Strobe lights flashed. Lasers shot from the ceiling. Smoke was pumped out of fog machines both on the ground and built into the ceiling. Loud, bass-pumped music pounded out of the six-meter speakers that were placed every three meters. 

The 120-decibel sounds did not seem to bother Katsy Alexander though. She was moving and dancing to the Anjarian techno music being played by the green Anjarian DJ.

Katsy came here as often as she could. It was a long trip from Earth to the Vegas-style Anjarian colony of Yan, but thanks to her father’s position on the Federation Council, she got to roll in style.

It was a Galaxy-class ship that dropped her off this time. And from what she was told, it would be a Sovereign-class to pick her up in a couple of days.

“Hey!” a barely audible female voice called to her.

Katsy continued to dance but turned to see one of her friends.

“Vanessa! Where did you go?” Katsy asked.

Vanessa smiled. “I wanted to be alone with Zola for a bit.”

Katsy returned a devilish grin to her friend. “Is he coming back?”

Vanessa began to dance with Katsy and nodded.

“Yeah. He went to go get something to drink.”

Katsy looked at her own bottle of Anjarian beer that she held in one of her hands. It was almost empty.

“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

Vanessa scooted closer to Katsy as more people moved onto the dance floor.

“He’s bringing you something too.”

Katsy smiled, drank what was left of her beer, and slightly changed the way she was dancing as the song changed from an upbeat dance song to a slow, deeper Anjarian rap song.

While Katsy and Vanessa had only been at this club for a little over two hours, they had been partying all night.

Nothing closed here, and it was always night. The city of Yan sat near the north pole of the small, inhospitable, barely M class planet of SA-882D. 

The city, measuring almost 4,000 square kilometers, was enclosed in a dome, keeping the cold, arctic air outside. The inside sat at a toasty 27 degrees.

Yan had a population of a little over two million. Most of those people were Anjarians that worked in the resort colony’s casinos, hotels, brothels, and clubs. There were usually no less than a million tourists and party-goers that flocked to the colony every day.

Yan made Risa look like a church picnic park.

But surprisingly to some, Yan was one of the safest colonies in the sector. Anjaria had very few laws. But the laws they had were strict. Robbery would land you in an Anjarian prison for fifty years. Murderers were executed within a week of conviction.

A tale, handsome Anjarian man walked up to Vanessa and Katsy and began to dance with them. He leaned over and gave Vanessa a deep tongue kiss. He then smiled at Katsy as he handed her a bottle of beer.

“Thanks, Zola,” Katsy smiled as she took the beer.

“I have something else if you’d like to try it,” Zola grinned. His dark green eyes were captivating to Katsy. She understood why Vanessa liked him so much.

“What’s that?” She asked.

Zola motioned for the two to follow him as he walked off the dance floor. Vanessa and Katsy complied and trailed him to a booth. The two girls sat down as Zola pulled a small box out of his pocket.

Zola opened the box and dropped out three pills. He handed one to Katsy and one to Vanessa.

“What’s this?” Katsy asked.

“FOX,” Zola replied.

The smile dimmed from Katsy’s face. She looked to the pill, then back to Zola, who was ingesting his.

“Isn’t this stuff illegal?” Katsy inquired. 

Zola laughed. 

“Baby, you’re not in Federation space anymore. Anjaria doesn’t have such draconian ‘purity’ laws.”

Vanessa laughed as she popped hers. Katsy studied the pill for a moment. While Katsy was a wild child, she had grown up listening to teachers and doctors tell her that drugs were bad for her.

“Is this stuff safe?”

Zola handed her the box.

“It’s made by one of the biggest companies in the quadrant. It’s not street FOX, it’s cool.”

Katsy looked at the box and grinned. She handed the box back to Zola and swallowed her pill.

“It takes a few minutes, but you’ll know when it kicks in,” Zola explained before beginning to make out with Vanessa again.

Katsy nodded her head to the music for a few minutes, between the sips of her drink. Then she started to notice something.

A tingling.

Katsy shuddered.

“Oh my God,” she smiled.

Zola turned to her. “Starting to work I see.”

“What’s this stuff doing to me?” Katsy asked, her arms trembling, her breathing becoming faster and deeper, sweat beginning to form on her forehead.

“It stimulates hormones in your brain. It simulates an orgasm.”

Katsy smiled. A big smile.

“Can I get some more?”

Zola laughed. “Baby, this shit ain’t free. You can go purchase a box at the bar.”

Katsy nodded as another wave of pleasure engulfed her body. There was no way she was going to let this feeling stop.

Katsy hopped up, and almost fell to the ground. The pleasurable pulse was rushing through her now, making it a little difficult for her to walk.

Katsy was determined though. She made it to the bar and ordered a box. After paying she started to make her way back to the booth. She was stopped by a man who looked almost human.

“Hey, I’m Zack.” He informed her.

“Hi Zack.” She blushed.

“Would you like to join me for some drinks?” Zack asked as he pointed to where he was sitting.

Katsy looked to where Zola and Vanessa were. She didn’t see them sitting at the booth. She quickly scanned the room and noticed them walking back towards the lounges.

“Yeah, I guess my friends are, busy,” Katsy chuckled, “so I’ll join you.”

Zack led Katsy to his booth and the pair sat down. Zack had the waitress drop off a couple of beers, one he handed to Katsy.

Zack then pulled out a box of FOX. He smiled at Katsy.

“This shit’s great, isn’t it?”

Katsy nodded as she popped two of the pills. Zack also took one and smiled.

Two police vehicles screamed down the near vacant street where Zack’s hotel was located. The cars skidded to a stop in front of the Uhazo Hotel. Within a minute an ambulance and a rescue vehicle pulled up behind them.

Zack met the police officers in the lobby and directed them to the elevators.

“I don’t know what happened! She just stopped breathing!”

One of the police officers took Zack aside to talk to him. The other policeman and the paramedics got into the elevator and rode it to the 11th floor.

The paramedics quickly ran down the hallway to room 11-029 where the door was standing open. They walked in to find a doctor who had been staying across the hallway attending to Katsy’s naked, still, bluish body.

The doctor looked to the paramedics.

“I don’t think you will be needed.”

One of the paramedics ran his tricorder over Katsy.

“Massive internal brain hemorrhaging,” the paramedic told his partner and the doctor.

The second paramedic sighed and turned to the police officer.

“Notify the coroner.”

“Mr. Alexander, you have a subspace communication from the Anjarian government,” Brett Alexander’s assistant told him over the intercom.

Brett looked up from the book he was reading. He hated to be disturbed when he was trying to read but being the chairman of the Federation Council’s Foreign Relations Committee, he had grown used to it.

“Put it through please, Andrew,” Brett requested.

The faceless subordinate complied and a light blue-colored Anjarian in formal clothes appeared on his view screen.

“This is Councilman Brett Alexander; how can I help you?”

“Hello sir, my name is Dona Fas’Un, I am Chief of Police for the Anjarian Colony of Yan. I hate to be the one to inform you of this, but your daughter, Katsy Alexander has died.”

Brett gasped in shock. He simply stared past the viewer for a moment before regaining some of his bearings and continuing the conversation.

“What happened?” He asked, softly.

Chief Fas’Un inhaled deeply and began to explain.

“An autopsy shows that she died from an overdose of Fulnahuric Oxide.”

“What the hell is Fulnahuric Oxide?” Brett demanded.

“Fulnahuric Oxide, or more commonly known as FOX is a stimulant that some people take to increase pleasure. It stimulates the release of certain hormones and increases blood flow to both the brain and the genitals.”

“It’s a drug?”

“Well, to use a more common term, yes, it is a drug,” Fas’Un acknowledged.

The sadness from his daughter’s death was beginning to move aside in Brett. Anger was starting to well within him.

“I assume that the person that gave the drug to her has been arrested?”

Fas’Un looked slightly confused. “No one gave her the drug, Councilman. She purchased it at the nightclub she was at.”

“So, the nightclub owners are in jail?”

Fas’Un shook his head. “There’s been no crime, sir. FOX is a legal ‘drug’. While the government encourages only moderate use of narcotics and other stimulants, no one has done anything wrong.”

Brett was becoming furious and was beginning to raise his voice at the police chief.

“NOTHING WRONG? How in the hell can you people allow something so dangerous to be passed around among kids?”

The Anjarian police chief was also beginning to get angry, yet he did his best to keep his cool. He disliked it immensely when foreigners criticized his people’s customs. However, he understood that Brett’s daughter had just died and tried to remain sensitive to that.

“Sir, first off your daughter was not a child. She was 23 Earth years old. And secondly, FOX is no more dangerous than alcohol when done in moderation. I mean no disrespect sir, but your daughter made a choice to overindulge, and this was the consequence of that choice.”

Brett clenched his fists but realized that it would do him no good to punch his computer. 

“When can I retrieve my daughter’s body and bring her back to a civilized society?”

Fas’Un was on the verge of punching his own computer screen. His professionalism held though, and he quickly finished the conversation.

“Whenever you’d like. Just contact the coroner’s office when you or your designated party arrives. Again, sorry for your loss, good day.”

Fas’Un ended the transmission before Brett could start yelling again.

Brett sat at his desk for a moment, staring at the UFP logo that now decorated his computer screen. Brett soon stood and picked up a picture of his daughter that was sitting on his desk.

“Nothing wrong…” Brett murmured to himself, before setting the picture down and activating his intercom.

“Andrew, get me Admiral Jack Hanson.”

“Yes sir,” The faceless assistant responded. Within a couple of seconds, Brett’s screen shifted to a picture of an older, grey-haired admiral who was sitting at his own desk.

“Brett! How are you! What a surprise!” Admiral Hanson grinned.

His grin dimmed though when he saw the expression on the councilman’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

Brett exhaled deeply. 

“Can we meet somewhere?”

“You know, you’d think they wouldn’t make me take a Runabout to my court-martial. At least in a prisoner transport, I wouldn’t have to be piloting too,” Ranma Saotome mused to his wife Akane.

Akane looked up from the PADD she was reading.

“You wouldn’t think they would be court-martialing you to begin with,” she grumbled. “Talk about screw-job of the month.”

Ranma looked down at the controls of the U.S.S. Satii, the Danube Class Runabout from the U.S.S. Sisko. After verifying that they were on the correct course still, Ranma got up from the pilot’s seat and walked to the back area where Akane sat.

Ranma takes the PADD away from Akane and gently cups her chin in his hand. He softly pushes her head so that she is looking at him.

“I really wish you would smile more.”

Akane faked a smile. She wasn’t very convincing.

“I’m sorry, but I just don’t think it’s right,” She explained, slightly pulling away from Ranma.

“I mean, you’ve done so much and now there is the potential it’s all going to end just because the council wants to appease the Vulcan High Command.”

Akane looked down at the deck.

“If it wasn’t for you, they’d all be dead. Not just six of them.”

Ranma sighed. He was not quite sure why Akane was more upset than he was. After all, it was Ranma’s career on the line. It was Ranma’s reputation.

“Akane, I don’t want to spend the next eighteen hours like this. It’s bad enough I have to do it to begin with. But I asked you to come along because you would cheer me up. Right not you’re just making me depressed,” Ranma stated rather bluntly.

Akane looked up at him.

“You’re right, Ranma. I’m sorry.”

Akane moved over to Ranma and hugged him.

“So,” Ranma smiled once they were done hugging. “What are you reading?”

Akane looked down at the PADD she had set on the seat next to her. She picked it up and glanced at it again.

“It’s Lieutenant Fuchs’ report on how Shampoo is doing.”

“And?” Ranma asked.

“She’s better. He says three more weeks and she can assume command.”

Akane grumbled.

“I can’t believe I am looking forward to that.”

Ranma laughed. 

“Captain Walker isn’t THAT bad, is she?”

Akane just looked at Ranma.

“What?” Ranma asked.

“You’ve been spending way too much time in the gym and not enough time paying attention to what’s happening on your ship.” She scowled. “I won’t even tell you what she has got Commander Hino all fired up about!”

“She wants us to do what?” Lieutenant Commander Kirk Shelton asked Rei, with his eyes bulging.

“She wants to do something with the regular crew, but security doesn’t need any help, so she wants us to assist engineering,” Rei explained between sips of her coffee.

Commander Shelton took a sip of his own coffee and looked around the NEO Special Operations briefing room. 

“I don’t know the first thing about engineering,” he countered.

“Nope. Neither do I,” Rei agreed. “That’s why she said we can work on a maintenance team.”

Commander Shelton almost dropped his coffee cup on himself.

“She wants us to be janitors?”

Rei nods.

“So, this is why we’re having coffee in here, rather than the lounge?”

Rei nods again.

“If we stay up here, we can keep her out,” Rei smiled.

Shelton smiled as well. “What about the others?”

Rei shrugged. “I told Chief Yuki and her team that if Walker finds them, they will be sweeping and changing light bulbs. I haven’t seen them since then.”

“How’d we end up changing light bulbs again?” Sergeant Anthony Schaefer asked.

Chief Warrant Officer Kio Yuki looks down at him from atop the ladder she had set up so that she could change the light bulb on deck nine, section thirteen.

“I told you, I didn’t think they’d find us there,” she grumbled. “Now give me a damned bulb.”

Anthony nods and hands a bulb to Kio.

“Little help please?” A voice murmured.

Anthony looks down at a junction point and sees the legs of Sergeant Michael Simpson sticking out.

“What’s wrong, Mike?” Anthony asked.

“I’m stuck.”

Kio begins to laugh as Anthony bends over to see how he can dislodge his teammate.

“Yeah, you’re wedged in there good,” Anthony noted. “Well, in a few days you’ll lose enough weight to get out.”

Kio laughed some more.

“Nuts to that. Fire in the hole.”

“What?” Kio asked, no longer laughing.

Suddenly a very small explosion occurred and a twelve-inch section of wall next to the junction point blows off. A couple of alarm bells sound and Michael slides out the now enlarged junction point.

“What the hell?” Anthony asked.

Within just a moment security officers and marines come running up to where the explosion occurred.

“What’s happening here?” One of the security officers asked.

“Changing light bulbs,” Anthony replied.

Kio began to chuckle.

The security people all just looked at each other, sighed, and began to wander off in different directions. 

“So, what do we do about this?” Michael asked pointing to the hole he just created.

Lieutenant JC Devall walked up with a couple of engineers. They all look down at the hole, and then back to the NSO team.

“What the hell did you people do?” he asked.

“You guys DC today?” Kio asked.

“Yeah,” JC replied.

“We have some damage here that needs to be controlled.”

JC could do nothing but stare at the three as they gathered their light bulbs and continued down the corridor.

*Captain’s Log, Stardate 60669.8. It has been a little over two weeks since I assumed command of the U.S.S. Benjamin Sisko. I honestly don’t know how this ship was run before I got here, but it was not very well.*

Captain Karyn Walker looked up, cursing her own bad grammar, and then continued.

*The ship's former CO, soon to be XO, assuming he survives, left the ship today en route to Earth for his court-martial hearing. He took the CMO, whom I found out is NOT a doctor, with him. Our current XO, soon-to-be Second Officer is suspended from duty for being a drunk. Our COO, who is the acting XO, seems to be the only one in the command structure that is even partially normal.

I also found out yesterday why everyone sobs when I have our helmsman do manual steering. I can’t believe in this day of age where computers do so much that he STILL managed to get us lost. Lucky for us a Ferengi trader gave us proper directions back – for fifteen bars of latinum.

I also don’t like the idea of a heavily armed, autonomous group of fighters on the ship, so I have been having the NSO teams work more with the ship’s crew to make sure everyone remembers that they are on the same team.

Regardless, this is my first command, and I am going to make the best of it. They had originally planned on giving command to the XO – the drunk – but then figured out that they shouldn’t do that. So this ship is mine!*

“End log.” Captain Walker stated.

The computer chirped, informing the busty redhead that the log had stopped recording and was saved on the ship’s hard drives.

Karyn smiled. She looked in the mirror that she had placed on the Captain’s desk – her desk – in her ready room. Her big blue eyes sparkled. She could not have been happier to have this command.

Karyn was a short woman. Not much taller than Ranma as a girl. In fact, with her blue eyes, red hair, and large breasts, if she had a pigtail, she would be the spitting image of Ranma.

Karyn, however, chose to keep her hair short. While she liked to look pretty, she did not want to look too pretty. She didn’t think anyone would take her seriously as a Captain then.

Unfortunately for her, no one was taking her too seriously now.

Most of the ship was still under the impression that once Shampoo returned to duty that she would assume command. They all thought Captain Walker was just a seat warmer.

Not so though. 

Starfleet Command had decided that until they were sure that Shampoo wasn’t going to go running back to the bottle at the first stressful mission that they came to, she would not be placed in command.

Of course, no one had bothered to tell Shampoo of this.

Or anyone else on the ship for that matter.

Karyn stood and walked to the door. She adjusted her uniform slightly and walked out onto the bridge.

Everyone went about their business.

*Not proper protocol*, Karyn thought.

“Ahem.”

Makoto looked up at the sound Karyn made. She noticed the Captain and rolled her eyes.

“Good lord,” she mumbled quietly. “CAPTAIN ON THE BRIDGE!” Makoto more forcefully stated, causing multiple crewmembers to jump.

Everyone now turned and acknowledged the Captain.

“As you were,” Karyn said in her sweetest voice.

Minako walked over to the security station from her operations station on the other side of the bridge. Once Minako was over in Makoto’s cubby hole, she put her hand on Makoto’s shoulder.

“So,” Minako whispered. “What’s your opinion on the new captain?”

Makoto, never looking up from her terminal, whispers back.

“She’s been here two weeks and I am already planning a mutiny.”

Minako laughed quietly. Makoto looked up at her. Minako stopped laughing.

“Oh my,” Minako murmured.

“She reworked my security plans. She wanted ALL the guards on duty roaming. So, at any one time I have a high-risk area that isn’t under guard.” Makoto complained.

Minako smiled and patted her friend on the back.

“Well, at least she’s left me alone,” Minako smiled.

“Commander Aino,” Karyn said, standing and turning to Operations.

“Uh, over here Captain,” Minako said, from Tactical.

“What are you doing over there?” 

Makoto eyed Minako.

“Uh, just getting Commander Kino’s input on some sensor readouts,” Minako lied.

“Very good,” Karyn smiled. “If you have a moment, I’d like to discuss the way the operations department is run.”

“Aye,” Minako whimpered.

Makoto patted Minako on the back.

“Mutiny!” Makoto whispered as Minako walks off and behind Karyn into the Captain’s ready room.