The Spacebucklers

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, DUH! However, I do own the best Star Trek DVD set ever, and Jimmy, Annie, Billy, Alfie, Ungo, and Stronti. See, I'm not totally destitute!

The day was turning out to be a monotonous one aboard the starship Enterprise. Of course, with alien skirmishes few and far between, quite a few days were fairly boring. At least, that was the opinion of the captain's son, James Thomas Kirk. The ten-year-old was fascinated by all the unusual extra-terrestrials the ship came across. At the moment, he was whining to his mom, Becky, "There's nothing to do! I'm so bored!"

"Why don't you go hang out with Alfie Scott in Engineering?" she suggested, hoping she had hit on a good activity.

Her hopes were dashed a few minutes later when Jimmy moaned, "I can't do that! His dad won't let me in there ever since I tried to climb the Jeffries Tube!"

Ignoring Becky's alarmed expression, Jimmy added thoughtfully, "He lets Alfie climb up in there to hand him tools. Why won't he let me, too?"

Laughing now, and shaking her head, Becky said, "I don't know, Jimmy. Just go down to the bridge and pester your dad awhile, okay?"

Sighing boredly, Jimmy nodded and trudged out, his footfalls heavy with frustration. Still chuckling, Becky mused, "The Jeffries Tube! What next?"

When Jimmy arrived on the bridge, there was not that much going on there, either. After pestering Commander Spock until he nearly turned green, he retreated, smirking, to a corner. Glancing idly at the screen, which showed space outside, his heart skipped a beat. There was another ship out there! It looked like an Orion pirate ship, the boy surmised excitedly.

"Dad, there's a ship out there!" Jimmy cried.

Not even looking up, Captain Kirk grumbled, "Oh no, I'm not falling for that one again!"

Kirk's remark was immediately followed by an ear-splitting boom as the ship was hit by a photon torpedo. Struggling to regain his balance, the captain shouted, "Red alert! Sound the red alert! Jimmy, go to Sickbay! NOW!" Jimmy scooted out of the room, resisting the urge to cover his ears from the annoying whooping that inevitably accompanied a red alert.

Meanwhile, Lt. Uhura had opened up ship-to-ship communications, and Captain Kirk bellowed into the speaker, "Give it up, pirates! You'll never beat a starship!"

The image of a swarthy man, curiously green and presumably the pirate captain, appeared on the view screen. The man replied, "I don't think so! We want those military files you're carrying and we know how to get them! Don't be surprised if we pay you a little visit soon!" Then the man pushed a button and the view screen went blank as the ship was hit again.

"Scotty! Get those shields up! They're going to attempt a boarding!" Kirk barked into the speaker. But he received no reply, as the inter-ship communications were down from the last hit. The captain groaned as he tried desperately to think of a way to prevent the pirates from boarding the Enterprise. "And how did they know about the military files?" he wondered.

In the meantime, Jimmy darted down the hallway, landing on his behind or pitching forward occasionally as the ship took a blow. A few minutes into this, the ship abruptly listed to one side, causing a girl to be flung out of an adjoining hallway. He recognized her as his sister, Annie. Grabbing her by the arm to keep her from hitting the wall he asked, "Are you okay?"

Annie glared at him as she dusted herself off. "Could be better. What's going on, anyway?" she grumbled crankily.

"We're being attacked by Orion pirates! Isn't it cool?" Jimmy cried.

"Cool? Hardly!" Annie scoffed.

"Yes it is! You're just chicken!" Jimmy retorted, and he promptly started clucking like a chicken.

"Maybe you like being blown to bits, Jimmy Kirk, but I certainly don't! So if you'll kindly stop doing the chicken dance, I'd like to go to Sickbay!" Annie shouted as she turned furiously on him.

Jimmy reluctantly agreed and the two continued on to Sickbay, the girl looking rather smug, since she knew she had won the argument. Jimmy noticed this, and he began muttering disgustedly to himself as they continued along.

Presently the siblings heard footsteps in the hallway, and they both tensed, fearing pirates. They quickly relaxed when only Jimmy's friends, Billy McCoy and Alfie Scott, rounded the corner. "Hi, Jimmy! Are we being attacked or something?" Billy cried excitedly.

"Yeah, by pirates! I saw the ship and everything! Isn't it sweet?" Jimmy responded eagerly.

"You bet it is!" Billy and Alfie answered in unison.

Jimmy turned to Annie, wearing a triumphant grin. "See, they think it's cool!" he crowed.

Annie rolled her eyes and replied, "Oh sure, another boy thinks it's cool! That proves a lot!"

Her brother shrugged and the four kept going to their destination. They were almost to the medical center when a rough voice was suddenly heard. Realizing the voice did not belong to anyone normally on the ship, one thought entered the children's minds, pirates! The group flattened themselves against the wall as the voice drew closer. "Did you find the files yet, Ungo?" the owner of the voice asked.

The fellow named Ungo called back, "Sure did! Secret military files, humph! If they really are that secret, they should at least try to hide them."

Ungo's partner was silent for a moment, apparently looking the files over. A moment later, he replied, "Oh, this is what the cap'n wants, all right. The great Stronti foresees our crew getting fifty-grand!"

The kids heard gleeful laughter, then footsteps as the pair walked off. Ungo's voice was faintly heard as they were almost gone, "You're not that great, Stronti!"

"Oh, put a cork in it, you flibber!" Stronti barked.

For a minute, Annie and the boys stood speechless at how close a call they'd had. Then Alfie said stoutly, "We've got to let the captain know!"

Jimmy nodded and pushed the com link, but as the inter-ship communications were still malfunctioning, he was greeted only by static. He tried again a few times, but the result was the same. "Communications must be down," he muttered irritably.

"I guess we had better head back to the bridge, then," Annie said.

"Too far away. The pirates will be gone by the time we get there!" Jimmy stated firmly.

Annie groaned and Billy exclaimed, "What else can we do?"

Jimmy shrugged, then his eyes lit up and he turned to Alfie. "Alfie, do you know how to drive a shuttlecraft?" he asked slowly.

Alfie eyes opened wide, then he replied, "Probably, I helped my dad fix one once, and he showed me how the controls work. You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"Maybe. If you're thinking I'm thinking of using a shuttlecraft to piggyback onto the Orion's ship, you're thinking right!" Jimmy said.

"Say what?" Billy interrupted, scratching his head.

"We're taking down the Orion pirates! Ya with us?" Jimmy cried excitedly.

Grinning, Billy hooted, "Oh yeah! Sweetness!"

Jimmy thumped Billy on the shoulder and yelled, "Then let's go to the shuttle bay! You did say you could drive, didn't you, Alfie?"

Alfie nodded enthusiastically and the boys ran whooping down the hallway. Annie watched them go with eyebrows raised, then she sighed a deep sigh of resignation and ran after them calling, "Hey, wait for me!"

Hey, this is Jimmy Kirk and I will personally handle all reviews!

Annie: Why can't I do any reviews?

Jimmy: I guess you can...tell you what, I'll take this chapter and you can do the next one!

Annie: Okay, I suppose.

Jimmy: Anyway, please review so my sister doesn't get mad that she has no one to respond to next chapter!

Annie: Yeah!