Chapter One: The Return home

It was the year 2400 just at the turn of the new century and all was calm in the galaxy. The Romulans had already made a peace pact with the Federation and the Toons and the Mystery Inc. gang had all graduated. They were on a starship with a captain named Artemis Dimitri. Artemis Dimitri was a young man of only twenty three. He was a hardworking Starfleet officer and had joined Starfleet when he was just seventeen but he showed spirit and showed much promise. He was just starting as a Starfleet captain with Bugs Bunny as his commander. He had personally applied after his mission with the USS Nexus was over. In his four year mission he had gone from a mere Lieutenant to Captain in less than five years after the death of Captain Charles Montgomery. Artemis also had Mickey Mouse as his sub commander which was a new position that was only going to be used on the new Legacy starship Project; but for now he was just put on the back burner working on an instrument panel. Artemis and his all toon crew were returning back to earth after an extra training assignment that was out by the Deep Space Nine area. Artemis had been taking a shine to his new crew; he did plenty of research and even found some surviving Cartoon shows he researched and would watch for better understanding of their original purpose and he was not going to fib but he did watch them for his own viewing pleasure. Even though the cartoons were ridiculous at times; he wanted to immerse himself in the past of his crew to better understand them and the way they lived. The Toons on the other hand took a shine to Artemis he had befriended many of the crew including Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Jessica Rabbit, Roger Rabbit, Nick Wilde, Judy Wilde, Goofy, and several of the Toon royalty who were now Toon Ambassadors and a few of the others. The USS Valiant which was chosen by the Toon crew since it had the vibes of their old late friends Eddy and Dolores Valiant the great Toon Detective and his wife. Artemis did his research on the old Toon detective and had to admit he was pretty impressed with his work. He even researched the old Judge Doom case which many Toons to this day were still haunted by the utterance of the notorious Judge Doom. Artemis couldn't believe that Jessica Rabbit and Roger went through all of that.

Artemis, Jessica, and Roger would often talk about Toon Cases. Roger had been Eddie's partner in Toon Cases for years when he was not making cartoons or with his wife. Jessica and Roger had become quite attached to Artemis. Roger and Jessica were not Starfleet Officers more like a new kind of Starfleet Entertainer duo. The Legacy was a ship that was going to have a club in the mall section that was to be used by any crewmember no matter if they were Humanoid or Toon. Artemis would often go down to the stage they had on the Valiant when he went down to Ten Forward for a drink and some food. Jessica, Roger, and several others met Artemis by catching him on his off duty break. That is how Artemis met Jessica and Roger. Artemis from that moment on would always take a break and see his friends. He would watch them preform and then they would in turn share a drink with him and tell stories. To Jessica and Roger it was just like having Eddie Valiant back. Artemis was far from an Eddie Valiant in a sense but he didn't think of the Toons as odd, he liked them and thought that they were the most interesting band of creatures he had ever met. However one thing made him like Eddie so much that they started to call him the Eddie Valiant of space; and that was because he would often give great advice and help them with personal problems. Artemis was always there to lend an ear. Often he would take them to his ready room on the bridge and set them down and would talk with them about what was eating them. He was a great friend and all the Toons liked and respected their fearless leader.

Artemis sat back in his chair in his new standard issue uniform. The new uniforms were short sleeved, with silver rank pins worn opposite of the combadge on the chest. The uniforms were black on the neck and shoulder area just above the chest line and then gray on the bottom. The Belts gave the Starfleet divisions Blue was now command, yellow was security and engineering, red was now the new medical. The belts also had their utility holsters phasers and tricorders were to be held in the pouches according to the jobs of the individuals. The Federation did a fantastic job of making ink and paint replicas of Toon Clothing and stuff for personal consumption so that way the Toons would be more comfortable. The Uniforms for the Toons were made out of ink and paint but they had to use actual weapons and gadgets which they didn't have a problem with since toon guns and stuff couldn't handle real world problems. Artemis had a cup of coffee in his hand that was still piping hot and he took a sip and leaned back.

"Ah it is good to be heading back to Earth I can't wait to see how the new ship is going to look." Artemis said before taking a swig of his piping hot latte.

"Boy you said it doc," Bugs began chewing a carrot. "A few days at our Lake house and Lola and I should be ready and rearing to go for our extended voyage to the Andromeda Galaxy." Bugs finished.

Artemis smiled and patted his friend on his back and let out a chuckle.

"You and Lola are very close and I must say she and you have become two of my best pals of course Jessica and Roger too and my wife all make up this friend circle." Artemis admitted.

"You and your wife have really have begun to know us pretty good." Bugs replied.

Artemis nodded happily and looked back at the screen as he saw the familiar blue planet come into full view.

"We are here Captain!" Donald Duck the helmsman said.

"Oh so good to be home; don't you agree Bugs?" Lola said turning around in her spinning chair at her tactical station.

"I do love." Bugs winked.

Lola let out a giggle and Artemis tried to avert his eyes when Bugs blew Lola a kiss. Naturally Lola would send one back and this made Artemis a little uncomfortable but he didn't mind because he and his wife did the same thing. Artemis knew very well that Toons acted this way but he didn't make a fuss about it. That was just their way. To be honest he didn't know how to react to Toon shenanigans at first when first met the Toons. Some things they did just seemed completely out of order but he soon got used to the weird noises they would make and the weird bizarre motions they would do from time to time. It was pretty unnatural with some of their movements but Artemis slowly got accustom to their way of life. The first time Artemis invited Bugs, Lola, Jessica, and Roger to his house was when they had to go back and briefing on the state of the new Hope Class Starship that was to be the new USS Legacy. Artemis' wife didn't know what to think at first but she got used to their weird acts and became great friends with Jessica and Roger, Lola and Bugs. They didn't know it at the time but they lived really close to the four and in that time they had the briefings Artemis would always treat them with lunch or dinner either around the San Francisco area or his house.

Artemis could not wait until the mighty Galaxy class starship docked. He had to get home to his sweet young Orion wife. Valera was her name and she was born off world on Earth after she and her family escaped from the planet before she was even thought of. She was much like Jessica Rabbit to some extent. She was a beautiful singer and a wonderful dancer but Artemis was far from being a goofy husband like Roger. He was a very serious man from time to time but did have a great sense of humor and when it came to business he was all business but when it was goof off time he was just one of the guys. Valera had all the right curves even though she did have a few inches tacked on but still was considered very appealing to may. He was a very olive green color with wavy black hair that was soft and smooth. It was not like the hair a lot of Orion slave girls had it was very well kept and it had a very nice shine and a lot of volume. Valera had been under a regulated treatment for her pheromones; The Orion pheromone was so strong and was the source of the nickname Animal women. Valera actually had a hypospray that she took once a week to regulate the strength so other men didn't go crazy. She loved Artemis and even though she was married to him she felt that she still had to do whatever she could to protect herself from wayward eyes. Valera was one of the prettiest ladies in the galaxy but to Artemis she was the apple of his eye, the light of his life, and the cream to his coffee, and the beat to his heart. He was nothing without the green girl of his heart. Artemis saw much more than her beauty and her body he loved her complex mind. She would often work on art projects that were always causing Artemis to scratch his head wondering what they could be. Artemis loved her art because it was always abstract or some art form that kept him guessing. She would often not tell him what it was anyway; it was like a game with her. She loved to tease him and he had to admit he did get turned on by her ways and they would often get all tangled up with each other when they got the chance. She was very artistic and had her own art studio and recording studio in the downtown San Francisco area. Artemis loved her art and loved her music he would often play her songs in his quarters when he was away on his missions. She sang but she also played the cello and the bassoon. She often played old jazz tunes and stuff like that. That is what made her much like Jessica Rabbit; it was her love for the old Rat Pack era of music that he saw the kinship. She was funny and could tell a zinger of a joke but she was also deep in thought at times. She was always letting the inspiration come to her through many different ways. Artemis loved her for her complexity and her way she would debate stuff and also he loved her voice and her charm. She was sexy and she was smart and he loved her with a burning desire. She was his one and only and they loved each other very much. They were stuck on to each other like glue.

Artemis took his leave when the ship docked and it was okay for the crew to disembark. Before he left the ship he asked Bugs, Lola, Jessica, and Roger to join him and his wife for dinner. They accepted and the disembarked the ship. Artemis took the first shuttle that was going to the Starfleet area since that was the easiest way for him to get home because he lived a few miles from Starfleet HQ. Artemis took the hover bus and headed to his home. He had all of his articles in his suite case and he boarded the bus and he placed his case by his foot and leaned back in his chair and took a long hard look out the window just letting his mind wonder. Artemis couldn't wait to see his wife again. It was about mid-morning and Artemis could not wait to see her bright smile and her figure once again.

When Artemis arrived at his house he walked up to the front door which was just like any other door in the future. He punched in the code to his door and it slid open. He walked in and the first thing he heard was a familiar cello piece. He followed the sound to their upstairs bedroom. Artemis stood by the door with his shoulder propping the rest of his body up just watching his beloved playing her song which was an old 19thcentury piece. Artemis loved the sounds of older songs from the past especially if it was coming from his wife. Valera didn't look up at first but she knew he was in the room. She looked at the strings as the bow glided across the stings. She would move and sway with the music making Artemis take a deep breath and it made him think of how lucky he was to have such and enchanting woman as his bride.

Valera after a bot looked up and gave a smile to Arty as she continued to play and then soon she finished her performance and then put her Cello away and got up to greet her husband. He was wearing a nice purple dress with silver trim that had great flow that made Arty's heart skip a beat when she walked in it. She walked up to him and threw her loving arms around him and pulled him close to her and kissed him right on the lips. This went on for a few minutes but soon the kissing stopped and Artemis stood there holding his wife and just looked her over to please his senses. Artemis shut his eyes as he hugged her and didn't want this moment to end. He was back at home with his loving wife and that is all that mattered to him.

"Glad your home Arty," Valera cooed in a sensuous tone with a bright smile.

"Good to be back after all the stuff we did out there." Artemis said looking at his wife with a loving gaze.

"How did it go?" Valera asked.

"Oh it was different but it was okay," Arty began. "It would have been better if Bugs took my advice and didn't gamble all of his latinum at Quark's casino on Deep Space Nine. That guy cheated my commander out of every slip of Gold Pressed Latinum he had." Artemis said.

"Sounds like Quark is a swindler." Valera said.

"He is a Ferengi so yeah he is kind of a slime ball." Artemis replied.

"What else happened?" Valera asked as the two sat on the bed.

Artemis told his wife everything that happened on the training voyage. He didn't hold anything back that was not considered classified. He told her pretty much everything he could. Valera listened with full attention and some of the details of the encounter with Quark didn't seem to set well with her or him. Jessica and Roger were also on Deep Space Nine just to spend some time looking out at the Bajoran Wormhole. Quark at one point got one look at Jessica and started to act like a pervert around her. Roger had just about enough of Quark's lip but Artemis took care of Quark by threating him with a one way ticket to Major Kyra's office to discuss punishment. Quark didn't think that Artemis was joking so he stopped the comments and went on with his business. Then he started to make rude comments to Arty's tactical officer who was Lola Bunny. Artemis then grabbed Quark by his lapels and pulled him up to him a yelled in his face; then drug him across the bar and had the chief security officer take him to major Kyra's office.

Valera giggled at the times Artemis threatened Quark. She didn't particularly find Quark at all amusing especially when messing with her friends. She didn't know Quark but she didn't find the ways of the Ferengi very considerate from time to time. From there lust for women to their crooked economics that was just one group she would have to be careful around. Valera had a respect for Lola and Jessica that was understood mutually. Artemis got up and went to his closet and put on a nice comfortable civilian tunic that was tan and blue. He then went down to kitchen along with his wife and poured them a glass of tea.

"Oh I did invite Jessica, Roger, Bugs, and Lola home for dinner if that is okay?" Arty asked.

"That is fine Arty I can't wait to see them again after all this time." Valera said. "Sure missed the gang. I really missed you most of all having to sleep alone and doing other stuff alone. I am so glad you are back."

"Well I am here now and you and I can rekindle our relationship tonight." Artemis said with a wink.

Artemis started to relax for a little bit and then went to the kitchen and started to make dinner with the help of his loving wife. Artemis decided to vegetable soup and his famous casserole. Valera helped out by making her famous cheesecake and carrot cake for desert. When Artemis was chopping up the vegetables he turned to Valera who was humming an old earth love tune.

"Hey babe," Artemis called.

"What is it Arty?" Valera asked.

"How were your last few weeks without me besides being lonely?" Artemis asked.

"I did a few more recordings at the studio, I did a few more paintings and a few sculptures, took care of the garden, and basically started to get the house ready for my sister to move in when we leave on that extended mission. I have not been able to thank your personally for getting me that job on the Legacy."

"Don't mention it; I know how close you and Jessica are I just thought you and the rest of Legacy Club stars would get along and have a real swell time." Artemis said.

"You are so sweet Artemis; I love you." Valera said giving him a nice wet kiss."

It was almost evening and it was time for the house guest to arrive. Artemis put all the food in the warmers and then heard the door chime and went to greet their guests. Artemis opened the door and welcomed Bugs, Lola, Jessica, and Roger into their home. Valera was just getting the table set up and got the lighting up in the room and got everything just so.

"Nice new works." Bugs said looking at all the art work on the pedestals and the walls.

"Thanks I am glad you find the new décor appealing." Arty asked.

"Where did you get all these new ones?" Jessica asked in that sensuous tone she always had.

"My wife and I made them." Arty stated.

"You know, you could open your own art museum with all of this!" Lola exclaimed out of pure thrill for the art quality.

"Jeepers I have to agree with Lola but I think they already have opened their own art exhibit!" Roger exclaimed.

Artemis led the four into the dining room and Jessica, Roger, Bugs, and Lola got seated and Artemis and Valera got the food and placed it on the table. The food smelled great and it tasted as good as it looked. Artemis and his wife served tea and none alcoholic beverages since synthetic alcohol didn't sit well with Toons, it was not full strength but still could cause Toons to go haywire. As it turns out the synthetic alcohol didn't do as much damage but still it would cause strange things to happen. After dinner Artemis pulled out his holo-string. It was like a guitar except it was a device that had the option to play any form of string instrument. The part he held was a device that had little LCAR note buttons, it had a screen that he could choose which instrument he wished to simulate, and it also had a series of infrared lights he would pluck to make the music. It was a good instrument and one of the harder ones to play but he had years of practice. He had been playing this odd instrument for a long time since he was ten. He played an old western tune on the acoustic function which was entitled Big Iron. It was one of his favorites that he would sing from time to time to entertain his guests. He also played a couple of funny songs just to liven up the mood.

Artemis loved to sing as well; he would sing often on his off periods on the starship. On one of his earlier starship tours he had his own quartet and they would sing all sorts of songs. They would even wear the white and red shirts and pants with the straw hats just like the old barbershop quartets just for laughs. He would often play at starship wide recitals and other events. He was just loved music just as much as his wife. Artemis, Valera, Jessica, Roger, Bugs, and Lola all gathered outside on the patio area and Artemis started to sing when a tingling pain penetrated his mechanical implants for his optics.

"Ah!" Artemis yelled.

"Jeepers! What happened?" Roger yelped.

"Optic trouble!" Artemis moaned in pain trying to get his optics off.

Arty took off his optics for a little bit which was quite a shock to the Toon guests. There were a couple of lights on the sides of his head near his ears. He started to relax but no one knew how he got like that. They just thought they were just regular glasses. However no one in the future wore glasses except for reading. Artemis didn't want to have to explain how he got like this but the Jessica, Roger, Bugs, and Lola were all worried about Arty and it wasn't like him to keep a secret to the people he cared most about.

"How did you get like that Arty?" Lola said placing a gloved hand on his arm.

"It was during a battle in a Borg ship," Artemis began. "I was beamed on board with an away team of twelve individuals. We were armed to the teeth with Phasers, Phaser Rifles; I even had my Klingon knife I got from one of my Klingon Friends from one of my missions to the Klingon Home world of Kronos. Anyway we were trying to retrieve a supply of dilithium crystals they had since that ship was a fully assimilated Federation Ship. These Borg remnants were some of the last Borg that tried to escape the Delta Quadrant after their super complex was destroyed. A few Borg ships managed to make it to the Alpha Quadrant. Anyway we had to also save people from being assimilated so it was a rescue mission as well. A girlfriend of mine named Aura was with me. She was an Andorian that I had fallen for her and if she had survived we probably would have got hitched man she was beautiful had the voice of angel and the eyes of a demon he was a very wild kind of girl but I kind of like that in a woman that is why I find Valera so attractive. We went in and one of our crewmen panicked and shot one of the Borg drones and then they all started to come out of the walls and wood work. The thing you don't do to a Borg is seem like a threat. We had our weapons lowered until that point. The thing about these Borg was they had arm cannons so they were shooting back. Aura was in front of me and I one Borg drone fired a pulsar blast. It hit Aura and the blast continued until it hit the panel I was standing next to. Fire and smoke hit my eyes causing them to go blind which was temporary. I was beamed out before I was alert and Aura was dead. I soon found myself in sickbay colorblind and with bad vision. I was hooked up with this optic device. A painful reminder of what I lost that day. I lost my girl and I lost my regular vision." Artemis said seeing that day again.

"Sounded horrible!" Jessica said holding a gloved hand to her mouth.

"You don't know the half of it!" Artemis said sternly. "The Borg are nothing but butchers and zombies… mindless automatons just waiting to find helpless ships and people waiting for the time to strike and assimilate." Artemis said looking out into the middle distance.

Valera heard that story before but every time he would tell it she would cry a little. Artemis would get so deep and get that glassy eyed look just like he was there all over again. He could just picture him back on that ship reliving the horrible travesty. Valera walked over to him and placed a loving hand on his shoulder. He then placed his hand on hers and took a deep breath.

"We had no idea doc." Bugs said with a little shock.

"I trust you guys; to me and Valera you guys are like family," Artemis began. "I was not going to hold back anything from you four since we are as thick as thieves." He said with a smile putting his optics back on.

"That is true Arty we are close like family." Lola said.

"A family doesn't have to be related and a house doesn't have to be a home." Artemis said. "When we go to the Andromeda Galaxy we are going to have to really depend on each other."

The night was upon them and Artemis and Valera said their goodbyes to the others and Bugs, Lola, Jessica, and Roger left to their houses and Valera and Artemis went inside and cleaned up. Artemis did the dishes and once all the chores were done Valera slipped into her purple satin nightie and Artemis put on a pair of PJs and they snuggled up and went to bed. In the days that followed were just lazy days to do whatever they wished. Bugs, Lola, Jessica, and Roger got to hang out with Artemis and Valera. Artemis did have a few meetings at Starfleet HQ but after he got out which was normally around four o'clock on some days he and his friends would go to the amusement park or go to a show or something. It was all fun and games but soon it was going to be time to go back into deep space for a very long and perhaps permanent voyage.