Title: Faded Part II
Author: DancingStar
Pairing: Janeway / Chakotay
Rating: 12
Category: AU, Romance
Content: Kathryn and Chakotay uncover a fraud that will change their future...
Comments: Thank you for your reviews. And: A tribute to the Death Star!

Faded Part II

"Your Majesty, maybe you should return to your quarters," Janey suggested who was walking in her nightgown behind Kathryn.
"You return to YOUR quarters," Kathryn said instead, "That's an order." It was after 1:00 in the morning and she walked through the corridors of Voyager in her nightdress. She was on her way to the shuttle bay and Janey had insisted to accompany her.
"Your Majesty, I..."
"Janey, please go back to your quarters. I´ll be fine."
"But…!"
Kathryn rolled her eyes. "I don´t think something will happen to me."
"Alright," Janey finally gave up and walked back to her quarters. Kathryn sighed with relief and walked to the shuttle bay by herself. She arrived in time: A team of three officers and the Captain left the shuttle bay. Kathryn stayed in the background and watched how the Captain said goodbye to the security chief Harry Kim and the ensign, who accompanied them. He said he would meet them tomorrow at the briefing. Their mission had lasted almost a week and it was standard, thereafter to see the doctor immediately. Harry and the ensign made their way to the sick bay. Chakotay remained alone in the corridor, but he knew he was not alone. He turned around and walked a few steps in the direction of Kathryn. "How long are you hiding here?", he asked her.
"For too long," Kathryn said. They were now only a step away from one another and bridged the last distance, when she stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him closer for a kiss.
"I missed you very much", Kathryn finally confessed
"I missed you, too." He took a step back. "How is the baby?"
"Perfectly healthy," she smiled and he noticed something was wrong.
"What?"
"Yesterday, the baby has moved for the first time," she told, "It was just a slight movement. Like the flapping of a butterfly. But it was wonderful." She hugged him happily. Chakotay was regretting a bit that he wasn´t with her at this important moment. The fact he had missed how his baby had moved for the first time, caused a strange feeling in his stomach.
"Don´t be sad, because you have missed it."
"I'm not…"
"Yes, you are. I know you pretty well by now," Kathryn smiled again, then took a step back, "And I know the rules very well by now. You will be expected at the sick bay."
"Yes that's true."
"Then go," she sent him with a shooing gesture to the lift, "I'm waiting for you in our quarters."
"Fine. I'll be with you in half an hour."

Kathryn kept her word and waited in their common home for him while he did his routine visit at the sick bay. She kept the time in her eye and counted the minutes until he was with her. The week-long mission had lasted far too long.
Her eyes fell on a part of her wedding dress, which hung in her closet. She was five months pregnant and currently didn´t fit in the dress. And their first wedding attempt had not worked: Two weeks after their learned about the pregnancy, they gathered the crew on the holodeck and chose a Hawaii- simulation. The wedding should take place on the beach and Kathryn stood in her wedding dress before him and they held their hands. Kathryn was so happy at that moment. After the part of the ceremony was over, in which the Royal band of Carea was placed over their hands, which symbolized the eternal togetherness of the couple, it was time to declare them husband and wife. The autopilot alarmed them at that moment. "Borg activities in one light-year away," reported the computer voice and the crew was immediately alerted.
"I'm sorry, dear," Chakotay told her when they formally ran from the holodeck and returned to their stations.
Since then, they hadn´t tried to get married again. Kathryn estimated this wouldn´t happen before the birth of the child. Since then, the white strapless dress in mermaid style hung unused in her closet.
A low hiss announced that Chakotay had entered their quarters. "Welcome home, dear," she said, hugging him, "I'm glad you're back..."

Kathryn visited him the next day on the bridge. "It´s a pity you have to work again," she said, as they left the ready room.
"I know. I would have been glad if we could enjoy a few days off", he was surprised it was now her part, to complain that they spent so little time together, "But a ship needs its Captain."
"Captain, a Carean convoy located in ten light years away from us," Harry Kim reported from his station. This news aroused the attention of the entire bridge crew.
"Do you want that we contact them?", Chakotay asked.
"Yes that would be great…."
"Alright," Chakotay now turned to Harry, "Call them."
"Aye!"
It took about twenty seconds until the Carean ship replied. "This is the Carean ship Malea. I'm Captain Alton."
"My name is Captain Chakotay, Federation Starship Voyager. Captain, the Queen is on board of this spaceship and would like to say hello."
The Captain was amazed to see her there. "Your Majesty, it´s an honor to meet you," he said.
"Captain, how are you out here?" Kathryn was interested to hear how he felt almost a year away from Careas former location.
"The crew is enjoying excellent health."
"Where are you going?", Kathryn asked.
"Home."
"I am pleased you have a new found home world."
The brows of the Carean Captain wrinkled. "Your Majesty, what are you talking about?"
"After Carea was destroyed, I am pleased you have found a new home."
"Carea is not destroyed," the Captain said, "Twenty light years from here there is a wormhole that leads directly to our home."
Kathryn felt numb. She swayed and with the help of Chakotay and Tom Paris, she sat in the command chair. "Are you sure, Captain?", Tom asked.
"I'm sure."
Suddenly Kathryn felt sick. It was as if it were yesterday, when she watched the message of the Minister of Algara III who informed her that the planet had been destroyed. "I... I think we'll have a serious talk with Janey."

They met Janey in the ready room. Janey knew that something was wrong because when she entered the bridge, no one spoke a word to her. Tom gave her even a very stern look.
"Janey, today we met a Carean convoy," Kathryn reported, "The Captain told me Carea isn´t destroyed. How does this happen? You gave me a message that my home planet was destroyed..."
Janey swallowed. "It was only a matter of time until you figure it out..."
"Figure what out?!"
"So you still remember the message of the Minister of Algara III, which I send you," Janey said and Kathryn nodded. She would never forget the terrible morning when she learned that Carea had been destroyed.
"The message was fake..."
Kathryn and Chakotay held their breath.
"...I had to make sure you stay away from Carea", she said, "I'm sorry I had to lie to you, Your Majesty. Captain, I also apologize to you."
"You have first tried to convince myself guilty because I wanted to leave the planet..."
"I had to be authentic...", she apologized.
"I have only one question," Kathryn said, "Why did you do that?"
"On the day on which Hickman and Sanders got married, a message from the Carean Secret Service arrived. They said there are plans to overthrow the government and assassinate all. The Secret Service announced the Preem are looking for you."
"Does this mean we have to deal with bounty hunters?", Chakotay asked.
"I don´t know, Captain," Janey turned to Kathryn almost pleading, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. If you would have stayed on Carea, you would certainly be dead by now. Like much of your people. As far as I know, many people were killed in order to demonstrate the power of the Preem."
"Okay ... Leave now." Kathryn sent her away with a gesture. She and Chakotay stayed back in the ready room. "Can I do something for you?", he asked, Kathryn shook her head slowly. "No, I... I think I need some time," she wiped a tear from her face and now she left the ready room.

Kathryn stopped breathing, as the Captain of Carean convoy was beamed to Voyager. Captain Alton was a tall man and his brown leather uniform suited him very well.
"Welcome on the starship Voyager," Chakotay greeted him, "Captain, this is my first officer Tom Paris. And you already know the queen..."
The Captain smiled. "Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head, "It's good to see you." Then he turned to Chakotay. "Captain, thanks for the invitation to your ship."
"Never mind. Let us take a walk."
"With pleasure."
They left the transporter room and walked down a corridor. Kathryn linked arms with Chakotay. "Captain, when were on Carea you for the last time?", she finally asked.
"Six months ago," he replied, "There is a wormhole in Medina- sector, leading from Carea in this part of space."
"What is the situation on Carea?"
The Captain stopped mid corridor. "The Preem have overrun your government almost a year ago," he explained and she nodded, because Kathryn already knew that form Janey, "The people are now in the hands of the Preem. They destroyed a part of the royal palace and the ruler of the planet is now the Preem- king."
Again nodded Kathryn.
"I know you don't like hearing that, but people on Carea need you. You have to come back."
"Yes, I know," she nodded, looking worried to Chakotay, "I have to think about it."
"Of course, I understand that."
No one said a word. Kathryn had the feeling she would have to decide on the spot what they should do. "Captain, you want to see our bridge?"
"Yes." Captain Alton followed Tom while Kathryn didn´t move a single meter. "What's wrong with you?", Chakotay asked worried.
"I need to think for a while," she apologized, "Go ahead and show your ship to the Captain..." She let go of his hand and he watched as she walked away in a hurry.

Two hours later, Chakotay was very worried about Kathryn. She didn´t respond to his calls via communicator. So he began looking for her. It wasn´t necessary to ask the computer where she was.
"Here you are", Chakotay said as he entered one of the shuttles, which was located in the shuttle bay of Voyager. Kathryn sat in the pilot's seat, staring through the windshield, where currently wasn´t to see a thing. Chakotay suspected she was sitting here because a similar shuttle was the first thing she saw when she could not remember her old life.
"We have found the wormhole. It actually leads to Carea and the planet is enjoying an existence..."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"...However, the space station that should have destroyed the planet, according to Janey's fake message, is real. B'Elanna checked the data of the probe and she believes the space station is not finished yet."
Chakotay sat down on the chair of the copilot. "What's wrong with you?…"
"I don´t know," she shook her head, "I... I almost got used to the thought Carea is destroyed. And then I find out it was all a sophisticated plan my maid..."
"Don´t be angry with Janey: She just wanted to protect you."
"I'm not angry with her," she shook her head again.
Actually, Chakotay was asking himself if she had stayed with him, too, if they hadn´t believed Carea had been destroyed. But he didn´t dare to ask her.
"What shall I do?", Kathryn asked now, "I am the Queen, I can´t abandon my people." She reached for his hands. "On the other hand I can´t ask that you and your crew to extend the journey to Earth for another year."
"What do you want?"
"Me?", She was surprised he asked about it, "I´m torn between my desire to stay with you forever and return home to Carea so our son or daughter has a right to be the next ruler of the planet. That's just... "
"...possible if the child is born on Carea, I know." He rolled his eyes, because it was written in the law of Carea. "Listen, I know a person who once had to make a similar decision: She had to decide if she wanted to get home quickly, or if she wanted to help a settled in the Delta Quadrant species to escape from the captivity of the Kazon. She decided to help and accepted the fact she maybe never reaches her home again."
"Really?", Kathryn asked, "Who was that?"
"That was you. Before you no longer could you remember."
She nodded slowly. "I know I'm asking a great sacrifice from you. But people on Carea need our help. We have to free the planet."
She saw that he thought about for a split second. "No matter where you go, I will go with you."
"Thank you." A smile crossed her face, then she hugged him. They enjoyed the embrace a while. Suddenly Kathryn said: "We don´t have another choice anyway."
"What do you mean?"
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "We were already paired by the Royal band of Carea. Theoretically, I'm already your wife..." Someday, she would leave the Royal band of Carea to their son or daughter. So, as she had received it from her mother.
"Yes, I almost thought so." He got up and reached out for her hand again. "Will you join me? You don´t want to miss our preparations for our flight."
"Not for anything."

The crew was busy with the preparations for the flight through the wormhole until night.
Chakotay went to bed very late and woke up at three in the morning. The room was dark and a humming which was caused by the vessel, was in the air. The bed beside him was empty, the bed sheet was cold. Slowly he got up to look for Kathryn. He finally found her in the living area of their home: She was sitting in a comfortable chair and fell asleep. A book lay on her chest.
Kathryn woke up when he tried to get the book because he wanted to see what she was reading. "Why did you wake me?", she murmured tired and let her head fall back again.
"Come back to bed..."
"What?", she now lifted her head irritated and realized she was in her living room.
"Did you wake up after I fell asleep?"
"No, not that I know... I guess I was just sleep walking..." She put the book aside and took his hand. Together they returned to the bedroom.

The flight through the wormhole began the next morning at exactly 9:00 and Kathryn watched how Captain Alton´s spaceship first flew through. Tom Paris gave her the chair of the first officer, when she appeared on the bridge and she gratefully sat down. In addition, Tom didn´t want to miss flying the ship to Carea. The Captain ordered yellow alert, before they flew through the wormhole. The ship began to shake and a strange feeling spread through Kathryn's stomach. The child moved and she felt a gentle but turbulent kick.
Voyager shuddered now and a shrill alarm at Harry's Station was noticeable. "Harry, report!", Chakotay exclaimed.
"The portside sensors have failed," he reported.
Chakotay watched how Kathryn's fingernails dug into the arm of the chair. The ship was hit by a last quake, then they were free. "We now reach the Carea- sector," Tom reported. He noticed from the corner of his eye, how Kathryn and Chakotay got up almost simultaneously and were watching the main screen. Behind Carea they saw a large space station.
"What's that?", Tom asked, turning around to them on the pilot's seat.
Kathryn wanted to answer, but suddenly she cried: "Tom, beware!"
He turned to the screen and saw how the ship of Captain Alton was rammed by a Preem- warship and exploded.
The ship drifted to the left. "Evasive action!", Chakotay called and tried to catch Kathryn so she won´t fell to the ground.
"We got into a fight!", another voice said.
These little yellow warships belonged to the Preem, but Kathryn had no idea who the opponents were. The Carean didn´t have such small combat ships that could operate in space.
Voyager was hit by a bullet and tumbled through space. Tom tried to stabilize the ship. "Shields failed!", Harry called.
"I have an idea!", Kathryn said, because she didn´t want to leave, "On the back of the planet, there is a cave system. We can hide there."
"Alright," Chakotay agreed, "Harry, scan the planet and look for a safe place."
"Aye, sir!"
Once the ship was stable, Harry scanned Carea and sent Tom the coordinates of their hideout. It was an honor for him to land the ship in the badlands of Carea. "Captain, someone is following us!", Harry shouted and a torpedo already soared past them. They were now hit by a phaser. "Shields at 80%!"
"We're almost there!", Tom steered the ship slowly when they came closer to the planet's surface. The badlands of Carea reminded him of the Grand Canyon.
Another Phaser hit a rock, which immediately imploded.
"We can´t land here," he said. He flew through a wide canyon and turned the ship slightly, so it fit through a narrow point between two mountains. The Preem- battleship still followed them.
Tom turned the ship around, so Voyager could squeeze in another narrow place through the gorge. The ship wasn´t built for such maneuvers and Tom felt how the belly of the vessel scraped over the rock.
"Harry, load rear phaser banks!", Chakotay exclaimed.
"Phaser banks loaded!"
"Fire!"
They watched through the screen, how the small Preem- warship exploded. They were now alone in the badlands.
Chakotay and Tom breathed out relieved. "Alright, we search for a safe place to hide," the Captain said, "I have a feeling we need to bring our ship back on track."

"I admit I didn´t expect we directly show up in a fight," Janey said to Kathryn, as they walked with B'Elanna through a dark corridor on Deck Eight. Each of them carried a flashlight on the wrist. On Deck Eight, power failed and they were on their way to the main energy hub to fix the defect.
"Oh, what did you expect then?", B'Elanna asked. The crew meanwhile knew that Janey had lied about the destruction Careas.
"Anyway, I did ´t expect the Sacala are fighting against the Preem here on Carea."
B'Elanna and Kathryn turned their flashlights on the young woman. "The Sacala?", they asked in. "You know them?"
"I know the fighting ships," Janey said, "The Sacala fight for years against the Preem." Janey dragged the heavy box, which she carried together with B'Elanna, alone. Both insisted that Kathryn didn´t help them.
"I can´t believe she hasn ´t told us immediately", Kathryn grumbled and shook her head, "Lately, I don´t recognize her again." Janey was now outside their field of view and couldn´t even hear what they said.
"Yes, but maybe this is the solution," B'Elanna muttered, "You know, on Earth there is a saying: Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer."
"We also know that saying on Carea."
"Perfect," B'Elanna nodded, "Let´s finish our work. Then we should talk to the Captain."

B'Elanna entered the ready room first, followed by Janey and Kathryn. She found the ready room looked unfamiliar with the desert landscape that they could see through the window. Actually, they had planned to hide the ship in a cave, but there were no cavities into which Voyager could fit.
"Captain, we have an idea..."
"To be more precise, it was my idea," Janey added.
"We need to repair the ship... And then we have to find the Sacala and form an alliance with them."
"Who are the Sacala?"
"They own the small combat ships we have seen in Carea´s orbit. If we ask them to support us in the fight against the Preem, they certainly help us."
"Janey, what makes you so sure?", Chakotay leaned back in his chair.
"On Sacala there is also a monarchy. I hope that's why they show solidarity with us", said Janey, "In addition, the royal families are related to each other: The kings Solomon of Carea and Paeton of Sacala who lived two hundred years ago, were brothers."
"Can we already leave this place?"
"Sacala is the closest planet in this system. It´s not very far ", Janey again interrupted them. Chakotay looked at B'Elanna now because he wanted to have her answer.
"The damage to the belly of the ship are minimal. I´m more worried about the power lines", B'Elanna said," But we can fix it on the road."
"Fine," Chakotay agreed, "Let's do it that way."
B'Elanna and Janey left but Kathryn stayed his ready room. The plan to ally with the Sacala, gave her new hope.

Sacala was the closest planet and it really didn´t take long until they reached it. When they were there, Tom came to the quarters of the Captain to pick him and Kathryn up. "We beam us on the planet, as soon as possible," Tom said.
"Fine."
"Yes…. Um, what are we waiting for?"
Chakotay now turned towards the bathroom. "We have to go!", he said to Kathryn.
"Wait, I have to finish my makeup," came as a response.
"Oh, the princess has to finish her makeup", Chakotay now said to Tom and it sounded quite sarcastic. At this moment, Kathryn appeared beside him. "Queen, my love," she corrected, "I am a queen." She was wearing a black suit and had arranged her hair to a nice hairdo.
Chakotay shook his head and laughed. Then they went to the transporter room.

They were beamed into an underground cavern. Kathryn had known that the Sacala normally lived underground. The team activated the torches, which they wore on their wrists. In the same moment a shot struck over their heads.
"Take cover!", Chakotay exclaimed. He grabbed Kathryn's hand and pulled her behind a rock. "Team to Voyager, we are under attack!"
Some members of the team returned fire. It came from the direction in which there was also the exit of the cave, according to scans.
Kathryn shot with her phaser which suddenly gave up. She sought cover behind the rocks. "We are all stupid, that we do that," Kathryn said, pushing a new energy cell in her gun. She rolled to the left and shot.
A shot hit a rock above their heads and poured down. It narrowly missed Harry.
"You are surrounded!", a female voice shouted, "Give up! You won´t get out of here alive!"
Kathryn saw a desperate glance in Chakotay´s eyes. "What we do now?", she asked.
"She's right, we get out of here dead if..."
"Okay," she nodded, because she had understood. "Stop shooting!", she shouted to the team. Then she slowly got up and left her hiding place and held her hands up. She could hear how Chakotay asked, almost stunned, what she was doing.
On the other side of the cave was a young woman in black combat suit. She was accompanied by an old man who was holding a stick in his hands and those used as a walking stick.
"Please don´t shoot!", Kathryn cried and swallowed.
"Drop the weapon!", the young woman shouted and Kathryn put the Phaser on the floor.
"Please don´t shoot!", she repeated, "I'm Kathryn, the Queen of Carea."
"The Queen of Carea disappeared a year ago," the man with the cane disagreed.
"Father, she really is the queen. I recognize her", the young woman said now. She turned to her warriors and ordered them to lower the weapons. Then she went to a few steps to Kathryn. "It's good to see you. Fortunately, you weren´t killed in the Preem- attack. More than half of the Royal Palace has been destroyed. "As it turned out, the young woman named Aeria and she was the Princess of Sacala. Aeria told her she visited Carea after the attack of Preem. The destruction and the enslavement of the people shocked her and she and her father, the king, had the wish to help the carean people. But how? That the Queen now personally stood before her, gave Aeria hope.
"We need your help," Kathryn said now, "We have come to ask you, to support us in the fight against Preem."
Aeria turned to her father for a moment, who nodded in agreement. "It is my pleasure to help you."

The Sacala possessed a fleet of more than two hundred ships. Kathryn hoped it would be enough to fight against the Preem. Rebuilding society would cost a lot of effort.
Aeria and her father were very impressed when they saw the ship because it was much larger than their own warships.
"I hope you know the Preem won´t give up so easily," the king told her.
"We don´t expect something else."
"It could be our last mission. The Preem have become more violent lately. Therefore, I advise you, if you have something to do, then do it quickly..."
Kathryn guessed what he was thinking. "You're right. There's something we have to do..."
"What do you think, how long will the repairs of your ship take?", asked the king of Sacala now.
"The repairs are almost complete. We can finish on the way to Carea."
"Good."
"Do you want to come with us to Carea?", Kathryn asked now.
"I will send you Aeria", the king said, "I'm too old for war and fighting."
"Alright. We´ll leave in the evening", Chakotay informed her. Until then, they had to do something.

Kathryn never thought of getting married in the engineering. Previously she had always believed this was the least romantic place on the whole spacecraft. But when Neelix led her in- she was wearing her color-changing dress which was white now- the room was enlightened with blue light. Only the leading officers were present and as at their first wedding attempt Tom Paris had taken over the role of the priest again.
"Who gives the bride to her future husband?", Tom asked.
"I'm doing this," Neelix now stepped back and Janey took the bouquet of the bride.
"You look beautiful," Chakotay whispered to Kathryn and she thanked him for the compliment, although he had seen her before in a similar dress.
"We have gathered today for the second time to rise this couple in the state of marriage", Tom began, all those present were amazed at how well he still dominated the speech. After the wedding vows, Janey again handed him the Royal band of Carea. Then they exchanged rings and he explained them to husband and wife. Janey and B'Elanna could see that it was a pleasure to him.
Happily, Kathryn stepped to Chakotay to kiss him. The spacecraft was struck by a quake at that moment. The warp core was extinguished for a second and then lit up again. The light switched in the engineering automatically.
"Captain to bridge," Chakotay tapped his communicator, "What happened?"
"I don´t know, Captain!", an officer proclaimed, "I think the warp core shut down for one second."
"We'll be right with you. Chakotay, over." Then he turned to his wife. "I'm sorry I have to go now," he apologized to her, "At least we managed to get married this time." He leaned towards her to kiss her goodbye, but she didn´t want to return the gesture.
"Commander, what are you doing?", she asked in horror," Why are we here in the engineering?... Why am I wearing a wedding dress?"

To be continued...