The Romulan Courier
By Sirap
Tom stared at Kathleen with disappointment in his eyes. He had had much more faith in her than Moira had. He never thought his own sister would turn him away.
He guessed he shouldn't be surprised. His father had done the same thing.
Kathleen turned her gaze to the floor, unable to face her brother's accusing glare. He'd been gone almost 3 years. She hadn't seen her own brother in 3 years and now she was giving up what might be her only chance to get to know him again. What kind of sister was she?
Setting down the phaser on a table behind her she flew down the few steps so she was at eye level with Tom.
"Wait," she cried. "You can stay."
Moira turned, one perfectly sculpted eyebrows raised in amusement. "You're not kicking us our?"
"Hey," Kathleen said uncertainly. "You're family, right?"
Tom smiled and hugged his sister. Kathleen smiled too and hugged him back.
"I knew you'd come around," Tom said happily.
Feeling the caked blood on Tom's neck Kathleen pulled back in horror. Twisting around she saw the gash on his head.
"What happened?" she asked urgently.
Tom didn't seem to think it was that important. "I had a run in with a Romulan," he told her glibly.
With a slight glare at Moira, Kathleen ushered Tom inside. "This should have been looked at immediately."
"We were a little preoccupied," Moira said archly, following Kathleen and Tom into the house. She was beginning to wish Kathleen had just let them leave.
Kathleen got a first aid kit and quickly healed the gash on Tom's head.
"I've healed your concussion," she told him. "Now, why don't you tell me what really happened?"
Moira shook her head ever so slightly in Tom's direction, warning him not to tell Kathleen anything.
Tom smiled, "I let Moira fly for a moment, we hit some turbulence and I flew back into some crates."
Kathleen turned to Moira, "You should be more careful," she rebuked.
A portable console that had been sitting on the kitchen table beeped.
"Excuse me," Kathleen said getting up to answer the message.
Tom went to stand by Moira. "We should tell her, she might be able to help."
"You don't know the whole story yet, Tom. Starfleet can't know," Moira whispered back.
Tom watched as Kathleen picked up the console and went into the next room then turned back to Moira.
"Kathleen isn't Starfleet," he protested.
"She might as well be," Moira snapped back. "Now, I'm leaving, are you going to come with me?"
"Well, we are the inseparable Paris kids, right?"
Moira smiled, "Come on." With that, the two quickly crept from the room.
* * * *
Kathleen stared at the man on her screen in disbelief. "Are sure it was them?"
"The two people who fled the scene matched Tom and Moira's descriptions exactly."
Kathleen thought back to Tom's earlier remark, 'I had a run in with a Romulan'. And now Starfleet had a dead Romulan, a suspected Tal Shiar agent with the murderer and main witness missing. A women and a man. Could it be?
"Kathleen, do you know something I don't?"
Kathleen held back the automatic response engrained within her. She listened to her heart, remembered the look in Tom's eyes when she'd turned them away.
"No, dad, of course not."
Admiral Paris sighed. "After Janeway's performance report on Tom I thought he'd changed. Now this. Those two just can't make my life easy, can they?"
"I'm sure it's a misunderstanding now if you'll excuse me, I have a case I need to work on, don't wait up for me tonight."
Her father nodded and Kathleen ended the communiqué. Kathleen picked up the console and headed back to the kitchen but when she looked up over the counter, Tom and Moira were no longer on the couch in the living room. Dropping the console onto the counter, Kathleen raced across the living room and into the hallway leading to the garage. When the door slide open she could see the small ship preparing to lift off. Kathleen had only a moment to think. She could lock the garage with her access code and call Starfleet Command. She could sell out her brother and her sister or she could.
She raced to the entrance hatch, prying it open she stumbled into the cargo area pulling the hatch closed. She had just enough time to activate the lock before the ship pulled out sending her into a bulkhead. The way the ship had pulled out, it had the distinct flare of her long absent brother. She could feel the ship soaring through the air, not even the slightest amount of turbulence. It had been three years and she had forgotten what a magnificent pilot he was, even sitting in the cargo bay she could feel a difference between the way Tom could fly and the way everyone else did.
Kathleen heard the whoosh of a door and looked up, Moira stood before her, with her arms crossed.
"Kathleen," was all she said.
"Hi," Kathleen said sheepishly.
"Oh, Tom," Moira called over her shoulder. "We've got ourselves a stowaway."
Tom smiled. He knew who the stowaway was. His other sister had joined the dark side.
His two sisters joined him on the bridge. Moira was smiling smugly and Kathleen looked uncertain.
"Why don't we fill Kathleen in?" Tom asked.
Moira looked at him like he'd grown another head.
"Yes why don't you tell me?" Kathleen asked boldly. "What do you gave to do with the death of that Tal Shiar agent?"
Moira looked at her sister in surprise but Tom only smiled, "Come on, Moira. We can trust her."
With a sigh Moira told Kathleen everything she had told Tom. Kathleen for her part had remained composed the entire time.
Tom smiled when Moira finished, "Now for the big finale, why don't you tell us what you took, what is it that the Romulans are so desperate to get back?"
Moira took a deep breath, she didn't know how to tell them so she just moved off to the side and removed an old blanket from atop the object of all her troubles.
Kathleen and Tom stared at, completely oblivious as to its purpose.
"What is it?" Tom asked after a beat.
"It's called a 'past changer'," Moira said evasively. "It can send people through time."
Kathleen's mouth dropped open, "Are you kidding? How did the Romulans get a hold of it?"
"Are you sure it works?" Tom asked.
Moira turned to Tom with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Oh I guarantee you, it works."
Tom sighed, "Now I know why you didn't want to involve Starfleet."
"Why?" Kathleen asked.
"Because despite the fact that Starfleet has the temporal prime directive they would stop at nothing to get this from Moira."
"And they'd no doubt use it," Moira added.
"No, I don't believe that," Kathleen protested. "The only legal way to handle this situation is to tell Starfleet. You killed a member of the royal family, Moira. The Empress will order you to be killed. You need protection."
"I need protection from no one," she said audaciously. "I have the 'past changer' don't you know what that means?"
"But you can't use it," Kathleen said abruptly. "You know that."
"Of course," was all Moira said. "But I do know how. I don't believe the Romulans do."
"No offense, sis," Tom said. "But I think if you could figure it out a Romulan scientist could."
"Yes, but it never made it to a Romulan scientist. It never made it past me."
"What are you saying?" Tom asked. "You think you can bargain with them? They have no use for that information if they don't have the 'past changer'."
"Then I'll give it to them, just like last time, Tom."
"Last time?" Tom asked. "What are you talking about?"
Right, that never happened. "Oh nothing, I'm just thinking. I'll make a duplicate. The way I see it the only people who have see the 'past changer' our us and the two couriers. One is dead the other would have been sent away until things cooled down."
"So they won't notice if something is slightly off." Tom said understanding.
"Right," Moira replied.
Kathleen frowned, "It's too dangerous."
"Kathleen's right," Tom agreed. "They'll kill you anyway. We're dealing with the Tal Shiar. They don't leave any loose ends."
"But before you said." Moira began.
"Wishful thinking," Tom interrupted. "This won't appease them. Only your death will do that. They won't allow you to live, they will avenge the Empress's son. They'll stop at nothing, they'll hunt you the rest of your life."
Moira noticed the look in his eyes, "You have a plan."
"Of course," Tom smiled. "I can think of only one way out of this."
"And what is it?" Moira prodded.
The corner of Tom's mouth twitched. "We have to use the 'past changer'. We need to go back and we have to stop you from ever killing the Empress's son."
To be continued. The next part will must likely be the conclusion. Please review!
By Sirap
Tom stared at Kathleen with disappointment in his eyes. He had had much more faith in her than Moira had. He never thought his own sister would turn him away.
He guessed he shouldn't be surprised. His father had done the same thing.
Kathleen turned her gaze to the floor, unable to face her brother's accusing glare. He'd been gone almost 3 years. She hadn't seen her own brother in 3 years and now she was giving up what might be her only chance to get to know him again. What kind of sister was she?
Setting down the phaser on a table behind her she flew down the few steps so she was at eye level with Tom.
"Wait," she cried. "You can stay."
Moira turned, one perfectly sculpted eyebrows raised in amusement. "You're not kicking us our?"
"Hey," Kathleen said uncertainly. "You're family, right?"
Tom smiled and hugged his sister. Kathleen smiled too and hugged him back.
"I knew you'd come around," Tom said happily.
Feeling the caked blood on Tom's neck Kathleen pulled back in horror. Twisting around she saw the gash on his head.
"What happened?" she asked urgently.
Tom didn't seem to think it was that important. "I had a run in with a Romulan," he told her glibly.
With a slight glare at Moira, Kathleen ushered Tom inside. "This should have been looked at immediately."
"We were a little preoccupied," Moira said archly, following Kathleen and Tom into the house. She was beginning to wish Kathleen had just let them leave.
Kathleen got a first aid kit and quickly healed the gash on Tom's head.
"I've healed your concussion," she told him. "Now, why don't you tell me what really happened?"
Moira shook her head ever so slightly in Tom's direction, warning him not to tell Kathleen anything.
Tom smiled, "I let Moira fly for a moment, we hit some turbulence and I flew back into some crates."
Kathleen turned to Moira, "You should be more careful," she rebuked.
A portable console that had been sitting on the kitchen table beeped.
"Excuse me," Kathleen said getting up to answer the message.
Tom went to stand by Moira. "We should tell her, she might be able to help."
"You don't know the whole story yet, Tom. Starfleet can't know," Moira whispered back.
Tom watched as Kathleen picked up the console and went into the next room then turned back to Moira.
"Kathleen isn't Starfleet," he protested.
"She might as well be," Moira snapped back. "Now, I'm leaving, are you going to come with me?"
"Well, we are the inseparable Paris kids, right?"
Moira smiled, "Come on." With that, the two quickly crept from the room.
* * * *
Kathleen stared at the man on her screen in disbelief. "Are sure it was them?"
"The two people who fled the scene matched Tom and Moira's descriptions exactly."
Kathleen thought back to Tom's earlier remark, 'I had a run in with a Romulan'. And now Starfleet had a dead Romulan, a suspected Tal Shiar agent with the murderer and main witness missing. A women and a man. Could it be?
"Kathleen, do you know something I don't?"
Kathleen held back the automatic response engrained within her. She listened to her heart, remembered the look in Tom's eyes when she'd turned them away.
"No, dad, of course not."
Admiral Paris sighed. "After Janeway's performance report on Tom I thought he'd changed. Now this. Those two just can't make my life easy, can they?"
"I'm sure it's a misunderstanding now if you'll excuse me, I have a case I need to work on, don't wait up for me tonight."
Her father nodded and Kathleen ended the communiqué. Kathleen picked up the console and headed back to the kitchen but when she looked up over the counter, Tom and Moira were no longer on the couch in the living room. Dropping the console onto the counter, Kathleen raced across the living room and into the hallway leading to the garage. When the door slide open she could see the small ship preparing to lift off. Kathleen had only a moment to think. She could lock the garage with her access code and call Starfleet Command. She could sell out her brother and her sister or she could.
She raced to the entrance hatch, prying it open she stumbled into the cargo area pulling the hatch closed. She had just enough time to activate the lock before the ship pulled out sending her into a bulkhead. The way the ship had pulled out, it had the distinct flare of her long absent brother. She could feel the ship soaring through the air, not even the slightest amount of turbulence. It had been three years and she had forgotten what a magnificent pilot he was, even sitting in the cargo bay she could feel a difference between the way Tom could fly and the way everyone else did.
Kathleen heard the whoosh of a door and looked up, Moira stood before her, with her arms crossed.
"Kathleen," was all she said.
"Hi," Kathleen said sheepishly.
"Oh, Tom," Moira called over her shoulder. "We've got ourselves a stowaway."
Tom smiled. He knew who the stowaway was. His other sister had joined the dark side.
His two sisters joined him on the bridge. Moira was smiling smugly and Kathleen looked uncertain.
"Why don't we fill Kathleen in?" Tom asked.
Moira looked at him like he'd grown another head.
"Yes why don't you tell me?" Kathleen asked boldly. "What do you gave to do with the death of that Tal Shiar agent?"
Moira looked at her sister in surprise but Tom only smiled, "Come on, Moira. We can trust her."
With a sigh Moira told Kathleen everything she had told Tom. Kathleen for her part had remained composed the entire time.
Tom smiled when Moira finished, "Now for the big finale, why don't you tell us what you took, what is it that the Romulans are so desperate to get back?"
Moira took a deep breath, she didn't know how to tell them so she just moved off to the side and removed an old blanket from atop the object of all her troubles.
Kathleen and Tom stared at, completely oblivious as to its purpose.
"What is it?" Tom asked after a beat.
"It's called a 'past changer'," Moira said evasively. "It can send people through time."
Kathleen's mouth dropped open, "Are you kidding? How did the Romulans get a hold of it?"
"Are you sure it works?" Tom asked.
Moira turned to Tom with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Oh I guarantee you, it works."
Tom sighed, "Now I know why you didn't want to involve Starfleet."
"Why?" Kathleen asked.
"Because despite the fact that Starfleet has the temporal prime directive they would stop at nothing to get this from Moira."
"And they'd no doubt use it," Moira added.
"No, I don't believe that," Kathleen protested. "The only legal way to handle this situation is to tell Starfleet. You killed a member of the royal family, Moira. The Empress will order you to be killed. You need protection."
"I need protection from no one," she said audaciously. "I have the 'past changer' don't you know what that means?"
"But you can't use it," Kathleen said abruptly. "You know that."
"Of course," was all Moira said. "But I do know how. I don't believe the Romulans do."
"No offense, sis," Tom said. "But I think if you could figure it out a Romulan scientist could."
"Yes, but it never made it to a Romulan scientist. It never made it past me."
"What are you saying?" Tom asked. "You think you can bargain with them? They have no use for that information if they don't have the 'past changer'."
"Then I'll give it to them, just like last time, Tom."
"Last time?" Tom asked. "What are you talking about?"
Right, that never happened. "Oh nothing, I'm just thinking. I'll make a duplicate. The way I see it the only people who have see the 'past changer' our us and the two couriers. One is dead the other would have been sent away until things cooled down."
"So they won't notice if something is slightly off." Tom said understanding.
"Right," Moira replied.
Kathleen frowned, "It's too dangerous."
"Kathleen's right," Tom agreed. "They'll kill you anyway. We're dealing with the Tal Shiar. They don't leave any loose ends."
"But before you said." Moira began.
"Wishful thinking," Tom interrupted. "This won't appease them. Only your death will do that. They won't allow you to live, they will avenge the Empress's son. They'll stop at nothing, they'll hunt you the rest of your life."
Moira noticed the look in his eyes, "You have a plan."
"Of course," Tom smiled. "I can think of only one way out of this."
"And what is it?" Moira prodded.
The corner of Tom's mouth twitched. "We have to use the 'past changer'. We need to go back and we have to stop you from ever killing the Empress's son."
To be continued. The next part will must likely be the conclusion. Please review!
