Disclaimer: Just borrowing a swing on Paramount's playground
AN 1: I changed the title because this chapter was getting long, and I decided to divide it. "The Renaissance" will be next chapter.
AN 2: Kathryn and Harry had been on the planet 9 months at the Irkalu feast. This is 18 months after that. I don't like counting on my fingers, so conversions from Earth time to Gentarran time will probably be kind of general.
AN 3: For clarification, the technological side of the door is Gentarra Prime, while the agrarian side is just Gentarra.
The Opportunity18 months later (nearly 2 Gentarran starcycles)…
The work on Voyager ground on at an almost infinitesimal pace. The planet on which they had landed was Menshara-class by the barest of margins, a barren, harsh, windswept world, with powerful atmospheric turbulence and occasional electrical storms.
They had used the shuttlecraft and the Delta Flyer to travel to nearby worlds for supplies… not an easy task since all three vessels were so small. The nearest spacefaring species was on a planet that was a week's travel away. Repairs slogged on intolerably slowly.
Chakotay walked over to B'Elanna, dusting his hands off on his coveralls as he went.
"How's it going?" he asked casually.
"Why do you ask me questions like that?" B'Elanna asked, annoyed, from her position under the detached nacelle. "It's going great! I've only been working on the same exact thing for a year!"
"B'Elanna, it's not your fault that we're str-"
"It's so frustrating!" She scooted out from under the junction she'd been rewiring, and looked at him plaintively. "If we had the right tools and equipment and personnel… this would have taken 4..5 months, tops."
"But we're getting there. At least Voyager is able to be repaired." B'Elanna narrowed her eyes at his positivity, and reluctantly smiled.
"What do you want?" she asked with mock rudeness.
"Just to shine a little sunshine on your day!" Chakotay said cheekily.
"If that's what you call sunshine," B'Elanna muttered darkly, casting disparaging glances on the weak, bluish light filtering down through thick clouds.
"Actually, that's why I came," Chakotay returned to seriousness. "Looks like another storm is rolling in. You've got about 10 minutes."
B'Elanna huffed back under the nacelle, muttering some obscenities about the frequency of the interrupting storms.
"You couldn't have commed me?" Her voice drifted up, sounding tinny.
"Well, there was the sunshine thing too," he said, and laughed as a tool flew towards him, clanking across the top of the nacelle. He picked it up, turned it over in his hands, and tossed it back to her under the nacelle. "Seriously, B'El, 10 minutes."
By the time, Chakotay had strolled around the rest of the area, most crewmen had received instructions to secure their workstations and return to the ship. Chakotay looked at Voyager, now shored up on the side where the landing prop had broken, one nacelle on the ground nearby, and the shiny new plating of repaired hull breaches looking patchily out of place. The clouds had thickened, and the wind had picked up. Thunder rumbled ominously.
"We'll get her back into the stars, Kathryn," he murmured softly, as he re-entered the ship through one of the airlocks left unsealed for that purpose. "I promise you that."
Kathryn and Harry had slipped into an easy and uncomplicated relationship, following some initial awkwardness. She was often aware of his watching her contemplatively, and knew that he still thought she was "settling" for him. For her part, she fell deeper in love with the man, Harry Kim, and was actually glad that they had 2 more years of idyllic living before facing again the hazards of space travel. Those risks would be compounded for them, she knew, without the comfort of a large ship and intimidating armaments.
"Tharaku sonalo," a voice spoke softly in Kathryn's ear, where she stood at the basin in the kitchen, washing dishes. She smiled and leaned back against him.
"Only you would say that like it's a come-on," she teased. He chuckled, and slid his hands down her wet arms to entwine with her soapy fingers.
"Isn't it?" he asked. His breath was warm on her neck, and Kathryn felt her knees wobble a little bit.
"Only in your mind," she retorted, but her voice caught a little in her throat. He noticed, and she felt him smile into the junction of her neck and shoulder.
"I don't believe you," he said softly, turning her towards him, oblivious to the drips of sudsy water from her fingertips.
"It's not nice to call people liars," she whispered, pressing her body against his.
"It's not nice to lie," he countered with a smile, his voice barely audible, his lips a hairsbreadth from hers. She closed the gap between them, and was amazed once again at the charge that shot through her, leaving her weak-kneed and breathless, even at just a kiss.
He pulled back and gazed at her for a moment, his eyes darkening with desire for her. The sensation of his burning stare was heady, and Kathryn pulled his head down for another kiss.
There was a perfunctory knock on the door, and Prascor stuck his head in. He took in their startled glances, Harry's wet shirt, and Kathryn's flushed cheeks.
"Do you two ever stop?" he asked with a grin. Harry looked less than pleased.
"Do you ever knock?" he said, perturbed. Prascor was unfazed, and stepped the rest of the way into the room, revealing a dark-eyed toddler sitting on his shoulder.
"Rasila wanted to see you," he said. "Kariva said I could bring her by. I guess you asked her, then?" His merry eyes tripped back from one face to the other.
"Asked me what?" Kathryn said. Prascor's face fell. Harry lowered his face into one hand with an audible groan. Kathryn looked at Prascor, then back at Harry, with some concern.
"Asked me what?" she repeated, a little more loudly.
"I think I'll take my leave now," Prascor said, hurriedly. "Apologies, Harry." The door closed on him, even as he was speaking.
Harry had still not looked at Kathryn. She laid a hand on his arm.
"You know you can ask me anything," she said seriously. He dragged his gaze up to meet hers, and the emotion there gave Kathryn the sensation that she was drowning.
"Perenkali. Nonthali wenkasu. Nonthali wemoranakor." Harry finally got the words out in Gentarran, his dark eyes fixed on her face. Kathryn had trouble breathing.
I love you. I want you for my wife. I want you to join with me.
She looked at him, as his features blurred through the sheen of tears in her eyes, and she smiled crookedly, half-laughing, half-crying. As he pulled her back into his arms, she voiced one tiny doubt that threaded its way into her consciousness.
"Harry," she said uncertainly. "A ranak is a life-bond, you know."
"I'm counting on it," he said simply, and kissed her thoroughly.
She backed away from him. "But what if you meet someone…"
He threw his arms out to either side. "Who, Kathryn? Who is there for me to meet?" Annoyance had snaked its way into his voice. They had been over this before.
"If we make it back to the Alpha Quadrant--" Kathryn started.
"That was a pretty huge 'if' even when we were onboard Voyager. And now, it's mostly improbable. I'm not going to squander a relationship that I really want hoping for a relationship that is not even guaranteed to happen!"
Kathryn sighed, and looked out the window.
"I just can't help but think that I somehow manipulated you into this."
"What?!" Harry spluttered. "Who took advantage of whom while under the influence?"
"We have been over that before, Harry. I knew what I was doing, and I'm glad I did it." Kathryn rolled her eyes at him.
"So did I, and so am I," he finished softly, trapping her with her own words. She smiled softly then, and her eyes pleaded with him to understand her.
"I do love you, Harry. I just worry about robbing you of something you deserve. After all, I got you into this mess in the first place."
He pulled her back into his arms. "And look what I would have missed if you hadn't." He threaded his fingers through hers. "No regrets, Kathryn?" She leaned her head on his chest, and listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat.
"No regrets," she whispered finally. "I promise."
A couple of alarms beeped on Tuvok's console, as the storm buffeted Voyager.
"The storm appears to be intensifying," Tuvok said in response to Chakotay's questioning look.
"How are we holding up?" Chakotay asked.
"Voyager appears to be in no imminent danger. Some of the outbuildings that were erected for storage purposes are collapsing."
Chakotay swore under his breath. That was more time taken up restoring their storage facilities, restocking some of their supplies. Another alarm beeped, and Tuvok looked at Chakotay with haste, if not concern.
"We're losing the temporary landing gear," he said.
"Shit!" Chakotay said, out loud this time, and sprang from his chair. "Have a team meet me – "
"If I may, sir," Tuvok interrupted. "I will lead the team. The superior strength of Vulcans has been well-documented." Chakotay wavered for only the fraction of a second. Of course, Tuvok's suggestion was eminently…logical. He nodded, and the Vulcan strode quickly from the bridge, nodding at Ayala to join him.
Chakotay notified the others who would be needed, and had several anti-grav platforms sent to the cargo bay.
There was an ominous creaking sound, and Voyager, barely perceptibly, began to list.
"Chakotay to Tuvok."
"Tuvok here," the Vulcan sounded almost as if he were running.
"You don't have a lot of time."
"I am aware of that, sir. We are exiting the ship now. I will apprise you of our status presently."
"Understood. Chakotay out."
"I think we'll be able to figure out what's going on ourselves, when we're piled up like toy soldiers on top of the turbolift door," Paris quipped, from where he still sat at helm when Chakotay and Tuvok were on duty.
"Tom," Chakotay said warningly.
"Sorry sir," Paris replied and subsided.
A few more tense moments ratcheted by, with no one speaking. The slant of the deck became a little more pronounced. Chakotay drummed his fingers restlessly on the arm of the captain's chair.
"Tuvok…. Kotay. ….you read?"
"Just barely, Tuvok. The storm must be interfering."
"We… ost in position… should…activ…grav..shortly."
"The sooner the better, Tuvok."
Tuvok closed the comm channel, and struggled to see through the lashing rain. Thunder roared now, rather than grumbling, and lightning had left several patches of ground blackened and smoking.
"Are the units in position?" he shouted over the torrential downpour. Ayala nodded, saying something that was driven away unheard, by the wind.
"Have the units focus their energy right here!" He tapped a portion of Voyager's hull. The team were standing in a loose circle around the afflicted landing prop. The precise angling of the anti-grav units to direct the power flow under Voyager's drive section would hopefully raise the ship enough to wedge and fuse enough tritanium to the support to prevent disaster. The power flow began to push Voyager away from them slightly, but then wavered.
Tuvok looked at Ayala, who shouted, "The rain is interfering. It's hard to focus the power on one spot."
"Raise the frequency as high as the units will allow."
"That'll punch a hole in the ship!"
"It is the only choice we have, Lieutenant," Tuvok replied, as stolidly as he could under the circumstances. Ayala and his men adjusted the appropriate indicators, and tried again. The portion of the hull being pummeledbegan to rumble alarmingly, but held together, moving upward slowly and steadily.
Two other officers from Engineering who had been standing by pulled their visors down and began welding the necessary components to the prop. The other members averted their eyes from the dazzling light, while trying to hold their anti-grav units absolutely still.
"Let her down easy," Ensign Howard, one of the welders, said at length. "Let's see if she'll hold." One by one, the team members deactivated their units, causing Voyager to lower gently to the earth.
"How is it?" Ayala asked, as Tuvok scanned it.
"It appears to be satisfactory," Tuvok replied. "Well done." He tapped his commbadge. "Tuvok to Bridge."
"Chakotay here." His voice was clearer, and it was then that Tuvok noticed that the rain appeared to be abating somewhat.
"The landing support has been successfully reinforced."
"Good work," Chakotay said warmly. "Tell everyone to take the rest of their shift to dry off and warm up."
"Aye sir," Tuvok said.
"Thanks, boss!" Ayala managed to call irreverently over the open channel.
Tuvok heard Chakotay chuckle before he closed the link.
"The ranak is a simple ceremony," Kariva said to Kathryn and Harry, as they stood in the empty Council Hall. "As Head of the Council, Manlak will officiate."
"Manlak?" Kathryn interrupted, frowning at the thought of the dour council-leader. "I don't think he likes me."
"No, Kathryn, Rianah doesn't like you. Manlak just doesn't approve of you." Harry said helpfully, and she gave him a mock glower.
"You two are as bad as Prascor!" Kariva said, waiting for them to stop bickering so she could continue. "Pay attention. Gentarrans have the advantage of already knowing how this ceremony is conducted. You don't."
"Yes, ma'am," Harry said, so meekly that Kariva shot him a look.
"The guests will be standing on this side of the room. Kathryn, you will be among them. Harry will enter the room at the prescribed time. You must then locate Kathryn among the guests."
Harry must have gotten a somewhat panicked look on his face, for Kariva added hastily, "It will not be that hard. It is just symbolic of your search for your kalen-ranaki, the other half of your soul."
Harry grinned, and Kathryn slanted him a look, coloring slightly.
"When you find her, you must lead her up to Manlak, holding her right hand in your right hand, walking behind her to symbolize your reverence for your union.
"Then you will both say the words of Joining. Adlekhali wentak lothilan. Nonthali wenkasu. Kathryn will say 'Nonthali wenkaru'" Kariva substituted 'husband' for 'wife' in the last line.
"I have chosen you above all others," Kathryn murmured, translating from Gentarran to English.
"Have you?" Harry asked meaningfully, self-doubt creeping over his handsome features.
"Adlekhali wentak lothilan. Perenkali." She repeated, adding I love you, her eyes never straying from his. There was a long frozen moment between them, where their feelings for each other seemed almost a tangible thing in the room.
"There will be plenty of time for that on your sojourn," Kariva said briskly, and they reluctantly turned away from each other. "After the words of Joining, you will come here to this table. Harry, you will carve the meat and pour the wine, signifying your duty to always provide for your wife. Then Kathryn, you will add the seasoning, signifying your responsibility to always enhance the life of your husband. You will both feed each other the food and then the wine, signifying your mutual support for and dependence upon each other. Before you cross the threshold, your hands will be tied together palm to palm, to signify the beginning of your new journey together, as one unit." She paused, and asked hesitantly. "Does that make sense?"
"It sounds remarkably similar to some of the ceremonies on Earth," Kathryn replied.
Three days later, they were joined in a ranak-bond in the Council Hall, with almost the entire village present. The Gentarrans had become fond of the two off-worlders who tried their hardest to absorb and embrace every facet of their culture.
After the words of Joining had been spoken, Kathryn looked at Manlak for the cue to move to the table for the sharing of the repast. To her surprise, Manlak looked at Harry, and asked,
"The rings?" Harry pulled something small from the pocket of his formal tunic, and handed it to Manlak.
Ceremonially, Manlak handed it back to Harry, and then handed something to her as well. Between her fingers, Kathryn felt the heavy thickness of a man's wedding band. It was made of burnished Gentarran ore, more the color of copper, and had a simple pattern etched around its circumference.
She looked at Harry then, and parted her lips to speak, but he slid her ring on her finger, quoting the traditional Earth ceremony from memory.
"With this ring…" She looked at her finger through a blur of tears, managing to note that her ring matched his, and also had a beautifully set stone, matching the one he had found for her shortly after they had arrived here.
She whispered the vows back to him, willing her throat not to close around her words.
"What made you decide to do that?" She asked him as they walked to the table.
"I wanted there to be something of Earth in our wedding. Do you like it?"
"Very much," was all she had time for, as the last phase of the ceremony began.
Presently, the ranak concluded, and Kathryn and Harry left for their sojourn, a traditional Gentarran event somewhat like a honeymoon. It would last almost an entire huri. There were calls of good wishes from the Gentarrans, as Harry and Kathryn left.
The holodeck had been decorated like a swanky dance hall. Neelix had postulated that after the storm, a particularly violent one at that, and the near miss with the landing prop, that the crew needed a party. Chakotay had agreed with the general veracity of that statement, although what he privately thought he needed was a back massage and a bottle of really strong liquor.
"You know you can't tolerate alcohol, Chakotay." The reproving, yet amused voice of Captain Kathryn Janeway rang so strongly in his head that he actually looked over his shoulder for her.
The murmur of the crew dwindled down slowly as they heard a clear ringing sound of silverware pinging on glass.
"Neelix and I want to thank you all for coming. And I just found out that we have a reason to celebrate. B'Elanna told me today that she and her team have completed the nacelle work. They will begin reattaching it this week!" A collective cheer went up, and Tom lifted his wine glass. "May she continue to carry us home, though she be held together with spit and bailing wire."
"Who? B'Elanna?" came a voice, and there was muffled laughter.
"To Voyager," Tom said, as someone threw something toward his head. Chakotay thought it was Tom's wife, and concealed a grin behind one hand.
"Hear, hear," the crew echoed, and the buzz of conversation resumed. Piped-in music began, and Chakotay recognized it as that of Harry and his band. A familiar wistful ache settled in his chest somewhere. He missed Kathryn so much that her absence was a kind of constant phantom pain; he was never unaware of it.
"Tuvok to Chakotay," chirped over his communicator. Chakotay opened the channel discreetly.
"Chakotay here."
"Ensigns Danvers and McKay have arrived in Shuttle One. They have informed me that the Delta Flyer is perhaps a half-day behind them."
"Did they have any trouble?" One of the constant worries about sending small craft out was that they would be hijacked or pirated.
"Apparently not, sir. The repairs have been going smoothly of late. With the completion of the nacelle, Voyager may be able to lift off in the next 6-8 months."
"Really?" Chakotay's interest was piqued. Was it the light at the end of the tunnel? "You aren't just being optimistic, are you, Tuvok?"
"Vulcans are never optimistic. Sir." Tuvok's voice was dryness personified. Chakotay laughed.
"Send the ensigns down to the party. They deserve it. And you ought to come down yourself."
"I will inform Ensign Danvers and Ensign McKay." Tuvok did not respond to Chakotay's last comment at all, and Chakotay found this more hilarious than if he'd said he would be there with bells on.
"Thanks, Tuvok. Chakotay out."
She sauntered up behind him on one of the last days of the warm season, as he worked sharpening a blade in Hyral's forge.
"Hello, love," she said casually, causing Harry to jump, drop the blade, and swear. She smiled, but looked immediately contrite at his glare.
"Sorry," she said, clamping her lips together tightly.
"Yeah, you look real sorry," Harry grumbled, but his eyes twinkled. "Why do you have to sneak up on me like that?"
"Why are you always so jumpy?" Kathryn countered. "You'd think you lived in some crime-infested spaceport instead of a beautiful rural village." Harry raised one eyebrow at her.
"Feeling expansive today, are we?" He asked sardonically.
"It's a nice day," she said defensively. "One of the last we'll have for awhile. The Irkalu is in 3 days, you know."
He murmured something like an assent, and kissed the top of her head, then turned back to his work, pumping a foot pedal to get the whetting stone back up to speed.
The screech of metal against stone drowned out the next thing she said, and she tapped him on the shoulder. He dropped the blade again.
"Dammit, Kathryn!" he exclaimed, picking up the recalcitrant piece of hardware.
She blinked, and he realized that he'd hurt her feelings. She turned wordlessly to walk out of the forge, and he called after her,
"Kathryn, wait! I- I'm – I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. What did you need?" She stopped walking at his words, but did not immediately turn around. She seemed to be debating with herself, but then did turn around.
"I wanted to tell you something – ask you some – well, two things actually, and –" she sounded a little breathless, and Harry eyed her curiously.
"Kathryn, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing's wrong. What – why? Do you think something's wrong?"
"No, I don't think anything's wrong," Harry said with some frustration. "Why would I think something is wrong?"
"Kathryn! Harry!" a voice said, and they both looked up to see Prastin heading toward them at a dead run. They glanced at each other in alarm.
"Prastin, what is it?" Kathryn asked, after she and Harry met him out in the yard of the forge. Prastin leaned forward, placing the palms of both hands on his thighs, and tried to catch his breath.
"The beacon," he panted. "The beacon has activated."
"It's early."
"What's going on?"
"What are they doing?" Kathryn and Harry's words tripped over each other.
"The alarm went off when the beacon activated. So – so, I went out to the meadow to see, and they – the scientists … from Gentarra Prime had sent a signal to try and send something over."
"What?" Kathryn was stupefied, and a tiny tiny hope caused her heart to begin pounding in her chest.
"It's not your turn to send supplies." Harry stated the obvious, with caution tempering his tone.
"I know, I know. It seems that the scientists have been working on two-way transfer for some time now. Maybe some rumors of you reached them, who knows?"
"Could you ask?" Kathryn said, with excitement creeping into her voice.
"The communications system is very rudimentary. We use it as little as possible. But anyway, they asked me to test it, and I sent over a basket of fruit, and…" he paused dramatically. "It worked. I got a transmission back that they had received it. And then they returned it."
Harry and Kathryn exchanged dumbfounded glances.
"What does this mean for us?"
"The scientist who heads up the project came across and stayed for one cycle, while the beacon was still in development. His name is Lurtak, and he is a good man. I do not know the politics of Gentarra Prime, but I cannot think that it would be safer for you to go back undetected."
"Why would anyone wish us harm?" Harry asked.
"This is top-secret technology. Do you think that they would let you live with this knowledge, much less let you leave Gentarra Prime?" Prastin asked. He let the truth of his statement sink in for a moment. "If you go now, while they're still testing it, before the government agents begin overseeing the supply transfers, I think Lurtak will aid you in your quest."
"You think or you know?" Harry queried somewhat testily. Kathryn shot him a look.
"I cannot say with any certainty, but I believe that this is your best chance."
Harry and Kathryn stood motionless for a moment. Without conscious thought, Kathryn's hand stole out to twine with Harry's. They began to talk at the same time.
"We've got to pack."
"I've got to say good-bye to Prascor and Hyral."
"What about Kariva and Rasila?"
"Listen to me!" Prastin said forcefully, interrupting. "I said 'if you go now', and I meant it. You have 5 minutes to get anything from your house. And then you've got to go." All three exchanged long glances, and the humans began to hurry back to their home.
"I'll meet you at the beacon. Hurry!" Prastin called after them.
Back at their house, Kathryn and Harry began to hurriedly fill two knapsacks with keepsakes and mementos.
"What about clothes?" Harry asked. "They don't dress like this on Gentarra Prime. We can't wear our uniforms… they'll give us away." Kathryn thought a moment.
"Take the uniforms, but leave the jackets. That will be nondescript enough. Surely Lurtak will let us change."
"If he's the kind of man Prastin says he is," Harry muttered darkly.
"I would trust Prastin with my life." Kathryn said with confidence.
"Anything else?" Harry asked, shouldering one knapsack. He saw Kathryn's left hand flex, as she made sure she had her ring. She picked up the other pack.
"I think that's all," Kathryn said slowly, her mind sifting through the jewelry that Harry had set for her from native stones, the ribbon that had tied their hands at their ranak scarcely two months before, a blanket that she had made herself, a few tools that Harry had handcrafted at Hyral's forge. "It's not very much, is it?"
"The most important thing will be walking beside me," Harry said tenderly.
They left the house, slowly and in silence, but hurried once they reached the path to the beacon. Prastin was waiting for them, along with Kariva and Rasila. They each held a package.
Prastin handed Kariva's package to them. "These are some raw herbs used in making medicines. And this," Harry grunted as Prastin handed him a much heavier package, "is a few plates of ore. Both of these will fetch a good price on the market. You can use them to buy supplies for your ship."
"We don't have a –-" Kathryn began, but Prastin stopped her by holding up a soft leather bag, pulled closed with a drawstring.
"This is a farip," he said. "Like on your necklace. It's one of the most precious stones on Gentarra Prime. One this size will probably buy you a ship. Guard it well."
"Prastin, we can't --" Harry tried to demur. Kathryn's hand crept up to the pendant around her neck, and she dropped the chain inside her blouse so it would be unseen.
"You don't have time to argue with me. It would take you star-cycles to work and save up enough money for a ship, and you would risk being discovered. You've got to go now."He pressed thebag into Kathryn's hand, and stepped up to the beacon,beginning to tapin a sequence.
Kathryn caught Kariva and Rasila in a tight embrace.
"I'm going to miss you both so much," she choked out.
"And I you, Kathryn," Kariva said warmly. "Take these. We had hoped to make them a gift to you at the Irkalu." She handed Kathryn Rasila's package.
"What are they?"
"They are the goblets you shared at your ranak. We saved them for you so you could use them in memory of that day."
Kathryn's eyes filled with tears, and she felt Harry's hand squeeze hers.
"Thank you so much. For everything."
The beacon began to hum.
Prastin walked behind them, and gave them instructions.
"It's as easy as when you came across before. Just walk past the beacon when the light begins to flash, and you'll come through the door on Gentarra Prime."
"Prastin," Kathryn said only this, but Prastin understood, and gave them a long measured glance.
"You will both be missed." Prastin said. "Good journey." The light begin to flash. "Go!"
Hands tightly intertwined, Harry and Kathryn walked in step toward the beacon.
"Good jou'ney, Kafryn. Bye, Harry!" came Rasila's childish treble. Kathryn turned for one last look.
And they were gone.
TBCNext chapter: The Renaissance (I promise)
Thanks for being so patient. Sorry the update was so long in coming.