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AN: Just a quick note of something that was pointed out by a reader; Sorry for the discrepancy regarding Mac's rank in this. I wanted her to be a major, not a lieutenant colonel. But sometimes I just lapsed back into official canon, since I now connect the rank of lieutenant colonel with Mac, rather than major. I've tried to catch all of these little slips and correct them, but have inevitably missed some! My apologies! Just disregard it if you come across such a case of this!
Also, somebody let me know that since Dianne went to the Academy with Harm, she'd be the same rank as him...so from now on, Dianne was a lieutenant commander, like Harm and Mac is also the Marine Corps equivalent of a lieutenant commander; a major...Hope I've got that right, I'm not very knowledgeabe about ranks! Enjoy!
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Part 3
Since Kim had an hour to fill, she rode home and made herself a sandwich, before returning to the temple, on-foot. She was sure that somebody would be able to give her a ride home afterwards, but many of the other children routinely walked home, even after dark.
Once she arrived back at the temple, she found her best friend and neighbor, Yan was there. Yan's Mother often helped out with the dancer's costumes and make-up, so Yan would sometimes accompany his Mother to the temple when there was a performance happening.
"You're dancing Legong?" he asked her.
"Uh-huh," Kim nodded, smiling, "and this time I'm not the attendant!"
The Legong dance consisted of three dancers, two main dancers; the 'Legongs'
and their attendant or 'Condong.' Kim had danced this principal part before, but was most often given the part of the attendant, so this was a happy surprise.
Yan began to laugh and mime an over-the top, girly-version of the Legong, until Kim punched him in the arm and nearly knocked him over.
"Kim, it's your turn."
Yan's Mother had just finished with one of the other girl's costumes and so called Kim over to get outfitted in hers.
"Yan!" she looked back at her son, "Stay out from underneath everybody's feet, please…Go outside and play with your other friends! And keep out of trouble!"
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"Sorry, I didn't think that you'd react so…violently," Greene apologized, when they approached the cashier to settle the bill, "If I'd known, I would have warned you."
"It was a bit of a shock, nothing more," Harm shrugged it off.
"Thought I was seeing things when I first met her. She must think I'm an idiot! I think I had my trap hanging open at one point," Greene had known Harm's ex-wife Dianne well, when he worked alongside Commander Baker, the man Harm had replaced.
"I wasn't that bad, was I?" Harm questioned.
"No…" Greene faltered for a second, so Harm wasn't convinced, "It was a little tense for a second or two…But did you see Margie Felton? She actually dropped her clipboard when she met the major!"
Harm settled his half of the bill and pocketed the receipt, to submit for reimbursement, the next day.
"So Dianne and Baker moved back to California?"
"Yeah," Harm nodded, trying his best sound nonchalant, yet not appear bitter.
"Her loss then, isn't it? Kim's a really great kid."
"Thanks, James," Harm nodded, with a smile, "That she is."
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The evening had had a rocky start for Major Sarah MacKenzie. The flight hadn't been at all troublesome, but her arrival in Bali was strange to say the least! Every single person she had met upon arrival at the military airstrip had looked at her like not only did they know her, but as if she were some sort of infamous criminal, to boot! The shock only seemed to last for a minute or two and she supposed she should be glad that military decorum was required for such an event, but it was enough to set her on edge. She'd managed to unwind a little and enjoy her tour around her new office, but in the relaxed setting of the eating house, she became aware of the secret, subtle stares focused upon her person while she was making short work of her meal. Once she was done, she managed to make some settling small-talk with her new colleagues, both ones who she had met on the plane and at the base's terminal building. Her hosts, Commanders Rabb and Greene, whom she would be working with closest here in Bali, disappeared for a few minutes, to take care of the check, but soon returned and made polite conversation.
"So you have family in San Diego, Commander?" she asked the officer to her left.
"My parents are nearby," he replied, "In La Jolla."
"They love it when Harm and Kim visit, but more often they end up coming here," Greene joked, "Harm never takes time off, but they don't complain, because they love a free vacation out here!"
They all laughed and Mac shared, "A lot of my friends made me promise before I left that I'd let them stay with me, when they vacationed here!"
"You soon become very popular with your old friends, when you get a posting here," James nodded in agreement.
In the end, Mac felt much more at ease and her new colleagues also appeared to be so, hopefully having realized that she was very different from whoever this 'Commander Schonke' was.
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Kim was dressed in full costume and make-up, when the tourists began arriving at the temple gates. She was surprised to see Naval and Marine Corps uniforms, but didn't think too much of it, preferring to keep her mind on her performance that lay ahead.
"Kim," the dance teacher approached her, to check her costume and make-up.
Once the woman was satisfied that it was all correct, she gave Kim encouragement.
"You worked very hard in class today and paid close attention while you were watching the advanced class. I want to let you know that this is why I picked you for a principal role in the Legong, today. Not because of anything else, you understand? The role is yours purely on merit."
Kim just nodded, not understanding exactly what 'anything else' meant.
She soon found out, when Yan came back inside, telling her, "Your Pa is out there."
"Really?"
Kim's Father hadn't seen her dance during practice for more than two years and had never attended one of her performances. It made Kim kind of nervous to know that Harm was out there.
"He's showing new officers around," Yan filled her in.
Kim wasn't able to think about it much longer, because the Legong was the first dance to be performed, this evening and the guests had already taken their seats.
The dancers were quickly instructed to line up, ready for their entrance
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