DISCLAIMER: Many of the characters and situations described in the following fic are owned entirely by Takahashi Rumiko, a woman I have the greatest respect and admiration for. Her creativity has even inspired the creation of a whole new branch of the Trek Universe, Therefore, any mentions of historical moment from Trek, Trek-Tech and characters and ships, which I shall endeavor to keep at a minimum, is entirely intentional. Within this story are characters who are from the Trek Universe, but not of Trek. These are my creations. All other characters that are integral to this story are her property. This is a work intended to share a concept, and perhaps my story telling abilities, There is no money to be earned by me or by anyone else from this work. I might also add, Paladin, Team Paladin, the Starship Purcheron and her crew, and Miss Kitty as she is here, ARE my property, and not to be used with out express consent from myself. I have worked hard to develop these characters and hope to use them in published works eventually. I choose to share them and their attitudes with you here. The character from OH! My Goddess belong to who ever owns them… sorry but my copies of this series mysteriously disappeared during a move
And now for sumpin' gnu.
On with the tale
PALADIN ½ - SHE'S THE ONE
Chapter 14- Bonds, Stocks and Bonds
Akane came into the house with a slight limp, favoring her left leg. That cheek throbbing with the pain of the stinging slaps to it. She winced with every step, the gi bottoms irritating the reddened flesh of her rear end. "Kasumi, Mr. Macon said you have some ointment that he gave to you? I could use it I think."
Kasumi took Akane to the bathroom to help her sister apply the ointment from the small tube she pulled from her apron pocket. Kasumi had been bothered by the display in the Dojo. She could still hear the hard slaps to Akane's bottom and she felt ashamed of herself. It had been her idea for the spanking, but the guilt wouldn't go away. She said. "Akane, about what happened; it was my suggestion that you be spanked. I didn't expect it to go as long as it did though. Does it hurt very much?" Concern and worry that her sister may hate her coloring her voice.
"You know Kasumi, I think it bothered Kitty-chan more than it does me. She was crying after the second slap on my butt. I could tell it bothered you and Nabiki too, but I made my bed and had to lie in it." Akane admitted.
"I didn't intend for you to suffer Akane." Kasumi said as she smeared the cream on the red and swollen flesh of Akane's left butt cheek.
At that statement, Akane stayed quiet for a few moments. Her thoughts going back to the first day of Ranma's arrival to the Dojo. Akane had been all set to have a new friend that was a martial artist. She'd hoped to have a girl friend she could have shopping trips with and fun spars with, and learn things from and with. A girl to talk about boys and maybe double date with someday. It had been her fault that she walked in on Ranma in the bath. It was rude of her to begin with. And then to blame Ranma for it, hitting him and calling him names.
Akane couldn't remember the number of times she had seen something that Ranma had no control over, like the Amazon Glomps from Shampoo. Or the unasked for grabby flirtations from Ukyo or Kodache. In all of those incidents, Ranma had been a victim. 'I saw what I hoped to see, an excuse to beat on Ranma. And he's such a wimp when it comes to dealing with girls; he let me get away with it. God I hate what I'm becoming!'
'Is that all I really am?' Akane thought. 'A bully that has some training in the Art? A spoiled and indignant little brat that wants and gets her way because everyone is afraid of her?' With that thought came more memories of how she treated people, Ranma especially. In her own mind Akane began to see that she looked on Ranma as her possession, not a person. She wasn't really jealous of the other girls when they paid attention to him. She was possessive about her property. 'That has to change, I don't own Ranma. I like him most of the time, especially when he's fumbling for a way to apologize for something he might not even be at fault over. He's cute, but I don't love him! Our fathers are pushing this stupid engagement on us! I think I know whom to blame now, and I'm going to try to be more patient with Ranma from now on. But dad and Mr. Saotome… well, they haven't had the mallet treatment yet.
Akane smiled sadly about her inner revelations. She actually felt good, even with the pain in her posterior. 'I guess sometimes you just need an attitude adjustment to get you back to the right perspective!'
Akane had come to a decision about what direction that her life would now go, and she had no illusions about it being easy either. She'd have to talk to Ranma later, and explain that she just wanted to be friends. 'I hope he'll give me the chance to be his friend. I don't think he trusts me any more. OH NO! The engagement, for him it's an honor thing. We'll have to talk to Nabiki about this too.
With that Akane went back to the conversation with Kasumi.
"Let me tell you sis, that first ten slaps on my butt hurt like anything. And then I recalled what Mr. Macon said before dinner. All during that spar, I kept thinking about all the times I had hit Ranma and never been corrected for it. Even having Ranma get yelled at for upsetting me by dad, when it was my fault the whole thing happened. I decided to stick it through for all the times I'd hit Ranma for no reason, or believed something about him that wasn't true. Or seeing what I wanted to see instead of what was really there. If I'm mad at anybody, it's myself and dad." Akane winced as she pulled her gi bottoms back up, as they draped over the tender flesh of her rear end.
Kasumi nodded acceptance of that and smiled gently. "You aren't angry with Mr. Macon are you Akane?"
Akane looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "I'm angry that it came to that. I'm angry that it hurts so badly. I'm even angry that Mr. Macon did it Kasumi, but I'm not angry with him over it. I am really angry that Dad let me grow up and almost become something that he and Mr. Saotome preach against. If anything, I'm thankful to Mr. Macon for it. At least he showed me what a real father figure is supposed to be like."
Akane looked away for a moment and then looked back to Kasumi with a bright mischievous smile and twinkle in her eye. "Sis, if you let him get away from you I will take you out to the Dojo and give you what he gave me."
"Akane! I don't know what you are talking about!" Kasumi said with pretend shock in her voice.
It was nearly a half-hour before Paladin stepped into the house from the Dojo and found the rest, apart from Akane, awaiting him in the living room.
The fact that, to his mind at least, Paladin had practically beaten Akane instead of spanking bothered him. His intent had been originally for no more than a dozen solid slaps to the girl's bottom. But her insistence of continuing to try to fight when there was no way she could land a single strike on her opponent, let alone win, showed tenacity. It also showed a lack of a sense of reality. Jerrod felt terrible over the spanking he'd given Akane. Even though he had kept it from interfering with what he did afterward. It is one of the things that OCS at Star Fleet Academy trains an officer in. Hiding the things that bother you when you still have important business to deal with. Paladin locked the incident with Akane down in the back of his mind as he would with the dressing down of any junior officer, or crewman.
The guilt of correcting someone in front of an audience, something officers are taught never to do, plagued him. He promised himself to analyze the situation later when he had time to meditate fully on it. Which put Jerrods thoughts on which meditation technique would be best to train Akane in. Since he would be meditating on his own problems, he'd train her in the V'tosh asenoi. A very useful technique for meditating created by the Vulcans. He set aside a checklist of items to acquire before training the girl could begin. He needed something to use as an attunement flame, and possibly robes. He didn't use them himself. But the most logical of Vulcans might bristle at the teaching the technique without the bells and whistles.
'In control of their emotions my sore thumb!' Paladin thought. The Vulcan's were just as picky about their religious practices as any other species. 'It wouldn't hurt to make it a point to train a new novice with all the appropriate paraphernalia.' he supposed. It might even make it easier to get Akane to accept it more readily.
"Mr. Macon, I want you out of my home!" Soun Tendou cried, as Paladin shut the door at his entrance, the obligatory tears streaming from his eyes. "You beat my little girl with no consideration for her feelings! And gleefully assaulted me when I tried to stop it!"
"Father/ Daddy/ Mr. Tendou!" the voices of Kasumi, Nabiki and Ranma said at the same time.
"What?! Do you think I could allow such a thing to happen under my roof? I will not allow it! I want you to pack your things and be gone Mr. Macon!" Soun yelled. At the end of his screaming demands Akane ran from the kitchen, soapy hands and dishwater soaked apron and grabbed her father's shirt and yelled "Dad! I'm the one that should feel wronged! The funny thing is even I agree that I deserved it. Mr. Macon did something you've never been man enough to do! I'm tired of being treated like a little princess that could break at the slightest touch, and being told I'm one of the best martial artists in the world! If Mr. Macon leaves, so do I. If I have to ask him to adopt me into his family, at least then MAYBE I COULD HAVE A REAL FATHER instead of a whining water faucet!"
With that, Akane let her father slide from her grip back to the floor and stomped loudly back to the kitchen to finish the dishes as she had been told to do by Paladin.
Paladin stood silently at the entry to the living room and watched the scene unfold further. "Pops, don't even start. I'll kick your furry but all over Nerima if you do." Ranma glared at his own father with that statement.
"Father, I agree with Akane. If Mr. Macon leaves, I will ask him to take me with him as house keeper." Kasumi said and went to the kitchen in a graceful, but angry rustle.
"Daddy, your complaint could hold some water if in fact the house belonged to you. But since I'm the one that has maintained all the bills, and mortgage for the past eleven years, as well as the income to the home. The government and the bank recognize me as the homeowner of record, but, if you insist. I'll just have to ask Mr. Macon to take over the note and sign over the property to him." Nabiki chimed in, and then ran to her room.
The assault to his ears from his own flesh and blood rattled Soun Tendou. Had he really lost that much respect from his own daughters? Had he never been the man he believed he was? Soun had felt that at the very least, Akane would have supported him in his demand to Macon. 'Have I let myself go that much? Did Kimiko dying damage me so much that I'm not man enough to be the father my girls needed? Did I allow myself to wallow in grief to the point that I have been deluding myself that my life was the way it was supposed to be?' Soun thought rapidly.
'It must be! I never once questioned where the money came from, who earned it, or how it was earned. Deep down I knew we shouldn't have been able to stay here without my teaching and bringing in money for my girls to live on! And yet we stayed, never moving. What happened to me? How could I allow my little girls to grow up without a father?' These questions and more flooded the mind of Soun Tendou as he struggled to grasp what had just happened. In his own mind he had stopped aging when his wife died, he couldn't picture his life without her in it. So life stopped when she had died, but only for him. He remained alive in an existence mode, hardly noticing anything for ten years until his friend Genma had arrived.
Then a new life began for him, one of meddling and incessant whiny bullying of a boy who'd been given a choice, and then had that choice taken away and denied him. The girls all seemed to like having Ranma around. But to demand any of them to marry him was wrong. He should have let the girls know about the agreement long before he had.
Paladin watched the emotions of dismay and self hate flow across the features of Soun Tendou until the older man stood and began to shuffle to his room. Paladin stepped forward to catch him by the arm when he nearly fell.
"Mr. Tendou, you are correct, I did not have the right to punish Akane. But someone had to eventually; or else she might have escalated her attacks on Ranma to a regrettable point. She needs to learn control, of herself and her temper. To do that, I need to teach her a meditation technique. I want to teach it to you as well. Perhaps it could help you understand yourself better, and grow from there? I know it can't hurt." Paladin told the older man.
Soun could tell, now, that Paladin hadn't done what he had with malice. The compassion in his voice wouldn't be there if he had. Paladins' willingness to help only confused Soun more at the moment as he was still reeling from the abandonment he felt from his daughters. "Give me some time Mr. Macon, I've just found out my daughters don't love me." Soun said with dejection in his voice.
"Mr. Tendou, they may have lost respect for you, not their love. If they had lost their love for you, I think you would have found yourself on the street a long time ago. You can earn that respect again! Life is all about second chances Mr. Tendou!" Jerrod told Soun. "I know that it's been a long day, but I really need for you to stay in here for now. We'll give it a little while for the tension to lighten up though. I'll go get you some tea, I don't think saki would be a good idea for you right now."
Soun nodded and allowed himself to be maneuvered to the couch where he sat dejected and morose.
Genma was truly confused. He would have thought Akane would be pleased with her father demanding Paladin leave. But, she was the first to come to his defense! And the bombshell that Nabiki actually owned the Tendou holdings worried Genma; his plans for his retirement were threatened! With this Paladin person here, getting Ranma and Akane married sooner began to look more and more unlikely the longer the gaijin remained. 'I have to do something! Soun folding like this isn't good; he might fold at a critical moment when we set the plan in motion. And Akane has always acted as if she doesn't want to marry my son. Sure he has some problems, but every boy his age has problems. There has got to be something I can do to fix this before this Paladin person ruins everything!' Genma was thinking. Unfortunately Genma had an inability to keep his thoughts internal. He always vocalized them when he was thinking hard. This had the effect of reinforcing the thought in his mind, but the sad side effect of allowing others to know what he was thinking.
Ranma just smirked at his father and said. "Pops, if you try anything, the same thing that always happens with your lame plans will happen. It'll blow up in yer face! The bes' thing for you to do right now is siddown and shaddup."
Nabiki had stormed to her room after the mess downstairs. 'How dare Daddy treat MY guest that way!' Nabiki thought. Then she thought of how pained Paladin had looked each time he slapped Akane's ass. 'Didn't daddy see that? Mr. Macon didn't want to do it! But after the crap at school, and then seeing Ranma get blamed for something that didn't happen, and then get malleted for no reason… I don't think Mr. Macon had to carry it as far as he went though. But it did look like he was giving Akane every chance to accept the loss and stop the whole thing.
But no, Idiot 'I'm the best Martial Artist in Nerima' Akane had to keep pushing it.'
Then Nabiki remembered Akane jumping to Paladin's defense first. 'That was odd! I wonder if that was really all that had been needed all this time? Akane given a chance to show what she could do, and having it used to punish her? I don't think I'll ever fully get what happened tonight. But I hope it means things are going to get better.' Nabiki was pondered.
Things had gotten better since Paladin had been with the family. Kasumi seemed to be really happy, not just showing the expected façade. Ranma was calm and didn't put his foot in his mouth as often. Soun and Genma continued being foolish, but now Soun might actually begin to pull out of that and become what he should have been all along. There's no expectation of the engagement idiocy to go away though.
That thought stirred up another train of thought in Nabiki's mind. 'I won't kid myself, I honestly don't know that Ranma and I would be a good match, I'd at least like to find out for sure though. But even a blind rat can see that Akane and Ranma are not a good pairing.' Thoughts like this had been intruding in Nabiki's mind for sometime, ever since the one time where she had been engaged to Ranma. She hadn't noticed it at the time, but it hurt to 'sell' Ranma back to Akane. At the time, she'd honestly thought it was the best thing to do. Get them separated, make a little cash and after the two of them had admitted feelings for each other, everything should have been better for everyone. But it only got worse.
It hadn't been too long after that, Nabiki had begun slowly not taking advantage of Ranma as often. Or charging him as much for favors, even forgetting to collect on some of his debts. If any of her lieutenants had known she had been going soft on Ranma, they might have taken her to see a psychologist. To them it would have been unnatural behavior for Nabiki to act that way.
And then Nabiki getting the opportunity to finally put the schoolyard Mafia behind her. That she'd been the head of it wasn't the point. She'd only done it to get the money her family needed to survive. There had been times that it had bordered on the illegal; those times really bothered Nabiki. She hoped that Mr. Macon didn't think less of her for those times.
'Why does it bother me to think that Mr. Macon might be disappointed in me?' Nabiki thought. With that idea in her head, the arrival of the Macon's and the promise they held out, whether it was conscious on their part or not, gave Nabiki pause. She didn't know what direction things were going to go, but Nabiki did know it would be better to have Paladin and Kitty here and involved with the family than to have them leave. 'Especially if it's because of a jealousy sparked rant by Daddy!'
And that reminded Nabiki that she had let it slip that she was the owner of record. 'Oh CRAP!' That had been a piece of information she'd never wanted to let out. Nabiki had everything put in her name to make it easier to pay the bills and keep Soun from doing anything overly foolish. Now she was afraid it would turn around and bite her in the ass.
After awhile Akane knocked at her door and asked to come in.
The two of them talked while Paladin and Ranma were moving the boxes Nabiki had had put in Paladins room.
The conversation, while not long, was enlightening to Nabiki. She had an honest chance at finding out what had been bothering her most about the annoyingly charming and clumsily cute Ranma Saotome. It was something that Nabiki had been hoping for, but hadn't expected to be in the calm manner Akane was at the moment. She'd been expecting more of the angry impulsive and jealous Akane, not this one that was apologetic and humbled. She had the chance to find out if she really did like him, or was just going through a hormonal attraction to the most physically attractive boy she knew. She knew too that there was more than the physical about it, it was Ranma's persistent nature in never giving up, never losing, and never refusing a challenge.
'The whole being 'heroic when it counts' thing really gets to a girl too.' Nabiki admitted to herself. 'Yeah, I probably really do love the dumb jerk! Or at least parts of me think I do.' She concluded.
"Akane, we have to talk to Ranma and Mr. Macon about this pretty soon. We can't let it go for too long either. But until then, act like the engagement is in effect. There's no telling what Daddy and Mr. Saotome would do otherwise.
It was sometime later that the household had calmed down and the tension was just barely felt. But Jerrod felt it necessary to forge on with his original plan for the evening, even if the news was supposed to be announced after dinner while everyone felt good and happy. While the fathers and Kasumi stayed in the living room, Paladin sent Akane to retrieve Nabiki and had Ranma help him carry the packages from his room to the family room where everyone was to gather.
"Well, to begin this." Paladin said. "This evening was intended to be only good news to have the rest of the family be happy. Unfortunately, events snowballed into a terrible mess. But now I can finally pass on what I was hoping to. To preface this, today at the school I saw something that confirmed a decision I had made several days ago. For some time since my arrival in Nerima I had been debating with myself as to whether I should hire an assistant or not. What I witnessed today gave me very good reason to believe that I should most certainly hire an assistant! Before I get to that however…" Paladin paused and looked Genma in the eye.
The gaze of accusation made Genma squirm uncomfortably in his seat.
Paladin continued. "Mr. Saotome, I was told about the Neko-ken training after I saw Ranma have a trap sprung on him that also placed my daughter in danger. After I tracked him down and he had come back to himself, Ranma explained the training to me. I have only one question to you about using a technique that had been banned for centuries Mr. Saotome. What the hell were you thinking throwing a little six year old boy into a pit of starving cats?" The inflection was hard and cold, but not truly threatening. But it was filled with promise of pain and punishment if Genma ever did anything so stupid again.
Taking a deep breath, Paladin visibly relaxed his muscles that had tensed in his anger with Genma. "Needless to say, my daughter had been placed in danger by the Kuno boy today. If Ranma had not been able to protect her and if she'd been injured or killed… I'll just say that what I would do wouldn't be pretty. Everything worked out all right though, so my anger, while deserved will not be acted upon.
But when I say I will not act upon my anger, I mean that I will not do anything to any that live here at the Dojo. I will however do something about the Kuno boy. To that end, my decision to hire an assistant has been made easier." Paladin said, and opened a folder he had brought down along with everything else.
Taking the first stapled collection of documents he handed them to Nabiki. "Miss Nabiki, this is an Agreement of Non-compete along with a Non-Disclosure Agreement. There are a few in perpetuity clauses in it. But basically, it says that you are not allowed to compete against the interests of Macon AeroSpace for five years after termination of employment. The non-disclosure agreement is for the rest of your natural life. I am sorry, but there is information that you will become privileged to learn over time. It is of a highly classified nature and would be detrimental to the company for it to be released too early. Please read it and confirm that you understand and agree by signing the last page."
Nabiki, in slight shock took the pages from Paladin and read them. While she read, Nabiki was thinking about this. 'Why would he hire me? I know he could probably get everything he needs by going to an agency or business college. He may just not want to let too much information out and the best way would be to have me work for him. He knows where I live and can keep better tabs on me than a stranger.' The agreement was very specific in the no compete terms. There were certain levels of security clearance she would be granted and using that knowledge against the company would end with her in prison. 'It must be very sensitive information then, it may even be national security for the United States level of importance.' Nabiki thought.
After Nabiki finished and signed the agreement, Paladin handed her another stack of documents. "This is an employment contract. As you can see, I've already signed it. This will explain your duties, hours, responsibilities, what is under your authority and rate of pay. Please read it and sign if you agree to the terms." He said.
Nabiki did what she usually did. She scanned the papers she'd just been handed, she wanted to get through it quickly. She could tell that the family was excited about this turn of events. Even Kasumi seemed to have not known what Paladin had been planning. Even with the excitement in the faces of her family, Nabiki could see a hurt look in the eyes of Kasumi. 'I'll have to talk to her later about that, and try to get her to understand, Mr. Macon would never hire her to work for him. He likes Kasumi too much to make her work. I couldn't see him hiring anyone else in the family for this job either. The fathers' are too dumb, and Akane isn't patient enough to do the things Mr. Macon will need done. None of what he has listed under duties is anything I don't have some experience in, or experience in hiring the people that do. He might hire Ranma as a bodyguard for Kitty-chan, but he would do that anyway because he's Ranma.'
'Ohmigod! He's giving me signature authority for company expenditures! I don't even have to get permission as long as the expenses are reasonable and accompanied by receipts.' Nabiki read a little more and wasn't surprised that unless she was given permission for other than company purchases, it would be deducted from her wages. Permission could either be written or verbal, and it could only come from Paladin. And as far as that went, she didn't answer to anyone in Macon AeroSpace but Paladin either.
Nabiki really liked how this employment package was looking. Lots of responsibility, but not too much. The hours were going to be great. She needed to be available for Paladin for at least an hour every day and no more than four hours a day after school. Unless she wanted to do company related work, she had all of Sunday off and could pretty much set her own hours on Saturday afternoons.
The benefits package wasn't slouchy either; she had full medical and dental that she could be everyone in the family on, even the panda. The last page before the signature agreement page was where Nabiki fainted.
The rest of the family bemused by this, Nabiki never fainted! But there she was, out cold on her back holding the papers Paladin had handed her. Kasumi had witnessed Nabiki faint once before in relation to something that Mr. Macon had done or said, the last time had been beneficial to the family. She didn't think it was any less beneficial this time either. Steeling herself, Kasumi reached over and too the document from her sleeping sisters hands and read it. She had mentally prepared herself to be ready for whatever the document had printed on it that would cause Nabiki to faint.
Kasumi, even with her preparation, nearly fainted too. 'Fifteen thousand American Dollars a month salary! I do hope Mr. Macon won't be having Nabiki doing anything illegal!' Kasumi's mental referee of proper behavior kicked in. and then her woman's heart reared up and slapped it away, 'I hope he doesn't like Nabiki that way!' A small spark of jealousy came to life. The jealous feeling went away immediately the moment she looked up and caught Paladins sparkling eyes filled with mischief and care and the way they softened when he saw her looking at him.
It took a few minutes for Nabiki to waken from her second bout with the 'vapors'. In which time the rest of the family had either read the documents or had it explained to them, in Ranma's case, that it was a very good thing and Nabiki was going to be all right. The whole family was going to be all right. The papers made a promise none of them, especially Nabiki and Kasumi, had ever dared hope for.
Nabiki was numbed by the price Paladin had put on her skills, 'He must have a lot more confidence in me than I have!' She thought. With a hand, shaking from the excitement of being hired to be the Executive Assistant to the owner and C.E.O of one of the most powerful corporations on the planet, Nabiki signed.
Smiling around the room, Paladin reached into an interior pocket of his shirt and brought out a card made of plastic. "Miss Nabiki, this is a tool as much as comfort. Be very careful in your use of it concerning 'non company related expenses'." He then handed the card to Nabiki. She now held a credit card with the Macon AeroSpace logo and her name and position in the company embossed on it in silver.
Opening the smallest of the boxes, Paladin then handed her the entire box. Nabiki found in it, a small leather card wallet with a space for her new credit card and her brand new business cards, complete with the cell phone number to the new phone that Paladin next handed to her. She caught herself hyperventilating again and leaned back to calm her nerves. She wasn't used to so much good news at one time. It made her nervous.
While Nabiki was catching her breath and trying not faint for a second time, Paladin was pulling the wrapping paper from the larder boxes that had been delivered, and sliding the boxes into a pile near Nabiki. When he had finished, the girl had nearly passed out again.
The electronics that had been stacked up beside her by Ranma and Paladin had to amount to a small fortune in expense. And she knew how to use it all, The computer lab she had been taking at school had helped her immensely in her 'business' activities at school and around Nerima. And here was what had to be the most advanced personal computer system available in Japan, along with one of the new laser printers and several reams of paper to go along with it.
"Miss Nabiki, I am sorry that you will have to use the net connection that you currently use for awhile until we can have a faster more permanent link installed to the house. I hope it won't be too much of a hardship." Paladin said.
Paladin had been watching the reactions of everyone in the family with each new document or package that he handed over to Nabiki's care. 'They all seem a bit overwhelmed by this. I suppose that will make the initial job for Nabiki harder to deal with, and easier at the same time. I can hardly wait to see how well Nabiki will do with proper tools at her disposal.' Paladin said to himself with a little anticipation.
"Now, I believe that there has been enough excitement of one kind or another today. Maybe everyone should unwind for awhile and Akane and Ranma can do their homework, unless it is already done." Paladin said. "Miss Nabiki, you and I need to discuss your duties tomorrow after school. I hope Miss Kasumi can sit in with us." He finished with a hopeful look to the older girl. "Until then, I need for you to think about bonds Miss Nabiki, stocks and bonds. As in how much and where the Kuno's have their money tied up. I'll explain more fully tomorrow. Right now you have had enough excitement for today."
Kasumi gave a small shy smile at his look and slightly blushed from his attention when he said that. She nodded quickly and stood to help her younger sister stand, seeing no need to let Nabiki. Jerrod then promised Nabiki as she was headed up the stairs, that he would have her new tools set up in her room before she returned from school the next day.
The excitement for Nabiki died down after a few minutes and Paladin went to his room and retrieved the analgesic he'd promised to Akane and then sat down to read one of the shiatsu manuals that Kasumi had in her small library. He had found himself intrigued by the new information. With all the studies he had made of the various martial arts of the Federation, the Vulcan knowledge of nervous systems and pressure points had been the most thorough, and even it wasn't as in depth as what he was learning now. Paladin loved to learn new things and this study was no exception to his inquisitive nature.
Ranma came down from his room after finishing his homework and sat beside his friend and waited to be noticed. He never waited long, Paladin had told him that he could come and talk anytime that he had a problem or just wanted to talk. The pig-tailed boy couldn't understand why Paladin was so friendly to him and never tried to take advantage of him like everyone else seemed to. Ranma liked it, but he couldn't figure out why Paladin treated him like an equal when he clearly wasn't.
Paladin had a presence that commanded respect, even if he didn't act like he knew it. Ranma respected Paladin because of the way the man carried himself. There wasn't a swagger, or suggestion that Paladin thought he was better than anyone else was and that impressed Ranma. The most dangerous opponent Ranma had ever faced had been a quiet man two or three years before that carried himself the same way the Paladin does. 'It's like he don't have nothin' to prove to nobody.' Ranma thought, 'I kinda think I wanna be like that. Paladin's way smart too, smarter than Nabiki even. Mebbe he can help me after all.' The pig-tailed fighter decided.
"What can I do for you Ranma?" Paladin asked, with his friendly smile and patient eyes. He closed the book he'd been reading and put it aside.
"Well, Paladin, I kinda got a problem at school, an' I was hopin' ya could help me with it?" Ranma admitted.
Paladin just looked at Ranma for a few moments and said. "Ranma, you have more than one problem at school. I was waiting for you to come to me and ask for help. And, now you have. Do you and I need to talk privately about this?"
Ranma thought about it for a moment, thinking that Paladin was really concerned about him being embarrassed over the whole thing. 'Somethin' pops would never be!' Ranma said to himself. He nodded his head and said, "Yeah, it might be easier to talk about it if I don't have a lotta other people know' 'bout it."
Paladin considered for a moment as to where they could go that would be most private. He had a small white noise generator sent down the previous week along with the wildlife transporter tracers and the other extra equipment, before he sent the Percheron off on a month long patrol. He didn't think that his ship and crew would encounter anything too unusual on this little mission, it was only to give them something to do. He had ordered Jane and the department heads to work on a way to allow an extended shore leave rotation for when they returned. Just to keep them all out of trouble. Just prior to having the ship warp out of orbit, he also went back to the ship and flew the runabout Jonathan Archer out and put it into an automated mode for orbital station keeping.
He had been worried that the cloak Bill had installed might deplete the standard reactors, but had been informed that the new power configuration would last almost indefinitely. Bill had tied the cloak system to the matter/anti-matter reactor instead. Not quite limitless, but as close as they could get. If it hadn't worked there might have been a very large explosion in orbit, along with a tremendous reduction of the Earth's atmosphere.
"Let's go to my room for a bit then Ranma. No one will overhear anything, and they won't have to know what we talk about unless you want to tell them later." Paladin suggested. He knew Ranma was a good boy, and always wanted to do the right thing. It wasn't Ranma's fault that many situations developed where there was no good answer. That and his own father acting against Ranma's best interests didn't help any.
'Genma doesn't even think he's acting against what is best for his son though. That is the sad thing here.' Paladin thought as he lead the youth to his room and touched the base of the lamp on the small table at the door. It acted as a lamp, but it was a very advanced ECM device. It was called a white noise generator, it was really a low level dampening field projector. It would prevent ant short or medium range two-way communication frequencies, disrupt any current Terran recording devices and limit the ability of eavesdroppers to hear anything more than a mumble. This had become a very handy piece of equipment for Paladin. His log entries had been made easier to input since he'd had the device installed.
And now it would be used for a more productive purpose.