Power of Love

by Harriet Vane

Chakotay, Tom, and B'Elanna are sold as sex slaves . . . what more do you need to know?

All the Star Trek people places and things were made up by other people in other places for other things (or reasons, I suppose). Ok, ok, not so clever. I'm making this stuff up as I go along, so don't steel it.

Historians Note: this story happens sometime between *Microcasim* and *Blood fever*

The Power of Love

The turbo lift slid open and the almost piercing sound of B'Elanna Torres's laugh burst on to the bridge. It was accented by the undertone of Tom Paris's soft chuckle. From an objective standpoint, they sounded good together. B'Elanna's high, sharp, bursts of joy perfectly complemented Tom's low, soft, rumble of general contentment. It was such a perfect combination that just hearing it made everyone on the bridge smile, it was so mirthful. That is everyone except Commander Chakotay.

He wasn't a bitter person, nor did he hold grudges. He believed in judging people on their present, not their past. He believed that people could change. He believed that he could misjudge people. But still, the sound of Tom and B'Elanna's laughs mixing so perfectly and so seamlessly bothered him. His mother had told him, as a child, that a person's soul sung through their laugh. The two souls seemed to fit together perfectly. And Chakotay had always subscribed to Plato's view of romance.

"What were you two laughing about?" Harry asked. Chakotay's back was to the ensign but he could hear the smile on Harry's face.

"He was just telling me about that Holodeck program he found," B'Elanna said jovially.

"You told her?" Harry demanded. "I thought you said she'd ruin it!"

"I'd what?" B'Elanna was putting on a pretense of being annoyed. She was more amused. "I didn't mean ruined in the . . . um . . . bad sense."

"Oh, well as long as it wasn't in the bad sense." B'Elanna said sarcastically.

"There's really not a good character for you to play," Tom tried to explain.

"What about Constance?" Harry asked.

"Constance?" B'Elanna chimed.

"I guess it could work," Tom mused, "Can you scream?"

As Tom gave his conn report Chakotay's mind began to wander. He had read the report no more than a half hour earlier, and aside from a couple of jokes, he knew he wouldn't miss anything.

He didn't want to judge. He didn't want to dictate. He didn't want to tell anyone how to run their life. But most of all he didn't want B'Elanna to fall in love with Tom.

It wasn't because he didn't like Tom. True, he had hated the man who had first betrayed starfleet and then betrayed the Maquies, but the Lt. Had grown on him. It didn't hurt that Tom had saved Chakotay's life, and even the life of everyone on Voyager, quite a few times. He wasn't afraid to take a chance, but he was terrified of failure. It was an odd but effective combination and Chakotay had to acknowledge that it lead for interesting bridge conversation and pool games. It did not lead him to believe that Thomas Eugene Paris was a particularly safe person, however. Despite all of his newfound affection for the pilot, he still considered Tom someone to be kept at arms length. And he couldn't help but think that B'Elanna was in some ways getting too close.

His meditations, as well as the daily briefings, were interrupted by Ensign Ayola.

"Captain, incoming message. It's a distress call."

Janeway's brow wrinkled in concern that only slightly veiled her excitement at the possibility to help. "Transfer it here, Mr. Ayola."

"Aye Captain." A second later, a very panicked voice could be heard through the briefing room.

"Please somebody help! My ship is damaged, I've been left out here to die. Anyone, please. I can reward you handsomely!"

The captain shot a quick glance around the table. She paused for a second when her eyes rested on Chakotay she seemed to make a decision. "Hail the ship, Mr. Ayola. Tell them We're on our way."

"And this is the bridge," Janeway said as she lead the alien they had just rescued on a full tour.

"Fascinating," The alien said, wide eyed. "So intricate, so precise and scientific." He laughed nervously. "Your people must have amazing intelligence."

The Captain was obviously taken aback by such a blatant complement. "Well, thank you."

"Simply amazing," he muttered softly.

The captain sent her commander a somewhat baffled gaze. Chakotay surmised that the alien visitor was continually acting like this.

"And all these people, so many people on this ship."

"Ahem," the captain cleared her throat to get the alien's attention. "I would like to introduce you to Commander Chakotay."

The alien smiled broadly and, with both of his hands, grabbed the commander's right hand, squeezing it tightly in what Chakotay could only assume was his species version of a handshake. "Commander, this is Nearei," The captain said with half a chuckle.

"Pleased to meet you," Chakotay said, his bewilderment creeping into his voice.

Mr. Nearei kept smiling, but some of the excitement bled out of his eyes. Chakotay got the impression that he was waiting for something to happen and when it didn't he was disappointed.

Nearei shook everyone on the bridges hand, equally enthusiastic, until he reached Tom.

"And this is our pilot," the captain said. "Lt. Tom Paris."

"Pleased to meet you," Tom said with his usual, cheerful tone.

"Very pleased," Nearei said excitedly as he grabbed Tom's hand warmly. "Yes, very. You're the pilot?"

Tom smiled proudly. "That I am."

"You must know the ship well then."

Tom's brow wrinkled, he was getting his dose of bewilderment. "Yeah," he said nodding. "Like the back of my hand."

"I like your hand," Nearei said excitedly.

"Thanks," Tom said after he glanced around the bridge.

"Would you show me your wonderful ship?"

"Ah," Tom hesitated. "I'm on duty right now . . ."

"Captain," the alien said, releasing Tom's hand and turning to Janeway. "I do not mean to be ungracious . . ."

"Of course not," the Captain said. Chakotay suspected that she was more than eager to get away from the conundrum of a man. "Mr Paris, why don't you show Mr. Nearei the rest of the ship."

"Yes sir," Tom said, pushing himself out of his chair and walking towards the turbo lift. "So, Mr. Nearei, where do you want to go first?"

Once the turbo lift door was safely closed behind them, Janeway turned on her second-in-command with a laugh in her eyes. "I've never seen Tom more frightened of anyone."

Chakotay tried to return the mirth, "That alien was certainly . . . unique. What was wrong with his ship?"

"Oh, it was falling apart." Janeway said, wide eyed. "The thing was barely space worthy."

"What do you think happened?"

"You meet our guest, care to offer any theories?"

"He is . . . odd."

"B'Elanna's going over the ship. She should have the report soon."

Chakotay nodded, "Good."

"Commander?"

"Hum?"

"Is something bothering you?"

Chakotay opened his mouth to tell her no. But as he stood there, with his mouth open, he realized that the Captain needed to hear his concerns. Besides, Chakotay reasoned, it would be good to get a second opinion. "Could I discuss something with you?"

"Of course,"

"In your ready room."

Janeway hesitated a second, pondering what could possibly be serious enough to be kept from the bridge crew. "Of course," she said, bewildered, and lead her into her ready room.

"What's on your mind?" She asked, obviously mystified by the request.

Chakotay decided the best way to address the problem was jump into the breach. "Tom and B'Elanna have been arguing a lot lately."

Janeway smiled reassuringly. "They seem to be getting along better than ever before."

"That's my point exactly." Chakotay said, "They're bickering, but they're enjoying it."

The Captain smiled understandingly. "You're afraid that their getting to close." She had a twinkle in her eye that was almost mischievous.

"If they get together . . ."

"Oh, they'd make a cute couple," Janeway interjected, smiling broadly. Then she looked up and saw how serious Chakotay was. "I'm sorry."

"If they get together, and then break up, it could throw the hole command staff off kilter. And put Voyager in serious trouble."

"They're both adults, I'm sure they have the ability to put something like a break up behind them."

"Captain, we're talking about Tom and B'Elanna here."

Janeway's brow wrinkled. "You do have a point. But even if that scenario were to pan out, what could we do? Order them not to be attracted to each other?"

"I don't know." Chakotay said, hanging his head. "Perhaps I'm just being paranoid. Their relationship hasn't evolved to that point yet. Maybe it never will."

"I under stand your concerns, Chakotay. But your just going to have to accept that, whatever happens, is out of your control. You're just going to have to trust B'Elanna . . . and Tom."

Chakotay glanced away, slightly ashamed at being caught in his distrust. "I was never good at accepting things beyond my control."

"No body is good at that," Janeway assured him. "But I believe you can do this." She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. Chills flew down his spine. "You've accepted situations that were far more dire. A little on board romance shouldn't be a problem."

"What's bothering you Commander?" Neelix asked as he sat across from Chakotay.

The commander looked up from his leola root stew and glared at the Telaxian with his impression of Janeway's death glare. It wasn't nearly as deadly, but it had managed to scare off every other crew member. Chakotay thought for a moment, and then put his spoon in his soup and leaned forward. "What do you think of B'Elanna and Tom's relationship?"

Neelix's eyebrows shot up. "They have a relationship? They would make a cute couple."

The Commander sighed and glanced away.

"Oh," Neelix said, nodding. "I see, you don't want them to be a couple."

"Something like that," Chakotay muttered.

"But why Commander? They're such good friends, it seems like the logical next step would be . . . something more."

"But is that the best step? They are going to have to work closely together. If he breaks her heart . . ."

"Oh no, Commander, that would never happen," Neelix laughingly assured him.

"Why not?"

"Because, if you really watched them you would see that B'Elanna would reject Tom long before he would reject her."

Chakotay blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Tom may be attracted, even in love, with her. But she sees only a friend. Besides, B'Elanna has never shown any interest in pursuing that type of relationship.

"No, don't get me wrong. I love the lieutenant, but she doesn't open up.

Tom does. He'd be the one to get hurt."

That eased his concerns, more than it should have. But he was still nowhere close to peace on the issue.

"If you're really worried, you should talk to Kes," the Telaxian suggested. "She knows Tom, she could probably tell you what the young man's intentions are."

"Thanks," Chakotay said, pushing the stew away as he got up. "Maybe I will."

"Ah, commander!" The EMH said cordially as Chakotay entered sickbay. "Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

"Actually, I just came to talk to Kes," Chakotay said, praying that the doctor didn't ask why.

"Well, she's in the hydroponix lab," The doctor said.

"Thank you." Chakotay said as he turned to leave.

"May I ask why you wanted to talk to her?"

Anyone else would have turned the holographic doctor off and left, but the commander was a man of honor, and so he simply lowered his head and started talking.

*damn* "I'm worried about the developing relationship between Lieutenants Paris and Torres."

"There developing a relationship?" The doctor said, almost angrily. "Why didn't anyone tell me about this?"

"I don't see any reason for it to be your business."

"Do you have any idea what Klingon females do to their mates? A human physiology could never stand up to that!"

"B'Elanna's father seemed to do fine."

"Because he *lived* through the experience by no means indicates that it was a pleasant one. You do have to remember that he left her mother, undoubtedly at least in part because of the tremendous medical bills such a relationship would necessitate."

Chakotay had never really talked to B'Elanna about her father's abandonment before, but he doubted very much if it was because of high medical bills. However, the diplomatic commander chose not to mention that. "Thank you doctor, your insights are, as always, unique. But right now I'm trying to figure out, if they were to develop that type of relationship, how it would go emotionally, not physically."

"Ah," the doctor said. "I see. You would do better to talk to Kes about that."

"You said she was in the hydroponix bay?"

"That's right."

"Thanks Doctor."

"Don't mention it," the hologram said jovially. "Just be sure the happy little pair notifies me before beginning intimate relations, so I can get the place ready for them."

Chakotay winced, not wanting to think about the pair having intimate relations. They were still just friends, and he was still clinging to the hope that they would remain that way.

"Commander!"

Chakotay turned around to see Tuvok jogging towards him. The former Maquis paused at the Vulcan caught up to him. "What is it Tuvok?"

"The captain wanted to know what you were doing."

"Just checking up on some things," Chakotay said, his brow wrinkling in concern. "Why didn't she aks me herself?"

"The Comm system is down."

"Really? How did that happen?"

"According to ensign Kim, one of the bio-neural gel packs has been damaged. When he went to replace it, there was evidence of foul play."

"Why on earth would anyone what to sabotage the comm system?"

"That is what I am endeavoring to discover." Tuvok said with an almost accusatory glare. "Now would you mind telling me what you are 'checking up' on?"

Chakotay's voice took on it's own accusatory tone. "You're not accusing me of this, are you?"

"I am merely asking a question."

"Well if you must know, I'm going to talk to Kes."

"What about?"

"I don't see how this is any of your business."

"There are one hundred and fifty-three people on this ship, Commander. At least one of them wanted the com system down, presumably for some devious reason."

"Presumably," Chakotya agreed.

"If you hide your actions, I'm forced to wonder what you are hiding."

"I would have thought that after all this time you would have learned to trust me."

"I do trust you Commander, however, I can not ignore any suspect until they have been, logically, ruled out."

"Well, if you must know I was going to talk to Kes about B'Elanna and Tom's relationship."

Tuvok's Vulcan eyebrows shot up. Chakotay sighed, that seemed to be the theme for the day. "Do you believe there is a problem with their relationship?"

"I'm afraid that they might be getting a little too close for comfort."

"Your comfort or theirs?"

"Excuse me?"

"May I make an observation sir?"

"Go ahead."

"You are very close to Lt. Torres. In some ways, you seem to have taken on a fatherhood role."

"B'Elannna is my friend."

"I understand that, but you are more to her. She admires you, and depends on your judgment more than her own. Furthermore, you have often displayed a need to protect and guide her, more than any other member of the crew."

"So you're saying I'm being an overprotective father?" Chakotay said. He didn't like the Vulcan's assessment, although he could not say it was not, at least partially accurate. He did feel the need to steer and guide B'Elanna. He did want to protect her, more than any other member in the crew, and he often felt a sense of pride when she accomplished something. The whole scenario made a little to much sense. B'Elanna, in all practical senses, hadn't had a father, so in his own way, Chakotay had filled the role. "Even if your right, don't I have valid concerns? A romantic relationship between two members of the command staff could compromise there ability to work well together."

"On the other hand," Tuvok pointed out. "I have often noticed that, with humans the frustration of denying emotions can also be distracting. You have to admit that they do suit each other."

"Is that the Vulcan way of saying they would make a cute couple?"

"I am merely saying that, if you looked at the situation logically, you would discover that an intimate relationship between Lieutenants Paris and Torres would, by no means, be as dire as you seem to think it would be."

"Thanks Tuvok," Chakotay said sourly. "I still think I should talk to Kes."

"Do whatever you have to to put your mind at ease."

"Inform me as soon as the comm channels are working again."

"Understood."

"Commander!" Kes said as she saw who had just entered her little garden. "How can I help you?"

"Good morning Kes," Chakotay said, not wanting to get down to business just yet. "How are the plants doing?"

"Wonderfully, we should have be able to grow enough fresh vegetables this month to make leola root stew a rare item on the menu."

"Wonderful," Chakotay said, meaning it. "The plants certainly seem to be doing well."

"They are," Kes said, somewhat distracted. She stared at Chakotay with clear and sharp eyes. "Commander, why did you come down here?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Not about the plants."

Chakotay laughed softly and looked at a blossom next to Kes, not wanting to look at the young Ocompa head on. "No, I wanted to talk about Tom."

"Tom?"

"Yes."

She smiled broadly. Chakotay assumed this was a subject she liked. "What do you want to know?"

"You two are friends aren't you?"

"Yes."

"And he talks to you?"

"Occasionally," she laughed. "What is it you want to know?"

Chakotay shifted his gaze so he was looking the girl in they eyes. "What is his relationship with B'Elanna?"

Kes's smile seemed to fade a tad, "What do you mean?"

"They seem to me to have been getting very close recently."

"And you're concerned?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it?"

Almost spontaneously, Kes laughed and turned to one of her plants, "Why don't you ask Harry? He's good friends with both of them. I really don't know B'Elanna well."

"Harry would tell me what I want to hear," Chakotay said. "I trust you to give me the truth."

Kes sighed. "The truth is, Commander, that I don't know. Tom doesn't talk to me about other girls. I don't know if it's because of some sort of chivalrous ideals, or just because it never comes up. But I can tell you that he does love B'Elanna."

Chakotay's face must have displayed his frustration with her statement, because almost immediately, she modified it. "You should be happy about that."

"Why?" Chakotya demanded. "Tom has a reputation, and B'Elanna isn't known for choosing her men wisely. If, for any reason, they were unable to work together, Voyager could be seriously comprised."

Kes shook her head. "You didn't hear me, Tom LOVES her. It's not an attraction or a crush or infatuation. It would kill him to see her hurt. Surely you've noticed that."

Chakotay had. Tom had shown a dedication to B'Elanna that was deep and selfless. And he hadn't pushed her at all. Whatever friendship they had, he had earned through an uphill battle. Chakotay didn't understand Tom, but he did understand B'Elanna. And she was never casual friends with anyone. Her friendships were deep and intimate, and well worth having. "I guess I have."

"You must love her very much, to be so worried."

Chakotay didn't answer.

"You should be glad to know that someone eles has seen what you saw in her."

With a deep breath, Chakotya decided to shift the focus. "I don't suppose you have any idea how B'Elanna feels."

"No," Kes said, with an almost sad smile. "I don't. But I know who does."

"Who?"

"B'Elanna. You need to ask her yourself."

Chakotay nodded. "Thank you for all your help."

"Your welcome," she said softly.

"B'Elanna?" Chakotay called curiously as he stuck his head in the shuttle bay. With the comm systems down, the computer couldn't locate her comm signal, thereby locating her. He had ended up using a hand tricorder to scan for Klingon life forms when he hadn't found her in engineering and no one had any idea where she had gone.

"Chakotay?" she asked as she pushed herself away from a counsel in the far corner. She offered him a reserved smile, which is about as much as she ever offered anyone. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

She sighed as she put the scanner she was working with back on the floor with almost a bakers dozen of other tools. "The sensors in this section are on a feedback loop. I can't figure out what caused it."

Chakotay set down his tricorder and walked towards the half Klingon. "How did you detect it?"

"When we passed that pulsar an hour ago the radiation levels throughout the ship spiked for a second before the shields adjusted. I noticed that, approximately every thirty minutes, the sensors reported a radiation spike."

"So you figured they had to be in a feedback loop."

"Either that or there was a radiation leak every half hour."

"And you can't find the source of the loop?"

"Well, it's not anything wrong with the sensors." She lowered her voice and glanced up towards the commander almost hesitantly. "I hate to say it Chakotay, but I'm thinking that someone created this feedback on purpose."

"Sabotage?"

"I hate to say it but . . ."

"Somebody blew out the comm system."

B'Elanna leaned forward and whispered her next question, as if she were in danger of being overheard. "But why sabotage these systems? They're inconvenient, but by no means essential."

"Comm systems are."

"No," B'Elanna said. "All essential messages could be re-routed through the eps manifolds."

"Perhaps our saboteur didn't know that."

B'Elanna sighed and leaned back. "No, whoever did this didn't want to hurt Voyager. But they needed room to work."

"Work?"

"Whoever did this probably wanted to do something in here, in this room."

"What could they do? Steal the shuttle" Chakotay asked as he looked around the space shuttle bay. The only thing in it was one class three shuttle, those couldn't even go past warp one. There were other, better, shuttles in other, less conspicuous, shuttle bays.

"I don't know," B'Elanna muttered. "Shaking her head, but I bet if we wait we'll find out." Her voice was a little more excited than Chakotay thought it should have been. He could see her Klingon side asserting itself, and the hunt was calling.

"That could be dangerous, we should get Tuvok."

"No," B'Elanna insisted. "If we leave whoever is going to do something might come and do it. We have to stay . . . and hide."

"Don't you think you're getting a little carried away?"

"If they see us they won't do anything."

"B'Elanna I think . . ." He was immediately interrupted by the door to the shuttle bay opening.

Her eyes lit up as she moved, like a cat, to a place behind the shuttle, out of the line of sight of whomever was entering. Chakotay, out of necessity, followed her.

"And here we are," the voice of Tom Paris sighed.

"Very nice indeed," The alien visitor chimed in.

"Damn," B'Elanna muttered as she pushed herself out of her hiding place. She walked brashly into plain sight.

Chakotay desperately wanted to grab her arms and force her to come back and hide. But by this time he was sure that B'Elanna wouldn't believe him. She was blinded, if not by love, by friendship.

"Tom what the hell are you doing here?" She demanded. Chakotay watched as panic washed across the pilots face. He didn't blame the young man, B'Elanna angry was truly frightening.

"I was about to ask you the same question," he managed to stutter.

"Who is this, Tom?" The alien asked eagerly as he grabbed B'Elanna's hand. "You didn't let me meet her."

Tom seemed to hesitate, finally he stuttered, "This is B'Elanna Torres, the chief engineer."

"Beautiful and smart. How perfectly wonderful."

Tom looked away, Chakotay thought he looked ashamed. "Tom, what are you doing here?" The Commander demanded.

"Oh I was just . . ."

"You should get out of here," B'Elanna said. "We're waiting for a saboteur." She was subtly trying to get the alien to let go of her hand. It wasn't working.

"Yes Mr. Paris," The Alien chimed in. "What are we doing here?"

Tom looked utterly baffled, but then he broke into a muted smile that didn't reach his eyes. He shook his head slowly as his hand reached to a phaser Chakotay hadn't even noticed. "Tom, what do you think your doing?" Chakotay demanded authoritatively.

"I'm really sorry everybody," He said, sounding very cavalier. "But, I'm going to have to ask you to step into the shuttle bay."

"What?!" B'Elanna demanded. She wasn't angry, she was in shock. She had expected more of him, that was clear. And it spoke volumes to Chakotay.

"Tom, what do you think you're doing?"

"Please," Tom begged. "I don't want anyone to get hurt, just, get in the shuttle!"

"We must do what he says!" The alien shrieked as he moved towards the shuttle. Chakotay had no idea what was going on, so he watched very carefully. Tom was extremely nervous, blinking constantly. And he wasn't watching the commander at all, he was watching the alien and B'Elanna. Chakotay couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like the alien was very careful about keeping B'Elanna between him and Tom's phaser. For her part the engineer was to stunned by her friend's betrayal to notice that the alien would not let go of her hand. The pair were inside the shuttle and Tom was half way up the plank when the alien called out. "What about him?"

Tom glanced at Chakotay, "I don't think he'll be a problem." Tom said with an obviously mocked calm.

"Oh, how horribly frightening!" The alien exclaimed.

"Ow," B'Elanna yelped, right on his heals. "Let go of my hand!"

Tom closed his eyes, practically inviting an attack. He seemed disappointed that one didn't come. "Alright, Commander, you too."

"What are you doing, Tom?" Chakotay asked as he slowly walked into the shuttle.

"Can't you tell, Commander?" Tom's voice was very hard. Chakotay could tell that it was an act. "I'm kidnaping you."

"Why?"

"Just get in the shuttle," Tom almost begged.

Chakotay nodded and complied. He wasn't afraid of the Lt. with a phaser. Chakotay knew that if he chose to refuse he would simply be left behind. But he had a feeling that B'Elanna was in very serious danger, he wasn't entirely sure from whom. But he was not about to abandon her.

Tom sealed the hatch and opened the shuttle bay doors. He didn't even glance back at his captives.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" B'elanna muttered as they flew out of the ship. "There are three of us and one of him. He wouldn't stand a chance."

"Oh, how unfair," the alien said. "Mr. Paris, may I join your side?"

"I thought you'd never ask," the Lt. Scoffed.

"Wait a minute, what's going on here?" Chakotay demanded.

The alien smiled a wicked smile. A smile that transformed ***** in Chakotay's mind from a bumbling idiot they had just rescued to a cunning, manipulative, kidnapper. It frightened him how easily the transformation took place.

The shuttle rocked. B'Elanna looked up from her silent meditations. "What was that?"

"Just a little asteroid," Tom said from his post at the helm. "Hopefully we won't be running into any more."

"That's your job, Mr. Paris." ***** said slyly. "You know if the shuttle is destroyed so will your friends be."

"Right," Tom muttered as the shuttle swung sharply to the right, presumably to avoid another asteroid.

"There was an asteroid field approximately two light years from Voyager's last location." Chakotay said. "If we go through it that will put a nice natural barrier between us and the ship."

"How long, do you think, will it take for the shuttle to get through the asteriod field?"

"Twenty minutes maybe,"

"And Voyager?"

"They'll have to fly around it,"

The shuttle rocked violently. "Damn," Tom muttered to the asteriod field. "Where did that one come from."

"It could take Voyager up to a day."

B'Elanna sighed in disgust and looked away. "Why didn't Voyager do anything to stop us before we reached the belt?"

Chakotay shook his head almost hopelessly. "I don't know."

B'Elanna sighed and turned her head away from him towards Tom. Chakotay would have given anything to see her face at that moment. To know if a fire of hatred burned in her eyes or if she was trying not to cry.

The shuttle rocked again. "I thought you said you could fly through this!" The alien demanded, his voice cracking with fury. Chakotay wondered that they could ever thought of him as a bumbling idiot.

"I can," Tom responded, obviously distracted by his arduous task. "But it is an asteroid field," The shuttle rocked by another rock. "It's never going to be a smooth ride."

The Alien grunted with disapproval, but he didn't yell in anger when the shuttle rocked again.

"Where are we going?" Chaktotay asked, not really expecting to be answered. He wasn't. The alien was watching the windshield. Looking at all the asteroids Tom was narrowly missing.

After about ten minutes of the asteroid field's rocking, Chakotay turned to B'Elanna. "Is there a med kit over there?" He asked softly.

She looked around for a moment before finding the gray case with a (snake and stick thing) on it. "What do you need? Something for space sickness?"

"If you have it." He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths as B'Elanna dug into the small case.

"Here we go," she said softly, and then he felt the slight pressure of a hypo spray on his neck.

"Better?"

"Thanks," he said softly. The medicine was very effective, he could feel his stomach settle, or perhaps he simply could no longer feel his stomach. In any event, he felt better, just in time too. B'ELanna hadn't even put the hypo away when the shuttle was rocked by a very big asteroid.

"Did you try to hit that one!" The Alien demanded.

"Damn," Tom muttered. His voice was full of stress, and Chakotay got the feeling that he couldn't afford seconds to explain.

There was another hard hit. The cabin started to fill with leaking coolant. The light level dropped and numerous alarms on the shuttle started beeping. "What happened!?" The alien demanded harshly as he leaned over Tom's shoulder.

"That last one scraped our right nacell," Tom managed to get out before another asteroid hit the ship, hard. The alien tumbled backwards, barely managing to keep his feet.

"Damn," Tom muttered softly. His hand's were flying over the controls.

"Can we do anything?" B'Elanna asked, more to Tom then to their alien captor.

Tom didn't have the time to answer.

"Move," the alien growled, "And I'll vaporize you."

That's when the controls exploded. The lights in the shuttle blinked out, while sparks flew from the helm. The alien was knocked off his feet and thrown to the ground. Chakotay and B'Elanna were already sitting on the ground, but the force of the impact still threw them both against the shuttle's hatch.

Chakotay was the first to find his feet. There was another, smaller impact, and the commander knew, almost instinctivly, that the shuttel no longer had a piolet. He clawed his way to the fount of the shuttel through the smoke and found the piolet's chair unoccupied. He didn't look to see what had happened to Tom, because a huge astoriod was heading directly four the shuttel. He managed to get thrusters to work and narrowly avoided it, only to find another, equily dangerous astroid then in there path. He had avoided two more astroides before the allian came and hung over his sholder. "Can you get us out?"

"I think so," Chakotay muttered. "How much further is it?"

"Only another parcie or so," the allian assured him. Chakotay was infenetly relived, pioleting through this astroid feild took 110% of his consintration. He didn't know how Tom had been able to fly through it for so long.

"There," Chakotay panted as they returned to normal space. He was exhausted.

"Good, Good, now set us on a course to the Darangi system."

Chakotay looked up, "I don't know which system that is."

"Don't play games."

"I'm not!" Chakotay said forcefully. "We're strangers to this area, surly someone told you that."

The allian looked away, agrivated. Finally, he turned back, "Heading, two-three-eight, mark four-seven."

"No."

"Heading Two-thr-eight mark four seven!"

"No. I got us out of the astorid field becus if we stayed there we'd die. But now were going to sit here until Voyager finds us."

Nearei leveld his phaser to Chakotay's chest. "Do you want me to kill you."

"Somehow I doubt where you're taking us will be that much better than death."

The allian's eyes narrowed into an almost evil squint. "You are an odd, odd people. But I can see that what works for one works for all."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Chakotay asked.

The Allian answered by turning his phasr to the cabin section, and more directly to Tom.

The Commander had been so buissy saving their lives by pioleting out of the astoriod feild that he hadn't gotten a chance to acctualy see what had happend to Tom after the explostion.

He was in pretty bad shape, to say the least. His hands and face were covered with red and black blotches. B'Elanna had his head cradeled in his lap as she moved the dearmel regenorator over his face, giving it a coding of new skin that was ashin and shiny and looked only slightly more healthy than the old. "He's practicaly dead anyways. And like that he won't bring in much of a price."

Chakotay looked long and hard at the unconcious Lt. He didn't want to save his life after the past houer, but he knew that he had too. It really wasn't a choice. As he looked up, B'ELanna's eyes caught his, and he knew that she would kill him herself if he let Tom die. It hadn't been much of a disision before, but now, it was even less of one.

He sighed and turned back to the dammaged controls. "What heading?"

"Two-three-eight mark four-seven. Set it in and then go back with the others. I don't want you messing around."

"Yes sir," Chakotay grunted bitterly.

"How is he doing?"

"Alright, considereing." B'ELanna had nearly healed all of the skin on Tom's face. She was finishing up on his right ear. "Would you mind doing the hand's, I don't want to move him."

"Of course."

She finished with the ear and started to readjust the dearmel regenorator to heal the rught flesh of the hands apposed to the soft flesh of the face. "He had mostly second and third degree burns to the face and hands. He was in shock when I started to treat him. I think he's better now." She had finished the adjustmets, but didn't hand the instrement to Chakotay. He could tell there was something eles on her mind.

"Anythign else?"

Her eyes flew between the two men, before they finally rested in Chakotay's. "He's blind."

"What?"

"The medica tricorder said something about his irises being burnt. I don't know. But when he was concious, he told me it was dark, and he couldn't see." She offered Chakotay the Dermil regenorator, and he took it, slowly runing the healing beam up and down Tom's hand, regrowing healthy skin. "He was pancied. I had to sedate him."

"That's probibly for the best."

"Humm," B'Elanna said in half-hearted agreement.

They sat there silently while Chakotay worked on Tom's hands. When he was done with the right hand, he reached over the young man's body to get at the left. As he was doing that he caught a glance of B'ELanna. She was looking down at Tom's ashin face with a consurne that was more than profesional, that was almost Tender, and was deffinetly not common for B'Elanna Torres.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Chakotay asked, looking up from Tom's hand.

B'Elanna looked up too so their eyes met. "This hardly seems like the time, or place."

"It's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while. In fact, it's the reason I came down to the shuttel bay."

"Alright, I guess." She shruged.

"Are you in love with him?"

"WHAT?!" She yelled. The allian gleared at them over his sholder, she quickly adjusted her voice to a wisper. "Why do you say that?"

"You two have been getting close."

"So, I'm close with Harry, with Neelix, with you."

"This is diffrent."

"Why? Because it's Tom." She asked. Chakotay could see that she was not about to admit to herself the real reason it was diffrent.

"In part." Chakotay admitted.

"Look, Chakotay," she said, fulled by rightious anger. "Before Voyager, all I knew about him was what you told me. And I hated that Tom Paris. But this man lieing here isn't the man that either of us hated. I don't know if he changed, or something eles. But he dosn't deserve our rancor. In fact, I think he's earned our respect."

The commandere nodded. "You're right. He has earned my respect, if not my freindship. But, That dosen't meen I'm going to sit by and let him break your heart."

"Humph," B'Elanna scofed, a smile creeping across her eyes. "If he tryed to kiss me I'd brake his arm."

"Good," Chakotay said, smileing. "Keep it that way."

There was a soft mone, almost a whimper, and Tom moved his head on B'Elanna's lap slightly. The conversation stoped dead in it's tracks as both partys turned to the ingered piolet. "B'Elanna?" he asked, his voice raspy and week.

"Tom, how long have you been awake?"

"B'Elanna?"

"I'm right here."

"I can't see you."

"You're blind remeber?"

"Blind?"

"Yes."

He nodded his head softly, "Blind."

"Why don't you go back to sleep," B'ELanna sugested softly. She was gentiley stroking his hair, almost like a pet. Chakotay wondered if it was a concious or an unconcious acction. Then he wondered wich one he would be more comfortabole with. He didn't know.

"Alright, But I have to tell you something first."

"Tom, I'm sure it can wait."

"No, It can't." He insisted. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

"If I knew . . . I . . ." He took a deep breath. It was obvious to Chakotay that this was not an act. Tom Paris was not that good of an actor. "I'm *so* sorry."

The one-time-captain-of-the-maquies, looked up to see how B'Elanna would react. This was the test, the thing he had been waiting for. Everybody eles's oppinion, didn't matter. It all boiled down to how she responded.

B'Elanna Torres was not a forgiving person. She didn't hold a grudg, exactly, she just didn't forgive. If you asked her for forgiveness she would eaither outright refuse, or she would offer a hollow forgivness. The type where she would never mention the insident again, but she would never forget it. For B'Elanna everything boild down to trust. Could she trust you to stand your ground, and not abandon her. Once that trust was betrayed it was almost imposible to win back.

But as Tom Paris, the man who had lied to a starfleet tribunel, joined the Maquies as a mercinary, sold the Maquies out to starfleet, and even mannaged to weasel his way out off serving his time at a new zealined prison colony, looked up at her with soft blue eyes that couldn't see; She forgave him. She didn't say it, but Chakotay could see it in her eyes, and hear it in her voice.

"Close you're eyes, Tom." She said. "Go to sleep. Don't worrie about it."

She loved him. And if Kes could be trusted, he loved her. And there was nothing Chakotay could do, except accept it. And he would have until the two of them figuered out how they really felt to do that.

"B'Elanna?" Tom muttered gorgorly. When there was no answer, his voice beacem a little more paniced. "B'Elanna?"

"She's gone." Chakotay said solidy from his position at the helm. He wasn't flying, he was looking out over the space port they were orbiting. It was huge, with about a hundred docking ports and numrous other vesels in orbit. It was rucghly shirical with a diamiter of nearly fifty kolomiters, he guessed. And he further suspected that it was in actuality a Dyshen sphere (From 'for the world is hollow and I have touched the sky').

"Where'd she go?"

"Mr. Nearei beemed with her down to a space station."

"We should follow," Tom had mannaged to push himself to his feet and stumbled in Chakotay's general direction.

"You're not going anywhere."

"Just because I can't see," Tom said, arms streached out as he groped for front of the shuttel. "Dosn't mean I'm not willing to go resque B'Elanna."

"Willing I have no question about," Chakotay assured the young piolet. "It's able that I dispute."

"I'll keep up."

"Don't even bother arguing, It's a moot point. Your *friend* froze the computer. I can't get transporters, helm controle, anything."

There was a pause before Tom said, "I'm sorry Chakotay."

The Commander swong around in the chair and looked at Tom. He was leaning against the shuttel wall with his eyes half open but quite obviously not seeing anything. He looked tyered and otherwise weerie. He really did look pathetic, It was almost hard for the commander to be angry with him, but somehow, Chakotay managed. "What the hell were you thinking, Paris?"

"You're not going to belive me."

"That's possible. But I want to hear it anyways."

"I did it to protect Voyager. Well," he amended quickly. "The people on Voyager."

"You kidnaped us, to protect Voyager?" Chakotay said scepticaly.

"You weren't supposed to be there, The shuttel bay was supposed to be abandoned."

"You set up the sensor feedback loope?"

Tom nodded.

"And the comm systems?"

"And the external sensors."

"What did you do to them?" Chakotay demanded.

"I rigged them so they wouldn't register anything on the band with eighty-seven-theta. Then I put the shuttel's shields on that frequency."

"That's why no one tryed to stop up?"

"They didn't know we were gone. *But*"Tom added. "I did manage to send a distress singnel, with our courese heading back to Voyager before we entered the astoriod field. With any luck they'll arrive here soon."

"Fine, you've told me how, but I still want to know why."

"I told you, to save Voyager."

"That's not the real reason."

"It is," Tom insisted. "This guy, I don't know, but he can do something. I don't know."

"You're going to have to explain it better than that."

"When we were in the turbo lift together, after we left the bridge. He grabbed my hand. I didn't think anything of it but all of a sudden, my heart stopped, I couldn't breath. It was like he had somehow turned off my entire body."

"So, he threatened to kill you if you didn't help him."

"More or less."

"Then why didn't you tell someone? Tuvok could have . . ."

"Not in time, Every time there was an oppritunity for me to do, well anything, that could have compromised his plan I would turn around and he would be holding sombody's hand."

"When you were in the cargo bay, you had a phaser . . ."

"He was holding' *B'Elanna's* Hand," Tom said.

Chakotay thought through the situation. He realized that, while he was not sure he would have made the same decisions in Tom's stead, the young mans decision's were not nessisarly the worng ones. He had, in a sence, intended to sacrifice himself to the mercies of Nearei to save the rest of the crew. That wasn't what had ended up happening, and even if the plan had gone perfectly, it wouldn't have looked that way, but that had been the intent. Chakotay couldn't pretend that wasn't noble.

"Any more questions?" Tom asked with a hourse voice.

"No," Chakotay said soflty.

"So I'm cleared of treason?"

Chakotay afforded himself a smile, because he knew the lt. would never see it. "That's up to the Captain."

Tom nodded, and then slumped down to sit on the floor. The wall was still supporting most of his weight. "How are your eyes?" Chakotay asked, as much as a conversation starter as out of genuin consueren.

As a reaction to the question, Tom squessed his eye's shut and convered them with his hand's. "Well they're not working."

"Is everything dark, light, blurred?"

"What are you, a Medican Man?"

"You're tone is uncalled for, Lutenint," Chakotay said angerly. He realised that Tom's frustration with the situation was simply seeping out of the edges, but that didn't make it excusable. "I'm just trying to help."

Tom sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just so frustraited."

"Tell me about your eyes."

"Everything's a sort of brownish gray. It's almost like I have my eyes closed, and I'm looking right at the sun."

"Do they hurt?"

"There's a consetent aching, kinda like if someone were pushing down on them, and won't let up."

"You know, at my collony there was an old man who had lost his eyesight. He refused to have the doctors look at it. He insisted that without his sight tieing him to this world, he had a greater connection to the spirits."

"Should I be expecting a viset from the gost of Mickel Jones?"

"The point is, he walked around with a bandana wraped over his eyes like a blind fold. It kept the light off of his eyes."

"But he was blind,"

"He claimed it helped. In any even, it wouldn't hurt to try."

Tom shruged, "I guess not. The question is, where do we get a bandana?"

There was a shimmering noise, Tom lifted his head, although it didn't change his view of the world. Chakotay, however, did see what had just happened, and he was extremely glad that Tom had not. Nearei had beamed back up with another alien and B'Elanna.

"What was that?" Tom asked hesitantly. "What happened."

"There," Nearei said as he drew the other alien towards Tom. "He can't even see us."

"We're back Tom," B'Elanna said souerly. Chakotay could see why. The beautiful engener had changed several ways, the least of wich was her wardrobe. Insted of the standered starfleet uniform she was whereing a red dress with a low neck line and a high hem line, the kind of dress that was intened to make men think of only one thing. Chakotay was furrious. And B'Elanna's black eye and slight trembling told him that she was furrious as well. On the other hand, the trembling could have been from the cold, the dress didn't look the least bit warm.

"He has a cloth over his eyes, That might be the problem," the other allian said sarcasticaly. They had Tom cornered, not that the piolet knew it, so neither of them were paying any attention to B'Elanna or Chakotay. The commander took that chance to go to B'Elanna.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

"Take the cloth off his eyes and I'll examine them," the allian said.

Nearei grabed Tom by the arm and pushed the Lt. Against the wall as the other allian took off the bandagaes Chakotay had put over his eyes.

"Good as can be expected," B'Elanna said softly. Chakotay could hear the undertone of furrie in her voice.

"Hey," Tom interjected, more than a little paniced. "What's going on?" He was ignored.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Nearei held Tom against the bulk head as the other allian heald open his bloodshot eyes for examination. Tom strugeld weekly against them, but he was disorentied, confuesed and easaly deflected.

"Yes, his eyes could be fixed," the other allian said cooly.

B'Elanna leand forward and wispered, "He's selling us. There's a huge slave market down there."

"But how much would it cost me?" Nearei demanded. "And how long?"

"Did you find any hope of excape? Or notifing Captain Janeway?" Chakotay asked, his voice equily hushed.

The other allian chuckeled, "That's the trick, it could be done before the fair, but it'll cost you."

"Fair?" Tom asked.

"I tryed," B'Elanna grumbled. "And this is what it got me." She was obviously refering to a huge bruse that spanded the right side of her face, from her temple to her jawline.

Nearie was not happy with the dignosis. "How much?"

"I guess we'll have to wait for the captain to find us."

"No less than two liters."

"If they sell us to sepreat people how will she find us."

"And how much do you think he'll be worth with no eyes?"

"They aren't going to sell us, The Captin will be here long before that happens."

"Ten liter's, at most, he is young and strong, and smart, if you can be trusted."

"Find us, how?"

"Liters?" Tom asked despreatly, "What's going on? B'ELanna? Chakotay?"

"Does he ever stop talking?"

"We're here Tom," Chakotay assured the young piolet. "Stay calm. They're not going to hurt you."

"No, he dosn't. How much do you think I could sell him for with eyes."

"How is she going to know where to look?"

"Sell?" Tom was obviously not following Chakotay's advice.

"You said he was a piolet."

"Tom managed to get a message to Voyager before we entered the astoriod feild," Chakotay said, gaurding his voice. He knew that just because the allian's attention didn't seem to be on them, didn't mean they were not listening.

"He navigated through the Chariairen astoriod feild," Nearei said with a flair of the grandious. "Until this."

"So," B'Elanna said, trying very hard to take Chakotay at his word. "All we have to do is waite."

"A good piolet," the other allian muttered. "But the thing with piolets is you can't trust them. They tend to be mavirics, noncomplyent. No one in their right mind would pay over fifteen leaters?"

"He has nice eye's no matter if they see or not," Nearei mused. "Some women would find that a bonus."

"Women?" Tom squeeked, nervously.

"Women?" B'Elanna echoed, paying attention to what the others were doing for the first time.

"That is where all the money is," the other allian said.

"There going to sell him as a sex slave?" B'Elanna asked angerly. Chakotay could see her fists in balls, and the fiere in her eye was re-kindeled. "They can't do that."

"You're right about that. And he's a young allian, women would be most intrested."

"What?" Chakotay had thought that Tom's skin was ashen before, now it was gostly white.

"You can't stop them," Chakotay wispered harshly. "The Captain will find us. We just have to wait."

The sun was very hot, so hot that Chakotay felt light headed. Of coures that might have something to do with the fact that he had been standing in the heat for four houeres without a break or a drink as allians of every sort circled him, examined him, and discussed his traits with the auctioner. They never talked to him, with one exception.

Chakotay was staring of in the didstence, marriad verses of Shakespeers 'Otthelo' were running through his head, keeping his mind off of his phisical discomfort. It took his over heated brain a moment to realise that there was a Moor, accompainied by a very beautiful woman with white skin and long flowing hair standing right infront of him. It took him another muinet to realize that those two people were Kathryn Janeway and Tuvok.

"Chakotay?" Janeway said, apperently for the second or third time.

"Captain," He blinked a couple of times, and his view didn't change. "Lutenitnt, Am I glad to see you."

"Belive me, the feeling's mutual," The Captain said, putting her hand affectionetly on his arm. "Are you alright?"

"Well enough, What's your plan?"

Janeway glanced around nervously, and licked her lips. When she turned back to her second in command, the amusment was almost compleatly hidden behind her eyes, almost. "I'm going to buy you back."

"Buy us?!"

"Have you seen the others?" Chakotay asked.

"Not yet, you were the first one we'ev found, and I'm afraid we don't have time to brouse before the auction."

"Auction?"

"You are going to be sold," Tuvok said cooly, almost as if he ejoyed the thought. "To the highest bidder at an auction shceduled to beguin in aproximetly 10 muinets."

"What's the standerd of curency?" Chakotay did not want to be sold into slavery, but neaither did he want to put any sort of strain on Voyager.

"Murcury," Janeway said a tad wryly.

"We can replicate that easaly," Chakotay burst into a smile. They would all be safe abord Voyager before the day was through.

"Exactly, but we're not going too."

"What?"

"I've done a little research," Janeway said softly. "Slave trade is standerd practice in this section of the quadrent, The prime directive and limited recorses prohibit me from trying to change that. But that dosn't mean I'm going to be promoting it either." The captain pulled out a small devise, obviously a sort of cheep copy of the doctor's holo-immiter. "Harry made this, it projects an image of a container full of Murcury. All I have to do is set the quantity."

"Shurly they have scaning devices," Chakotay wispered harshly. "They'll see though it in a second."

"It's also programed to send out false readings. Whoever scans this will think they are scaning murcury. By the time they discover otherwise we'll be long gone."

Chakotay smiled, God he loved her. "Good plan captain."

"Lets just hope it works."

To their right the gaurd, or auctioner started grunting again, but now that he was within the range of the universal tansalter, he could understand what those grunts meant.

"Go on, go on. It's time for the auction to start. Move, before I sell you!"

"We have to go," Janeway said, placing her hand on Chakotay's arm again. For a second his mind worked too hard and he thought, *if her plan dosn't work, that will be the last time*. But he pushed thos thoughts out of his mind; this would work. She was Kaythran Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager, she had deffeted the Kazon and the Videans and in the subtelest of ways the mighty Maquies.(I want to add the Herogian and Borg and 47's and a whole lot more cool allians, but it's too early, grrrrrrrr arggggggggg) she could do this, if not by superior intelagence, by shear force of will.

It seemed to Chakotay like all of the futer slaves were shoved into a little room while they waited to be sold. It was aproximetly the size of the mess hall, but they had easaly stuffed over threehundread bodys into it. It was horribly hot, standing still was painful, but on the otherhand so was moving. Still, Chakotay couldn't stand still. He didn't know, but he had to belive that B'Elanna and Tom were somewhere in that mess. There was no Chance that Tom would find him, and he had the sickinging feeling that B'Elanna would be searching for the piolet before she went looking for him. He pushed his way though thr croud, with varrious allians grunting and complaining to him in languiges he couldn't understand. "Tom," he tryed to call crisply, over the general idcontented murmuer. "B'Elanna?"

His search ended somwhat unsucsessfully, however. Before he had a chance to find eather of those under his command he was grabed by one of the gaurds and pulled out of the room.

They continued to grunt at him in, what he was beguining to belive, was the standered language for this reagon of space. They took him to a halway that ended with a thick curtain. It probibly only seventy degress and shaded, but felt wonderfuly cool, where he waited for about five muinets. He assumed that on the other side of the curten lay the auctioning block, and on the other side of that, hopefuly, his captain.

After five muinets in the slightly chilled limbo he was force out into the heat and the noise. The gaurds draged Chakotay accross the stage and put him on a a slightly raised portion so that he could be properly examined by the thousands of people who were in the bidding audience. His eye's searched the audence, despreatly looking for his captain. He finally found her, they locked eyes. And as the bidding started and grunt's and grumbleles offered up voulmes of Mercurie, neiter of them glanced away once. Finally the auctioner muttered something that had the distinct feeling of 'going onec, going twice'

"Eithteen leaters!" Tuvoks voice wrang clearly through the clutter of an incomprehensable langueg.

The auctioner made some fuss over this, then after a moment claped his hands together and the gards grabed his arms and lead him away.

"What happens now?" He asked nervously. He didn't really expect an answer, and he wasn't even given a reply as he was draged through more, relitivly, cool winding passages. Finally he saw another curten, very much like the one that lead to the stage, One of the gaurds pushed it aside to revile Captain Janeway, radient as the sun reflected off of her aubuern hair. "Captain," Chakotay nodded as he was brought into her presents. She glanced at him, but didn't iniciate the kind of conection she had had with him while his life was being auctioned to the masses.

"Here's the murcury," she said, motioning to, what chakotay knew was a holographic representation of, a clear container filled to the brim with quick silver.

"You bid very oddly," one of the gaurds said, obviously tring to hit on the captain. She was either oblivious to it, or more likely, ignoring it.

"I wanted this man. Now, can I take him?"

"Hold a muinet," the gaurd said as he scaned the apperent murcury. Neather of the humansbreathed, reserving all of their energy to wisper prayes that harry's little divice would work.

There prayers were answered. The gaurd heald out their equivilent of a pad, to collect Janeway's thum print and seal the deal. She gave it freely and Chakotay was once again hers.

About an houer, and about fifteen slaves, later Tom was up for aution, and, natueraly, the Captain bought him as well. It was very interesting, watching and listening to the autioner, after having been on the auction block himself. Being in hearing range of a universel translator made the experience even more amusing.

"Here we have an allian from accross the galixy!" The autioner said excitedly. "He is young, strong, FERTILE! He has eyes the couler of the sky, they see the futer but not the present!"

"Did I hear that right?" Chakotay asked, leaning twards the Captain. "Are they selling him as a proffit?"

"I wouldn't be so sceptical comander," Janeway said, enjoying the whole situation a little too much. "That tatoo of your is supposed to give you the ability to change into a Chiarin Moon Bear."

"You're kidding."

"I paid for that trick, commander, once we're back on the ship I expect to see it."

"Captain," Tuvok interupted their playful conversation. "The bidding is starting."

It got up to fourteen-leaters, and then leveled off. The poor piolet looked absolutly terrorfied. He couldn't see what was going on, and he couldn't undertand what all the allians were saying. He was a 24^th centuery verstion of Helen Keller, and, it appeared to be riding it out the same way he rode out the astoriod feild, going with the flow and avoiding anything dangerous he could sense. Just like in an astoriod feild, it wasn't enough, and he knew it. Of coures the only information Chakotay had to go on was the numb, almost dead, expression on Tom's face, and The lifelessness in his body as he stood up there to be sold.

"Fifteen Leaters!" The captain called out.

Simotaniously, Tom's whole demeaner changed. His eyes may not have been working, but his ears were. He heard the federation satandered loud and clear and he recognised the voice. He took a half a step forward and, unbeknownst to him, almost fell off of the platform. "Captain!" He shouted excitedly. There was life behind his eye's again, even if he couldn't see through them. The gaurds noticed his suddent excitment too, the grabed his sholders and pulled him back squarly onto the platform.

Unfortunetly, for Tom, his suddent excitment seemed to bring some excitment back into the bidderes. No one was going to bid on a half dead, depressed, proffit. But on a young man who was willing to speek form the acution block, that was an interesting speiret, and a spriet worth owning.

"Sixteen"

"Sisxteen and a quarter"

"Sixteen and a half"

"Seventeen"

"Seventeen and a half."

"CAPTAIN!" Tom called desperatly takeing a full stepforward. The gaurds considered that a little too forward, one quick blow to the head smothered his enthosiasim.

"That's it," Janeway said angerly. No one treated her crew like that. "Twenty Leaters!" she called out defiently.

"Twenty!" The autioner yelled excitedly. "Do I hear a higer bid? Listening? NO! Twenty leaters for the over eager proffit!"

The guards hauled Tom off, who might have dared to hope that the Captain had won. But on the otherhand, it was quite clear by the way he blindly looked over his sholder, that he didn't know. "Commander," Janeway ordered, obviously very upset about Tom's state. "Come with me, Lutentint, If B'Elanna comes out make sure she sees you."

"Understood." Tuvok said as Janeway and chakotay walked quicly away.

"Perhaps now is a good time for you to tell me exactly what happened to Tom durring the last twelve houeres."

"Well," Chakotay said, not sure where to start. "He kidnaped us, sent you a message, flew through an astoriod feild, was blinded by an exploding counsel, and then was sold to you as a slave."

"That's what the auctioner ment by not being able to see the present."

"Yes."

"His face looked red."

"I was standing for nearly three houeres under the sun. It's entierly likely that he's sunburned." An idea accured to Chakotay, "even sun stroked."

"Here," Janeway said, handing Chakotay one of the little holo-emitters. "Set it too twenty leaters."

Chakotay nodded as he obayed her orders.

"Now," the captain said causiously, looking around to see if there was anyone with in eyeshot to unvial their treacherly. "Now, press the acctivation botton and set it on the ground."

Chakotay obayed and almost instently there was, what appered to be, a small barel full of murcury. Just by looking at it, he realised there was no way he would be able to acctualy carry it, not to mention the captain. He ended up roling it to the same place where she had payed for him.

Tom looked in worse shape up close than he had at a distance, His new skin was burned a briht, almost glowing, red and his eye's were dim and down cast. Somehow, in that short trip from the platform to the trade off center, he had lost all his hope.

Besided him, he could feel Janeway tense up. She was angry at what had been done to her piolet; Chakotay prepared himself, in case he would have to hold the captain back.

"I see your making good use of your slaves already," The garud laughed. Tom looked up, his hope rekindeled.

"I've found him very usefull in a veriaty of ways," Janeway said casually.

"CAPTAIN!" Tom exclaimed excitedly.

The garud didn't even bother to vocilise a warning. He simply wacked Tom with the but of his riffel. The piolet almost lost his balince, But he marracuilessly didn't. Chakotay expected it had something to do with the fact he was in the presents of his commanding officer.

Janeway took an authoritative step forward. "How dare you disiplin him!"

"He spoke out of turn."

"That is now my consurn not yours."

"Where's your murcury?"

"There," Janeway said nodding towards the barrel.

The gaurd scaned it, grunted in satisfaction and practically threw Tom at the Captain.

"As always a pleasuer," he said, picking up the twently leaters of murcury and carrying it away.

"Tom, are you alright?" Janeway asked as she put her hand on his sholderes.

"Captain, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice."

"I'm glad to see you too," The captain said as she started to lead him back to where Tuvok was waiting with water and food.

"B'Elanna, Chakotay . . ."

"I'm right here." The commander said as he followed the pair.

"B'Elanna?"

"We'll get her soon enough. Right now we need to get you back to the ship."

"No," Tom insisted. "I got her into this, I need to make sure she gets out of it alright."

Janeway didn't like anyone contradicting her, least of all one of the people under her command. But she was willing to give Tom a little grace. "We don't need you down here, Lt. Tuvok and I are more than . . ."

"Captain," Tom said, turning his darkend eyes on her. Somehow they still manged to burn with inensity. "Please."

*Kes was right*, Chakotay thought, just a tad bitterly. Tom could easaly go up to the ship and get his sight back, not to mention relive some of the extream pain that must accompany his sunburns and quickly developing bruses. But he didn't. He needed to be sure that B'Elanna was alright.

"Captain," Chakotay said softly. He nodded towards the piolet, effectualy saying 'let him stay'. Janeway obviously didn't agree with his logic, but she respected Tom's desiers and Chakotay's opinions.

"Alright Tom," Janeway said in an unmistakably motherly voice. "You can stay, but I don't want you to exert yourself. You are to sit in the shade and rest, do you understand?"

"Yes Ma'am," Tom said. It was a thankyou.

Three houers later, they started selling the women, and they had to wait another houer before B'Elanna was finally draged onto the aution block.

She, like Tom, looked much the worse for wear. Along with the bruse she had aquiered on her first trip to the planet, there was a jaggid cut on the rigt side of her arm, wich was covered with a bandage that was stained a dark pink.

She heald her ingerys close to her, and still, somehow mandaged to appere defieant, and ready for a figth. Her eye's were hard and cold and impenetrible. Unlike Tom, she had not lost hope.

"Get Tom," Janeway ordered her second in command softly. "This is what he's been waiting for."

Chakotay wasn't quite sure where the young man was. He hadn't made a noise in over two houers, and Chakotay hadn't given him a thought for nearly that long. He had been engaged in a facinating conversation about the history of sumo wresteling on Vulcan with the Captain and Tuvok. The commander found the young man lieing on the ground, slightly behind them, sleeping, dispite the noise and the heat.

Chakotay nelt down and shook the young man on the sholder. "Tom, Tom, wake up."

"Hunh?" the young man groned. Opening his eyes but not letting any more light in. "Chakotay?"

"Sorry to wake you, but the Captain thought you might be interested in knowing, B'Elanna is going to be sold soon."

"B'Elanna?" Tom asked veagly. "Is she alright?"

"Come on and you can ask her yourself." Chakotay said as he took the piolet's hand, wich was radiating heat from his sun burn, and helped him to his feet.

Tom swayed for a second before mastering his center of balince. Chakotay waited paciently, not leting go and prepared to catch the young man in case he should fall. The gestuer was not lost on Tom. He smiled weekly, "Thanks."

"B'Elanna's waiting."

"A rare specimin from accross the galixie, the only one of her kind!" The autioner yelled. "Look, it's clear that she is a figter. And what a fighter!!! A chalange for any man, but think of the pleasuer."

"Pig," Tom muttered under his breath. Chakotay was fairly sure he was the only one who had heard it. "I liked it better when I didn't know what he was saying."

The bidding started, and it was furrious. Every man in the audience seemed to want her. Chakotay had always known that B'Elanna was beautiful, but he knew her, and he liked her. He liked her sence of humor and her loyalty and the fier in her eyes and the power of her determination; he was her freind and that clouded his vistion. But every other man in the audience only saw a beutiful, exotic, sex slave, a creatuer that one could tame, and have fun doing it. It was sick and evil and Chakotay could feel the bile rise in his throught from the sheer discust.

B'Elanna could only have had an inkling of what was going on in the ravinous crowds below her, not being able to understand the auticoners words. But regardless, she stood hard and firm on the platform clinging to her honnor and not even accnoliging those below her. This of corse ment that she didn't see her shipmates.

The bidding began to level off, "Thirty-six!"

"Thirty-six and a half!"

"Thrity-seven!"

"Thirty-seven and a half!"

"Thirty-seven and two halfs!"

"Thirty-eight and a quarter!"

"Thiry-eight and a half!"

"Forty!" The Captain called out.

B'Elanna's head turned sharply as she heard a fimiller voice and comprehnsable words. She saw them instently, and her eye's softened, but only for a second. Once she rembered just why they were so far away. Her expression quickly hardened.

"Forty and a half!"

"Forty and three quarters!"

"The bids have never gone this high befor," Janeway muttered with a mix of amasment and resentment in her voice.

"Lt. Torres must be considered a very valuable," Tuvok observed.

"Priceless," Tom muttered under his breath. Chakotay was the only one that heard.

"Forty-three and a half."

"Fifty!" the captain yelled again, the room fell silent.

"I Heard Fifty!!!" the autioner said excitedly. "Do I hear a higer bid? Listening? NO! FIFty leaters for the wild allian!"

"Let's go," Janeway said under her breath. "We need to Get B'Elanna and get out." She turned twards the now fimiller pick up point and graped Tom's arm as she walked past him. "Tuvok, Chakotay," She said as the pair feel in step behind her. "You'll each have to take a holo-emitter and set it for 25 leaters. I don't think Harry programed them to go as high as fifty, and even if he did, I don't think that the two of you could carry it."

Chakotay smiled and Tuvok's expression was frightfully close to a scowl, but the captain didn't see either of them. She was focused on geting the last of her people and geting them out of there.

By the time they got to the now fimiller pick up sight with the two extreamly heavy holograms, B'Elanna and her garude were waiting. B'Elanna, like Tom, had learned not to talk while standing next to a gaurd.

"It's a shame that a *Woman* buys such a fine spesiman."

"Who said I'm buying her for myself."

The gaurd chukeled. "A gift for your mate?"

"Here is the murcury." Janeway said, not amused.

"A son, or brother?"

"In case you have a problem with my payment. I'd like to take her and go."

The gaurd was obviously anoyed at beeing rejected three times in a row. But there was nothing he could do about it so he mearly scanded the two bearals and, having determined that the fakes were real, he pushed B'Elanna towards her shipmates. "Go," he said miserably.

"Captain," B'Elanna said taking a deep breth. Chakotay could see that she was overjoyed to be away from the overeager allians. But she wasn't one to let her emotions seep through, he doubted anyone eles noticed.

"Are you alrigt."

"Fine," She cliped. Her body was tense, Chakotay suspected that she would not be able to relax until she had been back on the ship for houeres.

"Alright then," Janeway said, possibly sensing the same thing. "Let's not stay here a muinet longer." She taped her com badg "Janeway to voyager. Five to beam up."

Epilog

"Honestly Lutentint," the doctor said, extreamily anyoed, as he ran the medical tricorder's scaner over her body. "How did you manage to accumulate so many ingereys?"

B'Elanna hated being in sickbay. It ment that she was weak, and throuhout her life, weak was the one thing she always strugeled not to be. Unfortunetly, the doctor got the brunt of her anger. "Let's just say I was defending my honor," the half-klingon grumbled.

"In my humble oppinon," the doctor said, not realizing that his oppinion was less than humbel. "The klingon tradion of fighting for some nebulus concept of honor has always seemed inaproperet for such an otherwise advanced species."

"Doctor," Kes said from her position slightly to the Doctor's left. "I don't think that's quite what she ment."

The hologram paused for a moment, and then suddently turned red. "Oh, yes, of coures." He cleared his thought. "Kes, why don't you finish treating Lt. Torres, while I perform ocular surgery on Lt. Paris."

"Yes doctoer," Kes said, taking up a medical tricorder of her own and runing the scaner over the langth of B'Elanna's body. "You have three broken ribs, several bruses, and the cut on your arm is showing the beguining singns of infection."

"He can't here us," B'Elanna asked in a low voice. "Can he?"

"The docotot?"

"I ment Tom, but him too."

Kes had the bone nitter in her hand and was ready to start at B'Elanna's ribs, but something in the enginers voice made her stop. "I don't think so."

"But you don't know?"

"Tom's unconcious, he cirtently won't be able to hear anything you say. And I don't think the doctor would listen to someone eleses conversation."

"I'm not so sure about that," B'Elanna grumbled.

"What's so secritive that the Doctoer couldn't hear it?"

B'Elanna bit her bottom lip, considering if she should continue the conversation, or just say 'nothing' and hope it droped, or even make up a false consurn. Had it been anybody eles, she probibly would have, but Kes had an aura about her that was ozzing trustworthyness and wisdom. B'Elanna felt as if she could confide in the Ocompa, even if they had never really been freinds. Bisideds, she knew if she didn't ask now, when pain killers were clouding her judgment, she would never get the cuoruage.

"You and Tom, you were pretty close at one time, wern't you?"

The question had surprised Kes. She had, more or less known it was coming eventualy, but regardless, she had hoped it wouldn't. "Yes," she said, not letting her nervousness out. "We were."

"But not so much anymore?"

"We're still close," she assured B'Elanna. "But we don't socilise as much as we used to."

"Why not?"

Kes sighed, "When we first came onto this ship we were both, in a way, outsiders. We weren't Maquies, but we weren't starfleet either. It was natueral that we saught out eachother's company. But now the whole ship has become more integrated."

"You found better freinds," B'Elanna said, cutting to the quick.

Kes glanced down at her medicical tricorder, Tom had found better friends. Freinds who understood warpcores and jokes about starfleet regulations and never asked him to weed the arioponics bay. But, while Kes had made many more freinds, she had not made a better one. It wasn't that Tom had suddently turned cold on her, or had stoped paying attention to her, or even stoped voenteering to help her garden. But she knew, she could feel him slowly drift away, and she had no intenions of holding him back. "Not better, diffrent."

"You two were never romantically . . ."

"No," Kes said quickly, gigliging because it had hit a little too close to home.

"Why not? I mean, did you ever even consider it?"

"I had Neelix,"

"But not anymore."

"I don't think I want another serious relationship right now," Kes said honestly.

"Who said anything about serious," B'Elanna scoffed. "This is *Tom Paris* were talking about." Kes didn't respond, she mearly picked up the bone kitter and started working on B'Elanna's third righthand rib. "But seriously," The Lt. asked, "Why haven't you persued anything with Tom. Harry told me he was interested."

*Because of You*, Kes thought, just a little bitterly. Unbeknownst to her, 'was' was the key word in her sentence. He had been a gentelman and given up on Kes before he had even started a persuite, and she had admired that sort of chivelrus attitude. And she never expected him to, in fact she hoped he wouldn't, pine after her. And he hadn't. He had turned his eyes to greener pastuers. And he had found B'Elanna. And Kes knew that, whatever emotions Tom had felt for her were nothing for the emotions he felt for the Klingon Enginer. But she would never dare say that. "I told you, I don't want that. Besides, I think Tom has set his sights eleswhere."

B'Elanna didn't aske where elswhere might be, she didn't want to know. "If he had asked, and you were free, knowing him like you do, would you have said yes."

"Probibly."

"Why?"

"Because he's kind and funny and considerat and devoted. Lutentint, can I ask you a question?"

"I guess."

"Why are you asking so many questions."

B'Elanna glanced away. "Just currious," she muttered. And the conversation ended.

THE END!!!!!!!!!