Braving The Unknown

I.
Kathryn Janeway crawled on all fours through the Jeffery’s tube. She reached another junction and suddenly starred into the face of Seven of Nine who came from the right side.

“Seven.” Janeway perched in her knees.

“Captain. What are you doing here?”

 Seven of Nine remained in her position.

“I could ask you the same question.”

“I replaced a malfunctioning neural gel pack, but what are you doing here? Explain yourself.”

“I’m just saying goodbye to my baby. After all I have carried it for seven years. Well it has carried me and the crew.” Janeway waved jovially. “However.”

“You try to discard Voyager by crawling through Jeffery’s tube?” Seven furrowed her brows and looked at Janeway in amusement.

“What about you?”

“As I told you, I replaced a gel pack.”

Now Janeway looked amused. “Silly me, thought you want to say good bye yourself.”

“You are not silly, Captain. However your assumption is flawed.”

Janeway couldn’t help but smirk. “Of course.”

Seven draw breath. “May I join you on your tour?”

“Please!” Janeway looked delighted.

“Lead the way, Captain.”

Janeway started moving and Seven followed her through the tight tube. They crawled for several minutes in silence.

“It is most peculiar,” Seven suddenly started. She paused before she continued. “In the Delta Quadrant it was always an annoyance to do repairs in the Jeffrey’s tube. Now that we are in orbit around earth I find it comforting to be in Voyager’s tubes.”

“Well, it’s something familiar,” Janeway murmured without turning around. “And there are not much possibilities.”

“Captain?”

“You can only crawl in two directions, Seven.” Janeway stopped at a junction. “And occasionally in four. Say, where do we exit, if we turn left?

“The mess hall.”
“Shall we?”

“As you wish.”

Janeway and Seven of Nine, late of the Borg Collective reached the exit at mess hall after some minutes.

“You never get used to it.” Janeway murmured and rubbed her kneecaps after they had climbed out of the tube. She looked around into the abandoned mess hall. “Do you think you can have a drink with me, before you continue your repair mission?”

Seven rolled her eyes in mild annoyance over Janeway’s teasing. “Of cause.” She went to the replicator. “Computer, one cup of coffee and one glass of tea, Vulcan blend 4.” The two items were materialized and she carried them to a table were Janeway was already sitting. Seven sat down and observed Janeway taking a swig from the coffee mug.

“May I ask you a question?” Seven started.

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Why are you still living on Voyager? You should live on the planet, in transporter reach to Starfleet headquarters. It would be more comfortable for you.”

Janeway’s eyebrows danced in amusement. “You said you’re going to ask me a question, not to question me.”
Seven looked slightly irritated at her former Captain. “I thought I have permission to speak freely.”

“You always have.”

“Then you will answer my question?”

Janeway sighed. “Well, I’m not the only one who still returns to Voyager every evening. What about you?”

“I would prefer to discuss your choice to remain on Voyager first,” Seven insisted.
“I have just not decided yet where exactly I should live. Ever since I left the Academy I lived in space. Besides, there are people on Voyager who might need me. You know the old saying, the Captain is the last to leave.”
“Who would need you?”

“Tuvok, the Doctor, you.”

“You are not the Captain any more, you are not bound to assist the former members of your crew.”

Janeway smiled slightly. She leaned forward and gazed intently at Seven of Nine. “How comes, if I’m not the Captain any more, that you still call me Captain?”
“Admiral.” Seven snapped, and then looked down on the table.

“It’s ok Seven. I just wanted to say, that I’ m still there for you, if you have problems, if you need someone to talk.”
Seven stiffened slightly. “I appreciate that, but it won’t be necessary for you to waste your time on that. Commander Chakotay and Commanders Tuvok have also offered to assist me.”

Janeway wrinkled her nose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Since I am, what you would call engaged with Commander Chakotay and in a friendship relationship with Commander Tuvok it is prudent to turn to them for advice.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Janeway snapped. The words where coming out harder than she had planned it. She inhaled deeply and took another sip of coffee. “Since when I would call time spend with you wasted?” She said more softly.

“Since our arrival in the Alpha Quadrant many people demand your attention. Also your new assignment as Fleet Admiral demands much attention. And since we are not any longer crewmates it is logical that you have less time for me and other former crewmembers.”

Janeway looked irritated at Seven.

“I’m not accusing you, I’m just stating the facts.”

Janeway sighed. “See, since we arrived I had to brief various different people about the same facts only to be approached by more people, demanding access to other information. It seemed to have no end. Then I had the interrogations with Starfleet Command. We all were busy the last three month. It will normalize. At least for me I hope, once I have brushed up my knowledge about the latest events in the Alpha Quadrant.”

Janeway searched for eye contact, but Seven looked down into her cup, avoiding the questioning eyes of her ex-Captain. “I understand,” she murmured.

“What do you think about a match of Velocity? We also could start with our routine of breakfast again. I think we should find a time we both can agree upon,” Janeway offered, still looking at her ex-Astronometrics Officer.

“Acceptable.”

Janeway smiled. “The night is young. We can start right now, with velocity, I mean.”
“Of course.”

“Alright.” Janeway emptied her mug with a final mighty swig. “Meet me in 30 minutes at Holodeck 2.”