"I feel so broke up,... I want to go home"
written by Captain Robert Edward Lee Price

Featuring:

Commander Karyn Dallas, Chief Counselor - USS Galaxy
Commander Kent Peterson, First Officer & Acting Captain - USS Galaxy
Princess DevnoH - Klingon master of ceremonies, lanjep peace summit

Counselor Dallas shifted uncomfortably in her chair at the peace conference on lanjep. Earlier that day, she had gone against everything that Starfleet had taught her about duty and honor and had relented to the terrorist's demands by speaking out on the Federation's behalf against the opening of the mIch nItlhral trade route.

Karyn felt a much less guilt over that act then she did worry. Worry for what would happen to the Captain now that she's given his kidnappers exactly what they wanted. The ransom note said that they would return Price unharmed. The butterflies in Karyn's stomach the last two hours had been wrenching her gut however.

~~What if I did this all for nothing?~~ she thought silently to herself while nibbling her lip and occasionally stealing a glance over to the Breen balcony - hoping for a sign of their acknowledgment. But the bulky refrigeration suits of the Breen hid their demeanor well. ~~What if he's already dead?~~ Karyn wondered. ~~Then I'd have misrepresented the Federation interests for nothing.~~

Karyn was in a daze all through the Naussican presentation and most of the Orions. After three days of listening to delegates speak and protest and praise and argue and discuss, Karyn was glad she was a Counselor and couldn't wait to get back to her normal duties. She's thought about a lot of things recently in her life. About stepping up to a command level role in Starfleet. About pursuing a more meaningful relationship. Now with this assignment, she could add Diplomatic liaison to her list of things she didn't want to do anymore. Karyn was a Counselor through and through. She enjoyed being a counselor. She was good at it. Why would she ever want to do or be anything else? Right now, she'd rather be on the ship, consoling a patient over some problem then be here in the middle of a Klingon summit, biting her nails wondering if her actions had just contributed to murdering her Captain.

When the chirping sound of Karyn's communicator sounded, the Chief Counselor and lead Federation Ambassador held her breath momentarily, afraid to answer.

Would it be good news? Or bad? Reaching across her dress white uniform, the Counselor tapped in, speaking as quietly as possible so as not to interrupt the Orion delegation that was presenting on the floor.

"Dallas here. Go ahead Galaxy."

Karyn recognized the voice as Commander Kent Peterson. ["Karyn, we have the Captain."] Kent stated.

An instant rush of relief washed over her entire body as she exhaled upon hearing the news. "Thank goodness." Then the reactive side of her brain kicked in, prompting her to quickly ask in Counselor fashion, "Is he all right?"

Kent's pause spoke volumes.

"Kent? Is Lee okay?" Karyn asked in an almost desperate tone.

["He's been shot Karyn... It doesn't look very good. Doctor Quevvenson is working on him now."] Kent explained over the channel. The First Officer's tone told

Karyn that he wasn't very hopeful the Captain was going to make it.

"I'm coming on board." Karyn declared.

["There is nothing you can do Karyn. Nothing any of us can do but wait and pray. You should stay at the summit."] Kent explained.

"To hell with that!" Karyn snapped back loudly enough to cause the Orion delegate to glance up from the podium floor momentarily until he realized she wasn't referring to his presentation and so he continued.

["Karyn..."] Kent started, but she wasn't going to have any of it.

"I'm coming up and that's the end of it. We are through here do you understand Kent? I've presented for the Federation, and now there is no urgent need for anyone to be here at this summit. I'm pulling the team and we are getting the hell out of Klingon space do I make my self clear?" Karyn fumed. In reality she wasn't mad at

Kent, she was angry at herself. She'd done what she thought was right and had given the kidnappers exactly what they wanted in the hopes that they would keep their word and return Captain Price unharmed. She'd trusted them, a bunch of merciless, cut throat kidnappers. They were terrorists, and now they had proven it by hurting Captain Price. Karyn was mad and angry that she had been so stupid to trust anything they said out of desperation for the life of her Captain. Perhaps

Brhode was right, the Federation had gotten too soft when it came to trusting people and governments.

["Commander, I realize you are upset over this, but..."] Kent tried to reason.

"But nothing. I'm gathering the team for immediate beam up Kent. Reprimand me, court marshal me, or do whatever you like. You just won't be stopping me. It's not safe here. We've fulfilled our obligation, granted terribly, and now we are going home to the Federation. Got it?" Karyn fumed. She wasn't herself. This news, and it all happening under what was essentially her first real command assignment was just overwhelming the Counselor. It was all she could do to keep from going to tears over the trauma.

Realizing that Karyn had made up her mind, and there was no change it once she did, Kent relented to her wishes. In truth getting out of Dodge and back to the

Federation, and a real Starbase medical facility, didn't sound like a bad plan to Kent.

["Fine. I'll have you and the team beamed up at once."] There was a pause and then Kent added, ["You can't blame yourself for this Karyn. None of this was your fault."]

Karyn closed her eyes. Part of her, that part that is buried deep down inside knew what Kent was saying was true. But the emotion of the situation and the shock over it were too fresh and too new for her to hear it and believe it. To Commander Karyn Dallas this was her first command assignment and the Captain's abduction was somehow her fault. Some how, some way, in the infinite possibilities of things she could have or should have done, one combination would have prevented this tragedy. And not finding that magic combination of events and actions ultimately made Karyn feel responsible for failing to do so.

"Maybe. That doesn't matter right now. Have the ship stand by to beam us on board and set course for Federation space as soon as we arrive." Karyn ordered.

["Aye Captain."] Kent replied with a hint of sarcasm. Being the First Officer and in command of the Galaxy, all executive decisions were his to make as CO of the vessel. Were he to get nasty, he could order Karyn to stay at the summit and refuse to leave early as the Counselor was suggesting. But Kent too felt a share of guilt in this whole mess. Captain Price was his friend too. Seeing him harmed like this and feeling so... violated and helpless to do anything about it, really made Peterson's blood boil. At least ordering a recall of the delegation from lanjep and ordering the ship back to Federation space would give him a sense of being able to control something. He only hoped that Autumn could come through and save Lee's life. If he died, this would all have been for nothing.

Realizing she'd been brusque in the communication, Karyn called out, "Kent. I didn't mean that...""

["Forget it Karyn. Prepare to have your team beamed up to the ship. We are going home. Galaxy out."] Kent replied.

Activating her hoverchair, Counselor Dallas made the specially crafted personal vessel ride a couple of feet. It had the same effect as when a person stood up, raising her eye level higher. "Let's prepare to leave."

Noting the activity in the Federation booth, Princess DevnoH glanced over and interrupted the Orion Ambassador's presentation.

"Is there a problem Ambassador Dallas?" DevnoH asked.

Karyn turned her chair around and looked at the Princess directly. "Your forgiveness Princess. There is an emergency and the Federation Delegation will have to withdraw from the rest of these proceedings. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and those in attendance."

DevnoH nodded. "I understand Ambassador. I will see that recorded records of the summit are forwarded to your government upon conclusion."

Karyn nodded, "Thank you Princess. Please extend the Federation's appreciation for the hospitality Chancellor Martok and the Klingon Empire has extended all of the delegates here on lanjep. Your hospitality has been wonderful."

"I will see that the Chancellor is informed. Q'Plah!" Princess DevnoH finished.

The Klingon Overseer pounded his metallic gavel a few times, restoring order to the assemble. "The Orion Ambassador may now continue his presentation..."

Counselor Dallas gave a nod of her head as she and the rest of the Federation Delegation team prepared to transport up to the USS Galaxy. A shimmering blue transporter bean enveloped them and whisked them off of lanjep.

Once on board the USS Galaxy broke orbit of the planet and set course for Federation space.

"Time To Go"

Lt. Brian Elessidil
Counselor

with authorized mention of
Cmdr. Karyn Dallas
Chief Counselor

[OOC: Occurs at the same time as and just after "I Feel So Broke Up, . . . I Want To Go Home."]

If the first few days of the conference proceedings had been tedious, things only seemed to get more so now that Karyn had spoken on behalf of the Federation.

The frantic clue-gathering, the worrying, the suspicions, everything that accompanied their concern over the Captain's abduction were behind them . . . except waiting to actually see him safely returned to the ship.

Karyn had done what she promised. Despite her fear, she went before the assembled delegates on Lanjep and declared that the Federation was opposed to the Klingon trade route. Except Karyn herself, no one was more keenly aware of the internal anguish she was feeling through it all than her Betazoid colleague and friend. Brian was locked onto her with all of his senses when she was on the floor, doing his best to be with her at least in spirit. She made it through, and had resumed her position next to him in the Federation balcony. After she returned, there was no need to say anything; he knew what she had gone through and she in turn knew him well enough that she didn't have to ask what he thought.

After making it through the Naussican delegate's speech, the were now sitting here listening to Senior Trade Legate Juvok express the Rigellian Consortium's strong support of this 'monumental occasion for peace between neighbors.' 'Monumental occasion for -extortion- between neighbors, you mean,' Brian thought icily. The counselor wasn't proud of the level of cynicism he had felt from time to time during the conference but he had seen and heard so much duplicity, back-room deals, and hypocrisy that he just couldn't help himself.

The only thing distracting him from the speech on the floor was the internal debate going on next to him. Karyn's thoughts were practically being shouted through a megaphone to Brian's Betazoid senses. She worried. She doubted. She reflected. Yet through it all, she remained in her self-imposed isolation, denying herself the comfort of her friends and colleagues, the ones who cared most for her.

So Brian said nothing. What -could- he say? he wondered, but the question was irrelevant. He simply remained at her side, literally and figuratively, letting her deal with her raging emotions as she saw fit.

Suddenly, the thick silence between them was interrupted by Karyn's com badge. It was news from the ship . . . . they had the Captain. Listening both to Commander Peterson's voice and Karyn's own words -- spoken and unspoken -- Brian heard what had happened and was gripped by the same wave of shock and desperate concern as his boss.

"To hell with that!" she suddenly exclaimed, drawing attention from around the great hall. As Juvok looked up towards them, wondering what he said that could have provoked such an outburst, Brian gave the Legate and uneasy smile, indicating with a wave of his hand that what the speaker had heard from the Federation's Lead Ambassador had nothing to do with him.

Listening to the rest of the conversation between the Chief Counselor and First Officer unfold, Brian knew they were all about to be spared having to endure any further speeches from the floor.

"Let's prepare to leave," came Karyn's order as she activated her hoverchair. After satisfying a concerned inquiry from Princess DevnoH and expressing the Federation's regret at their sudden departure, Karyn and the rest of the delegation rose and disappeared in the transporter beam that had come to take them home.

As the alarmed team re-materialized on the ship, Karyn moved for the transporter room doors and into the corridor beyond, not wasting any time getting to sickbay to see Captain Price. Brian quickly followed after her, leaving the rest of the stunned delegates in the transporter room, quizzically exchanging commentary on the bits and piece they had either heard or hypothesized based on the Chief Counselor's actions.

Moving briskly through the corridor, Brian had never realized how fast a hoverchair could move when pushed by its occupant. "Karyn," he called out, now only a couple steps behind, "slow down, you're not going to be able to just barge in on whatever Autumn is trying to do for him right now."

Her determined pace didn't slow by even a fraction of a fraction. "I don't care," she curtly replied, not even glancing in Brian's direction.

It was obvious to Brian that nothing mattered to her right now. She was blaming herself for this. She was angry that she couldn't bring about Price's release on -her- terms and that he was barely hanging on to his life in sickbay despite her direct diversion from the Federation's intentions at the conference in an attempt to save him.

"You know you did everything possible to prevent this," Brian insisted. He knew nothing he could say would matter to her right now, but he hoped that by planting the seeds, she might be better able to reconcile herself with it later.

"But it wasn't enough," came the bitter, irony-laden reply.

Brian could feel her internal struggle even more acutely than he had for the past few days. For Karyn, the culmination of her efforts at this conference awaited her in sickbay. As he had tried to do during it all, he did his best to be at her side as she raced to the conclusion of this mission.

He wasn't going to let her face this alone if he could help it.

"Hearts of Glass"
By Lieutenant James Lionel Corgan
Chief of Operations, USS Galaxy

Location: USS Galaxy, Ten Forward, Approximately a few days after the incident on the JINX Gantribal

************

Chief Operations Officer's Personal Log, Supplimental

We have just completed our business with the Judari delegates, which turned out to have a few surprising twists and turns. Appearantly, they were involved with so many crimes on the Klingon Homeworld that they were entitled to the death penalty, and everyone knows when the Klingons call for the death penalty, it's dead serious.

No pun intended, but Ambassador Solna is looking forward to a not so kind stay on the homeworld. Tem'stra forgot to set her disrupter to kill, but by the way she spoke about having him 'drawn and quartered' to satiate her family's honor, I think he would have been luckier to have died on the bridge of his ship.

But the most surprising turn of events involved Ambassador Ordos, formerly the Andorian Ambassador to Quo'nos. His involvement with the Judari landed him with some serious jailtime. He might spend it in the Federation. Might. If he's lucky enough. Which I doubt. I hope they punish that fat mess for a long, long time. He shouldn't get a

way with trying to sell us all out to the Judari.

But what to do with Ambassador Mika Somora? She has been temporarily promoted to Ambassador because of the circumstances involved. I believe that she will do a great job representing her people during the trade route discussions. She has proven herself more than capable during the Judari investigation and during her time assisting the former Ambassador Ordos.

Still, it's not her capabilities I'm worried about. There were my feeling for her, which I can't help but think they are wrong. Sure, she is attractive, but to have anything to do with her would be way out of line. I have a girlfriend back on Earth, but… I can't help but think of what I'm missing if I keep waiting for her. I have a second chance with Mika… or I will blow my chances with Electra. No, I have to do what is right, and to hell with the dangers. Besides, Mika worries me. I feel like whenever I'm near her that I'm consorting with a dangerous person. I can't have a relationship where I worry if the person is trustworthy. I can trust Lexa, not her.

I guess that means I'm worried about losing my chances at love if I go with her or not. But I love Lexa. Anything with Mika would be hollow and insincere. I should talk to her before she goes. I must tell her.

**************

Ten Forward was awash in activity, even though famous bartender and wanna-be Jedi Knight Leo Streely was missing in action. It was as if some of the character in Ten Forward was taken away, spirited off to a cloud city or a death star… or some other place. Robot Junk yard? Desert? Who knew?

But some of the patrons in the bar were glad to see the infuriating bartender gone. One of them was the stern faced and melancholy Lieutenant James Lionel Corgan. Sitting in the quiet of his corner in the isolated section of Ten Forward, he morosely sipped a cup of his favorite double strong extra bitter black coffee. He looked over his PADDs, looking at the various messages he received before entering Klingon space. There were dozens of them, all position offers on other vessels.

=/\=WANTED: Chief Operations officer for the USS Toronto, NCC 46734. Excelsior Class. Deep Space Mission in the Western Fringe of Federation Space.=/\=

=/\=Apply immediately. Security specialist on Starbase 84, near Bolivar IV.=/\=

=/\=The USS Kel'Shari (Steamrunner Class) is looking for a new Chief of Security. Apply before Stardate 57479.=/\=

=/\=Open Chief of Operations Position on the USS Miranda. Apply to Admiral….=/\=

James tossed the PADD onto the table. He wanted to avoid the job offers for a while longer, hoping that the captains of the USS Venture, Miranda, Sumatra and Claymore would bugger off and find some other moron to do the job for them. Ever since the Hirogen mission, he had job offers coming into his message box at a rate of at least a couple a day, and from almost every fleet he could think of. From deep space missions to patrols in the interior, the space borne operations officer was, for reasons beyond him, in demand. It never happened before as a security officer. What did being the Chief of Operations, and a mediocre one at that, had anything to do with it?

Maybe he was worth something? Maybe his confidence was so low that he couldn't see how much he was really worth. But it mattered little because his mind was already made up. He was going to stay on the USS Galaxy for as long as it took. He made a promise to stay, for her sake.

For Lexa's sake. The reason why he had a black cloud hanging over his head was the guilt he felt from two things. One was considering a transfer, even though he promised to stay on the Galaxy until Lexa recovered and took over her former station.

The other was much more complex, and involved a matter of the heart.

A complex problem, who walked in at the very moment he thought about his guilt. Ambassador Mika sojourned to the replicator, ordered herself a beverage, and nodded her head from side to side, looking for a private place to sit.

"Mika. Take a seat." Corgan invited, pressing aside his gloom to not make Mika the wiser (though he doubted with her sharp mind that he would be able to fool her for a second).

She calmly walked over to Corgan's table, and seated herself on the chair across from James. As beautiful as ever, Mika was robed in another one of her characteristic Andorian Kimono's adorned with birds and fish, and made of orange silks. It hugged her fine lines like a silken carapace. Her skin was freshly showered and glowing like a blue lightning bug. Her hair was short and gleaming white, made rough around the edges with styling liquids. She held the slight scent of flowers from her perfume. For an Andorian, she was amazingly beautiful. A small frame packed with the right amount of curves and lines. Her antennae were perky and her blue eyes sparkled like ice.

It pained James to think about her. Torn up by the ghost of Electra Reece and his feelings, and the suspicion of his own feelings, he knew what he had to do.

"Hello James." Mika whispered. So kind and soft was she that she barely had the will to raise her voice , "How are you? I haven't seen you much during the past couple of days, and we've talked even less."

James confessed, "Right. I'm sorry about that Mika. The last couple of days have been… different to say the least. Not every day that you get caught up in somebody else's mess." He referred to Ambassador Ordos' incident, "Before we caught the Judari, those few days have been a mess. I'm still trying to… recover from them."

"I know how you feel, Lieutenant. Everything has been going so fast lately. I was told to take over as the Ambassador to Quo'nos until the trade talks finish. Then, they are going to send me to the consulate on Setlek III, that is… if the Arbiters don't call me for the Ambassador's trial." She shrugged,drinking her cup of tea, "I don't know how I'm going to handle the discussions. I haven't had a real station before in my life. This is all new to me."

Confidently, James sipped his coffee and set it down on the table, and with a smirk he said, "If Ordos could do it, so can you Mika. You have double the skills he had, and you put up with much more as well. Just think, instead of thinking what you would do in his position, now you can actually do it. Sometimes I wish I could do that to the Captain. You're fortunate to have that opportunity."

She looked down at her mug, concentrating on the sad look on her face, "Thanks James." She looked up to him, the happy glimmer in her eye sharpening her mood, "I needed that."

"No problem." He answered.

Part of his problem was pointed out long ago by former comrade Rebecca Von Ernst. He was too willing to help, to care about people and not give a damn that his aid was actually hurting them. He paused himself, forcing himself not to say an encouraging word to Mika. That was the problem with feeling close to people. He too eagerly gave his aide and his heart to others, and in turn they didn't think twice about turning it away, or at the worse, destroying it at the core.

He wasn't going to let that happen again.

"Mika…" He choked out the words, holding back his tongue from saying something stupid, whatever that could be, "I don't know what to say now. I know things have been… strange, and I don't mind saying that I didn't mind having you around during the past few days. I know that Ordos was a bit of a pain… not to mention a corrupt @$$hole, but… as a team we made the best out of a messed up situation, don't you agree?"

"Yes… I've never been in so much trouble before. If you didn't stay calm at the right times… or blow up in the Ambassador's face at the right times, I don't know what I would have done." Mika blinked, blushing and smiling at the same time, "Thank you for your help. I wouldn't have been able to handle it all without you."

Her compliment slammed his heart to the floor and threatened to crush it under its weight. Gaining composure after being taken aback, he responded, "Thank you… What can I say? I'm glad to help."

"I told you before, that is what you do. It's all in your personality." She confidently commented, "You're my knight in shining armor as you humans say. I hope you'll never lose that part of you."

"That is what I'm worried about Mika." James went back to the reason why he needed to talk to Mika, "I'm not sure that… well… I'm fully aware of your feeling towards me. Are you aware of mine?"

"Ummm… yes…" She stabbed at the answer, not entirely sure what he meant, "You said you had a girlfriend on Earth… and that… it wouldn't work."

He grimly agreed, "Yeah. Look, I'm sorry about all this. I like you, but… this isn't right, do you know what I mean? I can't let her down, not now. "

"So, you're trying to choose between me, and your girlfriend?" She asked.

"Right. Problem is, it's more complicated than that. You see, Lexa is not well. She was hit with a coma after an accident during our last mission, and there is a chance that she may be out of it. There's also an overwhelming chance that she will never recover at all. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes," She said disappointed, "I think I do. You want to stay with her, even though you may never hear from her again?"

"That is correct. And as much as I like you, I can't leave her. She means too much to me to let go. I guess… that's what love is. It's not feelings, or wants, or needs, or lust… it's devotion. Love is blind devotion to someone you care about, and someone you know intimately. As much as we know each other, it is not nearly as close to what Lexa and I have experienced, and I've decided not to compromise that for anything."

"Even if it means you have to wait forever?" Mika asked.

James paused in reflection, making his decision final, "Yes. If I have to wait a lifetime for Lexa, then I will. "

Her antennae were about to be in a twist, but instead froze, drooping down in discontent. Her sadness was held back, her emotional damn built to keep the tears from flooding through. She was strong enough to handle anything. Ordos, the last few days filled with crisis, and now rejection. It was hard enough to take since her feeling for James were genuine.

She took the bad news with an air of dignity. Standing up, she pushed in her seat and left her half finished cup of tea. She then said, "You're a sweet man, Lieutenant Corgan. I know you mean well, but I care for you. It saddens me to see this happen, but I see that it has to happen. "

He felt sympathy for the Andorian diplomat. During another time, or another place, alternate dimensions or other plains of existence, it might have worked. Mika and James, what a strange combination, but one born into the fires of passion and forging two fragile hearts into one whole.

Perhaps in another time or place. But this was not the place.

The Universe was, and always will be, a cruel place for romantics.

She turned to leave, but before she could exit, Corgan piped up, "Wait!". A question was nagging in his head ever since the Judari incident on the Gantribal. The invasion into the engineering section, and the following chaos that ensued, was in some way not right in his mind. Too many factors that were added in, and not enough answers as to why.

He asked, "On the Gantribal, in engineering. You know when Ordos was accessing the ship's transporter systems?"

The images were coming back to Corgan's head. Ordos's fingers working at the corner of his eye on a console, hacking away at the operating systems's defenses. He had a hold of the ship's systems. Each system had their own protective sub-system, all needing password access. At first… he thought all were open, a lack of security on the Judari's part.

But then he remembered security system after security system falling faster than Ordos could humanly do. As if, there were two people working at the console. Two people, in all that chaos… it was hard to tell whom else was working on the consoles besides himself. In all the fighting and phaser firing, was there someone else working the consoles, hacking their way through the Judari's computer…

Setting Ordos up for the greatest fall of his life? The transporter systems were the first to be configured, at first, they were on standby, but then targeted on Ordos to transport him to Ianjep's surface. And Ordos, who didn't seem to have a clue what was going on before Mika beat him to a bloody pulp. Then there were the security calls. Who was the first to warn of an intruder alert?

Who was the one closest to engineering's security console.

And then… like a sealed plasma leak, he filled up with realization.

He asked, "Mika… I was wondering about Ordos. It was strange that he could access all those systems at the same time. Almost like they didn't protect them, only the engineering command system itself. It looked like they were all unguarded. Is it possible that someone else could have unlocked them."

She paused for a moment, "Maybe."

"And would it be possible that in the firefight, the person would have enough time, with the expertise, to configure the site to site transporters without Ordos knowing?"

"Perhaps?"

"And do you think that even though they didn't have their internal sensors on… that perhaps it was a coincidence that security responded so soon? And that perhaps…. Somebody set the alarm? Because I didn't see an alarm until somebody gave the alert."

She paused again for an answer to his question, "Maybe Tem'stra's trick didn't work so well on one of the engineers."

He asked, "No… that can't be it. It would have to be someone who had a lot of… talents. Someone who could get the job done, any job… even… something for themselves. Mika, was it you?"

His statement got her full attention. She turned back to him with a serious look on her face, on of grim absolution with a small mixture of the sweetness that was well known about Mika, "You know all you need to know. I don't have to tell you."

And just as she was about to leave, James asked the final question, "Mika, I have to know… why? What happened to Ordos… I know he had it coming, but… it looks like he was set up. Why do it? Why all the trouble?"

She answered back, the sharpness of her tongue surprisingly bitter towards her former mentor, "You think it's easy being an Assistant? I know about Ordos. He didn't want to let me go. He found me attractive and he found me useful. He would have stayed an Ambassador for at least another twenty years, and he would have kept me for that long if he had to. I wasn't going to get a promotion, I was going to stay his prisoner for half of my life, forced to work for a corrupt, filthy man. He was already damned… I just hastened the time it would have normally taken for justice to take hold."

He understood and felt more sympathy for the woman. Her desperate measures, betraying her boss, going to near illegal lengths to be rid of him, and using James Corgan as an unwitting protector and pawn in the game were a testament to the lengths she would go to be free. She was a woman full of surprises, and the thought of her hurting even her mentor was surprising.

But then again, not so surprising. He responded, "Mika… I would have never thought you… of all people, would harm a soul, much less Ordos. That is… until I saw you beat up three Klingons in a barfight."

"And I didn't think you had the guile," She said, though Corgan interpreted this as 'smarts' in political speak, "…to completely figure out my plan… until you told me this instant. I guess we don't know each other too well."

She turned back around to leave, saying, "Keep in touch!"

And that was her departure. Mika Somora, daughter of the Quadraketrecele King of Andoria, the temporary Ambassador to Quo'nos, and now lead Andorian delegate to the trade route talks, and possibly the most tempting and trying woman in Corgan's romantic life, was leaving. The opportunity to grab what was there, and not wait for an insurmountable time for Lexa was long gone. There was no return for him. His chance was lost for the hope of something more.

But did he want someone quite like Mika? Someone who was saying sweet words, and holding the poisoned dagger behind her back? Hard to say

if James could get used to a woman like her. And now he would never know.

All the sudden, it seemed like his choice didn't seem so painful.

"Sure…" He sighed, watching her leave, leaving his coffee to cool on the stack of PADDS, "I'll keep in touch. Least I can do for you."

The End!

"So Far Away. . . Doesn't Anybody Stay in One Place Anymore?"
By Lysander "Never Have to Spell It All Again" Chief Tactical Officer

Stealing bits outright from:
"I feel so broke up,... I want to go home" written by Captain Robert Edward Lee Price
"Fixing the Captain" By CMO with a number of people.
and
"Time To Go" By some guy named Lt. Brian Elessidil

Ambassadorial Hall, lanjep trade summit

". . . and so. . . Pakleds hope we maybe get trade route too. Nice trade route? All the way to Beta Sector." The Pakled delegate wound up.

CRAK echoed the gavel-ball of the Judge Overseer.

"We now call upon the next delegation to present their views on the m'IchrithNal Trade Route." the Klingon's cold voice rang out into the whispering room.

Legate Juvok of hte Rigellian Colonial Trade Consortium stood and started to walk down to the Speakers' circle on the floor.

The Naussican beat him to it.

All two meters of fur and stinking hide wrapped muscle.

"Me Krumph... speak for Narcissa. You give us trade route or we take it. We crush all of you. Take... trade route." the Naraucassian bellowed at the Klingon Honor guard, all of whom turned to Princess DevonH with eyes hoping she turned them loose.

"Delegate Krumph. Is it time already for your words to be heard?" her voice echoed through the chamber.

The Naucassian pondered this dilemma for several long moments.

"No know.. .no can read chronograph." he finally admited grudgingly and turned the Speakers Circle over to the Grey Orion.

Juvok smoothed his robes and looked around the hall.

Silence.

Juvok grined, an scary sight on a Vulcanoid race and looked around some more.

Finally, the Romulan Ambassador broke the silence.

"What exactly does your horde...I mean government, care about this route?"

Juvok considered the challenge several long moments more.

"Firstly, we don't. Whoever wins the rights to supply the Klingons with the food they desperatly need to hold the remnants of their Empire together; is of no concern to me."

The Klingons stirred restlessly. A sharp look and wave from the Princess calmed them. The Breen shifted nervously in their reefer suits.

"Secondly; We care, only to offer the use of Colonial Consortium docking and re- supply base 1, in the Binary system of Rigel Nine. And our. . . protection of the awardees shipping through the Outlands." The Grey Orions' clam voice caused a buzz of discussion.

"The Imerial Klingon Deep Space Fleet will protect. . ." thundered a Hod'Aram of the IDSF from the Princess' balcony.

"With what, your armada of a Thousand Ships? You need all 621 of them here, to keep the peace inside your Empire. Even now, the Frax and Hintu races rebel against your explotation. You can't even protect this conference." interrupted the Grey Orion rudely.

"gggggrrrrrrrrrRRRAAAAAAKKK!K!~!" screamed the Hod'Aram, only to be restrained by the small hand of his Princess on his shoulder.

"I would hear more of the. . . proposal and would ask the Legate what compensation his people would ask, for use of the base and... hospitality." she asked.

"BAH! They extort you, even as they tried to extort ten Billion credits from the Federation during the signing of those cowardly Federation accords!" rang a voice from the Yiridian balcony's vicinity.

"To hell with that!" Karyn Dallas, the Federation Diplomatic Liasion snapped back loudly enough to cause the Orion delegate to glance up from the podium floor momentarily until he realized she wasn't referring to his presentation and so he continued.

"History aside, we would ask for the sum of. . . ninety TRILLION Credits to be offered in rfecompense for the use of our base and. . . protection from the verminous riff-raff in the Outlands." Juvok declared.

"HAH! Privateers you commission and sic on merchant traffic!" declared teh BReen, coming to armoured feet slowly and ponderously.

"We commission privateers to defend our merchant fleets, true. But our letters of MArque and Reprisial have never been,. . ." the LEgate shgot back.

"You use weapons from all over the Quadrant!" cut in the Romulan.

"Do you kill a disruptor weilding assasin with only a disruptor, if you have a Bak'leth?" asked Juvok. The Klingins growled their comprehension of the tactic.'

"Do not try to play upon the sympathies of our hosts! Everyone knows those 'pirates' are most likely your own ships, acting on orders to. . ." countered the Romulan.

A surge of activity on the Federation balcony drew the eyes of most away from the Orion 'shake down.'

Noting the activity in the Federation booth, Princess DevnoH glanced over and interrupted the Orion Ambassador's presentation.

"Is there a problem Ambassador Dallas?" DevnoH asked.

Karyn turned her chair around and looked at the Princess directly. "Your forgiveness Princess. There is an emergency and the Federation Delegation will have to withdraw from the rest of these proceedings. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and those in attendance."

DevnoH nodded. "I understand Ambassador. I will see that recorded records of the summit are forwarded to your government upon conclusion."

Karyn nodded, "Thank you Princess. Please extend the Federation's appreciation for the hospitality Chancellor Martok and the Klingon Empire has extended all of the delegates here on lanjep. Your hospitality has been wonderful."

"I will see that the Chancellor is informed. Q'Plah!" Princess DevnoH finished.

The Klingon Overseer pounded his metallic gavel a few times, restoring order to the assemble. "The Orion Ambassador may now continue his presentation..."

Juvok stared as the transporter enveloped the Federation contingent.

"I have nothing else to say. Pay the . . . donation for use of our base on the last run from the Outlands into the Empire. Or do not, and watch the Empire starve. it is of no import to us." he said abruptly and returned to his aide on the balcony.

The greenskinned ex-dancer/consort slave refused to meet his eye.

"Get your drug-addled carcass up to the ship. A senile addict zealot and a smart mouthed smuggler as helpers. It's amazing you two didn't get us killed coming in." she finally growled.

"Your holiness... I. . ." the Vulcanoid Grey Orion began.

The transporter beam evveloped them both, leaving more whispers and rumours on the floor of the lanjep Diplomatic Center.

Except the hulking presence of the Tholians.

On coruscating gouts of coloured fire, their massive craggy forms ascended through the hole their enterance had made in the roof the other day. Delegates shreiked and covered their eyes from the sudden fury and power.

[{{SILENCE!!!! LEAVE US BE!!!LEAVE US BE!!!!}}] was what thundered in the mind of all the delegates.

* * * * *

Deck 12 USS GALAXY Main Sickbay

Barearsed still, Lysander hopped out of the way of a pair of medics scurrying to carry out Autumn's orders. Price's still form zipped by on a stretcher. Security people ran around, until Jii got them under control.

At her barked command, Lysander and the others left the room, wondering about this turn of events.

Somehow, seemingly hours later (but actually only twenty minutes) he was not surprised to see the entirity of Primary Classroom Two, led by Samantha Widdlestein and Amy Grant-Greene in his field of shocked view.

"My mummy said that we should do our lessons, but Auntie Lieutenant Grant- Greene said that we could come see. . . see. . ." the usually VERY vocal Samantha (aged Nine) mumbled.

"It's NOT true! No one shot the General! Raven and Leo are gonna save him! You just watch! The General is always okay!" the fat kid, Matt Widdlestein wiped tears from his eyes.

"No! That Jii guy's gonna shoot the people who done this! He's going to dance the Watusi on their foreheads." urged the pretty but homocidal Angelene with a toss of her hair.

"We don't know Amy. He.... it didn't look good." Lysander admitted under his breath to the pretty schoolteacher.

"Maybe... I should take the kids back to the classroom. . ." she urged.

"Nuh Nuh! Captain Price stood up to Borg, and Spies, and Vampire Thingeys, and Hirogen, and Romulans and everyone else for US! Borg may have killed my Mommy and Daddy. . . but Captain Price saved me an' everyone else! We're staying right HERE!" shrieked the blue-eyed and frantic looking Angelene.

Samantha nodded her agreement and the Hirogen knife that Ensign Smith had given her danced over her small hands.

"Even Arel couldn't budge me on this, Lysander darling." she muttered, watching the light glint on the -very- sharp edges Arel had shown her how to hone.

Lys rolled his eyes and turned to meet Amy's questioning look.

"It's this thing she says. . ." he tried to explain.

"Let me guess. . . you heard I was dead, so you married a hologram of whassername, and led on a ten year old child who thinks you're going to marry her?" Amy asked with a skeptical look.

"urm..." began Lysander, over Sam's muttered " . . if he knows what's good for him."

Amy leaned closer and examined the three full gold circles of the rank pips on Lys' collar.

"Whassername got to Commander first." Amy remarked bitterly, before going back to her charges.

"Smeg. . ." moaned Lys, sinking back to his heels and cradeling his head in his hands.

Everything seemed to be going wrong. Rebecca left, after tossing his heart at his feet. He wasn't able to join her ship, and was being posted to the smeggin' Klingon Empire. Something was wrong with his head, and that smegger Corgan was being a smeggin' little twerp. Price maybe going to die. . .

Some friends.

Well, screw them.

Lysander closed his tunic over the hospital gown and made his way to the turbolift.

"Main Bridge" was all he said.

Once there, he relieved Bosco at the Tac Arch.

Firing solutions to destroy quite a bit of Allied and other shipping danced across the custom LCARS interface Rebecca had designed.

Lysander took solace in the clean, precise and lethal numbers of the destruction represented.

Marching in ordered rows, the pure datastream flickered and danced in front of his unseeing eyes.

The Comm unit chirping got his attention.

"Peterson.. who has the Bridge Conn." barked out of the speaker.

Lys looked around with dull emotionless eyes.

"I guess I do sir. Hawksley, CTO." he intoned, ignoring Bosco's quizzical glance.

"The Captain is out of any immediate danger. However, he's incapicitated. I'm assuming command per Starfleet directive. . ." Petrerson was saying by the book.

"Aye Aye sir. I have orders to leave the ship. Permission to beam down to lanjep?" Lysander asked.

A long silence.

"Nice timing Hawksley. Granted, but only after I relieve you. Helm, lay in course to Earth, emergency warp. I'm on my way to take the conn."

"Lysanderrrrrr do you not worrrrry about the Captain?" asked Bosco, his ears twitching and tail lashing in agitation.

Lysander's face was as impassive as Rebecca's had become.

"No." he grated out, his voice flat and emotionless.

"but. . . " pressed the Caitian.

"No. What ever happens to him. Happens. Nothing to do with me." Lys observed, eyes watching the repeater displays with a glassy sheen.

"But. . . he. . ."

"I said NO! Now get your smegging eyes on the smegging Tac Board, before some other smegger decides to add us to their list of shootees." barked out Lysander.

Lysander settled in the Command Chiar, his back ram-rod straight.

"incoming hail" muttered a sulky Bosco.

[Federation Ship GALAXY, this is IKS JukoRotH. You are not cleared for weapons activation or departure. Please stand down all weapons systems and cease sublight manuevering. . .] the Klingon cruiser was droning.

'Red Alert. Rules of Engagement "Ragnorak Alpha Hawksley" Open Comm channels to Vorcha and. . . Boom Boom Seven.' Lysander ordered.

Klaxons whooped and blared.

"I'm going either through, or over you. But I am going past you, Hod'Aram. Orders." Lysander declared to the Klingon commander on the Main Screen.

"This is a Vorcha class ship. We have over a thousand warships in this sector. We will smash you into honorless dust and hoist bloodwine over your cold and lifeless..." The Klingon began, clearly enjoying the standoff.

"Phaserrrrrs online. . ." murmured Bosco.

"Firing solution. . .Boom-Boom Seven Beta on your forward dorsal emmittor." replied Lys, hating that he had to use one of Rebecca's.

"Laid in" replied Bosco.

"Remember. . .it's Boom-Boom Seven BETA. . . Fire to disable" Lys commanded.

Lances of phaser energy raked the Klingon escort ship's warp engines. Unpowered during the ritual taunting and boasting, the phaser strikes shattered mononuclear plating and dueterium boiled off into the atmosphere. The Klingons' warp engines were disabled.

The Klingon stopped his description of how the better part of Lys' brotehrs must have run down their mothers legs and howled in anger.

Commander Peterson burst onto the Bridge to catch the tail end of the exchange.

"Hawksley! Why is the ship at Red Alert?" the XO bellowed.

"Klingon escort cruiser said we couldn't leave just yet. SOP Doctrine declares that upon challenge the ship is placed at Combat Operative Status one and. . ." Lys replied nonchantly.

"So you opened fire on them?" demanded an aghast Peterson.

"Negative sir. Bosco, status report on the Klingon Armada." Lys asked, his face a stone mask.

"Severrrrral ships powerrrring up weapons system. In rrrrrrrange in. . . two minutes." Bosco reported.

"My SHIP! You shot my ship you honorless p'taQ!" bellowed the Klingon Commander.

"He seems to have a problem." observed Lys.

"How. . ." asked Peterson, eying the damage to both nacelles of the Klingon onteh Main Screen.

Another voice cut into the circuit.

"Oops. Fingers slipped. Sorry there fellows. Boy, you Klingons build a tough ship. A Cardassian would have blown from that strike. Wanna sell me the design for.... oops... nevermind. Wanna buy back the design for. . ." the voice said, sounding a bit smug and not at all sorry.

"Thank you Captain-General O'Key." Lys replied, before turning back to Peterson. " As I was trying to explain sir, the Orions... slipped... and seem to have removed our escort. Heading Sir? Before teh rest of their fleet arrives sir?"

"No problem. My fingers slip a lot. Tell your Commander Dallas that I'll be looking for her, and she'd better bear me strong sons. OK-7 Falcon out." the Orion sang out, with a wink for the camera before turning his ship away from Galaxy.

"You have the Conn sir." Lys repleid, ignoring the stares of the crew.

"Wait..." ordered Peterson.

"Transporter room, lock to my signal and transport me to the Imperial Deep Space Fleet Recruiting Office on lanjep."

Lysander shimmered out of sight.

Somehow... he was * * Sure* * this was all Rebecca's fault.

=/\=

"Unfinished Business"
Commander Karyn Dallas, RN, Chief Counselor/Second Officer, USS Galaxy
Commander Elaithin Jii, First Officer, USS Achilles

OOC: Takes place a couple days after the Galaxy returns to Starbase

***Jii's quarters, USS Galaxy***

The first thing she saw when the doors opened was his surprise. Clearly, she was the last person he expected to see in that moment, but not for the first time, Karyn wondered if that was a smoke screen.

As the Chief of Security, Jii had knew how to remain impassive, a tactic which forced other people to 'volunteer' information in the uncomfortable silence that followed. It had been several days since the Captain's recovery (as well as his unfortunate crippling). No one liked the way the

situation had turned out, and it weighed most heavily on the minds of Kent Peterson, Karyn Dallas, and Elaithin Jii, all of who felt personally responsible. The ship had returned to a Federation Starbase, and many of the crew were enjoying the customary leave. There was the usual round of transfers in and out. Karyn noticed two distinct - though given what Kent had told her, not unexpected - changes in the Bajoran's uniform. One, he was wearing the red tunic of command. Two, he was wearing the pips of a full Commander. For another thing, his quarters had been stripped bare and he was packing what seemed to be the last few things into a standard-issue Starfleet suitcase.

"Am I interrupting something?"

She was closer to the truth than she realized. More often than not, the Bajoran presented a false face - a false impression, one that caused an enemy to underestimate you, was a great tactical advantage. Right now, his expression was pretty right on the mark - he hadn't expected Karyn to come by. He'd already spoken with the Captain about his impending departure, as well as Kent, Sanchez, and the O'Grady's, some of his closest friends. All that remained was Karyn, T'zaq, and.... Kit. A small knot formed at that.

They'd only just found each other. Her editor was recalling her to San Francisco, and he was going on to become the first officer of a ship assigned to the Breen border. That did not bode well for the future of the relationship.

"Well, yes and no." he stated frankly, noticing the unasked question in her eyes. He motioned her over to the windows of his quarters, where another starship could be seen. "That's the Achilles." he said, pointing at the sleek, somewhat dagger-shaped vessel. "I've decided to accept a promotion and a position as her first officer. I was coming to talk to you shortly, actually."

"Kent told me already." she said. Even expecting it, the change had been something she had expected - the Bajoran's whole body language had changed.

He had the look of a man who had finally decided on his future, and was about to go live it. He seemed older now, more responsible.

"Good," she remarked casually, "because you owe me a conversation, and I hate having outstanding debts, especially as I am about to go on a long vacation." His face clouded then, and for a moment they both seemed trapped in their own thoughts. They were leaving the Galaxy behind. It seemed incredibly surreal, and for a moment she hated being the pushy shrink, but she was motivated by his evasiveness in their last conversation.

"Jii, I think we should talk about Romulus, about what happened to you on Romulus..." She paused, not really knowing what else there was to say except to explain how she felt. "I just couldn't let you go to you to your own command knowing that I hadn't done everything I could to help all of us make peace with everything."

The look of confidence faltered a moment, and she caught a hint of the newly-minted Commander's pain at the events on Romulus. "I .... I suppose you're right. It would be...good to talk about it." he finally said, after an extremely long minute. He sat down, bringing him eye to eye with the wheelchair-bound counselor. "I don't know where to start."

Karyn looked at Jii thoughtfully, knowing this was not something he really wanted to talk about, but at the same time she knew he recognized a need to get things off his chest, even if those things were best left alone. "I think you're afraid to start. Do you blame yourself, Jii? And I don't mean intellectually, I mean in here," she pointed to her heart and then to her head, "for what happened to you?" It was a simple question and not at all filled with accusation or incredulity.

Was he ashamed? She had to get at why it hurt him so much to talk before he could talk openly with her. She looked at him with compassion rather than pity. Karyn needed him to know that he wasn't going to think him less of a person or a Security Chief because he had been captured and tortured.

"When I was being tortured, I thought of two things. One of them was my memories here, on this ship. Friendships found, some of the crazy things we lived through. There was a lot of it. That kept me sane, I think." he said, choosing his words carefully. "I felt....indignant. Embarrassed that I'd allowed us to be captured, and worried - over what they could be doing to the rest of you. Luckily enough, it ended up just being me. " he said with a bit of sarcasm on the end there.

Karyn noted the sarcasm, a veneer for the anger underneath. Jii's entire reaction including the disassociation was completely normal. It concerned her that after all this time he still felt as though he was the one who'd 'allowed' them to be captured, though given her own feelings regarding what had happened to Lee, she was hardly in a position to insist otherwise. Karyn recognized it as a cognitive distortion, but it was clear Jii could not see it otherwise given his security mindset. "And the other times?"

"A lot of the other time, I was thinking about what we Bajorans went through during the occupation. What I suffered was nothing compared to what some Cardassians put my people through. That gave me a little more strength than I might have had."

"You seem disappointed with yourself. What haven't you told me?"

"Yeah, well, I sort of told that smug faced bastard I'd kill him."

"Your torturer?" Karyn asked by way of clarification.

"Yeah. I wanted to kill him, more than anything in the universe." he said, pausing thoughtfully. "Still do, actually."

Karyn pursed her lips and nodded in understanding. "What are you doing to deal with that?"

The Counselor noted that the Bajoran's artificial left hand was twitching once again, a nervous habit that had developed since he'd lost that hand fighting the Borg. "I don't know, really. To tell the truth, I'm probably not dealing with it. It seemed like the best thing to do was ignore it. As if acknowledging would somehow be an admittance they the Romulans were within their rights to do what they did, and that I failed in by duty by allowing us to be captured." he noted, his voice dropping somewhat, and his jaw setting.

"Let me tell you what I see. I don't see this as an 'I failed as a Security Officer' issue because this isn't the first time you've had to deal with things out of your control as a Security Chief. I think it's easier for you to think of what happened that way because you can look back in your mind and come up with procedures that you could have followed and things you should have seen, but you're forgetting that no one was there to perform their assigned Starfleet roles. I think what you're really trying to reconcile is how to deal with feeling out of control, and what you think your actions on Romulus say about you as a person. It bothered you when you thought of killing that man, didn't it?"

"That's the problem. I know that it should, and it doesn't. I think it bothers me more that I'm not bothered by it.... if that makes any sense at all." he admitted, again, somewhat reluctantly.

She nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. I think we all had to become people we never thought we were capable of becoming. When I took on the role of Colonel Jarol, at first it felt forced, and then when it came more naturally to me, I began to wonder what kind of person I truly was deep down. I still don't like to think about it, but I reason that under those circumstances we all did what we had to do. We were fighting for our lives, and a chance to return to the people we used to be. Our instinct for self-preservation is the strongest of all drives, Jii. I think in your mind, you feel as long as that SOB lives, there's a chance he might come to threaten your life again, and your mind can't be sympathetic while trying to protect itself. That's all perfectly normal given what you've been through, to include the loss of your hand."

Something in the Bajoran rankled a great deal at the idea of being afraid of anything, thought logically, he knew that fear was a natural response to situations where ones continued survival is not guaranteed. He didn't really reply to the question, as he seemed to be considering it from all angles, taking in the possibility of all the situations he'd found himself in the last year alone. The concept that his desire for self- preservation had somehow been strengthened in light of recent events was not an unforeseeable one, and would do a great deal to explain things.

"How have you been eating and sleeping lately, any nightmares or flashbacks?"

"Well, my eating habits have never been great to begin with," Jii said with a small smile. "So I'm not really worried about that. There have been nightmares, however. Some, I see myself back on the Borg Cube with Commander Thomas and Mike, and sometimes I see myself being tortured again. In those dreams, I always break - on the cube, I panic, and the team dies. In the one on Romulus.... I tell them everything they ever want to know. " he admitted slowly. The words dragged out, with a great many pauses between them. These were things he would, quite honestly, prefer having teeth pulled over admitting to anyone.

Karyn actually laughed a small bit at that, drawing a sharp glare from her Bajoran friend. Stifling the chuckles, she smiled. "Jii, do you realize just how normal all of your reactions have been? Even down to your dreams. They're something that virtually everyone who's been in your shoes has been through. Rather than try to stifle the reactions, you just accept them, and move on."

Jii raised an eyebrow. "That easy, eh?"

"That easy." Karyn replied with an affirming nod.

A small smile crept across Elaithin's face. "It sounds like a good idea to me."

"Me too."

After an uncomfortable moment, Jii cleared his throat. "Well, uh.." he said, not sure what to say next. I've never been good at goodbyes, but I need to get going. I promised Jordan I'd see her off on her transport for Earth before I head out to the Achilles. "

"I've never been good at them either," she replied, before frowning. "Jordan? Kit Jordan? Since when..." she asked, her question trailing off.

The Bajoran Commander laughed softly again. "Since the first day of the conference. About a week now, I guess. Pretty unfair that as soon as we find each other, I get transferred and she gets recalled to Earth."

"That's life, though." Karyn replied, her own thoughts focusing on one Commander Kent Peterson.

Jii bent down, giving Karyn a hug that she readily accepted. "I'll be sure to keep in touch." he said.

"You'd best." was Karyn's quick reply. "Otherwise I'll make sure your new Counselor harasses you to the end of your career."

"I consider myself duly warned." Jii replied with a smile. "Good luck, Karyn."

"You too." was the quiet reply as the former Chief of Security of the Starship Galaxy left his quarters for the last time.

"Turned upside down and inside out"
by Captain Robert Edward Lee Price

The first thing Captain Price became aware of was the annoying sound of the medical monitor that was tracking his vital signs. The high-pitched, pulsating tone of the scanner that mimicked his heart and respiration patterns had a piercing effect in the hollow sounding room.

The next thing Lee became aware of was the sounds of medics talking in the room. It was medical talk, the kind the General never really got into much if he could avoid it. Captain Price had an engineering degree in quantum physics, but when it came to medical terminology he'd be quick to ask that the Doctors put things into layman's terms. The mumbled medical-babble the doctors were speaking might as well of been in Tholian for all the good it did the Captain.

Lee gave a sigh and then rolled his tongue around the inside of his parched mouth. His throat was sore and dry, most likely from the airway Doctor Quevvenson had used during the operation to save the General's life.

With a scratchy, deep and somewhat raspy voice, the Captain called out without opening his eyes, "Can I have some water please 'mate?"

When silence immediately fell over the room, you'd of thought the Captain just defined the meaning of life - it was that profound the silence.

Autumn was quick to respond after the initial moment of shock. After spending the hours in surgery, the Chief Medical Officer was confident that the Captain was going to live, but there was no way to tell how long he may have remained in a coma. While there was nothing the surgeon could do for Lee's disruptor fused spinal column, the fact that Lee was awake and talking now was a great sign. Autumn had been right about the Captain's spirit - he was a fighter!

Pouring a glass of water, Autumn answered with a slight Australian accent similar to the General's, "Of course Captain. You gave us quite a scare there for a while sir." The Doctor placed the paper cup into the Captain's hand, gently wrapping her fingers around his to make sure he had hold of it. Thus far the Captain had yet to open his eyes. "Here, drink this."

Lee tried to shift his weight to sit up, but he found it difficult to move. His entire body felt sore and numb, like he'd been placed in a giant clothes dryer and put on high spin for the last several days. Finally he managed to lift his head and neck up a little so he wouldn't spill the water all over himself in the biobed.

Autumn helped guide the cup. The Captain drank greedily. The cool beverage helped calm the fire in his raw throat. At Starfleet Medical the Doctor remembered having an airway inserted by another student in respiration theory and lab. The instructor felt it was important for every Doctor to know what it feels like to have a tube down ones throat and to be ventilated by a machine. So Autumn knew exactly the sort of discomfort her Captain was experiencing right now, and how wonderfully merciful that first, cold drink of water felt going down. When Lee had finished the drink and let out a satisfied sigh, she took the cup.

"Do you want some more Captain? I have a pitcher right here." Doctor Quevvenson asked.

Lee shook his head and in a more "normal" sounding voice he answered, "No. Maybe later Doctor."

Slowly he began to open his eyes. They were puffy from the medications and from being taped shut during the operation that saved his life. The lights in the room stung at first, causing him to squint a bit, but they soon adjusted. Lee could see that Doctor Quevvenson was there, right besides his bed. Behind her another Doctor, Phoenix, Lee thought his name was, stood by and watched with great interest and concern.

"G'Day 'mate." Lee greeted, acknowledging the other doctor.

"How do you feel Captain?" Isaac asked.

Lee thought a moment then answered, "Like shit 'mate." Turning, the Captain looked into Autumn's green eyes and added, "I expect I have you to thank for that Doctor."

Autumn smiled at the compliment. She had saved the Captain's life. If he weren't brought in to medical as quickly as he had been, his injuries would have definitely killed him. "Me and your attackers sir. You were in pretty sorry shape by the time Commander Elaithin's team located you and beamed you to the Galaxy. We lost you for several minutes sir. I'm glad you decided to come back."

Lee gave a sign again. His ribs hurt. Breathing hurt. Blinking hurt. He was just sore all over, except maybe his legs. They were thankfully numb as stone. "I feel like shit Doctor, but even so, I'm glad to be back on the Galaxy and not a captive."

"Do you remember what happened sir? Or if you'd rather not talk about it, that would be perfectly understandable too." Autumn asked. She was glad the Captain was lucid and his speech was unimpaired. With the trauma he'd sustained to his body and the physiological terror he'd been subjected to by his abduction, it was good to see that the Captain was still reasonably normal and talking.

"I was taking shore leave on lanjep. Fly fishing at a spot Admiral Paris told me about. The next thing I know what I thought was a mosquito bites me in

the neck. Before I know it I've passed out. I wake up bound and with a hood over my head with a couple of thugs pushing me around and telling me what to do." The Captain began. "I think they took me on a shuttle craft of some kind. It was a rough ride I recall. Then we were on a larger vessel. They finally took my binders and blindfold off when I was in a cell of some sort. I think it was a Breen vessel. My captures were definitely Breen. That I'm sure of."

"Do you remember how you got injured Captain?" Autumn asked while she checked on the General's biomonitor and kept an eye on his vitals. It didn't look like talking about his abduction was causing him any added anxiety.

"Unfortunately, yes. One of the Breen said that the Federation had met their demands and that I was to be released. They put binders back on me and started walking me out of the cell. That's when I made a rather stupid mistake in not listening to the Romulans." Lee explained.

"What was that sir?" Autumn asked.

"I turned my back on the Breen, and he shot me at point blank range. That's the last thing I remember until waking up here just now. I should probably be dead. Thought I was before I lost consciousness." The Captain stated.

"You practically were sir. They beamed you down to the planet near where they abducted you. They must have left you for dead. It was only by shear luck that Commander Elaithin's team came upon you at just the right time. Another few minutes and you'd have died on lanjep. As it was we lost you for a short time during the operation." Autumn smiled reassuringly while holding the Captain's hand, "I'm glad we got you back Captain."

Lee gave another sigh. It really was difficult breathing. The Breen had done a number on him that was for sure. "So tell me Doctor. What are the damages? You're not going to keep me here for a month before releasing me to active duty are you 'mate?" Lee smiled, "What's the prognosis Doctor?"

Autumns smile faded somewhat as she put on her professional, Chief Medical Officer cap. "We will keep you here for a while. Commander Peterson has the ship headed back to Federation space and the nearest Starbase with a full medical facility. You'll be transferred there for further observation and rehabilitation."

In typical fashion the Captain began to protest. There was something about Starfleet Command personnel that made them simply hate to be off the active duty roster. "Is that really necessary 'mate? I'm sure after a day or two of rest under your generous care I'll feel like my old self again Doctor."

Now Autumn's expression was downright grim and remorseful. Doctor Phoenix' expression mimicked Doctor Quevvenson's as he stood back silently and listened to Autumn break the news to Captain Price.

"It's a great deal more complicated then that I am afraid sir." Autumn started. She reached and held the Captain's hand gently in her own.

The humane action worried Price. "What is it Doctor?" he asked apprehensively.

"You were shot a total of three times in the back and chest Captain. I believe it was the first shot that did the most damage. When the weapon discharged, it severely damaged your spinal column. Your spinal cord has been fused beyond repair given our level of medical technology." Doctor Quevvenson paused for a moment. Her bright green eyes glistened emotionally as they locked on the Captain's, "I'm afraid you are irreversibly paralyzed from the waist down sir. There are therapies that can help, and possibly with the use of external servos you might one day walk again with enough rehabilitation and hard work, but you'll never be the same I'm afraid. I am sorry sir."

Lee sank back into his pillow and absorbed what the Chief Medical Officer had just told him. That explained why the only part of his body that didn't ache was his numb legs. They weren't numb they were paralyzed! A thousand things raced through the Captain's mind at that moment. He had so many things he needed to do still. He'd just gotten the command of the Galaxy back and was rebuilding it after Bhrode and company had turned everything upside down. Things in the Federation were just starting to recover from the long Dominion war. Starfleet was once again returning its attention to exploration of deep space. How could this be happening? How could he now be reduced to a paraplegic? All he wanted to do was take some shore leave and relax doing a little exotic fly-fishing on a Klingon planet. Now his entire world had been turned upside down and inside out. What does one say to something like that?

"Cri-key!"

"There has to be some sort of mistake 'mate. Are you sure you made the right examinations and ran the correct tests? I... I... I can't be paralyzed. It will cramp my style with the ladies."

Doctor Quevvenson shook her head. "I've run every test and examined all the images sir. There are specialists at the Starbase Medical facility that will run further tests and will verify my medical data. But, I'm quite certain of the prognosis. I'm sorry."

In the awkward silence that fell over the room as the news sunk in, Doctor Phoenix felt the need to extract himself from the situation. "I'm sure the others in the waiting area will want to know the Captain has come around. I'll go tell them unless you have need of me Doctor?"

Autumn straightened and looked at Isaac, "I don't think the Captain is up to seeing visitors right now. Let them know he's come out of the coma, but he needs his rest. Commanders Peterson and Elaithin will have to wait to get a full security debriefing from the Captain until he has built up enough strength."

"Of course Doctor." Isaac nodded. Doctor Phoenix began to walk out of the ICU but paused near the door and looked back. "I believe Counselor Dallas is in the waiting area too Doctor."

Autumn looked back at Doctor Phoenix. "No visitors right now. Maybe later when..."

Lee reached up and grabbed Autumn's forearm with his right hand to gain her attention, interrupting her instructions to Doctor Phoenix. She looked at the Captain.

"You can let Karyn in. She's probably agonizing over this right now." Lee managed in a horse tone. It was just like the Captain. His life had been drastically changed by his paralysis and he was concerned for one of his crewmembers rather then himself.

Autumn nodded understandingly. Looking back she caught Isaac's eyes with her own. "Let the Counselor in, but no one else."

Doctor Phoenix nodded. "I'll see to it Doctor." He then was gone.

***

*** The next day ***

After resting Captain Price felt a great deal better. He was still shook up over loosing his legs to paralysis and felt a great deal of loss over the major life change, but his visit with Counselor Dallas earlier had done a lot to ease his pain. He'd had some time to think about things, and what his loss of mobility was going to affect him for the rest of his days. One thing he was certain of, he would not be able to remain a Starship Commander. In his bout of depression over the events that had transpired and his physical loss, Lee had decided to resign from Starfleet.

Having been moved from ICU to a normal room, the Captain now had access to a computer terminal. Using it, he had Lieutenant Bosco establish a channel to Admiral Paris at Starfleet Command. Lee would have done it himself, but his access codes had all been disabled and since he was technically not on active duty any longer, he had to rely on his personnel that still retained access clearance. So the Caitan was it.

["Channel established Captain."] Bosco responded over the monitor, ["I'll patch Admirrrral Parrrris rrrright through sirrrr."]

"Thanks 'mate." was the General's only response.

The computer terminal flashed. The Starfleet Command Logo, and then Admiral Paris back at HQ soon replaced Bosco's image on the Galaxy's bridge near the tactical station.

["Captain Price. You have no idea how glad I am to see you alive."] Admiral Paris greeted. ["When Starfleet was informed of what had happened, we all assumed you would be killed. Once again the Galaxy crew pulls things through."]

"I'm not all the better for the wear. Seems this time it isn't the Galaxy that's returning home all banged up, but her Captain." Lee answered.

["I heard. I'm sorry Lee. It must be difficult adjusting to your recent injury."] Admiral Paris expressed his sympathy.

"Aye. That's what I am contacting you about Admiral. I am resigning my commission and leaving Starfleet sir." Captain Price stated.

["Wait a minute Lee..."] Paris stated with raised hands, ["Let's not be too hasty here. I realize you've suffered a major blow in becoming paralyzed, but don't throw your entire career away because of it or do something you know you will regret later when you have had time to adjust."]

"I've given it a lot of thought Admiral. The bottom line is there is no way I can run a Starship like the Galaxy at the level I am accustomed to and do it from a hoverchair. It would cramp my style too much 'mate." Lee explained trying to inject a touch of light heartedness to the most drastic decision of his life.

Admiral Paris leaned back in his chair on the view screen. ["It may come as a shock to you Lee, but there are more jobs in Starfleet then simply being a Starship Commanding Officer. It wasn't but several weeks ago that Starfleet offered to make you an Admiral and station you here at Starfleet Head Quarters as part of the Council. We still need you Lee. Your being paralyzed in no way is going to affect your ability to help oversee Starfleet Operations and the running of the Federation. It's your experience and out-spokeness we want for the job, not your body... If you get my meaning."]

Lee thought about it for a moment. Earlier he had dismissed taking the promotion because it would take him away from commanding the USS Galaxy, and being a Starship Commanding Officer was all he ever wanted to aspire to do. But now... with his injury and unwillingness to be a handicapped Starship CO, what the Admiral was saying made some sense. Starfleet Command was mostly meetings and strategy planning. A far cry from the adventure and glamour of being a Starship Captain, but still a good way to remain in Starfleet and feel like one was contributing, regardless of if one could walk or not.

"You think they would still 'ave me after I turned down the promotion last time?" Lee asked.

["Are you kidding Lee? Myself, Admirals Nechayev, deMercereau, Okuda, Cassey, heck even Admiral Hoth would be delighted to have you since he nominated you for the position. Let me look into it. I'm sure in light of the situation and your distinguished service with Starfleet that everyone would jump to have you on board here at HQ. Just don't make any snap career decisions until I get back to you, okay Lee? I'd hate to loose all of your years of knowledge and experience to some Ferengi fabrication company."] Admiral Parris insisted.

Lee laughed. "I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon. But I hear what you are saying Admiral. I'll hold off on making a decision until I hear back from you 'mate. We are heading to some Starbase at the moment. I sort of expect it will be the last time I'll be on board the Galaxy."

["Starbase 518. It has one of the best medical facilities in the quadrant. You'll be transferred there while the doctors check you out and start your rehabilitation. I realized Doctor Quevvenson is an excellent Chief Medical Officer, but these people are specialists that deal with these kinds of spinal injuries all the time. There may still be hope Lee."] Parris explained.

"I'm sure going to miss the 'mates. I hope they will be able to get along without me here on the Galaxy. Commander Peterson is a fine officer, I'm sure he will do well taking over as commanding officer." Captain Price commented.

Admiral Parris gave a nod. ["I'm sure Starfleet will look at all the potential candidates once you take the promotion and leave the Galaxy Lee. Right now you need to just focus on recovering and getting well. I'll take care of the red tape and get you an answer about the Starfleet Command position as soon as possible. You have my word on that Lee."]

"Thank you Admiral." Lee gave his signature boyish grin, "Here I called to tell you I'm quitting Starfleet and you go and pull a promotion out of your hat. That's not fair 'mate."

["Starfleet needs good, honest, experienced officers Lee. For everything else you are and have done serving as the Galaxy's CO, you have certainly proven yourself to have all three of those qualities. We will talk soon. Take care Lee."] the Admiral prepared to close.

"Thank you Admiral. I'll look forward to hearing from you 'mate. G'Day. Captain Price, USS Galaxy, out."

Lee reached and deactivated the communication, replacing the Admiral's image with the Starfleet Logo once again. Pushing the swivel arm away from his bed, the Captain laid back and gazed upwards towards the ceiling with renewed hope. Maybe there was life after commanding the USS Galaxy after all... Lee imagined the possibilities.

***

NRPG:
I've left this story rather open if you notice the gap between Lee waking up, and then him talking with Admiral Paris at Starfleet Command a day later. If anyone wants to write back post stories to insert into this critical timeframe, so their characters can interact with the Captain, say how sorry they are, cheer him up, etc. there are plenty of places to do so.

Unfortunately I won't have the time to do any joint posts in this regard, so if you want to write a story where your character gets time to visit with the Captain, you'll need to take the initiative / creative license and *role play* captain Price to the best of your abilities. After seven years of stories, you should be able to nail him 100% and just "do it!"

My next story will be all from the bad guys perspective. It will fill in the back-story of what is going on, and may even set up a storyline hook or two for Galaxy TNG.

The final story I'll post after that will be a dictation "Captain's Log" type story from Admiral Price reflecting on his time on the Galaxy, on recent events (from the perspective of about three months AFTER this mission ends) and explaining his new position and who's now on the Galaxy. That will pretty much wrap things up with the Sim.

I intend to keep the website online for DECADES to come. The website will change around some as it becomes a published site of fanfiction rather then an active PbeM sim. But the stories we have all written should remain out there for everyone's reference. And who knows, years from now, maybe your kids (or grandkids?) will ask "What did you used to do for fun Mommy / Daddy?" And you'll be able to call up the Galaxy's website and show them.

No worries! ;)

"On Death's Door"

With Lt. Raven Darkstar (Security) and Leo Streely!

Also included is Sgt. Kurisita - Toothpick's Marine medic whose name I undoubtedly butchered.

Location: Ambassadorial Complex, Ianjep

Raven Darkstar looked down at his own lifeless body.

He could see his own skin paling slightly as a Federation Marine franticly worked to stabilize his wounds enough to transport him back to the ship. He could see his eyes still open, and unblinking staring upwards, the spark of life quickly fading.

The small Asian medic wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his rolled up dress shirt and motioned for his assistant to retrieve some device from the portable med kit.

From where he floated he could see a small man kneeling down in great pools of his own blood, nervously rummaging through the case.

He handed the medic a small cylindrical tool and Raven could make out the assistants face....

It was Leo.

The bartender whom seemed to always be underfoot...the seeming bane of his existance was now literally holding the Indian's life in his hands as the two men fought to keep life from ebbing from him.

He called out the man's

name but no voice could be heard.

He waved, and still he little man didnt even notice. Instead he focused on the task at hand.

Behind the Indian, he could feel a warm, welcoming light beckoning him. Slowly he began to feel himself soaring upwards like an eagle afloat in the air.

The Marine appeared to curse, and instructed Leo to press his dress coat against the mortal wound in his abdomen in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood. As the little man's hands swam around in the crimson, the medic disappeared for a moment then returned with a portable defibulator.

Raven could scarcely make out the two men now as the warm glow behind him intensified as he floated closer to it.

A blinding flash of white light shot across his vision and suddenly he was no longer floating above his own body. He was also no longer an adult. He looked up and saw his grandfather reaching down to help him to his feet.

"You have done well. young Raven." the man said proudly. "The Great Council smiles upon you for what you ahve done here today."

The teenaged Raven looked around and saw the large bear at his feet, apparently dead. He glanced down at the jagged and bloody slashes that were torn across his own body from the battle.

At his side stood the two small children that had only moments before stood directly in the grizzley's crosshairs.

Raven's knees buckled and he began to stumble. His grandfather's weathered face showed a sage softness as he spoke to him.

"The strength of the Ancients flows in you, grandson. It is not your time yet. You have too much good to do in this world. Get up and walk tall." he said.

Again a flash of light seared his vision.

When the light faded he was aboard Starbase 212, his first posting, fresh out of the acadamy. He was kneeling on the deck his body was battered, his shoulder broken and twisted at an unnatural angle.

The smoke burned his lungs and made it difficult to see. The Station had been attacked by Jem Hedar footsoldiers. Running gunbattles had errupted everywhere. Darkstar had watched as the chief science officer, Lt. Commander Bestow took a blast to the chest. Using nothing but a phaser in his off hand, Raven had somehow managed to fend off the pocket of warriors determined to kidnap the scientist in an attempt to synthasise the drug Ketracel White.

With the phaser's battery depleated, he tossed it aside and staggered to his feet as he saw more forms storming through the smoke.

These forms wore Federation Uniforms.

"Darkstar! I need a medic over here!" Commander Angela Merez said.

Exhausted, Raven fell to the ground.

"Relax, soldier. You're gonna be fine. Your too damn tough to die." Merez said.

Again a flash of light, and this time he could see that he was back near his body, where Leo and the Marine were still working to bring him back.

"Get up, meat truck. That's a goddamn order." a gravely voice behind him said.

Raven turned and saw Captain Brhode laying a steely stare upon him.

"What's the matter, boy? You don't understand a direct order? Get your ass up!" he said motioning to Leo and Kurisita. "Look at them...a runt of a medic and that goddamn little piss ant civilian trying to save your worthless carcass while your sitting here doing your best Casper the Friendly ghost impression. Your ancesters must be spinning in thier graves knowing that your gonna let some fat rat prick Yiridian lay it on your lip like this."

Raven looked back down at Leo working with the medic.

"That's right, Meat truck. You aint runnin off to that great teepee in the sky to shuck corn and chase sqaws around the woods. Not on my watch. Not unitil I tell you your dead. You hear me son? So you got a little cut on your belly. Poor baby. Suck it up! I once watched a man have his genitiles chewed off by a Tavarian Ground mole. He Still rolled on to whip some ass without so much as a whimper and I know he wasn't half the man you are. They can rebuild you. They have the technology. They can make you bigger, faster, stronger, and a hell of a lot ornerier."

The Indian's spirit continued to study the scene before him, then looked over his shoulder at the somewhat diminishing light.

"YOU HEAR ME SOLDIER?!?!? MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!! YER LEFT! LER LEFT! YER GODDAMN LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT!!" SO HELP ME YOU MOVE YOUR BROKEN ASS OR ILL PERSONALLY CRAWL IN YOUR COLON FOR ALL ETERNITY!! "

Again searing white light errupted across his vision.

"C'mon..C'mon..." Kurisita pleaded. "Clear, Leo!" he shouted and as soon as the little bartender's hands were away from the Indian's body, he applied the defibulators electric shock in an effort to jump start his heart.

Leo pressed his head against Darkstar's chest..

and listened intently...

"I GOT SOMETHING!!! I HEAR SOMETHING!!" he shouted.

The Starfleet Marine doublechecked and sure enough there was a faint heartbeat.

"We did it Leo! Now hold here!" he said placing Leo's hands upon the makeshift bandage while he fetched a hypospray.

"You ain't dyin on me today, ya big lug. Ya here me?! It ain't happenin. Not on this man's watch it ain't!" Leo said as Kurisita injected him with a stimulant.

He hit his commbadge and alerted the USS GALAXY of the situation, and in moments, they were transported to sickbay.

- Joe

"Raven and Leo: The End?"

The final USS Galaxy post featuring the odd couple themself: Lt. Raven Darkstar, that big, beefy meattruck from the Security staff, and the phenom himself, the one, the only...Leo Streely, NPC Reporter/Bartender/Ladies Man/Jedi/Son of a Q!

Time: 3 Months after leaving the USS Galaxy

Location: The small planet of Denax IV, located due west of the Trill homeworld.

Leo sat and stared at the blinking neon that was affixed above the sprawling three story complex that had recently been constructed on the small, lush planet of Denax IV. The massive, gleeming structure seemed to streatch out for blocks, and three words - lit up for the Galaxy to see - signaled the enterence of the soon to be legendary resort.

'Slippery When Wet' it read, accompanied by an appropriate graphic of two statuesque women clad in nothing but a few soap suds.

"Man, Leo. This-ah this is amazing, man. I ain't never seen-ah anything so pretty since Pricilla appeard in Playboy. You-ah gots to be the luckiest man alive!" Ensign Presley - currently on shore leave - said slapping a ring encrusted hand on the brooding little man's shoulder.

Leo shrugged.

"Ah c'mon now, little buddy. You won the Ferengi Lottery! Nobody..and I mean NOBODY wins the-ah Ferengi lottery." Presley said with a grand flourish of the small rhinestone covered cape he wore.

"Well, that's true. I am a rich man." Leo mused, thumbing the medallion on his chest.

"You-ah more than just a rich man.." Presley said, "You own this whole planet!"

Leo blushed just a bit. "Techniclly, just the northern hemisphere, but the thought of all the tourist credits that I'm gonna funnle into this place, the planetary council rolled out the red carpet and gave me the key to the planet. Im practically the honerary mayor of this place."

"Of coarse they would! I just got off the wire with Genis Slobob, head of the Commerce Guild and they tell me that every hotel room on the planet is booked! Air traffic reports that they are now going to have to shuttle people from Trill over here because they have no more room in orbit for all the people wanting to walk into these doors..the doors to your childhood dream, Leo." Presley said.

"Your right, your right. I should be thrilled. This is something I have always wanted. The biggest nudie bar in the known Galaxy. A place that will make Risa look like an amusement park. But there's just something missing...." Streely said.

"I'll-ah show ya what's missing you hounddog." Presley said pulling up the door tot he hovercar they were sitting in. Immediatly Leo could see a throng of patrons, cheering and chanting his name. "There's hundreds of people wanting to see naked women, buddy. And there's a house full of women waitin to show off what thier momma's gave em."

A huge grin split Leo's face.

"Your right, Spits. The people want the Big Hoss! Who am I to keep them waiting?!?!" he said and with a flip of the oversized colar on his green leisure suit, Leo hopped out of the car to the roar of the crowd. Flash bulbs poppped as he made his way to the top of the stairwell and thrust his arks skyward like Richard Nixon boarding Air Force One.

Ensign 'Spits' Presley climbed the stairs in his blue suede shoes and handed Leo a microphone.

"Ladies and Gentleman..especially you ladies...Let me first thank you all for coming here today for the opening of the greatest show not on earth..Club: Slippery When Wet!!!!" Leo said as thunderous cheers rang out through the street.

With the glitz of a Las Vegas showman, Leo worked the crowd stopping every once and a while to plucka pair of panties from the ground that had been tossed at him.

"The Slippery When Wet is the culmination of a lifes dream from when i was but a wee lad, and now its finally a reality, thanks in part to the Ferengi! There's something for everyone here from the Galaxy room - a stage that is constructed to resemble the bridge of a Starship - to the Gorn Porn Fantasy Booth if that's your thing. Also for those of you interested, there is even a Sansky Lounge and plenty of things for the ladies in your life to keep occupied with. Male, Female or any thing inbetween, Club Slippery When Wet is the one place to fill your EVERY erotic need. We even have 35 shops in our promenade to accomadate your taste for ..souvineers. And remember..Tipping is not a city in China. Make these ladies, gents and creatures feel appreciated, ok? Hell, I don't know what else to say, so lets open the joint, eh?"

Again thunderous applause erupted. As Leo stepped to the huge pink ribbon streatched across the doors. He fumbled around his pockets looking then said to Spits: "I aint got no damn scissors!"

The pair fumbled for scissors as something sailed through the air and imbedded itself in the door, severing the ribbon. Leo whirled around, fists in the air ready to do battle when he spied the missle.

"A ..a tomahawk?" he said incredulously looking through the crowd untill he spied a familiar mountain of a man leaning slightly on a cane.

"Partner!!!!!" Leo shouted as he dashed towards Raven Darkstar, nearly knocking him over in an embrace.

The Indian awkwardly returned the hug while trying to stay on his feet.

"I thought they sent you home to get better? What are you doin here?" Leo asked.

"They did, and I'll be cleared for duty in a few more months. Until then, someone had to keep an eye on you. I suppose it might as well be me. Besides, I was getting antsy back on Earth."

Leo just stared.

"What's your problem, Leo?" Raven asked.

"You love me."

"Is that some kind of Friend of Sansky thing?"

"You love me. Like a brother. C'mon, admit it."

"I do not."

"You do so. Im family. Admit it."

The Indian just sighed.

"I TOLD YOU SO!!!" Leo said walking Raven over to the doors. He pulled the tomahawk from the door and handed it to Darkstar but stopped as he saw his open palm and a jagged scar running down his hand.

Leo looked with wide eyed amazement as he opened his own palm and laid it next to Raven's own massive hand.

He sported the same jagged scar.

"I'LL BE GODDAMNED!" both men said in unison as the crowd streamed past them.

"I knew it all along-ah." said Spits Presley before he took the arm of a Bolian woman and escorted her inside.

OOC: Well folks, OFFICIALLY this is my final post aboard the USS GALAXY SIM. Id like to thank you all for making this sim such an experiance. It has been great watching not only myself grow in the time I have been here but also watching others around me grow as writers.

There is an amazing abundance of talented writers who have passed through these halls who have crafted better stories than most of the trek novels I read on the store shelfs. Even those I have had disagreements with still managed to brghten my day when I asked my self what the hell are they doing now.

This has been a real treat to be a part of.

And I go on now to be a part of the Next Generation of USS Galaxy.

Am I bringing Leo with me? Is Raven gonna be hosting flex offs with the Marine Contingents?

You'll have to stop in to see for yourself. ;)

- Joe

"Bastardness"
by Captain Robert Edward Lee Price

The loud popping of a champagne cork from the bottle opened the scene. Glittering bubbly overflowed from the joyous bottle as the Breen began pouring glasses for his colleagues who were celebrating their successful operation with the Federation.

"Come Rorii, and Udla, we must celebrate this momentous occasion."

The two Breen took the fluted glasses from Stonch, the ringleader of those that had kidnapped Captain Price and held him hostage.

"We do have cause to celebrate. The Federation vessel has left the mIch nItlhral on route back to Federation space." Rorii commented, taking one of the glasses of champagne from Stonch.

"And better still, their representatives did exactly as we demanded and spoke out against the opening of the trade route at the summit. Alienating the Federation from the Klingon Empire while aligning them with the Breen, which will further alienate other factions to question the Federation's motives and allegiances." the female, Udla, added.

Stonch finished pouring his own glass and then put the dark brown champagne bottle down. Turning to his Breen associates, he gently swirled the fluted glass in his hand slightly while he thought of the right thing to say. "Indeed, we have been successful in carrying out all of the tasks and goals that we were asked to do. I expect the only thing more rewarding then our accomplishments will be getting paid for them." Stonch paused and raised his glass. "To a successful operation and a bright, rewarding future retirement in the lap of luxury."

The other two soldiers raised their glasses, clicking them together.

Stonch went to drink, but then realized that would be difficult to do wearing a refrigeration suit. "I have come so used to wearing this thing, I almost forgot I had it on."

Reaching up, he and the others uncoupled the helmets. The seals let out a hiss as they were turned slightly to the right to unlatch the mount. When they removed the helmets, the three Romulans smiled at each other before consuming their beverages.

"Tell me Stonch, when will we receive our payment?" Rorii asked while reaching to pour another glass and fill the glasses of his associates.

"Ambassador Sostik and the others must remain here at lanjep to represent Romulan interests at the summit. It would look suspicious if the Romulans withdrew from the conference suddenly like the Federation just has. That was the whole point of this mission, to undermine trust and cast suspicion on the Federation's motives and allegiances. So we will be taking a smaller transport vessel and heading back to the Romulan Empire and the rendezvous coordinates. Once there we will make contact with our employer and receive our payment." Stonch explained.

"And then we will be living in the lap of luxury, far from the Tal Shar and the Romulan Empire." Ulda commented, enjoying her beverage.

A short time later, a Romulan transport vessel obtained clearance from the Klingon Empire to depart from the Warbird in orbit of lanjep on route for Romulan space. Some sort of medical emergency on Romulus of a family member required the occupants immediate return. At least th

at was the excuse given, and approved by the Klingons.

***

*** Ten hours later ***

The Romulan transport had exited the Klingon Empire and traveled a good three hours into Romulan space. Rorii was attending the flight controls and double-checking the proper coordinates, where they were supposed to meet their employers.

"We are approaching the rendezvous point." Rorri informed.

Stonch and Ulda were conversing when the younger Romulan interrupted with the announcement. Stonch put his glass down and stood up, walking to the front of the transport shuttle. "Prepare full stop."

Rorii made the required adjustments and the Romulan transport dropped out of warp and slid to a full stop in a remote section of Romulan space.

Stonch sat down in the adjoining seat and began punching in a set of complicated frequency codes he was reading off of a small index card. They were transcribed in English, so it took the Romulan extra effort to make the proper Romulan translations as he squinted, then entered in the proper encoding and frequency settings. Finally, he got them all entered and in the right sequence.

"Ah, that's it." Stonch stated as the monitor began to come to life. The snow of static was soon replaced by a Federation Starfleet Logo! The highly encoded channel reserved for Starfleet's most Top Secret communications was virtually impenetrable by Federation, Romulan and Klingon decoders. It was the best technology Starfleet had developed.

The logo was soon replaced with the image of Admiral Jurgen Hoth, Chief of Tactical Operations for Starfleet Command, appeared on the screen. ["Report."] the hardened militaristic wolf barked.

Stonch smiled, making the Romulan look like the slimeball devil himself. "Our little operation was a complete and utter success Admiral. The Federation Ambassador, Karyn Dallas, stood in front of the attending delegates and opposed the opening of the Klingon trade route as instructed."

A wry grin formed on the corner of Hoth's mouth. ["So much for that bitch's command career in Starfleet."] he mused. Then, as if returning to the stone from which his face appeared to be chiseled out of, he asked, ["And what of Captain Price?"]

"As you wanted, we took care of him. In total he was shot three times and left for dead at the point of abduction, as you ordered." Stonch explained.

["Excellent."] Hoth smiled. ["Then he will survive to tell of his abduction, and collaborate that the Breen were the ones that abducted him?"]

"Of course. But I'm afraid that the Captain will never quite be the same. Our scans indicate he will be paralyzed for the rest of his life. Not as effective as killing him, but still a serviceable solution to your problem." The Romulan smiled evilly.

["And in his newly disabled condition Price will be unfit for command. Which clears the way for a permanent assignment of Brhode and Von Ernst to the Galaxy. That will teach the bastard for fucking around with Jurgen Hoth."]

Stonch wrung his hands together, tapping his finger tips eagerly in anticipation. "Yes. And that brings us to the subject of payment..."

Hoth gave a twisted smile. ["You have eliminated all evidence?"]

"We have, just as instructed. Once the Federation had spoken out against the opening of the trade route, we disposed of the Captain's disabled body at the abduction site and disintegrated the stage of the Breen vessel on lanjep. There are no traces left and no evidence to link any of us to this whole operation. With the distinguished Captain Price's testimony and the facts and evidence that were planted, the conclusion will most definitely be that the Breen were behind this whole thing." Stonch explained.

["Which will pave the way for the new order and further the goals of project ArchAngle."] Hoth reflected with "mad scientist" like visionary eyes.

"Which returns us to the subject of payment..." Stonch reminded patiently. The greed was written all over his face. It made one wonder just how much money would need to be offered to members of the Tal Shar to get them to do the Federation's dirty work?

["Check your storage area. You should find three silver cases there filled with the latinum promised."] Hoth responded with a smug look of satisfaction on his face.

The news seemed to unsettle the Romulan ringleader. "What? You mean, we had the latinum here the whole time?" Stonch couldn't believe it.

Near the back of the shuttle, Ulda went to look. Opening the compartment, she could see that there were indeed three square metallic cases; roughly a meter cubed just sitting there. "I see them!" she said, grabbing one of the cases and struggling to slide it out to where she could open it to gain a look at the bars of gold pressed latinum that would allow her to retire from the spy business once and for all.

Both Stonch and Rorii watched in anticipation as Ulda opened the silver metallic case and revealed the neatly arranged bars of latinum. The light glistened off the shinny gold bars and cast a wondrous glow on the entire inside of the Romulan shuttle. Reaching down, Ulda picked up one of the gold bars and held it in her hands. Her dreams were going to become a reality.

Stonch felt reassured seeing the latinum. Turning he looked at the monitor and Hoth. "Very clever Admiral. By paying us up front and not telling us, you avoid exposing yourself with another meeting. I had no idea that you were so bold."

***

Hoth just smiled at the compliment. Unseen to his Romulan conspirators, he reached into his desk drawer and removed a small transmitter. With his thumb he tossed up the protective circuit cover, exposing the tiny red button below.

"I believe in being thorough in all things when it comes to the security of the Federation of Planets."

From behind Stonch on the view screen, Ulda called out. ["We have been deceived! This is nothing but gold plated lead!"]

Stonch turned away from the view screen, giving Admiral Hoth a clearer view of the back of the Romulan shuttle. The younger Romulan, Rorii was now sorting through the bars of lead, taking a knife and confirming Ulda's discovery. He'd cut into a bar, see the dull gray of led, and discard it on the floor. Like a fool he'd then grab another, and another, thinking that maybe some of the faus-latinum might actually be real.

Hoth smiled to himself. ~~The best of the Tal Shar~~ he mused. Waiting for it, he could tell by the young Romulan's body language when he'd reached the extra surprise that was waiting for them.

["What is the meaning of this Admiral! We had a deal and expect to be paid!"] Stonch fumed angrily over the channel.

Raising the transmitter, Admiral Hoth looked at it momentarily and then coldly looked back at the view screen one last time. "We did. And everything has gone exactly according to plan. All that remains now is to give you your hard earned reward..."

Hoth pressed the button, even as Stonch raised his hands in realization and screamed ["NOOOO!!!!!"] on the monitor.

The explosives contained in the three metallic cases easily reduced the small Romulan transport to scrap metal at its remote location in a little traveled section of Romulan space.

Hoth leaned back and smiled at his handy work. He had now eliminated all traces of his connection with this covert plan of his to clear the way for his pet project ArchAngle. He'd eliminated the Romulan Tal Shar members that conspired with him to carry out this operation. He'd set the Breen up as being desperate enemies of the Federation in not only the Federation's eyes, but in the Klingon's as well. Hoth was sure that the Galaxy's crew would inform the Empire of their Captain's abduction, and he knew Counselor Dallas didn't have the balls to simply sacrifice Captain Price and do as ordered in speaking out for the opening of the mIch nItlhral. Hoth was quite pleased with himself. In one quick swoop he had managed to manipulate the political arena and gain leverage and momentum for project ArchAngle and defending the Federation to ensure bad things "never again" happen. And at the same time he'd ruined Counselor Dallas' chance at ever holding a command position in Starfleet, while removing Captain Robert Edward Lee Price from the Galaxy permanently. In his mind, the fools got what they deserved for standing in his way. Didn't they realize who he was? No body fucks with Admiral Jurgen Hoth! No body.

Activating his computer monitor, Hoth recalled the Starfleet records of his puppet, Captain John Q Brhode. He was cut from the same cloth as Hoth was, but the Admiral knew he would never go as far as his star child pupil, Commander Rebecca Von Ernst. Brhode lacked the bastardness that Hoth had. John would gladly kill, and even enjoy doing it, but only if he had a reason to justify it. Unlike Admiral "Pit bull" Hoth, Captain Brhode lacked that "kill for pleasure and sport" attitude that Jurgen had always possessed. But Brhode was loyal, and damned efficient at getting things done. He would serve well in training Von Ernst to take her skills to a higher level and fulfill her potential at the most brilliant tactical commanding officer that ever existed in the history of Starfleet.

Hoth glanced at the records of Brhode and Von Ernst and smiled. His plan was coming together very nicely indeed.

"Medical relief"
By
Shinta
Autumn

OOC: opps another late post, Set before "Arguments after Birth"

Shinta was on the floor in tears after James left, her whole life crashing down. At that moment she didn't care about anything anymore.

Autumn knelt and placed an arm around Shinta's shoulders. "Come on Shinta, lets get you back to bed, ok? And then I'll put the inhibitor in ok?" She hugged Shinta and gently with help from a nurse lifted Shinta to her feet and then steered her to a bio bed.

"I am so scared, Autumn." Shinta admitted. "What if I don't feel anything anymore? What if I cannot work anymore." Her eyes were huge. "And the operation, is it dangerous, will I be concious?" She was so full of questions and doubt.

"I will have to put you under Shinta, and the operation is more complex then tricky. You will be able to feel things Shinta, just not the viloent instincs she has awoken in you."

Shinta swallowed, she didn't like that, but there was no other option. "Do you think you could do my annual physical while I am unconscious?" She said with a smile, that would save us both a great deal of trouble.

Autunm nodded with a smile. "Sure isn't going to be too hard."

"Let's get it over with." Shinta said.

Autumn nodded and picked up a sedative. "Ok. Ready? Here we go" she pressed the hyperspray into Shinta's neck and it hissed softly.

Softly the world around her went black, and Shinta's eyes closed.

Once Shinta was under, Autumn signaled her team of Surgeons and they got to work.

***** A short time later *****

The surgery was finished and Shinta was in recovery. Autumn was sitting beside her waiting for her friend to come out of the anasethic.

At first she did not want to open her eyes, they felt heavy, her whole body felt heavy, especially her head. There was no pain, it just felt funny. Shinta groaned a little bit, and then carefully opened one eye.

"Hello" her voice was a whisper. " how did it go? Can I have something to drink."

Autumn stood up and poured Shinta a glass of water from the jug at the bedside. She moved and helped Shinta sit up and sip the water. "It went fine Shinta. The surgery was a success."

she heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, it feels a little bit funny, but I'm not a zombie or anything. It's not too bad." She managed a weak smile. "Did you do my physical? And when can I get out of here?"

"Yes I did your physical, yes you can get out of here in about an hour, that is standard recovery time. ok?"

"good" Shinta said, and closed her eyes for a minute. "You know, I have decided I am not going to work for awhile, not until I trust that thing in my head. I think I will go back home to Bajor. So much has happened to me recently. Do you think I can get medical leave?"

"Sure. I can vouch for you to get that.. how long do you want it for?"

"I am not sure. I have some soul searching to do as well. But I don't want to take that kind of medical leave, not as a counsellor. Do you understand? So maybe a couple of weeks, or months. Until I get myself together again." Shinta smiled weakly.

"Well indefinate medical leave until you feel up to returning will work I think."Autumn said. "I shall fillout the forms stating that you will return to duty when you feel up to it.. though you might want a doctor to check you over first."

"When I go back on duty? I will keep that in mind. Can you give me a version of my chart or something?" She asked.

"Sure I can get it for you as soon as i get back to my office."

"I am sorry I won't be here for the births of your babies, will you keep me updated on them and you?"

"I shall. I'll send you pictures and such as well." Autumn smiled.

"Thanks" Shinta said and leaned back to get some more rest before leaving sickbay.

"Arguments after Birth"
Shinta
Autumn
Rose

***************Medical*********************

Shinta continued to sit next to Rose. "you did great." She whispered into the other woman's ear.

Autumn walked into the room. She had just finished telling her husband and Rashid that they needed an answer for the problem. She picked up a new tricorder and moved to Rose's Side. She was amazed. The amount of Sedative she had given Rose... She shrugged and touched Rose on the shoulder. "Hey How are you feeling?"

Rose smile at her friends, "I fine stop worring."

"We are your friends, we worry."Shinta said. ""You really should rest some more.

"I fine for crying outloud." Rose told then while sitting up in bed.

Autumn sighed and said. "Show us your doctorate in medicine and Counselling and then we might believe you. You have just given birth, had a big shock placed on you.. you are not fine."

"Then you don't know me as well as you think do Autumn." she told the young doctor and got her Betazoid bible out.

Autumn rolled her eyes. "Fine if that is going to be your attitude then you know where to go to discharge yourself. I am only the Chief Medical officer of this ship and your attending doctor, so of course I do not know what I am talking about. I do not need your crap at this point in time Rose if you aren't going to look after yourself."

She turned on her heel and left the room, saying over her shoulder.

"See if you can knock sense into her thick skull Shinta. I give up. I have tried and I am not going to stress myself out about it anymore." The door slid shut behind her cutting off her tirade. She stalked off back to her office, frustration on her face.

"I just alittle sore that all, where is my baby at?"

"Your baby is sleeping too." Shinta said. "Rose, I know you are trying very hard to be strong. Let me tell you something, admitting that you need rest and that you had a difficult time giving birth isn'tbeing week. That is being strong. Ignoring your own body is stupid." The counsellor smiled "believe me, I do it often enough, or so the good doctor tells me. Don't make the same mistakes I make."

The young woman got an PADD out while looking for some ships that both Rose and Rashid can go on, also the young woman was still thinking about leaving her only child on Betazed.

Rose was also downloading the list of royal godparents for the royal newpaper back home.

Shinta gently tilted her chin up. "Will you please listen to me? It's not polite to ignore your friends." But she was smiling when she said it. "How about we show you your daughter, and then you both get some rest. That seems like a good compromise." She looked for Autumn for confirmation.

"Fine anything to get me out of this place because I hate been here, makes me more depressed." Rose told Shinta will touching her young daughters cheek, little Karyn looks so much l

ike Rose it was so uncanny.

"I been thinking about staying on the ship, I can't find another ship to take me so far."

"You will be able to find another ship." Shinta said. "Or take some leave first. I am going on medical leave indefinitely, and then I will search for a new position, when I feel up to it."

"I don't want to take leave before I leave here I want to do my royal wedding here and I going to have four Maids of Honor I hope you will be the first one if you like?" Rose asked then with alittle smile while playing with little Karyn's little feet..the young Betazoid is so happy about Karyn it just that her mother been bringing her down alot about the baby that all.

"I would love that, rose. But isn't is all the bit fast?" Shinta asked worried.

*******************=^=******************=^=**************************
*Lieutenant Autumn Quevvenson, CMO, USS Galaxy
*Lieutenant Natalie Souchard, Chief of Engineering, USS Ryo Shiroi

*Hammond: "How did it go, Colonel."
*Teal'c (inside O'Neill): "It did not go well, General Hammond."
*O'Neill (inside Teal'c): "Ya think?"
*Cairn’s Website URL http://usscairns.topcities.com/ * ICQ Number: #135840844
**********************************************************************

"I Still Love You"
By: Lt. Commander Rose Isis MacAllen, Science Officer
Lt. Wilhem Quevvenson, Science Officer

**Sickbay**

Rose started to wake up slowly from her deep sleep that Autumn put her under after the birth of Karyn, she turned and saw the second man she ever loved... and lost: Wilhem.

"What are you looking at, Wilhem?" she said joking around a little.

Wilhem smiled softly, "A friend. One who does not yet know what has come to pass in her life."

She tried to smile about it but looked away from him because of her strong love for him that was still in her heart.

Wilhem nodded softly, "I know. But there is someone who deserved that more than me."

"My father won't go for it until he asks me and if I say yes then ask my father it our way of life. Besides I will never love him as much as I love you... I lost two men that I ever love to other women and I end up with two loveless affairs in my life. Plus my daughter will worship the Betazoid gods and goddesses there's no question about it."

Wilhem nodded softly, "Rashid knows most of that... However... he like most Aebrynnian males, when they first fall in love... they act a little crazy... And then there's the fact that he truly believes that he must do what he does..."

"Oh I see!" Rose just replied feeling a little bad.

Wilhem nodded slowly, "Do not worry. Rashid will do right by you. And your customs. He just has to stay true to his customs as well."

"If he loves me, he will ask my father for my hand in marriage then me. I vow that I will be true to both customs."

Wilhem smiled softly, "Just be glad you are not on Aebrynnis... The dowry would have been high... And I am not sure what your father would do with that many cattle..."

The young Betazoid looked back at Wilhem and touched his hand a little, "If I leave the ship I'm going to miss you very very much."

Wilhem nodded, "Yes, we both will miss each other... I have very few friends in this place. I fear that is my curse."

~Do you still love me?~

Wilhem frowned and looked away for a few seconds, before turning back to Rose, "Yes, I do. As a friend. As someone I can talk to. But... it can't go further than that."

The young woman turns away, ~I would never love Rashid as much as I love you... always remember that if anything happens to me in the future.~

Wilhem frowned and looked away, "Rashid is a loving and compassionate soul. Do not give him anything less than the very best. For if you do, both of you will miss out on some of the greatest things that can happen. And he really does love you with all his heart and all his soul."

"How can he since he has only known me for a small time. I'll be writing only to you when you go, but not to Autumn."

Wilhem looked down, "Rashid is someone who does not do things halfway. And he does have this minor problem with believing in love at first sight. But then... so do many."

The young woman sighed and sat up from the bed, "I give up... I've lost two men to other women and two loveless affairs."

Wilhem shook his head, "Do not hold back. Rashid deserves nothing less than all that you can give him. For he loves you beyond all reasoning, which for him, is saying something."

"But I love you more... can't you understand that and the pain I will go through if I marry Rashid? That I will always think of you when he and I are together?"

Wilhem bowed his head, "I do not really know how you will be thinking of me, while you are with him. Since... we never have been together, like he will be with you."

"In my mind and my dreams we're together in both mind, body and soul," Rose told him then she touched his face a little with little tears in her eyes.

Wilhem was slightly embarrassed. He did not know what to say, as he was worried about the fact she had stated. Because, he knew what someone else he cared for might construe that as. He finally said, "I hope that Rashid can surpass those dreams of yours in kindness and love. For, I do not deserve such a place in your heart. I am sorry."

"Please if anything happens to me in the future I just wanted to tell you I love you and you will always have my heart and soul no other man will. I broke my friendship with Autumn but promise me you will keep writing to me when I'm posted somewhere else and keep the letters away from Autumn."

Then the young woman gave him a picture of her and the same ring that she gave him when Rose's father and goddaughters came on the ship for their 6 month visit and the bloody cloth from the same visit where she bled for him.

"Never forget me!" she said in a whisper as the young woman was still looking a bit pale now.

Wilhem took the gifts with a little grace. He knew that she was hurting right now, and it would not do to upset her further. He would keep the gifts somewhere safe. That was not to say he would keep their prescence from Autumn... Since, technically, there was no way he could... The guilt he felt from even being involved in Rose's dreams, was so present that Autumn would know the instant their minds connected. Anything further, and she'd be able to tell the instant they came within two decks of each other!

"If you don't want them, just say so and give then back to me, but you are still Karyn's godfather Autumn has been marked off after she treated me the way she did when I woke up," the young Betazed said in an brave commanding voice while packing her stuff up to go back to her room... she knew Rashid would be waiting there for her and little Karyn. Now she was so upset about hearing the perfect Autumn's name in his mind, that the young science officer was shaking.

Karyn who is now in a little seat looked at Wilhem and smiled a little, she looked so much like her beloved royal mother.

Wilhem frowned and said softly, "I am going to keep them. They were given in care, and I cannot turn them down. As for your friendship... I do not think it will ever die. That I promise to you. Or as much as I can." Then he looked at little Karyn, and saw something glittering in her eyes. Something unusual. He smiled softly at the newborn, as he contemplated it a little. For what had been in her eyes had been a spark, that on his world, would have been termed a spark of greatness. That meant that this little girl would do things to rival many. In other words, she would change the universe.

Then Rose looked back at her only love, this might be the the last time the young man would see the young Betazoid woman, since she broke her friendship with Autumn.

She looked pale, sad, and-broken hearted as Rose looked towards him face to face.

Wilhem nodded softly, and said, "You will see me again." He cracked a wane smile, "I have a feeling that our paths will cross many times in the future. Perhaps... my son and your daughter will grow to like each other."

"I don't think that would be good because of Autumn and me, for your son and my daughter to grow to like each other and fall in love... it is out of the question."

Wilhem smiled softly, "Rose... what the gods wish to happen... no one can oppose. If they are to fall in love with each other, and marry... Neither you nor I can truly stand in the way."

"But I can, and I know Autumn will also because my friendship with her is, I think in her eyes, over, because I needed to be brave."

"I will be on the USS Istanbul. I been posted there as Chief Science Officer/Second Officer while Rashid is going there as Asst. Chief Engineering officer." she told him, then the young Betazoid kissed him on his cheek gently with some tears falling down her face.

Wilhem smiled softly, reassuringly, and gently lifted her hand and kissed it. Then he said cautiously, "Do not go against the will of the gods, Rose. It is something that no one can really do for long."

"I will not let my daughter join a family that has Autumn in it, period. I will never forgive that woman for taking you away from me, you will always have my friendship and my love... never forget that. Just please don't be mad at me. Don't betray me!"

Wilhem nodded softly, "I will not betray you. But... if my son is interested in your daughter... then I am going to let what the gods want happen. I sense that there is something very special inside your daughter. And I am quite sure that my son will see that, too."

She touches his head and try to send some thoughts from her mind to his on how much the young woman really loved him.

Wilhem smiled reassuringly, though he was not sure how to react. He feared that this might be the last time he would see her. At least for some time. And as he had few friends... he was loath to lose any one of them.

"I will be spending six months on Earth before going to my new ship. I'm taking command courses. I hope you can visit me then, you will always be welcome to visit me and Karyn on the ship," Rose told him feeling bad and ashamed about sharing her thoughts with him, then she turned her back to him while trying to pick up her baby.

Wilhem said softly, "One should never be ashamed by their feelings, my friend. And you will do well in your new position. And your new role as a mother."

With tears in her eyes and a heavy heart as she walked toward the door with little Karyn she looked back with a look on her face which would haunt Wilhem to the end of his days, "Good-bye, my love."

Wilhem watched her go silently. He knew there was nothing he could say or do that would make her happier. At least nothing that would make her happier for long, and wouldn't be against his values. But he stared at the door for some time, wondering if this would be the last time he would see her.

"Goodbye, Farewell, Part One"
Commander Karyn Dallas, RN
Chief Counselor/Second Officer

Lt. Commander Navarre Shinta
Assistant Chief Counselor
USS Galaxy

***Karyn's quarters, USS Galaxy***

It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders, and yet a part of her felt as though her struggle was just beginning. She was leaving. Lee had been returned to them, but it had cost him his legs, a price that would leave him in a hoverchair the rest of his life. It was a debt she understood all too well.

Karyn could no longer bring herself to feel much of anything anymore outside of cold emptiness. She'd cried all her tears in Kent's arms the night before and though the tremendous guilt she felt had not abated, she was hopeful that a year of hiatus on Betazed would give her some perspective. She was hopeful, but did not expect much.

There was talk of a USS Galaxy - A in the works, but she didn't concern herself with that. John Q. Brohde was the front- runner for command, and as mixed up as she was, she knew with certainty she did not have the fortitude to bear the insufferable little man who'd killed Nilani Khan, and others seemed to share that opinion. People were jumping ship left and right, including her staff.

They had promise, all she had in front of her was a "suggested medical leave" note from SFM. And so she packed. It was busy work, something for her to do while she put off saying some of the hardest goodbyes she would have to make since saying goodbye to her sister the night she'd left in secret to SFA.

She'd failed them all. Lee, Shinta, Kent... all of them. She felt as though she'd died on Romulus and everyone had suffered as a result. She could no longer talk with her best friend about anything, most importantly the end of Shinta's marriage, and before she knew it, her life had become about holding things together rather than working together, and now it felt as if they were all strangers.

It was her fault...it was Starfleet's fault. They had forced her into command, they had forced her to go to Romulus. They had killed the woman that was once Karyn Dallas, and she had killed Lee's hopes and dreams. She didn't belong in Starfleet. It was time to stop pretending she could hop on a starship and take on the responsibility of people's lives, when all she really was was a little girl trying to prove herself. Her first stint as a commanding officer had taught her a valuable lesson about trying to be someone she wasn't. She wasn't cut out for it.

But who was Karyn Dallas? It was a question she hoped to answer in the next year before she would need to decide to return to duty or resign her commission. Karyn the civillian was a big girl now and it was high time she decide what to do with her life now that she had the freedom to choose.

Her musings were interrupted by the door chime. When she offered her customary "Come in!" her voice was hoarse. *Damn* she thought. She knew who it was even before she turned to face her. Karyn often wondered why Shinta and Brian still came to her, especially Shinta. Karyn had stopped being any kind of emotional support a long time ago. She would have felt better if the Bajoran would just scream at her and get it over with. "Come to help me pack?"

"No. I am packing myself, and I have to pack for four." Shinta sat down, she was still adjusting to life with the inhibitor in her brain. She could feel emotions a little bit, but it was like everything was dampened. And that was scary, no not scary, because she couldn't feel that either. It made her wonder how she was going to do her work, and look after her children and develop her new relationship with James.

"Karyn, I don't want us to leave like this. We have been friends for many years now, and I don't want us to leave like strangers. It's not a good time for me, my head is not my own at the moment. I feel like I am on heavy drugs, I hardly feel any emotions. I don't know were my life is going at the moment. I have taken a few weeks of medical leave, and James and l are going back to Bajor for a little while. That is something I have to do. And after that I think we will transfer to another ship."

"But in spite of all my troubles, I am worried about you. Are you going to be OK? Because you haven't been alright since you came back from Romulus, and have not allowed anybody to help you. Let me in, as a friend."

Karyn still had her back to her friend, pretending to focus on the suitcase in front of her, but she closed her eyes to her friend's words, because she was once again reminded of how much she had overlooked in her struggle to be a good commander...a good Ambassador. Brian had come to her earlier with similar concerns, and she had been able to assure hime she was all right. But Shinta had had to face so much without her because somewhere along the line she'd stopped being a counselor at heart. She felt sad because she no longer felt she had the energy to be anything anymore. Gods s

he wished she has some more time to be the friend Shinta needed.

Karyn turned to look at Shinta, feeling a weight lifting off her even before she spoke, but a sense of sadness as well. This was not how she had intended her Starfleet career to end. Of course, she had never intended it to end at all, but things had certainly changed, hadn't they? "All right, as a friend, you're looking at a burned out counselor." She held up her hands in a 'ta-da' like fashion as if to emphasize the point. "Starfleet Command and Starfleet Medical were kind enough to 'suggest' that I go on medical leave before taking on another assignment. They feel I need to re-group after all that's happened the last few months, and frankly, I'm not in a position to argue otherwise."

"Don't give up, Karyn. Don't refuse the help of your friends. We all had a rough couple of months. I have gone lower than I thought was possible, but I am not giving up. You might need a little rest, but your career and your life are not over. Just let us help, let me councel you. Let Brian help, he is a very fine counsellor. don't give up like this, it is just not like you. I am going to Bajor for a long holiday, and medical leave, come with me. You shouldn't be alone at a time like this." Shinta was almost begging.

"Yes I should." she returned more forcefully than she'd intended. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she spoke more softly, "Look, I need to get my head together, I'm not disputing that, and I'm not giving up. I..I just need to figure out what the hell I really want from life, and that may not include Starfleet. I don't need to escape from my life anymore, Shinta, I'm a grown woman who is free of her SOB of a father, and lately, I'm hardpressed to come up with a reason to stay. Gods' sake, I haven't been working as a counselor for months now, and while I knew the rank came with obligations, I don't like what I've become. I don't like having to scheme and lie and stay quiet. I want to go to a place where people don't get shot because of my leadership. I want to go to a place where the only thing I'm expected to do is make people feel better."

"Go to Bajor with you? And do what? Be the third wheel between you and James? Grozit, Shinta, you haven't even worked out your grief over Bruce. Are you emotionally prepared to take on anything else?" She shook her head. "All I ever do now is add to your problems. You stopped coming to me as a friend with any of them, and now I've been reduced to one of your patients, and I'll not have Brian feel the same. Have you even stopped to take a breath and mourn Bruce walking out on you?"

"You are not being fair!" Shinta might not feel everything, but this still hurt. "I wanted to talk to you as a friend, you were the one that didn't want that. Don't tell me that I pushed you out, because that just isn't true. I love you, don't you see that! You believed in me from the moment I came aboard the ship, do you think I would have the rank I have today if it wasn't for you? Hell Karyn, I owe it all to you. And I am not letting you do this to yourself. Because believe it or not, you are running. Running from your friends and from Starfleet. You are a good counsellor, and you are needed. I need you, but I need you as a friend right now."

"My own life is so complicated right now. I have this thing in my head that could kill me, I don't know how or when. The last couple of months I have come to realize that I have not worked through all the traumas of my childhood, I thought I had, I haven't. I have lost my husband, who just stopped loving me. Because of Brian and James I haven't given up on men. Yes I am in love, and yes I am scared. I don't know if I am ready to commit again, but I love him. What do you want me to do! Give up like you are doing?"

Karyn chose not to rise to the bait, not wanting this to turn into a screaming match when she was genuinely concerned about what Shinta was getting herself into. "All I'm trying to say is that I think you should take a breath and consider all of what's happened in your life. I love you too, and that's why I can't understand why you would rush headlong into another relationship when you haven't resolved your feelings for the man you married. You claim I'm running away by wanting to be by myself for awhile, but are you so afraid of being on your own that you would jump into something you're not even sure you're ready to commit to?"

She pulled her friend of nearly three years into an embrace. "Maybe it is none of my damn business, but I know how tough things have been for you, how incredibly hurt you were when Bruce left, and I just don't want to see you get hurt again. Don't tell me he wouldn't do that to you, because no one ever expects something like that. Take it from someone who knows, when you're this preoccupied, your obligation has to be with yourself and getting put back together. One has to ask what the harm is in giving things time, and that's all I'm doing, what I need to do. If you won't talk to me about Bruce, fine, just know that I'm sorry if I forced you to bury things because I couldn't talk to you. There are things I am not allowed to talk about, and I just need you to respect that."

"I understand." Shinta said. "I just hope you can work out your problems instead of running away as you have been doing. And about James, right now I`m not sure about anything."

"All the more reason to take things slow, give things time. Contrary to popular belief, you and I know you need more in a relationship besides love."

Karyn pulled a gold pip from her own collar, and placed it in Shinta's open palm. "I know I probably won't see you when you earn this, but I want you to have it now for when the time comes. Wear it proudly, but never lose sight of what taking this on means. I find comfort in the fact that you and Brian and the others have learned things from all of this, and so have I. BUT always know that you earned everything you ever received, not because of me, but because you saw something you wanted and you went for it. We all should be that lucky."

Going over to retrieve her cosmetics from the bathroom, she caught sight of herself in the mirror, now a voluntarily demoted Lieutenant. What she wouldn't give to have that part of her life back, long before command exams, Romulans and ransom notes. She longed for the times when she felt energized and committed, a time when she wasn't so damn tired all the time. With any luck, that time was coming soon, but there was still Shinta's offer to contend with. Undoing her hair clip, she let the auburn locks fall around her face, a style she had always resisted while on active duty. She was changing a piece at a time.

"I can't be your tag-along on Bajor, Shinta. What would James say? Maybe I'll come see you in a few days when I'm settled on Betazed. I promised some friends I'd look into joining their private practice after a couple weeks vacation. I have to at least give it some thought, but I promise, I'll come to see you as soon as I can. It would be nice to talk to you without Starfleet protocol in the way."

Shinta was touched by the gift her friend had given her. She was going to miss Karyn so dreadfully especially now that she was not certain about James at all, she was not certain about anything and she wished Karyn could come with her to Bajor, but she couldn`t force her. She embraced her friend, "Please do, and I want us to stay in touch, to stay friends, I need you and I know you need me."

"I can't argue with that. Of course I'll stay in touch, your kids are the babies I might never have. For now, I just want some time to think without some bureaucracy breathing down my neck. I want to be Karyn rather than Commander." There was a sharp edge to her words. It was clear she was angry and more than a little bitter over the way things had turned out.

"Work it out, Karyn. Get rid of the anger." Shinta advised again. She also realized now that her friend needed time alone, just like she did herself. Karyn looked Shinta directly in the eyes, but she seemed a million light years away when she spoke. "Sometimes I think the anger is the only thing that can sustain me."

She brightened quickly enough. "Care to stroll with me to the transporter room?" She picked up her bags. The rest would be beamed to her later. If she didn't get underway now, she would never get up the nerve to leave her quarters.

"Remember to write." Shinta whispered. She would be leaving herself tomorrow, and this was so difficult.

As they left Karyn's quarters, Dallas laughed. "I may no longer be a Starfleet counselor, but I am a counselor. Trust me, after a week I'll be comm-ing you daily, looking for a counseling session to preside over."

"I hope you will. And I hope you will come to visit." Shinta had never been so attached to a boss before, she had no idea that this could be so difficult.It was hard not to cry when they came to the transporter room.

"Goodbye, Farewell" -- Part Two

Commander Karyn Dallas, RN
Chief Counselor/Second Officer

Lt. Commander Navarre Shinta
Asst. Chief Counselor

Lt. Brian Elessidil
Counselor

Lt. Adrian An quinsos
Counselor

Lt. j/g Emma Marshal
NPC Counselor

Ensign Bruce Zrama
NPC Counselor

***Transporter Room One***

By the time Karyn reached the doors to the transporter room where she would beam to the starbase and to her new life as a civilian, she had fallen silent. She was leaving Starfleet behind for the time being, not quite sure where her life was going to take her, but quite relieved she was going to put this all behind her for a while and perhaps permanently.

Karyn detested long goodbyes, and so perhaps selfishly she had decided to exit quietly, rather than risk a tearful exchange. She didn't think she would see any of her little family of officers again, and to see them one more time, knowing that, well, it was just too much. Besides, the ship was practically deserted now with most of the crew having beamed down for leave before transferring to their new assignments.

So no one was more surprised and more warmed than Karyn when the doors parted to reveal what looked to be a small army of staff waiting, presumably to see her off. Despite attempts to avoid it, she felt tears well in her eyes. They were a motley crew, some dressed in uniforms, while others were ready for leave wearing dresses, bathing suits, slacks and shorts. It was quite a sight, and she realized then how attractive each of them looked in civilian clothes. It was not something she got the chance to see very often. "What's all this?"

Emma Marshal, her longtime friend and confidante stepped forward. "You didn't think we were just going to let you leave without saying goodbye, did you?"

Karyn just looked down and shook her head, a smile gracing her features. "You all are too much."

Emma smiled. "We know. We brought gifts!" She gestured for Bruce Zrama to bring things forward. Karyn was laughing even before the gifts were in her hands. Her staff was truly a one-of-a-kind bunch.

Marshal presented the first proudly. "A giant jar of genuine dill pickles. We know how much you love these, and we thought that even though we probably wouldn't be with you for your next assignment, a counselor always needs comfort food she can eat one handed while reading session notes in the other, so..." She handed Karyn the jar. "No more whining to your next staff that you have no time to eat during those times between sessions. You are the queen of turning things into finger foods that were never meant to be that way,"

At this Karyn chuckled. "Hunger will do that to you." There were nods of agreement all around.

"Next, we have this little gem. May you guard it with your life." She pulled out a small program cylinder, and Karyn looked at her puzzled. Marshal explained. "Everyone here knows how much you love your morning...and afternoon...and evening raktajino with," and to Karyn's surprise all of them chimed in unison, "with a pinch of cinnamon and a dab of whipped cream!"

"I've trained you all well." Karyn deadpanned, reaching for the proffered cylinder, which she noted, was labeled as 'Karyn's Liquid Courage.'

Emma replied, "Yeah, well, that's the original program from your office replicator, though as you've told me often enough, replicators are unique, and may not make the same dishes taste the same way, so use at your staff's own risk! And oh, yes," she winked to the crowd, "Get your own damn raktajino!" When the laughter died down she amended, "I can say that now that I no longer work for you and you're a temporary civilian." She emphasized the word 'temporary' as though it were a done deal.

Karyn flashed her a look of mock anger, but she quickly pulled the petite blond into a warm embrace. "Thank you, all of you. I'm going to miss all of you, especially your friendship and your enthusiasm." She could feel the tears travel down her cheeks.

Bruce Zrama, always the comedian, broke the awkward silence. "But wait, there's more!"

Karyn pulled herself from Emma's embrace and swiped at her eyes. "I don't think I can take any more abuse."

Bruce waggled a finger at her even as he advanced with a large round package. "Now, Chief, turnabout IS fairplay." Handing her the wrapped package, he added, "This is for you, from all of us."

Carefully unwrapping the gift, Karyn saw that it was a teal and gold plate, counseling department colors, with words inscribed: To the Best Chief Soul Healer We Know, Commander Karyn Dallas, RN, USS Galaxy, NCC - 70637.

Karyn ran her fingers over the engraving, conjuring up images of the Ursid mission, where she'd been given the title Chief Soul Healer by the Chief of the ancient tribe. It seemed a lifetime ago.

"Aren't you going to turn it over?" she heard Emma ask. Karyn did what she was asked, no longer trying to guess what her colleagues were up to.

It read:

Counseling Department Rules:

Rule 1 - Karyn is always right.

Rule 2 - When in doubt, see rule 1.

Now, how you doin'?

She couldn't contain her laughter this time and the sound of others laughing with her was a welcome change. "Now if only I could find a group that could actually follow those rules." Karyn felt the tears welling again. This was the best team of healers she could have asked for.

Emma added softly, "Perhaps you'll get lucky this time."

The awkward silence was quickly broken by Bruce Zrama. "Any other sentiments before we kick this gal off this boat?"

Brian stepped forward next. Perhaps more than anyone, he was acutely aware of how much emotional turmoil was going through everyone's minds. Change was never easy and parting company with people you worked with and cared for was the most difficult aspect of all. But this was the next evolution for each of them, no matter where they went, and nothing could stop it.

"You can't spend time on Betazed without a good, home-cooked meal now and again." Smiling, he handed his soon to be 'ex-'chief a PADD, which Karyn accepted with a quizzical look. "Go ahead, read it," Brian encouraged.

Activating the display, Karyn read the words that explained Brian's gift to her:

"Dear Miss Dallas,

My name is Sharaxa Elessidil, Brian's aunt.

Brian told me that you are going to be spending some time on Betazed, a place he says you know and love. That is good -- Betazed is a place I know and love too. I have lived all my life here, near the shore of Bacarba Lake, as beautiful and serene a place as anywhere in the quadrant.

My nephew has also told me how much it meant to him to serve with you, how he felt your love of people extended to him as much as to any of the people you worked with as a counselor. He told me of how you helped him feel welcome when he began his assignment on the Galaxy, how you were willing to believe in him as a new counselor even when you h

ad some doubts, and how you trusted him as a colleague and friend.

He has asked now if he may return the favor through me. Please accept this as a standing invitation to come visit with me while you are here. I love company, and like any friend of the family, you are always welcome to come anytime and stay as long as you like.

As you have done for Brian, I in turn offer you welcome, friendship, and a home away from home. I have indicated below how you can reach me.

I so look forward to meeting you, dear.

With love,

'Aunt Sharaxa'"

As Karyn looked up from the PADD, Brian added quietly, his eyes glistening slightly with tears, "She makes the best Rutaba root pie you'll find anywhere on Betazed."

Karyn looked up at Brian, tears in her own eyes. "I..I love Rutaba root pie. My sister used to make it for me before she joined the fleet. I no longer have family on Betazed, I...thank you!" She embraced him tightly then, kissing him on the cheek. She had dreaded going to Betazed, of losing her connection to all of those she had ever been truly close to. At least now she had a place to visit, a chance to talk to someone with a connection to what made her feel secure in the universe, when things were so uncertain for her now.

Shinta had watched from a corner of the room, this was too painful for her, but she had to say something more to her friend, so she came forward now.

"It s been an honor and a pleasure working with you ma am," She said and smiled, "I will miss you dreadfully Karyn." She presented Karyn with a little black box, in which a Bajoran Earring lay, "this was my mother's, I want you to have it, to remember me by," She said with tears in her eyes.

Karyn was floored. "Shinta, I can't accept this. It was your mom's, it should stay in your family. How could I possibly forget you...any of you, after all we've done together?" Karyn had also lost her mother when she was very young, so for Shinta to offer Karyn one of the only things Shinta had to remind her of her mother was truly too generous.

"No, I want you to have it." Shinta said. "That way you will always remember how important you were to me. I don't need the earring to remember my mother." She smiled and embraced her friend again.

Adrian smiled warmly as he stepped forward, visibly brushing rare tears from his bright, blue eyes. In his hand lay a small parcel wrapped up in paper of blue and silver. The eldest member of the Counseling Department, he never gotten used to saying goodbye. However, within his vast memory lay unforgettable experiences that he would one day share with his children and their progeny.

This is from Zerhi and me. He told her.

Opening the parcel, she found a small, blue jewelry box, with silver lettering decorating it of unknown origin. Within the small box, she found a beautiful, ornate locket, alien in design, centered with a soft- glowing azure stone. Opening the locket, Karyn found a picture of her surrounded by her Counseling team with bright smiles. On the back lay a series of unknown script, elegantly detailed and inscribed. Karyn quickly guessed it was the writing of his people.

The stone is known to my race as the Jewel of the Veil. And as you may have guessed, the writing is that of my people. It reads: To Commander Karyn Dallas- May the Winds of Time direct you favorably on your journey through life, from the Children of the Sun.

"It's beautiful, Quinn, I'll treasure it and these memories always." She ran her finger over the beautiful stone. She always loved that about Quinn, his sense of gentle style. Every time she came into the department, she always felt as though she were moving into a rainbow world. It always made her feel safe. She hugged him as well, not quite sure what she was going to do if she couldn't see him every day.

And a message from both mine and Zerhi s family: you will be forever welcomed wherever an An'quinsos or No'hisyndiosyn make their home.

He looked over at his fellow Counselors with a bright familiar grin. Don t worry, I m not outdoing any of you, just attempting it! He lightheartedly chuckled, and realized that it would be the last joke he d tell them as tears once again slowly fell from his eyes.

Karyn laughed through her tears. "Geez, guys, if I'd known I was going to get all this great loot, I would have left a lot sooner. Seriously though," she swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing.

"I love you all with all of my heart. You have been my family for as long as I can remember, and I am profoundly thankful for that, and so proud to have had the opportunity to work with such a caring and dedicated group of professionals. We may be going in different directions, but as family, we will never be far in each other's hearts or minds, and who knows? We may just end up serving together again in the future. Until we meet again, some words of wisdom: take care of yourselves, and never lose sight of why it is you show up to work every shift, because trust me, there will always be times in your career when you're going to be tested at every turn. Savor your successes, but never become complacent with them, and learn from your mistakes, but don't become defined by them. Keep making people feel better, there's no better calling in the universe."

With that, Karyn moved up the ramp to the transporter padd of the USS Galaxy for the final time. Turning to face forward with a forced smile on her face, she gestured to Chief Jensen who came into the room as if on cue. "Chief, would you care to do the honors?"

The elder bearded man smiled. "I'd be honored, Counselor. Be safe."

She nodded in appreciation then said, "Energize."

As the blue haze enveloped her, Karyn said goodbye to her family and home of four years.

"A Time to Remember"

Lt. Brian Elessidil
Counselor

[OOC: Occurs several weeks after "Goodbye, Farewell" 1 & 2, and several weeks before Admiral Price's log entry.]

Few things are as unsettling as a familiar room stripped of everything that once defined its familiarity.

As Brian Elessidil scanned the suite of rooms that he knew as his quarters on the USS Galaxy, he couldn't help but notice how its return to standard issue furnishing in standard issue arrangement made him feel equally bland and empty inside. He had just gone through the same experience with his former office, but because it was a working, rather than personal, space, that room didn't evoke the same emotional intensity.

He had lived and worked here barely a year and it was already time for him to go.

So much had happened over the past months, a flash flood of crises, activities, duties and conversations that seemed to accelerate, crest, and then wash out as it trickled to its end. So many events, so many people, so many thoughts. Their accumulated impact on the Betazoid counselor could hardly be overexaggerated. Though he had come aboard his first assigment as a counselor with high expectations, neither contending with the likes of Sanguinarians and Hirogen, nor serving as a diplomatic representative of the entire Federation had been among them. The experiences tested him, challenging Brian to prove that he could rise to the occasion and do what needed to be done professionally for himself and the crew he served. Difficult and unusual experiences were part of being in Starfleet, and he was no stranger to them during his years as a helsman. But everything had taken on a new dimension as a counselor.

Now, symbolically reviewing his short tenure on the Galaxy through the experience of looking at this room, Brian was aware that the emptiness he felt had as much to do with what was going on internally as with what he was seeing externally. The old self-doubt was there again, making its own assessment of the past year. It scrutinized the 'rooms' of his heart, his mind, his soul and asked why everything seemed so bland and 'standard issue' there too.

Brian reflected on what he had done on this ship. He had learned the techniques, he had engaged the people, he had performed his duty. But had he really accomplished anything? The question continued to echo through the empty rooms of his mind as it had for the past few weeks.

He thought again about Karyn, about the mission to lanjep and how she had blamed herself for how it all turned out. Why couldn't she see that she had done the best she could with the circumstances that were given to her? Brian spent several hours with her outside sickbay the day Captain Price had been returned to the ship. She had agonized over what was going on behind the sealed doors, wondering if Price would even come out alive and continuing to second-guess her decision to give in to his abductors' demands. Through it all, Brian was at her side, listening, talking, worrying . . . doing all the things a counselor and friend was supposed to do.

But none of it made a difference. Now, weeks later, Karyn had left the ship, left Starfleet, at least temporarily, to re-evaluate her career. It hurt him to see someone he so admired decide that her professional path may have reached its end, if it hadn't been wrong all along in the first place. Even more, it tortured him to think that if he had done something differently or something more to help her, she might have seen her situation in a better light.

He thought of Shinta and the difficult, even tragic circumstances of her involvement with their last mission. Encountering her former Cardassian captor had brought up horrible memories, and worse, brought her face-to-face with the reality that she had been the subject of a twisted experiment; a reality for which a permanent solution would never be found because all the surgery and suppressive devices in the universe could never completely remove the memories from her mind.

Again, Brian had been unable to make a difference. She had come to him as her counselor and he responded to the best of his abilities to help her deal with the emotions that were controlling her. Certainly the presence of a mind-altering physical implant was something that no counselor could overcome, but in spite of that, Brian still wondered if there was more he could have done.

Alia Drakely had been another of his 'regular' patients. What good had he done for her? He still didn't know. After their run-in with the Hirogen, she never seemed quite the same to him. She had stopped seeing him, becoming terribly withdrawn and from what he could see, prone to acting out on irrational emotions and instincts. Brian too had been guilty of taking an active part in their mutual avoidance, and it troubled him deeply to wonder if Alia's behavior was in any way a result of something he did or didn't do, or something he did or didn't say.

It had been a difficult year. For all of them. But Brian regarded the ways in which they had dealt with their respective experiences as at least in part the fruits of his first assignment as a Starfleet counselor. It devastated him to think that if those were the results of his work as a professional, maybe he wasn't going to make it in this field.

So now he was leaving. Like Karyn, he had second-guessed himself to the point of needing time away to figure things out. Unlike Karyn, for better or worse, it wasn't an open-ended hiatus, just a few weeks shore leave on Earth before starting a new assignment on another ship. Brian requested the transfer when he learned that with Captain Price's debilitating injury and subsequent promotion, the Galaxy would be returned to the command of Captain Bhrode, the man who relentlessly rode the entire crew's ass during the Hirogen crisis. Whether it was wisdom or cowardice, Brian knew that he was not in the state of mind to serve as the kind of officer John Bhrode would demand to have on -his- ship.

Picking up the only personal belonging that hadn't yet been removed from the ship -- a large pet carrier containing his twenty-one pound cat -- Brian passed through the entrance to his Galaxy quarters for the final time. As the doors closed behind him with a 'swish', he started down the corridor, thinking briefly of Lance and Curtis Geluf. One a romantic interest, the other a friend, Brian took some comfort in knowing that they too had transferred to the Miranda and that he could look forward to continuing those relationships while having to start all over again with a new crew. Maybe things there would be better for him. Maybe not.

Arriving at the transporter room, Brian ascended the single step up to the platform. With a brief nod to the attending transporter operator and a shimmering curtain of blue light, one adventure ended while another waited to begin.

For Brian Elessidil, his year on the Galaxy would be a time to remember . . . if for no other reason than he couldn't forget.

"Love and Friendship"

Lieutenant JG Donovan Black, Tactical Officer Ensign Sendi sh'Soleri, Science Officer

set to "In My Life", by the Beatles.

-Main Shuttlebay-

The USS Galaxy felt..... well, empty. They were all leaving. He was told that poor Captain Price had accepted a position in the Admiralty at the behest of Fleet Admiral deMercereau and many other members of the prestigious group. Commander Peterson had dissapeared off to wherever he was going.

Donovan could not envy Commander Dallas' position. Forever to be known as the woman who got Captain Price paralyzed and alienated the Klingon Empire. She had seemed so broken earlier. A lot of people did. It made Donovan feel guilty. After all, he had just met a beautiful young Andorian who was the love of his life. He had recovered his sanity and his friends. His career was back on track, but everyone around him seemed to be going up in smoke.

Commander Hawksley had been more mellow of late. Of course, that might have had something to do with fact that he'd been in a coma. Donovan had wished that Hawksley and he could have patched things up, but it had never happened. Another guilty weight on Donovan's shoulders.

Lieutenant Corgan seemed crazier than normal. Something seemed to be eating at him, and he'd seemed relieved when Ambassador Mika had left. They had discussed the end result over coffee one morning. Donovan had been surprised at Mika's courage and cunning, yet somewhat disgusted. He would have thought her better than that. Perhaps Corgan was just going through the stage that Donovan himself had gone through not to far into the past. A dead man walking, between life and death, cursed to wander for all eternity. Either way, he had wished James luck in his future. He was one of the few that was staying, after all.

James Mitchell had dissapeared altogther. Black got the impression that Shinta knew why, but she wasn't saying. He had shaken his head when Ensign Seryn had told him.

Autumn and Rose were at each other's throats again. If there was one thing Black had learned about the blue-shirts onboard, it was to avoid the two of them when they were near each other. That was one mess that Black knew to steer clear of.

Vailen Daitaal was heading for Earth. To do what, he wasn't really sure. All he knew was that he had ordered himself to keep in touch with the Rutian ex-militia, and that was one order that Black intended to follow. Besides, deMercereau seemed to think he was promising.

Slisik was going to take leave for four weeks on Vulcan for undisclosed personal reasons. She was headed back to the USS Miranda-B, her previous assignment. Black had just heard that his close friend Adrian Prescott had been assigned there as Assistant Chief Security/Tactical Officer. She would do well. And deMercereau was looking at her as well.

Lieutenant Sendi sh'Lastarr had transferred back to her job as Operations Manager on the USS Fearless. She had decided that her work with the Andorian Diplomatic Corps was over. They could get another Andorian to do the job next time there was a diplomatic mission.

..
..
.

....
.....

All of which left Donovan where?

He had only answered that question that morning, as he had looked at the stars outside his viewport in the quarters that had been his for only a few months. He had turned it over and over in his mind for hours before finally deciding to live life to the fullest and to never look back. He had gone over to starbase for a moment and made a small purchase worth a small fortune, the last of his inheritance from his grandfather, a retired starfleet admiral.

So it was that he stood in the cargo bay, having said his final goodbyes to Lieutenant Corgan, Doctor Eira, Ensign Seryn, and Ensign Presley. The tubby little man had been "all shook up" to see the one-eyed career officer go, but Presley had wished him luck all the same, and even given him a peanut butter sandwhich for the road.

Ensign Sendi sh'Soleri walked into the shuttlebay, saying goodbye to Lieutenant Bosco and a couple of others, laughing at a witty remark from Bosco. Donovan found himself wishing that he had spent more time on the Galaxy. But with Captain Bhrode coming back and all the rumors flying around about Admiral Hoth, it had been inevitable that Fleet Admiral deMercereau had recalled him to the Relentless. He was just glad that Sendi had agreed to go with him.

She finally managed to extricate herself from her friends and walked over to where Donovan was. It was then that Donovan noticed that she wasn't wearing the usual blue of sciences. Red? Tactical?

Sendi caught his looks and pressed a cool finger to his lips. "Your Admiral deMercereau has some interesting ideas about Tactical Analysis." she said with one of her demure smiles, "Are we ready to go?"

The moment of truth. Donovan didn't hesitate. "No. We have one more thing to do." he said, then dropped down to one knee, holding her slim blue hand in his big rough ones. He removed a small case from his pocket.

"Sendi sh'Soleri, will you marry me?"

It was as simple as that. For a moment in time, they stood there, looking into each other's eyes.

Then Sendi jumped on him, laughing and crying at the same time, hugging him to her lithe body. Donovan was grinning ear to ear. In hindsight, he would later think of it fondly, even though he knew they had looked ridiculous. She finally pulled back, her arms still around his neck. He awkwardly got to his feet without knocking her off.

"Yes." she said, "Yes." Then she kissed him and let him slip the engagement ring on her finger.

Bosco slapped him on the back. "Maybe you're not so gloomy after all, brown noser."

"Yeah, yeah, same to you, fuzzball. Keep Alexa out of trouble, will you?" Donovan said, nodding to Bosco.

"Of course! We have a week leave coming up and we're headed for Risa. We'll need it what with Bhrode coming back and all. Speaking of which, I gotta meet her in 10-forward. See you later."

Once Bosco and the others had filed out, leaving Sendi and he alone, Donovan turned to her.

"Now we can go." he said, "We have a long journey ahead of us. We should get it over with."

"Oh, I'm sure that we can come up with something to occupy the time on the trip to Earth." Sendi said with a wicked smile. Donovan laughed and swepted her up into his arms and carried her into the runabout. They were together at last.

And the USS Galaxy was only one fond memory that they would share. But it did have the distinction of being the place where they met. And they would never forget it, even when they had grown old together.

[OOC: Well, that's it for me. I will miss you all, though I'm sure that I'll see most of you around on the USS Miranda and the Galaxy-A. Donovan and Sendi are off to the USS Miranda to serve as PCCs for me. Though they spent 4-months on the USS Relentless with Fleet Admiral Irene deMercereau before that. Farethewell. Francis.]

"Memories Off the Port Bow"

By Cmdr. Lysander VanderPuls-Hawksley, Fmr. Chief Tactical Officer USS GALAXY and currently XO of the IKS FIRESTORM, Klingon Imperial Defence Fleet

(set Three Months after 'Bastardness' by Price, just before the General - Admiral's last log post)

* * * * *

The entire Officers' mess fell to a dead still, conversations and arm wrestling ceasing. Garoth, son of Jurel ceased his baosting of his ancestors' stand during the kiL'odha campaign and eyed the source of the interruption with a sneer.

The slim figure wearing the Federation grey and black uniform was dwarfed by the hulking Klingon Sub-Officers on either side, as he dithered between choices on the mess hall replicator. Every day this scene played out, in variations. Today was teh 'powder keg' day.

"Garoth. . . ." warned one of the other Navigation officers as the stocky but short Klingon swaggered over to their new Exchange Officer.

"Ho! Human! Today is a good day to Die, is it not?" inquired Garoth with a hard slap to Lysanders shoulders that almost drove the Alpha Centaurian to his knees.

"Smeg. . . " was what Lys mumbled back, trying to keep from dropping his meal, juggling plates on his tray.

Garoth looked over to his mates and liked what he saw. They were suitably impressed that he was giving the Human some grief. His grin grew bigger and he turned back to his new favourite hobby.

"What are you eating there? Is that Targgoth dropping supposed to be food?" Garoth indicated the tray with a sneer.

Lysander heaved a sigh that the UniTranslator didn't have to translate for the Klingon.

"It's a Terran meal consisting of. . ." Lysander began, knowing where all this was going.

"Yech. It's not moving at all. It just sits there, like the food of some infant or senile old toothless hag. How can you eat such garbage?" continued Garoth, stirring the Beef Bourginonne with one armoured finger. Even allowing for looser Klingon dining habits, it was a rude gesture. "Don't play with another Warrior's Glagh, unless you're sure you can beat him." is a phrase Klingon Mothers no doubt repeat often.

Lysander did't wait for the UniTranslator to catch up. He'd been warned this day was coming. He shifted his weight to the back leg and continued like the interruption hadn't occured.

". . .the flesh of a wild ravening beast known as a ...cow. First the monster it is tracked over an icy waste called Minnesota. Then, the cow is fought to a standstill. And finally when it is brought to ground, the dead hunters are mourned and the cow's still living flesh is ripped from its' bones and cooked with red wine and blood. And root vegetables." Lys added, eyes sweeping the room. Looked like Garoth was on a solo mission, testing the waters.

"Garoth... I have heard of these. . .cows. From the Ferrengi. They are blood craving firece predators. By the way, human; ArH'od Katang liked the battleplot you did today." added Purel, son of Dokken with a wink and nudge to his neighbor.

"I never heard of a . . . cow. It sounds weak and feeble. Like something that would be hunted by a simpleton or a honorless coward." Sneered Garoth.

"Well.. the possible permutations of three Vor'chA class cruisers against a Jem'Hadar battleship are fairly limited. There are only 309 possible approach vectors you can use to 'sandpaper' their shields down with disruptors, without exposing yourself to their energy cannons..." Lysander began, ignoring Garoth for the moment.

Garoth sneered deeper and lowered his head to sniff the tossed salad on Lys' tray, disgust writ large on his face.

Lys met Garoth's descending head with the ascending steel tray, and his knee driving upwards underneath it impelled the tray faster as he continued his monologue. " . . . but of course once the JemHadar commander realizes his shields are down to 43% he's going to get upset and there's a 97% chance he'll be so upset he closes and tries (UUGH!) THUD! to go toe to toe with one of the Vor'chAs. Something he'll win if you let him."

With a resounding CLANG the tray fell to the floor, bearing a dent that matched up with Garoth's chin. The Klingon was bleeding out of his nose and bared his teeth in a grin of appreciation at the ruse, shaking his head to clear it. Lysander laced both hands together and began to hammer the Klingon's unarmoured neck, flailing from both shoulders with every erg of energy he could muster.

". . . and..(ugh) once he's close enough. . . (ugh) . . . for. . . that. You unload. . . (ugh) the DERFAC guided. . .(ugh) Overloaded Disruptor array. . . (UGH!) on. . .the . . weakened. . .shields. . to . . .(UGH) score some. . . (UGH!) internal damage." Lysander had hit the grinning Klingon several times and the ugly bastard was still standing.

Garoth spat blood and grabbed Lys' neck with one hand, easily lifting the Centaurian off the ground. One Federation Issue boot lashed out repeatedly, to lodge in the Klingon's gut. Too bad for Lys that the Klingon Naval Uniform was designed to protect against that very move. He did kick the snot out of the armoured and padded chest piece however

Garoth spat some more blood and looked to his mates for approval. Surprisingly they looked bored. With a growl, he returned his attention to the Human choking at the end of his gauntlet. Drawing back the other fist, Garoth prepared to remove the interloper's head from his body.

He was mildly surprised that Purel moved that quickly, to jam the Pain-Stick into Garoth's neck. The shorter Klingon fell writhing to the floor, releasing the Centaurian, who staggered to the side wheezing for air.

Purel turned to the rest of the Sub-Officers, who were looking on interestedly now.

"I say this human knows how to fight a Starship! He may have a weak and puny body, but with a Starship behind him he can fight anyone here and win. I would rather fight with him beside me than a stupid, smelly ex-servant like Garoth. Do any of you p'tAq doubt my words?" Purel challenged, eyes meeting each and every officer's. With the exception of the Captain, the ArH'od, every officer aboard was present. Who cared about the Warriors?

Lysander staggered over to Garoth and began kicking him in the head, to the hoots and cheers of his new fellow crew. At about the point he judged the Pain Stick was wearing off... he grabbed the Klingon's harness with both hands and hauled his head off the deckplates.

"I am the la' of this ship, by the orders of your arH'od and your Thought Admiral. You worthless, stupid, ignorant sack of Targgoth Feed! I'll tie you to a anti-matter missile myself, and shoot you at PAKLEDS if you ever doubt my honor or ability again!" Lysander raged at the woozy Klingon.

"I will kill you and feast on your entrails." promised Garoth.

"Now... la'Hawksley. . . perhaps you don't realize what. . ." began Purel, clearly worried that this offworlder he'd promised the Fleet to deliver alive at the end of this stupid rotation; was about to do something very stupid.

Being Lysander, of course it was stupid. You don't think he has a PLAN for any of this, do you?

"I call your challenge to my position. But we fight on MY terms, you overmuscled smegger." Lys hissed.

"It's going to be your funeral." sneered back Garoth.

"Zero-gee, to the submission." replied Lys, in badly accented Klingon, clearly not trusting the Uni_Trans at this point.

Murmers of approval from the onlookers met his choice. it was the only way that the smaller humanoid stood a chance aagainst a Klingon Warrior, Hi-Gee reflexes and muscles or not.

(twenty minutes later)

Lysander looked around the emptied cargo bay and shuddered. True to Klingon design philosophy, there were lots of pipes, conduits and suchlike exposed. With the gravetics turned off, the place turned into a 3-d 'definite broken limb' minefield.

One misjudged, full inertia low mass misplacement of an arm or ankle, and you had the loser of the Null-Gee combat. This was going to be smegging' FUN!

Just as Lys and Garoth were about to hurl themselves off their opposing walls at each other... the ships computer demanded their attention.

" la'Hawksley...incoming subspace message for you on Imperial Diplomatic Channel Seventeen."

"Smeg." Lys swore, even more shocked that the message bore the UFP-Starfleet logo on the 'pending' signal.

The Logo gave way to the one face he'd never expected. His mouth fell open in shock.

Acutely aware of the livid bruises on his neck and the fact his jacket was off and his undertunic as well... Lys tried to maintain his floating in the comm unit's range of pickup.

"Commander. Congratulations on your....promotion." Rebecca VonErnst told him, her face an unreadable mask. Her brown eyes flickered to where his tunic pips should be, and seemed faintly amused at the bare skin she found there.

"Thank you. Commander. And yours." Lys replied, trying to be as formal as you can when floating in zero-gee barechested with ten hooting Klingons behind you.

Rebecca's brown eyes narrowed further in icy contemplation. She semed to be trying to read Lys' mind. The awkward silence stretched out a few more moments.

"I heard about your. . . coma. I'm glad that. . .that. . . starfleet didn't lose such a unique...asset to the Tactical Division." she intoned, clearly regretting her choices of words.

"Thank you." Lys replied, rotating about seventeen degrees on the Y axis.

Rebecca let her face settle back into her Ice Queen mask.

"I am informing you that USS GALAXY is undergoing testing and unplanned refurbishment and refitting. Your orders were to return to her when your Exchange tour is done. Those orders are hereby changed.." She began, by the book.

"Wait a smegging minute! Where do you get off changing my Duty Orders? I have at least nine months to go here with the Klingons! I'm not in your chain of Command! The last I looked, you said 'NO' to marrying me and had hotfooted it for Prospero!" Lys challenged.

Rebecca considered him with those cold unblinking eyes. He must have been smegging insane to ever think of them as 'cute.'

"I am not changing your orders. Admiral T'Paal of the Second Fleet is changing them. You are hereby ordered to complete your rotation as ExchangeOfficer to the Imperial Defence . . ." she began again, back ramrod straight and slight shoulders with a new and resolute set to them.

"The SMEG I will! I'm not some bloody cow you can push and prod to move the way you want! There's nothing you can say to make me. . ." Lys shot back.

Captain John Bhrode pushed his flat top head into the pickup range and glowered. Behind him, Lys heard the Klingons recognise the face and reputation, and straighten themselves up to 'attention'

"I don't have time for this. Wonder-Boy! You and VonErnst play kissy-face reunion crapola on your own time. Why aren't you wearing a uniform? What is your dysfunction that you keep walking around me half naked? I'm not Price, to enjoy and permit that sort of thing!" Bhrode snapped out.

A tiny ghost of a smile was playing on the corner of Rebecca's lips. As Lys tried to explain his current state of dishevelment, he was all too aware of her scrutiny and the low 'Huuuuuurrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......' noise she was making to herself. Probally just to annoy him.

Smeggin' Princess.

"Never Mind! Listen up and listen good. Your friend Price is going to be an Admiral. He's useless as a Commander in the field now, so they'll let him pilot a desk. That means Galaxy's command is up for grabs. There's three candidates, four if you count that Commander Thomas pipsqueak. Jean Luc Picard, Tyler Scott, Yours Truely and Thomas. Thomas is a dolt, Scott is probally going to get the second PROMETHEUS ship, and Jean Luc is never going to give up the Enterprise-E." Bhrode barked.

Lys' eyes were flickering between Bhrode and Rebecca.

The Carrot and the Stick.

"If and when I get that misbegotten ship, I'll need some senior officers I can trust. That's why T'paal angled this little trip for you. Learn what you can from those Klingons. When you're done. . . don't bother re-applying for Prospero. Come to Galaxy with me and VonErnst." Bhrode's eyes drifted to the

Klingons behind Lysander.

Lysander was mulling the offer over as Bhrode barked "What are YOU looking at? Someone talking to YOU? What is that medal you're sporting, Sport? The Sword of Kahless? The IDF give that out for crossing the street these days?" at the Klingons.

The Klingons spilled out of the Cargo bay, leaving Garoth spinning helplessy on the opposite side of the hold.

"What position?" Lys finally asked.

Rebecca's eyes tightened and her mouth compressed even more.

Bhrode just chuckled. "We'll see WonderBoy.. . we'll see. I have to track down some reprobate Cardassian that an idiot of a Commodore lost. Number one. . . settle up here and report to me. Bhrode out."

Lysander and Rebecca were left alone, glaring at each other via the oh-so- expensive Subspace Comm relay link.

Rebecca's hair was slightly longer now... just as full. It softned the rigid planes of her face, but brought the white line of the scar on her cheek into sharper relief.

"You will complete your tour of duty per Admiral Hoth's request and then report to Admiral T'paal for possible re-assignment to USS GALAXY on stardate 50306.01 At that time you will. . ." Rebecca began again, in that flat monotone.

"You played those holoprograms, didn't you?" Lys challenged, interrupting her.

Rebecca's voice faltered and stopped. Her eyes narrowed in suspicious concentration.

"No." she lied.

"Too bad. Smegging great programming on my part." Lysnader crowed.

"That has nothing to do with. . ." she began again, trying to preserve her dignity.

"Everything to do with everything." Lys replied.

The silence returned. Both glaring at each other and clearly wishing they could say what they were thinking.

"I said 'no'. . ." she began, clearly wishing she didnt have to.

"We'll talk." Lys waved her off

". . and I meant 'no'" Rebecca continued.

"Back Then. We'll talk." Lys replied airly.

"You're not my type." she replied.

"We'll talk." Lys answered.

"You're annoying. conceited, irritating and plain old...icky!" she said.

"S'okay. I'm changing. We'll talk." Lys breezed.

"And I'm better at Math than you are.." she pushed.

"Sure. And I'm better with people than you are. We'll talk."

Her brown eyes cooly assessed him some more, the silent moments stretching out. He returned her gaze with a frank and innocent look from his blue-green eyes.

"I am better at Math than you are. . ." she sulked.

"Pardon?" Lys mimed incomprehension, holding a hand up to his ear.

The dim klingon lights glittered off the simple gold band on his hand. Lys missed the quick gasp and smirk that crossed Rebecca's face when she saw it. She quickly let the Ice Queen face settle back on her features.

"You're far too rich anyways." she added, mildly curious in spite of herself to see how he'd weasel out of this.

"Oh, didn't they tell you? I gave it all away. I had my Ferrengi robot set up a fake lottery. . . some charity somewhere gets the winning ticket and the whole thing. Smeggin' amazing amount of credits. I only own my family's home on Alpha Centauri.. and that farm on Earth. I may lease the latter to your Mother... who says you should call her By the Way, when you have a minute...." Lys started to babble.

"Noodles! We'll talk. Later. Much later. Bye Ace, don't let the Klingons beat you up too badly." Rebecca replied, cutting the link before he saw her reaction.

Lys stifled a chuckle and turned, to get the full weight of Garoth plow into his midsection. The pair spun out of control in the Zero Gee Cargo Bay.

The Fight was back on.

* * * * *

Meanwhile. . .

Leo Streely stared at the lottery ticket Mister Barter the Ferrengi Android had just handed him.

"Ferrengi Lottery? Never heard of it. What's the prize? Because I once entered one of those 'Win a Deltan for the Night' dealies and they never delivered! I never win any of these things! They're scams I tell ya. You ever hear of anyone winning one of these things?" Leo demanded.

Mister Barter just turns to you, the reader and winks. For a moment.. the disgusting green plastic head with the bouncing red sensor looks sort of like... like...

Q?

Naaaaahhh.

=/\=

NRPG: I'd like to thank Mark and ALL of you! You've been the BEST people to simm with! I've truely enjoyed working with each and every one of you. Every time I read a Galaxy post, I was inspired to go back and work on my stuff to try and keep up with you all! Thanks for the memories, the stories and the fun!

-Liam

"Save the Last Dance for. . . . ME!!!!"

(a faint smell of overpoweringly cheap cologne.... a whine from the distance)
(ed.Note: Unauthorized appearance by That Aussie Guy)

Hey!
Whaddya whaddya whaddya?
End the Simm? Without a post from ME?

Hellllooooo? Leo Streely? The guy who's saved you all from Borg, Hirogen, Breen disguised as Romulans, Admiral Hoth, Space vampires, and lots of other stuff? No, don't thank me just yet. . .

The guy who's singlehandedly saved all your patooties time and time again?
And, let me say.. there's some seriously fine looking patooties wandering around here! Yeah..I mean Doc Quvver... Quackeeros.. Quiiper... fuggitaboutid.
Autumn! And Karyn! And Reece...she's a hottie! And Arel, and that Alia, who I gave a rogering to but GOOD. . . and even Rose! HOTTIES! The Babes all got back on this boat! Except that Kit Jordan.. but she's got a PAIR on her and she ain't afraid to use them... But I digress...

It's ME! LEO! Fer crying out loud!

What? You was gonna close the simm and not let ME get ONE little last post out? What?

(Editors Voice: Okay okay.. . . ONE last post Leo! )

I get the intro. The fans.. they WANT the intro. they beg for the Intro! THE FANS! They don't want that Jii guy, they want ME! And the Intro... natch.

(ed.: No way. Takes too long.)

INTRO INTRO INTRO. . . .

(ed. FINE! Just get a move on it... we're about to close.)

(*ahem* screw you too, pally.*fake cough*) Ladies and Gentlemen! Widdout furdder ado. . . the man, the Myth, the legend. The Capitain of the Loveboat himself... the Sexual holo-artist formerly known as Jerk Jiggler, the inventor of the Upsilon Major Upchukker drink, A friend of Ravens (but not like THAT!). . .

Me!

Leo Streely!

(expectant pause)

You can applaud now. Really. Come on.. dis here ain't funny.

* * * * *

Sickbay USS GALAXY.

Leo and Kurita were rushing the stretcher with the terribly still and pale form of Raven on it, through the corridors to sickbay.

"Geddouddatheway!" Leo screeched , hanging onto one end of the hover stretcher for dear life, his Jedi robes flapping in the wind (and revealing the cut outs on the rump of his "The END is near!" boxershorts)

"Hey, little guy? He's stable right now. You can calm down and quit crying." Kurita observed, oogling a shapely Engineering Ensign sashaying past them.

"What? Crying? Me? I'm LEO STREELY, bubb! I don't cry!" Leo said , wiping the tears off his face.

"Oh, your.. umm.. eye test there lookied just like someone crying. You know." Observed the bored Marine Medic.

"Ohmigawd he's dying... dying! Raven is DYDYIIIINnnnnnggggg..." sobbed Leo, wiping his eyes on his robe's sleeve, and blowing his nose onto it for good measure.

"Hi. . . we're going to Sickbay... come here often? Wanna come right here?" Kurita ventured to the giggling brunette in Yellow before returning to Leo. "Pull yourself together, man. He'll live."

Leo sniffed and snorted. Finally he inserted one pudgy finger and rooted around for the 'sob-booger' while mumbling "You think?" to Kurita.

"Yeah... it was close... but whatever you did down there, seems to have worked ... he's got a pulse and once the Doc sutures him back up, your little friend should be fine." ventured Kurita, eyes on the rump of the Ensign preceeding them.

"What? 'Friend?' You say it like there's some.. thing goin on with it!" Leo shot back.

"Huh?" asked Kurita, winking at the Engineer looking over her shoulder and giggling at him.

"LIKE IT'S SOME FRIEND OF SANSKY THING!" screeched Leo.

"whatever floats your boat little man. . ." observed Kurita, not paying any attention to the Civilian dweeb. Everyone knew that civvies were queerer than even Squids.

"it's not like that.... oh gawd.. hold on there Big Guy! Hold on Raven! Leo's gonna make it all better! JUST HOLD ON TO IT RAVEN! HOLD ON TIGHT! TIGHTER! YESSS! THAT'S IT!" sobbed Leo, as they waited for the turbolift car.

The shapely Ensign observed Leo clutching Raven's hand and crying, the vibrant pink and unmistakable 'sex-aide' shaped lightsaber Leo had fashioned poking out of Leo's robes.

She arched one delicate eyebrow at Kurita, who grinned, shrugged and rolled his eyes. She snickered and muttered to the Marine "It's cute. . ."

"What? Thanks toots. Most girlies use 'Mondo Bitchin' or "Whaoah BIG Hoss!" though. I hate the way these things gape...." muttered Leo, absentmindedly checking the fly on his boxers.

"What is that SMELL?" asked Kurita, as the turbolift closed on the four of them.

"Dunno. Probally some weirdo hospital thingey smell of yours. I slapped on some 'Hai Karate' cologne before saving the Universe today and that's all I'm getting." Leo observed, humming to himself and darting anxious glanes at Raven.

"Yeah..I smell it too now. It smells like some dead thing.. like a Denebian Slime Devil's ass, left to rot in the sun for a month and then. . ." began the Engineer.

"I dunno. All I smell is my cologne. Why's this taking so long?" Leo muttered darkly.

"What's with the robes?" asked the Ensign, edging towards Kurita and away from Leo.

"Chicks dig them." Leo muttered, running his pudgy hand up and down his lightsaber. Up and down... up and down...

"Dude, get a room." Snapped the Marine, seeing the repetitive motion out of the corner of his eye.

Leo lifted the sheet covering Raven and peeked at the emergency Field Dressing covering the horrific cut on his Kemosabe's gut.

"I know they cut his pants off, but you really should wait until he's feeling better." observed Kurita.

"What? WHAT? I was checking out his...I mean.. I was sneaking a peek at his..I was LOOKING at his... you know.. cut!" sputtered Leo.

"Sure." observed the Marine Medic.

" Cut?? I thought he was Indian, not Jewish?" observed the Ensign from Engineering.

'Native American' corrected Kurita, before he suddenly looked puzzled. He lifted a corner of the sheet and peeked himself, the Ensign's eyes grew wide over the Marine Sarge's shoulder at what lay exposed.

"Jewish Native American" corrected the Marine a moment later, letting the sheet fall back into place.

"Oh mah gawd... how long until he's... you know... ready for the saddle.. I mean... ready for FULL duty?" sighed the dazed looking Ensign.

The Marine shrugged.

"I can, you know.. leave. If you wanna be alone. Or I can hold the videocamera, or slather lube oil on someone... wrangle the midgets... whatever." Leo observed.

"Yeah.. see you." observed the Marine, leading the stretcher and the ensign off into Sickbay.

Leo saw another familiar face in Sickbay, and jumped out of the turbolift on their heels.

He marched right into Sickbay shouting "I WAS KIDDING!". . . and was promptly tossed out of sickbay by Sanchez.

"Penchey porquito cucarocha. . . see the sign? Medical Personal only!" she demanded, looming over Leo's supine form.

"It's Raven... he's sick. He's hurt.. WHY couldn't it have been me?" wailed Leo.

"No kidding Vato. I'll find out from the Doc. . .hold on." Sanchez disappeared

The Ensign from Engineering wandered out still looking dazed.

"You want some Fries with that Shake, baby?" leered Leo, before remembering his troubles. He turned to see Sanchez looming again.

"I see you're not so distraught you can't be a sleaze. Lt. Darkstar will be fine. Once he wakes up that is. We're enroute to Starbase 212 and he'll be in the hospital with El Jeffe. . ." Sanchez began.

"OH MY GAWD, THEY KILLED JII! YOU BASTARDS!" screamed Leo.

"I wish! No, el JEFFE. the Capitaine... El Generalissimo." Sanchez sighed.

"Who?" Asked Leo.

"Captain Price. . ."

"OH MY GAWD THEY KILLED PRICE AND JII! YOU BASTARDS!" screamed Leo.

"no...Captain Price , he's in surgery right now... the Lady Doc she say it no look good." Sanchez observed.

"Well, screw him...he tried to get me arrested. . . but Raven...?" asked Leo.

"Darkstar will pull through." Sanchez re-iterated.

"YES!" shouted Leo. "Sanchez, If you were a woman I'd kiss you right here, right now!" crowed Leo.

"Thanks.. HEY! Loco.. I am a woman! More woman than you could ever handle" relied Sanchez.

Leo stopped his 'happy happy dance' and eyed Sanchez from head to toe.

"Really? Gedouddahere. I always though that Jii was.. you know... one of... you know... and you're always lifting with PAilika . . and I thought you two were both. . . you know.. those sort of guys...all three of you. . ." he ventured.

"Give me just ONE reason why I don't rub you into a greaseball right here, right now?" growled Sanchez.

"Because... you haven't caught me in two years?" asked Leo, before he leapt into the air and grabbed Sanchez, planting an enormous resounding wet kiss on her shocked lips. After several moments, just as she found the ability to reach up for him, he dropped to the floor with a thud and scooted off into the distance shouting "Whhhhhhoooooo-HOOOOOO! Raven's gonna be okay!" around the corridor and across Deck 12.

Sanchez glared after him, spitting on the deck and promising herself the joy of bending Leo like a pretzel the next time he came within arms reach of her.

"Hehehehehe.. hey tubby! Didja see that [BLEEP]ing little dude just go [BLEEP] ing past us at like warpspeed? [BLEEP] that dude craks my shittznittz up!" chortled Security Crewman Jay to his cohort Crewman Silent Bob, as the duo came around the corner.

Sanchez's lips curled in an evil smile. Her second favourite projects.

"Gentlemen. . ." she purred stalking forwards.

"[BLEEP]!!!!" shouted Jay and Bob in unison.

* * * * *

(three days later)

Leo sat next to Raven's bed. In the room next door, Price was ensconced. The Senior Staff were moving in and out, past Raven's door. Very few of them stopped into see the Big Indian.

Raven was still 'out' of it.. mutering to himslef in Indian and tossing from side to side. Whatever Sprit Quest dreams he was having, they looke dpretty awful to Leo. Of Course, any dream not onvolving dancing girls looke dpretty awful to Leo.

Finally, as things were quieting down, Leo left Raven's side and tiptoed into Price's room. The lights were half dimmed, and the general tossed and turned on the bio-bed he was confined to at the moment.

"Who's there Mate? What's wrong?" Price demanded, his voice hoarse.

"It's me." Leo replied, in an awed voice.

"Hawksley? I thought you went to the Klingons?" Price said from his bed.

"ME!" Leo said, a bit louder.

"Oh.. uhhmm..litle girl, aren't you supposed to be in Primary Classroom One or Two? I'll call Lt. Grant-Greene and she can come get you back to your friends. . ." Price replied, reaching for the intercom.

"ME! Leo Streely!" Leo hissed.

"Oh. . ." replied Price, clearly not at ease with this particular visitor.

"We've been through a lot together.. you know?" Leo began.

"Hmmmm...." replied Price.

"Can I call you Robbie?" Leo pressed

"No."

"Bob? Bobster? Bobbie E Lee?"

"Is there a point in here,Mate? I'm feeling a tetch wonky."

"How about Edward Lee? That's like cool, with the whole four names thing, though if you were Bajoran, you'd be. . ." Leo pressed on

"Call me Captain Price." he sighed.

" Yeah right... so.. Bobbie...Remember how I saved the ship from the Changelings?" Leo continued, checking for Autumn's return.

"And assaulted an ex-Gul who was visiting, in the process..." Price added.

" Pfffttt! That? Who was also one of the federation's most wanted? Need I mention that I figur

ed that one out? Me? Alone? Where was that Jii guy then?" Leo waved off the criticism, before Price could reply that Jii had been searching for Leo on the Assault charges.

"Then there was the time that I fended off Borg drones who had invaded the ship? Huh? remember that time? Borgs to the Right, Borgs to the left, and me... phasers blasting and kicking metal asses. . . "

"You mean cowering with the sheilas while dressed as a Vulcan. You were stowing away on the ship then, weren't you?" Price asked, rubbing his forehead.

Leo looked around the room. "hey hey HEY! They BEGGED me to come to their slumber party! That Kira and the other lesbo girl BEGGED for Uncle Leo to come and. . . "

Leo was off in a daze. "Skin. . . ." he was mumbling to himself while drooling.

"Didn't you discharge an illegal phaser on my ship during that invasion?" Price continued.

"Illegal? I dunno anything about that.. they didn't say it was illegal when I bought it from those guys on Starbase 122 and smuggled it aboard stuck in my... NEVERMIND! Didn't I save some crew members there..including children?" leo screeched.

"Crikey mate, I have this headache. . ." said Price.

"Really? Cause you didn't say anything about a headache when I came in.. ." Leo asked.

"That's about when it started." observed Price wryly.

"Well, how about most recently I saved some more kids, not to mention Raven's life as I battled against a Legion of Vampires." Leo plowed on.

"I thought there were only 2?" Price commented.

"Oh but they seemed like Legion, OK? And I would be remiss if I didn't point out that since being assigned to the bar, assaults and other disorderly conduct dropped dramatically."

"Commander Jii tells me that the incidents of sexual harrasment have also gone up.. and what's this about some illegal betting pool I hear was being run down there?"

"Sexual Harassement? HEY! I suck it up and don't cry! Every time one of them dames is climbing all over me, you ain't gonna see Leo Streely whining about it! Who complained that I'm being sexually harassed?" Leo protested.

"The betting pools?"

"Illegal?" screeched Leo. 'That Sanchez took ALL my money from them! THAT's illegal! I stole.. err. earned that money fair and square and she TOOK it all!"

"Leo....point? I'm an ill man..." Price asked, rubbing his forehead again.

"Oh.. right... you know... the more I stay here the worse you look!" Leo commented. "HEY! There was the Hirogen, I saved everyone that time!" Leo crowed.

"I wasn't here...I was. . . away."

"Geddoudda here! That was a nice time for a vacation! I saved this ship for you PLENTY of times! Didn't I promise to look after it when Bhrode was here and you off on some vacation?"

"That would be the time it took us a month of repairs at Starbase 415 to fix everything? That time, Mate?" asked Price.

"Hey, that Bhrode guy... he has issues. A whole steaming pile of Monkey Poop sized pile of problems and issues." Leo griped.

"He left the recomendation that we either imprison you or shoot you." Price observed.

"Hehehe.. that whakky guy! Whadda Kidder!" guffawed Leo.

"Leo... point?" pressed Price.

"We gotta history! we're like blood brothers and stuff. Well.. not like REAL blood brothers... you know.. with the foreskin blood mingling like Raven told me about... but we..." Leo blustered around, fiddling with a piece of medical equipment.

"Leo, don't play with that.. it's not a toy.." Price said, just as Leo dropped the Hypospray on the floor.

"oops! HEHE!.. I'll just... urm... kick that over... here. So.. . Bobby. .. how ya doing?"

"Leo?"

"WHAT? Can't a guy pop in to try and cheer up his old pal? Can't a guy just be glad that his two Amigo's are gonna pull through this and will be around for more adventures soon? Can't a guy just be glad that. . . You ain't gonna walk again.. are you?" Leo asked, his pudgy face flushed.

"So they tell me. No worries though." Price answered.

"That SUCKS! I mean.. Youre like a HERO! You're the shittznittz! I'm telling you, you don't know how these people respect you! You could have had any girl on this ship. Just because you're YOU!" Leo ranted.

"well.." Price began modestly.

"You DID! you dawg..." Leo rubbed his hands together. "That Dallas, you did don't you? I can tell by the grin!... can she... you know.... HEY! Can you... you know. . .now...?" Leo asked.

"Like I said, I'm happy just to be alive Mate. No worries." Price declared, his voice as firm as it's ever been. His eyes drooping from the strain this conversation had been having on his endurance.

"You know... it's funny but I learnt a lot about myself on your ship too. I mean.. You know... I was this cynical jaded ex-reporter when I first met you guys. Sure, the girls loved me, but it was all empty. The adoring fans.. it was all a sham. I didn't feel any of it.. the love escaped me. i was just going through the motions...nothign was real to me. It was.. with you guys.. you know.. shooting the bad guys and saving everyone, time after time after time... I realized stuff about myself."

Leo pulled his chair closer the Lee's bedside.

"I mean... you know.. it's not easy being me. Here I was..a Q lovechild and didn't even know it. Then I thought I was a Jedi Knight. . . then I traded those powers.. you know what I traded them for Bobby? I traded them for the chance to be just a normal guy like you guys. To be a hero. Cause a hero ain't the guy who does impossible stuff without no consequences. A hero is a guy like you or Raven or Jii or Brian or. . . Karyn or the Gorn guy, or Sanchez or Autumn ...whadda ass on her, huh?" Leo paused to leer.

"A hero is a guy who goes out and does the impossible DESPITE the fact he could die any second. You guys... you're all... like heroes to me...and I was hoping... you know... I mean.. I done a lot for you guys. Sure I may have told a whopper. . . or seduced someone's girlfriend...or wife.. like Mrs Chris Thomas, whadda babe SHE was! And boy, was she freaky in the sack, let me tell YOU! But... wasn't I there for you when the chips was down too... I'd like to think I made a difference. Did I? Did I make a difference? Am I like.. a hero too? like you guys? Bobby? Bobby?" Leo looked down at the form of Price, covered by the BioBed sheet.

Price had drifted back into the healing sleep he needed.

Leo watched several more minutes. He lifted the corner of the sheet and peeked underneath a moment, his eyes widening.

"Who'd have thought it...?" He mused aloud, before dropping the sheet again.

"I love you guys, you know. Whatever happens to us all, I just gotta say it. Thanks General. " he declared, before leaving the room.

He stuck his head back in a moment later.

"But not like.. you know.. in THAT way!" he added.

Price shifted and opened bleery sleepclouded eyes. On seeing Leo he groaned.

"Hey... Bobby... Bob... would this be a bad time to ask about that Special Security Deputy Thing again?" Leo asked.

He never saw Sanchez coming, to grab him by the scruff of his neck and bodily remove him from Sickbay.

"THINK ABOUT IT!" Leo was screeching as he left Sickbay under Sanchez Power.

It was there, sitting in the hall outside Sickbay that he again encountered Lysander's Ferengi Robot Mister Barter.

"Hey Metal Man,you getting any?" Leo asked.

+Does Not Compute!+ grated out the junky vocoder on the Android.

"Gimmie five Low and Five High?" said Leo, holding his hand out for a Ghetto Salute.

+Negative. The Ferrengi Lottery is not a Hi/Low event. Straight Drawing for the Grand Prize, Would You Like to Buy A Ticket? Or Examine Our Lovely TimeShare Opportunities on Risa?+ the machine pressed on... faint tendrils of smoke rising from it's Monotronic Computer.

"Ferrengi Lottery? Never heard of it. Those things are all scams. I once signed up for one of those 'Win a night with a Deltan' but they never paid up! You ever heard of anyone winning one of those things?" Leo asked.

+The Ferrengi Lottery is new. Your odds are based on the total number of tickets sold. The Grand Prize is: two Googles Federation Credits and...+

"Hah! There's no such number as a Google! I knew it was a gyp!" Leo crowed.

+Negative. A Google is a Million Millions. To date.. no tickets have been sold. Only Charities can purchase tickets...+ the machine was saying... smoke starting to pour out of its' crevices.

"You the only ticket agent around, Metal man?" Leo asked, his eyes widening.

+Affirmative. I am the sole agent in the entire Alpha Quadrant. Would you Like to. . . +

"Gimmie a ticket for 'Saint Leo's Home for Wayward Women!" Leo screamed plonking down his credits.

He just got his receipt when the Ferrengi Android caught fire and blew peices of itself all over the hallway.

Leo ran back to his quarters as fast as hi stubby legs would carry him.

Passers-by distinctly heard him giggling and muttering to himself "I'm stinking rich. . . . AGAIN! MU-HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAH!"

=/\=

“There was a boy...”
By Anne as Lieutenant Lancelot Grogan, Medical officer and proud member of the USS Galaxy. Semper fi, my friends. We few, we proud, we band of very cool simmers :~) *starts crying*

*^*^*^*

So this was it, again…no more USS Galaxy. Lancelot placed his uniform in the duffle bag carefully. He looked at the rank insignia. Full Lieutenant. Not that anything would ever make him a proper officer. He frowned, his fingers playing over the metal. He had earned them, himself. Not as a renter, not as a buttkisser...but as a doctor. He moved to the draws by the door, meeting his own face in the mirror there. He looked sad. Strange...

Lance sighed and removed the items. A few shirts, underwear, socks, belts, condoms, a knife...he looked at the knife for a moment before placing it in the smaller bag. He looked around in the bedroom. It seemed empty, like he had never been there. But that was Starfleet...you had never been there.

He took his jacket and his bag, moving to the living area. A few books were still there, which he was planning to read on his way to Earth. He rubbed his neck as he looked around. Good memories here...him and Alia, him and Brian. He smiled over those memories. His next mission was the Miranda. Apparently someone wanted him there...he hadn’t requested anything after all. But nevertheless, he was going to the Miranda.

And so was Alia...

He wasn’t so sure about Brian. Brian was a mystery to him. A mystery he respected but also pulled away from. Maybe it was because he was a counsellor.

And Alia...he pulled away from her as well. Because she knew the truth. And she always said she loved him...

He hated that word. Love. Ha! It never helps. Love hurts...

He shook his head and grabbed the books, shoving them into the bag and looking around. “Well...everything has to end sooner or later,” he said to himself and shrugged. He never tried to get too attached to something...or someone.

He walked out of his former quarters, his eyes moving around. Everyone seemed so sad. Some were hugging and crying, others exchanging gifts. He had had an unceremonial goodbye with the poker team and the rest.

He looked down, a strange feeling inside of him. Kinda bitter. He shook it off and looked around again.

No...he wasn’t attached to this place.

But why then was he so sad that he was leaving?

Four Eyes
By Lieutenant Vladimir Malgin
Acting Chief Medical Officer, USS Galaxy And Lieutenant James Lionel Corgan
Chief of Operations, USS Galaxy

Genre: Comedy
Location: Hell (which is = Sickbay)
Time: Shortly after the Galaxy-s departure

It was the appointment James Corgan dreaded ever since his last physical. It was inevitable, sure, but what were the alternatives? It was either visit now, or put it off later, when by that time he would be as blind as a bat in one eye.

By the appointment, of course, he referred to his eye appointment. The Hirogen were responsible for taking away most of the vision in his right eye, his shooting eye, the one eye he had to rely upon for almost anything important.

And in that battle, it was taken away, slashed, repaired, but not repaired enough to restore his vision. And though it bugged him during his stay on Lanjep, he didn-t want to go do anything about it. The doctors had unpalatable alternatives to leaving his eye as is- and mostly useless. One was a cybernetic implant. Though it would improve his vision greatly and leave him with all sorts of bells and whistles, it would also disqualify him as a marksman, which he someday wanted to participate in again.

The second alternative was almost as bad, but bearable. Glasses. Primitive plastic lenses with metal wire frames. Glasses, the symbol of the nerd, geek and loner. Glasses, the sign that someone was either an old fashioned nutcase, or a plain old nutcase altogether.

But it wasn-t enough that James had to go to sickbay, put on these -glasses- in front of the doctors, and look like a stereotypical mad scientist, but he also had to arrange an appointment with the one doctor who despised him the most.

?Dr. Malgin? James entered sickbay, looking for the doctor unenthusiastically as he walked through his chamber of horrors. The one doctor who held a grudge against him, and he had to end up with him. Fate was cruel, and funny at times. James thought whatever fate struck him, it was not mere coincidence. Somebody wanted to make him miserable. ?I-m here for my appointment.

The day was good for acting CMO of USS Galaxy... It was HIS sickbay, HIS own county and he was the one and only dictator of this. The sweetness of holding all the power even in one small department makes life good. But for Vladimir Malgin, there was something, which could do the life even better than that - if he had somebody to put his surgeon hands on. The best cadidate was...

~CORGAN!!! Once again operations guy... I have an appointment with him?! Way past cool! This is going to be something really entertaining for me... And once again it'll teach him NOT to appear in MY sickbay!~ blasted Malgin's mind. OF course before turning to his victim, Russian Dr. Evil made an evil grin (which might have fit bad guys in cheap 20th century sci-fi movies). Then he turned to Corgan.

"Well, well... Back in here? Haven't you mistook your way, lieutenant? This is SICKBAY, not 10-forward."

"Nope, I'm at the right place. Dungeon of Horrors. Take a left turn at Albuquerque and don't stop until you hear the screams." Corgan snidely remarked. "You must be glad to see me here, doctor. Am I correct?"

Vladimir laughed "I am your terror and your nightmare, I know it. You're mine too. So, since you intrigued me, tell me... What a HELL are you doing here?!"

Corgan replied, committing himself not to be intimidated by the sadistic churugeon, "Should be obvious. I'm here for my appointment. Something to do with eyeglasses appearantly, Doc?"

Vladimir muttered under his breath "Appointment, sapointment... Not appointment, but..." then he said in full voice "Okey-dokey, mister. Follow me and try not to make me use a narcosis at you. Understood?"

Dr. Malgin sat James Corgan on one of the biobeds. He picked up an optical scanner and flashed it against his injured eye. He blinked, the sharp light like a pinprick in his cornea. James asked politely, "Dr. Malgin. I was wondering about my options for my glasses. Is it possible to add in shades? It's possible to add in a darkening shade with a toggle switch. And if you don't mind, I also found a design in the database that I like. I hope you don't mind."

Without turning his eyes to Corgan Vladimir replied "At this moment you have only one 100% option - to sit still and close your mouth." HE allowed himself a little snicker "Well, and seriously... If I add shades on your glasses, it will make you look like blind man; also it will affect glasses effect to worse side. So this 'option' is threwn away by me. At all.

Final decision. No protests. As for second suggestion... Well, you see I am very kind, generous and cute man today, so... OK. I will allow your design."

"Thanks, but if I go blind due to sunlight, i'll know who to blame." Corgan begrudgingly kept still on the biobed, uncertain about Dr. Malgin's next move, "Are you still sore about that argument last time?"

"Sure thing, lad. This is my final answer. Strong as Kremlin walls. Nothing will change my opinion. I am a doctor here. YOU are the patient. In Sickbay patient has no rights except of being healed. That's all, understood?" said Vladimir in usual grumbling style.

James responded, "Doc... if I said I was wrong, even if I wasn't, would you drop the grumpy doctor act?" Tactless, but he wanted to raise some sort of response from Dr. Malgin that didn't involve him grumbling.

"This is not grumbling, my friend! It is a constatation of fact. You will do what I say. Count me a dictator, a tyrant, a bastard, however you wish. But it is my words and you will follow 'em. No rioting moves." Vladimir said. He was almost flaming, but he walked to ditant shelves, took the needed glasses from there and gave it to Corgan with words "If this will make you happy, mister Corgan, I will be transferred from the Galaxy to starbase 'Moscovia'. Apparently we will not hear about each other again. I am more than happy to know it. That's all, lieutenant. Get out of my sickbay!"

"You're avoiding my question." He gently took the glasses out of Dr. Malgin's hands, "Would you be happy if I admitted that I was wrong? Quite frankly, I don't care if you want to kill me, or want to have kinky bum sex with me to show your adoration. But I want to hear it from you... if I said I was wrong, would you lay off?"

Vladimir grinned "Not a chance, man. You style just plainly kills me. ANd even if you said you were wrong, I know that it'll be only words. And you're right - if I had a chance to forget Hippocratic Oath, I wil without a moment hesistation put strongest poison ever in your mouth. Be sure of that. So you'd better not try my patience."

"Malgin, let me get to the point." He experimentally slid the glasses over his eyes and onto his ears. He tested his vision, closing his good eye and seeing through the damaged one. His vision was cleared up exponentially. He could see ever detail in sickbay, from the largest instrument to the smallest writing on the LCARS panel. He then closed his bad eye and saw through the good one. Everything else was just as clear. The lens on his left eye was unaltered; a fake because his left eye needed no aids, while the one on the right was composed of tri-layered plastics. The glasses were thin and light weight, and comfortable to wear. If Dr. Malgin wasn't a decent being, he was at least a decent doctor, "Thank you. These glasses are excellent. Look, i'm being transferred to McKinley Station. I may take some more training on Earth while i'm at it, so I won't be seeing you again for quite some time, if ever. But before I go, I wanted to patch things. You know, I was bullheaded and indignant. For that I apologize."

"Enough apologies. Only pray to God that I never see yer again. I hope your prayers will be strong enough to make God hear you." russian doctor smiled "And yes, I admit that you were bullheaded and indignant. However also you were dumb, plainheaded etc. Now I will repeat my words again - if you don't want to escalate our friednly talk, let you ass be outta the doors of sickbay in the few nearest seconds. Have a good day, lieutenant. And... Good luck." Vladimir nodded and walked away.

"Yeah..." James left sickbay with his new glasses, a set frown on his face, "I guess....."

He left with one last thought, ~"I supposed i'll never be able to patch things up. How terrible..."~

"So Long, And Thanks..."
By Lieutenant James Lionel Corgan
Chief of Operations, USS Galaxy

Location: Crew Quarters, USS Galaxy, Currently docked at Starbase.

Soundtrack: "Slow Down" By the Smashing Pumpkins

Memories, both the tiny pieces of messed up brain bandwidth inside your head, and the objects that trigger said memories into being remembered, have a lot more in common than James though they had before. In a person's regular thinking, an object was just that... an object. An inanimate piece of furniture, an instrument, a collectable of Earth's rich rock and roll music history, to most people they would be just another object that one collected over a lifetime of muddling around in a place called life.

But to James, he though these objects were so much different... at least for the moment when he was being philosophical. An object was a trigger, a catalyst of a dozen or so motions inside his cluttered, emotion maddened mind to produce a vague memory of a past incident, which can be later amplified and brought to greater clarity through concentration, thinking about the past event, or the revelation of another object which brought the process further to completion. To James, objects were more than funny little knick knacks he collected over the years. They told his life story. They were his biography of his interests, and what happened in his life that brought on the collection of said items.

And like memories, they could be packed up and forgotten, until later when he or someone else decides to open them up to the future, to bring these dusty old memories out so that they can tell their story. Memories, both bad and good, can be packaged away, sealed, and thrown in a dark pit to be brought up at his choosing. His biography, in some sense, can be written in one book, locked up like a diary, and saved for later.

He didn't know how much of these items he was going to see ever again. All packaged in neat, plastic containers and locked via an LCARS interface pass number lock, his ‘memories', like the ones in his brain, were being locked up so that only he could access them.

He grabbed a PADD from the table, the one holding his next assignment. Rumors of the USS Galaxy crew being treated like memories, being boxed up and shipped god knows where, were actually true. Some were being sent to the outer reaches as explorers, other on projects, a few more taking on some training or some lucrative positions in the Federation. Then, James thought that memories are like people too, just another thing people possessed to make their lives meaningful. Without people in their loop, they had nothing good to remember anything by. People were memories, or at least they made them memorable like objects.

Everyone had a PADD just like his, a special one use PADD telling them where their next assignment would be. James Corgan was considered one of the lucky ones, if he could count himself as such. He was assigned to one of the hardest positions to gain in Starfleet. It wasn't a Tactical School in the middle of a massacre sight (such sacrilege!), or the hottest Sovereign or Prometheus class ship to leave Utopia Planetia shipyards. It wasn't even on a restored NX class vessel being taken to the Starfleet Museum. He was being sent to the one and only Earth McKinley Space Station. The transport hub of Sol Sector, and he was going to be a customs agent. A busy job, considering nothing went to Earth unless it passed through McKinley. It utilized Ops organizational and administrative skills and security's abilities to seize shipments and beat down smugglers. A highly sought after position, and he was offered it. Deep Space Nine or the Enterprise had nothing on McKinley.

~"A customs agent in the Sol Sector. Somebody must think I'm worth something."~ He sighed, throwing the PADD carelessly into the box with his collection of 20th century death metal. The only reason he accepted the job was because somebody he cared deeply about was on Earth. The job was only part time as part of a training program for Starfleet Officers looking to increase and upgrade their skills in a given field. Give them an important task, and some classes in which to gain skills they would use in these important jobs, and then watch as they become better, more productive units in society.

Damn, he felt like a freakin' remedial grade special case! But remedial it was not.Hundreds were selected each year for ATaS (Advance Tactical and Security) training. Most positions were reserved for those who were either gifted, or worked their ass off in the most dangerous settings alive. Upon graduation, they were usually sent on small ships who merged the job of tactical and security officer, where their training would be most needed. In short, it was training for those who didn't make Red Squad in the Academy, did well enough in the line of duty to gain additional training. James felt he earned his spot. Protecting an ambassador, playing a small role in the uncovering of a corruption plot, and surviving the Hirogen, Borg and Decilian incidents was enough to qualify. The Galaxy's deadliest couldn't kill him yet. Why not reap some benefits?

He wasn't seeking benefits, but something to do on Earth while he waited for Electra Reece to finally wake up. She missed so many events on the Galaxy. Her sudden departure from Ianjep after the conference went flat on it's ass, the Hirogen's farewell on a dying planet, and the breakup of the crew that was almost as sad as seeing the breakup of a popular rock band. So much happened while she was fitfully comatose. He wished he could experience every disaster with her, because when she was around disasters were muffled to mere hiccups in the scheme of the universe.

James pulled a framed picture of himself with Electra Reece at Saria Prime during shoreleave (somewhere between the Vampires and the Hirogen incident). A street vendor took the badly focused picture at an amusement complex. They had such a wonderful time. Nothing could have spoiled that night.

The memory of a perfect night, tossed into the box as carelessly as every other item. He was going back to Earth, to train in more advanced skills to keep up with such highly educated peers as Lieutenant Commander Hawksley, Commander Von Ernst, and Lieutenant Reece. ~"Damn, I feel like I'm being left behind."~ He admitted sadly, ~"They've gone so far and changed so much, and here I am... changed in spirit and mind, but not improved in my real life. Sure, I get to see Lexa more often, but if I don't take this training I won't ever be able to catch up with the likes of them. I'll be left behind... as nothing more than an expendable stooge. I can't let that happen."~

He threw in the box of Smashing Pumpkins CD's ("The Aeroplane Flies High" box set) which he one from an obnoxious bully from back at the academy when he first boarded the ship. ~"Expendable. They're off, getting all this, probably the admiralty's last hope of saving the f**king universe, and I'm nothing more than a stupid redshirt whom they wouldn't think twice about sending me behind the rock hiding the next killer beast. ("Yes, a little TOS humor." Ed) Funny, but what makes their destiny more important? What did they do to deserve it? Can't they just stay behind like the rest of us and keep us company? Or better yet, keep me company? What's wrong with that? What's wrong with being one of us? Now I have to try to catch up with everyone I know so that I can be an elite just like them... so that I can actually sit at the same table with them. Gawd how frustrating it is to try to get on their level, and I have to do it without an Admiral helping me out! Dammit!"~

The next item to go was his framed ‘Lost Souls: Machinations' poster, showing interconnected brass gears and cogs with caligraphy writing. He put it in the box with his other posters, on top of the one showing ancient rock star Trent Reznor drinking a decanteur of Absinthe, ~"What does it matter anyways? I'll never be anywhere near that level, and as hard as it is, I'll have to accept it. Besides, they're gone. Rebecca's sick of me and Lysander hates me for some reason. F**k ‘em. Let the Admiralty chew them up and humble them. Let whatever galactic menace give them a horrible death. At least on this fools errand, I'll get to see Lexa more often. I miss her so much."~ He grumbled fiercely.

Memories, such as the ones where his former (and now elite friends) were concerned, were as bitter as sand in his throat. The items that reminded him of their presence drove him to borderline anger as hurt and betrayal washed through him. An ice cream float parfait cracked as it escaped the grip of his fingers and hit the edge of a packing crate, as did an oddly misplaced positronic brain labeled as belonging to ‘Kor'cha' Industries (a sub-division of Hawksley Holdings Inc.). ~"Cool your jets, mister."~ He reminded himself, ~"Whatever happened between you and your former friends is no excuse to get angry."~

~"Right, and they deserve all those blessings too I bet."~

~"Rebecca did. She was picked on for god knows how long. As for Lysander... what can I say? The universe is smegged up as he would say.""~

~"F**k it. I want to drop them anyways. Left the two f**kwads on a sour note anyways."~

The next item he hefted in his hands was a weighty display case, holding exotic alien weapondry of Hirogen origin. A huge hunting rifle designed for something almost twice his size, two pistols, and a curved, sickle like slashing blade were all in a case, shined and gleaming electric blue. It went in its own case. Customs was picky about weapons being taken to Earth, alien or Federation, souvenirs or otherwise.

~"What about the friends I'm leaving?"~ He asked himself. He was leaving his counselor, Navarre Shinta for good. He was off the hook when it came to counseling. Now deemed ‘sane' and ready to integrate into society benefitally, he saw no reason to see her again on a professional basis. Yet he was not finished with her. He still had to find out what exactly was eating away at the counselor. It was only fair, considering she found out what was eating him. He was starting to enjoy her company, a first in his relationships with any counselors.

He was leaving behind Lieutenant Commander Rose MacAllen. She was the only one who knew exactly what was on his mind (the benefit of being a Betazoid). That left James in a vulnerable position, where he had to play nice or risk eternal wraith. But in this strange, fearful friendship, where at any moment James' inner workings could be used against him by someone who knew what they were, he found that he could trust the Betazoid science officer with almost anything.

He was leaving behind people who had reason to think he was a prick as well. Counselor Karyn Dallas, who mistaken his question as a jab at her skills as an ambassador, never received an apology, for he was too ashamed and afraid to deliver one before she left for her next assignment. Or there was Lieutenant Norman Freeman, who took the assistant chief of operations position on the USS San Buenaventura, who almost started an insurrection because he didn't like Corgan's brand of leadership. Or Lieutenant Vladimir Malgin, who infuriated James, and did not accept his apologies for anything.

He loved them all because they were the people who made his life worth living. Without them, there would be no James Lionel Corgan to screw up the grand plan of the universe. He would be a nobody, alone and waiting to die in the arms of the devil. For a brief second, he felt love for everyone.

Then he remembered that some of these people would not do the same in return. He took his framed picture of the senior staff, whom he never felt a legit part of, and callously stuffed it between two stacks of Minidiscs.

He was packing up his memories and leaving the tritanium womb of the USS Galaxy, his only home for a year and a half of the most turbulant time in his life. He was leaving more than just a ship, but a community full of people, places and past events that shaped him as much as his years at the academy, or his years living as a Starfleet brat on the USS Calgary. It was on this ship that he experienced the best and the worse times of his life. He fell in love with the most wonderful woman he ever meet in the Galaxy's sickbay during the Vampire in

cident. Through disaster, they meet and through disaster at the hands of the Hirogen, they were torn apart again.

On the USS Galaxy, James confronted his worse fears at the hands of the Borg Collective. A phobia established during his encounter during the second invasion, he fought drones again on the ship and nearby in a desperate fight inside a Borg Cube. He fought his worse nightmare though the punishing barrages of his phaser and inside the corridors of his mind, under the protective visage of Lieutenant Commander Shinta. The broken haft of a combat knife he used against a drone clattered inside a packing crate.

On the USS Galaxy, he found friends and family, and lost them again as his social ineptitude allowed them to slip away from him like the proverbial sandworms out of his fingers. People he loved dearly like brothers and sisters, who didn't give him the same respect, came and went in his life like flitter gnats's luminescence.

On the USS Galaxy, his best accomplishments took form, as he carefully gathered his Machinations and Deux Ex albums into one box, and the original PADDS he composed the music in another.

On the USS Galaxy, he found more about himself through others. His vanity, his propensity to control events, his kindness and caring, his own personality which he could not figure out were revealed by others. He learned more about himself, what he was capable of and what his shortcomings were, than in any other time. The last item on his wall, a small shaving mirror, was tossed in without breaking the glass.

He then closed the lid shut, it's plastic fasteners and buckles snapping into place. Lieutenant James Corgan was left with an empty room. No memorabilia on the walls. None of the misplaced items that symbolized the lived in look were present. His items, his memories, were uncomfortably packed away into boxes both big and small. All except one small item; the glasses he wore on his face, recently picked up from Dr. Vladimir Malgin, reminding him of the last thing on the ship in which he failed to do.

James looked at his room one last time. The USS Galaxy was his home for the most turbulant year and a half of his life, the year and a half that set his real life into motion. No matter how happy or sad it was during that wild ride, he couldn't stay angry at the ship. He remembered at first how he didn't want to be on board after a year of counseling and physiotherapy. Fresh out of the Dominion War and unsure of what an out of place groundpounder like him could do in the world of exploration, yet that was what he wanted, though he didn't want it in the same class of ship that claimed the lives of his parents. He compared the ship to the ill fated USS Odyssey, and consigned himself to being already dead.

He didn't know how wrong he was. Though his old self was dead, he had to admit that life on the Galaxy was good to him. People changed, and events changed, but none of it was the ship's fault. Overall, he had a good life on the USS Galaxy. It was hard to think of what life would be like outside of her hull.

He had to admit, he was going to miss the old girl. He was going to miss HIS home.

No farewell was fitting enough for the place he called home. Good byes and speeched couldn't describe exactly how he felt. One word was going to have to describe everything.

"Computer..." He said before departing, "Lights."

The end... until TNG.

“* 'S Fágaim mo Bhaile”

Lieutenant Adrian An’quinsos
Counselor
And
And Unauthorized Appearance by
Captain Price
(May I do this justice!)

**Sickbay: 1 Hour before arrival at Starbase 518**

Many had left when he had entered the room, except for a few nurses attending to the Captain and a Doctor monitoring his vital signs. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing that he was still alive. Out of his Starfleet uniform, the El-Aurian was dressed in very nice civilian clothes, a pair of khaki’s, black shirt, and the noticeable signs of a silver necklace beneath his shirt.

As he drew nearer, the Captain seemed asleep, and his first instincts were to leave. However, his higher mental functions told him otherwise.

Then again, the Captain was probably exhausted having visitors.

“Come in mate,” An Australian voice responded. “I could always use another visitor.”

“Am I disturbing you?” He asked with concern.

“Not at all,” He assured. “I was wondering if someone else was going to show.”

Adrian walked up to the bed looked up at the monitor and looked back down with a light smile. “It’s good to have you back sir.”

“It’s good to be back,” He stopped a moment to get a better look at the blue-eyed humanoid. He had gave the unmistakable feeling of someone older than he appeared, and immediately recalled the name of the only El-Aurian officer serving aboard the Galaxy. “Adrian.”

His smiled grew, and he nodded in kind. He was about to ask the question that had probably strayed from the lips of nearly everyone who had come to see him after the Chief Medical Officer lifted her adamantine band, and decided in the interest of the Captain to avoid the question of ‘How are you?’ His voice instead took on a more serious, somber note, a bit unusual for him, but seemingly expected.

“When I got word about what had happened to you sir, I was very upset.” He bowed his head. “If it would have been in my power, if perhaps I could have felt it sooner…” He trailed off without finishing those final thoughts. “I’m sorry Captain, for all that has happened to you.”

The Captain looked up at him, a bit perplexed, with little idea of what he was conveying. He had heard that the El-Aurian people were tight-lipped and very private, perhaps this was a slip of the tongue. Even his mother was Even Adrian’s mother was reluctant to share anything with him when the Sanguinarians were aboard.

“No worries mate!” He smiled. “I’ve been assured the best medical treatment Starfleet has to offer.”

“I’m sure you have sir.” He said looking back at him. “Which reminds me, I have something for you.”

As he began to fish it out of his pocket, he began the explanation. “Captain Nagh’tok of the Klingon High Guard found this at the lake, or rather his men. He gave this to me to give to whoever lost it. I had set it on commander Jii’s desk, but later returned with a message telling him that I would return it to you.” It slowly came forth into view as a hat with various fishing implements on it. It looks to be in excellent conditions, aside from a few crinkles. “I believe this is yours sir. The fishing pole I returned to your quarters.”

The Captain smiled as Adrian handed it to him. “Thank you mate.” He looked back up at Adrian with a question.

“So how were you able to get this the Captain?”

“Oh that,” He looked around and grinned. “My sister, Admiral Sonia An’quinsos is an adopted Daughter of his House. I saved his grandfather Kro’noQ on a hunting expedition. He indirectly knew me through the Admiral and the stories about our stay.” His brow characteristically raised. “They were going to make me a member of the House of Be’thor, but we left… perhaps in time before that event. There’s still talk though!” He laughed.

“I’m sure there is.”

“And Perhaps when you are recovered enough, I could take you to a better fishing spot,” He suggested. “One without unwanted pests or other dangers.”

“That would be great,” He said. “I’m holding you to it!”

Adrian grinned.

They continued to talk, with Adrian doing more listening than talking. It seemed like the most natural thing in the Universe. Then, after all things were said Adrian departed.

“Adjio mrolostae kinache” He said in his intricate native tongue, then replied in English. “May the winds of time direct you favorable through your journey.

"Melancholy"
by Admiral Robert Edward Lee Price

"Admiral's Log. Stardate 50209.11."

"It's been over three months since I resigned my commission as Commanding officer of the USS Galaxy. I wish that I could say that the time passed quickly, but because of physical rehab and what seemed like countless hours of psychological counseling, things seemed to have dragged since my 'accident'."

Admiral Price glanced down at his hover chair that floated at his office desk located on Earth at Starfleet Head Quarters.

"It certainly hasn't been easy making the adjustment to loosing the use of my legs. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't rather be back on the Galaxy at my former rank with my former abilities. Not that they aren't making me feel welcome and accepted here at Starfleet Command. Admiral Louvois got together with several of the officers on the council yesterday and threw a 'welcome on board party' in my honor. Phillipa is always doing things like that. She's one of the more social members of the Starfleet council. I've received warm welcomes from several of the senior officers here. Admirals Okuda, Jellico whom I went through the academy with, Nakamura, and of course Admiral Paris who is probably the one most responsible for getting me a seat on the council. Unfortunately Admiral Casey was not available for the party. He and his wife are on holiday, but he did hail to wish me a distant welcome to Starfleet's top brass. Also not available was Admiral Hoth, which was sort of strange since it is my understanding that it was Jurgen's idea to originally nominate me for the promotion and seat on the council. Anyway, I 'ave no complaints about my new 'mates hospitality; They are all a great bunch of hard working people and I look forward to working with each of them in the coming months, running Starfleet Command from my position on the council."

Lee paused his dictation and moved his hover chair back slightly, while he glanced around his new office. It was quite spacious and high on the 43rd floor overlooking the city. The General had taken all of the souvenirs he formerly had decorating the ready room onboard the USS Galaxy and had used them to decorate this new office. New to the collection was a large titanium scale model of the USS Galaxy. Looking at the half-meter long replica turned the Admiral's thoughts to his former assignment and the friends he'd left to take this new position with Starfleet Command.

"Things have definitely changed. My understanding is that Captain Brhode has been permanently assigned as the USS Galaxy's commanding officer. A good third of the crew, along with most of the senior staff put in for transfer to new assignments once they heard that Brhode was my replacement." Lee smiled sheepishly, "Having had the unfortunate pleasure of serving with John before, I guess they figured to find greener pastures elsewhere. A bunch of my former crew transferred to the USS Miranda. A few went to the Istanbul and Relentless. It's hard to keep track of them all. Several officers on the Galaxy were promoted when Brhode took over to fill vacated positions left by the senior officer departures. I'm sure the 'mates will be able to handle anything that comes there way. They've been trained to handle anything, and over the years we pretty much have seen it all on the Galaxy."

Lee picked up a small quartz crystal that Counselor Dallas had given him before she took a hiatus from Starfleet and returned to Betazed. Rolling it around in his fingertips his thoughts turned to Karyn. Lee remembered Karyn's heartfelt apology for going against his orders and for letting him down in her eyes. Shaking his head he could remember telling her to have "no worries". It wasn't her fault some lunatic Breen idealists decided to kidnap him from his little fishing trip on lanjep. Lee had said it probably was his fault for taking shore leave in the first place. He had always said that vacations would be the death of him. Smiling he put the quartz column back down on his desk. He was pretty sure he'd helped to cheer Karyn up and convince her that he harbored no ill will towards her or her first command assignment because of her actions or the way things turned out. Still, he wondered if the Commander's hiatus from Starfleet and return to Betazed was actually going to turn into a resignation. Only time would tell.

Glancing at the briefing packet on his desk, Lee realized that he needed to pull himself out of the melancholy mood he'd placed himself in. Admiral Nechayev had given Lee the packet with summaries of the many different projects and issues currently on the schedule for Starfleet Command. He'd read through enough of it to realize there were quite a lot of important decisions regarding Starfleet and the safety of the Federation that needed to be made by the council. He'd certainly have his challenges ahead of him in getting fully up to speed with the rest of the council.

"Well, enough dilly dallying around. I need to get through the rest of this briefing material before the council meets at one this afternoon. Computer, close Admiral's log entry."

The computer responded with the correct tones even as Lee began opening the briefing packet to read through the rest of the summaries. While spreading them out on his desk to sort through them to find where he'd left off yesterday, his door chime sounded. Glancing up, Lee called out, "Come in 'mate, it's open."

The wooden doors opened and entering was an attractive yeoman. "Sorry to interrupt Admiral Price, but there is someone here to see you sir."

"G'day 'mate. Why don't you show them in Yeoman?"

The Yeoman hesitated for a moment, looking awkwardly towards the door and then back at the General. "Sir, it's a Borg..."

Lee gave his boyish grin, "No worries miss Spice. It's okay. You can let Three of Four in."

"Yes sir. Right away Admiral." Yeoman Spice nodded, still uncertain and a little disturbed at there being a Borg drone waiting in the reception area.

The Admiral continued sorting through the briefing papers, smiling to himself as he imagined how that conversation might have went...

"We will see Admiral Price."

"Excuse me? Do you have... an appointment with the Admiral?"

"Appointments are irrelevant. You will comply. We are Borg."

"I'm sorry miss?..." Spice might have asked.

"We are Three of Four. You will take us to see Admiral Price at once."

Lee used a hand to cover his grin at the way he imagined things might have gone. A short time later Three of Four came marching into his office.

"G'day 'mate. Please, close the door behind you."

Three of Four stopped and turned to look at the wooden door, almost as if she was annoyed that the device didn't automatically swish shut like the entrances on the USS Galaxy. After a moment, she complied, returning to manually shut the door and returning to the Admiral's desk.

"An inefficient mechanism."

Lee smiled. He never thought he'd be amused by something a Borg drone said, but somehow having Three of Four here reminded the Admiral of the many odd times he'd experienced on the USS Galaxy. "A bit old fashioned perhaps, but effective. So what can I do for you 'mate?"

Three of Four's head turned with a slight jerk, as if she were assimilating the question with her collective mind. Finally she responded. "Nothing. We are to observer and insure the conditions of our treaty are met."

Lee leaned back in his chair and looked at the Borg. "Yes, but wasn't your assignment to be served on board the USS Galaxy? I'd think you'd want to be there to see that the multi-phasic torpedoes are not used per our peace treaty with the Borg collective."

"We are to observe Robert Edward Lee Price. You will comply in accordance with the agreement." Three of Four stated unemotionally.

"But I'm no longer commanding the USS Galaxy. My recent injury has forced me to resign my commission as a starship captain and take a position here on the council of Starfleet Command. Wouldn't it be better to be stationed on board a starship to better observe that Starfleet is sticking to the treaty our people have agreed to 'mate?" Lee tried to reason.

"Your logic is flawed. O

ur assignment is clear. Observe Robert Edward Lee Price and ensure compliance with the terms of the treaty. Your damaged body is irrelevant. The assignment here gives you greater access to data throughout the fleet. Your promotion has insured a greater level of compliance." Three of Four corrected.

Lee gave a sigh. He had dealt with Three of Four long enough to know when she'd made up her mind about something. "Very well 'mate. Make your self comfortable and try to stay out of the way."

"Comfort is irrelevant." She stated.

Three of Four just continued to stand there, peering down at Admiral Price at his desk. After a moment, Lee shifted uncomfortably in his hover chair.

"Do you mind not standing right there 'mate? You make it hard to concentrate on my work." Lee asked.

Three of Four seemed to assimilate this request and then decided it was a reasonable one. Turning, she walked a few meters to the left and then turned and stood at a near by wall, still facing the General where she could observe his every move. "Is this location more satisfactory?"

Lee nodded, "Aye." He could tell that this new job with Starfleet Command was going to be filled with strange new challenges that he'd boldly have to overcome. He'd of given anything to turn back the clock and be his old self on board the Galaxy once again. But now that was behind him. His life changed forever by his injury and his new position as one of the Admirals on the Starfleet council. It was time to live up to his responsibilities and face the consequences of his actions of the past. If that meant baby-sitting a Borg drone for the next ten years to comply with an agreement that prevented a huge scale Borg war, then so be it. He just wondered how the other Admirals on the council were going to react to having a Borg Drone around.

Digging in, Lee began reading over the briefing reports for this afternoon's session of the council. He wasn't sure how it had happened, but somehow, the General had become a bureaucrat with Starfleet Command. As loathe as that sounded, his new position did have one perk that being the CO of the USS Galaxy had never afforded him in his twenty-year career. He now could eat real barbecue anytime he wanted, compliments of Head Quarters, Starfleet Command.

***

Epilog:

It's a snow covered, blizzard filled planet. Swirls of cold and ice blow about, giving visible signs of the cold, cold temperatures of the hostile climate of this place. Through the blinding white flurries of frost, a heavily bundled figure comes marching towards the camera. The natural fur outer covering surrounds a more modern Starfleet thermal suit underneath. But still, it's not enough to keep the frostbite from nipping at the face of the poor soul inside. With an exhale of hot breath that immediately turns to steam clouds as the human heated air escapes the man's mouth and nostrils, the man comes closer through the muck and cold until he's fully in view.

"Gggggg-gggg-ggg-aaaa-wwwwww-ddddd ddddd-ddd-ddd-aaaaa-mmmm-nnnn! Itssssss ffffffff-ffff-fffff-rrrrrrr-iiiii-ggg-ggg-ggg-gg-gg-in ccc-ccc-cc-ccccc-cccc-oooo-lllllll-dddd hhhhh-hhh-hh-hh-hh-hh-hhhhh-eeee-rrrr-rr-rrrrrrr-e!!" Commander Christopher Kell Thomas manages to stutter from the Federation Embassy Outpost on the planet Breen.

:: Cut to black, roll ending credits and musical score ::

***

NRPG:
Well gang, as the immortal Captain James T. Kirk once said in cannon, "It's been fun."

I'm planning to keep the website up with all of our stories and stuff. Expect the website to change around a little bit as it switches from an active PbeM site to a fan fiction legacy site. I'm also hoping to add a backstage section where I can put up some of the materials and things that went into making the Galaxy the sim that it was. So stop by every once in a while and check it out.

I've sort of set the stage here for what Admiral Price's new position and surroundings are like at Starfleet Command head quarters back on earth. Those of you continuing your character adventures on other sims, or sticking with Galaxy TNG, feel free to use Admiral Price as an NPC in your stories. Just remember to role-play him true to form and remember, he's always one of the good guys.

Live long and prosper.

Mark Williams
Former GM - AES Email Sim: StarTrek: USS Galaxy NCC-70637
Formerly Aka - Admiral Robert Edward Lee Price http://www.aesim.com/galaxy/