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Pride and Prejudice
Chapters Eight and Nine
Chapter Eight
Miral had accepted her grandfather's proposal that she infiltrate the students in the academy to find out who were the rest of the students involved in the crimes. She knew it would not be easy, but she was willing to help.
Her identity was part Klingon and part Human. Her parents had died when she was at a young age. They had been Maquis and were killed when the Maquis collapsed. She was then adopted by a Klingon couple and spent the rest of her life on Kronos in the House of Tong.
Her grandfather, Admiral Paris, had given her explicit instructions not to address him as grandfather. Nor was she to address Tom and B'Elanna as mother and father.
The first day she was posing as a student was rather uneventful, except for a few students chiding the Cardassians or Romulans that were now on campus due to the assault and murder of one of their own.
It was the second day that another student spotted her. He watched her for a while as she ate lunch outside near the gardens. After a while he finally approached her.
"So, you're new here, right?" Asked the student.
"Yeah, but I'm surprised to see Rommies and Cardies here." Miral replied. She tried to play the role of a person who hated Romulans and Cardassians.
"So, you're uncomfortable about it to, huh?"
"I guess you could say that."
"What's your name?"
"Miral from the House of Tong." She stated boldly and proudly.
"Jasper." And he offered her a hand to shake.
She shook his hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Jasper."
"Say, would you like to come to a meeting tonight?"
"What kind?"
"We're a group of students banning together to convince the administration that the Rommies and the Cardies do not belong here." Jasper informed her. "If you decide to come, here's where to meet one of us. From there, we will take you to the meeting."
She took the card he handed her. "Thanks."
"Oh, and one more thing." Jasper stated. "Replicate one of those uniforms on there and bring it with you. Preferably wear it. It makes it easier to sneak around in the dark."
"Why sneak?"
"Well, unless you want to get busted for breaking curfew." Jasper replied.
"No, no. I get the hint." Miral stated. "I'll be there, tonight."
"Ok, see you then." Jasper walked off and disappeared into a crowd of students changing classes.
"Well, I'm in." She thought to herself.
"Mom, Dad. Please don't make me go back to class." Kestra begged. "I just want to go home."
"Kestra, we have already discussed this." Deanna told her. "You have to stay here until after the trial, so you might as well go to your classes."
"Mom, please!" Tears were now in Kestra's eyes from the fear of going out on campus.
"Your Aunt Beverly has released you from the infirmary." Will stated. "You have to leave, so you might as well go to class."
"I'll leave the infirmary, but please don't make me go back to class." Kestra begged. "I'll fill out the report, if I have to, but I'm not going back to class."
Deanna sighed. "Alright, we'll go and turn in your report for today, but you have to walk over to security and turn it in yourself. I'll go with you, if you like, but you have to walk across campus and turn it into security."
"I don't want to walk across campus." Kestra stated. "Can't I just send it by way of a communique'?"
"No." Deanna said firmly. "You have to walk over there and hand deliver it."
"Mother, I understand that you think it is therapuetic for me to do that, but isn't it enough that I have to go out there an walk to my dorm room today?"
"No." Deanna said firmly. "We can work on this a little bit at a time, if you like, but you are not going to your dorm room and staying there the rest of the day."
"Mom!"
There was a knock at the door. Everyone turned to see SuKat.
"SuKat!" Kestra said with delight. His stopping at her door was one of the first things that seemed to brighten her affect. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. In fact, Doctor Crusher is releasing me today also." He informed her.
"That must mean you are feeling better?" She asked.
"Physically yes, but after the trial, I am going home." He told her. "I can not stay where I am not wanted."
"Oh, but SuKat." Kestra began. "Willy and I want you here, among a few other students. Don't go."
"When you leave, there will be no reason to stay." SuKat said in what sounded like a love sick voice.
This got Will and Deanna's attention. They looked right at both of them and did not take their eyes off of them.
"Willy is going to stay." She stated.
"Yes, but it's not the same." He said as she reached for her hand.
She almost jerked her hand back, but then realized that this was her friend. Not the two men who tried to hurt her. It was then she allowed him to hold her hand.
"Maybe not, but we can still write each other."
"True, but we won't be able to have lunch or dinner together." SuKat replied.
Will was not sure how he felt about this or even what to think about it all. Was his daughter dating a Cardassian? He was not quite sure, but from the conversation, it sure sounded like it.
"That's true." She replied.
"Um, SuKat." Will began feeling a little uneasy. "Could we have a moment alone with Kestra? There's some things we want to discuss with her."
"Sure, I understand." SuKat frowned.
"SuKat." Deanna looked at Will and gave him a look that spoke volumes. "No, I really think you need to stay while we discuss this. Right, Will?"
"Well, I um." Will sputtered.
"Listen, I know what you think and really it's not quite what you are thinking." SuKat stated.
"You mean you and my daughter?" Will asked suspiciously.
"No, I mean, we are, but we aren't, Sir." SuKat tried to explain.
"I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to say, SuKat." Will stated as his voice rose to a demanding tone. "Are you seeing my daughter and if so, what are your intentions?"
"We only see each other socially. When a group of us go out somewhere or have lunch together." SuKat told Will and Deanna. "I've not been alone with your daughter on a date, if that's what you mean, Sir."
Will breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, I just like to know who my baby girl is dating. I didn't mean anything by it. You seem like a very nice young man."
"Oh, yes you did, Dad!" Kestra shouted.
"Kestra, not now." Will stated.
"SuKat, I think you had better go, for now." Deanna stated as though she had changed her mind.
"Yes, maybe I should." SuKat replied discussed. "Call me later, Kestra."
"I will." She told him.
Will watched as he left Kestra's room. After SuKat was out of the room, Will shut the door. His demeanor changed to one of discuss.
"Kestra, do you realize that the Cardassian's were on the side of the Dominion when we were at war with the Dominion." Will stated. "They took over Betazed, occupied it and not very nicely, I might added. They killed several thousand Betazoids. They have enslaved whole planets, such as Bajor."
"Oh, Daddy, I know the Cardassian history and times have changed."
"Have they?" Will asked. "How do you know they aren't torturing people to death, just like they tried to do with Picard? How do you know they aren't making people slaves? How do you know they aren't going to use you as a science experiment to see what makes you Betazoid?"
"You are racist!" Kestra accused. "Cardassian's are not at war with us or the Federation. They're not like that anymore!"
"Kestra, I think what your father is trying to say is, be careful." Deanna told her. "Don't let any feelings you have for SuKat blind you to the possibility that there are still Cardassians out there that do not like Federation people, including Betazoids."
"That's not what I'm saying." Will stated.
"Yes, but SuKat is one of Sisko's friends." Kestra replied to her mother. "I don't believe for a minute he is with any of the Cardassians that don't want peace with the Federation."
"I don't trust him." Will stated firmly. "And I really wish you would not see him again. Not socially or even alone."
"Dad!" She shouted. "It's my life! If I want to be friends with SuKat, I will be. I'm a grown woman! I can quit Starfleet if I want and I can see who I want!"
"Not as long as I am in charge of your care and that my dear is until you are twenty-one." Will stated very firmly.
"Will, don't do this." Deanna insisted.
"You will not come within twenty meters of that boy!" Will informed her. "Do I make myself clear!"
"NO!" Kestra defiantly replied.
"It had better be!" Will stated.
"Will, let's go and leave her alone for a while." Deanna said as calmly as she could. "I'll come an get her later and we'll fill out the report then too."
Will gave a small grunt. "This conversation is not over, Kestra."
Will left reluctantly with Deanna. Kestra slammed the door behind them and then curled up on her bed and cried.
After several minutes, there was a knock on Kestra's door. "Go away!" She shouted at the door.
"Kestra, it's me, SuKat."
She quickly dried the tears on her face and went to the door. "Come in, SuKat." She did not smile nor did she brighten at his coming to see her this time.
"Doctor Crusher just released me from my cell and I can go." He informed her as he sat his bag down on the floor of her room. "What about you? Have you been sprung yet?"
"Not yet." Kestra told him. "And right now, I don't think I care."
"What's wrong, Kestra?"
"Nothing."
"Come on." SuKat said. "I've known you long enough to figure out when something's bothering you."
"It's my dad." She finally told him. "He won't let me go home because of what has happened here and he insists that I never see you again."
"Whoa!" SuKat replied. "What did I say or do for him to react like that?"
"It's not you." Kestra stated. "I'd rather not talk about it anymore."
"Oh, so your dad is one of those people who secretly have a problem with Cardassians, but won't openly admit it. I kind of thought that was it."
"SuKat, don't let this end our friendship." Kestra requested.
There was another knock at the door. "Kestra, it's time to see about releasing you." Beverly stated as she entered the room. She did not finish the 'you' part of her sentence when she saw SuKat. "SuKat, I think it would be best if you leave."
Her voice sounded sad, as though she regretted asking the young man to leave. It was as though she had been told to not let SuKat see Kestra.
"He told you not to let him see me, didn't he?" Kestra accused.
"Kestra, I really hate when you do that." Beverly stated, then looked at SuKat. A look of helplessness was written on her face. "But yes, she is right."
"Aunt Beverly, why didn't you tell him, SuKat isn't like he thinks?"
"Kestra, I tried to tell your father, but he won't listen." Beverly insisted.
"Look, why don't I just go." SuKat said sadly as he picked up his bag to leave. "If he can't see that we are just friends, then maybe the best thing for me to do, is just go home."
"SuKat, wait." Kestra pleaded.
"I'll be here until after the trial, Kestra, but then I'm going home." He told her, then he left with his guard following behind him.
Later that night, Miral went to meet with Jake and Paula just at the edge of campus wearing the gray jumpsuit. She had informed her grandfather already and they let the other operative know. An operative she did not know and her grandfather would not tell her the name of the person either. She just had to trust that someone was watching her back.
"Another Klingon!" Jake stated softly. "Man! I thought this was suppose to be mostly humans."
"Shut up, Jake." Paula scolded, keeping her voice down. "We need them to help us with our cause. They hate the Rommies and the Cardies just as much as we do."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just go." Jake replied.
They lead her to an open clearing and proceeded the same way as they did last time. They lit the Romulan flag and Cardassian flag on the 'T' shape pole and as they burned brightly they began the meeting.
"You all have done great work." Someone said as they lead the meeting. Miral could tell it was Jasper's voice, but his features were so well covered that she could not tell for sure. "The security officer is dead and the Rommie is dead. Now, we need to get Willy Boy, his sister, the Cardie student, and Spock."
Her stomach jumped. Spock? Why Spock, she thought.
"All of you who have been with us for a while, have proven yourselves worthy." The leader stated. "Now, it is time for our two new people to prove themselves worthy."
He walked over to someone, who Miral thought was a new person. The person was tall and slender, but that was all she could tell from the jumpsuit.
"To prove yourself worthy you must kill Willy Boy."
"Do you know what you are saying?" The man who Jasper had just addressed asked.
"Yes, and if you are worthy, you will kill him, so he can not testify against us."
She recognized the voice, but could not put his voice to a face. She thought as Jasper continued speaking.
"Do this, and you will be worthy to be one of us." Jasper stated, then he continued around the circle until he arrived to where Miral was standing. "To prove yourself worthy, I have given you an even more difficult task. One that you must follow through on or else."
Miral's eyes widen in fear. She was not sure what Jasper was going to ask of her, but she had a feeling that it was not good.
"You shall kill the Rommie lover, Spock." Jasper stated. "And let his ketra loose in the wind."
She gasped.
"You act as though you have seen a Tribble, Klingon." Jasper stated.
"This is Spock you speak of."
"Yes, the one who wanted to unify the Vulcans and the Romulans."
"For the most part, he succeeded." She told him.
"That he did." Jasper replied. Then he moved in close to her. "There are some here who do not believe you are who you say you are. Prove them wrong and kill Spock."
Then he moved away from her and addressed the whole group. "If they fail, they will be unworthy and to keep them from telling of this group's activities, if that happens, they will die."
The crowd cheered Jasper as he talked. So, Jasper raised his hands to get them to quiet down, so that he might finish.
"You have one week to finish your tasks. The sooner you do it, the greater you reward."
The group cheered again, and again Jasper tried to silence them.
"Then there is the Cardie and his lover Kestra." Jasper stated. "How do you suggest we take care of them?"
"I still say we need to show that Betazoid bitch just how much better a human can be." One of the other young men stated.
"In due time, Brent." Jasper replied.
"I'd love getting a piece of that bitch, just to find out what they say is true about Betazoids."
"Enough!" Jasper shouted at him. "Now, any ideas about the Cardie?"
"He should have the same fate as Tokus." A Klingon voice stated.
She knew it was not the same Klingon that killed Tokus. He was in the brig. She could not figure out where she had heard this Klingon's voice from. Two voices she recognized and could not remember where she heard them from.
"Very well." Jasper replied. "We have less than a week to do this. Let's get it done!"
"No more Rommies!" The group chanted. "No more Cardies! No more Rommies! No more Cardies!"
After about a minute of chanting, Jasper raised his hand for silence. "The flags are almost burned out." He stated. "Our time is over and we must return to do our duties. Until next time, good luck and down with Rommies and Cardies!"
The group gave out what sounded like a war hoop and then dispersed. They quietly headed back to the campus of Starfleet and went quietly to their rooms.
Miral, finally returned to her room, but she could not sleep. She had no idea what she was going to do and she could not get to her grandfather until morning. Even then she would have to be very surreptitious about it. She could not let anyone see her going to his office without a good excuse to give them.
She laid awake as her roommate returned to from the restroom. "Hey! You still awake?"
That voice! Miral thought. She did not realize it before, but her roommate was at the meeting also. Her roommate was apart of the group, too.
"Yeah, having a little trouble going to sleep." Miral replied. "Long day and all."
"Yeah, I sometimes do to." Her roommate replied. "So much to think about and so little time to get things done."
Her roommate crawled into her bed and pulled the covers over herself. "Well, good night, Miral."
"Yeah, good night." Miral laid in her bed wide awake as her roomate turned the light off on her side of the room. Miral did not know what she was going to do. She could not kill Spock, but she had to find out who the other students are that are involved in the killing of Tokus and the assaults.
Miral spent the rest of the night worrying about the situation she was in and how she was going to get to her grandfather tomorrow. She could not wait to tell him what was happening.
Chapter Nine
Will had told Deanna he would be going for a walk while she went back to get Kestra and bring her home from the infirmary. It had been a long time since he strolled the gardens.
He remembered Boothby had kept the gardens neat and tidy. The flowers were always beautiful and well cared for.
They still were, but he missed seeing Boothby tend to them. Boothby had been gone for several years now, but it still seemed like yesterday that he died.
Will continued to stroll through the garden and as he did he thought about what Kestra said to him. She had called him a racist. He did not know if that word even had a place in society anymore, but as he looked around and remembered the last few months' events, he wondered.
He knew what the meaning of the word was, but he just never thought of himself as one. He never felt as though he hated anyone. He just did not want his daughter going out with a Cardassian in any capacity. He worried that thier wanting to form peaceful relations was just a ploy to find their weak spot and attack again. There by going to war with the Federation once more.
He saw what had happened to some of the Betazoids at the hands of the Cardassians. He even saw how emotionally disturbed Picard was when he was rescued from the Cardassians. Then there was the slavery of the Bajorans. Never again did he want to see slavery such as the likes as that.
He felt appaulled by what the Cardassians had done to other people in the past. So, much so that he felt, that if given the opportunity, they would do it again. He did not want his daughter to be the first victim.
Then he thought to himself, "Isn't that what racism basically is? Isn't what these students have been displaying? Am I really a racist just because I don't want my daughter dating them in any capacity what so ever?"
He realized that there was still a place for the word in society, because that is what Starfleet was investigating when it got down to it. That is what the students had been displaying all this time.
Will finally decided that word still had a place, but what he could not decide was if he really was a racist. If he was, he was only a little racist. He thought, "isn't there a difference between being a little racist or a lot. Or is it like being a little pregnant?" He could not decide, so he continued walking around campus and pondering the subject.
He finally returned to their quarters without figuring out the answer. He still felt he did not care what someone looked like. He still felt he went by their character on whether or not he liked them. Even so, he was still smarting from his daughter's statement.
"So, how was your walk?" Deanna asked.
"Oh, it was fine."
"That's good."
"How's Kestra?" Will asked.
"She's fine and now back in her quarters, safe and sound."
"Did she file the report finally?"
"Yes she did." Deanna replied. "It was very difficult for her, but she did it."
"That's good." Will stated. "Is the guard still posted outside her quarters and going where she is going?"
"Yes, he is." Deanna was starting to sound a little annoyed by all his questions.
"Do you think I'm a racist?" Will suddenly asked.
Deanna sighed. "In some respects yes. In others no."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Will, I'm tired. Let's just get some sleep."
"No, Deanna. I really want to know what that is suppose to mean."
"Will, it's late. Let's just get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."
"You mean to tell me you don't have a problem with her seeing a man who's people committed genocide on your people?"
"That was years ago, Will." Deanna replied. "Besides, you haven't given this Cardassian a chance. Can't you just accept Spock's recommendation on his character. He can't be all bad if Spock recommended him."
"I think you've become blinded by Spock and his unification movement."
"And I think you are very tired and cranky." Deanna informed him. "Now, let's go get some sleep."
Will sighed. He knew when he had just lost an argument and this was one of them. Deanna was not going to listen to any of the reasons why their daughter should not be seeing a Cardassian.
"Oh, alright." Will replied begrudgingly.
The next morning Miral made her way to her grandfather's office. She had made the excuse of an early class to her roommate, who had all late classes and liked to sleep at least until ten in the morning.
She hoped that no one spotted her, but very few people had an 0730 class, so given how late the meeting last night started and ended, she doubted too many were up at that early.
"Miral, what are you doing here so early?" Her grandfather asked. "Besides, you need to becareful coming here. If you're spotted."
"They want to kill Spock and they want me to do it."
"What?" Admiral Paris asked in shock.
"Last night I went to one of their meetings." She told him. "I was told in order to prove myself, I have to kill Spock. If I don't do it, they will kill me, so I don't tell anybody about them."
Admiral Paris sat at his desk and thought, should he pull his granddaughter out now or wait a little longer. Should they make an act of it. Make it look like she killed Spock, but did not in order to make the Romulan/Cardassian haters think she did, just to get the information they needed.
"OK, let me see what I can do. We might be able to make it look like you killed Spock." Admiral Paris told her. "If we can, you can get more information if we keep you in there."
"If you can't make it look like I did?" She asked.
"We'll pull you out and send you straight back to Kronos faster than you can say, Qapla'."
"Alright. I guess I can stand this a little longer." She replied.
"Do you have the time they are at their location?"
"No." She said as she shook her head. "It varies so that they can avoid being spotted. They try to keep it off a schedule to keep from getting caught."
Admiral Paris was not happy that she did not have anymore information for him that would help Starfleet catch them.
"There is one more thing." She stated. "Willy and Kestra. They want to get rid of them and SuKat also."
Admiral Paris stood up suddenly. "How? They have armed guards with them at all times. Unless." He tapped his comm badge. "Admiral Paris to Riker."
*"Riker here."*
"I think you had better pay your son and daughter a quick visit, some how." Paris informed him. "There is supposedly a hit on both of them and from the looks of things, we may have found the security problem."
*"On my way."*
"I'll send back up for you as fast as I can. Paris out." Then he turned to his granddaughter. "Alright, you need to get out of here. I can handle it from here."
"Yes, Sir."
Picard was talking to Aimee, who had been keeping tabs on Miral. She had silently followed Miral to the meeting and tried to keep hidden.
"By what I could tell, McKinley is in the group."
"That's the officer assigned to Willy!" Picard exclaimed.
"He is also suppose to kill Willy."
"Picard to Riker."
*Riker here.*
"McKinley is suppose to administer a hit on your son." Picard informed him. "I suggest you get to wherever your son is immediately."
*"Already in route."* Riker stated.
"I'll be sure you get some help in apprehending this officer."
*Admiral Paris is already on it.*
"Very well, Picard out."
Aimee told Picard the rest of the details of the prior night's meeting. Especially the hit on Spock.
Picard nodded. "Thanks for informing me of this. She has a week to do it, you said?"
"Yes."
"That gives us a little time." Picard stated. "Let me talk to Admiral Paris and see what he knows. Then I'll get back to you on what is next."
"Yes, Sir."
"Dismissed."
Will rushed to get to his son. Deanna was already with Kestra, so he was not too worried about her, especially since Picard said it was McKinley they had to worry about.
He finally reached the area where his son was. He was in an altercation with a security officer. McKinley, Will thought.
"Let go of me!" Willy screamed.
"Shut up or I'll slit your throat right here!" McKinley said as he held Willy tightly with a knife to his throat.
Will tried to keep under cover as he followed them. Trying to find the best moment to make his move.
"You're suppose to be protecting me, not trying to kill me." Willy insisted.
"Yeah, well. Things change." McKinley replied as he dragged Willy into a storage building.
"Damn!" Will said. "Now, how do I get in without being spotted and my son being killed."
He had to know how many rooms the storage building had. Did it have one or did it have more than one. Once he knew that, he then had to figure out how to get in quietly and hide behind something until the best moment to rescue his son arrived.