My Lifeline Pairing J/C By: AW Rating: MA
Part II
[Six days later - Janeway's quarters]
Kathryn looked at Chakotay, "You have got to be kidding. There is no way that they'll let it go, I'm going to be relieved of duty...there is no longer going to be a Captain Janeway. They think you're a traitor so I'm guessing it's going to be Tuvok as Captain and then who? Let's see Tom's a felon, B'Elanna's a former Maquis, Harry's an ensign, 'slim pickin's Commander'."
Chakotay stared at his wife, "Kat, it will be fine. You're one of the best Captain's that I have ever worked with, and I would think that Starfleet would see that too."
"Oh." Kathryn rubbed her tummy.
"Kathryn, are you okay?"
Kathryn smiled, "Oh yeah, she just gave me a good hard kick in the gut; I think she agrees with you."
Chakotay reached out and pulled her into his lap. "Kathryn, I need you to consider something..."
Kathryn raised an eyebrow and stared at him. "Have you heard the stories and how Kirk went away from Starfleet because he felt the need to? How his crew backed him and in the end he had a very successful career as an Admiral: He was a hero."
"I'm no Kirk Chakotay."
"You could be."
"Oh yeah Chakotay, a pregnant Captain that has gone against every rule that Starfleet has written will become a hero. Are you mad?"
Chakotay sighed and turned her around so she was staring at him, "How about a leader of a society?"
She pulled back shocked, "What? You mean land the ship, give up on getting home, forget my goal -"
"You're not giving up, what I suggest is giving the crew a vote, a lot of them are probably tired of living on the edge, they want a home Kathryn, and most of them don't consider 'Earth' home anymore."
"Chakotay I can't, and I can't believe that you would ask me to do this."
"You know Kat, I know your hormones are all over the place and -"
"Just blame this on hormones, typical male thing to do. I'm still the Captain..."
"For how long Kathryn, you don't get it do you. I'm giving you a way out, Starfleet certainly won't."
"Is that your opinion, I guess we'll see tomorrow won't we." She paused, "Can you sleep in your old quarters tonight, I don't think you sleeping here would be a good idea."
Chakotay's jaw dropped, "You're my wife, these are OUR quarters. You can't pull rank here."
Kathryn brought her chin up in defiance, "I can pull rank wherever I want 'Commander' I'm the Captain."
Chakotay didn't know what to say to that. "You can't do this Kathryn."
"I can do whatever I want, I'll inform you of Starfleet's decision tomorrow. You should get some sleep, you have the early shift tomorrow."
"So do you, why don't we forget ship's business and have a great night together, I'll cook - because I know you can't - and we'll have a good sleep together."
Kathryn looked at her husband, "Did you not hear me when I told you to get out?"
Chakotay looked at her and knew when she was in this mood he couldn't talk to her. He turned and left.
[1300 astrometrics lab - next day]
"Admiral, I can't believe that you'd take this kind of a stance on us."
She heard the admiral sigh, "That's the problem right there, 'us'. You're no different than any other Starfleet vessel and you have to follow the same rules as everyone else Captain Janeway."
"We are in an impossible situation Admiral. We don't know when we're going to get back to the Alpha Quadrant. We don't know how this is going to play out..."
"Captain we sent some deep space vessels towards you, we're guessing they'll meet you in -"
"I know what you said, five to six years. I can't do this anymore, I refuse to...and I'm betting my crew agrees with me."
Admiral Hayes sighed, and then looked at her. "You have no idea what the repercussions of this event are going to be. You don't know."
"Well then I guess there's nothing left to say. I guess there's nothing left to do. I guess that you'll just have to see what we're going to do. I guess for once I'm going to have to say - and this is the last time you'll hear me say this - 'Starfleet is out of line, and I won't do it.'" She turned around and was ready to walk out the door when she pulled off her pips and calmly stated, "Then consider my commission: resigned."
She walked out of the Astrometrics lab - as far as she was concerned for the last time as 'Captain'. Her hand rose slowly to her commbadge, she had set forth a set of actions that she could not undo, she hoped - not for the first time since Voyager had become her motley crew - that Chakotay was right. "Kathryn to Chakotay, could you please report to the ready room?"
Janeway made her way to her ready room and sat down unceremoniously on the couch. She waited, Chakotay had been right, and in the end she had done the right thing: she was sure of it. The door chime rang and she looked up, "Come in."
Chakotay walked in and looked at Kathryn sitting in her uniform but something wasn't right. Her hair wasn't right, and where were her pips. "What happened Kat?"
She brought her eyes up to meet his, "I'm no longer Captain."
Chakotay just stared at her. He wasn't sure what she was getting at, "Did they demote you Kathryn?"
She sighed, "No I resigned my commission, you were right Chakotay, it's not fair. They won't hear me out, they were never going to, so I took my pips off right there in front of the admiral and told him I was done."
Chakotay stared at her again, as if she had two heads. "Kathryn, this is your life's work, this is what you've sacrificed your life for."
"Until now Chakotay. I'll call a meeting with the crew for 1800 hours tomorrow in cargo bay 1 - cargo bay 2 is a little crammed with Borg hardware - and I'll announce that they have the choice, stay or go, but they won't have me Captaining if they choose to go on."
Chakotay shook his head; could she be so blind to the intentions of the crew? They loved her, and most of them would die for her. "Kathryn, they would follow you anywhere."
"You don't understand Chakotay, I'm not sure I can even go on...what's left?"
"Have a senior staff meeting and we'll talk to them first, we'll have a blind vote from those that are there, we'll tally the votes and then we'll take it to the rest of the ship based on that." He paused gathering his thoughts, "You don't have to tell them just yet that you've been relieved of duty, you got them this far."
Kathryn turned on him, "And how far is that exactly? We're still exiled in the Delta Quadrant; we're still years away from our families; we're -"
"We've all made new families. Do you think that in the Alpha Quadrant Tom and B'Elanna would have found each other, Billy Telfer and Tal Celes, Sam Wildman and Joe Carey -"
"Enough, enough: I get it. But what about all the people who left loved ones behind. Harry Kim will never see his parents or his girlfriend Libby again. Seven will never truly know what humanity is, Tuvok will never get to see T'Pel again, so many -"
He pulled her to him, "Put your pips on, carry on as if nothing has happened and after the vote tomorrow we'll have a better idea of where we stand with the crew."
[That afternoon - senior staff meeting]
Kathryn walked in and saw her senior staff around her. "What I say here goes no farther until we've all made a decision together. I know this isn't a democracy and I know you would all follow me anywhere, but the time has come for you to make the decision."
Harry shook his head, "And what decision is that Captain."
"We need to decide if we're just going to trek through the Delta Quadrant on a possibly forlorn journey or set down and build a home. We've already picked a planet that would be perfect for shore leave and a possible colony. I'm putting the decision in all of your hands. Vote, send the vote to the Commander, and we'll talk tomorrow morning about how we're going to proceed." She put her hands on her hips - what was left of them - and dismissed the senior staff. "You all have the rest of the day off to make an informed and unbiased decision; I'll see you all tomorrow morning bright and early at 0700."
The senior staff left with startled and somewhat confused looks on their faces. They had not seen this coming, no matter what. The decision would be theirs and that was somewhat comforting.
[Paris Quarters ten minutes later]
"What the hell was that? She's actually considering landing the ship and creating a new society?"
B'Elanna stared at her husband. "Maybe she's right. I mean do we really have anything to go back to?"
Tom laughed, "An angry Admiral father-like figure, a sister who was the one who actually 'made something of herself', and a mother. But last message, my mother wasn't doing too well and I wasn't sure if she would even make it until we got home."
"I haven't spoken to my mother or father in years, and the Maquis were as close to family as I ever had." She paused looking thoughtful, "And most of them were killed during the 'Dominion Wars'. I'm not even sure we'd recognize Earth or the Federation anymore."
They looked at each other, "I guess our decision's made then."
[Same time Chakotay and Janeway's quarters]
"I don't know what's going to happen Chakotay. Did you see the looks on their faces? They were surprised, unsure -"
Chakotay stared at her before beginning his plea, "I also saw understanding and acceptance."
"Perhaps honey, I guess we'll find out tomorrow morning."
[Tuvok's Quarters]
Tuvok sat and stared at his meditation candles. The plea was made; he tried, no matter how far he was to make a psychic connection with T'Pel. He felt her presence overcome him, and he knew what he had to do.
As soon as the decision was made, whatever it was he would perform either the separation ritual, or the suicide ritual.
Tomorrow would be a day of firsts for many of the crew of the Voyager.
[Harry's Quarters]
He stared at the padd in front of him; the decision was in his hands and the hands of all the members of the senior staff. He had received a letter from Libby saying she had married not three months ago, leaving him free to follow his own pursuits.
His own pursuits, right. He was confused and unsure if he was even ready for the demands that creating a new colony would take on him.
How could he do this?
Could he leave the confines of Voyager forever, this was a decision not to be taken lightly.
Starfleet had been his life, but an Ensign forever on the Starship Voyager, no end in sight, maybe it was time to settle and raise a family: he had made progress with Megan after many trials and tribulations. He was beginning to really fall in love with her, not a young man's infatuations, but rather an all-consuming love.
Maybe they were right; maybe it was time for a change.
[Cargo Bay Two]
Seven was unsettled. She had yet to master humanity and yet the Captain was asking her whether she wanted to help create a new colony of humanoids on a planet?
She thought of the children. She looked to the alcoves in the cargo bay. Would she be forced to take a mother role to these lost children? Could she? Without the technology of Voyager how would they regenerate?
Was Captain Janeway aware of the situation, each and every one of the former Borg drones had unique physical and medical needs to attend to.
No she couldn't do this.
[0650 Conference Room]
"Well Chakotay, in ten minutes we get to open the file and see what our senior staff has decided."
"How our life's going to go."
"Where our child's going to be raised."
"What our future life goals will be."
She sighed, "We've put our life in the hands of our senior staff."
He laughed, "Well we did have a say too, and so we're at least...what 25 responsible for the outcome?"
She nodded, "Yes, and I hope we made the right decision."
He looked at her. "We did our best, we always do, and that's all anyone can ask."
She nodded, and they waited.
END PART 2
TBC IN PART 3