I assume a few things in this story and took the liberty of creating my own character that will become an addition to the cast.

Disclaimer: They all belong to Paramount except for mine, Casey Reid. She is all mine!! Mine I Say!! Rated PG

This story takes place in the 5th year of their voyage. It is the second chapter of this Saga.

Like Son, Like Daughter Saga - Chapter 1

Synopsis: After discovering the identity of the survivor of the shuttle crash, Tom is thrown into an emotional whirlwind. But the reunion is cut short when an alien race decides to use Voyager and its crew as pawns in a terrifying game of deceit and greed.

Like Son, Like Daughter Saga

Chapter 2

By Dani L. (daniellelaprise@sprint.ca)

Tom walked into sickbay and approached the Captain and the Doctor standing by the computer terminal, but his attention was immediately drawn to the display on the screen. He stopped dead in his tracks, recognizing the picture of the young woman. The Doctor and Janeway were automatically aware that he knew this person. He slowly approached them, pointing at the picture.

"What….? was all he managed to say.

"You know her?," stated the Captain. Tom slowly nodded. Quickly putting two and two together, he quickly looked over at the patient laying on the biobed and made his way over to it, ignoring the others. When he saw the patient, he put his hand over his mouth in shock.

"Oh, my god," he whispered. He slowly put his hand out and touched the cheek of the young woman, as if to make sure that she was real.

"Casey," he said with a low voice. Janeway and the Doctor made their way beside him. She put her hand on Tom’s shoulder.

"Who is she Tom?" she asked with a concerned voice. Tom looked at her with a shocked look. He glanced back at the young woman and placed his hand on her cheek again, stoking it slowly.

"She’s my sister," said Tom, not looking away from her.

"Your sister?" exclaimed the Captain, looking at the Doctor. "But I thought that you only had 2 older sisters." Tom didn’t answer right away, he was still under the shock.

"Mom and Dad are her godparents and became her legal guardians when she was a kid after her parents died. But I’ve known her all her life. Our parents were friends and we would spend summers with them in Australia and after she moved in with us, we got even closer. She was always like a kid sister to me, so we kinda made it official." He paused for a moment, still stoking her cheek. "She’s my kid sister," he added with determination and with a faint smile of pride. He slowly turned to the Captain.

"Why did you call me here if you didn’t know who she was?"

"She was conscious for a few minutes. She told us her name and that she wanted us to contact your father and tell him that she was OK and not for him to worry. I thought that it was odd, so we pulled up her file and found a special clause regarding who to notify in case of injury or death…"

"To contact directly my father or mother," Tom said, finishing the Captain’s sentence. He turned back and gazed down at the young woman again.

"Dad had that clause put into both our files. He didn’t want to have to learn from second hand if something ever happened to us." He paused for a few moments.

"I still can’t believe that she’s here. Did she manage to say what happened?"

"She mentioned that she was being fired at and then there was a flash of light. That’s all she said. We’ll probably be able to get more information when she becomes more coherent. But one thing is for sure, however she got her, she’s very lucky that we found her. Actually," added Janeway, pondering, "it’s almost as if she was put in our path."

"Captain?" said the Doctor, trying to figure out what exactly she meant.

"Think about it! The Delta Quadrant is enormous, but she landed on a planet in our path. The chances of that are incalculable."

"Unless someone or something intentionally put her there," added Paris. Janeway nodded her agreement with that last comment.

"But why?" asked the Doctor.

"I don’t know. At this point in time, it’s only a possibility. She’s the only one with the answers, and she might not have them all," Janeway said, looking down at the Lieutenant on the biobed. She sighed heavily. "Doctor, notify me right away when she wakes up. I’ll be on the bridge," she added, making her way to the doors.

"Captain, if you don’t mind, I would like to stay here a little bit," asked Paris, looking back at the patient. Janeway gave him a smile.

"Of course Tom. I will notify you if the pulses increase. We will need you at the helm if they do."

"Thank you Captain," he simply said, heading back to the biobed. Janeway gave the Doctor a not and exited sickbay.

Tom still couldn’t believe that she was really there. He stood next to her again, gazing. It had been almost 5 years since he had seen her last. She had visited him at the New Zealand Penal Colony a few weeks before Captain Janeway rescued him from that hellhole. She had defied the Admiral by going to see him. Ever since his stunt with the Maquis, his father had forbid her from having any contact with him. That he would now have to pay for his mistakes by having no contact with his family. Tom had become an embarrassment to the Paris family and the Admiral didn’t want Tom’s exploits to tarnish the names of the other members. But that hadn’t stopped Casey. She had been part of the Paris family since the age of 9, was treated like any other member of the family and was expected to act in such manner. But she had nonetheless defied the Admiral. Tom remembered the day she had shown up the Colony; the last time he had seen here. He was told that he had a visitor, which that alone shocked him. The thought that went through his mind was "Ok, what did I do now?’ When he arrived at the commune visiting area, his shock was even greater. There, sitting at the table was Casey.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered with anger and surprise, sitting at the table opposite her, looking around nervously. Casey simply smiled back at him.

"Well, it’s nice to see you to. Don’t I even get a hug?" she said, still smiling at him and putting her arms out. Tom slowly relaxed and got up and made his way around the table. She rose and took him in her arms. They stood there for a few seconds, not moving, just taking advantage of every passing moment. They slowly let each other go and Tom put his hands on each side of her face and kissed her on the forehead.

"I’m ready to bet you’re not here because the old man sent you," he said with a grin. He made his way back to his chair.

"To bad you didn’t put any credit on that bet, you would have won," she said, still smiling.

"You are really asking for it now. Do you know what he’ll do when he does find out?"

"Tom, will you stop worrying about that. Whether he does or not, it’s my problem. I will handle it." Tom couldn’t believe her. He was sure about 2 things regarding this young woman; one, that he loved her dearly and second that he was jealous of her, jealous of the relationship she has with the Admiral. After the death of her parents, the Admiral decided to take the young girl under his wind and raised her the best he could. His father and mother being Casey’s Godparents and best friends to her parents, they somewhat became extended member of the Paris family. His older sisters would babysit her while her parents were away and Tom quickly took a liking to the young tike. Being the youngest child, he would have someone around that he could look after and not be treated as the baby of the family. The young child idolized Tom, always wanting to play with him, always wanting him to carry her around or simply hold her. Having her around would always lessen the pressure his father put on him. She somehow became a temporary remedy to his father’s iron fist, when she was around that is. He could never wait for the summer holidays, when they would spend a month in Australia with her family. The one thing that made their relationship even stronger, in Tom’s eyes, was the fact that his name was one of the first words she ever spoke. Even today, that thought still brings a smile to his face. Growing up together, they would lean on each other during the good times and the bad times and unfortunately, there were a lot of bad times.

"So, how have you been? Are they treating you OK?" she asked.

"Well, what can you expect. I am a Maquis rebel, a traitor. They don’t lay out the red carpet every time I enter a room," he answered, sarcastically. Her smile disappeared, wondering just how sarcastic he was being. She was worried about him and this situation scared her to no end. Tom realized too late that he should have phrased his answer differently when he saw her facial expression change.

"How’s Mom?" he then asked, changing the subject.

"She’s doing good. Kathleen and Moira say hi and wanted me to tell you they love you and as soon as you get out of here, they want you to visit them first thing."

"You told them you were coming?"

"Not really. I just told them I was going to get in touch with you. You know your sisters, they can keep a secret." Tom was still a little angry with her for taking this chance, but yet, he was so grateful. "They only gave me a few minutes with you," she added sadly. "I am shipping out tomorrow on the Saratoga for a month. Temporary assignment. I’ll be able to get off this rock for a while."

"Where are you going?"

"Starbase 349. They are having problems with their main computer systems. They are having problems with the interaction between new components and the old ones that were installed a few weeks ago. They can’t seen to pinpoint the cause, so they called in the cavalry."

"What are you going to do after that? Haven’t you been assigned to a ship yet?" The 22 year old woman had graduated from the Academy 7 months ago, having turned down her first assignment to assist the Admiral on a special project he was working on. Due to her medical condition, she had not yet received a medical clearance to take a long-term assignment on a vessel even if the offers came coming, she had to turn them down. It didn’t seem to bother her, on the surface that is. But Tom knew that she wanted more out of her career. She had often mentioned that she would like to become a security officer when she was a kid. After spending most of her childhood in a lab with her parents, she wanted a little more action in her life, but her knee injury had made that dream vanish. And even now, after almost 13 years, she was still having problems and required medication to maintain the prosthetic in her leg. But she always looked on the bright side of things. Being here on earth gave her the opportunity to work in her field of expertise, computer mainframes, with some of the best in the area. But she knows that one day, she will be able to travel the stars for months on end and actually touch them.

"Still haven’t got medical clearance yet. But I’ll be working with the Admiral again and I was asked to join a team working on a special project. So, I’ll be keeping myself busy."

"That’s if he doesn’t find out about your little trip here," Tom added with a grin.

"Ha! Ha! Very funny", she said, making a funny face. "Tom, I know how you feel about your father, and to be honest with you, I don’t blame you. I was there and I saw things first hand, but you can’t go on your whole life with that attitude, it will start eating you from the inside. I can only imagine how it makes you feel when you compare the way he treats you, his only son, and me….."

"Case, we’ve been over this a thousand times, and you know how I feel about that and I don’t want you to feel guilty about anything, because you have nothing to be guilty about. That is just the way he is and no one can change that. It’s something that we all have to live with. And I guess that we all cope with it in our own ways. He is giving you the opportunity to advance in your career, who knows, maybe someday you’ll outrank me………..oh, I almost forgot, I’m not a Starfleet officer anymore," he said the last sentence with a grin, but Casey knew that it hurt him to lose that more then he was letting on. "Look, don’t dwell on it OK. You have other things to think about, and besides, I am here because I put myself here, no one else." He was sincere this time, and knew that. They were both silent for a few seconds.

"I miss you a lot you know," she said with a low and sad voice.

"So do I. I’m sorry….." he added.

"Tom, I don’t want to think about what happened no more then you do. What you did, I don’t judge you, you know that. I know who the real Tom Paris is. My big brother, my best friend, my family. And those feelings will never change. You know that." As she was saying this, she placed her hands on his. He looked into her eyes and realized how lucky he was to have her as a part of his life. She was one of the few who didn’t treat him differently, even after Caldik Prime. He determined that it is in times likes these when you find out who your real friends are. His attention was suddenly diverted when on of the guards approached them.

"Times up Ensign," he said to Casey, dryly. She simply nodded and stood up. Tom did the same.

"Take care of yourself," she said, sadly. Tom simply smiled, realizing that after all these years spent on the American continent, she still had that slight Australian accent, and it would always become more pronounced when she was emotional and this moment was obvious very emotional for her.

"I will," he replied. He walked over to her and gave a kiss and a hug. They held each other tightly for what seemed to be an eternity and took advantage of that, not knowing when he would see her again.

"I love you Case," he whispered softly in her ear, using her nickname.

"I love you too Tom," she whispered back. They parted and she quickly exited the room, her emotions on the verge of erupting. She didn’t’ want to leave Tom with the sight of her crying. Crying for him.

He knew that he wouldn’t see her for sometime after that, but he never expected it to be 5 years. His attention was diverted by the presence of the Doctor, standing on the other side of the Biobed.

"She’s going to be OK, isn’t she?" he asked softly.

"Yes, she is. She will require some time recuperating though. She has been through a lot." Tom absorbed the good news and also being the Doctor’s assistant, he would be able to help her get back to health.

"Does she know where she is?"

"No. The Captain preferred to not disclose that information when she was conscious, taking in consideration the trauma she went through already."

"Well, when she wakes up, she is in for one big surprise," said Tom with a grin.

"At least she will have someone here that she knows, and if her reaction is similar to yours, I think it would be a good idea if you were here when she does." Tom nodded.

"I want to be here. That is if the graviton pulses will let me." While Tom was sitting with the young woman, the Doctor took the opportunity to download the Lieutenant’s personal onto a PAD and was studying the information it now contained.

"Since you have known her for so long, you are surely aware that she has a prosthetic knee," asked the Doctor.

"Yeah, she’s had it since she was 9. I remember her having a lot of problems with it though. She would be fine for a while and then her body would suddenly reject it. Actually, I find it hard to believe that she would be on some kinda mission with her medical condition."

"Well, I might have an explanation for that. Her prosthetic was severely damage, I do think beyond repair, during the crash. Therefore, I had to remove it." Tom looked down at the right leg, only to find it covered with a brace. The Doctor signaled Tom to follow him into his office.

"I have never seen such a mechanism," continued the Doctor, showing Tom the prosthetic he had put in a statis casing.

"That’s definitely not the prosthetic she had," exclaimed Tom, closely studying it.

"It is made of biological tissue and mechanical implants. It was binded to her bones, blood vessels and nerves. It actually became part of her, biologically that is. It is quite an impressive piece of work. Honestly, believe that due to the biological components being designed to her body chemistry, there would be no chance of rejection."

"She must have got it in the last 5 years."

"This is most definite. I have no data in my memory banks regarding such a prosthetic."

"Can’t you just replicate a new one?" asked Tom, still looking at it.

"Unfortunately, no." Tom looked up suddenly and faced the Doctor. "It is too intricate. Too many biological components and even if I could, the surrounding areas of her leg were also damaged; loss of blood vessels, muscle and tissue. It would not fit anymore and the connections can no longer be made."

"Can’t you make another one?"

"I do not have the necessary equipment to do so, not the data regarding its schematics." Tom became suddenly saddened, he knew how much hardship she has gone through throughout the years regarding her knee. He didn’t want her to have to go through that again.

"But I will look into other methods. I will consult with Seven on this. She would have some insight regarding prosthetics."

"What are you going to do in he meantime?" The Doctor approached the console beside his desk and brought up the image of his patient’s right leg.

"Due to the extent of the damage, placing a temporary prosthetic at this time would not be wise. So, I have placed field emitters in her leg, forming a bloc that takes up the room her knee would. She will be able to walk with it, but unable to bend her leg. She will have to walk with the aide of a cane during this time. Before attempting anything else, I want to make sure that her leg is completely healed and give her time to regain more strength in it. I do not want to rush this process, letting her body heal itself will be the best course of action to prevent any complications later on." Tom observed the image on the screen. The image showed a gap where her knee would normally be, where now the field was holding her leg together.

"The presence of the field might cause her some discomfort, but I will be giving her pain killers to remedy that." Tom nodded, absorbing the information.

"When do you think she’ll wake up?"

"Not for a few hours. I want her to wake up on her own. In the meantime, I am going to run a few more tests," said the Doctor.

"I know it’s not my shift here now, but I would like to stay and assist, if you don’t mind," proposed Tom.

"Of course, Ensign," said the Doctor, smiling. They both walked towards their patient.

In the Captain’ Ready Room, Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres was standing in front of the Captain’s desk with Chakotay sitting by her side. She was still somewhat miffed for being interrupted in her work. Finding as much information about the shuttle had been a priority and now, for some reason, she was forced to stop her investigation, and she wanted to know why.

"It’s only temporary Lieutenant. Once we can get more information from Lieutenant Reid, you will be able to continue. But in the meantime, what were you able to find?" asked the Captain, sitting at her desk, fully understanding the impatience of her Chief Engineer. She felt the same way, but the safety of the ship was her first priority, so taking these steps seemed like the right thing to do.

"First, I thought that the markings on the shuttle were the same as the Caretaker’s, but after carefully analyzing them and comparing them with the ones that Voyager sustained, I found a slight difference, but not by much. The markings on the shuttle seem to follow a pattern somehow. They aren’t erratic as the Caretaker’s. I would have to presume that they are based on the same technology, but that the pattern is simply different," said Torres, showing the data on the monitor laying on Janeway’s desk.

"So, we might be dealing with another Caretaker?" presumed Chakotay.

"Maybe, but if that is the case, on a smaller scale. The markings are prominent on the front of the haul, almost as if a wave only big enough to engulf the shuttle was used."

"Could a natural effect like a wormhole cause these kind of markings?" asked Janeway, trying to sort out the new information.

"Very unlikely. A wormhole wouldn’t have caused these markings, nor would it have overloaded all the systems on the shuttle."

"Well, there goes the theory about there being a wormhole in this area," said Chakotay, obviously disappointed.

"Were you able to collect any data from the onboard computer?"

"That was the first thing that I checked. It was completely fried. So were the other consoles I had a chance to verify. I don’t think we will be able to collect any information from the shuttle." Janeway sighed. She was hoping to salvage the databanks to collect information on the Alpha Quadrant. Shuttles do not have as much information in their banks as a starship does, but that data could have come in handy, giving them pertinent news of the goings on in the other side of the galaxy. From home.

"There must be something in the shuttle, or why would Lieutenant Reid have been so adamant about not approaching it. She also mentioned something about it being of Federation security," added Janeway, still trying to figure things out.

"I would need more time examining the shuttle to answer that. My preliminary scans only gave us the information I just told you."

"All we can do now is wait for her to give us the answers," said Janeway, standing up from her desk and walking towards the windows of her office. Her patience was growing thinner by the minute.

"What’s the situation with the graviton pulses?" she then asked.

"They are still fluctuating, but within acceptable parameters," answered her first officer. ‘And to think that we aren’t out of this yet’, he thought, realizing that traveling at this speed was becoming frustrating. Janeway turned and faced her 2 officers.

"I want to assemble the senior staff in 10 minutes," she announced.

"I’ll notify them right away Captain," Chakotay said, rising from his chair. He headed to the bridge, Torres following him, leaving Janeway with her thoughts.

A few minutes later, the senior staff was assembled in the Briefing Room. The Captain had herself asked Neelix to join them. His role of moral officer will be needed in the near future to help accommodate the psychological needs of their new crewmember.

"Well, as you all know, the shuttle that was discovered is in fact the Romanov of the Enterprise. Aboard, we found 2 passengers, one of them is in our sickbay and the other was found dead on the scene. We have identified the survivor as being Starfleet Lieutenant Casey Reid. The deceased has not yet been identified." The Captain then turned and looked at Tom, who had reluctantly left sickbay to join the meeting.

"Also, Lieutenant Reid happens to be related to Tom." This made everyone turn and face Tom, with expressions of shock on their faces. Torres had noticed that Tom seemed a little tense and worried when he arrived for the meeting. She had become very susceptible to his mood swings, not that he had many. She prided herself in being able to read her lover like an open book, but she would have never read this kind of news.

"She’s my sister," Tom said, continuing the explanation.

"What?" exclaimed Harry, as surprised as everyone else.

"Actually, she’s my adopted sister. My parents are her Godparents and they’ve raised her since she was 9 years old, after her parents died in a transport accident," he said with a soft voice. It was apparent that he was still under the shock and his emotions were in limbo. Not knowing if he should be happy for having her here and safe with him, seeing her after all these years, or sad and mad for her now being stuck in the middle of the Delta Quadrant with them. The fact that a shuttle from the Alpha Quadrant crash landed on a planet in the Delta Quadrant was shocking enough, but that the survivor would actually be related to one of the crew was incredible, the odds being outstanding.

"Is she going to be OK?" asked Torres with a concerned voice. Tom simply nodded to her. B’Elanna was relieved. It would have been devastating for Tom had she not survived.

"We don’t have much to go on here. Lieutenant Reid was conscious for a few minutes and said that no one should approach the shuttle. I don’t know why yet, but since we don’t know what we are dealing with, I decided that keeping everyone away from the shuttle and waiting to get more information from her as to why was the best course of action. The only information we were able to retrieve before her warning is sketchy. The shuttle has marking resembling those of the Caretaker inflicted on Voyager, but on a much smaller scale," continued Janeway.

"So we might be dealing with version of the Caretaker," presumed Harry.

"That is our problem. We don’t have enough information to determine that," answered Janeway

"What about the shuttle itself? If the Lieutenant requested that the shuttle be off limits, could it be that the shuttle is the source? asked Tuvok.

"From what I have been able to access, the shuttle is just a normal shuttle. If there were something out of the ordinary, we would have detected it right away. Whatever it was, it was definitely external," answered Torres. Janeway rose from her seat and started walking around the table.

"All this just sounds a little too coincidental," she stated. Everyone agreed with her.

"When the Doctor made contact with Starfleet after transporting to the Prometheus, they said that they were going to work on a way to get us back home, maybe they did. Maybe they sent a shuttle, putting it right in our path," said Harry.

"That is very unlikely. The chances of Starfleet coming up with this kind of technology in such a short time in near impossible. Even if it was, I do not think they would send a simple shuttle, nor in that fact, send any ship at all. The goal would be to get us back to the Alpha Quadrant, not to strand another ship out here," said Tuvok.

"I agree with Tuvok. And besides, when the Lieutenant regained consciousness, she thought she was still in the Alpha Quadrant, didn’t recognize the Doctor or myself and asked that we contact Starfleet Headquarters. So, whatever brought her here, is most likely here in the Delta Quadrant," added Janeway. The room was silent for a few moments, everyone absorbing the news and trying to come up with a logical explanation for all this. But those explanations weren’t coming very easily.

"What about the sensors? Any improvements?" asked Janeway addressing Harry.

"No, Captain. The pulses are still interfering with them." Janeway pondered the next move.

"I would like to stay in this area for a few more hours, just in case we do find something."

"Remaining stationary puts too much stress on the haul, but we can circle it," said Chakotay.

"Make it so. Dismissed," she announced. The officers rose and exited the room.

"Tom, could I speak with you for a moment please," asked Janeway before Paris left the room. He turned and faced her.

"Actually Captain, I was hoping to get back to sickbay in case she wakes up." Tom knew that she wouldn’t wake up for a few more hours, but he wanted to be near her nonetheless.

"It will only take a moment. Please sit down," she pointed to the chair beside the one she had chosen.

"How are you dealing with all this?" she asked him with a smile.

"To be honest with you, I don’t know. Seeing her again after all these years….I’ve missed her so much, but to be reunited here, like this….. It’s like you said, there are so many unanswered questions. The thing I’m worried about the most is her reaction when she finds out where she is. She’s a level minded, intelligent person, but I don’t know how she’s going to react," he said with genuine concern.

"Well, she has something going for her here. You. And if she feels the same way about you that you do about her, I think that will make things that much easier." Tom nodded in agreement with his Captain.

"There is one thing you won’t have to worry about. She’s not at all like me," he said with a grin, trying to elevate the moment.

"What do you mean?"

"She’s a lot more serious to begin with. Extremely career oriented. She also tends to keep to herself a lot." Janeway couldn’t help herself from smiling to that. It’s always like Tom to joke around in serious moments.

"Well, I’m glad to hear that. This ship can only handle one Tom Paris. I’m sure though that she’ll fit in just fine. I reviewed her personnel file; she’s studied in a lot of broad subjects at the Academy that will come in handy out here. But I’m sure that you must have rubbed off on her, at least a little bit." It was now Tom’s turn to smile at the Captain’s comment.

"There is one thing that I am not looking forward to though," he said with a depressed look.

"What?"

"She outranks me now. I’m never going to hear the end of that," he said with a serious look. This time, Janeway had to laugh out loud and Tom joined her. For a moment, she thought back as to what he had said about Casey not being like him, but deep down sometimes, she wished that she had a ship full of people like Tom Paris’.

At a slight distance from Voyager, a cloaked ship suddenly emerged from warp, their sensors rapidly downloading information from Voyager into their computer. The bridge of the ship was quiet, only a few members of the crew were present. The Captain was sitting upon his raised chair in the middle of the bridge. He didn’t take his gaze off the ship on the viewscreen.

"Status", he suddenly said, his gaze unchanging.

"We are stationary. Cloak is active. We have not been detected," announced the officer sitting at the console at the front of the bridge.

"Have they found the shuttle?" he asked the same officer.

"Yes Sir. It is aboard their vessel." The Captain smiled.

"What is their heading?"

"Actually Sir, they seem to be circling this parsec."

"Have they attempted to send a signal to any of our homeworlds?"

"No Captain," the officer answered.

"Perfect," said the Captain, leaning further into his chair, his grin growing into a smile. "Everything is going according to plan. Have we received the data from the planet?"

"Yes Sir."

"Transfer it to my private quarters. I will study it there," he said, stepping down from his seat. Before reaching the door, he turned to his officer.

"Contact the stand-by ships. Relay the coordinates and tell them to begin the operation. We will proceed as soon as they arrive. Contact me if there is any change in Voyager’s status."

"Yes, Captain." The Captain exited the bridge and walked down the corridor to his quarters. He stopped in front of a bay window, through which Voyager was clearly visible. He stared at the vessel for a few moments.

"In the name of the Klaamar, Captain Janeway, your ship now belongs to us," he said with a devious grin. He slowly continued down the corridor to his quarters.

After 2 hours of circling the area, the crew of Voyager still had found nothing that would indicate to them how the shuttle had arrived in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway could sense that her impatience was spreading to the crew. Though something told her that she was close, the sensors indicated the contrary. Janeway was tempted to contact he Klaamar to find out if such a phenomenon had ever occurred before, but thinking back to the long conversations she had with their government and them knowing where Voyager came from and how they got here, they would have made them aware of such an previous incident.

"Doctor to the Captain," was suddenly heard over the comm system on the bridge.

"Go ahead Doctor," she replied, noticing Paris straighten up on his chair, fully alert as to what the Doctor was about to say.

"Your presence, as well as Ensign Paris’ is required in sickbay. Lieutenant Reid is regaining consciousness."

"On our way Doctor", she said, standing from her chair, Paris doing the same. They both headed for the turbolift. The trip to sickbay was quiet but filled with silent anticipation. Before entering though, Janeway stopped and faced Paris.

"I think it would be best if you stay out of sight at first. I want to take this step by step," she said.

"OK. I’ll wait in the Doctor’s office." She nodded. They entered together and Tom made a left turn towards the Doctor’s office. Janeway approached the biobed where the Doctor was standing. He acknowledged the Captain’s presence.

"She’s slowly coming to," he said. The young woman was mumbling softy and her eyelids were trying to open. After a few moments, her green eyes finally appeared. She was looking around, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings. Her gaze finally rested on Janeway.

"How do you feel?" asked the Captain. The young woman moistened her lips with her tongue.

"A little sore, but OK," she responded with a low and raspy voice. Janeway simply nodded and gave her a smile. "Did you contact Admiral Jennings?" her tired eyes trying to focus on Janeway. The Doctor was relieved to see that she remembered their last conversation. Janeway had mentally prepared herself for her questions. She had decided to take the slow approach in telling her where she was.

"No, we are too far to relay any communications."

"How long…..?" she managed to ask, taking in a breath of air. She was obviously still suffering some discomfort. Before Janeway could answer, she asked the unavoidable question.

"What ship is this?" Janeway looked up and faced the Doctor.

"You’re on Voyager," she answered, looking back down at the Lieutenant. The young woman maintained her gaze on Janeway, they shifted to the Doctor, who simply nodded.

"That’s impossible! Voyager is in the Delta Quadrant," she said, somewhat angry and getting agitated.

"I know. And unfortunately, so are you now," Janeway told her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"If this is a joke, it is far form being funny," Casey said, her agitation growing. "I demand to know where I am."

"Believe us, this is no joke," said the Doctor, trying to appease her.

"I am Captain Kathryn Janeway and you are on Voyager. That light that you saw must have been a wave of some kind that brought you into the Delta Quadrant." Reid now took a good look at Janeway, and it finally dawned on her that she did recognize this woman from pictures she has seen over the last few years. Her sight was still blurry, so she closed her eyes, trying to refocus them. When she opened them again, her sight had cleared up a little bit. She kept on starring at Janeway. ‘Could this be a trick? Could this be her imagination playing games on her?’ she thought. She could feel the pressure on her shoulder where this woman still had her hand. So, if she was awake, it had to be some kind of projection.

"Computer, end program," she yelled. When nothing changed, she simply closed her eyes again, trying to regroup herself. Janeway sighed. She knew that this would be hard for the young woman to understand, but she had to make her believe.

"This is no joke, nor an illusion. From what we can tell, your shuttle was hit by the same kind of phenomenon that brought Voyager to the Delta Quadrant. We detected your distress beacon. You were extremely lucky that you happened to crash in the area we were passing through." In a way, what the Captain was saying did make some sense she thought. The wave of light that hit her shuttle was something she had never seen nor heard of before. Then her thoughts wondered to the one thing she always associated with Voyager: Tom. She finally opened her eyes.

"Is… is Tom Paris… here?" she asked, her voice breaking up. Her emotions were catching up with her. If all this wasn’t real, at least she would be able to see him or an image of him, that would make this all worthwhile, she thought Janeway and the Doctor simply smiled at her. The Captain looked up in the direction of the office and nodded. Tom had been listening to the conversation. He just wanted to run out there and hold her. Tell her that all this was true and that everything was going to be OK. He hated seeing her like this. He approached the Captain, who slowly stepped aside from the biobed to make place for him. The dome of the bed was still covering her, and was hiding her view. The Doctor determined that it was now safe to remove it. As the dome parted on both sides of the bed, she finally saw him. She simply starred at him as he did her.

"Hey there stranger. Long time no see," he said with a smile. Casey simply continued to stare at him. She had often imagined what he looked liked after almost 5 years and the sight in from of her was pretty accurate to the image she had mentally made. She tried to speak, tell him something, but she still wasn’t sure if all this was real and her emotions were now getting the best of her. A large lump had formed in her throat. She put her had out, needing to touch him, needing to know if he was real. He took her outreached hand in his. As soon as their hands met, she knew. She remembered. She excepted. This was really the man she had grown up with, her best friend, her brother. Tears started streaming from her eyes.

"Tom," she said with a cracking voice, her emotions overwhelming her.

"It’s me Case," he responded, using her nickname, the name he had always addressed her with. She pulled on her arm without letting go of his hand, wanting him to come closer. She was silently crying at this point.

"It’s OK. You’re safe now," he said, wiping her tears away.

"I’ve missed you so much," she managed to say through her crying. Tom wasn’t sure what to say anymore. He had so many things to tell her that his thoughts were now scattered throughout his mind. He suddenly realized that tears were now flowing down his cheeks. While waiting in the Doctor’s office, he had practiced what he was going to say to her, but that all went out the nearest hatch when he saw her looking up at him. Janeway was silently looking at this reunion and couldn’t help prevent the lump forming in her throat. Moments like this were priceless she thought. Part of her didn’t want to breakup this reunion, but she knew that she needed answers. They couldn’t just go around in circles in this area forever. She took a step closer to Tom and placed a hand on his shoulder. She looked down and addressed Casey.

"Lieutenant, I know this must be quite a shock for you, but do you feel up to answering a few questions?" Casey’s gaze shifted to the Captain. She had almost forgotten that her and the Doctor were present. For those few moments, all that existed were she and Tom. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"Of course," she finally answered.

"Where were you when this flash of light appeared?"

"Near the Neutral Zone, bordering Cardassian space. We were being chased by a Cardassian cruiser." Janeway looked at Tom, surprised.

"Why were you being chased by the Cardassians?" asked Tom.

"I was on an undercover mission with the Maquis." Tom’s facial expression suddenly became one of shock. He didn’t know what to think nor say.

"What was your mission?" asked Janeway, wanting to know more. Casey took in another breath of air.

"About 8 months ago, a Federation scientist joined the Maquis and brought his research with him. Starfleet wanted him and his research back. Doctor Michael Redmond….." When she said his name, it seemed to bring back to her everything that has happened. She turned her head towards the Doctor.

"He’s dead, isn’t he?" she asked him. The Doctor simply nodded. She closed her eyes again, this time in sadness. ‘It must have been serious research if Starfleet sent one of its officers undercover to retrieve it’, thought Janeway. She was also able to pinpoint the slight accent the young woman spoke with, it was Australian.

"What was his research based on?" she asked. Casey opened her eyes and faced her again.

"On enabling photon torpedoes to penetrate shields and force fields. When he first presented the project to Starfleet, they rejected it, saying that it had already been attempted unsuccessfully. That it would be a waste of time and resources. He wanted to continue his research, knowing that he could succeed. So, he approached the Maquis, knowing that they would get him the necessary resources and having a grudge against the Cardassians, he decided to change camps for the sake of his research and to prove Starfleet wrong."

"Did he succeed?" asked the Doctor. She nodded. Janeway had heard of attempts to create a shielding that could envelope a torpedo and upon arrival to its target, the shielding sensor would pick up the frequency of the target’s own shields, convert to that frequency and simply enter the shield like a knife in butter. This kind of technology would definitely give the upper hand to its owner, but no one ever achieved it, even after many years trying. It was determined that such a technology was unfeasible. Now she understood why Starfleet wanted to get Dr. Redmond and his research back.

"Why did you want us to stay away from the shuttle?" Casey took in another deep breath of air. She was starting to get tired again.

"The only prototype is hidden in the shuttle under the pilot’s seat. It’s placed in containment safe. If it’s tampered with or the wrong access code is entered, it will automatically self-destruct." Janeway was relieved that Casey gave the warning not to approach it. She would like to see this weapon enhancement herself. If it’s adaptable to Voyager, it could make a big difference out here.

"Is it safe to examine the shuttle without disturbing the containment safe?" she asked. Reid simply nodded. Janeway decided that they would wait before examining the prototype. Lieutenant Reid obviously knew the codes to open it and knew more about it then anyone on board. She looked down at the young patient. Her eyes were closed and fatigue was written all over her face.

"I’m sorry Captain, but my patient needs her rest," said the Doctor. Janeway nodded. Casey slowly opened her eyes, watching the officers retreat to the door.

"Tom," she said with a tired voice," could you please stay for a minute?" Tom quickly looked the doctor. He wanted to stay so bad and tried to express that to the doctor. The Doctor reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you," replied Tom, walking back towards his sister. The Doctor walked over the main doors of sickbay with the Captain.

"How long do you think it will be before she is up and about?"

"Up, I would say 2 days, but about, that might take a little longer. She will have to walk with the aide of a cane for sometime. I want her leg to heal completely before I attempt anything in regards to her knee." The Captain nodded.

"We will wait till she’s mobile before attempting anything with the prototype. I don’t want to take any chances with it. It could come in really handy out here." This time, it was the Doctor who nodded in agreement.

"I’ll be on the bridge," announced Janeway.

"Yes, Captain," replied the Doctor, as she exited.

As Tom approached the biobed, Casey put out her hand again and he took it in his.

"I still can’t believe it’s really you," said Tom smiling.

"Believe it, I’m feeling the same way," she replied. They simply gazed into each other’s eyes for a few minutes in silence.

"What were you doing on an undercover mission?" he asked. She was expecting this question.

"It’s a long story," she said with a grin. She shifted in the bed, trying to get a little more comfortable. That is when she realized that something was wrong.

"Tom, I can’t move my right leg," she said with a panicked voice.

"I know. Doc had to brace it. Your leg was badly injured from the crash. He also had to remove your prosthetic." He squeezed her hand, preparing her for what he was going to say next. "I’m afraid it was damaged beyond repair. I’m sorry," he added sadly. She simply stared at the ceiling for a few seconds in silence.

"The story of my life," she simply said. It was sad to say, but she had become use to all the problems associated with her knee, but she was hoping that this time would be the end of them.

"Doc said he never saw a prosthetic like that before. When did you get it?"

"2 and a half years ago. It was a experimental trial, combining biological and mechanical elements that would avoid any chances of rejection. It actually worked." She turned and faced him again. "You could say that it was because of it that I am here."

"What do you mean?"

"After getting it, my leg was like new and I got my medical clearance. So, I started training and joined the Special Ops division."

"You what?" he exclaimed in surprise. Casey giggled softly.

"I told you it was a long story". Tom simply shook his head in amazement. She looked up at him and suddenly made a puzzled face.

"Hey, I thought that you were a lieutenant," she observed, looking at the lonely pip on his collar and recalling the roster of crew members still on Voyager that the Doctor had provided them when he was on the Prometheus. She remembered seeing the rank of lieutenant by his name. The fact that they had given him his old rank eased her concerns for him at the time. Knowing that he was fitting in as a member of the crew and not just simply as an observer.

"I was. But, believe me, that’s a long story too," he said with a grin, a little embarrassed.

"So, I guess you were right. I did manage to outrank you, Ensign," she said, putting a emphasis on ‘Ensign’.

"I guess you did, Lieutenant." They both smiled. He wanted to ask her about the one thing that he wasn’t even sure he wanted to hear about. He didn’t know if it was fear of the answer or his own denial, but something deep inside of him wanted to know.

"How’s Dad?" he finally asked. But before she could respond, the comm link was activated.

"Janeway to Paris. Ensign, we need you on the bridge. Now!" Tom could tell by her tone of voice that she meant business. He quickly looked down at Casey.

"I’m on my way Captain," he announced. He bent down over her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"We’ll talk later", he said as he was running out of sickbay. She simply watched him leave. As the doors of sickbay closed, the alarms indicating a red alert were activated. By that time, she had already fallen in to deep sleep that had been creeping up on her since she had woken up.

The bridge was buzzing with activity. Everything had happened so fast, it took everyone by surprise. At first, it appeared to be distortions in space, but then they started appearing all around the ship, one after the other. At that point, Janeway knew that something was wrong. Getting Ensign Paris back at the conn was the first thing that had come to mind. And the second thing was to go to red alert. She had no idea what was happening, nor did anyone on the bridge. The sensors couldn’t determine what these distortions were, only that they were in constant flux. They were changing, transforming, but into what, they didn’t know.

"Raise shields", the Captain announced. "Ensign Kim?"

"I don’t know what it is Captain. The sensor are picking up something, but they can’t make heads or tails of it."

"I am now detecting 15 distortion fields Captain."

"Why didn’t the sensors pick this up earlier?" asked the Captain.

"Because a few seconds ago, there was nothing there Captain," answered Kim, still entering commands into his console.

"I need some answers here people," she addressed with urgency to the bridge.

"Captain………" said Chakotay, staring at the viewscreen. Everyone on the bridge turned his or her attention to it. On the screen, the distortions were taking shape. Slowly, they turned into large cruisers.

"What the….." was all that Janeway managed to say.

"We’re surrounded Captain," announced Tuvok. "They all have their weapons powered up and aimed at us."

"Origin?"

"Unknown Captain," answered Kim.

"Ensign, open a channel to the head cruiser", she ordered.

"Actually Captain, they are hailing us?"

"Put it through," she said. The viewscreen flickered for a moment, then suddenly appeared the face of the Klaamar Captain.

"Captain Janeway," he said, acknowledging her. She recognized the Captain from their first encounter with the Klaamar.

"Captain Stutar, what is all this about?" she asked with a firm voice.

"Captain, I regret to inform you that you are in violation of Klaamar laws," he announced, still maintaining a subtle expression.

"What do you mean?"

"You have deviated from the flight path that was given you. You stepped foot on one of our planets and retrieved elements from said planet."

"Retrieved elements? We were attempting to save a person’s life. We received a distress signal and we answered it. The shuttle that crashed comes from the Alpha Quadrant and had one of our own on it. We were not going to ignore it."

"I am sorry Captain. But you had no right to approach that planet. You should have contacted us and we would have taken care of it. Whatever was on that planet was Klaamar property. Robbery will be added to your list of convictions. Those are severe infractions, Captain," he said, with the same tone and expression. Janeway was lost for words. How can she defend herself and her crew for saving someone’s life when evidently, all their actions point to their guilt? There had to be some way that she could reason with these people. She hoped that there was.

"Captain Stutar, I suggest that we discuss this further face to face," Janeway recommended, pulling at straws.

"We will meet face to face Captain Janeway, but at this time, there will be no discussion. You will lower your shields and prepare your ship to be boarded. In the name of the Klaamar Government, I demand the complete surrender of your ship or my cruiser will be forced to open fire and destroy it and everyone aboard". Again, Janeway was lost for words. How could they not understand what happened here? Obviously, Stutar wasn’t giving her a choice. She turned to the crew on the bridge. They all looked back at her, awaiting her response. She knew that they would follow her straight to hell and back if she ordered it, but she wasn’t prepared to jeopardize the lives of her crew. There had to be a way out of this. At least, she prayed for one. She gazed at Tuvok, her confidant and the person in whom she put her complete trust. The Vulcan simply nodded to her. She lowered her head as she turned back to face the viewscreen.

"Lieutenant Tuvok, lower shields. Commander Chakotay, prepare the crew and advise them that the Klaamar will be boarding the ship and to follow their instructions.

"Captain Stutar…………we surrender." Just as she said those last words, Tom Paris stepped out of the turbolift. He froze in this path, not understanding what was going on.

"What the hell?" he mumbled. He gazed at the viewscreen and watched a contemptuous grin appear on Stutar face.

To be continued in Chapter 3 of the Like Son, Like Daughter Saga