Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:26:22 -0800 (PST)
From: Journeyman Harper <journeymanharper@yahoo.com>
Subject: Legacy (gay male/sci-fi-fantasy)

                           Legacy
                    By Journeyman Harper

All characters are either (1) My own creation or
imagination; or (2) Property of Paramount Studios, producers
of the Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep
Space Nine.

Welcome to Legacy!

Kerryn sat in the conference room on the top deck of the USS
Enterprise. How the hell had he gotten here? It had been a
long couple of days. But he had to wonder what the hawk-like
man who was the captain wanted, and what the young ensign
was doing here. The Betazoid was no mystery. The several
various other persons in the room were all obviously senior-
ranking staff in various capacities. The bearded one seemed
to be the official womanizer, though. Kerryn allowed himself
a small private amusement.

Counselor Troi's eyes widened slightly. This young
shipmaster had pegged most of them correctly. Especially
Riker, she thought with mild amusement herself. This one
would be a good choice.

Kerryn reached back to a couple of days ago. He had arrived
at Starbase 290 with his cargo. This starbase was not on his
normal route, but Starbase 277 had signaled early that it
had no docking room available. So Kerryn changed course, and
secured a docking reservation at 290. 290 was much larger,
and was much more mainstream. And thus the docking fees were
higher. But he could swing it. It just meant that the
navigation computer upgrade would have to wait.

He was carrying crateloads of metallic ore. The ore would
eventually make it into various subsystems, and more for the
vessels that navigated space. He had been doing this run for
years, even though he was only nineteen. His father had been
moving cargo within this sector for sixty years, and Kerryn
since he was about five years old. He smiled. They had been
very lucky, as his father had been an excellent pilot and
negotiator. Kerryn was a natural born engineer. During the
cargo flights, he followed the education program and became
a certified Ship Master at age sixteen. They had had six
months of treating each other as equals before the
Cardassian raid.

That still hurt. He missed his father still. But he had been
in Propulsion and his father was on the Navigation deck when
they had blown it off. He had never had a chance. Kerryn had
hidden then, and they had lost their cargo to the
Cardassians. It had taken all of his inheritance and savings
to salvage and attach a new navigation deck. Even so, it
wasn't exactly what you would call pretty. But he had gotten
it functional, by himself, and back running cargo within six
months. He was very proud of that. The new navigation deck
was a lot more spacious than the old one, but it had seen
heavy battle and scoring. And now, while it didn't gleam or
shine, the Bridge deck was uniformly colored, comfortable,
and highly useful. He had learned that it had come from a
Starfleet Constitution-class salvage, and since everyone
else had called it that, he had done so too.

He had just discharged his cargo and been credited for it
when an alert had happened in the life support system.
Kerryn had been on his way to the bar for a well-deserved
couple of rounds when the telltale beeping went off. Taking
his credit, sighing loudly, and three hours later all was
well, but he had gotten to the bar late. It wasn't very
crowded now, but the band he had been hoping to hear was
gone for the night. He had sat down with some other
freighter captains, and picked up on the local news and
route issues.

They were talking animatedly and in wonder about the Galaxy-
class Starfleet ship that had docked. The latest in
technology, speed, comfort, and weaponry as well. Starfleet
was the envy of most space pilots and captains. It made
Kerryn extra proud that he had adapted the Constitution-
class bridge to his ship.

Conversation dropped off as several Starfleet officers
entered. They were alert, but at ease, in those tight
uniforms. Kerryn automatically felt the stirring of his
interest. The uniforms revealed all the good and not so good
curves on people. A look of longing crossed his face
briefly. Think of the ships that they commanded!

Kerryn failed to notice that one of the group was quite
young, and had noticed the look cross his face. When most of
Kerryn's companions had departed, the young ensign got up
and came over to sit with him. Kerryn made room and welcomed
him.

"Please, join me. You must be from that Galaxy-class
starship everyone is talking about." Kerryn held out his
hand. "I am Ship Master Kerryn, of the freighter Totentanz."

"Ensign Wesley Crusher, USS Enterprise. Can I get you
something?"

Kerryn shook his head. "No, thanks, I am quite fine with
this." He indicated his glass of bourbon. "More than that
and I might miss my departure."

"Is that real alcohol then? I've only had synthehol."

"Real bourbon, from Earth." Kerryn smiled. "So, what brings
you to Starbase 290?"

"Routine visit. We had some diplomatic envoys that are
coordinating a trade mission. Everyone hopes it will go
well. You?"

"Cargo, how I earn my living. I bring assemblies and
technology to some of the outer colonies in the Aurigaen
Belt. On the return trip I bring in ore and raw materials. I
would have been here earlier except my ship blew an
electrostatic evaporator and I had to buy a new one."

"Couldn't you just replicate one?"

"Replicators take power. The only replicator I have is for
food and water. Everything else has to be bought or made."

Wesley was amazed. He knew that replicators took power to
run, but didn't everyone have enough power?

Kerryn saw his look, and grinned. "Yes, we have to conserve
power. We don't have big anti-matter energy sources like you
do."

"How do you derive your power then?"

"I borrowed a trick from the Romulans. Our power is based
upon a weak artificial quantum singularity in a gravity
bottle." And Kerryn went through the basics, much to
Wesley's awe.

"Wow! That's a different way for sure. Sounds unstable,
though."

"Well, we have to watch it carefully. But it works and it is
much cheaper than anti-matter units."

That caught Wesley's attention. "You still have to barter
and buy things?"

"Out here on the Belt, money talks." Kerryn looked at the
other officers wistfully. "For humans who belong or support
the Federation, money doesn't exist. But for we who aren't
integrated with the Federation on a daily basis, we depend
upon it to survive." He sighed. "Like now. Replacing the
evaporators means that I have to wait on my Navigation
computer upgrade. Oh well." He leaned back a bit, and
finished his bourbon. The gentle light of the bar raked over
him, revealing his very good looking features and a body
outline that was as enticing as any Wesley had seen or for
that matter, slept with.

Wesley couldn't believe his eyes. This guy was hot.
Independent, but yet honest, stable and nice. Trustworthy.
He tried his best not to gape, but, well, it was kind of
unavoidable. He resorted to his own drink.

"You seem a bit young for Ensign duty. Congratulations on
that achievement."

Wesley laughed. "I basically grew up with a warp field coil
in my hands. I'm nineteen, but I've been engineering since
as long as I can remember. They finally had to put me
somewhere where they could see what I was doing and not blow
the ship up, so they made me an acting ensign until I could
go to Starfleet Academy. I'm actually still attending, but
on a tour of duty."

"Starfleet Academy." Kerryn shifted a little. "Is it truly
as wonderful as it is portrayed?"

Wesley nodded. "To a point. The Academy is so much more than
engineering. It is politics, diplomacy, experience, honor,
ethics, . many things that an officer will need higher up.
But yes, it is a great educational experience."

Kerryn felt eyes on him at that moment, and he looked
carefully over toward the other table. The bald man with the
big nose was staring at him with thoughtful eyes. Kerryn
noted his gaze briefly, and then leaned inwards to Wesley.
"Your captain is giving me the once over. He probably thinks
I am being a bad influence on you."

Wesley turned around to look at Captain Picard. Kerryn
rolled his eyes at how obvious that was. This kid would
never make it on his own. "Yes, that is my captain. Looks
like it is back to the Enterprise." They stood at the same
time. "Thanks for letting me join you."

"It was my pleasure. I see so few people my age, and I don't
often come to Starbase 290 because of the high docking
fees." He took Wesley's hand and shook it. "Best of luck,
Ensign Crusher." And with that he moved to the bar, paid his
credits and made his way back to the Totentanz.

Picard, Wesley, and Riker each watched the young freighter
captain leave the bar. Each had different thoughts on the
matter. Picard saw the young man as an answer to a problem.
Riker saw an image of himself at a younger age. Wesley was
desperate to get into the young master's pants.

Kerryn had gone back to his ship, and pleasantly found out
that there was a shipment of communication subsystem
components available to take back. He spent the couple of
hours coordinating the loading process, restocking certain
items, and then departed the Starbase. His ship hummed along
at a stately Warp 3.2, a speed he had found was the best
optimization of power for the five-day trip.

Picard, Wesley, Riker and a couple others returned to the
Enterprise. Captain Picard had asked Wesley about the young
man, noting his ship and experience base, and particularly
the amicable way that the two had gotten along. That had
been more conversation from Wesley than he could remember.
And there was still the Shepherd Project to resolve. Academy
students needed to be shepherded on several missions in
order to broaden their experience base. Picard had come to
Starbase 290 to see if he could find a shepherd for Wesley.
But the six or so old spacers that he had met with all
weren't interested in taking on a neophyte, even if he could
double the efficiency of their aging warp cores.

The eyes, and the look of that freighter guy had caught
Picard off guard. They were mature and careful eyes, despite
the guy's youthful appearance. He would investigate that in
the morning. It could be risky, two young men and a ship
looking for adventure, but it would definitely be good for
young Wesley.

"Wesley, come by my ready room at 0800 tomorrow please, and
we can discuss your Shepherding Project." Picard looked
smug.

"Yes sir." Internally, he groaned. Another early morning. It
was just past 2300 ships time.

But at precisely 0800, Ensign Crusher requested entrance and
was admitted to the Captain's ready room. "Sit down, Wes.
This is an informal discussion."

Nothing was informal with Picard. "Thank you, sir." And
Wesley sat as if a four-foot dildo had been crammed up his
butt. Hmm . interesting idea . oops. Wesley schooled his
features for attentiveness.

Picard continued. "I have tried to find a shepherd for you
from the traders now for a week, and there isn't anyone
willing to take you on for the required period. I assure you
it isn't personal; it seems to be that they either don't
have room or time. This is causing some difficulty."

"I understand, sir."

"You could do your project here on the Enterprise, but there
isn't much challenge in that."

"No, sir."

"It occurred to me though that you had a conversation at
length with one of the traders last night. Do you think he
would be a candidate as a shepherd?"

Wesley gaped. "I am not sure, sir. He is a freighter
captain, between the Federation and the Aurigaen Belt. He
has his own ship that he maintains himself." What he didn't
add was that he was a total hottie.

"Did he seem responsible?"

Wesley shrugged. "He was alive. He had an incredible
understanding of energy cores."

Picard remembered the look he had seen from the young
captain. Wary, but honest. Crafty. Experienced. A moment of
concern flooded him. How experienced? What would Beverly say
if they took a side trip to Riisa, or worse? Picard
remembered his own shepherding experience. Whatever
happened, it was to be part of the experience and the
adventure.

Wesley looked up at his benefactor. "Why would he take me on
when the others wouldn't?"

Picard smiled. "Because we will offer to pay him. And you
and he already have had a positive first impression."

However, inquiries about Captain Kerryn proved fruitless.
It wasn't until after that that Wesley recalled that he had
styled himself as Ship Master, not Captain. A further
inquiry yielded that the freighter Totentanz had filed a
flight plan and departed for the Aurigaen Belt at 0300 that
morning. All inquiries about the young ship master revealed
what could be a very interesting shepherding experience.

Of course, that was to be expected when a nubile nineteen-
year-old and a man whose gaze could shatter granite are
walking around in Starfleet uniforms, asking questions. One
of the younger pilots pulled Wesley aside for a moment for a
private discussion. It was then that Wesley learned that
Kerryn was a horny young guy, as he was reported to have the
best collection of porn in the business. That lit up
Wesley's face for sure. Picard didn't need to know that. The
pilot also stated that he was pretty sure that Ship Master
Kerryn was gay. Wesley was sure that Picard did not need to
know that either.

On their way back to Enterprise, Picard came to the
conclusion that this was definitely the right solution.
Wesley, who had been full of hope until they learned of his
departure, was downcast as they stepped off the transporter.
Picard remembered his own youthful days, and decided on a
course of action.

"How fast do you think a freighter could travel fully
loaded?"

Wesley considered. "He might make Warp 5, but probably less
than that. Warp 3, perhaps."

"The Enterprise will be departing tomorrow morning. I
believe we could make a side trip and see if this young
captain would be interested in a business proposition."

Wesley stared in surprise. It wouldn't be the first time
that the flagship of Starfleet and over a thousand people
were diverted to accommodate Wesley. Blushing slightly, he
said, "Captain, sir, I would be most gratified were that to
take place."

Picard nodded. "Consider it a homework assignment to
estimate his most likely trajectory. Let me know what course
to set." He looked sternly at the young ensign. "Be sure
your result is plausible. We don't just go sailing off in
some direction because of a round-off error."

"Yes, sir!" And they separated.

Enterprise left Starbase 290 on time the next morning.
Ensign Crusher sat at helm, and at the order from Picard he
entered the course required and accelerated to Warp 5. They
would know in a couple of hours if the Totentanz was within
scan range.

Wesley squirmed in his seat at helm. He was anxious that
they find the Totentanz at least and prove his navigation
correct. He also kept having hot flashes around his butt,
each one hinting at the fantasy of a young space captain's
attention from his mouth, fingers, or ultimately his cock.
It was a good thing Counselor Troi was elsewhere.

Almost two and a half hours later, sensors picked up a
freighter vessel on parallel course. Subspace ID reported it
as the light freighter Totentanz. Wesley was thrilled,
because the solution was nearly exact based upon his
research and modeling, and he would have a chance to
Shepherd with the hottest guy he had seen in weeks, maybe
even months.

Counselor Troi entered the bridge, glanced at Wesley, rolled
her eyes and took her seat.

Worf took the initiative. "Scans report a light freighter.
Five nacelles, though no reading of a conventional warp
core. Cargo of electronic assemblies. Standard phasers and,"
Worf paused a moment, "an ion cannon. Evidence of
construction from several cultures, including what appears
to be a Constitution-class bridge deck mounted on a modified
Romulan propulsion section." Worf snorted in disgust. "A
hodge-podge."

"Slow to match speed and hail them politely, please," stated
Picard. And they waited for a response.

Kerryn was hanging from the bridge ceiling. The lighting
system had been faulty since he had the bridge, and he had
it all apart He was cursing away at the scored wiring that
he had found when the proximity alarm went off.

He jumped down from the ceiling, silenced the alarm and went
over to the tactical station. What he saw took his breath
away, as there on the display approaching at Warp 5 was a
Galaxy-class starship in beautiful motion. He watched it for
a bit, prancing through the stars. The coincidence was too
great, though. But when it slowed to match his speed, he was
sure that something was up.

Then the hail came through.

Kerryn's screen filled with the big-nosed bald man's visage.
"Greetings. I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS
Enterprise. To whom am I speaking?"

Kerryn walked back to the tactical station and stood
thoughtfully. "This is Ship Master Kerryn of the freighter
Totentanz." Suddenly, half his lights went out. Damn this
bridge!

Picard's eyebrows raised slightly as Kerryn offered,
"Please, just one moment," and watched him walk to a
bulkhead. Kerryn gave it an almighty whack with his arm, and
the lights restored themselves. Picard's eyebrows went up
another notch as the young master went back to his prior
position nonchalantly. "Sorry about that. Design flaw. I'll
write it down someday. How can I be of assistance?"

It was all Counselor Troi could do not to laugh. She could
feel the mix of pride and chagrin emanating from this young
man. And Wesley was mentally drooling all over him.

"Ship Master, I would like to discuss a business proposition
with you. Would you be willing to drop out of warp and allow
us to transport you onto Enterprise to discuss certain
terms?"

Kerryn considered this. He was small and they were big. A
couple hours would not impact his schedule. "May I ask what
this is about?"

"I will fill you in when you are here. But you are not being
detained, raided or plundered."

Kerryn smiled in mock relief. "That is good to hear,
Captain. I can take a small shuttle over in about fifteen
minutes."

"No need. We will use the transporter. Just signal when you
are ready."

"Very well. I will need a few minutes to be presentable, and
will then signal you. Totentanz out." And the signal closed.

"Wes, may I see you in the ready room for a few minutes?"
Troi had already propelled him in that direction, and the
doors closed around them.

"Well?"

Wesley tried to look innocent. "I don't understand,
Counselor."

She tried the direct approach. "You want to get into his
pants so badly it is dominating your mind."

He blushed furiously, and then surrendered. There was no
escaping the Betazoid mind. "So?"

"The Shepherd Project is not meant to be driven by lust!"

Wesley thought on that. "Really?" That was counter to a
number of things he had heard at the Academy.

Caught off guard, Deanna Troi recalled her own experience.
True, she had picked her shepherd based upon his carnal
desires, and wow what a time that had been .. Oops. Back to
the subject.

"Well, it is supposed to not be influenced by sex." Now she
was blushing slightly. Wesley just nodded at her knowingly
but with a wide grin on.

"He is very hot, isn't he?"

Whoa. Deanna stopped it right there. "Whatever." The waves
of desire for the young ship captain were flowing off of
Wesley, and she wasn't quite prepared for that. And very
quickly she realized that he was doing it on purpose.
Sneaky. "Would you stop that please!?"

Wesley allowed himself a moment of victory. "Yes sir, but it
is nice to know that a horny teenager can still sink you in
his most creative desires when he wants to."

Ooooh, the Academy had given this one horns. Counselor Troi
immediately decided not to tell Wesley that Kerryn was part
Betazoid. But she had to find a private place soon and
relieve this new sexual tension.

They returned to the bridge, alerted the senior staff and
went down to Transporter Room 3. Right on time, Kerryn's
voice echoed quietly in the room. "Totentanz to Enterprise.
Ready for transport." And with the blur of light, he was
there in the flesh.

While everyone maintained the pleasant exterior, Kerryn had
jumped at the opportunity to read them as they made first
impression. The Klingon regarded him with suspicion. The
female with the long black hair was neutral and ambivalent,
so she was obviously shielding. The captain reacted with
respect and eagerness. Kerryn stepped down and greeted the
captain.

"Captain Picard, I am Ship Master Kerryn."

They studied him. While he wasn't uniformed, his outfit was
brown throughout, tunic style. Brown close-fitting pants,
brown shirt, belted, with an odd logo. Worf recognized it as
the emblem of a certified member of the Freighter's Guild in
this sector. Medium height, lean build. Long hair. They had
missed that before, but his hair was very dark brown and
hung below his shoulders. Long fingers. And his features
were unmistakably wary and on guard. This gave him the most
incredibly sexy look.

"Welcome aboard. I am grateful that you can take some time
to discuss this opportunity. We will go up to my ready room
and then we can begin."

"Thank you, Captain. I admit I am somewhat in the dark about
all this."

Three hallways, a turbolift, and a short walk and they were
in the ready room. They were joined by what seemed to be an
integrated team of people. Kerryn realized he was being
scrutinized, and that made him a little edgy. He immediately
recognized Wesley though, and eased a bit after greeting him
affably. Greeting the woman who must be his mother was a
little unnerving.

Picard introduced the rest of the staff. They shook hands,
and were able to maintain the professional demeanor, but
Troi was being distracted by Wesley's increasing desires for
this guy. Fortunately, it wasn't just sex. He wanted to
shepherd with this freighter captain very badly.

And that's how he sat there in the room, surrounded by brass
from a culture different from his own, wondering what the
living hell he had done to deserve this. He wasn't sure it
was positive or negative. His dad would have known.

The group needed an icebreaker. And so Kerryn spoke up. "You
have treated me with great courtesy, but I would very much
like to know what the senior staff of the Federation's
flagship wants with a self-employed light freighter ship
master." He added, "One drink in a starbase bar doesn't
cause that kind of interest."

Picard nodded. "Ensign Crusher here is attending Starfleet
Academy. The cadets there are strongly encouraged to
experience a tour of field duty away from the Academy,
preferably in an honest trade environment outside the
Federation. They call it the Shepherd Project."

Kerryn nodded. "I have seen some of my peers do this."

Picard smiled. It looked so strange on the man. "Well,
although the ensign could do his tour here on Enterprise, it
is not the most educational of environments on those terms.
We have been interviewing freighter captains for several
days and none have had either the room or the time to
shepherd." Picard shifted a bit. "We would very much hope
that you would consider shepherding Ensign Crusher."

"I see." Kerryn was caught completely off guard. "You are
asking me to take on an Academy cadet who already holds the
rank of Ensign, and show him how we on the fringe of the
Federation perform our careers? How we live, our risks, our
concerns, our questionable ethics?"

"We have an outline that we can discuss if you are
amenable."

Kerryn thought about this. "He will consume resources. That
isn't a problem but it is a cost. He has a strong
engineering interest; I could use that." Immediately a
problem came up. "What would his relationship be to me? Is
he a guest, a passenger, or a crew member?"

"Most definitely a crew member. He does follow orders, most
of the time." Wesley blushed at that one as Picard
continued,  "I have given him my confidence at the Helm
station for Enterprise as an ensign."

Kerryn considered this. "Wesley, you haven't the senses and
instincts of a merchant. You would have to learn some of
that. Would you take direction from me seriously?"

"Yes, sir."

Kerryn laughed. It was a great laugh, the kind that lifts
spirits. "Oh no, I don't merit a `sir'. Just the title when
formally addressing me."

He turned to Picard. "Why would I do this? I haven't seen a
proper motivating concept yet."

Worf growled at this. Picard gave him a look that said,
"Down Boy," and then responded. "We would compensate you for
your trouble."

Kerryn blinked. "You would pay me? I thought the Federation
did away with money."

"We have. However, we see the necessity of barter and
finance outside the Federation and have means of doing so."
He coughed politely. "We would be prepared to offer fifty
thousand credits for you to shepherd Ensign Crusher."

Fifty thousand! Coolly, Kerryn looked his fingernails. "How
long a period?"

"Six months."

"That really is a low amount." He saw Troi's eyes widen, and
he glared at her, challenging her to deny it. She instead
sat back with amusement and folded her arms. He knew he had
the upper hand. "How about five hundred thousand credits?"

Picard did not blink. The one called Riker dropped open his
jaw in surprise. The green one furrowed his brow, and it was
then that Kerryn realized that he was not human. Before they
could respond, Kerryn exclaimed in surprise.

"You aren't biological! Yet by your position you are treated
as equal, so you must be a high-functioning self-aware
automata? Amazing!"

Commander Data blinked. "I am an android. Which is what you
described in so many words." He adjusted his stare at
Kerryn. "The amount you are asking is quite large, and is
equivalent to a multiple year visit to the most expensive
vacation planets."

Kerryn grinned. "You are correct." He thought a moment, and
settled on what he had wanted all along. "I will accept
fifty thousand credits, plus a rather specialized piece of
equipment."

He saw Wesley gape. He remembered. And that was a good sign.
This would be OK.

"No weaponry." That was Worf again.

"No, no weaponry. But I do need a replacement PK75
Navigation Computer."

Picard looked at his Chief Engineer. "Geordi?"

"No sweat."

Smiles spread all around. Picard formally stood. "Do we have
an arrangement?"

Kerryn nodded carefully. "Pending any disclosure of the
details, and an engineering grade tour of Enterprise, I
agree." And they shook hands.

Doctor Crusher came over. "I don't need to tell you to be
careful with my son."

"Doctor, the moment that the credits change hands he is like
a brother to me, with all obligations in place."

With the rest of the staff dispersing, relieved, Picard and
Kerryn went through the details. Wesley was becoming
concerned. According to the freighter's ethics, Kerryn more
or less owned him. But the role was very clear in the
limitations allowed. Wesley had to follow orders. Wesley was
not to put himself at unnecessary risk.

They discussed clothing, technology needs, and decided
Wesley would need to bring some computing assets with him.
They discussed flight plans, and settled on a return date
and time to meet at Deep Space Nine, which was on the edge
of Kerryn's normal flight space. A contract was drawn up,
and signed by all. Picard knew that the Academy would
approve. Wesley was getting one of the more adventurous
shepherding opportunities.

Finally, Data arrived with the credit chit. He handed it to
Picard, who gave it to Kerryn. Kerryn pulled out a portable
scanner, verified the amount, and then pocketed both.

Kerryn could feel the time slipping, but he wanted his tour.
"Captain, I would most enjoy a brief tour of your ship,
after we meet privately with Dr. Crusher."

Picard replied, "As would I of your ship." And Kerryn was
left with the Doctor and Picard only.

Kerryn addressed her. "This is more about your mother role
than doctor. I would suggest that you discuss with Wesley
any remaining sensitive topics before he leaves."

"Why? Is he going to be in that much danger?"

"No, but he is now open, honest and somewhat communicative.
When you see him afterwards, if I am successful he will be
much more closed, secretive, and in general more
internalized. He will not lose any of his Starfleet values
or ethics, but he won't be displaying them for all to see
either. He will be the same person, but the presentation
will be different."

Picard shifted. "I quote: A person is defined by his
choices, not what he or she is."

Kerryn raised his eyebrows. "A narrow view. That was from
Starfleet Admiral Satii's private works. We believe in the
concept of `plant noise' when it comes to who a person is.
His choices are a part, but the world often goes its own
way."

Picard stared at him. No one had ever refuted Satii before.
Before he could comment, Kerryn continued. "Now, when he
returns to you he will be more shrewd, be more mature
socially, and aware that many things come with a price. He
will be a provisional member of the Freighter's Guild. Their
code of ethics is very close to Starfleet's so he won't be
compromised."

"When did you study Starfleet's Code of Ethics?"

Kerryn smiled slightly, but his eyes spoke volumes. "I'd
prefer not to comment. We merchants like mysteries to
unravel. But if you find out the truth about this one, I
will share what I know." He sighed. "It has never been
entirely solved. And I don't have the resources to do it."
He glanced at the doctor. "A few last things. If he is still
a virgin, he won't be when we are done. He will also have a
built-in tolerance to real alcohol, not that synthehol
stuff." He stretched slightly at their discomfort. "I would
very much like that tour now." And they proceeded through
the Galaxy class marvel.

First stop was the Bridge. Kerryn marveled at how spacious
it was. The placement of the Tactical station was just as he
had done the Master Control Station on his own bridge. Nice
to know he had gotten it right. But when he saw the five
chairs, he couldn't resist.

"Captain, may I sit in your chair for a moment?"

Picard understood, and nodded. Kerryn slowly walked over,
and carefully sat, assuming a position very much like
Picard's usual one: slightly reclined, feet squarely on the
floor as if leaning into the ship. And in that moment,
Kerryn could feel the connection that a captain has through
the floorboards all the way down to the bottom deck under
the shuttle bay. What a feeling! He got up slowly, and
thanked him.

Picard smiled, and this time his eyes twinkled. "I could see
that you felt the essence of The Chair. Many don't."

"Captain, it was quite a humbling experience. I am not sure
I envy you the daily demands it must make."

Wow. He understood, thought Picard.

They stopped briefly at the Holodeck, and after explaining
its function, they went inside. Standard holodeck demos were
very impressive. But Kerryn was curious.

"Can we ask for any surroundings?"

Wesley nodded. "Just name it."

"Voice activated?"

"Yup."

"Computer." A chirp. "Please set the background to the
Bridge of the Constitution-class vessel USS Excalibur, NCC
1664, in original condition."

The world whished, and in seconds he was standing on the
bridge in question. It gleamed, lights blinking, the
starfield at rest. The layout was the same, but the
deployment of computing stations and the general condition
was far better.

Both Picard and Wesley looked at Kerryn curiously. He had to
explain. "My father was killed during a Cardassian cargo
raid. They shot the Navigation deck right off the ship. I
was back in Propulsion and hence survived. When I repaired
the Nav deck, I bought a salvaged bridge from a Starfleet
vessel." He paused. "This bridge, Constitution class, from
the USS Excalibur. I was curious what it looked like in its
prime condition."

Picard remembered an incident like that in this area that
had involved the merchants. "You were in the Battle of Rana
7?"

Kerryn looked up. "Yes." He looked down a bit. "I was able
to retaliate though, since they hadn't hit the weaponry or
the Propulsion section. If one goes on manual, one can fly
from the Engine Room."

Picard stared at him. "You were the one? The one who took
out the flagship from behind?"

"Was that their flagship? All I had left was the Ion Cannon.
But I was able to get a series of shots right up their ass .
I mean, exhaust, which caused a chain reaction in their
engine system that I was hoping for."

Picard could see the rest of the crew weren't following.
"The Cardassians hit a trading station looking for
Federation spies. They all but destroyed the merchants by
the time we and several other starships arrived. Even so, it
was not an easy battle." He pointed at Kerryn. "All we know
is that one heavily damaged merchant vessel came up from
behind and unloaded enough firepower from behind that it
disabled the Cardassian flagship." He paused. "That action
changed the outcome of the conflict. I had never thought
that I would meet the officer who pulled that off. Well
done, Ship Master Kerryn." He turned to Wesley. "You are one
lucky cadet, Wesley. Learn from him."

They finished off Engineering, and returned to Transporter
Room 3. Kerryn shook hands again. "Let me know when Wesley
is ready to come over. Can you transport at Warp 3?"

"Yes, that isn't a problem."

"Good. My slack time is running out. I am heading straight
to Mobius 11 so you can intercept me along the way at any
time. My optimum speed is Warp 3.2."

"We will do so." Picard turned to Worf. "Energize." And
Kerryn was gone again.

Picard turned to Wesley with a fierce look in his eyes.
"Wes, do absolutely everything you can to get Kerryn to
apply for Starfleet training. He is honest, ethical and a
brilliant tactician based upon what I saw at Rana 7. The
rest is classified." And with that, Picard's heels clicked
rapidly in departure.

Worf looked sourly at Wesley. "I hope your Shepherd Project
goes better than mine. I had to clean bathroom tile with a
toothbrush."

Wes couldn't resist. "Why did you have to do that?"

Worf growled low. "I ate the captain's pet. I did not know
that the creature, a Klingon delicacy, was domesticated."
And he then walked out.

Wes almost ran to his room. He replicated clothes, collected
his things, and left all his Starfleet uniforms behind
except one. Wes knew how to dress, and he replicated some
outfits that he knew would make his body irresistible. He
had just finished when his mother came in. She handed him a
small medikit and a couple medical tricorders.

"You never know when these merchants have seen a doctor.
Make sure you leave it behind. We have a million of them."

"Thanks, Mom." He gave her a hug. "I am really looking
forward to this."

"I can tell."

Counselor Troi waited for a moment, and then entered. "I
wanted to wish you the best of luck, Wesley."

"Thank you, Counselor."

"Remember our prior conversation, OK?"

Doctor Crusher's eyebrows went up. "Oh? Something I should
know about?"

"No, Mom!"

Troi decided it was time. "Wesley, she knows."

"Knows what?"

An awkward moment, then with incredulity Wes looked at his
mom. In a stricken voice, he said, "You know?"

Doctor Crusher nodded slowly. "I have suspected for a while
that you might prefer boys. Your father did sometimes. But
never after we were married." Wesley just stood in shock as
his mom continued. "But he was open enough that we could
make all kinds of veiled comments about it." She then smiled
secretly. "You will have to ask Jean-Luc about it someday,
though not now please!"

An awkward silence, then Beverly continued. "Let me guess.
You want to be intimate with him as much as you want to go
on this project?"

Counselor Troi saw revenge for earlier. "More than that,
Beverly."

Wesley rebounded quickly. "Mom, want to see how to defend
against a Betazoid?" And he sunk his mind into the most
horny and detailed fantasy involving Kerryn that he could
come up with.

Beverly's eyes widened as Deanna flushed and shifted her
weight. "Enough, Wesley!" And he stopped.

They each hugged, and then Troi left. Beverly said quietly,
"Be careful, but I hope that whatever you experience is all
that you hope for."

"Thanks, Mom."

And Wesley just had to wait for the rendez-vous.

Kerryn, however, getting back onto his ship was grinning
from ear to ear. Fifty thousand credits! And a free Nav
computer, and a cute crew member for six months! It was like
he had just won the jackpot. He raced to his bridge, and
keyed in the commands to resume course and speed at Warp
3.2. Enterprise diminished into the background, but it was
still an awesome sight. He moved back down from the bridge
and into the Habitat deck. His ship had eight cabins. One
was his, one was a miniature theater, and the rest were
unused. He selected Cabin 2 for Wesley, which was across
from his, and made sure it was clean, working and stocked.
Each cabin had a food replicator, private bathroom, spacious
bed and a small living area.

As he raced through the ship he realized that he was tidying
not for Wesley, but for Picard. For the strangest reason,
Picard somehow had commanded his respect, yet in all the
discussions each had treated the other like equals. That
greatly amused Kerryn. He and the Captain of the Federation
Flagship Enterprise were on equal footing. Best not let to
get to his head. He wondered if he had left enough clues so
that Picard might find out what happened six years ago. That
outcome had plagued him, and now he finally had a resource
that could find out the truth.

He heard the proximity alarm go off again. He stepped into
an alcove, signed on and silenced the alarm. When you are
the only one on a ship without voice command control, you
have to have enabled terminals scattered around. The Bridge
and Propulsion each had a maximal control suite, but basic
terminals were in every cabin and every 50 feet on every
deck. Since he had three decks and deck 3 was the only big
one, there weren't that many terminals. One could read and
write information at all terminals, but ship control
required a special access code. And so from the midpoint on
deck three he checked the cargo, and then returned to the
bridge. Wes would have to get used to not having turbolifts
too.

His bridge. The viewscreen was in the middle still, and Helm
and Navigation in front of it. Sciences had been reduced to
Sensors, and Communications were still on the right. The
left side hosted the engineering stations replicated. The
only change he had really made was the removal of the
Captain's chair platform and replaced it with a Master
Control Station, which replicated the basic capabilities of
each of the other stations plus the Tactical station.
Tactical for him meant shields, several phaser banks and the
Ion Cannon.

When he was ready, Kerryn began the wait. It had occurred to
him that having some kind of conference room would be a good
idea. He would convert the cabin nearest the shuttle bay to
be his conference room. Hell, he could afford now to put
some windows in as part of the modification. Not that he
would have many visitors, but you never know.

Shortly, Enterprise signaled for transport and Picard,
Wesley, and Data beamed over. Kerryn greeted them formally.

"Captain, Commander, Ensign, welcome to the Freighter
Totentanz." He gestured around him. "This is my salvaged
Constitution-class bridge. I had to make some modifications
to accommodate a one-man crew. But it is highly functional
for a freighter."

Data was regarding the Navigation Station, which was dark.
"How are you navigating without the Navigation Computer?"

"By eye. This route I know very very well and have visual
landmarks that ensure a correct course." He looked at them.
"You did bring the new PK75 Navigation Computer with you?"

Data pointed at one crate. "It is there. Do you require
assistance in installing it?"

"No, thank you. I've done it several times but this time I
think Wes and I will do it as a get-to-know-you experience."

Wesley licked his lips in anticipation.

Kerryn led them down the stairs to the Habitat Deck, and
showed Wesley his cabin. "It may not be as spacious as a
Galaxy-class crew cabin, but this is a guest passenger cabin
and the largest I have."

They moved his things in, and then set off down the stairs
to Deck Three. "The front of Deck Two is the main computing
center. The front of Deck Three is where the phaser arrays
and the Ion Cannon are. Most of Deck Three is committed to
cargo, as the only corridor access is on the port and
starboard hallways. Loading and unloading is done either by
transporter or by access through the top bays." It was an
eminently practical layout.

The tour concluded in Propulsion. That had ensued a
fascinating discussion about the control of an artificial
quantum singularity as a power source. Five nacelles, one
gravity bottle. They were amazed that the warp drive pulsed
two nacelles at a time rather than continuous duty warp
field generation.

Wesley noticed an access tube going upwards on one corner.
"What is up there?"

"Shuttle bay. I have a two person shuttle that I use for
transport when I am not docked."

"No transporter?"

"It takes too much room, compute power and energy."

Tour finished, they returned to the bridge. They shook hands
once more, and then Picard signaled Enterprise and he and
Data beamed out. It was just Kerryn and Wesley.

Alone.

And awkward.

Wesley was watching Kerryn as he watched the Enterprise
recede quickly into the background. There was a mixture of
appreciation and amusement on his face. Without moving,
Kerryn commented, "She must take an awful lot of a captain's
attention."

Quietly, Wes responded, "Captain Picard usually thinks it is
worth it."

"Your Captain Picard is one of the most aloof people I have
ever met. Does he ever become human?"

Wesley was slightly stung by the blunt assessment, but
honesty prevailed. "I don't think so. At least I've never
seen it."

Kerryn turned to look at Wesley. That super-tight stretchy
outfit would never work. May as well have a little fun.
"Turn around slowly, please." Blushing mightily, Wes did so.
Kerryn noticed that on the latter half of the cycle Wes had
gotten hard, and what was worse, it showed. Nice body, but
soft. It needed work. If he was going to look like a
merchant, he was going to have to shape up a bit. Kerryn
sighed. He was going to have to do a complete makeover on
Wes.

"You look nothing like a merchant. Are all your clothes like
that?"

"Like what?"

"Come on." Kerryn led the way to Wesley's cabin. "Unpack.
Don't be shy, remember we are both boys and have to deal
with the same things. I'm more interested in your outerwear
right now."

Feeling very awkward, Wes unpacked. He had added some
enticing items in his clothing choices, especially in the
underwear section. No one else knew they were there, until
now. Turning bright red, Wesley put away his underwear, a
thong and a fishnet bikini brief. Kerryn's eyes widened at
those, but said nothing. But his look at Wes communicated
volumes.

Wes felt a stab of confidence as he put them away. "Hey, you
never know."

The rest of the wardrobe was a disaster. The only reusable
parts were a couple of ship suits. Kerryn decided that now
was the best time to start learning.

"OK, starting right now you are a merchant apprentice. I
want you to repack all your of your closet except for those
last three."

Wes looked totally downcast. "What's wrong with them?"

"They look like a Starfleet officer on vacation, not a
merchant. First, you Starfleet types wear those high tech
skin-tight outfits that may be great for a climate
controlled ship among friends, but we are none of those.
Everyone is out to make money, and that means that they may
be friends but they are also out to profit. Friends profit
honorably. I have made any number of fair and square deals
that happened to have robbed them blind because I am a good
dealer. You need loose clothing, with pockets, inside and
out. They have to be non-descript, and while not shabby,
they shouldn't be neat and perfect. And most of all you need
clothes that hide and protect your involuntary reactions.
When I am dealing, I almost always wear a hooded cloak that
only comes down when closing the deal. The less anyone can
see, the better." He decided to hit home. "That includes
your cock. You were hard back on the bridge."

Wes blushed mightily again. This all made sense. He felt so
na^Ėve. "What about the underwear?"

Kerryn grinned big and wide. "You can keep that there.
Although I may order you to model some of it." And before
Wes could rebound, Kerryn continued. "You and I are about
the same size, so I will give you a couple outfits to start.
The ship suits will be fine onboard, but when we go off ship
you must wear what I will give you." He looked at Wes again.
"Your compliance could impact my reputation. You are in a
position to do me a lot of damage. Listen carefully, and we
will do fine."

Wes nodded. "Yes, sir."

"I don't warrant a `sir' you know. That's your first lesson.
Learn it fast and now. Just call me Kerryn, or leave the
title off altogether."

"All right."

"Better. Now strip that suit off. I'll be right back."

Taken again off guard, Wes began to undo the hidden
fasteners. The material that he had gotten so used to he
found now itched a bit, and as he peeled it off his torso it
was a bit of relief.

Kerryn watched briefly from behind. This kid had no sense of
urgency. "Come on, Wesley, take it off." He reentered with a
measuring tape as Wes bent over and peeled off the rest of
the suit. Tight black underwear. Kerryn began to suspect
that Wes trying his best to be sexy. Then it hit him. Picard
would have done some peer interviews about the Totentanz,
and one of his clients must have told Wes that he was gay.
He knew which one, too. And if Wes was going out of his way
to entice him, well, all the better!

Measuring tape in hand, he told Wes to stand straight with
his legs a little apart. Kerryn measured him along inseam
and arm length from behind, taking several opportunities to
brush up against that black-covered sexy butt. When he moved
around the front to measure the chest size, there was no way
he could avoid the contact with Wes's tented cock.

Any normal boy would have flinched. But Wes was Starfleet
trained, and Kerryn was a merchant. So neither did anything.
All Kerryn did was humph. "Can you sew?" At the shake of the
head, Kerryn sighed again. "All right. I'll have to take in
some of the pants at the waist and leg, but the shirts will
do fine." He stood. "I want you to keep a daily personal
log. Only you will have access to it."

"OK."

"You will also become a provisional member of the
Freighter's Guild. It isn't hard, but it is necessary for me
to maintain my license. Their code of ethics is almost
identical to Starfleet, and complying with it while you are
with me will not compromise the formal guidelines or
statutes. In fact, I would like you to write an essay on the
differences between them."

"Homework?"

"You are here to learn our world, right? Best way is to
analyze it against the world you know."

Something tugged at Wesley. "Kerryn, you seem to know an
awful lot about Starfleet for a merchant."

Kerryn grinned suddenly. "You just passed the first test. I
gave your Captain Picard two other clues that there was a
mystery present, and he didn't catch on. You did instantly."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"How do you know so much about Starfleet?"

Kerryn thought a moment. "I'll answer one question on the
topic. Think carefully."

Wesley thought, and one of the classes he had hated because
it was all case studies came to mind. The professor had
indicated that it was more important to know where to find
information, than to actually know it, because you could
find it again and again. "Where would I find the data for
the answer?"

That caught Kerryn off guard. Wesley was going to have the
answer in moments. "That is exactly the right question to
ask. The answer is that the needed data is in the Admissions
office to Starfleet Academy."

Even Wesley could put that together. "You applied to
Starfleet? And you didn't go? Why?"

Kerryn said, very slowly, "That is the puzzle I have given
to your captain, although I doubt he is aware of it." He
looked at Wesley. "I took the Entrance Exams, the Officer
Qualification Exams, and the Ambassadorial Exams. Since I
had paid the fee, I even took the Commander's Qualifying
Exam. My father had let me study and prepare for all of
them. I even had the interview with Admiral Nuri. But I was
turned down because of my age."

"How old were you?"

"Fourteen. I was not surprised, but I didn't even get a
follow-up letter. And then I started the Ship Master
program, and did that in eighteen months." He turned to
Wesley. "I have one more certification, and actually you are
going to help me. I need to demonstrate effective management
of a crew. I've passed all my other certs for a full
Commander."

"Sounds like an oversight to me." Wesley was now in a ship
suit. He remembered Picard's words. "You could try again."

"Not without knowing what happened the first time. They
didn't even tell me my scores."

"They didn't?? That's really odd. Iterative feedback is the
Starfleet way."

Kerryn thought so too. But it was long hidden now. "OK, now
lets get back to that Navigation Computer." And they went to
the Bridge Deck and began the removal of the old one. Kerryn
was pleased with Wesley's hands-on techniques. Clearly he
was not an academic engineer. But Kerryn still had the knack
for getting those hard to do things just right, and in
comparatively short time navigation was back online.

"Wes, you know how to navigate?" When he nodded, Kerryn
continued. "Good. Set a course please for Delvin Six. Warp
four point five. I need to get you registered and my
application in for Commander."

"Couldn't you do that over subspace?"

"Probably, but I also want to see if Enterprise is following
us. They are a bit over-protective of you, and before we
start breaking rules I want to be sure that they are off our
back."

Sure enough, twenty minutes later a hail came in. It was
from Enterprise. They both were on the bridge when it came
in.

"Totentanz, this is Captain Picard on Enterprise. Why have
you have deviated from course?"

Kerryn let his irritation show. "Captain, am I under
Starfleet jurisdiction?"

"No."

"Am I under your command, or obligation?"

"No, but-"

"Then, under Starfleet regulations and Federation merchant
trade agreements, please justify why you are following me."

Silence. Picard gave a `Its your fault' look to Beverly, and
replied, "Only to ensure that the Shepherd Project was
proceeding smoothly."

"We signed a contract. Even if it wasn't going smoothly, I
will uphold that contract. Now frankly, get off my tail. You
are damaging my customer relationships by your presence."

"We will be more discreet in the future."

"Fine. Just remember, you forced this action on me.
Totentanz out." And Kerryn began to swear like only a
merchant can. Wesley was aghast. No one spoke to Picard like
that.

"Wes, are they backing off?"

"No. I think you riled them."

"Well, so be it." He went over to the Master Tactical
Station, opened a control compartment, and pushed a large
red switch. Immediately the lights dimmed, things became
quiet, and Wes held his breath. Something was going on.
Kerryn moved right and keyed in some commands, and the
starfield went crazy. It began a corkscrew course and an
inner loop maneuver before resuming their original course,
although Kerryn slowed down to Warp 4.

"What did you do?"

"I engaged the Cloaking Device, and then pulled some
righteous maneuvers to throw them off our trail." Sure
enough, Enterprise was moving away at another angle.

"We have a Cloaking Device?"

"Why else would I have a Romulan-based propulsion system?"

"Cool." Then he realized what must be happening on the
bridge. "They are either royally pissed on the bridge right
now, or have decided we can function on our own. Wanna take
a bet?"

"Not on that one, thanks." He looked at Wes, who was
starting to lean a little. "You've had a busy day. Delvin
Six is about five hours off. If you want to take a break, a
nap, or something, go ahead. Ships time is about two
o'clock. We will have dinner on the Delvin Six station."

"Thanks, I think I will take you up on that." And Wes moved
off to his cabin. He lay down on the bed, and within seconds
was asleep.

The Bridge of the Enterprise stood in shock. Finally, Picard
spoke. "How is it that that freighter captain knows
Starfleet merchant regulations so well?" Then it hit him,
and he asked it again of his staff. "How is it that he was
able to debate Amiral Satii's private works, use our own
regulations properly against us?"

Data was the one who came up with the answer. "Captain,
those two concepts have exactly one unique relationship.
They are both required study for the Starfleet Commander
Qualifying Exams."

Picard's eyes went hard as agates. "Get me Admiral Nuri and
pipe it into my ready room."

Worf swore. That was unusual in itself. But it was Riker who
asked. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"We have lost them." And he pounded the Tactical station
once.

"How? How can we lose a two-person light freighter made from
a Federation Bridge, God knows what habitat and cargo deck
and." he stopped.

"And a Romulan power generation system."

Data looked up from the sensors. "Apparently also equipped
with cloaking technology."

Picard slowly made his way to the ready room. "Ladies and
gentlemen, apparently we just got caught with our pants
down. After that, I am convinced that Ship Master Kerryn can
take care of them just fine. And Ensign Crusher is going to
be a handful when he returns." And the doors snicked shut.

They all looked at Riker, who looked at Worf, who looked at
the floor. "Resume our prior mission, course and speed,"
Riker said with a resigned look.

It took several hours, but finally Picard was put in contact
with the Admiral. It was a short but enlightening
conversation.

"Admiral, I thank you for your time in helping me track down
a puzzle." Picard opened diplomatically.

"Any time, Jean-Luc. What do you need to know?"

Picard explained his arrangements for Wesley. The admiral
was wholeheartedly supportive. "But you wouldn't contact me
over something so routine. What is the problem?"

"The shepherd is a young Aurigaen freighter pilot named
Kerryn. After some conversations, I and my staff realized
that he had intimate knowledge of material unique to the
Commanders Qualifying Examination. Moreover, he was the one
at Rana Seven that single-handedly took out the Cardassian
flagship." And Picard went on.

The Admiral was silent. "The name vaguely rings a bell.
Darkish skin, long hair? A slight accent perhaps?"

Picard nodded.

"Well, if that was him, he applied to the Academy six years
ago or so. Let me do some research. I remember him being
quiet and rather intense, but he had paid his fee and took a
whole battery of exams. Since he had an interview with me,
he would have passed them all well."

"The Academy charges a fee?"

"We do for non-Federation worlds. Let me get back to you. It
may take a few days."

"Thank you, Admiral. If he did apply to the Academy, please
let me know if his application is still valid."

"Are you trying to recruit him?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, we'll see. Nuri out."

So, Kerryn had applied to the Academy, and apparently passed
at least the CQE. That put him on the same level as a
Commander. Picard shook his head. A commander at age what?
Fourteen? Fifteen? Ship Master Kerryn was certainly one to
be reckoned with.

The topic in question checked the approach vector to the
station at Delvin Six. He hollered down to the Habitat Deck,
hoping Wes left the door open. "We're approaching the
station. Get up here in five minutes!" And in three and a
half, Wes joined him, looking somewhat refreshed.

"This is Delvin 6 station?"

"The North station. We are assigned docking port 72. We need
to leave by eight o'clock to make it to Mobius on time. That
is enough time for registration and dinner." He pointed down
towards his cabin. "On my bed you will find the clothes to
wear on the station. Try them on and then return here."

He did so, and found that the clothes were comfortable, a
little loose and totally hid his physique. He returned to
the Bridge Deck, and Kerryn gave him his approval. The
docking procedure took only a few minutes. It was quite
obvious that Kerryn knew exactly what he was doing.

When ready, they disembarked. Kerryn lead him straight to
the Freighter's Guild office, and by agreeing to abide by
its code of ethics while working on Guild interests, he was
signed in as a provisional member and given the membership
implant. At that time, Kerryn also turned in his completed
Commander's application and work package.

"So, going for the CDR, eh?" The Guild administrator was
obviously an old friend.

"Yes, and Wesley here is going to help me get there."

"A Shepherd Project?"

Kerryn nodded. "Yes, I picked him up earlier today. He's got
a ways to go though."

"You could have just hired someone to meet that
qualification."

Kerryn nodded wistfully. "I wanted to be sure it was done
right, not just checked off."

"Well, you should have no problem. I'll expedite it."

"Thanks, friend. I'll be back in the Belt for a couple of
weeks, but then I'll swing by."

He paid his fees and rejoined Wesley, who had been waiting
patiently holding the copy of the code of ethics. They then
proceeded to a restaurant that Kerryn knew served easy food.

The waiter came over. "Something to drink?"

"Bourbon on ice, for both of us." And the waiter nodded, and
left.

"Before you knock it, Wes, try it. Synthehol is a dead
giveaway. You can have anything you want. Just limit
yourself to two to start."

The bourbon came, and Wes tried it. It burned pleasantly
down his throat, and he found that he did like it. Before
long, dinner was served and they consumed the generous
portions. Kerryn handed over a credit voucher, and the meals
were deducted.

They had chatted during the meal about simple things, like
music, activities, entertainment. No truly dissimilarities
or incompatibilities. Just two easy companions having
dinner. Wesley felt totally at ease. Almost euphoric.

Kerryn watched Wesley with amusement as Wesley got a little
bit drunk. They made their way slowly back to the docking
port, and back on to the Totentanz. A routine cast-off, and
the freighter gracefully swung away from the Delvin Six
North station, and went into warp towards Mobius 11.

Wesley noticed that they were going around warp four again.
"Why don't you go faster? We could be there early."

"Money, Wes. You have to think of it this way. There are no
points for being early. A merchant pays for docking time,
and if you are there longer the fees go up. The idea case is
to arrive, orbit for maybe an hour, dock and instantly
unload and reload, and then depart. We all try very hard to
achieve that sequence so that docking time is minimized. It
is often unavoidable, and the fee structures are different,
but we have to play each one in its unique fashion."

"Well, at warp four it will take us another three days to
Mobius 11."

"Yup."

"What do you do with your time?"

"Watch vids. Repair the ship. Study. Schedule future freight
shipments."

Before he could stop himself, Wesley blurted it out. "One of
the guys we talked to said that you had the best collection
of porn in the industry." Then he turned bright red.

Kerryn's eyebrows shot way up. "Really? He probably told you
other things too."

"He said you were gay."

What could only be called a pregnant pause took place.
Kerryn grinned then. So he had been right. He wondered if
Picard knew. "Yes, to both. I am homosexual, although I have
in the past shown a woman a time or two just what I am
capable of."

Wesley gulped.

"And my father knew, so he collected the widest possible set
of porn he could lay his hands on." He was enjoying this.
"Why do you ask? Or are you at all curious?"

The alcohol kept talking. "It has been hard to get you off
my mind, Kerryn. You are so wild, so free. You make your own
path. Hell, you even get have your hair the way you like it.
>From the moment Picard suggested that I might shepherd with
you, I've been hoping to get fucked by you." He then
realized what he had said, and blushed again. "Well, its
true."

"Have you ever been fucked before, as a bottom?"

"Yes, lots. I had a boyfriend at the Academy before he
graduated. I've done top too."

Kerryn considered this. "I had a special boy friend as well,
years ago. But Imzadi was killed at Rana Seven. I retaliated
there as much for my father as I did for him."

"Imzadi? That's a Betazoid term for a true life partner."
Wes leaped onto that light lightning. "You are Betazoid,
aren't you?"

"Half-Betazoid, actually. My mother was; my father was
human."

"So you are in the same spot as Counselor Troi, except you
grew up under the human half. Deanna grew up Betazoid
because her mother made it so."

"I could tell that the counselor had some of it in her. She
is a wily one."

Wes got defensive now. "She is great! Everyone depends on
her."

Kerryn regarded him thoughtfully. "You really are integrated
into that bridge crew, aren't you?"

"Yes, and no. They still treat me like a kid."

"Well, you are." And when Wes started to bristle, Kerryn
held up his hands. "But you won't be six months from now."

Wes wobbled a little. "You know, I feel a little strange."

"We've had a busy day. There is no more for you to do today.
Let's get you to bed." And he made sure that Wesley made it
to his cabin. Once there, Wes pulled out some comfortable
shorts, and without the slightest inhibitions stripped naked
to put them on. Kerryn raised his impressions a bit, as
while Wes looked soft he had a good start on some muscular
definition. His butt was good, too, but he needed to work on
his chest and shoulders. And once in his shorts, ready for
bed, Kerryn dimmed the lights.

"Get some sleep, Wes."

Wesley ambled over to Kerryn. "Thanks. Good night." And he
kissed Kerryn gently on the mouth.

Kerryn was completely unprepared for that. It was a nice,
gentle kiss. Wesley had done it unconsciously, but as he did
Wes realized what he had done, and broke the kiss. Horror in
his eyes, he looked downward slightly.

"I'm sorry."

"Maybe in Starfleet. But I am quite grateful, and
surprised." Kerryn moved towards him, gently forcing him
back until Wes found himself pressed against a wall, with
Kerryn's hot body trapping his. Wes took a deep shuddering
breath at the excitement. "And let me share with you a
moment of my gratitude." Kerryn's eyes glowed golden with
fire as he firmly lowered his mouth onto Wesley's,
insistently making the intimate contact with his mouth, his
bare chest, and below. Kerryn's hands traveled down to
Wesley's waist and held him firmly but close.

Wesley all but melted into Kerryn, and then he felt it.
Kerryn's mind had somehow entered his, and not only was
there the physical response, but Wes was electrified at the
touch of the wild and independent feeling of Kerryn's
passion as it rose and slowly overwhelmed him. He began
shuddering in excitement and pleasure as the feelings swept
him.

And then Kerryn released him. Wes just stared at him, and
Kerryn smiled back. "That is just a taste of what is to
come. Passion with a Betazoid is among the most amazing
experiences you will ever have. I enjoyed that, Wes." He
pulled away. "Now go to sleep. The bourbon has been doing a
lot of talking for you." And he left the cabin.

The hours slipped away. Kerryn set the monitors and alerts,
and stretched out for his light sleep. He only slept in his
cabin at port. He had converted one of the turbolift shafts
into a bunk bed with no door, so as long as you didn't enter
the room, it was hidden. This way he could have access to
the bridge nearly instantly. He was on a two-sleep cycle
day. The trip to Mobius 11 was going to be straightforward
and easy. The ship hummed along. And he dreamt of a delicate
dance among the stars that he did between him and Starfleet.
And he awoke, refreshed, and ready for the late night duty
cycle.

Wesley was still passed out. Kerryn was really excited that
Wesley hadn't freaked out over the mental link. Imzadi had
taken a long time to get used to it. Here though was one
wide-open chance for something. He was of two minds on this.
That kiss, and the reactions involved promised a highly
interesting and exciting potential. However, Kerryn really
liked Wesley. He didn't want to casually jump in and start
screwing. He wanted the friendship, the companionship, the
interdependence to continue and develop. He wanted more than
just sex. But, knowing it was for six months, what would
happen after that?

Kerryn was hanging from the bridge ceiling again when Wesley
awakened. Wes had a headache. He showered, marveling at the
feel of the water instead of the ultrasonic shower, shaved
and put on one of the ship suits. He checked the ships
computer display, found that they were on course and speed,
and made his way to the Bridge.

"Good morning." That came from above. Wesley stared up at
the sight of Kerryn hanging from the bridge service panel.

"Sort of. My head hurts pretty bad. Is that normal for
bourbon?"

"Until you get used to it, yes. From now on, whenever you
drink alcohol, before you go to sleep, drink as much water
as you can. That will help." He climbed down from above,
reached over to a panel, and tested the bridge lighting.
Finally, it worked.

"What do we do for breakfast?"

"Visit the replicator, and we can sit in the port lounge.
Come on, I'll show you." And as he passed the Master Control
Station, he keyed in the autopilot. Wesley kept noticing
this.

"You really could benefit from a voice response system, you
know."

Kerryn laughed. "Probably. But I'd have to re-outfit the
remote terminals. Again, money."

They ate quietly for a few moments, and then Kerryn started
grilling Wesley on his experiences. He had had an
interesting career already. But Kerryn could tell that
Picard made Wesley intensely uncomfortable. Most of his
troubles were involved with Picard.

"Wes, what was the most embarrassing one? One where you felt
like a complete ass?"

Wesley thought, and one stood out. "Ever hear of the
Kobayashi Maru test?"

"That's the no-win scenario, right?"

Wes nodded, amazed. "Wow, you are good. Anyway, we had set
up a holodeck simulation of the Enterprise where Captain
Picard and I had exchanged roles, and some of the other crew
members came along. The holodeck computer got hosed, and it
wouldn't let us do anything unless Captain Crusher ordered
it." He shuddered. "We worked it out, but for a long while
we were totally helpless. Captain Picard was ready to remove
the holodeck after that, but we found out it was some alien
virus program that had hosed it." He looked up. "What about
you?"

"Me?" Kerryn thought a moment. "Funny you should mention
Kobayashi Maru. I am sure it was a disappointment to some,
but before I realized that it was a no-win scenario
evaluation I decided on a tactical move that was so bizarre
that it almost worked. I attacked the enemy ships after
sending out a series of false communications about a massive
fleet about to drop out of warp near us. It delayed the
enemy ships long enough that I disabled eight out of nine of
them. The ninth got a lucky shot in and gave me a warp core
breach, so I sidled up to him and took him out with me. It
wasn't until the debrief that they told me it was designed
as a no-win scenario."

Wesley stared. "You got a stalemate? No one destroyed the
freighter?"

"No, although it was a damned fool freighter for being in
the Neutral Zone. The only comment I got was for my language
during the operation. When we detected them, I am afraid I
got very frustrated and started to swear a lot."

"Wow, you did well. The only one to ever keep the freighter
alive that I had heard of was Admiral Kirk, and he did it by
cheating."

"Cheating?"

"He reprogrammed the simulation during the exercise so that
there was a way to survive."

"Wish I'd thought of that."

"They blocked that years ago. So what was so humiliating?"

"The way out. They had a whole panel of people watching
since I wasn't Starfleet already. I could feel their eyes on
me the whole exit, knowing that I had failed to survive."

"When I took the actual Kobayashi Maru test, I only had
Admiral Nuri and one other. Still lost." Wes continued on.
"Any other really good stories?"

"One more. Early on my father let me negotiate some of his
trusted customers. One of them decided to teach me a lesson,
and negotiated way too high. It was for a load of stembolts.
They wanted five credits per thousand, which is
astronomical. I could tell he was playing with me, so I
decided to play with him. I told him two per thousand or I
would procure them from another supplier. He laughed and let
me. So when I closed the deal with my supplier at two per
thousand, he turned around and bought the same stembolts
from my original customer at one per thousand. My father was
very disappointed in me, but it was the two suppliers that
really made me feel awful." He grinned suddenly. "You will
have your chance. Just always, always check the market price
on things."

They had finished breakfast and began a study of Propulsion.
Hours later, Wes had a fine understanding of practical
design tradeoffs. He also knew just how much power systems
needed, and how much he had taken for granted on Enterprise.

In the off times, Wes taught Kerryn how to play 3-D Chess.
Kerryn caught on very quickly, but it was only Wesley's
years of experience that kept him from losing all the time.
They played poker, learning to control their features and
their body language. They ran laps around the cargo deck.
And for some time the topic of sex did not come up again.

They arrived at Mobius Eleven just ahead of schedule,
docked, exchanged cargo, and there Kerryn took Wes shopping
for clothes. Wesley had achieved enough negotiating skills
that the clothes were quite affordable. When everything was
resettled, they went out to the bar. Kerryn loved to drink
and pick up news this way.

They ordered bourbon, again. Wesley drank his very slowly,
mindful of its effects. Kerryn downed two quickly and
stretched out the third and fourth. Trade was good, the
routes were good, but tension was building again near the
Cardassian border. No flare-ups, but definitely something to
keep an eye on. Kerryn had already booked a schedule for
cargo to and from Deep Space Nine in the right time frame
for Wesley's return, but a conflict would cause a change in
plans.

Some Starfleet officers came into the bar. Conversation
quieted, but they were not interested. Kerryn had seen these
types before. Arrogant, confident, not interested in a
smooth functioning cooperative, but more demanding to be in
charge of it. Wesley watched discreetly too, and was the
first to comment.

"I can't believe how boorish they are being." He paused, and
then added, "Were we like that when we came to Starbase
290?"

"No. Your team tried to coexist, non-invasively. This group
is trying to establish dominance. It turns traders off.
Already you see how it is, and if you noticed no one reacted
when we came in. It was because we acted like a couple of
merchants in for a drink. Well done, Wesley. You didn't
stand out at all."

They finished their drinks, satisfied and got up to leave.
As they passed the table of Starfleet officers, one of them
stopped Kerryn. "Trader, do you know how to get to the
Booking Office?"

Kerryn smiled neutrally. "It is on the fourth deck, outer
ring. From here, go down two levels and exit left from the
turbolift."

"Good enough." And the man turned back to his table.

Kerryn and Wesley left. Wesley couldn't keep it in much
longer. "Man, those guys were-"

"Difficult, just difficult. We can discuss it on board."

When the docking hatch had closed, Kerryn let out a sigh of
relief. "I am so proud of you. Three bourbons, you held your
counsel, and they didn't even suspect you were being
shepherded." He put his arm around Wesley in camaraderie.
"Come on, we'll go watch some vids. You wanted to see porn,
right?"

Wesley blushed just a little. "Well, .sort of." And then he
remembered, Kerryn was part Betazoid. "You know what I
want." And he built a sequence in his mind with some of the
things he wanted to share with Kerryn. Hot, sexy things.

Kerryn caught the idea immediately. This guy had practice,
perhaps from Counselor Troi? He chuckled and said, "Wesley,
is that is what you really want?"

Wesley held his breath. The moment was here. He nodded.

"Then lets make it happen."

Before Wes knew it, he had blurted out his deepest wish.
"Can you make it a little rough?"

Kerryn smiled. "Oh yes." And his eyes began to glow with
desire.

Millions of miles away, Picard, Troi, and Data were sitting
in a conference room with Admiral Nuri on the communications
screen. The admiral was angry.

"Jean-Luc, if I had known the can of worms this has opened,
I probably would have refused to look into it. But it has
been a real eye-opener."

Picard spoke up. "Thank you, then for your efforts. What can
you tell us about Kerryn?"

"He sat the exams when he was fourteen. He had paid his fee,
and had taken every exam we had. He did it at our bi-annual
external recruitment event along with several other
applicants."

"All the exams?"

"All of them. Ambassadorial, Academy Entrance, Commanders
Qualifying, Officer Qualifying, Engineering Qualifying,
Science Qualifying, and Communications Qualifying. His
scores are incredible. They are all 98% or above. We haven't
had a regular student do this in twenty years. More than
that, he drew a technical stalemate on the Kobayashi Maru.
No one has come that close to surviving since Kirk."

They were aghast. "So why isn't he in the Academy?"

"That's the can of worms. It seems that we could only take
three applicants, and there were five. He was only fourteen,
and therefore couldn't attend then."

"Fine, so we send him his scores and when he is of age he
enters."

"Not so fine." Admiral Nuri's face darkened. "I interviewed
him myself. Brilliant tactical mind. Well controlled. A bit
clandestine, but then all the externals are. I wouldn't put
him on Enterprise, but I would put him on Defiant or
Voyager. Anyway, all was green for a fast-track. Then his
paperwork disappeared. No one raised a fuss. Take one guess
who dropped it on the approval cycle."

Picard knew. "Jellico."

"Admiral Jellico to you. And guess who also was sponsoring
an external in the same group?"

Picard drew a blank. "I don't know."

"Admiral Nachayev. You can put two and two together. Your
ship master applicant never got his scores, never got his
feedback, but simply got a letter that he was turned down
because of his age."

"That's criminal."

"I have confronted Jellico about this, leaving your name
out. He admits and regrets an administrative oversight."

"Damn."

"Anyway, Picard, it is very rare but I have declared him
qualified for every test he passed, with the requirement of
passing a policy and procedures refresher sequence that he
can take as a commander on any assignment. You get him to
want to be in Starfleet, and he is there."

"Thank you, sir, that is most appropriate."

A short silence, and then with satisfaction, the Admiral
stated, "Admiral Jellico is no longer affiliated with the
Academy. Starfleet Command is evaluating a new role for
him."

"Thank you again, sir."

"No, Jean-Luc, thank you. It is appalling but important to
find these things out. Good luck. Nuri out."

They sat back, amazed. Troi broke the silence. "What do we
do now?"

Picard shrugged. "We wait. And we hope that Wesley is doing
as I asked, and is successful in wooing him back to
Starfleet."

Wesley had nothing like Starfleet on his mind. He was prone
on the bed, naked, with a very determined merchant giving
him the best blowjob that ever, ever existed.

Kerryn had guided him to Kerryn's cabin, and stripped him
and himself. Wesley could not help but stare at Kerryn's
incredible body. Tan-skinned, with a light sprinkling of
golden hair, when he was naked it only added to his wild
spicy look. He had unconsciously posed for Wesley as he
bound his hair, and Wesley whimpered with desire. And that
was when it began.

Kerryn came over and held Wes close to him, feeling the
contact of skin on skin in tantalizing pleasure. The kiss
started, demanding, ungentle, and Wesley gave himself over
fully to that experience. Kerryn had started head-on, and
then began devouring him thoroughly. Slowly, silkily the
tendrils of the shared awareness had eased in, gently at
first and then streaking to his pleasure centers and took a
firm mental grip of Wesley's sexual resources and brought
him to heights he didn't know existed. He rotated around the
ensign, holding him close from behind as he ravaged Wesley's
neck and shoulders, his hands moving in extremely arousing
patterns across Wesley's chest and down to his incredibly
erect cock. His own wicked cock was buried in the cleft of
Wesley's butt, but Kerryn wasn't going that way today. He
continued his rotation, ultimately holding Wesley's face
firmly as he deeply kissed and nibbled his way around.

Wesley totally yielded himself in body and mind as Kerryn
crushed the young ensign into himself, his hands digging in
and pressing Wesley's firm young butt. Slowly, inexorably he
bent him backwards over the bed until he was fully on top of
the ensign. And then he pulled himself out of the kiss,
renewed his grip on the young ensign's mind, and then
continued on.

Wesley had gone into heaven with a little nipple
stimulation. Very gentle, very slow, but very very
effective. But the hot mouth on his balls, the face nestled
into his pubic hairs, and then the intense tongue action as
Kerryn slowly slid up and down the length of his cock had
him sailing to another galaxy. Wesley just kept moaning as
Kerryn assailed his cock.

It wasn't gentle. It was rough, it was demanding. And it was
picking up the pace as Kerryn moved quicker and quicker. Wes
tried to pull him off as he got closer and closer, but
Kerryn would have nothing of it. He wrapped his arms around
Wesley's waist and began sucking and pounding his face into
Wesley's cock. In and out, all the way down each time, and
the mental dominance going on in his head finally gave way
and Wesley screamed, "OH GOD YES!" and furiously pumped his
cum over and over into Kerryn's slurping mouth. His mind,
body and soul were bruised from the intensity of the
experience and still Kerryn unrelentingly milked all the
experience from Wesley, beyond any endurance for pleasure
that Wesley had thought he had. His mind and body screamed
for more, until it could take no more and the winding down
began.

They panted for breath. Wesley laid back on the bed, totally
spent.

Kerryn watched him, and knew he had to continue. Wesley was
in that sweet contented spot, and the absolute best
experiences where when you continued on from there. He went
around the side of the bed to where Wesley's head lay, and
upside down, he firmly placed his mouth on Wesley's and
stabbed into his mind.

Wesley's entire body jumped at the invasion and immediately
he had his second orgasm. And Wesley knew then what he had
to do. He pushed back from the kiss, slid down on the bed
and tipped his head back slightly over the edge and pulled
Kerryn's cock into his mouth, all the way down until he was
buried in the Kerryn's pubic curls. Wesley's hands dug into
Kerryn's butt as he moved him back and forth, fucking his
face faster and faster, stroking deeply in his throat until
a blaze of white seared Wesley's mind and the cock in his
mouth surged with intensity as orgasm rocked through Kerryn.

It took a long time to calm down. Kerryn had pulled out of
Wesley quickly so the ensign could breathe easier, and he
lay down next to him. He had enjoyed that very much. Wes was
a natural bottom. Kerryn truly enjoyed being versatile, but
it was going to take something to get Wes to dominate. And
probably something illegal, or at least questionable.

Wesley was nearly incoherent. All he muttered was, "So
that's what Riker sees in Troi." And he went to sleep on
Kerryn's bed, a tangle of naked limbs. Kerryn decided that
sleep would be a good idea since they were still docked, and
so he catnapped for a couple of hours too.

When Wesley awoke, Kerryn was gone. He had been put under
the covers and allowed to sleep. Recalling the experience,
Wesley stretched in satisfaction. He got up, picked up his
clothes and trotted to his cabin for a shower. His mind felt
incredibly alive and agile. He looked out the window, and
saw they were in motion again. Damn! He had missed the
loading sequence.

Now presentable, he went onto the bridge to find Kerryn
there. His friend? Lover? Shepherd? Wes settled for superior
officer. Anyway, he was waiting for Wes and greeted him
warmly.

"Sleep well?"

"Oh yes. I am sorry I missed the loading."

"Don't worry. We're empty right now. I arranged to pick up
cargo at Araban Two. We are a couple of hours away."

"Did you sleep?"

Kerryn laughed. "Yes, I did, for a couple of hours. Not like
you, but then again you experienced a lot you aren't used
to." He winked. "But seriously, I do only sleep a couple of
hours at a time." And he pointed out the bunk bed in the
former turbolift shaft.

The next couple of weeks and months were a flurry of short
cargo moves back and forth, with most of the time spent
loading and unloading. It was a common route for Kerryn, who
had a sequence of planetoids he hit on a regular basis. Pick
up this at this one, exchange it for something else at the
next, and so on, one long bridge of exchanges. But since
they knew Kerryn had this route, and he was very stable with
it, they paid well and everyone shared the benefits.

At the end of the cycle, Kerryn and Wesley breathed a sigh
of relief. Wesley had closed several of the negotiations
himself, and done well. No one even suspected that he was
Starfleet anymore. And so it was that four months after he
started, a message came in from Delvin Six that Kerryn was
up for review. They set course, and cleaned the ship.

Wesley could tell that Kerryn was nervous. He had never seen
him nervous before. But at this time, he closed down and
largely had stopped talking except in briefest terms. Wesley
knew instinctively what he could do. He had been aching for
the chance, but there just hadn't been time for a proper
seduction. His mind drifted back to the sexy things he had
brought. Hmmm.

At dinner, Wes had poured him more bourbon. Kerryn's
eyebrows went up a little, but before long they had each had
five or so. It was working, as Kerryn began to loosen and
forget about the upcoming review. Wes knew he was close. The
trick was how to lure him in to his cabin. He finally
settled on an approach. He would just over-power him. He had
put on the thong underneath his regular clothes and had a
very hard time concentrating during dinner.

They finished eating, and sat back. Wesley stood and cleared
their stuff. He realized he was hard, and it felt so weird
that he giggled slightly.

"What was that for?"

A perfect opening! "I actually found something amusing in my
cabin. You would have to see it to appreciate it."

Kerryn fell for it. "I could use something amusing. Will you
show me?"

"Come on." And they went down to his cabin. Kerryn crossed
to the far side as Wesley shut the door. It was a useless
gesture, but it sent a message. Kerryn's eyebrows raised
slightly.

"Well?"

Wesley dropped his pants.

The thong was of white material, and very definitely shaped
to give the impression that the wearer was hung like a
horse. It only helped matters that Wes was tenting it so
hard it pulled away from his skin. Daringly, Wesley slowly
spun around so that the curves of the material naturally
continued into the delectable shape of his butt. Wesley
could feel the energy building in himself and the desperate
crying need to control and pleasure his friend. Not
restraining anymore, he let his thoughts flow unchecked as
he approached Kerryn, ready and in charge.

Kerryn exploded inside. "You incredibly sexy creature."

"Hear my thoughts, Kerryn." And Wesley drew up to him, eye
to eye, and whispered, "Feel my desires, Kerryn. Lose
yourself in them, because tonight you are mine, if you so
submit."

Kerryn was shaken to the absolute core. This Wesley was
asking for control. Kerryn had never given up control, but
the spicy fire of Wesley and the wicked thoughts that were
streaming from his mind were caressing his imagination,
drawing out his resistance and before he could stop himself
he acceded himself.

"I am yours."

Wesley grinned in triumph as he brushed up against Kerryn.
Clothes were off in moments, and Wesley laid him down on the
bed. Kerryn was such an animal sex god! But tonight, he
belonged to Wesley. And Wesley applied every technique he
had at his disposal. He started with the shoulders and the
light but muscular back. His hands were everywhere, but his
eyes would not leave Kerryn's butt. Before long, Wesley had
straddled Kerryn's back, facing backwards as his hands
kneaded and stroked that intensely hot butt. And then, as he
leaned down so his own nipples brushed the taught waist,
Wesley buried his face and hot tongue in Kerryn's butt.

Kerryn cried out in pleasure. He was totally overwhelmed by
the feelings of sex and arousal coming from Wesley. The
contact on his back felt exquisite, and then the hot tongue
probing his most secretive areas was driving him wild.
Submission was never this good.

Wesley finished his adventures down there, and climbed off
long enough to roll Kerryn over. His cock was incredibly
hard and Wesley wasted no time pouncing on it with a violent
blowjob. Kerryn was enjoying this immensely when suddenly a
cool, slippery finger slid into his hole. His entire body
tensed, and then eased as Wesley's expert tongue action and
flood of emotions reassured him that this was going to be
good.

And it was. Wesley found the prostate easily, and with the
first stroke the universe went supernova for Kerryn. He
repeatedly moaned out of control as Wesley held him hostage
with his tongue and that incredibly stimulating finger of
his. Wes gave him one expert stroke that shattered his
limits and orgasm flooded through him as Wesley eagerly
consumed his seed.

Smugly, Wesley withdrew the finger and teased the cock he
worshipped so with his tongue. He wanted Kerryn hard again,
and fast. Without him knowing, Wes snuck some lube onto his
own entrance, and it was ready. He wanted it incredibly
tight for him. And hard. Some long, deep swallows of the
very sensitive head guaranteed that he was ready.

Wes broke off, and straddled Kerryn's chest. Kerryn thought
he knew what was coming, and licked his lips in
anticipation. But Wesley just grinned, raised himself, and
slowly settled down on Kerryn's cock, gently wiggling back
and forth until the head was absorbed and all the remaining
length too. He hit bottom with a gentle brush of hairs, and
Wesley gave a sigh of total pleasure.

Kerryn gasped with incredulity. Wes was so incredibly tight,
and warm, and slippery. He could feel the muscles undulate
around him as he dared not move. His hands reached forward
and began to gently stroke Wesley's cock expertly.

Wes wasn't going to wait around. He began sliding up and
down, longer, just enough to feel like a re-penetration and
then he would slide down and bottom out again. The feelings
were so incredibly intense that each began involuntarily
moaning aloud. Wes tightened his abdominal muscles, and
Kerryn gasped even louder.

Wes knew they were at the point, and so he uttered, "Invade
me! Do it!" And Kerryn unleashed his mind into Wesley again,
and the mutual superlative frenzy and raw fire of feeling
swept through them. Actually screaming together in exquisite
sensation, they came together in gobs and gobs of sticky
ambrosia.

Kerryn had come deep inside Wesley, and for a few moments
the painful but wicked sensation of abused cock and squelchy
fluid teased him. What was more fun was that Wes had
unloaded lots of cum all over Kerryn's chest, where it
seductively dribbled around his pectorals and one very
aroused nipple.

"I knew you had it in you."

Wes nodded. "It is true. It took a lot of what-the-hell but
you responded just like I hoped you would." He shifted, and
they were separated. "Thanks, Kerryn. That was incredibly
awesome."

"Me too. We seem to be able to have the most incredible sex.
I think our friendship enhances it." He grinned. "Thank you,
Wes. It was really beginning to get to me."

"Anytime."

The remainder of the trip was more relaxed, but the last
half hour saw Kerryn totally silent and mechanically
efficient.

"Don't worry. Think of it this way: the decision has already
been made, and you just have to find it out."

Kerryn smiled a little. "You are right, of course."

"So when you make it, what do I call you? Are you a Ship
Master still, or what?"

"If I make it, I will be Commander. Kind of like the old-
time high seas. I can have crew but am not entitled to a
captaincy."

"What's the difference?"

"A captain can command any Freighter Guild vessel. I'm more
of a privateer right now, but in desperate times they have
moved captains around to protect the cargo. Sometimes we get
guard duty. My dad used to like to do that." He shook his
head. "It is ironic that the one time I can remember him
seeing battle was the one time that we didn't expect it, and
he lost his life over that."

"It is similar in Starfleet, although everyone rotates ship
assignments. Only captains and above can act autonomously
for their ship and crew."

"Humph. Well, captain is as high as the Freighter Guild
goes. It is a lifetime achievement to get one." Kerryn
looked up at a beeping sound from the Master Control
Station. "We have our docking clearance. It has been
expedited free of charge because of a flash priority message
for us." He looked at the data. "It is a day or so old. I've
started the retrieval process. It will take a couple of
hours to access the right subspace relays."

A slight rumble accompanied the docking protocols, and soon
Wesley and Kerryn were on their way to the Guild office.
Once arrived, Wesley sat in one corner where he could keep
an eye on things. Kerryn once again felt the pride and
success of just how merchant-like Wesley had become. He was
giving away nothing.

"Ah, Ship Master Kerryn, do be so good as to join the
Director in his office." The receptionist pointed the way.
"He is expecting you now."

"Thank you." The Director?? He hadn't seen the Director of
the Guild since his father's funeral. But he calmly (as calm
as possible, anyway) entered the plush office, and greeted
the grizzled old man behind the famous desk.

"Good day, Ship Master Kerryn. You are here for the results
of your review?"

"Yes, sir." It sounded so weird.

The Director leaned back. "You were a very difficult
situation, you know. You are twenty years old and know all
aspects of our trade. You have been highly respected, fair
and profitable in the four years since your father's death."
He leaned forward. "I too know who took out that Cardassian
ship. That was one hell of a maneuver."

"Thank you, sir."

"Difficult, yes, very difficult. The report submitted about
your handling of your crewmember, and a Starfleet shepherd
at that, is a model for us all. All analysis on Totentanz
shows you know exactly how to run a ship. And already a
veteran Ship Master." He tapped his desk thoughtfully.
"Anything to add?"

"No, sir. It sounds like the review was comprehensive."

"You will not contest the Guild's decision?"

Kerryn thought a moment. It must be the age again. "No, I
don't think so, sir. I have known the Guild to act fairly in
all cases that I am aware of."

"Very well." And then the Director cracked a smile a mile
wide as he handed over a package of documents. "I believe
you will need some new clothes, Captain Kerryn."

Kerryn's jaw dropped. "Captain? Really?" For a moment the
incredulity flowed across his face, and the Director shared
a private moment with the memory of Kerryn's father. He
would be so proud right now.

"Effective immediately. Congratulations on a very bright
future." He turned to his desk. "And now, I have to go
unruffle some feathers in the currency department."

Kerryn found himself standing outside the office, in shock.
He walked slowly back to the waiting room, just a little
dazed. He almost walked right by Wesley, who stopped him.

"Kerryn, you look weird. What happened?"

Kerryn looked at Wes for a moment, and said, "They made me a
captain." As the realization flooded him, he grabbed Wes in
a big hug. "They made me a captain!"

"Awesome! Congratulations, Captain Kerryn of the Totentanz!"
And with that, and the standard issue dress uniform that the
Guild provides, they returned to the ship to celebrate.

When they arrived back, the flash message had arrived and
was ready to read. It was not good news. Enterprise had been
on a mission involving biological agents, and Beverly
Crusher and several others had become stricken with a
complex illness. They had been sent to Earth for the best
possible treatment. The message issued from Picard was to
temporarily recall Wesley back to Earth. A starship would be
by in four days to pick him up.

Kerryn could immediately see that Wes was affected. It
didn't show, except in his slightly preoccupied demeanor.
One minute was enough for him to decide. They were going to
Earth.

Through Starbase 27, Kerryn was able to arrange a rendez-
vous with the USS Decatur. This would cut down the travel
time to just over eighteen hours, as the Decatur also was
returning to Earth because of relatives to the stricken
crew. Within ten minutes they had maxed out the warp drive
at warp 6.6. The Decatur would arrive shortly after and stop
only long enough for beam-out.

They each packed a bag. Wesley packed his merchant clothes,
and was considering wearing his Starfleet uniform when
Kerryn walked in to check on him.

"I don't know if I should wear it or not."

"Wear it. You are back in Federation space for the time
being. You will need access and respect due to your station,
and that uniform will get it for you. Remember, being a
merchant doesn't mean avoiding Starfleet. It means using
Starfleet as it was intended to meet your mutual goals." He
pointed at the smooth fabric. "That garment is your ticket
and your qualifications. Use it."

Wes looked at Kerryn. "Thanks, Kerryn." He closed his case.
"This must be hard for you, coming back to Earth."

"Well, it has been six years. I am sure that no one will
remember me. I didn't pass, remember?"

"Don't be too sure on that. They aren't stupid, Captain
Kerryn."

Kerryn grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"So do I."

The rendezvous with the Decatur went smoothly. Starbase 27
assured Kerryn that the Totentanz would be safe and
unmolested, and under the circumstances they would not be
charging a docking fee.

Captain Hardy of the Decatur met them in the transporter
room. He showed them to their quarters. Each got a private
room that was not quite as large as the cabins on Totentanz.
Captain Hardy apologized to Kerryn about the room size.

"I am sorry about the quarters, but we really don't have
much room here." He turned to Wesley. "Ensign, your bridge
clearance arrived from the Enterprise, so you have the run
of the ship." And then back to Kerryn. "Captain, since you
do not have a Federation clearance, I must ask you to stay
within the confines of this deck."

"Certainly, Captain Hardy. I understand and will follow the
restrictions."

And with that he left them. Each went to their own rooms but
soon Wesley was over in Kerryn's.

"Another twelve hours, Wes. You should get some sleep."

Wes looked at him anxiously. "Will you hold me?"

Kerryn walked across to him, folded him in his arms and
said, "Absolutely." They lay down together, and within
seconds Wesley was fast asleep. Within minutes, Kerryn was
too.

When they awoke, Wesley did so first. He slowly separated
himself from Kerryn. Wow. He had never seen Kerryn asleep
before. He was absolutely beautiful. The wariness was gone
from his face, and it looked years younger. He looked so
much more vulnerable. Amazing how much awareness could
change a person. Wesley gave him a gentle kiss and went back
to his room.

The clearance thing really rankled. Here they were on a
Federation starship, and Kerryn who had seen so much and
taken such care with his education couldn't leave the deck.
Hmmm. Captain Picard owed him a favor. Time to call it in.
Fortunately, subspace communication is a commodity. Within
minutes, he had his link with Picard.

"Wesley, we are so sorry about your mother, but she is
holding on right now. Where are you?"

"We are about ten hours out from Earth, on the USS Decatur."

"We?"

"Kerryn is with me." Wesley saw Picard's eyes light up.
"Captain, I need a favor." And he explained about the
clearance issue.

Picard understood. "I will see what we can do. We can't get
him a bridge clearance, but we can do something." Picard
noticed that Wesley had changed a lot. "It looks like your
shepherding has been good to you."

Wesley nodded slowly. "More than you can imagine."

"Good. Wes, I must absolutely speak with Kerryn when we are
on Earth."

"Is this about his Academy entrance admissions?"

"He told you about that?"

"I kind of figured it out. He knows way too much about
Starfleet. He was denied because of his age, but they never
even sent him his scores or anything."

"Wes, it is a long and frustrating story. But yes, I
absolutely must speak with him about that after we have seen
to your mother."

"OK. Thank you, Captain."

"Picard out."

Picard almost jumped out of his chair on his way to Worf.
This was perfect! After the past month this was the most
positive thing to cross his mind, and he wanted to make the
most of it.

"Mr. Worf, I need you to establish an Ambassadorial
Clearance for Ship Master Kerryn. Make him a delegate of his
homeworld."

"What is his homeworld?"

Data responded, "His rank and privilege are issued from
Delvin Six."

Picard nodded. "Use that."

Worf grumbled. "I will verify that with Delvin Six."

Picard looked at him squarely. "No, you won't."

Worf stared at him. "A cover-up?"

A feral grin spread across Picard's features for all to see.
"No, simply an administrative oversight." The rest of the
bridge crew started grinning as well. "See to it that the
USS Decatur, Starfleet Medical and Starfleet Academy get a
copy as well. We have a chance to correct a serious wrong
here." And the bridge staff felt better than they had in
days.

One hour later, `Ambassador' Kerryn of Delvin Six had his
clearance. Captain Hardy knew what went on, but grinned
anyway. There were always loopholes in any bureaucracy. And
if Enterprise was willing to stick up for him, that was good
enough. It wasn't like they were in battle.

They were eating a light meal when Captain Hardy came down
to the forward lounge. "Ensign, I have good news for you.
Doctor Crusher is rebounding, slowly, but all the others who
started the rebound fully recovered." He nodded to Kerryn.
"We are continuing on the same plan, though, just in case."

The look of relief on Wesley's face spoke volumes. "Thank
you, Captain. The Decatur has been most accommodating in
this."

Hardy nodded. "We have several of our own at risk, too." He
paused a moment, and then said, "May I sit with you for a
few moments?"

They made room, and the Captain signaled for another round.
Wesley had some orange concoction; Kerryn had water. Hardy
himself had a synthehol mixture that was supposed to imitate
a Margarita, but failed to those who had had real ones.

"I understand you both have engineering backgrounds. We've
got a minor instability in the warp core that is holding
back our efficiency. Care to take a look?"

Both nodded. Kerryn though was curious. "What about your
engineering staff?"

Hardy grinned. "They are new rotation; this is an older
Ambassador-class ship. They all learned on newer equipment."

Kerryn grinned. "Let's go." And he and Wesley went to
Engineering.

The chief engineer was a bit older then Kerryn, but still
young-feeling. Wesley at once could feel the imbalance, as
did Kerryn. Together they started working the field
parameters, until much of the unwanted resonance was
removed. Wesley sat back, and relished the achievement.

But Kerryn couldn't stop. With a frightening fanaticism he
surveyed the entire warp power delivery system and field
generation networks. He pointed out dozens of small control
circuits or flow regulators that should be replaced. He
traced down every joule of loss in the system. The entire
engineering staff were in both an uproar and caught in the
wave of enthusiasm as their warp core efficiency went from
86 percent to 97 percent. And not to be outdone, Wesley
picked up one more high frequency resonance that when
corrected got them to 98 percent efficiency.

It was with renewed pride that the chief engineer signaled
the bridge that they could hit warp 9.8 if needed, and they
did so, trimming four hours off their travel time. It was
obvious that the only thing worse than stir-crazy engineers
in an inefficient system were those same engineers when no
improvements could be found.

Wesley went to bed. The nerves and the fatigue had caught up
with him, and he crashed. Kerryn decided to explore the
Decatur. He never got far, though, as each time he did, he
ended up in the forward lounge watching the stars go by.

Once or twice one of the engineering staff would come over
and greet him, but it was late enough now that they had all
left. The barkeeper had showed him where anything he wanted
was. This late at night, it was the first officer who had
just come off duty who was the only other customer. After a
few moments, the commander came over to talk.

"I am Commander Lorrin. May I join you?"

"Of course. I am Captain Kerryn of the Freighter's Guild,
currently with ambassadorial status. Please have a seat."

"Thank you. What brings you to the Decatur?"

"I am shepherding an Academy cadet who's mother was stricken
by the disease. We are taking an interlude in the project so
that he can be with her. She was near death until earlier
today, and is now rebounding."

"Excellent news. Our warp efficiency, too. I was on the
bridge and I have never heard our chief engineer so
thrilled. He gives you and Ensign Crusher all the credit."

"It was a team effort. I am used to a different power
generation paradigm, but I know where the losses are and I
think that was my contribution."

They chatted a bit, and then the commander got a little
bolder. "You said you are a captain? May I ask how old you
are?"

"Twenty Earth years. And yes, I am the youngest captain in
the Guild in forty years. I made Ship Master at sixteen, and
was hoping for the Master and Commander qualification. But
it turns out I also qualified for a captaincy. Believe me,
no one was more surprised than I."

Lorrin nodded. "Well then, would you like a bridge tour?"

"I don't have a bridge clearance. Starfleet regs, remember?"

"Yes, but the commander has wide discretionary powers to
those of ambassadorial status."

"Touche. I would love a bridge tour." And so they went up to
the top deck, and stepped out onto the bridge. Kerryn could
not help but feel the awe and the thrum of the ship beneath
his feet. The stations were all manned, the crew efficient
and at ease. The security officer eyed him speculatively, so
Kerryn made sure he kept his hands to himself.

"Commander, my congratulations on your crew and your ship."

"Thank you. We will be arriving at Earth in about an hour,
and you can depart once we have established orbit."

"My thanks. It was a pleasure." And Kerryn took the
turbolift down to his deck, packed his items and woke
Wesley.

Wes was curious about his impressions on the bridge tour.
"So Kerryn, could you ever see yourself on a bridge like
that, with crew under your command and responsibility?"

"Could you on Enterprise?"

Wes laughed. "Remember, I did. And yes, under the right
circumstances eventually I could see myself in the chair."

Kerryn looked wistfully out the window. "Sometimes I think I
could. But it is truly daunting, and I don't expect to have
the opportunity. I'm just a hokey freighter captain,
remember. This is Starfleet."

Wes smiled. "Yes, it is." He had put on his uniform. "Funny,
I feel naked in this uniform now."

"Then you truly have become a merchant. We only feel naked
when we are naked."

Wes looked at him, curiously. "I don't think that is true. I
don't think you ever actually feel naked. Nude perhaps, but
never naked. It's too vulnerable a state for you."

Kerryn pondered that. "I haven't felt naked since the
Academy exams."

The call then came in from the bridge. "Bridge to Ensign
Crusher. We have arrived in orbit. Please proceed to
Transporter Room Two."

"Well, here we go. Ready, Wes?"

"Ready, knowing she is rebounding."

They went to the transporter, and beamed down to Starfleet
Medical. After being ushered in to the waiting area, Wesley
was immediately taken to his mother. Kerryn entered the
waiting room to find three of the people he did not expect
to see. Counselor Troi was there. Captain Picard sat there,
his brow creased with worry. And a vaguely familiar face
that he couldn't place.

Picard rose to greet him. "Ship Master Kerryn, it is with my
great thanks that you were able to bring Wesley in for this.
It really was close until yesterday."

"Captain Picard, having lost my own parents I can well
appreciate the need. We will stay a few days and then we
will have to find a way back to Starbase 27 to pick up the
Totentanz. The USS Decatur and Captain Hardy were kind
enough to bring us in."

"I also hear that you brought his warp core into the current
century."

Kerryn laughed. "Merely cleaning house. When you don't have
a lot of power, you make sure that every joule is accounted
for."

The other man stood. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am
Admiral Nuri of Starfleet Academy."

Kerryn froze for a moment, and then put on his neutral
persona. "Captain Kerryn of the Freighter's Guild ship
Totentanz."

Picard startled. "Captain?"

Kerryn turned to Picard in acknowledgement. "Yes, after
taking on Wesley I put in for a Master and Commander
position. The Guild saw fit to skip that step and bestow a
captaincy on me."

Picard gulped slightly. He was now forced to treat Kerryn
like an equal. "My congratulations, captain."

"Thank you."

Admiral Nuri gestured. "Would you have a seat? I would like
to talk a bit on a somewhat sensitive topic."

"Of course." They sat, and Kerryn said a silent prayer that
he might get his answers.

"You applied to Starfleet Academy six years ago?"

Kerryn nodded. "That is correct. At the time I was turned
down because I was only fourteen."

The admiral nodded. "Yes. And that was when a true tragedy
happened." He explained about the situation.

Kerryn sat quietly for a moment. He would have been accepted
at sixteen. But they never got back to him. "Well, admiral,
captain, I am grateful that I was able to learn the truth at
what happened." He blazed a little at them. "I can't
describe the feelings that I had, waiting for some word,
month after month, and hearing nothing. I can't describe my
father's frustration before his death. But all that is years
behind me, now. At least I would hope that you have taken
steps to ensure that this doesn't happen to anyone else."

"I have," the admiral stated. He then looked at Kerryn.
"Have you ever thought about joining Starfleet?"

Kerryn looked coolly at the admiral. "You mean, bypass the
Academy?"

"Yes. We take officers from many worlds that do not go
through the Academy. Vulcans are our best example."

"I don't know, Admiral. I haven't been very fond of
Starfleet until taking on Wesley Crusher. He has shown me
some of what I have been missing."

Picard spoke up. "Please consider the idea. We have an
affiliate program that allows us to borrow skilled officers
in time of intense need. You move freight very close to
Cardassian space, and I don't need to remind you of all
people the risks involved."

The admiral spoke up. "Did you ever receive your exam
scores?"

"No, Admiral, I did not."

"Here they are." And the admiral handed him a folded piece
of paper. "We hadn't seen as good a set of scores in years.
Still haven't. Especially the Kobayashi Maru." He folded his
hands. "I realize the circumstances are appalling. But I had
no other opportunity to speak with you personally. I have
granted you permanent affiliate status at the Commander
level. All you have to do is put your signature on this pad
and return it to me. Starfleet will not hound you to align
with us, although I can not speak for Jean-Luc Picard." This
drew a small laugh from Kerryn. "Will you consider it?"

Kerryn thought a moment, and accepted the pad. "I will
consider it after due review. Thank you, Admiral, Captain,
for the opportunity. I can return it to you at the Academy?"

"Yes. Anyone can direct you to my office."

"Very well." A pause, then, "Are you a close friend of
Doctor Crusher's?"

The admiral chuckled. "I asked her to marry me once. But I
lost her to Jack Crusher."

Picard's eyebrows raised.

At that moment, Wesley came in. He took in the sight, rolled
his eyes slightly, and then came to precise attention.
"Admiral, sir."

"At ease, Ensign. This is Medical, not the Academy." And
Wesley loosened up a bit.

Kerryn could tell she was better. "Improving?"

"Yes, she should be out in three days or so."

"That aligns with our return schedule."

Picard spoke up. "Enterprise will be pleased to take you
back to Starbase 27. And I have arranged quarters for you at
the Academy, which is the closest facility to Starfleet
Medical."

Wesley beamed. Kerryn groaned. "It seems I will be in your
debt again. Thank you, Captain, and I can pick out an
ulterior motive like that."

The admiral had the confidence to laugh at Picard's expense.
"I told you to watch out for him."

Counselor Deanna Troi stood as they got up to leave. Kerryn
smiled at her, and when their eyes met there was a
fundamental jolt that shook him to his very, very core.
Surprise rose in her eyes, and then shock as she took a step
back. Kerryn had this happen once before. This was going to
be complicated.

He broke the gaze as they left. Wesley and Kerryn walked to
the Academy. Kerryn was issued a Starfleet communicator, and
his ambassadorial clearance preceded him wherever he went.
Upon arrival at the venerable entrance, Kerryn watched
Wesley carefully. Wes had all the feelings of coming home.

"I wonder if my room is still here." They went through the
access ways, up a floor or two and emerged in the North Wing
of the dormitory. Wesley approached his room, and said,
"Unlock and Enter." The door whooshed open.

It was just as he had left it. Neat, tidy, a little dusty,
but a student's room. His awards, his trophies, his
achievements on the shelves. The door closed on them, and
Wes just breathed deeply. His room again. He turned and
looked at Kerryn, and was amazed at what he saw.

Kerryn had knelt down and buried his face in his hands. He
wasn't quite sobbing, but the tears flowed and the feeling
of loss overpowered him. He was obviously in intense
emotional pain. Wes knelt down beside him, and held him as
Kerryn leaned into his shoulder.

"Kerryn, let me feel it. It will help to share it."

And Wesley was transported into the weeks of waiting for
Starfleet's answer, when none came. And the loss of his
father, the resolve to continue on, and the overpowering
feelings of it-could-have-been-like-this when he had felt
Wesley's own emotional homecoming, they all resonated
within. Wes realized how lonely Kerryn was, and that he
didn't mind it but oh how it ached sometimes. And then he
was assailed by the indecision - Starfleet wanted to make
good on its mistake, but could he give up all he had worked
for and his new captaincy as well?

Before either of them knew it, they were kissing, deeply and
hungrily. Nothing more than that, but still needed and
savoring each other. Their own private reality. Protected,
for now.

The kiss broke, the emotions restored their balance, and
they stood up. Wesley made one comment only. "So now you
know the truth."

"Yes." Move on, he thought. "So what does a Starfleet
Affiliate do?" And they sat down and poured over the
regulations and agreement on the pad. It was pretty cut and
dry. A Starfleet Affiliate was a person who was versed in
Starfleet regulations and protocols but who was not a full-
time member. It was similar to the  provisional status of
the Guild: As long as you were under agreement, you followed
their rules. Allegiances were not compromised. The only
difference was that a Starfleet clearance was permanent, and
that after being on active duty you still had to uphold the
clearance terms.

Kerryn wanted to do it. He just wasn't sure. Wesley had some
things to take care of, and so he agreed to meet Wes later
to discuss it. Wes got suspicious.

"You are going to do something. I can tell. What is it?"

He said the first thing that came to his mind. "I am going
to walk out into the middle of the Academy grounds, sit
down, and think."

Wesley looked at him. "You just made that up."

"Yes, but it sounds like a better and better idea."

Wesley gave up, and headed out the door. Kerryn stopped long
enough to gaze out the window at the Academy grounds. Here
he was, hundreds of light years from his ship and his world.
He was on Earth. And he had a choice to make. Although odd,
he did exactly what he told Wesley he would do. He got up,
walked down the corridors and stairs, and out towards the
academic grounds of the Academy. He found the main
courtyard, picked a bench in the middle, and sat down to
think.

Fate struck a moment, as a very old woman looked out her
window to see a young man, obviously not a student, study
and then sit in the exact center of the courtyard. Her
grading done, her curiosity piqued, she slowly worked her
way down through the buildings towards him.

Kerryn put his head in his hands. What would his father
think? He would be appalled at the circumstances. But to
turn down an institution because of the work of the few, or
the one? Preposterous. Kerryn grinned suddenly because he
could literally hear his father going on about it. What was
really important? Being happy, making the best solutions.

Someone approached him. He looked up to find a wizened old
woman, who slowly sat down next to him. "May I join you?"
she rasped.

Kerryn considered this. Why not? "Please do, although I am
not the best of company right now."

"People are what and who they are."

"True. It is finding out who you are that is difficult."

She grinned slightly. "Not really. You are defined by your
choices."

Kerryn laughed. "Back to Admiral Satii. No, even though we
make choices, some are made for us beyond our control. But
yes, we can choose our alliances and our actions."

The old woman stared at him, her eyes boring into his
briefly, then held out her hand. "I am Janice.  You?"

"Kerryn."

They sat in silence for a while.  She realized that he was a
deep one. "So, Kerryn, what is on your mind?"

"I have to make a choice."

"Don't we all."

They were quiet for a bit more. Then Kerryn continued, "I
have to choose between what I had always wanted, and what I
have worked hard for and excelled at." He looked at her.
"Was entering Starfleet the right choice for you?"

What a question! Janice thought on this. "The answer changes
from time to time, of course. Sometimes it was right. Other
times Starfleet was a containing presence when I didn't want
that." She shrugged. "The thread of life goes onward.
Everything has its flaws and its perfections."

Kerryn looked at her. "That could mean anything."

"Yes, but it means something unique to each of us. This
place," she gestured around the Academy, "helps bring out
and define the thread of life for its graduates." She noted
his uniform. "Freighter Guild Captain, Second Class? A
remarkable achievement for one so young."

Kerryn stared at her. "Second Class?" He looked at the
emblem. Sure enough, he had skipped Third Class. "I suppose
so,." he remarked in wonder. "I didn't realize it until now.
I've been kind of distracted."

And old man was shuffling over. "Ah, you are in my bench,
old woman!" he grumped.

Something passed between Janice and the old man, and then
she said with strength and venom, "Get lost, Boothby. This
one is different." And the old man grumped off in another
direction, clearly irritated and vexed.

Janice rolled her eyes. "He thinks he can solve everything."
She looked at him. "How about you?"

Kerryn was taken aback. "I am a decent engineer. Better than
that, really, but I don't want to brag."

"I wasn't talking about engineering. What will you do with
your talent?"

"Talent?"

"Well, you are a captain. What do they call them? Master and
Commander." The words rolled dramatically off her tongue.
"You have been recognized for command roles, decision making
and problem solving. What will you do with it? Haul
freight?"

Kerryn was stung. "It is an honorable profession."

"Yes, but does it need you? Or are you in it because it is
familiar?"

A long pause. "I don't know."

She looked around. "Don't be daunted by this place. There
are many that are far more impressive." She made a guess.
"Starfleet is a massive network of assets and talent that
ensure Federation members the freedoms they desire.
Starfleet serves the Federation, and we who belong serve
Starfleet. What do you  serve?"

Kerryn thought about that. "Myself, I guess. My clients, but
I am compensated for that so that it isn't really the same
kind of service."

"What a waste."

Kerryn looked at her with wide eyes. "Really?"

"Unrealized potential is always a waste. Tell me, when was
the last time you failed?"

Kerryn looked down. "I failed to keep my father alive in a
Cardassian raid."

She regarded him thoughtfully. "You don't believe that. Was
there anything you could have done?"

"I could have been with him."

"Then you would both be dead."

"I could have stopped them."

She looked at him closely. "Really? You could have done
something that you didn't do to save him?"

Deep in his heart, he knew she was right. "You are probably
right, though I have tried to ensure that those
circumstances are never repeated."

"So you learned from it and went on. And you can't remember
your last failure." She sighed. "What a waste. The only way
to grow is to fail, get up and try again. How can you
stretch your bounds if you don't make mistakes?"

"Through success."

"Not pushing hard enough. Incremental only. Baby steps you
are taking."

Kerryn struggled with this. "You are asking me to choose to
jump off a cliff."

Her eyes crinkled with the smile that spread across her
face. "Yes. And then to spread your wings and fly."

"Just who are you, Janice?"

She patted his leg, and then stood. "Well, when I was on
Enterprise with Jim Kirk, I was Yeoman Janice Rand. That was
before I found my true love. Good day to you, Guild
Captain." And she resumed her walk back to the building
where she had taught philosophy and ethics for dozens of
years.

A choice lay before him. Stay the course, or jump into a
black hole of the unknown. He got up, and began walking to
Admiral Nuri's office. It was across the grounds, and in a
stately and ancient building that was constructed at the
outset of Starfleet. In front was a statue of Jonathan
Archer, captain of the first Starfleet vessel. He looked at
it, seeing courage and adventure etched in that face, and
the fierce desire for freedom and truth. Was he up to it?

He realized he didn't have to be. He had to be what he was.
He would never be an Archer or a Picard, but he could be
Kerryn. And he could apply his finesse, his negotiations,
and his tactics if they were called upon. He would try. And
that would have to be enough.

He found he was standing out side the Admiral's office.
Putting on his best confidence, he entered, to find that the
Admiral was out. He left the pad with the administrator,
saying that the Admiral was expecting it. The admin took
note of Kerryn as he left.

Admiral Nuri returned to find the pad on his desk. Steeling
himself, he picked it up, prepared for the worst but truly
hoping that this would be the beginning of something.

The signature was there, along with three words. I will try.

The Admiral whooped with joy, and immediately instructed the
security coordinator to grant him a bridge clearance for
every vessel in the fleet, rank of commander, and attached a
special access clearance provision. There was no project
named White Thunder yet, but Nuri wanted it to be there if
it needed to be accessed. He immediately sent out messages
to all the relevant staff at Starfleet Headquarters, and
within half an hour the update was fully propagated.
Starfleet Commander Kerryn, hero of the Rana 7 conflict with
Cardassia, suddenly existed.

Kerryn had made his way back to his room at the Academy the
long way, taking several hours in the process, to lie down
and think about what he had just done. It was right. He
could feel his father rejoicing wherever he was, and knew
that the closure had settled the last of his ghosts. He
grinned suddenly. Wesley was going to freak.

His communication system began chittering. He looked over at
it, and realized that Nuri had lost no time. There was a
voucher for the right size Starfleet uniform set, and
confirmation of his clearances and everything. Amazed at how
fast this went, Kerryn went to the replicator. No buttons.
Hmmm.

"Starfleet Command Officer Uniform, size 9A, boots size
eight."

Whrrr. Out came a uniform and boots. He tried it on, and
looked in the mirror. The hair made him look ludicrous, but
still a little scary in a way. He grinned, and there was a
knock at the door.

"Come in." And there stood Wesley.

Wesley could not believe his eyes. Yes, the uniforms made
people look hot, but on Kerryn the uniform clearly defined
that slender curve around his butt, the excellent physical
shape he was in, and the hair . well, it wasn't the clean-
cut Starfleet look but it was definitely his own look. Wes
knew that Kerryn would not cut his hair for this. And he was
glad for that, because the look was absolutely gorgeous and
highly arousing.

Wes cracked a grin a mile wide. "You did it?"

"Yes, Ensign, I did it. For whenever I choose to uphold and
serve Starfleet, I am entitled to this uniform and the rank
and privilege that come with it."

"You look wild. Sir."

Kerryn grinned. "I am sure it was not what the original
designers were thinking of."

"Kerryn, I was so afraid that you would turn it down."

Kerryn grew thoughtful. "I had this little debate in the
middle of the Academy grounds. One of the senior faculty
needed to get through to me somehow."

Wes nodded knowingly. "Boothby. He helps everyone."

"No, it was someone named Janice."

"JANICE SATII? You bared your soul to Admiral Satii?"

Kerryn's jaw dropped. "That was Admiral Satii? Oh my god, I
shot down her signature philosophy to her face?"

"Knowing her, she probably found it the most intellectually
stimulating conversation of recent times. Everyone dreads
her ethics classes."

"Honestly, Wes, she introduced herself as Janice. How was I
supposed to know?"

Wes grinned suddenly even wider. "Kerryn, that's the Academy
for you. You must have been sitting out there in your Guild
uniform, after choosing just the right spot to sit and
think. Probably alone in the courtyard. Am I right?"

Kerryn nodded.

"Sure, I can see it now. She probably saw you, and decided
you were curious enough to investigate. I saw it happen
once. She and Boothby had almost a race to get to some poor
guy.  Boothby almost always prevails. But I am glad it was
Admiral Satii for you."

"Boothby did show up after a little bit. There seems to be
some friction between them."

"Difference in approach. Boothby tells you what you should
do. Admiral Satii creates a trap for you to fall into."

Kerryn laughed. "She did that, all right." He turned to Wes.
"I can't be a Jonathan Archer. I can't be a Kirk, a Pike, a
Daystrom, or even a Picard. Hell, I can't even be a
Crusher." Wes blushed at that. "But I can be Kerryn. And
whether it is good or bad, I hope that is enough."

Wes nodded. "It will be." And then he couldn't wait any
longer. "Commander, I am sorely in need of some really hot
and deep kissing."

Kerryn shuddered. The title sizzled in him. "Ensign, get
your ass over here." And they embraced tightly, with Kerryn
taking the lead as their mouths connected, and Wesley melted
into him. God, this was good.

Some distance away, Admiral Janice Satii sat in her office.
In front of her was Admiral Nuri. Nuri was going over
curriculum when he noticed that the admiral was staring out
onto the courtyard.

"Janice, I haven't seen you like this in a long time. What's
going on?"

She turned to him. "I had the most startling conversation
this afternoon. A young man was out in the middle of that
courtyard. I just glanced at him, and watched him survey the
place like he had never seen it before, and select a seat in
the middle." She looked back out the window. "I could tell
that he was carrying a lot. But it was the posture that told
me that if Boothby got to him it would be ugly. So I made it
first." She shook her head. "And that discussion has opened
up a million thoughts about my prior treatise. It was the
first time a truly objective view argued with me."

Nuri sensed there was more, and so he waited.

She giggled. "He was so hot, I partly felt like a teenager
again. But he had no idea who I was, and we had the most
honest conversation I've had in years." She looked back at
Nuri. "He wasn't a cadet; in fact, it seemed like he had
years of experience. It was as if he knew the mechanics and
the details and the understanding of the Academy,
experience, but was missing the sense of adventure that so
many pick up here." She shrugged. "I tried to light that
flame. I don't know if it worked."

Nuri grinned suddenly. "You wouldn't be referring to
Freighter Guild Captain Kerryn, would you?"

She looked up. "Actually, yes." Understanding dawned on her.
"You were trying to get him as an Affiliate."

"No, I succeeded in getting him as an Affiliate, probably
because of you. He's a commander now in Starfleet as an
affiliate."

She thought on that. "Good. From now on, he is mine. Now,
tell me absolutely everything about him."

Back at the Academy dormitory, Wesley and Kerryn finally
broke apart. That had been sufficient for now, but each was
just very out of sorts: Wesley because of his mother, and
Kerryn because of everything. Rather than dive into the hot
sex each wanted, they without even thinking elected to slide
into camaraderie and just talk. But the elusive tendril of
his Betazed genes awakened. And he realized that Troi was in
his future. He had been through this once before, at age
sixteen, with an older Betazoid woman. His father had
explained it. But it hadn't made it any easier. This time
would be different. Troi was a goddess.

All was peaceful and quiet on Enterprise, until a few hours
later at the routine staff meeting. The topics covered the
preparations to receive Dr. Crusher back, the plans and
shore leave recalls, and the flight plan to break orbit and
resume course back towards Starbase 27 to return Kerryn and
Wesley. Naturally, the clearance information had come
through security, and it was the last note on Worf's
schedule.

No one had referred to either of the two young men by name.
But as they got through Worf's list, the news broke.

Worf turned dour. "There is one final item. We have received
a clearance updates for several of our crew members." He
paused, and then also, "I have terminated the Ambassadorial
clearance from Delvin Six as well."

Picard frowned. "Was that really necessary, Mr. Worf?"

"Sir, one of the clearance updates from Starfleet Command
included a full clearance for Commander Kerryn."

There was silence. Then Picard said, "Did you say Commander
Kerryn, Mr. Worf?"

"That is correct. He is a full Commander under the Starfleet
Affiliate organization."

Counselor Troi grinned at Picard. "Bravo, Captain! And to
Wesley as well."

Riker piped in. "We should hold a reception of some kind.
This is a big step for him."

Picard looked at Troi, who shook her head. "I don't think it
would be a good idea. He has been wary of Starfleet." She
leaned forward thoughtfully. "What he will probably need is
some proof to himself that he can do the job. He takes his
actions far too seriously."

Picard nodded. "Excellent idea. Will, please work him into
the duty roster on our return trip. Start with the late
night shift." He remembered the comments that Kerryn had had
when he had sat in the captain's chair on the bridge. "Try
to get him three shifts. Make sure Data is on the same
shift, but you and I must not be." Riker nodded.

Something wasn't right. They all looked at Troi, who was
looking very unsettled. She noticed, then, and gave up.
"There is one issue I have not discussed yet." She paused
again.

"What is it, Counselor?"

She looked directly at Picard and away from Riker. "Kerryn
is at least half Betazoid."

"Really? Does he have any mental skill development?"

"Yes, actually all indicators are that he has honed his
skills very, very well."

Picard's brow furrowed. "How is this an issue?"

Riker caught on. "Oh. My. God. You are sure?"

Troi nodded. There was a short pause, and then Troi answered
the mystery. "There is a not uncommon trait among those with
Betazoid genetics. It is called the Frenzy. One out of every
forty-seven chance meetings among isolated pairs will result
in a, um, how do I say this?"

Riker muttered it out. "A one-night stand."

Troi shot him a look of venom. "It is not like we can
control the sexual impulses, you know. It can be quite
awkward."

Data furrowed his brow. "To put it informally, are we to
understand that, on average, one out of every forty-seven
random meetings of two persons of Betazoid descent will
cause them to involuntarily fuck like rabbits?"

"THANK YOU, Mr. Data, that is ENOUGH." Picard hadn't quite
caught him in time. But Troi nodded. Picard regarded her
with concern. "Counselor, will this cause a problem? I will
not allow it-"

"No, captain, biologically it must happen. The Frenzy is
unusual to understand for non-Betazoid cultures, but Will
understands."

Riker couldn't let go. "Are you sure?"

Irrationally, she reacted to his over-protectiveness. Maybe
Riker didn't really understand just how open the Betazoid
culture was. With renewed confidence, she spoke firmly.
"Actually, Captain I am somewhat looking forward to it. The
longer before he gets here, the more tantalizing and wild it
will be. He is an exquisite specimen, and I find that my
fingers already itch to touch him, especially his hair. Put
him in a commander's uniform, and." she bit her lip. "Don't
worry about me. And it is a non-recurring experience, so it
won't happen again."

Everyone looked just a bit uncomfortable. Picard cleared his
throat. "Well, we shall be aware to your unique circumstance
and provide you with whatever flexibility you need."

"Thank you, captain." And she got up and left.

Riker seethed. "I don't like it. Isn't there something we
can do?"

Picard shook his head. Worf, though, had the last word. "We
could sell tickets."

"Meeting adjourned!" And they left the conference room.

Back at the Academy, Kerryn and Wesley had stopped their
walk. It was well past noon. Dr. Crusher would return to
Enterprise tomorrow, and then they would depart and resume
the Shepherd Project. But there was this huge, huge
complication, and he needed Wes to help. And so, with
trepidation, Kerryn motioned for him to sit. Wes declined.

"Wes, we are great friends. We've shared some great
experiences, and some very intimate sex." Wesley was
watching him warily. "Something is going to happen when I
get back on Enterprise. It is strictly biological. But it is
not by choice and it can not be avoided in any way."

"OK. This sounds pretty bad."

"It isn't, really. At least this time, it won't be. It is
likely to break all records for intensity, though." Kerryn
looked very very awkward all of a sudden.

"Look, just spit it out, OK? I can take it. It isn't my
fault, is it?"

"Oh no, not at all." He took a deep breath and stared at a
polished stone wall. "Counselor Troi is Betazoid, right?"

"Half. Just like you."

"Well, if I gauge this feeling right, within 30 seconds of
seeing her in person the next time, she and I are going to
commence twelve hours or so of," he took another deep
breath, "of wild frenzied sex. It is a Betazoid thing. It
happens in one out of every fifty or so chance meetings. It
only happens once per pair. It has nothing to do with our
likes, dislikes, preferences, marriage status, or anything.
It is totally unavoidable when it happens." He turned to
Wesley. "I need you, Wes. I need your help, I need your
understanding." The anxiety rose in Kerryn's eyes. "I
especially need your help making it happen without alerting
the entire Enterprise crew."

Wesley stared at Kerryn. He knew his friend was sincere. And
while Wesley was gay, he was not so gay that he was
uninterested in girls at all. Everyone was interested in
Troi. He and Kerryn had never pledged exclusivity to each
other; moreover, between them, sex was more like a closely
coupled team effort to achieve pleasure and intimacy, not
romance. Suddenly, Wesley laughed. And really laughed. He
had to sit down now.

Kerryn regarded the giggling Ensign with exasperation. "This
isn't funny."

"Oh yes it is. Kerryn, everyone with a sex drive has been
wanting to fuck Deanna Troi constantly. And out of the blue,
you are going to do it, and you aren't going to even have to
work for the opportunity." He slapped Kerryn on the back.
"How wild? Like really, really wild?"

"Probably more than that. It's been a while developing.
There are a number of factors."

"Including the attractiveness of the people involved?"

"Yes. Even the two ugliest people in the world will have to
do it, but let's face it, she and I ."

Wes finished for him. "Will probably break all records ever
made anywhere."

Blushing, he nodded. "Something like that."

Wesley nodded. "OK. What do you need?"

"I need you to discreetly contact her. Tell her I need to
arrange a meeting. She will know and tell you what she
wants." He grinned then. "I can make arrangements if
needed."

Wesley nodded. "I'll do it now."

Counselor Troi was pacing in her quarters when the call came
through. "Troi here."

God, she looked vulnerable. And hot. "Counselor, this is
Wesley Crusher. I'm conveying a message from Commander
Kerryn. He would like to set up an extended meeting with you
at your convenience."

Thank God for Wesley, she thought. It was obvious by the
twinkle in his eyes that he knew, but he was most
professional. "I would be most agreeable."

"He asked whether you would prefer to meet on Enterprise or
down on Earth."

Earth! "I would much prefer a place on Earth, Wes. I will
beam down at 1700 hours." That was two hours from now.

Wes nodded. "I will contact you with coordinates at that
time. Crusher out."

Troi breathed deeply. Two hours was a long time.

Back on Earth, Kerryn also breathed deeply. He had used his
credit chit to secure an overnight reservation in Sweden, it
being a place most like Betazed. He had booked a private
room with a view. To prevent any embarrassment, Troi would
beam to the Academy, and then from there beam direct to
Kerryn's coordinates.

Kerryn gave Wes a hug. "Thank you."

"No problem. I've never set up a tryst before." Kerryn
rolled his eyes. "But someday I will ask you to return the
favor."

Kerryn beamed to Osthammar, to a grand but remote hotel
lobby where he checked in and made all the arrangements. His
only instructions to the concierge were that he was there
for some very personal discussions with his fianc^Āe, and
that they did not want to be disturbed. The concierge
understood perfectly (after all, this was Sweden).

The time came, and Crusher contacted Troi. "Counselor, this
is Wesley Crusher. Please beam down to the Academy." And she
did, tote bag in hand.

Troi looked around. "Where is Kerryn?"

Wes grinned. "Sweden." He set the coordinates himself.
"Energizing." And she was gone. All he had to do was cover
and wait. He had made Kerryn promise to tell all.

Deanna Troi arrived in the suite. Her eyes took in the
surroundings, but when they landed on the god in the
commander's uniform, every thought vaporized except how to
become one with him, and that he was in charge. A tiny
thought remained that all the other times, she had been in
control, but not this one.

Kerryn had been anxiously waiting for her. How was this
going to work? It didn't matter. When she arrived, and their
minds touched, reflexively he took total and ultimate
control of her. She was willing, pliable and his, and they
devoured each other. For nine straight hours, Kerryn and
Deanna caressed, teased, nibbled, sucked, stroked, thrust,
and came.

Deanna was thrilled to be taken. Kerryn was nice and long
and hard, and he knew what to do. She surrendered totally to
his whim, and was amazed after several hours when she, on
all fours with him stroking slick and smooth into her,
suddenly changed position and drove himself patiently but
firmly into her butt. His mind, so totally linked with hers
would accept no argument, and for the first time in her
existence she was totally helpless in his grip, physical,
mental, and sexual. It was so forbidden-feeling, and the
rebellion as he reamed her ass charged her so hard that she
tightened and pushed back, over and over, until she felt the
dildo penetrate her vaginal opening. Two at once and she
screamed the shattering orgasm into the pillows.

Kerryn had never felt like this. It was like he had to
dominate her, totally, in all ways. His mind held her a
willing but totally imprisoned creature, slave to his every
whim, and he had to execute every single whim. It was almost
like a challenge for bizarre and creative feelings of sex,
fucking, and pleasure, and it was his total objective to
overload his prisoner with rapture.

After the incredible anal sex, each realized that a break
was needed, and they took turns in the shower and eating a
light meal. That turned totally silly, as Kerryn began
adorning Troi with the various foodstuffs, including
chocolate sauce, orange peels, and he himself adding
calamari rings to his particular anatomy. She proceeded to
chew the rings off, which led to the most amazing mutual
oral satisfaction, and then more showers.

Then it turned dark. They each knew it was coming, and they
knew that neither would truly hurt the other, but at the
same time Kerryn suddenly turned sinister. She had been
lying on the bed on her stomach, and he was admiring her
nude form when they felt the change. Without warning, his
mind lanced into hers, seizing it. She gasped, and as he got
hard he stood in front of her, and slowly forced his cock
between her lips. It wasn't that she was unwilling, but it
was more the fact that she must submit on his terms, and he
needed to punish her. She cried in her willingness to
submit, and felt his displeasure and urge to punish mount.
His hands tangled in her hair as he drew her on and off his
raging cock.

Far away, Deanna's Imzadi awoke. He had felt an odd brush of
fear. Getting up, and after a glass of water he queried the
Enterprise main computer.

"Computer, location of Counselor Deanna Troi."

The voice returned, "Counselor Troi is not aboard the
Enterprise."

Curious. Probably down at Medical with Beverly. But she was
a big girl. Although his thoughts for the twenty year old
commander and freight captain were less than attractive by
any reference, he understood a little of the inevitability.
Maybe they should sell tickets when it happens.

At that moment, the twenty year old commander was in the
throes of a primal, sexual rage. Deanna's ass fascinated
him. He freed one hand, and reached out to slap it, and the
jolt of fierce pleasure streamed through them as he then
applied his hand to her taught cheeks. She moaned
uncontrollably around his cock, and he sped up the speed and
intensity. He was going to teach her a lesson, somehow, and
he could feel her contrite acceptance in his mind.  Taking
the tightest grip of her thoughts he had ever done to
anyone, he wrenched them so that she begged for it, pleading
in his clutches for him to teach her the lesson she so badly
needed. It didn't matter what it was; it mattered that he
was punishing her.

It was time. He pulled off her, slid her over the bed onto
her back, and with one stroke deep and hard where he was
standing on the floor he bottomed out into her ass. She
wriggled under his grip now, no longer willing but being
forced against her will to accept him, pounding, mentally
scratching to escape and he tightened his mind so that there
was no escape, never, she was his, forever, relentless, and
he would MAKE her respect him, adore him, and beg for him.

And she surrendered, begging for mercy and then begging for
more and then begging for release as he buried himself in
her, and the orgasm that had been waiting slammed through
them and they each ripped away the bond that had bound them,
mentally bleeding in raw nerve endings and finally, finally
regaining the awareness of the world around them.

They separated, slowly. Kerryn went from victorious to
horrified as he saw his handiwork on her butt cheeks, and
the red finger marks on her back. He saw blood, and realized
that it was his, on his back which had dried already and on
his chest. Deep ragged scratches were all over his own butt.
Apparently she had been harder on him.

Troi was panting for breath. Her butt stung, but not
unpleasantly. She realized that she had come out of this
pretty well. She would be sore, but she had done far worse
to him. But at the same time, he was only just noticing it.

Kerryn noticed the time. Eleven hours had passed, and they
had not spoken one word aloud. He decided to go first.

"Deanna, I hope you are all right."

She nodded. "Yes, I am afraid I did worse to you." She
stretched, and rubbed her butt. "You were most inventive. I
have been through this a dozen times and nothing was as
ultimately exciting as this."

"I have only been through it once. She was the assertive
half. I was sixteen, and she was fifty. It was nothing,
nothing like this."

Deanna grinned. "Here, let me mop up some of the blood. I
probably should have trimmed my nails."

"No, actually I think it was equal payback for what I did to
your butt." But the cool washcloth felt good and took care
of the worst.

She laughed. "Well, I was a virgin back there." And in the
aftermath, she caught the tendril from him. "Ah. You favor
being homosexual. That explains it." A curious thought
propagated through her again. "Wesley Crusher was incredibly
attracted to you."

"Wes and I have shared many an exciting moment together as
the most intimate of friends."

"Good."

They were still naked, and she still admired his body.
Turning quickly, he caught her and pressed her up against
the wall. Her eyes wide, he quite deliberately and slowly
lowered his mouth gently onto hers in a savoring,
deliciously gentle but intense kiss that sent her blood
racing again. He hardened in seconds, and two minutes later
he lay on the bed, with her straddling him and pumping up
and down. She reached for him mentally and found him waiting
for her, and together she led him through the relaxing and
satisfying sex and orgasm.

After that, they were truly done. As she rolled off him,
snuggling, he smiled at her. "I was taught that after
separation, make sure that you show your partner that you
still choose to participate, even after everything that went
before. Your body can't lie, and it reaffirms who we are."

Deanna smiled. "That is a wonderful sentiment. And just now
was just right. Thank you."

"You are quite welcome." He smiled wistfully. "If you ever
want to again, for any reason, I will be there for you."

She smiled. "I am sorry I can't make the same offer. But you
can always ask anyway."

They showed, ate, and got ready to send Deanna back. Kerryn
contacted Wesley and had him stand by. Deanna would return
to Starfleet Medical via the Academy, and then back to
Enterprise.

They held each other for a moment, and then Kerryn did
something he hadn't done since his mother left them. He sent
a mental message to Deanna.

Don't forget me, please, he thought to her.

Deanna's eyes flew wide. She hadn't communicated that way in
years because it was rude among non-Betazoids.

I won't. You didn't tell me you could do this, she thought
back at him.

His eyes widened slightly, and he nodded slowly.

I haven't since my mother left us. I was five. But it is
interesting to know that I still can.

The held each other close, and then separated.

"I will see you on Enterprise, Counselor. And I will not
acknowledge that this took place."

She nodded. "You may have to, but it is unlikely to come up
except from Commander Riker." She paused. "He is Imzadi for
me."

"Noted." He tapped her communicator. "Kerryn to Crusher.
Lock on to this signal and one to beam out." He stepped
back, and she shimmered and disappeared.

Kerryn next surveyed the room. Not too bad. There was
chocolate sauce in the bed. Let them figure it out, he
thought as he collected his belongings and went downstairs
to check out of the hotel.

He himself beamed back to the Academy. Wesley stood there in
the transporter room, with eyes and visage fit to split wide
with glee. "Welcome to Starfleet Academy, Commander Kerryn.
Allow me to show you back to your room."

His voice was gravelly with disuse. "Thank you, Ensign
Crusher." And together they walked back to the dormitory.
Wesley was just aching to know.

Upon entering, they closed his door. The comm unit indicated
that there was a message waiting for Kerryn. He bade Wesley
wait, sat down gingerly and turned it on.

"Kerryn here."

The message showed Commander Data. "Commander, Enterprise
will be departing back to Starbase 27 in two hours. Please
be aboard before that time."

"Thank you, commander. Please inform Ensign Crusher as well
in case I don't see him."

"Yes sir. Enterprise out." And the screen went blank.

Kerryn sighed and leaned back. "How fast can we clean a
Starfleet uniform?"

"Twenty minutes."

"Good. Help me out of this one. And I will accept any
comments you make before we leave this room for Enterprise,
but after that I may not utter one word about it."

"OK." Kerryn stood up, and Wesley helped him peel the
uniform off. The blood had dried, and the scratches had
closed enough that they would be fine. But the uniform was a
mess. And it extended all the way down to his ass.

"Wow. Did she do that?"

"Well, it wasn't the rug." And he explained to Wes that the
way to break the bond was to push desire too far so that it
became hostile, and while the sex was one part, the mental
shredding of the bond was what was needed.

"So your head inside must be bad off too."

"A little. It heals differently and much faster."

Wesley worked on his back. "How many times did you cum?"

"Like twenty or more."

"And her?"

"At least that."

"Good kisser?"

"Very good."

"Was it like cooperative, or did one dominate?"

Kerryn was silent, then he replied carefully. "Until the
moment we made eye contact, I didn't know what the roles
would be. But after that, I was the dominant one." He
sighed. "Wesley, someday you may find someone who is so
enraptured with you that they will accept anything from you.
Anything. We had no choice. It was like I had an entire
sadist's toolset to play with at the end. Nine hours of
bliss, fun, and silliness. Then a switch was thrown and I
turned into the most fearsome creature. I had to have
satisfaction, Wes. At any expense. And it felt good, and
better, and powerful. And she begged for more."

"Begged?!?!"

"Yes, begged. I have never been so intense with anyone, and
the worst part was I had no choice. The last phase is called
the Terror, because it is a total dominance such that terror
is what breaks the bond of attraction."

"What are the other phases?"

"Adventure and Adjustment. Adventure takes the most time and
that is when you do anything and everything that feels nice
and good, as a team. Adjustment is when adventure is over,
and the Terror hasn't begun yet. Anything can happen during
Adjustment." He laughed suddenly. "Wes, I don't know anyone
in the world who would wear calamari rings on his cock, but
I did."

Wesley's stopped and stared. "What was she wearing?"

"Orange peels and chocolate sauce."

You could have heard a pin drop.

"Wow again." Wes had finished his back and butt, and started
on the chest. "Did she blow you?"

"Lots."

"Swallow?"

"Yup."

"You?"

"Reciprocal privileges. She is very sensitive."

Wes was quiet as Kerryn got dressed. But the questions
resumed quickly. "Did you do anal?"

"I was her first."

"She like it?"

"I made sure she did. But it was a bit rough at the end."

"What do you mean, rough?"

Kerryn paused, and looked at Wes. "You know how I go into
your head?" He nodded. "Well, imagine that I went in with
sweetness, affection and a healthy set of spice. But near
the end, you realize that I am dictating how you feel and
what you want. And you try to escape. But I won't let you. I
just keep gripping, harder and harder, pleasure turns to
fear, and you fight back, but you lose, and in the end I am
all but raping you. You were begging to be abused, and now
begging to be released. But your only release is to fight
and fight and when you have enough momentum, rip your mind
away and shred the bond." He finished packing his small
amount of stuff. "When I became normal again, I was
horrified at what I had done."

"What could be that bad?"

"I all but raped her ass. I spanked her hard for nearly
twenty minutes. I forcefully face-fucked her. And I abused
our minds beyond any limit I was even aware of. And as I was
pulling her mouth on and off my cock, one hand smacking her
ass, she was mentally begging me for more. If I had had a
paddle or a whip I would have used it. Hell Wesley, I double-
stuffed her with me and a dildo."

Wesley again stopped dead still. "You are one wild guy." He
paused, and then said, "When she transported back to the
Academy, she looked extremely tired. I asked her if she was
OK, and she looked straight at me and said `Yes, Wesley, I
am very, very fine.' And then she winked. So whatever you
did, she loved it."

"She had no choice but to love it. Neither of us did. She
winked because she had asked about you and me."

Wes grinned suddenly. "You told her?"

"Not in so many words, but she was worried about you."

Interesting thoughts began to form in Wesley Crusher's mind.
Kerryn didn't even have to think about what it was. "Don't,
Wes, or Deanna and I might just decide to educate you."
Kerryn knew that Troi was open enough to have enjoyed that
opportunity should it arrive.

"Ha, ha, ha." But he grew serious again. "Kerryn, she looked
totally satisfied and not at all unhappy."

"Well, I am satisfied, but still a bit unnerved at how far
things went. Any other comments?"

"I'll think of some later."

"Maybe back on Totentanz. Now, Ensign, we are due back on
Enterprise. But one last thing, for you. Once the frenzied
fucking was over, and the bond was broken, we were very
naked and vulnerable. If you ever, ever get into that kind
of a situation, do whatever it takes for one more time, no
matter what it does to you. Do it because you want to, and
because you choose to, not because you had to." He sighed.
"Now let's go forward."

"Yes, sir."

"Only while in this uniform, Ensign."

They made their way to the beam-out area, and in a whoosh of
electrons they were back aboard Enterprise. The ensign at
the controls indicated that Wesley would be in his mother's
quarters, where she was nearly back to normal and had
resumed he duties, and that Kerryn was due on the bridge.
They separated, and Kerryn found his way to the bridge.

He was somewhat anxious. Galaxy-class, and here he was on
the bridge. Stepping out of the turbolift, he moved slightly
to one side to take in the view and watch operations. He
needed a friend. He decided on Worf, and walked over to him.

"Greetings, Mr. Worf."

The Klingon turned to look at him, with not unfriendly eyes.
"Commander. It is good to see you in a Starfleet uniform."

"Thank you. It is good also to see someone who has an
appreciation for hair of length. I was beginning to get
concerned."

The look from Worf was precious. "My sentiments exactly." He
tapped his communicator. "Worf to Captain Picard. Commander
Kerryn has arrived at the bridge."

"Please send him in to my ready room."

Worf looked at Kerryn briefly, and then very neutrally said,
"Counselor Troi has elected to remain in her quarters for
the day."

"Thank you, Mr. Worf. I am sure that working with the
Counselor on a professional basis will not be difficult." He
had given the slightest hint that no one need worry.

Worf relaxed a bit. "That would be pleasing to all of us."

Kerryn made his way to the ready room, requested entrance,
and was admitted. He stood at what he remembered to be
relative attention to Captain Picard.

"Captain Picard, I formally request permission to come
aboard Enterprise."

"Permission granted, commander. Please relax and have a
seat." Kerryn did so, slowly. Picard noticed, and commented
slightly. "Before we begin, I am aware that there is a
relatively common inadvertent biological um, synergy,
between you and Counselor Troi. Is this correct?"

"Correct in all but tense only. That synergy has been
mitigated, sir."

"Really?" Picard maintained his impassiveness. "I see." He
moved on. "During our short voyage back to Starbase 27 I
have arranged for you to take several command duty shifts.
Commander Data will be on duty with you, and given your
background I would hope that you make use of him and
everyone to fill any gaps in your new ranking."

"Thank you, sir, I will."

Picard caught the very slight inflection. "Something
relevant, commander?"

"Captain, I am somewhat daunted at this role. But I recalled
a conversation I had with Admiral Janice Satii, and I can
further appreciate your efforts."

"So she was the one who got to you. I had wondered." Picard
allowed himself a small smile. "One other topic. We do not
have any quarters for you. Commander Riker has offered to
`hot-bunk' with you."

Riker! "Thank you, Captain, I would be most willing and
grateful for his offer."

They exited to the bridge, with Earth rotating peacefully in
front of them. Captain Picard moved to his chair, and sat.
"Commander Kerryn, take us out of orbit at your
convenience."

"Yes, sir." He then realized that they were all standing
there, watching him. Riker was looking daggers at him.
LaForge was smiling. Data was impassive. So Kerryn moved
over to Data at Navigation, and spoke. "When is our next
minimum planetary gravity window?"

Data frowned. "Commander, we-"

"Mr. Data." This was Picard. "Allow him his formalisms."
Kerryn turned bright red. He realized that this was a test
in many forms.

"Our window?"

Data checked the navigation charts. "A local minimum will
occur in three minutes."

"Plot an elliptical launch path that will follow the
minimum." And he gave Data the parameters for an exit
trajectory.

"Thank you, commander. That is a highly efficient route."

Kerryn straightened. "Helm, break orbit and proceed."

"Yes, sir."

"Captain, incoming hail from Starfleet Command. Admiral
Nachayev."

Kerryn looked at Picard, who nodded. "On the screen, Mr.
Worf."

The face of the Admiral filled the screen. "Jean-Luc, I
wanted to wish you well on your journey. There is a
classified communiqu^Ā coming in on another channel. Your
eyes only." She turned then, and saw Kerryn standing behind
Navigation. "Welcome to Starfleet, commander." And
involuntarily she licked her lips and blushed slightly.
"Nacheyev out."

A round of amazed snickering circled the bridge. Kerryn put
on his most innocent look, and turned back to face an amused
Picard. "I am sorry, sir. I had thought the admiral would
have more control." He moved from innocent to injured. "They
only see me in one dimension." Without looking back, he said
to Data, "Mr. Data, we have just passed the minimum. Have we
cleared the outer planets?"

"Yes, commander."

"Sensors, one spherical sweep please."

Seconds passed.  Then the sensor control officer reported,
"Nothing on sensors, sir."

"Mr. Data, are there any pending restrictions on our speed,
power or resource consumption?"

"No, commander, other than the Starfleet Warp Five
prohibition."

"Very good. Set course for Starbase 27. Warp Five when it is
available."

"Going to Warp Five."

So that was what it was like. Giving orders. Perhaps he
should have been less hands-on. But no, it was his style to
ensure nothing was left to chance. He prowled the bridge. He
knew the others were watching him. His brow was furrowed,
and there was a slight air of tension.

At precisely half an hour, he spoke up. "Sensors, one
spherical sweep please."

A moment, then "Nothing to report, commander."

Kerryn moved to a seat. He sat down, next to Picard, and
felt the thrumming of the powerful ship as it moved
effortlessly through space. "Any other vessels within range
of interaction?"

Data studied a moment. "None at this time, commander."

"Thank you."

The others slowly wandered off. They had all been curious as
to how he would handle this. The engineering staff could
appreciate the approach he took. Worf was in heaven because
Kerryn had acted so protectively. Riker, who would have just
blasted out of orbit was a little taken aback at the
formality, but hey, they were on course.

Kerryn looked at Picard. He was waiting for feedback, and
received none. It must have been adequate.

Kerryn surveyed the bridge. All humming quietly.

He let out his breath and sank deeper into the chair. There
was a small vibration he could feel that was irking him. He
got up, knelt down and found that one of the bolts was loose
on his chair, and it wiggled. He almost went for a wrench
but then realized where he was. A Commander, on duty on the
Federation flagship. That person does not tighten his own
bolts. He walked over to the Operations officer.

"Sir?"

"Please make a note on the next routine bridge maintenance
pass to check all the deck bolts for the bridge chairs and
consoles."

"Yes, sir. Next maintenance is later tonight, sir."

"Thank you."

Next stop was the Engineering station. Lieutenant Commander
LaForge was still there. Kerryn surveyed the display, sighed
and started to move on.

"Problem, sir?"

"No, not at all. Simply becoming more familiar with the
scale of power usage. I am used to optimizing power several
orders of magnitude lower than Enterprise's consumption
profile."

Geordi nodded. "I can understand that, sir." And the
conversation escalated from there. Data had overheard the
topic, signaled for his relief officer, and joined them. And
then Riker and Picard watched in amazement as Kerryn more or
less read them the riot act about optimization and
efficiency, and the dozens of little things that were out of
line. By the time he was done, an hour had passed and Geordi
had two weeks worth of suggestions. Data had noted
everything.

"Of course, gentlemen, these are only suggestions."

As Geordi walked away, he could be heard muttering, ". never
expected an engineering design review on the bridge ." but
he was smiling.

Kerryn swept the bridge with his eyes. "Sensors, one
spherical sweep, please."

A pause, then, "Nothing to report, sir."

Picard could see the fatigue in Kerryn, even though he
didn't know why. He was holding up admirably. "Will, would
you take Commander Kerryn down to your quarters and get him
settled?" Will nodded with relish. Picard then turned his
attention to Kerryn.

"Commander, well done, although a little more formal than
our normal routine. I have already received a personal note
from the Saturn outpost on how beautifully refreshing it was
to see a large vessel, um, give a damn about energy
consumption."

"It is very much a part of me. I am happy that it harmonizes
with Starfleet." And he approached Riker.

Riker indicated the turbolift with a hint of malice. "This
way."

The doors whooshed shut.

"Deck Three."

Kerryn leaned back against the wall. "Thank you for hot-
bunking. I am a very neat and non-invasive person."

Riker looked at him. "Is there any way you can avoid the
Frenzy?"

Kerryn looked sharply at Riker. "You must be Imzadi then."

"Damn right."

Kerryn danced carefully around the topic. "The effects of
the Frenzy have been mitigated. At our future encounters
nothing untoward will happen involuntarily."

Riker looked for issue with that. "All right," he finally
conceded as they approached his door, and entered.

Kerryn found a typical masculine room, saxophone and all.
His small bag had arrived. "Commander, I will be just fine
sleeping on the couch over there. I only get about four
hours per night."

Will Riker left him. Kerryn made his way quickly through the
shower and into his clean uniform. He remembered to put the
Starfleet communicator on. He ran the other uniforms through
the cleaners, ate a very light snack, and called up on the
computer a ship's layout. And then he made his way to Ten-
Forward.

Guinan was there. She noted him as he came in, captivated by
the stars straight ahead. She went over to him.

"Gets to you, doesn't it?"

"A little. Such a view I am not used to." He turned to her.
"Commander Kerryn."

"And I am Guinan." She touched him, and was immediately
impressed by him. "You are a nice one. What can I get you?"

"Do you have bourbon? Real bourbon?" At her nod, he sighed.
"Two ounces, please."

She showed him to a table. "Best seats in the house." And
she moved off.

Kerryn felt a brush against his mind, and he saw Counselor
Troi enter. A wild thought went through his head at what
would have happened if the prior night had not taken place
in Sweden. Ten Forward would have had a show that could
never have been matched!

She saw him, smiled and came over. Her gait was normal, and
she looked rested. "May I join you, Commander?"

"By all means, Counselor. I trust that you are fully
recovered from our extended meeting?"

"Yes, although I can see that you are not."

Kerryn laughed. "No, I am afraid that three hours after that
Enterprise was breaking orbit under my command, followed by
what apparently was a hair-raising review for engineering. I
think even Data was pulling his hair out in frustration."

Guinan came over. She immediately saw something, put two and
two together, and said, "The Frenzy?"

They both reacted. Deanna looked down and nodded. Kerryn
looked at her appraisingly, and said, "A highly private and
volatile matter, thank you." He grinned again. "Nothing is
easy. There is no room on Enterprise right now, so I am hot-
bunking with Riker."

Deanna froze. "He won't really hurt you, you know. But he is
very possessive."

"I told him that it was mitigated."

"Ha. He is going to find out somehow. Too many people know."

"How many?"

"The senior staff."

He downed his drink in one gulp. "Terrific. No wonder
everyone is watching me like a filet mignon. If they don't
want to jump me personally, they are all wondering what
happened with us."

Deanna smiled. "It could be worse. My mother is on board."

Kerryn's jaw dropped. "Really. How is that possible?"

"She was on Earth for a diplomatic mission, and we will be
stopping by Betazed after Starbase 27." Deanna smiled. "She
is probably the most powerful Betazoid telepath there is.
Shield closely." Deanna sighed and started the ritual.
"Daughter of the Fifth House ."

"Of Betazed." Riker had come over, totally on edge. He sat
down. "Yes, she will be joining us shortly. Captain Picard
is already in knots, although she appears to be out of phase
now for a couple of years. But the same as ever. Commander,
since you are part Betazoid, you might want  . to .?"

Kerryn had gone totally pale. "No. I've got to get out of
here. This can not be happening."

Riker looked at them. "The Frenzy?"

Deanna shook her head. "No, that was last night." Ooops.

Riker went totally red and looked at Kerryn in fury.
"Mitigated?! Not the word I would have chosen."

But something else was desperately wrong. Kerryn stood.
"I've got to go. Now. And hide. This is not part of my
duty."

Deanna could feel the incredible turmoil inside him.
"Kerryn, sit." Riker pushed him down. He was going to make
Kerryn pay. "What is going on?"

"You said Daughter of the Fifth House. Of Betazed." He
shuddered. "Keeper of the Sacred Chalice of Riix." He closed
his eyes. "Her first name wouldn't happen to be Lwaxana,
would it?"

Deanna nodded, surprised. "Yes." Dread began to fill her.

"I never knew her last name."

Deanna stopped cold. "Oh. My. God. She was the one?"

He nodded mutely.

Riker was lost. "The one what?" He turned to Kerryn. "You
have met Ambassador Troi before?"

Kerryn took a huge breath. "Commander, when I was sixteen I
passed an older woman in the hallway at Starbase 290. She
was Betazoid, and I was part Betazoid, and we both fell
victim to the F . F."

"Frenzy." Riker's face split wide open in glee. "You fucked
Lwaxana Troi?"

Deanna muttered under her breath. "Like rabbits."

"She was very enthusiastic about the whole thing."

Riker offered smugly, "Four years ago she was in full
phase."

Deanna started to laugh. "Well, Kerryn, she is two minutes
from this room on the arm of Captain Picard. You will never
have a tighter test of character than the disaster about to
walk into this room." She handed him another drink. "Maybe
she won't recognize you."

"Not fucking likely." He reddened a little, and then said,
"Sorry about the language, Commander, Counselor." And then
amazingly, before their eyes he did a calming exercise,
regained his poise, and nonchalantly picked up his drink.
"What the hell. What's the worst that can happen? I get
kicked out of Starfleet? I've only been in it 48 hours."

"She could be up for a re-match."

"I don't think so." He grinned. "She knows I am here. Watch
the master at work!" And the doors of fate opened to admit
Picard, Ambassador Lwaxana Troi, and Mr. Homm.

"Where is he? I feel an old acquaintance in the room." She
saw Will, Deanna and Kerryn. "Ah, not you Riker. But the
other one." And she swooped over.

But not before Kerryn got up, and effortlessly glided over
to her. "My dear Lwaxana, it is so good to see you again!
Four years, and they have done you very well." He
deliberately looked her over from top to bottom, causing her
to blush and Picard to rock backwards in surprise. "You are
every bit as attractive as when we parted." He turned to
Picard. "Captain, please may I have the Ambassador's
attention for a while? Come Lwaxana, let me get you a drink.
Not this synthehol stuff."

Lwaxana Troi felt the stirrings of interest. Four years ago
. OH MY! "Why you little vixen, how did you end up in
Starfleet? Tell me all about it. Excuse me, Jean-Luc, but I
have an admirer."

"A very ardent admirer," said Kerryn, bowing low, taking her
arm and moving to the bar.

Picard stood there. Riker was stunned. Deanna was giggling.
"Will, Deanna, what just happened?"

Riker spoke up. "It is a long story."

Deanna couldn't resist. "A very long story. Thick with
passion!" And she put her head down and laughed so hard that
she cried.

Kerryn and Ambassador Troi traded catch-up stories. She was
immensely proud of him in the Freighter Guild, but after a
few minutes they had settled up and she looked at him.

"All right, Kerryn, what are you really about?"

He thought to her carefully. You do remember our experience
of the Frenzy?

Her eyes widened, and replied in a firm tone. It had taken a
moment, but I do remember it very well. I was fairly
demanding and you were exquisite.

He thought back, Yes, well it happened yesterday again, and
was very very different.

Why should I be privilege to that information?

He sighed. He didn't have to answer.

Deanna? Lwaxana thought to him. Well, well, well! It makes a
mother happy to know that she is getting some, even if
forced into it.  That thought had sent Kerryn laughing out
loud. She went on, It is a natural biological thing for
Betazoids. Riker must be gnawing on his liver.

Pretty much. Lwaxana, it was a wild, intense time, very
different from our experience. But you needed to know from
me before anyone else.

Wow, she thought to herself. He is afraid of me. Back to
him, she stated outright, "Thank you for your concern,
Kerryn. I of course will pry the details from my daughter."
She thought back to him again, Did you then follow my
directions, about choosing one final time?

He nodded, and thought back, Yes, and it was very good for
both of us. He grinned again. "I still bear the scars from
her."

They stood and left the bar. On the way, Lwaxana stopped and
batted her eyes at him. "Think you could still find it in
you for a nice kiss for an old woman?"

In full view of the entire lounge, which had dropped to
total silence, he slowly drew her to him, slipped into her
mind and found her ready to be controlled. Taking a firm
grip, pleasure coursing down her body he slowly,
deliberately and gently placed his mouth on hers and
delicately kissed the most powerful citizen of Betazed in
the world. He lifted his lips off hers, his mind holding her
captive in sensation for that one extra moment, seeing her
eyes closed and smiling, and then he released her. "Never
old, Lwaxana Troi. How was that?"

"You can come to my cabin anytime, you hot little piece of
lustful man, you." And then she thought at him, That was
wonderful. Too bad you are gay.

Kerryn nodded in acknowledgement. And they sauntered back to
the table, where a tearful Deanna, a stunned Riker and a
speechless Picard sat.

"Thank you, captain. Ambassador Troi is a remarkable woman.
Lwaxana, I look forward to our next meeting. And now, if you
will excuse me." And Kerryn swaggered off, positively
exuding male confidence, with his hair swaying slightly and
every pair of female (and some male) eyes following him out
the door.

A whistle or two, and conversation resumed. Lwaxana Troi was
fundamentally shaken by that experience. She knew she was
old, but the surge of sexual awareness that had gone through
her had taken a dozen years off her mind. With a sloppy grin
she sat with the others and applied her repartee.

Picard was about to schedule an emergency meeting with
Kerryn when Deanna looked at him straight in the eye and
shook her head. Surprised at getting such a response from
her, he let it be. And it turned out that it made Lwaxana
Troi much easier to deal with.

Kerryn left Ten Forward, and tapped his communicator.
"Computer, location of Ensign Wesley Crusher."

"Ensign Crusher is in the Chief Medical Officer's cabin on
Deck eight."

He made his way to the doorway, and requested entrance.

Wesley had been getting ready for bed. He missed Kerryn.
They were very close during the past four months or so and
now were separated. Until someone was at the door.

Wesley granted entrance, and Kerryn came in. "Wesley. Thank
God. Are we alone?"

Wes nodded. His mom was still in sickbay, although not as a
patient. "You bet. I've missed you."

"You have no idea." And he hurled himself into Wesley's
arms, and the kiss that ensued was one of desperate
attraction and having been denied. He pinned Wes to the
wall, pulled his uniform off of him and vehemently went to
work on Wesley's cock. Wes came in seconds, gasping for
breath at the onslaught.

Wes was panting as he asked his lover, "What brought that
on?" And by the time that Kerryn had related the tale,
Wesley was intensely amused. Kerryn took some pride in that,
because the Wesley who had left Enterprise four months ago
would have been appalled at what happened. The merchant-
influenced Wesley took it in stride and converted appalled
to amused.

After bidding him affectionately good night, Kerryn went
back to Riker's cabin, stripped to a pair of short pants and
went to sleep on the sofa. He didn't entirely realize it,
but both Deanna and Lwaxana had felt his time with Wesley,
and had contributed easement to him in his sleep.

Riker came in, full of questions, to find the young
commander covered in healing scars and fast asleep. Even
Riker could appreciate how sexy Kerryn was. It wasn't for
himself, but more for competition, that he looked.

During the next two days, Kerryn sat three full shifts. Each
was routine and uneventful. Kerryn did bring a certain
alertness to the bridge. And at the same time, he covered
random topics with Data. The only difficult part had been
figuring out what to do. He decided to corner Riker.

When they were in Riker's quarters during one of their few
times of overlap, Kerryn finally posed the question.
"Commander, may I ask you a question about bridge duty?"

Will finally caved in. "You can call me Will when we are off
duty. I'm over my frustration. Go ahead."

"What do you do when you are sitting in the chair?"

Will looked at him oddly. "I plan what we are doing.
Consider alternatives, decisions."

"Yes, but what about today, for example. We are going to
Starbase 27 and then to Betazed. Surely it doesn't take that
much thought."

Riker saw the light. "You always find something to do,
right? Here, your job is distinct from the rest of the crew.
They support you. As a result, I read reports, check the
schedule of shifts, and sometimes take a nap. There is no
objection to that when we are at ease."

"That, Will, is probably the hardest part for me. Maybe I
need a position where more of my post includes other
actions."

"It is all a question of style."

At that moment, the red alert alarm went off and Data's
voice came on. "Red Alert. Senior Staff to the bridge."
Kerryn's commbadge beeped then.

"Kerryn here."

"Data here, sir. Captain Picard reminded me that you may not
be aware that you are included in the senior staff. Report
to the bridge immediately."

"Will do. Kerryn out." And they raced to the turbolift, and
ascended the bridge.

When they got there, the scene was not pretty. Picard said,
"Worf, status report."

"Sir, Starbase 27 is heavily damaged. The attack is
apparently over. No vessels in the region."

Kerryn filled with dread. He moved to Worf's position. "Can
you show me a heat survey?"

Picard nodded, and one appeared on the screen. Kerryn nodded
bleakly. "Cardassian. See, they hit the docking joints
first, and then shields, and then the main reactor." He
looked at the screen. "There should be many casualties." He
pointed out certain spots. "The structure is intact, though.
This is very repairable. No signs of boarding."

Worf spoke up quickly. "An accurate assessment. I concur.
Shall I send medical recovery staff over?"

"By all means. Arm with phasers, though."

As they worked their way through the station, it became
fortunate that there were so few casualties among the
people. The docking rings, however were a mess. Kerryn knew
somehow that the Totentanz had been destroyed. No one
mentioned it or thought of it, but inside Kerryn filled with
grief. The ship had been everything to him. At least until
Wesley and Starfleet. But it had been his home, his
livelihood, and his very existence. Gone, with the
Cardassian warships.

When the shift was over, Kerryn made his way slowly down to
Ten Forward. Numbly, he sat alone at a table, when Guinan
came over. She had brought him his bourbon.

"Want to talk about it?"

Kerryn looked up at her with horror in his eyes. "Guinan, I
lost my ship."

She regarded him in detail, and then nodded. "Yes. It is a
good thing you were not on it at the time, or you would be
dead too."

Venom flowed in his eyes at that statement. Guinan was
surprised at how passionate he was about this ship. It make
Picard look like a buffoon. "Thank you for your insight."
Bitter, sarcastic, spiteful. So different than the young man
from before.

She pushed onward. "It is more than just a lot of metal and
other compounds. It reflects you, it was what you were
comfortable with, but it was just an object."

"It WAS my livelihood."

"Ah." She said then very slowly, "It looks like you are
going to need a new one."

He snorted in disgust. "A new ship?"

"A new livelihood."

"You aren't helping." She raised her eyebrows. "Thanks for
the drink." And he got up and left.

Wow, thought Guinan. I've never blown it like that before.

Picard, Riker, Troi, LaForge and the others came in later.
Guinan made a point to go over and visit. They greeted her
with familiarity.

"Captain, I think there is a matter that you need to see
to."

Picard perked up. "Really? What is that?"

"Commander Kerryn was in here before for a short while. It
appears that his ship has been destroyed in the raid."

Troi spoke first. "Oh no, and we didn't notice. We had so
much to do that I didn't remember that his ship was docked
here."

Picard looked at Guinan. "How is he taking it?"

"I don't know. For the first time, I failed to get through
to someone. He is very focused when he wants to be."

Picard tapped his badge. "Computer, locate Commander
Kerryn."

It beeped. "Commander Kerryn is in Service Bay Ninety-Two."
When they all drew blank looks, he asked again. "Where is
that in general ships layout?"

LaForge piped in. "That service bay is located at the back
of the starboard warp nacelle."

"Suggestions?"

It was Troi who responded. "Let him be. He is very very
strong in character. He needs to work this out and get past
it. He will not respond well to help." She thought briefly.
"However, that ship was his home, his livelihood, and also
Wesley's too for another two months. He is going to need
something to do." She looked at the group. "He won't stay
here long. He needs a place."

That gave Picard an idea. "What about a command?"

They slowly nodded approvingly. "Very well then. I will
contact Starfleet and see if there are any opportunities on
the horizon. In the mean time, maybe he can put his talents
to use repairing that Starbase. Get him whatever parts he
needs."

As it turned out, by the time they had begun to take action,
he had already figured out that he could be helpful there.
With a vehemence that frightened many, he dove right into
the myriad of power systems in the starbase engineering
section. First objective was to get power back, and through
tedious tracing he began correcting problems. He started
alone, but after several hours Wesley and Geordi LaForge
came over to help.

Picard and the base commander were conferring over the
motives and counter-actions that might be called from
Starfleet. They were sitting in the dim light, and the base
commander sighed greatly.

"We never saw this coming. If you hadn't shown up, I am sure
it would have gone a lot further." He sighed, and then read
a paper report. "My engineer says that power won't be back
up for a few days, so I may ask for your help in
communications relay."

"Enterprise will help however it can."

The commander looked at Picard carefully. "We had forty
eight freighters docked here. Thirty eight are destroyed.
But the one that hurts the most is the Totentanz. What will
become of Captain Kerryn?"

Picard suppressed the twitch at the reference to the
captaincy. "We are trying to provide him an opportunity in
Starfleet. But Starfleet does not move quickly." Picard
thought, and then added, "He will not accept hospitality
from us. He lost everything with the Totentanz."

"He was insured for twenty million credits. But that won't
get him a ship. There are other, deeper pockets who need one
and moreover the price of a freighter doubled yesterday."

"Can you pay him to rebuild the Starbase?"

"Perhaps. He is still a captain. He just doesn't have his
own ship anymore."

Suddenly there was a large vibration, and the lights
flickered and came on. Whirring started, computers restored
themselves, and the broadcast public address came on.

"Attention, this is Starbase Engineering. Partial main power
has been restored. Please shut down all non-essential
systems and services until full power can be restored. At
this time, rolling blackouts are not necessary. Please use
the stairs whenever possible. Engineering out." The voice
had been Kerryn's, calm, reassuring.

"Well, that is a lot shorter than several days," Picard
observed. "Par for the course from Kerryn."

In Starbase Engineering, Geordi and Wesley breathed a sigh
of relief, as did the ramshackle team of a dozen or so
technicians. After an agreement to meet in the bar, they all
left.

Kerryn was bringing up the tail of the group. He realized
partway that he really didn't want to go to the bar. He
needed to immerse himself in the engineering work, and get
this starbase back on line. It was the only thing that he
could do. He had no ship. He had no place in Starfleet. As
the group turned a corner to the right, he went left and
back.

Here, in the strangely lit engineering space, he could at
least work and grieve. His next effort was to tackle the
shield generators, which meant climbing a series of Jeffries
tubes and manually verifying the functions and resetting
them. He did so, and after doing all eighty of them, he
rested for a moment. Shields would be improved twenty
percent since he had had to replace a dozen relays or so. He
climbed down slowly, and made his way back to the main
shield consoles, and keyed in the startup sequence. The
pleasant sound of thrumming power filled the room, and the
shields began charging. He began charging the starbase
phaser banks as well. You never knew when you would need
them.

He had gotten one of the two big power generation systems
going. Upon examining the second, it was in much better
shape than the first. After an hour of diagnostics, it
turned out that only the main bus relays were shot, and he
was able to bring them back on. With satisfaction, he saw
that the starbase had ninety percent of capacity available.

He opened a comm link. "Engineering to Commander."

The acknowledgement came quickly. "This is Talequin."

"Commander, you have ninety percent of capacity on power
now. The shields have been restored and you will have some
phasers available in a couple of hours. We can begin working
on the command center next, but it will need level zero
authorization codes."

"You are actually in Engineering?"

"Yes."

"Standby, Captain."

Less than one minute later, the doors opened and Base
Commander Talequin, Picard, Wesley, Troi, Riker, and LaForge
entered Engineering.

Kerryn was surprised. "I didn't think we would need all that
help, but you are welcome."

Wesley spoke, oddly. "Kerryn, you have been working here for
almost seventy hours straight. You are coming back with me
to bed. These people around me are my insurance policy that
you do so." He stood and looked at him squarely. "Are you
coming quietly, or do I have to use force?"

They were right, of course. Suddenly the fatigue hit him.
"Quietly, I think." And he did go quietly, had a long
shower, and was ready for bed. Wesley only talked to him
briefly.

"Kerryn, we all feel very badly about the loss of your
ship."

Kerryn raised haunted eyes to him. "Thanks. I am dealing
with it. But Wes, it was always something that was mine that
I could come back to. Sure, it got beat up, whacked, dented,
scored, but I could always repair it. There was always
something to build from." He sighed. "Now there is nothing.
If the Cardassians had used phasers, I could have rebuilt
it. But they used torpedos and phasers, so the molecules
aren't even left." A little sparkle restored itself. "Which
reminds me. I had this replicated for you." He handed him a
small box that he had gotten from Riker's quarters.

Wesley opened the box and found a small plaque, containing
the inscription which he read, "Completion of Shepherd
Project on Freighter Guild Ship Totentanz, Kerryn, Captain.
Rank of Executive Officer conferred on Provisional Guild
Member Wesley Crusher for indefinite duration." Wes was
speechless.

"Wesley, I had received a message from the Academy that they
want you back shortly. You have done so much, and been such
a good friend and more. But Starfleet is going to begin
making demands of you again."

"Thanks, Kerryn." And they came together, tenderly, with no
expectations and lay down. They were asleep within seconds.

After that night, things accelerated. Kerryn reserved a
suite on the starbase, and made it his new home for a while.
He continued to lead the repairs until the new chief
engineer arrived. Enterprise took itself and Wesley back to
the Academy, and on to its next objectives. Lwaxana Troi
went home.

Three weeks later, an opportunity came up for Kerryn to
stand-in as captain of the freighter Goliath. Looking for
movement, he accepted and performed admirably as captain of
a well-trained crew. The engineering chief on Goliath nearly
had a nervous breakdown with Kerryn, but the ship was in
excellent shape afterwards. The two week trip went otherwise
uneventfully.

On the last day, sitting at dinner with the crew of the
Goliath, Kerryn posed a question to them.

"Crew, it has been two weeks. I would welcome any
suggestions on how to improve myself as a captain."

They were taken aback. The engineer spoke up first. "Well,
you might slow down the pace a little, at least in
engineering." The others laughed.

"You are right, of course, but that is probably the one area
I can't change."

One of the crew hands spoke up. "You were honest and fair,
which was good. But you might be a bit more talkative about
what you want, what is going on, and general non-space
talk."

"I apologize for that. I am usually more talkative, but it
has been a long lonely road since my ship was destroyed at
Starbase 27. But I will try."

"Captain, it might help if you warmed up a little faster. We
were anxious the first week because you were so incredibly
formal. It wasn't until you hammered your thumb and started
swearing fit for a pirate that we realized you were human."

"Noted." He looked around. "Anything else?" They shook their
heads. "Then let us eat."

He built some confidence as an acting captain. But the crew
did the work, even though it had only been a dozen or so.
Some were easy, some not. And Goliath's regular captain
returned to find an immaculate ship and a ready crew.

Two months later found him in his suite on Starbase 27. He
was feeling melancholy at being without a ship for two whole
days, when the communications message came in to him.
Enterprise would be visiting for several days. A spark of
humor reached him. What are they up to now?

He found out. Picard invited him on board to his ready room.
Kerryn had decided that he should wear his Starfleet uniform
for this, and he put it on with care. In a fit of rebellion
he had gone and had his left ear pierced. He now wore an
earring, and mounted on it was the Freighter Guild emblem.

Picard and Kerryn sat. "Captain Picard, I hope things find
you well."

"Yes, thank you, commander." That had made him feel better,
knowing that Kerryn did not hold equal title with him. "In a
few moments, Admirals Nachayev and Jellico will join us for
a conference call. I don't think that I need to remind you
that Admiral Jellico is abrasive."

"No, sir, although I do appreciate the reminder. What do
they want from me?"

Picard thought for a moment, then answered the truth, in
part. "They want to offer you a position in Starfleet."

Kerryn was not surprised. "Should I take it?"

"I should not and cannot make that decision for you." Picard
shifted a little. "It is not an ideal place, but it is one
that desperately needs your talents."

Kerryn considered this. "OK. I've been forewarned. Let's
hear what they have to say. But on another topic, how is
Wesley?"

"Doing just fine at the Academy. He is far more mature now.
He really grew with you."

"That is good news."

The comm unit beeped, and the other two parties joined in.
Greetings were exchanged, and Jellico got right to the
point.

"Commander Kerryn, how have you spent the last two months?"

"Admiral, I have been the Executive Officer on seven
different freighters, responsible for all ship functions,
timetable, and cargo."

"Any conflicts?"

"Only in negotiations, but that is to be expected."

"You are wearing a Starfleet uniform."

Kerryn shrugged. "This is a Starfleet meeting. Is that not
appropriate?"

Grunt. "Your hair is too long." Both Picard and Nachayev
rolled their eyes.

Kerryn decided to laugh it off. "By some standards. I think
the Klingons would be OK with it."

Nachayev cut in. "Thank you, Admiral Jellico. A note has
just been given to me." She read it, and then smiled. "Well,
Admiral, it seems that Admiral Satii and Admiral Nuri have
overpowered any objections you might have." Jellico turned
bright red.

Nachayev continued. "Commander, we would like to offer you a
position in Starfleet. You would remain with your affiliate
status unless you decided to be a permanent officer."

"What position, Admiral?"

"Commanding officer of the USS Asheville, a Nova-class
starship."

According to his memory, the Nova class was an exploratory
vessel with a crew of around seventy. Not a big-ass cruiser
or destroyer, but somewhat more agile. "That is a very
complimentary offer, Admiral."

Picard looked straight at the screen. "I think there may be
some details that the commander should know."

Jellico frowned. "Only if he accepts."

"With all due respect, that isn't entirely fair."

Kerryn looked at the admirals. "You may as well tell me in
your own words. One hour from now and I will have all the
dirt on the Asheville." He smiled. "Remember, freighter
captains talk to each other."

Nachayev sighed. "The crew has issues. They are all young
and somewhat inexperienced. The prior Captain was counting
his days to retirement and did little to educate or enforce
them. They have no self-identity. Every mission they have
been on has failed or been dysfunctional."

"Well, that certainly changes things."

Jellico grumped. "Not entirely. They all have the same
fundamental training, and they all made it through the
Academy. Unlike you."

Before anyone could react, Kerryn grinned at him. What a
close-minded asshole. "True. I can see why you are coming to
me, then, if an Academy graduate was not up to it."

Before anyone could stop him, Jellico erupted. "Not very
likely. We tried all the other eligible commanders and
captains and they wouldn't take it."

Silence. Admiral Nachayev rolled her eyes. "Well, now you
know half the truth. The other half is that since you aren't
an Academy graduate, but you are a very well respected in
your own community, that you might have the tools to restore
Asheville to functioning. Without you, we will have to re-
crew her entirely. That, unfortunately, would be a negative
mark on each of her current crew, many of which are not to
blame."

"I see." Kerryn thought fast. What the hell. "The bottom
line is, you need me, and I am your last option."

Jellico turned purple, but nodded shortly. In the
background, someone laughed quietly. Kerryn thought for a
moment it might be Janice. What the hell, indeed.

Kerryn turned to Picard. "Any comments, Captain?"

"I think you understand the situation, commander." And
Picard's eyes sparkled. Encouragement. He knew what Kerryn
was about to ask for."

Kerryn turned to the monitor. "Admirals, frankly I should
walk away from this." When they stirred, he continued. "But
to be honest as well, it is an opportunity that interests
me. I think I am going to need an incentive." Jellico was
about to launch into a tirade when Nacheyev gave him a look.
"Remember, you are dealing with a Freighter Guild Captain,"
emphasis on the word captain, "who has been negotiating all
his life."

Nacheyev regarded him carefully. Kerryn looked off for a
moment, obliquely, and the earring flashed to the Admiral.
It just might work. "Admiral, if you don't mind I would like
some time to consider the position. Would it be possible to
reconvene here in one hour?"

Picard nodded. Nacheyev nodded. Jellico fumed. "All right
then. But first, thank you all for your consideration.
Whatever the outcome, I am grateful that you thought of me
for such a position."

"Picard, stay on the line for a short discussion." And as
the door closed, everyone on the bridge including Kerryn
heard the comm unit shout, "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?" in
Jellico's voice.

Riker was there. He looked at Kerryn, and grinned. "Welcome
to the I-hate-Jellico club."

Kerryn laughed. "Come on over, please. You too, Mr. Data.
Let's visit Worf." Worf was standing there looking
expectant. "They want to give me command of Asheville. I
want to know the truth about her."

Worf pulled up the performance records and crew manifest. In
what could only pass for a sneer, the Klingon muttered, "An
embarrassment to Starfleet."

"What is your joint assessment on her crew? I have been lead
to believe it is the captains's fault."

Data examined the manifests. "Her crew is all inexperienced.
Most seem to rotate out within six months. Her captain
retired three months ago and is not on board anymore." He
paused, then continued. "Forty eight candidates have been
considered for the position."

"How many remain that are qualified?"

"Four, although their status shows that they are not
available for reassignment. You are one, Commander Riker."

"So I am their last hope until someone gets promoted?"

Data checked. "Yes. The next candidate will become available
in eight months."

Kerryn grinned. "A bargaining chip. Pull up her reviews."
And they examined the mission reviews. It was a case of
sloppiness, carelessness and inexperience that was never
corrected. The more Kerryn saw, the more his fingers itched
to do something about it.

Fifty-five minutes passed. He had seen enough. He stood
back, and Riker asked him, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going for it?"

Kerryn looked at them wickedly. "Can you swear to secrecy
until the decision is made?"

They nodded, and looked at Data, who said, "I will not
disclose anything."

"Yes, and I am going to try to wangle a captaincy out of it.
Wish me luck."

They did, and as Kerry reentered the ready room, Riker
observed, "He's got balls, that's for sure." And he grinned.
"Jellico will blow his core on this one."

Worf grinned. "I certainly hope so."

Inside, Picard and the others were ready. Jellico was not
happy. Nachayev took the lead.

"Commander, have you made your decision?"

"Admiral, I believe so. I have analyzed the current crew
manifest of Asheville. There is nothing wrong with her crew.
The captain, now retired for three months, and the absence
of a first officer have caused a total breakdown of
authority. You have interviewed forty-eight out of forty-
nine candidates, with four being unavailable for
reassignment, and they all turned you down. It will be eight
months before you have another candidate." He paused, then,
"With the total breakdown of authority, only a captain can
effectively restore the duty and discipline. Less than a
captain will not gain the respect of the crew. This is
further amplified by the fact that there is no first
officer. Right now, the CO is the chief engineer, and he has
no training or experience." A last pause, then, "I am
actually very surprised that this was allowed to happen. It
is not commensurate with the Starfleet I have come to know."

Jellico muttered, "In your opinion."

"Actually, I had Mr. Data do the analysis. That is about as
neutral as you can get."

Jellico slammed his desk. Nachayev waited patiently and
Picard grinned. "Well done."

"What have you decided?"

"Will you give me the one tool I need to accomplish the job?
Because, frankly, I will have to decline the offer if I
don't have the authority to execute the position." There, he
had said it. Now what would happen?

Dead silence. Jellico put his head down on the desk.
Nachayev looked at Jellico in surprise. "Admiral, you and I
will have a discussion about this topic after this meeting.
Picard, Kerryn, I have to apologize for Admiral Jellico; he
has been under a lot of strain. Finding candidates and
having them turn you down has been demoralizing for us all."

Picard spoke soothingly. "We understand. It is a difficult
situation."

Jellico and Nachayev exchanged a look, and Jellico threw his
hands up in the air. "Picard, you are authorized here and
now by Admiral Nachayev, and myself, to field promote
Commander Kerryn to the rank of Captain, contingent upon his
acceptance of the position of commanding officer of the USS
Asheville."

Kerryn inclined his head. "Admirals, Captain, it would be my
pleasure to accept your gracious and thoughtful assignment."

"You damn well better be!" grumped Jellico. "Jellico out."

Picard was stunned, grinned, and with Jellico out, said,
"That was brilliant, and congratulations, Captain Kerryn."

Admiral Nachayev smiled too. "We had anticipated this, but
not your use of Mr. Data as an unbiased source. I think you
will do well, Captain. Thank you for your time, Captain
Picard, Captain Kerryn. We will push the promotion through
within the hour. And now, please make your way at best speed
to Starbase 47 where the Asheville is in orbit. Nachayev
out."

They shook hands, and Picard said, "It isn't going to be
easy."

Trying out the familiarity, Kerryn replied, "But I am just
itching to do it. Thank you, Jean-Luc."

Picard did not even bat an eye. "You are welcome."

They left the ready room. Riker, Data, and Worf blocked
their way. Picard nonchalantly looked around, and then said,
"Go ahead, Captain." And the smiles split all around.

"Helm, lay in course for Starbase 47. At warp Five, what is
our estimated travel time?"

"Four hours and seventeen minutes." That was Data.

"With Captain Picard's concurrence, I will need one hour to
close out my suite here at Starbase 27 before we can break
orbit."

"Make it so."

And that was how Kerryn became Captain of the USS Asheville.
Crew of seventy five. Five times larger than his largest
crew to date. But he was a Captain. And he had some ideas
what to do. It was going to be on the fringe of Starfleet
regulations, but they would see results.

At Starbase 47, Captain Picard introduced the new Captain
Kerryn to the Base Commander. No one looked more relieved
than the Base Commander at the news.

"Captain, you have just made my month. Seeing that ship
molder in orbit has been highly frustrating."

"Commander, she will for a few more days until we can clear
an engineering inspection to my specifications. But we will
break orbit not one hour later than necessary."

The Base Commander signaled the Asheville. "Asheville
Transporter Room, this is Starbase 47. Three to beam over."

"Okey dokey," came the response. Kerryn grinned evilly. The
shimmering happened, and they arrived on board.

The base commander stepped down. "Ensign, this is Captain
Picard of the Enterprise, and this is your new commanding
officer, Captain Kerryn."

The ensign gulped, and straightened. "Welcome aboard. I will
signal Chief Engineer O'Malley immediately."

Kerryn spoke. "Do that. Then have the entire crew assemble
in the forward lounge in thirty minutes." Kerryn strode out
of the transporter room and made a left turn. Crew members
jumped out of his way as he proceeded around.

Picard and the base commander had to hurry to catch up. "Do
you know where you are going?"

"Not exactly. But they don't know that." He had studied the
ships layout, and sure enough, he found the turbolift where
it should be. "Deck Five." And they moved along. The floor
was dirty. One or two of the lights were out. But they
arrived at the lounge, and Kerryn barged right in with the
others following.

"Captain, base commander, allow me to attempt to get you a
drink." He took their synthehol orders and went to the host.
"Two synthehol martinis, and do you have any real alcohol?"

The host was surprised by the intensity, and started to
prepare the drinks. "I have some scotch, and several bottles
of bourbon that hasn't been touched in a while."

"Two ounces of bourbon. And always have it in stock. Your
new commanding officer is extremely partial to it." And with
that, he took the drinks back to the table.

The host watched carefully. The hawk-faced man would be an
interesting choice. But to his amazement, the long-haired
one served the synthehol to the other two, and downed the
bourbon himself. A slow grin spread across the bar hosts's
face. The young CO was gorgeous. And full of energy and
purpose. Things might be turning around here.

Kerryn glanced at the bar host, raised his glass, and
winked. Oh yes, things were going to be very different.
Automatically, he took out a fresh rag and began polishing
the bar with gusto.

Kerryn addressed the two senior officers. "If you don't
mind, I'd like to get the transfer done quickly. Like here
and now, and when the chief arrives. There are enough
witnesses here now. The crew meeting I would prefer to be
free of outsiders."

"You have a plan, then?"

"Yes. They need identity and pride. I'm going to run this
place like a pirate ship until we meet some reasonable
standard. And that means that I am going to be very
critical, and it won't help if you guys are in on it."

Picard was thoughtful. "I would like very much to see that
meeting. Can you record it for me?"

Kerryn promised. And at that moment, Chief Engineer O'Malley
burst into the room with the Chief Medical Officer. The bar
host pointed them out, and both all but ran to the table.

"Captains, commander, Chief Engineer O'Malley here, with
Chief Medical Officer Warren. Welcome aboard Asheville,
sirs!"

Kerryn spread his arm. "Please sit down. I am Captain
Kerryn, your new commanding officer." He signaled the bar,
who knew what they would have. The two officers glanced at
Kerryn with surprise and interest. "I had meant to ask, but
what is ship's time right now?"

"1642 hours, sir."

"Good." And Kerryn proceeded to grill the two officers on
the ships operation, status, medical facilities, issues, and
more. These two knew very little beyond their own domains,
and as the questions mounted they got more and more nervous.

"Well gentlemen, that should do for now." He looked at
Picard, and said, "How about now?"

Picard maintained a deadpan look. "Of course." They stood,
and Picard took out the little whistle for that purpose. He
raised his voice. "May I have your all attention?" And the
lounge went quiet. "Pursuant to Starfleet Regulations, and
these witnesses here, namely acting commanding officer Chief
Engineer O'Malley and Chief Medical Officer Warren, Command
and Authority is given to Kerryn, Captain in Starfleet,
Master and Commander and Captain Second Class of the
Freighter's Guild, by order of Admiral Jellico and Admiral
Nachayev." He blew the three-tone whistle sequence, handed
Kerryn the whistle and a data pad. "Congratulations, Captain
Kerryn. Chief O'Malley?"

"Computer, this is Chief Engineer O'Malley. Transfer all
command codes to Captain Kerryn. Authorization 000."

"Acknowledged." And that was it. A round of applause
followed from the dozen or so people there.

Kerryn spoke briefly. "There is a crew meeting in ten
minutes in this room, at which point we will discuss the
Asheville. Please move the tables and chairs to the sides.
Thank you, Captain, and base commander." He gestured to
O'Malley. "Please escort us back to the Transporter Room."

Ten minutes later, Picard was on Enterprise, and Kerryn was
in the lounge with every single crew member. Picard wondered
how it was going, when Worf spoke up.

"Sir, incoming message from the Asheville. It appears to be
a one-way transmission."

Picard grinned. "On screen. Everyone, take a break and let
us see what Kerryn does."

Kerryn grinned at setting up the live feed. Only the bar
host knew it was on. He called for quiet.

"Crew of the Asheville, it is nice to meet you. I am your
new commanding officer, Captain Kerryn. I call the planet
Delvin Six my home world, and we are a single name culture,
so Kerryn is all that I am. I wanted to let you in on some
facts. Since your captain retired, forty eight persons were
interviewed and turned down the opportunity to serve on
Asheville." Muttering ensued. "I was number forty nine,
because of my Starfleet Affiliate status. I am a certified
Freighter Guild Captain, Second Class, as well as a
certified Ship Master." More muttering. "I have read the
past two years of ship performance, crew assessments, and
overall ratings. Frankly, we have nowhere to go but up. That
is my basic job: to see to it that we execute our missions
at Starfleet standards, and to do whatever it takes to get
us there."

O'Malley had gone white. Warren was smiling.

"There will be a fundamental change of attitude here. First
lesson: Everything matters. Everything. Second lesson:
Nothing escapes me. Nothing. Some of you will learn why.
Third lesson: We are a team of interdependent people. We
must function like a team, and we will take pride in our
accomplishments as a team." He handed someone a box. "Inside
this box are dark green armbands. Velcro, so one size fits
all. Wear it on your left arm. And every time you see
someone you might or might not know but who is wearing the
arm band, introduce yourself and identify your department.
Then offer to help, or compliment. There will be no
negativity." And he went on with the duty shifts per
Starfleet recommendation.

Finally, Kerryn had finished. "Are there any questions?"

One hand raised. "Are you serious?"

Kerryn looked daggers at the man until he got really
nervous. "Yes, ensign. I am very serious. The consequences
are far worse." He grinned. "One more thing. No transfers
for six months." The armbands had circulated now. "Please
place at midarm. Do not take it off except for shower,
changing clothes and sex. THAT little band is your identity
on this vessel. Tomorrow at 0800 ship-wide inspections will
begin of all areas. That includes living quarters. We will
not criticize, but offer aid and direction in correction.
Tonight I will start in Engineering."

"Any further questions?"

Silence.

"You are dismissed. Let's right the ship." And the crew
filed out.

Picard held his breath and then the feed closed. The bridge
stood there in shock, and then Worf said, "He was too nice
to them."

Geordi commented last. "I've been through it, remember? They
won't know what hit them."

And that was true. The first place he started was the
lounge. The bar host promised to raise his standards. He
introduced himself as Rian. Rian was also from a single-name
culture. And when he came out from behind the bar, Kerryn
immediately drank him in.

Rian was very nice. Slender, deliberate, largely at peace
with himself. Though one could tell that he was lonely.
Everyone had a hands-off relationship with him, meaning that
he was not a part of their close circles of friendship among
he crew, but an outsider. Kerryn made a mental note, as did
Rian.

They went to Engineering. Chief O'Malley indicated that he
was just coming off-shift and could they do it tomorrow?
Kerryn shook his head, and said that that they were getting
under way tomorrow and if they blew up in the process,
history would remember the name O'Malley. He handed him a
cup of coffee from the replicator, and to Engineering they
went.

Fortunately, Engineering wasn't too bad. It was dusty and
grimy, but most systems passed diagnostics. The warp core
was in good shape. But once again, the power distribution
system had not been maintained. Kerryn ordered the
replacement of every single relay and a quantification of
the power gained with each one, an updated maintenance plan,
training plan, and schedule. Engineering consisted of a
dozen skilled ensigns with little practical experience.
Kerryn turned to O'Malley.

"Chief, how much hands-on training have you given them?"

O'Malley was exhausted. "None, sir. None asked, and we
figured they would learn as we went. But we haven't gone
anywhere."

Kerryn looked at the engineering staff. "Anything to add?"

They shook their heads. One, however, spoke up. "Sir, it is
true that we didn't ask for additional training. But the
captain did not permit our requests for cruise time. It
isn't like we didn't try at all, sir."

Kerryn nodded. "OK. As soon as I have made first pass
through the entire ship, all the engineering staff and I
will go over every square millimeter of the engineering
systems. This will be a nice, messy and deep audit. And a
great learning experience. I don't care much how things got
the way they are, but I care very much how they go from
here. Document everything, even if it is just the right spot
on where to hit the bulkhead for the bridge lighting."

"That happens to you too?" One of the ensigns spoke up,
followed by a quick, "Sir?"

Kerryn regarded him appraisingly. "Yes."

Sickbay was in pristine shape. Dr. Warren knew what he was
doing. It was the only department to get a clean report. The
science stations were a disaster. Kerryn lost it on the
fourth one.

He had been walking by when he had heard laughter, and a
raucous comment about very long hair. Eyebrows raised, and
the team with him actually stopped walking in dread. He felt
their discomfort and apprehension, stopped and turned to
them.

"Is it always like this?"

The science officer, Lieutenant Durango, turned to face
Kerryn. "More or less."

"Why have you not dealt with it?"

"No one cared at the outcome, sir."

That was what did it. His voice dropped to deadly whisper,
and then resounded in the hallway in stentorian form. "I
care. Your captain now cares. You and your staff have HAD
ALMOST SIXTEEN HOURS SINCE I CAME ON BOARD. MY MESSAGE TO
THE CREW WAS THAT EVERYTHING MATTERED AND NOTHING ESCAPES
ME. THE FACT THAT YOUR STAFF WAITED UNTIL I ARRIVED HERE TO
REACT does not make me happy. At all."

The entire team stood silent. Durango was ready to crawl
under the floor. There was silence in each of the
laboratories. Kerryn decided to give them a chance.
"Lieutenant, I need a bio break."

"Right this way, sir." And Kerryn got to use the bathroom. A
replicator stood there, and on a wild whim he asked for an
age old product.

"A bottle of Windex, sixteen ounces." Whirr, and out came
the bottle of miracle blue liquid. "Four rolls of paper
towels, standard grade." Whirr, and out came four rolls of
paper towels, with a stenciled picture of the Starfleet logo
on them. Sheesh.

In agitation, the team watched their captain exit, with his
items, muttering, ". bet it's on the bloody toilet paper
too." He stopped, and looked at Durango. "Which one is the
worst, lieutenant?"

"Lab Six, sir." And they went in.

The reek was pretty bad. Nothing had been cleaned up in
three months after an aquatic world analysis. Some things
had been put away in a rush, as he could see watermarks
still freshly uncovered on the lab tables.

"Everyone, gather around." They did.

"This is Windex. These are paper towels. This is how it
works. You pump the spray, let it sit for a few seconds
only, and then wipe until clean and dry. Repeat as
necessary. Used paper towels go in the trash. When you need
more, just ask for Windex. Clean everything this way. Then
run it through the sterilizer. If you let the sterilizer do
it all, you will be here for weeks. It will probably take
you the rest of the day this way. Divide up your teams
across all the labs and work in parallel. Switch labs every
hour. That way you will have a fresh start and you can also
sort all items back to the proper labs." He held up a
particular tool. "This does not belong in an aquatics lab.
It will catch fire if you get it wet. This belongs in the
Deep Space lab."

"Do I make myself clear?"

Nods. Kerryn groaned inwardly. "Starfleet, DO I MAKE MYSELF
CLEAR?"

"YES, SIR."

"Much better. Durango," and as the subject cringed, "I will
be heading for the bridge next. Give them some warning to
bury themselves, please." And there was a light snicker from
the science team. Kerryn looked back, and said, "I hope that
was at my dry attempt at humor, and not at the reaming that
they are likely to get up on the bridge. I would be most
concerned with the science department inspection I am going
to make six hours from now to check on your progress. And
that includes the computer records and files as well as
inventory." They were very somber now.

Durango took a chance. "Durango to bridge. Captain is on his
way up."

The bridge responded. "Oh shit. Bridge out."

You could have heard a pin drop. Then Kerryn grinned. "Well,
at least they had the right reaction. Durango, stay with
this team and help them through." He handed Durango the
paper towels and Windex. "Lead by example. I will head up to
the bridge."

He started walking away when Durango began giving orders.

Half way to the bridge, he cornered an ensign. "Ensign, I
need to ask you a few questions."

The ensign trembled. "Yes, sir."

"At ease, please. How is corridor cleanliness maintained?"

"Sir, there is usually a rotating schedule. We use
hydrostatic collectors."

"Thank you. Are you on duty now?"

"No, sir."

"I have a very important job for you. First, take me to the
large replicator station." It was only a dozen yards away.
Kerryn addressed the replicator. "Eight mops, type A, and
eight two-gallon buckets of water with a two percent ammonia
solution. Save as template Corridor Cleanup One." Some
whirring, and the door opened to find the requisite pieces.
The ensign looked curious.

"Find some other off-duty crewmen and distribute the load. I
want the walls washed and the ceiling too. After it has
dried, coordinate the use of the hydrostatic collectors. Set
up a new rotating schedule."

"Yes sir. This deck only or all decks?"

Kerryn thought a moment. Distribute the load. "This deck
only is your responsibility. Carry my order to others for
their responsibilities. We have twelve decks?" Nod. "Then
eleven more people. This deck is yours."

"Yes, sir."

"Remind them that this is about teamwork, not a pecking
order."

"Yes, sir."

"And tell them they have to do it naked."

The ensign startled. It was an interesting idea, but . "Y-
Yes, sir. With or without the armband, sir?"

"Ensign."

"Sir?"

"I was kidding on the last one. But thank you for the
obedience."

"You are welcome, sir."

Jeez. A part of him felt good that no one was questioning
his authority. It would have been an interesting idea to see
a corridor full of naked young men swabbing the walls
wearing only an armband.

He made his way to the stairs, and climbed them. They were
the filthiest. He sighed. Hadn't been used in years. Oh
well. He stood at the landing on Deck One, and the doors
opened.

"CAPTAIN ON THE BRIDGE!" Someone cried out. He could smell
Windex. And there it was. His bridge. And were there
problems.

For one thing, it was ghastly hot. "Who is the watch
officer?"

Silence. "All right, how about the Duty Officer?" A young
woman's hand went up. "Ensign Brown, sir."

"Ensign, why is it so warm up here?"

Terror crossed her face, then resolve. This was her captain,
for better or for worse. "Life support malfunction, sir. We
have been on the backup system for six months."

Kerryn's jaw dropped. "Repairs?"

"Captain Klu did not authorize them, sir." And now Kerryn
understood.

"Very well. I authorize them as the absolute highest
priority after using Windex." That drew a very restrained
chuckle.

"Yes, sir."

"Who should oversee the repairs?"

Silence, then, Ensign Brown answered. "I don't know, sir."

"How about the Operations Officer?"

"Our First Officer was the Operations Officer as well."

"Lovely." He looked around at them. "Anyone know anything
about life support systems?"

Ensign Brown raised her hand. "I took an engineering
elective that included them in the Academy, sir."

"Good enough. Computer!" And the expecting fweep was heard.
"Record field assignment for Ensign Brown, USS Asheville as
acting Operations Officer, effective immediately."

"Recorded."

"Come, Ensign. Let's see what the problem is." He turned to
the bridge crew. "I appreciate your cleaning efforts. Make
sure it isn't just a physical cleaning, but a functional one
too."

Life support was a disaster. The primary unit had been
neglected for so long that it had to be replaced, and it was
bigger than the replicator could handle. The backup unit
needed an overhaul. Back to the bridge Kerryn went.

"Open a channel to the USS Enterprise please."

"Channel open."

"Enterprise, this is Captain Kerryn of the USS Asheville."
He said the name with a little pride, and emphasized the `e'
so it came out Ash-eh-ville.

"Greetings, Captain Kerryn."

"I need your help. Our life support unit needs a complete
replacement, and our replicator can't handle it. I was
hoping that I might borrow Commander LaForge and Commander
Data for a couple of hours, and that they just might bring a
new unit with them."

"Certainly. Send us your specifications."

"Thank you, captain." And then the best idea hit Kerryn.
"Captain, I would appreciate it if you would not mention
this to Admiral Jellico or Admiral Nachayev. They would
probably decide to re-crew the Asheville if they heard about
this total breakdown. I don't want that to happen." And just
at that moment, half the bridge lights went out.

Kerryn rolled his eyes. "Excuse me, captain." In full view,
he walked to he bulkhead, measured it, and gave it an
almighty whack slightly left of center. The lights came back
on. And in a pained tone, he said, "It is a design flaw.
I'll write it up when I get the chance."

"Of course. They will signal when they beam over."

"Thank you. Asheville out."

There was silence on the Asheville bridge as Kerryn made his
way down the stairs.

Ensign Brown looked around at the stunned faces. "Well, I
guess we know the stakes now. See to it that everyone is
aware." To re-crew was a certain end of a Starfleet career.
Not that it would be over, but it would go nowhere.

Picard, on the other hand, grinned and clapped his hands.
"Perfect! Go help him out, Data, Geordi."

Worf looked at him. "Captain, was that entirely wise for him
to make such a statement?"

"Absolutely. He said he would run the place like a pirate
ship. Pirates stay on because the captain holds something
over their head; usually protection from the noose. He just
let them know that there is a noose waiting for them if they
don't join his team. It is brilliant, really. By making that
comment to me, it has all the credibility he needs."

Kerryn and the others went to work, Ensign Brown included.
Three hours later, the main life support system was
replaced, cleaned, flushed, and verified working. Kerryn had
turned to Ensign Brown, and said, "Go ahead, acting
Operations Officer. Throw the switch."

She did, and grinned when the lights all went green and the
primary drive came on. They spent another hour on the backup
unit, which only needed a deep cleaning and long-term but
routine maintenance, and of course at Kerryn's command, a
new bank of power switching relays.

When they exited the life support operations room, Kerryn
grinned as he saw ten or so young crewmen stripped to the
waist and mopping and washing the ceiling and walls. Lights
had been updated, and the invisible stink of neglect was
being eradicated. They weren't unhappy about it, either.
Kerryn called down the corridor, "Carry on, crewmen!" and
they nodded, smiled and did so. He noticed that each of them
was wearing the dark green armbands.

Kerryn took them to the transporter room. It was vacant, so
Kerryn used the controls himself.

"Thank you, gentlemen. That was one for the books."

"Good luck, Captain. I think you are going to need it."

"Energizing." And they vanished.

He made his way back to the bridge. The corridors looked
much better. Up the stairs, and out the stairwell. No
slowing down.

"CAPTAIN ON THE BRIDGE!" someone shrieked again. Kerryn
looked up, and said, "I appreciate the sentiment, but that
is not necessary at this time, thank you. That is for
pristine little prick captains who are so insecure that they
need someone to announce their presence. I am NOT that."

He entered his ready room, and shut the door. This would be
his domain, his office. It was small, shaped like a sliver.
The windows were a mess, and he realized that Captain Klu
was a smoker. The room reeked. But the desk would be
serviceable. There were piles of just plain crud. He went
back out on to the bridge.

"Can anyone spare me some paper towels and Windex?"

Humorously, the security officer handed him some. "Do you
require help, sir?"

"No, thank you, this is my part of the project. But you
could contact Chief O'Malley and remind him that the
engineering inspection will be in another two hours."

"Yes, sir."

And so he cleaned. At least the ship was comfortable for
life support and temperature, now. He disposed of the
accumulated crud, and stripped the room bare except for the
windows, the desk and the computer. The chair and the stuff
he had beamed for disposal. He would decorate later. Finally
though he realized that he needed a chair, and asked for a
standard chair to be sent up.

Ten minutes later, Rian came in with a chair. He looked
around the bare room, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Well,
it is an improvement, sir."

Kerryn laughed. "It certainly is. What is your rank and
assignment, anyway?"

"Ensign, cultural liaison officer. I also double as a
maintenance facilitator."

"You are a good guy to know, Ensign Rian."

Something twigged Kerryn. Rian was very attractive. He was
the open, friendly type who usually knew more than he would
say. With a shock he realized that he could say the same
thing about himself. Kerryn shook his head ruefully. He
shouldn't let his hormones get in the way. Although he was
sure that there was a porn stash on Asheville somewhere, it
probably didn't dictate to his gay tastes.

Rian regarded Kerryn appraisingly. This guy was gorgeous,
and deep. Hard to figure out. Must be all the years of
merchant experience. But again, Rian felt a strange
connection building between them. He wondered if Kerryn was
gay. But that would be too much to hope for. While it was
tolerated easily, all the other ship crew were straight.
Rian had tried.

"Anything else, sir?"

Kerryn went for it. "When the furor is down and we are under
way, I would like to have dinner with you, if that is all
right."

Rian split a grin across his face. "Yes, sir, that would be
most welcome."

"I'll make sure I am off duty at the time." Something hit
him again. "Oh, where are my quarters, anyway?" And Rian
showed him on the ships layout.

They went out onto the bridge, and Rian returned below.
Kerryn looked around. "Status?"

No one answered.

"Who is the duty officer?"

One of the ensigns spoke. "Sir, we are at a Starbase.
Regulations do not require us to assign a duty officer."

Kerryn fought the urge to strangle the young man. But
vaguely he remembered something like that. He was going to
have to review the regs.

"I see. Well, for reasons I will explain later, I want one
person at all times to have the responsibility for the
awareness of the status of the ship. Even in space dock.
Even after she is wrecked. Even if we are orbiting Riisa.
That person will be called the Watch Officer, which will be
the Duty Officer role plus what I have just described. You
are?"

"Ensign Garone, sir."

"Ensign Garone, you are now the Watch Officer until your
shift is over. Same responsibilities as Duty Officer. Any
questions?"

"No, sir." And immediately the ensign went to the tactical
station and pulled up the data. "Ship status remains in
orbit about Starbase 47. Engineering, tactical,
communications, and propulsion shows normal availability.
Life support is back to one hundred percent, with a one
hundred and ten percent backup." He paused. "She never
looked this good, sir."

"Oh yes she did, but it was the day she was commissioned.
Have the maintenance crews do an exterior hull survey from
shuttlecraft. Unless engineering is a disaster, I want to be
under way in three hours."

"Yes, SIR!"

He heard in the background as he left, "Wow, we're actually
going somewhere!" Jeez.

Engineering proved to be better than he thought. If nothing
else, things were meticulously cleaned. Kerryn prowled over
the entire solution for an hour or so, and came up with a
list of a dozen things that should be done. He could see
their faces fall. No, he thought, let's fly.

"Chief, have you done a full power-up test?"

"Yes, sir. All readings well in the nominal to optimal
range."

"This list can wait until later. I will want Warp Five in
ten minutes." He looked around at the lightening faces. "Not
bad at all."

He left engineering, and made his way to the bridge. Yes,
things were much better. No one screamed his arrival. People
were at stations. Ensign Garone was sitting in the Chair,
and when Kerryn arrived he quickly rose. "Sir, no changes in
ship status. All departments are reporting green."

"Good." He addressed the crowd. "All stations, please run a
level four diagnostic." A dozen seconds and all stations
indicated green for go.

"Communications, open a ship-wide channel."

"Channel open, sir."

"Crew, this is Captain Kerryn. We will breaking orbit
shortly. I want to thank you for your diligence, and remind
you that that is what Starfleet is about. We will be using
systems not exercised in months, and procedures that may
have grown rusty. As with any captain, I myself have my own
quirks that you will get used to. Be vigilant for any
problems. And once and for all, remember that you are the
crew, my crew, of this vessel. It's name is properly
pronounced Ash-eh-ville. Any prior pronunciations are
incorrect, and I have heard several that were less than
complementary. Time to correct perception. Kerryn out."

Smiles were all around the bridge. A little bit of pride,
too. "OK, crew, let's do it. Helm, plot a minimum gravity
course towards the Polansk Nebula. Communications, signal
Starbase 47 and indicate that we are breaking orbit."

After a moment, the response came. "Mission, sir?"

"Procedural investigation of the Polansk Nebula."

Another moment, then, "They wish us well, sir. And captain's
compliments."

"Humph."

"Course ready, sir."

"Break orbit, half impulse."

He felt the slight jerk. "Diagnostics on the inertial
damping system?"

"Sir, now reporting ninety percent effectiveness."

"Proceed on course. Bridge to Engineering. Recalibrate the
inertial damping system. Signal Operations when you are
complete."

"Aye, sir."

"Spherical sensor sweep, please."

Another moment.

"Nothing to report, sir."

A few moments quiet, then. "Hail coming in from Enterprise."

"On screen."

There was Picard, Riker, Troi, and Beverly Crusher. Picard
spoke. "Best voyage, Captain. It is heartening to see a
minimum gravity course on a beautiful starship."

"Thank you, Captain Picard. I look forward to our next
meeting."

"As do I. Enterprise out."

The Operations Officer, Ensign Brown, spoke up. "Sir, the
inertial damper realignment is complete."

"Good. Go to full impulse."

"Full impulse."

Smooth. No bumpiness. He let that settle for a few moments.

Helm, this time. "Captain, we have cleared gravity and are
in free space."

"Good. Ready?"

They all looked at him with grins, and nodded. "OK. Warp One
please."

The small Nova-class starship gathered herself and leapt
forward at Warp One. The starfield came alive and everyone
breathed deeply.

"Bridge to Engineering."

"Engineering, O'Malley here."

"Chief, how is the warp field performance?"

"Well within nominal limits."

"Good. Once the coils have worked in again, we will do a
field analysis and put them near optimal."

Resignedly, "Yes, sir."

"Time to the Polansk Nebula at present rate?"

"Nine hours, ten minutes."

"Good. Ensign Brown, you have the conn. I will be in the
ready room, taking a nap as I haven't slept in about fifty
hours."

"Yes, sir."

And Kerryn left the bridge for his ready-room. The sofa he
had placed there was specifically for this purpose, and he
had put extra uniforms and toiletries in the bathroom that
was attached. He lay down and was nearly instantly asleep.

Ensign Brown, on the other hand, sat nervously in the chair.
She pulled up the Starfleet guidelines for a duty officer in
flight and went through them. Yes, she needed some routine
status information. Garone seemed to be a natural alternate
for her.

"I'm glad it's you he picked." One of the other ensigns,
Ensign Logan, had come over.

"It could be you next time. Here, lets go over the regs
again so we aren't caught by surprise."


Six hours passed, and Kerryn awoke. He quickly showered,
cleaned up and put on a fresh uniform, with armband. He had
slept really well, and felt extremely alert. And he was
hungry.

"Kerryn to Rian."

"Rian here, sir."

"Would you like to join me for some dinner?"

"Most certainly, sir. How about my quarters?"

That sounded heavenly. "I accept with enthusiasm. Twenty
minutes?"

"Fine, sir."

"Kerryn out."

He went back on the bridge, and Ensign Brown stood. But
Kerryn shooed her back to the Chair. "I am going down for
dinner, that's all. Have you selected an alternate duty
officer?"

"Ensign Logan, sir." Ensign Logan went totally white.

"Carry on. But realize that at Warp One, on our way to the
nebula very little is likely to happen. That is by design."

"Yes, sir."

Rian's quarters were near his. He sighed. He would have to
deal with his quarters eventually. He hoped they were better
off than the ready room was.

Rian welcomed him to his quarters. Rian had obviously been
around, as there were select items from a number of
cultures. Kerryn could appreciate some of them, but others
were lost to him.

Dinner was replicated, and an easy time. It was pretty
obvious that each were trying to get beyond the uniform.
Rian had an advantage in that he wasn't wearing it, but
rather a comfortable civilian outfit. Kerryn was still in
uniform.

Kerryn had to break out a little bit. He sighed, and said,
"Rian, I am sorry about this uniform tonight, but I haven't
anything else to wear right now. I haven't been to my
quarters yet, let alone unpacked."

Rian grinned. "I will try to remember that." They cleared
their places. "You have an incredible command of a starship,
Kerryn. That has been both reassuring and stimulating to the
crew." Rian stood in front of the flying star field out his
window. "Getting us out of orbit to go anywhere has made all
the difference in the world. It is the second most popular
topic among the crew right now." He was skirting the issue
he so wanted to bring up.

Kerryn fell for it. "Oh? What is the first topic?"

"You."

"How so?"

"Well, you are like everywhere, know everything, and you
aren't dwelling in the past. There is more, but captains
usually don't want to hear about it."

Kerryn turned and faced Rian. "I'm not an ordinary captain.
Tell me."

Rian grinned again, and licked his lips unconsciously.
"Well, for one thing one of the female ensigns saw you going
down the hallway after you had finished with the science
labs. She said that you looked like an incredible storm
cloud of lustability."

"Well, I was pretty frustrated."

"Apparently. That's what everyone seems to see. None of us
know how old you are, but you have been prowling the ship
with years of experience."

"I'm not that old. But I've seen a lot. I think Asheville
needs a workaholic for a while."

"Would you be willing to share your age? It won't go any
farther."

Why not? "Well, I haven't quite turned twenty one yet."

"Wow. I mean, most of us figured you at not more than
thirty, more like late twenties. How did you do it?"

Kerryn laughed. "Coincidence, mostly." He told Rian about
his life as a freighter kid, then a self-sufficient orphan
who would not let himself become an orphan. "It hasn't been
easy, but I have seen an awful lot."

"What happened to your parents?"

"My mother left us when I was small. Dad had told me that
she wasn't cut out for freighter life. And my dad was killed
at Rana Seven." He got a little quiet. "My best friend,
too."

"I'm sorry. I lost my older brother and two of his friends
at Rana Seven."

"I don't know which was worse. I felt Imzadi go, and his
loss took me off guard; but Dad was on the bridge when they
nailed it. I got them back for that. But in the mean time,
after I repaired my ship, I ended up here because the
Cardassians hit Starbase 47 where my ship was docked, and
wiped it out."

Rian stared at him. "You got back at the Cardassians for
Rana Seven?"

Kerryn nodded. "Ion cannon. One of their ships was
overconfident and when it went by me I nailed it in the
engines with a multi-megawatt blast from the ion cannon." He
grinned. "I didn't know it was their flagship."

Rian grinned. "Way to go!" And then he smiled in an odd way.
"So that's how you do it."

"Do what?"

"You mentioned Imzadi. That's the Betazoid term for first
love. Just how Betazoid are you?"

Oops. "Well, if you must know, half. But I have never
trained on Betazed. And I haven't used any of those skills
on this ship."

"If that's true, you are a formidable opponent." Rian felt
he could broach this topic now. "You also mentioned that
Imzadi was a he."

"Perhaps. He was a he. I tend to lean that way; well, all
right, I do lean a lot that way. Though not exclusively."
Kerryn sighed. "It is a Betazoid thing."

Rian smiled sincerely. "I think it is the most encouraging
thing I have heard in a long time. Besides us, the rest of
the crew is totally straight. Trust me."

"Us?"

"I lean that way too, Kerryn."

A short silence, and then Kerryn said, "Good. I am glad to
hear that, Rian." He stood, and walked over to the window.
"I have so missed this. I had a friend whom I was
shepherding, and the destruction of my ship saw him go back
to the Academy. Even when I was a stand-in captain, it was
me versus her crew. I was always the outsider." He turned
back. "I will probably be an outsider here too, but
hopefully you and I won't let that get in the way. I've got
seventy-five crew, but no friends."

"You've got one now."

The bridge chose that moment to chime in. "Bridge to Captain
Kerryn."

"Kerryn here."

"Sir, we are thirty minutes from the Polansk Nebula
perimeter." She sounded anxious.

"I'm on my way up. Kerryn out." A pause, then, "Thanks for
hosting dinner. I would like to do this a lot more often."

"You are most welcome. Tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

As Kerryn turned to leave, Rian blurted out, "What? No
goodnight kiss?"

And there it hung. Kerryn came to a decision. "It is
sometimes a little intense, but ." and he walked over, and
took Rian into his arms. Rian fit well, being about equal
height, and certainly felt very good. Kerryn's eyes burned
golden as he brushed his mouth gently across Rian's.

Rian had closed his eyes and totally surrendered to the
experience. Kerryn had stayed out of his mind on this one,
and Rian had just relaxed into his arms. "That was nice,
hot, and oh soooo tempting."

"That's nothing compared to later."

"I'll keep an open mind."

The doors closed, Kerryn grinned. He liked Rian. And it had
felt so good. He made his way to the bridge.

They did some very routine analysis of the particle dust of
the Polansk Nebula. He had gone through some basic training-
level research on what science teams needed to do, and he
figured that some easy experimental analysis would do. So
they captured dust and analyzed it. They visited some
planets of various atmospheres and collected samples and
analyzed them. They spent four weeks building basic skills,
and shaking out the kinks in the Asheville, including her
Captain.

The crew began to show some pride. The xeno-biologists
discovered a new kind of microbe, and they wrote it up for a
technical journal. Things functioned smoothly. The warp core
was at peak performance. The ship hummed along with
activity.

Kerryn had finally dealt with his quarters. He ended up
emptying the place, washing it all, and then replicating
small amounts of furniture. By the time he was done, a
Spartan but attractive room set was his.

He still couldn't get over that. He was captain of the USS
Asheville. A starship. A small one, true, but he had seventy
five crewmembers to do their jobs at his direction,
discretion and support. He could feel the pulse of the
vessel as she moved. He had a command staff that was
moderately capable now. Ensign Brown had proven to be a very
good Operations Officer, with good deputies in Ensign Garone
and Ensign Logan. Logan had taken some breaking through, but
she was very capable.

He could feel their restlessness, though. When would they
stop being in the qualifying run and do some real on-the-
edge science stuff? And that was what prompted him to
contact Admiral Nuri.

"Ah, Captain Kerryn. How are you?"

"Very well, sir. Asheville is coming along nicely."

"Excellent. I always like a success story. So what can I do
for you?"

He explained the problem, that they were looking for a
scientific challenge that would help define what they were
capable of. Nuri nodded, understandingly. This was a healthy
response for such a crew.

"Captain, let me do some inquiring. The Vulcan Science Board
has always a list of unsolved mysteries. I will have someone
contact you with options."

"Thank you, Admiral."

"One more thing. Admiral Satii says to give you her best,
and would you please read her updated philosophy monograph."
He shrugged. "Don't know what she is up to, but we'll send
it along. Nuri out."

It was several days, but they got their mission. Minute
variations among an asteroid field along a major
transportation route were causing the maps of the field to
be irregular. Something was going on, and they were assigned
to find out.

They moved through the field for several days, mapping
orbits, charting the motion and mass properties of the
asteroids. Historical reports were pulled, and studied.
Nothing they knew fit the problem. It was as if the
asteroids were pushed about randomly at different times.

It was at one of these meetings that inspiration had struck.
The team had been arguing about gravity fields and external
influences. Kerryn had had them construct a long-term
sequence of motion and variance reports, and he was idly
watching it as went when the pattern leapt out at him.

"Oh shit."

The team went silent and looked at him. Durango's eyebrows
raised. "It wasn't that bad of an idea."

"No, no, not that. Look at the sequence." He got up, walked
to the screen, and traced his finger through the field. "See
that ripple? It takes time for the asteroids to be affected.
But there is a sequence, and that means the force is being
applied to them along a reference path."

They stared at the screen. Finally, one of the younger team
members said, "You're right, sir. I see it!" He traced his
finger around on an arc slightly. "It also seems to repeat
itself, though with slight variation."

Now the team was hooked. They went through some fast
analysis and some brain-stretching computations, and
determined that it was periodic ever five weeks, and that
the disturbance duration was shortening. And it was Durango
who put in the clinching clue.

"You know, it almost looks like a snippet of a decaying
orbit. But what kind of an object can do that?"

"A quantum singularity."

Aghast, the team turned to look at Kerryn, who had spoken.
"Don't you see? We are talking about a very small quantum
singularity that is orbiting the asteroid field. No one ever
sees it, you can't detect it unless you do a very detailed
gravity map, and it isn't fast enough for most analysis to
track it." He turned to Durango. "Can you determine the
plane of its orbit and keep us out of the way?"

"I think so."

"Do it. When is the next period it will interact?"

Some muttering and discussion, then, "Ten to fourteen days
at a guess."

"Team, refine that information. Most importantly, estimate
its mass based upon the amount of disrupted mass from the
asteroid field. Extrapolate as best you can."

"Yes, Captain!" And as they filed out, they heard him say,
"Kerryn to Engineering. Get your most creative engineers up
here now. We've got a project."

This would put the Asheville on the map. Both teams would
freak out when he told them what he wanted to do, but Kerryn
knew this would put themselves in the respected community
they wanted.

Shortly later, O'Malley and several other engineers arrived
in the conference room. Curiously waiting, Kerryn waited
until they had settled down.

"Gentlemen, we are going to build a good old-fashioned
gravity bottle." And he went through a good half hour on how
it worked. The engineers were enraptured with the idea, and
when Kerryn had finished a design frenzy began.

True to form, it would be self-sustaining. The amount of
power that Kerryn had specified was extreme. But they went
through the design anyway, and it was O'Malley who finally
stopped to think.

"Captain, how are we going to power this thing?"

"Once I have the parameters from the Science Team, I can
tell you. It will be self-sustaining, and I will give you
the standard plans for it." He grinned. "Believe me, I've
built these before and I just don't know the scale of what
we need."

At that moment, one of the science team members burst in. He
saw the meeting, gulped, and handed Kerryn a pad. Kerryn's
eyes went wide, and grinned. "OK. Call in the Science Team
in half an hour. Then it will all be clear."

The engineering team took a break. Kerryn ran through his
mental calculations. This quantum singularity was a thousand
times more dense than the weak artificial ones he used on
Totentanz, but the design would hold as long as the
structure did. Hmmm. The bottle would have to be fifty
meters long, twenty meters wide, and withstand ninth-order
newtons of force. They would need raw materials.

Excited, the teams assembled in the conference room. It was
crowded.

He was the captain, after all. "Mr. Durango, present your
findings."

"Sir, after the analysis we did we have concluded that there
is a quantum singularity orbiting a point near the center of
this asteroid field."

Discussion, and Kerryn held up his hands. "I agree. How
big?"

"Small by any standard. However, it is estimated to have a
core force at the five meter reference point of about eight-
hundred fifty million newtons." He cleared his throat. "Sir,
we are tracking it now."

"Are we? Excellent!" Kerryn stood up. "As you are aware,
this appears to be the cause of the disturbances in the
asteroid field, and in fact potentially to our own
navigation systems. Our mission is to explain it and then
neutralize it."

One of Durango's team spoke up. "How do you neutralize a
black hole?"

Before Kerryn could answer, O'Malley blurted, "You're not
serious!"

"On the contrary, Chief Engineer, I am totally serious."
Kerryn clapped his hands together. "We're going to capture
it, with the largest gravity bottle ever designed."

And that is exactly what happened. It took three weeks, but
they caught the orbiting singularity on the first try. It
had yanked the entire ship beyond what the inertial dampers
could handle, but it held and the bottle kept it trapped.
Kerryn now had a power source as strong as five Galaxy-class
warp cores. Kerryn had made Durango and O'Malley write the
reports and claim credit, analysis, etc, as Kerryn had just
basked in the personal feeling of success and the
stimulation of working with his team.

Admiral Nuri was bursting with pride, and the Vulcan Science
Board was very impressed with the results of the analysis
and solution. Both had begun dialogs with Durango and
O'Malley, but found in discussion that they kept avoiding
certain questions. But when Nuri and T'tor of the Vulcan
Science Board traded notes, they became concerned and
contacted Durango and O'Malley.

Kerryn was in his ready-room when the message came in.
"Captain, this is O'Malley."

"What can I do for you?"

"Sir, Admiral Nuri and T'tor of Vulcan will be contacting
you shortly. It appears that they were looking for more
information than Durango and I had about the singularity."

"Thank you for the notice. I will be waiting for their call.
Kerryn out." Damn. He paced. Why are they digging so deep on
this? All they wanted to do was outstanding research that
would get them back their respect. It had worked tenfold.

A call from Ensign Logan. "Sir, incoming message from
Starfleet."

"Pipe it in here, Ensign." And he turned off the analysis
and opened the communications link.

"This is Captain Kerryn of the Asheville."

Nuri was sitting with a Vulcan who only could be T'tor.
"Captain, a moment of your time. We have been in contact
with your science and engineering teams, and found some
information conspicuously missing."

"Oh really? What kind of information?"

"Principles of operation and design." This was T'tor.
"Someone helped them design the solution."

Kerryn sighed. "Yes, they had help from an expert."

"A Romulan?" This was T'tor again. Nuri looked
uncomfortable.

"No, not at all."

"The requisite knowledge to do this has so far only been
seen in Romulan engineering. It is highly suspicious."

Kerryn rolled his eyes. "Sirs, I can personally attest to
the fact that we had no Romulans helping us with this. Their
designs are much less efficient."

There was silence. "Really? And how did you come by that
information?"

He was exposed. Damn. "Years of working with a Romulan
propulsion section. Captain Picard can attest to the
engineering use of a five-by-two-way pulsed warp drive
powered by an artificial quantum singularity contained in a
gravity bottle when I showed him such a system."

Nuri's eyes opened. "You designed it?"

"In principle. I let the engineers build it, though."

Nuri looked at T'tor, who looked back at him. "You realize
that you have given Starfleet security fits over this."

"Sir, it is a research job, nothing more."

"And what would happen if you connected this thing up to an
exawatt ion cannon?"

Kerryn stopped dead. A weapon? An exawatt ion cannon could
take out a starbase in one shot. "That would be a most
formidable weapon if you could dissipate the heat. It might
be a one-time-use solution though, and that would free the
quantum singularity again."

T'tor nodded at Nuri, who said, "Thank you, Captain.
Congratulations on turning Starfleet and Vulcan upside-down.
Nuri out."

Kerryn shut off the monitor, and sat, thinking. This was
complicated. They wanted to make a weapon out of this? They
had given the gravity bottle and its contents to another
starship, which had taken it to a safe and remote research
facility. He pondered the ramifications until his stomach
said that it was time for dinner. This message tainted his
good mood.

Kerryn made his way down to Rian's quarters. They had had
dinner together more than half the time, and had enjoyed
some very hot kissing and affection, but it had not gone any
further yet. He had put on a nice comfortable outfit before
realizing that it was his Guild Captain's uniform. Rian
might catch on but at least it wasn't Starfleet.

Dinner went fine, as usual, and they were simply enjoying
each other's company. This time, however, Rian was being
especially attentive and had moved closer on the small sofa
so that they were touching all along one side. Kerryn closed
his eyes and just drank in the feeling.

Rian watched him for a moment. He had recognized the
uniform, and realized that this was how he looked in his
former world. And it was incredibly hot and sexy. It had
taken Rian's breath away when Kerryn had arrived. Rian had
felt a surge of sensuality and desire for Kerryn that he had
decided could not be stemmed. Tonight he wanted more. He
visualized the compact, toned torso, the narrow hips with
that gorgeously understated butt. But how to get to the
young man interested? That problem solved itself.

Kerryn was lost in his reverie until he opened his eyes and
saw Rian there, hungry. Hungry? Automatically he let his
mind open a little and was overwhelmed by the sexual
radiance coming from Rian. Kerryn's eyes went wide as he
realized what Rian was feeling.

Rian at that moment realized that he had leaked his
feelings, and Kerryn had got them. There it was in front of
them.

"Well?"

"Is it OK?"

Kerryn pulled Rian down to him. "It is much more than OK."

They took their time. Rian and Kerryn were well matched in
height, build, and attractiveness. Rian was a bit lighter-
skinned, whereas Kerryn had the slightly darker bronze skin
that went with his eyes. Vanilla and butterscotch. Rian was
especially sensitive, and when Kerryn finally brought his
hand down to graze Rian's cock after so much foreplay, Rian
moaned loud and long.

Kerryn paused there a moment, savoring the feel of the other
man's cock, before guiding him to the bed and moving to
begin a prolonged and intense expert oral stimulation.
Kerryn slid his tongue and mouth up and down the shaft,
delighting in the taste and the sensation of Rian. He was in
his absolute favorite position, laying across Rian's
stomach, head full of long and hard cock, with his hands
wrapped around and under, cupping and massaging the buttocks
beneath, as well as providing the wonderful feeling of
trapping that cock, that waist, and that butt under his
control. Sensitive thigh skin, sexy and silky balls, and the
occasional glimpse of his entrance drove Kerryn high with
lust.

A gentle caress of his mind against Rian's, and Rian cried
out in orgasm, pumping his creamy cum into Kerryn. They both
enjoyed and relished the sensations, Kerryn not quite ready
to let go, and Rian not quite ready to let him go.

They slowly relaxed, and separated. Rian was grinning in
kind of a goofy manner. Kerryn was so happy that they did
this. "I really enjoyed that."

"Ha. I think I was the recipient, you know." He paused,
then, "I felt something touch my mind that felt incredibly
good."

"That was me. You only got a brush. If we were to fully
engage that way, it would be hours before you would
recover."

"Have you ever done that before? Fully, that is?"

"Yes, but only when he had hours to recover. Imzadi didn't
like it, but my shepherd subject did."

They kissed, again, and curled up together. "I like this."
Rian commented.

"So do I."

They had exactly forty four seconds before the reverie was
shattered forever.

"Bridge to Captain Kerryn."

Naked, Kerryn got up and got his commbadge. "Kerryn here. I
am having dinner, you know."

Rian watched the sex god stand there with authority, still
half-hard, with the stars in the background, and had to
smile at the slightly petulant tone.

"Sir, message coming in from Starfleet. Captain's Eyes
Only."

"Send it to my ready-room. I will be there shortly. Kerryn
out." He pulled his casual Freighter Guild uniform back on.
"I am sorry. But duty calls."

"I know." A quiet moment, then, "Thank you. That means a lot
to me."

"As it does to me as well." He grinned suddenly. "I have so
much more to show you."

"Hmmm. I am definitely interested now."

Kerryn exited the room, stopped by his quarters to pick up a
breath freshener, and went to his ready-room. The priority
message was there, and after the usual verifications, the
face of Admiral Jellico was there. It was a one-way message.
And he was smiling. That was bad.

"Captain, effective immediately you are relieved of duty and
being returned to Affiliate status. The reason is the
endangerment of your ship and crew over the outrageous
capture of the quantum singularity. Your Operations Officer
must receive your command codes immediately. Proceed to
Starbase 290 without delay. Asheville will receive Captain
Correnti there. Jellico out."

Kerryn sat there, stunned. Endangerment of the ship? That
was ludicrous. The only explanation was sour grapes from
Jellico, or perhaps he frightened Starfleet enough that they
were afraid of him. Tears formed in his eyes. He couldn't
stop them. For the better part of a year, the crew and he
had worked, learned, improved and become a model solution,
both in Starfleet and in the scientific community now. Yet,
here were the documents authorizing the action. They were
signed by two admirals: Jellico himself and an Admiral
Bonbon.

His voice was surprisingly firm as he gave the order.
"Bridge, this is Kerryn. Set course for Starbase 290. Warp
Five. Ensign Brown, report to my ready-room."

A knock at the door, and Ensign Brown came in. She looked
uncomfortable.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"You have received a message from Starfleet?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have you set up command codes?"

"Yes, sir. What is going on?"

"Ensign, I have been relieved of command. Starfleet has
instructed me to place you in command until you can reach
Starbase 290." He paused, and then with a snicker, he called
up the computer. "Computer, effective immediately grant a
field promotion to Ensign Brown, USS Asheville to Lieutenant
Commander and First Officer of the USS Asheville, on
Captain's Authority seven-nine-nine."

"Promotion recorded and noted."

Now-Lieutenant Commander Brown's eyes were wide. "Thank you,
Captain. But why are they transferring you?"

"Relieved, commander, relieved. Not transferred. Apparently
certain members of Starfleet were displeased about the
amount of danger I put the ship in during the lasso of the
singularity."

"That's preposterous."

"Computer." It beeped. "Transfer all command codes to
Operations Officer Ensign Brown. Authorization Kerryn-six-
six-seven."

The computer effected the transaction in its moderate tone.
"Command codes have been transferred."

 "Nevertheless, that is the reason on record. You will pick
up Captain Correnti at Starbase 290. That is all. You may
return to duty."

"Fuck duty." His eyebrows went up. "What is happening to
you?"

A long moment of silence. "I have not planned that yet. Now
please, carry on." And she left the ready-room.

Starbase 290 was a few hours away. Kerryn quietly packed his
things from his quarters, and his ready-room. He could feel
the separation already, and stayed mostly in his quarters.
But he could not deny entrance to Rian, O'Malley, Durango,
Logan, and half a dozen others who threatened to use
security overrides to gain entrance. But despite their
protests, Starfleet had made up its mind.

Rian was the last to leave. "This is so wrong. Jellico is
such an ass. You know you are being used as a pawn."

Kerryn sighed. "I can't stop it. Then they would really hang
me."

Rian folded Kerryn into his arms. "I never even got to repay
the favor from earlier."

Kerryn laughed at that. "You are right. But now is not the
time, either."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to see about financing a ship. I am a Freighter
Guild Captain, Second Class you know, and one hell of an
engineer."

"We aren't going to let this sit."

"It is mutiny or insubordination if you don't."

Time was up. "Bridge to Captain Kerryn. We have arrived at
Starbase 290."

He tapped his commbadge. "I will beam over shortly. Call
Captain Correnti to meet at Transporter Room 2." And with a
final heave of his bag, he and Rian went to the transporter
room.

Correnti beamed over without incident. He was a rough guy,
middle-aged, and obviously a little nervous. "Captain
Correnti."

"Freighter Guild Captain Kerryn, Second Class. Welcome to
Asheville. I have already transferred the command codes to
Lieutenant Commander Brown, your First Officer."

"Thank you."

"Ensign Rian, would you please show the captain to his
quarters?"

Rian seethed, but Kerryn knew they needed to get past this.
"Yes, sir." And he and the new captain left. Kerryn stood up
on the transporter pad. "Send me over, please."

"Energizing."

And Kerryn left Asheville, returning to Starbase 290. He had
rebooked a suite of rooms, and he resettled in. Upon his
arrival, a long list of friends and employers welcomed him
back. But his first action was to check his credit balance.
Fortunately, with the insurance, the station repair work
bonuses, the stand-in captain work, and interest, he had
over twenty-five million credits. Time to shop for a ship.

And shop he did. Kerryn quickly found that anything new or
working was out of his price range. He needed an older or
odd clunker, structurally sound but in need of refit work.
But there was so much junk around. He realized that looking
for Totentanz II was the wrong approach.

He called up a list of ships available for salvage or
purchase that were in his price range. It was pathetic. One,
however, caught his eye. It wasn't much, but he could afford
it. It was a converted Ferengi freighter. Yuck.

He made his way to the Salvage Control office. He requested
an appointment, was told to come back tomorrow at 0800
station time, and so Kerryn prowled the station for a while
before ending up back in bed. He was hoping this would work
out somehow. It was surreal that twenty four hours ago he
was Captain of a Nova-class starship. Now he was a vagrant,
although a very well qualified vagrant. Somehow, he knew
that Asheville was still in orbit. He took the time to
compose a note to Rian.

Dear Rian,

The twist of events is astounding. I miss Asheville, and I
miss you. God only knows what Jellico is up to. But know
that if anyone has trouble with the singularity or the
gravity bottle, they can come to me for help. And as for us
. I am missing you very much.

Love,

Kerryn

He sent it, and fell asleep.

Rian stood behind the bar. He wasn't sure what to do.
Mechanically, he served the customers. The new captain
seemed OK, although a little high-strung. Not a leader,
really, but more of a whining figurehead. So different from
Kerryn. He decided to send a note in his role as Cultural
Liaison Officer to Starfleet as an excuse to find out what
happened. But his thoughts were of Kerryn, and the wonderful
feelings and company they had shared.

Rian did send the note. It was a week later when all hell
broke loose over that note. Two things had happened: Admiral
Satii had tried to contact Kerryn about her monograph, and
Admiral Nuri was trying to arrange a swing by Earth for a
lecture on gravity bottles. Both contacted Asheville, both
were horrified by the response from the now-Captain
Correnti, and both turned on Jellico with an unprecedented
fury. But the Admiral's assessment stood. The only option
was to interview the crew, and they realized that it was
probably too far gone for that. Half of Starfleet called for
Jellico's resignation, and instead he was assigned to the
aging starship USS Cairo. Reconciliation might have gone
further except for the outbreak of the Dominion War.

But the evolution of that sequence was months in the making.
Kerryn woke the next morning to find that he couldn't feel
Asheville or her crew anymore. A quick scan showed that she
had departed. So it was final. He did his usual routine, and
dressed and proper he appeared outside the Salvage Office.
He was admitted to its modest carpeted sales office, and sat
down with a broker.

"Good morning, sir. How may I help you?"

"I need to buy a ship, light cargo, inexpensive. You have
listed a Ferengi one as Item 7729 on your menu, and I would
like some details and a tour if possible."

"Hmmm, that is quite an affordable choice. Are you looking
for financing?"

"No, I have sufficient credit."

The salesman looked downcast. "Let me check on its status.
You are?"

"Freighter Guild Captain Kerryn, Second Class."

"Well, captain, I will be right back." And he got up and
went back into the plush office. Kerryn hoped this would be
good.

Time passed, and then the salesman returned with a very
important-looking man. They sat down, and the important-
looking one introduced himself as the Head of Sales.

"Captain, the Ferengi cargo vessel is available, and not in
bad shape. It is a good value. But I would like to discuss
another option with you. The Base Commander is coming down
as well."

Kerryn's eyebrows raised as the Base Commander entered, and
joined them. "Captain, it is good to see you again."

"Thank you. I admit that I left Starfleet under odd
circumstances, but such are the victims of politics. My key
question is, though, why all the formality?"

The Base Commander coughed politely. "No one will contest
your admirable engineering and captaincy skills. You are
young, resourceful, fair and very well respected. Mostly,
though, you make impossible things possible. And this is a
unique situation." He leaned over, and brought up a picture
of a Romulan D7-class Bird of Prey orbiting a space station.
"We would like to negotiate terms with you for you to
procure the Bombarde."

A Romulan D7! That wasn't a cargo ship, that was a warship.
"I don't get it. I am certainly flattered, but I can't
afford a D7. It isn't even a cargo ship."

"We will make it affordable."

"Really? OK, I still don't get it. What's the catch?"

"Well, right now it is permanently in orbit around Guild
Base Four."

"It is that badly damaged?"

They exchanged looks, and said, "No, actually GB4 is using
it as a power source." He straightened. "How much credit do
you have?"

"Twenty million total. I was looking to spend eighteen
million." He as usual held back some of it.

The Base Commander looked at the Head of Sales, and they
both nodded. "Captain, we would like to sell you Bombarde
for the price of ten million credits. As an incentive, we
will transfer title of GB4 to you as sole owner for the sum
of one credit. In addition, we will float you a one hundred
million credit loan to bring GB4 back to full functioning
capability."

Kerryn was totally astounded. "You are serious, aren't you?"
He applied his Betazoid scanning, and found that they were
serious. But they were holding something back. "What is it
you aren't telling me?"

They slowly responded. "GB4 is very close to the Cardassian
border. The nearest Federation outpost is Deep Space Nine,
which is near Bajor and the Wormhole." The Base Commander
leaned forward. "We need GB4 to continue cargo to the Belt
and the surrounding areas. Frankly, we need you to make it
functional and defensible. You have the best knowledge of
the Romulan systems, a number of which are in GB4 and the
Bombarde."

"What is the station's problem now?"

"Lack of leadership. It's command staff abandoned it several
months ago. It's maintenance staff are currently keeping it
up from the Bombarde. But they aren't anywhere near skilled
enough to do this. The main power system is down. The
structure is intact, but the systems are all degraded."

"Would I have a timeframe or penalties to meet?"

They looked at each other again, and then shook their heads.
"No. We know you will do the best you can. Your acceptance
guarantees our trust. But I would say you have four months
before things escalate, and we will really need GB4 then."

"Get me some charts."

They pulled them up, and Kerryn saw that a lot of shipping
lanes went near GB4. It would have a lot of the cargo
commerce, though nowhere near as much as DS9 did. Supplies
would be readily available. No area problems. This could
work. And after Starfleet, the thought of a few weapons at
his disposal was enticing.

"One hundred million credit loan, eh? At current docking fee
rates, that gives me a break-even point somewhere four years
into it. You won't foreclose early?"

The two looked at each other again, and this time it was the
Head of Sales who answered. "I knew you were good. We are
placing enough trust in this that we will not issue a lien
against that loan."

Wow, thought Kerryn. But he could feel the desperate hope
that he would take this emanating from them. He knew he had
to take it. This was a unique opportunity. "Normally I would
ask for a while to think it over. But you have made it
impossible to wait. I would be glad to accept this
arrangement."

Everyone visibly relaxed. "You have no idea how happy and
grateful we are. You will put GB4 back on the map. We will
draw up the papers and meet tomorrow at this time?"

"Yes sirs. Thanks for this chance - it is far more than I
had been hoping to get into."

And Kerryn threw himself in the effort. A Guild shuttle took
him out to the station. That had been his first and only
pleasant surprise; as a Base Commander now, he retained the
Captain title (which was higher) but got all the perks of
Base Commander, including use of Guild shuttles without
cost. And so it was that four days later he circled the base
in the shuttle with the pilot.

GB4 was ugly. It looked like a misshapen tomato with
toothpicks sticking out of it. What he was going to do to it
would totally and completely redo the entire place. The
first thing he did was hire a hundred space crews to
dismantle and set in orbit the docking pylons. He stripped
the station to its original structure, and they redesigned
and replaced the pylons into two groups of four, at
alternating spacing and in two tiers. Thus he had eight
docking stations, none of which were in a single plane.

He had them redesign and change the shape so that instead of
the tomato round, it was a cylinder with ten circular decks.
The outer ring of each deck was devoted to heavy duranium
shielding with phasers and disruptors alternating with ion
cannons. The middle rings consisted of offices, cargo
storage sites, and hotel services. The inner core consisted
of infrastructure and power distribution. Gravity was
suspended inside the core to permit ease of operation. Deck
One was completely converted to an open dome combination
lounge, mall and forum. The dome employed a transparent but
highly defensible material that was backed up by an iris-
like duranium shield.

The crews indicated that it would take four weeks to get the
structure complete. During that time, Kerryn refitted the
Bombarde and went after his power source: a true, natural
quantum singularity just like the one he had captured for
Starfleet. With an even larger gravity bottle, he alone went
out with Bombarde after careful surveying for anomalies, and
found one just inside Cardassian space. It had been risky,
but he had caught it, controlled it and brought it back to
GB4.

Returning to GB4 took his breath away. It was beautiful, and
only if you knew what to look for would you see the massive
amount of weaponry involved. Putting Bombarde in orbit, he
beamed aboard GB4. All was going well. The crews would be
done in a week, and then would leave. It would be just him.
Alone. He had asked the Base Commander to draw up a list of
six people willing and interested to be his staff. He had no
feedback yet.

Well, until he walked into his command center. Deck Ten was
the Command Deck, and rather than number it, he had called
it the Command Deck. It was heavily armored, had its own
private transporter system, and a direct elevator and stair
out to the Deck Eight Auxiliary Control Station. The place
was quiet as it limped along on solar batteries. Not for
long, though.

Kerryn regarded the young man in his office. Cute. And
Romulan.

"I am Captain Kerryn, the base commander. May I help you?"

"Captain, my name is Dyr." He spoke in Romulan. Kerryn knew
a little Romulan from his experiences with the Bombarde and
also with the Totentanz.

He handed Kerryn a letter. Kerryn saw it was from the Guild
Director. Opening it, the note quickly outlined Dyr's
history. He was an engineer, part human, whose family had
fallen into disfavor in the Empire. They were either dead or
exiled, and the Romulan freight carriers had asked that the
Guild protect him. The director saw this as an opportunity
to get help for Kerryn. It would be na^Ėve not to assume that
there was a matchmaking ploy at work as well.

"Can you speak Interlac?"

"Yes." Heavily accented. That gave Kerryn a little thrill.

"Do you know what this says?"

"I am offered as a choice to help you restore this station."

"Tell me your engineering background."

Dyr went through the basics. He had gone through the Romulan
Academy, and had served on several cargo ships. There just
weren't openings for engineers in the Romulan military. Two
years in freight carrying and then the exile. He was twenty
one. Some in-depth engineering discussion and some light
scanning proved him to be sincere. Kerryn grinned suddenly.

"I think you will do fine, Dyr. We're all still living on
Bombarde right now, although the work crews cycle in and
out."

"I am very highly qualified." He seemed a bit agitated.
"Sir, I find you very attractive. I take orders without
issue, am very neat and good with personal hygiene, and I am
most proficient in the sexual arts of pleasing a male. I
would be honored to maintain your quarters, do your meals,
your-"

Kerryn interrupted quickly. "Dyr, I appreciate the honesty.
And yes, you are very attractive too. But I don't work that
way. I need you for your engineering skills." He decided to
drop the bomb. "Like it or not, in tow with Bombarde right
now is a ten-exawatt power source that is going to drive
this station. We have to get it installed in the next two
weeks."

Dyr stared and became a person again. "Ten exawatts? Even
matter-antimatter isn't that big."

"I borrowed a trick from the Romulans, and snared a real
live quantum singularity."

"No way! Ten exawatts?"

Kerryn smiled. "I think your command of Interlac is showing
through."

Dyr grinned. "Yes, well I needed some bargaining chips." He
stood his ground. "My role includes being your personal
manservant as well as your sexual partner. Romulan culture
demands that trust relationship. If you accept me, you
accept all of me, and I all of you." He swallowed. "I
formally accept you as my commander."

Kerryn stared. So that was what the Bond of Command was
about. Dyr was hot. He thought carefully and decided that he
could have a minimal pure sexual relationship with Dyr to
meet requirements. He really needed the engineer.

"Very well. I formally accept you in the role of my sub-
commander until such time that the acceptance needs to
terminate by mutual agreement." He nodded. "We can dissolve
it, but I can't force you out unless you want to."

Dyr grinned. "That is very kind and fair of you." And he
slowly moistened his lips with his tongue. "I am looking
forward to this position very much."

That gave Kerryn a delightful shiver. It was unusual for him
to meet anyone more forward than himself. While he wasn't
exactly forward, either, Kerryn was confident and
comfortable in his sexuality. But Dyr seemed to go beyond
that. He was determined.

He showed Dyr around the structure, and around the places
where engineering would have the greatest role. Dyr was
amazed at the level of planning, the attention to detail and
most of all the amount of power conduits. The entire station
was designed around the gravity bottle. The designs were all
practical, made sense, and were close to foolproof. But some
things you just can't account for.

Kerryn tried to give Dyr his own quarters on Bombarde, but
Dyr refused. He instead took his meager belongings and made
to live out of his case. That lasted one minute, and Kerryn
realized that this guy meant every word of that Bond. So he
replicated him his own dresser, and Dyr settled in. They
shared a meal, toured the ship, and finally returned to
their quarters. Kerryn was tired, and Dyr was looking
fatigued as well.

"Are you always this full of activity?" Dyr asked.

"Mostly. I used to sleep four hours of every sixteen, but
now it is more like six of every twenty-four." He removed
his shirt and shook out his hair. "Ah, that feels so much
better."

Dyr let out a sigh of appreciation. Kerryn was really hot.
His shoulders weren't broad, but they were broad enough.
Tapering down to his waist, and the hint of a sexy sleek
butt. As Kerryn went to the bathroom to prepare for bed,
Dyr's hands moved to his own cock. Romulans were built just
like humans were, although they tended to have cocks that
were a little longer and a little thicker. The anal opening
was much more pleasurable to Romulans, and did provide a
lubricating secretion of its own, unlike humans. He was
becoming more and more excited. It would be unlikely with
Kerryn that they would have sex that night. He just wasn't
the type. But Dyr was going to work on him.

Kerryn emerged from the bathroom to find Dyr standing with
his hands moving quickly away from his waist. Hmmm. As Dyr
went in for his nighttime routine, Kerryn observed him
carefully. He too was beautiful, and Kerryn had been
noticing all day the way he moved. Kerryn removed the rest
of his clothing and slipped into the bed. He wondered what
Dyr would do. The bathroom light went out and Dyr emerged.

"Oh my." Kerryn couldn't help himself. His skin was slightly
tinted green, but the rest of him was sculpted beauty on
smooth, hairless skin. He was semi-hard, but it was the
whole proportion of him, his outline, his butt, and the
sleek sexy legs and chest and back and just plain oh my god.

Dyr smiled widely. "I am glad." He changed his pose, and
more of his incredible body was brought to view. "Stand up
and join me, that I may appreciate you as well."

Kerryn grinned, and stood, claiming his own utterance of
appreciation as Dyr drank him in. "By the High Command, you
are an exquisite piece of work." Dyr could not get his eyes
off Kerryn's butt, and his long hair. And Kerryn could not
take his eyes off that cock.

"Come to bed. There is no where else to sleep."

Dyr nodded, and came closer, brushing by Kerryn ever so
slightly as he climbed onto the bed. That act alone was
enough to send Kerryn's blood racing. Kerryn followed, and
when he killed the lights, he felt the warm presence of skin
against his as Dyr had backed into him. Ironically, the
first touch had been the contact between Kerryn's cock and
Dyr's butt. Dyr was a little bit shorter than Kerryn, but
the touch was electric and before five seconds had passed,
Kerryn had slid forward and wrapped his arms around Dyr. Dyr
simply snuggled in, saying very quietly, "Thank you."

"You are very welcome."

A moment of silence, then Dyr confessed. "Kerryn, this is
the only time I have been away from Romulan culture. I am
very," and it was obvious he struggled with this, " very
scared."

"I'm not surprised. Think of it this way. People and culture
create roles for us. All we can do is execute those roles as
who we are. Even if I were Romulan, I would do things
differently than you would. Maybe not noticeably, but at
least slightly differently. Don't be afraid of me. If you
need something to be afraid of, try the Founders of the
Dominion. Even Cardassia, who is caught up in its role,
deserves pity more than fear." Dyr snuggled closer, and the
contact was highly erotic. "Learn from me and from others.
But I won't let you go easily." And although it was heavenly
torture for them, they did make it to sleep.

The pace picked up after that. The Guild Director had been
sending secure messages to the captains in the Guild about
the tensions building around the Cardassian border again.
Kerryn knew that it was a race against time. But a week
later, with everyone holding their breath as the huge
gravity bottle cylinder was moved into place, the
connections were made and near-infinite power was now
available on the station. With the structure, shielding and
power in place, the interior work began at a frenzied pace.
The crews had not only been amazed at his designs, but also
at Kerryn's hands-on and authoritative command of what
seemed to be every aspect of the station. Being a Guild-
Certified Ship Master paid off, and the crews began to call
him "The Landlord". Humorously, that had quickly been
shortened to "Lord."

Finally, accommodations on the station were possible. While
he didn't need much space, he followed the guidelines
established by the Guild for the base commander's
accommodations. Knowing Dyr, he had enlarged them just a
little bit. Dyr deserved his own quarters, and they were
designed in and placed next to his, with a connecting door.
Kerryn had thought Dyr would be pleased.

He was not.

He saw the spacious room, ready for furnishings, and looked
at Kerryn's room with an incredible forlorn and lost
expression before bursting into tears. It had taken about
ten minutes of sitting together, while Dyr regained control
and Kerryn had just rubbed his back gently. They might be
the same age, but Kerryn was definitely the older one in
many ways.

Dyr spoke first. "You don't truly understand."

"I had thought you would be pleased. Everyone needs a
private space once in a while."

Dyr shook his head. "Not true. It would be proper for me to
never leave your side. Not in bed, not in command except for
duty, not in the bathroom, not ever." He looked at the room.
"Attractive that it is, its mere presence shows that you
want to separate from me." He turned to Kerryn with a
burning look in his eyes. "Say you won't. Say I can stay,
here with you. Keep the room for the next one. I don't want
it. I only want to be as near to you as I can possibly be."
His eyes filled with tears. "You haven't even had sex with
me yet. I don't care how. Beat me, rape me, tickle me,
enslave me, but I need you to need and want me. I won't be
able to stand it if you don't."

Kerryn was at a total loss. Rian would know, but Rian was
hundreds of light years away. The alien feeling touched him
briefly, and then he looked at Dyr. Dyr was asking for a
level of intimacy that Kerryn had never achieved before.

"Dyr, there is nothing in my culture that even remotely
describes what you have just told me. You are proposing an
unprecedented level of intimacy." He had to stop. "Big
words, but the meaning is that I've never been anywhere near
that close to a person before, and no one I know, other than
you, has either."

Dyr's expression remained. "Say you will do it. Say you
will. Promise you will. Please. I am begging you, Kerryn."

Kerryn looked straight at him, amazed, and melted. "Dyr, I
will try. I'm going to make mistakes. There will be times
that I may appear careless. It is going to happen. But I
will try this for you, and for me. For us."

Dyr's face transformed into one of joy, and he leaped onto
Kerryn and planted a huge, wet kiss right on his mouth. Ice
broken, not to be outdone, Kerryn rolled over so that he was
on top, pinned the Romulan boy's shoulders to the bed, and
slowly and deliberately kissed the willing young mouth
greedily and with such intensity that they both felt it. No
mind touches yet, but Kerryn suddenly knew that this pair
would achieve new heights in sexual intensity.

>From then on, Kerryn was everywhere, and Dyr was with him.
The station progressed very quickly, until one day just five
months after his arrival, after a lucrative and sincere
farewell to the "Lord", the temporary work crews left and
Kerryn's staff of fifteen remained. The station gleamed.
Deck One was exquisite, with incredible views of the cosmos.
Bombarde remained in a vertical plane orbit. There was more
power to be had, and they were ready to accept business.

Because of the sensitiveness of the situation, Kerryn and
Dyr took Bombarde back to Starbase 290, where to his
surprise the Guild Director himself and the Base Commander
of Starbase 290 joined the Head of Sales and the Chief
Engineer and Inspector for the Guild. Dyr's eyes were wide
at the attention they were getting, and Kerryn was a little
anxious. He decided he should prepare them a little bit. He
had prepared a welcome and overview presentation once they
got there, but decided to do it now.

"Gentlemen, I can pretty much guarantee you aren't expecting
the reality of GB4." And he showed them how it was when he
arrived, an energy-sucking tomato with spines. "Most of the
main systems were shot to hell. Bombarde was supplying
energy and computing to the station. It was clear we needed
to start from scratch. Budget would not allow us to procure
new materials, so we reused what we could."

"Reused?" That was the base commander.

"Yes. The main structure was intact, so we stripped it to
the I-beams. I chucked the entire infrastructure. The new
structure is cylindrical, with eight non-coplanar pylons,
ten decks and a duranium frame and skin. Five of the ten
decks each contain twelve Type IV Phaser banks, six Romulan
D'Deridex Distruptors, and four ion cannons. Shielding is
provided through multi-frequency shield generators
configured in a rotating hexagonal tessellation grid. Total
shield energy dissipation is just under three terajoules."
He put up the new graphic of the station, and the gasp was
audible from each of the leaders. The Base Commander was
first to speak.

"You've built an indestructible war machine."

"Not exactly. When not threatened, we have an exquisite
lounge on Deck One with a full-dome exposure view of the
cosmos. There are forty large retail spaces, eighty smaller
office suites, one special-access deck for a large tenant.
Two turboshafts, four staircases. The command center is on
the bottom, with an Auxiliary Control center on Deck Eight.
The decks alternate between cargo storage areas and user
space. Two decks are set aside for hotel use, with hotel
services included inside the Engineering ring."

The Chief Engineer and Inspector marveled, "It's beautiful.
What did you do for power?"

Kerryn grinned. "I built the first exawatt power source ever
made."

"How?"

The Guild Director stared at him in awe. "You captured a
quantum singularity, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir."

Silence. Then the Base Commander spoke. "Bravo. Captain, you
have exceeded our wildest expectations." He clapped his
hands together. "Let's have the tour."

And they did . The Deck One Lounge took everyone's breath
away.  The Command Deck hummed with activity. They commented
on the fact that information screens were everywhere. And
they stood in complete rapture at the largest gravity bottle
ever created, and the power source inside.

The Guild Director looked at the other two. "Well?"

"Pass."

"Pass with flying colors!"

"I concur." He turned to Kerryn. "Congratulations, Captain.
Or should I say, my Lord?"

Kerryn turned red. "How did you hear about that?"

"The work crews that returned to Starbase were full of the
experience that `that young lord' put them through." He
handed Kerryn a list. "You've become quite the notorious
young man. This is a list of tenants who would like to lease
space here."

Relief flooded him. "Thank you, sir."

Tensions heightened around the Cardassian border, and
Starfleet reacted. They began to heighten their own
defensive lines. The Freighters Guild members saw more
starships, more tension, and began to share company on their
trade routes. And the role of GB4 was never more important.
It stood as a bastion of strength, resupply and relief to
the harried freighters. Starfleet always underestimated the
dependency of its worlds on the basic movement of cargo that
the Freighters Guild offered.

Kerryn continued to be everywhere. They accepted their
tenants, and with only a few minor glitches the station
functioned perfectly. Climate control on Deck Four had been
a problem until they found a chicken sandwich resting on the
main evaporator sensor grid. And a broken ODN line had
caused failure of several systems.

He watched the rent come in. He would clear his loan faster
than expected, as he did not have to pay for energy
replenishment. He had free power galore. He kept his docking
fees modest, and instituted an automated docking reservation
system that would allow some of the manual functions to be
made available automatically.

He and Dyr did not increase their level of intimacy. Dyr had
finally learned that Kerryn was not going to embrace the
Romulan tradition fully, and after careful inquiry had
realized that he had been most accommodating to Dyr. They
still slept together, nude, often clinging together with
very hot, intense kissing and stroking, but it did not go
further than that.

The true test came several weeks later. Kerryn knew
something was going on as the normal traffic routes cleared
on the Cardassian side. He paced like a caged animal for
several hours, before finally taking a break in one of the
lounges. One bourbon, that was all. He actually finished it
when the call came over the public address.

It was Dyr. "Station Alert. Secure all compartments. This is
not a drill. Captain Kerryn to the Command Deck."

Kerryn ran down the corridor, found the express turbolift he
had installed for this purpose and shot down to the Command
Deck. As he ran into the command center, he got the short
version from Dyr.

"Two Cardassian warships coming in at high warp. Arrival in
two minutes." Dyr was very anxious.

"Anyone in orbit?"

"Only Bombarde."

"Good." Kerryn leaned over a console, opened the cover and
inside was a complete tactical display from the bridge of
Bombarde. He keyed in a sequence, and power went down on the
panel until it was only lit from three green lights. "Signal
a general distress call for the surrounding area."

After he did so, Dyr asked, "What did you do?"

"I cloaked her."

"Son of a bitch." Dyr pursed his lips. "You think of
everything."

"Shields up. Bring all weapons systems to ready state. If
they attack, we will respond with phasers first. If they
continue, go for the disruptors."

"Yes, sir!" A pause, and then, "All decks report secure. The
iris is closed as well, with 100% structural integrity."

Another moment, and then, "Here they come." And two large
Cardassian warships dropped out of warp.

Dyr spoke. "They are hailing us."

"I've got it." He stood in front of the small screen,
specifically designed to show only a blank wall behind him.
Give nothing away. "Cardassian vessels, this is Kerryn,
commander of Guild Base Four. What are your intentions?"

The screen dissolved to a snide Cardassian face. "Surrender
or be destroyed. No terms."

Kerryn had not had a face-down of this magnitude before. He
trembled invisibly for a moment, and looked up to see Dyr
watching him. Dyr was scared. And that pissed him off.
Royally.

"What a crock of shit. Back off or this station will drive
you off."

The Cardassian visibly stood backwards in shock. "You are
talking to two Cardassian warships. We are no match for
you."

"So confident are you. We are a peaceful though somewhat
abrasive installation, and any hostile acts will be acted
upon."

The Cardassian smiled. "I'm sure." And he faded from view.

"Maximum power to the shields. Announce battle stations, and
get ready to deploy weapons."

Dyr managed to control his voice as it rang through the
station. "Battle stations! This is not a drill! Secure for
battle stations!"

The Cardassians moved in, one slightly in front of the
other. As predicted, their phasers lanced out at the pylons
first. The station rang with the impact.

Dyr looked up. "Shields holding. They barely fluctuated at
that."

"Good. Deploy the weapons. Phasers first. I'll target their
weapons."

A moment passed, and then another ringing impact. Kerryn
directed the impact points, and said, "Firing!" as he
triggered the phasers. A network of beams crisscrossed and
lanced out at and through parts of the Cardassian ship in
front. Fully half her weapons array peeled back and
disintegrated.

"Has the second ship fired on us?"

"Yes. They are aiming for the other" CLANG "pylons."

"Bring the disruptors online." Kerryn looked at his display.
The station was absorbing tens of megawatts of energy. The
Cardassians were firing full phasers at the station. And the
shields were holding, and holding well.

"Disruptors ready. What are you going to do?"

"Castrate them." And Kerryn targeted the second ship's
starboard warp drive, and let loose. "Firing." The beam
struck right through the drive section itself, severing it
from the ship. That vessel immediately broke off the attack
and moved away on conventional thrusters.

"Hail them."

"Channel open."

"Cardassian vessels, if you do not break off this useless
attack and withdraw, I will cut your ships to ribbons and
recycle the shreds. That is not an idle threat." He turned
to Dyr. "Target the drive sections and bridge next." And
then he closed the channel.

"Really?"

Kerryn thought for just a second. "Yes, really." And he
keyed in the targeting information. He had only spoken so
that the attackers would know he was serious. He was now so
pissed off and proud of his station at the same time, all it
would take would be one shot from them to set him off. They
killed his father, they killed Imzadi, they killed his
friends, Rian's older brother and his own friends, and
Kerryn could be the instrument for payback. What now even
enraged him more was that Dyr was at risk.

Dyr. He realized that he loved Dyr. He was not going to lose
Dyr to some Cardassian upstart. His fingers hovered over the
firing console. He could take care of them once and for all.
It would be revenge, and he would enjoy it. They deserved
it.

No.

The Guild had entrusted him with this station. He was not
about revenge or hate. He was different than that. He was
about optimization, about doing things well and right. Right
also meant proper, and his position in the Guild counted on
his ability to get beyond his personal ghosts. He closed his
eyes, and took a deep breath.

"They are moving off. One is towing the other." That was
Dyr, and relief was in his voice. "They left their drive
unit behind."

"Use the tractor beam and push it out into space. Then shoot
it apart. It is likely to be booby-trapped."

Minutes went by, and Dyr confirmed it was distant. Kerryn
quietly targeted it with the disruptors, and fired. The
detonation that occurred was far more than should have, and
another good call by the captain paid off.

Dyr chimed in again. "Kerryn, three Federation vessels and a
Guild warship are approaching. ETA is three minutes."

"Signal our alert status but cancel the distress portion."

"Yes, sir!"

"And retract weapons. Leave shields up and the iris closed."

Kerryn thought a minute. "Dyr, would you handle this?
Starfleet and I don't get along very well."

A million questions rose in his eyes. "All right."

"You don't need to hide anything, but I wouldn't mention our
power system. They are likely to be jealous."

"Where will you be?"

"On Bombarde." And with that he de-cloaked the ship in
orbit. He walked over to Dyr, and enfolded him in a tender
embrace. He said, quietly, "You did very well. I nearly lost
it at one point, but just the thought that the Cardassians
were putting you at risk made me so angry."

Dyr just held him tight. "Thank you, Kerryn." They
separated, and Kerryn went to beam aboard Bombarde. And very
shortly thereafter, the four vessels dropped out of warp and
hailed the station.

"Guild Base Four, this is the Guild Warship Invincible. What
is the nature of your distress?"

"Invincible, this is Dyr, Assistant to the Base Commander.
We have just repelled two Cardassian heavy battle cruisers."
And he related the incident. "At this time, we are on alert
only."

"Our sensors picked up two Cardassian vessels aiming for
Cardassian space, one in tow. It is most unusual for a
station to cause that kind of damage and repel an attack."

"This is no ordinary station, sir. Since you are here, we
would like to extend hospitality to your senior staff."

"Your offer is accepted. Can you extend it to the three
Federation vessels as well?"

"Of course. Helsinki, Anduril, and Cairo, your senior staff
is welcome."

"We will beam over in about thirty minutes."

"I will meet you at the primary beam-in point."

The Guild Captain spoke up. "I will need to meet with your
Base Commander."

Dyr knew he had no choice. "Of course, sir. I will
coordinate with him for you."

The channels closed, and Dyr made the arrangements. He had
to call Kerryn though.

"Command to Bombarde."

"Bombarde here, this is Kerryn."

"The Guild Captain insists on meeting with you."

"He should. I guess I can't escape this."

"Not very likely."

"All right. Meet them first. I will join you on Deck One."

A pause. "Will you tell me why this is causing you such a
problem?"

"Yes, later." A thought crossed his mind. "Did they tell you
who was coming?"

"No, but records show the USS Helsinki commanded by Captain
Bonaventure, the USS Anduril commanded by Captain Fogart,
and the USS Cairo commanded by Admiral Jellico. The Guild
Captain's name is Randaco."

There was silence.

"Did you say, Admiral Jellico?"

"Yes, of the USS Cairo."

"Damn. Why me?"

Dyr laughed. "You aren't going to let a Starfleet Admiral
get to you, are you?"

"Oh, this is no ordinary admiral." Kerryn paused, and once
again figured, what the hell. This was his territory. "I'll
be there. Just don't be surprised."

Half an hour later, Dyr received the four captains. He gave
them the brief station overview, and they were suitably
reassured that the station was more able to take care of
itself than any of its prior incarnations. Jellico had sent
his first officer, Commander Goral.

Kerryn had checked the arrival records and seen Jellico's
absence. Just as well. He swept in to Deck One in his formal
Guild Captain's uniform, and immediately found the table
where they sat. He came over to greet them.

Randaco recognized the uniform, and stood immediately.
Kerryn was nearly legend in the Guild now. "Captain Kerryn,
it is an intense pleasure and honor to meet you finally. My
compliments on all of your accomplishments, this station
being the culminating achievement."

Dyr gaped for a moment, and Kerryn smiled. "Captain Randaco,
your reputation for flattery precedes you. But thank you
just the same." They shook hands, and sat down. "Captains, I
am Freighter Guild Captain Kerryn, Second Class, and
Commander of Guild Base Four, as well as an Affiliate
Captain of Starfleet."

The others introduced themselves. They discussed the
strategic importance of GB4, and the open invitation for
Starfleet to dock and re-supply as any other paying visitor.
Starfleet offered to pass closer a little more frequently,
especially with the Cardassian threat and the now active
Dominion War. The session closed pleasantly, and the
captains returned. Only Captain Bonaventure seemed to be
able to put two and two together, and before they departed
he brought up the connection.

"Captain Kerryn, weren't you the captain of the Asheville
before Correnti?"

A somewhat wary look from Kerryn, and then a nod. "Yes, I
was."

"Asheville was a model miracle in progress under you. May I
ask what happened?"

"The records will show that Admiral Jellico relieved me of
command, because under my orders and direction the Asheville
and her crew were subjected to excessive danger and risk."

Commander Goral sighed. "I wondered why he ended back up on
Cairo. Admiral Nachayev went on a vendetta over that one,
because all of Starfleet Admiralty was in an uproar. He
won't discuss it."

Kerryn nodded, with inner satisfaction. "I wouldn't mention
it, either. There are some very sore wounds between him and
I over this and other things. I am not in Starfleet anymore,
but executing the best job I can here."

They nodded. The Guild Captain snickered a little.
"Starfleet dirt is always delectable."

"The Guild has its own dirt, I assume?"

Randaco laughed. "You bet. Kerryn is one, too." He turned to
him  "Do you know you are the only individual who actually
owns a space station entirely in your own name? The Guild's
only hold on you is your membership."

Kerryn's eyes went wide, and Dyr laughed finally. "So we
really should call you Lord, like the crews have been
doing."

"No thank you!" And they laughed at that before separating.

Back on Cairo, Goral had things to think about. Jellico was
very abrasive, and Goral tended to avoid him unless on duty.
Sighing heavily, he decided that Jellico didn't give a damn.
And Goral would have been captain of the Cairo by now.

Several weeks passed uneventfully. It was the most peaceful
time since before Kerryn had met Wesley. And then two events
in close proximity started the upheaval again.

The first was personal. Dyr announced that his wife and
child had been located and he wanted them with him. He would
set them up in the quarters originally designed for his own
use.

Kerryn was fundamentally shocked. Dyr had been sincere,
attentive and ardent in his attentions. Kerryn had naturally
thought and believed that Dyr was gay. But apparently not.
It was duty to Dyr, or perhaps Dyr was bisexual so he could
appreciate both worlds, yet still have the wife and
children. After recovering from the shock, Kerryn managed to
ask the most telling question.

"Dyr, right now we sleep rather intimately in the same bed.
With your family here, what does your culture state is
appropriate?"

Dyr looked puzzled. "I don't understand. My duty to you is
totally separate from my family."

"Fine. With them here, where are you going to sleep?"

"Wherever we agree."

"We who?"

"Me, you, and my wife."

"So the living arrangements are shared between the commander
and the sub-commander and his family?"

"If you had a family, they would be included too. It works
very well. My wife is so looking forward to having sex with
you. I sent her your picture, and she became quite excited."
His voice dropped. "I haven't mentioned that you and I have
not had sex yet. It would vex her considerably. But she has
to get to know you."

Whoa. "This is all rather sudden."

Dyr began to look anxious. "You said you would try. You
promised."

Kerryn held up his hands. "I did. And I will. But having sex
with another man's wife?"

"It is mandatory and expected between commander and sub-
commander. I would have the adventure of your wife were you
married. Are you married?"

Kerryn was getting dizzy. "No, and you don't understand, do
you? How does `homosexual' translate in Romulan?"

Dyr was thoughtful. "Same-sex?" Then it dawned on him. "You
aren't interested in females for sex at all?"

"No, Dyr, not often. I am quite capable with females, but my
pleasure and enjoyment come from the male members."

Dyr was silent. "Then, is it possible that you are in love
with me? As a mate?"

Kerryn nodded. And to his relief, Dyr smiled. "I am
flattered. And it explains all your odd behaviors in bed."
He reached over and they embraced gently. "I am married,
Kerryn, to my wife Belann. She is my mate. But you are my
very good friend and commander, and Romulan culture mandates
the openness between us. I can't return that same kind of
love. But we can share the pleasure, intimacy and sensation
together, the three of us. It is an experience that is not
to be missed."

Kerryn nodded. "All right. It may take a while." He smiled
wanly. "I can't seem to find a mate of my own."

Dyr shrugged. "You humans have the most bizarre priorities."
Kerryn burst out laughing at that one.

And Dyr's family arrived several days later. Kerryn decided
to double Dyr's salary so that they could have some comforts
in life, and the three of them were grateful. Belann was
young and pretty, but it was quite clear that she was
determined to see things achieved and accomplished. But she
always gave in to Dyr when he truly asserted himself.

The child was adorable. Dyrann, a girl, was three, and into
everything. The connecting door became a curse and a
blessing. Kerryn truly felt integrated into their family,
although he knew they were obligated to do so. He tried very
hard to be friendly and welcoming. Dyrann had no problem
with that. Belann herself took cues and explanations from
Dyr that allowed her to adjust to Kerryn and his
"peculiarities."

Kerryn, however, could not bring himself to join in the
obviously energetic sex that took place in his bed between
Dyr and Belann. He had taken to falling back on his prior
sleep schedule and sixteen hour day. So the number of times
that he was there were for sleep and they were too shrank
considerably.

The second event was considerably more dangerous but just as
personal. With some form of routine in place with him, Dyr
and Belann, he was amazed to find one day that his station
had been hailed by Enterprise, and none other than Captain
Jean-Luc Picard.

When Kerryn had left Asheville, the gravity bottle and the
first singularity had been taken to a research station on
Carin II. Admiral Jellico had seen the potential for a
robust power source, and he pushed Federation research hard
to make that captured singularity productive. The problem
was, they still didn't truly understand how it worked. And
that was where the problem came. During their work, somehow
the self-sustaining power stream had been pulled too low,
and the gravity bottle failed. The singularity began to
move, and the forces of gravity and mass around it pushed it
into a decaying orbit around Carin II. No one on the team
had been able to recover it, and each orbit it took, it
destroyed more of the planet and the facilities around it.
They could not stop it.

Asheville had been summoned, and the team that had helped
build it met with their research counterparts. Over and over
they discussed, but none knew how it worked, why decisions
were made in the design, and most of all, how to recapture
it. Every single person pointed back to Captain Kerryn.

Admiral Jellico was fuming. It was widely known now that he
had relieved Kerryn, and now Jellico received the blame for
this disaster. There was one consensus, though. Kerryn was
the only one who could recapture it.

A top-level meeting was called at the latest status, when
this was disclosed amongst Starfleet. Basically, the topic
was ugly. There was nothing they could do. It was Admiral
Nachayev who stated the obvious.

"We need Kerryn." At the sound of this, Jellico turned
purple. But concurrence spread around the room. "Any idea
how to contact him?"

Data had responded. "Our prior links were through Devlin Six
and Starbase 290. That was where he departed the Asheville."

"He is likely anywhere right now. He was going to procure a
freighter and resume cargo. It isn't clear if he would help
us, anyhow." Picard wanted to add salt to the wound.
"Consider his circumstances. His ship is blown to bits
because he was helping Starfleet. We give him command of a
ship that forty-eight candidates turned down, and he turns
its potential into a legendary success story. He takes on
scientific missions, pushes the envelope, and gets relieved
and expelled for it. Why would he help us?"

There was silence. But it was Counselor Troi who spoke. "I
believe he will. It is in his nature not to hold grudges.
But it will have to be his favorable Starfleet associates
who extend the invitation."

"She is right." Ensign Rian of the Asheville stood up.
"After he was relieved, I received a note from him saying
that he would help us with the gravity bottle if needed.
With my captain's permission, I would like to accompany the
team that extends the invitation."

Correnti spoke very quickly, and in a high voice.
"Permission granted, Ensign Rian."

"I also need to go. And in fact, Enterprise should extend
the offer." This was Wesley Crusher. Besides his usual
genius, he knew the most about the gravity bottles from
working with Kerryn on Totentanz. "Being his Shepherd
Project recipient, I know him better than anyone." Ensign
Rian's eyebrows went up at that.

"I, too, wish I could go." Admiral Janice Satii stood. "I
think we are going to need overwhelming need, and maybe even
a little begging." She gave a very dark look to Jellico.
"The key is where to find him."

Silence, and then the missing link spoke. "I am Commander
Goral of the Cairo. If this is who I think it is, he is
currently the Freighter Guild Base Commander for Guild Base
Four. A Captain Kerryn, Second Class was in charge of the
rebuild of GB4, and I met him and his team when we received
a distress call about a Cardassian attack. It would have
been Starbase 27 all over again, but he was ready and
repelled it. He also has a very good deputy in a young
Romulan exile named Dyr."

"That sounds like him."

"If it is, he is truly something special." Goral coughed.
"He has some kind of problem with you, Admiral. I'd stay
away until he agrees to help us."

Nachayev spoke quickly. "Very wise words."

"How long was his hair?" That was Wesley.

"I'd say about a foot below his neckline. Well kept and
attractive, though not compliant with Starfleet."

"He isn't in Starfleet except as an affiliate now."

Nachayev put her hand down firmly on the table. "Gentlemen,
go get our help. Picard, you are authorized to exceed the
warp limitation. Take these and even if you have to sleep
with him, get him here."

Picard smiled. "I don't think THAT will be necessary."

Both Wesley and Rian said quietly, "It might." And Picard
glared at each of them. Wesley just smiled in a knowing way;
Rian glanced curiously at Wesley.

Four hours later they approached GB4. It had been Data who
suggested they send a message ahead so as not to alarm him.
They dropped out of warp, and at the sight of the station
the entire bridge crew gasped.

"It is beautiful!" That was Troi.

"Captain, I am reading over a hundred phasor banks, more
than sixty disruptors, and such advanced shielding that the
capability is off the scale." This was Worf, and he was
impressed.

Rian was on the bridge. He had been very courteously
received on Enterprise, and he and Wesley had been eyeing
each other for hours. But when he saw the crystal dome over
the mall and lounge area, he whistled. "Man, look at that
top deck. That must be a sight from inside."

"We are being hailed." Worf spoke with a new respect in his
voice.

At that moment, Dyr was hailing Enterprise. An hour ago, the
message had come in that Enterprise was arriving at very
high warp, and needed to meet with Captain Kerryn on an
urgent matter. Dyr had signaled Bombarde, as Kerryn was out
on a routine patrol mission that he took periodically.
Bombarde was on its way in. But Enterprise had gotten there
first.

Dyr contacted Enterprise. "Enterprise, this is GB4 Command,
Sub-commander Dyr speaking. Captain Kerryn will return
shortly. In the mean time, I would be pleased if you and
your team were to be my guests until he arrives. Will you
dock, or do you wish to orbit?"

Picard looked at the others. "Orbit, please. Thank you for
your hospitality. We accept, and please send us ephemeris
information."

Dyr did so, and they settled into a station orbit. The team
assembled in the transporter room. Wesley, Rian, Picard, and
Troi. It was no coincidence that Picard was the only one
that Kerryn hadn't slept with. And when they transported
over, Dyr joined them and escorted them to the Deck One
lounge.

Picard was the first to speak informally. "Sub-commander,
Kerryn runs all this?"

Dyr nodded. "Yes. Ten decks, thirty staff now, and hundreds
of tenants. GB4 is the only starbase owned by an individual.
Kerryn owns the entire thing. The way he tells it, he paid
several million credits for Bombarde and then got the
station for just one credit more. He rebuilt it from the
girders up."

"It appears to be immensely successful."

"It is." Dyr was proud. He had related the story about the
Cardassian attack. "Since the attack we have had even more
business."

The waiter came by. "Drinks anyone?"

Picard said, "Synthehol brandy, please."

The other three, all at once, chorused, "Bourbon." Wide-
eyed, the each regarded the other.

Troi laughed out loud. "I'll have a water, please."

Dyr got a message, and pointed upwards. "Look, here he
comes." And larger than life, Bombarde de-cloaked in front
of them, gliding gently across the dome and into her axial
orbit.

Picard spoke up. "He's got a Romulan Warbird? A D7 if I am
not mistaken."

Dyr grinned. "Yes, that is Bombarde. Give him a few
minutes."

Kerryn had received the recall message. Dyr had indicated an
unusual situation on GB4, and Kerryn had wasted no time. He
now knew what was going on, as when he approached under
cloak he saw the Galaxy-class starship in orbit. It could
only be Enterprise, and that means it could only mean that
there was a problem with the singularity.

He gave quite the arrival show, cutting it so close he could
almost see the people in the lounge before slipping Bombarde
into orbit. He beamed to his quarters, made himself
presentable yet totally invisible on demand, and went up to
the lounge.

The place teemed with activity. But it was not hard to spot
the group of people in Starfleet uniforms. Kerryn felt a
streak of anxiety pass through him. His entire sexual
history since Imzadi was sitting at that table.

Don't worry, Kerryn. It is good to see you. Our need is very
great this time. Deanna Troi had thought the message to him.

You have no idea what this is doing to me, he thought back
at her. And then he made his way over.

The others didn't see him until he was at their table. And
when they did, the reaction was universal. He's even hotter
than before, followed by, I wonder if I still have a chance.
And then he spoke.

"Greetings to such an auspicious crowd. Welcome to GB4." He
sat with them, his eyes hard and challenging. "I hope Dyr
has been a good host."

They all responded in the positive, and Dyr smiled. They all
smiled, except Picard who didn't understand. Then Kerryn
dropped the question.

"So why are you, this motley mix of people who all knew me,
why are you here together at my station?"

Rian answered. "Starfleet lost control of the singularity.
It is in a decaying orbit over Carin II. They have tried and
cannot recapture it. They are hoping that you can."

"Starfleet wants me to recapture an errant singularity?"

Picard said it. "Please."

There it was. Kerryn's drink arrived, and he drank it down.
"Bring me another." And the waiter left.

"How did you find me?"

Picard spoke. "Commander Goral of the Cairo recognized you
from our description."

Another silence. His bourbon arrived, and he drank that too.
"One more, please." And the waiter put one more down on the
table. "My thanks."

Kerryn turned to Picard. "Will I have to see Jellico?"

Picard nodded slowly. "He is not the same man he was a month
ago."

Kerryn had already made up his mind. "Dyr, can you run the
station for a week or so?"

Dyr grinned wide. "Absolutely, commander."

Kerryn looked at the anxious faces across the table. "All
right, damn it. I will put it back in the bottle. Now, tell
me what was done and how it got out."

The look of relief was palpable. They went through the
details, and something in the back of his mind went off as
an alert. The singularity had escaped because the internal
self-powered structure had collapsed. That simply wasn't
possible unless someone had tampered with it. But who?

Dyr's brows were furrowed. "What you describe sounds
incorrect. The designs are not supposed to function that
way."

Kerryn spoke up. "We'll have to figure out the situation
when I am there." He gave Dyr a look, and Dyr instantly
recognized it as a we-need-to-talk-later look.

Belann showed up with Dyrann. "Dyr, your duty ended hours
ago. I need you back now." And Dyr got up to go, excusing
himself.

But his daughter, Dyrann had other plans. She leaped into
Kerryn's lap. In perfect Romulan, she said to him, "Mommy
and Daddy are really hoping you will join them tonight."
Rian turned pink.

Kerryn laughed, and replied in Romulan, "I have to make a
trip. But when I get back I will make your mom and dad so
incredibly happy. I promise."

She kissed him, and climbed down. Dyr and Belann grinned
widely at Kerryn, who nodded. "I promise." In Romulan. And
the family headed down.

Kerryn looked back to the various expressions on his guests.
Rian was positively red but beaming. Wesley looked neutral
but interested. Picard had no clue. And the counselor was
looking wistfully into space. Kerryn cleared his throat, and
spoke up. "Sorry about that. The little one only knows
Romulan."

Picard observed, "That was quite an exchange."

"Well, I never knew how much I liked children until I met
Dyrann. Never had the opportunity before." He stood. "When
is Enterprise leaving?"

"Within six hours. The next event will happen eleven hours
from now."

Kerryn did some fast math. "You have permission to exceed
Warp Five?"

"Yes."

"It will take me a short while to get some things together.
And you will need to grant a clearance for Bombarde."

They all stood. "We will do so immediately."

"Fine. Let's get this over with. I will see you all
presently." And Kerryn strode off towards the turbolift.

The rest sat for a moment, and looked at each other. Picard
spoke. "Consensus?"

"He's changed." That was Wesley.

"He doesn't trust Starfleet. And something about the bottle
is bugging him. The same as Dyr." Counselor Troi continued,
"It was fleeting, but I have a feeling he is going to gouge
out the truth on that one topic first."

"He is having an awkward time with his sub-commander. It
looks like the Bond of Command is in force, and he has been
having a hard time with that." Ensign Rian was pensive. "One
thing for sure, his command of Romulan language is perfect."

Troi broke the silence. She knew the real reason Kerryn was
unsettled. "It was also all of us, you know. With the
exception of Captain Picard, we have all had intimate
moments with him. Some more than others. We all belong to
the institution that he was evicted from. He has apparently
been questioning his decision to go after that first
singularity for some time." She sighed.

"Let us go back to Enterprise and get ready." Picard led the
group back, although Rian and Wesley walked more slowly. The
station was beautiful, and proper. It was done right. And
that concept pervaded everything they saw.

Meanwhile, Kerryn ran down to Dyr and caught him in their
quarters. Funny how different they were thinking.

"Kerryn, Belann and I are overjoyed at your promise!" Dyr
positively beamed. He hurled himself into Kerryn's arms and
kissed him soundly. Kerryn gave in for a moment, and then
separated them.

"Dyr, this is more important, although that is hard to
believe." He took a deep breath. "The self-sustaining power
coupling doesn't just fail." Dyr nodded. "Someone caused it
to fail. If they did it there, they can do it here. Put some
tripwire alarms on it."

"Yes, sir! You can count on me."

Kerryn held him close. "I certainly can." And he shuddered.
"Just seeing those three in the same place together was
enough to give me a heart attack."

"Why?"

A little honesty was needed. "Because before I met you, I
had some kind of sex with each of them."

Dyr could not contain his mirth. "Amazing! No wonder you
were so clipped and awkward. Who was the best?"

"Toss up between Troi and Crusher." He grabbed some clothes,
and one Starfleet uniform. "Don't tell them I've left until
30 minutes from now."

"You sneak." And Kerryn left the room, beamed directly to
Bombarde from the Command Deck. He brought he ship on line,
cloaked, quickly laid in a course, and kicked off at Warp 7.

On Enterprise, they were caught again. The minutes ticked
onward, and finally they signaled the station.

"Station, this is Enterprise. What is the status of your
commander?"

Dyr appeared, somewhat surprised. "Captain, our Captain
Kerryn departed with Bombarde more than an hour ago."

Eyebrows raised, Picard smacked his head, and Rian
surrendered a small credit chit to Wesley. "Best speed to
Carin II."

Enterprise hurtled towards the besieged planet like an
elephant on stampede, but Bombarde slipped through at high
warp with grace and finesse. Kerryn had spent weeks tweaking
the warp core to perfection, and it was paying off now. They
wouldn't know he was coming, because he had enough power for
all the warp drive he wanted plus running the cloaking
device together. He just couldn't fire weapons.

On Enterprise, Rian and Wesley watched the stars go by in
Ten Forward. In tackling the singularity problem, they had
become friends. Wesley had matured greatly, and was
beginning to think beyond the Academy. Rian was a little
older, and they had come to rely on each other during this
sojourn. It was Rian, though who broke the ice.

As they savored their bourbon, Rian idly commented on
Wesley's competence. "You know, I can see why he went for
you as a shepherd. You've got an amazing background for one
as young as you are."

Wesley snorted. "Ha. Before I met Kerryn, I wore my mind on
my uniform. He showed me so much on how to negotiate, and
how be discreet. We had some interesting times." And then he
blushed a little.

Rian jumped in. "You are lucky, then. We had just broken
down some of the barriers when he was relieved. I think I
actually had fallen in love with him."

Wesley's eyebrows rose. "You, then are compatible with his
lifestyle?"

Rian chuckled. "Yes, I am gay. You?"

Wesley regarded him thoughtfully. "Lets just say I like to
have sex, with partners from a close circle of friends."

Rian nodded. "Got it." He chuckled again. "Poor Kerryn. Did
you see how antsy he was? I've never seen him like that. But
he and that little girl, it was just beautiful."

"I'd never seen him with kids before."

"Me either. To be able to do that, with us all daydreaming
about our last times with him, and the adventures that his
sub-commander obviously wants to push forward, that's a tall
order."

"What is the deal with Dyr, and that comment about joining
them when he returns?"

Rian explained the Bond of Command, and its perks and
peculiarities. Wesley nodded, understanding now some of the
veiled comments that had flown by. "With all that," Wesley
observed, "He is probably long over me."

"Me too. I haven't found anyone this conversational in a
long time."

They got up and made their way back to their cabins. But,
partway down the hall, as if it was perfectly natural,
Wesley reached over and laced his fingers into Rian's.
Smiling, they entered Rian's cabin, closed the door, and
decided to explore some of what they were feeling together.

When Enterprise arrived, Kerryn had already beamed down to
the lab, and was running analyses and diagnostics on the
bottle. The team quickly realized that Kerryn knew what he
was doing, and if he asked for something, better do it fast.
And well. Kerryn had been dispensing withering looks and
pointed remarks almost every minute since he had gotten
there.

By the time that Rian and Wesley arrived, refreshed and
excited, along with Picard, Data, LaForge, and the rest of
the technically relevant staff, the on-site team was in
chaos. Kerryn had been firing questions at them, and getting
increasingly irritated when their answers were evasive. This
was all so stupid. The team began arguing and finger-
pointing at each other as the lack of attention to detail
went on. And on.

At some point, Admiral Jellico entered the room to watch. He
was not happy. The teams were blaming each other, and
generally getting sidetracked. Others kept pestering Kerryn
to explain why this was done, what that did, was it
necessary, and more. It amused Jellico to see what would
happen.

Kerryn was growing more furious as each moment passed. It
never showed in his voice, but his eyes were brown-black and
snapping sparks. Finally, he had it. Amid the loud
discussion and mindless blathering, someone asked him why he
had made the structure blue.

That did it.

"GOD DAMN IT, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"

Silence. Picard's eyes were wide. Jellico was caught off-
guard. The rest were stunned.

Kerryn continued. "YOU ALL SCREWED AROUND WITH TECHNOLOGY
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT TO HAPPEN? DO YOU
GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR PLANET OR NOT? IF SO," he screamed,
gradually quieting to a more normal tone, "then LET ME BE
and I will recapture the singularity." He ran a quick scan
of the room, and only his outburst of temper saved him from
reacting to the disaster he found there. Something amused,
satisfied, and very definitely alien.

Like lightning, Kerryn acted. "Jellico, we are going out in
the hall to talk. NOW." And he walked out of the room. The
admiral, as much in shock as the others were, followed him
outside. The door whooshed closed.

The admiral started, having recovered a little. "Now is not
the time for personal war."

Kerryn shook his head. "No. Later. You've got a bigger
problem. The bottle was sabotaged. And the saboteur is in
that room, and also happens to be a Founder of the
Dominion."

"WHAT!?" Jellico was stunned. That team was at the core of
Starfleet technology.

"Hold on a second." And Kerryn swept through Jellico's mind.
Not pretty, but not alien. "OK, now I am sure it isn't you.
But I touched on a mind in there that is definitely not
human, and is full of the connected one-ness that the
Founders are reported to have."

"Shit."

"Do you have a way to contain them?"

"No, every time we have tried they escape."

Kerryn had to trust Jellico. "Then we're going to have to
kill it."

"You are serious? Phasers don't affect them."

"I'm carrying a Romulan disruptor."

Jellico put aside his loathing for a moment. "They're
illegal."

"I'm not in uniform. You want to split hairs? So can I."

"Starfleet won't allow it. We need to negotiate."

"If you say so." Kerryn had made up his mind, though. The
disaster potential was too great. And he wasn't in a
Starfleet uniform. "I'm going to spring a trap shortly. Stay
out of the way. While I bear no liking at all for you, I
don't want you being a hostage. I dislike shooting Starfleet
people in the morning." And he turned and walked back in.
Once again, Jellico followed numbly.

The staff was waiting anxiously. Kerryn looked around, and
said, "What? Get back to work. Why isn't the damn primary
field coil aligned yet?" And he began to swear in Romulan.

He swept the room mentally again, and found the mind. It was
to his right, close to the bottle, and slightly isolated. He
turned and looked in that direction, and his eyes found an
older ensign who was part of the planetary team. Name?
Ensign Wahl.

"Ensign Wahl, get over here. What is your expertise with
this unit?"

The ensign gulped. "I .. I worked with the shielding, sir."

The team leader snapped. "That's not true. You worked power
distribution."

A brush of the mind, and Kerryn had him. He lanced out with
all the power and skill he could muster, fed by his
frustration into the mind of Ensign Wahl, and found the
alien sea of consciousness. He shouted, "This is the one,
Admiral!" and crushed the resistance inside, pushing it back
to its final form. He could feel the alien mind's awareness
of him, and he had to get the alien away from the bottle.

In front of him, Ensign Wahl dissolved into the latex-like
form of a Founder of the Dominion. The entire team shouted
in horror and ran for the walls. It was just Kerryn and the
Founder. Kerryn managed to shout, "Seal the room!" as
Jellico called out for a Level Five containment field.

Back in its natural form, the Founder twisted free of
Kerryn's mind. It spoke quietly.

"So, you discovered me. But we are everywhere."

Kerryn raised the disruptor. "Not for long."

"Try to destroy me now." The Founder grinned, and poured
itself into the gravity bottle. The team let out a cry of
dismay. They were hopelessly compromised now.

Kerryn took one look at the bottle, set the disruptor on
maximum, and fired. As he did so, he brushed the mind of the
Founder as it realized its error, on its way to oblivion.
The shock of actually killing a Founder echoed as the last
thought from its mind, and then the Founder and the bottle
were no more.

"Brilliant. Just brilliant." This was Jellico. "Now how the
hell are we going take care of our more immediate problem? I
SAID WE WOULD NEGOTIATE!"

Kerryn turned to Jellico. "I am not under your jurisdiction.
As I said, I am not wearing the uniform."

Rian was the next to speak. "Kerryn, it will take us weeks
to build another."

Kerryn shook his head. "No, it won't. I brought one with me.
Surely you didn't expect me to trust one that you all had
screwed around with?"

The entire team alternated between sheepish and being
aghast. They had been had, both by the Dominion and by this
little freighter guy.

Kerryn slammed the disruptor into an inner pocket. He looked
at Picard, briefly, and said, "Sorry about the language,
Captain."

Picard just nodded. The team was silent.

"Admiral, you can drop the containment field. I need to take
a bio break."

Wordlessly, the admiral nodded and the containment field
came down. Kerryn made his way quickly to the bathroom, and
took a very necessary break. He was able to calm down a
little bit after this. Dyr and he had immediately realized
that something had gone wrong deliberately, and this had
been the playing out of a plot line. The Founder, though was
a complete wildcard. Sighing, he settled down and washed.
The damn paper towels still had the insignia on it. Grrr.

He pulled out a small device, spoke softly in Romulan, and
Bombarde beamed him directly to the bridge. It would be
interesting to see how long it took them to react. He
started the necessary sensor sweep processing that had been
collected in his absence, and established the track. It was
moving pretty slow, and with high eccentricity. Time to do
it. Nudging forward with impulse engines, he released the
bottle on the tether and went after the singularity. Once on
his way, he engaged the cloak. It would drive them wild.

On Enterprise, it just so happened that Riker was watching
the viewscreen when Bombarde began to move from view. He
looked at Worf, who nodded. "Enterprise to Picard."

"Picard here."

"Sir, the Bombarde has broken orbit on impulse engines and
." Oh no.

"And what? Captain Kerryn is here in the bathroom."

"Sir, she let out an object on tow cable and then cloaked."
Worf grinned suddenly. It wasn't often that Picard was
caught out. "I don't think her captain is in the bathroom
any more."

Picard and Jellico bolted for the bathroom. Indeed it was
empty. Picard smiled inwardly as Jellico swore up and down.
And back in the lab, Rian handed Wesley another small credit
chit.

Within minutes, Kerryn was right where he wanted to be, and
on the first try he snared the singularity. It still pulled
so hard that the inertial dampers could not compensate
fully, but he had it. He had thought about this a long time.
How do you eradicate a quantum singularity? By casting it
into a larger one, bottle and all. It just so happened that
there was one twenty minutes away at Warp 9 from Carin II.
The Landix Black Hole was big, old, and well marked. Kerryn
set his course and released the cloak. Let's get this over
with.

Worf was very very good. He knew that Kerryn might run for
it, but not why. So it was that when he de-cloaked and
bolted for Landix, Worf caught the signature.

"Sir, he is making a run. Estimate Bombarde's departure at
Warp Nine."

"Heading?"

"Deep space, sir. No planetary systems on his line for
weeks."

"Is it towards his station?"

"No, sir."

It is to the Federation's discredit that the tactical charts
only mark warning areas as warnings, not why they are
actually warned. To realize that he was headed for Landix,
one would have to have been a quantum mechanics specialist
or specifically call up that data in Stellar Cartography.

"Notify the captain."

Down on Carin II, Picard relayed the information. "It
appears that Captain Kerryn is trying to solve this one on
his own."

One of the scientists looked up from a display with joy.
"Apparently, he did! The singularity impact would have been
two minutes ago, and there is no trace of its impact or
orbit!"

General relief and cheering broke out. Rian and Wesley
looked at each other, and Rian handed over another credit
chit. Picard decided after three times at least, he had to
investigate.

"Ensigns, why do you keep exchanging credit?"

Rian grinned, and Wesley looked a little smug. "We've been
betting on Kerryn's behavior. It's kind of a competitive
thing. Rian would probably win if Kerryn were more Starfleet
right now, but I've seen more of the renegade. He is really
pissed off, you know." Rian nodded in concurrence.

"Well, when he returns the bottle we can take him to the bar
to show our gratitude."

Rian and Wesley looked at Picard, amused. "Would you like to
bet on that?"

A silence, and Picard was about to agree when Word chimed
in. "Enterprise to Captain Picard."

Dread filled the Enterprise captain. "Go ahead, Mr. Worf."

"We have just caught a trace of Bombarde's warp signature.
She is moving off into deep space at Warp Nine." And Worf
quoted the heading coordinates.

One of the scientists blanched. "That's toward the Landix
Black Hole! He's not going to snare a bigger one?"

Another scientist shook his head grimly. "No. How would you
dispose of a quantum singularity? By dropping it in a bigger
one."

Picard acted. "Worf, he is heading for the Landix Black
Hole. Can you stop him?"

"No, sir, he has too far a lead. He would probably be there
in minutes, and we can not catch up."

"Do it anyway. Maximum warp. Put him in tow if you have to.
Picard out."

And Rian handed another chit to Wesley, resignedly. Picard
muttered, "I would have lost."

Enterprise hurtled towards Landix. But Kerryn had known that
they might come after him, and as a result he arrived on the
edge of the gravity well, and launched the bottle into the
hole. He re-cloaked, and began monitoring the bottle's
progress. How well did he make the bottle? It was
professional curiosity. He had never blown one up before.

With only a hundred kilometers to the event horizon, the
bottle broke down and shimmered into nothingness as the
small quantum singularity fell into the Landix Black Hole,
absorbed into its own like environment, its tiny but highly
dense mass adding to the larger and eons older one. Landix
didn't so much as burp. But the bottle held under forces of
over a hundred thousand exanewtons, fifty times more than he
had expected.

Unsurprised, he looked at his rear screens to find
Enterprise burst in. Too late. He carefully dove under her
main section, impulse only and under cloak, he moved away
back towards Carin II. When Enterprise was out of range, he
kicked in Warp Two and went to call in to Dyr. Dyr had been
sincerely concerned, and they had agreed at one point that
if the singularity ever got loose from a gravity bottle that
both should be cast into the nearest singularity of size.

Kerryn glossed over the details to him. Dyr was not buying
it.

"Come on, there must have been some kind of a row!"

"A small one." He closed his eyes. "I swore like a freight
loader. I just did it in Romulan."

"Where did you learn to swear in Romulan?"

Kerryn let out a stream of invective, and Dyr's eyebrows
went way up. "I still don't think you can do that and live,
but to also insult my mother and clan AND my political party
in one breath is certainly offensive. Way to go, Kerryn!
When are you coming back?"

"As soon as I can. There are a lot of good people in
Starfleet, but other than Enterprise, none of them are
here."

A pause. "I am looking forward to your return. So is
Belann."

Kerryn smiled, and batted his eyes slightly. "I am looking
forward very much to savoring you and your wife, sub-
commander." And Dyr shuddered with suggestion. "Oh yes!"

"Bombarde out."

I need a drink, Kerryn thought. He fetched his cloak, made
himself presentable, and then as he approached the planet he
de-cloaked the ship. Signaling their landing control base,
he obtained a landing pad and carefully swung the Romulan D7
through the atmosphere. Gracefully, she flew until the pad
was in sight, and then below her, and Kerryn gently set the
old warbird down. He opened the rear hatch and ports, began
the atmosphere flush and reconstitution, and headed in to
the bar with his cloak billowing out behind him. Thank God,
they had bourbon. He was twenty one years old and had just
blown off the premier Starfleet science team.

Riker kept Enterprise out by the Landix site for forty
minutes, at which time it was noted that it was fruitless.
Enterprise then returned, and an hour later the team had
dispersed aimlessly. When would they get their bottle back?

It was Rian who thought of it. "Hold it, gentlemen.
Computer!" It cheeped. "Have there been any arrivals in the
past hour in orbit?"

"No new arrivals in orbit."

"How about on the landing pads?"

"At 05:57 the Freighter Bombarde landed on landing pad two."
That was fifteen minutes ago.

"Where is the nearest bar?" That was Wesley.

The computer responded, surprisingly helpful. "The nearest
lounge to landing pad two is in section A unit 23."

Picard surrendered two credit chits to Rian and Wesley.
"Let's go."

Jellico came up. "Going somewhere?"

Picard regarded him coolly. "Kerryn returned to Carin II
fifteen minutes ago. I want to find out what happened."

"So do I. I will join you."

The lounge was large. They divided it up by floor. Wesley
and Rian elected to stay together, and with some good
thinking they found him on the top floor, cloaked and in a
corner booth, staring out at the sky and the emerging stars
behind it.

Wesley actually found him. Just like during the Shepherd
days. "Well, Kerryn, you have caused a stir."

Kerryn looked up, and saw his two friends. "Please sit. I am
now just so tired." Four bourbon glasses rested empty on the
table.

"You destroyed it, didn't you?"

"Yes. They had no clue. If I had returned with it, I never
would have been allowed to leave. This way, everyone hates
me and I can go home."

"Believe it or not, nearly all the staff endorsed your
disposal. They knew how big a problem it was."

Kerryn looked up, and immediately they saw how haggard and
drawn he looked. "Thanks, I think. Would you say I took
unnecessary risk in the original capture with Asheville?"

"NO!" That was Rian. Wesley thought, and then shook his
head. "No, that is what we are out here for. It was a matter
more of Jellico looking for an excuse. You did the right
thing, both times."

"Can it actually work on that kind of a scale?"

Kerryn grinned. "GB4 has an exawatt power source inside of
it. Guess how."

They all nodded in appreciation, leaned back and drank. It
was then that Kerryn caught the mental whiff of affection.
He looked at them, surprised, and said, "You two, huh?"

They nodded reluctantly, and then as Kerryn held up his
glass, with more confidence. "Good. You each need each
other." He put on his most injured look. "My only options
left are Romulan, but I've heard soooo many things about
them." He stood. "Picard and Jellico are coming. I've got to
meet them sometime."

The three left the top floor, and met Jellico and Picard on
the second floor. They grabbed a large table, and after
sitting down, Jellico asked the big question.

"Where is it?"

"Destroyed. I dropped it and the bottle into Landix."

Jellico growled. "You had no authority to dispose of that."

"I treated it as a salvage operation. Your problem is
solved, I brought my own hardware, my actions placed no one
at risk."

"I'll court-martial you."

"I'm not in Starfleet right now, Admiral. Remember? I
suggest you worry about where else the Founders may have
penetrated."

Jellico went gray. Kerryn was so tired, he just said it
anyway. "Go away, Admiral. You are pissing me off."

For once, Jellico departed without incident.

"You are right, of course, and as usual." Picard observed.
"We aren't ready."

They spent some time in silence. Picard finally spoke. "You
have my congratulations, all of you. You are all still young
by any standards, yet you have conducted yourselves with
decorum and dignity." Kerryn snorted as Picard continued.
"Some very difficult decisions were in front of you, and you
discharged them very effectively." He paused. "Especially
you, Kerryn. You did what Starfleet hopes its officers will
do, not what usually happens."

Kerryn looked at Picard, and for a moment the venerable
Starfleet captain saw a glimmer of just how much this whole
thing had taken out of him. His eyes burned down in their
sockets, his eyebrows pinched slightly, and the extreme
exhaustion pervaded his face. "Thank you, Captain. That
means much to me, coming from you."

A few more moments passed, and then Kerryn straightened.
"Jellico is coming back, with security. I am not going
through another confrontation with him. I'll see you later.
I'm going back to GB4, but by a slightly roundabout way." He
stood, and with a credit chit on the table his cloak
swirled.

"Kerryn, wait." But he was gone in the mass of people.
Amazing, thought Picard, how can he do that so well?

Wesley read the captain's mind. "It has to do with walking
such that as you pass someone, you put that person between
you and the observer. Your path is irregular, and it is
impossible to track."

"Can you do it?"

"Yes, to some degree."

Jellico stormed up. "Where is he?"

Picard answered. "I don't know. He seemed to feel you
coming, and departed quickly." Picard saw security staff,
and followed it with, "I can't say that I blame him. Why on
earth are you here with security?"

"A court-martial!"

Picard laughed. "Admiral, he wasn't in uniform, and was on
off-cycle affiliate status. You would never get that to
stick."

"I will try! I've got Cairo on shoot-to-kill status. They'll
get him."

Kerryn had made it back to Bombarde. He climbed aboard,
sealed up and requested departure information. Once granted,
even before he left the launch pad, he cloaked and rose
through the atmosphere, breaking orbit and leaving the
planet. Unlike his statement, he made straight for GB4.
Cairo never even saw him.

Halfway there, the call came from Dyr. Dyr was in a high
state of excitement. His extended family had been cleared
and he and his family were welcome back in the Romulan
Empire. A transport was leaving immediately, before Kerryn
could get back, and they had to make that one or wait four
months for another. Dyr was heartily grateful for the
position, the training, and the accommodations, and he bade
Kerryn farewell.

Kerryn felt the shock flow through him. He had been ready to
commit his life to Dyr and his wife, on their terms, and now
just like that they had been plucked from his existence to
return home. He was happy for them, really. But he was
miserable for himself. And when he arrived at GB4, his
station, there was no one to welcome him other than
Carstairs, who had been learning from Dyr. And so, after
finding that his station was functioning perfectly, the
tenants were happy, he was nine months or less from being
debt-free, and reentering his quarters to find it neat,
clean, and devoid of Dyr and his family, he sat down in a
chair. A thought nagged at the back of his mind, though. And
it continued to plague him from then on. Could he make the
gravity bottle into a gravity piston? It would be a very
powerful weapon. He then went to sleep, too drained to do
anything else.

Guild Base Four glistened. It was a haven along the routes
for freighters. It was an oasis in a tense and unfriendly
zone. The quiet and aloof young man who ran it was obsessed
with energy and perfection. It became a case study in how to
run a space station. The staff knew him, the tenants could
recognize him but no visitor knew for sure just who the
authoritative sexy guy with the long hair was.

The Dominion War was coming. GB4 was assailed by Cardassians
several more times. Each attack, the Cardassian ships would
assault the station shields, and then in a moment of respite
GB4 distruptors would carve the ships into ribbons. Kerryn
always left options for personnel recovery from the ships,
but the wreck count for GB4 was growing alarmingly. Kerryn
had twice now had to haul debris out of station orbit and
recycle it.

The most significant battle took place very close to the all-
out war. After the Jem'Hadar had wiped out the Galaxy-class
vessel Odyssey, they began making incursions into Alpha
Quadrant space. Naturally, the Cardassians being quite vexed
over their inability to wipe out GB4, they challenged the
Jem'Hadar to destroy GB4. The Jem'Hadar had humphed at this,
likening it to the squashing of a bug. And so they tried.

But what a bug. The first go-around consisted of several
Jem'Hadar ships. They just appeared and fired. The station,
however was ready for them, and the shields absorbed their
weapons. They were different from Starfleet shields, the
Jem'Hadar captain thought as the overpowering disruptor
beams sliced his ships to tatters. There were no survivors
from that attack. After that, the Jem'Hadar took the site
seriously.

During one of the lulls in the war, Kerryn made routine
trips to Deep Space Nine. Knowing that Captain Sisko was on
the cusp of the fighting, he made it his business to check
in once in a while. Bajor and DS9 had accepted remarkable
numbers of casualties on behalf of Starfleet, the Klingons
and the Romulans. He would visit Sisko, stop in with Odo,
and have a drink at Quark's.

Quark was invariably frustrated by Kerryn. Kerryn would come
in, sit, be served two bourbons, drink, and leave. Sometimes
they would negotiate for something or other, and invariably
Kerryn got the better deal. Besides that, he was
incorruptible. Quark could pick out sexual tension a mile
away, and Kerryn was always ripe with it. But he could not
get him involved, seduced, or anything. And that drove Quark
out of his mind.

And so that is how it was when Kerryn, sitting in Quark's
with his bourbon, found himself being approached by none
other than Odo, Sisko, and Doctor Julian Bashir. Knowing
them at least by name, he gestured for them to be seated,
which they complied.

"Gentlemen, always a pleasure." Kerryn's usual opening
remark.

"Governor Kerryn, I hope things are well?" Sisko knew the
value of GB4. DS9 might be the Starfleet front line, but GB4
right now made the cargo go round.

Kerryn winced. "Governor? I suppose. How about Captain?"

Sisko grinned. "Governor is better than Lord, right?" At the
emphatic nod, he became serious again. "I wanted to discuss
something with you. Odo and I are here at the request of --"

Julian broke in. "Captain, must you be so formal about
this?" He turned to Kerryn. "One of my jobs has been the
placement of orphans. The babies go quickly, the younger
ones almost as quickly." He cleared his throat. "I have one
here that I have been unable to place. He is a little older,
but is very clever and healthy."

Odo snorted. "He is also the most incredible challenge to
security."

Julian gave a look to Odo that was barbed with daggers. "Odo
has no appreciation for this situation. But he has been a
problem here, and I can not place him." He took a deep
breath. "I was hoping you would be able to try on GB4 as his
best hope and as a test. It is going to get bad again and
DS9 needs an overflow site for the orphaned children."

Kerryn's eyebrows were in the stratosphere. "Julian, I can
tell you are sincere. We have a number of families who might
take him in. But what aren't you telling me?"

An awkward silence. Then it was Sisko who broke it. "First,
he is twelve."

"All right. What else?"

Odo snorted. "Don't ask me."

Sisko and Bashir exchanged a long look. Finally, it was
Julian who spoke again. "Look, Kerryn, I'm going to go out
on a limb here." He looked Kerryn straight in the eye. "We
suspect that you are gay. Is it true?"

Kerryn was taken aback. He had not verbally mentioned his
sexuality since Dyr. "Informally, just among us three, yes,
I am gay by preference. What does that have to do with
anything?"

They other three sighed and leaned back. Julian continued,
"Good. We suspect that young Jacen is gay as well. He is
having trouble with that, and needs someone who knows how to
handle it."

"What makes you think I know how to handle it?"

Julian laughed. "It was Dax who did. She has been trying to
get your attention for a long time now, and while she admits
that you are the hottest thing she has seen, you are totally
ambivalent to her. She's onto Worf now, but it frustrated
the hell out of her. The only excuse she could come up with
when you were looking so good but not rising to her
interests was that you were gay and OK that way."

Sisko grinned. "My son Jake also noted that you had no
interest in the typical young male pursuits."

Kerryn surrendered. He and Jake had become reasonable
friends, and it stopped there. "OK, so I am used to it. And
yes, I'd rather jump you, Julian, than Dax. Don't tell her
that, though."

Julian flushed. "I'm flattered. But, um, we are getting a
bit far afield." Part of him was enticed by such an offer.
It wouldn't be his first. "We were talking about Jacen."

Kerryn became somber. "What am I really dealing with here?"

They sighed, and this time it was Odo who spoke. "A lonely
boy, bereft of his family, with feelings he doesn't
understand or control, and the need for someone to pay
attention and love him." And Julian and Kerryn both felt
tears prick their eyes slightly.

Kerryn had already decided, but suggested, "Let's go meet
him."

They met him all right. Jacen Vorr was a young lad, lean and
slender, of modest height for his age. His eyes were brown,
and hooded in wariness. He wore a ship suit, and they had
met him in the area allocated to the orphaned children. He
was the only one there, and the concierge was only there
sporadically. He was forever escaping the perimeter, and
causing havoc on the lower decks. His only response was that
he wanted to get off DS9 as a stowaway on some ship to
another place.

Jacen looked at Sisko with no notice. Odo received a mixture
of innocence and benign tolerance, and Bashir a look of
betrayal. Kerryn stayed in the background for the moment,
but could overhear the conversation.

"What is it? I didn't do anything this time." A young boy's
voice.

Sisko spoke. "You have an opportunity. DS9 isn't right for
you anymore. How would you like to visit Guild Base Four for
a while?"

"As a problem child, or is that where my new family is?"

Bashir caught his stomach as bile erupted unpleasantly. Life
was so cruel to this kid. "We are going to look into that."

Betrayal. "Yeah, right. You're just giving me away as a
problem."

Odo spoke. "That kind of attitude won't help you."

"Fuck off and die, Odo."

"Watch your language. You are being given a nice
opportunity."

"Julian, this is your fault. You are trying to get rid of
me."

"No, I -"

"Yes you are." Quiet, then, "I know no one wants me. Its
because I'm not Bajoran, and because I like boys. My parents
were from Earth originally, but they were killed. I lived
with my aunt but she is dead now too. Maybe I'm meant to be
dead."

Silence. Then, Julian: "You know that isn't true. We just
have to find you the right family."

Kerryn could not take it anymore. He had lost both his own
parents, had no family, no brothers, nothing. A wife would
have been ridiculous. He stepped into view.

There was Jacen. Cute. Nice looking. Hair needed attention.
And so despondent. Good hands. And his eyes rose to meet
Kerryn's, the wariness returned.

"Who are you?"

Kerryn smiled. "I am Captain Kerryn of Guild Base Four." He
pointedly looked at Bashir, with emphasis on the word
captain. He squatted down near the floor, across from where
Jacen was sitting. "I lost my parents too when I was
younger."

Jacen considered this. "All right. Why are you here?"

"To see if you want to come to GB4 with me, and whether I
want to take you there." Kerryn could feel that this kid
needed straight talk at this point.

More thinking. "Is there a family waiting for me?" The
desperate plea for hope was in his mind, and Kerryn caught
the brush of that.

Julian started. "Jacen, we don't-"

"Yes, there is." Silence from the shock. "It isn't your
everyday family, and it is very small, but it is ready for
you to be a part of it." Kerryn knew this was right. Every
strand of his being needed this.

"Tell me more." The hunger for the spark of hope that had
been lit.

Kerryn smiled. "It's me, I'm afraid. A family of one. With
you, it would make two. But I like you, and I think that you
could be happy with me."

Julian's jaw dropped. Sisko's eyes widened, and Odo nearly
liquefied in surprise. But Jacen sat and considered this.

"You don't look like much of a family."

Tension hung in the air. But Kerryn stayed smiling, nodded.
"You are right. I would probably be more of an older brother
to you than a father, but I can look out for you, take care
of you, and I can show you so many things about ships and
space stations."

Jacen thought again. Kerryn could feel the hurt and
rejection in him, and the defenses. "What if I say no?"

"I don't know, Jacen. It would make things more difficult.
But I would still take you to GB4 and try to find you the
family you want."

"Can I grow my hair long like yours? And get an earring?"

"Yes, to both, if you learn how to take care of them."

"Will you make me eat beets?"

Kerryn laughed. "Probably not."

"Will you beat me or hurt me?" Jacen was still terrified of
his aunt in a rage.

Kerryn was careful. "I will be honest. The worst would be a
sound spanking if you get into severe enough trouble. I
don't hurt kids for any other reason, or just because I feel
like it."

"Will you change your mind later?"

That struck Kerryn to the very core. "No, Jacen, I don't
think so. If you agree to be family to me, and I to you,
then unless someone comes along who can be proven to be your
relative and you really want to live with, we are together,
and I am not going to let you go."

Jacen stood. "Let me try you out." He walked over, and put
his arms around Kerryn. With tears in his eyes, Kerryn
folded the boy in his arms, and held him.

Julian was amazed. This was more than they had ever ever
gotten from Jacen. Odo looked uncomfortable. Sisko felt the
warmth go through him of a very definite rightness. Jacen
continued to cling to Kerryn, and Kerryn just held him.

After a few minutes, Jacen released him. "You pass."

"I pass?"

"You didn't make stupid noises, or rub my back like a
maniac." A little wonder took his small voice. "You just let
me let you hold me."

Kerryn knew it to be true. "You are right."

Jacen turned to Bashir. "I'll take him. Write me up."

Kerryn laughed, and the laugh lifted everyone's spirits.
"Yes, Jacen, I would be happy to be written up for you."

They collected his meager belongings, mostly memorabilia,
updated the station adoption records, and shortly Kerryn and
Jacen found themselves on Bombarde. Jacen was alive with
curiosity, and insisted on the ship tour.

It was the docking protocol that tipped Jacen off as to who
his guardian was. The Docking Computer welcomed Base
Commander Kerryn back quite audibly, and Jacen caught it.

"You are the Base Commander?"

Kerryn nodded. "That's right."

"Who is your boss?"

"Well, I own the station. It's kind of funny, but it's
mine."

Jacen took that in stride. But it placed a little bit of awe
in him. Kerryn was important, and Kerryn was also
responsible for him. And as they wandered the station
together, Kerryn showing him the various places that might
interest the boy, they began to know each other little by
little.

Jacen was into everything. He was sharp, he was alert, and
his eyes darted around taking in everything. His outward
expression was most often wary, and he did not smile very
much, but when they got to the lounge and mall on Deck One,
Jacen split a grin wide and the twelve-year-old boy shone
through.

"This is fucking cool!" His eyes stared upwards at the
cosmos in rapture.

Kerryn startled slightly. "Uh, Jacen, lets watch our
language, please." How Jacen reacted would be telling.

Jacen reacted. He turned his head to look at Kerryn.
"Really?" His tone was sincere, his face neutral, but the
eyes showed just how tenuous he was feeling.

Kerryn nodded. "I know it may not be what you are used to,
but let's save the swearing for when we can't avoid it." He
nodded at the cosmos. "But it is one awesome view, isn't
it?"

Jacen breathed easier again and looked back up.
"Absolutely!"

They sat, and the waiter that Kerryn had known for years
came over, and took the order. Jacen felt better when he had
seen the menu, found normal food on it, and no beets. Kerryn
had been keeping them going all morning, and Jacen followed
him everywhere. By the end of the day, they made their way
back down to Kerryn's spacious quarters, and when the door
closed, the two of them sat.

"So, Jacen, what do you think of all this?"

"It is a lot different. Much more human. The people are
nice." He yawned hugely. "Where do I sleep?"

Kerryn had thought about this a little bit. "Well, you have
a couple of choices. Tonight we will have to wing it. But
you tell me what sounds best." And he described how Jacen
could have a bed in Kerryn's own bedroom, how he could
occupy Dyr's old quarters, or if he wanted something smaller
they could build.

Jacen was silent. He knew what he really wanted. He didn't
know all the why, but he knew what would make him the most
safe, secure and comfortable. "Kerryn, you said you might be
like an older brother, right?"

"That's right."

Jacen boldly went on. "Well, brothers sleep all the time in
the same bed. I don't have much stuff. Why can't I sleep in
yours with you?"

Silence. Jacen held his breath.

Taken aback, Kerryn looked at him curiously. "I thought you
would have wanted more room than that."

"I want a family, Kerryn." Forlorn and hesitant. "I want a
family more than my own space, or even my own bed."

It would be interesting for sure, fleeted through Kerryn's
mind. "All right. We can try it. But we will have to set
some ground rules."

"Like?"

"No drooling on purpose." This brought on a mass of giggles.
"No kicking, biting, or flailing. Common courtesy like not
waking up the other person unless they are supposed to."

"OK, so far so good. I have one rule, too."

"Oh? What is that?"

"No pajamas."

Yikes! "Really? Why that rule?"

"I hate pajamas. My aunt used to put me in these horrible
pajamas after she would beat me, and I could never sleep in
them."

Jeez, this kid had history. Sending a prayer to heaven,
Kerryn nodded. "No pajamas for you. As it turns out, I don't
like pajamas either."

Jacen nodded. "Fine." He paused for a moment, and then
continued. "I need another rule. It may seem a little odd."

Kerryn was out of his league. This kid was years older than
twelve. "Go ahead."

"No being embarrassed about being seen with no clothes on."

"OK." He was kind of relieved at that. It wasn't going to
bother him, and if the kid really wanted to be open about
nudity, so be it. "But no parading around our quarters in
the buff. Only just before and after bedtime. And you will
need comfortable clothes - not pajamas," when he had seen
the concern mount, "but some kind of loungewear that is
pajama-like but isn't pajamas."

"OK." Another big yawn. "Can we get ready for bed now?"

Kerryn grinned. "Sure. Tomorrow we will go buy you some new
clothes."

They separated, and Kerryn gave Jacen his own set of
toiletries and the grand tour of the bathroom. He then left
him alone to finish, got the bed ready, and stripped himself
down to boxers. He really wanted a shower, and would get
one, too, as soon as Jacen was out.

When Jacen did come out, he was still dressed. Kerryn had
grabbed a towel and was making his way to the bathroom, when
he noticed that Jacen was staring. He remembered the comment
made at the station about how the twelve-year-old had
preferred boys, and grinned at him.

"Stare all you like, little boy. I keep myself in shape, and
am proud of the way I look." And he slipped off his boxers,
tossing them in the laundry pile across the room, and
sauntered his way to the bathroom. "I need to take a shower,
so it will be a few minutes." He didn't wait for the
response.

Kerryn wasn't going to get much of one. Jacen's eyes had
locked onto Kerryn and the moment those boxers came off, his
eyes had scanned downward to the man's butt, and the half-
hard cock that was framed just perfectly at his view. The
walking action on Kerryn's butt showed just how taut and
firm it was, and it took Jacen's breath away. He had seen
other men, older, and far less attractive. Kerryn was a sex
god. And they would be naked and sharing a bed together.
Jacen wondered briefly if he could get Kerryn to enjoy some
sex play with him someday.

Of course, Jacen then wondered at length about Kerryn's
length. Twelve-year-olds don't let go of that kind of a
topic quickly. Which is why when Kerryn came out of the
shower, wearing a towel, Jacen hadn't moved.

Kerryn decided he could play a little. This could be
awkward, but may as well let him satisfy his curiosity. He
pulled the towel off and began to vigorously towel his hair
dry, which left his entire naked body from neck downward
exposed to be studied, without Kerryn observing the
reactions. A little private innocent peeping, in a way.

Jacen peeped. And stared, and studied. He found himself
longing to touch, stroke, and just feel his "brother's" skin
and body. His eyes burned into Kerryn's chest, and the
defined muscles beneath the smooth coppery skin that was
lightly brushed with hair. But he kept coming back to his
butt, with the gentle curve projecting slightly down from
his back, out around and over each buttock, down to the
smooth slope where it became thigh. He kept hoping for a
glimpse of his rear entrance, but the angle was never quite
right.

Kerryn finished his hair, wrapped the towel around his
waist, and straightened the room up a bit. He could tell
that Jacen's bravado had run out, now that it was his turn.

"Laundry goes here."

Jacen nodded, and blurted out, "How big are you when it gets
hard?"

Kerryn took a moment to finish what he was doing, and then
responded. "Hmm. Usually about eight inches or so. I haven't
measured it in years."

"Mine is only five and a half," Jacen muttered quietly.

"You've got years to go. Don't worry about it; it isn't like
it can be changed. Every man and boy has to use whatever he
is born with."

Jacen remained dressed still, and Kerryn was done. He rehung
the towel, and made his way to the bed where Jacen was still
sitting. They were close, now, and Jacen could see all the
delicious skin he had ever hoped for. He took a long,
quivering breath.

"Look, Jacen, if this is going to make you nervous we can
work something else out."

Jacen looked up, horrified. "No, no. Its just that you are
so wonderful." He looked down. "I can't compare to they way
you look."

"Why should you? You are you, with your specific beauty and
admirable qualities of your own. There is no reason to
compare with me. We have very different lives that have just
come together. We're still learning." He decided a little
assertion would help. "Come on, I did my part. I even posed
for you. Now, lets get your clothes off. Maybe you want a
shower or a bath?"

Jacen flushed, and then nodded. "A shower would feel very
good. And you are right." He got up and made his way to the
bathroom again. "After the shower, I want to talk a little
while."

"OK. I will leave the lights down low so you can see."

Jacen went into the bathroom, leaving the door open. He
pulled his clothes off quickly, and trotted them over to the
laundry before going back, closing the door and starting the
water. Kerryn got a quick glimpse of a very slender form,
pale and just starting pubic hair.

Jacen took a long, hot shower. It felt so incredibly good.
He washed his hair over and over, using the soap thoroughly.
He toweled the water off, brushed his hair well, and looked
in the mirror. Yes, he was pale. Yes, he was really thin.
But there was just the briefest hint of his chest, and the
start of the little hairs around his cock and balls. He
turned sideways, and gasped. The last time he had looked in
the mirror, his chest had been sunken in a bit compared to
his abdomen. Not now. He actually tapered like he thought he
should. Like Kerryn. And the side view of his butt had
gotten better too. Legs must have gotten longer. It gave him
a spurt of confidence that he was starting to look like he
thought he should. Wrapping the towel around him, he
breathed deeply and opened the door.

Kerryn saw the door open, and was greeted by the towel-
wearing Jacen. He looked a lot happier, and a lot fresher.
It was always amazing what some good washing can do for the
mood. He noticed that his hair was still pretty wet, and
decided to help.

"Come on over here, your hair is still really wet." Kerryn
got up and approached Jacen. "Turn around." And standing
behind the boy, he removed the towel from Jacen and began to
really dry his hair.

"Hey! I was using that, you know." Jacen protested slightly,
with just the smallest quiver in his voice.

"You are using it now, actually. I'm just borrowing it." As
he finished, he noted that there were long-healed welts on
his back and butt. "Looks like you had a rough time of it."

"That was my aunt's doing." Jacen was a little embarrassed.

"Well, you certainly won't see any of that from me." He took
the towel. "I'll put this away for now." And Kerryn returned
to the bathroom with the wet towel. He had given him the
perfect chance to get into the bed without being observed.

Jacen stood naked in the room. Kerryn would be back in
seconds and see all of him. He had seen all of Kerryn now.
Why shouldn't Kerryn see all of him? He summed up his
courage and waited for Kerryn to return.

And he did. Kerryn had an idea that Jacen was trying to be
very brave about this. It would be very hard for a twelve-
year-old to understand what the feelings were about, let
alone manage it. He guessed that casual would be more
effective. They were naked. They were going to sleep in the
same bed. No doubt there would be some inadvertent touching
that was completely non-sexual. So when he saw Jacen
standing there, naked, not quite defiant but more defensive,
Kerryn decided to just get him past it. He pointedly studied
Jacen briefly. Jacen had the potential to be really sexy
when he was older. He was really sexy now, but as that
thought raced through Kerryn, the alarms went off. Jacen was
just too damn young! Kerryn was his guardian, not a child-
abuser.

"Jacen, you look very good. Nothing to be ashamed of, and
you are already growing like you should. We'll get you some
definition, don't worry. And then all the girls will be
drooling over you." Let's see what kind of reaction that
gets, he thought.

Jacen blushed slightly. "Thanks. I was kind of surprised
myself in the mirror."

"Time for bed!" And Kerryn ran the few short steps to him,
grabbed him and tossed him into the bed.

Jacen's face looked scared for a moment, but that dissolved
to giggles. "Try that again and I'll pin you." And Kerryn
jumped into the bed after him.

They divided sides, set up the covers, and were close to
sleep. Kerryn remembered his request to talk, and so propped
himself up on one elbow and grinned at Jacen. "I am glad
that you are here. It is the absolute truth."

Jacen nodded. "I think so too."

"You had wanted to talk."

Jacen rolled onto his stomach, the covers draped across his
waist, covering the attractive rise of his butt. "You
mentioned girls."

"Yes. Most guys tend to make themselves look good to attract
girls of their choice."

"What about guys who want other guys to like them?"

"Them too." He paused for a moment, then, "I am like that,
Jacen. I find guys more attractive and more interesting than
girls." He let that sink in. "It may be early, but do you
know about yourself?"

Silence. "I am almost sure that I am that way too. That's
what they call being a faggot, right?"

Kerryn startled at that one. "Well, yes, but that word is
insulting. The most reasonable word that is used is gay."

"My aunt said it is a disease."

Jeez, the poor kid! "No, it is not a disease. It isn't even
a choice. Your preference is a part of what you are. Nothing
you do can change that. What you can choose to do is hide
it, like many do, or ignore it, like many do. Or you can
embrace it and celebrate it, like many do. It is up to you.
Sometimes it is harder than others to choose."

"What did you choose?"

Quietly, Kerryn answered with carefully chosen words. "I
chose somewhere in the middle. I embrace it and celebrate
it, but knowing that some people don't understand, I don't
show it to the world all the time. But among my friends and
the few special people I have had sex with, it was wonderful
and special."

Jacen nodded. "I will do the same thing too." And then he
cried. Kerryn abandoned any hope of decorum, and slid over
in bed to hold the naked boy against his own smooth warm
skin, and making sure that his own erection was well below
the boy's butt so he wouldn't notice, he held him from
behind and tried to reassure him. Jacen must have needed
this, and neither resisted at the contact that was taking
place. And much later, Jacen slept peacefully as Kerryn's
thoughts wandered.

In the morning, Kerryn was awakened to a loud gasp. His eyes
flew open to find Jacen staring at his morning wood. He had
ended up lying on his back and had kicked off all the covers
in his sleep, and apparently Jacen woke first. His cock was,
as usual, straining hard to achieve its fullest length.

"Good morning to you too, Jacen. I assume you have heard of
`morning wood'?"

Jacen nodded, and pulled the covers down to show his own
rock-hard cock. "I get it too." He got shy then, and covered
up. "It is always so incredibly hard in the morning." His
eyes slowly tore away from Kerryn's and back to Kerryn's
towering erection. "But I never thought they ever got that
big."

"Jacen, I've got ten years on you. Just you wait. We can
compare on your sixteenth birthday and it might mean
something."

Another moment passed. And then the little boy dropped the
bomb. "How do you get rid of it?"

Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap. It was a good thing Kerryn had
been looking away. "Well, there are two ways. You can either
think about things that aren't exciting to it. Or you can
wank."

"Wank?"

Oh crap. "Yes, wank." And Kerryn explained the basics on how
human male reproduction worked. Jacen turned bright red
several times. "So, if you're hard and want to get rid of
it, you can wank, and that will make you come and after
that, it doesn't hurt and isn't hard for a while."

"How do you do it?"

Kerryn laughed. "You touch yourself wherever it feels nice,
and optionally daydream about something that make you
excited. You will hit the most intense feeling, and then
start spurting the white stuff I told you about." He looked
over at Jacen, who had softened. "Looks like you took the
first way this time."

They each showered, and dressed. Jacen really only had rags
to wear, so the first thing they went out and did was buy
him a whole wardrobe of clothes. They put in requests for
educational materials, and after some checking Kerryn found
where the group of kids spent most of their day. There were
several children Jacen's age, two of them boys. Kerryn could
feel that Jacen was accepting the new circumstances. He
hoped it would work out right.

The first week went well. On the eighth day, Kerryn had full
coverage for his work role and he had decided to take Jacen
back out in Bombarde. Little did he know the morning would
mark a special occasion.

He had been sleeping. It was late enough, and he shifted
slightly to find Jacen awake and worried about something.

"Good morning, Kerryn. Did I wake you?"

"Slightly. It is close to time to get up." He waited, and
when no continuation came, Kerryn offered an opening.
"Something bothering you?"

Jacen nodded. "It's about wanking."

Never a dull moment, he thought. "OK. What about it?"

Jacen whispered, "I can't seem to do it."

"What are you trying?" And as Jacen slowly explained it,
Kerryn sighed in exasperation.

"Jacen, generally you touch your cock in the process. This
isn't about tickling. It is a grown-up, pleasurable, and
sexual feeling."

Jacen looked perplexed. "I don't understand, I guess. Can
you show me?"

"Show you?"

"Yeah, show me." He pulled down the covers, exposing his
erect cock, spread his legs a bit and put his hands behind
his head. God, he was bold about this! Must be desperate.
"Show me on me. Please, Kerryn."

Why not? A dozen reasons came to mind, but he remembered
things Imzadi had told him that had happened between him and
his brothers, and quite young too. Younger than this.
Sighing, Kerryn nodded. "OK. But just this once."

He reached over, and with his right hand began to stroke the
cock before him. He gently stroked from bottom to top, and
back again and Jacen gasped and began to tremble.

"That feels incredible!"

Kerryn continued, staying very gentle, and just brushing the
tip every once in a while. Jacen trembled and his breathing
was very rough.  Although it was a small cock, it looked
wonderful and Kerryn ached to lower his hungry lips to it
and show the boy what he really was missing. But
fortunately, the young hormones prevented that.

"Oh god, Kerryn, oh!" And he felt the boy tighten, and then
burst with his orgasm, which of course covered his hands
with several small ropes of his cum. Unconsciously, Kerryn
lifted his gooey hand to his mouth and licked his fingers
clean. He then noticed that Jacen was watching. And so he
grinned, and finished the job.

Jacen was quiet for a bit, and Kerryn got up for the
bathroom. When he returned, Jacen had cleaned up some. He
was looking pensive.

"OK, Jacen, ask away."

"Huh?"

"There is usually one question everyone asks after someone
tastes their cum."

Jacen looked at him sheepishly. "What does it taste like?"

"A little bitter. Hot and gooey. Some are OK with it, some
aren't. I happen to be very OK with it." He grinned. "If you
are ever curious, just wank and then take a little bit off
the end of your cock and try it. It won't hurt you at all."

Jacen nodded. "That was awesome."

And that was that. Kerryn did not see Jacen wank for years.
They had settled their routine. They got up, naked, did
their morning preparations, and Jacen went to continue his
program of study while Kerryn ran the station. They met for
lunch, dinner, and ran laps through the station. Jacen's
hair went long, then short, then long, and finally just shy
of shoulder-length. He got his ear pierced, and became very
attached to a small Guild earring with a diamond chip that
Kerryn had given to him on their one year anniversary
together. And each night, they would approach the bed,
remove the last of their clothing and slide into bed. More
than half the time they ended up snuggled together.

As he grew, Jacen showed an aptitude for administration.
Watching Kerryn, he found dozens of ways to streamline the
operations of the station from both a personnel and
accounting perspective. He was a born organizer and
administrator. And so Kerryn acted on his recommendations,
and ceased being surprised when they worked out as well or
better than planned. This freed Kerryn up to do the
engineering maintenance. And freed him to work on his
special project, the gravity piston. Not even Jacen really
knew what he was doing.

Kerryn watched Jacen Vorr grow, first filling out from the
overly thin boy, developing some muscular definition and
then the grand stretch as his major growth spurts kicked in.
Jacen was beautiful to look at, with all the drama ready to
play across his expressive features. He was popular with his
friends, of which there were a number, but he had not
settled down on any one person. Kerryn was a little
concerned, but everyone is different.

Today, though, would be different. It was Jacen's sixteenth
birthday. While Kerryn had given him free reign on how to
define his life, nevertheless the milestone technically
allowed Jacen to make additional choices for himself. Jacen
had indicated that he was satisfied working on the station,
but Kerryn knew the folly in that.

Kerryn had thrown Jacen a party. All his friends were
invited, and with their parent's permission some of the
punch had been spiked. Just enough to lend a little
flexibility to the attendees. Kerryn watched as Jacen
masterfully worked his way through the crowd with greetings,
thanks and more. Most had come in pairs: a boy and a girl, a
little nervous, a little awkward yet grateful for the
opportunity to be together. Jacen, however continued alone,
though enjoying himself. Kerryn watched as some of the girls
gazed at Jacen with admiration. He could have any one of
them, he realized, but didn't seem to be interested.

One of the surprise attendees had been Wesley Crusher.
Wesley had by now left Starfleet to learn from the Traveler.
Kerryn had always kept a casual contact with Wes after the
Carin II incident, and with Rian, but Wesley had decided to
visit for the party. They had toured the station with Jacen,
and Wesley was very impressed at how confident, how mature,
and how charismatic Jacen was, even at sixteen. He had
developed into a natural and strong leader.

And so, at the party off in one corner, Kerryn and Wesley
surveyed the crowd. It was Wes who made the humbling
observation.

"Makes you feel old, doesn't it?"

"What? Twenty-somethings surrounded by hot horny teenagers?
It's a little distracting."

"Oh yeah, the Betazoid thing." The high emotion in the room
would be mentally pounding Kerryn. "Any scandals?"

"Not really."

Wes ventured forward. "I'm pretty sure he is gay."

Kerryn nodded. "Yup. Told me so before I met him face to
face. It was what brought us together. He was twelve, and
someone decided he needed me. And once I met him, I realized
that he did. Really badly."

"Love is a powerful thing, Kerryn."

"It certainly is. As a side effect, I've got an heir now,
legally, although our relationship is that of brothers."

"You get full marks for restraint, then. He is gorgeous."

"That he is."

Kerryn had then laughed out loud when one of the guys
decided the dance floor was too warm and removed his shirt.
That started a general shirtless outbreak among the guys,
and although there were some fine specimens there, when
Jacen had removed his shirt and revealed the perfectly
formed chest and abdomen below, all the while exposing the
skin-tight pants he was wearing, the catcalls and whistles
abounded. Kerryn had just grinned and let him prance around
for the occasion. Why not? This was a ritual, after all.

Wesley surveyed the room with high amusement. Oh to be
sixteen again! He suddenly remembered Kerryn's experiences
at sixteen, with Starfleet, the Rana 7 deaths, and his ship,
and saw that at twenty-five Kerryn had lived a lifetime. A
quick glimpse at Kerryn's face showed his happiness, and
just for a moment he caught a flash of the sexual loneliness
that must be hiding inside.

A half-naked Jacen had appeared in their corner, and boldly
he approached Wesley. "Come on, Wesley! You are still
dressed! I need to dance with ALL the guests tonight!" And
he yanked him towards the dance floor.

Wes laughed, and pulled off his shirt to reveal the pale but
attractive form underneath. Kerryn noted it was nothing like
what he had been on Totentanz, but Wes's life was very
different now. It was also clear that Wesley did not know
how to dance, but that was OK.

On the floor, Jacen and Wesley danced for a bit. Wesley had
asked only, "Are you out to your guests?" to which he had
received an affirmative reply.  The older man indirectly got
the teenager ready for the next step in Jacen's plan, which
had some elements of risk in it. Jacen's next target was a
fearsome entity to be reckoned with.

When they parted, Jacen steeled himself and went back for
the one person he desired more than anyone else in the
world. He knew that this person would play along, but he
really didn't know if he would go as far as Jacen wanted.
Jacen was going to make sure he found out. And so, finally
standing in front of the young man who had rescued him from
DS9, and who had been like a brother to him these last three
and a half years, Jacen grabbed Kerryn's hand and pulled him
wordlessly to the dance floor.

Kerryn's eyes went wide. Well, why not? He could see a deep,
intense, sincere need in Jacen's eyes and features that
begged him to get goofy and play along. And so, very slowly
and with high drama and some sensual stretching, Kerryn
removed his own shirt and tossed it aside, among the loudest
set of cheering and hooting yet. He knew he was gorgeous,
but he also knew the crowd was so pumped up that they would
even love it if Jellico himself had done it. Yuck, what a
thought!!

He was propelled on to the dance floor, and there they
danced. Jacen was positively vibrating with excitement, and
Kerryn was feeling drunk from the intensity around him that
he could not shut down. And so they danced, and when the
dance was done, Kerryn leaned forward and gave him a little
kiss on the right cheek.

"Happy birthday, Jacen."

Jacen now stood as tall as Kerryn, and his response was to
move forward and place his mouth directly on Kerryn's, in
front of everyone there. It was a fleeting kiss, full of
promise and very tantalizing, but only slightly edgy in this
crowd. After less than a second it broke, and again amid
catcalls and hooting they separated.

Jacen deserved this. This was his moment, his party, and he
the center of attention. So, like he had done to Lwaxana
Troi so long ago, he stepped back, surveyed him from top to
bottom, slowly. Jacen actually caught on and turned for him
so all sides were viewed, and then Kerryn smiled wide, gave
a thumbs up and exclaimed loudly.

"Man, he is hot!! Anyone got a drink?" And Jacen flushed
with pleasure. Kerryn, though, was profoundly shaken at the
sexual desire radiating out of Jacen. It was aimed at him.

After that event, Jacen went in search of Wesley. They had
not quite orchestrated the event, but when Jacen had asked
how to get into Kerryn's pants (which had made Wes choke on
his drink) he had given him some highly practical advice.

"Jacen, Kerryn is Mr. Caution, to the max. His one downfall
is that he can't resist using his Betazoid skills to skim
the minds of people he is concerned about. You've got to
catch his interest, and when you think he is skimming you,
let it all mentally hang out. He will not be able to avoid
at least talking about it." He paused, then, "You may even
have to get him drunk a bit. He's got a lot of inhibitions
on some things. And he really doesn't have much of a sense
of adventure."

"How do you know when he is skimming?"

"For me, I remember whatever was on my mind changing quickly
but very clearly, kind of like riffling through a document,
for less than a second."

Jacen had had that happen several times, and matching the
times with events around him, he recognized what had
happened. "Got it. Thanks, Wes." Now he was armed.

The party drew to a close, and the many guests took their
leave of the crowd. It dwindled, until only a couple of
knots of people were left, including Jacen's closest
friends.  And then even Jacen himself started on his way
back to their quarters.

"You look wiped."

Jacen nodded. "Thanks, Kerryn. That was the best ever." Here
was his zinger. "Wesley was just full of interesting tidbits
of information. He misses you, too." And he waited for the
feeling.

Kerryn was a little startled. "Really? Those were pretty
interesting times. Just how much did he tell you?"

Hooked!! Jacen grinned, and replied, "It was fairly random.
We discussed tactics."

"What kind of tactics?" And Kerryn automatically skimmed the
mind of the young man in front of him.

Jacen felt it, and brought to his thoughts an image of
himself and Kerryn, naked and lying together on their bed,
deeply engaged in some form of sex, and realizing the moment
that Kerryn caught on, brought his eyes up to look straight
at his guardian and role model. "Those kind of tactics." And
he let his thoughts flow freely, closing his eyes and
sighing in the fantasy for a moment, before he felt Kerryn
disconnect.

Surprised to the very core, Kerryn just stood there and
gaped. Oh, he certainly desired sex with Jacen, but there
was a line there defined by the role of guardian.

Jacen grinned his most attractive and suggestive grin.
"Caught you off guard, eh? We can talk about it later, but
get used to the idea that I am very, very curious and you
are like my brother. What's a little sex between consenting
brothers?"

Kerryn was speechless as he watched Jacen saunter out of the
room. Yes, he did look tired but he was strutting. And he
realized that he had seen Wesley do just the same kind of
mental thing years ago to Counselor Troi, and himself too.
There was no question that that was what the tactics were
about. A flare of irritation rose, and Kerryn saw that Wes
was still there, one of the last few. He turned and glared
at him.

Wesley had seen the whole thing, and it seemed to have been
executed flawlessly. The glare from Kerryn was obviously a
little much, and Wes had some explaining to do. He sighed
with a grin and watched the gathering storm cloud that he
hoped would get laid tonight approach.

It was then just the two of them. Wesley looked at Kerryn,
and Kerryn at Wesley. A silent battle of patience as to who
would break the silence. Kerryn lost.

"He was doing just fine until you had to go and help him
out."

"He wants you, Kerryn. You told me yourself, you think of
him as your adopted brother. He does too, but he is smart
enough to see beyond that limitation."

"I'm his guardian, Wes."

"Not now that he is sixteen."

They were silent for a moment. Wes shook his head. "You
don't want him, do you?"

"Of course I want him!"

"No, I mean you don't want to have sex with him. Right?"

Kerryn stalled. Wes just nodded. "Yup. You want to. When did
it start?"

Before he could stop himself, he muttered, "Maybe a year and
a half ago. He grew so fast, and went from being a cheeky
boy to a flourishing hot young man. At fifteen he turned the
heads of every teenager on the station. But he always
remained non-sexual to them." Once started, Kerryn just kept
going. "Never a reaction, nothing. Like an unstoppable wave.
I knew his hormones were working but he was fifteen. It
seemed like I had just taken him in from DS9. He is just a
kid."

Wes stared, and then laughed out loud. "Kerryn, that was no
kid prancing half-naked around the dance floor. He knew
exactly what he was doing to everyone there. And he used you
to eclipse himself. Why do you think that was?"

Kerryn stared in horror. "Oh shit it's obvious, isn't it? To
justify anything that might happen." He shook his head,
trying to sort it out. "I've been outmaneuvered. And I
taught him all of it." Kerryn finally asked the question.
"Wes, what I am I going to do?"

"About what?"

"About Jacen, damn it!" And he sat down on a chair. As he
did, he noticed one of the congratulations cards on the
floor where it has been dropped. He picked it up, and below
the sentiment of congratulations was penned a small note,
which read:

Jacen,

Happy Sixteen, JV! Dude, real sorry I can't be the one for
your big V, but I am your great friend forever! Whatever you
do, don't stop until you get the one you want. Don't let BB
escape!

Armand

Armand was one of Jacen's best friends. Kerryn stared at the
card. He remembered what it was like. The big V could only
reference one thing: his virginity. Kerryn realized that
Jacen must have trusted Armand enough to approach him about
sex. So Jacen still truly was a virgin, and now sixteen.
Kerryn could remember a little of what that was like. But he
had met Imzadi at fifteen, and that had not presented a
problem. He showed the note to Wes.

"Who is BB?"

"They like to use initials for things. JV is Jason."

"Who is BB?!!?"

"BB stands for Big Bro. Me. I only have one name, remember?"

Wes had that tinkling feeling that he had learned to trust
under the tutelage of the Traveler. The path was so clear.
"The evidence is obvious, then. His friends know that he is
after you. Looks like you are the last to know."

"Wes, what am I going to do?"

Wes chose his next words carefully. "You are going to settle
your thoughts. Then you are going home, and you are going to
gently and sincerely educate Jacen in your sexual mastery of
the male body. Then, you are going to show him the rest of
the night what the bounds are to ecstasy and pleasure and
make all his and your dreams come true." He took Kerryn's
shoulders. "He is a lot older than sixteen, Kerryn. As you
are a lot older than twenty-five. You two belong together.
It's obvious, and I can even see it resonate."

"I don't know if I can do it."

"Of course you can. Can you scan him from here?" When Kerryn
nodded, Wes continued. "Do it. What's on his mind?"

Kerryn flipped through Jacen's mind. His eyes widened
considerably. "Oh crap, Wes. He's on our bed, naked, and is
checking his inventory that he has tissues and lube nearby."
Kerryn had to stop. "Wes, he wants me to wildly fuck the
hell out of him!"

"What do you mean by `our bed'?"

"We've shared a bed since his first night. He hasn't slept
alone since he came here."

Wes grinned. "A little intimate?"

"He was lonely. Turned down his own bed, his own room, his
own suite."

"And here it is his sixteenth birthday, and you are denying
him the legal fuck of his life from the man he has publicly
declared as his highest interest."

"Wes, ."

"When did you and your Imzadi start?"

"That's not fair."

"Oh? Why not? When did you start?"

"Fifteen. But it was Imzadi, you know?"

"And this isn't to him?"

"Wes, you are telling me I should jump off a cliff!" And
then the words came back to him. "And then to spread wings
and fly."

"Someone else's advice recalled, perhaps?"

"Janice. Admiral Satii."

Wes knew what was needed. "Damn it, Kerryn, you have no
sense of adventure, no sense of risk! Jacen does, and you
are holding him back. Do you want him growing up like an old
lady?"

"No, but -"

"But nothing! He loves you, you love him, and the only thing
stopping you from being together is your asinine lack of
adventure!"

Stung, Kerryn replied, "Fuck you, Wes."

"No, you had me lots already. I think you need to go where
no man has gone before. And show Jacen just what his body is
capable of."

They were quiet. And then Wes made the point that would make
the difference. "If you don't do it, if you decide to be the
parent instead of what Jacen needs and wants, you will lose
him. He will look elsewhere and find someone less than you,
maybe a lot less." A pause, then, "Doesn't he deserve the
best?"

"Who says I am the best for him?"

"Right now, he does. That should be enough."

"And is he the best for me?"

Wes looked around. "I don't see a line of hot young guys
looking for you, do you?"

"There's one, anyway, before he exceeded mortality to go off
with an alien."

Wes knew the reference to himself. "We're different now. And
my guide has shown me so many things that even you couldn't
grasp. But really, would you take me over Jacen?"

Kerryn was silent as Wes went to the bar, poured a four-
ounce bourbon, and brought it back. He handed it to Kerryn,
and waited.

Kerryn was lost in thoughts. The twelve-year-old boy from
DS9 was forever in his view. Mentally, Kerryn made the
switch and replaced the image of Jacen with one from
tonight, half-naked and prancing about. He realized as he
mentally reviewed the images that he had been teasing the
girls mercilessly, coming up behind them and just barely
brushing his naked chest against them. No wonder everyone
was so horny at the party. Jacen was living the I-am-
available surge from the party, and then the image in his
mind surged into Jacen, his eyes closed, his mouth on
Kerryn's, for that brief unexpected yet intimate kiss. Jacen
had declared Kerryn as his in that moment. And in that
moment as he relived it now, his eyes, bright and shining,
his sparkling smile and the touch of love and challenge
flooded Kerryn.

"No."

Wesley had watched the change happen. He saw the shift in
perception and the look of astonished wonder cross Kerryn's
face. And then, turning him back into a sixteen year old
himself, Wes watched Kerryn's face fill with anticipation
and arousal.

Not sure who actually said it, but one of them did. "He
isn't twelve anymore."

Pure mischief filled Kerryn. "And he has no idea what a
Betazoid is capable of." He sincerely held out his hand.
"Thanks, Wes."

"It took a lot of work, you know. You are quite stubborn.
But I know it was worth it for all three of us."

They parted ways, and Wesley did not return for a long time.
But of all the things he did, he felt that this was one of
the most important, and one of the ways he could pay back
his own educational experience.

When Kerryn returned to his quarters, Jacen was there in his
shorts, stretched out on the bed. It was clear that he had
showered and was meticulously primped.

"Kerryn, can I thank you enough for the party? I can't
remember having that much fun."

"You are very welcome. That was a great group of people."
Kerryn handed over the card. "This was on the floor. I
thought you might want it, as the sentiment is about the
best you will ever see from a true friend."

Jacen took the card, reread it and put it aside. "I would
have missed that one." He got up, and came over to Kerryn.
"What took you so long?"

"Wesley."

Jacen stood there, in his moment of uncertainty. Maybe
Kerryn wasn't going to be into this. He decided to push into
what happened. "I felt you skim me."

Kerryn laughed. "Yes, and what an experience that was. I
feel you are going to be a lot more complex now that you can
detect it."

Jacen studied that comment. Kerryn stretched. "This is a
night unlike any I have ever had. Do you know what you were
doing out there?"

Slightly crafty, Jacen raised his eyebrows. "What aspects?"

"You worked the crowd like a nymph. They were so aroused by
the time you were done I thought we were going to start
having orgies on the floor."

A short moment, and then together they both said, "That
would have been interesting."

Kerryn pulled off his shirt, revealing the sleek and
attractive skin and body underneath. "I am so happy for
you." He could feel them dance around this topic. But he
couldn't get himself forward.

Jacen had had it. He moved directly in front of Kerryn, his
eyes glowing. He had never seen Kerryn quite so hesitant
before, and Wes had warned him that this was likely. And he
knew that he was going to have to do some breaking through.
"I love you, Kerryn. The best day of my life was when you
brought me here into our little family. It is all I have
ever needed." He moved close, and wrapped his arms around
his guardian brother. "I'm sixteen. I am grateful. I love
you, but I am also in love with you." And he closed his eyes
and brought his mouth towards his guardian, brother, and
desired lover.

Kerryn met the kiss halfway with his own, and joy surged
through each of them as their lips parted and the tongues,
so close for so many years, began the intricate and
delightful process of caressing, dancing, and sharing the
love and the rising arousal. Tentatively, first as Jacen
didn't know what to expect, and then with more enthusiasm as
Kerryn showed him, the passion rose. Each felt the other get
hard, and that brought out a moment of laughter from Kerryn
and he had to break the kiss.

"What was that for?" Jacen felt like he had been deprived.

"Do you remember our first night? You complained about being
five and a half inches, and I promised you that we would
measure it again on your sixteenth birthday?"

Jacen nodded.

"Well, we are going to do just that. Among a great many
other things." Kerryn grinned. "You are right. You are
sixteen. I love you too, and I am just becoming aware of how
much in love with you I am. I think it has always been
there. But now, now I think I can share that with you."

Jacen blushed. "I'm very, very curious, Kerryn."

"About what specifically?"

"About sharing myself with you. About you."

"Then lets start with the basics." And they renewed the
kiss, and Kerryn slid his hands down the warm skin of
Jacen's back, where he encountered the waistband of the
shorts. He let his hands glide over the shorts, feeling the
taut muscle underneath, amid some quiet moans from Jacen. He
broke the kiss again.

"What did you do that for again?"

"Easy, boy. Just how much experience have you had?"

He looked down. "Not much. Armand and I made out once, but I
know he did it out of pity. I tried with two of the girls,
and while they were into it, it just didn't do anything for
me."

"And what do you know about sex between guys?"

Jacen grinned. "Well, I read an awful lot about the how. I
have some idea what to expect."

Kerryn traced the outline of his face with a finger. "Rule
number one. In sex, there should be no such thing as
personal space. Sex is all about intimacy and a lot about
pleasure, giving and taking. When you are more used to it,
then it can become more of a playground."

"Playground?"

Kerryn chuckled. "Playground. Someday I'll tell you about
that." He looked directly into Jacen's eyes, and the mutual
feeling locked them together. "Just how far are you willing
to go?"

His answer was immediate. "All the way, Kerryn. As far as we
can go together."

"Then let's start by letting me teach you about you." And
with that they moved towards the bed, discarding the rest of
their clothes. Kerryn laid Jacen down on the bed on his
back, and began to kiss and stroke him, innocently at first,
and then with greater ardor. Jacen quickly realized that
Kerryn was going to be an incredibly erotic experience, and
he surrendered himself to the sensations with relish. He had
come for the first time even before Kerryn had touched his
cock.

Kerryn had used that opportunity to switch from hands to
tongue and gave his chest and abdomen a thorough tongue-
lashing. Jacen was so hot and sweet, and Kerryn was careful
to slurp all the cum off his torso. And then without warning
he settled his hot mouth on the tip of Jacen's cock, and
Jacen gasped at the sensation.

"Oh my god, Kerryn that's wonderful!" And Kerryn settled
into the best, most prolonged and most heartfelt blowjob
ever. Jacen was shaking uncontrollably by the time his
second orgasm broke, and filled Kerryn's mouth.

They rested for a few moments, and then he rolled Jacen over
onto his stomach. The young man stretched out for him as
Kerryn worked his shoulders and down his back, kneading,
caressing, and applying a loving touch throughout. Jacen
simply basked in the feeling, and when the hands reached his
butt, kneading and massaging it was so exciting and yet
relaxing at the same time that it just brought him to an
incredible awareness of himself.

Kerryn was excited too. The silky young skin of Jacen was
magic under his hands, and as he began to work on his butt
he could barely hold on. But this was for Jacen, and when he
guessed that the young man was just right he traced his
fingers along the cleft and brushed right over the tight
little entrance.

Jacen shivered and began to tremble. That touch there had
been electric. But what happened next Jacen could never have
been prepared for, as Kerryn had leaned down and gently slid
his tongue along that very same path. It brought out an
incredible long moan from Jacen, and Kerryn continued to
apply himself to that general region. Settling in for a good
long licking, his hands gently raked up and down Jacen's
lower back as Kerryn continued to stimulate Jacen.

After a few minutes, Kerryn released him and rolled him back
over. Jacen was breathing hard, and his cock was straining
incredibly tall. Kerryn reached over for the lube, put a
little on his finger, and grinned.

"When I tell you to, push out a little bit. Relax and follow
the directions, and you are going to love this."

Jacen nodded, pulled his knees up and spread his legs so
that Kerryn would have easy access. It was almost too much
for Kerryn - he was so incredibly beautiful, and so
incredibly erotic right now. He all but attacked Jacen's
cock again with his mouth and one hand, causing yet another
eruption of moaning from Jacen. And then he placed his
finger on the virgin entrance, stopping his tongue long
enough to say, "Push gently now." And he felt Jacen relax,
and he gently pushed his finger in.

"OHHHHHH GOOOOD! Oh hell yes, that is so incredible!" Jacen
squirmed on the finger, which slid further with tight ease
until he touched that magic spot in the male body. Jacen
went totally rigid, gasping for breath and whimpering until
Kerryn could just make out him whispering, "So good . so
good." And so, mouth on cock, finger on prostate, and sexy
bodies focused on ultimate pleasure he took Jacen where he
had never expected to be and with what was almost a scream
Jacen flooded Kerryn's mouth again with cum, his butt
clenching violently with the intensity of the orgasm that
rocked him. Kerryn continued as long as he thought Jacen
could take it, and after a few minutes, the cock in his
mouth began to soften, and Kerryn removed himself and let
his brother-lover recover.

Jacen was in heaven. Kerryn knew what he was doing, and he
was doing it to him. It wasn't just sex, it was love and
sex, and it was just the way he thought Kerryn would do it
too. But when the time was right, he wanted his turn to lead
too, and explore the many facets of Kerryn that he had been
dying to get into.

Kerryn watched Jacen recover. Oh yes, he was a sexual entity
for sure. This was awesome. He began to have an appreciation
for just how gorgeous Jacen was, and how right it was for
them.

"You are absolutely exquisite."

"Maybe, but I feel absolutely exquisite. That was everything
I had been hoping it would be, so far."

"Good. I was thoroughly enjoying myself too, you know."

Jacen rolled onto his side, on one elbow. He was going to
make the ultimate plunge, the request for ultimate intimacy
between them. "Kerryn, Wes told me that Betazoids can take
sexual activity beyond what humans can do. Is it true?"

Kerryn nodded. "It isn't for everyone. But we can enter the
minds of our partners, and together build a level of
intensity well beyond what any human normally can feel. It
is very, very intimate, for both sides." Kerryn paused a
moment. "I wasn't going to introduce you to that for a
while."

Jacen looked at him. "Can I handle it?"

"Physically? Sure. Mentally? You have to ask yourself, is
there anything in your mind that you object to sharing. Good
or bad. During the link, if your mind wanders mine will
follow it. Same with me." He looked cautiously at Jacen.
"The sex part is usually pretty dominant, too. Except for a
casual brush, each time I have done it I was topping my
partner quite aggressively."

"Topping?"

"Fucking. On top." Kerryn grinned. "We'll cover terminology
someday." Then he had an idea. He got up, and walked over to
a table nearby, poured himself a shot of bourbon, and downed
it. That would remove the taste of his prior activities.
"Come on over here."

Jacen stood, and what a magnificent view it was. They met
near the side of the bed, and Kerryn took him in his arms.
"We're ready for the next adventure." And his mouth sought
Jacen's as the kiss intensified. Kerryn had decided to give
him a taste of what would happen if he actually linked their
minds. Gaining dominance, he slowly pinned Jacen against the
wall, his hands on his lover's shoulders, then on his butt,
feeling their hardnesses touch, then stroke, then grind.
Kerryn could feel the hard tips of his nipples brush Jacen's
chest, and the reverse reaction as well. Jacen totally gave
in to the physical experience, and that was when Kerryn
acted.

Kerryn let his mind brush Jacen's. What he found there
astounded him. The boy was literally drinking in the
experience and surrendering in pleasure. No resistance, just
eagerness to be used. He touched more firmly, and felt
Jacen's entire body shiver against his own and then actually
launch himself further in to the experience. Kerryn began to
feel like he was riding a wave, and wasn't sure how much he
could control this.

They moved to the bed, and Kerryn applied himself all over
Jacen's delicious chest, his young sculpted neck and back to
the mouth. With Jacen in lost in the sensation, Kerryn had
quickly applied some lube to his own back entrance. Jacen
was only seconds away from his first fuck.

Jacen could feel Kerryn in his head, holding him, and
stroking mentally some special spot in his self that was
just flooding him with sensation. It was breathtakingly
intense, and it seemed to radiate from throughout his body.
Kerryn was around him, surrounding him, and penetrating him
with the most deep and satisfying feelings  And then a warm
glow of pressure slowly broke over Jacen's cock and spread
with the best simulation and rapture that he had ever known.

Jacen then realized that it wasn't mental.

His eyes flew open in surprise to find that Kerryn had swung
his leg over him, straddling him just below the waist, and
he could actually see his long, straight hard cock straining
upward and being lost in the warm, pliant place that his
brother-lover had accepted him into. With a cry of joy and
surrender, he pressed upwards once before orgasm raged
through him.

Kerryn felt it happen at all levels, and right on cue with
that first incredibly hard spasm he dropped downward to take
in all Jacen had. Together they soared through the feelings
that held them both captive, and in the mind link Jacen
struggled to burst in all directions, but was prolonged by
the firm grip of the Betazoid mind that held his in ultimate
focus. The desperate sensation held them for too short a
moment that seemed like eternity, and then it dissolved into
post-coital denouement.

There was only so much that you could do in an evening, and
their whole future lay before them. Kerryn leaned over, and
whispered to Jacen very slowly.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." And sleep overtook them.

And that was only the beginning. Kerryn realized that Jacen
meant everything to him, and there was no way that he was
ever going to let his brother-lover go. Each had found the
missing part in their lives in each other, and as a pair
complete they worked, laughed and loved.

EPILOGUE

They stood on the sloping ridge outside their bedroom
window. The three suns set slowly, causing the miraculous
colors that had so stimulated them each night. The planet
was at peace, the colony prosperous and confident.

The Chief Administrator and Chief Engineer of the freight
trading planet of Lindar IV stood, wearing only the briefest
of short pants. They were among the richest individuals in
the galaxy, having run for fifteen years the Freighter Guild
Base Four, and finally selling it back to the Guild in
exchange for the opportunity to build and run Lindar IV. The
Guild had begged them to do it, and now one year later the
planet would be the first to hold dual allegiance between
the Freighter's Guild and the United Federation of Planets.
Tomorrow the presentation and application would be made, and
both Kerryn and Jacen knew it would pass.

The last sun set, and the night fell over the lush planet.
Jacen turned to Kerryn, and they shared a gentle kiss
together. In all ways, this was paradise as they stepped
inside to immerse themselves in each other.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

This was much longer than originally planned. The Federation
usually comes off as pompous, and catching Starfleet off
guard became a major theme here. I actually did a paper
design for GB4, which was a fascinating experience too. I am
planning to fill in the prequel story someday for Kerryn, so
if you are interested send me an email and I will raise its
priority. I am most proud of the dialogs between Kerryn and
Admiral Satii, Kerryn and Dyr, and Kerryn and Wesley.

Oh yes, I believe that should Starfleet ever happen, they
would imprint the logo on toilet paper. :-)

The Journeyman Harper (journeymanharper@yahoo.com)