Thanks to Rannid for her wonderful speech originally posted in the J/C folder on AOL, I asked for and received permission to use it. I did end up making a number of changes--but I kept the flavor. That speech inspired this first chapter.

All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters, the ship, and the Delta Quadrant may belong to Paramount, but what they do between episodes, between scenes, and in my rather dangerous mind are my concern. This is, after all, my alternate universe. Feel free to send this story to friends or to archives, just please keep my name, disclaimer, and any notes attached.