The Captain and the Cadet

3- A SHIPLOAD OF TROUBLE

Chapter 1

I doesn't get any better than this. I finally got to see my dad for an entire afternoon—just the two of us. His communicator never beeped; he didn't even call the ship. Not once! For the first time in two months, Captain James Kirk of the USS Enterprise (best ship in the fleet, by the way) remembered he's a father too. Best of all, he promised me two more days exploring Starbase 23. This has got to be the beginning of the best shore leave of my life. Oops! I've got to sign off. I'm getting poked . . ."

"Put that thing away." The whispered order was accompanied by a gentle nudge. "The play's about to begin."

Nine-year-old Jamie Kirk clapped the tricorder's lid shut, slung it over an armrest, and slid deeper into the plush, velvet seats of the Imperial Opera House on Starbase 23. Stifling a yawn, she asked, "What's the name of this play, anyway?"

"You're asking now?" her father said with a chuckle. "It's called A Comedy of Errors, and you probably won't have a clue what it's about. Are you sure you don't want to go back to the ship? It's getting late, and I expect you'll fall asleep before the intermission."

Oh, no, I won't! Jamie shook her head and sat up straight. Her eyelids fluttered, but she forced them open. No way was she going to fall asleep. Falling asleep meant bad dreams—dreams about the Enterprise's most recent patrol.

Two months was a long time to be continually jerked awake in the middle of the night by the whooping of the red alert claxon. It was no fun to scramble down to Sickbay—the best-protected part of the ship—and huddle in a corner while the Romulan scout ships took potshots at the Enterprise.

Worse . . . days and days went by without so much as seeing a glimpse of her father, who spent every waking moment—and sometimes half the night—on the bridge.

Then after one especially fierce skirmish with a Romulan patrol, Jamie heard her father lose his cool. "A science vessel is one thing," he had told Dr. McCoy, "but a battleship is something entirely different. I need to get her off this ship."

And that's when the bad dreams got worse. What if I have to leave the Enterprise? Jamie thought.What if boarding school is the ship's next stop?

Jamie sighed. It was all over now. Here she was, snuggled down in an over-sized theater chair next to—

Beep, beep, beep!

Jamie jumped at the sound then immediately felt stupid for startling at the communicator's signal.

"Kirk here. It's late. Can't this wait?"

"I'm sorry, sir," came Lt. Kevin Riley's loud reply. Heads turned.

Kirk closed the device. "Come on, Cadet."

When they were away from the crowd, he flicked open his communicator. "What's going on, Riley?"

"A communiqué from Starfleet. Priority One."

Jamie hung her head in disappointment. Not again! There goes my shore leave.

"Somebody at HQ better have a good reason for this," Kirk muttered, stepping down from the transporter platform. He turned to Lt. Riley, who had met him in the transporter room. "The Enterprise is in no shape to take on any assignments, priority one or not."

"I mentioned that to the admiral, sir," Riley said. He looked flustered. "He didn't care about our repair schedule. I called Mr. Spock, and he said I'd best talk with you. Mr. Spock has the con."

"Tell him I'll be up in ten minutes."

"Yes, sir."

Kirk hurried down the corridor to the turbolift.

"We've only been here two days," Jamie pouted. She clasped Kirk's hand and jogged to keep up. "Mr. Scott told me we get a two-week layover so he can repair the ship. And everybody's tired"—and grouchy, she added silently. "Dr. McCoy said the crew needs a—"

"I know what the good doctor said about the crew's health," Kirk muttered.

"You'll fix it up with the admiral, won't you?" Jamie pleaded. "We've got things to do tomorrow. You promised."

The door to Jamie's quarters slid open. Kirk sighed. "I'm afraid I may not be able to keep that promise, Cadet. Now, get to bed."

Jamie watched her father hurry down the corridor toward the turbolift.

Just as he was about to disappear around the corner, he paused and turned around. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't help," Jamie murmured. But her father didn't hear her. He was already halfway to the bridge.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Twenty minutes later, Kirk was still trying to make sense of his new orders. Why is the Enterprise being assigned this taxi service? He rubbed his eyes and reread the message glowing from the small viewer in his office.

Captain James Kirk, commanding USS Enterprise NCC 1701

Proceed directly to Starbase 12. Arrive 0800 hours. You will take aboard Ambassador Randle Tronius, Federation High Commissioner Lorne Thomas, Ambassador Chester Fortran, the Federation Bio-life team headed by Dr. Reece Brainard, and any other personal they request.

Ambassador Tronius will brief you on the nature of your assignment and will relay further orders regarding the needs of this mission.

Admiral Brett Komack, Starfleet Operations, Starbase One

Kirk stretched, massaged his tired muscles, and waited for the subspace call. Ambassador Randle Tronius! The name rang a bell, but he wasn't sure why. He only knew the name of this ambassador was associated with distaste. Toss in a high commissioner (he hadn't yet met one he respected) and a weary crew, and the coming assignment jumped to a nine on his stress meter.

By the time the subspace call came through, Kirk was determined to keep his ship and crew at Starbase 23.

"Admiral Komack is waiting to speak with you," the beta-shift communication's officer notified him at last.

"Pipe it down here, Lieutenant Baker."

The screen shifted, and Admiral Komack appeared, looking strained.

Kirk spoke quickly. "Admiral, these orders . . . I . . . well, the Enterprise has just been through a difficult patrol. The ship needs repairs; the crew needs time to unwind. I can't ask them to jump into another assignment right away. Can't you give us a few more days?"

"Negative, Jim. I'm sorry. But I've seen the repair specs, and it's nothing that can't be done en route. I know Commander Scott's reputation as an engineer. He's your miracle worker." The admiral smiled.

Kirk did not return the smile. "En route to where? The orders are vague."

"Your final destination is the Delphini System. Are you underway yet?"

"No. My crew's scattered from one end of the base to the other. I plan to break orbit at 0800."

"Not good enough, Captain. I need you at Starbase 12 by 0800."

"The warp engines are below par; I have to recall my crew."

Komack seemed to deflate. "All right, Jim. Best time to Starbase 12."

"Admiral . . ." Kirk tried one more time. "I've got a good crew. The best. But we are weary, sir. The Romulans really took it out of us. I respectfully request you assign another ship to this run."

"Denied."

"The Yorktown is patrolling near Starbase 12."

Komack shook his head. "The assignment is yours, Captain Kirk. Starfleet out."