Love Thy Enemy Ch. 04

Riker looked at each of them in turn. Jimmy Brower was nodding yes. Dr. Crusher had a 'why not' look on her face, and Worf was just glaring at both of the pilots.

Riker turned to them and shrugged. "Personally, I have no problem with it, but it's up to Starfleet Command, ultimately." He tapped his combadge. "Enterprise, six to beam up."

*****

Jason and Delaara stood in Captain Picard's ready room with Commander Riker as Picard looked over Lieutenant MacKenzie's After Action Report. He was both surprised and pleased with Jason and Delaara's work on the planet, when it came to neutralizing the pirates.

"Those Orion pirates you killed were terrorizing our colonies further into Federation space. I've contacted Starfleet Command as to your defection request, Commander." Picard regarded them with respect and also a bit of confusion. "One thing perplexes me, however. You say that after you shot each other down, you ended up falling in love?"

Jason took the lead on this one. "Yes, sir. What started as a matter of honor to rescue a fellow fighter pilot became what you see now. I love Commander Delaara with all my heart."

Jean-Luc Picard then turned his gaze on the young Commander and raised one eyebrow. "And you, Commander? Is this how you feel as well?"

"It is, Captain Picard. Jason... Lieutenant MacKenzie is the man I have searched for all my life, and I wasn't about to be separated from him by a war or a border. I love him, Captain." They held the same rank, albeit in opposing militaries, but she showed the utmost respect for him, and that was not lost on the Captain.

"Well, I've forwarded a copy of your report to Starfleet Command, and I assume you will wish to act as Commander Delaara's defection liaison, Lieutenant?" Captain Jean-Luc Picard was many things. Starship captain, warrior, poet, philosopher, but above all he was a romantic. After reading the Lieutenant's AAR and the Commander's account of what happened both during and after the dogfight above NZ8-257, he couldn't help but wish the two young lovers the best. In his report to the Admiralty, he also included his own recommendation that she be allowed to defect under the supervision of Lieutenant Jason MacKenzie.

The Captain turned to address Jason again. "Before you go, Lieutenant. With respect to your wedding, I do have one request...."

*****

With the signing of a new peace treaty between the Romulan Empire and the United Federation of Planets, everyone was once again at peace.

Lieutenant MacKenzie was promoted to Lieutenant Commander for his role in securing the NZ8 system from both the Romulans and Orion pirates, and Commander Delaara was given a crash course in Starfleet battle tactics and effectively demoted two grades to Lieutenant Commander in Starfleet Fighter Command. She didn't mind one bit, just happy to finally wear the same uniform as her love.

They were then assigned to the USS Nimitz, under Captain Rachael Thatcher.

*****

Two months later...

"There you are! Man, we got the comm from Enterprise to come pick you up, but nobody was saying shit about what happened to you!" Rash hugged Jason hard, slapping his back.

"Good to see you too, Rash." Jason grinned, and looked around at the assembled Skulls. "With the transfers of our CO and XO to the Eisenhower, I'll be taking command of Skull Squadron. Here is our new XO." He stepped aside and Lieutenant Commander Deraala walked down the boarding ramp of the shuttle from the USS Enterprise. Every eye in the place went wide as they recognized the beautiful Romulan now assigned as their XO.

"Commander Deraala is the best pilot in the galaxy, and the only one to ever shoot me down. You will show her the same respect that you show me or the Captain. IS THAT CLEAR?" He shouted the last question at the assembled fighter jockeys.

"YES, SIR!" came the immediate reply.

"Good. Squadron, DISMISSED!" Jason was already moving with Rash and Deraala by his side. The statuesque Romulan hadn't said a word yet, but the radiant smile on her face when she looked at Jason was unmistakable.

"Rash, I need a favor, brother." Jason looked and Rash raised an eyebrow in question. "I'd be honored if you would be Best Man at my wedding." Rash stopped dead in his tracks, with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Are you kidding me? You're getting married???" Rash grinned like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar. "So, who's the unlucky...." He saw his best friend take Delaara's hand and his jaw dropped nearly all the way to the deck.

Rash dropped his gaze for a moment, then looked up and walked quickly forward, hugging Delaara tight. "If you're gonna be my new sister, then I'm your brother. You can call me Ryan or Rash. But if you hurt Friday in any way, shape or form, I'll smack you upside the head!" and he stepped back with a huge grin on his face and a tear forming in his eye.

Delaara laughed musically. "Good to meet you, Rash. Jason has told me much about you." She smiled her disarmingly beautiful smile at him, and Jason knew that she had a brother for life in Rash.

"Now we have to go see the Captain. Is she on the Bridge or her ready room?" he asked.

"Ready Room. We're about to get off duty, so we'd better hurry!" Rash said as they entered the turbolift up to the Bridge.

The trio stepped onto the Bridge of the USS Nimitz and made a beeline for Captain Thatcher's ready room.

They rang the door chime and heard "Come in" from the other side. The three entered the ready room and Captain Thatcher was immediately startled by Delaara's striking features. Then she got up and walked straight up to Rash, grabbed him, and kissed him hard and passionately. Jason and Delaara just grinned.

Composing herself, the Captain returned to her desk and sat behind it. "As you can see, Friday, there have been a few changes around here." She smiled warmly at her new Squadron Commander. Ryan and I have gone pseudo-public with telling the crew of our relationship." She looked at Delaara. "I presume by the look on your face, Commander, that Friday has already told you everyting about us." She kept the warm smile in place. Delaara immediately liked her new Captain, and she smiled warmly back, taking Jason's hand.

"Jason was right. I love you both, and I thank you for accepting me." Delaara realized that she had smiled more in the past three months than in her entire life before that. "I'd ask you to be my Maid of Honor at our wedding, Captain, if you accept?"

Rachael was stunned. She glanced at Rash, who was grinning like a cheshire cat, and she realized that he would be Friday's Best Man. She ran around her desk and hugged Delaara tight. She whispered "You make an honest man out of him, but if you hurt him, I'll shove you out an airlock!" with a playful tone to her voice. All four of them were grinning ear to ear by that point, until something occurred to Rachael.

"Friday, if I'm going to be Maid of Honor, then who's performing the actual Wedding? I'm Ship's Captain, here."

Well, Captain Picard asked to perform it, and I have the utmost respect for the man. He was the one who told me about my parents when I was still at the Academy, so I thought it was only fair to let him have the honor. Apologies if I offended you, ma'am."

"I understand perfectly, Jason." Then turning to Delaara, "It would be my pleasure to be your Maid of Honor, Commander. Now, let's all go to my Quarters for some Romulan Ale." She winked at Delaara, who had grinned widely at the choice of beverage.

*****

Several hours later, the quartet of Officers and Friends sat around the table in Rachael's quarters, still drinking and talking like they had all known each other their entire lives. Rachael and Rash both grew to love Delaara in record time, as she wasn't like any Romulan they had ever met.

"So while Jason was flirting with the Orion Captain, I neutralized her internal security detachment, then shot her in the back." Delaara said with the sweetest smile as Jason sat there grinning with pride.

"That was a good 50 meter shot with a disruptor pistol, too!" he added. "She's the best pistol shooter I've ever seen."

Rachael and Rash were wide eyed at the account, then Rash toppled over, passed out from all the ale he'd drunk.

Rachael looked down at him... "Bloody lightweight. If he wasn't so good in bed..." she finished with an affectionate laugh for him as she got up, picked him up almost effortlessly, and laid him on her bed.

"Well, Cap, it looks like we need to make ourselves scarce", Jason said with a wink for his Captain. "He'll wake up in about ten minutes, horny as hell. I've seen this happen before."

"Oh? Oh! Well, you two can show yourselves out. I need to get ready, then!" the Captain giggled like a schoolgirl as Delaara and Jason got up and left, laughing softly.

"Well, sweetheart, are you ready to see our new Quarters?", Jason asked her.

"Lead the way, love", she said with a smile, taking his hand.

"The wedding is the day after tomorrow. Are you sure you want to be my wife?" Jason asked, a naughty glint in his eye.

She stopped and looked at him. Her expression became thoughtful for a few moments before she said "I have never been more sure of anything in my life, my love."

"Well, in that case, let me do this right." Jason said as he pulled a small square felt case out of his pocket. He got down on one knee, opened the case, containing a diamond engagement ring, and looked up at her with a tear in his eye. "Delaara, will you marry me?"

Having read up on this custom, she knew how much it meant to him, and a tear cascaded down her cheek as she smiled radiantly. "Yes, my love. I will marry you!" He slid the ring onto her finger and rose to kiss his love, who had once been his enemy.

The End..... for now...

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First time writer, here. As you could probably tell by the way the character development progressed with each chapter. I hope you like it, and please vote if you do. If you aren't into Star Trek, then don't judge. Thanks in advance. :)