I have always used shore leave for its intended purpose: as a time to relax and have fun. When Starfleet had sent us on our latest leave, I was certainly ready for it. I needed the break. But I prepared to take care of a small, important ritual first. Because I thought the first day of leave was going to be the day that Gary and I tied the knot.

We were on Risa. A couple could get married here faster than in 20th century Las Vegas. All it took was 100 credits and two minutes in front of a computer.

The computers were everywhere on Risa. There were three marriage kiosks at the Starport and thousands scattered over the planet, along with the more traditional wedding chapels, battlegrounds, and courts, where, for a little more money, you could get some of the more traditional services as well.

Why did I want to get married then and there? To take advantage of a rule change Starfleet had made concerning having a couple in command of a starship. Before the change, that had been forbidden. Now, you only had to take a test and appoint a 'monitor' who could overrule any command an officer gave his or her spouse to prevent the officer from being unduly harsh or lenient.

Each starship was allowed to have ten couples of unequal rank, two of which could have a member who was Lieutenant or above. Since the rule was instituted six months ago, the Enterprise had gained three such couples. But none were in the upper command chain. In fact, I was looking forward to being part of first Captain-First Officer pairing, since no other captain had been daring enough yet.

They don't call me the Rebel of Starfleet for nothing.

So I was all set to take Gary to one of the kiosks when we materialized on Risa for a two week break.

But it didn't happen that way. The minute we exited the transporter room at Starpoint, Risa's biggest tourist city, Gary told me he had something to do. "I'll be gone most of the day," he said with a smile. "I'll meet you on the boardwalk later."

I figured he was just getting ready for the big moment. Preoccupied by thoughts of presents and exotic getaways, I let him go with a smile.

So, left with nothing to do for the moment, I ended up wandering around the beach. But watching the other tourists having a good time while I waited for my fun to start made me uncomfortable. So I followed a well-worn path off the beach. I was surprised when I soon found myself facing the famous secluded cabins on the outskirts of Starpoint City. This row of houses figured highly in Starfleet gossip. Lovers who were stationed on separate ships often met here when their shore leaves coincided.

So it was even more startling to see my lover striding up toward a cabin at the far end and entering it.

By the time we went to Risa, Gary and I had been dating for four months. Before that, we had been best friends. Although we found each other attractive, we hadn't wanted to risk our careers by getting involved. But, even though I had been as casual and loose with my relationships as he had been with his, I couldn't help but watch his exploits a bit wistfully. I wanted to be part of them.

But when the rules changed, we began to look at each other differently. We were curious about each other in ways we hadn't been before. We were eager to be together. And soon, we were in love.

Or at least I was. I loved Gary's brashness and his drive. Oh, I knew I had those qualities within me as well. But he wasn't afraid to step on toes to get what he wanted. I preferred to go around people. I thought his direct approach had a forcefulness that would complement my less direct approach.

For a time, that seemed to work for us. As a command team, we fought a lot, but we resolved our conflicts rather quickly. We knew how to work things out. There were often hurt feelings during this process, but we accepted that and held no grudges.

I thought that was a sign that we could make it as a couple, too. But there was trouble with this idea right from the start. When I considered marriage, my main focus was how it would provide the ship with a strong command unit. I wasn't really thinking about how happy I would be to have him by my side.

I should have known that the thought didn't bode well for our future. Nor was the answer I got when I asked Gary if he was ready to be my husband.

"Sure, kid," he said off-handedly. "A month or two of marriage might be good for me. Maybe you'll help me get my head together."

That wasn't the excitement I was hoping for. But I figured that if our marriage lasted a month, he'd be willing to renew the contract for longer.

Of course, my love for him wasn't the only thing pushing me to take this step. Starfleet Command was leaning on me too. The admirals said he was too wild, too insubordinate. He had screwed up more than one first contact mission because he couldn't watch his mouth. So I had to get him under control or I'd lose him.

Did I convince myself I was in love with him just to save his ass? Probably. But that didn't keep me from feeling hurt when I approached the cabin I saw him walk into.

Because when I looked in the window, I saw him kissing a girl. *My* girl, by Starfleet's reckoning. He was kissing my yeoman, Janice Rand.

I made myself look away. This was a betrayal, one that he would never have gotten from me. I admit I slept around a lot. But I never cheated, not even on a date I didn't like. I was either where I was supposed to be or I contacted the person and canceled. To do otherwise would be disrespectful.

That was my wake-up call. If Gary was willing to betray me with the person who was supposed to 'take care' of me, well, how could I trust him with my well-being? Or anyone else's, for that matter?

I made my decision right then and there. This was the end of the line for Gary. Completely, as both my lover and second in command. If I couldn't trust him to be there for me, I certainly wasn't going to trust him with the 430 other lives under me.

As far as my Yeoman was concerned...well, I knew how Gary operated. She probably didn't know what hit her. So when shore leave was over, I'd give her a choice, him or me. If she had any self preservation instincts, she'd stay on the Enterprise.

But I had to take care of the situation with Gary now. So after I checked the door to the cabin, and amazingly found it unlocked, I walked in.

The minute she saw me, Rand screamed. I calmed her down with a hand on her arm. She wasn't my focus here. She was just Gary's pawn and didn't deserve my anger. So I quietly asked her to gather her things and leave. I even told her to contact Uhura if she needed a new place to stay.

Then I faced Gary and let him have my wrath...in a deceptively quiet voice. "I'm processing your transfer papers the minute I leave here. I expect you to remove your belongings from the ship by a week from today. Another ship will pick you up and take you back to Earth."

Gary didn't even do me the favor of looking embarrassed at being found out by his lover. He was more concerned about losing his job. "Earth? Do you know what Command will do to me?"

"You should have thought about that before you walked in here. What did you think I'd do if I found out? I put my neck on the line to keep you aboard my ship," I growled back.

Gary looked like he wanted to say more, but something stopped him. Maybe it was some common sense. Or common decency. Well, I could at least hope.

But even though he was showing some smarts now, I didn't want to see any more of his missteps. I knew that if I stayed here too long, he'd stick his foot in his mouth and say something to rile me up again. So I got the hell out of there.

He didn't make one move to stop me. That's when I knew it was over.

Once I left the cabin, I walked down the beach to cool off and consider what to do with my newly-opened shore leave. I had planned my whole vacation around Gary. But now the marriage, the honeymoon, and whatever else we would have done were only dreams.

I didn't know what to do with myself. That wasn't a situation I found myself in often.

As captain, I couldn't just join my crewmates for fun in the sun. My presence would put everyone on their best behavior, and that's not what I wanted. My people needed to relax.

There was one other who usually went off on his own. Dr. Leonard McCoy. The only thing worse than your captain watching you have fun was your doctor watching. McCoy knew that and usually made himself scarce the minute he clocked out for shore leave.

I had known him since the Academy, but not as well as I would have liked. We were friends, but until now, I had been much closer to Gary. But we had come to each other's aid often, so I had no problem pulling out my comm unit and contacting him now.

After a short conversation during which I unofficially told him that Gary was leaving the ship, he invited me along on his trip to a bar in a town a few kilometers from Starpoint. Knowing that his company was a vast improvement over being by myself for shore leave, I readily agreed and went to find some transportation.

McCoy greeted me warmly when I entered the bar ten minutes later, then looked me over critically. "You look like you just lost an 80 kilogram weight off your back."

The comment was typical of him. Bones McCoy had never pulled his punches, not even when we were first years at the Academy. And as usual, his perceptions were right on the dot.

I needed that right now, even if it did hurt a bit.

So I nodded and gestured to the drink he held in his hand. "One of those might help me get used to being single again."

Bones waved at the bartender and ordered a second drink, then turned back to me. "You should've done that a long time ago."

I sighed heavily as I sat down next to him. "Gary was my best friend."

"But I'm not so sure you were his," Bones scolded me mildly. "About a week ago, I heard him talking to some admirals about taking that chair out from under you. While you were having discussions with Nogura about how to keep him from getting court-martialled."

I looked at the doctor in shock. "How the hell was he going to do that?"

"That's what he would have used the marriage for. To find something he could use against you." Bones patted my shoulder. "You're better off this way. And trust me, the higher ups are a lot happier. Hell, Nogura might even use this episode to get rid of the idiots who wanted you out of the captain's chair."

I put my head in my hands and groaned softly. Gary had been manipulating me! How could I have missed that?

"Hey, you took care of it, right? He's on his way out?" Bones asked softly.

I nodded tiredly. I'd have a few forms to file when I got back to the ship, but since Nogura had probably been expecting this outcome, the transfer had gone through on my word alone.

McCoy continued without missing a beat. "Then find something relaxing to do. You're on vacation."

"Like what? I had planned to spend the whole time with Gary, locked in a hotel room."

Bones thought for a moment then glanced at his communicator, which was setting on the bar next to him. "If you want, I can see if Edan has any ideas..."

Edan was the man Bones was seeing...on a professional basis. It had surprised me when I found out our doctor had employed a prostitute. He usually wouldn't seek expert help for anything unless he absolutely needed it. Hell, he was reluctant to see another MD when he was hurt. But it worked for him. Bones was much more relaxed because he had seen Edan a few times over the last year.

His choice wasn't necessarily a good one for me. Edan was one of those high class prostitutes, the ones most people can't afford. Hell, Bones wasn't paying for his services. They had been a gift.

"I didn't want it at first," the doctor had said before his second shore leave with Edan. "Hell, I didn't need any help getting companionship. But someone offered it to me anonymously, saying he'd pay for it. Apparently, I had saved his life somewhere along the way and he wanted to do something for me. He didn't want to just give me money-Starfleet would be all over that, even if I just gave it to my daughter."

Bones had sighed in an almost frustrated tone, but it had seemed as if he couldn't stay angry with the being who had given him this gift. It had become too important to him. "So whoever it is went *through* Starfleet to do this. He approved it with Nogura and Wesley, I think. He arranged it so Edan would come and meet me for shore leave when it wouldn't cause a problem. Mostly on approved vacation planets.

"And the bastard forced my hand. I tried to refuse. But Wesley practically ordered me to accept it." He had shrugged when I had given him a shocked look. "I don't know why. But I have a feeling that political wheels were turning."

"Probably," I had nodded, then pressed him. "You have no idea who this guy is?"

"None. I don't even know if the being is male. I'm just guessing based on the gift. All I know is he is good at picking quality service." Bones had blushed bright red at that point.

I was remembering that conversation as I considered his suggestion now. "I don't want Edan, he's yours." That, I was firm about. I didn't want to spoil the relationship Bones had with his 'gift'.

In fact, I wanted to refuse the offer outright. But I needed something to take my mind off Gary. And this could be it, if I got past one snag. "I can't afford more than one night with a friend of his, though. Not if that information Uhura found on his current pricing is correct."

Bones' gaze was sympathetic. "One night is better than nothing. You need to relax. Maybe he could at least recommend one of the locals. That might get around the credit problem."

"Call him, then. This might even get him off my back." I sighed. The last time the pair had met up, Edan, seducer that he was, had told me that I looked like I needed help relaxing. Then he had given me his comm address and told me he wanted to make some recommendations. But I had still been involved with Gary at the time. I hadn't wanted to cheat on him.

I guess it wouldn't have mattered. I wasn't what Gary wanted.

I watched, a little nervously, as Bones contacted Edan. After a few minutes discussing their plans for this trip, the doctor told him about my problem. From my friend's side of the conversation (he had the comm on privacy mode), Edan sounded eager to help. Maybe a little too eager. "Edan, no. I don't want him to break the bank for a little fun. I've seen what that guy charges! Yes, I know he's the best. Yes, Jim deserves the best. No, I don't want you to bother my benefactor about it. Because he's done enough! I'm grateful to him, but I'm not going to risk his wrath by asking for anything else."

Bones leaned on the bar as Edan seduced him into it. He should know better than to battle a Betazoid's persuasiveness, especially when that Betazoid had touched his mind. Edan made all my diplomatic skills look paltry. Even though I had been given the captaincy of the Fleet's flagship at 31 because of those very skills.

So I wasn't surprised when Bones moaned softly and said, "Go ahead, contact him." Then he closed the communicator with a sigh.

We ordered another round of drinks as we waited for the verdict. After the bartender put our drinks down, I asked Bones who Edan had chosen for me.

"Sanosh." Bones said with his head down.

I gasped. Sanosh was known as the best and most expensive prostitute in the galaxy. He was so exclusive that everyone knew his name, but only a select few had ever seen his face.

"I can't afford him!" Anyone less than a planetary monarch wasn't rich enough, from what I've heard.

Bones tried to wave off my protest. "I know. I know. I'll tell Edan no when he comms back, okay?"

But things didn't work the way we planned when the communicator beeped. Bones' eyes went wide seconds into the conversation. Then he handed me the comm unit.

"Leonard's benefactor is gladly extending his thanks to you as well, as you were an integral part of his rescue," Edan's silky voice said into my ear. "He would like to begin by offering Sanosh's services for the remainder of your leave on Risa. Sanosh has agreed to his wishes. Please stay where you are. We will join you in the bar in thirty minutes."

Shocked, I stammered a quiet 'thank you'. I knew better than to refuse. Whomever this person was, they had the ability to pull a lot of strings and cause a lot of problems if they didn't get what they wanted.

When the comm disconnected, I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Bones shrugged. "Very few people know. But if this guy is as good as his reputation, you're in for one hell of a shore leave."

To distract me from this new development, Bones and I discussed ship's gossip for the next half hour. In that short amount of time, I began to realize that I had been missing out on a good friend when I had decided to spend most of my time with Gary Mitchell. In fact, McCoy was already making Gary look like an annoying acquaintance.

But that was something to explore once shore leave was over. Because almost exactly thirty minutes after Bones had finished his conversation with Edan, I spotted the Betazoid walking through the door of the bar with a tall figure in a hooded cape.

Edan walked over as soon as he spotted us. "Come, Sanosh would like to talk to you in a private room." He waved toward one side of the bar, which housed small enclaves one could rent by the hour or the night.

"Just talk?" I asked suspiciously. I had heard some rather odd noises coming from those rooms when I passed by them earlier.

Edan nodded. "He wishes to discuss the particulars of your arrangement before either of you commit to it. He finds it best to do this at a neutral location."

"That sounds reasonable," I said, realizing that this was for the best if either of us pulled out. If that happened, I could talk to the bartender about getting another hotel room. Sanosh could transport back to wherever he came from or find another being willing to pay his fee.

Now that I was taken care of, the Betazoid moved on to his primary responsibility. He smiled at Bones gently. "Let's leave them to their negotiations, Leonard. I have something planned for you tonight..." Ignoring the doctor's worried look towards me, Edan took his hand and led him out of the bar.

When they were gone, I turned to the hooded being, who had silently moved to my side. "You don't have to do this. I-I didn't want to bother the doctor's benefactor..." Suddenly, worry overtook me. I had no idea what I was in for. Hell, I didn't even know what species this guy was.

Sanosh didn't give me time to ask. While I was busy fretting, he had taken my arm and was now guiding me into the private room at the end of the row. The door closed silently behind him.

Like an obedient child, I sat in the chair that he motioned toward.

Then, I watched in a daze as he sat across from me and slowly pushed his hood back.

Sanosh was a handsome being. But it wasn't his sharp dark eyes that caught my attention. Nor his regal nose. Nor the midnight-black hair that disappeared into his cloak in an elegant braid.

It was his ears.

His green-tinged, sharply pointed ears.

Sanosh was a Vulcan. A logical, staid, unemotional Vulcan. But he also was an expert prostitute.

The contrast was so intriguing that I knew there was no way in hell I was going to walk away until I satisfied my curiosity. I had to know how a Vulcan could have become the best-known sex professional in the galaxy.

Damn, Edan-or his employer-knew me better than I thought.

end part 1