The Dash
Author: Riz
Summary: Voyager is in possession of technological knowledge that endangers a fragile truce.
Disclaimer: 'Star trek: Voyager' is a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. This fanfiction written by 'Riz' falls under the fair use clause of copyright law. No profit is made from its production or distribution.
(02: Simmering)
It had been six days since the last encounter with the Nibek. Duty was slipping into routine again and the crew seemed more at ease. No one minded the fact that Captain Kathryn Janeway had excused herself until needed. Now she sat in her ready room, able to have left an absent spot on the bridge for the first time in days. She stared intensively at the bland words of a diagnostic report, but they would not quite register their selves in her mind anymore. It was much the same information as the rest of those PADDs stacked neatly in front of her. Nothing here compared to the turmoils of last week, yet the work still had to be done. Office supplies and a warm cup of coffee stood within her reach. Oh, coffee. How much caffeine she must have had in the past week to keep herself wide-awake.
"-Uh.. Captain?"
The abrupt interruption of a clear voice caused Kathryn to leap to the edge of her seat. She internally scoffed at her distressed senses and glanced up. It was Harry Kim. He was always as quiet as a mouse when entering but the swish of the doors usually alerted her to his presence. Missing such a trivial sound, she must have been entirely distracted. Harry Kim's fingers clutched tightly around the PADD he was carrying. She must have startled the young ensign with her own jumpy reaction. His eyes betrayed the slight concern that he quickly voiced.
"I am sorry, captain. I didn't mean to startle you."
Kathryn shook her head, if anything it was her own fault. The lack of sleep seemed to be catching up to her attention span.
"It's fine Harry."
With a reassuring smile she stretched to take his reading material. The short content that she quickly skimmed over was similar to a customary report with nothing exceptional to catch her eye. Harry nodded politely at her and moved to return to his post. With a second swish of doors Harry had left and Chakotay had come in. The first thing Kathryn noticed about her first officer was that he was not carrying a PADD. So the reason for his visit must be of a different matter, she thought. Nibek activity, perhaps? No, his expression was not tense. Chakotay did not tread further into the room, standing still just beyond the point where the sensors could register him, so the doors slid close behind him.
"Enjoying the day so far captain?"
"…If administrative tasks are your kind of thrill."
Kathryn half-rolled her eyes and sighed softly, managing to majestically gesture at the stack of PADDs. She placed the one in her hand back on top. Whatever it was Chakotay wanted, she prepared herself for it. Leaning forward in the chair, elbows propped up on the desk and her hands folding together under her chin. She eyed the commander with a hint of alertness. How she even managed to be so attentive at this moment she did not know. Chakotay also seemed to be aware of having his captain's full attention as he moved into the ready room with an unhurried pace, finally crossing the gap between the door and the desk. A dry mock was in his statement.
"Oh. Pardon me for interrupting, captain."
Kathryn's lips formed a thin line. What was this man getting at? Her exhaustion kept her from forming a quick-witted comment and she realized this was going to be a long day. Perhaps he noticed the subtle change of balance in her worn down mood, because he soon continued to explain the situation in his usual tune.
"There is not much to worry about at the moment. The ship's functions and supplies seem to be satisfactory. We have sufficient food supplies that will last us several more weeks."
The softly exhaled breath that escaped Kathryn audibly marked her reprieve. Chakotay had arrived in front of her desk and placed his hands gently on the surface. He shifted his balance to lean over the desk, then looking Kathryn in the eyes to gauge her reaction as he spoke.
"-Best of all, there is no Nibek activity. It seems like we'll have a clear run."
Those words gave Kathryn another nice confirmation of the reports she had already read, but hearing it here, in person, made their fortunate circumstances seem more official. Even if there was no beneficial use to it, it was good news indeed. Still, she reminded herself that Chakotay's reason for visiting was shrouded in vagueness again. He would not be here just to confirm a completed announcement. A question lingered on Kathryn's tongue.
"So did you come by to see me work, or is there something else on your mind?"
Her question was asked smoothly and made Chakotay grin. He had expected these words. He knew his captain well enough to anticipate her pursuit of his true business in here. He could not successfully hide his motivations from a clever woman's intuition like hers, so he had to admit it.
"Actually, there is one last thing."
She raised her eyebrows. Here it comes, she thought to herself before listening to his playful voice.
"It's about our captain. I wondered if she was busy. If she isn't, she may want to have lunch with her charming first officer."
She could not easily dismiss the open invitation, Chakotay must have known. The alluring idea of a break after last week's constant all-nighters was simply irresistible. Kathryn Janeway, the woman that Chakotay had come to befriend, was not only an undeniably hard worker but she also valued his companionship and advice. In the back of her mind, she knew that if she were to decline his invite, which was a smooth way to advice her to take a break, surely he would get that Vulcan on the bridge working to construe a message on the disadvantageous points of stress. Or anything worse as he still had Neelix in his munitions… She did not even want to speculate about that one. Chakotay threw an untroubled smile at her to secure his message.
"Why don't you join me to the holodeck? Kathryn, you have hardly been cutting yourself some slack ever since we lost that shuttle. Which has been, what, more than a week now? Voyager will do fine without you for an hour. There are no pressing matters to attend to right now. Besides, I believe Paris has his old program running."
Unexpectedly Kathryn was up on her feet before he could call kal-toh. She might not have agreed so easily if it was not for the unanimously positive reports on top of her desk.A little voice inside of her mind vowed that she could use this break. Her attention span was running too scarce to give the PADDs another try, and her fatigue was wearing down on her mood from time to time. So it was decided. Locking her eyes with his dark ones as she rounded the desk, she touched the commander's square shoulder, taking him up on his invitation.
"I was beginning to wonder when you'd finally show up. Sandríne's again, right? It has been a while since I last dropped in. I expected everyone had forgotten about the program but it seems to be quite popular with the crew again. We all have some old, fond memories of that place and I'd love to see it again."
The first officer nodded in a friendly manner and offered the captain his arm before they went out towards the turbolift. The bland PADDs on her desk were going to be forgotten for a while, which was a welcoming thought for both of them. The way to the holodeck filled itself with playful dialogues. Seeing the high-ranking officers in such a good mood brought comfort to the crew's uncertainty about the Nibek attacks that lingered in Voyager's hallways. When the captain was happy, Voyager was happy.
As the doors to the holodeck opened, a warm air greeted Kathryn and Chakotay in an appealing manner. It appeared to be a warm, humid summer night in the middle of Marseille. The command team passed a small wooden bench in the alleyway and approached the large double doors, antique lighting and welcoming sign that read 'Chez Sandrine'.
Gallantly Chakotay opened the door and gestured for Kathryn to enter. She did and was slightly amazed, as always when she had entered this program. It made her realize that Tom Paris' fine programming skills served the ship's leisure hours well, in fact the man appeared to have numerous useful talents, ranging from programming to flying to 20th century knowledge and to nursing. These known skills were probably not even half of it. Kathryn was happy to see the room's décor had not changed a bit since her last visit. The large pool table still took up its position in the centre of the room. There were antiquated ornate lights, a smoky air and the small flames of candlelights dancing around on the small round tables. The light of the flames licked the dark wall in delicate shapes. To the left was the bar itself, and in the opposite corner was a lit fireplace that only added to the cozy atmosphere with a warm, crackling fire. Yes, it was nice to see this program running again.
"Captain! I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Tom Paris exclaimed. He seemed surprised by the sudden company. A moment, Kathryn thought it could be because she was the highest-ranking officer on-board, but as often as it would make crewmen nervy this was not the case with Tom Paris. The blond man had looked up from behind the pool table. He was about to take a shot a moment before she had entered, but now handed his cue over to the sly figure he was playing pool with. Another one of those odd caricature figures of Tom's imagination, dressed in a pinstripe suit, with a large nose and dark bushy eyebrows.
Chakotay had led Kathryn to the bar when the helmsman came sauntering over, the slight self-conceited smirk in place as it often was. Chakotay disliked that smirk, he always had. Tom often used it to get on his nerves. Chakotay would do his very best at playing nice for Kathryn's sake. It had been that way for a long time. Tom, merely curious, directed his question at the both of his superiors.
"So, what brings you guys here?"
However well meant this question was, Chakotay's silence showed the disgruntledness at Tom's presence. On the other hand, Chakotay was familiar with the fact that Kathryn had always responded well to the man's charms and pranks. She was the one that spoke up with a smile.
"We are just going to have a drink, Tom. You could join us if you'd like. Could we get you a drink?"
Tom shot a discerning glance at Chakotay to measure his evident expression the moment the captain invited her helmsman. Honestly, Chakotay reminded him of an open book. Studying the slight creases in his face summarized the entire content. It was certain he would rather hear Tom make an excuse, but he was not in the position to protest either. Kathryn's well-being was on his mind and knowing Chakotay he would cover any length to suit her tastes, even it meant mingling with the former mercenary. Unfortunately, the captain is a different story, the kind written with invisible ink. No one can read her unless she chose to be read. Even Chakotay could not always do it after all these years. Deciding to take the safe middle road (they both were his commanding officers after all) Tom came up with the perfect excuse to give Chakotay some time.
"You know what? Save a seat for me while I finish my game. I'll join you guys when I'm done beating that guy."
Kathryn had noticed his slight hesitation to join. Blaming it on her rank, she saluted Tom as he returned to the pinstripe suit to take his shot.
"Will do."
Hopping onto the stool next to Chakotay, she reached the counter and placed her arms on it. Behind the bar were various types of luxurious beverages, but Sandríne herself was nowhere to be found. Perhaps the lady had left Tom in agitation as she was not getting the attention she craved. Kathryn smiled to herself.
"Oh I have missed this program."
She took a beer mat in-between her fingertips, moving it around on the counter in seemingly elegant curves. Chakotay had heard the comment, but his gaze was still fixed on Tom, who had no trouble keeping ahead in his game of pool. The first officer replied a little absently.
"It does bring back old memories, doesn't it?"
"Yes. It does, but it also reminds me that Voyager has come a long way since then. We stand closer to home than ever. We have seen extraordinary things that resemble nothing known in the alpha quadrant. We have met many allies, races unknown to us before. Voyager's crew, our two crews of Maquis and Starfleet, became a tight family. But the price to pay for all of this progress has also been high. I sometimes wonder, what will happen when we get to Earth? How will people react?"
"We have all paid a large sum. It is a burden that we can share, together."
Chakotay turned his head back to focus on his captain with those comforting words. His eyes dropped to the bar to see the slightly stained beer mat leave his captain's slender fingertips. She appeared to be in deep thought and it worried him slightly. Her voice, much like her thoughts, had become distant.
"Yes, a burden we share…"
Something within the captain had changed with Chakotay's last remark. That much the concerned first officer could notice. As her eyes became darker, her thoughts seemed to drift light-years from the moment. She was not an easy one to interpret and Chakotay had no idea where her mind was at now. Before he could take a guess, just as soon as it had hit her it left again. Stormy blue eyes gazing back up at him. As much as Kathryn sometimes hated to admit it, Chakotay had a knack for catching glimpses of her vulnerability. She had indeed come a long way since then. Getting this crew stranded in the delta quadrant on her own command, wondering if they will ever get home. Pulling Voyager into tons of conflicts and dangerous situations almost every week. She had threatened, destroyed and seduced alien races just for the safety of her crew. Their safety was worth everything to her. Her virtue, her innocence, her life. They were not to know all the things it had cost her to keep her crew safe. Bliss, love and welfare she denied herself. And the countless things that kept her awake at night. These thoughts just snuck out for a moment and softly gnawed on the back of her mind. Chakotay cut through the thoughts with his deep voice.
"Kathryn? Is there something wrong? You seemed a little absent."
Chakotay's voice was gentle as he laid his big hand on her sleeve in a comforting manner. Kathryn felt the warmth of his hand radiate through the fabric of her uniform, pulling her back out of the icy chill of her unpleasant thoughts. It took her a moment to collect her best smile to throw him off again. A slightly fake smile, but its perfection was something she had already mastered throughout the years.
"Just reminiscing."
Tom heard his captain say the words while he was approaching again.
"About what?"
His voice interrupted the two before Chakotay had a chance to gather a proper response. In a moment of silence, Tom pretended to ponder in a childlike manner even though he had nothing to go on.
"Of course, if you want I'll have the Captain Proton program running again. I'm sure Planet X will bring back some wonderful memories too."
His interruption had been perfect for Kathryn's timing. It almost appeared as if he were helping her, but she soon lifted her hand to stop him from rambling on about the grandiose Doctor Chaotica and her own vital part as the dressy Queen Arachnia. Who knows, he might have ordered for the program to start running if she didn't stop him from getting enthusiastic. He might even try to push the role of Lonzak onto Chakotay. Wouldn't that be the day? She was intent on preventing it.
"Don't push your luck, Tom."
"Yes ma'am."
Tom enunciated it as if he were astonished. He knew full well that while she hated having taken on the role of Arachnia at first, she had actually enjoyed herself. Her impersonation of the holodeck character had been done far too well to think otherwise. In fact, if she weren't the high-ranking captain he undoubtedly would have pushed on to get her back into the play. His flickering hesitant bravery was cut short by an unexpected voice.
"Seven to the captain."
Kathryn eyed Chakotay. Her alertness immediately rose again. The ex-Borg had most probably stumbled upon something important, so she swiftly tapped her combadge.
"Go ahead, Seven."
"I detected a rather familiar warp profile. I thought you might want to come have a look."
The captain nodded while keeping eye contact with Chakotay. This could be something to obstruct their clean run out of hostile territory. Whether the signature was a damaged Irriac vessel, Nibek warship or even a Bolian lost on his way and sucked into some kind of bizarre distortion, it could give them a serious delay. This would require careful planning.
"On my way, Janeway out."
She spun away from the bar swiftly, hopping of her stool and grinning at the helmsman who was just close to pushing Arachnia of the spider people on her again.
"Saved by the bell. Sorry, Tom. Another time, I guess?"
"Yeah, another time."
Tom watched his commanding officers take hoped it would not mean trouble with those Nibek again. The last few encounters had been fairly unpleasant, to say the least. Before he had realized it, the sly looking man that he was playing his earlier game of pool with crept up on him. A rough voice helped him to stop worrying and snap back to the holodeck.
"Hey Tommy. Who was the foxy lady?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb. The lady of course."
Voyager's pilot inhaled a large portion of air, slowly and deeply exhaling again to suppress his chagrin. He definitely needed to start working on these characters' sophistication subroutines. But the further handlings of odd guys on the holodeck didn't matter as much as things did in astrometrics.
So it was that in the astrometrics lab things immediately sprung to business when the captain and commander entered. A rather large block of space was displayed on screen as Seven fleetly moved from console to console, occupied with preparing her findings for the captain.
"So, Seven, what have you got?"
Captain Janeway asked the ex-Borg drone. Chakotay moved in to stand next to her and peered upon a console. It did not display enough information to tell what was wrong so they waited for Seven to come with her reply.
"It's a masked warp signature. Undistinguished at first",
Seven moved to the large console in front of the screen and pulled up the image of a smaller block of space, pushing some more keys it showed a clear warp profile.
"-but quite obvious when compensated for."
Seven turned to face the captain whose eyes widened a little in realization as she moved closer to the screen. She recognized the pattern immediately. From all the profiles it could have been this was definitely the worst news. The captain exhaled audibly.
"The Nibek."
Seven nodded and stood shoulder to shoulder with her captain, gazing upon the large screen. In her monotonous and business-like voice she continued.
"Indeed. They are using the planet's gravitational field to suppress their warp signature. To what end, I do not know."
Chakotay frowned and glanced down as he thought about it. Why would a powerful race such as the Nibek hide out like that? The force of their warships was probably unequalled by far throughout this sector. Even the Irriac, while witty and technologically advanced, where no match for a collaboration of warships like those of the Nibek.
"We still seem to be in their space, could this be an ambush?"
His plausible statement turned the captain's eyes adamant. She turned to her present companionship.
"I don't intend to find out. Plot a course around it and keep a close eye on all Nibek activity. I don't want to run into any one of their set-ups. We are to clear this area as soon as possible. Use whatever it takes, we'll worry about our deuterium supply later."
"Understood."
Without any more remarks, Seven continued her work. Chakotay followed the captain out of astrometrics and into the system of corridors that ran through Voyager. While marching along towards the bridge he offered a hopeful explanation, silently wishing to escape the Nibek without further ado.
"Maybe they're just conducting repairs."
"May be. Or they're waiting to rendez-vous with the rest of their warfleet."
The captain countered, already high on her guard. The first officer knew he had to acknowledge it would be the latter statement. The Nibek were not the kind of species that would easily give up on their chase. Their rash domination of this part of space had made the message clear years ago. Voyager was in possession of the last bit of information needed to neutralize the Irriac resistance. He watched as the captain pushed the interface of the turbo lift.
"We're not out of the woods yet, Chakotay, but I suggest we hightail it out of here. Irriac space is right around the bend. The Nibek would not risk restarting the war by crossing the border of their current space. Besides, without the information on the energy net they would be heading into a two-front war. They would not want to pick a fight knowing they would lose out to the Irriac. The Irriac, on the other hand, will welcome us into their space. They are afraid we might leak their sensitive information to the wrong race if they do not appear friendly. The Irriac are as smart as they are xenophobic so they will want to make sure the information on the energy net is only known by friendly allies."