Kathryn hesitantly approached the door to the lounge where the reception would be held. Even though the programme had announced it as an informal get-together where conference attendees would have the chance of conversing with the lecturers in a more relaxed setting, she noted that most officers had chosen to don their dress uniforms. She was also wearing hers, and again felt very self-conscious as her teal jacket stood out like a beacon in a sea of Starfleet crimson.
She ordered a glass of red wine from the bar and then slowly circled the room, stopping every now and then at various groups of people and listening to stories from both Alpha and Beta Quadrants.
From surreptitiously checking out people's rank insignias, she found that she was by far the most junior of all officers present, but she was also determined not to appear intimidated by that fact. So when she saw Admiral Zapheri, who had been her father's aide for several years before his death, she made her way across the room.
Kathryn had no sooner joined the group surrounding the admiral when he looked up and noticed her. A broad smile spread across his bearded features. "Lieutenant Janeway! What a pleasure to see you here. Did you listen to me talking about your father earlier?"
Kathryn stood up straighter. "I did, Sir," she confirmed.
"What did you think of the story?"
Suddenly all eyes were on her, and Kathryn fought not to squirm. The truth was that she remembered the story about the Caitian-Orion trade negotiations a little differently from what her father had related, but how did you tell that to an admiral at a function packed with interstellar dignitaries without offending anyone?
"I'm sure he would be quite amused to know that this episode has turned into textbook material now," she replied carefully. "He used to say that in dealing with Orions, it was always more important to show your guns than to follow protocol. However, in this case the difficulty lay not with the Orions but with a Federation individual."
The admiral studied her closely for a moment, apparently waiting to see if she would dare to say more. When Kathryn stayed silent, he nodded approvingly. "Spoken like a true diplomat. Your father would be proud. We'll make a captain of you yet, young lady."
Kathryn bristled inwardly at his familiar tone, but tried not to let it show and politely inclined her head. "He'd be pleased to hear that you think so, Sir. Would you please excuse me?"
When he nodded she turned away quickly ‒ and almost collided with Chakotay. Reflexively, he grasped her upper arms to steady her.
"Whoa, easy there. Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
"Outside," she replied curtly and, without checking to see if he was following, grabbed a fresh glass of wine from a passing waiter and strode toward the large double doors leading to a balcony. She knew there was a staircase to a park area below, and right now all she wanted was to get as far away from the reception as possible.
Chakotay caught up with her at the bottom of the stairs, carrying a glass in one hand and a bottle in the other.
"You don't have to come after me," she informed him coolly after draining half her wine in one big gulp. "I'm quite capable of watching out for myself."
"I don't doubt that for a second," he assured her. "But I thought you might need this." He held up the bottle. "It's only half-filled, but I can go back for more." When she didn't respond, he added in a softer voice, "And I'd like to know what had you so upset that it made you quit the reception at a run."
"I didn't run," Kathryn protested, but when Chakotay smiled knowingly, she felt the corners of her mouth turn upward as well.
She downed the rest of her wine in one swig and held the glass out for him to refill. He poured silently, watching her but not pressing for an answer to his question. When she started walking again, he followed close behind.
The conference hotel was situated at the edge of a large public park. Neat rows of trees bordered wide open lawns, and benches were set at regular intervals along the winding path. Earlier in the day it had been raining, and puddles lined Kathryn's way. She marched along heedlessly, not caring about the splashes of mud that clung to her pants.
Even though his legs were longer than hers, Chakotay had trouble keeping up with Kathryn's quick strides, so he balanced the bottle and his glass in one hand and hurried after her. In time, her gait slowed, and he was finally able to pour some wine for himself and sip it carefully as he walked beside her.
Kathryn wasn't sure whether to be irritated or grateful for his presence. When she held out her glass for another refill, he complied silently and then tossed the now-empty bottle into a nearby trashcan. They followed the path up a small incline from where they had a panoramic view of a small seaside town and the dark green ocean beyond it. A wide beach stretched along the coast, and they could see waves crashing on the shore, advancing and retreating in a never-ending rhythm. A few seagulls, smaller than their Terran counterparts, were circling above the surf, diving down every now and then to catch small fish and other marine life that had been washed ashore.
It was evening, but darkness hadn't fallen yet. Kelvaris' twin suns ensured long days and short nights, with prolonged dawn and dusk transitions. The first sun was just setting behind them, casting faint but long shadows in front of them.
Kathryn looked out over the ocean and tried to recall when she'd last been to Earth. It had been at least two, maybe even three years. The Al-Batani had been very far out for a long time, so all her shore leaves had been spent on alien worlds. She hadn't minded at the time, but now she felt a keen longing for her native planet.
"Do you miss living planetside?"
She turned at Chakotay's question, marveling at how he once again managed to read her mind. "Usually, no. But I guess today is just one of those days where the usual doesn't apply." When he nodded silently, she felt compelled to ask, "Do you?"
He held her gaze, and she saw the sky reflected in his eyes. "For a long time, the answer would have been no. Living on Earth was a dream come true, but I couldn't wait to board a starship once I graduated from the Academy. Lately though, I've become somewhat restless. My mother used to say that the connection to the land was hard-wired into our genes. Maybe, as I get older, my psyche is starting to rebel against the life I've chosen."
He smiled as he said the last words, but Kathryn sensed that it wasn't just a joke. "Maybe you should visit them," she suggested softly.
Chakotay looked out over the sea and then emptied the rest of his wine. "Maybe."
Kathryn groped for a change of subject, something to dispel the suddenly somber mood. "I really wasn't running, you know," she finally said, referring back to their earlier exchange.
Chakotay turned to face her, flashing a grateful smile. "You could have fooled me."
"I just wanted to avoid being expelled from the conference for attacking a superior officer."
At Kathryn's frank admission, Chakotay stared open-mouthed. "You can't be serious," he forced out.
"Remember the story Admiral Zapheri was telling this morning, about my father's involvement in the Orion-Caitian trade negotiations?" Kathryn barely waited for Chakotay's acknowledging nod before continuing. "Well, he conveniently left out a few details. One, my father had been sent on this mission by his superior, an Admiral by the name of Trach'ytal. Two, Trach'ytal was later found to have bribed the Caitian ambassador to stir up trouble and undermine the negotiations. In other words, my father had been set up to fail. And apparently that was only the tip of the iceberg, because the admiral had been involved in similar negotiations all over the quadrant which all happened to blow up in some way. Three, when Trach'ytal's machinations were discovered, the admiralty decided to hush it all up." She snorted angrily. "I never found out all the details, but rumor had it that Trach'ytal was working for the Romulans, trying to destabilize relations with unaffiliated worlds along the Federation borders."
Chakotay remained silent. Kathryn dropped her voice. "And four, Zapheri was Trach'ytal's aide. When my father was promoted to admiral, Trach'ytal had just resigned, ostensibly for personal reasons. My father 'inherited' Zapheri, who claimed not to have known about his boss' secret agenda, and there was no proof to the contrary."
"Why didn't your father find a new aide?" Chakotay wondered.
Kathryn sighed. "I don't know. It's one of the many things he wouldn't talk about."
Chakotay stepped closer. "You shouldn't let him rankle you. You'll probably never know exactly what happened back then, and ‒"
"Help!" a voice shouted somewhere to their right.
Kathryn and Chakotay whirled around, dark thoughts instantly forgotten. Their glasses fell to the ground, one of them shattering on impact, but they hardly noticed. There was another cry for help, followed by a loud wail.
"Over there!" Chakotay pointed to a clump of trees at the flank of the small hill, and both Starfleet officers took off at a run.