Redshirts and Kumquats

"What?" Kirk exclaimed. But Spock was already at the comm panel, trying to reach Lt. Hanlan.

Selina pulled him away. "She was taken by surprise. She is fighting and can not respond."

Kirk switched the comm channel. "Mr. Giotto meet us in transporter room 3 with a security detail. Now!"

"Uhura," he said, heading toward transporter room. "Keep trying to raise her and tell Bones to stand by."

Kirk, Spock and Selina arrived in the transporter room to find Giotto and three security men already taking positions on the transporter pad.

"Transport directly to Lt. Hanlan's office," Selina told Mr. Kyle. Kirk nodded confirmation.

Selina swayed and began doubling over as the transporter beam caught them. Seconds later they materialized in an empty but wrecked office and Spock caught his friend as she stumbled forward.

Kirk was instantly by their sides. "Are you alright?"

"There was pain. And then darkness." She shook her head, reorienting on their surroundings, and then pushed him away. "We are too late."

"Where's Jessy?" Giotto asked, directing his men to secure the area. At least there was no body. He could hope that was a good sign.

"I do not know," Selina replied. "I heard her cry out when she was attacked, but when she was rendered unconscious, the connection was gone."

"Search the corridors," Kirk ordered. "They shouldn't have gotten far." The three ensigns fanned out of the office at a run.

"Only unconscious?" Kirk asked hopefully.

"Only unconscious. At least when I lost contact," she said.

"You're sure?" Giotto asked.

"I know what it feels like to hear a mind die," she said, meeting his eyes.

Giotto suppressed a shiver and nodded. "At least it looks like she put up a good fight."

"She fought with great determination." Selina smiled reassuringly. "Since they did not kill her outright, they may intend to question her. That may give us time to affect a rescue."

Spock was surveying the destruction evident in the office's disarray. The computer console was smashed and data padds were scattered across the room. "Undoubtedly they sought to prevent her from reporting her findings on the status of the station's main computer," he observed. "However, the records of a full diagnostic should still exist within system memory. I shall attempt to access them from another console."

He had just stepped out to find another console, when the sound of weapons fire erupted from the far corridor. All four headed at run toward the sound, followed by the other ensigns emerging from their search routes. Spock had slowed just ahead of a turn, and Kirk passed him. He might have turned if Spock hadn't slammed him into the wall just before disruptor fire flashed past the corner.

Giotto glanced around edge and fired his phaser, eliciting more disruptor fire in return. "Baker, Kowalski, the next corridor over leads to an intersection with the end of this one. We'll hold them down here. Go try to cut them off." When they'd gone, he turned to the Captain. "Ensign Hu is down."

"Cover me," Kirk said, starting to move around the corner. This time Selina stopped him, pulling him back as a disruptor beam lanced into the corner where his head had been moments before.

"Len is right. You are ridiculously brave, but you do not have the common sense God gave to kumquats." She grabbed his communicator. "Mr. Kyle, this is Ms. Chandri. Ensign Hu is down. Lock onto his signal and transport directly to sickbay."

Kirk looked at the communicator that had been slapped back into his hand as they heard the faint hum of a transporter beam in the corridor. He looked up at Spock. For just a moment, he could swear the Vulcan had been smirking. "Spock, how many of them are there?"

Before he could answer, more weapons fire came from the far end of the corridor, followed by the sound of running. Selina's eyes went wide. She sprang around the corner, neatly evading Spock's attempt to grab her, and ran to the advancing ensigns, forcing them to stop.

"Dammit! What was that about bravery and kumquats?" Kirk skidded to a halt just behind her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Sir," Baker said. "They went up that stairwell. We were in pursuit but -"

Selina grabbed Hu's phaser from where it had landed on the floor when he fell. "Get back against the wall," she demanded, and then threw it into the stairwell. There was high-pitched whine, followed by an explosion.

"They stopped and engaged us here only because they needed time to set a trap," she explained calmly.

Spock looked at the ensigns' astonished faces. "It is generally advisable to listen to her under such circumstances," he remarked.

Kowalski tugged at his red sleeves and exchanged a glance with Baker. They both nodded mute agreement. Cmdr. Giotto might not like her, but as far as they were concerned, she was more than welcome on any away missions in their recently extended futures.

"Well, we've lost them now," Kirk said, peering up the blacked stairwell.

"I have heard her mind once now," Selina offered. "There is a chance I will hear her again when she awakens."

.

Jim Kirk returned to the ship to find that Bones was still in surgery trying to put Hu back together. Selina had returned to her delegates and Spock had remained on the station with Mr. Giotto to try to access the diagnostic data that Lt. Hanlan had -hopefully- not given her life to obtain. As he made his way to his quarters, he was intercepted by Yeoman Rand.

"Sir, there's a Cmdr. Sorenson in your office. He's been waiting to see you and Mr. Spock." She evaluated the strain on his face. "What should I tell him?"

Jim sighed. He'd forgotten. "Tell him I'll be right there. And contact Spock and tell him to get back here."

When he entered his office, it took him a moment to take in Sorenson's appearance. Considering that Gaila had been a genius programmer, he knew perfectly well that they didn't all fit into the typical stereotype. So he wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but someone who looked like he might have been at home on a Viking longboat in another reality, was definitely not it.

"Cmdr. Sorenson, forgive me for being late. We had some trouble on the station this morning." He looked up as he took Sorenson's hand. It wasn't that Sorenson was bulky like some opera Siegfried. His build in fact was similar to Spock's, but he was even taller than the Vulcan. Jim decided that that must be the reason for the first impression. That and the red beard. It was trimmed and regulation, but facial hair was rare in Starfleet so it stood out. Either that or Jim was starting to lose it.

"So I have been informed, Captain." His mild manner quickly belied the Viking impression. "I understand that we are waiting for Spock to confirm my identity before I begin my work?"

"Yes, he should be here shortly. He was trying to access a diagnostic of the base's computer."

"Please inform him that he doesn't need to spend time on that. Commodore Stone has given me permission to use Starfleet Intelligence codes to access all aspects of the base's computer system, since we assume that it is already compromised. I have already begun an analysis through a remote link on the Aldrin."

Jim's heart sank. If only he'd waited, Lt. Hanlan wouldn't have had to put herself in danger and Hu wouldn't have a disruptor hole in his side.

The door beeped signaling Spock's arrival.

"Spock," Sorenson turned and nodded to him. "It's good to see you again." Jim noted that he knew Spock at least well enough that he didn't attempt to shake hands.

"And you." Spock nodded back and tilted his head slightly appearing to examine Sorenson's face. He lifted an eyebrow "I see you still retain the beard?"

He rubbed his chin and shrugged. "I got too used to it. I'd feel naked if I shaved it off now."

"I believe I can confirm that this is indeed Cmdr. Sorenson," Spock informed the Captain. "With your permission, I shall show him to the ship's computational facilities."

"Yes, go ahead. I want know immediately if you find anything."

.

Dr. Leonard McCoy pulled a blanket up over Ensign Hu's chest. He'd done all he could. It was up to the ensign now.

God, but he was tired. Over an hour of emergency surgery before he'd even had his coffee. He looked at the ensign's pale face. Irish coffee sounded good about now.

He heard footsteps entering sickbay, turned and brightened. "What can I do for you, darlin'?"

"How does he fare?" Selina asked.

Len shook his head. "To early to say."

Her lips compressed in a faint frown. "If I had not allowed myself to sleep, I might have realized the situation earlier and -"

"You just stop right there, m'dear," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "If you hadn't thought to beam him straight here, he be dead now for sure. And you needed to sleep."

"I have remained awake longer," she said stubbornly. Given the look on her face, he was suddenly tempted to double check that she hadn't grown pointed ears.

"No matter how talented you are, you can't police this whole sector 24/7," he said. "As disturbing as it is for me to say it, you and that Vulcan 'brother' of yours are a lot alike. Neither one of you will slow down for your own good unless someone practically ties you down. And I'm frankly not sure which one of you is more stubborn. But you're both mortal and it would be a helluva lot easier on everyone if you'd both just admit it."

She didn't say anything, but the stubborn look was still in her eyes, along with the self-recrimination. He took a breath. Lecturing had never worked with Spock. Why in heaven's name had he thought it'd work with her? He wiped a hand over his face.

"Sorry. It's been a long morning."

"It is alright, Len." She squeezed his hand. "I understand that it is as hard for you to not know if he will live as it is for me to not know if I could have prevented this."

He gave her a crooked smile. "Look on the bright side: you saved both Baker and Kowalski. They were in here earlier and you should have heard them goin' on about it. The way that tale is likely to grow, if Hu here pulls through, Uhura won't be the only goddess on the ship. The security team's gonna erect shrine to you."

"I sincerely hope not," she replied.

But he got a little smile from her. That was almost as good as Irish coffee.

Why not just call and beam up a guy injured and in the line of fire, instead of trying to go get him first? One of those things that's occurred to me in a few episodes scattered across all of the Trek series.

The line about kumquats just burst from the McCoy in my head during the part of the breakfast scene with Selina that I didn't include because the chapter was too long. But it just wouldn't go away, and I had to find a way to use it.

I watched the Tholian Web again recently and realized that I hadn't given McCoy a chance to rant yet. It does have to be a bit disturbing to him that Selina and Spock are a lot alike, but I figure he's about as likely to be put off by it as Jim is by snoring.

No redshirts were killed in making of this chapter. Selina has just become their lucky charm.