CHAPTER FIVE:
Amelia sat in silence as Tom finished the story. She felt stunned and proud that her parents had done so much. "That's was wonderful." She whispered.
The others were all silent as they remembered how they had all met each other, and how they had become the family that had explored the Delta Quadrant together.
"One story deserves another." Amelia said after a moment. "Let me tell you a story about love and loss and hope."
The others sat in silence and listened as she began.
"There once was a starship captain who felt guilty for stranding her crew in uncharted space. Somewhere humans had never been before. Bravely she set a course for home, and faced many dangers to protect her ship and her crew."
"And all the while, her first officer had stood by her side, faithfully supporting and helping her. But one day they found a problem they couldn't solve, a disease they couldn't cure. And the Captain was faced with one of the most difficult decisions of her life: she must leave her ship and her crew or die."
"Her heart broke. She felt as if she had no purpose anymore. But together with her first officer, she found a planet to make her home, and she bid her crew farewell. She threw herself into finding a cure so that she could one day rejoin her crew. But even that was taken from her; destroyed by a fierce and dangerous storm."
"But still her first officer stood by her side to comfort her and protect her, until he could take it no more. He did the only thing he could to bring her out of her despair. He told her a story."
"A story about an angry warrior who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe, a man who couldn't find peace even with the help of his spirit-guide. For years he struggled with his discontent. But the only satisfaction he ever got when he was in battle. This made him a hero among his tribe, but the warrior still longed for peace within himself. One day he and his war party were captured by a neighbouring tribe, led by a woman warrior. She called on him to join her because her tribe was too small and weak to defend itself from all its enemies. The woman warrior was brave and beautiful, and very wise. The angry warrior swore to himself he would stay by her side, doing whatever he could to make their burden lighter her needs would come first and in that way the warrior began to know the true meaning of peace."
"But the captain didn't believe him when he told her it was an ancient legend, and he confesses that it just made it easier to say. And slowly they began to realize their feelings for each other. A love an attraction that had been there since they had met, and only deepened over time."
"The captain's heart healed, and reveled in the joy and power of his love for her - as he reveled the strength and gift of hers. They became lovers and made a home and family on the planet they had begun to think of as paradise. But they would always keep one eye on the sky, hoping the ship they had lost would come back to save them."
"But soon, even that began to fade as they explored the planet and watched their children grow. And they grew stronger as they accepted they would not return to the planet that they had left all those years ago. So they made a new Earth to live on. A place I have grown to treasure because of what they taught me to see. A home can be wherever you happen to be, and you can learn to love it. Just like they love each other."
Amelia paused in her story, amazed to find tears in the eyes of her audience. Only Tuvok did not, but she could see even he was affected by the story of her parent's life on New Earth. So she continued.
"Years past, and their children grew up. They began to journey away from their parents and their home to explore the places around them, as their parents had longed to as they grew up. And the lovers grew older. But still they hoped, deep in their hearts, that they would see their homeworld once more and the crew that had become so close to them."
She finished the story and smiled softly. "They still hope. I can see it in their eyes." She whispered.
"That was beautiful." B'Elanna said.
"I am glad they found some happiness after they left us." Harry added.
"I just wish we hadn't be forced to leave them behind!" Tom said.
"Well, Captain Paris," Tuvok said levelly. "We cannot change the past. But we have come back for them."
"They wouldn't have figured out their feelings for each other if they had stayed aboard. They wouldn't have let themselves." The Doctor said.
Harry looked around at them all, a determined glint to his eye. "I won't rest until I find them again." He said.
Tuvok nodded. "Do not worry, Captain Kim. By my calculations, we should reach the planet in 14 hours."
Everyone smiled with relief and longing as they realized they would soon be reunited with the Captain and First Officer they had left behind, but never forgotten. "I only hope they are as happy to see us as we are to see them." Tom muttered softly.
Amelia sat in silence as Tom finished the story. She felt stunned and proud that her parents had done so much. "That's was wonderful." She whispered.
The others were all silent as they remembered how they had all met each other, and how they had become the family that had explored the Delta Quadrant together.
"One story deserves another." Amelia said after a moment. "Let me tell you a story about love and loss and hope."
The others sat in silence and listened as she began.
"There once was a starship captain who felt guilty for stranding her crew in uncharted space. Somewhere humans had never been before. Bravely she set a course for home, and faced many dangers to protect her ship and her crew."
"And all the while, her first officer had stood by her side, faithfully supporting and helping her. But one day they found a problem they couldn't solve, a disease they couldn't cure. And the Captain was faced with one of the most difficult decisions of her life: she must leave her ship and her crew or die."
"Her heart broke. She felt as if she had no purpose anymore. But together with her first officer, she found a planet to make her home, and she bid her crew farewell. She threw herself into finding a cure so that she could one day rejoin her crew. But even that was taken from her; destroyed by a fierce and dangerous storm."
"But still her first officer stood by her side to comfort her and protect her, until he could take it no more. He did the only thing he could to bring her out of her despair. He told her a story."
"A story about an angry warrior who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe, a man who couldn't find peace even with the help of his spirit-guide. For years he struggled with his discontent. But the only satisfaction he ever got when he was in battle. This made him a hero among his tribe, but the warrior still longed for peace within himself. One day he and his war party were captured by a neighbouring tribe, led by a woman warrior. She called on him to join her because her tribe was too small and weak to defend itself from all its enemies. The woman warrior was brave and beautiful, and very wise. The angry warrior swore to himself he would stay by her side, doing whatever he could to make their burden lighter her needs would come first and in that way the warrior began to know the true meaning of peace."
"But the captain didn't believe him when he told her it was an ancient legend, and he confesses that it just made it easier to say. And slowly they began to realize their feelings for each other. A love an attraction that had been there since they had met, and only deepened over time."
"The captain's heart healed, and reveled in the joy and power of his love for her - as he reveled the strength and gift of hers. They became lovers and made a home and family on the planet they had begun to think of as paradise. But they would always keep one eye on the sky, hoping the ship they had lost would come back to save them."
"But soon, even that began to fade as they explored the planet and watched their children grow. And they grew stronger as they accepted they would not return to the planet that they had left all those years ago. So they made a new Earth to live on. A place I have grown to treasure because of what they taught me to see. A home can be wherever you happen to be, and you can learn to love it. Just like they love each other."
Amelia paused in her story, amazed to find tears in the eyes of her audience. Only Tuvok did not, but she could see even he was affected by the story of her parent's life on New Earth. So she continued.
"Years past, and their children grew up. They began to journey away from their parents and their home to explore the places around them, as their parents had longed to as they grew up. And the lovers grew older. But still they hoped, deep in their hearts, that they would see their homeworld once more and the crew that had become so close to them."
She finished the story and smiled softly. "They still hope. I can see it in their eyes." She whispered.
"That was beautiful." B'Elanna said.
"I am glad they found some happiness after they left us." Harry added.
"I just wish we hadn't be forced to leave them behind!" Tom said.
"Well, Captain Paris," Tuvok said levelly. "We cannot change the past. But we have come back for them."
"They wouldn't have figured out their feelings for each other if they had stayed aboard. They wouldn't have let themselves." The Doctor said.
Harry looked around at them all, a determined glint to his eye. "I won't rest until I find them again." He said.
Tuvok nodded. "Do not worry, Captain Kim. By my calculations, we should reach the planet in 14 hours."
Everyone smiled with relief and longing as they realized they would soon be reunited with the Captain and First Officer they had left behind, but never forgotten. "I only hope they are as happy to see us as we are to see them." Tom muttered softly.