We didn't, at that time, know the extent of her emotional damage."
The first officer studied Paris' face carefully as he added, "She
said she responded to you---because you were lonely."
A spark of surprised recognition flashed into those bright blue
eyes before it was quickly hidden behind the customary cool, derisive
mask. "Yeah, right!"
In the past, Chakotay would have accepted the pilot's response
at face value and irritably written him off as a smart-mouthed
lightweight. He wasn't prepared to do that any more. "Paris---Tom,
she meant it. Other people have tried to be friendly --- at least I
know they did on the Maquis ship, B'Elanna among them,---but she
never responded to them. She thought you needed her. And you
evidently thought she needed you."
Paris dropped the smirk. "Yeah. Right." This time there was no
hint of sarcasm, just an acknowledgment of accuracy. "B'Elanna
mentioned that Malista needs to feel needed. I think we connected
because we could help each other. And she's really smart! She reads a
lot of classics and poetry and---" he paused, embarrassed as his
sudden enthusiasm betrayed his feelings.
Chakotay was smiling, but it wasn't a patronizing smile---not
this time. "She said the same thing about you. I didn't know you read
poetry or the classics."
Tom raised an eyebrow. "You never asked," he said simply. "You
think I'm some kind of moron aside from piloting?" he asked, not
really expecting an answer.
"No, I thought you were careless and arrogant. I know now there
were a lot of questions I never asked. I just assumed. I'm sorry,
Tom. I don't think I've been fair to you. Circumstances--- "
Tom couldn't believe this conversation. He'd never expected
Chakotay to come right out and apologize to him. He would have
settled for polite tolerance from the first officer---a step toward
an offer of friendship hadn't been expected. He took the olive branch
as he cut off Chakotay's attempt to explain.
"Circumstances led to misunderstandings, Chakotay. Don't worry
about it. The past is the past. It can't be changed, but we can move
on from here and change the future. I learned that in Delta Quadrant
101, as taught by Professor Kathryn Janeway."
The two men smiled at each other with mutual understanding.
"So what I should do about Malista?" Tom asked.
"Be her friend, but don't become her keeper. She needs to learn
to take care of herself. She may make some mistakes, but she'll learn
from them. It's the tough part of caring about someone---letting them
learn some things the hard way. But that's another reason she let you
get close---you let her make the decision. You didn't make it for
her. She wants to be independent. She's struggling to become
independent and adult in making her own decisions."
"Okay. But if there's anything she needs--- " Paris said.
"I'll keep you informed, Tom."
"Thanks, Chakotay. I'll keep you informed, too. You want to
shoot a game of pool?"
"Why not? It's better than going to the mess hall and facing
another of Neelix's meals."
***********************
At the senior staff meeting the next morning, Captain Janeway
looked up from the report to regard her chief engineer's frustrated
frown. "Have you found the cause of the problem?"
Torres tossed her padd on the table. "Nothing. We continue to
lose an average of five power couplings a day. They short out just
like the one in the nav console that burned Tom's hand four weeks
ago. There's just no reason. We haven't found any power surges."
"Are the parts themselves defective?" Harry asked.
"We scanned them. After they were damaged," Torres added
thoughtfully. "Maybe if we scan the ones that haven't shorted, we
could find a common flaw. I have teams working on this around the
clock. When the power coupling blows, it takes several systems in its
immediate circuit path with it. If it should happen in a crucial
system at a critical time---I don't want to think about it," B'Elanna
said, picking up the data padd once more.
"We've run out of the original stock of spare parts, haven't
we?" Chakotay asked.
"Yes. So?" Torres didn't follow his line of thought.
"So if we're now using replicated replacements, maybe there's a
problem with the replication process," the first officer said.
"That's possible," the captain said, nodding her agreement.
"B'Elanna, look into that as well. Any other suggestions?"
Paris spoke up. "I think we ought to check out the healthy power
couplings on the strategic systems on the bridge, just as a
precaution."
It was a good idea. Janeway nodded. "B'Elanna, can you send a
repair team to the bridge?"
"Yes, Captain. Right away. I'll also have a team inspect the
critical sections of Engineering." Torres jumped to her feet, ready
to sail back into battle with the recalcitrant power couplings.
The captain raised an amused eyebrow. "In that case, dismissed."
***********************
"Captain," Tuvok said. "The long range sensors show an M class
planet with inordinate quantities of tropical and semi-tropical vegetation."
"You mean like a jungle?" Lt. Paris said, swiveling to face the
Security station.
"I believe that is what I said," Tuvok intoned.
Paris rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his
board. Under his breath, he muttered, "Freakosaurus to the max."
With superior Vulcan hearing, Tuvok was the only one who heard him,
but he chose to ignore the comment as irrelevant.
"All right, Tuvok. Send the coordinates to Mr. Paris' station.
Tom, lay in a course. Warp five. Commander, would you prepare for
more detailed scans?"
Chakotay nodded and opened the console between their chairs. The
repair team came onto the bridge. Susan Nicoletti started her
maintenance check with Harry's station. Her partner headed for the
helm controls and stood behind the pilot. "Excuse me, Lieutenant?"
she said to Paris.
"Malista! What are you doing here?"
She frowned at him, holding up her tool kit. "Well, if the
lieutenant at the conn position will kindly move his big feet, I'm
here to check out the power couplings," she whispered, a smile
lurking in her eyes.
"Yes, ma'am!" Tom stood and moved his chair out of the way so
she could get under the console. He caught Chakotay's nod of approval
toward Malista. She did seem to be doing well.
***********************
The scans showed the planet was fertile and would provide
plentiful supplies. There was a scattered population of pre-warp
technology. Tuvok theorized that fruits and vegetables could be
harvested without making contact with the populace which would
violate the Prime Directive. Ten away teams were dispatched to
gather what they could over the next five hours. Tricorders were
issued for scanning the edible materials and to enable the teams to
avoid the local inhabitants.
The away teams were
dropped off in several locations more than
ten miles from the nearest population center. Chakotay, Neelix, Tom
Paris, and Harry Kim were the senior officers assigned to supervise
the away mission. "Remember, everyone in teams of two or three. Keep
your eyes on the lifeform readings. The scans showed some large
animals, possibly predators. So stay alert," Chakotay ordered as the
teams scattered to cover a larger amount of territory.
Malista Shadow had volunteered for the away team during her off
duty time just to get off the ship for a while. She was assigned to
Harry Kim's team and followed him and Ensign Powell as they headed
through the trees to a clearing on the other side.
"Mr. Kim," Malista said, as she came upon a cluster of bushes
with white, cylindrical, berry-like growths about an inch long. "The
tricorder says these are edible." She wasn't sure she was reading the
tricorder accurately and wanted him to check her readings.
Harry came closer, peering at the fruits intently. "That's
strange." He plucked one off the bush and held it up to his own
tricorder. He squashed the white blob between his fingers until they
were stopped by a pit or seed in the center of the berry. He checked
"What's strange about them? Aren't they berries?" Malista asked.
"They seem to be. Not poisonous. Should provide us with vitamin
A," Kim said as he ran his own scan. He tasted the one he held.
"Sweet. Soft texture. This is so weird."
"What?" Malista asked again, puzzled by his disbelieving smile.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think these were wild
marshmallows!" He grinned at her.
"What's a marshmallow?" she asked, smiling at him tentatively.
This was the most time she'd spent with the ensign apart from the
time in Sandrine's with Tom and B'Elanna. She was surprised she
wasn't more uncomfortable with him.
"That's hard to explain. A sweet food item manufactured mostly
from air and sucrose. Tom introduced me to them. I think he got
B'Elanna hooked on them. I wonder if these would be good for roasting
on a campfire?" He grinned at Malista and indicated her sample bag.
"Good eye, Crewman Shadow. See how many you can gather before we get
the recall. Tom will love these. Powell seems to have found some
tubers. I'll go check those out."
***********************
Malista entered the holodeck with trepidation. She had consented
to take Ensign Natwick's self-defense course, hoping it would help
her deal with her fears. She was nervous, however, about
participating in a large group activity. There were at least twenty
people who'd signed up and they all seemed to be in the holodeck
before her.
She took a deep breath and prayed that she wouldn't have to talk
to anyone. She was uncomfortable in the required uniform for this
activity. The training uniforms were skin tight. Every rounded curve
and slender line of her body was displayed. She could feel eyes
staring at her---with disapproval, she was sure. She wanted to hide.
She took a deep, cleansing breath as Chakotay had taught her to do,
and moved into the room. She found a space against the wall and
leaned against it, waiting for the class to begin.
She covertly studied the others in the class. Mostly women.
Diane Russell was here. What was the ship's librarian doing in a
self-defense class? Well, what was she doing here herself? She didn't
know anyone well enough to speak to. 'Well, of course not,' she
thought. 'Who do I know? Captain Janeway? Chakotay? B'Elanna doesn't
need to take this course. Tom is teaching a course. If I knew just
one person, maybe this wouldn't be so bad.'
As if in answer to her request, the door slid open and Ensign
Harry Kim walked in. He glanced casually around the holodeck. He
almost didn't recognize Malista Shadow. She looked really good in
that tight jumpsuit. She had legs that went on forever. He wondered
why he'd never noticed her shapely figure before, then recalled that
most of her civilian clothes were loose and shapeless.
He could tell by her demeanor that she was uncomfortable, so out
of kindness, he made his way to her side. "Hi, Malista. I didn't
expect to see you here. I signed up because I decided I need some
exercise." He didn't have more time for conversation.
Ensign George Natwick, the course instructor, blew a whistle to
garner his students' attention. He was a big man, at least six feet,
four inches tall with not an ounce of fat on his muscular body. The
students all gathered in the center of the holodeck, standing on the
mats that would hopefully cushion their falls.
Malista lingered at the back of the crowd, as usual, trying to
go unnoticed. Harry Kim's protective instincts kicked in and he
stayed at her side.
The first thing Natwick did was pair off the students so they
could practice together. As he approached, his eyes lingered
appreciatively on Malista. "Crewman Shadow? Kind of a waste of height
hanging around with Kim, isn't it? Those of us over six feet should
stick together."
She looked away from him without replying and shrank behind
Harry Kim. Her reaction seemed to amuse the man. With a sneer, he
said, "Well, Ensign, how about we pair you two off? She's got about
two inches in height on you, but you should have more upper body
strength. Think it's a fair deal?" His eyes moved up and down, making
shorter than Natwick.
Kim's eyes hardened. His grim expression was not familiar to
most of the crew of Voyager, but it would have looked very familiar
to Tom Paris, or the prisoners in the Akritarian prison. "You want to
get on with the lesson, Natwick?"
Natwick smiled contemptuously and moved on to the next pair.
***********************
"So how was the self-defense class?" Tom asked casually, as he
speared a piece of his fruit salad on his fork.
Harry scowled down at his plate. "That Natwick is such a---
jerk!"
Tom smiled mockingly. "Tell me something I don't know. What
particular jerk-like thing did he do now?"
B'Elanna rushed in, snagged a salad and joined them breathlessly
before Harry could reply. "What did I miss?"
"Not much," Paris replied, smiling at her with genuine
affection. It softened and transformed his face. Seeing B'Elanna had
that affect on him lately. "Harry was just telling me about Natwick's
latest jerk-like behavior."
"Oh, him!" Torres said scornfully, her frown revealed her
opinion of the big ensign. She took a bite of her salad and looked at
Harry expectantly.
"So what did he do to arouse your ire?" Paris inquired. The more
reluctant Harry was to speak, the more determined the pilot became
that he should.
Harry frowned at his friends. "If you want to know the truth, I
didn't like the way he was looking at Malista Shadow."
The smile dropped from Tom's face. "How was he looking at her?"
"Down, boy," Torres said, patting his arm. "I can tell you that."
"You weren't even there," Harry protested.
"No, but I know our boy Natwick. He likes to undress women with
his eyes," Torres said. "It's his way of getting a woman's attention."
Paris glowered at her. "How do you know? Did he do that to you?"
"Only once," the chief engineer responded tartly. "If he'd done
it more than once, I'd have handed him his lung. Let's just say, we
had a little talk."
"I'll bet," the pilot said with an admiring smile. "Did you
break his nose?"
She looked at him indignantly. "Of course not. Captain Janeway
told me I had to learn more diplomatic ways to resolve conflicts once
I became Chief Engineer."
"So you diplomatically threatened his life?" Paris teased.
She looked at him superciliously. "As a matter of fact, yes. And
told him to stay the hell out of Engineering unless he was there on
business. For some reason, he avoids me now. Personally, I think he
likes to test people's limits." She turned her attention back to
Harry. "But the question is, how did Malista handle it?"
"She didn't," Harry replied. "She didn't say anything. She just
tried to disappear. She was sort of hiding behind me. He made us
partners for the class and made a snotty remark about her being
taller than me. I think that upset her, too."
"Maybe I should pay a visit to our friend, Mr. Natwick," Tom
said with a deceptively sweet smile. His blue eyes were ice cold
flames of anger. He despised bullies and Natwick had a reputation for
bullying his students. The only thing the man respected was strength.
"Tom. This is what Chakotay meant when he said you shouldn't
help her too much," B'Elanna commented. She took his hand in hers and
stroked it rhythmically, trying to soothe him. "She has to learn to
deal with this kind of thing herself. If you go after Natwick, you'll
get yourself in trouble. He hasn't really done anything. If you like,
I could have a woman to woman talk with her. Tell her how to handle
sexual harassment or lewd remarks."
"Nobody should be making lewd remarks," Paris said indignantly.
"Especially not to my kid sister!"
"And how are you going to stop them? Fight every man on the
ship? That's what Niko Dishon tried---until he decided it was easier