A New Mission

by gawilliams

Three years after Endgame, Kathryn Janeway is happily married to Chakotay, but has trouble dealing with the years on Voyager and not liking being an Admiral. Here's how some help from the past comes to her aid.

1. Chapter 1

Office of Admiral Spock, Director of Deep Space Exploration, Starfleet Headquarters

Admiral Spock, famed First Officer to the legendary James T. Kirk, was in his office working on the specifications for a new exploratory mission he had been pressing for for some time since the end of the Dominion War. When that war had began, he had returned to the Federation from Romulus where he had been engaged in unification efforts for some time. Upon offering his services to Starfleet, as he had been a Captain when he had retired nearly ninety years before, he had been quickly promoted to full Admiral and placed in command of a small fleet of starships that maintained a very important protective presence in the Noravian Sector, a key commercial route for Federation commerce. His fleet had engaged the Dominion forces a number of times and he had been one of the few fleet commanders to win every time and lose no ships in the process. Once the war had been concluded, he had been87 asked to stay in Starfleet and become the first Director of the new exploratory department. He had consented and was now working to maneuver Starfleet into carrying out it's most fundamental role, exploration, which he felt had been sadly neglected since the time when he and the original Enterprise had been on the two famous five year missions.

Today he would have an important meeting. He was scheduled to meet and speak with Vice-Admiral Kathryn Janeway. He had never met her before, but knew a great deal about her and her time in the Delta Quadrant. He had met and become friends with her husband, Captain Chakotay, who currently was in command of the refitted Voyager. Chakotay had informed him that Janeway was not pleased with being a member of the Admiralty headquartered at Command. Spock had informed Chakotay that he knew what the likely reason was and would be pleased to speak with her in an effort to try and prevent her from developing the deep, stultifying depressions that his best friend, the late James Kirk, had suffered from due to being a Flag Officer. As it so happened, he had just the thing to aid in that effort.

"Admiral, Admiral Janeway is here for your meeting," his aide, Ensign Shrella, an Andorian recently graduated from the Academy at the top of her class, said through the intercom.

"Send her in, please, Ensign," Spock ordered. He had been impressed with Shrella's work on slipstream theory, and had offered her the position of being his chief aide. It was ordinarily a position that called for a full Commander, but he had wanted an aide that was well versed in the sciences and her final thesis had intrigued him.

Vice-Admiral Janeway walked in and surveyed the austere office. It was furnished in comfortable, yet spartan, pieces of furniture, with a scattering of holo-images from his career. One image in particular caught her attention. Looking closer, she saw that it was an image of James T. Kirk and his famous Senior Staff, though it was obviously just before Kirk had retired. It showed Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura. Kirk, Spock, Scott, and Sulu wore the old style rank insignia of Captain, so she knew that it was during the time that Sulu had been in command of the Excelsior. Spock still looked much the same, though his hair was now grey, with white at the temples. He was tall and slender, with his face showing some of his age through the now noticeable, though not extensive, lines that all developed in old age. At over 160 years old, he was into early old age by Vulcan standards. He could, though, expect to have nearly 80 to 90 years left if his good health continued.

"It was taken at the conclusion of the Khitomer Conference," Spock remarked, having noticed where her gaze had landed. "Then-Captain Sulu had come aboard the Enterprise-A to share a meal with us one last time as Kirk, McCoy, Scott, and myself were scheduled to retire when we returned to Earth."

"I remember reading of that Conference when I was at the Academy," Janeway mused. She held up her hand on the traditional Vulcan salute. "Peace and long life," she intoned the ritual salutation.

"Long life and prosperity," Spock replied, returning the salute. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Admiral Janeway. Your husband, Captain Chakotay, speaks very highly of you. Your accomplishments do you great credit."

"The honor is mine, Admiral," Kathryn told him honestly. "I have always wanted one day to meet you. I read all I could find of your work in the sciences when I was in the Science track."

"Thank you," Spock said simply. While he would never be so vain as to speak it aloud, he had great pride in the fact that most science labs, protocols, and the functions of a science officer were now based upon his recommendations and examples from a century before. He did not, however, want this meeting to become focused upon mutual admiration of one anothers work and accomplishments.

"I must confess, Admiral, that I was somewhat surprised to receive your message requesting a meeting," Kathryn informed her host, who had bade her sit down.

"I was discussing some routine matters with Captain Chakotay, and he mentioned that you were unsatisfied with the work and environment of the Admiralty," Spock proceeded to his main objective.

"He what?" Kathryn asked, somewhat surprised that Chakotay would volunteer such private, and in her view, personal information.

"He was not gossiping out of turn, I assure you, Admiral Janeway," Spock interjected. "When he arrived at the reception held at the Vulcan Embassy two weeks ago, and you were not with him, I inquired as to how you were. Captain Chakotay knows that I treat personal conversations with complete confidence, so he chose to speak with me. Indeed, I was not surprised to hear what he revealed."

"Just what did he reveal?" Kathryn asked. She was upset, but hardly surprised that Chakotay would express concern. She was extremely unhappy as an Admiral, and the office job she now had was exceedingly boring. She felt as though she was slowly falling into an abyss.

"That by becoming a member of the Admiralty, you had given up the one thing you felt comfortable with, and that you were depressed," Spock told her. Captain Chakotay had been much more detailed, but he had no doubt that she had heard it all before from the good Captain.

"That about sums it up," she sighed. "The question is, what do I do about it? I was practically forced into taking this promotion and assignment."

"I have a solution that may be available to you, but first I would like you to listen to me about my own experience with this situation at one time," he ordered. He was not the type to be stern, or rude, so his orders usually were phrased to be received with calm acceptance. When he saw that she had relaxed, he began.

"When the original Enterprise returned from the first five year mission, Fleet Admiral Nogura forced a promotion to Rear Admiral on then-Captain Kirk," Spock said with a hint of emotion in his eyes as he remembered the incident. "Captain Kirk was not interested in a promotion, and had hoped to have another command while the Enterprise was being refitted. Instead he was promoted and made Chief of Operations. Of course, he excelled in the position, as his talents were extensive, yet he was not comfortable, nor interested in the work.

"When the V'Ger incident occurred, he insisted on being placed in command of the newly refitted Enterprise. After we had resolved that crisis, Kirk demanded that he be allowed to retain command. Five years later, after another successful five year mission, he reluctantly gave up command and resumed his post as Chief of Operations. From then on until the events surrounding Genesis, Kirk was increasingly depressed and unhappy. It was not until the events that led to his demotion and return to starship command that he was truly comfortable."

Kathryn wasn't normally at ease discussing herself with anyone, but Spock had a definite understanding of how she felt. Nechayev, Hayes, and Paris had insisted that she accept promotion and take over the Romulan desk. The only bit of good that had come of their return from the Delta Quadrant had been her marriage to Chakotay.

"I feel the same way Kirk must have felt," she admitted. "I've considered retiring a number of times."

"As did Captain Kirk," Spock revealed. He knew full well that probably only he and Dr. McCoy knew that small bit of information about Kirk, but he felt that Jim would have approved of this one intrusion on his confidence. "That leads me to the proposal I have for you."

Kathryn was intrigued. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.

"I have been desirous of dispatching a long term, five to six years, mission of exploration to the Gamma Quadrant in order to increase the knowledge of the numerous star systems and phenomena that the Dominion databases we have been given access to have provided," he explained. He handed over a PADD with the rudiments of the proposal he had submitted to Starfleet Command and the Federation Council. "The initial approval has been granted for one modified Sovereign Class starship to make the journey."

"Modified how?" Kathryn asked as she scanned the proposal.

"The defensive armor and transphasic torpedoes that you brought back with Voyager, as well as the stealth field will be incorporated into the ships specifications," Spock explained. "In addition to that, there will be a tripling of the scientific laboratories and a corresponding increase in computer sciences. An astrometrics lab will be included, as well as the new design for Stellar Cartography. Families will be authorized on this mission, so the standard facilities for that have been included, as well as enhanced recreational facilities. While standard compliment on a Sovereign class starship is 745, we expect approximately 1,000 on the ship to take into account families. This ship will be two decks larger than standard to allow such an increase."

Kathryn scrolled to the ships specifications. She was impressed. The ship had already been built and all that was left was to add the ablative armor technology. The torpedoes and stealth fields were already in place and had been tested successfully. This was a ship that not only would be ideal for exploration and the sciences, but also a battle ready ship in case the need arose.

"Impressive," she remarked as she finished her perusal and handed back the PADD.

"I will pass along your compliments to Admiral Scott," Spock told her, revealing the designer of the modified Sovereign class ship.

Kathryn was not surprised at that. Admiral Montgomery Scott had, after his rescue from the Dyson Sphere, been reinstated in Starfleet and for a time had been in command of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. When the Dominion War had begun, he had been promoted to Admiral and placed in charge of ship design and construction, as well as R&D. He maintained those portfolios to this day.

"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked. She had an idea why, but wanted to hear it from him.

"I was considering asking you if you wished to command the expedition and the ship," Spock replied. "Your command of Voyager in the Delta Quadrant would make you the ideal candidate for this posting."

Kathryn sighed. "I would prefer not to have command," she told him.

"May I ask why?"

Kathryn nodded. "I am not proud of the command I held for those seven years," she explained. "I made a number of mistakes, and have some very painful regrets, Admiral. To be honest, I have only one significant regret, but it also goes to the heart of how I commanded Voyager."

"Error and regret are all a part of having command," Spock pointed out.

"I'm aware of that," she agreed. "And I love my crew and am proud of what we accomplished in those seven years. But the regret and errors I am speaking of are more than I am ready to let go of at present. I lost myself for a long time and I don't know if I can command again and not make the same kind of mistakes."

"You are referring to your refusal of pursuing an intimate relationship with Captain Chakotay," Spock surmised. He had discussed this with Chakotay and knew from him that Kathryn was intensely loathing of herself for having adhered to such a strict view of protocol and the philosophy of command distance. Both ideals Spock considered to be more harmful than helpful in any way to a commanding officer. He had, after all, learned command from James Kirk, who had had no patience for such ideals.

"Yes," Kathryn admitted. "I know it would not happen now, since we are married, but the reasons for it and the errors I made in command judgment could easily occur again in other contexts."

"James Kirk was somewhat resentful when the protocols and philosophy you embraced were put into place," Spock informed her. "It was, besides the fact that the Enterprise-A was being decommissioned, one of the main factors in his decision to retire after the Khitomer Conference. His retirement led the Federation Council to make those changes non-binding and only suggestions as a matter of policy."

"I know that now," Kathryn revealed. "I got a real wake up call when I was questioned about why I would follow such a course when I was likely to be on Voyager for over seventy years. The subject, though, is very ingrained, Admiral. I learned command from people such as Owen Paris."

"Indeed," Spock said thoughtfully. He knew Owen Paris and respected the man, but disagreed with his strict views about regulations and 'protocol' in command. "Would you be interested in commanding the scientific side of the expedition, and letting another command the ship and overall mission?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "It's tempting, but I would outrank whatever commanding officer you put in place."

Spock almost smiled at that last, but his emotional control had long mastered that temptation. "I was thinking of placing you in command of the science department as a Captain. Your rank of Vice-Admiral could be put in abeyance until such time as you felt comfortable resuming your duties in the Admiralty. As for who would command the ship and mission, I was thinking of Captain Chakotay. He is a qualified officer for such a mission and his background in archaeology and anthropology would be ideal."

Kathryn chuckled. "Quite a role reversal," she said as she took in the irony.

"But one that may be mutually beneficial," Spock pointed out. "Both of you have some inner issues regarding your years in the Delta Quadrant. By reversing the positions, though you won't be his First Officer, you may come to appreciate the delicate balance that each maintained during that time, but without the personal dimension involved."

"Who would be the ships' First Officer?" she asked.

"Lieutenant Commander Paris has proven quite effective in the role on Voyager," Spock offered. "Do you feel he would be worthy of a promotion to full Commander and the position of First Officer on a ship of the line?"

"I believe so, as long as B'Elanna Torres-Paris was Chief Engineer," Kathryn countered.

"Then do I have your approval to approach Captain Chakotay with this assignment offer?" Spock asked, though he didn't mention that he had already discussed it with the man. Chakotay had been enthusiastic, but only so long as he could reunite Voyager's crew as much as possible and that Kathryn was agreeable.

"Yes," Kathryn decided.

"Then I will inform Command of the change in plans," Spock told her, standing. "Unfortunately I have another meeting scheduled, or I would discuss this further. I will be sending the mission profile and a list of potential officers for your science departments. Please make the appropriate selection in the next 30 days as I would like to have this mission manned and ready in 3 months time."

"Yes, Sir," Kathryn nodded as she also stood.

"When you have made your selections inform my aide and we will make an appointment for a meeting to go over them," Spock suggested. He was taking more care with this mission than would ordinarily be the case. If truth be told, he would prefer to command the mission himself as it would be a perfect opportunity for him to get back to the sciences somewhat. Of all his work in Starfleet, the most personal satisfaction had been derived from his time as First Officer and Science Officer on the Enterprise. He escorted her to the door and saw her out. Going back to his desk he allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction before preparing for his next meeting. It wouldn't do, though, to have his old friend and verbal sparring partner, Admiral Leonard McCoy (retired), see him smiling, so he quickly schooled his features just as the door slid open.

"How the hell are you, Spock?" came the familiar voice from the aged man who slowly made his way into the office.

Home of Admiral Janeway and Captain Chakotay, San Francisco, Earth

Kathryn had decided to have her aide clear her schedule for the rest of the day. She had a lot to think about and wanted to spend some time alone away from the work she had come to loathe. The first order of business had been an hour long bath in refreshingly hot water with her favorite scented bubble bath. After that she had dressed in a pair of loose slacks and a silk button down shirt that hung loosely on her. Going outside with some iced coffee, she sat on the back veranda and looked out over the Bay. They had chosen a large, single story home in the hills overlooking the Bay and the famous Golden Gate Bridge. She and Chakotay loved it and would spend hours in this spot enjoying the view and each others company.

The last three years since Voyager returned had not been what she had expected, or desired, from a professional standpoint. For most of her career she had striven for that one goal of almost every officer: becoming an Admiral. The seven years in command of Voyager had clouded that goal significantly. She had wanted to take a year off, but that was quashed by Command who wanted her back on duty within three months of the end of the debriefings. She had wanted another ship to command, but they had demanded she take a promotion to Vice-Admiral and placed her in charge of the Romulan Desk in the Operations department. She had even admitted to herself that she was in need of serious counseling, but her new duties did not afford her the luxury of time for that sort of thing. Her jaded, sharp edge was still with her, as well as the demons she had never exorcised. Now she stopped to think of what those demons were.

Of course she had demons from her command decisions. That was a fact of life for all command officers who were lucky enough to have a ship and crew to command. There were times, though, that she had made some dreadful mistakes. Voyager had been her first command and she had been understandably unsure of herself, especially in light of the bizarre set of circumstances Voyager found herself in. The first couple of years she had been as open and approachable as possible when it came to decision making, utilizing her staff meetings to collegially go over options before making the final determinations. Her one serious error during that time had been in not including Chakotay in the planning and knowledge of the covert mission she and Tuvok had detailed Tom Paris on. Chakotay had not called her on it, and hadn't since, but the raging fury in his eyes when the subterfuge had been revealed, along with the completely pathetic and insulting excuse she had given him, had shown her how close she had come to losing an incredibly fine First Officer and the best friend she had ever had.

One would think an event like that would have taught her a thing or two, but it hadn't. Her mistakes multiplied, and they included her arrogant, and unilateral, decision to attempt an alliance with the Borg, her ruthless vendetta she pursued against the Equinox and Captain Ransom, her brig time and demotion of Tom Paris which set a bad double standard, her hiding in her quarters while they were in the Void, and a host of other mistakes that had damaged her more than she had ever really noticed until Voyager reached Earth and she had to endure the debriefings. Each one, as they were revealed for the errors in judgment that they were, had shaken her personal confidence in her ability to command, though at the time she had still been desirous of another ship.

Then there were the personal mistakes. Again, the first couple of years she didn't have much of a problem with, though her personal behavior was a bit out of the norm for her. She had considered her engagement to Mark over almost instantly when they discovered where in the galaxy they were. As a result of that, and due to her narrow views on protocol, she had spent a few leaves in the first couple of years finding some male companionship on the planets they traded with for supplies. That had been unlike her, but she was a passionate woman who enjoyed sex. The idea of living like a nun for over seventy years had not been something she would consider.

After New Earth she made the unilateral decision that even though she was in love with Chakotay, a relationship with him on Voyager was not possible because of protocol. Once again he had not challenged her over a decision, and she had assumed he had agreed with her on it. She continued her infrequent, but physically satisfying, shore leave romps, but out of consideration of Chakotay's feelings she had been more circumspect. It was always hard to look at him after those leaves, and she knew that he was well aware she had taken a man to her bed on those planets when she avoided him afterwards. She never took a man to her bed on the ship, though she had almost used sex to convince Kashyk in the deadly game of subterfuge that played out during that time in Devore Space. Outside of her own personal sessions with her toys and fingers, she only had sex on Voyager with Michael the hologram in the Fair Haven program. It had only been a couple of times, but she was now horrified at her actions.

In hindsight it was so easy to see that a relationship with Chakotay would have been a way to meet her physical needs, as well as avoiding the many professional disputes that threatened to tear apart the command structure. It was definitely ironic that the method chosen by Starfleet to avoid the very disputes that happened between them, was actually the cause of them on Voyager. It wasn't Chakotay's fault, however. She was the one who had made things personal, and she was the one who consistently reminded him of 'protocol'.

"Are you okay?" the most wonderful voice in her universe came from her side.

Kathryn smiled and turned to look up at him. "Just doing some thinking," she said as she patted the spot next to her, wanting to lean into him and soak up his presence. When he sat next to her, she leaned over and hooked her arm in his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I was worried when I stopped by your office after the meeting I had with Admiral Hayes and found you had cleared your schedule for the day to go home," he chided lightly. He wasn't upset with her, and he was well aware that she knew he wasn't, but it didn't mean he hadn't been concerned.

"I had a meeting with Admiral Spock this morning, and I had some things to think about," she explained.

"Anything in particular?" Chakotay asked.

"The Delta Quadrant," she replied.

Chakotay understood in an instant. That simple phrase would always hold a great deal of depth for her, both positive and negative. He was certain that she had been dwelling on the negative.

"You turned down the mission?" he asked.

"I should be angry with you for telling him all those things about me," she playfully slapped his chest. "I'm not, though."

"Good," Chakotay let out a breath. "I listen to you and help you as much as I can, but I need someone to talk to as well. Spock is a good listener, as well as someone who understands us better than most."

"He is," she acknowledged. "I turned down his idea of commanding the mission, but he offered a different option once I said no."

"And what was that?" he asked. He hadn't spoken to Spock that day, and had no idea of what changes she was talking about.

"You command the ship and mission, while I have charge of the science teams and profile for the mission," she replied. "Spock and I agreed that Tom Paris would be a great First Officer for you with a promotion to full Commander."

"It's going to be a pretty big jump with the ship that Spock told me about," Chakotay mused. He had been expecting to be the First Officer himself, and he knew that he would have had a great deal of adjustments to make on such a different kind of ship and the size of the crew. Tom had learned a great deal, though, in the last two and an half years and was ready in his opinion. "Are you sure about not wanting command yourself?"

Kathryn took his hand and lightly stroked his knuckles with her thumb. "I'm sure," she admitted. "I haven't processed all the issues I have over our time in the Delta Quadrant. I've never had the counseling that I need, and we both know that. It's not about making decisions anymore, but how those decisions are made, and the consequences of that."

He was pretty sure he understood what she was getting at. She had made unilateral decisions for a number of years out there, especially after their initial forays with the Borg and Species 8472. She had not followed the appropriate course of decision making, when collective discussion and consideration were possible, and it had led to serious problems, in particular the events surrounding the Equinox. He also knew that she felt horribly guilty about the personal side of things and their lack of an intimate relationship out there. She'd come a long way since then, but her time in the Admiralty had brought on more problems and had not allowed her to process the demons she held and in fact had added to them. Spock had certainly pegged it, and his alternate solution when she turned down the command was a good one.

"Do you think we can pull it off with me in command?" he asked. "And what about your rank?" he asked almost nervously. She was very rank conscious, and in his opinion that was one of her primary problems. She looked to rank to resolve issues in many cases, and that was not the way the world worked in non-emergency situations.

"I'll be taking a mission demotion to Captain, and if I ever decide to resume my current job, I can have my rank back," she revealed. "I don't think I'll ever be going back to that office once we leave on the mission, though. I've had more than enough of being an Admiral."

"Then I guess we have some work to do in the next month or so," he smiled. Truth be told, he was getting tired of the mundane work on Voyager, though the time he was able to spend on Earth between the short missions that Voyager was used for now was wonderful. He also had to admit that the opportunity to command a ship of the line was very tempting.

Office of Admiral Scott, Director of Ship Construction and Design, Utopia Planetia

Admiral Montgomery Scott, "Scotty" to his friends, was in his element. Here he was in his conference room discussing the new ship that was going to be used in the five year mission to the Gamma Quadrant. He had put a lot of time and energy into this new, modified, Sovereign Class ship and was finally satisfied. This meeting was to discuss the engineering needs of the mission, both technological and personnel. He was discussing all that with his right hand, Master Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien, and the incoming Chief Engineer of the new ship, and newly promoted for the position, Commander B'Elanna Torres-Paris. Both were brilliant engineers in his opinion, and with the exception of himself and his friend Geordi La Forge of the Enterprise-E, were the best in Starfleet. It had been one week since Spock had offered the mission to Captain Chakotay, and in that week a lot had been accomplished.

After Voyager had returned Scotty had offered Torres-Paris a position as his primary supervisor to the construction and refit projects that were being carried out at Utopia Planetia, but she had declined in favor of remaining on Voyager. He had taken an interest in the incredible changes that had been made on Voyager and now incorporated many of them on all ships being refitted, and was about to begin making them standard on construction as well. This new ship had been already begun when Voyager returned, but he had ordered the changes anyway for it. He had also been favorably impressed with the Delta Flyer and had ordered construction on them. Six would be on the new ship in addition to a full compliment of runabouts and small shuttlecraft.

"Now we need to hammer out the staffing," Scotty said when they had finished discussing the bypass systems that had been newly developed for the ship that had the ablative armor.

"I'm planning on taking most of my current people from Voyager," B'Elanna started.

"I figured you would," Scotty said with a smile. His eyes twinkled in good humor. Her response to his change in topic only showed the kind of engineer she was. She trusted her people and was more than willing to reward that trust. "But a ship of the line is a different beastie than that wee ship o' yours. You need more staff and supervisors."

"You'll need a deputy Chief Engineer as well as a Chief of Impulse Engineering and a Chief of Warp Engineering," Miles nodded in agreement. He'd been the Chief Engineer of DS9 for seven years and knew all too well the needs of an engineering chief on a large structure.

"And a solid Maintenance Chief and Shuttle Chief," Scotty added. Gone were the days when a Chief and a crew of loyal braves could handle the job on a large ship. A really good Chief Engineer was as much an administrator as an engineer nowadays. He felt that B'Elanna had those qualities, as well as the ability to knock heads when needed. But he was going to give her one really good person to help her out. "I've got just the person to be your deputy," he told her.

B'Elanna cocked her head. "Who," she asked carefully. She hadn't really had a deputy since Joe Carey had died a few weeks before they had used the Transwarp Hub to get home.

"O'Brien here," he nodded to the man sitting next to him.

"Me?" Miles asked in surprise. He'd been considering asking for a space assignment on a ship, preferably the Enterprise, but this was a shock.

Scotty chuckled. He slid a small box to his friend. "Call it an early Christmas gift," he said as the younger man opened the box to find the rank pips of a Lieutenant Commander. "Y've earned it Lad," he said with a nod. "Plus you've more experience on a larger ship and will be able to save the Lass here some adjustment headaches."

B'Elanna laughed at the shocked expression on O'Brien's face. "You look like I must have when Chakotay told me he was pressing to have Janeway make me Voyager's Chief Engineer when we were first in the Delta Quadrant," she told him. She respected O'Brien and had enjoyed working with him on Voyager's initial refit three years before, so she knew the kind of Engineer he was. She imagined Tom had looked the same way when Chak had handed him full commander's pips earlier in the week and told him he was to be the First Officer on a Sovereign Class ship.

"Keiko has said she would like being on a starship again," Miles mused. That had been one of the factors in his decision to see about space duty again. Keiko had enjoyed teaching at the Academy, as had he for as long as it had lasted until Admiral Scott had approached him about his current assignment.

"Then it's settled," Scotty rubbed his hand together in satisfaction. "Why don't the two of you get together and decide who will get the other top slots? We can go over it again in a week and then make the proper notifications."

"My office tomorrow?" B'Elanna asked. She had already transferred to the new ship the day before, so they all knew she was talking of the Chief Engineer's office on that ship.

"0800," Miles confirmed. He stood up and left after telling them he needed to check in with Keiko and let her know what was going on. Scotty held him up a minute and pinned the new rank pips on personally, then sent him on his way.

"A moment, Lass," Scotty held her back when she gathered her PADDs together. He continued when she sat down. "I don't mind tellin' ye that I'm mighty envious of ye and this mission," he told her.

"I remember when I made Chief Engineer for the first time. Full o' meself, I was. Had a captain who made sure he ran the show, but then I got another who let me do my thing and I can tell ye, I worked harder for him than anyone I've ever known. You're at a time o' your life that will never come again, so hold on and enjoy it. Y've proven yourself many times over on Voyager, and now is the time to become something more than just the Chief Engineer." He opened a flat box that he'd had in front of him the entire meeting. He pulled out what looked like a name plate with a small base. He handed it to her. "Put that on your desk."

B'Elanna took it and read the words. She laughed a deep belly laugh.

Commander B'Elanna Torres-Paris

Miracle Worker Extraordinaire

"Don't let anyone tell ye different, Lass" Scotty ordered. "Now get over to that bonnie fine ship o' yers and get back to work. There's no place for slackers among us Miracle Workers, is there nae?"

Sickbay, USS Explorer, Utopia Planetia

Three long time friends were sitting down in the Chief Medical Officer's office on the new ship that was going to be taking off on the five year mission to the Gamma Quadrant in a week. Spock, Scott, and McCoy were sitting there talking of all the things they'd seen that day. All of them, including McCoy, were in uniform. Scotty had taken his friends on a tour of the ship and they had ended up at Sickbay at the end of it.

"So what do you think?" Scotty asked with no small amount of pride.

"Why do they have to make ships so damn big these days?" McCoy groused. "And here I thought Sulu's Excelsior was a big ship way back when!"

"Progress generally means more largess, Dr. McCoy," Spock patiently pointed out. "Logically if we are to continue to be involved with Starfleet, we must expect change as a necessary element of our service."

"Still sounds like we're playing the old 'mine's bigger than yours' game," McCoy continued grumbling.

"You're just upset that you're taking more time than you thought to work out the kinks in the new muscle implants," Scotty pointed out with a grin.

"Just wait till you get to be my age physically," McCoy shot back. He sat back and took a sip of the Saurian Brandy that he'd brought aboard with him. He always had a drink of the stuff with his friends since it had been Jim's favorite. It was the real stuff, not that synthehol bilge they served in most service bars nowadays. Even Spock would have a snifter with them when they got together.

"The science labs are most impressive, Mr. Scott," Spock acknowledged. He knew that if allowed to, McCoy would go on in his attempt to complain about anything and everything. "As are the computer labs and quadruple redundant cores."

"Aye," Scotty said as he also took another sip of the brandy. Not like an aged Scotch, but the brandy was over 100 years old and exceptional. "I spent a lot of time looking over the recommendations of the Voyager crew in the various departments and where possible incorporated their ideas. That ship had a damn fine crew, if you ask me."

"Indeed," Spock agreed. "All but five have requested to join in this expedition, and the five who did not are already on deep space postings and unavailable. It speaks well of both Captain Janeway and Captain Chakotay." Janeway had reverted to Captain one week before, so Spock used her current rank in mentioning her.

"Do you ever miss being out there?" Bones asked curiously. In all the conversations he could recall with these two in the last few years, he didn't think they'd ever talked about that.

"Aye, all the time," Scotty admitted directly. There was nothing to be ashamed about in that. "But I only miss being on our Enterprise," he added. "There was something about the Old Girl that was special. When I was on Picard's Enterprise, the D, it never felt right. The E is the same way to me. Good ships, and excellent crews, but just not right, somehow."

"I, too, have been thinking of the past recently," Spock answered the question. "I believe, though, that it is the people I reminisce more about, than the ship necessarily."

"It's hard to believe that out of the seven of us, we're all that's left," McCoy observed. "Sulu died last year, and Uhura five years before that."

"And Chekov the year before Uhura," Scotty added sadly. He'd been glad to find all his friends still alive when he was rescued from the Jenolin, and had made a point of visiting all of them.

"As Jim said once, though, gallivanting around the cosmos is a game for the young," McCoy smiled at the memory. "And we're certainly not spring chickens anymore."

"Indeed," Spock said with a faint smile. "It would be a fascinating opportunity to join this crew, though, and explore the Gamma Quadrant."

"You did a good thing, Spock, helping Janeway out like this," McCoy complimented his friend.

"Aye," Scotty agreed. "She deserved better than what those bastards at Command did for her when Voyager returned. She no more should have been an Admiral than Jim should have been."

"And with the personal issues involved, she was on an emotionally self-destructive course," McCoy pointed out.

"Fortunately she married, and has at her side, Captain Chakotay," Spock added. Spock drained his snifter and stood, straightening his uniform tunic. "Shall we depart, gentlemen? I believe it is my turn to furnish dinner this evening."

"Italian?" McCoy asked. He loved the Italian restaurant they went to sometimes, and it had been a while.

"As you wish," Spock told his friends.

"And we're taking a shuttle, damn it," McCoy began grousing again. "I don't want anything to do with that damn transporter. These damn Admiral's pips ought to be good for something."

"Don't you be going on bad mouthing m' transporters, Doctor," Scotty could be heard retorting as they rounded the door and strode out into the corridor.

Main Bridge, USS Explorer, Utopia Planetia Spacedock

The day had finally arrived. Today the new ship and the large crew were leaving for the long term mission to the Gamma Quadrant. It had been a busy three months since the conversation between Admiral Spock and Kathryn Janeway, but all was made ready in the requisite time.

Kathryn had been very pleased with the response from their former crew and a large part of her former nervousness faded. She had always felt guilty, justified or not, about the decisions she had made on Voyager that directly affected the lives of her crew in a negative fashion. The decision to destroy the Caretaker array had always been high on that list. The fact that all but five were now on the new ship was heartening, and the other five had responded with regretful declines since they were too far away on assignment to be able to join them. She was especially pleased to see her former Senior Staff.

Tom of course was the First Officer for Chakotay and he seemed to be adjusting very well to the different size ship and the complexity of it all. B'Elanna was in her element as Chief Engineer and her deputy, Lieutenant Commander Miles O'Brien seemed to be a perfect fit for B'Elanna's department and style. Harry was now a Lieutenant Commander and the head of the Ops department, with his primary duty station back on the Bridge next to the helmsman. The two station front setting was different, but she could see the value of it. But that was Chakotay's worry, not hers, since most of her time would be spent on the science decks in the labs and her office. Seven had agreed to join the expedition and was placed in charge of the Astrometrics labs and Stellar Cartography, both of which were under Kathryn's direct supervision. Tuvok had seriously considered retiring from Starfleet, but had spent the last three years teaching at the Academy. Regardless of his intent on returning to Vulcan, he agreed to be Chakotay's Security Chief and Tactical Officer, while bringing T'Pel with him. Last, but certainly not least, was the Doctor. His sentience had been recognized and he had been given a commission of full Commander in the Starfleet Medical Corps. For the last three years he had been in charge of the Xeno-Medicine department at the SMC. He had been made the Chief Medical Officer of Explorer and had ten doctors and thirty nurses under his charge in the Medical Department. That didn't include the numerous medics and the Counseling Department that he also oversaw. Chakotay had been very careful in choosing all those posted to the Medical and Counseling departments as they would be working for a hologram, and there were some out there who just were not ready to accept that. It had been made clear that if trouble ensued, then they could pretty much kiss their careers goodbye.

What had really surprised Kathryn was that her Mother, Gretchen, and her sister, along with Phoebe's husband and children, were also coming along. Gretchen had wanted to be considered family for the mission since she was not ready to let Kathryn out of her sight just yet. Phoebe was interested in the various cultures that would be met so she could study the artistic side of things as her specialty was in art. Since her husband was a Lieutenant who was in security, his transfer was easily accomplished. Starfleet Command had been very accommodating. Kathryn had a sneaking suspicion that Admiral Spock must have called in a few long overdue favors and issued a few 'hints' that this was going to happen or else.

Kathryn had began her counseling three weeks before. Her counselor, who was also going to be heading the Counseling Department on Explorer, was Lieutenant Commander Ezri Dax. She was a wonderful woman who had the life experiences of a number of hosts to the Dax symbiote to draw from. Her prior posting on DS9 was an added bonus because of her familiarity with a number of Gamma Quadrant species. Kathryn had begun opening up about her personal issues surrounding Voyager and was starting to gain some further perspective on them. Only the other day she had opened up about her 'recreational' shore leaves while in the Delta Quadrant, and her couple of times being with the hologram Michael Sullivan. It was tough, though, and she knew that she would probably be seeking counseling for a long time to come. It wasn't just her inner demons that needed work, but her confidence as well. She knew how to make decisions and also how to assess situations. Mistakes could happen, and alternatives can be ignored at times, but her confidence was shaken at a much more fundamental level, and that was as a person, not as a Commanding Officer. There were issues to deal with on the latter, but the former was where the real work was to be focused.

"Captain Janeway to the Bridge," she heard over the intercom as she finished gathering her PADDs and notes. She was in her and Chakotay's quarters and she'd been planning on going to her office to meet with her section heads.

"Damn," she muttered. She tapped the comm badge. "On my way. Janeway out."

She made her way to the Bridge, still shaking her head at the size of the ship. She had always served on smaller vessels in her career, and while she had been on vessels of this size, never had she spent any real time on them. It would definitely take some getting used to. And all the people! Voyager had been a small community of 150, but now there were 1,000 people on this ship. When the turbolift doors opened onto the Bridge she stepped out, calm as could be, though inside she felt a small thrill of sorts.

"Interrupting anything important?" Chakotay asked with a smile. He'd wanted her up here for when they left dock and the solar system.

"Just delaying the morning meeting with my staff," she replied as she enjoyed the small hug he gave her with his right arm. He was comfortable like that, where she would have been too conscious of the public display. That was another change that she was now beginning to realize that no one really gave a damn about from within the crew. She saw that the Bridge crew, both their old Senior Bridge staff, as well as the new ones at the various stations that Voyage had not had, were smiling warmly.

She watched as the Bridge crew went about their business, responding to the orders given out by both Chakotay and Tom. As she watched the screen, she enjoyed the view of the ship moving from its moorings and then out of the solar system. It was quick considering the speeds now employed with the new engines that had eliminated the troublesome subspace issues that the older warp engines had caused. Looking about, she realized that this felt right. She was able to relax on the Bridge of a starship, something she had not been able to do in years. She was also not stressed about any meetings or reports. She also had observed Chakotay the last few days as he assumed command of the ship and proceeded to go through the myriad items on his agenda, yet he had not worked himself into the ground like she had and always seemed to be as on top of things as she had been on Voyager. It definitely gave her some things to think about.

"We've left the solar system and are free to navigate," the helm officer said from her console.

"Set a course for DS9 and proceed at warp 9," Chakotay ordered.

"Warp 9, aye," the helm officer acknowledged.

Chakotay turned to Kathryn. "I've got something to give you," he told her as he ushered her to the Ready Room. "You have the Bridge for a few minutes, Tom."

"Yes, Sir," Tom said as he took the center chair.

When they entered the Ready Room, Kathryn noticed that he had not decorated and only had one image on his desk, a holo of her taken on their honeymoon. He had told her that he did not intend to use the Ready Room much at all unless it was absolutely necessary, so he had not planned on adding any personal items. That was another difference between their styles. She had taken to heart that phrase 'Your second home' that had been told to her when she had been shown her Ready Room on Voyager for the first time. Chakotay disliked the idea of commanding from afar for any reason. His way seemed much more positive and realistic now that she was seeing the tangible results on a first hand basis.

Chakotay grabbed a PADD from his desk and handed it to her. "These are your orders," he told her. He held up a hand before she could question his phrasing. "I made an arrangement of my own in agreeing to this mission," he told her. "Read that and then we'll talk."

Kathryn sat down on the small couch and thumbed the PADD on. She quickly read the orders issued from both Command and Admiral Spock. It stated that if at anytime she felt comfortable with the idea of commanding a ship again, then the Explorer was to be hers to command. Until that time Chakotay was the rightful commanding officer. She looked up at him in confusion. "Why?" she asked.

"Because while this ship is on a long term exploratory mission, you and I have a new mission of our own," he explained.

She cocked her head in a bit of confusion. She was beginning to have an inkling of what he was getting at, but she wasn't sure. "And just what is that?" she asked as she looked at him with a bit more serious of a look.

He led them to the small couch and sat her down next to him. "Remember when I told you a certain legend a long time ago?" he asked.

An almost dreamy smile lit her face. "Vividly," she whispered. It was probably her most cherished memory of all the years that they had known each other, and easily her happiest moment in the Delta Quadrant. How could she ever forget that?

"I told you I would always be there to lighten your burden and stand by your side," he reiterated. "Somewhere along the way, Starfleet Officer Janeway lost sight of Kathryn Janeway the woman. That's a significant part of why you're having so much trouble now. The command facade is still there and allows you to do your job, but inside your not doing so well. Out here we're going to find the real Kathryn again, and blend her in with the Starfleet Officer. I'd be willing to bet that the finished product will be a better officer for it, and will be able to move forward with her self-confidence intact."

"And if I decide I like being a secondary officer and not a command officer?" she asked. She had to admit she enjoyed command, but the price she paid as a result of her narrow conceptions of command were too much in her present frame of mind. Her misery at the Admiralty was proof of that, and almost losing Chakotay when they finally got Voyager home had been shattering. Having to endure the debriefings had shown her in vivid detail how much her approach had been the cause of many problems.

"Then that's what you do," he said simply. "There's more than one way to serve, Kathryn. Hopefully this little jaunt of ours will get you back to where you feel that you have any number of choices and can be comfortable wherever you are. If that means we get back and you go back to Operations, then that's what happens. If you decide to stay in the sciences and most likely teach at the Academy, then so be it. This way, though, the choices are yours and you get to make the right one for you for all the right reasons."

Kathryn sat down on the small couch and held the PADD thoughtfully. She knew that he was right. Three years before she had been made an Admiral against her wishes, and while she was perfectly capable of doing the job, she had not been happy about it. She had too much baggage following her and it had intruded on what should have been a very happy time. Her marriage had eased a lot of her inner turmoil, but each day she had put on her uniform and went to her office, she had been reminded of what she had allowed herself to become on Voyager and it had not made her feel worthy of the accolades. Ezri had been right when she said that it wasn't about being able to do her job. Rather it was now about having a life she could enjoy. She should have allowed herself that life on Voyager, but had refused to do so. Then she found herself in a job she did not enjoy and was only going through the motions. Decisions were easy when hiding behind the command facade, regardless of how the decisions were made, but being able to feel good about yourself and the work you do was entirely different.

"I doubt you'll be losing the center chair, Chakotay," she said finally. There was a certain finality in her voice that she was sure he picked up on as she saw him nod slowly.

"Don't make that too final," he said cautiously. He was worried that she would make a firm decision on something like this and regret it, causing herself much the same anguish she now was trying to purge herself of.

She smiled. It was so like him to allow her a lot of latitude. "Maybe a bit of finality will make me see more clearly," she suggested. "I've been thinking of my Father a lot lately. He never lost sight of what was really important in life, and those things never interfered with his work and duty. I never considered that when we were out there. He also tried to show me how to follow my dreams and interests. I love the sciences and I moved away from them. Command is a wonderful experience, and an incredible adrenaline rush, but it didn't serve me, Kathryn, very well."

"You got us home, Kathryn," Chakotay pointed out.

"But I was also damn reckless at times, and that is a danger to everyone," she responded. "I like command, but I have one big character flaw. I take the idea of sacrifice too much to heart. Five years of being in charge of the science sections on an exploratory mission may be just what I need to get rid of that flaw and make me ready to be an Admiral, or any other kind of officer I want to be." She smiled again and got an evil look in her eyes. She looked up at him. "This does allow us to do something that I always wanted to do on Voyager, though," she informed him.

He cocked his head to the side. "Oh? What's that?" he asked.

"I was thinking we could call up a recreation of Voyager's Ready Room on the holodeck and have a 'disciplinary' meeting," she said with a purr of excitement in her voice.

He gulped as he took in the tone of her voice. "And my punishment would be?" he inquired in a voice that was a short octave higher than normal.

Kathryn glided over to him and curled into his side. "Making me scream in pure ecstasy," she told him matter of factly.

"I'll reserve a holodeck for right after dinner," he stammered. "Any idea how long this 'meeting' will be for?"

Kathryn chuckled huskily. "I'd say it's going to take several hours to get it right, Mister," she told him. "You've been a very bad boy lately. You're really going to have to work to get back in my good graces."

Chakotay smiled down at her. "I can hardly wait," he told her.

Five Years Later, Office of Admiral Spock, Director of Deep Space Exploration, Starfleet Command

Admiral Spock and Admiral Scott were waiting for Janeway and Chakotay to arrive. The Explorer had arrived back from her mission to the Gamma Quadrant two weeks before, and the debriefings had concluded that morning. Spock had sent word that he wished to see the two of them.

Sadly, Admiral McCoy had passed away the year before. He had been keeping tabs on this mission from the start and would have enjoyed seeing the return of these two individuals. Spock regretted the loss of his friend and verbal sparring partner.

"They're here, Admiral," Spock's new aide said over the comm.

"Send them in please," he ordered. He and Scott stood to greet them.

Vice-Admiral Kathryn Janeway and Vice-Admiral Chakotay walked into the office. Janeway had opted to resume her flag rank with the return of Explorer, and Chakotay had been promoted to matching rank. Both were now to be the Commanding Officers of the fleet of starships that were going to be regularly in the Gamma Quadrant. Janeway had not assumed command of the ship while they were in the Gamma Quadrant, having enjoyed her five years as a science officer. She had learned a lot about herself, and was now comfortable with the idea of having a command position. The only proviso she had insisted on was that Chakotay be of equal rank as her, and that they share the command. The Admiralty had accepted that, though there were some raised brows.

"It is good to see you both," Spock said to them.

Scott nodded in agreement. "Aye," he said with a grin. "And you brought that ship back in fine fiddle, too."

"Would it be in any other shape with B'Elanna in charge of Engineering?" Kathryn asked. "You picked the perfect title for her with that name plate, Admiral Scott."

"Mr. Scott and I would like to take you to dinner this evening," Spock told his two friends. "We want to hear about your time in the Gamma Quadrant personally, as opposed to the reports you submitted. I would also be interested in hearing of how the other mission that you embarked upon turned out."

Kathryn smiled warmly. "It would be our pleasure," Kathryn answered for them. The she looked at Spock directly and said in a warm, but focused manner "If you ever have any other missions for us, we are always at your disposal. A new mission was just what I needed. Thank you."

Spock could see the changes in Janeway. Her stance and voice held a great deal more certainty and confidence than when he last saw her. "You are most welcome, Admiral Janeway," he told her politely.