Surefoot 09: Rising Star

He had held back from the others this final time to give himself an opportunity. An opportunity to pack his bags, hand in his resignation and make the break as quick and clean as possible. He could still do it, despite the incredible promise offered him tonight of training him in Command, a possibility he never imagined for himself. Until now.

*

It was brighter on the surface than he expected; floodlights were set up around the wide clearing, music played in the background, and the colonists and Surefoot crew mingled with varying degrees of confidence, something Jonas was grateful to see.

"Ah, there you are."

He turned, his nose already enticed by the smell of cooking foods, to see a long row of grills, covered in burgers, hot dogs, chicken, sausages, Caitian shuris kebabs, ribs, vegetable skewers and other things he couldn't recognise. And behind it, expertly monitoring it all, was Captain Hrelle, dressed in baggy shorts and a T-shirt that sported the instructions IF FOUND RETURN TO KAMI. The Caitian wielded tongs and continued to work as he said, "Grab a plate or a napkin and a bun and get something. You must be starving."

"Uh, yes, Sir." As he complied, and others moved up with plates, being served by his commanding officer, Jonas asked, "Um, how did they get you to do this, Sir?"

"I volunteered. It's relaxing work, I can sneak bites without the wife catching me, and the food is too tempting for the Rising Star crew to let their fear of my alien nature keep them away from me."

Jonas smiled; Captain Hrelle was always more teddy bear than alien to him, but then he wasn't one of the people here. As he held out a hot dog bun on a napkin, he said, "Thank you for the opportunity to try my hand at Command, Sir."

"You are very welcome."

"To be honest though, Sir, it feels like a bit of a bribe."

Hrelle shrugged. "Of course it's a bribe, a shameless one! That doesn't mean you haven't earned it. I have to admire the balls of someone who will admit to losing their virginity in an official report. The only other person I know to have done it is... me."

"You, Sir?"

The Captain selected a hot dog and dropped it into the bun with the tongs. "I was not much older than you, an ensign on the USS Charleston, just six weeks out of the Academy. I had been the victim of a crime while on shore leave on Marcus II. It was a classic scam: a beautiful woman buys you a drink that she's drugged, takes you to a motel room, and when you wake up, you've been robbed of everything, and I do mean everything.

In my case, it was with a rather attractive Deltan female named Sundal. Well, she said that her name, it could have been anything. And she said that she was Deltan, but having since caught the scent of Deltans I know she was just a bald human. But she must have misjudged the level of sedative required to knock me out, because we were together for quite some time before I finally fell asleep, waking up later robbed of my credits, my communicator, and my clothes. I ended up naked and at the local law enforcement office, waiting for my supervisor from the Charleston to come collect me."

Jonas had been tucking into his hot dog, but now stopped, swallowed and said, "God, no."

"God, yes. And when we returned to the ship she told me to complete an incident report, and 'leave nothing out'. And in my naivete... I didn't.

And so I ended up standing in front of my Captain, First Officer, and Chief of Security in the debriefing, each of them taking turns to read aloud parts of my very graphic account of Sundal's body, her expertise with oral sex, the positions we engaged in, and the moments just before the sedative finally kicked in, which involved sticky dessert toppings in my fur." He frowned with the memory. "Somehow the entire ship got wind of most of the details before I even left the debriefing."

Jonas' jaw had dropped. "That- That didn't really happen, did it, Sir?"

"It did. On the plus side, however, I got a half-dozen requests for dates from some of the other ensigns onboard - and one rather fetching Lieutenant." He smiled, stopping to turn over some chicken breasts.

A hand slapped Jonas' back and led him away from the Captain and the food table. "There he is! Good work, Scrappy! I know we'd make something out of you eventually!"

He smiled politely at Neraxis - and at Sasha, who had accompanied the Bolian girl, adding, "Whatever he is, I think he made himself. And I thought we agreed to drop the nicknames."

"What? He won't mind." She nudged Jonas. "You don't mind, do you, Scrappy?"

"Of course not... Blue Balls."

Neraxis looked at Sasha, then guffawed - stopping as Yeager strode up to them, ignoring the girls. "I've been ordered to publicly apologise to you, Ostrow. Consider this it. Can I go now?"

Sasha leaned forward. "Didn't you learn a damn thing tonight, Nancy? About stowing the attitude?"

"Stay out of this, Hrelle."

"Excuse me? Do you know what happens if a Squad Leader puts you on report now-"

But then she stopped as Jonas held up a hand, never taking his eyes off Yeager, who asked, "Well? Is that it? Can I go now?"

He regarded her, before asking, "What was he like?"

"What? Who?"

"Your brother, Brian. What was he like?"

She glowered. "What the hell do you want to know that for?"

His expression remained open, sympathetic. "I grew up an only child; I always wanted an older brother. Someone to share a room with, play tricks on our Mom, get his hand-me-downs, go off on adventures." He smiled now. "What was the favourite thing you used to do together? Come on, just one thing. Make me envious of what you had."

Yeager stared at him, looking unsure if she would hit him, walk away, or both, before finally relenting, her voice and face softening, "Snow forts. Snow forts on the Titan polar caps. We'd bring extra oxygen tanks so we could stay longer outside, and pretend we were making raids on the Klingons at Rura Penthe, or fighting the snowbeasts on Rigel X."

Her gaze momentarily locked onto something that wasn't physically present. "Once... Once Brian made an explosive charge out of some discarded thalmerite at the Museum, and we set off an avalanche on the slopes that was detected in orbit. We were in so much trouble." She smiled a little at that.

Jonas nodded, grinning now. "That must have been awesome! And he must have been an amazing brother! You are so lucky!"

Grudgingly, she responded with, "Yeah. Yeah, I know. Thanks."

"Listen... you don't mind if we talk about him again sometime? Like I said, I've always been envious of anyone with a big brother. I've always felt like I've missed out on something special."

"Yeah. Well, we'll see." Yeager looked more than a little confused as she moved away from the trio.

Neraxis looked to Jonas. "What was that?"

"That," said Kami, stepping up behind them, smiling as she put a hand on Jonas' shoulder, looking impressed. "Was a simply masterful bit of psychological de-escalation: making an emotional connection with a potential opponent, distracting them from their anger with positive memories while offering your own vulnerability to them as a sign of trust, and possibly bridging a new relationship between the two parties. How did you get so psychologically savvy?"

"I've spent enough time in your office, on the receiving end," he quipped, noting she wore identical clothes to the Captain's, only more form-fitting, and with the words I'M KAMI over her chest; only then did he understand the reasons behind what was written on Hrelle's T-shirt.

"Jonas?"

He turned at the unfamiliar voice to see the Andorian Thykrill striding up, keeping an eye in the direction of the departing Yeager. "Was she bothering you?"

"What? You mean Nancy? No, Atiaro, she wasn't. Why?"

The girl continued to glance at Yeager, as if not quite believing Jonas. "You let me know if she causes you any trouble, and I'll deal with her."

"Um... yeah, sure. Thanks." He wasn't sure what else he could say.

"Enjoy yourself." She offered Neraxis a dirty look as she departed as well.

"What the hell was *that* all about?" Sasha asked.

"She's sucking up to Jonas," Neraxis groused. "Now that he's Alpha's second in command."

"No," Eydiir corrected, having helped herself to a hamburger. "It is because Jonas publicly praised her father when we first arrived. That is a very great honour among Andorians, especially given her initial comments about him weeks ago. I believe he won her over."

Just then the rest of Alpha Squad drew up, Kitirik immediately and shamelessly hugging Jonas. "Good Friend Jonas, I am so pleased with you! We all are!"

"Indeed," Eydiir added, offering a rare smile. "And I will sleep better knowing we have a second in command who does not consider farting the Federation Anthem to be an acceptable skill."

"Bite my ass," Neraxis snarled.

"Thank you, no, I have seen your ass - and heard it. This burger is far more appetising."

"Jonas..." Rrori stood uncharacteristically in the rear of the group, his tail drooping and his head bowed. "I am truly sorry for doubting your abilities on this mission. You were superb. I could not have done better myself."

"That's very true," Jonas admitted, stifling a smile at his reaction. "Forget it, it's done. So long as you don't try matchmaking again. Whatever made you think I'd be interested in Nancy?"

The Caitian male furred brow creased. "Your reaction when you saw her... you were attracted to her-"

"So what? I'm attracted to a lot of women! I'm attracted to the Counselor, that doesn't mean I'm gonna ask her out!" He stopped and glanced at Kami, who was still standing behind him, but now eating a hot dog. "No offence."

"None taken." She grinned, teasing him with, "Are you really attracted to me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend you didn't know."

"We have a problem," Kit announced suddenly, drawing everyone's attention as he elaborated. "We have no drinks. Forgive my bad language but I find this very unacceptable."

"Hell, yeah!" Neraxis agreed. "This is my round. Jonas?"

He was looking around the crowd, but glanced back at her and replied distractedly, "Oh, uh, nothing for me just now, thanks."

"Fine, what about the rest of you?"

Jonas tuned out of the conversation, checking out the crowd, not seeing Nika-

And then starting as Kami leaned in close. "She's over that hill. They found out we had a database of movies released after they left Earth. I think they argued more about what to watch first than about what to do with Golov."

He nodded. She was waiting for him. Now he looked at Kami. "Can I get your advice on something, Counselor?"

She smiled, finishing her hot dog and guiding him away from the others. "What is it?"

He breathed in. "How... How can I let a girl down about something without hurting her?"

Kami regarded him with a mix of emotions. "You probably can't. Those feelings that take us to such dizzying peaks can plummet us to awful depths. Don't look for magic words that will make her feel good about you not staying with her. There aren't any. And... I suspect a part of her is expecting it already, and she's already prepared herself."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I have no doubt that if you went to her and told her you were quitting Starfleet to stay here, she would be over the moon with joy - if this planet had a moon - but somewhere in the back of her mind, she would have doubts if a decision made so relatively quickly is the right one. She'll cry when you're not around - and you'll do the same - but it's easier when you're honest, gentle, understanding. That won't be a problem for you."

He nodded, smiling. "Thank you for that, Counselor. I'd best go see her."

He started to move away, but she put a hand on his shoulder, drew him back, whispering, "Oh, and if you get tired of all these young cubs and are looking for an older woman, you know where to find me." She winked mischievously at him.

He felt himself redden at her joke, and her touch, but quickly responded with, "My current girlfriend is 268 years old. You're pretty much a cub, too."

As he grinned and started away, she called after him, "Ooh, I definitely like the way you think!"

*

He saw the huge screen before he reached the top of the hill: it was set at the bottom of the slope, with speakers on either side, and people were sitting or reclining on blankets on the slope itself, looking up at a scene of a man in a battered leather jacket and fedora and carrying a bullwhip, leaping from hovercar to hovercar fighting robots as they raced across a brick-red desert, while exciting music played in the background.

"Jonas!"

He saw Nika on a blanket nearby, plates of food and bottles of drink nearby, and beckoned him closer. "Have you seen this one?"

He sat down beside her. "I don't recognise it. What is it?"

"Indiana Jones and the Pyramids of Mars. According to the database from your ship, it was released in 2115 after we left, and is the first movie filmed entirely on the Red Planet. We all thought that we'd never see another one of these, that Earth will have been conquered or destroyed. They have a new actor playing Indiana, and he's good, but he's no Bruce Baxter. Do you watch movies?"

"Once or twice. As an art form it's ebbed and waned over the centuries."

"I loved them, especially adventures and thrillers. In them, there was always a couple who would meet during a crisis, work together, save each other's lives, and at the end when the crisis was over, they would fall in love and live happily ever after. I always thought it was so romantic." She looked wistful. "But I was a child then. Later I realised that we never see what happens to the couple afterwards, when the crisis has long since passed. Maybe they realised that the crisis was the only thing holding them together, and that was not enough for them."

He reached out and took her hand. "Nika, I'm sorry, but I can't stay with you. As much as I'm tempted, by it, and by you... it's not the life I dreamed of for myself."

She pulled out of his touch.

But then almost immediately returned it, squeezing desperately. "I know. And I'm glad."

"You are?"

"After you left, after I made the offer, I feared you'd accept it."

He was confused now. "Why?"

She looked up at Indiana punching a robot in the face. "Because, if you did accept it for the wrong reasons, and changed your mind later when it was too late, you would grow to resent me, hate me." She looked at him. "When you think of me, I want it to be good thoughts." A sly smiled appeared. "Maybe some dirty thoughts, too."

"That's pretty much guaranteed."

She sighed. "So, for now we'll forget that you'll be leaving. I have never been on a date, Jonas Ostrow. This is our date: we will watch movies, eat and drink, make out on the blanket, and later we will spend the night together, making love until we are thoroughly exhausted, and not remind ourselves that your ship leaves tomorrow."

He smiled. "I have never been on a date either, Dominika Bunina. Let's make it one to remember."

And they did.

*

Deck 1, Mess Hall, Stardate 36521.31:

"Hi, Jonas."

He looked up from his PADD, only catching sight of the untouched sandwich on his plate, only then remembering that he had ordered it in the first place. The work he had taken on since accepting second in command of Alpha Squad had been distracting, but at least it helped keep him from snacking too much. "Hi, Soo."

She stood on the other side of his table, carrying a tray. "Is this seat taken?"

He smiled, offering a welcoming hand, and watching as she sat down opposite. "How are the upgrades on the ventral sensors going?"

"Taking longer than expected. I think Chief Grev is inventing insults to throw at T'Varik for keeping you busy with Command training." She grinned as she picked up her fork, twirling it into her spaghetti. "How is it?"

He pursed his lips. "A lot of paperwork. No paper, of course, but a lot of work. And the thing is, you can't even just automate it, because they put in safeguards to ensure you've read and understood it all. And the regulations are so intricate. Did you know that there are additional Health and Safety regulations for the care and maintenance of toilets in accommodations that serve Bolians? Because of their corrosive biochemistry?"

She held up her fork, now spooled with pasta sauce-painted spaghetti. "No, and for the sake of my appetite, don't go into any more detail." She pointed the fork at his plate. "You should eat, Mission Commander."

He smiled, reluctantly putting down his PADD and lifting up one half of his sandwich. For a few moments they ate in silence, before he said, "I heard you and Rrori broke up."

"Rrori is devoting his free time to catching up with the credits he lost. He felt it was best if I wasn't kept pining for his attentions at this time."

"And how do you feel?"

She shrugged. "I think it's for the best. He has a lot of charm, but I have a feeling I would always be fighting for some time in front of the mirror." She smiled now. "Have you heard from Nika lately?"

He took a bite of his sandwich to avoid answering right away. It had been two weeks since the Surefoot had left Sigma Lambda II, and he'd messaged her and she messaged back... and somehow they had come to a mutual agreement that, however special and rewarding their short time had been together, it wasn't something that was strong enough to be kept alive via subspace messages. "We decided it was best not to keep up any expectations, especially with all the work each of us has ahead of us."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Now it was his turn to shrug. "I'm not. If we were still together, I'd feel guilty about asking you out."

The Rigelian blinked. "Pardon?"

"This Saturday is First Contact Day, there's gonna be a party, and in the spirit of interspecies cooperation spawned by that historic event, I thought I'd ask if you'd accompany me. I dance like a drunken Rectyne Monopod, but I'll try not to step on your toes." He smiled. "Well? What do you say?"

"Would it crush you if I said No?"

His smile wavered. "A little. But I'd get over it."

"Then it's a good thing I'm saying Yes."

His smile blossomed.

-

THE ADVENTURES OF THE SUREFOOT WILL CONTINUE IN...

THE FAST AND THE FURRIEST