A/N: Well, here it is. The beginning anyway. Thanks to everyone who enjoyed 'Collide'. I hope that this piece will be worth your patient waiting. Onward.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Star Trek....well except for the communicators that came out of the breakfast cereal box!! Reb is my alter ego.
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Reckless
Ensign Rebecca Anders threw her pillow at the annoying chrono alarm blaring beside her bed. She did NOT want to wake up! Groaning loudly she sat up at the edge of the bed in her cramped quarters. She had hardly gotten any sleep - too many thoughts and decisions had kept her mind occupied during the night. Grabbing a fresh uniform from the closet she practically stomped her way to the shower.
The warm shower only slightly improved her demeanor. If she wasn't expected to provide security for the away team today, she would have reported to medical bay to get out of work. Scratch that. An encounter with Leonard McCoy was something else she didn't want right now.
Realizing she had another 20 minutes to report to the transporter room, Rebecca took the time to reread the message she had received via computer from Captain Kirk:
"Ensign Anders.
As promised, I am willing to review your previous request for a transfer off of the Enterprise. If this is something that you still wish to consider, please respond within 48 hours.
Thank you."
"Well, crap!" she thought. "Has it really been six months?"
Six months ago she had requested a transfer off of the Enterprise to get away from one Doctor Leonard McCoy. It was a decision that Rebecca had made in an attempt to avoid dealing with the past that the two of them had shared and the future that Leo had wanted for the two of them. It was quite the emotional battleground between them for awhile. Until Captain Kirk got involved and locked them up together for a night, forcing them to work things out.
Since that time, the relationship between her and Leo had been anything but smooth sailing. She loved him, and she had no doubt that he loved her just as much. They had both made the assumption things would fall easily into place. They had been the closest of friends as teenagers and young adults. "Soul mates", as Leo said. Shouldn't rebuilding their relationship be easy?
The first weeks of their rekindled friendship had been beautiful. Leo had been patient with her reluctance to trust him. She had been in a turbulent, abusive relationship that left her emotionally scarred. Even so, the transition from friends to lovers was fast. Given their earlier history it was inevitable and welcomed.
The things that they had both forgiven in the other at first soon became items of contention between them. They had both grown and matured in the years that were spent apart. Both had experienced heartache and loss. Both had developed a mistrust of intimacy with others. Both had coping mechanisms that bothered the hell out of the other.
For him, it was Rebecca's overly developed self-reliance and 'work-aholic' attitude. He complained that she spent too much of her off-duty time working on combat skills and battle scenarios. He also worried that she volunteered too much for the more dangerous missions. He called her 'reckless'. She tried to explain to him that she needed the physical challenges to stay sharp and also to achieve her goals of promotion.
As ensign she was a junior grade officer. Even so, Star Fleet frowned upon relationship between personnel separated by too many degrees of rank. Rebecca was trying to gain enough merit to be considered for the next round of promotions, thereby attaining the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. They were both tired of sneaking around and hiding their relationship from others aboard the Enterprise. It was a source of strain for them.
For her, it was Leo's drinking. The abusive marriage she had survived was to a horrible alcoholic/addict. She cringed at the smell of alcohol on Leo's breath. Again and again she had tried to reason with herself that it was unfair, and unwarranted, to compare Leo to her ex. But still, the odor rekindled the terror in the depths of her psyche.
Many arguments had occurred between them of late, centering on these issues, and other, less annoying problems. As of this moment, they weren't on good speaking terms due to the latest round from yesterday morning. Maybe a transfer was in order?
This was the thought that was going through her mind as she entered the transporter room. Already present were the three other members of the security detail. They were waiting for Captain Kirk, First Officer Spock and a political attaché direct from Star Fleet Command. Security was of an essence for this mission due to the importance of the assignment of the attaché.
Rebecca did not know the particulars of his directive, but knew that there were a lot of tensions involved. Currently there was an uneasy 'cease-fire' between the warring factions of the planet Multare II. A small group of rebels had declared to interfere with any negotiations mediated by the Federation. The leaders of Multare II did not feel that these rebels were capable of doing any damage, they were too disorganized to pose a serious threat. Still, Captain Kirk wanted to be safe, so he doubled the usual security for the attaché.
The others arrived in the transporter room, accompanied by Doctor McCoy and Chief Engineer Scott. Leo stopped short when he noticed that Rebecca was waiting to be transported to the surface of Multare II. She shot him an angry glare and curtly shook her head when it was apparent that he was going to voice a protest that she was on the team.
At Captain Kirk's command, Engineer Scott initiated the transport. The last thing that Rebecca saw was Leo throwing his hands in the air in apparent exasperation as he left the room.
The away team materialized in an open park in the center a modern city. Their destination, the consulate building , was a short walk away. Rebecca noted uniformed militia on the rooftop and on other nearby buildings.
"Good thing they are on our side", her partner, Ensign Max Marshall, stated. Rebecca nodded in agreement.
"Everybody stay alert." Directed the captain. "We've received several threats against our mission here."
The small group walked toward the consulate building. The four red-shirted security members, Rebecca included, formed a small perimeter around the Federation attaché, who was flanked closely by Captain Kirk and Spock. Rebecca was to the right rear of the small group. She turned frequently to observe for any movement behind them, keeping her right hand at rest on her holstered phaser. She also glanced frequently to the militia on the rooftops, looking for any signs of warning.
They climbed the wide stairway and entered into the consulate. Their arrival was noted by several armed guards, both outside and inside the massive entryway of the mammoth stone building. A wide, short hallway led to the main gathering area of the consulate. Rebecca was amazed at the sheer size of the interior chamber.
The meeting room was an open and airy two stories high. Light entered the room through hundreds of multicolored windows surrounding the entire area. There was also a second floor gallery for observers that surrounded the meeting chamber along the outside walls on three sides. Armed guards were stationed at close intervals on both floors of the consulate.
"Good to see they take their security seriously." Rebecca muttered under her breath.
Seated at the far end of the meeting room, on a raised dais, were half a dozen representatives of the warring parties involved. They sat on opposite sides of the stage. Several of the armed guards keeping watch between them shot worried glances between the two parties. The tension in the room was palpable.
The Federation attaché climbed the few steps to the top of the platform and took her place in a chair in the middle of the area. Captain Kirk and Spock followed her up the steps, both choosing to stand behind her to either side of her seat. The four Enterprise security personnel spread out - two up on the dais, standing behind and facing away from, Kirk and Spock. The other two, one of which was Rebecca, took stations on the lower step, facing towards the entryway of the consulate.
Rebecca constantly scanned the crowded gallery for any unusual movement. She also continued to watch the consulate security guards for any signs of concern. Thus far, everything was quiet and controlled around them. There were no indications of trouble.
The loud explosion and subsequent blast sent Rebecca hurtling through the air, away from the raised dais where negotiations were just beginning.
Yells screams and dust permeated the air when Rebecca regained enough of her hearing and bearings. The blast had thrown her about 20 feet from where she had been standing. The wind had been knocked out of her when she had hit a large statue. Her ears were ringing from the concussion of the explosion. A quick inventory of herself told her that, other than a couple of seriously bruised ribs, she had no other injuries.
Rebecca could make out the voice of Captain Kirk amid all of the noise and confusion. He was ordering Scotty to lock on and beam them back to the Enterprise. She pulled out her phaser, pushed herself up and hurried toward his voice in a crouched position.
Kirk and Spock were both kneeling next to the attaché, who was awake but looked very bewildered and was babbling incoherently. Rebecca noticed the body of her partner, lying at an odd angle, several feet away. Captain Kirk noticed the direction of her gaze and slowly shook his head, a grim look on his face.
"Scotty! Get us out of here! Now!" Kirk demanded into his communicator.
"I'm doing the best I can Captain! There is some sort of interference that I can't figure out!" Desperation was evident in the engineers voice.
"Get it figured out quick. We have injured here."
Rebecca glanced up to the top of the platform. The other two security personnel were slowly crawling toward them. Both were obviously injured. She cautiously started up the stairs to help them rejoin the rest of them at the base of the steps. She was within reach of them both when the second blast erupted.
Rebecca's world went silent and black.
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Stay tuned.
