Jim wasn't surprised that it became a regular thing - attending to his duties as captain during alpha shift, then socializing with the older Spock, Sarek, the president, or the rest of the diplomatic party, as required. Then, when the last of those duties was completed, he'd make his way to the observation lounge, where Di'On would be waiting.

Jim was surprised that their evenings together didn't always include sex. Sometimes, of course - but other times, they simply talked or sat together in companionable, understanding silence as they watched the empty warpfield outside.

The night before they were due to drop out of warp for final approach to Babel, their sixth night together, Jim stepped onto the observation lounge to find Di'On sitting at one of the tables, a bottle and two glasses before her.

His eyes widened as he drew closer and saw that the liquid in the bottle was blue. "Is that - Romulan ale?"

"The last of what I brought with me," Di'On replied.

"That is very illegal in Federation space."

"I won't tell if you won't."

Jim chuckled and took the seat across from her. "The last that you brought, you said?"

"Yes." She lifted the bottle to fill first his glass then hers.

"I'm honored that you're sharing it with me," Jim said, and lifted his glass. "To successful negotiations."

Di'On touched her glass to his. "To success."

It wasn't quite the same thing, Jim reflected as he sipped the not-quite-sweet ale. Still, he supposed it was close enough - and the taste of the liquid sliding down his throat made him decide not to be picky.

"Oh, that's good," he murmured.

"Have you had it before?"

"Illegal in Federation space, remember?"

Di'On laughed. "Ah, but such an enterprising captain as yourself surely has resources others don't."

"You," Jim pointed at her with his glass, "are not nearly drunk enough to be making puns that bad." Ignoring her too-innocent expression, he continued, "But to answer the question…. No. I had the opportunity, once - an Orion girl I knew had some, but we were interrupted before we got to that part of the evening."

"That truly is a shame," she said. Then she chuckled.

"What's funny?"

Di'On met his gaze after a moment. "Having the Enterprise for this mission was required."

Jim knew that, of course, but he quirked an eyebrow when she paused. "A matter of honor?"

"Yes. The ship, the crew, that destroyed the traitor…"

"We're honored to be here," Jim said, because he thought it was expected, not because he understood Romulan honor.

To his surprise, she waved that away. Her expression was lighter when she continued, "It was required, but now I think it may be fortuitous as well."

"How so?" Jim matched his tone to her expression.

"Because I think my uncle will like you."

Jim froze. He didn't think they'd been serious enough to meet each other's families - nothing in his briefings on Romulan culture suggested that possibility.

Then he remembered who her uncle was, and forced himself to grin. "Well, he's an emperor, and I was named for an emperor, so we have that in common."

"Truly?" Di'On looked interested.

"I suppose technically, I was named for my grandfather and he was named for an emperor," Jim admitted. "But it comes to the same thing."

"Tell me of this Emperor James."

"No, not James. Tiberius."

"Tiberius." She tested the name. "Emperor Tiberius. Tell me of him."

"Tiberius Julius Caesar," Jim said. History had never been his favorite subject, but his grandfather Tiberius had made certain he knew about their namesake. "One of Rome's greatest generals before he became emperor, but he wasn't a great emperor. He made the fundamental mistake for people like us."

"What mistake is that?"

"He took a desk job."

Even as she laughed, there was a flash of recognition in Di'On's eyes. She lifted her glass. "To never taking a desk job."

Jim touched his glass to hers and savored another sip. "If I'd known we were breaking out the good stuff tonight, I'd've brought something to share."

"We can share yours after, Captain."

"I'll look forward to it, Commander."

They dropped out of warp at the edges of the Babel system.

"All stop," Jim ordered, and turned to Uhura.

"Hail the Babel Confederation," he told her. "Our compliments, and we await their escort ship."

"Aye, sir," Uhura said. Then, "Receiving an incoming transmission, sir. Romulan - they identify themselves as Bloodwing."

Jim recognized the name from his conversations with Di'On during the last week - that was her aunt's ship. "Page Ambassador Charvanek to the bridge, please, and accept the transmission from Bloodwing."

Moments later, the face of a Romulan woman appeared on the main viewscreen. Her severe expression and hairstyle only served to accentuate her resemblance to Di'On, and Jim offered her a smile.

"Commander t'Rllaillieu, I presume."

She raised one eyebrow in an almost Vulcan manner. "Captain Kirk, I presume. May I compliment you on your pronunciation?"

"If it deserves it," Jim replied. "And if it does, the credit goes to Ambassador Charvanek for her patience with my practicing."

Now she returned his smile. "My niece is most gifted - with patience, among other things. We have arrived at our designated coordinates and await the Confederation's escort."

"We've just arrived ourselves," Jim replied. A glance at Uhura told him, "Our escort is incoming."

"While we wait," Commander t'Rllaillieu said, "would it be possible for the ambassador to speak to us?"

"I've already requested her presence," Jim said. The turbolift door opened, and he added, "And she's just arrived."

He saw that Di'On had already recognized the visage on the viewscreen and waved for her to approach to within the bridge camera's pickup.

"Greetings, Aunt," Di'On said, surprising Jim by speaking Standard.

"Greetings, Niece," t'Rllaillieu replied. "And from one other, as well."

The view on the screen shifted, and now instead of facing a Romulan woman who oddly reminded him of his mother, Jim saw a Romulan male with salt-and-pepper hair, and an expression far more genial than Commander t'Rllaillieu's.

Even from the sideways angle that he had, Jim saw Di'On smile. "Uncle."

So that's the Romulan emperor. Jim studied the other man more closely as he returned Di'On's greeting. His expression might be genial, but there was care in his eyes, and a lingering aura of … sadness? perhaps grief? … that probably came with the job.

He focused on the emperor's words again, and was surprised to hear that he seemed to be regaling Di'On with stories of his grandson's exploits aboard Bloodwing.

"And he's barely ten," the emperor said, as though he'd suddenly remembered others - who had no idea who said grandson was - were listening.

Jim was searching for suitably complimentary words when an alarm sounded.

He jumped in his seat, before he realized that the alarm was coming through the viewscreen from Bloodwing.

"Report," Jim barked.

"Two - no, three ships have entered the system, Keptin," Chekov reported. "Bearing one one zero point one, right on top of Bloodwing."

"Bloodwing, what's your status?" Jim asked.

"Under attack," Commander t'Rllaillieu snapped back. "I don't have time to talk."

The image on the viewscreen shifted to the outer planet of the Babel Confederation as t'Rllaillieu cut the connection.

"Red alert," Jim ordered, and the siren sounded immediately. He pitched his tone to carry over it. "Get us over there, Sulu. Micro warp burst."

"Aye, sir," Sulu acknowledged, even as Spock spoke over him.

"Captain," Spock said, "Warp travel is prohibited in-system -"

Jim barely heard as he turned toward Communications. "Uhura, our apologies to the Confederation, but we are responding defensively."

"Yes, sir," she answered.

In the seconds it took them to cross the system to Bloodwing's location, Jim glanced at Di'On.

She was almost as composed as a Vulcan, except for her eyes. Those were filled with anguish and helplessness. He wanted to say something, do something - anything - to comfort her, but right now he had to be the captain, not her lover.

It was small balm to his regret that she'd expect him to be the captain in this moment.

"Alert the transporter rooms and medbay - we may have an emergency evacuation on our hands," he said. Uhura's acknowledgment barely registered.

Jim looked at the screen again, blurry in those long seconds as they made the warp jump, and allowed himself to think what he'd been avoiding. If there are survivors.

The neutrality of the Babel Confederation was inviolate - not just by treaty, but by decades of practice. Anyone who broke it faced the wrath not just of the Confederation itself, but all the worlds and entities who had signed the charter. All member worlds - and probably a great number of non-member worlds who nonetheless counted on Babel's neutrality as a matter of course - were bound to make war on anyone who violated that neutrality.

Whoever was attacking Bloodwing would make sure their attack was successful.

"Dropping out of warp," Sulu announced.

"Shields up," Jim ordered. "Weapons ready."

"In three," Sulu said. "Two. One."

The view on the screen changed again, and Di'On's cry, soft as it was, echoed in the silence of the bridge.

Three warbirds were swarming a fourth - Bloodwing, Jim decided - weapons raining destruction down on her.

"Bloodwing's shields at twenty-three percent," Spock reported.

"Helm and tactical, defensive maneuvers and weapons at your discretion. Spock, begin emergency rescue procedures," Jim said. "Ambassador, would the Emperor still be on the bridge?"

Di'On didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the screen.

Dammit. Jim might have to be the captain just now, but she did, too.

"Commander Charvanek," Jim snapped. "Report."

Whether it was his words or his tone that got through to her, she turned those haunted eyes to him. "If he is not on the bridge, he'll be…"

She turned and pointed to a location on Spock's screen. Spock would coordinate the rescue effort, so Jim let them fade from his attention.

On screen, it was clear that the battle - if it could be called that, it was really more an ambush - was over, or nearly so.

Bloodwing had dozens of open, gaping holes in her hull, and a long slash had removed a good portion of her port stabilizing array. Whether anyone aboard was still alive was anyone's guess.

Sulu and Chekov put Enterprise through maneuvers her designers had probably never visualized, and scored a few solid hits on the attacking ships, but then the ships were tearing away, and heading for warp.

"Uhura," Kirk said. "Has the Confederation ordered retribution under Section Two Twelve of the Treaty Confirming Neutrality?"

"Not yet, Captain."

Why the hell not? Jim couldn't ask that aloud. What he could say was, "Keep at them - politely, of course. Status of rescue efforts, Mr. Spock?"

"We have beamed nearly two dozen aboard, Captain, and are continuing to gather those we can," Spock replied. "Those with injuries are being taken to medbay, including the emperor."

At Spock's final words, Di'On gasped and ran for the turbolift. The part of Jim that was her lover wanted to follow, but the part of him that was the captain knew he had to remain. He blew out a silent breath and turned to Uhura.

"Cancel red alert," Jim said, and the alarms and lights returned to their normal, quiescent state. "Make sure the Confederation gets all the data we have on the attack, and file a formal request for retribution under Section Two Twelve."