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'1 don't want to hurt you!" the Culil was crying. As if loni would believe such a thing. The Culilann hated the Alilann as much as the Alilann hated the Culilann. This particular battle lost, and badly too, loni had fled into the night to kill what she could, burn what she could, and wonder how things had gone so wrong.

She had still thought they could escape and rejoin the others until Chakotay and Paris had come bursting through the jungle, with that idiot Ezbai hard on their heels. And that was when loni realized it was all over, all but the dying. For she would not go back and face trial, face condemnation and punishment, for doing the right thing: killing Culilann barbarians.

It was hard to breathe, now. She felt faint and wondered if she would lose consciousness before the flames claimed her. She set her teeth. She would die like a soldier, awake, conscious, tasting the pain.

Tears filled her eyes and poured down her cheeks. She couldn't see. Was it just the roiling smoke, or were there figures in the black hole that was the doorway?

"loni!" It was Chakotay. "Come out! This hut's about to go!"

She scuttled backward, ignoring the heat, ,the pain. She did not reply, but thought, Let it burn.

Her weapon was hot in her hands, but she lifted it and fired. Her aim was off and from their voices she knew she had missed both of them. It was so hard to see, so hard to breathe-

"I'm coming in for you," called Chakotay.

"No! You'll die if you do!" she screamed, her voice raw.

"You'll die if I don't," he replied.

loni propped her weapon up on her knees, settling it in the valley between them. It was so hot she couldn't hold it anymore, and it kept slipping.

The shadow in the doorway moved closer.

loni fired.

INTERLUDE

WHEN THE PRESENCE APPEARED AGAIN, THE ENTITY WEL-comed it. The benevolent, alien Presence permeated the Entity, told it that it had succeeded in its quest, and that it was time to safely put away the dark matter it had gathered. Soon, the Presence would come to claim it.

The Entity expressed its gratitude for the experiences it had undergone while gathering the dark matter. It had been enriching, and had completed the Entity. For now it understood so much of what had been strange to it. Memories were recovered. Holes were filled. Wounds it had not realized it had were healed, and all because it had helped the Presence help every universe that had ever existed.

When the Presence informed the Entity of its destination, the Entity was overjoyed. Full circle, it would come now. It sped off to surrender the dark matter to

those who were also engaged in a quest to gather it. Eventually, it would all be harvested by the Presence, but for now, the Entity had a destination.

It had a name. A place which had once been its home, to which it now rushed aflame with delight at once again seeing those it had loved so dearly.

Voyager.

JANEWAY ROSE AND STRODE DOWN TO THE SCREEN. KALEH had not cut off communications, but the screen showed only beeping, flashing consoles and the interior of the ship.

"Kaleh!" she cried. There was no response. Janeway whirled to look at Tuvok, the question plain on her face.

"Sensors indicate there are only two life signs aboard the Talvath. Both are unconscious and weakening."

"Beam them to sickbay. Janeway to the Doctor. You've got a pair of Romulan patients."

"Now is not a good time," came the Doctor's irritated voice. "I'm presently in Engineering, assisting Lieutenant Torres with erecting a forcefield around the disintegrating warp-bubble universe."

"Doctor, can't the engineers handle Engineering?"

"Not when it involves the same delicate technology I am using to erect a forcefield around Khala," he said. "I'll return to sickbay the moment I'm through."

"We do need him, Captain."

The Doctor wasn't available. Paris was gone, and she couldn't spare Kim. Janeway's mind went back to when they had discovered the Romulans on board. The Doctor had requested