Chapter 6:

The Future Begins

Jim's ascent to the chair is said to be an easy one.

A lot of people think it was because she had a friend who was willing to sacrifice his career to get her on the ship, her academic advisor was captain of said ship, and her on-the-spot promotion was just a case of being in the right place, at the right time.

They overlook the fact that she's just saved the whole Earth from Nero, a time-travelling Romulan, avenging her father in the meantime.

Jim's captaincy lasts for three days and then she's back at the academy, on probation and predicts the rest of her Starfleet career would revolve around a hangar tower in deep space.

And the worst part is how she was swamped by the press as she gets off the Enterprise. Jim has never liked the cameras and probably never would. She's the only one who gets asked the questions, the public needs a hero, and no one was more suited to the role than the Kelvin baby.

She's featured in every news article ('Kirk Strikes Again' 'Jim Kirk: Saviour of Earth' being her two favourites) and even does a few photo shoots. It make her feel angry at how the people of Earth escaped death and were more focused on Jim than the destruction of Vulcan.

An entire species has just lost their homes. She was graduating, Galia and hundreds of others were not.

Jim's constantly being hounded by the paparazzi, who have labelled her the most eligible bachelorette on the planet. She tries to get away from them but the reporters are relentless. They didn't need this, half of her graduate class was slaughtered because of Nero, and what mattered was her apparent relationship with her roommate. The irrelevancy made her want to laugh.

The academy grounds seems empty without most of this year's graduates, the lecture halls aren't full anymore, there is no laughter or inside jokes. The first and second years try to hide their looks at her when she passes. Jim's being hailed as a hero, but when she walks down the corridors, they confine her. It was stifling before but now the Academy is too small to hold Jim Kirk.


"Commander Spock." Barnett greets him in his office and waves at the chair in front of his desk. "Please take a seat."

Spock walks stiffly to the chair and sits, back straight and staring directly at him intensely. "Admiral, to what do I owe the pleasure of being called to your presence?"

"How are you holding up, Spock?" Barnett asks first, out of sympathy for the Vulcan.

"I am 'up' because I have a functioning spine, Admiral," He replies monotonously.

Barnett isn't sure if it would be polite to roll his eyes, so glances away before carrying on. "I have summoned you to ask you if you are still considering pressing charges against Cadet James Tiberius Kirk for her academic dishonesty, Commander."

"Cadet Kirk has played a vital part in defeating Nero and saving Earth, demonstrating remarkable ingenuity and leadership skills." He stands and paces restlessly while the Vulcan watches impassively. "In the recent month, after the Narada incident, she has shown improvements in all of her classes, this is a Kirk who is finally trying, Commander, it's like she was just playing in the past three years of her studies. Always top three percent of course, but now she has to be taken off the curve in every one her assessments."

"She's even taken up teaching in her spare time and students under her have shown an average improvement of four percent. Cadet Kirk is one of the most- if not the most- troublesome and useful students we have. Honestly there's a bet that she wouldn't make it to the end of this month without collapsing around here with the way she's been working. " Barnett shakes his head and turns to Spock. "Captain Pike is recommending that we give her the flagship after she graduates."

"She's become an integral part of the Academy after the Narada incident. The admiralty has already decided to say yes." He finishes and waits.

"Are you requesting my opinion on this matter, Admiral Barnett?" Spock says after a moment of silence. In his mind, images of expressive blue eyes and a taunting sneer appear. You never loved her.

"You was her first officer, Commander." Barnett says. "I've read your reports, all the glowing reports from the cadets and officers on the Enterprise, she seems good on paper, but we'd like to have your professional opinion of her."

Spock has not seen nor talked to Cadet Kirk in one month, three days, and 14.9 hours. He has only managed to catch glimpses of her, a flash of long golden hair perhaps, or from snippets of conversation between cadets. In the few days he had known her in person, she had inspired such deep emotional response in him on no less than two occasions, saved the planet, killed for her crew, and became more of a legend than she already was.

"She is a solely unique human, Admiral." Spock answers cooly. "Cadet Kirk has a great amount of potential, but is often held back because of her character defects. She is reckless and foolhardy, prone to being personally involved in conflicts and willing to do anything in a 'no-win scenario'."

"However," He continues after a pause. "In spite of recent traumas, she still diligently serves the community. As the brief captain of the Enterprise, she displayed remarkable resolve and brilliance. She is, as humans express, 'rough around the edges', but I believe that she can improve with time and experience and become a good captain."

"High praise from a Vulcan." Barnett says. "Do you agree with her assignment?"

Spock thinks about Kirk, the humanness of her emotions and how fast she was blazing through the academy. She had faced him down with a compelling argument during her trial.

"It is not an illogical decision." Is all he says.

"Would you look at that." Barnett chuckles and gestures for Spock to stand beside him in front of the window. He joins him and follows the admiral's gaze to the students crowding around a central figure, sitting on a bench.

With his superior vision, Spock could clearly make out a cadet with both hands writing something on two PADDs simultaneously before showing its contents to the cadets surrounding her- he had instinctively known that it was a woman. She was speaking, but from his vantage point, he could not see what she was saying.

The two stand there and Spock wonders if the rest of the meeting was going to be silent observation when after precisely 4.2 minutes, the blonde gets up from the bench, laughing all the way, waves her hand in farewell, before heading in the direction of the building Spock and Barnett were currently in.

As she gets closer, Spock recognised her as the cadet they had been discussing- James Kirk herself. Kirk walks with a spring in her step, stopping to exchange words with a group exiting the building.

"I think that was one of her tutoring sessions," Barnett explains as Kirk disappears from sight. "Her schedule's supposed to be clear for this period of time, but second-year astrophysics students always have a way of getting to her ahead of all the other departments."

"She has a meeting with Pike about now, he's going to give her one last assessment and we will issue her orders soon," Barnett says, with something of a smile on his face.

Spock gives him a firm nod. "I will withdraw all charges against the Cadet within the next three hours, Admiral, and you have my word that I support her appointment as Captain of the Enterprise."


She's done the right thing, and she wonders why the entire panel of admirals had summoned her before her graduation.

"We're giving you the Enterprise," Pike says with a smile, he's still in a wheelchair, poor bastard. Those slugs did a good one with his spine.

The expression on Jim's face is worth all the debates with Starfleet on how young she was to be assuming command, inexperienced as well. She's speechless, her blue eyes comically wide as she scans the lines of her assignment. Command of the Enterprise upon graduation...

Then she beams. It's one of those solar systems powering, hundred million watt smiles that light up a whole person's features. It's brilliant and exudes youth and optimism, something Starfleet was desperately in need of now that its cadet numbers had taken a huge dent.

"Oh my god!" Jim claps a hand onto her mouth, the smile not yet receding as the shock settles. "Are you guys serious?"

Admiral Barnett, who probably took offense at being called a 'guy', nods seriously. "After a lengthy consideration, Commander Spock has dropped his charges against you and you are officially going to report to the starship Enterprise immediately after your graduation."

"You gave a convincing argument at your hearing, Kirk." Admiral Simons adds. He had been there at the Roast of the Kobayashi Maru, as Jim had deemed it. "Even Commander Spock admits the logic of your words. You have grown well in the past months, graduating a demanding three-year course at the top of your class, and the majority of the admiralty support this."

"That's great. I-thank you." Jim finds her voice at last. "But why did you have to tell me in person? All of you probably have busier things to do, really."

"Cadet Kirk." It's Archer who speaks, Jim feels the need to stand at the sight of the legendary admiral. "You're about to become the youngest captain in Starfleet history, where's your confidence? I'm told you aren't usually like this."

"Like what?" Jim couldn't help but stare at the aging admiral from under her lashes with a come-hither gaze. Her voice drops to a low purr.

It stretches on for a few awkward seconds before Jim smiles brightly, ruining the effect. "Relax, sir. I'll do my best."

Archer was amused by this young woman, having only heard the rumors of her intelligence. He could see her father in her carefree grin, a bit of her mother too, with that hair. "I expect no less from a Kirk."

Jim tenses, like she always does at the mention of her last name. What usually followed was something about her father that she had probably heard before.

"You're destined for great things, Kirk." Archer's lips curl into a small smile as he signals his approval. The admirals clap politely, though the few opposed to her appointment merely nod at her. "Do the 'Fleet proud."

"Thank you, sir." Jim dips her head respectfully, internally she was dancing and yelling her head off. She couldn't wait to tell everyone.

"Dismissed."


She skips down the corridors, humming under her breath. Jim was going to be a captain, she was going off to see the stars!

The cadets do a double take as she passes them. Was that Jim Kirk? The same Jim Kirk who was solemn and dignified in her classes now, and less fun?

In her head, Jim compiles a list of crew members. She instantly thinks of the men and women who were on the ship when they were battling Nero. She does a pirouette, landing delicately on her tiptoes.

She seeks out Sulu first. Jim had never noticed, but he was in the same tactics class as she was. They still meet up once a week for drinks.

"Hey!" She catches up to him after the lecture.

Recognition enters his eyes. "Jim."

"Sulu." A shy smile comes to her features. "How would you like to be helmsman of the Enterprise after graduation?"

"Wait, what's going on?" Was Kirk offering him a job? Since when?

"I'm going to be captain." Jim feels a certain confirmation now that she's spoken those words out loud. "I get to choose some of the crew, and I think you'll be the best for the job."

"So, would you like to take it?" She says eagerly.

"Congratulations," Sulu says, gathering his thoughts. It was a generous offer and he finds it hard to say no to the person who had saved his life. Jim waits for his answer patiently. "Yes, the Enterprise is my first choice, so of course I accept."

"Have you told anyone else?" He asks as Jim punches her fist in the air. One down, five to go.

"No, I haven't." Jim beams. "Thanks, hon!"


Uhura's next.

Jim seeks her out after the X-ling club meeting. The dark-skinned woman knows the maniacal grin on the blonde's face meant no good whatsoever as she blocked her way to the door.

"Hey Nyota," Jim smirks, drawing out the syllables of her name. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"What do you want, Kirk?" She raises an eyebrow. Jim seemed to have gotten even cockier after saving the world.

"Nothing. Just wanted to offer you a job as the communications officer for the Enterprise."

Uhura scoffs. "Who died and made you captain?"

Jim's expression turns cold and her smile disappears. Uhura apologizes, wishing she could take back those words. "So you're going to be captain?"

"Yes, I am." Her voice is icy. "Are you going to take the job or not? If you don't, I still have thousands of people who would kill for a position on the Enterprise."

"I would, thank you." Uhura couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at how Kirk (Captain Kirk now) had accomplished what she could only do in ten years in three. "I had mentioned how I would like to serve on the ship after graduation."

"I read your report, Uhura." Her tone is crisp and biting. "I'll see you around."

"Of course." Uhura tilts her head. A tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it smile flits across Jim's face. It's not her usual cocky smirk. It looks more natural on her lips, it wasn't unpleasant. It suited her.

Jim walks off and Uhura is brought back to the time when she told Galia how she walked like she owned the whole place. After Nero, she'll never see her Orion roommate again and complain to her about Kirk like she used to. School seems so far away now.

Her eyes follow the retreating figure, steps slow, walking alone.


She finds Chekov in her advanced physics class, staring at his curly-haired head from her seat at the back.

"Chekov." Jim pulls him to the side when Professor Rumbin finishes his talk.

"Hello, Jim!" He perks up with a happy smile. Jim resists the urge to ruffle his hair, he was so puppy-like sometimes.

"Listen, Chekov, I was wondering if you'd like to come on board the Enterprise as a navigator."

"Navigator?" The Russian curls his 'v's when he was excited. Chekov beams as he deduces Jim's promotion. "You have been made keptin!"

He reaches over and embraces Jim, who's never one to shy away from body contact, grabs both his arms and steadies them both. Glad to see how somebody finally shared her elation.

"So, what do you think?" Jim grins toothily, letting go of the young man. "You're one of the best students this academy has ever seen, everyone wants you. But the Enterprise is perfect for you."

"Of course, I will take it, Jim." Chekov gives her a thumbs-up. "Can I also call you Jim?"

"Just don't call me Jamie and we're okay, kid." Jim claps him on the shoulder and the sheer force of it makes him bend slightly.

"See you in the next class!" Chekov waves gaily before heading in the opposite direction.


Jim's not trying to fool herself. She's avoiding Bones and Spock when she comms Scotty. She's going to save the best for last. Or at least that was what she wanted to do, not that those two were both so unapproachable, especially Spock.

Mainly Spock. Bones was just going to tell her about how dark and dangerous space was.

"'Ello? Is it you Jim?" Scotty's comforting brogue comes across fuzzy from the location. He was in Aberdeen, visiting old friends.

"Yeah, how's it going, Scotty?"

"Very well. Have 'ad a few drinks since this mornin' and a sandwich." His voice is cheerful and if she was honest, his accent was slipping through.

"See, Mr. Scott, I've been assigned to be captain of the Enterprise after I graduate. So, I was wondering if you'd like to be our resident chief engineer."

There is a pause at the other end. "Are you completely serious? This innae a joke, is it?"

"No. I would want to send you the formal letter, but I did want to inform you personally." Jim presses on. "I can't think of anyone else I want to take care of her, Scotty."

"Great. I'll take it." He raises his voice. "Guess who's going to space?"

"Keenser can come too." Jim had reassigned both of them to her ship.

"Thank you, lassie." She could hear the grin in his voice and then he disconnects with a hasty 'get down!', probably directed at someone in the pub he was in. "She's beaut' Jim, now you won't mind if I stop by to make some uh- upgrades first, d'ya know what I mean?"

"Sure thing, Scotty," Jim replies with a smile. Scotty whoops triumphantly and signs off.

Jim shakes her head and nibbles at her cinnamon roll, the cafeteria had run out of real cream and she was stuck with the synthetic sugary stuff that she hated.

At least she was stomaching her food.


Instead of telling Spock, she sends him a message, short, sweet and to the point. Jim couldn't imagine the Enterprise without the Vulcan on board and also thanks him for lifting the charges.

She's a bit of a nervous spammer and keeps on sending the same message in various degrees of desperation until a little pop-up informs her that she had been blocked.

Jim was outraged. No one blocked James Tiberius Kirk. Sure, those messages might be annoying for someone who lived in meditative order, who was still in mourning, and his impression of her may be somewhat biased, but he didn't have to block her. This called for revenge.

"You can't force him, Jim," Pike tells her as she meets him in his office. "He'll join if he wants to."

"I can't think of anyone else I'd want as an XO, sir." She says truthfully. "Vulcans are hard to deal with, I can't seem to find him anywhere, all my messages are being ignored."

"Well, wait and see, Kirk." Pike shrugs. "The poor guy just lost his mother and his home planet, he needs the time."

"Sir, did he say why he dropped the charges against me when you met with him?" Jim presses.

"Barnett had a nice chat with him, from what he said," Pike says, his hands on his desk. "Barnett's a good judge of character so whatever Commander Spock said must've been persuasive enough for him to approve your appointment."

Jim purses her lips, whatever tells he sees on her face makes Pike frown and say. "I hear the combat classes you've been teaching are doing unprecedently well, your hand-to-hand combat skills are excellent, Jim. Makes me wonder what other things you've been hiding from us."

"I've kept up on my training, Pike," She says. "You know that."

"That I do, sooner or later you'll probably catch some admiral's attention if you haven't already," Pike leans back in his chair, eyeing her. He has always been something like a father figure for her, more than a mentor in many ways.

Jim tells him just that.

Pike reaches his hand over his desk and clasps hers affectionately. "You've made me proud."

She smiles, a small one, but a smile all the same.

"Don't expect me to sign the adoption papers anytime soon though, Jim." He quips and they both laugh.


"That could wait." She mutters to herself as she strums the strings of her violin, pretending she was playing the guitar.

Jim hefts her instrument onto her chin and starts to play an old love song. She hums and starts to sing quietly. "Fly me to the moon."

Another chord. "Let me play among the stars. Let me see what Spring is like on Jupiter and Mars."

The door to her room opens with a snick. The familiar steady tread of Bones reaching her ears. Ah, someone to serenade.

"In other words, hold my hand." She turns her head to look at him from her chair. She reaches out with one hand, placing her violin on her chair. The doctor rolls his eyes and sits down. She continues a-Capella. "In other words, baby, kiss me."

"Keep on wishin', Jim." He grumbles.

Jim widens her eyes and sticks out her bottom lip. "Fill my heart with song and let me sing forevermore."

"Don't give me that sad look, kid." Bones stands to make some coffee, even if a coffee this late would mean a sleepless night. He had to do something with his hands.

"You are all I hope for, all I worship and adore." Her voice is gentle, and her eyes were strangely hypnotizing.

"What's the special occasion, Jim?" He says.

She tells him, staring up at him imploringly with those big blues of hers. Bones could feel himself softening, he could be CMO. Even if space was disease and danger wrapped up in darkness and silence.

And Jim finishes, with a hopeful half-smile on her face, she's tapping her fingers against her dress like she did when she was nervous. And Bones could see himself, beside the blonde on the bridge, dealing with the vastness of the universe with her by his side.

She's waiting for an answer, biting her lip. He wasn't gonna throw away a chance like that. Bones could work in the Enterprise. He wouldn't like it, but he would do it.

Jim turns her face away for a moment to hide her relief at Bones' agreement. She then beams and jumps up to hug him, kissing both of his cheeks in excitement.

The doctor pretends he doesn't like all this mushy stuff and he really didn't like flying into space in an oversized trash can but he's happy when Jim's happy. They had both worked hard to get to where they had gotten to, Jim deserved it the most.

In other words, please be true.

In other words, I love you.


Left. Right. Straight ahead.

The cameras are obsessed with catching every angle of her profile for some reason and for her part, Jim makes sure they get a good look at her. More exposure meant more people seeing her and deciding to join the ranks.

She gives them a bright smile, canting her hip to the side. The flashes increase, and when she walks away from the press, there are dark spots flashing behind her eyes.

If it hadn't been the Enterprise's christening ceremony, she wouldn't even have attended this event. Jim would've stayed in her rented apartment, watching reruns of cheesy space operas and eating popcorn by the bowl.

There are small snacks being served that taste overspiced and are neutrally coloured. Jim grabs a few of them and stuffs them into her mouth, that would be her dinner for the night. Chekov and Sulu wave at her jauntily with some other ensigns, and she makes a note to remember all of their names.

Bones is there, looking dashing in a gray suit. Jim isn't too bad herself, in a rented blue dress that went with her eyes.

"Looking good, Doctor." Jim grins, winking at the pretty blonde on his arm. "Hey, Christine."

"Jim." Bones nods and knocks back a glass of champagne.

"Hello, Captain." Christine greets.

Jim feels a bit sad when she sees her, Christine had been assigned to the Pegasus instead of the Enterprise, as head nurse. You can't have everyone.

She wanted to stay for a proper conversation, but someone was calling her to join a plethora of admirals standing at the side of the room.

"I wish I could stay."

"It's your night, Jim." Bones waves at her with a shooing movement. "Don't let us old men stop you."

The blonde opens her mouth, wondering what was she going to say to that.

"Might as well continue my royal tradition of ignoring authority." She smirks. "So what's going on with you two?"

The unsaid implication makes Bones puff up and Christine avert her eyes, almost bashfully.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk about it." She says. "I don't judge."

At Bones' disbelieving look, she adds. "No more than usual."

"The woman of the hour." Christine chirps. "My mom told me to thank you."

"Tell Mrs. Chapel I said hi," Jim replies. "I'm happy to see that you both being excited about having nice assignments."

"Excited? Annoyed maybe." Bones huffs, but there is little sincerity in his voice. Jim likes to think he's just as excited as she was to be assigned to the Enterprise.

"You should stop frowning," Jim says. "Those lines are going to stay on your face forever."

They speak for a few minutes, she hopes she could avoid the other attendees until the end, but as fate would have it, they send a messenger.

"Admiral Pike." She gives him a mocking salute.

"Jim. Dr. McCoy." He nods, he's still shuffling with every small step. She tries not to look at the cane. "And who is this lovely lady?"

"Christine Chapel, sir. I'm a nurse."

"Good to have you here." His eyes crinkle as he smiles. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to steal her away for the rest of the night."

"Please don't." She sighs. "I'm happy here."

"They want to talk with you."

"Again?" Jim raises an eyebrow.

"You're very popular tonight." He gives her a tight smile. "Come along, Kirk."

She decided it was better to go along with him rather than stay behind. "I'm coming, Sir."

The admirals and her new peers are just as boring as she would've hoped.

"Are you sure that you don't need a someone to keep you steady, Kirk?" One of them says patronizingly, dropping her title. "Girls work better if they have a man at their side."

"No." She says sweetly with a smile she reserved for such occasions. "I'm an adult woman perfectly capable of making my own decisions."

A few of them, commanders who were twice her age, are giving her backhanded compliments about her tired looks. And really, there were only so many discreet glares Jim could take before she excuses herself from the tight-knit group.

The blonde finds comfort in her fourth flute of champagne beside the buffet table and wishes there was stronger alcohol provided.

"Congratulations, Jim."

The blonde jumps a bit, her heartbeat speeding up. "Who?"

Who else but Mr. Spock himself? She turns to face the speaker. "Ambassador."

"It's nice to see you again, Captain Kirk."

"Oh please," Jim rolls her eyes. "Just call me Jim."

"You remind me so much of him." Old Spock (she had to stop calling him that, maybe the Other Spock- she'll work it out later) says softly.

He was different from her timeline, not as tough, wiser somewhat. His brown eyes were less stony and if Jim watched him closely, she could see something like a smile crinkling the corners.

"What was he like?" Of course, the alternate version of herself had to be a male. Jim just had the luck of being born in space, with her father dying believing she was a boy, and her mother leaving her with her stupid runaway brother.

The other Jim probably was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his father alive and his family intact. With nobody doubting his ability- being a woman in a man's world generally sucked.

"To borrow a term from your culture, Jim was certainly a Casanova."

"And that was his one defining quality?" The blonde frowns slightly.

"That was who Jim Kirk was to the people, a lover, someone to be feared, as for his crew, he was someone many looked up to and Jim protected all of us. He had a way of, as humans say, 'getting under your skin'." Spock says, he had a strange tilt of his lips. Was he smiling? "He is a great man."

"Was he happy?"

Something flickers across Spock's weathered face, Jim is struck by how old he looked in that moment. Vulcans had a much longer lifespan than humans, and she wondered what he had seen in his years.

Spock hesitates in his response. "I cannot say he lived a happy life, but I have many fond memories of him being happy."

Jim thinks about it. It was a passable answer from a cryptic Vulcan. "That's nice."

"You must have met this world's Mr. Spock," Jim nods. "Go easy on him, Captain."

"Oh, I will." The blonde laughs, how was this Spock so friendly, while the other one spoke like he had something stuck up his ass all the time? She put it down to their respective age gap. Original Spock must have a few screws loose in his head. "Most of the time."

"High five?" She held up her hand with a wicked smile. Touching was viewed as an intimate gesture in Vulcan culture, but she couldn't resist.

For a moment there as Original Spock held up his own hand, she thought he actually would high-five her. Instead, he spreads his fingers into a Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper."

"Of course." Jim drops the smile for a solemn look and pulled off a perfect ta'al. "Dif-tor heh smusma."


"Engineering thrusters and impulse engines at your command, Sir."

"Weapons systems and chutes on standby."

"Dock control reports ready, Captain."

Jim strides onto the bridge in her brand new uniform, with her hair done in a braid that took her half an hour to finish properly. It feels like the first day of school all over again.

Captain. The gravity of her role settles on her, Jim's responsible for the well being four hundred and twenty-seven members of her crew, she has many things to do, to prove, but first things first.

"Bones." Jim refrains herself from skipping over to the scowling CMO. She pinches both his cheeks like Mama McCoy always did. "Buckle up and get ready for the ride."

She sits down in the chair, feeling the smooth leather of the seat calms her immensely. "Scotty, how are we doing down there?"

"Dilithium chambers at maximum, Captain." There's a small pause. "Get down!"

Jim smiles softly and crosses her ankles. "Mister Sulu, prepare to engage thrusters."

Everyone turns to look at the person as the turbo lift doors open with its funny little noise. Jim's thrilled to see the half-Vulcan walk onto the bridge, with his hands held behind his back.

She offers him a brilliant smile and rises to her feet to greet him. Jim didn't think he would want to be on the Enterprise after she had uttered the lowest of insults to him (for good reason, she tells herself) and sent a total of thirty-one messages to him about becoming her first officer.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain."

And there it was again, her title. Jim was going to have to get used to this formality, maybe she could get the crew to at least call her by her name in their free time.

"Permission granted."

"As you have yet to select a first officer, respectfully, I would like to submit my candidacy." He stands in front of her and stares down at Jim, Spock was really quite tall. She only reached the bottom of his chin, despite being one of the leggier girls at the academy. "Should you desire, I can provide character references."

That cheeky- Jim's stress tides now that she had assembled her dream crew. She chooses her next words with care.

Nothing too eager now. She chides herself.

"It would be my honour, Commander, to accept your candidacy." Spock nods and swiftly walks to his station. Jim relaxes in the chair. "Manoeuvring thrusters, Mister Sulu."

"Thrusters on standby." He replies with the white flash of his grin.

"Take us out."

A year ago, if she had heard that the universe depended on her relationship with Bones, Jim would've laughed so hard she would've burst her spleen. And if someone told her that she would somehow be made the captain of the flagship, Jim wouldn't even laugh, she'd sob because she really didn't expect this.

She stares at the expanse of space. It's silent, full of mystery and hidden secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Jim closes her eyes. It's further than her father had ever gone. She has her ship and her crew, everything was complete.

She lets the stars carry her away, and who knows where she might end up.


Author's note:

Star Trek is not mine.

So I skipped a few things (like the substantial plot of the movie) and Spock Prime fits in here somewhere. Jim's finally Captain of the Enterprise! Yay! And a lot of people forget that she's a genius so obviously I had to slip some references into that.

Also, that part about Jim's skills catching the eye of 'some' admiral? Important later, maybe. She's ambidextrous here, by the way.

Thanks for reading, favoring, following, and reviewing my story! Hope you like this chapter. :)

(Revised 16/1/2018)