Day of Honor
As Lieutenant Torres reluctantly faces the Day of Honor, an ancient Klingon ritual which requires examination of one's behavior. When Voyager is forced to eject the warp core, B'Elanna and Paris must launch a shuttle to tractor it back. Soon, Voyager is ambushed by the Kaatati, a race almost completely assimilated by the Borg, who demand Seven of Nine as ransom. When the Kaatati attack the shuttlecraft Torres and Paris are left suspended in space and prepare to die. Not wanting to die without any honor B'Elanna confides to Tom that she loves him.
*Tom comes into B’Elanna’s quarters after going to the holodeck*
Paris: “I tried to find you before but you weren’t on the holodeck. You know...you left it running. There was a klingon in there who didn’t look too happy. Yeah, he was nursing a whale of a black eye. Looks like he had a run in with someone having a bad day."
Torres : “Very funny.”
Paris: “So how’d it go?”
Torres : “It didn’t. Do you mind if we talk about something else?”
Paris: “As a matter of fact, I do. You’ve been like a spitting cobra all day and it’s getting boring. We designed that holodeck program together and I think you owe me the courtesy of telling me what happened.”
Torres : “It was ridiculous, meaningless, posturing. Honor, dishonor, what does it matter!”
Paris: “It matters because it’s who you are! You’ve been running away from that your whole life.”
Torres : “Who are you to tell me that?”
Paris: “I care about you but if you keep pushing me away then there’s no point of me staying around, is there?”
Torres : “Fine!! Leave me alone!”
Paris: “Don’t worry. If this is the way you treat people who try to be your friend, you’ll be alone all right.”
*Tom leaves the brooding B’Elanna to her thoughts*
*right after B’Elanna has to dump the core she mutters to herself*
Torres: “Welcome to the worst day of my life.”
*Tom and B’Elanna are sent after the warp core but encounter trouble. The Katati have the core and in the process of tractoring it the shuttle explodes leaving Tom and B’Elanna floating in space*
*B’Elanna is adjusting the suit to send a carrier wave to Voyager*
Torres: “Let me access your controls.”
Paris: “I thought you’d never ask.”
*she adjusts the controls*
Paris : “Why is it we have to get beamed into space in environmental suits before I can initiate first contact procedures?”
Torres: “Why is it if we’re alone for more than 30 seconds you start thinking about first contact?”
Paris : “That’s not fair. The other day in engineering, I must have gone 4 minutes before I started thinking about it.”
*B’Elanna sends the wave and then they float through some ion turbulence which in turn causes Tom to loose oxygen. They link the suits in order to share, but now they only have enough for a half an hour. They wait for Voyager to come.*
Paris:"I'm lowering the oxygen ratio. that should give us a few more minutes."
(He accesses a control panel on the EVA suit)
Torres:"I'm feeling...kind of groggy."*weakly*
Paris:"Oxygen deprivation."
Torres:"And you're lowering it?"
Paris:"We have to try to make it last as long as possible."
Torres:"It's Ironic, Isn't It?"
Paris:"What?"
Torres:"Today...the day of honor...is the day that I'm going to die."
Paris:"We're not going to die. Would you stop talking like that".
Torres:"We have to face up to it, Tom."
Paris:"There's something I've been wanting to ask you."
Torres:"Well, now's the time."
Paris:"When we first met...you didn't have a very high opinion of me."
Torres:"That's putting it mildly. I thought you were an arrogant,self-absorbed pig."
(Paris chuckles)
Paris:"Flattery won't get you any more oxygen. Do you think I've changed?"
Torres:"A lot. Now you're a stubborn, domineering pig." *labored breathing* "Just kidding. There I go again...just pushing you away. you were right about me. It's what I do...push people away".
Paris:"Well, It's a surefire way of not getting hurt."
Torres:"What a coward I am."
(Paris quiets her and they get as close as they possible can)
*later B’Elanna comes to a realization that she must tell Tom how she feels before they die*
Torres: “Tom...come on. Open your eyes.”
Paris: “....having a dream....”
Torres: “There’s something I have to say.”
Paris: “Me too...I’m glad the last thing I’ll see is you.”
Torres: “I’ve been a coward about everything...everything that really matters in my life.”
Paris: “You’re being a little hard on yourself.”
Torres: “No. I’m going to die, without a shred of honor, and for the first time in my life that really bothers me. So I have to tell you something. I...I have to tell you the truth.”
Paris: “The truth about what?”
Torres: “I...I love you. *silence* Say something.”
Paris: “You picked a great time to tell me.”
*They embrace in a final moment. Just then Voyager picks them up. Leaving the unanswered question...will they get together?*
Stay tuned to Scientific Method to find out. (Same Bat time, Same bat channel.)