Title: "More Anger"
Author: Lt. Commander K'Lara
Stardate: 2460214
Earthdate: March 19, 2360
Location: USS Virgo

Lt. Commander K'Lara sat alone in the Mess Hall. She was staring at a data PADD, but she was not really seeing anything. All she could see was her fiance going to his quarters with another woman, a Lt. Tomme to be exact. K'Lara had went to her quarters last night and tore it apart. Nothing was left to throw, except data PADDs. She couldn't afford to break them, so luckily her anger had died down by then. She had collapsed in an exhausted heap on her bed where she fell asleep.

*Damn him,* K'Lara thought angrily.

It had hurt to see the man she loved with someone else. She had requested the day off so that she could catch up on her pre-natal exams. She had gotten behind on them and her most recent was weeks ago after their war with the Dominion. She had some reports to catch up on as well. She could have done those while she was confined to quarters, but she was so angry with Maruu at the time that she forgot. Now, she was angry with someone else. Someone she loved enough to marry.

"Damn him!* K'Lara screamed in her mind. She slammed her fist down on the table hard enough to get the other diners' attentions. Some turned away while another grew curious enough to approach her.

"Is something wrong, K'Lara?" Dr. Dana Nori asked.

K'Lara looked up to see the doctor staring at her with a concerned expression on her face. K'Lara sighed and nodded.

"I thought so," Nori said as she sat down across from K'Lara. "Want to tell me what about?"

K'Lara shook her head, "It'll only make things worse."

"How much worse?"

K'Lara looked at the doctor and sighed, "Worse enough for you to approach him and cause a chain reaction that just gets out of control. I don't want that. We're out here all alone and we don't need to be enemies with our own crewmembers."

Nori began to understand what K'Lara was talking about. "It's Jon, isn't it?"

K'Lara only nodded to which Nori sighed.

"You had another fight?"

K'Lara's eyes turned red, "Not, yet, but there's going to be one. If I have anything to do about it. I'll make him pay for sleeping with another woman."

Dr. Nori sat down and began to comfort K'Lara when Lataro walked calmly through the door. *Uh oh. There's going to be trouble now.*
 

Title: "The Morning After"
Author: Commander Jonathan Lataro
Stardate: 2460214
Earthdate: March 19, 2360
Location: USS Virgo

On the bridge, Commander Lataro sat at his chair reading the battle readiness reports of the *Virgo*. The day started off on the wrong foot. First he overslept, then he called Red Alert from his quarters. Captain Maruu had given Lataro a stiff dressing down, no matter what happened if Lataro ever did that again, he would get a swift kick off the ship into the vacuum of space.

The hangover was still present in Lataro's system. He dreaded the bright lights of the ship and especially the moderate beeping and humming of the ship's bridge computers. Everything he heard, to include the butt chewing, was like a resounding cymbal in his head, eternally ringing. *Mental note: Never ask Dweezle to surprise me with a drink again!*

Lataro's internal organs seem to be constricting and contracting, giving him harsh spasms throughout his system. Obviously there was something in the "Dweezle Dazzler" that didn't agree with him. Now, for the hours of "alcoholic pleasure" he received, Lataro imagined the there will be eternal torture. Little did he know how true that torture was.

It was late morning and Lataro stood up from his chair. He figured that by walking around the bridge once or twice, the spasms might be subdued, but he was wrong. As he came around his chair, his gut constricted tightly making him double over. He grabbed for the first thing that would support him; it happened to be a bulkhead next to science station one. "Commander? You okay?" Lt. Tomme said, looking up with a gentle smile.

*Why does that sound familiar?* Lataro thought as he tried to straighten back up. "Um. Yes, Lieutenant... I am sorry, Lieutenant, I don't think we have been introduced."

"I'm sorry, Sir? You don't remember what happened last night?"

"No."

"Well we met in the Forward Lounge last night. You were slightly drunk," she said with a smile.

"I am sorry. I do remember going to the lounge last night and getting a drink, but after that nothing. The only thing I remember was waking up in my room and yelling for red alert."

Tomme laughed. "Yes, Sir. I was on the bridge when that happened. You should have seen the look the captain made when all of sudden the klaxons went off."

"I bet that was a sight."

"Yes, Sir, the crew all jumped, then, when we realized what had happened, we laughed, everyone but the captain."

"I can imagine."

"So you don't remember what happened last night?" Tomme asked.

"Not at all."

Tomme let out a small breath, and under it, she said, "Good."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Lataro said, turning his ear to try to hear it.

"Oh nothing, Sir."

"Commander Lataro! Come in here!" Captain Maruu yelled from his ready room. He had the door open. Lataro politely excused himself and walked to the ready room. "Please shut the door. I need to have a word with you," he said as he passed the threshold.

"Of course."

Maruu motioned for Lataro to have a seat. Lataro did so.

"Commander, I don't know what is going on with you and K'Lara, but last night she came back to the bridge in tears," Maruu said, sitting upright and boring a hole into Lataro with his gaze.

"Sir?"

"I don't think I stuttered. You and K'Lara are two of my finest officers, but last night, and your incident this morning has started to make me question if that title is appropriate."

"Well, Sir, I understand I made an error in judgment this morning, and you have my word it won't happen again, but what about K'Lara? If I recall, she was here on the bridge. What happened?"

"She left the bridge. Then about 20 minutes later she was back in tears and making careless mistakes. Now, I don't know what happened or why, but you had better fix it and I mean now!" Maruu said sternly.

"Understood, Sir."

"Dismissed!" Maruu said, turning his back.

*Oh boy. He is mad at me!* Lataro thought as he left. "Computer, where is Lieutenant Commander K'Lara."

<Lt. Commander K'Lara is in the Forward Lounge.>
____________________________________________

The door opened to the Forward Lounge, and immediately Lataro saw his betrothed sitting at a table in the far corner. Lt. Nori was sitting talking to her. Quietly Lataro walked up behind her wanting to surprise her. As he gently pulled K'Lara's hair away from her neck, Dr. Nori's eyes widened. K'Lara suddenly felt wet lips against her
neck and then a soft, whispering voice which said, "Hello, my love."

She sprung up and turned around to face so that she surprised the first officer. Her eyes were not only flashing red, but were intense and burning a hole into Lataro's head. "How dare you?!" she screamed.

"What?!" Lataro said, stepping back actually frightened.

"You have the nerve to call me anything after last night!" K'Lara was now screaming at the top of her lungs. Everyone who was in the lounge turned and watched the commotion.

"What happened last night?" Lataro asked shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, why don't you ask your girlfriend, that young, pretty one from science, Lt. Tomme?" K'Lara yelled. Now an expression of pain crossed her face. She began to double over.

"K'Lara, you okay?" Dr. Nori said jumping up and running to her side.

"K'Lara!" Lataro yelled also leaning over to help her.

As he put her arm around her to comfort her, K'Lara slowly turned her head and faced him. "Get your hands off of me!" she yelled, backhanding him. Lataro flew up and over three or four tables and landed on a fifth. The table crashed into pieces as the full brunt of his weight came down up it. He was unconscious, blood pouring now from his mouth and his nose.

"Come on we need to get you to sickbay!" Nori said. She tapped her com badge. "Medical emergency to the forward lounge." [Acknowledged,] the medteam replied.

"Jon?" K'Lara said, now in a more softened tone, still doubled over.

"Transporter room one." Nori inquired.

[Go ahead.]

"Two to beam directly to sickbay!"

[Standby, Doctor.]

"Jon!" K'Lara said as she managed to look, worried, at the bleeding commander. The abdominal pains were strong and quick, but her Klingon endurance allowed her to bear some of the intense pain. Her atoms began to dematerialize and to be transported to sickbay. Now all that was left in the forward lounge was the broken tables and Lataro who, now lay there motionless, waiting for the medteam.
 

Title: "Battle for Honor"
Author:  Commander Jonathan Lataro
Stardate:  2460219
Earthdate: March 21, 2360
Location: USS Virgo

Commander Lataro sat on his couch staring at the ceiling with his cut lip and bruised back. It had been two days since the incident in the forward lounge, and he still wasn't quite sure what had happened. The only thing that he remembered was being backhanded by K'Lara and him flying through the air, then blackness. He remembered waking up in his quarters with Lt. Tomme and other members of the medteam hovering over him examining him for injuries. It was determined that Lataro had suffered a mild concussion and was to stay in his quarters to rest. Dr. Nori had stopped by earlier to see how he was doing and ordered him to quarters so that he stayed away from K'Lara for a little bit. Lataro obeyed the doctor's subtle orders.

Earlier that day, Captain Maruu had paid the first officer a visit. It wasn't necessarily a social call. In his ready room, the captain had told Lataro directly to handle the situation, but now he ordered him, "Take care of the situation, or I will jettison you out of the nearest airlock." Lataro was actually shocked, but this time realized that
there was no joking to it. He had to do something about whatever it was and do it now. So against the doctor's orders he donned his uniform and headed for K'lara's quarters.

Inside K'lara's quarters, the beautiful mother-to-be was laying in bed as ordered by the doctor. She was feeling fatigued and was taken off of duty for a few days, because of the situation between Lataro and her. Her door chimes rang.

"Who is it?" she yelled from the bedroom.

"K'Lara. It is me, Jon. Can I come in?" Lataro said from the other side.

"No! Go away!"

"I am not leaving until you let me in."

"Then I guess you are going to be standing out there for a long time."

"We'll see. Computer. Command override Lataro Zeta Two."

The door slid opened.

"Jonathan Lataro! Get out or I will call Lt. Benton. I don't want to see you." Something in her voice was unconvincing.

"Look. I need to know what is going on. What did I do that made you so mad?" Through the darkness, Lataro could see the red glow that was emanating from K'Lara's eyes. It was almost frightening for him for he had never saw such intensity. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "Computer, lights. Low illumination."

"How dare you?! I can't believe that you would presume to play me as a fool!" K'lara shouted.

"What do you mean?" Lataro asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"What do I mean, Commander? I saw you with that young science officer the other night. I saw her go into your quarters."

"K'Lara. I am sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about. I remembered going to the bar and getting a drink, but nothing else. I woke up in my quarters, by myself, alone."

"A likely story." She turned away and headed for the replicator.

"It is true. I would never lie to you."

The fight went round and round for hours. Finally, an exhausted first officer plopped down on the sofa. He, then, remembered back when he was on Kronos, a time honored tradition of fighting for one's honor. It was a way for Klingons to prove their "righteousness", and this was a time that Lataro needed to prove his. Back when he lived on Kronos with his adopted family. He had had to fight numerous times and won every time for he was a good and honorable man. It was believed that the victor was the one telling the truth.

Lataro sat back and looked at K'Lara, who had a few tear stains down her cheeks. "K'Lara! I am telling the truth. As far as I can remember nothing happened, and I am prepared to fight for my honor. I will fight anyone you choose."

"What?"

"The Klingon tradition of B'Laknor: Fight of Honor."

"You are crazy!"

"Yes, about you. You don't seem to understand that."

"After what I saw I can't believe that."

"Fine! Let's go to Holodeck Two," Lataro said, grabbing K'Lara's wrist.

Practically pulling her along, they finally reached the holodeck. K'Lara fought the entire way, fortunately for Lataro, the holodeck was only a deck away. At the computer access panel, Lataro entered a few codes.

"Jon, you are crazy!" K'Lara yelled. The door opened and the holodeck was now an ancient arena. Klingon markings decorated the walls as did a few Klingons.

"Name your fighter," Lataro said, unzipping his tunic angrily tossing it to the ground.

"No!"

"Listen! If you think that I am going to go and continue with this idea that you think that I cheated on you, then you are sadly mistaken. Now choose your champion!" Lataro yelled.

"Fine! Him!" K'Lara said, pointing to a warrior half the size of Lataro.

"Okay. Computer, increase the body mass, intellect, and fighting abilities to match my own and disable safety protocols!"

"What?!"

<Warning: Disabling safety protocols...>

"I know, Computer. Just do it."

"Computer, belay that order!" K'Lara yelled.

"Computer, this is Commander Jonathan Lataro, First Officer. Ignore previous order and execute my previous command."

<Command executed.>

"Fine, Jon, go ahead and kill yourself."

"I won't be dying. I know I am innocent of all charges. So I will win!" Lataro said, entering the arena.

The Klingon entered and snarled at Lataro.

"Jon, you are crazy!" K'Lara yelled. She was slightly impressed that he would go through this to prove his innocence.

"I know."

The Klingon charged Lataro who wasn't expecting such an aggressive move, but as the Klingon came within  a few feet, Lataro sidestepped him and elbowed him in the back. The Klingon was forced forward and regained his composure. Now he turned to face Lataro who was all ready squared off ready to fight.

"I, Kor, will have your head on my family's pennant!" the Klingon said.

"You will have to take my head from the grave," Lataro said.

Lataro quickly performed a side lunge kick into the Kor's midsection followed by a spinning round kick that connected to Kor's head. Rich red blood splashed on to the ground as it poured from Kor's mouth. Lataro began to get confident, which proved to be a weakness. Kor took advantage of it and drove a fist into Lataro stomach. The force of the blow, sent Lataro back a few feet and he gasped for air. Lataro now was on all fours as the Klingon approached him. Kor drove his boot into the back of Lataro's leg, causing a massive charley horse. The leg gave out, and Lataro was now on the his back.

"Ha! You are weak!"

Kor tried to stomp Lataro's face into the ground with his massive boot, but Lataro grabbed the foot and shot his other leg straight into Kor's groin. Lataro took this opportunity to get up and as Kor staggered backwards; Lataro doubled his fist and swung it like a baseball bat into Kor's midsection. Then, as he was doubled over, the makeshift weapon was driven upwards into Kor's face. He flew back and landed on the ground.

Lataro limped back as Kor rolled on the ground. When Kor finally reemerged, he was armed with his D'k tahg with the smaller blades fully extended. Lataro saw this and was taken by surprise. He realized that the intellect the computer was using was to win at all cost, but in the B'Laknor, weapons were not to be used unless both parties had one.

Kor attacked. The sharp blade sliced through the air and cut Lataro across the chest. Fortunately, Lataro had parried just enough to have a superficial 'scratch', but it was deep enough for the wound to bleed profusely. Kor then thrust twice; each time, Lataro moved out of harm's way. Finally, the armed Klingon tried to thrust again, but this time Lataro blocked the arm with his hand and turned inside to Kor and elbowed him in the stomach. Kor's arm was still outstretched as Lataro grabbed the armed wrist. He slid underneath the arm and twisted it upwards forcing Kor's elbow perpendicular with the ground. The pain that Lataro was inflicting was so intense that it caused Kor to drop the knife to the ground. The captured arm was now twisted so much that a loud snap was heard causing Kor to scream out in pain as Lataro now jerked the arm downward causing Kor to land face first into the mat. Lataro still held on to the now broken elbow, but twisted the arm even more, now breaking the wrist, and shoulder. The arm now was of no use to Lataro, and he threw it down.

The D'k takg rested a few feet from the Kor, and defeat was not an option to him, so he grabbed it with his other hand and swung backwards trying one last time to stab Lataro. This time, it caught Lataro off guard and the knife plunged into his left shoulder hitting the bone. Lataro yelped as the blade protruded from his body. He
backed off of Kor, who was still on his stomach trying hard to get up, but Lataro quickly and painfully pulled the knife out with a jerk and plunged the knife into the back of Kor's head. Kor's body flinched like a fish out of water, then relaxed.

"Computer, end program!" Lataro yelled walking over to K'Lara slowly. She looked at Lataro and smiled.

"I guess you were telling the truth," she said after, looking at the wound.

"I have been telling you that all along." Lataro bent over and picked up his tunic and again grabbed k'Lara by the wrist and pulled her roughly along side him.

"Jon! Not so rough. I am coming."

Instead of saying anything, Lataro just kept tugging her along. He pulled her into a turbolift and put her to the back. "Bridge." The turbolift started.

"Jon. Why are we going to the bridge? You need to go to sickbay."

Again Lataro said nothing. Instead the door opened, and on the bridge were all the bridge officers. The only two missing were Lataro and K'Lara. Lataro pulled K'Lara alongside him and approached the captain who was sitting in his chair. Maruu was looking over something reports when he looked up to see his first officer, cut and bleeding, and his helmsman who was in tow.

"Commander, what the hell happened to you?" Maruu asked looking at Lataro's blood soaked gray undershirt.

"Sir I will tell you later, but I need to ask you something," Lataro said. "K'Lara, am I forgiven? I proved to you that I was telling the truth."

"Yes, Jon. All is forgiven!" K'Lara said. She reached out to hold him but Lataro turned back to the captain.

"Sir! Will you to marry us now?" Lataro said turning back to look at K'Lara who was in shock.
 

Title: "A Special Occasion"
Author Captain Stephen Maruu
Stardate:  2460219
Earthdate: March 21, 2360
Location: USS Virgo

"Now?!" Maruu asked, bewildered. "You can't be serious!"

"I am," answered Lataro.

K'Lara was dumbfounded by all of this.

"You should at least clean up," suggested the captain.

"No, Sir. Now." Lataro was focused on his objective.

Maruu smiled and rose. "Well, if that's what you want." He tapped his com badge. "All senior officers please report to the conference room in five minutes. Commander Nori, please meet me in the conference room immediately. Bring a medkit." Maruu then looked at Lataro. "Help me fix up the conference room."
______________________________________

"Well, there were only a couple of injuries: bruises, scrapes, and some deep cuts and concussions. Nothing the dermal regenerator couldn't fix. What happened to you?"

Lataro and K'Lara only smiled and pop kissed each other on the lips each other.

Valdago quickly burst into the room dressed in dress uniform instead of the usual duty uniform. "I have the dress uniforms for you four."

"All right, people. Just drop one uniform on top of the other," Maruu said as he removed his tunic. He and the rest simply put their dress uniforms on top of the duty uniforms.

Three minutes later, Lt. Sinclair, Lt. Benton, Lt. Loran, Lt. Tomme, and Lt. Zano poured into the room. Benton looked at the table which had been moved horizontally instead of its usual vertical position. "What is the meaning of this?"

Nori smiled at the group. "Everybody just sit down." She pop kissed Maruu on the lips. "Good luck," she whispered. She sat down next to Benton and Tomme.

Maruu stood at the far end of the room, near the view port. Lataro and K'Lara placed themselves alongside each other facing their captain.

Valdago blew a whistle.

Maruu began, "Well, under such short notice, this is the best we could do. Unfortunately, we have no Vedeks on the ship, or we would have had a Bajoran wedding. We are all gathered here today to join Commander Jonathan Lataro and Lieutenant Commander K'Lara in holy matrimony. The rings please."

Valdago dug in his pockets. He found the rings Lataro had had replicated only two minutes before. "Here they are." He handed them to Maruu.

Maruu smiled. He handed one to K'Lara and one to Lataro. "Jon, do you agree to be with K'Lara, faithfully and lovingly, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Lataro lovingly looked at K'Lara. "I do. With all my heart."

Maruu continued, "K'Lara, do you agree to be with Jon, faithfully and lovingly, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

K'Lara also stared into Lataro's eyes. "I do. Now more than ever."

"Well, by the power vested in me by Starfleet Command and the United Federation of Planets, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He paused. "By all means, do kiss the bride."

Lataro and K'Lara wasted no time.
 

Title: "Everyday Feelings"
Author: Lt. Commander Dana Nori
Stardate: 2460219
Earthdate: March 21, 2360
Location: USS Virgo

"Computer, time," said Nori as she awaited the end of her shift.

<Nineteen hundred hours.>

"Just then the door to sickbay opened and in walked Nori's relief. Nori finished up her report and left sickbay heading for the turbolift. In a few seconds, Nori stepped out onto the bridge.

A science ensign announced, "Commander on the bridge."

"As you were." Nori blushed; she was still not used to that happening.

She looked around and seen that all the other people were briefing their relief. Nori walked to the captain's ready room and walked in. Nori saw the captain sitting in his chair looking out the window watching the stars go past like little streaks of long lights.

As she walked over to him, she said, "Good evening, Stephen. I brought my daily report for sickbay for your signature." She sat down on his lap and put her arms around him. "We are off duty now! Care to join me in the mess hall? I am starving to death here."

Maruu smiled. "Hmmm." He looked into Nori's eyes."

"What?"

"If i say no, might I stand a chance of being struck again?" he said with a smile.

"Stephen! That isn't funny. I really feel bad about that."

He laughed. "It would be an honor to have dinner with you my love." He pulled Nori close to him and kissed her very lovingly. After the kiss was over, Nori laid her head on his chest.

"So where were you when I walked in?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about the past few days and the effect that it had on the whole crew. I just hope it never has to happen like that again."

Nori lifted her head off the captain's chest as she looked at his lips and traced them with her left index finger.

"I love you so much; you have no idea what you mean to me." Nori looked up into his eyes with her big baby blues.

Stephen thought to himself how much they sparkled, how beautiful Nori looked, then he kissed her again and left with her for the mess hall. After dinner was over they went to the captain's quarters.

Nori smiled playfully and said, "I have a surprise for you."

Maruu returned the smile. "And what may that be?"

"Computer, replay program LCN 14A and dim the lights to a low glow."

As Nori sat down on the couch and cuddled up next to Stephen, the lights dimmed way low and a song came on. The voice was very soft and delicate.

Maruu was surprised. "That is you singing!"

Nori smiled. "Yes, I wanted to give you something that you could have with you wherever you go on the ship." Nori smiled as she put her head back on his shoulder and started to rub his chest.

Maruu smiled playfully. "You know you've never spent the night in my quarters before." He softly placed Nori on the bed and began to remove his tunic.

"You're right." She nervously moved from under him. "So, do you want to sleep on the floor or should I?"

"Dana, I meant that we should..."

"Stephen, I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"Because I never have."

"You're a..."

"Yes."

Maruu was surprised. "Wow. Well, we'll deal with it. So I guess you want to..."

"Yeah. That'd be a good idea."

"Yeah." He paused. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Nori started to leave. "Good night." She left the room.

Maruu dropped on the bed and placed his hands over his face. "Oh, man."