In the Shadow of Ares: Act I

Admiral Kent - the Admiral Kent - was actually Superman's son.

Like many other Starfleet officers, he had assumed that Admiral Conner Kent came from a long line of similarly named admirals. One was a Junior, the next the Third, and so on.

No. In fact, this Admiral Kent, who Jim remembered being at numerous fleet functions in the last few years, was the same man who had been there to help found Starfleet after MACO disbanded. He was nearly immortal; and had known Diana presumably since his childhood. Jim found himself daunted, yet again, by how long-lived she was, and what that would mean for her future.

Jim squared his shoulders off and stood a bit straighter at the man's presence, hoping Diana wouldn't catch any sense that he might have been more than a little unsettled by the revelation. It wasn't that he was unhappy at the information; on the contrary, he knew that having more connections to the Federation and Starfleet would help Diana find reasons to stay off of Themyscira. And he had to admit, he had a selfish desire to be there while she travelled the galaxy.

It was just a bit jarring that he was Superman's son. And was also an admiral who had apparently just transferred his navigational helmsmen and had been reading his logs. For a brief moment, he found himself wondering if he'd said anything he didn't want getting back to Diana. But, the consideration didn't last for long. Jim wasn't exactly known for apologizing for his honesty.

"You sent the offer to make me an ambassador?" Diana's fascination with the admiral had seemingly warded her off the warpath for the moment, and he was in no hurry to steer her back. He knew that having her march into the Commodore's office would be akin to snapping at the hand that fed her. "I would have assumed you'd retired decades ago, Conner."

"I did." Admiral Kent smiled, glancing over at Jim. "But, as Captain Kirk can tell you, we've had an exciting few years. When we suddenly found ourselves a few admirals shy of a full board, I agreed to return to Starfleet and help with the reconstruction of our fleet and intelligence community."

Jim didn't return the smile. He knew exactly when Kent was referring to, and he hardly looked upon that time casually. He still occasionally woke up in the middle of the night, recalling Chris Pike's face staring blankly towards the ceiling. It wasn't an amicable retirement party. People died.

As if the older man could see right through Jim's stony expression, his mirthful expression faded into one more expected of a revered admiral. "My apologies, Captain. I know you and Admiral Pike knew each other well. I meant no disrespect. I know he was quite proud of the work you'd done."

I see greatness in you, Jim. But, now I see there's not an ounce of humility.

Jim inhaled, a controlled motion to keep his temper in check. "Of course, thank you, sir." He nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. He could feel himself dropping into the familiar behavior of addressing a senior officer. He had no reason to expect that his interactions with the admiral would change in any material way, just because he'd met his father. He expected Diana would be careful to keep her relationship with Conner just that - hers. By the time he glanced back up towards them, Diana's eyes had been on him. Her expression had slipped from simple joy to something more… open. Emotional. She was pitying him.

Quit complicating things, Jim. He chided himself, then deliberately turned to address Admiral Kent. "I'm glad that you were the one to read my report, sir, if it meant Ambassador Prince is now aboard my ship. I can say with absolute certainty that she's been a positive influence, and having an ambassador aboard the ship during first contact will, with any luck, help the next time we're set to meet with the Teenaxi delegation."

"Of course, son. Anything you need to make sure Diana's comfortable, you just let me know. You have my full support." Kent kept close to Diana as he spoke. It was closer than she let most people get on his ship. For a fleeting moment, Jim could tell he was a bit jealous, but the sensation left as quickly as it came. After all, it wasn't like he had any right to be. Most days, he was just grateful to be in Diana's presence at all.

"With all due respect, sir," Jim offered him an easy smile, but his tone was a bit more urgent. "You just took my chief navigation officer with no notice or replacement in sight, so I'm not entirely sure how that's ensuring Diana has all she needs." Jim chose not to address the fact that he'd gone right over his head to do it, too. Crewmembers were transferred all the time, but Jim normally had the courtesy of being able to sign off on it.

Beside the admiral, Diana crossed her arms and turned to face the older man with an expression that definitely suggested she'd known him since he was - what was it Bones would say? Knee-high to a grasshopper.

A Kryptonian grasshopper. Did Krypton have grasshoppers?

"He has a point, Conner. We came back to the Yorktown because your Starfleet is demanding I hand over a Themysciran citizen. And now Ensign Chekov is being transferred? I know I taught you better. If you are a General, it is your duty to know every soldier under your command and to treat them as your equal in all things. Why didn't you tell him before you approved it? Chekov's quite good at his job - exceptionally so." Diana rattled off the lecture with ease and Jim found it impossible to hide a genuinely amused smile. He hadn't seen an admiral get dressed down with quite so much skill and familiarity before.

Admiral Kent looked appropriately embarrassed. The older man looked from Diana back to Kirk, then back to Diana before he finally managed, "I… suppose I owe an apology for that as well."

Jim stifled a chuckle and shook his head. "I don't need an apology, sir, just an explanation would be fine. I didn't even know Ensign Chekov was interested in moving to the Farragut. He'd said something about leaving her behind when we rendezvoused earlier, but I… admittedly thought it was about a girl he met." He tilted his head back and forth a bit as he considered Pavel's behavior over the last two weeks. "I suppose I should have realized the only thing more enticing than the Enterprise would be the fleet's newest ship."

"I only thought, given that the admiralty board asked that you bring Miss Katalepis back to the Yorktown and the Farragut was here for a resupply, it would be an ideal opportunity." Admiral Kent shrugged a bit. Some of his gravitas and age seemed to have disappeared in the face of a woman who clearly knew him all too well. "For the Farragut, anyway. But, I promise you, I have a cadet who will be graduating the Academy next month that will be ideal for the position. Personally requested the assignment to the Enterprise, and the advisory panel assures me that it's a solid posting. A good fit."

Jim sighed and reached up to scrub his face with one hand. "I appreciate that, sir, I really do, but I prefer to select my own crew."

"Well, then I'll have the cadet's file sent along and you can approve or deny yourself. But, Ensign Chekov is needed on the Farragut, so I'm sure you have a few ensigns that would be more than honored to work a shift or two for their captain."

"I…" Jim struggled to find a real issue with that argument that wasn't entirely based around his own ego. He came up short. "Well, that's probably true."

"Great. Then, it's settled." The Admiral turned to Diana and shot her a smile, broad and boyish. "Let's catch up. I came all the way out here to meet with you. What happened to you? How did you end up on the other side of the Alpha Quadrant?"

Diana took the questions in stride. "It is a long story, and one that I…" She trailed off, looking to Jim. "One I only wish to tell once. Captain, Admiral, is there somewhere we can meet in private?"

Jim had been hoping ever since he'd met the Amazons that Diana would tell him exactly how she ended up on the planet Themyscira after all that time on Earth. He wasn't about to stop that door from opening now. "I know I had a captain's office when I was here. I would imagine that the admiral has something similar…" He offered, quirking an eyebrow in question. "If you don't mind, sir."

"Not at all. They're this way." Conner looped his arm over Diana's shoulders and steered her down the hall, the two of them already chatting about something.

Jim felt his heart twist a little in that irrationally jealous way and stomped that down before following behind them, a bit resigned.

He was definitely making things complicated.

The Yorktown was a breathtaking marvel of technology. Diana had wanted to address it with Jim, but she'd had no real time to process exactly what it did, how it achieved such a diverse environment. But, until they'd settled the issue of Vanessa's treatment, she couldn't afford to distract herself. And at the moment, she had a more personal, yet no less awe-inspiring situation to handle.

Conner Kent was an admiral. And as an admiral, he had the office to prove it.

His office was easily the size of the bridge. It was barren in comparison, with far fewer consoles and displays, but it conveyed the authority and status in a way she had seen countless times. It was very similar to what she'd grown used to working with various governments on earth.

"Have a seat, both of you." Conner motioned to the relaxed, furnished area nearest the window. Two loveseats and an armchair framed a coffee table. She took a seat in the armchair. Jim followed a few moments after and took a seat at one of the couches. Conner finally joined them with a pitcher of water and a few glasses full of ice. "I figured you'd enjoy some water that wasn't recycled. I bring a case of spring water every time I leave Earth."

Diana smiled and nodded. She took the glass when offered and enjoyed a cool sip of water that didn't still have the slightly metallic aftertaste of the Enterprise reclamation systems. She was still trying to understand exactly how much time had passed for him. Themyscira had been a place outside of time, and while she'd begun to understand it in abstracts for the Enterprise crew, meeting someone from her own past, a man who had still been young and vibrant… well, he looked older than his own father. How could she reconcile that?

She must have been staring. Conner rose an eyebrow at her, clearly curious as to what she found so interesting. Clearing her throat, she set her glass down and smiled. "You look older than him."

The smile on his face was his father's, too. Although, she felt that what Conner had gained in white hair, his father had taken in countenance. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'm half-human, so the sun didn't have quite the same effect on me. By the time you disappeared, we looked like twins, not father and son." She flicked her eyes towards Jim. She told herself she was warning Conner that the captain would have questions, but she had to admit… she wanted to know he was there. She wanted him to understand what her life had been like. This was a rare opportunity to show him her past: she wouldn't get another.

"Our sun was yellow for a century," She continued. "But, recently, it's begun to turn red. Kal has begun to age, albeit slowly."

"That's why the Enterprise was there." Jim said. "I didn't realize that had something to do with it. We have very few public records on Kryptonians."

"That's on purpose." Conner replied. "When MACO was disbanded and the Federation formed, Krypton had been gone for centuries. I was the only one left…" Diana furrowed her brow, concerned. Kara had still been on earth when she… "In the public spotlight. There wasn't much point in talking too much about us. I joined Starfleet under my civilian identity. They kept my alias classified, but it helped make sure I would move around enough that no one would wonder why I was taking forever to age."

"I guess you smile too much for someone to think you were half-Vulcan." Jim joked over the rim of his glass.

Conner beamed right back at him. "I'm guessing Commander Spock's not much for jokes."

"Oh, he's got 'em. They're far and few between, but when he hits you…" Jim shook his head, chuckling. "He drives my chief medical officer nuts."

"Doctor McCoy is a fount of wit." Diana glanced over at her old friend. "It's like watching Kal and Bruce." With Conner before her, the wounds of the past that she'd kept in check were slowly opening. Again, she could hear Menalippe warning her of such a thing. "He misses you, by the way. He asked me to find you."

Conner's smile faded. The age came back to his expression. "Somehow, I doubt that, Diana. He was more than ready to leave after mom."

Diana's heart suddenly ached. She had hoped that he would have realized the truth, but instead, it was exactly as Kal had feared. "No, Conner… that wasn't the case at all. He didn't want to leave."

He met her gaze with the same intensity as his father. "You've been gone for two hundred years, Diana. You picked up Themyscira and you disappeared."

She reached out, resting her hand on his arm. "Conner, he loves you. He only wanted to stop himself from repeating Bruce's mistakes." She had hoped that seeing her friends in their youth grow old would have somehow grown… less bitter and more sweet. But, that blessing was never to come.

"What did... Bruce... do that was bad enough for Superman to leave Earth?" The question came from Jim. He was cautious, almost hesitant. It was clear that he didn't want to butt into what had become a more private conversation, but he was understandably at a loss.

"It is not what he did, but what he did not do." Diana's expression rippled with nearly-forgotten sorrow as she found her thoughts drifting back to Gotham City. "Bruce was the only one of us who had… no superhuman abilities. Not of a physical nature. He was a genius and he had the resources of a billionaire so that he could fund every weapon and tool imaginable. But, he could not escape age."

"He wasn't the only one who lost mom. She aged. That's what people do." Conner grumbled of his father, but she shook her head to silence him.

"He left because when Bruce was too old to fight, he refused to give the mantle to another. Bruce did not want to risk Tim or Damian's lives, even when they had proven themselves many times over. So, when he died…" Diana could hear the screams from victims of fear toxin, the six months of mayhem in the city that had nearly been purged of its evil. "No one was ready to stop the evil that came. By the time Damian was able to step in, Gotham had already become the No Man's Land. Your father felt if he had just convinced Bruce that he had done enough, that someone else could shoulder the weight, Gotham would have survived. He wanted you to step into the role you had asked for."

Conner had probably drawn up countless arguments as to where they had gone and why. They both knew that assuming and knowing would never be the same, so she wasn't surprised when he finally said, "I can understand wanting to retire, wanting to leave for Themyscira after mom died. But, what I can't understand is why he didn't tell me."

"Because it was an accident." Diana breathed. She had not realized how difficult it would be to tell Conner everything until she was faced with the situation. And Kal was not there to help. "When we came to Themyscira, we brought a number of S.T.A.R. Labs scientists with us. They thought that some of the crystal technology from Zod's ship could be used to amplify the barrier that the gods had once placed on the island. We expected to return back to Metropolis once the work had been done."

"Then what went wrong?"

"It was not shield technology that they had unlocked." She frowned. "It was the same pocket dimension technology that had saved the city of Kandor. It transported Themyscira through a boom tube onto a failsafe planet - one that Kryptonian scientists felt could be suitable for life. We never meant to leave, Conner." Diana gently ran her hand down his arm again. She hoped she was giving him some comfort. "When we are able to return to Themyscira, he would love nothing more than to see you. To see what we've accomplished."

A long moment passed as he watched Diana's hand move. She could tell he was mulling everything over. But, she expected to see relief. Instead, his expression moved to a more… guilty one. "I don't know that he'd want to see me. A lot has happened. We've had failures. Starfleet, the Federation, it's all still so new."

"We do not fight because we wish to win. We fight because we must." Diana said softly. She had helped train him along with the others who took over the League. She had to hope he would see reason. "It doesn't matter if you fail, it only matters that you tried. And that no matter how many times you are knocked down, you get back up."

Conner chuckled, but there was no real mirth to it. "Says the indestructible goddess…"

"Goddess or not, I wish to know everything that you've gone through, Conner." His expression suggested he was less willing to provide that to her than she would have liked. "I haven't had enough time to read up on any history. I barely reached the formation of the Federation before we found the sphere and Vanessa became my priority."

"As she should be." He remarked. Given the way his expression shifted, how similar it was to Kal, she knew he was changing the subject. "And I know you object to turning her over to Starfleet Intelligence, but they can help her."

The fact that Conner was in such a position of authority did relieve some of the concern, but she could still feel a knot in her stomach. She was fairly certain she'd never be truly comfortable with the decision. "I'll consider it." She finally conceded.

A communicator chirped and Jim stood quickly. "I'm so sorry, I'll be right back." Diana watched him go as he pulled his communicator and flipped it open before disappearing down the hall. "Hey, Bones…"

"You like working with Kirk?" Conner pulled her attention away from staring at a now empty doorway.

She inhaled, trying to focus her thoughts. "Yes, yes, I do." Diana forced her attention to the question at hand, the professional space which she shared with the captain. "He cares deeply for his crew. And he kept my confidence when I asked him not to speak of what occurred on Themyscira with his senior staff until I was ready. In fact, I would be more shocked if he enjoyed working with me." She smiled. "We both know I can be trying."

"Only in the best way." He grinned. "You make people want to be better, Diana. It's a very admirable trait."

Before she could remind him how much he disliked her constant appealing to his better nature as a teen, they were spared the verbal skirmish by Jim. He strode back into the room just as he had clapped his communicator shut. "So, Bones tells me that Chekov's been making waves all over town about his transfer, and seeing as how I'm his current captain, it would be remiss of me not to offer him a going away party."

Diana quirked an eyebrow. "Doctor McCoy suggested a party?"

Jim chuckled. "The man likes a good drink. He keeps trying to impress you, so he's been on his best behavior."

She shook her head, smiling. "If that is his best behavior, then I hate to see his worst."

Jim scoffed, good-natured and teasing. "Come on, be nice."

Conner stood, and Diana followed, as it seemed appropriate. "Well, that works out. I still have some paperwork to file, so if you want to come back later this evening, we can talk a bit more."

She tilted her head, confused. "But, you and I still need to talk about what I've missed - "

"And we absolutely can later." He motioned for her to step past him towards the door. Begrudgingly, she did so, but she never took her eyes off of him. He was clearly trying to get rid of her. "But, go. Enjoy time with the crew. You're going to be working with them for at least the next year, you might want to get to know them." Conner looked past her to Kirk, motioning to the door. "Thank you, Captain, you're dismissed. Please show her out."

Diana gaped, utterly stunned by the sudden about-face. Jim had gripped her arm and was - to his credit - gently guiding her out of the office, but no sooner than the doors closed in her face, they were locked. "Did he…" She blinked, whirling to face Jim, utterly perplexed. "Did he just lock me out?"

Most likely due to his position as a captain, he seemed far less fazed by it. "Well, he is an admiral, and he's probably not used to being told 'no' a whole lot - "

"I changed his diapers!" Diana finally exploded, utterly amazed at how quickly the whole conversation had ended. She had finally found someone from her past, someone who could help her with Vanessa, and he had dismissed her. "And I love babies, but I hate diapers! And he just dismissed me!"

Jim's eyebrows shot up so fast they nearly reached his hairline. "Well, that's a hell of an image…"

"I haven't seen anyone who knows my life, who knew Bruce and the others, and he just kicked me out!" She propped her hands on her hips, then whirled back to the door again. "I could break this down - "

"Yeah, but please, don't." Jim grabbed her hand and slowly steered her back to him. They both knew she could have planted her feet, but he kept trying. "Diana… please…" For just a moment, she was reminded of another time, another place. A city that smelled of smoke and garbage, of a different man trying to lead her away from her perceived goal, begging for her to put her sword down as exasperation threatened to take over. "Look, I think it's just as inconvenient as you do, but he's right. You need to get to know my crew, and frankly…" His hand lingered on her wrist as she huffed and tried to calm her temper. "If I have to go to this thing alone, Bones is gonna needle me about how I let Chekov go right out from under my nose. I'd rather not be tortured by my senior staff, so, please." He rested his hand on her shoulder. Diana noticed he had done that quite often lately. She tried not to think about whether or not he had always done that. Certainly not when he thought she was a queen. "For me? For Chekov?"

At the thought that she would not be seeing the bright, fresh-faced ensign any time in the near future, Diana felt the last of her anger dissipate to a manageable level. Jim would help her get back to Conner, and they would continue their conversation. After dinner.

"Yes. Of course."

As it turned out, dinner had been exactly what Diana really needed to get her mind off of that which she could not control in that moment. She had not given permission for Starfleet to take Vanessa and until she could speak with Conner again (and he wasn't available), she needed the distraction.

Dinner had been delicious; the company, delightful. She and Doctor McCoy had an opportunity to discuss Vanessa's health, which turned into the fifth time in a week he had reminded her that she owed him a physical. She conceded that once they were back en route to another system, she would gladly comply with the request. As he left to mingle, McCoy sounded as if he was just doing his job, but the glint in his eye suggested they both shared a mutual curiosity in what modern medicine could now reveal about her heritage. She knew Kal and Conner both had expressed reservations with sharing such information in the 21st century, but Diana did not. At least, not with Doctor McCoy himself.

She had excused herself from Jim long enough to carry on a polite conversation with Spock and Uhura in Vulcan, determined to hone her skills. The two of them were both pleased with her progress, but the exchange came to an unexpected halt when Diana thought she'd mentioned how much she wanted to sleep in a warm bed and had apparently said something to the effect of wanting to sleep in cancer. Once that faux pas had been managed, she was actually glad to be accosted by Chekov himself.

"Ambassador! I'm so disappointed I von't be able to join your for coffee anymore." The young ensign said with a bright smile. He already had a glass in hand, probably his third of the evening, and he was flushed with boyish youth and slight intoxication. He seemed so young, but he carried the maturity of a man beyond his years in many aspects. She was sure he would succeed.

"I'll miss you, too, Pavel. I had quite enjoyed hearing you sing. Russian is such a beautiful language, and I hear it so rarely."

Chekov grinned. "Spasiba."

"But, I know you're excited." Diana picked up a flute from a passing tray. "You seemed quite put out when we left the Farragut."

"Oh, she is a beauty!" He said. "And I vas told zat I might be promoted to Lieutenant, junior grade."

"Congratulations." She rose her glass to him and tapped it to his tumbler. She sipped her wine and regarded him. "Just promise you won't forget us."

"Of course not!" Chekov leaned a bit closer to her, conspiratorial and unashamedly flirtatious. It was cute, if not completely misplaced. "I vill never forget ze Enterprise. A man never forgets his first lady. Or her crew."

Diana laughed, genuinely amused by the young man's candor. He was going to break many hearts in his life, she could tell. And he deserved such an exciting life. They all did. As the party continued on, as she solidified her relationships with the crew, she received the reminder she'd needed all night: Humanity had truly excelled past what she thought they could do. And she was sure they could do anything.

"Mister Chekov, are you flirting with my ambassador?" Jim suddenly came up behind him, looping an arm around his neck and pulling him in for a quick embrace. He was smiling, but Diana had noticed something she'd begun to associate with genuine amusement rather than polite amusement. There were no crow's feet. His smile did not reach his eyes. He is pretending to enjoy himself. It hurts him to see Chekov go, she thought.

"Oh, no, sir! I vould never - "

"You absolutely would, and you're lucky that I don't mind." Jim released him, then clapped him on his back. "I'm gonna miss you, but you deserve the promotion. Sorry I kind of jumped down your throat about it earlier. It caught me off-guard."

"Y-Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I sought you vould have seen ze transfer request and just assumed it vas approved." Chekov did look sufficiently put out, and Diana couldn't help but look to Jim, pouting slightly in sympathy for the boy.

And now Jim was truly smiling, his eyes on Diana in a way that made her wonder if he'd forgotten everyone else in the room. She remembered what it felt like when Steve did the same. It was the first comparison she'd made that day, the first time her mind had truly reminded her that she was playing with fire, and she had a tendency to allow herself to be burned.

"It's fine. Just do me a favor and don't do anything I wouldn't do." Taking a step back, Jim held his hand out to Chekov to shake. "Good luck, you're gonna be great on the Farragut. You've been a damn fine officer and I hate to lose you." The ensign took a moment to look at the hand, then back up to Kirk before he gripped it firmly.

"Thank you, sir."

Diana tried to find the right words to make it easier for the two of them, but she knew that watching an apprentice leave on their own path was a truly harrowing sensation.

Jim softened. "Go. Enjoy your party." Chekov nodded to the both of them, then wandered off again to say his goodbyes.

The corner of the room they stood in had suddenly gotten much quieter with him gone. Diana glanced over at Jim. He was staring into his glass as if he could divine the secrets of the universe from it. He would brood, she was sure. The expression… it was too much like Steve.

Diana did not want to think about Steve.

"Come on." She looped her arm around his and pulled him away towards the door. "Walk me back to the Enterprise and tell me a sufficiently embarrassing story about Pavel so that you won't miss him tomorrow." It was probably the most casual she had been with him, but she hoped that keeping his mind off of what he was losing would help. It had struck Diana quite plainly that he was so ferociously protective of his crew, he did not know what to do when one of them was out of his reach.

She had had two hundred years to tell herself that she could only trust in the lessons she had taught.

Once the two of them were outside, watching transport shuttles zip off to parts unknown above them, she released his arm and simply kept pace with him for a change.

"Embarrassing stories, huh?" Jim said, scratching his jaw a bit. His five o'clock shadow had begun to come in over the course of the evening. "I have way more of those than needed for a walk."

"Well, then, start somewhere and we'll see how many you get through before we have to turn in." Diana motioned to the building where they both knew Admiral Kent kept his quarters. "Clearly, he's not going to speak to me until the morning."

He smirked, watching her rather than the path ahead of them. "He's probably too busy feeling dressed down by someone who knows entirely too much about him compared to anyone else in Starfleet." When Diana giggled in response, he continued. "Seriously, he probably heard your crack about his diapers. He's lucky I don't have the wagging tongue I used to. That kind of dirt would have spread around the Academy in my day like wildfire."

"You were a gossip?" Diana feigned shock. She had met many charismatic men, and many of them enjoyed mischief in their youth. Jim still enjoyed it. She had a feeling that was a large reason why he was still a captain of a ship.

"I liked a good bit of drama, yes." He nodded. She noticed his smile couldn't seem to fade. She had a suspicion she'd accomplished her goal of keeping him distracted. "But, I'm a captain now. Much more responsible."

"Oh, much more." She agreed, more than a bit teasing.

"I don't think you should be allowed to make fun of me," Jim's feet stilled as he turned to face her. "You thought I was responsible enough to save your planet."

"Yes, but you were the one who told me you got your ship by dumb luck." Diana grinned back at him.

"That implies that I'm clearly much more responsible now, I'm still captain." He motioned far off in the direction that they were headed, where the Enterprise waited under one of the water features. When Diana didn't concede the point openly, he sighed and tossed his hands up in surrender. "You know what, if I have to prove to you that I'm responsible, we're going to do it the right way. Come on." He changed direction and motioned for her to follow him.

"What exactly is 'the right way?'" Diana tilted her head, but followed after.

"No boring, adult conversation should ever have to happen without something fun. Not when I'm off-duty, anyway." The two of them made their way to an entirely new part of the Yorktown's main gardens. Diana didn't recognize any of the buildings, but she could hear more people.

"Jim, you do realize that alcohol does not effect me as it does you, right?" She smirked as he glanced back at her. "I'd drink you under the table and not break a sweat."

"We're not gonna drink." He shook his head and picked up the pace. He must not have thought she was going fast enough, because his hand went to her arm again, gently urging her forward. "This is way better."

They had left the more subdued area of the gardens and had practically stumbled onto a populated courtyard. Various shops with a myriad of neon or holographic signs seemed to populate every square inch of the place.

There was one destination that Jim clearly had in mind, and when she recognized the sign, she was more than happy to oblige. "Ice cream." She practically moaned, following after him. "You don't have ice cream on the ship, I was afraid humans didn't know how to make it anymore!"

Jim turned back to her, a true grin from ear-to-ear gracing his features. "Well, then, I am happy to make your day."

The duo continued forward, intent on cheering themselves up.

"Augment now! Augment now!" The chant started somewhere down the pathway to the left of the ice cream store, but held such a violent edge to it that Diana completely went still. She turned to face the direction of the shouting crowd, brow furrowed with worry. "Bring strength back to humanity! Augment now, never surrender!"

Any thought of food or comfort left her. Instead, she felt her eyes grow warm as a cold weight settled in her stomach and she felt her heart sink. She knew those words. She had not heard them in so long, but she knew them. "Jim…" She asked, quiet and almost fearful as she stepped towards the crowd. "What are they talking about?"

"Augment now! Honor Khan! Test your children!" A man was shouting at every person who passed by, fervently shaking a padd in his hand. Behind him, two others held large holo-boards with choice phrases.

NO HALF-BREED BABIES.

AUGMENTATION IS THE FUTURE.

LIVE FOR KHAN.

"No…" Diana breathed. They could not mean him… "Jim, who are they talking about? What is this?"

The holo-board switched again.

KHAN NOONIAN SINGH WAS OUR SAVIOR.

KHAN SUFFERED FOR YOU.

AUGMENT NOW.

"Diana…" Jim's voice had gone stony, and his hand went to her arm again. "We should go."

"No, no, I don't understand." She turned to face him, only to see that he looked as haunted as she felt. "Khan Noonian Singh was a criminal. I was there when the Augment project began, and he was terrible. Why would these people idolize him? He was in rehabilitation. Damian had him in custody, I don't... "

Someone else had lost their temper with the group shouting. A young woman - perhaps part-Andorian, considering her small, flesh-colored antennae - was being accosted by the leader of the group.

"Race traitor!" The man screamed. "You're not human! The Eugenics War should have wiped your mother out! Her and the rest of those alien-screwing - "

Diana didn't hear the rest.

Her hand was at the man's throat, his legs dangling a foot above the ground as she held him aloft.

This was not what she expected of humanity. Her voice was low, raw with anger and despair. She had so much to say to this man, so much that threatened to boil over.

But, all she could manage in that lethal voice was a question she had never hoped she would need to ask of humanity again:

"What. War."