Letters From The Delta Quadrant

Letter From B'Elanna To Her Mother
T'Racy — 01 Feb 1998

Dear Mother,

Greetings, and wishes for an honorable day. Your daughter submits to your wisdom and knowledge.

Mother, I'm not sure if you'll get this letter, or if you will want to read it once you do receive it. But, I found myself compelled to write it regardless.

I am now aboard the Federation Starship Voyager, journeying on our way home from the Delta Quadrant. How we arrived here is a long and arduous story;. I wish to have the opportunity to tell you once we've returned to the Alpha Quadrant. But the fact is, this has become more than a journey through space for me. Our trek and trials has helped me to grow, and to learn many things about myself, not only as a Klingon, and a Human, but as a woman. I guess you could say I have firsthand experience with all of those facets, as I was gentically split into a Klingon woman and a Human woman by a doctor of a race suffering from a disease that disfigured and killed . He was under the theory that my Klingon genes would somehow cure them. Unfortunately, my Klingon alter ego was killed before he could finish his research. As awful as the circumstances were, I could not help but feel compassion and pity for them, as race so desperate for an end to their affliction, they would stop at nothing - even go so far as murder - to cure themselves. However, despite the fact that my human side remained alive, I could not survive without the Klingon DNA, of all things. The Doctor aboard our vessel replaced the missing DNA, and I was once again a half Klingon. You know, that was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. After all, I always had dreamed of being a human girl, accepted by the humans as an equal, and by the Klingons as a human, rather than as a half breed freak. All my dreams were dashed because I found that I could not live without the one thing that I hated the most about myself. Since that time, I've had opportunity to reflect on my heritage and even come to terms with it.

I've celebrated two Days of Honor, in mostly the traditional way since I've been aboard Voyager. I say "mostly" because both holidays were less than normal days. I've discovered that yes, despite what you and your family might think, I am a woman of honor. I've changed peoples lives for the better, even made some of them close friends. I've saved my crewmates' lives, defeated many enemies in battle, forced an entire culture to admit that it had in the past commited genocide...and the list goes on.

No, I haven't built any empires lately, but I think I've done something better: I've built relationships, ones that will last, even under strain of battle, and through time.

And Mother, I have even fallen in love. I know what you're thinking, that I am crazy to do this, crazy to become vulnerable, and bare my throat to the enemy, so to speak. But, Tom Paris is an honorable man. You would respect him, I believe. He is a man of integrity, one who readily give his life for another, and almost has, on many occasions. He is a man with whom you get what you see. He has stood by me through thick and thin, and doing some unlikely things. Encouraging me to delve deeper into my Klingon heritage, for instance. Most human men I've run across would go to the other extreme, and have, trying to make me more human. But, I'm not. And Tom cares for me regardless.

I must finish this, so it can be sent with the others. I am well, and hope that you are as well. My thoughts are with you,

Your Daughter,
B'Elanna