Rea sauntered down the hall of the Hood, her sleek body gracefully flowed as she moved.

She saw her reflection in one of the wall panels. Her hair was in perfect shape, its sandy tan highlights matching her tight fitting uniform. "Ah, what it takes to keep males under my control", she sighed indulgently.

As she walked to the ship's lounge the scents of the inhabitants filled her nostrils. It was a mix of many races, but the males stood out most of all. Ah, the sweet dim-witted males, Rea thought as the door hissed open upon a lounge filled with the off duty crew members. Rea moved around the room saying "Hi" to this person and hugging that person, it was of couse an act. A clever act she had learned long ago when she was a kit. "Treat everyone like a friend. It is a easier way of letting them do your bidding." Her old mentor made her remember it all too well.

Rea finally saw her sister, and her mate sitting at a small back table. Khan looked as if he was going to kill someone. He must be in a good mood, thought Rea. After she rounded the room, she headed back to her sister's table.

Her sister was her twin, yet she showed her strength more than Rea. Sura's uniform had more Killbeads then Rea's, mainly because Rea didn't like to show how deadly she was. It conflicted with the image she tried to maintain.

"Greetings, dear sister. How has your dawning treated you?" Sura asked.

"Very well" Rea replied as she pulled out a chair and sat down, carefulling tucking her legs under herself.

"Though saying good bye has been the hardest to do, there are just too many males on board to do so with - well, at least properly", she sighed contentedly.

After a few seconds Rea noticed her sister's face. On it was a look of shock and bewilderment. It was amusing, but not as amusing as Khan's angry look. Ah, poor Khan and his high moral standards...

His was one of hatred and rejection, not of himself, of course, but of the fact that Rea has not taken a Caitian mate.

"I take it, there is something amiss?" Rea mused in a soft, soothing voice.

"Sister, contain yourself, " Sura said, only just keeping herself from yelling. "You were purring openly" Sura chilled

"Discussing!!" Khan Ballow loud enough to be heard by the whole bar.

"Oh, dear sweet Khan, I am so sorry I haven't made time for you these last few days, If you wish I could entertain you on the shuttle over..."

With that, Khan broke the table in two, splinters flying into the air as he growled in outrage.

"You dare...?!?" Khan's words seemed to stick to his tongue.

"Always, dear Khan...", was all that Rea managed to get out. Khan backhanded her, sending her back in to the chair. The chair flipped over, and Rea fell to the floor. She recovered just before Khan's next attack, tripping him and sending him stumbling into the next table. The occupants of the table screamed, scrambling out of the huge Caitian's way as he fell, smashing the table underneath him. Rea studed and tossed back her hair over her torn uniform's shoulder. A glint of light flashed in her eyes. Without thinking she back-flipped out of the way as her sister slashed with her sword. Training had given them timing that bordered on a sixth sense. Landing on the floor, Rea crouched a few feet from her sister. There was no emotion in Sura, not her face nor her golden eyes, She was the hunter - Rea was prey.

Rea drew her own sword. It was identical to her sister's, and had a twin that Rea left in its scabbard. She stood, the sword held in front of her - it was an opening for Sura to swipe it out of her hands. Sura took the bait and swung her blade. Rea stepped into the swing with her own sword and the blades met with a deep clang.

Rea side-kicked Sura, knocking her down into a half kneeling stance. A sweep kick followed, but Sura was faster, grabbing Rea's foot and flipping her in mid-sweep. Rea fell on her back.

Rea flipped herself into a standing position, panting for air. Sura was already standing, sword over her head.

Inching towards her sister, Rea mimicked her moves and footing. It became a dance around the Bar, sword blades flashing and clanging as they moved in an uncanny movement, each step in time. It stopped when both sisters stood with swords crossed, their eyes locked onto each other...and then Rea and Sura started to giggle, then laugh out loud as they stood there, swords still crossed.

"You've been practicising, sister," Sura said.

"We are heading to a new ship, I can not expect to have the same.. effect on the Ghidorah's crew." Rea grinned as she put her sword away.

"Come, we will be late to meet Khan, You know how he gets if we make him wait too long", Sura whipped down her sword, then placed it back in the scabbard.

"Oh well, we could always stay with this one, he is so much more...agreeable", quipped Rea.

"Please, he has no back-bone", hissed Sura.

"Oh, all right. Computer - end program."

The Lounge faded into the darkness, replaced by a black and yellow grid filling the space of a small room.

"How long do you think Khan would wait for us?" Rea asked playfully.

"Not as long as you like him to" answered her sister.

"You think the next captain will let us do it for real in her Ten Forward?" Rea asked, toying with a towel.

"Not if she's smart, and not if she talked to Captain Desoto, " Sura replied.

The twins walked out of the arch, and in to the halls of the Hood, but Rea abruptly hesitated, just a few steps along the corridor. "Oh Sura, I forgot my sword, would you mind if we go back? "

"Rea! how could you!"

"Well... it's just that I'm sick of having a twin, and it would be much easier if you were no longer around..."

Rea didn't hesitate again, drawing her sword and lunging at her sister's half-turned back. Sura did a half-step and parried the blow. Rea turned, only to find a sword sticking out of her mid-section. The wound would have killed her had it not been for the fact that it was made up of light. The hologram was almost too real.

Rea mumbled a curse. No matter how many times she tried to beat the program, she lost. She truly loved her sister, save for one fact, and that was the fact that Sura was the better fighter.

In real life she would never best her sister in combat, so she trained on the marvels of the space ways.

The program was frozen in place. Rea had set it up that way after testing it the first time.

She had included every detail right down to her sister's rage. The program only stopped after a holo-represention of Rea had been cut to pieces with the real Rea lying on the ground while her holo-sister did the gruesome work.

Rea took her sword and beheaded the still hologram. "That is for the first time, dear sister....pray it never happens gains"

Some time a holodeck was as good as the real thing.

"Computer... end Program Doppelganger."

The hall of the ISS Hood fell way, and in its place was the black grid with glowing yellow lines. Nothing was left in the room save for Rea.

Sometimes the Holodeck was good, but it was not real, and the best game to play was life.