2.
Six columns of shimmering energy turned to matter and Kirk, despite his physical discomfort – a euphemism he had come to loathe – found himself smiling with anticipation. And there they were, the five Kosians, four men, and one young woman, beautiful people dressed in exquisite robes.
He could only glance at her before turning to the oldest of the men, who was stepping off the platform toward him.
"James Kirk," announced the man with a gracious bow, "may the Spirit be with you."
"And Probend Obk, may the Spirit be with you," Kirk responded, with a bow almost as fluid.
"I have long wondered, what it felt like to be transported," said the Probend, relinquishing his solemnity to a sudden, childlike smile. "I find the experience exhilarating!"
Kirk had known how deeply the Kosians would appreciate, and covet, a technology like the transporter. It appealed to them because it could free up more of their time to ponder its more metaphysical overtones . He imagined it had already sparked polite, if fierce, debate in the Kosian academies. This had been the intention behind his insistence that they not send the more familiar shuttlecraft to gather the delegates.
"The method is safe and as you see, expedient," Kirk said. "Within time, the Federation would be willing share the technology with you, if you so wish."
The Probend acknowledged the offer with pleasure, and stepped aside. Now the young woman gathered up some of her long, silken skirts in one hand. Unconcerned about the breach of protocol, Kirk took a step toward her to take her other hand and help her descend the steps. The touch of her small, slender hand sent a thrill down his spine.
"Thank you, Jim," she said, her smile as intense as the Captain's – it instantly softened the strong, regal beauty of her face. "May the Spirit be with you."
"And Isha," he whispered, "may the Spirit be with you."
How he wished to take both her hands in his, but there was not even time to say anything more, and he had to let go. Each of the others - two young men, one middle aged - performed the greeting, and they were all introduced to the First Officer and the SMO.
Then the Probend took the word again.
"I take it that we start negotiating tomorrow, Captain," he inquired with visible agitation.
Kirk felt for him. The Kosians were a serene people, and any emotion that was out of the ordinary for them was plain to see on their faces. The last century, and especially the last decade, during which their contact with the Andarans had escalated, must have been hard on their society.
But Kirk merely nodded once and waited for the rest.
"And that we must," the Probend hesitated, "associate with the Andarans before that?"
"The welcome party, you mean?" Kirk smiled. "Yes. Standard procedure. A way for the Federation to establish the Enterprise as common ground, Probend. Friendly ground." Before the Probend could say anything more, he added, "The Ensign will show you to your guest quarters. I trust you will be comfortable. I will see you again at the reception."
Taking a last little bow, he held out his arm toward the door. The Probend and his party had no choice but to follow the lead. Isha cast him a smiling glance before she followed her group out of the room. Was he mistaken, or was there something painful there? The doors closed behind her.
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"Whew," whistled McCoy. "She's a looker, the Probend's wife!"
Kirk turned to look at his Doctor, trying for a disapproving expression but failing miserably at it.
"You mean the Kosian Queen?" he said, unable to wipe that broad smile off his face.
"Queen?" McCoy queried. "But I thought the Probend is some sort of prime minister?"
"Which fact should inform even you, Doctor," Spock continued coolly, "that she is not his wife. She is the Queen, and the ruler of the Kosians is their elected King," Spock continued, "which he is not. He is merely the Probend, the minister."
McCoy's look of surprise was instantly replaced by a gratified smirk.
"Why, Mr. Spock," he beamed, "did I just hear you contradict yourself? An 'elected King', what poppycock!"
"It will disappoint you, Doctor, that you misheard," stated the Vulcan. "In Kosian society, a man is first elected by the council of elders, which makes him the Probend. Only when the Probend then marries the Queen, does he become King. The Queen has no ruling power other than the fiat, or veto, as the case may be, over whether the Probend is to be her husband, and thus King. Much like in your Ancient Rome, I believe."
McCoy had exchanged his triumph for confusion. "You mean," he said, "that she is to marry this Probend?"
"No," Kirk said – to his own ear a bit too brusquely. "She is the old Queen. Obk is to marry her daughter."
"But she-" McCoy stuttered, furrowing his brows, "-she's hardly old! No way can she have a nubile daughter!"
"You're right on one count, Bones," said Kirk. "Though she still – incredibly – looks like she's twenty, Queen Isha is seventy-two Earth years old. But she doesn't have a daughter. She and her husband, the deceased King, were childless. And so the Probend, and the Kingdom, are waiting."
"So she's going to have a daughter by him?" McCoy blurted out.
"No," Kirk said again, with a terseness that was this time fully apparent to everyone in the room. Checking his distaste for the turn of the conversation, he forced himself to explain as lightly as he could. "Then he would be the new Queen's father as well as her husband. The Kosians have clear prohibitions against incest."
"Ah, of course," said McCoy, chastened, and relieved, and still terribly confused, from which state he tried to rescue himself by adding, "However that may be, she is beautiful, Jim. And I take it that only you are on a first name basis? As usual?"
Kirk's reply was forestalled by a whistling signal from the console.
"Captain," Ensign Dow piped up, "the Andaran party is standing by to beam up."
"Energize, Ensign," said Kirk, pulling his jacket down and taking a deep breath.
00000000000
Again the formless columns appeared, but these now settled into five bodies of a very different cast.
The five stood in dull, black body harnesses riveted with metal, creaking and clanging now, as the warriors moved their limbs to make sure they were still intact. The one in front, a giant of a man, laughed with joy and jumped off the platform to face Kirk.
Had his Captain not maintained that hard smile on his face, Spock would have moved to protect him. But the Captain stayed his ground against the Andaran, and so Spock held back.
"Kirk, we meet again," the General thundered. He stood a head taller than Kirk, and was looking down at him with a smile, or a sneer. Spock would have to gain experience with this species before knowing which was which.
"Far-Ahn!" Kirk barked back, with that mean smile, which hovered, curiously, between a scowl of derision and reluctant show of respect. "A pleasure to see you made it here in one piece!"
The General thundered with laughter. Then he abruptly stopped, took a step back, and saluted Kirk military style, with a blow of his right hand against his chest. Kirk repeated it, though he was considerably less hard on himself.
"My life is your life," the Andaran uttered, his eyes ablaze with a joy, and a challenge.
"And so my life is yours," responded Kirk, unflinching.
The Vulcan raised an eyebrow. He resolved to read the Captain's old report of his first encounter with these Andarans.
