Delta Quadrant

You may be looking for the zine Delta Quadrant of Venus.

Zine
Title:	Delta Quadrant
Publisher:	Orion Press
Editor(s):	see below
Date(s):	1995-1999
Series?:
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: Voyager
Language:	English
External Links:	Orion Press
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Delta Quadrant is a het Voyager Janeway/Chakotay anthology. Summaries below from the publisher.

Issue 1

cover of issue #1

flyer for issue #1

Delta Quadrant 1 was published in July 1995 and is 158 pages long.

Marge Robles was the editor.

• Old Yellow Eyes is Back by Duke Mager, art by OdoGoddess ("As Voyager continues its journey through the Delta Quadrant, Chakotay begins having some strange dreams. He finally determines that it's his animal spirit guide lending assistance. Will Chakotay's guide give him the information needed to survive an encounter with an old enemy?") (8 pages)
• The Merry Go-Round by Grant Maloy Smith, art by Mickey Sayles and Grant Maloy Smith ("Call it a cloud. Call it a subspace anomaly. Call it anything you want, but after getting caught in its midst, the crew must figure a way out. Unfortunately, getting out is more complicated than it seems; Torres is missing.") (31 pages)
• Away Team by Jeff De Merchant, art by Beverly Chick ("Neelix doesn't want to be just the chief cook and bottle washer anymore. Anxious to provide a more active contribution to his ship mates, he requests a position in another department-Security.") (10 pages)
• Where No Woman Has Gone Before by Denise A. Ide, art by David Lawrence ("Star Trek: Voyager gives us the first female lead in trek history. The timing is right for an article that examines the history of women in Star Trek.") (7 pages)
• Comrades in Arms by Ann Brill White, art by Mickey Sayles and OdoGoddess ("Torres has been abducted. (Odd ... Torres also vanished in "The Merry Go-Round." Do I detect a pattern here?-ed.) Chakotay leads a team of rescuers on a mission reminiscent of his Maquis days.") (32 pages)
• Crossword Puzzle - The Caretaker, designed by OdoGoddess ("Clues and solutions revolve around the pilot episode of Star Trek: Voyager, "The Caretaker."") (3 pages)
• Mystery by Duke Mager, art by Linda Wan ("Kes and Neelix are both stricken by some unknown disease. Is the entire crew at risk? Before the doctor can cure them, he must first find the cause?") (13 pages)
• Second Chances by Madalena Mumford, art by Madalena Mumford ("A character study that gives us some insight into Thomas Eugene Paris, moments after he's been re-instated to Starfleet. Paris reflects on his past and his relationships with his father and his new captain.") (4 pages)
• Three Days and Counting by OdoGoddess, art by Beverly Chick ("Just how did Kes and Neelix meet? And how did the doctor spend his time when the Caretaker abducted the Voyager crew, leaving his holographic program running on an empty ship?") (27 pages)
• Redeemable by Nik Ferante, art by Madalena Mumford ("Why are vessels from the Alpha Quadrant orbiting the fourth planet of the Opas system?") (16 pages)
• Crossword Puzzle Solutions (1 page)
• Stranger at My Side by Brenda Shaffer, with thanks to Nancy Borden; art by Mickey Sayles and Madalena Mumford ("Chakotay is hurting after Seska's betrayal, and it's up to Janeway to open the pathways between the two so his healing process can begin. He's defensive, she's uncomfortable, and the whole situation's awkward.") (12 pages)

Issue 2

cover of issue #2

Delta Quadrant 2 was published in January 1996 and is 239 pages long. Marge Robles, editor.

• Looking Into The Future by N.B. Thayer, art by Zaquia Tarhuntassa ("Harry Kim and Tom Paris encounter a fortune teller on Deep Space Nine prior to embarking on their Voyager tour of duty. The tales the old woman spins are just too far-fetched to be believed... Or aren't they?") (6 pages)
• Courtship by Sam Haren, art by OdoGoddess and Beverly Chick. ("Captain Janeway needs materials for the ship and she's willing to trade. But when a dignitary suggests the price tag is B'Elanna Torres, Janeway and her crew must find other options.") (20 pages)
• Bedside Manner by Roberta Rogow, art by Zaquia Tarhuntassa ("The doctor is tired of hearing about his lack of a bedside manner. Chaos is the result when he searches the historical data banks for a personality he can call his own.") (7 pages)
• Enemy of the Federation by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring ("This chilling poem delves into Chakotay's motivation for joining the Maquis.")
• Whole by N. B. Thayer, art by OdoGoddess. ("Torres has been split in two, and put back together again. She must come to terms with who she was, who she is, and who she will be.
• Space Aliens Declared Hoax by Holly Trueblood. An unusual piece that examines a first contact situation for the other perspective.") (3 pages)
• A Matter Of Debt by Madelena Mumford, art by Madelena Mumford ("Tom Paris is hiding something, and Chakotay takes it upon himself to find out what it is. After all, there's a small matter of a debt.") (7 pages)
• Recruitment by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring, art by Zaquia Tarhuntassa. ("B'Elanna Torres tells why she joined the Maquis. It had something to do with the compelling figure with the strange tattoo she met in a bar.")(6 pages)
• A Woman’s Work by Valerie DeVries, art by Joey Rodrigues and Beverly Chick ("On a mission to acquire needed mineral, Janeway, Kim and Paris are taken captive by planetary inhabitants ... people who refuse to believe a woman could possibly be in command of the team.") (18 pages)
• Code Of Honor by BEKi, art by Joey Rodrigues and Zaquia Tarhuntassa ("Honor. Truth. Trust. An encounter with warring aliens forces Chakotay to examine these traits within himself and his crewmates.") (expanded on and reprinted as a standalone in Code of Honor) (189 pages)

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Issue 3

Delta Quadrant 3 was published in July 1996 and contains 135 pages.

Elizabeth Knauel, editor. Cover art by Zaquia Tarhuntassa and Glenn Lash.

cover of issue #3, art by Zaquia Tarhuntassa

• Bio-Neural Banter, note from the editor (3)
• Friends by Anne Davenport, art by Davenport ("We've seen Captain Janeway on the bridge in command of the Voyager, and we've seen her off-duty enjoying her favorite holographic-romantic novel. But we've never seen her on shore leave... until now.") (4)
• A Whisper to a Scream by OdoGoddess, art by OdoGoddess ("After the Vidiians separated B'Elanna into two separate entities, she was finally able to experience life as a Human, even if only for a short time. What did she want to experience, and was she was able to return to her former self?") (39)
• Notification by BEKi ("We have all heard Tom Paris' opinion of his father. But how did the Admiral really react when he found out his son was missing in space?") (64)
• A Time to Mourn by Ann B. Harding ("How does one handle the death of a friend? Ann's story shows us how several people aboard the Voyager handled the disturbing news of Paris' death after crossing the transwarp threshold.")
• Walls of Brass by Valerie DeVries, art by Zaquia Tarhuntassa and OdoGoddess ("Thomas Paris bears the guilt of the incident of Caldik Prime. He can never forget it. And there are others that won't let him forget it, nor forgive the fact that he's now a commissioned officer again in Starfleet. Now, he's been asking to use his piloting skills to explore a planet in the Delta Quadrant. Is he going to prove himself to them, or is there another reason that he feels he must go?") (74)
• Spectres of the Past by OdoGoddess, art by Zaquia Tarhuntassa ("Neelix is usually the happiest person on the starship. But after Jetrel's visit, he's suddenly, and uncharacteristically withdrawn. Kes can't get him to shake his melancholia, neither can Captain Janeway. Who on board can help the morale officer? The answer might surprise you.") (98)
• The Real McCoy by BEKi, art by OdoGoddess ("What do you do when you have an emergency? On the Voyager you call for the EMH. When you have a disaster, you wish for more than one of the fantastically gifted, if pompous, EMH. But as the old adage says, be careful for what you wish for.") (106)

Issue 4

cover of issue #4, Beverly Chick

Delta Quadrant 4 was published in January 1997 and contains 202 pages.

Elizabeth Knauel, editor.

• Burdens of Command by Ruth Ann Jones, art by Beverly Chick ("Tom Paris knows he's one of the best pilots around, but he doesn't know what it takes to be in command—until an accident incapacitates the entire senior staff and he is left alone to command the Voyager.")
• Finding the Balance by Patricia Hammer, art by Laura Bowen ("Kathryn Janeway finds herself inexplicably drawn to the planet that the Voyager is orbiting. Why?")
• Faces of Justice by B.F. Vodrey ("Captain Kathryn Janeway has a dilemma. She has made a threat to the Vidians, and after the capture of her Away Team on Avery III, she feels that she must make good on the threat. But, she must also remember her Starfleet oath. Can she walk the fine line of justice, or will she seek revenge for her crew?") (34)
• Breakdown by BEKi (A first season story. ("What was going on between the Maquis crewmembers and the Starfleet cremembers during those first few weeks and months they were thrown together? It wasn't an easy alliance for any of the crew. For some, it was more difficult than others, as BEKi's story shows.") (58)
• More Than Who I Am, by OdoGoddess ("Lon Suder was a Maquis and a berserker, a sociopathic killer. In the end, he was a hero, and not the same Lon Suder that had been tried for murder. What happened to him during his months of imprisonment to change him? The story takes a close look at the mind of a sociopath.") (94)
• The End of the Beginning by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring ("In 'Investigations.' Chakotay is left out of the loop in finding the traitor on the Voyager. He is hurt by this apparent lack of trust of Captain Janeway, and she knows it. How can she rebuild the trust that's been damaged? Or can she?") (134)
• Basic Resolutions by Jordon Trevor, art by Michelle Sayles ("Shortly after Captain Janeway and Chakotay return to the ship from New Earth, Chakotay is severely injured. He will recover, in time, and with help. Can the Captain help him in his recover?") (146)
• Dust, story and art by Anne Davenport ("Captain Janeway and the Voyager are investigating a planet for the Senik'vasi to find out what happened to their colony. Did the dust in the mountain hold the answer?") (179)
• a Star Trek timeline by Gregg Lash (201)
• front cover by Beverly Chick, addition art by Glenn Lash and BEKi, back cover is blank

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Reactions and Reviews: Issue 4

Delta Quadrant IV is a Voyager fan fiction zine produced by Orion Press. This installment contains 8 mostly great stories--tales which are far more interesting and better conceived than most of the hard copy coming out of Pocket Books. Unfortunately, DQ IV's editor is no more effective than the editors at Pocket Books, and it's a good thing that most of these writers are highly literate, because they save the day. To be fair, I should mention that this editor is a volunteer, and isn't paid for her efforts like so-called professional editors. This editor also brags about her new scanner, but she apparently hasn't learned how to use it yet. There are some highly talented artists on these pages, but some of their efforts were ruined by poor scans. For example, I've seen Laura Bowen's original work on her web page, and what I see here lacks the depth and contrast of her beautiful sketches. So, from an artwork standpoint, this zine is disappointing.

I'm happy to say that the stories don't suffer the same fate. Things open up with "Burdens of Command" by Ruth Ann Jones. She's always had a deft hand with Tom Paris's character, and this story is no exception. An accident cripples the senior command staff, and it's up to Tom, Harry and B'Elanna to save the day. Tom is in command, and we are treated to his inner thoughts as he comes up with a solution to a giant space station holding Voyager in thrall. We get to see that the cocky pilot is rather insecure, but he manages to overcome his fears and help out the crew.

Next up is Pat Hammer's delicious story "Finding the Balance," which first appeared in Now Voyager. I had forgotten how much I loved this exploration of Kathryn Janeway's spiritual side as well as her friendship with Chakotay. Spirit guides seem to have been left behind in Season One, and I appreciated this chance to revisit this aspect of Janeway's life. Pat's lush, sensual descriptions of the planet made me feel like I was right there as Janeway searched for her fetish. This season's "Sacred Ground" attempted to explore similar territory, but failed to elicit the same response in me that this story did.

"Faces of Justice" returns us to the Vidiian Sodality and a trial involving the alien responsible for Lt. Durst's death. Harry Kim is chosen to defend the alien against a hostile panel of his peers, and even with Holodoc's help, he doesn't do a very good job of presenting his case. Despite his ineptitude, the captain ends up letting the aliens go in hopes that they have learned their lesson. William B. F. Vodrey provides us with an intriguing study of this alien culture that was mostly ignored and replaced with tired Kazon sects in the series. Showing the alien's point of view and the difficulty that Janeway has in presiding over the case with her Federation rules makes for a neat story. I hope to see a lot more from this writer.

Author BEKi makes a return visit with her study of Maquis/Starfleet conflict called "Breakdown." A Bajoran woman fails to report to duty and her absence is not reported by her superior officer. Due to his negligence, the woman nearly dies. An unexpected friend reaches out and saves her life, and everyone involved, both Starfleet and Maquis, learns a harsh lesson about the values of respecting life in all its forms. Since the show quickly jumped past crew conflicts and mistakenly turned the Voyager crew into one big happy family, I was glad to see this analysis. Good work from an old favorite of mine.

Since this is mostly a stellar collection of work, [OdoGoddess]'s "More Than Who I Am" is little more than a temporary miasma. Its premise is supposed to plumb the depths of Lon Suder's soul, but it ends up being a jumble of scenes about B'Elanna's past sex life with both Chakotay and Suder, Suder's inexplicable lust for Kes, and Suder's desire to destroy himself. The transition between scenes is jerky and the characters are awkwardly drawn. This is a story that might have been saved by a careful copy editor, but she apparently was nowhere in sight during this exercise.

Now Voyager member Brenda Shaffer-Shiring's "The End of the Beginning" explores the aftermath of the "Investigations" episode. TPTB apparently forgot about the crappy way that Janeway treated Chakotay, leaving him out of the loop entirely and making him look weak and foolish to the entire crew. I love the way she flashed back to the "Caretaker" episode and stepped us through Janeway's thought processes as she made up her mind to make Chakotay her first officer. Trust and all that the word entails are the highlights of this yarn, and the finale makes a fine cap for a great story.

In "Basic Resolutions," Jordan Trevor writes about a situation where Chakotay is critically injured and it's up to Janeway to assist in rehabilitation. Chakotay's memories are gone, and he's no more intellectually advanced than a child just out of toilet training. Only Janeway's stubbornness and tenacity help Chakotay recover, and it's a true test of the friendship they developed on New Earth. This is the kind of thing I'd kill to see on television, but I know I'll be forever disappointed. Thank god for fan fiction authors who always manage to fill in the gaps for people like me.

"Dust" is both a brilliant and atmospherically dense story by Now Voyager member Anne Davenport. Her descriptions of Janeway's incarceration were so vivid that I felt like I was the one crawling and coughing instead of the captain. She is rescued by Harry and Chakotay, and the scenes where Chakotay cares for his captain are deeply moving. I only wish that Jeri Taylor could read this story so she'd know how to fix what went wrong between Janeway and Chakotay.

All in all, this is a wonderful collection by some highly talented and imaginative writers and artists. If TPTB took notice of some of the work being done in the fan fiction realm, then they might go a long way towards restoring this viewer's faith in the Trek universe.

Issue 5

cover of issue #5, Michelle Sayles

Delta Quadrant 5 was published in July 1997 and contain 174 pages.

Elizabeth Knauel, editor.

The art is by Michelle Sayles (cover), BEKi, Beverly Chick, and Madeline Mumford.

From the editor's note:

This zine features some very interesting stories, including one that looks at what might have happened if Janeway and Chakotay hadn't been rescued from New Earth when they were. There is also a story about what Chakotay must be feeling about his relationship, or lack thereof with the red-headed captain since returning to the ship from New Earth. And finally Chakotay has to examine his relationship with B'Elanna. And then there are two stories that feature Tom Paris. One is set in the first season, when his skills, while well known, were not trusted by all on the ship, especially not by Chakotay. The second takes place in the second season. And then there's a story that features everyone's favorite omnipotent alien, Q.

• Masks by Valerie DeVries, art by Beverly Chick ("A First Season story. Soon after Tom Paris is found innocent of the murder of Tolan Wren, an incident occurs which requires his expertise. But, who trusts him to do the job he has to do, and who doesn't? And can he do it?") (4)
• One Wish by Ulrike Schaefer, art by Beverly Chick ("If you were a crew member on the Voyager, and you were granted one wish, what would it be? Captain Janeway is given just that for a birthday present from Q. Now, what's the catch?") (21)
• Unshed Tears by Miranda Mumford, art by Madeline Mumford ("The planet promised to be an oasis on they long journey home to the Alpha Quadrant. Tom Paris and the rest of the crew soon learn that appearances can be deceiving.") (29)
• A Delicate Matter by BEKi ("Chakotay and B'Eianna have been fighting comrades for a long time in the Maquis, but nothing more. But things are different here in the Delta Quadrant. How different?") (71)
• A Lack of Resolution by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring, art by Beverly ("Chick—Chakotay and Janeway had developed an understanding of sorts on New Earth. But they are no longer on New Earth. Do they still have the same understanding, or must one, or both redefine their resolutions?") (76)
• Defining Parameters by Jordan Trevor, art by Madeline Mumford ("What would have happened if Janeway and Chakotay hadn't been rescued shortly after the plasma storm on New Earth? Jordan Trevor's story takes an interesting look at what might have happened to Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay. An alternate timeline story.") (93)

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Reactions and Reviews: Issue 5

Orion Press puts out really nice-looking publications, and DQV is no exception. It's perfect bound and has a decent illustration of Tom Paris on the cover. I'd like to say the copy editing and artwork inside are as stunning, but that is not the case, though I have come to expect high-quality work from this fan-run press. They don't have the time pressures of the big publishing houses--their schedule is their own, so they should go that extra mile to do it right and produce a clean, attractive zine with clear illustrations.

In "Masks," Valerie DeVries explores Tom Paris and how other people, especially Chakotay, perceive him. Valerie turns back the Federation clock to Season One, and provides the reader with an interesting story. She knows these characters and has their voices down cold.

"One Wish," by Ulrike Schaefer, is a gentle and sweet tale where Janeway is given the chance to go home and say good-bye to Mark. One of Jeri Taylor's promises for season three is that Janeway would do just that, but she broke her word, so I was happy to see someone fill this void.

I didn't care as much for Miranda Mumford's "Unshed Tears." She's fallen into the overused story trap where the Voyager crew is searching for food supplies, meet up with seemingly friendly aliens (the Tariman), and discover that things aren't what they seem. How many times have we seen these in the official novels? Paris, Torres and Kim go on an away mission and are attacked by thugs, who turn out to be hostile aliens called the Chaar (enemies of the Tariman). Torres is thrown into prison and Harry and Tom meet up with a Tariman female named Shalees, who is beautiful (of course) and falls for our favorite flyboy, Tom Paris. Kim is sucked into a quicksand puddle, and later turns up in the same prison as B'Elanna. It's up to Tom and Shalees to save the day! Mumford is a good writer, and her story has some depth, but there are no new concepts here.

BEKi's "A Delicate Matter" is a brief sketch about the Chakotay/Torres friendship. From a chronological standpoint, it takes place right after that dreadful episode, "Persistence of Vision." Torres reveals her feelings, and Chakotay takes it in stride by offering friendship and trust. During their conversation, B'Elanna questions his feelings for the captain. I love BEKi's work. She is always very subtle and presents the reader with story threads the producers dropped like a hot potato. Nice, very nice.

In Brenda Shaffer-Shiring's "Lack of Resolution," Chakotay is engaged in carnal maneuvers with Riley, but he uses the time to think about Janeway. The author pulls a neat trick by flashing back to all the Janeway/Chakotay moments during Season Three. She adds a few fillips of her own, and it managed to keep me engaged for the entire story.

In "Defining Parameters," Jordan Trevor delves into an alternate timeline. What would happen if J/C stayed on New Earth, got involved, and were later picked up? It's a nice, romantic story that should please the JetSki contingent, but not much more than that.

All in all, a decent zine, but like their real world writing counterparts, Orion Press may need some new faces.

Issue 6

cover of issue #6, BEKi

Delta Quadrant 6 was published in January 1998 and contains 131 pages.

Elizabeth Knauel, editor. The art is by Beverly Chick, Laura Bowel, Madelina Mumford, and BEKi.

From the editorial, dated January 1998:

Shore Leave was a lot of fun; and if I've won the lottery between the time I start this note (August 1997) and Shore Leave '98, I’ll definitely be there in June. However, the mundane world does interfere with the best-laid plans: and if I don’t know ahead of time, getting off is a problem. (For some reason they won’t let everyone off at the same time on a nursing unit — something about someone has to take care of the patients besides the patients).

By the time you read this, we will be well into the fourth season of Star Trek: Voyager. There’s been a few changes on the ship. We no longer have Kes on the ship, helping the Doctor tend to the injured. Who will be the Doctor's new helper? We can't have Tom Paris, the best pilot in the Delta Quadrant, there all the time, can we? We now have Seven of Nine. Who knows where she will finally end up serving on the ship?

As I write this, I can see so many ways that her character can be developed. Probably you can too. (If you like Seven, that is.) So far, I do. Granted, a few episodes is not a lot to get a handle on a character — who am I kidding? In the original series there were only a few episodes with Klingons and they became the villains we loved to hate! Okay, they weren’t one character; they were an entire race, sometimes a whole lot more difficult to get a handle on than one person.

I'm hoping to see many more stories about this change in crew members for the next issue. (That’s a hint, by the way. And not a very subtle one at that.)

• A House Divided by Andra Marie Mueller ("A first season story. How did Janeway convince Chakotay to become her first officer? Perhaps it was as simple as this short story indicates.") (3)
• Lovers and Friends by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring ("In "Nemesis," we mostly see what Chakotay was going through. But what was the crew going through when his shuttle went down? This story tells what one person felt.") (6)
• Ghosts by Andra Marie Mueller ("We saw how the events of "Coda" affected Janeway, but how did they affect the other members of the crew? We see how one member in particular felt after those events in Andra's short story.") (9)
• Fresh Deck by BEKi ("A first season story. This time we see how the junior officers and crew feel about having Tom Paris on Voyager. And how that feeling changed.") (12)
• A Matter of Time by Andra Marie Mueller ("Past and future meet to stop an assassin, and hopefully, keep the time line from being disrupted.") (39)
• Survivor's Epitaph by Morgan Stuart, the author of And Not Fade Away ("This piece takes a close look at Captain Janeway. She is a strong captain, but she is somewhat isolated from the rest of her crew. A strange anomaly causes her, and others, to examine this isolation.") (61)
• This Man is My Friend! by Ann Harding ("Harry Kim is having a difficult time coming to terms with what occurred on the Akritirian prison station. Can anyone in the crew help him deal with the situation?") (95)
• Evening Thoughts by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring ("Kes has left Voyager. This short story deals with one person's reactions to her sudden departure.") (121)

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Reactions and Reviews: Issue 6

In the past, I read zines to quench my thirst for new and interesting Trek material. Now, the tide has turned, and I consider them essential and generally superior to the televised series. While this zine is still marred by sloppy editing, it is filled with terrific stories that should assuage any viewer's specific needs. While the artwork has always been decent in past issues, the printed reproduction always lost something in the translation. This time, however, the artwork looks great on the printed page.

In "A House Divided," Andra Marie Mueller explores the offscreen scenario where Janeway asks Chakotay to be her first officer. Since this qualifies as a 'scene I'd like to see,' I thoroughly enjoyed this short vignette. J/C are the likable individuals we remember from Season One, showing both a sense of humor and the rapport needed to pull off the greatest trick of all, which is merging the Starfleet and Maquis crews.

In "Ghosts," Mueller describes how Chakotay feels after the "Coda" episode, and ends this journey with J/C taking an important step forward in their relationship.

Her final contribution, "A Matter of Time," messes with the timeline as J/C's daughter arrives from the future to save her parents from an assassin. Time travel stories don't interest me much, so I liked this one less than the other two stories.

Brenda Shaffer-Shiring brings us "Lovers and Friends," where B'Elanna upbraids Tom Paris for not accompanying Chakotay down to the planet in "Nemesis." In the course of their discussion, Tom learns that Torres has very strong feelings for her former captain.

Then, in Brenda's story "Evening Thoughts," Tuvok contemplates Kes's passing out of his life and what it means to him. BEKi not only drew the front cover, she also wrote "Fresh Deck," a first season hurt/comfort story about Tom Paris and how he is perceived by the crew. As usual, her characterization is spot on and she creates interesting new peripheral characters who managed to touch my heart by story's end. If the Voyager writers wrote Chakotay half as well as BEKi does, it would still be a damn sight better than what they've been throwing at us for the past few seasons.

Morgan Stuart, author of the superb "And Not Fade Away," treats us to "Survivor's Epitaph," a dark tale where a Voyager crew in an alternate timeline is captured by the Vidiian ship from "Deadlock." This grim little epitaph visits Janeway's heart of darkness, and allows us to see a side of her you'll probably never see on the small screen.

Ann Harding, a frequent contributor to this zine, brings "This Man is My Friend" to the table, which deals with Harry's emotional state after he and Tom are rescued from the Akritirian prison from "The Chute." With the right editor, this story could have packed a far more powerful emotional punch, but 34 pages full of grammatical errors made my eyes glaze over after awhile.

In summary, Delta Quadrant 6 is a good fanfic collection that is well worth the money and is easily the best issue out of the six.

In January, Orion Press debuted the next issue in their Star Trek:Voyager series. (Still awaiting Wayfarers, a 'zine concentrating on the series' relationships.) The cover art is a head & shoulders portrait of Neelix by the talented BEKi.

"A House Divided" features Janeway and Chakotay [not J/C] and is a nice little vignette, another possible conversation that brought the two crews together.

"Ghosts" features Janeway and Chakotay [kinda J/C] and has Chakotay dealing with some feelings after Janeway's loss in "Coda". Both three-page stories were written by Andra Marie Mueller and although short, I found each piece to be a pleasing read. I am not a J/Cer, but I do enjoy seeing, and reading, examples of an intimate friendship between the two leaders who must depend on one another.

"Lovers and Friends" features Paris & Torres [not P/T] and has B'Elanna lashing out at Tom while Chakotay was missing in "Nemesis".

"Evening Thoughts" features Tuvok and has him contemplating life without Kes. Each of these two three-page stores by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring explored and gave a little bit of insight into the thought processes of the characters and their relationships with one another. I found both stories touching, but especially "ET".

"Fresh Deck" by BEKi was a first-season story depicting anti-Tom feelings. Most [if not all] of BEKi's stories seem to take place in a universe where Starfleet somewhat resents the Maquis and the Maquis don't really trust Starfleet. I like this. In doing so this time, she was able to explore the nobility that was always in Paris, but that no one really wanted to look for or believe existed. Also, the reader gets to spend time with some crewmen and junior officers.

"A Matter of Time" by Andra Marie Mueller is advertised as a story involving stopping an assassin from the future. However, since the J/C elements were the more dominant, received the most time, a J/C story is how I would categorize it - with the assassin story providing filler. It might have been more engaging had I been a J/Cer; nevertheless, it was a pleasant read.

"Survivor's Epitaph" by Morgan Stuart was a thoughtful and thought-inducing look at Captain Kathryn Janeway's isolation from her crew. For this reader, Stuart opened lines of deliberation on whether this isolation is self-imposed or due to circumstances and whether or not it is right. Using the events in "Deadlock", a THIRD Voyager is created and taken captive by the Viidians, and a year later, THAT Janeway launches a buoy into space relating their experiences. It is recovered by the crew of the Voyager that survived. I consider this an excellent story because it generated extra consideration.

"This Man Is My Friend..." by Ann Harding is a wonderful exploration into the relationship of Tom and Harry. The action takes place in the intervening days of recovery between their rescue from the Akritirian prison and their trek to have their planned, fantasy dinner. I enjoy reading about the friendship between these two characters as I enjoy reading about Kirk and Spock.

The ONLY problem with the fanzine was the editing. It could have been better; throughout the 'zine there were spelling errors, grammatical errors, and evidence of deletions that were not made. This was most especially true in "This Man Is My Friend..." which suffered MUCH MORE than the rest of the 'zine combined. Errors were so prevalent, that they interrupted the rhythm of the reading. At most times, the story read as though someone was learning the English language.

The editor of the newsletter prefaced this review, and others in this issue, with: "AN OPEN NOTE TO WRITERS OF ZINE REVIEWS: I try never to censor anyone's opinions, but in the case of reviews of amateur fiction, I have chosen to excise comments which I found particularly critical or cutting. Several of the writers in the zines reviewed here are members of this fan club, and none get paid for their writing. The purpose of a zine review should be to tell a reader whether the zine is worth his or her money. We all have different tastes in fanfic just as we all have different tastes in episodes, so I am reluctant to permit severe criticism of an amateur writer in this publication. The following reviews have been edited for content, and I take full responsibility for the excisions. - Michelle

Issue 7

cover of issue #7

Delta Quadrant 7 was published June 1998 and contains 212 pages.

Glen Lash is the artist. Elizabeth Knauel, editor.

• A Penny by Cat Lain ("After discovering the stations that let the crew send messages home, Captain Janeway finds herself examining feelings and emotions that she hasn't had to deal with since coming to the Delta Quadrant.")
• Food for Thought by Andra Marie Mueller ("After the battle of the Q's, Janeway finds herself questioning a decision she had made long ago.")
• In the Spirit of Things by Debra Lynn Brei ("Chakotay finds himself on a shore leave that turns into a disaster. He is injured and trapped in a cave where the Voyager cannot find him. On the ship, the captain and the crew are trying to find him, and having no success. Janeway decides that a different approach to the problem is needed. The only question then is, can she make it work?")
• First Meeting by Patricia Hammer ("After a successful, if somewhat strange, First Contact with the inhabitants of Irrell Prime, Chakotay and Janeway are headed back to the Voyager in the shuttle when disaster strikes. Now the crew must work to find the shuttle.")
• Are You Now or Have You Ever Been by BEKi ("Chakotay is a fine officer. The top brass of Starfleet all say so. But now, with the "situation" along the Cardassian, they want more than his best.")
• The Lehmas Catcher by Anne Davenport ("Captain Janeway and Harry Kim experience an unusual Away Mission.")
• The Mention That I Miss by Morgan Stuart ("Way back when, Tom Paris broke the Threshold. He also underwent a strange evolution and captured the captain and forced her to undergo the same transformation. And then they had triplets. Which were left to fend for themselves on that strange planet. What happens when the children come looking for their parents?")
• The Courtship of Seven or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Borg by Miranda Greene ("Seven is trying to learn how to fit in with the Humans after being a part of the Borg Collective. It's not easy. She has many things to learn about being a Human. She needs someone to help her. Question is, who will her tutor be?")
• Prison Without Walls by Valerie DeVries ("Tom Paris and Harry Kim are rescued from the Akritirian prison and are now back on the Voyager. So why is Tom having all these strange accidents? [editor's note: adult themes].")
• Homecoming by Andra Marie Mueller ("The crew has suddenly found the means to get home to the Alpha Quadrant. They find that things have changed. A lot. An Alternate Universe story.")
• Time in a Bottle by Rosalie Blazej ("During a spirit journey on a planet Chakotay meets two strangers who offer him the chance of a lifetime.")
• Re-Notification: A Letter From Home by BEKi ("What did Tom Paris' father think when he was notified that his son was still alive, and in the Delta Quadrant? And what was in his letter to his son?")

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 7

Orion Press has released a good zine with this volume of Delta Quadrant 7. The editing is finally up to snuff and the illustrations are crisply produced. Most of the cartoons focus on Seven of Nine's physical assets and many of the stories focus on Janeway and Chakotay or take place after Voyager communicates with Earth.

In "A Penny," Janeway reflects on her message from home and what it means for her. She finally confronts Chakotay and admits that she loves him. In "Food For Thought," Andra Mueller examines Janeway and her feelings about motherhood. This takes place after "The Q and the Grey" and has Janeway discussing children with Chakotay.

"In the Spirit of Things" once again focuses on J/C when Chakotay is injured in a plasma storm and Voyager has no luck finding him. In an interesting story twist, Janeway communes with her spirit guide and manages to locate her first officer. In "First Meeting," Patricia Hammer writes a moving tale about Voyager's first contact experience with an interesting Deltan race called the Irrellians. With her usual attention to detail and wonderfully lavish descriptions, Pat managed to draw me in and keep me intrigued for the entire story. On their return trip from the planet, Janeway and Chakotay are shot down by the Kazon and Janeway is critically injured. Out of all the J/C stories in this collection, "First Meeting" stands head and shoulders above the rest.

BEKi brings us another interesting Chakotay story in "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been." Although her examination of Chakotay's past does not match his back story in Pathways, I found her take on things to be a whole lot more interesting than Jeri Taylor's characterization. We get to see Chakotay when he was a lieutenant and is being considered for a promotion. He's unfairly judged on his heritage and has racially biased questions fired at him by none other than Commander Shelby. His refusal to answer is seen as guilt, and when his father's death further colors the picture, he returns to Dorvan to pay his last respects. The outcome of this story might be inevitable, but as usual, BEKI makes the journey a worthwhile venture.

"The Lehmas Catcher," written by the normally reliable Anne Davenport, was not as successful. Without any warning, we are thrust into the clutches of some alien culture without knowing who or what they are. The action seesaws between the alien point-of-view and that of Harry and Janeway, who've been captured by these creatures. Because this story lacks any familiar frame of reference, its premise failed to make any lasting impact.

In "The Mention That I Miss," the talented Morgan Stuart presents us with a post-"Threshold" view of the three kidzards created by Janeway and Paris. These offspring have evolved into higher life forms that are far beyond the capabilities of Humans. When one of them is dying, the trio make contact with Voyager and force Janeway, Paris and Chakotay to re-examine their actions against these creatures.

"The Courtship of Seven" by Miranda Greene is a rather weak story about Seven's progression towards humanity. Since I've had more than my fill of Seven during Season Four, I can't say I was real interested in reading about her here.

"Prison Without Walls" describes Tom Paris's condition after being rescued from the Akritirian hell-hole. He has a series of accidents that nearly kill him, and it's discovered that he was brutalized by one of the prisoners during his ordeal. I really felt for him during this story, but I found that his sudden ability to discuss a painful event that he'd been hiding from everyone was rather unbelievable. Paris confides in Captain Janeway, which leads to jealousy on the part of B'Elanna Torres. Since she and Paris have yet to be involved at this point, I found this sidebar rather irritating. Still, this story was different enough from the others to stand on its own.

"Homecoming" was a treacly and overly predictable alternate-universe story about Voyager's return home. The Maquis are treated shabbily by Starfleet and are exiled from Federation space. Considering that the Maquis are no longer considered criminals and have been wiped out, I found this story thread to be ludicrous. It unfortunately sets up a parallel story where Janeway goes after Chakotay and declares her love for him. We all know how this ends, don't we? Everyone lives happily ever after and Janeway and Chakotay raise a passel of brats while still advancing in their illustrious Starfleet careers. Oh, did I forget to mention that Starfleet has a change of heart and decides to pardon all the Maquis? Moving right along.....

"Time in a Bottle" melds Chakotay's vision quest to an encounter with Wesley Crusher and the Traveler. This was a different twist on the usual fan fiction story, but by the time you get to this point in the zine, you've already read so many Chakotay stories that he's grown rather tiresome. It really was a pretty good story, but I can't say I cared much about it one way or the other.

Finally, in "Re-Notification," BEKi looks at Tom Paris's letter from home. This was really sweet, and a nice way to end this seventh volume of stories.

In summary, this is a decent collection which is weighed down by too many stories about Janeway and Chakotay. I only hope that Delta Quadrant 8 has a wider variety of stories. Strongly recommended for J/C fans or people who are dying for Season 5 to start.

This fanzine was very good and a worthy addition to the series.

There were charming little stories that made you smile, stories that made your lungs gasp and your eyes widen in disbelief, and stories that were just simply sad. For those wondering, Captain Kathryn Janeway was featured prominently in seven of the twelve tales, but was only alone for a two-page story.

The issue's first two stories were a total of five pages long. "A Penny..." by Cat Lain was slightly J/C as Chakotay found Kathryn updating her letter to Mark after the Doctor's return, and she realized the feelings she had for Chakotay.

"Food For Thought" by Andra Marie Mueller, had Janeway re-examining, and partly regretting, her decision not to have children, after being introduced to Q's son. Both authors were good and their stories' shortness was the perfect length for their subject matter. Any longer, and the thrust of the story would have been lost to verbiage.

"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" by BEKi and "Time In A Bottle" by Rosalie Blazej are two solely Commander Chakotay stories. BEKi wonderfully explored a possible cause behind Chakotay's turn to the dark side through his main adversary - Commander Elizabeth Shelby. The Communist witch hunts of the 1950s are recreated in this story. As usual with BEKi's Chakotay stories, I was very engaged in learning what was next, who was friend or foe, and how Chakotay would deal with Starfleet's prejudices and with his people's prejudices. Blazej also used blasts from the past - Wesley Crusher and the Traveler. They show up during his meditations and return Chakotay to the Alpha Quadrant with the option to stay.

The two sad, emotionally-charged stories in the 'zine involved Lieutenant Tom Paris. "Prison Without Walls" by Valerie DeVries is a continuation of "The Chute". The adult-oriented premise is that Paris was sexually assaulted in the Akritirian prison. The story has Paris' dealing with this with the assistance of a select few officers. The story was interesting and was handled candidly. The subject matter did not detract from the characters' interpersonal relationships. And, those relationships did not in appropriately lighten the seriousness of the subject.

The issue's final story, "Re-Notification: A Letter From Home" by BEKi was a very fitting closure to the 'zine. It revisited the episode "Hunters" with the letter that Admiral Owen Paris sent to Tom, from the Admiral's point-of-view. The story acknowledge my opinion that B'Elanna lied to save Tom's feelings by saying that the letter was lost.

"The Lemhas Catcher" by Anne Davenport and "First Meeting" by Pat Hammer were less to my taste. Davenport's story involved Janeway and Kim's capture by strange aliens. The story was kind of difficult for me to get a hold of. As the reader, I was given the opportunity to see things from the aliens' point-of-view. From a science fiction angle, the story was fine, it was different, because the aliens were so different. But they overshadowed our heroes. The story didn't need Janeway or Kim; any bodies would have sufficed. The first paragraph of Hammer's story grabbed and excited me as I discovered that an injured Chakotay and a seriously injured Janeway crash-landed on a planet. The next half of the story then dealt with describing and explaining to the reader all of the events that preceded this emergency. By the time the story returned to the heroes, I was bored. It seemed to me that Hammer and Davenport became a little too enamored of the well-thought-out alien cultures that they created.

"In the Spirit of Things" by Debra Lynn Brei has Janeway leading the search for a missing and injured Chakotay. Chakotay went planetside for Shore Leave to meditate and reflect and wound up stranded. After exhausting the regular means, Janeway sought theadvice of her Spirit Guide to locate her First Officer. This was a very good Janeway and Chakotay, not J/C, story. I enjoyed the examples of the relationship between the two characters.

Seven of Nine made her Orion Press/Delta Quadrant entrance in Miranda Greene's "The Courtship of Seven or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Borg." The story was quaint and enjoyable. It dealt with Seven of Nine's socialization, and as in the show, Harry Kim was a significant part of her life on board Voyager.

In thinking of Morgan Stuart's "The Mention That I Miss," I can only describe it as "cool" [as in a good thing]. Janeway and Paris' three children from "Threshold" come a-knocking on Voyager and they aren't all that happy about being abandoned by Mom and Dad. The oldest was a daughter, next a son, then another daughter. They were subject to the same evolutionary changes, and therefore, are uber-beings. The stars of the story were the guest stars, who were given much attention while Janeway & Co. handled the situation formula. If you really need for our heroes to be the foci, then this story isn't for you - although Janeway has more page time than the others. Otherwise, everyone was sorry, Janeway cried, Paris cried, Tuvok "felt" bad, Chakotay was guilty, blah, blah, blah. Even with this, I found the story itself "cool" because, for what was there, was handled very well.

The most extensive story in the 'zine was "Homecoming" by Andra Marie Mueller. In my opinion, this was one of the better examples of the many 'return to Alpha Quadrant' stories. The ending was predictable - Torres and Paris paired off and Janeway and Chakotay paired off. According to popular formula both couples had children and [unfortunately], per formula, their children paired off. And they all lived happily ever after. Yippee, skippee. The only dilemma I encountered was academic - much of the page time was spent with the Quartet while the other characters were relegated to the background and only a mention made of their plans or where they wound up. This was not a problem for me, since the Quartet is comprised of the characters I enjoy. When considered, these things were small and did not detract from the story of the crew returning home, everyone trying to figure out where they belonged, to whom they owed loyalty, Voyager's crew[s] dealing with Starfleet and Starfleet dealing with them, etc. Intrigue, conflict, alliances, individual characterization, and interpersonal relationships. It was all excellent. Once again, Mueller got her personal preferences in the story without them taking away anything.

Much, but not all, of the artwork was provided by Glenn Lash who chose Seven of Nine as the primary target for his merciless wit.

Issue 8

cover of issue #8, not credited

Delta Quadrant 8 was published January 1999 and contains 223 pages.

Edited by Elizabeth Knauel. The art is by Glenn Lash, Beverly Chick, Anne Davenport, and Robert Kirkpatrick.

From the editorial:

Now, I have to address a small problem that cropped up in the last issue. Cat Lain's story, “A Penny...” was simultaneously printed in both Delta Quadrant and in a newsletter for a fan club. Several of you have written your displeasure at this, since the guidelines do state that stories are to be original, not reprinted from other sources. I’ve had a long talk with Cat. The problem was due to the fact that Cat had sent the story to both Delta Quadrant and to the newsletter, but she never heard from the newsletter if it had been accepted or not. Also, she is anew writer and didn’t realize that Orion Press didn’t accept items submitted elsewhere. Moreover, she didn’t consider a newsletter a publication — not an unusual thought to new fans. She has apologized for the problem, and now that she knows the guidelines, she guarantees it won’t happen again.

And I apologize that it happened as well. Unfortunately, it is impossible for me to belong to every fan club for Voyager, so I have no way to guarantee that it won’t happen again. I have to rely on the honor system. And so far, the authors have all been honorable.

Now, on to a more pleasant topic. There are several new authors represented here, as well as several favorites. There is a bit of something for everyone, I think.

[...]

I want you folks to get to reading the zine, but I also want to ask you to do something else. Let the authors know that you’ve enjoyed their hard work. And believe me, it’s very hard to write a story and then rewrite it. A letter saying how much you liked the story does so much for them. It doesn’t have to be a large missive; just a couple of lines is all that’s needed. Just send the letter to Randy at the address below; he'll make sure the authors get the comments. And now, enjoy the zine!

• Bioneural Banter, editorial (3)
• Your Own Worst Enemy by Thea Bradley ("Before Tom Paris wound up in the New Zealand penal colony, he fled Starfleet to join the Maquis. But first he had to pass their entrance exam.") (4)
• Initial Standing by Taylor Martin ("This is a First Season story cataloging the first few days in the Delta Quadrant for Tom Paris.") (11)
• A Childless Man by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring ("A babysitting stint causes Chakotay to think about past events.") (30)
• The Question by Cat Lain ("Chakotay and Janeway take a hike in the holosuite and at the same time work on the question of their relationship.") (34)
• A Private Grief by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring ("The letters from the Alpha Quadrant brought both good news and bad, and unpleasant news as well.") (44)
• Mixed Feelings by Patricia Hammer ("Another story where the crew received letters from home. Some of them have good news; others, not so good.") (51)
• Just Kidding, Sir by William F. B. Vodrey ("Tom Paris has a checkered past. But just how checkered? And what did Starfleet do about it?") (58)
• Naked in the Rain by Jo Taylor and Sara Jackson ("Captain Janeway is lost on an Away Mission and presumed dead, and Chakotay finds he can't live with the loss, until he takes a journey to the Spirit World and doesn't find her spirit there.") (69)
• Freedom by Andra Marie Mueller ("An Away Mission proves to be less than successful for the Voyager crew. An Alternate Universe story.") (106)
• Acapulco Risa by Diana Lee ("B'Elanna Torres has not been having a good day. And things are not getting any better when she finally takes some time off.") (119)
• Endings, Memories and Letting Go by Kathleen Speck ("Chakotay has an Away Team on a planet, hunting for necessary stores for Voyager when the ship has to answer a distress call. A natural disaster on the planet causes Chakotay to remember his days in the Maquis.") (129)
• The New Cook by Riss ("It's a long way from home and supplies and Personnel. And face it, the Voyager has lost a lot of crewmembers in the Delta Quadrant. So, what does the crew do to replace these lost crewmembers?") (133)
• Long Way Home by Kathleen Condon ("Tom Paris was lost on an Away Mission. Now Chakotay is suffering guilt feelings at being unable to save the pilot. And he's seeing ghosts. Or is he?") (164)
• A Prayer for the Assimilated by Miranda Greene ("Q seems to love to interfere with people's lives. He's done it to Captain Picard and Commander Riker often enough, and he's even made a pest of himself with Captain Janeway. Now, he's chosen another member of the Voyager to pester.") (181)
• Unforgotten by Anne Davenport ("The Ramoora incident will soon be forgotten by all on board, wiped from all memory. Or is it?") (196)
• Personal Log: Stardate 51990.1 by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring—What did the crew really feel about the gift that Arturis supposedly brought them from the Alpha Quadrant?") (202)
• A Time for Tradition by Debra Lynn Brei ("It's Christmas time on Voyager and the crew would like to have an old-fashioned holiday even if they are over 60,000 light-years from home.") (204)
• Submission Guidelines (224)

• 

  from issue #8, Anne Davenport

• 

  from issue #8, Glenn Lash

• 

  from issue #8, Beverly Chick

• 

  from issue #8, Beverly Chick

• 

  from issue #8, Glenn Lash

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 8

"Delta Quadrant 8" is another decent offering from Orion Press, a fan-run press that continues to battle against the overwhelming odds of the Internet and a shrinking market. You've got to give credit to Randy Landers and company for their perseverance. Most of the stories here are far superior to anything we've seen on the boob tube of late, so I thought it was worth reviewing this latest collection of Voyager stories.

"Your Own Worst Enemy" is a rather odd story about Tom Paris's induction into the Maquis. He is tortured by a Bajoran woman and Seska. It is not especially notable except for the fact that it shows an early version of Seska's mind games.

"Initial Standing" is also a Tom Paris story that recounts his first days in the Delta Quadrant. The Maquis crewmembers are beating him up, but Tom doesn't want to rat on them and make things worse for himself. Unfortunately, his silent suffering causes problems with his commanding officers.

"A Childless Man" is a sad little reflection about Chakotay and the son that might have been his. Brenda Shaffer-Shiring , who I believe has recently become a new parent, does a fine job of sorting through the troubled thoughts that plague every person when they consider the possibility of having (or not having) children.

"The Question" is a finely drawn portrait of the J/C relationship. I normally don't enjoy these stories like I used to, but in this case, Cat Lain does a nice job with Chakotay's anger about the way Janeway's been stringing him along all these years.

"A Private Grief" and "Mixed Feelings" both deal with letters from the Alpha Quadrant. In the former case, Chakotay shares his feelings in a series of taut little exchanges with Captain Janeway. I really liked the way Brenda Shaffer-Shiring portrayed the friendship between Voyager's top two officers. In the latter case, Pat Hammer starts off the story in a public venue and moves it to a private setting where Chakotay shares his news with Janeway. Both are fine but very different tellings of the same scenario.

"Just Kidding Sir" is an extremely amusing story about Tom Paris's first deep-space posting under Captain Jellico. He and a fellow ensign decide to play a transporter prank on the captain which ends up backfiring big time! I won't ruin the premise by spoiling it here. Suffice it to say that William Vodrey is a talented writer who injects a much needed dose of humor into a genre that often takes itself too seriously.

"Naked in the Rain" was OK, but was one of those stories that went on for way too long. Basically, Janeway loses her memory and goes native on an unnamed planet somewhere in the DQ. Chakotay is convinced she's alive, so they go back to find her. I could have done without the cardboard Indian dialogue that plagued this story, as well as the basic premise. This is one J/C story that failed to move me.

"Freedom" is an alternate universe story that also didn't cut any mustard for this reader. I am so tired of stories where J/C get together and have children and one of their children is threatened in some way. This story takes place in the future, and the writer has the gall (or the guts) to kill off a major character.

"Acapulco Risa" is a B'Elanna story where B'Elanna goes to the holodeck to try and relax. Pointless, but OK. "Endings, Memories, and Letting Go" is a decent story where one of the former Maquis dies under Chakotay's command during an away mission. It causes the first officer to reflect on his dark past. I liked this one quite a bit. It's a painful ride, but well worth the trip. For a show and a character that are so shallow, this story brought a welcome bit of depth.

"The New Cook" makes the mistake of thrusting a new character created by the author into the center of the story. It's certainly fine to create new characters, but they shouldn't draw attention away from the regular characters. It's also a difficult feat to make anyone care about an unfamiliar character. In this instance, an alien female (can anyone say Mary Sue) joins the Voyager crew. Her past has damaged her emotionally, and she bonds with Tom and B'Elanna. It's not badly written, but like "Naked in the Rain", its length is inappropriate.

"Long Way Home" is a fairly decent story about Paris and Chakotay (calm down C/P fans). Paris is lost during an away mission while under Chakotay's command.....hey, does this sound familiar? Anyway, they think he's dead and we get to root around in Chakotay's brain about the guilt he feels.

"A Prayer for the Assimilated" pairs Q with Seven of Nine. He takes her to Wolf 359 so she can revisit what the Borg did to the Federation. It is an interesting story that manages to sneak a familiar TNG character into the mix.

"Unforgotten" is Kathryn Janeway's journal entries from that largely forgettable episode from last season called "Unforgettable." You know, the one where Chakotay falls in love with a blonde bimbo of the week, then forgets about her? Since that episode bored me, I was largely uninterested in this story.

"Personal Log" is a short story about the "gift" that Arturis gave to the Voyager crew. Once again, Brenda Shaffer-Shiring does a nice job with Chakotay's internal reflections. Short, and very sweet.

"A Time for Tradition" takes place at Christmas, and involves Naomi Wildman and Neelix. Although I like this child character, I am not particularly fond of stories with Naomi and Neelix at their center. However, I have to say that it's nice to read a story about something different than the particle or anomaly of the week.

All in all, this is another decent collection from Orion Press. If you are thirsting for some summer reading, then you could do far worse than picking up the eighth issue of the Delta Quadrant.

Issue 9

cover of issue #9, Beverly Chick

Delta Quadrant 9 was published in July 1999 and contains 128 pages.

Edited by Elizabeth Knauel. Art by Beverly Chick.

It was with this issue that the zine became digest-sized.

• The Fourth Stage by Diane Bellomo ("B'Elanna Torres is suffering from severe depression after learning that her comrades in the Alpha Quadrant are all dead. Will she come through it, or not?") (3)
• Better Late Than Never by Ann Harding ("Most of the crew has made it home; but not everyone. How are the families of those lost coping with the lost?") (10)
• B'Elanna's Choice by Diane Bellomo ("During the episode "Scientific Experiment" Tom and B'Elanna had a wild tryst. What were the consequences of that tryst?") (20)
• Of the Same Mind by Cat Lain ("A serious accident has threatened the life of Captain Janeway, and the Doctor, with Chakotay's help, has found a way to save her. Only the cure has problems of its own.") (35)
• Filling in the Blanks by Andra Marie Mueller ("A shuttlecraft accident robs Commodore Janeway of ten years' worth of memories. An Alternate Universe story.") (76)
• Mary Sue Fails by Riss ("A typical day in the Delta Quadrant trying to get supplies leads to typical results.") (116)
• The Not-So-Long Voyage Home by BEKi ("We have been told since episode one that the valiant crew of the Voyager is 70,000 light years from home. But when the ship impacts the Nekrid Expanse, the crew finds out an interesting truth.") (123)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 9

Diane Bellomo provided the two 'Torres Tales' with "The Fourth Stage" and "B'Elanna's Choice". The former addresses Torres as she tries to work through her grief after the loss of her compatriots. This story is a direct continuation of the episode "Extreme Risk". I enjoyed this since it kept the dichotomy of the character intact instead of being too soft (Human) or too hard (Klingon). It stuck to the topic of her grief. In the latter, Tom, and especially B'Elanna, have decisions to make concerning the consequences of their actions in the episode "Scientific Experiment" where they were victims of hormone tampering. The story was very good, especially since it was able to get its point across without becoming preachy, sappy, or offensive.

In "Better Late Than Never" by Ann Harding, Janeway helps a relative cope with the loss of a crewman who didn't get to return to the Alpha Quadrant. This was a nice, a good, story. Not 'good' in that it could have been better, but 'good' in that it accomplished exactly what should have been done, respectfully.

The Janeway/Chakotay fixes come from two directions this time around. "Of The Same Mind" by Cat Lain took place in this universe and was very good; and Lain came up with one of the best J/C situations I've read. It was good to read in the way that Kirk and Spock friendship stories are good to read. Not only did Lain keep the personalities and strengths intact, but also made the characters equally friends and 'special friends'.

In "Filling In The Blanks", Andra Marie Mueller returned to her alternate universe with Commodore Janeway and her husband and First Officer, Chakotay. This wasn't a 'bad' story. In it, Chatokay did everything he could, including nothing, to help an amnesiac Janeway remember, but without doing further harm. The final stories were both ensemble-oriented.

"Mary Sue Fails" by Riss isn't a 'Mary Sue' story. It is a day-in-the-life short story that's nicely developed. As the fanzine ender, BEKi took a step back away from Chakotay and/or Paris stories to write "The Not-So-Long Voyage Home". A short, sweet, funny bit with a cute ending, full of characterization. The color cover is a really nice landscape piece of Voyager against the background of space and space stuff by Beverly Chick. It looks like one of the shots from the opening credits.

DQ9 is a fairly good addition to the Orion stable of zines. It suffers from some of the same problems as previous issues, but it's still better than Brannon Braga's weekly drivel. My two favorite stories are "Mary Sue Fails" and "The Not-So-Long Voyage Home. In the former tale, Voyager attracts the unwanted attention of an alien vessel and must dodge through an asteroid field to avoid them. I like Riss's dry sense of humor and the way she describes the characters. She takes gentle potshots at Tom Paris's piloting skills, B'Elanna's legendary temper, and Seven of Nine's...er....enhancements. It's a simple and extremely short story that would fill no more than a few minutes of screen time, but it was refreshing and fun. As for the latter tale, BEKi brings the crew home through the Nechrid Expanse. It turns out that Tuvok miscalculated the distance between the Alpha and Delta Quadrants and the crew end up in Romulan space. Again, this would be a footnote on the boob tube, but it was a cute little story. The rest of the stories range from good to mediocre... In summary, this is definitely not a bad zine, and since Orion is now offering its zines in a new, lower priced format, it's worth picking up.

Issue 10

Delta Quadrant 10 was published in July 1999 and contains 155 pages.

Elizabeth Knauel, editor. Artwork for the cover and for the first story was provided by Lauren Francis.

cover of issue #10

original, Pen & Ink, Zipatone, Lauren Francis

• The Disarmament of Hostilities by Laura Taylor (3)
• The Sacrifice by Ali Hodge ("Just how far will Chakotay go to defend the captain? How many rules will he break?") (86)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 10

DQ10 contains only two stories, and one of them is easily the best Voyager story I've ever read in this zine.

Laura Taylor's "The Disarmament of Hostilities" consists of Janeway's experiences with the infamous Gul Dukat. Now from canon, we know that Janeway had no contact with Dukat, but that's OK. In Taylor's universe, the two match wits on a joint expedition during Cardassia's conflict with the Maquis. To get there from here, Janeway's ship is threatened by a nebula and she resorts to using Cardassian technology to solve their dilemma. How she got her hands on this technology is the premise for this adventurous tale. I just loved Dukat and Janeway together, and I was so happy that Taylor didn't stoop to throwing them in bed. Janeway has good reason to despise the Cardassians, but she manages to rise above her personal biases and joins them on a mission to take down a Maquis base. These particular Maquis include some familiar faces, but I won't ruin it by telling you who is involved. Lots and lots of fun! The second story pales in comparison to the first, but it was OK.

In Ali Hodge's "The Sacrifice", Chakotay mistakenly tries to protect the captain from a misogynistic alien race. His efforts get him thrown in the brig, but by story's end, it draws the captain closer to her first officer. DQ10 is a strong addition to this series of zines, and I highly recommend it.

Orion Press is ahead of their game. "Delta Quadrant" is usually released in January and in July, but this time around, there were two issues of DQ released in July. "Delta Quadrant 10" included two novelettes. They are both Janeway stories. [Huzzah!] The first being a Captain Janeway and Gul Dukat story, the second being a Janeway and Chakotay story... Starfleet sent Janeway and Tuvok on a diplomatic mission in "The Disarmament of Hostilities" by Laura Taylor. The similarity between a situation affecting Voyager and something in her past compelled Janeway to remember when she and Dukat had to decide to fight for or to accept the coming war or the continuing peace. The present-day and past adventures were interesting, but I really enjoyed this story because it showcased parts of the characters' personalities that have been shown for brief periods and/or mentioned, but never really explored by the televised series, i.e. their skills at subterfuge, at diplomacy, at ruthlessness, et al. What was good about the characters was how well they were written. Taylor was right on target with both of them. What was nice about Janeway, in particular, was how she was given equal treatment as Dukat. As an officer of the military and as a commander of men. Society stills holds to the differences between men and women. Xena: Warrior Princess was the first show [that I know of] to overtly turn this 'fact' into 'fiction'. I'm not making a judgment on the difference or its existence. I am just saying that it was nice to see Janeway being treated no differently than Kirk or Sisko or Picard would have been. "The Sacrifice" by Ali Hodge was a different kind of J/C. In it, the characters showed their feelings for one another, yes, but did it by acting in ways not, or not usually, seen. With this fresh viewpoint, it was nice to see the characters be the same, but at the same time, be 'new'. The plot: in order for Voyager to go through these aliens' space, they have to provide proper payment. [This sounds like a lame story, yes, but if I tell you any more, it'll give stuff away.] Truly, my only disappointment was that the author couldn't find ways for the main characters to have a larger, albeit unnecessary, role in the story. [Khan in STII was treated similarly.] However, even this didn't change the type of story from J/C to ensemble. I liked the adventure that prompted the J/C part of the story. It was believable and it provided realistic circumstances in which the characters had to act. Finally, not that I didn't enjoy it the story, because it was a good read. With the good ending, though, I felt that some of the power of the ending was discounted by the actions in the epilogue. Artwork for the cover and for the first story - and exhibiting Janeway in simply new (!) lights - was provided by Lauren Francis.

Issue 11

Delta Quadrant 11 was published in October 1999 and contains 137 pages.

Elizabeth Knauel & Andra Marie Mueller, editors.

cover of issue #11, Lauren Francis

• Later by Thea Bradley ("Suffering from insomnia, Janeway decides to retreat into her Da Vinci program, only to find another member of the crew has sought his own solace there.") (3)
• In a Quandary Over Q by Debra Lynn Brei ("When Continuum business requires the Qs to leave their son on Voyager, the captain and the first officer are reluctantly recruited to baby-sit.") (7)
• Missing, Presumed Dead by Ann Brill White ("After Lieutenant Tuvok vanishes during his assignment with the Maquis. Janeway delivers the news to his mate.") (21)
• Suffer the Children by Jo Taylor ("While attempting to escape Cardassian pursuers, Chakotay and the Maquis encounter the littlest victims of their war. A pre-"Caretaker" story.") (27)
• All Work and No Play by Elizabeth Knauel ("When the EMH and Chakotay force Janeway to take a vacation, she decides to spend her downtime revisiting "Queen Arachnia."") (44)
• Apologies by Irene Deitel ("Following his "Thirty Days" in solitary. Paris is summoned to Janeway's quarters for a meeting with the Captain.") (95)
• The Morning After: Personal Logs by Brenda Shaffer-Shiring ("Following the events in "BLISS", the crew recounts their real feelings about the experience in their personal logs.") (101)
• Soulmates by Andra Marie Mueller ("When Chakotay's shuttle is destroyed in a surprise attack by the Hirogen, Janeway must find a way to deal with her loss.") (115)