Acknowledgements: Thank you to conniescholl09 for encouraging me to write more about Kathryn and Jaffen!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek Voyager or anything associated with it, Paramount does!

In Another Life

Chapter 1

Voyager was in grey mode, coasting along on the last of its power reserves, but Kathryn looked out with hope through the viewscreen at the planet they were approaching. Its greens and blues made her heart ache for Earth once again, but she focused on her bridge officers' assessments of it.

"Sensors confirm that there are large veins of dilithium on the planet, Captain," Harry reported. "Seven's astrometric scans saved us again."

"Long-range sensors are also detecting no other vessels for at least one lightyear in all directions, Captain," Tuvok said.

Kathryn smiled in relief and ordered, "Take us into orbit, Tom."

A couple hours later, a mining team was on the surface of the planet. Kathryn made sure that they had made it safely and were in no immediate danger. Initial reports told her the dilithium collection was going well. She stood up and ignored the slight numbness in her leg. "Commander, it looks like we'll have a routine day for once. You have the bridge."

"And you'll be in your ready-room, right?" Chakotay smiled.

"Actually," Kathryn declared, "I'm going to have to start being less predictable. I think I'll head down to Engineering."

Chakotay laughed, "That was my next guess, but in this case, a captain being predictable can be reassuring for a certain first officer."

"Hmmm," Kathryn hummed jokingly. She threw him a playful glance over her shoulder as she entered the turbolift.

"Deck 6."

Kathryn stepped out into Engineering, which was charged by its usual busy air. There was a tinge of happiness and eager excitement to it, though, rather than the rushed urgency that normally permeated the room. She saw Belanna and Jaffen deeply engaged in conversation as they prepared to take on the new supply of dilithium.

"Captain," Belanna greeted her as she came up behind them. Jaffen gave her a hug.

Kathryn smiled. "It looks like you've got things well under control here," she observed.

"I'm just waiting for something to blow up in our faces," Belanna answered, though she was smiling as well. "Don't jinx us."

"Alright then; I'm going to head down to the planet," Kathryn said.

Jaffen knew better than to kiss her in public, so he simply said, "Be careful, and have fun. Will I see you for dinner tonight?"

"You bet," she replied.

A few minutes later, she materialized on the mining site. The sunny day mirrored her mood, and the breeze blowing through the field leading up to the rock face brushed pleasantly against her face. In the corner of her vision, she could see the sunlight catching some of the reddish, time-faded hues in her hair. She was ready to lie back in the soft, sweet-smelling grass and revel in the striking blues of the sky, but she had a job to do. She had always struggled to form bridges between herself and her crew. Participating in the collection process was a good way to get to know her officers.

She spent the rest of the day at the site, but later that afternoon, she heard someone call, "There's something under these rocks. I need some help." A group gathered around the spot, and as they removed the smaller boulders, they uncovered a cylindrical device.

Vorik scanned it and remarked, "It is possible that the markings and coloration on the instrument are the creator's language. The most logical course of action would be to send images to Voyager for analysis and attempt to decipher it."

Paterson called, "Not so fast. Captain, there's energy starting to build up in it, and I'm getting some strange readings. I don't have an explanation."

"It's glowing," someone else added.

Kathryn walked up to the device with her tricorder and scanned around it. "You're right. These look like chronitons, but they're not an exact match," she said, searching her memory for where she'd seen readings like this before. "I think…" As she was walking back, a blast of phaser fire rained down from the sky. A piece of shrapnel grazed her shoulder. So much for a routine day, she thought ruefully.

"Take cover!" She hit her combadge. "Chakotay, what's going on up there?"

"We're under attack."

"So are we. Identification?"

"Unknown, as well as where they came from or how they managed to sneak up on us. They just dropped out of some kind of Warp and started firing. We're trying to hold them off you, but we're taking heavy damage. We can't lower shields long enough for transport."

"Understood. I'm going to try to get the group to safety. They're probably trying to protect the alien device. It activated just minutes before the attack. Take Voyager out of orbit. Make it look like a retreat, then come back when it's clear."

"Captain…"

"That's an order!" She heard snaps of electrical systems in his heavy pause. "Now, Commander!"

She could almost see his jaw working as he battled internally. "Acknowledged. We'll be back as soon as we can. That's a promise, Kathryn."

The comm line was cut off. Kathryn could see the group gathering at the edge of the field. She waved them on, helping the stragglers. Suddenly, she saw another volley coming from the sky towards her and the ensign with her. Kathryn pushed her officer onward toward the trees and turned to check the rest of the field just as the rocky soil exploded in front of her. She was thrown backwards again towards the device. She ground her teeth against fresh pain in her shoulder and struggled to get to her feet. There was a blinding flash of light, and a tingling sensation filled her body.

The light faded.

Kathryn was gripped by a roiling wave of nausea. She stumbled against the nearest solid surface and retched. When she finally regained her bearings, she heard a loud but familiar voice.

"Kathryn Janeway, queen of the Federation Imperium. Looks like you've found yourself in a bad situation; you're in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Kathryn looked up quickly and gasped, "Jaffen?"

A quick phaser shot sent the floor spiraling up to meet her.

Kathryn awoke with a soft groan. She stood up quickly, fighting dizziness. Searing pain sliced through her shoulder. All of the day's events came rushing back into her already throbbing head with a vengeance. The floor rolled; she reached out and caught herself on something. Rather, someone caught her.

She looked up.

"Chakotay?" she asked incredulously. Her first officer was wearing an outfit similar to the Maquis one she had first seen him in. Her mind flitted back to the time Teero had commandeered Voyager through the Maquis.

He regarded her suspiciously and made sure she could stand on her own before backing away a few paces and reactivating a forcefield. "Kathryn." He continued to stare at her. "You look…different."

"I look different? What's going on here? Where are we?"

A voice scoffed, "You don't know? I can't believe someone as brilliant a tactician and ruthless a conqueror as you could be that clueless as soon as she's captured."

Kathryn turned to face the man silhouetted in the doorway. "Jaffen," she said softly.

He stepped into the light, continuing, "Don't play dumb with me. We've been at the top of each other's 'Most Wanted' list for eight years and have eluded each other's grasp by centimeters for at least ten times that. Well, Empress, I've won. You're a prisoner of the Alliance now, and your empire stops here." Jaffen's eyes were as hard and cold as steel, and contempt dripped off his words.

This isn't Voyager. These aren't the people I know. Kathryn's mind reeled again, trying to find a good explanation. The device…those strange readings…of course. This is a parallel universe, she thought. An alternate reality.

Just then, a Maquis-dressed Belanna rushed into the room. "Jaffen, stop! We've got the wrong person!" She activated a small display panel.

At the sight that greeted her, Kathryn's jaw dropped, and she took an unsteady step backwards. Her lungs vacated themselves of any oxygen that could have helped her already spinning thoughts.

A low, gravelly, haughty voice filled the room as the four of them watched: "As you can clearly see, rumors of my demise at the hands of the resistance have been greatly exaggerated. The damage from their attack will prove to be insignificant. However, I warned you that rebellion would be met with the deadliest force. These civilians will suffer for your actions, Jaffen."

Kathryn watched in horror as at least twenty trembling children fell one by one. Phaser rifle fire continued to snap through the air until the desperate wailing of parents completely overwhelmed the terrible sound.

There was complete silence from the rebel viewers as the transmission focused on the murderer again.

The woman on the screen wore dark eyeliner that accentuated piercingly blue eyes. Her pale complexion was framed by wild, long hair that was dyed a deep crimson. The atmosphere that surrounded her was threatening and power-hungry.

But the woman on the screen was most definitely Kathryn herself.