Disclaimer: I regret to inform you that Star Trek does not belong to me. I think the franchise would be in a better position if I did own Trek…Spock would have had a part in Nemesis, which would have been about Picard's son, not his clone. Enterprise would have been fighting Romulans, not Suliban, and T'Pol and Phlox would have transferred off the ship by now. And to back up a bit, the bridge? Never would have happened. So, I think it would be nice if I owned Trek. But others richer than I have the copyrights.
I have been internet-less and insanely busy for quite some while, which explains my definite absence. But I'm back from the trip, survived school to hit the weekend, and a new chapter is posting! I think you'll find this one…very interesting.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Since everyone was out late doing such wild things as playing chess, one might expect them to sleep in the next morning. McCoy for one would have enjoyed sleeping in; not that he was out playing chess. He just liked sleeping in. But that was not to be, as the bridge crew, plus McCoy, Scott and Gray, met up in the storeroom once again.
McCoy was not overjoyed, and he felt no reservations about telling Spock so. "I don't see why we're here," McCoy complained.
"To discuss the present situation aboard the Enterprise, regarding Mr. Kirk," Spock said patiently.
"I knew that," McCoy snapped. "But why meet today? Nothing's happened, he hasn't done anything lately. Except fight with pirates and throw a few of his own men in the brig."
"We are meeting today because my calculations indicate that we will arrive at the Romulan Neutral Zone within 2.2572 hours," Spock said calmly, just as though he wasn't dropping a proverbial bombshell.
Judging by the surprised expressions on the faces of those present, no one, not even helm and navigation, had made this calculation. Which would seem a little odd, except that the entire ship, unconsciously and without communication amongst themselves, had adopted the position of focusing on the now, and not thinking about the future and the Romulans looming there. This concentration on the journey was about to become impossible to maintain though, as the journey was quickly coming to an end.
"I was right then," McCoy concluded after a moment. "He hasn't done anything, so we're here to talk about what he's going to do."
Spock ignored him, and continued with the purpose of the meeting. "It appears that the situation of Mr. Kirk is rapidly arriving at a climax. We have avoided any direct action thus far, but soon that will no longer be a viable option. We need to formulate a plan."
"Wait a minute here, Mr. Spock," Gray broke in. "I want to do something about Kirk as much as anybody, but I have to think about my men too. We talked about this before, and agreed we didn't have the resources for direct opposition. Nothing's changed."
"On the contrary, the circumstances have changed," Spock corrected him. "Before, the situation allowed room for reflection, consideration, and passivity. This is no longer the case. We must retake the ship regardless of the risks involved in an attempt of this nature. Otherwise the Romulans will take the Enterprise, nor is the fate of those aboard in any way secure."
"So we bodily take out Kirk, capture the pirates, and regain control of the ship. Don't forget Kirk's still got her on a ten-hour countdown to self-destruct," Gray reminded him.
"I have not forgotten that," Spock said crisply, hitting just the right tone so that everyone present was immediately reminded that Spock never forgot anything. "However, our first priority is preventing the ship from falling into Romulan hands. The survival of the ship comes second."
"According to who?" McCoy asked bluntly.
"Starfleet. Page 96, paragraph two, line three, of the Starfleet Regulations and Guide, Twelfth Edition, copyright 2262, under the heading of 'Surrender to Enemy Ships,'" Spock responded promptly.
"Oh."
"Besides which, even if this course of action does mean the eventual destruction of the Enterprise, while it would be a tragic loss of life and equipment, it is still a preferable option to allowing the ship to fall into Romulan hands. A belligerent empire obtaining an up-to-date Starfleet vessel would be catastrophic for Starfleet in future encounters, as all military secrets and design advantages would be richly exploited."
"Fair enough, but we're going to just toss away four hundred lives?" McCoy challenged.
Spock gave him an impassive look. "If this vessel falls into Romulan hands and the crew with her, we would all be far better off for a self-destruct sequence."
A chill fell over the group at that undeniably truthful statement so bluntly put. Many of those present found themselves thinking on a class they had taken once at Starfleet Academy, in which the topic of falling into enemy hands was covered. There was official advice on what to do if facing interrogation: talk. Talk and talk and talk. Tell everything right from the beginning. Save yourself the pain, because everyone told everything by the end anyway. Yes, if they landed in Romulan hands a self-destruct sequence would look very friendly indeed.
Many of these same people thinking that found it a little hard to stomach the idea that Kirk really would hand them over for the said fate. And yet…he certainly seemed to be planning on it. And while thoughts of chess and parley and, yes, starship captains, floated about, other thoughts of locked bridge controls, false negotiations, promises to kill hundreds if they didn't cooperate, armed phasers and broken promises also made their insidious way into the minds of this tiny group gathered to decide the fate of a starship.
"All right, so we don't have a choice anymore," Gray said slowly, giving voice to the thoughts of all present. "We retake the ship, whatever the cost. The only problem left is how."
"As chief of security, I believe you are more equipped to answer that than I," Spock acknowledged, inclining his head slightly.
"Well…" Gray said thoughtfully, "we have to target Kirk, that much is obvious. He's the one running all the other Sharks. Without him to coordinate and direct them, I think we could pick them off one by one pretty easily. Kirk's not going to be easy to capture though, especially when we're unarmed. We could storm the bridge en masse and, well…hope for the best."
"Very well, we shall leave that as our tacit plan," Spock concluded, regardless of whatever personal thoughts he may have had about a plan that involved "hoping for the best," which was hardly logical.
"So…what about the self-destruct?" Scotty asked uncomfortably, clearly worried about his beloved ship.
"There are numerous possibilities," Spock answered. "I am not entirely convinced that Kirk would allow this ship to be destroyed."
"If our survival depends on calling Kirk's bluff, we'd better make funeral plans," McCoy said dryly. "I don't know that he would destroy us, but I'd rather not depend on him choosing not to."
"Perhaps," was all Spock would say to that. "Our best chance is if we can decipher his code pattern, of course. Have any more been heard?"
"I heard one," Gray volunteered. "April2243, I think it was."
"A girl's name or a month. And another number," Chekov concluded.
"Doesn't ring a bell," McCoy said slowly, not entirely sure his statement was true. He had the odd feeling that he ought to recognize the reference, but he couldn't for the life of him place it. He didn't think Kirk had ever mentioned any past girlfriends…
"It will apparently necessitate further thought," Spock pronounced. "Unfortunate. However, there are other possibilities. We may be able to deactivate the self-destruct, or bribe the pirate, Reeves, to hack into the codes. Regardless, we must do something, and I do not think our prospects are unduly grim."
"So…if all goes well and we retake the ship and don't blow up, what happens afterwards?" McCoy asked, setting aside the issues of both the codes and the self-destruct sequences.
Spock's eyebrow arched upwards. "We will set course for the nearest Federation outpost at maximum speed, contact Starfleet Command at the earliest opportunity, and presumably return to our normal duties in the immediate future."
"Not to us. I meant to Ji—Kirk. What happens to him?" McCoy asked.
"Surely you are aware of the penalties for interfering with Federation shipping and harming Federation citizens, not to mention seizing Starfleet property."
"Remind me," McCoy snapped.
"Twenty years to life on a penal colony," was the bluntly given answer.
McCoy frowned. "Penal colonies are on planets, aren't they?"
The eyebrow arched higher. "Generally speaking."
"Doesn't seem right," McCoy muttered.
Spock blinked. "Penal colonies should not be on planets?"
"No, they shouldn't kill him."
Spock came perilously close to frowning. "Doctor, you are as illuminating as ever. Suffice it to say, I have no conception of what you are trying to make known. Please elaborate."
"Have you talked to Kirk at all? The man's completely obsessed with stars and space travel. Twenty years to life on a penal colony—on a planet—would kill him."
Spock was unperturbed. "That is something he should have considered before he took to a life of crime."
"Yes, I know," McCoy said sourly. "It still doesn't seem right though."
Both eyebrows went up now. "You are becoming sympathetic towards Mr. Kirk."
"I am not!" McCoy denied emphatically, and glared at Spock for a moment. Finally he sighed. "Well, yeah, maybe a little. He's just not what you'd expect from a pirate. Whatever he's done, he's really kind of likable." McCoy looked around the storeroom. "I can't be the only one who thinks so."
"He could be a lot worse," Uhura offered. "Some of his men are, for that matter, and he keeps them in line."
"Well, that's something," McCoy said dubiously, though it wasn't exactly the vote of agreement he'd been looking for. Uhura wasn't the last to speak though.
"He appreciates starships." To Mr. Scott, this was all-important.
"He knows some incredible maneuvers for ships," Sulu put in.
"And Captain Lowell could learn something from him about rule enforcement," Gray contributed.
Chekov frowned. "He is a rat and a Cossack, but…he is exciting. But he is also a criminal and should be in the brig," he added hastily.
"Precisely," Spock said at once. "Regardless of how interesting Mr. Kirk may be, he is still a criminal, which makes our duty clear."
"And of course you had duty uppermost in mind when you played chess with him yesterday," McCoy said pointedly.
Spock stiffened just slightly. "That is beside the point."
"Come on, admit it. You like him just as much as any of us."
"My personal opinions are irrelevant, Doctor," Spock said sharply. "I am aware of my duty as a Starfleet officer."
"So we have to send him to a penal colony," McCoy snapped.
"I fail to see an alternative," Spock said. "I hardly see a reasonable possibility in abandoning our duty and our oaths, joining Mr. Kirk's gang, and leaving him in command of the Enterprise. I believe Starfleet would be somewhat perturbed by one of their starships suddenly turning criminal."
"Yes, somewhat," McCoy said sarcastically.
"We would undoubtedly be hunted down, the ship would be seized, we would be court-martialed, and we would all very likely accompany Mr. Kirk to the aforementioned penal colony. Surely you are not proposing this course of action, Doctor?"
"No, I'm not proposing that," McCoy said sourly.
"Nor can we allow him to sell this ship to the Romulans, as we established earlier."
"Of course ve cannot," Chekov said firmly.
"And so there are no remaining alternatives," Spock concluded. "We must retake the ship. Therefore we must take Mr. Kirk into custody, where he must face the consequences of his actions, as decided by Federation law."
The group was silent for a long moment.
"I wish there were some choices, but there really aren't any," McCoy admitted finally. "And it's not like we're sending him to a kangaroo court."
"A kangaroo—"
"Don't ask, Spock. Anyway, he'll get justice, that's fair enough."
"He is a Cossack," Chekov said.
"And he has attacked a lot of ships," Scott admitted.
"And robbed a lot of people," Gray added.
"It's just too bad he has to be likable," McCoy concluded.
~~***~~~
It is too bad, isn't it? Makes life hard. Now to respond:
Cyrogenie: Spock vs. Kirk chess games are fun; you can get all kinds of interesting conversations and thoughts in over a chessboard. And I did have a great holiday, thanks!
Scifimimi: Of course parley was from Moscow. Would Chekov make that up?
AliciF: Ah, the hazards of reading where one can't laugh out loud…I've been there.
MySchemingMind1: Did the Russians really invent parley? Well, actually, that would be the French. Latin-based of course. The inventors of mayonnaise. It's a shame about the French, really. Completely obsessed with raisins. Humiliated grapes. Think about it. Am I quoting Pirates of the Caribbean? Oh definitely. And I had fun with the Kirk, Sulu, Chekov conversation too, in which Kirk basically…doesn't react. Even though they hit a member of his gang over the head. And Carl did deserve it, anyway.
Alania: Hehe, I amuse myself with the Pirate lines. 'tis fun, once in a while. And somehow I thought you might notice the appearance of Jones. Brief, but he's there! On more serious notes, Kirk is definitely having loyalty issues…just whose side is he on? We shall see…
Fool of an Elf: I guess you won't get here for awhile, but that's okay, glad you're enjoying the story! I would be delighted to send you a picture of Kirk in a leather jacket, but I don't see an e-mail on your bio page…
MySchemingMind2: Kirk is definitely treading onto dangerous ground. And I'll tell you this, it's going to get a lot more lethal very soon. Further details my lips are sealed on. The Spock scenes were fun for me, I just loved the idea of having them playing chess even in the alternate universe where they're supposed to be enemies. But I think we can safely say Kirk's trying to change that. Though it's not an easy job, either…
Anonymous: Actually, I wrote nothing over my trip, but the muse struck with a vengeance once I got home, thankfully. As for borrowing, you're welcome to it all. My only rule is that you can't kill Jones. I'm very free with story elements, as long as people ask.
Unrealistic: The chess match was fun. And nope, couldn't resist giving Jones the world's smallest cameo.
Samantha: Well, as you can probably tell from this chapter, I wouldn't say that Chekov's come around precisely…but he is starting to like Kirk in spite of himself, which is leaving him not entirely sure where he stands. I'm glad you liked the character moments; you're making me feel good here! As for Kirk and Scotty…yes. But not for a few more chapters.
GypsyGirl: Distracting from work, dear dear. But then, I've distracted myself often enough. An old flame would have been interesting, as would seeing Kirk get slapped. I considered a romance, but decided it would be unnecessarily distracting from the themes I already have running. As to your question, I don't think he does know. I'm not sure anybody does, though I guess medical would have to. You can be sure Spock is even more embarrassed about his human side in this universe than in the normal one. Glad you're enjoying the story!
PearlGirl: I love Disneyland! Or Disneyworld, whichever. Pirate songs! hehe… and certainly, Spock needs friends. He just doesn't know it.
Emp: Reading at home? Unthinkable!
Mzsnaz: Slowly brewing…a good description of the whole story, actually. But we're coming up on things a bit more fast-paced I think… I don't think he'll throw all the Sharks in the brig. Though that might not be a bad idea.
Beedrill: Yer back! And making heroic efforts at catching up. Let's see…14, same Kirky quirks. Thank you, and that is hard to say! And no, I don't love Phlox…never forgave him for feeding the tribble to the reptile. But I like Enterprise in general. 15, Harry's definitely a jolly pirate, and there's definitely Pirates lines. 16, I'm forcing smiles? I think that's good. Wonderful observations regarding Kirk and McCoy, those are issues that are going to keep on. 17, tears up? Really? I didn't know it was that sad…and I don't think his mother does know Kirk is a pirate. I think he probably sends her a letter every six months or so just to let her know he's still alive, and doesn't mention that he's turned to crime because, deep down, he's embarrassed and doesn't want him mom to know. As for "just James T. Kirk." Exactly. We know him as THE greatest starship captain…but that didn't happen in this universe. If you're curious, this is the second of only three times he's been referred to by his full name in what I've written so far. 18, glad you liked the disclaimer! 19, ah, someone else who knew the name reference. It was rather random though. And I agree, that was one of Uhura's better moments. 20, bantering is fun. And that Spock and happiness line was thrown in at the very end. Funny how inspiration comes at the last moment sometimes. 21, well, it wasn't a happy conversation. But it was better than the one Spock had with Lowell way back in chapter two. 22, I'm so glad you can see the scenes! I picture them as I write them, and I'm glad I'm getting it across. Along with the emotions of the scene of course. 23, considering your usual reviews, speechless is rather amazing…lol!
'tis all. More soon.