"Are there going to be issues between you, Gentlemen?" the Captain demanded, watching the animosity radiate off one of the officers standing before him. The other seemed unusually quiet but only slightly effected by this meeting.
"No, Sir," both Lt. Commanders Paris and Fitzgerald barked.
Raising an eyebrow, Rue commented, "I see!" When the two men continued to stand at ease, muscles tense and eyes focused on the painting behind his ready room desk, he offered, "why don't I believe you."
"I was at the Starfleet Hospital on Caldik Prime when Mr. Paris was posted there," Fitzgerald stated in a bitter tone, as if this explained everything. A quick glance at the XO demonstrated the doctor's fury.
"Actually," Tom managed to force his body language to become as casual as his tone, "I was never posted to Caldik Prime. I was on temporary assignment when the accident occurred."
"You still killed three Starfleet Officers!" declared Fitzgerald, his breath expelled through gritted teeth. "With your cavalier attitude and careless piloting! I should know, I attempted to patch one of them up!"
Tom's blue orbs became icy as they turned on the Chief Medical Officer, before he faced forward once again. "Captain," Paris enquired, asking permission to end this issue once and for all.
"You are my First Officer, Commander," Rue relaxed his pose, watching the scene before him carefully. He knew he was testing both his XO and CMO with this meeting. Yet, he wanted whatever problems Fitzgerald had with Tom out in the open. "Personnel and moral are your department, Mr. Paris."
Nodding, Tom pivoted so he could face the medic. Forcing himself to moderate his tone and body language, he declared, "I have experienced this piacular form of discrimination and any other you could imagine, on almost every posting, for the last ten years. You and I don't need to be friends, doctor, or even on good terms. All I need to know, Lt. Commander Fitzgerald, is if you'll follow the chain of command, which means obeying my orders when I give them. Other than that, please keep your personal opinions to yourself. I hold you accountable to the same set of principles that dictate my behaviour while I wear this uniform. We are professional Starfleet Officers, I expect you to remember it. Are we clear?"
"Crystal, Sir," Fitzgerald's distaste infused the word. Eyes locking with Paris, he truley looked at the man beneath recklessly irresponsible façade for the first time. Slowly, the doctor's expression subtly changed.
"Number One," the Captain interrupted, holding out a PADD. He'd used the same appellation as Picard to subtly get his message across. Lt. Commander Paris was his choice of XO and it was going to stay that way. "Please make yourself familiar with this information before our brief. I'll meet you in the conference room to discuss the situation with the senior staff in a few minutes. Dismissed."
Taking the device, Tom exited the ready room, leaving Rue scrutinising his CMO. Sighing, Howard stood. Heading for the replicator, he ordered Camomile tea, before turning and indicating Fitzgerald should reveal his preference.
"I don't think I could stomach anything," the doctor retorted. He knew the moment the words were out his mouth, they'd been the worst he could have uttered. Tom Paris had just warned him about such comments. It seemed the expression on the Captain's face reiterated that fact.
"Find a way, before you leave this ready room," Rue allowed his expression to harden. "I expect you to show my XO the respect and regard his position deserves, on and off shift. If I hear one rumour about his past making its way to the general crew…" Howard let the threat hang. In a sudden change of mood, Rue sauntered to his desk. Perching on the edge with his cup warming his hands, the captain's brown eyes lanced into the doctor. "I think you'll find our brief enlightening, and that Tom Paris has lost more than you could ever imagine. In fact, I doubt you really know my First Officer at all, Doctor. Perhaps it's time to put your preconceived ideas aside and try to get under the armour Tom's built to protect himself from people like you."
Taking the reprimand with a fixed expression on his face, Dr. Fitzgerald followed the captain onto the bridge and into the briefing room. A man convinced against his will, the doctor's mind supplied, incensed the Captain sided with Paris.
Captain Rue Howard took the chair at the head of the conference table reserved for the highest-ranking officer. Allowing his staff to choose their positions, Paris took the seat his right, as was expected for the XO. Chief Engineer Anew seized the place on the other side. Lt. Stadi, the only female in the room continued to discuss something with Mr. Kim, their stand in operation officer. They chose to sit together, as close to the door as possible. That left the chair beside Paris for the CMO, unless he wanted to appear rude and leave an empty space between them.
Clearing his throat, Rue indicated the senior staff should be seated so he could commence the brief. Placing his hands on the table, the Captain looked at each of the officers gathered around the room. His expression became serious.
"As you know, Voyager is the second of the intrepid class Starships," he stated, tone harsh and eyes flashing with fury. "USS Intrepid was lost in the Badlands almost two years ago. Starfleet has conformation the vessel is now in the hands of the Maquis. We have been tasked with finding Intrepid, capturing what remains of her original crew and bringing her home."
Rue glanced at his XO. Tom's blank face demonstrated how difficult this brief would be. Walking over to the computer terminal, his officers' eyes following the Captain as he activated a monitor. Finding the message required, Howard played it for his senior staff to hear. Almost immediately the face of a woman appeared. She seemed fatigued and cachexic, barely able to get her words out.
"My name is Megan Delany. I was assigned to Stella Cartography on Intrepid a year ago with my twin sister, Jenny, straight out of the academy. Our first mission," the young woman swallowed convulsively, "didn't go as we expected. The Captain informed us we'd be traveling into the demilitarised zone between the Federation and the Cardassian Union in violation of the treaty. Jenny and I thought…"
Eyes sliding away, it was obvious Megan fought her memories.
"We thought it was exciting," lifeless brown eyes returned to the camera, "a clandestine mission. Nothing happened until we reached the Badlands, when a small Maquis ship came along side. Jenny and I wondered if the Captain and Security Officer were gathering intelligence, not that anyone actually saw a member of the Maquis. Rumours spread that the Captain wouldn't allow the terrorists on Intrepid and she was beaming over to their ship every day for talks. Three days later we were called to battle stations. Everyone was shocked when Captain Janeway made an announcement on the ship wide comm."
Shaking her head, the young woman's eyes welled.
"Anyone who wished to leave needed to make their way to the shuttle bay, immediately. They would be guaranteed safe passage to the nearest Federation world where we could contact Starfleet to rescue us." Pausing, Megan's eyes darted around the screen while her breathing became rapid. It took her several moments to get herself under control. "The Cardassian's came out of nowhere, attacking Intrepid. The Captain launched the shuttles before engaging the warship. The Maquis vessel was destroyed but we assumed most would have been aboard Intrepid to back fill the crew who'd abandoned ship."
"Our Frist Officer P'ai, supervised the evacuation. She was out of Starfleet uniform. Lt. Jeffery from engineering said she wore the unofficial dress of the Maquis. We'd had a traitor in our midst and I'd heard P'ai served with the Captain since Intrepid launched. Suddenly our mission didn't seem legitimate anymore."
"We were packed into those class two shuttles," Megan found a slight smile, "as if we were at the academy on a survival run. Thirteen of us, then Commander P'ai explained the runabouts had been pre-programmed to get us safely into Federation territory. Three days at warp two without navigation or the ability to send a distress call. No one knew were we'd end up. We crash landed on a desolate world not even close to the Federation boarder. It took Lt. Jeffery and the other engineers time to pull the shuttle apart so they could make a distress buoy. Six months later, a Starfleet vessel finally found us."
"Over seventy of the Intrepid's initial crew remained with the Maquis controlled vessel," Rue reported, pausing the interview. A picture, it was said, told a thousand words. The young officers account got the situation across effectively. His senior staff understood the complexity of their mission. "Megan was one of forty-three rescued on Altona II."
"Leaving," Tom commented into the growing silence, "at least twenty-three crew unaccounted for."
"Not quite," the Captain shook his head sadly. "We know one shuttle exploded on impact, killing thirteen onboard, including Megan's twin sister. The remainder were unable to survive the harsh conditions on Altona."
Restarting the interview, Rue allowed his eyes to settle on his XO for a moment. Tom seemed to be taking this better than expected. He wondered how well the First Officer would cope with the rest. Especially the fact his wife hand-picked her crew, concentrating on Maquis sympathy as their primary purpose.
"You know," Megan Delany finally looked directly into the camera, brown eyes still shocked at the events she was about to divulge, "the strangest thing happened as Jenny and I were rushing to the shuttle bay. I guess that's how we got separated and on different shuttles." Pausing to wipe a tear away, Megan sighed. "Captain Janeway appeared out of nowhere with a little boy in her arms. I'd been told she had a child but had never seen him. She tried to push the kid into my arms, pleading with me to find his father and get him safely back to DS9. Then this man with a tattoo on his head, just here," the Ensign in science blue pointed to her left temple, "emerged beside the Captain. It was hard to hear what he was saying with the red alert sounding and all that chaos, but it sounded like 'Kathryn, we don't have time for this'. Still, the Captain shook him off and looked at me. 'Lt. Tom Paris' she said, before looking down at the terrified child, 'William, it's time to go home to daddy'."
As Captain Rue Howard turned off the recording, his eyes strayed to his XO. Tom's private life was about to be laid bare. The pain mirrored in those blue orbs affected every person in the room. Lt. Stadi's fingers strayed to her temple, attempting to dissipate the emotions swirling around the table.
"Am I to understand…" Tom stood, unsteady on his feet. It took several seconds for his jaw to finally form the words. "Are you telling me my son's alive and still on Intrepid."
"At least he was," Rue answered, watching the shock cover the younger man's face.
"And my wife…"
Pandemonium broke loose as the senior officers finally understood. Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Paris were married. It seemed Elizabeth Paris was not the only child of the union.
"The last report," Security Chief Uri stated, having silently slipped into the briefing while all attention was on the recording, "from Mr. Tuvok, our plant in the Maquis, ascertained both Capt. Janeway and William Paris were still aboard Intrepid six days ago. At that time, the vessel was limping into the Badlands after a skirmish with a Cardassian Fourth Order Battle cruiser. We believe they are headed for a base in the Maria System."
"Lt. Stadi," Tom's attention hadn't strayed from his captain's expression. He understood what needed to be done, no matter the personal cost to himself and his daughter. "Set a course, warp 5. We should reach the outskirts of the plasma storms within thirty hours. I'll take the conn when you break for lunch."
"Aye, Sir," the Betazoid acknowledged. Standing, she headed for the bridge, glad to be out of the stifling atmosphere.
"I want analysis and options, people," Rue requested from the remainder of his staff, "within the hour. All reports to Commander Paris marked his eyes only. Dismissed."
Unable to find the energy to lever himself from the chair, Tom sat with an expression of shock covering his face. Finally hearing his name, the XO slowly started to move. Like it or not, he was on duty. The personal repercussion from this brief would have to wait until tonight, when he was in his quarters. Hopefully Lizzy would understand, not that the little girl ever believed her mommy or brother were dead.
"A moment, Mr. Paris," Rue waited until the others had left. Abject sorrow clouding the older man's eyes, he stated, "I'm sorry you had to find out this way."
Shrugging, the hurt disappeared beneath layers of armour built up over years of disappointment. "I had to find out at some point, one way or the other. I'm just not sure how Lizzy's going to take this. You know, she still remembers her twin, even if she no longer cries for William."
Well, that put the cat among the pidgins. Working on the next chapter.