The Other Torres | A Star Trek Fanfiction *Book 1*

Ex Post Facto-Chapter 24

[Ready room]

"Come in." said Janeway when her doorbell rang. "You sent for me, Captain." said Neelix. "Lieutenant Paris has gotten himself into trouble. I'm taking the ship into orbit while we try to sort things out." said Janeway. "Be prepared to be intercepted by Numiri patrols. They always try to intimidate travellers to the Banean planet." said Neelix. "The stakes are too high to send a shuttlecraft this time. I want to show our flag to make it clear we mean business." said Janeway. "I understand." said Neelix. "Based on your experience, what can we expect the Numiri to do to intimidate us?" asked Janeway. "To be honest, whenever I saw the Numiri coming, I always left before the intimidation began. (laughs) However, I know from knowledgeable sources that they have directed energy weapons comparable to your own. Our own, that is. Plus regenerative shields that may even give them a certain advantage over us in a firefight." said Neelix.  "Tell me about them as a people. Are they aggressive, technical, intellectual, emotional? Anything that might help me deal with them." said Janeway. "The Numiri and the Banea are quite different from one another, even though they once coexisted on the same planet. That's why I recommended the Banea to you in the first place. The Numiri have a remarkably covert society." said Neelix. "Captain to the Bridge." said Chakotay. "On my way." said Janeway.

[Bridge]

"We're scanning a Numiri vessel approaching. They're at combat readiness, Captain." said Chakotay. She glanced at Amanda who was sitting in her chair, emotionless but inside their was a battle being waged between showing her emotion or to keep quiet, Janeway walked over to her and grabbed her shoulder, the younger woman glanced at her, Janeway noticed the tears in her eyes. "Shields up. On screen. Mister Neelix." said Janeway. "A standard patrol vessel. Curious." said Neelix confused. "Why?" asked Janeway. "I would've expected them to send out more than one tiny patrol to meet a ship like this." said Neelix. "Let's hope it's a positive sign. Hail them." said Amanda standing up, any trace of emotion gone like someone flicked a switch. "They're responding." said Tuvok. "Open a channel. I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager." said Janeway. The Numiri are reptilian, while the Banea just have some feathers growing amongst their hair. Amanda looks bored, she wants to see Tom, she wants to hang out with him and Harry on the holodeck in the Panorama Mountain Resort. "What is your business in this system?" asked the Numiri Captain. "One of my crewmen is being held on the Banean planet. We're on our way to investigate." Amanda snapped. "Consider this official notice that you are entering a war zone. You do so at your own risk." said the Captain. "Understood." said Janeway. "Any attempt to provide aid or supplies to the Banea will be considered an act of war against the Numiri." the Captain warned. "You have our word that we intend to remain neutral in your conflict. Our only interest is in our own crewman." said Amanda. "Proceed. Your activities will be monitored." said the Captain. Transmission ends. "Very, very curious. In Numiri terms, that greeting was downright friendly." said Neelix. "Have all security stations remain at full alert. Continue long range scans for Numiri patrols around the clock." said Janeway, she looked at Amanda and decided that she would beam down with Tuvok and herself. "Aye, Captain." said Tuvok. "Take us into orbit." said Janeway.

[Minister Kray's office]

Kray enters. "Captain. It's unfortunate we must meet under these circumstances." he said. "My chief of security, Lieutenant Tuvok. And my Second Officer, Amanda Torres, a close friend of Mister Paris'." said Janeway. Kray looked at Amanda who was scowling at him, the woman scared him but he wouldn't let that show. "Please." he said. They sit around his desk. "Exactly what are these circumstances, Minister? All we know is that a member of our crew has been accused of murder." said Janeway. "Oh, I'm afraid he's been more than just accused. He's been convicted and punished according to our law." said Kray, almost regretfully as if he knows deep inside that Tom didn't murder Ren. "What form of punishment?" snapped Amanda. "The perpetrator of a murder is forced to relive the crime through his victim's eyes." said Kray, Amanda went pale. "Are you serious?" she asked, she knew that if they managed to convince these people Tom was innocent, removing the memory engrams could be tricky. "How is this achieved?" asked Tuvok. "I can have our Chief Medical officer describe the procedure in detail if you wish. We have the capability of isolating memory engrams in the brain. We take them from the final moments of life. After they're used in the trial, they're transplanted into the perpetrator's brain." said Kray. "These memories are used in the trial as evidence?" asked Amanda. "An artificial life form serves as host to the engrams and testifies to their content. In this case, the victim's last memories clearly show Mister Paris caught in an embarrassing episode with Mrs Ren. An argument ensues. Paris is then seen by the victim's own eyes, killing him. The evidence of his guilt is incontrovertible." said Kray. "How do you know they weren't tampered with?" asked Amanda. "A valid question, Commander, our Chief Medical Officer was the only person who went near Mister Ren after his death" said Kray, Amanda frowned not accepting how easily they believed that the memories weren't altered but she went along with it..,for now