"But I want to go with you!" Tiyanna protested as Tarik and Kassia prepared to leave for the formal reception.
"We're not leaving you forever!" Kassia said. "We're just going to be gone for the evening. And Mr. Toren is a nice man. You'll like him! He'll take good care of you. And if you ever get afraid or lonely, you can always reach us with your mind."
Tiyanna thought about it. "I guess you're right."
"Remember, bedtime is 2100 hours -- both of you remember that!" Tarik said, looking Toren Len straight in the eye. Though he'd changed a lot in the past few months, their impromptu babysitter was still incorrigible.
"I'll try not to get her too drunk! Have a good time!" Toren Len replied as they left.
"Easy for him to say!" Tarik remarked as he scratched under the high collar of his dress uniform. "I hate these things! The formal receptions, that is," he clarified.
"I knew what you meant -- and I know what you mean," Kassia replied. "They can be a bit overwhelming..."
"We'll stay no longer than necessary," Tarik said. "These things go on too long and you end up getting to see drunk admirals make asses of themselves."
They entered the formal reception hall on the station, which had been very elaborately decorated and set up at a moment's notice.
Ambassador Mon'dal was the first to greet Tarik. "Congratulations on your recent victory--and your recent promotion," he said. "I knew from the moment I met you that you had the heart of a warrior!"
~You lying sack of sehlat dung,~ Tarik thought. ~The moment we first met you were accusing me of inaction as the station was being shot out from under us!~
~Mind your thoughts, Tarik!~ Kassia warned.
Tarik took the warning as he shook Mon'dal's hand. Tarik noticed that Mon'dal was giving as strong a grip as the effete but highly-skilled diplomat could deliver. Tarik returned it with slightly more strength -- enough to make Mon'dal notice. "Thank you for your kind but unmerited praise, Ambassador."
They wound their way through the crowd, looking for a familiar face out of the sea of well-wishers and hangers-on. Finally, they saw Commander Mallory sitting at a table with Troy. "Hello there!" Troy said. "I wasn't expecting an invitation to this one!"
"Well, Troy, why am I not so surprised to see you here?" Kassia replied with a smile.
His cheek tinted just a bit as he looked at Kitty. Kassia then caught Kitty's eye.
"I needed an escort and Troy said he was available. We're just friends, Kassia. Honest!" Her grey-brown eyes looked at Kassia with seriousness, though there was a smile on her face.
~For now maybe~ Kassia replied. ~Just take it easy with him. He's my brother.~
~Don't worry, Kassia, I wouldn't do anything to hurt him. You can trust me on that one. He has been there for me in more ways than you know!~
"You two seem awfully quiet suddenly," Troy said with a knowing eye.
"Just girl talk," Kassia smirked with a laugh.
Kitty also laughed, which caused Troy's cheeks to tint just a little darker.
"Give it up, Troy -- you're not going to win this one!" Tarik said. Troy sighed heavily. "Let's head over to the bar. If they can have girl talk, we can have man talk!"
Troy and Tarik wandered over to the bar, where a Bolian bartender was mixing drinks. Tarik ordered Aldebaran bourbon on the rocks while Troy had a Bloody Mary. "I'd heard that they watered the drinks at these Starfleet functions but I never knew it before now," Troy said.
"They have to as a precaution," Tarik replied. "Otherwise you end up with that happening!"
The two men looked over at Paul Deveraux, who was already well on his way to inebriation and regaling an entourage with his account of his courageous actions on Az'reel.
"An' zhere I was, surrounded by twenty Mullurans. Zhe men started to panic, but I told zhem, 'Do not fear -- I 'ave faced tougher spots zhan zhis before, against ze Proktolans an' ze Son'a!' Zo, I took my trusty rifle and--"
"Does that man ever learn?" Troy groaned.
"He always learns. He never remembers!" Tarik replied, then he told Troy of his proposal to Kassia.
"I'd seen it coming," Troy said. "I'm surprised it hadn't come sooner. The others never waited quite so long. But then again, you're not the others. When do you want me out of -- the quarters?" Troy asked.
"It's going to be a bit, Troy. And don't feel like I'm kicking you out personally. If I could do it, I'd give you my quarters. But I can't -- Major Jackson already has rights to those," Tarik said, toasting his new executive officer as the man passed by. Jackson seemed to keep to himself for the most part. Tarik knew he was getting ready for retirement and just wanted to make it through his last tour intact. Can't say as if I blame him, Tarik thought. "I'll do the best I can, though, to locate new quarters for you. That is, if you need them," he finished with a sly wink.
Troy blushed even more. "Maybe I was safer with the ladies," he said. "We're not like that yet; just friends for now." Even Tarik could see that Troy was holding back, though.
The two returned to the table. "So, Colonel, what do you think of the treaty with the Mullurans?" Mallory asked.
The use of his rank reminded Tarik that these soirees were as much about political maneuvering as they were about celebrations. "With any luck, we can hold off the next war for a couple of years, but I doubt it. The Mullurans have just been humiliated as they've never experienced before in their history. That never sits well. Look at the Germans of 20th-century Earth; the Klingon Empire after the destruction of Praxis; and the Dominion just recently. We need to establish a neutral zone here in the Briar Patch." Better yet, putting the Delta Quadrant between the Federation and the Mullurans would be a good idea...
Kitty caught that thought and nodded ever so slightly. "How about their leadership?"
"The current regime is a showpiece, designed to get them breathing room. If I were you -- and I don't presume to do your job -- I'd keep an eye on General Francona. He's got that lean and hungry look, and we'll be hearing from him just as soon as they rebuild," Tarik replied.
"That I have no doubt of," she replied. "So what it comes down to, is what do we do to be ready for them between now and then?"
"I'm not at complete liberty to discuss this in a public forum; you do have my recommendations," Tarik said. On his way back from Az'reel he'd sent Commodore Wallace, Commander Mallory, and Starfleet Intelligence his recommendation that the G'kar irregulars, including the La'kon Legion, be used as a covert force behind Mulluran lines to keep the Mullurans off balance and provide intelligence on Mulluran force dispositions and the state of affairs within the Mulluran Republic. Commandant (formerly Subcommandant) Mer'an was working the opposite side of the room with Ambassador Mon'dal, putting bugs in the ears of various Starfleet admirals and Federation diplomats about the plight of G'kar refugees within Mulluran territory.
"Publicly, I will say this: we should keep an eye on the Mullurans. Put up another starbase to replace 732 and a new one, possibly in one of the systems the Mullurans ceded to us. Continue surveys of the Briar Patch such as the one the Darwin was conducting," Tarik continued. Mallory nodded at the mention of the Darwin, a science vessel that was being used for covert surveillance of the Son'a and Jem'Hadar in the Briar Patch. "And above all else investigate thoroughly any appearance of the Jem'Hadar in this sector."
Kassia was listening intently to the discussion; Troy was trying to pay attention but found his mind wandering.
~Is this boring you too much?~ Kassia asked.
Troy looked at her with surprise.
~I know this doesn't pertain to you directly... Sorry... These functions get like this... It's a party, but a lot of shop talk too.~
~That's alright, Kass~ he smiled. ~Kitty told me they weren't exactly the most fun events in the world. But here I am anyway.~
~So you do like here, don't you?~
Suddenly the conversation was back to him and Kitty. Knowing his sister as well as he did, this was not surprising. ~Yes, I like her. But we're just friends. There might be more one of these days, but right now there isn't~
~Well... You two make a good match... Just thought I would tell you...~ Kassia added with a smile.
Tarik's combadge chirped. [Sir, the work order you requested has been completed. Are you absolutely sure about this?]
"Absolutely, Yeoman. You are operating on my authority, and the Commodore is to know nothing about this!"
[Aye, sir.]
"Carry on -- Tarik out."
Kitty looked alarmed at these orders. "It's nothing to worry about, Commander. Just a little harmless surprise for Commodore Wallace to celebrate his promotion."
Meanwhile, in Commodore Wallace's quarters....
"The man's crazy! I knew he was crazy before -- but this is crazy!" one maintenance yeoman said to the other.
"Well, who knows with officers? He might even like it!" the other man said as they left Wallace's quarters. Two Marines stood guard outside. "Okay, we're done here," the first yeoman said to one of the Marines. The four walked off, leaving behind in Wallace's bedroom a large yellow plastic clown ...
A waiter walked up to Commodore Wallace as he was deep in discussion with two admirals on the state of affairs in the Briar Patch. "Complements of Colonel Tarik," the waiter said as he served Wallace a flagon of Romulan ale. "And here's a note for you, sir."
"Very good. A round for the Colonel's table on my tab," Wallace said as he read the note:
Commodore ,
I'm waiting for you!
Tonight, your quarters, we'll break in a brand new line officer the right way!
XOXOXOX
Veronica
Wallace looked over to see a very attractive red-headed science officer from the Sutherland waving to him and giving him "the look."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Commander Sims," Tarik said as the redhead came up to their table. "I know this is a bit out of the ordinary, but--"
"Don't mention it, Colonel! Someone's got to keep it from going to these guys' heads!" she said. "Now, about payment--"
"You'll have that case of Ferengi beetle beer aboard the Sutherland by the end of Gamma shift; I've already got a couple of yeomen working on it."
"Thanks!" Sims said as she left, laughing.
"What was that all about?" Troy said.
"Oh, nothing, just some good clean harmless fun. Ask Deveraux--he's got experience with clowns!" Tarik said as the now staggering-drunk Paul Deveraux fell flat on his face while attempting to table-dance with an Andorian waitress.
The rest of the evening passed as usual, with the manipulations, politicking, and outright gundecking usual at a social gathering of high-ranking Starfleet officers. Wallace was reminded again and again why the top brass irritated him so much. Just barely able to hold himself up, he wondered what was going on with 'Veronica.' He'd expected to see her outside his quarters as he arrived, but saw no sign of anyone in the corridor at that late hour.
As he entered his quarters, he heard Ravel's 'Bolero' playing softly in the background. Candles and incense were burning on his coffee table. A bottle of Dom Perignon in a bucket of ice stood perched on a stand off to one side of the door, while a tray of Oysters Rockefeller, a large box of chocolates, a Hor'gon from Risa and a single red rose sat on his dining room table.
As he walked into his bedroom, intrigued, he noticed the individual pieces of a Starfleet woman's dress uniform corresponding to a Science section lieutenant commander scattered across the floor... first the boots, then the tunic, then the trousers...
Wallace all but tore off his dress uniform as he entered his bedroom. More candles and scented oil awaited him. He crawled into bed and put his arm around the recumbent figure, only to note that it wasn't a living being at all... "Lights at 50%" Wallace said.
Next to him in bed was the clown from MacDonnell's, dressed in a black negligee complete with garter belt and long black fishnet stockings. A sign around the clown's head read:
TAKE ME, I'M YOURS - VERONICA
"TARIK, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Wallace yelled. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!!!!!"