Chapter 13 - Need, Part 2
Spock elevated his mind up out of the deep meditation necessary to recover from his lesson. Outside the apartment windows, the air was faceted with reflected cloudy light. Zienn remained sitting, fingers steepled before him. Spock stood up from the floor.
"Cadet."
Overlander sat on one of the stools, drinking tea that filled the apartment with roasted raspberry scent. Spock stopped beside the high counter and waited to be addressed further.
"You have another install this week I saw on the schedule. The engine work will be in progress while you're in there. It will be harried, but a good experience for you. This the last install window you need?"
"Yes, sir. Barring any unforeseen difficulties."
"Nothing is ever completely unforeseen, with enough insight."
Spock nodded. "I may have used imprecise human language, sir. My apologies."
Overlander smiled. "I'm teasing you. But it is one of my mantras. Along with there is no such thing as the unexpected, just poor planning based on too much optimism."
"Indeed, sir. I understand that these are attempts to inspire the effort required to avoid intellectual laziness."
"Engineers are born lazy. So, yes. But I want to hear how your experience has gone. Report, Cadet."
"Crewperson Hully has been extremely helpful and patient with my errors. I have gained experience with careful procedure. I again would like to express my gratitude for your allowing me to proceed with this assignment."
Overlander sipped her tea, ran her tongue over the front of her teeth. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Nothing else?"
Spock shook his head.
"You're sure?"
"Yes, sir."
She put her tea down. "If you are sure . . ."
"There is one thing, sir. I was hoping, for the purposes of my class assignment, to obtain a copy of the data, even a few minutes of data, from any trial run with the new engines powered."
She lifted her chin. "That's an acceptable request, but one best taken up with the chief."
"Of course, sir."
She put her mug down but held onto the handle. "Are you going to do that?"
Spock had spent the afternoon observing and practicing advanced techniques for controlling expressions of his emotions, but his arms warmed with his reaction to this prospect. "I will do so, sir."
"It's a reasonable request. You can tell the chief I said so."
Spock nodded. "Yes, sir."
"You've got a bit to learn yet, Spock." This was stated with hitch of affection. "But get going with your day. I have to get to the ship for a shift."
"Yes, sir."
Spock departed, expression flat and inward.
Overlander waited until she heard the lift pneumatics shift pressure out in the corridor, indicating Spock was out of hearing range. She looked into her tea mug. "My chief's trying to make him miserable and he won't say boo about it."
Zienn opened his eyes. "It is short term."
"Perfect time to learn better how to deal with it. Not ignore it." She stood up, ran her artificial fingers through her hair. "Maybe I can find a way to intervene in some remotely positive fashion. We'll see."
Kirk stood on the bridge of the USS Hampton at the rail near the command chair beside First Officer Hogan. Graham sat in the chair, but looked ready to jump out of it, as usual. She wasn't the type to relax, which Kirk could understand. But he had no trouble losing himself in the mental tasks of a ship and staying put for ten minutes at a go. It made him suspect her mind was elsewhere too often.
The USS Hampton had formally requested docking a half hour earlier and had been directed to Runith, the farthest most orbital station around Vulcan. Graham had the station on comm and was having difficulty arranging things the way Starfleet's instructions to them indicated. She leaned over the armrest to talk as if instinctively believing the mic pickup was the problem with their communication. The Vulcans were suggesting transport, rather than have the Hampton docking directly.
"Whatever way we move bodies, we have to have a formal debriefing to finalize our end," Graham said for a third time. She pushed the comm stud off. Muttered to the bridge, "Damn they are obstinate. I want to tell them to forget it."
"By the way, sir, Vulcans are the masters of ultimatums." Kirk attempted to sound light and helpful.
"So I shouldn't try that game with them, you are saying? I'd make you handle this if I could."
"Just the usual advice of not playing to their strengths."
"Oh, I can out stubborn them. Want to see me try?"
Engineering turned around with a grin.
"I can see they've got docking space." She sat back, elbows up. "They clearly want us no closer in. If not out of orbit entirely."
Kirk glanced at her, refrained from pointing out that they might still be a little touchy after the incident with the Potemkin. No doubt, they were making a bureaucratic point about Hampton's presence.
The comm chirped. A new voice, even more stilted than the last came on. "We have reserved bay eleven. Is this acceptable?"
"Yes. Thank you." She hit the stud again. "Finally. Helm, get us in."
She hopped out of the chair as if never wanting to get back in it. "Come on, Kirk. Let's wrap this up. Comm, have my Yeoman meet me at the docking bay on Deck 3 with the Healers. Hogan, take the conn."
She halted the lift at Deck 3. "Since you keep trying your best to make things run smoothly, Commander Kirk, why don't you go get the prisoners ready to go so we don't have trouble on that end too."
He wanted to tell her to behave herself with the Vulcan escort, but smiled wryly instead. He nodded officially, pushed the lever for the lower decks.
Kirk stood before the security field on Zuram's cell. All the prisoners had come to stand at the fields, watching him.
"We seem to be repeating ourselves, Commander," Kirk said in Vulcan. "Despite your history, I regret that you weren't left in better conditions previously. War makes it hard to conduct oversight."
"In many ways better there than here."
"I get the sense they don't want you on the planet. If that's any consolation."
"We might disturb their tranafkutz, their communal mind sense. We are now outcasts not outliers."
"You exiled yourselves. Being part of a community means giving up a little. If your pride won't let you do that, then it's irreconcilable and I have nothing to offer you."
The door to security swished open and was held open by the foot of one of the guards, who collectively put their hands on their hips, right above their weapons and held them there. The ten-Vulcan escort from the station wore imposing gray and white robes in various styles, and appeared to be a diplomatic delegation more than a security detail. They also appeared to be completely unarmed.
"How many at a time?" Graham said, her eyes taking them in the same way Kirk just had.
A shorter Vulcan with more ornate robes said, "Five to six."
Security dropped the field on one of the three cells and, weapons in hand, gestured for them to exit. At the docking bay, the lead Vulcan turned to Graham. "Your personnel will not be allowed on the station. Especially not armed."
"You're going to take them from here, Starn?" Her face shifted several times from amused to mocking. "Sure. Your problem now." She gestured at the interlock and beyond where the station gangway stretched away, stepped aside, stood with hands latched behind her.
With two in the lead walking backwards and three behind, a Vulcan took apparently visual charge of each prisoner and after stern glares all around, stepped off the ship.
Graham remained beside the portal, glanced down it a few times until it was clear. Waited another three minutes staring at the floor.
She looked across at Kirk. "I'm very close to handing this off to you. We need to inspect. We need a full formal debriefing. 'Fleet will pitch a fit after what happened if we don't get at least those two out of them."
Kirk nodded, forced himself into the present. The wating lull hadn't been good for him. He felt more alone than he should in the wake of the crowd departing, despite security still standing around them at ready.
They transfered Zuram's cell on the second round. Again, Kirk, Graham and company waited at the portal for the escorts to return.
When they did, Graham said, "Hold up. Kirk and I are going with you for the last round. We have to inspect the new facilities."
Starn turned to her. "After you failed to provide adequate ones yourself?"
Graham did a slow blink. "Yes."
Starn, "I do not have authorization to allow you on this station."
Graham took a small step forward, leaned in. "Since when has that been a problem? Your station is in Federation Space, high orbit. We're here on official business."
Kirk glanced away. He would hate to be interrupted at this moment if it were him.
Graham said, "I can go over your head." She counted out on her fingers, spoke slowly. "We are required to inspect. We are required to debrief you. You have no legal standing to turn us away. Keep stalling and we're going to be here even longer. You aren't going to push us back until you meet our perfectly reasonable demands."
Starn glanced at another of the escorts, then at the Healers who were standing off to the side, hands steepled, serene. Kirk appreciated them even more than he had before.
"It does not please us to have you and your armed ship here," Starn said. "We have already conceded to your presence."
Graham breathed in and out once, raised a brow. "Listen, buddy. This is my ship, under my command. Do you understand that, chain of command thing?"
Kirk swallowed. Wanted her to look to him, signal that she was handing things off.
Starn nodded, slowly, crookedly.
"My ship," Graham said. "Is not going to do anything untoward here. I assure you of that. Is that your problem?"
Starn didn't respond. Kirk expected he couldn't without breaking propriety.
Kirk spoke into the silence. "Commander Graham? They certainly don't know any details. I was following your hearings as closely as public info allowed. Starfleet didn't share much outside the diplomatic corps. We're just another Starfleet ship."
Graham stared at Kirk. "Want to take this over?"
"If you wish."
Kirk turned to Starn, switched to Vulcan. "Honored Starn, we seem to be at an impasse. if I may have a word with you in private?" Kirk had been listening to Spock and Zienn speaking the temple dialect. He threw that into the honorifics, let the rest of his half invented language fall where it may.
The sternness eased from Starn's face. Curiosity started to intrude. He glanced down at Kirk's weapon. Kirk held his hand phaser out for the nearest security crewmember to take it, held his hands out as he'd seen Spock do.
Starn nodded almost too faintly to detect.
Kirk looked around, led the way to a maintenance access cabin just aft last larger large portal used for resupply. The door sealed behind them.
Starn's face had a soft brow, less prominent, like Spock's family tended to. He was short for a Vulcan and their gazes were level with each other. Kirk settled into a matter of fact attitude. "You are personally and professionally insulting Commander Graham, Honored Starn in a manner you would regret if you understood more of the situation."
There was a long pause. "Explain."
"I realize it probably seems the Hampton is just another vessel you would prefer remained outside your star system. But the Hampton's commander, Graham, put her life at risk to save your world. She disobeyed outranking officers and damaged the Potemkin so it could be disabled. She had to withstand deadly fire on her location to accomplish this." Kirk wanted to gesture, gripped his hands into fists instead. "Actually ordered fire on herself. I know this because I was there. I honestly thought she could not survive it. In the aftermath of her disobedience and the difficulties inside Starfleet, her career barely did."
Kirk relaxed his hands at his sides "I understand your animosity toward us as an organization, especially at the moment, but at the personal level, you are not representing your people well. I felt it my responsibility to inform you of this."
Starn began studying Kirk more closely as if attempting non touch telepathy.
Kirk said, "I realize my Vulcan is inventive. Am I communicating here?"
"Yes. I understand you."
"This ship's two highest ranking officers, myself and Graham, both were there, defending your world. Just as the rest of Starfleet was trying to be."
"Your officers are one aspect of the events. The inclination is still endemic."
Kirk sighed. "It might be. It will ease now that the Militants are no longer acting with impunity." Kirk stood straighter. "Can I, on behalf of Commander Graham, request your cooperation, Honored Starn?"
"I am curious where you learned such Vulcan. You are using an old temple honorific system of suffixes. How did you know I would know it?"
"I didn't. I'm just doing the best I can here to show respect."
Starn's expression was no longer stoic, but Kirk couldn't interpret it. "Since you have explained, as you say, at a personal level, yes, you may request better cooperation."
Kirk bowed faintly. "Thank you."
"Again, with the temple language. I am curious what your personal story is since you shared with me another's."
Kirk reached for the door trigger, tilted his head. "I'm surprised Vulcans don't consider curiosity an emotion."
Starn's brows went up.
Kirk smiled. "As to my story. Ask Zuram. He might tell you. And it would give you two a chance to talk." He triggered the door. Held back on smiling more at Starn's increased confusion.
Graham was standing at the portal, arms crossed, leaning back against the corner of it. It didn't look comfortable.
Starn told the escorts in Vulcan that they would be honoring Graham's requests. Graham looked to Kirk, who nodded.
Graham rocked herself straight. "Thank the bird. Let's get this over with." She took off in the direction of the brig.
Starn turned to Kirk, watched him pass with one of those incapable of understanding humans expressions.
