Author's Note: Thanks for the lovely reviews! Slightly shorter chapter this time...
CHAPTER 3.
Kirk slept in as long as possible the next day, woken by a comm from Sulu.
"We've just landed at Babel, Captain."
"Thank you, Lieutenant." Kirk grabbed a clean uniform shirt from beside his bed. "I'll be personally accompanying Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda off the ship, can you make sure the security team are ready?"
"Affirmative, Captain."
"Perfect." Kirk pulled the shirt on hastily. "I'll be there in 20 minutes. Is the skeleton crew clear on the overhauls?"
"Yes, sir. Scotty's already down in the Engine Room and Lieutenant Uhura and I will start once everybody's disembarked. I haven't checked with Nurse Chapel-"
"Doctor McCoy will be running the overhaul this time around," Kirk interrupted. "Change of plans, sorry. Chapel will head down with the rest of the medical team, and you can report to McCoy if you need anything whilst aboard."
"Yes, Captain. And er…"
"What is it, Lieutenant?"
"Well, just a few of the crew were wondering… Mr Spock, is he…?"
Kirk smiled to himself. "Recovering nicely. And the concern is appreciated. Kirk out."
The journey from the Enterprise was an awkward one. The friction between Spock's parents did not present as it may have done in a human couple, but bland comments that might otherwise have seemed inconsequential became suddenly laced with meaning. Kirk was not the only one who noticed, with some moments so tense that it even had members of the security contingent raising their eyebrows and exchanging looks. Kirk didn't think he had ever felt so sympathetic towards his First Officer. It was bad enough attempting to mediate between Sarek and Amanda for just a few hours - he could only imagine what it must have been like growing up in such an environment or, God forbid, to be at the receiving end of such icy ire.
At last, they reached the Babel Conference Centre. To Kirk it more resembled a venue for an Earth music festival than for an official debate on political matters. Several makeshift structures formed of taught tarpaulin emblazoned with the Starfleet Logo were sprawled across Babel's dusty, desert surface. From one of these, Captain Ana Ashtad of the Starship Farrafgut emerged.
"Captain Kirk!"
Kirk raised a hand in greeting as she jogged over.
"A pleasure to see you again." She shook his hand warmly, then turned to Amanda and Sarek and raised her hand in a Vulcan salute. "Ambassador Sarek, Lady Amanda, a pleasure to meet you face to face. We have your attacker in interrogation, Lady Amanda, under a heavy security detail. And I understand you yourselves are in the capable hands of the Enterprise's security team?"
"Indeed," Sarek answered. "Though I trust you know, Captain, that the man who attacked my wife was dressed in the uniform of a Starfleet officer?"
"I did know, yes. A stowaway?"
"Captain Kirk is unaware. Perhaps your own officers' interrogation will yield more results."
"We appreciate your assistance, Captain Ashtad," Amanda added pointedly. "Perhaps now we could go and get settled into our quarters?"
Ashtad agreed readily. "An excellent idea. Captain Kirk, would you accompany me for a moment? It would be good to discuss the conference security measures with you."
She waited until Amanda and Sarek were out of earshot before turning to Kirk with a knowing smile. "I think I may have just pulled out of a difficult situation."
"Your sense of timing is impeccable as always," Kirk said gratefully. "How are you, Ana?"
Kirk and Ashtad had both served aboard the Farragut together, although she was a Lieutenant and he only an ensign at the time. Following Garrovick's death she was promoted to First Officer and then Captain, a role she had served in now for almost three years.
"Starfleet commanded I stay planet side to keep an eye on security, but the Farragut's on an emergency supply run." Ashtad looked longingly to the sky. "It makes me uneasy, having her in someone else's hands."
"I understand," Kirk sympathized. "The Enterprise is only a mile away, in dry dock, and I'm itching to get back on the Bridge. Still, I'm sure you trust... who is your First Officer these days?"
"These days my First is on paternity leave. And his replacement is..." She hesitated a moment, then settled for, "Well-meaning."
"But inexperienced?" Kirk hazarded a guess, knowing he'd hit the nail on the head from the glint in Ashtad's eye. She didn't voice this aloud however, only asked,
"And what about your First... Spock, isn't it? I would have thought he might have been better suited to liaising with the Ambassador, given they're from the same planet."
"Oh, it's far more complicated than you think."
Ashtad raised an eyebrow, Vulcan-like but for her sly grin. "Well in that case, let's get some coffee and you can catch me up."
They went to the designated canteen and each sat with a cup of replicator coffee in front of them. Towards the far end of the makeshift structure, Starfleet Officers from the Farragut carried tables and chairs and positioned them across the room in preparation for breakfast the next day. Kirk related all that had happened so far on this ill-fated trip to Babel, from the murder of Ambassador Gav, to Thelev and the Orion plot, and finally to the most recent attack on Lady Amanda.
"That is... quite the story."
"Starfleet didn't fill you in?"
Ashtad grimaced. "Since Eccleston left, the reports have been a little less organised than usual. And Commander Spock is the Ambassador's son? I didn't even know he was half-human."
"He's a very private individual. I didn't even know about his connection to Sarek until this mission. And everything that's happened since, the Orions and his father's ill health and now this reaction to the Rigellian drug and the attack on Lady Amanda..."
"Do you think it's all linked?"
Kirk shook his head. "The Orions were calculated and cunning. The attack on Amanda was a botch job, rushed and ill-thought out. There's something else going on here."
Ashtad nodded slowly. "Well, my end has been a little simpler than yours. We've got 50 security crew planet side, so combined with yours that's at least 2 Starfleet officers for every delegate."
"I know that should be reassuring..." Kirk dropped his voice, to be sure that none of the Officers in the canteen could hear him. "But there are no guarantees here, Ana. Amanda's attacker was wearing a Starfleet uniform and we've had assassins posing as ambassadors. I have a very bad feeling about all this."
"That Kirk intuition helped us out a fair few times on the Farragut. But I don't know what more we can do at this stage. We're questioning the assassin, security's about as high as it can go."
Kirk sighed. "You're right. I know you're right. I've just never been great at being patient."
"Aw crap!"
Bones resisted the urge to punch the scanner that had just landed on his foot with difficulty. Choosing instead to hop over to a nearby chair, he removed his shoe and sock to prod gingerly at what was sure to be a colorful bruise.
"I hate system overhauls." He replaced his footwear and stood gingerly, but as he went to pick up the scanner, he heard a distant call from the adjoining room.
"Coming, Spock!"
He dropped the scanner back to the ground with a clatter, feeling an odd sense of vindication, and went to the adjoining room.
"Ha!"
It was unusual for Spock to sleep. Usually he preferred meditation, during which he was as poised as in everyday life. Sleep clearly held a different quality, as for the first time ever McCoy got to witness Vulcan bedhead - and it was just as glorious as he had expected.
"I fail to see what is so amusing, Doctor."
"Nothing," McCoy chuckled. "You need something?"
"I..." Spock hesitated. "... heard something."
"Oh, that was just me dropping the scanner on my foot. System overhauls, you know." McCoy wandered over and looked absentmindedly at the readings on Spock's bio bed scanner, talking as he did so. "Chapel was going to do it, so of course everything's been moved places I don't even know and- oh."
Spock had fallen asleep again, breathing deep and even, lying on his side. Plain weird in McCoy's opinion - he had only ever seen Spock reposed on his back. He was almost tempted to take a picture.
Resisting that urge, he went instead to his office to continue the Sickbay overhaul. He had not gotten very far when the computer on his desk chimed with an incoming message.
Kirk's face filled the screen. "Bones! Is everything okay?"
"Keep it down will ya Jim? I already woke Spock up once today." McCoy's smile took the heat out of his words. "And everything's fine. What're you calling for?"
"I believe a Captain has a right to check up on the status of his ship."
"Uh huh, and what about the status of his first officer?" McCoy said shrewdly.
"Well..."
"He's fine, Jim. Still can't keep his eyes open longer than a few minutes, but he needs the rest, so I'm not complaining. Hopefully tomorrow we can reduce his dosages and he'll start acting more like his usual, logical self."
"Good. That's good." But Kirk's expression was worried.
"You still got that bad feeling, huh?"
"There's something I'm missing." The Captain rubbed agitatedly at his temples. "Spock would be able to figure it out, I'm sure of it."
"Jim," McCoy told him firmly. "Let it go. There's nothing more you can do. Spock is fine, the ship is fine - just keep his parents safe and get everyone through that conference in one piece. Speaking of which, his parents still fighting?"
"Vulcans have mastered the art of passive aggression, and Amanda's learnt well," Kirk said glumly. "Anyway, enough of that - how is the overhaul going?"
"Uhhh..." McCoy's foot twinged. "Next question?"
"Please make sure my ship is all in one piece when I come back to her."
"The scanner landed on me!" Bones took a deep breath. "You know what, never mind. Talk to you tomorrow."
He ended the call, Kirk's laughter echoing in the silence left behind.
