HELLO REVIEW ANYONE? ANYONE? HELLO! I am sorry this has taken so long to post. I hope to get bettter. I just needed some time to think and some other one shots popped in my mind. ENJOY!

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Ch 23 In no way, shape, or form is this a good idea

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READY ROOM

Today for most people would not seem as promising as it does to James T. Kirk. His daughter has admitted to being a street rat and child soldier but still he has a spring in his step and a smile on his face. What no one knows is Jim finally has his answers. Kirk thrives on finding answers. His brain is hard-wired to solve any problem or puzzle he encounters. Kate and her past were a puzzle that he finally has all the pieces of to solve. True, her past was less than ideal but Jim's motto of 'you can only move forward' applies. Now that Jim understands the problem he is facing, he can solve it. He is also excited about doing something with Kate that doesn't involve the gym or a television set. If he can find what she enjoys it will go a long way to making her happy here.

"Keep making my day better," Kirk requests striding into the ready room. The room resembles Scotty's office with tools and various mechanical components scattered haphazardly across the entire table. Schematics line every wall PADD in the room. Jim takes a seat at the head of the table waiting for Lt. Commander Scott and Lt. Commander O'Neill to begin their update on the lightsaber research.

Samantha, in her usual efficiency, doesn't waste any time. She begins lecturing as soon as Kirk's ass hits the seat. "We have completed an evaluation of the Jedi weapon. Although immensely powerful, this weapon is actually very simplistic in its design." Sam dims all the schematics except for one on the conference room wall to explain. "The weapon is made of four main components: plasma beam, handle, crystal, focusing lenses, and a power cell. It is essentially a plasma weapon. When activated it doesn't emit any detectable heat or radiation until it comes into contact with something solid." Sam states.

"Vich is vy it vasn't detected as a veapon by the transporters," Chekov confirms.

"Exactly," Samantha smiles excted to talk about her newest toy. "To use my husband's analogy the casing resembles an ordinary flashlight but when it is ignited stand back. Our security teams have experimented with it activated to see if any materials provide resistance to the blade," Sam begins, but Jack interrupts.

"And I can tell you that three desks and six floor slash ceiling panels have met their match," Jack says humorlessly.

"Six?" Jim asks getting that crinkle in between his eyes which only appears when he is surprised. "I thought it was only five panels that were destroyed."

"Nawh. It was six sir. Always six," Jack says like Jim was crazy. "And every weapons locker door, but that craziness was all Kate's." Jack gestures to Jim as if wanting him to back up a fishing story that no one believes.

"Anyway," Sam interrupts her husband with actual information that is useful. "The power behind this lightsaber is immense. It can cut through pretty much any material we have like a knife through butter. We have tested this on the toughest materials we know of. Diamonds, carbonite, osmium, wurtzite boron nitride, lonsdaleite, graphene, and carbine, but we have not found a material to stop it. I have tried to get Kate to talk about its strengths and weaknesses, but she was less than forthcoming Sir. "

"No shit Sherlock," Jim thinks to himself. Kate explaining how to defeat the Jedi's weapon would be akin to Jim giving the Klingon's an internship in warp design. Neither scenario will ever happen.

"We did howeva learn the densa the material the longa it'll take to get through it," Scotty adds.

"So it cannot be stopped but slowed," Spock reads the written report while listening.

"Aye, Commander. We also discovered it generates an intense electromagnetic field. I mean this thing's field is like Jupiter as to compared to Earth. We think this prevents the plasma arc from being interrupted and shortenin' out each time it comes into contact with other materials," Mr. Scott adds.

"And that's why it deflects phaser fire?" Sulu asks.

"Yes. From what I can tell Sir, the electromagnetic energy fields repel plasma much like magnets do when they are placed positive side to positive side." Sam explains. "Or another way to think of it is using Scotty's analogy reflecting meteors like Jupiter."

"What about our force fields? They are nothing but electromagnets fields. Can it stop them?" Kirk asks.

"Yes sir, at least from what I can tell," Sam says. "Any type of electromagnetic field is their Achilles Heel.

"This would explain why the Jedi did not attempt to cut their way out of the containment field once they escaped the brig," Mr. Spock states emphatically. "If the containment field encompassed the ceiling and floor they would have been effectively trapped. I will begin working on ways to deploy spherical and cubical forms of the containment field for when they return." Spock words hang heavy in the room. Not one person believes the Jedi are gone. The thought of turning the Enterprise into the Alamo against the Jedi dampens Kirk's festive mood.

"So it can't go through force fields and repels plasma weapons," Jim summarizes getting the meeting back on track. "How do we shut the damn thing off once activated or destroy it?"

"Mr. Scott and I have opened the weapon up and discovered a crystal and several lenses inside. We hypothesize the crystals somehow increase the power to the lenses focusing the beam. Now this is only a guess, but I think that if we could somehow create a resonance wave to match the resonance frequency of the crystals they would shatter. Since we have only one of these lightsabers it's your call. I can't promise anything," Sam states clearly wanting approval if this plan goes south. "Also if it does work we will no longer have a working weapon. We are able to replicate the lenses but not the crystal so if we destroy we destroy it we have no more weapon."

"How can you not replicate a crystal," Jack asks.

"That is the real mystery sir," Samantha keeps her and Jack's relationship professional. No one in the room would know they are married except for the schoolboy smirk he gets each time she calls him sir. Sam stifles a smile knowing exactly what her husband is thinking. "I can replicate the crystal, but when I place it in the device, the replicated crystal doesn't work. I have run ever scan on the crystal we know of. Structurally, chemically, and physically, a replicated crytsal is identical to the original, but only the original powers the device."

"Fascinating," Spock says intrigued with a seemingly impossible problem. "Lt. Commander O'Neill I would like to assist you in your further studies." Samantha gives Spock a welcoming nod. To Spock, Samantha O'Neill is intriguing. She is brilliant and capable of being a chief engineer on her own ship, yet chooses to work in a job with no possibility of promotion. Samantha O'Neill is also a team player not demanding credit for every accomplishment in her daily job. This is far from the typical accolades most people with her intelligence seem to need. In short, Spock has always thought she would be an excellent Vulcan except for her obsession with blue Jello.

Kirk looks at Spock for his assessment. "The physics and math are sound Captain. It appears to be our most logical course to pursue; however Lt. Commander O'Neill is correct. We might want to enlist the help of Katherine in this preliminary stage of research."

"I know insanity is a prerequisite for the Bridge crew, but we in Security take a more logical approach to problems." The bridge crew does not miss Jack's sarcasm stifling their laughs and chuckles. "Giving Kate a loaded weapon is not going to happen," Jack firmly states his position before glancing to the end of the table for Kirk to back him up. When Jack sees Jim thinking about it the proposal, he decides to take a new approach. "Captain we talked about this," Jack says like he is talking to one of the kids. "Kate plus weapons is a bad idea. Like blowing up the Earth's sun bad idea or taking candy from a baby. I have two sons. Trust me you take candy from a baby and the baby gets pissed. The difference is your baby's tantrum is damn near impossible to stop."

"But Kate is smart," Samantha looks at Jim and not Jack. "In no way do I support Kate using or actually being a part of the team analyzing the weapon, but her knowledge of the lightsaber is crucial to us understanding it. I am suggesting we maybe let her sit on a question and answer session. It would be something I would allow my boys to participate in if they were in Kate's position." Jim catches the barely perceptible flash of anger across Jack's face. It is the look of a pissed off spouse.

No matter how hard everyone wants to turn Kate into a normal twelve-year-old events continue to occur forcing her from that role. It has been barely a week and the lines between his duties at a Captain and father are being blurred. Jim's duty as a Captain is to use all information available to maintain the safety and security of his crew. Jim's only duty as a father is to protect Kate. Giving Kate any sort of role as an adult on the ship right now is dangerous. Kate already falsely believes she is their equal. Sitting her down in a staff meeting now would confuse her even more.

Jack mistakes Jim thinking for agreeing with his wife. "In no way, shape, or form is letting Kate be a part of a discussion on Jedi or weapons good for anyone," Jack lets the briefest glance befall his wife before directing all his attention to Jim. "Kate is a fighter," Jack gives his assessment of Kate to Alpha team. "She is smart, dedicated and has the skills whether we like to admit it or not to give us a run for our money. The incident in Sick Bay is a prime example. She was in it to win it with me regardless of the consequences. There was no way she did not know dropping to the ground in a basket hold would not dislocate her shoulder yet she did it. Never in a million years could someone convince me, a twelve-year-old child, could get past two armed guards in Sick Bay, take three of my men hostage IN THE SECURITY OFFICE, and then break three others out of the brig," Jack pauses to let his words sink in. "And yet again she did it."

"Colonel O'Neill I never suggested letting her practice with the device," Samantha tries to keep a professional tone. "I am only stating the facts. Without her help, the devices we confiscated could take years to figure out and we don't have that kind of time."

"Then you should never complain you are bored at work again," Jack says in a tone as if Samantha is his subordinate. Jim stiffens feeling like he is a little kid and in the same room with his parents fighting. In the two years the O'Neill's have been on the Enterprise, they have never acted like a married couple until now. Jim steals a side glance to Spock and then Scotty.

"What did you just say to me," Samantha shoots a death glare at Jack. Her husband is known for his dry, witty, sarcastic humor when he is annoyed but never has Samantha been on the receiving end like this.

"You heard me Lt. Commander. I don't feel it is prudent to have a weapon like that loose," Jack levels an officer's stare at his wife. Samantha has seen this look before. It is Jack's way of letting those under his command, or his son's, know a topic is off the table for discussion.

Samantha bristles at the verbal and gestural rebuff before regaining her composure. "We need to figure out why the crystals don't work," Samantha ignores Jack addressing the other officer's sitting around the table. "If it has something to do with the Jedi powers then we are wasting our time Colonel replicating things that will never work. Captain," she looks at Jim, "I am in no way suggesting Kate use or touch the lightsaber, but more,"

"Then try substituting other crystals," Jack's tone is taking a razor quality. If the officer were anyone other than his wife, Jack would have ordered them to stand down. Even though he outranks her, Jack will not cross some lines in public. Privately that is a different story. Jack can tell this is ramping up to be one hell of a night in private.

"If you read the memo you would know that we have tried that Colonel." Even Spock seems to wince as the proverbial boxing gloves come off. Jack's habit of ignoring memo's exasperates Spock. Jack claims never to read memos, but somehow not reading them has never stoped Jack from staying up to speed. Secretly Spock knows Jack must read them. "Only the original crystals work. Without the ability to make more crystals I will not be able to produce more weapons."

"I am not interested in making more weapons Lt. Commander. What interests me is a way to destroy it or have a viable defense against it. Spend your time finding a frequency that destroys them. That is your new direction on the project," Jack orders her. Technically Jack is well within his scope of power. The lightsaber is a weapon. If it was not so technically complex and unknown, his department would have kept it; however since no one knows how the hell it works, Samantha's engineering skills were brought into help. Sam may hate is it but right now, her husband is her direct superior on this project.

"And again in the memo that you did not read Colonel, it was clearly stated that if we find the frequency to shatter the crystal we no longer have a working model." Samantha can't believe that Jack is willing to destroy the lightsaber. "The technology behind it could change the field of plasma physics!"

"The lass is right," Scotty backs Samantha up. "We are on the brink,"

"Excuse me Lt. Commander Scott," Jack shifts his attention to Scotty. "Are you or Lt. Commander O'Neill in charge of this project." Scotty makes a shooting gesture at Sam. Their carefully laid plan of using the marital card has not gone the way Sam and Scotty thought it would. "Thought so," Jack stares down his wife. Her love of tinkering is well known to Jack. "I fully understand the implications Lt. Commander O'Neill," Jack addresses his wife using her formal rank and title, "but a dead weapon can't hurt us. My new orders stand. Spend your time finding a frequency that destroys them."

"Nor defend us," Sam shoots back. The officer's sitting at the table watching the verbal sparring match like a perverse ping-pong match. This is not the first fight to occur in the ready room. There have been many times angry voices have leaked onto the bridge when topics become particularity heated. What makes this fight so different is that it is between Sam and Jack.

"Moving on…the blasters, do they take same crystals," Jack closes the lightsaber topic with a single sentence.

"With all due respect sir," Sam presses her husband to reopen the topic. "We are not talking about the blasters at this moment."

Jim was married once. This martial argument, although perfectly professional could go on for days. He needs to stop it publically. Privately Jack is on his own. "Both of you have valid points. Give me until tomorrow to think on it," Jim ends the topic. "Everyone is dismissed."

Jack gets up making a beeline for his wife. "We need to talk. This is not over," Jack says in a hot whisper taking Samantha by the elbow.

"Jack a minute please," Jim says after speaking with Spock.

"Far from it but he," Samantha points to Jim, "outranks you. Colonel O'Neill," she nods gathering up her stuff and leaving the room.

"Everything copacetic between you two," Jim eyes Jack warily.

"Peachy as always," Jack fakes a smile. "Look, Jim, I gotta tell you I only took this job because it was supposed to be arresting crew on shore leave not saving the damn universe. I have done that before. This gig was supposed to be a pleasure cruise. Not lock and load boys every damn time we hit a planet," Jack pretends to be disgruntled. Jim has been friends with Jack long enough to know he is deflecting from the current issue with his wife. Any other set of married couples, Jim would have hauled their asses into his office and read them the riot act for their outburst. Jack and Samantha are different. Even divorced, they would act as if nothing was wrong in their day-to-day jobs. Jim lets the incident slide.

He has other things that are more pressing now. "Is everything set for the drive in?"

"It is. We have 60 volunteers. There won't be a square inch that isn't covered with at least two eyes and a helluva lot of firepower," Jack confirms.

"Really," Jim says not believing they weren't voluntold.

"Well the offer of beer caught their attention but the attempted abduction by Komack was what rallied the troops. In fact, we had to turn some away from volunteering. Everyone is hoping Komack tries something," Jack shares.

"Well I am hoping for a quiet evening," Jim laughs. "See you in the hangar."

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ONEILL QUARTERS

Jack quietly replicates an iced tea taking a seat at the small dining table as Sam goes about the room cleaning things up that are not out of place. The chill in the room is apparent even with the climate controls set for a comfortable 74 degrees. Jack realizes the silent treatment is going to make for a delightful evening. "You ready to go dirt side honey," Jack looks at his watch.

"What was that," Sam asks not looking at him while folding a blanket and setting it on a chair.

I said are you ready to go," Jack starts to repeat his question.

"No, I am talking about the staff meeting? What the hell Jack," Samantha turns on him. "First off I am not your subordinate? What were you doing telling me to change the direction of my lightsaber research?

Jack finishes his swallow before answering. This conversation is not going to be like the one in the ready room. They are not Colonel O'Neill and Lt. Commander O'Neill. They are not even Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill. They are Jack and Sam. Married fifteen years and gearing up for one of their few epic marital fights. "My job," Jack says.

"Your job," Samantha says icily.

"Yes my job and in this particular instance you are my subordinate." Jack braces against the shit storm about to befall him. "Like it or not you will follow the orders I have sent down. You see the situation from one tiny angle. I am looking at is from all angles. Your proposed plan has far more risks than benefit. That is why I shelved it. You should have come to me before the meeting."

"If you read the memo then you could have saved us thirty minutes of arguing because my plan was clearly outlined," Samantha is about ready to strangle Jack.

"Lucky for us then that the memo never got there," Jack says hotly. "Or we would have been thirty minutes late TO the meeting. Not getting the memo just postponed the fight, not changed its outcome."

"Oh honey, you think this is fighting," Sam cocks and eyebrow at him. "I have not even warmed up."

"Nor have I," Jack finally agrees on something with his wife. "For cryin' out loud Sam that flashlight can cut through our hull."

"Yes," she quickly adds, "that is the point. When those Jedi come back...and we know they will, they will slice us up like Swiss cheese."

"And what do you think Kate will tell us the secrets to her weapon. That it will be the truth and not some lie to bite us in the ass," Jack struggles to keep as civil a tone as possible.

"To you she will lie her ass off," Sam crosses her arms defiantly. "I get the truth."

"What has she told you that is the truth?"

"I am not getting into this right now." Samantha takes on a petulant tone. Kate had asked for their conversation to remain private. Sam feels guilty she even brought it up.

"Well, I am! What has she told you that is the truth," Jack demands like Samantha is one of his children and not his wife.

"That she doesn't trust you or Jim. That you are closed minded. That you don't see that a lightsaber is a tool," Sam says at the end of her rope.

"Honey that is an opinion not a fact," Jack sarcastically sneers. "You should know the difference being a scientist."

"No, it is a tool no different than an ax that chops wood," Sam yells seeing Jack beginning to pace in an attempt to self-calm. He has never touched her, but his pacing indicates he is losing control. Samantha has pushed him to his limit, but she presses further. "The plasma technology in that weapon could change everything. Imagine uniforms that repel phaser bursts or creating an atmosphere around a ship in orbit," she gives examples. "You need to convince Jim that Kate helping is a good thing. Kate made a bad choice she made that she is trying to fix. She feels like a hostage. She is trapped here and wants to go home. Forcing her to live by our rules will turn her against you and Jim," Samantha warns. "And it will only get worse."

"Then have her bring it," Jack says cockily. Jim is her father, but the saying it takes a village to raise a child was never more true than with Kate. In fact, Jack feels closer to Kate in one week than he does his nieces and nephews on Delta Omnicron V. He is not going to let her self –destruct on his watch. "I can't help that she made a shitty ass decision and got herself in this situation. This is just a prime example of why ADULTS need to make decisions for her. The ships and crew are my concern not the production of novel weapons."

"As are mine, Jack. I saw the video from the brig. You were getting your ass handed to you when the Jedi broke out. If it wasn't for Kate and the lightsaber you would have been dead." This is why she needs Jack to see her point. Kate and the Jedi are not a problem that is going to disappear. If Jack is going to be fighting them, Samantha wants her husband to survive. The best way for Jack to survive is to find the tools to defeat them and right now, the lightsabers are the baddest toy on the playground. "I can use her knowledge to find a way to stop them without anyone getting hurt."

"And you think Kate is going to tell you how to stop them," Jack thunders losing all civility in his tone. "Wake up Samantha! You are living in the same dream world Kate is living in."

Sam recoils at the insult like she was backhanded. "Kate is responsible. Far more, so than you or Jim realize. The problem is you don't like her brand of responsibility."

"Ding ding ding…give the lady a prize. This is the first time she has said something correct all night," Jack fires a targeted insult at his wife. "You're right Mrs. O'Neill. Bob tell her what she's won," Jack says then goes into another fake voice. "You have won behind door number two a kid whose roguish sense of responsibility will get her or others killed." Jack gets smacked in the face by a throw pillow Samantha flings at him out of sheer frustration. "I have seen it before and will not let it happen to Kate," Jack says returning to an icy tone. "You say Kate will help and not stand in our way? If Jim goes along with it I will follow his orders, but you will follow mine on this project unless directed otherwise," Jack restates his orders frost covering every word. "The chances of Kate getting home are slim to none even IF we were trying to get here there. The Jedi are using her and they will leave her when they get what they want. Kate needs to understand this reality and not have others fill her head with pipe dreams."

Samantha feels sick. As much as Jim and Jack, she wants Kate happy and at peace on the Enterprise. Her husband just doesn't see the implications of not studying the lightsaber without Kate's help. One day he will, but that will only be after they use the information in an application and it saves the very lives Jack is sworn to protect. "Fine just let him know you will be there when Kate works with us," Samantha exhales deeply.

"What makes you think I will be there? I don't support your idea and Jim will know this. You do this and you are on your own," Jack says calmly. "If Jim goes against my recommendation you can bet your ass I will make sure there is a memo everyone receives knowing I do not support this course of action."

Sam grabs a coat and heads towards the door of the quarters. There is no sense in continuing this with Jack right now. At this point, they will only try to hurt each other with words and for a while, that was a specialty in their marriage. "Where are you going? We are not done," Jack yells following her towards the door.

"I am," Samantha puts on the coat. "I have work to do and plan to be there most if not all night. Tell the boys I can't make the drive-in. I don't have enough help right now," she sneers palming the door open to their quarters.

Jack slaps the wall hard bringing a stinging sensation to his entire hand after Samantha left. "We are not done here," he follows her out the door and into the hallway. "Samantha…Samantha O'Neill," Jack yells. Having a screaming match is bad enough but Jack refuses to chase his wife down the hall. His strides are longer than hers are. He can easily catch up to her at the rate they are both walking. He will save his words until they are face to face.

"Try Lt. Commander," she yells over her shoulder stopping at the turbo.

"Oh for crying out loud," Jack's exasperated tone fills the hallway. If playing the rank game will get his wife back in their quarters, Jack will do it. "Lt. Commander halt," he bellows in his PT voice. "What are you looking at," Jack snaps glaring at two crewmembers who part so he can pass. Jack rarely holds to rank and status on the ship, but today he is Colonel O'Neill and not happy-go-lucky Jack. The two crewmembers quickly turn a corner not wanting to be caught again in Jack's wrath.

Taking a page from Jack's how to be a smart-ass book, she checks her watch. "Oh damn Lt. Commander won't work because we are both off duty," Samantha says sarcastically stepping in the turbo. "Have a great night. I know I will."

"Dammit," Jacks stares at the closed doors with his hands on his hips. They are supposed to be in hangar bay now getting ready for the drive-in. Even if Jack had the time, he can't chase his wife up and down the halls like a love starved teen. Maybe some time to cool off is what they both need. Jack punches the controls to access the turbo. "Hanger bay 12," he announces as the turbo carries him to his destination.