Disclaimers, ratings and warnings are in Part 1.
THE BADLANDERS
PART ELEVEN
They were unaware that he had woken up. Nick Locarno lay motionless, listening with great interest to the conversation between the doctor, Tuvok, Chakotay and Captain Janeway. He turned his head to take a look at the swarthy Maquis leader with a tattoo on his left brow. He had seen that tattoo before, way back when he had been a green cadet learning flight maneuvers by one of the great captains of Starfleet. It was the same man who stood in sick bay now, barking orders at the others.
The man looked dangerous, every inch of his lean body sheathed closely in a combination of leather and a rough dark fabric which made Nick wonder at the true nature of their mission and how much Captain Janeway was really hiding from them.
For sure, she had to come in and take Chakotay, the Maquis rebel, prisoner and deliver him into the waiting arms of Owen McKenzie Paris. For sure, he knew Owen Paris was the king jackass Federation unholy man cloaking himself in the veneer that upper-class bearing offered. This immunity hid a multitude of sins and Owen Paris had made himself guilty of every sin in the universe.
In the penal colony he was brought up to date on the Federation brass's corruption, their power stretching to the outer reaches of the Alpha Quadrant. Power to entrap, to jail, to rob individuals of their identity, and, in Paris's case, overstep the filial boundaries that dictated how a father, a husband and a superior ought to behave.
There were stories floating about Starfleet and the Federation jails about O. M. Paris, the man who masterminded the jailing of one Chakotay who had finally managed to escape, but not before Paris did a real sick number on him. What it was, nobody knew, but after that Chakotay became a fugitive from the long arm of Federation law, the man who was once the finest starship captain Starfleet ever had.
With such an illustrious beginning, how did the man become what he became? Did he have a life? Rumours were rife that the Maquis rebel had a life, a real good life before he became bad. Now, Nick had tried to hide his shock at hearing of the atrocities that the crew of the Liberty indulged in, atrocities engaged in, aided and abetted by Captain Chakotay.
The doctor, Tuvok and Captain Janeway were unaware that he was listening to them. Awake, free of pain, free of the oozing blood from his acrid skin, scars that blotched his face and arms. He had passed out several times in the cargo bay from sheer unbearable pain. Now, he felt relief.
But what good was his relief when he heard that Captain Janeway had been violated - raped - into submission by the very man ordering them around in the medical bay? What good was his relief that the words "Harry Kim is alive" portended more - things dark and evil and atrocious - than just being alive? That it could mean what he suspected - the worst of the worst that could happen to a young man? A young man who was his friend? What good was his relief when he heard them say that Jenny Delaney had been raped and beaten so badly that she died?
What good was his relief?
Harry was his friend - the first friend he made after Captain Janeway bartered for his freedom from the New Zealand Penal Colony. Life had been no picnic in jail. Inmates were subjected to the same manner of deviant sexual practices he heard about in the Badlands and especially from this band of Badlanders - the crew of the evil maniac Chakotay of the Liberty. He had himself been subjected to such domination until he found the strength to fight back. And how did he fight back! Got the authorities finally to acknowledge that prisoners needed protection inside the prisons too. They had been deferential to him after he had beaten one of the kingpins to within an inch of his life. He had seen to it that most of the prisoners who had been turned into wives were better treated, and left alone.
That was life in a Federation jail.
To this day he still felt sick that his friend Josh died while his Nova squadron performed the banned the Kolvoord Starburst . To this day he still felt eaten by guilt, by remorse, by admitting that his own super charged belief that they could succeed with the maneuver led to one cadet's death.
Senior Starfleet Cadet First Class: Nicholas Locarno. Responsible for the death of Joshua Albert.
And that was the end of his career. More than a thousand times he wished that he never made that decision that led to his downfall. After being expelled from the Academy his life went on a downward spiral, until he landed in jail.
And then his reprieve. Captain Janeway thought he was still the best pilot the Federation had to take Voyager into the Badlands.
Yeah, he heard about Owen McKenzie Paris. He had heard about Thomas Eugene Paris, crack cadet and pilot who bailed out of the Academy after Owen Paris once again did a number on him. This Tom Paris who was on the Liberty and participating in abusing their prisoners.
Tom Paris was responsible for Jenny's death? Tom Paris whom every known Dick and Harry reminded him, bore an unusual resemblance to the Federation's other Bad Boy? The Badlands Bad Boy and the Federation Bad Boy.
Yeah. He was going to be bad. He had enough dirt on Paris to make him squirm. He was sorry for the things he did, for letting an innocent cadet die. He was sorry for being kicked out of the Academy. He was sorry for landing in jail where he fought tooth and nail to escape a life of servitude as another man's "wife".
He had no doubt what Harry had been subjected to. The horror of it was all too real. "Harry Kim is alive." It meant just that - he was still alive.
Nick turned to the figure on the other bed: Lieutenant-Commander Rollei. The man was still unconscious or sedated, more likely. If he summed up their doctor correctly, the man's immediate mission was to keep some of the survivors safe for as long as possible.
When the doors slid close after Chakotay left, the doctor's words hung heavily in the air.
"Tom Paris's DNA matches yours, Captain Janeway…"
The news didn't shock him. It was more like a few missing pieces of a puzzle fitting into place. Why hadn't anyone seen it? He heard O. M. Paris tried to shag Captain Janeway. Now that wouldn't have been strange. O. M. Paris was into incest.
Was it any wonder Wonder Boy Paris could hate anyone? But now was not the time to feel sorry for Paris, so he took the things he heard in sick bay and kept them close to his heart. It was time to take action, even if he had to die in the process. His life meant nothing to him, not in Federation space, the jail, or here on the Liberty where men like Paris thought nothing when they violated indiscriminately.
He drifted off again into slumber, wondering if the doctor had given him poison that delayed its reaction and kept him slumbering longer than was necessary. He had to admit, he thought drowsily, that he was damned tired. He closed his eyes finally and sank away into the oblivion of sleep.
**
He had no sense of time when he opened his eyes again, except that it felt as if he had woken from a very deep sleep. He turned his head, sighed with relief when he realised that the doctor and Tuvok were still in sick bay and Lieutenant-Commander Rollei was still lying on the other bed.
"Doctor…"
The doctor and Tuvok turned to face him. Tuvok had been studying the read-outs on one of the monitors. Krell moved quickly to his side. The Ketarchan appeared relieved to see him awake.
"Lieutenant Locarno, how are you feeling?"
"Better than most, Doc," he replied. "I should get up - "
"I would not advise that you leave sick bay."
He wouldn't have advised it either, had he been the doctor. But he wasn't. He was Nicholas Locarno, bad boy wanting to make good. Captain Janeway had been a little shocked when she saw him at the New Zealand Penal Colony. She didn't have to say anything. He had already been told about a thousand times how he resembled Tom Paris. Heaven forbid that they could have been spawned by the same man. Though, knowing O. M. Paris's penchant for other men's wives and girlfriends, not to mention his particular penchant for little boys, there could be an outside chance. He'd rather there not be any chance at all. Their resemblance was a fluke of nature. The connection between Tom Paris and Captain Janeway was not.
Nick looked past them where Captain Janeway had lain. She was no longer there and it shocked him a little. They didn't know that he had been awake when Captain Janeway had been treated for her severe trauma and that maniac Chakotay had done a good job of tattooing Janeway's entire body with his belt.
"Where is Captain Janeway?" he asked, his heart thumping wildly.
"Captain Janeway is with Captain Chakotay," Tuvok answered, moving away from the console he was studying.
"Chakotay came in two hours ago to take Captain Janeway with him. He made a promise that Captain Janeway would come to no harm," added Doctor Krell.
"Like bloody fucking - " He watched Tuvok's reaction. "Like bloody hell! Doctor, that man is going to kill her..."
"What?"
"I - I heard you earlier. Jenny is dead, I know. And Captain Janeway might as well be dead by now."
"Do not be concerned, Lieutenant Locarno. I have set up this console here to monitor Captain Janeway's life signs. While she remains in Chakotay's quarters, she will be safe."
"I'll take that with a pinch of salt, if you'll forgive me. Doc, I must get out here and find that Tom Paris."
"You heard."
"I just told you. Yes, Tom Paris who was the kingpin in the lynching."
"Your life will be in danger, Lieutenant Locarno," Tuvok told him. "This is a ship of death and dishonour. Stay here."
Nick sagged back on the bed. He watched as Tuvok moved around the medical bay, looking for something, clues, ways to manipulate the consoles, anything. They had to get off the Liberty and they had to get Captain Chakotay out of the Badlands.
He had to get Tom Paris.
Jenny was a kind young woman, a brilliant cartographer. She was one of the few who befriended him, no questions asked, and he had liked her, really liked her. Her sister Megan whom they knew was on the Liberty had already been whored, and no doubt Harry too as well as the rest of the survivors. He felt much stronger after his prolonged rest and recuperation and now he wanted to go out and find the bastard who had done Jenny Delaney in.
Nick waited until Tuvok's attention was on something at the opposite end of the medical bay before he made his move. He rose stealthily from the bed, wearing ironically a hospital issue Federation gown and pants and a pair of slippers he held in his hands and made his way to the doors. What lay beyond those doors he had no idea but he wasn't an ex-con for nothing. He figured no door could remain locked to him.
Once he stepped into the corridor, he heard the concerned exclamations of the doctor and Tuvok.
***
Nick moved furtively along the corridor and almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice behind him.
"Hey!"
And before the Maquis could hit his commbadge, Nick lunged forward, grabbed the man by his neck and with a swift twist of his arm had the man lying unconscious on the floor.
"I could have killed you..." he said to the unconscious Maquis. "Doubt whether you'll wake up anytime soon." He lifted the man under the armpits and thrust him through the door from where he had exited. Once inside the cabin, Nick dragged him to a small alcove.
Half an hour later he stood, dressed in the Maquis's clothes, with his commbadge pinned to his jacket.
"Now I am Linus Cochrane of the Liberty. Sounds good to me..." Nick kicked the unconscious Linus. "I should kill you…" he murmured as he picked up the phaser, balanced it on his palm first before hitching it to the belt. Nick stood around for a few moments, saw with no real surprise that the Maquis's console was still activated. "Stupid man," he whispered as he seated himself quickly. "Federation technology. How lucky can you get?"
Entering a few keys, he had the specs of the ship, making a mental note where the cabins of key Maquis personnel were located.
"Computer, locate Harry Kim."
"There is no Harry Kim on this vessel."
"Smart move."
"Please rephrase."
"Go to hell."
"Rephrase."
"Computer, locate Tom Paris."
"Tom Paris is on the bridge."
"I can live with that."
"Please rephr - "
Before the voice could continue, he shut down the computer.
Nick gave a sigh of relief as he rose from the chair. He adjusted the trousers belonging to the comatose Maquis and made his way to the corridor. How he managed to move about without being seen, he never knew. It may have been his Maquis dress, making him for once glad that he resembled Paris - but he counted himself very lucky when he reached the cabin assigned to Tom Paris. He took a deep breath and began decoding Tom's codes, the doors opening within seconds.
"Lucky me..." he murmured as he stepped inside.
The scene that greeted him made him want to rush to the bridge and eject Paris out an airlock.
Harry Kim was on the bunk, on all fours, his back arched inwards so that his butt jutted up. His knees were spread and Nick could see his balls and cock in the low illumination. Harry's hands were cuffed and a chain kept the ankles tied to the bed.
"Please, no more…" he heard Harry cry. The man looked wasted, Nick thought, and when he moved so that he could lift Harry's face, the ensign gave a cry of terror.
"Paris!"
"Harry, it's me, Nick. Hey, don't you recognise me?"
The poor ensign with his black eyes and raven hair that was matted to his scalp looked sceptical as he tried to move away from his reach.
"Come on, Harry. I know I look like that bastard, but I'm not him, okay?" he assured the young man, moving quickly to pick the lock of the cuffs. "Lucky bastard I knocked out, had this cute army knife. Now it's mine," he said by way of explanation.
When Harry's hands were free he gave Nick a grateful smile. Then he covered his face and gave a few hard sobs. By that time Nick had begun to untie his feet and when he finished he rifled through Tom's wardrobe for cothing.
"Looks like you're about Tom's height, Harry. Take a two minute sonic shower. You smell like hell. Then you get dressed in this. Hurry, we don't have much time."
Five minutes later Harry stood, like him, dressed in renegade Maquis wear.
"It's a bit late to ask, Nick," Harry started, wanting him to prove his identity. "How did we meet?"
"Harry, Harry, Harry, we met at Deep Space Nine where I saved you from Quark."
"Only you could know that, Locarno."
It warmed him to see Harry smile, though he was certain that Harry's experiences would always haunt him. He grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him towards the exit of Tom's quarters.
"Come, we need to hurry out of here - "
"And just where do you plan to...hurry to?" came the voice of Tom Paris.
Then Paris looked at him, his eyes popped in complete surprise.
"You!"
***********
END PART ELEVEN