The Fates Series 03 Veil of Innocence Read online

  The man nodded. Tom knew from Aria that this was the man they would have to convince. He was one of the leaders of the Resistance, Consul Maris.

  The Consul began again. “And why would you help us? By joining us your life would become worth nothing.”

  Captain Raken then jumped in. “You can’t possibly be serious. This man has no business joining us. For all we know he’s a spy!”

  Aria jumped out of her seat. “I give you my word he is NOT a spy. You’ve already put him through security anyway. We can’t just sit back anymore when the Empire imprisons our people. If we don’t...”

  Raken was now out of his seat as well. “His plan will never work. We’ve never been able to break their defenses before so why do you think some alien we’ve never seen before could do it.”

  “Captain, Commander that is enough.” The man that first addressed Tom now said. “I was speaking with... I’m sorry but you never gave us a name.”

  Tom turned to the man. “I don’t have one.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Paris smiled a bit sadly. “The earliest memory I have is that of one of Takma’s doctors standing over me and practically ripping my chest open. I’ve been able to learn a bit more when I broke into their database. To answer your first question, I don’t mind risking my life because right now I don’t have a life to risk. I’m not about to sit back and let the Empire cause anyone else the same kind of pain they caused me. So you can either help me or I’ll go myself. But I WILL get those prisoners out of there with or without your help.”

  Consul Maris looked into Paris’s eyes. He could tell the man wasn’t lying. He had seen his share of pain. He could also see the resilience in the young man’s soul. He really would do this, even if it meant by himself.

  “What do you need?”

  *

  Sargon placed a hand to his head. His cranium felt like it would explode. One of the guards had decided that he needed a little humbling and so felt motivated to knock him in the back of the head with a metal rod.

  *Nothing new* he thought. He had, after all been raised here since he was a little boy. It didn’t matter that this was a new concentration camp, they were all the same. He was one of the rare few who had managed to escape one of these places before but by the way, security at this one was, and it didn’t look like he would get the same luck this time around.

  He crawled over to his bed. It wasn’t actually a bed, just a mat on the floor, but it served its purpose. His head pounded with every movement. *Just what did I do to deserve this?*

  He then laughed to himself. *I suppose I shouldn’t have told those guards that sleeping with the Pretor was their only chance in Hell of getting promoted.*

  Actually, he had added some more vivid words and details in his oration to the two security workers. Something about not being able to... He had forgotten. His head hurt too much to think.

  He did smile although it was somewhat grimly. Life really was a full circle. He had once been free, then imprisoned, free again, and now back in prison. *I suppose this is the end of the road* he thought.

  A flash of pink hair caught his attention however. He turned his eyes to see a small girl staring at him. She had the strangest green eyes with violet pupils. She looked to be only six maybe seven.

  He turned his head to get a better look but she ran off.

  The sight of her brought back memories. He had been about her age when he had first been sent here. The only difference was that he had been the only Parvanian in the prison that was actually a prisoner and not a guard.

  He then closed his eyes. There were too many memories to muddle through them now. He slipped into the vastness of sleep and let the dreams take hold of his tired mind.

  *

  General Kail sat on the bridge of his ship the Bonthos. He had gotten off lucky with the Pretor somehow. He thanked the

  Fates above that he hadn’t been demoted or worse.

  Takma sat next to him. She seemed somewhat lost in her thoughts. He wondered if she had said something on his behalf to her husband. That could explain the lenience of his reprimand.

  The officer at the Conn turned to Kail. “We’re approaching the ship sir. We will be within hailing distance in two minutes.”

  Kail turned to Takma. “Well, you heard the man. I suppose we should lower our cloak.”

  “Yes,” she replied. “And make sure everyone knows the parts they will be playing. I don’t want anything to go wrong.

  Understood?”

  “Everything has been taken care of. You need only tell us when to hail them.”

  She nodded. Gazing at the viewscreen, she watched the ship outside glide through space. This ‘Voyager’ would surely be a great prize. If she could manipulate those on board then there would be no telling what information she could extract from them.

  “Are we within range?” she asked.

  “Yes sir.”

  Takma let a smile break her stony features. “Hail them.”

  Ensign Kim had just walked onto the bridge when his console bleeped to life.

  “We’re being hailed Captain,” he said.

  Janeway looked puzzled. “We didn’t pick up a ship on sensors.”

  “A ship has just decloaked on our starboard side.” Tuvok replied. “They do not appear to be hostile.”

  Janeway shrugged. “On screen.”

  The viewscreen revealed a woman with ridged eyebrows and dark black hair and eyes.

  “Greetings, my name is Takma. I have come on behalf of my husband Pretor Portus to welcome you into Imperial Space,” said the woman.

  “We appreciate your welcome but we were not aware that this region of space was even occupied,” replied Janeway.

  Takma smiled. “This region of our Empire is quite desolate however we could escort you to a more populated area if you wish. Certainly you would need supplies if you have come to be in this arid region.”

  *Maybe our luck is improving* thought Janeway. However, she was not foolish enough to believe that there wasn’t a catch to all of this. She had learned never to let her guard down.

  “We would be very grateful if you would do so. Perhaps you would wish to come over here and we could discuss some trade of sorts,” she said.

  “Of course,” Takma said. “Myself and General Kail shall transport to your vessel in five minutes. I look foreword to meeting you face to face.”

  “We look foreword to it as well. Until then.” The viewscreen returned to its portrait of the stars outside.

  Chakotay rose once the comm line had been cut. “Do you think they have anything to do with that ship that attacked us before?”

  Tuvok spoke for her. “Their vessel is not of the same make nor is it equipped with the same weaponry as that which attacked us. However it would be unwise to let our guard down due to this evidence.”

  “Good point Tuvok. Have a small security team in the transporter room. I want to be careful but I also don’t want to scare them off.” She turned to the helm. “Mr. Par… Baytart, keep us in the same flight pattern as their ship. Chakotay come with me to meet our guests. Tuvok you have the bridge.”

  She walked out at a pace fast for even her. Chakotay followed in her wake. All on the bridge had noticed her slip of the tongue. He knew she was doing better than she had a few days ago, but she was still very upset over Tom’s death. Hell they all were, but she seemed to be taking it worse than anyone else.

  He just needed to be there for her; he was sure of it. She needed time. That was all. Just a little time and she would be the same as before. But letting her have time didn’t mean that he couldn’t be there for her as well.

  Takma strode towards the transporter room on the Bonthos. Her plan was going well. All she had to do now was tell them a few lies and they would be eating out of her hand.

  She thought for one second that the only thing that could ruin her plan was if the Resistance got involved, but she dismissed that. After all, there wasn’t one good mind in
that whole rebel force. And how dangerous was a band of idiots.

  *

  A dark haired woman walked toward him. She had slight ridges on her forehead and the deepest brown eyes Paris had ever seen. He took a step toward the beauty, a slight memory flickered within his mind but he couldn’t quite grasp it. All he knew was that the emotions he held for this woman were deeper than anything he had ever felt before.

  He reached out to touch her face. It felt so warm. It was like touching perfection. She was a being so close yet so unattainable at the same time.

  She responded to him by grasping his hand in hers. He remembered seeing her in his dreams before. Once while she was crying and again on a hillside overlooking a lake. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she wrapped her arms around him.

  She was so exquisite. He pulled her tightly to him. *Please don’t let this end* he thought. *Please don’t let this end.*

  She seemed to hear his thoughts, for she turned her eyes to his. Each were lost within the other’s orbs. *I love you* she said.

  Her words filled the void within him. She looked so sincere, so fragile, yet so strong as well. All he wanted to do was stay here with her. She was all he wanted, all he could ever need. If only he knew who she was.

  *I love you too,* he whispered. As if they were one, both searched for the other’s lips. He could feel her smoldering breath tickling his lips. Vague memories of this happening before bubbled to the surface.

  He closed his eyes in preparation for the upcoming kiss, only to be rebuffed as the woman was torn from his arms by an unknown force. His eyes popped open as he watched her being pulled away into the darkness around them. Of her captors, he recognized one. Takma stood in the darkness pulling the woman in with her.

  Paris reached out for her but found he couldn’t move. He was caught in the horror of immobility. All he could do was watch as the darkness took his companion, the woman he loved.

  He stared off after her disappearing form and let out an anguished cry.

  *

  Paris bolted upright in bed. He let out a choked breath and tried to take in his surroundings. Sweat glazed his features and his throat threatened to collapse on itself.

  He sunk back down onto the bed. *It seemed so real* he thought. Bringing a shaky hand to his eyes, he tried to erase the scene he had just witnessed. That woman. It was like he knew her, like they were supposed to be with one another.

  Tom quickly shook his head. It was just a dream, nothing more. He just needed to clear his thoughts, that was all. But still the idea that maybe that was a piece of his past rose to the surface. What if she had been someone he had known before Takma had come along.

  No, he shouldn’t get his hopes up. After all he had a mission to lead today, he didn’t need to be distracted. Getting out of his bed he began to get dressed.

  Paris quickly put on his newly acquired clothes and finished the last buckle on his boots. He had been given a room on the base as well as a new set of clothes. That which he wore at present was a black shirt and pants along with a long brown coat.

  He then slipped on the black gloves he had also recently acquired. They hid the Borg-like tentacles wrapped around his hands and wrists. But since his fingers were bare of any such addition, the fingers of the gloves were cut out.

  It had been over a day since he had arrived at Kuran. So far, they had ironed out all the kinks in their plan. He would lead a team inside the concentration camp and from there proceed with the rest of the plan. They would have already left had it not been for Aria pressuring him to get some sleep. So now here he was, just awakening from a nightmare and getting ready for battle. He needed to talk with Aria. She and Danag would be leaving with him to go inside of the camp.

  There was only one problem so far. There were no ships on Kuran capable of providing a distraction for the away team to get inside. They had agreed to pay a visit on a species that inhabited a nearby planet. They were the Dezorisians, a savage clan of skilled fighters. From what he had heard, they were considered some of the strongest fighters in the Empire but also the ones with the shortest fuse. He made it a point to endeavor not to piss them off too severely.

  But first of all, he needed to go see Aria.

  *

  B’Elanna awoke to the solitude of an empty bed.

  “Lights, illumination 30%,” she barked out.

  Throwing her legs off the bed, she sat quietly trying to make sense of the dream she had just awoken from. It seemed so real.

  She could feel Tom in her arms; feel his breath on her lips. But then he was pulled away from her. Pulled away by some unknown force as she silently watched after him.

  She had finally accepted his death only to have sorrow loom its ugly head again. *No* she told herself. *I should be glad that he still lives in my dreams, even if in reality, he’s gone forever.*

  Getting out of bed, she kept repeating that litany over and over in her head. But deep down she knew dreams just weren’t enough.

  *

  Paris knocked on the door to Aria’s quarters. He had waited a few hours before disturbing her but finally he admitted he had to go see her, if not for the dream, then to make sure she was ready to leave. Danag was already prepping the shuttle for launch. That meant they had five maybe six minutes until departure.

  The door slid back to reveal an already dressed Aria. She had shed the remains of her Imperial uniform and now wore a tan vest and dark brown pants. Around her waist was a black belt with a phaser hanging down on each hip.

  “Hello,” she said. “Is Danag ready with the shuttle?”

  “We have a few minutes till we leave.” He paused and let his eyes search the floor. “I was wondering if I could ask you something.”

  She could feel his uncertainty. “Sure, what’s wrong?” Something else came to her attention as she asked this. She should already know what was troubling him. After all, they could read one another’s thoughts. The realization then occurred to her that he had broken their link. She felt a bit hurt by this, but suppressed this emotion.

  “Remember how you told me you would try to help me uncover my past.”

  She nodded.

  “Well, I was wondering just when we could start.”

  She felt his remorse. The one thing she had disregarded was what he would do after this mission was completed. She knew that she was given orders to stay by his side, to help him prepare for the Battle as much as she could, but Aria hadn’t realized that he might not want to stay with her.

  “Well, it takes over a day to reach the Dezorisians, perhaps we can try then.”

  He nodded.

  A battle waged within Aria as she wondered whether of not to ask her next question. She finally summed up her courage and asked. “If you don’t mind my asking, what brought on the sudden ‘need-to-know’ mood?”

  He looked into her eyes. He didn’t know how to explain this to her. So instead of using words, he used thoughts to convey his answer. He sent to her all his memories of his dream the night before; however, he kept the emotions he had experienced. That was something he couldn’t part with just yet.

  She frowned in concentration as she received his message. Understanding replaced her hurt pride. She reached out a hand to him. “I’m sorry,” she said for not the first time.

  He shook his head, “Don’t be. This is just something I have to deal with.”

  There were a few seconds of silence.

  “Come on,” he said. “We need to get to shuttle bay.”

  She nodded. “I’m ready for some action already.”

  He smiled despite himself. She had a warrior’s spirit through and through. Looking to her shoulder, he replied. “I see you listened to me and had a doctor take a look at that.”

  She nodded a little guiltily. Paris had practically forced her into sickbay. After that, she had used her own logic to force him to get some sleep.

  “Well, it’s more advantageous to have the use of two arms when going into battle.”

 
A short laugh escaped Tom’s lips. “We’d better get going unless we want to be late.”

  She looked unperturbed. “Ah yes, may the Spirit forbid that to happen.”

  *

  Captain Janeway finished giving Takma her tour of the ship. So far the Parvanian was proving to be an excellent guest, but

  Janeway refused to allow that to let her guard down. After all, it had not been long ago that Voyager had been attacked by an unknown ship. Janeway needed answers and it seemed like now was the best time to get them.

  “Takma, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions I have.”

  The dark haired woman turned to Janeway. “I would be happy to if I can.”

  The captain went on, “About three days ago my ship was attacked by an unknown vessel. It was in by no means, the condition as yours. It looked to quite old. I was wondering if you might know anything about them. It could help us out a lot if we get in another fight with them.”

  Takma’s outer expression dropped. “From what you have said, it looks like you were attacked by a ship from the Resistance.”

  Janeway’s brow knitted. “The Resistance?”

  Takma’s face remained concerned while inside, joy swept through her body. They were rising to her bait. “The Resistance,” she continued, “is a band of terrorists that roam throughout the borders of our Empire. They attack our outposts and any ship that is not a member of their coalition. You were lucky you only crossed paths with one. I’ve seen ships torn to shreds by them.”

  “Why do they attack you?”

  General Kail took over for Takma. “You see our Empire is home to much wealth and resources. At one time, we traded with those around us but soon after they decided that, they wished to take control of all our resources for themselves. For years now, they have attacked any trading vessels we have as well as other species’ ships that come to trade with us. We have been forced to shut down our borders to any outside trade and in the process, the Resistance has gotten even angrier at us for that. Now we’re on the verge of war with them all due to a conflict of jealousy.”