Epilogue
Janeway grabbed hold of a last rock, and heaved herself up and onto the top of the hill. Behind her, Chakotay followed with a grunt. Taking a moment to catch their breath, the two adventurers pulled off their packs and gulped greedily at their canteens. The cool, moist morning air they had enjoyed at the start of their ascent had burned off under the strength of the Umai summer sun. The four hour hike had been a sweat soaked adventure, but Janeway knew it was worth every moment as she caught her first glimpse of the city surrounded by forest and grasslands stretched out below. Chakotay came to crouch beside her at the cliff’s edge, taking in the view for himself.
“Look, you can see the foundation.”
Janeway followed his hand to the large pit and collection of limestone blocks to the north of the city. The two An’Anaki Skouda had been invited to Umai six months after their return to the Alpha Quadrant to sit in judgement of the first Captains to undergo the Right on Umai. Two weeks ago the first ceremony had taken place within the confines of the pit that was to become the foundation of the new temple. A young An’Anaki had stood for the Right. He had been found worthy, lending an auspicious air to the building of the temple. Since then, the building had continued, with An’Anaki craftsmen chipping the limestone blocks out of the escarpment by hand. While the prefab houses and common buildings assembled on the plain glinted plastic white in the sun, the temple was to be a permanent fixture, so traditional methods were required.
“They’re building quickly.”
Chakotay nodded. “It’s the center of their culture, and there’s more people waiting to stand for the Right.”
Chakotay was right. While the first candidate had been An’Anaki, the second had been a Starfleet Lieutenant assigned as a diplomatic envoy. She had commended a team of two anthropologists and a security officer. Fresh into her Lieutenant pips, Lani Williams had been dismayed when the An’Anaki had refused to refer to her as anything other than Williams. The two Ensigns and one crewman under her command teased her about it. Finally, she’d agreed to stand. A week ago, Janeway and Chakotay had judged her along with Yerivat and the other Skouda. Surprised by the depth of her character, they had made her a Captain, and tinted her back with the blue dye of a scientist. Two days ago, Janeway got wind of William’s request for transfer into the science branch of Starfleet.
“I wonder,” Janeway continued, “how the An’Anaki will affect the rest of the Quadrant.”
Chakotay paused for a moment, reflecting. “Already they’ve convinced one Lieutenant to change her career. And there’s a Bajoran slated to stand next month. It seems he wants to run his freighter through An’Anaki space. When he heard that there wasn’t a cost involved, he decided to try his luck.”
“Do you think he’ll make it?”
Chakotay shrugged, “Does it matter? Word of the An’Anaki will spread. They’re too technologically advanced to be ignored. Plus, this system will be strategically important again, if only because the An’Anaki are here.”
True to Armstrong’s prediction, the An’Anaki had been settled quickly on a planet between Cardassia and the Federation.
Janeway nodded. “I think you’re right.”
Chakotay smiled, gently pulling her around to face him. “Then why are we arguing about it when we could be enjoying the feast Emnari and Yerivat packed for us?”
“You’re right. You get lunch; I’ll set up the blanket.”
Moments later, Kathryn and Chakotay, once of the Starship Voyager, sat under the shade of a tree and ate a simple meal together. Below them, their friends the An’Anaki worked busily, building a new home, sprung out of an ancient civilization, and now taking root in the shadow of another. As Kathryn drifted off to sleep after her meal, secure in the arms of the man she loved, she wondered about Yerivat and Emnari, and hoped that their people would grow strong in their new land.