The Drill

Standard disclaimers.

Warning: no social significance...hardly any story...no sex...Well, that's up to your imaginations.

Kathryn Janeway carefully placed her comm-badge on her uniform with a wry smile. She looked every inch the StarFleet Captain, except for her hair. She still was adjusting to the shorter length. It was definitely practical. It normally took seconds...but today it wouldn't lie down...High static in the air...

*Oh well,* she said to herself, surrendering for the moment. She reached for her still warm cup of coffee and took a sip, then glanced at her clock. Forty-five minutes until she was due on the bridge. Just enough time for breakfast in the dining hall. She shuddered at that thought. Neelix was experimenting with spices picked up at the markets on Sebral.

She drained her cup and made one last attempt to tame her hair.

The sound of the doorchime startled her. "Come in?" She smiled as her guest entered. "Commander?"

"Good morning Captain," Chakotay said with an answering smile. "You wanted to see me?"

She looked puzzled. "I did?"

"There was a message on my computer..."

The comm-system blared, as Tuvok's voice announced: "This is a level two drill--report to emergency stations."

The two senior officers looked at each other and shrugged. Chakotay turned to make his exit...

Only the door wouldn't open. "Computer, open door to Captain Janeway's quarters. Authorization Chakotay sigma omega."

"Unable to comply."

The captain tapped her comm-badge. "Janeway to Tuvok."

"Captain?" The Vulcan said.

"It seems we are locked in my quarters..."

"That is correct. For the duration of this drill, you are both *dead.*"

"Commander?" Janeway sounded a bit exasperated--during the the drill she wouldn't be able to access the computer. "Why weren't we informed?"

Tuvok responded, "That would have defeated the purpose of this exercise."

She shook her head and looked at Chakotay. With a sigh of resignation, she asked: "How long?"

"The drill is expected to last six to eight hours."

"Very well, I expect a full report..."

"Of course, Tuvok out."

There was several seconds of silence, then Chakotay laughed. "Well, now what?"

"Well he could have informed me...I have a pile of reports to read in my ready room--including the semi-annual crew-reports." She walked over to her replicator. "Have you had breakfast?"

"No, I was on my way out when I got your message."

She studied the controls to the replicator. "I didn't send a message..." She turned. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Oatmeal--lot's of brown sugar."

She laughed quietly as she made the request--her first officer had quite the sweet tooth. She had the same thing--with toasted walnuts instead of the sugar.

They ate in silence. Kathryn quietly fuming about having to spend the day doing nothing. She wondered if she could have Tuvok send someone down with the crew reviews...

Chakotay leaned back and watched her furrow her brow in concentration...He controlled his urge to laugh at her frustration with the situation. "A day off and no where to go...Have a deck of cards?"

"Cards? Somewhere. Why?"

"I was thinking we could play..."

She took the empty bowls without a word and tossed them hard into the recycler. When she sat down she was holding a deck of cards. "We are on duty," she said as she sat down.

"Actually we're dead. And stuck here together for six to eight hours...So, unless you have a better idea.." A hint of a warm smile played on his lips.

She actually blushed when she responded with a negative. Chakotay's smile grew. "Well what should we play?"

"I'm not much of a card player," she replied.

"With that poker face?" He reached up and touched her cheek. "You'll be a natural." He let his hand linger, surprised she wasn't pulling away.

She stared at the deck she was holding. "What was the message?"

"The one on my terminal? To meet you here for breakfast. Why?"

"I didn't send it." She lifted her eyes to look at him. "Chakotay?"

"Kathryn, I...You..."

"We've been set up."

"Looks that way...You do know the rumors about us?"

"Of course," she said with a wry smile. "Gin?"

"Pardon?"

"A game of gin...Gin rummy?"

"Fine..."

#

#

Two hours and some dozen hands of gin and poker later, Chakotay leaned back. "No more..." He'd never been one for long games.

"If you insist." She smiled as she drew the top card. "Fortunately for you we weren't playing for rations."

"Fortunately...I don't have many left this month. Neelix's Sebral surprise has left me with uncontrollable urge to avoid the dining-hall..."

"It's not that bad...He could add leola root to it..."

"Thanks for reminding me..." He glanced at his chrono.

Kathryn watched him, as she fussed with the cards--suddenly she tapped her comm-badge. "Janeway to Commander Tuvok."

There was a long pause. "Captain?"

"Any chance I can get some PADDS from my ready-room?" She sounded annoyed.

"I am afraid not Captain. Deck three is restricted. There will be no access until the drill is over."

She closed her eyes, her voice pleading; "Can you beam them here?" *Please!* She begged to herself.

"Captain, the transporters are restricted to emergency use only."

Damn, she thought. "Very well. Janeway out." She looked at Chakotay. Of all the people she could be stuck with...Her mind wandered as she studied his features...The most dangerous person on the ship.

"So, what should we do now?"

"Huh?" Janeway broke out of her reverie and blushed. "I don't know." She stood and nervously walked to the far side of the room. She had to put some distance between them.

"Kathryn?" He stood to follow her.

"Chakotay...don't."

"Don't what?" He said with a wicked smile.

"Don't come any closer," she said as she bent down to pull something out of a cupboard.

"Why?"

She turned quickly and threw a soft foam ball at him. "Because I'm the Captain, and I said so." She ducked behind a chair avoiding his return throw. "Hah, you missed."

Chakotay laughed, it was rare to see her playful. He wondered how much of this situation was truly set up. He caught the ball and carefully began to stalk her. She was laughing as she found her self backed into a corner.

"Surrender," he said as he prepared to toss the ball.

"Never," she retorted. He was standing only a meter away. She sprang forward and grabbed for the ball, which he deftly held up in the air.

She jumped several times trying to grab it, but finally resorted to one last bit of trickery. "I've always wondered..." She said as she started tickling his waist.

"Kathryn, I should warn you." He gritted his teeth. Finally he threw the ball to the far side of the room and grabbed both her hands. "That's very dangerous..."

Their faces were now very close. "Dangerous?"

He leaned down closer, "Extremely..."

She pulled away, trying to bring her breathing back under control. "I see what you mean." There was a long silence as they stared at each other. "What would the crew think," she said as she turned to look at the stars streaking by.

He laughed. "Kathryn...Look around...I suspect this is their response to that comment." She turned to look at him. "Tuvok wouldn't have set this up if he didn't believe the crew was behind us, would support us..."

She smiled suddenly, "No, he's far too cautious. It just goes against everything I've ever believed in."

Chakotay studied her carefully, her mood was still light. "What?"

"Spending the day in bed, while the crew is driven to the point of exhaustion."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Then I'll have to make sure you are exhausted."

*Oh spirits,* she thought, *what now.* She smiled slightly, there were only two answers to that question.

He reached out and retook her hand, with a gentle tug pulled her back into his arms. "Hmmm." He again leaned down to kiss her, this time she didn't pull away.

#

#

Tom leaned over B'Elanna's back and grabbed her hands. She growled at him, but didn't resist him. "You should be more careful, next time."

"Yea, how was I too know that Tuvok was going to launch a drill mid breakfast."

"Well, you did get some practical medical experience."

"Just because I swallowed that piece of Neelix's Sebral squash wrong..."

B'Elanna laughed. "You were the only real casualty the Doctor had all day..."

"Yea..." He sounded a bit disgusted. "What prompted that Vulcan to run a drill involving a bio-contamination..."

"Who knows...But did you see this..." She nodded toward the console... "Deck three was hit hard."

"We all now that. In fact it was not *finished* by the end..."

B'Elanna smiled as she pushed him off her. "That's not what I meant...Look."

Tom glanced at the console then back at B'Elanna and whistled. "I knew they were *dead.*" A wicked smile played on his lips. "I guess Vulcans are closet romantics after-all."

"You are incorrigible..."

"I am...Aren't I...I'm hungry."

B'Elanna grinned slightly. "Don't tell me you didn't eat lunch..."

"I didn't get a break all day...I think almost everybody made one trip to sick-bay today. And the Doctor had me cleaning equipment..."

"Oh poor baby," B'Elanna said with a wicked-unsympathetic twinge in her voice. "I just spent the day crawling through Jeffrey tubes with a twenty pound pack..."

"Come on. Dinner, then I'll give you a backrub."

"Sounds good." She glanced back at the console and smiled.