Chapter Text
“Seven,” she said with surprise, “Come in. How are those tests going?” Kathryn smiled as she led her into her temporary quarters, a hut in the large clearing of the Lorkanian jungle.
Fifty-some huts of various sizes and complexities lay in a clearing—one of many strewn throughout the southern hemisphere of the small planet. The Southern Lorkanian’s were hospitable and informative, and offered the four Starfleet officers who crash landed a hut for each. While their huts weren’t next door to each other, it gave them the advantage of finding out more about the Southerners. Voyager would return in two weeks, after a high-altitude storm ceased, if not for a few hours before the next one came. It was common this time of year, according to the section leader, a short squat man with kind eyes and tan skin. Kathryn liked him right off the bat, but as always, reserved herself while they learned more about their circumstantial hosts.
Kathryn’s hut was slightly larger than the rest, and Tero, the section leader, had offered it to her out of respect. Another reason she liked him, if not because he respected her position—she couldn’t care less about the accommodations. However, after she realized her hut was a little out of the way of the village’s comings and goings, she appreciated it more.
Despite the Lorkanian’s lifestyle, similar to that of aboriginals, their planet offered them awe-inspiring feats of science, which they’d learned to incorporate into regular life. Tero had given them a quick history lesson of the planet and their people, of five planet-wide wars between the three major nations of the past. It’d been five hundred years since the planet was divided, and Tero proudly shared that their secret was to share all the knowledge they gained from generation to generation. No one, no Lorkanian, could afford to be ignorant to the violence of the past. It was admirable, Kathryn thought, especially considering some of the strange and powerful vegetation they’d encountered.
Trees that ‘bled’ a red sap-like liquid used to enrich soil and disinfect drinking water. Green and orange vines wound the jungle floor and around the bleeding trees. Then there was the plant Harry had been excited about, though she couldn’t remember the name of it. It had large petals, the size of palm fronds, but soft like flowers. On the outside they were matte red, and on the inner side of the petal they were colored like an abalone shell with a high gloss, like they were perpetually wet, and just as smooth as the shell too. It was a strange plant that seemed to hold significance to the Lorkanian’s.
Her back to Seven, she wondered why Seven hadn’t answered her question. She repeated it as she turned around. “How are tho—”
She turned around to be immediately cut off. Seven stood strikingly close, her eyes flickering, so close she could see flecks of gold that she never realized were there. Seven’s head tipped downward to look into her eyes with an intensity Kathryn hadn’t ever seen.
“Seven…?” She took a step backward and the blonde took a step forward to close the gap between them again.
“Seven… what’s going on?” She took another step back and held her hand out, pressing against Seven’s shoulder to keep her at bay.
Seven frowned at the barrier then slipped her hand over Kathryn’s on her shoulder. She took her fingers into her own hand and turned over her hand as she raised the palm to her lips. Seven watched her with hooded eyes as she lightly kissed her palm.
“Seven…” she pulled her hand away carefully. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but—”
Seven took a step forward and Kathryn’s back pressed against the tan wall as she retreated. A small gasp of surprise came from her lips and Seven smiled warmly as she placed a hand against the wall beside Kathryn’s neck. The redhead tried not to notice the strong, exposed arm beside her. She quickly regretted allowing all Starfleet members on Lorkanian to wear more forgiving clothing because of the humidity, namely tank tops and light pants. Then, unhappily, she recognized she didn’t regret it at all.
Seven’s lids fell heavy again as she lowered her lips beside Kathryn’s. The heat between them shifted back and forth, breaths soft and quickened.
“Seven—” Kathryn strained.
A knock on the door startled both of them but Seven only looked over her extended arm toward the door. “They will go away.” She turned back to pick up where she left off but the redhead ducked under her arm and strode to the door.
Harry stood at the threshold with a PADD in hand and his eyes glued to it. “Captain, I just wanted to give you the new—” He looked up and found Seven standing in the background. Something about her looked different but he couldn’t pinpoint it in the seconds he had to continue where he left off before the moment became awkward. “These are the new results from the srakelinth plant. There’s some interesting properties. Actually, the Lorkanian’s use it for trials, when they come up—” he realized he was rambling and just held the PADD out to Kathryn, who took it without reserve.
“Thank you, Harry. You know, I’m hungry.” She turned back and looked at Seven, then back to Harry. “Let’s all get Chakotay and have dinner with our hosts. They invited us to a special event tonight.”
Seven walked toward them with a sway neither had seen before, and Kathryn tried not to gaze at her strong, long limbs. Kathryn was relieved she’d get to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, but as Seven reached the door, she swung it closed and locked it.
Kathryn’s mouth hung open at her gall.
“We are not finished.”
“Open the door, Seven.” She said it strictly, but she wavered as Seven slid her fingers along her bare shoulders, over the tank straps, light to the touch and distractingly charged.
“I cannot comply, Kathryn.”
She tried to ignore the sound of her name coming from the blonde’s lips in such an alluring whisper. With hard concentration she fought the sensation that grew across her body. Seven pulled closer to her, running hot breaths along Kathryn’s exposed neck, lips hovering over the skin.
“Your scent beckons to me, Kathryn.”
Chills ran along Kathryn’s arms and she fought her lids that wanted to close to give herself over.
Seven hovered her lips up her neck and against her ear, whispering wetly, “I wish to make love to you until we cannot move.”
Kathryn gulped as her heart beat hard inside her chest, which she was sure Seven could hear. Other parts of her ached and contracted, longing for more from the officer she was attracted to, but fighting the urge with every molecule. “Seven…”
“Shh,” the blonde whispered as she pressed her lips to her jaw beside her ear, making her first contact.
Her lips made Kathryn’s head pound with heat, her cheeks run red and flush. Losing the battle, her fingers faintly touched Seven’s hips. She saw the smile that grew across Seven, who pressed her body flush against her, an arm around her back to keep her erect.
A thundering wave washed over Kathryn. She’d always wondered how it would feel, if they would fit together properly, and all wonder was suddenly gone. Her breath hitched as Seven pressed her lips to her neck, Seven inhaling her scent deeply and with profound sureness.
She kissed down Kathryn’s neck, moist like the rest of her flesh from the humidity, then across to her shoulder. She’d always loved the Captain’s shoulders—strong and delicate at the same time. She glanced at her Captain to find her eyes shut tightly. She found a spot she liked on Kathryn’s shoulder and in one swift movement bit down on the flesh.
Kathryn gasped and whined at the same time, her toes curling as more blood rushed inside her. Seven smiled as she kissed the spot tenderly before moving her lips back across her shoulder and to Kathryn’s neck. She kissed upward until she reached the corner of Kathryn’s mouth and stopped. “Let me make love to you, Kathryn. I want to show you how much I love you.”
Kathryn took another staggered breath but before she could speak, two loud pounds came at the door. Seven snarled at the interruption and Kathryn once again took the opportunity to slip away from her grasp. She whirled away, moved around the tall blonde and opened the door quickly, knowing in an instant that she was pale and flushed, and that saliva shined on a red spot on her shoulder.
Harry had brought the village doctor and she quickly made her entrance into the hut.
“I’ll wait out here,” Harry said as he closed the door.
“You are interrupting,” Seven spat.
“Seven,” she chided. “Was there anything wrong with our tests, doctor?”
The little old woman, a curandera by all accounts, shook her head and waved her hand. She took a look at Seven and knew immediately what the problem was. “Sit.”
Surprisingly, Seven sat down, on the end of Kathryn’s bed.
“What is it?” Kathryn asked.
The doctor waved her off again. To Seven, “How much did you drink?”
The blonde remained silent but her attention constantly shifted to Kathryn hanging behind. She eyed the spot on Kathryn’s shoulder and the Captain could feel it burning under her gaze.
“How much did she drink?” The doctor spun around nimbly.
“Of?
“Srakelinth, srakelinth.”
“I didn’t know you could drink it.”
“I—“ Seven squished her face, trying hard to focus and push down the desire that kept washing over her. “Harry tripped and spilled… a bowl of it on me.”
“A bowl?!”
“What is it?” Kathryn moved in front of the doctor, instinctively protecting Seven behind her, though she knew the threat wasn’t coming from the doctor herself.
“Bah,” the old woman grouched. “We use srakelinth in our courts—“
“Yes, Harry mentioned that.” She eyed the room for the PADD and found it near the front door. She grabbed it and came back to stand by Seven, who she didn’t notice was leering at her like she was going to drink her next.
“What does it do?” Kathryn asked as she skimmed the PADD.
The doctor took the PADD from her and tossed it over her shoulder. Kathryn pursed her lips a moment and then took a breath before focusing on the doctor again.
“Srakelinth is a powerful plant. When it’s ingested it reveals true intentions. If a robber says he robbed, srakelinth would prove what reason he had. You can see it in the eyes. Look.”
The doctor put her hands to Seven’s cheeks and lifted her head so Kathryn could observe. The flecks of gold, she realized. She hadn’t noticed them before because they hadn’t been there before. Close to Seven once again, she could see Seven’s eyes dilate after glancing at her chest, only a slight view of her bra underneath. She quickly stood straight again.
Putting a hand to her forehead, she grounded herself and turned back to the doctor. “Is there an antidote?”
The doctor waved her hand, “It wears off.”
“So this… sickness should go away on its own?”
“Srakelinth is very potent. One drop is enough to determine someone’s true intentions, and one drop lasts for a few hours. Your partner—“
“Officer.”
“—has ingested significantly more. In fact, she should be dead.”
Kathryn was enraged by the comment, but looking at Seven by her side, sitting on the bed, she was reminded of her Borg enhancements. If Seven had been any one else, she would’ve been dead. “What do we do?”
The doctor shrugged. “Wait it out.”
“That’s it?”
“Hypo…” Seven mumbled, her eyes clasped tight again.
“Hypospray. Would that work?”
The doctor shrugged, “We’ve never found anything that works except to wait it out.”
“If you try the hypospray,” Kathryn turned to Seven, concern in her eyes and voice, “we don’t know what could happen.”
“Do… it.”
Kathryn took a quick breath before grabbing the spray from another part of the room and injecting it into Seven’s neck.
“Another.”
Kathryn wavered again, afraid of the possibility of making the sickness worse.
“Again!” Seven barked.
She closed her eyes briefly and injected it a second time. The air was still as they waited for a reaction, the doctor watching carefully for signs, and Kathryn’s hand still lingering on Seven’s shoulder in worry.
Finally, Seven took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The startling sparkle of desire had disappeared from her vision, the gold flecks more muted, and Kathryn removed her hand as she smiled. “Welcome back.”
Seven frowned and that made Kathryn smile deeper.
“Interesting,” the doctor commented. “I will check in with you soon to see how your medicine affects the venom.”
“Venom?” Kathryn reiterated.
The doctor patted her shoulder roughly, “Don’t worry. Your partner seems to be doing well.”
“Officer,” she mumbled as the doctor slipped out of the hut. Kathryn stuck her head out to see if Harry was nearby, but as night fell she couldn’t make him out. She closed the door and turned around to find Seven standing in her usual erect stance, hands behind her back.
“I must apologize, Captain.”
She waved her off, just as the doctor had done to her. “I’ve seen crazier things.”
Kathryn moved around her and gathered the PADD from the floor. She figured it would be the best thing to read that evening. As she turned around, she was surprised to find Seven still standing in position. “You’re dismissed.”
Seven turned her head toward her, a small sadness in her expression momentarily before she nodded and strode out of the hut.