A Brother's Fury Stardate 2258.28+

Kaia shook her head and gently stepped back from Elyse. "No, you have your date with Dr. McCoy and I don't want you to cancel that for me. I...I'll be alright." When Elyse just looked at her she sighed. "I promise I'll be alright. Besides, I think I'd rather just be alone tonight anyway. I appreciate the offer though.

2000 hours....

McCoy had the bottle of wine in hand. A 2249 Merlot. He suspected that Elyse was more of a wine drinker than himself. She seemed to be well mannered. A proper woman. He liked that. He wasn't one to sleep around and already knew she was intelligent and capable. He liked that too. The exterior beauty was a bonus as far as he was concerned. Though, she had alot of that too. He was dressed in civvies. A white button down shirt, a dark brown vest and dark gray pants. He hit the chime on her door.

The Chef had just brought over the food. She was keeping it warm. After talking to the chef, they had opted for the burgers and fried potatoes. She had never seen a hamburger before, but if the Captain told her that this is something he would like and not necessarily expect then she wanted to have it for him. She was still worried about Kaia, but she would check on her later. 

Elyse had changed into one of the dresses she had brought with her. It was green, which complemented her hair and skintone. It was just nice enough without being too dressy. She left her hair down and had fixed her makeup. She had just checked on the food when she heard the door chime. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm her nerves before she walked over and opened the door. She smiled warmly at Leonard. "Hi," she said as she stepped back to let him in. Her quarters weren't overly spacious, but she had given it her own personal touches and it had a homey feel to it.

“Hello,” McCoy said as he moved up and gave her a peck on the cheek. He had replicated flowers at the last second and he proffered his gifts to her. “These are for you,” he said as he took a better look at her. Elyse was knockout beautiful! “Well you are certainly a sight Elyse,” he said as she took his gifts. He gazed around her room and he nodded. “i like what you’ve done with the place. These rooms can be so bland sometimes, he said.

Elyse's cheeks flushed at McCoy's compliment. She took the flowers and the bottle of wine. "These are beautiful," she told him as she went to the kitchenette to find a vase for them. She put the bottle of wine on the table and then put the flowers on the table as well. "Thank you," she said when he mentioned what she had done with her quarters. "It's not much, but it does make it feel more homey. Would you like some wine?"

"I would, thank you," he said as he nonchalantly smelled the air. Elyse smelled GOOD! 'Take it easy McCoy!' He told himself. He didn't want to spook her like a just weaned calf at a gunshot. "Well, somethin smells great," he said trying to figure out what it was. He came in further and made himself comfortable on her couch. He wondered what she replicated for them. It smelled like meat of some kind. And that was alright with him.

"So how are you liking the Heavy Cruiser? Too big or just right? Compared to the Saladin Class? All those phasers and torpedo launchers at your fingertips," he said.

Elyse stepped back into the kitchenette and opened the bottle of wine. She poured it into two glasses and smiled when McCoy commented about the smell. She decided not to tell him what they were having, but surprise him. "I'm liking it quite a bit," she said as she walked back over with the two glasses of wine. She handed him one and kept one for herself. "Earlier, the Captain and I were talking and he asked me why Captain Lucas hadn't fought more to keep me. I admitted that Captain Lucas had offered me a promotion, but this was just too good an opportunity to pass up." She looked at McCoy and her eyes met his. "I was glad when I got the job...but now I'm even more so."

McCoy extended his glass to her to clink hers and he smiled and gestured for her to sit next to him. "Well I'm certainly happy you decided to come aboard," he said as he shifted on the couch onto his side to face her. He took a sip of the wine and allowed the flavors to settle on his tongue. It was very good he thought thankfully. He was not an expert on wines by any means. Elyse's lips were moist and they glistened as if she had something on them. Her eyes had a bit of black and other colors that accented her eyes. He hadn't noticed this at first, but now that they were closer, he certainly did.

"I hope you don't mind, I did a little research on your family. I'm impressed. It's like your family is a pedigree for starfleet officers. Don't be offended by the analogy, but where I come from thoroughbreds are the finest of horses. Bred for speed, strength and endurance. I think we got a thoroughbred in you Elyse," he said with a smile then took another sip of the wine.

Elyse smiled and took a seat next to McCoy on the couch. She took a sip of the wine and found it was quite good. She was not much of a drinker and certainly didn't drink strong liquor. However, she did enjoy wine. She looked over at McCoy when he mentioned doing some research on her family. She smiled at his analogy. "I'm not offended at all. I take it as a high compliment. My family has been apart of Starfleet since the very beginning. Every generation has served in one capacity or another. My mother is currently an instructor at the Academy, while my father will probably be made Admiral very soon. Being apart of Starfleet is in our blood, but that didn't make it any less intimidating for me growing up. Because of who our family is I was judged and scrutinized even more closely and having two older brothers meant I had to work twice as hard as they did to receive the same recognition. However, when I spoke to my father last night and told him about the Distinguished Service Medal I was awarded he was so proud."

"Well, maybe all that competition and scrutiny just made you work harder. Instead of balking or complaining, You bore down and got it done. You deserve some praise for that," he said. "You and Kirk are moving in a similar line. He was decorated like that too. Did you know that he was the only man to defeat the Kobiashi Maroo test? I was there when he did it. Apparently, he reprogrammed the test so it wasn't unwinnable. They gave him a commendation...the lucky buck," He said. "But we were talking about you, weren't we?" he said with a smile as he sipped the wine. He was looking into her gorgeous blue eyes. And she was gorgeous. Her skin was pale and flawless. Her fiery red hair...he wanted to touch it badly but kept his hands to himself. He chuckled and looked down.

"Elyse, you really are just so damn beautiful," he said then looked up to meet her eyes.

Elyse blushed hard at his compliment and she found herself looking deeply into McCoy's dark brown eyes. She felt her heartbeat increase as McCoy shifted a little and then began to lean in towards her. The moment their lips touched Elyse knew she was falling fast for this man. Their wine glasses were set aside and momentarily forgotten as the kiss continued. While this was technically not their first kiss...this one was different because it was real. It wasn't caused by some virus. Elyse reached up and placed a hand on his cheek as the kiss continued. It was incredible and she didn't want it to stop.

Elyse's lips felt just as good as they looked. No, better! He thought as she kissed him. Their kisses were soft and gentle. There was an underlying eagerness but they held back and kept their self control. She was really good at moving at his pace and the result was a sweet, delicious moment where they could just enjoy the feel of one another. He rested his hand on her forearm and moved his hand up her arm to her tricep. Then he slowly rubbed her arm as their lips did the work. He'd shift his head then she'd shift hers. She tasted like the wine and the lip gloss. Her scent was more intoxicating than the wine. He felt her lips curl into a smile and then his did and the kiss ended. She reached up and wiped a bit of lipgloss off of his lip and he let her.

"I think I'll never get tired of that, you're a great kisser Elyse," he complimented but honestly she was. His body was on fire! 'Calm down man!' He told himself. There was no hurry here. They didn't need to move fast. There was ALOT of time to kill and he thought that dating her was going to be fun and rewarding at the same time.

Elyse's cheeks felt flushed and her heart was beating fast in her chest. She felt slightly lightheaded and almost giddy. "You're a great kisser too," she said, although she had no one to compare him too. She began to feel a little nervous about telling him that she had never been with anyone before...especially since he had been previously married. However, she didn't need to delve into that right now. 

She smelled something and remembered the food. She suggested they move to the table and they picked up their wine and walked back that way. She smiled as she walked over to where the food was being kept warm. "So, I have a bit of a confession to make. I asked Captain Kirk what you might like to eat and he suggested this so I hope you like it." She walked over with the tray of hamburgers and fried potatoes.

McCoy could have sat and talked with Elyse all evening but he was hungry and guessed she might be as well. What she presented had truly surprised him. "Oh my, now that looks great," he said excitedly. They sat down together and she served them. Home fries and hamburgers. "Well you out did yourself Elyse, this was a very good surprise," he said. He cut his burger in half. The fries were soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside like they should be. The burger was medium and the juice from the meat wanted to run down his chin. He saw Elyse watching him. He knew most people didn't eat sandwiches or burgers. But where he came from, home made bread and meats were a staple in his house. "Mmmmm," he murmured.

"Well, how do you like it? A bit messy, I know. But well worth it in my opinion. There's something special about the mix off the meat and the bun and the toppings," he said.

Elyse was relieved when Leonard appeared happy about the meal she was serving. She hadn't quite been sure, but she was glad she had gone with it. She was unsure at first about how to eat it and was about to pick up a knife and fork when she saw Leonard cut it in half and then pick up one side and bite into it. She modeled what he did and picked up one half and take a small bite. She immediately smiled as she chewed. It was extremely delicious. She then tried a fried potato dipped into ketchup and that was incredible. She and Leonard ate for a while and talked. They then sat back and sipped their wine. She looked over at him after a while.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? Why did you and your ex-wife split up?"

Leonard didn't really want to talk about this, about his wife but the question had been asked. Obviously Elyse wondered if maybe 'he' did something to cause the divorce? He could understand her curiosity. "Well, two professionals in different professions with demands on our time. We never saw one another much. We drifted apart. She got the house on Mars, the cars and an old valuable, Vulcan painting. Left me with nothing but my bones. And after, I decided to join Starfleet," he said. "There was nothing nefarious going on. She just wanted a man who was at her beck and call...I guess," he said. He saw she was listening intently to him. He helped her put everything back on the tray. He refilled their glasses and brought them back to the couch as she put the tray away. When she returned to him he handed her her glass.

"What about you? You said you hadn't been with anyone. So you're career has been your focus. I can certainly appreciate that. But, what we're doin...right here...it's fun, isn't it?" he asked with a smile and a twerk of his eyebrows.

Elyse was curious about Leonard's life and she appreciated him being honest with her about why he and his ex-wife had split up. She thought Leonard was a good guy, despite his somewhat grumpy personality at times. She cleaned up while Leonard refilled their wine glasses. She then joined him over on the couch. She smiled and took her glass when he handed it to her. 

"Yes, it is fun," she said with a little laugh. She then became a little more serious. "Are you...are you concerned about what might happen if things don't work out between us? I'm not saying I don't want us to date, but I think it's something we should discuss."

"But that's the draw," McCoy said. When she looked at him as if she didn't understand he elaborated. "If it was easy and without risk, everyone would do it. Anything worth doing is never easy Elyse. The more you stand to lose, the more you invest yourself into, the more you have to gain if it all works. When two people break up, its always hard at first. But eventually you heal and move on. Life just seems to work out that way. "if we just focus on our fears we will never see the beauty of what is happening. Early on my ex wife and I were very much in love. We allowed our jobs to consume us and we forgot to come back together. Just like anything else, a relationship takes time and work to keep it going. If I wasn't willing to make this work Elyse, I wouldn't be here," he said.

"Now, some people just keep things physical. They take what they want from the other and are ok with that. While that does have a certain appeal...I...really like you Elyse. Your fun to be around, your funny, your intelligent and beautiful. I become excited and impatient to see you or just be near you. I want to explore this thing between us," he said as he took her hand in his. "Do you?" He asked.

Elyse couldn't help but think about what Leonard said. Part of her was worried that things might not work out and that it would then be awkward to work together, but she knew that he was right...anything worth doing is never easy. And this was worth doing. She had taken a risk in leaving the USS Zephyr and turning down a promotion, but it had paid off in the end. She truly believed that this risk would as well. Leonard was older than she was by 8 years, but that didn't bother her. He made her smile whenever he was around and she found she couldn't wait to see him again after he would leave. She looked deeply into his eyes when he took her hand into his. 

"Very much."

They spent more time in one another's arms. Kissing mostly with some light petting. Enough to get their hearts pumping and when he departed there was definitely desire for another evening together. When that could be though might not happen for a while so they didn't set a date. They decided to just take advantage of opportunities when they came.

The next morning they were set to arrive at the Starbase. Alpha team was on duty though they were still a few hours out. Kaia was at her station monitoring when she heard the distress call. When she alerted the Captain to it he turned toward her. For a moment he just looked at her.

"Put it on screen," he said.

When she did, it was an older man with curly, graying hair. "This is Captain Allard from the transport Ship Horizon. We are under attack by the Klingons!" he said. In the background the camera was very fuzzy and the camera shifted and vibrated as if the ship was taking fire. "Please, we need immediate assistance! Please, hel..." The transmission went dead.

"How old was the distress call?" he asked quickly.

Kaia did not sleep well that night. She was angry and upset and extremely confused about her feelings. In the morning she rose and dressed. Things between Kirk and herself were awkward and she was rather cold towards him. She did not smile or look at him unless it was necessary. However, she continued to monitor the communications station when suddenly a distress call came through. She alerted the Captain and then put the call up onto the screen. Everyone on the bridge paused in what they were doing to look at the screen. Kaia already knew what Kirk was going to ask her next and was ready to respond to him when he asked how old the distress call was.

"9 hours Captain."

Spock had gotten up already and moved to his science station. he had been with Kirk long enough to anticipate him. He looked into the sensor optics and relayed the coordinates to the helm. "Spock?" Kirk asked. "Relayed the coordinates to the helm Captain. "Best speed to the transport Sulu," Kirk said. "I, sir," Sulu said as the ship turned and then lurched into high warp. "Time to intercept," Kirk asked. "2 hours and 12 minutes sir," Sulu said.

It was then that Kaia received another distress call. This time it was from a medical Frigate who had just come from Starbase 214. And, like the convoy, they said it was Klingons. "Why would the Klingons be way out here?" Kirk asked the room.

Elyse was at the helm and she entered in the new coordinates and adjusted the ship as it turned. Just as the ship went into high warp, Kaia received another distress call from a medical Frigate that had also been attacked by Klingons and relayed the information to the Captain. Kaia honestly had no idea why Klingons would be this far out. As the bridge was focused on figuring that out, Kaia sent another secret message to the Romulans about what was going on.

Theories floated around and the most common one was that they were renegades bent on blood lust and raiding. "How could they have come out this far? Sulu asked. "Obviously, they have some sort of cloaking device," Spock said. "A bird of Prey?" Kirk asked. "Or more than one," Spock said.

2 hours later...

Everyone on the bridge was on high alert. The ship was on yellow alert. Their shields and weapons were still down but the ships defense fields were active. "We're approaching the Convoy sir," Sulu said. "Put it n screen," Kirk said. There were 5 ships in the convoy. Three of them were completely destroyed and 2 looked like empty husks. One was still on fire as it floated lifelessly. "Any survivors?" Kirk asked. "None Captain," Spock responded. The whole bridge became silent. Kirk rubbed his forehead in thought.

"Spock, do you think their logs would have captured the attack?" Kirk asked. "Only if the computer core wasn't destroyed," he said. Kirk looked at the least damaged ship.

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Aboard the Viq Targh, K'alod's helmsman spoke up. "Federation Heavy Cruiser has just come into sensor range!" He said. K'alod grunted out orders. "Inform my brother we have a new target," K'alod said. "Finally, a worthy opponent. Cloak and intercept the cruiser!" He barked.

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"Hard to say Captain but there is the Medical Frigate who still needs our help," Spock reminded him. Kirk sighed. Lay in a course Sulu, maximum warp," Kirk sand and the ship turned and moved into warp once more.

"Lt. Fox, Inform Starbase 214 of what's happening and tell them we're going to be delayed," he said just as coldly as she had been talking to him.

Elyse glanced between the Captain and Kaia when she heard how coldly they were talking to each other. The flirtatious glances were gone and a tension was building between them. Elyse wished there was something she could do, but she had promised her friend that she wouldn't interfere or reveal what Kaia had told her to anyone. 

"Yes, Captain," Kaia managed to say though she didn't even look at him. She contacted Starbase 214 and informed them of the situation and of their delay.