Six Deadly Words, #24 "No, not him/her/them. Kill me instead." Include Owen Paris somehow.
It was less than a week until Owen Paris’ sixty-sixth birthday. Earlier that day, he’d been looking forward to returning home soon and celebrating with his family.
Just four more days and he’d be home.
He knew Julia had been planning something for weeks. Usually Owen didn’t like doing something so big and extravagant, but it had been an exciting year. Their son had returned home against impossible odds. He had a new baby granddaughter. And he and Tom were slowly (very slowly), but surely, repairing their relationship.
The whole family was scheduled to be there. Kathleen and her wife were traveling back to Earth with the kids. Moira and her partner would be there. Tom and B’Elanna and little baby Miral would be there. Julia’s parents. All of her cousins, aunts and uncles. Some people Julia worked with at Berkeley. An assortment of his Starfleet friends and co-workers. Even some of Tom’s friends from Voyager.
So despite his usual reticence towards big parties, he’d been excited. He was happy with his life.
Then it had happened.
Owen struggled again against his restraints, but to no avail. All he succeeded in doing was rubbing his wrists raw. He forced himself to stop; to project a calm that he didn’t feel. Looking around, he saw the scared and tired faces of his crew.
Tristan was so young, barely out of the Academy.
Sophie was transferring to McKinley Station next month.
Terence had a baby waiting for him at home.
Owen took a deep breath. They had to find a way back to the ship.
The arrival of the rebel guards was heralded with the sound of heavy boots, boozy laughter, and the clash of metal on metal. When they arrived in front of the small cell Owen and the others had been placed in, the one in front banged on the bars with a large disrupter. The others jumped. Owen’s cheek twitched.
“What do you want with us?”
The rebel in front sneered and tilted his head at Owen. “We’re going to send a message.”
“What kind of message?”
The rebel leaned in closer and smiled cruelly. “The kind that can’t be ignored.”
Owen knew in that moment that they were going to be killed. Not rebels, then. Terrorists.
“Don’t kill them,” he said calmly, nodding his head towards the others. “Take me.”
The three guards looked between each other, then the one in front stepped forward. “You think you got anything to negotiate with, buddy?” He raised his eyebrows theatrically in question.
“Look,” Owen insisted, “this way you get what you want, but you also get to look reasonable. Let them go. Take me. A Starfleet Admiral will make a much bigger splash than anything else.”
The guard in the front smiled slowly and the one on the left punched him on the arm.
Owen tried not to blink or swallow.
Then the guard in front nodded behind him and he barked a few phrases in an alien language Owen didn’t understand. There was a fair amount of back and forth, and Owen and the others waited anxiously for the outcome.
Sophie leaned in as the rebels were talking. “Admiral, don’t do this!” she hissed. “You don’t have to do this.”
Owen shushed her with a look. “We don’t have a lot of options right now, Lieutenant. Either we all die, or less of us die. And I will do what is necessary to make sure that happens.”
“We don’t know that,” she insisted, and he could hear the fear in her voice, “we don’t know what their plans are.”
Owen shook his head sadly. “We know enough.”
Then the others began to dematerialize.
When they were gone, Owen resolutely turned to face his captors.
The Voyager fandom seems to be getting a welcome resurgence lately so I just wanted to say THANK YOU to the new and new-ish authors who’ve appeared on the scene lately. Everybody go check out their stuff!
@devoverest has slammed it out of the gate with a fantastically introspective, beautifully crafted and often bluntly honest look at Samantha Wildman’s journey over the years. Travelling Woman explores Sam’s inner life, and it isn’t always pretty.
@thesearchforbluejello is another one who’s just posted her very first fic, and it’s a blinder! A Dream of Home turns the episode ‘Endgame’ on its head with a masterful grasp of plot, pacing and understated writing style. Please continue the story soon because my heart can’t take the cliffhanger.
@ariella884 recently mentioned that she was thinking of quitting fic writing, to which I say WHY and also DON’T and PLEASE. Go check out her gorgeous, lyrical J/C pieces here.
@killermanatee is another new arrival whose work I’m thoroughly enjoying. So far all her works have been set in the post-Endgame bookverse which I LOVE and hope continues because there’s so much left unspoken in the Beyer novels and it’s rich ground for fanfic mining.
@angrywarrior69 writes some very tasty smut and should be strongly encouraged to continue because I approve of the smut and I also very much enjoy the skillful way she builds up the tension. Keep it ‘up’, okay?
This has been a public service announcement. Now click the links, read the fics, and leave the reviews. Off you go.
Fanfiction Writer Asks: Any or all of -- 2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one? 7) When is your preferred time to write? 28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?
2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?
I have written for a lot of things. Star Trek (mostly Voyager and the Next Generation), Once Upon a Time, Agents of SHIELD, Star Wars. I wander back and forth, depening on what strikes my interest. I think Star Trek might be my favorite because that’s the one I can always come back too. I love Trek, the canon’s really interesting for me, and it’s a good universe, so...that’s probably my home fandom. (and Discovery is really cute)
7) When is your preferred time to write?
I would LOVE to have free time.Usually writing time is stolen from when I should be sleeping or doing something else and I feel like I keep whining about this, but I am literally SO TIRED ALL THE TIME right now that it’s SO hard. (responding to this was hard, but I’m doing it! that’s great!!)
28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?
Don’t tag the negative stuff personally? It’ll happen. You’ll get negative reviews, sometimes they’ll make sense, sometimes they’ll just be angry. Yu’ll get so much more love though...so it’s totally worth it.
Fanfiction writer asks -- Any or all of: 12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why? 21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire? 40) Do people know you write fanfiction? 47) Here’s a fic title - "The Lies We Tell Ourselves." What would this story be about?
12. Who is your favorite character to write for?
Answered here.
21. Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?
Oh gosh, I don’t know! So many people for so many reasons! Frankly, everyone who writes is amazing. We are all creating something and then sharing it with the world and it’s terrifying and amazing, and anyone who can do that is wonderful and beautiful and strong and I love you.
Sorry, I might be a little tipsy...
40. Do people know you write fanfiction?
Yep. I’ve told my parents, a number of my friends, even people I work with. But I don’t give out my pseudonym. They can know, but that doesn’t mean I want them to be able to find it.
47. Here’s a fic title - “The Lies We Tell Ourselves.” What would this story be about?
Ooo, sounds interesting. Hmm. I feel like it’s either about Owen Paris or Chrisjen Avasarala. I can’t decide which. They are both people under a lot of pressure, of whom a lot is demanded, and they could end up in a situation where they are in denial and lying to themselves about something they are putting off dealing with. And in both cases, it probably somehow has to do with their sons…
devoverest replied to your post: The Art of Atonement
Oh goodness, my heart is in my throat reading this. Thank you! Keep writing, please!
Eee! Thank you! I definitely will. This one will be a long one for me so it will take a little while, but I’m SUPER excited to get this story out there.
