Decisions and Destiny Chapter 12

Disclaimer: The characters are the property of Paramount and were created by Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan and the wonderful cast of Star Trek: Voyager. This is strictly a non-profit operation: the rewards are in the writing and feedback. If you’re under 18, or have a problem with consenting adults in a same-sex relationship, now is the time to find something else to read. Do not post or reprint without author’s permission. © 2007 by BeachBum

OK DAx, challenge accepted! Believe it or not, both DAx and I came up with very similar story arcs independent of each other. So we decided to square off head to head and take our best shots. I hope you enjoy!

Acknowledgements: I cannot thank Lyric, Susan, Annie or LZClotho enough for their phenomenal beta-reading skills, encouragement and late-night hand-holding. Ladies, you save me from myself and my terminal mis-use of the ellipse not to mention chronic comma abuse.

CHAPTER 12

Why does the collar on every dress uniform I’ve ever owned feel like it was designed to strangle me? That and rub the skin off my neck. I’ll be a bloody mess by the end of the evening!

Pacing across the living area of the suite Captain Janeway stuck a finger inside her collar and attempted to stretch it enough to keep herself comfortable for the upcoming ceremonies and ball slated for the evening. Pausing in front of a mirror on the closed bedroom door she critically inspected the appearance of her dress whites. With boots polished to a mirror shine, razor crease in the dress trousers, snowy white tunic sporting enough gold braid and decorations to identify her as a ranking officer in Starfleet, Janeway cut an imposing figure despite her relatively short stature. A sharp knock at the door of the hotel suite interrupted her self-inspection.

Opening the door revealed one of the hotel’s assistant managers holding a flat black velvet box.

“Good evening, Captain. This arrived for you from New York earlier this morning. Per your instructions we’ve kept it in the hotel vault until now.”

“Thank you for bringing it up, Mr. Wylie; it’s for tonight’s festivities. And it’s a surprise.”

“Happy to be able to help. Good evening, Captain.”

Janeway carried the box into the living area of the suite and gently opened it. Inside rested a magnificent necklace and matching bracelet of diamonds and sapphires. It had taken Tiffany and Company nearly a week to complete her order and Janeway again thanked her lucky stars that her commission had been completed on time.

For some reason described by her sister only as ‘the WOW factor’, Phoebe and Seven had steadfastly refused to allow Kathryn to see the clothes Seven planned to wear for the official Starfleet ceremonies. It had taken all of Janeway’s formidable negotiating skills to pry the color of the clothing out of her younger sister at Seven’s degree ceremony the week before. When she had contacted Mr. Lanscombe at Tiffany’s she described the color she needed to match and left the rest of the design in his capable hands. The end result was a necklace of 56 alternating oval diamonds and square sapphires of around one carat each. The matching bracelet was made of identically cut but slightly smaller stones. Lanscombe had once again met her needs perfectly. Kathryn reflected with a wry grin that there were times when, Traditionalist or not, it was nice to have ancestors who had amassed a huge fortune and left trust funds for future generations. Phoebe had used a chunk of hers to establish her studios in Paris and Indiana and to build her house at the farm. To date, Janeway had dipped into hers only to pay for her home in the city. Well, at least until she’d transferred a sizeable sum of credits to Tiffany’s during the past month.

Closing the box she laid it on the table and resumed her pacing. She threw a glance at the room’s chronometer knowing her nerves were due only to her own insecurities. Seven would be prompt as always making sure their entrance to the festivities would be precisely on time. As she paced the plush carpet of the living room a soft smile crossed her lips at the memory of Seven receiving her degrees from MIT earlier in the week. The silver-gray gown with scarlet front panels and arm chevrons had made Seven look completely regal as the deep blue hood was placed over her shoulders. Janeway had grinned so widely in her pride at Seven’s accomplishments that her face hurt for two days after their return home. At the quiet sound of her name she spun to see the object of her reverie standing in the bedroom doorway. And for one long moment the Earth stopped spinning around the sun. Janeway suddenly understood ‘the WOW factor’ completely.

Seven’s garments were a simply-cut pair of narrow slacks and matching square-bodice top. Over them she wore a knee length, long-sleeved collarless coat of the same fabric. But what a fabric it was! Deepest indigo with an almost iridescent finish, it shimmered and glistened with a silver sheen as Seven moved and it caught the light of the room. The classic lines emphasized her height and showed off her figure to its best advantage. So breathtaking was the sight of her that Kathryn could utter nothing for several moments, only gaze in appreciation. Finally with a small shake of her head she regained control of her senses and smiled at the woman she loved.

“To say you look beautiful is so inadequate. But I don’t have any better words, darling. You look exquisite – you take my breath away.”

Seven’s shy smile showed her pleasure at the comment. “Thank you, Kathryn; I wanted to look beautiful for you tonight. Phoebe assured me that this outfit would be sufficient for that purpose.”

“Sufficient? That has to be the biggest understatement my sister has ever made. My God, Seven, you’re stunning! I’ll need a club to hold off all your would-be admirers tonight.” Grabbing the velvet box off the table she walked over to where Seven was standing. “I have something for you, my love. It took me almost a week, but I finally pried the color of your dress out of Phoebe and had these made for you.” As she opened the box she was rewarded with a gasp and a major arch of the optical implant from her fiancée.

“Kathryn! They are stunning. But surely jewels of this quality are extremely costly. I do not wish for you to…”

“Darling, it’s about time you learned something about my family. We may live as Traditionalists, but my ancestors knew a thing or two about commerce. Neither Phoebe nor Mom nor I will ever have to worry about anything financial. I can easily afford these many, many times over. Don’t ever worry about that. Now, turn around and let me put them on you.”

Seven’s eyes widened at the mirror’s reflection as she watched Janeway fasten the necklace around her throat. Involuntarily, her fingers touched the necklace as Kathryn clasped the bracelet on her wrist.

“Thank you, Kathryn. They are…very beautiful.”

“They only enhance your beauty, darling. My love, you are going to stop traffic tonight. Now come along, let’s get Mom and Phoebe and head downstairs. I can’t wait to watch the Admirals fall all over themselves to talk with you.”

* * * * *

A quarter of an hour later, they stepped off the lifts with Gretchen and Phoebe and headed for the ballrooms Starfleet had reserved for the ceremonies. As Janeway and Seven walked in the main doors and were announced the room fell silent. Seven had a momentary twinge of unease before the room erupted in cheers and applause as members of Voyager’s crew moved forward to congratulate their commanding officer and astrometrics officer. Her unease vanished in the good wishes of her crewmates as they crowded around the engaged couple. Their upcoming nuptials seemed to be the only topic of conversation. From the bits and pieces she overheard it seemed the entire crew was planning on attending. It took Janeway and Seven almost half an hour to work their way through the throng of crew and family members and finally arrive at the bar for drinks. To Seven’s surprise Ensign Radcliffe and Lieutenant Martin were loitering around the bar waiting for them.

“Good evening, Lieutenant, Ensign. Are you enjoying yourselves?” asked Janeway with a smile.

“Good evening, Captain and good evening Dr. Hansen. May I say you look breathtaking this evening?”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. Should we assume that you are not here alone?” Seven’s contingent of bodyguards was a source of mild frustration to her and one of comfort for Janeway. The thought of renegade Section 31 operatives still having access to Seven of Nine gave Janeway sleepless nights, but the knowledge that Lieutenant Martin and his Fleet Marines were close by and available allowed her to relax somewhat. Seven realized how her abduction had affected Janeway but felt that she could deal with most threats if there was no personal treachery involved. Since they were in a large crowd of with unfamiliar Starfleet personnel she knew that Janeway would be far more comfortable with the presence of Martin and his men and decided not to make an issue of their presence. She had to admit that the Lieutenant was personable and as accommodating as he could be under the circumstances.

“Several of my friends are in attendance this evening, Dr. Hansen,” he replied with a smile. “We promise to stay as invisible as possible and hide behind the potted plants whenever we can.”

Janeway and Seven both laughed and thanked him for his courtesy. They began to discuss Seven’s new position with MIT-Daystrom and some of the security concerns involved. As they were talking quietly, Radcliffe spotted Chakotay making his way toward them and quietly shifted his position so that he was between the burly First Officer and Janeway and Seven. As Chakotay approached he stepped forward to block him.

“Good evening, Commander. I’m Ethan Radcliffe, Captain Janeway’s aide. Can I help you with something?”

“I need to speak with her, Ensign. Get out of my way.”

“I’m sorry, Commander, but the captain doesn’t want to speak with you this evening. If you still need to speak with her after the weekend, I can arrange a meeting time for you at Starfleet Headquarters Monday.”

“I’m not waiting until Monday to talk with her. I need to talk with her right now, so get out of my way before I bring you up on disciplinary charges.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Commander, so you go right ahead and charge me if you think you can. But you’re not going to talk to the Captain or Seven of Nine tonight unless they decide you can. And so far, I haven’t heard anything to make me think they want to talk to you.” As he finished the sentence, he sensed another presence behind him.

"What's up, Ethan? Need a hand?" asked Martin conversationally as he leveled a lethal glare at Chakotay.

“I don’t think so, Lieutenant. The Commander was just leaving.”

Deciding that neither of the men standing between him and Janeway was going to give an inch, Chakotay decided that a strategic retreat was in order.

"This isn't over by a long shot, Ensign. I have a right to speak with Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine and I'm going to."

“If they decide to speak to you, then I’m sure you will, Commander. You have a good evening now.”

Chakotay took the hint and turned away abruptly. Martin clapped Radcliffe on the shoulder and chuckled, “I like your style, Ensign. If you ever get tired of Starfleet I think I can find a place for you in the Fleet Marines.”

When they turned back to Janeway and Seven, the chimes sounded calling everyone into the adjacent dining room and the medals ceremony for Voyager’s crew. The senior staff and their guests were seated at two large round tables directly in front of the stage and podium. The remainder of the crew and their families and friends were scattered throughout the dining room. Radcliffe and Martin were seated at a table immediately adjacent to Janeway and Seven’s. Someone from Starfleet had obviously followed orders from Paris and Patterson and had seated Chakotay at the other table from Janeway and Seven. Phoebe leaned over to Seven and whispered, “What did you ever see in that loser?”

“I do not know, Phoebe. But you must remember that Kathryn refused to contemplate a relationship with me and the pool of available partners was somewhat limited. He was considered a most eligible mate.”

“Well, if he was the best there was outside of Kathryn I’m amazed that you made it back at all!”

They were shushed by Gretchen as the Admiral Nechayev took her place at the podium as Master of Ceremonies. The room quieted and the admiral then commanded, “Attention to orders!” Everyone in the room rose to their feet, the Starfleet and military personnel at attention. The next command came: “Report!”

Voyager’s senior staff formed a line facing the room by rank with Captain Janeway at the end. In unison, they pivoted to the left and marched up onto the stage. When they again pivoted to face the room at attention, Janeway was at the right end of the line in the position of honor.

Admiral Nechayev then instructed the civilians and military personnel who were not members of Voyager’s crew to sit. When they had, she withdrew an official-looking document and began to read.

The Council of the United Federation of Planets takes great pride in presenting the STARFLEET MEDAL OF HONOR to

Captain KATHRYN JANEWAY

STARFLEET, TERRAN SECTOR.

For Service as set forth in the following CITATION:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of her life above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the Federation Starship Voyager, registry number NCC-74656 in action against hostile forces while her vessel was stranded in the Delta Quadrant from Stardate 48307.5 to 54973.4. Combining her assault tactics with bold decisions for seven years without respite Captain Janeway slowly and continually advanced her ship and crew toward the Alpha quadrant. Confronted by hostile fire in every sector of the Delta quadrant she unhesitatingly moved forward to neutralize the threats and protect her ship and crew. She has courageously continued her struggle toward home disregarding painful, life-threatening wounds and staunchly continuing her ship’s and crew’s journey. Along the way, Captain Janeway forged alliances with many new species and civilizations and paved the way for peace with a distant quadrant. Her outstanding valor, dauntless leadership, diplomacy, tenacious perseverance and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of overwhelming odds reflect the highest traditions of Starfleet service and the United Federation of Planets.

Signed: S. Yvell Thompson

President, United Federation of Planets

As Nechayev read the citation, Admiral Patterson and his aide marched to face Janeway. He took the Starfleet Medal of Honor from the aide and solemnly hung it around Janeway’s neck. As Nechayev began to read the next citation, he took the Pike Medal of Valor and pinned it on her tunic. As Nechayev came to the conclusion of the citation he silently shook her hand in congratulation. He then pivoted and moved to a position directly in front of Chakotay as Nechayev read the citation for the Medal of Valor award to him, Tuvok, B’Elanna Torres, Tom Paris, Harry Kim and the EMH. Patterson moved down the line pinning the medals on each of the officers and then silently shaking hands. When he reached the EMH (who had altered his matrix density so that the medal could be pinned on him), he pinned the medal on, shook his hand and then pivoted and returned to a position behind the podium.

Admiral Nechayev then began to read Unit Citation for the rest of Voyager’s crew members. As she began, Usher Officers fanned out into the room to present the medal to each of the crewmembers. Admiral Patterson pinned the Unit awards of the Starfleet Legion of Honor, the Starfleet Decoration for Gallantry and the Starfleet Extended Tour medal on each of the senior officers as the Usher Officers did the same with the enlisted crew and junior officers. When all members of the crew had received their decorations, Nechayev made a small signal toward the main doors and a lieutenant and Captain Jean-Luc Picard entered the room and began to move toward the head table.

Admiral Nechayev barked into the microphone, “Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct to Unimatrix 01 of the Borg Collective, attention to orders!” Stunned, Seven rose to her feet her eyes widening in awe as she realized that the man she knew and admired as Locutus was snapping to attention in front of her. Nechayev then began to read a special citation and as she did, Picard took a Starfleet Medal of Honor from an aide and hung it around Seven of Nine’s neck. He shook her hand and leaned close to her with a small smile.

“Don’t be afraid, we really did know how much you contributed to Voyager getting home, and this small token is the only way we can acknowledge your actions. But know this; more than a hero, you will always be an inspiration to everyone who lost loved ones to the Borg. Because you are the only one to have returned. I am honored to meet you, Seven of Nine. And even more honored to be the one to salute you.”

“Thank you, Locutus…Captain Picard. Thank you very much,” she whispered.

Gretchen heart had swelled with pride when they hung the medals on Kathryn but she could not contain her tears when Starfleet recognized Seven’s contribution to the welfare of Voyager. Phoebe squeezed her hand and handed her a handkerchief as they watched the senior staff march off the stage and back in front of it at Nechayev’s command of “Post!” When then reached a position directly in front of the stage, Nechayev issued her final command as Master of Ceremonies.

“As you were!”

The entire room erupted in cheers as the military personnel relaxed from attention and their families and friends could finally hug and congratulate them all. As everyone began to sit back down at their tables, waiters brought out the first course of the evening’s meal. The room was filled with excited chatter and the clatter of dinnerware as the meal progressed and the crew of Voyager recounted memories with their crewmates, families and friends. Dignitaries made speeches during the meal welcoming the crew home and lauding their performances. Seven was content to be quiet and absorb everything going on around her. Kathryn seemed to understand that she was a bit overwhelmed with receiving the Medal of Honor and speaking with Locutus. Janeway made a point to include Seven in the conversation but didn’t force her to participate unduly. Gretchen and Phoebe just smiled at her and hugged her frequently.

When the meal was finished, the crowd moved into the ballrooms and the party began in earnest. The orchestra warmed up and began to play, the bars did a booming business and everyone loosened up and began to enjoy themselves. Janeway, Seven, Gretchen, Phoebe B’Elanna, Tom, the EMH and Admirals Pulaski and Patterson occupied a table at one side of the ballroom talking and enjoying the festivities. Janeway made sure that Seven had a sparkling cider in her flute instead of the champagne everyone else was drinking; the former drone’s very limited capacity for alcohol and synthehol was well known. They danced several dances and Seven began to relax on the dance floor and enjoy herself. When they returned to the table after dancing, the EMH immediately claimed the next one and swept Seven back onto the dance floor.

Janeway smiled as she remembered Seven and the EMH studying social skills together. At the time she had thought the idea ludicrous, but had tempered her opinion with Seven’s successes. There had been some notable failures too, but Kathryn was still amazed at how far Seven of Nine had come in regaining the humanity lost in her assimilation.

When the dancers returned to the table she refreshed Seven’s cider and handed it to her. They held hands and watched Gretchen dance with Admiral Patterson while they chatted with Phoebe. The three women heard a small commotion behind them and turned to find Ensign Radcliffe once again interposing himself between Chakotay and themselves.

Chakotay had obviously been drinking, the flush of alcohol readily apparent in his dark features. He was demanding to speak with Janeway and Seven and getting louder in his frustration at not being able to do so. Seven frowned as she watched the large man attempt to bull his way to their table.

“Kathryn, Chakotay appears to be slightly impaired by alcohol. I do not believe he will restrain himself if he is refused again. Perhaps we should speak with him and settle matters face to face.”

“You may have a point, darling. The last thing I want him to do is make a scene here in front of all the Starfleet brass. That won’t do much for keeping the events of your abduction under wraps. I suppose we ought to meet with him.” She turned and quietly called to her aide, “Radcliffe, let the Commander by. It’s all right.” Radcliffe allowed Chakotay to brush past him and returned to his seat at a nearby table. Chakotay stood in front of Janeway and Seven of Nine scowling.

“Well, Captain, what would you like to discuss first? Why you’ve been avoiding me since you stole my girlfriend or why you had me investigated and detained by Starfleet Security?” The tone in his voice deeply disturbed Phoebe and she rose and left the table, virtually unnoticed by the stunned Starfleet personnel seated there.

“Commander, this is neither the time nor the place for this discussion. If you have something civil to say then we’ll be more than glad to talk with you. If not, then I suggest that we reschedule for a time when you’re...more yourself.”

“’More myself?’ What do you mean by that, Captain?”

“Sober, Chakotay. I mean when you’re sober,” she replied with distaste. “Neither of those topics should be discussed with you drunk.”

“I am far from drunk, Captain. I’ve had just enough to see you for who you really are. To make it clear to me that you’ve not only been avoiding me, but poisoning the crew against me as well.”

“That is enough, Commander! Restrain yourself or I will have you removed!” The crack of command in Janeway’s voice was unmistakable.

“She hasn’t poisoned the crew against you, Chakotay. That was Ayala and me,” commented B’Elanna nonchalantly. “We’re the ones who made sure everyone knew what you’d done when you betrayed Seven, not the captain.”

Chakotay looked at his former Maquis partner in disbelief. She and Ayala had been his most trusted officers in the rebel cadre. That they now spoke against him was unbelievable. Unseen by the principals, Lieutenant Martin and several of his Marines were congregating at the table with Radcliffe, summoned by Phoebe Janeway.

“Regardless,” he snarled, “I want to settle this tonight. There are things that need to be said before any of us can move on.”

Janeway stood up. “I agree, Chakotay. There are things that need to be said. So let’s find a private spot and say them.”

“Captain? Dr. Hansen? Do you need any assistance?” asked Martin politely.

“Dr. Hansen? What’s he talking about?” Chakotay growled at Seven.

“The MIT-Daystrom Institute conferred Doctoral Degrees in Plasma Dynamics, Particle Physics and Astrophysics on me last Monday,” she replied in a clipped tone.

“Why didn’t you notify me? I would have been there for you if you had,” he said.

“Notify you? Why would I do that? I had no wish for you to be in attendance. The people I wished to be there were there.”

“But I…”

Janeway cut in. “Lieutenant Martin, could you find us a quiet, private place to continue this conversation?”

“I know just the place. If you’ll all follow me please?” He turned, nodded to Radcliffe to follow and began moving through the tables toward the doors. As they fell in line behind him, his men rose and fanned out through the ballroom, all heading to the same place via different routes.

Martin took them down a side corridor and opened the end door. It led to a small conference room.

“No one will disturb you until you’re finished, Captain Janeway. We’ll be right outside if you need us.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. We’ll be fine.” With a nod, he turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. He and Radcliffe stood guard at the door while the other Marines took up posts leading to the corridor.

Janeway had turned to face her former second-in-command when the door clicked closed.

“So? What is it we need to say, Chakotay? Feel free to lead off,” she snapped.

“I understand you’re about to be married…to the woman I love. To the woman I was in a relationship with. Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?”

“Deserve an - ? Have you completely lost your mind? Did you really think that she would still have any feelings for you once you’d betrayed her to Section 31 and nearly got her killed?” Janeway said in amazement.

“I think that’s for her to say, not you. Nothing’s changed. You stood up for her on Voyager and never allowed any of us to discipline her when she asked for it. You’re still making excuses for her!”

“Kathryn does not need to make any excuses for me, Chakotay. I am quite capable of providing you with any explanation you require. Are Kathryn and I about to be married? Yes. In three weeks. Are you invited? No, you are not. Did Kathryn ‘steal’ me from you? No, she did not. The moment you willingly handed me to the Section 31 operatives in my quarters you severed our relationship. I merely formalized that in my message to you.”

“Then you didn’t waste any time once you sent that message, did you? It hasn’t even been two months and you’re getting married. What’s with that?”

“There was no reason to wait, Chakotay. I had been in love with Kathryn since shortly after my link to the hive mind was severed and she in love with me for about the same length of time. Once she was no longer bound by Starfleet command protocols and free to follow her heart she did so. And I followed mine.”

“But what about us? What we had?”

“What we had, Commander, was an error in judgment on my part. I realized it shortly after we began dating, but was unable to do anything about it due to the sudden return of Voyager to Earth. Had I not been abducted I would have terminated the relationship very shortly anyway. You were not the one I desired, you were the one I settled for. It was unfair to you and I apologize.”

“’An error in judgment?’ That’s all I was to you? I loved you!”

“Which you demonstrated by handing me over to Section 31,” Seven shot back dryly. “It is difficult to believe that anyone could do that to someone they loved.”

“I didn’t hand you over to them! How many times do I need to say that?”

“According to the Section 31 logs and Seven’s eidetic memory, quite a few. Because we know differently. The only reason they were able to phaser her is because you grabbed her arms and shifted her focus off them. They shot her while she was trying to break free from you. If that’s not handing her over to them I’d love to know what is!” Janeway broke in angrily.

Chakotay’s angry gaze turned to Janeway. “You invented my cooperation with Section 31 just so you’d have an excuse to go after Seven! You always wanted her, even on Voyager! Admit it!”

“Of course I did you fucking idiot! Do you think that we’d be getting married after being together only two months if we hadn’t admitted to our feelings for each other on Voyager? Seven and I have worked through all that.”

“So you admit it! You set me up just so you could have a chance with her!”

“I set you up? What the hell are you talking about? We’ve got official logs from the operatives who recruited you; all of your meetings with ‘Rath Wilson’ leading up to Seven’s abduction, the so-called deal they were making with you, your comments on how you were using Seven to get back at me. Believe me, Chakotay, I’m not making anything up and I certainly didn’t set you up – you did a good enough job of that yourself.”

Chakotay snarled as he took an angry stride toward Janeway. “You bitch! I ought to…”

Janeway held her ground. “Stop right there, Commander, before you do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life. A physical attack on a superior officer will get you a long stay in the nearest penal colony. Think very carefully before you step any closer.”

“I should have known you’d fall back on your precious Starfleet protocols. You never would face me one on one. Too afraid of looking like you’re not omnipotent! Too afraid somebody else might wind up king of the hill! You were always afraid that I was more competent to command Voyager, that’s why you ignored my advice so often. Why I had to go against your orders so many times! I should have been in command! I should be the one marrying Seven! You’re just a…”

“Chakotay!” barked Seven of Nine. As he spun to face her she hit him with a Borg-enhanced left that broke his jaw and cheekbone and knocked him over the conference table where he hit the floor with a loud crash. As he shook his head and attempted to focus his eyes the door flew open and Martin and Radcliffe charged in.

Seven put her engagement ring back on and took Janeway’s hand. “Commander Chakotay, I terminated our relationship 4.6 weeks ago. If my written communication was insufficient to convince you then please accept this verbal one instead. Commander, our relationship is terminated.” With that the couple turned and left the room.

As they swept past the two men at the door Seven commanded regally, “Take him to the Emergency Center at Starfleet Medical.”

“Yes, ma’am!” chorused Martin and Radcliffe.

* * *

When Janeway and Seven returned to the ballroom Phoebe and Gretchen rushed over to meet them.

“Kathryn, what happened? Phoebe said your Commander got drunk and tried to start a fight! Are you both all right? Shall I get Owen?”

“Mom, we’re just fine. Chakotay needed a lesson in reality and he just got one. Martin and Radcliffe are taking him over to Medical as we speak.”

“Medical? Kathryn, did you hit him?” gasped Gretchen in dismay.

“Of course not, Mom. That would be against Starfleet protocols and would leave me open to charges of conduct unbecoming. I didn’t hit him. Seven, however, punched his ticket pretty well.”

“Seven? You hit him?”

“Only once, Gretchen. Kathryn, if we are going to continue to get in situations where hand-to-hand combat is required I am going to have to begin wearing my engagement ring on my right hand. It is an inefficient use of critical tactical time to remove it before striking someone,” she commented to the Janeways.

Phoebe gave Seven a look of complete adoration.

“Remind me never to piss you off.”