Work Text:
Scorpion: An Alternate Route ------ If Janeway had listened to Chakotay...
Kathryn Janeway stood stiffly on the bridge, tears openly falling down her face as Tom Paris began the sequence that would land them on a world they named New Hope. Chakotay stood at her side, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, a protocol he hoped she would allow him to breech. To his surprise, she did, and in response, she even brought her free hand up to touch his chest. One look into her teary eyes, and he could not resist pulling her into a fierce hug, holding her as her body racked with sobs. Finally, she composed herself, looked up at him and said, "Chakotay, we're on the bridge." This brought smiles to the faces of the bridge crew who didn't know quite how to react to the display their commanding officers put on for them. Fortunately, thought Chakotay, Tom Paris was too busy landing the ship to see. They broke off the embrace, but Chakotay still kept an arm protectively around her waist.
The ship landed as smoothly as could be, thanks to Tom's expert piloting, and crews immediately set out to start building the planned out shelters. Once housing became more permanent on the planet, the ship was to be piloted by a skeletal crew and would be used to assess the situation between the Borg and species 8472. As the crews rapidly began their work, Kathryn and Chakotay took a walk over to the nearby river that they would be using as a water supply. As they got farther away from the watching eyes of the crew, he put his arm around her, and she began to cry again.
"Boy, Kathryn, at this rate, we didn't have to land next to a river," he teased.
"I think this landing site dredges up more memories than I can handle," sobbed Kathryn.
"Bad memories?" asked Chakotay.
"No...... And that's the problem," sighed Kathryn.
"Shush! You're being a little over-emotional, don't you think?"
"Maybe it makes up for all the times I've been under-emotional."
There was a long pause before Kathryn spoke again.
"A planet named NEW Hope, a river to explore - Chakotay, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you planned this!" said Kathryn. She tried to smile, but only produced another onslaught of tears. "Chakotay, this is the hardest thing I've ever done..."
"Kathryn, look at me," said Chakotay, staring hard into her eyes. "It may be the hardest thing YOU'VE ever done, but it's not the hardest thing that WE'VE ever done. Together! Not alone. You said you have faith in all of us - for once stop trying to support us and let us support you!"
"You're right, Chakotay, as usual," sobbed Kathryn. A puzzled expression crossed Chakotay's face as he pondered those words.
"Kathryn, sit down," he said, leading her to a large rock by the side of the river. He sat her down and knelt in front of her so that they were at eye level with one another. "Kathryn, are you doubting yourself?" She turned away from his piercing gaze.
"Kathryn, I don't understand! I watch you stare down enemies like the Kazon and the Borg everyday, and yet, I LOVE you, and you can't even look me in the eye! Am I more of a threat to you than our enemies? Did I single-handedly defeat Captain Kathryn Janeway just by being in love?"
She forced herself to stare into his eyes again. "Chakotay, the feelings between us go against everything I believe in. My most sacred beliefs. If I can learn that the values I live by are wrong, then how much else is wrong, too? Not only does admitting that I love you undermine my belief that a captain should not get romantically involved with her crew.... But it also underlies my love for Mark, and this whole stop off is not getting us any closer to home. Chakotay, I believe that my duty to this crew is to get them home. But I can't. And that fact kills me..... I don't know what else to do... I don't know what else to say.... Except that, I do love you.... Probably more than I can love myself" Her voice cracked as she spoke the last sentence.
"Kathryn," he whispered. "I love you BECAUSE of who you are. BECAUSE of what you believe in and how far you would go to defend your beliefs. But Kathryn, don't believe that you're a failure because you love me. It's not true. Just because one thing you believe is wrong doesn't mean your whole belief system is invalid. You're too hard on yourself! Just answer me this - if any other crew member acted exactly as you have, would you be equally hard on them? You are a member of your own crew, Kathryn."
"I can't even hate myself without a fight!" she commented, turning away from him again.
He sat down next to her on the rock and wrapped his arms around her. She fell into his embrace. They remained like this for several minutes while she continued to cry. A pang of guilt seized him. What if he had forced the issue too hard? What if he had hurt her by not letting her try her stupid Borg plan? Wait, he thought, rationally, if I let myself start doubting MY decisions, I'll be no better off than she is... She was so still he almost thought she was asleep until she shifted positions in his arms and said, "Chakotay, let's go back to the ship."
"Kathryn, are you all right?" he asked, stroking her hair, lightly.
"I need to get some rest," said Kathryn. "Chakotay?" she asked tentatively.
"Yes?" he replied.
"Stay with me," she whispered.
"Always," he answered. "Chakotay to Tuvok."
"Is there a problem, Commander?" asked the Vulcan.
"No problem. I found the captain asleep near the bank of the river. Could you please transport us both to her quarters?"
"I am not sure about the appropriateness of that, Commander," replied Tuvok.
"Do it, Tuvok. I'll explain myself when I'm ready to."
"Very well, Commander." A shimmer of light later, found the two highest ranking officers inside of Kathryn's quarters, sitting on her couch, still holding on to one another. She fell asleep almost immediately. After a few minutes, he gently disentangled himself from her, removed her boots, carried her to her bed, and tucked her under the covers. He then removed his own boots and debated whether or not he should sleep on the couch. He watched her face cloud over as she dreamt, apparently not a happy dream. He then decided to crawl under the covers and sleep next to her.
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2 years later.....
Kathryn was blissfully asleep curled up next to her husband in their nice warm bed when all of a sudden, her peace was shattered by the sound of wailing. It took her several minutes to realize that it was little Edward. She marveled at how Chakotay could sleep through the sound of their son's crying. She walked to the child's crib and picked him up. "Why won't you let your mother sleep?" she scolded him. As she prepared a bottle for him, she laughed to herself as she thought about how she once had scoffed at a life like the one she was now living. She was now truly a community leader, and the population was rapidly about to grow. Several other female crew members had followed her lead in getting pregnant, so more little ones were on the way. Plus, she had just gotten communication back from the ship that the war between the Borg and species 8472 was almost over, and that the Borg might actually win. With the doctor working twenty-four / seven on his immunization against Borg implants, she was sure that the journey would continue soon.
Chakotay woke up, realizing that he was alone. He walked over toward Edward's crib and smiled as he saw his son in Kathryn's arms. Kathryn had fallen asleep in the chair. Poor Kathryn, he thought, always asleep, yet never asleep. Edward kept her up practically all night half the time, so he found her asleep in all kinds of odd places all throughout the day. The funniest was the day when she was helping B'Elanna with something on Voyager in Engineering and she fell asleep in a jefferies tube! The scariest was the day she almost drowned herself falling asleep in the bathtub. He really wished she would wake him up some of the time, rather than try to handle their handful of a son by herself. He often teased her that Edward was a result of too much caffeine in her system while she was pregnant. Chakotay picked up Edward and put him back in the crib.
"Kathryn, come to bed," said Chakotay, giving her a gentle shake. Not even half awake, she followed him to the bed and flopped down, instantly asleep again. He followed suit.
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A few hours later....
"Voyager to Captain Janeway," announced Harry Kim. Kathryn awoke with a start, which, in turn woke her husband.
"Yes, Harry, what is it?" asked Kathryn. She had put Ensign Kim in charge of Voyager ever since Edward was born.
"Captain, the fight is over - the Borg have won.... But they're coming this way. We think they plan on assimilating New Hope."
"Over my dead body! Harry, come back to the planet. I'll have B'Elanna set up that planetary defense system she's been working on."
"Yes, ma'am, uh, I mean, Captain."
"Not crunch time yet, Mr. Kim, but close enough. Take care of my ship. Janeway out."
"What happens now, Kathryn?" asked Chakotay.
"What do you mean?" asked Kathryn.
"Well, even if our defense system works, it doesn't mean we'll still be able to get through Borg space. They'll definitely want to assimilate us if they know we have technology that will fend them off. The Northwest passage only existed because of species 8472."
"Chakotay, my only concern right now is defending the planet. What if the Borg won the war by assimilating species 8472? We won't have a chance against an enhanced Borg population. As for what happens next, I'm fully prepared to stay here for as long as we have to. As long as we have Voyager to go out on missions, we can still explore, and possibly find other ways home."
"How true. Listen, you go back to bed - I'll contact B'Elanna and see if she needs any help."
"Chakotay, I'm already awake, do you think I'm going to be able to sleep now?"
Chakotay smiled coyly. "Someone has to take care of Edward."
She threw his pillow at him. "Fine! But see if I give you a back rub tonight," she smirked. At his pouting face, she added, "Would you get moving already? The Borg will be here already by the time you leave this room!"
"Aye, aye, Captain Kate," he laughed. It was his pet name for her, and she hated it. Before she could reply, he left the room, which was quickly filled with the sounds of a wailing baby.
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"Of course, I'm still awake doing this, Chakotay, I've been working day and night on it since we landed on this God forsaken hell hole. I *live* in this laboratory!" growled B'Elanna as Chakotay gave her the news. "And I've even been working with the doctor on things we can try just in case the Borg try to use the strengths they could gain from species our favorite number."
"Excellent work, as always, B'Elanna."
"Well, if you and the captain weren't always so busy cooing over little Edward, you'd have noticed," she said, jokingly, but Chakotay could tell there was a part of her that felt this way.
"B'Elanna, the captain and I have been preoccupied, it's true, but she can't stop raving about all the work you've done since we landed the ship. We couldn't appreciate you more. Not to mention the fact that Tom can't stop complaining that you're never around. That's the reason why he decided to pilot Voyager instead of helping out around the village."
B'Elanna smiled. "Once I save everyone's asses this time, I know Tom will appreciate the work I do *very* much, and so will you and the captain."
"We certainly will, B'Elanna. Great work."
Chakotay walked out of B'Elanna's laboratory and smiled. Yes, it was almost crunch time, and the Borg could come any time, but damn, he was having the time of his life. He had a family, he had a home, and he had a purpose - survival. Oh, getting back to the Alpha quadrant was still a definite priority, but survival became mission number one, a decision that neither he nor she came to until the other senior bridge officers approached them and said that they believed that it was in the best interest of the crew to change the mission statement. So, their mission was now to embrace the challenges of the Delta quadrant and emerge triumphant. Kathryn had been so relieved when she had let this happen. The fact that they were on New Hope and not even making a dent in the distance between here and home had been bothering her greatly. Now, it no longer bothered her that they were not moving. They were all glad they were not dead. He came out of his reverie by the sight of a smiling Kes, holding his son in her front yard.
"Hello, Kes, she decided to call you, eh?" he asked.
"Of course not, Commander. I heard about the ship coming back, so I thought I'd go ahead and ask her myself. She said the little guy has been keeping her up half the night lately."
"He's my little caffeine baby," said Chakotay, letting Edward wrap his hand around Chakotay's finger.
"Oh, no, she insists that it's your fault. She keeps calling him the Energetic Warrior. Something about some ancient legend...."
Chakotay laughed. Suddenly, he became serious. "Kes, you're empathic. Can you sense any Borg coming? Do you know if they're planning on assimilating us?"
"I haven't seen anything lately, Commander. But I do have the doctor monitoring me just in case, and I will definitely inform you if anything unusual happens."
"Thank you, Kes. I keep almost forgetting that we've had this plan of action for almost two years now. We could pull this off with me and the captain in a coma!"
"Thank goodness THAT won't happen!" said Kes.
"All right, I'll see you later. Take care of my little man. I'll be around to pick him up at about 1700 hours if the captain doesn't get to it first."
"Good luck, Commander."
"If what we think is going to happen happens, believe you me, we're going to need it," said Chakotay.
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It wasn't until about 1500 hours that Kathryn walked out of her house that day. Figured that the first person she would run into would be the doctor, she thought.
"Captain. Sleeping better lately?"
"Better than usual, Doctor. Chakotay's been running around all day initiating our plan, and Kes has the baby."
"I'm glad to hear that, Captain. You have a habit of working yourself more than is necessary."
"Well, I'm rested now, and I would like to get some work done, so if you'll excuse me..."
"Captain!"
"Doctor. You thought the Redcoats were bad - the Borg are coming. Now, I'll talk to you later, unless you have anything to say with regards to our current predicament."
"No, Captain," he grumbled.
"Good." She brushed past him and hurried off to B'Elanna's laboratory. When she got there, she was pleased to see a happy B'Elanna and a smiling Chakotay.
"I've only come here to hear good news," said Kathryn, pecking her husband on the cheek.
"Well then you've come at the right time," said Chakotay.
"You certainly have, Captain. The new defense system is up and running. I'd like to see a Borg cube try to assimilate THIS planet!" said B'Elanna.
"Nice work. See that, Chakotay, I told you I could run this crew in my sleep," laughed Kathryn.
"Yeah, okay. That's only because you've been running 24-7 in your sleep," said Chakotay. "I'm going to pick up Edward in a couple of hours. Then I'm going to make dinner. I don't know what you want to do until then."
"Probably just walk around, make sure everything's going as planned."
"What do you think I've been doing all day?" he asked.
"You know me, I have to see things for myself. Besides, I bet you forgot to talk to Tuvok," she said.
His mouth hung open. "Uh, maybe you should just take a look around. Sorry, Captain Kate," he grinned.
"That's what I thought, Commander Chuckles," said Kathryn with a smirk.
He kissed her on the nose. "All right, then, I'll see you later, dear."
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"Mr. Tuvok, how are those weapons modifications coming?" asked Kathryn, after Tuvok let her into his house.
"They are almost complete. The new modifications will allow the weapons to recalibrate themselves indefinitely - a different frequency every two shots. The Borg will never be able to adapt to them."
"Excellent." She was about to leave, but something made her stop and take a look at her surroundings. The walls were completely barren, and the room was only sparsely furnished. She thought about all the other times she had visited the Vulcan's house, and realized that the same was true. "Tuvok, why keep this house looking so dull? I know you're a Vulcan, but Vulcans, especially you, do possess an appreciation of beauty, do they not?" she asked.
"Captain, I believe my main duty to this crew is to handle matters of security. Matters of my surroundings can certainly wait."
"Tuvok, if I didn't know any better, I'd say something was bothering you. So, spill it."
"Nothing is bothering me, Captain, but you could say that I am a little perplexed."
"About what, pray tell?" she asked.
"Do you value my council?"
"Of course!"
"Then what is the reason behind the fact that you are no longer requesting it? The past several large decisions you have made, you did not ask for my analysis of the situation once."
"Tuvok, you did always note your analyses in your reports, have you not?" she asked, shocked. A Vulcan with wounded pride????
"Yes, Captain, but that is not the point. The point is that you used to ask me for advice. We used to .......interact more."
Kathryn's jaw dropped to the ground. Ever since she had grown closer and closer to Chakotay and B'Elanna, she had not been seeking the council of the Vulcan. He was lonely, and she had been neglecting him for a while now. "Tuvok, I'm so sorry. You're one of the best friends I've ever had. It's just that you're so quiet about it, how can I know how you feel?"
"Captain, I did not mean to upset you. I just wanted to ask you if you would want to play a game of Kal Tow tomorrow evening, provided that more pressing matters don't interrupt."
"That would be wonderful, Tuvok."
"Excellent. I will be here at 6:00 tomorrow evening. By that time, the trappings in my house will be much more like that which you are accustomed to."
"Don't hurry on my account, Tuvok." She wondered if there was some kind of Vulcan ritual that had something to do with what Tuvok had done or not done to his house. "Till tomorrow." She smiled and left Tuvok's house, heading over toward Kes' garden.
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Kathryn Janeway sighed in exasperation. On one hand, there was a wailing child screaming for attention. On the other, Voyager had had several close calls with one of the Borg cubes and the reports were pouring in from poor Ensign Kim. And for once, no one was home to offer to take the load off of her! Chakotay was working with B'Elanna on a vulnerability they had found with the defense system, and Kes was working with the doctor on maximizing space in the doctor's "hospital" in the event of multiple casualties. Suddenly, the doorbell sounded. "Who is it?" she choked out.
"It is I, Captain." Much to her surprise, Tuvok was at the door.
"Oh, Tuvok, it's after 6 o'clock, isn't it? I completely lost track of the time!" she exclaimed apologetically.
Tuvok walked into the baby's room, picked him up, and the child immediately stopped crying. "I thought you might require some assistance," said the Vulcan.
"Thank you, Tuvok, you're a life saver!"
Her commbadge cut into the conversation. "Captain!" exclaimed Chakotay's voice, "It's time!"
"All hands to Operation Borg stations!" ordered Janeway. "Tuvok, take Edward to one of the safe houses. I have to get to the command lab."
"Captain, I -," protested Tuvok.
"Do it!" She ran out of the building, Tuvok following with Edward until they needed to follow two separate paths to get to their respective destinations. "Harry, where's Voyager?"
"We're holding position on the opposite side of the planet than the Borg ships are coming toward as per your instructions, Captain."
"Excellent. You know the plan."
"Of course, Captain."
"Good boy, Harry. Chakotay, how many Borg cubes are coming toward the planet?"
"Three, Captain. That may be all they can spare."
"Lock position and standby planetary defense weapons. Fire at will."
"With pleasure, Captain," smiled Chakotay, knowing that his wife was standing right behind him only because of the fact that her voice no longer sounded tinny from the commbadge.
"Direct hit, Captain," called out B'Elanna, checking her sensor readings. "The Borg are adapting, but our weapons system is remodulating. Two more direct hits. The Borg are retreating, Captain!"
"That wasn't part of the plan!" exclaimed Kathryn. "Voyager will never have time to come from around the planet and finish them off."
"I hope they aren't finding reinforcements," said Chakotay.
"Well, let's consider this a small victory of a larger war, then. Harry, land the ship."
"Aye, Captain."
"Chakotay, Tuvok has Edward in the shelter. I'm going to try to sleep for a little while," she yawned.
"All right. I'm going to hang around here for a little while and help reset everything so that we can prepare for the next attack," said Chakotay.
"Janeway to Tuvok. I'm sorry I missed our appointment. We'll have to reschedule sometime."
"That is quite all right, Captain. I am enjoying the quality time with my godson."
"I'm glad, Mr. Tuvok. Janeway to all hands, good evening, and good job today." She made a hasty exit.
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Kathryn Janeway rolled over for about the umpteenth time that night trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. As much as she wanted to, she could not fall asleep. Edward's unstable sleep patterns seemed to have rubbed off on her - she was so used to being awakened every hour that she could only sleep for an hour or so before waking up. She then heard a noise. Chakotay was finally home - he had just entered the room. He noticed that she was awake and said, "Sorry if I woke you, Kathryn."
"No, that's okay. You didn't wake me," she said. He could sense the frustration in her voice.
"Trouble sleeping?" he asked.
"And I didn't even have any time for any coffee today!"
"Captain, Commander!!!!!" came the frantic yell of Ensign Kim, followed by several loud explosions. "We're under attack! The Borg have figured out how to breech planetary defenses! They've got Tuvok and Edward, and they're heading straight for your house next!"
"We have to get Edward!" exclaimed Kathryn.
"You know the drill - we have to get to the shelter!" called out Chakotay.
The couple ran out of the house and were greeted by two Borg soldiers. Kathryn ran up to them. "Bastards! Give me back my son! If you want to assimilate him, you'll have to assimilate me first!"
"Kathryn, dammit!!" yelled Chakotay. He grabbed her roughly around the waist and dragged/carried her toward the shelter.
"If anything happens to my son...!" she called out to the approaching Borg.
"Kathryn, you'll never save them by getting assimilated!" When they reached the shelter, Kathryn fell to her knees. "Doctor!" called Chakotay. The doctor promptly injected the captain with a hypospray. As they carried her to a bed, Chakotay asked, "Doctor, are you sure that was necessary?"
"She's too exhausted to be of any use to us right now, and she's worried about your son. If Tuvok hadn't been captured, I might sedate you, too."
Suddenly, everyone's attention became focused on the monitors. The Borg ships were exploding, one by one. Without being noticed by anyone, a Borg approached the entrance to the shelter, carrying something in it's arms. All eyes turned toward the opening door. The Borg entered the shelter, held out the bundle in his arms toward Chakotay and said, "Logically speaking, resistance is NOT futile."
"Tuvok!" gasped Chakotay. "Is that really you? And you've got Edward!"
"It is I, Commander. The assimilation process has altered my body, but not my mind. I found that I was able to receive all of the collective's orders, but I still retained the ability to choose whether or not to follow them. I then used their knowledg
e against them to destroy their cubes. Any future Borg we may encounter are now under standing orders to ignore us."
"Then my brilliant plan worked?" asked the doctor.
"Yes, doctor," said Tuvok.
"What plan? And why weren't the captain and I informed?" asked Chakotay.
"The doctor and I have been studying Vulcan meditative techniques. We determined that if I were to remove myself from all distractions for a significant period of time, I would be able to focus my thoughts such that assimilation by Borg would not be able to reach my consciousness. While it worked admirably, Doctor, I find the entire procedure to be rather... isolating," confessed the Vulcan-Borg.
"It was like you weren't even there, Tuvok. I found myself.... forgetting to include you in many things. And Kathryn even told me that you seemed to be withdrawn. How could we not even notice? I'm sorry, Tuvok," said Chakotay.
"There is no need to be sorry, Commander. I did not want anybody to know. The point is that the procedure is no longer necessary. Doctor, I am ready for the removal of the Borg implants."
"We'll begin immediately, Mr. Tuvok," said the doctor.
As Tuvok handed Edward to Chakotay, the baby started to wail. "You certainly have a way with children, Tuvok," said Chakotay. There was a groan from one of the bio beds.
"Kathryn," said Chakotay, sitting on the edge of her bed and holding her hand.
"Is that our son crying?" she whispered. Chakotay held him out to her, and the child fell silent again.
"It would appear, Commander, that everyone has a way with children except for you," said Tuvok.
"A joke, Tuvok?" asked Chakotay as everyone laughed.
"Jokes are illogical, and, in my present condition, I am compelled to say, futile," said Tuvok. "I was merely pointing out the obvious."
"Doctor, can Kathryn leave now?" asked Chakotay.
"Certainly, provided the Janeway family goes straight home and directly to bed. I don't want so much as a personal log to get done. Is that understood?"
"Understood, Doctor," said Chakotay. He helped Kathryn off of the bio bed and the three turned to exit.
"Tuvok, we'll come see you in the morning," said Kathryn.
"Don't bother, Captain. The procedure won't be done for another two days. I'll let you know when he can have visitors," said the doctor.
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One month later.....
Kathryn once again set foot on the bridge of the starship, Voyager. It was good to be home. Cozy and community-like as the planet had been, she was glad to be getting back "on the road." Harry Kim hesitated before rising from her chair. "It's hard to give up, isn't it?" she asked the ensign, beaming at him with pride. He had been through so much during this trip, his first mission. And after that attack from species 8472, he was very lucky to be alive. Another example of the doctor's ingenuity.
"It certainly is, Captain," said Harry, stepping aside so she could sit.
Chakotay walked onto the bridge. "All crew are present and accounted for."
"Begin launch sequence," ordered Captain Janeway.
"Aye, Captain," answered Tom Paris.
The ship rose from the ground and exited the planet's atmosphere. "Set a course for the alpha quadrant, warp six."
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On a Borg cube, the starship Voyager being pulled along by a tractor beam....
A flash of light, and Captain Kathryn Janeway found herself back in bargaining position with the Borg. "I don't understand, Q," said Kathryn, "Are you saying that I made a wrong decision?"
"I didn't say that anybody was wrong, did I?" answered Q.
"But Chakotay's idea would have worked," she protested.
"Merely one possible future," said Q. "You wanted to see what would happen if you listened, I showed it to you. The rest of this, you'll have to figure out yourself. The Continuum is watching." Q snapped his fingers and disappeared.
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To be continued in season four of Star Trek: Voyager........