Chapter 7
Chakotay and Kathryn were sitting opposite each other at the dining table. None of them had spoken since they had sat down to eat. Kathryn had diligently focused her attention on the bowl of vegetable bouillon and the slice of crusty bread in front of her, as if they were the most intriguing objects she had ever set eyes upon. She desperately wanted to avoid looking at the man opposite her.
"What is it this time, B'Elanna?"
Was there ever going to be an end to the interruptions?
"Chakotay, I'm on my way to your quarters. I urgently have to speak to you!"
"B'Elanna, I'm busy here. It'll have to wait."
"This can't wait, Chakotay. I'll be there in a minute."
"Torres, I told you I don't want to be disturbed now!" he droned into the communicator.
There was no response. For the first time since they had sat down to dinner, Kathryn looked up with the sparkle of amusement in her eyes. It seemed that the Maquis captain had serious problems keeping discipline within his cell. A moment later his door chime sounded. Chakotay was beginning to loose his temper.
"Come!" he barked as he got up and walked to the entrance door to his quarters. Kathryn strained her ears, trying to follow the conversation in the next room.
"This had better be good, Torres!"
B'Elanna ignored his obvious anger at her intrusion and entered.
"Chakotay, you're in trouble!"
"What?" he asked incredulously. What the hell was this about now? For a brief moment he feared that Starfleet had set a trap with Voyager, and they had walked right into it. But then B'Elanna continued.
"Seska has smelled the rat, Chakotay! She's heard somewhere that you have the captain in your quarters. Thank Kahless she hasn't figured out yet that the captain is a woman! But that's only a matter of time now. She's going to be frantic when she finds out what's going on here! She'll probably vaporize both of you on the spot! Chakotay, you know her temper! It's even worse than mine!"
Chakotay lifted a hand to cut her off.
"That's enough, Torres. What I do is none of Seska's business. She doesn't own me. I've told her to stay out of my way. I'm sick of Seska, B'Elanna! I want her out of my life!" he yelled.
"What's going on here?"
Chakotay and B'Elanna turned in unison to the source of the voice. Kathryn Janeway was standing on the threshold between the dining room and the lounge, a totally commanding presence despite the fact that she was not in uniform. B'Elanna found herself staring at the graceful woman in the doorway, so flabbergasted by her sudden appearance that she was unable to say anything for a moment. She sure could understand why Chakotay liked her company. She was beautiful. Having made it this far up the career ladder she had to have brains, too. Hell, intelligence virtually sparkled in her eyes. Chakotay was the first to recover his voice.
"It's nothing for you to worry about, Kathryn. Just a private little squabble."
Quickly recovering from her initial shock of meeting the Starfleet captain, B'Elanna grunted,
"Chakotay, don't tell me later that I didn't warn you! If Seska finds her here, she'll have you both thrown out of the nearest airlock or handed over to the next Cardassian convoy, if not worse!"
Kathryn Janeway was the only one in the room who still managed to appear calm and controlled.
"Who's Seska?" she inquired matter-of-factly, approaching the quarrelling twosome as if she were interrogating them in her ready room aboard Voyager.
Chakotay had heard enough and he was not about to let Kathryn hear anymore of this, neither was he going to be interrogated by his hostage, especially not in front of a member of his cell.
"Torres, I want you out of here now! I appreciate your concern, but I'll handle things from here!"
B'Elanna opened her mouth as if to say something more, then glanced from Chakotay to Janeway and back and thought better of it. With a snarl that would have made her Klingon mother very proud, she stormed out of Chakotay's quarters. Kathryn made a mental note of the fact that, despite the obvious lack of discipline among the Maquis, Chakotay somehow maintained control over them. What was it that made these people respect him so much without the corset of protocol? She was eager to discover the reason, but for now she would settle for an answer to her first, rather more pressing inquiry.
"Chakotay, please answer my question this time. Who is Seska?" Janeway urged, now visibly worried.
Measuring her he let out a long sigh of resignation. He would have to tell her something, otherwise she would not give him a minute's rest.
"I'll tell you over dinner. Come and sit down again."
He led her back to the table. She gave him a questioning glance, which virtually demanded an answer. Chakotay inhaled deeply and started,
"Alright then. Seska is a Bajoran who works for me. She was the first person to join my cell. Her family was killed by Cardassians during the Bajoran occupation. Mine had been killed just days before I joined the Maquis, when the Cardassians incinerated my village."
Chakotay looked down at his plate and rubbed his chin. This was difficult. Janeway's gaze continued to scrutinize him. He realized that he had her full attention, now that she was waiting for her answer. She had hardly touched her food. Why could he not manage to get that same amount of attention from her when he wanted to know something? A brief flash of anger shot through him, but he managed to get himself under control and commenced,
"We were both alone and had gone through a tragedy, so we found comfort in each other."
There was a short period of silence between them.
"Is Seska your lover?" she suddenly demanded point-blankly.
Chakotay's head shot up to look at her -- a little shocked at her bluntness. Recovering quickly he shook his head.
"She was, but she isn't anymore. Shortly after we got together she began to ignore and contravene my orders. I called the relationship off once and for all, then."
Kathryn gave him a bewildered look. If he had terminated the relationship, why would Seska still make this her business? Unless he had done so only recently, and Seska had not accepted yet, that they were finished. Hesitantly she asked,
"When did you terminate this relationship?"
Chakotay smiled at her perception, lowering his gaze once again. He took another deep breath, then looked straight into her blue eyes.
"Almost one year ago, but she continues to think of me as her property. I knew that getting involved with a member of my cell could cause problems, but I had never expected it to be so bad. It was a mistake I'm not likely to make again. B'Elanna is right. Seska has a violent temper. I'm going to have to keep her away from you, now that she knows that you've been in my quarters all this time."
An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Both of them were immersed in thought. Eventually it was Kathryn who spoke and broke the silence.
"Why did you bring me here?"
She had found it highly unusual -- to say the least -- for a terrorist to keep his hostage in his own quarters, especially when he had an entire brig at his disposal. Chakotay smiled as he recalled the moment he had first set eyes on her.
"When I first saw you, you were lying unconscious on the ground in our brig. Your crew had already received the antidote to the neural toxin. I had given orders to leave the captain until last. I wanted to use his weakness during interrogation. But had I known that the captain was a woman, I would never have given those orders. A woman's physiology is somehow stronger effected by this particular toxin. I never expected Starfleet to send a female captain into this hellhole. Actually, I consider it damn careless of them!"
Kathryn Janeway gave him a frosty glare.
"I earned this assignment, and I would appreciate it if you kept your chauvinistic opinions to yourself, Chakotay!"
Chakotay's features darkened.
"I'm not a chauvinist, Kathryn, and I can tell that you've earned this mission, but I'd hate to see what the Cardassians would do to you if you were to fall into their hands. You have no idea what they do to their female prisoners."
Kathryn's blood was beginning to boil. How dare he speak to her as if she were a child? And how dare he patronize her and say that she did not know? And was he, who was keeping her hostage at this very moment, really any better than the Cardassians? He would yet have to prove that to her...
"As a matter of fact I know exactly what they do, Chakotay! I had the privilege to find out a few years back, when I was taken prisoner by the Obsidian Order. So don't tell me that I don't know!" she roared, unshed tears shining in her eyes as the memory of that terrifying time returned.
She was shaking with fury -- a lump was choking her throat. Fuming, she wiped at a solitary tear that had made its way down her cheek. Chakotay felt as if he had just been struck by a lightning-bolt. Instinctively he grasped her hand over the table and held it gently between his, drawing comforting circles on it with his thumbs.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea." he choked, his gaze resting tenderly on her as tears were threatening to overcome him, too, at the thought of the possible ordeals that she had gone through.
He had never been captured by Cardassians himself, but he had heard enough to know that most people did not make it out of their prisons alive, and the Obsidian Order had been the most violent and unrelenting force in Cardassia. Kathryn was extremely lucky to have come out of it alive. As if she had been burned, Kathryn Janeway snatched her hand away and retorted,
"Well, those are things of the past. We've got a peace treaty with them, remember? A treaty that put an end to all the horrors and the bloodshed! A treaty that you and your fellow renegades are placing in jeopardy with your silly private little war. Don't expect me to lend you a hand! I've had my fair share of experience with Cardassian cruelty, and I'm more than happy to opt for peace for a change! I will do everything in my power to prevent people like you from starting a war between the Federation and the Empire!" she exclaimed heatedly.
Did she really believe all this? Chakotay could not believe that she could be so entirely ignorant of the reality of everyday life in the DMZ.
"Kathryn! Why do you think the Maquis are fighting the Cardassians? They are driving us from our homeworlds. They are the ones who are jeopardizing the treaty! This is the DMZ. Would you care to explain to me why they have countless warships stationed here? Why they attack our people? Why people here are killed everyday? Why they torture us and rape our women? Why they murder our children? It's called genocide, Kathryn! And Starfleet turns a blind eye to it all! Do you expect us to just stand by and let them do this to us?"
Kathryn stared at him incredulously.
"Do you really expect me to believe all this? The Cardassians want this treaty just as badly as the Federation. They wouldn't dare to commit such atrocities. The Federation would never allow it!"
Exasperated, Chakotay measured her for a moment, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. When he had himself a little better under control he concluded icily,
"This won't get us anywhere. We should drop the subject."
"Agreed." Kathryn replied likewise. They both turned their attention back to their meal and waited for the atmosphere to cool. The food that they had both craved earlier had suddenly acquired a bitter taste and was difficult to swallow. They had both lost their appetite.
Several minutes passed in yet more uncomfortable silence. Finally Kathryn muttered,
"So, why did you bring me here?"
Chakotay's expression mellowed at her return to the previous topic.
"When I found you curled up on the ground in the brig, I noticed that you were suffering from the early stages of hypothermia. We had left it a little long with the antidote. The brig isn't heated, and you were unconscious and icy. I decided it would be best to take you here, where it's warm and dry, and where I could keep a close eye on your recovery."
Kathryn Janeway was utterly dumbfounded. Her mind tried to process what he had just told her. He might well have saved her life. Of course, if it had not been for him, her life would not have been at risk in the first place. But that did not change the fact that he had looked after her, when he could have simply left her to die. Apparently there was more to Chakotay than his Starfleet records had told her. When she finally found her voice, she said,
"Thank you. I had no idea the Maquis took such good care of their prisoners."
Chakotay sighed sadly,
"Not all of us do, I'm afraid. I don't hold a grudge against you personally, Kathryn. You had your orders. But I resent the Federation for deserting us."
When he saw renewed fire sparkle in her eyes he quickly added,
"Don't worry, I won't start on the subject again. I think it's time we both got some rest. We've both had a long day, and tomorrow will be quite busy. I suggest we get some rest."
He tapped his combadge.
The place was filthy. They really had to find a better routine when it came to cleaning up the galley, but nobody ever wanted to do it, and now that they had the new ship, there was no way anyone would stir a finger here.
It was dark, like most of the base, since it was subterranean and they could not afford to waste their precious power supplies on trivial things like apt illumination. Large round columns supported the vaulted ceiling. Dirty plates, cups and glasses littered every one of the rectangular wooden tables. Their Cardassian predecessors had left the tables and matching benches. Cardassian symbols, no doubt carved by bored Cardassian guards more than 500 years ago, defaced all of them -- a constant reminder of the enemy. And you were supposed to enjoy your meal here. Ha!
Lojal stared at his plate. It could have been worse. At least the replicators were working, so the food was quite decent. He had replicated himself a small portion of Bajoran foraiga, with tuwaly pie for dessert and some ginger tea to wash it down. All these dishes had been extremely rare on Bajor during the Cardassian occupation. He felt as if he were truly indulging tonight, but it had been a long and successful day, and this was Lojal's way of celebrating their success.
There was something about replicated seafood. It always tasted slightly off. Kind of synthetic, he thought. Well, synthetic it was. He managed another few forks full off the foraiga and then allowed his eyes to take a bored journey around the room.
The galley was almost deserted. Usually there would be quite a crowd at this time of night, but most people were either on the new ship or resting after a long day's work. Not even Kurt Bendera was here tonight. Usually Lojal took his meals in the company of Bendera, and sometimes even Chakotay, since Bendera and the captain were old friends. Apparently they knew each other from a mining colony on Telfas Prime... that was all Lojal knew.
Bendera had probably spent the day on the vessel, since he was part of the engineering team. Voyager surely had caused quite a stir. Lojal had not yet had the chance to look around her himself. He had spent all day transporting people on and off the vessel and looking after the Starfleet hostages in the brig.
Why do I always end up with the boring jobs, he thought. Although guard duty in the brig had proven to be a lot more exciting than he had expected. Seska and B'Elanna had identified the traitor, Tom Paris, among the Starfleet crew. The son of a bitch had been trying to get his sorry ass out of jail via helping the Federation to track down his 'friends' in the Maquis. Bastard! He hoped Chakotay would allow him to finish Paris off, but knowing his captain, that was not about to happen. And then there had been the Starfleet captain. Saving her had made him feel good. If another Maquis had been in his place at the time, she most probably would not have made it through the day. Lojal had been the one to carry her into her cell. She had been so pretty and as light as a feather. She had also felt like an ice block.
He had contacted Chakotay, asking him to come to the brig. He had not told him about the captain, though. That was supposed to be a surprise, and it sure had been. Lojal grinned, as he remembered Chakotay's expression of incredulity and amazement. But then her condition had proved to be a little more serious than Lojal had thought, and he had felt guilty about not telling Chakotay sooner. Of course he had not told his captain about the unnecessary delay...
Then it had been Lojal who had gotten a surprise when Chakotay had taken the unconscious woman to his quarters, something Lojal himself would have very much liked to do, since she was so lovely. Was Chakotay out of his mind? Most of the Maquis would strongly disapprove -- if they had been given free reign, this day would have turned out a lot bloodier.
And did Chakotay not realize what Seska would do if she ever found out? It had been a close call in the transporter room. He had been such an idiot! What the hell had come over him to tell her that Chakotay was busy with the captain -- and in his quarters? The Maquis leader was going to stick him into a torpedo tube and blast him into a Cardassian Galor Class war ship if he ever caught wind of it... What was he doing with her in there anyway? Of course he was trying to get her better, but Lojal was dying to find out what was transpiring in the Maquis captain's quarters. Maybe he could come up with some excuse to go down there...
"Chakotay to Lojal!"
His fork hit the plate with a loud clang when his captain's voice shocked him out of his musings. Quickly he swallowed what he had in his mouth, almost choking on it, and answered,
"Lojal here! What can I do for you, Chakotay?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you at this time, Lojal. I know you've had a hard day, but I can't ask anyone else to do this. It's about the captain. She's going to spend the night here, and I need some sheets, a blanket and a pillow. Could you help me out, old friend?"
Lojal could not conceal the smirk that was creeping over his features. Just when he had been about to find an excuse to come past Chakotay's quarters... And now he had an invitation!
"Sure! No worries! I'll be around in a few minutes. Is that all?"
"Yes, thank you Lojal. I really appreciate this."
Lojal left the table and took his dishes to the replicator to be recycled. Why could not everyone do it this way? There would be a lot less mess around the place. He sighed and walked off to get the bedding. As he left the galley a Bajoran woman moved out of the shadow of a column close to the table he had sat at. She would show Chakotay what it meant to betray her like this! He would regret every second of his little liaison. How could he prefer that Starfleet bitch to her? What? He could not have a relationship with a subordinate, but with a hostage it was okay? Oh, he would regret this until the end of his days. She would make sure of it. No one ever crossed Seska! I'll teach you, Chakotay! I'll teach you all!
Fuming with an all-consuming rage, she stormed off to her quarters.