At Face Value - Part 25
Written - 2/04
Summary - A routine supply mission for Janeway and B'Elanna leads to unexpected consequences for the crew when they find themselves entangled in an alien conflict.
Rating - G
Note - This story begins shortly after the incidents in the episode Juggernaut and concludes shortly after the episode Barge of the Dead.
Part 25
Hours later, B'Elanna lay on her bed, one hand behind her head, staring at the ceiling. The door chime sounded a total of four times before she even became aware that it was ringing, and not nearly soon enough to prevent the concerned visitor from letting himself in. Tom entered and stopped several steps inside the door, silhouetted by the light from the corridor in the darkened room. "B'Elanna, you okay? I was worried, you didn't answer..."
Before he could finish, she sat up in bed, pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I know, I'm sorry."
Tom noticed that she was still dressed in her uniform slacks and shoes, but had shed her jacket and turtleneck. "Okay, your sorry, but you still didn't answer my question, are you okay?"
She turned her head toward him for the first time since he had entered and looked at him. "I'm fine Tom, really."
Finally stepping completely into the cabin and allowing the door to slide shut, Tom moved forward until he took a seat beside her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her. She instantly slid closer to him and molded herself into the comforting and familiar embrace.
B'Elanna, Chakotay and the Captain had been back on the ship for some time. Chakotay was now in surgery and Janeway was back on the bridge, more precisely in her ready room, working. Tom, Tuvok and most of the rest of the teams were back as well, although it had taken longer for them to return. They had spent some time making certain that the situation was under control before transporting back to the ship in small groups. Neelix and those at the transmission station were the only original group remaining until a Hakonene team could be sent to relieve them and that was expected within the hour.
All in all, the mission had gone well. Besides Chakotay and the one security officer killed in the detention center, there had been only minor injuries among the Voyager crew. Several Veret and Hakonene had been injured in the initial assault on the main cavern and administration building, but there had been no fatalities and the Doctor had sent a team to treat the injured. They had set up a small clinic in the administration building and would stay as long as they were needed.
When Tom had gotten back to the ship, he'd checked on her whereabouts and found out that the Captain had relieved her of duty to get some well deserved rest. Knowing where he would find her, he had taken the time to return to his cabin and get cleaned up before going to see her. "Everything go okay on the Flyer with the Captain and Chakotay?" he asked, still not exactly sure how to find out what was so obviously bothering her.
With Tom's question, the image of the two in question finding comfort in each other's presence found its way back to her mind. "Um hmm." She loved and respected Chakotay as a brother, and the reminder that he could have such a close relationship with someone she was having difficulty with, only added to the turmoil she felt where the Captain was concerned.
"Not too talkative are we?" he said, hoping to elicit more of a reaction than he was getting.
She only snuggled closer to him in answer to his question. They sat that way for some time, Tom deciding that for the moment he was just happy to be with her even if she didn't seem interested in conversation.
After a time she suddenly spoke, her voice soft and low and sounding weary. "Tom, can I ask you something?"
"Of course." he replied, pulling her even closer to him. "What's on your mind?"
"Do you resent the Captain for demoting you?"
The question surprised him. It had been a while since the incident that had caused the Captain to knock him back a rank to Ensign and spend an involuntary thirty day vacation in the brig. He had really and truly resented her for it then, venting all over Harry during a visit, and Neelix and Ayala as he saw them more regularly while he was there, but eventually he had understood. There had been more than one incident of members of her staff breaking the rules, but very few incidents of deliberate and open insubordination, and in a situation that could have jeopardized lives and property. There was also the small matter of a direct violation of the Prime Directive right under her nose. He'd managed to break just about every rule in the book as well as disappointing her when she had trusted him with a mission that so obviously meant a lot to him. Afterwards, when he'd calmed down and had time to think about it, what had bothered him the most was not that he had lost a pip, he'd lost them before. No, what really had bothered him was that he had let her down. In the end, he'd betrayed a trust, even if it had been a matter of conscience.
"I certainly did at first, but that was a long time ago, and I've had the chance to think about it a lot since then. I was largely over it when we came here, but I still felt like she and I were walking on egg shells around each other. When the two of you were kidnapped by the Veret, any remaining resentment just seemed to vanish. All I was concerned about was getting both of you back. When we did get you back, and I realized what she'd done for you down there, well, I guess it helped me to put things in perspective once and for all and to focus on what's really important."
"And what's that?"
Deep philosophical discussions were not his stock and trade, but if it would help her, he'd try anything. IN a way, the mood she'd been in over the last several weeks was as difficult for him in his as it was for her. "Well, I guess it's the fact that we've been through so much together, that we're all we've got out here. When you and the Captain were down on that planet, and we didn't know what had happened to the two of you, I was really concerned about you, for obvious reasons, but what surprised me was how concerned I was about her. Even with everything that had happened between us, I knew I didn't want her to be hurt. I wanted her back on the bridge in charge where she belonged. It was almost like, I could be as mad at her as I wanted to be, but nobody else had the right to do anything to harm someone in my family, no matter what. Does that make any sense at all?"
There was another long silence and then she moved slightly away from him and lifted her head to kiss him lightly on the cheek. "Yeah, it does. Thanks Tom."
"My pleasure." he said, pulling her into his chest again and holding her tight as she wrapped her arms around him.
=/\=
Janeway made her way silently through the empty outer area of the sickbay toward the biobed in the surgical bay. The lights had been dimmed for the night and also to allow the patient occupying the bed to get some much needed rest without the strong lights glaring in his eyes. Reaching the foot of the bed, she stopped there and stood stock still simply watching the occupant for a moment.
They had each been in this position before and unfortunately more than once. There had been too many occasions on this trip where one or the other of them had stood silent vigil waiting for the other to awaken from physical injury or illness, some even life threatening. But this time there was a twist. This time she felt a level of guilt she hadn't felt in a long time. Her actions had directly led to the circumstances that put her officers in harms way and which resulted in one of them being killed and several others being injured, the most severe of those being the occupant of the biobed.
She had only been standing there a minute or two when Chakotay stirred. A low raspy groan and a definitive grimace were both clear indicators that he was more than a little uncomfortable. She crossed her arms, almost as if hugging herself, and waited, leaning a hip against the side of the bed.
As he returned to consciousness for the first time in more than a day, every muscle in his body felt tied up in knots, particularly those that had been assaulted by a Hakonene club. Opening his eyes, he blinked several times and then focused on the figure standing in the shadows at the foot of the bed. The light may have made it difficult to distinguish features, but Chakotay would know her anywhere, even in silhouette. "Kathryn." he whispered.
She said nothing as she moved slowly toward the head of the bed, dropping her hands and sliding her left hand along the bed until she reached his hand and grasping it lightly. Then she leaned down, resting her other hand on the bed next to his head. They looked in each other's eyes for a long moment before anyone spoke, and Chakotay could tell by what he saw there that she had a lot on her mind. Finally she broke the silence. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore, but glad to be home. Thanks for getting us out of there."
She smiled, cocked her head to one side and squeezed his hand. "The Doctor says you should be out of here in a couple of days. The surgery went well but he wants you here where he can help you get back on your feet gradually. He also said you'll need to take it easy for a couple of weeks to allow the leg to heal properly. After that, you should be good as new."
The two of them hadn't seen or spoken to each other since shortly after arriving back on Voyager. Once they had landed on the ship, several things had taken precedent, not the least of which being Chakotay's surgery, and while she had checked in on his progress several times, she hadn't made it back herself until now.
"How are things down on the planet?" he asked, knowing she must have spent a good deal of time working while he was being treated.
"As good as can be expected I think. The Ambassador and the other members of the Council certainly have their work cut out for them, but they are already making plans to relocate the majority of the Veret into an outlying area of the central cavern. It seemed a compromise that both sides were comfortable with for the time being. Until then, the settlement has been stocked with provisions and medical supplies and a small compound in the main cavern has been made available to Jomar while negotiations continue. I'll also be attending a series of meetings as a mediator and Tuvok and Neelix will be coming along to assist. Both of them have gained a great deal of experience in the arts of diplomacy and negotiation since our journey began." She stopped for a few seconds and leaned closer to him. "Of course I would have preferred to have you along, but I guess we'll have to muddle through on our own."
The smirk on his face inspired a small laugh from her. "I'm sure the three of you can handle it without me."
"You're right, we can, but I'd still prefer to have you with me than here in sickbay." she said, moving her right hand from the bed and squeezing his shoulder as she moved her gaze from his head to his feet and back again, but she did not return her gaze completely to meet his eyes.
The statement was harmless enough, be she said it in such a way that, after all these years of living and working with her, he could tell there was a level of emotion behind it that required further discussion. "Kathryn, what's bothering you?"
This time her eyes met his. "That obvious, huh?" she said with an awkward smile.
"To me, yes."
She lifted her hand from his shoulder and released the hand she had been holding, stepping away from him and turning her face to stare in the general direction of the doctor's office. "I believe I owe you an apology Commander."
The use of his rank was not lost on him. She was retreating into protocol in a vain attempt to protect herself from the conversation becoming too personal. It was an instinct for her, as natural as breathing, but they both knew each other far to well for it to really work after all these years.
Now having the advantage of being able to say what she needed to without direct eye contact, she continued. "I am so sorry I ever got all of you into this. I never should have gotten so involved with these people. Furthermore, I should never have stayed behind on the planet without consulting you. If I hadn't been so damned impulsive, you would never have been in a situation to be captured in the first place." She'd blurted it out as if she was out of breath.
"Kathryn, stop."
He watched her from the back as her head and shoulders drooped, the movement reminding him of a balloon deflating. She took several long seconds to compose herself and then, finally, she turned back toward him. He looked up at her, noticing even in the diminished lighting that her eyes were moist."
"What's really bothering you has absolutely nothing to do with your decision to help these people and you know it. You did the right thing, otherwise Tuvok and I would never have gone along with it." He gave her a moment to allow that to sink in before he continued. When he did, he deliberately changed his tone to one even more sympathetic. "What's bothering you is the part you had no control over and could not have predicted, the part that cost you personally. You're berating yourself for the fact that people you're responsible for and care about were hurt and killed. That mental casualty report you keep inside your head must be getting pretty full after all these years."
A tear made its way down the side of her face. She had such mixed feelings about her friendship with him at times like this. On the one hand she very much appreciated being able to be herself with someone on the ship and not have to worry that someone would think less of her for being human. On the other hand, she hated the fact that he could see through her so easily. "Damn you Chakotay, you know me far to well."
"It's a gift."
The two friends looked thoughtfully at each other, neither feeling the need to say anything more for the moment. Eventually, she moved back to the side of the bed and grasped his hand again.
"You have no idea how difficult it was for me to watch them hurt you." Her voice trailed off into a whisper as she said it, nothing more needing to be said.
"Oh, I think I do. Probably about the same as I felt when Gremnet dragged you out of that detention center and I couldn't do anything to stop it."
He let the statement hang in the air for several long seconds before going on.
"I won't deny that there are a few questions of proper Captain – First Officer protocol that we may need to discuss once I'm back on duty, but if it's any consolation I think we both could have made better choices in some of this. You used the term impulsive. Well, I can claim the same affliction when it comes to trying to help Lukar. First of all, they needed our help, and I'm not one to ignore a distress call. Secondly, it seemed as though an opportunity was playing right into our hands, I wanted to much to take advantage of the opportunity that I lost my objectivity. My first mistake was not spending more time considering just how dangerous a situation we might be getting ourselves into. My second was taking the mission myself while you weren't available to take command of Voyager. I've scolded you enough about going on away missions that should have been left to others, I did the same thing myself this time. " A quick glance at her eyes told him she was still composing herself so he continued. "I wasn't aware that you could see what they did to me, although I had my suspicions that it was all for show. But I could see and hear you when Gremnet threatened to kill Crewman Russell. I'm proud of the way you handled yourself. That's your gift, the ability to lead people with your own blend of compassion and strength. Give yourself some time to let everything sink in, put it in perspective, and move on."
She sniffed once and gripped his hand tighter. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?" he said, puzzled.
"How do you always manage to know the right thing to say to me? Even when it's something I'm not sure I want to hear."
He shifted his head on the pillow and focused his deep brown eyes on her blue ones. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm really a mind reader, picked it up from a Betazoid in the Maquis, it comes in handy when you want to ambush Starfleet captains."
Both of them laughed out loud at that and she punched him playfully in the shoulder.
"I can tell you're feeling fine. I'll look forward to having you back on the bridge. And I'll come back to visit later, after I've finished the next round of negotiations on the planet."
"I'll look forward to it. But not until you've gotten some rest, you look tired."
"Looking out for the best interests of your Captain again already?"
"It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it." he said with a lopsided grin.
She squeezed his hand one last time and turned to leave but only made it to the foot of the bed before turning back. There were no words, just an intensity that only they understood as their eyes locked. Nodding her head and then draping herself again in her captain's persona, she turned and left sickbay.
=/\=
Janeway, Tuvok and Neelix sat at the table in the Council Chamber. This would be their last meeting. Voyager would be on its way in the morning, the official business done and the Hakonene and the Veret now needing to work out the remaining details of their new life together on their own.
Janeway had provided Lukar and the others on the Council with all the information they had obtained from the journal entries and logs of the Hakonene ship. B'Elanna and Seven had done a marvelous job of unraveling all there was available and piecing a more than plausible time line of events together. It shed a great deal of light on what had actually transpired, both before and after the Hakonene arrived here. It also identified the fact that there were several on the Council that had been privy to their true history. The fact that generations of Councilors had kept it to themselves had infuriated the others and there was still a great deal of discussion around how that should be dealt with.
Included in the information was a journal entry identifying that a direct ancestor of Milkor's, ironically of the same name, had actually orchestrated the murder of one of Lukar's ancestors and several others who refused to go along with the treatment of the Veret and the fabricated history they were to convey to future generations. There were also detailed accounts of what had happened to Jomar's grandfather and how the Veret had been forcibly removed from the caverns.
All in all it was a lot for any society to have to deal with, the foundation of their culture becoming more and more fragile the more they learned. The Ruling Council had their work cut out for them if there was to be a stable future for their people, and in particular a future of peaceful coexistence with the Veret.
Janeway and her crew had indeed provided the assistance that Gremnet and Milkor had so determinedly tried to obtain. It was a simple matter of trust and timing. Once she had gained assurances from Lukar and the Council, as well as from Jomar, that there would be no more fighting, they had repaired the defensive and communications systems to their original state, no more, no less.
Milkor and Gremnet were now incarcerated in the very detention center that had played so prominently in their attempt to force Janeway into assisting them. She had paid Gremnet a visit soon after her ordeal with him was at an end, and even though she hated to admit it, she had taken a great deal of satisfaction from his appearance and his predicament. Jomar had managed to cause a good deal of damage to the Minister by driving him into the ground at the waterfall, and she suspected that the Hakonene that had taken responsibility for bringing him back to the main cavern had exacted their own brand of revenge as well. In addition to numerous cuts and bruises, he had a large purplish knot on his forehead where it had stuck a rock, and several of his ribs and his collarbone had been broken. They were all painful, but not life threatening. In the end he had said nothing to her, only glowered. She had in turn said nothing to him, leaving him alone to face his own demons and whatever consequences were in his future.
When it became obvious that the business had been concluded, Lukar rose from his chair and addressed her. "Captain Janeway, there is no way that my people could ever adequately compensate you for what you and your crew suffered at the hands of some of our former leaders, much less repay you for all you have done for us. Please know that we will never forget you or your people and that we will try in our own way to reshape our culture incorporating the values we have seen demonstrated in the people of Voyager and in remembering the lessons we have learned through our brief association. We are more grateful than you know. Thank you."
As the Ambassador finished, the others in the room rose from their seats and expressed their agreement by pounding their fists on the table. Eventually, Lukar made his way around the crowd to stand before her and say his own personal goodbye. Once done, the three officers from Voyager acknowledged the appreciation of the Hakonene one last time and then turned and left the room.
Minutes later, as they stepped out through the main entrance and down the long staircase toward the thoroughfare in front of the administration building, they found a throng of Hakonene and Veret there, all of them also showing their appreciation for the strangers who had done so much for them.
While the commotion continued, Janeway stepped up to Tuvok, rested a hand on his arm and spoke closely to his ear so that she could be heard over the din. When she removed her hand, Neelix, Tuvok and the security detail that had escorted them moved off toward the cavern entrance and a waiting Delta Flyer. Janeway, on the other hand, waved to the crowd in appreciation and then turned and walked in the opposite direction along the thoroughfare. She had only gone a few blocks when she turned down a long and pleasant looking alley until she came to a complex of buildings surrounded by a short wall and protected by a decorative gate.
As she approached the gate she was recognized and welcomed by a lone Veret who opened the gate for her and who took her by the arm and escorted her the short distance to what appeared to be a large central building, the Veret in question being Jomar's son Lek. As they walked together in silence up a short staircase, Janeway now crossed her other arm in front of her to rest a hand on his where he held her gently. Reaching the top step, she looked up toward the doorway to find Jomar, standing proudly at the head of a group of Veret who were now as familiar to her as her own crew.
She had come willingly, and alone as requested, the Veret wishing to honor her and say goodbye in their own way for what she had done for their people. When she was finally standing directly in front of Jomar, Lek released her, placing her right hand in that of his father's, and as he wrapped his other hand around hers and began to lead her inside, she looked up into his eyes, knowing that she would greatly miss him.
TBC
Written - 2/04
Summary - A routine supply mission for Janeway and B'Elanna leads to unexpected consequences for the crew when they find themselves entangled in an alien conflict.
Rating - G
Note - This story begins shortly after the incidents in the episode Juggernaut and concludes shortly after the episode Barge of the Dead.
Part 25
Hours later, B'Elanna lay on her bed, one hand behind her head, staring at the ceiling. The door chime sounded a total of four times before she even became aware that it was ringing, and not nearly soon enough to prevent the concerned visitor from letting himself in. Tom entered and stopped several steps inside the door, silhouetted by the light from the corridor in the darkened room. "B'Elanna, you okay? I was worried, you didn't answer..."
Before he could finish, she sat up in bed, pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I know, I'm sorry."
Tom noticed that she was still dressed in her uniform slacks and shoes, but had shed her jacket and turtleneck. "Okay, your sorry, but you still didn't answer my question, are you okay?"
She turned her head toward him for the first time since he had entered and looked at him. "I'm fine Tom, really."
Finally stepping completely into the cabin and allowing the door to slide shut, Tom moved forward until he took a seat beside her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her. She instantly slid closer to him and molded herself into the comforting and familiar embrace.
B'Elanna, Chakotay and the Captain had been back on the ship for some time. Chakotay was now in surgery and Janeway was back on the bridge, more precisely in her ready room, working. Tom, Tuvok and most of the rest of the teams were back as well, although it had taken longer for them to return. They had spent some time making certain that the situation was under control before transporting back to the ship in small groups. Neelix and those at the transmission station were the only original group remaining until a Hakonene team could be sent to relieve them and that was expected within the hour.
All in all, the mission had gone well. Besides Chakotay and the one security officer killed in the detention center, there had been only minor injuries among the Voyager crew. Several Veret and Hakonene had been injured in the initial assault on the main cavern and administration building, but there had been no fatalities and the Doctor had sent a team to treat the injured. They had set up a small clinic in the administration building and would stay as long as they were needed.
When Tom had gotten back to the ship, he'd checked on her whereabouts and found out that the Captain had relieved her of duty to get some well deserved rest. Knowing where he would find her, he had taken the time to return to his cabin and get cleaned up before going to see her. "Everything go okay on the Flyer with the Captain and Chakotay?" he asked, still not exactly sure how to find out what was so obviously bothering her.
With Tom's question, the image of the two in question finding comfort in each other's presence found its way back to her mind. "Um hmm." She loved and respected Chakotay as a brother, and the reminder that he could have such a close relationship with someone she was having difficulty with, only added to the turmoil she felt where the Captain was concerned.
"Not too talkative are we?" he said, hoping to elicit more of a reaction than he was getting.
She only snuggled closer to him in answer to his question. They sat that way for some time, Tom deciding that for the moment he was just happy to be with her even if she didn't seem interested in conversation.
After a time she suddenly spoke, her voice soft and low and sounding weary. "Tom, can I ask you something?"
"Of course." he replied, pulling her even closer to him. "What's on your mind?"
"Do you resent the Captain for demoting you?"
The question surprised him. It had been a while since the incident that had caused the Captain to knock him back a rank to Ensign and spend an involuntary thirty day vacation in the brig. He had really and truly resented her for it then, venting all over Harry during a visit, and Neelix and Ayala as he saw them more regularly while he was there, but eventually he had understood. There had been more than one incident of members of her staff breaking the rules, but very few incidents of deliberate and open insubordination, and in a situation that could have jeopardized lives and property. There was also the small matter of a direct violation of the Prime Directive right under her nose. He'd managed to break just about every rule in the book as well as disappointing her when she had trusted him with a mission that so obviously meant a lot to him. Afterwards, when he'd calmed down and had time to think about it, what had bothered him the most was not that he had lost a pip, he'd lost them before. No, what really had bothered him was that he had let her down. In the end, he'd betrayed a trust, even if it had been a matter of conscience.
"I certainly did at first, but that was a long time ago, and I've had the chance to think about it a lot since then. I was largely over it when we came here, but I still felt like she and I were walking on egg shells around each other. When the two of you were kidnapped by the Veret, any remaining resentment just seemed to vanish. All I was concerned about was getting both of you back. When we did get you back, and I realized what she'd done for you down there, well, I guess it helped me to put things in perspective once and for all and to focus on what's really important."
"And what's that?"
Deep philosophical discussions were not his stock and trade, but if it would help her, he'd try anything. IN a way, the mood she'd been in over the last several weeks was as difficult for him in his as it was for her. "Well, I guess it's the fact that we've been through so much together, that we're all we've got out here. When you and the Captain were down on that planet, and we didn't know what had happened to the two of you, I was really concerned about you, for obvious reasons, but what surprised me was how concerned I was about her. Even with everything that had happened between us, I knew I didn't want her to be hurt. I wanted her back on the bridge in charge where she belonged. It was almost like, I could be as mad at her as I wanted to be, but nobody else had the right to do anything to harm someone in my family, no matter what. Does that make any sense at all?"
There was another long silence and then she moved slightly away from him and lifted her head to kiss him lightly on the cheek. "Yeah, it does. Thanks Tom."
"My pleasure." he said, pulling her into his chest again and holding her tight as she wrapped her arms around him.
=/\=
Janeway made her way silently through the empty outer area of the sickbay toward the biobed in the surgical bay. The lights had been dimmed for the night and also to allow the patient occupying the bed to get some much needed rest without the strong lights glaring in his eyes. Reaching the foot of the bed, she stopped there and stood stock still simply watching the occupant for a moment.
They had each been in this position before and unfortunately more than once. There had been too many occasions on this trip where one or the other of them had stood silent vigil waiting for the other to awaken from physical injury or illness, some even life threatening. But this time there was a twist. This time she felt a level of guilt she hadn't felt in a long time. Her actions had directly led to the circumstances that put her officers in harms way and which resulted in one of them being killed and several others being injured, the most severe of those being the occupant of the biobed.
She had only been standing there a minute or two when Chakotay stirred. A low raspy groan and a definitive grimace were both clear indicators that he was more than a little uncomfortable. She crossed her arms, almost as if hugging herself, and waited, leaning a hip against the side of the bed.
As he returned to consciousness for the first time in more than a day, every muscle in his body felt tied up in knots, particularly those that had been assaulted by a Hakonene club. Opening his eyes, he blinked several times and then focused on the figure standing in the shadows at the foot of the bed. The light may have made it difficult to distinguish features, but Chakotay would know her anywhere, even in silhouette. "Kathryn." he whispered.
She said nothing as she moved slowly toward the head of the bed, dropping her hands and sliding her left hand along the bed until she reached his hand and grasping it lightly. Then she leaned down, resting her other hand on the bed next to his head. They looked in each other's eyes for a long moment before anyone spoke, and Chakotay could tell by what he saw there that she had a lot on her mind. Finally she broke the silence. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore, but glad to be home. Thanks for getting us out of there."
She smiled, cocked her head to one side and squeezed his hand. "The Doctor says you should be out of here in a couple of days. The surgery went well but he wants you here where he can help you get back on your feet gradually. He also said you'll need to take it easy for a couple of weeks to allow the leg to heal properly. After that, you should be good as new."
The two of them hadn't seen or spoken to each other since shortly after arriving back on Voyager. Once they had landed on the ship, several things had taken precedent, not the least of which being Chakotay's surgery, and while she had checked in on his progress several times, she hadn't made it back herself until now.
"How are things down on the planet?" he asked, knowing she must have spent a good deal of time working while he was being treated.
"As good as can be expected I think. The Ambassador and the other members of the Council certainly have their work cut out for them, but they are already making plans to relocate the majority of the Veret into an outlying area of the central cavern. It seemed a compromise that both sides were comfortable with for the time being. Until then, the settlement has been stocked with provisions and medical supplies and a small compound in the main cavern has been made available to Jomar while negotiations continue. I'll also be attending a series of meetings as a mediator and Tuvok and Neelix will be coming along to assist. Both of them have gained a great deal of experience in the arts of diplomacy and negotiation since our journey began." She stopped for a few seconds and leaned closer to him. "Of course I would have preferred to have you along, but I guess we'll have to muddle through on our own."
The smirk on his face inspired a small laugh from her. "I'm sure the three of you can handle it without me."
"You're right, we can, but I'd still prefer to have you with me than here in sickbay." she said, moving her right hand from the bed and squeezing his shoulder as she moved her gaze from his head to his feet and back again, but she did not return her gaze completely to meet his eyes.
The statement was harmless enough, be she said it in such a way that, after all these years of living and working with her, he could tell there was a level of emotion behind it that required further discussion. "Kathryn, what's bothering you?"
This time her eyes met his. "That obvious, huh?" she said with an awkward smile.
"To me, yes."
She lifted her hand from his shoulder and released the hand she had been holding, stepping away from him and turning her face to stare in the general direction of the doctor's office. "I believe I owe you an apology Commander."
The use of his rank was not lost on him. She was retreating into protocol in a vain attempt to protect herself from the conversation becoming too personal. It was an instinct for her, as natural as breathing, but they both knew each other far to well for it to really work after all these years.
Now having the advantage of being able to say what she needed to without direct eye contact, she continued. "I am so sorry I ever got all of you into this. I never should have gotten so involved with these people. Furthermore, I should never have stayed behind on the planet without consulting you. If I hadn't been so damned impulsive, you would never have been in a situation to be captured in the first place." She'd blurted it out as if she was out of breath.
"Kathryn, stop."
He watched her from the back as her head and shoulders drooped, the movement reminding him of a balloon deflating. She took several long seconds to compose herself and then, finally, she turned back toward him. He looked up at her, noticing even in the diminished lighting that her eyes were moist."
"What's really bothering you has absolutely nothing to do with your decision to help these people and you know it. You did the right thing, otherwise Tuvok and I would never have gone along with it." He gave her a moment to allow that to sink in before he continued. When he did, he deliberately changed his tone to one even more sympathetic. "What's bothering you is the part you had no control over and could not have predicted, the part that cost you personally. You're berating yourself for the fact that people you're responsible for and care about were hurt and killed. That mental casualty report you keep inside your head must be getting pretty full after all these years."
A tear made its way down the side of her face. She had such mixed feelings about her friendship with him at times like this. On the one hand she very much appreciated being able to be herself with someone on the ship and not have to worry that someone would think less of her for being human. On the other hand, she hated the fact that he could see through her so easily. "Damn you Chakotay, you know me far to well."
"It's a gift."
The two friends looked thoughtfully at each other, neither feeling the need to say anything more for the moment. Eventually, she moved back to the side of the bed and grasped his hand again.
"You have no idea how difficult it was for me to watch them hurt you." Her voice trailed off into a whisper as she said it, nothing more needing to be said.
"Oh, I think I do. Probably about the same as I felt when Gremnet dragged you out of that detention center and I couldn't do anything to stop it."
He let the statement hang in the air for several long seconds before going on.
"I won't deny that there are a few questions of proper Captain – First Officer protocol that we may need to discuss once I'm back on duty, but if it's any consolation I think we both could have made better choices in some of this. You used the term impulsive. Well, I can claim the same affliction when it comes to trying to help Lukar. First of all, they needed our help, and I'm not one to ignore a distress call. Secondly, it seemed as though an opportunity was playing right into our hands, I wanted to much to take advantage of the opportunity that I lost my objectivity. My first mistake was not spending more time considering just how dangerous a situation we might be getting ourselves into. My second was taking the mission myself while you weren't available to take command of Voyager. I've scolded you enough about going on away missions that should have been left to others, I did the same thing myself this time. " A quick glance at her eyes told him she was still composing herself so he continued. "I wasn't aware that you could see what they did to me, although I had my suspicions that it was all for show. But I could see and hear you when Gremnet threatened to kill Crewman Russell. I'm proud of the way you handled yourself. That's your gift, the ability to lead people with your own blend of compassion and strength. Give yourself some time to let everything sink in, put it in perspective, and move on."
She sniffed once and gripped his hand tighter. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?" he said, puzzled.
"How do you always manage to know the right thing to say to me? Even when it's something I'm not sure I want to hear."
He shifted his head on the pillow and focused his deep brown eyes on her blue ones. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I'm really a mind reader, picked it up from a Betazoid in the Maquis, it comes in handy when you want to ambush Starfleet captains."
Both of them laughed out loud at that and she punched him playfully in the shoulder.
"I can tell you're feeling fine. I'll look forward to having you back on the bridge. And I'll come back to visit later, after I've finished the next round of negotiations on the planet."
"I'll look forward to it. But not until you've gotten some rest, you look tired."
"Looking out for the best interests of your Captain again already?"
"It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it." he said with a lopsided grin.
She squeezed his hand one last time and turned to leave but only made it to the foot of the bed before turning back. There were no words, just an intensity that only they understood as their eyes locked. Nodding her head and then draping herself again in her captain's persona, she turned and left sickbay.
=/\=
Janeway, Tuvok and Neelix sat at the table in the Council Chamber. This would be their last meeting. Voyager would be on its way in the morning, the official business done and the Hakonene and the Veret now needing to work out the remaining details of their new life together on their own.
Janeway had provided Lukar and the others on the Council with all the information they had obtained from the journal entries and logs of the Hakonene ship. B'Elanna and Seven had done a marvelous job of unraveling all there was available and piecing a more than plausible time line of events together. It shed a great deal of light on what had actually transpired, both before and after the Hakonene arrived here. It also identified the fact that there were several on the Council that had been privy to their true history. The fact that generations of Councilors had kept it to themselves had infuriated the others and there was still a great deal of discussion around how that should be dealt with.
Included in the information was a journal entry identifying that a direct ancestor of Milkor's, ironically of the same name, had actually orchestrated the murder of one of Lukar's ancestors and several others who refused to go along with the treatment of the Veret and the fabricated history they were to convey to future generations. There were also detailed accounts of what had happened to Jomar's grandfather and how the Veret had been forcibly removed from the caverns.
All in all it was a lot for any society to have to deal with, the foundation of their culture becoming more and more fragile the more they learned. The Ruling Council had their work cut out for them if there was to be a stable future for their people, and in particular a future of peaceful coexistence with the Veret.
Janeway and her crew had indeed provided the assistance that Gremnet and Milkor had so determinedly tried to obtain. It was a simple matter of trust and timing. Once she had gained assurances from Lukar and the Council, as well as from Jomar, that there would be no more fighting, they had repaired the defensive and communications systems to their original state, no more, no less.
Milkor and Gremnet were now incarcerated in the very detention center that had played so prominently in their attempt to force Janeway into assisting them. She had paid Gremnet a visit soon after her ordeal with him was at an end, and even though she hated to admit it, she had taken a great deal of satisfaction from his appearance and his predicament. Jomar had managed to cause a good deal of damage to the Minister by driving him into the ground at the waterfall, and she suspected that the Hakonene that had taken responsibility for bringing him back to the main cavern had exacted their own brand of revenge as well. In addition to numerous cuts and bruises, he had a large purplish knot on his forehead where it had stuck a rock, and several of his ribs and his collarbone had been broken. They were all painful, but not life threatening. In the end he had said nothing to her, only glowered. She had in turn said nothing to him, leaving him alone to face his own demons and whatever consequences were in his future.
When it became obvious that the business had been concluded, Lukar rose from his chair and addressed her. "Captain Janeway, there is no way that my people could ever adequately compensate you for what you and your crew suffered at the hands of some of our former leaders, much less repay you for all you have done for us. Please know that we will never forget you or your people and that we will try in our own way to reshape our culture incorporating the values we have seen demonstrated in the people of Voyager and in remembering the lessons we have learned through our brief association. We are more grateful than you know. Thank you."
As the Ambassador finished, the others in the room rose from their seats and expressed their agreement by pounding their fists on the table. Eventually, Lukar made his way around the crowd to stand before her and say his own personal goodbye. Once done, the three officers from Voyager acknowledged the appreciation of the Hakonene one last time and then turned and left the room.
Minutes later, as they stepped out through the main entrance and down the long staircase toward the thoroughfare in front of the administration building, they found a throng of Hakonene and Veret there, all of them also showing their appreciation for the strangers who had done so much for them.
While the commotion continued, Janeway stepped up to Tuvok, rested a hand on his arm and spoke closely to his ear so that she could be heard over the din. When she removed her hand, Neelix, Tuvok and the security detail that had escorted them moved off toward the cavern entrance and a waiting Delta Flyer. Janeway, on the other hand, waved to the crowd in appreciation and then turned and walked in the opposite direction along the thoroughfare. She had only gone a few blocks when she turned down a long and pleasant looking alley until she came to a complex of buildings surrounded by a short wall and protected by a decorative gate.
As she approached the gate she was recognized and welcomed by a lone Veret who opened the gate for her and who took her by the arm and escorted her the short distance to what appeared to be a large central building, the Veret in question being Jomar's son Lek. As they walked together in silence up a short staircase, Janeway now crossed her other arm in front of her to rest a hand on his where he held her gently. Reaching the top step, she looked up toward the doorway to find Jomar, standing proudly at the head of a group of Veret who were now as familiar to her as her own crew.
She had come willingly, and alone as requested, the Veret wishing to honor her and say goodbye in their own way for what she had done for their people. When she was finally standing directly in front of Jomar, Lek released her, placing her right hand in that of his father's, and as he wrapped his other hand around hers and began to lead her inside, she looked up into his eyes, knowing that she would greatly miss him.
TBC