VOY fic "Soul Harvest" (Chapter FOUR added)

[Sam Kenobi]

Chapter One

Captain�s Log, stardate 53514.6


*In the past week, Voyager has been in contact with a species known as the Pern, who occupy this sector of space. Though it is not usually our policy to become so enthralled in a certain way of life, I feel as though the crew has not been able to help themselves. Though the Perns have just emerged from pre-warp, it seems as though they have been lost in an age of old. An age where art and architecture still hold precedence over technology and advance. Lieutenants Torres and Tuvok, Neelix and myself hope to learn more about these amazing people once we have visited the surface.*

Captain Kathryn Janeway stood in the cockpit of the shuttlecraft Delta Flyer looking out the aerial window. She and her crew had been in contact with the Pern for nearly a week now and she was almost itching to see the planet. It was a marble of blue and green, swirling with white clouds and the occasional gray, but it reminded her so much of Earth that she had almost forgotten where Voyager was. A voice from next to her brought her attention from the window. She turned back to the conversation she was having with the head delegate who was down on the surface.

�But Captain, surely if you should take the trouble to get your people down here, you can stay for more than a few hours. A few days perhaps?� Dignitary Vadim told Janeway over the view screen on the Flyer. She flashed a quick smile over her shoulder at Tom Paris who was standing behind her at the conn.

�Dignitary, I can assure you, it is no trouble at all. We use something called a transporter; it will get my people to you in less than a minute. And I�m afraid a few hours is all the time we have, my crew and I must continue home.�

�A *transporter*?� Vadim asked, his eyes bright.

�Yes,� Janeway told him, �it takes our molecules and packs them into a data stream. Then the computer sends that data stream to where you are standing now.�

Vadim squinted at her, not understanding. �I do not know of this technology. You must understand my people have just become a warp civilization. Tell me more about these data streams of yours.�

Janeway laughed, trying not to make it sound as though she was mocking the dignitary�s ignorance. �I promise you�ll hear all about it when we come to the surface, Dignitary. Meanwhile, we�re wasting valuable time.�

The Dignitary paused, looking her over, and suddenly a great smile appeared over his dark face. �Of course, Captain, I understand completely. My ambassador and I will meet you at the designated site. I am interested to see how this transporter of yours works. Vadim out.�

The view screen went blank and the captain turned, smiling to the rest of the crew that occupied the cockpit. Each stood eagerly, waiting to go. This was an exception for Paris who just looked like he wanted his seat back. Janeway stood.

�Shall we?� Janeway asked, joining the group. Paris, now sitting in the pilot�s chair motioned for B�Elanna Torres. The half-Klingon hesitated, a look of ersatz annoyance momentarily flashing in her eyes, but came over for his goodbye kiss just the same. Janeway usually wouldn�t allow this fraternization on duty but she was in far too good a mood. She smiled at Tuvok and Neelix while the couple in conn area spoke.

�Be careful, ok?� Paris said in what could have easily been a mock-serious tone, �I don�t trust these guys.�

�Don�t trust them?� Torres asked with an accusing eye.

Paris smiled at her, trying to make the moment last as long as possible. He cocked his head. �Well, I had to think of something to say to keep you from being away.� Torres glared at him jokingly.

�Watch what you wish for, flyboy. Some day one of these hunches of yours might be true,� she said and slapped his cheek playfully. She left to join the others without so much as a glance back. Paris scratched his nape, and prepared to beam the away team to the surface of Pernety IV.



No less than five minutes later, Janeway, Torres, Tuvok and Neelix all stood on Pernety IV along with Dignitary Vadim and his ambassador, Cizak. As Janeway approached the delegates, she took time to notice the scenery around her and was suddenly filled with a great sensation of homesickness. The planet was exactly like Earth, in most aspects. She guessed around the early twentieth century in the northern American continent. Off in the distance, a dark cloud was brewing a storm that seemed to be getting closer by the second. An antique looking automobile waited for the group at the end of an unpaved street. Janeway wondered aloud if she should have brought Tom Paris instead of one of these other crewmembers, he certainly would have gotten more out of the visit.

The Pern emissaries each wore a dark black robe that covered their entire bodies head to toe. They were humanoid, bipedal, but far from reminding Janeway of her people back home. The heads were horned, at least from what she could tell, because a hood hid the facial features from all but those at least twenty centimeters nearby. From anyone else, she would have expected a menacing, almost frightening vibe, but these people seemed so peaceful, so� passive that there was anything but danger emitting from the beings underneath those robes.

The dignitary approached Janeway and brought his fist to his heart, a gesture of welcome. �It is an honor, Captain Janeway,� he said, �to finally meet you in person.�

�Likewise, Dignitary,� Janeway replied. She moved her hand to her crew behind her and continued. �Allow me to introduce my away team. This is Lieutenant Tuvok, Lieutenant Torres, and of course my prized ambassador Mr. Neelix�

�It is wonderful to meet you all,� the dignitary said genuinely. He gestured toward the automobile that was parked at an arms reach, �Please, get inside. There is a storm approaching and I don�t believe it would be in your best interest to be caught outside in one of our infamous squalls.�

The dignitary�s words were verified almost immediately when a bolt of lightning struck close by. They could feel the ground shake beneath them and the captain was reminded of the storms she grew up with on a farm in Indiana. She ushered her away team into the automobile and entered herself. It was only when every member of the party was inside that the rain began to fall. Vadim smiled.

�It is fortunate you should come at such an opportune time, Captain. I�m sure your lovely engineer would like to see how we have learned to harness energy for warp travel.� He turned to Torres, who was looking out the window at the dark sky, seeming to have finally taken heed to Paris� warning. She frowned.

�Charming,� Torres said, deadpan. Vadim, seeming to stifle a laugh, tapped the driver on the shoulder and mumbled something to him. The driver sped off into the storm.

�First stop,� he said, returning his attention to his guests, �will be the control plant. I understand your people are far more advanced than mine, Captain, but as I said before, you will be most interested in observing my people at work.�

�I�m sure I will. I hope we will be able to see some of your notorious architecture along the way as well. I�ve heard quite a bit from merchants in the area. Pernety IV seems the place to be if you�re one for structural design.�

�Ah, Captain, my friend. Patience is a virtue. If you are one of these one-for-structural-design, then we are saving the best for last.� The dignitary said with an unreserved look on his face.

Janeway turned smiling to look out the window, with a feeling that her decision to come on this away mission would be a good one. She hadn�t had much time in the past few months for herself and the doctor, recommending some down time had turned out to be absolutely right. They seemed to be passing through an agricultural region, much like the ones she had grown up with back on Earth. The homesickness set in again and she had to look away. There were too many memories on this planet, most that she had never known, but everything was too familiar. Janeway had a feeling her away team felt the same when she noticed them avoiding the windows as well.

The automobile began to slow when it approached what seemed to be �the bad part of town�. Not surprised in the least, Janeway and the crew still found everything so fascinating, Torres and Neelix actually began to fight over the window. The roads had changed from finely trodden gravel to a thick dirt that most likely would have risen dust at every corner, save for the ever- pounding rain. Finally, the driver stopped in an old warehouse about twenty kilometers from where the away team had arrived. Attendants, armed with crude umbrellas surrounded the vehicle, escorting the group into the large front doors of the building.

Inside, no one was exactly awe-stricken as to what they saw. A single room was crowded wall to wall with workers in white cloaks, each at a different station or console. The condition could have easily passed for a 1920�s assembly line, but amidst all the toil, there seemed to be an arisen sense of happiness among the workers. The delegates continued their way through, and though there seemed to be no room at all to walk, the workers parted as the dignitary and his guests passed through, headed toward the back of the room. For beyond the filth and crowds was possibly one of the most amazing sights the away team had ever seen.

An enormous ball of blue, pink and yellow energy hovered above hustling workers in light gray suits. It hummed steadily, every now and then letting go a few or more sparks. With each flash of lightning, the ball grew larger, until finally it had completely filled the chamber that encased it. Janeway could see Torres mouth drop from across the small back room, but the captain did not blame her engineer. She realized her own mouth had dropped as well.

�I think I�ve seen this kind of power before,� Neelix said, not so much in a state of awe as the others. He turned aside to Cizak, �A race not far from here, I can�t remember their names, but��

�No, I assure you Mr. Neelix, this is the first of its kind. Purely unique.� Cizak said quickly.

�Lightning,� Torres said under her breath, her eyes wide. �You�ve already learned how to catch lightning?�

�Not only catch it, but harness it,� Vadim told her, bursting with pride, �It comes in handy more then one would think. Not only do we use the energy obtained for warp travel, but also in everyday pieces of equipment. Automobiles, kitchen appliances, weapons. This energy is one of a kind.�

�Weapons?� Tuvok asked, �What kind of weapons would require such great power?�

�We have enemies, Mr. Tuvok, you can not blame us for that. I am sure you yourself have very powerful weapons aboard your own vessels.� Tuvok cocked his head in agreement. Cizak cleared his throat.

�Master,� he said to Dignitary Vadim, �perhaps now would be the time.� Vadim paused, assessing his ambassador, then looked at the floor, and nodded.

�Dignitary,� Janeway said, �Is something the matter?� The dignitary paused, then headed for a door aside the back room, and escorted his guests inside.

�My friends, I�m afraid there is another reason I have asked you to come,� he said once inside, barely able to look the captain in the eye.

�Go ahead, Dignitary,� Janeway told him, somewhat confused now.

�Our race has been under constant attack by a people who call themselves the Avaton. The attacks have not ceased for nearly ten years, since my father was Dignitary of Pernety IV. You can see how our own advancement has begun to cease as well in accordance with the war. We�ve barely been holding on for months now, harnessing the energy as it comes at us, but Captain, if we lose this war, I will lose my entire race, and we will all become slaves to the Avaton.�

�Where are you getting, Dignitary?� Janeway inquired, though she knew very well where he was trying to get.

�We are� humbly� asking for your help in the matter, Captain,� Cizak chimed in, �With only one hit from your starship, victory could be ours.�

Janeway looked at the two aliens silently and then took a short breath. She hated situations where she had to do this.

�I�m sorry, gentlemen,� she said, �but we have rules that forbid us from getting involved with disputes of other races. Somehow it always ends up bad.�

The dignitary, about to respond, was cut off by Janeway�s combadge chirping. She hit it, still looking sorrowfully at the two Perns athwart her.

�Janeway here.�

�Captain,� came a very static filled transmission from Paris, �Captain, I think we have a problem. I�ve just been attacked by another vessel. There�s minimal damage, but transporters have been reduced to fifty percent.�

�The Avaton,� Janeway heard Cizak whisper under his breath.

�Captain?� Paris was getting fainter.

�I�m here, Tom. Where does that leave us?�

�Well, I�m afraid that through the storm I�m only going to get three of you up. Then I�ll have to return to Voyager to make repairs.�

�Thanks, Tom. Hold on a bit longer, I�ll contact you when we�ve decided what to do.�

�Aye.�

Janeway turned to the others.

�Tuvok, B�Elanna, Neelix, you can all return to the Flyer. I have a feeling there�s a few things I�ll need to know about these Avaton.� She said.

�With all due respect, Captain.� Tuvok said in his calm Vulcan tone, �You should not be left alone on this planet. If you are staying then I will be forced to accompany you.�

�Tuvok, I�� Janeway started.

�If it�s ok, with you Captain Janeway,� Ambassador Cizak stepped in, �I would like to take that third place in the transport. We have been interested in this Starfleet technology of yours. Perhaps it would not be a problem if I took a tour of my own.� Janeway looked from Cizak to Tuvok, and then back again and gave a small nod.

�Alright, that sounds fair enough,� she said, and tapped her combadge, �Mr. Paris, prepare to beam B�Elanna and Neelix up. You�ll also be taking a Pern guest.�

�Understood Captain,� Paris� voice was even fainter than before, �But make it quick. We�ve taken another hit and the Flyer�s losing power quick.�

�You can take them now, Tom. Three to beam up.� Janeway, Tuvok and Vadim watched as the three beings beside them transported out of the room. An awkward silence filled the air.

�This way, Captain,� Vadim broke in. He gave a quick glance to Tuvok. �I want you to see my palace.�




Mean while, the Delta Flyer was far from silent.

�B�Elanna, I need you to take tactical,� Paris shouted as the two officers and their guest entered the cockpit, �I want those weapons back online, shields are falling fast. Whoever these guys are, they�ve got one hell of a gun.�

Torres sat at the tactical station while Neelix took ops; Paris figured this action was just to make the Talaxian feel important. The Flyer shook as it took another hit.

�Direct hit to starboard nacelle,� Torres said, her practiced fingers flying over the console, �Tom, we need to get out of here. We night not make it much longer.�

�I think we would, B�Elanna, only that last hit knocked out impulse drive,� Neelix told her, �We�re a sitting duck.�

The ambassador, who had remained silent until now cleared his throat. �Excuse me, but I know this enemy. They are the Avaton, the same enemy that has been attacking my people for��

�Do you know any weaknesses?� Torres interrupted him.

�They have very weak shield plating, their ships aren�t built for defense. One hit should keep them away.� He told them, a second of silence following.

�Get those weapons, B�Elanna,� Tom called from the helm.

The cockpit was suddenly illuminated by a burst of sparks from the port side, followed by a shallow scream. Paris and Torres barely noticed, concentrating on the ship flying circles about them.

�B�Elanna, what are my stats?�

�Hold on a second,� B�Elanna said, an edge present on her voice. �Ok, we�ve got phasers.�

�Fire. Fire at will,� Tom told her.

In the distance, an explosion could be seen on the alien ship. Almost immediately, the Avaton vessel turned around and took off at a warp speed. Paris turned to Torres, grinning boyishly.

�Afraid of a fight, I think�� he trailed off, following B�Elanna�s worried gaze to the back of the cockpit, where Neelix was hunched over a fallen Ambassador Cizak.

�Lieutenants?� he whispered.

�Oh my�� B�Elanna said, going to Neelix�s side, followed closely by Paris.

�B�Elanna, help me get him to the back,� Paris said, grabbing the Ambassador�s shoulders. They worked together to carry the heavy body out of the cockpit. Placing the ambassador on a biobed in the back of the Flyer, Paris took out a medical tricorder and began to scan.

�He�s still conscious, but there�s internal bleeding. We need to get him back to Voyager. B�Elanna, get up front and try to get impulse back online.�

�Right,� Torres said, and began to leave to the cockpit.

�Neelix, get me 20 cc�s of��

Paris stopped mid-sentence, letting out a loud gasp. Torres turned and her mouth opened as she saw the ambassador take Tom�s head in his hands, squeezing it hard, and brought Paris� face to his own. She ran to his assistance, but not before the ambassador began to chant.

�Menhakka yo benet ganesh,� whispered Cizak, �Menhakka yo benet ganesh.� He squeezed harder and repeated the chant, louder this time, �Menhakka you benet ganesh��

�B�Elanna?� Tom pled weakly, pain taking over the frightened look on his face. Paris reached his own hands up over the ambassadors to try and release the grip on his head. Torres darted to the biobed, not knowing what to do.

�Tom, hold on,� she said, coming to the other side of the ambassador. She looked over her shoulder. �Neelix, sedate him,� Torres told the Talaxian, who was fumbling with a hypospray. The chanting from the ambassador became louder and louder. Paris screamed horribly and the ambassador released his grip, throwing Paris against the wall. He crumbled to the floor, unconscious. Torres rushed to his side.

�Tom?� she said, taking his pulse. A look of relief fell over her face when she felt one. Neelix, however, was far from relieved.

�Lieutenant Torres? I� I�m not sure, but� maybe you should take a look�� he said, hovering over the limp ambassador whose arms now fell on either side of the bed. Torres stood up and took the medical tricorder from the Talaxian�s hand, running the scanner over Cizak.

�He�s not dead yet, Neelix, but we need to get him back as soon as possible,� Torres said. She hesitantly hit her combadge, �Torres to Janeway.� No answer. �Captain Janeway, please respond.� Torres felt her voice crack and her cheeks burned, but there was still no reply.

�The storm,� Neelix whispered.

�Ok,� Torres said, trying to take charge, �Neelix, I�m going to go up front. We need impulse back online; you�re going to stay back here in case Tom wakes up. Understood?�

Neelix nodded as Torres left the room.

[Voy_Girl]

That is really good! I'll look forward to another part.

[Sam Kenobi]

Any other opinions out there before I put up the next chapter?

[Sam Kenobi]

The Delta Flyer had been silent for nearly an hour. Neelix, still in the back room, had given up, sitting next to the still unconscious Tom Paris, and began to sing. Something had crossed his mind about how enriching the unconscious mind with things familiar to it would do some amount of good. Unfortunately, the only song Neelix knew that could spur Tom Paris� mind was something close to �Mary Had a Little Lamb�, the Talaxian couldn�t remember all the words. Neelix, however was �saved by the bell�, when he felt the familiar whir of the engines come back online. He stood, about to join Lieutenant Torres in the cockpit, when he thought better of it and called to her instead.

�I�ll take that as a good sign, Lieutenant?� Neelix eagerly asked, though not entirely expecting an answer. He thought he heard Torres growl at him from the cockpit, though and glad for an opportunity to exercise his mouth, kept the banter going.

�I guess I have to thank you, Lieutenant, for such accurate timing. It�s kind of funny, actually. I had just started singing to Tom, kind of one of those stimulant things. The only problem was, I kept forgetting the words. It was getting rather embarrassing, but I couldn�t just stop,� Neelix continued, too involved in his story to notice Paris stir next to him.

��would have sung a song my sister Alixia used to sing to me back at home, but that wouldn�t really work, would it? I don�t think Mr. Paris even knows what a Raxion is��

�Neelix, shut up,� drawled Paris� voice, conscious now, but not fully awake. Neelix looked down at him and lit up.

�Tom!� He exclaimed, perhaps a bit too anxiously, �You�re awake. How do you feel?� B�Elanna walked in just at this moment. Paris moaned and struggled to his feet.

�Like hell,� he said slowly. Torres came to his assistance. �What happened?�

�The Pern ambassador grabbed your head and started muttering something,� Torres told him, pointing to the unconscious man on the bed. Paris made a face. �Like he wanted to pass something on before he died.�

�He�s dead?� Tom asked, casting a concerned look from B�Elanna to Cizak.

�Not yet, but�� B�Elanna trailed off, shaking her head. �I think one of our main concerns is finding out what he did to you.�

�I thought something felt very different,� Paris said dryly. Torres ignored his crack as she usually did. She helped him to the cockpit and sat him down at ops, taking the helm herself.

�Hey,� Paris objected, but Torres gave him a don�t-mess-with-this look.

�We�ll be back to Voyager in half an hour,� she told him as Neelix took a seat at tactical. �Once the doctor takes a look at your hard head, then you can get back to your beloved Flyer. Until then, I�m in charge.� Paris scoffed sarcastically, but said nothing more.

As if dealing with the ambassadors sudden injuries on the shuttlecraft was not enough, the remaining away team was not entirely thrilled with the pressing questions they received when they returned to Voyager. This was especially true for Paris, who had acquired quite a headache upon their descent. Commander Chakotay finally gave in to Torres� insistence that he save the questioning for Neelix, while she escorted Paris to sickbay.

�Please state the nature of the medical emergency,� the Emergency Medical Hologram, who served as the ships permanent doctor, asked as the couple cam e through his doors.

�No emergency, Doc,� Paris said, though clearly in pain. Not trusting the young lieutenant�s headstrong opinion, the doctor turned to the man�s companion.

�Lieutenant Torres?�

�He was attacked by your patient over there,� she said, still supporting Paris by the shoulder, �Just before Neelix had the ambassador sedated.�

The Doctor, not a subtle being, still looked confused, but shrugged his shoulder.

�Very well,� he said impatiently, helping Paris across the room, �come over to this biobed so I can examine you.�

�Like I said, Doc, it�s nothing,� Paris argued, �I just need something for the pain, you know some��

In mid-sentence, Paris fell to his knees, the room suddenly beginning to spin around him. He thought he could hear Torres and the doctor calling his name, but before he could do anything, he blinked and found himself somewhere very far from sickbay. It was a red planet, much like Mars. Paris hadn�t been on the surface of the fourth planet, for all he knew it was Mars. Did he just transport thousands of light-years closer to Earth? No, as Paris looked around, he found the planet to be very different from the Mars he knew. This was a war-zone.

Paris realized his notions were not too far off when he heard weapons fire in the near distance. Explosions. Paris stood up, dusting his uniform off, and saw that his uniform was no longer Starfleet issue, but a camouflage jumpsuit. Confused but alert, his headache now gone, Paris heard the weapons fire getting closer and decided that this would be a good time to get out of where ever it was� way. He began to run in the opposite direction.

�Soldier,� a man�s voice called, making Paris stop and turn around. He could see a silhouette, but no details; the dust was getting too thick.

�Yeah?� Tom responded, figuring the man was talking to him.

�You�re going the wrong way, son. Battle�s over there.� Another explosion rocked the ground.

�Of course,� Paris said, improvising, �I knew that. I think I dropped my weapon somewhere back here, though. Just came back to get it.�

�Weapon?� The man said, having to almost shout over the approaching noise, �Son, you know we don�t have time for weapons. The enemy is gaining. There�s plenty of rocks at the battle front.� Paris winced as he felt something whiz past his head.

�Ok,� Paris started, �I think we got off on the wrong foot, I�m not who you think I am, I don�t even know how I got here.�

�Son, you might leave me no choice but to turn you in as a deserter, but we need every man we can at the front. Now get out of my�� The man was cut off by an explosion only five meters away. Paris ducked, covering his head from the rain of debris that followed.

�Soldier?� Paris heard the man call.

�I�m here, I�m alright,� Paris said, trying to blink away the dirt in his eyes, �Where are you?�

�Follow my voice,� the man said. The ground shook, a loud detonation going off nearby. Paris felt his way along the ground until he hit the soft body of a person sitting against a rock.

�What are we supposed to so now?� Tom asked the man sitting next to him. There was no reply. �Hey,� Tom shook the man. But when the limp body fell into Tom�s lap, he realized why. The man�s face had been completely blown in by the last bomb. Tom jumped.

He was back in sickbay again. Torres and the Doctor were on either side of the bio bed, the Doctor with a medical tricorder. Tom looked at B�Elanna, with a frightened expression. He winced, his headache pounding once again. Paris brushed his hair out of his face and closed his eyes.

�What�s happening to me?�





Janeway and Tuvok had been led back into the automobile and driven through the lush countryside. It seemed almost like hours that they traveled, but Janeway decided this was more due to the fact that she was used to traveling a bit faster than 50 kilometers per hour. They recognized the dignitary�s mansion at once, though, standing out far from the rest of the villagers� homes near by.

The captain decided it was almost comparable to the palace of Versailles in France back on Earth. Large stone statues of Pern heroes mounted on what she guessed were the Pernety version of horses in the midst of battle lined the steps to one of the many front doors. She was awestruck with its elegance, more so that at first she did not notice the dignitary trying to catch her attention.

�Captain Janeway?� She snapped back into reality, realizing the entire group of delegates staring at her. Trying to avoid an inevitable blush, she smiled.

�Yes, Dignitary?�

�As I was telling Lieutenant Tuvok, I�m afraid I�ll have to take my leave of you now. For tonight at least. I have already appointed you and your companion a maid who will take you to your quarters.� He snapped his fingers and held out an arm, at which a young, frightened young woman in nearly white robes approached. �This is Kyree.�

�Thank you, Dignitary,� Janeway said, �But Tuvok and I don�t require a maid. If you could just tell us how to get there, we would be happy to show��

�I insist.� Vadim interrupted, �Now, please, I beg your farewell.�

�Of course.� As the dignitary took his leave, Janeway and Tuvok were quickly ushered by the maid off to the corridor on their right.

Their quarters were no surprise, at least compared to the rest of the house. Large, comfortable looking beds occupied the far and a brilliantly large closet nearer to the door. Janeway resisted a girlish grin and turned to the maid to thank her before she and Tuvok walked out to find his quarters.

�Thank you. Kyree is it?� The maid looked uncomfortable and ignored the comment.

�You will find sleeping clothes in your closet. And another thing,� she drew two beautiful pendants from a pocket inside her robes as she spoke, avoiding the stare of the captain and Tuvok. �These are called *Reuns*. They are a craft my people and I specialize in, and are believed to be a warden against any evil doings that will be done to you. I hope that you will take them as a gift and wear them while you are on our planet.�

Janeway took one in her hand, and Tuvok the other. The long golden chain held an intricate weave of gold and copper looking metals. Janeway looked up at Kyree.

�They�re beautiful,� she said, fingering the seemingly delicate trinket between her fingers.

�Please wear them,� the maid said swiftly and then left the room, motioning for Tuvok to follow her. Janeway sighed and placed the *Reun* on her nightstand. She would don it in the morning.





Commander Chakotay sat at the head of the table in the briefing room, taking the position of captain while Janeway was away on Pernety IV. The day had been a long one, losing both his captain and head security officer on the same away mission, and the ambassador of Pernety IV nearly dying on a Federation shuttlecraft. Somehow, the commander felt that this was going on Voyager�s record permanently. And now Lieutenant Paris� situation.

Chakotay looked over the rest of his remaining senior staff as they all entered and sat at their usual seats. Harry Kim was first, which wasn�t surprising; the eager young ensign had always been on the ball. Chakotay wondered why the Captain never had promoted Harry; his record was almost spotless (until he had met Tom Paris) and knew more about Voyager�s systems then Chakotay ever would. Then again, the command structure on Voyager was extremely limited. Neelix came in next. Chakotay doubted the Talaxian had even left the bridge before this meeting was called. But that was life on a starship, exactly as Chakotay had always known it. Neelix was followed by the beautiful and down-to-earth ex-Borg, Seven of Nine. Her expression was unreadable as usual, if you could call it an expression. No, Chakotay decided, it was an expression, a deep thought one, for he knew first hand that a real woman lay under the seeming impassible exterior.

His thoughts were all pushed away when Paris entered, accompanied by both the Doctor and Torres. Paris was pale and looked very weak, as if he had just been come over by the Andorian stomach flu and refused any treatment at all. Still, Chakotay was touched that Tom still had the strength to join the rest of the senior staff. Given the tragic but embarrassing events of the lieutenant�s past, Chakotay was surprised the man still had the courage to be in Starfleet at all. But if it wasn�t for this crackerjack pilot, Chakotay was sure Voyager wouldn�t have made it one year, much less the nearly six years he counted now. Finally, everyone was seated. Chakotay cleared his throat.

�Thanks for joining us, Tom,� he began, trying to break the ice, �I heard about your condition. I�m sorry all this happened.� Paris snickered.

�Yeah, no thanks to our friend in sickbay, I guess,� Tom said sarcastically.

�That�s actually why we�re all here,� Chakotay continued, �We have a situation. The Captain and Tuvok are stranded on an alien planet, and from what I can gather; they showed up in the middle of a war. Not exactly the best place to be as a Starfleet officer. That�s what I want taken care of first. Harry?�

�I�ve been monitoring the planet, Commander, but the storm isn�t showing any sign of giving up,� Harry Kim told the first officer, �Plus, even if we could get in orbit to transport the captain and Tuvok out, we�d be immediately attacked by several surrounding Avaton vessels. I doubt they could do much damage alone, but there�s so many��

�Like being pecked to death by birds,� Neelix put in.

Kim nodded. �Exactly. Commander, if I�m correct, the storm should let up in a few days.�

�Harry, I want you to study the data the Delta Flyer took from the Avaton attack. See if you can find a way to modify our shields against their ships,� The Commander paused, glancing at Paris, �Meanwhile, we have an ambassador in our sickbay, and I have a feeling if we don�t wake him soon, we�re going to be sucked into this war ourselves. And we still have no logical explanation of what he did to Tom.�

�I�ve been studying the ambassador�s vital signs,� the doctor told the staff, �and as far as I can tell, there is no plausible cause of why he was injured so drastically. The ambassador was merely hit by a plasma burst, but unless their species has some kind of Achilles Heel to plasma, he should have only suffered minor injuries. I might be able to tell something if I knew how the Pern body actually functioned.�

�It�s ok, Doctor,� Chakotay allayed, �We can deal with that later. But what I�m concerned about at the time being is what he did to Tom right before the ambassador was put out. Can you tell us anything new?� Paris was sitting with his head in his hands.

�Negative,� The doctor relayed, �all brain waves appear normal, the headache would seem standard, due to the amount of force to Mr. Paris� temples. I�m forced to think it was nothing but a last request that the computer failed to translate.�

�No,� Paris said in a low, quiet voice, �No, something happened. He did something to me. I can feel it.� A splay silence came over the room. B�Elanna rubbed Tom�s back sympathetically while the rest of the staff tried to think of something to say. Seven broke the silence.

�Perhaps some rest, Lieutenant,� she suggested, �I remember something my mother used to tell me. Things will look more luminous in the morning.� This coined phrase put a smile on everyone�s face but Tom�s, who most likely didn�t even hear.

�Something like that," Chakotay said, turning to Paris. �Maybe she�s right, Tom. Get some painkiller, and some sleep. Maybe tomorrow you can help us out with a little more detail.� Paris nodded and stood with Torres� assistance and she escorted him out of the briefing room. Once the door closed, Chakotay addressed the rest of the senior staff.

�Begin double shifts, get everyone you can working on this. I want the Captain and Tuvok back by the end of the week, and Doctor,� The commander said, averting his eyes to the EMH. �I want Tom back by Tomorrow. Dismissed.�





Harry Kim stood by at the operations station for most of the night, studying the tactical data the Delta Flyer had collected from the Avaton attack earlier that day. The ensign usually wouldn�t mind sitting on the quiet bridge all night, he had always enjoyed reading, and ever since he had decided to join Starfleet he had been extremely interested in learning about other races. But tonight was different; Harry�s mind was in a completely different place. His best friend, Tom Paris was most likely spending a sleepless night tossing and turning, wondering what had happened to him. But Paris was strong; Harry figured that the pilot had been through worse in his life. But even Harry had to admit the whole situation was more than a little eerie.

It was the captain and Tuvok that Harry had given the most thought to. He himself had never been comfortable spending the night on an alien planet, much less being stranded on one. Harry couldn�t think of anyone on the crew that he would rather have take care of an affair like this one though, and this last thought brought the young officer comfort. With Captain Janeway in charge, it was most likely they�d be out of the Pernety system in a couple of days, back on course to the Alpha Quadrant.

The console in front of him started beeping, bringing his thoughts back to reality and to his duties. Harry took one look at the console and frowned, hitting his combadge.

�Kim to Chakotay,� he said, �Commander, I think we�ve got a problem.�





�Fill me in, Harry,� The commander ordered as he came on the bridge, still zipping up his uniform.

�We�ve got an entire fleet of ships approaching on the port side, Commander. By the looks of their structure, they appear to be�� Kim paused, looking over the readings to make sure his assumption was correct, ��Pern.�

�Hail the lead ship,� Chakotay responded right away. Harry ducked his head, complying with the commander�s order without question.

�They�re responding.�

�Put them through.� Chakotay cleared his throat. �Pern vessel, this is Commander Chakotay of the Federation Starship Voyager.� A Pern donned in a dark gray cloak appeared on the screen. To Chakotay�s dismay, it was not the man they had spoken to earlier, before Captain Janeway had left with the away team.

�I am Siran, Chief Ward of the Pern. I have heard of you, Chakotay of Voyager.�

�Of course you have,� said Chakotay, obviously not in a good mood, �My captain and head security officer are stranded on your planet. Do me a favor, Chief Ward.�

�Go ahead, Commander.�

�Humor me and tell me you have my friends on one of those ships of yours.�

The Pern smiled roguishly. �I�m sorry, Commander. My fleet was already in the skies when the storm began over the northern continent. Dignitary Vadim contacted me about coming to meet you.�

�I don�t understand,� Chakotay said, beating around the bush, �My crew says that all communications were cut off once the storm reached an apex.� Siran shrugged nonchalantly.

�Clearly a difference in technology.� He said, then, eager to change the subject, �Actually Commander, we have several other reasons for this rendezvous. And I am hesitant to suggest the first.� Chakotay didn�t like this sudden change of pace, but urged the ward to go on.

�Go ahead,� he said testily.

�A matter, Commander, that would be left to your captain, but I am informed that the Dignitary was called away before he could receive an answer��

�Chief Ward, please get on with it.�

�Our race is in contending with another who call themselves the Avaton. Normally, we wouldn�t bother you, but my people are down horribly. You must understand, Commander, this is a disputed area. As long as you�re here, you will most likely be forced to choose a side.�

�Is that so? Well, Mr. Siran, I know my captain. And I�m sure she responded with the same answer I�m about to give you. We have rules about getting involved in disputes of species that do not concern us. I�m sorry, but we can�t help you.�

The Pern paused for a moment, glaring at the commander with an accusing eye. �Very well,� he said finally, �I had a feeling you might say that. I do believe we are prepared to change your minds though, but that will take time. Meanwhile. I�m afraid we must tear our eccentric Ambassador Cizak from your beautiful ship. He has some business to attend to at home.�

Chakotay had been waiting for this. He averted his eyes from the ward, looking at the ground before he found the mettle to face the view screen. Siran appeared to be growing rather impatient.

�I�m afraid that isn�t possible,� he said. The Chief Ward cocked his head, puckering his brow. �My away team ran into a little trouble that had to do with this enemy of yours,.� Chakotay trailed off.

�Keep going, Commander Chakotay,� Siran said, the intolerance in his voice was becoming dire. Chakotay took a breath.

�A plasma burst hit him from the port side of our shuttlecraft. There should have been only a minor injury, but something must have gone wrong. He�s in a critical condition in our sickbay.�

�But, he is not dead?� Siran half asked, half stated. Chakotay gave a small shake of his head, surprised to see that the Wards expression was not as angry as he thought it would be. It was more presumable then Chakotay would have been if he had this about one of his own crewmembers.

�Our doctor has been conducting a few tests on him to discover if he had anything to do with something that happened to one of my crewmen who��

�Then we will come aboard and take him back to our ship,� Siran interrupted, �The Dignitary will not be pleased with you conducting tests on one of his people. Lower your shields so that we may board.�

�Not before you can give us some answers,� Chakotay nearly shouted. He was becoming quite agitated, �Something horrible has happened to my pilot and your ambassador is the one who did it to him. So I suggest if you want the ambassador back, you tell me everything you know.�

�I will not speak of this matter until I have received the Ambassador and have discussed the matter with the Dignitary. My people do have rules as well,� the men were having an all-out argument now. The Pern�s face had turned bright red.

�Ward, I will have the final word with the Dignitary in this matter if you don�t tell me what I need to know. I don�t��

The view screen went blank. Chakotay, breathing heavily, turned to Harry Kim, who was hitting pads furiously.

�The transmission was cut, Commander. They won�t respond to hails.� Kim told him. Chakotay bit his lip.

�Target their impulse drive and take it out. Do the same to their weapons and long-range communications. I�ll be in sickbay,� He said to Harry and the crewman at tactical, then headed for the turbolift.

�Sir?� Harry Kim�s voice stopped him. Chakotay whirled around to look at the ensign. Kim wasn�t used to seeing his commander act like this.

�Dignitary Vadim won�t know about his ambassador until we have the captain and Tuvok back, or until we get some information about what happened to Tom.�

�Sir, I don�t mean to be insubordinate, but I don�t think this is what the captain would like you to do.� Harry said, concerned for the commander.

�To hell with what the captain would do, Harry, I�m in charge right now, understood?� Kim nodded hesitantly. �Good. After you blow out their primary systems, keep phasers locked at their energy core. And Harry,� Chakotay told the young ensign, �If Siran wishes to speak to me, tell him I have only four words. This is an ultimatum.�

[Sam Kenobi]

Chapter Three


Captain Kathryn Janeway awoke to some thing the she had only dreamed about for the past six years. It wasn�t the warm morning welcomed she was used to back on Earth, but it was close enough. The rain beat against her window like a reckoning, bribing her to it as she rose out of bed. Janeway had slept much better then she thought she would have, from the moment she had lain down, an overwhelming sensation of weariness came over her. And she was out like a light. More like a candle, really, she thought, seeing as this mansion had no visible use of electric lights. It was confusing, but reasonable; perhaps it was meant only for authenticity.

As the rain continued falling, Janeway got out of bed and went to the closet where she had left her uniform the night before. She had changed into a nightgown the fit peculiarly well. It was strange at first but she hadn�t been looking forward to sleeping in her uniform anyway. She opened the large oak-looking doors and found her uniform missing, replaced with a shale-colored garment that imitated the cloaks worn by the Perms. This quirk, actually, didn�t surprise her; she decided to wear it and look for her own clothes later. Still in a morning daze, she walked to the window at the beautiful maze of gardens that was the yard of the Dignitary�s Mansion. A worker saw her looking at him and quickly ducked behind a hedge. *Odd bunch, these Perns*, she thought to herself, but her thoughts were quickly altered when a loud rapping came at her bedroom door.

�Come,� she said instinctively. The door opened and she found it to be Tuvok, who was dressed in the same apparel she had found in her own closet. Though the Vulcan seemed less pleased. Janeway smiled.

�Good morning, Tuvok, did you sleep well?� She asked, trying to see where making the best of a bad situation would get them.

�It is indeed, Captain, but no, in fact I did not sleep at all last night. Fortunately, as a Vulcan, I can go much longer than the average human can without sleep.� He told her matter-of-factly.

�Shame,� she said, motioning for him to come and sit with her by the window, �these are heavenly beds compared to our Starfleet issue cots. I could sleep forever.�

�Then it is fortunate, that the volumes of noise in the night managed to keep us awake.�

�Tuvok?�

�Last night I was brought out of my meditation by loud voices down the hallway. One I understood to be the dignitary, but I was not able to identify the other voice.�

�What did they seem to be talking about?�

�I was only able to hear parts of the conversation, Captain, but from what I understood, Dignitary Vadim was angry at the other man, it seemed to be military affairs.� Tuvok said, looking at the captain. She shook her head slightly and looked back out the window.

�We should probably trust the dignitary to bring this topic up if he needs our help. Don�t tell him yet, but I�ve had second thoughts about deciding to help in his war. We need to gain more information about the enemy first.�

�Agreed, Captain,� Tuvok said, his usual response when Janeway made decisions, �I however, am more concerned with the fact that both our uniforms and combadges are missing. Voyager may be trying to locate us, and even if they have found us, I do not intend to return to the ship in this.�

�And you won�t, Mr. Tuvok, I can assure you,� a familiar voice from the door caused them both to look. It was Vadim, smiling generously. �Your uniforms were damaged in the rains last night, I had my maid take them to be washed. Nothing to be worried about.�

�Thank you, Dignitary,� Janeway told him. The three delegates exited the room into a large hallway as she continued. �It will be much appreciated.�

�Did the night find you well?� The dignitary asked them both. Before Janeway could open her mouth, Tuvok spoke.

�Not particularly, Dignitary,� the Vulcan said calmly, �In fact, I spent the entire night awake, as I�m sure you did as well.� The dignitary looked uncomfortable.

�I have no idea what you�re talking about, Lieutenant Tuvok,� he said, quite abashed at the mention of this, �After a short meeting with my executives, I was off to bed. I�m sorry you weren�t able to sleep yourself.�

Tuvok decided to take it more evasively. �Actually, it was the storm that kept me up. I have never been fond of lightning and thunder to tell the truth. I was wondering if you knew how long the storm would last.� Vadim seemed to like this change of pace.

�I understand, I had quite a weakness for the storms as a boy as well. Unfortunately, in your case, these have been known to last for days, if not weeks.�

�Do you know if we�ll be able to take a shuttle back to our ship soon?� Janeway asked hopefully.

�That,� the dignitary said, turning a corner, �would be a question for my engineers. Now please,� he opened a door and escorted them in, �forget these concerns with enough time for the morning meal my chefs have prepared.�

Janeway�s eyes went wide and as she looked from the food to Tuvok, she was sure he wanted to do the same. A large banquet table was overflowing with ripe fruits that she had never seen. Some sort of pastry chef was busy preparing small doughnuts and sweets that looked absolutely to die for. The captain�s stomach growled as she realized she hadn�t eaten since leaving Voyager the day before. She decided to gratefully accept the Dignitary�s offer. A servant pulled out a chair for Janeway to sit, while two others did the same for Tuvok and Vadim.

�It�s wonderful,� she told the dignitary, who now sat across from her, �Is all the fruit native?�

�Completely. In fact, we used to pride ourselves with the trade of our foodstuffs. Species from all over the galaxy would come just to try that orange colored one. We call it *Karja*.� Janeway tried the small delicacy and her mouth was suddenly in heaven. The dignitary smiled.

�You like it. Unfortunately, it was this m�tier of trade my people had chosen that eventually led to our downfall about a decade ago.�

�The Avaton,� Tuvok asked. Vadim nodded.

�First contact. There seemed to have been a problem with some technology my father showed their former leader. You know how some disputes begin, nothing ending up to be everything in the world. After a while, our bickering had transformed into a full-fledged war. They blocked our economy and any hopes for the future with their constant attacks. My father died eight years ago, leaving me the throne.�

�A ten year war kindled from a simple trade dispute?� Janeway asked. The odds seemed unlikely but Vadim appeared very sincere. She wished to know more about these Avaton, especially since they had decided to go and attack her shuttle. Janeway had never been one to take guerilla warfare kindly, more than ever now, when she was on the receiving end.

�The Avaton have never been ones to put a grudge behind them. I believe though, that they have the means to win the war quite quickly. It makes me wonder why this has gone on so long.�

�Have you tried diplomacy, peace talks?� Janeway inquired, always jumping to take the non-violent way out of a situation. She herself would be willing to do the talks if it came down to that, but her hopes seemed to be far coming.

�The Avaton are not a species willing to take part in peace-talks of any kind,� the dignitary told her as he took some *Karja* from a tray. �In fact, it has been so long since any of my people have talked to an Avaton delegate, we are beginning to forget what they look like. We know them only by their attacks,� he crushed the fruit in his hand, �by the way they have squeezed the life out of our civilization, leaving no room for growth, no room for life. And we have no efficient way of defending ourselves. Captain, I tell you again. My last hope is you.�

Janeway sat in silence for a moment. She had had a feeling this would come up, even though the dignitary had tried to leave no room for business at the table. Or at least that was what he had tried to make it seem like. She felt as if she only had one choice, to join with the Pern against the Avaton. Normally, Janeway would like to know more about the situation involved, but Vadim had described what the Avaton had done to his people with such sincerity that she felt more then obliged to join up in his cause. She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a voice from the door.

�Dignitary, forgive me.� It was a guard of some kind. Whatever it was, the guard treated the news urgently.

�Officer, what have I said about interrupting me when I an with guests?� Vadim rose out of his chair.

�Forgive me, please, there is an emergency. Torreth wishes to speak with you immediately.� Janeway and Tuvok exchanged glances and rose with the dignitary, but he stopped them.

�Please,� he said, gesturing for them to sit back down, �this will only take a minute. If I am not back before you are finished, feel free to explore the house. I must leave.� With this, he exited the room. Janeway could hear Vadim yelling at the guard until they had left the hall. The rest of breakfast was eaten in silence.


The dignitary was not back in half an hour and Janeway and Tuvok were tired of waiting. This was only Janeway�s excuse, of course, ever since she had set her eye on the beautiful house; she had been itching to look around. Hesitant to mention this to her logical Vulcan companion, Janeway had quickly agreed when he suggested they get up and stretch their legs a bit.

The storm still raged outside, but it was almost as if the two Starfleet officers were inside a nebula, watching an ion storm pass them by. The house was quiet, very unusually quiet, the walls must have been made of some exotic wood or stone they had never encountered before. As a bolt of lighting hit not far of, Janeway turned to Tuvok, finding him surprisingly calm.

�I thought you weren�t fond of lightning, Tuvok,� she said with a smile as the duo began down the long corridor.

�When the situation calls for it, Vulcans have the capacity to falsify information,� he told her brusquely, �I was merely trying to gets some answers from the dignitary regarding his encounter with our mystery man last night.�

�I see,� Janeway said. She was silent for a moment, thinking. �Tuvok, what are your thoughts of the matter?�

�Whatever your decision is, Captain, I will be by your side. However, if you are asking my opinion,� he waited for her reply.

�Yes, what would you do?�

�I would be cautious. This is a species and a war that we still know very little about. Under the circumstances, I would go ahead and help the Pern. But I believe Dignitary Vadim is hiding something.�

�Why do you say that?�

�I believe you would call it a gut feeling, Captain. The dignitary is hesitant to tell us the whole story about his dispute with the Avaton. He will try to pollute our reasoning with evidence that the Pern are the underdog, when in reality, he has yet to tell us anything about his own tactics or how the dispute was actually started.�

�You don�t believe him?�

�Hardly. Given the fact that it was originally a trade dispute does not tell us which side of the bargain, or which side of the battle he and his people were initially on.�

�You�re saying we should wait until we get back to Voyager to decide what to do?�

�Precisely. For all we know, Commander Chakotay could have already made an alliance with the Avaton.�

�I don�t believe Chakotay would do that without my permission, but I can see where you�re coming from, Tuvok.� The officers rounded a corner into a beautiful passageway whose walls and ceiling was covered in a giant mural. Janeway gasped, the analyzing of old art like this had always been her forte.

�Amazing,� she whispered, trying to take it all in. The more she looked at the art on the walls, though, the more confusing it became. Suddenly she wished she hadn�t spoken so soon. The mural seemed to tell a story, Janeway had trouble trying to find the meaning of it. On her right were large depictions of Pern officials; she knew they were high in rank because of their dark robes. The ceiling was a beautiful swirl of blue, pink and yellow paint that she supposed was the lighting ball she and her crew had seen the day before. But to her left was the most confusing factor of all. They were bodies, dead, but it was as if they were reaching from their graves, pale and distorted, for the ball above them. A thunder shock rumbled outside as she and Tuvok gaped at the walls.

�Captain,� she was startled by a small voice that came from behind them. As Janeway and Tuvok turned, they realized the origin of it to be the maid who had helped them to their rooms the night before; Kyree if Janeway remembered correctly. In the light, she was different, frightened and on edge. The woman was thinner then Janeway had first taken her to be, probably from malnourishment and possibly mistreatment by her master. But in the woman�s eyes, Janeway found it hard to resist succumbing to the trust she found in the blue spheres. Janeway was suddenly flooded with compassion.

�Kyree,� she said, nearly forgetting the atrocity in the room to which they stood in the doorway. The woman�s face was odd, almost as if she had been debating something in her heart her entire life, and had still not come to a conclusion. The maid was still not so different from the night before, she seemed unsure of herself in the presence of those who were superior to her. Yet, she had obviously come for a reason.

�Is there something we can help you with, Kyree?� Janeway asked softly, so as not to frighten the middle-aged woman. The maid hesitated, but finally found the courage to look the captain in the eyes.

�I must speak with you privately,� Kyree said, �But not in the openness of these halls. Come, I will lead you to my quarters.� Janeway nodded, and had Tuvok come along with herself and the maid as they ventured further into the house. The passages became more intricate, and finally, they approached a small door. Kyree ushered the Starfleet officers inside and closed the door quickly behind them.

The maid�s quarters were comparable to Spartan living conditions aboard some vessels Janeway had served upon. A bed in one corner was the only furniture besides a small table next to it. There was no window, and no flooring besides a dirt that was finally packed from years of shuffled ins and outs. Kyree did not seem at all embarrassed by her accommodations; or rather there wasn�t time to be. She seemed very fixed on whatever it was she was about to tell the captain and her companion. The maid�s first question was exactly what Janeway was expecting.

�Are you wearing the *Reuns*?�

�Yes,� Janeway told her, �but we�re still not certain what for. Is that what you brought us here for? To tell us what these are really for?� Kyree paused, looking quite hesitant about what she was considering.

�I�m afraid you have been subject to a very deliberate conspiracy, Captain.� The maid said, still whispering. Janeway found volume odd, but went along just the same.

�What do you mean?� she said quietly.

�The dignitary has been lying to you all along. Everything he has told you, about the war and about the enemy is a lie.� As fast as this came, Janeway tried to process it, but still was confused. She furrowed her brow.

�How so?�

The maid looked around her room, frightened, as if someone could walk in at any minute. �Captain, I understand that the dignitary has led you to believe that the war began over a trade dispute. This is not entirely true.� Tuvok seemed to be becoming annoyed.

�Kyree,� he said, trying not to break the mood, �could you please get along with it?� Janeway silently reprimanded her chief security officer for being so hasty, especially since it seemed to take so much of this woman�s courage to even talk to her master�s guests. Janeway urged the maid to go on.

�The war did begin as a trade dispute. But Dignitary Vadim�s father, who was our leader at the time, was on the opposite side of the bargain that my master would tell you now. The Avaton attacks were first provoked as a result of a piece technology that was stolen by the Pern. This piece of technology was then known as the Collector.� At this last word, all suddenly became clear to Janeway.

�The energy harnesser?�

�Yes. Ever since that time, the Avaton have only been trying to regain their technology. But that is not the end of the Pern. They have decided not to let our society evolve on its own, instead making advances by taking technology from other races.�

�Is this information known to all of the Pern people?� Tuvok asked, being the investigator that he was. Janeway was glad that Tuvok was the one she was stuck on this planet with, instead of perhaps Tom Paris who would do nothing but gawk at automobiles.

�No,� Kyree told them, �I only know because of my duties around the mansion. I have overheard the master several times as he talks to his collaborators.�

�So what are the pendants for exactly?� Janeway asked, realizing her question had not been answered yet.

�They will prevent the dignitary from stealing any information of about technology that is in your mind. All of the high-ranking officials have a telepathic ability to steal technology without actually stealing the machinery itself. Fortunately, I am not the only other who knows about these lies.� She paused vitally, looking the two officers over.

�Go ahead,� Janeway told her softly. Kyree was hesitant.

�My son,� she said finally, �is the leader of an underground resistance. His headquarters are on the eastern continent. If you can get over there, he will give you a shuttle to get back to your people. Before the master decides to take your own technology.�

This last statement caught their attention the most. Introducing the Pern to their superior technology in the first place had violated over half a dozen Starfleet regulations, they would be in no better position if the Perns actually duplicated any of it. Janeway ran this over in her mind. Should they actually trust this maid? Or was the woman�s talk because of some misplaced hate for her leaders? Janeway decided she needed to speak with her comrade before jumping to any conclusions.

�If you could excuse us for a moment,� Janeway asked the maid. Kyree nodded, leaving the room leaving the captain and her security officer alone to talk. Janeway did not even have to ask the Vulcan anything before he spoke up.

�There is no need, Captain, I know what you are going to ask,� he said, as deadpan as any Vulcan could be. �I believe the maid speaks the truth. Usually, I would need more proof in a situation such as this, but there is a time for unconditional trust.�

�And that time is now?� Janeway put in.

�Precisely,� the Vulcan replied. Janeway nodded her agreement.





Dignitary Vadim entered his control chamber in a fit of rage. He had precisely told his servants that there should be no interruption, no matter how important during his meal with the captain and her officer. But this order, of course was without thought that anything as important as a call from Torreth, his overseas spy, would occur. The dignitary waved his hand at one of his officers to put Torreth through. His view screen was suddenly illuminated with a light from the other side of the planet, and a face, that even Vadim had never been too keen on looking at.

�Torreth,� he said, crossing his hand to his heart. The man on the view screen, dressed in a midnight black robe, returned the action. �What is so important that you call me from my morning meal?�

The man being addressed growled at Vadim as though the dignitary was the scum on his boot. Though he outranked the man, Vadim had to brace himself from shuddering.

�I am afraid we have a problem with this new technology we are to acquire, Dignitary,� Torreth said in a low, raspy voice.

�How is that, Torreth?� the dignitary began in his usual laid-back tone, �Ambassador Cizak should be well at work on Voyager by now. We have the captain and her most trusted college trapped on the planet as the possession takes place. I even sent my chief ward to the ship to convince Janeway�s second in command to help destroy the Avaton. As far as I�m concerned, everything is on order.�

�That is because you are a fool,� Torreth growled, �You seem to forget that you are not the one monitoring the situation. Your ambassador is nearly dead, Dignitary. He was injured as the Voyager shuttlecraft left orbit. When your chief ward arrived at the vessel, he was quickly turned down by Janeway�s second in command, only then to be disabled and now his own vessel remains dead in space. As far as *I* am concerned, nothing is going as planned. The transporter technology will only be ours if we execute a more precise course of action.�

�It was Voyager�s fault my ambassador was injured?� Vadim asked, not entirely hearing the rest of Torreth�s report.

�Yes, but that is the least of our worries now, my liege. If you require the transporter, we must put this behind us and begin��

�We will not put this behind us. How are we to collect with Cizak out of position?� Vadim spat at the man on the view screen.

�If he does die, then we hope for a full transaction before he is put out of mind.� Vadim stared angrily at Torreth and squinted his eyes.

�Contact me Tomorrow, Torreth. Vadim out.�

The dignitary whirled around in his chair, furious. He decided it was time to tell his guests the real story, and have one of them pay for what had been done to his ambassador.. Vadim turned to one of his officers.

�Run a sensor sweep of the entire mansion, find the captain and her friend. When you find exactly where they are, I want you to send a full security detail. Capture them, bring them to me alive. I want the captain to choose which one of them we�ll be killing.� There was a slight pause as several beeps could be heard from the console on Vadim�s left.

�Master, I have run the sensor sweep,� a young officer said in a frightened voice, �Janeway and Tuvok are no longer in the house.�

[Sam Kenobi]

Chapter Four


�Lieutenant Torres, I require your assistance.�

B�Elanna Torres scooted out from under the console she had been working on all morning to see Seven of Nine standing over her. From the beginning, the ex-drone had always managed to get on Torres nerves. Reporting every flaw in the federation technology and every flaw in Torres� own work was not one way to get on the chief engineer�s good side. In fact, where Torres was concerned, nothing really ever got on her good side, but she had been working on the temper. Recalling this, Torres tried to regain her half- Klingon composure and stood to face her college.

�What is it, Seven?� she asked in a resisted tone. The Borg didn�t seem to notice Torres� mood and went on.

�I was at my post in astrometrics,� Seven said, leading B�Elanna to a console near the main doors of engineering, �running standard scans of Voyager like I usually do. I nearly had finished my inspection when I ran across something I believe you should look at.� Seven hit a pad on the console beneath her and regarded the view screen. Torres followed this latter action.

A lateral view of Voyager appeared on the screen. Seven pointed to a light emanating from sickbay. �This,� she said, �appears to be coming from the surgical bed in sickbay.�

Torres took a closer look at the flashing light and furrowed her brow, �What is it?� she asked. Seven looked away from the screen to regard Torres.

�It seems to be some sort of beacon. But I am not sure, I was hoping you could tell me.� Seven said hesitantly. Torres knew the woman didn�t like to admit she didn�t know something, and took the question as a compliment. She nodded.

�Computer, show an enlarged image of sickbay,� Torres ordered, �Identify the signal coming from the surgical bay.�

�Unknown,� came the computer�s rational voice.

�Torres to the Doctor,� B�Elanna said, hitting her combadges.

�Doctor here, lieutenant. How can I help you?�

�Doctor, what did you do with the body of the ambassador?� Torres asked, still looking over the picture on the view screen.

�He is still in the surgical bay, of course,� the Doctor told her in a sarcastic manner. �Why do you ask?�

�There�s some sort of beacon emanating from the surgical bay, we don�t know what it is.�

�Well, only myself and the ambassador are in the surgical bay right now,� came the Doctors overly vexed voice, �what could the beacon be?�

�Doctor, perhaps it would be more efficient if you ran a level three diagnostic on the surgical bay,� Seven interrupted, �This way we will be able to refrain from pointless questions that Lieutenant Torres and I can not answer.� Torres resisted a smiling at Seven�s actuality. She heard the Doctor huff his lack of appreciation for this statement..

�I can do that Seven, I�ll contact you when I�m done. In the meantime, I have some questions for Lieutenant Torres.�

�Go ahead, Doctor.�

�I have been unable to raise Lieutenant Paris all morning. I wondered if you knew where he was.� Torres straightened, and leaving the console to Seven, walked towards the warp core.

�Normally I would suggest the holodeck, but given the headache he had last night, Doctor, he�s most likely still asleep.�

�Still asleep?� The Doctor said, apparently very annoyed, �It�s nearly 1300.�

�That�s ok, Doctor, I�m sure Tom will report to you once he wakes up. He doesn�t have much else to do now that we�re sitting in the water.� She heard the Doctor exhale loudly.

�Affirmative. I�ll contact you after I�ve run the diagnostic. Doctor out.�

Torres went to the left side of the warp core, back to the station she had been working on and ducked under the console. She noted Seven coming towards her just before this last action, but decided to ignore her. Torres liked having things her way, and as far as she was concerned, she would fix this console before going on to something else. Grabbing a hypospanner, she began to work on the relays, trying not to take notice of the pair of feet approaching her.

�Lieutenant Torres,� Seven repeated herself from earlier. Torres rolled her eyes underneath the console.

�Seven, we can find out what that is when the doctor returns the information from the diagnostic. You can return to astrometrics if you want��

�There is another beacon approaching the main doors. I thought you should be aware.� With this, Seven left the console and started towards the door. Torres scrambled from the floor and joined Seven, grabbing a phaser on the way. She and Seven stopped at the doorway.

�We have no idea what this is,� Torres told Seven as the Borg looked at the phaser in her hand, �We might as well be ready.� Seven nodded and reproached the screen where she and Torres had first noticed the beacon.

�The beacon is approaching.� Seven reported, �It is right outside the door.� Torres readied her phaser, along with several other officers who stood by. The main engineering doors hissed, then opened. Torres stepped from against the wall and pointed her phaser.

Only to find the being she was pointing it at to be Tom Paris.

Torres let out a long-held breath and lowered the phaser, closing her eyes briefly and walking to Seven to see what had gone wrong. Paris followed her.

�What the hell was that about, B�Elanna,� Paris said, trying to get her attention, �I come down to see you and this is the welcome I get?� Torres ignored in young lieutenant and began hitting several sequences. Paris cleared his throat.

�Sorry, Tom,� she said without even a sideways glance, �I think we�re having a little trouble with sensors. How�s your head?�

�What�s that supposed to mean?� Paris asked irrationally. Torres decided this was just a side effect of the event the day before.

�You�re headache, Tom, the one you had last night, how does it feel?�

�Oh,� Paris responded, clearly embarrassed, �Fine, it feels fine.� Paris stopped when he noticed Seven of Nine scanning him with a tricorder. He stepped back, only to have her follow. �Seven, stop, that�s weird,� he said, pushing her hand that held the tricorder away from him. Seven complied and brought the tricorder to Torres.

�Lieutenant,� Seven said, thrusting the readings in Torres� line of vision, �I�m afraid our sensors are not malfunctioning. The beacon does appear to be coming from Lieutenant Paris.�

�What?� Tom asked, trying to get a look at the tricorder in Seven�s hand, �What beacon?�

�You�re right,� Torres said, studying the information, �but it�s not the kind of beacon that we were thinking. It�s a homing signal.�




�Run that by me again, B�Elanna,� said Chakotay as he looked over her report.

�It�s true, Chakotay,� she said for about the fifth time, �and asking me again won�t make it any different. Apparently, the ambassador was equipped with some sort of homing beacon so we wouldn�t try to steal him or something. The captain�s trust with these people was obviously misplaced.�

�And then when the ambassador was injured, he transferred the signal to Tom.�

�Apparently he tried, he thought he was dying but he only had time to transfer about half of� whatever it is�

�Is that the real reason Siran and his crew came to us?�

�That�s what I�m assuming,� Torres told him, �They probably knew Cizak was nearly dead before they even got here, but they didn�t want us to know anything about the beacon. I�ve sent Tom to sickbay and had Vorik post some security incase Siran and his friends decide to try and get their technology back.�

�That won�t be likely,� Chakotay assured her, �We�ve knocked out most of their systems and the Pern don�t even have transporter technology. You said Tom�s feeling better?�

�That�s what he said, but now that we know about the beacon, we�re not exactly sure what we can expect from his health. The doctor is still running some preliminary scans.�

Chakotay thought this over. �Alright,� he said, �I�m going to put you in sickbay with Tom and the Doctor, help the Doctor on that diagnostic of the surgical bay. Meanwhile, Harry and I are going to work on getting the captain and Tuvok back.� Torres nodded and turned to leave the ready room. She was stopped by Chakotay�s voice. �Oh, and B�Elanna. Tell Tom to get well soon. I think we�ll need him at the helm any time now.� Torres nodded and left to go to sickbay. The commander leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his black hair. He had a feeling this was going to be one hell of a week.




Tom Paris sat cross-legged on bio bed one in sickbay, leaning against the back panel. He felt extremely juvenile, clothed in the blue pin-stripped sickbay garments. The doctor wouldn�t let him help with anything, something about his brain not being as reliable as it usually was. He wasn�t allowed to go back to his quarters or to the holodeck because the doctor wanted to keep a close account in him. So after half an hour, Paris had given up and succumbed to counting the ceiling tiles. He had just begun when the sickbay doors opened and Torres walked in.

�B�Elanna, thank God you�re here,� Tom said, getting up from the bed and going to her, �you have no idea how boring it can get here. Especially since I just realized there were no ceiling tiles.�

�For escape?� she asked, walking over to the surgical bay and taking out a few scanning devices.

Paris looked confused. �No,� he told her, �for counting. Anyway, Doc�s made me sit down ever since I got in here; I haven�t even been allowed to run scans from the bio bed. Tell me you�ve come to get me out of here.�

�Sorry, Tom,� B�Elanna began, �I�ve got my own work to do.� She began running the tricorder up and down over the surgical bed as the doctor stormed out of his office.

�Mr. Paris, what did I tell you before?� he nearly shouted, �I don�t want you moving from that bio bed!�

�Oh, come on, Doc,� Paris whined, �I feel fine. The only way I�m going to feel better is if you let me stretch my legs a little bit.�

�Doctors orders,� the hologram said without even giving Paris a sideways glance. Paris gave the doctor a you-can�t-tell-me-what-to-do look but turned to go back to the bio bed just the same. Torres smiled and accepted the doctors help in the diagnostic.

�So what exactly are our thoughts on this homing beacon inside my head,� Paris asked from across the room, �Is it fatal, will we be able to take it out?�

�That depends, Mr. Paris,� the doctor told him, expressionless.

�On what?�

�Well, according to my scans, the beacon has begun to embed itself further into your brain. So far, it seems harmless but we�re going to have to keep a close eye on it. Another inch in and it could be terminal.� Paris could be seen launching himself from the bed and running to the doctor�s side.

�Wait, you�re not serious, are you? I mean, we�ll be able to get it out in time, right?� Paris seemed desperate.

�I don�t know, lieutenant,� the doctor said mockingly, ignoring the man�s presence, �But now that I think about it, we might as well take that lovely manner of yours while we�re at it.� Paris took the hint and ducked his head, embarrassed at his jump to conclusions. He began back to his bio bed when he heard Torres speak softly to the doctor.

�Its here alright, but the signal is fading slowly. How�s the ambassador�s health?�

�It�s fading as well. I don�t know what to do, Lieutenant. If I knew more about Pern physiology, that might help, but as far as I�m concerned, he�s good as dead.�

�Maybe that would be for the better,� B�Elanna said, almost to herself and flipped her tricorder closed.

�What does that mean?� the doctor said, running another scan as if it would pick something up that Torres� didn�t.

�I�m not sure,� she said, folding her tricorder and taking one last look over the room. The Doctor gave her a distressed look. Torres hated having to take things like this into her own hands. �Talk to Seven of Nine. If you really must, have her look over those scans she took earlier today. Maybe something went wrong.� With this, Torres turned to leave, and right into the face of Tom Paris.

�Don�t leave, B�Elanna, like I said, you have no idea what it�s like to be stuck in here without anyone to talk to,� he said.

�I heard that, Mr. Paris,� called the doctor from his office. Paris barely noticed. He took Torres� hands in his.

�Please?� He pled with her. Torres looked uncomfortable and pulled away from him.

�Don�t touch me,� she scowled, glaring at Paris with a look he hadn�t seen for years. Tom looked at her, puzzled.

�Are you ok, B�Elanna?� he asked her, a concerned look overcoming his face. She pushed passed him.

�What�s it to you, Paris?� She growled, heading for the door. She stopped and turned for one last word, �and since when are we on a first name basis?� Torres left sickbay, leaving Paris in an awkward silence.

�Ok,� he said to himself. The doctor intercepted him on his way back to the bio bed.

�What was that about?� the hologram asked as if lovers quarrels had never been entered into his database. Paris shrugged.

�I have no idea,� he said quietly, still looking extremely confused. The doctor took notice of this and decided to bring about one of his rare sympathy talks.

�I�m sure it�s fine, Mr. Paris. Lieutenant Torres has been known for her irrational, sudden changes in mood. I suggest a bouquet of flowers and a tryst and you�ll have your lover back in your arms before you can say homing beacon.�

Paris raised his eyebrows. �Since when did you become such a hopeless romantic?�

The doctor ignored this and began to sterilize the surgical bay. �I don�t know what you see in her, Mr. Paris. A Klingon with such a broken past. It�s made her blood is as hot as your head.� Paris seemed hurt by this, but tried to hide it as well as he could. He took a moment to think.

�I don�t know, Doc. I guess we need each other for the support, but the moment she told me she loved me, it was like everything that was ever cloudy in my life suddenly became clear.�

�This human obsession with love has always confused me,� the doctor said as he walked to the console overlooking the surgical bay, �In fact, it baffles me even more, why I myself had a�� The doctor was interrupted by Chakotay�s voice over the com system and flashing red lights.

�Red alert, this is Commander Chakotay. All hands to battle stations.� In accordance, the room began to flash with a dull red light. Paris hopped to his feet.

�No,� the doctor told him pushing him back down, �I need you to stay here. If something happens to the beacon I need to be near in case something goes wrong. There are other pilots that can take the helm.�

�But I�m the best, Doc, they may need me.�

�Mr. Paris, I��

�Lieutenant Paris,� came Chakotay�s voice, interrupting the doctor.

�Go ahead,� Tom said.

�Tell the Doctor I�m sorry, but I need you at the helm. The Pern vessel has begun to fire on us and we need our best pilot to maneuver us out of here.�

�Aye,� Tom said, getting up from the bed for the last time and leaving sickbay to the doctor. He started down the corridor to the turbo lift. The ship shook suddenly and Paris tumbled to the floor as a burst of sparks came from the console next to him. He wasn�t aware the Pern had such powerful weapons, but perhaps it was the element of surprise that had caught Voyager dead in its tracks. He got up and entered the turbo lift.

�Deck one, bridge,� Paris said, catching his breath. He knew the assault a day before had taken more out of him then he had thought when his knees began to grow weak. *Maybe the doctor was right*. The lift began to slow after a minute and he felt a surge of relief pass over him. Paris wasn�t sure how much longer he could keep himself on his feet. The ship rocked, and despite his previous hopes, he was knocked against the door.

When the turbolift reached the bridge, the doors opened with a hiss and Paris tumbled out. He was still conscious, fully, but couldn�t move his body worth a damn. *The beacon*, he thought as he saw Torres and Chakotay approach him. He couldn�t hear what they were saying, couldn�t hear anything, but could tell from the looks on their faces that something was wrong. Torres knelt by his side as the ship rocked with several more blows. Paris saw Chakotay shout something at Kim over the ruckus and suddenly a massive explosion illuminated the view screen in front of them. Voyager stopped shaking and all attention on the bridge was focused upon Paris, lying immobile next to the open doors of the turbo lift.

He could still see everything that was happening and was not at all mused when he saw Torres hit her combadge. He read her lips as she spoke. *Torres to sickbay, medical emergency.* Paris furrowed his brow, or rather thought about doing so, as he saw the bridge crew standing over him in a semi circle and felt Torres moving his head to cradle it in her lap. He saw the Doctor materialize and run towards him in the flashing red light. Someone had apparently forgotten to turn red alert off.

The doctor began to run a medical tricorder over him and Paris saw the hologram�s face fall. He turned to Kim, who had knelt beside him and said something, Harry responding by taking a hypospray from the doctor�s medical satchel. Paris felt the cold metal of the tool touch his neck, but did not hear its hiss as it injected some sort of neural activator into his system. He didn�t feel too good about the results when he saw a tear roll down Torres cheek.

*This has to be a dream, this has to be a dream* he told himself over and over again in his head. He had never experienced a dream like this one before, though, and was damned if he could remember falling asleep. Something was terribly wrong. Paris saw Harry yell something at the doctor and hesitantly, the hologram tried injecting the activator once more. The doctor took in a deep breath and shook his head as he ran the medical tricorder over Paris� body one last time. Paris had the chance to read the doctors last words before he himself blacked out.

*He�s gone.*

[tom_88_2]

how could u kill tom

[Sam Kenobi]

theres more, but I want everyone to have a chance to read the cliff hangar