Disclaimer: Paramount/CBS still own these characters, I do not, I just have fun with them.
Prixin/Family
"Is this what it's really all about? The Truth."
"So it would seem."
"What is truth?"
"Good question!"
"Depends on who has all the right information, I suppose."
"And how they use it."
"Starfleet has always prided itself on adherence to First Duty…"
"But as we have seen, not during wartime."
"Very true unfortunately."
"Perhaps that should be the Federation's starting point. First Duty - The Truth."
"Truth can be as ugly and brutal as any war!"
"Perhaps too brutal for some."
"But a necessary reality."
"And yet Truth is simple and straightforward. You can cover it over, even bury it, but eventually it will be revealed in all its stark beauty."
"That's an interesting turn of phrasing!"
"Truth can never truly be hidden no matter how much us humanoids might try to bury or remove it altogether."
"You can even be economical with it."
"Eventually though it often comes back to haunt those who abuse it. Shaming them."
The persons stopped to contemplate what had been said and even what had been left unsaid.
=/\=
As the news feed returned to its normal output, stunned silence had gradually given way to soft talk and actions as the Family continued to arrange their gathering of Prixin/Family something they'd got used to, once Neelix had introduced it to Voyager's crew. A three day event that in view of what had been happening since their unexpected return to the Alpha Quadrant, this was something familiar and comforting to all of them. It was too early to do an anniversary of their return and Miral's birthday, but not for Prixin.
"Shame Neelix can't be with us!" noted one person.
"But we can have contact with him," said a new and yet familiar voice.
"Seven! Icheb!" exclaimed Tom as the new visitors joined the melee.
"Doctor!" noted Torres, giving him a soft smile and handing him his Goddaughter.
"You'll not get her back any time soon," noted Janeway as the EMH played with the little girl, making the infant smile.
"Good!" grinning at her former captain, whilst giving Owen Paris a hug. The third Admiral stood apart and might well have received the third degree, had not Janeway introduced her, as many knew of this Admiral by reputation and her stance about the Maquis, the DMZ and perhaps more importantly, Chakotay.
"Admiral," Ayala said, his tone cool and then held out his hand with a small smile. She hesitantly reached out and took his, whereby he brought hers to his lips and kissed it. "Welcome," he said, his dark eyes regarding her quietly, the whole gesture making her smile in turn.
"Such old fashioned gallantry will get you - far perhaps," she conceded, relaxing her stiff posture.
"Cap - Chakotay always spoke well of you, Admiral," he informed her, drawing her hand into the crook of his arm and led her round the room introducing her to his fellow Voyager's as they now considered themselves.
As the day wore on Alynna realised like Owen before her that this returned crew epitomised what Starfleet and the UPF were or had been all about. The mixing of many differing cultures, personalities and ideologies and yet all working together as a complete unit. And like her fellow Admiral, although now welcomed as part of their family, she stood on the sideline watching - part of the scene and yet apart.
"Disconcerting isn't it?"
"Indeed, Owen," she acknowledged, watching as Janeway was enfolded into the melee, almost disappearing from immediate sight. "He is on his way back."
"Maybe," he said softly.
"You've known," she said, her tone accusing.
"No Alynna, I have not," his tone firm. "If he wants to reveal that information that is up to him. Neither you nor I should even ask. Is that clear?"
"Very!" she responded, her tone telling him that the matter was closed and would remain so, at least as far as she was concerned.
"Good." After a beat he suggested they joined in, in getting to know these happy people.
=/\=
The arguments that kept going back and forth were getting tiresome for one member of the seven person council of colony elders, the only silent member. For six people they were certainly making an awful lot of noise and yet making no headway. The newest member was the loudest of the lot; compared to his father - who'd taken ill a few days ago - his son now had a voice in his stead and was proving to be the most vocal and opinionated member by far. The silent elder just watched with growing dismay and anger as he repeatedly had to squash these feelings waiting for his moment to finally put his point over and the reason for calling this meeting. He'd thought it would be better to do what he was proposing with their endorsement rather than go it alone; now he was beginning to wonder if it was going to be worth all this hassle.
'What he wouldn't give to be back on Voyager right now!' he thought to himself, realising the noise level was rising again, he decided enough was enough.
"That's it," he muttered to himself, picking up the nearest heavy object and standing up. He brought his makeshift gravel up and banged it down on the table. "Enough!" he shouted, quelling all the previous angry noise. "You're worse than a bunch of Kiddets on a Mating moon night. They possibly make more noise than you, have over the last hour, but they at least have good reason to; you do not," he exclaimed. The assembled persons stared at him, they'd never really seen this male so angry - he'd always been the epitome of calm and reason; which was why he'd been asked to join the Council of Elders in the first place. "Sit down, Jaxus," he ordered the vocal youngster. The young male sat down startled, only one other person had ever spoken to him like that - his father. The others looked shame faced for although Kiddets was not an unpleasant name/term; the context in which the creature had been referred to was.
"Now," breathing deep to calm himself, holding the gaze of each council member in turn for a minute or two. "Prixin is due and it is only right that we celebrate with Voyager by linking ours with theirs," he began, glaring at Jaxus who snapped his mouth shut at a prompting from his neighbour.
"The communications link will not be open very long, because of the distance involved," he said. "Prixin is about Family and for seven years, Voyager, her crew and her Captain, became my family and I will no more abandon them, than I would my wife and her son here on this colony. Although they are physically far away from here, they like my natural family are never far from my thoughts and heart," he paused to compose himself again, pushing the experience of his lost family on Rinax to the back of his mind for now. This celebration of family was always hard for him; Voyager's crew had always supported it and him wholeheartedly.
"The USS Voyager became our home, our family, a place where we felt reasonably safe from the rigours of our journey, because we were together. We worked together, pooling our knowledge, experiences and talents to the betterment of everyone. Captain Janeway didn't just talk about her Starfleet ideals; she lived them to the best of her ability as circumstances allowed her to. All of her crew Maquis and Starfleet alike followed her example; from senior officer down to lowly crewman. Sharing Prixin with others not of our kind is not losing our identity as Talaxians; it can and should be a cultural experience for all of us."
"Neelix?" a soft female voice questioned quietly from the open doorway. The Ambassador of the Delta Quadrant to Starfleet, former Morale officer, cook and guide to Voyager, pulled himself erect and smiled at the female a moment and then turn to the council, his gaze dark.
"You should be ashamed of the melee and xenophobia displayed here just now. I know I am. Captain Janeway bent her own rules to help us, when I first joined this colony in order to protect us from those miners," his anger rising a bit. "I felt that asking for your approval would be the right thing to do, as you are of my kind. Now after this…" he sighed. "I'm not so sure. Shame on you!" he said and left the chamber.
"Shame indeed," his wife echoed quietly and left.
=/\=
