See Part 1 for story information and disclaimers.
T'LORAH'S TALE - PART 2/3
(This sections jumps all over the timeline)
* * *
VOYAGER
"Come on B'Elanna, you can do it!" Tom cried out.
B'Elanna let out a horrific, inhuman sound and then her body relaxed.
"Tom, B'Elanna, you have a beautiful baby daughter" stated The Doctor, wrapping her in a silken cloth and handing her to Tom.
"Look, B'Elanna, she has your eyes." Tom spoke softly, kissing the top of his daughter's head and placing her in B'Elanna's arms. But the woman did not utter a word, as a smile developed across her whole face and she drifted off to sleep.
When her eyes fluttered open a few hours later, she was lying in the sickbay bed, Tom holding the baby next to her.
"What do you want to name her, Belle?"
"I've always loved the human name Laura", replied B'Elanna taking the baby in her arms and looking into her face for the first time, "but I'd like to give her a name to remind her of her heritage. What about a similar Klingon name... T'Lorah?"
"It's perfect. How about giving her the Captain's name as her middle name?"
"T'Lorah Kathryn Paris. It's beautiful, just like she is", but there was a tone of sadness in her voice.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"It's just going to take me awhile to get used to the fact..."
"B'Elanna?"
"It's nothing... don't worry."
"Feel like visitors?" asked Captain Janeway's voice from the sickbay door.
"Sure."
Tom held the baby up to the crowd. "Introducing T'Lorah Kathryn Paris."
"Kathryn?" The captain repeated.
"After you, of course, we both owe our lives to you, captain."
"Mother, father!" called a little voice, whose owner came running in. "Look Greg, it's your little sister."
"She's so tiny!"
* * *
PRESENT DAY
The words echoed in his mind and the pain stabbed in his heart. It wasn't long after T'Lorah's birth that they were caught up in an asteroid belt. The only way out seemed to be a fluctuating wormhole that had shaken the ship violently. When they emerged they had been faced with a planet they knew all too well. Home.
Tom knew now that it would have been better if he had never successfully navigated that asteroid belt and wished that the wormhole had not brought them home- it hadn't been worth it. Ten years later his wife and son had been murdered and they'd still be alive if Voyager had never made it home.
* * *
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
B'Elanna carried her young daughter down the street. Passing above them, were the hoverdomes. T'Lorah begged to be put down and B'Elanna eventually gave in. The three-year-old was very independent and it was obvious she had inherited her parents' intelligence and confidence. She was opposite to her brother in every way. Although B'Elanna could feel the people staring at her daughter, who looked like a gorgeous human child, not like a half-breed Klingon at all. After the initial shock, she had gotten over caring quickly. T'Lorah ran on ahead a short way. B'Elanna quickened her pace to catch up and picked up her daughter, who howled in protest.
"Put that child down you ferocious beast!" A woman's voice screamed at her from behind. The woman began beating her computer against B'Elanna's back. Tom looked down from their window and witnessed the events. By the time he made it down there, B'Elanna had had to put T'Lorah down in order to keep from toppling over. Determined to keep from attacking the woman in front of her daughter, B'Elanna began trying to dodge the blows and grab the computer, knowing she could have taken her out with one punch.
"B'Elanna!" She heard Tom's voice.
He was at her side in a moment, grabbing the computer from the woman and tossing it to the ground. T'Lorah began crying and ran to her father, hugging him from behind as he helped B'Elanna to her feet.
"Why, may I ask and you beating this woman?!" Tom snarled.
"She was kidnapping that human child, the savage beast!", she shouted hysterically," Goodness knows what would have happened to her!"
"Daddy!" moaned T'Lorah. The woman flinched.
"If she's your daughter I'd thought you'd be grateful! You just can't trust their type..."
"This child is my daughter and the woman you were beating is my wife and her mother so next time mind your own business!"
The woman stood there, mouth open. Under her breath he heard her mutter "shouldn't allow that sort of behaviour here on Earth... inter-breeding only brings everyone else problems."
The trio turned and walked slowly away, the crowd whispering murmurs in agreement or in opposition. Tom held T'Lorah in one arm, half over his shoulder with his other arm around B'Elanna's waist while she leant heavily on his shoulder.
"Tom, I was so scared... not by her actions but by that look in her eye. For the first time in a long time I felt that I was truly alone", whispered B'Elanna. "I thought she was going to kill me right then and there - with all those people watching - and I could hardly move."
"It's alright Belle, I love you. I'll always be here for you. You never have to be alone."
And seven years later those prejudices had increased ten-fold and were justified in some people's minds when the Klingons attacked Earth. Looking back he knew this incident was the first sign of what was to follow. A group of people who thought similarly to this woman had massacred three hundred defenceless Klingons, and Tom Paris was the one who was truly alone.
* * *
PRESENT DAY
"Father", T'Lorah's wavering voice broke Tom's pattern of thought.
He looked up to see she was about to cry, something she had almost never done... it just wasn't part of her character. She ran to his side and hugged him desperately.
"I was thinking about mother."
"So was I."
"How I loved her so."
"As did I. Do I."
"And I don't want to be a captain in a Starfleet that captured and imprisoned her and Greg. And to work along side those who supported their killers."
"It wasn't Starfleet's fault the war occurred. They had to imprison them due to public opinion - it was for their own safety. They would have been hunted down and shot by civilians. At least this way, most of them got to return home when the war ended."
"But not mother and Greg. Why are you defending Starfleet again? Why oh why were they in that camp? Why not one of the others? And anyway, the ones that were released had been so poorly treated, all of them took off for other planets. There's not a single Klingon left on all of Earth, and all officers were released from Starfleet. I don't understand what it means to be Klingon, sometimes I feel so alone without her, without any of them..." T'Lorah buried her head her hands and breathed out deeply.
"It's alright Lorah, I love you. I'll always be here for you. You never have to be alone. Maybe one day you'll understand how the universe works."
"I just want to be with her again, I guess I understand, Dad." But she didn't and couldn't. The young woman was alone and had felt so every night since the news about her mother and the hearing in front of the Starfleet Board.
* * *
EIGHT YEARS AGO
"T'Lorah Kathryn Paris, daughter of Commander Thomas Paris and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres-Paris. Despite your Klingon heritage, owing to your tender age, outstanding academic achievements and the connection of a Starfleet Admiral's grandaughter, the board has permitted you to remain a free citizen on Earth. All laws pertaining to full humans will cover you, anyone challenging this will be dealt with accordingly. You will also be allowed to stay with your father, owing to the fact he is a Starfleet officer and a full human. You will be allowed to continue your training with Starfleet and there are no restrictions placed on your rank. All of this will be given to you, on the condition that your name be altered to Kathryn Paris and you are barred from using T'Lorah in any way. This is to protect you. Do you agree to all conditions?"
The ten-year-old stood alone in front of the elite Starfleet board. She wanted to say a lot of things, things she thought the Federation stood for. She thought of her mother and brother in the prison camp and longed to see them just for a moment - even just to say goodbye, if that was what this war was leading to.
"Let me ensure I have the details correct, Sir. So according to my human ancestors and appearance I am allowed to stay on the planet whose disloyal actions have imprisoned members of my family, one of which served you in Starfleet, the other a child, and permitted to train for the force that gave the orders for this to happen? And all I have to do is renounce my name and therefore my heritage?"
"I am not impressed by your forwardness with the board, your choice of words or your tone of voice... but you are young and have been under pressure and you must be nervous. I will forget what you said and pardon you. You are however, essentially correct, so yes. Do you agree to renounce your name and heritage to remain part of Earth and keep your position in society, or else face imprisonment?"
T'Lorah couldn't speak - she didn't want to be imprisoned. She didn't want... she didn't want to reject the name her mother had given her. She didn't want... she couldn't leave her father.
"I'll only ask you once more Kathryn Paris. Do you choose to renounce your Klingon heritage and avoid imprisonment?"
"Yes" she replied weakly.
The Starfleet admiral flinched, he looked almost surprised. 'Mustn't be as Klingon as we thought' he wondered, before regaining his composure.
"Very well. If ever you go against this ruling, you know the consequences."
"Yes", she spoke again and quickly wiped a tear from her cheek before the judge could see it. But there was one face on the board who did not miss it and would never forget it. The older, but no less unmistakable face of Admiral Janeway.
* * *
PRESENT DAY
"I guess I feel as though I betrayed her and all the Klingons who died. I renounced by heritage to save my own behind. I dishonoured our culture in order to follow my dream."
"No. No you didn't T'Lorah. Your mother was never forceful of Klingon heritage on you... she knew it would only hinder your chances of a Starfleet career and negatively affect your thoughts and choices."
"But she used to tell such wonderful things to Greg - I always wanted to know about the Klingon race and now she can never teach me."
"She had to teach Greg... he had to know. He always wanted to leave to join the Klingon force where he fitted in. He was quiet, but he had inner strength. He was never as individualistic as you were. He always wanted just to be... to be accepted. She never wanted it to be a part of your life - it was her decision."
T'Lorah nodded but she still wanted to leave Starfleet. "Maybe I could join the Klingons?"
"Don't Lorah. Don't fool yourself into thinking they'd accept you. You're better off becoming a Starfleet officer - most of them have not gone against Starfleet regulations - they've remained neutral. Don't speak of your heritage and they won't question you. Your life goal has always been to become a Starfleet captain."
There was a pulsing of short sounds as someone activated the door button.
"Computer, front porch camera on screen."
The computer screen on the wall revealed a woman T'Lorah didn't recognise, but her father obviously did.
"I don't believe it. Computer, open door."
An older woman walked into the front entry. "Mr Paris?"
"Janeway is it really you? After all these years?"
She turned to face him. "It's been too long Tom, must be nearly fourteen years. It's my fault, I know."
"Ma'am I.."
"Please, it's just Kathryn now."
"Alright - have a seat in here." He led his old captain through to the living room.
"Kathryn, I'm sure you remember my daughter T'Lorah."
T'Lorah got up and moved over to the Admiral.
"I'm sorry, I don't remember you. Both mother and father spoke very highly of you." She knelt with one knee on the ground and bowed her head slightly, in the traditional greeting of an Admiral.
"T'Lorah, I've come here today to speak with you. It's taken me a long time to swallow my guilt and come to see you. The last time I was here you were just four, and had just been accepted into school a year early. I was quite impressed."
T'Lorah smiled gently and moved to a seat between her father and Janeway.
"I was on the board the day your case was tried, T'Lorah. Although having no input into the final decision, they wanted to imprison you on Earth until the disputes were over, they only decided to let you stay with..."
"Permission to speak freely, Admiral?" T'Lorah interrupted.
"Lorah don't interupt!" Tom exclaimed.
"Sorry Admiral..."
"It's okay...", she said and fingered the uniform as if it didn't quite fit, "granted."
"I know all that, Admiral. That they wanted to imprison me and only let me go and continue in Starfleet training school after that hearing."
"But that's just it - they never thought you'd deny your heritage. The board will never let you graduate T'Lorah, not while the people still begrudge the Klingon. Your heritage will not be ignored at the end of the four years at Starfleet, you will not be allowed to become a Starfleet officer. They simply won't accept applications from captains for you as part of their crew. I'm sorry. I tried to argue but it was no good. The minute you fail in any aspect of course - miss a single lecture or a single assignment - there will be no leeway. I wish I could have come earlier. I drove past a number of times. I should have come before you began at the Academy a month ago. I thought you might change you mind during the break and not pursue your Starfleet career. My behaviour is inexcusable."
"But they told me... I was... they said their was no restrictions on my rank... that was their terms. I signed..."
"They created another legislation, one that overrules those signed before, no Klingon officers, for fear of spies and traitors."
Tom interrupted "but Captains choose their own crew, the board authorise their choice, yes, but can they really not permit a student like T'Lorah from..."
"No. But the Captain would never fly again. I don't know what to say - you'd make a fine officer T'Lorah Paris, if you're anything like your parents."
T'Lorah nodded, but felt the tears coming on again. "Then what should I do, Admiral?"
"Try your absolute best. Continue what you've been doing and hope the people change their minds and become more tolerant. The Board won't change before then."
Janeway stood up. "I'm sorry, I must go. I'll keep trying T'Lorah. I'm trying to amend the legislation. For you, and for B'Elanna."
As Kathryn exited the room, the sensomatic doors slid open to reveal Sam Tanner, poised to activate the doorbell.
"Hello Sam, what are you doing here?" questioned a surprised Janeway.
"Admiral Janeway?" asked Sam.
"Tom, T'Lorah, this is Captain Chakotay's nephew. I visited his family last year. Has your family moved from Denver?"
"Just me, to attend Starfleet academy. I'm staying with my father's family."
"I guess you're a friend of T'Lorah's then?"
"Ah, sort of..." he managed.
"I am named after Admiral Janeway. My parents were under her command on her ship, with your uncle, I guess", T'Lorah said uneasily.
"On Voyager?"
"Of course."
The four stood uncomfortably for a moment, as each comprehended the new information.
"I'd better be off. I'll call again soon Tom. Remember what I said T'Lorah." She left through the open door, climbed into her own hoverdome (one she received as a Starfleet admiral) and hummed away into the afternoon sky.
"I think I'll replicate myself some dinner", Tom said, then headed upstairs and away from the replicator. Sam stepped inside and the door hissed shut behind him.
"Kathryn - T'Lorah, is it?"
"Yes. But don't use it outside my house."
"I want to apologise for before. It's not that I think any less of you for being Klingon - I don't even hate the Klingon - it's just drilled so heavily into us at school and Training school."
"I know. I had to endure those lessons too. I didn't think it was very Starfleet. They didn't actually say the Klingon were a bad race, but that we had to be wary of them, they were untrustworthy, bloodthirsty, determined and to be feared. They taught us to fear them - to bound together and use all force against them to protect ourselves."
"That's exactly it."
"I sat through the same lessons, Sam. Every second I sat there, pretending to believe everything they were teaching. I never understood how it could be true. I'd only ever known one Klingon, and she was my mother. She never raised a hand to me at all, so I assumed the tutors were mistaken. Never-the-less, I wrote reports on Klingon defence weaknesses and primary attack formations."
"I can't imagine it."
"I don't have to."
There was an uncomfortable silence between the two which lasted only seconds but, at least to T'Lorah, it seemed like hours and she couldn't resist saying something.
"My mother spoke very highly of your uncle. He was a good man - an understanding man. They were best friends, I think. I remember her talking about him once..." (she closed her eyes and probed her carefully filed memories, trying to remember the exact words) "He rescued me from the darkest point in my life, restored my standing in the universe and allowed me to achieve my life ambition. I am forever indebted to him."
She opened her eyes and found herself staring into Sam's.
"He didn't like to speak of your mother. He hated Starfleet for what they did to her. He even resigned from Starfleet and convinced my mother - his sister - that there was a better life for us away from the spaceports. He tried to talk me out of attending the Academy but didn't stop me either. He kind of lost it. He felt so guilty and he couldn't even bring himself to contact your father. I knew I heard his name before, I just couldn't place it."
T'Lorah nodded, lost in her own thoughts, trying to recall the memories of her and her mother together, but they seemed to be fading at such a rapid rate and she cursed herself for forgetting them.
"T'Lorah, can I take you to a holo-show tonight? I've been wanting to watch that knew Bajoran one."
"I'm not sure if I can afford the time - they're waiting for me to fail so they can expel me from the Academy."
"It won't be a late night, besides - we're ahead anyway."
"You don't understand..."
"But I do! With your Klingon heritage and with the Starfleet Board so affected by people's opinions, I do."
But T'Lorah knew he didn't. No one knew what failure in the Academy meant to her. Even Janeway was closer to understanding her than her own father did.
"Alright Sam. As long as we go now and are back by nine. I've got to draw a diagram of the warp engine for class tomorrow."
* * *
Two weeks later and Kathryn's engineering class was awaiting the results of the test on the warp engine. Even Kathryn admitted it hadn't been an easy test, with all facets of the topic being tested to the nth degree. This was her first chance to show the teacher - to show everyone - what she was capable of. She had heeded the admiral's warning and had quizzed herself night and day on the workings of each element - she not only had to pass like the rest of class - she had to soar.
"The results, on the whole, were quite disappointing. I know it will take some time to get back into studying. How about doing less celebrating and more studying? Especially those of you taking the extension courses for better qualifications. Those places are limited and you have been chosen for them, make the most of your situate. However, the top mark in First Year was awarded to a cadet from this tutor group, Kathryn Paris with a score of 98."
Perhaps the cadets clapped, Kathryn couldn't remember. She stood up to receive the padd back from the commander and sat down. She wasn't in shock but...
"I'd like to see you after class, Kathryn." She nodded.
"Only three students achieved over 90, the other two were from different groups. Then was Ferreira with 86, Kent with 82..."
His voice droned on and on until he held up the final padd. "Cadet Rooney, stand please." A shaky Rooney stood quickly. "A 26 is not sufficient Miss Rooney. Tell me it will not happen again."
"It won't Commander. I'm out of here. This Starfleet Academy was never my idea, my father, Sir. He only made Lieutenant, Sir and, well, who really cares about warp engine carbonators? Good luck to those of you who do."
She got and left without looking back. Kathryn glanced downwards - there was no life for her outside Starfleet. Whether you wanted action or the research facilities, it was where the opportunities were. If you weren't involved with Starfleet you would never make your mark in the universe.
"One down, 299 to go", the Commander smiled. Starfleet only want those who are committed to achieving high standards - there are no room for twenty-sixes. See you all next week when I'll distribute this term's assignment. Kathryn?"
Kathryn was beaming. She held the exam padd tightly - she had done it. She'd really shown them all. Maybe Janeway was right, but she was top of First Year and that was all that mattered.
"Miss Paris. There is some suspicion surrounding your score."
"Pardon, Commander?" Kathryn asked, her smile fading.
"This test was set by me, Cadet. It was a challenging test. The nearest score to yours was Tanner with a 93. A lot of the material wasn't taught in great detail in class - it was from the warp engine compendium given out at the start of the course. It was a good thirty screens long. You couldn't possible remember it all."
"But I studied it, Sir."
"Students are supposed to do poorly in the first test to make sure they work hard the rest of the year. How did you manage such a score?"
"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
"Granted."
"Are you accusing me of cheating?"
"They are your words, Paris."
"Sir - I've studied the warp engine since I began in school. My mother was chief engineer on a Federation Starship, she taught me all about the warp engine, the plasma and the coils before I even got a scholarship to Training school. I've always craved information - I have an almost photographic memory. I've also studied the warp drive extensively in gifted programs during the summer and took a specialist elite course in my year break. I'm in an extension engineering class and constructed a model of the warp engine last year that is still suspended from the roof of my bedroom. I knew every single question in that test Commander. Ask me anything, I've known it all for years", she took a shallow breath at the end of her spiel - she'd said too much and they both knew it.
"Very well, Cadet. Why didn't you score 100 then?"
"I don't know Sir. What did I get wrong?"
"You wrote", he said almost proudly, "that the operating speed of the warp engine can be enhanced by a series of regular electrostatic bursts of radum."
"Radum, Sir? I believe I wrote electrostatic bursts of radium, which is correct."
"But it doesn't say radium, it says radum."
Kathryn took the padd from the Commander. Looking at her entered response, it appeared as though the i in radium had merged into the d, making it look like it wasn't there at all.
"But, Sir..."
"Are you denying that you entered radum, Paris?"
"Yes Commander. I entered radium it just looks like radum."
"So you entered the word radum in response to this question."
"No Sir. I knew the answer to be radium and that is what I entered."
"It says radum, Cadet. Radum is what you entered. Radum is not the answer. What I have to mark you on is what you enter in. Do you deny that this word reads - right here and now - reads 'radum'."
Kathryn looked again at the word. It hardly mattered - she'd come top anyway. And it did look like radum.
"No Sir."
"What was that, Paris?"
"Although I wrote radium, that is not the answer you can determine from the padd."
His eyes scanned her face, searching for any signs of sarcasm or arrogance. Finding nothing, he continued, "You can go Kathryn, congratulations on your score."
She left quickly and as she neared the door she saw Sam waiting for her.
"How'd you do?"
"A 98, top of the year."
"Yeah thought you might. I got second. Why do you look so disappointed? What did you get wrong?"
She scanned through the type on her exam padd, indicated where to look and handed it too him.
"You wrote radium? But, Kathryn, that's right!"
"I know. He told me I entered... I don't want to go into it." She was so upset she had to turn away from him. "He's acting on orders from the Board, I don't know, to unnerve me probably... I..."
Sam took her hand, then - sensing she didn't mind - put his arm around her shoulders and began to walk her home. 'I didn't believe you Admiral, but how right you were - they're not going to let her get away with anything' Sam thought, disdainfully.
* * *
Continued in T'LORAH'S TALE - PART 3. Hope you're enjoying this!