AN This is the last chapter (I think) there are references in the 2nd and 3rd chapters to a mission involving the wildman family. If you want to know more about it there will be a full story all about it at some point. For now all I will say is that little Naomi figures out how to get her parents together for Valentine's Day.
Captain Katherine Janeway of the starship voyager left her quarters and walked towards the turbo lift . It was the beginning of the Alpha shift on Valentine's Day and Her mind was filled with the potentially complicated task of establishing a stable two way holographic connection with the Alpha quadrant. The Holodeck program and the high capacity holographic transmission system they would be using were both newly developed especially for this mission and as such they had not been used before. Despite the heavy testing that they had been put through there was still the possibility that one or both of them could have unseen flaws.
Janeway paused at the doors of the turbo lift as she waited for them to open. when they did she entered to find Be'Elana Tores already inside.
"Good morning captain" Be'Lana greeted warmly
"Good morning Be'Elana."
The captain got straight to business
"there is no morning briefing today so can you catch me up to speed on your preparations please. is engineering prepared for the additional power drain from the holodeck and deflector array today"
"Yes captain. The Dilithium we mined specially last stop has been brought out of storage and taken to ore processing. the additional power will be funnelled through the back up conduits so as not to effect primary systems I've got all of that set up and ready to go. I've also got a monitoring program set up at one of the stations in engineering to keep an eye on the holodeck and deflector array and I've assigned someone to watch it. I'm on my way to the bridge to patch the engineering console into the monitoring system so that you will know immediately on the bridge if anything goes wrong."
"Very good. As soon as seven is ready I think we are good to go"
The turbo lift came to a halt and the two women stepped out onto the bridge. The rest of the alpha shift bridge crew were already in their stations. Be'Elana strode to the engineering console and set to work. Janeway walked to her command chair and sat down.
"Report"
The crew knew which order the captain wanted the reports by heart so no further prompting was necessary.
"Navigation and propulsion are functioning normally. There is Nothing of note in the immediate area and we are maintaining a course for the alpha quadrant" said Tom Paris from the helm.
"Nothing to report from security" said Tuvok
"Nothing to report from tactical" said Harry Kim
"Gamma shift reports a peaceful night. The only thing of note was that voyager passed through a particularly beautiful nebula about zero two hundred. recordings and sensor data were taken for astrometrics" said Chakotay"
"Very good" replied the captain to them all, she turned towards the helm.
"Tom bring astrometrics up on half of the view screen please."
"Yes captain"
Tom pressed a few buttons on his console and seven of nine appeared on the left side of the main view screen.
"Good morning seven, are astrometrics and the holodeck ready for this mornings mission"
"They are captain the holodeck is online and running mr paris's program. And I have the transmission program developed by commander data loaded and active on my main console."
"Very good. And what is our status on initiating contact with the alpha quadrant"
"We are coming into range of the communications satellite now "
"Excellent. Connect to the satellite and hail the enterprise."
An hour later the mission set up was over and all that remained was for Be'Elana's staff member to keep an eye on the engineering monitoring program and for tal celes to keep an eye on the astrometrics monitoring program.
Back on the bridge captain Janeway relaxed back into her seat and addressed the commander seated beside her
"Well that went splendidly I just hope we don't get any hiccups throughout the day. The wildmans deserve this opportunity"
"They certainly do captain."
Leaning back in her chair Kathrine decided that As there was nothing else to do on the bridge that warranted her presence she would go and handle some reports that were waiting for her in her ready room. She stood up addressing the commander as she did so
"You have the bridge commander I will be in my ready room"
"Very well Captian"
Janeway crossed the bridge and entered her ready room as she went the turbo lift doors opened and seven of nine entered the bridge, crossing to the astrometrics console she pulled up some charts that she had been woking on and continued where she had left off.
In the ready room the doors has just swished closed behind the captain when a transporter beam came to life directly I front of her and a vase of flowers appeared suspended in mid air at chest height. The captain Stopped short in front of them and reached out. As she took the vase the beam that had been supporting it faded away. The thing that first caught Kathrine's attention was not the flowers but the vase. It was clearly hand painted but expertly so. The vase was a deep blackish r blue with an intricate and beautiful nebula painted all the way round the vase. At the front an amazingly detailed rendition of voyager was emerging from the nebula. The more the captain looked at the vase and turned it in her hands the more she saw. Small scenes were painted all over the vase amongst the lights and clouds of the nebula; voyager landed on he planner of the 69ers with the captain waving goodbye to them as the left to start their new lives. The doctor on his first land mission taking pictures like an overly exited puppy. The mess hall filled with happy crew during one of nelix's impromptu parties. The wedding of Be'Elana Tores and Tom Paris. New earth with the shelter and the captain and commander. And then new earth with voyager flying away and just a federation flag left behind. There were even a few humorous depictions. Be'Elana and Vorik fighting after they had both been affected by the pin far. Tom Paris breaking the warp ten barrier and the creature he turned into afterwards. There was even a depiction of the devolved Tom and katrine with their "children". then there was The brigde with the bridge crew at their stations. Main engineering with its crew members busy at work. The infirmary with the doctor sitting at his desk and kes near one of the biobeds. And finally winding its way around the vase just below the neck was some beautifully gold lettering. Kathrine read it slowly.
FOR THE WOMAN WHO HAS STARDUST IN HER HEART, AND IS THE HEART OF OUR FAMILY.
Captain Janeway was utterly taken aback and very touched. Somebody had clearly gone to a lot of effort to give this gift. After having another look at the vase Janeway finally turned her attention to the flowers it held. It was a gorgeous multicoloured Bouquet of very varied flowers the captain studied the appreciatively for several minutes then brought them closer to her face and sniffed. and the scent coming from them was incredible. Kathrine could see that a lot of care had gone into the arranging of the flowers and she began to wonder if perhaps they had been selected as carefully especially considering the flower seminar from the previous evening.
Kathrine was half way to the computer at her desk planning to look up the flower meanings info sheet wham she remembered that its author was sitting just a few yards away.
She paused for a moment deciding wether to take the flowers to the bridge or to call Chakotay into her ready room. They are just flowers she thought to herself it wouldn't do any harm to allow the bridge crew to see she had received them turning she headed back to the bridge
"Back already captain" Tom joked as he heard the ready room doors open
"Yes" she replied. "Just seeking some insight from the commander here"
To turned his chair and spotted the flowers
"Wow who are they from"
"I have absolutely no idea." She sat back in her chair and addressed the commander
"I was hoping that you could tell me what these flowers mean"
Chakotay looked over the flowers for a moment and then looked at the captain
"I can captain but you might prefer to discuss it in Your ready room"
"Why is that"
"These flowers appear to be from an admirer" he said simply.
"I am sure that it will be fine to tell me what they mean here"
"Very well"
He looked over the flowers deciding where to start. Then pointing to each of the differed t blooms in turn he explained their meanings
"This one is a white camellia it signifies that the sender has great admiration for the recipient, the two tulips; this variegated one means you have beautiful eyes, this yellow one means there is sunshine in your smile, and this is a calla lily which means magnificent beauty
Janeway had begun to blush and noticing it chakotay paused.
"You may have been right about relocating the explanation" she admitted " but You may as well continue now you have begun"
"Very well. The dandelion is an odd addition to a formal Bouquet but it certainly fits the overall sentiment here it indicated faithfulness and this blue violet means; I will always be true." He looked up to check that the captain was still on and she nodded for him to continue although her blush was deepening.
"These last three, this one is an acacia it signifies the presence of a concealed love this daisy signifies the presesce of a loyal love, finally this is a red camellia and it means; you are a flame in my heart" finishing the explanation he fell silent
Tuvok was currently the only person working. Tom harry and Be'Lana were openly staring at the captain waiting for a response and seven was doing her best to appear to be working but was actually watching the captain out of the corner of her eye.
Chakotay looked up from the flowers to find that the captain was now roughly the colour of a beetroot.
"Thank you for that commander I see what you mean about my having an admirer" she managed to choke out. Tom chuckled.
Kathrine turned back to the flowers she placed them on the small desk between the two command chairs and twisted in her seat so thatcher could look at them.
"I had no idea anybody on the ship felt that way I wonder who they are from" she mused quietly to herself. She knew who she wanted them to be from but it was impossible that they were from that person. the person the captain had feelings for would never do something like this.
Her whistfull thoughts were disrupted when tuvok spoke.
"If you wish I can look into who sent you the flowers"
Seven stiffened
"No that will not be necessary. I do not believe that this is a matter worthy of ship security involvement.
Janeway turned back to the flowers but was disturbed by the computer
"Computer to the captain"
"Captain here,"
"You have a message set to be delivered to you at this time in your ready room however you are not in that location. How do you wish to proceed"
"What is the message about and who from"
"It is an audio missive, recorded using a hologram voice consisting of several verses of prose, it is labeled as a Valentine's present. there is no record of the sender"
"Hold computer"
"Acknowledged"
Janeway turned to Be'Lana
"I didn't tho I that the computer was designed to deliver messages in this manner"
"It isn't captain" Be'Lana replies "I have a feeling that this message is from the same person as those flowers. They must have reprogrammed the computer to act as an anonymous delivery system."
"I didn't know that was possible"
"It isn't" Be'Lana paused as it occurred to her that the only way to achieve this kind of reprogramming would be by using Borg technology to partially assimilate the computer, suddenly she knew exactly who was behind all of this glancing Discretely across the bridge she saw seven staring at her intently. She quickly back-peddled "at least it isn't possible for anyone without an in depth knowledge of the system. There are a handful of people aboard who could do it"
"Thank you lieutenant"
Janeway turned back to sit straight in her seat and addressed the computer
"Janeway to computer. Please scan the audio recording and check for anything obscene"
"Scanning. Nothing incense detected"
By now everybody including seven and tuvok were watching Janeway. She briefly considered relocating to her ready room to hear the message but at his poit that would just cause more roumwrs than listening to it in the bridge
"Very well play the recording"
A generic yet pleasant human sounding voice began to speak
.
This poem is entitled
The Delta
And is dedicated to Captain Kathrine Janeway
.
We are stranded out here in the delta.
Thousands of light years from home.
Just one little ship on a mission.
With you at the head all alone.
.
You are lonely but think you deserve it.
You think it's your fault that we're stuck.
But we all say your actions were noble
And correct. Being here's just bad luck
.
Though you've taught me so much since I've known you
In one thing I was right all along
Humans aren't meant to live solo
We in teams and in families belong
.
I am glad your ship came to the Delta
I am glad it was you at the head
No one else would have seen through the metal
No one else would have made me a friend
.
Now the rules have already been broken
And the precedent has already been set
So that now I have but one question
Are you ready to stop being alone yet?
.
The audio playback ceased and left complete silence on the bridge. Tuvok Be'Lana Tom and Chakotay were all stunned into silence by the poem although none except Be'Lana had figured out the identity of the sender. Seven was openly staring at the captain waiting for a response and the captain was siting frozen.
The poem had made it quite clear to her who had sent her the gifts but she could still hardly belive that it was possible. She had never seen and single hint that her feelings were returned.
She was still getting her head round it all when a transporter beam activated and deposited a single flower on her lap tied Roth a red ribbon.
Silently she picked it up looked at it for a moment and turned to face Chakotay. Guessing what she wanted he spoke
"That's a white violet. And it means quite simply let's take a chance on happiness"
He smiled gently at her and she realised what a fool she had been for resisting the idea of a relationship it would t make her any weaker a captain nor would it weaken the crew. Silently she stood up walked to the upper level and stopped fave to face with seven. Handing her the flower she said simply
"Yes"
Seven's face broke into a huge smile and Kathrine's mirrored it she wrapped the taller woman in a hug and gently kissed her. Caught up in an endless moment they just barely heard the bridge crew erupt into applause
The end?