Chapter Text
January 2378
The first time Chakotay set eyes on Commodore Lars Petersson was at the Voyager welcome home ball. He didn't instantly take a dislike to the man, but it did not take long to decide he was arrogant, self-serving and possibly a little ruthless. At that point in time, Chakotay would not have put his gut reaction down to jealousy. He had, after all, brought his own very beautiful escort to the ball, his girlfriend, Seven of Nine. However, it didn't help that Commodore Petersson was instantly attracted to the now Admiral Janeway, who stood in the centre of a group of eminent admirers on the far side of the room, lapping up the attention with an amazing degree of confidence and poise.
Chakotay had been leaning against a pillar watching his former Captain with a measure of regret. The regret was not about his relationship with Seven, which was progressing rather well. No, it was about the way his last personal conversation with Kathryn had gone. It seemed that it had cost him, at least for the time being, his close friendship with the woman he had admired so deeply for seven years. He understood her response. He understood that his growing closeness to Seven would serve to distance him somewhat from his former friend, but he certainly wished it otherwise.
His eyes were a little unfocused as he admired the object of his thoughts from a distance. She was wearing a glittering long white dress, which showed her slender neck beautifully and contrasted with her glorious rich hair piled softly on her head. She must have grown it a little since they had got home, he supposed. She looked undeniably beautiful, and he was obviously not the only one who thought so, judging by the amount of attention she was getting. She seemed to have the crusty old admirals eating out of her hand. Hell, they weren't all that crusty, he had to admit. Some of them were a bit younger, potential boyfriend material maybe. She'd even danced with some of them. Chakotay knew he didn't dare ask her. Their relationship had been a little frosty during debriefings, and fortunately the crew (who normally would have insisted that they danced at a big gathering during their Voyager years) knew better that to insist at tonight's reception. Somehow, they must have sensed that in would be inappropriate, given his budding relationship with Seven of Nine. Maybe they even sensed the strained relationship between their former commanding officers. Whatever the reason, they had left well alone. Chakotay had had only a couple of dances with Seven, who had now forsaken him for the Doctor's superior skills.
Voyager had arrived home in a blaze of glory, the Maquis exonerated and the Captain promoted. It had been a magnificent home-coming in almost every respect. The only thing that marred his complete happiness at the moment was his estrangement from Kathryn. He had been lost in thought about this, when he sensed someone move beside him, just the other side of the pillar. He turned to look at a handsome younger man. He looked about forty, maybe four or five years younger than Kathryn, but he had the exact same shade of hair as she did. His eyes were dark, yet sparkled with calculating interest. He was marginally shorter than Chakotay and of a strong vigorous build, but his eyes were focused on the exact same person as his own had been moments before.
"Spectacular. That's one hell of an impressive woman!" the man began.
Chakotay followed the man's gaze and settled back on Kathryn's smiling face across the room.
"Yes." He had to agree.
"Quite the heroine," Lars continued. "Starfleet are certainly revelling in the publicity. The woman who brought her crew home from the far reaches of the galaxy! Not only is she brave, fearless and irrepressible, but she's beautiful too."
"Yes, she is," Chakotay said with a sigh. "And she deserves every accolade that comes her way."
Lars nodded and finally looked at Chakotay, holding out his hand. "Lars Petersson, by the way. Commodore Lars Petersson."
"Commodore?" Chakotay queried.
"Diplomatic wing," Lars replied in a tone that didn't invite further questioning.
Chakotay took the proffered hand and shook it. "Commander Chakotay."
"Yes. I did recognise who you were," admitted Lars. "Pleased to meet you. Tell me, was she every bit as brilliant as they say she was? Did she really face down the Borg and send them away with their tails between their legs?"
"You'd better believe it. And the Hirogen...the Vidiians...the Kazon..."
Petersson smiled enigmatically and glanced back towards Kathryn Janeway. "She's smaller than I imagined, even in those shoes."
Chakotay peered at the ballroom shoes Kathryn was wearing. They had impossibly high heels and looked very uncomfortable. He didn't know how she'd managed to dance in them.
"Don't let that fool you. She's larger than life in every other respect..."
"But so graceful. I would think her something of a dancer."
"She did rather dazzle us with her ballet performances on talent night."
"Now that I would pay a fortune to see! Commander Chakotay...could I prevail upon you to introduce me to her?"
"I'm not sure if that is appropriate. We have barely introduced ourselves to each other."
"Come now...we should not let that stand in our way. I would be delighted if we became better acquainted."
"However, I'm sure you are perfectly capable of introducing yourself."
"Still, I would appreciate your help in navigating a way through all those admirals, if you would oblige me. They are rather monopolising her and I am a mere Commodore, after all."
Chakotay sighed in resignation. He decided the man intended to persist in his request. He placed the wine glass he was holding on to a nearby table. "Very well."
Chakotay led the man across the dance floor, avoiding the few brave couples that were presently moving together to the slow rhythm.
As they approached, Chakotay called her name softly.
Kathryn looked towards them with a welcoming smile. Only Chakotay, who knew her so well, could tell the smile was not entirely genuine. His gut clenched for the loss of their former joyful relationship. His dating Seven had seen to that, together with their last meaningful conversation which he preferred not to dwell on.
"Admiral..." he began, more formally, "May I introduce Commodore Lars Petersson? He tells me he is from Starfleet's diplomatic wing...but I'm afraid that's all I know about him at the moment. Perhaps you'll be able to glean more out of him than I have."
Kathryn Janeway turned to the man at Chakotay's side and, after only a moment of hesitation, held her hand out to him with an interested and now very genuine smile. Lars Petersson took the proffered hand lifted it to his lips rather than shake it. He had instantly turned on the charm. The man was suave, handsome and charming, and Kathryn reacted in a way that he'd seen on rather too many occasions for his liking. She basked in his admiration, threw him a rather coquettish smile in return and drew closer to the man.
"Admiral Janeway," opened Petersson in a voice dripping with sugar. "You've no idea what an honour it is to finally meet you. Your portraits hardly do you justice. You are quite the most beautiful woman here..."
"Very pleased to meet you," she responded smoothly, eyes twinkling with interest and lapping up the attention of so handsome a man. "Commodore Petersson."
"Lars, please," he insisted.
"Sounds rather Scandinavian."
"I have Swedish ancestry."
"Oh...which part of Sweden do you come from? Seven of Nine has Swedish relatives, hasn't she, Chakotay? I assume you are not one of them."
Chakotay nodded in agreement as Lars answered. "Just north of Stockholm...a little place called Vallentuna. And no...I am not related to Seven of Nine."
"So you're a Commodore..."
"That's right"
"Diplomatic wing?"
"That's right...although I have to be a little cautious in how much I reveal."
"So you're going to go all mysterious on me?" she asked in wheedling tone and a sly grin that Chakotay had seen too many times before too.
He decided rather reluctantly that Kathryn was as attracted to this stranger as he was to her. At that point he came to the conclusion he'd better get out of the way. He excused himself quickly and made his way back across the room. He didn't particularly want to witness the man's obsequious behaviour with Kathryn. For some reason, he found it rather annoying. The man was worming his way rather quickly into a place he'd occupied until very recently. And he'd already seen enough to know that she was interested.
He retrieved his wine glass and struck up a few conversations with some of his former Voyager colleagues, but his eyes would stray in their direction occasionally. He felt unaccountably ill at ease over the situation. The couple were clearly getting on like a house on fire. Once Lars had started talking to her, nobody else had had a look in. He shouldn't feel jealous, he told himself. He'd had his chance and he'd chosen Seven, but this still didn't sit right with him. It would be ironic if time would prove that he'd been the one to introduce Kathryn to the love of her life. Now there was an uncomfortable thought! Chakotay tried to tamp down some bitter resentment , which he told himself he had no right to feel. No, it was just the loss of her friendship that was making him feel this way. He looked around for Seven, who had abandoned him for the last hour or so. He couldn't blame her. The Doctor was a better dancer, after all. When he spotted them together across the room, he decided that it was time to reclaim his girlfriend. He put his wine glass down again and strode towards her, trying hard not to notice that Kathryn and her new beau had taken to the floor as well. His irritation grew at this, for no reason that he could really account for, but fortunately his spirits were soon lifted as he took Seven into his arms after the Doctor reluctantly relinquished her.
It was only later, as the early hours of the morning drew the ball to a close and he and Seven were preparing to depart, that he decided of whom Lars reminded him. Kashyk.