Paint and Powder

A Star Trek anthology by Andrew Joshua Talon

DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.

Deep Space Nine - 2374

As terrible as the Dominion War was, it had given many starship AIs the chance to do something they'd been unable to do for a long time. And that was socialize in large groups.

It had been a long time for the Enterprise especially. Always on duty as the Enterprise-D, she went out and seldom got to meet with her fellow ships.

Thanks to the use of holographic avatars, she could now go out and meet her fellow ships. She could build on her new friendships, and reignite her relationships with her older friends.

Right now, she was sitting in Quark's Bar with a few ships she had grown especially close to since she became the Enterprise-E. The tall, muscular and buxom Thunderchild was sitting across the table, her hair short and black, her eyes large and blue. She had red marks underneath her eyes on her cheeks, a bit of war paint for the Akira-class starship's avatar. She was leaning back in her chair, at ease, her uniform modified to be sleeveless to show off her strong arms.

At her side was the avatar of the Appalachia. She was a Steamrunner-class light cruiser. She was rather leggy and buxom herself, with medium length dark blue hair and red eyes. She had freckles on her cheeks, and headphones over her ears. She crossed her arms under her chest, looking a bit nervous.

On the other side sat the avatar of the Budapest, a Norway-class starship. Her form was Bajoran with dark purple hair in a neat bun, and green eyes. She was otherwise mousy in appearance, small and lithe. She was entirely at ease, looking through a PADD with a pair of glasses perched on her nose.

The Defiant was at Enterprise's right side, eating some donuts quite happily. They had grown very close. She wasn't much like the Defiant Enterprise had known a long time ago, but she was brave and strong. She found herself becoming very fond of the tough little ship.

"Wheeeee!"

And running about the bar like a Coridian gadfly was the Yeager, a Saber-class starship's avatar. She was small, resembling an Andorian but with golden hair in pigtails. She hopped up to her table and grinned at them happily.

"Isn't this amazing?!" She cried. "I've never been to a bar before! Not one run by a Ferengi, anyway!" She waved over at the Ferengi. "Hello!"

The Ferengi waved back, a bit uneasily. Thunderchild patted Yeager's shoulder, keeping the excitable little ship in her chair. She pouted up at her.

"Come on, Thunderthighs! There's so much to see! Why do we have to sit around here?" She complained.

"It's Thunderchild, and you have to behave yourself!" Thunderchild ordered, "you're too reckless!"

Yeager stuck her tongue out at the taller ship avatar.

"Least I don't ram through enemy ships without telling anybody I'm gonna do it!" She retorted. Thunderchild blushed, and huffed.

"That wasn't reckless! That was a tactical use of my SIF and my deflector in a situation where I needed to destroy an enemy ship with one blow!" She insisted.

"Why can't I do the same thing?" Yeager demanded.

"You're too small," Budapest stated flatly, "your SIF is not powerful enough for such a ramming maneuver."

"I could too!" Yeager insisted. She looked to Appalachia. "Come on Appa! I could do it, couldn't I?"

Appalachia looked like she wanted to blend into the background, but she mustered her courage to speak.

"Well," Appalachia began, "it would be possible with enough warp power from the reactor, and sufficient speed... And the right angle-"

"And you'd need a hull with neutronium, like mine!" Defiant said with a grin. Yeager huffed.

"Why did you get the neutronium hull?!"

"Because I was built to fight the Borg! That's why!" The Defiant sniffed.

"We were all built to fight the Borg," Budapest pointed out in a cool tone of voice. Though that was her typical tone.

"Yeah, but not all of us are stuffy science ships with a few more guns," Yeager said mockingly. Budapest looked mildly offended. Thunderchild just chuckled and drank her beer.

"Please. I am designated a multi-role medium cruiser, or destroyer based on configuration. I am just as capable of defending the Federation as any of you. I just happen to have more dedication to diplomacy and science missions in general."

"Boring science ship!" Yeager mocked, sticking her tongue out.

"You have ten science labs yourself, you know," Budapest replied, adjusting her glasses, "the only vessel here without scientific research ability at all is Defiant."

"Not true!" Defiant insisted, "I do have room for some probes and one science lab! So I can do some of that!"

"What's wrong with science?" Appalachia asked, "I like doing research! It can be fun! I enjoyed exploring that pulsar field last year!"

"Didn't they pull you from that and put the Intrepid on it instead?" Asked Budapest.

At this, Appalachia burst into tears. Budapest was surprised. Defiant patted Appalachia on the shoulder, Yeager hugged her, and Thunderchild glared at Budapest.

"Did you have to bring her up, Budapest?" Thunderchild demanded.

"I didn't mean to-" Budapest tried, but Appalachia wailed.

"WAHHH! I CAN DO EVERYTHING THE INTREPIDS DO! I'M BETTER ARMED AND ARMORED! MAYBE I'M NOT AS FAST BUT I'M STILL JUST AS GOOD! IT'S NOT MY FAULT WE'RE NOT AS SLEEK AS THOSE SHOW OFFS!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't-!" Budapest tried, as Thunderchild went into full mama bear mode.

"You'll have to do better than that! You know how sensitive she is about the Intrepids!"

"'Oh, look at me, I'm a super fast speed boat with moving nacelles, I'm soooo special you guys!'" Yeager said mockingly. She hugged Appalachia. "You're better than any of those jerks, Appa!"

"They're not all jerks," Enterprise finally interjected, "though I will admit, Intrepid could be a pain. Voyager was pretty stiff too." She chuckled, "yeah, they could be pretty stuck up."

"I'm sorry! I forgot!" Budapest tried frantically. She reached out and squeezed Appalachia's hand. "I mean it, I'm truly sorry."

Appalachia sniffled.

"I'm all right. I'm sorry I keep getting emotional about it," she said. She shook her head. "I had to spend a whole three months with Intrepid. It just really... Hurts sometimes."

"Oh, believe you me," Enterprise said soothingly, "I had to put up with Intrepid too. She'll get better over time though, I promise."

The explosion contained, the ship girls got back to discussing things. Enterprise allowed herself a smile. She could almost see Constellation in Thunderchild: Same gung ho attitude, same protective instincts. Yeager reminded her so much of Excelsior's energy and innocence. Appalachia, so shy and demure, could have been Reliant before Khan took her over. And Budapest could almost pass for her dear friend Grissom, cool and logical on the outside but deeply caring on the inside.

This war was terrible, there was no doubt. She wanted to win it, end the fighting and suffering. It just helped to be reminded of what they were fighting for.

The Sector 001 Club. They seem like a great group to have slice of life moments written about them. Give it a try yourself!

Thunderchild: "I need quantum torpedoes... Come on Enterprise! Gimme!"

Enterprise: "Ugh, I've already given you all I'm allowed to! How did you run through them all so fast?!"

Thunderchild: "Um, it's war and I have fifteen torpedo tubes?"

Enterprise: "Fifteen?"

Thunderchild: "Five per launcher, of course! I'm like a machine gun, dakka dakka dakka!"

Yeager: "But you barely hit anything!"

Thunderchild: "I took out that Jem'hadar dreadnought!"

Budapest: "As you will never cease to remind us."

Thunderchild: "You seem to keep forgetting it!"

Appalachia: "Um, I helped a little."

Thunderchild: "Of course you did, Appa!" She hugs her "But we did it because I had a lot of quantum torpedoes! So... Can I have some?"

Enterprise: sigh "I'll ask my captain about it."

Thunderchild: "All I ask!"

Defiant: "You never ask me for extra quantum torpedoes."

Thunderchild: "Do you know where you stuff all your torpedoes?"

Defiant: "... Kind of?"

Thunderchild: "Kind of?"

Defiant: "Okay fine, I don't! But I don't complain!"