Chapter 9

Chakotay had always liked Kirali, the capital of the Maradib on the main continent of Maradibaya. It was a vast and strange city built on a ragged coast, with cliffs that dropped abruptly into a tumultuous ocean. Chakotay had been there several times over the last year, usually with Bel and Tibeya, and on a few occasions with Kathryn as well. So as Chakotay lowered the shuttle closer to the city, he took a moment to appreciate the vast plaza that seemed to drop into the ocean, and on the opposite side and around the plaza, the spiraling city. Geometric mosaic designs intermixed with stone, sleek metal and colorful vegetation, which, when hidden behind clouds of fog from the ocean as they were now, gave the city an almost mystical look. The effect was only heightened by the colorful skies of a setting sun.

Chakotay glanced at his flight companion. Tibeya sat straight in her seat, her eyes directed forward at the viewscreen and occasionally at the consoles before her. "You've been quiet," Chakotay commented after he had requested – and been granted – permission to land. "Well, more than usual," he added with a teasing sidelong look.

She glanced at him. "My apologies. There is much on my mind."

Chakotay nodded. "That's understandable. I'm feeling rather distracted myself."

Tibeya gave a small smile before she returned her gaze forward. "I enjoy the company of humans because there is no risk of my hearing their thoughts without their permission, and I find peace in such silence, but in this case… I find myself uncertain what to make of all of this. I would certainly welcome your thoughts on this matter. I always value your insight."

Chakotay gave a crooked smile, then shrugged. "My thoughts aren't all that dissimilar from yours, I would imagine; trying to make sense of what's been happening. What it means. Whether individuals from your planet might actually be responsible. And, if so, why."

Tibeya nodded.

After a brief glance in her direction he realized she wouldn't add anything, so he inhaled and went on. "And then there's the little girl I rescued from the wreckage yesterday. Emani. I'm concerned about what's going to happen to her when this is all over. She doesn't really have a home to go back to, and her guardian is an elderly man. He told me himself that he was struggling to give her the care she needs. And then there's Kathryn… there's something on her mind – something that has to do with us, I think – but she wouldn't say what it is before I left. It's been driving me a little nuts to try to figure it out." When he glanced at Tibeya and found her staring at him with wide eyes, Chakotay let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, this is probably much more personal detail than you bargained for. I hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable. In human society confiding things like this is a sign of trust. And friendship."

That made her smile. "Then I am honored." She gave another small smile. "And if I may say in turn…Knowing Admiral Janeway, I am certain she will tell you what is on her mind when the time is right. But the girl, Emani. She has formed an attachment to you, and you seem to care for her as well, can she not stay with you?"

Chakotay frowned. "You mean permanently? Adopt her?"

"Do you not care for children who are without caregivers in your society?"

"Yes, of course, but it's not that simple… There's a lot to consider: whether this would be the best solution for her, legal matters, other possible relatives... And besides," he added with a chuckle, "I think Kathryn would probably want a say in this."

Tibeya's lips curved at that. "Naturally." She redirected her gaze forward. "In Maradib culture, there are many things that are complicated and flawed, but caring for children is not one of them."

Chakotay opened his mouth to ask for more details but it was time to land the shuttle, so he focused on that instead. But as he performed the maneuvers that touched them down to the surface, Tibeya's words lingered in his mind. Much to his surprise, the idea of taking on Emani didn't sound as outrageous as he might have expected, and he realized that the thought had somehow been there already, in the back of his mind, as if waiting in ambush for the right moment to show itself. Because somehow Emani had found a way of burrowing her way into his heart without him realizing, with the way that she trusted him implicitly, her resilience… The way her tears never failed to pull at his heartstrings. He even liked her stubbornness, because it reminded him not only of himself, but of Kathryn too. He would do anything to protect her and save her from further heartbreak, but even more shocking than that: he found himself wanting to take on that responsibility. But could he see himself as a father? The thought thrilled and unsettled him in equal measure. He'd never given this much thought until recently. And what about Kathryn? What did she want? Were children part of the future she envisioned for them? Were they ready for this kind of commitment? He thought so, but she had never said anything specific to him about wanting children, not since they'd gotten together. Perhaps she needed him to let her know that he was open to the idea first? She was so strong and fearless most of the time, sometimes he forgot that she had fears and doubts and insecurities just like the rest of them.

The early night air was cool when Chakotay stepped out of the shuttle, especially with the wind picking up, rising from the ocean. Though a shiver ran through him when the breeze touched his face and ruffled his hair, Chakotay breathed in deeply. It felt nice after the stifling heat of Gianfar.

Kiam, Tibeya's mindreaping mentor and Lyat'ib's most trusted counselor, was waiting for them. Over the last year, Tibeya had put her archaeological studies on hold to train with him in order to help her control her mindreaping abilities (which continued to be much feared in Maradib society). Though rather taciturn, Chakotay liked Kiam. Like Lyat'ib, he was a man of high-status and influence who didn't shy away from embracing social change – but contrary to the councilor, Kiam was not interested in governing and disliked the innuendos and politics of such positions – perhaps, Chakotay speculated, as a consequence of his own mindreaping abilities. After all, if unchecked, these abilities allowed him to hear the thoughts of all Maradib nearby without meaning to, and as a consequence he seemed to have come to despise dishonesty in all its forms, including political manipulation. His high-status position afforded him some privileges that Tibeya could never enjoy – including access to certain places and people. With this in mind, Tibeya had contacted him on the way, deferentially suggesting that he look in on Lyat'ib as soon as the Preceptors arrived with him, and see if he could get Chakotay and herself access to speak to him.

Now Tibeya greeted Kiam with a special greeting that was apparently reserved for those in a mentor-mentee or teacher-student relationship – the way Tibeya had explained it, it was meant to show a student's deference to the teacher while the latter acknowledged the pupil's potential for growth.

"I was able to obtain permission for you both to meet with the High Councilor," Kiam informed them as he led them away from the shuttle and toward the plaza. "I must warn you, the Preceptors were not pleased by your request, but they did not dare openly thwart me, or the Councilor's wishes."

Chakotay nodded as they walked the wide steps leading to the extravagant building of the Council Meeting House. "Is he conscious? When he left Voyager he still had not recovered."

"Yes, he is much recovered now. I spoke to him myself only moments ago."

Kiam took them inside and through various doors and corridors, until they reached the circular room that the High Councilors used for audiences and meetings. There were stern-looking security officers posted both outside and inside the door. Lyat'ib was sitting on a cushioned chair, looking rather frail, but awake and lucid.

After the typical greetings, Lyat'ib invited them to sit. He quickly inquired about the rest of the delegation and the events at Dråkin-Mati – the Preceptors had known little, or had refused to give him details. So Chakotay and Tibeya promptly told him what they knew about the attack, the status of Prime Minister Kumara, the search and rescue efforts. Then Chakotay relayed Kathryn's message about the summit – how the Preceptors and the Gianfarian delegates had threatened to cancel it for good. Lyat'ib looked deeply troubled at this, and the weariness in his expression only seemed to add to his frailty. He suddenly looked much older.

"We will need time to heal the broken trust between our peoples, I am afraid," he said at last.

Chakotay nodded. "That's what Admiral Janeway concluded as well. She fears that without your leadership, and the prime minister's, all of the progress we made over the last twelve months will come to nothing."

Lyat'ib let out a long sigh. "Yes. I am afraid I do not have the strength to return to the negotiating table quite yet, but you can tell Admiral Janeway that so long as I am living, I will not give up. This is the first step for my people to move out of the shell of fear and distrust that surrounds Maradibaya, and I will see it through." He narrowed his eyes, suddenly mischievous. "Admiral Janeway is a shrewd one – surely that is not the only reason she sent you such a long way to speak to me in person."

Chakotay exchanged an amused look with Tibeya before letting out a sigh. "No. We're here with a request, one that we hope you won't find offensive. Her only motive in making this request is to help us determine who attacked the settlement, and potentially, why."

Lyat'ib gave an encouraging but wary nod so Chakotay inhaled and, exchanging another quick look with Tibeya, dove in. "It's about Kiradil. Trace elements of it remained after the weapon was discharged." Lyat'ib's expression darkened at that, but Chakotay went on. "In order to rule out the Maradib as the perpetrators of this attack, it would be helpful for us to know if the Maradib use Kiradil or Esheeyab in their weapon's manufacture, and whether we could compare molecular signatures with some of your people's weapons."

"I see," Lyat'ib replied. Chakotay had no idea what he was thinking. He glanced at Tibeya, but he could tell from the focused expression on her face that she was concentrating on controlling her abilities so that she wouldn't hear what the other Maradib in the room were thinking.

Chakotay waited as patiently as he could. "We realize we're asking for a lot," he added when the silence seemed to stretch for too long. "But we wouldn't be asking if we weren't desperate for answers. Someone is attempting to destabilize the relationship you've worked so hard to establish, and in so doing murdered dozens, if not hundreds, of civilians, including children. Councilor… we need to know who is responsible. To stop them from doing it again. And I'm sure I don't need to remind you that you, yourself, might have lost your life, as well as the prime minister. You've thwarted coups before. You know what's at stake."

Lyat'ib nodded slowly, brows creased in deep thought. His gaze traveled to Tibeya. "Will you leave us, child?"

Tibeya blinked in surprise, but with a glance at Chakotay obeyed and left the room.

When Chakotay returned his gaze to Lyat'ib, the older man sighed. "You speak well, my friend," he said with a slow nod, before he let out another long sigh. "I will tell you my thoughts on this matter because I have come to trust you and Admiral Janeway – but I also trust that this will knowledge will not be shared beyond the two of you and your most trusted underlings."

Chakotay nodded, brows knitting together at the gravity in the man's tone. "Of course."

Lyat'ib nodded. "Your discovery of Kiradil is troubling."

"How so?"

"We have not used Esheeyab in the manufacture of weaponry for some time now, as we have better, more energy-efficient materials available to us now – materials that we are desperate not to involve in any trade negotiations at this time," he added with a pointed look. Chakotay nodded in agreement. "But because of this, Esheeyab has become readily available, and therefore has been used by the Restorationists in the past. In fact, your Admiral Janeway herself came face to face with an Esheeyab-encased and Kiradil-powered explosive at Ardok."

Chakotay sat straighter at this, alarmed. He had seen first-hand the damage that these explosive devices could do. It had almost cost Kathryn and Tibeya their lives – and crumbled a quarter of a mountain to the ocean. "Is it possible that the Restorationists could have planned something like this attack? We have reason to believe that the force field surrounding Dråkin-Mati had been tempered with ahead of the attack. Could they have pulled this off?"

Lyat'ib sighed. "I doubt it. Which is why I find this so troubling. Most Restorationists have been apprehended over the last several months, ever since Eriyash attempted his coup against me at Ardok. If any remain, they would not have the political capital to organize such an attack."

Chakotay licked his lips, joining his hands together, knowing that his next question would be delicate. "Is there any way at all for me to look into this while I'm here?"

Lyat'ib hesitated. "Not directly. But…" He redirected his gaze to Kiam, who stood still with his hands behind his back. "The prison records," he told the younger man.

Kiam's eyes twitched – the only outward sign of surprise, but then gave a curt nod.

"What?" Chakotay asked, looking between the two. He was surprised when Kiam was the one to speak.

"When criminals are convicted of serious crimes, such as murder or treason, their punishment is to have a mindreaper constantly walk in their mind, and reap violent thoughts, to ensure compliance. The mindreaper assigned to such a task keeps a record, which is then reviewed."

Chakotay gaped at them. Humans had their faults, and were able of great cruelty to punish what they deemed to be deviant behavior, but this… It seemed like a particularly insidious kind of punishment, especially for the Maradib, for whom privacy and secrecy were so crucial to all aspects of life. To have one's thoughts constantly invaded in such a way…

"I see you disapprove," Lyat'ib commented. "In all honesty, I do as well. It is, as we say, one more drop of rain to the storm over the ocean. But in this case, at least, it may prove useful. Eriyash and his followers have been among those subjected to this practice. The records of their thoughts would show if they knew anything about a plan for an attack on Gianfar."

Chakotay nodded slowly. "So… you can give me access to those… records?"

Lyat'ib exchanged another look with Kiam. "Not directly. But my fellow councilors and Preceptors will not object to Kiam finding this information on your behalf."

Chakotay's gaze shot to Kiam, who simply gave a curt nod before turning on his heels and leaving the room. "Thank you," Chakotay said to Lyat'ib.

"He will reach out to young Tibeya when he has completed his task." Lyat'ib said. "Was there anything else you wished to discuss with me?"

Chakotay smiled and stood to his feet, giving him the high-status greeting. "No. Thank you, High Councilor. I'm relieved to see you safe and sound."

Lyat'ib's lips curled slightly as he inclined his head in a nod. The he tilted his head curiously. "That… book…that you obtained for Admiral Janeway. Have you given it to her? Was she pleased by it?" He asked, as if he still couldn't fathom the notion of gifting knowledge or stories so openly.

Chakotay grinned. Perhaps he should give the book to him instead. "Not yet. But I think she'll like it. I hope so, in any case." He gave him another nod. "Stay safe, Councilor."

Chakotay was just about to exit the room when Lyat'ib's voice stopped him. "There is one more piece of information that may be of use to you. You are not the first human to come to me with a request to look at our weapons."

Chakotay frowned, a sense of dread suddenly creeping up his spine.

"The deputy from Jenit, Jaidan Bakar, came to me months ago with a similar request. I declined, as I suspected he might have ulterior motives."

Chakotay frowned. He'd met Bakar at several of the social events over the last year. He wasn't particularly likeable and Chakotay's instincts had always been to be wary of him, but that didn't mean anything. However it was rather suspicious for the man to go around the established protocols and approach Lyat'ib directly rather than go through diplomatic channels. Chakotay frowned. "You refused his request, Councilor, but is there anyone else on Maradibaya to whom Bakar could have appealed? Someone who would be in a position to give him what he wanted?"

Lyat'ib blanched. "It would be considered a most heinous crime, to proceed without the consent of the High Council. But," he shook his head sadly, "if I have learned one thing over the last year, is that anything is possible. I will look into it."

"Thank you," Chakotay said with a nod before leaving the room.

He caught up with Tibeya outside the Meeting House. She was sitting on the steps, looking out at the darkened plaza before them, and beyond them, the dark mass of the ocean. Even from up here, they could hear the waves crashing against the cliffs.

"Well?" She asked.

"Kiam is going to do some research for us, so now we wait."

She nodded slowly as she stood. "Are you hungry? I myself could use some nutrients."

Chakotay grinned. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, hours ago, and he found that he was in fact starving. "You've read my mind," he told her jokingly. "But first, I need to make a call. Kathryn will be waiting to hear from us."

oooOooo

Devin opened the door to his housing unit and stepped inside, exhausted. His rooms were just as he had left them when the building had been evacuated at the time of the alert, and it was strange to find everything so still and familiar after everything that had happened the last couple of days. The attack had probably changed the colony in ways that wouldn't be felt for months, and thinking back to his concerns before it had hit – passing this exam, completing that assignment, making sure to meet his deadline… It all seemed very trivial now. And meeting Seven and Ensign Vorik had certainly been… interesting, to say the least. They were both quirky and rather awkward but clearly also highly intelligent, and Devin had found himself drawn to them at first, perhaps because he knew what it was like to feel like an outsider. But the more time he'd spent with them, helping them fix this and that, and seeing the professionalism and resourcefulness of their approaches, had become an inspiration. So Devin was grateful to them for letting him tag along and do what little he could to help. He appreciated feeling like he was doing something meaningful for once.

He dropped himself into a chair with a sigh. He'd spent the afternoon talking with his professors and other staff who had known Professor Logan. He'd tried to be subtle in his questioning, and had been able to get some fragmented answers. Not much, but hopefully it would be enough to convince the Voyager officers that FarTech was worth investigating. With renewed determination, he swiveling in his chair to turn on his computer, and quickly opened communications with Seven and Lieutenant Kim – relating to them everything he had learned. It didn't feel enough, but after he was done they thanked him nonetheless, saying that they would relay this information to Admiral Janeway immediately.

When the transmission ended, Devin sank back in his chair again, looking around the room without seeing, deep in thought. Something didn't sit easy with him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Well, he needed a wash, some sleep and some food, not necessarily in that order, and then maybe he'd be able to work it out.

With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet. But as he went through the motions of these routine tasks, his thoughts wandered to Lara.

A couple of years ago, when Devin had just moved here to start the graduate program, he had found himself in the same student cohort as her, and he had immediately liked her. He'd been attracted to her energy, her laughter, her outgoing personality and, of course, her pretty eyes. Devin himself tended to be more on the reserved side, and they said that opposites attract. They'd become friends, though their relationship had always been intertwined with a bit of academic competition. Devin had kind of enjoyed that, actually.

But then… Professor Logan had died in that terrible explosion, and Lara had changed. Drastically. She'd become sarcastic and even mean sometimes, withdrawing into herself. She'd started to attend those anti-trade rallies that some other kids put together, not understanding anything of the larger politics at play. But Devin wasn't from here, and so he was more aware of the politics of the Federation, and he knew that this trade alliance with the Maradib would eventually benefit everyone. So from then on Devin had steered clear of Lara, and she had seemed fine with it.

But seeing her actually going to help with the search and rescue at Dråkin-Mati didn't really fit with the way she had been acting recently. He'd learned from others that she didn't attend those rallies anymore, so maybe those were good signs? That she was putting whatever had been troubling her behind her? He wanted to believe it, but he'd also noticed that she had become even more withdrawn than before. He wanted to believe that she genuinely wanted to do some good, but something didn't sit right with him. He hated suspecting her, but he had seen how nervous she had become, as if she would unravel or implode or something at any moment.

And that wasn't like her. The Lara he knew and liked was confident and funny and audacious. Not the anxious mess he'd seen earlier.

He'd look into it tomorrow, he decided as he dropped himself onto his bed and immediately fell asleep.

oooOooo

Kathryn rubbed her forehead tiredly as she made her way through the corridors on Deck 5, occasionally greeting crewmembers on the way. Fighting a yawn, she admonished herself for not actually going to bed with Chakotay last night, instead of falling asleep sitting uncomfortably at Maestro DaVinci's desk in the holodeck. She was definitely starting to feel that her lack of a decent night's sleep over the last couple of nights was taking a toll. The adrenaline rush from the day before was waning as well, which just left her feeling drained.

Chakotay had checked in with her from Kirali earlier, updating her on his conversation with Lyat'ib. At the mention of Jaidan Bakar, the deputy from Jenit, Kathryn and Tuvok had pulled up everything they could find about him, but it hadn't exactly proven fruitful; on paper he was a model citizen, civically-minded, but rather conservative in his political and economic positions – something that Kathryn herself had observed in her dealings with him during the preparations for the summit. But there was nothing in the first set of results that tied him to the attack per se, aside from Lyat'ib's claim of his interest in Kiradil-powered weaponry. Kathryn herself rather disliked him – there was something aloof and uninterested about him, as if he always wished he were somewhere else instead, but he could also be surprisingly charming when he deemed it worth pursuing – which explained how he had gotten elected to represent the people of Jenit the last two terms.

And then a short while later Seven and Harry had called in to report on their investigation as well. Over the last several hours, they had – along with that young man, Devin – been only able to gather some fragmented bits of information concerning FarTech: it was a private research agency located on the outskirts of the settlements, near the coast, isolated from the rest of the settlements though it was technically built on territory claimed by Jenit. The agency boasted many technological innovations that were now part of Gianfar daily life – particular communication devices linked to AIs, medicine, terraforming technology that allowed them to turn the rather desertic ecosystems of the area around Jenit into lush oases. Other bits of information were rather suspicious: the agency was run by a board of members, but their names were attached to a clearance security algorithm or were aliases of names that weren't part of the colony's census. All employees and researchers had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which explained why Kai Logan had not published about his work there. It was all very mysterious, and the opaqueness made it all the more shady. Only an agency that had something to hide would be so secretive. The more Kathryn learned about it, the more she struggled to fight her intuition that this sketchy so-called research agency was behind the attack. But why? And how might Kathryn go about confirming or refuting her hunch? The scientist in her needed to understand, to find a way to test specific parameters. So given the agency's connection to the Jenit settlement, and Lyat'ib's assertion that Jaidan Bakar had shown an interest in acquiring Maradib weapons and technology, and by extension research on Kiradil, Kathryn had tried to find a connection between its representative Bakar and FarTech, but if he was a member of the Board, that information was well protected.

So after spending the last several hours sitting with Tuvok mulling over these and other bits of information, she had felt stiff and hungry and a headache had started to build behind her eyes. Eventually, Tuvok had noticed her struggling to find a comfortable sitting position or stifling yawns, and he'd glanced at her. "Perhaps it would be best if we adjourned for the day. I can easily continue this perusing on my own, and report my findings to you later. Or we can resume together after some rest."

Kathryn had denied the need at first, but after checking the time and finding it later and closer to dinner time than expected, she had relented and agreed to postpone the rest of it until the next day. If it had been just her at stake, she would have stuck around longer, but she wanted to use this time to check up on Emani. Chakotay had left her at the school section of the childcare center with Naomi before he'd left, so that was where Kathryn's feet were taking her now.

"Admiral!"

Kathryn turned and spotted B'Elanna jogging to catch up to her. "B'Elanna. What can I do for you?"

"I thought you'd want to know that I've had Vorik start setting up transporter pattern enhancers in Dråkin-Mati," B'Elanna said as she fell in step with her. "We should be able to test the transporters soon, hopefully tomorrow. For now we've narrowed our efforts to setting up those enhancers near the relief shelter, but we're working on expanding the perimeter."

"That's great news. Well done, Commander."

When they fell silent but kept going in the same direction, Kathryn realized that B'Elanna was also heading for the childcare center. "How's Miral doing?" Kathryn asked conversationally, smiling at the thought of the toddler. The night Chakotay had reunited with them all on Voyager, there had been an impromptu gathering of the senior staff in the mess hall, and Miral had delighted being in the spotlight, making them all laugh with her antics. At around 15 months old, she was already a force to be reckoned with, but she was also completely and utterly adorable.

"She's fine. I think she senses that there's a lot of anxiety around the ship, so she's been a little needy lately. Are you…?" B'Elanna trailed off as she realized that Kathryn was heading in the same direction.

"Yes, I'm heading to pick up Emani." Realizing that B'Elanna might not be aware of her, she went on. "Emani Logan. She's a Gianfarian child that Chakotay rescued yesterday-"

"Oh yes, I met her at breakfast this morning," B'Elanna smiled. "She seems like a sweet kid. Very inquisitive. And Energetic. And chatty."

It was an understatement. "Yes, so I've noticed."

"Chakotay seemed fond of her. I've never seen him act so…"

"What?" Kathryn pressed curiously when B'Elanna hesitated.

"Fatherly." After a quick sidelong look at Kathryn's expression B'Elanna went on quickly. "I mean he's great with Miral, in a goofy uncle kind of way." Kathryn couldn't help it, she smiled at that description. She wondered what Chakotay would make of being called goofy. "But with that little girl, Emani, he seemed…" B'Elanna shrugged. "I don't know. Extra protective and attentive. Like I imagine he would be with a child of his own."

Given his words the night before, Kathryn didn't know what to think about that, though she had witnessed that protectiveness too. "Yes, well. That might be because of the way they met. He seems to feel responsible for her safety, after what happened to her, and the way he found her."

B'Elanna nodded, but there was something dubious in the way her eyes darted to Kathryn's face. "Yes. Maybe."

By then they'd reached the center, and Kathryn smiled as they stepped inside, noticing the stunned looks on the caretakers' faces when they recognized her. She hadn't set foot in this room very often, since it had been a new addition to the ship after Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant (and she had left only a few months after that), but it was a lively place, colorful and cozy. Only a handful of children were still here, including Miral, Naomi and Emani. The two older girls were sitting on the floor playing some kind of holographic game and Kathryn smiled at the sight. It was nice of Naomi to take Emani under her wing like this. Kathryn stopped by Miral to stroke her hair and tickle her neck to make her smile, then moved on to where Emani and Naomi were sitting. When Naomi saw Kathryn she jumped to her feet, in a way all too reminiscent of her standing to attention. Kathryn feigned a stern expression. "At ease," she told her. Naomi giggled and relaxed her stance.

Emani jumped to her feet too and Kathryn smiled at her. "Well, Emani, are you ready to go? You must be hungry!"

Emani nodded eagerly.

"Good. So am I. Naomi, will you tell your mom not to worry about us? I'll take Emani with me tonight," Kathryn said. Chakotay hadn't said if Ensign Wildman had agreed to take Emani on for more than one night, so Kathryn had made up her mind earlier to take Emani with her, and give Samantha an opportunity for a full night's sleep. Hopefully Emani would be more inclined to sleep tonight than she had been the night before, extending that courtesy to Kathryn as well.

After Naomi agreed with a small shrug, Kathryn extended her hand and Emani took it. "What was that game you were playing?" Kathryn asked conversationally as they started walking.

"Keko."

"Ah, so that was keko?" Kathryn remembered that it was one of the games Emani had played with the little Katie. "It looked like fun."

"Maybe tomorrow we can play together," Emani replied. There was something hopeful, but also cautious in her voice, like a question she didn't dare ask, and it squeezed Kathryn's heart a little.

"Well, you'll have to teach me first! I've never played before, but I'd love that." But the truth was, Emani was right to be cautious. Kathryn had no idea what tomorrow and the next day and the next would be like. Not for herself, and certainly not for Emani. It all depended on the relief efforts on the surface, and what direction the investigation would take.

When they entered the quarters Kathryn shared with Chakotay, Kathryn realized that she hadn't really thought this through – she didn't have an extra bed or change of clothes or games or toys to occupy a five-year-old. She'd have to see to that after dinner.

"So tell me, what does a little mouse like you like to eat?" Kathryn asked as she led Emani to the dining area.

Emani giggled at the nickname, but then shrugged as she walked around to closely examine every trinket on the various furniture surfaces, while Kathryn went to the replicator. Since Voyager had hosted a number of events with the Maradib and Gianfarians in the past, Kathryn searched for some of the most common Gianfarian dishes and proposed a small selection of them until Emani's face brightened and she nodded eagerly. As Kathryn started programming the meal, her combadge came to life. "Admiral Janeway, we have a communication from a Travid Jenkana – he asked to speak to Mr. Chakotay, about the girl, Emani."

"Thank you, transfer the communication to my quarters. I'll take it from here."

It was nice to put a face to the man Chakotay had told her about. Travid was simply checking up on Emani, so after Kathryn introduced herself to him and briefly explained why Chakotay wasn't here, she left Emani to speak with him in private.

Just as she made her way back to the dining area, the door chimed and revealed Ensign Wildman, standing with a bag in her arms. "Forgive the interruption, Admiral. I thought you might need this, for Emani." She smiled kindly and handed Kathryn the bag, which contained sets of clothes and plush and other toys (which Kathryn assumed had belonged to Naomi once).

Kathryn smiled at her – it was as if she'd read her mind. "Thank you Ensign, you're a life saver." After Samantha left, Kathryn returned her attention to dinner. After a few minutes, Emani joined her, skipping happily.

Kathryn smiled. "Why don't you take a look inside that bag? Is there something in here to keep you busy for a few minutes while I argue with this replicator for a bit longer?"

"Oh I'm sure there is!" Emani replied dramatically. "I'm very good at playing on my own. It's more fun when I have a friend, but it's okay too, because…" she went on and Kathryn smiled, listening as she focused on her task. When dinner was ready and they sat together at the table, Kathryn took the opportunity to ask her young companion more questions about her life on Gianfar. Did she go to school? Who was her teacher? What was her favorite thing to do? And when Kathryn ran out of questions, Emani took over, asking about the ship, and who the captain was, and why Kathryn wasn't captain anymore (Kathryn assumed her interest came from Naomi talking about her life on Voyager). Kathryn then asked her about what she missed the most about her home – maybe (now that the transporters were on their way of working again) they could go and see what was salvageable from the house where she'd lived?

Emani looked down at that, her brows knitting together. "I miss my toys. And Mrs. Hoppington. And Mr. Travid. And my favorite sweater, it's purple and it's all warm and soft," she said in a wistful voice as she mimicked the feel of it. Kathryn nodded encouragingly, thinking that if they couldn't recuperate any of the actual things, they might try to replicate some of it. Emani went on, interrupting her thoughts rather abruptly with a bombshell. "I miss my daddy."

Kathryn's breath hitched in her throat. She put down her fork as she swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat.

Emani went on, now looking intently at her plate, pushing food around with her fork. "Sometimes I tell people that he's at work, but it's not true. He's not coming back," she admitted in a small, resigned voice. Kathryn stayed quiet, partly because she didn't know what to say. Emani went on, her voice low. "Kathryn? Do you think he would be mad at me?"

When Emani lifted her eyes to her, Kathryn felt her heart squeeze a bit more. "Why would he be mad, sweetie?" She managed to ask.

She gave a small, one-shouldered shrug. "That sometimes I can't remember what his face looks like?"

Kathryn leaned forward and turned Emani's chair so that she was facing her and not sitting at an angle, bringing them at eye-level. "No. I don't think he would be mad. I think he would understand. But if it makes you sad, all you have to do is look at this in the mirror," Kathryn said as she lifted a finger to tickle Emani's cheek, which revealed a dimple when she inevitably smiled. "And this," she added with a touch to her nose. "And your eyes, too. I've seen images of him. There's a lot of him in you. And that will never go away. Just remember that."

Emani nodded, her smile widening. And soon she was back at her chatty self, her legs swinging. It took Kathryn much longer to recover.

When they were done with dinner, Kathryn looked through the bag that Samantha had dropped off and found some bath-time toys, so she ran Emani a bath, with lots of bubble soap in there, much to Emani's delight. When Kathryn was satisfied that the girl would be alright in the tub on her own for a few minutes, she left her to it to go clean up in the kitchen. Kathryn smiled when she heard Emani start playing with the toys, making them speak, or singing to herself, the voices occasionally accompanied by splashing sounds.

When Kathryn was done cleaning up, she ordered a smaller bed to be delivered to her quarters. Then she paused to think about the next thing on her to-do list; that's when she suddenly became aware that the bathroom had gone suspiciously quiet. She could still hear some noises, but… Kathryn's brow creased curiously as she made her way back to the bathroom. "Emani? What are you doing in there? Are you alri-"

Kathryn stopped dead in her tracks at the threshold and let out an involuntary 'oh' at the sight that greeted her: Emani was in her pajamas balancing precariously on the sink to have a view of herself in the mirror. But what had stopped Kathryn was her use of Kathryn's make-up to draw on her face. Not a butterfly or a flower (or whatever a child her age would typically sketch on their skin), or not even some imitation of Kathryn's make-up: instead she'd used the eye-shadow to paint lines and circles above her eye in a way much too similar to Chakotay's tattoo to be a coincidence. Kathryn quickly covered her mouth with her fingers to bite back a chuckle.

Startling guiltily at the sound of Kathryn's exclamation, Emani's head whipped around and she almost slipped from her perch, but Kathryn rushed to steady her before she fell and set her down on her feet. "Oh, be careful sweetie!" Still fighting a grin – at both the artwork and at Emani's guilty look – Kathryn spun her until she faced away from her and picked up the hairbrush to start untangling Emani's wet hair as gently as she could. "That's a nice design, you have there," she commented at last, still barely containing the laughter from her voice. It was more than just amusement at the situation – the implications of Emani drawing this on her face was just… Well, there was a lot to unpack there, but at the most basic level, it was just… adorable. And it showed how much of an impact Chakotay had already had in her life, how strong of an impression he'd made. Kathryn felt a rush of love for that man, who, just by being himself, had gained this little girl's trust and admiration, if not downright affection. Oh she couldn't wait to tell him about this.

Emani relaxed a little at Kathryn's comment and the lack of reprimand – the guilty, expectant look in her eyes slowly turning into something akin to smugness. But then she shrugged. "I couldn't get it right," she said, sounding rather disappointed. "Is it going to wash away?"

Kathryn fought not to grin again; it wasn't clear whether Emani wanted it to or not. "Yes. In fact," she said as she tapped her shoulder with her finger to draw her attention. "You should probably ask for permission before using these products next time," she admonished gently, still thoroughly amused though she tried to appear serious. "It's not something you should play with. And you'll have to wipe it off before bedtime."

Emani nodded, casting her eyes down – there was the chastising she had been expecting.

"But," Kathryn went on as she spun her around and gave her face an inspection, "under the circumstances, I'd say you're quite the artist!"

Emani's grin widened with pride. "I like to draw a lot. Is he going to be back tomorrow?"

"Chakotay?"

"Yes, Chakotay," she repeated slowly, as if she was trying to commit the name to memory. It made Kathryn smile again.

"Possibly. I hope so."

Emani sighed. "Me too."

Kathryn's heart gave a squeeze. This whole thing was making it starkly clear that the longer Emani stayed with them, the harder it would be to let go when it was time to return to her life on Gianfar. For the first time, Kathryn wondered whether they might actually make things worse for Emani by taking care of her in this way. Clearly she was getting attached to them, and if Kathryn were completely honest with herself, the reverse was true as well. Well, it was for Kathryn, in any case. She still had no idea what Chakotay thought about any of this.

But, Kathryn reminded herself, she couldn't turn her back on Emani now, not when they'd already come so far. Shaking herself, Kathryn returned to her task of brushing Emani's hair. "How about when Chakotay comes back we ask him to show you how to draw his design – though perhaps we'll start on paper. And he can tell you all about what it means. It's important to him and he doesn't tell just anybody."

"Do you think he'll want to tell me? Because I'm not very good at keeping secrets."

Kathryn couldn't quite keep in a chuckle this time, but she shrugged, still smiling. "Well, it's not really a secret, so I don't see why not." Emani looked pleased by Kathryn's answer.

When they finished in the bathroom it was still rather early, so Kathryn settled with her on the floor to look at the toys that Naomi had lent her. She pulled out the crayons. "Now this is what you should use to draw next time," Kathryn told her with a smile, to which Emani replied with a nod and a giggle. Eventually Emani was drawn to the large window with a view of the stars and a small portion of her home world, so Kathryn settled with her on the sofa and told her about some of the star systems she knew about and answered Emani's question about the planet in view. As time went on, Emani shifted closer and closer to Kathryn, and eventually leaned against her thigh, and then slowly lowered herself until she was lying down on her side and her eyes started closing on their own volition. That's when Kathryn decided to send her to bed. So Kathryn tucked Emani under the covers of the smaller bed she'd placed not too far from her own.

"What if I have a bad dream again?" Emani asked, her expression worried.

"Well," Kathryn said, feigning to take a moment to consider it. "If that happens, I'll be right here. Wake me up and together we'll make the nightmare go away."

"Okay," Emani replied softly, reassured.

"Okay. Sweet dreams."

oooOooo