The Talent Show

Rating: G-PG
Summary: When in a particularly boring part of the Delta Quadrant, the crew decides to have a talent show (surprise, surprise). Don't worry, neither Janeway nor Chakotay nor Tom nor B'Elanna sings. I promise!
Disclaimer: Voyager & its characters are owned by Paramount. This story is for entertainment purposes only. One scene of this story is stolen from an actual Voyager episode, so it's not my idea.

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It had been a particularly dull and uneventful few weeks, travelling through a barren sector of the Delta Quadrant. There were few stars, let alone planets or nebulas to explore. They hadn't seen any other life forms for weeks. The crew was getting bored and fractious. Captain Janeway especially felt a sense of isolation. Here they were, a small island of light and life travelling though the utter emptiness of space. Her usual distractions from the dull routine of running a starship were exploring new planets and nebulas, interacting and negotiating with other species, gathering knowledge. But without these distractions, she retreated within herself, barely speaking to the crew, and alternating between her ready room and her quarters.

Commander Chakotay had noticed her increasing reticence, and tried to engage her in conversation, to keep her mind occupied and get her to communicate with someone other than the replicator. But with all systems operational, the crew in reasonably good health, and nothing significant to see in that region of space, he soon ran out of small talk.

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Tom Paris and Harry Kim had just finished a late dinner in the mess hall, and they now sat staring disconsolately at their bowls of leola root ice cream. Neelix sat with them, thoroughly enjoying his own heaping bowl of ice cream, but feeling rather depressed nonetheless.

"I'm supposed to be the Morale Officer," he thought, "but here I am with low morale just like everyone else."

"Tom, wasn't that the most boring bridge shift ever?" moaned Harry.

"That's for sure! At least you get to watch for stuff on the sensors. All I got to do was stare at the empty viewscreen, since we were going on a straight course the whole time," Tom replied.

"It seems to get worse every day. I don't think the Captain said more than two words the whole shift. And she was in her ready room practically the whole time," said Harry.

"Yeah, this place stinks. It seems like everyone is on each others' nerves. B'Elanna was even more snappy with me than usual last night, although I don't blame her, I know how she gets when she's bored."

"I think something has to be done," said Neelix. "If we go on like this much longer, I think we'll all just end out quarrelling non-stop. The crew needs a distraction."

"But what could we do?" asked Harry.

"We could have a party!" said Neelix, predictably.

"I don't know, Neelix," said Tom, "I just don't think this crew would be in the mood for a party. We'd probably just end out milling around saying gloomy things to each other, and drinking too much synthenol. Then the next day everything would be back to its same old boring routine again."

"You're right," agreed Harry, "we need something that will keep the crew occupied for more than just a few hours."

"We haven't had a talent show for a while," suggested Neelix.

"That's it, Neelix! That's just the ticket!" exclaimed Tom, "We could make participation mandantory - that would keep everyone busy for a week or so preparing."

"Great, let's go talk to Commander Chakotay, and see if he thinks the Captain would approve," said Neelix.

The three of them walked over to the other side of the mess hall, where Chakotay sat alone, gloomily stirring his long-since melted leola root ice cream. He looked up, and his face brightened when he saw the cheerful faces of Tom, Neelix, and Harry.

"Commander Chakotay," said Neelix, "As Voyager's morale officer, I think this crew needs cheering up!"

"I think you're right Neelix," Chakotay replied, "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, we were thinking that a talent show where everyone had to participate, would give everyone some welcome distraction, more than just a few hours," answered Neelix.

"Mr. Paris, I sense your mind at work here. You've been trying to get me to humiliate myself in front of the crew at one of your talent nights for years. Under normal circumstances, I would still refuse, but now I agree - everyone on this ship - myself included - needs some distraction. Have you asked the Captain yet? She may be even less eager than I am to participate," said Chakotay.

"No, not yet," replied Tom, "We thought it would be better if you asked her. Frankly, she's been a little 'unapproachable' lately."

"I know what you mean. But I'll do my best to convince her," said Chakotay.

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Later that evening, the Captain was in her quarters, laying on the couch, staring out the window at the stars, which all seemed very far away. Suddenly, the sound of the door chime interrupted her melancholy thoughts.

"Come in," she said blandly, as she sat up and put on her 'Captain Janeway' face. "Oh, hello Commander, please have a seat." She gestured to the other end of the couch. "How can I help you, Commander?"

"I thought you might like something to eat," he handed her a small box of chocolates as he sat down. "I figured you probably would have skipped out on Neelix's pasta and leola root ice cream."

She barely managed a half smile. "Thank-you Commander," she said and began nibbling absent-mindedly on one of the chocolates.

"How are you doing, Kathryn?" he asked.

"I'm just fine, thank-you Commander," she said, "How can I help you?"

"Well, you could start by calling me by my own name. We're not on the bridge, you know," he said.

"Sorry Chakotay. I've been a little edgy lately. I mean, there's nothing in this ship right now that needs me. I'm used to being needed - crisis management, negotiations with hostile species, defending the ship - that's what Starfleet Captains are trained to do. But nobody ever tells you how to be a Captain when there's nothing to do," she said, "How can I inspire my crew to be dedicated and positive and continue bravely on the course for home when I feel like I must be the most pessimistic person on Voyager?"

"Now Captain, don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone's been feeling a little bored and isolated these past few weeks. Some crewmen have suggested that this crew needs a diversion - something fun to lift everyone's spirits," said Chakotay.

"Like one of Neelix's parties?" she asked.

"No, these particular crewmen were thinking along the lines of a 'mandantory' talent show. Something to keep everyone busy for more than just a few hours," he replied.

"That sounds like a Tom Paris idea, if I've ever heard one," she smirked. "I can't believe you went along with that - I know how much you hate those things. I'm assuming that 'mandantory' includes the senior officers."

"Unfortunately, yes," he chuckled. "But I'm so bored these days that even self-humiliation seems better than this endless tedium."

"Alright, I agree. You can inform the crew. But... tell Mr. Paris that since he is so eager to see his commanding officers on stage, he can be in charge of the organization."

"Of course," he smiled.

"But wait a minute... what am I going to do? I've already done ballet at one talent show, and I won't do a repeat," she exclaimed.

"We could do an act together. That way we could get it all over with more quickly," he suggested.

"Great plan, but what could we do?" she asked. They sat silently thinking for a while.

"I've got an idea," said Chakotay.

"No singing, I hope."

Chakotay replied, "Definately not! But it will involve the Temporal Prime Directive."

"Do we have to break it?" she asked, unsure as to what the Temporal Prime Directive had to do with a talent show.

"Well... not exactly. We'd just be stretching it a bit," he grinned. Then he began to explain his idea.

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The next day, Chakotay made a ship-wide announcement about the talent show. The effect on the crew exceeded even Tom's hopes. Everyone was terribly excited, and immediately began preparing acts. Many chose to participate in groups, others prepared individual acts. All of the former quarrels and boredom were forgotten. B'Elanna, Tuvok, and Seven of Nine were a little less than thrilled about performing in front of the crew, but they noticed the improvement in the crew's morale, and figured it was worth a little humiliation.

Tom and Harry were eating lunch in the mess hall.

"Wow, Harry, this is more work than I expected! There's so much to set up for, like holoprograms, sound systems, not to mention the schedule," said Tom.

"Well, if you need any help, I'm not too busy right now."

"Thanks Harry. You know, even though I'm so busy, it's much better than being as bored as I was last week. By the way, what can I sign you up for?" Tom asked.

"I'm going to do a musical number with the Delaney sisters," Harry replied.

"I can't wait!" said Tom, as he entered the information into a PADD. "You know, this is the best - I get to find out what everyone is doing."

Just then, Commander Chakotay approached thier table. "Lt. Paris, may I have a word with you in private? Sorry Harry," he apologized.

"Yes Commander," said Tom and Harry in unison. Harry moved to another table and joined the Delaney sisters, and tried not to wonder what Tom and Chakotay were talking so earnestly about. Tom had a great big grin on his face - he would have to get all the details from him later! Meanwhile, he turned his attention towards the Delaney sisters.

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The next week, everyone was busy practicing their acts. The Holodecks were occupied full time. Holodeck One was to be the location of the talent show, and Tom laboured there constantly, setting up the programs. Several empty crew quarters and sections of the cargo bay had also been designated as practice areas. The crew was in extremely high spirits, all except for two people.

"Lt. Torres to Lt. Commander Tuvok."

"Tuvok here."

"I was wondering if you could met me in Engineering at the end of Alpha Shift?" she asked.

"Yes, lieutenant," he replied.

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"Tuvok, this is getting serious! Tom says you and I are the only ones on Voyager not yet signed up for the talent show, and it's only two days away!" B'Elanna threw up her hands in exasperation. "What are we going to do?"

"What are your talents, Lieutenant?" Tuvok asked.

"I don't know... I can't sing, I can't dance, I can't think of anything. I don't even want to do this anyway," she replied.

"It does seem rather... humiliating," he agreed. "But we must follow the Captain's orders. However illogical they may seem."

"You're right. And maybe her orders aren't so illogical after all. Crew morale hasn't been thid good in months! But still, we've got to think of something to do," she said.

"Then we are back to my original question," said Tuvok. "What are your talents?"

"Well... I can fix the warp core... that's all I can think of."

"That gives me an idea," said Tuvok.

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It was the day before the talent show. Harry was assisting a haggard-looking Tom Paris in Holodeck One. They were putting the finishing touches on the 'auditorium'. Harry was ensuring that there was sufficient seating capacity, while Tom was putting together the final schedule and planning his speeches. Since he was going to be the MC for the evening, the Captain had excused him from actually performing. He just had to introduce all the acts.

"So Tom," teased Harry, "What were you and the Commander talking about so earnestly the other day?"

"Oh, he was just informing me about his acts for talent night," said Tom, a little distracted as he typed away at his PADD.

"Did you say ACTS, plural, as in... more than one? I mean, up till now, we've never even been able to get him on stage, and now he's voluntarily going up there twice?" exclaimed Harry.

Tom froze. He had obviously revealed too much. No doubt he had been sworn to secrecy by Chakotay, under threat of frequent double-shifts in Sickbay, Harry thought.

"Well Harry... this is JUST between you and me, understand?" whispered Tom.

"I promise," replied Harry, eager to be let in on the secret.

"Well," continued Tom in a whisper, "the Commander is doing one act with the Captain, and I can't tell you any more than that."

"Why not?"

"The Temporal Prime Directive."

Harry looked confused, but continued, "Ok, but you said he was in more than one act."

Tom glanced around nervously, making sure no one else was there. "He's doing another act by himself, but he won't even tell me what he's planning!"

"Wow, that's crazy, but -"

Just then, B'Elanna entered the Holodeck in search of Tom, so their discussion was interrupted.

"Tom," she said, "You can add Tuvok and I to the list."

"Finally!" he replied, "I was beginning to think I'd have to report you both to the Captain!"

He was silenced by a death glare from B'Elanna.

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"Computer, locate Captain Janeway," said Commander Chakotay.

<< Captain Janeway is on Deck 5 Section 3 >>

Strange, he thought, that the computer didn't specify a room or corridor. He headed for the turbolift.

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Captain Janeway sat in a Jeffries tube on Deck 5. It was a favourite 'hiding place', where she could escape from reality, when even her quarters reminded her that she was the Captain. Despite being pleased with the effect that the talent show was having on the crew's morale, she herself felt no better. She was almost jealous at how easily the crew had been able to take their minds off the emptiness of space, and become engrossed in something as trivial as a talent show.

She was glad that Chakotay had organized their act. She was in no mood to be creative. And she had to admit that their act really did involve only a minimum of self-humiliation. It wasn't as if she had to sing or anything. However, even this small relief was not enough to make her happy. When was the last time she had had a good laugh? Probably not since Tom had told her about Tuvok snoring on the bridge. That was months ago. She was just musing on whether she had lost he capacity to experience happiness when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Chakotay to Janeway."

"Janeway here."

"Where are you? The computer says you're on Deck 5, but I can't find you anywhere," he said.

"I'm in a Jeffries tube by the turbolift, I'll be right out." She reluctantly crawled to the exit and opened the door. Chakotay was already there, and looking worried.

"Is something wrong? B'Elanna hasn't reported any malfunctions." he asked.

"No," she said, "Just needed some time alone."

"Sorry," he said, a little embarrased. "I just wanted to check up on you." They walked towards the turbolift.

"I'm fine," she said, without making eye contact.

"You're not convincing me," he said.

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The day of the talent show finally arrived. Tom Paris had been excused from duty, but Harry had to remain on the bridge for the full shift. He was eager to escape and help Tom with the final preparations. He anxiously forced himself to run scan after scan of the empty space, just to pass the time.

"Ensign Kim, is there a problem?" asked Tuvok. He had observed Mr. Kim fidgeting for the past 28 minutes.

"No, Lt. Commander," he managed to squeak out. "Gee, for a Vulcan who supresses all his feelings, he's pretty good at figuring out humans' emotions," he thought to himself.

Indeed, Tuvok took pride (well, as much as a Vulcan can), in his ability to discern the often illogical feelings of his human colleagues. But today, the Captain's behaviour had been quite puzzling. All of the humans on Voyager seemed to be excited about the talent show. Yet, the Captain did not seem to be anticipating the evening's entertainment. She had seemed silent and withdrawn while on the bridge, and had in fact confined herself to the ready room for the majority of the shift. Tuvok sensed that Commander Chakotay was also disturbed by the Captain's behaviour, for he had observed the Commander frequently glancing at the ready room doors. Twice Chakotay had stood up and started to move towards the ready room, only to hesitate, and then move over to check on Harry's scans.

Finally, with one hour remaining on the alpha shift, the Commander stood up once more. Harry turned white and began sweating, but Chakotay moved to the ready room doors, and this time he rang door chime. Tuvok raised an eyebrow. Humans really were rather predictable, if you knew what to look for, he concluded.

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Captain Janeway sighed. She had hoped to complete the shift without interruption. "Come in... Oh, hello Commander, how can I help you?"

"You can tell me what's really going on!" he said angrily. "I thought you were looking forward to this talent night!"

Janeway looked shocked at his outburst, then calmed herself and said in an icy tone, "Commander, you are out of line."

"Pardon me, Captain, but you can't hide behind your rank forever!" he was nearly shouting now. "In a crisis situation, we need a Captain like you, one who is strong and objective and able to distance herself from her crew and her emotions. But several days ago you said that Starfleet didn't train Captains to know what to do when there's nothing to do, and you're right. But remember, I used to be a Captain too, and I know that when there's no fighting or negotiating or repairs, the crew doesn't need a remote and reclusive Captain, they need a friend, a person who shares their emotions, but keeps the mission going all the same."

"Commander Chakotay," she interrupted, "You are dismissed."

He turned around to leave, but not before she noticed the wounded expression on his face. "Wait!" she said. Chakotay turned around. "Look Chakotay I'm sorry. It's just that being a reclusive Captain is all I know how to do right now."

"That's okay. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have just stormed in here like I did," he replied.

"I know I've been a little pessimistic lately, but I really appreciate you and Tom going to all this work to set up the talent show. It's just the thing that the crew needed. I'm sorry if I haven't been supportive enough. But you know... I am kind of looking forward to our act," she managed a half smile.

"Don't tell Tom, but I'm looking forward to it too!" he grinned.

"I'll see you tonight," she said as he turned to leave.

"Save me a seat," he replied, and then left the ready room.

Tuvok noticed that the Commander was smiling as he left the ready room. Perhaps he had been able to convince the Captain that her behaviour was illogical.

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Commander Chakotay enetered Holodeck One. The room had been programmed as an auditorium, with a stage at the front. The seats were nearly all full. The lights in the room were dimmed, except on the stage. He searched around anxiously for the Captain. She was sitting next to Tuvok about halfway towards the stage. Chakotay breathed a sigh of relief as he saw an empty seat on her left. He made his way towards it.

"Good evening, Commander," she smiled as he sat down. He could have sworn she winked at him, but it was hard to tell in the dim light. "Are you ready for the act?"

"I'm a little nervous," he replied. In reality, he wasn't nervous at all about the act he was doing with the Captain; it was his own solo act that worried him. How would the crew react? More importantly, how would the Captain react. He hoped it would work. He glanced at the program Naomi had handed him when he came in. Good - Tom had remembered not to include his second act on the program. Tom had told him privately that he would be right after B'Elanna and Tuvok. Just then, Tom appeared on the stage with a microphone. The crowd hushed.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen... and Klingons," he announced. The crowd laughed. "It is my pleasure to be your host for the Seventh Annual Talent Night on the Starship Voyager! I know you've been looking forward to this, so without any further ado, I present: Ensigns Kim, Delaney, and Delaney!"

Harry and the Delaney sisters performed a jazz song which Harry had written called, "The Borg Blues." His clarinet solos elicited cheers from the crowd. Many more acts followed. There were skits, songs, stories, dancing, music, and more. Most of the acts were humorous. Some crew members re-enacted scenes from events on Voyager or away missions, but with humorous twists, and occasionally quite a different ending. Many crew members displayed exceptional talent, in music, dance, or drama. Some acts were serious, such as one ensign from Engineering who read a letter his father had written him before he left on Voyager.

As the time approached for her act, Captain Janeway began to be nervous. This surprised her. She wondered how she could be nervous about getting on a stage in front of her own crew, and yet not be afraid to face the Borg. However, she was still able to enjoy the other acts.

The Doctor and Seven of Nine flawlessly sang a beautiful operatic duet. The Captain was glad that Seven felt comfortable enough to sing in front of the crew. She was also pleased that the crowd gave them a large round of applause. Where else in the galaxy would Starfleet crew-members be applauding the musical achievements of a former Borg drone and a medical hologram, she wondered. She was proud that it was on her ship.

Next, Naomi Wildman and Icheb gave a demonstration in genetics. They projected a holographic image of Tom Paris, and then, by changing one gene sequence at a time, they turned him first into a Klingon, then into a giraffe, and finally into Neelix. The crowd cheered and gave them a standing ovation. Even Tom laughed and cheered.

Next was the Captain and Commander's act. They approached the stage to wild cheering. The crowd hushed as Commander Chakotay took the microphone and began to speak. They had waited for this moment for a long time.

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"Once upon a time, a starship called Voyager encountered a gravimetric surge. There was an explosion, and the ship was fragmented into different zones, each existing in a different time period. After the explosion, I woke up in Sickbay six years earlier, before the Doctor had his holoemitter. Naturally, I returned to the Bridge to see what was going on, only to find that this part of the ship was in a time period before it left the Alpha Quadrant. Captain Janeway knew who I was, but naturally, didn't believe that the Captain of the Maquis ship she was pursuing would actually be her First Officer in the future. So, she sent me to the brig."

The crowd cheered heartily.

"On the turbolift, I passed into another time zone, and since my guards disappeared, I realized I was the only one who could pass between the time zones. I returned to Sickbay to get help from the Doctor. I knew I'd need help in trying to get the ship back to its proper time, and the Doctor couldn't leave Sickbay, so he developed a chronoton injection that would allow others to travel between the time zones. I returned to the Bridge. The Captain, who thought I would be in the brig, was surprised to see me. I managed to convince her that I was who I said I was, and then inject her with the serum and bring her back to Sickbay. There, we devised a plan to inject the gel packs throughout the ship to bring the ship into temporal sync to the time just before the explosion, and so prevent the disaster. On our way throughout the ship, the Captain and I had many adventures in the different time periods, both past, present and future, but thanks to our fearless Captain Kathryn Janeway, our mission was successful."

The crowd cheered again. They were intrigued. They didn't know if this story had truly happened in some alternate time line, or if it was just some fiction Chakotay had made up for the Talent Night. But they liked it.

"We will now re-enact for you our adventure in the Holodeck. Remember, that at that time, the Captain had only just started on Voyager's mission. She knew very little about the crew, and her Voyager was not yet in the Delta Quadrant. I assume you are all familiar with Lt. Paris's 'Captain Proton' holoprogram?"

Cheers were heard. Tom stood up and took a bow. "Don't worry, the holo-characters can't see you," he said. The lights were dimmed and then went out. Tom activated the holoprogram with the special modifications necessary. The lights were slowly turned on again.

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The Captain and Chakotay were entering the simulation through a tunnel in a cave. The entire set was in black and white. Even Janeway and Chakotay appeared black and white.

"A monochromatic environment?" asked Janeway.

"It's called 'black and white'. It's one of Tom Paris' holodeck programs. He based it on some old science fiction serials." said Chakotay.

The Captain picked up a metallic object. "Interesting technology," she said sarcastically.

"Captain Proton's rocket pack," Chakotay said, as if it was something as ordinary as a phaser, which he was suddenly wishing he had brought along.

"Captain Proton?" asked Janeway in a bewildered voice.

"The Saviour of the Universe," he said with a smile.

Janeway rolled her eyes, "Doesn't sound like Mr. Paris' tastes are very sophisticated!"

The crowd laughed at Tom.

"That is why we love having him around," said Chakotay. "The access port should be in there." He pointed, and they moved from the tunnel and entered the cave. There were lots of strange items in the cave. It resembled a primitive laboratory.

"Here, I think I found the panel," said Janeway, "Give me a hand."

They began moving some rocks out of the way. Suddenly, ominous music began playing. The crowd began whispering excitedly. Most of them had been in Tom's holoprogram before, so they had a good idea what was coming next.

Now entering the cave was a strangely dressed man, and a cylindrical, decidedly low-tech robot, along with several guards.

"HALT IN THE NAME OF CHAOTICA!" shouted the man. "SIEZE THEM!" The man spoke as if he were giving a dramatic speech to a large crowd of people. The Captain glanced briefly at Chakotay, showing her displeasure at this unforeseen delay.

"Compute, deactivate program," said Chakotay.

<< Unable to comply. Holodeck controls are off-line. >>

"Surrender," said the robot in a metallic, synthesized voice.

The command team was now surrounded so they couldn't escape. Just then, the eerie music began again, and a tall man with a goatee, and very strange clothes, entered the cave.

"THIEVES, MY LIEGE," the strangely dressed man (Lunzok) shouted.

The robot grabbed Captain Janeway. "Do not resist," it said.

"THEY WERE ATEMPTING TO ROB YOUR LABORATORY, CHAOTICA" said Lunzok pompously.

"FOOL!" shouted Chaotica. "Don't you recognize the Queen of the Spider People?" he pointed to Janeway, who could barely control her laughter. The audience laughed also. Lunzok looked sheepish.

"Arachnia, my bride," Chaotica moved closer, "I knew you'd return to me one day... so I could watch you die!" he began an evil laugh. Lunzok and the robot joined in. It was a terrible sound. Janeway rolled her eyes and gave and angry and bewildered glance at Chakotay, who merely shrugged his shoulders. He was being watched closely by armed guards. Janeway was still held by the robot. At Chaotica's command, she was strapped to the Table of Torment.

The audience was silent now, wondering how the Captain was going to get out of this one!

"RAISE THE LIGHTING SHIELD! POWER THE DEATH RAY!" shouted Chaotica, gesturing grandly, "Her fleet may be nearby. We must defend ourselves."

"I'm open to suggestions!" said Janeway quietly to Chakotay.

"Our best bet is to play along," replied Chakotay, smirking. He was obviously looking forward to Janeway's portrayal of Arachnia.

Janeway rolled her eyes again. "Don't let me stop you!"

"I'm not the one he's in love with," whispered Chakotay. He could no longer contain his amusement.

Meanwhile, Chaotica was inspecting the vial of chronoton serum which he had taken from Janeway. "Arachnia... you beguiled me once with your foul potions! Did you think you could toy with my affections again?"

Janeway ignored him and said to Chakotay, "Were these characters always this ridiculous?"

Chaotica, who did not like being ignored, shouted, "IF I ORDER LUNZOK TO PULL THAT LEVER..." Lunzok grasped the lever enthusiastically, "YOU WILL NEVER MOCK ME AGAIN!"

"Arachnia!" hissed Chakotay.

"Please... my liege..." she began reluctantly, "It was ridiculous to think that I would ever try to deceive you." Chakotay nodded his encouragement. Janeway continued, "I have come to warn you of a fiendish plot!" she looked to Chakotay for help.

"By aliens..." he suggested, "from the eighth dimension!"

Chaotica laughed another evil laugh. "EIGHTH!" he laughed, "Everyone knows there are only five dimensions!"

Chakotay winced and looked apologetically at Janeway, who gave him an evil glare. The audience laughed uproariously.

Janeway continued her explanation to Chaotica, "If you don't believe us, examine their handiwork for yourself." She pointed in the direction of the holodeck's access panel. "There's a hidden panel over there behind those rocks."

Lunzok began removing the rocks. Soon, the access panel was exposed. It was bright blue, and contrasted sharply with the black and white environment.

"I'VE FOUND IT, HIGHNESS!" shouted Lunzok triumphantly.

Chaotica, outraged, shouted, "THEY'VE SABOTAGED MY LABORATORY!!!"

"That vial you're holding..." explained the Captain, "it's a neutralizing potion. If you inject their device, you'll render it harmless." Chaotica looked suspicious, but complied.

"Release me, and I'll disarm all their devices... throughout your realm!" she exclaimed passionately.

Romantic music began playing, as Chaotica released Janeway from the Table of Torment. "Oh Arachnia, you do love me!" smiled Chaotica.

"How could I resist your... magnetism," said Janeway with revulsion.

"Or I yours!" said Chaotica. "Together, we'll rule the cosmos!" he made a fist, "AND GRIND OUR ENEMIES INTO DUST!"

He took her hand and kissed it, then began working his way up her arm. She rolled her eyes one last time, and the lights went out.

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The crowd began cheering wildly, and got to their feet. The lights came back on again and they continued to cheer. Even Tuvok stood and clapped politely. The command team took a bow, then left the stage and proceeded to their seats. Tom tried in vain to quiet the crowd so he could introduce the next act.

Chakotay was pleased. He knew he would be teased mercilessly about the fact that he should have known there were only five dimensions, but it was worth it. The crowd was certainly pleased with the performance, anyway. He hoped that the crew's approval had helped the Captain to relax. He snuck a glance at her, and saw her blushing with embarrassment at the applause, but smiling with appreciation as well. He smiled to himself. Then he began to be nervous about his second act.

Finally, Tom was able to quiet the crowd and introduce the next act: B'Elanna and Tuvok.

They reluctantly made their way to the stage. B'Elanna took the microphone from Tom, and began to speak, feeling somewhat embarrassed. She wasn't used to so many people watching her. "Well," she said, "Tuvok and I aren't really into this whole singing, dancing thing." Some crew members groaned. They had secretly hoped to see Tuvok dance. B'Elanna continued. "Well, logically we decided to make a list of what we considered our talents to be. Tuvok is good at reciting Vulcan poetry..." Gasps of horror were heard from the audience. Vulcan poetry was a fate worse than death. "But, we didn't want to steal the show. So, in the end, we decided that Tuvok would display his talent for creating tactical training simulations, and I would display my talent for fixing the warp core." Respectful applause ensued. This was certainly an original idea, thought the audience.

Before they began the simulation, Tuvok took the microphone, and said, "I assure you that Lt. Torres has not rehearsed this simulation." What followed was a span of 15 minutes where every audience member was completely silent and on the edge of their seat, while B'Elanna worked away feverishly to repair a holographic warp core which was losing antimatter containment, and had other numerous malfunctions. Every time one problem was resolved, Tuvok, who was standing at a nearby computer console, would add another glitch for B'Elanna to repair.

Finally, after 15 minutes of frenzied activity, B'Elanna was able to speak the words, "Warp core is back on-line." The crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief before giving Tuvok and B'Elanna a round of applause. Tom gave B'Elanna a pat on the back when she returned to her seat. He then got up to introduce the next act.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I know the program says that Neelix and friends are next, but our next performer asked that his name not be added to he schedule. He wanted to keep it a surprise." With that, Tom sat down.

No one was on stage. Who could the mystery performer be? Just as the crowd began to whisper, Commander Chakotay stood up and walked towards the stage. Captain Janeway watched him, in complete surprise.

The Commander went backstage and retrieved what appeared to be a violin case. He opened the case and gently removed the instrument. He calmly prepared it - tightened the bow hairs and applied the rosin. He quickly checked the tuning of the instrument before proceeding to the centre of the stage.

The crew continued to whisper. No one had known that he played a musical instrument. B'Elanna sat with her mouth agape in surprise. Was this Chakotay, her friend of so many years? Tuvok raised both eyebrows. Perhaps humans were not so predictable after all. Captain Janeway was also completely shocked. She just hoped that he wouldn't make a fool of himself. The crowd stopped whispering as Chakotay began to speak.

"I know what you're thinking - why is Commander Chakotay on stage for the second time tonight when he's never even gone near it before? Well, the reason is, I wasn't ready yet. It takes more than a few weeks to learn to play this instrument well enough to perform for such a talented group of people as yourselves. No, I didn't play this instrument before I came on Voyager."

If the crew had been surprised before, they were shocked now.

"You're probably asking yourselves why I would spend all my holodeck time for six years learning to play a difficult instrument. The reason is that I have been trying to tell someone something important for a long time - something that ordinary words aren't sufficient to express. When I first came on this ship, I tried to show her the way I felt by my actions, but that wasn't enough. Once, I tried to convey my emotions by telling a story, but the true meaning didn't get through. After that, I decided that I would try music. It's taken me six years to become confident enough to play this song, but tonight I am finally ready. I ask that you..." he stared straight at the Captain, "listen carefully. This instrument is called a viola. It's slightly larger than the violin, and has a deeper tone. Some people have said that the viola comes closest to imitating the human voice. I hope it speaks for me tonight. This song is called 'Angry Warrior'"

Captain Janeway felt her heart leap into her throat. A wave of long-suppressed emotions swept over her. Confusion, surprise, fear, embarrassment, happiness, sadness, but above all, love. It was too difficult to process. She knew by the title of the song and by his meaningful look that he was talking to her. She struggled to retain her 'Captain Janeway' composure, so that Tuvok, sitting beside her, wouldn't notice her reaction. None of the crew looked at her, and thankfully Chakotay hadn't mentioned any names. Hopefully they didn't know, she tried to convince herself.

Every single crew member, from Naomi to Tuvok, knew that Chakotay was talking about the Captain. NO ONE dared to even glance at Captain Janeway, though. They knew the result would be demotion, and years in the brig eating leola root every day. So, they remained as still and silent as statues. Only Chakotay was brave enough to gaze at the Captain. Kathryn. Arachnia, Queen of the Spider People only a few minutes ago, he smiled as he began to play.

Chakotay had obviously learned a lot in six years. He played in perfect tune, and had very advanced technique. His strong fingeres moved rapidly and purposefully. In addition to his skill at playing the instrument, this song was obviously his own composition. No one doubted that. The emotions being conveyed by the music were so personal that it could not have been written by anyone else.

He played on for nearly 15 minutes. The song ranged form slow and melodic, to fast-paced with tension and conflict, to deeply sorrowful, to triumphant. During the performance, Chakotay was completely absorbed in his music. He was aware of no one. All his energy, emotions, and thought was for one purpose - to convey himself and his feelings into the mind of the Captain.

Captain Janeway sat motionless. Her emotions were threatening to overcome her. Although she didn't play a musical instrument herself, music had always had a profound effect on her. It was one of the few things that could make her drop her 'Captain Janeway' mask. And now, listening to Chakotay's song, that he had written for her, she didn't know what to do. She wanted to cry and laugh and run up to the stage to hug him and stop the performance and demote him to custodian of the plasma manifolds and run out of the Holodeck and hide in the Jeffries tube, all at the same time. Tears sprang up involuntarily, but she managed not to start sniffling.

Except for Chakotay's music, the auditorium was completely silent. No one coughed, no one moved, it seemed as if no one even breathed. Chakotay ended the song with a dazzling crescendo culminating in a singly high note which gradually faded into silence. Still, no one made a sound.

Chakotay slowly lowered the viola and looked into the silent crowd. He could see the tears sparkling on the Captain's cheeks. It looked as though many others of the crew had tears as well. He knew he had played brilliantly, and felt the warm glow of relief and pride in his performance. After what seemed like an eternity, the crowd began to applaud. It was not the wild cheering they had given for the previous acts, but it was applause conveying their genuine respect and admiration, not only for his skill, but for his willingness to share himself with the entire crew in that way.

Chakotay said nothing, but turned and carefully put the viola back in its case and disappeared backstage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He did not reappear, so Tom got up to introduce the final act for the evening. He too saw that the Captain had tears in her eyes. Neelix and several of the junior crewmembers were singing a Talaxian drinking song. They began rather hesitantly, and they were still somewhat in shock after Chakotay's deeply emotional music. But soon the crowd began clapping to the beat of their song, and so the singers became more enthusiastic.

All Janeway wanted to do was escape. She felt an overwhelming urge to get out, but she knew it would be extremely rude to walk out during Neelix's final act. Besides, then she would be letting everyone know that Chakotay's song had upset her. So, she forced herself to sit still through the ridiculous song, although she could not force herself to clap along. It didn't matter though, because Tuvok wasn't clapping either.

Finally, the song was over, and Tom had concluded the evening. Everyone filed out of the Holodeck and dispersed. Janeway headed for her quarters. As soon as she had left on the turbolift, all signs of the crowd dispersing were reversed, as nearly everyone made their way to the mess hall to discuss what had just happened.

When Janeway returned to her quarters, she sat silently for quite a while, trying to comprehend her mixed emotions, and decide on a course of action. His performance had reminded her of her long-suppressed love for her First Officer. She eventually realized that after seven years in the Delta Quadrant, it was finally the time to tell him.

Finally, she got up and washed her face. Then she said, "Computer, locate Commander Chakotay."

<< Commander Chakotay is on Deck 5 Section 3. >>

So, she thought, he's stolen my hiding place. How long had he been there for? She asked the computer for the time. It was over an hour since the talent show had ended. She quickly made her way to Deck 5.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, back in the Mess Hall, at least half of the crew was there talking in groups. Neelix was busy serving food and drinks. Tom, B'Elanna, Harry, Seven, and the Doctor were sitting together at one table, nibbling on some snacks.

"Tom, did you know this was going to happen?" asked B'Elanna.

"Well, he told me he'd be doing a second act, but I had no idea it would be like that!" said Tom seriously.

"Do you think he was referring to the Captain when he said 'someone'?" asked Seven.

"Of course he was. He must have been," said Harry, "who else could he be referring to, Naomi?"

"Good point," said the Doctor.

Tom said, "What I'm wondering is what h meant by saying he had once told her a story?"

"And what is the significance of the song's title: Angry Warrior?" said Seven.

"He is certainly proficient at playing the viola," said the Doctor. The others nodded in agreement.

"I never knew he had it in him," said B'Elanna, "Love works in mysterious ways."

"I wonder how the Captain will react," said Harry.

"I too, am curious," said Seven.

"I'm sure we'll all figure it out tomorrow on the Bridge," said Tom.

"You mean you and Harry will figure it out. Remember, the rest of us don't work on the Bridge," said B'Elanna.

"Alright, I've got a plan," said Tom. "Doc, you call me to Sickby at 1000 hours. I'll meet all of you there at that time, okay?"

The others agreed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Janeway found Chakotay in the Jeffries Tube where she had been hiding a few days earlier. Chakotay still had his viola case with him, and was sitting against the wall and looking straight ahead. He didn't look up as she entered, but said, "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

She sat down next to him. They didn't say anything for several minutes, but the silence was not uncomfortable. Finally, Janeway smiled, "I never knew you were such a musician!"

He looked at her and said, "Thanks." He continued to look into her eyes. "Now it's your turn."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I just poured my heart out to the entire crew on the stage an hour ago. Now I want you to tell me what's in your heart, Kathryn."

"I... I love you Chakotay," she said. The tears began to flow again. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had taken the plunge. There was no going back now. He took her hand, and they again sat in silence.

Eventually Chakotay said, "My back's getting sore. And I think that we both need some rest. Shall I walk you home, Kathryn?" he teased.

"Of course, Chakotay," she said.

He helped her out of the Jeffries Tube, and they made their way back to their own deck. When they reached the Captain's quarters, they both felt suddenly shy and awkward. Chakotay gave her a quick hug, and said, "Goodnight, Kathryn."

"Goodnight, Chakotay," she replied.

Just before her door closed, she said, "Wait!" He turned around. "Promise you won't call me Kathryn on the Bridge," she said.

"Aye Captain!" he gave her a mock salute before retreating to his quarters.

Janeway closed her door and went to her bedroom. She immediately fell asleep, and had the best night's sleep she had had in weeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Tom arrived early for his Bridge shift. Chakotay, Harry, and Tuvok were already there. Chakotay's face was expressionless. Tom couldn't tell whether things had gone well or badly. Right on time, Captain Janeway arrived on the Bridge. Tom turned around to watch.

"Good morning, Captain," said Chakotay.

"Good morning, everyone," said Janeway. She smiled, and then Tom caught Janeway and Chakotay giving each other "The Look." Just a quick glance and smile that spoke volumes. Tom cheered inside. He flashed Harry a quick smile before turning back around to the helm. He couldn't wait to tell B'Elanna! It didn't matter now how boring their surroundings were, the crew would have lots to gossip about this week!

Any comments on this story? Please email me at warp10@canada.com

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