Star Trek Voyager: Noughts and Crosses

Back Alley Meetings

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Ok this is my first Janeway/Tuvok story so please be nice. I will stop writing if people think it's bad. I wrote this after re-reading Noughts and Crosses Trilogy again. I was thinking about the fact that often we read these stories about gross injustice, think that's not fair, finish the book, put it down and forget about it. I know I'm often guilty of that. So I was thinking about writing about the injustices of this world in my own way. So here it is my very own Star Trek Voyager: Noughts and Crosses Fic. I'm trying to write in the style of Malorie Blackman; from each character's point of view but if that doesn't work for you feel free to tell me! Now getting down to business...

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Kathryn Janeway

I carried on running, my lungs were bursting for air and my high heeled boots were a pain but I couldn't stop, it wasn't safe. They had come from behind me; eight of them, all armed young human men, against one nearly eighteen year old girl. I knew it was a mistake to be walking the back allies after dark but it was the quick route. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I berated myself. Never again. Not the back alleys I'd take the longer route. If I survived this. That was when I ran smack into a dark skinned young man, knocking us both to the floor. I sprang to my feet twisting as I did so, going for the throwing knife I always carried sheathed in my boot; already thinking again of my pursuers. I'd have to fight them. Then I remembered him. I turned to help him up, holding out my hand.

That's when I noticed he was Vulcan. He took my hand after a second's startled surprise. "Code name?" He asked. "Nightingale." I replied then clamped my hand over my mouth. I didn't know if he even knew about the Stronghold; he could be a spy. I relaxed a bit when he replied. "Stiletto. Pleased to meet you. How many?" I turned to where I could hear them calling. "Here Kitty, kitty, kitty." I shuddered. "Eight, armed with Phasers. They want my locket and..." I paused shuddering. "Your body. As the all gangs wish to use females." Stiletto finished my sentence with a nod. "And they dare to call Vulcans scum." I smiled despite myself before I saw them at the end of the alley. They'd found me. "Come on out pretty, we just want to play with..." He fell with a choked cry looking horrified at the stiletto in his chest. I turned to my companion. His hand was still raised in a throwing motion.

I looked at him and we took off running hard. After a while I looked at him. "Guess they don't call you Stiletto for nothing." I panted. He smiled. I realised then he wasn't even going as fast as he could. He was pacing himself for my sake. We stopped at the alley exit. The gang would leave me alone now. I looked up at the night sky appreciating the stars against the navy backdrop, and knew how lucky I'd been. If it hadn't been for Stiletto I'd be the one lying dead in that alley. Or worse being dragged off to...it didn't bear thinking about.

"Thanks once again. How did you know I was friendly though? I could have been an enemy." He shrugged.

"Simple logic. You helped me up. An enemy would have left me on the ground. Also you saw I was Vulcan and you didn't immediately hate me. I saw that missing from your eyes. If you weren't a Stronghold member you wouldn't have known what I meant when I asked you for your codename, so I was safe, Nightingale." I smiled. "See you around Stiletto and thank you; I owe you my life. If you ever need anything, call in the favour." Then I turned and walked away towards my home and my irate father.

Tuvok Mivaru

I waited for the inevitable the moment she pulled her knife. Then she turned and held out her hand. There was an apology in her eyes. No hatred. I was startled for a moment. She cared about me as a person. I took her hand and she pulled me up. Her hand was warmer than a Human's hand should be I couldn't help noticing that, she was also too strong for a Human. I could hear her ragged breathing though it was quiet and the sounds of several someones stumbling around in the dark searching. Undoubtedly a gang. She must have tried to throw them by taking a turn into this side alley. It seemed to have worked for a while to.

I noticed all this in a second. "Codename?" I asked before I could stop myself. "Nightingale." She replied before looking horrified. I saw her fear flash across her face as she covered her mouth. "Stiletto. Pleased to meet you. How many?" She allowed herself to relax a bit when she heard my codename, before tensing and turning as we heard the gang nearing the end of this side alley. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." They mocked her. She shuddered knowing full well what they wanted to do to her.

"Eight," She replied. "Armed with Phasers." She turned to the mouth of the alley and I could smell her fear. "They want my locket and..." She didn't have to finish that sentence. "Your body, as do all these gangs." I finished for her my hand already going to my concealed Stiletto throwing knives.

Then they appeared at the head of the alley and I threw the knife aiming at the chest of their spokesman. My aim was true. The blade hit him in the heart silencing him in the middle of his sentence. A lethal throw. I hated them for what they wanted to do to Nightingale. Foul creatures. They might call themselves Human but they were animals.

We took off. She was slightly too slow and I could the hiss of Phasers behind us. I grabbed her hand pulling her along till we left the Alleys. She said something I couldn't hear as we ran and I smiled at her. I couldn't help it she was glowing with the excited rush of pure adrenalin and she looked more alive than anyone I'd seen before. We stopped against a wall while she caught her breath. She looked up at the sky at as her heartbeat slowed and she realised the danger she'd been in.

Then she surprised me by asking me how I knew I could trust her. It was simple logic. She hadn't hated me that was enough, seeing the trust in her beautiful sapphire eyes. I'd never seen anyone with blue eyes before. Of course I didn't tell her that. I gave her the logical explanation.

She thanked me for saving her life and walked away the heels of her boots clicking faster and she began to run. She knew she was out after curfew. Her words rang in my ears. "If you ever need anything, call in the favour." I knew she really meant it. I was grateful. She seemed to be the kindest person, Human or Vulcan that I'd ever met. She alone out of all her kind had treated me like a person. No Human had ever done that before. Then I remembered her too hot hand and her strength. Maybe she was part Vulcan. Even if she wasn't part Vulcan it made me wonder why I'd never tried to meet the Human members of Stronghold before now. I hoped they were all like her. That caring.