A/N: Here you go folks! A nice, long chapter to kick off the weekend! Happy Friday! I hope you enjoy!

oooOooo

Harry rubbed his neck tiredly as he made his way to the large relief shelter that had been erected in what used to be the market area of Dråkin-Mati. In there, survivors and responders alike could find shade, food and water, tables and chairs, bunk beds, restrooms, and first-aid kits. Any injuries more serious than scrapes and bruises were redirected to the field hospital that the Doctor had helped the medical corps officers to set up in the next shelter over.

Harry had worked with Tom and several medical corps officers searching for survivors without interruption for hours now, so when his stomach had growled, Tom had insisted he go eat something 'before he fainted or something.'

Harry's stomach growled again and his mouth watered as he passed by the food counter and replicators, but, looking at his dirt and grime-covered hands, he definitely needed to wash up first. So he kept going until he reached the sinks outside the restroom area. Bending over, he splashed cold water over his face and into his hair, taking a moment to relish the cooling sensation as he rubbed the filth and sweat away. Eyes still closed, he felt around for a towel, until his fingers grasped one. He dried his face, but it was only when he opened his eyes that he realized someone had handed that towel to him. Harry's eyes followed the hand up along a delicate arm until they reached the face of a young woman.

Harry blinked. There was something about her made that had him look twice. She was pretty enough, but there was something more. He couldn't decide what it was: the bright eyes, the way strands of her hair had escaped her ponytail, or her dimpled, impish smile, or the combination. It was the combination, he decided after a moment longer. She looked to be around his age, a little younger perhaps, and she was dressed in the styles of clothes typical of Gianfar. She was as dirty as he was, her skin and clothes caked in grime and dust. But while his own dirtiness and sweaty state made Harry suddenly deeply self-conscious, with her it only seemed to heighten her charm.

"Thank you," he managed to say. He cleared his throat as he straightened.

"You're welcome," she replied, her voice lilting sweetly with the local accent, as she wetted a towel and used it to scrub at her own face. Harry tried not to stare as she moved the towel to her neck, instead focusing on giving his hands a thorough wash. "Are you with the first responders?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I'm just here to help. I'm a student in Kop. But I came to help as soon as I heard. I'm Lara."

Harry nodded, giving her a smile. "That's nice of you. I'm Harry. Lieutenant Harry Kim. Of the starship Voyager." Harry kicked himself mentally for sounding so obnoxious. However she didn't seem to mind. In fact, it seemed to spark her interest, as her head cocked curiously.

"Ah yes. Voyager. You're here because of the summit, right?"

Harry nodded. "You know about the summit?"

"Everyone knows about the summit." She returned to her washing. Harry's gaze fell on a drop of water that threatened to fall from the tip of a strand of her hair, and he quickly looked away.

"Well, that's why we came here," he found himself rattling on. "Well, this time. We were also here about a year ago, to help with the meteor shower."

"Ah, yes." She nodded as she connected the pieces together. "I'd forgotten that was Voyager too. Well, every time your ship shows up here, disaster strikes, or very nearly. You know we have a legend here on Gianfar – a tale of ancient, supernatural desert beings, who were said to carry either great luck, in which case they were called the Jinay; or terrible loss. Those were called the Jinkanay. To encounter them was to seal your fate, one way or the other. So tell me Harry Kim, which one are you?"

Harry smiled, amused and curious in equal measures. "Jinay, definitely. We did stop those meteors from crashing on the planet last year."

She nodded slowly, feigning consideration. "But of course you would say that if you were a Jinkanay too. But I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt,." She added with a crooked smile.

Harry chuckled. "Good, thank you. Hey, are you hungry? I was just about to grab a bite to eat, if you-" Before he could finish the sentence, Harry's combadge came to life. "Captain Peres to Lieutenant Kim." Harry nearly grunted at the interruption. He gave Lara an apologetic look before he stepped a few paces away.

"Kim here."

"Lieutenant, good to hear from you. Our crew is slowly starting to return to the ship now that the medical corps has taken over the search and rescue, but I have one more assignment for you before you take a shuttle back to Voyager."

"Of course, Captain. Name it. I wasn't planning on leaving quite yet," he replied with a look over his shoulder. Lara was now busy washing her arms and hands, but she didn't look in a hurry to escape his presence. That was a good sign, he decided.

"Good. I'd like you to check on Prime Minister Kumara – we heard he's been found and transferred to the field hospital. Unfortunately we can't rule out that he wasn't the intended target of this morning's attack," the captain said. "Can you check up on him and make sure that he's safe? Admiral Janeway ordered two security officers to watch over him at all times, so make sure that this order is being followed. The last thing we need right now is for someone to take advantage of the chaos to make another attempt on his life."

Harry nodded. "Yes. Of course. I'll go check on him right away."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Keep us appraised and let us know if you see anything suspicious."

"Will do. Kim out."

When Harry turned around, Lara was gone. He let out a disappointed sigh. Oh well, maybe he'd run into her again. Hunger still gnawing at his stomach, he made his way back to the food area and replicated a sandwich that he could eat on the way to the field hospital. He was just about to exit the shelter when he felt someone step at his side, nudging his shoulder playfully.

He grinned when he looked sideways and found Lara smiling at him. "You gave up quickly," she commented with an arch look. "I had the distinct impression that you'd been about to ask me to dinner…?"

"Well, yes, but I-" He stopped when he realized she was teasing him. Smiling, he offered her the other half of his sandwich. "Turns out I can't yet." She took the offering with a smile. "I have to go check up on the prime minister, but we could meet up afterwards, if you're free. I could use a break. And some coffee, ideally iced."

"Prime Minister Kumara? He's been found? Alive?" She asked, her eyes widening.

Harry nodded. The news had spread quickly as soon as Tibeya and a few others had pulled him out. "Yes. He was in a critical condition when they pulled him out, but from what I heard he's stable now. He's in the field hospital."

"Oh. That's good news," she replied a little distractedly. "Maybe you are Jinay after all!" She added with a small smile. "Do you mind if I walk with you? I need a break from…all this," she said with a sweeping gesture at the chaos around them. The sun was coming down now, giving her hair and skin a golden glow that was hard to look away from. Around them volunteers and officers were setting up several light sources around the shockwave perimeter to help with the search and rescue after dark. This planet had 20-hour days, so they were only slightly offset with Starfleet standardized time.

Harry smiled at her. "I know what you mean. I'd love some company." They started walking together, occasionally biting into their respective sandwich halves.

"So tell me, what do you do on this starship of yours?" She asked as they made their way, still munching on their food.

Harry shrugged. "A bit of everything, I suppose. I'm a bridge officer, assigned to operations. But I have a strong background in engineering."

She grinned, her eyes widening. "Me too! That's what I research at university. Well, biological engineering to be exact."

Harry gave an impressed lopsided smile. "That sounds impressive. Definitely more exotic than the kind of engineering I get to do on Voyager. Although I have become pretty knowledgeable about Borg technology." Harry winced internally at himself. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he stop trying to brag? He sucked at it anyway.

"Borg?" She repeated incredulously, her eyebrows rising to her hairline.

"That's a long story, but let's just say that a friend of mine used to be Borg. I learned a lot from her." He idly wondered whether Seven would be insulted at him referring to her as a friend. He hoped not. That was how he saw her, anyway.

By then they had reached the main entrance to the field hospital, so they stepped in. Bunk beds were lined up in endless rows, each separated by curtains and makeshift walls to ensure privacy of patients – and most of them appeared to be occupied by survivors. There were also several biobeds lining one side of the room, probably reserved for the patients with the gravest injuries. They were all occupied. Medical personnel from the other settlements and the Starfleet medical corps bustled around, and Harry spotted the Doctor as well as several of the nurses that had been working with him on Voyager since they had returned to the Alpha Quadrant. Harry and Lara stopped from stepping fully in when a security officer – civilian, likely from the local law enforcement assigned to the prime minister's protection – stopped them. "You can't come in here. Medical personnel only."

Harry frowned. "Oh. I understand, but I was assigned to check up on the prime minister, by order of Admiral Janeway."

The man seemed to hesitate at that.

"It's okay, officer," a familiar voice chimed in and Harry nodded in satisfaction when he spotted the Doctor approach. "I can vouch for Lieutenant Kim. He's a trusted officer from the starship Voyager."

The security officer eyed him one more time, but then waved him on. He stopped Lara though. "Only him."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Lara touched his arm. "It's okay, Harry. I'll talk to you later, okay? Will you still be around tomorrow?"

"Sure. I mean I should be. Yes. I'll be here."

She smiled in amusement at his blabbering before she sent a glare at the officer, and then went on her way. Harry glared at the officer when he passed by him too, following the Doctor deeper into the tent. "Thanks, Doc."

"You're welcome," the Doctor replied. "I suppose you're here to see the prime minister?"

Harry nodded. "Captain Peres asked me to check up on him."

"I'm happy to say he's on the mend. By the way, who was that charming young lady that got you so tongue-tied?"

Harry flustered at the teasing in the Doctor's tone. "Her name's Lara. I don't know much about her, really. I just met her."

"Well she seems very nice."

"I think so too."

"Come on. Prime Minister Kumara is this way."

oooOooo

Just as the sun was disappearing over the horizon in Dråkin-Mati, Chakotay got word from Tibeya at last: though still unconscious, Lyat'ib was now stable enough to be moved, and she was planning to return to Voyager shortly. She had room to take several crewmembers who wished to return to the ship, so Chakotay reserved a spot for himself, and so did Tom and a few other officers. Now that the medical corps had things well in hand, the search and rescue was going much faster and more efficiently, so Chakotay felt like he could actually leave without too much guilt, and he knew Tom was eager to return to his family. After days like this, he'd told Chakotay earlier, all I want to do is kiss my wife and hold my little girl. Chakotay could sympathize, all he longed to do was take Kathryn in his arms, feel the warmth and softness of her against him and be at the receiving end of one of those bright smiles that made her eyes shine, or one of those sly looks that never failed to send his heart racing.

So once he felt satisfied that he wasn't leaving any stones unturned (in a manner of speaking – there were, in fact, a lot of rumble left to go through), he took Emani to the main relief shelter where they could get some actual food in her and let her rest or play with other kids. She had started sitting down and sometimes lying down in the dirt over the last hour or so, drawing pictures on the ground with rocks or twigs, singing to herself, lost in her own little world, not caring that her clothes and her skin were getting even dirtier. She was spent, that much was clear, and Chakotay felt equally impressed that she'd lasted this long, and guilty for putting her through it. He was exhausted – physically and emotionally – so he could only imagine the toll the day might have taken on her. But she had stubbornly refused to leave his side all day, no matter how often he'd suggested that he take her back to the tent for her to cool down or rest. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked for her opinion and just taken her, he reflected as he gazed at her, walking next to him, still clutching the light he'd entrusted her with.

As they approached the relief shelter, Chakotay decided to take this opportunity to try and find out what had happened to Travid, and with any luck, her parents. He had to ensure that she had someone to stay with before he left to go back to Voyager. Chakotay was pleasantly surprised to find Travid recovered and up and about. He looked frail and pale, but he was sitting behind the food counter, helping with the handing out of rations to exhausted responders, and replicating meals. Emani let go of Chakotay's hand and ran to him as soon as she saw him, and Chakotay smiled at the sight. The elderly man gave her a hug before cupping her cheeks tenderly and speaking to her in hushed tones. Chakotay didn't know if they were related, but regardless it was clear that there was genuine affection between the two. When Chakotay caught up to them, Travid straightened with difficulty and extended his hand for Chakotay to shake.

Chakotay gave a crooked smile as he took it, using his other hand to clasp the older man's shoulder. "It's a relief to see you up and about, sir. You gave us quite a scare this morning."

The older man nodded. "I'm not quite fully recovered, but I'm good enough to pull my weight around here, thanks to you and that young Starfleet officer. I owe you my life, and Emani's."

"I'm just glad I was at the right place at the right time."

Travid tilted his head curiously. "I've never seen you around before. Are you from another settlement?"

Chakotay shook his head, pointing to the insignia on his chest. "No. I was part of the diplomatic tour for the Maradib delegates today, in preparation for the upcoming summit."

"Well you certainly picked your day!" Travid said sarcastically, then stroked Emani's head. "Well, thank you for taking care of this little one while I recovered. I knew she would be in good hands the second I saw the care you took with us both. My people instincts are always spot on. I wish I could do something to repay you."

"Actually…" Chakotay replied as he placed his hands on his hips. "How about answers to some questions I have?" He gave pointed nod toward Emani.

Travid nodded. He gave Emani a plate of food, then led her a little further away to sit down, away from earshot.

"She didn't say much about her parents, but I'm trying to locate them," Chakotay told Travid when he returned. Travid frowned and Chakotay went on. "All she said was that she's been staying with you while her father was at work. What's her father's name? Maybe I can find out what happened to him, whether he's still alive."

Travid's frown deepened and he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Or maybe you can tell me where he works?" Chakotay pressed, uncertain why Travid didn't respond.

Travid shook his head. "No, it's not that." He frowned. "Emani said her father was at work?" He let out a long sigh, scratching his head sadly. "Actually, he died. About… oh seven-eight months ago now."

Chakotay felt his heart give a painful, unexpected lurch. "What?"

"It was an accident at work, or so I've been told. Some kind of explosion. Even with our modern medicine, there was nothing that could be done."

Chakotay's gaze slid to where Emani was still sitting, slouched over the table with her head on her arm even as she brought food to her mouth with her fork, as if she barely had the strength to remain sitting up. "Why did she lie when I asked her about him?"

There was something indulgent in Travid's wan smile. "She's coping as best as she can – children her age make up things sometimes, to help them cope, to see how we react, to test boundaries…. I take it you've never had children?"

Chakotay shook his head as he took this in. The only child he spent any time around was Miral, but she was just over a year old. In fact, aside from Seska pretending that her child was his, Chakotay had never seriously considered having kids before. Of course, now that he and Kathryn were building a life together, the thought had crossed his mind more and more recently, but he'd always figured she would decide if or when it was time to broach the subject. She hadn't yet.

Travid nodded. "Could have fooled me. You seem to have a way with her. Anyway, my point is that I don't think she fully understands what happened to her father yet… All she really knows is that he is not coming back. My wife and I took her in when Kai died – he was a good friend of ours – but she passed as well, just over two months ago." He sighed, his eyes full of ongoing grief. "It hasn't been easy. Now I'm thinking I'm getting too old to care for a child that age. She's sweet and keen but she's stubborn and can be a little wild. It's getting harder and harder for me to keep up."

"What about her biological mother, or another parent?"

Travid shook his head. "As far as I know Emani never knew any other parents, and Kai, her father, was raising her on his own. And doing a pretty amazing job of it too."

Chakotay nodded, lost in thought. After a moment he extended his hand for Travid to shake. "Thank you. Have you been relocated yet?" Many of Dråkin-Mati's residents were being temporarily relocated to Jenit, Kop or the Gianfarian passenger shuttles while more permanent options were devised.

Travid shook his head. "I know they're working on it, but they said it might take a while to organize."

"I'm about to return to the starship Voyager in orbit. I could arrange for you and Emani to come with me. It might be a little cramped but at least you'd both have somewhere to rest tonight."

"That's very kind, but my place is here. I need to stay and help my neighbors." His head turned to look at Emani. "But you should take her. This isn't a place for a child."

Chakotay blinked in surprise – Travid barely knew him, after all – but he took a moment to consider it anyway. Part of him agreed that this wasn't a place for a child; it would be good for her to be in a secure environment to rest after the craziness and trauma of the day. But he would be uprooting her from everything she knew, taking her away from the one person she had left. Not only that, but he would be responsible for her while on the ship, and he knew that Kathryn was counting on him to help her with the negotiations and investigation. What would he do with her? He scratched his head. Perhaps he could appeal to the Wildmans? Naomi might be glad to have someone nearer her age to play with again… And it would only be temporary. And, there was also the childcare center, one of the most recent additions to Voyager. He'd almost forgotten about it, but he knew Miral went there practically every day. Chakotay nodded slowly. "Alright, I think I could arrange that. But only if she'll come with me of her own accord. She's been through enough, I don't want to uproot her if she'd rather stay here with you."

Travid gave a gentle smile as he patted Chakotay's shoulder. He went to speak with his ward and a moment later he returned with her in tow. "Now you be good, and do as you're told alright?" She nodded but it was obvious that she was putting on a brave face for her guardian's sake.

Chakotay nodded at Travid. On impulse, he gave the man his combadge. "Here. If you'd like to check up on her or talk to her, at any time, just ask for me when you press this. My name is Chakotay."

Travid gave a grateful nod as he took it. "I'm a good judge of character sir, and this is another sign that I'm not wrong about you."

"I'll do my best not to disappoint. She'll be safe on the ship." Chakotay nodded at him before he smiled at Emani and extended his hand. She placed her palm in his, her small fingers curling around his, and with one last look at Travid, they stepped outside. The evening sky was clear and the first stars were starting to appear. "Did Travid tell you where we're going?" Chakotay asked.

"A place called…Voy…ager?" She said the unfamiliar word slowly.

"That's right. Voyager is a ship. Do you know where it is right now?"

"No."

"Look up, right there – see that little light that looks like a star, the one that's moving? That's Voyager – what you see is the light from the sun reflecting off the hull."

"Voyager is in the stars?" Emani repeated incredulously.

"You better believe it. Come on." As they made their way, Chakotay smiled as he tried to imagine Kathryn's reaction when he returned with a child in tow.

oooOooo

"How many times must we repeat this? The Maradib do not possess stealth technology," one of the Maradib Preceptors spat through gritted teeth, his temper rising – not that Kathryn blamed him.

"So the Maradib say!" Jaidan Bakar, the handsome, sandy-haired deputy from the Jenit settlement, countered with a snort.

"Alright you've made your point!" Kathryn intervened sternly. She exchanged an exasperated glance with Tuvok, who raised an eyebrow. This was not going well at all, and she could feel a headache start to build behind her eyes from the childishness she'd seen displayed again and again over the course of the day. She rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Alright. It's late. It's been a long and stressful day – we're all feeling rather frayed. I think we could all use a break, let's-"

She was distracted when an alert on her PADD drew her attention. She had been monitoring the list of shuttles and passengers that had started returning to Voyager, so that she would be alerted when Chakotay returned. So her heart skipped a beat this time when she saw his name pop up as being on board Tibeya's shuttle, which had just been green-lighted to dock in the shuttle bay. Kathryn could barely contain a relieved smile as she returned her eyes to the delegates around the table. "Let's reconvene in the morning. 0700 sharp. And perhaps we might try to be more civil to each other," she added with a pointed glare at Jaidan Bakar as she stood to her feet.

Tuvok approached her and Kathryn leaned in to lower her voice. "I know we said we'd look at the documents you received from Gianfar, but Chakotay just got back. I need to-"

"Of course," he interrupted simply. "I will start perusing the documents from Gianfar on my own." Kathryn squeezed his arm gratefully before she spun on her heels and hurried out of the briefing room.

Her heartbeat suddenly pounding in her ears, she had to consciously stop herself from breaking into a jog as she made her way to the shuttle bay, reminding herself to acknowledge crewmembers on the way only as an afterthought. Kathryn's heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she came around a corner and spotted Chakotay at last at the end of the corridor.

"Chakotay!" Her legs started running of their own volition.

Chakotay's head perked up at the sound of his name. He was walking with Tibeya and Tom among a group of weary-looking and dirty officers. Her vision narrowed on him; the exhaustion that lined his features, the dried blood on his forehead, the tension in his shoulders, the circles under his eyes, the grime that clang to his clothes and skin. But damn it, he was a sight for sore eyes! She barely noticed the others, or that a little girl was walking next to him.

His expression changed entirely when he saw her, his shoulders sagging in pure relief. His strides got wider as he sped up to bridge the distance that separated them. They crashed into each other, arms enfolding, clinging, their bodies so close it was hard to tell where she ended and he began, chests heaving with relief. She was only vaguely aware that her toes barely touched the ground from the fierceness of his embrace, or that Tom and the other officers smiled at this rather unusual public display of affection between them as they walked by. But Kathryn couldn't care less. She held on tightly with her arms around his neck while he buried his chin into her shoulder and tightened his hold on her, his fingers digging into her shoulders almost painfully. After a long moment of just taking in the fact that he was there, that he was warm, and safe, and breathing, Kathryn pushed his head back with her hands in his hair to better look at him.

"I'm alright," he reassured her breathlessly before she could even open her mouth. He did in fact seem miraculously uninjured, save for some scratches and bruises near his hairline. She gently touched that spot on his forehead where a bit of blood had dried and he winced. "It's nothing," he assured her, catching her hand to kiss the inside of her wrist, closing his eyes as he did so. The feel of his lips against the sensitive skin sent a jolt down her spine.

"I was so worried. I know you're fond of a good adventure, but please don't ever do that to me again," Kathryn drawled warningly before she broke into a smile.

He let out a raspy, crooked grin. "I'll do my best." Then he seemed to shake himself. His arms loosened around her and he redirected his gaze down to his side. Kathryn's eyes followed his and her eyebrows rose in surprise when her eyes fell on a girl of about 5 or 6, her hands gripping the strap of Chakotay's satchel. Kathryn's eyes darted back to Chakotay's questioningly, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.

Chakotay gently placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine," Chakotay told Kathryn with a pointed look. "This is Emani. She's been a great help to me today."

"I was his assistant," Emani declared proudly, a tad defiantly, and Kathryn had to hold back a smile as she met Chakotay's eyes again.

She bent over to smile at the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder, all the while instinctively assessing for any injuries. Though she was also caked in a fine layer of dirt from head to toe, she seemed fine too. "His assistant, huh? That's a very important job indeed. It's a pleasure to meet you, Emani. I'm Kathryn."

The girl frowned, throwing a look at Chakotay, before redirecting her gaze at Kathryn, looking at her as if she was pulling her leg. "What? You can't be Kathryn!" She declared with a dubious giggle.

Kathryn raised her eyebrows in amused surprise. She glanced at Chakotay but he gave a quick shrug. "No?"

Emani shook her head. "I already know a little girl and her name is Kathryn, but everyone calls her Katie. We play together all the time, and she lets me pet her cat, and sometimes we play keko."

Kathryn nodded smilingly at that. It was impossible not to notice that Emani was a beautiful child – with a set of bright dark eyes, light brown skin, and a perfect little nose and chin. "Ah! Well, I'll let you in on a secret, Emani. Some people call me Admiral Janeway, but my friends call me Kathryn, just like the little girl who lets you pet her cat," Kathryn replied, smiling as she straightened.

"Emani needs a place to stay tonight," Chakotay told her in a lower voice. "I spoke to Sam Wildman on the way – she and Naomi are happy to take her in for tonight. I'll go drop her off now. She's exhausted."

Kathryn nodded. "I'll go get started on some dinner. You must be starving."

"That sounds great." Chakotay gave her a grateful, tired smile. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Then he turned to Emani, took her hand and together they started walking away. Kathryn found herself watching them go curiously, wondering.

"Where are we going?" Emani asked, tilting her head up to look at Chakotay.

Chakotay was all calmness when he replied. "Remember what I said in the shuttle? You're going to meet Admiral Janeway's old assistant, Naomi."

"Another assistant?" Her pitch rose with incredulity and Kathryn smiled.

"You're right. Maybe we should stop using that term – we'll have child labor protection knocking on our door," Chakotay told her, throwing Kathryn a crooked smile over his shoulder just before they disappeared around the corner.

Kathryn snorted, shaking her head in amusement.

"Admiral."

Kathryn startled to find that Tibeya was waiting for her, only a few paces behind her. With a slight blush at the display the young Maradib woman had witnessed, Kathryn nodded to her in acknowledgment. "Tibeya. How's Councilor Lyat'ib?" She asked as they fell in step together.

"His condition appears to be stable for now."

"Thank goodness for Maradib constitution. And for your special mindwalking abilities," Kathryn replied, smiling. Tibeya always called them 'defective,' because that's what she had been told all her life, but Kathryn found them all extraordinary. She had seen firsthand what a powerful mindreaper like Tibeya could do. It was time that she recognized the value of her abilities, instead of despising them.

Tibeya nodded. "I have brought him here with me – he has been transferred to your sickbay for now."

"Good."

"Admiral, I am greatly distressed by what I saw today. The devastation…" Tibeya shook her head. "You said before that you suspect the Restorationists, but an attack of this magnitude…? The Restorationists have been greatly decimated by the Council's interventions last year, but even if some of them remain active…I do not think they would have the resources for something like this. And they would not risk open war against the Federation, not now that Starfleet has been much more present in the system."

Kathryn nodded. "What about other Maradib factions? Would dissident council members or Preceptors have the resources to pull it off?"

Tibeya inhaled slowly as she considered, but then she frowned. "Perhaps. But again, it would be shortsighted of them to believe they could attack a Federation settlement and not instigate full-on war. Which the Maradib would lose. While we have our own share of destructive weapons- but of course you know about those," she added with a sly look, to which Kathryn raised an eyebrow. Oh yes. She'd seen what their explosive devices could do up close. "My point is that our ships and weapons would be no match against Starfleet, not in a direct altercation. The attack might work to make a statement about the trade negotiations, but it would doom the Maradib in the long run. So I do not see what would be the motive in that."

Kathryn nodded as she took this in. "Well, in the history of my planet, there were countless such attacks – with no other motive than to cause mass destruction and make some kind of symbolic statement against the ideals of another nation. But I'll take your words under advisement. We've also learned that the shield was sabotaged before the attack, so that does make it even less likely that the Restorationists could pull that off. Will you join us for the meeting tomorrow? I'd like to have you there, if you can."

Tibeya inclined her head. "If you wish. Though the Preceptors might not take kindly to that."

Kathryn frowned. "Aren't your people more accepting of you now?"

"Some of them are, but not all. I do not think I will ever be free of my low-born status, no matter how much I like to pretend otherwise."

Kathryn squeezed her arm in sympathy. She shot her a sideway look. "While you were with the Preceptors, you didn't happen to… mindwalk? Did you?"

Tibeya's eyes widened. "No! You know I have been training to respect the right to mindwalk in accordance with the rules of my people, I would not-"

Kathryn put a hand on her arm to interrupt her. "Of course. I just thought it would be worth asking, in case you had picked up something." Kathryn went on, changing the subject. "I assumed you might be staying for a while, so I've arranged for some quarters for you. Simply ask the computer and it will guide you there."

Tibeya inclined her head. "Thank you, I appreciate the hospitality. Good night, Admiral."

"Oh Tibeya, that little girl… do you know what her story is?" Kathryn asked with unfeigned curiosity.

Tibeya shook her head. "All I know is what I have observed. Mr. Chakotay took her under his wing today, going to great lengths to ensure that she lacked for nothing. She showed great resilience, considering what happened to her home – what she witnessed and endured."

Kathryn nodded in acknowledgement. "Good night."

Kathryn stopped by the mess hall to pick up some fresh ingredients from the galley on the way to the quarters she shared with Chakotay, lost in thought, thinking about what Tibeya had told her, but also her mind flooding with images of Chakotay – the pure relief in his eyes at seeing her, the way he'd closed his eyes as he'd kissed the pulse at her wrist, that crooked grin she loved so much. Him walking with that little girl, holding hands. Once she arrived at their quarters she started putting dinner together distractedly, thoughts swirling with everything that was going on, the day's events, the investigation, what Tibeya had said. About half an hour passed before she heard the door slide open and close.

"Kathryn?"

"In here."

Chakotay smiled tiredly when he came into the kitchen area and spotted her. He must have stopped by sickbay on the way, because the cuts and bruises on his forehead had vanished. He was still covered in dust and grime though.

Wordlessly, Kathryn stopped what she was doing to bridge the gap between them. She wound her arms around his torso and held him close for a moment. He sighed against her, his lips pressing against her temple. After a moment Kathryn pulled back and took his hand to lead him to the bathroom.

"What's all this?" He asked curiously when he noticed the bathtub filled with warm, scented water. "If you think I smell you can just say so." His tone was all typical playful Chakotay, but the exhaustion in his eyes and the hoarseness of his voice belied the jesting in his tone.

Kathryn merely smiled. "A bath always helps me quiet my mind when I'm troubled. I know it can't erase it all, but I thought it might help you wash away some of the tensions and horrors of the day. Go on," she added, gently leading him closer to the tub. "I'll finish up dinner."

Chakotay caught her hand before she could leave. "Kathryn." She raised an eyebrow, half expecting him to say something flirtatious about her joining him or something to that effect, but his face was all seriousness when she met his gaze. "You didn't have to do all this," he said, but she could tell he was moved by the gesture. She wondered at that – it seemed such a small thing.

Kathryn smiled, reaching up to touch his chest, then his cheek. "Yes. I did. You've always taken care of me, now I'm taking care of you. I'm afraid it's part of the deal."

He let out a quiet chuckle even as he started unbuttoning his filthy shirt. "We've been together a year, and now you're telling me? If I had known I might have cashed in that due sooner."

"I was saving it," Kathryn replied in the same tone. "Now get in before the water gets cold." She kissed his shoulder, patting his arm, before she left him alone and returned to the cooking area.

The meal was just about ready, the aromas making her mouth water, when Chakotay came up behind her and rested his hands on her upper arms, bringing his lips close to her ear. She felt him inhale slowly, then his breath tickled her neck when he let it out.

"It's almost ready," Kathryn told him and she felt him nod, but he stayed where he was behind her.

"I missed you today," he said, his voice deep and his tone laced with unusual gravity, as if the bath had drained all the playfulness out of him. "I was grateful, so grateful, that you weren't there when the explosion happened… but still, a part of me just longed for you to be there with me. I never realized before just how easier it is to bear things when you're there by my side. Or how much I actually draw strength from you. I told you once that it used to surprise me to find that I need you, and today…" He shook his head, as if lost for words.

Kathryn let herself lean back against him, and his arms encircled her, drawing her closer. He dipped his head to press his lips to her shoulder. She knew what he meant – she felt the exact same way. Today, the fear had amplified tenfold all those emotions: the need, the relief, the love. Making it obvious to them both how powerful their connection had become, how strong, and yet, at the same time, how fragile. If anything happened to either one of them… Kathryn closed her eyes at the thought and covered his hands with her own. "I know."

He sighed, his breath tickling her neck and cheek again. "So far this trip hasn't quite been the relaxing time together we'd envisioned, has it?" A touch of slyness returned to his voice.

It was an understatement. She smiled as she stepped away only long enough to turn off the cooking appliances she had been using. "When this is over you and I are going on vacation," she drawled, bringing some humor back into her voice too.

He snorted. "Kathryn Janeway? On vacation? I'll believe it when I see it."

She spun in his arms to meet his gaze. "Oh that sounds like a challenge. You're on, my friend."

He chuckled quietly, but as their eyes locked his smile deepened, his expression becoming more solemn. Eyes suddenly shining with emotion, his hands came to rest where her neck connected with her shoulders as he leaned in to lightly rest his forehead against hers, letting their breaths mingle for a moment. Kathryn closed her eyes, lifting her hands to curl her fingers around his neck, savoring his closeness, the warmth of his skin, the gentle way his breath tickled her cheek when he exhaled through his nose. After today, she needed this closeness, and clearly he felt the same. His fingers moved to graze her cheek lightly, gently tipping her head so that he could caress her lips with his softly, almost reverently.

At such a loving, tender contact, a rush of residual anguish soared from somewhere deep inside, catching her completely unawares. Suddenly she was back on the bridge with that sheer panic clenching her insides, her mind overflowing with images of him down there, injured or dead, with that uncontrollable fear making it hard for her to breathe or think. That flash of memory ignited something in her, something powerful and urgent – a savage need to remind herself that he was there and breathing and alive, a need for him to make that ache disappear in a way only he could.

With a strangled sound escaping her throat, she slid her arm around his neck and opened her mouth to him as she pressed herself against him, needing that contact more than life itself. She kissed him with all the desperation and love she had felt build up inside over the last several hours. She needed to hear his sweet sweet voice whisper in her ear, feel his breath and lips and teeth against her skin, taste the musk of his skin, come undone under his touch. She needed him in a raw, visceral and burning kind of way and it terrified her, how powerful and unstoppable that need to have him – all of him – was at that moment. But she squeezed her eyes shut against the moisture that had somehow gathered in her eyes and only held on tighter, hooking one leg around his as if worried that he'd pull away.

Instead it was as if her sudden rush of desperation awakened his own. With a sound halfway between a groan and a moan, he responded to her kiss with a vengeance and the reverent kind of restraint she'd felt from him before vanished, as if something inside him just broke free. Suddenly his hands clutched tighter, fingers fisting into the fabric of her uniform or her hair. He stepped into her to bring their bodies flush, the sensations heady, making them both draw in a shaky breath. Their kisses became frantic then, desperate, electrifying, a clash of lips and teeth and tongues while hands were no longer reverent but hot and insistent and everywhere at once, setting blood on fire in their wake. Lips and teeth clashed and took and gave, hands roamed, pulling sharply at clothes that only seemed to be in the way, and only pulling apart long enough to tug shirts overhead.

Kathryn gasped for air when her back hit the bedroom wall – she couldn't remember them moving at all. Chakotay paused then, holding her so closely against him that she felt his heartbeat thrum through her own body, chest heaving in unison with hers, his breath and lips hot against her cheek, his desire against her. He was all around her, he was all she could see and feel and smell. It was too much and not enough at once. Kathryn held him there with hands in his hair, shaking. He shook too.

"Kathryn-" he let out strangled sound, as if his voice couldn't get past a lump in his throat, his fingers digging almost painfully into her flesh.

"Shh. I know. We're okay," she rasped through her own closed-up throat, panting and pressing her face against his, eyes squeezed shut. "We're okay." Then she pulled his mouth back to hers.

oooOooo

END PART I