Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files

A Deadly Betrayal

In the year 2561...

As a part of her great-grandmother's last request, the young Teela stood before her gathered family as she continued with the story. Although it had taken two hours to get to this point in the story and still stricken with grief over the loss of the matriarch of the family, she knew that she had to continue with her last promise to the elderly woman who had changed their world and helped to create a thriving business empire which had lasted for almost two centuries, one lifespan of an Iolian. Since the year 2379, Asami had been racked with guilt over what had happened and along with the timeline she observed, it had eaten away her every day for the remainder of her life as actions not directly taken by her had almost created the conflict she had fought so hard to avoid, an Iolian war with the Federation and her allies.

184 Years Earlier…

Since the triumphant return to the Alpha Quadrant from the Delta Quadrant by the stricken USS Voyager, Iolian engineers of the Hirayama Family Corporation had been charged with an analysis of the hull armour and Quantum Slipstream Drive retrieved by the now legendary ship and her crew. Elevated to the status of living legends within the Federation, the proud ship herself had been refit and dispatched on a good-will tour of the Federation and her allies with the legendary crew itself.

Awaken slowly by the dawn light peering through the lace curtains of their private bedroom, Asami opened her eyes and stretched out her arms as if to welcome the new day itself as the bedcovers fell away from her body before she gently stepped out of her bed and rolled her shoulders slowly feeling the crisp mountain air on her naked body. For three months she had planning this day and nothing would stand in her way of completing her plans. Her plans where simple, she had already delegated her workload throughout the company she now owned to her brother-in-law and her assistant, while simultaneously delegating her wife's workload to other people within the company. As a surprise for Teela's birthday, she would take her to the one place that she had never visited, a place known to the Federation as 'Wrigley's Pleasure Planet'. A planet once discovered by Captain James Kirk and his crew where any fantasy is provided for.

After taking a long and much needed shower, Asami pulled on her favourite robe made of Iolian silk before walking into the main living area of their luxurious home. After kissing Teela's cheek, she sat at the table facing her as she spoke with a hint of mischief in her voice.

"So, happy birthday… it makes you now what one hundred and…"

"Be careful!" Teela warned with a wink as she held up one finger.

"I have a little birthday surprise… no work, you and me… we're taking a break somewhere special"

"I can't leave now, I have to much work to do…"

"Come on Teela! Everyone is picking up the slack here… I booked us two weeks on Wrigley's. Private villa, private pool and anything you want… it'll be fun!" Asami said, almost begging.

"I do want to go… unfortunately… we can't! sorry"

"Teela, give me one good reason why not? I've been planning this for months, everything is taken care of. Come on, you… me, no clothes, hot sun… sand and… whatever fantasy you want. Do you have any idea how much this cost?"

"Still a tight ass when it comes to money. One hour ago, I got a call from… Voyager… she's on her way here with her escorts on the final leg of her tour"

"Ohh Come On!" Asami said with a pout. "Voyager, really? Those bastards don't quit!"

"You used to be one of those Bastards, remember? It's been bugging me for months Sam, what do you have against the Federation? You where the loudest voice in the room when we took a vote about joining them"

"Let's just say that I have my reasons and leave it there shall we? When will that ship of the damned arrive?" Asami said with a slight smile.

"Two hours, why?"

"Two hours, it's now 0615, a little meet-and-greet… we could be on our way out of here by late afternoon, it could work" Asami replied with a smile.

"Not to mention, this is a request from my brother, you remember him right? He runs this planet not you?" Teela said, almost boasting.

"He wishes he had my job!" Asami said as she back in her seat. "Alright… I'll set it up. But I want you onboard the Nara-Maru by no less then 1700 hours or I will drag you there by you pointed ears sweetheart!"

"Done and Done. Now, is that all you got me? What about birthday presents?" Teela said with a laugh.

"We only have two hours… I'll be in the bedroom putting it on" Asami said with a wink.

0800 Hours, the same day.

Stood on the command deck of the Expeditionary Force's flagship, Teela and Asami Hirayama waited along side the Regent for the arrival of the guest of honour at the hastily planned ceremony for the arrival of the USS Voyager and her crew. Looking out over the large assembled honour guard fleet, the Regent himself stood tall and proud as he wore his military uniform from his own personal time in the military along with the sash and sword of Office as three brilliant flashes appeared before the large command cruiser and finally, the USS Voyager appeared before them dwarfed by the large Iolian cruisers.

Wearing nothing more then their everyday clothes as not to blend in with the dress uniforms and business suits, the Regent looked back at his two guests as he spoke.

"So seriously, you're wearing that? You do have time to change you know?"

"Shut up! We ran a little… late" Asami said with a wink to her wife.

"Yep! You're luck Sam's dressed for this… you said come as is…"

"I don't want to know ladies. Well, here we go. Open a channel to the Federation fleet" He commanded with pride.

"Yes Regent. Channel is open" Replied a communications officer.

"USS Voyager, on behalf of the Iolian Unity and Iolian expeditionary forces… " He said as he stepped forwards. "… On behalf of my people, I welcome you too our world… Admiral Janeway"

"On behalf of my crew, thank you Mister Regent" Janeway replied as she appeared on the screen before him. "I was hoping that you would be our guests onboard this vessel, we are… eager to meet you and your people"

"Of course. May I introduce my chief of staff, my chief of security, my sister Teela and her wife…"

"Asami?" A voice called out from off the screen. "Excuse me Admiral, if I may?"

With a nod from the admiral, a young man of oriental decent stepped into view behind the helm officer of the ship as Asami's face changed to an instant smile of recognition as she stepped forwards with almost shock echoing over her face.

"Is, is that you?" Asami said with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

"Yes. Wow! I had no idea you where out here" He replied with a fond smile.

"I-umm… yeah, long story" Replied Asami quickly.

"You know the Lieutenant?" Janeway said with a smile.

"Yes ma'am. We grew up together, His parents are a friend of my family, back on Earth. What are you doing on Voyager?"

"With the Admiral's permission?" With a wave from the Admiral, he smiled slightly as he spoke. "I've been working as the Admiral's aide… You have to come onboard!" He said with a laughter in his voice before he turned to the Admiral. "Sam was… the one that got away, so to speak"

"Well then, now that the pleasantries are over… Admiral Janeway, I offer you and your crew the hospitality of our world as our honoured guests" The Regent said with a large smile.

"It would make for a great change Mister Regent, on behalf of my crew, I accept your invitation" Janeway replied with a gracious smile.

"We will transmit co-ordinates to you now" He said as he pointed towards his communications officer. "And we will escort you and your vessels into orbit. I look forwards to meeting you in person Admiral. Regent, out"

As the channel closed, Asami turned back towards the Regent and her wife as Teela stood with her arms folded and a slight frown on her face as she spoke.

"The one that got away?"

"Ohh, that? Yeah! He was in love with me for a long time. Ohh don't pout again… trust me? We grew up together. His family lived a few houses down back in Japan and as the only child my age… we where just kids honey" Asami said as she held her hands. "Jealousy doesn't look good on you Teela… Relax, the guy is an idiot"

"Really? Why are you blushing?" Teela said with a large smile of mischief on her face.

"Am I?"

After arriving in orbit, USS Voyager herself had touched down in the large courtyard of the Regent's Palace itself, leaving little room to spare for anything else while the twin Akira class Starships USS Pioneer and Thunderchild orbited the seemingly distant world as a large reception for the legendary crew had begun. Although each Starfleet and Iolian Officer wore their dress uniforms along with the civilians and honoured guests dressed smartly for the occasion, Asami had refused to bow to tradition for this meeting as she wore what could only be considered as her favourite attire, a long black coat and matching blouse and trousers, standing out in the middle of the brilliantly dressed room like a young child screaming for attention.

Amongst the sea of uniforms, her hands shook nervously as she led her Iolian wife by the hand through the crowd as she found her childhood friend.

"Hiro!" Asami called out with a large smile.

"Sam. I've been looking for you, dressing down as always I see?"

As he extended his hand in greeting, Asami leapt forwards and hugged him tightly as she smiled widely before turning back to Teela.

"Hiro… I'd like you to meet Teela, my wife"

"Your wife?" He called out with shock. "It's a real pleasure Ma'am. Hiro Takagi. This world is… amazing"

"If you say so, I have the best part right here" Teela said with almost jealousy as she wrapped her left arm around Asami's waist firmly.

"Relax Ma'am. I have no desire on your wife…" Hiro said bluntly. "I heard about your mother's passing, I was surprised not to see you at her funeral Asami, we all where"

"We had a… memorial for her here on Iolia and my duties to the Regent would not allow me to leave. One thing Hiro, you lied earlier… you knew that I was here. Let me guess, when you heard about Iolia and Voyager's visit, you researched this planet and my name came up… right?"

"I could never fool you Sam. Your name did come up, many times. Another reason why I asked for this posting" Hiro replied with a slight smile. "I was… sorry to hear that you had left Starfleet… we had a plan"

"A Plan?" Teela replied quickly.

"Hiro was… an instructor at the Academy… when I.. made Chief Engineer, I was going have him assigned to the ship…"

"We said that if neither of us was married before the age 25, we would… umm…"

"No need to feel uncomfortable Hiro" Teela said sharply. "Sam has… a quality about her that makes her irresistible, trust me… I know"

"I know, when I learned that she had joined the Academy, I followed her…"

"Hello? I'm right here" Asami protested with a smile.

Inside her mind, Asami could feel the jealousy rising with in Teela as she took a deep breath and spoke with her abilities. 'Don't be jealous Teela. He's nothing more then an old friend'.

"Well Hiro, sometime we have to get together. I would love to hear some stories of Asami as a child"

"Ohh, I have thousands Teela, do you mind if I call you that? I have researched your true name, it's very difficult to pronounce"

"I am impressed" Teela said as she extended her hand in greeting.

"I could never say it, but then… Hiro always was the linguist" Asami said with shock.

"Drop by the house this evening, I sense that you wish to discuss something with us both"

"Of course, if you will excuse me ladies, I believe the Admiral wishes a word with me. Teela, nice to meet you. Asami, a pleasure as always"

An uncomfortable silence followed for a moment as Hiro left the two together in a room which, although busy with activity, seemed to be somehow empty as Teela looked at her wife with an almost scowl as she spoke.

"You never told me about that deal, why?"

"When I met you… and we became close, it wasn't important anymore" Asami said, almost begging.

"It was important to him Asami! I could see it, in his mind. He loves you, he always has… and you, you're acting like a child around him"

"I am? S-sorry"

Quickly taking her hand, Asami led Teela into an unoccupied room before she stopped facing her and took a deep breath as she spoke.

"I've don't hide much from you Teela, I love you more then anything. I don't speak about my past much because that is behind me. You are my future, this planet is my home. On a world of telepaths who know everything about everyone instantly… is difficult for me sometimes"

"I can…"

"Please, let me finish? Thank you. Before we got our first assignment, Hiro and I… fooled around a little. We got drunk and made that stupid bargain… I knew that he had feeling for me. You see, he had a plan about commanding his own ship one day, he always had his eye on a Galaxy Class ship, a ship filled with families. It was more of a career move for him and for me. You've seen him, he's attractive. When I found myself on the fast track through the ranks, we made a new deal that he would one day join me on the Admiral's ship and perhaps something would come of it. Mom always thought that we would end up together…"

"Sorry I screwed up her plans" Teela said with anger as a table shook slightly.

"No, no you didn't. Mom was… shocked when she found out about us, but when she got to know you, she loved you. I told her about the bond between us, how happy we made each other… she gave me her blessing in the best way I could ever have imagined. That ring you wear, it has been in my family for 300 years, it was her wedding ring. Before she died, she told me that if I screwed up what we have… I would never be allowed back in my earth home, my family would disown me. My family on Earth and Betazed love you as a daughter and I will fight to the death for you and what we have built here on Iolia together" Asami said as tears rolled down her face.

"What about Hiro, do you love him?"

"Yes, of course I do. But not in that way… he is my oldest friend and one of a few I can count on one hand. YOU! Have given me more then a girl from Japan could have ever have imagined"

"What did you do… with him I mean?" Teela said with almost anger.

"The truth? We kissed and he got my top off before he passed out…"

"You are lying!" Teela growled.

"No, I'm not. I slept on the floor that night… can you not understand that I want you? After everything that we have been through, taking an almost run down business and turning it into small empire, building a house together… making a LIFE Teela, a life with the woman I love…"

"The let me inside your mind, give me your thoughts, let me see for myself" Teela demanded as she looked inside her mind almost forcibly.

"Teela STOP! You're hurting me"

"Stop holding back on me, open your mind!"

Quickly gathering pace between the Iolians and the Voyager crew, the ceremony seemed to last for hours without the involvement of the two women who had made such a meeting possible. As the Voyager crew had sat down for a traditional Iolian meal, the Regent's eyes instantly spotted two empty seats at the vast winding table. What was unknown to the Regent himself as he searched the room for his Sister Teela and her wife was that a large argument between the two had broken out one hour before between the two. Leaving the function early, Asami had quietly slipped away after Teela had albeit called an end to their relationship. Although he could not leave the function itself as Admiral Janeway sat at his side as an honoured guest, he threw caution to the wind after he reached out his mind and felt the discomfort of his own sister, alone in the empty room. Gracefully excusing himself, he stepped away from the table as his aides fired him a disgruntled look before entered the room itself.

The lighting had seemed to shatter along with consoles, the table had been split in half as chairs laid thrown around the room as a faint sound of sobbing could be heard from the corner of the room itself. The uncontrollable grief which echoed through the room had taken him instantly as he walked towards the only shape he cold recognise as he knelt down and spoke.

"Teela? What, what happened?"

"None of your concern. This is private!" Teela sobbed through the darkness.

"Where, where is Sam?"

"She left, she left… it's over between us" Teela said as she wept while she wrapped herself around him tightly.

"What? I-I-I don't believe it"

"Believe it brother. I found out things about her… things that have changed everything between us and… something's that. She won't let me in brother"

"Do you still love her?" He said slowly.

"Of course… but, I can't… let go of…"

"Our Father's Mother died before you where born, they said that… she came from a noble house. That was not the truth… in those days, she was of the 'Lower Class' but he fell in love with her. Laws had been changed and she was allowed to marry her lover, together they bridged the gap between two 'Classes' as your marriage had bridged the gap with the Federation. You have to remember one thing Teela, Sam is half human and humans are very different then we are. What the two of you have, no diplomats could have ever created. Forget this function Teela, find her and talk with her…"

"There are things that you don't know…" Teela said as he sat at her side.

"I know that I have never seen you as happy when she is around you and sad when she is not, her smile lights up the room and your face… do not throw away what you have together my sister. Find her, take her home and spend as much time as you can together, make love to your wife… after all, she is only human and humans make mistakes, they also keep their thoughts close"

"And what about HIM?!" She replied with a harsh tone.

"Hiro? He told me about their past and that he is now married with two young daughters. Although he has some… feelings for Asami, he loves his wife. Teela, when it comes to Asami, your judgement has always been clouded… I remember when you first asked my permission to… what is that human term? Ahh yes, Date her. I wanted to say no… but I know that you would have dated her regardless. Find her, be with her… to hell with everything else and remember…"

Before he could complete his sentence, the door to the room opened as Asami ran into the room with a troubled look on her face as she pushed the Regent aside she pulled Teela onto her feet and shook her head before she spoke.

"We have a major problem Teela…"

"Sam… I'm sorry, forgive me?"

"Shut up and listen. I was home when I got a call from Tom, remember Tom? He ordered those ships a few years back? It turned into a major contract? All that aside… there is a new Holo-Suite program circulating around, very adult… and featuring the both of us, it's everywhere by now"

"What?" Teela said as she stood quickly.

"I don't know who, or why… but someone has made an erotic program using you and me as main characters. I… looked at the program, that's why I took so long. Teela, it's disgusting. We need to figure this thing out and we need to talk. I can't do this without you, come with me, please?"