Sketch of Chakotay Toweling Off After Wrestling
by Sisyphus40
NOTE: For information about the background of this project, this particular storyline, choice of format and more, see backgrounder and introduction below. If you'd like to participate, see "Guidelines For Submissions" on our Home Page.
Sketch of Chakotay Toweling Off After Wrestling
by Sisyphus40
FADE IN:
1 INT. VOYAGER CORRIDOR
Tom Paris walks down the hallway and pauses in front of a door. He adjusts his uniform, sighs and presses a panel.
CHAKOTAY: (A little out of breath) Chakotay, here.
PARIS: Commander Chakotay, Tom Paris here. I'm sorry for bothering you off duty, but the captain decided to add me to your first contact team. She asked me to see you immediately for a briefing on your plans.
CHAKOTAY: (A pause) Okay. Come.
2. INT. CHAKOTAY'S QUARTERS
We see Paris walk into the room from the occupants' point of view. Then, we see Chakotay and Coyote. They have been practicing Tai Kwan Do or the Maquis version of it. Chakotay is stripped to the waist and wears loose white traditional practice pants wet with sweat at the waistband. Coyote, who is also bare-chested, wears skin tight knit workout briefs, cut at mid-thigh like cycling tights, which are soaked through. Both are barefoot. A wrestling mat with a ring outlined on it is in the center of the floor. Coyote has Chakotay pinned to the mat.
CHAKOTAY: Damn! Okay, break!
Coyote, who is tall and muscular with black hair, releases his hold and stands. He is played by the handsome extra who appeared as one of Chakotay's key Maquis officers on the bridge when the Maquis ship was fired on by the Cardassians in The Caretaker. He has a wickedly mischevious smile and a definite glint in his dark eyes.
Their quarters are barren of decoration, except for a few Native American style symbols or pictograms on two wall hangings. Weapons of various types --high tech and low-- are lying around the room, along with Chak's medicine kit. There is a double bed with colorful Native American blankets mixed with silks and a white fur of some kind. A box of someone's belongings sits near the door, a framed photograph of the dead Starfleet crewman who until recently occupied this room rests on top of the pile.
CHAKOTAY: (Getting up from the mat) Paris, this is Coyote. My companion and strong right arm. He and B'Elanna were my best officers on the Tomahawk.
COYOTE: (Looking at Chakotay) We are still your best officers, lionheart. Maquis officers. (Turning to Tom and advancing to within inches of his face and staring challengingly into his eyes.) So we are finally introduced, Two Face. (His reference to what he sees as Tom's duplicity is delivered with venom.)
PARIS: (Bristling and returning his stare, his eyes briefly flickering down Coyote's body in frank assessment and dismissal) Coyote, eh? As in sneak thief?
The tension level notches up. Coyote, slick with sweat and still breathing hard, smiles wickedly and leans close enough to brush Tom's lips.
COYOTE: I am a dedicated snake killer. I hunt Cardassians and traitors. And I am always hungry for the hunt.
CHAKOTAY: (Picking up a towel and wiping his face, not acknowledging the insults or the tension) The coyote spirit is very powerful in Native American lore. Coyote is clever. He's fast. He's a resourceful and dangerous hunter. Coyote possesses potent magic. He's also a trickster and a mischief maker.
COYOTE: I am all of that. But I am absolutely loyal to the tribes and to my leader, unlike some, Two Face. (Turning his head a fraction to look at Chakotay) I am his weapon to command. If he is still Maquis.
CHAKOTAY: (Slightly irritated) This is not the time nor the place, Coyote.
COYOTE: (Refocusing on Tom) I had a dream about you, Two Face. You're going to be trouble.
Chakotay glances up at Coyote, a bit startled.
PARIS: So what else is new?
COYOTE: Trouble with me will not be like any trouble you've had before. Don't think me tame, Starfleet. Don't think any Maquis is secure in your little tin cage.
PARIS: (Exasperated) Look, I just came because ...
COYOTE: (Cutting him off) Beware how you tread in MY camp or I'll have you for dinner!
CHAKOTAY: That's enough, Maquis! He's a guest in our quarters.
COYOTE: Not enough by far, Chak. This Starfleet ...
CHAKOTAY: I speak as your superior, Maquis!
Coyote hestitates on the point of replying and then smiles at Tom the way a fox might smile at a chicken. But he doesn't relax or move away from Paris.
Chakotay walks off camera and pulls off his practice pants, which he throws down near Tom's feet. Tom's eyes move to where Chakotay would be standing and quickly back to Coyote, whose smile turns into a smirk.
CHAKOTAY: (Toweling off the sweat) Give me a minute and we'll go ...
COYOTE: (Interrupting) You two can stay here. I'm going to the holodeck to practice killing Cardassians --and other enemies of the tribes.
He bumps Paris deliberately as he moves past him to pick up a small device from a pile of weapons, then walks to the door. He pauses for a moment.
COYOTE: (To Chakotay, in a bantering tone that promises as much as it teases.) Remember, you lost the last match, champion. When I come back, you owe me. And I mean to collect.
He flashes a wicked grin at them both and walks out. The door closes.
CHAKOTAY: I should never have told him I was tribal champion. (Walks up to Paris with a towel around his waist and indicates a seat by the window) Okay, Paris, have a seat. Let's go over this.
PARIS: (Suddenly looking more uncomfortable than angry) Uh, don't you want to get dressed?
CHAKOTAY: (Oblivious and businesslike) Not necessary. Let's get started.
He sits down so close to Tom his arms brush Tom's arms. Tom looks more uncomfortable.
PARIS: Really, I didn't mean to interrupt your workout. Maybe I should come back.
CHAKOTAY: I'm finished now ... and there's not going to be time to brief you later.
PARIS: I don't mind waiting a minute while you put some clothes on, Lieutenant Commander. (TWO BEATS) Is this some Indian thing?
Chakotay looks at him for a long moment, his expression moving from puzzlement to realization to ironic amusement.
CHAKOTAY: (Dryly) If it makes you more comfortable, Paris. (He shakes his head, getting up) And I'd heard you spent a lot of time out of your clothes. I guess it wasn't in the men's lodge.
He crosses the room, sorting through a drawer until he finds a silk robe, pulls off the towel and puts on the robe. Paris shifts nervously, watching and then looking away and then looking back.
PARIS: How long have you been involved with "wild dog" anyway?
CHAKOTAY: (Cinching the robe with an angry jerk) His name is Coyote, Paris. And he and I are in absolute agreement about certain flaws in your character. So don't push it, Lieutenant. (Beat) As for your question, we have been involved since the beginning of time.
PARIS: What's that supposed to mean? You never mentioned him in the time we spent at Shoshone Camp.
CHAKOTAY: I hadn't met him yet ... in this life.
PARIS: Oh. More of that Indian stuff. (Sarcastically) Did your spirit guide introduce you?
CHAKOTAY: (Walks to the food replicator) Two glasses of chilled wild apple cider. From personal files: Reference 22: As served at Shoshone Camp on Spirit.
He walks back to Tom and hands him a glass and sits down.
CHAKOTAY: We met when the Tomahawk rescued a group of Maquis from a Cardassian war party on Mylos a year ago. They'd been taken on Spirit.
PARIS: (Tasting the cider) Ah. Something I actually missed about my time with the Maquis. Is he a member of the tribes?
CHAKOTAY: Yes. He has Apache and Cherokee ancestors somewhere in the Nineteenth Century, and maybe earlier, so his petition for citizenship was automatically accepted. He's got French, Spanish, English, Irish, Scots, Italian, Vietnamese and Haitian blood, too. He's an old spirit, Paris.
PARIS: Maybe that's why he's so grouchy. Vietnamese?
CHAKOTAY: Viet Nam was a country in southeast Asian. The French and Americans fought a couple of twentieth century guerilla revolts there.
PARIS: Ah, guerilla warfare. As I recall, you said the Apache were guerilla fighters, too.
CHAKOTAY: (Nodding yes in response to Tom's comment) Coyote bounced around the sector from planet to planet until he hit Spirit. He said he had a dream the first night planetside. His Apache ancestor appeared to tell him he had finally come home. He's been there ever since.
PARIS: Seems pretty convenient to me. Spirit is a beautiful planet. It would qualify as a first-class recreation destination if it weren't located on the Cardassian border.
CHAKOTAY: Don't underestimate Coyote, Paris. He's a true dreamwalker. The Arikara clan elders --the clan of the spirit people and dreamers-- believe he's one of the most powerful in generations, although he's untrained. He told me he dreamed of me in a Starfleet uniform in the company of a red-headed female Captain. This was six months before we were pulled to the array.
PARIS: Oh sure, I used to dream about red-heads in prison. And --ooooh-- one came to me. Did something particular happen when you rescued him to make you so close? Other than that you probably saved his life, like I saved yours.
CHAKOTAY: (Grinning) Something very particular happened, Paris. Something very potent, like the Coyote spirit. But that's between him and me. Now, can we get on with your briefing?
PARIS: One more question. If I saved your life, doesn't he owe me?
CHAKOTAY: He may owe you a spiritual debt of sorts --a tau. But that doesn't mean he owes you any respect. And if you did betray the Maquis, the tau would be canceled. So I'd say, basically, if anything happens between you, he is free to act.
PARIS: (Raising his cider in a mock toast) In that case, here's to wrestling. May you lose to him often. Or win -- if that keeps him busier.
END OF SCENE 1
Your comments are welcomed. Send feedback to Outspeaker at: outspker@ccnet.com.
Here's one candidate for Coyote, Chakotay's lover
in the Rainbow Voyager storyline on this website.
He's the handsome, dark-haired fellow who
accompanied Chakotay and Tuvok to Voyager
when they first beamed over in "The Caretaker".
How many of you noticed that the same extra
appeared in a security uniform in "The 37's"?
Since October of 1994, I had been thinking of suggesting that gay posters in AOL's Star Trek Forum begin an experimental writing project, a gay storyline that might parallel or build on what happens on the new television series "Star Trek: Voyager". Although there were rumors that the new series might have gay characters, I thought it would be practical exercise for aspiring writers and pleasurable diversion for the less serious. Once it became clear that Paramount still refuses to allow their writers to experiment with gay characters and continues to refuse scripts from independent screenwriters which contain gay characters, I thought that it was even more important to create a few storylines, if for no other reason than our own amusement.
Initially, I was thinking of doing something very simple and quick like independent "scenes" that might have appeared in each actual episode --sort of a compilation of the scenes we aren't likely to get to see. (Actually, we decided to post sample scenes that demonstrate how gay and lesbian people could be made visible in each episode on another page.) Then, I read a ST:TNG story from the internet that appeared to be written by a number of people in a series of installments and episodes that were loosely linked together.
Although I realized there might be some hurdles in a project like that, i.e., there would probably have to be a basic agreement about the plot's direction, writers might have very different styles and abilities, and someone might have to edit all the pieces together (which was what happened with the story I read), I thought it might be fun. When I mentioned the idea to the members of Harvey Milk, Planet Stonewall and an ad hoc group that had formed on the AOL Trek Forum, a number of individuals decided to join forces and give it a try on our web site and in our shared newsletter.
I was asked to get the ball rolling and you have already read the first short scene above. I now admit to wanting to complete the entire story myself, though I will also publish scenes or stories submitted by other writers as a separate storyline if I receive submissions. If you're interested in participating, just submit your scene. If you don't like my storyline idea, feel free to start entirely new one. We can always publish more than one storyline at a time.
You'll note that I chose to use a screenplay format, rather than a short story format. But you should feel free to submit whatever format you feel most comfortable using.
Basically, I saw myself as having two choices when trying to set up a "gay" storyline based on what we know about Voyager after six episodes. One, I could appropriate existing characters and make them gay, or, two, I could introduce new characters that were gay and let the existing characters be defined by the series writers. Since it's my perception that we need to introduce gay characters and sensibilities into the Star Trek universe at several levels, I decided to go the whole nine yards and expropriate existing characters. In fact, if you read through "About Our Cast of Characters" below, you'll see that I propose to make almost all the human characters gay or bisexual.
Some people reading this introduction may be wondering why. There are two reasons. First, by creating "gay versions" of the existing cast of characters, gay and lesbian writers who may want to participate have more leeway to pursue a storyline involving a character that interests them. Second, it might be an educational exercise to "turn the tables" on the status quo and have the majority of characters defined as gay or bisexual rather than heterosexual. If I were writing a screenplay which I intended to submit to the producers of Voyager for serious consideration, I would be forced to abide by the program's writers guidelines. Since the writers seem to have defined all the characters as heterosexual, if I introduced gay characters at all, they would have to be new or guest characters.
I suppose there is a certain risk of developing the characters in ways that might directly conflict with what is actually happening on the tv series, rather than complementing and working around what the tv series presents, but "in for a penny, in for a pound". Moreover, as long as we are making characters gay, then we might as well give those characters other attributes, traits and motivations that may not always exactly match what happens on the series.
Please note: Even though we are essentially writing for ourselves here, our characters should not be solely defined by their sexuality. We are supposing there is no room for homophobia in the Federation worlds, so sexual orientation is not an issue on the Voyager. Our characters will be as sexual as other Star Trek characters, so we anticipate and propose that romantic liaisons and perhaps conflicts will develop as sub-plots. And yet, this should not be Peyton Place --or Melrose Place-- in space. Ideally, storylines published here should be good science fiction period.
I'd like to strive for quality, so send me your best efforts. Story ideas and synopses are also welcome, if you have an idea but are not a writer.
Here are my thoughts about our cast of gay/lesbian/bi characters. Although they and other members of the crew may appear peripherally in this storyline, the characters of Tuvok, Kes, Doc Zimmerman and Neelix will remain presumably hetereosexual.
First, as indicated in the scene above, CHAKOTAY is a gay man who has a lover, whose name is Coyote. They are both from a planet called Spirit, near the Cardassian/Federation border. Spirit was founded by remnants of North American indigenous peoples and has a strong Native American cultural heritage. (You may remember the Native American settlement on Dorgan Five, another planet in the sector, from "Journey's End", the ST:TNG episode in which Wesley leaves Starfleet, pursues a visionquest, discovers special powers and leaves to explore the galaxy with The Traveler.) Because of recent incursions by Cardassians and the Federation decision not to dispute Cardassian claims to the sector, Spirit is a hotbed of Maquis recruitment and activity. (Obviously, more planets and peoples than Spirit and its tribes make up the Maquis.)
Chakotay has Mescalero Apache, Navaho, Nez Perce, Chumash and Modoc blood. (Chumash and Modoc are tribes that were located in California.) He also has Hispanic ancestors who were meztizos, sons and daughters of Spaniards and Aztecs, who emigrated to California when it became a Spanish territory. His spirit guide is an eagle (although I have since noticed that the Voyager Bible has made his guide a timber wolf). He is tribal and continental champion of both classic wrestling and a style of martial arts that evolved on Spirit. He's an excellent rider, swimmer and mountain climber. He is also an accomplished "fancy dancer" and sand painter. Although Chakotay has a supply of sands from Spirit, Earth, Bajor and Vulcan, he specializes in creating his sand paintings from the sands of various planets.
He met Coyote when his ship (the Tomahawk) rescued a group of Maquis captured by the Cardassians and there was an instantaneous and intense attraction. Although Chakotay is occasionally attracted to other men, including --to his dismay-- Tom Paris, he loves Coyote and would never betray his lover. He considers Coyote his soulmate. In addition, the fact that he believes that Tom betrayed the Maquis is enough to keep him from acting on his physical attraction, even if he didn't have a lover.
COYOTE took his name when he joined the Arikara tribe --which is composed almost entirely of non-Native American shaman, healers, magicians, storytellers, entertainers, spiritualists, clowns and dreamers, although dreamwalkers from every tribe on Spirit are honorary members and acting elders of the Arikara. (The Arikara was a North American tribe that was entirely obliterated by smallpox upon meeting the first trappers and explorers from Europe. A number of tribes that completely disappeared have been remembered by being reconstituted this way on Spirit.) He has a little Apache and Cherokee blood and could have joined those tribes, but a series of troubling dreams sent him to the Arikara, along with the fact that he has such a mixed heritage, including French, Spanish, English, Irish, Scots, Italian, Vietnamese and Haitian blood, that he wasn't sure whether or not he belonged.
He is a handsome, muscular man with thick, lustrous black hair, played by the actor who was one of Chakotay's Maquis crew in Voyager's premiere episode. (In the last scene of The Caretaker, he was standing about four feet from Harry Kim as Captain Janeway gave her final speech about getting home.) Coyote travels out of his body during dreams and can see into the future, though he cannot always interpret what he sees correctly since he is largely still untrained. (Chakotay by contrast embarks on visionquests, ceremonies during which he enters a "trance" state and his spirit guide may or may not appear to provide him with information and advice.) Coyote's personality has many attributes of the Coyote spirit: He is a clever and dangerous fighter, loaded with natural and sexual energy. He is simultaneously stupid and wise, caring and insensitive, reviled and respected, deadly and clownish. He is notorious for playing tricks on people (and having them backfire), but he is fiercely loyal to those he loves and respects. He is also volatile and spontaneous. He is initially very antagonistic to Paris because he considers him a traitor and is aware of his attraction to Chakotay. On the other hand, he understands Tom Paris perhaps better than everyone else.
TOM PARIS is a bisexual, who has somewhat of a Don Juan complex. While he enjoys the company of women and treats them well, he focuses on conquest rather than commitment. If he's not trying to score, he'd rather hang out with the boys. He prefers the social companionship of men. However, since his troubles with Starfleet, he hasn't been close to anyone. He is attracted to both Chakotay and Harry Kim. He has a hard time acknowledging his attraction to Chakotay because Chakotay has such a low opinion of him, so he hides behind a mask of resentment and feuding. Harry is his first real friend in a long time and he's been taking it slow, even though he is strongly attracted to Harry, because Harry hasn't given him any real feedback yet.
As he is an only child, HARRY KIM is under a great deal of pressure from his parents to marry and have children to carry on the family name and run the family business empire, despite the fact that he is gay and his parents accept it. In fact, Harry is engaged to a young woman from a very wealthy Chinese family to whom his parents arranged for him to be introduced. Harry was perhaps overprotected by his traditional, powerful family while growing up, so is perhaps unusually innocent. However, his mother allowed him to go to Julliard because they both loved music and she recognized his talent. That's where he met his first lover, who was taking a year off to decide whether or not to return to Starfleet Academy.
But Harry is not a total innocent. He has had one lover. His lover, who swept Harry off his feet and then talked him into applying to Starfleet so that they could be together at school, broke up with Harry when he graduated two years ahead of Harry and was offered his first assignment. Harry said he would wait and apply for a posting wherever his lover ended up, but his lover refused to continue a long distance relationship, telling Harry to get on with his life.
Harry was initially a bit angry and depressed about the breakup, but quickly decided to concentrate on doing as well as he could in Starfleet and continue to hope that his lover would change his mind. His friends and even his parents introduced him to eligible men, but he didn't click with anyone. Although his parents want Harry to be happy, it is also important for them to have legal descendents, so they told him they would find a suitable wife for him to father a child with, one who would agree to allow him to live his own separate life. Harry agreed to meet a couple of candidates and actually enjoyed one's company. Finally, just before graduating, he agreed to become engaged. He's already changed his mind about that decision and he told his parents and fiancee in his messages to earth via the wormhole. Harry is very attracted to Tom, but he's doubtful of Tom's ability to commit to anyone as well as Tom's future in Starfleet. On the other hand, he's young and alive and lonely and it might take 75 years to get back to Earth.
To this mix of men, I'm adding one more: a mixed race Starfleet security officer named TYRONE TIMOTHY JORGESSON, who is unattached. Tyrone's mother was a famous and very talented rhythm and blues singer from New Orleans who married a very talented and famous World Basketball League star. Both his parents are of mixed blood. His mother can trace the race mixing in her family to Creole masters and Black slaves living in New Orleans three decades before the Civil War. His father was half-Watusi, half-Swedish. Tyrone, who is 5' 11", has a very stocky build. He has broad shoulders, a muscular back and ridged stomach, narrow waist, thick thighes, and an ass "you can bounce a quarter off of" or "set a plate on". His complexion is the color of caramel. He has green eyes, a wide African nose and kinky "dirty blonde" hair, which is cut short.
He was a gymnastics champion and plays any number of instruments, since he inherited his mothers musical talent, including the piano, drums, guitar, clarinet, bass and violin. He has a beautiful singing voice, too. Having grown up on earth in New Orleans, he might have gone into professional sports or music, but his mother was killed durng a Romulan attack on a starbase where she had gone to perform at the request of his older brother, who was also killed. Ty, who accompanied her and was one of the few survivors, enrolled in Starfleet as soon as he recovered from his injuries. Although he has a very strong dislike for Romulans and will use force as appropriate, he prefers defensive hand-to-hand combat to offensive combat or the use of weapons. On the other hand, he is the best marksman Tuvok has. He took a series of special courses (unusual in the 23rd century) on acting as a personal bodyguard. His deadly skills and occupation contrast with his keen appreciation of the arts and an open, friendly manner, although he can appear very menacing and intimidating when he wants --and sometimes when he's simply concentrating on a problem. He is nearly as young as Harry and has a healthy sexual appetite which seldoms goes unfulfilled.
Captain KATERHINE JANEWAY is a lesbian who lost her last lover in the battle with the Borg. They were both Lieutenant Commanders and the luck of the draw put her lover in harm's way. Since being promoted to the Captain's chair, she finds it difficult to connect with women under her command and hasn't had much opportunity otherwise. In fact, she's made it a policy not to get involved with crew because of potential conflicts. She had a fling with the man on earth who was seen in the first episode, but prefers women, especially as long-term partners. She has a circle of women friends on earth and the planet Moniham G.H., a matriarchal society, where she and her last lover met.
B'ELANNA TORRES finds Klingon men much too aggressive and narrow-minded about tradition. At the same time, she finds earth men too timid and fragile and she's afraid she might injure or insult them. She's really not attracted to Klingon women either, which leaves human women. She's very attracted to human women, but again, has never initiated a relationship for fear that she might lose control and become too aggressive in the heat of passion and injure or frighten her partner. I think it's safe to speculate that she has never had sex, which may be part of the reason she's so upset.
The Captain and B'Elanna obviously click because they both have a background in science and both have sharp intellects as witnessed in their rapid-fire exchange of ideas and theories in "The Parallax". They both have a few obstacles to overcome in order to connect, but they'd make a great match. However, the biggest obstacle to a successful on-going relationship would be the Starfleet/Maquis conflict.
ALIANNA MALANA is a lushly beautiful half-Betazed who grew up on Betazed and who was so overwhelmed by contact with humans when she enrolled in Starfleet Academy that she needed therapy to cope with all of the input. After undergoing such therapy, she was able to function (though she took frequent sabbaticals to sparsely populated destinations and Vulcan) and took up the study of life sciences instead becoming a ship's counselor. Voyager is her first ship assignment. She served aboard a Starfleet research station with a crew of 30 for three years. This assignment may test her ability to cope. Alianna usually finds calm and repose in the company of women, though human women often become obsessed with her because she's so sensitive to their moods and needs.
KINISHA MUHAMMED BATES is an Afro-American/New Persian who is one of Tuvok's top two security officers. Her lover, KATHERINE WINDSOR, an Englishwoman, is the other. This couple, who have been together for five years, transferred to the Voyager from their previous ship assignment together. Kinisha recognizes the captain's predicament and befriends her, offering counsel and advice as a woman who is at least the captain's age and used to the challenges of command. (She gave up the position of chief of security to be able to transfer to the Voyager with her lover. In addition, she was dissatisfied with the very safe ship assignment she had and wanted to get back out on the edge.)
SIRIT INCARTA is a young ensign in engineering who has English-Indi ancestry. She attended Starfleet Academy with Harry, where she specialized in bioneural computer systems.
I'm sure the Maquis must have one or two more young, brash wild frontier women or commanding independent thinkers in their complement. Maybe one has a crush on B'Elanna and is determined to demonstrate that human women aren't as fragile as she might think.
Created on May 15, 1995. Uploaded June 1.
Please send submissions and feedback to Outspeaker at: outspker@ccnet.com.