At Any Cost- Ch. 7- The Trial
"You mean, that no matter what, they're all gonna die?" I asked.
"Only if you aren't excused, Lieutenant. If you are excused -which you probably won't be- your crew and you will survive." Thor turned his attention from me to the Asgard in the trial. "We are ready, head High Councilor Naffer."
The trial had two what looked like judges, sitting right in front of us; both were in high silver chairs with a desk to match the height of the chairs. In front, was one Asgard, just standing, probably there for security. Over to my right were several Asgards, they were probably the jury. To my left were two Asgards, they were probably the prosecutors.
"As are we, Commander Thor," Naffer responded. Naffer stood up. 'She', guessing that the Asgard was a woman, looked from me to Thor and walked over to us; she stood about a little above my waist. "Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris, you told your Starfleet senior staff that you were a Tok'ra. You also had Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill tell the senior staff about the Asgard. The Captain of your ship eventually told the rest of your crew everything that you told them. What do you have to say about this?" Naffer went back to her seat and waited for me to talk. I looked at Thor for him to give me the go ahead to talk. Thor nodded.
"Head High Councilor Naffer," I started. How was I going to explain this? "I told them, because they deserved to know." The Asgard's looked sort of taken aback. "We've been keeping the existence of the Asgard and the Tok'ra a secret for so long now, that it was time they should know." I stopped, and looked around to make sure I wasn't getting that 'what's-wrong- with-you?' look. They were Asgard's, so I couldn't tell, just like Vulcans. "It's not like they're going to tell the Federation about them any time soon. The Voyager crew was first attacked by Hathor." Perfect!!!! "She broke the treaty. She attacked a human vessel. She told them I was a Goa'uld! To protect myself and Culnac, I had to tell them. They don't believe me anyway!"
Naffer just stared. Defiantly not a good sign, Thor looked up at me, wondering if I was going to say anything more.
"Head High Councilor Naffer, what Mister Paris is trying to say is that we, the Asgard, should finally expose ourselves to the other species." Thor said. "The Tok'ra should also be shown throughout his Galaxy."
"Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris, do you understand the consequences of your actions?" Naffer asked.
"Yes, I understand. I know that I will be punished for my actions." I said, getting a little on edge by the moment.
"Your ship will also have a punishment, a very serious punishment. Their deaths will be on your conscious, Lieutenant Paris." She stood again. "The High Council will decide the verdict of this trial. You and Thor may wait outside." The council disappeared, and we were back in the dark room. Thor and I walked outside the room, where Q was sitting in a chair half his size. He stood up immediately when we came out.
"Well? What's going to happen to Tommyboy here?" Q asked tapping my chest.
"They're deliberating over if they should kill me or not." I said.
"If you excuse me, I need to run a ship." Thor said walking past Q. "Your ship, Lieutenant Paris is still worried that we might attack again. They are as Colonel O'Neill used to say, 'dead in the water.'"
Thor left us and I sat down in the chair that was way too small for me. I'm dead, I thought. Trouble just keeps following me around. I never even kissed B'Elanna! Where did that come from? Do I like her like her? Stop asking, that's a stupid question, it's obvious you do. No, it was just a passing thought. Yeah, that thought keeps popping up every two seconds. Wait, I'm fighting with myself, that's not a good thing. I need a doctor or something. How about a psychiatrist?
"Find a bargaining chip, Tommyboy." Q said jarring me from my thoughts.
"Q, what am I supposed to give the people that are way superior then me?" I asked. "They have almost all the things anyone in the Federation has."
"Oh well, looks like your dead." Q said pacing. He said exactly what I was thinking. I stood up and leaned up against the wall. Q came over a suddenly hugged me. "I'll miss ya Tommyboy. I'll miss me getting so angry you can practically see the steam coming from your ears and you turning so red that you can cook an egg on your face."
"Q?" I asked, him still hugging me.
"Hmm?"
"Let go, or I'll make sure that you face the same punishment as me." With that he let go and pretended like nothing happened. I just wanna die now, get it over with and get way away from Q.
"You mean, that no matter what, they're all gonna die?" I asked.
"Only if you aren't excused, Lieutenant. If you are excused -which you probably won't be- your crew and you will survive." Thor turned his attention from me to the Asgard in the trial. "We are ready, head High Councilor Naffer."
The trial had two what looked like judges, sitting right in front of us; both were in high silver chairs with a desk to match the height of the chairs. In front, was one Asgard, just standing, probably there for security. Over to my right were several Asgards, they were probably the jury. To my left were two Asgards, they were probably the prosecutors.
"As are we, Commander Thor," Naffer responded. Naffer stood up. 'She', guessing that the Asgard was a woman, looked from me to Thor and walked over to us; she stood about a little above my waist. "Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris, you told your Starfleet senior staff that you were a Tok'ra. You also had Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill tell the senior staff about the Asgard. The Captain of your ship eventually told the rest of your crew everything that you told them. What do you have to say about this?" Naffer went back to her seat and waited for me to talk. I looked at Thor for him to give me the go ahead to talk. Thor nodded.
"Head High Councilor Naffer," I started. How was I going to explain this? "I told them, because they deserved to know." The Asgard's looked sort of taken aback. "We've been keeping the existence of the Asgard and the Tok'ra a secret for so long now, that it was time they should know." I stopped, and looked around to make sure I wasn't getting that 'what's-wrong- with-you?' look. They were Asgard's, so I couldn't tell, just like Vulcans. "It's not like they're going to tell the Federation about them any time soon. The Voyager crew was first attacked by Hathor." Perfect!!!! "She broke the treaty. She attacked a human vessel. She told them I was a Goa'uld! To protect myself and Culnac, I had to tell them. They don't believe me anyway!"
Naffer just stared. Defiantly not a good sign, Thor looked up at me, wondering if I was going to say anything more.
"Head High Councilor Naffer, what Mister Paris is trying to say is that we, the Asgard, should finally expose ourselves to the other species." Thor said. "The Tok'ra should also be shown throughout his Galaxy."
"Lieutenant Thomas Eugene Paris, do you understand the consequences of your actions?" Naffer asked.
"Yes, I understand. I know that I will be punished for my actions." I said, getting a little on edge by the moment.
"Your ship will also have a punishment, a very serious punishment. Their deaths will be on your conscious, Lieutenant Paris." She stood again. "The High Council will decide the verdict of this trial. You and Thor may wait outside." The council disappeared, and we were back in the dark room. Thor and I walked outside the room, where Q was sitting in a chair half his size. He stood up immediately when we came out.
"Well? What's going to happen to Tommyboy here?" Q asked tapping my chest.
"They're deliberating over if they should kill me or not." I said.
"If you excuse me, I need to run a ship." Thor said walking past Q. "Your ship, Lieutenant Paris is still worried that we might attack again. They are as Colonel O'Neill used to say, 'dead in the water.'"
Thor left us and I sat down in the chair that was way too small for me. I'm dead, I thought. Trouble just keeps following me around. I never even kissed B'Elanna! Where did that come from? Do I like her like her? Stop asking, that's a stupid question, it's obvious you do. No, it was just a passing thought. Yeah, that thought keeps popping up every two seconds. Wait, I'm fighting with myself, that's not a good thing. I need a doctor or something. How about a psychiatrist?
"Find a bargaining chip, Tommyboy." Q said jarring me from my thoughts.
"Q, what am I supposed to give the people that are way superior then me?" I asked. "They have almost all the things anyone in the Federation has."
"Oh well, looks like your dead." Q said pacing. He said exactly what I was thinking. I stood up and leaned up against the wall. Q came over a suddenly hugged me. "I'll miss ya Tommyboy. I'll miss me getting so angry you can practically see the steam coming from your ears and you turning so red that you can cook an egg on your face."
"Q?" I asked, him still hugging me.
"Hmm?"
"Let go, or I'll make sure that you face the same punishment as me." With that he let go and pretended like nothing happened. I just wanna die now, get it over with and get way away from Q.