Thanks for this story, which was so well written I read it in a single sitting (despite my trepidation at the torture theme, which I did find quite difficult to sit through for the first half). I am a massive J/C fan, but I actually think it finished better at Chapter 16 - after the slow and delicate interactions between the characters for so many chapters it seemed strange to have them come together quite quickly/decisively at the end.
You have so many beautiful observations that are uniquely yours (ie Chakotay making the connection that his ancestors once wore bindings as their regular footwear) and I appreciate the way you use language that is just at the outer cusp of my usual vocab - making me occasionally look up a word to check its meaning and finding that it is absolutely perfect fo the context.

Great chapter! Thank goodness Chakotay is as stubborn as Kathryn and refused to fail her. Love it.

Beautiful ending - I needed that after the heaviness of the preceding chapters.

Wonderful setting and great writing style! Gave me my fix fir one of my favorite old shows.

Perfect!

This is so good...

Quite an intense story. It feels a bit wrong to say I enjoyed it but hopefully you know what I mean. ;)
Thanks for sharing.

This is great. Your characterisation is spot on; I could picture the whole story playing out. Loved Kathryn back on the bridge and demanding Chakotay’s return. Great scene! Great story!

Oh. My. Goodness.

This story is brilliant. All the way through, absolutely brilliant.

I must say, in all the conversation about helping the slaves or not, I was intrigued to see no mention of the Prime Directive. I think it technically would extend to their freeing the slavesnot knowing the long-term effects on the quadrant and all. BUT that's not to say I MIND that it's not mentioned! My very recurring difficulty with the Prime Directive is the thing you mentionedthat all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. The PD seems to rely more on the idea that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You really don't know what the result may be, and you can't always go around trying to fix things for everyone because you really don't know what it'll change, and the struggle to survive often makes people stronger. But the PD is just too across- the- board without allowing for individual decisions, and I like that the decisions in this one didn't even worry about it.

I don't know how or why, but I started reading this a long time ago and never finished it. It's FANTASTIC so far. I can't wait to keep going!

I just love this story! It's so wonderful. I love every sentence, every word of it. I'm going to read it many more times and already looking forward to it.
Thank you so much!

Man that was so good! I couldn't put it down for one second! I loved it :)

I never get sick of reading your J/C stories. Fabulous, as always.

Loved the magnificent kathryn

This story is everything my poor shipper could ever have asked for in an episode. I (accidentally anonymously) already said that I was thinking exactly what you said, this could be an episode (and a great one mind you) and would have ended with the previous chapter if it was - my exact thoughts, and oh my delight, when you noted that. :D
Anyway, not only did you give us a story that reads like a previously unreleased episode - I can imagine this being a bonus on future DVD sets - "shippers edition" (with the unnecessary J/C-unrelated scenes cut out) plus the fixxer upper for the suppressed shipper heart.
But, don't mind my babbling...I think I may have prviously mentioned that I adore your writing...sigh, how could I possibly not?!