Chakotay nods once at her question. Of course he would be happy to tell her all about the Sky Spirits when they have a chance. Hadand can know; Chakotay wouldn't mind divulging more about his people to her. It's the larger and more personal story that has him a little uncertain on where to begin. There's so much to tell her, so much that he needs to go over, and the subject matter itself won't be the easiest for Hadand to swallow.
"I'll tell you all about the Sky Spirits another time," he agrees, the smile slowly sliding off his face as he watches her reaction. "As for the other tale... it won't be nearly as pleasant." That's about all the warning he can really give. Shifting his weight a little, he reaches up to the collar of his uniform and unpins the bar signifying his rank. He turns it around and then offers it to Hadand so she can examine it while he speaks.
"I'm sure you've noticed by now the differences between some of the crew's rank insignia, especially mine and Captain Janeway's," he begins, his eyes on the symbol of his rank in Starfleet. "Starfleet ranks are usually shown with the pip system used by the captain and most of the crew. They are Starfleet officers. Those like me wear a provisional rank insignia. We aren't part of Starfleet and even though we are all acting as one cohesive unit, obeying our captain and Starfleet protocols and directives, we will not forget and the Federation will not forget who we were before this."
No one would forget. There was far too much animosity and downright hatred between the two for either to ever forget. Perhaps forgiveness would come now that most of the Maquis have been killed and the ones left are either in prison or lost in the Delta Quadrant. Likely not. Likely they will still face whatever punishment Starfleet would like to bring down upon them for their stubborn refusal to agree to the treaty and leave their planets to Cardassian rule.
"A few years ago, the Federation negotiated a treaty with the Cardassians that redefined the borders between Cardassian space and Federation space. It also created a demilitarized zone between the two sections. The problems arose when certain Federation planets suddenly found themselves in Cardassian space. The Cardassians wanted them to leave and refused to take no for an answer. The Federation was forced to abandon these people who would not leave. Many of them came together to form an organization called the Maquis, as an attempt to combat the Cardassians and keep their planets safe. Cardassians are not known for their compassion. Prisoners are often treated to the worst conditions imaginable." Torture and executions. Torture by Cardassians isn't usually just physical torture, either. Cardassians are known for being terrible prison guards, as any Bajoran of the last few generations would know.
"During one encounter, my ship and crew escaped into a region of space known as the Badlands. Captain Janeway and Voyager were sent to track us down and bring us back to be held accountable for our actions by Starfleet. Instead, both of us were pulled into the Delta Quadrant. Through a long series of events, my ship was lost. Captain Janeway and I decided to merge the two crews as one. Her First Officer had been killed, so she appointed me to take his place. We both thought that having the two leaders as the top-ranking officers would do more towards helping the crews merge and accept one another than promoting another Starfleet officer. The Maquis crew members were either given the ranks they had once held in Starfleet or what would be the equivalent." He knows that opens up a variety of questions like how many of them had been Starfleet officers, whether or not Chakotay himself once was, and what had made him join the Maquis if he had been Starfleet. At this point, he is prepared to answer those as well.
"The Cardassians considered us a military threat. The Federation called us terrorists. Those of us aboard Voyager aren't expecting a warm welcome home." He certainly isn't and the small, sad sort of smile he adopts fully says as much.
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"I'll tell you all about the Sky Spirits another time," he agrees, the smile slowly sliding off his face as he watches her reaction. "As for the other tale... it won't be nearly as pleasant." That's about all the warning he can really give. Shifting his weight a little, he reaches up to the collar of his uniform and unpins the bar signifying his rank. He turns it around and then offers it to Hadand so she can examine it while he speaks.
"I'm sure you've noticed by now the differences between some of the crew's rank insignia, especially mine and Captain Janeway's," he begins, his eyes on the symbol of his rank in Starfleet. "Starfleet ranks are usually shown with the pip system used by the captain and most of the crew. They are Starfleet officers. Those like me wear a provisional rank insignia. We aren't part of Starfleet and even though we are all acting as one cohesive unit, obeying our captain and Starfleet protocols and directives, we will not forget and the Federation will not forget who we were before this."
No one would forget. There was far too much animosity and downright hatred between the two for either to ever forget. Perhaps forgiveness would come now that most of the Maquis have been killed and the ones left are either in prison or lost in the Delta Quadrant. Likely not. Likely they will still face whatever punishment Starfleet would like to bring down upon them for their stubborn refusal to agree to the treaty and leave their planets to Cardassian rule.
"A few years ago, the Federation negotiated a treaty with the Cardassians that redefined the borders between Cardassian space and Federation space. It also created a demilitarized zone between the two sections. The problems arose when certain Federation planets suddenly found themselves in Cardassian space. The Cardassians wanted them to leave and refused to take no for an answer. The Federation was forced to abandon these people who would not leave. Many of them came together to form an organization called the Maquis, as an attempt to combat the Cardassians and keep their planets safe. Cardassians are not known for their compassion. Prisoners are often treated to the worst conditions imaginable." Torture and executions. Torture by Cardassians isn't usually just physical torture, either. Cardassians are known for being terrible prison guards, as any Bajoran of the last few generations would know.
"During one encounter, my ship and crew escaped into a region of space known as the Badlands. Captain Janeway and Voyager were sent to track us down and bring us back to be held accountable for our actions by Starfleet. Instead, both of us were pulled into the Delta Quadrant. Through a long series of events, my ship was lost. Captain Janeway and I decided to merge the two crews as one. Her First Officer had been killed, so she appointed me to take his place. We both thought that having the two leaders as the top-ranking officers would do more towards helping the crews merge and accept one another than promoting another Starfleet officer. The Maquis crew members were either given the ranks they had once held in Starfleet or what would be the equivalent." He knows that opens up a variety of questions like how many of them had been Starfleet officers, whether or not Chakotay himself once was, and what had made him join the Maquis if he had been Starfleet. At this point, he is prepared to answer those as well.
"The Cardassians considered us a military threat. The Federation called us terrorists. Those of us aboard Voyager aren't expecting a warm welcome home." He certainly isn't and the small, sad sort of smile he adopts fully says as much.