A Sad Goodbye

A/N: The second bonus chapter will be released later once I get it back from my editor, but here is the first one for the ten reviews! Special thanks to Formoia, Arzard, Ray_Bager_3, Andrew_Midkiff_g5, Bhelongir, Andrew_Midkiff, Galaxy_Dragon_3540, Camo, Benoit_Valtin, and IWant2DieALilMore for the reviews.

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Katye and I sat in the seats of the coliseum while we watched Raven and Echo stand off from each other. Echo held a single long sword in her hands and Raven had a pair of curved short swords. Both of them were stirring the mana inside their bodies as they prepared to cast their spells.

Raven was the first to make a move, boosting her speed and dashing straight at Echo. Echo also boosted her speed and, though her version of the spell was slightly weaker than Raven's, she made up for it with her skill with the sword. They exchanged a number of attacks, but Echo was able to parry all of the blows and sent Raven stumbling back with a shoulder check. Over both of her shoulders, a golf ball sized, maroon orb of mana formed and started firing beams at Echo which were roughly the strength of a phaser.

Echo was forced to retreat as she dodged the blasts, but she was charging another spell. With a spin, Echo's stance changed like she was shooting a bow, and she launched an icy blue arrow made of mana. Raven crossed her blades in front of her and created a shield of mana to block the arrow, but unfortunately for her, that meant she lost sight of Echo for a moment.

When the shield crumbled, Echo was holding her sword over her head as the tip shined with an icy-blue light. Recognizing Echo's strongest spell quickly taking shape, Blizzard Blast, Raven knew that she needed to stop her quickly. The two orbs of maroon reappeared over her shoulders and started firing at Echo, but the beams passed right through her body. Raven realized her mistake, but it was already too late with Echo exiting the Yin Realm right behind her and holding a dagger to her throat.

"Were we that strong a year into our training?" I asked, impressed with the fight.

"We fought Iseto's army before we had been there for a year," Katye reminded.

"Yeah, but ninety-nine percent of that was normal people and slightly stronger ones. Even Iseto wouldn't be much of a challenge for Raven now."

"His abilities were more suited for brainwashing the masses than actual fighting, even with that berserker state he could use. If we had not been weakened by the army, we would have beaten him with ease, and he knew it."

"True," I sighed. "God, it feels like a lifetime ago, but I can still remember the faces."

She placed a hand on my shoulder, and I leaned into her side. "Battles like that leave all types of wounds, not just physical ones. I would be more worried if those memories didn't haunt you anymore; they certainly still haunt me."

I straightened up and kissed her cheek, before I stood up and said, "Alright, enough moping on the past. Why don't the three of you kick my ass for a while? If you can, that is."

Echo and Raven could hear our conversation since it was the Mental Plane, and we were not trying to hide what we were saying. My taunting remark had both of them stirring their mana, to shoot an ice arrow and phaser beams at me, respectively, in hopes of catching me off-guard. I teleported myself to the side, so their attacks were heading straight at Katye though she copied my tactic before they could land.

I laughed as she chased me around the seating, teleporting a step behind me no matter where I went. She was just acting as a distraction, and I knew it, while Raven and Echo charged up their spells. Shifting into my Dusa form, I jumped into the air and flew up high in hopes that Katye would follow me, but she did not, instead rushing over to Raven and Echo. It was a smart move as, once I was high enough, my body grew as I switched to my Dragon form.

I turned around to face them and angled my body downwards. As I nosedived straight at the ground, I released a stream of red flames right at them. Echo released her Blizzard Blast which was able to hold back my dragon breath for a moment, but when her spell collapsed, Katye casted a violet shield which protected them from the rest of the flames. Unfortunately for them, my follow-up attack of slamming my giant body on them, was not as easy to block.

Katye's shield shattered like glass as I crashed into it, but they had already retreated in different directions, though Raven had left a present behind. The ground where they had been standing on erupted with the strength of a V-3 torpedo, burning me with pure mana that ripped away a few scales from my front legs and chest. I roared in pain and released my Chaos Storm Clouds throughout the coliseum with a flap of my wings. Instead of chasing them down, I tucked my wings into my body and dug a hole in the area floor then curled up inside.

Over the past few months, our joint training time had become a twisted game of hide-and-seek where I kept them away from my body with my Chaos Storm. It was great practice in controlling the clouds for me, while they learned how to shield themselves from magical attacks. Honestly, it was just an excuse to bully them while I lazed around, since only Katye could effectively deflect the crimson lightning. I could keep them contained for roughly half an hour like this, unless Katye used her Lotus Bloom spell to cut through my storm, but so long as I kept from overwhelming Raven or Echo, she would play nice and not use it.

Fae appeared in front of me and said, "Pedira is paging you."

I opened my eyes and yawned. Words were not needed to leave the Mental Plane, so a moment later, my eyes opened in the real world, and I tapped my badge. "Yes, Pedira?"

"Can you come to Sick Bay? Danara and the Doctor think they have done it," she replied.

"Of course. Do you mind if I bring Raven and Katye?" I asked.

"No, bring your whole group, in fact."

"We'll be there in a few minutes," I agreed.

The others woke up while I talked with Pedira, so there was no need to explain. There was only one thing that she would call me for at such a late hour, a cure for the phage. All of us were invested in developing the cure in some form or fashion, so it meant a lot if this was successful. We gathered Filigree and Nyka, before we left our little ship, and headed for Sick Bay. The other person responsible for this discovery, L'Naan, was also in Sick Bay, along with Janeway.

"This is a geno-resequencing formula that we have developed based off of our research of L'Naan's DNA," Danara explained with a hypospray in her hands. "It won't be an instant cure, but the Doctor should be able to track the initial changes to my immune system. If everything goes as expected, we should be able to see some minor results in as little as a week."

"Are there any side effects that you are worried about?" Janeway asked.

"A few, but it is due to implanted organs. My liver is unfortunately from a Kazon and their DNA structure is weaker than my Vidiian DNA. It made it easier for us to adapt it for me, but there is a chance that my body could reject it as my immune system gets stronger."

"I believe that a replicated liver can be used, but L'Naan has also agreed to donate a lobe of one of hers if needed," the Doctor added.

I glanced over at L'Naan with a light smile since I was proud of her to make the offer. Klingons were not the most generous of races, so her willingness to help save Danara after helping cure the phage was a lot for any one person to do, especially after what the Vidiians did to her. Despite the change of race, she still had the kind heart that B'Elanna had throughout the show, which was part of the reason why I liked her character so much.

"If you both are confident, I see no reason to stop you," Janeway replied.

"Thank you, Captain," Danara said.

She handed the hypospray to the Doctor then walked over to the main bio-bed and sat down. Pedira was at the console, starting the scans of Danara while the Doctor moved to her side and administered the formula. She grimaced in pain, and there were a few beeps from the console that Pedira was standing at, but neither she nor the Doctor seemed worried. The Doctor circled back and joined Pedira at the terminal.

"Incredible! With a single circulation, over twenty-five percent of her leukocytes have already mutated and I'm detecting that all of her lymph nodes have started the process," the Doctor remarked, impressed.

"If there is one thing that our scientists have focused on perfecting, it's adapting our immune system," Danara retorted. "It will take a few more doses for the alterations to become permanent, but it will give us time to fine-tune the formula."

"Good; I knew you two could do it," I said with a smile.

"Danara deserves all of the praise. Without her expertise, I doubt that I could have developed a cure," the Doctor replied.

"Without your knowledge of Klingon anatomy, it would have taken me much longer to create the proper formula," Danara protested.

"And as usual, those responsible for all of the technology that you used to get to the answer, are forgotten," Pedira sighed with a teasing smirk.

Janeway and I shared a glance at the dynamic between the three of them, and I could tell that she was having to hold back her amusement like I was. The sad part was that moments like these would be gone for good soon if they really had cured the phage. The Doctor may have been learning about their medical techniques, but it was his personal interaction skills that were developing the most. There were times that I had to remind myself that he was just a holographic program fundamentally, which I could create with a few commands to the computer, though nothing near Doctor Zimmerman's skill level.

Since most of us were here just for the importance of this moment, we excused ourselves a short time later. For the next two weeks, Danara's condition was closely monitored, and thankfully, everything was within predicted values. Pedira also started treatment after the two-week mark, and Janeway conveniently slowed our journey back to the Alpha Quadrant for heavy maintenance of the Voyager. It would not be long before they would be leaving us, so every light-year that we traveled closer to Earth, the further we moved away from their home.

A month after Danara's first treatment, I was working in the Aeroponics Bay and harvesting a fresh batch of vegetables for Neelix. The large doors opened which drew my attention, since it was rare for anyone else to come in here, though I was less surprised when I saw that it was Pedira.

"Come to say goodbye?" I asked, turning my attention back to the plants.

"Partially, but my true motives are different. Danara and I have talked for a few weeks now, and we have come to a decision, though it could be put into question depending on yours, and then Janeway's, answers... Danara doesn't want to return to Vidiia. Despite creating the cure, we know that the credit will go to Sudan, or someone else in the High Council, instead of her. We can be welcomed back by our people, but anything more than that will only put us at odds against the Council. I want Syrala to grow up with our people, help the next generation learn from the mistakes of the past, while Danara is still jaded by Tolam's betrayal. I don't think that she will grow to regret the decision, I've thought about it myself, but I would feel a lot more comfortable knowing that you, and your group, will watch over her for me," Pedira explained.

"You don't even need to ask," I replied, smiling over at her. "Yu laik ai kru, which means 'you are my people.' Anyone that my group considers a friend, or family, means that they are under our protection, and you both fall into that category."

"Thank you, Rebecca."

"When are you leaving?" I asked.

"Danara and I have a meeting with Captain Janeway in an hour, and then I plan on sneaking out before anyone can notice," she answered with a wry smile.

"Still shy, huh? There are going to be a number of people who will be sad to see you go, especially without a chance to say goodbye," I reminded.

"I know," she sighed. "I've just never been good at goodbyes."

I chuckled as I picked up the basket of vegetables that I had gathered and stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Goodbyes to friends are never easy, so when they are hard to say, it means that the friendship is real."

Pedira smiled back at me, and I pulled her into a hug. We walked out of the old cargo bay together, but went in different directions, as she headed for her quarters, and I took the turbo lift up to Deck Two. It was a little early for lunch to be served when I walked into the Mess Hall, but I could smell Neelix cooking something.

"Just set them over on the counter, Becca," Neelix said from behind a large stew pot.

I put the basket down and walked over to the window where he usually served food out of. "Smell's good. I know that lunch is coming up soon, but I was hoping that I could get a favor from the ship's morale officer."

"What do you need?" Neelix asked with a smile.

"I want to throw a small going away party for Pedira and Syrala, and we only have about an hour and a half to get everything ready in the Shuttle Bay. She just told me that she's meeting with Janeway soon to get permission for Danara to stay, and then hoping to sneak away before she has to say goodbye. I'm not going to be able to get too many people together, but I think I can round up about ten or fifteen who will want to see her off. I have a month's worth of replicator rations that you can use for whatever you need, either lunch for the crew or stuff for the party, if you are willing to help me out."

Neelix grabbed a couple handfuls of beans and tossed them in the pot, before putting a lid on it and turning the temperature down on the burner. "Of course, I'll help! This can simmer for an hour or two while we get everything together."

"Thanks, Neelix. I'll see who I can gather up and meet you in the Shuttle Bay," I replied.

The first person I headed for was the one most likely to be asleep since they worked graveyard shifts most nights, L'Naan. Her quarters were on Deck Four, so it was a short walk to her room. I pressed the chime on the side of the door and waited a few moments for a grumpy, half-awake Klingon to open the door. She was only in a pair of tight shorts that stopped just above her knees and no shirt on, only her uniform jacket on to hide the important parts of her chest. Still, I had a good view of her toned stomach which I could not help but appreciate.

"Sorry for waking you up, L'Naan, but Pedira just told me that she is planning on leaving the Voyager in an hour or so, and thought that you'd like the chance to say goodbye," I explained.

L'Naan swallowed hard when she realized that it was me, but she nodded her head when I finished and replied, "I would; thank you."

"Alright; I've got Neelix throwing something together quickly in the Shuttle Bay, so head there when you are properly dressed," I said with a smirk.

There was a faint blush on her cheeks as she shut the door in my face, but I just laughed and started walking away from the door. Next, I went to Sick Bay where Katye and Kes were working this morning. I told them, and the Doctor, and they all wanted to say goodbye, though the Doctor would have to use the comm system unless she stopped by on her own. I grabbed Raven, and B'Elanna after I explained why I wanted Raven, and a couple more people that I knew Pedira had gotten close to over the months that she had been here.

By the time that I got back to the Shuttle Bay, Neelix, Kes, Katye, Raven, and Echo already had a small table set up with some food and drinks on it. Several others had arrived, like Samantha and Naomi, who was much bigger than a human child at six months old, but that was due to her Ktarian father. People were chatting happily, so I slipped inside the Fae Dragon and used our replicator to make a present for Syrala.

I came out a few minutes later with a plushy, white fox with three tails. Nyka was unimpressed by the copy, but Syrala always wanted to pet her, so I hoped that it would be a good reminder of us. It did not take too much longer before the Shuttle Bay doors opened and revealed Pedira, Syrala, Danara, and Janeway. Pedira stopped dead in her tracks when she saw all of us and tears were quickly building up.

"I know that you wanted a quiet send off, but as hard as it is, you could regret it later. You've brought a lot of kindness and joy during your time here, and while all of us understand the importance of what you are doing, we will still miss you," I explained.

"Thank you, all of you," Pedira said, holding back her tears. "I've never met a group of people who are so kind and caring. I will never forget the love that you all have shown me and my daughter."

Neelix brought glasses to Janeway, Danara, Pedira, and even Syrala then raised his own and led the toast, "No distance can weaken the ties of the heart between true friends and family."