//------------------------------// // What Happens on Risa...Part III // Story: Starring Trixie // by metroid_freak //------------------------------// I awoke the next morning to the beautiful sight of a partially-naked Erica as she dressed and fussed over herself. I couldn’t help but grin in spite of myself as vibrant and wonderfully graphic mental images of our romp ‘neath the sheets returned. I was either the luckiest bastard in the galaxy or…nope, that had to be it. There was simply no other explanation. “Hey,” I said with a yawn as I slowly sat up and stretched my tired limbs. She continued her morning preparations and did so until fully dressed. She turned and offered me a heart-warming smile as she sat on the bed and allowed me to wrap my arms around her, giggling as I planted several soft kisses on her neck. “How’d you sleep?” “Like a baby,” she murmured, squeezing my hand before returning to her feet. “What about you?” “Oh man, I haven’t slept that well in ages,” I replied with a yawn, stretching out on the bed. “I could nod off again, no problem.” “Well, I don’t know about you but I would sure love some breakfast,” Erica announced. She turned and gave me an inviting smile. “Care to join me?” “I guess I don’t really have a choice since you probably don’t know where the galley is,” I teased with a smirk of self-satisfaction as I recovered my discarded apparel. “You suck.” Erica replied with a false pout, softly punching my shoulder. “You swallow.” “Only if you ask me nicely,” she whispered, leaning in for a long, passionate kiss. She shrieked as I suddenly pulled her down onto the bed and laughed as I planted kisses along her neck and collarbone. “So…” she panted as I continued my ministrations. “…what do you think of breakfast?” “Mmm, it’s delicious…” I murmured, making her giggle and push me off enough to kiss me once again. “That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Erica exclaimed as we sat up. “I meant…” A gurgling noise from her stomach interrupted her. “…well, that.” she finished with a small blush. “Now that you mention it, I could go for a big ol’ bowl of Crispy Chex right about now,” I agreed, grabbing the last of my clothes. “You have Crispy Chex?” Erica asked as her eyes lit up. “I haven’t had those in ages!” “Well, then I guess you’re in for a treat,” I replied, taking her hand as I lead her out of my quarters and headed for the galley. Meanwhile… “Uuuuggghhhh…” groaned a Trixie-shaped lump as it stirred ‘neath the luxurious sheets. After several minutes composed of pained groans and other assorted lamentations, a blue equine head slowly emerged, protecting slightly reddened eyes from the Risan sunrise. She rubbed her temples and tried in vain to alleviate the throbbing pain coursing through her skull. “Trixie is never drinking again…” she moaned emphatically. Forcing herself to get up and accept the pain, the showmare slowly made her way out of her room and into the rest of the suite. “Cole?” she ventured, wincing as agony of her own voice hit her like a tonne of bricks. “Ugh…Cole?” she repeated, complete with another wince. “Cole!” she exclaimed, immediately regretting it as she nudged open the door to his room. There was enough lit steaming in through the large window for Trixie to tell that her friend had absconded for the night. She remembered with whom he had disappeared, too. That siren-singing wench had all but enchanted him and whisked him away to her evil lair of depravity…or something. Although Trixie would never admit it, the thought of them tucked away somewhere getting cuddly or, God forbid, intimate, made her skin crawl. She was jealous. Completely, inescapably, undeniably jealous, not to mention frustrated. She knew she had no one to blame but herself, a hard realization drilled into her the second she’d caught them getting to know each other the day before. This time, it would take more than mere words to convey the message she needed him to hear. It was time for an apology with a side of confession…and maybe with a little luck, he’d reciprocate. “He…they probably went back to the Ranger, that show-off,” Trixie muttered as she paced about the room. “Trixie could call him on the communicator…” She sighed and sat on one of the couches. Now it was simply a matter of steeling her nerves for what promised to be an awkward call. *** “…and this is the bridge,” I finished as we exited the turbolift. After enjoying a tasty albeit simple breakfast of Crispy Chex, I had taken my guest on a tour of the ship. She had responded to my proposition with great eagerness and practically insisted on seeing every single part of the entire ship. As one might expect, I was more than happy to oblige her. And it wasn’t just because she’d given me the most memorable night of my life. We had begun the tour on Deck 8 and worked our way up, the entire journey lasting upwards of a couple o’ hours. All the while, I reveled in her company and committed each and every moment, be it big or small, to memory. However, what impacted me the most is that throughout the tour, I had caught myself wishing that it had been Erica and not Trixie who had accompanied me from the beginning. I know it sounds terrible but look at it from my point of view. Trixie was, more often than not, an irritable, selfish, and self-centered liability whose positive traits lay buried under her ever-present negative ones. Erica, on the other hand, was sweet, intelligent, funny, sexy as Hell, and from what I’d gathered thus far, quite genuine. She also possessed another major advantage over the egocentric equine: she was human. Beautifully, purely, indisputably human. She was normal as normal could be and trust me when I say that, when you live a life like mine, normalcy is a precious luxury. “Cole? Yoo-hoo, Cole!” I shook my head and looked over at Erica as she leaned against the tactical station, a look of minor concern gracing her face. “You okay? You kinda spaced out there for a minute.” “Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry about it,” I replied, perhaps a little too hastily. “Are you sure?” Erica asked, giving me a hug. “You looked like you were thinking about something important.” “I did?” I asked, trying to play oblivious. “Yeah. You were all pensive and stuff. Is there…something you’d maybe like to talk about?” she asked. I smiled and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Nah, I’m alright. Spending time with you like this has been really therapeutic,” I replied. We suddenly jumped as the ship’s communicator alerted us to an incoming communique. “Just give me a second,” I said as we separated and I took a seat in the captain’s chair. “That’s funny,” I mused as I pressed a button to open two-way communications. “It’s audio only.” I cleared my throat. “This is Cole Stevens of the U.S.S. Ranger…” *** “Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing?” Trixie practically demanded over the room’s communicator. There was a pause. “Trixie?” the voice on the other end asked with a hint of surprise. “Yes!” she confirmed vehemently. “Why didn’t you come back last night?” She winced, knowing the answer already but needing confirmation as if in denial. “I had a, um, a guest!” There was another pause. “Y’know what, screw it. Yes, I had a girl over and yes, she spent the night. Happy?” As much as Trixie wanted to fire back with a scathing retort or ultimatum, she remembered the reason for her call and allowed common sense to temper her temperament. “Trixie…was wondering where you were and…well, she was hoping that…that you were okay…” she half-muttered near the end. “Oh…” Cole replied after yet another pause. “Uh, thanks but I’m doing just fi…” Trixie’s heart almost stopped as the familiar screech of a hand phaser suddenly cut him off. There was a soft thump in the background as if something had just slumped to the metal floor of the ship’s bridge and the showmare’s eyes widened as she realized what had just transpired. “Cole!” she screamed into the communicator. “Cole!” There was another blast and after that, nothing but silence. Trixie wasn’t sure what inexplicable force guided her actions within the following few seconds. She didn’t know what strange energy suddenly erupted within her, spurring her to race out of the room and through the hotel as fast as her tired legs could carry her. All she knew for certain was that a heartfelt apology wasn’t going to mean anything if the intended recipient was in no condition to hear it. The resort passed by in a blur as she raced through it, surging by confused staff and surprised guests like a mare possessed. There was only one destination on her mind and no force in the universe was going to keep her from it, an assertion well-justified by the bright glow of the Alicorn Amulet around her neck. Meanwhile… “Ugh…”I groaned as I struggled to make sense of the world around me. I was in a daze, one of several nasty little side-effects of a hand phaser set on ‘stun’. Light stun, mind you, but still one of the more unpleasant ways in which to experience a surprise. Silently lamenting my disorientation, my woozy eyes scanned the bridge for the son-of-a-bitch that had managed to sneak in unnoticed and interrupt my time with… Well, fuck me sideways with a garden rake. Standing a few feet to my left stood Erica, both hands grasping what appeared to be a standard Starfleet hand phaser. Her expression was a mishmash of several emotions, notably relief, uncertainty, and just a bit of…regret? I suppose that’s why I was only stunned and not dead. The shot had hit me in square in my right shoulder blade, making me grunt in pain as I writhed and accidentally placed a little bit of weight on it. I’m not too proud to admit that for the next few seconds, my naiveté kicked in and I hoped that what had just happened wasn’t what had just happened. I silently and briefly prayed that it had been a mistake and that some mysterious force had compelled the weapon to fire on its own accord. Talk about grasping at straws, huh? “W-why?” I croaked, attempting to nurse my aching shoulder. “I-I need you to take me somewhere!” she exclaimed, training the weapon on me. It was almost comical; in my current condition, I was clearly no danger to her and yet, she didn’t dare point the weapon anywhere else. “Ugh…” I repeated. In my weakened state, every word was a laborious chore, hence the lack of sense regarding the act of shooting first and asking questions later. “I said, I need you to take me somewhere!” Erica repeated, almost frantically. It was as if she expected a squad of Starfleet tactical officers to come barging in, implying that I just so happened to have a garrison of troops stationed aboard my humble little science cruiser. “W-where?” I managed to mutter. “Why?” Hey, you try orating half-decently when your entire body’s experiencing system shock. “Just…get on those navigation controls and do what I tell you!” I wish I could’ve rolled my eyes. There was no question about it; this girl had never hijacked a place in line, much less a starship. Still, as ridiculous as the situation was, she was the one holding the gun. Even in the hands of a rank amateur, a phaser was a deadly tool. If I wanted to get out of this with nothing more than an aching shoulder and a blood-stained hole where my heart used to be, I had to be…pragmatic. Fortunately, ‘light stun’ was already beginning to wear off, hence its name, and I could feel my ability to form intelligible words and sentences together finally returning. “Where…do you need…to go?” I asked as I rubbed a temple. “G-Ganalda Station.” she replied after a pause. I cursed inwardly; Ganalda Station was a shady place to say the least but that wasn’t the only problem with her destination. The killer was that it was nestled deep within Klingon space. Of course, it was also chock-full of Orion slavers, greedy Ferengi arms dealers, and Klingon dogs of war. While the Federation and the Klingon Empire were technically at peace, there was an unspoken rule that stated rather emphatically at times that Federation ships were to stay out of Klingon space except in the case of a dire emergency. To say that Klingons were territorial would be a terrific understatement. “You can’t be serious,” I muttered as I slowly began to prop myself up and onto my elbows. A rather less-than-masculine yelp escaped me as a deadly orange beam made a black mark on the floor mere inches from my face. “Do I look like I’m joking?” Erica demanded, just shy of hysterical. I couldn’t afford to underestimate her determination again, lest the next shot find its mark. “And if you try to transport me out of here, I’ll…” She didn’t need to finish her sentence; I could infer what she meant by context alone. “Alright, alright!” I raised my free hand to show my capitulation. “I’m gonna assume…” I looked up at her and nodded towards my chair. “…that you’ve got a really, really good reason to go there.” Erica nodded. “So, before I surrender control of my ship and fly into the hornet’s nest, I’ve got a few questions.” I paused on my way up to my chair. “Y’know, you don’t have to point that thing at me.” “Y-yes I do!” I sighed. “You’ve been in too many holodeck programs. You have the gun. I’m unarmed. I can’t do anything to you and believe me when I say that I won’t risk getting killed over this. Besides, if I try something and you kill me, then your entire plan goes up in smoke.” The fact that she winced little every time I used the word ‘kill’ did not escape me. “Right?” I added for emphasis. She nodded and I took my seat. “T-take off!” she exclaimed, brandishing the gun in my direction once again. “I’m doing that but first I have to call docking control and get them to release the docking clamps,” I replied as my hand headed for the armrest communicator. “Jesus!” I yelled as another shot flew over my shoulder. “What the Hell!?” “Y-you were gonna tell them!” Erica shouted, partially out of anger partially out of fear. Damnit, I thought. Maybe she’s not as naïve as I suspected. Now I was really stuck. Inexperienced in the fine arts of larceny and grand theft starship as she was, she had nevertheless given the entire caper a considerable amount of thought. If things didn’t shape up soon, I would have no choice but to indulge her. “Look, I was just gonna ask them to release the docking clamps,” I assured her, trying to sound innocent. “I mean, how else are we supposed to get out of here?” It didn’t take me long to realize the stupidity of my question. “You have weapons, don’t you?” Erica asked expectedly. I actually did a double-take; did she seriously expect me to just blast my way out and risk damaging every other ship around me, not to mention risk hurting everyone around us? The worst part was that at the moment, I didn’t really have much of a choice. “That’s not the point!” I exclaimed in frustration. “I can’t just…what if someone got hurt? Or worse? Could you live with that?” Another shot briefly heated the side of my face. Guess that answers my question, I thought. “Try me!” she shouted. “Alright, alright! Calm down! I’ll get us out of here!” With great reluctance, I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. “Computer, lock onto…” I paused momentarily as Erica thrust the gun toward me in a threatening motion. “…the docking clamps and…fire phasers, minimum power as possible,” I finished sternly. “Proximity warning; civilians present near affected target zones.” the computer warned. “Then be careful,” I hissed as Erica thrust the phaser into my personal space. For a fleeting moment, I considered trying to grab it but with her finger hovering on the trigger, I couldn’t risk it. Trixie would never forgive me if I died and she wasn’t there to see it happen. Har-dee har-har, right? I closed my eyes as the sounds of the Ranger’s phaser beams accomplished their tasks, turning the machinery into slag. Only after the dock’s alarms begin to scream did I dare open my eyes. “Computer…” I took another deep breath while my stomach turned. “Was anyone hurt?” “Negative.” I breathed a sigh of relief and although it may have been hallucinogenic wishful thinking on my part, so did Erica. “Okay…now take off take me to Ganalda Station,” she instructed in a tone of forced calmness. I was certain at that point that this was starting to get to her. I merely nodded. “Computer, set a course for Ganalda Station. Maximum warp.” *** Trixie had barely reached the docks when chaos erupted. An explosion followed by the sound of starship engines coming to life made the docking area vibrate underneath her hooves. Interestingly enough, the hints of danger that screamed for her to stay away went completely unnoticed by the emboldened showmare as she bolted by fleeing guests and confused staff. Trixie had a feeling that she knew which ship was causing the commotion. “Move!” she shouted, pushing past two Starfleet security response personnel before they could stop her. Their warnings to stop and wait went unheeded as the showmare burst into the damaged hangar…just in time to see the Ranger rise up into the Risan sky and take off. “Augh!” she yelled in frustration, stomping on the floor as if performing an angry dance. “Now what?” she demanded of no one in particular. ‘Now what’ indeed? By the time she got to the resort’s transporter pad, the ship would be too far away to reach. She had to think outside the box if she had any hope of helping… She paused to reflect on the notion. It was a nice change from the usual arrangement of Cole coming to her rescue but that didn’t make it any less daunting. What if she messed up? What if she somehow got aboard only to realize that it was swarming with Klingons or Hirogen or any other awful creature Cole had told her about? What if she was too late and he was already…? Trixie shook her head; now was most assuredly not the time to become mired in fear and self-doubt. Instead, she began to concentrate, closing her eyes amid the chaos around her. She felt the Alicorn Amulet infuse her with energy, nearly making her giddy at the realization that her magical ability was not gone, despite the injuries she’d incurred not long ago. All that was left was remembering how Twilight had taught her… Trixie barely had time to grin triumphantly before disappearing in a bright flash. *** “Alright, happy now?” I asked begrudgingly as we went to warp. “Oh, and just so you know, Starfleet’s probably already dispatched a ship or two to intercept us. And when they catch us, ‘cause they will catch us, you’re going to prison and then I’m losing my job for not stopping you from trying to hurt innocent people and with that, it’s back to the poorhouse for Trixie and I!” “Shut up!” she shouted, pointing the weapon at me again. “You think this is easy for me!?” Okay, wasn’t expecting that. Guess I wasn’t just imagining things when I saw the regret in her eyes when she turned on me. “You’re not the one whose little sister got kidnapped!” There was a pause as she swiftly but futilely covered her moth with her free hand. So that was it. It all began to dawn on me; Ganalda Station was a haven for allies of the Klingon Empire, allies that included our friends the Orion Syndicate. “Erica…” I began as calmly as possible given the circumstances. “Did the Orions take your sister?” She remained silent but her hurt, furious expression told me what I needed to know. “Look, I know you probably won’t believe me but…that’s something we have in common.” I had to stay calm and civil if I had any hope of defusing the situation. “About a month ago, Trixie got captured by Orion slavers. I managed to track them down and disable their ship but it was way too close. I almost lost her and the ship in that fight. And that was just against one ship! You know how many ships are gonna be at the station when we come waltzing in there?” There was a pause as I let everything sink in. “Erica, they are not gonna be happy to see us! And they’re gonna show it by wiping us out!” She looked stunned as if her plan hadn’t included what I had just mentioned. “I think this would be a good time to tell me what happened.” “Why would you care?” she shot back. She had a point; why should I care? I guess I’m just a softy at heart. The fact was that as long as she was the one holding the gun, I had to play it cool and to be honest, I sympathized with her. When Trixie was taken, I knew I wouldn’t rest until she was safely back on board the Ranger. “Well, for one thing, you’ve put us on a collision course with potential catastrophe so in the interest of staying alive, I have to cooperate.” I replied with a shrug. “I mean, my hands are pretty much tied.” “Oh, well that makes sense!” Erica shouted. “I should’ve known the only reason you’d help anyone was because of your selfish…” It was an interesting turn of events that stopped her tirade. The first was a large magical blast that sent my captor to the floor, flat on her back. I had to duck as, sure enough, the phaser discharged, damaging a computer panel almost directly behind me. I turned in the direction from which the blast originated to find an angry Trixie powering up her horn for another shot. I leapt to the ground and recovered the weapon just as Erica scrambled to her knees in search of it. “Alright, that’s enough!” I shouted, mostly to Trixie. I noted her disappointment but held firm on my position. Finally, her horn stopped glowing and she took up position beside me as we stood over the bewildered girl. “Trixie, watch her for a minute.” I instructed. “Computer, full stop!” “Acknowledged.” I felt the ship slow until we finally dropped out of warp and came to a standstill. “Plot a course for the nearest Starfleet ship, maximum warp.” “What are you doing!?” Erica demanded. “I thought you said that you’d get in trouble, too!” “Oh, I’m sure I will,” I replied angrily. “Except that I’m willing to own up to my mistakes. I screwed up and I’m ready to accept the consequences.” Trixie looked at me in surprise. “I’m sorry, Trix, but we might have to postpone our vacation a little longer.” I said apologetically as I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. To my surprise, she wrapped her forelegs around me…whilst keeping a close eye on Erica. “It’s okay,” she assured me. “Trixie’s just glad you’re okay.” “Thanks,” I replied, returning the hug. There was a pause. “Can we…talk?” Trixie asked, the vulnerability in her voice taking me by surprise, not to mention the fact that this was a strange time to have a heart-to-heart. Whatever she had to say must’ve been really important. “Sure. Just let me do one thing.” I cleared my throat. “A-hem! Computer, transport Erica to the brig and establish standard prisoner containment protocols.” The girl didn’t even have time to react before being whisked away, leaving just Trixie and I. “You have my undivided attention,” I assured her, giving her a small smile. “I’m sorry,” she began quietly, pawing nervously at the floor. “I’m sorry for being so awful to you. You were just watching out for me and…trying to show me a good time…and…and…” Although she tried her best to hide it, the sniffles soon gave way to sobs, prompting me to lean in and hug her closely. “Hey now, it’s okay,” I whispered, any resentment I might’ve held towards her thoroughly purged from my system. I was just happy to see her again. “I…I’m always d-doing this…t-to you,” she murmured through her tears. “Even though y-you don’t d-deserve it.” “Everypony makes mistakes,” I replied as I gently rubbed her back. “Still, if you’ve got something on your mind, I’m always here if you wanna talk about it.” “T-thank you,” she murmured, nuzzling the crook of my neck with a relieved sigh. To this day, I’m not sure what compelled me to plant a light kiss on her soft cheek. I felt her grip around me momentarily tighten as her heart sped up, if only for a short time. When we eventually separated, I saw a small smile grace her muzzle, thankful that everything was finally right between us. “So…what do we do now?” Trixie asked as I stood up and holstered the stray phaser. “That’s a good question,” I mused, stroking my chin. I was at a crossroads. On one hand, I had a responsibility to ensure that Erica was taken into custody for grand theft starship and general stupidity. On the other…well, let’s just say that simply turning her in and calling it a day didn’t sit well with me. If what she said was true and her sister really was in danger…how could I sleep at night, knowing that I had had just sat and allowed her to exist in captivity? Of course, attempting a rescue was a dangerous proposition and I was pretty sure that I was already numero uno on the Syndicate’s hate list. I sighed as I realized what needed to be done. “Proximity alert; Starfleet vessel approaching at high warp.” the computer announced. “Identify,” I replied, taking a seat with Trixie at my side. “Designation U.S.S. Repulse.” My heart skipped a beat. What luck! Not only did I have the chance to execute my plan, I actually had a hope in Hell of pulling it off! With the Repulse backing me up and my rapport with her captain already well-established, maybe with a little luck, I could turn this disaster around…for everybody. “Computer,” I exclaimed. “Hail Captain Remy immediately. I’ve got a proposition for him.” *** “I see…” Captain Remy mused as we sat in the Repulse’s ready room. “That’s quite the story. Don’t worry, I’ll be happy to testify on your behalf if this matter ever goes to court but I’m afraid that there’s not much I can do personally for Miss Erica’s situation. I’m sure that you’re aware of how difficult it is to maintain diplomatic relations with the Klingons as of late. Taking a Starfleet dreadnought that close to Quo’nos could have deadly ramifications.” He was right, of course. My plan was a long-shot at best and I was finally able to appreciate how long the shot actually was. “Besides, the Orions are allied with the Klingons. The Empire isn’t going to stand idly-by as two Federation ships sweep in and rob them of their, um…merchandise.” “So…isn’t there anything we can do?” I asked as my heart pounded. “Captain, if this is about her, then I honestly don’t think she was lying to me. I mean, why else would she do all this just to wind up in a Klingon hotspot?” “Mr. Stevens, while I agree that she was desperate and had no one to turn to, the situation is still too touchy for Starfleet to intervene directly, at least in Klingon space.” Captain Remy replied. I felt one of my eyebrows raise, the telltale sign that I had just come up with yet another hair-brained idea. “What if they were in Federation territory?” I asked. “Then they’d be in our jurisdiction and Starfleet could…” He trailed off, clearly aware of what I was thinking. “You do realize what you’re proposing, right?” “Yes sir.” “Good, just making sure. Look, I don’t like this any more than you do but are you sure this is what you want to do?” Remy asked. I nodded. “Positive. According to Starfleet Security, the current head of the Syndicate, Hassan the Undying, is wanted by Starfleet for conducting slaving operations in Federation territory. I read about it after our run-ins with the Orions a few weeks back, just in case we ever encountered them again. I wanted to know what kind of help we could get if we needed it.” I paused for effect and looked over at Captain Remy. “Look at it this way; not only will we have the chance to arrest a dangerous criminal on Starfleet’s most-wanted list, we’ll be rescuing innocent people as well.” “Well, it’s an interesting plan…” he mused once again, stroking his thin, white goatee. “Dangerous but interesting. You are correct about Starfleet wanting to apprehend Hassan and if we needed someone to check for slaves on Ganalda Station, I have a few friends on the Klingon High Council who might be persuaded to perform an impromptu inspection in the interest of maintaining diplomatic relations with the Federation.” “Sounds to me like I haven’t been the only one thinking about something like this,” I replied with a knowing grin. “Correct on that note as well. I abhor slavery with a passion so if I ever have the opportunity to stop it, I don’t hesitate. This galaxy needs to be completely free of forced subjugation otherwise we’ll never truly grow as a galactic society.” I nodded in agreement. “So…does that mean you’re in?” I asked. Captain Remy took a deep breath. “You’re on your own as far as luring them into our space is concerned,” he replied. “But after that, we’ve got your back.” “Sounds good,” I affirmed. “I do have one question for you,” Remy added. “How do you plan on incensing them enough so that they all come after you?” I grinned. “Sir, trust me when I say that when it comes to getting chased by bad guys with guns, I’m kinda the expert.” “Then I’ll leave that in your capable hands.” Remy replied as we rose to our feet and shook hands. “Good luck, Mr. Stevens.” “Thanks, captain. With any luck, we can put an end to this for a good while.” *** Having successfully concluded my business with Captain Remy, I made my way down to Deck 4 for a little chat with our ‘guest’ to apprise her of our plan. I didn’t plan on taking too long, not with the Hungry and Apologetic Trixie waiting for me up in the mess hall. Despite her knowledge of the replicators and the use of, she nevertheless insisted on waiting for me to return before eating. Usually, she just went and tucked in whether I was there or not, so seeing this new side of her was quite refreshing. I entered the small brig to find Erica laying upon the cell’s small cot, staring blankly up at the ceiling. “Thought I’d drop by and let you know what’s going on,” I began, leaning against a nearby bulkhead. “Why bother? I already know what’s going to happen. I’m gonna get arrested and my little sister’s gonna rot in some sicko’s slave ring for the rest of her life.” she spat. “Well, you’re right about one thing,” I replied. She didn’t look at me. “But not about your sister.” I saw her sit up out of the corner of my eye. “In fact, I just got out of a meeting with Captain Remy of the U.S.S. Repulse and he’s agreed to help me mount a rescue mission.” “Are you serious?” she asked desperately, tears forming in both eyes. I nodded. “Yes. In just a couple of hours, we will be arriving at Ganalda Station, at which time I will attempt to lure the Orion fleet stationed there, along with their leader, out into Federation space, where Captain Remy will be waiting to arrest their leadership.” There was a pause as she attempted to make sense of the news. “Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly, scarcely believing the news. “After everything I did to you. After I took advantage of you and threatened to kill you! Why?” she practically screamed, clearly unprepared for such an unexpected turn of events. “Because, like I told you before, I can relate,” I explained. “I know what you’re going through. Besides, it just so happens that Captain Remy and I share a particularly powerful hatred of slavery. That’s why we’ve decided to help. Slavery cannot be allowed to exist.” I stopped leaning and stretched my sore back. “You’ll be transporting over to the Repulse in a couple of hours, at which time you’ll likely be questioned by Captain Remy himself. He doesn’t usually do that so I highly suggest that you treat him with great respect. He’s a good man, Erica. I suggest you take that into consideration when in his company.” With that, I left the brig and headed back towards the turbolift. “Hmm…”I mused as I passed the holodeck. “Why is there a program paused?” I wondered out loud. “Meh, no harm in seeing what program was running.” With that, I entered the holodeck. I wasn’t really sure what to think, quite honestly. A single table with two chairs and a small candle adorning it sat amid a vast beach and under a beautiful moonlit night. For a moment, I thought I was back on Risa…that is, until I noticed who was seated on the opposite chair and put two and two together. There I was leaning partway across the table, eyes half-closed as if about to kiss someone. I could scarcely believe my eyes. This was indisputably a date scenario between myself and Trixie. And then, just like that, it all made sense. I suddenly realized why Trixie was behaving like a precocious teenager with a crush on that ‘totally gross and not at all cute boy across the room’. It was because she was the precocious teenager with a crush. On me, no less, not to mention coming from out of nowhere to boot. Well, that escalated quickly. “Computer, end program.” I exclaimed, and the room quickly returned to its normal state. There was no doubt about it; sometime in the near future, when I finished sorting out my own feelings, now more confusing than ever thanks to Erica’s brutal 180, Trixie and I needed to have a little chat. With that now firmly implanted in my mind, I left for the mess hall. *** Dinner had been a quiet affair, with both of us using the downtime and relative calm to engage in some serious thought-sorting. I don’t think we exchanged a single word as we ate. I was more than happy to simply reflect on what I’d seen in the holodeck and truth be told, it made me view Trixie in a whole new light, almost as if whatever had prevented me from seeing her as an actual female had gone away. She really was a girl like any other. Hell, besides the whole quadruped thing, she was just like any human girl. I began to notice certain ‘traits’ as we ate in silence. The curve of her body, while exotic, wasn’t unattractive. She possessed a certain ‘unique’ set of aesthetically pleasing traits, most notably her flanks, which had drawn my eye a few times simply because...well, there it was for all to see. Armed with a different perspective, my imagination began to wander. Was I physically attracted to her? If so, what had prompted such a change of heart? If anyone told me that it was the result of her sudden willingness to go out with me, I would be the first to call ‘bullshit’. Talk about a contrived and clichéd plot device, huh? And yet, here I was, wondering what it’d be like to cuddle up to her while at warp while we watched one of those classic 21st century comedies that she seemed to enjoy so much. Imagined what it’d be like to rest my head atop hers and periodically run my fingers through her soft mane. Imagined what it’d be like to kiss her… She was a pony. A sentient, talking pony. From Equestria. And I was starting to get more than simply used to the idea.