Part three of "Little blue world" - an AU series
by Jinny W
March 2001
Disclaimer: Paramount owns all. I'm just playing.
Summary: The Kazon are back and causing trouble. On the Liberty, friends and enemies are being made.
Rated R, just to be safe.
~~~
"Full power to forward shields".
"Shields are down to 40%".
"Give me all you've got."
B'Elanna swore as another explosion rocked the ship, and the predictable burst of steam vented from a console close behind her. Another crewman scurried past to close the rupture.
"It's no good", she yelled above the hissing sound. "I've got to get down to the engine room and see what that last blast did to us".
Chakotay ducked his head curtly. "Get down there." He turned quickly to scan the cramped bridge. Kathryn stood near a rear console, monitoring the movement of the Kazon ship. She glanced around as B'Elanna dashed past her. Chakotay gestured towards the empty seat, and she nodded, hurriedly taking the younger woman's place.
"They're coming around for another pass", she reported.
"Weapons?"
"Still offline".
"Damn it." Chakotay thumped his clenched fist on the control panel as the Kazon ship loomed on the viewscreen in front of them.
"B'Elanna, I need those engines".
"I'm on it," the half-Klingon's voice came back over the static-filled comm system.
"Suggestions?"
"We could just give them what they want", Seska called out from the far side of the room.
Chakotay didn't even look around. "That's not an option", he said shortly.
"There's a weak spot opening up in their port shields", Kathryn reported. "If you could give me a five second phaser blast, I might be able to punch through it."
"What good would that do?" Seska snapped.
"It would distract them for long enough to us to get away."
"Until the next ship catches up with us".
"Chakotay", B'Elanna announced. "You've got partial power back. It won't last long though. Make the most of it"
"Transfer power to the phaser array and punch that hole", Chakotay ordered. "Then we'll go to warp".
Kathryn's fingers flew over the console. "Aye", she said.
As she predicted, when the Kazon shield faltered the phaser fire ruptured a sensitive system on the port bow. An explosion chain reacted along the side of the vessel.
"B'Elanna, transfer power back to the warp drive."
"It's done."
"Getting us out of here."
"They're not pursuing", Kathryn reported.
All present on the bridge let out a collective sigh of relief. Kathryn pushed back the wisps of hair that had escaped her ponytail. "That was close", she muttered.
"Too close", Seska agreed.
Chakotay ignored her and punched the ship's comm system control. "All hands, please submit damage reports ASAP."
He swung in his chair to face Kathryn, but his next sentence was obscured by a hail from the doctor.
"Captain Janeway", he began breathlessly, "I think you'd better get down here right away."
Kathryn started a little, surprised by his use of her title. No one had called her Captain for the past three weeks.
"I'm on my way".
She nodded to Chakotay once and slipped out of the chair. Seska watched her retreating back, then stalked up beside Chakotay.
"We need to talk", she whispered.
"Not now."
She arched her eyebrow at him and reached over to caress his shoulder. "We can have a scene in public, or you can talk to me privately. I don't care".
He met her stare coolly for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "Alright. My room."
~~~
As soon as Kathryn hurried through the doors of their makeshift sickbay she saw who the patient was. Stretched out on one of the beds, with burns covering half of his body, was Tuvok. She gasped involuntarily at the sight of his blackened uniform.
The doctor half-turned from his position by the bed. "I'm sorry Captain- ". At her sharp glance he corrected himself. "I mean Kathryn. I forgot. This is all a little stressful."
She nodded distractedly and moved closer towards her old friend. "Of course doctor. What happened?"
"Mr. Tuvok has suffered severe third degree burns from a plasma fire. He also has a small amount of internal bleeding. I'm going to operate in a moment, but I thought you should know about the situation first. I wasn't sure if you wanted it broadcast across the comm system."
"Can you treat him?"
"In a normal sickbay, easily. Here..." the doctor shrugged and continued to shuffle through the med kit by his side. "Yes, but his recovery will be much slower. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm not properly equipped here. There are no bio-beds never mind any number of operative instruments. Luckily the Maquis had the foresight to stock up on medical supplies, so we do have several emergency med kits on hand."
As he spoke he filled a hypospray, then pressed it against the Vulcan's neck.
"Than you can treat him?" she repeated.
"Yes", he assured her. "But his condition is still serious." He looked up at her, grave concern etched across his features. "We're going to need to do something about the medical situation, or other manageable cases like this are going to become much more dangerous than they need be."
She swallowed and nodded her agreement. "I'll inform the Captain. Can I stay with him?"
"I'd rather you didn't". As she pressed her lips together tightly his face softened. "I'll call you the moment I have any news."
"Alright."
"Before you go," the doctor added, "I'd like you're permission to take on Kes as my new nurse."
"Kes?" Kathryn frowned at the realization that she had little idea what the young Ocampan woman had been doing for the past three weeks. For the matter, there were several others on the Liberty she had only seen in passing. She made a mental note to catch up with every member of her crew as soon as it was possible.
"She's shown an interest in learning about medicine as well as a quite remarkable aptitude for recalling information. And I could use the extra hands here."
"Given the circumstances I'd say that's a wonderful idea. She should start at once."
The doctor nodded and turned back to his patient. "I'll keep you informed of his progress," he said, with an obvious note of dismissal in his voice.
Kathryn nodded dumbly once more, then made her way to the door. "I'll let Chakotay know what's going on", she said. "He might have some ideas about how we can refit this room into something approaching a proper sickbay."
The doctor mumbled his assent, but didn't look up. Kathryn stared once more at Tuvok's motionless body, then forced herself to turn and stride out of the room.
~~~
"I can't believe that you of all people won't consider the possibility."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Seska's lip began to curl derisively. "It means you're behaving as if you were a member of her precious Starfleet crew, not one of us."
Chakotay fought to keep his voice even. "We are all in this together."
"And it would be better for all of us if we could speed up our journey some."
"No".
"Chakotay-"
"I won't trade technology with the Kazon, and that's final."
"But-"
Chakotay held up his hand. "No more Seska, please."
He rested his head back against the cabin wall, rubbing his temples tiredly. Seska had harangued him on the subject for nearly ten minutes now, and he wasn't sure how much more of her shrill arguments he could take. They had been through a lot together, and she could still make his blood race, but still, sometimes she could be the most infuriating person to try and reason with.
Seska stopped pacing across the cramped space and stood regarding him silently.
"What?" he said, without uncovering his eyes.
"What do you mean what?"
"I know that look. What are you thinking?"
Seska slapped her hands against her thighs in frustration. "Alright, if you really want to know-"
"I do."
"I'm starting to feel like a caged animal here."
Chakotay dropped his palms to look at her. "You're the one who wanted to talk. Don't blame me if there isn't room to pace properly in here."
She shot him a glare. "I didn't mean in this room specifically." She glanced around at his sparse furnishings. "Though maybe with a woman's touch-"
Chakotay sighed. "I thought we decided that-"
"You decided, Chakotay", she snapped. "As far as I'm concerned", she said, her voice softening to a purr, "I never actually agreed with you. My offer's always open."
She moved closer to him as she spoke, pinning him against the wall with her hips.
"Seska-"
"We've lived on this ship for long stretches before", she said, reaching up to stroke his face, "but then we knew we could take time out at our bases. It wasn't permanent."
Chakotay laid his palms on her shoulders, readying himself to push her away. "I know we're all feeling claustrophobic. But this isn't permanent. We're going to find a way home."
"And in the meantime?" Seska ran her palms down his chest, slipping her fingertips under the waistband of his shirt. "What are we going to do to keep ourselves from going stir crazy?"
Chakotay shivered involuntarily at the touch of her cool hands. "This isn't the answer."
"Isn't it?" Before he could reply Seska kissed him fiercely. As she probed her tongue into his mouth, one hand snaked down and found its way under his belt. Chakotay groaned and squeezed her shoulders, trying to push her back while pulling his mouth free.
"I don't want-" he managed.
Seska quickly covered his mouth with hers again, and used her lithe body to press him firmly against the cabin wall. Her deft fingers slid under the soft material of his shorts, and he groaned again as she rubbed her thumb along his growing erection. Despite his reluctance Chakotay found himself kissing her back with a raw passion he hadn't felt for weeks. As their tongues continued dueling, he wormed a hand up under her shirt, closing his palm roughly over one of her small breasts.
"I knew you'd come to your senses", she moaned into his neck.
Chakotay's eyes snapped open, the momentary spell broken at the sound of her voice. He realised with a start he had not been thinking about Seska at all. Just as he slid his hand slowly out from under her shirt, a loud gasp echoed from the open doorway. Kathryn Janeway stood there gaping at them, a pink flush creeping across her pale skin.
"I'm so sorry", she blurted, as they turned towards her. "When you didn't answer your door I thought the chime was broken like mine was. I didn't mean to-"
Seska smirked, contempt clearly written on her face. Chakotay swiftly extracted himself from her embrace, feeling the heat rising on his own face.
"I'm sorry", she repeated hurriedly, then stepped back out into the corridor before either of them had time to respond. The doors slid shut behind her, and Chakotay could hear her hurry off down the hallway.
Seska snorted with obvious delight. "Starfleet's still busily recruiting Captains who are complete prudes, I see," she muttered.
Chakotay ran his hands through his hair, fighting down irrational anger at her remark. "I think you should leave", he managed.
"What?" She looked at him in astonishment. "Don't tell me you didn't really want to-"
"Just go, Seska. Please."
She stared at him, a jumble of emotions flitting across her face - irritation, annoyance and even contempt among them. "Fine", she said eventually, and spun on her heel to go. "Don't say I didn't offer", she shot over her shoulder as she departed.
Chakotay sighed and sank down on his bed. For some reason he felt as though he needed a sonic shower. He didn't know if he was more shaken by the look of horror on Kathryn's face at interrupting them, or his own sudden insight that his passion had been roused by thinking about her. He shook his head quickly as if that would expunge the thought. Before he could ruminate further on the matter a hail from Doctor Zimmerman arrested him.
"What is it doctor?" he asked distractedly.
"I just wanted to inform you of Mr. Tuvok's condition. I have completed the surgery and he is healing well."
Chakotay frowned. "Tuvok's condition?"
The doctor paused. "I'm sorry. I thought the Captain - I mean, I thought Kathryn was on her way to tell you. Mr. Tuvok was seriously injured in our last bout with the Kazon."
Chakotay buried his face in his hands and stifled a groan. No wonder she had wandered in distractedly - she must be sick with worry about her old friend.
"Not to worry", the doctor continued more cheerfully, "I have managed, despite the limitations of my new sickbay, to repair all the damage. But I'll have to keep him here for an extended period of recovery, I'm afraid."
Chakotay sighed. "Alright doctor, thankyou."
"I also was hoping that Kathryn would talk to you about some changes I would like to make to the medical-"
"Doctor", Chakotay cut him off, "we'll talk about that later. I expected you've have some concerns. Can you make me up a list of what you'd like done?"
"I'll get started on it right away. Kes can help."
"Kes?"
The doctor hesitated. "Never mind", he said. "Doctor out."
Chakotay bit his lip thoughtfully. The lack of a proper sickbay was just one more problem they would have to face on this small ship. He'd have to talk to Kathryn about it later. He winced at the thought. That was one encounter he was not looking forward to.
~~~
Tom shook his head. "I didn't say I agreed with her. I just said I can understand why she'd think that."
B'Elanna shrugged. "I've known Seska for a while now, and I still don't think I have her all figured out. I wouldn't like to be the one trying to convince her that she's wrong, though."
Harry stopped pulling apart the console and glanced up at her in surprise. "You think she's wrong?"
B'Elanna stared at him for a moment before responding. "Sure", she said eventually, "I agree with Chakotay. I think the Kazon are brutes. I wouldn't want to think about what they'd do with superior technology like ours."
"Oh".
"Does that surprise you?"
Tom answered for him. "Well, you are Maquis".
"So? That doesn't mean we all think alike, Paris." She knelt down next to Harry to look at the fused circuits.
"We'll have to completely reroute this system", she said.
"Seems you've done a lot of that all over the ship", Harry noted.
"We've had to fix things on the run, Starfleet, if that's what you mean."
"I wasn't criticizing", he said. "Actually some of your modifications are quite ingenious."
"I'm glad you approve", she shot back dryly.
Tom glanced around the engine room. "Yeah. A bit of mood lighting, a spa in the corner, we could turn this place into something really special."
B'Elanna grunted without looking up. "Is he always such a pig?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know, I haven't known him for much longer than you have."
"Lucky you", she muttered.
"Hey!" Tom protested.
Chakotay stepped into the room, sweeping it with a quick glance. "Have any of you seen Kathryn?" he asked.
"Nope", B'Elanna replied. "We've been working on this all afternoon", she gestured to the parts spread around them. "She hasn't been down here."
"Oh", Chakotay said. "How's it going?"
"We managed to repair most of the damage to the major systems. But if this keeps up we're going to have a major problem with shortages of parts."
Chakotay nodded distractedly. "That's what the doctor was just saying. I'm going to have Neelix direct us to somewhere we can pick up some equipment and supplies. When you're finished there, get together a list of things we don't need that we could barter with."
B'Elanna nodded. "Alright. But I can't imagine it will be a very long one".
"It'll have to do."
As he turned to leave, B'Elanna shot a quick look at Harry, then called out, "By the way, Harry has had some good ideas about how we can upgrade the shields and weapons."
Chakotay turned back and inclined his head at the younger man. "Great. Why don't the two of you work together on it?"
Harry smiled nervously. "Alright", he said.
After Chakotay departed Tom wandered over towards them and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "There you go, Harry", he said, "that wasn't so hard."
"Get lost, Paris," Harry muttered.
"Harry has a little problem with authority figures", Tom told B'Elanna.
She glanced from one to the other then shrugged. "So what?" She threw Harry a small grin. "At least he isn't a pig", she said, straight faced.
Harry chuckled. "Make yourself useful, will you?" he said, handing Tom the list of repair jobs.
Tom raised his eyebrows. "Now you're giving orders? Next thing you'll be wanting your own crew to boss about."
Harry smiled at B'Elanna. "One thing at a time".
Tom sighed. "Living with you guys is going to be so much fun."
~~~
When Kathryn had fled Chakotay's cabin her first impulse had been to run to her own and throw herself down on the bed. As she strode away she realized her own quarters were uncomfortably close to his - only three doors down the corridor in fact. Right now she wanted a little more space in-between them than that. After one polite conversation with a young crewman in the turbolift she felt the need to be away from other people as well. That ruled out all the public spaces on the Liberty.
So she found herself, half an hour later, sitting in the newly furnished hydroponics bay, extremely reluctant to leave. Despite her distraction she noted that Harry and Kes had done a wonderful job. After only three weeks of work the cargo bay now sported a system of interlocking pipes, atmosphere regulators, a selection of small seedlings, and some plants transplanted from their last planetary visit.
Kathryn sat herself down at random. She stared at the small red flowers on a plant near her, while a tumult of thoughts whirled around her mind. She had sensed before that there was some connection between Seska and Chakotay. At first she thought they were just close friends, but the young woman's possessiveness hinted at something more. Old lovers, she had supposed.
Not so old now, she told herself. What had she been thinking, keying in to override his door mechanism without even knocking first? She hadn't been thinking, that was the problem. She had rushed down to see him, her mind full of the image of Tuvok's charred uniform. Unconsciously perhaps, she had thought at once of turning to him.
For what, Kathryn, she chided herself. Friendship? Comfort? Reassurance? What did she expect from this man? Why did she feel she had such a affinity with him, after such a short acquaintance? Even if she admitted to herself (which she didn't really feel like doing at the moment) that she felt a strong sexual attraction to him, why did she feel that she could trust him so implicitly? What was it about him that made her so expectant?
She sighed at that thought. Expectant. She recognized, albeit grudgingly, that she *had* expected something from him. Their relationship thus far had been friendly, but there was the promise of something more between them. At least she had thought so until this afternoon.
Kathryn groaned at the vivid image which leapt unbidden to her mind: Chakotay, his head tilted backwards, eyes closed, his full lips slightly open as he moaned with pleasure. She slapped herself on the forehead with a closed fist as though physical force could dispel the memory.
"Kathryn?" A soft voice cut into her reverie. She opened her eyes and saw Kes standing tentatively at the end of the row of plants. "Am I interrupting?"
Kathryn bit back a snort at the phrase, and shook her head. "No, I was just thinking."
The young woman regarded her with large serious eyes. "May I sit with you?"
Despite her earlier wish for solitude, Kathryn found herself smiling and nodding.
"This species has a beautiful flower", Kes commented, as she sat down cross legged.
"Yes", Kathryn replied absently.
"I'm sorry about Tuvok", Kes said softly. "I understand he's one of your closest friends."
Kathryn nodded again, then suddenly found herself choking back tears. "The doctor says he'll be alright", she mumbled.
Kes smiled gently. "Your doctor is extremely capable."
Kathryn nodded dumbly again, brushing away the few stray tears that had fallen.
"He's also a very interesting person. I think I'm going to enjoy working with him."
Kathryn sighed but didn't reply. Kes watched her closely for a moment before speaking again. "If you don't mind me asking, is something else wrong?"
Kathryn looked up at her sharply, struck by the young woman's perceptiveness. For a brief moment she almost considered telling Kes what was on her mind.
"Why did you leave the people you love to come with us?" she asked instead.
Kes didn't seem surprised by the change of subject. "I'd always been overly curious, always wanting to explore the rest of the world around me. I loved the idea of travelling through space, the way your people do." When Kathryn nodded silently again she added, "Isn't that what led you to be a scientist, the desire to know everything?"
"I guess so. But this," Kathryn gestured to the ship around her, "wasn't really what I had in mind."
"I've been noticing how well people are adapting", Kes observed.
"Do you think so?"
"There are obviously still problems, but people seem to be coping with the difficulties. And a lot of new friendships are forming."
Kathryn looked sharply at her again, but Kes seemed to be merely absent mindedly playing with her fingers.
"Yes, they have."
"Perhaps this isn't my place to say-" Kes began hesitantly
"Go on."
The young woman frowned. "It's my understanding that on a Federation ship there are certain rules and regulations about behaviour. And although it might not be written down, it's usually expected that the Captain keeps a certain distance from the rest of the crew."
"That's true", Kathryn admitted.
"I don't think that would work here", Kes said bluntly. She met Kathryn's eyes with a surprisingly firm gaze. "I think the fact you don't wear your uniform and title has helped the Starfleet crew a lot. But you need to do more than that."
"Like what?"
"Let them get to know you as a person."
Kathryn grinned wryly. "Be their friend?"
"Why not?"
She thought about the answers she could give to that question. Years of training, years of experience balancing that line of approachability and aloofness.
"I don't think the old rules really apply", she conceded eventually.
Kes beamed at her. "Then you'll come?"
Kathryn stared at her in confusion. "Come where?"
"Neelix has organised another crew function tonight. He thought it might cheer people up after the fight with the Kazon today."
Kathryn chuckled, feeling the weight of the afternoon's events lifting a little from her shoulders. "Why do I have the feeling I've been bamboozled?" she asked.
Kes shrugged innocently. "I'd like you to join me".
Kathryn stared at the floor for a moment, thinking over the conversation. So what if she had made a fool of herself this afternoon. It wasn't as if Chakotay had known she had been thinking about him in that way. And even if he had guessed, there was nothing she could do about it now. She certainly couldn't hide down here for the rest of the trip. She looked up at the Ocampan's kind face, and nodded slowly.
"Okay", she said with a widening smile, "lead the way".
~~~
End of part three
~ read part four ~
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