Honouring
Kathryn
by
vanhunks
[A very short piece]
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters.
SUMMARY: Kathryn retires on her birthday.
HONOURING KATHRYN
"And now, for meritorious service to the
Federation, we honour Kathryn Janeway..."
Admiral Janeway rose to her feet as the audience
rose in tumultuous applause. She saw them, the noise receding and their faces
clear. There was Tom, now Admiral Paris. Harry Kim, retired, and old Magnus
Rollins, long retired. She saw Ahn-Li Kim, daughter of Harry and Seven, smiling
at her. Kathryn saw the tears...
All of them were here. All of them. It was her
eightieth birthday, and to celebrate, the surprise had been pleasant. It
coincided with her official retirement from Starfleet. She had given so much,
received so much.
Only this morning, Ahn-Li Kim, now head of the
science faculty at Starfleet Academy, said to her, "You touched my life,
Admiral, in a way no one else could..."
James Rollins, son of Magnus Rollins, now
heading the Strategy Division of Starfleet Command, said, "I could never
have come this far, Admiral, had it not been for you..."
Imogen Carey, the daughter Joe Carey had never
seen, a beautiful woman, captaining one of the latest and most up to date
vessels in the fleet. Her green eyes had been tearful when she addressed Kathryn
earlier.
"All my life, Admiral Janeway, I have
wanted to be like you..."
It brought tears to Kathryn's eyes. The years
they had been gone, thought lost forever, years of hopeless yearning to be
home... It meant everything to her, everything. Once she thought that she could
never touch another life, never make a difference anymore. But here they all
were, faces that were loving faces, some old, some younger, and always, they
remembered her, always, they honoured her.
"All my life, I have wanted to be like
you..."
Her hand reached for the man who stood next to
her. She looked up at him with tired eyes. His hair was now white, and the
tattoo appeared strangely faded. There were creases and the dimples that still
had the ability to stir something wondrous inside her were now long, deep
furrows. His eyes were kind, loving as they rested on her. She embraced his
quiet strength and basked in it. But it was his smile that remained always the
same. There was the old mirth in them, the old tenderness about it and mostly,
the deep sense of caring.
The faces of the audience receded along with the
sound of applause. Further and further away they moved.
Kathryn saw only the man at her side. Old, yet
still with his incredible bearing. The hand that covered hers, squeezed her
gently.
She smiled back at him.
"Take me home, Chakotay."
***
end
This story was inspired by a classic film I
watched before I went off to work this morning. Called, "Cheers for Miss
Bishop", I was struck by the resemblance of Chakotay and Kathryn's
relationship to that of Sam and Miss Bishop. The ending of the film was
particularly profound and just drove me to write this short piece.