Star Trek Voyager: Hollow Resolve (J/C Rated PG-13)

[Cathexis]

Storyline Fiction


Kathryn eyed her First Officer with predestination in her smile. She knew he was up to something and she knew she had ways of finding out what that something was. Chakotay sat there, grinning with a warmth that seemed to radiate throughout the Ready Room. It felt nice to be able to go about things normally again-that is to say, normally enough. Chakotay moved to sit closer to his utterly perplexed colleague.
"Kathryn, face it- you'll never get me to talk." Chakotay tried to sound serious, but the Captain could see right through him.
"Look, mister, I know you're up to no good, so you might as well surrender while I'm still feeling generous," It was a lie. In truth she had no idea at all about Chakotay's plans. All she figured was that it had something to do with her birthday, which was just three days away. Chakotay rested his hand on hers and spoke calmly.
"I'm not up to a thing, and if I were, it would be none your damn business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some reports to finish before tomorrow's staff meeting." Kathryn practically sniggered at the tease. This was definitely about her birthday; she was certain of it now.
Chakotay left, chuckling as he went. Kathryn slammed her hand on the sofa-seat. Damn that man, she thought. Foiled again! She sat there for a few minutes wondering what she could do to prepare for whatever it was Chakotay had stirring. Then again, snooping around behind his back probably wasn't the smartes idea, and Kathryn wasn't entirely sure she wanted to spoil the surprise anyway. She resolved to let Chakotay have his fun until the opportune moment revealed itself.
The day, if you could call it a day, drew late and the Captain was due to meet with Lieutenant Torres in Engineering to go over a few minor repairs. She left the Ready Room and stepped into a turbolift.
"Deck 11, Engineering," she said, and the lift began to move. When it stopped, she headed straight iinto the bay to greet her Chief Engineer.

*****

Chakotay guided Kathryn to his quarters, making sure his hands sufficiently masked her azure eyes. She could not have been more shocked by the party he had set up on the holodeck via the rest of the crew. Now, she could not imagine what else he could possibly be planning.
"Almost there," Chakotay almost cooed in the captain's ear as he halted her just outside the entrance to his room.
"I promise I won't look, Chakotay. Now remove those big strapping hands before I call for Security. Got that?" She was only joking, but all the same, Chakotay did as he was ordered. He tapped a few buttons and the gray door slid open.
"You can open those lovely blue optics of yours now," Chakotay took Kathryn's soft, pale hand as she blinked her eyes several times. Candles lit, lillies, roses, and a small silver box which lay upon the lavishly decorated table-for-two. Kathryn turned to meet the quietly beaming gentleman who had generously orchestrated the view which lay before her gaze.
"Chakotay, it's beautiful," she gripped his hand gently with hers and smiled. A singular tear glittered down her smooth visage. The room seemed to glow around her in silent celebration. Chakotay cleared away her tear with his fingers, then lifted her chin so their eyes met once again.
"Now I know it was worth it to keep this all a secret," Kathryn's smile widened as she laughed. She looked back to the kindred spirit who had done all this for her; for her!
"I'm very grateful, Chakotay. Thank you." Kathryn ran a hand over the small box, pondering its contents.
"I was hoping you might join me for dinner before you open it. There's something I need to talk with you about that's going to change a lot between us." Chakotay led the overjoyed, yet perplexed captain to one of the noir chairs and motioned for her to be seated. He then took his place at the opposite end of the glass table and the two began to eat, laughing and joking happily.
The evening was slowly drifting toward, what Chakotay was hoping to be, a romantic end, as Kathryn occasionally fixed her eyes upon the box. The two officers had been, up to this point, reminiscing about Earth, the Maquis, and life as they'd know it before the Caretaker.
Eventually, Kathryn asked Chakotay if he wouldn't mind continuing to mentor her with her spirit guide. Of course and jovially at that, the gentle man agreed. He even offered to help her get back in touch with her guide that night, but Kathryn was more interested in the still unopened box.
Chakotay caught her staring hard at the little cube, smiling to himself; it was time.
"I suppose I should let you open it now, " he said, trying to be careful to word everything just right. He wanted so much for the night to end as perfectly as possible. Kathryn reverted her stare away from the gift as he picked it up and placed it in her hands. She looked at it for a moment, her heart beating faster than it had ever before. She steadily unwound the ribbon which held the lid shut and unveiled the container's secret. To her delight, she found herself staring at a solid gold pocket watch, engraved with a note:
To Kathryn,

For I dipped into the future, far as eye can see; saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be, and that wonder is you.

Ave Astra...

~Chakotay (2374)


Kathryn looked up at Chakotay, tears now flowing freely as she smiled brilliantly. They looked at one another for what seemed like ages before Chakotay lowered his head to softly leave a kiss on Kathryn's slightly trembling lips. When they broke apart, Kathryn's mood seemed to change.
"I, uhm...I've got to go...it's late and, we have work tomorrow," she said with a hint of awkward uncertainty. Chakotay ran his fingers through her deep auburn hair before she left, wiping another not-so-joyous tear from her eyes. Chakotay was stunned. His night, it seemed, had not ended so perfectly. Now all he could do was sit and bury his face in his hands concernedly.

[Cathexis]

*****

Kathryn hurried to her quarters silently. She tried to calm herself as she passed by random crewmen, but by the time she reached her destination, she could contain her upset no longer. The disturbed Captain collapsed on her bed, shocked at the events that had just transpired only a few moments before now. How could she have let her guard down after what happened down on that planet last year? What is wrong with me, she repeated over and over to herself. At last she was calm (she hadn't been too hysterical, but quite perturbed at the very least). This was not what she had in mind when Chakotay invited her to his room.
Finally, she came to think that perhaps Chakotay's actions weren't so frightening after all. What is wrong with me, she repeated once more, a wonderful thing has just happened and here I am acting like a child, crying for no reason. On the other hand, she also knew that it was a rare thing for her to tear up like this. And when she did cry, it was for a reason. Maybe she was just taken aback because she hadn't ever really considered how Chakotay felt about her, or vice-versa.
Kathryn smirked at the memory of Chakotay's sweetly silken lips upon hers. What was she so afraid of, anyway? Why was this getting to her so terribly? Chakotay was in love with her-in love with her! The more she concentrated on that kiss, the more she began to put the pieces together. What she'd said on that planet a year ago-it had cost her the best relationship she could ever have asked for, which placed a heavy burden on Chakotay's heart. Her words, no matter how well-intended they were meant, had really hurt him. Hell, they'd hurt her! She loved him, so why was she doing this to herself? She was only making things more awkward between her and Chakotay.
Part of it, she thought, was because something inside her still wanted to believe that Mark was waiting for her. Odds were not in her favor, because Mark had probably moved on by now. He probably thought she was dead! She couldn't really blame him because, had the roles been reversed, she might have done the same thing.
After an hour of solid reflection, Kathryn determined to perform a risky move. She crossed the room and replicated a new outfit, changed into it, and left the room.

*****

The door chimed and Chakotay looked up. He too had been delving deep into his own reflection pool for the last hour, trying to figure out what it was he had done wrong. He paused before answering the impending alert.
"Come in," he said in a murky tone. The door slid open to unveil the trim figure of Kathryn Janeway wearing a satin black negleche, complete with soft auburn hair which lay perfectly around her neck. She stepped in, eyes fixed on Chakotay as she approached his tall form. He stood and started to speak, but Kathryn gently placed a hand over his mouth to quiet him, then embraced his lips deeply. Several moments passed as the two officers engaged in this intensely intimate moment.
It was Kathryn who broke their kiss; tears began to slide down her flushed cheeks. She smiled at the broad-shouldered man.
"Chakotay, I'm s-" She started to say she was sorry, but before she could finish, Chakotay interrupted, caressing away the droplets of uncertainty.
"Don't...there's nothing to apologize for." When Chakotay spoke, Kathryn laughed and rested her head on his chest, breathing softly. They stood there for a time, holding one another.
"It's hard to believe this is happening to me," Kathryn whispered.
"Is it? Kathryn, from the moment I laid eyes on you back on that planet, carrying yourself so perfectly, I wanted you to love me-because I was so taken with you."
"But-you never said anything; why?" Kathryn asked, grasping Chakotay's hand firmly as they stood there talking.
"You made it pretty clear that you were off-limits," Chakotay explained,"so I backed away."
"I didn't want to, Chakotay, but-"
"Mark," Chakotay said. Kathryn laughed and nodded in regretful acknowledgement.
"I didn't want to be unfaithful," she said, "It would have been more devastating for me to have felt guilty about Mark than for me to be here now, with you. I'm willing to take the chance that he thinks I'm dead if it means being with someone I love." Chakotay smiled, caressed Kathryn's visage once more, and met her lips warmly, sinking his hands into her hair.

*****

[Cathexis]

Kathryn awoke the next morning to see Chakotay's handsome dark face watching her quietly. She smiled at him and reached closer to let him kiss her lightly on the forehead. She lay back down, but Chakotay (who began to whistle) rolled off the bed and made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. Kathryn closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. She lay like this for some time until Chakotay emerged from the other room, fully clad in his Starfleet uniform and still whistling jubilantly.
He began to assemble a quaint little breakfast for the two of them whilst Kathryn pulled up enough strength to get up and take a shower herself. After much effort, she succesfully made it off the bed and into the bathroom.
Chakotay busied with breakfast while the Captain performed her somewhat normal hygenic routine. He smiled to himself, remember last night. It had been perfect, and Kathryn turned out to be quite the lover he had imagined for so long. In fact, in some ways she had exceeded his expecations (and vice-versa).
When she finished, Kathryn too changed into her uniform and came out to join her tall, dark and handsome companion, glowing with euphoria. She laughed when she noticed Chakotay was wearing an apron that read "Kiss me, I'm Native American Indian", and then kissed him before sitting down to eat.
"I just have one question," she began,"What in Hell are we to tell the crew?" Chakotay smirked and chuckled for a moment before he answered.
"Word travels quickly around here. I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough, but that's not my main concern," he paused momentarily, "my question is, is this what you want?" He waited patiently for a few minutes while Kathryn considered his query.
"More than anything else, I want to be happy and until last night, I don't think I'd ever been as content. So, yes-this is what I want," What about you?"
"Of course this is what I want." Chakotay reached across the table and rested his hands on hers. They stared at one another for a short time before Kathryn took a croissant and changed the subject.
"How are repairs?" She inquired in a stern voice.
"Seven hours, maybe less if I can talk B'Elanna into speeding things up a bit."
"I'm glad to hear it-and Seven of Nine? How is she holding up after that last attack?"
"Actually, she contacted me earlier, looking for you." Chakotay beamed. If Seven had been trying to get a hold of the Captain, it meant that she'd already figured things out. Kathryn came to the same conclusion and an instant later, they both burst out laughing.
Then came the chime-it was Seven of Nine, no doubt come to see if Captain Janeway was indeed where the computer had placed her. Kathryn and Chakotay stopped laughing immediately, so as not to appear "guilty" when the galant first officer went to greet the blue-eyed Astrometris officer.
As the door slid open, Seven seemed to be peering at Chakotay.
"Seven, this is a surprise!" Kathryn said somewhat sarcastically. She stood and crossed the room to escort Seven of Nine out as she nodded to her first officer nonchalantly and headed out to the corridor to report for her shift.
"Captain, I have been trying to reach you for several hours-I've been unsuccessful until now." Seven stared blankly at Kathryn as they walked. The Captain cleared her throat and spoke cooly to the arrogant young woman.
"I'm sorry-I was going over some critical data with the Commander. I've been with him all night, trying to come up with some new ideas on how to avoid a confrontation with Q." Kathryn knew that Seven wasn't buying the story. How on God's green Earth could they defend themselves against something as powerful as Q? It was preposterous, and Seven knew it.
"I see," she replied, arching a brow,"Regardless, I have some information about Species 8472; it seems that they have constructed an edifice which contains a realistic simulation of Earth-Starfleet Headquarters included." This piece of news left a stain on the rest of Kathryn's day. All she could think about what Species 8472 would be doing playing Human on their equivalent to a holodeck. Then she realized that they were quite possibly devising a plan to infiltrate the Federation, and were using this holo-structure to train for the invasion. What really pissed her off was the fact that there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop them.
Hours later, B'Elanna informed the Captain that repairs were finished, and Harry alerted her of an M-Class planet a little ways off course, which he suggested would be a healthy source of r&r as well as a distraction from the stress of the previous encounter with the Collective. Kathryn had to admit that the crew was in desperate need of shoreleave, so she hailed the planet to let them know Voyager was on its way. However, before they reached their destination, a small vessel representing the planet met them and escorted them the rest of the way. When Voyager arrived, her crew learned quickly that the people of Sekaris were quite hospitable.
Unfortunately for Kathryn, Mr. Gath was a little too friendly. It took a great deal of discussion for Kathryn to finally make the persistent Magistrate understand her relationship with Chakotay. Afterward, Gath left her alone (save for the diplomatic side of things). Added to her frustrations was the ordeal over the spacial trajector.
Of course, Tuvok going behind the Captain's back along with three of her finest officers (B'elanna, Mr. Carey, and Seska) hadn't been very helpful or comforting at all! It had actually devestated her quite severely.
Now, nearly three weeks later, Kathryn was starting to feel safe again. The incident over that damned trajector had affected her to such a degree that it became almost impossible for her to be with Chakotay, let alone work casually with him. But now she was beginning to relax, which made Chakotay happier each time he spoke with her.
Kathryn sat at the turqoise and gray desk, tapping buttons on her console occasionally. She was still perplexed about that holo-structure Seven had told her about. Meanwhile, she, Tuvok, and Commander Chakotay were conducting an investigation which seemed to indicate someone onboard Voyager was a traitor. Seska was the logical choice, seeing as how she was really Cardassian, and had contact with the Kazon-Nystrim sect somehow. Chakotay, on the other hand, wasn't taking the news lightly, which started to interfere with his relationships, especially between himself and the Captain. He really wanted to believe that Seska was innocent, but Kathryn suspected it was more personal than he let on.
After she left, Seska had left a mark on Chakotay's character. Even Janeway couldn't say much to help him move on. There was something about Seska betraying Voyager's crew that had driven a wedge between the Captain and Commander. But Kathryn was stubborn and persistent, and planned to resolve her issues with Chakotay as soon as was possible, privately of course.
For the present, she continue to find a way to stop Species 8472.

*****

When the door chimed, it startled the Captain momentarily. She hesitated before acknowledging the alert. Seven of Nine sached into the Ready Room, head held high.
"Captain, I must speak with you." She said in a forward voice.
"Go ahead, Seven." Kathryn regarded Seven with a cool composure.
"It would seem that our impending destruction by way of Species 8472 is on hold."
"What?"
"Q has decided to 'pay us a visit', as humans say; he is waiting to see you as we speak."
Kathryn stopped for a moment to think.
"Now this is curious," she said, "why couldn't he just appear out of nowhere as usual?"
"I may have an explanation!" It was Q, standing where Seven had been a moment ago.
"Q!" Kathryn stood up, appalled to see him use Seven as a toy.
"Alas, yes-it is I, Q," he said in a false Elizabethan tone.
"I should've known you'd pull something like this-why have you been stringing us along--having us crawling out of our skin worried about the possible destruction of our race..."Kathryn stared fiercely at Q, mustering every ounce of flaming anger available to her.
"A test, dear Kathryn, to see if I can trust you," Q oozed with delight at the expression on the distraught Captain's face. An instant later, Q spirited Kathryn away to her quarters and fitted her with a pink dress.
Roses laced the room and romantic mood music echoed whilst Q held Kathryn close to him with a rose between his teeth. Janeway struggled to back away and when at last she broke free, she had to keep herself from strangling the menace that stood before her.
"You had better give me one good reason why I should believe you-or rather, why you tampered with me and my crew this way." Her voice dipped into a dangerous octave. She could feel her hands shaking involuntarily.
"Kathy dear, I'm only trying to warm you up," Q replied slickly.
"Why should I believe you?"
"Perhaps you shouldn't," he clapped his hands together and continued in a patronizing voice,"I have an offer that I'd like you to consider fairly."
"Q, I want you to get the Hell off this ship-now...is that clear?" Kathryn said sharply.
"Crystal,"Q replied, evanescing. Kathryn threw her hands up an then slid them down her face discouragingly. She decided that a hot bath might help to calm her nerves, so she set about to do just that.
******

Just as this utterly aggravated captain began to settle down, Q appeared next to her, grinning wickedly.
"Kathy, face it: we're meant for each other-"
"Oh please," Kathryn rolled her eyes. Q leaned over to kiss her, but his lips met her toes mid-motion.
"Goodbye, Q." She said cooly.
"Fine, I'll leave, and I'll never come back...and then you'll have missed the opportunity of a lifetime, as usual."
"I'll have to be terribly brave about that," said the Captain to herself. After Q disappeared, she closed her eyes and sank down further into the warm water.
Kathryn found herself in the Briefing Room the next day, trying to explain what Q had done.
"So, you're saying that this whole 'impending doom' thing was just a rouse? A joke?" said Tom Paris angrily. Kathryn sighed and nodded.
"Ha-ha," Tom said disdainfully.
"Since we know now, we shouldn't waste any more time on the matter," Janeway pointed out.
"The Captain's right, we have to put this all behind us," Chakotay said, looking for a sign of support from Kathryn.
"Now what do we do?" B'Elanna inquired.
"Now? Now we continue our journey," Kathryn replied. B'Elanna hesitatingly looked downward and then back up at the Captain, and nodded with a small grin.

*****

A small whining sound emanated from behind the oval table in Kathryn Janeway's Ready Room. She halted her research to find out where the noise was coming from. She peered cautiously over the table's surface to see a furry chestnust face and a pair of amber brown eyes yipping softly at her. The Captain almost melted right there as she knelt down to pick up the puppy and sat with it for a few minutes. But something told her to look up, so she did, and found herself eyeing Q sharply again. The puppy was a ploy. She got to her feet, still holding the pink-tongued furball in her arms, and sighed.
"Nice try," she said moving to sit on the teal sofa with the puppy pawing at her to stroke it's flurry red ears.
"Come now, Captain...I think she really likes you..."
"This isn't going to work, Q."
"What's that?"
"Whatever it is you're scheming in that perverse brain of yours."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh? Well I think you know exactly what I'm talking about-it didn't work then and it's not going to work now."
Q simply crossed his legs and lounged on the sofa, chuckling.
"Don't be a fool, Janeway," he said,"although you are right-it didn't work."
Kathryn eyed her opponent carefully.
"I need you again, Kathryn-my son failed to meet the necessary expectations that I set for him. He didn't turn out to be the revolutionary peacechild I had hoped for." Q's mood seemed to change from coolness to desperation. He actually seemed concerned this time.
"That's not my problem, Q-if you had told me about your species'" she paused momentarily, "mating process in the first place, I might have been more inclined to help you, but you didn't, and I'm not going to pay for your deception again."
"But-Kathryn-"
"Not again, Q...my decision is final," she warned," and if you force the issue, you won't like the consequences." She remembered quite vividly what Q had put her through the last time the Continuum was at war. He conveniently neglected to inform her about the mating rituals of the Q, and as a result he successfully deceived her into making love to him. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he allowed his former mate to steal the baby from her before it had even been born!
Q shrugged and ignored the threat casually, "I'm here because I feel just awful for misleading you. I want to set things right again, not only with the Continuum but with you, Kathy dear!"
Kathryn considered the sentiment and after a moment, she uprooted herself from the couch, thrusted the puppy into Q's hands, and left the Ready Room without another word.
Disappointedly, Q flashed off and set about to devise a plan for persuading the stubborn Captain to forgive him for his transgressions. It was his hope that Kathryn would mate with him once more, in a last-ditch attempt to save the Continuum.

*****

Meanwhile, Janeway sat quietly in her chair on the Bridge, talking to Chakotay so the others couldn't listen in.
"I know what he wants-he wants to join with me...to mate again. But as I informed him sternly, I will do no such thing as long as I'm certain he isn't up to something more perverse," Kathryn explained, "What do you think?"
"I think you should stick to your gut on this one, unless you really want to get involved again." Chakotay took Kathryn's hand in his and squeezed gently. He hadn't been able to say much to her, let alone touch her since Seska left, but now he felt sure they needed each others' support, both emotionally and physically. Kathryn attempted a weak smile.
"I'm not certain about much of anything right now, Chakotay," she said, dropping her hand and shifting herself away from her first officer. Chakotay turned, letting his grasp on her hand release completely.
Their shift ended a few hours later, so the bridge staff began to depart, bidding each other goodnight. Soon only Kathryn and Chakotay were left, save for the nightwatch officers.
"Well I suppose I should catch some sleep," said Chakotay,"Care to walk with me Captain?" He tried to sound convincingly casual, but his heart begged for mercy as he stared at the woman he loved so deeply. She turned to answer, setting down a pad and regarding him politely.
"I'd be happy to," she spoke with such ease that it made her own stomach tighten and twist. It sickened her to be able to act as though nothing was bothering her, and she hated herself for possessing the covert talent.
The pair of senior officers entered the turbolift together, appearing as if they were engaging in idle conversation. But the moment the lift door closed and the two were alone, Chakotay lunged forward quickly, wrapping his arms around the Captain and embracing her with a kiss that literally took her off the ship and into a moment of absolute bliss.

*****

[1/1]

Wow this is really good!

[Cathexis]

Thanks, 1/1!

I had hoped I'd get more feedback....wanna tell peeps about this lil drabble??

[silent_one22]

I soo meant to reply to this...really I did.

Anyways, it's totally awesome. I love the addition of Q.

[Cathexis]

Yeah I thought you might

So.....you think I should keep going?

[silent_one22]

Yes, most definently! I've always been a huge supporter of extremely long fanfic.

[Cathexis]

LOL, extremely long? lol..well you are most welcome to submit an add-on to this while I see if I can work on it a bit later...

[silent_one22]

Ha! Me, write stories? I laugh at the idea. Although, I'm more than happy to read anything you write.

[Curtis]

I wanted to post feedback, but this story was so good I did not wish to disrupt the flow of it, but now that other peeps posted...this story is extremely excellent, long yes, but good. I can't wait to read more of it Solscape .

[1/1]

[Cathexis]

You do that Nah jk....I'm still working on it, guys--hang in there (you can nominate this while I'm adding on to it )!

[Josi Rockholt]

This is great. Keep it up

[Cathexis]

Thanks Josi!

[Josi Rockholt]

No problem. Now where's the rest?

[Cathexis]

When I get back into school gear, I'll work on it some more...been spending time with my family over the break so...it's coming!

[Josi Rockholt]

Ok,good. We'll be waiting.

[Cathexis]

"But Captain-!"
"No, Lieutenant, and that's my final word." Poor Tom, Kathryn thought to herself after reponding to his request so harshly. He wanted permission to run the Fair Haven program 24/7, and the Captain was aware of just how much power it would need to run perpetually.
"But-"
"Dismissed." With that, Tom receded and started to leave the room with his eyes fixed on the floor. Janeway returned to her work but a moment later, she stood and spoke.
"Lieutenant!" She cried. Paris turned on his heel and stared at the Captain.
"Yes ma'am?" He said.
"Catch me at the next Shoreleave, okay?" She offered. The clouds in Tom's eyes seemed to disappear as the sun came out for him. He smiled, sniggered, and nodded in agreement.
"Yes ma'am!" He said, leaving with a skip in his step. Kathryn beamed after him before she continued what she'd been doing earlier. Meanwhile, Chakotay was running diagnostics and trying to locate a proper place to refuel Voyager. According to Lieutenant Torres, there weren't any dilithium asteroids for at least another six lightyears. Since they both knew that the Captain would not find that acceptable, they were determined to find some other source.
"Are you absolutely sure about those readings?" Chakotay double-checked with B'Elanna before running his fingers over the same buttons on the console in front of him. He seemed to be more frustrated over the matter than Torres.
"Of course I'm sure," B'Elanna said defensively," and I'm also sure that if you keep working on the same damn thing instead of looking for another solution, you'll wear yourself out."
"I know," answered Chakotay," I know..."
"You know, I think I might have missed some of the sensor scans while we were freaking out over that asteroid." Torres said.
"Really? Then that must mean we'll have to go back over the last five hourse worth of sensor readings." Chakotay's voice wavered slightly. This was getting on his nerves to the point of indiscreet frustration. Lighten up, his mind kept telling him, we'll find it-don't be stupid.
"Actually, I can narrow it down," a pause, " just give me a few minutes to sort this mess out."
"Right." As B'Elanna worked furiously at her console, Chakotay went over his own readings in an effort to help her more efficiently.
Up on the Bridge, Tom and Ensign Wildman were having a most controversial discussion.
"-she does seem to have a kind of odd glow about her, now that I think about it..." Samantha said, reflecting on the Captain's strangely upbeat demeanor today.
"No kidding," Paris replied, "but I mean, don't you think there's something a little funny about all this? How Seven wasn't able to reach her for so long? And how Chakotay wasn't heard from either during all that time? I tell ya, Sam...something is definitely going on around here, and I'm just the one to get to the bottom of it." Tom smiled slyly at Wildman as her eyes widened. Suddenly she felt like a first or second-year cadet, gossiping about affairs between professors at the Academy.
"Tom, don't you dare!" She said between snorts of laughter. "That's really not a good idea...I'm warning you!" More laughter on the Bridge until the Captain made her way out of the Ready Room with a padd in her right hand.
"Would someone like to explain to me what's so funny? I seem to have missed the joke." Kathryn said in an almost suspiciously casual tone.
"Actually, Captain-" Tom began but was interrupted by Ensign Wildman.
"What Lieutenant Paris means to say is that he made a speech error, and we were laughing because we misunderstood..." Samantha trailed off as Janeway smiled mildly and took her seat in the Captain's Chair.
"Well, maybe I shouldn't keep myself so isolated...I'd be more apt to catch the laughs around here." Kathryn said, tapping her commbadge lightly. "Bridge to Engineering, status?"
"Chakotay here, Captain. We've had a spill of luck after hitting a few bumps."
"Glad to hear it, Commander...what have you found?"
"We're picking up faint traces of dilithium on an M Class planet. It's a little out of the way, but not by much." By the sound of Chakotay's voice, Janeway could tell he'd wanted her to be pleased with his research.
"Good work, Chakotay!" Kathryn said, "Tom, set a course, warp 7."
Tom nodded. "Aye, course laid in, warp 7"
As Voyager sped along at its own comfortable pace, the Captain and First Officer were conversing about some interesting things. Kathryn pointed out how she'd noticed the other officers greeting her differently ever since she and Chakotay coupled up. She also reflected on how ironic it was that only a year ago, she and the Commander had been sitting in the same seats, gossiping about who might pair off and when. It had been a way to amuse and distract each other from the stress of dealing with some disgruntled crewmembers. In those days, the Starfleet officers and Maquis crewmen had only just begun to warm their toes in front of the fire together, thus casting quite a load on Kathryn and Chakotay (Janeway especially, seeing as how she'd chosen Chakotay over many other qualified Starfleet officers onboard).
Nonetheless it was nice to be able to chat openly and amicably with Chakotay, Kathryn thought to herself. After all, if they were to be damned, the Captain thought it was best to be damned and loved all at the same time!
"Captain, we're approximately 20 minutes from Alkatraz Prime; the Electorine is hailing us from the surface," came the sound of Harry Kim's distinctly eager voice.
"Onscreen." Kathryn stood. The viewscreen flickered from the shot of stars wisping by to the careworn, yet kindly face of a woman no older than the Captain herself. She wore a brilliantly white frock, complete with some sort of broach that blatantly set her apart from the other officials buzzing and humming around behind her. Her hair was set high in some sort of intricately adorned net, and, running along the edges of her hairline, were bluish gray spots, similar to a Trill. However, they seemed to form an unfamiliar pattern. Among the many intriguing aspects the Electorin possessed, the bridge crew seemed particularly interested in the woman's unmistakably gray-white eyes.
"Captain Janeway, I am Zorito'Mal Arazai, Chief Electorin of A'Lkatraz Prime."
"It's good to hear from you, Electorin; you had us worried for a while there." Janeway beamed at Arazai with a hint of genuine concern.
"Why is this?" Zorito'Mal inquired.
"We've been trying to hail your government office for an hour now, no reply."
"Ah, yes...we've been having some difficulty receiving long-range transmissions as we are updating our communications technology. Also, the war has created some rather-unexpected disturbances among my people..." The Electorin's voice trailed off, along with her enthusiastic smile.
"Well, I hope I can help-the Elector has told me a little about the war, and I think I can offer you some diplomatic aid, in return for permission to extract dilithium from your mines." Kathryn watched the Electorin carefully, still grinning politely.
"Of course, Captain," Arazai paused, "there will be plenty of time to discuss the details of our agreement with you once you arrive-if you'll excuse me, I have much to do before we meet again." Before Kathryn could say anything, the communication cut out and she was left to stare back out into the stars.
"Tom, what's our ETA now?" She asked.
"Seven, no, six minutes at present velocity, Captain."
"Very good, Lieutenant." Kathryn sat in her chair again, suspecting something odd about the people of A'Lkatraz.



More on the way, folks, I promise!

[Cathexis]

Hope you like that last scene...I'm still adding on, hang in there!

[Josi Rockholt]

We're hanging onto the edge of our seats. Next please before we all fall off our chairs.

[Curtis]

[Cathexis]

Thanks you guys..I think this is turning into a novel, rather than a novella...I've added more...but it's prequel-ish...it'll be put before all that other stuff okay? Way at the beginning. I just need to type it up and paste it here. Thanks again, I love you all!

[Voy_Girl]

Stickied.

This seems to become quite the fic... I want to read it through thourougly, I really do, but there's a physics exam closing up on me.

[Cathexis]

Thanks, Voy_Girl! I'm sure you'll enjoy it...now I'm gonna post this PREQUEL!

NOTE: I am re-pasting EVERYTHING that I have done up until yesterday! This fic is split into 2 parts so far, "What You Leave Behind" and "Concerning Love." I think that by just putting everything in this post, you'll be able to kinda "get" the story better. OH! and I'm in the middle of working on the finale to Part I. Kathryn and Chakotay are gonna have "that talk" and "end things", but obviously in Part II they get back together, so yeah. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Also: ***= change in scene

Storyline Fiction
STV: Hollow Resolve

Part I: "What You Leave Behind"

Silence swept through Kathryn Janeway's quarters as she slept soundly aboard the U.S.S Voyager. Beside her lay the muscle-bound, olive-skinned form of Commander Chakotay, who absent-mindedly stroked his companion's delicate auburn hair. He couldn't sleep for whatever reason and, for fear of waking Kathryn, he chose to stay with her instead of returning to his own quarters. He also knew how much Kathryn enjoyed waking up to the sensation of his lips upon hers, followed by a passionate series of sensuous intimacy. Of course the two would fall asleep again until the shift alert urged them to dress and head to the Bridge for duty.
Today, Janeway was to lead a small away team (at the disapproval of Lieutenant Tuvok) with Chakotay (which, if he'd been human, would have infuriated the Vulcan Chief of Security) to the surface of an M-Class planet, similar to Earth. The plan was to gather any edible food for Voyager's reserves and to dig out as much dilithium as possible from a few underground mines. However wonderful the mission turned out, things did not fair so well for the Captain and First Officer.
In fact, both officers contracted a contagious disease. Later, Harry Kim ran a sensor scan on the planet's atmosphere and found that it contained a biochemical healing agent. So Kathryn and Chakotay were forced to resign from command of Voyager, thereby transferring the Captaincy to Lieutenant Tuvok. Chakotay and Janeway took whatever supplies and rations they could from the ship's stores down to the planet, where they planned to live for the rest of their lives.
Before Voyager broke orbit, Kathryn made a final announcement to her crew from the surface. She spoke in an affectionate yet somber tone, making sure to leave those formerly under her command with an optimistic view of the future, as well as the past. Chakotay made ready to build a home for the both of them on what they were now calling "New Earth."
The first week went by without much incident for the pair. In fact, Kathryn and Chakotay were so caught up in settling down, that they began to drift apart. The explanation seemed to be that Kathryn had begun to wonder what to do about her relationship with Chakotay. Part of her, the logical side, told her to stay tough-minded and practical, which meant to stop the intimacy. The other part, however, the more venturesome side of her, told her to talk to Chakotay and work something out before things start to become really awkward!
Kathryn made up her mind while planting sees for a vegetable garden one morning. She resolved to approach Chakotay over dinner later in the evening. Unfortunately for her, Chakotay didn't seem to want to hold so much as idle chit chat with her during the entire day.
After a time, he headed into the house and worked on a design for a bathtub-for Kathryn, of course. He wanted to reassure her of his feelings about her. Lately it seemed to him like she wasn't interested in their once healthy physical relationship, which worried him a great deal.
Hours passed while Chakotay secretly worked on his plans for Kathryn's tub. He was also working on his own build in order to successfully recapture Kathryn's attention in that special way. As he went about his business, Kathryn continued planting and water her garden. Later she went out to collect wood for a fire.
Kathryn hummed to herself as she picked out the perfect kindling, thinking about Chakotay in his isolated corner of their new home. She wondered why he seemed so far away from her. There were many times where the two would just glance at one another, or exchange only a few tense words.
When Janeway felt she had enough wood, she collected herself and headed back to the house, which greeted her with a dull gray silence. Kathryn still seemed as though she couldn't believe that this is where she was to spend the rest of her life: 70,000 lightyears away from the only place she ever really called home with the only person she ever really considered herself to be in love with, including Mark.
After she assembled the kindling next to the house, Kathryn wiped away the sweat with the back of her hand and went inside to check on Chakotay. Chakotay had not been expecting her to be back quite so soon, so he'd been scattered most or all of the supplies he'd been using. Thus, Kathryn toed cautiously across the soft floor, noticing that the lights behind the house were on full power. Chakotay, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, the Commander popped out from behind a covered structure. Kathryn made sure to notice that he was gleaming profusely with sweat. She also noted that he was beaming at her.
"Close your eyes, Kathryn-quickly!" He said excitedly. Kathryn did as she was asked until Chakotay told her to open them. He unveiled the odd looking structure which made Janeway laugh for a moment before she said anything.
"This? This is what you've been doing all this time?" she continued,"and all-for me?"
"Yes," Chakotay answered.
Kathryn stepped up to run her hands along the delicate frame of the spa, smiling up at Chakotay now and then.
"It's beautiful, Chakotay!"
"I'm very glad you like it," Chakotay said,"but would you like to try it out?"
Kathryn glanced back to the tub.
"I'd be delighted to," she paused, "but only if you'll join me."
Chakotay thought for a second and nodded amiably. The afternoon progressed into a quiet evening as Janeway and Chakotay ate their dinner together, laughing and reflecting. For Kathryn, being away from Voyager was more difficult than she had expected it to be. She had thought that she was stronger than this, but the truth was that she really missed her crew. Chakotay comforted her with his wit and reason, and it made all the difference for Kathryn.
After they finished eating, Chakotay led Kathryn to the spa and helped her to get in before joining her. Janeway closed her eyes, relaxing as she slid into the warm water. Chakotay laughed to himself, enjoying the expression on his lover's face. Kathryn's eyes fluttered open at the sound of his laughing, and for a moment she felt awkward. He stopped laughing and regarded her quietly until she moved forward to embrace his lips in hers. Chakotay wrapped his arms around Kathryn's narrow waist, motioning softly in the water. Before he could do anything else with his elegant hands, Kathryn pulled back and stared at him intently.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Chakotay asked, but his only reply was Kathryn standing and leaving the spa, "Kathryn!?"
Kathryn rushed into the house where she dried and dressed herself. Something had frightened her about the encounter, she didn't know what. But somehow she felt the strong urge to stop. She wasn't angry and she wasn't in tears, but she was definitely confused about something. Chakotay came inside a few minutes later, but by the time he got up the nerve to ask Kathryn what had happened, he found her asleep in a sectioned off room. He decided to let her alone for now, so he shuffled around until finally retiring to bed.
The next morning, Kathryn was out hunting for berries and other things by the time Chakotay awoke. At first he thought about going out to find her, but then he realized that she'd probably speak to him when she felt it was appropriate. So he set his mind to making a decent breakfast and some coffee for Kathryn.


Part II: "Concerning Love"


Kathryn eyed Voyager's First Officer with predestination in her smile. She knew he was up to something, and she knew she had ways of finding out what that something was. Chakotay sat beside her, grinning with a warmth that seemed to radiate throughout the Ready Room. It felt nice to be able to go about things normally again-that is to say, normally enough. Chakotay moved to sit closer to his perplexed colleague.
"Kathryn, face it- you'll never get me to talk." He tried to sound serious, but the Captain could see right through him.
"Look, mister, I know you're up to no good, so you might as well surrender while I'm still feeling generous," It was a lie. In truth she had no idea at all about Chakotay's plans. All she figured was that it had something to do with her birthday, which was just three days away. Chakotay rested his hand on hers and spoke calmly.
"I'm not up to a thing, and if I were, it would be none your damn business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some reports to finish before tomorrow's staff meeting." Kathryn practically sniggered at the tease. This was definitely about her birthday; she was certain of it now.
Chakotay left, chuckling as he went. Kathryn slammed her hand on the sofa-seat. Damn that man, she thought. Foiled again! She sat there for a few minutes wondering what she could do to prepare for whatever it was Chakotay had stirring. Then again, snooping around behind his back probably wasn't the smartest idea, and Kathryn wasn't entirely sure she wanted to spoil the surprise anyway. She resolved to let Chakotay have his fun until the opportune moment revealed itself.
The day, if you could call it a day, drew late and the Captain was due to meet with Lieutenant Torres in Engineering to go over a few minor repairs. She left the Ready Room and stepped into a turbolift.
"Deck 11, Engineering," she said, and the lift began to move. When it stopped, she headed straight into the bay to greet her Chief Engineer.

*****

Chakotay guided Kathryn to his quarters, making sure his hands sufficiently masked her azure eyes. She could not have been more shocked by the party he had set up on the holodeck via the rest of the crew. Now, she couldn't imagine what else he could possibly be planning.
"Almost there," Chakotay cooed in the captain's ear as he halted her just outside the entrance to his room.
"I promised I wouldn't look, Chakotay. Now remove those big strapping hands before I call for Security. Got that?" She was only joking, but all the same, Chakotay did as he was ordered. He tapped a few buttons and the gray door slid open.
"You can open those lovely blue optics of yours now," Chakotay took Kathryn's soft, pale hand as she blinked her eyes several times. Candles lit, lillies, roses, and a small silver box which lay upon the lavishly decorated table-for-two. Kathryn turned to meet the quietly beaming gentleman who had generously orchestrated the view which lay before her gaze.
"Chakotay, it's beautiful," she gripped his hand gently with hers and smiled. A singular tear glittered down her smooth visage. The room seemed to glow around her in silent celebration. Chakotay cleared away her tear with his fingers, then lifted her chin so their eyes met once again.
"Now I know it was worth it to keep this all a secret," Kathryn's smile widened as she laughed. She looked back to the kindred spirit who had done all this for her; for her!
"I'm very grateful, Chakotay. Thank you." Kathryn ran a hand over the small box, pondering its contents.
"I was hoping you might join me for dinner before you open it. There's something I need to talk with you about that's going to change a lot between us." Chakotay led the overjoyed, yet quizzical captain to one of the ebony chairs and motioned for her to be seated. He then took his place at the opposite end of the glass table and the two began to eat, laughing and joking happily.
The evening was slowly drifting toward, what Chakotay was hoping to be, a romantic end, as Kathryn occasionally fixed her eyes upon the box. The two officers had been, up to this point, reminiscing about Earth, the Maquis, and life as they'd know it before the Caretaker.
Eventually, Kathryn asked Chakotay if he wouldn't mind continuing to mentor her with her spirit guide. Of course and jovially at that, the gentle man agreed. He even offered to help her get back in touch with her guide that night, but Kathryn was more interested in the still unopened box.
Chakotay caught her staring hard at the little cube, smiling to himself; it was time.
"I suppose I should let you open it now, " he said, trying to be careful to word everything just right. He wanted so much for the night to end as perfectly as possible. Kathryn reverted her stare away from the gift as he picked it up and placed it in her hands. She looked at it for a moment, her heart beating faster than it had ever before. She steadily unwound the ribbon which held the lid shut and unveiled the container's secret. To her delight, she found herself staring at a solid gold pocket watch, engraved with a note:
To Kathryn,

For I dipped into the future, far as human eye can see; saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be, and that wonder is you.

Ave Astra...

~Chakotay (2374)


Kathryn looked up at Chakotay, tears now flowing as she smiled flawlessly. They looked at one another for what seemed like ages before Chakotay lowered his head to softly leave a kiss on Kathryn's trembling lips. When they broke apart, Kathryn's mood seemed to change.
"I, uhm...I've got to go...it's late and, we have work tomorrow," she said with a hint of awkward uncertainty. Chakotay ran his fingers through her deep auburn hair before she left, wiping another not-so-joyous tear from her eyes. Chakotay was stunned. His night, it seemed, had not ended so perfectly. Now all he could do was sit alone and bury his face in his hands.

*****


Kathryn hurried to her quarters silently. She tried to calm herself as she passed by random crewmen, but by the time she reached her destination, she could contain her upset no longer. The disturbed Captain collapsed on her bed, shocked at the events that had just transpired only a few moments before now. How could she have let her guard down after what happened down on that planet last year? What is wrong with me, she repeated over and over to herself. At last she was calm (she hadn't been too hysterical, but quite perturbed at the very least). This was not what she had in mind when Chakotay invited her to his room. Or was it?
Finally, she came to think that perhaps Chakotay's actions weren't so stunning after all. What is wrong with me, she repeated once more, a wonderful thing has just happened and here I am acting like a child, crying for no reason. On the other hand, she also knew that it was a rare thing for her to tear up like this. And when she did cry, it was for a reason. Maybe she was just taken aback because she hadn't ever really considered how Chakotay felt about her, or vice-versa. Yeah, right.
Kathryn smirked at the memory of Chakotay's sweetly silken lips upon hers. What was she so afraid of, anyway? Why was this getting to her so miserably? Chakotay was in love with her-in love with her! The more she concentrated on that kiss, the more she began to put the pieces together. What she'd said on that planet a year ago-it had cost her the best relationship she could ever have asked for, which in turn placed a burden on Chakotay. Her words, no matter how well-intended they were meant, had really hurt him. Hell, they'd hurt her! She loved him, so why was she doing this to herself? She was only making things more awkward between the both of them.
Part of it, she thought, was because something inside her still wanted to believe that Mark was waiting for her. Odds were not in her favor, because Mark had probably moved on by now. He probably thought she was dead! She couldn't really blame him because, had the roles been reversed, she might have done the same thing.
After an hour of solid reflection, Kathryn determined to perform a risky move. She crossed the room and replicated a new outfit, changed, and left the room.

*****

The door chimed and Chakotay looked up. He too had been delving deep into his own reflection pool for the last hour, trying to figure out what it was he had done wrong. He paused before answering the impending alert.
"Come in," he said in a murky tone. The door slid open to unveil the trim figure of Kathryn Janeway wearing a satin black neglech�, complete with soft auburn hair which lay perfectly around her neck. She stepped in, eyes fixed on Chakotay as she approached his tall form. He stood and started to speak, but Kathryn gently placed a hand over his mouth to quiet him, then embraced his lips deeply. Several moments passed as the two officers engaged in an intensely intimate moment.
It was Kathryn who broke their kiss; tears began to slide down her flushed cheeks. She smiled at the Indian hunk.
"Chakotay, I'm s-" She started to say she was sorry, but before she could finish, Chakotay interrupted, caressing away the droplets of uncertainty.
"Don't...there's nothing to apologize for." When Chakotay spoke, Kathryn laughed and rested her head on his chest, breathing softly. They stood there for a time, holding one another.
"It's hard to believe this is happening to me," Kathryn whispered.
"Is it? Kathryn, from the moment I laid eyes on you back on that planet, carrying yourself so perfectly, I wanted you to love me-because I was so taken with you."
"But-you never said anything- why?" Kathryn asked, grasping Chakotay's hand firmly as they stood there.
"You made it pretty clear that you were off-limits," Chakotay explained,"so I backed away."
"I didn't want to, Chakotay, but-"
"Mark," Chakotay said. Kathryn laughed and nodded in regretful acknowledgement.
"I didn't want to be unfaithful," she said, "It would have been more devastating for me to have felt guilty about Mark than for me to be here now, with you. I'm willing to take the chance that he thinks I'm dead if it means being with someone I love." Chakotay smiled in reply, caressed Kathryn's face once more, and met her lips warmly once, sinking his hands into her hair.

*****

Kathryn awoke the next morning to see Chakotay's handsome dark face watching her quietly. She smiled at him and reached closer to let him kiss her lightly on the forehead. She lay back down, but Chakotay (who began to whistle) rolled off the bed and made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. Kathryn closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. She lay like this for some time until Chakotay emerged from the other room, fully clad in his Starfleet uniform and still whistling jubilantly.
He began to assemble a quaint little breakfast for the two of them whilst Kathryn pulled up enough strength to get up and take a shower herself. After much effort, she succesfully made it off the bed and into the bathroom.
Chakotay busied with breakfast while the Captain performed her somewhat normal hygenic routine. He smiled to himself, remembering last night. It had been perfect after all, and Kathryn turned out to be quite the lover he had imagined for so long. In fact, in some ways she had exceeded his expecations (and vice-versa).
When she finished, Kathryn changed into uniform and came out to join her tall, dark and handsome companion, glowing euphorically. She laughed when she noticed Chakotay was wearing an apron that read "Kiss me, I'm Indian", and then kissed him before sitting down to eat.
"I just have one question," she began,"What in Hell are we to tell the crew?" Chakotay smirked and chuckled for a moment before he answered.
"Word travels quickly around here. I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough, but that's not my main concern," he paused momentarily, "my question is, is this what you want?" He waited patiently for a few minutes while Kathryn considered his query.
"More than anything else, I want to be happy and until last night, I don't think I'd ever been as content. So, yes-this is what I want," another pause," what about you?"
"Of course." Chakotay reached across the table and rested his hands on hers. They stared at one another for a short time before Kathryn took a croissant and changed the subject.
"How are repairs?" She inquired in a stern voice.
"Seven hours, maybe less if I can talk B'Elanna into speeding things up a bit."
"I'm glad to hear it-and Seven of Nine? How is she holding up after that last attack?"
"Actually, she contacted me earlier, looking for you." Chakotay beamed. If Seven had been trying to get a hold of the Captain, it meant that she'd already figured things out. Kathryn came to the same conclusion and an instant later, they both burst out laughing.
Then came the chime-it was Seven of Nine, no doubt come to see if Captain Janeway was indeed where the computer had placed her. Kathryn and Chakotay stopped laughing immediately, so as not to appear "guilty" when the galant first officer went to greet Seven.
As the door slid open, Seven seemed to be peering at Chakotay.
"Seven, this is a surprise!" Kathryn said somewhat sarcastically. She stood and crossed the room to escort Seven of Nine out as she nodded to her first officer nonchalantly and headed out to the corridor to report for her shift.
"Captain, I have been trying to reach you for several hours-I've been unsuccessful until now." Seven stared blankly at Kathryn as they walked. The Captain cleared her throat and spoke cooly to the arrogant young woman.
"I'm sorry-I was going over some critical data with the Commander. I've been with him all night, trying to come up with some new ideas on how to avoid a confrontation with Q." Kathryn knew that Seven wasn't buying the story. How on God's green Earth could they defend themselves against something as powerful as Q? It was preposterous, and Seven was aware of that.
"I see," she replied, arching a brow,"Regardless, I have some information about Species 8472; it seems that they have constructed an edifice which contains a realistic simulation of Earth-Starfleet Headquarters included." This piece of news left a stain on the rest of Kathryn's day. All she could think about was what Species 8472 would be doing playing Human on their equivalent to a holodeck. Then she realized that they were quite possibly devising a plan to infiltrate the Federation, and were using this holo-structure to train for the invasion. What really pissed her off was the fact that there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop them.
Hours later, B'Elanna informed the Captain that repairs were finished, and Harry alerted her of an M-Class planet a little ways off course, which he suggested would be a healthy source of r&r as well as a distraction from the stress of the previous encounter with the Collective. Kathryn had to admit that the crew was in desperate need of shoreleave, so she hailed the planet to let them know Voyager was on its way. However, before they reached their destination, a small vessel representing the planet met them and escorted them the rest of the way. When Voyager arrived, her crew learned quickly that the people of Sekaris were quite hospitable. Unfortunately for Kathryn, Mr. Gath was a little too hospitable.
It took a great deal of explanation on her part to finally make the persistent Magistrate understand her relationship with Chakotay. Afterward, Gath left her alone (save for the diplomatic side of things). Added to her frustrations was the ordeal over the spacial trajector.
Of course, Tuvok going behind the Captain's back along with three of her finest officers (B'elanna, Mr. Carey, and Seska) hadn't been very helpful or comforting either! It had actually devestated her quite severely.
Now, nearly three weeks later, Kathryn was starting to feel safe again. The incident over that damned trajector had affected her to such a degree that it became almost impossible for her to be with Chakotay, let alone work casually with him. But now she was beginning to relax, which made Chakotay happier each time he spoke with her.
Kathryn sat at the turqoise and gray desk, tapping buttons on her console rhythmically. She was still puzzled about that holo-structure Seven had told her about. Meanwhile, she, Tuvok, and Commander Chakotay were conducting an investigation which seemed to indicate someone onboard Voyager was a traitor. Seska was the logical choice, seeing as how she was really Cardassian, and had contact with the Kazon-Nystrim sect somehow. Chakotay, on the other hand, wasn't taking the news lightly, which started to interfere with his relationships, especially between himself and the Captain. He really wanted to believe that Seska was innocent, but Kathryn suspected it was more personal than he let on.
After she left, Seska had left a mark on Chakotay's character. Even Janeway couldn't say much to help him move on. There was something about Seska betraying Voyager's crew that had driven a wedge between the Captain and Commander. But Kathryn was stubborn and persistent, and planned to resolve her issues with Chakotay as soon as was possible, privately of course.
For the present, she continue to find a way to stop 8472.

*****

When the door chimed, it startled the Captain momentarily. She hesitated before acknowledging the alert. Seven of Nine sachayed into the Ready Room, head held high.
"Captain, I must speak with you." She said in a forward voice.
"Go ahead, Seven." Kathryn regarded the girl with a cool composure.
"It would seem that our impending destruction by way of Species 8472 is on hold."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Q has decided to 'pay us a visit', as humans say; he is waiting to see you as we speak."
Kathryn stopped for a moment to think.
"Now this is curious," she said, "why couldn't he just appear out of nowhere as usual?"
"I may have an explanation!" It was Q, standing where Seven had been a moment ago.
"Q!" Kathryn stood up, appalled to see him use Seven as a toy.
"Alas, yes-it is I, Q," he said in a false Elizabethan tone.
"I should've known you'd pull something like this-why have you been stringing us along--having us crawling out of our skin worried about the possible destruction of our race..."Kathryn stared fiercely at Q, mustering every ounce of flaming anger available to her.
"A test, dear Kathryn, to see if I can trust you," Q oozed with delight at the expression on the distraught Captain's face. An instant later, he spirited Kathryn away to her quarters and fitted her with a pink dress.
Roses laced the room and romantic mood music echoed whilst Q held Kathryn close to him with a rose between his teeth. Janeway struggled to back away and when at last she broke free, she had to keep herself from strangling the menace that stood before her.
"You had better give me one good reason why I should believe you-or rather, why you tampered with me and my crew this way." Her voice dipped into a dangerous octave. She could feel her hands shaking involuntarily.
"Kathy dear, I'm only trying to warm you up," Q replied slickly.
"Why should I believe you?"
"Perhaps you shouldn't," he clapped his hands together and continued in a patronizing voice,"I have an offer that I'd like you to consider fairly."
"I want you to get the Hell off this ship-now...is that clear?" Kathryn said sharply.
"Crystal,"Q replied, evanescing. Kathryn threw her hands up an then slid them down her face discouragingly. She decided that a hot bath might help to calm her nerves, so she set about to do just that.
******

Just as our utterly aggravated protagonist began to settle down in the bathtub, Q appeared next to her, grinning wickedly.
"Kathy, face it: we're meant for each other-"
"Oh please," Kathryn rolled her eyes. Q leaned over to kiss her, but his lips met her toes mid-motion.
"Goodbye, Q." She said cooly.
"Fine, I'll leave, and I'll never come back...and then you'll have missed the opportunity of a lifetime, as usual."
"I'll have to be terribly brave about that," said the Captain to herself. After Q disappeared, she closed her eyes and sank down further into the warm water.
Kathryn found herself in the Briefing Room the next day, trying to explain what Q had done.
"So, you're saying that this whole 'impending doom' thing was just a rouse?" inquired the voice of a furious Tom Paris. Kathryn sighed and nodded.
"Ha-ha," Tom said disdainfully.
"Since we know now, we shouldn't waste any more time on the matter," Janeway pointed out.
"The Captain's right, we have to put this all behind us," Chakotay said, looking for a sign of support from Kathryn.
"Now what do we do?" B'Elanna needled.
"Now? Now we continue our journey," Kathryn replied. B'Elanna hesitatingly looked downward and then back up at the Captain, and nodded with a small grin.

*****

A small whining sound emanated from behind the oval table in Kathryn Janeway's Ready Room. She halted her research to find out where the noise was coming from. She peered cautiously over the table's surface to see a furry chestnut face and a pair of amber brown eyes yipping softly at her. The Captain almost melted right there as she knelt down to pick up the puppy and sat with it for a few minutes. But something told her to look up, so she did, and found herself eyeing Q sharply again. The puppy was a ploy. She got to her feet, still holding the pink-tongued furball in her arms, and sighed.
"Nice try," she said moving to sit on the teal sofa with the puppy. It kept pawing at her to stroke its flurry red ears.
"Come now, Captain...I think she really likes you..."
"This isn't going to work, Q."
"What's that?"
"Whatever it is you're scheming in that perverse brain of yours."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh? Well I think you know exactly what I'm talking about-it didn't work then and it's not going to work now."
Q simply crossed his legs and lounged on the sofa, chuckling.
"Don't be a fool, Janeway," he said,"although you are right-it didn't work."
Kathryn eyed her opponent carefully.
"I need you again, Kathryn-my son failed to meet the necessary expectations that I set for him. He didn't quite turn out to be the revolutionary peacechild I had hoped for." Q's mood seemed to change from coolness to desperation. He actually seemed concerned this time.
"That's not my problem, Q-if you had told me about your species'" she paused momentarily, "mating process in the first place, I might have been more inclined to help you, but you didn't, and I'm not going to pay for your deception again. Frankly I can't say I'm too surprised about the boy."
"But-Kathryn-"
"Not again, Q...my decision is final," she warned," and if you force the issue, you won't like the consequences." She remembered quite vividly what Q had put her through the last time the Continuum was at war. He conveniently neglected to inform her about the mating rituals of the Q, and as a result he successfully deceived her into making love to him. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he allowed his former mate to steal the baby from her before it had even been born!
Q shrugged and ignored the threat casually, "I'm here because I feel just awful for misleading you. I want to set things right again, not only with the Continuum but with you, Kathy dear!"
Kathryn considered the sentiment and after a moment, she uprooted herself from the couch, thrusted the puppy into Q's hands, and left the Ready Room without another word.
Disappointedly, Q flashed off and set about to devise a plan for persuading the stubborn Captain to forgive him for his transgressions. It was his hope that Kathryn would mate with him once more, in a last-ditch attempt to save the Continuum.

*****

Meanwhile, Janeway sat quietly in her chair on the Bridge, talking to Chakotay so the others couldn't listen in.
"I know what he wants-he wants to join with me...to mate again. But as I informed him sternly, I will do no such thing as long as I'm certain he isn't up to something more perverse," Kathryn explained, "What do you think?"
"I think you should stick to your gut on this one, unless you really want to get involved again." Chakotay took Kathryn's hand in his and squeezed gently. He hadn't been able to say much to her, let alone touch her since Seska left, but now he felt sure they needed each others' support, both emotionally and physically. Kathryn attempted a weak smile.
"I'm not certain about much of anything right now, Chakotay," she said, dropping her hand and shifting herself away from her first officer. Chakotay turned, letting his grasp on her hand release completely.
Their shift ended a few hours later, so the bridge staff began to depart, bidding each other goodnight. Soon only Kathryn and Chakotay were left, save for the nightwatch officers.
"Well I suppose I should catch some sleep," said Chakotay,"Care to walk with me Captain?" He tried to sound convincingly casual, but his heart begged for mercy as he stared at the woman he loved so deeply. She turned to answer, setting down a pad and regarding him politely.
"I'd be happy to," she spoke with such ease that it made her own stomach tighten and twist. It sickened her to be able to act as though nothing was bothering her, and she hated herself for possessing such a talent.
The pair of senior officers entered the turbolift together, appearing as if they were engaging in idle conversation. But the moment the lift door closed and the two were alone, Chakotay lunged forward quickly, wrapping his arms around the Captain and embracing her with a kiss that took her off the ship and into a moment of sheer bliss.

*****

"But Captain-!"
"No, Lieutenant, and that's my final word." Poor Tom, Kathryn thought to herself after reponding to his request so harshly. He wanted permission to run the Fair Haven program 24/7, and the Captain was aware of just how much power it would need to run perpetually.
"But-"
"Dismissed." With that, Tom receded and started to leave the room with his eyes fixed on the floor. Janeway returned to her work but a moment later, she stood and spoke.
"Lieutenant!" She cried.
Paris turned on his heel and stared at the Captain, "Yes ma'am?" He asked.
"Catch me at the next Shoreleave, okay?" She offered. The clouds in Tom's eyes seemed to disappear as the sun came out for him. He smiled, sniggered, and nodded in agreement.
"Yes ma'am!" He said, leaving with a skip in his step. Kathryn beamed after him before she continued what she'd been doing earlier. Meanwhile, Chakotay was running diagnostics and trying to locate a proper place to refuel Voyager. According to Lieutenant Torres, there weren't any dilithium asteroids for at least another six lightyears. Since they both knew that the Captain would not find that acceptable, they were determined to find some other source.
"Are you absolutely sure about those readings?" Chakotay double-checked with B'Elanna before running his fingers over the same buttons on the console in front of him. He seemed to be more frustrated over the matter than Torres.
"Of course I'm sure," B'Elanna said defensively," and I'm also sure that if you keep working on the same damn thing instead of looking for another solution, you'll wear yourself out."
"I know," answered Chakotay," I know..."
"You know, I think I might have missed some of the sensor scans while we were freaking out over that asteroid." Torres said.
"Really? Then that must mean we'll have to go back over the last five hours worth of sensor readings." Chakotay's voice wavered slightly. This was getting on his nerves to the point of indiscreet frustration. Lighten up, his mind kept telling him, we'll find it-don't be stupid.
"Actually, I can narrow it down," a pause, " just give me a few minutes to sort this mess out."
"Right." As B'Elanna worked furiously at her console, Chakotay went over his own readings in an effort to help her more efficiently.
Up on the Bridge, Tom and Ensign Wildman were having a most controversial conversation.
"-she does seem to have a kind of odd glow about her, now that I think about it..." Samantha said, reflecting on the Captain's strangely upbeat demeanor today.
"No kidding," Paris replied, "but I mean, don't you think there's something a little funny about all this? How Seven wasn't able to reach her for so long? And how Chakotay wasn't heard from either during all that time? I tell ya, Sam...something is definitely going on around here, and I'm just the one to get to the bottom of it." Tom smiled slyly at Wildman as her eyes widened. Suddenly she felt like a first or second-year cadet, gossiping about affairs between professors at the Academy.
"Tom, don't you dare!" She said between snorts of laughter. "That's really not a good idea...I'm warning you!" More laughter on the Bridge until the Captain made her way out of the Ready Room with a padd in her right hand.
"Would someone like to explain to me what's so funny? I seem to have missed the joke." Kathryn said in an almost suspiciously casual tone.
"Actually, Captain-" Tom began but was interrupted by Ensign Wildman.
"What Lieutenant Paris means to say is that he made a speech error, and we were laughing because we misunderstood..." Samantha trailed off as Janeway smiled mildly and took her seat in the Captain's Chair.
"Well, maybe I shouldn't keep myself so isolated...I'd be more apt to catch the laughs around here." Kathryn said, tapping her commbadge lightly. "Bridge to Engineering, status?"
"Chakotay here, Captain. We've had a spill of luck after hitting a few bumps."
"Glad to hear it, Commander...what have you found?"
"We're picking up faint traces of dilithium on an M Class planet. It's a little out of the way, but not by much." By the sound of Chakotay's voice, Janeway could tell he'd wanted her to be pleased with his research.
"Good work, Chakotay!" Kathryn said, "Tom, set a course, warp 7."
Tom nodded. "Aye, course laid in, warp 7"
As Voyager sped along at its own comfortable pace, the Captain and First Officer were conversing about some interesting things. Kathryn pointed out how she'd noticed the other officers greeting her differently ever since she and Chakotay coupled up. She also reflected on how ironic it was that only a year ago, she and the Commander had been sitting in the same seats, gossiping about who might pair off and when. It had been a way to amuse and distract each other from the stress of dealing with some disgruntled crewmembers. In those days, the Starfleet officers and Maquis crewmen had only just begun to warm their toes in front of the fire together, thus casting quite a load on Kathryn and Chakotay (Janeway especially, seeing as how she'd chosen Chakotay over many other qualified Starfleet officers onboard).
Nonetheless it was nice to be able to chat openly and amicably with Chakotay, Kathryn thought to herself. After all, if they were to be damned, the Captain thought it was best to be damned and loved all at the same time!
"Captain, we're approximately 20 minutes from Alkatraz Prime; the Electorine is hailing us from the surface," came the sound of Harry Kim's distinctly eager voice.
"Onscreen." Kathryn stood. The viewscreen flickered from the shot of stars wisping by to the careworn, yet kindly face of a woman no older than the Captain herself. She wore a brilliantly white frock, complete with some sort of broach that blatantly set her apart from the other officials buzzing and humming around behind her. Her hair was set high in some sort of intricately adorned net, and, running along the edges of her hairline, were bluish gray spots, similar to a Trill. However, they seemed to form an unfamiliar pattern. Among the many intriguing aspects the Electorin possessed, the bridge crew seemed particularly interested in the woman's unmistakably gray-white eyes.
"Captain Janeway, I am Zorito'Mal Arazai, Chief Electorin of A'Lkatraz Prime."
"It's good to hear from you, Electorin; you had us worried for a while there." Janeway beamed at Arazai with a hint of genuine concern.
"Why is this?" Zorito'Mal inquired.
"We've been trying to hail your government office for an hour now, no reply."
"Ah, yes...we've been having some difficulty receiving long-range transmissions as we are updating our communications technology. Also, the war has created some rather-unexpected disturbances among my people..." The Electorin's voice trailed off, along with her enthusiastic smile.
"Well, I hope I can help-the Elector has told me a little about the war, and I think I can offer you some diplomatic aid, in return for permission to extract dilithium from your mines." Kathryn watched the Electorin carefully, still grinning politely.
"Of course, Captain," Arazai paused, "there will be plenty of time to discuss the details of our agreement with you once you arrive-if you'll excuse me, I have much to do before we meet again." Before Kathryn could say anything, the communication cut out and she was left to stare back out into the stars.
"Tom, what's our ETA now?" She asked.
"Seven, no, six minutes at present velocity, Captain."
"Very good, Lieutenant." Kathryn sat in her chair again, suspecting something odd about the people of A'Lkatraz.

*****