Two days after the alien princess came aboard, Lt Commander Worf had the morning shift off, and he was heading into turbo lift intending on some exercises on the holodeck. He walked into someone else's training simulation as he didn't think to check if holodeck one was in use.
There he saw Haruko battling three enemies using a katana, Worf saw how she moved with such fierceness and precision that he was taken back.
Haruko paused and frowned "Computer, increase difficulty level to 20."
"Warning this will exceed normal safety parameters."
Worf gave the access code to override the system. Causing, Haruko to turn to look at him. Worf just nods his head telling her to carry on. As he steps through the archway.
Haruko nods back and went back to her exercise. When she was finished, she twirled the katana and placed back into the sheath on her back.
"Haruko, you have a very interesting style of fighting. I don't know many who can fight pass level 20 in the combat simulation save for myself and Lt. Commander Data."
"My kind are warriors, we date back to the 1600s on earth." Haruko replies, "Mainly we are one ruling body now, but we still practice combat skills to keep our inner selves from taking over, this is just a humanoid form, I am a giant dog."
Worf looks her over as if judging something. "I would like to try your skills against mine if you wish."
"Maybe some other time, I was in here since I woke this morning, not that you could tell its morning on a starship." Haruko answers
"Very well, I look forward to seeing how well you fair."
Haruko grinned as she passed by Worf, she couldn't help but breathe in his scent, she knew that scents often changed when one was in unfamiliar territory. She noticed that the Klingon had a very strong odor of musk that she didn't notice before. She went out the door before she could figure out his scent, even more, she went back to her quarters and went into the shower.
Worf went about his normal exercise but his mind kept going back to what he saw earlier with Haruko.
Haruko didn't know what she thought her senses were telling her, she finished showering, got dressed, tied her silvery hair into a braid. She wanted someone to talk too, she was just a demon here. She looked at the mirror, "I know that I'm doing this for my subjects, but I just wish I could understand my own instincts."
Haruko decided to take a walk to ten-forward to relax and maybe think more about why she was on this journey.
The demonic female got a drink from the replicator and sat down, she thought about what she wanted in a suitor, and what the council wanted her to want in a suitor. She knew exactly what the council wanted which was a strong male but also one that they can control, but what she wanted was a suitor that was her equal, who would stand by her side but would also provide her with the protection she needed at times as well.
She shoved her drink out of the way and laid her head down on the table. She was never going to find someone, who would willingly give up their own lifestyle on their planet, she would settle for having a mate half the time if the being was in Starfleet.
"Are you alright?" a voice questions, Haruko looked up to see a miniature Klingon.
"Oh don't mind me I was just thinking that's all."
"About what? I was going to get ice cream but I saw you and thought I would ask." the mini-Klingon explains
"Just stuff back home." Haruko "Nothing someone your age, should worry about as of yet. I'm Haruko, if my name is too hard for you to pronounce, you may address me as Hari."
"If you say so, I'm Alexander but can call me Alex most of my classmates do."
"I think I shall." Haruko replies, as someone who worked in Ten Forward, came by, "I'll have an ice cream sundae."
"double that." Alexander states, "If you don't mind a kid joining you."
She smiles "I don't mind at all I would be honored if you join me."
"I never saw you on the Enterprise before, are you new?"
"Traveling, mostly, I'm searching for someone." Haruko answers, "Not that I know who he is yet."
Alexander looks at he confused "How can you be looking for someone if you don't know who he is?"
"I'll know him by scent, by instinct." Haruko answers, "I am searching for my future mate."
"Your future mate, and if you never met him how can you tell if he's the right one for you?"
"I'm not sure, but that is how my race finds their mates. We don't have to know him or her just feel." Haruko answers, "If I were to know him, then I wouldn't be here right now, I would already be mated to Daichi, he is the only one, who I would even consider as a possible mate and he doesn't even want me."
"Why not your pretty enough and you seem nice?"
"because we think of each other as brother and sister, we don't see each other as anything else." Haruko answers, "I bet I can guess who you are related too on the ship."
"Oh, I'm sure you can't." He smiles slyly at her.
Haruko took one sniff of Alexander and smiled "One of your parents, is Lt. Commander Worf. Not to mention to you look just like him."
A crew member wearing yellow came up, her eyes were wide as she seen who Alexander was talking too as if they were old friends.
Alexander laughs 'Yes he's my father I've been living with him for a while now."
Haruko turned slightly, to see the creature next to her. "Yes?"
the crew member dropped to her knee, bowing before the Dog Demon. "My lady, I'm surprised to see you, please allow me to introduce myself I'm ensign Yukimi stone."
"I see, it is not every day a fellow demon glazes upon the Prime Alpha, is it not?" Haruko questions
"No, my lady, I'm both blessed and honor to have met you." As the two women talked Alexander watched even more confused.
"You best return to your duties," Haruko states, as their order arrived.
"Umm Hari, what is the ensign kneeling before you that's not normal Starfleet procedures?"
"Because she is from my planet, she is one of my subjects as well as a Starfleet Ensign." Haruko answers
The ensign stood "Of course, My Lady, I hope to see you once more." She turns and leaves the room.
"One of your subjects, are you a princess?" Alexander asked his eyes wide.
"I am Lady Haruko of the Planet Yōkai, I'm not in danger or anything. Everything, I have spoken thus far is the honest truth. I am not a princess, I was known by that title two years ago, but not any longer." Haruko answers
"Oh my, I never met royalty before, outside of the halo deck programs I mean." The boy stammer looking a bit flushed now.
"I am only the Lady in the palace, does this look like a palace to you?" Haruko questions
The child looks around. "No, it doesn't but still father always said to use the proper titles when talking to people in respect to the worlds."
"And friends do not need such formalities, I do not have very many friends, but I would be honored to call you my friend?" Haruko questions
"Yes, I would like that as well Hari." Alexander smiles and grabs the spoon to his sundae.
Haruko nods, as she spooned another mouthful.
That evening, while the children's schooling was over, and Worf was on the bridge, Alexander was sitting at the desk in Haruko's room, working on his history assignment.
"Hari, can you tell me more about your world, it might help me with this homework, I have? "
Haruko did so, going back to her own history lessons to brush up on her current time.
When Alexander heard about what her grandfather did while on earth the boy's jaw dropped "No way how could your grandfather been around before the great holocaust?"
"Demons are very long-lived, If I searched hard enough, I think I could still find Lord Sesshomaru, he might still be alive, I doubt anyone could destroy him." Haruko answers
"But really you're telling me that he fought a war that the humans never wrote about must that they even knew your race was real?"
"The Feudal Era was a different time, then what you are used too, no one on earth knew anything about space travel, they thought the stars were the Gods watching them. In the 1900s, demons were nothing more than fairy tales to scare human children into behaving." Haruko answers
"Still I find it hard to believe that even till the ww3 that there were no real records of Demons in any history." They both continued to talk till Alexander started to yawn and his eyes droop.
"I think you better get to bed before your father comes looking for you," Haruko states as she stood up to walk Alexander back to his father's quarters.
"Your right, I should get to be getting to bed. Father said I have combat training in the morning, plus he said I could use his bat'leth this time cause of my grades." The boy smiles at the thought.
"Oh," Haruko answers as she escorted the young boy to his rooms. "Have a good sleep, young Alexander." she turned and walked back in the direction.
As she was walking down the hall, she saw Worf exit the lift reading a datapad.
Haruko pressed herself into the wall, to avoid the Klingon, who wasn't paying attention to where he was going.
Worf was walking by her then stopped and turned to face her confused. "Haruko, are you lost, you need someone to take you back to your rooms."
"No, I was just seeing a young friend off to bed..." Haruko answers.
He looks at her confused as the only young person on this deck level, he knew was his son. "I hope my son was not bothering you? "
"No, Alexander is not bothering me, I have a load of time for my young friend. Since I doubt I will find someone, who is my equal." Haruko states, "but being here is giving me ideas for my own government practices."
"Very well please do tell me if he does become a problem for you and thank you for bringing him home." He turns to head to his rooms but stops and turns to her as if to say something
more but doesn't and just continues on his way.
Haruko turned and went to the turbo lift and the deck her quarters were located.
Once she was in her quarters, she got ready for bed herself as the day somehow left her tired.
Haruko just rested on her bed, next thing she knew the lights came on as was normal to tell people when they had enough rest. She went and put on a robe, and went to her desk and the computer that was hers to use, and she found several sub-space messages waiting.
Most were just messages from Dai keeping her up to date but there was one personal message from him asking how she was and how her trip been so far?
She made the response videos the directly governing the planet, then she sent those. Next, she worked on the personal message, "You seen to think I am here on a vacation, which I might as well be, since I have so much leisure time then what I had before this venture, now. I haven't met any other worlds, but I think I will keep my quarry to the Federation and Starfleet, if I have to, they seem to realize that duty and pleasure are two separate entities." she sent the message and decided what to do today. She went to her private replicator and requested green tea, with bacon, egg, and cheese on toast.
After an exercise bout with Alexander, Worf thought about what his son had mentioned when he was with Haruko, that he didn't miss his mother as much. He also thought that she would make a great mother and wife to someone, she was brave and caring and willing to do what she needed to do to ensure her people's continued peace.
Worf fought the instinctive growl as he thought about Haruko being with anyone, no one was good enough for her.
Haruko dressed simply, elected to wear flowing pants and a tunic shirt of the finest weave, she exited her room and went to Ten Forward.
As she entered the room she saw that is was relatively empty just some of the crew members between shifts and what she thought was some of the families of the crew. She went to a window seat, which she could stare at the stars as they pass by them.
"They're nice to look at aren't they" she heard a female's voice asked her.
"Yes, they are." Haruko answers
"Anything, I can get you while you're sitting here," the woman asked as she came into Haruko's view.
"I don't think unattached males are on the menu." Haruko answers
"Sorry, sorry they're not, but you're not the first to ask that." The woman laughed.