"Captain's Log, stardate 2259. Patrolling outposts guarding the Neutral Zone between the planets Romulus and Remus and the rest of the galaxy, received emergency call from outpost 4. The USS Enterprise is moving to investigate and assist," Kirk finished, ending the recording and repeating the orders the head of Starfleet Security had relayed to him.
He was alone in his quarters on Deck 5. Since the conversation with Vice Admiral Thomas Henry had been a Code 47, Gabriela was patiently waiting outside until he was ready for her to be called in. Swiveling around in his chair, Kirk could vaguely make out the outline of his bed through the semi-transparent partition. The computer hummed quietly in the background as he massaged the bridge of his nose and headed towards the door of his room.
Gabriela was leaning against the wall, fiddling with something inside the pocket of her neatly pressed slacks. The khaki blouse she usually wore onboard had a green necktab instead of a tie, and there were two eagles pinned to the collars. The austerity and tradition the uniforms of the Terran military possessed were so different to the clean, sleek futuristic influence of that Starfleet had adopted, Kirk mused.
'You can come in Colonel,' Kirk said wearily, waving her in. She wavered at the entrance before finally stepping in, maintaining the formal stance she had adopted the first time he had met her at JAG HQ.
'You wanted to see me Captain?' Gabriela asked him, arms and hands behind her back. Kirk wondered what had happened to that quiet moment they had spent in the mess, that moment when he had tripped over himself to figure out what made this woman tick.
'Look Colonel, I'm not trying to be difficult, but I'd really appreciate if you would quit being so formal when it's just us,' Kirk told her, lowering himself into the small dining table in the middle of his work area. Bones had made a remark about how Kirk had never been able to not mix business with pleasure. Kirk would have agreed not so long ago. But Pike and this ship had made him want to draw that line between the two.
Gabriela bit her lip.
'You can call me James if it'd make you feel better.'
Something in his voice must have gotten through to her. He watched as Gabriela visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping down and her arms coming to hang limply at her sides. Seeing Kirk's nod toward the chair opposite him, Gabriela acquiesced and sat down. Now they were face to face. Her hair, before an undulating mass of curls, had been tied back neatly into a high ponytail.
'You can call me Gabriela then,' she replied, as if it were a huge concession, and then seemed to remember herself. 'Can I help you with something? I thought that the First Officer would be your-'
'Spock already knows what to do,' Kirk assured her. The Vulcan was now on the bridge, monitoring the star sector for any incoming ships and communications while he was down here. The tension that had existed between Kirk and his second-in-command had lessened after the Romulan engagement. If Kirk dared, he would even say that Spock was warming up to him.
What Kirk knew without a shadow of a doubt was that he would walk through fire for Spock, and the Vulcan would do the same. They had been through too much to expect otherwise.
'I'm here because the Vice Admiral of Starfleet Security told me to contact Admiral Lucifel,' Kirk informed her. This didn't seem to surprise the Marine.
'That would make sense. Admiral Lucifel is the leading chair on the Council's Interplanetary and Deep Space Relations Committee, as well as the Terran Security Co-Chair. I assume he wanted the Judge Advocate General informed in case the Treaty has been compromised?'
'Something along those lines,' Kirk admitted, though Gabriela had put it much more nicely and quietly. What looked like an amused grin played along Gabriela's lips. 'Are you afraid of the Admiral, James?'
'Not at all Gabriela,' Kirk retorted, leaning back in his seat. 'I just thought that since you are the JAG for the Enterprise, you would like to be read in as well.'
'How…thoughtful of you James,' Gabriela said, the laughter underlying her tone evident.
Leaping up, and seeing Gabriela do the same, Kirk tapped a button on the console squeezed into a niche inside his room. A suitably sized viewscreen rested atop the myriad of flashing lights and smooth plastic and metal surface.
'Uhura, patch Admiral Lucifel through.'
Out of the corner of his eye, Kirk saw Gabriela smooth her pants and blouse surreptitiously. He thought it was interesting that she always did that before she spoke to someone of a higher rank. A blatant showcase of nerves.
'I see you finally decided to grace me with your presence Captain Kirk,' the Admiral's familiar voice drifted into their ears. The older man sat hunched over in his large, leather chair. The viewscreen did not detract from the hard lines etched permanently onto his face, nor did it take away anything from the hard steel in his eyes.
'Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule Admiral. Colonel Rodriguez is here as well at my request.'
The Admiral's face softened for a fraction as he greeted his former Chief of Staff.
'Colonel. You wouldn't happen to know why the Deputy Director of the CIA saw fit to harass me on my god-given day of rest, would you?'
'Not a clue Admiral,' Gabriela remarked innocently.
Lucifel snorted. 'Of course you don't. Between you and Cahill, it's a wonder I haven't considered early retirement.' Turning towards Kirk, the Admiral rubbed his earlobe. 'Well Captain, I'm assuming you're going to go ahead and investigate outpost 4?'
'As per Vice Admiral Henry's instructions,' Kirk affirmed, wondering whether the heads of interstellar agencies gossiped like old maids. Lucifel made a noise at the back of his throat.
'Well the Prime Directive still exists Kirk, as does General Order 12,' the Admiral said slowly.
'Permission to speak Admiral?' Gabriela interrupted. At the Admiral's nod, she pushed on. 'If there is evidence that the Treaty of Algeron has been compromised…'
'We've both seen too many friends lost to war Rodriguez,' Lucifel responded, sounding suddenly tired. 'I hope for all our sakes that it's nothing but a malfunction in subspace communications.'
'In two Federation outposts Sir?' Kirk pointed out.
'Nonetheless, an away mission needs to be authorized. Since this is the Neutral Zone, it needs to be cleared with me before it happens. Colonel, you know what to do?'
'Regulation 12, Chapter 4 will be complied with,' Gabriela answered.
'Alright then.' Lucifel appeared to hesitate. 'If this is Sadik, I want this done by the book.'
Kirk thought it was a snide reference to his conduct during his engagement with Nero but found Lucifel staring fixedly at Gabriela.
'It wouldn't be done any other way Admiral.'
Lucifel looked skeptical at Gabriela's words, though he seemed to accept them. 'I don't want this becoming Paraguay again Gabriela.'
Kirk looked as startled as his JAG at Lucifel's tone.
'I understand Admiral.'
'No, I don't think you do,' Lucifel remarked gravely. 'I expect to hear from you soon, Captain Kirk. Colonel Rodriguez.'
The Admiral fizzled away, leaving the two of them in pregnant silence.
'Colonel?' Kirk asked, reaching a hand towards her upon seeing her pale face. His voice snapped her out of whatever she had been thinking about.
'I need to make a phone call Captain. Is it alright for me to be dismissed?'
Caught off guard at her abrupt words, Kirk managed his response. 'Err…yeah, sure. Permission granted.'
'Thank you Captain.'
Watching her walk away, Kirk wondered when the time would come for him to ever really understand women.
Well, one woman in particular.
