Disclaimer: The rights to Star Trek belong to Gene Roddenberry, and NuTrek belongs to J.J. Abrams, Orci, and Kurtzman.

A/N: Congratulations to colore et confits for being my 150th reviewer! Also, thanks to all that reviewed – my count is way up, thanks to you! It's the highest it has ever been, at sixteen for the last chapter. Yipee! Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays.

I'm so sorry it took forever to get this posted. I blame the shipment of zines that arrived last week, as they were a welcome distraction. And now, here's the continuation of Kirk, Spock, and Saavik's story!

.~.

Ch. 13: Threats

Location:

Alpha Quadrant, USS Enterprise

That morning, Kirk woke up before Spock. This was quite unusual, but Jim didn't think anything of it, as Spock had been so exhausted the night before. His bondmate was always overworking himself; it was good he was taking the time to catch up on sleep. Besides, Kirk had work to do, and he didn't want any Vulcan-sized distractions.

After Kirk had prepared for the day, he thought about how he was going to approach the upcoming interrogation. Ensign Tibok had been found guilty of passing on information to the Orion traders, and messing with the transporter system on the Enterprise. True, Spock had already melded with the spy, but Jim had a knack for picking up little details that others didn't. He also had a secret weapon in his arsenal.

"Mornin', Jim." Doctor McCoy greeted Kirk as they rode the turbolift down to the level that housed the brig. "Ready to question that traitorous hobgoblin?"

"Hell yeah," Kirk muttered. He glanced over at his friend, and noticed the med pack his was carrying. It looked large enough to hold at least ten hypos. Jim smiled to himself – a hypo-wielding McCoy was downright frightening; that it should make the prisoner talk. Not that he knew that from personal experience. Not at all.

"Greetings, Captain Kirk," the young Vulcan sneered, he came to a stop in front of the brig. Bones hung back in the shadows, waiting for his cue.

"You're lucky I don't kill you for what you almost did to Spock," Jim spat as McCoy deactivated the force field. "What happened to me yesterday was meant for him, wasn't it?"

The Vulcan was silent, but his hardened eyes gave him away.

"You might just get a softer sentence if you cooperate and tell me who you were working for," the captain tried.

"I do not think so."

Kirk crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay, I think I'll just have Spock meld with you again and force it out of you."

"You would not order him to do such a thing. Even now, your weak bondmate is wracked with guilt over his shallow meld without my consent."

Darn – Tibok had called his bet. He should've known better than to try and out-logic a Vulcan.

"You got me there." Of course he would order Spock to mind-rape someone if all other options had been exhausted. But that was not the case at the moment. Jim glared at the Vulcan for a moment, then called, "Bones, c'mere a sec."

The doctor came forward, his expression slightly maniacal and unhinged. In his right hand was a tightly gripped hypospray.

Tibok's dark eyes widened and he took a step back. He was practically announcing he was intimidated, according to Vulcan body language. And Jim knew Vulcan body language.

"Very well, I will talk. Just remove that man from my presence."

"As you wish." Kirk snapped his fingers and McCoy slunk away. "Alright, pal. Start talking."

"Where do you wish me to start?" A sullen Tibok asked.

"How 'bout start when you had me beamed to the wrong coordinates on Janus, and I was almost intercepted by those Orions?"

"Very well." Tibok took a deep breath. "As I am certain you have figured out by now, I did not work alone. I am a part of a greater organization, the V'tosh ka-tur. I am merely a simple follower, one of many. We are lead by the Enlightened One, who has breached the Great Barrier. He has spoken to the Supreme Being, and returned to help the Vulcans that once cast him out.

"Woah, woah, woah." Kirk frowned. "What does all this have to do with delivering me to the Orions?" Or was it even supposed to be me? I took Spock's place that day at the last minute."

"Your powers of deduction are considerable," said Tibok with a nod.

"Thanks," Kirk smirked.

"It is not a compliment; it is a fact," Tibok sighed. "It was Spock we wished to deliver to the Orions. Our leader considered asking Spock to join him, but he figured that Spock would not go along with some of his… forward thinking ideas."

"Damn right Spock wouldn't." Kirk said. "So your leader needed Spock out of the way? Why?"

"This all goes back to the line of Surak." Tibok regarded his captor. "Your Spock, he never told you that he had a brother, did he?"

"No." Kirk scoffed. "What are you saying, that your leader is Spock's long lost brother? That's impossible. I happen to know for a fact that Spock doesn't have a brother."

"Technically you are correct." The incarcerated Vulcan admitted. "But he does have a half brother."

"A half-brother? Yeah. Sure."

"Have you not ever wondered who Sarek was involved with before he met his human mate?"

Now that Jim thought about, the thought had occurred to him a few times. Sarek had to have undergone pon farr several times before he married Spock's mother – his age demanded it. But Jim thought he'd just been serviced by one of the priestesses of Gol.

"Sarek was bonded before he met Amanda?"

Tibok nodded.

"Fine. But that doesn't mean-"

"His first bondmate, a Vulcan princess, bore him a son by the name of Sybok. While the boy was still young, she was killed by a poison meant for the ambassador to Earth. Sarek grieved for years, and declared that he would never again take a true mate."

"Yeah, and look how that turned out," Kirk deadpanned. "I wonder why Spock never told me…" Jim came to the conclusion that it wasn't that Spock kept the secret from him, but that it had never really come up before. Spock probably thought it was illogical to mention it, as the fact was no longer relevant.

"As Sybok grew older, so did his telepathic powers," Tibok continued. "Sarek did not want Sybok's unstable mind near his new son by his human mate, so he sent him to live with other relatives."

"So that's why he never showed up in Spock's memories," Kirk realized.

"When Sybok reached adulthood, he began to influence others with his 'dangerous ideas' about embracing emotion. There was talk that he used his telepathy for rituals not attempted since the pre-reform times. In the end, he was banished from the planet for life."

"But then he came to the colony, because technically he was only banned from the planet," Kirk inferred.

"Sybok returned to us in a time of great need." It was then that Jim recognized the pain that lurked in the Vulcan's eyes. "Even T'Pau welcomed his presence, as the colony has been struggling ever they requested the end of Federation aid."

This tallied with what Saavik had told him about her life at the Vulcan orphanage. Kirk wondered if Saavik had ever heard of or met Sybok. He made a mental note to ask her later.

"If you Vulcans weren't so stubborn to stand on your own two feet in your 'rebuilding phaze', Starfleet would've continued sending manpower and supplies," Kirk protested.

"Our race was rebuilding, yes, but most of us were living with psychic emotional scars that cannot be healed, even by the passage of time." Tibok paused. "Do you know what the loss of a familial or matrimonial bond feels like, Captain?"

Kirk shuddered. "No, and I hope I never do." Live without Spock? Unthinkable!

"It strips you of your very soul. The pain is almost unbearable. So when Sybok arrived and offered to take away our pain, most of our very logical race let him."

"And you?"

"I as well. I lost my wife and child in the tragedy. We were separated and her shuttle did not make it."

"I'm sorry." And Kirk genuinely was. "I know the devastation your race felt – I was there when the Elders were beamed aboard. Still, this doesn't excuse your actions."

"I had a duty to carry out," was Tibok's stubborn reply. "Sybok wanted Spock out of the way before the ship reached New Vulcan. He would have ruined everything he worked for."

"Well, too bad for him, but Sybok's little reign is at an end. I'll be informing Starfleet of the situation, and they'll send a team to investigate."

Tibok nodded. "I see. However, I must caution you not tell Spock of this."

"I tell him everything. We don't have secrets," Kirk growled.

"He will be tied to the scandal, and everything he has worked for in Starfleet will be worthless in the eyes of the new Vulcan citizens. You know I am right. Do you really want him to worry about that, when you can quietly send a team to capture Sybok, without him ever realizing what his brother has done?"

Kirk mentally swore. The prisoner did have a point. Spock had worked so hard to be accepted by his fellow Vulcans. The last thing he wanted was for his mate was to be condemned for something he was not responsible for.

"I'll consider it."

He bid the prisoner farewell after thanking him for his cooperation. On his way to the bridge, Kirk was lost in thought, trying to digest all of the information he'd just learned. He had much to consider before he commed Starfleet to inform them about the situation on the Vulcan colony.

Midday

In the mess hall, Saavik and Norvek were doing their best to reassure Kira and Clopek that they would be allowed to keep their bond. This was the day that their 'trial period' had come to an end. The two best friends were anxiously awaiting Clopek's father's ruling.

"He will inform us of his decision after our final class of the day," Clopek told them. "I must confess, I am having difficulty concentrating in my classes today."

"I am too," Kira assured him. "It's normal to be distracted at a time like this."

"Yeah, don't feel bad, Clopek," Saavik chimed in after swallowing a bite of broccoli. "Our teachers know what's going on – they'll cut you some slack."

"Vulcans do not need special treatment," Norvek argued.

"Well, aren't you the encouraging one today," Saavik hissed. "C'mon, you're supposed to help him feel better, not worse!"

"I apologize," he said, nodding at Clopek. "I only meant that Vulcans must take responsibility for their actions, even in difficult situations."

"You all gave good advice," said Clopek, trying to avoid a fight. "I would do well to remember it." He ate the rest of his food in silence, while his friends chatted amongst themselves.

Saavik couldn't help but consider the worst outcome of Clopek's meeting with his father. If he wanted her two friends to break their bond, what could she do to help them? She hated to bother her fathers while they were on duty, but they always said that she could comm them if she had good reason. If this wasn't a good reason, she didn't know what was.

Excusing herself from the table, she trotted over to the nearest com-station. After punching in her human father's code, she waited to be connected.

"Kirk here."

Her father's friendly voice warmed her inside, even though it was a bit chilly in the mess hall. Saavik decided just to blurt it out. "Father, I have something to ask you…"

.~.

The minutes crawled by during Spock's Vulcan Studies class, their last of the day. Spock noticed that Clopek and Kira's attention span was questionable that day, obviously due to the bonding issue. Only Norvek gave him his undivided attention. Saavik was too busy worrying as well, even after her conversation with her father, who promised he'd planned for every scenario.

So like many excellent teachers who recognize a 'teachable moment' when they see one, Spock stopped mid-lesson, and instead called for a class discussion on the Vulcan bonding process. Understandably, Kira and Clopek had questions about the spontaneous bonding process. Had there been many spontaneous bondings on Vulcan? In children? What would happen if they broke it? Would one of them die? Spock did his best to explain the bonding concept, and yes there had been an increasing in spontaneous bonding on the Vulcan colony, for repopulation purposes.

Although the discussion relatively put Saavik at ease (at least one of her friends wasn't going to drop dead if the bond was severed) she was still worried. When the class ended and it was time for the meeting to begin, she waited until Spock, Kira, and Clopek were headed for Sickbay, and followed them at a distant pace. While her parents had forbidden her from attending the meeting, they'd never said she couldn't eavesdrop!

As it turned out, the meeting room had a window that allowed passerby to peek in, but not the occupants of the room to look out. It was perfect for Saavik – she now had access with both her eyes and ears to everything that was happening in the room. The girl didn't know it, but the meeting was set up exactly like the first one, with Kirk, Spock, and Kira on one side of the table and Clopek's family on the other. Kira's adopted mother, T'Ina, also sat by her side. Dr. McCoy stood at the head of the table, once again acting like referee.

"So, Sortak, have you come to a decision about that bond?" Jim asked, addressing Clopek's father with as much respect as he could muster.

"I have." The Vulcan folded his hands on the table, and straightened up, striking a dignified pose. "After much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that it would be best for both parties involved to have it severed."

Clopek tensed, and Saavik noticed Kira's crestfallen expression.

"Please explain the reasoning behind your decision," Spock said calmly, placing a hand over his bondmate's, which was curling into what suspiciously looked like a fist.

"We must break the bond now, before it becomes difficult to do so. Spontaneous bonds are harder to dissolve if left to flourish. The least psychic damage would be done if the bond was broken now, while they are still children. I only want what is best for my child," said Sortek.

Kirk made a comment under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'bullshit', but thankfully the opposition did not acknowledge it.

"Do you agree, Mother?" Clopek asked, regarding her as if she was his last hope.

"I do. I only want what is best for you." Yet, according to Saavik, T'Mat did not sound as firm as Clopek's father. She probably just went along with her husband because it was expected of her. Perhaps she could yet be swayed.

"Let me give you an example," said Sortak. "What if you two were bonded when you grew up, and decided that you did not want to form a marriage bond?"

"Indeed," T'Mat agreed. "The separation would be much worse than it would if we just broke it now."

"But why?" Clopek asked, desperately trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. "Do you not find her suitable? Kira is kind and intelligent and my best friend."

"As a human, she is not suitable for our house," Sortak declared. "I will ask that one of our healers will break the bond as soon as possible."

"No!" Both children cried, gazing anxiously at each other across the table.

"At least wait until we've consulted with a healer on New Vulcan," said Kirk. "They have more extensive knowledge of how the Vulcan mind works than one of your people."

Saavik knew that he didn't mean it as an insult, but as a fact. Fortunately, Sortak was Vulcan, and took it as such.

"Very well," Sortak relented. "However, I would ask that Clopek not have any more contact with the human girl."

She's sitting right there, you idiot, Saavik's mind screamed. If it had been her Sortak had been addressing, she would've been sure to give him a piece of her mind. But unlike Saavik, Kira was much too polite to act like an uncivilized human.

"I object to that statement," T'Ina interjected. "My daughter is more than just a human girl – she is a gifted individual. If only you could accept her."

"You cannot understand," Sortek scoffed. "You never had any children of your own blood."

T'Ina stiffened at that, and grew silent. But then her adopted daughter gave her a grateful look, and she knew her interjection had been worth it.

"What about school?" McCoy pressed. "You're going to pull Clopek out of school just for that?"

Clopek's father not-glared at the doctor. "I will teach him myself."

"That will not be necessary," Spock spoke up. "Your son can still receive an adequate education while attending classes with Miss Kira. Unless you are insinuating that our pedagogical faculty does not meet your standards. That would be a rather emotional reaction, but if you feel that strongly…"

"Negative. He can remain in school," Sortak relented.

Good one, Sa-mehk! Saavik thought with relief. Vulcans would agree to anything in order to not sound like they were emotionally compromised. Spock, of course, knew this all too well, and used it to his advantage when dealing with those of his own kind.

"However, he is not to engage in activities outside of school with the human girl, lest the bond develop any further." Predictably, Sortak's ultimatum did not sit well with the children.

"But Kira's my friend!" Clopek protested. "I won't abandon her."

"Son, your emotional reaction is not becoming," his father warned.

"Clopek, it's fine." Kira nervously looked over at the intimidating paternal figure. "We don't have to see each other out of school, if that's what your dad wants. I don't want to cause any trouble."

"No, we do not have to give in to his ridiculous demands." The young Vulcan boy stood up, and pushed his chair in. He glared at his father, who ignored him.

"I agree, sir. You have gone too far," said Jim. The wrinkles around his eyes tightened, as they did when he was under stress. "As captain, the children are under my jurisdiction. Once you agreed to live on New Vulcan, everyone automatically became a citizen of the Federation. And under Federation law, children are granted certain rights that protect them."

From extremists like you, Saavik thought, wrinkling her nose at the old-fashioned patriarch.

"That may be true, Captain, but in our village we have our own laws." Sortek turned to Clopek. "Son, you would not wish for me to disown you."

Spock's eyebrow lifted at that insinuation. He didn't believe that Sortak would go that far. Ostracism was not common among Vulcans, but it did happen. Those disowned from their families had a difficult time reintegrating into society. Of course, such a practice was not allowed on New Vulcan.

"Since you and Mother will be forcing me to break my bond with Kira when we arrive at the colony, it seems you have disowned me already." Without another word, the boy calmly strode towards the exit. Saavik raced towards it, and almost collided with her friend.

"Saavik, they want to break our bond." Now Clopek sounded quite frantic. "I have to stop them!"

"Come with me," said the girl, implementing the plan that her human father had told her earlier.

.~.

Back in Sickbay, the meeting was far from over. Jim and Sortak began to squabble over who had care of Clopek. Kira sunk down into her chair, wishing that she could disappear. Spock wished that there was an easy diplomatic solution to the problem, but the fact was, there wasn't one. While he would back Jim in any decision he made, he did not want them to get in trouble with the authorities on New Vulcan if Clopek's parents filed a complaint.

"Computer, locate Clopek," Spock ordered, hoping that his daughter had followed the plan that Jim had devised.

The cool, feminine voice responded, "Clopek is in the First Officer's quarters."

"That's Saavik's room," Kirk realized. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that he would do that. Well, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to retrieve him."

"Why not?" His father demanded.

"Starfleet regulation 1013.5 states that if a passenger seeks sanctuary in either the captain or first officer's quarters, they are allowed to remain there for as long as they wish. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll come out eventually."

Saavik just knew it was a bluff, from the stories she'd heard about her human father bluffing his way out of tricky situations. The only question was, would Sortek buy it?

"Surely that regulation only applies to adults," said T'Mat, but she didn't sound too angry.

"Negative, passengers include children." Spock sounded so certain. "However, we will ensure that your son attends school, as long as he is staying with us." He tried to placate his opponent, who was having none of it.

Sortak only had eyes for Kirk. "You knew, human. Somehow, you knew I would want them to break the bond. And yet you planned a way to give my son asylum. You orchestrated the whole thing, you and your weak half-breed bondmate."

"That's enough," Kirk said, his voice stern. "Insult my First Officer again, and I'll have you thrown off this ship."

"Jim, that is not necessary…" But Spock was temporarily forgotten, as the now-enemies faced off.

Sortak's eyes flashed dangerously. "You would not dare."

Kirk's face hardened. "Try me."

They stared each other down, neither one blinking. Sortak did not realize how proficient Jim was at staring, as he had practiced with Spock on many occasions. One never knew when it would be helpful to bust out a long stare, and intimidate your rival. In Jim's case, it had come in handy several times in First Contact situations.

"Very well, Captain." Sortak broke the gaze first. "You have won this round. But do not expect for me to give in so easily when we reach the colony. Come, my wife."

T'Mat glanced uncertainly at Kirk and Spock before following her bondmate out the door.

"Sanctuary, huh?" Doctor McCoy said, as soon as the Vulcans were out of earshot.

"It was the best I could come up with on short notice," Kirk protested.

"I thought it was a rather brilliant bluff," said Spock, nudging his mate through the bond.

"You would," scoffed McCoy.

"At least I held my temper," said Jim. "I couldn't say the same for Sortak. I thought he was gonna go off on me!"

"Yeah, you did good, kid," the doctor agreed.

"I'm not a kid," Jim protested, straightening up and putting his 'captain face' back on. "Alright, I gotta get back to the bridge. C'mon, Spock. Let's leave this miserable sot to his patients."

"Very well." Spock rose to follow his captain, who headed for the exit.

"You're in deep this time, Jim," McCoy called after them. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," Kirk said softly, exchanging a glance with his beloved bondmate before heading back to work.

Later that night

Captain's Quarters

Jim and Spock had returned from dinner with Saavik in tow. She had been eager to discuss the whole child-bonding situation, but the subject was becoming rather tiring for Jim. So he changed it to something more fun.

"Hey, Saavik, your birthday is coming up in a few weeks," Jim casually mentioned. "I know Vulcans don't celebrate birthdays, but your human father wants to give you a present."

"Your Vulcan father is not opposed to the gesture either," Spock jumped in, backing up his mate. "Jim also celebrates my birthday, and I, his. Just think of it as an exercise in Terran studies."

"I will have to think about what I would like," Saavik said slowly, as she considered the multitude of possibilities for gifts. Then she remembered a certain activity that oftentimes went along with birthdays. "Do you also partake in the human tradition known as the birthday party?"

"You've researched this, haven't you?" Kirk accused, but he was smiling.

"Yep," she said smugly. "As soon as I knew I'd be having a human father, I read up on a lot of human customs."

Spock's eyebrow twitched, as he exchanged a glance with Jim.

/A party?/

/Why not, Spock?/ Kirk pleaded. /She's never had one before, and it would be good for crew morale./

/You just want this as an excuse to party./

/Pretty much./ He admitted. /But I also want it to show how much we care about her. Please? T'hy'la?/

/Very well./ Spock relented. He could refuse Jim nothing when he called him by their special endearment. He also appreciated that Jim mentally suggested that he be the one to announce the good news to their daughter.

"Ko-fu, your father and I have decided to 'throw you a party', as the Terrans say."

"You mean it?" Saavik broke into a smile, which she quickly squelched. "Thank you, Sa-mehk. I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

"You do not have to suppress your positive emotions around me, Saavik," Spock said firmly. "I only ask that you keep your negative emotions in check, as they can be harmful to yourself and others."

"Really? Okay." She beamed at him. "But why are you suddenly allowing this?"

Her Vulcan father extended two fingers toward Kirk, who met him halfway. "Jim suggested that I do so. After much deliberation, I realized that his suggestion was logical, and that I agreed with it."

"Thanks," she said softly. "It makes it easier to be around you when I don't feel like I have to be on my best Vulcan behavior."

Spock nodded, but Jim could tell he was uncomfortable with the idea that he'd forced Saavik to be anything but herself, something that his father had done to him so many years ago.

"Are you sure you're okay sharing your bedroom with Clopek?" Jim asked, changing the subject for Spock's sake. "He might be staying here for the rest of the voyage. Who knows with his family."

"Of course I'm okay with it." She grinned. "He's my friend, and he doesn't have anywhere else to go. I think Kira's going to visit us later, if she can get away. It'll be like one of those Terran slumber parties. I have always wanted to experience one of those! They sound like fascinating activities."

"That may be, but I must ask that you do not stay up too late," warned Spock. "Even half-Vulcans need their allotted amount of sleep."

"I won't," she promised.

"Speaking of sleep, Spock, you look exhausted." Jim shot a concerned look at his bondmate, who was indeed exhibiting signs of fatigue, so subtle in Vulcans, but then Jim could always notice the tell-tale signs in his mate. This was surprising, as Spock had slept in relatively late that morning.

"I am fine," he said stiffly.

"Fine has variable definitions," Jim and Saavik shot back without missing a beat.

"Jinx!" Saavik cried.

"Why don't you go to bed early?" Jim suggested. "I can get Saavik and Clopek settled."

"Negative, I promised Saavik that I would teach her a new meditative technique tonight."

"That's alright, Sa-mehk," his daughter said easily. "You can teach me another time."

"Why don't you jump in the shower, get ready for bed, and have some tea?" Jim gave his bondmate a knowing look. "You need to relax, Spock. Don't think I didn't realize you've been covering Ensign Doggett's shift in the lab while he recovers from lung worm."

"Jim, that is not necessary," Spock protested, but his heart wasn't in it. "Very well – that is a logical notion." He bid Saavik good night, and entered the bathroom to perform his nightly routine.

Jim joined him momentarily, and had a cup of piping hot Vulcan spice tea replicated for him when Spock came to bed.

"You are so good to me, t'hy'la," Spock admitted, as he took a long sip of his favorite non-chocoholic beverage.

"Even Vulcans deserve to be pampered every once in awhile," Jim said with a knowing smile. "Especially mine."

"This is coming from a man who occasionally visits the ship's salon to indulge in a pedicure," Spock retorted.

"What?" Kirk shrugged. "They massage your feet! And I only get clear nail polish put on anyway." He stuck his tongue out at his bondmate. "Don't say it."

"Ill-(yawn) – logical."

They discussed ship's business for about ten minutes before Spock's eyelids began to droop. He handed his tea off to Jim, who put it on his bedside table.

"Goodnight, tal-kam," Spock whispered. The second his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

Jim chuckled as he settled in beside him. He decided that there was no need to burden his already over-tired mate with news of his half-brother. After calling for the lights to go down to ten percent, he observed his t'hy'la eyebrow twitch in his sleep. Jim gave him a kiss on his forehead, content to watch his other half slumber. Sleeping Spock was nothing but adorable.

.~.

But there was nothing adorable about Spock's continued exhaustion. The next week, Spock's fatigue seemed to get worse, not better. Jim tried everything – he cut some of Spock's lab hours, he made him eat something during every meal, and he even forbade their passionate lovemaking sessions. It wasn't just tiredness, either. One time that Jim was sparring with his bondmate, he managed to pin him to the ground, and Spock hadn't 'let' him. Whatever was ailing him, it was also zapping Spock of his strength. The ill-fated sparring match was the last straw – Jim made Spock visit McCoy. But the doctor could find nothing wrong with the half-Vulcan.

It was a mystery, one that plagued Jim's otherwise happy days with his mate and daughter on their voyage to New Vulcan.

But what Jim didn't realize was that the Enterprise wouldn't arrive at New Vulcan as scheduled. For on one of the routine shuttle runs, tragedy struck.

A/N: Sorry for the cliffie, guys! Anyone want to take a stab at what's wrong with Spock? And no, it's not pon farr.

Oh and btw, the plot REALLY picks up in the next chapter. You don't want to miss that one!

Translation Tal-kam = dear one