Chapter Text
Kathryn stared at the ceiling above her. The first time she had laid in this bed she had barely noticed it. There was a blur of color before she shut her eyes tight and tried to block out the world. But as the nights passed and the situation solidified, she started to open her eyes in defeat, unable to ignore the reality of her circumstances.
The ceiling panels were very different from the dull gray of her own quarters on Voyager. There was a massive painting mounted on them that was vibrantly awash with color and completely filled the field of her view. She assumed it was a depiction of a hunting party, with riders atop their mounts as they traversed a forest. In search of what type of prey she could not tell, but there were pelts and skins overflowing in their bags. The faces of the men were jovial and full of pride after a seemingly successful journey.
At first glance, she would have assumed it was something that could have been displayed in a museum of classical Earth paintings. But upon closer analysis, the alienness could no longer be ignored. The forestry and low lying foliage were unfamiliar. The pelts in the hunter’s bags did not resemble the game she was used to seeing in the wilds around the farm she grew up on. The mounts were larger than Earth horses, and an unnatural yet subtle shade of midnight blue. And the faces of the men had sharp ridges above their eyes where their brows would normally be on a human.
She wished that in another life she could have admired the beauty of the painting. She wished that she could see herself in the image of the hunters, perhaps as the leader of the group, just as she was the leader of her crew. Instead, she felt as powerless as the prey the hunters were in search of.
The captain remembered the last time she felt in control of her own mission aboard Voyager just two weeks ago. Ironically, someone else was sitting in her command chair.
“Well played, Captain. It seems I never did earn your trust.” Inspector Kashyk had said.
“I had to take a few precautions. You understand,” she said.
“Better than anyone.”
“I never lied to you,” she said. “My offer to take you with us was genuine, and it would still stand if you’d kept your end of the bargain.”
“For what it's worth, you made a tempting offer.” He paused for a moment as he took in his defeat. She waited for him to follow Lieutenant Prax and make his exit.
But he didn’t. Mahler’s music continued to play.
“It’s a shame it had to end this way, Inspector,” she said.
Kashyk sat up in her command seat and ran his hands over the panels. He turned to face her, and a chilly grin appeared on his face.
“Oh my dear Captain,” Kashyk said, “It’s not really a shame.”
“And why is that?”
“Because it’s not over. Not for me. And certainly not for you.”
“Meaning what? You impound my ship? Detain my crew?” Her voice lowered. “You explain to your superiors how a gaharey outsmarted you and led to the escape of dozens of telepaths from your grasp?”
“You think you’ve still got the upper hand Captain!” he chuckled. “Of course, I’ll have Prax ensure none of this remains on record. This victory of yours is an embarrassment for me. But…” He let the thought hang.
“But?”
He sighed as he continued. “But you can’t expect me to walk away with my tail between my legs. You will pay quite a high price for this Captain.”
“In what way?”
Her memories were interrupted as the man beside Captain Janeway groaned and woke from his slumber. She watched him get out of the bed, his nakedness shrouded in the darkness.
He glanced over at her. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked as he tugged on his uniform.
She did not respond as she sat up and pulled the sheet over herself.
“You’re so quiet.” He leaned over and stroked her cheek.
“What would you have me say?”
“Nevermind.” With a sigh, he rose and finished dressing. He walked towards the door, but turned back to look at her.
“We’re only a few hours out from the border. You’ll be leaving soon. I’ll be sad to see you go, you know. You’ve been a very well behaved guest,” he said.
She only shrugged in response.
Impulsively, he rushed back to her, held her face in his hands, and kissed her for the last time. She was still as he kept his lips pressed to hers. When he released her, he looked disappointed at the unreadable emptiness of her expression
“I wonder how your crew will welcome you home.”
And with that he took his leave.
“So do I, Inspector,” she whispered to the empty room.