Now, there are still several unresolved issues left for the characters to deal with, so here we go for Part 2! Also because I love giving J/C some happy times!

I hope you enjoy!

PART 2 – THE PHOENIX

Chapter 10

Artificial light poured through Chakotay's window above his bed, simulating morning sunshine. Chakotay had discovered this function when he'd first been assigned these quarters, and so he had programmed the window to display sunlight during daytime and stars during the night to help him get used to Starfleet time. But this morning his appreciation for the fanciness of Aspire's crew quarters increased tenfold when he found the illusion of sunbeams falling on Kathryn's shoulder and face as she slumbered next to him.

When he'd first awaken, in that short moment when consciousness seeped through but before he'd opened his eyes, he had almost convinced himself that last night had been a dream. There had been something so surreal and oneiric about the conversation in the semi-darkness of their respective quarters, their faces illuminated only by the light from their computer screens. And then that dreamlike quality had only increased when Kathryn had materialized at his doorstep, her cheeks flushed and her eyes heavy-lidded and a darker shade than normal; when they'd kissed and laughed and touched and come together without uttering a word, as if afraid that speaking would break the spell. And spellbinding it had been.

So a part of him was actually amazed and a bit incredulous when he opened his eyes and found her there, sleeping on her stomach, her face turned toward him.

Chakotay shifted on his side and took a moment to drink in the sight and feminine softness and smell of her. The way her eyelashes curled on her cheeks, the way her tousled hair fell around her face, the soft, soft skin of her shoulders, and the rise and fall of her back. In sleep she displayed none of the affectation she donned as a Starfleet captain and it made her look younger, carefree. Her breathing was soft and even, and Chakotay had to resist touching her, for fear that he would wake her. She slept so peacefully, and he knew better than anyone how much she needed it.

He rolled around to check the time. He had about an hour before the tell-all briefing with the rest of the crew, so he sat up to pull on his pants. Calypso came running to him, as if she'd just been waiting for that sign to get up from her blankets in the next room. Chakotay smiled and stroked her head in greeting.

"Don't even think about getting out of this bed," Kathryn suddenly drawled sleepily from behind him.

Chakotay grinned as he turned to gaze back at her. Her eyes were still closed, but her lips were curved into a lazy smile, her arm stretched out as if she'd felt for him and had found the spot empty. "There's no getting the captain out of you, is there?" He teased at the order underlining her comment even as he obeyed and lay back down on his side to face her. She snuggled closer to him, as if looking for his warmth. Chakotay was all too happy to oblige, and pulled her close into his side so she could rest her head on his shoulder.

He felt her lips curl into a broader smile and her breath tickled his neck when she let out a quick chuckle. "Probably not."

"Good," he lifted her hand from his chest and interlaced their fingers. "Because I happen to be in love with a captain. Have been for a very long time, actually." It was strangely easy to say the words out loud – after last night he hoped there could be absolutely no doubt in her mind about the depth of his feelings.

She snuggled her face closer into his neck. Heavens help him but she was soft and warm and enticing and he couldn't get over the fact that she wanted to be close to him. That she wanted him. Although she had made that pretty clear herself last night, too. "Is that so?" She drawled.

Chakotay gave a playful smile, desperately trying (and failing) not to focus on the feel of her against him, not when he knew he wouldn't be able to finish what they started. At least, not in the way he wanted. "That's right. But for the longest time I couldn't say anything, or act on my feelings because for some reason she was dead set on defining those damn parameters, you see."

She chuckled in surprise, a low sound that rumbled through him, sending his blood pumping and his heart soaring.

Chakotay shifted onto his side to prop himself up on his elbow again and she opened her eyes at last with the shift in position. Her eyes were soft and mischievous – the grief-stricken and intense expression of the night before replaced by a quiet, peaceful kind of happiness – and Chakotay reached out to touch her cheek as he looked at her.

"Actually," he spoke again, more seriously. "This has been nagging at me for weeks… That night, before I left, what made you decide to cross the line? Drop those parameters? You had held on to them for years, why that night?" He asked curiously. "And no blaming the wine," he added with a small, crooked smile.

She gave a brief shake of her head, just a slight movement, and her gaze left his face to travel to the ceiling. "I was honest with you that night. I felt I was on the verge of losing you, with the whole Maquis situation… I didn't know about you and Seven, then, not really, but I'd heard a rumor…. Which I'd dismissed, a little too quickly, in retrospect," she added with a derisive snort. "So I told myself that if I didn't act, I might never get another chance." Her eyes shifted to his again. "So I took it. I hadn't planned it. It just… happened. And the wine did help," she added with an arch look.

Chakotay shook his head wanly. "You had me fooled, you know," he told her quietly. "It took me years, but I'd finally convinced myself that I would always be a friend and nothing else in your mind. You couldn't have surprised me more if you'd decided to quit Starfleet to become an accountant or a professional ballerina."

She laughed quietly, but chose not to take the opportunity for banter. Instead she shook her head, her own smile filled with regret. "I think I fooled myself too. Until I was faced with the real possibility of losing you. Then I couldn't lie to myself anymore – not when the truth was staring me right in the face." She reached out to touch his cheek, caress his jaw.

Chakotay took her hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips. She smiled softly at his gesture. "When I learned that you weren't among those the rescue team had recovered after the explosion, I nearly lost it, Kathryn. Tuvok was the one to tell me the news, and I could tell he didn't have a clue what to do." She chuckled softly at that mental image, but Chakotay could only shake his head. "But then when I saw you, at the compound… It took every ounce of strength I had in me to stop myself from running to you."

Her smile widened a little, shifting into her more typical, teasing crooked smile. She mirrored his position and propped herself on her elbow too. "I could tell. You're a terrible liar, Chakotay."

Chakotay bit back a smile and feigned indignation. He narrowed his eyes at her. "There are three prisoners in the brig right now who might disagree with you. I had them fooled, you know." After a pause he added, "well, sort of."

She laughed, the sound low and rich and seductive and Chakotay couldn't resist the temptation to trail his fingers down the soft skin of her arm and lean in to kiss her lips, savoring every moment and every sensation. She moved her head to the side when his lips traveled to her neck, her hand coming to tangle in his hair. She let out a long sigh of pleasure. "How in the world did I not know as soon as I met you that being together like this would feel so right?"

Chakotay grinned as he pulled back to look into her eyes. "I don't know. I've suspected from the moment you asked me to dinner, that day when you implored me to join your crew," he taunted mischievously, knowing she wouldn't resist taking that bait.

As predicted, she shook her head and raised her finger, ready to debate him. "First of all, I didn't implore you, exactly. And secondly, I didn't ask you to dinner, I requested your presence at the captain's table. That's different."

Chakotay nodded knowingly, narrowing his eyes. She slapped his chest at his teasing grin, but Chakotay caught her hand, caressing her knuckles with his thumb. There was so much he wanted to tell her, so much emotion threatening to burst out of his chest… About how long he'd been dreaming of this. How long he'd loved her. How much last night had meant to him. How much this moment meant to him. And he knew that not all wounds were healed between them, and he wanted to beg for her forgiveness. But he furrowed his brows when he found himself lost for words.

Her eyebrows curved upward at his sudden emotional expression, as if she understood, and she leaned in to kiss him softly, her hand coming to caress his cheek, the hair at his temple. Her kiss was sweet, tender, so different from their emotional coming together of the night before. He was getting lost in the unhurried passion of her kiss when the comm system in his room activated, startling them both.

"Mr. Chakotay, please report to Captain Asani."

Chakotay let out a frustrated groan and reluctantly disentangled himself from Kathryn. He sent her an apologetic look, but she was smiling, looking rather pleased with herself. Chakotay sat up and grabbed the combadge he'd left on the nightstand. Calypso ran to the other side of the bed to Kathryn, as if deciding to take her chance with the other human. Kathryn's face lit up when she saw her, then patted the bed and Calypso jumped up immediately. Kathryn sat up against the headboard, drawing the sheet up over her chest. Chakotay couldn't resist stealing a glance at the shape of her hidden underneath.

"So you ended up adopting this cutie, huh?" Kathryn commented, her eyes still on Calypso as she petted the dog's ears.

Chakotay gave a crooked smile. "I think she adopted me," he replied with a smile as he threw on a shirt. She chuckled. "I called her Calypso. It seemed fitting to choose a name from Greek mythology in a place that reminded me of it. She seems to like it."

"I do too."

He cleared his throat before pressing the combadge. "Chakotay here. What can I do for you, Captain Asani?"

"I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but I have a request from Admiral Mendez. Katan has been requesting to speak with you, and only you. So the admiral requests your presence in the brig ASAP."

Chakotay sighed as he threw Kathryn another regretful glance. "Alright. I'll be right there." When the communication ended, Chakotay stood to gather the various pieces of clothing around the room, letting out a long sigh. He approached the bed again. "Katan has been a pain in my side for a month now, I can't wait to be rid of him. I don't know how long this is going to take," he told her apologetically as he leaned over the bed. She met him halfway and kissed his lips briefly.

"That's fine, because I'm going with you," she told him after they pulled back. He knew there was no changing her mind, not when she wore that expression on her face, so he nodded. And truth be told, he loved that she'd suggested it. She moved to the side of the bed to gather her clothing and Chakotay couldn't resist letting his gaze linger along her bare back.

Once spurred into action, they both quickly got dressed and she gave him an all-too-brief kiss before she left for her own quarters to take care of her morning routine, telling him she'd meet him in the brig. Chakotay resisted grabbing her hand and pulling her back against him, and instead watched her go with continued wonder that this was actually happening. He shook himself and then quickly took care of his own morning routine before he left Calypso to play with the ecstatic kids in the Aspire nursery on Deck 5. Then he made his way down to the brig.

When Chakotay got there, Admiral Mendez was already present. Chakotay nodded to her as he approached, then glanced at Katan, who sat in his cell, rubbing his hands together anxiously as he leaned his elbows on his thighs. In the closest cell Sébas was eating breakfast, while on the other side of Katan Punjan was lying down on his bunk, ankles crossed and looking at the ceiling.

"Thank you for coming," Admiral Mendez greeted him. "Katan says he has information, but said he'd speak only with you."

"Still vying for every inch of control he can find, I suppose," Chakotay said. After a nod, he approached Katan's cell, placing his hands on his hips out of habit. "Alright, I'm here. Let's hear it."

"Ah, the traitor shows himself at last. I should have known. You reeked of Starfleet and moral high ground." Katan stood from his bunk and approached the energy force field. "I want a deal."

Chakotay raised wry eyebrows. "Given where you are right now, I'd think the least you can do is ask nicely. Because if you got me out of bed to insult me, Katan, I swear-"

"I have information you want. Not only you, but the rest of you lot," he said with a jerking motion toward Admiral Mendez and the security officers in the room, all of them in uniform. "But I'll only tell you if you promise me a deal."

Chakotay frowned, then spun on his heels to address the admiral. "He's got nothing. I'm going back to bed."

"Wait!" Katan growled.

Chakotay stopped and faced him again.

"You want to know who the Boss is, right?" There was glee in his eyes, as if he anticipated getting pleasure out of Chakotay's expression when he revealed the Boss's identity.

Chakotay studied him for a moment, that gleeful expression, the certainty that he could surprise him. It was at that moment that Kathryn stepped inside the room, nodding to the officers before meeting his eyes, making his heart leap. Her lips curved into a barely-there smile, as if she couldn't quite school her features completely. Chakotay had the sudden urge to get this conversation with Katan over with as soon as possible. If Mendez wondered how Kathryn had known this "interrogation" was happening, or why she would come to attend, she didn't let it show.

Chakotay returned his eyes to Katan, and that's when the answer just… hit him. As if a small voice had whispered it into his mind. He felt his stomach lurch at the sudden realization. "It's Jem. Jem's the Boss."

The thought had actually crossed his mind before, but he'd dismissed it; maybe he'd been hopeful that the rapport they had established – no matter how small it had been in the end – had meant something. Maybe he hadn't wanted to believe that he had been fooled yet again. And it was because he'd dismissed his instincts that he'd let Jem go.

Chakotay cursed mentally. He sensed Admiral Mendez stiffen behind him.

Katan's surprise at Chakotay's guess was evident, confirming his suspicion. "You knew?"

Chakotay merely stared at Katan. "You were afraid of her. I figured there wasn't much to scare you about her, unless she was the one calling the shots." He paused. "She transported off the ship when we took over. Where would she go?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." He was lying, Chakotay could tell in the return of the gleeful expression.

Chakotay smirked. "If you want a deal you'll need to give me something more valuable than something I already knew."

"I've given you plenty," he countered.

"Not nearly enough for what you did," Chakotay replied in a low, threatening voice.

Seeing the real anger simmering in Chakotay's eyes, Katan sighed in frustration, raking a hand through his hair. "I don't know where she'd go. But I've suspected for a while that the Doldrums is actually her home planet. Her people's, I mean. And here's something that might interest you: I've been suspecting that she might actually be directly involved with the Scavengers herself."

That, Chakotay had not seen coming. He exchanged a brief glance with Mendez and Kathryn, biting his lips to keep himself from showing his surprise. Chakotay was suddenly filled with a powerful sense of foreboding. He made a rolling motion with his fingers, requesting Katan to keep talking.

"There were just too many coincidences – she would show up with pieces of technology that we had failed at retrieving, or she would leave for days on end and then come back with intel that she couldn't possibly have had unless she was part of a larger criminal network. The Scavenger clans are renowned in this area for their ability to gather intel. They sell that sometimes, too."

Chakotay closed his eyes when everything suddenly clicked in his mind. Kigyun, it means 'those who harvest,' Jem had told him. Scavengers. Kigyun meant scavengers. Her people were literally the scavengers who ran these compounds on that planet, who had raided Voyager's wreckage, who had been trafficking in humanoids, who were reputed for their ability to gather intel. It made a twisted kind of sense – as shapeshifters, they could pass as anyone, including Starfleet. It would explain how they had known about Voyager's anti-Borg technology. And Jem – being a member of the Kigyun – had been trying to prove herself to them. To fulfill that desire to belong. He swore mentally. She'd almost confessed as much to him that night, in the bar.

Oblivious to his epiphany and the raging speed of his thoughts, Kathryn stepped up next to Chakotay, her hands on her hips. "Why did she want Voyager's shield generators?"

Katan's eyes darted between the two of them. "She didn't say. I didn't ask. It was your ship, wasn't it? You probably know more about it than I do. Why did she want Voyager's shield generators?" He returned the question as a taunt, smirking now.

Kathryn tensed next to him at the first part, but Chakotay tried to focus on the final words of the sentence, his mind still reeling from his realization and all of the implications. Why would she want those generators? His heart sank. Those ablative generators from 25th-century Admiral Janeway could power shield emitters that generated a nearly-impenetrable layer of armor around the hull of a ship. Or compound.

"Did the others know about this?" Chakotay asked, his eyes straying to Sébas in the first cell. With the force fields in place, the other two couldn't hear what was being said. But if Sébas had known that Jem had been running that compound when they'd set up the plan, Chakotay might very well lose it on him.

But Katan smirked. "Oh no. I was usually the one meeting with the Boss, and I just found out because I happened to look into his, well her, eyes one time. She would take different forms, sometimes pretending to be an associate, sometimes the man himself. I decided to keep working with her, because if she could pull that off… She was someone I wanted on my side. And she always kept her word about the rewards."

"And you were scared of her," Chakotay taunted, knowing it would push Katan's buttons, and he wouldn't be able to resist talking some more.

"With good reason, I say," he declared, smirking as he studied Chakotay's face, as if looking for traces of the bruises Jem's blows had left on his face.

Chakotay stared at Katan for a while longer, waiting to see if there was anything else forthcoming. When he was satisfied that Katan had given him everything he had, he turned his head back to Mendez. She nodded once.

Chakotay sighed. "If it were up to me there would be nothing you could say that would convince me to offer you a deal. Not for what you did to Voyager and countless other ships. But luckily for you, it's not up to me. Starfleet will get back to you."

On that, Chakotay turned around and followed Mendez and Kathryn out of the brig. "Nice work, Mr. Chakotay," Admiral Mendez started telling him.

Chakotay quickly interrupted her, stopping as soon as they were out in the corridor, biting his lips. Kathryn frowned as she watched him. Chakotay exchanged a glance with her before he dove in and told them about his epiphany concerning Jem, about the implications. If his hunch was correct, Jem had not only orchestrated the raid on Voyager, but she might well have been the one running that Scavenger compound. And he'd let her go. His guilt increased tenfold.

Kathryn's frown deepened as she listened to his hypothesis. "But why would she pass as a Wraith crewmember if she was behind that whole operation? Wouldn't it have been safer to pull the strings from behind the curtain? Why risk it?"

Chakotay shook his head. "Maybe she liked it – the adrenaline rush from those heists. Or maybe she wanted to keep an eye on Katan, to make sure he didn't abuse his power or double-cross her. I don't know."

Admiral Mendez was frowning now too. "You told me she showed you how to destroy the compound's shield before you were able to transport your people aboard the Klingon raider. Why would she do that? Why would she target her own base of operation?"

Chakotay tugged on his earlobe, a new sense of urgency taking root inside him. He had to rectify this. Find her. Stop her.

"Again, I don't know. But she might have thought this was the only way for her to get the shield generators. By then I had convinced her that the Scavengers had collected them from the wreckage – she must have assumed that someone within her ranks had acted behind her back or without her knowledge. At that point, following Katan's plan was her best hope at recovering the generators, especially after Aspire showed up. She knew Starfleet was about to seize most of the stolen property within those walls – it became imperative that she retrieve those items before you did."

Mendez sighed, nodding. "Very well. This new information changes our priorities. I need to consult with Starfleet Command, but I would be surprised if our next orders did not require us to pursue her and apprehend her." She paused to look at Chakotay. "You told me before that you don't like to leave things unfinished – are you willing to help us with this final task if it comes to that? I realize that this goes beyond what I asked of you in the first place, but as of right now, you are the one with the most in-depth knowledge of her."

Chakotay considered it for a second. He wanted to say that he was done, that he'd given everything they'd asked for, but he couldn't. Not quite yet. He felt Kathryn's eyes on him as he replied. "I stand by what I said. She planned the raid on Voyager, she had all those people imprisoned, waiting to be sold or ransomed. And it's my fault that she escaped." He paused. "I know I won't be able to rest easy until I've seen this through. And until Jem answers some questions of mine."

Admiral Mendez nodded. "Very well."

"If it's alright with you," Chakotay added with a sideway glance at Kathryn, "I'd like to ask the Voyager senior crewmembers to help me with this. We've been through a lot together, and I know our chances will be much better if we work as a team."

Admiral Mendez nodded. "Suit yourself. It's safe to say that the cover story no longer matters anyway. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to tell Captain Asani to turn this ship around. And update Starfleet Command," she said just before she nodded to them and took off down a different corridor.

Chakotay checked the time. It was just about the time for his briefing with the Voyager senior officers, so he motioned for Kathryn to step ahead of him as they walked in the direction of the briefing room.

"I know I'm still playing catch-up here, but…" Kathryn started, Chakotay half a step behind her. "Why do you feel responsible for that woman's escape? I was there, I shot her with a phaser, and that didn't even slow her down. I don't see what else you could have done."

He shook his head. "I don't know either." He stopped walking to face her and she had to tip her head back to meet his eyes. "But that's the point. She escaped – I couldn't stop it. I was there when Voyager was destroyed - and I couldn't stop that either. So even though I can't bring Voyager back, even though it wasn't entirely my fault that she escaped, I'd like to at least do everything I can to make this one right if I can. I need to try."

Kathryn held his eyes for a long moment. Then she nodded, her eyes still on his face, understanding that his frustration wasn't directed at her, but at himself. "Alright," she replied softly, then her lips curled into the ghost of a smile, "let's rally the troops, then."

Chakotay exhaled, deflating, and he smiled gratefully. His heart swelled near bursting. He briefly looked around them to ensure that the corridor was deserted before he leaned in closer. Her eyes seemed to crinkle in amusement at his approach but she didn't move back – if anything she leaned in. "Would it be completely inappropriate for a former Starfleet officer to tell his former captain how much he loves her?"

Her lips twitched and her eyes shone but she chewed on her cheek as if to really mull it over. "I think Starfleet Command would forgive it, seeing as former is the key word. Besides, the former officer in question has already told the captain several times." She started walking again and, at Chakotay's confused expression – he only remembered saying the words earlier that morning – her grin broadened. "Just not with words," she tossed over her shoulder.

Chakotay grinned before he jogged to catch up with her.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Kathryn suddenly stopped walking again and touched his arm. "How do we know Jem didn't transport aboard Aspire when she escaped?"

Chakotay's eyes shot to her but he shook his head. "Their shields were up at the time."

"Oh good. You know," Kathryn started again as they resumed walking, her typical teasing tone back in her voice, "I'm starting to rethink my appraisal of your lying skills. You were rather convincing back there, with Katan. As a matter of fact, I'm beginning to understand why Admiral Mendez wanted you on this operation. You're good at this."

He knew she said the last part seriously, but Chakotay chuckled wryly. "Well, I must be a really good liar for you to think that, because I've hated every part of it. It reminded me too much of being a Maquis. Always suspicious of everyone, always looking over my shoulder, and always, always afraid. You showed me that I could do better than that kind of life, Kathryn. I don't want to go back to it."

He could tell his words touched her, but then she threw him a crooked smile. "So no chance of you becoming an official spy, then?"

Chakotay chuckled again, this time with more humor, as he spied that mischievous glint in her eyes. He'd seen it in a different light last night, and suddenly he felt his pulse quicken at the sight. "No. Why?"

"Between you and me, it has a rather nice ring to it," she replied suggestively.

Just when he was considering dragging her to a more secluded area, they reached the briefing room.

Chakotay sobered when he stepped into the room and noticed the seriousness on the faces he found already there. B'Elanna, Tom and Tuvok were sitting at the table, staring into space, Seven was standing behind a chair and leaning her forearms on the back of it, while Harry and officers Chakotay didn't know were talking quietly together. Even the Doctor was present.

Chakotay looked around the room, at his friends, his family – relieved to see them all alive and safe. His eyes met Kathryn's and she gave a small, encouraging nod as she took a seat. Chakotay licked his lips, placing his hands on his hips. "Thank you all for coming. I know… I know you probably have a lot of questions, about why I left. And how I found my way back here. So I thought I would gather you all in one room, and tell you all at once. And answer any questions you might have. But I have some ulterior motives, too, because the truth is, this isn't over, and I could use your help. All of you. But let me start at the beginning."

Those who were still standing went to grab a seat and Chakotay settled, gathering his thoughts.

And then he told them everything: Admiral Mendez's call, her offer, and her request that he speak of it to no one. He told them how he had negotiated for the charges to be dropped for the other Maquis. He avoided B'Elanna's eyes at that, not sure he wanted to see her expression. And then he told them about his life on Mona Prime, how he'd infiltrated the Wraiths. Tuvok took over briefly to tell them about how Mendez had involved him as well.

When Chakotay got to the part about how Katan had deceived him into thinking they'd be raiding a Borg ship while he'd been in fact aiming at Voyager, Kathryn rose to her feet and started pacing behind him, as if she couldn't bear sitting still knowing what would come next. Chakotay told them about how he'd tried to get control of the Klingon raider in order to signal them about the heist. And ultimately how he'd failed, how he'd been unable to prevent Voyager's destruction. Chakotay wished he could see Kathryn's expression then, if only to reassure himself that this new information about his role in Voyager's destruction – or rather his inability to prevent it – didn't change how she felt. That there was no regret about last night in her eyes.

The room fell silent as they all relived that moment – that terrible, terrible moment when Voyager exploded.

That's when he felt it. Her small hand touching his shoulder from where she stood behind his chair, timidly at first, but then squeezing tightly. Chakotay closed his eyes in relief, resisting the urge to clasp her hand tightly and bring it to his lips. When he glanced up at Kathryn, his heart nearly shattered from the sorrow in her expression, the tears in her eyes, but also the sympathy for what he had gone through. And a deeper understanding of the sense of guilt he'd displayed earlier.

After that it was up to Kathryn and the Voyager officers to tell him what had happened on the ship; how they'd tracked Sébas and Katan to Engineering. Then Kathryn told him how it had been crossfire that had sparked the reaction within the matter-antimatter system. And how she, Seven and Harry had waited to the very last moment before running for the escape pods.

Tuvok took over then, as if understanding that the rest of them needed a moment to compose themselves. So he told them about finding Chakotay injured and barely conscious and alerting Starfleet about what had happened. After that, Chakotay told them about Sébas's intel about the Scavengers, and how Chakotay had concocted a plan to convince the Wraiths to travel to the planet, hack into the system to lower the compound shields, and pretend to transport the technology directly into the ship. All the while, his actual plan had been to use the Wraiths' own skillsets against them to transport the Voyager crewmembers into the Klingon ship. Doing so not only meant rescuing them from the compound, but it also increased Chakotay's odds of success at stopping the Wraiths, changing the odds from two against three, to seven against three. By the time he finished the story, ending with the moment he had beamed up the Voyager officers and the ensuing fight, the room fell silent again. People shifted in their seats, exchanged looks and sighs.

"But as I said earlier, there's more," Chakotay added. He shared his suspicions about Jem, and about how important it was that she be apprehended. "I'm telling you this because I could use your help. I'm much stronger when I work as part of a team. As part of this team."

After a brief moment of silence, Kathryn was the first to speak. She looked at each of her officers. "This is not an official Starfleet assignment, and I can't – nor do I want to – order you to do it. We all know there are risks involved, and I want you to think carefully before you make a decision." She smiled, her small, Captain Janeway smile that had always managed to rally her troops when she needed them. "But I agree with Chakotay. This fine group of officers has already prevailed over much more precarious situations, without so much as a flinch. So I know that if we work together, and put our heads together, we can come up with a plan to end this once and for all. It's not up to Chakotay to do this alone anymore; some of us have seen those compounds, crammed with prisoners waiting to be sold into slave labor, or worse. It's our duty, as Starfleet officers, to do everything in our power to stop it. And perhaps, if we're lucky, we might find some sort of closure for what happened to our ship by the same token. But it starts with finding a way to catch that Scavenger, Jem."

Chakotay couldn't help it. He smiled at her – not so much with his lips, but with his eyes.

As soon as her voice faded, nodding heads started to bob around the room. "Count me in," Harry said resolutely.

"Me too," Tom said.

"And I," Seven added.

"I've been longing for some more adventure," the officer Chakotay now knew as Lisa Nobrega, Kathryn's new first officer, said with a wry smile, "let's do it."

Chakotay smiled, touched, and then his eyes fell on B'Elanna. She held his gaze for a moment. "Of course I'm in, what do you think?" She blurted as she'd just remembered that she wanted to be mad at him, and Chakotay bit back a grin. In the end, everyone in the room agreed to help.

"Thank you all," Kathryn said to her officers. "Doctor, can you work with Dr. Abdel and research the Federation's database for any information on the Kigyun? It would help to know what kinds of beings we're dealing with, exactly."

The Doctor nodded gravely. "Of course, Captain. I'll get on it right away." Chakotay gave the Doctor a grateful nod.

Kathryn spoke again. "Thank you. Alright, let's take a break. We'll reconvene here in half an hour to discuss a strategy. Dismissed."

The tension in the room suddenly evaporated, and Commander Nobrega and the Chief of Security left, talking to each other. When only the original Voyager officers remained, exchanging looks and relieved smiles, Chakotay grinned, relief sweeping through him. When he met B'Elanna's eyes again he held them for a moment, looking for a sign that she was no longer angry at him for leaving without an explanation.

Eventually she smiled and gave him a small nod. She stood to her feet to leave the room with Tom and Harry. But then she stopped mid-stride to face him again, lifting a threatening finger. "Now don't think that you're off the hook completely. You will come and spend some time with my daughter as soon as this is all over," she ordered, her tone non-negotiable.

Chakotay bit back a smile, knowing full well that this was her way of telling him he was forgiven. Or on his way to being forgiven. "Understood. And I look forward to it, B'Elanna."

Seven, Tuvok and the Doctor left together, so that only Chakotay and Kathryn remained in the room. He caught her eyes and she gave a soft smile, holding his gaze for a long moment. Something passed between them – a commitment to see this through, an understanding that they would move on from this whole terrible experience together, that from now on he wasn't alone, and neither was she.

He was getting lost in her eyes when a low grumble interrupted their silent communication. "Was that your stomach or mine?" Chakotay asked, chuckling softly, as he stood to his feet.

She grinned, pushing her chair away from the table. "Mine. I think."

Chakotay extended his hand and she placed her fingers in his. He smiled. "Well then, apparently it still falls on me to make sure that you eat. Do you mean to tell me that Commander Nobrega hasn't been keeping track of your eating schedule?" He teased.

Kathryn chuckled, raising an eyebrow in reply. "Ha! I don't think she would dare."

oooOooo