Something of an End part 2

MAJOR WARNING:

A very dark Kathryn Janeway who rapes and pillages and laughs gleefully while she does it is ahead!

  Nothing too explicit or graphic, but it's there. 

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Sequel to "Days of Open Hand"

Tremendous thanks to my beta reader, Dawn

CHAPTER 6

“I am sorry for Kathryn’s sake.  Truly I am, but I have had the vision again.  Those events I foretold are going to occur very soon.”  T’Pol looked sympathetically at Chakotay and the rest of the Voyager staff, but her tone was unyielding.  “Kathryn is dangerous, whether she knows it or not.  I have seen what she will become, a monster who finds pleasure in pain—”

“You just shut up!  Just stop talking.”  Annika’s pale eyes blazed with anger as heat suffused her cheeks.  She pointed an accusing finger at the woman on the viewscreen.  “Kathryn isn’t a monster.  She’s the most loving person I’ve ever known.  She would never find ‘pleasure’ in inflicting pain. Never.  Your last vision of her didn’t come to pass so what makes you so sure this one will?”

“Because they are increasing in frequency and duration.  Each new vision reveals more of what will happen.  I have seen our sun turn black.”  T’Pol looked gravely at Annika and her voice was sympathetic and soft.  “I have seen her tear you apart, all of you and laugh while doing it.  You say she is not a monster then what is she?”

“I don’t believe you.”  Annika shook her head as she backed away from the monitor.  “I know Kathryn, she would never hurt me or anyone.”

“How do we change it?  You helped prevent her from destroying the world once by having her go to Picard.”  Kes still chafed at the idea that Picard had forced his way in Kathryn’s mind despite the woman’s request to do so.  “How do we prevent it now?”

“I don’t know.  All I can tell you is that my visions are only getting worse.”  T’Pol looked seriously, but compassionately at the people who were closest to Kathryn Janeway.  “I am sorry, but I believe Kathryn is already lost to us.  I must go now.”

“Wait!” Annika struggled out of Tom’s grip as she bolted from her seat, fury etched on her features.  “God damn it!  How can you all be so calm?”

“If Kathryn Janeway is a danger to herself and others than she must be imprisoned, that is what she chose.”  Tuvok internally worried about Kathryn, but his expression and voice betrayed nothing.  “There was no other logical choice.” 

“I don’t give a damn about logic.  I want Kathryn back!”  Annika glared venomously at Tuvok having not yet forgiven him for rendering her unconscious and thus unable to go with Kathryn.  Her emotions were all at the surface, anger with Kathryn for having Tuvok sedate her mixed with the sickening fear and worry for the woman she loved.  She had no idea where Kathryn was or what sort of treatment she was being given.  Annika’s slim form trembled as she felt hot tears spring to her eyes. “I want her back!  Oh God.”

Annika shuddered as she sobbed in Kes’ strong arms after they quickly wrapped around her when Annika fell to the floor.  She cared not that her tears and cries for Kathryn were seen and heard by the others.  Her heart was broken and Kathryn was gone.  She feared that if T’Pol’s visions worsened the UFM would kill Kathryn and that the woman she loved would allow it, ensuring the safety of the others.  She knew Kathryn would give her life freely to save even one person much less billions.  Annika cried because her world was ending and she was helpless to do anything to stop it.

****

Jean Luc Picard stood on a rocky precipice overlooking the most beautiful blue green ocean he had ever seen.  He heard a shifting of material behind him and turned to watch Kathryn Janeway walking towards him in a flowing dress made of a soft blue material that looked more fluid than solid.  Kathryn’s beauty was only marred by the worry etched on her features as she stood before him.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you, Kathryn.”  Picard’s voice was filled with years of regret. 

He had failed her when she had come to him after she had lost her fiancé, Justin Tighe, in Antarctica and he was failing her again.  Because despite his probes into her mind he still couldn’t find anything that would suggest she would be destroying the world in less than eighteen hours as T’Pol’s last vision had prophesized. 

Picard looked at the warm, gentle hand on his wrist before he looked at Kathryn’s soft, sad smile and stormy gray eyes.  Her voice was low, tremulous but still strong and determined.  “I know.  I’m sorry, old friend, but you know what you have to do.  T’Pol’s visions have never been so powerful, so sure.  These events will surely come to pass unless you act now.”

“Kathryn, I—” A single delicate finger pressed against his lips before he was brought into a warm embrace that he hungrily accepted.

“It’s all right.  If my death saves billions than it’s worth it.”  Tears began to fall from Kathryn’s eyes as she tried desperately to remain strong and resolute as she pulled away looking at Picard with heartbreak exuding powerfully from her.  “It would have been a beautiful wedding.”

“Kathryn, we will find another way.”  Picard felt desperation causing his heart to pound loudly that was a counterpoint to the calm stillness of the woman in his arms.  “Murder cannot be the only option!

“There is no other choice.  You have to kill me.  You know that.”  Kathryn moved gently out of Picard’s hold as she wrapped her arms around her slim form and looked out into the ocean.  Her voice was oddly serene, resigned.  “I told you what would happen if my hunger ever consumed me completely.  I hate that part of me.  The part that would kill others just to satisfy myself, but I never imagined… I don’t know how I could ever find pleasure or enjoyment from feeding.  I’m a worse monster than I ever imagined.  Save me, Picard.  Save the world.”

“Kathryn, wait we could—”

“Go now.”  Kathryn turned her head, her voice and expression steely and commanding.  “There isn’t much time and you have to be back before dawn.”

Picard gasped as he exited Kathryn’s psyche and came back to the sterile, steel walled room where Kathryn Janeway’s unconscious form was being held captive in a stasis chamber that rendered her powerless.  Sweat dripped from his brow as breathing returned to a less labored endeavor.  He felt Beverly’s touch on his shoulder and a question in her green eyes.

“Contact the Voyager Institute.”  Picard’s eyes were locked on Kathryn’s serene and still features, his hand on Beverly’s for support.  “They should be allowed to say their goodbyes.”

“Jean Luc?”  Beverly Crusher looked at the man she loved and her heart broke for what he was forced by necessity to do.  “I’m so sorry.”

“I failed her, Beverly.  She came to me for help and I couldn’t, I wasn’t strong enough.  And now…”  Picard placed his hand on the transparent aluminum over Kathryn’s unconscious form and silently asked the women held within for forgiveness.  “Now she is hoping I don’t fail her again by allowing her to live.  How can I kill her?  How can I believe T’Pol’s vision when all I see is love, compassion and forgiveness from her?  How is it possible?”

“I don’t know, but… Jean Luc, T’Pol had another vision.  The events are approaching very quickly, before dawn breaks the world will be dead.”

“Then Kim will have to be allowed to open a portal to the Jupiter Station because Kathryn Janeway has to die very soon.”  Picard took his hand away from the stasis chamber before he led the way out of the holding cell.  “Make it so, Beverly.”

Beverly closed her eyes as she reached out with her mind to all those who would call Kathryn Janeway a friend.  She told them to come to the Jupiter Station, come now, for there wasn’t much time.  Then she called Kira because she knew there would be many who would not take Kathryn’s death passively.  There could be a war brewing and they had to be ready for it.

****

T’Pol cried and writhed on the floor.  It was coming, she could feel it.  But it was too soon, plans and events were shifting and accelerating.  They no longer had the night.  She could hear frantic voices around her, but she broke through all of them with a scream torn from her throat.  “KILL HER!”

“No!”  Annika’s powers were being negated, but she still threw herself protectively in front of the stasis chamber that held the woman she loved and couldn’t live without.  “Get away from her or I’ll rip you apart.  All of you!”

Annika had to cling to the metal construct that held Kathryn’s form as the orbital space station shuddered around her and the other metahumans who had come to say their last goodbyes. 

“What the hell?”  Julian moved to the control console quickly.  His eyes widened and his voice was filled with alarm.   “We’re losing power!”

T’Pol’s eyes were entirely white as she gasped and whispered the prelude to the end.  “It’s begun.”

“Kathryn?”  Annika turned and pressed her palms against the transparent partition.  Her brow creased as she looked upon Kathryn’s serene features.  It was impossible that Kathryn could be responsible for the power failure.  It was impossible that she was the destroyer of the world if its destruction had begun as T’Pol said.  Kathryn was in suspended animation unable to even acknowledge the world around her much less affect it.

“I’m setting us down!”  Julian’s voice was loud and shrill in order to rise above the blaring alarm klaxons.  “We’re dropping through the atmosphere too fast!  Hang on to something.  This is going to get rough.”

“It’s not her.  It’s not Kathryn!”  Annika’s eyes filled with tears of relief and fury.  Her body shook from the anger she felt boiling her blood.  “I’m going to kill you!” 

Annika launched herself at T’Pol but was stopped by B’Elanna’s strong grip around her stomach.  B’Elanna’s voice was gruff and derisive as she struggled to keep Annika from ripping T’Pol’s throat out.  “Visions a bit off huh?”

“No.”  T’Pol’s eyes were still all white as her face paled at the visions before her eyes.  “Don’t you see?  We’re all going to die.”

“Always the optimist.”  Tom’s voice was mocking, scathing.  He moved to stand with Annika and B’Elanna along with the rest of the Voyager crew in front of the stasis chamber in a show of solidarity and defiance.

They had only arrived on the Jupiter Station fifteen minutes ago through one of Harry’s portals after receiving the psyche message delivered by Beverly Crusher.  Upon their arrival Picard had told the assembled group compassionately but firmly that Kathryn Janeway had to die and then T’Pol had collapsed with another vision.  The numb feeling that had washed over Tom after Picard had told him and the others that he had been inside Kathryn’s mind and that she had told Picard to kill her still remained. 

“Let her out of stasis, Picard.  T’Pol’s vision of Kathryn was wrong.”  Chakotay’s voice was a low threatening growl his narrowed glare focused solely on Picard.

Picard’s stony expression betrayed nothing as he stood flanked by his own staff and the Jupiter Station crew as well.  His impassivity displayed none of the inner turmoil he was feeling.  T’Pol’s visions have never been more powerful or certain.  How could he release Kathryn and risk being wrong?  He hated having to be the one to tell Kathryn’s friends, her family, that she wanted death for herself.  Picard would remember Annika’s agonized scream and her rage that had followed his assertion that to save the world Kathryn was ready to die.  His decision was already made.  He would not fail Kathryn again.

“No.”

Julian’s voice broke through the thick tension as the station neared the earth at an incredible speed.  “Brace for impact!”

The deafening wrenching sound of metal colliding with the ground preceded the cries of surprise when a massive fiery blast ripped the station apart and exposed the holding cell and the congregated metahumans to the evening air.  All eyes moved automatically to the blazing woman hovering above them.  T’Pol had been right.  Kathryn Janeway was going to destroy the world.  Just not the one this universe contained.  Even through the blazing energy a cruel grin could be seen that caused Janeway’s elegant features to twist into a sadistic mask.  Her voice was velvet covered steel, but lacked the warmth her counterpart possessed and the clearly threatening words were sickening.

“What do we have here?  Mmmm.”  Janeway moaned before she licked her lips indelicately.  “Delicious.”

****

Annika forgot to breath, she thought for a moment that the powerful pounding of her heart was going to crack her ribs.  Blood thundered loudly in her ears, her throat closed and she wondered if she would ever feel anything good again.  The blazing woman was so terrible, yet so beautiful. 

Janeway’s hard, petite pale body was encased sporadically by strips of crimson leather that failed to conceal much of anything.  Her skin glowed white hot and energy spewed from her eyes as she looked down upon the defenders of this world entrapped in her glowing dome that surrounded the remains of the holding cell. 

“Round the cattle up, my hounds.”  Janeway continued to grin as she watched her servants rush forth past her to the group of metahumans that appeared paralyzed by fear.  She liked to see their fright, but she still wanted them to attempt to resist.  It was futile of course, but she was so amused when they tried.  “Let’s see what this world has to offer me.” 

“My Queen.”  Malcolm Reed pointed a finger towards the stasis chamber only partially hidden by Annika.  His eyes had long since been burned away by Janeway’s touch, but he could still sense a metahuman and know what their powers were immediately.  He was Janeway’s bloodhound.  He turned his head towards Janeway.  “It’s you.”

“Oh, how interesting.”  Janeway’s bare feet touched the metal floor, which bubbled and melted under the heat of her energy as she walked towards her dome and the people within.  “Finally, a worthy companion.”

Janeway was disgusted by the other five incarnates of herself.  They had all been so self-righteous so… human.  She had enjoyed their screams when she had devoured them.  Her heart sung at the prospect of finding a counterpart who craved what she craved.  Power.  Besides no one aside from perhaps her latest hound, B’Elanna, could withstand her burning touch for very long before they were irreparably damaged and she was forced to replace them with another.  She wanted someone resilient, and who better than herself?  A sister so heavily guarded must be very powerful and dangerous indeed.  She grinned as she moved easily through her field towards a stricken blonde woman blocking her from herself.

“You are very beautiful.”  Janeway’s blazing gaze moved across Annika and it felt like a hot touch on her skin.  Annika felt sick because fear wasn’t the only thing that filled her.  She was ashamed of the hot desire that coursed through her body as well.  Her fear and horror soon overrode her desire upon registering Janeway’s cruel words.  “I would hate to have to kill you so soon.  I imagine you’re a screamer.”

Janeway’s blaze began to dissipate around her and her narrowed gaze turned abruptly from Annika to Reed.  Her blind hound pointed and with a nod of Janeway’s head Nerys Kira was thrown to the ground in front of her bare feet by a battle scarred Worf.  This universe’s counterpart growled before he attacked, but her B’Elanna was faster.  B’Elanna’s strong fists collided with Worf’s jaw and he fell to the floor, unconscious and bleeding.

Annika shook with fear, shame and disgust.  But she couldn’t pull her eyes away from this nightmare version of Kathryn Janeway.  Even when Janeway pulled B’Elanna to her and ravished her mouth and moaned loudly.  It was a moan Annika knew intimately.  She thought she heard her B’Elanna gasp, but everything seemed muddled as if she were underwater. 

“Kill her, my sweet girl.”  Janeway pushed B’Elanna away from her towards Kira, who had managed to get to her feet and look defiant through her fear. 

“Stop!”  Picard’s voice was so commanding, so desperate it stayed Janeway’s command to B’Elanna.  He ignored the red leather clothed minions of this dark Janeway as he moved in front of Kira with his chin held high. 

“Picard.”  Janeway’s lips twisted into a lopsided grin that seemed a grotesque parody of Kathryn’s amused smile.  “How I’ve longed for this moment.  Usually you kill yourself before I can get to you.  But here you are.  Waiting for me.  Tell me, were you expecting me?”

Janeway’s eyes shifted to where the unscarred T’Pol of this universe was being embraced securely by Charles Tucker.  A knowing smirk upon Janeway’s lips caused T’Pol to shudder in Trip’s arms. 

“Yes.  If you want me then you have me.  Let the others go.”  Picard’s voice was hard and demanding but it didn’t return Janeway’s eyes to him. 

“What did you see, T’Pol?  In your visions of my coming.  Did you see your own death?  I assure you it will be far worse than anything you could ever foresee.”  Janeway’s head reared back after the hard backhand caused blood to drip from a small cut on her lip.  She laughed loudly, delightfully and her glee filled the night air.

“Don’t.”  Janeway’s laughter was cut off quickly by her command.  Her hounds were ready to kill, but her hand and that one word stopped them immediately.  “I want him alive.  He’ll nourish me for a long, long time.”

“Go back to hell.”  Picard’s eyes narrowed and his fists were tightly clenched.  He needed to get Kira and some of the others with no real aggressive powers out of here.  He was just relieved by the small fortune that Julian had landed the ship in a relatively unpopulated area.  That was all they needed, human hostages or worse a massacre.

“We all make our own hell.  I’m going to enjoy creating yours here on Earth, Picard.”  Janeway’s hand drifted across Picard’s face like a caress, her voice warm and almost sympathetic despite her sadistic promises.  “You’re going to watch this world burn.  And everyone you ever loved or even hated will die.  Or you can join me.  The choice is yours of course.”

Picard’s movement was unexpected and it took everyone a moment to register what had even happened.  But then his psionic blast propelled Janeway forcefully through the air and a great distance from the crashed station the second Kira fell to the floor unconscious. 

Janeway’s hounds had little time to react before they were overwhelmed by the UFM forces.  With their Queen gone they had lost the upper hand, but they fought fearlessly, viciously all the same. 

Annika’s metal gleamed in the moonlight as she kept herself between the stasis chamber and the fray.  She took great satisfaction in coldcocking Chakotay’s fully wolf formed counterpart using the butt of her metal encased hand.

Tuvok’s hand touched Kashyk’s shoulder and dropped him to the floor upon one whispered word.  “Sleep.”

The scarred Worf fell next to his counterpart when Kes used a powerful mental bolt to take out the behemoth of a man.

B’Elanna ripped one of Culluh’s bony projectiles out of her chest as she ran full speed at the man continuing to fire off spikes from his body.  His hard ridged face sliced through her knuckles as she brought her fist down which punctured his brain with his own bony facial ridges.  She had wanted to do that for a long time.  He gurgled up dark viscous blood before he fell in a dead heap on the blood stained floor.

“Harry, get the non-fighters out of here.  Evacuate the area.  Contact the others.”  Chakotay’s booming commands were mixed with low growls from his long snout.  “Go now!” 

Chakotay stood eight-feet tall and black hair covered his dusky skin as his massive paws fought with a woman who was the mirror image of his oldest friend.  He knew B’Elanna was stronger than him, but she seemed weakened for some reason.  As if she had to use her regenerative abilities to near exhaustion. 

Harry did what Chakotay commanded.  He opened a portal to the Australian Institute, the first UFM safe house he could think of.  Crusher and the rest of Picard’s team along with Tuvok, T’Pol and Trip, and an unconscious Kira being carried by Doctor Zimmerman followed Harry through the glowing purple portal. 

Chakotay’s fight was soon joined by Julian, who wrapped a sheet of titanium around the mirror B’Elanna.  Chakotay didn’t know what to do with her because she could heal from any wound and wasn’t rendered unconscious easily.  His indecisiveness ended when B’Elanna took one of Culluh’s spikes and rammed it into her counterpart’s forehead.

“My gods.”  Chakotay hated seeing even an ‘evil’ B’Elanna Torres in pain.  The woman writhed and screamed as dark blood spurted from her forehead and around the bony spike imbedded within it.

B’Elanna wiped blood from her palms indifferently on her pant legs as she watched her mirror self writhing in pain.  “She’ll live.” 

Tom hoisted Reed up into the air as he blasted off of the ground with a comet-like tail.  He wasn’t exactly sure what this guy’s powers were but at this point he didn’t care.  A hundred foot drop should do the trick. 

“Please,” Reed’s voice was harsh with desperation as he clung to Tom’s battle suit.  His scarred visage disturbed Tom, but he couldn’t look away from the oddly hopeful expression on the other man’s features.  “Please, kill me.”

“I—” Tom’s wide eyes took in the scarred man and he felt sick.  His compassion for Reed was short lived.  Reed fell from his grasp as he was hurtled through the air by a blazing form that collided into him with enough force to cause some of his ribs to break despite the blast field surrounding him.

The mountain peak he and Janeway collided with shook under the assault.  Tom coughed up blood as he struggled to breathe while Janeway held him captive in the crevice they had created in the hard rock of the mountain wall.

“Oh, Paris, it’s been a long time.”  Janeway’s grin was toothy as her red eyes bored into Tom’s.  Her voice was velvety as she ran a finger down Tom’s bloody lips.  “I haven’t had you since the second Earth I devoured.  I’ve missed your taste, your power.”

“N-no!”  Tom had experienced having his energy being stolen, twice in fact but nothing could have prepared him for the feeling of Janeway pressing her hard body against his and then her lips were on his bloody mouth. 

Tom’s mind screamed in horror and cried out for her to stop but he could do nothing but shake with grief and fear as she continued to absorb his energy and ravish his mouth.  When he bit down hard on her tongue she merely moaned and thrust herself against him even as he tasted the coppery flavor of her blood running down his throat.  Her hips ground into his and he was disgusted that his body was beginning to betray him. 

Janeway’s lips were torn from Tom’s as she screamed in pain.  Her grip on Tom fell away as she turned to face the being that would dare harm her.  She cried out again as she was blasted by another burst of pure psionic energy and collided into solid rock that cracked under the force of the impact.

“Tom, can you hear me?”  Kes held Janeway captive in the fracture in the mountain side with unrelenting psionic bursts, while she kept Tom afloat with her mind.  “Are you all right?”

“My… chest hurts.”  Tom’s energy reemerged around him and he moved away from the crackling blue energy keeping Janeway writhing and screaming in agony.  He hated the sound of her cries even though he knew this sadistic being was nothing like the Kathryn Janeway he knew and loved.  “I—I think she cracked my ribs.”

“You’re in no condition to fight.  Go, Tom.  Now!”  Kes’ attention was only on Janeway as Tom did what he was told as he blasted off back towards the crashed station. 

Kes continued her assault even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to last long.  Her hands were in front of her as she focused her intense mental bolts on Janeway.  She cried out when burning hands suddenly grasped her wrists harshly. 

“That,” Janeway pinned Kes with a malicious glare as blue and red energy mixed and mingled together.  “Hurt.”

“H—how did you?”  Kes could feel her energy being drawn from her body and it chilled her to know that she had underestimated Janeway. 

“Look in my mind.”  Janeway smiled as she felt the telltale sensation of psychic energy entering her thoughts.  In her mind’s eye was Kes.  Bloody, ravaged and dead.  “You’re seeing what I did to your counterparts.  Oh, Kes, I will so enjoy burning your eyes out before I rip you apart.”

Kes swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat as she blocked out the images of her counterparts, the cruelties Janeway had inflicted upon them for hours sometimes days with sadistic glee.  Kes’ violet eyes blazed with the disgust and hatred she had for this woman.  She had never before imagined hating Kathryn Janeway as intensely as she did now.  Her psionic blades were manifestations of her rage.  Her rage turned into ice cold fear that crawled down her spine when she heard Janeway’s guttural laughter.

“Mmmm.”  Janeway bit her bottom lips as she used one hand to push the glowing blades deeper inside of her chest until they disappeared completely.  Her golden fiery glow crackled with blue energy as she licked her lips.  Her throaty voice accompanied Kes’ widening violet eyes.  “It feels so good.”

“Yeah, how does this feel?”  B’Elanna growled as she launched herself onto Janeway.  She groaned as her skin burned away once she had the fiery woman in her grasp, but her hold only tightened as they plummeted to the ground.

“You dare touch me!”  Janeway’s scream of rage preceded the quickly expanded energy field that pushed B’Elanna off of her once they hit the ground.  “I am your GOD!”

The earth shook and the mountains rumbled as Janeway’s gold and blue energy erupted from her body and tore through the thick rock of the mountain and created fractures in the grass covered ground.  The air surrounding Janeway crackled and sizzled as she turned white while her fiery blaze burned across the dawning sky. 

CHAPTER 7

“Tom!”  B’Elanna watched horrified as the man she loved was collided into by Janeway before they hurtled miles away into the distant mountain range.  She disregarded Chakotay’s calls for her to come back as she ran at an inhuman speed towards the mountains.

Chakotay watched helplessly as B’Elanna grew more and more distant before he moved to Kes’ side.  She was crouched over the bloody and broken body that had fallen from Tom’s grasp when he had been struck by Janeway.

“Kes?”  Chakotay’s hand hovered over Kes’ shoulder, but he did not touch her.  The crackling blue energy that surrounded her was as much of a deterrent as her rigid posture.  “B’Elanna, she—”

“She doesn’t stand a chance against that much power.”  Kes’ violet eyes glowed as she lifted herself into the air high above Chakotay and Reed’s dead body.  “But I do.”

Kes flew off faster than he had ever seen her move and he prayed silently that she would have the strength to at least survive a fight against Janeway.  Chakotay’s impassive features betrayed none of the raging emotions within him.  This alternative version of Kathryn was horrific.  He would have never imagined it possible that any universe could produce such a monster and certainly not the monstrosity that was this sadistic mirror image of the woman he loved.

Chakotay moved away from Reed’s bloody corpse to join the others in what was left of the Jupiter Station.  Loud voices made his gait quicken.  Janeway’s hounds were all shackled and kept in a makeshift titanium cylindrical holding area that he knew Julian had crafted himself.  Chakotay ignored the mirror images of people he knew, people he cared about as he approached Annika.  She stood before the stasis chamber that still held Kathryn’s unconscious form, her icy blue eyes were narrowed and her voice was filled with rage that shook her slim, metal frame.

“She’s not a danger to us!  Let her out, God damn it!”  Annika wanted to slam her powerful fists against the stasis tube and break Kathryn out herself, but she didn’t know how the animated suspension worked and feared she would harm, if not kill, Kathryn.  But as she stood with her fists clenched while Picard and Julian tried to explain the logic of keeping Kathryn imprisoned it was taking all of her willpower not to slam her fists into these two men.

“Your mental bolt barely slowed her down, Picard.  She ripped Tom out of the sky and crashed them into a mountain.  Kes and B’Elanna went after them, but if they’ll be successful or not is in doubt.  You know there is only one person who could possibly stand up to this… monster.”  Chakotay’s large form rippled with disgust as he thought about the mirror image of his beloved Kathryn.  How her counterpart defiled everything Kathryn stood for, believed in.  His voice was a deep throated growl as his eyes turned completely black and his teeth elongated unconsciously.  “So let her out.  Now.”

Picard looked from Chakotay’s features that shifted back to normal to Julian, who nodded his head once before he tapped in the encryption sequence that would reanimate Kathryn Janeway and release her from her prison.  Air decompressed from the chamber as the transparent aluminum slid away to reveal Kathryn’s still form and serenely calm features.

“Kathryn?”  Annika’s eyes filled with hot tears that spilled across her metal cheeks that were quickly becoming rosy skin as she watched stormy gray eyes flutter open.  “Can you hear me?”

“Ann—ika?”  Kathryn smiled sadly as she looked up at Annika’s features as she slowly brought her hand up to grasp the offered hand.  “I wasn’t expecting to see you here, but… I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy that you’re with me.”

Chakotay understood something Annika didn’t seem to as he pushed past his pain at seeing the naked love on Kathryn’s features as she looked up at Annika.  “You aren’t dead.”

“W—what?”  Kathryn sat up abruptly as her narrowed gaze quickly took in her surroundings until the gray was replaced by a white hot blaze.  She ripped her hand out of Annika’s as she flew into the air.  Her long auburn hair ripped around her fiery form as she hovered above them with accusation on her features and in her sharp tone.  “You fools!  What have you done?”

Suddenly Kathryn could feel it.  A powerful energy source, very close.  Very tempting.  Too tempting, she wanted it immediately.  She wanted it all.  That energy pulled at her and she hungered for it like she had never craved anything else.  But she fought her hunger.  She fought it because she saw Annika and the fear in her eyes as she looked up at her. 

“Kathryn, it’s not you T’Pol saw!”  Picard’s voice was raspy as it rose in order to be heard over the roar of Kathryn’s blaze.  “It was an alternate universe version of you.  And she’s here!”

“I know, I can feel her.  She has so much power.  It’s glorious.”  Kathryn smiled in awe at the immense energy calling out to her.  She felt her hunger continue to grow deep within her.  She felt starved for the energy she sensed from her counterpart.  She had never imagined so much power could be obtainable until this moment.  And even Annika’s worried gaze and stricken expression couldn’t override her yearning to devour this energy and make the power her own.  “I want it.  I want it so badly it hurts.  Tell me where she is and I’ll devour her.”

“Kathryn, no!”  Annika felt cold skitter across her skin and hot worry to suffuse her body.  Kathryn was beginning to sound like her counterpart.  And as Annika watched her beloved’s blaze grow, she saw that Kathryn was beginning to look like the mirror Janeway as well.  “Fight it!  I know you can, please.  Don’t let your hunger consume you or it will consume all of us.  Please, fight it!  You have to—”

Annika’s desperate screams were cut off when the ground shook around them and a great fiery glow burned across the sky, which was just beginning to herald a new day.  And then Annika’s world came crashing down around her as she saw fissures erupting from the earth and the distant mountains quake and crumble under the force of unrelenting fiery bursts of immense energy.  But it was Kathryn’s strangely calm voice that made Annika’s heart seem to freeze within her chest even as hot blood furiously pounded in her ears.

“She feels me too.  She’s coming.”  Kathryn closed her eyes as she felt the immense energy moving quickly towards her.  As it drew close her hunger and anticipation grew. 

“Hello, me.”  Janeway hovered in a blaze of orange and blue fire that rippled in hot waves across her pale, hard body.  Kes and B’Elanna’s broken forms were dropped to the earth uncaringly.  Janeway’s gaze was only on Kathryn.  “I felt you break free of your prison.  Tasted your energy on my tongue.  I’ve searched for you across five universes.  Do you want me as much as I want you?”

“Yes!”  Kathryn’s husky roar preceded her collision into Janeway.  The other woman hugged her closely and laughed in delight as their blazes merged together.

Kathryn groaned as she felt Janeway’s energy mix with own.  It felt good, a heady experience that made her back arch as more of Janeway’s fire was pushed into her in torrents of energy.  Whenever Kathryn had been overcome by her hunger she had forced energy from others.  Never before had she been so freely given nourishment, she relished in it.  Her chin tipped back and her eyes closed tightly as she screamed in pleasure as Janeway embraced her more firmly as more energy was thrust into her body, forcefully and unrelentingly.

“What do we do?”  Annika horror was etched in metal as she looked from Picard to Julian and Chakotay, who was carrying B’Elanna and Kes’ still away from the blaze.  “What the hell do we do?”

“I can’t risk adding to their power using psionic energy, but I do have one idea.”  Picard’s voice was oddly even as he stared up at the two Janeway’s exchanging and absorbing immense amounts of energy from one another.  He felt some relief that they were too engaged with one another to seem to even remember the people on the ground.  He hoped that would work to their advantage.  “But it is possible that it would do more harm than good.”

“The world is coming to an end, Picard.”  Julian used his powers sparingly for the same reason as he shifted titanium around him and the others in order to protect them from some of the excess energy being expelled by the two fiery beings.  “If you’ve got a plan, so be it.”

“I need one of the captives, I don’t care which one.”  Picard kept his eyes on the two Janeway’s as Annika and Chakotay carried out his request. 

The mirror B’Elanna spit and swore as she was dragged towards Picard.  Her struggles were hindered by the titanium constraints and Chakotay and Annika who held her tight. 

“Shut up or I’ll crush your head between my hands.  How long will that take to regrow?”  Annika tossed the vile woman who looked so much like her friend onto the dirt in front of Picard’s feet.

“She will bathe in your blood!”  B’Elanna snapped and snarled at Picard.  “You will beg for death long before she’s finished with you.”

“You seem to be speaking from experience.  Let’s see what she did to you.”  Picard placed his fingertips upon B’Elanna’s forehead, which caused the aggressive woman to fall unconscious as his mind pushed into hers.  What he saw made his stomach turn, but he fought back his nausea.  His voice was raspy, yet still authoritative.  “Annika, take my hand.”

Annika hesitated out of fear for only a moment before she knelt before Picard and held his hand in hers.  Her eyes immediately rolled back as she, like the mirror B’Elanna, fell into an unconscious trance.

Time seemed to come to a stop around him as Picard drew memories from each of the two women and transmitted them to the Janeways.  Frozen within each other’s arms, the two Kathryn Janeway’s were unrelentingly bombarded with images of themselves contained within the memories of B’Elanna and Annika. 

The Kathryn Janeway from this world saw her worst fears come to life as she was flooded with horrific visions of what her counterpart had done.  The torture and death that she had committed with such joy and pleasure.  The hunger that her mirror image not only surrendered to but relished in. 

As B’Elanna’s memories of her world’s Chakotay being tortured were revealed, Kathryn couldn’t help but cry out in horror as her eyes widened despite wanting to see no more.  She saw Chakotay beaten and bloodied lying naked in a broken heap upon the stone floor of what looked like an ancient cathedral.  He murmured something through his torn lips that Kathryn could barely make out.  She thought it was “please”, but she couldn’t be sure.  Kathryn whispered the word herself to Picard when he forced her to watch what was sure to be Chakotay’s death.

Kathryn saw her counterpart’s naked, hard flesh glowing orange and red as the cruel woman wore a lopsided grin as she moved towards Chakotay.  Janeway’s burning hand caused him to arch and cry out in agony as she ripped through the flesh of his exposed chest and stomach.  Her voice was silky, sensual but demanding. 

“Join me.  And I’ll let the wolf out.”  Janeway’s warm breath brushed across Chakotay’s sweaty and bloodied face as she grinned.  “I’ll even give you a few humans to play with.”

“Never.”  Even close to death Chakotay remained defiant as he struggled to even breathe. 

“Oh, you’re so noble, but don’t you see?  I have you already.”  Janeway’s eyes followed Chakotay’s as they moved to where another Chakotay entered the large stone walled room. 

This Chakotay had a grin on his scarred face as he quickly removed his red leather outfit until his dusky skin made sporadically pale by thick scar tissue was completely revealed.  As was his arousal at the sight of his Queen torturing his weak counterpart.

Janeway’s gaze moved back to the Chakotay beneath her as she felt her hound taking position behind her.  “Join me.” 

Chakotay spat blood and growled deep in his throat.  “Fuck you.”

“Mmm, all right.”  Janeway threw her head back as she impaled herself upon Chakotay who screamed in agony as her white hot flesh burned his.  The hound moving behind her was also burned but not as badly and so he continued his rocking motions into his Queen.

“No!  Stop, please!”  Kathryn could see no more.  But Picard continued to reveal more of exactly what she was capable of.

Kathryn saw herself walking closer.  Janeway’s searing touch burned B’Elanna’s skin away which brought her dark eyes from the scorched smoking remains of the man who had dared defy Janeway as the man who looked exactly like him wiped blood and burned flesh from his own body.

“Join me.”

B’Elanna looked again at what remained of Chakotay before her dark eyes shifted back to Janeway’s narrowed gaze.  B’Elanna’s voice was a soft growl.  “Yes.”

Janeway’s smile was brilliant as she cupped B’Elanna’s chin in her hand and released the thick chains that held her newest hound.  “That’s my good girl.”

Kathryn was brought out of the onslaught of B’Elanna’s memories by Janeway’s mocking voice that seemed so inhuman in its cruelty. 

“Did you honestly think I would be swayed by those memories, Picard?  You’ve just shown me why I should keep this… Annika alive.”  Janeway had just emerged from the flood of images conveyed from Annika to her by Picard.  She had seen this world’s Kathryn Janeway through Annika’s eyes.  They were in love, which Janeway cared nothing about.  It was the long nights filled with mutual pleasure that intrigued her.  Janeway looked down upon Annika with a wide grin and carnal intent in her voice.  “I was right.  You are a screamer.  I can’t wait to have you.  You’ll have to be broken in of course, but that shouldn’t take long.  You—”

A fiery fist threw Janeway’s head back as blood gushed from her nose.  Her wide blazing eyes took in her counterpart with surprise and rage that caused Janeway’s energy field to expand. 

“It wasn’t you I was trying to sway.  I was merely distracting you.”  Picard felt hope begin to emerge within him at seeing that his plan had worked.  Kathryn’s humanity had overridden her desire for power, especially since she now knew exactly what Janeway had planned for Annika.

“You’re just like the others.  Weak!”  Janeway flew high into the sky as she fired off plasma bolts from her hands at the woman following her into the heavens.  “We are gods!”

“Sorry,” Kathryn absorbed the energy discharges as she drew closer to Janeway.  She collided straight into the other woman, wrapped her arms around Janeway’s waist and flew them even higher.  “I’m an atheist.”

“What, what are you doing?”  Janeway felt something she hadn’t felt in over twenty years.  Not since she escaped from Hayes’ pens.  Fear.  

“What I should have done… a long time ago.”  Kathryn continued their ascension even as the high altitude caused her breathing to become laborious and painful.  “You and I… we’re not gods… we aren’t h—human, we’re monsters.  I—I think… deep down… you know that.”

“I can give you power!”  Janeway felt ice begin to form over her skin as her blaze began to dissipate around her as her breath started to leave her body.  “I know… that’s what you hunger for.  I’ll give it all to you!”

“I know.”  Kathryn’s own fiery field was flickering, but she persevered.  She needed to get them into orbit.  She held tight to the woman who struggled fiercely in her arms.  “And I want it, desperately.  That’s why… it must end.  Now.”

Jean Luc?

Kathryn?

Tell Annika I love her.  I’m sorry.  Good bye.

KATHRYN!

Picard watched with Chakotay and Julian as the hounds howled and four women lied at their feet as the earth shook around them.  The sky was on fire and it seemed inevitable that heaven and hell was crashing down upon them.  But suddenly the ground stilled and the sky was pale blue and cloudless, so beautiful in the morning.

****

Kathryn’s eyes resisted opening at first because of the immense pain radiating across her body.  Upon realizing what that meant her eyes shot open as she felt a rush of panic crash over her.  She must have lost consciousness due to oxygen deprivation.  She had thought it was death.  She had hoped it was.  She quickly looked around her and felt an awesome wave of relief when she saw herself, Janeway, dead beside her.  Both their bodies had been broken by the fall back to earth.  The faint force field that had formed around them had provided only a minimal amount of protection when they had impacted the ground.    

Blood ran down Kathryn’s chin as she closed her eyes to let death take her with no resistance on her part.  She knew her body was shattered and that she was bleeding internally.  Kathryn’s bloody smile reflected her acceptance of the fate she had anticipated since the start of this whole mess.  She would die saving the people she loved, her world and others, but above all she sacrificed herself to keep Annika safe.  As darkness overtook her, Kathryn’s last image in her mind was Annika’s smile and Kathryn marveled at how wonderful it had been that such a beauty had loved a beast, however briefly.

Annika, I’ve always loved—