Course Correction Studio

Tag: Chakotay

  • Homecoming – Chapter 4

    Dani entered the security code to the apartment. The doors slid open. “Come on in,” she said, stepping inside.

    “Are you sure your parents won’t mind?” Will asked.

    “They won’t,” Dani replied. “How can they when they’re not here?” Will gave her a wary look. “They’re at Headquarters,” she assured him.

    Will was still standing right outside the door. “Come in,” Dani urged. Will cautiously stepped into the living room. The apartment doors slid shut behind him. “Have a seat.”

    Will sat on the sofa as Dani walked into the kitchen. It was a bright, pleasant Saturday afternoon. Dani had just finished beating Will in an invigorating 3-set match at the Academy courts that morning. They were now at the apartment Dani and her family had been provided with for the duration of Starfleet’s briefings of Voyager’s mission. It was anyone’s guess how long the entire ordeal would take.

    “This is a nice place,” Will said.

    “Thanks,” Dani said walking into the kitchen. “It’s not exactly home, but I guess I can’t complain. It’s not a starship in the Delta Quadrant, either. Would you like something to drink?”

    “No, thanks,” Will replied.

    “I’m surprised,” Dani said. She ordered a glass of ice water from the replicator and watched the clear beverage materialize. Once it had, she picked it up and joined Will in the living room. “With the way I had you running all over that court, I would have thought that you’d be dying of thirst.”

    Will smiled. “Yes, I’ve got to give it to you – you were better than I anticipated. Let’s just say I softened my game a bit.”

    “Softened your game?”

    “I had to. It was an unfair match. You against me? I have a physical advantage over you,” Will explained.

    “Is that so?”

    Will nodded.

    “So, I guess that’s an invite for a rematch?”

    “If you say so.”

    Dani sipped her water. “We’ll see,” she said.

    The apartment doors slid open, and Kathryn and Chakotay entered. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Will Riker sitting in the living room.

    “Well, hello,” Kathryn said. Dani and Will both looked at the new arrivals.

    Will stood. So did Dani. “Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay,” he said. “Your daughter just finished beating me two sets to one in tennis.”

    “Will insists that he let up on me because he has an unfair physical advantage,” Dani said. She was on her way to the kitchen to dispose of her empty glass. “I think that’s just a bunch of hogwash. I’ve played against guys your size and larger.”

    “Mere holodeck creations,” Will said.

    “Images of tennis greats,” Dani said returning to the living room.

    “Images that you can alter to your own specifications,” Will argued playfully.

    “But didn’t,” Dani countered.

    Will turned to Dani’s parents. “Can you vouch for this?”

    “She beats me every time,” Kathryn said. “That’s not saying much, though.”

    “We’ll see,” Will said. “I trust the briefings are going well.”

    “You could say that. I’d really like to be done with this whole mess.”

    “I know what you mean. After the Enterprise-D crashed, I didn’t think the briefings would ever end.”

    “Well, I get the feeling that the board won’t need us for very much longer. At least I hope.”

    Will noticed that Chakotay was being awfully quiet. He didn’t look particularly mad. To tell the truth, he didn’t look particularly anything. He didn’t have any distinct expression. ‘Maybe that’s a good thing,’ Will thought. “It’ll be over with before you know it,” he said. “I hate to run, but I’m supposed to meet Captain Picard for lunch.”

    “Oh, yes,” Kathryn said. “I know how Jean-Luc hates to be kept waiting.”

    “We’ll see about that tennis rematch,” Will said to Dani as he walked to the door.

    “All I know is that you’d better not let up on me when we play again,” Dani said. “If you give it your all next time, you might not lose so horribly.”

    Will smiled at Dani. He looked at Janeway and Chakotay. “Captain, Commander.”

    “Goodbye, Commander,” Kathryn said, as Will left the apartment. As soon as the doors shut behind Will, Dani found two pairs of eyes on her.

    “What?” Dani asked.

    “You’ve been spending a lot of time with the commander,” said Chakotay, speaking up for the first time.

    “We’re just catching up,” Dani said. “We’ve missed seven years’ worth of joking around.

    “Dani, Commander Riker is a very busy man,” Chakotay continued.

    “Maybe, but he’s the one who invited me to go play tennis,” Dani said. “And he’s the one who invited me to have dinner with him tomorrow night.”

    “Dinner?” Kathryn and Chakotay exclaimed, moreso than asked, in unison.

    “Yeah,” Dani said slowly. “You know – it’s the meal you usually eat at night.”

    Both parents ignored this jibe. Kathryn took a step towards Dani. “Dani, tomorrow, your father and I were hoping that we could have dinner as a family. We were finally going to be free of the briefings, and we figured it’d be perfect timing for meal together.”

    “Oh. Mom, if I’d known before I made the commitment…” An idea hit Dani. “I’ll tell you what – I’ll invite Will, and we can all have dinner.” She saw her parents exchange glances. “That won’t be a problem, will it?”

    “No,” Kathryn said. “Not at all.”

    Dani beamed. “Great! I’ll call Will, and let him know about the change in plans.” She left for her room.

    Chakotay looked at his wife. “Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” he asked.

    “Why would it be wrong?” Kathryn questioned.

    “It just seems as if we’re encouraging this relationship,” Chakotay replied.

    “Is there a blatant reason why we shouldn’t be?”

    Chakotay didn’t have an answer for his wife. For some reason, this developing relationship between his daughter and the Enterprise’s first officer didn’t sit well with him.

  • Homecoming – Chapter 1

    19 year-old Dani Janeway looked around her quarters. It was hard to believe that it wouldn’t be long until she would be back in her bed on Earth. Her old bed. At home. For some reason, that phrase felt foreign now. She was at home. Voyager had been her home for seven years, the whole last half of her childhood. Just like everyone else on board Voyager, she was overjoyed at the thought of knowing that they had finally made it back to Earth, but part of her wished she could stay on the ship. She would miss her time on Voyager and the excitement of not knowing what the day was going to bring. But then again, she was happy that her family wouldn’t have to face danger every time they turned the corner.

    The whole latter part of her childhood. In a few weeks she would be turning 20. Officially, she would be an adult, although unofficially, she had been one for years. Her experiences on Voyager had forced her to grow up much faster than others her age had. She didn’t regret it, though. She was a better person for it.

    But what if she wasn’t ready to enter the world? After all, she had only been twelve when she’d been catapulted from the Alpha Quadrant. Had things changed much? Even if they hadn’t, she hadn’t ever lived as an adult before she’d left. How was she to know what to expect?

    That’s where her parents came in. They’d help her. She thanked her lucky stars that they hadn’t been lost in the Delta Quadrant, though there had been many times when she was sure they were goners. There’d been plenty of times when she thought she’d been a goner, herself. But they’d all made it through, and now it was time to move on. Her next step: Starfleet Academy. If everything went as planned, she’d enter in the fall and begin her studies at the Academy with an emphasis on medicine. But she couldn’t get ahead of herself. She hadn’t taken the first entrance exam, yet. It was March, now. The written exam wouldn’t be given until May. In all truth, it wasn’t passing the exams that she was worried about. She knew she would pass the written exam, and the interview wouldn’t be a problem. She just wanted to make sure that she would get in on her own merit, and not because of who her mother or father or grandfather were.

    Dani took one last look around the barren room before finally leaving. She looked around the living room as she passed through, and a thousand nostalgic memories flooded her consciousness. She didn’t dare reminisce for too long, however, because she knew that if she did, she would never leave. She walked out the doors of the quarters, abandoning one life for another.

    xxx

    The next night, Starfleet threw a celebratory ball for Voyager’s crew. Even though it was a formal event, the purpose for the occasion was so unique that all officers were permitted to dress in attire other than their dress uniforms, and most did. Most of the women, including Dani’s mother, Kathryn Janeway, wore formal gowns. Dani wore a sleeveless two-piece made of white satin. Most of the men wore formal suits. Like some of the women, some of the male officers opted for the formal dress uniform. A few even wore old-fashioned tuxedos, one of those few being Tom Paris. That was expected of him, he was such a history buff. The surprise of the evening was that Tom had talked Chakotay into sporting the traditional black and white outfit, too.

    Despite all the friends she’d made while she was on Voyager, there wasn’t really anyone here she could talk to tonight. She looked around the room. She didn’t really know anyone here, except those from Voyager, and they had already integrated into the party, mixing and mingling with old Starfleet buddies or long lost family members whom they hadn’t seen in seven years. This was one of the few times she wished her mother would take command and start dragging her to different groups. As if it were an answer to her prayer, Dani saw her mother walking toward her. She watched the long dress flow about her as she glided across the room. The royal blue gown she was wearing really brought out her eyes.

    “Dani,” her mother was saying, “I have to re-introduce you to so many people.”

    “‘Re-introduce?’” Dani asked.

    “Yes,” said Kathryn, taking her daughter’s arm. “It’s been so long since they last saw you. Just look at it like a big family reunion.”

    Kathryn led her daughter to the large crowd she had been apart of. This was obviously the party’s hotspot. This was something her parents had prepared her for. Voyager’s crew members had become celebrities the moment they’d sent their first transmission to Starfleet Headquarters from the Delta Quadrant. That status had exploded the moment they actually reached the Alpha Quadrant, and it was just outrageous by the time they’d reached Earth. Kathyrn and Chakotay had been so concerned, they had wondered if Dani would benefit more by delaying taking the entrance exams for the Academy a year or two. But Dani was adamant about taking the exams as soon as possible, and her parents relented.

    Now, Dani wondered if her parents hadn’t been right in making that suggestion to delay testing. As she and her mother approached the group, everyone turned to stare at her. There had to be 20 or 30 people at least standing around them.

    “Everyone,” Kathryn announced, “I’d like you to say hello to my daughter, Danielle.”

    “Dani?” one man said, closing the space between himself and Dani. He sounded surprised. “This is little Dani?”

    Dani studied the man’s face. It was familiar, in more way than one. He was an older gentleman, around 60 or so, with blue eyes…

    “Dani, you remember Admiral Paris,” her mother said.

    That was how she knew him! This was Tom’s old man.

    A smile broke out on Dani’s face. “Of course. Your son taught me how to fly a shuttle.”

    “Learning from the best, I see,” the admiral said, a twinkle of pride in his eyes.

    “My mother wouldn’t stand for anything less.” Dani looked at the faces in the group. She realized now that she did, in fact, recognize a great number of them. Colonel Kira Nerys, from Deep Space Nine; Ambassador Spock; Captain Montgomery Scott; Captain Morgan Bateson. She remembered meeting most of these people in the course of her life. It was part of the experience of being a Starfleet brat. Her scan of the group brought her to Captain Jean-Luc Picard, of the Enterprise, and his second-in-command, Commander William Riker. She knew Riker, alright. She’d had a crush on him since she was 11. If one thing had remained the same while she was in the Delta Quadrant, it was most definitely that.

    “Well, well, well,” the commander said to Dani, “I see someone’s grown up. How old are you now?”

    “I’ll be 20 in two weeks,” Dani replied.

    “Typical teenager reply…” Will said.

    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Dani asked.

    “Just what I said. Whenever you ask teenager her age, she always tells you how old she’ll be on her next birthday,” Will explained. “Like it actually makes a difference.”

    Dani looked up at the tall, bearded man and instantly remembered how her crush on him had developed in the first place. “It does sometimes, like when your birthday’s only two weeks away.”

    “Maybe…”

    “So…I hear you crashed a starship while I was away,” Dani said matter-or- factly.

    “More like totalled,” Will corrected.

    “I bet Captain Picard hasn’t let you drive his knew toy, yet, has he?”

    “He has.”

    “While he was off the ship or just off-duty?”

    Will didn’t say anything. He just stared down at this beautiful young woman who used to be the cute little girl he’d always joked around with. “Would you like to dance?”

    Dani looked up into Will’s impossibly blue eyes. “Okay.”

    Dani and Will left the group largely unnoticed and moved to a large open area in the middle of the room. It wasn’t until after they’d started dancing that Dani realized that there wasn’t anyone else out there with her and Will.

    “No one else is dancing,” she observed.

    “Does it really matter?” Will asked.

    “I don’t guess it does.”

    Chakotay nudged Kathryn with his elbow. When she looked up at him, he nodded at Will and Dani. Kathryn followed his gaze to the unlikely couple, the only couple on the dance floor.

    “Well,” Kathryn said, “it seems like she’s found someone to keep her occupied.”

    “That’s what I was afraid of,” Chakotay said. “It was different when she was younger. Now…”

    “You’re worried about his intentions,” Kathryn suggested.

    “Aren’t you? Riker is known for being a bit of a ladies’ man.”

    “I’m not going to lie to you; I am…concerned, but whether we like it or not, she’s not a defenseless little girl. She’s a young woman. I think she’s old enough to make her own decisions.”

    Kathryn looked up at Chakotay. “She’s never let us down before,” he said. “I don’t see any reason for her to start now.”

    So, the social gathering wore on through the night. Things had certainly changed for Dani. She’d spent the better part of the evening with Will and his circle of friends. Even though they were all scores older than she, herself, she had fun just the same. It was much better than standing alone by the punch table all night. Before she knew it, the party was ending, and it was about time to go.

    “My parents are giving me that it’s-late-and-we’re-ready-to-go look, so I guess I’ll give them a break,” Dani said, observing her parents. They were lingering near the exit, looking dead at her. It wasn’t unreasonable, though. The party was winding down, and most of the guests were preparing to leave..

    Dani looked up at Will. “I had a great time tonight, thanks to you.”

    “I’m glad to hear it,” Will said. “I hope this won’t be the last time.”

    Dani pondered these words for a moment before answering. Either he was just being nice, or he was asking her out. “I’m sure it won’t.”

    “When are you going back to Indiana?” Will inquired.

    “As soon as all this investigation stuff is done,” Dani replied. “Probably another few weeks. Until then, we’re staying in an apartment building not too far from Headquarters. That’s where they’ve got most of us.”

    “Oh,” Will said. “Well, I’ll keep in touch.”

    Dani smiled. “Good. See you around.”

    “Bye.” Will watched as Dani turned and walked across the room to her parents. She turned and looked back at him as she was walking out the door. Chakotay followed. He caught Will’s eye and did not look at all happy.

  • Delta Wild – Chapter 10

    Dani was so excited to actually be on an official away mission. Even if it was only to collect dilithium samples. Even though her mother, and later, her father, had assured her they were serious about it, Dani still hadn’t believed it until she had dematerialized on the transporter pad with Tom, B’Elanna, and Seven.

    The away team materialized on the rocky, dry planet surface. The four members of the team, including Dani, pulled our their tricorders and started scanning the area. Kathryn had decided to let Dani participate as an active member of the team, carrying a tricorder and a phaser. She thought it would make her feel as important to the mission as the rest of the team, and it would provide her with good experience working with a team.

    “This way,” B’Elanna said, leading the away team into a nearby cave.

    On Voyager’s bridge, Kathryn shifted nervously in her seat and crossed her legs. It wasn’t two minutes before she shifted again, crossing and uncrossing her legs. There was no denying it – Capt. Kathryn Janeway was nervous. And with good reason. Her only daughter was on her first away mission. She was only 18. Maybe this was too soon for her. Maybe this had been a mistake…

    Kathryn uncrossed her legs and tapped her left foot repeatedly on the floor. When that didn’t satisfy her, she stood. Chakotay looked up at her. She took a few steps toward the view screen, stopped, and turned back to her chai, walking back to it.

    Chakotay stood. He had to put an end to this. Kathryn turned again. She was about to walk back to the view screen when Chakotay grabbed her arm and stepped close to her. She looked up at him and sighed.

    “I know, I know,” Kathryn said. “It’s just so hard. I should’ve at least sent a security team with them.”

    “Why? To protect them from the rocks?” Chakotay quipped. “The dilithium?”

    Kathryn knew that Chakotay was only speaking the truth. “Kathryn, they’ll be fine,” Chakotay assured her. She looked up at him and sighed. “Now, come, and sit down.” Chakotay escorted Kathryn back to her seat.

    Chakotay’s words had calmed Kathryn somewhat, however nothing would put her completely at ease, not even hearing from Dani, herself, that she was okay. That reminded her – B’Elanna should’ve reported back to her on what they’d found by now. Before the thought had even left her mind, Kathryn’s comm badge chirped.

    “Torres to Janeway,” B’Elanna’s voice drifted from the comm badge.

    Kathryn stood, bringing her hand to the brooch resting on her chest. “Janeway here,” she said. “Go ahead.”

    “Captain, we’ve located the dilithium deposits,” B’Elanna said. “They’re in a cave a few meters from our landing site.”

    “When do you think we’ll be able to send excavation crews down, Lt.?” Kathryn asked.

    “Oh, immediately, Captain,” B’Elanna replied optimistically.

    “Good work, B’Elanna,” Kathryn praised. Despite her overwhelming concern for her daughter, she resisted the urge to ask about Dani. “Janeway out.” Kathryn looked down at Chakotay. He was silent, but his eyes were saying, “I told you so.”

    Xxx

    B’Elanna turned to her team. It was time to go. “We just got the okay from the Captain,” she announced. “She’s sending evacuation crews down.”

    “There must be enough dilithium down here to last at least a year,” Tom remarked.

    B’Elanna snapped her tricorder shut. She was about to announce that they should get back to the shuttle when a troop of Kazon warriors stormed into the cave. In one swift motion, Tom drew his phaser and fired. The phaser blast hit one of the Amazon squarely in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

    Xxx

    “Captain, I’m picking up phaser discharge readings from below the surface!” Harry reported from the ops station.

    Kathryn stood and looked at the young ensign. She tapped her comm badge. “Janeway to Torres. B’Elanna, what’s going on down there?”

    “Captain, we’ve got Kazon down here!” B’Elanna was shouting over the phaser fire.

    “Where the hell did they come from?” Kathryn asked, addressing no one in particular. She looked at Harry again. “Why didn’t our sensors pick them up?”

    “I don’t know, Captain,” Harry replied.

    “Are sensors picking up any Kazon ships now?” Chakotay asked.

    “No,” was Harry’s bewildered reply.

    “Can you get a lock on our team?” Kathryn waited while Harry worked frantically trying to find any kind of way out of this sudden mess.

    “There’s too much interference from the planet’s upper atmosphere,” Harry said.

    Kathryn heart was starting to race now. “Can you compensate?” she asked.

    “I can try.”

    Kathryn activated her comm badge again. “Janeway to Torres.”

    “Torres here,” B’Elanna replied.

    “Harry’s going to try to get a lock on you. How long do you think you can hold them off?”

    Xxx

    Below the planet’s surface, B’Elanna fired her phaser from behind the boulder she was using for cover.

    “I don’t know!” B’Elanna shouted, replying to the Captain’s question. “Not very long!” She fired again. Then she turned around and pressed her back against the rock. She stole a glance at Dani. She’d almost forgotten that the girl had come along. Dani was holding her own with the Kazon, firing her phaser at them and doing very well. ‘Way to go, Dani,’ B’Elanna thought. She felt a phaser blast shoot past her head, and she turned back to continue the impromptu battle.

    Kathryn paced the area in front of hers and Chakotay’s chairs. There was nothing she could do until Harry got a transporter lock on the team. But what if he didn’t get a lock? What then? Would they be able to hold the Kazon off until she could send re-enforcements? What if-

    “Captain, I have a lock!” Harry announced. Kathryn stopped pacing and turned to Harry.

    “Get them out of there, Mr. Kim!” Kathryn commanded. Harry was already in the process before she even finished giving the command.

    Xxx

    B’Elanna, Tom, Seven, and Dani all watched in horror as the number of Kazon warriors doubled. All of them had their weapons raised and pointed at the Voyager away team. B’Elanna looked back at Tom, Dani, and Seven. Dani – she was so young. And she was facing this with so much courage. She didn’t look scared at all. That was one trait Chakotay and the Captain had definitely passed on to her.

    B’Elanna took a deep breath, turned around, and prepared to fire. The away team might not win, but they could at least try. Just then, the room started to fade into the blue particles of a transporter beam. They were being beamed out!

    “Got ’em, Captain!” Harry exclaimed. He looked from his console at the Captain with a smile on his face. Kathryn breathed a big sigh of relief. She heard Chakotay do the same.

    The blue transporter beam particles faded to the safe confines of Voyager’s transporter room.

    “Oh, thank God,” Tom exhaled as he stepped off the transporter pad. Seven stepped off next. Then B’Elanna. “That was a little close for comfort,” Tom said.

    B’Elanna stopped walking. Something wasn’t right. It seemed like someone was…missing. She looked at Tom and Seven, and then back at the now-empty transporter pad. It hit her like a lightening bolt. She hit her comm badge.

    “Captain, we have a problem!”

    Xxx

    Dani looked around the cave. The rest of the away team was gone! She was alone!

    “Drop your weapon, now!” one of the Kazon ordered. Dani didn’t have any choice. She was hopelessly outnumbered. She slowly stood, tossing her weapon to the ground.

    Xxx

    Kathryn looked at Chakotay with disbelief upon hearing the dreadful news. Chakotay had a similar look on his face. Kathryn had sat down, but she was now back on her feet.

    “Harry,” she said. She watched the young man work frantically at his station. He shook his head.

    “I can’t get her,” he said. He continued working anyway. “Getting them the first time was a miracle in itself.” He suddenly stopped working.

    “What is it, Mr. Kim?” Kathryn asked. Harry hesitated a few moments before looking at Kathryn. “Mr. Kim?”

    “I’ve lost her signal completely,” Harry said, finally looking up from his console.

    Kathryn felt as if the wind had just been knocked from her. Her daughter was now in the hands of those Kazon vultures.

  • Delta Wild – Chapter 9

    When Dani walked into the mess hall, she saw that Icheb was sitting at a table by the window waiting for her. As Dani approached the table, the Borg-human looked up at her. His face seemed to brighten a little at the sight of her.

    Dani walked over to the table and sat down across from Icheb.

    “Hi,” Dani said.

    “Hello,” Icheb said.

    Chakotay and Kathryn walked into the mess hall. They stopped short when they saw Icheb and Dani at a table together.

    “They sure have been spending a lot of time together lately,” Kathryn observed.

    “Yes,” Chakotay agreed. “At least she’s not on the holodeck.” He and Kathryn looked at each other.

    “True,” Kathryn said. She watched Dani and thought back to a time when she would never have allowed her daughter to socialize with a Borg drone. They seemed to be getting along so well. “Maybe we should join them,” Kathryn suggested, already starting to walk over to Icheb and Dani’s table. Chakotay reached out and touched her arm.

    “No,” Chakotay said. Kathryn looked at him. “She just turned 18 a few days ago. Don’t you remember when you were her age? You didn’t want your parents hanging around your friends, did you?”

    Kathryn felt as if she’d just been insulted. She squared her shoulders. “But I’m-“

    “-her mother,” Chakotay said, finishing her sentence for her. His ending differed from what hers would have been, however. “Come on.”

    Giving one last look to Dani and her companion, Kathryn abandoned her mission and followed Chakotay to a table on the other side of the room.

    Xxx

    Icheb and Dani walked through the doors into her quarters. They sat down on the couch in the living room and looked at each other.

    ‘The things he must know,’ Dani thought, her eyes tracing over Icheb’s face, from his dark hair to the cortical implant near his left eye to his nose ridges.

    “What’s it like?” she asked him.

    “What is ‘what’ like?” Icheb asked.

    “Being you,” Dani asked. Then she realized how absurd this must’ve sounded to Icheb. “I mean, you used to be part of the Borg collective. What was it like?”

    Icheb looked at the table in front of them for a moment, while he gathered his reply.

    “It was…comforting,” he finally said, looking back at Dani.

    Dani was a little surprised. Comforting wasn’t exactly the term she would use to describe the collective. Then again, she had never actually been apart of the collective.

    “Comforting?” Dani asked.

    “Yes.” Icheb went on. “Every thought circulated throughout the collective. One was never alone. That is how it was comforting.”

    “Do you ever miss it?” Dani asked him.

    Icheb thought for a few more moments before answering, “No. I do not.”

    “Were you happy there?”

    “Emotion was irrelevant.”

    “It’s not irrelevant now,” Dani said. Both she and Icheb thought about this for a moment. “Are you happy on Voyager?”

    Icheb looked at Dani. There was an expression of revelation on his face. “Yes,” he said.

    Dani smiled. Icheb smiled also.

    “I’m glad you’re here, Icheb,” Dani said.

    “So am I,” Icheb said. “I enjoy your company.” He looked away from her, and his smile faded.

    “What’s the matter?” Dani asked, noticing the change that had taken place in him.

    “I am unsure,” Icheb said. “I am experiencing…feelings unfamiliar to me.”

    “Can you describe them?” Dani asked. Icheb didn’t answer her. “Icheb?”

    Icheb looked at Dani. He started to speak. “I…”

    “Yes?” Dani encouraged.

    Icheb looked at Dani. Then he unexpectedly leaned over and kissed her.

    Xxx

    “I think they have lot in common,” Chakotay said. He and Kathryn were on their way from the mess hall to their quarters. “They both had to learn how to accept tremendous changes in their lives. Icheb had to learn how to live away from the collective; Dani had to learn how to live away from Earth. I think they could have some very interesting conversations. They could become very good friends.”

    Kathryn and Chakotay stopped walking. They had reached their quarters.

    “Do you think they could become more than friends?” Kathryn asked with a raised eyebrow.

    “I don’t know,” was Chakotay’s reply. “Do you?”

    Kathryn smiled. “Nooo… Dani and Icheb?” She shook her head. “No.”

    “You never know,” Chakotay said, smiling. “There have been stranger pairings. Tom and B’Elanna, Neelix and Kes…you and I.” Kathryn looked at him before stepping up to the doors. They slid open and she and Chakotay walked in. They both stopped dead in their tracks. Dani and Icheb were on the couch engaged in a kiss. Before they could retreat back out the door, Icheb and Dani parted and looked up at them. Everyone remained frozen, not knowing how to proceed. Then Icheb stood.

    “Captain,” he said. “I…we…”

    Chakotay held up his hand. Icheb had addressed Kathryn, but she was still too stunned to say anything. “There’s no need to explain, Icheb. It’s alright.”

    “We did not mean any harm,” Icheb explained.

    Dani stood beside Icheb. “Icheb, it’s alright. We didn’t do anything wrong.” She looked at her parents. “Did we?”

    All the color had drained from Kathryn’s face. She looked as if she’d just seen a ghost.

    “No,” Chakotay said, answering Dani’s question. “You didn’t.”

    Dani turned to Icheb. “We’ll talk a little later, Icheb.”

    “I must apologize for this incident,” Icheb said.

    “Don’t worry about it.”

    Icheb walked over to Chakotay and Kathryn. Kathryn’s expression had changed very little.

    “I apologize sincerely,” Icheb said.

    “It’s okay, Icheb,” Chakotay said. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

    Icheb looked at Chakotay and then at Kathryn. He looked at Chakotay and nodded slightly before leaving.

    Dani walked around the couch to Chakotay and Kathryn. Her father seemed to be okay, but her mother looked quite shell-shocked.

    “Dad, could you give us a minute?” Dani asked.

    “Sure,” Chakotay said. He walked across the room and into his and Kathryn’s bedroom.

    Dani looked at Kathryn.

    “Mom?”

    “Yes?”

    “Are you okay?”

    Kathryn blinked a few times. “Uh-huh. Yes.”

    “Um…I don’t know what to say,” Dani said.

    “Me either,” said Kathryn. “For a change.”

    Dani smiled. “Well, what are you thinking, then?”

    It was Kathryn’s turn to smile. “That you’re not my little girl anymore.” Dani smiled sheepishly at Kathryn.

    “Are you mad?” Dani asked.

    Kathryn shook her head. “No. Come on; let’s sit.” They both walked over and sat down on the couch. “I’m not mad at you, Dani. It’s just that this is a little…surreal to me. The idea of you…you know, when I look at you, I still see that twelve year-old little girl who sneaked aboard five years ago. It’s taken this to make me realize that you’re becoming a young woman. I suppose I should start treating you as such.”

    Dani studied Kathryn’s expression, as if trying to predict what she was going to say next.

    Kathryn continued. “I’m sending an away team down to the planet’s surface to collect dilithium. How would you like to go with them?” Voyager had recently arrived at an M-class planet that, the sensors had detected, contained vast deposits of dilithium.

    “What?” Dani asked. Her mother had never let her go down to a planet surface without her before. And even when Kathryn had beamed down with her, it hadn’t been on an away mission. It had just been shore leave.

    “B’Elanna will be leading the away team. Tom and Seven will accompany her.”

    Now, Dani was really surprised. Her mother wasn’t sending her father with them.

    “You’re not sending Dad?”

    “No. Your father and I will remain on board.”

    Dani couldn’t believe her own ears. “Are you serious?” she asked. “I mean, you’re not kidding me, are you?”

    Kathryn shook her head. “No. You’re on your own on this one.”

    Dani looked at Kathryn. Kathryn nodded. Dani couldn’t believe it; her mother was actually letting her leave the nest. She leaned over and put her arms around her mother.

    “Oh, Mom…” Dani said. “Thank you.”

  • Delta Wild – Chapter 8

    …Dani Janeway had just turned sixteen a few days ago. After a trial game, her mother had finally granted her the privilege of playing Velocity. But she wasn’t playing Velocity tonight. Tonight, she was going to a party.

    Dani looked herself over in the mirror. The red fitted turtleneck sweater and short black skirt she was wearing was perfect for tonight. Her eyes moved to her hair. She couldn’t decide whether she should wear it up or down. She held it up with her hand and studied the prospective style. Then she let it fall about her shoulders once more and brushed it. Ultimately, she decided to wear it up. She twisted it and placed a clip on it to keep it in place. She looked herself over once more and decided that she was ready.

    Dani walked into the living area. Her parents were together on the sofa reading a book. They looked up at her.

    “Where are you off to tonight?” Kathryn asked.

    “The holodeck,” Dani replied.

    “One of your party programs?” Chakotay guessed.

    “Yes.”

    “Have fun,” Kathryn said, turning her attention back to the book.

    “Thanks,” Dani said. A smile formed on her face as she turned to go. They hadn’t given her a curfew. That meant-

    “Be back by 2400 hours,” Kathryn said, interrupting Dani’s thoughts. Dani whirled back around to face her parents, her smile having faded.

    “2400?” she whined. She looked at the small chronometer strapped to her wrist. “But it’s 2100 now.”

    Kathryn turned a page in the book. “Then you’d better be going then,” she said. As an afterthought, she looked up behind her at Chakotay. “You were finished with that page, weren’t you?”

    “Um-hm,” Chakotay nodded.

    Kathryn looked back down at the book. “2400,” she repeated.

    Dani turned and walked out of the quarters. Kathryn watched the doors close behind her, then she closed the book.

    “I wasn’t finished with that page,” Chakotay said.

    “You don’t think 2400 is too early, do you?” Kathryn asked Chakotay, completely ignoring his complaint.

    “No,” Chakotay said. “Not at all. When I was sixteen, that was my curfew.”

    “But that was a different time,” Kathryn countered. “And different circumstances…” She leaned forward and placed the book on the coffee table. “The main reason for curfews was so that you could know where your child was. We know where ours is. What can happen to her here?”

    “I think the more appropriate question would be ‘what can’t?’”

    Kathryn thought about Chakotay’s statement for a moment. “You’re right,” she agreed. “Some strange things have happened on the decks of this ship.”

    “And who’s to say that what happens can’t happen inside the walls of these quarters?” Chakotay challenged. “The fact that she’s in here doesn’t automatically make her safe.” Kathryn looked at him, and he went on. “Safety isn’t the only reason for curfews, though. Curfews establish discipline, order. In some cases, they can be used as punishment.”

    “When do parents usually stop giving their children curfews?” Kathryn asked.

    “Well, my parents stopped giving me a curfew when I turned 18,” Chakotay replied. “What about you?”

    “Oh, I never had a curfew,” Kathryn said casually.

    “You’d better not let Dani hear you say that. She’d call you a hypocrite.”

    “No, it wasn’t like that. I mean, I never went out. There wasn’t any need for a curfew.”

    “Well, what about Phoebe, then?” Chakotay probed.

    “I suppose she stopped getting them at around 18, like you.”

    “I think the thing to remember here is that Dani just turned sixteen. The rules will have to change as she gets older, but right now, I think 2400 is reasonable.”

    Xxx

    Chakotay paced the living area. He looked at the chronometer on the wall. It was 0200 hours, and Dani still hadn’t returned from the holodeck.

    “I’m going to go get her,” Chakotay declared.

    “No,” Kathryn protested. “Let’s giver her a few more minutes.”

    “A few more minutes? She’s had two hours.”

    “Computer, locate Dani Janeway,” Kathryn commanded. The computer responded that Dani was on this deck. Kathryn and Chakotay looked at each other. That meant she was close. “Computer – lights.” The room instantly became dark.

    Dani stopped in front of the doors of her quarters. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t go in,’ she thought. ‘But if I were any later, I’d just be in more trouble. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and they won’t be up.’ She punched in the security access code. She got it wrong the first time, partly because she was so tired and partly because she was worried about what might happen when the door open opened. She got the code on the second try and the doors slid open. She looked around the room before she went in. It was completely dark. ‘Maybe this won’t be so bad, after all.’

    Dani walked in. The doors slid closed behind her, and she was enveloped in the darkness. She stood still for a moment before walking on, so that her eyes could adjust to the darkness. ‘Now, if I can just get to my room…’ She tip-toed across the living area to her room. She had expected to hear the whoosh of her doors sliding open when she approached the door, but she didn’t. She felt…a presence. A person. Someone was standing in between her and her bedroom. She sighed. The jig was up. “Computer – lights.” Light immediately flooded the room, and Dani saw that it was her father who was barring the way to her room. Dani turned around. Her mother was standing in the doorway of hers and Chakotay’s bedroom. Dani looked back at her father. Busted!