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PROVIDENCE

CHAPTER 2

2371

Alone in her quarters on Voyager, Captain Kathryn Janeway slipped on her silky pink negligee and then sat down on her bed to brush her long hair. She always brushed it before bed, always found it relaxing and satisfying to brush away the tangles and tension of the day, and today, like every day since getting stranded in the delta quadrant, had been particularly stressful. Not only did she have Joe Carey and B'Elanna Torres battling it out for the position of Chief Engineer, but Voyager had got stuck in a quantum singularity to boot. However, the latter incident had helped her resolve the former dilemma, and she would announce her new Chief Engineer in the morning.

Suddenly, the door chime played. Expecting her visitor to be Tuvok, Kathryn put down her brush and made her way into the lounge.

"Come in!"

The doors opened and a man stepped into her quarters, but it wasn't Tuvok, it was Chakotay. He was tense, defensive, but when he saw Kathryn in her negligee, her auburn hair tumbling over her shoulders, he was struck by her beauty and could only gaze at her.

"Commander," Kathryn said, trying not to show her discomfort at being seen in her slinky nightdress, "I was not expecting you. Is there a problem?"

Chakotay made no reply, he just continued to gaze at her.

"I said is there a problem, Commander?"

Chakotay came out of his trance now. "No," he replied. "No problem. I was just...I was just wondering if you've made a decision yet."

"I have," she answered. "Joseph Carey will be our new Chief Engineer."

At these words, Chakotay's disappointment was visible, but he did not kick up a fuss. "I see," he said. "I'm disappointed, as I don't think Carey's a patch on B'Elanna, but if that is your decision then I respect it."

"Thank you," Kathryn replied. "But I trust you will keep this between us for the moment?"

"Of course," he answered.

"Good," she said, eyes twinkling. "Because B'Elanna Torres deserves to hear it from me that she's our new Chief Engineer."

As the words registered, Chakotay smiled, dimples showing. "You teaser, Captain Janeway."

"Not teasing," she answered, "testing. If we're going to work together, I need to know you respect my authority."

"And this test...have I passed?"

Kathryn smiled. "With flying colors. Now, if that's all, I'll see you in the morning."

Chakotay nodded. "Goodnight, Captain."

With that, he turned around and walked towards the door. But, when he got there, he unexpectedly turned back to her. "There is something else," he said. "Something I've been wondering."

"Go on, Commander."

"You don't strike me as a woman who trusts very easily, quite the contrary, but from the moment we met on the bridge, you've trusted me. Why?"

Kathryn was a moment in answering. "You don't remember, do you?"

Chakotay frowned. "Remember?"

"Our first meeting. It wasn't on my bridge. It was on your ship."

"My ship...?" Then his eyes widened as a memory, a very distant memory of a wounded woman returned to him. "She was...you?"

Kathryn nodded. "You saved my life that day. You could so easily have left us to die on that shuttle. Or, as Seska wanted, you could have taken us hostage and tortured us all over again. But you didn't. You helped us. It was an act of compassion, your act of compassion, and those who perform acts of compassion have a compassionate nature. That's how I knew I could trust you."

"I'm sorry," Chakotay said quietly. "I'm sorry for what you went through."

"As I told you that day, it could have been worse. They let us go, not every captive's that lucky."

"No. But Cardassian torture it's..." Tears filled his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Compared to what some have experienced, mine was mild. They just weren't as interested in me as they were the men. Call it sexism working to an advantage."

Chakotay closed the gap between them. "You were beaten, burnt and whipped. That's hardly mild. And then there's the mental anguish and the filthy condition of their cells. They put you through hell and you don't have to pretend otherwise."

Kathryn lowered her eyes. "It was...hell. But I count my blessings, you know? My fiance...my first fiance...the torture he suffered, it was...horrific. It changed him forever and yet...and yet he risked it all again to rescue me when I fell into Cardassian hands. He showed tremendous courage, a tremendous strength of will and spirit, and that...it inspired me. He wouldn't let them break him. No matter what they did, he wouldn't let them destroy him, and I promised him, promised myself, that I wouldn't let them break me either."

"Your fiance...what happened to him?"

"He died in a shuttle crash. My father did too. I was the only survivor."

"I'm sorry," Chakotay said. This woman had clearly suffered terrible heartache in her life, had lived through more hells than one, but in the face of all that she still stood strong and still stood for all her principles. That filled him with both admiration and shame. Admiration for her, shame for his own bitter conduct in the face of overwhelming grief.

"I'm sorry too," Kathryn replied. "About your family. I know now the circumstances and...it horrifies me. I understand why you joined the Maquis. I would have too."

"It was the only thing I could do. Losing them all...that way...I still haven't come to terms with it."

"And maybe you never will. Maybe you'll just...learn to live with it."

Their eyes locked, the pain of grief mirrored momentarily in both, then Chakotay spoke. "Before we found you...how long had you been held by the Cardassians?"

"A few days," Kathryn answered. "When they realized we didn't have the information they wanted they let us go."

"Only to leave you injured and defenseless on that shuttle."

"Yes. I tried to help my colleagues but I couldn't even help myself. How long we were there before you found us, I don't know. I kept drifting in and out of consciousness."

"I'm glad we did...find you."

Kathryn smiled. "Even though I'm the reason you're stranded on this ship in the delta quadrant?"

"It could be said I'm the reason. After all, you were on a mission to capture me."

"Yes," she said seriously. "But I want you to understand that I didn't accept the mission lightly. In fact, after what you'd done for me, I didn't want to accept it at all. But if I hadn't, then it would have been given to someone else, someone whose name I won't give, but someone who would have killed you all, not captured you. I owed you a lifeline."

"And I thank you for extending it. But we wouldn't have surrendered. We'd have fought to the death."

"Well, that's all water under the bridge now. At least, I hope so. If we're going to survive out here, we must be able to work together. That means we must be able to establish some kind of rapport with each other. I don't mean our crews, I mean you and me. I'm not saying we have to be friends, or even like each other, but in a professional capacity we must be able to trust and respect each other. I don't want a repeat of today every time there's a major decision to be made."

"I give you my word it won't happen again," he said. "I was out of line and I apologize."

"Accepted. But you were right. Torres is a better engineer than Carey and I should have had more respect for your opinion. From now on, I will."

Chakotay smiled. "Then looks like we've established a...rapport."

Kathryn smiled back. "Looks like we have."

Gently, Chakotay reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. "Now that I'm your First Officer, my first priority is to keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

"See yourself as a knight in shining armor, Commander?"

"Not quite," he laughed. "Rusty armor, maybe."

Kathryn laughed too. "Well, thank you for the sentiment, but this damosel in distress is quite capable of taking care of herself. At least, most of the time. I'm no Maid Marian. Consider me a Britomart. That's a lady knight warrior in..."

"The Fairie Queene," Chakotay answered.

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "You know your literature. I'm impressed."

"Literature and history are great passions of mine."

"Really? Of mine too."

Chakotay smiled. "Then looks like we have a rapport and a common interest. Next up we'll be friends."

"I hope so. But one step at a time, Commander."

"Then how about we make the first step a game of chess? I believe you're good and the night is still young."

Kathryn smiled. "Give me five minutes to get myself decent and you're on."

"You look fine to me," Chakotay answered.

"Maybe I do, but my fiancé might have something to say about me entertaining my First Officer in my negligee."

Chakotay laughed.

"While I'm gone," she went on, "replicate the game and set it up. And, while you're at it, a hot coffee for me. Black, no sugar."

Chakotay smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."

Kathryn then hurried into her bedroom and, as he watched her go, Chakotay thought their long journey home had suddenly become very interesting.

END OF CHAPTER TWO