Trials 04 Shadow's Trial

by Terri Zavaleta

  way to rationalize it!"

  Malista bit back a giggle of surprise. "I don't think I'm quite that

  bad, George. Tom said that the only thing I did wrong was to let it go

  on. I should have tried to do something about their comments and

  behavior when it started, instead of hiding and evading and hoping it

  would all go away."

  "Paris may be brighter than I've given him credit for," Natwick

  allowed grudgingly.

  Malista's hand flew up to cover her mouth, trying to hide a sudden

  grin.

  "What?" he demanded, one eyebrow up in inquiry.

  "Tom said the same thing about you," she confessed, trying

  unsuccessfully to hide her amusement.

  "Yeah, well, that's flattering. Paris and I do have one thing in

  common. You. We both want what's best for you so we're working

  together on this. But just don't expect us to become best buddies,

  okay?" the big man grumbled. "He's right about one thing though.

  Things got worse because you didn't stand up to them right away. The

  way you reacted made them feel powerful."

  "But I don't understand why they would do this. Not just why did they

  do it to me, but why act this way at all?" Malista gazed up at him,

  hoping for an explanation that she could comprehend intellectually, if

  not emotionally.

  "If you asked those guys why they treated you so badly, they would

  make up all kinds of reasons and possibly try to blame it on you.

  They'd say something about the way you dressed or the way you reacted.

  Or that you didn't make it clear enough that you weren't interested in

  playing their games. The sad thing is that they may not even think

  they were acting with malice. They think their behavior is acceptable.

  They enjoyed terrorizing you because you allowed it. Longoria and

  Castelle are bullies and cowards. You ever see the play 'Man and

  Superman' by George Bernard Shaw?"

  Malista shook her head.

  "There's a line in the third act that goes 'Man gives every reason for

  his conduct save one, every excuse for his crimes save one, every plea

  for his safety save one; and that one is his cowardice.' That's the

  real reason. They probably have no idea how much you were hurt by

  their actions and they'd say it was all just a game. But it wouldn't

  be the *truth*, Malista," he insisted. "If we checked with other women

  on the ship, we'd probably find they'd tried the same abuse with

  others, but ran in the opposite direction when confronted or called on

  their behavior. What I don't understand is why *you* aren't mad at

  them! You aren't, are you?"

  "Uh...." She stammered and cleared her throat, but didn't produce one

  complete word.

  "I was watching you in the Security Office. The only reason you plan

  to try this harebrained plot of Tom's was to make him happy. Because

  Paris, Kim, and the others coerced you into it."

  "They didn't coerce---"

  "The hell they didn't!" Natwick leapt up from his seat and began

  pacing, anger clearly written across his chiseled features.

  "They wouldn't force me to do something I didn't want to do. They

  offered to help me."

  "Oh, come on, Malista! You're always waiting for Kim or Paris to tell

  you what to do!" Natwick complained, beginning to lose patience with

  her lack of righteous indignation. "Do you like being bossed around

  and intimidated? Is that why you let Castelle and Longoria get away

  with it?!"

  "I do not!" she replied with resounding indignation, her accent

  becoming more obvious as she became agitated. "Tom is family. Harry is

  the man I love. I've given them the right to treat me familiarly. No

  one else has the right to call me nicknames. No one else has the right

  to touch me! I've given that right exclusively to Harry!! And he does

  NOT boss me around. Sometimes I wish he would. Or act more possessive.

  Then I would know that he understands that I belong to him."

  Speechless for a moment, Natwick stopped his pacing and stared at her.

  With a shake of his head, he muttered, "Are all women this crazy or is

  it just Greek women?"

  "I don't know. Maybe it is a Greek thing. How many Greek women do you

  know?" Shadow replied, tongue firmly in cheek.

  "One too many," the big man responded with a mock frown as he resumed

  pacing the length of the room like a caged beast. "But let's get back

  to my original point---You were going along with the whole thing for

  Paris and Kim! Not for YOU! You're the one who's been offended.

  You're the one who should be angry about it. For you! Unless you liked

  the way they treated you?"

  "Of course I didn't LIKE it!" she protested, turning her head back and

  forth to keep him in her line of vision. "I am angry with them."

  "Then this is your chance to tell them so! Let it out! Tell them how

  they made you feel. Tell them how angry you are with them! Tell them

  you refuse to be treated this way---by anyone!" Natwick was really

  getting wound up now. Normally, he didn't lose his temper. He'd always

  prided himself on remaining stoic and detached. In fact, until he'd

  recently erupted in anger and punched out Harry Kim, it had been years

  since he'd really surrendered control of his emotions.

  "Why are you so angry about this, George?"

  Natwick exhaled a loud exasperated breath as he stopped in front of

  her chair and turned to face her. "Because any *real man* would be.

  These hound dogs give all men a bad reputation. Because I hate the

  fact that these guys are Starfleet. I despise them because they've

  spit on what Starfleet stands for. I know you never went to the

  Academy, Malista, so you might not know the oath. Every member of

  Starfleet takes an oath to serve, protect, and defend sentient beings.

  These two are making a mockery of that oath. They treated you as if

  your feelings didn't matter. As if you had no right to protest what

  they did. Doesn't that make YOU angry?"

  There was a cold fire sizzling in the green eyes as she surged to her

  feet with feline grace. She couldn't seem to stand still. As she spoke

  she began to move restlessly, her hands flying through the air in

  gestures that punctuated her words. "Yes! Yes, it does. You're

  absolutely correct. Those pigs had no right to play sexual games with

  me." She turned away from him while she fought for enough control to

  spit the words out as if they could no longer be held back. "If my

  brothers were here---The Greek culture may be well known for its great

  legends, myths, and works of art, but we are also known as fierce

  fighters who hold a grudge very well. I think it's time for me to free

  that part of myself. I've kept that part of me caged for far too

  long." Her head snapped around so she could meet his eyes. With the

  tone of a royal command, she ordered, "Come on, George. I have

  something to do." She charged out the door into the corridor.

  As he trailed along behind her, he asked, "What are you going to say?

  Are you going to follow the script?"

  "No," she replied brusquely. "Tom wrote what he thought I should say.

  I think I'll make it up as
I go along. I have been trained to fight. I

  know how to defend myself. I've just repressed all my aggressive

  instincts out of fear of losing control. Well, now you've convinced it

  may be time to lose control. Those men don't know what they've

  unleashed. I am a GREEK! We do not accept insults lightly. Hurry up!

  I'm building up to an overload and I don't want to waste energy!" She

  lengthened her quick-paced strides, muttering furiously under her

  breath.

  Natwick had to almost jog to keep up. He triggered his commbadge.

  "Natwick to Hudson and Simms. We're on our way. ETA for you should be

  five minutes."

  "Acknowledged." As the single word issued from two sources, Natwick

  and Shadow charged toward the holodeck ignoring the curious glances of

  other crewmembers who quickly stood aside to get out of their way.

  ******************

  There was no doubt in the minds of all those waiting unseen behind the

  holographic curtaining screen that Malista Shadow had arrived on the

  holodeck. They didn't need the warning of the hissed whisper on the

  comm system. It was quite apparent that whatever Natwick had said to

  her had done the trick. She was taking charge. Natwick was following

  along behind her like an oversized pet pulled by an invisible leash.

  His expression was carefully controlled, but a close look at his eyes

  would have revealed a well hidden sense of gratification and

  anticipation. This was going to be good.

  Malista stopped abruptly in the center of the middle ring of the

  circus setting. George had to quickly catch his balance to keep from

  crashing into her. She spun on her heel and tilted her head back to

  look up into his face. "I know the others are in the Security Office

  monitoring this. Mikel and Ethan are going to wait just inside the

  doorway. Where are you going to be?"

  "Where do you want me?" the big man asked calmly.

  Shadow considered it for a moment. "Would you mind waiting across the

  ring on the other side of the tent? If you're standing too close,

  they'll be watching you. I want all their attention. But I want you

  close enough to intervene if I need you to."

  "You're afraid they'll make this a physical confrontation?" That

  couldn't be what she meant. "They're stupid, but they aren't *that*

  stupid."

  "Don't be silly," Malista rebuked. "I know you and Ethan and Mikel

  wouldn't let them hurt ME. I'm just afraid that I may lose my temper.

  I want you to stop me if I forget myself and try to hurt them." Her

  Greek accent was back and her voice was thick with emotion. Her

  emerald eyes had taken on a steely cast.

  George wondered if she'd been taking lessons from Captain Janeway.

  "What are you going to say?" he asked as he moved to the position

  she'd indicated.

  She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her color was high and she

  looked excited rather than anxious. "For once in my life, I'm going to

  open my mouth and just say whatever comes out---without thinking about

  the consequences. I don't think those two knew just how close they

  came to---. They almost scared me into doing something rash. Remember

  what we talked about, George?"

  With a wince, he suddenly recalled the substance of their discussion

  on the use of deadly force. "Oh, yeah." He hoped Paris wasn't going to

  get more than he had bargained for with this little confrontation. And

  that the captain wouldn't pop a warp coil if Malista confessed to

  carrying a concealed weapon. Natwick went into Security Officer mode,

  standing alert and ready for action.

  Malista fixed her eyes on the doorway and waited.

  They didn't have to wait long.

  *****************

  "What the hell is going on?" Lt. Laro Longoria slammed to a halt in

  front of the holodeck entrance as he caught sight of Crewman Paul

  Castelle approaching from the opposite direction under the watchful

  eye of Ensign Ethan Simms. Longoria's escort, Ensign Mikel Hudson,

  kept a firm grip on his upper arm and urged him forward as Simms did

  the same with Castelle.

  "You have an appointment to keep, gentlemen," Mikel commented, and

  continued under his breath, "And I use the term loosely."

  Longoria sent him a sour glance. "Exactly what is going on here,

  Hudson?" He didn't meet the eyes of his co-conspirator.

  "Your presence has been requested on the holodeck," Ethan Simms

  replied. "We're just here to make sure you accept the invitation."

  Once inside the holodeck, Simms and Hudson released their holds on

  their 'invited guests' and took up their positions against the wall on

  either side of the holodeck entrance.

  Fascinated by the setting, Longoria and Castelle looked around the

  holographic scene, taking in all the details of the circus setting.

  Then their eyes alit on Crewman Malista Shadow standing in the center

  ring wearing a robe. With an almost queenly gesture, she motioned them

  toward the front row seats directly in front of her. Uneasily, they

  moved to comply and planted themselves on the bleacher, staring at her

  defiantly.

  Malista studied them with a detached air, standing perfectly still and

  quiet. As the silence stretched on, the two men's discomfort

  increased. The tension in the air was somehow a living breathing thing

  with a pulse that each person there could feel as if it brushed across

  his or her skin. Those behind the curtain exchanged glances, each one

  wondering if Malista had decided not to say anything after all.

  "Are you going to tell us why you had us brought here, Crewman

  Shadow?" Longoria demanded. He emphasized her rank, a not very subtle

  reminder that he was a lieutenant and, as such, her superior in the

  chain of command.

  She blinked.

  Castelle smirked.

  That was the last straw. Malista casually lifted a hand and waved it

  at their surroundings. "Do you like my circus program? It's a

  holographic representation of my family's circus tent. We used to tour

  the colonies in our sector when we weren't busy on our farm."

  Longoria started to his feet. "I'm sure that's very interesting---"

  "Sit down!" It was unmistakably an order.

  Which, to his subsequent fury, Longoria found himself automatically

  obeying.

  "You've been trying to get me alone to have 'a little talk' for weeks

  now. Well, here's your chance, boys." Shadow crossed her arms and

  awaited a response.

  Castelle cast a nervous glance across the tent toward Natwick, then

  back towards the entrance where Hudson and Simms had stationed

  themselves. The three Security Officers had all assumed their

  'guarding' stance and looked formidable and ready for action. In fact,

  Natwick's glare suggested he would welcome any excuse to pound into

  dust either or both of the smaller men facing Malista. "We're not

  exactly alone," Castelle stated.

  "This is as alone as you're going to get with me," Shadow said flatly.

  Nonchalantly, she reached down and untied her robe. Letting it slip

  off her shoulders, she caught it with her fingertips and flung it to


  lie on the bleachers near them.

  Involuntarily, her prey each sucked in a deep breath as they caught

  sight of her lovely body in the tight, green spangled tights. Ignoring

  them, she stretched and ruffled her hair in an enticing manner that

  couldn't have been outdone by a Risan pleasure girl on her best day.

  This was not the intimidated girl they'd been lusting after who shrank

  away and tried to hide herself from their gaze. This was a woman who

  wasn't ashamed of her body or her own attractiveness.

  Her face was impassive as she explained, "This is the costume I wear

  when I workout on the trapeze. You've made enough comments about

  wanting to see my body. So take a good long look. Consider it a gift.

  The last one you're ever going to get from me."

  Longoria leaned back, crossed his arms, and leered at her. "I have no

  idea what you're talking about, Ms. Shadow," he drawled mockingly.

  "And neither does my friend here. By all means, go ahead and stage

  whatever little drama you have planned here. All we have to do is keep

  silent."

  Castelle sniggered and nodded his agreement. "You think we're going to

  admit to anything while you've got your three trained monkeys watching

  us?" Emboldened by the lack of reaction from the Security Officers

  whom he presumed to be out of hearing range, Castelle continued.

  "What did you have to do for them to get them to go along with this

  little stunt?"

  The expression on Malista's face as she looked at the two of them was

  that of someone studying a particularly revolting insect or rodent.