'Compulsory' Shore-Leave
Chapter 1: The 'Ir-zehl'
The USS Enterprise docked at midday in mid November in Drydock Vega 2, deep in Federation space. They were due for repairs and much needed upgrades in the inner workings of the flagship and the crew had split into two camps; one side which welcomed what had been called 'compulsory' shore leave, and the other which under no circumstances, wanted to leave their ship...the latter was a relatively small group of course after so long without shore leave of any kind. Many would be glad of a month or so even on a confined and crowded space dock if it meant a slower change in pace for a while.
The main bridge crew of the first officer Spock, chief medical officer McCoy and engineer Scott, communications officer Uhura, helmsmen Sulu and Ensign Chekov, had been petitioned by the captain himself to spend their shore leave at his childhood home in Riverside, Iowa.
However with no ship to take them there it appeared as though shore leave would be spent in the tourist shops of the space dock. Until Spock had informed the as then rather disappointed captain a week ago, that he had sent for a ship he owned that was on Vulcan which would take them to Earth, much to the delight of said captain.
"So, tell us about this ship of yours, Spock," the captain began eagerly on the bridge as the docked.
"The Ir-zehl was originally an old class Vulcan cruiser, I purchased it from my father directly after my graduation when he intended to have the vessel destroyed in favour of a newer model," Spock told them. "Though I haven't personally captained the vessel for some time it is frequently used by my mother and her students on Vulcan."
"Uh-huh, and, err, just how old is it?" asked the ship's chief medical officer. He was stood on the left side of the captain's chair while Spock sat at the science station and the captain only rolled his eyes at the two.
"I assure you, doctor, in no way does its age have any bearing on its ability for space travel."
"Huh," McCoy scoffed lightly.
"Captain, I have a message from the Ir-zehl for Mr Spock," Uhura said, turning to the First Officer.
"On audio, lieutenant," Spock told her.
"Yes, sir," she nodded and casually flicked a switch on the console.
"Sir, this is the Ir-zehl, as scheduled and without complications we should be docking in about 5 minutes. McKenna out."
"Was that a Vulcan...didn't sound like any Vulcan I've ever heard?" McCoy asked.
"McKenna is a human student of my mother, and, on occasion, a highly capable First Officer," Spock answered.
"You have a human First Officer?" Jim questioned with amused curiosity.
"It may surprise you to hear that the Ir-zehl is currently crewed by 10 humans, myself being the only Vulcan."
"Well, I'll be damned," the doctor muttered.
"Indeed," Spock replied dryly and turned to the captain, "Captain, I'll take my leave, I will of course make contact with the ship for you to come aboard," he said and walked from the Bridge.
"...Well, I'll be damned," the doctor repeated, "A human crew, Jim."
"Yes, I did hear him Bones," the captain smiled.
"Huh," he nodded, "I'm gonna...go finish packing...I guess..." and then he too was gone from the bridge.
"Alright, you better clear off too, I'll meet you all in Rec 1 after Spock calls," Jim told his close bridge crew and they did as he said.
Soon after on his way to meet the others he stopped at McCoy's room and heard quiet muttering and watched as his friend cursed quietly. "What'd it do, Bones?" he asked with a smile.
"Huh?"
"The case?"
"Oh, nothin'," he shrugged, "I'm just not sure this is a good idea," McCoy grumbled as he then preceded to lug his single suitcase from his room.
"What? Iowa?"
"No...agreeing to going on a ship we didn't even know Spock had till yesterday!"
"Well, how else are we getting to Earth then, doctor? We're too far out so for a ship to come to us it'd take longer than I'm willing to spend around here, the space dock doesn't have any ships to spare, and I really don't want to spend a whole month cooped up here, d'you?" Jim smirked.
"I know, I know," the doctor sighed good-naturedly, "Just the thought of spending my shore leave with that walking computer makes my head spin."
"Easy, Bones, I think it was good of Spock to offer us his ship as transport, otherwise it's be another long month in a space dock, and you know how bored we'd be just sitting around day after day..."
"I think I could handle it, Jim," Bones replied.
"Well you're not, it's too late to change your mind now," the captain replied and soon they were walking off the grand flagship of the 'Fleet together with Sulu, Scotty, Uhura, and Chekov, making their way through the crowds.
"Sure is busy for a dock this far out," Sulu grumbled as a man hurried past him without so much as a 'sorry' for pushing past him.
"Which is exactly why we're lucky not to be stuck here for a month," Jim replied.
"Aye, but if it's all the same ter ye, sir, I'd rather be here ter make sure they don't mess up my...I mean, the ships engines, sir," Scotty said.
"I'm sure you would, Scotty, but we've all been ordered off, besides, a little shore leave'll do you good," the captain said.
"Don't play coy, Jim, we know you'd sooner stay on as well," McCoy smirked.
"I would...if we hadn't all been ordered on shore leave...ordered from on high, Bones."
"Since when did that ever make any difference to you?"
"Since this is the only time I'll get in a while to see my nephew," the captain replied honestly, effectively ending the conversation.
"So...err...what's the name of Mr Spock's ship again?" Sulu asked nervously.
"Just look for something unpronounceable in Vulcan, and bingo, there's our ride," McCoy smiled, thankful for the easier topic.
"Well, that's not gonna be much use, I see at least three with Vulcan names already," Sulu told him.
"He said it was called 'Ir-zehl', it means 'horizon," Uhrua told them.
"...That's not vone I can see," Chekov said.
A minute later after having asked several unhelpful people, they were spared from having to walk around the dock again as a young man dressed simply in black approached them.
"Captain Kirk?" he asked.
"Yes," Jim nodded, and quickly introduced his crew.
"Pleased to meet you all, now if you would please follow me."
"Never would've thought Spock'd have an illogical human crew. So what's your name, son?" McCoy asked the young man, whose voice sounded familiar, while they walked through the crowded space dock.
"McKenna, Michael McKenna, and I never thought I'd have a position on a Vulcan's bridge either. But it's not a bad job, not by far, sir," he replied. "I'm a student on Vulcan, I study with his mother, Lady Amanda and since Mr Spock was in need of a small crew for the ship she suggested that I put my skills to good use," he replied. "Whenever he uses the ship I'm almost always called in."
"Almost always?" the captain repeated.
"Sometimes he likes to crew it himself, I wouldn't like to try though," McKenna shrugged.
"Just how big is the ship?"
"Big enough to carry near enough a hundred odd people and their aides without any problems," the young man answered.
"So how's he crew it alone?" Sulu asked with interest.
"I've never really asked," he shrugged, "But I know it's no standard issue ship, it's built quite like a starship or so I'm told. Lady Amanda did say once that Mr Spock made a lot of changes to it himself, but you'd have to ask him for specifics. It's that one there," he pointed ahead at a rather grand looking ship of made of beautiful, shining silver and with intricate patterns of light blue and cream.
"That's not much like any old class cruiser I've ever seen," Sulu said as McKenna lead them directly towards what was perhaps the most impressive ship, save the Enterprise, currently in the space dock.
"She's a good lookin' lady fer sure, cap'n," Scotty said in awestruck admiration.
"It reminds me of an old Russian ship, it vas called the..." Chekov began as McKenna lead them into the ship.
"We won't be leaving for a while, so I can show you around if you like," he suggested and they happily agreed.
He took them first to their quarters so they could deposit their luggage and they quickly found that the Ir-zehl had a luxurious quality that the Enterprise lacked, since, as an Ambassadorial vessel it could afford to display the wealth of its original owner with pride and hadn't been built as sturdily to cope with the unexpected. Its hallways were not uniform like the clear cut hallways of the Enterprise but had circular corridors some with ornate ceiling beams of curious white metal and artwork of the red, arid desert of Vulcan, as well as the opposing blue oceans of Earth had been hung throughout the ship.
"How long've you worked on the ship then, McKenna?" Jim asked.
"On and off now for about eight years or so I guess," he shrugged, I've been a student for longer than most, and I've , known Mr Spock since I first came to Vulcan around 10 years ago but it's only in the last half of that that he's been more..."
"What?" McCoy asked.
"...Approachable..." McKenna finished.
"Oh," the doctor nodded. He found it rather odd that such a reticent man like Spock would allow such a loquacious young man to crew his ship.
"So...down there we have a ballroom further down there, it's hardly used now, of course, there's a meeting hall but Mr Spock made it a sort of science lab a while ago...I don't even dare go in there. If I mess up some old experient or other I can kiss my job goodbye," McKenna chuckled.
"So it's a proper job...you get paid, I mean?" McCoy asked curiously.
"Very well, yeah, maybe too well, I don't see why he pays us so much when he uses the ship so little, but when I told him one time he would have any of it," McKenna replied. "The rest of the rooms are either bedrooms we use for study trips or or rooms for actual group study. The rec room is just in there, and we've left out some diet cards for you," he said as they continued to walk. "The bridge is just up here."
Said bridge was a far cry from the Enterprise's counterpart where everything had its purpose and nothing more was there than was needed. As well as being obviously functional this bridge was also extravagant without being overbearing, and beautifully integrated with typical Vulcan designs without being ostentatious.
It was mainly built in whites and creams with silver inlaid Vulcan script on the doorways and around the viewing screen. Though it was not as large as the bridge of the Enterprise it gave the illusion of size through its pale colours and rather grand designs.
Spock sat in the captain'c chair with four other main seats around him; three of them occupied with the male helmsmen and the female navigator and communications officer.
"Welcome aboard, captain," he said politely and with a hint of a smile.
"What in sam-hill...there's a lion on the bridge?!" McCoy's loud exclamations prevented Jim from replying. Instead they stared at the considerably large golden feline with striking yellow eyes and pointed white teeth that was sat in the centre of the room.
"It is not a lion, doctor, it is a Catia, the are native to the Kzinti, and are commonly used as pets," Spock told him with a hint of humour. (*1)
"That's all well and good Mr Spock, but animals have no place on a bridge, surely," Scotty added.
"She causes no trouble, if that is what you are concerned for," he replied. The animal itself was sat at Spock's feet with its long tail curled around his ankles.
"This is a bridge not a pet shop! Don't you have regulations on this ship?" McCoy asked.
"Of course I do, however I could no sooner keep her from this bridge as I could keep you from the Enterprise sickbay. She has a curious nature and I would venture to say that, could you understand her, you would find that she is of high intelligence, perhaps even more intelligent than many humans."
"Ouch," Jim smirked at his friend who was still clearly of the opinion that large felines had no place on the bridge of any ship. The large cat had stood from its place by Spock's feet and stalked slowly towards the crew of the Enterprise, occasionally she growled, stepped back and then edged forwards again, as though indecisive of them.
"You..." McCoy began with growing irritation.
"She's adorable!" Uhrua exclaimed and all attention refocused from the indignant doctor to the enraptured female kneeling beside the large feline.
"Her name is C'Thia; named for a Vulcan philosopher," Spock said, but the lieutenant appeared more interested in stroking the animal and muttering to her in quiet Swahili, than the name's origin.
"And just how's that giant sabre tooth tabby 'adorable', anyway?" McCoy demanded.
"She just is, doctor," Uhura smiled, "Yes you are," he muttered happily.
"Women!" the doctor muttered, much to the amusement of his friends standing with him.
"You have seen the ship?" Spock asked them.
"Aye, she's a beauty," Scotty smiled.
"Captain, I have a call from the space dock...on audio now," said the young woman acting as communications officer.
"Space dock to the Ir-zehl, Space dock to Ir-zehl," a calm voice said.
"Space dock, this is the Captain of the Ir-zehl," Spock said.
"Captain, you are clear for take off, we can give you no less than two minutes, sir, the dock is rather overcrowded so I highly suggest caution."
"Understood, Ir-zehl out," he turned to his first officer, "Take us out, Mr Richards, carefully," he told the helmsman, mindful of the 'rather overcrowded' dock.
"Aye, sir," he nodded, a minute or so later he spoke again, "Now clear of space dock, captain."
"Maximum warp."
"Aye, sir, maximum warp," Richards complied again and soon the stars on the viewing screen blurred past in a mass of light before the vehicle adjusted to the speed and all became clearer and defined. "On course for Riverside, Iowa, Earth, sir," he added and Spock nodded simply, "ETA...around one and a half days."
Spock raised an eyebrow and coughed lightly, the man shrunk back in his seat suddenly nervous, then looked at the console for a moment then back at Spock, "Estimated time of arrival 32 hours, 45 minutes and 32 seconds, remaining at maximum warp, captain," he corrected and Spock nodded again. Richards let out a silent sigh of relief before turning back to his console, not noticing the restrained giggles of the Enterprise crew.
"C'Thia," Spock called to the Catia who seemed to grumble for a moment then licked Uhura's hand before moving to sit obediently at his feet. He rested his hand momentarily on its golden head and it looked up and began nuzzling his fingers contentedly.
"Well, I'm hungry and it is dinner time, I'm off to find this rec room," Jim smiled and rubbed his hands together, "You coming?" he asked his crew and they nodded enthusiastically.
"Right behind ye, cap'n," Scotty nodded.
"Spock?" he looked across to his friend.
"I will join you momentarily, captain," the Vulcan replied, and placed his hand steadily on the large feline's face. She then jumped up happily and walked over to them, curling her tail as she moved, "C'Thia will make certain you do not...get lost..."
"Nice to know you trust us not to get lost on a ship of all places, Spock," McCoy scoffed as he warily eyed the animal.
"Humans have a tendency to ignore important directions in new surroundings and focus instead on aesthetic designs," he replied.
"So you're saying we're simple minded?"
"Crudely summarised but oddly accurate, doctor," Spock nodded as he turned to a data PADD that McKenna subsequently handed to him.
"Why I..."
"Come on, Bones, you need food, you're getting cranky," Jim laughed.
"'Cranky'?" he repeated, "I..." he tried to say but with Scotty's help Jim dragged McCoy from the bridge and the large, golden C'Thia, lead the way confidently through the ship.
Spock only raised an eyebrow as the door to the turbo lift closed and turned back to his PADD.
(*1) FYI, I made the cat thing up and I choose to pronounce it 'Kay-sha'. But the Kzinti are mentioned in the Trek 'verse. I had to include the idea of an animal on Spock's ship since its been intended for a while. Also it was cemented in my head since I read Aconitum-Napellus story 'Romulus: Seeds of Unity'.
Also I like the idea of Spock with an animal companion, it offers an opportunity to show his softer side...granted a giant cat isn't the same as a little, fluffy Tribble...but it is a bit more fun since Tribbles don't really do much!
A.N. I've honestly never written for Star Trek before despite being a long time Trekkie, and this idea just wouldn't leave me alone until I at least tried to write something down. I would like to say that updates depend on the reception I get for this, but honestly it goes on whether I get time and inspiration to write more for this fic. But I'd be interested to know if you think I got the characters personalities okay.