"I now promote you to the rank of Captain. Congradulations."
The words of the formal ceremony given hours before rang through her mind still. She sat alone in her temporary quarters, her fingers resting lightly on the four--four--shiny new pips attached to her red collar.
She was a Captain, waiting for her first assignment as commanding officer.....somewhere. This had been her goal, her dream, for years. In fact, she had worked so hard that now, at age twenty-nine, she was the youngest captain in Starfleet.
So why didn't she feel elated, or happy, or even just satisfied with her accomplishments? Why was she sitting there, in the dark, on a starbase where she didn't know many people well, while there were celebrations being held in her honor anyway? What was wrong with her? Why could she face them, or at least herself?
"Chakotay to Paris," interrupted her thoughts, sending the knot in her stomach twisting tighter.
"Paris here," she replied, trying to keep the edge of nervousness from her voice.
"The Flyer is waiting to take you to Earth. It is in Docking Bay 8," Admiral Chakotay, commanding officer of Starbase 13-D and a man she had known all her life, informed her.
"Thank you, sir. I'll get down there right away. Are there any messages you would like me to give to my parents?" she asked politely.
"Tell them that I will be seeing them in a few days. Oh, and conradulations again, A'Lehsen," the admiral said. She could almost see his fond, proud smile, and it made her sick to think of it. What would he say if he knew what she was thinking about her promotion right now?
"I'll tell them, sir. And thank you. Paris out."
Captain A'Lehsen Kathryn Paris, eldest daughter of Admiral Tom Paris and Captain B'Elanna Paris, ran a hand through her dark hair and sighed. How was she going to face her parents? They would be so loving and proud, and she truly wasn't sure if she could handle it.
What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just enjoy the position she had worked so hard for?
She refused to let herself dwell on that. She knew that if she did, she would never be able to keep up her composure around her family during the next week or so. They would be there, all of them, expecting to see her as ecstatically happy as she had been when she was promoted to Commander three years before.
With that in mind, A'Lehsen stood up, picked up the carry-sack containing her clothes and personal effects, and went to stand at the door to her quarters. She took one long last look around the rooms she'd lived in for the past few months, after her ship had been nearly destroyed in the final battle of the Federation-Annconian War. She didn't really feel true sentiment towards those rooms, but she would remember that she had been there, sitting at that desk, when she had been informed of her promotion.
After she glanced around one more time, she left, walking quickly down the corridor. She entered the nearest turbolift and said, "Docking Bay 8."
She was looking forward to seeing the Flyer again. Her Flyer was actually the fourth of its name. Its design and systems were, of course, improvements upon the original, which was sitting in a museum on Earth next to a piece of the first official Starfleet vessel's hull.
Finally, the turbolift stopped and the door opened. A'Lehsen stepped out into the docking bay, steeling herself for the visit to come.
Earth, two days later
A'Lehsen stepped out of the Flyer and into her father's arms. Admiral Tom Paris hugged his daughter tightly.
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," he told her.
"Thanks, Dad," A'Lehsen replied. She pulled away and mustered a smile.
"We're both very proud of you, Ally," her mother said, pulling her away from Tom and into a warm embrace.
"I know, Mom," A'Lehsen said. She felt better just being with her parents. "Where's everyone else?" She meant, of course, her twin.
"S'Ehra, Kyle and K'Ehtra are keeping your Grandfather and Nanna company, and Taima has to pull one more shift on the Hawking before her leave starts. We'll start the party when she gets here in a few more hours," B'Elanna answered with a fond smile as she thought of her brood. They had all grown up so fast!
A'Lehsen's smile widened as she saw the humor in the situation. "That's nice, a Captain having to wait for an ensign . . . "
Tom laughed. "You should know by now, Ally, that it's the lower ranks who actually run the ships and starbases. We brass are just around for paperwork and show," he teased with a wink.
A'Lehsen felt a warm glow suffuse her. She was part of an elite society, a member of the highest ranks in Starfleet now. It felt strange for her father to be treating her like he would any other Stafleet Captain, instead of as his daughter, although that love was still there, too.
Then, her worries began to cloud her mind again. Thoughts she wouldn't quite let surface pounded against the barrier between her concious and subconciuos mind.
"Ally?" her mother's voice invaded her thoughts, pulling her from a dangerous abyss.
"What is it, Mom?" A'Lehsen asked.
"Your father asked you if you saw Chakotay alot while at Starbase 13-D," B'Elanna told her. Both she and Tom were gazing with concern at their eldest daughter. "Are you all right?" B'Elanna asked.
A'Lehsen managed a real smile this time, although what she said in reply was only half true. "I'm fine, really. There have just been so many changes in the past few weeks that I'm still trying to get used to them all. I did see Chakotay. He said to tell you he'd see you in a few days."
Her parents gave her skeptical looks, but she just looked back at them with outward calm. Finally, Tom took her hand.
"Thanks for letting us know, Ally. Now, what do you say about going back to the house and celebrating your promotion?" he asked.
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