Title: Arrow of Diana
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Author: Captain Nora Jones
Rating: T
Summary: A holodeck program is playing with the Captain's personality. Can Chakotay figure it out before something bad happens? This has been rewritten without the chapters so please read from beginning to end
Disclaimer: I don't own them; I just play with them, and give them back.
Feedback: Yes please.
An arrow whizzed past his head and disappeared into nothing as it went out the holodeck doors. He had deserved that, and he knew it. His would be assailant was nowhere to be seen; she was a good student.
Cautiously, he crept further into the holodeck. He listened patiently for her to make a mistake and give away her position. Part of him knew this wasn't a game, but the other part of him wondered if she had lost her mind. She had, after all, been spending more and more time in this program. In some ways the forest she had created had reminded him of the Flodder stories, but this one was darker.
A giggle issued from a tree above him, and he turned to look but she wasn't there. He wanted to call out her name and tell her to be serious, but he had started this.
"When was the last time you booted up that old holonovel of yours?" Chakotay asked as Kathryn was rubbing the ever-encroaching exhaustion from her eyes.
"Which one? Which holographic character that I fell head over heels for?" she replied bitterly.
"Maybe it's time to create a new holoprogram? One just for you," he said cautiously.
"Maybe."
"What have you always wanted to learn?"
"Huh?"
"What have you always wanted to learn?" he repeated. "I know you're curious about everything."
"I've always wanted to learn to shoot a bow and arrow. I guess I have never asked the right person."
"Well I guess I would be the right person," he said with a dimpled smile. "I'll meet you in the holodeck after this shift."
"You've got a deal," she smiled.
Yes, he knew he should have sent her to her quarters to rest that day, but he wanted to feed her curiosity. Another arrow hit the dirt near his left foot. He had to find her before one of her arrows found him.
There wasn't much in the holodeck when she strolled in after her shift. Just a target, a bow, a quiver of arrows and her first officer.
"Welcome to archery 101," he said with a grin.
"Teach away Commander."
And teach her he did. At first she could only hit the side of the target. He surveyed her posture and the way she drew the bow.
"I have an idea," he said. "Computer modify bow for left handed use."
The computer beeped and she fixed him with a stare.
"You do know that I'm right handed, right?"
"I know I'm just curious."
She drew the bow, got used to aiming the other way, and released. The arrow sunk two inches into the middle of the target.
"How did you?" she asked amazed.
"My father had the same trouble with his," Chakotay smiled.
He wished they had stopped with just target practice, but he had, of course, moved her along to moving targets. Then there was this forest, that was her idea. Chakotay was surprised that she had no qualms with killing living things. Now he was the living thing.
He knew she had a fondness for climbing trees; it was something that held over from her childhood. The trajectory of the arrows told him that she could move swiftly from one to the next.
"She probably programmed it that way," he thought as an arrow nicked his ear and kept going. A little bit of blood trickled down his neck, staining his collar. Now he knew he had to find her. It was find her or die trying.
He remembered the first time he had found her in this forest.
"Computer, locate Captain Janeway."
"Captain Janeway is in holodeck two," the computer chirped.
"Good," Chakotay thought. "She's getting some practice in."
He entered the holodeck and a low whistle escaped his lips. There before him was a forest of; well he wasn't sure what it was, besides trees. It wasn't quite jungle and it wasn't quite forest, but a mix of both.
"Kathryn!" He called, but received no answer. "Computer, are the safety protocols still in place?"
"Affirmative."
That was a load off his mind. At least she wasn't going to be injured by her prey.
He wandered until he came to a large tree at what seemed to be the center of the forest. At the base lay the Captain's heeled boots.
"Kathryn!" He called again.
A chuckle drifted down from the tree and he looked up. There perched on a branch high above him was his Captain.
"For a hunter you're not a very good tracker," she teased.
"Who said anything about hunting?" he asked. "I thought you were getting in some target practice?"
"I was," she said. "But the Borg holograms don't move nearly fast enough."
That was all it took, somewhere in her a hunter was born. Chakotay shivered as he moved knowing that her eyes were constantly on him, though he could not see her. His Captain had become a wild woman, and made this jungle her home. He had to get to her, convince her of who she was, and convince her that Voyager was her home.
Suddenly she was there, standing, well sort of standing, more like crouching in the middle of the path. The Captain Chakotay once knew was barely visible. Somewhere along the way she had doffed her uniform and traded it for a pair of brown pants and a short brown tunic. Her feet were bare and raw from climbing through the treetops. Her normally well-kept hair was matted and tangled with leaves and twigs. In her hand was the same bow and arrows she had begun with. The bow was drawn tight with an arrow notched.
"Who are you?" she asked gruffly.
"You know who I am Kathryn," Chakotay said.
"Kathryn? Diana. My name is Diana."
"The Earth Goddess of the hunt," Chakotay thought. "How appropriate."
"Tell me Diana," he said playing along. "What do they call this place?"
"It is my home," she said never letting the bow string slack. "Called Whispering Woods."
"Why is that?"
"The trees," she said. "They whisper things only the wind can hear."
Chakotay took a cautious step toward her. Her whole body tensed.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said.
"Why have you come here?" she asked quickly.
"I'm looking for someone," Chakotay said thinking fast.
"Who?"
"A woman named Kathryn Janeway. Do you know her?"
Slowly she nodded her head, then shook her head and said,
"She's dead."
"I don't believe that," Chakotay said stepping closer.
"Stay away from me."
"Come back to me Kathryn."
"Stay back or I'll fire."
"Kathryn."
She let the arrow go.
"Computer freeze program."
The arrow halted a centimeter from his heart. She stood shocked, her mouth open and her hand half way to the quiver on her back.
"It's not real Kathryn," he said softly. "None of this is real."
The bow clattered to the ground and she fell to her knees. He rushed to her side. He lifted her chin and her face appeared through the tangles of hair.
"Kathryn, it's me. It's Chakotay."
"Cha-ko-tay," her mouth moved over the unfamiliar word. Then her eyes got wide, she stared at him, and then her eyes rolled back in her head as she passed out. Chakotay caught her before her face hit the dirt. He didn't want anyone to see his Captain like that.
"Chakotay to Torres," he said pushing his COM badge.
"Torres here."
"I need a site to site transport."
"Where to?"
"Sickbay. Energize."
They appeared in sickbay and Chakotay thought he had never seen the Doctor look so astonished.
"What the devil?" the hologram asked.
"I will try to explain," Chakotay said and he recounted the last month or two to the Doctor.
"So now she thinks she's an ancient Greek goddess?"
"I'm not so sure about that, but there is definitely another personality. I know I have made her angry before, but the real Captain Janeway wouldn't try to take my ear off."
"Don't be so sure about that Commander," the Doctor said with a sly smile.
"Can you wake her?" Chakotay asked sternly.
"Of course."
Kathryn's eyes fluttered open.
"Where am I?" she asked confusion in her voice.
"You are in sickbay," the Doctor said. "Do you know who you are?"
"I'm not quite sure," she said.
"Do you know who I am?"
"You're the Doctor and that's Commander Chakotay."
"Very good," the Doctor smiled.
"I'm not sure I understand what happened."
"You don't remember anything?" Chakotay asked.
"I remember target practice. You made my bow left handed and I hit the bull's-eye."
"And the forest?"
"What forest?"
"The forest you created on the holodeck. You don't remember it?"
"No."
"Kathryn, you don't remember anything you've done on the holodeck for the last month?" Chakotay asked concern growing in his chest.
"No, I don't. Chakotay what's going on?"
"I'm not sure, but I will find out. Stay here."
"What!"
"Captain, I suggest you do what the Commander says until we understand why you've blanked out the memories of the holodeck."
Slowly she nodded.
"I'm baffled," B'Elanna said. "I have scanned this holoprogram from stem to stern and it's no different than any other."
"Something has to be wrong with it," Chakotay said from the next console over.
"Chakotay, is it possible you've released something suppressed in the Captain?"
"I've considered that, but she wouldn't lose her judgment, let alone her identity."
"Well I guess the only thing left to do is inspect the program from the inside."
"I guess."
Chakotay followed B'Elanna into the holodeck. The forest was no different than when he had left it earlier.
"Like the jungle on Kessik Nine," B'Elanna muttered.
Chakotay nodded in agreement. There was something not right about these woods, holographic or not. Suddenly B'Elanna stopped.
"What is it?" Chakotay asked.
"Something moved up there."
The safety protocols were still in place, but that didn't ease the tension growing between Chakotay's shoulder blades. He didn't like this; he didn't like it at all.
B'Elanna suddenly fell to the ground next to him, an arrow in her left shoulder.
"What the hell!" she fumed her Klingon side getting the better of her.
Chakotay grabbed her and drug her under a large tree.
"Well you were right about one thing, there is definitely someone here."
"You think?" B'Elanna spat at the pain.
Chakotay peered around the tree and an arrow whizzed past his face. Whoever they were meant to kill them.
"Computer end program."
"Unable to comply."
Chakotay swore under his breath. He looked around the tree again. This time no arrows but an elegant woman standing in the path.
"These are my woods," she said her voice melodious yet hard.
"We do not wish to harm you," Chakotay said.
"Yet you try and destroy my home."
"Please, we just want to know about it. It is affecting our Captain and-"
"My most loyal servant. I gave her my name."
Now Chakotay understood. He wasn't dealing with a human character; this was Diana, the Goddess of the Hunt, or at least a holographic representation of her.
"My Lady," Chakotay said kneeling. "I mean no disrespect to you or your home, but the Captain's place is with me and her people."
"You love her then?"
Chakotay blushed and said nothing.
"Answer me, mortal," she said drawing her bow.
"Yes, yes I do. I suppose I always have," he said. She was supposed to be the goddess of the hunt, what did love have to do with it?
"You want her back? Then you must tell her this."
"I have told her. It was her that built back up the walls, put the parameters in place, not me."
She looked deep into his dark eyes, as if trying to read his soul. She nodded and said,
"Then I will call her to you," she said and focused on a point beyond Chakotay. "She comes."
He heard the hiss of the holodeck doors and the objections of the Doctor.
"Captain, you cannot go in there until the Commander and B'Elanna finish their diagnostic."
"It's alright Doctor," Chakotay called. "Let her come in. Please attend to B'Elanna."
The Doctor grumbled something about medical protocol and helped hoist B'Elanna to her feet.
"Should I send for Lt. Tuvok?" the Doctor asked at the door.
"No, I will be fine. Thank you."
The Doctor left with B'Elanna in tow and the Captain fell to her knees,
"What do you wish of me, my Lady?"
"You are troubled, Diana?"
The Captain nodded.
"Is it he that troubles you?"
The Captain blushed and nodded again.
"He is a good man. You are no longer in need of me."
"But-"
"No, Kathryn," the hologram said addressing her by her real name. "Hear what he has to tell you. Then delete this program. That's an order."
"Yes, my Lady."
Their attention turned to Chakotay. He swallowed. Never in his dreams did he think he would say what he wanted to say to her, let alone in front of someone else.
"Um…"
"I'll be on the hunt," the hologram said and disappeared into the trees.
Chakotay swallowed again and looked into the pair of blue eyes that were transfixed on him.
"I- I have to know Kathryn, do you love me?" he managed.
She blushed and brushed her tangled tresses out of her face.
"Yes. I always have."
He smiled and sighed. Then a thought flew through his brain.
"Can you love me back?"
She bit her lower lip.
"I have put up walls between us, haven't I?"
Chakotay nodded.
"I can't stand it any longer, Chakotay. Why do you think I made this program?"
"To trap me?"
"To tell you. To tell you how your smile makes my heart race. How I can barely control my breathing when I sit next to you on the bridge. How every time you enter my ready room I want to rush across the room, throw you to the floor and have my way with you." She covered her mouth and blushed so much her face matched her hair.
He reached out gently and put his hand on her face. She smiled.
"Kathryn, I love you so much. I have kept my distance on your wishes, but if you do not wish it-"
"I don't, not anymore," she whispered.
Their lips touched. At first it was soft, exploratory, then it escaladed into full-blown passion. She led him backward until his back hit a tree. He put his leg between her's and she groaned with pleasure and pent up feelings.
"Let's take this to my place," she said in deep tones. She pushed her badge. "Harry," she ordered. "I need a site to site transport. The Commander and I to my quarters."
"Aye, Captain," came Harry's response and Chakotay could have sworn he heard Tom chuckling in the back round.
"Computer delete program. Harry, energize."
The forest faded, the holodeck was lost in a blue light and Chakotay was lost in a pair of blue eyes.