SMST: Deep Space Moon! – By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST and other genres belong to their respective owners.

Note: This is a multi-genre story.

Special Note: This story takes place during Seasons 1 through 3 of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine". "The Ranma Trek Chronicles" takes place during Seasons 4 through 7.

Author's Note: This story is designed to be short, and will focus mostly on Sailor Moon, though Ranma Saotome (of "Ranma ½") will make a cameo from time-to-time. As always, C&C are welcomed.

Part 15

A week later, the Bajoran religious leader, Kai Opaka, pays a visit to the Federation station "Deep Space Nine" for a special concern. Of course, the Bajoran military liaison made sure that all preparations were made in light of Opaka's arrival…

"…And I don't want you to display your usual nonsense, Counselor Tsukino," Kira said. "That means no strange visitors from another planet, no paranormal experience, no schemes between you and Quark, no cloak-and-dagger agendas between you and Garak, and absolutely NO foreplay between you and Dax."

"Really, Major, you act like I have no self-control," Usagi said, as she continued to read her medical reports for the latest batch of new arrivals from Starbase 375, which oversaw the Bajor Sector, which includes the Bajor Star System. One of her duties as the station's counselor was to evaluate any new crewmember's mental fitness, due to the nature of the assignment at Deep Space Nine, an irony considering who was the one who was performing the evaluation…

"Well, then, call me overly cautious," Kira shot back. "If anything happens on MY watch during the Kai's visit, I'm going to hear about it back at HQ. Bad enough that I have to be stuck here with you Starfleeters, you know."

"You really should relax, Major. Perhaps, I can administer some erotic therapy? When has it been since you've been on a date?"

"See what I mean? You're not being serious."

"Hey, my job is to see to the mental health of this station. Either I can utilize one of Quark's holosuites, or I can administer the treatments myself."

"You WOULD. I don't want to be 'molested' by you."

"You can look at it that way, if you want, but I am certified as an 'interspecies relations therapist', as a part of overall counseling training."

"That's a likely story if I ever heard one. Just do me a favor, and behave yourself, okay?"

"Sure, because you'll be mad at me," Usagi said sarcastically. "Look, again, and I don't want to repeat myself, I CAN act like a professional you know."

Just then, Quark peeks his head into Usagi's office.

"Counselor, I just wanted to let you know that your shipment of Romulan ale, for your 'White Party', will be delayed, due to, um, customs issues," Quark began to say.

Usagi immediately places her index finger to her lips to immediately shush Quark, while Kira turns to look at Quark, and then back at Usagi, who produced a cheesy grin on her face.

"Ah, I see that you're busy," Quark said nervously. "I'll come back at another time."

With that, Quark quickly leaves for his bar.

"Isn't Romulan ale illegal?" Kira asked surly.

"Major, aren't we getting off the point of your visit?" Usagi said.

"No, this is precisely the point I am making-!"

Just then, one of the Bajoran Vedics, the equivalent of Earth's priests, enters Usagi's office. He was handsome, even by Earth standards.

"I hope that I am not intruding on a private conversation," said the vedek.

"Ah, we're just wrapping things up here," Kira said, as she eyes Usagi. "Right, counselor?"

"Yep!" Usagi replied.

"Ah, okay."

"And you are…?" Kira asked.

"I am Kai Opaka's assistant, Vedek Bareil," said the vedek.

"Yes, the philosopher," Kira quip.

"Pardon?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I always felt that the religious amongst our people had it easy when it comes to the Bajoran occupation," Kira said.

"We did serve the cause of liberation in a variety of ways," Bariel said, as he turns to face Usagi. "And that brings me to your situation, Counselor."

"Pardon?"

"You hold quite a place amongst the people of Bajor, Counselor."

"For the record, I will state that anything that you heard about me is nothing more than rumor and slander," Usagi said. "For example, I did NOT cause General Krim to leave his wife, after I met him and the other government officials at the last 'Meet-and-Greet' Banquet at the capital."

"I'm sure you did not, Counselor Tsukino," said a middle-aged, yet still attractive, Bajoran female, who walked into Usagi's office with her personal entourage."

"Kai Opaka!" Kira said, as she nods her head respectfully, as did Bariel.

"Hello," Usagi said, as she shakes Opaka's hands while nodding her head out of respect for her position within Bajoran society. As the Kai, Opaka was the equivalent of Earth's Roman Catholic Pope, circa pre-21st century, to the Bajoran people, and had been the source of strength for the Bajoran people during the occupation…

"I am glad that you are here for me to see you again," Opaka said. "And I must say that the reports about you are interesting, to say the least."

"With much respect, Your Eminence, I am surprise that you can be so…cordial with this person," Kira said, as she eyes Usagi, while Usagi smiles innocently.

"The fact of the matter is that this person is of great importance, especially to our people," Opaka said. "In the future, you will learn of this."

"Is the counselor like the Emissary?" Bareil asked, referring to Sisko's relationship to the mysterious "Prophets of Bajor", the entities that live within the wormhole.

"More so than that, my young friend," Opaka said. "And besides, she is married to Ranma Saotome, who was instrumental in helping us free all of Bajor."

"Well, I like to think that it was the efforts of the people that made the difference, Your Eminence," Kira said.

"Never forget that none of us are 'islands' amongst ourselves," Opaka said. "We should not forget that the Cardassians never saw us as solitary figures to exploit."

"Of course, Your Eminence," Kira said. "So, would you like to proceed to your meeting with Commander Sisko?"

"I will, shortly," Opaka said. "However, I need to speak with the counselor alone."

"Of, course," Kira said hesitantly. "I will wait for you outside."

"As will I, Kai Opaka," Bereil said with a nod.

Kira gives Usagi one last look of disapproval, before leaving the Kai alone with the Station Counselor. She silently prayed that whatever antics Usagi might be planning on was kept to herself…

"May I?" Opaka said, as she offers to experience Usagi's pagh, or "spirit".

"Um, sure," Usagi said.

"Very well," Opaka said, as she gently clutched Usagi's right earlobe.

"You know, the last time someone touched my ear like this, I was being admonished by my mother for not doing my homework," Usagi said.

"Hush," Opaka said, as she began to connect to Usagi's pagh. "Oh, my…"

"What?" Usagi said.

"You have a very ancient and powerful spirit," Opaka said, as she opened her eyes. "Yes, as I suspected as much."

"What?" Usagi said with a frightened look, even as Opaka let's go of Usagi's ear.

"Relax," Opaka said with a smile. "I wanted to confirm that you are indeed the legendary 'Moon Princess'."

"How would you know that?"

"Only the Prophets knows," Opaka replied.

"Figures."

"I understand that you have had religious training?"

"Well, among other things," Usagi said. "My first religious training was with a sisterhood called the Bene Gesserit."

"And what did they do?"

"Well, the mantra was 'Perfection of the Body, closer to the Creator'," Usagi replied. "Unfortunately, they lost their way and became too involved in politics…"

Pause.

"Plots within plots…"

"How unfortunate," Opaka said. "We of the Faith have had our own difficulties in maintaining the path to the Temple of the Prophets."

"Don't get me wrong, Kai Opaka. I enjoyed my time with the sisters. In fact, I had went far within the organization, moving from the ranking of 'Sister', then to 'Sayyadina'—the equivalent of a 'Vedek'—and then to 'Reverend Mother', where I initiated and taught others to follow the path towards Perfection."

"Is that why you also became a Jedi Knight?" Opaka asked. "As a way of improving yourself?"

"How did you know that?" Usagi asked.

"Ranma told me about you and him having learned something called 'The Force', and how you two were able to affect everything around you."

"Well, it's more subtle than that," Usagi said. "The Force is the energy that binds all living things. It's like if you were a fish, and experiencing only water all your life. You wouldn't see the water as something that is outside of yourself, but something that is a part of your existence."

"I see. But you used this ability for combat."

"Unfortunately, there were those 'Force users' who saw the ways of the Force as a means to achieve power, and began to use their gifts for the sake of violence. The response was the militarization of the Force, which caused two camps to flourish into prominence: the noble Jedi, and the infamous Sith. Over the years, the battle lines between those two schools of Force users have moved, with one side dominating the other side, and vice versa. Ranma and I became members of the Jedi during one of the most tumultuous times for the Lu'cus Galaxy, the origin of the Force users. We were present when the Jedi stood as protectors of the peace, and then, later, commanders of entire cloned armies."

"Oh, my," Opaka said. "Ranma never told me about his war experience as a Jedi. And with you telling me that you had war experience as a Jedi, too…"

"It wasn't something that either of us particularly cared for, really," Usagi said with a sigh. "All I wanted to do is learning a few parlor tricks, when we accepted membership from the Jedi. But, just as with the Bene Gesserit, I became moved up in the ranks, first as a 'padawan'—or 'apprentice'—then an 'adept', where I earned experience during the so-called 'Clone Wars', and then became a 'master' when the Jedi were betrayed by the very people we had swore to protect."

"Oh, dear," Opaka said. "That must have been terrible."

"It was. Some of us helped facilitate that betrayal, and hunted the rest of us into hiding. As master Jedi, we did our part to teach new initiates to become Jedi, all the while fighting the Empire as an underground movement. Ranma and I spent twenty-five years on the run, before we had the means and the will to take down the Empire, and the Empire's Sith masters."

"So, these Sith were behind the Jedi's fall?"

"Yes, they were. Making matters worse was the fact that one of the Jedi's betrayers was a man was a dear friend, but gave into the Sith out of love for another, and hatred for not being strong enough to protect that love. Even after all these years, I still can't believe I never saw the signs of someone going mad with grief and anger."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence between the two women…

"Now, I know why the Prophets directed me to this station," Opaka said with a smile. "It makes what I have to do easier to undergo."

"What do you mean?"

"This day will be my last as the Kai of Bajor, and I wanted to make sure that the Bajoran people will be looked over during my absence…"

Pause.

"You are the right person to keep the spiritual center of Bajor intact."

"I don't understand."

"Then, I shall elaborate upon what was revealed to me by the Prophets…"

An hour later, in the Gamma Quadrant…

"…Anyone want to see more '99 Bottles'?" Usagi said, as she sat towards the rear of DS9's runabout, the USS Yangtze Kiang.

"No, thank you, Counselor," Commander Sisko said. He, like Kira, wandered why Kai Opaka insisted upon touring the Gamma Quadrant with Usagi's presence. But since he had previously offered the Kai carte blanche, Sisko swallowed his disdain for Usagi, and brought Usagi along for a tour.

"I have to say that it is an honor to be here with you, Your Excellency," Dr. Bashir said.

"The honor is mine," Opaka said. "I take it that you chose you present assignment?"

"Yes. I could have gone on to have a prestige assignment within Starfleet, but I felt that I could do the most good at DS9."

"I like apples," Usagi said suddenly. "And chocolate sundaes. Mmmmm. Sugar rush…"

Everyone, save for the Kai, turn to look at Usagi with a questionable look.

"Um, right," Kira said, thinking that Usagi was purposely being difficult, just to embarrass her. "Anyway, we could visit a few sites for where a future Bajoran colony will be located."

"That would be nice," Opaka said.

"Hmmm," Sisko said with a frown.

"What is it, Commander?" Opaka asked.

"I'm picking up an unusual frequency," Sisko replied.

"Perhaps, we should investigate it?"

"I don't think it would be wise to deviate from the flight plan," Kira said.

"I don't know, Major," Bashir said. "I'm sure a 'flyover' won't hurt."

"Commander, it's your call," Usagi said.

"We can signal the station of what is going on, scan, and then proceed with the tour," Sisko said. "Will that be sufficient, Kai Opaka?"

"It will."

"Okay, everyone, to their stations. And stay sharp; we don't know what we'll find out here…"

Tbc.