Janeway watched the sensor readings helplessly as the Nihydron ship, dead or dying, crashed into Voyager. Hold together just a little longer, she silently begged her ship. Just a little bit longer.

The impact threw her out of her seat and across the deck. She heard explosions all around the bridge, saw sparks fly and fires begin, heard the hull creak and moan at the stress, but she did not hear the sound she feared most – the full-throated groaning of metal wrenching itself apart.

Voyager was holding together.

With a grunt, she tried to stand. It was only then she noticed the pain in her right leg. She looked down, saw that it was broken. Desperate to get back to the controls, she began to drag herself forward with her arms.

The first time she realized she was no longer alone was when a pair of arms picked her up and helped her stand. Astonished, she found herself looking at Chakotay.

She blinked, testing her vision and her sanity.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Chakotay. He was clean and neat, in a brown leather uniform that she didn’t recognize. She reached out to touch his chest, just to assure herself that he was really there. He was looking closely at her, too. She could tell when he noticed the scars on her face and hands beneath the grime by the sadness that suddenly flooded his eyes. When he saw the pocket watch on her hip, though, he looked up in surprise. Then he smiled.

The ship lurched, and time resumed again. Without a word, he helped her back to the command chair and stood beside her. Tuvok called from the remaining Muwasi ship. "Captain, do you have weapons capability?"

She checked the monitor. "Negative. I’m setting a collision course for the time ship." She felt Chakotay’s hand on her shoulder, felt a quick squeeze which she interpreted as agreement.

"Tuvok," he said, "tell the fleet to deactivate the time shields."

Janeway was as surprised as Tuvok sounded. "That will expose us to the change in history, Commander."

"Exactly. There’s a temporal incursion building on that ship. When it goes, it will be as if it never existed. We don’t want to be protected from that."

Her eyes fixed on Chakotay, Janeway said, "Do it. This is one year I don’t need to remember."

The distance between Voyager and the time ship narrowed. Sensors showed that Annorax was about to fire weapons, but it was too late. Nothing could stop the collision now. He would never annihilate history again. Feeling grimly triumphant, Janeway stared at the rapidly growing image on the ruined viewscreen. "Time’s up."

But a few seconds remained, just enough to allow her to think. She felt completely at peace with her decision and with what was about to happen. It was perhaps a gift of grace from a benevolent god, or, she thought with a flight of fancy, perhaps time itself was tired of Annorax’s manipulations and approved her actions. She looked up at Chakotay, and took his hand in hers with a smile. "I’m glad you’re here," she said softly.

"Where else would I be?" he said, curling his fingers tightly with hers. His eyes fixed on her, and she held his gaze. She wanted it to be the last thing she would see.

Voyager rammed itself into the time ship. The impact threw them both across the deck, but they kept their grip on one another. There was more fire, and a sound like glass shattering, and the full-throated groaning of metal wrenching itself apart.