Subject: Grail: "The Great Brightness" - 'Jealousy, Rage and Self-Defense'

<<Stardate: 47307.29-15:17>>

<<Science Lab 5>>

Eve was working in Science Lab 5, helping Blake with her latest

project. Her assistant was trying to translate the inscriptions on

the stone block in front of her, as well as trying to figure what

the stone was actually made of. It certainly hadn't been of the

same type of rock around it. Preliminary readings suggested that

it wasn't stone at all, but the computer was seemingly unable to

suggest what it was.

But her mind wasn't on the task at hand. Despite going back

to her quarters for a *very* cold shower, she was edgy and

vaguely excited. She'd been kissed before, by many people,

but none of them affected her the way Logan Castle's had.

If he was here now, she knew that she'd be hard-pressed not

to just take him there and then.

But for now, that wasn't what she should do. Oh, they would

make love, but not yet. Not until she knew that she was doing

it for the right reasons, not as a way to rid herself of some very

painful memories, most of which had been caused by the

woman standing beside her.

"Why are you here?" Blake's voice snapped her out of her

reverie.

Eve blinked, "I thought you wanted help..." She started, but

Blake cut her off.

"You're miles away!" The other woman commented, not a trace of

her usual emotionless calm visible. Instead she looked angry.

"What happened; Did Castle finally nail you?" Her voice was

full of venom.

Eve was suddenly angry, her temper boiling. Her hand blurred

cracking on Blake's cheek. She was so angry she could hardly

speak. Neither noticed the door opening.

The other woman sneered. "Looks like I was right!" Her eyes

flashed with venom. "Was it a good..."

Blake never finished the sentence. A hand reached out, grabbed

her head and slammed it into the bench, once then twice. Then

T'Arna pushed the uncounsious woman away to stand in front

of Eve.

She poked Eve in the chest, puctuating each poke with a word.

"Stay <poke> away <poke> from <poke> Logan <poke>Castle!"

T'arna hissed. "He <poke> is..."

She never got any further, because Eve caught her hand.

"What the hell do you think you are doing!" Eve exclaimed.

She'd never really noticed T'arna before, but she did know the

Klingon woman was in Security. She didn't know what was

prompting her current behaviour.

T'arna tried to wrench her hand out of Eve's grasp. "Stay away

from Castle!" She roared. "He is mine! I have claimed him!"

She lashed out with a booted foot, catching Eve off guard and

knocking her off her feet and to the floor.

T'Arna came forward again, drawing a Romulan Disruptor.

"I will not say this again, Machine," She growled. "Logan

Castle is..."

Eve didn't hear her. Her attention was caught and held by

the weapon in T'arna's hands. She could see that the Klingon

had pushed the setting lever to full; if she fired it would kill

even her. Time seemed to slow..

------------------

Tifa didn't know where she was going or why. She didn't care.

Her rage had pushed her reason aside and instincts had taken

over. Smells, sounds and intuition were guiding her through a

maze of jeffries tubes toward the science labs. She had become

the perfect Hunter and she had a single prey in mind: Varhk

T'Arna.

------------------

Castle couldn't make any reasonable guesses as to where

Tifa Charr was going, but he was fairly certain she knew where

she was going. She was going to take revenge on her assailant.

And if Castle knew who that was, this `hunt' might be easier.

Castle nodded for no reason and tapped his commbadge.

"Castle to Ramius. Did you run any residual DNA scans to

determine who Ensign Charrs attacker might be.?"

There was a few moments of silence before Ramius responded.

=^=Yes, lieutenant. Her attacker was Klingon, but I had not yet

run the DNA information through the ships computer. I thought

that would be something you would want to test yourself.=^ "Very considerate, Doc. I appreciate it. Castle out." He tapped

his badge, then called for the computer. "Locate: Ensign Vohck

T'Arna."

=^=Ensign T'Arna is in Science Lab 5.=^=, the computer replied. A

sudden chill gripped Castle as things began to gel a little.

"Locate: Lt. Eve Mallory."

=^=Lt. Mallory is in Science Lab 5.=^= Castle was already

running toward the turbolift before the computer finished.

---------------------------------------

"...my mate!" T'Arna continued, and was knocked off her feet

by a floor sweep. She managed to hold onto the disruptor as

she fell, and tried to roll to one side, realising as she did so that

she was about to slam into the workbench; she'd gone the wrong

way!

Then Mallory was on top of her. T'arna brought the Distruptor

around to bear, but Mallory's hand clamped over hers, preventing

her from lifting it, and pushing the arm back again; it was as though

the Klingon had the strength of a child. T'arna howled with rage,

and looked up into Mallory's eyes.

And saw her own reflection in the green orbs. And nothing else.

Mallory's other hand came up, two fingers extended. T'arna

knew that once that hand came down, she was dead.

A snarl interrupted them. Leaping from the doorway, Tifa slammed

into a surprised Eve Mallory, pushing her off the Klingon. The

Hunter would not be denied it's kill by anyone. She landed on her

feet and prepared to pounce again, but her prey acted first.

T'Arna didn't lose any time in recuperating. She was a battle-

hardened Klingon and reacted immediately. She knew who was

her most dangerous foe and so she fired her disruptor at Mallory.

But with superhuman speed, the science officer dodged the beam

by diving behind a console.

But the Klingon hadn't taken into account Tifa's speed. The Caitan

attacked again, diving on top of T'Arna and sinking her fangs in her

jugular. The Klingon roared as she thrashed wildly, finally throwing

Tifa off her and halfway across the room, crashing into a table filled

with various electronic devices. Getting to her feet with disruptor in

hand, T'Arna looked for Mallory.

She didn't have to look far. Mallory was in front of her with blinding

suddeness; one moment nothing, the next, the other woamn had

ahold of the wrist that held the disruptor. Her other hand reached

out for the shoulder to hold it steady, then with a jerk, and a dull

snap, broke the wrist she held.

The disruptor dropped her hand as T'Arna roared in pain, and Mallory

took the opportunity to head-butt her, sending the other woman

staggering back. Mallory was about to move after the Klingon, when

the faint sound of movement from behind her, caused her to duck.

Tifa let out a startled yowl, as she sailed over Mallory's head but

thesurprised noise turned into a howl of triumph as she impacted

with T'Arna. Mallory reached down and picked up the dropped

disruptor.

"EVE!", Castle roared, causing all three women to turn to face him.

His phaser was at his side and his hands were up, palms outward.

"What is going on?"

"She trrrried to kill me!", Tifa growled.

"T'Arna also attempted to terminate me.", the voice of Eve

Mallory spoke while the soul of Eve Mallory were nowhere to be

seen.

T'Arna looked out of it. She was cradling a broken arm and she was

covered in minor lacerations. Tifa looked as if she were just getting

started. Like the cat, T'Arna was wounded and suffering. For Tifa, it

was time to `play'.

But it was Eve with whom he was most concerned. She was in the

`zone'. Hopefully though, he could talk her down.

"Eve...", he spoke soothingly. "The aggressor has been nuetralised.

She is wounded and weaponless and outnumbered."

Castle saw no change in Eves empty expression. Nor did the

disruptor waver from T'Arnas midsection.

"En. T'Arna. I order you to surrender. Say the words: I surrender."

T'Arna looked at Castle as if he were sprouting tentacles.

"Eve is not going to `turn off' until you surrender.", he

explained.

"Never!", she shouted. "Logan. Would you love me if I were the

kind who surrendered like a weak human girl. I know much about

you, Logan. I am the perfect mate for you. I am of another species,

just as you like. I am a warrior, just as you like. And I have passion

for the physical pleasures, just as you like. Do you not see? You

and I, side-by-side. We will be greater than any pair who could

stand against us."

Castle listened to her. He wondered how it came to be that he had

been given this reputation. Certainly, what she said was true, but was

that all he seemed to be? Well, this was no time for personal doubts.

There was never time.

Abstractedly, what T'Arna described of herself was true of all

three of the women present. They were all exotic. All powerful. And all

passionate.

`Where am I going with this line of thinking?', Castle thought,

shaking his head.

"Surrender, T'Arna.", he ordered again.

"NEVER!", she screamed. "You'll have to shoot me down first."

And if she had been watching Castle and not T'Arna, only Eve would

have been able to follow Castles hand as he drew his phaser and fired in

a millisecond of time.

T'Arna dropped as the stun beam hit her dead center.

Castle stood over her. "You are under arrest, En. T'Arna."

Castle looked over his shoulder at Eve and Tifa.

"NOOOOO!!!!" Tifa cried. When Castle had come in, so calm and in

control, it had helped her rational side to surface, but seeing him

shoot down her 'prey' brought back the Hunter. She jumped on the

unconscious Klingon, intent on killing her. Raising her claws in the

air, her eyes zoomed in on T'Arna's throat.

"Charr!" said Castle in an authoritive voice. "The suspect has

been incapacitated. Desist."

Turning to face him, Tifa hissed.

"I will not be denied!" she said.

"Ensign," Castle continued, putting her rank in evidence, "Desist.

That is an order." His eyes stared directly into hers and left no room

for compromise.

Charr stared back, but Castle had reached her inner rational side.

She looked down at the unconscious Klingon, at her broken arm, and

lowered hers. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, she would not get her

kill.

"That is not satisfactory." Mallory spoke calmly. "There is a high

probability that the Klingon will attempt this again. Therefore..."

She raised the Disruptor, drawing a bead on T'Arna.

Castle stepped in front of T'arna. "Eve, listen to me," He hoped that

what he was doing wouldn't get him killed. "I can't allow you to kill

T'Arna. She has been pacified, she no longer represents a threat."

He was looking into Eve's eyes when it happened. One moment

there was nothing, just a blank eyed stare, the next... someone was

looking back at him. The disruptor clattered to the floor, released

from suddanly nerveless fingers.

"Logan?" Eve whispered it, sounding deeply shocked and stunned.

She staggered forward and almost fell into his arms, holding him

tightly. "I almost..." She choked on the last word, and clung to him,

shivering.

Castle looked back at the others. "Get everyone to Sickbay," he said,

jerking his head to include the still unconcious form of Karen Blake.

"Once T'Arna has been fixed up, throw her in the Brig."

Joint post by Eve Mallory, Logan Castle and Tifa Charr