Pixie Ships: Kathryn Janeway and Seven of Nine

[pixiedane]

Seven, like everyone else on Voyager, is in love with her captain. Not only is Janeway Janeway, aka the most magnetic personality in all of Trek, but Janeway rescued Seven, returned her to herself, gave her a home and a new beginning (like she did for everyone on Voyager, it’s her deal and they all love her for it). Due to her upbringing as a Borg, Seven wouldn’t necessarily recognize her feelings as attraction or love, but she has them.

Generally speaking, Janeway is as attracted to her crew is they are to her. Kes is an exception because the captain really sees her as a child. I do think Janeway also sees Seven as a child at first, at least she attempts to, but it is more difficult because Seven is human, and appears to be a peer of B’Elanna and Tom (whom Janeway sees as younger but adults, and she flirts with both). But, generally speaking, she does not act on the attraction, at least not overtly (I am a huge fan of clandestine encounters they don’t speak of type scenarios, especially on Voyager). As much as I want to believe that Janeway and Seven are a real thing happening when we’re not looking, it’s more likely it was all unrequited and suppressed passion.

BUT, that lends itself to a post-series revelation.

Scenario
Voyager gets home. Kathryn has succeeded, and she even saved Seven, Chakotay, and Tuvok from their Endgame fates. It’s a huge and hugely important victory, but it also means the break up of their family, which is incredibly difficult for Kathryn, especially now that Tuvok is returned to his wife and kids, B’Elanna and Tom have a new baby, and Seven and Chakotay have paired off. Kathryn is home, but Kathryn is lonely.

Janeway is required at endless debriefings about everything that happened in te DQ, as well as panels to discuss what to do about their maquis, borg, and holoprogram crew members. Her sister moves in to keep her company through that chore, which is as annoying as it is comforting, but Phoebe is insistent and Kathryn is grateful. This inevitably leads to Janeway confiding in Phoebe all the stuff she can’t tell Starfleet. A great deal of that is about Seven and eventually Phoebe straight up tells her “you’re in love with her”.

Janeway answers, no, absolutely not, that’s not what this is – I mean, I love her, sure, but I’m not in love with her, that’s absurd. And Phoebe just looks at her, with that exasperated younger sister expression, and Kathryn’s eyes go wide because oh no, she’s in love with her.

She doesn’t say anything for a very long time. I mean, it’s still a questionable relationship: she’s still younger, and emotionally even more so, still figuring out humanity and who she wants to be, and still her subordinate, and still dating Chakotay maybe probably, like they were married in the other timeline right? She doesn’t remember but. Still wrong! Phoebe thinks all of that is silly and if she’s learned anything from being trapped in the DQ it should be that waiting doesn’t work out! It takes weeks, months, but eventually that’s the line of thought that works on her. She decides to tell Seven the truth.

Once decided, Janeway is quick to follow through. She asks to speak with Seven alone, and lays it out. She is very clear that she doesn’t expect anything in return, maybe doesn’t even want anything in return, but she has to be honest and also, Seven should know that she’s important, that she’s loved. She deserves that more than anyone. At the very end of her confession she blushes, and it is so Not Janeway Like that she laughs self-consciously and is thus distracted when Seven kisses her forcefully and full on the lips. (At this point Seven and Chakotay have amicably ended their relationship because they realize it was actually based on their feelings for the captain more than each other. But he was an excellent first romance and she learned a lot.)

Kathryn is shocked for thirty seconds. Then she gets over it and gives in, finally, to the feelings she’s been harboring for her ENTIRE CREW for seven + years – harboring and suppressing and like all things ignored that long they explode. And it is beautiful.

All of Voyager celebrates because finally. Harry owes Tom 250 replicator rations.

Q: Why is it that you are comfortable shipping Janeway/Seven but not Michael/Philippa? (question posed on tumblr)

In the fourth episode, Philippa calls Michael “like a daughter” so their canon familial relationship is textually explicit. Janeway’s status as a mother figure to Seven is implicit. Yes, absolutely, the subtext and direction and action and storyline and behind the scenes discussion support and describe their relationship as mother-daughter, but as far as I recall, Janeway never specifically calls her a daughter. Is this a very fine line of a distinction? Of course. I don’t expect anyone else to agree, but it does make a difference to me. Philippa wants to consider Michael her child. Janeway mothers her whole crew, but she also flirts with them all, her true desires and intentions are murky.

But the crux of it is: we have to remember when Voyager was on air I had a website dedicated to shipping Janeway with everyone. No one was off limits. I was an adolescent, I barely knew what relationships even are. And although I identified very strongly with Seven of Nine, Jeri Ryan was older than me, an adult, and I didn’t, at the time, see a distinction between Seven’s biological and psychological age. My critical thinking skills weren’t there yet.

I don’t know what my reaction would be watching their relationship for the first time at the age and experience level I am now. All my Voyager shipping preferences are tied up in nostalgia.

FWIW, my J/7 scenario takes place post-series and, importantly, post C/7. I know that ship is wholly unpopular, and has its own problems, but I actually really like Chakotay as Seven’s first significant relationship. He’s respectful, compassionate, doesn’t push her or expect her to be a certain way. I’m certain he would be slow and gentle both emotionally and physically. He’s a great starter boyfriend. And I firmly believe they are initially drawn to each other over a mutual attraction to the unattainable Kathryn Janeway so I have this romantic notion that one or the other should end up with her.

Finally, I do want to say Philippa/Michael doesn’t make me uncomfortable. Sarek/Michael would make me uncomfortable. I read it as Michael having a crush that she never reveals, never really really acknowledges even to herself. It’s possible Philippa also has complicated feelings of attraction towards Michael? But I think they’d make her feel uncomfortable. Anyway, all this unspoken and unrequited stuff, and/or Michael and Philippa seeking something they lost – a parent, a child – in each other, is more interesting to me than them having an actual romantic relationship. But that’s just me.

I hope this makes sense and answers your question. And to be clear, I welcome these questions and conversations.

Aesthetic