A/N Star Trek is the property of Paramount Studios, and Pocket Books. I own nothing but the idea. I write for pleasure not profit. Sorry it has been so long. Here is the next installment. Yeah it is short but more will be coming in the next couple of weeks. As always your reviews make me write faster, so please read and review.Jim K (con't)
"Captain Kirk? I asked you why Starfleet might question your fitness to command." Dr. Rolfe asked breaking into his thoughts.
"You've read my file, why don't you tell me?" Kirk snapped all pretense of charm gone.
If his sudden change in demeanor alarmed or angered Dr. Rolfe in way, she did not show it.
Instead she leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap.
"Why don't you start at the beginning and tell me what happened?" she said, her voice calm and even.
"I know it has been 30 days, I am worried too, but you have to trust Starfleet Intelligence.
"Bones those are my people who are lost out there, I am still their Captain! I can't just sit by and do nothing for them."
McCoy had frowned, crossed his arms, raised his eyebrow in fair imitation of Spock and turned a sharp blue-eyed gaze on his Captain.
"That's it isn't it? It is eating you up that you are missing out on this mission and now you want to rush in like some damn cowboy on a white horse and save the day!" he'd exclaimed.
"It started when Starfleet decided to use three of my officers for an undercover operation within the Intelligence division and they went missing." He said slowly.
"And you didn't trust SI to retrieve your people, so you had do so on your own?" Dr. Rolfe prompted, he question echoing McCoy's.
Kirk had denied it then and he denied it now. Instead he ran his palms down his pant leg, briefly glancing down when his fingers did not encounter the standard black uniform slacks he was accustomed to.
"What the hell was I supposed to do? I'd have been a pretty piss poor Captain if I'd let them rot become collateral damage for a failed or aborted operation!" He shouted, jumping up and slamming his hands down on Dr. Rolfe's desk.
To her credit Dr. Rolfe didn't even flinch at the Captain's outburst. Instead she smiled.
"I meant no offense, I can tell you care about your crew." She said evenly.
Her calm words made Kirk feel exceedingly silly; he sat back down immediately and watched as Dr. Rolfe took a small oblong silver tinted box and placed on the desk in front of him.
"Do you recognize this Captain Kirk?"
Kirk's mouth went dry, and he rubbed his hands together, almost surprised they were moist. He closed, and leaned back in his chair.
'I know what that is and I wish to God I didn't, ' he thought.
(TBC)