this for Tim, on their own dime and on their own time. And if you want proof as to what those seven and a half years in the trenches bore--this is the fruit of it. And I can think of no greater tribute to our tenure together than this kind of friendship.

AS: And to their affection for you and your husband.

KM: That's right. And their real commitment to his race. Because I don't work with, nor do I kiss, anyone who isn't a liberal Democrat.

AS: With your role as Janeway, the first female Star Trek captain, were you concerned with Hollywood's tenuous relationship with women in power?

KM: Yes, how you can't have the independence without the bitch. I transcended that with Janeway. And nothing gives me greater pleasure than to say that I believe I was the only actress doing that on prime time. Her humanity, her warmth. I've often used the expression, "I did not 'drop trou'." I had no intension of doing so. And I don't think I ever lost my whimsy, my compassion. My deep love for the crew.

AS: Is that something you had to campaign for--that balanced portrayal?