Chapter Text
A baby’s cry woke Alliandra. She looked around and realized that she was in Sick Bay, in Johanna’s temporary room. The baby boy was protesting his diaper suddenly being uncomfortable. There was no immediate sign of either Johanna or Dr. McCoy so Alli struggled to stand up. Her limbs seemed reluctant to do her bidding.
“Now my little Cookie, stop making such a fuss,” Alli crooned as she bent over his wiggling form. She quickly changed his fragrant diaper and then picked him up. His fussing stopped once she cuddled him to her.
“There now sweet thing, were you missing your sister?” she asked as she made her wobbly way to the rocking chair in the corner. A tiny grunting noise was her answer. She hummed a little song while playing with the baby’s grasping fingers. A moment later, Nurse Chapel came into the room.
“Oh, Alli, I’m sorry. Dr. McCoy is escorting Johanna on a walk with her daughter and I was supposed to tend junior. I had a patient, so was held up,” she said. As she spoke she gave the baby’s head a gentle caress. Alli smiled up at her.
“I don’t mind on bit Christine. He is no trouble at all,” Alli assured her. She then frowned in confusion. “I don’t seem to recall how I came to be here.”
“Mr. Spock found you in your quarters unconscious. It looks as if you fell somehow and injured your arm,” she said with a concerned look on her face.
“I have a vague memory of feeling dizzy. I must have forgotten to eat again,” Alli said. Actually she remembered everything, especially the feeling of exhaustion that had swamped her after she had closed her Door-way. It had taken so much energy to control that singularity that it must have burned her out.
“That doesn’t surprise me at all. When Johanna saw that you were resting in the next room, she insisted that you be brought in here so she could watch over you. Dr. McCoy had no problem with it.” Christine told her.
“Are my vitals back to normal?” She asked. For some reason she still felt odd.
“I’ll let Dr. McCoy talk to you about that. He insisted. You should just rest until he returns,” Christine said kindly. Alli nodded before snuggling the baby closer.
“Well, I think this little Cookie and I will just rock for a bit,” Alli said. Christine smiled at the description of the bald little boy.
“He does look sweet enough to be a cookie, doesn’t he?” She said. “Do you need anything Alli? I have a plate of food waiting for you.”
“Thank you, that sounds marvelous. I’m not sure I could walk out there right now though.”
“Oh, don’t get up. I will bring it in here. It is all finger food, so you can eat with him in your lap,” she said and then left her alone for a few minutes. She returned with a tray and set it down on the nearby table. Alli spent a pleasant few minutes eating the meal. It was accompanied by the special drink that Dr. McCoy had developed to help her recover after overusing her abilities. It still tasted vaguely like motor oil, but she choked it down. The area on her left arm where the axe had cut her was still tender, and she wondered why it hadn’t healed yet. Alli was sure that several hours had passed since her return. A slice like that one would barely have taken an hour to heal normally.
A soft snore from the baby garnered a chuckle from her. Little Cookie had fallen back asleep. He was even cuter when at rest, she decided. Alli tried to stand up to put him in his bassinet but she couldn’t find the strength. Was the ax blade poisoned? That might explain the slow healing and lethargy she felt.
“Interface, if you are listening, I would appreciate it if you would run a quick scan of my arm. I am not feeling quite right,” she whispered.
“No scan is needed. Dr. McCoy administered a concoction to keep you from recovering too quickly. I could list the ingredients but he threatened to disassemble my mainframe if I did. He said, and I quote; “She is always running off willy nilly, and this time she is staying put for a while,” end quote.” The quote part was an actual recording of Dr. McCoy ranting about her, and she smiled. Still, she was not too pleased.
“I suppose I am stuck for it. At least I have this little one to cuddle,” she said quietly. Still, even a six pound infant could feel heavy after a while. She was about to call for Christine when Johanna and Dr. McCoy returned.
“Well, look who is out of bed.” Bones said to her. His expression was a mix of fondness and disapproval. How he could manage a look like that amazed her. He gently removed the sleeping child and returned him to his bed.
“I am glad to see you up Alli. You looked positively wretched when you were brought in earlier,” Johanna told her. Alli’s eyebrow shot up at the blunt observation but she smiled at her friend.
“Yes, you did. Come on young lady, I think I will take you to the next room and have a look at that arm,” Leonard said and assisted her to her feet. He always seemed to refer to her age when he was unhappy with her, she noticed. Maybe the reference was intended to bring her down a notch, which she supposed was something she needed from time to time.
When they were safely enclosed in the second private examination room, he had her lay on the Bio bed so that he could remove the bandages. He barely spoke to her beyond the commands he gave to have her move one way or the other. His silence was eloquent proof that he was upset with her. She spoke first.
“I’m sorry,” she said. He glanced at her, but continued tending her wound. “I shouldn’t have gone off like that. I had forgotten that you would have known I was not close by anymore.”
“So, if I hadn’t been mentally attached to that mind shield of yours, you would have gone off to the backside of beyond anyway, but you wouldn’t be sorry?” He asked archly. He tugged a bit roughly on the bandage, causing her to wince, but she didn’t complain.
“If I hadn’t gone, they would have come back.” She said.
“If you had trusted us, we would have backed you up.” He told her gruffly. She felt the sting of his words, and realized he had a point.
“Yes. You would have. I was wrong.” She admitted. Even without advance notice, the two who could do something had done so. Alli hated to think what Scotty would have to say about this. He had been busy repairing the Betazoid vessel, but he would have wanted to know too.
“This will heal by the end of the day, I am sure. I have redressed the wound,” he said. He avoided looking her in the eyes. Alli realized that she had put a wedge into their friendship. It would take a bit to unwedge, she feared.
“Yes sir,” she replied meekly. He applied a hypo to her neck, and the sting of the cool spray was followed by a feeling of strength coursing through her body.
“You will begin to feel more like yourself. In two hours you are to report to briefing room one for disciplinary action,” he said. She looked at him with shock, but he just turned away to store the hypo in the medical locker. When he turned back he had his professional mask in place. He helped her to her feet and escorted her to the door.
“You are ordered to remain in your quarters until the appointed time. Do you require help to get there?” He asked formally.
“No sir. I will be fine.” She straightened her spine and stood tall.
“Dismissed Lieutenant,” he said and then walked away. A hollow feeling made her cultch her stomach at his formality. Who knew saving a galaxy from itself would cause her so much grief?
The corridor was clear as Alli stepped out of the turbo lift. She had walked out of sick bay with her back straight and had held that pose until the lift doors had closed. When she was alone all of her sass evaporated, along with her body’s ability to stay upright. She had been forced to use the wall as a prop as she stumbled toward her quarters. It wasn’t long before she had to stop and rest. Soft foot falls warned her that she was no longer alone, but she didn’t move.
“Hey there lass. Why are you leaning on the wall so hard?” Scotty asked her as he swiftly moved to prop her up. Alli gave him a weak smile as she struggled to stand tall again.
“It is a long story, but would you be willing to lend me your arm?” Alli asked her friend.
“Aye, of course. I was just coming to talk to you about the Betazoid Engineer, Airid,” he said as slipped one arm around her waist and held her hand with his other. “Steady there.” He cautioned as she stumbled.
“I want to know what was in that damn hypo,” Alli mumbled. She was usually able to throw off the effects of most drugs within minutes. That just made her realize how much Leonard had learned about her physiology. Still, moaning about what she couldn’t change was not like her so she focused on her companion.
“So, have you had any problems with him?” Alli asked.
“No, not a bit. He’s a quiet sort, but knows his engines,” Monty began with enthusiasm. “I have been over there since I got back from my away mission. That vessel is a beauty! What I wanted to pick your brain over is a way to increase their engine speed. At best they only travel warp three. At that speed it would take them months to make it back to their home world. If the two of us can augment their dilithium matrix, I believe we can help them get to at least warp six. That would make this trip much quicker.”
Scotty was extremely animated. Alli realized that he didn’t know what she had been up to. Well, at least he would hear it from her, she reasoned.
“We will have to see what the captain decides after my disciplinary hearing,” she said. Scotty gave her a surprised look.
“What did I miss?” He asked. Alli shook her head ruefully as she pressed the access pad on the wall. They had arrived at her quarters and he helped her to a chair.
“Come sit down, Monty. It is best you hear it from me. I have a lot to tell you,” she said. She gestured to the second chair before reaching inside her Pocket. A glass bottle full of aged Scotch was her prize. She poured a generous measure into a glass and pushed it towards him. Thus tempted, he sat down and listened to her.
After hearing everything she had to say he was quiet. She offered him more to drink, but he declined by covering the glass with his hand. She waited to hear what he had to say, but felt a worried tremble in her middle.
“So, Interface, which happens to be the most advanced AI I have ever seen, was meant to be the operating system for a stellar death ray? And you destroyed the machine he was supposed to run. Did you disable the wormhole devices on their ships as well?” He asked thoughtfully.
“They only had one device left on their flagship. All the others had been destroyed by rebels. That last one I disabled forcefully. I doubt they will be able to repair it,” she said.
“What was the point of targeting those automated planets you told me about? Wouldn’t destroying the main weapon itself have been enough?”
“I guess I felt angry. I could envision living under the constant threat of death, and how terrifying that would be. I decided that removing that fear was the right thing to do,” she said.
“Why do you get to decide that for another galaxy full of individuals? What gives you that right?” Monty asked kindly. Alli sat back and looked at him in shock. Spock’s comment of playing god replayed in her mind. Seeing that he had opened her eyes to her action’s true meaning he leaned forward and patted her hand.
“Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean that you should. It seems to me that that galaxy was well on its way to sorting out it on their own.”
“They were,” she agreed softly.
“Do ya see why you’re to be disciplined?” He asked. She nodded her head. Having told him everything made it clear to her just how much she had stepped over the line. Jim couldn’t officially reprimand her for most of it, but she could bet he would catch her on something he could officially use.
“Yes, I got too cocky. I took it upon myself to interfere with the government of an entire Galaxy. In truth, the captain would be within his rights to court martial me. At the very least, I betrayed the trust of my superior officers.” Alli admitted.
“Aye, that is true. So, the real question is: Did you learn anything from all this?” He wondered. He met her look with his serious one, and she considered.
“I have learned that I don’t have all the answers. I have abilities that give me a lot of power, but I don’t have the right to force my will on others,” she said.
“Well then lass, I would say that is a good sign. Now, if I had been aware of all of this when it was happening, I might be a wee bit more upset. As it is, I can see things from your point of view. You saved a lot of lives by taking that weapon apart, and I can no condemn you for that. But you ever pull a stunt like that again and I’ll have you cleaning the bilge tanks for a month, on top of whatever punishment the Captain comes up with,” he said sternly. The bilge tanks were the waste recycling units, and they were the worst job on the vessel to clean. She met his serious look with a contrite one of her own.
“I understand, sir,” she said. Taking a deep breath, she stood up slowly. She felt a bit steadier on her feet.
“I need to change into my uniform. It is almost time to face the hangman,” she told him. Her two hours were up. He nodded. Alli retreated into her washroom to change. When she came out he was standing by her door.
“I’ll walk you to the gallows then,” he told her, offering her his arm. She couldn’t help but smile at his jest as she accepted his offer.
Interface sat in the Control chair, listening to the sound of Captain Kirk’s voice. He was entering a charge of insubordination into Alliandra’s record, and Interface felt regret. He sat a moment and examined that emotion. Alliandra had risked her friendships and position to save him. He regretted placing her in that position. Even though he had been less than honest with her, and even now kept information from her, she had been willing to travel across the cosmos for him.
The walls darkened to a light red, and Interface cataloged yet another emotional reaction reflected in the vessel referred to as the Pocket. Alliandra was angry, yet not overly so, he guessed by the color. He had logged over twenty emotions that could be seen by the colors of the walls and he found the information fascinating.
He wondered if he should show her the new room that he had found. The rudimentary engine that was forming in the room hinted that this Pocket was growing more vessel-like all the time. Perhaps he would leave that for her to discover in her own time. There was something about this place that suggested to him that Alliandra was not yet ready to fully understand it, or her special connection to it.
She still would not enter the Core room, even though it was the obvious source of her power. Interface replayed the footage of Alliandra utilizing the Weapon. The readings of her biology and of the core energy output she had controlled were staggering. She was a powerful creature. Interface intended to stay right here where he could observe her development. He realized that he would need to help her stay out of trouble so that she could stay on the Enterprise. She had grown in her abilities at a steady rate since becoming a crewmember on the Starship. He could only speculate at how strong she would become in the months ahead.
Interface collected all of his data and stored it on an encrypted file, and then hid it among seemingly useless files. Alliandra could easily read the file, but he was counting on the fact that she wouldn’t look for it. She would feel betrayed by his data collection, he feared.
The book he had been reading sat on the arm of the chair and he picked it up. This one appealed to him on a unique level, and he wanted to understand it. The title itself was one that had caught his eye: I Robot. Perhaps the story would help him to deal with his own unique situation. Alliandra and her problems were relegated to the back of his processors. She could handle a little discipline, and he could do nothing for her right now anyway.
“Lieutenant Alliandra Harroya, you have been called here to because of your recent actions. Your infractions are as follows,” Captain Kirk began. Alli stood at attention at the end of the table where Doctor McCoy, Commander Spock, Commander Scott and the captain sat while the charges were read. She didn’t allow herself to think of them as her friends, but only as her senior officers. While she realized that she had erred, she was not happy about where she stood. She felt like child, not a woman of over six hundred years.
“…and finally you completely disregarded the Prime Directive when you interfered with the government of another galaxy,” Captain Kirk continued. “Obviously we cannot enter most of these into your record without your abilities becoming known. You are a woman of unique ability, but that does not grant you permission to blatantly disregard the laws and standards that you agreed to uphold when you joined the Federation.
“Furthermore, you have broken the trust that we have placed in you. It will take time for that trust to be rebuilt. So, after much consideration, it has been decided that a charge of insubordination will be placed in your permanent record. You will be placed on probation beginning immediately.”
At that announcement, Alli nearly argued. Surely that wasn’t necessary, she thought privately. Not privately enough that Spock did not hear the thought.
Would you prefer a week in the Brig? He asked her. She responded by strengthening her mental shield until she could no longer hear him. The captain, unaware of the byplay, continued outlining her punishment.
“You will relocate to the Betazoid craft where you will be assigned the task of assisting Mr. Scott with the engine rebuild they require. After that task, you will continue aboard their vessel to assist Mrs. Cort with her children. You will be under the temporary command of Coax. He will be asked to find you assorted menial duties to keep you busy when you are not assisting with the children. You will not be permitted to return to the Enterprise until we have reached the Planet Betazed. Do you have anything to say at this time?”
“No sir,” she said obediently. She was being banished, but as Spock had pointed out, it could have been worse.
“You will now return to your quarters and pack for your reassignment. Dismissed,” Captain Kirk said. Alli executed a neat about-face and left without a word.
Jim stood outside Alliandra’s quarters as he thought about what he would say. On one hand he was angry with her, but on the other he was proud of how she had handled herself. His dual roles as her captain and as her lover were tearing him apart. This had been the main reason he had refrained from dating any of his crewwomen until now. Alli had certainly shaken up his life. Inwardly cursing himself for cowardice he pressed the button for her door.
The door slid aside and Alli stood on the other side. She looked at him without expression and a piece of his heart cracked.
“May I come in?” He asked. Alli stepped aside, allowing him to enter. He walked as far as her bed before stopping and facing her. She had shut the door but had not followed him. Her room was spotless as usual, but she had a small satchel waiting near the door. She stood looking down at it instead of at him. Something had to be said, but he wasn’t sure if it should be her or him that said it.
“Alli, I…” he began, but she held her hand up to stop him.
“Jim, you don’t have to say anything. I am not proud of my actions, and I accept that I must be responsible for their repercussions. You have every right to be angry with me,” she said softly. He could hear the hurt in her voice and she looked so lost.
“You are right, I am angry. You didn’t trust me and you made some bad decisions,” he agreed. His words caused her shoulders to hunch slightly like she had been struck. He closed the distance between them but did not touch her. She still didn’t look up at him.
“For what it is worth, I am sorry. I acted like I would have before I met you,” she explained.
“I know, but things are different now. You have made promises that you are obligated to keep, unless you believe you no longer want to be here,” he said. She looked up at him in panic.
“I don’t want to go,” she said quickly before dropping her eyes again. That eased his mind somewhat. He didn’t want her to go. He cupped her cheek in his hand and tipped her face up, hoping to look her in the eyes again.
“Look, this isn’t easy for me. You went too far, so I have to exact some sort of punishment,” he said.
“So where does that leave us?” She asked hesitantly. Her eyes finally lifted to meet his.
“I don’t know. I care for you very much, but I don’t think I can trust you right now,” he answered. She blinked rapidly as her eyes filled with unshed tears. She nodded and swallowed a few times.
“I just need some time Alli. We will talk again after we reach Betazed,” he assured her. He had to swallow the lump that had formed in his own throat when she simply nodded again. A single tear tracked down her cheek and he brushed it away. Her eyes closed and he was able to master his emotions a bit. He stepped back and picked up her satchel.
“I’ll walk you to the transporter,” he said. Silently they walked out of her quarters.
I am glad you and Mr. Scot were able to augment our engines. We are now able to travel faster than ever, Airid’s voice said to her. Alli was sitting down in the recreation room of the Betazoid craft as she cuddled one of the children to her. The little girl waved her fist at Alli’s nose, which made her smile. The repairs to the vessel were as complete as they could be and the crew had returned from the Enterprise. Airid was still nowhere nearby but thought talk was able to be heard no matter where you were on the ship.
I am glad you are pleased with our work. Did you ever speak out loud to Mr. Scott? Alli asked. She felt a mental chuckle from Airid.
No, I never said a word but I don’t think he noticed. That man radiates warp fields. All I needed to do is gesture, and he understood. If I wasn’t sure he was a Mute, I would swear he was telepathic. Airid told her. Alli laughed and the sound startled the baby in her arms.
“Oops, sorry Princess. Don’t mind Aunt Alli,” she said softly. The baby yawned in response, and that prompted Alli to laugh again. Johanna was sleeping in her quarters, and little Cookie occupied a small trundle bed near Alli’s feet. All around her, mental chatter filled the proverbial air, and Alli allowed herself to just relax. They would be in transit another week. So far Alli’s punishment was not as bad as it could be. She pushed that thought aside. She didn’t want to spoil her good mood.
“You seem to have a real skill for handling children,” Coax said as he sat down next to her. She was surprised that he didn’t use thought talk, but didn’t mind speaking aloud.
“Yes, well, you could almost say I speak baby. These two are easy now. It is when they become independently mobile that the trouble starts,” she said. He chuckled and touched the little hand of the baby.
“I wanted to say that I am sorry about the trouble you got into because of us,” he said. She looked at him in confusion.
“The trouble I got into was entirely of my own making, Coax. The only thing you did was provide me with a chance to practice being in a group of Telepaths and not go mad,” Alli said with a smile.
“Perhaps that is the case, but I am considered the strongest Telepath here. I can sense that something more was going on than you are admitting to. Not to mention the bizarre dreams that I had some nights back. Considering that I don’t know you that well, I find it odd that I would dream of you.” He told her.
“Should I be flattered or worried that I was in your dreams?” She asked, wondering if perhaps he had somehow been carried along on the link between Spock and herself.
“Oh, flattered, I imagine. In my dream, you were stronger than a black hole. I don’t know what to make of it and I can tell my knowing worries you.”
“I don’t know what to say Coax. I am not all that special,” she said as she tried to control her feelings.
“Special may not be the right word, but I get the feeling that you are unique. Have no fear. I won’t bring this up again. Just know that I appreciate your efforts to keep us safe,” he told her. Alli closed her mouth and said nothing. He nodded once and then took himself off in the direction of the bridge. Alli looked down at the baby and saw that she was looking intently in Alli’s direction.
“Well princess, the universe is a funny place,” she said. The little girl went cross-eyed for a moment, prompting Alli to laugh once again. She thought about the past weeks as impartially as she could. She realized that things could have ended much worse for all involved. Just now though, all was calm, and soon she would be stepping onto yet another new world.
“Come on then loves. Let’s get Aunt Alli a drink and then we’ll check on your mom.” She told the twins. A soft coo was her answer, and Alli was satisfied with that.