Voyagers

By Maquis Leader

The Finale: Reclamation

Chakotay fidgeted, uncomfortable in the protective suit. There was a slight shudder as their shuttle connected with one of Voyager’s airlocks.

“Team 1 will go with Commander Chakotay to secure the Bridge.” Tuvok’s voice was twice as dry coming from the suit’s comm system. “Team 2 will come with me to secure Engineering.”

When the airlock doors were shoved open, Chakotay stepped through cautiously. Flashing his Simms beacon around the darkened corridor, he waited until his team was assembled beside him. “Be careful, this could be a trap. It’s not likely, but better safe than dead.”

They were halfway through deck 6 when they found the first body. Lieutenant Harris lay with his eyes wide and unseeing. There was a look of shock frozen on his face.

Tom ran his tricorder over the frost covered body. “There’s no marks, must have been a phaser.”

Moving on, Chakotay tapped the control panel in the bulkhead. “There’s power, but it’s minimal. We’ll have to climb up, I don’t want to risk getting stuck in the lift.”

Popping open the hatch to the nearest Jeffries tube, they climbed silently to the bridge. Chakotay hesitated before opening the hatch behind the Ops station. If anyone were on the bridge, they were sitting ducks in the narrow access way. Shining the light around, he crawled out quickly. As he stood, he stumbled and almost fell over something. Another body. Rollins.

The bridge was eerie with frost covered bodies exposed by their wrist beacons.

“Jesus Christ! What happened?” Tom whispered.

“Hull breach?” Ayala offered.

“No.” Chakotay examined Cavit before he pulled him out of the Captain’s chair. “There’s not a mark on them. They didn’t suffocate, either. Someone killed them before life support went offline.”

“At least it was quick.” Tom pushed a frozen body away from the helm.

“Tuvok to Commander Chakotay.”

“Chakotay here.”

“Engineering is secure. The warp core is offline and main power is down. However, secondary systems are online.”

“Transporters?” Looking around at the bodies, Chakotay realized bringing environmental controls online would be a mistake.

“Currently offline, however I believe the transporter in cargo bay 2 is undamaged.”

“Get it powered up and we’ll store the bodies there.”

“Understood, Commander.” There was a momentary pause as he sent three of his team to the cargo bay. “I can restore power to the turbolifts as well as emergency lighting.”

“Do it.” Chakotay shut off the comlink. As the Ops station lit up, he stepped over the frozen body again to tap at the controls. The station was sluggish, suggesting damage to the computer core. “No life signs. Tom, see if we can move at all. Ayala, start moving the bodies off the bridge.” Going to the tactical station, he pulled a body out of his way. “There was an attack by Vidiians, whoever they are.”

“Very bad people.” Tom’s fingers danced over the helm controls, graceful even in the EVA suit. “We want to avoid them.”

“So I see.”

“We don’t even have maneuvering thrusters.” Tom pushed away from the console. “We’ll have to get B'Elanna over here. Repair the hull breaches and get the ship fixed up enough to land.”

Chakotay watched Ayala and Dalby haul Cavit’s body into the lift. He waited until the doors closed. He tapped his combadge inside his suit. “Chakotay to Paris.”

“Paris here, big guy.” Tom cocked his head wondering why Chakotay felt the need for a private conversation.

“ You know we’re looking at months of repairs?”

“Yeah, I figured.” Personally he didn’t mind sitting down somewhere for a few months. It wasn’t as if he had anyone waiting for him in the Alpha Quadrant anyway.

“I was thinking of tractoring Voyager into the Liberator’s main landing bay.”

The younger man brightened as he thought it over. “Then we wouldn’t have to worry about restoring life support. We could start on repairs right away.”

“And keep moving.”

“You in that big a hurry to get to jail, Chief?”

“By the time we get home, I’ll be an old man and nobody will care anymore.”

“We could stumble across a wormhole tomorrow.”

“Not according to the starcharts.” Chakotay grinned. “At best, it’s 20 years until we reach the Alpha Quadrant. I’d just as soon keep moving and get out of unfriendly territory.”

“No arguments here.”

“We may not be able to repair Voyager. There’s a lot of damage and I don’t see a Starfleet shipyard anywhere around.”

Tom nodded. Now he understood why Chakotay had wanted the private link. “Be a real bitch keeping morale up.”

“Janeway to Chakotay.”

“Chakotay here, Captain. We’ve secured the bridge and engineering.”

“Is there anyone alive over there?”

“No.”

There was silence for a few moments. “Understood. What’s Voyager’s condition?”

Chakotay exchanged a look with Tom. “Not good. Secondary systems are coming online. The transporter in cargo bay 2 is working. We’ve got lights and turbolifts.”

“Having a transporter will make life a little easier.”

She was hiding it well, but he’d heard the disappointment in her voice at the short list of working systems. “I thought we could tractor Voyager into the largest bay while we do repairs.”

“Good idea.” Unspoken was the agreement that they would keep moving.

“We’ll see if we can get the landing struts down first. Otherwise it’s not going to work.” Chakotay motioned to Tom to check.

“I’ll get the Ensigns Delaney down to the bay to work the internal tractors – they’re the best we’ve got.”

“We’ll do a deck by deck sweep before we bring her in, just in case there’s someone hiding somehow or there’s a trap set up.”

“Is that likely?”

“Not really, but I’d rather err on the side of caution.” And it would give them a chance to collect the bodies.

“Agreed. Any idea what happened?”

“Someone called Vidiians attacked and boarded the ship.”

“Did they take the crew with them?” Kathryn grimaced at the thought of tracking down where they might be now.

“No.”

“The escape pods are still – I understand.” She closed her eyes. “They were after the technology, then?”

“As far as I can tell, they haven’t taken anything. The warp core is here, weapons, tricorders – nothing’s been taken.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Why attack and board a ship and not take anything? Why kill everyone?”

“Organs.” Tom told her. “They harvest organs.”

Chakotay looked horrified. “They steal – how – there’s –“

“Mr. Paris, why would they harvest organs?" Kathryn’s voice was strong and calm.

“They suffer from a disease, the Phage, and their organs break down and have to be replaced.” He shook his head. “They’re spread out over this entire sector. They won’t hit anything as big as the Liberator, but a ship the size of Voyager would be a perfect target.”

“If things are as bad as Chakotay says, we may be using the Liberator for some time. That may be to our advantage.”

“I’ve got the gear down, Captain, so anytime you’re ready.”

“Once the deck by deck sweep is done, get everyone back in the shuttle and we’ll bring her in.”

“Captain, I’d like to stay here – “

“Negative, Mr. Paris, I don’t want anyone on board in case something goes wrong.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He headed for the lift. “They better not scratch the paint on the way in, though.”

Chakotay had recovered enough to laugh at Tom’s remarks as he followed him to the lift.

“Wait.” Kathryn’s voice stopped him. “Check the Captain’s yacht.”

“The yacht?” He stepped over to the Ops console and ran a quick check of the small craft tucked up in Voyager’s belly. “It’s still there.”

“Is it damaged?”

“I don’t think so.” He scanned over the display. “There’s power. Let me run a diagnostic.”

“If it’s functional, launch it before we bring Voyager in. We can always use another shuttle. There’s a transporter on board and a replicator.”

“Ah, there’s the real reason.” He laughed. “You’re not after the shuttle, you’re after the coffee!”

“Commander, that’s a terrible thing to accuse your commanding officer of lying.” Her voice was stern but he could hear the laughter hiding beneath. “True, but terrible.”

“The systems check out fine. We’ll bring your coffee right over.” Closing the comlink, he joined Tom in the lift. “Go down and launch the Captain’s yacht.”

“Yes, sir!”

“And a word of advice, Tom, have a cup of coffee in your hand when you get over there.”

Chakotay sat at the controls of his shuttle and watched as Voyager was tractored to the bay opening. Holding his breath, he watched as the smaller mini tractor beams inside the bay delicately maneuvered the ship inside. Despite the Liberator’s size, there was little room for error in bringing the other ship in. Twenty meters on each side sounded like a great deal of clearance, but one wrong move and the bay would be a disaster area.

Sighing as Voyager settled down safely on her landing struts, Chakotay turned his attention to the small sleek yacht that was zipping around crazily. “Paris! Land that thing now!”

“Aye, sir, just running a systems check.”

“I’d say you’d go to hell for lying, Paris, but the devil is afraid you’d take over.” Laughter was his only answer as the small craft curved toward one of the other landing bays.

Landing his own shuttle in a more sedate fashion, Chakotay headed for the bay holding Voyager. When he arrived, he found Kathryn and most of the crew staring silently at the battered ship. Here was their hope for a faster return home and she looked ready for the scrap yard. Slipping his hand into hers, he squeezed her fingers reassuringly.

“B'Elanna, organize repair crews. Tuvok see what they’ve done to the computers, we’ll need our command codes restored. And find out where that automated message came from. ” She looked over the crew. “I want volunteers to move the bodies. This isn’t a job I can order anyone to do.”

Vorik stepped forward. “Captain, I would head the burial detail with your approval.”

“Granted.” She nodded gratefully. As the group broke up, she walked around her wounded ship. “I need to get inside.”

“Not yet.” He didn’t want her to see the bodies they’d piled in the cargo bay.

“Chakotay, I’ve –“

“No.”

For a moment they stood eye to eye glaring at each other. She sighed suddenly and dropped her gaze. “You win, but just this once.”

“Captain!” Tom materialized next to her. “Your coffee.”

“Oh, I love you!” She took the cup and sipped at the steaming liquid.

“Don’t give me the evil eye, Chief.” Tom backed away. “She’s talking to the coffee, not me.”

“I know your type, Paris, plying women with coffee.” He smiled as he watched her savor her first cup of coffee in over 6 months.

“I set up a remote for the transporter.” Tom handed a PADD to Chakotay. “Figured it be easier than trying to climb up the side and crawl in.”

“How’d the yacht checkout?”

“Not so much as a dent. She’s a quick little thing.” He grinned. “We ought to name her Coffee.”

“There’s no name?”

“I never got around to it.” Kathryn handed Tom her empty cup. “And you’re not naming her Coffee.”

“Give this to Vorik.” Chakotay handed the PADD back to Tom. “He’s running the burial detail.”

“Sure.” Taking the PADD, he threw a salute their way before trotting off to find Vorik.

“We don’t have enough torpedo casings.” Kathryn rubbed her forehead. “We’ll have to do something else.”

“Leave it to Vorik. He’ll think up something that’s proper and efficient.”

“My god, Chakotay, they stole their organs? What kind of people could do such a thing?”

“Desperate people.” He slid an arm around her waist.

“Tuvok to Janeway.”

“Janeway here.”

“Captain, I’ve found the source of the automated message.”

Chakotay and Kathryn looked at each other. Was there a survivor after all?

“It’s the EMH.”

“I was activated when the casualties started coming in. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” The EMH paced around the confines of Sickbay. “Crewmen were missing lungs, livers, hearts – all cleanly removed with no incisions of any kind. Simply transported out of their bodies!”

“What happened?” Kathryn leaned against one of the bio beds. She had a thermal blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Voyager was slowly warming to the temperature of the bay she rested in, but the air was still frigid. “Do you know exactly what happened?”

“At the time, no. However, since then I’ve had time to review the ships logs.”

“Review the logs? How did you do that?

“My program doesn’t merely reside in Voyager’s computers, its part of the programming.” He waved a hand in the direction of a wall console. “I’m able to access the ship’s data base anytime I need information.”

“I thought it was limited to the medical database.” Chakotay arched a raven eyebrow questioningly.

“There’s no restriction keeping me from other information. There was never a need for anything other than medical information.” He hesitated. “It wasn’t until I was alone that it occurred to me to even try.”

“And what did you find?” Kathryn prompted.

“We were attacked by several ships and the shields collapsed after a short battle. They then attached and cut through the hull. The Vidiians went through the ship stunning the crew and stealing their organs, skin, and sometimes even bone.” He activated a screen. “These are the Vidiians.”

“Not very attractive, are they?” Kathryn’s stomach turned at the image of the deformed aliens.

“After they were done, they left. Since there was no one to shut off my program, I kept myself occupied by cleaning up Sickbay and studying the Phage.”

“Studying it?”

“Two of the Vidiians were killed during the attack and left behind. One was here in Sickbay and another on the bridge.” He shut off the image. “I transported it here to Sickbay as well. If Mohammed can’t go to the mountain…” He cocked his head and smiled. “The mountain can transport to Mohammed.”

“How did you manage that?” Chakotay pulled himself up to sit on the bio bed next to Kathryn. He wrapped his blanket around the both of them.

“I asked the computer to beam the body here.” At their surprised look, he shrugged. “Voyager’s computer responds to vocal commands, after all. I simply asked her to beam the alien body to Sickbay.”

“You autopsied the bodies?” Chakotay studied the hologram. He was much different from their earlier encounters.

“Yes. Using that information along with the data stored in their collection devices, I believe I may have a cure for their disease.”

“We’ll be sure to let them know.” Kathryn said dryly.

“Captain, I believe we have a duty to inform the Vidiians of my findings.”

“They murdered everyone on board, Doctor.”

“I’m aware of that.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “And they will continue to murder others until they have a cure.”

She nodded slowly. “You’re right. We’ll find a way – a safe way – to get the information to them.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“Did Cavit try to hide in the nebula?” Chakotay asked.

“No. I realized the ship was vulnerable and I convinced her to move into the nebula.” The Doctor said proudly.

“Convinced her?”

“I told the computer to set a course for the nebula, it was quite close and Cap – er, Commander Cavit was trying to reach it when the Vidiians boarded the ship.” He started pacing again. “At first, I was denied access. But then! I entered the deaths of the crew into the medical logs.”

“Leaving you in command by default.” A smile covered Chakotay’s face. “Very ingenious.”

“ A hologram has to do what a hologram has to do.” The Doctor preened. “Then I ordered all but nominal power shut down.”

“And took environmental control off line as well?”

“Captain, would you have preferred to come back to a ship of rotting corpses?”

“Good point.” She grimaced. “The message, how did you do that?”

“I used the holoemitters here in Sickbay. Your template is in the computer system. I recreated the bridge here and recorded the warning message.” Again he shrugged. “After that it was a simple matter of connecting it to the proximity sensors.”

“Doctor, not that I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done.” Kathryn assured him. “But why? You had no way of knowing we’d find Voyager.”

“True, but I didn’t want to risk anyone else finding her.” He pursed his lips. “Strange aliens tramping through the corridors? Coming into my Sickbay? She wouldn’t have liked that.”

“I appreciate your concern, Doctor.” She hesitated. “She?”

“Well, the computer has been my only companion. And ships are commonly referred to as ‘her’ or ‘she’.”

“Of course.” For a minute she had wondered if the Doctor’s programming had been affected by running nonstop for over 6 months.

“Would you like to meet her?”

Kathryn blinked. “Meet her?”

“I made an hologram so that I would have someone to talk to.” He colored. “I read and listened to various musical selections. But… I became lonely.”

“I – ah – why not?” She looked at Chakotay. He shrugged.

“Computer, activate Deirdre.” A beautiful woman with long black hair and green eyes materialized next to the doctor. She smiled shyly at Kathryn and Chakotay.

“Deirdre?”

“It’s Irish for sorrowful wanderer.” The doctor told them. “It seemed appropriate.”

“Hello.” Her voice was the familiar voice of the ship’s computers, softer and more human.

“Um… hello.” Kathryn paused. What exactly did you say to a hologram of your ship? “You kept the Doctor company?”

“He was lonely. And he took care of me.” She patted his arm. “We’re glad you’re home, Captain.”

“It’s good to be home.” She smiled. “And thank you both for taking care of Voyager.”

“My pleasure, Captain.” The hologram put an arm around Deirdre’s waist. “It was… interesting to be in command. But I wouldn’t want your job full time. I’m a doctor, not a starship captain.”

“You did pretty well in a pinch.” Kathryn patted his shoulder. “You deserve a promotion.”

“All I ask is to be shut off for awhile. After 6 months, I need a rest.”

“Of course, Doctor. You’ve earned it.” She patted his shoulder again.

“Until 0800 tomorrow. Then I expect to see the crew for complete physicals.”

“Of course.”

“You should see Sam Wildman first.” Chakotay told him.

“If she’s ill, I should see her now.” The doctor looked alarmed.

“She’s not ill exactly.” He smiled. “She’s pregnant.”

“Pregnant? Really?” He smiled broadly. “I’ll have to review my obstetrics programming.”

“Rest first. We’ll see you in the morning. And you as well Deirdre.” Shutting down the holograms, Kathryn led Chakotay out of Sickbay. “Holograms making holograms, what next?”

“You’re next, right after Sam.”

“Are you going to be this bossy from now on?”

“That,” He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “All depends on you.”

“They’re all dead?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard they had their body parts cut off.” B'Elanna shivered.

“Their organs were harvested. No missing body parts.” Tom told her. “None that I saw anyway.” He wasn’t about to tell he about the body they had found skinned in the corridor on deck 10.

“What a horrible way to die.”

“They probably didn’t feel a thing. The Vidiians beam out the organs they need.” He rubbed his hands over her arms. “It would have been quick.”

“Would it?” She shivered again. “If someone beams your lungs or your kidneys out of your body – how long would it take for you to die?”

“The Vidiians usually stun their victims first. They never felt a thing, B'Elanna.”

“You don’t know that.” She wrenched out of his arms. “They could have suffered! They – Kahless its all my fault!”

“How is it your fault?” Tom tried to pull her into his arms once again, but she shook him off.

“I killed them!”

“B'Elanna, the Vidiians killed them, you didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“I did! It was the virus! They couldn’t go to warp!” B'Elanna pushed him away as he reached out to comfort her. “I killed them!”

“Do you think they felt guilty about leaving us behind? Do you think that they cared that we were going to be treated like animals? Worked to death in the mines?”

She dropped to the floor, beating her fists on the metal deck plating. “It doesn’t change anything!”

“No, it doesn’t.” He knelt next to her and caught her wrists. “You were doing your duty. If you hadn’t slowed Voyager down, we might never have caught her.”

“Would that have been so bad? We had a ship!”

“One that was slower.” Tangling a hand in her hair, he forced her to look at him. ”Maybe you and I don’t care if we ever get back to the Alpha Quadrant, but everyone else does! You had a duty and you did it!”

“I didn’t mean to kill anyone!” Her amber eyes were full of tears.

“Cavit killed them! He killed them when he left us behind! He left us behind to die!” Tightening his fingers in her hair, he pulled her closer. “He made that decision!”

“I’m the one –“ B'Elanna cried out as Tom gripped her face painfully with his free hand.

“If he hadn’t stranded us and tried to take your command codes out – your virus would never have gone off!” He tightened his fingers on her jaw until she whimpered. “You’re going to stop beating yourself up over a decision Cavit made!”

“Yes… yes…” There was a roaring in her ears. His roughness was arousing her as never before. Lunging forward, she bit his cheek.

Yelping, he jerked her head back. Her eyes were wild and her breath rasped harshly on his face. Blood Fever? He’d heard about the fierceness of Klingon women when it hit them. So far B'Elanna had been a feisty tumble, but not like this.

Reaching up, B'Elanna grabbed a fistful of his blond hair and pulled him back to where she could sink her teeth into the side of his neck. Her other hand tore his shirt open and she raked her nails down his chest and belly.

“Damn!” Pushing her back, Tom wrestled with her until he was sitting astride her and he had her wrists pinned to the floor. Blood trickled down his neck and splattered onto her breasts. From somewhere deep inside came the urge to dominate her – to force her to submit to him.

Pulling at her shirt, he tore it open and nipped at the swell of her breasts above the white bra. The duskiness of her skin excited him and he pulled open the bra so he could see the white of his hands on her breasts.

As soon as he let go of her wrists, she pushed up, almost bucking him off. Her mouth pressed to his, sucking and licking, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Jerking at his belt, she growled in frustration until it finally came undone. His pants opened and she grasped the hard shaft with one hand while the other cupped and squeezed his balls.

Tom found himself on his back with her on top of him. Her teeth scored his belly and he grabbed her hair as her mouth reached his cock. “Oh, no! I like him just like he is – ouch!” She bit his pubic mound painfully before he could shove her away.

B'Elanna’s heart was beating too hard, her breath coming too fast. She wanted to kill him and mate with him. Mate with him if he were strong enough and kill him if he wasn’t. The fire in her blood sang to her telling her to bite and scratch – to mark the white skin. Test him to see if he was male enough to take the pain, male enough to mate with her.

Getting to his knees, Tom caught her as she lunged for him again, shoving her down onto her belly on the hard deck. He tugged her pants down and tore her panties away. Twisting one of her arms behind her back, he ignored her cry of pain as he forced her up on her knees.

The head of his cock slid against her wet folds as he kneed her legs apart. Twisting her arm to keep her face pressed to the deck, he guided himself to her opening before ramming himself inside of her.

B'Elanna’s scream was one of anger and ecstasy. Arching back against him, she alternately cursed him and urged him on. Her head was pulled back painfully as he twisted a fist into her hair once again. With each stroke, he slammed her against the deck plates until she felt the muscles in her shoulder tearing.

The world shrank around Tom until only B'Elanna’s body existed for him. The molten heat he was plunging into was his reality and the cries and curses coming from her were the only sounds he could hear. Even his own grunts and cries were tuned out.

Mercilessly, he pounded into her until his body exploded, his cum filling her, strangely cool against her inner walls surrounding him.

Vision red and breath gone, B'Elanna collapsed under him, her howl of pleasure echoing off the bulkheads. Inside she gripped and spasmed around the thick shaft, milking the last of his seed.

Collapsing onto her, Tom gasped for breath. For a moment, the room darkened and sparks danced at the edges of his sight. Forcing down deep breaths to keep conscious, he rolled off of her.

Whimpering, she groped for him. Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks.

“Here, baby…” He panted. “Right here…” Taking her hand, he pulled her against him.

Snuggling into him, she licked at the blood on his neck for a moment before drifting into sleep.

As his heartbeat slowed, the realization of what he’d done grew. “Oh, God, B'Elanna, I’m sorry.” Easing away from her, he lifted her up and carried her to the bed. Laying her down, he pulled off his pants before he tripped over them and went to the small bathroom to get a wet washcloth.

Tenderly, he washed the blood off her breasts and face. Blood he prayed was his. Pulling her clothes off, he kissed the bruises and marks he found on her. One bite on her shoulder was deep enough to have broken the skin. A bite he didn’t remember doing. Tears burned his eyes. He’d never been violent with a woman. Ever. Fun and games, yeah, but not for real. Rape wasn’t one of his fantasies.

“I love you.”

Tom jumped at the sound of her voice. It was rough and scratchy like she’d strained it screaming. “No, don’t. Not after what I did – the way I treated you.”

“I started it.” She smiled. Inside she felt peaceful and serene for the first time in her life. “I’ve always been afraid of the Blood Fever, but now, I don’t know why.”

“I can’t lay it off on Blood Fever, B'Elanna.” He gently washed the stickiness from her thighs. “I just – lost my mind – I – God, don’t hate me!” His hand shook at the traces of blood mixed with his cum and her juices on the cloth.

“Never.” She winced as she sat up. Her shoulder was definitely going to need the Doctor’s attention. “I love you. You’re my mate now.”

“Am I?” The smile burst free from his heart. “I am, aren’t I?”

“We made a baby, Tom.” B'Elanna kissed him softly. “I can feel it.”

If his heart didn’t explode from the joy at the thought of a child of his own, it would be a miracle. Nodding his head was the best he could do.

“It’s okay then?”

“I want her to look like you.”

“Don’t you want a boy? A mighty warrior?” She teased.

“No, no boys.” He pulled her back down to lie next to him. “A house full of girls who’ll love their daddy.”

“Tom.” She rose up to look in his baby blue eyes. “If we have a boy, he’ll love you, too. You’re not your father.”

“You’re right.” He stroked her cheek. “But let’s stick with girls just in case.”

Smiling, she cuddled up to him and drifted off to sleep leaving him awake and dreaming of dark haired little girls clambering for his attention.

“I have a surprise for you.”

“What kind of surprise?” Chakotay stretched lazily.

Admiring the play of muscles under the bronze skin, Kathryn smiled. “One you’ll have to put your clothes on for. Unfortunately.”

“What fun is that?” He pulled her across his chest, rubbing her bare breasts against him. “Can’t you surprise me in bed?”

“Surprise you? No!” She laughed into the curve of his neck. “I’ve surprised myself quite a bit.”

“I’m sure we can come up with something…” He rubbed his erection against her rounded belly.

“You’re such an animal!” Kathryn pushed herself up off of him. “Get dressed.”

“Promise me we’ll get naked after the surprise.”

“You can count on it.” Tugging on her clothes, she stopped and tossed his pants at him. “Come on.”

After they’d dressed, she led him to the turbo lift. “Landing bay Alpha.”

“The landing bay?” The black velvet eyes twinkled in amusement. “Sex in the landing bay? Now that’s a surprise.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter!” She pushed him out the door when it opened.

In the landing bay, Chakotay frowned as he spotted Tom. “This is getting less fun.”

“Hey, old man.” B'Elanna stepped around the nose of the Captain’s yacht.

“B'Elanna.” Now he was confused.

“Here you go, Chief, the honor’s all yours.” Tom handed him a bottle. “Dom Perignon 1924. Replicated, but it's the thought that counts, right?”

Kathryn led him around the end of the small craft. Liberty II was painted across the bow in flowing script.

“Liberty?”

“Do you mind?” Kathryn bit her lip. “You sacrificed your ship to save us.”

“It’s – I don’t know what to say.” The Liberty had been the only ship he’d ever commanded and he’d loved every small, cramped, and dirty inch of her.

“It’s kinda poetic, when you stop and think about it.” Tom laid an arm around B'Elanna’s shoulders and pulled her close. “She snuggles up inside Voyager’s belly and you can’t even tell she’s there. But if you know where to look…” He grinned.

“I suppose it is.” He was happy to be Kathryn’s first officer, but deep down he was still Maquis. Hefting the bottle, he smashed it against the nose. Champagne spattered across her new name. “May you bear the name Liberty with the same bravery as your namesake before you.”

“Hear! Hear!” Kathryn hugged him. “And it’s a nice place to sneak off to.” She whispered in his ear.

“So the real surprise is inside?”

“How does chocolate and strawberries sound?” Her arms curled up around his neck and her fingers slid into the soft ebony hair.

Tom pulled B'Elanna toward the door. “Let’s go find our own surprise.”

“We can repair the hull easy enough. What worries me is the computer core.”

“The Vidiians damaged it that badly?” Kathryn looked across the table at B'Elanna.

“Not the Vidiians – Cavit. He was having engineering manually reprogramming the computer trying to get rid of my virus.”

“Is the damage repairable?”

“With time.”

“Time is the one thing we do have.” She smiled faintly. “Work on it, make it your top priority. Without the computer it doesn’t matter if we get the engines going or not.”

“The good news is that the supply of dilithium and terelium is at 65 percent.” B'Elanna grinned evilly. “Without the warp engines, they couldn’t exhaust the supply.”

“More good news is there’s very little structural damage to the ship itself.” Harry added. “Except for the holes in the hull of course.”

“A little duct tape and we’re good to go!” Tom laughed and slapped Harry on the back.

“B'Elanna, strip whatever you need from the shuttles. Get us a list of anything else we need.” After B'Elanna nodded, she turned to Neelix. “I want you to go over that list and find someone we can trade with.”

“Certainly, Captain, but I thought we were keeping a low profile.”

“We are, Neelix, but we can’t scrounge everything we need. Sooner or later we’ll have to ask someone for what we want.”

“We’ll have to have something to trade.”

“Look around, Neelix.” Chakotay gestured. “We’ve got an entire ship to trade.”

“We’re not keeping the Liberator?” Harry’s face was covered in disappointment.

“She’s not fast enough to keep up with Voyager.” Kathryn’s voice was sympathetic. “I’m sorry, Harry.”

“I understand, Captain. It’s just hard to leave her behind.”

“Chin up, Harry.” Tom thumped him on the back. “If we can’t repair Voyager, we’ll have them both.”

“We will repair Voyager, Mr. Paris.” Kathryn told him sternly.

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. “We do have something else to trade. We’ve got several containers of cormalite.”

“We do?” Neelix asked eagerly. “That will help get us a lot of supplies!”

“Where did we get cormalite?” Chakotay ran down the supply list. “And why isn’t it on here?”

“The Kazon didn’t bring it up. We did.” Tom told him. “When we – acquired Eggplant’s shuttle. He had 5 containers on board.”

No one had ever asked exactly how they had come into possession of the other shuttle. Kathryn studied Tom’s face. It was shuttered, giving no clues and his baby blue eyes looked as innocent as always. Harry’s face on the other hand looked pale and he was playing with the PADD in front of him. A sure sign that he’d done something he didn’t want to think about. “Good job. It’ll come in handy.”

“And next time let me know we have something that valuable laying around.” Chakotay shot Tom a look that made the younger man grin. “And yes, we’ll keep the shuttle if you want. It’ll fit in Voyager’s bay.”

“Thanks, Commander.”

“Did you compare Voyager’s starcharts with the ones on the Liberator?” Kathryn steered the meeting back on track.

“The area around the Gamma Quadrant end of the Bajoran wormhole has been charted for 10,000 light years. There’s still a gap of unknown space between the two wormholes.” Harry told her.

“Hopefully, someone will help us fill in that gap by the time we get there.” Looking around the table, Kathryn felt a surge of pride. “We will get home.”

“What did Vorik do with the bodies?”

“He didn’t say and I didn’t ask.”

“I’ll have to make some sort of entry in my log.” Kathryn yawned as she read B'Elanna’s report on the repairs. “I don’t think Starfleet would like ‘he didn’t say and I didn’t ask’.”

“Just say they were properly disposed of.” Chakotay frowned at the PADD he was reading.

“You’ve been quiet all night. What are you doing?”

“Helping Kes design an arboretum. We’ve got more than enough space.” He tipped the PADD so she could see it. “If we knock out these bulkheads, we can turn most of deck 8 into a walk through garden. Tom wants to set up an outdoor café and Celes thinks a meditation area is a good idea. Sam pointed out that we’ll need a play area for our new crew members as they arrive.”

“Am I the only one not in on this idea?” She was a bit insulted. Voyager is my ship, shouldn’t someone ask the Captain before they started redecorating?

“B'Elanna had several choice words to say about the work involved.” He chuckled. “But overall everyone thinks it’s a good idea. It’s going to be a very long voyage, Kathryn, we need all the comforts we can get.”

“Do we have room for all this?” The plans looked quiet extensive.

“There’s seventy five of us now. Even assuming there are marriages and children, we’ll have plenty of room.”

“I’ll approve it on one condition.” When he looked up at her, she smiled crookedly. “You’ll plant roses for me.”

“I’ll replicate some as soon as we have the power.” Leaning over, he kissed her. “Assuming you can plant replicated rose bushes.”

“We can try.” She pulled his arm around her and snuggled into the curve of his body. “I’ve been working on something of my own.” She handed him a PADD from the pile next to her on the sofa.

On the PADD was the schematics for her quarters and his. A door had been drawn on the wall between them and the rooms in his quarters had been relabeled as bedroom and playroom.

“Unless you planned on moving back into your quarters when we move to Voyager.”

“No. I want to stay with you.” Setting both padds on the table, he pulled her into his arms. “Our children can use my old quarters.”

“Children? Getting ahead of ourselves aren’t we?”

Chakotay didn’t answer. Smiling, he dipped his head down to kiss her until she was breathless.

“We’re ready to test the engines.”

“Shut down at the slightest hint of trouble, B'Elanna.” Kathryn stared up at the image of Voyager on the main screen.

“Aye, Captain. I’ve got no desire to visit Stovokor just yet.”

For two months they’d worked on Voyager, repairing her torn hull and violated computer core. Three days ago, they’d tractored her gently back into space. The cloaking circuits had made Voyager invisible to their sensors and tests on the impulse engines had gone without a hitch. Now the challenge was bringing the warp engines online and attempting to go to warp. Their holodeck simulations had been perfect, however they all knew real life didn’t come with safety protocols.

Chakotay watched Kathryn pace nervously. He knew she wanted to be on Voyager’s bridge. The Doctor and Tuvok had vetoed that idea the moment she’d voiced it. Her only consolation was that he had also been denied being on Voyager for the test. He and Kathryn were both too valuable to lose should something go wrong.

“Moving to the test coordinates.” Tom’s voice filled the bridge.

“Warp core is online. All readings within acceptable limits. Anytime you’re ready, Tom.”

“Fasten your seatbelt, B'Elanna, here goes nothing.”

On the screen Voyager moved forward and vanished into the familiar starbow of colors. Long tense moments passed.

“Warp 5 and holding. All systems normal.”

“Ready to go to warp 9 on your signal, B'Elanna.”

“Do it, Tom.”

Again they waited in silence, Kathryn chewing on her knuckles.

“Warp 7.5, 8, 8.5 – warp 9!” B'Elanna whooped. “All systems normal!”

“Bring her back, Tom.” Kathryn ordered.

“Yes, ma’am!”

Seconds later, Voyager appeared off the starboard bow. The bridge erupted in cheers.

“Liberator, this is Voyager.”

“Welcome back, Voyager!” Harry answered Tom’s hail.

“Mr. Paris, bring her back into the bay. Senior staff, we’ll meet in the briefing room in 10 minutes.”

“Captain?”

“Yes, Mr. Paris?”

“May I suggest we use Voyager’s briefing room?”

Tears burned her eyes and she swallowed hard. “Agreed.”

“There were no irregularities?”

“None, Captain. The warp engines performed perfectly. “B'Elanna beamed with pride. “We’re ready to go as soon as you give the word.”

“How soon can we move back on board?”

“It shouldn’t take more than a day.” Chakotay tugged at his ear. “Even considering the seedlings and food supplies we need to move, we really don’t have much in the way of possessions.”

“Neelix, any idea where we can trade one slightly used starship?”

“One slightly stolen starship.” Tom corrected with a smirk.

“There’s a planet not more than three days from here, Fenszel. A friend of mine told me about it – always buying ships and parts. Several shipyards are based in the system.” The Talaxian rubbed his hands together. “We can get all the supplies we may need with the credits this ship will being.”

“Let’s get started then.” Kathryn stood up. “I want everything we’re taking on board Voyager within 48 hours. Dismissed.”

“Captain, a moment please.”

“Yes, Doctor.” As the others left, she turned to the screen the hologram had been using to monitor the meeting.

“It’s about Aquene.”

“Who?”

“The woman that you found on the Kazon ship.”

“Oh, is that her name?” Kathryn realized she’d almost forgotten about the captive they’d found that first day.

“She won’t tell me her name, so I named her Aquene. In Commander Chakotay’s language it means peace. ” He shrugged. “Now if I could only think of a name for myself. Unfortunately, I’m a doctor not a… a... name giver.”

“It’s a very pretty name, Doctor.” Thought he’d drawn a blank there for a minute! “How is she doing?”

“I’m still unable to get her to speak beyond a few simple words. And she will not leave Sickbay except to go to the holodeck.”

“I’m not surprised. She was abused terribly by the Kazon.” The image of her crouching in the floor chained to the bed still haunted her.

“According to Mr. Neelix, there are excellent medical facilities on Fenszel. I believe we should leave her in their care.”

“We can’t help her?” Chakotay was troubled at the thought of leaving her behind to the mercy of others.

“We can’t give her the level of care she needs.” His face showed his distress. “She needs – she – I can’t help her.”

Knowing what that admission cost him, Kathryn smiled understandingly. “This is a starship, Doctor, not a hospital. We’re not setup to deal with the type of trauma she’s endured. We’ll get her the finest care, Doctor. If Neelix is right, we’ll have enough credits to insure that she’s always taken care of.”

“Thank you, Captain.” The hologram looked relieved as he closed the channel.

“It’s for the best.” Chakotay laid his hands on her shoulders. “She deserves better than hiding in Sickbay.”

“Do you think she’ll ever recover?”

“I don’t know. The Kazon used her like an animal. She’s living in a shell she may never come out of.” He hugged her to him, splaying his hands over her rounded belly. “Wherever she is in her mind, she’s safe. To bring her out might do more harm than good.”

“We’ll find someplace that’ll take good care of her.” She covered his hands with her own. Beneath their joined hands their baby kicked.

Kathryn paused in the doorway. Chakotay was sitting naked in the chair staring at the black and red uniform laid out on the bed. “Did it growl at you?” She was rewarded with a dimpled smile.

“I’d just gotten used to wearing it again when Cavit took it away.”

“After 8 months in casual clothes, I’m not sure I’m going to be comfortable for awhile either.” She picked up the black pants. “Come on, it won’t put itself on.”

Standing, Chakotay let her help him dress. “I never realized how erotic it could be to have a woman fasten my pants rather than unfastening them.”

Smoothing the turtleneck over his chest, she grinned at the way he sucked in his breath when she tucked the shirt down past the waistband of his pants. “Like that, do you?”

Grabbing her, he kissed her hungrily, his tongue pushing into her mouth to play with hers until they were forced to break apart to breathe. “Just a little bit.”

Pulling away, Kathryn went into the main room, stopping to smile at him over her shoulder.

Watching the sway of her hips as she left, he picked up the rank bar lying on the dresser and fixed it to his collar. When she came back, she opened her hand to show the three pips she’d replicated. “No more Maquis?”

“Starfleet uniform, Starfleet rank.”

“Of course.” He stood silently jaw clenched, while she pulled off the rank bar and fixed the pips to his collar. Bitterly, he realized their one night in her bed on Voyager was her way of saying goodbye. Guess it was a good thing B'Elanna hadn’t had time to connect our quarters yet. Thanks for the hot fuck, Chakotay. Now be a good boy and get out. Now they were back to Starfleet rules and protocol. What about the baby?

“There you go, can’t have the Captain kissing a common crewman, now can we?”

“Spirits know the universe might ground to a halt if Captain Janeway broke with protocol.” Turning away, he jerked on the black and red jacket. He was zipping it closed when he felt her fingers on his collar again. “Is it crooked?”

“Unbalanced. Here.” Kathryn handed him a small pin.

Taking it, he looked over the enameled red surface of the Maquis emblem. “What is this for?”

“I didn’t like the rank bars. I thought this might be more appropriate.” Taking the pin, she fixed it to the opposite side of his collar. Stepping back, she smoothed his jacket over his shoulders. Looking up, she noticed the smoldering anger in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He bit out.

“Nothing? You’re angry – I thought you’d be happy with it.”

“Happy? To be your token Maquis again? Why wouldn’t I be?”

“My token Maquis? Chakotay, is that what you think?”

“Here, take it!” Chakotay jerked it off his collar. “That way you won’t have to adjust the dress code in a few months to get rid of it completely!”

A smile tilted the corner of her mouth. “You are the angry warrior, aren’t you?”

Only the fact that she carried his child kept him from wrapping his hands around her throat.

The flash of rage on his face made her recoil a step. “The rank bars separated us into two crews.”

“And you’d rather forget there’s any Maquis on board, wouldn’t you?”

It dawned on her why he was so angry. “On the contrary. After what happened, I think we’re all Maquis.” She held out a second red pin. “I thought you might want to put this on for me.”

The anger drained out of him with a suddenness that made him dizzy. “You want to wear this?”

“One crew, Chakotay.” Reaching out, she trailed her fingers over the tattoo on his brow and down to stroke his cheek. “No more divisions between us.”

“I thought – “ He was shamed by his thoughts. “Never mind. I love you.”

“And I love you.” She put his Maquis pin back on and waited while he put hers on opposite her Captain’s pips. “And you’re going to pay for that ‘token Maquis’ business. Is that clear, Mister?”

“Crystal.” He hugged her fiercely.

“Let go, you big lug! You’re squishing the baby!” She laughed as she pulled free. “Come on, time to go.”

Hand in hand, they left her quarters.

Looking over her assembled crew, Kathryn fought the urge to tug at her collar. Her Starfleet uniform felt strangely uncomfortable after months in more casual clothing. Here and there she saw a crewman fidget with a collar or sleeve. A least she wasn’t the only one.

“In a few minutes we’ll be leaving orbit and heading for the Alpha Quadrant. We took a slight detour.” She waited for the chuckles to die down. “But we’re back on the right road now. Once again we’re a Starfleet crew on a Starfleet ship. And we will go by the book.”

Chakotay felt a chill. Was she stepping behind the shield of protocol after all? Glancing at her standing there with her belly rounded with their child, he shoved the fear down. Looking up, he saw her smile at him and wink.

“We’re ripping out a few pages. This is a 20 – possibly 30 year voyage. Starfleet doesn’t cover this scenario. We’re a family now. We’ve been through the fire and come out the stronger for it.”

Kathryn waited as the cheers and clapping faded. “We’re about to have children added to our family as well.” she slid a hand over her swollen belly. “Chakotay’s people believe that a child belongs not only to their parents, but to all the people. I want that to be true for Voyager. My child and Sam’s…and Sue’s…” She paused as the Delaney twins shrieked and hugged Sue Nicoletti. Ayala turned a decidedly pale color. “That they’ll be Voyager’s children. Loved and protected by everyone. Able to turn to anyone for comfort and guidance.” Blinking back the burning in her eyes she smiled. “We go home together as a family.” There was clapping and cheering. Ayala was regaining his color as those closest to him clapped him on the back. He hung on to Sue’s hand as if it were his lifeline.

Kathryn grew serious. “Another ship was pulled into the Delta Quadrant like we were. And like us, they started for home. They didn’t make it. Tom Paris found them and brought their combadges, tricorders, and medical kits to us. Tom also brought their dedication plaque and the captain’s pips. I was going to consign them to space. But I’ve changed my mind. The USS Oklahoma and her brave crew deserve to go home with the rest of us. Because without their sacrifice we might still be on the Kazon planet. When we reach Earth, we’ll turn them over to Starfleet Command. Until that day, Tuvok has designed a memorial in our new arboretum where they’ll rest during the journey. Tom gave me the captain’s combadge and I’ll wear it proudly. Please, a moment of silence for the Oklahoma and her brave crew.” Kathryn closed her eyes and counted off the quiet moments before raising her head.

“Stations, everybody, we’re leaving in –“ She stopped at a new ripple of noise rolled through the crew. “What’s going on?”

“Sam’s water broke.” Neelix and Kes guided the embarrassed woman to the door.

“When I said we were about to have children, it wasn’t a command, Sam!” Kathryn joked. “Stations everyone. Mr. Paris will let us know the winner of the pool soon enough.”

Tom reddened and edged toward the door.

On the bridge, Kathryn settled into her command chair. “Mr. Paris, take us out of orbit.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Harry, give us one last look at the Liberator.” The main screen changed to show the huge vessel hanging in orbit around the planet. “Thank you.”

“Talking to Harry or the ship?” Chakotay leaned over and took her hand.

“Both.” She sighed. “She’s ugly and fat, but we’d still be stuck in that work camp without her.”

“We’re clear of the planet’s gravity well, Captain.” Harry reported.

“Mr. Paris. Set a course.” She squeezed Chakotay’s hand. “For home.”

A gentle touch of Tom’s hand sent Voyager leaping eagerly down the road home.

Author's notes and credits. Please take a moment to read!

A lot of folks helped me with this monster and I'd like to thank them. SuzieQ2, Ralkana, and JoJo for beta reading above and beyond the call of duty! Janet's Voyager Site - which is now gone - for pictures of various crew, including a last minute request for a picture of Sue Nicoletti. Janet doesn't do requests you understand! My brother Mitch named the Oklahoma when I couldn't come up with a good name. Most importantly, thank you to janezy for writing in an email to me "What would have happened if Cavit hadn't died when they were pulled into the Delta Quadrant?".

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