"We aren't going to get out of here, are we?"
"Don't worry, Naomi", Harry assured her, "I'm sure Captain Janeway already has a plan to help us. She'll never leave without you!"
"Nor without Chakotay", whispered someone into Harry's ear, someone familiar. He spun around. Sure enough he looked up in Tom's boyish grinning face.
"What's up with you?", Harry asked, somewhat annoyed at his friend's lack of seriousness, "this certainly is no time for jokes, or starting on some betting pools, for that matter."
"Oh, Harry, where is your sense of humor?" Tom looked around. "You know, I have seen a few prisons in my lifetime, the only constant was a certain Janeway. You should have more faith in your own words, pal. In the meantime just sit down and relax, these aren't the worst accommodations I have ever spent some time in."
That was true. The room they were all locked in was spacious, benches were the only furniture but enough for all of them. There even was a bathroom, though without a door, fresh water that came from a sink and simple, but good food that had been given them a little more than an hour ago. The Faylee-people did treat them with humanity.
If only they would have believed them with the cats as well. Naomi had wandered off alone, looking around this wondrous world with joy. Her mom had not been feeling well that morning and so Naomi almost gave up her hopes to go down to this planet. It was Commander Chakotay who had asked her if she would mind visiting the planet with him and she had been thrilled. A few hours later she made that horrible discovery: Under some shady trees, she found a heap of at least 20 dead cats, all cruelly butchered. Blindly she ran away from there and almost into Harry, Chakotay and Neelix. Her sobs and tears alarmed the officers. Together with the rest of the away team they made their way to the trees to see for themselves. What they saw shocked them as much that they only became aware of the angry mob when it was too late. Suddenly they were surrounded by those catlike people who started to throw stones. Only some policemen and -women managed to get the crowd under control and Voyager's people out of harm's way as they ushered them towards a white house that wasn't too far off, the jail... Once inside, they were told that killing the ancestors, as the Faylees called the cats, was a crime that was usually punished with death, but for them, being off-worlders, the punishment would just be lifelong imprisonment.
Now they had been held in this room for over five hours. Yes, they had been in much more dangerous situations, but the integrity of their hosts as well as the well-built prison reduced their hope somewhat. So it was a surprise to all of them that Tom's words seemed to come true a few minutes later. The door opened and a guard stepped in.
"You are hereby released. We are to escort you to our transport room, you will be beamed back to your ship immediately."
Voyager's away team shared puzzled looks, but left the room quickly without asking any questions as they didn't want to push their luck. Harry received a hard blow on his right shoulder by none other than his best friend.
"Told you we'll make it out of here, didn't I? I think we should have a party tomorrow evening, and the Captain will be the guest of honor." With a sideways glance at Chakotay he added: "But only when she attends with a date."
Harry grinned. "You and your betting pools!" He shook his head. "Anyway, as far as I know the Captain, she won't come without Chakotay. He is the only one that can persuade her to leave the ready room for a simple party."
Pouting, Tom answered: "Whoever told you that the party is going to be simple?"
Suddenly, an aid of the president came running towards them.
Tom and Harry looked up startled. "Is she going to stop us?", Harry asked his friend. Tom could only shrug his shoulders.
But the aid did pass them without taking any further notice. "Commander Chakotay!", she panted. "Who is Commander Chakotay?"
As soon as Chakotay stepped out of the group, B'Elanna jumped in front of him. "What do you want?", she growled angrily.
The aid looked at her, confused. "The president asks Commander Chakotay to stay behind, there is something she wants to discuss with him personally."
"We won't leave anybody behind!"
"I am told, that the Commander will shortly join you on your ship."
Before B'Elanna could say anything else, Chakotay assuringly put his arm on her shoulder. "It is alright, B'Elanna." And turning towards the aid he added: "I will go with you."
While the guards ushered the rest of the away team to the transport room, the aid led Chakotay down another corridor.
"Did the culprit get caught?", Chakotay asked to break the silence and to gain as much information as possible.
The aid just shook her head, no.
"Then you have found evidences that it wasn't us?"
The aid looked up at him. "No.", she said quietly. There was something in her eyes, something Chakotay couldn't identify.
"But, then, why are you releasing us? Do you trust us this much?"
"No, somebody agreed to take upon him the yoke of ultimate sacrifice."
"Ultimate sacrifice?" Those words left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Somebody, who has nothing to do with the crime, chooses to die for his friends, so that his friends will be cleansed of all accusations."
"A friend? Surely nobody from this planet?"
Again, the aid only mutely shook her head.
"Then somebody from the ship, but who? Kathryn would never allow..." He looked at his companion in horror. "No, not Kathryn! Tell me, that it is not Kathryn!"
The aid kept her eyes straight ahead, locked on the door they had just reached. Swiftly she typed in the code for it to open. With a low hiss it revealed the president, of course, sitting on a comfortable couch, and next to her...
"Kathryn!", Chakotay shouted and rushed towards her. Kathryn rose slowly seemingly dazed. As soon as he was near enough, he roughly grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking her. "How dare you even attempt to do this to us, to me! You can't sacrifice yourself!" Anger blazed in his eyes.
"Commander, my mind is set and everything is under way, there is nothing you can do." Her voice was rough, but her eyes determined.
"President, can't I take her place? She is the Captain, the crew needs her to get home."
"No, since you were one of the accused."
"Kathryn, you just can't do this. You are responsible for your crew. Wasn't it you who promised them that you would get them home?"
"Didn't I already break that promise? You ten are part of that crew!"
"But you don't have to die for us! This prison isn't that bad, the guards were treating us pretty well. The real culprit probably would have been caught in a few weeks and then we would have been free. We could have started a small colony or chartered a ship. At least we would have been alive! And we would have known, that you were alive, too. Every time, we would have gotten homesick, we could have looked at the stars and been comforted by the thought that you were there, somewhere, leading the rest of the crew home."
"Chakotay", her voice was soft now, "do you really think I could lead this ship home with most of the senior officers missing? You know the dangers of this quadrant. And what about little Naomi? Should I have sent Sam down, so that she can live in prison with her daughter?"
Chakotay looked lost, tears welled up in his eyes. "No, but you are the one that gives them hope. They need you, they love you. They can't live without you... I can't..." His voice broke.
"But if you stayed on this planet I wouldn't be there, either", she whispered, a lone tear running down her cheek. "And founding a colony? Don't ask me to do that. I made the promise..."
"I know, but there would be hope and dreams..." He took a deep breath. "I love you, Kathryn."
Kathryn was crying now. "I love you, too." They held each other closely, willing the world to stop spinning, the time to stop its eternal flow.
"Will you promise me something?", she asked with a forlorn voice. "Will you get them home?"
"Of course."
"It is time, now." The president purred. Captain and Commander shared one sad look, suddenly their lips met. Then they let go of each other.
"Commander, please wait here, until...", the president searched for words, "this is over." She stirred Kathryn out of the room.
Chakotay sank on the couch, his legs no longer able to hold his weight. He started to sob hard as if the world was crushing down on him. His Kathryn was gone...
