Redemption
Chapter 3
Disclaimer - Paramount and Viacom own the characters from Voyager, although they didn't often treat them right. The story line belongs to me.
A special thanks to: My friend and editor of all my stories, Mill3rs.
Harry entered the shuttle to find Tom already at the helm, finishing up the pre-flight routine. "Hey, Tom. Good to see you on board."
"Harry, I'm glad you're coming along. It's kinda creepy with both Chakotay and Ayala for five days. It'll be nice to have someone on my side." Tom smiled as he turned towards Harry.
"Enough chatter, Paris! Are we good to go?" Chakotay snapped as he and Ayala came on board.
"Aye, sir. All pre-flight checks are done. We're ready to go whenever you're set." Tom answered quickly as he spun his seat back to the helm.
"Ensign Kim, Greg, take your stations and let's get underway." Chakotay motioned to the two men and sat down in the co-pilot's seat. They received clearance from the bridge and the force field was lowered. As the doors opened, Tom smoothly guided the shuttle out of the bay and headed for the planet's coordinates.
After several hours, Chakotay stood and approached Harry's station. "Time for us to get some rest, Ensign. We want you fresh for tomorrow's exploration."
"What about Tom? He's worked a double shift today already." Harry asked.
"Don't worry about Paris. He's a pilot. He's doing what he's supposed to; he's flying." He motioned Harry towards one of the two bunks in the rear of the shuttle and then turned to Ayala. "Keep an eye on him, Greg." Chakotay said as he headed for the other bunk.
"Aye, Captain. No problem." Ayala answered with a small grin on his face as he moved to the co-pilot's seat.
* * * * *
Tom shifted in his seat, trying to keep his eyes open. He'd been up for over twenty hours straight now. First two shifts on Voyager then flying for four hours on the shuttle. His back was painfully stiff and his stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten in over nine hours. Suddenly the shuttle was slammed as they struck a small asteroid. Tom's eyes snapped open and he punched in some course corrections.
"Watch it Paris!" Ayala yelled as a large asteroid appeared directly in front of the shuttle. The ship dove down, barely missing a collision as Tom responded to Ayala's yell. Both Chakotay and Harry were awakened as they were tossed from their bunks.
"What the hell is going on?" Chakotay charged up to the helm.
"Wonder boy was asleep at the helm, Cap." Ayala sputtered. He too had drifted off but he wasn't about to admit it to his former captain.
"Sorry, Commander. I didn't catch the asteroid field on sensors. I think we're pretty clear now." Tom explained in an adrenaline charged voice.
"Move. I'll take the helm. No sense getting killed before we're even near the planet." Chakotay said in a calm voice even though his eyes flashed angrily. He motioned Tom back towards the bunks and stood behind the pilot's seat.
Tom rose awkwardly and stumbled towards the back of the shuttle. Harry reached out and grabbed Tom's arm to steady him and guide him to one of the bunks. "When was the last time you ate?" He asked, noting that Tom's hands were trembling.
"Some time yesterday. I think I had some lunch." Tom muttered softly as he sat down on the bunk.
Harry turned to the small replicator and returned to Tom with a mug of hot soup and a thick slice of dark bread. "You need to eat, Tom and then try to get some rest."
"Yes, Mother." Tom smiled slightly accepting the food from Harry. He ate in silence while Harry sat on the other bunk quietly watching him. When Tom finished, Harry stood, took the mug and put it in the recycler. Returning to Tom, he handed him a glass of juice. "Thanks, Har. Guess I do need someone to watch over me." Tom stated in a low voice; his eyes wary of the two men in the front of the shuttle. He handed the empty glass back to Harry and swung his legs onto the bunk. Bringing the blanket over his shoulders, he curled up on his side and closed his eyes.
Harry put the glass in the recycler and when he returned to the bunks, Tom was already asleep. Harry lay down on the other bunk and tried to go back to sleep.
* * * * *
"Captain, there's a ship approaching on an intercept heading." Ensign Lang looked towards Janeway.
"Can you identify it, Ensign Lang?" Janeway asked as she stood and approached the helm.
"Captain, scanners indicate a Kazon signature." Tuvok stated from his station.
Janeway stiffened at his announcement. "Try hailing them. Let's see what they're up to." Suddenly, they were hit with a weapon's blast. "Red alert! Shield up. Evasive maneuvers, Mr. Baytart."
"Shields holding at 83%. Should we return fire?" Tuvok asked.
"We don't have that many weapons to spare. Let's try to out maneuver them first." Janeway replied, returning to her seat and bracing herself as the ship was hit again.
"Aft shields down to 48%, Captain. I suggest a more aggressive approach." Tuvok calmly stated.
"Damn." Janeway muttered softly to herself and then turned towards the tactical station. "Agreed, Mr. Tuvok. Fire two aft torpedoes." Janeway ordered with a small grin on her face. He was right as usual with his approach.
"Direct hit, Captain. Their weapons are off-line and they are retreating."
"Thank you, Tuvok. Janeway to Engineering. Lieutenant Torres, how much power can you give me?"
"Only warp two, Captain, if we want to keep the drive on-line as long as possible until we get more dilithium crystals." B'Elanna replied.
"Warp two it is then. Mr. Baytart, proceed to the rendezvous coordinates. Ensign Lang, please send a message to the away team advising them of our encounter and to be wary of Kazon activity."
"Aye, Captain." Ensign Lang replied and turned towards her console.
* * * * *
Harry opened his eyes. He had been awakened by loud laughter from the front of the shuttle. As he lay on his back and closed his eyes again, he heard soft muttering from the other bunk. He rose and approached Tom.
"No, don't. Please, no." Tom mumbled. His hands were fisted with his right arm drawn up in front of his face as if to ward off a blow.
Harry sat on the edge of the bunk and shook Tom gently at his shoulders. "Tom." He whispered. "It's okay, you're on the shuttle. It's just a bad dream."
Tom's eyes flew open and he struggled to sit up. As the blanket fell away from him, Harry could see the bruises on his lower abdomen before Tom self-consciously pulled the bottom of his shirt down. Tom looked at the two men in the front of the shuttle but they were absorbed in a story from their time on the Liberty.
Harry moved away to give Tom some privacy and ordered two coffees from the replicator. Handing one of the mugs to Tom, he purposely avoided asking about the dream or the bruises. Even though they only knew each other for a few short weeks, Harry realized that Tom was an extremely private person and would be uncomfortable with his questions.
They drank in silence until Chakotay noticed them both up and sent Ayala back for some rest. Tom resumed his place at the helm and Harry at navigation.
* * * * *
The next few hours were uneventful with Harry quietly giving Tom course corrections to avoid more asteroid fields. Chakotay dozed off in the co-pilot's seat until Harry announced the beginning of the ion storms surrounding the planet. "Well, it's time for your expertise." Chakotay said scornfully to Tom although he felt perfectly comfortable with Tom at the helm.
They flew on in silence, for several minutes. "Sir, there's a message coming through from Voyager but it's very garbled due to the interference from the ion storms." Harry interrupted the quiet.
"What can you pick out, Ensign?" Chakotay asked.
"All I can get, Sir is something about a Kazon ship and that Voyager will meet us at the rendezvous coordinates in four days."
"Well, we better keep an eye out for visitors then." Chakotay said as he stood and headed for the rear of the shuttle. "Hey, Greg. Time to go to work. We're approaching the planet and there's a message from Voyager about Kazon activity." Chakotay shook Ayala awake.
Suddenly, the shuttle went into a role. "Damn it, Paris! Can't you control it any better?" Chakotay shouted as he made his way back to the front of the shuttle.
"S..sorry, Sir." Tom stammered as he fought for control of the helm. "These storms are pretty powerful."
"Our angle of approach is too steep, Tom!" Harry yelled as the shuttle suddenly pitched forward.
"I've lost helm control! Brace for impact!" Tom shouted as the shuttle sped towards the planet's surface.
to be continued
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