STARDATE 54554.1CAPTAIN'S LOG – SUPPLEMENTAL
The new coalition of ships holding formation with Voyager has agreed, tentatively, to a framework of mutual defense. It's a fragile arrangement, forged in desperation within a region of space devoid of energy, hope, or light. Our newest… ally, Mr. Zod, proved instrumental in repelling the latest attack. I intend to bring him fully into our strategic discussions.
If he is willing.
INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE – U.S.S. VOYAGER
The room is dimly lit, the starless black outside the viewport absorbing all ambient glow. Janeway stands at the head of the table, padds spread before her. Several unfamiliar alien captains sit or stand warily—each representing a ship barely holding itself together in the Void.
Superman enters quietly behind Tuvok. The room reacts almost instantly—several captains stiffen, others narrow their eyes. He looks almost too clean, too composed compared to the gaunt, starved faces around him.
Janeway gestures calmly. "Thank you for joining us, Mr. Zod. You've already saved several of our lives."
Superman inclines his head. "Happy to help."
One alien captain, a gaunt Etanian with patchwork armor, taps the table impatiently. "You're telling me that was what was fighting outside your ship? In a little more than a spcesuit?"
Superman answers without aggression. "Yes."
A skeptical growl rolls from another captain. "And we're supposed to trust Starfleet's pet super-soldier?"
Torres nearly jumps in, but Janeway lifts a hand. "Mr. Zod is not Starfleet. He's a visitor from another world who chose to stand with us, just as we're asking you to stand with each other."
Superman nods. "I'm here because people are in danger. That's all."
A long silence follows. The captains study him, searching for deception, weakness, advantage.
Tuvok steps forward, placing a padd on the table. "Shall we resume our agenda? Item one: redistribution of replicator rations."
The room erupts in overlapping arguments.
INT. OBSERVATION LOUNGE – LATER
The shouting has continued for nearly twenty minutes. Janeway rubs her temples. Superman stands near the viewport, quiet, thoughtful, listening.
A captain slams his fist on the table. It is a Kazon-Born trader, "You ask us to share supplies we barely have! Our ships can't sustain…"
Superman finally turns around. "You'll run out of supplies anyway."
Everyone freezes. "If everyone keeps ambushing newcomers, everyone's ships will be too damaged to escape—if an exit ever appears.
You can starve alone, or survive together."
His tone is calm. Not forceful. But the truth in it settles the room like gravity.
Janeway studies him carefully. He isn't commanding. Or intimidating. He's simply telling the truth. It's more effective than most diplomacy she's witnessed. "Let's proceed. Cooperation is how we survive this place. The only way."
One by one, padds shift across the table. Signatures are made. Frequencies are exchanged.
A coalition is born.
INT. ENGINEERING – U.S.S. VOYAGER
The alliance meeting finished, Superman followed Torres back to Engineering. She wipes her forehead with the back of her hand, stepping over a half-open panel. "You know, we could use extra hands. Or, well, extra… everything you are."
Superman offers a small smile. "I'll try not to break anything."
"Oh good, you're learning," Torres hands him a tricorder. He looks at it like someone just handed him a violin. "…So, what exactly am I looking at?"
She sighs in a fond, exasperated way. "You really weren't kidding about not being Starfleet."
She moves behind him, guiding his hands. "Here. See this spectral variance? That's shield degradation. If we don't stabilize the phase regulators, the alliance won't matter."
Superman examines the readings. "And I can help with that?"
"You can help with anything that involves lifting something heavier than a cargo container or holding something still while I reroute plasma."
"That I can do."
Tuvok enters, hands folded behind his back. "Mr. Zod. Captain Janeway requests your presence on the bridge."
Torres waves him off. "Go on. Try not to start a diplomatic incident."
Superman blinks, "Is that common around here?"
Tuvok responds dryly, "With this crew? It is inevitable."
INT. BRIDGE – U.S.S. VOYAGER
Superman steps out of the turbolift to find Janeway standing at Tactical beside Kim. "Glad you're here. We have a situation."
Kim highlights a blip on the nearly empty sensor grid—one of the few visible signatures in the Void. "Alliance vessel Ventarus has broken formation. They're under attack."
Superman frowns, "I can suit up again."
Janeway stops him, "Not yet. We're still analyzing the attackers' shield siphons. If you go out unprotected, they could drain your suit's energy system."
"So I stay here."
"For now." Janeway acknowledges him.
But the look they exchange says: if things get worse, he's going out there anyway.
Paris swings around. "Captain, incoming message, audio only."
A voice crackles through. Panicked. Desperate.
VENTARUS CAPTAIN (V.O.) "To all alliance ships, trap, ambush, multiple raiders, coordinates…!"
Static.
Superman steps forward. "Tell me where they were."
Kim's console beeps with a locked coordinate.
Janeway hesitates. Her instincts say no. Her situation says yes. "Suit up, Mr. Zod."
Superman nods and strides toward the lift. As the doors close, Janeway murmurs to herself: "A little light in the dark…"
INT. AIRLOCK – MOMENTS LATER
7 of 9 waits for him, assisting with the last seal on the space suit. "Your performance previously was beyond expectation."
Superman smiles faintly.
She steps back. "Be advised: the Ventarus is larger than the raiders you encountered earlier.
You may be required to brace external hull segments to prevent collapse."
"Just point me where I'm needed."
"Try not to die."
Superman freezes. "…Was that a joke?"
"I am… experimenting."
"I liked it."
The airlock cycles open.
EXT. SPACE – THE VOID
Superman leaps into the blackness, launched by the suit's thrusters toward the flickering lights of the stricken Ventarus.
As he approaches, he sees it: A dozen raider vessels mounted like parasites across the hull, drilling, siphoning, tearing.
Superman clenches his jaw, "Captain, I'm here. They've swarmed her."
"Understood. Alliance vessels are en route. Do what you can to keep her intact."
Superman aims his thrusters and dives.
He lands on the hull in a controlled crouch, more practiced now. More confident. More like Superman.
A raider ship opens fire immediately. Bolts spatter harmlessly against his suit's personal shield.
Superman grabs a hull strut, tears it free with careful precision, and wedges it between the raider's cutting beam and the Ventarus plating.
The beam sputters.
The raider recoils.
Superman grips the vessel by an exposed support rib and shoves hard.
The raider tears free, drifting helplessly.
Inside Voyager, Kim watches on sensors."He's doing it again."
Tuvok: "Indeed.
Paris comments with myrth, "I'm starting to think we should make him an honorary redshirt."
Janeway glares without turning. "He will not be a redshirt, Mr. Paris."
Paris mouths silently: noted.
EXT. SPACE – CONTINUOUS
Superman braces himself as another raider approaches. This one is larger, armored, reinforced, and clearly the leader.
It fires a sustained plasma beam at him. The suit's shield flares. Superman slides back across the hull, boots scraping, but he holds his ground. "Okay. Didn't like that."
He leaps, low gravity turning the jump into a graceful arc, and lands on the attacker's prow.
With both hands, he digs fingers into the armor and pulls. Tearing it open like a tin can. Inside, the startled crew panics.
Superman reaches in and unplugs the power core with surgical precision. The entire vessel powers down instantly, drifting inert.
INT. BRIDGE – U.S.S. VOYAGER
Kim's board lights up. "Captain, hostiles disengaging! The Ventarus is stabilizing!"
The bridge erupts with relieved murmurs.
Janeway exhales softly. "Lock tractor beams on the damaged ship. Let's bring her into formation."
She taps her commbadge. "Mr. Zod… excellent work."
EXT. SPACE – THE VOID
Superman stands on the hull of the Ventarus, still catching his breath, not exhausted, but feeling the weight of everything he has carried today.
The alliance ships move into protective positions around him in a slow, graceful ballet. Their combined lights form the closest thing the Void has to a constellation. Superman gazes into the darkness. For a moment, he imagines he sees stars.