Title: Louder than Words

Synopsis: Chakotay's past as a Maquis catches up to him upon Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant. Kathryn refuses to let him deal with this alone, and sets out to do everything in her power to help him. Some actions do speak louder than words…Meanwhile, Seven sets out on a mission of her own: finding the Borg Resistance.

Janeway/Chakotay romance, angst, post-Endgame, post-series, Seven/Axum

Rating: Teen

Disclaimer: The characters and the Star Trek Universe are the property of CBS and Paramount, this is for entertainment only! Though I wish it otherwise, I make no money from this! No infringement intended.

Author's notes: This all started with a simple and innocuous premise: what would happen if Starfleet had not pardoned the Maquis aboard Voyager upon their return to Earth? Simple enough, right? So I thought. But then the characters took over, and they had a lot of things to feel and say… One page led to another and, well, here we are, with another novel-length story.

Pairing: This story is Janeway/Chakotay-centric, but I really liked Seven's relationship with Axum in Unimatrix 0, so this story revisits this relationship. That said, since C/7 is the hand the writers dealt us at the end of the series, the first few chapters also deal with that and work as a kind of "fix-it" where Janeway, Chakotay and Seven deal with the repercussions of Voyager's return to Earth. So keep in mind that if there is some mention of C/7, it's ultimately with the view of benefitting a Janeway/Chakotay romance. So just bear with me!

Without further ado, settle down in your favorite chair, grab a drink of your favorite poison, and I hope you enjoy!

PART I: THE EDGE OF FREEDOM

Chapter 1: Prologue

The air was an invigorating kind of cold. A thin layer of icy snow covered the ground and crunched beneath Kathryn's feet, but the howling wind had long cleared the sky of any lingering clouds. The setting sun cast its orange light against the pink, red and rusty colored cliffs and bluffs that seemed to hover above the horizon in the distance, giving the illusion of a powerful, all-consuming blaze.

Kathryn took a moment to take in the beauty of this awe-inspiring and uncompromising place; the rocky hills of snow-covered bushes, the high rises of the buffs and plateaus in the distance. She breathed in the crisp air sweetened by the scent of pine-like trees nearby.

As she stood there, in the place that Chakotay had once called home, she thought she could conceive an entirely new side of him, a part she had only glimpsed once, a long time ago, when shared quarantine had brought them closer. Being here, it suddenly made sense to her: why all those years ago, before they had met, he had been ready to give up his Starfleet ambitions, betray the Federation, and even give his life for a fight that she hadn't truly understood until she had met him. It had been to honor his people, his father. To protect this place, the people who lived there, and the history of hardship, forced removal – and ultimately resilience and community – that it represented.

And recently, this history had entangled Cardassians, Federation colonists and Maquis into a bloody and dirty conflict. There were no outward signs of it, but Kathryn knew that not all scars were on the surface: some of them were carried within.

"Captain, do you read me?"

Kathryn startled at the sound of her combadge. "I read you loud and clear, Tom."

"I'm in position, and ready when you are."

"Give me a few minutes."

"Understood."

She flipped up the collar of her jacket, fighting the cold-induced shiver that rippled through her as she turned to face the building that stood behind her. It was a simple house, inviting, but simple, built in a style that reminded Kathryn of square adobe dwellings that, once upon a time, had covered the southwest region of the United States. It looked so… real. And welcoming. Nothing like the drab walls and corridors of her new Starfleet quarters in San Francisco. Couldn't Starfleet have come up with something a little bit more cheerful?

Kathryn shook herself and walked to the door. Uncertain about how her presence here would be received, she had to let out a steadying breath before she knocked.

It took a moment before the door swung open, and Kathryn had to redirect her gaze downward to look at the dark-eyed boy of 8 or 9 who had opened the door. He stared at Kathryn for a moment – his wide eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"Hello," Kathryn greeted smilingly.

When he didn't reply, Kathryn bowed at the waist slightly to be at eye-level with him. It didn't escape her notice when he took a small step back at the sight of the Starfleet insignia on her coat. Considering that neither the Federation nor Starfleet had a great reputation in these parts of the quadrant, Kathryn mentally kicked herself for wearing her uniform down here. It could be taken as an affront, and that was the last thing she wanted. She raised her hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm not going to hurt you, young man. I'm here to see-"

"Nim, how many times do I have to tell you this is not the time for your friends to come ov-"

The woman's voice faltered when she appeared behind the boy, and met Kathryn's eyes in a mix of surprise and suspicion. Kathryn straightened up as the woman told the boy to go back inside, to which he complied reluctantly.

"Please forgive my intrusion," Kathryn said as she raised her hands non-threateningly. "Are you Takayla?" She studied the dark-haired woman, searching for any resemblance, any hint in her features that she was the one she had come to see. Even though the younger woman's eyes were lighter-colored – hazel – and her face was more slender, more delicate, there was definitely something in her expression and the twist of her mouth that couldn't deny the kinship.

The woman, about the same height as Kathryn, held up her chin and gave a stern nod. "You are. What can I do for you?" Her tone was suspicious and defiant, but Kathryn sensed a real curiosity in the way her eyes studied her face.

"I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway. I'm here about your brother-"

The younger woman paled, her hand gripping the doorframe for support. "Don't tell me he's…"

"Oh no!" Kathryn was quick to reassure her, mortified by the misunderstanding. She just couldn't stop making faux pas today, first with the uniform and now with her poor choice of words! "Chakotay is alive and well."

"Oh thanks be to the ancestors!" Takayla, Chakotay's sister, replied on a relieved sigh. She shook herself after a second and tightened her cardigan around herself against the cold. "It's cold out, you'd better come inside."

Kathryn nodded gratefully; her feet had already started to feel a pinch from the icy temperatures.

They walked into the warmth of the kitchen area, and Takayla offered to make some coffee, which Kathryn gratefully accepted as she glanced around with a mix of curiosity and private delight. The house had all of the niceties of 24th-century technology, but Kathryn loved the way Takayla had an actual fire going in the fireplace. Paper books filled a wall-covering bookshelf in a living room area, and patterned rugs covered the rust-colored floor tiles. As comfortable and at ease as Chakotay was on a starship, it was easy to imagine him growing up in a house like this – cozy, warm.

Like him.

Takayla's voice brought Kathryn back to her mission here. "Janeway, you said?"

"That's right."

"Of course! Sorry, I was too stunned to make the connection right away," Takayla nodded, her back to Kathryn, as she prepared the beverages. "Chak has told me about you in his messages over the last couple of years – far and in between as they were. I must say I've been quite curious to meet you." She turned to face her and while a part of Kathryn was still trying to wrap her brain around Chakotay as 'Chak,' she found herself at the receiving end of a clever and searching gaze. The resemblance struck Kathryn again, this time in the curious – knowing – glint in the woman's eyes. Takayla leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. "But that can wait for now. I don't mean to be impolite, but why are you here today, and without my brother?"

Kathryn nodded. "Takayla, Chakotay needs your help. It's why I'm here."

Takayla's expression darkened into a frown, but she continued to hold Kathryn's gaze. "With what?"

"I'm afraid his Maquis past has finally caught up to him. He's…" Kathryn had to swallow the sudden lump in her throat. "He's been arrested. He's to stand trial in a few days." Kathryn cleared her throat when her voice cracked despite her best intentions to stay composed. "I was hoping you could point me to someone you trust, to represent him in a Starfleet court of law. Now I understand that you are a counselor yourself, and I would ask you, but it would probably be a conflict of interest-"

Takayla handed the cup of coffee to Kathryn. "Not according to Starfleet regulations 4800.2a."

Kathryn blinked in surprise as she took the offered mug. "What do you mean?"

"It stipulates that 'Starfleet will allow the defendant to be represented according to the laws of the said defendant's natal world, if it is so decided by the aforementioned defendant.' And here, on our world, it is entirely the defendant's choice to determine who will speak on their behalf." She gave a small shrug at Kathryn's impressed stare. "I was trained at a Federation university."

If Kathryn hadn't been convinced before that Takayla herself would be an appropriate choice to represent Chakotay, she was now. B'Elanna had been right about her. She only hoped that Chakotay would forgive her for this. Kathryn leaned over the table to meet Takayla's gaze, her expression earnest. "Will you do it?"

"Did he send you?"

Kathryn was a little taken aback by the question. It suddenly occurred to her that she actually knew very little of Chakotay's current relationship with her – all he had ever told her had been about their childhood – and it suddenly dawned on her that she could be opening an entirely different can of worms by being here – when he'd expressly told her it might not be a good idea. The last thing she wanted to do was insert herself into Chakotay's family business. But Kathryn needed someone she could trust, and B'Elanna had had nothing but good things to say about Takayla. Besides, she'd come this far. "No. As a matter of fact he doesn't know I'm here. Will this affect your decision?"

Takayla 'hmmed' in response, her gaze still scrutinizing Kathryn's expression with a mix of curiosity and something akin to mischief. "I'll do it," Takayla declared eventually, and Kathryn released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "What are they charging him with?"

Kathryn held her breath. "Treason."

oooOooo

Ta ta taaaa…! ;-)

A/N: You'll notice I've taken some liberties with Chakotay's past for the purpose of this story, especially his relationship with his sister – who I believe is only mentioned in one episode (Author, Author). It has been pointed out to me that in the novels Chakotay's sister is named Sekeya. I haven't read the novels, and I don't know if they're considered canon or not, but for the purpose of this story, imagine this is an alternate timeline or something!

I'm also taking some liberties with Starfleet's judicial system with the introduction of the Justice Inquirer General (it'll come up soon enough) as a kind of analog (but purely fictitious version) to the US Navy JAG corps (an entirely fictitious one, mind). So I hope you'll forgive these liberties, and hopefully I won't stray too far from the spirit of the characters and the Star Trek universe. I should also point out that I have not seen DS9, so I apologize in advance if I steer away from the canon Maquis storyline.