Ruminations

[STSF_Scooter 0]

CDR Wesley returned to her quarters after being relieved by Chief Tar'ghet, a chicken salad sandwich and cup of coffee from the mess in her hand. "Computer, open new log file and being recording," she said as she sat at her desk.

"Personal log, Stardate 0911.01. Pirates and slavers...two of the more despicable subspecies that prey on the weaker. Smugglers are...tolerable. Granted, they charge exorbitant prices for what they bring in, but it's accepted on the Rim. Piracy, though, I've never accepted it. And slavers deserve what pirates should be getting--a short drop and a sudden stop.

"Dad, the student of Earth history he was, once told me that piracy on Earth's oceans declined only during what was termed as "the Cold War", that period of heightened tensions between the American and Russian superpowers, and their allies; when the navies of Earth constantly prowled the seven seas. Is that what's going to be needed today? A permanent Starfleet presence prowling the spacelanes, with Klingon, Romulan, Kzinthi fleets doing the same?

"And its worse because of my heritage... I've had some of the crew glance at me today, wondering if I'm going to be faithful to my Starfleet Oath or will I serve the crew up as fitting my Orion blood. So what if I was born a pleasure slave, trained from an early age to perform for my owner? Dad showed me that there's life outside of being passed around like a jug of white lightning at a NASCAR race. For that, I thank him every day I can draw a breath. Even if it means turning my back on my heritage, I gladly do so every chance I can get.

"And God only knows how many ships I intercepted when I was with the Marines. If it wasn't in a Goshawk, it was in an assault shuttle, kitted up in body armor and assault phaser. The Jyrenes found it funny that a Fleeter was willing to get down and dirty with them. Sure, a couple of 'em thought I was 'loose', but a couple of swift kidney punches following a knee to their 'masculinity' taught them really quickly that I'm not like my sisters.

"If it's my brother that's doing this, so help me, I *will* shove a photon grenade so far up his (insert expletive here) that when it goes off, he'll think its heartburn first.

"End log"