment. "This is the only 'century' birthday I have ever had with only one other immortal guest around. No one can fill in what I miss since Methos is not here, but you've all done a bloody good job trying," another cheer went up. "Lastly I'd like to toast the newly weds even if they are seventy thousand light years away. To Rebecca and Methos, may they have many happy years together and may Methos be allowed to forget his age for a while."

"Rebecca and Methos!" everyone said together, and every one clicked glasses with the people next to them.

After cake had been served Lund found a moment with Harry. "I'm sorry you had to hear about my brothers from Cassandra. I' also sorry I haven't got a chance to talk to you about it yet. You don't have much of a choice in a teacher but you do get to choose if you still want to be part of the family."

"Leave the past in the past," Harry quoted.

"It's not so easy when you live it."

"You probably know best, you usually do." Harry said swishing his wine around in his glass. "You said there was a time for everything and that you'd answer all my questions when I was ready, I certainly wasn't ready to hear that. Thirty-five hundred years is a long time, if people can change in a mortal life time I'm willing to believe that Methos has changed."

"Can I take that as a yes then?"

"I can't wait to meet our brother," Harry said with a smile then wandered off.

Janeway wandered over next. "How does it feel to be twenty three hundred?"

"To tell the truth it's not much different for turning three hundred." Lund smiled, then her thoughts turned and she frowned. "I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble, Methos was right immortals belong on Earth not in space."

"I don't think he was right," Janeway commented. "By the way I'm looking forward to your immortal history class next term. I heard that it was excellent."

"What can I say," Lund said staring into her wine.

"Methos?" Janeway asked.

Lund nodded, "it just doesn't feel right that's all, I've known him two thousand years." Then Lund laughed and turned to the windows, "two thousand years ago I thought Rome would never fall. Two thousand years ago the stars were a mystery."

"Two thousand years ago the world was flat," Janeway added.

"Actually it was common knowledge among immortals by the first millenium BCE that the world was indeed round. Still, I made it, even in the twentieth century I used the stop and think, I made it. I lived longer then I ever dreamed I would, even when I was a young immortal, I made it into a future that no one dreamed of. I've been into space, once we would have said that I've touched the stars. You want to know the oddest thing about all this?"

Janeway nodded, Lund was the only one on Voyager that could appreciate how far they had come.

"For all my years for every answer I've found, I've gotten ten more questions to replace it. I don't know who said it first but it was probably one of us, there are no answers only more questions."

Janeway could have killed who ever had called her when her com-badge beeped at her. Janeway was absorbed in Lund's little philosophical stint, Lund probably had the most interesting philosophies after all she had had twenty-three hundred years to develop them. Janeway tapped her com-badge anyway, "Janeway here," she answered.

"Captain," Tuvok said, "I'm sorry to disrupt Lieutenant Commander Lund's birthday party but there is a ship haling us. It is a Krilt ship."

"On my way," Janeway answered. Janeway then headed out the mess hall doors and the party ended, Lund, Chakotay, Tom and Harry followed Janeway out of the room and to the bridge.

"Report!" Janeway ordered once she got to the bridge.

"It is a small shuttle with warp capabilities, one life sign." Tuvok answered as everyone took his or her places. Chakotay and Lund both took up places beside the Captain's chair.

"On screen," Janeway ordered.

"Captain Janeway," the Krilt greeted.

"Captain Kertu," Janeway greeted in a menacing tone.

"Not Captain," Kertu corrected, "Ta'rat Kertu."

"Forgive me if I'm a little puzzled," Janeway said meaning that he should explain why he was no longer a Captain.

"When I got back to base I heard what happened. I wasn't exactly pleased with what my government had done so I promptly joined the protestors, at which point I was stripped of my rank and exiled for treason. I couldn't think of where else to go so I decided to follow you. Maybe I was being presumptuous but I hoped you would welcome a lost traveler. This isn't a trick I promise." At that the blue skinned Krilt rolled up his sleeve to his shoulder and displayed a tattoo, it was a simple black tattoo, a circle with two parallel vertical cords equidistant from the middle of the circle and one horizontal running the diameter of the circle.

"Captain," Lund said calling Janeway's attention, "I have the same mark on my shoulder from the Krilt."

"I was told that the only prisoner that was taken had killed herself," Ta'rat said in amazement.

"I am not so easy to kill," Lund explained smiling darkly.

"What do you think Lund? I'm sure you've had more experience with turncoats then anyone."

"When we, Darius and I brought our army beyond the boarders of Roman women would give us their female children, that they might be raised to be a good as a man. The women would never get a chance to get their children back. It appears Ta'rat is in the same position as the children better off with us but out of reach from any who would try to take them back. I trust him, but know this Ta'rat Kertu most noble of the Krilt, I killed ten Krilt with my bare hands I will not hesitate to do the same to you should you betray us." For a moment Kertu looked a little nervous, but he was not the only one, some of the bridge crew who heard Lund looked nervous themselves.

Janeway nodded, "you are welcome on this ship. Tuvok open the shuttle bay doors."

"Thank you Captain," Ta'rat bowed slightly then ended the transmission to dock.

"Lund, Tuvok, come with me, Chakotay send a security team to meet us in the shuttle bay." Janeway ordered as she started on her way out of the room.

***

Janeway, Lund, Tuvok and the security team arrived at the shuttle bay at the same time, just as the shuttle bay had pressurized. The Krilt shuttle had parked next to the Delta Flier. The door of the Krilt shuttle opened slowly and Ta'rat came out. "I'm pleased to finally meet you in person Captain Janeway."

"The pleasure is all mine," Janeway said smiling.

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you Captain, and I do wish we were meeting under different circumstances."

"I'm sorry about the circumstances too, but you are no inconvenience. We have picked up many travelers on our journey. We even have a women we rescued from the Borg."

"The reports said that the dead prisoner was shot into space, I didn't know anyone could survive that, your spices is certainly a resilient one."

"Not my spices," Janeway replied. " Lund here was the one captured, she is not human, she is part of a race very similar they are called immortals, an appropriate name."

"You cannot die?" Ta'rat asked Lund.

"I die quite frequently, I just don't stay dead for very long, but if you cut off my head I don't come back."

"You are old?"

"Very," Lund answered, "a year for you is two years for us, so I turn eleven hundred and fifty today."

Ta'rat's mouth dropped open and after a moment of silence he spoke up, "I wish you all the best on your birthday," Ta'rat bowed slightly.

Lund smiled, "thank you. Captain I don't think he'll be any trouble."

"Good!" Janeway smiled. "Take him to sick bay, so that he can start up a medical file right away," Janeway ordered.

Janeway, Tuvok and the security team left the shuttle bay leaving Ta'rat and Lund to themselves. "I didn't expect that you'd trust me this much."

"Define this much," Lund smiled. "My hands are more effective then the phasers carried by the security team, and Janeway knows it come on." Lund said leading Ta'rat towards the exit.

***

The next day Lund had off and once again Janeway walked in on Lund while she was using the holo-deck. This simulation was a lot less violent then the last one; it was an old twentieth century blues bar. There was no one except Lund and some guy playing a guitar on the stage. Lund was slouching in a chair at the closest table to the stage. Lund firmly grasped a bottle in one hand, there were two more bottles, empty bottles on the table. Janeway walked up to Lund, she was asleep, and Janeway went to put her hand on Lund's shoulder and shake the immortal away. The music suddenly stopped. "Don't do that!" the guitarist warned.

"Why not?" Janeway asked.

"'Cause, you shake her from behind she'll put a dirk in your gut." Janeway cocked her head to one side at the explanation. "You never wake a sleeping immortal from behind, especial a drunk one, she's vulnerable. She'll kill first ask questions later, I've seen it happen several times to Duncan."

"And you are...?" Janeway asked walking towards the stage.

The man put his guitar down, stood up and stepped down off the stage. "Joe Dawson," he said offering his hand to Janeway, Janeway took it. "Not the real Joe Dawson of course," he added, "the real Joe Dawson died in the early twenty-first century. You must be Captain Katherine Janeway."

"Yes, Lund told you about me?"

"Yeah, Lund tells me almost everything, almost, somethings are strictly family things."

"How long have you known Lund?"

"'Bout twenty years before I died, or Joe Dawson died rather."

"She do this often?" Janeway asked pointing at Lund with her thumb.

"Only the day after her birthday."

"Why?"

"Immortal stuff, dead friends, brothers, lost in the modern day. I always said a good hangover did a depressed immortal good."

"That stuff is real!"

"Yep, don't ask how she got it I don't know. I hope she won't get in trouble for it, she's been through more them most immortals her age, or even some that are older."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, there was the fall of her people, the thousand years of hell...."

"Thousand years of hell?"

"Sure, Lund was raised to be equal to any man, four hundred years later that was impossible anywhere, that lasted one thousand years, anyway, the death of Darius, and her teacher Chin Lee before that, and the death of Kronos. There were three World Wars, and her age. Harry may be the youngest immortal, but that might change, she may have over two thousand years on Harry but she'll never be older then him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean Lund died her first death at seventeen."

"Seventeen!"

"Yep, she's the youngest surviving immortal, one of the ancients but she was the youngest when she died the first time, if we assume that Methos is in his mid-twenties then Lund's the youngest by almost four years."

"She's just a child!"

"No according to the Celts, womanhood starts at sixteen. Now a days she'll be on the brink of womanhood till she dies, if she dies. You want something to drink?"

"Yeah, orange juice." Joe left to get the drink and Janeway moved towards Lund. Janeway tried to wrench the bottle of scotch from Lund's hand, but her hands were strong from using a sword and Janeway had no luck with the bottle. Then Janeway slid so that she was directly across from Lund, Janeway put her hand on Lund's arm and shook it, "Lund, Lund wake up," Janeway whispered.

Lund slowly opened her blood-shot eyes, "Katherine," Lund smiled.

"Are you okay?" Janeway asked concerned.

"Uh huh," Lund nodded, "as Joe says, a gut hangover does a deprimiert immortal gut."

Janeway assumed that Lund had quoted the saying that Joe had just told Janeway. "You should go get some rest."

"I don't need rest!" Lund insisted slurring her words and fighting to keeping the right language. "Actl... actul... actually. I wanted to spoke.. spek... spoke... bloody hell, talk with you."

"What about?"

"I want to res... kundigen... resight... re..., oh hell, quit Star Fleet."

"Why?" Janeway asked stunned.

"I know it's unuse...unal... not normal, us being so far from home and all but I don't do very well in any mil... mitery... milery... army. It gets deping... deeping... desping... it makes me sad after a bit!"

"You're drunk you can't make a decision like this."

"Yesss, I can, I desided before I was drunk I will to quit. Doessn't matter anyway, Ta'rat wants to join Sstar Feet. I still do my dutiess."

"How about we talk about this later?"

"Kay," Lund answered drifting off to sleep again.

Janeway was not quite sure what to do; she just got up and left

***

Dear Methos,

I just resigned Star Fleet, my exact reasoning I don't know, and it just seemed like it was time to do something new. The entire ship knows and Im no longer the negotiations officer, now I council and teach special interest courses, with all the other changes it just felt right. I changed around my quarters and I'm restless. I'm starting to feel cramped and suffocated, all my instincts are screaming at me, telling me it's time to move on. I'm looking towards the stars now but not towards home, but away from it, I'm also spending more time on the holo-deck. Sometimes I think to myself that the next planet we find I'm staying, I'm sure you understand I still have a lot of instinct in me. Congratulations on your wedding. Sixty-eight is a big number, I hope you told her! Anyway, keep tugging on that cloth and when we get back you'll have help.

Love Lund

***

END