The Doctor was hovering over me when I came to, aiming a vascular regenerator at my nose. He was frowning. My head was throbbing with one of the worst headaches in memory. Then I remembered, and tried to sit up. "I have to get back to the bridge."

"Relax, Commander," the Doctor said. He pushed me back on the biobed with an ease that was embarrassing. "The battle's over."

"Over?" In all these years on Voyager, all the fights we've been through, it was the first time I was so incapacitated that I missed the finish of a fight.

"We won." For the first time, I saw the Captain standing behind the Doctor. She stepped up, put a hand on my shoulder. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit in the head with a strut. How's the ship?"

"About the same," she said dryly.

"Let us hope that Lt. Torres can be as efficient as I," the Doctor said, setting the regenerator down. "You suffered multiple fractures, including both hands and most of the bones in your face, Commander, as well as a severe concussion. I have healed the breaks and the vascular damage, but you need to rest for at least 24 hours. 48 would be better, but I've learned to be realistic."

This time I managed to sit, although my head protested the move. Sickbay was a busy place, but it looked like everyone was ambulatory. "You were the most seriously injured," the Captain said quietly, in response to my questioning look.

Then I saw them, the people from the escape pod. The older woman was flanking Paris as he examined the younger woman, who sat on a bed. By chance, the older woman looked up at that moment, and saw the Captain standing beside me. With a smile, she came over.

"My thanks, Captain Kathryn Janeway," she said. Close up, it was harder to tell if she was old or not. Her skin was smooth and fresh, and her eyes sparkled. She probably was shorter than Neelix; she made the Captain look tall. "You have saved us at some cost."

The Captain regarded her carefully. "You're welcome. May I introduce my First Officer, Commander Chakotay?"

"Ah, my manners," the woman said. "A pleasure, Commander. I am Norrla. My lovely young companion is my granddaughter, Anjamia."

Norrla had not exaggerated; Anjamia was exquisitely beautiful. Her skin was the color of Captain's favorite café au lait, and flawless. Long white hair framed a delicate face, and large blue eyes were looking around curiously.

Norrla was still smiling as she extended two hands to the Captain. "May I greet you in the manner of the Lyrrial?"

She hesitated for only a moment. It was technical breach of first contact protocol to have physical contact before medical clearance, but the Doctor was standing right there and could have objected. When he did not, she reached for Norrla's hands.

The smaller woman immediately took hold of the Captain's wrists and slid up her forearms, pushing back her uniform. Then she reversed her hold, so that her own hands were underneath but facing upwards. The end effect was that the pulse points of Norrla's wrists were pressed against the pulse points of the Captain's.

After a moment of surprise, the Captain's face changed. It happened so quickly that I wondered if I imagined it, but I was certain that for an instant her face went blank and distant. At the same time, I felt a chill, as if a breeze just passed over me. Even as I was wondering if I was crazy, the Captain returned to her normal diplomatic expression and the faint breeze was gone.

Norrla was smiling. "We are among friends."

"What just happened?" I blurted out. I'm usually more tactful, but my head was throbbing and my instincts were on full alert.

The Captain frowned at me, and the Doctor said, "What do you mean?" but Norrla simply looked at me curiously.

"You sensed that?" she asked.

Even as I nodded (a mistake, it felt as if my brain were sloshing against my skull), the Captain said, "I thought it was my imagination."

"I read your soul," Norrla said simply. "Forgive me, I should have identified myself as a Seer first."

"I don't understand." The Captain folded her arms; there is nothing she hates more than not understanding something.

Norrla looked confused, then turned to me. "And you, Commander, do you understand my meaning?"

Her eyes were brightly silver, and she looked at me as if she expected something from me. I shook my head, fighting back the feeling of déjà vu. "No, I don't."

Some of her sparkle faded, and she regarded us seriously. "I am a Seer of souls, that is my Gift. We are of the same blood; don't you have Gifts as well?"

Now I was really confused. "Not in the sense you mean, I suspect. What do you mean, we are of the same blood?"

Norrla fell back a step. "Oh my. You did not come looking for us, then? The Federation is not searching for us?"

Kathryn glanced at me, a look of worry. "I'm sorry," she said. "We're here by accident, trying to get home. It is just chance that we found you."

There was a long silence as Norrla studied us thoughtfully. "Then we are all the more in your debt, for your kindness to strangers is a rare thing in this part of space. We have a lot to talk about, Captain."

"I'm beginning to see that."

The girl, Anjamia, slid off the bed and came over to Norrla. She was staring fixedly at me, and silently reached out with one hand. I flinched away.

"Don't worry," Norrla said quietly. "Anjamia is the Chosen of our people. She will not hurt you. She wishes only to help you. Healing is among her Gifts."

Anjamia smiled shyly and raised her hand again. I looked to the Captain, who said only, "It's up to you."

The Doctor was frowning. "Just what do you intend to do, young lady?"

"Anjamia has not yet found her voice," Norrla said. "It will be a simple touch, nothing more."

I thought about the breeze I felt when Norrla touched the Captain. I turned to Anjamia, and she was looking at me, waiting. "All right," I said.

Although I expected her to take my wrist, she laid the palm of her hand against the back of my head. For a moment, the room around me lost focus and I thought I heard music somewhere far away. Then she removed her hand and everything returned to normal.

The throbbing in my skull stopped. There was no more pain. I blinked in surprise. "It's better."

The Doctor snatched up his medical tricorder and was already checking me. After a moment he looked at Anjamia. "The swelling has reduced completely. This shouldn't have happened for at least 24 hours."

"I'm not sure that bothers me," I told him, then turned to Anjamia. "Thank you."

She nodded once, then folded her arms into her sleeves. For someone so young, she had a great deal of dignity and poise.

"Still, I would like to know what was done to my patient." The Doctor was becoming indignant. He can be very proprietary about us.

"We all have a number of questions," the Captain said, forestalling any outbursts. "Norrla, if you and your companions are not injured, would you join us in our conference room? I would like my senior staff to meet you."

Her smile was so vivid that it made her seem as young as Anjamia. "Captain Janeway, we would be delighted."

She looked around Sickbay. Among the walking wounded she spotted Ayala, tugging his uniform back into place and about to leave. "Lt. Ayala. Are you being discharged to duty?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Please be good enough to escort our guests to the main conference room, and see to their comfort."

In other words, keep an eye on them until the rest of us arrive.

Miguel didn't need me to translate for him. He's a good security officer, one of the few under my Maquis command with Starfleet experience. He's also a heck of a poker player, and his face betrayed nothing as he acknowledged her order and graciously led our visitors out.

As soon as they all were clear of Sickbay, the Captain hit her commbadge and instructed the senior staff to assemble in ten minutes. Then she turned to the Doctor. "Can you tell me anything about them?"

"They’re a bit of a puzzle," he said, leading us over to the main diagnostic console. "At first glance, they appear to be Human."

"Human? Earth origin?" she asked.

"Undoubtedly. But there are some mutations, here –" he pointed to a break in the DNA helix on the screen – "and here. I don’t know what these are yet, but they appear to be alien in origin rather than the result of natural evolution."

I frowned, thinking of Species 8472. "Could they be aliens, trying to disguise themselves as Human?"

"It’s possible, although if so, they were very clumsy about it. A race capable of DNA mimicry at this level surely could have done a better job of masking these mutations."

The Captain shook her head. "I don’t know, perhaps it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but I just have a feeling about these people. I don’t think they mean us any harm."

"Perhaps not," I said, but then I remembered the odd feeling I had when Norrla had touched her. Something strange had happened then, and I realized we still didn’t have a good explanation of what it was. "But we should stay on our guard."

"Agreed." Then she turned to me. "Are you up to this? I don't want you pushing too hard too soon."

"Thank you," the Doctor said with a sniff. "It’s gratifying that someone remembers what I said."

The healed fractures ached, but otherwise I felt fine and told her so. "I want to hear what they have to say."

In response, she smiled broadly. "Good. Let's go."

On to Part 3