Authors note: Yeah, it's Lily-Lee again. If you don't know her, you can picture her as an Australopithecus with a good brain and a four-nostriled sense of chemical analysis. If you want more details, check out "The four-nostriled creature" (M-rated). Tantalizing art by KalleJ.
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Chapter 1 - A Deer in the Headlights
"Captain, I fail to understand why you do not simply order the chemical analyst to join the landing party. She is undisciplined, but I do not believe she will disobey a direct order."
"I know, I know, Spock. Lily-Lee is . . . different. If I ordered her to come, she would come, but she would sulk and be obstinate and most importantly: she would not do a good job. I need to persuade her and make her WANT to beam down."
"I have witnessed her ability to get out of assignments she finds undesirable."
"Remember that we just signed her up en route unofficially, she never attended Starfleet academy."
"It is very likely that she would not have been accepted there, had she applied."
"Hm. Smooth-talking is not your strong side, Spock. Leave this to me, okay?"
Breakfast seemed like a good opportunity. Kirk carried his tray over to the table where the hairy little creature was sitting, next to McCoy. She had her feet tucked in under her and was taking apart a head of romaine lettuce leaf by leaf, dipping them in egg yolk. McCoy's plate was already empty and he was sipping his second cup of coffee.
"Morning, Bones. Morning, Lily-Lee. Enjoying your food?"
"Mornin', Jim."
"Good morning, captain. I sure am. What are you having?"
"Oatmeal and celery, by the looks of it." Kirk sighed a bit. It was not his choice. He sat down across the table from her and decided to go straight ahead. First step: establish sympathy.
"I wish I could have a breakfast I could enjoy."
"Well, why can't you? I think that food synthesizer thingy is the best invention you humans ever made."
"Ask the doctor there, it's his orders." Try to get her to defend my side in a discussion . . .
"Poor boy. Doc here had bacon and eggs."
"I call that unfair." Perfect start, now she will want to do something for me, to make it better. But what? I am going to suggest something. But compliments first. "Did I ever get the chance to tell you that how glad I am to have you on the ship?" Kirk didn't even look at his breakfast, the tray was pushed to the side and he had his arms crossed on the table, aiming his whole attention at Lily-Lee. She looked up and stopped chewing.
"Sure you did, captain, you even said I could have a uniform."
"You deserved it, and much more. You are unique, we never met a being like you before. I feel there are things you can do that no one else could ever attempt." Kirk unfolded his arms and reached across the table to take Lily-Lee's small hairy hand. He took it and held it between his, stroking it lightly with his thumbs, looking at the fingers as if they were they only things in the world that existed right now. McCoy glanced at Kirk over the rim of his coffee mug.
"No other captain in the fleet has been so lucky." Kirk looked straight into Lily-Lee's eyes and she looked back with her eyes wide open. He leaned forward over the table and tightened the grip on her hand. She swallowed. He was silent for a notable long time, and then he spoke in a low voice.
"I'm going to ask you to do something with me."
"Sure, I'll fuck you. Right now, here on the table."
McCoy sprayed his coffee over the table and laughed. Everybody in the room was looking in their direction. Kirk let go of her hand and leaned back in his chair, at a loss for words.
"That . . . that was . . . not what I was going to ask!"
"It sure sounded like it, Jim. I've heard you use that tone of voice before and I'll vouch for it. That is EXACTLY what it sounded like." McCoy was mopping up his coffee with some napkins. Lily-Lee was rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands and blinking.
"Tone down those hazel light beams, then. Don't they have a milder setting?"
"I should have warned you, little lady. The captain only comes with two settings; stun or kill." McCoy was still chuckling and walked over to refill his mug.
"As your punishment for being stunning like that, I'm taking your celery stalks."
"Go ahead, take them."
"So what were you going to ask?"
"Will you join the landing party with me? We will need to perform a thorough chemical analysis of the minerals and soil." He couldn't think of any way to sugar coat it.
"Hm. Sounds pretty dangerous." Lily-Lee was biting into the celery when McCoy came back.
"Bones, help me out here. How can I persuade her?"
"Easy. New planet, new smells."
Lily-Lee got up from the table. "I'm convinced. So when do we go?"
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