Debt

Voyager is home. Gretchen Janeway died a week ago, and Kathryn and her sister move into their childhood home together in efforts to save it.

During her years on Voyager, Kathryn thought a few times about her life if they ever made it home. A few things popped out in her mind, fresh coffee, her mother's homemade brownies baking in the oven, nagging her sister, and smelling the roses in the backyard garden.

She always thought it would be a happy reunion. One that was surrounded by family, old and new. So when Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant she didn't expect what happened next.

Chakotay had been at the helm, after Tom went to go see his wife and new daughter. Kathryn had remembered seeing Chakotay and Seven walking together in the corridors. Her older self had told her that they were involved. She didn't believe it then, but seeing them smile at each other as she left for her ready room, made her think twice.

As the door swooshed behind her, she sighed loudly and walked a few laps around the room. Even thou they were home, she was tense. It was almost like this was a dream and soon she would wake up and find that they were under attack by the Hirogen.

As Kathryn sat at her desk, her mind already at home in Indiana, there was a beep from her computer.

Kathryn pressed a few buttons and Admiral Paris appeared.

"Kathryn it is good to see you. And welcome home!"

"Thank you. It is good to be home and to see a section of space where we know where everything is."

Her response made Admiral Paris chuckle a bit.

"Captain, I have some good news and some bad news to tell you. The good news is that because of all of the problems that we had with the Dominion over the last few years all of the Maqui have been pardoned. Starfleet issued that order a few days ago. We were going to transmit that information to you, but you came home instead. If you would be so kind to tell your crew and give them my congratulations."

Kathryn nodded. "Thank you Admiral, I will make sure to tell them."

The admiral cleared his throat. "Kathryn, there is something else that you need to know. But I am going to let your sister tell you."

Phoebe appeared on the screen. "Kathryn you look so great! I am so glad that you are home. I have missed you so much!"

Kathryn wasted no time. "It's great to see you to Phoebe. Admiral Paris said that there was something important that you wanted to tell me."

Kathryn could see Phoebe begin to tear up. "Kathryn mom died a week ago. She went to bed and she just didn't wake up the next morning."

Kathryn put her face in her hands. The reality of the situation hitting her hard.

Phoebe continued. "Mom had been sick for a few months, but she didn't want to worry you about it. She figured that you had enough drama in the delta quadrant, day after day. She didn't want to add to your problems, especially since you were so far away and unable to do anything about them. Kathryn we had to sell half the farm to pay for her medical expenses. She tried to get a loan from the bank, but they wouldn't give her one because she hadn't worked for 10 years. The bank put a lean on the house, because we couldn't continue to pay our mortgage."

Kathryn shook her head. "But what about Starfleet Medical? Dad was an admiral, why didn't mom just go there instead of a regular hospital?"

Phoebe sighed. "We tried Kathryn, but because mom was never a Starfleet officer, they wouldn't allow her to go there. The only person that could take her there was you, but you were lost at the time. I even asked if I enrolled in Starfleet if they would accept her then. They told me that I would have to be at the academy for at least 3 years before I could even consider being accepted."

"That's outrageous Phoebe! I can't believe that Starfleet would do such an awful thing! Especially to our family, who has been in Starfleet for generations!"

"I know Kathryn. I am really glad you are back though. You should know that Admiral Paris did whatever he could for us. It's just that everything here has changed since you have been gone. Starfleet is no longer the Starfleet that we grew up with. The Dominion War changed all of it."

"Phoebe I don't know what to say other than I am sorry, and that I should be home in a few days. That way we can discuss this together. But don't worry we can save our house together, your big sister is here now!"

Phoebe laughed a bit. "Bye Kathryn, and don't get lost it's the giant blue planet right in front of you!"

Kathryn chuckled a bit as her younger sister disappeared. Kathryn was still in shock. She never thought that Starfleet could do something so dreadful. She was still in thought when the chime rang.

"Come."

Tuvok entered. "Captain, we are being hailed by one of the cruisers. It appears that they are headed toward Vulcan. Apparently Starfleet is aware of my condition and they have ordered me to go with them."

Kathryn was shocked. She was still the captain of Voyager, even though they were home. As far as she knew Starfleet had never gone around the captain for any requests. It made her angry, it made her furious, it made her more than a little pissed off.

"Thank you Tuvok, I wish to contact Starfleet myself just to check."

"Thank you captain."

"Dismissed."

As soon as Tuvok left she hailed Starfleet. Admiral Paris appeared.

"What the hell is going on Admiral? Tuvok just informed me that he is leaving on the next cruiser out to Vulcan. I know I have been gone a long time, but since when is the Captain of a vessel not informed about one of her crew leaving?"

"I know you are upset Kathryn, but I have nothing to do with it. In fact I am retiring in a month. Starfleet is not what it used to be. In fact, it's not a skeleton of what it used to be. The decisions are not coming from Starfleet command any longer. They are coming directly from the new Administration that governs Starfleet. The Administration was put together after all of the failings of the Dominion War."

"I don't even know what to say Admiral. I am in shock about all of this."

"I know Kathryn. I am sure that this is not how you wanted it to be when you got home. "

The transmission ended. Kathryn didn't know whether she wanted to throw up or cry. She was hurt by everything that Starfleet had done. She was hurt because she allowed Starfleet's principals to guide her through the Delta Quadrant. Everything that she ever knew, that she had strived for in her life, personal and professional had been rearranged. Deep inside Kathryn wished that she was still in the Delta Quadrant.

A few hours later Chakotay came to check up on her. He immediately sensed that there was something wrong. He wanted to ask her about it, but they hadn't really chatted or acknowledged each other for months. In fact Chakotay noticed how distant she had become from him since he had crash landed on the native sanctuary. He and Seven were supposed to have been at a conference together, but they never made it.

When Kathryn had found out that Chakotay had crashed into a force field over the planets surface she never said a word. In fact when she had overlooked his report of the planet she barely said anything. He had expected her to be furious, or at least tease him a bit for crashing another shuttle. But she simply ok the report and put it aside.

Now that he and Seven were in a relationship together, he really didn't want to get into it with her. In a few days, he would say goodbye and that would be the last of their relationship.

Kathryn finally uttered something to him as he was leaving.

"Thank you for your report Chakotay. I wanted to let you know that the Maqui have been pardoned."

Chakotay smiled. "Thank you captain, I will let the crew know."

As Chakotay left, Kathryn thought of how many times she had dreamed of getting home. And how many times she had played out the scenario of telling Chakotay how she felt about him. But that was a long time ago. And things were different between them. Almost as different as Starfleet.

TBC