As he drifted off to sleep, he could only wonder what damage he might accidentally do to MK as she grew up. The thought unsettled him, and he found himself holding B’Elanna closer to his chest. Even though she was sound asleep, it was her turn to comfort him for a while.
~*~*~*~*~
Their weekend had been glorious, two whole days with Molly on Kathryn’s family farm in Bloomington. It was their first extended time as a couple openly in love, and they both enjoyed the simple pleasure of walking unselfconsciously with their bodies intertwined.
She had introduced him to her neighbors as her partner, and he knew he truly was. But Chakotay was becoming a traditionalist in his old age, and he couldn’t help but hope that his title would soon be upgraded to husband. Their lives were stressful enough as it was, however, and he kept that little wish to himself. One victory at a time, he knew. And he had proven himself a very patient man.
The were sitting together on her front porch—looking up at the familiar constellations and making plans for the future—when he broke the news about his fellowship. Kathryn was angry, but not surprised. This whole damn situation was too political, she said, and she railed at the unfairness of it all. Having had almost two weeks to adjust to the news, Chakotay was more philosophical. “Look, you weren’t looking forward to spending time in the rain forest anyway. I’ve gotten over this Kathryn. You should, too.”
“So what will you do?” she wondered out loud.
He smiled. “There are lots of things I can do with a resume like mine. ‘Former Maquis terrorist and Starfleet hero. Excellent judge of character. Special skills include shadow boxing with aliens, and rescuing beautiful women from the Borg.’ Who wouldn’t want to hire me?” He was laughing, but she was still worried. They’d need to find a future they could both embrace, she knew, if they were going to make a life together.
She realized at that moment that any new career was likely to limit their time together as long as she captained a starship. Hell, she’d leave Starfleet altogether before she would give up this relationship, but she didn’t want it to come to that. They’d have to think up a new plan. But not tonight. Tonight she had other adventures on her mind.
They’d done a good job in making up for lost time, she knew, but that didn’t mean she was in any way satisfied. “Well, I have a job for you right now,” she said suggestively. “You can start by working this kink out of my neck. By the time you’re finished, I’m sure I’ll have come up with another assignment.”
He was used to taking orders from her, though not necessarily this kind. “Yes, ma’am,” he said with his best Tom Paris twang. They both laughed out loud.
“Don’t kill the mood,” she teased. “Unless you want me thinking of other men while you massage my neck.” Perish the thought, he said to himself. Not that there was any real danger of that. As his hands worked their way through her knotted muscles, somehow he knew her mind was on him and him alone.
They made full use of their final night together before they had to face the cold stark glare of reality. The morning would come too soon, they both knew. And, though he didn’t say it, Chakotay had been making plans for a new future. Plans he suspected Kathryn wouldn’t approve of.
~*~*~*~*~
The hearing lasted five days—much longer than Kathryn had been led to expect—during which the actions of the Liberty’s crew, both before and after they were pulled into the Delta Quadrant, were closely scrutinized. The defendants were tried in two groups: those who had once served in Starfleet, and those civilian colonists who had joined the Maquis in defense of their homes. The civilian defendants were pardoned almost immediately: the utter devastation their colonies had faced at the hands of the Jem’Hadar was worse than any punishment the Federation could hand down.
Of greater concern, however, were those who had resigned their Starfleet commissions to take up the cause, especially those who took on positions of authority in the resistance like Chakotay and B’Elanna. These former officers, crewmen, and cadets had signed and sworn oaths of allegiance to the Federation and of non-interference in the affairs of other cultures. Oaths they had broken by becoming Maquis. In addition, since they had brought the bulk of the military and technical expertise to the cause, the former ‘Fleeters were more easily tied to the crimes committed in the name of the Maquis. Crimes that included piracy, theft, sabotage, and—depending on one’s view—attempted murder.
Of Voyager’s non-Maquis crew, only Kathryn Janeway had heard all of these allegations before. She had been fully briefed about the men and women she’d be hunting down before Voyager left for the Badlands. Even Tom, who had been part of Chakotay’s cell for almost six months, learned a thing or two about his wife’s past during the inquiry. For Joe, Sue, and the others who had come to show support for their friends, this was all painfully new. Over and over, as the hearing progressed, charge after charge was laid out: multiple raids on Starfleet supply ships, the explosion of a Federation munitions storage facility, and the destruction of three Cardassian ships, resulting in the deaths of over a hundred soldiers. Despite these allegations, however, the Starfleet crewmembers remained united in support of their friends.
They weren’t the only ones to hear surprising and disturbing stories, however. Voyager’s Maquis also learned the details of the last years of their struggle, and what they heard led most of them to wonder if questionable tactics hadn’t been used by both sides. Chakotay, in particular, was very unsettled by much of what he discovered. Aboard his ship there were rules and limits and a clear understanding that they were to follow a code of honor at all times. Clearly other Maquis leaders had a more subjective set of principles. One of the sad realities of being part of an underground movement, he knew, was the lack of a system of accountability. By its nature, a rebellion operated outside the law. But did that mean that its members were exempt from all laws? Weren’t some things still just morally wrong?
And yet his friends and colleagues had been forced to pay for their mistakes with their lives. What greater consequences could they have faced?
Officially, since both sides stipulated to the facts of the case, there was no need to call witnesses to the events themselves. The issue here was more the motives and character of the Liberty’s crew, and whether their circumstances justified any of what they had done. Wrapped up in the question was another mitigating factor: these men and women had a second ‘past’ to be considered: seven years of service as Starfleet officers aboard Voyager. Kathryn took the stand for almost three whole days, relating incident after incident where the former Maquis had in some way or another proved themselves loyal and worthy officers. She spoke at length about Chakotay’s role in saving Voyager from the Kazon’s attack at the array, taking the lead in integrating the two crews, insisting on their loyalty to her as their new captain, and helping his crew develop new ways of conducting themselves that were in support of Starfleet’s ideals.
Janeway spoke of B’Elanna’s promising academy record, her gifts as an engineer, and the role her talent, hard work, and inspiration had played in keeping the ship functional for so many years without proper maintenance facilities. She said—and believed—that, without B’Elanna, they would still be trapped in the Delta Quadrant if not dead. She spoke of B’Elanna’s emerging leadership abilities, and the way her talent and tireless efforts had made Torres respected by her entire staff. Kathryn even presented a formal deposition from Joe Carey—Voyager’s senior engineer at the time of the Caretaker incident, supporting Janeway’s decision to make B’Elanna chief engineer and enthusiastically vouching for the character of his ‘boss’. As his prerecorded testimony was played aloud, Torres searched the hearing room for her friend. The look on her face when she caught Joe’s eye was all the thanks he would ever need.
Janeway’s arguments were passionate, logical, and carefully considered—to the point that one would guess she had been practicing her testimony for the entire length of Voyager’s trip. Only once did she almost lose her composure: when aske
d about Tuvok’s holodeck scenario in anticipation of a potential Maquis mutiny. She feared that—without Tuvok’s own testimony—his tactical simulation could be easily misinterpreted. The captain struggled to explain the circumstances under which his preparations had come to light: by the time his scenario was discovered, the idea of a Maquis mutiny was so ridiculous that the crew thought it had to be a holonovel, written for the their entertainment. No one, not even Tuvok, considered a mutiny a real possibility at that point.
After this part of the proceedings, the Voyager crew began to suspect something about their captain: when discussing Tuvok’s Insurrection Alpha scenario, neither she nor the examiners made reference to the actual Maquis mutiny—instigated by the implanted mind control techniques of a former Maquis operative—that had taken place less than a year earlier. Was it possible she hadn’t included the incident in her logs? If not, why? Did she withhold it for fear of the ramifications for Tuvok, Chakotay, B’Elanna and the others involved? Since it was never mentioned, they could only speculate. And certainly none of them would ever volunteer the information.
The inquiry concluded with brief closing statements and an opportunity for the accused to make a final collective statement. By prior agreement, the former Maquis admitted to the charges against them without comment. Only Chakotay spoke on their behalf. His words were passionate and eloquent: they had been soldiers fighting a military battle against an invading enemy of overpowering strength and against overwhelming odds. They believed each action they took was in support of the greater cause of defending the weak from the oppression of the powerful. They apologized for the necessity of their methods, but not for the cause for which they fought. It was not despite their Federation principles, he argued, but because of them that he and his crew had taken up this struggle. They had believed in the nobility of their fight, and refused to diminish its significance by denying the truth.
From the expressions on the faces of his friends, it was clear that Chakotay’s next words were not part of their scripted statement to the court.
“This council has alleged that our actions call into question our fitness as representatives of the Federation. I’m not sure it is possible for me to prove you wrong. But as a man who has served proudly as a Starfleet officer for most of my adult life, including the past seven years, I stand here today to remind you of a key principal of service under Federation law: that the captain is responsible for the actions of his crew. Therefore, I ask that you hold me personally accountable for the charges and specifications you have outlined. And I ask you to pardon my crew, whose actions were not only in defense of the innocent, but were taken under my orders and as a result of their loyalty to me.”
The examiners immediately moved to quiet the rumble that stirred through the hearing room, and Tom was afraid someone would have to physically restrain B’Elanna. In the end, however, Chakotay’s petition was allowed to stand, and the council adjourned to make their decision.
“What did you do that for?” B’Elanna was shouting at Chakotay as Kathryn and Tom moved to join them.
He put his hands on his friend’s shoulders to calm her as he answered. “It was the truth, B’Elanna. Besides, if I can give them someone to punish, maybe they’ll go easier on the rest of you.”
Tom was shaking his head. “Chakotay, none of us are going to let you throw yourself to the wolves for this. You were only doing what you thought was right at the time.”
Chakotay took a moment to look at Paris before he answered. “Tom, three weeks ago your father offered to help clear your Starfleet record, to make it as if Caldik Prime and your time in the Maquis had never happened. And you wouldn’t let him. You didn’t want to run away from the truth of what you had done. You wanted to take responsibility for the choices you made. That’s all I’m doing now. I did the things they’re accusing me of. I don’t want to pretend that never happened. I don’t want to renounce the cause we all believed in. I can’t do that, and I wouldn’t ask B’Elanna and the others to do that either. Not after everything our friends fought and died for.”
B’Elanna was still furious. “I don’t need you to take the blame for my actions. I don’t care if they...” Chakotay cut her off. “Take you away from your husband and child? Strip you of your rank and kick you out of Starfleet? Undo all the work you’ve done to make a new life for yourself?”
She wasn’t deterred. “So it’s okay for you to take the blame—face the consequences—but not the rest of us? We were in this together, Chakotay.” She was shaking with anger.
“There’s a difference, B’Elanna: I was the captain. You were under my command. Besides, this isn’t about taking the punishment, it’s about taking the responsibility. I need to do this. Not just for you and the others, but for myself.”
While Tom was grateful for the sacrifice his friend was making, he couldn’t believe Chakotay realized the full consequences of his actions. “You know, you could end up serving time. They could throw you out of Starfleet for good.”
Chakotay turned to look at Kathryn before he answered. “Actually, I planned on resigning my commission when we got home anyway. I’m looking forward to life as a civilian.” He turned back to look Tom in the eye. “And, you never know. I can think of one ex-convict who’s been able to build a good life for himself after paying his debt to society. Maybe he can be my role-model.” Tom could only shake his head at the compliment from this man who used to find him less than worthless. What a long, strange seven years it had been.
“And,” Chakotay continued, “since I may only have a few more days of freedom, I think we should go somewhere to celebrate.”
B’Elanna couldn’t believe her ears. “Celebrate?! What could we possibly have to celebrate?”
Chakotay put his arm around his dearest friend. “That we’re home. We’re alive. And—at least for tonight—we’re together. What else do we need?” He turned to Paris, “Tom, I assume your parents would love a night with their granddaughter? Tell the Admiral he’s babysitting, because you and your wife have a date.”
With that, and looking—quite ironically—as free as they had ever seen him, Chakotay led them out of the hearing room and into the bright California sunshine.
~*~*~*~*~
The place was exactly has they had come to know it, a credit to Tom Paris’s skills as a holoprogrammer. From the pool table that banked to the east, to the mahogany bar top, to the collection of seedy-looking characters, any one of Voyager’s crew would have recognized Chez Sandrine’s in an instant.
It had been Chakotay’s idea to hold their celebration here. For some reason, he felt compelled to return to the bar where he first recruited Tom Paris, in a strange way coming full-circle in his journey. That trip—when he had gone looking for the rumored ‘great pilot in need of bail-out’—had been his last visit to Earth before Voyager’s overdue homecoming. To Chakotay, this place reminded him of those days as a Maquis captain. In an odd way, he needed to reclaim that feeling; he was about to pay for the choices he made back then, and this felt like a good way to reconnect to that part of his past.
He had laid down three ground rules for the evening: casual clothes (no uniforms), no ranks, and no conversation about the hearings. And what better place, Chakotay figured, for a fun evening out than Sandrine’s, their own ‘neighborhood bar’?
For Tom Paris, however, the choice of settings complicated his emotions about the entire night. It was ironic that Tom had chosen Chez Sandrine’s as his first Voyager holodeck program. While he had told the crew on many occasions that this Marseilles tavern was his home-away-from-home while on Earth, it had really been his place to retreat from his life. This wasn’t his reality; it was the place he hid in to escape it. Not knowing the symbolism this tavern had for Chakotay, Tom wasn’t sure why his friend picked the real Sandrine’s for this special celebration. Paris assumed he had chosen it to remind them all of happier times on Voyager. Ironic, he thought, that here they were on Earth, after dreaming of nothing e
lse for years, headed to a place that would remind them of their days in the Delta Quadrant.
More familiar than the rest with the streets of Marseilles, Tom was ahead of schedule and sharing stories with B’Elanna as they walked. He wanted to have a few moments alone before their friends arrived. His wife had been very upset by Chakotay’s decision to take the blame for the crimes they committed together in the Maquis. Tom was hoping he could help her relax and enjoy what might be their last night together with their friend before the judgment came down.
When the tavern doors swung open, the juxtaposition of the real and holographic Sandrine’s took the couple some getting used to. Almost without thinking, Tom headed for ‘their table,’ forgetting that he had added that particular secluded booth to his holodeck program when he was trying to advance his relationship with B’Elanna. The real Sandrine’s had no such spot. Instead, they found a few small tables near the back of the room and pulled together enough seats for the entire group.
When she came to take their order, Tom almost didn’t recognize her. It was mutual. “Sandrine?” he said to the aging woman standing before him. She was older and much more subdued than the vivacious barkeep of Tom’s program. And he could see her searching her memory, trying to place the face.
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