Disclaimer: I don't own Voyager or the characters, Paramount does. But, it is my story.

Author's Note: I know this has been done before, but I just couldn't get this out of my head and also organized at the same time.

Summary: The ship gets taken over by aliens and the only one that can save them is the untrustworthy Tom Paris.

Rating: T (PG-13)

Timeline: Set during the first season, more specifically after Faces.

The Nioli Problem

Lieutenant Junior Grade Tom Paris was in Holodeck 1 in the middle of playing his new ice hockey program. Tom had the day off today and had saved up three hours of holodeck time to race a couple of cars and some motorcycles then to play a game of hockey. He was playing as part of the Colorado Avalanche which had a bunch of players which in that day in age shouldn't be on that team, but were thanks to Tom's reprogramming. The game was fierce it was near the end of the third period with the score tied at two to two.

Tom was skating down the rink with his stick in hand and the puck in front of him. Suddenly, the USS Voyager shook violently and sent Tom flying to the right and falling to the ice. The call for battle stations came over the comm. and Tom got up. Great, the one day I have off I have to work, Tom thought.

"Computer, freeze program." Tom called. The players stopped in mid motion and stayed there as Tom passed them while skating on the ice. Tom got to one of the booths and took of his ice skates to replace them with regular shoes. "Computer, save the program and turn it off." The computer acknowledged his requests. The ice rink full of people disappeared and became the plain old holodeck. Tom started to walk towards the doors with his ice skates over his shoulder, his helmet half way off, and his hockey stick being dragged behind him.

Tom walked right up to the doors and then walked right into them. The doors didn't open automatically. Tom backed up and looked at them strangely then tried again. The doors still didn't work.

"Computer, open the holodeck doors." Tom called out. There was a response, but the doors still didn't open. "Computer, open the holodeck doors." This time was said with more force, but to no avail. Tom went to the console near the doors to open it, but that didn't work. Suddenly there was firing outside the doors.

Tom decided to lay back on trying to open the doors in case he would be shot and killed once he got out. Instead, Tom took off the pads he was using during the game and changed into the extra clothes he brought. The firing outside the holodeck doors stopped soon, but Tom heard voices outside that were definitely unfamiliar to him. Soon after that, another unfamiliar voice came over the comm. system.

"This is Captain Mickolio Fonster of the Nioli." The voice said, obviously a male's. "We have taken control of your ship, it would be smart to not resist us or else."

With that, Tom immediately called out to the computer. "Computer, delete my comm. badge's signature from the database, authorization Paris Pi Alpha 4." The computer beeped and all he could do was hope that this time the computer actually did what it was told to do.

Three Hours Later…

Tom Paris was still in the holodeck, waiting until he knew for certain that he could get out of here and go somewhere more secluded. "Computer, are there any Nioli outside these doors?" Tom asked.

"There are no Nioli outside of Holodeck 1." The computer responded.

"Let's hope you're right." Tom muttered. He went over to the doors and grabbed the manual override to open the doors. After awhile Tom was able to open the holodeck doors enough so he could get through. Tom poked his head out and looked in both directions; there were no Nioli in sight.

There was a Jeffries Tube around the corner, from there Tom could get back to his room and plan what he would do next. Tom grabbed his hockey equipment –there was no need to leave it in the holodeck in case an enemy saw it- and he walked carefully and slowly to the Jeffries Tube. Tom got into the Jeffries Tube with no problems and was soon outside his quarters. After checking to see if anyone was coming, Tom made his way into his quarters and put his hockey stuff in his bedroom.

Tom walked over to his computer and grabbed the phaser he had hidden there long ago. Since the Maquis and Starfleet personnel had started to get along, Tom thought of giving it to Tuvok saying that he found it lying around in the hallway. But then again, he was not the most popular crewmember around and anything can happen in space. Tom sat down at the computer and started to ask the main computer questions.

"Computer, where is the crew being held?" Tom asked.

"The crew is being held in Cargo Bays 1 and 2 and in the Brig." The computer replied.

"Computer, where is Captain Janeway?" Tom asked.

"Captain Kathryn Janeway is in the Brig." The computer responded.

"Who else is with her?" Tom questioned.

"Ensign Harry Kim, Ensign Brett Shorter, Ensign Edward Causey, Lieutenant Jamie Rupert, Lieutenant Tuvok, Commander Chakotay, and three Niolian officers are also in the Brig." The computer answered.

Tom shot his head up realizing that one member of the Senior Staff was missing. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Torres." Tom said; she might also be hiding out.

"Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres is in the turbolift heading towards Deck 8." The computer replied.

"She must be going to her quarters." Tom stated aloud. "Computer, is there anyone with her in the turbolift?"

"There are two Niolian officers with her." The Computer answered.

Tom's quarters were on Deck 4 Section 3C and that was one hell of a climb down to Deck 8. But she might be his only hope at the moment even if there were two Niolians with her. Tom got his phaser and made sure it was on stun.

"Computer, halt the turbolift that B'Elanna Torres is in." Tom told the computer.

B'Elanna would refuse to fix the turbolift for the next minute, which would buy him one deck. She could easily tell that the turbolift was halted, but obviously wouldn't be able to tell why. But it would be a damn good reason. Then she might work as slowly as possible to get it working which might give him the rest of the time to make it to her quarters.

Tom checked with the computer if any Nioli were outside his quarters and oddly, there weren't. It seemed he would have to go out of his way to see any one of them. Tom made his way to a Jeffries Tube outside of his quarters and started to climb the four decks down to B'Elanna's quarters.

After a tiresome climb through tight Jeffries Tubes, Tom made it to outside B'Elanna's quarters. He heard footsteps from far away and quickly hacked his way into her quarters. He looked around for a place to hide until he saw the bathroom. Tom could hide in the sonic shower! That would be the only place guaranteed that he could know where they were without getting caught. Tom ran into B'Elanna's bathroom and walked into the sonic shower.

Tom heard voices outside the bathroom coming probably from B'Elanna's living room. He definitely heard her yelling at them and them yelling back. They were obviously arguing over something, Tom tried hard to listen in.

"The Captain would like you to clean yourself up." One of the Niolians said to B'Elanna.

"I will NOT play one of his stupid games, he is not my Captain." B'Elanna yelled back.

"Oh, but he is, unless you don't want to live anymore." A Niolian replied. "Now, go in there and every minute yell back to us a different sentence each time or else."

B'Elanna muttered something Tom couldn't hear, but could tell that it was obviously some Klingon obscenities. B'Elanna walked into the bathroom still muttering those curse words when Tom came out from the sonic shower and grabbed her. He held his hand over her mouth so she wouldn't scream when he grabbed her.

"B'Elanna, it's me, Tom, now don't scream." Tom whispered to her. She nodded and Tom let go of her.

"Where have you been?" B'Elanna asked in a low whisper.

"I was stuck in the holodeck for three hours." Tom replied.

"Hurry and get cleaned up Torres." The first Niolian yelled teasingly through the door.

"Here, turn on the sonic shower." Tom said. "You can take off your clothes if you want, but I was thinking we could talk in there as we get cleaned up."

"Pig." B'Elanna muttered. She called for the sonic shower to be turned on and it activated. They both entered the cramped quarters of the sonic shower and B'Elanna called out one of the 'sentences' that the Niolians told her to say. "Were you the one who halted the turbolift?"

"Yeah, I had to get enough time to make it to your quarters." Tom answered. "I was going to hide then fire at the Niolians when they got in, but you made it here too quickly so I had to hide in here. What's going on, who are these Niolians?"

"Janeway was telling me that we received a distress call from them." B'Elanna started. "The second we arrived at the location where the distress call came from, they started to attack us. There were four of their war vessels-" B'Elanna stopped and called out another 'sentence' to the Niolian officers outside the door. "-they took over the ship quickly and easily. The Senior Staff is being held in the Brig, I was working on the engines which I sabotaged before they got to them. It will take days before they'll be in full working order."

"Good job." Tom said impressed. "Now, how do we retake control of the ship?"