Star Trek: Outwardly Mobile

Episode 54: Rondo in Green

Stardate (51417.1)

By

Jay P. Hailey,

Garry Stahl,

and the

The Star Trek Players

"Captain's Log, Stardate 51417.1. Li'ira Recording.

"The ShiKahr has been assigned the most dreaded of all Starship Duties, V.I.P. transport. We are to pick up a Mister Verdan from the planet Standish and transport him to Earth for the biannual economics conference there. A little bit of research reveals Verdan to be an expatriate Orion man who runs a very successful business enterprise. Unfortunately a little research is all I can do. Official records seem at best reticent about the man."

"I hope that the ShiKahr was not assigned the task of transporting an Orion Businessman because of my own race. Not only would this be insentive and crude, but also foolhardy. Golden Orions generally do not take well to the concept of free Green Orions. I fear that Mister Verdan may well be in for an unpleasant surprise. This would not advance the cause of free trade or diplomatic relations with the Orions."

-*-

"Good Lord!" Aaron St. John-Smythe boggled. "What sort of creature is that?" He gestured across the lounge of the ShiKahr at a horrifying alien creature.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Aaron as he took in the details of the being. It was humanoid in form. It was green and shiny, as though covered in rubber with hard plastic plates placed strategically. It had large insect eyes covering the upper half of its face. Facets shined out from the eyes, covering almost 270 degrees of vision. The creature's lower face was almost human, with normal nose, lips and mouth that looked horribly out of place.

Instead of a left hand, the creature possessed a huge claw, maybe two feet long, with a vicious looking serrated edge. Correspondingly, his forearm and wrist connected to the claw were deformed and rearranged to handle much different loads. From the creature's hindquarters, a segmented tail rose. Definitely reminiscent of a scorpion, it ended in a large bulb from which a stinger emerged. Aaron noted that the stinger was hollow, no doubt allowing for a poisonous injection.

"That's Chief Claw." Tandala McBier said. She spokewith as much matter-of-fact acceptance as she could jam into the simple phrase.

Smythe looked more closely. The creature had rank pips and a comm-badge affixed to its plates in the appropriate locations. It was wearing a black kilt made of the same material that Starfleet uniforms were made out of. It had a phaser 2 in a holster on its left side, ready for the creature's almost human right hand to draw.

"Chief Claw? What planet is he from?"

"We picked him up at Omicron Delta Alpha." Tandala said.

"The Amusement Park Planet?" St. John-Smythe looked confused.

"He's actually from Durendal."

St. John-Smythe shook his head. "The sword worlds are populated by Orions and Humans, mostly. I didn't know they had any native species."

Tandala sighed. "Lt. Commander, Claw is a genetically modified human."

St. John-Smythe leaned back in his chair and recoiled in horror. His face went white and he grimaced as shock rolled through him. His stomach threatened to heave his breakfast all over the table "M- My God in Heaven!" Aaron was appalled.

Tandala tilted back enough so that if he lost it, it wouldn't mess her uniform up.

"Who - Who would do such a thing!" St. John-Smythe all but snarled.

"The after action reports suggest that some of the Sword Worlds Nobles were attempting to create a race of super soldiers. They failed. Claw is the last one that we know of," McBier said.

Aaron grimaced "And the ShiKahr put a stop to this plan?"

Tandala shook her head. "No. It was Cobra Force."

Aaron blinked. "I've worked with Cobra Force. It's hard to believe they could locate Durendal on their own."

Tandala waved at Claw "Claw! There's someone new."

Claw smiled and rose. It was such a natural human gesture in such a horrific face. he came over. "Hi Tandala! Who's your friend?"

The easy familiarity grated on St. John-Smythe's nerves. On automatic reflex he stiffened and announced clearly. "I am Lieutenant Commander Aaron St. John-Smythe of the Royal Space Navy."

"Cool!" Claw perked. "We didn't get to stop at Standish. It was a touch and go. What's it like?"

Claw saw a thin human of medium height, with blonde hair kept absolutely regulation length. It seemed to want to curl up and fly away though, if only Aaron would allow it. His uniform was black trousers and boots indistinguishable from the Starfleet models. His creases were sharp and his boots could reflect laser beams. His shirt was white turtleneck and he had on a black sweater. Shoulder boards held rank stripes that Claw couldn't read. His comm-badge was a complicated crest featuring a Lion and a Unicorn, an Anchor and several words in a language that Claw didn't know.

"Ummm. Standish is a physically beautiful world." Aaron said, "We like to think we've preserved the best of Earth's culture and history there."

Someone who knew Tandala would have been able to see exactly what she thought of St. John-Smythe's statement. "The Lieutenant Commander is aboard the ShiKahr to begin an exchange tour in Starfleet." She informed Claw. "Please, join us."

"Thank you!" Claw said. As he sat, he said to Aaron, "I hope you enjoy Starfleet. The chow's good, and all you can eat. The synthehol sucks, but at least they try." Claw gestured with his right hand towards an empty glass.

Aaron hesitated. Curiosity warred with rampant distaste.

Claw continued "You really can't beat the people in Starfleet. I haven't met a nicer bunch. Not that I've met lots of people."

"Claw's a lateral transfer from Cobra Force." Tandala said.

"Ah." St. John-Smythe nodded. He struggled to come up with something positive to say about the mercenary organization. "I worked with Cobra Force once, about a year ago."

"The Pirate base at Zarlon Minor." Claw Nodded "I was there."

"Were you?" St. John-Smythe wasn't terribly surprised. Cobra Force was rumored to let in anything or anyone motile enough to carry a phaser or a grenade launcher.

Claw turned to Tandala "These guys were so mean, listen to this - We joined the fleet and approached the base for a bombardment. After a couple of hours, the heavy weapons were pretty well gone and all the ships that could escape were gone or captured. So then it was our turn. We launched in our assault crafts and tied up to the station at strategic points. We burned through and all hell broke loose. Those Orions fought like madmen. My squad got pinned down well short of the reactor core. The fire was really heavy. We didn't now how it was all going to end."

Claw pointed to Aaron "These guys in the Standish Royal Navy, they were already beaming in their own commandos. While the Orions were busy fighting us, they just walked all over their computer, the reactor core and everything. We pulled out just ahead of the demolition charges. Those poor Orions never had much of a chance."

Tandala looked at Aaron, coolly. "How many people did you loose, Claw?"

Claw sighed. "We lost a few. Buzz Killigan, Quayle, and Detok in my Squad."

Aaron looked at the table. At the time, he'd considered the assault a great victory. After all, they'd used the disposable cranks and nutters of Cobra Force as the distraction and let them take the bulk of the casualties.

"Your people were very brave. We were all impressed by that." Aaron said.

"Thank you!" Claw said, genuinely appreciating the compliment. "Truth to tell, it was nice to be in a fight where the heavy phasers and photon torpedoes were on our side for once. Usually we're dug in around a small Ag-Colony trading fire with a raider."

"What is your position on the ShiKahr, Claw?" Tandala probed.

"Oooh, officially I'm a field medic and assistant science officer. I am popular on away teams though, especially when hostiles might be present." Claw grinned "I'm told that Starfleet ships can go years between engagements. That sounds wonderful."

"Yes, it does, rather." Aaron agreed quietly.

"What are your career plans, Claw?" Tandala asked.

Claw looked at her for a moment and then smiled "I'm working on getting my degree in genetic science. I have a way to go, but if things stay quiet, I may catch up with Crystara someday."

"Crystara is your Chief Science Officer, I take it?" Aaron asked.

"Lt. Acnapma. I'll introduce you to her." Tandala said.

"Is everyone on the ShiKahr so informal?" St. John-Smythe asked.

"Mister Suval is often quite formal." Claw said thoughtfully.

"He's our Executive Officer. He's Vulcan. " Tandala explained. "We've been a crew together for several years now, Lt. Commander. We're a family in many ways."

"Ah." Aaron nodded.

"Welcome aboard!" Claw said merrily.

-*-

Li'ira was the last to arrive at the doorway to the improvised VIP set up. She was in Starfleet dress uniform, with her decorations displayed. She moved stiffly and felt stiff. Part of that was the collar of the uniform. The high collar was designed to encourage people to keep their chins up and their spines straight. It made for good pomp and circumstance.

Part of it was Li'ira herself. She was heading into uncertain territory, and was drawing Starfleet style formality around herself like a blanket.

Even as it felt comfortable and reassuring, something about it felt wrong. Li'ira was used to that. The worry she'd overlooked something was a constant one; every crisis, every battle... it was always the same. Experience taught her that, despite it, she had to act.

Li'ira looked at Suval approvingly. He was also in Starfleet dress uniform with decorations. Li'ira felt he deserved more than he had, although his collection would be the envy of any staff officer.

Li'ira looked at Crystara and caught her breath. The Efrosian woman was wearing a midnight blue velvet sheath that highlighted her figure and all but invited one to run one's hands over it. The effect was striking. The midnight blue of the sheath contrasted nicely with the royal blue of Crystara's skin and the sky blue of Crystara's racing stripes. Li'ira never learned the technical name of the pale blue stripes that ran from the sides of Crystara's face, down her neck, and flared out across her shoulders. Li'ira could see that the stripes went all the way down.

Seeing Li'ira's expression, Crystara looked a touch uncomfortable. "The invitation said formal dinner. Given who our guests are..."

Li'ira shook her head. "It's not that... I'm just trying to pick my tongue up off the deck."

"Great physical beauty is always disturbing." Suval commented quietly.

"Crystara, you're killing me, do you know that?" Garan Draxil added

Crystara's grin in response seemed to light up the corridor. "Thank you, Suval, Captain."

Suval nodded solemnly and Li'ira let a breath out.

"I hope they know what they're in for." Li'ira said.

Li'ira looked to Sunshine, the Healer. She was dressed in a diaphanous gown, which seemed to shimmer lightly. As Li'ira peered carefully the white color of the gown revealed itself as an illusion, the gown was reflecting all the colors of the rainbow as it moved. Sunshine's figure was slimmer than Crystara's and Li'ira's. She seemed more lithe and graceful to Li'ira. The gown was actually of a conservative cut, with full sleeves and a higher neck than Li'ira would have expected.

"That's lovely material. What is that?" Li'ira asked.

"A little something from home." Sunshine said. "I didn't know Crystara was going to show me up this badly. Given our guests, I guess I'd better get used to it."

Crystara blushed a deeper blue "I didn't mean to Sunshine. Maybe we'd better discuss this next time."

Sunshine gave Crystara a small shoulder squeeze. "Enjoy yourself. How often do we get the chance to play dress-up like this?"

"I think it's a beautiful gown. And you wear it very well, Healer." Li'ira said.

"Anyone who didn't know you would think you got class or somethin'." Garan Draxil said with a smirk.

Sunshine dropped a very sincere curtsey and said in a very dignified tone "Thank you, Sir."

Everyone looked at Sunshine waiting for the punch line. Sunshine looked back and explained seriously, "That was a very sincere and heart felt compliment from an ignorant oaf."

Suval's eyebrow rose. Li'ira and Crystara chuckled. Garan, too. "That's me. I'm an oaf, but I'm a sincere one."

Sunshine eyed the Acamerian appraisingly "You don't clean up too bad."

Garan rubbed his face. "Man, I don't believe I shaved for this and everything."

That got another chuckle. Garan Draxil was as well turned out as Li'ira had ever seen him, with his dress uniform all straight and his Starfleet decorations mixed with his Acamerian house lineage decorations.

"Time." Suval said. He pressed the doorbell to the improvised VIP quarters.

The door slid open to reveal Amanda, Verdan's hostess. She was built long and elegant. Her hair was in an elaborate coif. Li'ira spotted subtle signs of make up that highlighted Amanda's excellent complexion and skin.

Li'ira would have guessed that make up would be largely superfluous on a Green Orion Woman. She used bare minimums herself. Amanda's *looked* minimal, but the effect was to leverage the effects of her face. Instead of being simply eye catching and attention holding, Amanda was breathtaking.

Her dress was a simple white design with a huge diamond shaped cut out in the middle. Amanda's midriff was bare down and the exposed skin continued dangerously low. The exposed skin also continued upward until the round shapes of her breast peeked out from under the bottom edge of the dress.

The way Amanda stood both leveraged the effect, and bore it with grace. By comparison, Li'ira felt a touch plain, and unremarkable. In a deep corner of her mind, this cheered her up somewhat.

"Welcome," Amanda said. Her voice flowed like liquid emerald "Thank you for coming." She stepped back from the door and gestured into the main area of the communal Orion quarters.

Li'ira led the way into the converted cargo hold. The ShiKahr was of an older generation in Starfleet. Her decks and bulkhead were not so easily reconfigured. They were thick and armored, designed to resist forced alterations.

So when Verdan requested the unusual quarters configuration, Tandala McBier and Byrdy quickly grabbed a handy large, open space and converted it. The result was a communal quarters and office set up that seemed to lack a lot of personal privacy.

Li'ira walked in and stopped. The smell was almost intoxicating to her. Not just one, but six different Green Orion people lived in the space. She could consciously smell each of their different scents. She quickly clamped down on her arousal. For Li'ira the Green Orion pheromones weren't just a blast of naked lust, although that was definitely a component. The effect of the pheromones also made her *lonely* on a very fundamental level. Li'ira knew from bitter past experience that this could affect her judgment.

Restraining herself so tightly also had an effect on her judgment. Li'ira felt it was something she could adjust for more easily.

Verdan was in a flat black suit of a conservative cut and excellent material. "Welcome." He said. Verdan was slim and energetic. His face was sculpted in energetic lines. His nose was a touch too sharp, his eyes a touch too wide. His black hair was short and worn in a cut that took some time to get exactly right.

He grinned at his Guests happily. "I'm so glad you could come by." He focused on Li'ira "Especially you, Captain."

Li'ira bowed her head respectfully "Thank you for the invitation Mister Verdan. We are certainly curious about you."

Verdan grinned. "Excellent."

Off to the side of the door, in a position to cover Verdan was Paladin, Verdan's bodyguard. He was tall, broad across the shoulders and seemed to be sculpted of flat, severe planes. His clothes were carefully tailored black slacks, black short-sleeved shirt and gray jacket. He had a pair of wrap around shades on which hid his eyes and leveraged his stone like face. Paladin's skin was forest green and his short black hair was slick back against his skull. His motions were graceful and economical. There was never any wasted movement.

Paladin was dangerous. He was, perhaps, the most dangerous individual Li'ira had ever seen. However, that danger was not the first thing Li'ira thought of when she looked at him. He stared back impassively from behind his shades. Li'ira deliberately took her gaze off Paladin and looked at the rest of the party.

Verdan and Paladin were the only males in the party of six.

Li'ira's eyes were drawn to Olivia. Olivia was dressed in a body suit made of some very clingy, stretchy fabric that molded itself to her body very closely. The material was also heat sensitive, creating a rainbow of color across Olivia's body, highlighting her breasts and pubic area. Li'ira caught her breath. The effect was stunning and stunningly blatant. Large, intelligent, emerald eyes looked back at Li'ira.

Veela was the shortest and slimmest of Verdan's female staff. She grinned a lot, and it was a very catchy grin. Veela was also the most talkative of Verdan's group, with a quick, sharp wit that was almost too fast for her own good.

Li'ira noted that Veela had an excellent body that seemed designed for motion. It was wrapped in a very short dove gray dress. The material looked like felt, or something similarly inviting. The soft color brought out the highlights in Veela's skin shades. She was lighter emerald and her skin ranged happily over variations in that color. Her grin seemed to say "New Playmates!"

Gloria's face was round and sensitive looking. She wore a powder blue dress of asymmetric cut. Her right arm and shoulder were bare, along with a healthy portion of her right breast. Gloria's left leg was also uncovered. The dress clung to the right hip but slid up Gloria's belly and met itself over the left hip, leaving the line of the hip and leg uncovered. Gloria's left arm and right leg were covered by the dress.

Gloria smiled an open, inviting smile. "Come talk to me." The smile said "Tell me secrets. It'll be okay."

Li'ira deliberately disbelieved Gloria's smile. She nodded gently to the woman.

Li'ira stepped aside and said, "May I present my officers? This is Commander Suval, our Executive Officer. Lieutenant Commander Crystara Acnapma, our Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Sunshine of Askene, Our Chief Medical officer, and Lieutenant Garan Draxil of Acamar, Our Chief Security and Tactical Officer."

Li'ira noticed that Garan Draxil was all but drooling. She mentally kicked herself. Draxil was her back up for a fight. He was a good fighter and always looking for the oblique approach to a conflict. It was all but torture to put him in a room with four, no five Green Orion Women. Draxil was accustomed to her own pheromones and they didn't provoke nearly as great a reaction from him as when they had first met.

Li'ira was seeing first hand evidence, though, that exposure to one Green Orion Woman didn't lend much resistance to the effect of another. Let along four. Considering the effect of the dress of Verdan's staff, Li'ira was glad she'd slipped a phaser one up her sleeve. She might need to stun Draxil to avoid an incident.

The effect was noticeable for all of them, Suval seemed flushed green, but calm otherwise. Li'ira could spot the somewhat more rapid breathing, and other effects to know that Suval was very much affected.

Crystara was breathing rapidly herself, which had an interesting effect on her own blue velvet sleeve, and was flushed deeper blue.

Sunshine seemed to be daintily flushing. She caught Li'ira's eye, winked slightly and grinned impudently. Sunshine just wanted to see who'd loose control first, and intended to enjoy the show, thoroughly.

Verdan nodded to each officer in turn. "I am pleased to meet you all, and I'm happy you could come, this evening. May I introduce my staff? This is Amanda, my Hostess. I suppose you could call her the officer in charge of social relations. Next is Olivia, my Financial Control Officer. She knows where all the credits are going and what's happening to them. This is Veela my executive assistant. When I can't find my head she hands it to me."

"Only if you pay the ransom first!" Veela piped up.

Grinning, Verdan continued "And this is Gloria, our Chief Sales Officer. She finds customers for the services we provide."

Li'ira nodded and smiled a genuine if restrained smile at each "Pleased to have you aboard."

Verdan moved to the wet bar. It was across the common area offset some from the main entry doorway. "May I get you something? Dinner's prepared and we're ready to seat."

Li'ira shook her head, faintly. "Nothing for me, thank you."

Suval nodded "A small portion will suffice."

Garan Draxil spoke a touch hoarsely. "Dude, do you have any serious sedatives in there?"

Verdan nodded and chuckled. "I know exactly what you mean. I'm the only one in the group who doesn't have a pheromone kick of my own."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't affect us, Verdan." Gloria said.

"You have the smell of lots of latinum. That's just as good." Veela teased.

Verdan finished arranging Draxil's "sedative."

"Ladies?" He asked.

"Please come sit down." Amanda said, gesturing to the dining table. It was a large conference table from the ShiKahr's stock, with plenty of generic Starfleet seats around it. Enough to seat the entire party and then some. It was towards the back of the large common quarters area, through a sort of lounging area where chairs, couches and low tables were placed.

Along the upper edge of the hold was a balcony, which led to small coveys and sleeping nooks.

Sunshine approached the bar "You brought your own cellar?"

Verdan gestured broadly, offering the contents "I like to be prepared for any eventuality."

Sunshine peeked over the bar.

Paladin moved to cover her.

Sunshine saw this and said, while leaning over the bar. "Relax, mister body guard, sir. If I am assassin, I'll try to find a more dignified position from which to strike."

Paladin didn't relax. Li'ira noticed that Verdan's chuckle was forced. "I'm sure she's fine."

Garan followed Sunshine to the bar, carefully avoiding Paladin's lanes of fire. He took the drink Verdan offered him and slugged a good swallow of it.

It took him a moment to process the sensations. "Whoa, Dude! This *is* some serious stuff!"

Verdan smiled "I hope it's to your liking."

"You do know how to travel." Sunshine said, "What's that one?" She pointed to a blue bottle.

Suval approached a chair at the table. At a gesture from Amanda he sat down in a posture that was upright, correct and self possessed. It looked reasonably comfortable, anyway.

Suval looked at Li'ira and raised an eyebrow.

Li'ira stepped forward and took a seat at the table. Gloria sat down next. She looked at Li'ira as though she were going to say something for a few minutes but settled for smiling again instead.

Li'ira looked at Suval intently. Did he have any clues? His return look was enough of a reply, he didn't have one.

Crystara took a seat next to Veela "That's such a lovely dress!" Veela cooed. She stuck out a forefinger "May I?"

Crystara was flushed and her arousal was evident. "I suppose so."

Veela carefully ran her finger down the side of Crystara's tummy and onto her hip. "Real velvet."

"Real replicated velvet." Crystara said.

"I like your style!" Veela said, dimpling brightly at Crystara.

Draxil took another large slug of his drink.

"This one is Andorian Honey Mead." Verdan said, holding up the blue bottle Sunshine indicated.

"Honey Mead?" Sunshine look at the bottle intently "I haven't had good Honey Mead in a long time. May I?"

"Ummm, it is Andorian." Verdan said. "But we can try a touch, shall we?"

Amanda brought Suval his glass with a small portion. "[We are honored by your presence.]" Her Vulcan was flawless.

"[We are here to serve.]" Suval replied with a solemn nod. He took a sip. "Vulcan wine."

"It's a very good vintage." Amanda said.

"I'm sure." Suval said with another nod.

"I hope you don't mind, Captain, but we're all very curious about you." Verdan said. "The girls have been looking forward to meeting you."

Veela leapt in. "Captain, You're the first full-blooded Green to reach command rank. You're a Starship Captain!"

Gloria explained "You See Captain, Verdan Enterprises is one of the few organizations that is really a new home for escaped Greens and expatriate Orions. There's always some uncertainty about how we'll be accepted into Federation society. How we'll be able to make our way. When word of the Harrier incident got out, you became something of a role model for us."

"A hopeful symbol at least." Olivia added.

Li'ira was stunned. "I didn't know."

"Perhaps it would be best to focus on dinner, now." Amanda said.

Next to the large dining table a rolling buffet held the evening's meal. There were several courses and alternative dishes to account for the various biological and cultural preferences of the guests.

At the invitation of Verdan and Amanda, the rest of the dinner party seated.

Amanda and Olivia served the meal, moving with quick grace and professionalism around the table. Verdan looked like he wanted to join in with serving the guests. A quick, meaningful look from Amanda put an end to that train of action. Instead, Verdan seated himself at the head of the table.

"Thank you all for coming this evening." Verdan said. "Dinner starts in different ways among different cultures. On Earth, some people have toasts where they express good will. Other people say prayers to thank their gods for the food they enjoy."

"Among Orions, the custom is to sing a song of welcoming." Taking a deep breath, Verdan launched into his welcoming song. His voice wasn't terrible, although he was by no means a professional singer. As he completed the first verse, Amanda joined in, serving and singing. Li'ira enjoyed Amanda's singing. The woman had a professional quality voice and training in how to sing.

Paladin did not sing, but managed to seem a good deal less grim as he watched Amanda serve.

Li'ira knew the custom, by second hand accounts. When Verdan's song finished, she made the appropriate reply. "You are gracious in your hospitality and we are grateful," accompanied by a small bow.

Verdan's grin let Li'ira know she'd gotten close enough to the proper response.

Li'ira took a deep breath and leapt into her topic of conversation. "Mister Verdan, I hope you won't mind me saying that you have a unique attitude for a Golden Orion noble and businessman."

Verdan nodded, "Thank you."

"I'm curious. I hope you don't mind my asking some questions." Li'ira said.

Verdan eyed her carefully. "We have some questions about you, too. Trade?"

"I'll answer whatever I can." Li'ira said

"Thank you. I fear I must also qualify my willingness to answer. I do have trade secrets, you know. I and my staff are entitled to some privacy and modesty." Verdan said

"Certainly." Li'ira demurred.

"Modesty?" Veela said "You?"

Verdan chuckled. "Please, Captain." He gestured her to continue.

"We were assigned this mission almost out of the blue. I started to do some research about Verdan Enterprises, but didn't turn up very much." Li'ira explained. "How did you and your staff find yourselves on Standish?"

Verdan's head titled to the side. "You really don't know? Didn't you used to work for Starfleet Intelligence in the Orion Colonies?"

Li'ira nodded. "I did. That was years ago. There is very little that's older than old intelligence. I haven't been keeping up with developments on Botchok."

"How about House Genalin?" Verdan asked.

Li'ira thought about it. "Genalin is one of about twenty four major houses. Large money. Why, are you related?"

Verdan became serious "I was the scion of house Genalin. I came very close to becoming the ruler of house Genalin."

Li'ira blinked at him, stunned. "Oh. I had no idea. What happened to Krolas?"

"My father was killed five years ago, while conducting a pirate raid." Verdan said mildly.

"I'm sorry." Li'ira said.

Verdan shrugged. "I barely knew him. This is the source of the attitude that you remarked on."

Li'ira shifted and leaned forward, interested. "We don't know as much as we'd like about life inside the noble classes of Orions. I'd like to hear what it was like."

Verdan replied "Being a noble is all about power and fear. Power is what you seek, and fear is how you keep it. House servants raise the children of nobles. Only those with the least ambition can be trusted not to use the children as tools. Only those you can punish as you please are beyond the effects of money and power."

"Malia, my nurse, was offered bribes to kill me no less than three times. She reported each to my Father. She was well rewarded. My late Father was seldom a fool."

"Malia was not a common slave. She had learning, and secretly passed it to the other Greens in the house. The Greens in my Father's house, under his very nose had more learning that he did. I grew to see Greens as competent capable people, and my equals, not my inferiors."

"How did she manage that?" Li'ira asked.

"One of the things my Father was a fool about. He could never see past green skin and sense any intelligence of worth. Greens were loyal because greens were. Malia raised me to see what others could not, or would not. My deepest regret is that she did not see the success we have enjoyed."

"I'm sorry I missed meeting her." Li'ira said, quietly.

"What happened to her?" Sunshine asked.

"She took a phaser beam meant for me." Verdan sighed deeply.

"So how do you come to find yourself on Standish and not in the Colonies?" Crystara asked.

"My attitude towards Greens has proven the most dangerous of my stands. I found myself in control of the house after my father bungled the raid. I started seeing that my Greens were educated, and I placed them in positions of authority. This did not sit well with my brothers or my contemporaries. In time I learned that education is not enough - freedom is also required to get the most from anyone. I freed all my Greens."

"Yes, some left, I expected that, but I started looking for the jewels in the dross. All my current top people are those I found, rescued and trained. This has me outlawed among the Colonies. I was forced to move operations to Standish some four years ago. I find the Federation a refreshing and comforting place to do business."

Garan nodded "Yeah, dude, fer sure, freedom and power to the Greens you know, but that stuff doesn't make you rich. How'd you get rich?"

Suval and Li'ira stared at Garan in shock.

Garan shot back "You think they let him set up operations on Standish because his heart was pure?" He turned back towards Verdan, "Your operation means money and lots of it, dude. Me, I'm just a little Starfleet officer, travelin' explorin', and breakin' the legs the Captain says to so, like, I'll promise to, like not compete or sell anything you tell me. Now give, where's the money coming from?"

Sunshine was barely able to keep her face straight, "Garan, it's not usually polite to discuss business at a social function."

Garan rolls his eyes and grumbled "Man, I'm just a primitive barbarian with a blaster in my hand. You're gonna make me remember all that polite crap?"

Sunshine nodded, barely restraining a wide grin.

Li'ira was cold, wintry and evil "I would appreciate it if you did."

Garan realized that Li'ira was really angry "Uh oh. Hey Verdan, when Li'ira fires me, can I have a job?"

Sunshine dipped her head to hide her grin. She was enjoying Draxil's social ineptitude thoroughly.

Crystara carefully did not see anything.

Suval simply observed, with no comment, but big logic was written on his face.

"Business is a social function." Verdan grinned "As in the old Earth saying, to make a small fortune, first start with a large one. It helps to start rich. Getting driven out of the Orion Colonies was an advantage. I lost much, but was able to bring some assets with me. I discovered that the Federation makes making money easy, and keeping it even easier. In the Colonies, each house is like a monkey trying to get out of a barrel. However each house is in there with all the other monkeys. If they cannot have the place at the lip, they will pull those that have a place down. They treat success as a zero sum game. The Federation is not this way. When there is competition, and fierce at times, it is seen that the wealthier you neighbor, the wealthier you can become."

"Your brothers were a nice bunch of guys!" Garan exclaimed "They let you take your money with you!"

"No, they didn't. I saw the writing on the wall, I moved my money and my interests, then my people, and lastly me. It took a good-sized dent in my wealth to do so. I really have only a fraction of the power and wealth I once had. I want Nomilee back, it was my Father's world, and it was mine, and one day it will be in the Federation if my grandchildren have to see to it."

Li'ira looked at him sharply "Starfleet Intelligence would really like to know more about moving money in and out of the Orion colonies."

Verdan nodded "That was before Gloria's time. I can provide you some pointers. I cannot guarantee success."

Li'ira nodded. "Thank you."

Verdan nodded. "My turn. Captain. How did you find your way into Starfleet?"

Li'ira thought about it. "I went to San Francisco and applied."

"Just like that?" Gloria asked.

"I wish I had known it was that easy." Veela said.

"They were, and still are desperate to prove that there's room for everyone at the Federation's table. I had to pass the entrance exams and meet the qualifications. They're not going to slap a Starfleet uniform on anyone just for being Green. You have to prove you can do the job. If you can do it, you're in." Li'ira explained.

"Aren't you the first Green in Starfleet?" Gloria asked. "That's the rumor."

Li'ira shook her head. "There have been a few others, about twenty of us over the last 100 years. I'm the first to reach command rank."

"Why Starfleet?" Veela asked.

Li'ira thought some more. "I was raised on a free trader."

"A boomer." Veela intejected.

"That's the Terran term for it." Li'ira said. "Things went bad for us. Starfleet showed up and saved me. They presented an image of competent, reliable people, standing up for the right thing. All at once I knew who I wanted to be."

"What happened to the rest of your family on the free trader?" Amanda asked quietly.

"My mother was killed two years before we lost the ship. She was trying to replace an engine baffle alone and the engine wasn't properly safed." Li'ira looked harsh.

"My condolences." Amanda said. Her emotion was elegant and sincere.

Sunshine caught Suval's eye and made a significant look. Suval raised his eyebrow faintly. It was the first time they'd ever heard Li'ira address the issue of her family.

"Your father is an Earthman named M.X. O'Keefe." Verdan prompted. "He's a licensed civilian starship captain according to the Botchok government."

Li'ira's face grew grim. "I have no father. I left him behind years ago."

"Why?" Sunshine asked.

Li'ira took a breath to refuse to answer. It was an old pain; one best left behind. As she did she looked at Verdan. Remembering that he'd been forthcoming about Krolas and Malia, Li'ira went ahead. "My quote father, end quote was the one with the engineering training. My mother tried to change the engine baffle by herself because O'Keefe was too drunk. It needed doing anyway."

The rest of the story came out in hard, cold lumps. "Two years later, my father tried to cut a deal with some smugglers. When the deal went south, they threatened to kill us. O'Keefe tried to save his own hide by offering them me."

Silence sat across the dinner table. It took Li'ira several minutes to be able to face her crewmen.

"Again, my condolences." Amanda said, softly.

Li'ira took a deep breath and worked out of the mental space invoked by the memory one more time. "That's when Starfleet showed up."

Li'ira was annoyed by the looks of comprehension that flashed across the faces of most of the guests.

"I apologize for intruding on your pain." Verdan said.

Li'ira smiled at him, maintaining magnificently. "Old news."

Amanda spoke up. "You may not be aware of it, Li'ira but your experience is a quintessentially Green one."

Li'ira blinked at her. "Really."

Veela nodded "Betrayal of trust is a strong theme with us. It colors our history, our songs, our stories."

Verdan spoke with firm conviction. "Not anymore. We've started a new chapter."

Amanda nodded gently. The rest of Verdan's party said nothing. Li'ira could see their opinion. At that moment she felt very Green. Betrayal as a way of life was indelibly etched into these people

Li'ira looked at Suval. He looked steadily back at her. His opinion was never evident until he stated it. For a moment, Li'ira felt as though her heart would burst out of her chest. Suval and her crew would not betray her. Li'ira felt grateful to an extent that seemed maudlin even as the emotion wrenched her.

Li'ira looked down and quickly dabbed at tears that threatened to come gushing forth.

"Tell us about Flagg." Veela said.

The rest of Verdan's party looked at her like she'd said something dirty.

Li'ira took a deep breath, more old news. "What about him? He was my first commanding officer, and oversaw much of my early training."

Verdan looked uncomfortable.

"How'd you wind up working with him?" Veela pressed.

Li'ira sighed. "When I first Joined Starfleet, I had no idea what I wanted to do. That's not true, I knew vaguely that I wanted to serve on Starships, but not in which capacity. Flagg appeared during my sophomore year and talked me into joining the Intelligence track under his tutelage. He convinced me that I could best serve the Federation there and so I went with him."

Suval looked mildly disturbed.

Veela prodded "Sooo, what happened?"

Li'ira condensed a lot of events into a short account. "After my training at Starfleet academy and a stint at sigint station not too far away from here, Flagg and I began covert operations in the Colonies."

Veela was positively bouncy. "Tell me about the raid on Kemel's operation."

"There are details I am not at liberty to discuss." Li'ira said. "But I think it's safe to say that this didn't go the way we were hoping. I was undercover as a buyer, or actually the disposable face for a buyer. I had an ear-piece I pretended to listen to. They didn't buy it."

Amanda nodded "Your body language is un-green. I imagine it would make you look suspicious."

Li'ira nodded "I suspected as much. I worked on it diligently, but it always felt like there was something I was missing."

Amanda looked into Li'ira. "I could help, if you like."

Li'ira nodded, "Perhaps. Fortunately I am a long way away from covert ops anymore. Anyhow, Kemel and his people captured me, and were going to try to interrogate me. Flagg rescued me."

"Did he really kill 40 people in that raid?" Veela asked.

Li'ira stopped dead and looked at Veela for a moment. "I don't know. I was restrained in a back room at the time. I saw a lot of people down as we left, but I assumed that, as per Starfleet standard operating procedure, the action team was using phasers set to stun."

Veela shook her head slowly. "That's not what I heard. Besides, stunned people don't get out of burning buildings very well."

Li'ira blinked "The building burned?"

Veela shrugged "That's what I heard."

Li'ira shrugged helplessly. "If it did, it started after our extraction."

Veela nodded.

Gloria looked a bit guilty but asked. "Was it true that Metok the Fog tried to assassinate you?"

Li'ira shook her head. "I heard of Metok, the Fog, but I am certain we were never important enough to draw the likes of him."

Gloria "Weren't you attacked in the marketplace?"

Li'ira nodded "Numerous times." She shook her head "Flagg's irrationality began to become apparent even then. Once while walking through the Market Place in Botchok Prime I was shot at by a sniper. As I went down I saw an explosion. Flagg used a modified tracking drone to back track the shot and destroy the shooter, and who ever else was standing nearby. He used enough explosive to severely damage the building the shot came from."

Gloria "You're lucky the sniper wasn't a better shot."

Li'ira nodded sincerely. "I was also wearing an anti-sensor belt, which probably defeated his lock on, somewhat. Luckily for me."

Verdan said "Li'ira, rumor has it that that sniper was Metok the Fog. He was last seen in that area and hasn't appeared since."

Li'ira paled. "No kidding? Oh, my."

Verdan continued "Flagg is often used by the Golden Orions as an example of what to expect from Starfleet Intelligence. The lower classes fear him and see Starfleet Intelligence as destroyers."

Li'ira took a deep breath. "That would explain a lot."

"He used you as a decoy." Gloria said.

Li'ira nodded. "It was my accepted role. The intention was that I would be inserted into the possession of an Orion noble at some point. If he was like your father, Verdan, unable to see Greens as fully people, the theory was that I'd be in a position to invisibly hear and pass along secrets."

Verdan nodded "That idea comes up every so often. I pity the poor Greens who take part in it. They are disposable pawns. Often they are sacrificed as negotiation points. Never are they taken seriously except for their uses. And when their uses are over, most of them die under torture, being interrogated. Old habit and custom demands that true business is never discussed in green presence for just that reason. Life in the noble class is so paranoid than even a perfect infiltrator has a limited life time."

Veela was intent on Li'ira "How did you escape Flagg's orbit?"

Li'ira smiled. "After we were withdrawn from the Orion sphere, Flagg and I became much more general agents. On a mission somewhere, Flagg came across Charles Holly, a mad scientist."

"The best kind!" Veela interjected.

"Hey!" Crystara objected "On behalf of sane scientists everywhere, I protest."

"Certainly new discoveries often require new conceptualizations." Suval allowed.

Li'ira continued. "Flagg decided that Starship Command was his ticket to higher rank. He and Dr. Holly devised a way to use Holly's scientific theories to create some new starship technology. Our patron allowed Flagg the budget to pull an old ship out of the mothball yards and refit her. That was the Harrier."

"Flagg wanted to command a Starship?" Verdan asked. Clearly the idea was not comfortable to him.

Li'ira nodded. "Fortunately, our patron's rivals caught wind of the plan and insisted that a real Starship Captain be placed in command."

"That was Captain Hadley?"

"Hailey. I was aboard the Harrier masquerading as the Executive Officer. I went back to Starfleet Academy to qualify for the Command position. I found that a lot of that material was familiar from the ship I grew up on, the Carbuncle. It was mostly basic ship handling stuff. Flagg was also aboard the Harrier undercover as the Tactical Officer of the ship. Flagg had intended to masquerade as the Captain, himself. As I said, fortunately, rivals got wind of his scheme and put Hailey in there."

"I bet Flagg was pissed." Draxil said.

"He was." Li'ira said. "He became paranoid and felt that Hailey's inclusion in the mission represented the work of a dark conspiracy."

Verdan shook his head. "And to think the man is still in Starfleet."

Li'ira shook her head "He's not."

Verdan looked at her. "Isn't he?"

Li'ira looked at him. "No. I was there. John Flagg is no longer a member of Starfleet. Last I heard he went rogue. He may have joined the Maquis."

"This experimental mission resulted in you staying aboard the Harrier?" Olivia asked.

"Yes. Hailey insisted." Li'ira smiled. "He said I made him look too good to let go."

"There was rumor that you and Flagg were lovers." Veela seemed interested in the purient details.

"Yes. We were." Li'ira admitted grimly. "It wasn't a good thing."

Li'ira watched again as her own crew was taken aback.

Gloria asked absently "How about Hailey?"

Li'ira felt an odd mixture of grim and joy war over her face. "No. Not once."

That got reaction from Verdan's party. "Really?" Veela said.

"Ah. He's homosexual." Amanda surmised.

"He was gentleman and allowed me to serve as a starship officer without pressuring me for sex." Li'ira grated. "I am grateful to him for that."

This got another reaction from Verdan's group.

"And..." Veela asked hesitantly "...you didn't proposition him?" This point seemed almost as surprising to Verdan's group as the reverse.

Li'ira stared at them for a moment. Were they serious? They seemed to take it for granted that she would have. Li'ira blinked trying to absorb the idea.

Verdan coughed slightly drawing attention. "Captain. We're not Humans. We don't... operate on their rules."

Li'ira blinked "You mean you..." she pointed to Verdan and his party.

They nodded. "There's really not enough of him to go around," Veela explained, "but we share."

Garan Draxil took a big slug of his "sedative".

"Would you be willing to share Paladin with me?" Sunshine asked, oogling the body guard.

He oogled back. "Come talk to me when I am off duty."

Sunshine grinned. "Oo!"

Gloria looked at Li'ira and her crew. "You mean you don't have sex with your friends?" She pointed to them

Li'ira blinked. "No. That wouldn't be appropriate."

Veela was stunned. "No hugs. No cuddles, nothing?"

Li'ira looked her straight in the eye. "No."

Veela gasped. "Oh, you poor thing!"

Draxil took another big slug of his drink. "Verdan, Dude. I'm going to get another one of these."

Verdan gestured magnanimously towards his wet bar. "Help yourself, uh, Dude."

Sunshine stood up with Draxil. "Me, too."

Amanda spoke quietly. "Li'ira. We're sensual people. We're built for touching, and being together. Not sex necessarily -"

"Speak for yourself." Veela said

"- but, to close yourself off from all physical contact, It doesn't seem healthy."

Li'ira felt tears well up but stifled them. Her body was yelling that Amanda was right. Li'ira deliberately disbelieved it.

"I am perfectly healthy," Li'ira's voice sounded cold and harsh to her own ears. "Thank you for your concern."

Glances were exchanged among Verdan's Party. "Obviously, we have intruded on personal territory. Please accept my apologies, Captain."

"None are necessary." Li'ira voice slowly lost it's grating tone. "The Vulcans say there is no offense where none is taken."

Verdan bowed. "Thank you."

-*-

As The Starfleet officers stood up to leave, Gloria said "Garan, would you be willing to stay here for a bit longer?"

Draxil's head whipped around quickly. "Ummm."

Draxil turned back towards Li'ira and made an admirable attempt to keep the plea out of his voice. "Captain?"

Li'ira felt mildly annoyed at being involved in the sexual politics of Verdan's party, and that Draxil would feel that he needed her approval. "You're off duty, Lieutenant." She said. "How you choose to spend your time is up to you."

Draxil turned back to Gloria. "Don't mind if I do, Thank you very much."

Li'ira made good her escape.

-*-

"Gentlemen" Jaresh-Inyo nodded to the Admirals as he bombed into the Situation Room. Inyo always seemed to raise the energy level of a room when he walked into it.

At his nod, the Admirals relaxed from the full attention stance that passed for a salute in Starfleet. Castillo, the charismatic Commander of the Chiefs said "We have a situation along the Neutral Zone, Mister President."

"So I've heard." Jaresh-Inyo walked up the huge display table, which showed the area under concern. "Are the Romulans serious?"

Andraninos, A tall, thin Andorian noted for his straight shooting attitude pointed at the display. "Our patrols along the border have noted no aggressive Romulan activity. If this were some sort of build up, I'd expect to see more support moving into the area. The Romulans have been quiet."

Jaresh-Inyo turned to another Admiral at the table. "Intelligence?"

Allynna Necheyev was a short, blonde woman with a classic profile and formidable presence. "Our sources had no warning of this, and that bothers me, frankly. Our information on Romulan military movements and preparedness is not as good as I'd like, but our sources say that politically the Romulan are focused away from us towards the Kliges'chee."

Jaresh-Inyo sighed and chewed his bottom lip. The Kliges'chee were the largest wildcard in politics since the Borg appeared and disappeared.

Chun Lee stood at the President's Elbow. An Asian man with wise eyes, a warm smile and a warp 9 mind, he was Jaresh-Inyo's Chief of staff. "Diplomatic feelers to the Romulans have been generally ignored, although there is reported some small progress through the Vulcans."

"Damn Ambassador Spock anyway." Jaresh-Inyo said. It was almost a mantra when diplomacy regarding the Romulans came up.

Chun Lee nodded and smiled "As you say, however it does appear that once again, he is the route that such minor progress uses."

"How did this come up?" Jaresh-Inyo asked.

Castillo grinned. Andraninos, Necheyev and Thomas frowned. "The USS Kongo was on patrol along the Romulan Neutral Zone." Castillo Explained. "The Romulan Warbird Natoark decloaked and opened communications."

Jaresh-Inyo turned towards Castillo's staff standing half a step behind. "It looks like Captain Grayson is out to eclipse the Enterprise-D, Jean-Luc." He grinned.

Jean Luc Picard smiled back "If it means peace with the Romulans, Mister President, I shan't begrudge him."

Jaresh-Inyo turned to Necheyev. "What do we know of the Natoark?"

Nechevey glanced briefly at her PADD "A D'Deridex Class Warbird, apparently built within the last ten years. The USS Republic encountered her during a stand off over refugees from the Chanclonet conflict. The Natoark interfered with the USS A'Afa's pursuit of a pirate cruiser. We suspect that the pirate cruiser may have had some Intelligence significance."

"Our last information says that her Commander is one Torack. He is a minor cousin to the Marrus family, which is unusual in the Romulan hierarchy. They gather much of their power and influence from commerce and production, rather than straight ahead military power."

"Well that may explain it." Jaresh-Inyo mused.

"If it does, they had to sell it to proconsul Kota." Necheyev said.

Jaresh-Inyo turned to Admiral Thomas. "What is Starfleet Security's position?"

Thomas scowled. "I believe you should allow this. It's a risk, but a worthwhile one. I'll add more people and have the tiger teams make another run. I believe we have everything as secure as possible, within our guidelines."

Jaresh-Inyo turned to Andraninos "What is Military Operations Command's opinion?"

The Andorian nodded "I concur with Admiral Thomas. There seems to be no larger attack implied here. Anything that takes us towards a peaceful border with the Romulans is worth a look at least."

"How about Starfleet Intelligence?" Jaresh-Inyo asked Necheyev

"They're definitely up to something. However, that something may be settling the issue with us, so they can concentrate on the Kliges'chee. That works in our favor. If their plan were disturbing the conference, they would not be this blatant. I say go ahead." Necheyev explained.

Jaresh-Inyo thought about it for a few moments. "Admiral Castillo, send a message to the USS Kongo. Their request to allow the Romulan Warbird Natoark access to Federation Space and escort them to Earth for the Economic Conference is approved."

-*-

On the way out of the situation room. Chun Lee spoke to Jaresh Inyo. "This could be good for us."

Jaresh-Inyo turned towards his Chief of Staff. "Are you suggesting that I should use a historically significant diplomatic overture for my own political benefit?"

"Gaily, and with both hands." Lee replied. "Leyton's been beating us up on the Maquis, the Demilitarized Zone, and the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. This is a chance for us to say that peacemaking actually works, and we should take it."

Jaresh-Inyo stopped "Could this be the Romulan way of voicing an opinion on our upcoming campaign?"

Chun Lee stopped, as well and looked thoughtful. "It seems obscure and arcane. Very Romulan."

Jaresh-Inyo shook his head. "Diplomacy works. Peace works. Peace is better than war. If the Romulans want to promote that message, then for once they're on the right side. We'll take it."

-*-

The next day Li'ira entered the lounge and stopped in the doorway. Music was playing. Li'ira recognized it as Orion music.

At the center of the lounge, in an area deliberately left clear for the purpose, Amanda was dancing. An appreciative crowd of Starfleet personnel was watching. At first Li'ira was nonplussed. Was Amanda trying to turn the lounge into a bordello?

Li'ira moved over to the bar and leaned on it, watching. Amanda was wearing a leotard and some long pants of some light fabric which billowed out around her legs. It was flat white, and highlighted the subtle green shades of Amanda's skin.

Li'ira recognized the basic dance step, but Amanda seemed to flow through it by accident, as if some current of the universe was carrying her effortlessly though it.

"May I get you something, Captain?" The bar was staffed with enlisted people on this voyage. Li'ira hadn't found any concessionaires she really liked. Li'ira ordered her lunch and turned to watch Amanda.

Li'ira recalled the Green Animal Woman dances she'd seen on the Botchok. What Amanda was doing didn't reek of sex. It wasn't a thinly disguised promise of debauchery. It was very sensual, but seemed softer, somehow. It communicated an emotional state of joy to Li'ira very clearly.

Li'ira almost blushed, as, for a moment she pictured herself dancing. Something deep and primal in her wanted to dance. She always pictured dancing as intimately related to sex, especially in the debased and almost uncontrolled manner depicted by the Green Orion Dancers on Botchok. The Animal Women.

Amanda's dancing was almost entirely different, and yet the same. It didn't debase Amanda - it elevated her.

Li'ira's lunch was served to her. Moving carefully to avoid a very non-Orion scene, Li'ira took her lunch to a vacant table and sat down.

Amanda's dance reached its flowing end with the end of the music. The crew gathered in the lounge to watch applauded loudly. Li'ira, half a bite into her sandwich quickly rearranged and joined the applause.

People gathered around Amanda. She was gracious and smiled. Li'ira watched. The crew's reaction to the dance was as revelatory to Li'ira as the dance itself. They approached Amanda with respect and an almost reverent attitude.

Amanda nodded and smiled encouragingly, but as conversation started to pick up around her, she said something, looking at Li'ira. The crew cast glances Li'ira's way and quickly faded back.

Li'ira blinked at this. Amanda came directly over, making unabashed eye contact.

"May I join you?" Amanda asked

Li'ira gestured to the other side of the table.

Amanda slid into the seat across from Li'ira in a fluid motion.

"What did you think of my dance?" Amanda asked. The question seem to carry with it a sort of self contained confidence, but underneath it, Li'ira could hear the sincerity of the question. It mattered to Amanda what she thought.

Li'ira thought about her reaction carefully. "That seems to be the way dancing is supposed to be, doesn't it?"

A slow smile crept across Amanda's face. "I take it you have seen the dancing on Botchok."

Li'ira nodded. "You didn't dance anything like that."

"I was an Animal Woman, you know. I used to dance exactly like that." Amanda said.

Li'ira felt her face do something funny. "I was always curious what that was like."

"Far more than dancing. One must learn to be a valet, a body servant, keep a house, cook and serve an elegant meal." Amanda said.

"It doesn't sound very animalistic." Li'ira said.

Amanda was wry "A fantasy. The masculinity of the Superior Orions is supposed to overwhelm us, you see. We become so desperate with lust for them that we become animals. It used to be more than that. Times change, fashions change."

Li'ira sighed "I have always been curious about that. At one point in my early days we were considering trying to train me to pose as an Animal Woman."

Amanda was serious. "It takes a life time to learn well, really."

"Ah..." Li'ira nodded. "I guess I'm glad that we never tried to run that particular scheme."

"I could show you." Amanda said.

"I don't have an entire life time to spare." Li'ira said.

"Are you interested in dancing?"

Li'ira thought about it. It was part of her heritage and her culture and it could come in handy some day. "Yes, please. I must warn you that I am not very well trained in dancing."

"A dance lesson then." Amanda grinned, her grin seemed to light up the area around her. "Shall we meet tomorrow on one of your holodecks?"

"I'll be there." Li'ira said

-*-

Li'ira wiped her palms on her robe and pressed the button to enter the holodeck. It was set up as some sort of studio. Li'ira recognized the beat and cadences of Orion dance music, playing softly.

Amanda was there, lounging on a couch. She brightened as Li'ira entered. "Aren't these holodecks fun? I can have the richest mansion on Botchok with this thing." She was wearing a Green Animal Woman Costume. It looked like she fought a snake for its skin, and scored a narrow victory. The skin barely covered her and artistically placed tears and gaps threatened to reveal her. The closures on the skin looked haphazard at best, as though Amanda wasn't very committed to keeping it on. The small flaps of skin dangling everywhere seemed to give the skin a life as own, as if it considered the battle to be clothing not an entirely settled issue yet and was ready to fly away from her one more time.

"You can learn a lot about someone by the holodeck programs they use." Li'ira smiled. She took off her robe to reveal tight and scanty exercise wear. Black speedo style tights that came to mid-thigh and a halter top that was a touch too thick to be considered an athletic bra.

"Oh." Amanda smirked, "You like to peep." She rose and undulated across the room. The effect was striking. She was walking and dancing slightly at the same time.

"I told you I was nosy." Li'ira said.

"So let's work on this. Did your mother teach you the dances? Did she teach you the songs?" Amanda approached Li'ira.

"Some." Li'ira admitted.

"Do you practice them?" Amanda asked.

"Some." Li'ira admitted.

"When?"

"Usually in the mornings, in private." Li'ira said.

"That's not dancing," Amanda dismissed "That's exercise."

"Yes. So?" Li'ira asked.

"Dancing is about you," Amanda explained. "It's also about the music, and about who is watching, who else is dancing."

"Do you never dance alone?" Li'ira asked.

"No. I exercise to music to keep ready for the next dance." Amanda explained.

"So, show me." Li'ira said.

"Let's start with the Plezzok dance," Amanda demonstrated with fluid grace.

Li'ira knew the dance, but her own execution felt wrong. It felt off the mark compared to what Amanda was doing.

-*-

Li'ira sat down heavily on the couch. She was sweating, and felt frustrated. Her body now felt like a mannequin operated by poor tele-presence controls. She knew to a painful degree how ignorant she was of the technical arts of the Orion dances.

If anything, Li'ira felt that she had a sincere handicap to overcome in the learning. Fortunately, the trip to Earth was going to be many weeks. Li'ira hoped that she could overcome her disability before Amanda left the ship for good. She sat with grim determination to conquer the art of the Orion Dances.

Amanda came over and sat down next to her. "Li'ira, you are a very determined pupil."

Li'ira grinned ruefully. "Being stubborn is one of my job qualifications. If you're willing to be patient with me, I think I can beat this."

Amanda sighed sadly. "Grim determination is good in its place, Beautiful One, but perhaps dancing requires something else."

"Beautiful One?" Li'ira asked

"A common knick name." Amanda said, "Why, aren't you?"

Li'ira shook her head. "I feel like Frankenstein's monster."

"Who?" Amanda missed the reference.

"A Classic tale on Earth. Doctor Frankenstein arrogantly believes he can invade the domain of God and create life. Instead he creates a monster which destroys him."

"And you feel like that?" Amanda said, troubled.

"In old movies the Monster was portrayed as a hulking brute with severely limited movement and no grace whatsoever." Li'ira said.

"And you watched these movies on Earth." Amanda said thoughtfully.

"Well, before I went to Earth, too." Li'ira carefully avoided mentioning her original home.

Amanda thought for a moment. "You have favorite music."

"Well, yes. Certainly." Li'ira said. She actually had a collection that played end-to-end might well last her whole life.

"Would you like to play some of it for me?" Amanda asked.

"My music is really just popular fluff," Li'ira said, "Probably not real music to the Orion sensibility."

Amanda smiled "Is that what you've been telling yourself? Is it possible you're making too harsh a judgment?"

Li'ira looked Amanda in the eye. Amanda looked back with palpable warmth and affection. "You don't have to worry about being Orion enough for me. Just be Li'ira. You're fine."

Li'ira felt her heart lurch in her chest. "Okay. Let's see what's handy." She got up, feeling stiff and a touch distant. "Any preferences?"

"Danceable music." Amanda said.

"Okay." Li'ira found the place where the music controls were manifested. She directed the holodeck computer to her private collection, and her play list of dancing music. The first piece started playing, an upbeat number by Valvo-Carnot, a studio band popular during Li'ira's childhood.

Li'ira turned around and found Amanda grinning. "Turn it up. I used to listen to this song back on Botchok, when I was a girl."

Li'ira turned it up to a solid volume. Amanda undulated again, grinning widely "Dance with me."

Li'ira steeled herself.

"No." Amanda scolded playfully. "This isn't a dance lesson. I don't care if you look like you're having a seizure. Just dance. Just feel the music and go."

It took real effort for Li'ira to drop her grimly determined mind set, and start swaying without consciously directing herself.

Amanda danced, losing herself in the music.

Li'ira started to move as well.

It took three more songs. Li'ira let go and just starting moving however the urge struck her.

Amanda smiled and danced over to the music controls. She turned the music up to an aggressive volume and then turned back to Li'ira. Smiling and dancing with high energy and exquisite grace, Amanda danced for and with Li'ira.

-*-

Li'ira was moving well with the music, almost completely submersed in the experience, and enjoying herself immensely. The dancing was intoxicating.

Amanda's dancing and her gentle but immutable acceptance made the session transcendent for Li'ira.

Amanda danced close. Li'ira drank in the smell, and the lines of Amanda's body. She enjoyed the moments when the dance drive them together, and the soft touch of Amanda's skin across hers.

Li'ira felt a wall of reserve in her mind coming down. She felt her emotions, and knew that, for the first time in a very long time, they were deep and sincere emotions. Unrestricted joy displaced old loneliness.

Then Li'ira caught sight of Amanda's breast, liberated from the costume. It almost threw her. Amanda undid another fastening and the animal skin costume found more freedom.

At that moment, mid-step, mid-beat, in an instant, Li'ira felt herself approach a decision point, a metaphorical fork in her road.

Effortlessly her decision was made. It flowed with the music and Li'ira barely had conscious awareness of it.

She stripped off her top and kept dancing.

-*-

Some time later, Li'ira and Amanda lay on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms. Amanda raised herself on her elbow and looked at Li'ira carefully.

"It's been a while for you, hasn't it." Amanda asked.

Li'ira looked back; fear warred with happiness in her mind. Amanda grinned and kissed the tip of her nose.

Li'ira smirked. "If you already knew the answer, why did you ask the question?"

"I am nosy, too." Amanda said, "I am curious why you neglect yourself so."

Li'ira shrugged "There hasn't been a lot of time. There hasn't been anyone I've been able to trust well enough to let go with."

Amanda blinked. "Li'ira. We're sensual beings. We're designed for dancing, for touching, for loving. It's vital to our mental health."

Li'ira nodded. "I know. I know that a lot better now."

"You have a great crew of people here, Li'ira. They care for you. Why couldn't you approach them?" Amanda asked.

Li'ira looked at Amanda carefully. Amanda was sincere. "Is that how it works with Verdan?"

Amanda smiled. "He's a gentleman. He loves us all and wants us to be happy. If I were to approach him in need of some company, some talk, some dancing or sex, he'd do his best for me."

"How does he get any work done?" Li'ira asked.

"There are many greens working there. We congregate. We dance. We don't let each other get so lonely." Amanda explained. "And as the last resort, Paladin frequently flings himself on top of unexploded Green women to save Verdan."

Li'ira snorted and chuckled. "Oooh, I'm going to have to see if I can get him to defuse me."

Amanda grinned, "He's definitely worth getting together with, even if only to say that you have. You didn't answer my question."

Li'ira stretched, and thought about it. "They don't see sex the same way, I guess. I'm not sure I do, either."

Amanda stroked the side of Li'ira's face. "I wouldn't have invited you here, Li'ira if I didn't think you were worth it. We're more sexual than humans, but I am not indiscriminate."

Li'ira continued, "Being a Starship Captain is in large part about maintaining the respect of the crew. I must be able to give an order and have it followed. The safety of the ship is at stake. I thought about giving Garan Draxil a roll, especially after I knew him better, but I don't know if he'd ever look at me the same way again. I must maintain that precarious bubble of respect, or I can't function as a Starship Captain."

Amanda looked thoughtful. "And they'd disrespect you if they knew you, a Green, liked sex."

"Humans are so strange about it, Amanda. It's all tied up in notions of romantic love, and their pair bonding rituals." Li'ira said. "Their ideas of long term commitment and love and sex are so strict and so easily broken. They get hurt and they lash out."

"How about Mister Suval? He seems pretty nice, in a Vulcan way." Amanda asked. "Vulcans are supposed to be logical."

Li'ira pictured her self dancing with Suval, and seducing him. She recalled the painfully straight face and manner he maintained in Verdan's dinner party. "That would be cruel."

"Only until he let go with you." Amanda smirked.

"Our relationship has a balance. It has a flow I don't want to risk." Li'ira said.

"You can't go on being iron-woman, never touching anyone or being touched Li'ira. We're not built for that."

"That's okay. For the next several weeks, I have you." Li'ira said.

Amanda smiled with the same soft affection and solid acceptance. "Yes, you have me, and the rest of us, if you like. Don't be shy Li'ira. I feel that we have what you need."

"You sure do!" Li'ira said happily, grabbing Amanda.

Amanda chuckled and the dance began again.

-*-

"Thank you for calling and letting me know this, Captain." Robert Leyton said. He was a tall man with a deep voice that carried, and charisma that dominated a room.

Erika Benteen nodded shortly, her deep brown eyes flashing. "I just thought you should know. Benteen, out."

The screen cleared. Leyton looked grim.

Bonok Gan said "You know he's going to flog this, especially given the gains we've been making lately." The Bolian woman was intense and quick witted. Combining that with her cultural attitude towards hard work made her a dynamo.

Leyton thought about it. "I think we can save most of this. I just have to be at the economic conference. If we can get pictures of me shaking the Romulan delegate's hand, we can recover most of this."

"I don't want to wind up looking like we're following, or jumping on Jaresh-Inyo's bandwagon." Gan said.

Leyton grinned. "No. We show up and glad hand everyone, and then I go on the Sunday morning talk shows, and talk about how, while we welcome diplomacy with the Romulans we want to draw a stricter moral line. How we want inspections for the treatment of conquered peoples in the Empire, more independent confirmation that they're upholding treaty specifications and so on. If we spin this right, we can make Jaresh-Inyo look like he's jumping on a Romulan Bandwagon."

"What do you think this means, really?" Gan asked

"That the Romulans have finally realized that you can secure a border by something other than military force, and that they're as scared as hell of the Kliges'chee." Leyton said.

"I'm as scared as hell of the Kliges'chee." Gan replied.

"Anyone who can do the math is, but we can't let them blind us to everything else." Leyton said.

Gan shrugged and got to work planning Leyton's appearance at the economic conference.

-*-

The next morning Li'ira woke at her usual time and made her usual preparation for the day, shower, brush teeth, and so on

At the last minute she stopped and considered the Starfleet Uniform laid out on her bed. A severe black uniform with gray shoulders and a maroon turtle neck. It looked heavier than usual to Li'ira.

Head tilted to the side, Li'ira examined the idea. It wasn't just a suit of clothes. It represented a role she wrapped around herself. Li'ira briefly pictured showing up for duty in her usual casual wear. Could she be herself and still be the captain?

Li'ira looked at the idea even more closely. Could she trust Suval? Would he treat her well, if she allowed more self expression? Would Crystara? Tandala? Garan Draxil?

As she ticked off the names in her mind, Li'ira realized that they weren't just crew people. They weren't just junior officers under her command. They were her closest friends. To not trust them was... illogical. To not trust her whole crew was illogical. She asked them to trust her sometimes to an extraordinary degree.

Li'ira nodded to herself, taking the rank pips and comm-badge off the standard uniform, Li'ira sat down at her desk and said "Computer, show me the current selection of Starfleet uniforms."

Li'ira started to page through the descriptions for a uniform that wasn't quite so binding.

-*-

Dressed in the scant style, a short skirt, short sleeves and significantly lighter material, Li'ira walked across deck six.

The first available turbo lift was right next to her quarters, but Li'ira took the long way to see how her new style played.

As she walked, Li'ira greeted the officers and crew and was rewarded with grins, cheerful greetings and the odd frank oogle. Even the oogles seemed friendly some how. Li'ira's grin grew wider and more sincere as she went. One thing Li'ira realized - many of the ShiKahr's crew were already wearing the scant style of uniform. They always had. It was inarguably more convenient and comfortable to wear.

As Li'ira relaxed she felt herself loosen up, her body began to relax and flow more.

A solid thump sounded from behind Li'ira. She turned to see Ensign Mbuto picking himself up off the deck. "Ensign, are you alright?" He was a tall man from the Terran region of Africa.

Lt. Chen, a slight human female in the support department leaned over to help Mbuto, with a wicked grin. "What's the matter Ensign, haven't you seen a Captain before?"

Mbuto climbed to his feet and came to attention. Very seriously he said "I'm fine, Sir!"

Li'ira looked at Chen. Chen grinned back. Li'ira smirked slightly and then sobered. "As you were. Please Ensign, be a little more careful with yourself."

Mbuto relaxed and made wry face, "Aye Captain."

"If I may say, Captain, you're looking relaxed today." Lt. Chen grinned.

"Thank you." Li'ira nodded seriously at her. "Have a good day." She turned and entered the turbo lift. As it closed she heard Chen say quietly "Somebody got some -"

Mbuto also could be heard saying "Well, that was a nice career while it lasted."

-*-

Three Orion Cruisers cut the night like dark blades. No mere raiders, scouts or pirates, these. They were big ships, mounting big guns. They rested at the top of the food chain of Orion shipping. These were the enforcers. When a pirate stepped out of line, or didn't pay his fair share of the booty, a large house hired these mercenary vessels to go have a talk with the offender. When a great house needed to punish another, they hired these ships.

The official Orion Space Navy had a few units that were larger, and many cruisers of the same class, but they were paper tigers. All white paint, white uniforms and parades. They would be shot down first if the Federation or the Klingons finally decided to conquer Botchok.

In that case these three enforcers would remain free and fight on. Like many others, They were the distributed strength of Orion culture.

Commodore Jooti commanded The Rising Hand, the flag ship of this group. He'd earned his position by fighting smarter when his competition fought harder. He did his homework, the targets he attacked were destroyed and stayed that way.

The Rising Hand didn't come cheap. Only the great houses or the government itself could afford to hire her. Jooti worked hard to make sure she was worth the money

The house that hired three of these ships was almost desperately angry. The House of Genalin was in debt to a horrible degree. Jooti would not have taken the contract, except that the government approved and recommended it. That meant the mission was the next best thing to an official sanction.

Rason, his representative from the house of Genalin was not terribly forthcoming.

"I must know the basis for this attack." Jooti said. "That will define the actual mission goals."

"Destroy the USS ShiKahr. That is the mission. See that she never reaches her destination." Rason said sharply.

Jooti's office was a rounded affair, crammed into the structure of the ship as an afterthought.

"Why?" Jootie asked. "Why that ship?"

"Just destroy her. We'll all be better off when that's done." Rason snarled.

Jootie nodded. The endorsement from the Botchok government was proof enough that the government felt that way, too.

"I'll leave you to your duties, now." Rason said. "And your amusements." He looked critically at Neela.

A symbol of Jooties wealth and influence, Neela was more than just a sexual slave to Jootie. She was also his servant and hostess. She'd been trained exceedingly well.

Rason marched out of the office. Jootie looked at Neela carefully although his mind was elsewhere. She was young, very young. She was guaranteed to remain youthful and attractive for the rest of Jootie's life. He smiled at the thought.

"Master?" Neela enquired.

Jootie took a deep breath "Go ahead and clear the dishes, then amuse yourself until I require you."

Neela bounced up with a dimpled grin. That meant that she was free to read the PADDs Jootie kept lying around, or even play games on them. She was very intelligent.

For a moment Jootie felt his heart grow soft for the Green Girl. He quickly eliminated the feeling. It wouldn't do to become soft on the slaves.

Jootie called up the communications system on his own PADD and dialed a message into the system, using a private cipher. It was a query back to his own information brokers. Jootie would pay dearly for the data he was buying.

However, Jootie preferred to pay for information in cash beforehand, rather than in blood during the event.

-*-

The Rising Hand, The Far's Revenge and the Gallant Fate were cruising at Warp 9.7 At those speeds, no cloaking device could perfectly cover a ship. The Orion models were tuned to make the ship appear to be sensor ghosts.

-*-

The briefing room of the ShiKahr was tense.

"Three specific signatures, although they are in a position to appear to be echoes of the same sensor ghost. We're lucky. Apparently the Orions haven't heard that the Kentaurian pattern sensor ghost was disproven a few months ago." Draxil said. "I figure it's at least one cruiser and two raiders. Could be three cruisers, though."

Li'ira shook her head, thinking of how many times she'd seen a Kentaurian sensor ghost.

"And they're heading right for us, huh?" Tandala asked.

Garan nodded glumly. "Ol' Verdan wasn't kidding. He's really on someone's better-dead list. Big time."

Li'ira looked at the map. "What sort of Terrain is nearby? What other Starships?"

"There is no terrain available to us. The USS Haguro is the nearest Federation ship, at a Range of 17 light years. The USS Aristotle, a Nebula class cruiser is 23 light years away on a slightly different heading." Suval explained.

Li'ira nodded. "What does this thing stack up like on paper, Garan?"

Garan shook his head sadly. "If it's a cruiser and two raiders, we win with severe damage. Two cruisers and a raider, it's a draw with severe damage. If it's three cruisers, we loose narrowly with severe damage to the surviving cruiser, or two."

"What does the USS Haguro do for our odds?" Li'ira asked.

"A shuttle craft with a harsh opinion would help. The question is, by how much? The Haguro is listed as a patrol frigate built at El Nanth but we don't have good specs on her."

"Why not?" Byrdy asked, puzzled.

"She's listed as part of a prototype group of Myoko class patrol frigates currently undergoing trials." Draxil sniffed.

"For how long?" Tandala asked.

"Six years."

The mood at the table deflated. "Well, there you go." Byrdy said.

"I don't see as we have much choice." Li'ira said. "Hail the USS Haguro and the USS Aristotle and invite them to the party. We'll make a warp eight run for the Haguro when we're in range."

"Why a warp eight run?" Byrdy asked.

"I want to squeeze the best mix of speed and endurance out of the engines." Li'ira said. "We don't have to out run them, we have to stay alive and fighting long enough to get to back up."

-*-

Toshio Satomura luxuriated in his bunk. Next to him, His wife, Breeanlan moved softly and snuggled in.

His quarters on the USS Haguro were comfortable. The angles of the decks were odd, but familiar to Satomura. The Furnishings were an eclectic mix of classical Japanese, Starfleet modern generic, and the African-esque decoration and symbols of the Ansisi tribe. Eight years in design, building and testing.

If he had to be pigeon holed, at least Starfleet Command picked a wonderful pigeonhole to put him in.

**I heard that.** Breeanlan thought to him.

**We've had this discussion before.** Satomura thought back.

**We have. Still you are unsatisfied.** Breeanlan said. **No matter how adult you try to be about it, or how deeply you try to stuff it, it still creeps out at night and enters your mind again.**

Toshio looked at Breeanlan. Her solid blue eyes seemed to bore right into his. As if she could see his soul.

**Because I can, love.** Breeanlan commented. ** You want to command cruiser on a deep space mission. It's all you've wanted since you were a boy.**

**So what do you suggest?** Toshio thought idly. If his mental state was becoming such a merry go round, it was time for a change.

**That is not my place.** Breeanlan said. **However I have a question. What would James T. Kirk do in your position?**

Toshio winced. Kirk had been an obsession of his ever since he was a boy. He thought of Kirk in his place, and the image came to him of James T. Kirk finding himself nude in bed, next to a naked Breeanlan.

Picturing Kirk clearly Toshio looked at Breeanlan in mock shock and surprise. "Wow! A Girl!" he rolled into her and started nuzzling and kissing her along her neck. Breeanlan snorted, chuckled, and began to nuzzle back.

Suddenly something flashed in his brain. Satomura stopped and looked at it. "That's not all Kirk would do, is it?"

"Oooooo." Breeanlan commented.

"I think you're on to something there Breeanlan ." Satomura said.

"Not yet..." she purred. Then she looked at him.

He looked back into her face "Thank you."

She looked at him **Start taking notes when you get a minute. Until then, c'mere and make those double entendres come true.**

The Intercom whistled sharply. "Bridge to Captain."

Toshio and Breeanlan exchanged an exasperated look. "Satomura here. Go ahead."

"Distress call Captain. The Federation starship ShiKahr reports she is being pursued by pirates and is out numbered. She is requesting assistance."

"Set course to intercept the ShiKahr at best speed and engage. We'll be right there."

Satomura rolled out of the bed, his mind all business. He was a compact man with better muscle definition than his uniform showed, black hair, expressive eyes and a catchy grin. There was no sign of his grin as he began to pull on his uniform.

Breeanlan rolled out of the other side of the bed. She was a humanoid with obsidian black skin that faded to cobalt blue in some places. She had solid blue eyes, and a frame that just half a touch away from being human. She was a touch longer here, a touch shorter there and some of the angles were different than a human would have. She had 8 inch horns growing off the top of her forehead. Her horns swept in delicate angles back and away. Her face was a touch longer and more projected, her nose much wider and flatter than an average human's.

As they moved they could feel the deck of the Haguro tilt and thrum.

She quickly slid her skirt on and then a vest which carried her commbadge, and rank pips. Boots, underwear, and the rest were carried along.

"May I suggest a kilt again?" Breeanlan watched Toshio work his pants on.

Toshio rolled his eyes at her. Breeanlan never understood why he refused this suggestion, but it just wouldn't do. Toshio valued his reserve and his dignity. He wasn't sure either one could survive wearing a kilt.

"Suit yourself." She replied. "Literally."

As Satomura completed his own partial dressing and headed for the door, Breeanlan got his attention. "Toshio," She tossed him a PADD. "Write down your idea before it escapes."

Toshio snatched the PADD out of the air and nodded sharply at her. "Thanks."

-*-

Jootie looked coldly across the table at Rason. "Do you even know which ship the USS ShiKahr is?"

"She's an Excelsior class. She's 90 years old, Commodore." Rason said, "Surely you're not afraid of a 90 year old starship."

"According to the latest Starfleet gazette, she's been fully modernized, Noble Sir. Her shields and phasers are a match for any other Starfleet cruiser. She may even be carrying those damned quantum torpedoes." Jootie tossed the technical readout on the ShiKahr to Rason.

"That data must have cost you a good deal of latinum, Jootie." Rason said, sparing the readout a glance before setting it on the desk. "Did you also learn that this ship is commanded by a free Green?"

"Li'ira, or Li'ira O'Keefe." Jootie said. "Bonaventure ribboned on the Harrier. She fought a Thasite War City to a stand still and ended a war with the As'Taan in about six weeks."

"You sound like you admire her. Should we post a picture to inspire your little slip of a girl?" Rason sneered.

"I shouldn't have to be paying for this data, you should have had it ready when we left on this little vengeance errand of yours. Is it this Li'ira O'Keefe that you're after?" Jootie asked.

Rason's expression darkened. "Isn't she enough? A Green! In Command of a Starship? One could hardly imagine a greater offense against the Natural Order."

"All due respect, the Natural Order can damned well look out for itself." Jootie said. "I will not waste my ship and my crew because the Federation elects to abuse one of their own ships and crew."

"You come dangerously close to treason with talk like that." Rason said.

"Getting hung for subversion is the least of my worries right now, Honored Sir. Are you *certain* that Li'ira O'Keefe is all we're after?" Jootie pressed.

Rason looked at Jootie imperiously. Most Orions feared such a gaze from the son of a Noble house. Jootie stared back with quiet equanimity. Rason took a deep breath. "Have you heard of Verdan Enterprises?"

Jootie nodded. "An Orion run corporation. Abolitionists. Again, another Federation learning experience. I am surprised that they don't all wake up with throats slit by out of control Greens and their cities in flames. When they do, it'll be a Federation problem. We know better."

Rason Looked like he'd swallowed something unpleasant. "Verdan was the Scion of House Genalin."

Realization crashed across Jootie's mind. "Oh, dear."

"He stole fortunes of money and an entire army of Greens and the disaffected when he crossed to the Federation." Rason grated. "Is that not enough for you?"

Jootie nodded. Suddenly the mission made a lot of sense. "The Rising Hand is the most expensive sniper's weapon I have ever heard of."

"Don't you think we have tried assassins? Four of the best Botchok had to offer! Two more from outside." Rason trembled visibly "All dead or captured now. Once this fine sniper's weapon looses a shot, no number of duty struck Greens flinging themselves in the way will stop it."

Jootie stared at Rason. "I understand. My earlier statement stands. If there is any reason to believe that this is more dangerous than it appeared at the start, I'll retreat. We'll do more good for Botchok alive and running loose than we will by creating a martyring fireworks display."

"By our ANCESTORS, Man!" Rason grated "A green wearing Captains Pips! Verdan rubbing our noses in his sick, twisted little haven. The Federation behind it all sneering at us. I don't know how you can stand it without becoming furious."

"Anger and hatred have no place on a starship's bridge, Noble Sir. That is why I am alive and my enemies are dead."

"Verdan, Li'ira O'Keefe and the USS ShiKahr must be destroyed. Or else what humiliation will the Federation heap upon us next?" Rason snarled.

Jootie nodded. "Thank you for being so forthright with me, Sir. Rest assured, we will do our best."

The Intercom beeped for attention. Jootie gave Rason a moment to calm down and then answered it. "Commodore Jootie, go ahead."

"Commodore, the prey has increased speed to warp eight. They are on a direct intercept heading for the Haguro." Kedar said. Jootie looked at his Human XO, another thing that put him in a different class of Orion Commander. Jootie didn't care about race so much as he cared about talent. Kedar was a human from Ekos. Jootie knew he was gaining knowledge and experience to take back to Ekos someday.

Jootie didn't begrudge him this. It was a small price to pay. Kedar was one of the most efficient, well organized and industrious Executive Officers he'd ever had.

"A new message, Commodore. Decurion Marius, from the Gallant Fate." Kedar said.

"Put him through."

The screen cleared to show another human with black bushy hair, cropped short. Marius commanded the Gallant Fate because he won battles and for no other reason. In time he'd return to Magna Roma where he'd become a Captain in their starship fleet. Jootie felt complimented that people who wanted to learn the fine art of running a military starship chose to learn from him.

"Commodore, you have perceived this new move from our quarry?" Marius asked sharply.

"Yes."

"I recommend that we drop cloak and attack at best speed. We have the choice of fighting two Federation starships at once, or two in series."

Jootie thought about this. "I am not committed to the attack yet, Decurion, but I find your tactic sound. Franz, have you heard?

"Yes, Commodore!" Kedar answered sharply

"Then make it so. We drop cloak and advance to maximum warp."

"Yes, Commodore! It shall be done!" Kedar replied.

The shimmering effect of the end of the cloak took place.

As it did Kedar returned to the screen "Another message, Commodore, Commander Gethar wishes to speak with you!"

"Put him through."

The screen cleared to show a Golden Orion man in expensive clothing. His bridge looked like a party going on. "Commodore, the order to decloak and increase speed. Yours, I suppose?"

Gethar was a snake. He never attacked straight on when he could get a surprise shot to the back. He never fought fair when he could arrange it to fight unfair, and he never *ever* gave a target any warning. Jootie liked that about him.

"We are pressing the attack, Gethar. Batten down your orgy and stay in formation." Jootie said.

"Our target has seen us. I am not happy about this, Jootie." Gethar said.

"You are no more displeased than I am, but I am convinced that we still out gun her, so we attack." Jootie said mildly.

Gethar rolled his eyes "Oh, yes, Empire forever. Let's kill this starship and be done with it, Jootie. Being uncloaked this far into Federation space makes me nervous."

"Noted Gethar." Jootie said and cut the channel.

"Now there is a fine specimen of Orion manhood." Rason sneered.

"Don't under estimate him. " Jootie warned. "He got that ship by producing results."

Rason shrugged. "I'll have to take your word for that."

-*-

Satomura looked at the display with growing dissatisfaction. "They're going to get there before we do, Breeanlan."

**We do the best we can, Love. The ShiKahr will have to hold her own until we arrive.**

Satomura took a deep breath. "This is the battle we built this ship to fight. It's frustrating."

**Of course, you want to prove the design. We have worked long and hard enough on her.**

"No, it's not that. The Haguro is proven to me. You know she's technically proven as well. It's that people are going to get hurt when we should be able to stop it." Satomura growled.

**I'll go see if we can squeeze a touch more out of the engines.** Breeanlan said.

Satomura looked into his wife's deep blue eyes. She knew the responsibility weighed on him. She also knew that he wouldn't dream of letting anyone else take it from him. He knew that Breeanlan would find someway to squeeze something out of the engines, even of only a few relative feet more per second. It was her way of sharing his burden. "Thank you." Satomura said. Part of him wondered that such a graceful creature would find his troubles so compelling. She was beautiful.

Playfully Breeanlan licked Toshio's nose with her dainty cobalt blue tongue. "I'll take you up on that thought when we're done."

As she left, he got out a handkerchief that matched his uniform perfectly and dabbed his nose, retaining what dignity he had left. Usually such exchanges with Breeanlan left him grinning inside. Today he looked at the tactical display with unhappy concentration.

-*-

"They've dropped any pretense of sneaking now." Tandala said. "No cloaks or anything.

"They may not be able to cloak at that speed." Byrdy speculated

"We have plenty of energy." Draxil said. "I'd like to station gunners in the auxiliary phaser control rooms and have them run the phasers."

Li'ira thought about it. "The phaser controls are designed around the idea of one big punch, Garan. Are you sure this won't just wind up dividing our fire power up too far?"

Draxil shook his head. "No, Captain. You designate targets. The gunners can also fire at targets of opportunity behind us, and to the sides."

Li'ira looked at Byrdy "What do you think?"

"We run the risk of over heating the power transfer systems. If that happens then the phasers will have to hold fire until the conduits are cooled. Other than that, it looks good."

"Station your gunners, Draxil, Phasers and Torpedoes."

"Aye, Captain."

-*-

As the ships crept together, Jootie kept a close eye on the unknown card, The USS Haguro.

As the range crept to 30 minutes of separation, Jootie called for another estimate.

"The Haguro will Intercept in 45 Minutes, commodore. The USS Aristotle is now 5 hours away. We will bring the ShiKahr to battle in ten minutes." Kedar replied.

It was too close. Despite all their efforts, things were too far out of control. There simply wasn't enough time to bring the ShiKahr down, conduct necessary repairs and escape the Haguro. If things went against them at all, then the battle with the ShiKahr would not be finished when the Haguro joined in.

Sighing heavily. Jootie looked up at Rason, in the auxiliary command station on bridge of The Rising Hand. "We'll have to abort the attack."

Rason's head snapped up. "No! We must not!"

Jootie shook his head at the tactical display. "The Haguro doesn't have to be a very big ship to screw us, Noble Sir. Can House Genalin take that loss?"

Rason's face screwed up.

"I didn't think so." Jootie turned to Franz Kedar. "Axar Kedar, message to- AGGH!" Shot from the blind side, Jootie slumped out of his command chair and to the deck.

Rason's Disruptor smoked in his hands. "I am taking control of this ship now. Axar Kedar, Log this."

Kedar stared in horror. "Mein Gott, This sort of behavior will get us all killed!"

Rason shot the human who fell with a single cry.

"I am Lord Rason of House Genalin." Rason climbed down out of the station and strode the deck like he owned it. "The Natural Order has placed me in an exalted position for a reason. An alien and a coward I can understand. Will true Orions surrender to such ... weakness?"

The crew returned to their stations. Rason pointed to the next ranking officer. "You are now my Axar. Log this."

"Yes, Noble Sir."

-*-

The ShiKahr thrummed and seemed warm. Her engines were riding just at the edge of a meltdown.

The tension on the Bridge was thick. Li'ira rolled her head on her neck to try and loosen up. She was back in a more full duty uniform. That the battle would happen was a foregone conclusion, So Li'ira turned out dressed for the occasion. Boots, long pants and sleeves. Pockets filled with essentials. There was a phaser in a holster on her hip and a phaser one hidden up her sleeve.

The rest of the crew was similarly ready. Equipment was now distributed in the halls and in various compartments where it might come in handy. Everyone was packing weapons.

Three Enforcer class cruisers steadily gained ground behind them. These were heavy Orion ships, not the rinky-dink little raiders. This was the fist of an Orion House thrown into one blow.

"Ten minutes to weapons range." Garan Draxil counted off.

Li'ira knew that it was a game of time and distance. Ahead, a Federation patrol frigate was racing towards them to even the odds. The Orions knew it too. They approached at Warp 9.7, as fast as the ShiKahr could go, but they held that speed for days, while the ShiKahr had maybe a few minutes.

"Hail the Orions." Li'ira said quietly. They were overconfident. They approached without even using cloaks. Although it was equally possible that the Orion ships simply couldn't maintain cloaks while running flat out.

The screen cleared to show a Golden Orion man, in the dress of a Major Lord. "I am Rason of House Genalin."

"I am Captain Li'ira of the Starship -"

Rason cut her off and spoke to Suval. "I know what ship you are. Must you be so rude about this?"

"You are in violation of the treaty of neutrality between-" Li'ira started again.

Rason again cut her off "Yes, yes, yes, treaties and rules and fair play. I will name my terms, ShiKahr. Will you listen?"

Suval turned and made a great show of looking at Li'ira.

Li'ira turned to Suval and gritting her teeth said, "Inform the Noble Sir that we will listen."

Suval turned back and carefully enunciated "We will listen, Noble Sir."

"You will heave to, powering down all weapons, shields and engines. All people of Orion descent and such material as we desire will be taken from your ship. Then you will be free to go." Rason said. His eyes glinted with evil intent.

"Tell the Noble Sir that we are accepting surrenders today and that all prisoners will be treated fairly according to Federation law." Li'ira growled.

Suval raised his eyebrow, and turned back to the screen. As he took a breath to repeat Li'ira's words, Rason cut him off. "I heard!"

Rason leaned into the screen. "You'll regret this, Cow. I'll see to it - Personally."

The screen blanked.

"Signal ended, Captain" Tandala Macbier said.

Li'ira took several deep breaths to recover her equilibrium.

Li'ira noticed that Tandala was wearing face paint. "I hope you've blessed the ship, Tandala."

MacBier looked back at the Captain. "Our ancestors walk with us today."

Li'ira nodded solemnly and turned to Crystara. "How long until we get reinforcement?"

Crystara double-checked. "The Haguro is dead ahead and proceeding in excess of warp 9.9. We'll be within 15 minutes of her if all goes well."

Li'ira nodded. 15 minutes was a long time to fight out of your weight class.

"The USS Aristotle is about an hour out and also making in excess of Warp 9. They'll probably miss the shooting, but they'll be in good position to catch escape pods." Crystara said

"That's good to know." Li'ira replied. It was. Usually, by the math, an escape pod was hopelessly optimistic. Now they had somewhere to run. Assuming the Orions let them. Li'ira resolved not to see that end of the battle. Humans, Vulcans, other people made mediocre slaves. The Starfleet officers were well trained but had a nasty tendency to turn on their new masters. However, a Green was worth money no matter how aggressive she was.

Li'ira thought of Amanda, Verdan and the rest of his party. She had no doubt that Paladin's last deadly acts would be to keep his friends out of Orion hands.

So she had to work hard to keep the battle going long enough for the Haguro and the Aristotle to even it up.

All the plans were made. All the preparations were set.

"They're almost in range, Captain." Garan Draxil said.

"Get ready, and execute when their timing is right. Don't wait for me." Li'ira said.

"Aye, Captain." Draxil said "Byrdy, Are you ready, man?"

"Roger, Garan. We're ready to burn." Byrdy said.

As the Orion ships streaked into the ShiKahr's long weapon range, several things happened almost simultaneously.

The ShiKahr dropped objects, tubes about two meters long.

The three Orion cruisers fired a barrage of photon torpedoes. If they bracketed the ShiKahr well, they could kill her warp field, and drag her sublight. The battle would then proceed on their terms.

The ShiKahr turned sharply in an evasive manner and the energy flowing through her warp drives increased. She ran at speeds unnatural for a ship of her type.

The Orions didn't anticipate such last minute desperation. They were used to fighting Starfleet ships that outgunned them, and so waded straight in. Their first barrage missed the ShiKahr, and she stayed at warp. It was of no consequence. The gunners began to adjust for an evasive target. The next salvo or the one after would get her.

The Orion ships crossed the space where the objects the ShiKahr had dropped. The mines detonated, dropping The Gallant Fate out of warp.

"Don't wait for her!" Rason snarled. "It will only take a few moments for her to get back to warp join us. Message to Far's Revenge, we press the attack!"

-*-

This was all according to Garan Draxil's plan. "They're setting us up for one big battle that we loose." He said. If we can split 'em up, we can turn it into two or three smaller battles in sequence that we can win."

So far, so good.

The ShiKahr was abusing her engines mightily to close the gap with the Haguro. It was another desperation maneuver. Li'ira elected to sacrifice the warp drives in exchange for a better shot at having the whole ship survive.

Brett Tyson flew the big ship like a fighter plane, rolling her through an evasive loop.

The two remaining Orion ships spread out a touch and bracketed her with torpedoes again. The bridge of the ShiKahr shuddered with the interaction of the torpedoes and the ShiKahr's warp field. The hull stress gauges went up. The temperature readings on the engines were way up.

"Warning: Three minutes until automatic warp drive shutdown." The computer of the ShiKahr said.

According to the preset plan Tyson biased his next loop towards the Orion on the port side. The hope was if they could separate them enough they might have the first seconds of the battle alone with one of their pursuers, evening the odds.

As they came through the next barrel roll, with the stars spinning sickeningly on the view screen the Far's Revenge bracketed the ShiKahr almost perfectly. It felt as though Tyson were driving the ShiKahr down a long flight of stairs. They saw the smear of the warp barrier and the ShiKahr was in normal space.

"Warp drives offline!" Byrdy called to the bridge. "Diverting Warp power to tactical systems."

Li'ira grimaced as she looked at the Engineering Station. By the readings the warp nacelles were half way melted.

"Here he comes!" Garan Draxil said. The Far's Revenge came out of warp dangerously close to the ShiKahr.

"Gorn Anchor!" Li'ira yelled. "Get 'im!"

Garan Draxil quickly adjusted to the new tactic. "Gorn Anchor, Aye!"

The big ship was still spinning. Brett Tyson lined the ship up with her enemy and fed 105% of the rated power through the impulse engines. Far's Revenge spit more torpedoes and a pair of missiles at the ShiKahr. She bulled through them, taking the torpedo hits on her forward shield. Two desultory phaser beams ended the missiles. The two combatants were closing the range quickly.

"Phasers! Light 'em up! Free fire at your discretion!" Garan called.

The ShiKahr showed her lineage as a battlecruiser. Phaser cannons spoke from ports all over the ship. The screens of Far's Revenge glowed under the onslaught. In tactical classes, the secret weapon of the Federation was pointed out. Phasers and lots of them. Many races had them, or similar weapons. No one else had as many, as large, as scattered over his starships. Even the Klingons opted for two huge disruptor banks and dozens of smaller point defense guns.

The claws of the ShiKahr raked over her Orion tormentor and he began to learn this fact, the hard way.

-*-

The Bridge of Far's Revenge shuddered. Panels exploded. Voices screamed. Gethar bellowed from his command couch, retaining some authority in the bedlam "Reinforce the shields! All weapons fire! Where in the nine hells is The Rising Hand!?"

Seeing the huge Federation ship loom in his view screen, Gethar let out a screech. "Helm! EVASIVE!" At the last minute, the Orion cruiser pirouetted on her axis and dodged away, using superior maneuverability.

Then the ShiKahr sprang the Gorn Anchor maneuver.

Shutting down the impulse drives totally, Byrdy threw all the energy into the tractor beam. The beam reached out and grabbed the Orion cruiser in a fearsome grip.

-*-

The Bridge of the Far's Revenge jerked suddenly and seemed to turn almost all the way upside down. More alarms, sounded, indicating hull damage and decompression. Gethar noted that most of his status lights were amber. The cost of the repairs would be staggering, assuming he lived through this disaster. "Engineering, break that tractor beam!" He yelled, "Helm, don't let them have another shot at us!" The Orion ship continued his evasion, dragging the huge dead weight of the ShiKahr behind him.

-*-

On the wildly tilting bridge of the ShiKahr, Garan used data from the tractor beam to refine his aim and then fired a full spread of quantum torpedoes.

At the same moment, Far's Revenge let fly with every weapon she could bring to bear. A brilliant fireworks show of beams, missiles, fire and destruction raged between the two ships.

"Forward screens down." Suval reported calmly through the carnage. "There is heavy damage to forward sections. Phaser banks 3 and 4 are no longer operational. We are venting plasma, casualties are heavy in sections seven eight and nine forward."

Li'ira bit her lip to keep from crying out. Her family was getting killed! However, there was hope on the screen. Garan's torpedo spread dealt a massive blow to the Orion ship. Like an injured man fighting on, the ShiKahr's starboard phaser banks still ranked out at the Orion ship.

-*-

The bridge of Far's Revenge was darkened mad house. Fires raged and dead bodies littered the decks.

On the deck, burned by an explosion Gethar struggled. Two thoughts burned in his mind. One he had to escape at all costs. Two, some how, Rason was going to pay.

-*-

As his energy and maneuverability were taken, the crazed tilt of the ShiKahr's bridge faded away.

The ShiKahr shuddered as more fire plowed into her shields from behind.

"The second ship." Garan reported. "Aft phasers and torpedoes engaging."

"Make sure this one is out of the fight." Li'ira said.

"Aye, Sir. Aft shields are down to 67%. There is light damage to the nacelles." Garan reported.

From the aft of the ShiKahr, more phasers and quantum torpedoes engaged The Rising Hand.

-*-

Aboard The Rising Hand the phaser strikes were no more than annoyances, but the two quantum torpedoes wreaked havoc.

"Report!" Rason snarled.

The tactical officer sounded very unhappy. "Far's Revenge is crippled. The Federation ship launched an unexpected counter attack. They are armed with quantum torpedoes. Our shields will have minimal effects on those."

Rason's face turned ugly with anger "Bring us around for another pass! Jam their sensors, they cannot hit what they cannot see!"

-*-

Li'ira turned to Crystara. "How is our first play mate?"

Crystara scanned and reported. "Main power out, several weapons offline, he's got plasma fires burning in engineering."

"Cut the tractor and restore power to the impulse drives." Li'ira ordered. "Let's go talk to number two. Circle wide to the Starboard and keep our side shields towards him. " Li'ira said.

"Aye, Sir." Tyson said. As the Tractor beam was cut the ShiKahr seemed to right herself. The crippled Far's Revenge spun away

The ShiKahr wheeled about

"He's stepping up jamming of our sensors." Crystara reported. "I guess he doesn't like the quantum torpedoes."

"Who would?" Li'ira asked.

"Captain." Tandala MacBier reported. "We have 17 dead in the forward section. Hull breaches are being sealed, and engineering reports they'll have power rerouted to the area in a few minutes."

Li'ira nodded soberly at Tandala and did her best not to show the tears that wanted to well up. "Noted."

"There he is." Crystara said. "I'm beginning to get through his jamming."

"Keep the turn you were in, Mister Tyson. Let them think we still can't see them." Li'ira said. She was filled with anger. She hated the Orions for attacking her. And underneath, she blamed herself for putting her ship and crew in the position to get shot at. Usually such concerns would be put off until later, or never. Li'ira found her previously ironclad ability to deny her emotions was no longer functioning.

She gritted her teeth and tears flowed. Damn them! She held on to her mind carefully.

"There he is. " Garan reported. "He's coming right in on us."

"How is our targeting?" Li'ira asked.

"Not good." Garan replied.

"We've taken damage to our lateral sensor array." Tandala explained,

An idea occurred to Li'ira. "Drop three probes. As he passes, the probes will bracket him. We can use them to aid in targeting the quantum torpedoes." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Use stealth probes."

"Aye, Sir." Tandala Replied.

-*-

"Set photon torpedoes to proximity blasts." Rason said. "Cycle tubes two and three that way. Load tubes one and four with overloads. We'll take her forward shields down and then follow in with a big punch."

"Noble Sir, I fear we may well be playing to their strengths. A head to head approach to a Federation starship is suicidal." Targon, the Tactical Officer said.

Rason nodded. "Far's Revenge has already blazed that trail for us. Their shields are weak and their ship is damaged. If we don't press the advantage now, we may not get another chance. Besides, the Gallant Fate is due any moment. If we set the ShiKahr up, he can finish the job. Press the attack."

"Your will, Lord Rason."

-*-

The ShiKahr shuddered as a salvo of photon torpedoes exploded nearby.

"Launching probes." Draxil said. With a subtle thump the probes left the ship

"Those were proximity fused torpedoes, Captain." Tyson said. "They're trying to play footsie with us."

"Yeah but the forward starboard shield is down to 50%, so it's working for them." Draxil said, "These guys are really committed to the attack."

"Where is that third ship?" Li'ira asked.

"He's approaching now, Captain." Crystara said.

"Probes in Position." Draxil said.

"Here comes the second ship." Crystara said "Markings make her The Rising Hand."

"Garan have the starboard tubes fire a light salvo of torpedoes as he comes in. Let him think we're hurting and then we'll hammer him with the aft weapons as he passes." Li'ira ordered.

"The third Orion Cruiser has entered the area, and has gone sublight." Suval calmly reported. "His range is five million kilometers."

-*-

"The Gallant Fate is in the combat zone, Noble Sir." Rason's new Axar reported.

"Tell him to press the attack. Where's the other Federation ship?"

"The Haguro is three minutes out, now, Sir."

"We continue the attack."

-*-

The Rising Hand rushed at the ShiKahr. As he closed, three quantum torpedoes narrowly missed Orion ship.

"Damn!" Garan cried.

The Orion closed to his optimal range and cut loose with a full barrage of Torpedoes and Phaser beams.

The Shields of the ShiKahr collapsed and explosions rocked the bridge. Tandala yelled once and went down holding her left hand. Blood from her hand smeared the front of her uniform. The deck tilted and shuddered under the assault of Orion weapons.

The Phasers of the ShiKahr raked out.

-*-

On The Rising Hand, the ShiKahr's counter-strike caused the ship to shake and rock as if pelted with giant stones. Lights strobed all around the bridge and the auxiliary engineering panel exploded.

As the two ships swooped past each other at point blank range, Targon reported "Phaser bank one has lost a phaser, light damage to forward sections, shields holding at 17%."

Rason grinned. The ShiKahr was crippled now, he was sure of it. Now all that remained was to back up the Gallant Fate while Decurion Marius finished her off. "Well done! Well Done Everyone!" Rason yelled.

-*-

"There they go. Crystara! Help me out here, Babe!" Garan said.

Crystara bent down over her station and played the sensors like a concert virtuoso. "Got him!"

The tactical screens lit up with a beautiful display of the rear of The Rising Hand at close range.

-*-

Targons' board screeched at him in an undeniable tone. "Probes! They use probes to target us!"

"Cloak NOW!" Rason screamed.

-*-

Using Crystara's probe data Draxil fired a full spread of torpedoes.

The quantum torpedoes pierced the Orion's shielding and impacted along the aft end.

"Got him!" Draxil yelled.

Fire blossomed from the Orion's engines and along the starboard weapons wing.

The ShiKahr's aft phasers spoke, at near overload levels. Beams chewed through the Orion's rear shielding, into his warp nacelles and into his aft end.

Li'ira turned and said "Well done, Garan,"

-*-

Decurion Marius studied the scene ahead of him carefully. At long range, he'd seen the ShiKahr, crippled, reach out with her last ounce of strength and cripple The Rising Hand. Already the mission was a disaster. Two heavy cruisers were lost. Marius had no illusions about being able to hold them in the face of the onrushing Federation ships.

Could victory be won? It seemed that the ShiKahr was at his mercy, but the new ship just now entering the fray would tell the tale.

-*-

On the Haguro, the lights were red and the ship was hot.

"Did they attack one at a time?" Sotomura asked. He leaned forward in his command chair as if he could see the situation better closer up.

"It would seem so, Captain." Girizath, the Caitian Tactical Officer growled softly.

"What is the ShiKahr's status?" Sotomura asked.

"The ShiKahr has moderate damage to forward sections, power out forward. Her impulse system is down to fifty percent, Warp drive is off line but her warp core is still at 92% efficiency. Her forward shields are collapsed, and her forward phasers seem out." Girizath said.

"Combatant One is crippled. Main and auxiliary power out, she is adrift and fighting fires aboard."

"Combatant Two has suffered similar damage but is now suffering a radiation leak from her warp core. She's already dangerous and will soon be uninhabitable."

"Combatant Three is approaching the ShiKahr obliquely, and seems to be in perfect repair."

Sotomura nodded and thought carefully. "Open a channel to the ShiKahr. Use encryption standard three."

Breeanlan looked at Satomura. "You do recall that encryption standard three has been declared broken, Don't you Toshio?"

Sotomura nodded gravely "I am counting on it."

Breeanlan grinned. "Have I told you that I like the way you think lately?"

"Channel open, Sir."

-*-

On the screen, Li'ira could see the USS Haguro. The Myoko class ship looked like a starship sized Manta ray, with all the curves and angles just right. In place of the ocean ray's large mouth the Myoko mounted a standard looking blue Starfleet navigational deflector array. In place of the long, thin tail, the Haguro had two long, thin warp nacelles in an over-and-under arrangement. Li'ira could see dark lines of phaser strips, but almost all the other fittings were recessed into the hull. This ship *looked* fast. She was about three-quarters the size of the ShiKahr, but this was hard to judge visually, since the Haguro's hull hid her volume so well.

The screen cleared for the incoming signal. Li'ira saw a cramped, tight looking bridge, that seemed carefully thought out for battle. In the center was a calm looking human with black straight hair and golden skin. Oddly, on the bridge there was also a Grayson's gazelle, a small herbivore, of approximately 400 pounds. Delicate horns curving up and solid blue eyes watching the view screen placidly. A number of the creatures were kept on the grounds of Starfleet Command and Starfleet Academy for no reason that Li'ira could name.

They were all very tame and seemed to appreciate getting solidly skritched to their undercoat.

Li'ira was at a loss to explain to herself why someone would bring one along on a starship, let alone on the bridge during a red alert. Li'ira quickly yanked her attention away from the oddness. Gazelle or no, shooting was going on and she needed to stay focused.

"I'm Captain Toshio Sotomura commanding the USS Haguro." He said "ShiKahr, we're here to help, but we don't stand much of a chance one-on-one with those cruisers. We'll do our best to keep the good one off your back until the Aristotle gets here."

Li'ira felt her spirits crash. If the pirates outgunned the Haguro, then there was little hope she could keep the ShiKahr intact.

Li'ira looked down and noticed something. The signal was in on a channel decrypted by the Ferengi and the Romulans at least.

Li'ira looked up and carefully kept her crestfallen expression intact. "Do the best you can, Haguro, but retreat if it gets too tough. There's no point in loosing two ships today."

-*-

The screen cut out and Sotomura turned. "Mister Girizath, give Combatant Three two quantum torpedoes and a set of phaser beams from the strips only, at 50% power. Please set the screens to 50% power. Sensors, jam him please. Lets not let him get such a good look at us."

"I think towards the end there, She got it." Breeanlan said.

Sotomura nodded. "I think she was more confused by Ziriban than anything else."

**This is going to be fun.** Breeanlan thought to Toshio.

Seemingly oblivious, Ziriban wriggled his tail.

-*-

As the message ended Marius sat back in his seat. "We have been invited to attack the Haguro."

"Do you think they know we have broken the encoding?" Axar Weez asked.

"Either way, we can not attack the ShiKahr and leave our back unprotected against this new player." Marius mused.

As he did so, the Gallant Fate shuddered and a banging noise swept the ship. Alarms sounded.

"Soon we shall see their shuttlecraft armed with damndable quantum torpedoes!" The tactical officer snarled. "Light phaser beams and two quantum torpedoes. One torpedo hit us in section seven. The main crew lounge has been destroyed. Engineering is working on repairing the hull breach."

"That settles it then." Marius decided. "Helm, full impulse towards the Haguro. We'll execute a Klingon Hook maneuver."

"Aye Sir."

The Gallant Fate leapt towards her new prey.

-*-

The Gallant Fate swooped towards the Haguro. Sotomura looked at the tactical plot and mentally juggled. How to appear to be afraid of the Gallant Hand, and yet set them up for the main blow.

"A standard Klingon Hook to our port side." Girizath growled.

"We can avoid to starboard, and show him our aft end." Sotomura said.

"If we were the smaller ship that we play, this would be suicide." Girizath said.

"If we turn to port, then we're inviting a knife fight." Sotomura said.

"Also suicide for a smaller ship."

"So we try something to break up his plan."

Girizath squeezed his eyes at Sotomura.

"As he gets into medium range, fire the phaser strips once every ten seconds at 50% power, and let him have two more quantum torpedoes. When he crosses into close range, increase to 3/4 impulse in a minus Z axis." Sotomura ordered.

"Aye, Sir" Breeanlan began to set up the maneuver.

-*-

The phaser attack splattered off the Gallant Fate's forward shield, weakening the shield slightly. It created a pretty light show on the bridge. The quantum torpedoes struck home with a shudder and hollow booming noise.

"There goes the shuttlebay and auxiliary power reactor number two." His Axar said.

"Press the attack." Decius said. "We must put an end to this. We fire an alpha strike at close range."

-*-

As the Gallant Fate closed, the Haguro spun away from the attack in a relative "downward" direction.

"Range is 5,000 kilometers." Decius tactical officer said. The Galant Fate spiraled into pursuit of the wildly veering Federation starship.

-*-

"Raise shields to full, weapons to full, Fire." Sotomura said

-*-

"Uh oh." Decius' Tactical officer said.

"Report!" Decius snapped. Damn but he'd instilled more discipline in his people than that!

"What in the hell are those turrets?" Axar Weez asked.

-*-

The Haguro fired a full barrage of quantum torpedoes, and full power blasts from her phaser strips. Her real ugly surprise for the Orion was the turrets. Pulse phasers like those on the USS Defiant. Somewhat smaller and lighter, they had the advantage of being able to aim and fire at targets 360 degrees around the ship. Three of the Haguro's four turrets faced the Gallant Fate. Huge power relays filled with plasma and energy, and that energy bellowed from the turrets in discrete packets.

The pulse phaser was designed to overwhelm Borg shielding with concentrated packets of phaser fire, each with a separate frequency and energy signature.

The shields of the Gallant Fate flared and died, shredded by mad phaser energy. The front end of the ship glowed and burned, disintegrated and shattered by the onslaught.

The wreck proceeded on inertia for a few moments, before the outraged warp core detonated shredding the ship in a brilliant display.

-*-

"Wow." Li'ira said, looking at the screen in shock.

"Yes, Momma, I want one!" Garan yelled.

"Message from Far's Revenge." Tandala said. "They signal unconditional surrender, and request help. Their fires are getting out of control."

"Acknowledge their call. Byrdy, how long until we're in shape to render aid?"

"Depends on what you want, Captain. We're in better shape than either of the Orion ships and can take aboard people right now. The ShiKahr is stable." Byrdy replied from engineering.

"Captain, we don't have a lot of preparations set up. If we suddenly have a ship full of Orions there's no telling what all they can try to pull off." Draxil sounded worried.

"If we wait, the problem will be vastly easier to cope with, since most of the Orions will die." Suval pointed out.

"Sickbay, report." Li'ira said.

"Busy! I could use help!" Sunshine said and quickly got back to work.

"See if the Haguro can help us out."

-*-

Li'ira's face appeared on one of the auxiliary screens of the Rising Hand. "Rising Hand, This is the U.S.S. ShiKahr. Heave to and prepare to be boarded. I call on you to surrender, now."

Rason, bloodied, and desperate snarled into the screen. "Never. Never will an Orion Noble surrender to the likes of you, animal! You are an affront to - AAAIEEE!" A disruptor blast cut Rason off mid sentence.

The surviving bridge crew rushed to where Commodore Jooti lay bleeding, his own disruptor, drooping out of his hand

"We surrender." Jooti whispered harshly. "Get everyone off this ship."

The new Axar turned to Li'ira on the screen "You heard him! We surrender!"

-*-

Li'ira strode the corridors of the ShiKahr with a determined stride. She tried to keep the anger she felt out of her body language, with little success.

The ShiKahr looked like a madhouse. People were running this way and that, with tools and equipment, intent on getting the ShiKahr back to working order.

Li'ira turned the corner into sickbay. It was even worse. Li'ira recognized the look, sheets were spread out over the deck, many spattered with blood. Blood trails crossed the deck in a couple of places, not all of it the same color.

Doctor Hill from the Haguro was there with his full crash team. He didn't say hello to Li'ira and Li'ira didn't mind. He was up to his elbows in trying to salvage one of the Orions.

Verdan and company were in their quarters, having retreated there when people of questionable intent started coming aboard. Li'ira was glad. If Verdan got himself killed then all of this would be for nothing.

Sunshine didn't look very ethereal or graceful today. She looked tired, heavy and covered in blood. She started the battle treating Starfleet officers and ended up by treating the enemy. For her the first part of the battle wouldn't be over for several hours and the recovery phase would go on for days.

Christian Hamilton, the chief nurse of the ShiKahr caught sight of Li'ira. Somehow Hamilton managed to look self possessed and alert even when he, too was covered in blood. Li'ira noted that he, too had an operating table and was treating someone on it. This was probably not kosher medical practice, but Li'ira knew that Hamilton and Sunshine would sooner be skinned than take an unwarranted risk with the well-being of a patient.

"There, Captain." Hamilton inclined his head to an out of the way bed, where a figure was stretched out. Two people stood nearby, a Green Orion Girl and a Starfleet Nurse.

The girl caught Li'ira's eye. She was no more than 15 years old, maybe 16. She was dressed in a small costume similar to Amanda's in many ways. This indicated to Li'ira that the girl was someone's personal servant, in just about all ways imaginable. Li'ira's face became grimmer.

The girl's body language was small and trying to look smaller. She was scared and deeply, deeply unhappy.

Li'ira strode up to the table.

An Orion man lay on the table. He seemed small himself. His normal red shade was faded to a pink that Li'ira found ghastly. His lips were almost white. Expensive business clothing lay cut to ribbons around him. In them, Li'ira spotted a ship's crest, and a Commodore's rank pips.

"I am Li'ira." She announced herself.

The girl looked up at her and became deeply confused.

The man focused on Li'ira. "Well fought, Captain. "

Li'ira bit down a harsh reply. "Thank you. Who are you?"

Jooti grimaced. "I have been thinking. It's too late for that, but there is little else to do. You, the Federation, Starfleet and Verdan are all right. I didn't see it until now. I was too damned late."

Jooti's voice began to rattle and Li'ira could hear that the end was near for him. She looked at the Nurse. The Nurse looked back and shook her head sadly. Jooti was a goner.

Jooti moved, unexpectedly, grabbing Li'ira's uniform pulling. Li'ira bent down close to him.

"This is Neela." Jooti grated. "I entrust her to your care. Take care of her, please, Captain."

The responsibility fell on Li'ira with a thump. She looked up stunned, to find the expression mirrored on Neela's face.

"You have a traitor aboard. A snake...." Jooti's voice dissolved into coughing.

Li'ira stepped back. "What? What do you mean? Who!?"

Jootie couldn't get another word out. He coughed and hacked and struggled to breathe. Soon he was unconscious. Li'ira watched as over the course of the next few minutes, Jooti suffocated on whatever was going wrong inside of him.

As he was gone, the Nurse stepped up to Li'ira's elbow. "I'm sorry, Captain. We need the bed."

Li'ira looked at the nurse and then at Neela. Neela was standing huddled around herself miserably. She looked at Li'ira with big eyes. The message was plain. "What in the world will happen to me now?"

Li'ira bit down another blast of anger. "I will not use you as my sex toy, child, nor my cleaning servant, or a dressing valet, or a hair dresser, or a status symbol to wave in front of my friends." She wanted to say.

Li'ira felt a question come up within her. She looked at it. Was she willing to commit herself to Neela? Was she willing to accept responsibility for the girl? Li'ira looked the question in the eye and made the only decision she could live with.

"Neela, come here, please."

Neela stepped over to Li'ira. How odd it would be to have a Green for a master. Neela was sure that something was wrong with it, but was desperate for some sense of security. She clutched at having a role, at knowing what was going on, at least for herself. Neela started to bow in the ritual gesture of submission.

Li'ira stopped her, taking her shoulder Li'ira guided her through a door into a lab. Equipment was strewn all over. Hasty work seemed done and then abandoned. Li'ira hoped that no one would need the lab for a few moments.

"I am not your master, Neela. I won't own you." Li'ira said sharply.

Neela felt the deck give way underneath her. The horrible feeling of rejection filled her. Tears started to flow.

"I won't let go of you, either." Li'ira said. "I will make sure that you have everything you need. You have a place to stay, with me, always."

Neela, through her tears looked quizzically. The thought occurred to her that she'd never see Jooti again and the tears came harder. Nothing was solid anymore. Nothing could be depended on. Neela felt vertigo take over her life. "What about me?" She whispered, "What will happen to me?"

Li'ira stepped close and offered a hug. Neela grabbed her like a life preserver, and cried. Li'ira held her, and pet her, softly.

They sank to the deck, backs against a cabinet face.

Li'ira felt uncertain, too. The thought "ohgodohgodohgod! What am I going to DO with a girl!?" skittered across her brains. Li'ira didn't even feel finished with herself yet! What business did she have taking responsibility for another? Neela was better than an infant or a toddler, she already was mostly who she was.

Then Li'ira knew. It wasn't too different from being a Starship Captain. Fake it and read up, see what happened. Being certain and definite was the most important thing.

Neela cried through the immediate shock. Her home was destroyed, and the only family she knew was killed. Her mind and her sense of self still spun uncertainly. Then a thought occurred to her. "Captain?"

"Call me Li'ira."

"Li'ira in private."

"Li'ira all the time."

Neela titled her head and more tears squeezed out. "I don't understand. I don't know what you mean..." Neela waved her hand vaguely. She didn't understand Li'ira's rules. She didn't understand how Li'ira wanted her to act. She simply didn't understand Li'ira.

"That's okay. We'll have plenty of time." Li'ira said. "Is that okay with you? Would you like to stay with me for a while?"

Neela's face screwed up into an even more confused expression. "I.. I don't... Yes. I'd like to stay with you Li'ira. Please don't sell me away."

Li'ira was about to be sharp, but at the last minute saw that Neela needed something else. "If I have my way, you'll never, ever be sold again, as long as you live."

That was good enough for Neela. She clung back on to Li'ira and buried her face in Li'ira's chest. The smell of a Green was stability once again.

Li'ira held her for a bit, and then duty nagged. "Neela, the ship and the crew need me. I have to get moving now."

Neela held on for a few seconds and then rolled away to a kneeling position. Li'ira had forgotten that she was once that limber too. She could make it look like she still was, briefly, but getting off the deck was a slower, heavier proposition for her.

"What would you like me to do, Li'ira?" Neela asked.

"Stick with me for now. When we have an opportunity, We'll get you set up in a more comfortable situation." Li'ira. "Computer."

"Working." The ShiKahr's computer said.

"Log Neela aboard. Passenger, Dependant of the Captain."

"Completed, Neela, passenger, Dependant of Captain Li'ira."

Neela stood with the Captain. "The Computer knows I'm yours now?"

Li'ira nodded. "You are mine in the sense that I have taken responsibility for you. Not in the sense that I own you."

Neela nodded gravely while completely missing the distinction. "Yes, Li'ira."

Li'ira sighed. There was some work ahead there. "Now we have to get back to work."

Li'ira escorted Neela out of the lab and through the sickbay. The table upon which Jooti rested was now empty. Li'ira noticed that Neela carefully didn't look.

"Captain." Sunshine said.

"Yes, Healer?" Li'ira saw that Sunshine was up to her elbows in another patient.

"Lost kitten?" Sunshine asked.

"Yes, Healer."

"Come speak to me in a couple of days. Don't make any large decisions until then." Sunshine said.

Li'ira smirked "Yes, Healer."

"She owns us?" Neela whispered at Li'ira's shoulder.

"Actually I'm her boss." Li'ira said "In theory. But Doctors act like they own anyone they want to when they want."

Neela shot Sunshine a confused look. "Oh."

Sunshine didn't look up and stayed serious; she had a person in pieces on her table and raced time to reassemble him. "Now get the hell out of my sickbay. We don't need untrained people standing around cluttering things up right now."

Li'ira shook her head and continued.

"Yes, Healer." Neela copied Li'ira's ironic half nod and tone of voice perfectly before following.

Sunshine looked up sharply at the Green girl. "She'll do." Sunshine muttered and dove back into her work.

-*-

The cargo hold held about 30 Green Orion people. The smell was intense. So was the talk, and the by play.

The hold was minimally furnished, simply because there hadn't been time to do more with it. Basic bunks filled the room, three replicators along one side and two portioned off toilet and showering facilities.

Draxil's crew already removed several Greens with severe knife wounds, from battles for Dominance and position. Many others were already injured from their part in the battle.

Li'ira walked in, flanked by Garan Draxil and Lieutenant Milu. Garan carried a Phaser Rifle barrel up, with the stock resting on his hip. All he had to do was let it drop and press the firing stud. Milu wore two Phaser pistols in cross-body holsters, ready for a quick draw.

The Greens eyed her carefully, measuring a new player in their games.

"I am Captain Li'ira of Starfleet. I command this vessel." Li'ira said sharply.

That brought dead silence for a moment. Some one snickered.

"A fine joke, slut. What are you, the Captain's pet?" One female voice called out.

Li'ira said it again. "I am the Captain."

One particularly fierce looking woman approached Li'ira "And what do you want?"

"I want you to quit stabbing each other. I want you to act like people on your way to freedom." Li'ira said, she noticed that the Green Woman was taller than she, and of a thicker build, with many knife scars showing.

"No Green couch slut tells me how to behave." The woman produced a knife from her tunic and advanced on Li'ira. Li'ira slid her own phaser out of her sleeve and shot the larger woman. The stun setting rocked the woman back on her heels but didn't put her down.

Li'ira noticed that Draxil and Milu had phasers leveled and were covering her.

Li'ira shot the scarred woman again. The second shot put the fierce Green woman on the deck.

Li'ira dialed her phaser to a higher stun setting. "Questions?"

A Green man stepped forward. "If you didn't have that phas-"

Li'ira stunned him, taking no chances and using a prolonged beam. The man crumpled.

"I do have the phasers, and lots more where that came from." Li'ira announced, "The Federation says I am the Captain of this ship. Starfleet Command says I am the Captain of this ship. Three Orion Cruisers said I wasn't the Captain. Our phasers and torpedoes said I was. I am still here. The best crew in the fleet says that I am their Captain, and we have phasers, phaser rifles and eleven other kinds of goodies that say so, too."

Li'ira stopped and watched the realization cross the faces of the Greens. Oh well. The lady with the phaser rifles says she's Alpha. It must be so.

"Once more, Questions?" Li'ira asked.

"Is she really your Captain?" One of the Greens asked Draxil.

"Hell, yeah! She kicked your ass, didn't she?" Draxil said.

When the Greens looked questioningly at Milu, she nodded. "I have taken an oath to that effect."

"So, what's going to happen to us?" Another Green asked.

"We are heading for a Starbase now. Once we reach that base, you are free people. Citizenship in the Federation is available for you." Li'ira explained. "In the Federation, society as a whole cares for us, as we care for it. Federation society in the body of this ship has already adopted you and will support you. Once we reach Starbase, you may decide for yourself how you wish to participate in that society and how you may want to pay back what it gives you."

The greens looked confused. "Federation society as a whole has ...Adopted us? We're slaves of the Federation?"

"No. You are free people. You are free people who never have to worry about going hungry or being homeless again in your lives." Li'ira said. "I will be sending down more people to explain things in better detail. What I need to know is, will there be any Greens but me on board when we finally get to Starbase?"

This caused a general shuffling assent. "You, ah, don't want us using knives any more?"

"Not on each other, no. Not on anyone else. Will you do this please?"

This caused a more definite assent.

"Thank you, people. I will have an officer come down and start briefing you about what to expect when we reach Starbase, Until then, have a good day."

"Ummmm. Is there anyway we could have some... Music here?" One green asked.

"How about some videos? I'm bored!" Another piped in

"We'll work on that." Li'ira said as she exited the room.

-*-

"The best crew in the fleet, huh?" Draxil said to Li'ira

Li'ira looked Draxil and Milu right in the eyes. "Screw what Starfleet Command says. I know the truth."

"Thank you." Milu bowed. "I will go and work on ways to keep the Greens from becoming bored."

"Thank you." Li'ira said.

"Sheesh." Draxil grinned at Li'ira.

"What, you thought I didn't like you after all this time?"

-*-

The ShiKahr was stabilized. Everyone who wasn't working on damage control was working Security to keep the rescued crews of the Orion ships pacified and held.

The USS Aristotle roared into the area. A Nebula class work horse cruiser, She was larger than the ShiKahr, and had more usable volume.

Li'ira ducked into a conference room to take a call from the Aristotle. The screen cleared to show a modern Starfleet bridge, open and done in earth tones.

"Oh, boy." The man wearing captain pips said. He looked bleary, as if he'd been rousted from his sick bed to come rushing to the rescue. He looked a touch confused. "What's your status ShiKahr?"

"We have the damage locked down, but we've had to take on too many survivors from the attacking vessels, we could use another ship to hold prisoners. We could also use medical assistance. Our Doctors are about at the ends of their ropes.

The Captain of the Aristotle looked at his XO carefully. "No problem. We can do that." The XO replied quietly.

"Yeah, Okay, work it out with Commander Sindeke." The Captain of the Aristotle said. "We got you covered ShiKahr." With that the comm. System focused on Commander Sindeke.

Li'ira started working out the details with Commander Sindeke.

-*-

Li'ira straggled into her quarters, some eternity later. She was dirty, tired, and not entirely conscious from being fatigued.

Neela was there. She quickly turned off the PADD she was reading and approached Li'ira.

"Reading something interesting?" Li'ira mumbled, starting to strip out of her uniform. A sonic shower and bed sounded like heaven. Neela stepped in and started to help Li'ira undress.

Li'ira stopped undressing her self and looked at Neela, while Neela struggled with suddenly less cooperative clothing.

"Stop." Li'ira said.

Obediently, Neela stepped back.

"You're not my servant Neela. I thought we settled that." Li'ira said. She started shucking her uniform again.

Neela looked confused. "But... I want to help you." Plainly this woman was going to make things unnecessarily complicated and difficult.

"Not right now." Li'ira said tiredly but firmly. "You're home, and you're safe. Do whatever you want to do. Amuse yourself."

Neela took one more step back, unsure of what to make of Li'ira's statement

Li'ira wandered into the head to take her sonic shower.

A short but floaty and dreamy time later, a cleaner, more tired Li'ira came out of the head. She slid into her bed and began to drop off.

The bouncing feel of Neela crawling into bed with her roused her somewhat.

Li'ira raised her head and was about to shoo Neela away. Neela's expression caught Li'ira. The girl had suffered terrible loss and dislocation today. She was coping the best she could, but underneath the wounds were still raw.

Li'ira opened the blankets and let Neela in. After the events of the day someone to hold onto would be nice.

"Have to get Amanda to help me teach you the dances and songs." Li'ira said, sleepily.

"I know all those, Li'ira." Neela said "I am a fully trained... how do you say, Animal Woman. I can please you in any way you desire."

"Oh." Li'ira's internal censor was off-line "Then take ownership of yourself and live happily ever after. That's an order."

Li'ira's head hit the pillow and in three deep breaths, she was gone.

Neela lay awake. She snuggled into the sleeping woman next to her, glad for the company. She looked at the overhead and carefully considered Li'ira's words. Especially when compared to the fact that Li'ira accepted her into her bed and was still snuggled in.

Things were strange and different.

Later that night Neela found herself crying. She cried for her lost Jooti, and her lost place in the universe. Emotion simply carried her away.

Li'ira didn't wake up, but she held the girl more tightly.

-*-

The next morning was the after action briefing. Li'ira was glad that the other two ships didn't have to fly off on other missions. It felt nice to know that the damaged ShiKahr had escort immediately available for once.

Captain Sotomura of the Haguro was the Senior Captain. He'd called for a briefing with the Captains and Executive Officers of the three ships aboard the Haguro. Li'ira and Suval beamed aboard first.

The Haguro's transporter room was a standard Starfleet Model, perhaps a touch wider than most.

Standing in the transporter room were Captain Sotomura, his Executive Officer, an interesting looking humanoid woman with small horns, solid blue eyes and obsidian black skin, and the Graysons Gazelle that Li'ira saw on the bridge of the Haguro yesterday.

Li'ira Saluted the keel of the ship and said "Permission to come aboard?"

"Granted, Captain." Sotomura smiled. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Live long and prosper." Suval held up his hand in the Vulcan Salute. Captain Sotomura returned the salute and invocation.

"This is Commander Suval, my Executive officer." Li'ira introduced, stepping down off the transporter.

"Pleased. This is my Wife and Executive Officer, Breeanlan." Sotomura Introduced.

"Pleased to meet you." Breeanlan said. Her voice sounded odd. As if she had three voices designed to work in harmony.

Li'ira felt a bump against her leg. The Grayons Gazelle was leaning against her. Li'ira smiled at old memories of spending time skritching the ones at Starfleet Academy. She still recalled that they liked to be skritched just there.

She bent over and scratched a spot just behind the Gazelle's shoulder blades. He lowered his head and stretched out his neck in an obvious expression of pleasure. "Well, hello." She said. The gazelle leaned into the skritch.

Breeanlan grinned widely. Captain Sotomura looked bemused. "Captain, my operations officer, Commander Ziriban."

Li'ira looked around but the only other person in the room was a human manning the transporter console. He was almost as black as Breeanlan, although his skin had the more familiar brown under tones. He was wearing Engineering gold and plainly had Ensigns pip on. He was also watching the gazelle get skritched with a bemused expression

Li'ira noticed that the Gazelle had a collar. The collar was in the same black as Starfleet uniform material and had maroon piping. She leaned over farther and saw a set of Commander's pips and a comm-badge attached to the collar.

Li'ira stopped dead. The Gazelle looked up at her with solid blue eyes that were the same as Commander Breeanlan's. **Pleased to meet you, Captain.** Li'ira could feel the soft voice echoing in her head.

Li'ira stood straight up and felt that she couldn't breathe. "You're sentient?"

**I should hope so.** Ziriban thought at her. **Hisonalan was right, you do give good skritch.**

Li'ira felt surprise and embarrassment almost overwhelm her. "I, I never knew."

Ziriban looked right at her, and she had the feeling he'd been saving up the line for a while. **You never asked.**

Li'ira backed away from the Ane and sat down heavily on the transporter pad. "All this time, and you never said anything! " Li'ira felt anger begin to rise.

**Look at it this way, Captain. You discover now that you've had friends all along that you didn't know you had. Yes we've been here all along. And we've been rooting for you all along as well.** Ziriban looked at her and Li'ira could feel the affection flow from him. This creature genuinely liked her.

Li'ira felt any real anger flow away, but she still found herself badly annoyed. "I feel like your people haven't been entirely honest with me, Ziriban. To be honest, I don't know if I like you yet."

Sotomura raise his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Breeanlan. He turned back to Li'ira "Perhaps we can discuss this issue in better detail later, Captain?"

Li'ira stood back up. "Yes, Sir." She stepped down off the transporter with Suval.

"Welcome aboard the USS Haguro." Sotomura said.

"Thank you."

The Ensign manning the Transporter said "Captain Borman and Commander Sindeke report ready to beam aboard, Sir."

The Transporter sparkled and there appeared on the Pad two humans in Starfleet Uniforms, one was a bulky man, tall and wide, with washed out looking blonde hair and watery irritated looking eyes. He had Captain's pips. Presumably Captain Borman. His companion was short only by comparison, a man with the odd brownish gold complexion of Earth's south Asia region. He was slim, and his face held vague lines of worry.

Li'ira sympathized. Being a starship executive officer was a lot of effort and attention to detail, so the Captain didn't have to worry about the little things.

Sindeke Saluted the Keel. Borman took a deep sighing breath which expressed disappointment "Oh." Half a beat later he tried to save the comment. "I see the Haguro is from El-Nanth." After a few moments he remembered protocol. "Permission to come aboard?"

Sotomura's face was impassive, a mildly friendly expression seemed pasted on. "Please. Welcome gentlemen."

"I'm Captain Borman, and this is my XO, Commander Miglaiar Sindeke." Borman introduced.

"I am Captain Toshio Sotomura of the USS Haguro, This is my executive officer and wife Breeanlan, and my Ops officer, Commander Ziriban." Sotomura introduced.

Borman's eyes narrowed. "Ah." He managed. He offered his hand to Sotomura. To Li'ira it seemed that the man was ill. He was moving slowly as if to cover for some unsteadiness. "Pleased to meet you, Captain."

"Right this way, gentle beings, " Breeanlan gestured towards the doorway "and we'll begin the briefing."

Ziriban skittered ahead to lead the way.

Borman looked at Li'ira "A Green Orion Woman Captain, Huh?"

Li'ira smiled at Borman, but her eyes flashed. "I know. Weird isn't it?"

Borman blinked. He'd been snapped back but didn't have a handle on how exactly. "Uh huh. Yeah, well, I'm sure you'll do just fine." He turned to follow Ziriban.

Sindeke looked unhappily at Borman's back and then said to Li'ira "It is an honor to meet you, Captain."

"Thank you Commander." Li'ira nodded at the Aristotle's executive officer. Sindeke turned to follow his captain.

Li'ira noted vaguely that Borman smelled familiar somehow, but she couldn't immediately place why.

-*-

"The ShiKahr has taken moderate damage." Li'ira said. "With another two days of repair, we'll be able to make warp six again, but my engineer tells me emergency speed is out of the question. We'll be laid up in Spacedock for quite a while repairing or replacing our warp nacelles."

Borman asked, "What happened? The Orion's drill 'em for ya?"

Li'ira sighed "Actually a lot of the damage was self inflicted. We burned them pretty badly running from the Orions, so we could begin the engagement in striking distance of the Haguro."

"An interesting choice, Captain." Breeanlan said.

Li'ira grinned ruefully. "Fortunately the Haguro justified the effort nicely."

"My condolences on you losses." Sotomura said.

Li'ira accepted the sentiment gravely. Did Sotomura understand how much like a family a Starship became with time? Yes, she could see he did.

"What in the hell was all that about, anyway? The Orions don't attack Starships like that." Borman sounded confused.

"We're carrying a VIP from Standish Colony. He's a refugee from the Orion Colonies, and his former House wants him severely dead." Li'ira explained.

Borman shook his head. Plainly he was having problems grasping why a VIP was that important. "Well you two pasted 'em good, and that's what counts isn't it? The Orions will think twice before trying that trick again."

"How are you doing with the prisoners?" Sotomura asked Borman.

Sindeke answered "The crews from the two surviving cruisers are a mixed bag racially speaking. Many of them were already wanted for piracy and other crimes. They are well disciplined and trained. The ShiKahr's security people did a good job of disarming them and searching them before they were turned over to us. We've had a few incidents but our security people are on top of it and we anticipate no serious problems returning the pirates to Starbase Five.

Li'ira said "Please convey my thanks to Doctor Gonzales for her help. Your medical crews stepped in at just the right time."

"I will. Thank you, Captain." Sindeke said.

"What are you plans, Captain?" Sotomura asked Li'ira.

Li'ira sighed heavily. "Going to Starbase Five wouldn't get us much. Most of our damage is already repaired, worked around or would take longer than we have. If we press straight on for Earth, I can get Mister Verdan and his crew there in time for the economic conference, and turn responsibility for his safety over to the chief of security for the conference."

Sotomura nodded. "Unless you have some objection, The Haguro will escort you, Captain. I have the discretion to alter my patrol route that far."

Li'ira smiled "That would be nice. I really wouldn't mind having back-up handy."

Sotomura nodded. "It shall be done. "

"Well Captains, if you don't mind - " Borman put his hand flat on the table and began to lever himself up "- I have an itinerary and a belly full of prisoners. Do either of you require anything further of the Aristotle?"

Sotomura looked at Li'ira. Li'ira nodded to Borman. "Thank you, Captain, We're fine now."

"Good."

"I think that covers the essence of the briefing." Sotomura said.

Li'ira stood as well. "The ShiKahr needs us, Captain." She said to Sotomura. "Once we get things more squared away, I'd like to invite you over for a dinner and to meet our guests."

"I'd like that." Sotomura smiled genuinely.

Li'ira proceeded out of the briefing room.

She followed Borman and Sindeke into the transporter room.

Li'ira followed Borman and Sindeke into the Haguro's transporter room.

Borman stepped up the few steps to the transporter platform. He turned and spoke heavily to Sindeke "I'm glad to be off that ship. I need a drink."

Sindeke nodded absently.

"Man, I hate those creatures." Borman said. He weaved unevenly.

Li'ira all but boggled at the man standing on the transporter platform. She turned to see Suval's shocked expression replaced by very logical distaste.

Sindeke stood stiffly and looked like we wanted to crawl into a hole, but wasn't panicked enough yet to run for one. He simply stood at attention and stared at the wall.

Borman rubbed his face. His eyes looked bleary "Arrogant, self-righteous bastards that they are, too."

The Ensign at the transporter controls overcame his shock and energized the transporter beam. As the transporter sparkled and the whine of it increased, Borman started. His eyes cleared noticeably. "Oh, hell," he said as he faded away.

Li'ira stood stunned for a moment watching the space where Borman had stood. Something caught Li'ira's eye. Standing right behind her, with shocked and unhappy expressions were Sotomura and Breeanlan.

Feeling the need to say something Li'ira said, "I've never seen a Starship Captain behave that way."

"Couldn't you smell him?" Sotomura asked. "That man was drunk!"

-*-

Li'ira walked the decks of the USS Aristotle, and did her best to keep her angry body language down. The Aristotle was a modern ship, wider and more comfortable in spots than the ShiKahr. The decor reminded Li'ira of a hotel on Earth or a more established colony. Crew people saw her, stared or did double takes and got out of her way.

The turbo lift quickly whisked her to the Aristotle's bridge.

Li'ira stepped out onto the bridge. It was wider than the ShiKahr's and set up for upholstered comfort. This was mix of a Starship's bridge and a living room. Commander Sindeke sat in the Captain's chair comfortably, as if he owned it. "That makes sense." Li'ira thought to herself. The bridge crew seemed relaxed and at ease in their accustomed position

The tactical officer looked over and caught sight of Li'ira. His eyes grew wide. "Captain on the Bridge!" he came to attention.

Sindeke turned with a question on his lips but the question died upon seeing Li'ira. He stood up, "Errr, welcome aboard, Captain. We weren't told you were here."

"That was deliberate." Li'ira's voice sounded short and clipped in her ears. "Where's Captain Borman?"

Sindeke looked very uncomfortable. "He didn't want to be disturbed..."

Li'ira looked at the bridge crew of the Aristotle and could see the metaphorical dead elephant on their bridge. No one spoke of it, no one mentioned it, no one acknowledged it. Now Li'ira was about to flog it in front of them all and everyone on the Aristotle's bridge seemed acutely uncomfortable with the idea.

"I am about to disturb him." Li'ira said "Ready room or his quarters?"

Sindeke looked desperate and unhappy. "Captain, what ever you need I'm sure we can help you with."

Li'ira stopped and deliberately softened her face and tone "I am certain that's the case, Commander." Then she pushed ahead implacably "Where is Captain Borman?"

Sindeke looked at her and knew the jig was up. Li'ira felt uncomfortable but would not be dissuaded. This crew was in a very unhappy place.

Sindeke pointed to the ready room door wordlessly

"Thank you." Li'ira nodded. "As you were." She said. It seemed a cruel joke. They'd never be as they were again.

Li'ira pressed the doorbell. For several uncomfortable moments, nothing happened. She pressed again. Another wait.

"Computer," Li'ira said "override the door to the Captain's ready room."

"State identity and authorization code."

"Li'ira, Captain." Li'ira said. She rattled off her authorization code with practiced ease. Inside it was another uncomfortable moment. Would it work?

"Acknowledged." The computer of the Aristotle said. The door slid open.

Li'ira stepped through, and the door closed behind her.

The smell was stronger here and more familiar. Li'ira was a touch embarrassed. She'd worked so hard to forget her father and was so convinced that she never would.

Borman was sprawled sloppily on the couch in his ready room. A mostly empty bottle of some liquor was held loosely down near the floor in a semi-conscious hand. He snored. The couch had a sheet and blanket on it, and had obviously been slept in. A partially eaten meal sat on the desk amid dozens of scattered PADDs. It looked several hours old.

"Borman, wake up." Li'ira said.

Nothing

Li'ira grabbed a PADD off the desk . A cursory glance showed it was filled with the paperwork germane and endemic to being a Starship Captain.

Li'ira used it to tap Borman's foot briskly. "Wake up!" she said sharply.

Borman started and snorted, and then started moving almost at random.

"Borman! Wake up!" Li'ira said again.

Borman rolled into a sitting position with his eyes wide. He wasn't looking at anything though. He blinked and seemed to come back into himself.

"Huh?" he asked uncertainly. "What's up?"

Then, to Li'ira's horror, a bemused expression settled over Borman's face and he grinned vacuously. "Heyyyy, It's the Captain of the that Excelsior job."

Li'ira kicked herself for forgetting the effect of her pheromones. Evidently Borman was drawing a very, very wrong conclusion.

"You're in a lot of trouble." Li'ira said. "Don't make it worse. There's a senior officer in the room."

Borman's unfortunate thought process ground to a painfully slow halt while Li'ira watched. He looked around. "Where?"

"You're drunk." Li'ira said.

"Can't a Captain take a nap around here?" Borman whined.

"You're going to go talk to your Chief Medical Officer and start treatment for alcoholism." Li'ira said firmly.

That woke Borman up more. "The fuck I am, missy. Just who the hell do you think you are to barge into my ready room and start handing out orders?"

Li'ira handed him the PADD "Look it up."

Borman snatched the PADD with an angry motion. "Look at what?"

"The seniority list. I rank you and so does Captain Sotomura." Li'ira stepped back and took a perched half seat on the corner of Borman's desk.

Borman blearily focused on the PADD and called up the chart. It took a while. "Shit."

"That's right." Li'ira said. "You insulted a senior officer in his own transporter room this morning."

Borman looked shifty "I don't recall anything like that. What are you talking about?"

"You're going to go talk to your CMO, and begin treatment for alcoholism." Li'ira insisted.

"I don't care what the damned seniority chart says, I am not a drunk and I am not going to seek treatment for a non-existent problem." Borman eyed Li'ira. "Sir."

"You endanger yourself, your ship and your crew. How far are you going to make me push this?" Li'ira asked.

"Sindeke has it handled." Borman said. "I have a good crew, they have it covered."

"Sindeke is doing your job for you." Li'ira said. "You crew is covering for you and you've damaged morale badly. "

"You don't know anything about my crew's morale. All due respect Captain, Ma'am, maybe you should butt out of areas you know nothing about, like my ship!" Borman stood up and his face grew red.

"You're going to speak with your CMO and begin treatment for alcoholism." Li'ira stayed carefully seated, and stared right into Borman's eyes. "How far are you going to make me push this?

"Do your worst," Borman sneered, "Sir."

"You're relieved." Li'ira said. "Take yourself to your quarters until you're ready to talk with your CMO."

"You can't do that to me on my own ship!" Borman raged.

"It's done." Li'ira said.

"Do you know what this will do to my career?" Borman howled "You can't do this!"

"Computer, open log." Li'ira said mildly.

Borman discovered he was still holding his mostly emptied bottle of liquor when he hurled into a mirror. Both shattered with a resounding crash.

"As of this date, on my responsibility as senior officer, Captain Borman is relieved of duty." Li'ira said. Her voice sounded dry. Li'ira felt certain the log recording would save her thudding heartbeats for posterity.

"GODDAMN IT!" Borman howled "KNOCK IT OFF!"

"Pending his successful completion of treatment." Li'ira finished. "Li'ira, Captain, Commanding USS ShiKahr, this date."

"Log completed." The Aristotle's computer said.

Borman paled. "Oh, God."

Li'ira stood up. It took a very deliberate act of will for her to turn her back on Borman and walk out of the ready room.

On the bridge, all officers were at their stations, carefully not hearing a thing.

"Commander Sindeke, You are in command of the Aristotle until you reach starbase." Li'ira said.

Sindeke turned and looked at Li'ira with haunted eyes. "Aye, Sir."

"I will return to the ShiKahr now. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." Li'ira said.

Sindeke nodded solemnly

Li'ira turned and stiffly walked over to the Turbo lift

-*-

In the transporter room, Borman caught up with her. "Captain, Captain please. I... I need to apologize for my performance."

Li'ira looked at Borman carefully.

"I'm sorry, I was really out of line. C'mon back, we can discuss this, we can work something out." Borman did his best to put on a charming grin.

Li'ira's voice came out very cold. "There is nothing to discuss. Talk to your CMO, get treatment. The end."

Borman looked concerned "Captain, I have friends in the fleet. If this has to go to them in order to get worked out, I'm really worried about the effect on you." He sounded very sincere.

Li'ira stepped away from Borman and up onto the transporter pad. "Talk to your CMO, talk to your Counselor. Get treatment." Her voice sounded wooden in her own ears. "Energize now."

The ensign manning the Aristotle's transporter mercifully engaged the device as quickly as possible.

"Captain, No! Listen, please - You don't understand, Captain!" Borman almost held on his composure, but Li'ira last sight as she faded out of the Aristotle's transporter room was of Borman having a raging fit.

-*-

In the ShiKahr's transporter room, Li'ira stepped over to the wall console "Hail the Haguro."

"Aye, Captain."

Toshio Sotomura's face appeared instantly on the screen. He'd been waiting for the call. "How'd it go?"

"I relieved Borman of Command." Li'ira said. Her voice seemed to rasp out of her. "Commander Sindeke is now in charge."

Sotomura blinked. "I'm sure you did what was necessary, Captain." Then he switched gears. "Are you alright?"

Li'ira nodded. "I'm going to talk with someone about that, as soon as we're done."

Sotomura nodded. "Haguro out, ShiKahr."

Li'ira nodded "ShiKahr out."

Li'ira felt the comforting presence of Suval beside her. "I'm going to take some time off. You have the con, Number One."

Suval noted. "I have the Con, Captain."

"If you need me at any time, do not hesitate to call." Li'ira said

"I never do." Suval noted.

-*-

Li'ira held it together until she entered the doorway to the Orion VIP quarters. Verdan looked up sharply and his face ran through a gamut of changes as he noted Li'ira emotional state.

Li'ira saw Paladin immediately move to cover her and then fade back to a less obtrusive covering mode.

Gloria approached Li'ira. "Captain, are you okay?"

Li'ira felt her spine begin to unlock, and her muscles begin to unclench. Tears started to flow from her eyes. "No." was all she said

Gloria moved into her space and initiated a hug that Li'ira gratefully returned. "It's okay, We've got you."

Tears flowing, Li'ira nodded. "May I stay here with you for a little bit?"

Neela, Veela and Olivia appeared from an antechamber.

Gloria hugged tighter "Stay for as long as you need to.

Li'ira gestured for Neela to join the hug, and simply enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by friendship for the time being.

-*-

The funeral for the people killed in the battle against the Orions was a somber affair. Li'ira, in full dress uniform led the crew in the prayers and rituals designed to help them say good-bye to fallen comrades.

The bodies were prepared according to recorded wishes. Most of the Starfleet members of the crew were buried in space as was the ancient custom.

Most of the Orions were cremated and their ashes stored, to be shipped to Botchok.

Members of the crews of all three Starfleet ships were represented. Sotomura and Breeanlan cut somber figures in their dress uniforms.

Verdan and company, Neela in tow, turned out dressed in elegant, yet understated clothing that did not unduly draw attention.

Once the Funeral and ceremonial jettison of the remains was complete, the real ritual of say good-bye began.

-*-

Pictures of the Starfleet dead were posted in the ship's lounge, while music played, drinks were served and a buffet was picked to death by party goers. Each casualty among the ShiKahr's company had his own complement of friends and acquaintances, which were in turn surrounded by their own friends and acquaintances.

Stories of the dead were exchanged. Laughter and tears flowed.

About an hour into the event Amanda called for attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, In the Colonies, we have a custom. We dance for the dead, and their memories. It is our way of saying thank you and good bye. I would be honored if you'd allow me to dance our dance for the departed, to honor your fallen comrades and our fellow citizens."

Quietly, the attendees of the wake considered. Sunshine said "We all say goodbye in our own ways. Go ahead."

"Please. I am sure that he would have liked that." Lt. Chen said.

Uncertainty gave way to mild support and encouragement.

Amanda started the recorded music. It was a simple beat, and a quietly wailing flute.

She moved slowly at first, setting up the rhythm and the physical themes of the dance. As she continued, the dance became more involved, expressing sadness, loss and bittersweet hope.

As the dance developed into it's full form, Neela drifted in, and in lockstep, she repeated the dance behind and to Amanda's right hand. The two women moved in beautiful synchronization, dancing sorrow, longing and hope.

Then Veela appeared, behind Amanda and to the left, and her movements became one with the dance as well.

Gloria and Olivia began to set up their entry into the dance.

Li'ira felt a tug and examined it. She drifted closer to the dancers as they stepped gracefully through the simple, yet expressive steps, Sorrow, longing, hope. It felt right, it felt like the dance was saying what she felt, in a truer way.

Paladin spoke to Garan Draxil, quietly. Draxil nodded sharply and began to pull Security people out of the crowd.

Olivia and Gloria flanked Veela, Amanda and Neela. The dance flowed. The tone of the flute cried and sang the memories of lost friends. Memory. Sadness. Longing. Hope.

Garan and eight of his officers took station around Verdan. Paladin nodded gravely, and stepped towards the dancers.

When the beat was right. Li'ira stepped in. She moved and remembered her fallen crew. She moved and let the sadness wash over her. Sadness for lost family. She moved and felt longing. Longing for one last word. One last chance to emphasize the only important point - "I love you." Movement became an expression hope, that someday they would meet again. That for whatever reason, their death was not a vain or empty one.

Movement. Memory. Sadness. Longing. Hope.

Paladin joined the formation, and all together the Green Orions present danced to say good bye. The dance seemed sychcronized as if they'd practiced. It wasn't really, there were subtle mistakes, misteps and miscues. However, as the dance expressed the emotion, it also guided the expression. To the eyes of the Starfleet officers it looked like all were dancing as one

Movement. Memory. Sadness. Longing. Hope.

Tears flowed down Li'ira's face, and she lost herself in the moment. Each step saying goodbye.

Movement. Memory. Sadness. Longing. Hope.

-*-

Datawork buried Li'ira. She peered carefully at a PADD with a painfully complete account. The PADD described the changes the battle had wrought to the ShiKahr's stores, supplies and over all condition. All this had to be noted, logged into the computer and countersigned.

The alert whistled sounded, followed by the reasoned tones of Commander Suval. "Captain to the Bridge."

Li'ira tried not to feel guilty about the load of paper work she was able to drop as she hurried to the bridge. She wasn't entirely successful.

-*-

Li'ira popped out of the turbo lift and onto the bridge. On the main view screen there was a long range scanner view. There were literally dozens of Starships present in the region being scanned, but that was normal since the little formation was closing in on Earth.

The one that caught her eye as near the top of the screen

The Federation starship USS Kongo was noted next to the icon for a Romulan Warbird. They were also moving towards Earth. The Warbird had somehow managed to cover most of the distance across the Federation.

The bridge of the ShiKahr positively bustled as the Starfleet officers queried each other and everyone in communications range.

"The Haguro is reporting no word from El Nanth, They have no idea." Tandala said.

"Lots of ships are calling except our friends..." Draxil was saying

"We're getting messages from all over the sector." Crystara was saying.

Suval nodded to Li'ira "Captain. Sensors have just discovered a Romulan Warbird well within Federation territory."

The situation felt uncomfortably familiar to Li'ira for no reason she could name. "What's the word from Starfleet Command?"

"None so far." Suval said.

"Wait..." Garan Draxil said "I'm getting a message from the USS Kongo. It's 4 hours old."

"On Screen." Li'ira said.

The screen cleared to show a red haired human man, in a Starfleet Captain's uniform. Next to him another obdisian skinned Aneilog woman looked serene and composed by her uniform a Starfleet Commander. Behind them, an Andorian man in Lt. Commanders uniform was obviously the tactical officer of the ship.

The bridge of the Kongo was done in soft browns, tans and reds and looked thoroughly modern.

"This is Captain Timothy Grayson of the Starship USS Kongo. All is well. We are escorting the Warbird Natoark to Earth, as part of the first diplomatic contact between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire in over eighty years. We look forward to seeing many of you at Earth. It is my hope that our guests will be met with the greatest courtesy and welcome."

The message started to repeat.

Li'ira took her seat in the Captain's chair. And turned down the volume "Crystara, confirm that message if possible, Garan -"

"We're getting another signal, Captain. A broad band transmission, but with Starfleet attention codes embedded. It's Earth." Tandala said.

"On screen." Li'ira said, returning the volume of the scene to normal.

The screen cleared to show Jaresh Inyo, the President of the United Federation of Planets. In the lower corner there was a logo for the Federation News Service.

The President was grinning broadly. "My fellow citizens, it is my pleasure to make an announcement. Years of quiet inquiries and diplomatic communications through third parties has paid off. The Romulan Star Empire is sending a diplomatic mission to Earth to take part in the Inner Sphere Economic and Trade Conference of Stardate 51601.1. It is the hope of this Administration that this is the beginning of a new, more diplomatically active relationship between the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire."

Li'ira dialed down the volume on what was sure to be a lengthy speech by the President following his announcement. "Wow." She commented.

Suval nodded "A potentially hopeful sign."

Li'ira grinned at him. "Let's not go falling all over ourselves here."

Suval sighed deeply "The Romulans think in longer terms than most Federation races. I fear we may not know the true direction of this overture for decades."

Brett Tyson turned from the helm Station. "I agree with the Commander, Sir. This may be some sort of gambit in a longer term plan."

"New orders coming in Captain." Tandala reported.

Li'ira nodded sharply "Let's keep the political discussions in the lounge where they belong, please. Go ahead and post those new orders to my screen."

Li'ira read the new orders and felt faintly ill. "Oh, that's wonderful."

Suval read them with a single glance but his dispassionate face revealed nothing.

"Captain?" Tandala asked.

Li'ira considered. There was nothing particularly secret about the orders. "We're to rendezvous with the USS Royal Sovereign."

Tandala's face fell "Oh."

Li'ira nodded. "Yes. We'll be part of Captain Collins battle group forming the honor guard for the Warbird Natoark."

Tyson looked confused. "Are we expecting trouble?"

Li'ira shook her head. "Nothing that raising the shields and arming the phasers would help."

-*-

The holding cell was throbbing with music. The decoration had been redone. Small semi-private cubicles lined the walls. Green Orions came out of them and went into them. The mode of dress was more casual than before, the temperature was higher and the lighting was artistically arranged.

Small knots of people danced with each other. Each dance was subtly different, as Li'ira walked past them she could hear conversations leveraged by the dancing. All used the same beat of the loud music, but the details were different.

At a large table Neela and Veela were holding court. Talking and waving their hands gracefully, with a large pile of PADDS showing different documents and video presentations.

Li'ira slid up to the table, feeling the beat of the music lubricating her movements as she absorbed it. "Hello."

"Hello, Captain," Veela smiled perkily.

"Li'ira!" Neela leapt up and came to get a hug.

The tall, muscular green woman with the scars along her arm nodded. "Captain Li'ira, I am Rill."

Li'ira nodded to Rill solemnly "Pleased."

Veela waved to the PADDS on the table "Another Federation citizenship primer."

Another Green Orion woman introduced herself "I am Larka. Is it true? We're free citizens of the Federation now?"

Li'ira nodded and sat down with Neela glued to her. "Yes, Veela has made the transition, and so have Gloria, Olivia, Amanda and Paladin. And now so have you."

"Not you?" Rill asked.

"No." Li'ira answered truthfully. "I was born free. My Mother was the one who made the transition."

This got the attention of many of the Greens at the table. "A Green? Born free?"

Li'ira nodded.

Larka thought about it "That means my child-"

"Yes. If you elect to be a citizen of the Federation then your children are, too." Li'ira said.

Larka sat back stunned digesting this.

"We have new orders. We're heading for Earth as part of an honor guard." Li'ira said.

"Orders." Rill said.

"Yes." Li'ira replied.

"You're free but you take orders." Rill said suspiciously

"I'm a Starfleet Officer. I subject myself to the military discipline of Starfleet because it's necessary to be who I want to be." Li'ira explained.

Rill shook her head. "I don't understand. You were free but now you are subject to orders because you want to be."

"It's not the orders that draw me. I get to explore space. I get to serve the Federation. I get to pay back the Federation for my freedom, and I get to be of service to my fellow citizens, the Federation and the Truth. Someone has to do this to help maintain order and peace. I wanted to be one of those people."

"I didn't know your freedom came with price tag that you had to pay off." Rill said, quietly

"Freedom always has a price." Li'ira said. "How and where are variable, but a price always comes. Usually it's well worth paying."

Rill thought about this.

Li'ira jumped in. "I found that another Federation Starship has it's own 'Green Gang', so to speak." She set the PADD she carried down on the table. "The USS Endeavor, NCC 71805. I met the Captain once, Miriah Katasai."

"What's she like?" Veela asked.

"Very interesting. She's one of us, but she's Klingon, too." Li'ira explained. "Very Klingon."

"And she has Greens aboard her ship?"

"Yes. In their logs she recounts rescuing a slave ship after a revolt." Li'ira explained. "They developed a lot of very nice ideas for making Greens comfortable. I think I'm going to steal some of their ideas here for the ShiKahr."

Veela snatched the PADD away from Li'ira elbow. Li'ira resisted the urge to tickle her as she did so.

"Neat." Veela said, reading a plan of communal quarters. "Hey, this isn't too different from our set up."

Li'ira nodded. "There's one issue that needs to be resolved. If I lower the force fields and make you guests of the ship, can I trust you not to hurt my people, break my ship or put us in jeopardy in some other way? Will you do what the Starfleet officers say to do to keep the ship safe?"

Rill looked her dead in the eye. "I guarantee it."

Li'ira nodded "good enough. Let's get to work."

At Li'ira's command the force field at the door dropped and stayed down.

-*-

Sunshine walked into the lounge of the ShiKahr. It was bustling, with a hum of conversation. The tone was subdued. Sunshine wasn't surprised. A group of people had it's own personality independant of the individuals in it, and the ShiKahr's crew as a group would be a while recovering from the blow they'd receieved at the hands of the Orions.

No one spoke of it in the lounge though. As the Chief Medical Officer and unoffical counsellor of the ShiKahr, Sunshine knew that for different people, the healing came at a different rate. However, in the public areas of the ship there was a custom. You had a cry, you said goodbye and you moved on. Sunshine spent a few moments thinking of other times and other places. The Starfleet attitude offered a touch more sensitivity than a company of mercenaries on the road, but less than it promised, and it was inflexible about the point. You said good bye then you got on with your job.

As she considered, Sunshine realized that Starfleet was far more military then she'd thought it was. She looked around the lounge and could almost smell the smoke of countless campfires and hear the stories that warriors told each other, time and time again. It was the same thing here, over laid with a mask of civilization and the props of a fern bar.

Sunshine spotted Crystara and Tandala sitting over by one of the large windows, watching space roll by.

No, no, it wasn't a campfire on the road. It was the mid deck of a ship at sea. And once again Sunshine could almost smell the sea, the wood, rope and canvas, and the smell of the bodies.

Sunshine walked up to the table, a smile playing on her face. "Hello. What's the topic for today?"

Tandala turned and smiled "Hey, Sunshine." But the smile over layer a melancholy.

Crystara wasn't as good at hiding it. "Good morning, Healer."

Sunshine peered at the newly regenerated skin on Tandala's hand. "How's the hand coming?"

Tandala wriggled her fingers at Sunshine "Fine. A little sensitive like you said. Rebuilding the callouses will be fun."

Sunshine nodded. "Yeah. I have had to do that a few times myself. I'll replicate you a topical anethetic cream if you promise to use it carefully. I wouldn't want you chewing you hands to hamburger."

"I can do that." Tandala agreed.

"So what has you two down at the mouth today?" Sunshine asked.

Tandala grinned. "You don't miss much, do you?"

Crystara shook her head. "It's nothing really."

Sunshine looked serious "Just more of the Efrosian blues?

Crystara rolled her eyes at the ancient joke.

"At least it's not the Greens." Tandala said.

Crystara's face fell "We agreed, this is a Green free zone."

Sunshine blinked "What?"

Tandala sighed "All we've been hearing about for the past couple of weeks is Green this, Green that, Green the other thing. I'm tired of it."

"It's like Li'ira has forgotten we're alive." Crystara sighed.

Sunshine came to Li'ira's defense "Hey, if you were having a torid affair, we wouldn't expect to hear from you for a while."

"I don't want to begrudge her. After all, she's been so ... Repressed for so long." Tandala said.

"I still feel neglected." Crystara said. "I guess that sounds a little immature."

"More honest, really." Sunshine said.

"I guess what bothers me is the uncertainty." Tandala said.

"Oh?"

"She's changing. You can see it in her attitude and the way she carries herself. She's happier, but will she still be our Li'ira when she's done?"

Sunshine nodded. "I see what you mean."

"I don't want to begrudge her being happy." Crystara said, "But we were here first."

"Yes. Exactly." Tandala agreed.

"And then..." Crystara said, her face getting sour

"What?"

"Well, with the Greens the ship has become more sexually active." Crystara said. "Everyone's hornier."

Sunshine grinned "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Crystara grimaced "It would be just fine if I didn't feel like an emergency back-up girl."

Tandala nodded. "We're who the guys come on to when they can't find a Green."

"Oh I'm sure it's not that bad." Sunshine protested.

"Garan's come-ons have become much more casual and less desperate since he started visiting the Greens." Crystara said.

Sunshine giggled. "It's not like you'd take him up on them anyway."

"Well no, but it still makes me feel.. second rate."

"So you do begrudge him happiness." Tandala grinned.

"Yes. yes, I do. He doesn't deserve it." Crystara said firmly.

The three women laughed.

"I'll have to request that the next batch of Greens we bring aboard have more males with them." Sunshine said.

Crystara sighed "They have one, what is his name? Kell."

Tandala "Oh Gods." she put her face in her hands.

Sunshine grinned. "He's quite decorative."

Tandala moaned. "He's a boy. He's too young. It's cruel and unusual punishment."

Crystara chuckled "He's not the brightest thing, either."

"Not too many teenaged boys are." Sunshine said "But they're charming in their own shallow ways."

Tandala grimaced. "That good looking, and easily manipulatable. It's just not FAIR."

The women's laughter carried across the lounge.

-*-

Barnard's Star shined with orange brilliancy, on no planets worth consideration.

Li'ira looked out the windows. The USS Royal Sovereign was a large ship. The USS Aristotle was larger, and more comfortable, but the Sovereign carried undeniable presence of power. Starfleet's Newest battle cruisers. Flag ships. They skimmed the cream of Starfleet's personnel.

Li'ira liked the family feeling of the ShiKahr or Deep Space Ten better.

In the distance, Li'ira could make out a sparkle. She dialed in a magnification window and saw that it was the USS Stargazer. Li'ira wondered if Captain Loas had been doomed to follow Collins around since their last meeting. If so, he wasn't alone in that fate. Four other Starships also trailed the Royal Sovereign, an entourage.

The all Command staff briefing was more a clinic in crowd control than a normal Starfleet briefing. Li'ira's head spun. Entire wars had been fought with fewer Starfleet Captains and Commanders present.

For all that, the entire meeting could be boiled down to "Is everything Okay?" Followed by, "We go to Earth, and once there. We form up and wave to the Natoark as she comes into the system and settles into her orbit."

It was nice excuse to meet all the Captains face-to-face, however. Even the presence of Captain Borman didn't sour the whole thing. The real unpleasant emotions came when, at the end of the meeting, heading out with Captain Borman, Collins said "Stick around for a bit, Captain. I'd like to speak with you when I'm done."

Now Li'ira waited uncomfortably.

"It is quite a view." A deep voice said next to her.

Li'ira turned to see the Klingon man, Kevas. He was the executive officer of the starship Xerxes, a Defiant class gunboat.

"Commander," Li'ira said. "I think it would look much better with an unexplored planet in the middle of it." She gestured to show where she'd place the unknown planet for best aesthetics.

Kevas grinned "I agree. One is tempted to wonder why Starfleet needs so many starships in a single pile."

Li'ira shook her head. "Starships should fly free and independent, to all different directions. We don't pay our way unless we're solving problems or exploring."

Kevas nodded. "The theory is that we're training to fight the Kliges'chee." He looked conspiratorial "I suspect that Commodore Collins enjoys being at the head of a fleet."

Li'ira sighed. "The Kliges'chee are fighting rebels in the Zantree Alliance. It will be years before they wrap that up. And once they do, they'd have to come through the Klingon Empire, or the Romulans to get to us. By the time fighting reaches the Federation, if it ever does, these fine new ships will be as old and as outdated as the ShiKahr."

Kevas looked serious. "Haven't you heard? There's rumor of activity along the Klingon/Zantree frontier."

Li'ira shrugged. "That means nothing. The Zantree inherited enough Kliges'chee ships from their rebel allies to make two fleets. Even if the Kliges'chee do attack, The Klingon Empire would take 6 months for the ShiKahr to cross. The logistics of pushing a serious attack up to the Klingon Empire would be a nightmare. If they are Kliges'chee ships, all they're doing is giving the Klingons out there some entertaining target practice."

Kevas grinned. "I suspect you're right, Captain."

Li'ira smiled herself. "I think Starfleet's getting a bit paranoid."

Kevas sobered "I hope you'll excuse the observation, but you seem a touch tense."

Li'ira looked at Kevas. He seemed very trustworthy, somehow. Li'ira deliberately disbelieved this feeling. "Everything's fine, Commander."

Kevas nodded. "Indeed. I beg your pardon for prying."

Li'ira let it go.

"Do you know what I did before I became an executive officer?" Kevas asked.

Li'ira cocked an eyebrow at the half Klingon man. "What did you do?"

"I was a Counselor aboard a starship." Kevas said.

"Aha." Li'ira looked at him carefully. A Klingon? "That explains it."

Kevas looked at her carefully "Does the ShiKahr have a counselor?"

Li'ira shook her head. "We haven't been assigned one, yet. Although I'm tempted to wonder why."

Kevas smiled slightly. "Although I am pursuing a different track now, I never abandoned my qualifications as a counselor. If you need someone to speak with, all the usual rules regarding confidentiality and doctor/patient privilege do apply."

Li'ira looked at Kevas. Obviously he knew more than he was saying. "Thank you, Commander. I have some fine ad-hoc counselors on the ShiKahr. I'll be fine."

A change in the conversational tone behind them alerted the two officers. Looking at the doors they saw Commodore Collins approaching.

"May I make a suggestion?" Kevas said quietly.

"Please." Li'ira replied just as quietly.

"Keep an open mind. He is not unhappy to see you."

Li'ira shot Kevas a hard look.

"Good Day, Captain." Kevas bowed. "Commodore."

Kevas the retreated some distance.

"Captain." Collins smiled.

"Commodore." Li'ira said respectfully.

"Let's go to my office where we can talk." Collins said.

Li'ira nodded and felt her guts tighten into a knot.

-*-

"Can I get you something, Captain? An orange juice perhaps?"

Li'ira nodded, "Please."

"Have a seat." Collins waved towards some comfortable chairs in front of his desk.

Li'ira sat down stiffly and accepted the offered juice stiffly.

Sitting on the corner of his desk Collins began "First thing, let me express my condolences to you for the people you lost fighting those Orions."

Li'ira looked at Collins. Sad memory played across his face. "He's had to write those damned letters, too." Li'ira thought.

"I read your reports of the battle." Collins said. "You put up a hell of a fight."

"Thank you." Li'ira said.

"Borman was just in here trying to raise hell about you." Collins said.

"I believe him to be an alcoholic, Commodore. I don't believe him to be fit for duty." Li'ira voice was stiff.

Collins nodded "He never visited his Medical Officer, you know."

Li'ira sighed deeply "I'm not surprised."

"I'm backing your orders with regards to Borman." Collins said. "He simply doesn't belong on the bridge of a starship in his current condition."

Li'ira blinked at Collins.

Collins looked back for a bit and then stood up. He walked to the window of his ready-room and looked out at the stars. "My family has a relationship with his family, you know."

"I didn't know." Li'ira said.

"Old Philadelphia. We go all the way back to beginning of the space age." Collins said.

Li'ira nodded solemnly.

"I'm trying to explain something here." Collins chewed his lip. "I only want what's best for Starfleet. I was raised to believe that we make our society as we go, and that we're its guardians. If it starts to go off the rails we're responsible for putting it back straight."

Li'ira nodded again.

"Borman came in here demanding that I demote you. He wanted me to take you off the ShiKahr and send you off to some Starbase, to career perdition." Collins shook his head.

"He must have had some expectation that you could and would do that." Li'ira said softly.

"Well, he was wrong." Collins said. His voice softened, "So was I."

Li'ira blinked in surprise.

"I still think you were too heavy handed at Pang. I also think I was too heavy handed with you. I apologize." Collins said. He leaned forward and put his hand out to Li'ira.

Li'ira gingerly took the offered hand and shook it. "Permission to speak freely?"

"Please do."

"What brought about this sudden change of heart, Commodore?"

Collins looked thoughtful. "I was angry when I learned you'd been attacked. We all were. Then I realized, that despite all my issues and disagreements with you, we're still colleagues. You're still my comrade in arms. I realized that I'd find Starfleet a slightly more boring place without you."

Li'ira blinked. "So you like having me here to disagree with?"

Collins grinned. "Yes, Exactly, can you work with me that way?"

"Commodore -"

"Call me Neil."

"Neil, I don't plan on being anyone but myself here. If you can accept me and my people as we are, then I'd like to be able to work with you."

Collins nodded somberly "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Li'ira sat forward on her seat "And since I have permission to speak freely, I'd like to offer you some advice. Disband this battle group. Quit flying around space like you own it. Take this monster ship of yours out to the frontier and do some exploration, where you don't own the stars, and don't know what's going on."

Collins looked a touch grim. "I'd love to, but the latest strategic analyses look really bad. There's going to be a war, sooner or later. Besides we have an immediate mission in mind, once we're released from the honor guard."

"What's that?"

Collins grinned "Anti-Piracy patrol."

Li'ira blinked "No kidding?"

"Li'ira, they conducted a military attack against a Federation starship in Federation space, while Ferrying a Federation VIP to a Federation economic conference. Starfleet Command has noticed and they are not pleased. While at Earth, we're going to gather some intelligence, get some sensor upgrades and then take it to them."

Li'ira was confused. "But we won the battle. The cruisers that attacked us were all destroyed."

Collins Looked at Li'ira. "We can't let the Orions do this to us with impunity. We have to make sure they know they're dealing with a bigger dog, one with teeth. We don't want them thinking they can do it a second time."

Li'ira nodded slowly "To us?"

Collins looked her right in the eye. "Damned straight. You, me, your crew, my crew, Starfleet. Us."

Li'ira had to work hard to keep from tearing up. "Thank you. It disturbs me to think of Starfleet as an organization seeking vengeance."

Collins moved around his desk to sit in his own chair. "It's necessary in the larger sense. In the immediate sense, the more damage we do to their pirate infrastructure, the more of our shipping gets through, and the fewer of our people who are killed or taken as slaves. The attack on the ShiKahr just moved it higher on the priority list."

Li'ira nodded "If the ShiKahr was in better condition I'd like to join you. As it is we'll be in Spacedock quite a while."

"You've already done your part, Captain. You're already paid your fair share of that bill."

"Thank you."

Collins moved to his chair and sat down, leaning back. "So tell me, what do you think of the Warbird and the Romulans coming to the economic Conference?"

Li'ira thought about it. "According to the records from the Et-Tu they've been fighting the Kliges'chee for a long time. It would definitely be in their interest to stabilize the neutral zone. I think they're sincere, but not terribly serious yet. They may send a number of junior functionaries and diplomatic missions around known space, feeling the situation out before committing to a more serious engagement."

Collins nodded. "Starfleet Command says approximately the same thing."

"Personally I think it's about time." Li'ira said.

"I think we all feel that way." Collins grinned.

-*-

The Fleet warped towards Earth at the measured pace that the ShiKahr's engines allowed. It would take a touch more than eight days to make the trip. They'd arrive just ahead of the Kongo and the Natoark.

Sunshine found Li'ira in the large Green common room in the former cargo bay.

"That's right." Olivia said. "On Earth no one carries money around with them any more. Everyone gets credits. When you go into a store, you pick what you want and the amount is automatically deducted from your credit account."

"So credits are money." Larka pointed out.

"Yes. But Earth people don't like to have it pointed out to them." Li'ira said "They like to think they have moved their culture past greed as a motivation."

"You said everyone gets credits." Lussa said. "How, just for standing there breathing?"

Li'ira nodded. "Yes. Earth is so rich and society is so automated they can afford to give everyone an allowance."

The Greens stared at Olivia and Li'ira in naked shock.

"Vulcan as well. This condition holds over most of the Federation."

The greens blinked and stared.

"I should point out that this allowance is not large." Li'ira said. "You can survive on it, but your lifestyle will be pretty basic if that's all you ever do."

"You must be kidding me!" Kamil said. "Why does anyone ever get out of bed?"

"Some of us have better things to do then lay around all day and get fat on the dole." Li'ira said.

"Some people do." Olivia said. "Less motivated people do lie around all day. That's up to them."

Li'ira nodded grimly. "A sizable proportion of Earth people never do much but watch video feeds and complain. I should point out though, that doing useful things increases the amount of credits you receive."

"By how much?" Lussa asked.

"Well, there are rich people on Earth still. There is still a lot of private property and allowing it to work for society is rewarded." Li'ira pointed out. "My own personal buying power is many, many times that of one of these couch potatoes."

"Approximately 5000 times." Olivia added.

Li'ira Looked at Olivia.

"I looked it up." Olivia said. "The Harrier mission was weighted very heavily."

Li'ira looked disturbed.

"How do they know?" Lussa asked.

"Here's something very important." Olivia pointed at Li'ira. "She's embarrassed because I went and looked at her account balance. Theoretically I shouldn't have been able to do that, but that's a secondary issue. Li'ira is shy about saying how much she has and directly comparing it to someone else's total."

Li'ira looked thoughtful "I guess I am, aren't I?"

"Polite people don't discuss such things. Polite people on Earth do not do acknowledging how many credits they have. Calculations about how much you have and what you can afford to do with it are done in private, and only shared with a very few people." Olivia explained.

"So you get credits based on services you perform for society?" Lussa asked.

"That's correct." Li'ira said.

"How does anyone know what you did or how much it's worth?" Lussa asked.

Li'ira looked thoughtful. "Well, for us here on the ShiKahr, our duty logs and reports will be analyzed and who does what and its value to society will allocated according to a real time floating analysis. Earth has the best computer technology from the galaxy over and an immense bureaucracy devoted to analyzing and allocating these values."

"How about people who aren't in Starfleet?" Rill asked.

"They keep job logs, too." Li'ira said. "If you choose to work in such a way as your computer can track your comings and goings, you can set it up in such a way as to be handled automatically."

"What if I lie?" Kell asked. He was a Green Orion Male, in his late teenage years.

"Well, if there's reason to suspect that you're defrauding the system, an investigation will be launched." Li'ira said. "And you'll have to pay society back. They'll take a certain amount away from you each month. And if you want to be able to purchase food, or pay rent, then you'll need to find something useful to do, and not lie about it." Li'ira said. "This is how many unpleasant jobs are staffed."

"If you commit a serious crime, or steal a large amount and get caught, then you'll go to jail." Olivia pointed out. "These are labor camps where very hard work is done until you've paid off the debt to society that you've incurred."

"It's all measured and by the numbers huh?" Lussa asked. She had bright, intelligent eyes and an intense focus.

"Yes." Li'ira said.

"Captain." Sunshine said. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

"Certainly." Li'ira turned and grinned at Olivia. "Duty calls."

Olivia winked at her. "Have fun."

-*-

Sunshine and Li'ira walked the corridors of the ShiKahr heading for Li'ira's office.

Sunshine's tone was more thoughtful than usual. "May I have permission to speak freely?"

Li'ira nodded "Of course."

"Captain, I've noticed that you are spending a large amount of time in Verdan's quarters or among the rescued Green Orions."

Li'ira nodded. "The rescued ones have required extensive briefing about the nature of Federation society."

Sunshine looked at her carefully. "Is that your only reason for being there?"

Li'ira shook her head. "No. I've been having a wonderful time. Sunshine, it's amazing to be among Green Orions who I don't have to approach with suspicion and caution. It's like, we all speak the same language."

"Captain, when was the last time you visited Sickbay?" Sunshine asked quietly.

Li'ira stopped. "Oh."

"Have you examined engineering recently?"

Li'ira looked dour.

"How are Crystara and Tandala doing?" Sunshine asked gently.

Li'ira took a deep breath. "Oh, my."

Sunshine nodded gently. "No one holds your joy at finding your people against you, Li'ira, but we were here first. Remember who your real family is, okay?"

Li'ira nodded with a troubled look on her face. She gathered Sunshine into a hug. "I'm sorry."

Sunshine was surprised but returned the hug. Li'ira wasn't usually so demonstrative.

"Thank you." Li'ira said. She stepped back and then marched down the corridor with a determined stride.

Sunshine grinned after her. "You're welcome."

-*-

Earth's Solar system was, of course, crowded. Ships of all sizes shapes and descriptions came and went. They traveled among the planets, asteroids and stations of one of the most densely inhabited solar systems in known space. Shuttles, freighters, tenders, factory ships and innumerable other types, all going about their daily business.

And, of course Starfleet was there. Almost every corner of the inner Solar system had a Starfleet ship somewhere near it. From the disposal yards at the L1 point on the far side of Luna, to the bustling orbits Earth and the huge edifice of Spacedock, to Venus station and the Federation's most difficult terraforming project, to Mars where the domes of Martian cities glowed in the night and the scattered cages of Utopia Planitia and the Mars Arm space dock, to the complex and detailed defenses scattered in the mines of the Asteroid belt out to Jupiter Station and the distant research out on Pluto and Quoao the familiar shape of the Starfleet saucer hull was everywhere.

The ShiKhar was one pinpoint of light among many, at the edge of the Solar system. Nearly a hundred starships were forming up to make the honor guard. These were just the patrol cruisers and frigates pulled inward from their usual dispersion. Earth's home defense fleet stayed right where it was, on guard against a sudden attack.

On the bridge, watching the fleet form up on several screens, Li'ira looked and counted the hulls. There was the USS Alliance under Captain Ripley. Their adventures since the battle at Wolf 359 were the stuff of adventure vids and massive Starfleet PR. There was the USS Athena under Captain Thorpe, whose record rivaled any of Starfleet's legendary captains.

There was the Galaxy Class USS Christopher Pike. Captain Thornton was another Starfleet legend. Li'ira was surprised to see the ship in Earth's Solar System. Usually they were out making news on the frontier.

Li'ira picked out the form of the new Mitchell Paige-A. Her lips quirked, some how, the expensive and technologically advanced expression of the Paige-A's continuing mission managed to retain the frumpy and slightly disheveled aura of the original. Li'ira sighed and hoped she could get the chance to meet Captain Roberts before he had to run off again.

There was the Ambassador class USS Beaumont. The ship was rumored to have a lucky streak. Her captain, Jack McCall was said to have a bright future ahead of him.

More ships were there the Liberty, the Phantom, the Adventurous, the Gallant, the Providence, the Agamemnon, the Hood, the Mariner, the Reginald Johnson, The Monet, there was the Excalibur, the Polaris, The Independence, The Cheyenne, the Starrider. Li'ira ticked them off in her mind.

Byrdy made one of his rare trips to the bridge, so he could watch all the different ships. Byrdy's whole motivation to be in Starfleet was to see strange new starships and see what made them go. Even though all the ships were Federation Starships, some of them were oddballs and one-offs. Each was a physical representation of a team of Starfleet engineers speaking Byrdy's language.

Around the ShiKahr, The Royal Sovereign's battle group formed up, too. There was the Stargazer, under Captain Loas, The Admiral Stone, under Joshua Kennedy. On the outskirts the two Defiant class ships rode, compact and deadly, the Xerxes, under Captain Johnson, and the Darius under Ivanov. And holding the Sovereign'sover flank was the USS Montana under Erika Benteen.

All ships prepared to make their formation, a sort of inverted triangle, repeated at intervals. At the legal minimum separation, there were yachts, couriers and a starliner. They all seemed to be under hire to the press. They'd all be far too close to the action if the Natoark decided to go insane.

Li'ira briefly recalled of the Civil War battle called First Manassas.

The communications traffic was chatty and happy. Captains, Commanders and crews all seemed to know some one in the fleet or at Earth and the communications system was lit up brightly.

As the moment drew closer, the Kongo and the Natoark were less than an hour away, the ShiKahr's comm system reported a incoming call from a civilian source on Earth. The time delay was down to fractions of a second, so it appeared to be a real time call. Not knowing the source of the call, Tandala routed the call to her panel.

"This is Heath Spencer of The Guardian in London." The blandly handsome face said to her. "May I ask you and your captain few questions, at the moment of this historical event?"

"Umm, no. We refer you to Starfleet Command's office of Public Relations, Mister Heath. USS ShiKahr, out." Tandala said as she closed the channel.

Tandala turned to see Li'ira grinning at her. "Let the front office pretty boys and girls earn their credits for once." Tandala said, a touch defensively.

"Agreed, No more incoming calls from civilian sources until we're safely docked and the PR circus is over." Li'ira said.

Tandala turned back around more mollified.

As they waited for the arrival of the VIP ships, Li'ira fielded calls and began to feel more self-conscious. The ShiKahr was the only ship in the formation that carried damage. All the rest had more successfully pursued their latest patrols and missions, or they were fresh out of space dock, all newly repaired and polished.

The ShiKahr was also the second oldest ship in the formation, Second only to the Excelsior class USS Hood. As they spoke, Byrdy reported the rumor was common among the fleet that the Excelsiors were being retired to rear echelon duties. They'd finally just aged out of the front line.

In time the last ships to join the formation approached, the USS Kongo and the Natoark.

They went sublight in the usual rainbow colored streaks. The Natoark was an impressive sight. More than twice as long as the USS Kongo she dwarfed all her Starfleet welcomers.

The Kongo was a surprise. Although not a new ship, she gleamed, well loved by her crew. NCC-10455 stated the numbers on her hull. She was basic Ambassador class hull, but with angled pylons, and larger versions of the Haguro's slender finned nacelles. She had the same pulse phaser turrets on the edges of her saucer.

The two ships crawled along at one quarter impulse. This was not usual. Near the orbit of Pluto, they were more than two light hours from Earth still.

"What are they doing?" Crystara asked.

Then an object disengaged from the USS Kongo. It was a smaller saucer, in the familiar layout of a Starfleet ship, with two warp nacelles on struts above and behind.

"Great Googley Moo." Byrdy said quietly.

Li'ira focused the main screen on the third ship and zoomed in. The form became clear. One of the old NX class starships, the first of Starfleet's generalized cruiser designs. Li'ira stared at it. It was over two-hundred years old.

A weak signal in an ancient formation washed through the stunned formation. "I'm getting a transponder." Tandala said. "She's the USS Ulysses S. Grant, NCC 107."

"My God, they found the Grant." Byrdy said.

"She's underweigh." Brett Tyson said, almost reverently. "There must have been survivors."

Tandala looked at Li'ira and then at Tyson, and then at Crystara. It was plain that Crystara didn't understand what was happening, either. She looked at Garan Draxil. He shrugged.

Tandala looked at Byrdy. "What's happening here, Byrdy?"

The Chief Engineer looked at Tandala very carefully for a moment. "Tandala, the Grant was one of the more famous casualties of the Romulan War. She got hit and damaged by a Romulan nuclear missile. The last time anyone saw her she was rocketing away from the scene of the battle with her impulse drives locked fully open. Since then she's become something of a legend, a Flying Dutchman of space."

"Like the Defiant?" Tandala asked.

Byrdy grinned "Yes, but apparently with out the dimensional interphase."

Crystara said "I am reading eighty four life forms on the Grant, all humans."

"They're transmitting a message to Earth." Tandala said, "It's on a very old frequency."

"On screen," Li'ira said. She quickly called up Starfleet historical records and paged through to the entry on the USS Grant.

A face appeared on the screen, a handsome man with regular features. "This is the Ulysses S. Grant to Earth Space Control. Requesting permission to approach and enter a parking orbit."

It took several minutes for an answer to come back. While they were waiting, Li'ira checked the man's face against the records and all the other faces she could see. They all matched. They were all either the crew of the Grant, or exact duplicates to the limits of the ShiKahr's sensors.

The answer came back from Starfleet Command. "This is Starfleet Space Control. Grant you are cleared to approach and dock with Spacedock, along the course already cleared for the Kongo and the Natoark. Can you steer that course?"

"Yes, Starfleet, we can do that."

"Welcome home, Grant." The space control officer said, and then cut the channel.

"There she goes." Tyson said. On Impulse drives, making no more than half impulse, The Grant slid through the welcoming formation, flanked by the USS Kongo and the Natoark.

"Quickly, Tandala, configure our comm system to transmit according to the Grant's standards. Our message is 'Welcome home'." Li'ira said.

"My God, they made it. They really made it." Byrdy said.

Shadowed by the Kongo and the Natoark the Grant began her slow, almost stately flight towards Earth. As they passed through the triangle of ships bracketing them, the ships they passed fell in behind them at one half impulse.

As they passed the ShiKahr, the Haguro and the Aristotle, the three ships fell into line and followed along.

The starship parade made it's stately way all the way to Earth, shadowed by a twinkling, sparkling and chaotic array of civilian vessels.

As they reached the crowded space of Earth Orbit the chaotic motion of the civilian ships suddenly regularized as control was taken by Earth's traffic control computers.

Watching as they went deeper Li'ira felt a small, quiet swell in her heart. All civilized planets had heavily developed orbital regions. Near space was where interstellar civilization was born. A hundred thousand objects glittered in the bright, sharp sunlight. The largest were an array of solar power satellites, the oldest were twin squares a kilometer on a side. The newer ones were multiple leaves like an opening flower, about 1500 meters on a side. They glittered and occasionally reflected a ray of almost painfully bright sunlight. They were ever so delicate, as if they were made of spider webs and delicate crystal.

These were the fuel stations of Starfleet in Earth's Solar system. Impulse reactors rendered them obsolete for civilian power, but the Anti-matter that Starfleet all but swam in had to come from somewhere.

There were fifteen asteroids in high Earth orbit, moved there from their potentially dangerous Earth crossing orbits. They were being rendered down for their raw materials. Each held enough to keep Earth space commerce going for years. When those asteroids were used up, there were a million more just like them.

There were the space cities of the early twenty-second century. They were huge space stations that dwarfed any starship. They were no longer built, since it was easier to fly for a year and find a new planet with fresh air, water and a whole new life. However, the old cities stayed inhabited and working hard, building, maintaining and enlarging Earth's near space infrastructure.

The last and the largest of the space cities was Starfleet's own. Spacedock. A monster with the same volume as all the ships in Earth Space put together.

Twenty thousand commercial starships of all makes, models, shapes and sizes, from monstrous bulk carriers to small family run free traders all orbited in carefully assigned orbits that only made sense in Houston, Texas or Star City, Russia where Space control duties were shared. They came from all over known space and even some from out beyond known space, intrepid explorers, travelers and traders.

In and among them cargo and personnel shuttles flew like flocks of sparrows, satellites, probes and loose junk formed a galaxy of micro stars all of their own.

Looking at Byrdy and Brett Tyson, Li'ira knew they felt the swell in their heart. Earth had the biggest, most rollicking and most developed near space infrastructure in known space. Li'ira recalled the subspace telescope views she saw of Romulus and Cardassia. They had barely a fraction of the visible space infrastructure.

Looking at Tandala, Li'ira saw mixed emotions. Tandala seemed as impressed as anyone else, but not necessarily happy. Li'ira tried to empathize with the feeling of vague distrust of Earth's civilization that Tandala evinced. She wasn't entirely successful.

"Captain, Space Control requests our helm." Brett Tyson said.

Li'ira always felt trepidation at this part. What guarantee did she have that Space Control's computers functioned as they should? She had the only safety anyone had. A huge crew of Starfleet and civilian space control technicians desperate not to screw up today and Brett Tyson to take back control and attempt to escape if necessary.

"Granted helm," Li'ira said. The lights on the Bridge of the ShiKahr took on a blue cast to let everyone know the ship was operating under outside control.

Li'ira wondered what the Commander of the Natoark thought at approaching the maelstrom. Then she looked and wondered what Captain Nelson of the Grant might be thinking as his ship slid through it, on the certain course that Space control laid out for it.

The starship parade broke up, bit by bit as Starfleet ships separated from formation heading for the orbits assigned them.

The Aristotle took up a lower orbit within transporter range of Earth. Then the Haguro peeled off and went to a higher orbit, ready to move out quickly should a call come in.

The last ship to be peeled off was the Warbird Natoark, Li'ira wonder how they handled Space Control for the Warbird. She guessed just like she'd handle Romulan Space Control. By having the request course loaded onto Tyson's board and then Tyson would steer the requested course with as much precision as he could muster.

Li'ira was impressed with the Helm work of the great Warbird. She was easily the most massive warship in Earth orbit but she, too, moved like she was on rails to her assigned orbit.

Only the Grant, the Kongo and the ShiKahr continued in line. Sensors recorded a massive increase in transporter traffic as Starfleet ships made their orbits and everyone who could get free beamed in to Spacedock see the last few feet of the Grant's voyage.

The Grant, Kongo and ShiKahr, all on a string rolled up to the massive doors of Space Dock. The huge doors rolled open. Every ship had full running lights going. Space blazed with welcoming lights. Li'ira checked the ShiKahr. Suval had already turned on every available light. Li'ira caught his eye and was briefly grim. The damage the ShiKahr suffered at the hands of the Orions eliminated her forward running lights and the ones on the starboard warp nacelle.

Mentally Li'ira shrugged. The ShiKahr would be months in Spacedock getting repaired but eventually she would emerge, as freshly painted white and as chock full of new technology as any ship in the fleet.

Crystara caught Li'ira's attention. "Captain, on screen three."

Li'ira looked down at her command chair and saw the live news feeds from Earth. The news media broadcast this event live to the whole of the inner Federation. People would be seeing it months from now along the frontier. These scans would become part of the historical record. Li'ira could hear the muted chatter of news people commenting on the momentous event.

The image was of the old starship gliding into space dock from almost directly ahead. Behind her, the USS Kongo was well framed and looked graceful. Because of the angle, the USS ShiKahr right behind the Kongowas obscured from view. Li'ira looked up and smiled genuinely into Crystara's wry smile. "Rats." Li'ira said, "There goes our chance for fame and fortune."

Ahead they could see the Grant slide deeply into the Spacedock enclosure, up to an obscure and rarely used dock near the center of the main structural spindle. Starfleet rarely used that dock because of its small size but that made it just right for the USS Ulysses S. Grant.

The crew of the ShiKahr had to watch this on the news because the Kongo rolled right into a full sized dock just behind the Grant obscuring her from direct view.

The ShiKahr was guided to the next arm on the great internal spindle, All lights were on and blazing to welcome the Grant back but Li'ira could pick out a set of more numerous lights. A rectangular box of open frame work scaffolding was manned and ready. Tools and materials were stocked. Li'ira could see space suited workers floating in the dock. They were facing the drama of the Grant's docking, but their assignment was the ShiKahr's repair.

Li'ira lean forward and stage whispered to Tyson. "Dock carefully. Don't run anyone down."

Tyson grinned ruefully. "Ahead, kids in the drive way speed, Aye."

The ShiKahr slid into her assigned place.

On the screen several images were displayed. From the Spacedock's internal cameras, from the live new feeds, and from the ShiKahr's own external sensors. Every possible view without being in the gallery was available.

The large spindle arms inside Spacedock had massive picture windows along viewing galleries. Li'ira could see Starfleet and civilians all along the windows on the arm that ShiKahr was docking to. The pointed and talked avidly among themselves. Li'ira peered at the Grant's docking area and was pleasantly surprise to see that her dock led into one of the observation galleries. With sharp eyes she could see the place where Captain Nelson and his crew would be welcomed.

"Hard docking." Tyson announced. "No tricycles encountered."

"Acknowledged, Helm." Li'ira grinned.

The thumping noise of the docks and clamps contacting the hull resounded.

"Contact, automated systems running. Hard dock confirmed." Tyson said.

"Begin external support mode." Li'ira said. "But let's watch this first."

The sound of feet pounding could be heard, muffled throughout the ship.

Li'ira looked up confused. "What the hell?"

Tandala grinned back. "We have a clear view of the Grant from the port side. Everyone's running to see."

"On Screen." Li'ira said. "Let's watch the show."

The screen cleared to show the Federation news network view of the gallery. A crowd gathered in the gallery. Dignitaries, admirals and those Starfleet personnel lucky enough to be able to get ringside seats waited in the gallery. Li'ira spotted Admiral Castillo, the Commander in Chief of Starfleet. His staff flanked him.

Out of the gang way came Nelson and his crew. They were in the original Starfleet uniform, blue coveralls with zippers and pockets all over them, and patches on the shoulders declaring their mission, ship and affiliation, colored piping denoting department assignments, rectangular pips on the right side noting rank.

Li'ira noted the addition of standard Starfleet comm-badges to the uniform.

Nelson and his Officers walked into the gallery and Admiral Castillo stepped forward to meet them.

They stopped facing each other. Castillo stuck out his hand. "Castillo, Commander, Starfleet. Welcome home Captain Nelson."

Nelson looked him right in the eye, ignoring the circus that surrounded them "Admiral Castillo. The USS Ulysses S. Grant is reporting home in good order. We have prosecuted our orders as given, and we are grateful of the general peace. We suffered 16 casualties during the course of our cruise due to the rigors of war, and have 84 persons ready and fit for duty. I hereby return my commission, Sir." Nelson bit his lip.

Thunderous applause drowned out whatever was said next.

-*-

Li'ira and Sotomura elbowed their way into the crowd at the Captain's Club. The Lounge was near the top of the Starfleet Command building and held a commanding view of Starfleet Academy and San Francisco. No one was looking at the windows today.

There must have been 500 people in a club designed to hold maybe 200. It was standing room only. Li'ira found a spot towards the back with a clear view. Sotomura was right next to her. Li'ira noticed that the closely packed bodies seemed to bother the other humans in the room. People were striving to give the few Vulcans present more space. Li'ira linked arms with Sotomura and leaned into him. He turned to give her a surprised look. Li'ira grinned impudently at him. "Tell Breeanlan you're safe. We're just friends" she gave his arm a squeeze "Aren't we?"

Sotomura looked a touch shocked until he realized that yes Li'ira was being friendly and pulling his chain at the same time. He sighed deeply "You're bad for my heart, you know that?"

Li'ira giggled at the compliment and then turned to watch the entrance of the Club.

The door opened and all conversation stopped dead. Grayson, Nelson and Commander Torack were visible. Grayson gestured Nelson through the door. Li'ira caught sight of Torack stepping through. A Captain next to him caught the Romulan's sleeve and drew him into the crowd at the edge of the door. A Romulan Captain counted, evidently.

Nelson looked stunned at all the people, then, following their eyes he looked to his left. Against the wall an ancient wooden coat rack stood. "Oh." Nelson said, weakly. The lone resident of the coat track was an old fashioned baseball cap, with the logo "Ulysses S. Grant" on it.

Nelson's face was eloquent. What, to everyone else was an informal monument and a tradition, was to Nelson, his friend's stuff. A reminder of someone.

Nelson went to the rack and took the hat down. Two hundred and thirty years had not been kind to the nylon and beta-cloth cap. Nelson perched it on his head, anyway. He'd meant to when he left Starfleet Command the last time, but had simply forgotten

Looking for a moment at Barnard's odd little affectation of furniture Nelson turned and walked to the bar. Li'ira, Sotomura and every other Captain and Admiral in the place were shoved aside to make room

Nelson stepped to the Bar. "Do you have Kentucky Bourbon, still?"

"Yes, Captain." The unflappable bartender said.

"Two shots please, straight up."

The bartender placed the shots on the bar. "Here you, go."

Nelson placed one in front of the empty spot next to him. He took his and turned. Raising the glass to the coat rack, Nelson unconsciously echoed the long ago toast of Admiral Barnard and almost every Captain who'd frequented the club for two centuries.

"To Absent Friends."

Those Captains had them raised their glasses back, and almost everyone in the club repeated the toast back to him.

"TO ABSENT FRIENDS!"

Li'ira dabbed a tear away from her eye. Sotomura was observing the crowd around Nelson "We won't get near him in here."

Li'ira looked for the Romulan Commander, to find him as nearly buried in the curious and the well wishers as Nelson was. "Looks like the diplomatic contact is being handled."

Sotomura nodded. "Time for a strategic withdrawl." As the crowd moved Li'ira could stand more comfortably away from Sotomura. Together they joined a sizable minority of Captains who were similarly beating a retreat.

-*-

Li'ira found Neela and Sunshine in the holodeck of the ShiKahr. It was displaying a martial arts dojo. Neela and Sunshine were dressed in heavily padded suits with plates of rigid silicon-plastic. Sunshine was teaching Neela the sword. They used silicon-plastic practice swords, weighted exactly to mimic the weight and balance of a steel sword.

"Excuse me." Li'ira said.

"Hi!" Neela chirped, still practicing her basic attacks and blocks.

"Greetings, Li'ira." Sunshine said, practicing hers, too. Li'ira noted that Sunshine's grip and stance with what a sword looked comfortable and well practiced. It reminded Li'ira of the way an old Klingon warrior held his Bat'leth.

"Swords, Sunshine?" Li'ira asked.

Still practicing Sunshine grinned "Just a little of what every girl should know."

Li'ira sighed. "We don't need to go toe to toe with Klingons. That's why they invented phasers."

Sunshine's grin faded a bit, her pacing never flagged. "I pray that you're correct."

Neela's face was carefully serious and her practice didn't flag. "I'm just here for the exercise. Besides, Sunshine showed me what it looked like when one is well practiced and it looked pretty."

Sunshine breathed carefully "Thank you, Neela."

"May I have a word with Neela? I can wait until you're finished." Li'ira asked.

Sunshine stood up straight. "I think we can take a break."

Neela stood up straight and faced Sunshine. They saluted each other and then relaxed. Neela came over to Li'ira with a serious expression

Li'ira took Neela over to the edge of the dojo where simple wooden benches lined the back wall.

"Am I in trouble?" Neela asked.

Li'ira shook her head. "Not at all." She looked at Sunshine. Sunshine was doing a more advanced kata. Neela was right it did look almost like dancing. "I may ask Sunshine to teach me."

Neela dimpled and bounced enthusiastically. "That would be wonderful!"

Li'ira looked Neela right in the eye. "I want you to consider going with Verdan."

Neela's expression fell.

"It's your call, but I think it would be better for you." Li'ira said.

"You said I get to choose." Neela said.

"In some things, You do." Li'ira confirmed. "I will still try and convince you to do what's best for you, though."

Neela made a showy thoughtful expression but spoke at a desultory pace "I've considered. No, I'm staying."

Li'ira felt her expression grow exasperated. "Neela, A starship can be dangerous. I know for a fact that we won't have all the things that Verdan can offer you on Standish."

"Do I have to go get my list again?" Neela challenged. Exasperation crawled up Li'ira's throat and made itself at home in her face. Neela painstakingly constructed a list of all the educational resources she had on the ShiKahr, and all the objects she could pull out of the replicator if she felt they were needed, and all the facilities of the ship that she could use if the Captain okayed the use. Neela's list was in the tens of thousands of specific objects.

Li'ira, desperate, played her trump card. "Neela, most of the time life on a starship can be very boring." It was Li'ira's last shot, but she depended on it to be a killer. It aimed right at the teenaged girl's weakest point.

"With Sunshine, Tandala, Garan and Crystara here?" Neela boggled. "Suval's stories? You know his uncle was a Monk of T'Zal? He was an explorer and adventurer! You live with the most interesting group of people ever packed into one container. If you find that boring, you need help!"

Li'ira felt her expression become sour. The worst part was that Neela was right. One more try. "A lot of the Greens are going."

"Only the ones who don't want to be on a Starfleet ship so Starfleet can tell them what to do." Neela countered easily. "All the ones who want to stay want to stay with you. Me, too."

Li'ira relaxed to the inevitable. "Alright. On your own head be it."

"I love you, too." Neela said in a particularly self-satisfied tone.

Only half-kidding Li'ira turned towards Sunshine and spoke to reach across the dojo. "Sunshine, if I ask you train me with swords, can I beat Neela with a stick?"

Sunshine answered without breaking form or loosing a beat. "Yes, and She can beat you, too. You're welcome to start whenever you like."

"Thank you. How about after the conference?"

"You're on." Sunshine completed a particularly acrobatic whirling Kata. "You know this will put Neela about half a step ahead of you."

"I like a challenge." Li'ira said, eyeing Neela.

Neela stuck her tongue out at Li'ira.

-*-

Amanda was packing. She moved gracefully with some speed and purpose, getting ready to leave.

Li'ira sat on the edge of chair and watched. She enjoyed watching Amanda move.

Most of the objects in the communal quarters of Verdan's party were replicated. When Amanda, Verdan and the rest were off the ship, a crew of technicians would simply sweep them back into the replicators to be broken down to constituent elements and patterns of data to be held until needed again.

Amanda placed an immaculately clean and well-ordered cooking set into the replicator and sent it back to virtual limbo.

"We'll handle the clean up, you know." As Li'ira said it she pictured joining the clean up crew and decided it would be a good idea.

"I know. I just need some stuff out of my way now, or I'll wind up trying to pack it."

Li'ira grinned "They're still trying to name and catalog all the odd thought processes that replicators enable. They make pack-rats crazy."

Amanda nodded. "We have those on Standish. For some people a consistent and dependable place to live and lots of belongings are a compensation for not owning anything, even themselves."

"You don't seem to suffer this problem." Li'ira said.

"I always owned myself, even when others didn't think so." Amanda said. Li'ira could see a hint of the grating strength it must have taken to keep that attitude.

"You also own a place in my heart." Li'ira said.

Amanda looked at Li'ira carefully. "What does that mean, Li'ira?"

Li'ira shrugged. "It's not supposed to mean anything other than what I said. I love you."

Amanda sighed. "I can't go with you. I care for you Li'ira. More than you suspect, I think."

"I know. We knew it when this trip started." Li'ira said with a gentle smile.

Amanda grinned and kept packing "You're a real heartbreaker. You missed your true calling."

"To be a heart breaker?" Li'ira's smile became more amused.

"Yes." Amanda said. She sobered. "I am surprised that you're not trying to make some arrangement to see me again, to make an arranged meeting."

Li'ira shook her head gently. "Space is awfully deep, Amanda. I have no idea where I'll be next year. Multiply that times eight for the year after."

"There are positions in Starfleet that are more predictable." Amanda pointed out. Another beautiful and stunning dress carefully packed away.

"Not on the bridge of a starship." Li'ira said soberly.

Amanda stopped and looked at Li'ira "You're Starfleet through-and-through, aren't you? It's nice when someone knows themselves that well."

"I'm Orion." Li'ira pointed out. "Starfleet is what I want to do, though-and-through. And you?"

"I'm Orion. That's what I am, that's what I do." Amanda grinned "I believe I'd make a poor Vulcan."

Li'ira snickered. "Oh, I don't know. Some Vulcan women can get pretty slinky."

Amanda wriggled a bit at a memory. "Once you get through their reserve they are very passionate. Warp speed into whatever you're doing, sex, dancing, love, fighting, crying, shouting. There's not much to equal a Vulcan on the loose." She stopped, "But getting them there, that's the trick."

"Anyone I might know?" Li'ira asked.

Amanda's expression was sphinx-like. "Just an old friend." She turned back to her packing. "Being on a starship bridge is that important to you?"

Li'ira thought about it. "I'm doing things for the Federation that few people have the temperament to do well. I am helping to build and defend the Federation. We go out into the unknown. When we come back, the Federation is better for it. I am probably on a limited run as a Starship Captain. I am too independent, and too opinionated about what's right and what's wrong. I'll do something someday to antagonize Starfleet Command. Then I'll decide what I'm doing after I'm a Starship Captain. I know one thing; what ever it is will be an anti-climax. Until then, here I am."

Amanda finished packing while Li'ira talked. She stepped next to Li'ira on the chair and hugged her. "I think that's part of what I love about you."

Li'ira snuggled in. "I will miss you."

"And I, you."

Li'ira pulled back and stood up straight. "For now, you're off to your next assignment." She dabbed some tears forming in her eyes. "We'll send you off with smiles, and good wishes. You're off to your next challenge, the next step in your great adventure."

Amanda's eyes were glittery. "Onward and upward."

Li'ira nodded. "Onward and upward."

Li'ira picked up some of Amanda's bags. There were too few and too light for Amanda to really need any help, but Li'ira wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

They entered the main area to help the rest of the party get ready.

-*-

The Lounge of the ShiKahr was quieter and a touch darker. The patrons mostly sat near the windows, though. There were things to watch outside the windows now. The soft blue walls of Space Dock. The pods and shuttles flying every which way. The occasional vacc suited worker on some mysterious but no doubt vital mission.

It was a slow motion zero gravity symphony. The ShiKahr didn't have the best view of it, though. Li'ira pictured Brett Tyson backing the ShiKahr into her dock. She didn't doubt for a second that he would have done it had she asked him to.

Tandala and Crystara were at their usual table. Li'ira approached.

"Good Afternoon." Li'ira said. She wasn't sure of the welcome her friends would have for her.

Tandala and Crystara looked up at her and grinned.

"Hey Stranger," Tandala said "have a seat."

Li'ira slid into her seat. It felt more graceful than usual. Things were starting to flow better for her.

"What are you plans for leave?" Li'ira asked.

Tandala smiled "Back home. I'll get to sing my songs to the tribe and then add recordings to the archives."

"I have been invited on a hiking trip with Sunshine and Christian." Crystara said, "But I am not sure I am going to go. I think I'd be sort of in the way."

"Where are they going to go?" Li'ira asked.

"Northeastern Russia." Crystara explained. "I'm told the area has some of the largest undisturbed stands of old forest in that area of the world."

Tandala grimaced. "I'd think that would be sort of cold and wet."

"For you, maybe," Crystara replied, "but for me it sounded sort of mild. However, like I said, I think Sunshine and Christian plan on keeping each other warm, and I wouldn't want to feel like I was intruding."

"And you wouldn't want to feel left out." Tandala said.

"If they invited you in, would you go?" Li'ira asked.

Crystara thought about it. "Noooot really, I don't think. Nothing against Sunshine or Christian personally, but women don't excite me. If Christian wants to issue me an invitation, I'd prefer to be at the center of his attention when he did."

"Would you?" Tandala asked Li'ira

Li'ira considered it "Might be interesting just to see what it's like, but I agree with Crystara. That's their groove and I wouldn't want to feel like I was intruding. Besides, Hiking? Camping? Out in the weather with all the dirt and bugs? I had to do that stuff to pass my survival courses. I can't imagine subjecting myself to it voluntarily."

Tandala grinned "I took the desert survival course and it turned out the training area was within 100 kilometers of my home. I just walked home and spent a couple of days at home and then reported back in."

Li'ira blinked at her "You walked 100 kilometers across the desert bare handed?"

"It's not that hard if you know what you're doing." Tandala explained. "But they made me take another survival course afterwards."

"Are either of you going to the economics conference?" Li'ira asked.

Tandala shook her head. "Sadly, no. My visit home will take up a couple of weeks."

Crystara looked at Li'ira "I might. Would I see you there?"

Li'ira nodded "Oh, yes. I'd like that. We could go hit some of the old spots."

Crystara nodded "That sounds good."

The moment felt as right as it was going to get. Li'ira jumped in "Listen, I know I've been kind of distracted. I hope I haven't hurt you."

Tandala leaned forward. "Nope, not here. We're still good."

"What are your plans for the future?" Crystara asked carefully.

Li'ira sat back "I don't know. There will be a Board of Enquiry about the battle. After that, Starfleet may transfer me. They may transfer me to a ground posting."

"Are you going to bring us with you?" Crystara asked.

Li'ira looked at her. "If I'm grounded, and you get another starship assignment, it would be selfish of me to request that you come with me."

"Granted, but how would you feel about that?"

Li'ira leaned back. "I would do my best not to let you see me cry as I saw you off." She looked Crystara in the eye "I'd miss you terribly."

Crystara nodded. "Why don't we burn that bridge when we get to it? Until then, I'll see you at the conference. Or maybe we could meet in San Francisco afterwards and have ourselves a bit of a vacation."

Li'ira smiled "I'd like that, a lot."

Tandala looked thoughtful "I can do that. I'd like that."

"Then lets," Crystara held her hand out

Li'ira and Tandala took it. "A vacation just for us." Li'ira said.

"Then you can tell us what tricks Amanda taught you." Tandala said.

Their laughter was infectious.

-*-

Li'ira was catching up on her datawork. Music flowed and thumped in the background. Li'ira didn't realize that over time her staid and boxy little office came to reflect her personality. One bulkhead struggled to get out from behind a rambling and detailed collage of pictures, printouts of friends, places and situations. It was a physical representation of Li'ira's memories. She added to it carefully, in a pattern that was only apparent to her, and only if she did not question herself about it too thoroughly.

Pictures of Verdan and crew, Neela her new ward, and her new green gang, Rill, Larka, Kell, Lussa, Kamil, Patti, Melli and the rest were going into the collage.

For right now, though, Li'ira out her head back into her terminal and focused on work.

Personal correspondence was in. Messages were always quick near Earth.

There was a message from the Starship disposal depot on Luna farside. The Subject line was SS Carbuncle NFQ-12123476. Li'ira sighed. Some bill left hanging for 30 years, another mess her father made, and then fled.

Li'ira sighed. She'd been deleting this same massage for thirty years. When were the stubborn people at Luna Farside going to buy the clue? However, there was a huge pile of datawork to be done. This was datawork. Li'ira thought to herself that she'd been confronting things about herself recently. Li'ira opened up the message

She read it. Li'ira didn't know how long she sat there, letting the idea filter through her head.

Then she called Luna farside and made an appointment.

-*-

Li'ira picked up the teddy bear from the deck. It's fur was dry and some of it disintegrated to dust, drifting lazily down to the deck in the light lunar gravity.

Li'ira blinked at the toy, feeling a chaotic melange of emotion. She waited, but the emotions didn't carry her anywhere. They just spun through her mind. First anger, then sadness, then melancholy and a wistful reminiscence for simpler days. Happy moments spun in there, too, memories of the good things that children live and that teenagers forget.

The teddy bear in particular brought to mind Li'ira's fifth birthday party. Li'ira heard her breath whispering gently against the face plate of her space suit, but recalled a day that was in fact an entire life time ago, when the compartment was filled with air, warmth and life.

Startled, Li'ira realized that her father had been relatively sober and an active participant in making her fifth birthday party one of the best in her memory.

Without quite realizing it, Li'ira gripped the bear just so and touched it in a careful sequence. The bear jerked and wriggled a little bit.

A small part of Li'ira's brain yelled. "There's no AIR! Teddy will die!" But this impulsive thought didn't last long.

The bear seemed to get a hold of itself. It looked at Li'ira and said something. It's eyes blinked. Li'ira almost grimaced at how unkind the vacuum had been to Teddy's face. Flakes of rubber flew away from the eyes, and one lid didn't close all the way, or return to it's fully open position when teddy blinked.

A small hiss sounded over the comm channel in Li'ira's suit.

"Hello." The bear said. "I'm Teddy. Who are you?"

Li'ira almost chuckled. These were Teddy's first words to her when she first got him, at her fifth Birthday party. "I'm Li'ira, Teddy. How are you?"

The bear froze for a split second. "Hello, Li'ira. My other friend is Li'ira, too. She's my best friend. I can't see her. Do you know where my other Friend Li'ira is?" The bear looked around slowly

Li'ira stared at the bear with a growing sense of horror. Did the bear remember everything? Being left behind?

"This is bad. There is no air here." The Bear said. "The temperature is bad, too. My Li'ira will not be well if she is here."

Slowly, Li'ira crushed the bear against her suit.

The bear considered this. "You are a Starfleet officer." The bear said. "Will you help me find my Li'ira? Then we can all be friends."

Li'ira found tears dangling off her nose inside the space suit. "We'll see what we can do." Li'ira's voice sounded hoarse in her ears.

"Thank you, Li'ira. I love you." The earnest little bear said.

-*-

The tricorder flashed at Li'ira as it rummaged though the Carbuncle's data banks. The ship's computer was not in the greatest condition, having spent thirty years abandoned on the Moon. Li'ira watched the progress meter crawl. She'd pulled data from units in much worse shape.

Byrdie came in. "Well Captain, I have some good news and bad news."

"Hello, Byrdie." Teddy said.

"Heya, Chips." Byrdie responded idly.

"Good news, then bad news." Li'ira said.

"The good news is that the hull and most of the fittings are in good shape. With some work and some replacement parts, this could be a workable ship again in a few weeks. The bad news is that a lot of the more delicate stuff looks exactly like you'd expect from the environment. A lot of new equipment has to go into her before she'll move under her own power. I don't know what that was your dad was doing to the warp drive. A lot of it was hacked out when the engineer from the Balliseade made her safe for towing. The rest was chopped up from the crew here at Luna Farside mothballing her. It seems to me like the warp coils are pretty badly abused. They scan very old. The Carbuncle only has fifteen hundred, or two thousand hours left on these warp drives before they'll need to be replaced." Byrdie reported.

Li'ira nodded. "Thank you."

"Oh, and your teddy bear probably needs a whole new upholstery, a once over of it's servos, and processor upgrades to replace damaged modules." Byrdie grinned.

Teddy nodded avidly "That is correct, Byrdie. My systems are only 85% functional."

Li'ira looked at her damaged teddy bear.

"Not bad for thirty years on the deck in the vacuum. They build 'em tough where ever you picked him up." Byrdie shrugged. "I'll going to go pack up my tools and get ready to head out. If you'd like to arrange a civilian contractor for the work, I'll understand. Frankly, with the ShiKahr, I just don't have the time to do the job this old girl needs."

Li'ira nodded at Byrdie. "Thank you."

Byrdie turned back in the doorway. "Buuutt, if you figure you want to take some leave time and do a little of the work yourself, let me know. Sounds like a nice way to spend some free time." And he headed down the cramped hallway.

"Thirty years?" Teddy said. "It's been thirty years?"

Li'ira blinked at her old toy and felt like a total heel. "Yes, Teddy. It's been thirty years."

"But that means-" Teddy froze in mid sentence on the table. After about a beat and a half he drifted to a face down resting point.

Li'ira grimaced. She picked up the bear and set him face up. She pulled out her tricorder and scanned the automaton. The tricorder told her that Teddy was still functional. He'd just given over most of his brain to a calculation task that was far, far too large.

"Teddy," she said. On tricorder her reading of teddy's brain simply maxed out. Teddy was forced to allocate enough attention to her to hear what she said. The rest went into his current process. "Teddy, end all current processes and then explain them."

The tricorder showed Teddy's brain rearranging itself. Teddy's animation returned. He sat up. "Hello, Li'ira. I am running my interface program. It is not working out well. I am thinking too hard. I am trying to think of how to find my other friend Li'ira. This is the most important thing to me."

Li'ira bit her lip. "I don't want you to worry about that now, Teddy. It will be work out fine, I promise you."

"I cannot forget about my other friend Li'ira, Li'ira. She's my girl. Every teddy bear has his boy or girl. I must find her. I must find her." Teddy's face screwed into what looked like a cute little determined scowl. With half his face missing, it looked sort of creepy. For a brief second, Li'ira pictured a determined little machine plowing across space determined to find his boy or girl.