Disclaimer: Voyager and her crew belong to Paramount.
What I choose to do with them is my own.
Harry Kim stood before a head stone between
him and it was a newly filled hole. Tom's grave. The hole was only about a foot
and half square. His friend wasn't actually there, he was back in the delta
quadrant. Where he'd wanted to be.
Admiral Paris stood a short distance away on
the edge of the small group of people who'd come to his son's memorial.
"He seems to have taken this badly." He commented to Kathryn Janeway
who stood beside him.
"Harry was Tom's friend right from the
start. They reported to me together when they came on board." She said.
"They were almost like brothers sometimes. And he is taking it very hard.
He used to be upbeat, chatty. I've almost forgotten what his voice sounded
like, he hardly talks these days and when he does it isn't the same
voice."
Harry looked up at a soft step beside him.
Admiral Paris stood there. "Kathryn tells me you were very close to my
son." The old man said.
"Yes. He was my best friend."
"I'm glad my son found someone. I know
it can't have been easy for him on that ship."
"It wasn't at first, but people came
around."
"She also tells me you're responsible
for that." The Admiral said nodding to the head stone. Harry read the
inscription again. 'Free To Fly Forever.'
"They tell me that too." Harry said
softly. "Apparently I said it at his funeral. I don't remember."
The conversation stopped there and for a long
time they were silent. Then finally Harry spoke. "He was sorry he'd let
you down."
"He didn't really. I realized after
Voyager disappeared that I should be proud of him. He took everything with more
dignity than anyone I've ever seen. More then I would have." Eugene
paused. "I treated him rather badly after he was captured and sent to
Auckland."
"He forgave you, you know." Harry's
voice was hoarse. He was trying not to cry again. "He said everything he
did out there was more for you, and for Voyager, than for himself."
"I believe it." Again they were
silent.
"This isn't right." Harry said.
"There should be more people here. Chakotay, B'Elanna. People you should
meet, people who affected Tom's life out there dramatically. But they can't be
because they're in prison because they use to be Maquis." The young mans
voice was changing, it was no longer that emotionless tone
"I know. Their hearing is
tomorrow." The Admiral said. "I'm going to help them, for Tom. Are
you coming?"
"Hearing?"
"Yes it's been kept a secret they don't
want public opinion forcing a decision."
"I'll be there." Harry said loudly.
Janeway turned. That was the voice she was having trouble remembering.
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"I have served Star Fleet for most of my
life, and expected to serve in it's ranks for many more years but now I'm not
sure if I can. I do not believe I can serve an organization whose own officers
fear it's actions against them. My son though he only had a field commission
severed his ship, risking his own life time and again to save that ship and her
crew. But he was so afraid of what the same Fleet he served would do to him
upon his return that he chose to take his own life rather than make that
return. I'm ashamed that any man much less one serving Star Fleet should fear
it's actions that much. Accusing these people now only proves my son was right
to be afraid."
Admiral Paris' word swayed the judge. But was
Harry's statement that probably got the former Maquis acquitted.
"I'm young, inexperienced, and probably
idealistic in most of your eyes." He began. "But I'm not. Not
anymore. You see one of the ideals I held was that Star Fleet was just and
fair. But now I know better. At first after Tom Paris killed himself I believed
he'd made a mistake. That Star Fleet would surely have pardon him, that he
would have been a hero if he'd come home alive. Now I see you would never have
pardoned a living Tom Paris. Had he come home alive he would sitting over
there." He pointed to where the Maquis sat. "Those men and women have
given the last five years of their lives serving Starfleet keeping a Starfleet
ship in one piece and running. And how are they repaid? A prison sentence. I'm
sorry to say it wasn't being trapped in the delta quadrant that shattered the
last of my ideals. It was Star Fleet."
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After the judgment Harry kept himself to the
side of the jubilant crowd. But then suddenly Chakotay was right there.
"That was a very moving speech Harry. Brilliant." He smiled.
"It was only the truth." The
younger man said softly.
"Thank You."
"Don't..." Harry shook his head.
"It was for Tom."
"That's what the Admiral said too."
Chakotay commented.
"It had to be, what else could we give
him?"
Chakotay just nodded. "I miss him you
know. The smart comments, the pranks."
"I know."
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When Harry got home that evening his mother
met him at the door. "Harry you'll never guess who's come to visit."
"I'm not really up to seeing any one
right now mom." He said wishing he could just go to his room and sedate
himself for a few days.
"Not even Libby?" His mother said
persuasively. "She's come all the way from Antel VI."
"God, not now." Harry groaned.
"She's been dying to see you
Harry." She said trying to draw him in to the living room.
"Not now mom." Harry snapped jerking
his arm away from her, and stalked up the stairs to his room. Slamming the door
behind him.
Mechanically he changed in to some
comfortable clothing and hung up his dress uniform. He was about to go
replicate something very alcoholic when he noticed the message light flashing
on his computer. Probably another old friend decided to contact the now famous
Harry Kim.
Opening the message he felt himself go
absolutely still as the read the message. Then he was on his feet and bolting
out of the room. The last lines of the message still burning in his mind.
'Trust me Harry. You always have before.'