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Special thanks to Beta Notes from The Classroom who read this TWICE! Check out her latest, "Crossing the Equator" in my faves.
Chapter 5
"We've received a distress signal from the U.S.S. Kobayashi Maru," Uhura said swivelling around in his chair to face Cadet Kirk. "Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them."
Spinning in his own seat, Kirk said, "Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them, Captain."
From her spot in the observation box, T'Spock watched Uhura turn back to his console, shaking his head, jaw clenched. Looking at him from above, invisible through an inch of one-way glass, it was difficult to believe she'd almost risked her entire career for him.
Oh, he was still handsome, but beyond that...As he moved his hands over the communication controls it was difficult to see anything special about him. Nothing that would compel her to reach out to him as she did on the day they delivered the presentation of Kalanel's transmission.
He was still recovering from the bout of Andorian pneumonia then, a disease only transmissible by exchange of bodily fluids in such acts as human kissing...or other more intimate activities. Not that it was any sort of betrayal. There was nothing spoken between them. And yet...
Looking tired, his skin slightly ashen, he'd moved from the seat next to T'Spock to take his place behind the podium. As he rose, Lieutenant Commander Patrick O'Hara slapped his shoulder, and said, "Go get them." Professor Toshi Matsumura murmured, "Gambate, yo."
And then, T'Spock did something that she told herself was simply an act of cross cultural communication. In front of the audience, reporters, civilians, her parents, and all of Starfleet she did something unprecedented. She took his hand. Noyoto - they were on a first name basis by that point, stopped, looked down at her hand in his. He was well versed in Vulcan cultural taboos, and he knew that such contact could create an empathic connection. Of course she'd put up her shields - she had not invaded his privacy no matter how much she longed to. But then, tickling at the edge of those shields, hastily constructed as they were, she felt a push, as though he, a psi-null being was trying to touch her mind.
It was too seductive an invitation. She let her shields drop.
His eyes met and she saw him. Really saw him. His fatigue and apprehension, but burning through that his attraction to her, his longing, and his...adoration? No, that wasn't the right word. It was too soft, too feminine. Her mother said that when men loved they elevated the object of their desire, 'placed them on a pedestal'. T'Spock saw what she meant. She felt lifted high in that moment, all things seemed possible, and the universe wide open. She let her affection slip through to him, her confidence that he would be fine despite his exhaustion, her attraction to him...she kept only one thing back, a possessive dark emotion she'd never experienced before; it frightened her. She promised herself she'd meditate on it later.
"Thank you," he said.
She nodded. Gently releasing her hand, he walked to the podium.
That one intentional touch...had led to other things.
A sudden shut down of lights in the test chamber brought T'Spock back to the present.
"What is this? What's going on?" said Commander Sanchez near her ear.
T'Spock blinked. The entire simulation, the simulation she'd worked on before going active in the fleet, and remotely when she served aboard the Farragut, shut down, and came back to life - with vastly different parameters.
"How the Hell did that kid beat your test?" Professor Anderwood said.
"I do not know," said T'Spock. But she estimated the odds were 99.753 to 1 that it was sabotage.
x x x x
"I believe I have a right to face my accuser directly," Kirk said.
Noyoto clenched his teeth and tilted his head. It would figure that Kirk get kicked out of Starfleet now. By virtue of his birthright, Kirk had managed to convince the brass to give him and Noyoto access to the equivalent of the Kelvin's "black box": logs downloaded by shuttles just before the ship was destroyed.
It was widely reported the Romulans who attacked the Kelvin had spoken in Standard - otherwise the Kelvin's crew would not have been able to understand a new species demands. But Kirk hoped there might be some snippets of Romulan heard in the background and dammit, Noyoto hoped so too.
Kirk had infected Noyoto with his suspicions. If they could compare Romulan spoken by the Kelvin's attackers and the Klingon Armada's destroyers...
A familiar figure, back impossibly straight, footsteps as precise as a dancer's made her way down the steps. Noyoto sat up straighter and watched T'Spock descend. She was a commander now, by virtue of her performance in combat. She'd seen things that he as yet could only imagine.
Had she changed? Had combat made her hard and unreachable?
Her hands were clasped behind her back, her face neutral - which said nothing. She'd looked the same at the reception after the revelation of Kalanel's transmission.
She had not been unreachable then. Noyoto shifted in his seat. It was in the past and done; but seeing her here, in person...
The trial fell away and Noyoto was back in that evening, in the reception hall, under the eyes of the press, Starfleet, and civilians. His hand was still warm from when T'Spock had touched it just hours ago - an afterglow of empathic contact, or just his imagination, he wasn't sure.
Over the heads of some diplomats chiding him for not joining the Diplomatic Corps, Noyoto saw T'Spock. Her face was perfectly neutral, her hands were behind her back as she walked gracefully to the side of the room. She passed several people trying to get her attention without even turning her eyes to them. Noyoto's brow furrowed. That wasn't like her.
"The military is a blunt instrument," said the Telluride ambassador. "Antiquated and outdated in this civilized age. Even the Klingons are open to the possibility of a truce now."
Tearing his eyes from T'Spock, Noyoto said, "Diplomacy is the instrument, but force or threat thereof is the music."
"Ah, Frederick the Great," said an Andorian. The alien proceeded to talk about aspects of Earth philosophy which Andorians admired. Grateful not to be the center of attention, Noyoto looked quickly to where T'Spock had been - and saw her slipping out a side exit.
It was a cold night and Noyoto knew T'Spock wouldn't step out unless something was wrong. Glancing around the room, he saw Commander Sharpton engrossed in conversation with T'Spock's parents. Noyoto's own parents had been unable to come due to a family emergency. He looked towards the lonely door T'Spock had just exited. Giving what he hoped was a winning smile to the diplomats, he shook their hands and excused himself.
Outside the chill wet San Francisco night air fell upon Noyoto like he'd stepped into a cloud. In the dim misty light he saw T'Spock, clad in her black instructor's uniform, leaning on the steel railing that separated the veranda from the gardens below.
Going quickly to her side, he said softly, "T'Spock, what is wrong?"
Taking a deep uneven breath T'Spock said, "Noyoto, would explain to me once more why humans drink until they feel sick?"
He wanted to reach out, put an arm around her narrow shoulders. But even after the events of the day, that moment when she'd put her hands in his and all walls between them had fallen away, he was still uncertain. Restraining his hands behind his back in the posture she so often adopted he said, "I think we both agreed that the short answer to that question is stupidity."
"Oh, yes," T'Spock said. "I had forgotten."
T'Spock was Vulcan and did not forget. Nor did she get drunk – at least not off of any beverage served at this function.
"What happened?" he said.
Swallowing she said, "An inebriated individual…surprised me…and grabbed my hand. Which incapacitated my shields long enough for another…enthusiastic human to shake my hand…and another. I am disoriented…and…" She sighed.
There had been a virtual gauntlet wanting to shake Noyoto's hand in the reception hall - of course, they would have wanted the same from T'Spock. Noyoto felt himself go warm with anger at himself. They'd been separated; he hadn't protected her.
Of its own volition one of Noyoto's hands went to her shoulder; the other went to her hand closest to him. Catching himself just before he touched her fingers, his hand poised above hers, her narrow shoulder grazing his chest he whispered in her ear, "May I?"
Closing her eyes with a sigh, T'Spock turned the fingers of the hand beneath his upwards. "Please."
Noyoto dropped his hand to hers; small, delicate, dry and fever warm despite the damp chill. He had a sensation of vertigo, and then like finding his feet after dropping from a great height. He felt light headed, as though he'd been drinking, and excited, aroused, happy, and very wanted. T'Spock dragged her index and middle finger beneath his own, and it was all he could do to keep his breath from hitching. Something dark, alien, and seductive danced at the corners of his vision, he felt like maybe he'd felt that feeling before, when she shook his hand...
"It is good, to have someone familiar, to center myself," T'Spock said staring down at their joined fingers.
Noyoto knew she wasn't lying, but at the same time he knew she was telling a half truth. Yes, the link between their minds was helping her find her bearings, but it was above that just an excuse to touch him, to be close to him. He knew this like he knew gravity would pull his feet to earth.
Willing her to know how much he wanted her, he traced her fingers slowly with his own. He heard T'Spock's breath catch and he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple that sent electricity down his spine.
Clasping his finger, T'Spock turned towards him. Their eyes met and he smiled. T'Spock dropped her head but squeezed his fingers tighter. Something at the very back of his mind was screaming this is not the time, but the momentum of all those months...years...without contact carried him forward as though a dam had burst. An errant strand of hair had slipped from T'Spock's neat updo. As he pushed it back the sound of a slight whoosh of air came from the reception hall.
Dropping his hand quickly he turned. In the door way stood Commander Sharpton and T'Spock's parents.
The sound of his heart suddenly pounded so loudly in his ears it was almost deafening. T'Spock's fingers were still joined with his. Slipping them to his forearm he said, "She's suffering from telepathic shock."
He had no idea if such a thing existed; he'd made it up. He kept his eyes on Sarek daring the intimidating Vulcan to challenge him.
Beside him T'Spock remained mute, but he felt her tremble slightly. Tilting his head, Sarek narrowed his eyes but remained silent. Amanda rushed forward, "Oh, this happens when Vulcans are caught off guard and touched...especially by someone who is inebriated.
"Come, T'Spock," said Amanda pulling her daughter forward, "Cadet Uhura and I will find you some place where you can sit down."
Seizing the excuse for an exit, Noyoto pulled T'Spock forward on his arm with Amanda. He stole a glance at Commander Sharpton. Her jaw was tight, and it might have been his imagination, but he though she looked profoundly sad.
"The test itself is a cheat," said Kirk. "It is designed to be unwinnable."
Noyoto snapped to the present. Kirk was hunched over the podium, glaring at T'Spock.
"Commander T'Spock, I know you cannot abide by injustice."
Out of the corner of his eye, Noyoto saw a messenger come into the room and hand a PADD to Admiral Barnett.
"It is a simulation, Cadet Kirk," said T'Spock, eyes visibly narrowing. "It is neither just nor unjust. What is unjust is you sabotaging it in order to 'win'."
Admiral Barnett's voice suddenly filled the auditorium. "We've received a distress call from Vulcan. With our primary fleet engaged in the Laurentian system, I hereby order all cadets to report to hangar 1 immediately. Dismissed."
About 90 minutes later Noyoto was standing in Starfleet's shuttle hangar. "Uhura, Farragut," the Lieutenant said.
What the fuck.
X x x x
She felt her frame soften. She remembered Commander Sharpton's words, eighteen months, three weeks, two days and 45 seconds ago. T'Spock, Do you want people to think Uhura's success isn't due to his own hard work, his own brilliance? Do you want people to think all his accomplishments are a result of favoritism?
"It was an attempt..." A hangar worker squeezed by them. Waiting until he passed, T'Spock said softly, "To avoid the appearance of favoritism." She tried to will Noyoto to understand.
His gaze still hard, Noyoto said, "No, I am assigned to the Enterprise."
He had not tried to manipulate her with any appeal to emotion; his position was entirely logical. In trying to protect him she had been illogical.
And had she been protecting him, or protecting herself from having to serve beside him?
Touching a few buttons on her PADD she said, "Yes, I believe you are."
She spun around hearing Noyoto's cool, "Thank you," in her ears. The random factors of the universe rarely arranged in patterns that would be deemed "fair" by sentient beings. Nonetheless, T'Spock couldn't help be slightly chagrined that Noyoto seemed to be far more in control of his feelings than she was.
X x x x
In the shuttle to the Enterprise, T'Spock tried to slip into a meditative state but could not. The confrontation with Noyoto and her father's distress kept her locked in full consciousness.
Sarek and T'Spock had been distant since revelation of Kalanel's transmission. T'Spock was able to rationalize away Commander Sharpton's warnings - at first. But the evening after T'Spock's 'discussion' with the commander she went to meet her parents at their hotel. Amanda was delayed; when T'Spock first arrived it was just her and Sarek in the suite's small seating area.
The first thing Sarek said was, ""Have you considered what your actions will do to your career, T'Spock, or to his?"
Flashing hot with embarrassment, T'Spock stiffened and averted her eyes. "Our relationship is strictly professional." By human standards anyways. Touching fingers, almost completely innocuous, and considering her state of secondhand intoxication, somewhat excusable. Even the brief brush of Noyoto's lips to her temples was explainable. T'Spock had observed for at least a quarter of the population of Earth a kiss on the cheek seemed to be a standard greeting. "I was slightly incapacitated last night due to the empathic transfer from a human and -"
"And the handshake when you were in full control of your facilities?" said Sarek.
T'Spock met his gaze. "A gesture of cross cultural understanding. I thought you might approve."
Tilting his head, Sarek said, "Or were you marking your territory?"
T'Spock's s body still went cold at the memory of those words. Her father knew her better than she knew herself. Since then she'd withdrawn from him slightly, too embarrassed to be close to Sarek's mind. Trying to ameliorate things Amanda told T'Spock Sarek was only trying to protect her. It didn't make T'Spock feel any better. Her father shouldn't have to protect her. If she were a full Vulcan with Vulcan self control…
At the time T'Spock had snapped, "When will he stop trying to protect me?"
Amanda had put her hand on T'Spock's and smiled. "Never," she said.
The shuttle shook T'Spock from her ruminations. As they docked with the Enterprise T'Spock's comm chimed. Flipping it open she saw Pike's ID on the screen. Pressing a button, she said, "Yes, Captain."
As Pike ran down a list of systems that needed to be checked before the Enterprise's maiden voyage, T'Spock's mind gratefully slipped into duty mode.
x x x x
As the Enterprise eased out of the dock, Noyoto's anger at T'Spock dissipated. He was back at the communications lab in the bowels of the ship, exactly where he'd been the night after the brawl. He was on the Enterprise. He'd done it.
Noyoto was hovering over an ensign only slightly greener than himself when over the ship's intercom came the mission broadcast.
"May I have your attention please. At 22:00 hours telemetry detected an anomaly in the neutral zone. What appeared to be a lightning storm in space..."
At the words "lightning storm in space," every hair on Noyoto's head stood on end. He'd only been listening to Kirk harp about lightning storms for the past three years.
The Klingon Armada's recent destruction by Romulans not affiliated to the Empire. The Kelvin...
Pushing the ensign out of the way, Noyoto hit the key code for the bridge.
"Sir?" said the ensign.
Noyoto's earpiece buzzed. "You have the bridge. What is the problem?"
"It's...I think this is a trap," Noyoto said feeling sweat begin to prickle at his brow. "You've got to stop the ship and warn the fleet!"
"Is this a joke?" buzzed the voice.
"No!" said Noyoto, "Get me Captain Pike, now!"
"We're responding to a natural disaster, not an attack -"
Noyoto hit the end call button and ran to the door of the lab, nearly bumping into Kirk and Bones as he did so. Noyoto was in too much of a panic to wonder how they'd gotten there, or why Kirk was only wearing a black tee shirt.
"It's an attack," said Noyoto.
"Yessssh!" said Kirk, his face badly swollen. Weird...but not as important as not getting blown up.
"We have to get to the bridge!" Noyoto said.
"Yesssh!" said Kirk.
"What the Hell are you two lunatics talking about?" said Bones, but Noyoto and Kirk were already pushing past him and racing down the hall.
A/N:
Whew! Well I hope that was fun everyone! If you read and enjoyed please leave a review!