Chapter 8: Galor IV, Daystrom Institute for Artificial Intelligence, 2400

It had been one month since L'Naan Paris had arrived on Galor IV and several since she'd seen the Q she named Charlie. In some respects, she was living out a dream she'd had since she was nine. She had already learned more about positronic matrices in a few weeks than she'd ever thought possible. But her heart wasn't in it as it would have been a few months earlier. As much as she loved school and being on her own, L'Naan still thought about Charlie and the night she'd kissed him while they were floating in space.

As a teenager, Miral had gone through a succession of boyfriends. None were serious – it was clear to L'Naan in hindsight that Miral had always been enamored with Andrew. But Miral had still put a great deal of energy into her appearance, her ability to flirt and attract interested parties, her sexual prowess. Miral had been, in short, popular.

L'Naan had not. Her first kiss was Jeremy Powell, the son of her father's friend on the Enterprise, but it was really more about experimenting and his fascination with her than her own attraction to him. She was a late bloomer in that sense. She thought her first year at university was probably the time to change. She could sense that at least one or two of her classmates were interested in her. Miral told her to get out more, to try to make friends. But the memory of being told that she was needed by Charlie, of kissing him, kept coming back to her mind. It was a juvenile kiss, really, just four pink lips pressed briefly together, but it was the only kiss that ever made her melt.

Charlie had presented her the story of the Q's impending demise and the need for her to save them, and L'Naan had agonized over what to do before deciding to agree. She'd burned bridges with her best friend from high school, and her sister was exploring space on a starship. And then Charlie disappeared, too.

Left alone, L'Naan had had to rethink her future – hence Galor IV and her present situation, working on emotional subroutines for a Vulcan android.

"Why does he need emotional subroutines if he's Vulcan?" her lab partner Jenari asked, wielding a plasma torch a little too freely.

L'Naan carefully removed the tool from Jenari's hands. "Because Vulcans aren't devoid of emotion; they have severe emotions that they keep in check."

"So we're going to all this trouble to program an android to respond emotionally, so that we can add more subroutines to suppress those emotions with logic?"

"Yes," L'Naan told her. "That's what will make him seem real. Haven't you ever met a Vulcan?"

Jenari shrugged with a seductive look in her eye. "I prefer Klingons."

L'Naan smiled politely. "I've got my eye on someone else right now."

Jenari looked at L'Naan, scrutinizing her. "You're hiding something about this person."

"It's…I can't really talk about it."

"This person has hurt you."

"Okay, Jenari, stop reading my emotions. Isn't that considered bad manners on Betazed?"

Jenari returned her attention to the diagnostics console in front of them. "Sorry, L'Naan. I know I have a tendency to come on a bit strong, but, you know, if you need a friend to talk to…"

L'Naan nodded. "I'd like that."


Earth, San Francisco, Starfleet Headquarters, Office of Admiral Kathryn Janeway

Chakotay grinned when he saw Kathryn in her dress uniform. He always did like her in that thing. His sister Sekaya caught his eye and shared his smile. He was just glad she'd made the long journey to Earth to be present.

Phoebe Janeway put her arm around Chakotay's shoulder. "Well, Professor, I guess this means you won't be a bachelor anymore. No more wild nights with students."

"It's disappointing, definitely, but I'll try to restrain myself," he joked, still smiling with dimples.

"Let's get the show on the road," Kathryn said impatiently, yanking Chakotay away from her sister by the forearm. "It's thirty years in the making, after all."

"Okay," Admiral Hastings agreed. "Do you want to say anything to each other?"

Kathryn and Chakotay looked at each other and laughed. Somehow they had forgotten to discuss that.


Delta Quadrant, New Earth, 2372

"I think we need to define some parameters, about us," she said.

"I'm not sure I can define 'parameters,'" Chakotay replied, "but I can tell you a story, an ancient legend among my people. It's about an angry warrior who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe, a man who couldn't find peace even with the help of his spirit-guide. For years he struggled with his discontent. But the only satisfaction he ever got when he was in battle. This made him a hero among his tribe, but the warrior still longed for peace within himself. One day he and his war party were captured by a neighboring tribe, led by a woman warrior. She called on him to join her because her tribe was too small and weak to defend itself from all its enemies. The woman warrior was brave and beautiful, and very wise. The angry warrior swore to himself he would stay by her side, doing whatever he could to make their burden lighter. Her needs would come first, and in that way the warrior began to know the true meaning of peace."

Kathryn blinked slightly, her voice threatening to betray her. "Is that really an ancient legend?"

"No," he admitted, "but that made it easier to say."

"I'll go first," Chakotay said. He took a deep breath. "Kathryn, when I first met you, I thought you were the most naively idealistic woman I'd ever met. As I got to know you better, I began to see that your idealism was rooted in a strong sense of equality and justice, not unlike my own. We share values. Over the years you've become my best friend, and my greatest joy has been sharing my life with you."

"Oh, Chakotay," she whispered, fighting the urge to cry.

"It's your turn," he prompted, pleased that he could still move her after so many years.

"Right. Well, what can I say? You are the kindest, funniest, warmest man I've ever met, and I can't imagine a day without you. Phoebe?" Her sister handed her a small gold ring, which she slid onto Chakotay's finger. "Accept this ring as a token of my undying love."

Chakotay caught her hands and held them in his own. Phoebe handed him a matching ring, and he put it on Kathryn's finger. "Accept this ring as a token of my undying love."

"I'm glad we didn't do a whole event," Kathryn murmured as they kissed.

"Me too," Chakotay agreed. "But we have a lot of subspace messages to send now."


USS Galileo, Private Quarters of Ensign Miral Paris

"Hello, Drew," Miral said softly, touching her hand to the screen in front of her. "I miss you. It's been two whole days since the last time we talked."

"I miss you, too," Andrew said. "How's work?"

"I think Lieutenant Sani is starting to notice me."

"How could he not?"

"How about you and your dad?"

"He is the worst commanding officer ever," Andrew complained. "He made me rerun four diagnostics and rewrite two duty reports last week."

Miral smiled. "He's just grooming you for a promotion and making sure no one can accuse him of nepotism."

"He's been offered captaincy," Andrew told her. "Command of the Rhode Island."

"Is he going to take it?"

"I don't think my mom wants him to."

"Why not? She could live on the ship with him."

"No argument from me. I think it would be great for both of them," Andrew agreed. "You talk her into it."

"I just might."

"I saw your dad yesterday," he continued. "Does he ever change?"

"What do you mean?" Miral asked eagerly. "What did he do?"

"Well, all he wanted to talk about was his deep-sea adventure holoprogram."

That made Miral smile. "My shore leave for the wedding has been approved. How many guests do we have so far?"

Andrew bit his lip. "Well, Reg Barclay's on this Voyager reunion kick, so…one hundred people."

"No," Miral insisted. "No way."

"Miral, what am I supposed to tell people? That they can't come?"

"I don't want a Federation summit. Just close friends and family."

"That's who's coming," he informed her. "Can I help it if – " He consulted a padd in front of him. "If Lieutenant Commander Doug Bronowski considers himself family?"

"Bron-what? Who the hell is that?"

"I don't know, but the point is that these people are interested in attending. I don't see how I can say no."

Miral stuck out her tongue at him. "And are any of our friends coming? Teddy? Olnar? Soraya?"

Andrew cringed. "Nobody can get shore leave."

"Great."

"It gets worse," he began slowly, holding up another padd. "The Klingon attendees."

"No," Miral said forcefully. She crossed her arms. "Don't they know we're not doing any of the rituals?"

"For the sake of maintaining peace between the Federation and the Empire?" Andrew suggested. In truth, he was just as annoyed as she was that their upcoming wedding was spinning out of control, but with Miral on the Galileo, he was left to handle the plans himself. He was doing the best he could, and he didn't think she fully appreciated it.

"Drew…"

"Miral," he said seriously, moving closer to the monitor, "I don't like it either, but I want to marry you. I don't care if we do it alone in a cave or in the middle of a session of the Federation Council. I just want to be with you."

Miral tipped her head and sighed. "You always say just the right thing."


Earth, Marseilles, Chez Sandrine

It took Harry's eyes a minute to adjust as he walked into the dimly lit bar. It hadn't changed much since he'd first seen it, as a holodeck program, nearly thirty years earlier. What had changed was them. When Tom summoned him to Marseilles, he was surprised. Chez Sandrine had been Tom's refuge when he was a very different person. They'd given up on the program after a few years on Voyager as Tom's life began to take shape because it reminded him of who he had been – a person he no longer wanted to be.

When Harry had asked his friend about the choice of venue, given that history, Tom had explained that there was something very important they needed to discuss, and it could only be done somewhere tied to the origins of their friendship. Since Harry was the first friend Tom had ever taken to Sandrine's (albeit a holographic version), it seemed like the fitting place for their confab.

Harry hovered in the middle of the room until he spotted his wife and friends at a small table behind the pool table. He nodded in their direction and headed toward them.

The quintet at the table stopped talking as he took a seat. Harry could tell he had been the subject of their conversation, and he didn't like it. "What's going on?" he asked with suspicion.

"Nothing, love," Libby said as they kissed each other's cheeks. "How was your day?"

"You were talking about me," Harry accused.

"Hardly."

"B'Elanna?"

"Okay, Harry," B'Elanna said, leaning forward across the table, "if you don't take the Rhode Island, you're an idiot."

"Libby!"

"I'm sorry, Harry," his wife said unapologetically, "but they strong-armed me."

"We did no such thing," Icheb corrected.

"Actually," the Doctor explained, "Admiral Janeway told Reg, and Reg told Icheb and me, and I think it's a great idea."

"Andrew told Miral," Tom explained, "but he said you were probably going to turn it down because you didn't think Libby wanted you to take it."

"And Miral sent me a message chastising me," Libby continued. "You can imagine my surprise. I had to explain to her that you lied to Andrew."

Harry couldn't believe the rampant gossip that had been going on behind his back. His eyes narrowed slightly.

Tom took a slow sip of his gin and tonic. "Command of your own ship, Harry. You have to do it."

"Why did you tell Andrew I didn't want you to accept?" Libby asked.

Tom and the Doctor exchanged a look, mutually agreeing to stay out of the conversation.

"You don't, I know you don't," Harry said to his wife.

"That is simply not true. You decided that before you even asked me how I felt."

"And what are you going to do with me dispatched on a scientific mission to the Typhon Expanse?"

"Harry, I didn't marry a Starfleet officer without expecting that you'd be gone a lot." She adjusted the silverware on the table in front of her to steady her emotions. "Your dream was always to be the captain of your own ship."

"Can we please talk about this at home?"

Libby shook her head firmly. "No, we'll discuss it right here, with our friends. It's been nice living in San Francisco, honey, but it's time to get back out into space. It's what you've always wanted."

"Don't tell me you're scared," B'Elanna taunted.

"I'm not scared," Harry protested feebly.

"Sure," she said, drawing the syllable out.

"Andrew and I get to work together."

"And he hates it," Libby informed him candidly.

Harry turned to her in surprise, and she nodded. He looked at his friends, who also nodded.

"Does everyone know this but me?"

"Perhaps in your efforts to turn him into a good officer," Icheb suggested, "you've been a little too rigid with him."

"Says the regulation-quoting Borg," Harry muttered.

"Andrew thinks it's a great idea for you to take the Rhode Island," Tom added. "At least, that's what Miral says."

"All right," Harry snapped. "I didn't know you invited me here to gang up on me." He looked around the restaurant. "Does everyone have a drink but me?"

Tom smirked. "I'll get you something. What do you want?" Harry shrugged. "I'll surprise you."

"Since I seem to be out of the loop," Harry said, his voice still revealing his annoyance, "is there anything else going on that I should know about?"

"Admiral Janeway and Chakotay got married." The Doctor tried to sound casual, but it was quite clear he delighted in being the only one who knew.

"When did that happen?" Libby asked.

"Last week." As the Doctor glanced around the table, he realized they looked a little hurt that they hadn't been informed. "It was a very informal ceremony in the admiral's office," he quickly explained. "Only their sisters were present."

B'Elanna shook her head. "I can't believe he did that without telling me. I'll kill him."

"Kill who?" Tom asked as he returned to his seat. He slid a glass of beer across the table toward Harry.

"Chakotay. He and Janeway got married last week."

"No kidding." Tom looked at the Doctor. "This could add a whole new dimension to the Voyager holoprogram."

"I doubt Admiral Janeway would like the program to feature aspects of her romantic life," Icheb interrupted. With the hint of a smile on his face, he added, "Unless, of course, aspects of your romantic life were also included."

"Yeah," Harry added. "It's only fair."

"Oh," Tom quipped, "then I suppose we'll have to add more content to the 'Ensign Kim Encounters the Planet of the Killer Brides' chapter."

"The program should be limited to official missions," B'Elanna said authoritatively to her husband and the Doctor. She had had enough of her personal life exposed while she was on Voyager; the last thing she wanted was to have it shared with the rest of the world through a holoprogram.

"How about it, Harry?" Tom asked, rubbing B'Elanna's knee under the table to show her he was only joking. "What's your next mission? Are you going to accept the Rhode Island?"

Harry took a long drink of his beer. Libby was right: he had always imagined being the captain of a starship one day, and being offered the Rhode Island meant his dream was finally coming true. He knew Libby was happy for him, and he couldn't actually imagine her stopping him. It was unfair to use her as an excuse, and he'd apologize at home later for that. It was just the fact that he'd been planetside for so long that made him settled, insecure, afraid to take on a new adventure. It was un-Starfleet of him, he realized.

He nodded slowly, and as his friends toasted him, he smiled.