STAR TREK: VOYAGER
An Original J/7 Voyager Story
Ó2008 by Patricia L.
Givens
A Beep Challenge Response
April 2008
Disclaimer #1: This
story is an original work of fiction set in the pre-existing universe of Star
Trek: Voyager. As such, many of the
characters and references used within belong solely to Paramount Pictures. I have borrowed them for the purpose of
creating this scenario and promise to return them unscathed, and smiling, as
soon as I am done. No gain, monetary or
otherwise, is expected from their use and no copyright infringement is intended
or should be inferred.
Disclaimer #2: All
original characters and storylines contained herein belong to the author. (Like
anyone else would claim them! J
) This story may be archived upon
request with the stipulation that it must be posted exactly as it was written,
with all disclaimers intact.
Disclaimer #3: This
story does depict a relationship between two women. If that bothers you, then you then you must
be stuck so far back in the closet that your mail goes to Narnia. If you are under 18, three cheers to you for
being interested in the love lives of older women. (Call me!), if this is
illegal where you live, it must be hard to read from behind that veil…
Who To Blame: Thanks must go out to
Ky, for only IMPLYING that she told me so.
As well as to Anne for beta’ing this mess. (Is that a word?)
This is a response to the following challenge made on the
Voyager Conspiracy Boards that came about because of a screen cap from The
37’s:
- J/7
(doh!), first time (if possible)
- a heavy dose of Chakotay bashing
- a crisis on board
- the hand cap scene - you can decide whose hand it is - as the pivotal scene
that solves the crisis (in whatever way you see fit)
This one is dedicated to Beep (Aka Berlinpup), because it
was her challenge. I WILL STUMP YOU
EVENTUALLY!
The time frame for this is…pretty much anywhere after fifth
season.
No imaginary phalanges were harmed during the writing of
this story, although the phrase “finger licking good” suddenly meant something
entirely different!
To all that makes us unique!
DAx =/\=
“Jealousy is
the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.”
-Fulton
Captain Kathryn
Janeway climbed slowly to her feet, only to find herself thrown backwards into
her command chair as Voyager was once again rocked violently to the side.
“Report!” She barked.
“Shields have
failed, Captain.” Tuvok gripped his
console tightly. “Inertial dampeners are
offline. That last blast caused
structural damage to our port nacelle.
We are unable to jump to warp.”
“Captain!” Harry called out. “The Tirali are hailing.”
“On
screen!” She growled.
The view screen
was immediately filled with the image of a stern looking alien. They were a reptilian race, with skin that
luminesced in different colors depending on their mood. This particular alien was glowing a faint orange;
something she had recently learned was a very bad sign. “Kol, this is an outrage! Cease your attack on my vessel at once.”
Kol inclined
his head to one side. “I truly regret
the need for my actions, Captain. But
you leave me little choice. You,
however, have an alternative. There is
no need for the destruction of you or your crew. Release the prisoner and you will be allowed
to go on your way in peace.”
She shook her
head slowly. “You know I can’t do that.”
The alien
sighed. “Then I regret to inform you
that your ship will be destroyed. You
have thirty seconds to acquiesce.”
The screen went
dark and Janeway’s shoulders slumped.
They were no match for the much larger Tirali vessel.
Turning around,
her eyes locked momentarily with Seven of Nine’s. The warmth and emotion she found there made
her heart catch painfully before she looked away.
“What a
mess.” She mumbled under her
breath. “How did we get ourselves into
this?”
Her gaze fell
on the empty chair that belonged to her First Officer.
Oh, right. She closed her eyes in
frustration. That’s how…
36 Hours Earlier….
“So what
information do we have about this race?”
Janeway sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee, looking expectantly
at her senior staff which was gathered around the conference table.
“They are known
as the Tirali.” Seven stood and walked
over to the computer panel on the wall, pulling up an image of a medium sized
red planet before returning to her seat.
“We entered their space two days ago.
They are not a species that the Borg are familiar with.”
“And for good
reason.” Neelix chimed in. “They’re pretty insular, Captain, but not
Xenophobic. While they don’t actively
look to intermingle with other races, they’ve always been welcoming to peaceful
envoys traveling through their space.”
Janeway tore
here eyes away from her Astrometrics officer and looked at him
thoughtfully. “I take it you’ve had some
experience with them, Neelix?”
The colorful
little man smiled. “My people enjoyed
open trade with the Tirali for many years.
There were a few misunderstandings early on, mostly because they mistook
some of our friendly gestures as…” He
waved his hand. “…something else. But
once they knew we meant no harm, they were very accommodating.”
“I see.” She pursed her lips. “Well, it looks as though their space
stretches across several upcoming sectors.
I think it would be wise to declare our peaceful intentions upfront.”
“I agree.” Neelix nodded.
“Then let’s
hail them.” She stood. “We can use all the friends we can get out
here.”
“Captain?” Chakotay looked up at her. “Weren’t you scheduled for a few days of
personal time?”
The Captain’s
lips quirked into a smile. “Yes, but it
won’t be the first time I’ve had to reschedule.”
“Why should you?” He asked pleasantly. “All of the information we’ve been able to
gather indicates that this is a peaceful race.
I’m sure the senior staff and I can handle this.”
“Of course you
can.” She smiled. “But as Captain, it is my responsibility to
be present for the initial contact.”
“Understood,
but once first contact is achieved there’s no reason for you to reschedule your
holiday. I can take Tuvok and Seven as
an ambassadorial delegation to visit the planet and secure permission to
traverse their territory. By the time
your vacation is over, we should be halfway through their space.”
Janeway bit
back her initial dismissal of his suggestion.
While her sense of duty dictated that postponing her Holodeck trip to Tuscany
“All
right.” She agreed slowly, holding up
one finger. “We’ll make first contact
and, if that goes well, I’ll turn over responsibility for trade and travel
negotiations to you to handle as you see fit.”
He smiled
broadly. “Thank you.”
“No, thank
you.” She grinned. “I’ve been looking forward to a massage on a
little Italian veranda for quite some time. “
There was a
sharp intake of breath from across the table and Janeway glanced at Seven
curiously only to see the blonde staring intently down at the table top. “Is there anything else?” When no one responded she nodded and
straightened her uniform jacket. “All
right, let’s go say hello.”
* * * * * * * * * * *
“Oh my!” Captain Janeway purred happily as soft female
hands slid firmly across her naked shoulders.
The oil that coated her overheated skin mixed delightfully with the
light film of perspiration that was being drawn from her pores by the brilliant
Tuscan sunshine. She wiggled in
appreciation as the hard ridges of the metal bands encasing one of her
masseuse’s hands scraped over a particularly sensitive spot on her neck, making
her smile at her own ingenuity.
It might be
against her principles to use the specific likeness of a crewmember in the
Holodeck, but she had decided that her sense of honor would survive the
incorporation of a tiny bit of fantasy.
And, oh how
that little piece of creative programming was paying off now!
In fact, if she
kept her eyes closed, she could imagine that that hand was attached to someone
else altogether; someone taller, with eyes that rivaled the beauty of the
Italian sky itself.
“Mmmmm…” She groaned as the hands slid down, moving in
strong circular motions over the small of her back. “Lower…”
She whispered.
“Uhm…Captain???”
Janeway sat up
quickly, grabbing the towel on the chair next to her to cover her nakedness as
she glared at the person standing behind her.
“B’Elanna??” Her face flushed
bright red when she realized that her half Klingon Chief Engineer was staring
at the holographic masseuse. “Computer
end program!” She snapped, only to have
her teeth close painfully across her tongue as the table beneath her disappeared
and she landed heavily on the floor.
“You had better have a damn good reason for barging in here!”
“I’m sorry,
Captain! But I didn’t have any
choice! I would have hailed you on the
comm but our communications are being jammed!”
Janeway took in
B’Elanna’s panicked appearance and quickly jumped to her feet. “What’s wrong?”
“Our delegation
has been taken into custody by the Tirali constabulary!” The Klingon explained quickly as she handed
the Captain her uniform. “The Tirali leaders are demanding to speak with you
immediately. They won’t speak about the
charges with anyone but you.”
“Oh for the
love of…” She grabbed the clothing and
waved for B’Elanna to turn around as she changed. Pulling on her jacket, she fastened it as she
headed for the door. “What the hell
happened?”
“I don’t
know.” B’Elanna hurried to match her
stride. “But whatever it is, apparently
it’s major.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Chakotay peered
at the force field that blocked the doorway in front of him. Reaching out a hand, he poked the shimmering
wall with his finger, only to pull it back quickly as pain shot up to his
elbow. “Damn it!”
“That is the
third time you have attempted physical contact with the energy field,
Commander.” Seven sighed. “Are you aware that the definition of mental
instability is the repetition of action with the expectation of differing
results?”
He stared at
her blankly. “What?”
She rolled her
eyes. “Are you insane, Commander?”
Chakotay
glowered at her. “Well, excuse me for
trying to see if I can figure a way out of this mess.”
“I believe the
best course of action would have been avoidance of the situation in the first
place. Which would have been easily
accomplished had you not felt it necessary to engage in intimate conversation
with the Chief Magistrate’s wife.”
“How was I
supposed to know she was his wife?”
“I could point
out that keeping your libido in check would have sufficed.”
Chakotay turned
to Tuvok. “Are you going to help me out here?”
The Vulcan
raised one eyebrow. “While Seven of
Nine’s tone does seem overly adversarial, I must agree that her argument is
logical. When acting as Ambassador’s of
the Federation, Starfleet protocol specifically dictates that personal
interaction is to be kept to a minimum to avoid this very situation.”
“Come on,
Tuvok!” Chakotay complained. “It’s not like I made a pass at her.”
Seven roll her
eyes. “No, you merely shared your
juvenile ‘angry warrior’ scenario with her, followed by an explanation of your
belief in ‘sprit animals’.”
“How do you
know that?” His face clouded with
anger. “You were eavesdropping?”
“I assure you,
Commander, the use of my Borg enhanced auditory senses was not needed. Your ‘braying’ could be heard from across the
room.” She cocked her head to one side. “I have personally heard you use this approach
on six different female members of Voyager’s crew. Tell me, Commander, has it ever been
successful?”
Chakotay flushed. “I was just trying to
share some human history with our hosts.
I don’t see how they could have taken it as inappropriate in any way.”
Tuvok
frowned. “While I admit that the motives
behind your behavior are questionable, I also fail to see how your words could
have been considered so offensive as to warrant our incarceration.”
“Unless the
infliction of boredom is a crime.” Seven
interjected.
Chakotay’s
chest puffed out, causing Seven to think of an earth lizard she had seen while
perusing Voyager’s databases. “I’ll have you know that women find my Indian
heritage very interesting.” He smiled
darkly. “I happen to know a certain
Captain who was fascinated by my stories.
In fact, if we had had more time together, I’m pretty sure our
relationship would be very different today.”
Seven’s eyes
flashed fire. “You lie.”
“Seven!” Tuvok’s voice dropped dangerously low. “Regardless of the current situation I must
remind you that the Commander is still your superior officer.”
The Borg rolled
her eyes. “As I am not officially a
member of Voyager’s crew, I am not required to acknowledge the Commander as an
officer at all.” She raised her
chin. “I also feel compelled to state
that he is in no way my superior.”
Chakotay
laughed. “You just hate it that the
Captain actually enjoyed time she spent with someone other than you.”
“If you are
referring to the situation when it was required that the two of you remain
behind on New Earth, then I must point out that the Captain never ceased in her
attempts to free herself from that planet.”
“To get herself
back to Voyager and the crew she felt responsible for, sure. But you weren’t there.” He said smugly. “She appreciated me.”
“So the
conclusion of this irrelevant anecdote is that, when faced with the reality of
having you as the only possible candidate for personal interaction, Captain
Janeway chose to spend her time with bugs and a monkey?” Seven raised one eyebrow sarcastically. “I can see how you might consider that a
victory, Commander.”
“I didn’t
know that sarcasm was a Borg trait.”
“It is
not.” She eyed him disdainfully. “However, having been exposed to your
presence on a continual basis, I have found it a natural by-product of my
environment.”
Chakotay’s
face bunched in anger for a moment then went slack as understanding slammed
home. “You have a thing for her!”
“A
‘thing’?” Seven snorted. “Is it your limited intelligence that causes
your deduction to be so vague or simply your inability to form coherent
sentences?”
He rubbed
his forehead. “Don’t try to change the
subject.” He poked her in the chest with
a finger. “You’re in love with her!”
Seven
crossed her arms and turned away.
“See? You can’t deny it!” He laughed.
“That’s truly pathetic. You’re
just some stray she picked up along the way.
You can’t possibly think she would even be remotely interested in you!”
“My
feelings for Captain Janeway are irrelevant.
If she had the inclination to become involved with you I can only
surmise that the situation would have already occurred. As it has not, logic dictates that you are
not an individual with whom she would ever have a personal relationship.”
“Is that a
challenge?” He straightened his broad frame.
“If it
were, I sincerely doubt that you could rise to it.”
“Ha! We'll just see who gets there first!! And I'm warning
you now; I'm not the kind of guy that accepts sloppy seconds.”
Seven
stepped closer and stared defiantly into his eyes. “And I assure you, Commander, were I to
become involved with the Captain, there would be no ‘seconds’ for you to
accept!”
“Enough.” Tuvok stepped between them. “This dialogue serves no useful purpose.”
Chakotay
opened his mouth to argue, only to slam it shut when someone cleared their
throat behind him. The three of them
turned their attention to the door to see the Master of the Guard watching them
expectantly.
“We
have contacted your ship and requested council with your Captain. You are to be held here until further
notice.”
Tuvok
walked over to the door and inclined his head in a show of respect. “May I request the opportunity to speak with
my Captain personally?”
The
alien studied him for a moment and then nodded. “We will allow it, but only you.” He nodded to the guard behind him and the
force field disappeared. As Tuvok exited
the cell, the reptilian security officer bowed slightly in Seven’s direction. “I apologize for the necessity of keeping a
Grand Lady in such lowly accommodations.
Please forgive me.”
Seven’s
forehead furrowed in confusion but she nodded in recognition of his statement.
“Rest
assured that we will attempt to conclude this unfortunate episode as quickly as
possible.” He bowed again and the force
field shimmered back into place.
“Hey!” Chakotay called out. “What about me?”
The
alien turned cold dark eyes on him. “Do
not waggle your putrid tongue at me, dog; lest you lose it even faster.”
The
First Officer swallowed and remained silent.
When
they were gone, Seven eyed him sarcastically.
“Apparently you can ‘teach an old dog new tricks’ after all.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Captain
Janeway stepped onto the bridge and went immediately to her command chair. “Report.”
“I
have the Chief Magistrate standing by, Captain.”
“Onscreen.”
“Captain
Janeway.” The alien bowed slightly. “Our first meeting was most gratifying. I can only state that I find the situation
surrounding our second, troubling.”
“As
do I, Magistrate Kol.” Janeway sighed. “Can you please explain to me why you are
holding my officers against their will?”
“I
regret the necessity of such actions.
But Commander Chakotay has been found guilty of serious violations of
our Morality Statutes.”
“Chakotay?” She said in disbelief. “There has to be some kind of a
misunderstanding.”
“I
am afraid not, Captain. There were
numerous witnesses to his atrocious behavior.
As such, he will be held in confinement until his punishment can be
carried out as dictated by our laws.”
“And
what punishment might that be?”
“His
tongue is to be removed.”
The
Captain’s jaw dropped. “That’s
barbaric!”
“Perhaps.
However the extent of his transgression against the Grand Lady was most
severe. He must be punished in
accordance with our traditions.”
She
took a deep breath. “Magistrate, I
concede that, as we are visitors in your space, your laws do govern us. However I maintain that my First Officer
could not have been aware that his actions would be so offensive. I respectfully request the opportunity to
investigate these charges myself.”
“As
I knew you would.” Kol nodded. “We will forestall the implementation of his
sentence for twelve hours. During that
time, you are welcome to visit our planet's surface and question the witnesses
present when the crime occurred.”
“And
my other two officers?” She asked. “Surely your laws do not require that they be
punished as well.”
“Of
course not. Commander Tuvok and the Lady
Seven will be returned to you. They,
themselves may be able to offer some insight into what has transpired. Commander Tuvok is waiting to speak with you
now. I will have my Master of the Guard
open a channel from the
“And
Chakotay?”
“You
have my word that no harm will come to him during the twelve hours you have
been allotted to investigate his crimes.”
“Thank
you, Magistrate.”
The
alien nodded. “May our next meeting be
under better circumstances.”
There
was a pause as the screen went dark, and then Tuvok appeared.
Captain
Janeway threw her hands up in the air.
“What happened?”
“I
apologize, Captain.” The Vulcan shifted
uncomfortably. “As of now, I am still
unsure. What I do know is that Commander
Chakotay engaged in a personal conversation with the Lady Veron, Magistrate
Kol’s wife. During the course of the
conversation, the Lady became extremely offended, as did many others who were
close enough to overhear. Even after
speaking with the Commander, I have not been able to discern what portion of
his discourse could have been considered so completely insulting. I feel that information can only be obtained
from the Lady herself.”
“Then
that’s where I’ll start.” She pinched
the bridge of her nose. “They have
agreed to release you and Seven. I’ll
make the arrangements for you to be transported back to the ship, but I think
it would be better at this point if I speak to the Lady on my own.”
“I
would have to agree, Captain. The Tirali
appear to hold the females of their species in very high regard. From what I have seen in their interactions
with Seven, this respect transfers to the females of other races as well. You would be the best one to handle this
particular situation.”
“Very
well.” She gave him a pointed look. “When I return, I will expect a full update
on our available options.”
Tuvok
nodded. “Understood.”
“Ask
the guard to transfer this link back to the Magistrate.”
The
screen went blank for a moment and then Kol reappeared. “There are procedures we must follow to
facilitate the transfer of your people back to you. They should be available for transport within
two hours.”
“Thank
you Magistrate.” She squared her
shoulders. “In the meantime I must
request an audience with the Lady Veron.”
“Of
course.” He inclined his head. “I will transmit the coordinates for you to
beam down immediately. The Lady is
understandably upset by this whole situation, so I must insist that if you
intend to bring a security detail, it consist only of females.”
“I’m
sure that can be arranged”
* * * * * * * * * *
As
the transport beam dissipated around them, Captain Janeway and B’Elanna turned
back to back, studying their surroundings.
They were alone in a large, beautifully appointed room. From the couches and low tables surrounding
them, Janeway concluded that it was a private residence.
A
few moments later, a door at the end of the hall opened and two regal looking
reptilian females entered.
“Captain
Janeway.” The taller of the two spoke,
smiling as she gestured towards the door.
“The Lady Veron is ready to receive you and your companion.”
There
was nothing menacing about their behavior and Janeway saw no evidence of
weapons. “Thank you.” She smiled, walking through the door with
B’Elanna following quickly. The door closed
behind them and they found themselves face to face with an incredibly beautiful
woman.
“Lady
Veron?” Janeway’s eyebrows rose in
surprise.
She
was slightly over five feet tall with thick, deep red hair and wide green eyes. Her skin was a shimmering shade of peach and
she bore not even the slightest resemblance to her husband’s species.
“You’re
not…” B’Elanna began, only to fall
silent when the Captain shot her a warning glare.
“Tirali?” The Lady smiled, showing perfectly even
pearly white teeth from between her full red lips. “No. I
am Omarian.”
“Forgive
us.” The Captain smiled. “We meant no disrespect.”
Veron
gestured for them to sit down. “There is
no disrespect in honest curiosity, Captain.
In truth, it is rare for my husband’s people to marry outside of their
species. Our meeting was an
anomaly. I had been captured by a race
that invaded our home world and was being sold in a slave market not far from
here. Kol saved me from that fate. What at first was only gratitude… soon became
the sweetest kind of love; one born of mutual appreciation and respect.” She studied the Captain thoughtfully, a small
smile on her face. “Not such an uncommon
occurrence.”
Janeway
blinked. “I’m… I’m sorry, I don’t
understand.”
“I
know. But, you have questions to ask.”
“Yes,
I do.” She began gently. “I understand that something my officer said
disturbed you greatly.”
“Yes.” She picked up a glass and drank from it
slowly. “At first Commander Chakotay’s
attempts at conversation were mildly amusing.
He told me stories of his youth that I assumed were pure fiction. He seemed harmless. But then he began to recite this self-aggrandizing
tale of a berserker who came in contact with a warrior queen who managed to
capture him but still somehow needed
his aid to keep her small, weak tribe from being conquered.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “It was a ridiculous fantasy and I found it
rather insulting. At that point I tried
to excuse myself, but he took me by the arm and began to babble about ghost
animals and how they spoke to him. And
then… And then he said it…”
Janeway
leaned in closer. “Said what exactly?”
The
Lady swallowed. “I am sorry, but it is
not something that should ever be repeated.”
“I’m
sorry, too.” She pleaded. “But I really need to know.”
“He
called me…” She shuddered. “He called me… a diseased whore.”
Janeway’s
eyebrows shot up until they were almost lost in her hairline. “I beg your pardon?”
The
Lady turned away as her face flushed a light blue. “Please do not ask me to repeat it.”
“I
won’t.” She moved around to the other
side of the couch so that she could look into the Lady’s eyes. “Please know that I do not doubt your
veracity, but I can only say that does not sound like something my officer
would ever say, for any reason.”
Veron
shrugged. “You will have to seek his
reasons from him. I know only the words
he used although how he had knowledge of the slaver language is something none
of us have been able to fathom.”
Janeway
blinked. “The slaver language? Are you saying that he spoke in a different
dialect?”
“Yes.”
The
Captain took her hand gently. “I know
this is a lot to ask, but could you please tell me exactly what he said, in
that language?”
Veron
sighed. “It is a vulgar term. I will not repeat it. But I will have one of my ladies in waiting
write it down for you. Will that
suffice?”
“Yes,
it will. Thank you.” She stood and bowed slightly. “And thank you for speaking with me.”
The
Lady looked up at her for a moment and then took her hand. “Regardless of what qualities you believe
this man to have, please know that his respect for you, and in truth his
respect for all females, is quite lacking.”
“What
do you mean?”
“There
was an altercation between him and your Lady Seven while they were incarcerated
together in a holding cell. It has been
entered into the public record as supporting evidence in the case against
him.” She tapped the console next to the
couch and a view screen rose from the table.
“See for yourself.”
As
the conversation between her two officers played out before her, Janeway felt
her cheeks redden. Part of her was
embarrassed that members of her crew had been witnessed behaving in such a
manner, part of her was disgusted with Chakotay… and part of her was astounded
by Seven’s reaction to his comments, her apparent anger that Chakotay would try
to claim an intimate hold over her.
Then
Seven said something that stopped her heart in her chest.
“My feelings for Captain Janeway are
irrelevant.”
The rest of
the scene played out but her mind would not let go of that one sentence.
Seven has feelings for me?
She
was silent for so long that B’Elanna finally coughed to get her attention.
Shaking
her head to clear it, she looked down at the Lady Veron to find her smiling
back at her. “As I said… Not such an
uncommon occurrence. Be well,
Captain. Safe journey.”
Janeway
nodded absently as the Lady left the room.
A few moments later, one of the reptilian females entered and handed her
a small piece of paper. She stared at it
in confusion for a few moments and then groaned, raising her hand so that she
could rub her temples.
B’Elanna
leaned over and read the two words that were written there in neatly printed
letters:
Aku chHa’Moyea
* * * * * * * * * *
“Harry,
hail the Magistrate.” Captain Janeway
called out as she exited the turbo-lift.
She stopped briefly at the security station, raising one eyebrow at
Tuvok as she nodded. “Good to have you
back, Commander.”
When
she turned to step down to the command level, she caught sight of Seven
standing at the aft science station. The
Borg raised her head and the Captain felt the strength go out of her knees.
It
was the same Seven, the same penetrating gaze, but it was as though the veil
had been lifted from her own eyes and she could finally see the passion, the
heat hidden behind the icy blue.
How could I have missed
that?
The Borg looked
at her curiously. “Captain?”
“Seven,” It was
neither the time nor the place for the things she needed to say, so she gave
the blonde a warm, secretive smile instead.
“Welcome back.”
Seven nodded in
confusion. “Thank you, Captain.”
“I have the
Magistrate, Captain.” Harry cut in.
“Onscreen.”
“Captain
Janeway.” Kol bowed. “I trust your investigations are going well?”
“I have
concluded my investigations, Magistrate, and I must respectfully request the
release of my officer on the grounds that he has been imprisoned for nothing
more than a miscommunication.”
The alien began
to glow a faint yellow. “Explain.”
“After speaking
with the Lady Veron, I have discovered that this incident is the result of a
language barrier.”
“A language
barrier?”
“Yes. What the Lady Veron interpreted as a slur
against her was actually the Commander speaking in his native tongue, not the
dialect of the slavers that operate just outside of your space. Chakotay did not say aku chHa’Moyea. What he
actually said was A-koo-chee-moya, which is the language his ancestors used to
call on their spirit guides.”
“Spirit
guides?” Kol looked less than convinced.
“The ‘ghost animals’?”
“Yes,
exactly!” Janeway agreed quickly. “So you see this is all just an unfortunate
misunderstanding. He wasn’t trying to
insult the Lady Veron; he was merely sharing a part of his culture with her.”
“Is that
typical Starfleet behavior during affairs of state, Captain?” Kol said pointedly.
Janeway
blinked. “Well, no.”
“Captain,”
The alien sighed deeply. “You and I both
hold positions of power; power over people who depend upon us to make the
choices necessary for their survival.
Part of giving us that power, is their pledge that they will abide by
the rules set in place by the councils that we keep. On my world, those who represent my house and
our law know that they bear the responsibility for their words and
actions. Is that not the case with your
Federation?”
She
straightened, bristling slightly. “It
is.”
“Then I
think we both know that this situation would not have occurred had your
Commander been mindful of his responsibilities and not entered into so personal
a conversation. That he was unaware of
the dual meaning of this word, does not excuse the fact that the offense
suffered by the Grand Lady was directly caused by his use of it. The conversation should never have happened,
so at the very base of it, the Commander is still at fault.”
The Captain
ground her teeth together as she tried to come up with another defense, but it
was no use. He was right. Chakotay had
behaved inappropriately.
“I promised
you twelve hours, Captain. You have just
under three remaining.”
The screen
went dark.
“Well that
didn’t go well.” B’Elanna muttered.
“Tuvok.” Janeway went to stand beside him. “What are our options now?”
The Vulcan
pulled up the scans he had been occupied with since his return. “This is the imprisonment camp where the
Commander is being held. There is a wide
band dispersement field over the entire area, making it impossible for us to
use conventional transporters to beam him back to the ship. However, I believe Ensign Kim has formulated
an opinion on this subject.”
The Captain
turned to the communications console where Harry was busy inputting
information. “Harry?”
“Well, the
dispersement wave is set on a remodulating frequency. Normally this type of safeguard would be next
to impossible to crack, but there is a small disturbance in the band field
right near the location of Chakotay’s cell.
I am not sure what’s causing it-“
“It is a
commbadge.”
Everyone on
the bridge turned to look at Seven.
She
returned the looks impassively. “The
Tirali did not take our communication devices when they imprisoned us. For such a careful and regimented species, it
would have been a glaring oversight, unless there was some kind of technology
in place that would negate the usefulness of such devices. I logically assumed the latter. By removing the internal mechanism, reversing
the polarity and then shorting out the transponder, I created a constantly open
frequency.” She flushed slightly at the
intense look she was receiving from the Captain. “I thought that we might be able to use it to
converse covertly with the Commander.”
“Oh, I think
we can do more than that.” Harry
grinned. “I’ve created an algorithm that,
given enough time, should be able to predict the rotating modulation, granting
us a five second window to boost the carrier signal on Seven’s commbadge and
force a transporter beam through.”
“How much
time?” Janeway asked.
The Ensign
looked off into the distance, calculating everything in his head. “Two hours?”
“That’s cutting
it close.” She sighed. “Are you certain there’s
nothing we can do to speed up the process?”
Harry shook
his head. “Sorry, Captain.”
“All right
then let’s get started. Tuvok, you have
the bridge. I have something I need to
take care of.” She glanced at the
Borg. “Seven? Can you come with me, please?”
The blonde
nodded and fell into step beside her as the Captain entered the turbo-lift.
“Deck
six.” Janeway glanced at Seven out of
the corner of her eye, trying to decipher the expression on the gorgeous
woman’s face. “You look like you have
something to say.”
“It is more
an inquiry than a statement.” Seven kept
her eyes focused on the door in front of her.
“Am I correct in the assumption that, having failed in securing the
Commander’s freedom through diplomatic channels, you intend to remove him from
incarceration covertly?”
“Yes.”
“And should
that fail?”
“Then we
will be forced to try a more direct approach.”
Seven
turned to look at her. “Why?”
Janeway
blinked. “I’m sorry?”
The Borg
sighed. “Captain, it is my understanding
that Starfleet protocols dictate that Federation citizens are to be held to the
same legal standards imposed upon the normal citizenry of any alien society we
choose to visit. I am curious as to why
you are unwilling to follow that protocol in the case of Commander Chakotay.”
The Captain
bit her lip, trying to hide the small smile that threatened to curve her
lips. “Are you asking me if my decision
is based on the fact that it’s Chakotay down there in that prison cell?”
Seven straightened,
returning her gaze to the turbo-lift doors.
“Yes.”
“You think
that my judgment is clouded because of a personal relationship that I might
share with the Commander?”
“Yes.” The blonde said quietly.
“Well,
you’re wrong.” Janeway replied
gently. “My actions are based solely on
the fact that the punishment seems excessive for the crime, especially
considering that the entire situation is based on an honest
misunderstanding. It is the
circumstances I am reacting to, not the individual involved.” The lift halted and they proceeded down the
hallway to Holodeck one.
“Then I
must inform you that when we visited the Tirali planet, we were taken on a tour
of the capital city. That tour included
the shipyards. They may be a peaceful people,
Captain, but they are in possession of an impressive fleet of space vessels,
many of which are quite capable of disabling Voyager, if not destroying her
completely.”
The Captain
sighed. “I am aware of that,
Seven.” She punched in her access code and
led the Borg inside the Holodeck. “I
also saw their fleet when I visited the Lady Veron.”
“And you
still believe this to be the best course of action?”
“At this
point, “ The older woman nodded. “I
believe it to be our only viable course of action.”
Seven’s
face fell somewhat. “I see.”
Janeway
reached out and touched her arm gently.
“No, I don’t believe you do.
Computer, begin program.”
The
metallic grid surrounding them disappeared and Seven blinked repeatedly as
bright sunshine poured down around her.
When her eyes adjusted, she turned in a small half-circle, taking in the
rich Italian marble beneath her feet, the elegant patio furniture around them,
and a long wrought iron railing to her left.
Stepping closer to it, she peered over the edge of the balcony to see a
crystal blue ocean with white tipped waves crashing gently against the shoreline
below them.
“Captain?” One eyebrow rose in confusion. “I assumed that you brought me here to engage
in a simulation of the upcoming rescue attempt.”
The Captain
pursed her lips. “No. There is no simulation to run at this
point. Either Harry’s plan will work or
it won’t. What we do then, will depend
on the Tirali.”
“Then where
are we?”
“
Seven
linked her hands behind her and raised her chin slightly, trying to ignore the
strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Why are we here?”
The Captain
took her by the elbow and led her over to a long padded bench next to the
rail. “Sit with me?” She smiled at the momentary panic that glowed
in those deep blue eyes. “Please?”
Nodding,
Seven sank down onto the cushion, her hands trembling slightly when Janeway sat
down next to her, so close that their thighs were touching.
“Seven, “
She began. “I want you to know that
there has never been anything between Chakotay and myself, other than
friendship. Was there ever the
possibility of something more?” She
planted her hands behind her and leaned back, turning her face up into the
sun. “Maybe once upon a time.” She smiled.
“But not now…”
Seven
looked down at her. “Why then and not
now?”
Janeway
swallowed. “Because then, there was no
you.”
“Me?”
“Yes… you.” She took Seven’s hand gently. “I need you to understand, Seven. As Captain of this ship, I am responsible for every single person on board. Every crewmember is like family to me. But it has always been a family that I could never allow myself to get too close to, for the sake of my own objectivity and sanity. When the opportunity to share more than a professional relationship with Chakotay arose, all I had to do was remind myself of those obligations and the feelings… disappeared.” She traced the mesh that covered the back of Seven’s hand with her finger. “And then you came along. And you pushed me, and challenged me, and infuriated me to the point where sometimes I just wanted to grab you and shake you. But there were other times…”