AN: Sorry it's taken me so long to update… I was uninspired. Anyway, here's the next chapter for your reading pleasure.
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The next morning the command pair met outside their quarters and made the short trip to the bridge.
On stepping onto the bridge Chakotay grinned. "Captain on deck!" he gave loudly, causing the crew and captain to jump.
Kathryn just rolled her eyes at the commander before casting her gaze onto the senior bridge crew. "Report," she ordered, diving head first into her work.
The crew proceeded to report, noting that everything was functioning within normal parameters. Tom also made note that they'd be within transporter range of the next planet in three hours and eighteen minutes.
"Notify me when we're within thirty minutes of the planet," Kathryn stated. "Commander, you have the bridge," with that she strode swiftly to her ready room.
Chakotay watched the captain leave before sitting in his chair, to the left of Janeway's. He sat quietly, reviewing system reports, hoping the next few hours would fly by.
Inevitably, that time didn't go as fast as anyone had hoped. They did, however, reach the planet, in one piece, no less.
"Chakotay to Captain Janeway," the commander said, tapping his commbadge.
"Janeway here, Commander," the captain's strong voice echoed over Chakotay's badge.
"I'll see you in the transporter room in twenty-five minutes."
"Captain, I fee that I must make note that it is entirely unnecessary for you to join us," Chakotay stated.
"Noted, Commander, just like every other time. Now would you just give it up and accept the fact that I'll be joining you?" she enquired.
Tom and Harry snickered in the background, receiving a glower from the commander.
"Sorry Captain," Chakotay continued after his glowering of the two younger officers, "you know I can't accept that…"
"If you ever did, Chakotay, I'd be worried and order you to see the doctor."
"Aye, Ma'am. Chakotay out."
Tom Paris turned in his chair to look at the commander. "You know you're a dead man, right Commander?" he questioned, trying not to laugh.
"I highly doubt, Lieutenant Paris, that the Captain will cause any harm to the Commander," Tuvok noted in his infuriatingly logical voice.
"I suspect that Tuvok is correct," Chakotay stated. "I, however, have no wish to test that theory too much," was noted. "And speaking of dead men, isn't it your anniversary, Tom?"
"Yes, Sir, I've got some time booked on the holodeck. I'm going to make her dinner, and make sure she relaxes," Paris noted as he turned back to his console, grinning.
"Good, she works too hard some days," Chakotay gave, chuckling.
"Some days, Commander? Everyday is more appropriate," Tom stated, causing the bridge crew to laugh.
"Tom, Harry, we should probably get to the transporter room, before we're all dead men at the hands of our dear Captain, hmm?" Chakotay enquired, causing another round of laughter before the two aforementioned officers nodded and left their stations for their replacements.
"Tuvok, you have the bridge, unless you can stop the captain long enough…" the commander trailed off, shrugging as he entered the turbolift with Tom and Harry.
Unfortunately, Tuvok didn't have the opportunity to stop the captain, as she had beaten the rest of the away team to the transporter room. Where she stood, awaiting the arrival of her first officer, chief operations officer and her pilot.
"Captain," Chakotay started, ready, again, for yet another argument with the woman.
"Don't even start, Chakotay, you know you won't win it, no matter how hard you try," Kathryn's hands found her hips in what Chakotay called her 'command pose'.
"Aye, Ma'am, so long as you don't get yourself hurt, or something like that…"
"Chakotay…" her voice took on a warning tone. After glaring at her first officer, and before stepping up onto the transporter pad, the rest of the team took the same positions as last time.
"Energize," Kathryn ordered, almost instantly finding herself in the middle of a lush, green clearing.
From behind Kathryn, Tom let out a low whistle. "Captain, presuming we don't find anything which could be hazardous, may I suggest we consider this planet? Seriously consider this planet?"
"Noted, Tom. Let's take a look before we get our hopes too high, hmm?" Kathryn queried, though it was more an order than anything, as she looked around the large clearing.
"Neelix, keep an eye out for anything that could be used for food. Make note of it," she ordered. "Harry, look for any dangerous life forms. Tom, as the medic on this trip, you get to keep an eye out for anything that could prove a danger to us. The commander and I will make note of the remaining surroundings," she finished, to a chorus of 'Aye, Captain's' from the group.
"Let's start in this clearing and move out, together, from there," Chakotay stated, getting an affirming nod from Kathryn.
The away team did just that, starting in the clearing and moving from there. After several hours of walking along the planet's surface, and making note of most everything they ran into, Kathryn halted the team.
"I believe we have enough information to make an informed decision. Let's get back to the ship," she ordered, receiving a round of nods from the crew as they stepped into formation behind her, awaiting the beam out.