soton@aol.com

     "The Third Principle of Sentient Life is it's capacity for self 
sacrifice.  For a cause... A loved one... For a friend." - Ambassador 
Delenn from the first season "Babylon 5" episode "A Voice in the 
Wilderness, pt. 2"
(Authors Note:  I know it's not a Star Trek quote, but it seems to fit 
the events of the previous chapter perfectly.)

Epilogue: 
     There was a brief shimmering in the air just before Pluto reappeared 
at the Gateway of Time.  "I see that good old Ben and his merry band 
managed to pull it off," Q commented without turning.
     "Yes, they did," Pluto responded, adding solemnly, "All is as it 
was before."
     Q turned and regarded her with uncertainly, then sighed.  "I should 
never have introduced you to the cosmic doughnut all those centuries ago.  
Now you're beginning to talk like that so called 'Guardian of Forever'."
     "Really, Q, you must work on your sense of humor,"  Pluto commented 
wryly.
     "Moi?" Q replied, seemingly shocked.  "Work on *my* sense of humor?  
That's rich, coming from you.  I've known you since well before the fall 
of the Silver Millennium and counting this you've cracked maybe a half 
dozen jokes."
     "I see you're working on your use of hyperbole," Pluto commented, 
arching an eyebrow.
     "Well... maybe a little," he admitted.  He snapped his fingers, 
bringing up a view of the Defiant before him.  "So, I see a Sailor Scout 
is coming over to my side of the fence.  This could be interesting."
     Q sensed Pluto come up behind him, then felt her tap him on the 
shoulder.  When he turned to face her, he instinctively drew back in 
surprise at seeing not only the anger in her expression, but the Garnet 
Orb looming menacingly in his face.
     "Leave her alone, Q.  She's been through enough, due in no small part 
to you."
     "And what if I don't?" he retorted automatically.
     "Then I will be very... *very*... unhappy."
     The staring contest seemed to last an eternity (which is saying 
something in this case), but eventually Q sighed.  "Oh, very well."
     "Thank you," Pluto said, relaxing somewhat.
     "But I think you're being somewhat unfair in saddling me with the 
blame for her plight.  After all, I did warn Picard and Riker not to fire 
that torpedo."
     "If you hadn't brought the Sailor Scouts to the Enterprise, it never 
would have happened," Pluto countered.
     "And if you would keep your petty villains on your side of the cosmos, 
it never would have been necessary!" Q retorted.
     "That is not an area in which I am responsible for, Q.  And you well 
know it."
     "You may be correct," Q admitted.  "But you know as well as I that I 
had no choice in acting as I did.  Otherwise, your precious Crystal Tokyo 
would be a Borg colony."  Pluto didn't reply directly, but gave a slight 
nod in acknowledgement.  "Now as much as I would like to continue this 
little debate, I must be going."  Q smiled, attempting to lighten the 
mood somewhat.  "Did you know that Jean-Luc has a brand new starship at 
his disposal?  I'll have to give it a good look over... after I give him 
a good dose of 'I told you so!'."
     "Would you mind postponing that for a bit?" Pluto asked.
     "Why?  Can't bear the thought of not having me around?"
     Pluto rolled her eyes.  "Hardly.  But I have some unfinished business 
to attend to... on the Defiant."
     Q sighed, acting as if this were a major inconvenience.  In truth, he 
had expected Pluto to make this request.  "Oh, very well."
     "Thank you," Pluto said and vanished.

     Odo entered the almost bare room, the forcefield at the entrance 
automatically engaging as soon as he stepped through the doorway.  He 
regarded the one piece of furniture with some interest.  "Are you 
comfortable?" he asked it.
     The chair flowed, becoming a gelatinous substance and finally 
settled into a humanoid form with roughly the same characteristics as 
Odo.  "For the most part," the changeling said.  "Though I find it 
uncomfortable being confined like this."
     "A necessary precaution, I think you would agree," Odo said.  
"Especially given their previous encounters with changelings."
     It didn't bother to comment, but moved it's limbs about as if 
stretching them.  "It feels good to be able control my shape once more 
and not to have to shift at the behest of that... whatever it was."  It 
sighed.  "I will need some time to recover from this experience, time I 
need within the Great Link."  It looked at Odo, "Captain Sisko *is* going 
to return me to the Dominion?"
     "He said he would, after we return to the station," Odo replied, 
regarding the changeling with some disbelief.  "You'll be ferried to the 
Gamma Quadrant, where we'll arrange to meet with a Dominion vessel."
     "Good," it said.  It seemed to notice that Odo was still looking at 
it in disbelief.  "Is something wrong?"
     "Yes, there is," Odo said.  "You seem to have no regard for Sailor 
Mars' death."
     It shrugged.  "They live and they die, Odo.  Such is their lot."
     Odo snorted, and paced about the room.  "I don't believe this," he 
muttered.  He stopped and glared at the changeling.  "You really don't 
care, do you?  You don't care that two young girls were willing to 
sacrifice themselves to set things right for us.  That the one who did 
so, who may have suffered the most because of you, was willing to put 
her hatred aside long enough to save your life?"
     "Should it?"  The changeling seemed mystified.  "After all Odo, 
they're only solids."
     Odo stared at the changeling for several moments.  Then, disgusted, 
he spun and headed for the door.  He hesitated momentarily there, then 
turned back.  "No," he said emphatically.  "They're not *just* solids.  
And at times like these, I think they're more than we will ever be."

     Worf stood silently in the torpedo bay, maintaining his silent vigil 
over the casings containing the fallen Sailor Scouts.  Behind him, he 
heard the door his open then felt someone approach and stand beside him.  
"Somehow I expected to find you here," Kira said.  "It's called Ak'voh, 
right?"
     "Yes."  Worf was mildly surprised that she knew this.  It was an old 
tradition, where the companions to a fallen warrior kept watch over the 
body of a fallen comrade and kept away the predators until the spirit 
could make the journey to Sto'vo'kor.  The custom was not that well known 
outside the Empire and one that was not widely observed these days.  "You 
are well versed in Klingon traditions, Major."
     "I wasn't... at least not before the Klingon invasion of Cardassia.  
Since then, Jadzia has been helping me get up to speed on Klingon 
culture."
     "I see."  Worf took the opportunity to glance in her direction, 
then faced forward once more.  "How is the arm?"
     Kira looked down to her left arm, which was secured in a sling, and 
flexed her hand experimentally.  "It's stiff and hurts like hell.  But 
Dr. Bashir says it should be fine in a few days."  Worf nodded 
noncommittally, but made no other comment.  After a few silent minutes, 
Kira sighed.  "You were right."
     "About what?"
     "When we first entered this universe, you told me that I wouldn't 
call them  just a 'kids group' if I had seen them in action.  Well, you 
were right."
     Worf didn't reply immediately.  He had made a similar mistake 
himself upon his first meeting with the Scouts.  Indeed, one could say 
his first encounter with Serena was less than pleasant.
     Kira spoke before he could say anything though.  "If you don't mind, 
I'd like to stay here a bit."  A small smile came to her face.  "Help 
keep the predators at bay."
     "I don't mind, but... If I may ask... Why?"
     "Raye," she replied.  "As I got to know her, I saw a lot of things 
in her that reminded me of myself."
     "How so?"
     Kira paused, trying to put her feelings into words.  "We had some 
things in common, for one.  We both lost our mothers at an early age, 
both of us had to take up a fight against an alien invader on our 
worlds.  Plus we both had our spiritual beliefs."
     "And you are both short tempered," Worf said.
     "Look who's talking," Kira stated.  After Worf chose not to reply, 
she continued, "But I think most of all, I saw in her qualities that 
could have been in my life, had it not been for the Cardassians... If 
I hadn't been forced to join the Resistance."
     Worf nodded, "I think I understand."
     They heard the door hiss open behind them.  "Uh... Commander, 
Major?" a voice said hesitantly.  They turned to face O'Brien.  "It's 
time."

     Raye sat down heavily on the temple steps, "This has been one 
helluva day, right from the get go."  She heaved a sigh of frustration.  
"I'm glad all that's over.  Ever since Dax and my counterpart came over, 
I've been looking all around for that changeling."
     "Oh, so that's why you've been acting so oddly today," Amy observed.
     "'Fraid so."  Raye noticed Serena glaring at her.  "What?"
     "You knew this was going to happen?" she said accusingly.
     "Well, not this exactly, but --"
     "AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING?!?"
     Raye's mouth moved several times, but she said nothing, so shocked 
she was by Serena's outburst.  It was up to Luna to say, "Give her a 
chance to explain her side, Serena.  I'm sure Raye had a very good reason 
for not saying anything."
     Serena switch her glare to the black cat.  "And what's your story, 
Luna?  You were acting odd the whole day as well."
     "I knew something odd was going on," Luna admitted.  "After all, I 
did meet my double in the tree the night before.  But with her disguise, 
I didn't it was anything more than another cat.  All I had to go on was 
an odd feeling that something was amiss."
     "And in my case, I didn't meet my counterpart until a few minutes 
before things started happening," Amy said.  "By that time, Luna and I 
had already separated from you two.  The only thing I could do was try 
and get back to where you were."
     "All right," Serena said, returning her gaze to Raye, "But --"
     "But nothing!" Raye shot back.  She stood up and looked Serena 
right in the eye.  "I didn't say anything to anyone because they told me 
not to!  Because they said if I did, if things didn't proceed almost 
exactly as they should, that changeling wouldn't be there.  Then they 
wouldn't have any idea where or when it would strike next."  Raye paused 
and took a deep breath.  "Considering how well it imitated Tuxedo Mask, 
it could have tried posing as anyone next time.  Maybe as me, or Amy, or 
even your mother!  And then it'd kill you, just like it did in the other 
Raye's past."
     "I... I hadn't thought of that," Serena stammered.
     "Just what were you thinking?" Raye demanded.  "Did you think I didn't 
say anything because I didn't care if you get hurt?  Or killed?  Is that 
it?  Just what kind of person do you think I am?"
     "Sorry..." Serena mumbled contritely.
     "You'd better be!" Raye continued angrily.  "Despite the fact that 
you're a ditzy, clumsy brat, I don't want to see you hurt!"
     "Well, I... HEY!"  Serena shifted emotional gears rapidly, going 
instantly to a fuming state.  "You take that back!"
     "You can't take the truth back," Raye retorted.
     Luna sighed as the argument escalated.  'I suppose I'm going to have 
to break them up... Again.'  Then she noticed that Amy seemed oblivious to 
the fight, for she had opened up her computer moments before and was 
staring intently at the screen.  "What is it, Amy?"
     The blue haired girl jumped slightly, startled.  "Oh, I got a message."
     "A message?"  Luna frowned.  Who could know to send a message to Amy 
over her computer?  "Who from?"
     "My counterpart," she replied softly.
     Despite how low her voice was, it seemed to penetrate through the 
verbal barrage between Raye and Serena.  They both turned, and gaped at 
her.  "From your future self?" Serena asked.
     "What's it say, Amy," Raye added.
     Amy began to read aloud:

     Amy,
     (It's really strange to be writing a message to myself!)
     I've programmed this to be downloaded into your computer if our 
mission was successful.  Serena is safe, and you three can go on with 
your mission: seeking out the Moon Princess and battling the forces of 
the Negaverse.
     I calculated a high degree of probability that either Raye or myself, 
or both, may not survive this mission.  If this is so, don't grieve for 
us.  Success for us meant the utter destruction of the world we came 
from... And very probably we would cease to exist soon afterwards.  
That doesn't matter, for failure would carry too great a price for us:  
seeing Serena die again, and the world fall to the Negaverse without all 
the Sailor Scouts to battle them.
     There are many thing I could tell you that would make your battle 
easier.  Knowledge about other foes from the Negaverse, where you can 
find others to help you, among others.  But I've been asked not to provide 
too much information to you.  So I'm afraid you'll have to learn it the 
hard way.  But I know you three will win out in the end.
     Best of Luck,
          Amy
          Sailor Mercury

     "Now, remember," Bashir was saying as he entered the bridge carrying 
Sailor Mercury, "You've just undergone surgery, so don't do anything to 
overexhert yourself -- like standing.  After all, your insides are still 
being held together with microsutures."
     "Yes, Doctor," she answered.  Satisfied, Bashir moved over to the 
Tactical One station and sat her down in the chair.  Meanwhile Luna, her 
fur now back to it's normal black color, bounded over from her perch on 
one of Sisko's consoles and leapt into Mercury's arms.  In an almost 
automatic response, she began scratching the cat behind her ears.
     Dax looked up from the helm.  "We're in position, Benjamin.  One AU 
from the Sun, directly opposite from Earth."
     "Very well, Dax," Sisko said.  "Hold station here."  Instead of 
sitting in the command chair, he was standing behind it.  Lined up in 
flanking positions on both sides of him, the other members of the senior 
staff were likewise standing, with Bashir hovering near Mercury's chair 
like a worried mother hen.  Only Dax was at her station and, after setting 
the helm to hold their current position, she got up as well and moved to 
one side of the bridge.
     "Shipwide speakers online, Captain," Kira said.
     Sisko nodded and prepared to speak, but felt and heard a slight 
ripple effect behind him.  Looking backwards, he wasn't surprised to see 
Pluto standing in the bridge rear.  She greeted him silently, but 
otherwise didn't say or do anything else.
     Facing the viewscreen once more, Sisko took a deep breath, ordering 
his thoughts.  Though necessary, this was one of the duties of command he 
hated the most.  "We are gathered here today to pay our final respects to 
our honored dead," he began.  "To those who have fallen in battle and have 
given that last full measure of devotion.
     "Lita Kino,better known to us as Sailor Jupiter; Mina Aino, Sailor 
Venus, and Artemis.  Most of us didn't get a chance to know them.  Indeed, 
some of us barely met them before they died.  But the fact that they fought 
to save their world, despite knowing the odds of success were slim, speaks 
well of them.
     "But it is a different case for Raye Hino, known also as Sailor Mars.  
We did get to know her over the last few days.  Hot tempered, but with a 
passionate love for life... but more so for her friends.  She willingly 
sacrificed herself to save Sailor Moon... and she wasn't the only one 
willing to make such a sacrifice."  He took a surreptitious glance at 
Mercury out of the corner of his eye.  Her face was expressionless, but 
the tears and the look in her eyes told her true feelings.  Feeling that 
were mirrored in the expressions of Luna, and of the rest of the crew.  
"In doing so, she secured not only the future of her world, but the 
existence of our own.  We can never truly repay the debt we owe her."
    Finished, Sisko nodded to Worf.  The Klingon touched a control on 
the weapons panel, triggering the torpedo launch sequence and the three 
caskets bearing the bodies were launched from the torpedo tubes.
     Artemis and Venus were in the same casket, at Luna's insistence.
     As the caskets faded from view into the Sun's glare, Kira spoke, "We 
commit their bodies to the vastness of space and to the fires of their 
home star, in the hopes their spirits may find peace.  May they walk with 
the Prophets."  As she finished, the computer ran another preprogrammed 
sequence, firing several low power bursts from the pulse phasers.
     Twenty one in all.
     "As you where," Sisko said after several moments.  As the crew went 
back to their stations while behind them, Pluto bade Mercury and Luna a 
silent farewell before vanishing herself.
     Sisko sat himself in his command chair then said, "Set course for 
the wormhole.  One half impulse."
     "Course and speed set," Dax replied after making the necessary 
adjustments to the helm.
     Sisko paused before giving the order to engage and glanced over 
at Mercury.  She and Luna hadn't moved yet, still watching the viewscreen.  
He hoped this would help them start the healing process, and they would 
be able to move on with their new lives on Deep Space Nine.  But he knew 
from personal experience that it wouldn't be easy.  It had taken him years 
to put Jennifer's death at Wolf 359 fully behind him.
     And was he doing them any favors by bringing them to DS9?  After all, 
it was hardly a peaceful haven; with the problems he was having with the 
breakdown of the Klingon alliance, the Maquis, the constant and ever 
increasing threat of war with the Dominion and a host of others.
     Only the Prophets knew for certain what the future held.  All he 
really knew was the he and his crew would do everything they could to 
help them make the adjustment.
     He turned back to the helm, where Dax was patiently awaiting his 
orders.  "Take us home, old man," he said, his voice tired and somber.
     "Take us home."

End.

Notes:
     Comments, critiques and questions are welcome.  Just email me at 
Soton@aol.com.

     As before, thanks to Gene Roddenberry and Naoko Takeuchi, for 
creating their respective genres.  Additional thanks to Rick Berman 
and Micheal Piller for creating "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
     I would also like to add a special thank you to Will Wolfshohl, 
who has provided a lot of critical commentary along the way (thus sparking 
an additional idea or two for me) and for patiently answering my 
questions regarding Sailor Pluto.

     If you're wondering, the Scouts meetings with the Enterprise and 
the Enterprise D are depicted in previously written stories -- "Sailor 
Trek" and "Sailor Trek TNG".  Both are available at the following 
fanfic archive sites:

A Sailor Moon Romance
http://www.ctd.nwu.edu/~aerdnahu/

"Tuxedo" Will's Fanfiction Archive
http://log.on.ca/users/helm/anime/index.htm

The Best Sailor Moon Fanfiction on the Net
http://www3.sympatico.ca/john.hitchens/MAINPAGE.HTM

Next up - the last story of the Sailor Trek Saga: Sailor Trek Voyager - 
"Where No Sailor Scout Has Gone Before"  --  Something evil lurks in the 
Delta Quadrant.  And it threatens to overwhelm the crew of the Starship 
Voyager.  But there is one thing that can save them.
     The Sailor Scouts!

Preview snippet:
     None of them needed to be told that it was a space craft of some 
kind.  That much was obvious.  But it was a large ship, being over one 
hundred meters in length.  The upper section was an elongated oval shape, 
attached to a lower section.  And toward the rear were two large nacelles, 
set at the same height as the lower section.  The landing strut extending 
outward from the bottom and the lack of ice debris around it told them 
that it had landed on it's own volition and had not crashed.
     "There's some lettering on it, but I can't make any of it out," 
Venus observed.
     "Neither can I," Tuxedo Mask added.
     "Hold on," Mercury said, deploying her visor.  After a moment she 
read, "NCC-74656.  USS Voyager.  United Federation of Planets."
     The others goggled.  "Federation?" Mars said in a strangled voice.
     "It's a Starfleet ship," Tuxedo Mask said, his voice awed.
     "Well," Venus said, a slight smile on her face, "Here we go again."


planned:
Highlander Moon - The Scouts meet up with Duncan MacLeod of the clan 
MacLeod.  (coming soon!)