[posted 4/12/98] Two Klingon Hearts By: Amy Michelle ©1998 (amyb@i1.net) Disclaimer: ‘Star Trek: Voyager” and all it’s characters are owned by Paramount Pictures, Inc. Notes: I wasn’t sure of Henley’s rank, so I made her an ensign. Also, forgive if there are any mistakes, I haven’t seen Voyager in 1 month and 3 weeks (But, hey, who’s counting?!). There is also a slight resemblance to the DS9 episode ‘Change of Heart.’ Dedication: To JoAnna for all your help. It’s greatly appreciated. (Thanks for the title!) And, to Mike (co- founder of Operation: Save Voyager) for caring about Voyager as much as I do. Thanks, 2-Man. :-) ******************************* B’Elanna Torres intently studied the padd which she held in her hand. She seemed to block out the rest of the universe when she worked. Harry once said that while B’Elanna’s working, the ship could explode and she wouldn’t notice. Tom sat on the couch next to B’Elanna. He, on the other hand, chose to study B’Elanna instead of write his helm report even though it was due on the Captain’s desk at 0700 tomorrow morning. He’d just have to stay up late and finish it. B’Elanna was so engrossed in her work that she didn’t notice the pilot was staring at her. B’Elanna nibbled her bottom lip. She often did that while she was reading, Tom noted. He thought it was adorable. Of course, he thought everything about her was adorable. “B’Elanna?” he asked. There was no response. “B’Elanna,” he said a little louder. Still no response. “B’Elanna!” Tom said, his tone of voice forceful. “Hmmm?” she asked, looking up from her padd. “Did you say something?” Tom laughed. “What?” B’Elanna asked puzzled. “Nothing,” Tom replied. “I’ve just been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes.” B’Elanna didn’t look so amused. “Well, you have it now. What did you want to ask me?” “What’s your favorite color?” Tom asked. B’Elanna tried to suppress a giggle, but it slipped past her lips. “What?” she asked. “I was just thinking about all the things I know about you,” Tom explained, “and I don’t know what your favorite color is.” “Oh,” B’Elanna said. She thought for a moment and finally decided on a color. “Blue.” “Ah, blue. Like the warp core?” Tom queried. “No,” B’Elanna smiled, “like your eyes.” For the first time since she knew him, B’Elanna thought she almost saw Tom Paris blush -- almost. B’Elanna went back to her work. A few minutes later she was interrupted again. “You didn’t ask what my favorite color was.” B’Elanna looked at Tom exasperated. “What’s your favorite color, Tom?” she asked sarcastically. “Purple,” Tom said without thinking. B’Elanna’s eyes once again concentrated on the padd she held in her hands. “Want to know why?” “Why, Tom?” she asked not taking her eyes off her work. “Because that’s what color you wore on our first official date,” he smiled. She looked at Tom. “That’s so sweet,” B’Elanna said as she tenderly caressed Tom’s cheek with the back of her hand. B’Elanna went back to studying her work. “B’Elanna, will you move in with me?” She dropped the padd and looked at Tom open-mouthed. “Uh...,” she stammered trying to find the words. Finally they came to her. “No,” she said bluntly. Tom was shocked. “Why not?” “Well, first of all, this place is a mess,” B’Elanna said looking around the room. Padds were scattered on various tables. A pile of dishes had collected on the table. Not to mention the unmade bed and several items of clothing that were on the floor. “So, I’m not the best housekeeper,” Tom admitted. “I’ve been busy lately.” “I’m sorry, but the answer is still no.” “But, why?” Tom really didn’t understand. B’Elanna opened her mouth to answer, but before the words could come out, her commbadge sounded. “Janeway to Torres and Paris” “Saved by the bell,” B’Elanna said and shot a wry smile at Tom. Tom pressed his commbadge, “We’re here, Captain.” “I need to see the two of you in my ready room as soon as possible,” the captain informed them. “We’re on our way,” Torres said and the communication ended. B’Elanna placed the padd on the table in front of her and stood to head for the door. Tom got up and followed her down the corridor towards the turbolift. They walked the halls in silence, after all, walls *do* have ears. Once the pair was in the turbolift, safely out of earshot, Tom picked up the conversation again. “Look, B’Elanna,” he began, “I know that asking you to move in with me kind of came out of the blue.” “Damn straight,” B’Elanna said. “Just think about it, okay?” B’Elanna said nothing. The turbolift stopped and the doors opened to reveal the bridge. Tom noticed Tuvok was sitting in the captain’s chair. Chakotay was still down on the planet, Cinis, of which Voyager was currently in orbit. Tom and B’Elanna strode across the bridge to the captain’s ready room. B’Elanna pressed the door chime and waited for Janeway’s acknowledgment. “Enter,” came the captain’s voice from behind the door. The couple entered the room and found Kathryn staring out the window at Cinis instead of at her usual seat behind the desk. She turned to face them. Kathryn looked worried, Tom noted. Something was wrong. “We’ve lost contact with our away team,” Janeway said. B’Elanna moved as if she were going to say something, but before she could, Janeway spoke again. “It’s been almost three days since we last heard from Commander Chakotay or Ensign Henley. I’m going to send another away team down. I’d like that away team to be you two.” Janeway began to pace the floor of her ready room. There was something else she wanted to say, B’Elanna sensed it. “I won’t lie to you,” Janeway said. “This isn’t just an away mission, it’s a rescue mission.” Tom and B’Elanna looked puzzled. “I’ll start from the beginning,” the captain said. “The government of Cinis is in a state of utter chaos. When we first arrived, we were told of this. However, Voyager was in such desperate need of supplies, I was willing to risk it. I was assured by President Oplia that we would be safe. She saw the uprising against her government as nothing more than an small angry mob. She severely underestimated that mob. Chakotay ,Henley, and the vice- president of Cinis were taken prisoner by a group of radicals who oppose the government. They call themselves the Avengers. We believe that they are holding our crew at their base. Your mission would be to find this base and rescue them.” Tom and B’Elanna stared blankly at the captain giving it all time to sink in. “We’re going to do this alone?” Tom asked. Janeway shook her head. “No, Oplia has appointed a few members of her government to assist you in your efforts.” Tom nodded. Janeway saw the apprehension on their faces. Her chief helmsman and engineer were not looking forward to this mission, she could tell that. “I know this is going to be a difficult mission,” Janeway admitted. “I wouldn’t have asked you to go if I didn’t know you could handle it. I have faith in the both of you.” B’Elanna smiled inwardly. It wasn’t often that someone told her they believed in her. “You’ll leave in one hour,” Janeway said. “Meet me in shuttlebay two then. We are unable to transport down because of interference from the Avengers. Stop by sickbay, the Doctor is going to place a tracking device under your skin.” Tom and B’Elanna nodded and turned to exit the room. Janeway waited until they had left and then moved over to her desk and sat down. Resting her elbows on the desk, she buried her head in her hands. She hoped she hadn’t just ordered two of the finest officers she ever served with to their deaths. “Tuvok to Captain Janeway,” Kathryn’s commbadge sounded. “Janeway here,” she said with a tired voice. “We are receiving a communication from the planet. It’s President Oplia, she wishes to speak with you.” “I’ll take it in my ready room, put it through here,” Janeway ordered. “Aye, Captain,” Tuvok responded. Oplia’s face appeared on a small screen on Janeway’s desk. She was a rather plain looking woman. Her blondish hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she wore a dull gray suit. She didn’t seem to be much older than Janeway was. The people of Cinis looked humanoid except for their third eye located in the center of their foreheads. All three of Oplia’s eyes were gray at the moment, leading Janeway to believe that they changed with the color of clothes they wear. “Captain Janeway,” Oplia greeted her warmly. “Have you heard anything about my crew?” Janeway asked anxiously. Oplia’s expression suddenly turned grim. “I regret to inform you that we have not.” Janeway sighed. She was tired of feeling helpless. “I’m sending another away team down,” she informed the president. Oplia nodded. “I’ll have some of my people meet them at these coordinates.” Oplia pressed a few buttons and began to transmit the location of the rendezvous the Janeway. “Thank you,” Janeway said and began to close the link. “Captain Janeway,” Oplia said. “Yes?” “We’ll get your people back, I promise,” the president said. “I believe you,” Janeway assured her and the screen went black. ******************************* Tom and B’Elanna sat next to each other on the biobed as they listened to the Doctor talk. “I have implanted a radioactive isotope just beneath the surface of the skin on your right forearm, Mr. Paris,” he explained. “This will enable Voyager to locate you.” “It itches like hell,” Tom complained and scratched furiously at his arm. “Be careful not to scratch it, Mr. Paris,” the Doctor said. “The nucleus of a radioactive isotope is extremely unstable.” Tom stopped scratching and gripped the edge of the biobed to resist the temptation. As hopeless as Tom Paris was sometimes, the Doctor sure did appreciate his help in sickbay the past few months. Being a hologram, the Doctor was able to work without rest, however, he often enjoyed just having the company. No one ever came to visit him since Kes’s death unless they were in pain. Oh, he missed Kes terribly. “You are free to go place your lives in danger once more,” the Doctor said. “Thanks, Doc,” Tom smiled and patted the hologram on the back. Tom and B’Elanna headed for the door, but were stopped once more. “B’Elanna, Tom?” the Doctor said. They were surprised, he rarely called them by their first names. The pair turned to face him. “Be careful,” the Doctor told them. ******************************* “Mariah!” Chakotay shouted as two men threw Henley into the holding cell. She landed on the hard ground with a thump. Chakotay moved over to where she lay on the floor. “Mariah? Are you okay?” he asked worriedly. “I’m fine,” Henley said as Chakotay helped her sit up. She leaned against the wall. “What did they do to you?” he asked. “Surprisingly, nothing,” Mariah said. “They just asked me questions. I refused to answer. I knew they were frustrated with me. I felt as if they would become violent at any moment, but they didn’t.” “We’re their bargaining pieces,” came another voice. The voice of Ewin, vice-president of Cinis. He had been taken prisoner along with Henley and Chakotay. “Then why do they keep us locked up?” Chakotay asked. “I don’t know,” Ewin said his deep green eyes reflecting the color of his tunic. Ewin was middle-aged. A few years older then himself, Chakotay guessed. “It doesn’t matter,” Chakotay said. “I don't plan to be here long anyway. If I know Captain Janeway, she’s already planning a rescue mission.” “We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Henley whispered so the guard watching their cell wouldn’t hear. “I didn’t plan on sitting here and doing nothing,” Chakotay assured her. Chakotay gestured to the far end of the small cell. The trio moved to the corner where they could talk without the guard hearing them. “We have to get them to trust us,” Chakotay whispered. “Trust us?” Ewin asked. “They’ll never trust me, I’m a government official. These rebels will never trust me!” He half-shouted. Chakotay sensed the contempt Ewin held for these people. The guard turned and looked in the cell. “What are doing?” he insisted. “We’re hungry,” Chakotay said. “Can we have something to eat?” The guard said nothing. “If we die of hunger, we’ll be of no use to you,” Chakotay reminded him. The guard walked away for a few minutes and then returned carrying a tray. “I’m lowering the forcefield,” he told them. “Don’t try anything funny.” The forcefield lowered and the guard bent over to place the food tray on the cell floor. Henley began to stand up, but Chakotay grabbed her arm and shook his head. The guard stepped out of the cell and raised the forcefield once more. Chakotay slowly moved to get the tray. He lifted the lid of it to reveal three plates consisting of very meager servings. He took the tray over to where Henley and Ewin were sitting in the corner and offered them each a plate. Henley held the plate up to her nose and sniffed the bluish-gray blob that was before her. “Let’s hope it tastes better than it smells,” she remarked. “What is it anyway?” “Bokee,” Ewin replied as he shoveled the food into his mouth greedily. “Pardon?” Henley asked. “It’s best that I don’t tell you what’s in it,” he said. Mariah took a wary look at the blob on her plate and then looked over to Chakotay. He shrugged and took a small amount of the food with his fingers and tentatively tasted it. His eyebrows raised in surprise. It wasn’t *that* bad. Henley did the same and, she too, was pleasantly surprised. ***************************** Paris and Torres sat in silence in the cockpit of the shuttle Aristotle. Paris loved away missions. They gave him a chance to stretch his legs and show off his piloting skills. Tom raised his hand to his arm where the implant was located. “Ah, don’t scratch,” B’Elanna warned. “I can’t help it,” Paris whined. “It itches. Why’d I have to have the tracking device implanted under *my* skin?” “Maybe because you volunteered,” B’Elanna said. “Now quit your whining,” she teased. “I’m surprised that Captain Janeway trusted us in a shuttle together,” Tom said. “Especially after what happened to the last shuttle we were in together.” “It could have happened to anyone,” B’Elanna said. “Besides, you loved that mission and you know it.” “Oh, yes,” Paris said. “Floating through space in EVA suits with our oxygen running low on the brink of death...” “If you can’t say anything nice...” B’Elanna interrupted. “I’m not done yet,” Paris said. “Holding you close, thinking that the last thing I would see was you, hearing you tell me you loved me, saying some *stupid* comment about how you picked a great time to tell me.” “Yeah,” B’Elanna grinned. “That mission did have it’s ups and downs.” Tom pressed a few controls on his console. “How much longer until we reach the rendezvous coordinates?” He asked. “Thirty six hours,” B’Elanna replied. Paris’ mouth opened and B’Elanna half expected him to whine. But he didn’t. “What ever are we going to do for thirty six hours all alone in a shuttle?” he asked. “Not what you think we’re going to do,” B’Elanna laughed. “What do *I* think we’re going to do, B’Elanna?” He asked displaying a cocky smile. “I’m scared to ask,” B’Elanna said. “Get your mind out of the gutter, B’Elanna,” Tom teased. “What? You think I wanna neck for the next thirty six hours? B’Elanna, I am shocked,” he said sarcastically. B’Elanna raised one eyebrow at the pilot. “Don’t tell me you weren’t thinking it,” she said. “Okay, so maybe I was,” he admitted. “You can’t tell me that you *don’t* want to.” “We’re on duty, Lieutenant,” B’Elanna said playfully. “‘Lieutenant’?” Tom asked. “Getting a bit formal, aren’t we? If we want to bring rank into this, may I remind you that I outrank you.” “So?” she asked. “So, I can relieve you of duty.” “You couldn’t,” she said. “I could.” “You wouldn’t,” she countered. “I would.” “Tom!” “I’m going to have to say it, B’Elanna,” he teased. “Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres,” “Tom, knock it off.” “As your superior officer,” he continued. “This isn’t funny anymore, Tom.” “I hereby re...” “Two can play at this game,” she said. Before Paris could finish his sentence, B’Elanna silenced him with a kiss. B’Elanna broke off the kiss and leaned back in her chair smiling broadly at Tom. “Are you trying to bribe a superior officer?” he teased. “Tom!” She shouted and playfully punched him in the arm. ***************************** Chakotay lay in the dark corner of the holding cell, examining his surroundings. Mariah and Ewin had fallen asleep a few hours ago. Still, Chakotay couldn’t sleep. If only he hadn’t been knocked unconscious when they were brought to the enemy camp, he might be able to tell where they were and maybe think of a way out of there. Kathryn was probably already working on a rescue mission. Or at least he hoped that she was. Chakotay felt his eyelids begin to get heavy. He yawned and shut his eyes. Chakotay heard a faint whisper only a few meters away from him. “Hey!” A female voice forcefully whispered. “Wake up!” Chakotay opened his eyes and looked around to see where the voice was coming from. He spotted a woman standing outside of the holding cell. “Hey! You!” The woman called to Chakotay. Chakotay got up and slowly walked over to where the woman was standing. “What?” He said, a little too loud because the woman gave a forceful “Shhh!” “What?” He asked again, this time softly. “My name is Vea,” She said. “I’m Chakotay,” He introduced himself. Vea was wearing all black. Her eyes reflected the color making it impossible to see her pupils. “I’m going to help you get out of here,” Vea said glancing behind her occasionally to make sure no one was listening. Chakotay looked at the woman with a confused look. “I work for the government,” Vea explained. “My partner and I joined the Avengers undercover to find out where their bases were and to learn their secrets.” Vea glanced behind her once more before continuing. “We’ve had communications with your captain. Rile, my partner, and I are going to rendezvous with two people from your ship now.” “When will you be back?” Chakotay asked. “A day or two,” She said. “We can’t be gone long or they’ll notice that we’re gone.” “Thank you,” Chakotay said gratefully. “Here,” Vea said and pulled a bundle out from under her overcoat. “In here is the encrypting code for the forcefield and some weapons. You’ll be able to defend yourselves when the fighting breaks out.” “Fighting?” Chakotay asked. “They won’t just hand you over,” Vea said. “We’ll have to use force. Keep this well hidden from the guards.” Vea pressed a few buttons on the panel on the wall lowering the forcefield. She quickly handed the bundle to Chakotay and raised the forcefield once again. “Vea,” A voice called. Vea and Chakotay froze, fearing the worst. A man stepped out of the shadows. “Rile,” Vea sighed. “You scared me.” “We have to leave now before anyone wakes up,” Rile insisted. “We’ll be back for you,” Vea promised and turned to walk away. ***************************** Tom landed the shuttle on the surface of Cinis with expert ease. Cinis was a jungle-like planet. Trees surrounded the clearing in which the shuttle Aristotle had landed. Any other pilot would have hit a few trees during the landing process, but not Tom. By the way the twin suns of Cinis were lighting up the sky, B’Elanna estimated that it was around noon. “These are the rendezvous coordinance,” B’Elanna said. “Nothing to do now, but wait,” Tom said. However, they didn’t have to wait long. A faint knock came from the back of the shuttle. “Looks like we have visitors,” Tom said and walked to the back of the shuttle, B’Elanna following behind him. He lowered the door, with his phaser drawn, to reveal a man and a woman. They both wore all black. “I’m Vea,” the woman spoke. “We were told to rendezvous with you here.” Tom quickly put his phaser away. “I’m Lieutenant Tom Paris, and this is Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres.” “I’m Rile,” the man spoke. “We should get started,” Vea said. “It took us almost 17 hours to reach these coordinates from the Avenger’s base.” Tom and B’Elanna grabbed their packs and secured them on their backs. Tom opened the weapons locker and took out two phaser rifles. He handed one to B’Elanna and slung the other over his shoulder. Tom and B’Elanna exited the shuttle Aristotle to begin their long trek through the jungle. ***************************** Almost three hours later, the four were still hiking through the steaming jungle. Tom wiped the sweat from his brow. He hadn’t expected Cinis to have such a warm climate. He looked over at B’Elanna who had removed her uniform top and turtle neck and was now wearing her tanktop. She too had perspiration dripping from her ridges. The jungle was hot even by Klingon standards. Vea and Rile seemed to be unaffected by the temperature. Vea and Rile walked a few feet in front of Tom and B’Elanna. B’Elanna shrieked and swatted at a golden colored insect that had landed on her forearm. Tom laughed. “It’s only a bug, B’Elanna,” he said. “I hate bugs!” she growled. The two walked on in silence following Vea and Rile. B’Elanna was a few steps ahead of Tom when she heard a thump and Tom’s voice swearing. B’Elanna turned to see Tom face down on the ground. “Tom?” She asked. “I’m okay,” he insisted. “I just tripped over that tree root.” Vea and Rile had turned to see what the commotion behind them was all about. “They are so slow and clumsy,” Rile said under his breath. “Would you rather continue without them?” Vea asked. “Face the Avengers alone?” “No,” he replied softly. “Then keep your mouth shut!” Vea ordered. “I’m going to see if they need help.” Vea walked towards where Tom was laying on the ground, B’Elanna crouched over him. “Is everything okay?” Vea asked. “I...uh, had a little trip,” Tom said embarrassed. B’Elanna held out her hand in an attempt to help Tom to his feet. He pushed himself up slowly. Placing two feet firmly on the ground, he let out a yelp as one ankle gave way. B’Elanna and Vea slowly eased Tom back down to the ground in a sitting position. B’Elanna pulled up his pant leg to examine his ankle. It was bent in a weird angle and the bone was pointing through the skin. “It’s broken, Tom,” B’Elanna said. She took the pack off her back and began to forage through it in search of the med kit. “Here,” she said, “this will help with the pain.” B’Elanna pressed a hypospray to Tom’s neck. “Can you repair it?” Vea asked. “I’m not sure,” B’Elanna said. She took out the medical tricorder and began scanning Tom’s ankle. “It’s a serious break. I don’t have the right equipment to repair it.” If it had been a warp coil, B’Elanna could have fixed it in a snap. Unfortunately she knew very little about first aid. “You’ll have to put a splint on it,” Tom said. “Right,” B’Elanna replied. She looked through the med. kit. “How exactly do I *do* that?” “What?” Tom asked. “Did you take basic first aid at the Academy?” “Well, yes,” B’Elanna replied. “But, I never really *used* it.” “It’s a good thing I work in sickbay then,” Tom smiled through the pain. Tom guided B’Elanna and Vea through the procedure until his ankle was securely wrapped. The two women helped Tom to stand once more. Tom placed his arm around B’Elanna’s shoulder and leaned his weight on her. “Give me your pack,” Vea requested. She placed Tom’s pack on her back and threw his phaser rifle over her shoulder. “You don’t need any unnecessary weight weighing you down,” she said. Vea lead the way back to where Rile was standing; B’Elanna followed, with Tom leaning on her for support. “We’ll have to slow down the pace,” Vea told Rile. Rile moved as if to protest but said nothing. ***************************** “What do you mean they are gone?!” Chakotay heard a man yell. “Vea and Rile didn’t report to their posts this morning and no one has seen them since last night,” another man quickly explained. “Find them!” the man ordered. “Who is that?” Chakotay asked Ewin motioning to the yelling man. “His name is Agon,” Ewin explained. “He’s the leader of the Avengers. He used to hold a very high government position on Cinis. That is, before he turned against us.” “Ewin,” Chakotay said. “Last night after you and Henley fell asleep, I had a visitor.” “Vea?” Ewin asked. Chakotay nodded. Chakotay motioned to the corner of the cell where Henley was sitting. Ewin and Chakotay walked over to the corner. Once Ewin and Henley were gathered around him, Chakotay pulled out the bundle that Vea had give him the night before. “I have weapons and the encryption code to the forcefield,” Chakotay whispered. “Then let’s get out of here!” Henley said. “Mariah, no!” Chakotay said. “Captain Janeway found a way to get us out of here. But, we have to wait.” “For what?” She asked. “Two members of the Avengers are actually government officials under cover,” Ewin explained. “They went to rendezvous with some crew members from Voyager,” Chakotay said. “Once they get back, we’ll get out of here.” “What are you doing?” The guard demanded. Chakotay quickly tossed the bundle to Henley and turned to answer the guard. “Nothing,” He replied. “I don’t believe you,” The guard said. “We were just talking,” Ewin said. “You!” Agon yelled at the guard. “Yes sir?” The guard asked turning to face Agon. “Join the search party looking for Vea and Rile,” Agon ordered. “Yes sir,” The guard responded and quickly left. “Something tells me they aren’t as loyal to the Avengers as I thought. Are they Ewin?” He asked the prisoner. “How should I know?” Ewin asked. “As far as I’m concerned, Vea and Rile are traitors just like you!” Agon laughed. “You are in no position to judge me, Ewin!” He yelled and walked away. ***************************** B’Elanna and Tom stumbled after Vea and Rile through the jungle of Cinis. It was getting considerably darker out and it would soon be night. “We should stop for the night,” Vea said. “We still have ground to cover before nightfall,” Rile argued. “We can do that tomorrow, Rile,” Vea said. “Tom is injured. He and B’Elanna need to rest. And so do we!” “Fine,” Rile gave in. “We’ll set up camp here for the night.” B’Elanna helped Tom into a sitting position and leaned him against a tree. “How are you doing?” She asked. “Me? I’m fine,” He lied. The pain was excruciating. “You’re a horrible liar,” B’Elanna smiled. She reached into the med. kit and pulled out the hypospray and pressed it to Tom’s neck. Tom tried to suppress a yawn. “Tired?” B’Elanna asked. Tom nodded. She laughed. “So am I. It’s not easy dragging you through the jungle.” “Sorry,” Tom said. “Don’t apologize,” B’Elanna said. “You’d do the same for me, right?” “I don’t know,” Tom teased. “I’d have to think about it.” “Hey!” B’Elanna said. “Just kidding,” He said. “Get some sleep Tom,” B’Elanna instructed. “You’ll need all your strength for tomorrow.” “Good night, B’Elanna,” He said. “Good night,” she said and leaned to kiss him. “B’Elanna?” Vea asked. B’Elanna pulled away from Tom. “Yes?” She asked. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Vea said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” “You didn’t,” B’Elanna assured her. “Can I help you?” “I was just wondering if you could help me gather some fire wood,” Vea said. “I’ll be right there.” B’Elanna gave Tom one last kiss before going to help Vea. “I didn’t realize that you and Lieutenant Paris were...” Vea trailed off. “Involved?” B’Elanna offered. Vea nodded. “Well,” B’Elanna said, “we don’t do a very good job of hiding it.” Vea bent to pick up a log that was on the ground. She stopped midway. “What’s wrong?” B’Elanna asked. “Did you hear something?” Vea inquired. “No,” B’Elanna answered. The bushes rustled. “I heard it this time, “ B’Elanna said. “Let’s go back,” Vea said. A pahser blast and a yell rang out. B’Elanna and Vea began running through the now dark jungle towards where Tom and Rile were. Branches tugged at B’Elanna’s clothing and hair but she ran faster, Vea following close behind her. They entered the clearing to witness Rile taking cover behind a tree shooting at two men. “The Avengers!” Vea yelled to B’Elanna. “They came after us.” B’Elanna concealed herself behind a tree and quickly made her way over to where her phaser rifle was. She saw Tom trying to stand leaning himself against a tree; keeping himself steady with one hand placed against the tree. He was holding the phaser rifle with the other hand, firing at one of the men. B’Elanna moved to where Tom was, and stood behind the tree. B’Elanna grabbed her phaser and fired, hitting one of the men directly in the chest. He fell to the ground. The other man spotted B’Elanna and raised his phaser to fire at her. His aim was off slightly. B’Elanna ducked out of the way. Tom quickly moved to the side, however he wasn’t fast enough. The phaser blast hit him in the side and he fell to the ground. “Tom!” B’Elanna shouted. Another phaser blast came her way, but she flung herself to the ground, covering Tom’s body with her own. Rile peeked out from behind the tree and shot at the man hitting him in the stomach. The man fell to the ground. One man was a distance away, hiding behind a tree. After witnessing his comrades deaths, he turn and ran back from the direction which he had come. Vea rushed over to where Tom and B’Elanna were on the ground. “What happened?” she asked. “He was shot,” B’Elanna said. “Get me the med. kit.” “No!” Rile yelled. “We have no time! They know where we are. We have to leave before more of them come.” “We can’t go,” B’Elanna yelled. “Tom’s been hurt.” “He’s slowed down this whole mission!” Rile yelled. “We have to leave him behind. If we don’t, we’ll all be killed.” “No!” B’Elanna yelled. “Vea, hand me the med. kit.” “B’Elanna,” Vea said softly, “Rile is right. We have to go now or we’ll all be killed.” “We can’t leave Tom!” B’Elanna yelled. “B’Elanna,” Tom’s weak voice said. “Go, I’ll be okay.” “No, Tom,” she argued. “I won’t leave you.” “Just give me the med. kit,” he said. “I’ll be all right. You can come back for me later.” “No, Tom,” she said holding back tears. “That’s an order, Lieutenant!” Tom said forcefully. “Let’s go, B’Elanna,” Vea said. B’Elanna kissed Tom lightly on the forehead and handed him the med. kit. “I love you,” she whispered before turning to leave. “We must hurry,” Vea said. The three ran through the pitch black jungle. B’Elanna could hardly see her companions because of their solid black outfits. B’Elanna ran, faster and faster. She new she had just left Tom to die. His phaser wound was too serious and if anyone came back, he wouldn’t be able to run with a broken ankle. Still, she ran, her heart pounding in her chest. Thump. Her heart pounded. Thump, thump, thump. It’s steady beat quickened. Thump,thump, thump. B’Elanna stopped. She couldn’t go any further. Vea turned around, “Come on, B’Elanna!” She yelled. “No!” B’Elanna said. “I can’t!” “We have to!” Vea said. “I’m going back for Tom,” B’Elanna said. “I’ll catch up with you.” Before Vea could argue with her, B’Elanna had turned and was running back the opposite way. “Let her go, Vea,” Rile said. ***************************** “Agon,” a man said breathlessly. “What is it?” Agon demanded. “We found them,” the man replied. “Where are they?” “In the jungle, sir,” the man said. “They are headed this way.” “Good,” Agon said, “we’ll be waiting for them.” ***************************** B’Elanna found Tom unconscious lying on the ground. There was a stain of blood on his uniform from the phaser blast wound and he looked very pale. “Tom!” she gasped and rushed over to where he was. She quickly felt for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief upon finding one. She leaned over and picked Tom up throwing him over her shoulder. Normally her Klingon strength could withstand the extra weight. However, B’Elanna was considerably weakened from the long trek through the jungle. She stumbled a little at first, but then became more sure-footed. ***************************** “I’m going back for them,” Vea said. “What?!” Rile asked. “Are you insane?” “No, Rile,” Vea insisted. “We need them! I have a plan, but we’re going to need Tom and B’Elanna’s help.” “We need nothing from them!” Rile yelled. “Fine!” Vea yelled. “Go ahead back to the base and get yourself killed, I’m turning back.” Vea turned on heel and began to in the direction that B’Elanna had went. “Wait!” Rile called. “I’m coming, too.” Vea waited for Rile to catch up with her before continuing back to meet Tom and B’Elanna. B’Elanna could barely see. The jungle was so dark it was impossible to know which direction she was headed. The sweat dripped from her brow ridges, but she couldn’t move her hand to wipe it away for fear of losing her grip on Tom. She heard footsteps ahead of her. B’Elanna quickly ducked down into the shrubbery , trying to conceal herself and Tom from the approaching people. “B’Elanna?” She heard a voice call her name. “Vea?” B’Elanna asked. She stood and turned around looking for Vea. She was almost impossible to see. There was a movement a few feet away. “Vea?” B’Elanna asked again. “We’re here,” Vea said. “Rile and I.” “I found Tom,” B’Elanna said. “He’s unconscious, he’ll need to be carried.” “Where is he?” Rile asked. B’Elanna was a bit taken back by Rile’s sudden willingness to help. “Over there,” B’Elanna said. “In the bushes where I was hiding.” Rile went over and picked up Tom’s limp body throwing him over his shoulder. “B’Elanna, I have a plan,” Vea said. “There’s no time to talk now, we have to get back to the base.” ***************************** B’Elanna saw one of the twin suns of Cinis begin to rise over the horizon, turning the sky a bright pinkish- orange color. B’Elanna was exhausted. She had been walking all night in the jungle. She found it almost impossible to keep up with Vea and Rile, but she had. The jungle was so dark at times, and because of their third eye, Vea and Rile had better sight than B’Elanna. They had now come to a large cavern opening. Now, they were just waiting. Waiting in the shrubbery for an opportunity to take the cave to the Avenger’s underground base. B’Elanna was worried about Tom. He was still unconscious, and losing more blood. The med. kit had been left behind during the run. B’Elanna looked down at Tom’s pale face. He was laying on the dew-moistened ground next to her. “Don’t you *dare* leave me, Thomas Eugene Paris!” B’Elanna sternly whispered to him as she caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. But, B’Elanna knew that his chances were slim to none if he didn’t see a doctor soon. “B’Elanna,” Vea said, “Nows are chance. Just follow my lead, okay?” B’Elanna nodded. Rile stood and flung Tom’s limp body over his shoulder. Vea pulled out her phaser and stood behind B’Elanna. “Let’s go,” Vea said. The group ascended the long way through the cave to the hideout of the Avengers. Finally, they came to what appeared to be a door, a man was standing guard. “There you are,” the guard said to Vea and Rile. “Agon has been looking for you, and he is not happy. Where have you been?” “We found Agon two more prisoners,” Vea said holding the phaser to B’Elanna’s back. “We’re going to go take them to him now.” The guard stood aside and let them through. Vea and Rile found Agon to present him with the new “prisoners.” “Where have you been?” Agon demanded. “Finding you more prisoners,” Vea explained and pushed B’Elanna towards Agon who eyes her carefully. “This one’s been injured,” Vea motioned to Tom. “We had to shoot him to keep him in line, but he’s still alive. I know you like your prisoners alive.” “You liar!” A man who had been listening shouted at Vea and Rile. “You did not shoot this man nor are these your prisoners. I saw you in the jungle with them, you traitor! They are lying to you, Agon,” he yelled. Vea knew what she had to do. Before Agon could respond, she yelled, “Now, B’Elanna!” B’Elanna took off running in the opposite direction, where Vea had told her that Chakotay and the others were being held. Vea and Rile ducked behind a wall peeking out to fire their phasers. Rile set Tom down on the ground, standing over him as to make sure he wouldn’t be shot again. Vea fired once, missing. Then, once more hitting Agon and killing him. A blast came towards Vea and Rile, barely missing their heads. ***************************** “Who are you?” The cell guard demanded of B’Elanna. She laced her fingers together and hit him at the base of the skull knocking him to the ground and took his phaser. She ran over to the holding cell. “B’Elanna,” Chakotay yelled. “No time to talk,” B’Elanna said. “We have to get out of here.” She began pressing various buttons on the control panel on the wall. “Nevermind that, B’Elanna,” Chakotay said. “I have the encryption code.” He pulled out the bundle containing the code and three phasers. He quickly deactivated the forcefield, and handed a phaser to Henley and Ewin. “Let’s go!” B’Elanna yelled and lead the way back to where the fighting was taking place. ***************************** Vea and Rile got in several more good shots killing several guards, however, there were many more still standing. Vea leaned her back up against the wall, all around her, phaser blast were ringing out. “I’m going out there,” She said to Rile. “That’s suicide, Vea,” he said. “I’m going to kill as many of those bastards as I can,” she said through gritted teeth. “Even if it means killing myself!” B’Elanna came in firing, hitting a man directly in the back who hadn’t noticed her. Chakotay and Henley were right behind her, taking out several more guards. Ewin had obviously never handled a phaser and was struggling with his aim, hitting mostly the wall, if he was lucky. Only three men remained standing. B’Elanna fired, hitting one in the arm, he turned to fire back at B’Elanna, but received a phaser blast in the back by Vea who was now in clear view. Another man turned, hitting Vea directly in the chest, she fell to the ground. “No!” Rile yelled. Charging at the man who had shot Vea he fired and killed the man. Only one was left standing. Chakotay aimed, hitting the man with one shot and knocking him to the ground. B’Elanna ran among the mess of dead bodies over to where Vea lay on the floor. Rile was standing over her, checking for signs of life. All three of her eyes here open still. They were blood red, reflecting the color of her blood-stained shirt. “She’s dead,” Rile said softly. “I’m sorry,” B’Elanna quietly uttered. “Are you happy now, Ewin?!” Rile shouted at the older man. “She died, because of you.” “I didn’t kill her,” Ewin said. “She died trying to save you!” Rile shouted standing only a few inches from Ewin. He raised his phaser to Ewin. Ewin instinctively cowered in fear. “That’s enough!” Chakotay yelled. “She died trying to save all of us, not just him. She was a brave woman. Now, put the phaser down. There’s been enough killing for today.” “Let’s get out of here,” Henley said. ***************************** B’Elanna sat in by the biobed, holding Tom’s limp hand. He looked lifeless, even though he was only sleeping. The doctor had performed emergency surgery and repaired both Tom’s phaser wound and his broken ankle. One eye twitched, then the other. Tom’s blue eyes slowly blinked open. “Hi,” B’Elanna said softly. “Hey,” Tom replied. “How do you feel?” “Numb,” Tom half-smiled. “That’s from all the pain-killers the Doc gave you,” B’Elanna said. “Where’s Vea and Rile? Is the away team back? How did the mission go?” Tom asked quickly. B’Elanna’s expression turned serious. “Vea was killed,” she said. “Chakotay and Mariah are back on Voyager, the mission was a success.” Tom let the information sink in before saying what was really on his mind. “You came back for me,” Tom said. “Yes, I did.” “And, you disobeyed a direct order,” Tom said. “Yes, I did,” she said again. “Why? You could have been killed and put the whole mission in jeopardy,” Tom said. “After I left you,” B’Elanna started. “I was running through the jungle, and my heart was pounding in my chest. I just kept thinking about a Klingon legend that my mother used to tell me when I was little. The Klingon wedding legend.” “Tell me,” Tom requested. “It’s just a silly Klingon myth,” B’Elanna said. “And, I don’t even think I can remember it all.” “Please,” Tom asked. “Tell me.” B’Elanna looked at him, took a breath and began the story, “With fire and steel did the gods forge the Klingon heart. So fiercely did it beat, so loud was the sound that the gods cried out, 'On this day we have brought forth the strongest heart in all the heavens. None can stand before it without trembling at its strength.’But then the Klingon heart weakened, the steady rhythm faltered and the gods asked, 'Why have you weakened so? We have made you the strongest in all of creation.' And the heart said, 'I am alone.'‘ B’Elanna paused for a moment, trying to remember the rest of the story. Tom was listen intently to her, hanging on her every word. “And, so, the gods knew they had erred, so they went back to their forge and brought forth another heart. But the second heart beat stronger than the first, and the first was jealous of its power. Fortunately, the second heart was tempered by wisdom. 'If we join together, no force can stop us.' And when the two hearts began to beat together, they filled the heavens with a terrible sound. For the first time, the gods knew fear. “They tried to flee, but it was too late. The Klingon hearts destroyed the gods who created them, and turned the heavens to ashes. To this very day, no one can oppose the beating of two Klingon hearts." B’Elanna waited for a response, but Tom said nothing for a few moments. “That’s a beautiful story, B’Elanna,” He said. “Do you understand now?” she asked. “Do you know why I just couldn’t leave you there?” “B’Elanna,” Tom said. “ I understand, and I would have done the same for you.” “I love you, Tom Paris” “And I love you.”