oOo

When vision returned, Uhura almost wept with relief at seeing Spock--the real Spock, beard and all--standing in front of the transporter console. She looked down and smiled. She was back in her own clothes, back on her own ship, ready for her plans to come to fruition. Ready to get everything she ever wanted. The only blight on their return was seeing Marlena Moreau standing next to Spock. Greeting her lover, of course. Uhura allowed a satisfied smile to cross her face. Not Kirk's lover for long, not if she had anything to say about it. Even if he shipped Uhura off to a safe haven immediately, she could still make a few demands based on her new status. And if she never asked him for another thing, she was absolutely going to demand that Moreau be demoted and sent off to the remotest space station for monitoring duty the lowliest ensign would sneer at.

Before Kirk could do more than swagger off the pad and reach for Moreau, Spock stepped forward. "Captain Kirk, I hereby relieve you of duty. By order of Starfleet, I am taking command of this ship."

Kirk's smile froze, then deepened. "Spock, it's me, the real Kirk. The imposters are gone, you sent them packing, just like I expected you to." Apparently Kirk also subscribed to the "judicious flattery" theory.

Spock remained unmoving. "Be that as it may, I am under orders from Starfleet to place you under arrest for your incompetence in handling the Halkan situation." He glanced at the others, immobilized with shock in the act of removing themselves from the transporter pad. Uhura shared an uncertain stare with McCoy, then returned her attention to Spock. This couldn't be happening, not now!

Kirk stepped forward, then stopped as Spock's body guards moved in threateningly. "Spock, I don't understand. What could those imposters have done besides screw up the schedule a bit? Don't tell me they took action against the Halkans," he sneered. "From what we saw of their universe, they're too soft to do what needs doing in a situation like this."

Spock took a step back; interestingly enough, Moreau moved with him. In fact, she not only stepped away from Kirk, she stepped closer to Spock. Well, well; apparently Kirk wasn't the only one who needed someone to warm his bed when he was alone. And here Uhura had pegged the imposter Kirk in the role.

Kirk's smile vanished as he witnessed that particular bit of by-play. "All right, what's going on here? I'm gone less than two days and it's mutiny?" He aimed a deadly glare toward Moreau, who visibly flinched and dropped her eyes. "On all fronts?" His lip curled in a sneer. "I hope it was worth it, Marlena, because you know you will pay for this betrayal."

"Lt. Moreau is under my protection now," Spock said. "You would do well to remember that before threatening her. And I have Starfleet's authorization to remove you from your position as captain of this ship, so you would do well to think twice before threatening me, either." His voice was cold. "Am I clear?"

"Clear as a stab in the back," Kirk replied through clenched teeth. "So what now?"

"My men will escort you to your quarters, where you will remain until we reach Starfleet Headquarters. We have been ordered back there as soon as this situation is resolved to Starfleet's satisfaction."

"What about us?" Uhura interrupted. Desperation made her bold. In one instant, all her plans were falling apart; she had to find some way to salvage it. "Are we under arrest, too?"

"No. Only the Captain," was Spock's reply. "However, you will remain in your quarters until I am ready to review your actions during this situation and receive your reports on the occurrences in the other universe." Until he made sure of their loyalty to the new regime, he meant.

"The only 'action' Uhura saw was in my bed," Kirk sneered, his voice deliberately cruel as he stared at Moreau. Who flinched again, then steadied as Spock placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a move that they all recognized; Spock was definitely not bluffing when he said Moreau was under his protection. With that motion, Uhura cursed silently and bid her hopes of destroying the other woman farewell. The havoc she had wreaked on Moreau in the other universe would have to suffice.

"Before you confine us to quarters, Spock, I want to look everyone over in Sickbay," McCoy put in. "If that's all right with you," he added with just a touch of sarcasm. "Especially Lt. Uhura."

Spock looked at McCoy, alerted by the heavy emphasis in his tone. "What happened? Was she injured?"

McCoy stepped fully off the transporter pad as he shook his head, maintaining a deliberate distance between himself and Kirk. "The other Chapel claims Lt. Uhura is pregnant, but I'd rather check on that myself. Especially since we're not sure who the father might be."

That was too much for Kirk. "You know damn well who the father is," he roared, lunging for McCoy. Spock's men wrestled him away from the Doctor. "Tell him, Uhura!"

She smiled and moved closer to McCoy. "We both know you're only one possibility," she replied coolly. If Kirk was truly going down, she had no intention of going with him, and was grateful to McCoy for giving her an out. It was going to cost her, she knew that, but it was worth it. A girl had to hedge her bets, after all.

Scott spoke up. "It could be any of ours," he said, going along with McCoy. "We none of us realized her implant had either been destroyed or malfunctioned durin' th' transfer between universes. And we were all alone over there," he added blandly. "Touchin' their women would've given us away."

Kirk completely lost control of himself at this last betrayal. He screamed threats at all of them, thrashing in his captors' holds until Spock was forced to administer a Vulcan Nerve Pinch. Moreau whispered something in his ear, and Uhura saw the eyebrow go up before Spock ordered Kirk brought to the brig rather than his quarters. Interesting; there must be something in Kirk's quarters Moreau didn't want him to get his hands on now that she'd changed her allegiance to Spock. Uhura made a mental note to find out what it was as soon as possible.

"Very well," the Vulcan said to McCoy once Kirk's unconscious form had been dragged out of the Transporter Room. "Proceed to Sickbay, Doctor, and examine the landing party for any harmful after effects. Determine Lt. Uhura's condition, as well as the paternity of her child if she truly is pregnant. If it is Kirk's, terminate it immediately per Starfleet protocol." It was Uhura's turn to flinch, but she had expected this possibility from the moment Spock told Kirk he was under arrest.

"And if it's not?" Uhura asked.

"Then that will be up to you and the father to decide," Spock replied indifferently. "As your pregnancy appears to be the result of this transporter mishap, it is unlikely you will be punished for unauthorized removal of your implant." He turned his gaze on McCoy. "I will expect a report as soon as you have completed your examination," he said. "You are all to return immediately to your quarters once your physical status has been ascertained, and remain there until you are summoned for debriefing. Dismissed."

They filed sullenly out of the Transporter Room. More of Spock's men fell into step with them, reminding them that even though they were home, things were still in turmoil. "I thought Spock was completely loyal to Kirk," Uhura muttered to McCoy as they marched down the corridor. "What happened to turn him against him? He knows it was that other Kirk who disobeyed orders regarding the Halkans."

McCoy shrugged. "Maybe that other Kirk got to him somehow. Told him Vulcans were never slaves in his own universe. Or maybe he just saw a chance to seize power, and he took it. Business as usual."

When they arrived in Sickbay, the guards remained outside while the other three filed in. McCoy hastened to his desk, where he picked up a small scanner, pressed a button on it and gestured the other two closer. "No one can overhear us now," he said as he plopped heavily into his chair and reached down to pull out a bottle of Saurian brandy and three glasses. He poured them each a generous measure and swallowed his in one gulp. "So what's the plan?" He looked at Uhura.

She stared blankly back at him. "Plan? I don't have a plan." When had she become the leader of this group, anyway?

"You always have a plan," McCoy scoffed. "Do you want me to terminate, or to tell everyone it's mine or Scott's?" Scott looked like he might object, but said nothing as McCoy continued. "Or do we wait it out, see if Kirk's friends in Starfleet can get his ass out of this mess before he winds up 'accidentally' killed?" He sank back in his chair and poured himself another drink.

Uhura sipped hers slowly while she mulled over the possibilities she had just been offered. Who knew McCoy was capable of thinking that far ahead; everyone was full of surprises these days. "Run the tests first," she finally said. "Make sure we're all right, and make doubly sure Chapel wasn't lying." She'd never expected her personal plans for advancement to have such far-reaching effects, but sometimes you had to take what the universe dished out. If McCoy was willing to deceive Spock in this matter, then maybe this could all still work out.

"For now, we tell everyone the baby is yours," she decided, nodding at McCoy. "That way, if Kirk manages to get out of this, then all we have to do is tell him we did it to protect his child. Tell him how Spock ordered it terminated and let him take it out on the Vulcan."

"And if th' Captain canna save himself?" Scott asked, downing his own glass of brandy and pushing it toward McCoy for a refill.

"Then I'll have it terminated myself," Uhura said coldly. "There's no percentage in having Kirk's child if he isn't around to protect it. Or me."

"Let's get this party started," McCoy said, gesturing toward one of the biobeds. "The sooner we know what we're dealing with medically, the better off we'll be."