Carpet of Blossoms

Rating T

This story takes place some somewhere after Unimatrix Zero. The Federation Starship Voyager does not make it home. Its crew must learn to make a home on a Delta Quadrant planet.

Disclaimer: Paramount and Viacom owns Voyager. I make no money from this story. The story idea and its new characters are mine. I'm sure the Voyager crew will enjoy themselves.

Acknowledgments: This story has been a long time in process. Jemima: your beta and html talents are wonderful, thanks for all your help. To Anne Rose and Sheri: thanks for your help in turning this around and for your encouragement to finish as well.

Chakotay, former first officer of the starship Voyager, sat as far from the festivities as he could without leaving the atrium. He had found a quiet corner in which he was nearly hidden by large potted plants.

The invitation to the event had come personally from his former captain, Kathryn Janeway. "Consider it mandatory, Chakotay. We must not offend the Isarian. They've welcomed us graciously, giving us a place on their world and in their society. I know that you're still having trouble accepting what happened - we all have, but Voyager is gone. The Alpha Quadrant is no longer within our reach. Isaria is our home now. The Planetary Council of Nobles wants to grant us all full citizenship. First Noble Yxala asked all of Voyager's crew to attend both the citizenship ceremony and the celebration afterwards. He's asked that we come in uniform; we will be given ceremonial Isarian citizenship garments at the citizenship formalities to wear to the feast and the dance given in our honor."

Chakotay hadn't wanted to become a citizen, but he didn't want to cause problems for the rest of the crew who wanted that honor, so he had taken the citizenship classes over the past couple of months, learning the law as well as much of the elaborate social customs of Isaria. He hadn't wanted to wear the uniform again, either. He had taken to wearing clothing that came closest to resembling his clothes from his Maquis days. However, as he sat in the shadows, wearing the new citizenship robes, he felt even more miserable because after changing into the new robes, he, along with the rest of his former crewmates, had cast the uniforms into a ceremonial fire pit. The First Noble had said that it was an outward indication of the change of citizenship.

As Chakotay watched some of his former crewmembers, he wondered if any of them felt still felt the loss like he did. Tom and B' Elanna Paris were laughing with a native Isarian. Citizen and Only Wife Paris was what he should be calling them. A tight, ironic smile crossed his face. He would be called Citizen Chakotay and Kathryn would be addressed as Lady Janeway, the Isarian equivalent of Miss. B'Elanna was pregnant, expecting in a few months. The two were already contributing members of Isarian society. Tom was teaching at the flight academy. B'Elanna worked for an Isarian engineering firm with Harry Kim. Tuvok and Seven, although still as reserved at social functions as ever, stood conversing with Isarian natives. The Vulcan had found a vast culture of philosophy and religion. He had become "fascinated" enough to want to study it full time. The Isarian philosophers were so intrigued by Vulcan beliefs that they welcomed him into their academic circle. Seven found her niche in the field quality control. She worked for a firm that specialized in "efficiency". The company who hired her worked with other companies to increase productivity and overall effectiveness. The company truly benefited from her Borg "training."

It seemed to Chakotay that everyone who once was a part of the Voyager crew had accepted his or her new life on Isaria. The race of people who lived on the planet was a humanoid one, numbering under two million. It was only the slight temple ridge and different hair and eye color that set them apart from humans. Isarian society was a structured one, but the people had been patient to teach and train all of the newcomers about their culture. Their world was pre-warp and approximately equivalent to mid 21st century Earth.

The former senior staff had decided that even though the crew had already influenced the Isarian society by just being among them, they should be careful with what they shared with them. They did not want to cause undue changes. They wanted Voyager's crew to fit into niches, not make them.

Almost a year and a half before, events had transpired that would bring the crew to Isaria. Voyager had become extremely low on fuel for every one of its systems. Dilithium, deuterium, you name it; the amount dwindled to critical levels. The food reserves were low, also. The area of space in which they were traveling had little to offer, no planets, planetoids, or moons. Also, just before reaching that area of space they had been attacked.

They had never found out who their attacker was. Probably a space pirate who thought Voyager would make a profitable target. Voyager had been able to fend them off but with heavy drain on the systems and reserves.

The captain had ordered conservation in every department. After two months of limping across the nearly barren space, the sensors detected an M-class planet with dilithium deposits.

Chakotay recalled the conversation on the bridge that morning.

"Captain," Ensign Kim's voice showed excitement, "sensors have picked up traces of dilithium on an M-class planet two million kilometers from us, heading 2.4 mark 5."

"Is it an inhabited planet?" the captain asked.

"Yes, Captain."

"Warp capable?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Maintain course."

"Captain?" Chakotay questioned.

The captain stood and said softly, "Join me in my ready room, Commander."

After handing off to Tuvok, the two commanding officers walked into the ready room.

"What is it, Chakotay?"

"Captain, we need supplies. This region of space is so sparse, I don't think it's wise to bypass this source of fuel even if the planet is pre-warp," Chakotay replied.

"Commander, you know the prime directive as well I. We'll continue our course. We have always found what we needed before."

"We could mine some dilithium by transporter. We wouldn't have to contact the people of the planet."

"Chakotay, the transporters are not working well enough to mine dilithium. No, we will not. Is that clear?" She gave him that look.

He nodded and left the room. He knew that there was no use in arguing.

During the next three and a half weeks, systems began to fail, and not just due to a lack of energy, but also because proper maintenance could not be performed. Deck after deck was sealed off and crew moved to conserve power. Even rations were "rationed". Chakotay watched the crew begin to lose hope. Even Neelix could not boost moral any longer.

Finally the day came when the captain assembled the senior officers. The lights in the conference room were dimmed to save energy. She stood before them, dark circles under her eyes. She was extremely thin. Chakotay knew that she wasn't eating even half of her meager rations. She had been sharing them with the children on board. Actually, Chakotay and most of the crew gave some of their food to the children at different times.

Despite her appearance the captain's voice was still strong. "I must officially inform you what you must have already guessed. Voyager is nearly out of energy. The warp engines are offline. Life support is down 70%. We have used every method we could come up with to save power. We are too far from any source of energy, and it would take a stop in a spacedock to repair our downed systems. We have entered a star system. None of the eight planets have dilithium, but there is one M-class planet which is pre-warp."

Janeway turned her back to the staff to look out the portal. Within a few seconds she turned back, "In approximately three days at our current speed we will be close enough to launch the escape pods to reach the planet in a couple of days. Voyager resources will be nearly depleted. We will abandon ship after locking in a course that will take Voyager into the system's sun." She faltered for a moment then cleared her throat. "We wouldn't want Voyager to fall into the wrong hands someday, and since she doesn't have enough power for self-destruct, this action will insure that she is gone."

"Commander Chakotay and I will leave immediately in the one shuttle that still has fuel enough to reach the planet. We'll make first contact. We must hope that the planet is populated by a species that will welcome us. The commander and I will determine if the population of the planet might pose a danger to us. If any problems are encountered we will want the crew to keep dealings to the natives to a minimum and to remain armed. Inform the crew to begin to make necessary preparations. Dismissed." She turned her back again. The door hissed closed.

"What do you want to say, Chakotay?" she spoke sharply, knowing he would stay behind. "That

I should've listened to you three and a half weeks ago? Well, you needn't because I've already said it to myself a hundred times."

Chakotay had never seen his captain so defeated, and he wanted to comfort her, but still he argued, "We can't give up. We should take the fuel from the pods and the shuttles. That would take us farther." His voice was heavy with anger and frustration.

"I've made too many 'by-the-book' decisions and too many of our people have died. I thought that we could make it back to Alpha Quadrant, but I was wrong. I can't risk the lives of the crew again on the mere possibility of finding more fuel. I did that before and look where it got us. No, my orders stand. You know your assignment, Commander. You are dismissed."

Janeway and Chakotay took the doctor along with them on the shuttle because of its computer access. It would be the means of safeguarding the doctor's program should something happen to his emitter, both right after landing and while on Isaria.

"First contact" came off flawlessly. The Isarian were fearless as well as a trusting and hospitable people. When they heard of the plight of Voyager, they organized a campaign to find the crew as they landed. They also arranged temporary housing for everyone.

Considering the circumstances, the crew of Voyager fared very well. The Isarians even agreed to give them a secure place to keep the recovered escape pods and shuttle. The captain did not want Voyager's technology to complicate things on the planet, and the Isarian leaders seemed to understand and agree.

The senior staff had discussed what to do with the technology they had left. Seven was the most vocal about using the technology to try to contact Starfleet. Chakotay sided with Seven in this case. He wanted to try to get back to the Alpha Quadrant as well. However, the captain would only agree to activate a standard distress beacon, on the Pathfinder frequency. If it hadn't been standard operating procedure she wouldn't have even done that - her hopes of being rescued were that low.

Chakotay lived like a virtual hermit, unable to rid himself of the sorrow and anger, which had been his constant companions since leaving Voyager. He made his living through his art, and that sustained more than just his physical body. If not for his carving and painting, he was certain he would have gone mad during that first year. The Isarian people were fascinated by his representations of Alpha Quadrant birds and animals, and they sought him out.

His art had even provided him with a home. It was a small four-room house, in the countryside near the capital city. It belonged to his patron Etonl, who let Chakotay live there rent free, in exchange for allowing Etonl his choice of one painting and one carving each year. He had come to Etonl's attention when he saw Chakotay's large oil painting of an eagle in flight.