Betwixt and Between

by Sagga Bott

saggabottyahoo.ca

Rating: PG-13

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…