Star Trek Voyager: The Gift

Star Trek Voyager: The Gift 46. Betrayals and Revelations

“The transport from the Valjean is in progress Captain.” Lieutenant Carey reported through the comm. system to where Janeway waited pensively on the Bridge, transporter control having been transferred to Engineering for the time being due to the damage Voyager had sustained.

Taking a deep, bracing breath as she rose from her chair, Janeway calmly answered, “Thank you Lieutenant.” It’s almost as if I welcome rebels to my ship as allies everyday, she couldn’t help but think wryly as she watched the nervy Bridge crew marvel at her composure. If only they knew.

In that instant the distinctive lingering buzz of the transporter system heralded the arrival of their ‘allies’. She felt the tension in her back slacken ever so slightly as she saw that, true to his word, Chakotay had only brought two people with him. At least he seemed to be holding up his end of the bargain so far. It took all the willpower she had not to even glance at Tuvok, to not express the overwhelming relief she felt at seeing her trusted friend alive and well. Chakotay’s second companion made it a little easier to ignore Tuvok. The woman, even under the obscuring black cloak the curves of a female figure could be seen if nothing else, seemed a strange choice for an obviously wary man like Chakotay to bring along with him and that alone made Janeway’s own suspicion peak. No distinguishing feature of the woman could be seen, Janeway couldn’t even tell what species she was…

“Captain.” Chakotay’s controlled, but still biting tone broke through her thoughts. “You’ve got us here; we’ve established that we both want our missing crewmembers back, but what exactly is your plan?” Janeway only took the time now to take the young man in, who under normal would’ve been her adversary. He was darkly handsome, no doubt about that, and she could see the intelligence of a leader in his cautious, watchful eyes which still managed to burn with dangerous righteous conviction. She realised as she considered her reply that he must’ve seen her studying his crewwoman, he was subtly, but determinedly, holding her behind him as if he were her bodyguard.

“I think our only course of action is to return to the array.” She told him bluntly.

“Our only course of action?” Chakotay echoed, his eyes narrowing as he assessed her, “How can I be sure I can trust you? That you won’t trade my crew in for more of those experiments to get your Harry Kim back?”

Janeway stiffened, and this time caught Tuvok’s eye. “I know we don’t know each other Mr Chakotay, but I would’ve thought you’d remember Starfleet’s moral code from your time as an officer, I haven’t forgotten it. We have to work together on this if we’re going to have any chance of getting home.”

Chakotay regarded her carefully, holding her gaze as he evaluated his, very few, options. “Agreed.” He replied firmly, but then took a small step towards her. “But if you think I’m turning in my crew when we get back to the Alpha Quadrant, let me tell you now that that isn’t part of the deal.”

Surprise flickered briefly over Janeway’s face, but her eyes soon hardened challengingly, “When we get home, the status quo resumes, and that means my orders from Starfleet will stand, understood?”

Chakotay bristled at the quiet threat; the sight of his dark eyes flashing with ire was enough for Tuvok to make his move, his phaser flicking out to brush Chakotay’s side in warning. “In the interest of our current situation, I believe now would be the correct time to inform you that I am in fact a Starfleet officer.”