Chapter 4

The two security guards that Spock had ordered arrived just as Spock and the others were preparing to leave his quarters. He spoke quietly to them, rapidly giving them orders to scan the ship for alien life forms. The ride to the Captain's quarters was made in near silence.

When they entered the Captain's quarters, Kirk was seated on his bunk, propped up slightly with pillows. Commodore Thavalan had pulled Kirk's desk chair to the side of his bed, and was seated facing the other chairs she had set up in the room. It resembled a makeshift briefing room.

Kirk's senior officers were present for the briefing, but it was not the full contingent generally present when he called for a briefing. Without knowing what the nature of the classified mission was, he could only have people with a top level security clearance present, and that was only four people on the whole ship.

"Please, be seated, Gentlemen." They all sat down.

"First, I will tell you that I will be spending the next five or six weeks aboard your ship. My mission is two fold. The first part, as you might have guessed, is an inspection of your sick bay, and evaluation of the medical staff aboard this ship. That is also the shortest part of my mission. The second part, and the one that will be far more time consuming, I think, is to observe the crew in a variety of situations. Starfleet Medical is studying how starship crews react to stressful situations, in order to decide whether more training is needed in this area at the academy, and with a secondary, long term goal of deciding whether psychologists and psychiatrists should be added to the medical staff of starships. I will be accompanying your landing parties when they explore, and I will be speaking to everyone on this ship at some time or other. I will try very hard to respect your duty roster, although that may not always be possible. I will expect your cooperation during those times when unexpected things happen. Any questions?"

"Commodore, I don't have any questions, but I would like to be clear. This is my ship, and my crew. I will not tolerate any orders that put my crew at risk or make it harder for them to do their jobs. I don't care who issued them."

"Captain, I am not here to hurt anyone. Please understand that the Starfleet Surgeon General's office gives me just as much authority on this ship as your Chief Medical Officer has, and I should tell you that I have the full backing of Starfleet Command, and that they will not tolerate any interference that keeps me from doing my job. I am here to help, to catch those crewman that may be on the edge before disciplinary issues happen, and when they do happen, to evaluate the root causes and try to keep them from happening again. If you will trust me to do my job, you might find not only that I know what I am doing, but also that I can be of benefit to the crew of this ship.

Now, a few words about your primary mission. As you all know, two days ago, Starfleet Headquarters received a distress signal from Lugubria. The people are becoming violently ill, and no one knows why. When I say violently ill, I mean just that, gentlemen. Those who suffer from the disease grow more violent as it progresses, and wreak havoc, until they collapse, comatose. Their scientists are stumped. Your mission is to help the medical personnel on the planet determine the problem and effective treatment options.

"Be warned. We know very little about these people, other than they joined the Federation twelve years ago, and we built a starbase there. Ten years ago, they closed it, and when they did, they closed their society along with it. We don't know exactly why that happened, but they never renounced their Federation membership. They are humanoid in appearance, and probably the most human-like beings in the galaxy. Don't make the mistake of assigning human characteristics to them. In looks, they are very like humans, in actions, quite different.

"Doctor, you will be the Medical officer in charge on Lugubria. Once there, the ship and crew are at your disposal for whatever you need, as long as we can be. If we have to leave for any reason, we will do so after others ships arrive, so you won't be without shuttle service for supplies, if needed. Other Federation worlds have ships in route, and once they make planet fall, all of them will answer to you." Now, if there are no further questions, I will ask Dr. McCoy to accompany me to sickbay. If you will excuse me, gentlemen." She stopped at the door, and turned back to face them. "Remember, all of you, that this is a classified mission. Nothing that was said here goes outside these four walls." Kirk looked around and said, "Dismissed." She paused for a moment, watching Mr. Scott leave. "Mr. Spock!" He looked at her inquisitively. "I would like a word with you." Almost imperceptibly, Spock and Kirk both glanced at Dr. McCoy who shrugged slightly. Spock stood at parade rest, hands behind his back, the picture of polite interest. Sarek, Dr. McCoy, and Kirk started to leave the room, and Commodore Thavalan stepped over to them.

"Stay with us, please."

When they were all seated again, Dr. Thavalan looked at Spock. "Commander, I asked to speak to all of you because I have some bad news for you and the Ambassador. I thought the Captain should know, and as ship's CMO, Dr. McCoy also needs to know." Her face was impassive, but her voice gentled just the slightest bit.

"You were too far away to receive a subspace hail when we received the news at Starfleet HQ." She was carefully looking everywhere but at Spock, out of respect for any emotions he might not mean to show. She continued, "We received word last evening that your mother has been abducted."

"How?"

"Nearest they can figure, she was working outside their home in Shi' Kahr, and was literally abducted from the garden."

Spock said nothing, but there was something moving behind his eyes—a fierceness that left no doubt in anyone's mind as to which of the two cultures of his parents he'd embraced the most fully. Of all the things Kirk had experienced in his travels throughout the galaxy, Spock's countenance at that moment was the most disturbing. When he spoke, his voice was carefully controlled, but it contained an edge that few ever heard there.

"Captain, I'd like to request shore leave in order to retrieve my mother."

"I'm sorry, Commander, but that isn't possible. You must be here to assist in the command of this ship until the Captain is back on his feet. Don't worry. We will do everything possible to assist the Vulcan authorities in recovering your mother." Spock nodded grimly, and Dr. Thavalan saw that veil of Vulcan calm wash back over his features, but he was not altogether steady. Apparently, the Captain noticed as well, as did the ship's doctor. McCoy spoke first.

"Spock, I want you to come on down to sickbay and rest for a couple of hours." Seeing the look on Spock's face, he said, "Medical orders, Mr. Spock."

The Vulcan started to say something, but Kirk cut him off. "Don't argue with him, Spock. You don't need to be on the bridge right now."

"Doctor, I think I'd like to be alone. Will it satisfy you if I go to my quarters?"

"I'll walk with you." Spock was in no mood to argue, and he knew McCoy would be satisfied if he allowed the doctor to accompany him to his quarters. Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked back the way he'd come, down the hallway and into the turbolift. He ordered it to stop on the floor that held his quarters. Dr. McCoy followed close behind him, careful not to touch him, although he doubted that the Vulcan would object too strongly at the moment. When they reached Spock's quarters, he paused outside the door.

"Thank you, Doctor McCoy. You may return to sickbay now. I will rest."

"I don't think so, Mr. Spock. Your human half, that part of you that came from your mother, must be in great pain right now. I won't ask you to talk about it because I know that won't happen, but I'd like to stay—at least for a little while."

"I said I wished to be alone, Doctor."

"I understand. Give yourself at least two hours, then come on down to sickbay and check in with me, so I can clear you for duty before you go back to the bridge. As of right now, you are grounded, until you come to see me."

"Understood, Doctor."

Spock disappeared behind his door, into the safety of his own cabin, and stretched out on his bunk. The mask fell away, and to his shame, he felt the usually well controlled emotions that he kept so carefully in check, rise within him.

(0o0)

"Captain, with the Ambassador's permission, I am going to ask him to step into the hallway with me for a moment, since his mission is somewhat classified as well, and when I return, I will want to discuss your part in all of this with you."

"As you wish, Commodore." The two men spoke almost in unison. When they reached the hallway Thavalan spoke. "What is it you need for your mission, Sarek?"

"A shuttlecraft and a pilot to start. I must attend to something that has bearing on my mission, then I will return here."

"May I suggest a couple of security guards to add to your list."

"I don't believe that's necessary, Commodore."

"Perhaps not, but Sarek, I am concerned. Starfleet makes it a practice to run any news of this nature through Intelligence agencies, just to see what they make of it, and in this case, they suspect that someone may be trying to get to you and to Spock through Lady Amanda. I just want to be sure that this mission of yours is not playing right into their hands. You would be a powerful pawn, for someone. As would Spock. Together, doubly so. Yet, they have concluded that you are safer together than you would be separately."

'That is assuming I cooperated with them. I would not. Neither would Spock, certainly."

"Everyone has a price, Sarek. You might be surprised what you might do, if they found yours. Please forgive me if I am overstepping, but I would think that your wife would come close to being that price for you, not to mention a newly reunited son. Your regard for your wife is well known throughout the galaxy. Life of a public figure, I'm afraid."

"Commodore, I will consider your suggestion. Your concern is logical, and I find, not without merit."

"Thank you, sir. If you will excuse me, I must finish the briefing."
"Certainly, Commodore. Thank you for your concern."

McCoy had not yet returned to Kirk's quarters when the Commodore walked back inside, and the Captain turned to look at her as she locked the doors behind her. Kirk's eyes narrowed, but the force of his personality was somewhat weaker than normal, and Dr. Thavalan sensed he was tiring. She would make it quick, then.

"Captain, I'm sorry to take so long to get to the part you play in this mission." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "You've been selected for a special mission. You may choose one or two persons to accompany you, but not Mr. Spock. I don't want to leave the Enterprise bereft of its two most senior officers."

"Commodore, I don't understand."

"This mission is highly classified. Only those with top level security clearance may know anything of it, and the fewer who know, the better. Therefore, no one on your ship may know anything while still on board, regardless of security clearance." Kirk nodded, and she continued. "All right, then. The Enterprise, under the command of Bob Wesley, will handle the crisis on Lugubria, then rendezvous with Ambassador Sarek's shuttle. The ship will escort him to negotiate an extremely sensitive matter of great importance to the Federation. You, along with the personnel you choose to accompany you, are going in to retrieve Lady Amanda of Vulcan. Then, you will rendezvous with the Enterprise and ensure that both the Ambassador and his wife make it back to Vulcan safely. The rumor is that the Lady Amanda was abducted because someone is trying to get to the Ambassador through his family. Neither Spock nor Sarek are safe, but they will be safer together than they would separately."

"If Bob Wesley is commanding my ship, who's commanding his?"

"His First is in line for a ship of his own, but Starfleet has had cause to doubt whether he is ready. This will be a good test run for him, what with his own starship crew and another captain and crew to support him. If he gets into any trouble, he has close to seventy years of command experience to draw on between the three of us."

"So Bob Wesley will be the fleet commander for the mission?"

"Well, that depends on whether you are well enough to do it when you come back."

"My crew is very close. They don't deserve to be kept in the dark on a matter of this importance."

"I'm sorry, but that's the way it has to be at the moment. That falls into the purview of my mission, and I can say nothing of it. Perhaps you will be able to tell them at a later time, and if not, they will know, soon enough."

"When do we leave?"

"Intelligence tells us that the interception point will be a twenty four hour journey for this ship, but the ship they are on will not pass that close to Enterprise's position for another four days. That gives you three days to get well, one day for travel, and then you must complete your mission. Are you up for that, Captain?"

"Yes, I am."

"You may choose two people to accompany you on this mission, but not Mr. Spock. I will not leave the Enterprise bereft of command personnel. Remember, you can tell them nothing until you are underway. Lives depend on this, so be certain."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Have you someone in mind to accompany you?"

"How many of my personnel are you allowing me, Commodore?"

Smiling slightly, she said, "I know you would take the whole ship if you could, Captain, but Bob will need a few of your people to help him run this ship, if you would like it returned to you in one piece, and I still have a job to do-one that requires access to your people. Still, I think we can spare one or two for your cause. Will that be sufficie—?" She broke off as the doors to Kirk's cabin slid open to reveal McCoy, who glared at the world in general as he made his way to Kirk's side.

"I will let you know." She had her tricorder out now, and ran the medical wand over him. Shocked at his readings, (he should not have still been conscious), she withdrew a hypo from the bag that sat on the table next to her, although Kirk had not noticed it there before, and injected him several times, changing the ampoules between each one.

"What are you doing?" Kirk asked, eyelids already heavy with sleep.

"Ensuring that you get enough rest to heal properly, Captain Kirk. Remember that you are under medical quarantine for the next 24 hours, at least. You are not to leave your quarters during that time, unless either McCoy or myself comes to take you somewhere else. Dr. McCoy, I will be down in sickbay at 17:15 today for my inspection. See that you are there to accompany me."

"Aye, ma'am."