Uhura makes her move and Spock makes his.

Spock said nothing about the compromising position he caught Uhura and Stenn in. Instead, he produced the hypo containing the antidote for illness plaguing the ship. He administered a dose of the antidote to Stenn and Uhura and then asked them for a report.

Stenn confessed that Uhura asked him into her cabin for a drink and then he doesn't remember everything that happened after that until he was given the antidote and regained his senses. He also noted he was in acute pain from Uhura's self-defense.

Uhura corroborated Stenn's account and explained that they had a 'disagreement' just before Spock arrived and she attacked Stenn in self-defense.

"Very well," Spock said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Mister Stenn your agonizer, please?"

"Oh no! Mister Spock, please don't. It wasn't Stenn's fault. I um... I initiated everything."

Spock turned cold eyes on her, "I will attend to you, next Lieutenant. Mr. Stenn was given an order which he disobeyed. He understands his duty to me and his failure."

"Yes sir!" Stenn agreed.

"But he was infected! Spock, everyone was infected. You can't hold us all responsible for what happened while out of our minds."

"Was he infected when he entered your quarters?" Spock asked.

Uhura hung her head and shook it.

"Your agonizer Mr. Stenn?" Spock repeated the request.

Stenn handed Spock the agonizer and took his punishment silently as a Vulcan should. Uhura couldn't bear to watch so she kept her head down. This was all her fault.

When that was complete, Spock ordered Stenn back to his quarters until further notice. When he left, Spock focused his attention on Uhura.

"You take a lot of chances Lieutenant."

Uhura shrugged her shoulders. "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take Mr. Spock. Here let's just get this over with." She handed him her agonizer.

"I don't think that will be necessary, lieutenant. I trust you have learned a valuable lesson about luring Vulcans into your bedroom?"

"I did indeed," she agreed. "I learned Vulcans are not so immune to my advances. It must only be you."

Spock ignored the jab and looked her over thoroughly, noting her disheveled appearance. Her normal meticulously coiffed hair was in disarray and her mascara was smudged. Her lips were also unusually plump and swollen, no doubt a result of her encounter with Stenn. She also still wore his bloodstained uniform shirt. Her appearance moved something in him and if he were an ordinary man, Spock would be murderously angry at the idea of Stenn putting his hands on Uhura. But he was not an ordinary man. He was a Vulcan, and he was in strict control of his emotions.

"You should be more careful Miss Uhura." He carefully lifted his hand to brush a stray curl away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Then he lifted her chin so she was looking into his eyes. "The next time you disobey me Lieutenant I may not be so forgiving." His eyes held hers for a moment and then Spock broke the connection and withdrew his touch.

"You've had a very eventful day and therefore you are confined to quarters until further notice." With that Spock turned left her alone in her quarters with only her thoughts for company. And Uhura thought two things. Spock did not punish her with the agonizer as he should have, and he did not ask for his uniform shirt back.

*/*/*

Uhura caught up to Stenn a few days later while he was working out alone in the ship's gymnasium. She stood in the doorway and admired his impeccable form. When he suddenly noticed her, he immediately straightened up and stiffly stood at attention in front of her.

"Lieutenant, how may I be of service?"

"Oh, you're fine." Uhura looked Stenn up and down, her eyes stopping briefly on the bulge in the front of his tight workout pants. "I see our little entanglement hasn't caused you any permanent damage?"

"No. I would like to apologize for my behavior that day. My only excuse is that I was not myself as I was infected with the intoxication sickness."

"Apology not accepted. No offense is received where none was intended. We were all a bit out of our minds that day. I think we should all let bygones be bygones. Though I don't know how successful we'll be when they are still cleaning blood from the lower decks." She shook her head and make a taking sound.

"However, there is something you can do for me, Mr. Stenn. Tell me why Vulcans, and Spock in particular, have a disdain for human females?"

"We have no disdain for humanity," Stenn says.

"Stenn, we're old friends now, you and me. And friends don't lie to one another."

"Vulcans do not lie."

"No? Well, how do you explain this?" She pulled out a mini tape player from her thigh boot and played the recording of their bedroom entanglement. Stenn turned an interesting shade of gray not seen in a Vulcan before.

"Mister Stenn need I remind you of the penalty for treason against the Empire?" Uhura asked.

"That is unnecessary."

"Good. Now then, all I want to know is a little about your Vulcan history and culture. Why is that so difficult?"

"It is forbidden. And I will not betray my people."

"I'm not asking you to betray anyone. I mean you and your people no harm. I like you Stenn despite our little mishap. I didn't want to hurt you. It was partially my fault."

Stenn looked incredulous at her audacity. "Partially?"

"Yes well, you didn't hesitate to follow me into my quarters against orders. That was your choice."

"Agreed, a very misguided choice."

"Let's just forget about that and start over. You wash my hand and I'll wash yours."

"And how will you wash my hand, Miss Uhura?"

"Tell me what I want to know and I'll give you the record tape."

"I will not betray my people."

Uhura growled in frustration. "Are all Vulcans this damn stubborn?"

"There is no need to insult Vulcans, Miss Uhura."

"It's a mere observation. You and your boss are stubborn. I conclude it's a common Vulcan trait."

"This is all about Spock, isn't it?" Stenn asked.

"What else could it be about? I'm in the habit of getting what I want and I want Spock. Don't think I'll give up so easily. Think over my proposition Mr. Stenn, but don't take too long. That recording could be deadly if it fell into the wrong hands."

"Indeed it could," Stenn said as he watched Uhura sashay away. He was beginning to see why Spock avoided the Terran female. His momentary lapse in judgment might just prove fatal for him.

*/*/*

Stenn immediately reported his meeting with Uhura to Spock.

"Report, Mr. Stenn?" Spock commanded.

"She asked me to give her information about Vulcan society and history."

"And that is all?"

"Yes sir."

"Did you tell her anything?"

"No sir, of course not. I am Vulcan." Stenn stood up proudly.

"I see." Spock nodded his head. "Very well then Mr. Stenn you are dismissed."

Spock went to his computer and opened the newly decrypted file he had been studying. He heard Stenn's voice as he ranted against the Empire. He had played the recording over and over again, listening to Uhura seduce Stenn and Stenn's outburst. Uhura was surely blackmailing Stenn and Stenn was keeping secrets from him. The whole thing was a mess but Spock was a specialist at removing messy things and messy people from his life.

He already knew Uhura had entrapped Mr. Fisher for her schemes and now she was after Stenn. Why? Was it as simple as wanting to sleep with him to add another notch to her bedpost or was she after something more dubious? She was not the only crewmember suddenly curious about Vulcans recently.

Spock spun around in his chair as he thought about the enigma that was Nyota Uhura. "What is your game Miss Uhura?" he wondered as he contemplated his next move.

*/*/*

Uhura was pleasantly surprised when she opened her cabin door to see Spock standing on the threshold late one evening. Was he finally taking her up on her numerous advances?

"Mr. Spock, to what do I owe the pleasure?" She grinned.

Spock stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. As soon as the door closed behind him he got down to business. "Miss Uhura you have something I want."

"Oh, really Mr. Spock? You know I'm always ready, willing, and able to do whatever you want." Uhura grinned at Spock and led him over to the dining area of her quarters. "Would you like a drink? Tea perhaps?"

"I would like for you to give me the record tape you made of Mr. Stenn."

Uhura's smile faltered and she abruptly sat down. "Record tape? What record tape?" She asked in all innocence.

Spock took a seat as well. "The security encrypted tape you recorded of your incident with Stenn in your bedroom."

"Why would I have something like that?" she asked as if it was the silliest of questions

"Do you deny it?"

"If I did, would you believe me?"

"No," Spock said.

"And why is that Mr. Spock? Why don't you trust me?"

"Trust is difficult to win and easy to lose," he said.

"Then what must I do to win your trust?"

"Telling me the truth would be a good start."

"Have I ever lied to you, Spock?"

"Have you ever told me the truth?"

"We're playing word games here, Spock. I'd much rather play something else."

"This is no game, Miss Uhura, but the stakes are life and death. You are a competent officer-"

"Only competent?" she interrupted.

Spock corrected himself, "You are a highly skilled communications officer with talents far beyond your field of study."

"Okay, go on..." she encouraged him.

"You are well-liked by most of the crew and you have not committed any significant crimes that I am aware of."

"Because I'm a good girl," she preened.

"That remains to be seen," he said seriously.

Seeing that Spock was not here for a mere social call Uhura got serious as well. "Okay. I'm a competent officer with extracurricular talents. Where does that get me?"

"Miss Uhura, I would like to trust you."

"Than do it."

"Give me the tape," he requested again.

"Why?"

"Because Stenn's life depends on it. Give me the tape and I will answer your questions about Vulcans."

Uhura was shocked. How did he know about that already? "He told you didn't he?" she asked angrily.

"He who Miss Uhura? Mr. Stenn or Mr. Fisher?" Spock calmly asked.

"Damn you! How do you know about Fisher? Are you spying on me?"

"I make it my business to know about everything that happens on this ship. You and your friends are allowed a certain amount of leeway down below decks because it keeps morale up. Fisher was an easy mark for you; however, he's not savvy enough to play this game."

"Spock my life is not a game and neither is yours."

"And neither is Stenn's. That tape could ruin not only his life but that of his family, Miss Uhura. It's not Stenn that you're after, it is me. Give me the tape and I will accommodate you."

"If I did have such a tape, why would Stenn tell you about it and why would I give it to you? As you say it could ruin his life. Maybe you're the one out to hurt Stenn?"

"I have no reason to harm Mr. Stenn. He is under my employ. If he cannot be trusted or if he has been compromised he will have to be replaced. Do you want that Miss Uhura?"

"What do I have to do with it? As you said Mr. Spock, trust is easily lost. If you don't trust Stenn what does that have to do with me?"

"You have admitted to luring him into your quarters."

"Yeah, where he tried to rape me," she countered.

"I believe you said you were consenting adults, did you not?"

"Consent ends when one partner expresses a desire to stop proceeding."

"So you admit you consented initially?"

"I admit nothing! Look, I'm not on trial here. You already punished both Stenn and me for disobeying your orders. So I think as much as I normally enjoy your company, I'll have to ask you to leave Mr. Spock." Uhura stood with outraged dignity and was ready to show Spock the door when he caught her arm and pulled her up short.

"I don't think so, Miss Uhura. You have something I want and I have something you want. This is your favorite scenario, isn't it?"

She looked down at his hand encircling her arm and shivered, "I don't know what you mean."

"I mean, you like to make deals Miss Uhura. Let us make a deal?"

She looked up at him with a sly grin, "What did you have in mind?"