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By Root 591 0

as the two stars tore at each other like street fighters trying to knock each other down. In this case, the primary, which was actually smaller in size, would win. And very soon.

And they only had four hours and twenty minutes before they would attempt to change the time of that final battle between the two neutron stars. Change it by two point three nine milliseconds.

Four hours and twenty minutes. Not much time to attempt the impossible.

Janeway wondered what those in command back on Earth would think of this. By moving the star's path, she was more than likely violating the Prime Directive. Cultures that would be destroyed would now live, if she was successful. And some might interpret stopping the Qavok. from taking their yacht back as a violation of the Prime Directive as well.

Just one violation right after another.

But it was far, far too late now to back out. What was the old Earth saying? "In for a penny, in for a pound." At this point she was working on her first ton.

"Mr. Kim," she said, "hail Captain Fedr on the Xorm ship. It's time to have a little talk."

"Aye, Captain," Kim said.

She watched the incredible sight of the binary for a moment before Kim said, "On screen, Captain."

"Captain Fedr," she said as the wide-eyed face of the Xorm appeared. "Thank you for responding."

He smiled, his green eyes almost sparkling with excitement. "At a time like this, it is a pleasure. Life is a pleasure when witnessing a wonder of the galaxy."

"I wish I could say the same for us here," Janeway said.

Her words wiped the smile right off his face. His eyes became intense and very focused.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to take the long way to that answer," Janeway said, and she proceeded to explain her crew's findings.

"Core breach?" Captain Fedr echoed as she finished. He looked over at his colleague, Dr. Janss, who only nodded, lost in thought and calculations.

Captain Fedr didn't seem to much like the thought of a core breach. He had probably had a few close calls in his past. Just about any starship captain had.

"Captain," Janeway said. "The Qavok may be trying to use the same idea we've discovered to alter the path of the star to take it across the Lekk system."

Captain Fedr nodded. "So there actually might be a way for them to succeed. We had written off that rumor as impossible."

"Not impossible," Janeway said. "A core breach aimed at another point of the less massive and larger neutron star eighty-one minutes before the projected time would cause it to hasten the time of explosion by two point four one milliseconds."

"And that would do it?" Dr. Janss asked.

Janeway nodded. "I'll be glad to send you our calculations."

"I would love to see them," Dr. Janss said.

Janeway glanced around to Chakotay, who was standing over a panel near Tuvok. "Send them to him."

"Working on it now," Chakotay said.

"But Captain," Fedr asked, "do you know how the Qavok intend to accomplish this feat?"

"Not exactly," Janeway said. "But I do have a theory."

"Which involves us?"

"It might," Janeway said. "We've been intensely scanning the Qavok warship for the past few hours. They do not have an extra warp core on board in any fashion."

"That's not surprising," Captain Fedr replied.

"But they do have an extra thirty crew members, standing by in a large group in one of the shuttle-bays."

"You said thirty?" Captain Fedr said, his face growing slightly pale and his eyes closing down to narrow slits.

Janeway nodded. "Thirty. We think it is one of their elite fighting forces."

"The Qborne," Fedr said. "The most dreaded name in the Qavok military. They always travel in units of thirty."

Janeway waited a moment for Captain Fedr to collect his thoughts, and then she said, "We think they are possibly on board to take over your ship and use your warp core to alter the neutron star."

"They wouldn't dare," Captain Fedr said, redness slowly filling the pale