May 2000
Rating: G
Inspirations
by Sängerin
Dedicated to Commander
Kathleen McGrath and the women who have had the courage and tenacity to make
inroads into the defence forces.
Also dedicated to Kate Mulgrew.
She is a wonder, a beauty, and an absolute inspiration.
‘Captain,’
said
‘Thank
you, Tom. I’ll put it aside for a rainy day.’
* * *
‘It
never rains but it pours,’ sighed Kathryn, a month or two later, as she sank
down onto the sofa in her readyroom. Standing by the
door, Chakotay looked at his exhausted captain with a
tired grin on his own face.
‘No
argument there,’ he said. After weeks of uneventful space, they had come across
an extremely territorial species, who had been more
than reluctant to allow Voyager to cross their space. It had almost come
to a pitched battle, but Captain Janeway’s diplomatic
skills had staved that off in a mammoth sixteen-hour negotiation session.
‘Why
don’t you take a break, Kathryn? You absolutely deserve it.’
‘There’s
no way I could sleep,’ she said, eyes shut. ‘I’m still too keyed up. I don’t
like close shaves.’
‘Then
don’t try sleeping - go and do something on the holodeck.
I happen to know that Holodeck 2 is free for the next
four hours.’
Her
eyes opened as she looked at him quizzically. ‘You happen to know? You didn’t
just happen to book that time, did you?’
‘Now,
why would I do that?’ Chakotay replied,
mock-innocently.
Kathryn
stood up and began searching the drawers of her desk. ‘I wouldn’t know,’ she
replied. ‘But as there happens to be a spare holodeck,
and I happen to have a new holoprogram, I
think I’ll take advantage of all that happenstance.’ She pulled a data cylinder
from a drawer and strode out of her readyroom. ‘See
you later, Commander.’
Chakotay smiled and sat down in her chair, putting his
feet up on her desk. Within a few minutes, he was sound asleep.
* * *
Kathryn
found herself in the
‘I’m
Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager. Permission to come aboard?’
A
silhouette opposite her said ‘Granted,’ then stepped into the light. Kathryn
looked at a face framed by wisps of thin brown hair, a blue USS Jarrett
cap above steady brown eyes. ‘Commander Kathleen McGrath, US
Navy, commanding the Jarrett.’ The woman saluted. ‘Pleased to
have you aboard, Captain - would you care to join me on the bridge?’
‘Thank
you.’
‘Follow
me, Captain,’ said Kathleen, turning. ‘I’m glad to have you aboard, to tell you
the truth. It’s all very well to be the first woman to take a ship into a
battle zone, but it means that I don’t have too many advisers available.’
‘Well,
I’m pleased to offer you what advice I can,’ said Kathryn. ‘I could use the
diversion.’
‘What’s
wrong?’ asked Kathleen.
‘What
isn’t wrong?’ answered Kathryn, following her host onto the bridge of the Jarrett.
‘We’re on our own in a part of space for which we have no charts, and somehow
we’ve managed to gain a nasty reputation. The result is - people see us, they
fire.’
‘And
you have to pick up the pieces, right?’ said Kathleen, finishing a tour of the
bridge by patting the helmsman’s shoulder. Kathryn smiled when she noticed the
gesture.
‘That’s
about it,’ said Kathryn. ‘But I was supposed to be giving you advice.’
‘Aw,
don’t mind that,’ said Kathleen with a dismissive gesture. ‘Let me tell you
something. I may not have commanded the Jarrett into a combat zone yet,
but I know that the most important thing is to trust to your crew. They’ll get
you through - you can’t do anything by yourself.’
Again
Kathryn smiled. ‘I know that, Kathleen. My crew are
the best there is. They were really a bunch of misfits and criminals when we
got together, but there is no one I’d trust more. So now I’ll give you a piece
of advice. Have a first officer you can rely on absolutely. Someone you know
you can leave the ship to.’
‘If I
have to,’ finished Kathleen, but Kathryn shook her head.
‘Even if you don’t have to. Your XO should be someone you
trust implicitly. Never get into any power plays on your ship, either.’
This
time Kathleen smiled. ‘I think you’re lucky, Kathryn. You can avoid power plays
- you’re miles from the admiralty. I’ll have them on my back every day.’
‘Well
then, Kathleen, don’t let them get you down.’
‘Don’t
worry, I won’t.’
‘Computer,’
said Kathryn, ‘change time index to T plus 2 days.’ The compact bridge faded
from around her, and Kathryn found herself standing on a platform with a number
of US Navy officials. In front of them was a crowd of sailors, civilians, and
members of the press.
‘Commander
McGrath,’ asked one of the press, ‘how does it feel to be the first women to
lead a US Navy ship into combat?’
‘I
don’t know,’ replied Kathleen. ‘I haven’t done it yet.’ A ripple of laughter
spread through the crowd.
‘What
is it like to be a role model to so many young women all over the
Kathleen
paused for a moment, then, hands on her hips, she spoke into the microphone. ‘I
find it incredibly awe-inspiring, to tell you the truth. The knowledge that
people are watching what I do isn’t half as intimidating as the thought that
young women will try to emulate what I do. Because what I’m doing isn’t really
all that important; it’s what they will do, in the future, that will shape this
world into a future that we can be happy with. And all I can tell you is that I
promise them that, for their sake, I will complete my mission with dignity,
grace, strength and panache. For their sake, not for mine.’
From
her place behind the various Naval Admirals, Kathryn smiled.
* * *
‘You’re
looking much more cheerful this morning, Captain,’ said Torres.
‘Thank
you, Lieutenant,’ said Kathryn. She turned to
‘You
remember that holodeck program you gave me, Tom? I
had some time to run it last night.’ Kathryn nodded and then started the
briefing. As Seven began to give an efficiency report,
Torres turned to
At
the end of the briefing, Kathryn called Torres back. ‘B’Elanna,
when you have some time, there’s a holodeck character
I’d like you to meet.’
Postscript:
Captain Kathleen McGrath died of cancer on