Star Trek: Ranma's Story29 – By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: "Ranma ½", "Star Trek", and other genres belong to their respective owners.

Note: This is a semi-fusion, alt-crossover story

Part 29

On some alien planet (again)…

"So…I take it that you are the leader of this group?" said a young man, who was dressed like something out of the Tang Dynasty of ancient China. What was even more striking than the clothes, was the fact that the man had pointy ears, greenish skin, white hair with streaks of red, and green eyes with slanted pupils.

"I suppose I am," Commander Riker replied evenly.

"Fascinating," Lt. Commander Data said, as he took readings of the stranger. "Apparently, he has traces of both reptilian and human DNA."

"I was descended from DRAGONS, foolish automaton! I am HERB, prince of the Musk Dynasty! And I demand to know who you are…or I will destroy you all!"

"How did you know that Data is an android?" Lt. Commander LaForge asked, who was amazed how much energy their next opponent possessed.

"Simple. He possessed no energy to speak of. So it either was DEAD, or he was an automaton. Either way, you all will pay for your foolishness!"

With that, the one called Herb attacked, by moving fast enough to literally float in the air. Data, seeing this, knocked Riker out of the way, and took the full brunt of the attack.

BAM!

Data was knocked away a bit, and tumbled into a nearby stream.

"We better-" Riker said, as he was about to help his officer. However…

"Wait!"

Riker turns to his Science Officer.

"What is it, Lieutenant Tsukino?"

Usagi looked at Riker, and then pointed to the combatants.

"This is Data's fight, now."

"But…he isn't capable of any 'ki' attacks!"

Usagi smiled.

"I kinda did some modifications on Data, based upon the notes from this guy I knew. A 'Dr. Gero', or some such person."

Riker then turned to see the battle in progress.

Herb hovered over the stream, waiting for Data to come out.

"Come out, fool! I don't have all day-!"

BLOOSH!

Data slowly rose in the air, as his internal power switched to a different power unit.

"I believe that I can defeat you," Data said simply.

"We'll see!" Herb said, as he rushed forward.

"Field ON."

FOOSH!

A burst of energy went outward, and slammed into Herb, knocking him out of the air, and into the stream.

"See?" Usagi said.

"When did you make the modifications?"

"Just before shipping out. Data had indicated that he always wanted to mimic humans, so…I gave him something. It was approved by Starfleet Command, by the way."

"Well, I didn't know, and I'm sure that the Captain didn't either."

Meanwhile, Herb leaps out of the water, too mad to notice that "he" was now a "she".

"Hmmm," Data says. "Do you know a Lt. Ranma Saotome?"

"What?" Herb-chan said, as she began to dry herself using her personal "ki". In the process, the steam turned the cursed Musk prince turned her back to her normal gender. "You know that fool Saotome?"

"He is a fellow crewmate."

Herb grinned.

"Then, I will enjoy your demise!"

Herb threw a volley of chi attacks, thinking that the android was incapable of having any offensive energy attacks.

Wrong.

First, Data knocked the energy attacks away. Then, he rushed forward, and landed a solid punch. And with Herb slightly dazed, Data pointed his left arm at Herb, which "morphed" into a beam-cannon.

"Phaser Beam Cannon: Wide Lens."

WOOSH!

Herb was engulfed in a searing beam of 'phased' energy. Desperately, he tried to hold back the beam with his will…

When Data landed on shore, after returning his arm to its original configuration, Herb was still in the same position as when he tried to hold back the onslaught. The android examined Herb before tapping him on the forehead…

PLONK!

And down Herb went. When that happened, Herb disappeared.

FLASH!

Data then walked over to Usagi.

"Your modifications to my systems have not deter from my normal functions," Data says.

Riker turned Usagi.

"We HAVE to have a talk, Lieutenant."

Back aboard the Enterprise-D…

"Okay, P-chan," Lt. Ranma says, as he sat in front of the cursed form of his arch-rival (somewhat), Ryouga Hibiki. At the moment, he and the cursed "Lost Boy" were in one of the holodecks, where Ranma was teaching Ryouga how to control his curse. He had already primed his rival, thus giving Ryouga room to push his limits.

"Grunt!"

"Hey, you're the one who wants to learn how to control your curse. Bare it."

Sighing, Ryouga continued to concentrate. According to Ranma, Ryouga could use 'chi' to create a hot or cold aura to trigger the curse psychosomatically. Slowly, after focusing onto his cursed form, Ryouga began to change…

"That's it! You're almost there…"

Ryouga was transformed into his old, crabby self.

"Uhhh…" Ryouga said, as he collapsed.

"There," Ranma said, as he covered Ryouga with a blanket. "That's your first step towards…self-control."

"Feh, if I wasn't so tired, I'd clobber you," Ryouga replied.

"Be as it may, the more your practice, the easier it gets."

Within moments, Ranma began switching genders…

"Stop that, you're making me dizzy."

"Sorry."

The two sat down, sipping a cool beverage.

"So, how did you find a cure?" Ryouga asked.

"Well, it started when I was assigned to provide escort at a maximum security prison for the criminally insane on Elba II. In fact, Kuno would have felt at home there."

"I see."

"Anyway, my old commanding officers James Kirk and Spock of Vulcan-"

"Who?"

"You know that doctor with the pointy ears down in Sickbay?"

"You mean Dr. Solaris?"

"Yes. Well, she and Spock come from the same place."

"Oh."

"Well, they wanted to personally give a revolutionary cure for the insane to the director of the facility, a man named Dr. Danny Cory, if I can recall."

"Okay, go on."

"So we go down to deliver this cure, only to walk straight into a trap. Apparently, one of the inmates was a shape-shifter named Garth of Izar-"

"What's so special about him?"

"Before I cam along, Garth was the designated 'fleet captain', which was the title given to the best of the best starship captains within Starfleet. In fact, he wrote the book on tactical combat. Of course, I have long since updated that 'book'. Heh."

Ryouga rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, apparently, he picked up a technique that enabled him to repair a near-fatal injury from another species. Unfortunately, the process caused him to go insane, and thus, he landed in the insane asylum. Too bad Director Cory wasn't prepared for Garth."

"Okay, so how did Garth set you up?"

"Garth had disguised himself as the director, and tricked us into accepting his terms."

"And they would be…?"

"He had ordered his goons to kill some of his fellow inmates if we didn't cooperate."

"Oh."

"Well, along the way, Garth had learned of my curse, and offered to teach me how to control it…if I would help him take over my ship. I must admit I was sorely tempted by the offer."

"Then what?"

"Well, after Garth had murdered his woman, to convince Kirk to cooperate, I knew that I had no choice but to try to stop Garth. So…I did, with Spock's help, of course. Once the facility was secured, Garth and the remaining prisoners received a cure."

"But, how did you learn to control the curse?"

"It was after Garth had gotten better that I asked. Turns out that the 'cure' involved bio-manipulation. Garth taught me the trick as a way of trying to use it to get me on the darkside."

"But…if you learned about the technique, why didn't you, well, you know…"

"Go insane? Well, I learned the technique to come up with a better version of it, that works for me. So while I can't shape-shift to anything I want at will, I can develop a revised version that works for me. And now…for you, too."

"Oh. Well…thanks."

"No problem. I do hope that this means were even."

"Heh, not on your life!"

"Huh?"

"Look, I hate to admit this, but…you're pretty good in martial arts. And it's because of our fights that I'm a lot better than I would have been. So while I won't seek revenge, I still want to spar now and again."

Ranma smiles.

"You're on."

Tbc.