The Shipping News: Janeway and Chakotay

If you know me (or rather, if you just meet me), it's pretty obvious that I'm a romance-a-holic. I started by reading Sweet Valley High books in third grade and I just haven't stopped. The way I interpret most things is by shipping. I posted a master list of my TV ships at my lj, although it hasn't been updated. But a list, dear friends, only covers so much. So, much like my Canceled, But Not Forgotten feature where I educate you on my passions, I will briefly give you the overviews of my favorite ships. There won't be a particular order to them, really just what I feel like analyzing at the moment. But, the honor of the first ship covered must belong to my first ship.

Note: This entry got massively long. Don't expect that in the future. I just really felt like a owed them a good post.

Kathryn Janeway/Chakotay (J/C)
Star Trek: Voyager

A lot of my ships follow patterns: best friends love, geek love, partner love. But the one that I support in a strangely passionate manner is commanding officer/subordinate love. To a very disturbing degree (I support Kate/Gibbs from NCIS, for crying out loud). Let's start with the show and characters, in case you aren't familiar or need a Voyager update.

Star Trek: Voyager

On the brink of the Dominion War (see: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), the new Intrepid class starship Voyager is sent to find a missing Maquis vessel that has a undercover Starfleet agent on it. The Maquis are a guerrilla group that opposes the inhumane acts of the Cardassians and are violating Starfleet's treaty with Cardassia. Both ships are mysteriously transported to the Delta Quadrant, 70,000 light years away from home. Their only chance of making it back is to join together and create a united crew. This means combining the leadership of the two ships: a Starfleet captain and a Maquis first officer.

Captain Kathryn Janeway

Janeway was primarily known not for her command decisions,
but her hair choices. This is her Season 4+ short 'do, which
Katy and I always joked was hairsprayed until it would
not move, even if she shook her head.

Born in rural Indiana, Janeway started as a science officer before switching to command track. She was the captain of Voyager. She had kind of an unholy love of coffee. She was the first Star Trek show to be helmed by a woman (Deep Space Nine before her was under the command of the first black captain...oh! How apropos!), and it really informed a lot of her character.

A point of contention with Janeway's character is how mercurial it was and not nearly as consistent as, say, Picard's was. I say that you can chalk this up to writers having difficulty writing a female character. Despite the fact that she lived in a future that was, ideally, free of racism and sexism, she starred on a show that aired in an era that was still sexist. They would make her a surrogate maternal figure in some senses (Kes, Seven of Nine), but then they would make her equally cut-throat ("Scorpin," "Equinox"). Admittedly, it's the same line that female leaders have to tread all the time, something that resonates more today than it did when Voyager aired. Janeway couldn't be like Picard, who actively tried to detach from his underlings (although, Picard eventually learned better; cue "All Good Things..." and the super-satisfying final poker game). She had to be a friend and a leader, which is a harder line to toe. Janeway couldn't be like Kirk, having sex with every hot thing on each planet they visited because she would be declared a terrible role model and a disgrace.

Romantically, all of these issues led Janeway to be one of the most repressed characters on the show other than the resident Vulcan, Tuvok. Before she found out that her fiance had married in her absence, she used him as a reason to avoid relationships. After, she rarely indulged, and usually if she did, it was on the holodeck or due to memory loss.

The only character with whom she enjoyed a consistent flirtation was her first officer, Chakotay.

Commander Chakotay

Chakotay also had hair issues. Mostly, he was graying very well
(Jack O'Neill well) and then started to dye it. Ew. This was made
even more hilarious when Seska commented in Season Seven
that she liked him older with a little grey and he wasn't grey. At all.

Chakotay grew up on a Native American planet (in the future, instead of reservations, they got planets). The commanding officer of the Maquis vessel, Chakotay was a Starfleet commander before the Cardassians destroyed his home planet and he resigned in order to fight them. Chakotay was essential in melding the two crews together; he served as a moral and spiritual adviser, someone who understood the Starfleet agenda just as well as he understood the rights of all living creatures, regulations be damned.

Chakotay is often accused of being boring as a piece of wood, hence his nickname Oak Yacht (an anagram of Chakotay that I find ridiculously clever). I say the only reason for that is the "OMG, Seven of Nine is so hot and conflicted, let's dedicate four whole seasons of episodes to her!" dilemma that plagued most of the characters (did Tuvok, Neelix, or Harry do anything notable once Seven was on the show?). In the first three seasons, Chakotay is a very rich character as you see him explore his culture and spiritual dilemmas, as well as embark on his anthropological missions (which, to me, always seemed more in character than Picard's).

Despite whatever character degredations that may have occurred, Chakotay never ceased to be Janeway's right-hand man.

"An Ancient Legend"
"Three years ago I didn't even know your name... today I couldn't imagine a day without you."
– Janeway (Scorpion, Part One)

When it came to their actual relationship, Chakotay served as the moral compass and sounding board for Janeway; Voyager was always going to be facing a particularly hazardous two-parter if Janeway and Chakotay disagreed. Together, they were an unbeatable team. It was pretty obvious that the show was setting them up romantically, and many fans were eagerly awaiting a delicious series finale pay-off, despite Kate Mulgrew's (Janeway) assertions that she was not a supporter and that it wouldn't happen because it wasn't appropriate. (Was she not aware of Picard/Crusher during The Next Generation? Sexism, I say!) Thusly, we got Chakotay/Seven instead, the worst pairing since Worf/Troi, possibly even worse due to the fact that there would never be Voyager movies made to rectify it.

Despite the awful ending, looking back, the J/C (or JetC, as it is also commonly referred to) relationship was full of beautiful moments. Here are a few of my favorites.

"Resolutions"

THE J/C episode of all time. Once you watch it, there's no other option. You have to ship it. Janeway and Chakotay are in the most cliche situation ever, stuck on a planet together until they can find a cure for their mysterious illness. So much goodness happens. He makes her a bathtub! He gives her a massage! They garden! But the most important scene is the one where tells her an "ancient legend." Let's set the scene.

Sexy massage!

Wow! That was...wow. I've got, uh, stuff to do. In my bedroom. Right now.

I do give good massage.

Woe! Alack! Notice my distraught hand upon my conflicted forehead!

Okay, buddy. We've got to talk. About us. But in a thinly metaphorical way.

You think I give good massage? I give even better metaphor.

Janeway: I think we have to define some parameters... About us.
Chakotay: I'm not sure I can... define parameters. But I can tell you a story... an ancient legend among my people. It's about an angry warrior who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe. A warrior who couldn't find peace, even with the help of his spirit guide. For years he struggled with his discontent. The only satisfaction he ever got came when he was in battle. This made him a hero among his tribe, but the warrior still longed for peace within himself. One day, he and his war party were captured by a neighboring tribe led by a woman warrior. She called on him to join her because her tribe was too small and weak to defend itself from all its enemies. The woman warrior was brave and beautiful, and very wise. The angry warrior swore to himself that he would stay by her side, doing whatever he could to make her burden lighter. From that point on, her needs would come first. And in that way, the warrior began to know the true meaning of peace.
Janeway: Is that really an ancient legend?
Chakotay: No, but that made it easier to say.

And then they had sex.

*hits the floor in a gooey mess*

Okay, so they didn't have sex. But they totally wanted to do the deed.

That scene sets up and defines their relationship. Janeway relies on him, but needs to keep everything professional. Chakotay is always there for her, supporting her, waiting for her to finally open up.

"The Q and the Grey"

Chakotay: Have you heard anything more from Q?
Janeway: No. I wish I could believe he's gone for good.
Chakotay: I was wondering just what you meant when you said he made a personal request.
Janeway: He wants me to mate with him.
Chakotay: I see.
Janeway: Obviously, it's out of the question. And I suspect it's a smokescreen. Knowing Q, he's probably got some hidden agenda.
Chakotay: Maybe.

She can't keep her hands off of him! Also, note Janeway's rocking Season Three hair!

Janeway: Chakotay.
Chakotay: I know I don't have any right to feel this way, but this bothers the hell out of me.

John de Lancie! Work your fabulous omnipotent self!

Q: (suddenly appears) I do believe you're jealous. (to Janeway) Why didn't you tell me there was another man?
Janeway: Because there isn't. I'm just not interested in you.
Chakotay: Any more questions?
Q: I was wondering, Kathy. What could anyone possibly see in this big oaf, anyway? Is it the tattoo? Because mine's bigger.

Janeway: Not big enough.

DENIED.

So. Funny.

The Q, for those unaware, are like the Mr. Mxyzptlk of Star Trek, only if he had a concept of universal justice. They can be funny or downright terrifying, but they always make good TV.

"Coda"

Janeway dies and becomes a ghost. Okay, so it's all in her head. But we still get Chakotay giving her CPR and crying his eyes out, even if it's just her imagination.

Effing heartbreaking, y'all.

"Scorpion"

Remember when I was talking about dramatic two-parters? This is the motherload. Okay, so it's not quite as dramatic as "Equinox" where Janeway almost kills a man, but this is the first time Chakotay so openly questions Janeway's judgment and it really wreaks havoc on her.

Janeway: Maybe helping the Borg assimilate them isn't such a bad idea - we may be doing the Delta Quadrant a favor.
Chakotay: I don't think you really believe that. I think you're struggling to justify your plan because your desire to get this crew home is blinding you to other options. I know you, Kathryn. Sometimes... you don't know when to step back.
Janeway: Do you trust me, Chakotay?
Chakotay: That isn't the issue...
Janeway: Oh, but it is. Only yesterday you were saying that we'd face this together - that you'd be at my side.

Chakotay: I still have to tell you what I believe. I'm no good to you if I don't do that.
Janeway: I appreciate your insights, but the time for debate is over. I've made my decision - now... do I have your support?
Chakotay: You're the captain. I'm your first officer. I'll follow your orders, but that doesn't change my belief that we're making a fatal mistake.

Janeway: Then I guess I am alone, after all.

*wibble*

"The Year of Hell"

One of the reasons I love science fiction is because we can have alternate universes and time travel and reap the lovely benefits.

"The Year of Hell" is one of my favorite episodes. It details just that: it shows Voyager over the course of a year as it faces a losing battle against a time-changing villain, played by the dad from That 70's Show. Plus it's J/C-licious (thanks Project Runway's Blayne!).

Chakotay: Happy birthday.
Janeway: Happy what?
Chakotay: Today is May 20th.
Janeway: Is it? I thought we were still in April. Guess I've lost track of the time.
Chakotay: Well, this should help.
Janeway: It's beautiful.

Chakotay: Nineteenth century, mechanical movement. It's a replica of the chronometer worn by Captain Cray of the British Navy. His ship was hit by a typhoon in the Pacific. Everyone back in England thought they were killed but eight months later, Cray sailed his ship into London harbor. There wasn't much left of it, a few planks, half a sail, but he got his crew home.
Janeway: I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't keep this. Recycle it. Can't afford to waste energy on non-essentials.
Chakotay: Kathryn, I replicated this months ago. I've been saving it. I wanted you to have it.

Janeway: That watch represents a meal, a hypospray, or a pair of boots. It could mean the difference between life and death one day.

The set-up is sad (just take the watch, Janeway!), but the pay-off makes it even more tear-inducing. After Chakotay has been captured, Janeway searches in Chakotay's quarters.


Janeway: (quietly, to self) You disobeyed orders.
Neelix: Captain?
Janeway: Chakotay gave this to me five months ago. A birthday gift. I ordered him to... (She attaches it to her belt.)

Janeway: What do you think?
Neelix: Handsome.

"Hunters"

After managing contact with the Alpha Quadrant for the first time in four years, Janeway's fiance notifies her that he's gotten married.

Janeway: On top of all that, I got a Dear John letter. It wasn't really a surprise. I guess I didn't really expect him to wait for me considering the circumstances. It made me realize that I was using him as a safety net, you know, as a way to avoid becoming involved with someone else.
Chakotay: You don't have that safety net anymore.
Janeway: That's right. Then again, my life is far from uneventful here in the Delta Quadrant. It's not like I would have had a chance to pursue a relationship even if I had realized I was alone.

Chakotay: You're hardly alone, and to my way of thinking, there's still plenty of time.
Janeway: Plenty of time.

"You don't have that safety net anymore"? Please. He's totally coming onto her. Why must Janeway deny it? Grr.

"Muse"

They're not even in this scene, but it's wonderful. B'Elanna is on a planet and must tell stories of Voyager in order to get the materials she needs to get back to Voyager. The playwright she's telling the stories to creates this little masterpiece:

Actress!Janeway: Chakotay, why must I be denied what every other female officer on this ship can have?
Actor!Chakotay: Captain?
Actress!Janeway: The privilege of your touch.

I laughed sooooooo hard when I first saw that. Classic!

But what really sells it is B'Elanna's reaction.

I have read fan fiction written by kittens that cut themselves
that are better than this dribble.

"Unimatrix Zero"

Janeway is about to go on a suicide mission.

Janeway: Guess I'd better be going, huh?

Chakotay: Anything you'd like done around here while you're gone? Gravity plating re-calibrated? Carpets cleaned?
Janeway: Surprise me... You have the bridge.

After some thought, I've decided that this is probably my favorite J/C scene. Janeway and Chakotay are at their best when they are just talking to each other because it shows how second nature their relationship is. They're perfectly comfortable with each other and trust each other implicitly. It's her final moment on the bridge and you could swear that the two of them were the only ones on deck.

"Shattered"

Due to a temporal division of the ship, Season Seven Chakotay and Season One Janeway must save the ship. This is one of my favorite episodes of Voyager in general because it's really rewarding to see how far the characters have come. It's also great to get an entire episode cemented in the Janeway and Chakotay relationship. The best part is how Janeway initially doesn't trust Chakotay, not knowing him at all, and by the end of the episode has realized what ridiculous chemistry they have, culminating in this scene.

Janeway; Mind if I ask you one last question?
Chakotay: Will I have to break the Temporal Prime Directive to answer it?
Janeway: Maybe, just a little. For two people who started off as enemies, it seems we get to know each other pretty well. So I've been wondering. Just how close do we get?

Chakotay: Let's just say there are some barriers we never cross.

What's great about this scene is not Chakotay's answer (which is negative). It's the fact that Janeway asks. Her memory of the past episode will be wiped in minutes and the one question she wants answered is whether she and Chakotay get together. Janeway is notorious for hating time travel and not wanting to know details, but in this one scene, for something not so significant in the universal sense, she wants to know. It's telling, I think, of how attracted she is to him, especially the in the brief disappointment that crosses her face when he answers in the negative.

The final play of this moment is in the final scene of the episode, when Janeway asks what happened. Chakotay responds, "We've been down this road before. You wanting answers to questions you shouldn't ask."

That line kills me every time. There's a bit of defensiveness and bitterness in that line. Season One Janeway's question affected him deeply.

This episode, plus Chakotay's shocked reaction to Janeway's relationship in "Workforce," put the final kibosh on romantic J/C. It's pretty obvious that Chakotay has been waiting seven years for Janeway to show any sign of reciprocation and she's denied him at every turn.

And I think, in a way, Janeway always expected Chakotay to wait. She is very hurt in "Endgame" when she learned about Chakotay and Seven's relationship (how telling is it that her future self uses C/7 as a way to encourage her past self to change the future?) and the way Admiral Janeway visited Chakotay's grave is crackling with emotion.

Post-Endgame, the future wasn't set. I don't think it would be that out-of-the-box crazy to think that Chakotay and Janeway would eventually get together. I just regret that we never got to see it play out on-screen.

Note: While I was looking up screencaps and quotes for this entry, I found out that in a recent Star Trek book, Janeway was killed off and the publishers are treating it as canon. For the rest of Voyager publishing history. Really, all that can be said is WTF. What a stupid idea. When you are given time travel and alternate universes, you pick to make something that stupid book canon? Stupid.

A Special, Final Note

I would not say necessarily that without my supreme love for Janeway/Chakotay I would not be the fangirl today. But it certainly played a huge part. Every fangirl has that moment when she embarks online and looks for people who support her loves, wondering if she is alone in the world and finding out that she that she is far from as crazy as she thought she was. It didn't even occur to me that people actually wrote down what they wished their favorite characters would do. To each other. (C'mon! An essential part of fangirl-ness is when you only read the angsty, NC-17 crap that you can't get enough of and then force yourself out of for the sheer fact that in the future you need to take yourself seriously.) For me, that fangirl moment happened with Janeway/Chakotay.

It's funny how it all evolves. Before embarking on this adventure into fandom, Katy and I would talk about how awesome it was that Tom and B'Elanna were together, or how crazy cool it was when Tom got injured and people had to take care of his basketcase of insecurity. After, we realized that we were shipping and dying for more hurt/comfort. ("What does that say about us?" turned into "Let's write stories! Lots of stories! On school laptops! And get caught! And have our English teacher read them and judge us!"...oh, middle school...)

Tom Paris gets stabbed! Sigh. What a great episode.

This small taste of fandom was before the time where I watched every show known to man. I really just watched Voyager and Digimon. But shortly after the internet gave me the glory that was J/C, I became a TV fanatic, knowing full well that every show must have some semblance of a fandom to support my addiction. For this, Star Trek: Voyager will always be in my heart of hearts, despite a lot of its issues. It's the show that really made all of my crazy fan fun possible by feeding creativity into my viewing. Thank you, Voyager. You rock my socks.