"Psst!"
His partner arched an eyebrow, but did not indicate distraction. "Yes?"
He, himself, stood stock still. The only sign he had that he was in
this conversation was that he was moving the left side of his lips rather
obviously, as this side of the face was the one that was facing his
companion.
"Did you hear?"
The right eyebrow stayed arched. "Hear what?"
He eased himself a little. "About the Captain."
A pause. "What about the Captain?"
He fidgeted a little. "Well, look, I'm kind of new here..."
"Yes, Hikaru," his coworker interrupted, "you have just been reassigned
from Hydroponics. I take it that you have taken your shift to be...
pleasant?"
Hikaru slightly grimaced, but quickly returned to his pace. Any means
of leaving that twisted department would have been agreeable. A return to the
command structure, however, could easily fall under pleasant. "Yes, yes. I
know that you've been with the Captain for a while. Even had a history."
His partner nodded slightly.
"So," he continued, "how is he?"
"Excuse me?"
"C'mon, youngest captain in the 'Fleet, right?" He was now beyond
whispering. "Saved the crew of a ship while he was in my place, a Lieutenant
and a helmsman! I've followed his career to the letter, but I have no idea
what he's like!"
"In that case, much more than you think..." the navigator started
softly.
"Lieutenant," the commander, who was taking the captain's chair at the
time spoke, "is there something wrong?"
Hikaru looked chastised. "Nothing amiss, sir."
If the second-in-command didn't believe it, he didn't show it. "How
long until we reach orbit, Lieutenant?"
Hikaru shifted back into all business. "Three minutes, forty-nine
seconds, sir."
There was an imperceptible nod. "Carry on, Lieutenant."
The Captain gave a sigh of frustration that covered itself.
"I did it again."
"Permission to speak freely, sir."
*sigh* "Permission granted."
"I told you so."
"You've told us already."
"I've told you, Doctor, but I haven't told the Captain here."
"The Captain, here," he paused to give the aforementioned a leer, "was
busy trying to talk the Council of Elders to let it slide."
"Which wouldn't work."
"Didn't work. And your permission to speak freely expired two
sentences ago."
"Mine hasn't, though." The Captain's oldest friend shrugged. "Doctor's
prerogative."
The Captain squatted and picked up a rock. "Is it the Doctor's opinion
that the Captain is unfit for duty?"
"It is the Doctor's opinion that the Captain is unfit to have sensible
conversation with!" The ship's CMO threw his hands up in frustration
mirroring
the Captain's. "Dammit, didn't you even think about - "
"- what I was doing? Yes, I was." The away team's CO stood. "I could
not afford to show weakness. Studied the profile and all. That's why I
didn't
kill her; couldn't afford a blood feud to haunt my grandchildren."
"It wasn't even a battle to the death!"
Their little squabble was interrupted by the arrival of their contact
and interpreter, a youngish looking (from what they could gather) Klingon with
glasses. "The Elders will speak with you."
In orbit, the second-in-command quickly vacated the captain's seat of
the ship's nerve center, and moved to the science station, which he usually
occupied anyhow. Keeping a vigilant watch on the readings, he sorted through
the assorted input freely floating.
The helmsman was fitting himself in quite well, and was engaging the
navigator in some small talk. Even though he had caught much of the details
of the conversation, he chose to ignore them; they were not for his ears.
There was an easy but cautious atmosphere.
A quick check with Engineering confirmed the all-readiness of the system
and the emergency procedures they had worked out. So far, all they had to do
was wait. He returned to the readings.
The wizened figures regarded them with indifference.
"The law is simple, Captain. You are an outsider, and must be dealt
with accordingly."
Doctor wanted to say something rash, but Captain headed him off. "I
see." The topic was discarded as finished, and the next was brought up as
quickly. "It is in the best interests of the Federation that the relations
between our races be preserved."
"Best speed to you, Captain."
"Likewise to yours, Elder."
The third member of the away team flipped open her communicator. Within
seconds, the trio flashed and dissolved before them.
"You're related?!"
"Yes," the navigator confirmed. "The thought of nepotism had crossed my
mind, but I was assured that this was not the case, and that I was assigned
due
to my service record."
He didn't doubt it; the Captain wasn't the only one that Hikaru had had
research on. But before he could ask more questions, the Vulcan science
officer had returned from the transporter, and he had his first view of the
captain of the Enterprise.
He stared.
Akane Tendo smoothly slid into the center seat and said, "red alert."
A Truly Redundant Meld Idea (With a Twist of Nostalgia to Boot)
Ranma 1/2 - Star Trek (the Original Series)
(crafted by Nikholas "goo Switch" F. Toledo)
Klaxons blared the status across the ship, stern to aft. Akane once
more gave a heartfelt thanks that no Starfleet ships had civilians on board;
she didn't care to wonder how much the sound of warfare could scar a family.
The Vulcan's cool and calm voice cut through the alarms. "Engines are
ready on your command. Klingon vessel moving along our orbit, Captain.
Pulling alongside, ten thousand kilometers astern."
"I see it, Mr. Saotome. Mr. Gosunkugi, plot an evasive at full impulse,
out of the star system. Kasumi, full shields on my order." Commands quickly
came and went, and silence consumed the rest of the wait as the Bird of Prey
came into view.
Nabiki piped in. "Incoming message, sir."
"Patch it in. On screen." She straightened in her seat.
The viewscreen changed from the first-person perspective of an oncoming
battle to the insides of the bridge of a Klingon vessel. In the fore and
center, a most alluring individual with long purple hair stood.
"Ambassador" HIam'pu bristled in fury. "You!" She pointed an accusing
finger at the center of the bridge.
"Now, now, Ambassador," Captain Akane Tendo said soothingly, "no need to
point."
"Captain," HIam'pu grinned ferally (as was the only way she could), "I
have given you the kiss of death - "
"Whooie," Hikaru whistled to himself, "wonder how that'd feel."
" - and now, you die." The connection closed abruptly at the same time
that the turbolift opened. "Incoming," Kasumi said.
"Shields!" Akane said.
Doctor Ryoga Hibiki sauntered over to the center seat.
"What was that?" he asked Akane.
"What're doing here?" Akane hissed.
"I got lost. What was it?"
"Fair warning. Brace yourself."
Somewhere in the Botany Bay, Kodachi bucked forward into a paralysis
potion she was trying. Her last thought for the teaser was that the assassins
of the past were better off.
"Damage report!"
Saotome shouted over the alarms. "Shields holding at 70%."
"Mr. Gosunkugi, evasive." She jabbed a button on her armrest. "How are
the engines?"
"O fair Captain," a precise British theatre accent answered, "'tis a
wish away."
No one noticed the Vulcan roll his eyes.
"bach!" HIam'pu shouted.
The Enterprise rocked as the aft shields took several hits.
"Aft shields at 45%!"
"Approaching system gravity well edge," Gosunkugi announced.
"Hold heading, Lieutenant." The ship rocked again.
"bach!" HIam'pu shouted.
"Edge," Gosunkugi said.
"Warp 8, engage!"
And the ship surged forward.
Mu'su picked his jaw from off the floor.
"nuq loSlIj?" HIam'pu turned to him.
He blankly looked ahead and cried.
***
Roughly patched from the Klingon Dictionary (Okrand)
bach = shoot
nuq loSlIj? = What are you waiting for?
***
To be continued? You decide.
Nikholas F. Toledo Zu @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/mezza9.html
Vector, Switch, Yebah, Don Juan, goo, Pervert, Scruples, Hollie, NomaD,
Blitz, Gee, Datzo, Jewel, Elf, Radler, Pinball, Mayhem
Fanfiction @ http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/fanfics.html
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Word from the Laity: Wipe yer feet! Bloody 'ell...
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Currently under construction... confessional at the links.
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