B'Elanna was coming out of her quarters when she ran into Tom. He was
steaming past her at an alarming pace.
"TOM!" He spun round nearly taking her head off.
"B'Elanna. have you seen Captain Janeway?"
"No, why? I thought Chakotay had her? Didn't she just get through a session with Seska, bet she can't walk for a week? Ha ha." B'Elanna stopped laughing when she realised he wasn't joining in. "What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing, I just wondered, you know making sure she hasn't escaped, hehe. Okay well gotta go." B'Elanna watched wordlessly as Tom ran off back the way he came.
"Something is wrong." B'Elanna turned in search of Chakotay.
Kathryn woke up and found herself lying on a hard cold floor. She sat up with a groan. Her headache had comeback ten fold. 'Oh god'. The memory of what happened plagued in her mind. When she walked into the room what she saw sickened her. Cavitt, strung up, hanging from the ceiling, his chest splayed open, the skin on his face stripped away to reveal the bone. After that she had collapsed, the pain mixed with the sickening feeling conjured up by the image before her finally chewed through her resolve. Now she was here with no idea where Seska was or where she was. The room was dark but the vibrations she could hear told Kathryn that she was on a ship. But the ship wasn't moving. Wherever she was it was a good bet it wouldn't be for long? Chakotay ran along the corridor. He knew where Kathryn was. Exactly where Seska had taken her. It was all in the letter. Seska had taken Kathryn to their special place, the place where they had first made love. Seska talked about it still. It was a small shuttlecraft, barley functional. It was hidden in the back part of the base. No one but Seska and him ever went there. It an emergency only. He slid top a halt in front of the door.
"Seska. I'm here, let me in." The door slid open and Seska was standing there.
"Took your time didn't you? I almost started without you."
Chakotay grabbed Seska by the arms.
"What are you doing? Where's Captain Janeway?"
"Anxious aren't we. Don't worry she's still here."
"Seska, if you've hurt her by god!" Seska took a step back. This was not what she had excepted. Gratitude and reconciliation yes, but disgust and fear in his eyes no.
"What are you talking about, I thought..."
"You thought what, that I would be pleased. You need help really. You're a sick bitch." Chakotay pushed past Seska. He had to find Kathryn, when he left she wasn't exactly in good shape, but now. God only knows.
"Chakotay, don't you walk away from me."
"Listen Seska; I don't want to hear it. Go back to the base. We'll deal with this later." Seska stared at his retreating form
'Oh Chakotay, this is far from over. But I can wait, You'll see.' Seska walked out of the shuttle.
Chakotay figured that Seska would have taken Kathryn to the ship version of a brig. It was more like the ancient cells of earth. It was right at the bottom of the ship. When he reached he could hear the distinct sounds of someone banging against the door. 'Kathryn Janeway, always trying.'
"Captain, its Chakotay. Stand back from the door. I'm going to open it."
Kathryn froze, she hadn't expected him. What should she do now? She couldn't stay in there forever and she wasn't making any progress getting out herself. But what did he want. Was it all part of a plot, to kill her? It didn't matter anyway; he could get in if he wanted to. She stepped back from the door.
The door opened and Chakotay walked in. Kathryn was standing there, she was as pale as a ghost, she was shivering.
"Oh my god, did she hurt you?" Kathryn really wasn't expecting that. Was this some kind of a rouse? She decided that she wasn't going to fall for it. Although Starfleet never stated anything about this good cop bad cop scenario.
"Not much more than already." Chakotay looked at the small woman in front of him. She obviously didn't trust him; her face was as defiant as before. He really didn't understand why he felt such compassion for her, nor why he was suddenly second guessing his decision to capture her ship.
"I'm glad." Kathryn really didn't know how to react. Her initial feelings of distrust were waning, his face seemed to show genuine concern, and his treatment off her was nothing like that of Seska. But he was still Maquis. He was still holding her crew and ship; he was still her capture.
"Listen, I don't know what your game is but I'm not buying it." Chakotay felt his anger rise. Here he was rescuing her from Seska, releasing her from this primitive cell and she was treating him with disdain. He could have left her there.
"Listen, I'm not Seska and really I'm not a bad guy. All I want is for the federation to review its position on this conflict of sorts with the Cardassians. They abandoned their own people for what; to keep good relations with a race whose only purpose is destruction. Tell me Captain, does the slaughter of millions justify that?" Kathryn listened stunned. Se knew of course of the slaughter of the people in DMZ but she had never heard of it spoken so passionately. Before today she had thought it a sacrifice that was to have been made for the good of others but now. She wasn't sure. Having heard from this man, a man who had lost everything to this conflict, to those barbarians she was willing to give it another thought. What this man had gone through, it must have been awful. "I hadn't thought of it like that. But you have to understand. The Cardassians are a huge part of the federation. Animosity with them would have caused complete chaos." Even to herself it seemed like a lame excuse.
"Oh, I see. Almighty federation principles. If the beast gets hungry throw it some food. Well this time the federations waste is fighting back." Chakotay had become so passionate in his speech that he found his breathing had become laboured, he had advanced on the captain and was now towering over her with her back leaning against the wall. Kathryn for her part hadn't even noticed that she had backed up. they were standing so close, he could feel her breath on is neck.
"I'm sorry." it was no more rhan a whisper but Chakotay heard it.
"What?" Kathryn put her head down, she couldn't look him in the eyes.
"I said I'm sorry." Chakotay took a step back and looked at the Captain.
"Yeah, I heard you. What i meant was why?"
Kathryn didn't say anything for a while. What could she say. 'I'm sorry that everyone you love is dead.' it sounded pathetic. Slowly she raised her ehad and looked him directly in his eyes.
"For eveything." Chakotay couldn't believ what he was hearing. She was apologising. That was something he didn't expect. He thought she stand up to him, defend the organisation she obviously seeemd to love.
"I'm sorry to." kathryn hadn't expected that.
"Why?"
"For everything." He smiled at her and Kathryn knew everything was going to be ok, atleast with them.
"Does that mean I can have my ship and crew back."
"That depends..."
"On what?"
"What you're going to do."
"What do you mean?"
"If i give you your ship and crew, what will you do. Will you go back to being the perfect starfleet officer, will you complete and hand over the maquis, you know starfleet won't except anything less."
Kathryn sagged against the wall, ten minutes she wouldn't have hesitated she would have said anyhting if it menat getting back the ship and incarsarating the maquis but know, after just a small time with this man she was all in confusion. The more she thought about the more she realsied that there was no way that she could go back to being the perfect littke starfleet officer, she had lost a measure of respect for the organsiation that had practically raised her. and all because of this man.
"I don't know." she finalluy responded. She didn't wanted to leave, not since Justin had she felt such a powerful feeling in the pit of her stonmach, and even that didn't compare in intensity to this one. 2I don't know."
"TOM!" He spun round nearly taking her head off.
"B'Elanna. have you seen Captain Janeway?"
"No, why? I thought Chakotay had her? Didn't she just get through a session with Seska, bet she can't walk for a week? Ha ha." B'Elanna stopped laughing when she realised he wasn't joining in. "What's wrong?"
"Oh nothing, I just wondered, you know making sure she hasn't escaped, hehe. Okay well gotta go." B'Elanna watched wordlessly as Tom ran off back the way he came.
"Something is wrong." B'Elanna turned in search of Chakotay.
Kathryn woke up and found herself lying on a hard cold floor. She sat up with a groan. Her headache had comeback ten fold. 'Oh god'. The memory of what happened plagued in her mind. When she walked into the room what she saw sickened her. Cavitt, strung up, hanging from the ceiling, his chest splayed open, the skin on his face stripped away to reveal the bone. After that she had collapsed, the pain mixed with the sickening feeling conjured up by the image before her finally chewed through her resolve. Now she was here with no idea where Seska was or where she was. The room was dark but the vibrations she could hear told Kathryn that she was on a ship. But the ship wasn't moving. Wherever she was it was a good bet it wouldn't be for long? Chakotay ran along the corridor. He knew where Kathryn was. Exactly where Seska had taken her. It was all in the letter. Seska had taken Kathryn to their special place, the place where they had first made love. Seska talked about it still. It was a small shuttlecraft, barley functional. It was hidden in the back part of the base. No one but Seska and him ever went there. It an emergency only. He slid top a halt in front of the door.
"Seska. I'm here, let me in." The door slid open and Seska was standing there.
"Took your time didn't you? I almost started without you."
Chakotay grabbed Seska by the arms.
"What are you doing? Where's Captain Janeway?"
"Anxious aren't we. Don't worry she's still here."
"Seska, if you've hurt her by god!" Seska took a step back. This was not what she had excepted. Gratitude and reconciliation yes, but disgust and fear in his eyes no.
"What are you talking about, I thought..."
"You thought what, that I would be pleased. You need help really. You're a sick bitch." Chakotay pushed past Seska. He had to find Kathryn, when he left she wasn't exactly in good shape, but now. God only knows.
"Chakotay, don't you walk away from me."
"Listen Seska; I don't want to hear it. Go back to the base. We'll deal with this later." Seska stared at his retreating form
'Oh Chakotay, this is far from over. But I can wait, You'll see.' Seska walked out of the shuttle.
Chakotay figured that Seska would have taken Kathryn to the ship version of a brig. It was more like the ancient cells of earth. It was right at the bottom of the ship. When he reached he could hear the distinct sounds of someone banging against the door. 'Kathryn Janeway, always trying.'
"Captain, its Chakotay. Stand back from the door. I'm going to open it."
Kathryn froze, she hadn't expected him. What should she do now? She couldn't stay in there forever and she wasn't making any progress getting out herself. But what did he want. Was it all part of a plot, to kill her? It didn't matter anyway; he could get in if he wanted to. She stepped back from the door.
The door opened and Chakotay walked in. Kathryn was standing there, she was as pale as a ghost, she was shivering.
"Oh my god, did she hurt you?" Kathryn really wasn't expecting that. Was this some kind of a rouse? She decided that she wasn't going to fall for it. Although Starfleet never stated anything about this good cop bad cop scenario.
"Not much more than already." Chakotay looked at the small woman in front of him. She obviously didn't trust him; her face was as defiant as before. He really didn't understand why he felt such compassion for her, nor why he was suddenly second guessing his decision to capture her ship.
"I'm glad." Kathryn really didn't know how to react. Her initial feelings of distrust were waning, his face seemed to show genuine concern, and his treatment off her was nothing like that of Seska. But he was still Maquis. He was still holding her crew and ship; he was still her capture.
"Listen, I don't know what your game is but I'm not buying it." Chakotay felt his anger rise. Here he was rescuing her from Seska, releasing her from this primitive cell and she was treating him with disdain. He could have left her there.
"Listen, I'm not Seska and really I'm not a bad guy. All I want is for the federation to review its position on this conflict of sorts with the Cardassians. They abandoned their own people for what; to keep good relations with a race whose only purpose is destruction. Tell me Captain, does the slaughter of millions justify that?" Kathryn listened stunned. Se knew of course of the slaughter of the people in DMZ but she had never heard of it spoken so passionately. Before today she had thought it a sacrifice that was to have been made for the good of others but now. She wasn't sure. Having heard from this man, a man who had lost everything to this conflict, to those barbarians she was willing to give it another thought. What this man had gone through, it must have been awful. "I hadn't thought of it like that. But you have to understand. The Cardassians are a huge part of the federation. Animosity with them would have caused complete chaos." Even to herself it seemed like a lame excuse.
"Oh, I see. Almighty federation principles. If the beast gets hungry throw it some food. Well this time the federations waste is fighting back." Chakotay had become so passionate in his speech that he found his breathing had become laboured, he had advanced on the captain and was now towering over her with her back leaning against the wall. Kathryn for her part hadn't even noticed that she had backed up. they were standing so close, he could feel her breath on is neck.
"I'm sorry." it was no more rhan a whisper but Chakotay heard it.
"What?" Kathryn put her head down, she couldn't look him in the eyes.
"I said I'm sorry." Chakotay took a step back and looked at the Captain.
"Yeah, I heard you. What i meant was why?"
Kathryn didn't say anything for a while. What could she say. 'I'm sorry that everyone you love is dead.' it sounded pathetic. Slowly she raised her ehad and looked him directly in his eyes.
"For eveything." Chakotay couldn't believ what he was hearing. She was apologising. That was something he didn't expect. He thought she stand up to him, defend the organisation she obviously seeemd to love.
"I'm sorry to." kathryn hadn't expected that.
"Why?"
"For everything." He smiled at her and Kathryn knew everything was going to be ok, atleast with them.
"Does that mean I can have my ship and crew back."
"That depends..."
"On what?"
"What you're going to do."
"What do you mean?"
"If i give you your ship and crew, what will you do. Will you go back to being the perfect starfleet officer, will you complete and hand over the maquis, you know starfleet won't except anything less."
Kathryn sagged against the wall, ten minutes she wouldn't have hesitated she would have said anyhting if it menat getting back the ship and incarsarating the maquis but know, after just a small time with this man she was all in confusion. The more she thought about the more she realsied that there was no way that she could go back to being the perfect littke starfleet officer, she had lost a measure of respect for the organsiation that had practically raised her. and all because of this man.
"I don't know." she finalluy responded. She didn't wanted to leave, not since Justin had she felt such a powerful feeling in the pit of her stonmach, and even that didn't compare in intensity to this one. 2I don't know."
