Tuvok hesitated slightly.

Kathryn pulled herself up to her full height of three foot two. "Thassa order, Lieutenenenant-Commananander."

"Aye, Captain," Tuvok said, carefully lowering an eyebrow and pressing a button.

"Thissis Cap’n Janeway. Cap’n Kafryn Janeway. I wanyou all to know, have ‘e utmos respek f’your ‘bilities." She fell against the railing again. "So ‘m going to give m’self promotion! ‘M goina be a a’m’ral! A vice-a’m’ral, like Nech-- Shhh. That one. The blonde one who likes the canopies. So evryone gotta call me a’m’ral now. Cause I’m the a’m’ral in charge o’the Del’a Qua’rant."

There was a noticeable silence on the bridge and it occured to her that the others might want promotions too. "An’ ‘m givin ev’ryone else promotion too," she said. "See, uh, Ch’kotay. You’re… a cap’n now. He’s a nice guy," she confided to Tuvok. "‘E’s in love wi’ me, but ‘e’s ne’er gonna get me. But he can be a cap’n."

The intercom was still on, but that just made it easier for the rest of the promotions. "An’ Tuvok, he can be a… commanander! A proper one, not jussa fake one. An’ Tommy, he can be a commanander too, but jussa fake commanander. Coz he was a good salamanander. Hey, Ch’kotay, where’s ‘e kids? You said you brought ‘em, where’re they?"

"Uh… in the cargo bay," Chakotay ventured.

"Oh… ‘kay. Tommy, go feed ‘em. Oh, who’s nex? Blahna. Blahna, you’re a commanander. A proper one, coz you’re purty, and then you’ll ou’rank Tommy an’ you can be mean to him. ‘Sokay, init Tommy?"

Tom backed into the turbolift with a pained expression on his face.

"An’ Kes can be a ensign."

Tuvok cleared his throat. "Ca-- Admiral, Kes is no longer on board Voyager."

"Oh." Her face fell, then brightened. "Well, Nee’ix can be a ensign then. An’ the doctor can be… can be… Sheif Me-hic-al Offcer."

"Captain, this is the doctor. I must point out that I am already the chief medical officer, and that you appear to be rather intox--"

"I’m a amral now," Kathryn declared firmly. "So ya gotta be nice t’me. No-one’s ever nice t’me. They’ll wan’ my ship. You don’ want m’ship, d’you Ch’kotay?"

"Uh… no?"

"Good, cause you can’t have it! ‘Smy ship! An’ Tuvok, he can be a cap’n. An’ S’mantha Wildman, you can be a fake l’tenenant, yeah, and your kid… you know, whasshername, she can be a ensign. Yeah. An’ Vorik can be a fake l’tenenant too. An’ Carey, you can be a fake commanander. And Chel, he can be a cap’n. Cap’n Chel, the blue guy who’s a cap’n. And Sus’n Nicolettetti, she can be a prop’ l’tenenant, not jussa fake one."

She tried to stand up and slid to the floor instead, but it was quite comfortable there. She wondered who else there was to promote, and her gaze fell on Tuvok. "An’ Tuvok can be a commanander. Coz he’sa good guy, and he misses his wife ‘n kids. An’ Gerron… Gerron can have a earring. An’ be a ensign, ‘stead’f a crewman. Coz there’s a diffrence. I think. Anyway he’s a ensign now. An’ Batehart, you can have a promotion too, f’listening to Harry’s clarininet. Y’can be a proper l’tenenant.

"Oh, and Sev’n can be a ensign. An’ wear a un’form. Then maybe people’ll look at *me* ‘gain! You’ll look a’ me, won’t you Ch’kotay? You stopt doin’ that af’er New Earf. An’ we ne’er did findose bugses."

She noticed Harry leaning forward across his console, an eager expression on his face. Kathryn wondered briefly what he was waiting for. Oh, that’s right, the promotions. "An’ Rollinins, you can be a fake commanander. An’ Tuvok can be a cap’n. An’… an’, an’ Hennard can be a prop’ lieutenenant. An’ Jarvis an’ Parsons can fake commananders."

"Captain," Harry burst out, "aren’t you forgetting someone?"

"Am I?" She furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. "Oh, of course! How could I forget? Delaney! Delaney can be a commanander. But her sister can’t be, cause I don’t like her. She’s gonna be demoted to… crewman. Cause there’s a diff’wence. I fink. Oh, and Tuvok can be a commanander."

"But what about *me*?" Harry wailed.

"You?" How strange - Harry getting a promotion. Still, if he really wanted one, she’d better make it a doozy. Even doozier than she was feeling… "Hawwy," she announced in her most grandiloquent tone, "you can be a-- a--"

"Yes? Yes?"

"You can be a--" The carpet felt very soft against her cheek. Very cosy. Like a pillow. "Be a… Ah…"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

=/\=

Mark sank to one knee and gazed deep into the woman’s eyes as he opened the box. "Libby, will you marry me?"

Libby opened her mouth to let him down gently when the faintest echo of a memory interrupted. It sounded almost like Harry. A lot like Harry in fact, as if he were calling across an entire galaxy, telling her to say "nooooooooooooo……………."

She shuddered to herself. It was time to put these old ghosts to rest. "Yes," she told Mark.