Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.
Special thanks to Beta Notes from the Classroom.
Chapter 1
The ship jerked forward. Nyota couldn't see what happened, but she knew that the warp coils must have just been jettisoned out into the void. She couldn't watch. She was trying desperately to bring up the subspace signal.
Grateful sighs and prayers went up around her. Nyota's brow only furrowed deeper; her fingers moved faster.
Oh, shit.
"Lieutenant Uhura," said Kirk, "Hail Starfleet, and let them know the Narada is neutralized...and that we'll be needing new warp coils or a tow home."
"Attempting to do so now, but the subspace array is offline," said Nyota. Scanning the readouts, she tried to localize the problem.
"What?" said Kirk.
"Subspace arrays are power intensive, sir," said Nyota. "They derive their power from the warp coils -"
"I know that, Lieutenant!" Kirk snapped. "But they should have switched to auxiliary power like all other vital systems."
His irritation did not provoke any emotion in her. "The auxiliary power coupling to the array must have been damaged in the initial encounter with the Narada, Sir," said Nyota. "Seeking location of the damage now."
"We'll get engineering right on it," said Kirk, suddenly so close behind her she caught the smell of sweat and blood.
Warning beeps went off around the bridge.
"Uh-oh," said Kirk in a soft, barely audible, most uncaptainly manner. She shared the sentiment.
"Captain," said Spock, his voice getting closer, "we're losing life support on four of the main decks." Nyota turned her eyes to him but his attention was held by the monitor a few meters away. She turned her eyes back to her own screen.
"Scotty!" yelled Kirk. "We've got a problem!"
"I know, Captain," said a disembodied Scottish brogue. "I'm assembling teams now...kinna difficult, we're a bit short handed at the moment."
"Localized the problem spot in the auxiliary coupling," said Nyota.
"Captain, I can assist engineering with repairing the life support systems on the affected decks," said Spock.
"I'm gonna need a few more hands than two, Commander," said Scotty.
"May I suggest utilizing the Vulcan refugees we picked up from the near space freighter. They will have the required skill sets," said Spock in the direction of the ship comm. "I can lead half of their number in repairs to deck 9."
"Uhura, what Vulcan freighter?" whispered Kirk in the same tone he used when trying to get her to give an answer to a homework assignment.
"After we dropped you off on Delta Vega," said Nyota in a voice just as soft.
"-and may I suggest," said Spock, approaching Nyota and the captain, "that Lieutenant Uhura lead a team in restoring the subspace array. The Universal Translator is offline, but she is familiar with Vulcan customs and language; moreover, she has extensive experience in array hardware."
"I..." Nyota said. She'd only repaired array hardware in the lab, under Spock's direction.
Spock met her eyes. He seemed to soften ever so slightly, "The only difference from the lab simulators is the scale."
Kirk said, "Uhura, if we can't get life support fixed on those decks, we're going to need Starfleet help in a fuck-...in a hurry."
Licking her lips and looking between the two men, she said, "Yes, Sirs."
x x x x
Four hours later Nyota was standing outside an access conduit, one hand on her hip slippery with sweat, the other pointing to one last wire that needed to be replaced inside a small open power board. One Vulcan was following her directions. Two others were busy soldering other bits and pieces in another exposed power board, while two more were trying to repair the plate that covered the access conduit.
She heard steps behind her. Spinning on her heels, she turned to find Kirk. "Almost complete, Captain."
One of the Vulcans repairing the access conduit plate made a quick appraisal in his own language.
"What did he just say?" said Kirk.
"He said that they need more duct tape," said Nyota.
"Duct tape?"
"It's a human invention, but Vulcans utilize it a lot," said Nyota, flipping open her comm.
Kirk nodded and looked down at the Vulcan men and women.
"They aren't like Sp-, Vulcans I'm used to."
"No," said Nyota. "They're not. On Earth we see the well-connected, the scientists, and diplomats." She looked down at the Vulcan crew going about the repairs. Their garb was practical and utilitarian. Their haircuts were identical. Their hands were rough. They did not speak unless absolutely necessary. "These are...ordinary Vulcans."
"Are they...alright?" said Kirk.
Nyota tilted her head. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. There were tears behind her eyes that she didn't think would flow even if she'd been alone. She was - on another plane. She remembered Spock in the turbolift. He hadn't touched her face or hands; he'd been sparing her, keeping his feelings from her to protect her. These Vulcans barely looked at her - they were having trouble containing their emotions. They didn't want to make her uncomfortable either.
"No," she said, knowing that none of these Vulcans spoke Standard. "But they will continue to perform admirably."
Shuffling his feet, Kirk looked down. "Floor is slippery."
"Complete," said the Vulcan at the power board.
"Also, complete," said the soldering Vulcans.
Nyota touched a few buttons on her comm and looked at the readout. "All finished, Captain. I'll report to the bridge immediately and -"
"Uhura," said Kirk, "you've got to go to sickbay with me. Carter can contact Starfleet."
"What!" said Nyota.
Kirk took her elbow in a way that was completely unprofessional, like she was a china doll. "You're bleeding, Lieutenant."
Nyota looked down at the hand she thought was soaked with sweat. A red gash ran from her elbow to her palm. "It was only a scrape," she said to herself.
"Come on," said Kirk, not letting go of her elbow. "Floor is slippery."
Nyota glanced down at the floor; it was shiny and streaked with crimson.
"You did good, Lieutenant," said Kirk leading her away.
x x x x
They were just a few meters around the bend from sick bay when Nyota overheard a female voice saying, "I can't understand you, but we've called Mr. Spock. He will be here soon."
Turning the corner, she and Kirk found themselves staring at a nurse in front of two Vulcan children. Before they'd left the Vulcan system they'd picked up a few near-range shuttles that would have been sucked into the anomaly that took the planet. These children must have been on one of those. One was a boy. If he were a human, Nyota would have guessed he was around eight. The other was a little girl, perhaps four.
"Come," the nurse said, pantomiming with her hands, "You must come back to sickbay."
"No," said the boy in Vulcan. "I must speak to the Captain."
"We've called Spock," said the Nurse. "Sppp-oc-kkk. I don't understand you."
"What's he saying, Uhura?" asked Kirk.
"He wants to speak to the captain," she said.
"Well, tell him I'm here," said Kirk.
Nyota followed the order.
The boy pulled the little girl forward by the wrist and stood before Kirk. He stood perfectly erect. The little girl beside him looked at the ground. Her frame seemed bent by a heavy weight. The boy spoke clearly, in the main dialect of his people, one that Nyota understood easily.
When he finished, Kirk turned to her and said, "Well?"
Nyota opened her mouth and found that she could not speak.
A/N:
So just my little contribution to the why Spock chose Starfleet genre. I don't think anyone has tackled it in exactly this way.
If you read this and enjoyed please leave a review – they do help me keep going.
