RobertScorpio
Pariah
Star Trek; Shuffle the Deck
Balboa—Deep Space Nine—Federation; Earth
29
The Promenade on DS9 was usually a place of comfort for those who called the space station home, or who were just visiting on their way to some destination, somewhere else. With Warp Speed gone, it had become isolated, but it still had visitors, mainly just Bajorans now. The promenade was still the lifeblood of the merchants who made a living selling their goods, food items, or other services of value, on the Promenade.
Quark was not happy that everything had come to a stop on the Promenade. Most of his customers were now standing outside his bar, and were entranced with the event happening down the thoroughfare; a hostage situation!
He looked back at the bar, and at his lone customer.
“Morn, bless you,” Quark said to the very talkative customer, “Some crazy human Starfleet man grabs a Bajoran baby and threaten to kills it, and what happens? Everyone has to go and watch this fool and whether or not the baby can be saved.” Quark picked up a glass and started to polish it, “amazing. Obrien couldn’t have picked a better time to do Transporter maintenance work!” Quark said sarcastically.
--
Burton Ingles had seen his entire life turned upside down. He had served aboard the USS TITAN for nearly three months in the ship’s galley. He was a husband, and father of three, and suddenly found himself cut off from his family, who were all living back on Earth. Ingles was actually set to transfer to Earth the week after the Wave had passed through. And now, now it would possibly be eight years until he saw them again.
His children were of young ages. And now, if things went as predicted, they’d be teenagers before he saw them again. His wife would have to struggle on her own to raise them.
“It isn’t right!!! I miss my wife! I miss my children!!! If I can't hold my child, why should someone else get to hold their's!!!!” He yelled down to the crowd that had gathered in the lower area of the Promenade. He could see the Bajoran security team approaching the far stairway that led to the level he was on. “You take one step on those stairs,” he held the knife closer to the baby’s neck, “and I will kill this child!!”
A Bajoran woman, mother of the baby, could be heard crying somewhere below. She was comforted by Ezri Dax, who held the lady close.
“You’re baby will be fine,” Ezri told the lady. “Just try not to cry. Your baby will hear you and be upset, and that might startle this man.” Ezri pleaded. She then looked up, across the crowd, and up at the man who was holding the baby hostage. If only it could end peacefully, Ezri thought. But somehow, inside, she knew it wouldn’t.
--
Constable Javar stood in his office with Commander Tuvok and Colonel Kira.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Commander Tuvok?” Kira asked.
Tuvok nodded, “He is part of the Titan crew, Colonel. He works in the officer’s mess, and I believe I have come to know him.”
“Let my men take him out,” Javar said to Kira. “I have two snipers making their way through the air ducts. Give me two minutes.”
Kira looked to Javar, “We may not have two minutes.” Kira said to Javar.
“Sometimes,” Tuvok also said to Javar, “it isn’t necessary to use violence to prevent violence.”
“I hope you’re right, Commander,” Javar said.
Tuvok exited the Security office and made his way down the walkway, and then, into the crowd that had gathered, and were staring up at Burton Ingles, who was still holding the knife to the baby’s neck. The crowd parted for Tuvok as he made his way closer to where Ingles stood above them.
Javar, who was in constant contact with his men, listened in his ear piece as they told him their status. Javar spoke to both of them, “Very good, hold your positions. Do not fire with out my orders. Set your weapons to kill; even stunned, this man might stab the child, or drop him over the side; so stay sharp.”
Colonel Kira overheard Javar’s orders to his men. She had nothing to add; he was doing exactly what she would have done had she been in his position. The life of the child’s was more important than the man’s.
The gathered crowd looked to Tuvok. Could this Vulcan, a man from a race that suppressed their emotions, ‘get’ into the heart and mind of an ordinary human?
“You know me,” Tuvok said as he looked up to Burton on the second level, “I believe it would not be mistaken to say that we are friends, Petty Officer Ingles.”
Burton Ingles nodded his head, “Yes sir,” Ingles said, “I would call you a friend.” Ingles’ voice quivered with fear and depression.
Tuvok put his foot on the first step of the circular stairway that led to the second level. “You and I have shared several conversations about being posted far from our loved ones.” Tuvok said to Ingles. Tuvok took another step up the stairway, keeping his eyes locked with the unstable man’s eyes.
“How can I go on with out them?” Ingles pleaded with Tuvok. Ingles began to cry. “I won’t be able to hold my daughter, or help guide my sons into the careers they wish to have.”
“I know how you,” Tuvok paused, “feel. When I was lost in the Delta-Quadrant for all those years, I too was separated from my wife and child. But at least I knew they were there, and they were alive and well.”
Ingles began to sob, his hand shaking as he held on to the knife that was on the baby’s neck. Tuvok took a few more steps up the stairway.
“Stop, please!” Ingles warned Tuvok, “don’t come any closer.” Ingles ran his shirt across his face, wiping his tears. Tuvok took a few more steps.
“Listen to me.” Tuvok said to the man, “I knew my family was safe, just as you know your family will be safe on Earth until you can be with them. But there is a woman on this station, right here, right now, who believes her child may die at any second; you’re holding that child right now, Mr. Ingles.” Tuvok said as he finally was on the second level. “Do not take that child’s life,” Tuvok said flatly, “let us help you.”
Suddenly Ingles screamed. In one motion he turned to face Tuvok, and then dropped the baby. Ingles lurched the knife high in the air, and was in the motion to throw it at Tuvok, when from out of nowhere, the tight beam of a phaser struck Ingles. He dropped to the ground, inches from the baby he had dropped, and then Ingles died. Tuvok rushed over and grabbed the baby off the floor. Tuvok held the baby close, not wanting the baby to look into the face of death, and then Tuvok looked down into the dead eyes of Burton Ingles. Some of the excited crowd rushed up the stairway to assist Tuvok.
--
One half hour later, Quark’s was opened. Little by little customers were returning, and were ordering lots of drinks and food, and betting heavily at the Dabo table. Quark walked over to Morn.
“Do you have any violent urges?” Quark asked Morn. “If you do, I think I know a way we could both turn a good profit.”
At that moment a Dabo player broke out in a cheer.
--
Tuvok was back in Javar’s office. Javar sat behind his desk, Tuvok was still standing, with Colonel Kira at his side.
“You did not need to kill him,” Tuvok said to Javar. “He would not have thrown that knife.”
“You don’t know that,” Javar said, “You see, Commander, sometimes violence is needed to prevent violence. If it were just your life up there? Yeah, I may have told my men not to fire. But once he pulled the baby back from over the ledge, and when you made Ingles look at you, it gave my man the perfect shot and I told him to take it.”
“Well,” Kira said, trying to defuse the situation. “There isn’t anything else to be done here. I’m sure we all have duties to perform.”
Tuvok turned to leave, but then looked back to Javar. “I find your actions in this matter to have been inappropriate, Constable. The taking of life should not be so caviler.”
Javar thought back to that night, the night he had killed a baby to save the lives of others. “I will try to remember that, Commander.”
Tuvok exited the office, leaving Kira and Javar alone.
“Don’t worry, Constable,” Kira said to Javar, “I would have handled it the exact same way. And I will reflect that in my report on this matter.”
Kira exited the Security Office, and headed for Ops.
In his solitude, Javar thought back on the event that had just happened. Could he have found a more peaceful way to handle Ingles? Did it have to come down to death? Was Javar’s main purpose in this universe to use death in order to save life?
--continued
Star Trek; Shuffle the Deck
Federation; Earth
Balboa—Deep Space Nine—Federation; Earth
29
The Promenade on DS9 was usually a place of comfort for those who called the space station home, or who were just visiting on their way to some destination, somewhere else. With Warp Speed gone, it had become isolated, but it still had visitors, mainly just Bajorans now. The promenade was still the lifeblood of the merchants who made a living selling their goods, food items, or other services of value, on the Promenade.
Quark was not happy that everything had come to a stop on the Promenade. Most of his customers were now standing outside his bar, and were entranced with the event happening down the thoroughfare; a hostage situation!
He looked back at the bar, and at his lone customer.
“Morn, bless you,” Quark said to the very talkative customer, “Some crazy human Starfleet man grabs a Bajoran baby and threaten to kills it, and what happens? Everyone has to go and watch this fool and whether or not the baby can be saved.” Quark picked up a glass and started to polish it, “amazing. Obrien couldn’t have picked a better time to do Transporter maintenance work!” Quark said sarcastically.
--
Burton Ingles had seen his entire life turned upside down. He had served aboard the USS TITAN for nearly three months in the ship’s galley. He was a husband, and father of three, and suddenly found himself cut off from his family, who were all living back on Earth. Ingles was actually set to transfer to Earth the week after the Wave had passed through. And now, now it would possibly be eight years until he saw them again.
His children were of young ages. And now, if things went as predicted, they’d be teenagers before he saw them again. His wife would have to struggle on her own to raise them.
“It isn’t right!!! I miss my wife! I miss my children!!! If I can't hold my child, why should someone else get to hold their's!!!!” He yelled down to the crowd that had gathered in the lower area of the Promenade. He could see the Bajoran security team approaching the far stairway that led to the level he was on. “You take one step on those stairs,” he held the knife closer to the baby’s neck, “and I will kill this child!!”
A Bajoran woman, mother of the baby, could be heard crying somewhere below. She was comforted by Ezri Dax, who held the lady close.
“You’re baby will be fine,” Ezri told the lady. “Just try not to cry. Your baby will hear you and be upset, and that might startle this man.” Ezri pleaded. She then looked up, across the crowd, and up at the man who was holding the baby hostage. If only it could end peacefully, Ezri thought. But somehow, inside, she knew it wouldn’t.
--
Constable Javar stood in his office with Commander Tuvok and Colonel Kira.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Commander Tuvok?” Kira asked.
Tuvok nodded, “He is part of the Titan crew, Colonel. He works in the officer’s mess, and I believe I have come to know him.”
“Let my men take him out,” Javar said to Kira. “I have two snipers making their way through the air ducts. Give me two minutes.”
Kira looked to Javar, “We may not have two minutes.” Kira said to Javar.
“Sometimes,” Tuvok also said to Javar, “it isn’t necessary to use violence to prevent violence.”
“I hope you’re right, Commander,” Javar said.
Tuvok exited the Security office and made his way down the walkway, and then, into the crowd that had gathered, and were staring up at Burton Ingles, who was still holding the knife to the baby’s neck. The crowd parted for Tuvok as he made his way closer to where Ingles stood above them.
Javar, who was in constant contact with his men, listened in his ear piece as they told him their status. Javar spoke to both of them, “Very good, hold your positions. Do not fire with out my orders. Set your weapons to kill; even stunned, this man might stab the child, or drop him over the side; so stay sharp.”
Colonel Kira overheard Javar’s orders to his men. She had nothing to add; he was doing exactly what she would have done had she been in his position. The life of the child’s was more important than the man’s.
The gathered crowd looked to Tuvok. Could this Vulcan, a man from a race that suppressed their emotions, ‘get’ into the heart and mind of an ordinary human?
“You know me,” Tuvok said as he looked up to Burton on the second level, “I believe it would not be mistaken to say that we are friends, Petty Officer Ingles.”
Burton Ingles nodded his head, “Yes sir,” Ingles said, “I would call you a friend.” Ingles’ voice quivered with fear and depression.
Tuvok put his foot on the first step of the circular stairway that led to the second level. “You and I have shared several conversations about being posted far from our loved ones.” Tuvok said to Ingles. Tuvok took another step up the stairway, keeping his eyes locked with the unstable man’s eyes.
“How can I go on with out them?” Ingles pleaded with Tuvok. Ingles began to cry. “I won’t be able to hold my daughter, or help guide my sons into the careers they wish to have.”
“I know how you,” Tuvok paused, “feel. When I was lost in the Delta-Quadrant for all those years, I too was separated from my wife and child. But at least I knew they were there, and they were alive and well.”
Ingles began to sob, his hand shaking as he held on to the knife that was on the baby’s neck. Tuvok took a few more steps up the stairway.
“Stop, please!” Ingles warned Tuvok, “don’t come any closer.” Ingles ran his shirt across his face, wiping his tears. Tuvok took a few more steps.
“Listen to me.” Tuvok said to the man, “I knew my family was safe, just as you know your family will be safe on Earth until you can be with them. But there is a woman on this station, right here, right now, who believes her child may die at any second; you’re holding that child right now, Mr. Ingles.” Tuvok said as he finally was on the second level. “Do not take that child’s life,” Tuvok said flatly, “let us help you.”
Suddenly Ingles screamed. In one motion he turned to face Tuvok, and then dropped the baby. Ingles lurched the knife high in the air, and was in the motion to throw it at Tuvok, when from out of nowhere, the tight beam of a phaser struck Ingles. He dropped to the ground, inches from the baby he had dropped, and then Ingles died. Tuvok rushed over and grabbed the baby off the floor. Tuvok held the baby close, not wanting the baby to look into the face of death, and then Tuvok looked down into the dead eyes of Burton Ingles. Some of the excited crowd rushed up the stairway to assist Tuvok.
--
One half hour later, Quark’s was opened. Little by little customers were returning, and were ordering lots of drinks and food, and betting heavily at the Dabo table. Quark walked over to Morn.
“Do you have any violent urges?” Quark asked Morn. “If you do, I think I know a way we could both turn a good profit.”
At that moment a Dabo player broke out in a cheer.
--
Tuvok was back in Javar’s office. Javar sat behind his desk, Tuvok was still standing, with Colonel Kira at his side.
“You did not need to kill him,” Tuvok said to Javar. “He would not have thrown that knife.”
“You don’t know that,” Javar said, “You see, Commander, sometimes violence is needed to prevent violence. If it were just your life up there? Yeah, I may have told my men not to fire. But once he pulled the baby back from over the ledge, and when you made Ingles look at you, it gave my man the perfect shot and I told him to take it.”
“Well,” Kira said, trying to defuse the situation. “There isn’t anything else to be done here. I’m sure we all have duties to perform.”
Tuvok turned to leave, but then looked back to Javar. “I find your actions in this matter to have been inappropriate, Constable. The taking of life should not be so caviler.”
Javar thought back to that night, the night he had killed a baby to save the lives of others. “I will try to remember that, Commander.”
Tuvok exited the office, leaving Kira and Javar alone.
“Don’t worry, Constable,” Kira said to Javar, “I would have handled it the exact same way. And I will reflect that in my report on this matter.”
Kira exited the Security Office, and headed for Ops.
In his solitude, Javar thought back on the event that had just happened. Could he have found a more peaceful way to handle Ingles? Did it have to come down to death? Was Javar’s main purpose in this universe to use death in order to save life?
--continued
Star Trek; Shuffle the Deck
Federation; Earth
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