FAVORITE SON
Episode 62
Part G

 

With Kim surrounded, Lyris signals a woman to start the joining ceremony, barking an order: "Amal ulat!" The woman gets ready with the gong.

Another fetches the ritual face paint.

Kim is seized. Desperately he shouts: "I won't let you do this to me!"

A woman approaches him with the blindfold.

Lyris: "Harry, there's nowhere to go." As he is surrounded, the women let Kim shake free of their grip but are ready in case he starts fighting again.

Suddenly, in the nick of time, Voyager's transporter beam locks onto him.

The beam-up starts.

Kim escapes - just in time!

Voyager's Bridge. Chakotay: "We've got him!"

Paris: "Setting a new course." Tuvok: "The Taresians are in pursuit." Janeway: "Return fire." Tuvok: "Aye, sir." Paris: "Captain, we've another problem. Three Nasari ships coming straight at us." Janeway: "Time to intercept?" Paris: "Less than one minute."

Kim enters the Bridge. Janeway: "Harry." Kim: "Captain."

He goes to his station at Ops. Chakotay: "Welcome back. We could use your strategic intuition about now."

Janeway: "I'm counting on the Taresians not to back off from those Nasari ships." Kim, confidently: "They won't." Janeway: "Good. Let's hope they're more interested in fighting with each other than with us."

Paris: "Five seconds to intercept."
The Nasari and Taresian ships exchange fire. Though one shot is aimed at Voyager, the Nasari and Taresians concentrate upon battling each other as Voyager continues on its escape course.

A	B
C	D

Tuvok: "We are no longer being pursued."

Janeway: "Let's not give them a chance to change their mind." Voyager speeds away from the conflict.

USS Voyager, a long way from Taresia, and cruising on a resumed course for the Alpha Quadrant.

Voyager's Messhall. Kim: "But Odysseus had been warned that these women, the Sirens, sang a song so beautiful that any man who heard it would be lured to his death." Neelix: "So how did he get the ship past them?" Kim: "He told his crew to cover their ears so they couldn't hear the Sirens' song, but he also had them tie him to the mast of the ship so he could listen himself without being led astray as they sailed past."

Paris: "Anyone would've been drawn in by these Taresians. I have never seen so many beautiful women in my life." Kim: "It wasn't just the women."

Neelix and Paris chuckle, obviously not convinced. "Erm," concedes Kim, grinning,.....

....but adding, "there was also something exciting about having a new identity and being more than just young Ensign Kim."

Neelix, getting up: "Well, I for one," pinching Kim's cheek rather painfully, "am glad to have the young Ensign Kim back with us, although I still say you should've kept some of those spots." Neelix (who, being a Talaxian, has spots himself), says before heading back to the serving counter: "I thought they were very distinguished."

Paris, as he and Kim get up ready to leave together: "I don't see what's so bad about being you. You're good at your job, everybody likes you."

Kim: "Being likeable is fine, but sometimes I wish I could be more, oh, confident with women. More like you." Paris is surprised. "Like me?"

He rallies with a joke: "You might want to reconsider that, Harry. There could be prison time involved."

Kim laughs, and Paris laughs with him.

As they head for the door: "Actually, since I've been on Voyager, I've tried to be more like you." Kim: "That'll be the day." Paris: "I'm serious. You're my role model."

Paris, hand on his friend's shoulder as they exit: "You're reliable, hard-working, extremely punctual, did I mention polite?" Kim laughs: "Thanks a lot." He is feeling happy. He is where he always really wanted to be. His mother is right, who in his dream had said he knew where his home was, when he was feeling torn between Taresia and Voyager. For Kim, home is not on Taresia, but definitely here on Voyager.