by Alys Landale
All they knew was that the crew had found a new form of Warp technology which had taken them back to the Alpha Quadrant.
Seven of Nine interrupted Janeway’s thoughts. The younger woman walked towards the captain. “Captain,” she said in greeting.
Janeway smiled. “Yes, Seven.”
Admiral Paris had heard Janeway tell about the ex-Borg but had not at all pictured her to look as she did. Neither had Sisko or Picard. Memories flashed through Picard’s mind as he remembered his time in the collective. He now stood face to face with an ex-Borg. Discomfort was the only emotion he held towards her. What was he supposed to say?
Seven handed Janeway the Padd. “Ensign Paris requested that I give this to you.” She said.
Janeway looked at the Padd. “What is it?”
“It is engineering plans for modifying a shuttlecraft with a subspacial warp core.” She replied coolly.
Janeway’s mouth opened in surprise. *He’s planning to go back already.*
Chakotay put a hand on the captain’s shoulder as if to remind her that they were still in the presence of other officers.
“What would Tom know about such things?” The Admiral asked.
Seven spoke before Janeway could stop her. “Ensign Paris discovered the schematics for creating such a core. He and Lieutenant Torres were the primary officers in charge of its building.”
The Admiral hid his perplexity with the usual Paris mask.
Janeway realized she needed to speak. “Tom has helped us out with a great many things over the past six years,” she told him.
The other officers seemed to take what she was saying as truth. Chakotay shot her a look that said; *When are you going to tell them?* She looked to the ground. What was she supposed to say? Sorry Admiral, your son was assimilated. No, she would speak to Tom first. It was his life; he would be the one to handle this. She just hoped that he would care about his past life here, and not just disregard it to go chasing after old demons in the Empire.
Harry struggled to keep up with Xara as she raced down the corridors of the station. He never had known just how fast a child could go. He tried to catch his breath and then quickened his pace to match that of the little girl’s.
Xara eyed a shop to her left. “Come on Harry.” She yelled.
Harry thought his side was going to burst. His breath was ragged as he said. “Hold on, I’m coming.”
Two hours had passed by the time Paris and Torres finally exited Engineering. Voyager was almost deserted as the made their way to the station where the rest of the crew presently was.
“Are you sure you want to go back to the Empire with me? I could just stay here.” He told B’Elanna.
She looked him in the eye. “I’m going with you. If you stay here, then you’ll constantly be wondering what had happened in the Empire and whether or not you could have stopped it. I won’t let you do that.”
He smiled. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He pulled her close for one quick kiss before they boarded the station.
Janeway was standing with her three other associates as well as Chakotay and Seven. The group was inside one of the less occupied corridors of DS9 as well as one nearer to Voyager.
The current android aboard the Enterprise soon joined them. He began to converse with Seven over the aspect of incorporating biological elements into his system.
After a few moments, someone else caught Janeway’s attention. “Tom,” she said.
The others’ attentions were diverted to the man and woman approaching them. Torres and Paris walked towards the group.
Tom looked at those surrounding her. He nodded to the rest of the group but his attention seemed to focus on Picard for a while. Memories of a past experience with the man came bubbling to the surface. He quickly pushed those memories back down, though, and focused his attention back on Janeway.
“We managed to repair any damage Voyager took during our recent travel through subspace. I take it you got the Padd I sent you.” Tom said.
Janeway nodded. “Yes, I got it.”
“It shouldn’t take more than a few days to incorporate a new warp core into one of the shuttles,” he said.
“Why are you wanting to do this so fast?” Picard asked. “It’s not as if you would be wanting to get back to the Delta Quadrant.”
Paris was about to respond but was cut off as another’s voice caught his attention.
“Rune!” Came a shout from the platform above. Xara ran down the platform and down to Paris.
Tom smiled as he walked over to the little girl. He caught the child as she jumped into his arms. “Whoa, Squeaker,” he said. “It looks like you left Harry behind.
Xara looked around for her comrade. She was now lifted up to Paris’s level so she had a much better vantage point than on the ground. She finally spotted him. “I didn’t leave him behind. See. There he is.”
Tom couldn’t help but laugh as he saw the ensign trying to walk towards him. It looked like the younger man had just run a marathon.
“I... never knew...a kid could run that fast....” he said between breaths.
B’Elanna walked over to Tom and Xara. The little girl was already prattling on about everything she had seen in the station.
“And then we went into this store and there was this big man almost as tall as a Dezorisian. And he was a Klingon and then there were these other people and I’ve never seen anybody who looked like them. It was so strange.”
Tom was only able to get a ‘yeah’ or ‘really’ in between her words. Both he and B’Elanna’s faces were plastered with smiles. After a few more seconds, Captain Janeway and her group walked over to the trio.
Picard looked at the child. “And just who is this?” he asked good-naturedly.
Xara paused from her rambling. She looked the captain in the eye and said proudly. “‘This’ is Xara. And just who are you?”
Picard’s smile deepened at the girl’s boldness. “I am Captain Jean Luc Picard.” He then pointed to those around him.
“This is Captain Sisko, Data, and this is Admiral....” He stopped what he was saying as he noticed the odd look she was giving Data. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
She blushed and averted her eyes. She then whispered into Tom’s ear. “He’s even paler than you are.” She told him in reference to the android.
Tom laughed softly. The other’s couldn’t help but hear what the girl had said. Xara smiled mischievously.
“I am an android.” Data said.
Xara nodded. “Pleased to meet you all.”
Admiral Paris wondered why this child seemed so close to his son. He had no idea of what species she was but it looked as if she and Thomas had grown to be extremely close. He felt a slight embarrassment and anger at his son’s attitude in front of his superiors. Certainly, he had drilled it into Tom that he should maintain a professional air whenever higher-ranking officers were present. But the dignity Tom was displaying now was nothing less than insubordination in his book. He was a Paris, he should show these other officers the respect to which they deserved.
Tom could feel the emotions from those around him, all except for Data of course. The one person who seemed an enigma, however, was the Admiral. Tom had no idea of what the man’s name was, but he didn’t seem to be very thrilled with Paris’s attitude.
“Where are you from?” the Admiral asked. He tried to be as friendly as he could, but he never had been very good with children.
Xara answered him immediately. “I’m from the Empire. I used to live in an Imperial concentration camp before Rune rescued me. I live with him now.” Her voice conveyed the pride with which she spoke of her benefactor.
“And just who is this ‘Rune’?” Picard asked. Had Janeway picked up another guest from the Delta Quadrant?
Xara laughed. B’Elanna and Tom shared a look. “Why he’s right here, silly.” Xara said. At their still confused looks, she elaborated. “Everybody on Voyager calls him ‘Tom Paris,’ but I c
all him Rune.”
Admiral Paris’s eyebrow rose at this information. Just what the Hell was going on?
“I suppose I’ve gone by a lot of names,” Tom said.
Janeway looked a bit uncomfortable by the turn of their conversation. She was about to ask Tom if he could speak with her privately, but Xara cut her off.
The little girl was getting more excited as her thoughts turned to another course. She grabbed Paris’s collar to get his attention. “I almost forgot. I have something to show you. I found it with Harry. It’s just great; you’ve got to see it. Come on.”
The moment he set her back down on the ground, she took his hand and began to pull him away. “If you’ll excuse me gentlemen,” he told the group. He then addressed Janeway. “We need to discuss that Padd later.”
B’Elanna followed Tom as Xara pulled him away. Soon they were out of sight.
“I feel sorry for him,” Harry commented. “He doesn’t know the work-out he’s about to get.”
Chakotay turned to the younger man. “I think he has a pretty good idea.”
Harry looked to the ground in embarrassment. “Maybe I need to ask next time before I volunteer for a job.”
Seven walked over to him. “Perhaps your body is not used to such physical exertions.”
Harry’s face turned redder. “I might be a little out of shape....”
Seven cut him off before he began to babble. “You have recovered from your recent fatigue. If what you say is true, then you were not given adequate time to process your surroundings. We shall therefore journey through the station at a slower pace.”
Harry blinked. “Sure Seven, I’ll show you around.”
The two said their good-byes to the others and then left. Janeway and Chakotay were the only Voyager crewman who hadn’t yet departed. Janeway was still struggling with the enigma of what to do with Paris. She pushed those thoughts away for now. She needed to focus on one thing at a time. She would worry about this later when she met with Paris privately. Then, maybe she could convince him to stay.
Torres and Paris followed Xara as she led them through the station. B’Elanna knew her way around DS9 somewhat but to
Paris, all of this was new. They had been following the girl around for the past hour, now it looked like she was finally beginning to slow down.
“One thing can be said about her,” B’Elanna said. “She’ll never be at a loss for energy.”
Paris had to agree. “You should have seen her a few months ago when we stopped at Sikari V.”
B’Elanna shook her head in amazement. She watched the little girl inspect all the merchandise in the store. So far, Xara had found something amazing that she just had to show Rune inside every store.
For whatever reasons, Torres’s gaze fell on a pair standing down the corridor. Seven and Harry were walking in their direction but didn’t seem to notice them. Paris stepped over to where B’Elanna stood. His gaze followed hers. “I see Seven and
Harry are together again.”
B’Elanna smiled. She had finally learned to tolerate the ex-Borg over the past year. “When are they apart?”
The two shared a knowing glance. Then something came to Tom’s attention. A Klingon passed them and was heading towards Harry and Seven. Tom could tell that the man was drunk, but what really worried him were the emotions that were running off of the man like water.
“Keep an eye on Xara.” Paris told B’Elanna. The woman watched as Tom left towards Harry and Seven. She wondered what that was about but did as he had asked.
“Nice station, isn’t it Seven.” Harry asked.
The woman’s attention seemed to be on everything at the same time. “It is adequate for your species.”
Harry chuckled. “I see you approve.”
“How many have ‘you’ assimilated?” Came a voice from behind.
The pair turned to see a large male Klingon standing behind them. It was clear that the man was intoxicated, which wasn’t that unusual with Klingons.
“Excuse me?” Harry asked. He didn’t want to get into a fight with this man but he wasn’t about to let Seven be harassed either.
“I was not speaking to you. I’m talking to the Borg. So how many have you killed, Borg?”
“I am no longer a part of the Collective. I am an individual and should be addressed as such.”
“Don’t tell me how to address you Borg. There’s no telling how many you’ve assimilated. Perhaps I should show you what we do to Borg here.” He reached behind him for his Batleth. “The Borg assimilated my family. Why should you be left alive and free when you are the cause of it?”
“You are intoxicated,” Seven stated. “I will not listen to such illogic.” She stepped to walk away but the Klingon stepped forward to prevent her from leaving.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he said and moved to grab her back to where he stood.
Janeway, Picard, Sisko, and Admiral Paris were still conversing with one another. They stood on the level above where Seven and Harry were. Janeway looked over the railing to her side as she noticed a commotion below.
“What’s going on?” She asked.
Below them, a group had congregated around a trio in the center of all the commotion. She recognized her two crewmen immediately as Seven and Ensign Kim. The Klingon next to them didn’t seem at all happy.
Sisko noticed it as well. He tapped his comm badge. “I need a security team over here now.”
Janeway wondered if they would be there soon enough. The crowd was growing and it looked like Seven and Harry were trying to leave. She saw the Klingon step after Seven and try to grab her. What happened next surprised everyone on the railing above as well as all the onlookers below.
Harry watched as the Klingon prepared to pull Seven back towards him. Just as a massive hand was about to be laid upon her shoulder, another came forward and stopped it.
Tom Paris stood between Seven and the Klingon. His face was an impassive mask as he held the larger man’s hand in his own. He tightened his grip on the Klingon’s hand.
“Now where are your manners? You should know better than to treat a guest like this.” He said. Although his words should have portrayed humor, the tone was flat and his eyes never left the taller man before him.
He let go of the Klingon’s hand. The man pulled his hand back with disgust. “This isn’t your fight. Step back before you get in too far.”
Tom eyed him coolly. “It’s my fight now. I suggest ‘you’ leave now and we’ll forget this ever happened.”
Recognition shot into the Klingon’s mind. “I know you. You’re that traitor Tom Paris. You were responsible for Caldik Prime.”
“Should that mean something to me?” Paris asked.
The Klingon’s rage was ignited. “You killed three other’s in that accident and then lied to protect yourself. You dishonorable Peta’Q! How dare you speak of their deaths in such a manner.”
“I’m sorry. I forgot.”
The man’s size seemed to increase a couple more inches as he began to yell even louder. “Forget!! You dare dishonor them in such a manner. I shall make sure you never forget this again!”
Tom watched as the man took his Batleth and approached him with violent intent. The Klingon brought the blade down towards Paris’s face and then the unexpected occurred.
Admiral Paris watched as his son defended the ex-Borg from the Klingon. He had no idea however, why Tom was acting so flippantly about Caldik Prime. It was as if the event had never occurred.
*Have you changed none Thomas?* he wondered.
His reverie was broken as he watched the Klingon bring its Batleth up above Tom. The admiral held his breath as he prepared for his son to soon be on his way to sickbay.
The Batleth was only a few inches from Paris as he caught the Klingon’s arm in one hand and quickly pulled the weapon out of it with his other hand. Now Tom held the weapon. Letting go of the other man’s arm, he pushed the Klingon away.
“Leave
now, before you get yourself in trouble.” Tom said.
The man was filled with rage at such a dishonor. He was not about to let this human get the best of him. Using his anger as fuel, he charged Paris with murderous intent.
Tom kept his ground as he waited for the man to get within range. With a free hand, he gave the Klingon a powerful uppercut. If he had been any other man, his hand would have been broken, but due to the composition of his bones, the blow only proved to inebriate the Klingon.
The Klingon’s charge had been halted and he now stood there slightly dazed. He soon shook his head though and prepared to punch Tom with all his might. Paris took the opportunity presented. He sidestepped his combatant’s blow and grabbed the man’s arm once again. This time he snapped the man’s appendage and pulled the broken arm behind the Klingon so that Paris was facing the man’s back.
Bringing the Batleth up to the man’s throat, he began to talk once again. “I warned you,” he said calmly. “Now don’t move or else.”
The Klingon had never been this angry in his entire life. His arm was pulsing with pain from where it had been snapped in two behind him. The crowd around them stood silent.
B’Elanna was the first one to break the silence. She pushed her way through the crowd to where Paris was. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she tried to calm him.
“Tom,” she said. “Let him go.”
Paris stole a glance at B’Elanna. He could feel her worry washing over him. Taking the man’s broken limb, he pushed the man to the ground. He then threw the Batleth to the ground beside him. “If I hear you do anything like this again, you won’t come out so lucky.”
At that moment, a security team came. It was led by Commander Worf and they soon broke up the crowd of spectators that had gathered around the combatants. They then made their way over to the fallen Klingon.
“His arm’s been snapped in two.” Worf said in amazement.
All eyes fell on Paris. He just smiled. “I warned him.”
