Betrayal and Turkey.
Chapter Seventeen.
By Hopping Hamster.
they had happily been traveling along in silence in each other's company for another half hour or so until Chakotay abruptly broke the silence by announcing "I think she should stop for a break" as he turned to her and look her broken body up and down.
Kathryn turned to him wide eyed and asked surprised "what why?" she had no reason to believe they had reached their destination, where ever that was, and if they weren't going on a long drive there was no need for a break.
"your uncomfortable" he told her in a matter of fact casual tone to which she looked at him with an eyebrow raised she knew he was referring to her physical wellbeing and she didn't want to admit her limitations, least of all to him.
"I'm fine" she replied in such a deep voice Chakotay knew she wasn't fine.
Turning the vehicle into a side road he parked up and tapped in some commands before sitting back and telling her "no you're not"
Closing her eyes in frustration she pursed her lips tight together before telling him "ok a little but I can handle it"
"I am sure you can" he assured her seriously before looking at her with concern evident in his eyes and saying "that's not my point"
Turning from him in an effort to hide her pain and try and keep some dignity "so what is your point?" she almost growled at him in demand.
Softly he told her "I didn't take you out to be uncomfortable" his voice was rich and sincere and full of so much love.
Now Kathryn didn't just feel ashamed she felt angry and frustrated. Since Chakotay's unannounced return she had often wondered what he thought of her now and how after all they had been through together it had come down to that. Waving him aside she shook her head telling him in the best command tone she could "it's just a by-product of the accident" she knew while it might be true it as an excuse was weak and feeble. Looking around out the window at where she was she saw a stream looking beautiful in the crisp winter air, what was he planning on doing? Taking a stroll? Tears began to fill her eyes as she thought for composure keeping her back firmly to him.
Slowly he reached out and placed his copper skinned palm on her shoulder before asking softly "what happened Kathryn?" he had wanted to sound gentle but after he had spoken he regretted how firm he sounded.
"I told you" she found herself replying firmly still not even looking at him.
"I know there was a crash you were crushed under the hull" he said gently watching her response still with his hand resting on her shoulder "but what were you doing?" his voice was soft and loving as he asked "why did it take so long for Starfleet to come to rescue you?"
Kathryn froze, her eyes suddenly wide, she knew this question might come but she had wished it wouldn't be just yet. How could she tell him? How could she explain to him? Waving her had furiously in his direction she muttered "it doesn't matter anymore Chakotay"
"Yes it does" Chakotay pressed feeling slightly annoyed that she would simply brush him aside that way. It was almost like she didn't care.
"Why?" she demanded. Her death glare was out as was her best command tone. She was warning him to drop the subject and he knew it, which only made him question further. He could tell she had something to hide.
"It matters to me" Chakotay said firmly but as Kathryn shot her death glare at him she saw he was talking to her from a place of deep love and compassion.
"But why?" she asked him as her blue eyes looked at him and she suddenly found herself fearing the answer.
Chakotay held her eyes with his; she was hiding something and trying to throw him off course and he was determined to find out what it was "it breaks my heart knowing your broken and injured this way" he told her cupping her face in his hand "I want to know what it was for"
Closing her eyes she saw she had no choice but to say something and so she told him "I was ordered to command a transport vessel"
Chakotay knew she was trying to put him off, trying to brush him aside hoping to say just a little to satisfy him "transporting what?" he asked firmly showing her he wouldn't back down "to where?" he seriously wanted to know, what was so worth it she walked away so injured.
"There was a lot of fall out after the war" she told him holding his eyes as she took a large intake of breath "the federation was in pieces"
Of course he knew that, he and his people were some of the worst to suffer. There was more she wasn't saying, he was going to get to the bottom of this "what's that got to do with you?" he demanded letting her know he wasn't backing down.
Closing her eyes she took in an intake of breath and told him "the federation needed somebody of superior rank who the people looked up to and who hadn't been personally influenced by the war"
Confused he looked at her with his brows drawn together and told her slowly "but every admiral in the fleet had been influenced in some way" as soon as he said it he realised what he was saying.
"Except the one stranded in the delta quadrant at the time" Kathryn nodded confirming what was already flashing through his mind.
"They used you?" he said bluntly sounding annoyed. They both knew it was the truth he clearly wasn't happy and Kathryn was just wishing she didn't have to say any more.
"They gave me an assignment" she shrugged hoping it would be enough "I took it"
"Which was?" Chakotay pressed grabbing her hand and leaning in. She was hiding something and he was not going to let her.
Kathryn knew there was no way out of this. He wasn't backing down. The only thing she could do now was tell him. She turned to him and met his eyes, hers began to fill with tears as she told him "to offer those in charge of the rebuild efforts in the Devron system an offer they couldn't refuse"
It took Chakotay a second to take in what she had just told him. She sat and watched his face turn from deep compassion to confusion and then as he understood betrayal and hurt became evident on his face "a bribe?" he spat, anger rising as he back from her and looked full of so much pain.
"It wasn't just the people of the federation they needed to trust this admiral" she said as tears filled her eyes. He would never understand as she admitted "it was the commander in charge of the rebuild based on her
Trebus"
His eyes darkened as he realised the perfect plan, use her, they knew he would trust her "what were you going to offer me admiral?" he hissed "what were your bribes to force me back into line" she could tell he was raging and she wasn't about to stop him as she concluded "to force me to turn Trebus back over to the federation"
"They weren't my bribes Chakotay" Kathryn insisted sadly "they were the federations"
"And you were the puppet who agreed to lead me and my people to the slaughter" he was angry and she could tell. His voice was deep, his eyes gravely dark "what was it Kathryn? Hospitals? schools?" then he almost snarled "food?" they both knew the Devron system was desperately in need of all of them and that the federation as it was would take advantage of that but if Chakotay was honest he had never expected Kathryn to be the one to do it.
"you needed help" she told him as tears fell down her face desperately trying to defend what she had done "you were and on accounts still are a Starfleet commander" she wasn't Starfleet any more she knew she could never say what she was really doing but she did say more than she might have. "Starfleet let you go because it got rid of their maquis problem"
"They wanted to be seen to help us" Chakotay scoffed seeing what he thought was the truth behind her words.
"They knew you would never agree" Kathryn sighed "I knew you wouldn't and I told them as much"
"So why put yourself out?" Chakotay snapped at her, once again his hurt and bitter anger flaring.
"Maybe I just wanted to see you Chakotay" it certainly wasn't the reply he had expected "to see Trebus"
