CHAPTER 38 D

"YES I WAS DAMNED ANGRY." Kacey admitted.

"THEN THIS MORNING, I FIND OUT YOU ARE SEEING DR. DIMARCO . YET YOU INSIST THERE IS NOTHING WRONG."

"I DID NOT GIVE HERE PERMISSION TO SAY ANYTHING." Kacey stated loudly.

".SHE DID NOT SAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT YOU ARE SEEING HER. SHE HAS TO INFORM YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER. SO TELL ME AGAIN THERE IS NOTHING GOING ON."

Kacey looked away. "GOD DAMN IT, THERE IS NOTHING GOING ON KATE."

"YOU ARE LYING." Kate snapped. "CARE TO TRY AGAIN?" Kacey remained silent. Kate sighed. and brought her temper under control. "Very well Kacey you leave me no choice. Until you decide to talk to me and tell me the truth, you are off the flight schedules." Kate told her.

"YOU ARE GROUNDING ME? I AM NOT A CHILD, KATE." Kacey yelled.

"THEN GOD DAMN IT STOP ACTING LIKE ONE." Kate snapped. "FROM THIS MOMENT ON, CONSIDER YOUR WINGS CLIPPED, UNTIL SUCH A TIME AS YOU DECIDE TO TALK TO ME AND TELL ME THE TRUTH."

Kacey stared at Kate for a long minute. She abruptly stood up. "WILL THAT BE ALL, CAPTAIN? I HAVE TO REDO THE SCHEDULES." Without waiting for an answer, Kacey stormed to the door. She punched the open button when the electric eye did not register her presence fast enough. Kate watched her leave, certain that Kacey would have slammed the door if it was possible.

Liam watched Kacey storm out of the Ready Room and punch the lift button. He looked up at Anya. "Commander ye have the Bridge." He said as he walked to the closed door and rang the chime.

Kate went back to the windows. "Come in."

"Katie?"

"She lied to me Liam. She out right lied to me and would not even deny it when I called her on it."

"She did not look happy when she left."

"That is quite an understatement. She was livid when I clipped her wings."

"Ye did the right thing, Katie."

"My head knows I did, now I just have to convince my heart. Kacey loves to fly. I hate the fact that I had to take that away from her."

"How long is she grounded for?"

"God I hate that word. Being grounded is something you do to a disobedient child, not to an adult. Certainly not to a Colonel. As for how long, that is up to her, Liam. I can not have her endangering herself or this ship because her head is not on the task."

"No lass, ye can not."

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Kacey returned to the Hanger. She looked for the men she needed. When she could not locate them she picked up the Hanger intercom. "Major Anderson, Captains Taggart and Williams, front and center. " She waited near the Hanger office for the men to come forward. "For reasons I will not go into, Major you will take out the Alpha squadron, Captain Taggart the Beta and Captain Williams the Gamma squadron. You will divide the day into three eight hour shifts so that Andromeda is protected around the clock. Each shift will be divided into two four hour sub shifts. Each of you will pick one person to cover the second part of your shifts. Questions?" They all shook their heads. "Dismissed."

Kacey walked to her shuttle and went inside. She came out shortly after with a box in her hand. She continued to her office where she set the Security code on the door. Her finger was poised on the off button on her communicator, but changed her mind. Natalia would not be able to contact her if she turned it off. She could and would ignore any hails from Kate. She sat behind her desk and unlocked her computer. Kacey pulled up the report she had been working on before being called to the Bridge.

She stared at the computer screen for a long time without typing anything.

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Kacey watched from behind the air lock doors as the Alpha squadron prepared for their patrol. A patrol that she should be leading. The launch door opened. "DAMN YOU KATE," she thought. When the air lock doors opened, Kacey returned to her office. She turned on the radio so she could hear the ship to ship chatter even if she could not be there. She listened to Mike talk to the pilots on patrol.

She worked on the last report, then started on the performance reviews. It had been three days since Kate refused to allow her to go out on patrols. She had not talked to Kate since that day. She refused to answer any hails from Kate. Kacey knew she was skirting with insubordination, but could not muster any strength to care.

Kacey did not doubt for an instance that Kate ran computer searches on her throughout the day. "Hell," she thought,"I would not put it past Kate to have me under video surveillance" Kacey reached into her desk drawer and removed a new box of smoke sticks. She unwrapped one and clamped it between her teeth. Not an actual cigarette. Those had been completely banned forty years ago. The electronic sticks were the only type allowed under the law. Normally she would only use them when she flew, but with that privilege taken away from her, she decided to enjoy them whenever she wanted.

Kacey worked on the reviews. Kate sat in her Ready Room and watched her on the monitor.