The Beginning or end? of a Beautiful Friendship

by JMEL

Our two heroes meet briefly on three occasions throughout the story. My story is complete and it is left to the reader to put their own interpretation on future events.

This story [my first attempt at fan fiction] and rated mostly K is set at a time after the death of Kathryn's father and fiancé and her transfer from Science to Command tracks. All Voyager characters are owned by Paramount and Kathryn's fictional family by Jeri Taylor – the altered storyline is my idea of how I would have liked to see the story unfold [with the exception of scripted parts from the "Caretaker" pilot and other early episodes of the first series] plus scripted parts from DS9 but I apologize in advance if I have used anything previously written in fan fiction as I cannot remember every story I have read: no plagiarism is intended.

The Beginning [or end?] of A Beautiful Friendship

It was some time since Captain Kathryn Janeway had undertaken her first starship command since being 'put down' by Tuvok at a debriefing which resulted in her being desk bound as a Lt Cmdr for longer than she'd anticipated. She hated inactivity and thus partially [though silently] blamed Tuvok for causing it. Finally handed a new short mission along with a fourth pip, she discovered to her initial horror that the Vulcan was part of her crew. With little choice, she began to get to know the stoic man and they ended the tour as friends – a situation which grew stronger as the years went by.

When the Federation-Cardassian pact was signed all seemed well until the Cardassian's broke the rules by encroaching into the demilitarised zone and killing thousands of inhabitants while razing planets to the ground with their scorched earth. Policy. This created The Maquis, bent on revenge for the death and destruction of their homelands. The Federation could not be seen to take sides in this situation, despite some feeling that a grave error had been made in co-signing the agreement.

Now, six months since returning from her latest mission, Kathryn once again found herself sitting at a desk in Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco reading through the latest batch of Padds to arrive that day. Most of what she had read had been boring and mundane and she was starting to feel fatigued. Suddenly, her vid-com bleeped and she heard…..

"Captain, would you please come to Admiral Paris' office right away?"

"On my way; Janeway out."

She switched off the machine and stood up, stretching after having been seated for so long. Under her desk, her faithful 5-year-old red setter, Molly, who accompanied her to the office most days, started to move. Kathryn leaned down and patted her.

"No, Molly. Stay. Good girl."

She took the nearest turbo-lift to the upper floor of the building housing the Starfleet "brass" and walked along to Admiral Paris' office, idly wondering why he wanted to see her. She buzzed the outer doors which slid open to admit her.

The young officer acting as aide to the Admiral said: "You can go right in, ma'am."

"Thank you, Ensign."

Again, doors slid open to allow her entrance to the 'inner sanctum'. She immediately stood at attention in front of Admiral Owen Paris.

He studied her for a moment, looking quite serious, before smiling and saying: "At ease, Captain. Take a seat."

She did so, and having served under him for two years as a junior officer she felt she knew the admiral quite well and that it was not out of place to ask:

"Is something wrong, sir?"

"Not at all, Kathryn. I was merely trying to access your thoughts, but I'm not empathic, unfortunately."

"Not always a good things to be, sir," she said and smiled.

"True – so tell me; are you climbing the walls of your office yet?" "I'm trying not to, but I must admit to getting itchy feet."

"You want to be up there amongst the stars – which is where you should be."

"I don't think my fiancé would agree, admiral. He's become used to having me around these past six months."

"And how would he feel if we sent you off somewhere for a few weeks?"

"We have an understanding relationship. He knows that part of my heart belongs to Starfleet, at least for the next few years. One day we might settle down to marriage, but that's a while away yet."

"That's all I needed to know because we have a possibly short but none-the-less important mission for you to undertake if you're ready for it."

"I'm ready for whatever you might need of me, sir, so just point me in the right direction."

"Can you clear your decks and be ready to report to Planitia Utopia by 0600 on Monday?"

If this question startled Kathryn, she did not show it – her command training standing her in good stead.

"I think 48 hours is enough time to do what I need to do, Admiral. Can you give me any further information?"

"I'll tell you all you need to know on Sunday when you've had time to say your farewells to family and friends. What you don't know beforehand they can't question you about."

"Understood, sir."

"Good. Now go home and do what you have to do – I'll contact you on Sunday."

After collecting Molly from her office and dismissing her aide, Kathryn walked to her apartment in the grounds of the large establishment. She could have transported, but Molly did not take well to having her molecules shattered. She was naturally curious but knew she would have to be patient. Her first task on arrival – after feeding and watering Molly and replicating the essential cup of coffee – was to contact her mother at home in Bloomington, Indiana.

Gretchen Janeway guessed from her older daughter's body language that something important had happened, but was too much "Starfleet" to ask questions she knew Kathryn would not be able to answer.

"You don't need to say a word, honey. I've been anticipating you going away again ever since you came back six months ago so I assume that's what you have to tell me."

"Yes, mom – but that's ALL I can tell you, because I really don't know any more myself other than I leave on Monday."

"Have you told Mark?"

"Not yet – I thought I'd call you first just to break the ice. I'm coming home for 24 hours but have to be back here for my mission briefing on Sunday."

"I look forward to seeing you, Katie. What will you do with Molly?"

"I hope Mark will take her for me, but if not..."

"Say no more. You know we'll have her here for as long as you're away."

"Bless you. "I'll see you tomorrow morning when I've had a talk with Mark. 'bye, mom."
"'bye, honey."

She and Mark [previously Hobbes] Johnson had become firm friends after her father died and, though not living in the same place, shared a happy and intimate life when they got together. Kathryn had agreed to get engaged to him over two years ago more out of friendship than love but the situation seemed to satisfy him as he knew he had no other 'rivals' than Starfleet.

When he arrived at her apartment that Friday evening and she broke the news to him, he was none-too-pleased. Although he had known she would one day return to space, he hoped it would be further into the future.

"How long will you be away?"

"Even if I knew, I couldn't tell you, honey, but judging by Owen's few words, I would say not long. I'm sure you can find enough to keep you occupied while I'm gone."

"I do have a few dives on the back burner, but I'll still miss you like crazy."

"Me, too. I need to know if you can take Molly for me, though."

"It would be better if she went to Indiana this time as I'm not sure I'll be at home for the next week or so."

"Fair enough – shall we eat?"

When they had finished dinner and were sitting together on the couch, Molly tried her usual trick of trying to squeeze between them but Mark roughly pushed her away. "For God's sake, dog, go get in your basket!"

Molly slunk away with her tail between her legs and Kathryn turned to him in anger. "There's no need to take it out on the dog, Mark. It's not her fault Starfleet are sending me out."

"Sorry, but this has come as a bit of a shock to me out of the blue. You know I love you and hope all goes well for whatever 'Fleet has in mind for you."

"It was a surprise to me, too, but I'm under orders so I do what I'm told. I love you, too, so let's not fight for the short time we have left."

Later, as they left the living area and went to the bedroom, Mark leaned down and stroked Molly by way of apology. When Kathryn was on her own, the dog slept in a basket in the bedroom, but was clearly aware that she had to stay where she was on this occasion.

After making love, which Kathryn always enjoyed with Mark, they slept well and the following morning after breakfast he left, once again wishing her a successful tour. A little while later, Kathryn packed a few overnight things in a bag and took a hover car she had hired the day before to transport her and Molly to Bloomington.

The 24 hours she spent with her mother and sister, Phoebe, seemed to fly by and in no time at all she was making the return trip to San Francisco, leaving two tearful "Janeways" and a puzzled-looking dog in her wake. She was loaded up with her favourite dessert – chocolate brownies – to take with her wherever she was going. Although she had tried, Kathryn had never been able to replicate her mother's recipe.

She now had to wait for the Admiral's call, giving her the information she needed. This came early on Sunday afternoon and was encrypted because of the open com link.

"There will be sealed orders at Utopia", he told her but I need to give you an outline. I had a call from the Starfleet chief a few days ago telling me that Tuvok had gone "under cover" on a Maquis ship to sniff out as much information as he could."

"Was this the first you had heard of it, sir?"

"Yes – you know how tight-lipped Nachayev can be and it was probably as well not too many people knew about it."

"So how does this involve me?" Kathryn asked.

"Apparently, he was supposed to check in at a regular time but has missed two calls so we need to find out where he is. The latest we have is that a Cardassian warship chased a badly-damaged Maquis ship into the Badlands. We believe from their intelligence that this is the one Tuvok is on and if so could explain why we've heard nothing from him."

"It sounds feasible that you want to send a ship to search but – and correct me if I'm wrong, sir – we don't have a ship capable of negotiating the plasma storms in the Badlands."

"You obviously haven't done your homework on that, Kathryn. Does the name "Voyager" mean anything to you?"

"Voyager – of course. I knew she was nearing completion in dry dock and did sneak a peek at the schematics a few months ago."

"Well, she's fitted with up-to-date equipment more than capable of getting into the Badlands and we want you to command her to look for our Vulcan friend. We can't waste any more time, because Vulcan High Command have somehow got wind of the fact that their prize officer might be involved."

"Does Admiral Nachayev know I'm being offered this mission, sir?"

"Not only does she know – it was her idea and I quickly told her that she couldn't have picked a better Captain."

"I'm honoured, but I know nothing of the area and there's not a lot of time for me to become acquainted with it."

"Fortunately, you will have someone on board who does know about plasma storms and can guide your pilot through."

"Who is it, Admiral?"

The old man hesitated for a moment then said: "My son, Tom. You no doubt know his history concerning a piloting accident but since then he has been involved with the Maquis and was intercepted by a Starfleet ship while he was on a supply run and stupidly fired on them before trying to outrun them. He ended up in New Zealand with an 18-month sentence."

"I'm sorry – for your sake and his – but how does he make it onto Voyager?"

"He's been offered early release if he helps to find the Maquis ship we're seeking and he jumped at the chance. He'll be escorted to DS9 from New Zealand to await your arrival from dry-dock. She's as fully crewed as need be for this trip and waiting for you to lead her."

After signing off, Kathryn's immediate task was to access the Voyager schematics and study as much of them as she could, wishing for the umpteenth time that she had an eidetic memory. She got very little sleep that night and after packing what she thought she might need she reported to the transport station and was quickly despatched to the large dry dock at Utopia Planitia on Mars, remembering the time when she had visited the planet as a child with her father.

She was directed to her new ship where the crew was waiting to welcome her, including first officer Commander Cavitt. She had met him before but had never served with him. The remaining crew were all strangers to her. Some were older hands but a few in Engineering were straight from the Academy, along with a very green Ensign at Ops by the name of Harry Kim. She went to her new Ready Room and opened the sealed orders, which instructed her to search for and rescue Tuvok before putting Voyager through a shakedown cruise on the way back to Earth.

Having carefully digested everything, Kathryn took her place on the bridge and gave the order to depart for DS9 to await the next stage of the mission. An hour after they docked at the remote Space Station, Tom Paris, sporting a rough beard and wearing a red command uniform bearing two pips was shown to her Ready Room.

"Mr Paris – welcome aboard Voyager – but I think we can do away with the rank unless you know something that I don't."

She held out her left hand and he placed the two gold buttons onto her palm.

"Can't blame a man for trying, Captain."

"Indeed – I'd also appreciate it if you return to your quarters and remove the beard before we continue. Dress code on my bridge is by the book."

"Yes, ma'am."

When he returned all was in order and she asked him to take a seat.

"I understand from your father that you are an expert on plasma storms in the Badlands."

"Hardly an expert, but I know my way around."

"That's all we ask of you. We are looking for a Maquis ship on which a Starfleet officer is working under cover and has failed to report in. We have been given what we believe to be its last position by the Cardassians and need you to assist our pilot."

"Assist? Hell, I'm the best pilot you can have."

"You will ASSIST us, Mr Paris. If you lead us to the correct spot, your duty is done and you will be free to go your way when we return to Earth."

"Hm. Story of my life. Well, Captain – I guess I'm yours."

Kathryn raised one eyebrow and dismissed him. Tom stood at the top level of the bridge, familiarising himself with his surroundings and looking, with envy, at the Conn currently occupied by a female Betazoid pilot by the name of Stadi.

As they were at a standstill, there was little work being done, and most of the bridge crew had made their way to the Mess Hall. Tom stopped at the Ops station and introduced himself to Ensign Harry Kim.

"Glad to know you, Tom. Have you had anything to eat yet."

"I'm not hungry at the moment, but you go ahead if you want to. I'll see you later." "Sure."

He walked away and left Tom standing there. That left two people on the bridge, himself and the pilot, and he walked up behind her, startling her a little.

"Do you always creep up on people, Mr ….?" "Paris – Tom Paris – ex-pilot and soon to be ex-convict, I hope."

"Nothing to be proud of. Your reputation precedes you, Mr Paris."

"No doubt, but the brass think I can be of use once we leave here, so feel free to ask if you need help."

"Thank you."

A short while later, Tom decided to pay a visit to the Mess Hall and ordered himself a meal at the replicator. Across the room, he saw Harry sitting with two officers: the first officer and another in doctor's blue. As he approached the table to join them, the two older men stood and moved away. Harry remained seated, as Tom took a seat opposite him.

"There, I knew it wouldn't take long," he said in answer to Harry's unasked question.

"Is it true? Did you cause the accident that killed three pilots?"

"Guilty as charged but then I lied about it. When I decided to come clean it was too late and they kicked me out."

"That must have been difficult for you with your father being an Admiral."

"I think it was more difficult for my father. Listen, Harry – I know they told you to steer clear of me and I suggest you do just that. I only cause trouble for everyone I meet."

"I don't need anyone to choose my friends for me, Tom. I'm sure you've paid over and over for what you did."

"You bet I have."

As they completed their meal, an announcement came over the comm. "This is the Captain - All officers and crew report to stations ready for departure in thirty minutes, Janeway out."

The Mess Hall emptied almost at once and Tom and Harry headed for the bridge where all stations were now occupied.

"Where would you like me, Captain?" Tom asked, semi-sarcastically.

"Take the seat to my left, Mr Paris and wait. Commander Cavitt – take us out."
"Aye, Sir," her first officer acknowledged and Kathryn winced inwardly. Being called 'sir' was something she definitely did not like.

Having given the "engage" order, Kathryn settled back in her chair as the compact ship, powered by gel-packs, pulled smoothly away from its moorings and headed for open space.

It took some days for them to reach the Badlands area and Tom was called across to the Navigation station where three officers and the captain studied the maps. Going by the last information supplied by the Cardassians, Tom judged the direction the Maquis ship would have probably taken when entering the stormy area. He returned to stand near the conn as the young pilot entered the co-ordinates and headed in the required direction.

However, she had difficulty handling the ship in the buffeting winds and this did not go amiss with Kathryn. After a few moments, she put her hand on Stadi's shoulder and said, quietly: "It's no reflection on your skills, Lieutenant. I would have the same problem. Give your seat to Mr Paris and let's see if he can "guide" us through."

Tom needed no second bidding though even he had a few problems negotiating the strong winds, but eventually he got them through and levelled the ship out before relinquishing the seat to Stadi once again.

"Thanks," she said.

"My pleasure, Lieutenant."

Kathryn turned to Harry Kim and asked: "Anything on sensors, Mr Kim?"

"Nothing yet, Captain." "Keep alert and let us know immediately you get any contact."

They continued to search the immediate and long-range area then Harry picked up a signal.

"Any visual?" "Not from this distance, ma'am; we need to get closer." A short while later, Kathryn heard an excited call of:

"Got them," from the Ops station and stood up.

"On screen full magnification," she ordered and all those watching the large viewscreen saw the outline of an old, rather battered ship.

"Hail them," she said but there was no response from their call.

"I'm not picking up any audio at all, Captain. They seem to be dead in the water."

"Can I suggest you try a visual signal?" said Tom. "Their audio might not be working but they might be able to see us."

Knowing this might be their only chance of making contact, even if they were giving away their position to a possible enemy waiting to pounce, Kathryn agreed. On their screen, she was able to see a few shadowy figures.

"Can you get it any clearer, Mr Kim?" "I'm trying, Captain."

Suddenly, the screen cleared and Kathryn saw a women and two men, one of whom she immediately recognised as Tuvok, dressed in the dark-coloured uniform sported by members of the Maquis.

Their audio system was clearly not working but Tuvok was able to get across to her by hand signals that they had working transporters. Although her orders had stated the main task was the rescue of their officer, Kathryn felt she could not leave the remainder of the Maquis crew to whatever their fate might be.

Tuvok signalled again that he would transport over with two other crew members and Kathryn nodded, heading immediately for the transporter room with the first officer.
She greeted Tuvok as he stepped from the platform. "Good to see you, Mr Tuvok." "You, too, Captain. This is Mr Ayala and Miss Torres."

"What the hell's going on?" the young woman bearing forehead ridges of a Klingon demanded, attempting to operate the phaser she held in her hand, without success. Incoming weapons did not work in the transporter room.

"I am a Starfleet Officer and have been working under cover on your ship," he told his two Maquis companions.

"So now you're going to hand us all over to the Federation. Is that it?" the other man asked.

"My orders were to obtain information. What the captain decides to do is up to her," he replied calmly.

"By the look of your ship, being "handed over" looks like your only option, Mr Ayala. How many are in your crew and are any of them injured?" Kathryn asked.

"You don't have to tell her anything, Mike," said the young woman angrily.

"The only reason for my question is to provide food and medical assistance where needed, Miss Torres. If you wish to return to your ship and await aid from another source, that's your choice. Mr Tuvok, however, will remain here."

The big man put his hand on Torres' shoulder. "She's right, B'Elanna. We've been stuck here for over a week; we're hungry and need medical help for the Chief and one or two others. We don't have any choice."

"You have an injured captain on board?" Kathryn asked Tuvok.

"Yes – he was knocked unconscious when we were chased into the Badlands. It's probably not a good idea to transport him in his present condition."

"In that case, I'll send our doctor and a nurse across to your ship to examine him and shuttle them back here."

"I'd like to go with them, with your permission, Captain," requested Tuvok. "As you wish – the ship isn't going anywhere. I'll also send a team over to have a look at your comm system and the engine."

"Unless you're carrying a spare engine, you'll be wasting your time. I'm the ship's engineer and our engine has been shot to pieces," said B'Elanna Torres.

"In that case, we'll have to get your crew off and deal with your ship when she's empty. I repeat my previous question: How many are on board?"

"Twenty, including the Captain," said Mike Ayala. "Some of them have cuts and bruises but nobody is as badly hurt as Ch...as the captain."

His slip of tongue did not go unnoticed by Kathryn.

"Let's get things under way, then." She tapped her comm badge. "Doctor, please take a nurse and report to the shuttle bay to pick up a seriously injured crew-member."

"Aye, Captain." She tapped her badge a second time. "Mr Paris, please report to the shuttle bay to fly the doctor across."

"Acknowledged," came the reply from Tom.
"Mr Tuvok, if you're fit enough you may accompany them." "Yes, Captain."

"What about us?" asked Torres. "If you don't need medical assistance, Mr Cavitt will assign you some quarters and you can freshen yourselves up before you eat."

"Then what?" she asked.

"How about we take it one step at a time, Miss Torres. If you will both accompany my first officer."

"Just do as the Captain says, B'Elanna," Mike Ayala told her.

"Who put you in charge?" she asked. "Nobody, but until we find out if the boss is going to be OK, somebody's got to make a decision, so just get going."

B'Elanna shrugged and followed him out with Commander Cavitt leading the way.

Tom flew Voyager's smallest shuttle across to the Maquis ship and into their bay which was just big enough to accommodate the craft. Tuvok then led the doctor and nurse to the "Elan's" cramped medical bay where several injured crew-members were waiting. On a bed to one side, lay a man who was unconscious but alive.

While the nurse attended to the other injured, the doctor examined the Maquis Captain as best he could before transferring him to an anti-grav stretcher and guiding it carefully back to the shuttle bay. Tom carefully flew back to Voyager with the injured man and the doctor, then returned for the walking wounded, and the nurse.

Kathryn had instructed Commander Cavitt to join Tuvok on the Maquis ship and explain to the rest of the stranded crew that they would be transferred to Voyager by transporter in a short while to clean up and eat before getting some much needed sleep. A few acid comments were raised about Tuvok's 'spying' mission but most of the crew were more anxious to know about their Captain's condition. They were assured he was being attended to by Voyager's medical staff.

Having assisted with the transfer of the Elan's crew, Tuvok cleaned himself up and donned the correct Starfleet gold and black uniform with Lt Cdr rank pips before reporting to the Captain in her ready room. Expecting the usual stoic report on his activities from the officer who would now be performing the role of Security/Tactical chief on her ship, she was very surprised when he simply handed her a padd. He then informed her that the injured captain was an ex-Starfleet officer who had resigned his commission in order to exact revenge on the Cardassians for the death of almost his entire family and the destruction of his home planet, Dorvan V.

"I knew there were several serving officers who acted similarly, Tuvok, but no names were mentioned in my orders. Who do we have the dubious honour of carrying on this occasion?"

"He is known as 'Chakotay', Captain." "Chakotay who?" she queried. "That is his entire name – just one word – though I would assume the tribal version to be unpronounceable." Kathryn activated her computer and entered the name and what appeared on the screen shook her.

"Look at this, Tuvok. Our 'guest' has quite a pedigree. Within months of his defection there is no doubt that he could have attained the rank of Captain with his own command, especially with the Dominion creating problems. What a waste."

"He no doubt considered matters differently, Captain," responded Tuvok, looking over her shoulder at the information on the screen. "The loss of his family and the grief obviously led him to act in ways he would not normally have done."

"I feel sorry for all those living in the DMZ who lost their homes and families, but cannot openly condone what he and other like-minded people did. Taking matters into their own hands was never going to be the answer."

Tuvok did not reply to this, preferring to keep his own counsel. He stepped back from the screen and motioned toward the padd with his report on her desk.

"That is just a brief outline of my activities. A complete report will be available before we leave this area. In the meantime, might I suggest that you read the section on Miss Torres? I believe you will be somewhat surprised."

"Thank you, Tuvok and now I'd like you to assist Commander Cavitt with finding useful occupations for the remainder of the Maquis. We will not be returning to Earth for a few weeks, and I'm loathe to confine them to the brig. I will pay a visit to Sickbay to see how the doctor and his staff are progressing."

Before making for Sickbay, Kathryn did as Tuvok suggested and accessed the appropriate section of his report. She was, indeed, surprised to find that the half-Klingon woman had attended Starfleet Academy leaving part-way through her second year. Her record was not good, but not entirely detrimental either. Kathryn made a mental note to speak to the young woman as soon as possible.

Captain Chakotay, though still not conscious, was stabilized. He simply looked in a deep sleep. He had been cleaned up and shaved and Kathryn found herself looking down on an extremely handsome, dark-haired man sporting a dark blue tattoo over his left eye. What it represented, she had no idea but assumed it to be a tribal marking. It also seemed to add to his good looks.

"What's the prognosis, doctor?" she asked.

"I believe we got to him just in time, Captain and we've done all we can. All his injuries have been repaired - now recovery is up to him."

"Have you attempted to wake him?

"I don't think that's wise at the moment. He's breathing easily but any sudden shock could cause problems."

"Understood. Please inform me immediately there is any change. I'll tell the Maquis crew that his condition is stabilized and we'll let them know more as soon as possible." "Aye, Captain."

The other Maquis were in the Mess Hall under the watchful eye of members of Voyager's security staff. Questions about their Captain's condition were thrown at her as she entered.

"If you would all take seats, I'll answer you as best I can."

As they settled down, she began: "My doctor tells me that Captain Chakotay is lucky to be alive [she stressed his name in order that his crew would know that she knew who their captain was] but he is in very good hands and we just have to wait for him to regain consciousness. He is to have NO visitors other than the medical staff but you will all be kept informed on his progress."

"What's going to happen to us, Captain? Are we prisoners?" was asked by one of the younger men.

"Definitely not. While you are on my ship, you will be treated no differently from any member of my crew. You already have quarters and work will be found for you as we make our return to Earth. What happens when we get back to DS9 will be in the hands of the authorities there but if you conduct yourselves in a reasonable manner, I will ensure that a favourable report is presented on our arrival."

That answer seemed to satisfy the twenty or so men and women seated at various tables. Kathryn then approached the table where B'Elanna Torres and Mike Ayala were sitting.

"Miss Torres, you told me you are an engineer so I assume you know your way around warp engines. When you have completed your meal, I'd like to have a brief chat with you in my ready room."

"I've already done here, Captain. I'm sure my friends will excuse me."

"See you later B," said Mike as she stood up and followed Kathryn from the Mess Hall.

In her ready room, she asked B'Elanna to take a seat and immediately shocked her by showing her the section of Tuvok's report dealing with herself.

"That sneaky Vulcan. I had an idea from the start that he wasn't all he said he was, but Chak is so trusting."

"Chak?" repeated Kathryn. "Is that what you call your Captain?"

"That's one of the more polite names – yes. He's like a brother to me and if he dies …."

"I don't think that's going to happen, B'Elanna – I hope I may use your first name?"

"It's your ship, Captain. You can call me what you like. What was it you wanted to see me about?"

"Several things – firstly, why did you leave the Academy? I'd like YOUR reason, not the official one in the report." "I left because I couldn't face living and working under that regime of orders and discipline."

Ignoring the rising anger in the younger woman's tone, Kathryn told her: "We work under that same regime on starships, so what did you hope to do had you completed the course?"

"It was my dream to be Chief Engineer on a starship. Some dream, eh?"

"You still have youth on your side if you buckle down and fit in."

"That's just what I can't do. I tried hard that first year but nobody would give me a chance. Eventually, I decided I didn't want anything to do with Starfleet and I'm sorry I have to now."

As she made to stand up, Kathryn stilled her by gently touching her arm.

"Calm down. I know you're angry and you probably feel you have the right, but not everyone at the Academy was against you."

"Huh! Name one?"

"Professor Chapman."

"What? I argued with him almost every day. I'm sure he was first in line to kick me out at the end of the year."

"That's where you're wrong. According to the official Starfleet records, he left a note on your permanent file that he would support your application if you decided to rejoin. So you see, some professors like to be challenged – and so do some Captains," she added with a smile.

B'Elanna relaxed in her seat. "What I've done since leaving the Academy rules out any chance of me getting back in – even if I wanted to - but I wouldn't mind being useful while I'm on your ship before they haul us off to the DS9 brig."

"That's also what I wanted to talk to you about. Apart from the Chief Engineer, all our engineering crew are straight from the Academy. We have to test out our new warp engine on the way back to Earth, so I'd like you to work with the Chief if you're willing, but remember he IS in charge and you will be under his orders. From what I know of him, he's a reasonable guy and will be happy to work with you."

"It's OK with me, Captain."

"Good. Shall we go down and talk to him?"

Without leaving the Badlands area, Voyager was put through her paces over the next few days as part of the required shakedown. Much to Kathryn's surprise, B'Elanna got on well with the Chief and staff in engineering, with a few hiccups that were ironed out without her intervention.

Chakotay remained unconscious for almost a week and then, suddenly in the middle of the nightshift the alarm sounded to indicate to the nursing staff on duty that something about his condition had changed. The nurse immediately summoned the doctor, at the same time making her way across to the bed where the patient was showing signs of movement.

"What …? Where …?" "Take it easy. You're OK."

She eased him back on the biobed as he attempted to sit up. In one hand, she held a hypospray just in case she needed to sedate him. A somewhat sleepy doctor arrived and took over, checking all the necessary vital signs.

"Well, it looks as though you're back in the land of the living, Captain."

"If you're responsible for that, thanks, but what's happened to my ship and crew?"

"Your crew are all alive and well on board THIS ship – which goes by the name of Voyager, by the way. As for your ship, there's little if anything that can be done for her. You'll need to talk to Captain Janeway about that."

"Captain Janeway – never heard of him."

"HER," the doctor corrected, "and if I value my job, I'd better let her know you're back with us. Excuse me."

He went into his office and roused the Captain from her slumbers.

"I'll be there shortly, doctor."

Kathryn quickly put on her uniform and headed for deck 5 where she was admitted by the security staff on duty. She made straight for the biobed where the doctor and his staff were having some difficulty in restraining their patient. She heard the doctor say:

"Don't make me have to sedate you, Captain. We've waited long enough for you to come round."

"OK, OK. I'll behave." As he looked at the approaching Kathryn, he said: "Spirits! Now I know I'm dead because you must be my Guardian Angel."

"I assure you that you are quite alive, Commander Chakotay. I'm Kathryn Janeway, Voyager's Captain."

"You've obviously done your research on me but please drop the rank. My friends call me Chakotay. Now how about putting me in the picture. How did I get on this ship?" As he attempted to sit up again, Kathryn couldn't resist putting her hand on his bare shoulder. She didn't remove it, even when he relaxed, until she caught the doctor's glance.

She returned her hand to her hip and turned away slightly to hide a rising blush, fortunately hidden by the half-light in sickbay. "It's good to have you back and your crew will be delighted. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been kicked by a Klingon Targ," he replied.

"Not having suffered that fate, I wouldn't know the feeling, but I can make an educated guess. Now, if I might suggest that you try to get some natural sleep tonight and let us do the same, perhaps we can talk more coherently tomorrow, Chakotay."

"You're the boss, Kathryn," he replied with a grin that extended his dimples from ear to ear and she turned away again on the pretence of talking to the doctor but vainly trying to control the effect he was having on her.

"I'll leave our patient in your capable hands, doctor. Goodnight and thank you all for your vigilance."

"Goodnight, Captain. Sleep well."

On return to her quarters, Kathryn removed her uniform and put on her nightwear, but did not return to bed. Instead she sat on the couch and looked out at the stars surrounding her ship. She closed her eyes briefly, silently apologizing to Mark for the thoughts that had been running through her head and berating herself for letting this stranger get to her.

Overnight, he made further progress and was able to sit up the following morning to eat some breakfast. The doctor told Kathryn that if he continued in like vein, there would be no need to keep him in sickbay for more than a couple of days, so long as he stayed in whatever quarters he was issued. She spent an hour with him discussing what had occurred and was surprised to find that he'd also had a strong inkling about Tuvok's 'mission' aboard his vessel, even though he knew that Vulcan's were not supposed to be able to tell lies.

"As we didn't know it was your ship, it wasn't you in particular he was after. He was just ordered to get as much intelligence as he could about the Maquis. Voyager only got involved when he failed to check in on time."

"So now what? You've had me brought back to life to hand me on to the authorities?" "Apart from my crew, nobody knows we've picked you up. If your ship were in working condition, you'd have been free to go once we had Tuvok."

"So you haven't reported back to Starfleet that you've picked us up?" "Not yet and what happens in the next few days will aid that decision one way or another."

The members of his crew were allowed in to see him for short periods as his recovery continued and it was obvious that his closest companions were B'Elanna and Mike. He was anxious to know about the state of his ship from someone he trusted most to tell him the truth. B'Elanna told him that with the engines useless and very little communication or weapons, there was no way that the Élan would fly again.

"I've done what I can, Chak, but there's no chance in Hell."

Chakotay knew that if she said that, it was definitely right.

"Captain Janeway told me that she hasn't reported back on picking us up, so as far as Starfleet are concerned, we are still on the Elan. However, I'm not sure how far I can trust her. What are the chances of getting access to a sub-space transmitter and sending a message to one of the other groups to come and pick us up?"

"I could if you tell me to, but do you want to carry on the way you've been going?" "What's the alternative? If we're taken back to DS9, we'll face tribunals as terrorists and we'd be finished anyway."

"Leave it with me then – the Chief Engineer and I are friends now and next time he leaves me on my own near the transmitter…"

When he was finally released from sickbay with a clean bill of health, Kathryn invited Chakotay to have dinner in her quarters. She was interested to know the story behind his resignation from Starfleet from his point of view and he was happy to tell her...

"I had no intention of getting involved in the Federation/Cardassian fight until my own family and planet were destroyed. There was nobody left to take action, so it was down to me and the few Maquis members I could round up from other worlds. Mike and I rescued B'Elanna from a Cardassian camp just in time and she's more than proved her worth to me and her crewmates."

"I don't doubt that. She's been a great help to our Chief Engineer. It's just a pity she gave up on the Academy."

"Without meaning to be impertinent, Captain – B'Elanna could TEACH at the Academy; it was all the problems with Starfleet protocols that pushed her too far."

"I've already had her side of the story."

"You, I guess, are born and bred Starfleet?"

"Yes, but even I don't agree with everything they expect of me. I simply follow orders and keep my mouth shut as much as I can."

"What a shame – and such a pretty mouth it is," he said, closing one eye in a huge wink before grinning at her discomfort.

"If you were still Starfleet I'd have you confined to quarters for insubordination," she responded when she had regained her control.

"What a hard woman you appear to be, Kathryn, although I'm sure you've left a string of broken hearts behind on Earth."

"No – just a fiancé and a dog, but that's enough about me. Would you return to Starfleet if you had the chance?"

"No way. In case you hadn't noticed, there's another enemy looming on the horizon. I'm no coward, but I'd rather take my chances with the DS9 authorities than end up fighting the Dominion in a pointless war."

"You're probably not alone in that."

He returned to his quarters shared with Mike on the same deck as his crew and a day or so later, B'Elanna reported that she had been able to get a coded message through to one of the units inside the Badlands. If the Maquis crew could all transport back onto the Elan as quickly as possible, they would be picked up from there.

"We'll have to time it right, probably during a nightshift, and make sure internal sensors are disabled while we use the transporters."

"No problem," said B'Elanna.

"Mike, if you can organize the troops, get them all transferred over and I'll set self-destruct at the last minute. I'll miss the old bird, but I don't want to leave her for Gul Evek or his cronies."

So it was all agreed and the crew were informed to be ready to go at a moment's notice.

In the early hours of the next day, Kathryn woke to the sound of an explosion and thought she had been dreaming. However, when the "red alert" klaxon sounded, she knew it was only too real. Something had happened and she needed to find out what it was. Dressing quickly, she made her way to the bridge, to find Cavitt, Tuvok and the other Alpha shift officers already there.

"Report!" she ordered and was told that their "guests" had all flown the coop and, it seemed, destroyed their ship.

"Do you want us to set a pursuit course, Captain?" asked Cavitt. "No – I'm satisfied that my orders have been carried out and we shall return to base as soon as our shakedown is completed. Cancel red alert."

At the end of an otherwise quiet shift, Kathryn returned to her quarters and sat for a few moments nursing a cup of coffee. Then she switched on her computer to start composing a report for Starfleet. As she did so, a message appeared on her screen …

"Kathryn - Sorry to leave so abruptly, but it was the only way out of a difficult situation. I would have liked to get to know you better but who knows? We might meet again some day. Yours in friendship. Chakotay."

She re-read the message twice before deleting it from the system. "Who knows indeed?" she thought.

Kathryn's initial reaction following the report that the Elan had been destroyed was that Chakotay and his crew had 'gone down with their ship' but Tom and Tuvok had quickly reassured her.

"That's not the Maquis way, Captain," Tom pointed out. "They value life too much."

"I must concur," said Tuvok. "From my short association with them, I know they certainly would not deliberately take their own lives."

"I only wish they'd given me the chance to go with them though," Tom added, somewhat aggrieved.

"Had you done that, Mr Paris, I would have been compelled to come after you. Until we return to DS9, you are a member of this crew and my responsibility for your safety still remains."

Even so, she was mightily relieved to read the message indicating that Chakotay and his crew had apparently got away without harming themselves. How they did it was left to her intelligent guesswork, but the Maquis were known to have various methods up their sleeves. Now all she had to do was prepare a report for Starfleet!

There was little doubt in her mind as she activated her screen that had they departed the Badlands with the Maquis still on board, she would have been left with no choice but to hand them over to the authorities. Chakotay had made this action unnecessary but she still had to inform those in authority precisely what had occurred from her viewpoint. Having carried out her written orders, she had no reason to feel guilty about the 'escape' of the Maquis, but would her bosses be in agreement with that assessment?

"Report by Captain Kathryn Janeway
on Mission to Recover Lieutenant Commander Tuvok
and perform a shakedown cruise on USS Voyager

On making contact with the badly-damaged Maquis vessel Elan, we discovered Mr Tuvok to be alive and well and he was immediately transported to Voyager. With my permission, he was accompanied by two of the Maquis crew with whom he had been working. I was then informed that not only was their vessel inoperable, but their commander had been gravely wounded in the last attack by the Cardassian warship which left their engines useless and their communications all-but dead. I assumed they had little or no medical expertise among their crew.

From a humanitarian point of view, our doctor was despatched to examine and escort the injured Captain back to Voyager for treatment, while the remaining twenty or so members of the Maquis crew were offered temporary accommodation and meals on my vessel plus any technical assistance that might get their own ship operable. Their engineer, a half-Klingon female by the name of B'Elanna Torres, informed me in terms that needed no interpretation, that this was impossible.

With the Captain under the care of our doctor, Mr Tuvok reported to my ready room with his own version of events and, in his usual calm manner, informed me that our "patient" was an ex-Starfleet Commander named Chakotay who had resigned his commission to join the Maquis to avenge the death and destruction of his family and homeworld. I later discovered that B'Elanna Torres had also attended Starfleet Academy but had not completed the course.

While Chakotay was recovering and our engineers were attempting to breathe some life back into his ship, Voyager remained within the boundaries of the Badlands and went through her maiden engine "shakedown" as per my official orders.

I realised that Miss Torres had sufficient knowledge of warp engines to be able to assist our own Chief Engineer in that department, which she agreed to do.

Within a week, Chakotay was well on the road to recovery and his obvious strength of mind and body allowed him to get back on his feet sooner than I or anyone aboard expected. His crew was delighted but anxious as to what was going to happen to them.

Knowing that their ship was out of action, they realised that – although not technically prisoners aboard Voyager – there was nowhere else for them to go other than back to DS9 with us to 'face the music'. I assured them that if this were to be the case, I would make a favourable report on their conduct while on board my ship.

In this respect, I must confess a certain amount of naiivety but I assumed that as a trained Starfleet officer with his level of experience, I could trust ex-Commander Chakotay to ensure his crew remained within the correct parameters. I was proved wrong when - as we discovered later, but too late - they concocted a plan to contact another Maquis faction using Voyager's sub-space transmitter.

Chakotay and his crew were picked up after disabling Voyager's internal sensors to mask their transport to the Elan and disposing of their own ship by remote self-destruct after making good their escape. Voyager remained in the Badlands long enough to check the resulting debris for signs of human remains, but finding none continued with the return trip to DS9." Kathryn Janeway, Captain and Commanding Officer USS Voyager.

With her report completed, Kathryn gave the order to leave the Badlands and resume their shakedown cruise back to DS9. Once again, Tom took the helm and negotiated the plasma storms until the ship returned to clearer space. The systems performed adequately but Kathryn knew the ship would need to be returned to dry-dock for a few adjustments – especially in the security department!

On arrival and docking at DS9, Kathryn's report was handed over for transmission to Starfleet. As agreed, Tom was released into her custody but asked that he be allowed to remain on the station until he decided what he wanted to do with his life. Commander Ben Sisko assured Kathryn that he would take some responsibility by offering Tom a job as a civilian runabout pilot to transport the various races living and working on DS9 to Bajor and back again. Many still did not like being flown by serving Starfleet pilots.

"How do you feel about that, Mr Paris?" she asked him following the informal discussion between the three of them.

"Very interested, Captain," he assured her. "I love to fly and whatever I'm offered to pilot will be better than being stuck in New Zealand for months."

"Very well. I'm prepared to leave you here, but I hope you won't let me or Commander Sisko down?"

"I think I've learned some valuable lessons over the past months, Captain, so for what it's worth to you, you have my word."

Leaving the two of them to further discussions, Kathryn returned to Voyager and prepared to depart for Utopia Planitia. Resting in her quarters before making her way to the bridge, she still could not get the vision of Chakotay out of her mind.

He had definitely affected her in ways that Justin and Mark never had. Would they ever meet again and if so under what circumstances?

As they left the station the next day, Kathryn was convinced that in the brief time she had been in charge of Voyager, given the opportunity she would love to take command of the ship for a longer mission.

So both our "heroes" went their separate ways…and now the saga continues …..

Circa 2371-2: Chakotay

When they landed on a remote settlement within the Badlands, Chakotay and his crew disembarked. B'Elanna quickly noticed how sad he looked and tried to cheer him up.

"You had no choice but to blow her up, Chak. If Gul Evek …."

"It's not the Elan I'm thinking about – it's her," he replied.

"Janeway? You can't be serious! She's a hard-nosed, by the book …"

"She might give that impression," he cut her off, "but I'm sure that deep down she's a real woman. I'd give everything I've got to find out."

"It's too late now. She probably thinks we all went down with the ship."

"Not so. I sent her a message to say we all got away."

"Great! Now all she needs to do when she gets back to Earth is send someone out to look for us."

"I don't think so but if she does they'll have a wasted journey because I don't intend to hang around here any longer than necessary. I've had enough of this cat and mouse game and as soon as I can lay my hands on a reasonable ship, I'm going back to help re-build Dorvan."

"You needn't think you can leave me behind, Nature Boy, and I'm sure that goes for Mike and the others."

B'Elanna's comments turned out to be very close to the truth because when the Elan crew later discussed what the future held, all but one of them said they would follow Chakotay to the ends of the Earth. The single dissenter, a Bajoran, asked if he could be dropped off on his homeworld before they went on their way. Chakotay agreed, adding that he wouldn't mind a look at the Bajor before heading off into the unknown. The most important thing they had to do first, however, was to obtain some reasonable transport.

Same time period: Kathryn

Admiral Nachayev was none-too-pleased when she received Kathryn's report about the defecting Maquis, especially on learning that one of them was an ex-Starfleet Commander. Tuvok had been debriefed shortly after Voyager's return to Earth and Kathryn was summoned to her office the following day. Admiral Paris was also present.

"Would you mind explaining this to me, Captain?" the Starfleet Chief requested, tapping her hand on the padd containing Kathryn's report.

"I thought it was self-explanatory, Admiral. My orders were to find Lieutenant Tuvok and return to DS9 after putting Voyager through her paces, which I did. I was not immediately aware of Commander Chakotay's presence and when I found out who he was I assumed he would follow Starfleet procedure. I had little knowledge of the way the Maquis worked."

"The Maquis crew are terrorists and whatever your orders said, they should have been arrested on the spot and confined to Voyager's brig."

"I beg to differ, Alyana," put in Owen Paris. "The crimes committed by the Maquis were against the Cardassians, not Starfleet. "Captain Janeway could have left them on their dying vessel to starve, but she couldn't do that."

"I'm not particularly bothered about the rest of his crew, but Commander Chakotay might have been able to give us some useful information. Luckily, we have the Vulcan's report which contains names and places."

"Even if we had another ship that could negotiate the Badlands, the chances of the Maquis being found are very remote and we all know that Starfleet has more important problems to deal with than chasing a few rebels who, after all, were only looking after their own."

"That's true," her superior agreed. "I know Ben Sisko is very concerned about what's happening in the Gamma Quadrant. Owen, I want you to make sure that all available Captains and ships are put on immediate alert in case the Dominion do start to stir things up. We should be ready to go at a moment's notice."

"How am I involved, Admiral?" asked Kathryn. "Voyager came through unscathed and I'm willing .…" Again, she was interrupted, but this time the Admiral's tone was less angry.

"I have something specific in mind for you, Kathryn, but you won't be going to war – if and when it happens - believe me. Owen, if you'll excuse us, I'd like to talk to Captain Janeway alone."

"As you wish," said Paris and stood up to leave the room. When they were alone, Nachayev replicated coffee for both of them and returned to her seat behind the desk.

"If the Dominion do pull the stops out, it will be a job for the battle-hardened Starfleet captains to take on. I'll need someone like you to take care of the up and coming future captains making their way through the Academy to replace those we are certain to lose."

Forgetting that she was in the presence of the most senior Starfleet officer, Kathryn almost exploded. "I consider myself experienced enough to take on any enemy and you're expecting me to be a 'wet nurse'?"

"There are very few officers, male or female, who could handle what I am asking of you, Kathryn. The young graduates need a good role model and most of the older officers wouldn't know which way to turn. Besides, we're offering you Voyager in return for helping the trainees find their space legs at the end of their final semester. You'll have a senior crew for each trip, made up of experienced older officers across the board."

"Do I get to choose my crews?" she asked, appearing somewhat more interested now that Voyager was to be involved.

"Up to a point. Owen has a list of personnel who will definitely not be included on crews if war is declared and you can make your choice from those, making changes after each three-month trip as necessary. The graduates to make up the remainder of your crew will be chosen by secret ballot."

"When is this expected to start and how long will it last?" Kathryn wanted to know.

"As soon as Voyager is cleared and equipped to go into full service, but as to how long – who knows? It could be two or three years. I'm assuming you have nothing too important in your personal life to prevent this."

"I shall follow orders, Admiral. My fiancé and I have an understanding relationship and I will give my best to Starfleet, as I have always done."

"Excellent. If you have no further questions, I suggest you take a few days leave and then get in touch with Admiral Paris. He'll take you through from there and I'm sure you'll find this experience very rewarding."

"I certainly hope so," Kathryn said as she stood and left the Admiral's office. She then made her way without further delay to see her mentor who confirmed what she had been told.

"As long as I am space-bound I'll be happy and to be in command of Voyager will be a bonus, so I await my official orders."

"We all know you'll do a great job, Katie and enjoy doing it," he replied.

Chakotay et al.

After spending time kicking their heels in the Badlands, Chakotay and his crew were finally offered the use of a ship – The Liberty - that returned to the planet having come through a running battle with the Cardassians. It was in a much better condition than the Elan and B'Elanna was given a few days to tinker with the engines. When it was ready to fly, albeit still in need of repair, several other Maquis requested to join the crew for the trip to Bajor.

They headed out of the Badlands and back towards DS9 where Chakotay was hoping he could persuade his old Academy friend, Ben Sisko, to help him out without feeling it necessary to report back to Starfleet. As they neared the space station, he took a chance to put through an encrypted message to Ben.

"It's certainly good to hear from you," Ben told him. "Your resignation caused quite a stir at the time, but I don't think you're on the Starfleet wanted list so if you head in I'll arrange a docking bay and see what we can do to help with your repairs."

"Thanks, Ben. I look forward to joining you for a drink or two."

It was almost a week later that Liberty received her docking bay number and slid into place. This was the first time in many years that Chakotay had been aboard the Space Station and he was happy to see its Commander waiting for him as they disembarked. The two old friends greeted each other and Ben introduced his second in command, Bajoran Major Kira Nerys.

"Your reputation precedes you, Commander," she said.

"Chakotay, please. I'm no longer entitled to a Starfleet rank," he explained.

"That could soon be changed," said Ben. "They'd be delighted to have you back."

"No thanks. I'm going private from now on and I've got a few friends joining me." He introduced the members of his ex-Maquis crew and Ben led them towards the Promenade area which was bustling with various nationalities. They found a table in the bar and placed an order for drinks. Although they received a few interested stares, nobody asked any questions, for which Chakotay was pleased.

"I'll get the Chief to send in a team to look at your ship, but o what do you have in mind when we get you sorted out?" asked Ben.

"Dorvan V needs re-building and there are still a lot of disgruntled ex-Maquis on Bajor who I'm hoping to recruit."

As he spoke these words, Tom Paris approached their table, addressing Chakotay.

"I thought that was you," he said, "and if you're looking for volunteers I'm your man. You got away from Voyager before I could ask to join you."

"We had to move quickly there, Tom, because I couldn't be sure what Janeway had in mind, but if you are free and willing to work and want to add your weight to our cause, you're welcome. We can always use another pilot."

"I'm grateful to Ben for giving me a job here, but ferrying bodies back and forward between here and Bajor is getting a bit boring. There was never any time limit placed on my stay here and I've done my best to keep my nose clean."

"We'll probably be here a few days waiting for repairs to be carried out, so you sort out your situation and let me know," Chakotay told Tom.

"Great – thanks."

After spending two days at home with her mother and sister and once again finding herself at odds with Mark, Kathryn's task began with earnest. She had been surprised to get a request from Harry Kim and Tuvok to join her crew on Voyager and was pleased to have at least two familiar faces on her bridge.

She also knew that Tuvok's experience would come in very handy with so many new and untried crew members on board. From the lists Admiral Paris showed her, she had earmarked several of commander and lieutenant commander rank who, although nearing the Starfleet retirement age, would make good XO and other senior bridge officers.

For the short missions that Voyager would be undertaking, she had been informed there would be no full-time doctor on board. Instead, they were to utilise the services of an Electronic Medical Hologram who would be assisted by members of the science-based crew.

The graduate crew for the first mission had already been chosen via secret ballot and Kathryn had to address them before they set off. She was to give similar talks many times in the coming years. Her senior officers joined her on the platform as she gazed down on the group of young, fresh would-be officers standing stiffly to attention.

"Please sit down, ladies and gentlemen. I don't plan to keep you long, because I know that most of you will want to take a few days off before we depart. It is gratifying to me that you have requested to take part in this new type of mission but I do have to warn you that the situations you may find yourselves in will not be of a "training" nature.

You will be away from your home, family and friends for quite a while so will be completely reliant on your colleagues for professional assistance, friendship and recreation. You will be expected to act sensibly and precisely at all times, without hesitation, because your life and the lives of those around you could easily depend on it.

The section leaders, senior officers and myself will be here to give you guidance when required but YOU will be the people making the immediate decisions in your own sections. Are there any questions?"

Just one hand went up. "Are we still going to be in the Alpha Quadrant and can you give us any idea at all of what risks we're likely to face in space, Captain?"

Kathryn smiled as she answered. "Good question. The Alpha Quadrant covers approximately 8,000 light years of space and I'm sure you can all calculate that in your heads. There will undoubtedly be some occasions when we will move towards the edge of our own territory into the unknown and one never knows what's 'around the corner' so to speak."

"Thank you, ma'am."

No other hands were raised, so Kathryn rounded up her talk.

"With all this in mind, if anyone here today feels they are not fully prepared to take the risks, hardship and possibly loneliness and homesickness involved, please advise your current section leaders within the next 48 hours so that someone else can be selected from the waiting list to take your place. Nobody will think any the worse of you and you will not necessarily jeopardise your chances of a future mission."

Kathryn took her seat to a round of applause from the floor and the platform. A few moments later she dismissed the graduates and continued with her briefing to the officers.

Although it was only a matter of months since she had last been aboard Voyager, Kathryn felt unusually nervous, a week later, as she arrived at DS9 by shuttle from Earth. She was due to have a meeting with Ben Sisko before going to her Voyager quarters and as she left the shuttle gates she headed for the promenade. Nearing the bar area, she could not believe her eyes when she saw Chakotay, B'Elanna and Tom sitting at a table finishing a meal. Chakotay saw her at almost the same time as she did him and got to his feet, followed by Tom. B'Elanna remained seated.

"Well, well. Captain Janeway," he said," extending his hand in greeting. After a very brief hesitation, Kathryn took his hand in hers.

"We meet again," she said.

"And I can now apologise in person for our rather abrupt departure from Voyager earlier. I hope you understood that I had little choice. Will you join us?"

"I could use a coffee and, yes, I do understand but had you trusted me enough to discuss the matter beforehand, I might have been in agreement with what you eventually decided. How are things with you, Tom?"

"Going well, Captain, but I will be going with Chakotay to Dorvan when his ship is repaired to help with the work there, if it's OK with you."

"You're a free agent, Tom, so the decision is yours."

Her coffee was delivered by Quark, the Ferengi bar owner, who hovered a moment to try to catch what was being said. A glare from Kathryn soon had him scuttling back to his bar and she turned her attention to Chakotay.

"When are you leaving?" she asked him.

"Hopefully, tomorrow. Chief O'Brien has had a crew working on my ship for almost a week and says that she's in the best condition he can get her. How about you? Are you just on a flying visit here?"

"Not exactly but if you're interested I'll give you an 'official' tour of Voyager before you leave. My crew are due here in a couple of days."

"I'd be delighted. I'm sure Tom and B'Elanna can find plenty to occupy themselves for an hour or so."

It was obvious that he did not want their company on the tour of Voyager – hoping for a while on his own with Kathryn.

"I think we can take a hint, boss," said B'Elanna, getting to her feet and grabbing Tom's hand.

The two younger people left the bar area as Kathryn finished her coffee and headed for the docking area with Chakotay at her side. As they walked, he explained to her that he was finished with the Maquis and described what he had in mind for his homeworld. She listened to everything he had to say.

"I wish you luck. From what I understand, it was left in quite a devastating condition."

"Very much so but with patience and hard work, we'll get there. It might take a few years but we're all determined to provide a lasting legacy to those who died."

They arrived at Voyager's docking port where there were just two guards standing at ease outside. They came to attention as they saw her.

"As you were. The Commander is my guest and I shall be conducting him around the ship. There will be more members of crew arriving in the next 48 hours," she explained.

"Will you both be remaining on board, Captain?" asked one of the guards as they relaxed to 'stand-easy' mode.

"I will but my guest will be returning to the promenade later."

Kathryn input her code and led Chakotay through the airlock into the main entrance. The ship was eerily quiet. They entered the turbo-lift for the journey up to Deck 1. On exiting the lift onto the bridge, she stopped to look at the brass commission plaque carried by all Starfleet vessels on space missions. This one read:

USS VOYAGER

UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS

STARFLEET REGISTRY NC-74656 INTREPID CLASS

KATHRYN JANEWAY - MASTER AND COMMANDER

She thought of her father as she silently read the words. She knew that all she was she owed to him.

"That looks impressive," said Chakotay. "There was once a day when I hoped to see my name on such a plaque."

"I think you were pretty close to making Captain before you resigned, so it's not too late."

"I somehow doubt that, but I have far more important things to do than dance to their tune for the next twenty years or so."

They both had a brief look around the bridge stations and went into the Briefing Room before walking across to the Captain's Ready Room. Some of her personal possessions were already in place from a visit she had paid to dry dock a week or so earlier.

"I think the replicators are working. Would you like a drink?"

"Tea please."

As Kathryn went over to the machine to order the drinks, Chakotay picked up a framed photo from her desk and looked at it. It was of Mark and herself with Molly sitting between them. She smiled when she saw him examining it.

"I presume these are the two you left back on Earth?" he asked, replacing the frame on the desk and taking his cup of tea from her.

"Yes. My fiancé and my dog, Molly."

"You're an animal lover?"

"Very much so. The family have had dogs since I was a child, but Molly is extra special to me. She was the runt of a litter on Taris Setti IV and she showed such spunk that I knew I couldn't leave her there."

"And the fiancé – where did you 'rescue' him from?"

Kathryn merely raised an eyebrow and took a long drink from her coffee cup, but countered his question with one of her own.

"How about you?"

"Me?"

"Do you love animals?"

"Of course. Animals are very important to my tribe – we use them as guides in our vision quests. Everyone has an animal of his own."

"I won't pretend to know what a vision quest is, but what animal did you choose?"

"Sorry, I can't tell you that because it would offend my guide."

"I'd suspect you'd choose a bear – a large ferocious type."

"I'm not sure if that is a compliment or not, but no – not a bear. As a matter of face my guide is female and somewhat smaller than a bear."

Kathryn drained her cup and put it on her desk.

"Shall we continue our tour, or have you seen enough?"

"I saw quite a bit of engineering and the mess halls before but I wouldn't mind taking a look at the Holodeck area."

"I'm not sure if anything is active yet until Tuvok and Harry Kim come on board. Harry told me he is quite an expert with Holo equipment which will be useful for the crew's entertainment."

They went down to the area housing the two holodecks but, as she had suspected, could not activate anything although there was quite a list of programmes shown on the console outside. All they saw when the doors opened was the chequered walls and floor of an empty room.

They continued to the shuttle bay housing four small shuttle craft which would be used throughout the training sessions to follow.

"Much as I am enjoying your company, Captain, I should be getting back to see how my ship is faring. The Chief had quite a bit of patching up to do but I hope she'll last long enough to get us to Dorvan via Bajor. I wish you luck with your missions, whatever they involve."

"You, too. It looks as though you have a lot of work on your hands to get things back in order."

"I won't know until I get there and make a survey. Then it will be a case of sourcing manpower and materials from wherever we can."

They returned to the lowest deck and the entrance to the airlock where Kathryn left him to go on his way. She then took the turbo lift to Deck 5 to the Sick Bay. This was, for the moment, quite empty of human or any other personnel apart from herself.

Feeling inquisitive, Kathryn said: "Computer, activate the EMH," and the computer beeped acknowledgement.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," said the blue-uniformed hologram as he shimmered into view.

"No emergency, doctor. I'm Captain Janeway and am just confirming my arrival on board," she told him.

"As per Starfleet orders," responded the medical man.

"Yes. I also want to confirm that you are prepared to act as our one and only doctor throughout this mission and others to follow."

"As I am programmed with details of every possible mishap that might occur in the Galaxy, I am fully prepared."

"That's good to hear, because due to the fact that you cannot leave this room, apart from being transferred to a holodeck, any serious mishaps will have to be transported direct to Sick Bay from any location. Every crew member has received instructions to check in with you when they arrive on board so that you can give them final medical clearance."

"I suggest that they also check in with me on a regular basis for updates, Captain."

"Of course," she agreed and turned to leave, but found her way barred.

"As leader of your crew, Captain Janeway, you need to set a good example. Would you please take a seat on the bio-bed so that I may clear you for duty." This was not a question.

Kathryn had always hated being prodded and poked and toyed with the idea of deactivating the EMH, but she merely acquiesced to his instruction. His examination was thorough without being intrusive but when he picked up a small rubber mallet to test her reflexes, she said: "Thank you, doctor; that will be all. Computer, deactivate EMH."

After that annoying confrontation, Kathryn decided to go to her quarters to unpack her personal belongings. She then returned to the Ready Room for another cup of coffee then settled down and activated the console on her desk to say a final goodbye to her mother and sister. She decided not to contact Mark because their last parting had been less than friendly and she did not want to dwell on that during her first mission.

As the officers and crew came aboard over the next couple of days, Kathryn was pleased to find that Lieutenant Stadi, the pilot from her first Voyager mission, was able to join them. An invitation had been sent out to the young Betazoid earlier and she had been given time to make up her mind. There had been no 'dropouts' from the Graduate group so the young crew would consist of a wide spectrum of races, including Bolian and Katarian.

On the day of departure, all bridge officers stood at their stations awaiting her instructions. Kathryn's first officer, Commander Headley, a strikingly handsome, grey-haired man, sat to her left. She had not worked with this officer before but he had been top of Owen Paris' short list for the position.

Finally, Kathryn was ready and asked Harry, now wearing the single pip of a Lieutenant, to open a comm link to all decks.

"All hands, this is the Captain. Welcome on board Voyager for our first venture. Just try to remember everything you have learned at the Academy, especially on the flight simulators and the holodecks. I have the utmost faith in you all, and all I ask is that you do your best. Good luck. Captain out."

A few moments later, Tuvok announced that all stations had signalled readiness for departure.

"Good – then let's get this show on the road."

Chakotay and Friends

A message had been sent to Dorvan that he and his crew were on their way and would be doing everything in their power to put right the serious wrongs done by the Cardassians. While en-route, a message was received that building material was being gathered and shipped in from nearby planets. Although he had not expected to, Tom found that on the journey from DS9 he and B'Elanna Torres hit it off quite quickly despite several heated arguments. Chakotay was pleased because B'Elanna was like a sister to him and she had had a pretty rough life up to now. He also liked Tom, even though he thought he was rather arrogant.

Voyager's First Mission

As they headed away from DS9 into open space and began their journey, Kathryn was pleased with the way her new young crew was coping with the different life on board. Everyone on board during the first three-month tour was given the chance to be part of a shuttle crew visiting nearby M-class planets and acquainting themselves with different species.

As the first tour neared its end, she realised that not everyone on board would continue with a space-borne career and had the difficult job of explaining why this was to the few who failed her very stringent expectations.

"Does this mean we have to leave Starfleet, Captain?" asked one female.

"Not at all. We all fail at times, including me, and my comments apply equally to each of you. My main problem with your performance – and in a 'real life' situation it could turn out to be a very big problem – is that your reaction times were much too slow. Even a second's hesitation can lead to on-board accidents and even fatalities.

You will return to the Academy for extra tuition in the areas where you have failed. This may not take long but it will give you and your instructors time to assess where you would better serve Starfleet in future, if not in space."

Although she had not been too keen to take on the "wet-nursing" job as she described it, Kathryn found that after three tours she was really getting into the swing of things and enjoying herself. With Tuvok and Harry on her permanent crew, she had a different first officer and other senior staff each time.

It was following the latest tour that she learned the Dominion, initiated by the female leader of the shape-shifting Founders, with the fierce Jem H'adar, Breen [who had a weapon Starfleet could not overcome] and other races, including the Cardassians had declared war on the Alpha Quadrant. All available Starfleet ships and crews had been sent to defend strategic areas and borders. The main part of the Starfleet offence was co-ordinated by Ben Sisko from both DS9 and the USS Defiant.

Following her orders, Kathryn kept Voyager and her young, inexperienced crews well away from the battle zone but kept in touch with the action, very saddened when she heard of the daily loss of lives on both sides.

Although they were aware of the war taking place in the Alpha Quadrant, Chakotay and his team continued with their re-building work for the next year or more and Dorvan V gradually took back its shape – but, sadly, not its inhabitants. Chakotay's sister, the only remaining member of his family, also returned to the planet to help them out.

It was following her last but one tour that Kathryn returned to Earth to receive some bad personal news passed on to her by Owen Paris.

"Katie, there is no easy way for me to tell you this, my dear, so I won't try to spare you. I regret that Mark and one of his friends were killed two days ago."

Fortunately, Kathryn was sitting down or she felt she would have passed out. She put her hands to her face and lowered her head. Owen allowed her a few moments of silent contemplation until she looked up, her eyes full of tears.

"What happened, Owen?"

"I know little about caving, but from what I am given to understand, Mark and two members of his team went down into a very deep fissure that had only recently been discovered. They had just reached a very narrow corridor when one of the three heard a faint rumbling from above them which grew louder and there was an explosion of gases causing a cave-in. The man nearest the top managed to scramble free and was pulled out but Mark and his companion were just too far down to get to. Phasers could not be used as they would have caused even more damage."

"He always said caving could kill him one day but at least he died doing what he loved to do."

"It is a dangerous sport, but there is just as much danger in all walks of life, including Starfleet."

"Yes. I appreciate your being the one to tell me, Admiral."

"Phoebe wanted me to tell you before you returned to Earth, but I dissuaded her because I felt your professionalism would not allow you to grieve in the way you would want on board ship."

Kathryn nodded her thanks.

"I'd like to go home now, sir. Obviously, the bodies could not be recovered but there will be memorial services to arrange."

"I'll arrange transport for you and you must take as long as you need. Your next tour will be cancelled. It would have been the last one anyway as we felt the programme had served its purpose and was a great success all round."

When she got home to Bloomington, she was greeted by Molly but even her beloved pet could not give her relief from the grief she was feeling. Phoebe and Gretchen were waiting for her but knew better than to smother her with sympathy, After the way her father's death had affected her, it was best that she be allowed to come to terms with the tragedy in her own way.

She spent time alone, in silence, remembering him and the good times they had shared over the years. A week later, family and close friends of the two men attended a memorial at the cave site where a plaque was erected. The next day, when she was again alone, Kathryn decided to read the message Mark had prepared in case of such a tragedy. She had also done the same in case she had been killed in action.

"Hello, darling. I'd hoped you would never have to see this but you are now faced with coming to terms with my death. I just want you to know that every minute I have spent with you has been a source of great happiness. There have been times when we have fallen out – as in all close relationships – but nothing ever got in the way of our reconciliation. I cannot ask you not to grieve, but please do not do so in a way that will affect you so much that you are prevented from doing what you love. I want you to go on and achieve great things in Starfleet, if this is also what you want and whenever your career comes to an end, I hope you meet someone else with whom you can spend the latter years of your life. I wish you every joy. Goodbye, my sweet Kath."

She took some leave but did not let herself succumb to the same depths as with the previous tragedies to strike her. Meanwhile, the Dominion war was still being fiercely fought by both sides.

The Defiant was one of the ships lost but not while any crew were on board. Sisko and the rest of his senior crew were devastated by the loss although the ship was replaced by Starfleet under the same name to rejoin the battle in its closing and most devastating stage.

The Dominion group were very close to winning the battle until Starfleet finally developed a counter-measure to the Breen weapon and then their Founder and the rest of her people – excluding Odo - was struck down with a debilitating illness which prevented her from changing shape. Although she fought on she was very much weakened.

Following various incidents, the Cardassians changed sides to help the Starfleet group and the balance of power changed somewhat but the Dominion retained the upper hand so ships and lives were still being lost. The founder knew she was dying and was determined to take the Federation and all its allies with her but was sad that her own race would die too.

Finally, Odo stepped in and offered to talk to her and get her to call off her troops if he provided the cure for her and all the changelings. He linked with her and she agreed to withdraw from the war and stand trial while Odo went to the Great Lake to effect the cure. So, after two long years the war was at an end.

Kathryn had received many messages of sympathy following Mark's death, but the one that surprised her most was from Chakotay. How he had found out, she had no idea but guessed that communications on Dorvan had to be up and running so that he was kept in touch with what was going on in the rest of the Galaxy.

Although returned to SFH for a while, her heart was not in it and she requested a leave of absence from Starfleet. This was agreed to by the top brass and she told her mother and sister that she had to get away from everything until she decided what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Although she did not reveal it to anyone, she KNEW the first thing she wanted to do was pay a visit to Dorvan to see for herself what they had been able to do.

It was not an easy place to reach by public transportation but after several weeks travelling and changing from ship to ship she finally arrived at the makeshift dock they had managed to build. There was still obviously a lot of work to be done. The only sad thing about her trip was that she had been unable to take Molly with her and did not know whether she would ever see her pet again.

Kathryn explained to the man at the docking port who she was and who she had come to see. She was asked to wait while contact was made with the appropriate people. Half an hour later, a ground vehicle pulled up outside and Chakotay jumped out.

"Kathryn, what a wonderful surprise. How are you?" They hugged as if they were old friends.

"I'm fine but very tired. I didn't realise how far Dorvan was from Earth."

"You should have contacted me and I could have sent a ship over to collect you. We have quite a few working now."

"I wanted to surprise you and the others. You look fit and well but how are all the members of your team?"

"Great. Tom and B'Elanna got married and they have a baby boy on the way. My sister has also had a daughter, so Dorvan's new population boom has started."

As they talked he picked up her luggage and led her out to his vehicle. When she was settled, he started the car up and drove off at speed. At the site of the village they had re-built, where almost all the inhabitants of the new Dorvan were living, he took her in one house first to meet his sister, Sekaya. She had a spare room where Kathryn would be able to stay.

Tom and B'Elanna were delighted to see her.

"Captain, you are the last person we expected to see on Dorvan," the happily pregnant woman told her.

"Please, B'Elanna, call me Kathryn. I'm no longer with Starfleet – at least for as long as I need to decide on my future. Congratulations on your marriage. You and Tom were the last I expected to get together. I actually thought you and Chakotay ….."

"Never – I love the big guy but we'd have killed each other first. There's only one woman for him and there always has been since he first set eyes on you in Voyager's sick bay."

"You're joking?" said Kathryn turning to look at Chakotay.

"It's no joke, Cap .. Kathryn," chipped in Tom. "He's followed your every move once we got communications going. In fact, he's been more interested in you than in the Dominion War."

"Well, I am flattered. I hope to spend a bit of time here getting to know you all and your baby

when it arrives, so I hope you can put me to some use with the work that still needs to be done. I refuse to be an idle bystander."

"Everyone works for his or her keep here, Kathryn," Chakotay assured her. "But for now, you go back to Sek's house and get a meal and some sleep. There's time enough for discussion about your future when you have rested. We want you to stay with us only if you feel you no longer owe anything to Starfleet. Dorvan is going to be a thriving community again and you can be a big part of it."

"I certainly hope so and I very much look forward to seeing and hearing about everything that has gone on in the past two years."

They all hugged each other goodnight and Chakotay took her back to his sister's house where he asked if he could give her a goodnight kiss. She was delighted to agree and had a strange feeling that this was going to be the first of many they would share.

THE END