CHAPTER 17

Cadet's Log, Stardate 2267.21

I thought everything would get back to normal as soon as Daddy—oops, I mean Captain Kirk—took us kids back to Babel. The trip itself took less than a day, barely enough time to show Essak and Shaull and the other kids all my favorite spots aboard the Enterprise. There was very little time for Mr. Spock and Shaull to have their chat, but I guess it turned out okay. At least, Shaull was smiling when he left Mr. Spock's warmer-than-I-can-stand quarters. When I asked him what they had talked about, Shaull just raised one eyebrow."I believe your Mr. Spock is willing to speak for me when I'm old enough to join Starfleet." Huh. Mr. Spock is certainly not "my" Mr. Spock, but I'm glad Shuall and he hit it off. Well, as much as Vulcan's ever "hit it off" with each other.

But now? We're back in orbit around Babel, and things have definitely taken a turn for the worse. Will this ordeal never end?

Jamie hiccuped. Once. Twice. Her hand flew to her mouth, but the hiccups wouldn't stop.

Essak jabbed her in the side. "Cut it out. You're going to embarrass yourself and us if you go on hiccuping during the ceremony."

"I can't—hiccup—help it."

"Hold your breath," J'nai suggested in a low whisper.

"Stand on your head," chirped S'hora.

"Somebody scare her." Derek leaned over and offered his advice from four seats away.

Shaull quietly reached out and placed three fingers on Jamie's shoulder.

"Don't give me a nerve—hiccup—pinch!" She tried to ignore the hundreds of people wandering around in the great council chamber on Babel, congratulating one another, finding seats, and in general smiling and relaxing. Everyone appeared to be in a festive mood.

"Trust me." Shaull worked his fingers, lightly squeezing the muscles in Jamie's neck. Then he released her and sat back.

Jamie waited one minute. Two minutes. Then, "They're gone!" Her delight came out as a happy squeal.

On stage, from about twenty feet away, an important-looking man dressed in the colors of the Federation Diplomatic Service turned. "Hush! Sit quietly."

Jamie clapped a hand over her mouth and felt her cheeks heat up.

Shaull shrugged. "That's High Commissioner Philips," he explained. "He is, as Essak would put it, a stickler for protocol. He never smiles."

"He's grouchy," Clarence added from Shaull's left. "I can't stand him."

Jamie folded her hands in her lap and slouched against her seat on the huge platform in the council chambers. She and her friends had been sitting in a long row of special, reserved seating for ten minutes now.

Jamie felt restless and hungry. She hadn't wanted to give up her last morning on Babel to listen to a bunch of people talk about the ordeal the hostages had been through and how brave they'd been, but her father had insisted she attend.

So now, instead of enjoying her last shore leave at Six Flags over Babel, Jamie sat in a hard seat, heartily wishing the ceremony would begin soon . . . so it could end.

Jamie glanced down the long row of seats. Judging by the looks on her friends' faces, she figured most of them didn't want to be here, either. Except perhaps J'nai and RiAnn. They appeared to relish the attention they were getting this morning as honored guests of the UFP and the Babel Conference.

"I wish they'd get started," Essak complained, expressing Jamie's sentiments. "This turban is getting hot."

Wrapped in the magnificent white and scarlet royal robes of the Prince of Araby, Essak looked uncomfortable and out of place. He lifted the jeweled turban, scratched at an itchy spot on the top of his head, and replaced it.

"We are all experiencing varying degrees of discomfort," Shaull said. His robes of ceremonial Vulcan, while not as cumbersome as Essak's attire, hung on Shaull in heavy brown lengths.

Up and down the line, children shifted and scratched. Only J'nai and RiAnn sat regally. Their silk capes and dresses flowed about them like a soft breeze.

Jamie was awfully glad she hadn't been forced to dress up in a scratchy party dress. She glanced down at her clean, gold uniform tunic and sighed her relief.

Suddenly, a trumpet fanfare echoed through the chamber halls. It wasn't a real trumpet, Jamie knew, only an electronic recording. It had called the Babel Conference to order for over one hundred years, and the sound now brought scores of men and women, representing dozens of planets, streaming in to find their seats.

"Finally." Essak rolled his eyes and slumped. Then just as quickly, he sat up straight. His gaze locked onto someone in the first row of the delegates' seating.

Jamie followed her friend's gaze to watch the arrival of what could only be Essak's father, the king of Araby. He was dressed more magnificently than his son, and his bearing commanded instant respect. No wonder Essak sat up and took note.

"My father," he whispered from the side of his mouth.

"I figured," Jamie replied. She scanned the first row and recognized her own father. He was dressed in his dress uniform—his class As—and was sitting with Mr. Spock and Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan. Next to Sarek, a tall, distinguished Vulcan man sat. His robes looked identical to Shaull's.

"Your father?" Jamie asked her friend.

Shaull didn't reply. He was staring at the imposing figure of Sarek of Vulcan. "I cannot believe it," he whispered to Jamie. "The man sitting beside my father is the premier ambassador of all of Vulcan. What's he doing here?"

Jamie shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he was in the neighborhood and wanted to see what all the fuss was about."

Shaull's Vulcan composure fled. He looked at Jamie in shock. "Levity. You are using levity about so distinguished a guest as Sarek of Vulcan."

"I don't know what levity is, but Ambassador Sarek is my friend." Jamie grinned at Shaull's look of disbelief. "Really, he is. I met him last year on another trip to Babel. I tripped and fell right at his feet. He helped me up and acted like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. I was so embarrassed, but Sarek invited me to be his guest at the reception that night on the rec deck."

She smiled and waved at the Vulcan ambassador. Sarek lifted his hand in quiet greeting.

Shaull gaped, but there was no time to answer. The moderator of the Babel Conference, a tall, regally dressed Andorian, strode up to the podium, picked up the ceremonial gavel, and brought it down three times. "This conference is now in session. All rise in honor of the president of the United Federation of Planets."

Everyone in the council chambers rose. The ten children behind and to the left of the podium stood. Derek's grandfather walked up to the podium and nodded to the moderator. Then he turned to the audience. "Please be seated."

There was a rustling noise as hundreds of delegates, visitors, and newscasters found their places. Then the noise died down and a hush fell over the auditorium.

"This is a proud day for the freedom-loving peoples of the United Federation of Planets," the president said. "We are gathered this morning to recognize the courage of ten young citizens. They played a significant role in undoing what surely would have been the worst tragedy for the UFP in over one hundred years."

For twenty minutes Derek's grandfather recapped the horrific events of the past week, beginning with the cry for help from the Crynn Colonies, the nightmarish kidnapping of his grandson and nine others, and the parents' despair at learning the UFP would not bargain with terrorists.

He spoke right up to the happenings of three days ago, when Admiral Brett Komack of Starfleet had passed along the glorious and unexpected news to the Babel delegates that the starship Enterprise was returning to Babel with all ten hostages in good health and with the GLO's ship in tow.

President Shylar certainly knew how to carry his audience. The celebrative mood reached a climax when the president turned and introduced the small heroes of the hour.

The children rose. As their names were called, each child stepped forward to receive a warm handshake and a citation for bravery, which the president hung around their necks in the form of a small, jewel-studded medal, hanging from a ribbon of blue and gray satin.

President Shylar turned and presented the group to their audience. "In a spirit of cooperation, these children banded together—forgetting their differences and origins—and worked for the good of the group, showing us the true spirit of the United Federation of Planets."

Jamie and the others stood quietly amidst a thunder of applause. Finally, the president nodded at them, the signal that they could once more be seated.

"Do you suppose it's over now?" Essak wiped beads of sweat from his forehead and tried not to appear as hot and tired as he felt. "I haven't been this uncomfortable since the Founder's Day parade last year on Araby."

"I sure hope it's over." Jamie glanced at the front row. Her father was smiling at her. She resisted the impulse to wave, and instead sent him a pleading look and mouthed, Is it over?

Kirk frowned and placed a finger to his lips. He shook his head.

Jamie slumped in her seat and swung her legs. The president was speaking again, but Jamie's attention wandered. She studied the huge auditorium. Hundreds of people filled the circular tiers. Banners from the different worlds hung from the ceiling. Jamie tried to guess which flags went with the different planets. She recognized Vulcan, Altair VI, Centaurus, Earth, Deneb—

A quick intake of breath from Shaull jerked Jamie from her musing. She looked up in time to see her friend rise from his seat and walk to the podium. Ambassador Sarek was waiting to greet him.

"What's going on?" Jamie whispered to Essak.

"I think they're giving Shaull an award. Some kind of Vulcan honor."

Jamie watched Sarek gave Shaull the Vulcan salute. Shaull returned it, although his hand trembled. Jamie didn't doubt Shaull was uneasy. To be singled out in front of all these people and have Sarek of Vulcan talk to you would make even the most logical Vulcan anxious.

I would melt into a puddle, Jamie thought. I'm sure glad it's Shaull and not me.

Sarek addressed the crowd in a rich, deep voice. "It is not our custom to thank logic and bring unnecessary attention to one who has merely performed his duty. However, the Vulcan Science Academy has examined the actions of a remarkable young person this past week, and it is our wish to give honor where honor is due. His resourcefulness and careful attention to detail transformed an ordinary Starfleet communicator into a transmitter that alerted the starship Enterprise to the hostages' location and thus saved lives."

He turned to Shaull and held out a small metal pin. "Your actions were flawlessly logical. Vulcan honors you with the Clasp of Surak."

Shaull swallowed. "I am honored." He took the pin and clutched it in his hand. He returned to his seat, a deep green flush in his cheeks.

The audience burst into applause.

Jamie clapped and grinned. "You look positively green, Shaull."

"I confess I do not feel well."

Jamie touched the small pin in his hand. "What's the Clasp of Surak?"

"It is a very great honor . . ." His voice trailed away.

Essak reached across Jamie's lap and slapped the Vulcan boy's knee. "Good for you, Shaull."

Jamie brought her attention back to the conference in time to hear the moderator announce, "We now welcome Admiral Brett Komack to our assembly."

Jamie stiffened. She didn't like admirals. Not one little bit. Any one of them had the power to send her packing. Warily, she watched Admiral Komack make his way down the aisle and up the steps to the platform.

He crossed to the podium and shook the moderator's hand. "Thank you, sir."

The admiral turned and scanned the children until his gaze rested on Jamie. He smiled and crooked his finger. "Come here, Jamie."

Jamie went white. Her heart leaped into her throat, then settled in her chest with a hammering that made her gasp for breath. It was one thing to stand in a long line with nine other kids and get a ribbon around your neck, but to be singled out by an admiral from Starfleet for an unknown reason?

No way!

Desperately, Jamie sought her father's face and pleaded silently to be rescued. He gave her a barely perceptible shake of his head. Then he crossed his arms, leaned back in his seat, and winked at her.

With this sign of encouragement, Jamie slid from her seat and started toward the admiral. Don't trip and fall, she commanded her quivering legs. They shook so much that she didn't think she'd make it the twenty feet to the side of the podium.

"Jamie Kirk," Admiral Komack said pleasantly when she stood in front of him.

Jamie looked up into a pair of smiling blue eyes and said nothing. Her tongue was stuck.

"It is my great privilege as chief-of-staff, military operations, Starfleet, to present you with the Silver Palm and Star for Conspicuous Valor. It is also my pleasure to confer upon you the official title of Starfleet Cadet."

Jamie watched, stunned, as Admiral Komack bent down and attached the glittering decoration just above her uniform insignia.

The admiral grinned at her bewildered look. "Furthermore, you are hereby granted an automatic appointment to Starfleet Academy when you reach the minimum age of admittance. Until then, you are assigned to the USS Enterprise, or to any ship your father, Captain James Kirk, commands." He paused.

Jamie couldn't speak. She couldn't think. Everything was happening too fast. What did the admiral mean, "assigned to the Enterprise"?

"Jamie!" Essak's whisper sliced through the silence. "Say thank you!"

There was a murmur of soft, rippling laughter from the first few rows.

"Th-thank you, sir," Jamie stuttered, flushing hot.

Admiral Komack smiled and turned Jamie around to face the audience. He laid a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"This Starfleet cadet showed remarkably clear thinking when she gathered the hostages together in the safety of an air-tight structure to await rescue. Then she chose to stay behind and trigger the chain of events that gave the Enterprise the few seconds it needed to permanently disable the shields, putting her own life at risk. By doing this, Cadet Jamie Kirk upheld the highest ideals of Starfleet to protect and serve Federation citizens. I am proud to admit her to our ranks."

Admiral Komack looked at Kirk. "Captain Kirk, I present to you the newest member of the Enterprise crew."

Amidst the cheering and applauding, Kirk left his chair and hurried to the platform. Instead of shaking Jamie's hand, he picked her up and gave her tight embrace. "Welcome aboard—officially," he said softly.

"It's true, then?" Jamie burst out, hardly daring to believe. "I never have to leave the ship? Ever?"

"It's true. At least for as long as I'm the captain." He turned to Admiral Komack. "He did it."

Jamie reached out and threw her arms around the admiral's neck. "Oh, thank you, sir!"

The moderator brought his gavel down onto the podium three times. "This conference is adjourned. Everybody go home and count your blessings."

THE END