Title: The Legend of t'Ai, 1/?
Author: Amiroq. the KiTfox
Email: fitchett@netaccess.co.nz
Size: 15K
Rating: G
Codes: F, T/m
Summary: Torres' away team meet a new race, a race that spreads across thousands of
lightyears -- but their language won't translate. The answer seems to be taking on a very
willing translator. But what is the crew getting themselves into?

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek, I own t'd'Amya-faroae.

Author's Note: This story took over a year to write and survived major crises - notably the
time I accidentally deleted it and had to translate 20K or so of a made up language,
surprisingly complex (do you have any idea how hard it is to translate slang?), back into
English... what can I say but 'whoops'? Anyway, if the story survived all that, surely it's
worth some feedback!


t't'd'Ai-lene, 1/?
Amiroq. the KiTfox


"This place is a desert," Tom Paris looked up from where he was sitting on his rock as the
away team rested in the scorching heat. "Why would anyone want to live here?"

"Perhaps it's not a matter of wanting, Paris." B'Elanna Torres let a stream of golden sand
-- almost the same colour as her uniform top -- run through her fingers. "Perhaps they were
banished here. Or there's no where else to go."

"Whatever the reason, it looks like we're about to find out." Pablo Batehart pointed at the
rising cloud of dust in the distance, made wavery by some trick the heat played on them as
it rose from the ground.

B'Elanna stood up and shielded her eyes from the bright light. "I can see one figure out in
front. It's too dusty to make out anything else."

"Sir- It looks like that person is running from something." Mike pulled out his tricorder.
"It's no use. The interference in the dust is playing up; I can't get a reading."

The half-Klingon pulled her pack off. "I'm going to take a look. Perhaps I'll see more from
that outcrop." She pointed before setting out at a jog.

Tom watched her go, then turned back to the scene in front of them. "Hey- Where'd he go?"

"Perhaps he ducked into one of the caves around here. The others are changing direction...
They're coming over here."

"I suggest we ready phasers. We don't know what these people are like."

Pablo nodded. "I agree," he said, pulling out his own whilst Tom did the same.

The cloud of dust moved up to them, and as it cleared they saw it was actually a large
group of people, half-man, half-snake, holding spears and other such like.

"Who are you?" the leader asked.

Tom stepped forward. "Uh, I'm Lieutenant Tom Paris of the Federation starship Voyager."

The snake-man looked him over and grunted. "I am Aedrien. You will help us."

"Help you *what*?" the pilot asked suspiciously.

"Capture the Weaks."

"The weeks?"

"The *Weaksss*. They steal our food. You will help."

"Janeway to Paris," Kathryn Janeway broke into the conversation at exactly the right time.
Tom made a note to thank her later as he tapped his commbadge.

"Paris here."

The group moved away, unimpressed by something.

"We're reading a Kazon ship on long range sensors. You'll have to regroup and beam back to
the ship."

"Give us ten minutes, Captain."

"Alright, Janeway out."

Tom reholstered his phaser and grabbed B'Elanna's pack, starting at the same time in the
direction she'd taken earlier, and Mike followed.

~~~

"What's your name?" B'Elanna was crouched on the ground next to the alien. He looked
remarkably human, except for his pale skin (he could *not* live on this desert! she
decided) and mottled black/grey hair.

"Aeryj. Rich One. Yours?"

"B'Elanna. B'Elanna Torres."

"Baelana? ÔHalf-breed,'" he commented.

"Actually, it's a Klingon name. I'm not sure what it means. Where are you from?"

"T'wizui."

Great, that's helpful. "Where's that?"

He grinned, obviously knowing what she was thinking. "Under the ground. We live in caves."

"Why were those people chasing you?"

"Why do you ask so much askings?"

"Touche." Before she could say any more, Aeryj froze, listening.

"Someone comes."

"That will be Tom and Batehart. They're friends." She stood up. "Over here!"

"B'Elanna, we have to-" Tom stopped, catching sight of Aeryj. "Oh."

"This is Aeryj. I've been talking to him."

"Well, you're going to have to come back later. There's a group of Kazon ships approaching.
We have to get back to Voyager."

B'Elanna took her pack from him and nodded. "Sorry, duty calls."

"Wait. You come from Kazon way?"

"Yeah. We're trying to get back home."

"Our people spread far. Not many speak your language."

"That doesn't matter: we have translators-"

"People like you came long time ago. No translating. They taught us to speak your
language."

"B'Elanna, we don't have time for this," Tom started.

"No, I think we've got something here. These people were wearing uniforms like ours?"

"Not same. More colour. Many different peoples."

"Sounds like Starfleet to me."

"Janeway to Paris; what's happening down there?"

"We've run into a native with some very interesting information."

"Fine. We'll come back later.  Transporter room, energise."

~~~

"From what I've gathered," B'Elanna said, leaning on a chair in the conference room, "some
time ago another Starfleet ship came to this region of space and taught some of these
people to speak English. But the large majority don't."

"If this is true," Janeway started slowly, "we have a problem."

"I agree," added Chakotay. "How long until we return?"

"Sixty seven minutes." Harry had a padd in front of him containing anything he could find
on cultures whose language didn't translate. "It looks to me as if the component that
blocks tricorders could also block the translator. We haven't actually heard their language
spoken yet, aside from the fact that Aeryj is Rich One and Baelana is halfbreed."

"He also said something about Ôd'Amya-faroae'," B'Elanna said. "I checked the database, and
there's a group of people near Federation space called Danya Faroi."

"That is too big a coincedence to ignore," Janeway told her. "He said his people spread
far. They must go right back to the Alpha Quadrant."

"They don't seem to have advanced technology. The Prime Directive would apply."

"But Starfleet has already interfered. There's no way we can fix it this time. Maybe we
should take advantage of it somehow." 

Tuvok cocked an eyebrow. "Captain?"

She acknowledged him with a nod. "I want to know everything there is to know about these
people, right down to what they eat. When we reach the planet, B'Elanna, Harry, Tom: you'll
go down with me. Dismissed."

~~~

B'Elanna shaded her eyes against the glaring sun and squinted toward the rocks. They were
nearly there. "I think I see something. There, by that crack."

"It's hard to tell," Tom said. "Especially with his hair. It looks just like the rocks."

"They live underground." She hesitated. "I definitely see something."

"Alright then;" Janeway nodded. "We'd better not keep him waiting. What did you say his
name was?"

"Aeryj."

They made their way surprisingly quickly across the scorching sand toward the cavernous
mountains, expectantly anticipating. When they got close, even the two that hadn't known
what to look for saw the lone figure amidst the rocks. 

"Baelana," he greeted her. "You came back fast."

Harry frowned. That was the way *only he* pronounced B'Elanna's name. For some reason it
made him jealous, especially when he saw the native smile at his friend.

She was obviously taken aback by the statement, but Janeway answered before she could say
anything. "We would have come sooner - if we could have. I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of
the Federation starship Voyager."

"I am Aeryj."

"So I've been told. I've been told a lot of things about you. I was hoping we could talk
about them."

"I was also. But not here. Is too hot. We should go to caves."

"Lead the way."

~~~

"How do you find your way in these caves?" Tom asked, glancing around. It was pitch black,
and all he saw was... nothing.

"We look. Sometimes use plant. Gives light; not miss paths that way. Was given to us by
Diae many years past." He turned a corner and his voice became muffled for an instant until
they, too, passed it. "Every person knows caves. We learn when much young."

"And you don't get lost?"

"Some - few - do. Some found. Some not. Some go through d'janto-Diae, and not found until
meeting time."

"What's a 'd'janto-Diae'?" B'Elanna asked.

"Is... light. Go through, go other caves. Meet other people. Called 'Hand of Diae'."

"It sounds like some kind of subspace anomaly," Harry commented. "How many are there?"

"One for one cave," Aeryj replied hotly. B'Elanna shot a Look in Harry's direction, knowing
what had sent the exotic man into such a mood, but he didn't see it in the dark.

"Have you always lived down here?" Janeway asked, not oblivious to the tension between her
officers.

"As long as we know. The d'drion-faroae not catch us down here. Afraid of dark."

"The people you were running from this morning?" Tom guessed.

"Yes. They are angry at us for getting best food, best life. They not know how to live
right."

A primitive war of the natives, Janeway decided. It would be best not to get involved in
*that*, at least; even considering Starfleet had been here already. 

She spotted a faint glow around the corner, or thought she did; it could have been her eyes
playing tricks on her. But when they turned she *knew* it was real - it looked like some
kind of flurorescent seaweed.

"Amya," Aeryj explained. "Gift from Diae to help us find way in caves." He carefully
plucked a strand and held it up to light the way. "Just a little further."

~~~

"How many do you think actually learned our language?" Janeway asked, slightly hesitantly.
She had already realised that this was a major problem. But she was going to get around it:
somehow. Nothing had stopped them yet - not the Kazon, not the Borg, not a fluffy pink
killer nebula; and she was damned if she was going to let a malfunctioning UT get in the
way.

"Four learned here. Less, I think, in other caves. None, one in most."

That wasn't something she'd wanted to hear. She frowned.

"How many other caves have you been to?" B'Elanna probed. "Five, six?"

He counted silently, unused to the English numbers still, then said, "Eleven." All the
fingers on two hands, then one more.

"That's about ten people, I'd guess."

"Ten, maybe. Nine, more likely."

"Nine people from twelve caves," Janeway said, "some of which may not be alive still. And
some of them have discovered space travel." This piece of information they had discovered
just a few moments ago when he mentioned a couple of caves with what he called "kund'o",
which turned out to be some kind of spaceships.

"Those aren't good figures," Tom muttered.

"Not good at all."

~~~

B'Elanna was seated comfortably in the dark - which her eyes were now getting used to -
next to Aeryj, stroking a small creature that could have been either a canine or a rodent.
They were discussing the social structures of their respective cultures, and she listened
intently to his explanation. "We have a di, who is.. big person. Runs festivals, decides
choices when is equal. Big job. When making decision each side says why to go with them,
then we stand on side we like, and Diamar counts."

She nodded. "What happens if there's the same number on each side, and Diamar doesn't know
which option is best? How does she decide?"

He hesitated before answering, choosing his words carefully. "I not know. I will rub her
bone about it later."

"You'll *what*?"

"Is casual speak. I will ask her."

Oh, slang. Of course, she thought, every culture has slang. "On Kess-" She was interrupted
by the chirrup of her commbadge.

"Kim to Torres. We're having some problems in Engineering, and I-"

"Can't Carey handle it? He was left in charge."

"There was an accident; he's in Sickbay. Technically you're still on shift."

"Oh, mierda! Fine, Torres out." She stood up reluctantly, sending the creature on its way.
"Sorry, duty calls."

"Is alright. I know sometimes work is more important than talk."

She smiled in the dark. "Thanks. And, one more thing. Want to tell me how to get out of
here?"

"No problem."

She smiled again at his answer, one that he'd learned from Tom, and waited for him to stand
before letting him lead her down the stone tunnel.

~~~

Kathryn stood at the head of the meeting table, glancing at each face in turn: Chakotay, at
her side as always; Tuvok, calm as usual; Tom, looking slightly bored; B'Elanna, shooting
irritated glances at Harry who in turn was glaring at Aeryj, who was trying to ignore him;
and the Doctor. She cleared her throat, and everyone looked at her. "I think you all know
why we're here. Aeryj's people go a long way, probably right back home, and we can't speak
the language. I want a solution. Now."

Nobody spoke for a moment, then Tom ventured, "Translator?"

"Anyone who joined us here would likely never get back home again. I don't know if we could
find someone willing to give that up."

"Like Neelix?" B'Elanna asked. Kathryn gave her a look.

"Neelix was different. There was nothing for him out here. These people live in a
community. Think how it was for us when we first arrived here. I think a translator is out
of the question, Tom."

"No," Aeryj said. The entire senior staff turned to look at him, and Tuvok cocked an
eyebrow. "My people are all curious. That is why we left our caves in the first place, when
we met t'd'Drien. *I* would not give up a chance like this. I know a lot of us would not."

"You think you know someone who would want to do this?"

"Yes. I would."

There was a general murmuring, and Kathryn hesitated before nodding. "Alright. Welcome
aboard."

Harry glared at the wall.

END PART ONE
2B CONTINUED IN PART TWO