The bubbly beings greeted the crew of Voyager with open arms. Their smiles
revealing light blue teeth and, occasionally, purple tongues. Ensign
Morally hadn't had a moment to sit since he and his best friend Elgaro had
beamed down and been greeted by their two hosts, and then dragged almost
literally to all the historical sights in the city. He leaned over and
whispered quickly in Elgaro's brown ear.
"If I'm going to be introduced to any more historical sites I'd like to stop and get drunk first." The taller man turned his chocolate eyes on him questioningly before being polite and feigning interest in their host's babblings, who were walking ahead of them, pointing things out with bubbly little hands. Morally leaned towards his friend again.
"If I'm drunk all this history might suddenly be appealing."
"Just shut up, smile and nod. I think it's almost over." Elgaro hissed and then playfully shoved Morally away. Grinning the younger engineer took in his surroundings once more. This place was beautiful, modern and old if that made any sense. He looked down where his feet crunched on the dirt and gravel. These beings, the Tubbles, had a fascination with their history and a strong love for technology. Soots, their host, was speaking about a rock fountain off to their left and how it was built for a governor two hundred years ago in honour of his aid in the flower revolution movement. Literally. These beings had believed that the flora and shrubs of this planet had just as much right to exist in all places as the Tubbles did. The movement paved the way for the planet to have the same vegetation everywhere. Morally thought that was grounds for insanity but hey, whatever gave them their jollies.
Back to the original point of his minds wanderings, the Tubbles had incorporated their heritage into their daily lives as much as possible. While their buildings where built with sophisticated technology, their streets were the natural pathways they had been when first created. When necessary they used mechanical form of transportation but usually relied on their…cows to take them places. At least the large creatures sort of looked like cows. Morally shook his head at the fact that he even knew what a cow was, being as he hadn't seen one since a cultural trip he had taken on earth at the age of four.
"Ensign Morally, Ensign Elgaro." Soots called for their full attention as he and his associate Eiala turned to face them once again, flashing their blue teeth. "It has been a pleasure showing you our historical treasures. We wish you an enjoyable stay here on Rispi." The sincerity was noticeable in their voices and Morally smiled good naturedly.
"It was wonderful haveing you show us around. Your city is beautiful and its history is engaging. I'm sure we'll have a great trip." They bowed, arching backwards before straightening and walking off at their rapid speed. Elgaro looked skeptically at him. "What?"
"Engaging? Let's not shock them with that stunning vocabulary."
"I didn't hear you offer anything."
"That's because some people are too eager to hear their own voice and cut others off." Morally shrugged non-apologetically at his best friends ribbing. Six years ago he would have 'engaged' in a fistfight if Elgaro had even spoken to him in a way that could have been condescending. It's amazing what a couple of good intergalactic battles and struggle for survival could do for ones social life.
"Yeah, yeah, let's go find that bar." He growled back in mock anger. They headed down the street in companionable silence, until a chuckle erupted from Elgaro.
"What?"
"Its nothing, really."
"If it was nothing you wouldn't be grinning. It had better not be at me." The warm laughter came again.
"Honest, its stupid. Just one of those things I find amusing." Morally concentrated on walking again, the continuous crunch of gravel following them with every step. Elgaro chuckled again.
"WHAT?"
"Its nothing."
"Elgaro." Morally warned, looking around for the bar they had seen earlier.
"It's the gravel." He stated, chuckling again. Morally stopped and turned his well patented gaze on his friend.
"The gravel?"
"It's crunching with every step we take. I'm not used to it."
"And it's making you laugh out loud? Sometimes I wonder if everything in your head was assembled correctly at birth. You come up with the weirdest…"
"There's Paris." Elgaro's lighthearted gaze suddenly became serious as he looked over Morally's shoulder. Morally twisted around to see for himself, and true enough Paris was walking out of the bar they had been heading to, his features as calm as ever. Just like they had been every time Morally had seen him since his return to Voyager. He hadn't admitted it to anyone except Elgaro but he hated that look. It was completely unlike the Tom Paris who had taught him how to fly on the holodeck two years before.
"Should we go say hi or something?" He asked his friend. They'd been meaning to speak with him for a while now but with their duties and own personal lives they hadn't gotten around to it yet.
"What is this?" Elgaro asked instead of answering Morally. They moved quickly to the side of the street where they were slightly less noticeable and watched as Paris slowly approached them. A man had left the bar and was following the pilot, calling out some strange name. Morally was sure he'd seen this mans species before.
"Elsar! Elsar cease your retreat. I wish to talk!" Tom stopped so abruptly Morally was sure the force of gravity should have pulled him face first into the dirt. The shorter being approached the fair haired man but stopped his advance three meters away, keeping a distance.
"What do you thinks happening?" Morally asked quietly.
"Listen and we might find out." Elgaro growled, his voice sounding annoyed. Morally thought nothing of it, he knew his friend wasn't annoyed, only curious. He studied Tom's body language carefully. The man was standing to his full height, his shoulders squared menacingly and one fist was curled. He was definitely angry, and Morally noticed that the being who had followed him was keeping the distance just for that reason.
"Elsar, you must speak with Imod. He has a proposition." What was going on here? A proposition for what? And why was he calling Tom "Elsar?"
"I have nothing to say to Imod." Tom's voice, calm and deliberate, was in high contrast with his body language.
"I believe you will be very interested to hear what he has to say. He will send them home for real this time. He knows he cannot double cross you twice. He is a wise man."
"If he was wise he would have sent them home the first time. Leave me alone. I want nothing to do with any of your kind."
"Elsar, if you would just listen to him…" The being halted in mid sentence as Tom grabbed the base of his t-shirts sleeve and fiercely hiked it up, brandishing his arm to the man. Morally and Elgaro were looking at Tom's back so they couldn't see what he was showing him, but it was hard not to notice the persistent man beginning to tremble. Tom's voice was now obviously very controlled, his anger slowly seeping in. Morally had never heard such vehemence from the pilot before.
"Look carefully Kinkari. This is the mark of the Niktarus. I am one of the best, and it sure as hell isn't daisy picking that I do. Now you tell Imod that if he comes near me, I will break his neck. If he comes near my crew, I will break. his. neck. If he threatens them in any way, I will be after him like a gluco tic on sucrose. And if he sends you or any of his men to follow me again, they will not be reporting back to him, ever. I am through with him." Tom stepped closer to the Kinkari and Morally, stunned by the force of the pilot's threats noticed several other men of the Kinkari species emerge from the tavern, take one look at Paris brandishing whatever was on his arm, and bid a hasty retreat back into the building. "He can shove his wormhole technology up his black hole, and I do mean that literally. Do you understand?" He yanked his sleeve back down and the Kinkari was now shaking uncontrollably.
"Yes Elsar." The being raised a hand to cover half his face and performed a half bow. "I beg my well being and will not approach you again." The being turned and practically ran away. Tom turned and continued his walk towards Morally and Elgaro, his face once again calm, as though that entire confrontation had never happened. Before Morally could question his own actions he was stepping out to greet Tom.
"Tom? Are you okay?" He asked and the pilot stopped dead in his tracks for the second time in as many minutes. The calm gave way to confusion for a brief moment.
"Excuse me?"
"I asked if you were alright. You looked kind of shaken up for a moment there."
"What do you care?" A sarcastic half grin erupted on the younger mans face and Morally was momentarily puzzled by the hostility.
"Why wouldn't I? Look, despite what you may think we never stopped thinking of you as a friend." Morally said speaking for himself and Elgaro who finally joined their group.
"That would have been nice to know a few weeks ago. Now if you'll excuse me, I have lives to disrupt." Tom began to walk past them and Morally grabbed the pilot's arm without thinking, halting his retreat.
"I'm sorry Tom. I didn't mean to hurt you by not speaking with you. I assumed you would realize not all of us hold your little vacation against you." Tom's eyes, turning from their previous cold gray to a lighter blue, were stunned. It was as if this was the last thing he had ever expected to hear.
"Tom." Elgaro found his own voice. "We all make decisions on a daily bases which affect the lives of others. The crew of Voyager knows this, it's just taking them a while to remember. Give them time." Tom looked between them for a moment, the shock in his eyes at their admissions burned into their memories; it wasn't something they liked to see. Then, as if it had always been, Tom was showing only a neutral and unreadable face.
"I wish I could Elgaro. Thank you guys, but I need to be going now. Bye." He easily pulled out of Elgaro's grasp and headed off towards Voyager's beaming site.
"This is one of the most interesting confrontations I have ever been witness to." Morally muttered as they watched their friends retreating back.
"What is a Niktarus?" Elgaro asked, as if Morally could somehow pull the answer from the air.
"I'll tell you if you tell me what Elsar means."
"This isn't right."
"When did you get that idea? When he was threatening people we don't know for the crews safety?"
"We need to report this to the captain."
"I agree, but we have to give him a moment to get back to the ship before we go or he might see us." Morally concluded as they slowly began walking towards the beam out site, their feet once again crunching the gravel. He was beginning to worry about Tom. The surprise in the pilot's eyes simply from being given a kind word was not right and he needed to understand what was going on. He glanced at Elgaro and noticed a frown marring his dark features.
"What's wrong?" Elgaro turned confused eyes on him a moment and then looked momentarily at their feet.
"I couldn't hear the gravel beneath his feet when he walked." They continued the rest of their walk in silence.
((/\))
"Concentrate cadet. Do not hesitate when the choice you will make is possibly the last. Know what you are going to do without thinking." Sul'Ta studied Cadet Paris's each movement carefully. The boy's features were still, his eyes focused once again on the wires within the panel. One false move and he could be killed. The three times they had done this previously had ended in disaster when Thomas had blended the wires incorrectly. It was a delicate procedure, the weapons systems of any starship when tampered with in such a manner were highly unstable. The fourteen year olds hands moved smoothly, there was no indication of a tremor to disrupt his work. There was however beads of sweat forming along his hairline. That was allowable.
"Sir, weapons have been rerouted to initiate warp core overload on my command. All traces of tampering have been destroyed and blended into regular systems functions. Weapons will continue to function within normal parameters Sir." The clipped and professional tone was confident, Sul'ta nodded in satisfaction. The boy was smart. This was a procedure most seasoned engineers wouldn't contemplate. Then of course, it was highly illegal and unnecessary to most of Starfleet's people. Sul'Ta ended the holodecks simulation and headed to the door, Cadet Paris following quietly. Next week they would perform this procedure on a real ship. Neither of their footsteps could be heard as they walked down the hall towards the physical training grounds.
Tuvok gazed out at the stars. The Tubbles planet was on the other side of the ship. He preferred the darkness when he needed to think. The night before he had had the dream of his father teaching a young Tom Paris highly unorthodox workings of a ships inner systems. As much as Tuvok did not like admitting to himself, he did not know what to think of this memory from his father.
He had a deeply set respect for the deceased Vulcan. He had grown up under his teachings and while at first Tuvok had resisted he found himself envious of his fathers self-control. When he had turned twenty his father had left for a long-term position in one of Starfleet's distant projects. They had kept in short communication throughout his missing years, and of course they spoke in person when Sul'Ta returned after 7 years away for the ritual Ponn Farr with his wife. Tuvok had never thought it strange that work was never spoken about. It was accepted that it was a private matter not to be discussed unless it involved problems directly pertaining to family. However this memory of a young Mr. Paris learning how to wire starship internal systems was…disturbing.
With such an insight Tuvok was forced to think of security. If Tom had been that well trained at the age of fourteen, it was impossible to determine how much he knew now. What he could do with the information, how he may, or possibly already has, interfered with Voyagers systems. And what of the advanced shuttle the Delta Flyer? It was designed and built by Tom. The conn, astrometrics, communications, the warp core systems, medical apparatuses, holodecks, replicator's, weapons, transportation…the list went on, and these were things Tom had access to everyday.
But Tuvok didn't believe that Tom had ever sabotaged or would ever sabotage Voyager's systems, the thought that it could easily happen though was not encouraging. Then there was the question as to why Tom had never leaned on his apparent knowledge in Voyager's times of crises. There was no doubt, with the speculation that Tom was a so called "Niktarus," that his skills would have highly benefited Voyager in possibly every situation they had gotten into. But this was also hypothetical thinking and Tuvok had no concrete evidence to prove his theories. In all fairness it was possible his fathers memories could have been warped to believe he had been teaching Thomas such difficult and advanced procedures, when it had simply been basic navigation rerouting tactics at a private school. Tom Paris was the son of Admiral Owen Paris after all. They spare no expense.
The doors to the observation room opened and Tuvok turned to see the man currently in his thoughts standing just inside the doors.
"Tuvok, sorry to interrupt. I'll come back later." He turned quickly and the door automatically opened again to allow the pilot to exit but Tuvok called out before the young man had the chance to escape.
"Mr. Paris. I would like to speak with you." Tuvok noted how the pilot hesitated briefly before swiftly turning around and coming back into the room. He'd seen the act of hesitation on Mr. Paris ever since the Marquis and Starfleet crews had emerged. Tuvok had long ago considered the action as a moment to gather thoughts, or control emotions. It was a common trait among Vulcan's, and non-Vulcan students.
"What's on your mind Tuvok." Tom's gaze was sharp and wary, more so than usual, as he walked up to join Tuvok at the view port. They both looked out at the stars.
"My father." The Vulcan stated. "It was three years ago this day that he died." Tom was silent for a long moment. A moment that almost made the Vulcan uncomfortable.
"How could you know that? As I understand Voyager was not in contact with the Delta Quadrant then."
"It is a Vulcan passage ritual. As the father dies his memories are passed on to his children. This ritual is not shared with anyone outside of our species, so I trust you will not spread our cultures sacred secrets."
"You have my word." Tom stated firmly, and then his gaze, sharp as a bat'leth turned on Tuvok. "Why are you telling me this?" Tuvok looked calmly into the man's eyes, knowing that Tom had already figured it out but wanted his thoughts confirmed.
"You deserve to know of Sul'Ta's death, as he was as much a father to you as he was to me." Tuvok watched Tom carefully for a reaction. The Vulcan didn't really know much about Tom's relationship with his father, but he was sure it had been a long one. Whether it was the way a father son or student mentor relationship should be, Tuvok was uncertain.
"How much do you know?" Tom asked quietly, and Tuvok noted that his eyes had turned to an odd shade of gray.
"Of your time learning under my father, not much. Of where and what you were learning I have suspicions, but none are certain. I would like you to answer some questions I have about your upbringing in the private school you attended, as well as your past year serving as a Niktarus." Tom's face remained emotionless, like stone as he stared into Tuvok's eyes. The Vulcan was impressed as always with the human's level of control but he was concerned by it. It was something that took years of practice to achieve, and it was something Tom used when he was highly unsure of what to do in a situation personally involving himself. Tuvok suspected that this insight to Tom's personality was something passed to him by his father.
"The Niktarus is no concern to you or anyone else. Neither is the school which I was brought up in. It was a simple advanced academy private school, training pre Starfleet cadets and talented children. Forget about it."
"Pre-Starfleet academies do not train children in the art of warfare and combat."
"Tuvok, I understand you may have some memories from your father, but with all due respect we were not trained…"
"And with all due respect I ask that you stop lying to me Tom Paris." Tuvok's gaze remained calm, as did Tom's. If anyone walked in they would have thought the two were having a simple conversation about a card game, not something which Tom knew could one day result in life or death.
"Tuvok. I am going to ask you to ignore what you think you know, because it is not the truth."
"Who are you protecting?"
"No one."
"Then why is the truth so difficult to speak of." Tom's hardened gaze flickered a moment, emotion too brief to classify glazed across his aluminum coloured eyes. Tuvok watched him intently, trying to pry an answer from the stubborn man.
"The truth," Tom finally spoke, his voice softer but still calm, "has never been spoken before Tuvok. And it's not going to start here. Please understand that it is not something that can just be told without repercussions. Truth is dangerous, deadly in this case, and it doesn't matter whether the enemy knows you know the truth, or thinks you might know the truth. In the end the innocent always die."
"Like Caldik Prime."
"Like everything Tuvok. Like everything." They stared at each other. Tuvok understanding that what Tom was saying was the truth, but not enough of it. There had been deeds performed by Starfleet in the past that have been severe enough to almost destroy the organization. He suspected that Tom Paris was a victim of something that only a few top Starfleet officials knew about. Reasons like safety for those choosing to involve themselves did not disturb Tuvok, and were not reason enough to hide the truth. Eventually Captain Janeway, himself and whoever else they choose to involve would get to the bottom of Tom's secrets. They had to start somewhere, and Tuvok wasn't one who would allow a friend to suffer needlessly.
"Tom," The slip of formal address was noticed by both men immediately and Tuvok paused a moment in Vulcan surprise before correcting himself. "Mr. Paris. I would like you to join Captain Janeway and I in her ready room. We need to discuss the actions of this past year and the reasons pertaining to them." Tom finally looked sad, breaking his mask as though it were too much of a burden to carry.
"Tuvok, I can't do that."
"I was not aware of it being a request Mr. Paris. I am ordering you to join me with the captain in her ready room."
"And I'm afraid I'm going to have to be insubordinate Tuvok."
"I will call security to assist." Tuvok warned for a final time. Tom didn't give him a chance to raise his arm to his commbadge as Tuvok found his arms twisted, pinned securely behind his back, and Tom standing behind him.
"I'm sorry Tuvok, I can't let you do that. Tell the crew I'm sorry that I'm doing this again, if any of them care enough to give a damn."
"Mr. Paris" Tuvok didn't say anything else as he felt Tom's hand pinch the base of his neck, knocking him unconscious. Tom held the heavy man a moment and breathed a long sorrow filled sigh before easily picking him up and placing him in the corner of the room, completely out of sight unless someone was specifically looking for him. And then he hurried out of the room, with his mask firmly back in place.
Tom had gone to the observation room for a few moments of silence, instead he found himself rushing ahead in his plan. Tuvok would wake up soon and Tom wanted to be gone by then.
((/\))
Morally and Elgaro had beamed aboard Voyager an hour ago intent on speaking with captain Janeway right away. Then Elgaro had decided that they couldn't approach the Captain with superstitions so they had paused at a console to determine exactly who the Kinkari were and where they came from, their connections to Tom etc… It had taken a lot longer for Voyager's system to look up the alien species, there was something slowing down the search parameters of the history database. So now, one hour later (after they had fixed the problem being engineers and all) they were heading to engineering where Captain Janeway was no doubt speaking with Lieutenant Torres.
"I don't understand it captain. Up until twenty minutes ago all command systems were working perfectly and now they're sluggish, it doesn't matter what is being asked of them. I have people working on the problem and thankfully it's only disrupting the ships most minor systems, but I don't know what has brought it on." Janeway listened carefully as she gazed at a console providing all the evidence for Torres's explanation. Elgaro immediately found it interesting that so many minor systems should be fritzing out. Morally didn't seem to care.
"Captain. We need to speak with you a moment." They stood stiffly at attention as she quickly looked them over, assessing if their current problem was enough to warrant attention without even knowing what it was. Elgaro decided to elaborate.
"It's concerning Tom Paris." B'Elanna turned and watched them now and it was clear that they had Janeway's undivided attention.
"What is it ensigns?"
"We came across him planet side approximately two hours ago. He was being confronted by a Kinkari, the same species that he left Voyager with to work for last year." Morally explained unnecessarily, because none of the senior crew of Voyager could forget who the Kinkari were.
"The being was calling him "Elsar" and asking him to meet with someone called Imod, and that it was an appointment Tom could find beneficial." Elgaro continued. "Tom threatened him, saying something about being one of the best of the Niktarus. We couldn't find anything describing what a Niktarus was, but the language data base described "Elsar" as unknown. We split the word up into El and sar. It's description was confusing, something about changing demeanor and colour in brief moments."
"Was this being threatening Mr. Paris in any way?" Morally hesitated before answering.
"No Captain. He was requesting a meeting for his superior and that seemed to make Tom…Mr. Paris very angry. He threatened to kill Imod if he saw him, or if he attempted to harm our crew in any way." Janeway stared at him hard for a moment, and despite his training Morally found himself shuffling from one foot to another for a brief second before realizing what he was doing.
"Are you sure of this Ensign Morally? Are you absolutely positive that that is what you heard?"
"Yes Ma'am." He answered confidently.
"Ensign Elgaro. Will you support his statement?"
"Yes Captain. That is what Tom Paris said."
"I want a full report on this incident written and handed in to me within the hour."
"Aye Captain." They both answered and began to turn away, but they were called back to attention when Janeway called their names.
"Thank you for informing me of this, most people would have ignored it."
"It was our duty to the ship and as a friend of Tom's to do so Captain." She nodded and they left engineering to write up their reports, not saying anything. They new what she meant when she said most people would have ignored the incident. They should have spoken with Tom sooner.
((/\))
"Captain. What's going on?" Torres demanded, focusing her piercing gaze upon the captain.
"Lieutenant, come to the briefing room with me."
They left engineering walking at a fast pace, side by side.
"Lieutenant Kim." Janeway slapped her commbadge with more force than necessary.
"Yes Captain?"
"I want you to scan all ships docked on the planet for traces of that anomalie and then meet me in the briefing room with your results as soon as possible."
"Aye Captain." The line went dead and Janeway called the rest of the senior staff to a briefing on the overhead system. Then she paged Tom.
"Janeway to Mr. Paris."
"Yes Captain?" She ignored the formal clipped tone that he'd spoken to her with since his return.
"I want you to join the staff in the briefing room in five minutes."
"Yes Captain." He acknowledged. B'Elanna remained quiet the entire walk there.
((/\))
Tom began to jog back to his quarters, his time was running out. Janeway had just called him to the briefing room and would no doubt notice that he wasn't there when he didn't show up. He had just stopped at the holodeck and activated Sandrine's program before running out. He didn't tell her what he had planned but he knew she was suspicious. He had to get to his room, get his packed supplies and leave the ship. Once he did that he could put his plan in action.
The End.
Author's notes: just kidding. ( Thank you so much for the many kind words! Hope the story will continue to be as good as you all claim!
"If I'm going to be introduced to any more historical sites I'd like to stop and get drunk first." The taller man turned his chocolate eyes on him questioningly before being polite and feigning interest in their host's babblings, who were walking ahead of them, pointing things out with bubbly little hands. Morally leaned towards his friend again.
"If I'm drunk all this history might suddenly be appealing."
"Just shut up, smile and nod. I think it's almost over." Elgaro hissed and then playfully shoved Morally away. Grinning the younger engineer took in his surroundings once more. This place was beautiful, modern and old if that made any sense. He looked down where his feet crunched on the dirt and gravel. These beings, the Tubbles, had a fascination with their history and a strong love for technology. Soots, their host, was speaking about a rock fountain off to their left and how it was built for a governor two hundred years ago in honour of his aid in the flower revolution movement. Literally. These beings had believed that the flora and shrubs of this planet had just as much right to exist in all places as the Tubbles did. The movement paved the way for the planet to have the same vegetation everywhere. Morally thought that was grounds for insanity but hey, whatever gave them their jollies.
Back to the original point of his minds wanderings, the Tubbles had incorporated their heritage into their daily lives as much as possible. While their buildings where built with sophisticated technology, their streets were the natural pathways they had been when first created. When necessary they used mechanical form of transportation but usually relied on their…cows to take them places. At least the large creatures sort of looked like cows. Morally shook his head at the fact that he even knew what a cow was, being as he hadn't seen one since a cultural trip he had taken on earth at the age of four.
"Ensign Morally, Ensign Elgaro." Soots called for their full attention as he and his associate Eiala turned to face them once again, flashing their blue teeth. "It has been a pleasure showing you our historical treasures. We wish you an enjoyable stay here on Rispi." The sincerity was noticeable in their voices and Morally smiled good naturedly.
"It was wonderful haveing you show us around. Your city is beautiful and its history is engaging. I'm sure we'll have a great trip." They bowed, arching backwards before straightening and walking off at their rapid speed. Elgaro looked skeptically at him. "What?"
"Engaging? Let's not shock them with that stunning vocabulary."
"I didn't hear you offer anything."
"That's because some people are too eager to hear their own voice and cut others off." Morally shrugged non-apologetically at his best friends ribbing. Six years ago he would have 'engaged' in a fistfight if Elgaro had even spoken to him in a way that could have been condescending. It's amazing what a couple of good intergalactic battles and struggle for survival could do for ones social life.
"Yeah, yeah, let's go find that bar." He growled back in mock anger. They headed down the street in companionable silence, until a chuckle erupted from Elgaro.
"What?"
"Its nothing, really."
"If it was nothing you wouldn't be grinning. It had better not be at me." The warm laughter came again.
"Honest, its stupid. Just one of those things I find amusing." Morally concentrated on walking again, the continuous crunch of gravel following them with every step. Elgaro chuckled again.
"WHAT?"
"Its nothing."
"Elgaro." Morally warned, looking around for the bar they had seen earlier.
"It's the gravel." He stated, chuckling again. Morally stopped and turned his well patented gaze on his friend.
"The gravel?"
"It's crunching with every step we take. I'm not used to it."
"And it's making you laugh out loud? Sometimes I wonder if everything in your head was assembled correctly at birth. You come up with the weirdest…"
"There's Paris." Elgaro's lighthearted gaze suddenly became serious as he looked over Morally's shoulder. Morally twisted around to see for himself, and true enough Paris was walking out of the bar they had been heading to, his features as calm as ever. Just like they had been every time Morally had seen him since his return to Voyager. He hadn't admitted it to anyone except Elgaro but he hated that look. It was completely unlike the Tom Paris who had taught him how to fly on the holodeck two years before.
"Should we go say hi or something?" He asked his friend. They'd been meaning to speak with him for a while now but with their duties and own personal lives they hadn't gotten around to it yet.
"What is this?" Elgaro asked instead of answering Morally. They moved quickly to the side of the street where they were slightly less noticeable and watched as Paris slowly approached them. A man had left the bar and was following the pilot, calling out some strange name. Morally was sure he'd seen this mans species before.
"Elsar! Elsar cease your retreat. I wish to talk!" Tom stopped so abruptly Morally was sure the force of gravity should have pulled him face first into the dirt. The shorter being approached the fair haired man but stopped his advance three meters away, keeping a distance.
"What do you thinks happening?" Morally asked quietly.
"Listen and we might find out." Elgaro growled, his voice sounding annoyed. Morally thought nothing of it, he knew his friend wasn't annoyed, only curious. He studied Tom's body language carefully. The man was standing to his full height, his shoulders squared menacingly and one fist was curled. He was definitely angry, and Morally noticed that the being who had followed him was keeping the distance just for that reason.
"Elsar, you must speak with Imod. He has a proposition." What was going on here? A proposition for what? And why was he calling Tom "Elsar?"
"I have nothing to say to Imod." Tom's voice, calm and deliberate, was in high contrast with his body language.
"I believe you will be very interested to hear what he has to say. He will send them home for real this time. He knows he cannot double cross you twice. He is a wise man."
"If he was wise he would have sent them home the first time. Leave me alone. I want nothing to do with any of your kind."
"Elsar, if you would just listen to him…" The being halted in mid sentence as Tom grabbed the base of his t-shirts sleeve and fiercely hiked it up, brandishing his arm to the man. Morally and Elgaro were looking at Tom's back so they couldn't see what he was showing him, but it was hard not to notice the persistent man beginning to tremble. Tom's voice was now obviously very controlled, his anger slowly seeping in. Morally had never heard such vehemence from the pilot before.
"Look carefully Kinkari. This is the mark of the Niktarus. I am one of the best, and it sure as hell isn't daisy picking that I do. Now you tell Imod that if he comes near me, I will break his neck. If he comes near my crew, I will break. his. neck. If he threatens them in any way, I will be after him like a gluco tic on sucrose. And if he sends you or any of his men to follow me again, they will not be reporting back to him, ever. I am through with him." Tom stepped closer to the Kinkari and Morally, stunned by the force of the pilot's threats noticed several other men of the Kinkari species emerge from the tavern, take one look at Paris brandishing whatever was on his arm, and bid a hasty retreat back into the building. "He can shove his wormhole technology up his black hole, and I do mean that literally. Do you understand?" He yanked his sleeve back down and the Kinkari was now shaking uncontrollably.
"Yes Elsar." The being raised a hand to cover half his face and performed a half bow. "I beg my well being and will not approach you again." The being turned and practically ran away. Tom turned and continued his walk towards Morally and Elgaro, his face once again calm, as though that entire confrontation had never happened. Before Morally could question his own actions he was stepping out to greet Tom.
"Tom? Are you okay?" He asked and the pilot stopped dead in his tracks for the second time in as many minutes. The calm gave way to confusion for a brief moment.
"Excuse me?"
"I asked if you were alright. You looked kind of shaken up for a moment there."
"What do you care?" A sarcastic half grin erupted on the younger mans face and Morally was momentarily puzzled by the hostility.
"Why wouldn't I? Look, despite what you may think we never stopped thinking of you as a friend." Morally said speaking for himself and Elgaro who finally joined their group.
"That would have been nice to know a few weeks ago. Now if you'll excuse me, I have lives to disrupt." Tom began to walk past them and Morally grabbed the pilot's arm without thinking, halting his retreat.
"I'm sorry Tom. I didn't mean to hurt you by not speaking with you. I assumed you would realize not all of us hold your little vacation against you." Tom's eyes, turning from their previous cold gray to a lighter blue, were stunned. It was as if this was the last thing he had ever expected to hear.
"Tom." Elgaro found his own voice. "We all make decisions on a daily bases which affect the lives of others. The crew of Voyager knows this, it's just taking them a while to remember. Give them time." Tom looked between them for a moment, the shock in his eyes at their admissions burned into their memories; it wasn't something they liked to see. Then, as if it had always been, Tom was showing only a neutral and unreadable face.
"I wish I could Elgaro. Thank you guys, but I need to be going now. Bye." He easily pulled out of Elgaro's grasp and headed off towards Voyager's beaming site.
"This is one of the most interesting confrontations I have ever been witness to." Morally muttered as they watched their friends retreating back.
"What is a Niktarus?" Elgaro asked, as if Morally could somehow pull the answer from the air.
"I'll tell you if you tell me what Elsar means."
"This isn't right."
"When did you get that idea? When he was threatening people we don't know for the crews safety?"
"We need to report this to the captain."
"I agree, but we have to give him a moment to get back to the ship before we go or he might see us." Morally concluded as they slowly began walking towards the beam out site, their feet once again crunching the gravel. He was beginning to worry about Tom. The surprise in the pilot's eyes simply from being given a kind word was not right and he needed to understand what was going on. He glanced at Elgaro and noticed a frown marring his dark features.
"What's wrong?" Elgaro turned confused eyes on him a moment and then looked momentarily at their feet.
"I couldn't hear the gravel beneath his feet when he walked." They continued the rest of their walk in silence.
((/\))
"Concentrate cadet. Do not hesitate when the choice you will make is possibly the last. Know what you are going to do without thinking." Sul'Ta studied Cadet Paris's each movement carefully. The boy's features were still, his eyes focused once again on the wires within the panel. One false move and he could be killed. The three times they had done this previously had ended in disaster when Thomas had blended the wires incorrectly. It was a delicate procedure, the weapons systems of any starship when tampered with in such a manner were highly unstable. The fourteen year olds hands moved smoothly, there was no indication of a tremor to disrupt his work. There was however beads of sweat forming along his hairline. That was allowable.
"Sir, weapons have been rerouted to initiate warp core overload on my command. All traces of tampering have been destroyed and blended into regular systems functions. Weapons will continue to function within normal parameters Sir." The clipped and professional tone was confident, Sul'ta nodded in satisfaction. The boy was smart. This was a procedure most seasoned engineers wouldn't contemplate. Then of course, it was highly illegal and unnecessary to most of Starfleet's people. Sul'Ta ended the holodecks simulation and headed to the door, Cadet Paris following quietly. Next week they would perform this procedure on a real ship. Neither of their footsteps could be heard as they walked down the hall towards the physical training grounds.
Tuvok gazed out at the stars. The Tubbles planet was on the other side of the ship. He preferred the darkness when he needed to think. The night before he had had the dream of his father teaching a young Tom Paris highly unorthodox workings of a ships inner systems. As much as Tuvok did not like admitting to himself, he did not know what to think of this memory from his father.
He had a deeply set respect for the deceased Vulcan. He had grown up under his teachings and while at first Tuvok had resisted he found himself envious of his fathers self-control. When he had turned twenty his father had left for a long-term position in one of Starfleet's distant projects. They had kept in short communication throughout his missing years, and of course they spoke in person when Sul'Ta returned after 7 years away for the ritual Ponn Farr with his wife. Tuvok had never thought it strange that work was never spoken about. It was accepted that it was a private matter not to be discussed unless it involved problems directly pertaining to family. However this memory of a young Mr. Paris learning how to wire starship internal systems was…disturbing.
With such an insight Tuvok was forced to think of security. If Tom had been that well trained at the age of fourteen, it was impossible to determine how much he knew now. What he could do with the information, how he may, or possibly already has, interfered with Voyagers systems. And what of the advanced shuttle the Delta Flyer? It was designed and built by Tom. The conn, astrometrics, communications, the warp core systems, medical apparatuses, holodecks, replicator's, weapons, transportation…the list went on, and these were things Tom had access to everyday.
But Tuvok didn't believe that Tom had ever sabotaged or would ever sabotage Voyager's systems, the thought that it could easily happen though was not encouraging. Then there was the question as to why Tom had never leaned on his apparent knowledge in Voyager's times of crises. There was no doubt, with the speculation that Tom was a so called "Niktarus," that his skills would have highly benefited Voyager in possibly every situation they had gotten into. But this was also hypothetical thinking and Tuvok had no concrete evidence to prove his theories. In all fairness it was possible his fathers memories could have been warped to believe he had been teaching Thomas such difficult and advanced procedures, when it had simply been basic navigation rerouting tactics at a private school. Tom Paris was the son of Admiral Owen Paris after all. They spare no expense.
The doors to the observation room opened and Tuvok turned to see the man currently in his thoughts standing just inside the doors.
"Tuvok, sorry to interrupt. I'll come back later." He turned quickly and the door automatically opened again to allow the pilot to exit but Tuvok called out before the young man had the chance to escape.
"Mr. Paris. I would like to speak with you." Tuvok noted how the pilot hesitated briefly before swiftly turning around and coming back into the room. He'd seen the act of hesitation on Mr. Paris ever since the Marquis and Starfleet crews had emerged. Tuvok had long ago considered the action as a moment to gather thoughts, or control emotions. It was a common trait among Vulcan's, and non-Vulcan students.
"What's on your mind Tuvok." Tom's gaze was sharp and wary, more so than usual, as he walked up to join Tuvok at the view port. They both looked out at the stars.
"My father." The Vulcan stated. "It was three years ago this day that he died." Tom was silent for a long moment. A moment that almost made the Vulcan uncomfortable.
"How could you know that? As I understand Voyager was not in contact with the Delta Quadrant then."
"It is a Vulcan passage ritual. As the father dies his memories are passed on to his children. This ritual is not shared with anyone outside of our species, so I trust you will not spread our cultures sacred secrets."
"You have my word." Tom stated firmly, and then his gaze, sharp as a bat'leth turned on Tuvok. "Why are you telling me this?" Tuvok looked calmly into the man's eyes, knowing that Tom had already figured it out but wanted his thoughts confirmed.
"You deserve to know of Sul'Ta's death, as he was as much a father to you as he was to me." Tuvok watched Tom carefully for a reaction. The Vulcan didn't really know much about Tom's relationship with his father, but he was sure it had been a long one. Whether it was the way a father son or student mentor relationship should be, Tuvok was uncertain.
"How much do you know?" Tom asked quietly, and Tuvok noted that his eyes had turned to an odd shade of gray.
"Of your time learning under my father, not much. Of where and what you were learning I have suspicions, but none are certain. I would like you to answer some questions I have about your upbringing in the private school you attended, as well as your past year serving as a Niktarus." Tom's face remained emotionless, like stone as he stared into Tuvok's eyes. The Vulcan was impressed as always with the human's level of control but he was concerned by it. It was something that took years of practice to achieve, and it was something Tom used when he was highly unsure of what to do in a situation personally involving himself. Tuvok suspected that this insight to Tom's personality was something passed to him by his father.
"The Niktarus is no concern to you or anyone else. Neither is the school which I was brought up in. It was a simple advanced academy private school, training pre Starfleet cadets and talented children. Forget about it."
"Pre-Starfleet academies do not train children in the art of warfare and combat."
"Tuvok, I understand you may have some memories from your father, but with all due respect we were not trained…"
"And with all due respect I ask that you stop lying to me Tom Paris." Tuvok's gaze remained calm, as did Tom's. If anyone walked in they would have thought the two were having a simple conversation about a card game, not something which Tom knew could one day result in life or death.
"Tuvok. I am going to ask you to ignore what you think you know, because it is not the truth."
"Who are you protecting?"
"No one."
"Then why is the truth so difficult to speak of." Tom's hardened gaze flickered a moment, emotion too brief to classify glazed across his aluminum coloured eyes. Tuvok watched him intently, trying to pry an answer from the stubborn man.
"The truth," Tom finally spoke, his voice softer but still calm, "has never been spoken before Tuvok. And it's not going to start here. Please understand that it is not something that can just be told without repercussions. Truth is dangerous, deadly in this case, and it doesn't matter whether the enemy knows you know the truth, or thinks you might know the truth. In the end the innocent always die."
"Like Caldik Prime."
"Like everything Tuvok. Like everything." They stared at each other. Tuvok understanding that what Tom was saying was the truth, but not enough of it. There had been deeds performed by Starfleet in the past that have been severe enough to almost destroy the organization. He suspected that Tom Paris was a victim of something that only a few top Starfleet officials knew about. Reasons like safety for those choosing to involve themselves did not disturb Tuvok, and were not reason enough to hide the truth. Eventually Captain Janeway, himself and whoever else they choose to involve would get to the bottom of Tom's secrets. They had to start somewhere, and Tuvok wasn't one who would allow a friend to suffer needlessly.
"Tom," The slip of formal address was noticed by both men immediately and Tuvok paused a moment in Vulcan surprise before correcting himself. "Mr. Paris. I would like you to join Captain Janeway and I in her ready room. We need to discuss the actions of this past year and the reasons pertaining to them." Tom finally looked sad, breaking his mask as though it were too much of a burden to carry.
"Tuvok, I can't do that."
"I was not aware of it being a request Mr. Paris. I am ordering you to join me with the captain in her ready room."
"And I'm afraid I'm going to have to be insubordinate Tuvok."
"I will call security to assist." Tuvok warned for a final time. Tom didn't give him a chance to raise his arm to his commbadge as Tuvok found his arms twisted, pinned securely behind his back, and Tom standing behind him.
"I'm sorry Tuvok, I can't let you do that. Tell the crew I'm sorry that I'm doing this again, if any of them care enough to give a damn."
"Mr. Paris" Tuvok didn't say anything else as he felt Tom's hand pinch the base of his neck, knocking him unconscious. Tom held the heavy man a moment and breathed a long sorrow filled sigh before easily picking him up and placing him in the corner of the room, completely out of sight unless someone was specifically looking for him. And then he hurried out of the room, with his mask firmly back in place.
Tom had gone to the observation room for a few moments of silence, instead he found himself rushing ahead in his plan. Tuvok would wake up soon and Tom wanted to be gone by then.
((/\))
Morally and Elgaro had beamed aboard Voyager an hour ago intent on speaking with captain Janeway right away. Then Elgaro had decided that they couldn't approach the Captain with superstitions so they had paused at a console to determine exactly who the Kinkari were and where they came from, their connections to Tom etc… It had taken a lot longer for Voyager's system to look up the alien species, there was something slowing down the search parameters of the history database. So now, one hour later (after they had fixed the problem being engineers and all) they were heading to engineering where Captain Janeway was no doubt speaking with Lieutenant Torres.
"I don't understand it captain. Up until twenty minutes ago all command systems were working perfectly and now they're sluggish, it doesn't matter what is being asked of them. I have people working on the problem and thankfully it's only disrupting the ships most minor systems, but I don't know what has brought it on." Janeway listened carefully as she gazed at a console providing all the evidence for Torres's explanation. Elgaro immediately found it interesting that so many minor systems should be fritzing out. Morally didn't seem to care.
"Captain. We need to speak with you a moment." They stood stiffly at attention as she quickly looked them over, assessing if their current problem was enough to warrant attention without even knowing what it was. Elgaro decided to elaborate.
"It's concerning Tom Paris." B'Elanna turned and watched them now and it was clear that they had Janeway's undivided attention.
"What is it ensigns?"
"We came across him planet side approximately two hours ago. He was being confronted by a Kinkari, the same species that he left Voyager with to work for last year." Morally explained unnecessarily, because none of the senior crew of Voyager could forget who the Kinkari were.
"The being was calling him "Elsar" and asking him to meet with someone called Imod, and that it was an appointment Tom could find beneficial." Elgaro continued. "Tom threatened him, saying something about being one of the best of the Niktarus. We couldn't find anything describing what a Niktarus was, but the language data base described "Elsar" as unknown. We split the word up into El and sar. It's description was confusing, something about changing demeanor and colour in brief moments."
"Was this being threatening Mr. Paris in any way?" Morally hesitated before answering.
"No Captain. He was requesting a meeting for his superior and that seemed to make Tom…Mr. Paris very angry. He threatened to kill Imod if he saw him, or if he attempted to harm our crew in any way." Janeway stared at him hard for a moment, and despite his training Morally found himself shuffling from one foot to another for a brief second before realizing what he was doing.
"Are you sure of this Ensign Morally? Are you absolutely positive that that is what you heard?"
"Yes Ma'am." He answered confidently.
"Ensign Elgaro. Will you support his statement?"
"Yes Captain. That is what Tom Paris said."
"I want a full report on this incident written and handed in to me within the hour."
"Aye Captain." They both answered and began to turn away, but they were called back to attention when Janeway called their names.
"Thank you for informing me of this, most people would have ignored it."
"It was our duty to the ship and as a friend of Tom's to do so Captain." She nodded and they left engineering to write up their reports, not saying anything. They new what she meant when she said most people would have ignored the incident. They should have spoken with Tom sooner.
((/\))
"Captain. What's going on?" Torres demanded, focusing her piercing gaze upon the captain.
"Lieutenant, come to the briefing room with me."
They left engineering walking at a fast pace, side by side.
"Lieutenant Kim." Janeway slapped her commbadge with more force than necessary.
"Yes Captain?"
"I want you to scan all ships docked on the planet for traces of that anomalie and then meet me in the briefing room with your results as soon as possible."
"Aye Captain." The line went dead and Janeway called the rest of the senior staff to a briefing on the overhead system. Then she paged Tom.
"Janeway to Mr. Paris."
"Yes Captain?" She ignored the formal clipped tone that he'd spoken to her with since his return.
"I want you to join the staff in the briefing room in five minutes."
"Yes Captain." He acknowledged. B'Elanna remained quiet the entire walk there.
((/\))
Tom began to jog back to his quarters, his time was running out. Janeway had just called him to the briefing room and would no doubt notice that he wasn't there when he didn't show up. He had just stopped at the holodeck and activated Sandrine's program before running out. He didn't tell her what he had planned but he knew she was suspicious. He had to get to his room, get his packed supplies and leave the ship. Once he did that he could put his plan in action.
The End.
Author's notes: just kidding. ( Thank you so much for the many kind words! Hope the story will continue to be as good as you all claim!