Stenn underestimates Uhura and pays the price.

*/*/*

Try as she might, Uhura could not think of anything in her possession capable of achieving her goal of escaping her quarters. She was trapped in her cabin and the only way out was through the door protected by a bulky Vulcan guard.

Vulcans were invulnerable to the mind-altering drugs she possessed and the weapons she had could physically wound Stenn, but she didn't want to hurt him she just wanted him to get out of her way and let her go about her business.

She paced the floor of her cabin, racking her brain for a plan when the obvious hit her in the face. The sickness running rampant on the ship was the solution. Spock was infected and he had a hard time controlling his emotions and judgment. That meant Vulcans were susceptible too. Stenn had a poker face but she could tell he liked her well enough. If she could infect him, he just might bend to her will.

She wasn't sure if she was infected. But she suspected she was because she had Sulu's blood all over her and the disease seemed to spread pretty easily from person to person. So maybe she just needed to touch Stenn or if possible kiss him and exchange some bodily fluids. But to make sure she was infected she licked at Sulu's bloodstain still on Spock's shirt. And for good measure, she dipped the shirt hem into a glass of juice. As she approached her cabin door Uhura hoped Mr. Stenn was thirsty and not necessarily for a drink.

*/*/*

"Mr. Stenn," Uhura said as soon as the door to her quarters opened. Outside, the hall was quiet. Uhura assumed people were steering clear of the stern-looking Vulcan guarding her door. One crewman walked around the corner down the corridor but when he spotted Stenn he quickly turned back the way he came.

"Miss Uhura, Mr. Spock has requested that you stay in your quarters until he returns."

"I know, I know," she dismissed the statement with a wave of her hand. "I'm not going anywhere until he gives the all-clear. But I was wondering if you'd like to come inside?" She smiled at him innocently.

"I beg your pardon, Miss?"

"Would you like to come inside... for a drink?" She grinned up at the handsome Vulcan. "I was just having a drink and thought you'd make good company. I really hate drinking alone you know?"

"I was ordered to protect you," Stenn stated flatly.

"Well you can do it from in here, can't you? You don't need to stand out there all alone. Besides, you'll be safer in here behind a locked door. What if someone were to attack you? Then where would I be?"

Stenn looked as if he was working out a problem in his mind. He may be a Vulcan, but Uhura thought he was nowhere near as bright as Spock was.

"C'mon Mr. Stenn. You might be out here for hours, who knows when they'll get Riley out of the engine room? And in the meantime, I'm in here all alone. If something happens to you who'll protect me then?"

"Well..."

"C'mon in here Mister. Besides, Spock's not here so I outrank you." She stood aside and waved him in.

Reluctantly Stenn entered her quarters, but he stood stiffly at the door just on the inside of the threshold.

"Now, how about that drink? I know alcohol doesn't affect you anyway, but I wouldn't want you to get accused of drinking on duty. This is only fruit juice. I think the fruit is a native of a planet called Betazed." Uhura casually handed him the glass as if she was just being friendly.

Stenn took the proffered glass and gave it a cursory sniff. Did Vulcans have a superior sense of smell as well as hearing, Uhura wondered?

After a thorough examination of the beverage, Stenn downed it quickly and handed the glass back to her with a smirk. "You are aware that I am not susceptible to your Terran poisons?"

"I am well aware Mister Stenn. And I assure you I would never try to poison you. That would be such a waste of... um... potential."

"Indeed?"

"Yes. You must be aware that I'm rather attracted to Vulcans?"

"Are you?"

"Of course I am. You know I've been after the commander for quite some time."

"So I have observed. You would not be the first to try gaining favor and rank by associating with Spock."

"No, that's not it at all. He's quite attractive. You Vulcans are all so handsome with those pointed ears and devilish good looks. Do you not notice how the women and even some men look at you?"

"I notice. They fear us," Stenn said.

"I'm not afraid of you Mister Stenn." She took a step forward and pressed herself close to his side. "I'd like to be your friend if you'll have me."

Uhura squeezed his hand. His skin was dry and warm, she could feel the greater than human strength in the grip of his long fingers. He didn't even think to protect himself from contamination by touching her. He really was big and dumb, just as she liked 'em.

"Mr. Stenn, I'd like to take a bath and remove all this blood from my skin. Do you mind helping me remove this shirt? I'm a little stiff from my tussle with Sulu." She pretended she could barely lift her arms without wincing.

"Very well, I will assist you."

"Good. Why don't you come over here into my bedroom then?" Uhura turned and walked away with an exaggerated sway to her hips. She led him deeper into her quarters confident he would follow, and then quickly turned on him. This was just too damn easy.

"Mr. Stenn. We're both consenting adults aren't we?"

"What are we consenting to?"

"What do you think?"

"Miss Uhura I don't like games. I think you want something from me and you think you can manipulate me."

Bingo! she thought. Maybe he wasn't so dumb after all? "Mr. Stenn I'm just a simple African girl. I wouldn't dream of manipulating a big strong Vulcan like yourself. Why, you could snap me in two just like that," and she snapped her fingers in a demonstration.

"I do not want to snap you in two. Besides, if I were to lay a hand on you Spock would destroy me."

"It's not your hands I'm interested in any way Mr. Stenn. Have you ever kissed a human before?"

"No."

"Do you want to?"

Stenn quickly looked at her lips but he didn't answer.

"I get it. You're thinking about Spock. Forget about him. He left me here with you. He didn't care what I wanted, so why should we worry about him? Besides, it's in my best interest to keep this between you and me. So, are you up for a little fun?" She grinned.

"Vulcans do not have fun."

"Oh you poor baby, I would love to show you how much fun I can be."

Stenn looked very interested in her proposition and Uhura thought she was about to get what she wanted, but then it occurred to her that Stenn was the answer to another problem. She wanted to know about Vulcans and here he was a bonafide Vulcan who had all the answers she sought.

She knew one thing though, Vulcans were invulnerable to mind control and notoriously tight-lipped. She would need all her charms and skills in order to extract information from Stenn without him realizing she was using him. He wouldn't be easy to manipulate like Fisher and she didn't have any of her partners in crime here to help her. And in all the years she'd known him, she had never even cracked Spock's shields. So what chance did she have with Stenn?

"Tell me, Mr. Stenn. What is it that you Vulcans seek in a woman? What attracts you?"

"Vulcan males are like any other. We are attracted to females who exude physical beauty, confidence, and intelligence.

"Am I an attractive female?" She asked and the timbre of her voice couldn't quite hide the vulnerability that question exposed.

"Yes, Miss Uhura you are very attractive."

"So then, why does Mr. Spock spurn all my advances?"

"He has his reasons."

"Yes, but what are they?" she pleaded.

"Mr. Spock guards his privacy and above all else, he demands loyalty from those close to him. Were I to betray him, my life would be forfeit."

"Are you afraid of Spock?"

"I respect his authority. He is a competent first officer and under his leadership, our missions have been successful, our losses minimal, and our profits high. He is generous with his rewards and harsh in his punishments. It is only logical that I remain loyal to him."

"Is that all it takes to buy your loyalty, Mr. Stenn? Could you ever be persuaded over to another's side?"

"You cannot buy my loyalty. However, I could be very loyal to someone who is worthy of it."

"Interesting. So if I cannot buy loyalty then what would it take for you to be loyal to me?"

"Everything has a price but not everyone possesses the proper currency. A Terran could never afford my services."

"Oh no? And why is that Mr. Stenn?"

Once again Stenn looked as if he were struggling to solve a puzzle in his mind. It occurred to Uhura that Stenn was fighting the intoxication infection but unlike Spock, he was no match for the sickness and soon he spilled his guts to her in a vitriolic rant.

"You Terrans lack the integrity and compassion of a true sentient race. You are incapable of loyalty and you are easily led astray by your own greed and violent emotional tendencies. Your duplicity is well known throughout the galaxy and it will lead to your eventual downfall."

"Those are dangerous words Mr. Stenn. I could have you arrested and executed for treason against the Empire."

"As you say, I could snap you in two," Stenn snapped his fingers in front of her face just as Uhura had done before.

Uhura clutched at imaginary pearls on her neck, "Are you threatening me, Mr. Stenn?"

"Are you threatening me, Miss Uhura?" he countered taking a step towards her.

"Computer playback audio recording, rewind five-minute mark." The computer played back the conversation between Uhura and Stenn including Stenn's treasonous rant. "Computer end playback and encrypt recording under my voice authorization only."

"You think you are clever? That was not a wise thing to do Miss Uhura. Delete that recording," Stenn demanded as he crowded her against a wall.

"No, I don't think so, Mr. Stenn. I think if you harm me Spock will harm you and neither one of us wants that do we?"

"What do you want woman?"

"I want you to take me to the auxiliary control room," she grinned at him in triumph. "Do that and I'll destroy the record tape."

"And how do I know I can trust you?"

"Because I said so, and you don't really have a choice."

"Perhaps I should kill you right now." In a flash, he wrapped his big hand around her neck and slammed her head against the wall. "Kill two birds with one stone, as you humans say."

"There's no profit in killing me." She croaked out while trying to free herself.

"There is no profit in letting you go either."

"You get to live and I get to help Spock. We both win, now let me go Stenn! I'm not trying to hurt you. I don't even care about you at all. I just want Spock. That's all I want."

"Why?" He asked as he casually held her in check. "Why are you pursuing Spock when he has rejected you numerous times? You could have any man on this ship. You could have me," he said and he pressed her body against the wall with his own solid form and then he rubbed their cheeks together while inhaling in her scent. "If you want a Vulcan Miss Uhura, you can have me right now."

This was not how her plan was supposed to go. Stenn was supposed to do what she told him to do, not pin her to the wall of her own cabin! And she couldn't blame anyone but herself since she had infected him on purpose.

She couldn't overpower a Vulcan. She wasn't wearing a weapon which was stupid on her part, not that any of her weapons could stop him anyway. She was going to have to give him what he wanted.

"Alright Stenn, we'll do things your way. Just ease up a little, hmm?" She asked in a humbled voice. "Remember I'm just a weak human female."

Uhura struggled to get a good deep breath in her lungs. Stenn eased up his hold on her neck and took possession of her lips in a bruising kiss. He was not gentle and the kiss had no finesse but she might have enjoyed the experience if he had not been the one in control. She had to realign the balance of power so while his guard down she struck. She grabbed his testicles and squeezed them with all her strength and gave them a twist for good measure.

Big strong Stenn fell to his knees groaning in pain while Uhura made a beeline for the door without looking back.

She heard the welcome swish of the door opening and as she charged through she bumped into an immovable object. She was ready to beat the hell out of whoever was in her way when Commander Spock ordered her to attention.

She looked up into Spock's stern face as he peered over her shoulder to Stenn writhing on her bedroom floor and then he looked back down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, shit!" This just wasn't her day.