Synopsis: A sequel to my post-series fic Gravitation. Days before an important trade summit that Adm. Janeway is presiding over between the people of Maradibaya and the Federation colony of Gianfar, the latter is struck by an anonymous attacker. As Kathryn, Chakotay and the Voyager crew struggle to cope with the consequences and find the culprits, the events force Kathryn and Chakotay to deal with the one thing they never talked about: kids. Meanwhile, Seven grows unsatisfied with her life on Voyager, and Harry Kim meets a girl (again). AU, Romance, Angst, J/C established relationship, Family; Mystery/investigation
Category: AU, Romance, Angst, J/C established relationship, Family; Mystery/investigation, sequel to Gravitation
Pairings: Janeway/Chakotay
J/C centric but features the whole cast (minus Neelix), especially Seven of Nine and Harry Kim.
Timeline: Set about 15 months after Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant, and one year after the events of my post-Endgame fic "Gravitation." While it might work as a stand-alone, the story will definitely make more sense if you've read Gravitation.
Author's notes: Okay… I have to say, I've never been a big fan of "established relationship" fics. Or sequels, for that matter. But J/C would just make such a fun, solid and loving couple beyond the thrill of the chase, that it's actually easy and fun to imagine how the camaraderie they always had on the show would continue and evolve if they were a couple. So I've decided to take that challenge on in this one! Secondly (and more pragmatically), I had this idea for a fic that would involve the kids issue, and so it made much more sense if J/C had been together for a while for them to have those conversations. As for choosing to do a sequel, Gravitation is my personal favorite among my own post-Endgame stories/universes (I sort of feel like I'm confessing to having a favorite child here…), so it just made sense to me that this story would happen in that particular AU. Also, there was a lot about both the Maradib and Gianfarian societies and their politics that I could work with and expand upon in a sequel.
There are a lot of threads that need to come together in this one - romance, action, character development, mystery - and many developments that can't be rushed, so sit back, grab a drink of your favorite poison, relax, and I hope you enjoy the rollercoaster! The story is complete though, so I will be posting a chapter every couple of days or so!
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and its characters are the property of CBS and Paramount Studios, this is for entertainment only, no infringement intended.
PART I
Chapter 1: Prologue
There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"So you see, High Councilor Lyat'ib, the settlement has grown quite a bit since your last visit," Prime Minister Kumara was saying as he led the small group consisting of Chakotay, Harry and three members of the Maradib government through the town.
Chakotay's gaze followed the direction Prime Minister Kumara was indicating, his thoughts wandering as he took in his surroundings – the well-cared-for streets, the high, efficiently and aesthetically built residential units that made up the main blocks in this part of the settlement. It was morning in Dråkin-Mati, one of three settlements that made up the Federation colony on Gianfar 6, and the streets were bustling with activity, filled with locals who walked with a purpose in their steps. "We owe much of this boom to the new alloy you have been so generous as to trade with us in the few months of our alliance, the alloy you call Esheeyab," Kumara continued, still addressing the Maradib leader, High Councilor Lyat'ib. "It bodes well for the friendship between our people, wouldn't you say, High Councilor?"
As part of the preparations for the upcoming trade summit hosted by the Gianfarians but presided over by Starfleet, Chakotay and Harry were accompanying a Maradib delegation from Maradibaya on a tour of the hosting settlements. Even though the tour was geared toward impressing the Maradib, Chakotay himself found much to interest him. For instance, he'd learned that each one of the colony's three settlements and respective cities were self-reliant and had their own sense of identity, which was closely tied to their respective foundational specialty: space and geo-engineering for Dråkin-Mati; exoecology and terraforming sciences for Jenit; while Kop served as the art, political and administrative center of the colony. Each part of the colony also specialized in the extraction of particular resources, making them all interdependent. While over time these distinctions of purposes had somewhat blended and been expanded upon, it was still very much at the core of the colony and its residents' sense of identities.
Chakotay smiled as a bunch of kids ran past their small group, nearly colliding with Harry, who sidestepped at the last second, shaking his head.
"An encouraging beginning, to be sure," High Councilor Lyat'ib nodded in answer to the prime minister's comment, his expression as stoic as usual. "But I wonder, Prime Minister Kumara, how is…"
Chakotay didn't hear the rest of the sentence as Harry leaned in to whisper to him. "I don't know about you, but I think I've heard about as much as I can stand about the virtues of that Maradib alloy," he commented, tugging on the collar of his uniform in irritation before he blew his breath up in a feeble attempt to cool his face.
Chakotay sympathized. It was too hot to be comfortable (especially, he would assume, in the uniform, which Chakotay was very glad not to be wearing right now) and true, this wasn't the most exciting thing to be doing. But taking part in these diplomatic tours was part of their assigned tasks, and unfortunately complaining about it wouldn't do anything to speed up the process. So Chakotay patted Harry's shoulder in encouragement as they trailed behind the diplomatic delegation.
Chakotay and Kathryn (and by extension, the rest of the Voyager crew) had gotten involved in these diplomatic exchanges between Maradibaya and the Federation colony of Gianfar by chance the year before when the two of them, as well as other members of an archaeological expedition, had gotten caught up in Maradib politics on Maradibaya. Since then, they had taken an active part in the trade negotiations between the two inhabited planets of the Gianfar system: Maradibaya and Gianfar. While Chakotay used his newfound knowledge of the Maradib (gained working with his archaeologist friend Belinda and her Maradib student, Tibeya) as well as his newfound training in anthropology to serve as an unofficial, neutral mediator on the ground – a cultural interpreter, as it were – for her part, Kathryn often presided over the formal negotiations on behalf of the Federation. Which was why she was on Voyager in orbit at this very moment, prepping for the summit that the Federation colony's leadership was hosting in a few days' time.
It had been a slow-going and delicate diplomatic process to get the two societies to this point. Though both functioned on democratic principles, the Maradib government had long been highly isolationist, xenophobic even, but recently, under the leadership of High Councilor Lyat'ib and his fellow reformers, the Maradib had started to open up to the idea of trading with the Federation, starting with their closest neighbors in their solar system. Prime Minister Kumara, the elected leader of the Federation colony on Gianfar, was in fact behind the tentative commercial alliance with the Maradib, having reached out to them several months ago to kick start a relationship. Chakotay and Kathryn had actually butted head about the summit at first; Chakotay didn't think the Maradib were ready yet, but Kathryn had countered that they would never be ready unless they started taking some steps. In the end, the decision had been made not by them, but by Prime Minister Kumara and High Councilor Lyat'ib themselves: the summit would happen, and it would be a force for good. So Chakotay had agreed to help in any way he could, and given her prior history with both leaders, Kathryn had been appointed to preside over the negotiations.
"Still," Harry went on, pulling Chakotay's thoughts back to the their surroundings, the stifling heat, the sweet smell in the air from the flowering fruit trees nearby, and the crowded street. "Now I kind of wish I had decided to take Seven's offer to help her fix the force fields." The shields that the colony had erected to protect the settlements from meteor showers had been malfunctioning lately, so Seven and a few other Voyager crewmembers were in the neighboring settlement of Kop to help resolve the issue. Chakotay could barely tell the force field was there now, the only clue was a very slight shimmering when he looked up at the sky.
"You said you wanted to see the settlements," Chakotay reminded him. He shook his head. "Look, it's not too late to change your mind. In fact if you plan on complaining the whole time I'd rather you go with Seven. I'm sure she could use your expertise."
Harry straightened at the reprimanding tone. Apparently old habits died hard – for both of them. "I apologize, I wasn't complaining, I-" He sighed. "Actually I kind of was, I'm sorry. But are you sure you don't mind?"
Chakotay's expression softened and he smiled. "Go."
Harry smiled. "Thanks. I'll catch up to you later."
Harry took off and Chakotay shook his head as he hurried to catch up to the dignitaries. They were coming up on an open market area in the heart of the town and Chakotay smiled as he wandered through the various kiosks and booths. Most of them sold fresh foods and clothing, but a paper bookstand caught his eye. Those were rare sights anywhere these days, so Chakotay found himself attracted to it like a moth to the moon. One title in particular caught his attention as he perused the covers – The Complete Life and Works of Leonardo DaVinci. To find such a book here, thousands of lightyears away from Earth, struck him as downright incredible, and spoke of DaVinci's eternal (and universal) genius. Knowing that Kathryn would get a kick out of it as well, and thinking that it would make a great addition to her extensive collection of paper books at home, he quickly purchased it from the merchant before he put it into his satchel. They were coming up on their one-year anniversary as a couple, it would be a good opportunity to give it to her as a present. Not that he needed a reason, but perhaps this was his way of slowly working his way up to something more substantial, more symbolic, like…a ring. He'd spotted one recently on his travels that would be perfect, and he'd almost gotten it, but then something had stopped him. It wasn't that he had any doubts about his own feelings – he knew without the shadow of a doubt that he wanted to spend the rest of his life at her side, that fact was as irrefutable as the laws of gravity – but rather, he wasn't sure marriage was something Kathryn wanted. True, she had been engaged once, but he didn't dare assume that she'd want to repeat the experience, especially considering what happened then. So he figured that when the time came, he would know.
It was strange to think that it had been as a result of the archaeology-mission-gone-awry on Maradibaya the year before that he and Kathryn had spoken up about their feelings for each other at last, and admitted to a mutual desire for the long-held status quo between them to change. This romantic shift in their relationship still left him dazed with wonder and incredulity sometimes, at the way it had upended his life in the best of ways. In fact it had led to a number of major changes in both their lives: Chakotay had decided to resign from Starfleet to officially train as an archaeologist, which he was still doing when he wasn't working with the Maradib, and about six months ago, Kathryn had accepted a promotion to vice admiral, leaving Voyager in the capable hands of her first officer, Sara Peres. So he and Kathryn spent most of their time on Earth now, having largely traded their nomadic ways for a more sedentary – but to Chakotay, no less exciting – lifestyle.
Neither of them could truly give up space travel altogether however. As a Starfleet admiral, Kathryn was often called to various parts of the Alpha Quadrant, while over the last few months Chakotay had traveled quite a bit as part of his ongoing archaeological training. In fact, Chakotay had just completed a three-week trip on Cavela Prime a couple of days ago, so he had coordinated his travels so that he and Kathryn could reunite on Voyager just in time for the upcoming summit in the Gianfarian settlement of Kop. Voyager had picked him up only yesterday. He and Kathryn had been looking forward to this time together after weeks apart, but so far the bustling of activity on Voyager and the happy reunions with the crew had inexorably drawn them in, leaving them little time for themselves. Last night, an impromptu gathering in the mess hall had lasted well into the wee hours of the night, so that by the time they'd reached their quarters– much too late considering they both had to get up early – both he and Kathryn had fallen asleep about as soon as their heads had hit their pillows (or in Kathryn's case, his shoulder).
Chakotay had been secretly looking forward to this time on Voyager for another reason too: this was a rare opportunity for them to work together again. He cherished every moment of their life together on Earth, but he had always loved seeing her in action; in command of a starship, when her whole being came alive, fired up by the opportunities to lead, to challenge herself, and to reach higher. Always reach higher. The thought made him smile.
He'd fallen behind the dignitaries, so he upped the pace to catch up to them. Lyat'ib turned to address him. "The Prime Minister was just telling me about those…books… you were examining, Mr. Chakotay. That in the history of your kind, they served as repositories for knowledge and stories. I see your curiosity and love of the past never dims – a quality I find most refreshing."
Chakotay chuckled, amazed to realize that he had taken the concept of books for granted. But of course, for the Maradib, those would be considered sacrilege. Even though their sacred Precepts were documented in written form, they were never exhibited or shared publicly. Almost everything in Maradib society was done privately. "I suppose not, High Councilor. But in this case, it's not my own curiosity I hope to satisfy. The book is a present for Admiral Janeway. You must know by now, her curiosity is even more insatiable than mine."
Lyat'ib blinked in astonishment. "A gift of knowledge! I find the notion truly amazing, friend," he said, placing a hand on Chakotay's shoulder, his expression one of puzzled wonder. Lyat'ib was an influential member of the Maradib High Council, and his cultural reforms – which attempted to raise the Maradib out of their rigid and suspicious ways – drew him much criticism at home. The Maradib, just like humans, were wary of change. But Chakotay admired Lyat'ib for what he was attempting to do, and he found him to be wise and intelligent. A person he was happy to call friend.
Chakotay smiled. "I suppose on Maradibaya such a present would be considered-"
Chakotay never got to finish his sentence.
bright beam of light suddenly filled the sky, blinding and overwhelming. And then everything happened at once; the light struck the force field that surrounded the settlement with a deafening rushing roar. The ground shook – buildings swayed, the paved streets cracked, people screamed and scurried away in confusion. The sky became too bright to look at, and half a second later, the dome-shaped force field overhead collapsed under whatever had hit it, and a powerful shockwave sent everyone and everything flying. Chakotay felt it hit him in the guts, like a wave of air and dust crashing into his chest, rising him above ground. For half a second, he had the strangest feeling of having been hurled into the air by an invisible hand.
And then the world came crashing down.
oooOooo
I'll post Chapter 2 today to really get the ball rolling here…