Carl stepped away from the microphone and motioned her forward.  She blushed even further, not knowing what to say…

"Come on, give us a speech!" someone shouted, eliciting a few encouraging cheers from the audience.

She hesitated even further…but then moved to the microphone.  Before she even knew what she was doing, she started talking.

"I…thank you all for welcoming me like this," she started.  "I never expected a hero's welcome…ever."

Her brother moved next to her, making her even more nervous…  "I'm sure everyone's curious to know," he spoke into the microphone, "just what it was like out there.  You must have met so many weird aliens!  Was it exciting?"

Her nervousness was gone in an instant as memories flooded into her mind…memories from the Kalium galaxy.

"No," she stated quietly.  "It was far from exciting."  The crowd was obviously surprised to hear that and immediately went silent.

She knew she couldn't leave it at that…so she went on.  "When I was at the academy, someone once told me that serving aboard a starship elicited hours upon hours of boredom…followed by only moments of pure terror.  Out there…I experienced only moments of boredom with hours of terror…and sadness."

She had their attention…but she didn't care now.  "If someone had told me that it would be like that…I would have never signed up at the academy."

Memories…  "I will say, however…that one good thing did come from it."  Kalia looked up at the audience, looked around with wet eyes…  "I have gained a new family, as strong as any other family.  The Dragon family…"

She hesitated even further…  "And that's why…it's going to be hard to leave them."

Frowning, Carl asked, "You're leaving the Dragon crew?"

She looked down at the microphone and closed her eyes.  She had been offered a position at the Research and Development department again…only this time…she had accepted.

"I have in depth knowledge of technology…the Federation would never have thought to come up with," she stated.  "I can't be selfish and remain aboard the Dragon.  I have to help the Federation…because hard times will be coming."

"Hard times ended three years ago," Carl stated, curious as to what she meant.

She shook her head…knowing all too well.  "I wish that were so."  She looked at him, her fear eliciting fear in him.  "The Kiklar know we are out here…and you know as well as I do what that means."

He frowned and shook his head…

Chris set the cup of Earl Gray down and leaned back in his chair.  He looked out the window at the warp distorted star field…wishing it was his ready room window he was looking out.  He knew, however…that it would not be again, or at least for a while.

"I once lost a ship," Captain Jean Luc Picard commented.  "Actually, thought I lost two.  The Stargazer and the Enterprise D.  Each time…it was a devastating loss."

Chris nodded in agreement, never taking his eyes away from the streaking starfield.  As the streaks slowed and became infinite pinpricks, he commented with, "It's hard to lose something you've called home, even if only for three years."

"Oh, believe me, I can relate to that," Picard said.  "After only knowing her for a year, we almost lost the Enterprise E.  Just having to set the self destruct was difficult…for more than just one reason, mind you."

Chris smiled, knowing just how personal Picard must have taken that incident.  He seemed to absolutely hate the Borg…and Chris didn't blame him at all.

"Speaking of which," Picard said, changing the subject.  He looked at Chris, curiosity overcoming his face.  "I hear you dealt with the Borg out there…but for some reason, Starfleet's keeping a tight lid on it."

Chris smiled even deeper and looked at Picard.  "That's because, in a basic sense, to do otherwise would infringe on the Temporal Prime Directive.  As far as I could tell, it was a Class Four Tactical Cube…but it was at least a few years ahead of what we've seen here."

"You mean more advanced than the one we dealt with here?" he asked, astonished.

Chris raised his eye brows and nodded his head once.  "Definitely.  Or at least their weapons systems were.  Our shields weren't lasting long…no where near as long as Voyager's shields were seeming to last in Captain Janeway's report."  He thought even further about their two encounters with the Borg Cube…  "That and the fact that they accessed our main computer without a problem and they cut through tachyon and subspace interference like it wasn't there."

"I see…"  He seemed hesitant to ask his next question…but he finally did.  "Did you have…any personal encounters with them?  Or was it just ship battles?"

Chris shook his head negatively.  "Just ship battles, thank goodness."

Picard simply nodded his head slowly…no doubt remembering his own encounters with the Borg.  It was a touchy subject for him, which made Chris curious as to why he even brought them up.

Wanting to change the subject yet again, he looked up at Chris again.  "What about the Kiklar?  What are they like?"

That was a slightly personal note for Chris…

"I never encountered one personally…but…"  He hesitated, remembering their only two encounters with the Kiklar.  "Their ships are dangerous.  A small scout ship the size of an Intrepid class vessel...nearly destroyed the Dragon...would have, if we hadn't found a place to hide and come up with defensive technology."

Picard nodded, agreeing wholly.  "Do you think the charges against you for your first encounter with them are…without merit?"

Chris took on a distant stare, thinking about that question himself…  "Not at all…because, in a way, they are like the Borg.  Because they know we're out here."  He looked Picard square in the eye.  "They know that humans exist elsewhere, and we are known as a plague to them, something they must destroy.  And as you realized with the Borg…now that they know we are out here…"

Picard nodded solemnly, probably recalling that he had told Chris of his first encounter with the Borg, and what he and Guinan had talked about after words.  He even repeated the same words.  "They will be coming…"

Both agreeing, they took on a silent stare, the upcoming future a frightening prospect to both of them…

"Riker to Picard."

The voice of Commander William Riker startled both of them out of their thoughts.  He pressed a command on his desk and replied, "Go ahead."

"We're approaching Earth, sir."

Picard smiled and nodded his head, happy that they had a positive distraction.  "We're on our way."

They both stood up from their chairs, Chris taking one last drink from his Earl Gray.  They nodded to each other, then headed out to the bridge…

And to Chris's surprise, the entire senior staff was there, smiling as they left.  He looked to the view screen...and took a long moment to admire the view.

"Having been through what I've been through…I'm never going to take that sight for granted any more."

Picard walked out to the other side of him and also admired the view, smiling.  "I don't think I ever have," he commented in reply…  He looked knowingly at Commander Riker, then looked at Chris.

Commander Riker stood up and motioned to the helm.  "Mister Harriman, would you be so kind as to take us into orbit?"

He smiled, knowing they were doing it to try to cheer him up…but he didn't need cheering.  After all…despite the losses…they were home now.

He shook his head negatively.  "Thanks…but no thanks, Commander.  I've got to get to the surface."

Commander Riker smiled and nodded.  He walked up to Chris…and extended his hand.  "In that case…I wish you luck."

Chris smiled again…and took the offered hand.  He gave it one good pump, then did the same with Captain Picard.

"It was good to be back," Chris commented, looking around at the bridge, at the crew…  "I now must take care of my own family."  He hesitated and looked at the deck…  "Thanks for keeping me a member of this one."

"You'll always be welcome with us," Picard commented.

Chris looked up at him and nodded.  "Then I guess I'll likely see you later."

Picard nodded his head, then moved to the Command Chair.  Chris took one last look at the view screen…then moved to the turbolift.  A moment later, he was speeding towards the transporter room.

"Could I have everyone's attention please," Chris spoke into the microphone.  The huge crowd of people, both on the balcony and below on the main floor, stopped talking.  What had once been a huge mass of talking people became a quiet mass of intent listeners.

Once he was sure he had everyone's attention, he began…

"Two crews, two different ships," he began, referring to the Dragon crew and the Voyager crew.  Both crews were here tonight, celebrating their return home.  "Both of them were forced into dire situations, where any other crew might cower in fear simply because of the situation.  Both of them…forced to set out on the same mission.  The mission to survive, and to make it home!"

A few people whispered in agreement nodding their heads.

Chris thought further, knowing he was never any good at speeches…  "I was talking with some of Voyager's senior officers just now…and Harry Kim made a comment.  He said that they had come to believe that it wasn't just about getting home…but about the journey."  He hesitated even further…  "I for one agree…but there's even more to it than that.  It's about…family…about the friendships we have all formed along the way.  Throughout our journeys, each crew has come together to form one entity that works like a well-oiled machine.  Also along the way, we've all encountered so many different people, and so many different cultures.  We've become friends with them…but they have also helped our families form closer bonds."

Chris looked over to Captain Janeway and smiled.  "And in the end, two families came together to celebrate the completion of probably the most difficult mission any of us will ever have to face."  She smiled back and nodded.

He looked out onto the crowd again, deciding to end it here…  "My friends…my family…we've come home…"

With that, the fifteen hundred plus crowd erupted in cheer, even the Hintaru and Britar officers that comprised the Dragon crew.  To them, this was their new home…  And to the Starfleet officers, they were home.  It was an occasion to cheer about…

He smiled as he stepped away from the microphone, looking around.  It seems like they had become one family after all.  Voyager's crew…Dragon's crew…they had set out on the same mission.  That fact alone…was enough to bring them all together.

After his speech, to his surprise, Captain Janeway did not give a speech of her own.  He had expected her to, because he was certain any one else could give a better speech than he did...

As the party progressed, he met many of Voyager's crew members…one in particular that Captain Janeway pointed out to him.

Quietly, not wanting any one else to hear, she took him aside and pointed her out.  "See that brunette Bajoran woman over there?"

Chris looked into the crowd in the direction she was pointing.  There, twenty meters away, barely visible, was a small crowd of Voyager and Dragon Bajorans…the one standing on the side lines was the only female brunette of the entire group.