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Legacy of Force: Chapter 12

Thule's Prime's primary was setting over the Western Sea. In a fortress sitting high on a cliff overlooking the crashing waves below, Lady Emory Greenbough watched the bright oranges and golds splash across the amethyst waves of sea. She sighed deeply as she cast her eyes out and around the parapet. To the north of the stronghold were great forests of redwoods, aspens, ash and elm all grown from genetic material preserved by the shan and brought with them during the great exodus. To the south were some of the most productive fields on the planet. House Greenbough was one of the Empire's largest grain producing sources. Although replicator technology made food easily available- and there was one in every home in the empire- the culinary arts were still very much appreciated among its people and some people still preferred real flour, and real meat to cook with.

Emory was the mistress of everything for a thousand kilometers in any direction but she did not want to be here. She wanted to be on the fastest ship she could commandeer to Babylon Station. She did not want to wait until Enterprise arrived. She had little care for the ship, her captain, or the Federation. She wanted her son back, and to her that was all that mattered.

But it was here that she sat and waited. The calmer heads of her husband, her son, and her brother-in-law had prevailed, and she agreed to wait. However as soon as the Enterprise entered parking orbit above Atlan City she would be there, and she didn't care how many diplomatic incidents it caused. There was only so long a mother could be held off.

Standing there, she watched as the lights of ocean-going craft slowly became visible in the fading light. Pleasure craft, military craft, and commercial vessels all moved across the wine-dark seas in a stately procession of souls. "Gramma' Emory is everything all right?" Jocelyn, her daughter's oldest asked her from the door. Of course grandmother was not a term that most people would apply to Emory. An observer would be hard pressed to place her out of her late twenties, much less several centuries and a grandmother seven times over, and a great grandmother three.

"Yes my little gosling," she told her with a smile. "When did you arrive and where is your mother and the baby?"

"They're downstairs. I ran ahead," the tall girl said with a smile as she hugged Emory tightly. Her long copper hair smelled of jasmine, and Emory couldn't help but notice how she was beginning to fill out. At twelve she wasn't quite the freckled tomboy who used to catch sea-sounders in the tidal pools just a few short years ago. She was going to be a striking young woman in a few years; and a great asset to the House.

Emory smiled at he and asked, "And what brings you all the way to the wild coasts of Northmore, this evening?"

"Mother said that she wanted to visit. That with Grampa away, this house was too big for you to be rattling around in by yourself." She gave her grandmother a conspiratorial grin, "But to be honest, I think they wanted to get me away from Ronan for a while." Of course the house was huge. It was an impenetrable fortress of reinforced stone and cerama-steel, that was designed to hold the entire population of the town below should the Founders invade.

"Oh, and who is Ronan?" Emory asked seeming to recall the girl mentioning the name before.

"He's a boy from school. Mother thinks that he has more on his mind than algebra," she said.

"Does he?" Emory asked with a smile.

"I hope so?" Jocelyn told her with a knowing grin.

"Then maybe it's a good thing your mother brought you to me," Emory said. Emory knew that her attitude would be considered cavalier to those outside of the Empire, but the biological imperatives of many of its citizens had forced a major shift in attitudes over the last four hundred years.

"Gramma! Don't tell me I'm too young to like boys!"

Emory shook her head and said, "Not saying that. I'm saying that you have to be prepared for that kind of thing. Your mom just wants to make sure you're ready. I think there's a technique she wants me to teach you."

"That's what I tried to tell her," Tanya, her daughter and last born said from the door where she was holding the baby. She had inherited Emory's white blonde hair and deep ice blue eyes. "It's not that we don't approve of the boy, far from it, it's that we want to make sure that she's ready for that kind of relationship."

Emory smiled at her granddaughter and said, "This has nothing to do with the boy, Gosling." She sighed and looked out over the ocean, "The empire's greatest treasure is its children and it is the duty of each parent, whether biological or polyspouse to protect that treasure. That means protecting them from becoming parents themselves before they are ready; hence the techniques that I taught your mother."

"But Ronan knows the technique!" Jocelyn protested.

Emory asked, "Ronan Grimwauld?"

"That's him," Jocelyn said.

Emory smiled at the match. Her daughter was fulfilling her duty to see that the orlog of the family be increased. Joining with that particular family line was as prestigious joining the Imperial line. "I'm sure that he has been taught the technique, but it's your responsibility to use it as well. Your mother is not trying to separate you from him, only to make sure you're ready. I will teach you the technique over the weekend." Suddenly a thought occurred to her: she'd been neatly maneuvered into a corner by her daughter, and she did not doubt that her husband and brother-in-law were also behind it as well.

Commander Geordi La Forge looked around the space station and marveled at the open and friendliness of its personnel. It felt much more like a Starfleet station than that of a foreign government. Yes, the uniforms were different, the shan uniform or lack thereof especially so, but the people were open like no other non-Federation culture he'd ever met.

He had pulled a few strings to get himself assigned to the first group going down for shore-leave. He really wanted to check out how this place was put together. He also wanted to talk to someone about the differences between the Federation and the imperial transporters. From the readings he'd been getting from the Enterprise there were some fundamental discongruities in their approach to matter and energy transmission.

As he wandered the station he noted various differences in their construction compared to Federation techniques; things that only an engineer would one, he could detect no seems or welds anywhere on the station. It was as if each module and part had been grown or replicated in place. He briefly wondered how Montgomery Scott might view these marvels, but then thought that they would probably be beyond his understanding, as he was still mired in the technology of duotronic circuits.

After a while he found himself in a large food-court area with various restaurants and bars. He saw one that was doing a brisk business, and the smells that were wafting from it were mouth watering. He entered the establishment and young lady dressed in a smart little black and white uniform smiled up at him and said, "I'll be with you in just a moment sir."

Geordi looked around. The place seemed to be primarily frequented by imperial officers since there was a sea of forest green and black all throughout the place. It was noisy for a restaurant, and every now and again, a cheer or a groan would echo through the place. The woman finished directing the two young men in front of him, also wearing imperial uniforms, to a table in the back room and then said, "Welcome to the Longshoreman. Table for one?"

Geordi smiled at her and asked, "Is it that obvious?"

She smiled back and replied, "Well, you're the only one wearing a Federation uniform. If you're meeting someone, I could check to see if they're here."

Geordi shook his head and replied, "No, a table for one will be fine."

The woman checked the chart at her podium and said, "I've got something near one of the exterior ports. I'm afraid it doesn't have a very good view of the holo-tank though."

"Holo-tank?" Geordi asked.

The girl smiled, "Yeah. Everybody's wanting to watch the All-Star Post Season furball game tonight. It's Junior William's first return to the field since being injured. The game is guaranteed to be ferocious." She was grinning from ear to ear when she flipped the lapel of her uniform up to reveal a little pin that suddenly projected a holographic image of a ferocious looking wolf-like face lunging out toward a brown oval shaped ball. The words "GO JUNIOR!" appeared under the face. "I'm a big fan," she said sheepishly.

Geordi smiled and said, "I won't tell your boss."

She grinned as she directed him through crowd and said, "Thanks. He's pulling for the Rimward League."

"You folks take your organized sports rather seriously, don't you," Geordi said.

"Oh yeah," she told him. "Bragging rights for a whole year keeps everyone excited. I'm the only Razors fan in my whole family. Everyone else pulls for the Northmore Silverclaws. They didn't make the play offs this year so I got some bragging rights out of it in the end. Would have been better if the Razors had won." She stopped at a table seated directly in front of a huge exterior port that looked out onto the veritable fleet of ships from all over the quadrant. On a Starfleet station, this would be considered the best seat in the house, but nobody was paying attention to it here.

He looked out and could see several Jem' Hadar ships in parking orbit, as well as three Dosi ships, and and two of Wadi design. In the distance he could make out the sheer bulk of the Midgarth's Warder looking down on the station seeming to remind all the others to behave themselves. Enterprise sat just off her port bow.

"So what brings you two to Babylon Station?" a woman's voice caught Geordi's attention. He turned to see a tall red headed Amazon- also wearing an Imperial uniform- talking to the two young men who had been ahead of him in line.

The shorter blond man shrugged and said, "Jake's the new first officer of the Midgarth's Warder. I'm the new chief engineer. You know how fleet is, Mom. They like to keep married couples together."

The woman smiled and said, "Speaking of that, when are you two going to make me a grandmother?"

Geordi watched both men blush, "We'll get around to it," the one named Jake said.

"Just don't wait too long," she told the young blond. "You already died on me once, Kevin."

He shrugged and blushed deeper. "Don't worry, we have the genetic material in storage. If something happens, you can still get your grand kid," he teased her.

She looked at him and then the other young man, "What happened to the old executive officer?"

"She got her own ship, the Xanadu," he said.

"The all shan ship?" the woman asked.

"Not sure how they got that idea past fleet, but yeah. There are 150 shan defenders on board and 500 baseline shan. If that doesn't scare the hell out of the Dominion, nothing will."

"That scares the hell out of me," the woman said with a smile.

"So what are you doing here on Babylon Station?" the young man who was evidently named Jake asked.

"I've been assigned to Lady Tethys' diplomatic team. I'll be aboard the Enterprise for this journey." That caught Geordi's attention. He knew that the captain had agreed to the diplomatic team staying aboard the Enterprise, as sort of a "get-to-know-you" exercise, but he hadn't expected to meet any of the diplomats so soon.

He smiled and said, "Excuse me, but as the chief engineer aboard the Enterprise, let me be the first to welcome you aboard."

The woman looked over at him and smiled, "Thank you, Commander..., uh....?"

Geordi offered his hand and said, "Geordi La Forge."

The woman took his hand and he was surprised by the controlled strength he felt there. His ocular implants suggested a muscle and bone density that rivaled even that of a vulcanoid. "Thank you for the welcome." She looked around the room and then asked, "Are you dining alone?"

Geordi nodded, "I saw a lot of fleet personnel coming in here and thought it might be worth checking out."

"Well, pull up a chair, and join us. "I'm Colonel Gates Murphy, this is my son, Commander Kevin Murphy-Lee, and his husband also a Commander; Jake Lee-Murphy. He might as well be another son."

Geordi was a little surprised by the arrangement. Same-sex couples were rare but not completely unheard of among humans- the genetic alignment having been "corrected" about thirty years ago in one of the few legal genetic manipulative surgeries allowed on Earth, but there were still families that preferred to leave their children as fate had designed them. "Thank you," he said offering his hand to each of the men; both of which shook his and smiled.

"Welcome to the Transentient Empire," Kevin said.

"Thank you. To be honest, we're all a bit overwhelmed by meeting you. We had no idea you existed until the Dominion War. This mission has been one unexpected surprise after another," he said.

"Hopefully at least some of it was pleasant," Jake said.

Geordi smiled, "So far the vast majority of it has been. The discovery of a changeling on board the Enterprise was somewhat unnerving but we managed to get through it. I'm still amazed by the engineering feats I see all over this station."

Colonel Murphy laughed a deep throaty laugh that suggested a woman who had learned to take pleasure from the simple act of living life. "The engineering came easy Commander La Forge. The Empire's true secret, its true power is its people. People who have carved six dead star systems into thirty thriving, living worlds; people who refuse to bow to anyone but themselves; and people who have a zest for life that will not be stilled by the coming entropy in a few billion millennia. We are a people who stand staring into the face of the universe and declare that we are alive, and that we will direct our own fates."

"There she goes again, Jake," Kevin said.

"I beg your pardon," Colonel Murphy looked at her son. "You have a problem with with a positive outlook on life?"

Kevin shrugged, "Not at all. I just get amused when you start waxing poetic about the Empire."

"That's because you missed the worst part of the Enhancer War," Jake accused.

"I was a little out of it, Jake. I was dead," he said.

"That's no excuse for gold-bricking," the other man said with a smile.

"The way you people toss off the centuries like it was nothing," Geordi said shaking his head. "Are you really old enough to remember the twentieth and twenty-first centuries?"

Colonel Murphy nodded and said, "Yes we are. One of the advantages of the enhancer gene is a high percentage of our population are very long lived." She smiled at Geordi and said, "A word of advice Commander. Be careful when you're flirting with the lads and lasses. Some of them who look like they may be in their twenties might be several hundred years old. You've met Prince Stefan Windham. His father looks to be no more than sixteen or seventeen, but he's well over three hundred. Age to us is just a concept that we haven't yet decided whether or not we like."

"That in itself is amazing," Geordi said. "I mean the genetic manipulation that allows you live so long." He shook his head, "It's been outlawed in the Federation."

"And there lies the crux of one of the problems around which Lady Tethys will be negotiating. We are the reason you outlawed genetic manipulation, or more accurately the augments the UN bred in order to take us down were," Jake said bitterly.

"Are you an Enhancer too, Commander?" Geordi asked.

Jake shook his head, "Me? Gods no. The only enhancer gene I have is one for non-aging and cellular regeneration. It was grafted centuries ago."

"And you, Kevin?" Geordi asked.

"I was born with some minor enhancements," the blond said. "Among them was the regenerative gene as well as un-aging. Beyond that, nothing as spectacular as others in the Empire."

"And IQ that begins with two could be considered a major enhancement," Jake accused.

"It's not the IQ, it's what you do with it," Colonel Murphy said.

"Have I disappointed my distinguished dam?" the blond asked his mother. Geordi could sense that there was more to the question than just the light banter that the other man projected. There was a genuine concern that he might not have lived up to expectations.

She smiled, "Only in the grandchildren department. Beyond that, I have no complaints."

"You said that was one of the problems to be negotiated. What are the others?" Geordi asked.

Jake leaned back in his chair but before he could answer, the waitress came to the table. "What'll it be folks?"

"How's lobster?" Colonel Murphy asked.

"Just brought in fresh from Leight," the waitress said.

Colonel Murphy smiled hugely and said, "Good, pick me out the biggest you can find. I want it boiled with 'leth sauce on the side, and the usual fixings."

"And to drink?"

"What white wines do you have?"

"We have a very good Levi Blanc that goes well with the 'leth sauce."

The colonel thought about it for a moment and then asked, "Do you have anything else? I tend to be wary of Levi wines. Those vinters have an unnerving habit of getting overzealous with their flavorings. I don't want to spend my first night aboard the Enterprise howling at the light fixtures."

The waitress laughed and suggested, "How about a nice Riesling from Northmore? It's full bodied, and has a nice lona-fruit aftertaste."

"That sounds good," the colonel said.

Geordi was somewhat surprised by the concept of eating real lobster. In the day and age of replicators, it was not necessary to actually kill an animal to get meat- a point that had a few Vulcans reconsidering their enforced vegetarian diet. The idea of eating an animal that had been dropped in boiling water disturbed him slightly. These thoughts so concerned him that the missed the waitress asking him for his order.

"Commander La Forge?" Colonel Murphy asked. "What will you have?"

Geordi looked at the menu again and seeing something that he was sure wouldn't bother him said, "How about the eggplant primavera?"

"And to drink?"

"What do you suggest?"

"Well, we haven't been cleared to serve Starfleet personnel real alcohol. But we do have a very good synthehol version of Riesling the colonel is having."

Geordie thought about that and said, "Okay. That will be fine."

The other two officers went on to order steaks, and again Geordi discovered that the meat was the real thing, not replicated. He found it just a little disconcerting. "Something bothering you Commander?" Jake asked.

Geordi shook his head, "No. Just a small cultural difference that caught me off guard."

Whatever the commander said after that was lost in the roar of a cheer that went through the restaurant. Colonel Murphy smiled and said, "Game must have started." She then looked at her son and son-in-law and said, "And you two behave. Keep your arguments in your quarters."

"Yes, ma'am," they both said sheepishly.

"So, what do you think of the Empire so far?" Colonel Murphy asked Geordi a moment later.

Geordi shrugged and said, "I really haven't seen enough of it to form much of an opinion. From what I see here, it's an open and and friendly civilization with a strong sense both civic pride and responsibility. To be honest, it seems more like Democracy than and Empire."

"I wouldn't throw the "D" word around the empire too much," the colonel said. "Most people in the empire view the idea of a democracy as being one step away from anarchy. It was the democratic ideal of the majority rules that led the the persecution of enhancers back on Earth. The empire is constitutional monarchy much like Britain under Victoria. The people vote for representatives to the House of Citizens and the House of Subjects, but they cannot vote themselves largess from the public coffers. That was what almost doomed the United States at the turn of the Twenty-first Century."

Geordi smiled and said, "I'll keep that in mind. But to my original point. I've seen the kinds of society the Romulans and Klingons have. I've seen the society of Cardassians, and they are very oppressive regimes. Yours doesn't fit what I've come to expect out of an Empire."

"Why thank you, Commander," the colonel said.

"It's true. I don't really understand your government's concerns about making an alliance with or even joining the Federation," Geordi said.

"You have to understand, our people left Earth because of persecution. We gave up our homes because we reached a point where if we defended it we would have destroyed it. We forged our own society out here, and we're very proud of it. We are not interested in taking what belongs to others, nor are we interested in being absorbed by another culture. We stand as we are. Joining the Federation to many of us would be like putting ourselves back into the situation we left. As for policies that concern us, let me ask you a question. How do you plan to pay for your meal?"

"I'm not sure I understand where you question is going, but the station has set up a ship's account that it will be drawn from," he said.

The colonel nodded and then said, "Of course. It is coming out of what is basically a government expense account." She smiled and said, "Now as for our meals; they'll be paid from my house account. It is money that I and my family have worked hard to earn over the last three hundred plus years. Our economy which is based on the industry of a mere thirty worlds- twenty-four if you count the fact that six of those worlds are temple worlds and don't really have any industry- is stronger than the Federation's which is based on almost twelve hundred worlds counting colonies and all. Yours is based on some kind of egalitarian sharing of resources that doesn't work to produce more than is needed. We are not likely to see trade with an economy such as your as being beneficial. Your credits aren't based on anything other than the word of your government. Our Imperial crowns are backed by the hard work and industry of our people."

"So there are economic differences. The Federation manages to trade with the Ferengi, and they practice an unbridled capitalism similar to your own."

The colonel gave him a long hard stare before saying, "The Ferengi are somebody's idea of a bad joke. They don't practice capitalism, they made economic bullying a way of life. Anyone who would describe the Ferengi as capitalist shows a deep ignorance of not only what the word means, but economics in general. Capitalism is about the free exchange of goods, services, and ideas. The Ferengi seek economic monopolies."

"I didn't mean to offend," Geordi said.

"You didn't," Jake said quickly. "You just suffer from an naiveté that comes from too many years of living in an economically oppressive civilization," he said with hint of a smile.

Geordi chuckled at the good-natured jab and let it lie for the moment. "Okay, maybe that is going to be a job for your Lady Tethys and Captain Picard to hammer out." He stopped for a moment while the waitress delivered their meals. Geordi found himself stealing wary glances at the others' meals wondering how they could eat real meat. To distract himself he asked, "How many are going to be in your party aboard the Enterprise?"

The colonel nodded to him from over her lobster and said, "Lady Tethys, her husband and assistant, Bridger, Lieutenant Windham, and myself."

"Bridger is coming along?" Kevin asked.

The colonel nodded and smiled. After a quick snapping of the shellfish's protective covering, she fished out the succulent white meat and dipped it into the sauce next to her table. Before taking her first bite she said, "Those two have been inseparable since they retired from Aeronavy."

"So they served together in your fleet?" Geordi asked.

"You could say that. It's a rather unusual situation," Jake said.

Kevin grinned widely at Geordi and said, "You know how they say that the best captains are married to their ships?"

Geordi shrugged and replied, "It used to be the case. Now Starfleet allows officers to serve with their spouses on the same ship."

"So does our fleet," Kevin said. "But in Lady Tethys' case, she literally married her ship. Or at least the ship's brain."

"I don't understand."

"You know that our ships' computer core is a biological brain that runs many of its higher functions as well as the communications network. Well, when those brains' terms of service are up, they are grown a body and granted full citizenship- sometimes even noble status. Bridger was the ship's brain for TMS Nicholas Garrett. He served with Tethys as her commander for almost a century. When the ship was finally decommissioned, she volunteered to help him adjust to life as a human. One thing led to another and they eventually married."

"So she literally married her ship," Geordi said. "Your medical technology must be fantastic."

"It's adequate for our needs, Commander," Kevin said. "Please don't take this wrong, it is not meant as a personal slight. But if you had been born in the Empire you would never have needed those ocular implants. The defect would have been corrected in vitro."

Geordi shrugged, "No offense taken. I don't know what it would have been like to grow up with normal vision. Outside of the headaches that my old visor used to cause, I can't say that I really missed out on anything, and I saw things that most humans never see without a tricorder."

"I'm glad to hear that, Commander," Colonel Murphy said. "That speaks volumes about your character."

"Thank you," he said.

Doctor Beverly Crusher leaned back at her desk and shook her head as she looked over at Doctor Jarn. "That was the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen," she said. "It was more impressive than even the allasomorph we encountered on Daled IV. They at least had a natural form that was more energy than matter. It reminds me of the Antosian ability of cellular metamorphosis."

"Didn't one of the officers from the Thunderbird say that Lieutenant Windham's people were the source of several Terran legends of shape-shifters?" Doctor Jarn asked.

Beverly thought for a moment and then remembered the remark. She hadn't really paid any attention to it at the time. Now she wished that she had. "No wonder they left Earth. If they'd come into conflict with the Augments they really would have left humanity with no place live. They'd have beaten the Augments, I think,but it would have been a terrible battle."

"Computer, cross reference occurrences of cellular metamorphosis in humans, with the data contained in file Greenbough 717. Compile a list of accepted medical papers concerning query."

"List compiled," the computer replied. "One accepted medical paper concerning humans who have exhibited cellular metamorphosis: "Garth of Izar and Cellular Reorganization" by Lieutenant McKenzie Seizemore published stardate 2275. There are several anthropological papers available, but they offer no scientific evidence."

"McKenzie Seizemore? Would that be Commander Seizemore?" Beverly asked.

"Affirmative," the computer replied.

"How long has Commander Seizemore been a member of Starfleet?"

"Commander McKenzie Seizemore was commissioned as a lieutenant junior grade on stardate 225806.30"

"That was over a hundred years ago!" Doctor Jarn said. "Is there any notation as to why the Commander has shown such an extended lifespan?" Beverly had a bad feeling about this. Could she have found one of the Watchers right here under their noses?

"Twice Commander Seizemore has undergone the Sorel/Corrigan treatment for neural regeneration. Once in 2287, when she was injured in a high energy accellerant accident at the Vulcan Science Academy. The second was six years ago, when she was infected with a neural parasite on a deep space mission aboard the USS T'Priss . According to her medical records, each incident reset her physical age to approximately thirty years."

"Well, that would explain the extended age," Beverly commented.

"I don't understand," Doctor Jarn asked. "What is the Sorel/Corrigan treatment?"

"It's a stasis regeneration treatment designed to regenerate normally irreparable full body nerve damage. It is extremely dangerous, and is only ever used in the most dire emergencies. This woman has managed to end up having to use it twice. It has the side effect of resetting the body's aging process."

"That would explain her claims which are corroborated by the Ensign herself that Ensign T'Lear is her god daughter," Jarn said.

Vulcans were not exactly known for familial attachments off planet. The fact that T'Lear had corroborated the claim meant that this woman had some damn high connections with the Vulcan High Council. "Do you think maybe we should bring her in on this?" she asked.

"Commander Greenbough did make the request to keep this information as confidential as possible. However, based on her background, I think she would be considered an appropriate professional consultant."

Beverly nodded her head. "I concur. Now that that's taken care of...," she hit the com badge on her uniform and said, "Doctor Crusher to Commander Seizemore."

"Seizemore here," came the answer.

"Could you please join Doctor Jarn and I in my office. We would like your input on a professional matter."

"On my way," the Commander replied.

Five minutes later the small strawberry blonde entered the sickbay with a smile. "You wanted to see me, Doctor?"

"Yes, Commander Seizemore. I did some checking and found out that you wrote a paper on the subject of cellular reorganization a while back. I would like you to look at a confidential recording and give me your professional opinion on the matter."

The woman chuckled at her and said, "I was wondering how long it would take for somebody to dig up that old paper."

"You've had a remarkable career yourself, Commander," Dr. Jarn said. "You served aboard quite a few history making ships. However, we'd like your insight into the recording of Commander Greenbough's sessions with Lieutenant Windham." He indicated a third chair in front of the view screen.

"I'll be glad to offer what ever input I can, Doctor, but that paper was written over a century ago," she said as she took to offered seat.

"Computer begin playback from time-stamp 17:34."

Commander Seizemore watched the little drama play out on the screen, her face rather impassive the whole time. Finally turning to Beverly she sighed and said, "Not quite the same thing as Garth of Izar, but it does fit with several theories I've developed over the years."

"What would those be?" Beverly asked.

"That there was more to those kinds of legends than simple ergot poisoning or porphyria," she said. "I believe that maybe there is a genetic mutation that allowed such kinds of cellular reconfigurations." She sighed again and added, "I am surprised at the emotional control I'm seeing out of Ensign T'Lear however."

"Surprised at the emotional control of a Vulcan?" Beverly asked. "Why?"

"Because what most people don't realize is that there is almost a genetic fear of cats in Vuclans, much like human's reaction to snakes. It comes from the fact that every felinoid species on the planet is lethally venomous. The reaction is always tightly controlled of course, but it's still there. Notice that she is exhibiting only curiosity, and genuine concern for both Commander Greenbough and Lieutenant Windham."

"I'll have to admit, that my reaction to seeing that would have sent me running from the room," Beverly said. "I do understand now why, Lieutenant Windham wanted to use the holo-deck- the programmed safeties and ability to project force fields would be helpful if things had gotten out of control," Beverly said.

"Running would not have been a good reaction," Commander Seizemore said. "That would have identified you as prey. So what kind of input do you want from me?"

"Do you think the Commander offers any danger to the crew or the ship?" Beverly asked.

"Only to Commander Tuvok if he continues to be an ass," Commander Seizemore told her with a smile. "But to be honest, I'd say not. He seems to be completely in control of himself. Both of them are. I think this may be one of the reasons the transhumans left Earth though. If they'd unleashed that kind of force against the Augments, then the battle would have been fierce and very destructive."

"I concur," Beverly said. "I'm just wondering where the energy is coming from for the extra mass."

Commander Seizemore leaned in to the screen and pointed to a read out running along the side of the visual. "Here," she said. "Look, the ambient temperature in the room began to drop rapidly as the transformation occurred. The ship's environmental controls kicked in to compensate. There was almost a one percent increase in the environmental system's energy drain on the ship's systems."

"What should we tell the Captain?" Doctor Jarn asked.

"Do you think Commander Greenbough has exhibited any behavior that would be dangerous to the ship?"

The counselor shook his head, "No, he seems to be as in control of himself as ever before."

"Then tell him that the procedure appears to be a success. I'm sure he's going to need further training from Lieutenant Windham, but I think things are going well."

"I tend to agree," Beverly said.

"Commander Greenbough has extended an invitation to you for dinner tonight at 08:00 ship's time in his quarters along with Lieutenant Windham in an effort to express his personal gratitude for your assistance in his recent dilemma. The commander wishes to convey that this is a personal invitation, and not a professional one and that should you decline, no untoward feelings would result." The message on the screen was something of a surprise to T'Lear. She of course more than welcomed the opportunity to further speak with both the Commander and the Lieutenant. They were fascinating men who she recently discovered shared an unusual genetic aberration that caused their people to leave Earth before the Eugenics War.

She was also honest enough to admit to herself that there was more than a modicum of physical attraction to both of them. Commander Greenbough offered enough of a strength of mind, character, and intellect to be attractive to a woman of any age, and as the founder had pointed out: he was attractive physically. The same things could be said for the Lieutenant, and he was physically closer to her own age- not that age was that much of an issue to either men at this point.

She knew that this was the very issue from which Commander Tuvok was trying to shield her, but he did not understand her own situation as well as he thought. Her physical and sexual maturity was a lot further developed than she knew he believed it to be due to her hybrid physiology. Being as the situation was none of his concern, she felt no need to disabuse him of his erroneous conclusion.

Furthermore, she had no bond-mate whose interests bore protecting as her father citing his own unfortunate experience with that particular tradition had chosen to leave both she and her brother un-bonded and free to seek their own mates. Of course unfortunate experience was a polite term for the situation- T'Pring's activities both at the Place of Challenge and later her involvement with the seccessionist movement on Vulcan was scandalous to say the least. Her brother had successfully found a mate in the form of a Vulcan widow who'd lost her first husband during the Tomed incident. The pairing had been amicable to both her family and to T'Lear's, and her father's decision not to bond his children was further vindicated. T'Lear was free to search for her own bond-mate when the time came.

"Confirm my intentions to attend to the Commander," she told the computer and prepared for her evening meditations. She calculated that she had approximately four point seven hours before her presence had been requested. She felt that it would be appropriate for her to review several meditation techniques to clear her mind to better master her own passions.

After a few quick "house-keeping chores" she settled onto her mediation pad and began to clear her mind. Like her father, she preferred to meditate in the traditional manner- focusing on the flame of a Vulcan fire pot. She knew that her brother preferred the method of their grandfather, Sarek: meditating under an open sky. That was not an option she had available aboard the Enterprise even had she desired it.

Before she had finished the first exercise, her door chime sounded. With the grace of a cat, she unfolded her legs up and out of the meditative position and answered the door. To her surprise, Captain Picard was standing there. "I am sorry to disturb you, Ensign but if you don't mind, there is a matter I would like to discuss with you."

"I am at your disposal, Captain Picard," she told him stepping back. "Please come in, but beware: there is a gravity shelf in my quarters approximating Vulcan normal gravity."

Captain Picard nodded his head and entered the room carefully. He glanced over at the fire pot and said, "I am sorry for interrupting your meditations, Ensign."

"No apologies are necessary, Captain. How might I help you." She noticed that the Captain was already beginning to perspire in the hotter than average temperature of her quarters. "Please sit down," he she said. "Can I get you some tea?"

"Yes, that would be nice, Ensign. Earl Grey, please," he said. "The reason I came to your quarters instead of calling you to my ready room was because of the nature of my inquiry. It's of a personal nature, and I don't want you to feel pressured in discussing it with me if you desire not to."

"Understood, Captain," she said from the room's replicator. "Tea: Earl Grey- hot. Vulcan Ieris tea: hot," she told the computer. She remained silent until the tea arrived and then carried both cups to the low table between the chair and sofa of her quarters. Sitting she finally asked, "Exactly how can I help you, Captain?"

Captain Picard sipped his tea, put the cup down and asked, "I'm concerned about the issues that Commander Tuvok brought up at our meeting with Commander Greenbough. I am not here to to try and persuade you either way, nor to pry into your personal affairs. I am simply trying to ensure that your interests don't fall into the conflict with the wishes of your family."

"You are concerned that you may find yourself in a conflict of interests between my desires and what Commander Tuvok perceives to be the desires of my family? The fact that my mother is a Fleet Admiral, and my father the Vulcan and Federation Ambassador to ch'Rihan places you in what could be considered by many Starfleet captains to be an uncomfortable position."

"I am concerned that a dispute between Commanders Greenbough and Tuvok centering around what Commander Tuvok obviously considers an inappropriate relationship between you and Commander Greenbough becoming a disruption to the ship. What you do in your off-hours is your own concern; the same is true for Commander Greenbough. It is within my rights as captain to forbid him to continue to see you in any manner other than professional, but I am loathe to interfere with my officer's private lives. Furthermore, I have come to understand that you are one of the few officers that the commander has come to call friend. I would not want to deprive the man of a friendship on the basis of of ugly innuendo."

T'Lear sipped her tea, "Are you asking me if my interest in Commander Greenbough is professional, platonic, or romantic?"

"I am not unaware of the fact that Vulcans do have emotions, Ensign. Nor am I unaware of how strong they can be. I have experienced them first-hand. Were it not for Commander Tuvok's inquiries, I would not be having this conversation with you. He pointed out to me that you are not only the daughter of an Admiral, but could be considered the First Daughter of the House of Surak making you the First Daughter of Vulcan."

T'Lear listened carefully, as she sipped her tea. Finally, she placed her cup on the table and said, "Captain, your concern is noted. My relationship with Commander Greenbough is one of academic interests, professional respect, and at this time platonic friendship. As for what my parents may or may not consider an inappropriate relationship or ugly innuendo; Vulcans do not engage in such behaviors. Commander Tuvok's concerns are entirely misplaced, and although if I were a pure Vulcan female with a bond-mate and he was a member of my clan, I could understand his objections. I am neither of the above, and neither is he a member of my clan. I believe there may be more at play with Commanders Tuvok and Greenbough's disagreements than my virtue."

"And that would be?" Picard asked with a smile.

"Commander Tuvok is something of dichotomy among our people. He has claimed in the past to have an acute distaste for dealing with Starfleet in general and humans in particular, yet he continuously signs onto ships that bring him into close contact with humans. He is also an accomplished instructor of Vulcan archery, and I believe casts himself in the image of the stoic Vulcan warrior. Commander Greenbough I believe has made himself in a similar pattern but from a different cloth so to speak. I believe that perhaps Commander Tuvok finds the idea of a human who has mastered many Vulcan techniques and disciplines yet who is so utterly human in his interactions to be disconcerting. Not all of our people practice c'thia, and IDIC to same degree."

"You are saying this is two alpha males jockeying for position aboard the ship? I find that hard to believe, especially of a Vulcan."

Actually, that was not what she was saying, but one did not correct one's captain in such matters."You asked my opinion on the matter, Captain. I will tell you however that if you wish my mother's opinion on the situation, you should send her a message. However, I wonder if you'd do that for any other crew member. I am of the age of majority among my people. I am capable of making my own decisions about my associates." She stood for a moment and went to the desk in the corner of the room and downloaded the message from the Commander to her padd and then handed it to the Captain. "However, if you are concerned about my relationship with Commander Greenbough, you may wish to review this."

The captain took offered padd and read the invitation. He looked up at the young Vulcan officer and said, "I see no problem with this."

"The captain is aware that Lieutenant Windham is an Imperial Prince of the Empire, and that they practice poly-spousal marriage arrangements?"

"No I wasn't," Captain Picard said. "Is that what you believe this invitation is?"

"I do not know, Captain. However, I do not consider the concept to be undesirable."

Picard considered what she just said carefully and then set his tea down, saying "Then the matter is settled. As long as this does not interfere with yours or the Commander's duties as officers aboard this ship, I see no reason to pursue it further."

"Thank you, Captain."

On the far side of the Transentient Empire, a hundred light years inside the Dominion territory, a single Omega particle detonated and inter-dimensional space wavered and split open like a ripe melon. An ugly tear in space-time ripped through the "Q Crossroads" and through the fiery rift in reality as a huge ship plowed into Dominion space. Hundreds of "swarm ships" disengaged from it to bear down on sleepy little system in which it had appeared. The first Kam'Jathae ship had arrived to mark the return of the Hur'q this universe.

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