Chapter 11 – All Rise
"Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise
Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised
Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it
I'm headed straight for the castle
They wanna make me their queen
And there's an old man sitting on the throne
That's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
I'm headed straight for the castle
They've got the kingdom locked up
And there's an old man sitting on the throne
That's saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
Straight for the castle
Oh, all these minutes passing, sick of feeling used
If you wanna break these walls down, you're gonna get bruised
Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it
I'm headed straight for the castle."
-Ashley Frangipane and Peder Losnegard
=/\=
Her breath is heavy. Her body is sticky and heated. Their transport has yet to engage their engines, has yet to depart from their dock at Starbase 234, and she lay raw and spent on her fiancé in the tight confines of their small bunk.
"Kath, that was...," he trails. His breath matches her own. Sweat pulses from his brow. "Something tells me you missed me." His fingernails move down her back, hand in her hair.
"Desperately." She kisses his chest. Her hands tremble down his body. "This might be the last quiet moment we get together."
"Why do you say that?" His voice full of worry. His hands grow quiet on her skin.
"I had a talk with Patterson recently. I haven't told you. It sounds like Starfleet is about to give me my own ship. Promote me to Captain."
"You're kidding!" He pulls her in tightly. A kiss to the top of her head. "That's wonderful, Kath!"
She rolls from his body, rests her hands behind her head. "My own ship. Hard to believe."
"You'll be out there in no time. Soon they'll be saying your name alongside Pike and Kirk and Picard."
She chuckles. "Oh, I doubt it. You should see this ship. She is a tiny thing. Hopefully there are some upgrades before I take the helm."
He turns on his side. "I'm so proud of you. What will they want you to do?"
"I'm not sure." Her eyes close. She inhales. "The Romulans are a hopeless cause and they would reserve the Galaxy-class ships for that. The Cardassians seem to be settled."
"Aren't they at war with the Marquis?"
"Maquis." She laughs. "And that should be cleaned up soon. Starfleet headquarters doesn't seem too worried about them."
"No? That's not what I read recently."
"Oh? You know more than Starfleet Command?"
"I'm just saying that you shouldn't undermine a few villagers simply because they are armed with torches."
"With what?"
"You shouldn't underestimate these Maquis. With their back against the wall, ready to defend what they have worked for, who knows how far this will go."
She scoffs. "They are outlaws, Mark. A bunch of ungrateful colonists that should return home."
"But don't you think they deserve that land? Haven't some of them been there for several decades working it with their own hands?"
"They were given it by the Federation. It's Federation land. They should return home and they will be safe there."
"Kath, that is their home."
"They are nothing but a bunch of terrorists who took the law into their own hands because they are disgruntled over a fair treaty. Many of them abandoned their duty and honor. They spit on the uniform I wear proudly. A uniform that I have worked my ass off for."
He lets a finger trail between her breasts reaching her flat stomach. "Well you're very much out of it now."
"And?"
"And put yourself in their shoes for a change."
"I have. They should stop this pettiness and accept their fate. It's over. Move on."
"You wouldn't understand. You grew up with Federation protection."
"I beg your pardon."
"You haven't known what it is like to face that kind of adversity. The Federation will always protect your home world."
She shook her head. "I didn't want to fight. This might be my last time in a long time for any sort of vacation."
"Then let's not argue." He leans forward, takes her nipple into his mouth, pressing himself against her leg. His tongue trails the curve of her breast. "How long until we get to this Terra Setter Prime?"
She laughs. "Taris Setti IV." She lifts herself and rolls, straddling him, careful not to hit her head on the empty bunk above her. "Oh, at least two more rounds."
=/\=
The last of the night's stars were still bright when Janeway's feet touched the floor. She raised her hand to open the window above her bed, letting the fresh air roll in in waves, and she listened.
The street was silent below. The birds had yet to begin their day's chorus of song, and the first of the day's shuttles had yet to begin to engage their engines. No one walked on the pathway outside her unit; students still nestled in their beds, drained from a long night of studying and socializing.
She heaved her tired body from her bed and moved with heavy feet to her bathroom.
"Lights," she commanded and the bathroom illuminated, her eyes instantly closing from the brightness.
She braced her hands against the sink in front of her, and blinked repeatedly, looking up at her reflection. She ran her fingers under puffy eyes, hands down her exhausted features.
This was going to be a long day.
Her shower lasted longer than she had originally intended. She allowed the cloud from the steam of the water to engulf her. She begged for a daydream, but none came. There was no relief.
Droplets of water still clung to her skin when she wrapped herself in her robe, pushed her feet into slippers, and treaded across the floor to begin her day.
She boiled water, placed fresh grounds in the French Press gifted to her by Chakotay, and looked out the window in front of the sink.
A few young cadets had risen. Arms wrapped around each other's shoulder, they walked laughing, playfully pushing one another. They were no doubt eager for the approaching summer break, which signaled the end of classes, and Commencement that was to take place in a few day's time.
Completely wrapped in each other's arms, a young couple walked awkwardly following the group in front of them, maintaining a short distance. He bent to kiss her head, and sorrow spread across her face; the summer break clearly more difficult on some than others.
Janeway turned to the reservoir as it finished heating, and dispensed scalding water into the press. She stood back and watched as the granules swirled, as the liquid changed to a dark brown. She smiled, impressed with her small initiative.
"You see?" she called to the replicator on the wall that sat anxiously waiting, blinking slowly. "It isn't all about you."
She lowered the plunger, dispensed the coffee into a white mug, and curled up on the small couch adjacent the dining area. A small table was to her right and she placed her mug down after another sip, picking up a PADD she had left there the previous night.
She scrolled through the pages of her report, refreshing her mind on what she had presented to Starfleet. Of the Caretaker's Array, the Kazon. Of new entities, new races. The Ocampans and Kes. The Talaxians and Neelix. Of the Borg. Of the Equinox and Captain Ransom. Of the Maquis. Her crew.
She turned it over in her hands and discarded it beside her, instead reaching for the PADDs Chakotay had left her. Of houses and plots of land. Of their future together.
She scrolled through the first one; a modest three bedroom, two bath, fenced yard with deck, just outside the city. As she moved through the pictures, watched the virtual tour, she smiled envisioning early mornings with rushed kisses over coffee as they embarked on their own for the day. To lazy weekend afternoons curled on the couch together, reading, wrapped in each other's arms. To late nights talking in bed. To kisses and hot showers.
To evenings outside, looking up at the stars, reminiscing about times they shared exploring, paving a way through the galaxy.
It had been a week since she had felt his hands on her skin. A week since his kiss graced her lips, felt the comfort of his embrace.
But that was to change in a few hours. Soon she could see his face again. Feel the relief of his eyes on her. Feel his smile diminishing the long nights of the last few days.
At 0900 he would be debriefed by Starfleet accounting for his actions with the Maquis, his time aboard Voyager, his interactions with his Captain. He was to prove himself, and justify the Federation's decision to exonerate him.
And she was going to be there. To fulfill her promise. To return him safely to her arms again.
=/\=
Toothbrush in hand, Janeway hurried across her bedroom to reach her computer and opened it. The buzzing ceased as she pressed a key on the keyboard. The Federation insignia flashed and the face of Admiral Paris unfolded on her screen.
She swallowed, and wiped the towel at her shoulder across her lips. "Admiral," she greeted him enthusiastically.
"You know, Kathryn, you're soon going to have to drop these formalities with me. Call me 'Owen'."
"That will take some getting used to." She smiled nervously. "Will I be seeing you today?"
"I will see you at Chakotay's debriefing, as discussed. I'll be beaming down soon."
"Then why do I deserve this honor?" she smiled.
"It's your former ship, Captain. We can't seem to get the warp drive online." His hands ran through his hair, and frustrated fingers pulled at follicles. "I'd ask B'Elanna but Tom was quite adamant the last we talked not to disturb her. Miral seems to be having trouble sleeping. I've been sifting through Voyager's engineering databanks, but-"
"That's quite all right, Admiral. I can send the workaround to your engineers. Tell them to send me the summary of their issue."
"Thank you, Kathryn." Relief graced his features. "We appreciate it. But tell me, has this ship always been this finicky?" He leaned back in his chair, and Janeway could see he was sitting in her former Ready Room. A light pain hit her chest.
Janeway thought. "No. Voyager has always been a most loyal vessel. Much like her crew."
He smiled. "It's funny. It's been problem after problem with this ship since the moment you left it." He paused, pushing his chin toward her. "It seems as if ..."
"As if what?" she asked.
"As if she misses you."
=/\=
With the final pip perfectly in place, Janeway moved back to see her reflection in the full length mirror in her bedroom.
She pressed her hands over the front of her new uniform of grey shoulders and black jacket, an undershirt of deep red. She appreciated the upgraded uniform, liked the way it fit across her shoulders, enjoyed how it lined her body, and the way it sat at her hips. She fidgeted with a loose piece of hair, pushed it back into place behind her ear.
"Well Captain," she said to her reflection as she raised an eyebrow. "You sure do clean up nice."
She padded the inside pocket of her coat with her hand, and her eyes widened. She moved quickly to her bag, searching, feeling within the dark bottom of the bag. Her hand moved to one corner where she felt a familiar weight and she lifted it out by its long silver chain – the impeccable replica of Captain Cray's pocket watch. She unzipped her jacket and placed it safely within the small pocket she had created for it.
She grabbed her PADD from the couch, and moved toward the door, opening it.
She had almost taken a step before she realized a gift had been placed at her doorstep. She looked down at the small brown box and picked it up, returning inside. She placed the box on the kitchen island and opened the cover.
Inside, wrapped carefully in a purple silk scarf, lie her copy of Dante's The Divine Comedy. She picked the book up and smiled, seeing that below the book lay the compass she had recently gifted Chakotay.
She flipped through the pages of the book quickly seeing that a marker had been placed within Dante's Purgatory, Canto XVI.
A quote had been singled out, a note strategically underlining it. She picked up the small piece of pager and read: I thought you might need this more than me. - C xo
Janeway looked down at the page. "If the present world go astray, the cause is in you, in you it is to be sought," she read aloud.
She picked up the compass, placing it in her palm and watched the needle spin. Drawn by the Earth's magnetic field, the directional device worked perfectly now. The needle carefully came to a stop, pointed her in the direction of the walkway in front of her, and she accepted.
She took a deep breath and slowly placed it in her pant pocket.
It was time.
=/\=
Janeway entered the large windowless room at Starfleet Command ahead of schedule and was directed to her seat along the side wall.
To her right, an array of Starfleet Command personnel sat in a perfect line on a small platform at the front of the room, including Fleet Admiral Damien Rodriguez. To his left sat Admiral Bullock, and to his right, Admiral Hayes. The insignia of the Federation of Planets hung high behind them on the wall. The flag of Starfleet Command sat at attention to the table's right. She took a deep breath and sat.
The cold black eyes of Rodriguez met her. His lips tight, he smiled at her.
The large metal doors of the room opened a few moments later and Chakotay entered. He wore a plain navy blue suit and white collared shirt.
Gone were his Starfleet reds in this official setting, and she had to blink twice to recognize him, realizing how much she had grown accustomed to his Starfleet attire. He looked to the side of the room as he sat, making eye contact with her, and she straightened her jacket. He nodded approvingly at her attire, and his eyes held hers for a moment. He offered a tight smile.
At exactly 0900 Rodriguez cleared his throat and leaned forward. "Welcome. I must say I am a bit shocked to see you out of uniform, Sir."
"I'm afraid it doesn't quite fit anymore... Sir," Chakotay returned.
Rodriguez smiled. "I see. Well I trust you understand why you are here today, Mr. Chakotay."
"I do."
"To offer us some guidance on your involvement with the Maquis, and why Captain Janeway here would put her career on the line for a wanted criminal."
"It's true, I've been labelled as such by the Federation."
"Might I remind you that you are standing on Federation soil, Sir."
Chakotay was silent. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands neatly on his lap.
"Please, indulge us," Rodriguez prompted.
"I was born and raised on the colonist planet, Trebus, living off the fruits and the labors gifted to me by my ancestors. They worked the soil themselves, took the hazards of the harsh climate with little complaint and did what they could to overcome it. I remember there were long winters, and hot summers, but my people made the planet their own.
"Growing up I did not understand the sacrifice my people had endured. I wanted technology and advancement. I wanted ease. I did not understand why they would endure those hardships when we came from Earth. I wanted to break free.
"I found Starfleet at the age of 15, and left my home world to uphold the ideals of an unknown Federation that had next to no involvement with my ancestors on Trebus even though the planet fell within the boundaries of Federation space.
"In 2368, at the request of my father I returned to my home planet for the first time since I was a young boy. He spoke of an uprising and it was the first time I saw the trauma of my people first hand. The Cardassians were beginning to make a presence in our territory. I was taken in by the beauty of Trebus, the beauty of my people, and there was only one way I was to cure my broken heart. I respectfully resigned from my position with Starfleet and returned to Trebus to be with my own people.
"In the spring of 2370, shortly after the Federation-Cardassian treaty had come to pass, the Cardassians began to invade the borders of our territory. Farmers and spiritual men were now combatted with guns and pulled into the streets to be beaten to death. They claimed the land as their own and would destroy everyone in their way.
"A friend of my father's had a daughter who was my age, named Ahyoka. While growing up, I had once or twice envisioned taking her to Earth with me, when I was a young naive boy. She had grown into a beautiful woman and upon my departure at 15, had eventually settled with another young tribesman named Sakima. They had two beautiful daughters together. They raised a happy home and were an important part of the community. Since I returned home, I had become great friends with them, learned to embrace their daughters as my own, which was a custom among my people. We looked out for one another."
Chakotay took a deep breath and he looked down at his hands. Janeway could see them shake slightly. As he released a held breath, his hands steadied and he looked up at the panel.
"One night, a Cardassian ship had landed directly in the village square and Sakima was apprehended and tied up in its center. Ahyoka and their daughters were then pulled from their beds."
He exhaled heavily.
It was clear Chakotay was having difficulty continuing. He looked down at his hands again. Tears threatening to fall from his eyes, as the room fell to an eerie respectful silence. Janeway's heart ached. She wanted to get up from her chair and run to him, take him in her arms, and hold him. Tell him it was going to be okay.
In the many years she had known him, he had never told her of his friends Ahyoka and Sakima, and their two beautiful daughters. She wanted to know them now, wanted to hear all their stories, and let them live on through his shared memories.
Chakotay inhaled deeply.
"It was shortly after that when I met Mr. Tuvok. He spoke of a family whom he had lost to the Cardassians. He spoke of his agreement with the uprising of the Maquis with admiration. He told me it was all too logical. It's true, I hadn't known very much about Vulcans at the time, but one thing I had learned at the Academy was that they did not lie. So I trusted him.
"Months later, on a mission to pick up supplies, our ship came into contact with the Cardassian warship Vetar commanded by Gul Evek. I escaped to the Badlands and maneuvered through the Plasma fields to shake him from our tail. He took heavy damage and we were able to escape.
"We had passed through some sort of coherent Tetrion beam when we discovered a massive displacement wave moving toward us. There was a bright light and then..."
Chakotay unfolded his hands and placed them on the table in front of him. "Well, I'm sure you have read the rest in Captain Janeway's logs."
"Thank you for that stunning account, Mr. Chakotay." Rodriguez cleared his throat. "So we can assume you joined the Maquis as an act of vengeance, for your own personal hollow cause? You didn't want the peace the Federation was seeking. You wanted revenge."
"Weren't you listening? There was nothing hollow about my cause," Chakotay raised his voice. "The Cardassians live to make war. They live for personal gain. I watched them pull women and children from their beds and butcher them in the streets. There were attacks like on Setlick III and men like Ben Maxwell and Calvin Hudson to follow. Men to look up to. Men who had witnessed more hatred than any of you will ever know."
"Both traitors to the Federation," Rodriguez said sternly. He pointed at Janeway. "I pray you dare not add Captain Janeway to this list of your so-called heroes?"
Chakotay followed Rodriguez' finger, and found her. His eyes fell to her uniform. "Captain Janeway was different. From the moment she took my crew aboard, I knew there was something special about her. She was easy to follow, easy to place trust in. She never once treated the Maquis crew like criminals. She looked within them and found them roles. Made me her First Officer because she knew the crews had to work together if we were going to make it home. She entrusted B'Elanna with Engineering because she was the best one for the job. She listened. She analyzed. She changed my shaded perception of Starfleet.
"But I felt I had to earn her respect. And with her I found my inner peace again. The Maquis aboard Voyager were treated as equals. She treated us like her family."
"Did you ever think that maybe she was doing that out of desperation?"
Chakotay shook his head. "Never."
"Like a good Starfleet Captain, Kathryn Janeway was following her orders. Waiting for the right time to bring you into custody."
Chakotay caught sight of her again, his eyes lifting from her uniform. She prayed her face offered him support.
"I can't speak to Captain Janeway's initial motive, but I know her to be a just woman. She would eventually see that you abandoned the colonies.
"Even when the Cardassians found their way around the systematic searches by Starfleet, where Cardassians began supplying their army with biogenic weapons to defeat us, you turned a blind eye. When we called for help, you turned your back on us. Didn't want to get your precious perfect Federation hands dirty at the cost of your senseless treaty."
Janeway could see Chakotay's jaw clench and he stood slowly. "You did what was easy, and now you sit up there, consider yourselves big damn heroes. Point your fingers. All I see are a bunch of liars."
Rodriguez straightened. "You're out of line, Sir."
"No, you're out of line!" Chakotay shouted. "Starfleet is supposed to stand for just ideals," he continued. "But it's only when it benefits the needs of a few. The few at the top. Isn't that right? 'To boldly go where no one has gone before' has been beaten into us at the Academy. And we are sent out blind. The Maquis gave the colonists someone to protect them. When no one else would."
"Little good it did them," Rodriguez muttered.
Chakotay ignored him. "You thought you could solve a Cardassian problem with a piece of paper and a few Starfleet outposts. But they fooled you, didn't they? And you handed over our land to them regardless. Land we worked with our own hands. And you left the colonies, and my people, to fend for themselves. And now, you stand by and believe you made a difference, bury the massacre behind the lies you tell yourself, a lie that you were just performing your duty. And then have the audacity to call us, those who were willing to fight for our own lives, 'rebels'? We were the ones willing to stop a second invasion."
"The Federation wanted peace in the Demilitarized Zone," Rodriguez added. "We warned you that those planets fell too closely to the Cardassian border. We warned you that conflict could arise. But you ignored us and when the truth came to pass, you decided to take the law into your own hands. You abandoned your Starfleet principles, Mr. Chakotay."
"Only because you were too cowardice to follow through. My people watched as history repeated itself. While the Federation again became bystanders, just as they did for decades as the Cardassians took Bajoran homes. You watched as attacks took place within the designated borders of the Cardassian empire, and you hid behind your Federation Policy, your pledge not to interfere in the internal affairs of others. You left us no choice. You broke your promise."
Rodriguez offered a short laugh. "Much like the promise you broke to Starfleet."
"I left on my own principles. I resigned to uphold what little good there was left in that part of the quadrant. To save a people from a dictatorship. From the impending doom that was a Cardassian rule. A Cardassian cull. I was willing to fight for what I believed in." He took a deep breath, and placed his hands on the table in front of him. "Even if the powers that be, the powers that had governed the colonies, refused to."
Rodriquez raised his brow from behind the small lamp in front of him. "This is surprising, Mr. Chakotay. Your own Captain, spoke so highly of you. How you upheld Starfleet ideals while wearing the uniform again. How she couldn't have made it home without you. She commended you for your loyalty to that uniform. She promised us a changed man. You have clearly deceived this panel. I suppose you have deceived her as well with your Maquis veil."
Chakotay lowered his head, and removed his hands from the table in front of him. Sweaty palms left behind their ghosted marks. "I have no Maquis veil." He sighed. "Captain Janeway spoke from the heart. I have been nothing but loyal and obedient to her every command. Any ideals she witnessed were because she deserved them. But I tell you, they were not for Starfleet, they were for her because she requested them so readily. And it was easy to follow her. She represents everything I once saw that was good in Starfleet. Before the deep seeded underbelly was exposed to me." He tilted his head toward her. "Captain Kathryn Janeway is the best there is in Starfleet. I hope she can write a new history for you."
He smiled to himself. Straightening his face, he lifted his eyes slowly to the panel. "She will teach you something about yourselves. Much like she did with me."
=/\=
When Chakotay had finished, he took a seat, and Janeway watched as he leaned back in his chair with unease.
Rodriguez turned on a PADD in front of him and scrolled. "Well," he cleared his throat. "It appears things got a little out of hand." He raised his eyebrows and turned his sights toward her. "Perhaps you can bring a bit of order to this procession, Captain."
"Perhaps," she whispered. She inhaled deeply and rose from her chair.
All eyes in the room fell upon her, and they watched as she slowly edged up to Chakotay. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, squeezing ever so slightly.
"Admirals," she addressed them. "I can attest to Chakotay's account of our time on Voyager. And I admit, regrettably, that I had become a victim of Starfleet's dark seediness. I was not aware how hard it was for the colonists in their fight before Voyager left dock at Deep Space Nine. I was performing my duty.
"And I will concur with Chakotay's vision of his Captain. The Maquis did deserve my attention. They were members of my crew, and with Chakotay by my side, they became our family. They were dedicated. And when I adopted them as a Starfleet crew, they wore their uniforms proudly. They offered me their duty, and I gave them their respect. Many of them were lost to the cause. It was a burden I gave to them. I would die for that crew, without a second thought.
"Quickly, my naiveté had turned to love. If I asked something of them, they returned my expectations a hundredfold. After our first encounter, I never saw them as two crews. We were one, unified Starfleet crew. We set a course for home, and never looked back.
"So I ask you, Admirals. Hear my plea for the release of my crew you are currently holding. Please take it to the desk of the Federation council, to the desk of President Zife. The war is over, they have already served time for a crime they were forced to commit."
Rodriguez smiled eerily. "Might I remind you Captain, that the Maquis of your crew are no longer part of the Federation. They abandoned their rights and protection of the Federation council simply by engaging in war. Why would we owe them a second chance?"
"I thought I was being clear."
"And let me be clear." He folded his hands in front of him. "This plea will not leave this room. Simply by asking to take this position, you taint the very uniform you are wearing. To be honest, I'm not sure why you haven't been stripped of rank by harboring these known criminals."
"We were 70,000 light years from home." She said, desperation rising in the back of her throat, rage starting to boil within her. "Many of my crew were lost in those first few days. We needed the help of the Maquis if we were ever to get home. I made the executive decision. And I would again. I will take that plea to the President myself, if I have to."
"You will not!" Rodriguez face was red and he took a deep breath. "The President does not have time for this."
Janeway brushed her sweaty palms against her jacket. She could see Chakotay offering a side eye to her but she did not turn away from the cold, black eyes of Fleet Admiral Damien Rodriguez as he tried to burrow into her soul.
Slowly, the side of her lip lifted, her chin raised, an eyebrow to accompany it.
"Oh," she said with icy coolness. "I do believe he does."
Suddenly, the metal doors behind her opened, and she stayed still fully aware of who was entering behind her.
The game is afoot.
"Admiral Rodriguez," she turned pointing to the two individuals who entered. "I'm sure you don't require introductions, but alas, may I introduce Admiral Owen Paris and to his left, former Fleet Admiral Alynna Nechayev."
They nodded at Janeway and she turned to Rodriguez who slowly lowered the PADD in his hand.
"What is this, Captain?" he said with spite. "What are you playing at?"
She smiled, thin lipped. "Oh, I'm not playing at anything, Sir." Admiral Owen Paris stepped forward and reached the panel, handing them each an official Starfleet PADD.
Janeway watched as they picked up the electronic devices and started to scroll. Her sights set on Rodriguez she watched as his face fell from cockiness to despair to disgust.
"Is this a joke?"
"I find none of this funny." She placed her hands on her hips. "You, Sir, are hereby being charged with crimes against the Federation. For supplying weapons to the Cardassians for monetary gain. Weapons that made it to the Cardassians and their colonies within the newly outlined Federation space."
"And just where is your proof?" He scoffed.
"Funny you should ask." She reached for the PADD in Admiral Paris' hand and scrolled. "I direct you to paragraph 17.1, and Exhibit B of the document in front of you." She paused, waiting. "The manifest from the Cardassian supply ship Ghorran before and after meeting with the USS Covenant just inside the Badlands. And transcribed conversations with the Captain of the Covenant. One Damien Rodriguez."
"Outrageous lies!" Rodriguez stood, pointing a finger down at the document.
"You thought it would stay quiet, didn't you Damien?" Nechayev spoke up. "But it turns out you have ruffled a few feathers. Even as far as Cardassian space. Even after all this time, they were more than pleased to have divulged these details to us."
Rodriquez kicked his chair back forcefully against the wall. "I will not stand for these accusations. I'll have you stripped of rank, Captain!" He bellowed. "You will see your traitor lover locked in chains, your Maquis family banished to a small penal colony at the edge of this quadrant. Oh, I will make an example of you!"
"Are you quite finished?!" Janeway returned deafeningly.
Rodriguez ignored her. "If you think the Federation President is going to read this filth, you have clearly become as delusional as your new friends."
"He will."
"And I suppose you will walk it right up to his desk?"
"No. I don't need to." The doors opened behind her again, and the air fell silent. Rodriguez' jaw fell, his eyes widened. "Because The President is already here."
She tilted her head as Rodriguez found his seat again. She placed a hand to her hip and turned to look behind her. President Zife had entered with two council members. His blue Bolian face darkened as he looked up seeing Rodriguez. She saw the vertical cartilaginous ridge on his face pulsate with the frustration he felt.
"President Zife," Janeway said nodding in his direction. She motioned for him to approach the panel. "He's all yours."
=/\=
She followed him closely as they walked from Starfleet Headquarters. Ignoring the passerby that would stop to notice her. She could hear the hush coming from their voices. Their gasps as they recognized who she was, who she was following.
He turned a slight corner off a path, and she found him standing alone in the midst of sea of pink roses. Her favorite.
The roses were well-maintained; fully in bloom, no dryness to their petals in the heat. Clearly, they were not feeling the desperation that she was for a good rain.
As she approached him, she reached to grab his hand slightly, flicked her finger in his palm, a fragmented touch, and he turned, his head bowed low, a wide proud smile on his face. His teeth shone on his newly tanned skin.
"How did you know about Rodriguez?" Chakotay asked.
"Woman's intuition."
A small crowd had begun to gather around the rose bushes, a few cameras began to peek from behind the green shrubbery. Janeway shook her head slightly but her focus stayed on her former First Officer.
"That so?" he questioned.
"So."
"You're exceptional," he told her earnestly.
The crowd disappeared in nothingness around her. All there was was Chakotay and herself. The hushed voices and clicking of recording devices fell away, lost in the look he was giving her.
"I miss you," she whispered, and she pulled his hand to her lips, placing a kiss to his knuckles. "I miss your hands. I miss them touching me."
"They are ready to hold you again." He leaned forward, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin. "When you're ready."
The mixture of his cologne and the sweetness of the roses were intoxicating. "I have one more thing I need to do," she told him, her voice a whisper. "One more thing then I am all yours."
His hand graced her cheek, his thumb her chin. "I'll be waiting."
Coming Soon: Chapter 12: "Someone Like You" - Adele