Hiraku Sulu tapped his finger against his lip, looking at the stars that spread out in front of them.

He glanced behind him to confirm the crew were all functioning perfectly, everyone doing their tasks. Everyone looked completely normal. They talked quietly to one another when necessary. He had the ship following the smuggler's one at a safe distance, just out of radar and well out of visibility to the naked eye. Until they received further orders or Kirk demanded they do something stupid and heroic, everything was going just fine.

So why did he feel like throwing himself out the airlock would be more peaceful than where he was?

Tension was thick in the room and they all knew why. Spock was at his station, his eyes moving over the screen as Uhura was at hers. Both sat up strait, though Uhura had her legs crossed, one hand reaching up to make an adjustment to her earpiece. But that was just it. When there were moments like this people talked, or looked around or did something other than work. Though they all knew Spock was half-human, he did the same thing. No-one just sat still and translated unnecessary space nonsense or did routine checks with the precision of a crew before giving clearance. No-one except two people who were doing everything in their power to ignore each other.

Everyone seemed to be aware of it as well. The efficiency of the room had an almost desperate feel to it. Even Chekov was bent over his work, fingers moving instruments to plot courses that were only relevant as they were in the same general galaxy. What really frightened Sulu was the thought of what would happen when the work was done. There was only so much one could work and only a bit more that they could pretend to do before everything was checked, rechecked and finished. He had a feeling the room imploding or everyone mysteriously suffocating would not be that far fetched. Poor McCoy was going to have to come and figure out that they had been killed by a Vulcan's emotional boundaries and a woman's healthy sense of vengeance.

He shuddered.

What a way to go.

"Sulu?"

Sulu almost jumped a mile out of his seat as he whipped around to face Chekov. The Russian looked terrified, like he had hurt the stared at the Russian.

"What is it?" he gasped out staring at him.

"Sorry, I just wanted to inform you of this new course," he said, "it'll allow us to get closer without being seen."

Sulu nodded and looked over. Heads bent over the screen the navigator turned to him.

"It is very unsettling in here," he whispered.

"Tell me about it," Sulu replied, "I don't know why we have to wait for those two to have angry hot sex before we get to work normally again."

"Why do we have to wait?" he asked blankly.

"You're young," Sulu said, "on this crew, you'll learn fast enough."

"Learn what?"

Sulu shook his head and twisted to look over his shoulder. His eyes locked with Kirk. The young Captain widened his eyes, looking like he was seriously considering throwing both Uhura and Spock out the airlock. Sulu glared and jerked his head towards them, a silent plea for him to follow through on the idea, or at the very least least throw them off of the bridge. Kirk gave the barest shake of his head and Sulu rolled his eyes, wishing that Kirk would follow through. Kirk gave the barest of frustrated smiles before Sulu turned to look at the charts that Chekov presented to him.

Behind them Kirk looked at the helmsmen and then out into the starry skies, painfully aware of the potentially volatile situation at his back. Ever since he had learned of another universe, another time where his father was alive, where he and Spock had apparently become friends much sooner--where everything was so wildly different, he had wondered in moments when he found himself at crossroads what the other him would do. Would the other him have told Spock he was being an idiot--with more tact--and figured out a way to solve the problem at hand? Or would he have been just as confused? Kirk had never been one to question himself and he figured that he wasn't doing it now even. No, he was questioning another him. If that made any sort of sense.

"Captain?" he turned to look at Uhura, "new Orders have just come in."

He nodded and signaled for her to play them but she shook her head.

"Sir they are for your ears only."

Kirk stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. Smoothly offered him the seat, standing to the side. Kirk sat down and picked up the other communication earpiece, sliding it into his ear.

"This is Captain Kirk," he said, confirming his identity.

"Captain Kirk," the computerized voice was cool and impersonal as it came through his ear, "the craft you are currently perusing has been confirmed as the ship Vegas. The ship shows distinct parts of NCC-1700 class ships, their state leading us to assume that the parts were bought illegally on the black market. It has not been confirmed but it is thought the ship carrying two cargo holds worth of highly valuable Vulcan Artifacts which you are to reclaim. Given the uncertainty it will be necessary to first confirm the artifacts are in fact what we assume. The use of force, however is forbidden. Command Out."

"Computer why is force forbidden?" he demanded.

There was no response.

Kirk pulled the earpiece from his ear and stood up. Uhura sat down in her chair, glancing at him. He turned his head to see Spock looking at him as well. Kirk walked over to the Commander. Orders for his ears only, yeah right. Who did they think they were working with?

"Command's being vague," he said.

"That is rarely a good sign," Spock replied smoothly, "it usually means there are aspects of the mission they wish to remain unknown for as long as possible."

"Well that's stupid," Kirk said.

Spock made no move to disagree. The occasional bouts of secrecy Command seemed to suffer were rarely good for those on the receiving end of such orders. Restriction of force usually meant a civilian presence or that the people were of interest and should be taken in alive. either way it meant serious complications, especially for those who boarded the ship to regain the artifacts. Two cargo holds of a refitted NCC-1700 class ship, that was a large amount. Possibly the most complete collection given that the rest of the survivors had barely enough time to grab their cloths and get on the ships. No matter how terrible these people were if they had managed to take artifacts of value then some good could come out of their deeds.

"You're going to go on the ship," Kirk said, "if we have to make a decision about the most valuable pieces the only one who'll be able to distinguish them is you."

"I assumed I would be going," Spock replied.

"Yeah but I'm also sending another."

"Another person?" a glimmer of confusion shone on Spock's features, "I assure you Captain that I am more than capable of self defense. The most I would require is--"

"Spock they're after Vulcan artifacts," Kirk said, "I've got a feeling they'd have no problem taking a Vulcan to go with them."

at her station Uhura froze, fingers lingering on the dial she was about to turn. Inside she forced her eyes forward, mentally chanting don't look, don't look, don't you dare look but nerves coiled inside her stomach. Kidnapped. Like Pike. It had been bad enough when he had just been on that ship for a few hours. But if he was kidnapped--where was that anger?! She had always suffered from fickle emotions. Her loathing of Kirk even had its moments in between his stupid acts when it seemed to waver and she found him tolerable. She had been so full of self righteous anger. They were competent enough to function independent of one other and mature enough to speak in a professional sense. But she wasn't going to look at him, talk to him casually, she was going to ignore him until the half blooded Vulcan was twisting those infamous ears in fury. Of course Kirk had to find a way to put him in a position that could spell disaster. She should have known.

"Lieutenant Uhura?"

"Yes Captain?!" she spun around, her eyes wide, guilty at being lost in her thoughts.

Both men looked at her like she had grown a second head. There was no sarcasm in her 'Captain' or sass in her movement. Genuine surprise was written all over her features, even though it was only so for a heartbeat before her features smoothed out and she looked at them calmly. None of the other crew seemed to have noticed the slip up, if it could even be called such. If Spock noticed anything he did not say so, his features remaining eerily serene as Uhura waited for orders, looking only at Kirk. Kirk looked at her, reminding himself that they were both recently broken up and locking them in a small space just yet wasn't a good thing.

"We're about to get within range. I need to know what they're speaking," he said.

"Yes, Captain," she said reaching up for the switch. Voices were jumbled for a moment before they cleared and became sharper, clearer. Uhura frowned listening to them before she turned to Kirk, "they're speaking Rigelian," she said.

"Rigelian?" Kirk turned to Spock, "this is a little far for them to be out."

"They have heavy accents," Uhura elaborated, listening to the words, "I doubt they're Rigelians, my guess is they're Quarrans."

"Quarrans?" Kirk looked at her, "that seems unlikely."

"They could just as easily be human," Spock said, "it is highly probable that they have picked and chosen aspects of various cultures on their travels. Including languages."

"Does anyone besides Lieutenant Uhura speak Rigelian?" he asked.

"I am fluent in that dialect," Spock said.

"Of course you are," Kirk muttered, "alright you and Sulu are going to go on the ship along with--"

"Captain, perhaps it would be best if the two of us went first. If we slip in undetected it would prevent further casualties."

"The possibility of further casualties," Kirk said giving the Vulcan a much-unwelcome pat on the shoulder, "you don't always have to be such a pessimist."

"I prefer the term realist. It is, after all, logical to think that sending many people on board a vessel for a task that will take far fewer will result in more casualties."

"Pessimist," Kirk called over his shoulder as he walked back to the Captain's chair, "Sulu, can you fence without killing anyone?" he asked.

"Sure," Sulu said turning around, "I can just cut tendons and--"

"Great," Kirk cut him off, not eager to hear the list, "you and Spock are going. Scotty," he spoke into the comm, allowing an open wave to the engineering room, "Scotty?"

"No you give that--give that back! Should've left you on Delta Vega with those protein nibs you little green bastard."

"Scotty!"

"Eh--" suddenly the engineer was at the comm, "sorry Captain, we had a bit of an issue, what can I do for you?"

"Scotty how are you at beaming large quantities of old stuff?"

"Good, I suppose, as long as put them from ground to ground and not, you know, in mid-air."

'Great," Kirk said, "lets go with the ground-to-ground thing."

"Got it Captain."

"Sulu, Spock, get armed and to transport," he said, "Sulu, cut don't kill. Spock, phasers to stun. Good luck you two."

The two men nodded and turned, walking out of the room.

Uhura remained at her chair though everything in her wanted to run after the man. WHether she wanted to throw herself in his arms or beat the tar out of him, she was not sure Just that she wanted to be close enough to feel him. Perhaps it was pride that kept her sitting there, listening to the halting, accented Regalian. Kirk had said she had a talented tongue and it was true, accents had never given her much issue. The same was true for him. It didn't matter the language, all dialects fell from his tongue with the same cool tone he used in English. But it was only in English that she truly understood him, that she heard the notes of frustration he seemed to reserve for Kirk or McCoy, that she heard the barest soft tone that he seemed to reserve for her.

And now he was going into a situation potentially more volatile than the one he had gone into with the Romulans. He was going and she had just accepted the fact he no longer wanted to be with her. She knew why. She knew that the thought of loosing someone else, of feeling that was probably unbearable to the Vulcan. Vulcans felt far more acutely than humans did, it had almost destroyed their race countless times before they learned to control their emotions with logic. she knew it made sense to think that if they stayed away from one another, if he made it clear that he did not care for her and she allowed him to believe the same then everything would be alright.

But it wouldn't be.

No if he went and he--Uhura stopped and stood up quickly. Kirk was walking out of the bridge as well to go and speak to the two of them. She immediately raced after him, trying not to look too desperate to speak with the half Vulcan before they went off to face doom.

"Captain why aren't you trying to negotiate with the smugglers?" she asked, "surely they'd give up a few treasures rather than face the Federation's wrath?" Kirk stopped and looked at her, "unless--"

"Unless its not just treasures," Kirk finished.

"Spock--" the two took off running for the transporter room.

Sulu and Spock stood on the pads, gold light beginning to spiral up their bodies.

"Abort the transport!" Kirk shouted.

"Huh? What--" Scotty looked at him like he grew a second head.

"Uhura get Sulu!" Kirk ordered.

He bolted past the engineer, racing for the half Vulcan. Before the light could completely block him the young Captain tackled the Commander to the ground. Uhura managed to knock Sulu far enough away that the gold light flared but ultimately did not transport them. However there was a dull, horrible echo that followed the action and the glass window separating the controls from the transporting pads shattered. A moment later Scotty appeared, his pale skin red with anger.

"Are you out of your bloody minds?! Get Dr. McCoy up here now!" Scotty shouted into the communicator.

Interrupting a transporting was a very very foolish thing. They had managed to do it before it completely engulfed the subjects but a glance down had Kirk confirming Spock was, indeed unconscious. He saw Scotty shouting but his voice seemed to come from a long way away. He reached up and touched his ear, drawing away fingertips wet with blood. He looked over to see an unconscious Sulu and an equally dazed looking Uhura. A moment later the room seemed to be full of people, doctor-like people. McCoy's face came into his view but he seemed to be sliding in and out of focus.

"Damn it, someone tell Command that we're not going anywhere for 48 hours, at least," he said glancing over his shoulder. Scotty nodded and walked off, "Jim you're an idiot," he said.

"Had to do it," Kirk gasped out, finding it very hard to speak, "they weren't after artifacts."

"Later Jim, you need to rest," McCoy said. Kirk grabbed his arm, "what is it."

"They're after Vulcans," Kirk got out, "they might have shit, but its bait. Bait for Vulcans. They want Spock."

McCoy stared at Kirk, shocked to his very bones. The young man was serious. For a moment he was surprised that he had figured something like that out, then he wondered why he was surprised at all. A glance over at the chocolate skinned Lieutenant had him equally sure that they were probably onto something, something Command hadn't fully confirmed. there was a hell of a difference between transporting stolen goods and transporting members of an endangered species. There was no way Command would allow for something like that, especially not when the wound was so new. But they had to have known Kirk would have sent Spock on that ship. Maybe the thought the capture of a high ranking officer who happened to be half Vulcan would give them reason for war? As if they did not have reason enough.

"I think--" he looked back at the Captain, "IthinkI'mgonnapassoutnow," Kirk mumbled in one breath before collapsing in a heap on the ground.

"I need another gurney in here!" McCoy hollered. There was another thump and he looked to see Lieutenant Uhura passed out as well, "better make that two. Anyone else want to pass out?" no-one said a word, "great then lets get these four to the medical bay."

Don't worry people, the romance is coming. Spock's gonna get a crash course in female behavior soon. You know, while there's a galactic crisis going on.

I profoundly apologize if there's a technical mistake you Star Trek-fans find. I am not a Trekkie, I just enjoyed the movie and have access to wikipedia.

Oh and have a total movie-star crush on Kirk. Uhura and Spock were adorable together but Kirk? Yeah, he can come with me.

Oh and please review!