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Betwixt & Between	By : Sagga Category: Star Trek > Voyager Views: 4316 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek: Voyager, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Betwixt & Between
- 2-Part 2
- 3-Part 3
- 4-Part 4
- 5-Part 5
- 6-Part 6
- 7-Part 7
- 8-Part 8
- 9-Part 9
- 10-Part 10
- 1
- 2
Title: Betwixt and Between
Author: Sagga Bott saggabott@yahoo.ca
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Summary: An incident with an alien species
causes changes in Paris and Chakotay, and changes in the dynamics between them. Set a few
months after Seven of Nine joins the crew. C/P, P/m
Author�s Note: nothing to say here!
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager and the Star
Trek characters are owned by Paramount (not me). I gain nothing
from this (financially).
April04-Mar05

Voyager�s
bridge was the hub of all operations on the starship. It was the home-base of the command
team. All orders requiring the
authorization of a senior officer came through the bridge. It was arguably the most important part of
the ship, so when the bridge wasn�t operating at peak efficiency, the whole
ship suffered. Such was the case one day
when Captain Janeway decided to do something about it. The problem centred around two officers in
particular, two officers whom she had thought were getting along better lately,
but obviously she was mistaken. Three
years plus they�d been out here and it was still the same story between them,
although Kathryn had to admit at least privately that the older, and usually
more mature, of the two was the one instigating the problem.
She
could not recall the last time Lieutenant Paris had made a joke at the
Commander�s expense. In fact all the
jokes had dwindled down to nothing. The bridge
was devoid of the usual jovial cheer that Tom helped to create and that was
only one of the many contributing factors to the current problem. She couldn�t put an exact date on it, but
it�d been a long time since she�d seen Tom Paris even crack a smile on the
bridge. Of course with the Commander on
his case for even the smallest infraction it must be hard to stay positive. She wasn�t sure what the reason for the
latest decline in their relationship was.
They usually tolerated each other on duty and avoided each other
off. This conundrum wasn�t going to be
solved any time soon but she couldn�t allow personal problems to affect their
duties, hence why the two officers in question were now standing at attention
in her Ready Room.
She
eyed both of them before speaking. �Who would like to tell me what the problem
is?� she asked not expecting an answer so she wasn�t surprised when neither of
them spoke. Frankly she wasn�t sure
whether Tom even knew what the problem was.
When the Commander reprimanded him there was always a brief look of
confusion on Tom�s face before it was wiped away.
She
sighed. �Gentlemen, there is obviously something wrong here. You,� she looked
at Tom, �can�t sit still for more than ten seconds at a time, and you,� she
looks at Chakotay, �are snapping at everyone.� She paused. �Well?�
�I
apologize for my restlessness Captain,� Tom said, still staring at the wall.
�I
don�t want an apology, Mr. Paris. What I
want is an explanation, but since I don�t imagine that occurring anytime soon,
I�ll settle for your solemn word that you�ll be more conscientious of your
actions in the future, both of you. It�s
getting pretty tense out there.�
They
both agreed and were dismissed but Captain Janeway asked Chakotay to stay. He did so, though with obvious
reluctance. The door slid shut after Paris had exited
and Chakotay faced Janeway wondering what part of his life she was going to
take a sudden interest in. Chakotay gave
himself a mental shake. That wasn�t true
and he knew it but lately he�d just needed something or someone to lash out at.
�Chakotay,
is there something wrong?� Kathryn asked gently, the friend replacing the
commanding officer.
Chakotay
sighed and sat in one of the vacant seats. �I don�t know. Lately I�ve found that everything just feels
a little off, as though I�m stuck and can�t go forward. It�s�� he trailed off.
�Frustrating,�
Kathryn finished for him and he nodded not meeting her eyes. �Have you tried meditating on it?� she asked
knowing that Chakotay took his spiritual guidance very seriously.
He
gave a derisive laugh. �I�ve tried and
every time it�s the same thing.� He didn�t tell her was he�d been told. Conversations between him and his spirit
guide were personal and nobody�s business, commanding officer or not. �I�ll work through it. I�m sorry for my behaviour.� He stood, calling an end to the conversation.
�Chakotay,
if you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me.� He nodded. �And
give Tom a break, okay?� She didn�t like
that way his expression darkened at the mention of the pilot but she knew
inquiring about it would only get her on his black list. She hoped he�d sort out this personal issue
soon. She depended on Chakotay
daily. He was a steady presence in a
constantly changing environment. She followed him back onto the bridge and they
took their positions.
Tom
was already at the conn and just finished relaying some information to his
friend at Ops when the Captain and Commander returned to the bridge. �I don�t have anything on navigational
sensors,� Tom said.
�Something
interesting, gentlemen?� Janeway asked from her chair. She looked over her shoulder to the young man
at Ops, Ensign Harry Kim.
�We
haven�t been able to confirm it Captain but for a brief moment there was an
unknown energy signature on sensors.� He
stared at his console in confusion and tried another series of commands -still
nothing.
�Keep
an eye out for it, Ensign.� Harry nodded and went back to work. Janeway smiled. You could always could on Harry Kim to give
one hundred-ten percent. �Mr. Paris,
maintain present course and reduce to three-quarter impulse.�
�Aye,
Captain,� he responded and began entering the necessary commands. �Three-quarter
impulse.�
Janeway
nodded and sat back in her chair. It was
going to be a long shift. Idly, she
wondered when last Tom had addressed her as �ma�am�. She missed the camaraderie they had
shared. Hopefully things would return to
normal soon, or get worse. She had an
inkling feeling that this was the relative calm before the storm.

Two
hours later the bridge was quiet. The
crew attended their duties but the atmosphere of deck one was still tense.
There had not been a word between the Commander and helmsman since they�d gone
to the ready room early that day. When
the anomalous readings suddenly returned the crew threw themselves into finding
its source. It was something to keep
them busy even if it wasn�t all that interesting.
�I
have a lock on it,� Kim said. It�s
twenty-two hundred kilometres away at bearing 24 mark 8 and getting
closer.� The energy seemed to wink in
and out of existence. �It�s getting closer.�
�It
doesn�t conform to any known weapons signature,� Chakotay said looking at the
information displayed on the console between his and Janeway�s seat.
�Let�s
not take any chances. Tuvok, raise shields.�
�Twelve
hundred kilometres and closing,� Kim announced.
�Is
there anything out there that can account for this?� Janeway asked and received
only negative responses.
�Three
hundred kilometres.�
�Tom
put some distance between us and what ever that is,� Janeway ordered and he
immediately did so but the energy signature changed course to intercept as
well.
�No
effect,� he announced.
Just
as the Captain was about to call for Red alert, �It�s gone,� Kim said in
confusion. �I can�t locate it on sensors.�
The bridge was quiet for several seconds as they waited for the object
to reappear. Instead, the moment a
strange energy signature appeared on the sensors, there was a sudden dimming of
the lights before full power returned.
�I�m
reading local disturbances in the warpcore,� said the ensign at the engineering
station.
�Bridge
to Engineering, what�s going on down there?�
Chakotay demanded.
�There�s
an unknown energy quanta destabilizing the core. We�ve routed more power for containment but
it�s not�.�
�B�Elanna?�
he asked when she suddenly stopped talking.
�It�s
gone. Whatever it was is gone �the core
is stabilized.� She sounded as confused as everyone else felt.
�Keep
us informed. Bridge out.�
�Anything
on sensors Mr. Kim?� Janeway asked again.
�Nothing,�
he answered but eyed his displays very carefully should something change.
�I
think this is enough excitement for one day. Tom, get us out of here, maximum
warp.�
�Aye
Captain,� he entered the commands but when he went to engage warp nothing
happened he tried again after a quick re-calibration of the warp field but it
winked out of existence almost as soon as it formed. �The warp a field keeps collapsing.�
�What�s
the cause?� Chakotay asked and moved to the helm.
�It
must be that thing we�ve been tracking.� Tom tried to engage warp again but the
field collapsed. �We can�t go to warp,�
he said with a huff and began to manoeuvre the ship away on impulse. Tom was careful to stick to Starfleet
regulations as he entered the commands.
With Chakotay looking over his shoulder the last thing he wanted was to
give the man a real reason to reprimand him.
He breathed a little easier when the presence moved away but Chakotay
didn�t go back to his seat he moved to the left where there was really nothing
of interest. Tom looked up to where
Chakotay had moved and saw the other man staring off into space, squinting as
though there was something very small before him.
�Commander?�
Tom questioned.
�There�s
something here�� he reached out to touch it but before he made contact a sudden
white light seemed to split the air before him making the first officer move
quickly backwards.
�That
thing has the same energy signature as the anomaly we were tracking,� Harry
announced. Tuvok drew his weapon though
he questioned how much of an effect it would have against something that
appeared to be made of energy.
The
white light grew as the object forced its way through the tear. Suddenly it was out. Tendrils of white plasma-like tendrils
streaked across the bridge but did no harm.
The anomaly had no defined boundaries but the energy that now filled the
bridge seemed to have a main body that was a collection of denser plasma. It moved instantly from one place to another,
the tendrils moving in smooth arcs and where they collected was the new body
and the last one faded away. It was a
mesmerizing dance that was cut short as the body of energy darted for the
commander but not before sending several tendrils into Lieutenant Paris.
Tom
was knocked backward into the helm and Commander Chakotay was knocked to the
ground. Those who tried to approach the
commander to help him where kept at bay by a barrier. Tom however had no such shield. The ensign at the engineering station moved
to help him. Although startled he was
not otherwise hurt.
�What
the hell was that?� asked the Ensign.
She earned a glance from Tuvok for her language. Tom had no doubt that she�d be read the riot
act over it, but given the circumstances she was saying exactly what Tom was
thinking.
�Commander!�
Janeway called to the unresponsive man from the edge of the barrier since she
was unable to pass through. �Can you get
a transporter lock on him?� she asked Kim who moved back to his console to
check. He shook his head. If he said anything after that Captain
Janeway didn�t hear it �her attention that was on her first officer who still
lay on the floor, eyes open but not seeing.
A sudden presence next to her made her look to her right just in time to
see Tom put his arm through the barrier as though it did not exist �indeed for
him it didn�t.
�Tom?�
she questioned but he didn�t respond. A
look of intense concentration and anger came over his face. He was staring at
the air directly over the commander.
Janeway followed his gaze but what ever he saw, she didn�t. When his hand reached out faster than was
humanly possible and grabbed what looked to be another being made of energy
only a different colour, she definitely saw then. Contact with Tom brought it into the visible
spectrum even though nothing showed on sensors.
Tom pulled it away from the commander some of its tendrils pulling out
of the older man�s body and the barrier vanished in a shower of white sparks.
Chakotay
began to stir and Janeway helped him up.
�Are you alright?� she asked and he could just nod.
�What
happened?� He asked blinking several
times to clear his vision.
�Well,
that for starters,� she looked to the thing that Tom still held in his grasp.
�What
the hell-�
Before
Chakotay could finish Tom issued the order, �Beam him off the bridge!�
�Why?�
Chakotay asked.
�Do
it!� and as the only person who seemed to have a clues as to what was occurring,
they followed his order. As Chakotay
began to vanish in the transporter beam the being in Tom�s hands started to
strain furiously against his bonds. �Can
you get this thing off the ship?� Tom asked as he struggled to contain his
charge. A strange type of energy crackled
around and over his hand containing the creature somewhat.
�Can�t
get a lock,� Harry said.
A
tendril of energy sank into Tom�s chest and began to emit a radiation that had
the sensors going wild. Tom staggered
and let go of the being but it didn�t let up and another tendril passed through
his leg. The being dissipated the beam
of energy from Tuvok�s phaser and nobody else could get close enough to touch
it.
�Keep
working on the transporters,� Janeway ordered but Tom knew it wouldn�t
work. He raised his right hand up, palm
facing the being that was intent on harming him. The bridge crew watched in shock as the space
around Tom�s hand seemed to ripple and distort.
When the distortion came in contact with the energy being it released a
pulse of energy throughout the bridge and evaporated into nothing. For a moment there was silence until Tom
grunted in obvious pain. �Tom, are you
alright?�
�I
think so,� Tom said. �I have to see Seo.� He walked straight to the turbolift
Janeway following him. There was something different about him. His eyes had changed somehow and she didn�t
feel comfortable leaving him alone especially after the attack they just
witnessed. What ever was going on, she was going to get some answers. She called Tuvok to join them leaving the
bridge to Harry.
�Tom,�
Kathryn began softly once the lift had been directed to take them to deck five,
�who is Seo?�
�I
have to protect Seo,� he responded almost as if possessed. His gaze was on the exit to the turbolift and
they were unable to meet his eyes. Tuvok
and Janeway glanced at each other. The
door opened on deck five and Tom was the first one out. He headed towards Sickbay, knowing without
being told he�d find Seo there. Janeway
and Tuvok followed closely.
In
sickbay the Doctor was scanning Chakotay.
After being told of the incident on the bridge he wanted to make sure
that there were no ill effects. The
scans were all normal and Chakotay didn�t feel any different, maybe a little
sluggish but that could possibly be due to the adrenalin wearing off. It was only a few minutes later that the
doors opened letting Tom, Kathryn and Tuvok in.
The Doctor greeted them in his usual manner but Tom didn�t even
acknowledge him. He walked straight over
to Chakotay.
�Are
you alright?� Tom asked visually checking Chakotay for injuries.
Chakotay
looked at Kathryn for answers but she didn�t have any to give him. �I�m fine,� he answered slowly and stepped
away from Tom but as he did something warned him. He turned back to Tom and eyed him
suspiciously.
�Seo?�
Tom asked.
Chakotay
didn�t know who Seo was but Tom was obviously referring to him. �Take your tunic off,� he ordered and with
only a brief hesitation he did so.
Underneath the tunic were two large bloodstains, which were still
growing. �What happened?� Chakotay
asked.
�The
Relor attacked me,� Tom answered and even he seemed surprised by the
injuries. The Doctor scanned him.
�Lay
down,�
�No.� The other four looked at him.
The
Doctor tried again. �I need to treat your injuries. Please,� he gestured to the
biobed but Tom still refused.
�Should
the Relor return I must protect her,� Tom explained.
�Her?!�
from Chakotay.
The
Captain put a hand on Chakotay�s arm and carefully approached the man who
looked like her pilot but was acting like some sort of bodyguard. �Who are you?�
�Captain,
I�m Tom Paris,� he replied and now he was the one who was confused.
�And
who is Seo?� Tom pointed to Chakotay and
though she didn�t understand Kathryn continued to ask questions. �Who are the
Relor?�
�They�re
our opponents.�
�Who
is this �her� you referred to?�
�Yuri-Seo. She�s joined with him,� Tom said and again
pointed to Chakotay.
They
all looked at Chakotay and he could only give a wide-eyed shrug. He had no sudden knowledge of any of this.
�And
you have to protect �Yuri-Seo�,� she asked more than stated and Tom
nodded. �We won�t let anything happen to
�Yuri-Seo� or Chakotay but you need to let the Doctor help you.� She looked
down at the still growing dark stain. It
must hurt yet he didn�t seem to feel it.
�He
feels it,� came a voice from nowhere. It
seemed to flow around them and through them like the caress of a soft breeze.
�But his first duty is to his Seo,� the voice explained and three distinct
masses of energy coalesced in Sickbay.
�Kim
to Janeway, sensors are showing four unknown energy signatures in Sickbay.�
�We
know. Janeway out,� she responded absently and continued to watch as the swirls
formed three distinct beings. They had
vaguely humanoid features; two legs, two arms, a head. Their facial features became more distinct as
there physical form settled. The three
people were very tall, nearly ten feet-their heads almost touched the ceiling
and their clothing was a material that seemed to be constantly in the
transition from energy to mass, just as they previously were. Of the three beings one was a shade of pale
blue with greyish robes and one other had a yellowish gown but glowed a pale
orange. The last being was the largest
of the three. It had robes that glowed
the purest white and pale skin. While
the other two where of indiscriminate sex the being in white was male and
apparently their leader, as he stepped forward to greet the three humans, one
Vulcan and hologram. He seemed to glide
more than step as every movement caused what was once matter to revert to
energy and revert back once the motion had stopped.
�Our
apologies. We are of the Alorem.� The
voice was the same one that had spoken earlier but it was less haunting. �We do not wish you any harm but it seems
that fate has crossed our paths,� he looked at Chakotay and gave a gentle
smile. �You are well?� he asked and
Chakotay just nodded. As sick as he was
of people asking, he didn�t want to offend these people especially if they had
some answers. The pale being moved closer to Tom and for the first time they
noticed the matching aura that Tom had, as though his body was re-emitting the
energy from the Alorem. It struck
Janeway then that Tom might be the fourth energy signature. Kim had mentioned that sensors had found four
energy signatures but they had been too shocked to notice before that only
three beings had materialized before them. �We will protect her,� the alien
told Tom and he nodded and moved to the biobed to lie down. The Doctor, while curious about the visitors,
attended to Tom�s injuries. By his primary programming he was a Doctor first
and thus those duties took precedent.
�You
want answers,� the orange-ish being said.
�We have them. I am Jura. This is
Nie,� it gestured to the blue one, �and he is Osa. The one whom now resides within one of yours
is new to us.� It looked to Tom, and Osa who stood beside the human, as though
watching over him. �Yuri is the one whom you now hold,� it said to Chakotay.
�Do not be alarmed, Yuri will do you no harm, she only chose a host for
protection until the Relor are again under control and the Alorem defence is
mended. We regret that we could not
protect her and that harm came to your crewman but we must now ask that you
help us. Yuri has been weakened and will
not under any circumstance within the next eighty cycles be able to exist on
her own. You are all that is keeping her
alive, Chakotay.�
�How
do you know my name?� he asked.
�We
know because we asked him and he told us,� Jura replied, not going into detail
about the faint telepathic link all of the Alorem chared. �Your �Thomas� has been chosen, by Yuri, as
her Alorem, her protector and just as it is with all of us whom are bound, his
sole purpose is now to ensure your safety and the safety of the one who has
joined you.�
�Eighty
cycles,� Chakotay mumbled to himself, hoping that it wasn�t as long as it
sounded.
�Approximately
fifteen days of your days. I apologize
that it is so long but Yuri must draw new energy and we must defeat the Relor.�
�Why
do you and the Relor fight each other?� Captain Janeway asked.
Nie
answered this question. �They are our opponents,� it said in a deep and
resounding voice so they labelled him as a male as well. �They balance us as we
balance them as it has been for many millennia. However as of late the balance
has been shifted and many of our Yuri have been eliminated. The one you now have is our youngest Yuri,
our newest responsibility and our most fragile.
That she should choose to create a new Alorem so early is either a great
testament to the character of your �Thomas Paris� or a testament to her
desperation.� Chakotay was betting it
was the latter.
A
white pulse of energy ran up Jura and �she� turned to the rest of her kind. �We
must leave. Relor,� she informed
them. Nie nodded and after giving a
slight bow he transformed into energy and vanished. Jura was halfway through her transformation
when she realized that Osa was not following. �Osa�� her voice was hollow and
seemed to have no source. It was heard
everywhere at once.
�One
moment,� he said and looked back to the man who now had bore a deep
responsibility. �I do not know you but you�ve been chosen, child. Rest for now.
It may be a long while before you can again.� Tom stared up at him
without expression and gave a slight nod.
Osa touched Tom�s face. White
energy passed through the young man and he was unconscious. The Doctor scanned him. �He is not
harmed.� The Doctor glanced and the strange
being and closed his tricorder. Osa moved away from Tom and looked to the
others. �We will return for our Yuri and
our Alorem. I�m sorry this meeting is
brief but our own need assistance,� he faded away and a bodiless voice thanked
them before fading as well.
They
all glanced around at each other, none of them knowing what to say. Tom lay on the biobed oblivious to it
all. Kathryn looked at Chakotay and
shrugged. �I guess you�re baby-sitting, Commander.�

End Part 1
Sagga Bott�
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Betwixt & Between