Thanks to campy, captainkodak1, Zaratan, Commander Argus, ComputerSherpa, Shinriko, mattb3671, duckman12, Uru Baen, JPMod, daywalkr82, Classic Cowboy, CajunBear73, calamite, Yuri Sisteble, whitem, TexasDad, Emerald Dark Knight, Louis Mielke, surforst, JMAN2.0, Goinghome, spectre666, Jason Barnett, Markv1.0, Seamus Dubh, IncrediRaider8, momike, Darkcloud1, Ezbok,58a, TAZER ZERO, Skyagent, Wanderer3, MichaelCross, Matri, conan98002, zipporahvulcan, The Halfa Wannabe, Taechunsa, Brother to Vorlons, teddybear-514, vanillalilies, jasminevr, Slyfer, Josh84, and strength-91-possibility-none for reviewing and to everyone else for reading.
Write a review, get a personal response from Rufus! Well, how about one from a guy who once shared an elevator with Rufus? Okay, how about from someone who has seen Rufus on TV …
Thanks, as always, to campy for his beta and proofreading assistance. As a sign of my gratitude, no disgusting alien food products are on their way to him this week.
If you saw it on KP, it belongs to Disney. If you saw it on TNG, it belongs to Paramount.
I.
To say Jean-Luc Picard was displeased would have been a gross understatement. He believed that a grave injustice was being done to the soon-to-be-demoted Kim Possible. He had been a senior Starfleet officer for more than three decades, involved in high politics and low intrigue, and knew when someone was being offered up on the altar of expediency.
That night, Kim Possible was the designated offering. And Jean-Luc Picard had been told that he was the one to officiate at her sacrifice. He had no choice but to comply with his orders; that was part of the bargain he had struck when he agreed to wear his uniform. But he was determined to do so on his terms.
II.
Kim was horrified. She knew how things must look to Ron. Since Carter was larger and heavier than her and she had limited space in which to work, she had decided a knee to the groin would be her best option to get free of him. Kim had just positioned her leg between Carter's and was about to strike when the turbolift doors opened. When she saw Ron, she froze and stopped moving her leg. Instead of looking like she was in the process of kneeing her unwanted suitor, she appeared to be quite intimate with her handsome ex-boyfriend. To Ron, she realized, her act of self-defense must have looked like something totally different.
For the briefest of moments their eyes had locked. Kim had never seen so much pain, so much sense of betrayal, in one person's expression. Her anger with Carter flared and she drove up her knee with ferocity. But it was too late. By the time she had struck and connected with Carter's privates, Ron had already turned and begun shuffling away and the doors to the turbolift had slid closed. She didn't even have a chance to call after him.
"Kim …" Tom groaned, dropping to the deck, clutching his injured manhood.
"If you ever come near me again," she snarled, "I so promise you I'll show you what it's like to be on the receiving end of sixteen kinds of kung fu. And that's before I shove you out an airlock. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes …" the suddenly sober and frightened officer whimpered.
"STOP!" Kim ordered the lift. "Return to Deck Eight."
The turbolift reversed direction and returned Kim to the galley level. She didn't even look at Carter, still curled up on the turbolift deck, as she bolted from the elevator and ran down the corridor hoping to find Ron. He wasn't in the galley.
She found another turbolift and headed to Deck Six and Ron's quarters. Once she arrived, she pressed the chime button.
There was no answer.
She pressed the button a second time, and there was still no answer. Kim did this two more times, before she slapped her comm badge. "Computer, where is Ron Stoppable?"
"Ron Stoppable is in his quarters."
Kim bit her lip. She rang the bell a few more times, then banged on the door. "Come on, Ron. It's me, Kim. Please, we have to talk. It wasn't what you think it was!"
Ron didn't respond. Kim knew she couldn't let him go to sleep thinking she had cheated on him; she knew he was still fragile in the wake of the incident on the moon's surface. She used her security clearance to access the override and opened the door.
Kim entered Ron's quarters. "Ron? Ron, where are you?" she asked, before she noticed his comm badge sitting on the table. "Snap," Kim swore, knowing that Ron could now go anywhere he wished on the ship without being detected. She sighed, then decided to be logical about the search. Where would Ron go? she asked herself. Ten Forward!
Kim left Ron's quarters, darted to the turbolift and headed to Ten Forward. She entered the rec space and looked around, disappointed to not see Ron.
Guinan saw Kim.
"You looking for something, Possible?"
"Ron!" an agitated Kim exclaimed. "Have you seen him?"
"Sorry, not tonight. Problem?"
Kim sagged. "Major." She explained what happened.
"Okay, let's split up and look for him."
"Guinan …"
"It's a big ship, Kim. And to be honest, right now it might even be better if I were the one to find him. I'm not sure he's going to want to talk to you."
"This is so ferociously unfair," Kim protested.
"Life's unfair, Kim. And the – hmm, what did I once hear it called back on Earth? … ah, yes – the Food Chain casts a long shadow."
"What are you talking about?" Kim asked.
"Kim, you think one week of intimacy, adventure, and shared danger is going to undo all the memories Ron has of your always being interested in someone else, and never him? Of his thinking he had a snowball's chance with you back when he first wanted to be with you?"
"Well …"
"Kim, put yourself in his shoes. Really put yourself there. Take that history and add in his injuries. Would you act differently?"
"Probably not," she conceded, feeling deflated.
"I don't doubt how you feel about him now, Kim, but I don't have the history to overcome or the insecurities to battle that he has. You've got to remember that, be patient with him, and not give up."
"I will and I won't, Guinan. I promise."
"Good. Now let's go find Stoppable."
Kim's comm badge chirped; she sighed. "Possible here."
"Lieutenant, this is the captain, would you please come to my quarters?" he asked.
Kim and Guinan shot each other glances; they were both curious about the captain's request.
"Yes, sir. I'm on my way. Possible out." Kim said, pressing the device. "This night just can't get any worse," she grumbled.
"You go talk to Picard," Guinan said. "I'll find Stoppable and straighten things out."
III.
After the reception, Bonnie Rockwaller had gone to her quarters. She soon found herself bored and decided to do some exploring; she'd heard about Enterprise's botanical garden and thought that would be something to see.
She pressed the button for the turbolift; a few moments later, the doors slid open.
"Ohmigosh!" she exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
The handsome young officer sitting on the floor with his back to the wall looked up at Bonnie.
Well, no time like the present to move on. Besides, what are the odds that this one will be able to beat me up? Tom Carter thought.
"Had a run-in with one of my fellow officers. She's a little bit …" he said, tapping the side of his head.
Bonnie entered the turbolift and knelt beside Tom. "Here, let me help you …"
IV.
"Okay, so where are we?" Guinan asked as she walked onto the holodeck.
"Go away," Ron muttered.
"Don't think so. You know, I always like to try a new place. Hmm. Chimerito combo. Sounds good. I think I'll have one of those," she said to the computer-generated counterman. Once her order was ready, Guinan took her tray and sat down in the booth opposite Ron.
"So, tell me about Bueno Nacho. This does not seem like the kind of food a top chef would eat."
"Yeah, well, there's a lot you don't know about Ron 'Loser' Stoppable."
"Okay, have it your way. I'm sure there is. So why here?"
"I dunno."
"Try again, Stoppable. You can do better."
"Because I used to be happy when I came here, when we –" Ron slumped down into his seat and sighed. "Guinan, she cheated on me. She said she wouldn't dump me and then she did!"
"Did she?"
"I saw her making out with Carter in the turbolift," Ron said, his voice anguished.
"Really? Did you ask her what happened?" Guinan asked.
"What's to ask? The door opened and she was up close and personal with Pretty Boy." Ron dropped his head down onto his folded arms. "My life so stinks."
"Let's try this version of events, Stoppable. Possible's riding the turbolift. Tom Carter, who I shouldn't have let try alcohol earlier tonight, steps on. He begins to tell Possible how he feels about her. She responds by telling him how she feels about you. He's not listening. A bit tipsy, he goes in for the kiss, catching Possible off guard. As fate would have it, the door opens and you're there. You think she's getting all tangled up with him when in reality she's getting ready to put him out of commission. Next thing you know, you're devastated; Carter's a falsetto and terrified because Possible has told him in no uncertain terms how bad she'll hurt him if he so much as says 'boo' to her again; she's frantically searching the ship to find you but, just to make things fun, gets a call from the captain; and I'm sitting in a funky Earth fast food joint."
"You expect me to believe that?" Ron replied, wanting to challenge Guinan, but knowing in his gut that she was telling the truth – and that he'd thus been grossly unfair to Kim.
"You expect me to believe you've got a magic sword that happened to belong to Kahless the Unforgettable?" Guinan asked with a mischievous grin.
"Touché," Ron said, dropping his head into his hands. "Great, Kim's gonna hate me."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't believe her. Because I believed she would cheat on me. What kind of relationship can we have if I don't trust her?"
"Stoppable, as Possible would say, amp down the melodrama. You two have been through a lot the past few days; you need to cut each other some slack. She knows what you're going through. And she sees your insecurities; she knows she's even contributed to some of them, even if unintentionally. But you've got to make a choice about those fears. Someday you're going to beat them back or you're going to let them control you. It's your call. All I know is that you've got one beautiful woman out there who loves you. This isn't high school; this is the big leagues. It doesn't matter if you're not the smartest or the best looking, Stoppable. She. Loves. You. Got it? For whatever reason, you're the guy who makes Kim Possible happy. You want my advice? Run with it. You let her go, then you really are a loser." Guinan got up. "By the way, this was good. Next time though, I'll definitely have to grande size the chimerito. Good night."
The bartender left Ron alone with his thoughts.
V.
"Please, have a seat, Lieutenant," Picard said after Kim had entered his quarters. "May I offer you a drink? My brother Robert recently sent me a Sauterne from the family vineyard that I've been wanting to try."
Kim didn't know what this was all about, but decided to play along; she knew that the captain wasn't prone to inviting junior officers to his quarters and she knew he wasn't going to hit on her.
"Thank you, sir. That would be nice," she said as she took a seat, trying to look interested and engaged, even though what she really wanted to do was find Ron.
"I thought you might like to know that Mr. Stoppable made us an excellent meal. The admiral was most impressed," Picard said. "Commander Riker has told me about Ron's … availability. I can't begin to tell you what an asset it would be to have a chef of his caliber on board. Do you think he would accept a position aboard Enterprise? If so, I would like to have Mr. Riker talk with him about specifics."
Kim couldn't help but sag. "Right now, sir, I suspect Enterprise is the last place he wants to be."
"Really?" he asked, surprised.
"Yes," Kim replied before explaining what had happened on the turbolift.
Picard's brow furrowed. He was very unhappy to learn that one of his officers had acted in such a manner. "Will you be filing a report?" he asked.
"I don't know, sir. To be honest, I don't care about Tom. I'm just worried about Ron. We had a couple of wonderful days and then everything bad that could possibly happen to him has happened to him the past few days … he so doesn't deserve this."
"Kim," Picard said, "if I can say anything to him, please let me know."
"Thank you, sir," she replied.
"I know you have a lot on your mind, and under other circumstances, I would tell you to go find Ron right now. But I called you here for a reason. I considered waiting until the morning, but I decided you needed to know now so the decks can be clear for tomorrow." Picard took a deep breath. "Admiral Nechayev informed me that the T'klarians have filed a request for your extradition in connection with the attack on Bunt …" Picard could not help but see the shocked look on Kim's face. "… That request has been rejected. However, the Admiral believes that a gesture must be made to appease the T'klarians and has decided that you are to be reduced in rank to ensign and removed from the investigation."
Kim was stunned. She'd been … broken. Her career in Starfleet was essentially finished.
"I must tell you," Picard said, not fully successful at hiding the anger in his voice, "that I feel that this is one of the greatest injustices that I have ever witnessed in more than thirty years as a serving officer."
"Thank you, sir," Kim said, barely audible, as she reeled from her captain's news. His sympathy was welcome, but didn't change the fact that her career was over.
"Ensign, effective immediately, I am transferring you from Security to the Command Staff. Since I believe that every good captain should have experience at the helm of a capital ship, you will report for duty on the bridge at 0800 hours tomorrow at which time you will assume your new role as helmsman of Enterprise. I will look forward to seeing you at your new station. Further, as captain, I have the right to appoint an aide-de-camp to assist me in various activities; I will note in my log that you have been appointed to that position."
"Sir?" Kim asked, confused by the sudden turn in her fortunes.
"I will be damned if Starfleet is going to sacrifice you because it is the convenient thing to do. You did excellent work, indeed, you broke this case open. You will be not be penalized. And if you are to be denied your rank, then I am going to compensate for that in a way that communicates to both the crew and the admiral that you retain my full confidence. Besides, I believe you have shown yourself ready for these new duties." Picard looked at the young officer, then let a playful look come over this face. "I would remind you, Ensign, that you will need to trade in that gold uniform for a red one."
"Thank you, sir," Kim said, barely maintaining her composure. Though she may have been reduced in rank, Picard had effectively handed her a promotion.
"Do not thank me yet. I do not imagine Admiral Nechayev will be happy with these developments.
"Now, I know you want to look for Ron …" the captain said, causing Kim to redden "… but there are a number of matters we must discuss, including our rendezvous with Chancellor Gowron, that directly involve Ron, not to mention the impending arrival of Ambassador Fiske, for whom we will be having a full-dress reception tomorrow evening …"
VI.
Kim had just left Picard's quarters when her badge chirped.
"Possible here," she said.
"It's Guinan. I think you'll find someone you want to talk to in Bueno Nacho on Holodeck Four."
"Thanks, Guinan," Kim said as she broke into a trot heading to the turbolift. "You rock!"
VII.
"Ron?" Kim asked, walking onto the holodeck.
"Hey, KP," Ron replied awkwardly as he looked up at her.
Kim slid in beside him in the booth and threw her arms around him; he returned her embrace. She had much to discuss with him, but at the moment Klingons, admirals, demotions, postings to Enterprise and other such things paled in importance to making sure all was right between her and her best-friend-boyfriend.
"Sorry for being such a jerk," he said.
"Ron, it's okay," Kim said soothingly.
"No, it's not okay. I didn't trust you. I didn't let you tell me your side of the story. I just assumed …"
"Ron, I'm not going to say I'm pleased that you actually believed I'd cheat on you like that, but I know what you saw. And I do have my hottie history to live down. I just wish I could make you believe me when I say I love you." She gave him a tender kiss, then smiled. "I guess I'll just have to keep on trying to get that through that nacho-clogged brain of yours."
Ron couldn't help but offer Kim a small goofy grin. "Yeah, well, I think I actually know you love me, though I'm cool with you reminding me." He sat quietly for a moment, then turned serious. "It's just that I'm scared, KP. This just seems too good to be true. Ya know, the loser usually doesn't wind up with the head cheerleader."
"Then it's a good thing you're not a loser …"
Ron began to protest.
"Nuh uh. You're not now, nor were you ever, a loser. Different, yes. A loser, no." Kim gazed into Ron's eye and gently caressed his cheek. "Would you humor me and close your eye for a few minutes?"
"Uh, okay …" Ron agreed.
Ron did as Kim requested. Then she got up, spoke softly into the holodeck controls, and watched as a new set of clothes materialized. She quickly took off her uniform and changed into the new outfit. Then she returned to Ron.
"You can look now," she said.
Ron did, and gawped.
"Losers don't get invited to be head chef on Galaxy-class starships," Kim said, sliding in by her boyfriend. "And losers, according to you, don't date head cheerleaders," she purred, knowing, thanks to his earlier confession, just how much he liked what she was now wearing – a New Middleton Cheer Squad uniform.
"Geez, KP, you don't play fair," Ron said.
"That's right, Ron. I play to win," she replied with a grin.
They kissed for a while, then pulled apart. "So, how was your evening, other than your run-in with Pretty Boy?" Ron finally asked.
Kim frowned, then told Ron about everything that happened, from the reception to the visit with Picard. He was in turn apprehensive (Bonnie, Du, Fiske), furious (Nechayev, Starfleet brass hats), and intrigued (Gowron, Picard's enthusiasm about having Ron staying on board as ship's chef and his desire to have Ron attend the briefing, Kim's new assignments).
When she told him about Nechayev's decision, Ron yelled, "They cannot do that to Ron Stoppable's girlfriend!" leading Kim to smile; she was pleased that Ron seemed to say that without any reservations or doubt.
"Ron, it will be okay. It's so not the drama …"
Ron eyed Kim skeptically.
"… okay," she conceded. "It is the drama. But the switch to the command staff and being made the captain's ADC is pretty spankin'. I may have a lower rank, but I've got a much bigger job. And while I'm not happy about being taken off the investigation, I wasn't looking forward to working with that GJ agent anyway. One briefing tomorrow and then I can focus on being the new helmsman of Enterprise …"
"And you can celebrate by doing a barrel roll! That would be soooo cool, KP!" Ron enthused.
"Ron, I am NOT going to do a barrel roll my first day piloting this ship!"
"Aww man," he whined before smiling wickedly. "Think you might do one in bed?"
Kim arched an eyebrow. "You'll just have to wait and see …"
"Booyah!" Ron responded. "I'm ready!"
"I can see you are," she said, cocking an eyebrow before turning serious. "Ron, about Admiral Nechayev …"
Ron caught the tone of her voice. "What up, KP?" he asked.
Kim returned to the subject of the impending visit by Gowron and Nechayev's desire to meet with Ron before that occurred. She also mentioned Nechayev's hope that Ron might be willing to serve as chef for the Fiske and Orionisi dinners.
"Let's see if I get this straight. The lady busts my girlfriend and then asks me for a favor?"
"That's about it, Ron," Kim said before taking a deep breath. "Ron, I need you to do this. It's important to Starfleet. Please make the dinner – and when you talk to her about Gowron, try not to take off her head. I can see how tweaked you are – it's actually very sweet – but it won't help me – or Captain Picard, who's going out on a limb for me."
Ron looked at Kim, smiled, then shook his head. "You really dig being in Starfleet, don't you?"
"Yes, Ron, I do. It means everything to me. Correct that. After you it means everything to me."
"Okay, KP, I'll do it."
"You rock, Ron," she said, standing up and heading to the door. Ron began to follow her.
"Just wait there," she asked. "Computer, I need visual and keyboard access to my personal files again, please and thank you."
A keyboard and monitor appeared. Kim scanned the monitor, grinned, then began typing.
Kim and Ron watched as Bueno Nacho dissolved and was replaced by the gym at New Middleton High School.
Ron was shocked. "Uh, KP… how?"
"Anything's possible for a Possible, Ron," she said coyly, not feeling a need to tell him that she'd accessed her holographic photo album, which contained a picture taken of the cheer squad at a home competition. The image provided the computer with sufficient information to create her uniform and the New Middleton high school gym.
"So, Ron," Kim said seductively, coming back to her boyfriend. "I never actually fooled around with anybody under the bleachers. Want to give it a try?"
Ron just stared at Kim, wondering how he could have been such an idiot earlier in the evening. He gave her a huge grin, took her hands in his, and said, "KP, I'm all about trying new things!"
VIII.
Yori sat alone on her bed in the quarters she shared with Kim; she knew that her roommate would not be returning that night. Kim had not slept in her own bed since the night she and Ron became a couple.
Yori stretched out her legs and pulled out a book padd. She was re-reading The Tale of Genji when the door chime beeped. That is odd, she thought. Who would be calling at this hour?
"Come in," she called out, curious as to the identity of her visitor.
The door opened and a swarthy if well-groomed man in his mid to late twenties entered.
"Good evening, Ensign," he said. "My name is Will Du. Mr. Stone suggested I introduce myself …"
Yori became very alert at the mention of Stone's name. It meant only one thing: Will Du, like Yori, was a part of Starfleet's super-secret Section 31.
"I see," she replied. "Perhaps we should talk elsewhere," Yori suggested. "I do share these quarters."
"That will not be necessary. My specially modified tricorder issued only to top GJ/Section 31 agents indicates that your roommate is otherwise occupied on Holodeck Four and, I suspect, will continue her activities well into the night …"
Yori refrained from flinching at the clinically cool yet adolescently prurient way Will said that; she did not need more time to decide that her visitor would be trouble.
IX.
While Kim and Ron did things beneath the facsimile New Middleton High School gym bleachers that would have given Steve Barkin apoplexy, Yori and Will warily took one another's measure, and Bonnie helped Tom 'move on,' Shego was on her way to a remote research facility located near the Romulan Neutral Zone and a date with half of a Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer.
X.
"KP, is this really necessary?" Ron whined.
"Ron, don't be a baby. Now let me straighten your collar for you."
Ron had reluctantly gotten out of bed with Kim at 0555; that turned out to be a good thing since it allowed them to spend some time together before a very full day began.
Kim was determined that Ron was going to look his best for the meeting with Admiral Nechayev and the subsequent briefing about the investigation. He was also supposed to meet with Commander Riker, who had left a message about his desire to talk that morning about the details of Ron's potentially permanently staying on board.
She also wanted Ron to look his best should he run into Bonnie. She didn't trust their old high school classmate to not say hurtful things to him; Kim believed Bonnie would be less likely to step out of bounds if Ron was dressed his best.
Kim stood back and admired her handiwork. "You look very dashing, Ron," she purred.
"Sha," he said waving his hand. "You say that to all the guys with eye patches," he added with a grin.
Kim smiled as Ron joked, then retorted, "I so do not, Ron. Only to the guys with eye patches and freckles and a thing for Tex-Mex."
Despite all that was going on in their suddenly topsy-turvy, turmoil-filled lives, Kim and Ron felt relaxed and happy. They had gone to bed realizing they had turned yet another corner the previous evening. Their relationship had been deepened and strengthened in ways neither would have imagined since the mission to Ras T'klar. Each supported and encouraged the other as they were simultaneously confronted with serious and unexpected challenges. Kim and Ron now felt that, together, they could do anything.
"Well, I must admit I'm all about you having a thing for guys with eye patches, freckles and a love of Tex-Mex!" Ron said as he pulled Kim close to him.
"Ron! You'll muss up your clothes!" Kim protested.
"Don't care, Kimbo. I find you irresistible in that red uniform. All it needs is some more of those pip thingies and it would be perfect."
Kim gave up and threw her arms around Ron's neck. "You're incorrigible, Ron Stoppable, did you know that?"
"I did indeed, KP. And I'm a bad boy, too!"
XI.
The turbolift doors opened and Kim strode confidently onto the bridge, masking her nervousness as she arrived to assume her new post. Kim had been on board Enterprise long enough to know that word of her demotion in rank and promotion in duties would spread very quickly throughout the ship. Whether she would be treated as a has-been being given a consolation prize until she left Starfleet or an up-and-comer unjustly deprived of rank because of politics remained to be seen.
Worf turned and looked at his former security officer. "Congratulations on your promotion. It is well deserved," the Klingon said, loudly enough so that everyone on the bridge knew how Kim's former superior officer (as a member of the bridge crew, she would now report directly to Riker) felt about the matter.
"Thank you, sir," Kim replied, grateful for Worf's public show of support.
She passed her old station, continued down the ramp, and presented herself at the trio of seats at the center of the bridge. Picard, Riker, and Troi were all present – and smiling.
"Good morning, Ensign," the captain said. "Are you ready to assume your new post?"
"Yes, sir," Kim answered.
"Very good, then," the captain said, extending his hand in a way that invited, rather than commanded, Kim to seat herself at the helm. Following Picard's lead, Kim headed to the console. As she sat down in the helmsman's chair, she looked over the ops station, which was occupied by Mr. Data.
"Hello, Ensign," the android said, returning her gaze.
"Hello, sir," Kim said, now unable to keep the nervousness out of her voice. Despite the friendly reception from everyone on the bridge, Kim couldn't help but be a bit uneasy. Enterprise had never had a proper helmsman before; the position was usually filled on an ad-hoc basis. By naming Kim to the post, Picard had not only made clear his continued support of her, but had placed a great burden on her shoulders. Kim was not only responsible for piloting the ship, but for keeping track of all of its navigational equipment, maintaining watch over the surrounding space for anything that might affect the ship's voyage, and being familiar with the space they occupied and through which they would travel. Kim had studied the helm before, but now it was hers. As she began reviewing the controls, she knitted her brow in consternation. She suddenly felt boastful as she recalled her old motto, "I can do anything!"
"Ensign," Data said.
"Yes, sir?"
"I … excuse me, I think this would best be done if I were standing," he said as he rose and moved away from his station.
Kim watched Data quizzically, as did most of the bridge crew.
"I have great confidence in your abilities as a helmsman, Ensign, and believe you will do an excellent job piloting Enterprise. That is why I call … shotgun," he said as he scrambled back into his seat.
Everyone gawped for what seemed minutes, but was in reality seconds. Riker was the first to begin laughing. Soon everyone else joined in and Kim relaxed.
Data was quite pleased. He had spent all night, much to the annoyance of his cat Spot, practicing that joke.
XII.
"Come," the disembodied voice commanded.
Ron walked through the doors into Alynna Nechayev's quarters. He noticed that they were as spacious as his.
"Thank you for coming to see me, Mr. Stoppable," she said. "May I offer you some coffee?"
"Uh, thanks, that'd be badical," he said. Ron was a mass of warring emotions. He was nervous; Nechayev was, after all, an admiral who could make or break Kim's career. He remained angry; he thought that Nechayev had unfairly punished Kim. And he was confident; Ron knew he had something this woman wanted.
After Nechayev poured the coffee, she sat down on the couch opposite Ron. "Mr. Stoppable, I am going to preface this conversation by saying I suspect you have already taken a dislike to me because of my decision to reduce your girlfriend in rank. That is your prerogative. However, I have a responsibility to Starfleet and the Federation as a whole, a duty that transcends the needs or even welfare of any one individual."
Ron looked skeptically at Nechayev. As far as he was concerned, she was just another bully. "Admiral, let's get something straight. I may be just a chef, and I may not be smart like you, but I'm not totally stupid. You're right – I am angry about your decision. But not because you busted my girlfriend, but because you busted Kim Possible, who is the neatest person on this ship, who loves Starfleet, and works harder and better than you'll ever know."
"Ron …"
"Alynna …" Ron shot back, realizing he was losing his temper, which would anger Kim, but still deriving satisfaction from the woman's reaction to being called by her first name. "Well, since you called me 'Ron,' I assumed you wanted to be on a first-name basis," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Mr. Stoppable," she replied icily, "Kim Possible may be everything you say she is; I, to be honest, am not convinced. I have reviewed her service record. Good, but not brilliant …"
"You haven't seen her the last couple of weeks!" he protested.
"No, I have not. But I work with the totality of information at my disposal. Neither Starfleet nor the Federation will fall if Ensign Possible's career comes to a premature close."
Ron stared at the admiral, who had all but announced her intention to drive Kim out of the service, before speaking, "And you know what, lady? I bet the same could be said about you!"
Nechayev's nostrils flared. If Ron had been a member of Starfleet, he'd be on his way to a court martial. But he was a civilian, a civilian whose assistance she needed, and that changed everything. She took a deep breath. "Perhaps you are right," she eventually conceded. "You, however, are a different matter." Frowning, she continued. "Mr. Stoppable, in less than 36 hours the leader of the Klingon Empire will be coming to see you. This visit could have tremendous implications for the future of the entire Federation. I don't know if you quite understand that."
"Admiral, I may have mastered the art of the gentleman's C in school, but I've worked in a restaurant filled with diplomat-type guys for a year …"
"This isn't the same …" she interjected.
"Admiral, Admiral, Admiral," Ron said as if talking to a slow child. "That is where you are wrong. The people who come in to Mistral think they are the most important people in the galaxy and expect to be treated that way. I learned that very quickly. The only difference here is that this Gowron guy actually is the most important person in the galaxy, or at least one of the top five. He's going to be kind of big-heady …"
Nachayev, despite herself, smiled at the double entendre.
"… and he's going to wonder what a scrawny dude like me is doing with the magic sword, am I right so far?"
Nechayev nodded.
"See? It's not a complete vacuum up here," Ron said, tapping his head. "It'll be cool, Admiral. I've been hanging with Worf. And Q told me to think Klingon. Don't know what he meant, but I'll try, okay? I'm not going to embarrass anyone. KP would kill me."
Nechayev looked at Ron knowing there was nothing more she could say or do at this point, other than hope that this odd chef could somehow hold his own with the leader of one hundred and sixty-five billion sentient beings.
XIII.
Bonnie rolled over and looked at the man who was sharing her bed.
"So, who's better?" Bonnie asked.
"What?" he asked, surprised.
"Me or Kim? Who's better in bed?"
Tom arched an eyebrow. "What, is this about you and her?"
"No," Bonnie purred, swinging her leg over the lieutenant. "It's about you and me. I'm just surprised you could date K for so long. She is so lame."
Tom Carter let the dig at Kim pass unchallenged. The combination of being dumped for Ron and then being kneed by her had turned him against her. Further, Bonnie did the first night what Kim had resolutely refused to do with Tom the entire time they had dated. At that moment, Tom was feeling disposed to agree with her. "Yeah, I guess she is."
"So, what are you going to do about last night in the turbolift?"
"Do? How about stay away from her so she doesn't go after me again!"
"I think you should file a report," Bonnie suggested, trying her best to look helpful.
"Hmmm," Tom said, looking at her. "You know, that's an interesting idea."
"Stick with me and you'll learn that I have lots of interesting ideas," she purred as she leaned in to kiss him.
XIV.
Nechayev and Ron talked a bit longer. She told him how she appreciated the meal he had made, then asked if he would be willing to serve as chef for the upcoming visits of Fiske and the Orionisi. Ron said he would, making it clear he was doing this as a favor to Kim and his friends on Enterprise. They concluded their meeting and headed for the observation lounge and the briefing on the investigation.
As they exited the turbolift to the bridge, Ron saw the back of Kim's head and smiled. She's actually flying this thing, he thought. That is soooo cool!
Nachayev's reaction was less than enthusiastic; she immediately understood the implications of Kim wearing a red command uniform and serving as helmsman: Picard had done an end-run around her and the admiral was none too pleased.
"Captain," she said curtly as she descended the ramp with Ron in tow.
"Admiral, good morning," Picard replied as he stood in the presence of his senior officer. "Number One, you have the bridge."
"Yes, sir," the executive officer said.
Nechayev, who began heading to the observation lounge, stopped dead in her tracks when she heard Picard say, "Mr. Worf, Ensign Possible, if you will join us …"
"Captain," she said, as she spun around, "I will see you in your ready room, now."
The admiral stalked to Picard's sanctuary, with him following in her wake. Everybody, save Ron, was wearing a poker face; he gawped.
Nechayev lost no time when the doors slid shut behind Picard. "I specifically ordered you to take Ensign Possible off of the investigation. You know that her involvement will only antagonize the T'klarians. Further, we now have more experienced personnel to handle the matter."
"Admiral, I have complied with your order. Ensign Possible is joining us for the briefing in her capacity as my ADC."
Nechayev, her face impassive, looked hard at Enterprise's commander. "Captain Picard, you are a very clever man. Very few men could have taken an officer's demotion and found a way to turn it into an opportunity for career advancement. That was truly inspired," she said acidly.
"Admiral, I do not see why Ensign Possible's career should be needlessly sacrificed."
"Captain, you have been involved in enough diplomatic activity over the years to know matters are not that simple."
"And I have been involved in enough such activity to know when one must take a stand and do the right thing."
Nechayev looked at Picard through narrowed eyes. "Well, Captain, who you choose to serve as your ADC is your affair. But appointment to helmsman of a Galaxy-class starship – and based on the change of uniform, I will assume that her presence at that post was permanent, and not part of a rotation – is a different matter."
"Ensign Possible is a highly rated pilot, Admiral."
"It is one thing to fly a shuttle or occasionally sit at the helm, Captain. It is another matter entirely to pilot the flagship of the Federation. After the briefing I will satisfy myself that Kim Possible is worthy to serve as helmsman of Enterprise."
"May I ask, how so?"
"No, you may not, Captain Picard," she said regally. "I will meet you in the observation lounge momentarily. But first I will speak with Mr. Data; please send him in."
XVI.
Shego silently made her way across the plain towards the installation. She had to give the jokers who ran the place credit; they had chosen a perfect location for their labs. The Class-L planet was inhospitable, to say the least, and would prevent most incursions. Fortunately for Shego, her comet powers enabled her to survive in environments that would have killed normal humans.
She briefly thought of her brothers, who had been with her that day when the celestial object had struck. Like her, they too had been changed. But whereas they were trusting, she was not. They had been taken away by Starfleet for "evaluation"; she had not been interested in being a human lab rat and promptly fled their home on Alpha Centauri.
In the years since her departure from the family home she had built herself quite a career as a criminal. She smiled as she thought about Brotherson's inability to comprehend her continued work with Drakken. The mad scientist was annoying, but not a bad guy in his own way. Besides, he paid well and offered great benefits, and he was a good source of long-term employment.
The more Shego had thought about it, the more she was convinced that Drakken would once again find a way to fail. But that was okay, since this time they'd have something incredibly valuable to sell. Maybe Dr. D will get himself some gene therapy and boost his intelligence; I just want to buy a bigger place on Risa. Heck, she thought, if we're successful, I could buy Risa …
Shego now lay on the ground behind a small outcropping. She pulled out a pair of infrared goggles to survey the terrain. The target was directly ahead; Big Daddy had given her a schematic of the facility that revealed the most promising points of entry. Shego checked her phaser; it was fully charged. Her stolen tricorder was operational. She was ready to move in.
She was dressed in black, her hair tied back. The obsidian surface of the volcanic plain served her purposes well; Shego, like a chameleon, was able to blend into her surroundings. Slowly, she approached the installation. Along the way she disabled various surveillance cameras, using different methods, all designed to resemble a natural systems failure. Finally she reached the outer wall of the research lab. She looked up. Twenty feet. No problem for her. She launched herself up and over the roof. Genetic mutations did have their benefits.
Shego quickly dropped to the surface, then crawled to the ventilation system. She carefully removed the grille – there would be no plasma burns left behind here if she could help it – and slipped in. She carefully made her way through the ducts, following the map on her tricorder display. Shego would have preferred entering the storage room itself, but that wouldn't be possible due to the HVAC/environmental systems layout; she was going to first have to make her way through some corridors. When she reached her entry point, she removed the grille, and gracefully dropped to the floor, landing in a crouch. She looked around. And was shocked.
There were unconscious personnel sprawled on the floor.
Someone's here, Shego thought. She withdrew her weapon, ready to use it at a moment's notice. She suspected the other intruder was here seeking the same thing she wanted.
Carefully, with her back to the wall, she made her way to the store room. The door was open.
She pivoted in, holding the phaser in front of her.
"Hands up!" she barked at the figure standing in the middle of the room.
The other person turned his head slowly, then grinned at her.
"If you say so," he replied, slowly raising his hands. Then, moving with a speed Shego found stunning, he launched into a double handspring, landed in front of her and swatted the phaser from her hand. "So, do you come here often?" he asked.
Shego growled. "No. I was just dropping in to make a pick-up."
"That's funny. So was I!" the intruder said impishly. Then, he grabbed her arm, twisted it, and flipped her.
Shego landed on the floor with a thud. She was not happy.
"Maybe they'll make another one of these," the mysterious man said as he began working a key pad. "I've heard that pan-dimensional vortex inducers will be all the rage next season."
Shego growled, then fired up her plasma. She hurled a bolt directly at the figure, who buckled, but did not fall. He turned and looked at her.
"Feisty, aren't you?" he said as he left the panel and approached Shego.
"Feisty?" Shego snapped, annoyed. Kim Possible was feisty! "I prefer dangerous," she said, dropping into a fighting stance.
"Ah, you'd like to play. I'm game!" the intruder said brightly as he responded in kind and assumed a position similar to Shego's. The two figures warily circled one another, each assessing the other.
"Fine, I'll go first," the intruder finally offered as he launched a sweep kick that Shego barely evaded. Her opponent's speed was unnatural. "You have good reflexes," he said.
Shego snarled, spun and kicked. Her opponent dodged her move.
The two of them went at it for some time, both launching attacks at one another, each defying the other. Shego didn't want to admit it, but she was beginning to tire. Finally, her opponent, smiling, retreated, leaned against a wall, and crossed his arms against his chest. "You're very, very good, you know that? I don't think I've ever met anyone who can fight quite like you can."
Shego felt the same way about her opponent. As frustrated as she was, she was also exhilarated. This was the kind of partner she'd always wanted.
"So," he asked. "Tell me your name."
"Shego. What's yours?" she said, looking at her opponent. He was unlike anyone she'd ever met. He seemed to be jaundiced and had strange golden eyes. His longish dark hair was slicked back.
He looked at her, then grinned.
"My name is Lore."
TBC …
Explanatory Note for readers who want to know a little something about Lore: Data has an older brother, Lore (I am not making this up!). Lore and Data are identical in appearance; but that is where the similarities end. Dr. Soong, the creator of Lore and Data, programmed Lore to have emotions; unfortunately, something went wrong and Lore turned out be five hundred miles of bad road.