"Captain, it doesn't look good," Commander Chakotay answered. "Shields are down to 70 percent, the weapons array is off-line as well as the warp core. All available power is being routed to the shields and life support."
"That doesn't give us too many options," she said as the ship shook from another volley of weapon fire.
"It makes no sense as to why they are attaching us," she commented.
"Of course it doesn't, it never does," Chakotay responded. "We tried diplomacy, and we tried fighting. There is only one option left. There's an uninhabited M class planetoid not too far away....'
"Chakotay, I'm not ready to give that order just yet."
"But we have no other..."
"No, I won't!" she shouted. "There is always another choice."
"Shields are down to 35 percent Captain," Commander Tuvok announced.
"Kathryn, time is running out! You need to face the facts, this crew isn't going to and was never destined to reach the Alpha Quadrant," he yell, frustrated.
At that moment their eyes locked. So much was told in that one gaze that it scared them both. Kathryn knew what she needed to do, she just didn't want to do it. After all of these years, after fighting countless battles, they were finally going to lose. Going to have to abandon their goal of the last eight years.
Kathryn tapped her comm. badge. "All hands, this is the Captain. You are to evacuate the ship immediately. I repeat, go at once to the evacuation pods. There is a class M planet not too far away. After all of the pods have been launched we will meet up there. Janeway out."
"You're doing the right thing," Chakotay assured her.
"I know," she told him sadly as she got up to go to her ready room. "You have 10 minutes to get everyone off the ship."
At that he realized that she didn't intend on coming. He wasn't about to let that happen. But first thing was thing, he had to evacuate the ship.
"Aye, aye Captain," he replied. "See you in eight minutes then."
"The ship will self-destruct in 2 minutes," the computer continued its countdown.
"Computer, what is the location of the Captain?" Chakotay asked in a rush.
"Captain Janeway is currently in her ready room," the computer answered monotonously.
Damnit, he thought as he rushed out of the turbolift and across the bridge to the doors of her ready room. He didn't bother asking for permission to enter but put in his override code instead.
"Kathryn, now," he told her as he walked in.
She sat on her sofa, looking out at the stars, a cup of coffee in her hands.
'Chakotay, don't do this..." she warned. "You know the old adage..."
"Don't give me that 'Captain goes down with her ship' crap Kathryn, I don't want to hear it," he calmly told her.
"Well I'm sorry then," she responded.
"Sorry?" he asked. "What do you think your death will do to the crew?"
"They'll get over it and move on," she stated. "Anyway, they'll have you."
"You're right, they will," he said coolly. "But who will I have?"
"Oh Chakotay," she said as she turned to look at him, tears in her eyes.
"There's still time Kathryn, for us to beam off...and well, for us period."
"Is there?" she asked, a small smile on her face.
He walked over to her, placing his right hand on her shoulder and his left on her cheek.
"Kathryn, I love," he told her.
She looked at him and realized he was right. Eventually they would make a home on this planet. A home not only for the crew but for themselves.
"I love you too Chakotay," she responded as their mouths closed the distance between them.
As this happened the self-destruct sequence ended, sending the ship into a thousand pieces.
The End
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