Bridge, U.S.S. Voyager

"Evasive manuevers!"

Voyager lunged to port, the hull nearly scraping the surface of an asteroid. The Vidians were in close pursuit. With four attack sized vessels and superior weaponry, the small Federation ship was both out-numbered and out-gunned.

"Can you get us out of here, Mr. Paris?"

A panel exploded at Tactical. The Captain shot a glance over her shoulder and spied Tuvok unconscious on the deck, green blood covering the side of his dark face.

"Medical Emergency on the Bridge. Officer down," she shouted into an open comm line to Sickbay. She turned to OPPS. "Harry, get him to Sickbay."

"Aye!"

A moment later... "I have him, Captain," the Doctor reported.

She didn't bother to respond. There were more pressing matters at hand. "Mr. Paris?" she asked again.

"Inertial dampers are off line." He continued his expert weave through the asteroid belt, concentrating on Voyager's flight control system. His fingers danced across the interface, anticipating the movements of the nearby asteroids. The ship rocked to starboard, then lunged again. The bridge crew fought to maintain their footing. The Captain firmly wrapped her hands around the CONN support structure, determined not to let the violent manuevers of the ship disturb her command.

"Bridge to Engineering."

"I'm already on it!" Torres shot back, predicting the Captain's call.

"How long?"

"Ten, maybe fifteen minutes." Her breathing was short and labored. The call had interrupted her work.

"We may not have-"

"I know!" the Chief Engineer responded. "We're working as fast as we can."

"Acknowledged. Out."

Voyager was rocked again as the Vidians found their mark. Ayala, now at Tactical, returned with a series of phaser volleys.

"Harry, any luck with the sensors?"

"Negative. Interference is too great."

"We're still flying blind," Paris muttered.

"And shooting at shadows," added Ayala.

"Keep using your eyes and your instincts, gentlemen. I have every faith in your abilities."

At the heart of the Bridge the First Officer was directing damage control. As he turned to report to the Captain their gazes locked. The Captain's stare suddenly grew intense. The First Officer looked back inquisitively.

The captain broke contact abruptly and turned to Paris.

"Tom, come about."

The pilot missed a beat. Chakotay, however, was immediately at her side.

"You have a plan." It wasn't a question.

She quickly nodded. She had found her solution. The eye can play tricks on the mind.

"They're as blind as we are, right?"

"Yes," he assured her.

"Tom. Remember that asteroid we dodged entering the field. Thousands of kilometers long. Cylindrical, with a hollow center?"

"Was hard to miss", he wisecracked.

Chakotay raised his eyebrows.

"Harry, prepare a probe with a holographic emitter," she instructed. "Program it to project a hologram of Voyager."

The First Officer reasoned out her plan. "You want to take Voyager into the asteroid, torpedo the entrance shut, come to a full stop, and then launch the probe forward."

"Exactly," she said with a smile.

"It won't fool them for long," he told her.

"All we need is enough time to repair the inertial dampers. Then we can just outrun them, avoid any further confrontation."

Chakotay nodded, and Kim exited to complete his assignment.

"Continue evasive manuevers, Mr. Paris. We don't want them to suspect a ruse."

Another blast from the Vidians shook the ship.

"Not a problem," he responded, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

A few moments later Kim signaled the emitter probe was ready to launch.

"Stand by, Ensign. Keep an open channel and be ready to launch on my mark."

"Aye."

The image on the forward screen grew larger at incredible speed. A last moment thought struck her. "We going to fit?" she asked no one in particular.

Paris eyed the opening. "I hope so."

She drew in a deep breath. It was a little too late to change her mind. "Be ready with the aft photon torpedos, Mr. Ayala."

Chakotay activated the comm system. "All hands. Brace for impact."

Voyager charged the asteroid using full thrusters, a dangerous but necessary move.

A terrible grinding echoed throughout the ship as Voyager's starboard nacelle scraped against the passage wall.

"Fire torpedos, Mr. Ayala!"

"Torpedos away, Captain! The entrance has collapsed! One Vidian vessel destroyed."

"Harry, probe away. Full stop, Mr. Paris!"

Without the inertial dampers the sudden deceleration sent the bridge crew flying. Ayala slid over Tactical and onto the deck. Both the CO and XO were thrown forward. Hendricks at OPPS was flattened against the console body. Paris was saved by his 20th century 'seat belt' installed a week earlier as a gag gift.

"Everyone all right?" Paris yelled as people started to pick themselves up off the deck. Moans and groans accompanied the mass ascent. He noticed that the Captain held her wrist tightly to her chest.

"Forward view, please," she asked, her voice pained.

The dead screen came to life. Three Vidians sped away, led by the replica of Voyager.

"We did it," she whispered.

"Engineering to Bridge. Two minutes and we'll have inertial dampers back on-line." The Chief Engineer had done better than her word. She'd accomplish her mission in a little under eight minutes.

"Acknowledged. Thank you, B'Elanna." She turned to Tactical. "Mr. Ayala, recharge the shields. We'll need as much protection as we can muster exiting the asteroid field. Mr. Paris, take us to impulse when B'Elanna gives the signal. Then take us to warp as soon as we're clear."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

The First Officer closed in on her left and took a closer look at the wrist. "You all right?" His inquiry was quiet, not meant for ears other than her own.

"I will be," she assured him. Her first duty was to the ship. "Mr. Paris?"

"Inertial dampers are.... ONLINE!" Mr. Paris punched the impulse engines and the ship lunged forward.

"The Vidians are still chasing the probe," Ayala announced.

"ETA to the perimeter?" Chakotay asked.

"Three minutes, twenty four seconds."

"The enemy is changing course. They've matched ours."

"They're firing!"

"Shields?"

"Sixty-three percent and dropping!"

The ship shook as the enemy fire impacted the shields.

"Mr. Paris?"

"Almost at the edge of the field, Captain."

No one spoke as Voyager made its desperate run.

Chakotay glanced at the chronometer. Voyager just needed a few more seconds.

"Shields are at fourteen percent and failing!"

He looked again as the remaining time ticked away.

"We're clear!" Tom shouted.

"Warp nine, Mr. Paris. Let's get the hell out of Dodge," the ship's master ordered.

"Warp nine, aye."

The Bridge crew exhaled a collective sigh of relief.

"The Vidians are falling behind," Ayala reported.

The Captain turned to her First Officer and offered a questioning expression.

He nodded his head and smiled. "Best requals I've ever had the pleasure of conducting. Almost believed it was real. Computer... Save and end program."

The Bridge of the U.S.S. Voyager dissolved around them, leaving only the two officers standing on the yellow grid of the holodeck. Lt. Manuella Rojas looked down at her wrist. The situation had been a simulation but the wound was very real. Manuella grimaced. "Minimal safeties, huh?"

Chakotay nodded silently. "I'll walk you to Sickbay."

He placed a gentle hand of encouragement on her shoulder as they walked towards the arch.