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"Captain, new orders from Star Fleet."
Kirk glanced back at the aid in confusion. "Really? Alright, then, let's have at them." He took the papers from the tall alien. His eyes widened. "A weapons specialist? What are they expecting us to get into?"
"Probably a fight with some Klingons, Romulans, or superiorly intelligent warriors that know the workings of inner Star Fleet."
"Sulu, please come to the chair and take command."
"I might take you up on that, Captain."
"They gave us applications, too…" He looked at Sulu, a bit baffled. "There're two applications. Is that normal for this position? Only two?"
Sulu shrugged, looking to Spock. "Is it?" Mia did an imaginary fist-pump. Her message had sent.
Spock gave no clue to knowing any better. "I do not believe most exploration ships have weapon specialists, but they also have very little weapons. We have weapons out of necessity for our mission." His smooth skin twisted into the slightest show of perplexity. "I do not know the standards, Captain."
Kirk looked from application to application, blue eyes sparking considerably in favor of one. But he remained professional. "Uhura, get over here. You're better at judging people than me."
She glared at him for the hidden insult. He grinned in return. All the same she took the papers and looked from Alex Wade, a Lycanth, to Levenon Neleme, a Bylight. They had the exact same qualifications. But one was considerably closer to their location. "Alex Wade," she decided aloud.
Kirk nodded, face lighting up. His choice had been picked. "Thank you. Chekov!" The Russian stared at Jim. "Hail Miss Wade and beam her aboard the ship. I'd like to meet our new member. Get Scotty up here, too, and tell Bones to prepare to give a physical exam. Standard stuff."
The watch read, "Stand at attention."
Alex quickly unlatched the lock for Ghost. "Stay safe," she told him. The Faun Wolf blinked and then lay down, closing his eyes to sleep. She went back to her home, grabbing two guns and her curved sword.
Mia held her hands together in front of her, looking at the beaming pads with anxiety. If anyone found out, Alex would be dead. A brief memory flashed through her mind, of a body beamed aboard a ship and then falling apart, but she shoved it aside and stared forward. She had to ignore the stomach pains. "Do you know her?" Chekov asked, eyes perceptive. He recognized the signs of anxiety, because he had been very familiar with them when leaving home at such a young age.
Mia jumped. "Excuse me, sorry." Her thoughts fought fiercely, briefly. "Yes, I've met her before. She's very intimidating." Good enough lie.
"Do not worry. I am Russian- I will protect you."
Mia laughed at his show of confidence. "Thank you, sir."
Sulu glanced at their quiet conversation, wondering what was passing between them. But then the shivering lights began to form, swirling in streaks of light, faster and faster, until a woman appeared on the pad.
She was lean and medium height, with short, spiky black hair and golden eyes. A scar started at her jawline and disappeared below the collar of her shirt, sparking a slight inclination from Kirk to discover how far down it receded below her clothes. Mia held back her sigh of relief. Alive.
Kirk stepped forward, charming smile gracing his face. The crew inwardly groaned, wishing someone other than the womanizer could have been the first to greet their new member. "Jim Kirk," he offered, hand extended.
She shook it firmly. "Alex Wade, Captain." Kirk's eyes traveled down to her waist where the sword gleamed in the light. Then he met her gaze evenly with a charmed expression.
"Welcome aboard the Enterprise. Quick crash course- that's Pavel Chekov. That is Hikaru Sulu, don't get on his bad side or he'll eat you. Uhura, the finest woman on board. Spock, pointy eared Vulcan with attitude. This is Scotty, a Scotsman. Another new recruit, Mia. And in sickbay is Bones, waiting for you with no doubt thousands of vaccines."
Alex waved at them all. They gave their own greetings back, warmly welcoming her aboard. "Well, now that you've met everyone, I'll take you to sickbay." Kirk motioned for her to follow, and they all recognized the first signs of his flirtatious disease.
Uhura elbowed Spock. Immediately the Vulcan opened his mouth and asked, "Excuse me, Captain, but may I request to escort Ms. Wade to sickbay? I believe you are needed here to discuss further plans and… linguistics."
Kirk looked at Uhura. She looked away, pretending to be occupied in a one-sided conversation with Sulu. He frowned but relented his mission. "I see. Carry on, Spock."
Alex watched this with curiosity. Was she under suspicion, or was there something else going on she wasn't quite aware of? The Vulcan turned to her. "Please follow me, Ms. Wade."
She obediently followed the Vulcan man. "Thank you for your escort, Mr. Spock." They crossed the hall and passed in front of the door to the Bridge, not even pausing to glance in the doorway, much to her disappointment.
"It is quite unnecessary to thank me, but the gesture is appreciated." The doors to the lift hissed open. "Right this way." Once they were safely inside the small white compartment he pressed the doors close; it was imperceptible that the lift started in motion. Quiet.
"I've met one other Vulcan, before. You may know him- Daynary?"
This caught his attention. "I do not know that name." He turned to face her, wondering if this were true, or some sort of human prank- but this woman wasn't human.
"He lives near me, works in the mines. He's quiet, so if you ever did meet him it wouldn't surprise me if you had forgotten his face and name." Her gold eyes looked the small compartment over. "I've never been on a ship of this size." Was that wonder in her eyes? Spock found that notion a bit amusing, albeit odd for someone who was a part of Star Fleet.
"There are even larger starships, Ms. Wade." Silence. The doors hissed open to reveal the medical bay. Surprisingly enough, it was a rather quiet day. Surprisingly, the Enterprise had not warped into a crisis. Spock wryly wondered how long these surprises would remain pleasant. "Just ahead is Dr. McCoy's office." He set her papers in her own hands. "Extend these to the doctor and he will take care of the rest."
"Thank you, Mr. Spock."
"You are welcome, Ms. Wade. We plan to arrive at our destination in 48 hours. Please report back to the control room as soon as your medical exam is complete, by 8:00 at the latest." He turned on his heel and entered the lift again, but just before the doors closed Alex spoke up.
"If you can find me another Lycanth I will find as many Vulcan survivors here I can."
Spock inclined his head instead of answering verbally. Yes, he knew that the Vulcans were not the only borderline extinct races. The Lycanths suffered as well, as did the Disgens, Hybrens and Grolishiniks; if there were any of them willing to band together to help each other, then it shouldn't be taken lightly.
The doors slid shut and he was gone.
Alex blew out the breath she had been holding. Hopefully that had been enough to convince the stoic officer of her loyalty. She planned to keep that promise.
Cracking her thumb, she turned and headed deeper into the white halls of the sickbay, reading the few nameplates on the doors until she came to Leonard McCoy. His door was just like the rest. Plain, white. But inside it was silent, unlike the other doors she had gone past, where some sort of noise emitted from within. Any giggle, music, and the rustle of clothes were absent from this door.
She knocked.
The door opened instantly. "Jim, I've told you- oh, sorry." The handsome dark-haired man looked a bit shocked to find a woman standing in front of him instead of his womanizing captain. A woman with a curved sword. Huh.
Alex extended her hand. "Alex Wade, new recruit." Quickly shaking his, she gave the papers into his other hand and stepped back, waiting quietly.
He tore his gaze from her face and focused on the papers instead. "Sorry, again. The captain likes to make surprise visits with- never mind. That's classified." Sort of. "Yes, Ms. Wade, weapons specialist." His eyes looked up from the paper at her, taking her face into consideration. "You've come to the right ship. Give it an hour and you'll be in the center of a crisis."
She smiled. "I hope not."
"Mm. Right this way. I'll prepare the vaccines you need. Lycanth?" She nodded at his question, wondering what went through people's minds when they saw the species listed that had met a violent end for good reasons. "Alright. I'll check you over for the bioweapon, then."
Taking a pen out of his pocket, he deftly stroked it across one of the pages. "Easy enough," he muttered to himself, eyes grazing each page individually. They entered back through a door and into the main room of the medical bay, where there was absolutely no one else.
Alex glanced at the bright clock at the back of the room. Standard Earth time. No wonder everything was so quiet- it was 22:00, rather than the 13:00 on Faunus. "Take a seat here," he ordered, moving past it to a few cabinets.
She sat on the bed, white paper crinkling under her.
He took out a vial of blue-tinted liquid and shook it, attaching it to the vaccine-gun. "Standard space virus vaccine." Her skin was smooth under his fingers, and she didn't even flinch when the liquid shot into her bloodstream. "You may experience an increase in body temperature and uneasiness in your stomach."
She nodded, and indeed her face grew a bit red, right on cue.
Now, Bones had to admit that when he learned he was supposed to be checking over a Lycanth for any sort diseases, wounds, and whatever else physicals covered, he had been expecting someone a bit more, well, beastly. Not the pretty woman that followed him into the main room, compliant and fluent in English.
Next on his list was to take a blood sample. He grabbed out the needle and empty vile; he wiped her skin inside her elbow with a white sanitizing cloth. It reeked of alcohol. He inserted the needle smoothly, running a finger down the length of her arm to take away attention from the entrance point.
"Clench your fist," he ordered, watching the blood fill the vial. "Unclench." He removed the needle and pressed the cloth down upon the small wound. "Hold this, please." Her hand obediently went to her arm, bumping his slightly. He was a bit shocked by the light scars adorning it.
Efficiently he shook the vial, labeled it, and stored it in the cooled cabinet for later testing. It had not discolored upon exiting her body, so he knew there were no remains of the bioweapon in her.
"Any scars, tattoos, permanent skin conditions?"
"Scyltosis on my buttocks." He blinked. He did not want to look this woman over naked for scales. For personal reasons. Very personal reasons. She grinned at his expression. "Just a joke. I have a tattoo here," she held up her hand to reveal a small dragon curling around her thumb. "Scars on my hands, arms, and the one you can see on my neck."
Now, the neck scar made him uncomfortable, too, but not nearly as much as her joke. It disappeared below her shirt, but he simply needed to know the track of it, which could be easily done with clothes on. "Only to my collarbone," she told him, pulling her shirt collar away to show him. Indeed, it ended.
"What are the origins of these scars?"
"Gun experiment gone wrong," she told him for her hands and arms. "Just some shrapnel and fire. My neck is from a bear." He stared at her, waiting for another joke. She simply stared back.
He took it down on his papers. "And the tattoo was applied through standard inks and methods?"
"Yes, sir."
He nodded, crossing off the 'special' section. Golden eyes, short hair, beautiful, yes, but nothing to complain about, nothing unnatural. Well, except for the bear scar. "You are free to go then. I will give these to the Captain, and you may start your duties shortly."
"Thank you."
She moved to get off, and Bones kicked himself into action. He'd be damned if he let Kirk be nice to her first. "Welcome aboard, Miss Wade."
She glanced back, smiled, and inclined her head. "It is a pleasure, Dr. McCoy."
"Please, call me Leonard."
"Leonard."
He paused, telling himself to let her go back to her business. She could sense his slight inclination to speak again, and so she hovered for a few seconds, waiting with unsure feet. After an awkward moment he cleared his throat. "Why a dragon? Why not a Romulan rune or a quote or something?"
She considered him for a moment. "I chose it so it would remind me of the space dragons all children believe in. I'm sure you know your history; you know what happened to the majority of my species. The image of a dragon gave me hope." Her eyes dropped and she immediately wished she hadn't told him the truth. "But that doesn't matter much now. I'm getting away aboard a different sort of creature."
"My wife divorced me. Took the whole damned Earth with her. All I had left was to join Star Fleet." Sure, their backgrounds were entirely different, but the point was that they had ended up in the same place, as equals. Both had their escape.
That made a smile come to Alex's face. Bones nodded at her and then turned around. "For the sake of the meaning of your well-being, I hope I don't see you soon."
She laughed. "Thank you, Leonard. I hope you stay isolated down here."
As soon as she was back in the lift, the curtain of heat lifting from her body, she grinned to herself. McCoy had been an open book. He was rather taken by her, and if she could use that to her advantage, she would. Even if she may feel guilty about it.
Kirk took in a deep breath. On the screen in front of him was the planet Faunus, and a red dot on the screen marked each Tamnen garden. Surprisingly enough, there were only about ten total. If he could just figure out how to launch their missiles at them and not kill the workers, he'd have a Pike-freed conscious.
But there was the catch.
This territory was dangerously close to being considered Klingon territory, and such actions could produce war. Perhaps if he could set fire to them from the inside, somehow. Maybe one of the cadets would go below and faithfully follow their captain's orders- and probably die. No, he couldn't send them off for that.
"You should get some sleep."
"I can't sleep," he replied.
Uhura stood behind him, looking at his back with concern and sympathy. "Then talk to someone about it. You can't solve all these problems on your own; that's why you have an entire crew behind you."
He sighed. "I know. But how can I tell them I'm keeping a promise to a man that tried to not only tried to kill me but was considered a terrorist? A promise that will directly violate Star Fleet regulations?" Uhura didn't answer. "Hell if I tell Spock."
"If you let me talk to Sulu-,"
"No. Mia and Alex know the workings of this place. You talk to them, get what information you can about the area." His face remained glued to the screen, trying not to let his vast interest in Mia show. He didn't like being so close to the ghost-woman. "It's so quiet. What other planets are in this system?"
"Apollus, and then a few moons too small to support major populations."
Kirk broke his gaze to look at her. "Apollus?"
She shrugged. "It leans towards the Klingon sympathies, and it has total control over Faunus." Her eyes found his. "If you can find a way around that, you can find a way to keep your promise without starting a war."
Jim ran a hand through his hair. "Is there a way to avoid war?"
"I can't tell you. We have to figure that out together."
"Is there a way for a man to live in balance with who he wants to be and what everyone expects of him?" He straightened, watching her hopefully for a sound response. Uhura couldn't help but think that he looked like a little kid.
She took a step towards him across the empty control room. "I've never faced that problem," she confessed. "But I think there is a half-human aboard your ship that knows that situation inside and out."
He groaned. "No. He'll make a complete mess out of this!" But in the back of his mind he knew that she was right. He had no right to keep his true intentions from everyone. "I'm sorry, Uhura. Go get some rest. That's an order. And by the time we reach Faunus we will find a way to destroy every garden without forcing the Klingons into action."
She set her jaw and bowed. "Yes, Captain," she tightly responded. Kirk watched her leave with a pang of guilt. But he didn't go after her. All this would resolve itself eventually, once the mission was done.
In the lift, Uhura closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. She knew what was the right thing to do, but she also knew that Kirk was a phenomenal captain. She had to choose whom to trust, whom to follow.
The doors hissed open and she opened her eyes. Much to her surprise, a pointy-eared man stood outside the lift, looking considerably less startled than she. Uhura stepped out of the elevator and forced a smile.
"Something is amiss," Spock noted.
"How did you find me?"
"The computer system, of course. Something is not right," he restated.
Uhura didn't disagree with him, which allowed him to press further. "I have done nothing to cause offense. It must involve others aboard the Enterprise, and you have been spending the majority of your time with Captain." His eyes searched her face, concerned for her well-being. "Kirk is the source."
"I suppose that is a possibility."
Spock bent down and kissed her, startling her even more than the Romulan Ship had startled Kirk's father. "Tell me what I can do," he said against her lips. Her hands found his face, and her thumbs trailed his cheekbones.
"I can't tell you." Each word and their lips brushed. "I'm sorry." He closed the small distance once more.
She pulled away and left him. He stared after her for a few seconds, feeling conflict in his chest. But he let her go. And he decided that whatever she had left in the bridge had better stay there, for her sake.
"Sir, a Star Fleet ship has entered the airspace."
The man looked up in surprise. "This close to Klingon airspace? What are they thinking?" He stood and crossed to the monitors where indeed a ship was gliding through space debris with a backdrop of beautiful red and green and black.
"U.S.S. Enterprise, sir?"
"That means nothing to me." The man scratched his chin. "Do you suppose Faunus has requested help?"
"No. We have intercepted no transmissions, and all communication devices have been under radar. I believe they came here of their own accord."
"What about that one human that escaped no too long ago? What was his name?"
"Jonathan Pike?"
"Yes, him! He was a prominent consumer of our goods. Could he have brought them here?"
"It is a possibility, sir. Shall I hail them?"
"No… Let's provoke them, see what their real nature is. Launch something at them, maybe beam a few of our men aboard with camera equipment. Some intelligence gathering, you know. Nothing too fancy."
"Yes, sir."
"But wait until they get closer. And why don't you use one of those gravity weapons to push them away? Whatever it is you call that. Keep them at bay while we do some research."
"There isn't an official name yet, sir. And yes, we will do just that."
"Good."