Chapter 10 added on 25 Feb 2001
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: R
"Janeway to the bridge...Chakotay report, what was that explosion?" Janeway asked curiously looking at the crumpled form of their female prisoner who seemed to be crying.
"The A'Scine seemed to have just blown up that other vessel, just after we removed our own crew from there," Chakotay's disembodied voice answered.
"They did what?"
"They hit the other ship with everything they had," Chakotay answered.
"I'll be on the bridge in a minute, in the mean time try to find out why they blew up that other vessel, Janeway out."
Kathryn shook her head and looked at the female prisoner that was still lying on the ground. She wasn't sure, but Janeway thought the captive was actually sobbing quietly. "Hey..uhm I still don't know you name. What's going on," Janeway demanded to know.
"We be Tai Bo'Jan, we be sad," the female answered, her voice quivering slightly.
"Sad about what..Tai Bo'Jan," Janeway spoke, "how did you know what was going to happen?"
"We be linked together, we be sometimes feeling stronger emotions amongst other. We be feeling shame, deep shame. We be knowing they trying to remove shame by blowing up homevessel. We be sad about others, family friends that be not getting a honorable burial. We be sad because we be knowing we be not getting a honorable death or honorable burial ourselves," Tai finished, and then dropped her own black armor, revealing a beautiful rainbow-colored skin underneath, which left Janeway staring for a moment. "We be not fearing Captain anymore, we be knowing Captain might be our own hope for a honorable death."
"I.." Janeway glanced at the almost white skin of Tai Bo'Jan, which was covered with all the colors of the rainbow. Every now and then the colors changed, making it seem as if the A'Scine were walking disco-lights. Kathryn frowned at the absurd word, but it seemed to be the only description fitting the skin of the A'Scine. She wondered where she got it though. "What exactly do you mean by honorable death and deep shame Tai? I believe Sadi D'Ena said that the Windigo was cause for shame amongst your people?"
"Shame be big factor amongst our people. The ones who have made themselves be ashamed, bring shame upon their family as well. Windigo be only targetting the lowest people in A'Scine society, but because of shame, they be not getting a honorable death. Honorable death be what every A'Scine wants, it be a great honor for the one who dies, it be great honor for family," Tai explained. "Tai be a disgrace to my family, we be wanting to get a honorable death though, because then family will not be as disgraced. We be knowing D'Ena clan not giving Tai a honorable death, they be wanting to remove any shame by not giving infected A'Scine's a honorable death. Even if they deserve one.
"I see," Janeway said, finally understanding what was going on, "but what exactly is a honorable death?"
"Honorable death be many," Tai said, wiping her tears away. "Honorable death be dying in arms of one you love. Honorable death be dying protecting somebody. Honorable death be killed by somebody who be greater then you."
"Computer lower forcefield," Janeway said no longer feeling threatened by any means by the A'Scine female. "What will they do to you if your transported back to their ship?"
"They be killing me, but not honorably. They be not bringing Tai's body back home to have honorable burial," Tai said, sticking her hand out to test if the forcefield was really gone. "Captain be a great person amongst lightship crew yes? Maybe Captain be able to give Tai a honorable death."
"No," Janeway looked positively shaken. "There's no reason for you to die, we cured you of the Windigo. So you should no longer be ashamed right?"
Tai shook her head slightly, her ravenblack hair moving with the motion, a sad looking appeared in her liquid blue eyes. "D'Ena clan be knowing Tai was infected with Windigo. D'Ena clan be able to prove Tai was dishonorable. We be not looked at back on homeworld, we be not able to live like that."
"So you can't go back to there?"
"We be wanting to see family and friends again," Tai said looking at her hands nervously. "We be knowing that be a foolish though, Tai never be able to go back, not if not have died a honorable death."
"Then maybe you should stay on Voyager," Janeway mused.
"We be not happy with that, but we be seeing that might be only option to get honorable death. We be wanting Captain of lightvessel Voyager to reconsider giving Tai a honorable death. We be also knowing that D'Ena clan might not give up Tai this easily, they be wanting to purify any shame out of A'Scine."
"I think some of my crew might be able to find a way to get you to stay on this ship for the time being. In the mean time I think I should introduce you to that same crew. If you know anything about technologies, you might be able to even help our engineers with the repairs to keep you busy?"
"We be knowing we be owing Voyager crew life. Else we be died dishonorable death with others on homevessel. We be grateful, therefor we be wanting to help repair lightvessel called Voyager," Tai said scrunching up her face a bit. "We be knowing great deal of technology, we be wanting to become part of higher engineering crew on Lati Cetai, that be planet of higher A'Scine beings. We be sad we be never arriving there."
"I am sure you will be a great addition to this crew. You should be knowing we're actually a race that orgins in the Alpha Quadrant, we got here by accident, and were trying to get home. So were all unfamiliar around here, just like you I suppose," Kathryn said.
"We be respecting Captain of Voyager. We be knowing must be hard for her to have a disgrace on her lightvessel. We be a hard worker, we be wanting to prove ourselves. We be wanting a honorable death as compensation in the end however," Tai Bo'Jan explained.
"You are not a disgrace to us. Shame is not a big part of our lives on Voyager, Tai. We don't hold you responsible for anything that happened so far, because you were infected with the Windigo. It's a virus that makes you behave in a most primitive way, so I don't understand how you are to blame," Janeway said some anger bubbling to the surface, because she couldn't even begin to understand how people were to blame for something that was out of their hands.
"But I would like to show you around the ship now, have you help our engineers with the ship, because there was a lot of damage. I will talk to our Senior Staff about what to do about the D'Ena clan."
"We be thankful to Captain. We be knowing we be still burden, but we be understanding uncoloured people aboard the lightvessel. We be wanting to repair damage D'Ena ship has done. We be do understanding if Captain not be able to keep Tai safe."
Janeway was still slightly humored by the way the A'Scine spoke, or the way the Voyager's computer translated the way they spoke. She was impressed with the female A'Scine sitting on the bench in the brig. Because she was having such convidence in a crew of a ship that she barely knew. Then again, Janeway knew she didn't have a choice really. It still angered her to know the A'Scine had just blown up that other vessel, while Janeway was sure there had been at least one of their race alive on that ship. She demanded to hear why they had done it, and at the same time she knew she had no right to demand it.
"To hell with that," she grumbled out loud, and then motioned for Tai to follow her. 'First things first, Kathy.'
Four hours went by fast, and before Janeway knew it they were being hailed by the D'Ena clan's ship. "We demand you be now transferring the female disgrace that be known as Tai Bo'Jan over to our ship, so we can take care of her."
Janeway raised her eyes to the big viewscreen, Tai standing next to her, slightly afraid but not trying to show it. "And have you kill her? I don't think so."
End of Chapter 10
To be continued....