I do not own Star Trek or anything to do with said franchise. However, I own Alianna Lordeck and co-own Sindari Lordeck and this plot. This fic is based on the new movie, and thus, takes place in the alternate universe of the movie. It's rated for lots of bad language and some sexual scenes (let's face it, it is Captain Kirk we're talking about), and violence and some drinking. You know, standard stuff. Should be lots of fun and I apologize in advance if any of the information about Star Trek is wrong. I've tried to do research, but hey, with eleven movies, five live-action shows and one animated show, along with multiple books and such, getting all the facts straight is kind of hard. Anyways, enjoy.

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
Chapter Seven: Logic.

I hate this stupid thing… Sindari tossed the PADD down at turned her green-eyed gaze back to the plate of chicken and potatoes in front of her. Her stomach grumbled. Stupid work… She picked up the PADD again, flicked through a couple more images before her stomach grumbled louder and violently enough to cause her that nagging pain, as if her stomach was saying "feed me, feed me". Once again, she dropped the handheld device and picked up her fork, shovelling food into her mouth and swallowing gratefully.

When she was able to concentrate on the information without the distraction of her stomach, she picked up the PADD and continued to eat as she studied.

One image in particular caught her eye. Sindari stared intently at the data PADD in her hand, which was currently displaying a split screen image of the fragment from the Lithgow and a Klingon weapon, a mak'leth. She scrolled the image backwards, until the fragment was sitting beside another weapon. She stared at that pair, trying to mentally rotate the piece of metal until it fit somewhere on the blade. She couldn't make it fit. Or least, not as well as it fit on the mak'leth. As she shoved a mouthful of mashed potato into her mouth, she scrolled back to the Klingon weapon. The small, triangular piece of metal slid right onto one of the dangerous-looking points. It had to be Klingon. Unless it belonged to a race the Federation had yet to encounter.

She swallowed the last of her dinner, her green eyes swinging around the mess hall, looking for anyone she trusted to give a second opinion.

Sitting by the window across from her, was Commander Spock, deep in conversation with Lieutenant Uhura. Sindari had seen them down there together before, talking, but for the first time, she wondered if she'd be interrupting something if she crossed the room to speak to the first officer. She watched the two officers for a moment, studied their faces. As she had expected, there was not much from the Vulcan outside of interest in the conversation, but Uhura, normally collected and professional, was staring at the pointy-eared officer with shining eyes and a weighted gaze. She cared for him, perhaps loved him. There was no mistaking that look. And, judging by the way the Vulcan responded to her words, to the light brush of her hand against his, the feelings were not one-sided.

"Puzzling, isn't it?"

Sindari jumped and looked up at Bones, who was standing across the table from her, fingers wrapped around the top of the chair. Heat crept up her neck to her cheeks and ears, and something tightened in her gut. She was embarrassed at being caught staring. Or was she just embarrassed at being caught by the doctor? "Uh, what is?" she stammered, forcing herself to keep her eyes on Bones.

"Those two, together." The doctor gestured at the seat he was standing behind, and when Sindari nodded, he sat down and leaned forward with his arms crossed on the table.

The lieutenant looked at Bones for a moment, waiting for the heat to dissipate from her face. "Yeah, I guess it is weird. I never thought about it, really. I mean, it's not like Vulcans don't have emotions, right?" Her green eyes swivelled back to the seemingly mismatched couple. "They just… suppress them." She smiled to herself, a particular mental image flashing through her mind. "I didn't even realize they were a couple until right now." Spock looked at her from across the room and the blush came back in full force as she turned her attention back to the doctor. Looking for a way to change the subject, she shoved the data PADD towards him. "Can you make that piece fit on the Klingon weapon?" she asked, her voice moving quicker than normal.

The older man chuckled at Sindari's flustered state and took the PADD from his friend's hand. He went silent as he studied the images; Sindari could almost see the wheels turning behind his pale blue eyes as he rotated the image in his head. "Yeah," he said eventually. "It fits."

She reached across the table and scrolled the image. "Can you make it fit on this one?"

Bones stared at the PADD again. "It fits better on the mak'leth."

A grin spread across Sindari's face, the blushing and embarrassment long forgotten. "Excellent. That means, unless we're facing something we've never met before or you and I are totally insane, we're facing Klingons. Or at least one Klingon working in conjunction with someone else, maybe a rogue…"

"Sindari?"

She looked up from her pondering. "Mhm?"

"Stop speculating."

"Right." She smiled at Bones.

Across the mess hall, Spock and Uhura rose from the table and headed for the door. As the Vulcan science officer passed the table, Sindari shot to her feet without a thought, the data PADD in her extended hand. "Will you look at this please?" she asked, voice gone all rapid again. Her eyes were sparkling with the mental images from before and there was a half-smile on her lips.

Spock blinked—the only indication of surprise at the outburst—and then nodded and took the PADD. "I assume you're asking me to judge the likelihood that this fragment came from a mak'leth?" As Sindari nodded, Spock turned his dark eyes back to the screen in front of him. It only took him a few seconds to come to his conclusion. "This does look like a piece of a Klingon weapon, Lieutenant. You seem enthusiastic, so does this mean you have identified those who are attacking the Federation?"

She cleared her throat. "Well, if not exactly who, we're at least a little closer."

A small smile appeared in the corner of Spock's mouth. "Then you should tell the Captain you confirmed the suspicions from yesterday's meeting."

Sindari beamed. "I was just looking to get another opinion before I took the information to him."

Spock dropped his chin in a slow nod, acknowledging her choice. "Exemplary work, Lieutenant." Without another word, the first officer exited the mess hall, falling in step beside a waiting Uhura.

The younger Lordeck fell back into her seat with the bright grin still on her face. The look she received from Bones stopped the smile in its tracks. "What?" she asked, voice awfully whiney and another round of blood flooding up into her cheeks. Not for the first time in her life, Sindari wished her blush reflex wasn't in such good shape.

Bones just shook his head. He was quiet for a few long minutes, and there was a look on his face that said he was thinking hard about something, probably what to say, but there was also an edge of displeasure. "Sindari," he started, his voice gone low and rough, as it did when he was unhappy or angry. "Don't… let your feelings for Spock-"

"Feelings? What feelings?" Her cheeks darkened to crimson.

"Just don't be stupid about it, okay?" he snapped, ignoring her protest. Almost angrily, Bones rose from the table and left the mess hall, leaving a startled Sindari in his wake.

Once overcoming her shock at the way the doctor had spoken to her, Sindari got to her feet and left the dining area. She headed back to her quarters, so she could prepare an overlay image of the fragment against several of the possible weapons to prove that it did indeed fit best with the mak'leth. It wasn't a necessary step as far as protocol went, but Sindari didn't want there to be any doubt. She had Bones' word along with that of the science officer to fall back on, but she wanted to prove she could hold her own. Twenty minutes later, she left her quarters to find the Captain and regale him with her knowledge.

In the corridor, she approached one of the computer terminals and asked where the Captain was. As she had expected the young Captain Kirk was on the bridge. Clutching her data PADD tightly in one hand, she entered the nearest turbolift and headed for the bridge, a knot of nervousness forming in her gut. The situation the Federation and the Enterprise were getting involved in was a big one. If the Klingons, or whoever was destroying ships, was doing so as a move against the United Federation of Planets, than it had to be stopped soon. It had to be stopped soon in any case, but at the risk of endangering planets and peoples who did not have the technology to defend themselves, the Enterprise and her crew had to get a move on. If Sindari could contribute to that advancement, it would be a gigantic move forward for her, not to mention she could help bring the killing to a stop.

As the turbolift doors sighed open to admit an anxious weapons officer, she came face to face with Alianna, who was looking none too pleased. "What's the matter?" she asked, stepping onto the bridge.

Alianna sagged against the wall, the turbolift closing beside her. "I have an overnight shift tonight. I've been 'relieved' so I can get some rest."

"And the problem is?"

"I don't want an overnight shift. They're boring."

"Won't you have the con? You'll be the most senior officer assigned to the overnight crew."

"How do you know that?" Alianna asked, pulling herself to her full height.

Sindari shrugged. "I was just looking at my duty schedule, and noticed those crew members usually assigned the overnight shift aren't that high in the pecking order. Lieutenant Uhura and Ensign Chekov sometimes pick up overnight shifts, as does Mister Scott down in Engineering. I would have thought you'd like having control of the bridge," Sindari said in a decidedly teasing tone. "Anyway, stick around for a minute. I've got news."

"Is the weapon Klingon?"

The sisters crossed the bridge as if they were one being: in time, side-by-side. "I'm almost one-hundred per cent sure it is."

"Excellent. Then we know how to beat them."

Sindari sighed, more exasperated than alarmed by her sister's enthusiasm about the ensuing fight. "Do we?" she asked. "If they are all Klingons, and this isn't just an incident of one rogue or something, than they have weapons the Federation has never even dreamed of. We don't know if we can counter the weapon, or avoid it, or protect the crew from it. We could all die in this one, Ali. This really is dangerous. I know we've been in dangerous situations before, but nothing like this…"

"What's got you so pessimistic? You're usually the happy one. Leave the brooding and unhappiness to me."

That got Sindari laughing, just as they reached the Captain's chair.

"What's so funny Lieutenant Lordeck?" Kirk asked. He had become unusually surly since the meeting the day before, and it wasn't just in his voice. The Captain, who was normally a friendly person, had retreated inward and only seemed interested in solving the problem at hand. He hadn't spoken to any of his senior officers or anyone. It was as if he wanted to find the criminals himself.

"The fragment is from a Klingon weapon. Doctor McCoy and Commander Spock both agree with my assessment, and I have prepared images to prove the fragment best fits with a Klingon mak'leth."

Captain Kirk sat up straighter in his chair and beside Sindari, Alianna stiffened. Sindari knew her sister's reaction was because Alianna never liked to be proven wrong. She was stubborn and hot-headed and didn't like to be told she was wrong. Years ago, Sindari would have rubbed it in Alianna's face that she was right, but in the current atmosphere, she settled for a small, smug grin. She faced the Captain, her face set with confidence and extended the PADD towards his eager hands, watching with anticipation as his blue eyes scanned the small screen.

"This is fantastic, Sindari," he said once he had finished. "But this still doesn't answer the question of how the Klingons got their hands on a weapon this advanced."

"They probably stole it," Alianna said under her breath.

Kirk stared at her for a minute and then nodded his agreement. "You're probably right, although we have to keep the possibility open that they did develop this weapon themselves, however unlikely—and frightening—that may be."

"Yes sir. Would you like me to see what I can find on Klingon weapon development?"

"Yes. Forward all reports directly to me."

"Yes sir."

Alianna flopped down on her bed and fixed her green eyes on the ceiling. She knew she should have been happy that they finally had a lead, even if it did prove her theory wrong. But, she hated being proved wrong and she couldn't find it within herself to congratulate her sister on a job well done, a job done better than Alianna could have ever done it. She didn't have the patience for tedious jobs like comparing a piece of metal to other pieces of metal to find one it matched. Her head would explode long before she had any worthwhile results to share, and Sindari had been working on the fragment for two days, since they'd found the damn thing.

She sighed and sat up, kicking her boots off before crawling farther up on the bed and burying her face in the pillow. It smelled clean and upon breathing in the calming scent, Alianna realized she was exhausted. And her hand hurt.

"God damn it," she muttered, trying to rotate her wrist. The brace didn't allow much movement beyond lateral motion. She groaned loudly, climbed out of bed and headed for her closet to change into off-duty to close. Sleep sounded like a wonderful idea, and she didn't want to be pulled into any crises because she was wearing her uniform. "Stupid fucking hand," she huffed as she changed into a very large shirt and black pants. Alianna unbound her hair, shook it out, and left her room, not realizing she was barefoot until she more than halfway to the medical bay.

"Did you lose your shoes again Ali?" Bones asked as she stormed into the bay.

"Can you give me something for the pain in my hand so I can sleep?"

"How much does it hurt?"

Rolling her eyes because she realized this was going to take longer than a few minutes, she hopped up onto the nearest bed and stared into the pale blue eyes of the doctor. "Like a bitch. I just want to sleep."

"It shouldn't hurt this bad at this point in the healing process." Bones took the hand with the broken finger and held it closer to his face. "There are a few new bruises. Have you kept the brace on?" He took her hesitation as a no, and rolled his eyes. "Ali, it isn't going to heal if you leave it off for very long, especially if you try to move it at all."

"Okay, fine, fine. Can you just give me something so I can sleep, please? I have an overnight shift tonight and I'm supposed to be getting some rest."

He nodded and turned towards one of the carts carrying the medication. "Did you hear about Sindari's revelation?"

"Yeah."

"You don't sound too excited."

"Let's not get into my deep-seeded issues, m'kay?"

Bones laughed. "Sorry." He handed the fiery woman her pills. "These will knock you out for a good eight hours, and then once you wake up, you'll be groggy for about another hour or so. Don't operate any heavy machinery. Like the ship."

"Oh haha." Alianna took the pills and swallowed them without the aid of water. She hopped off the table and headed into the hall, the floor suddenly feeling cold against her bare feet. "Bye Bones."

The pills started to take effect halfway back to her room, and she stumbled into the wall. A hand appeared on her arm before she could pitch forward to the floor and pulled her back onto her feet; she knew before she turned her foggy eyes to her saviour that it was Kirk. How did she know? Well, she wasn't quite sure, but upon seeing his face, she scowled. "Weren't you just on the bridge?" she managed to ask through the haze rapidly taking over her mental faculties. Somewhere amidst everything, Alianna made a mental note to scold Bones for not telling her the pills would work so fast, even though she'd probably forget before she could ever act on said note.

"Yes I was. I left to take a walk and think. Are you okay? You're not drunk are you?"

"No, I am not drunk. Bones gave me some pills for pain."

"Pain?" Kirk asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

She shoved her hand into his face, the brace on her finger brushing the brace on his nose. "My hand hurts. I didn't leave my brace on for as long as I should have. He gave me the pills so I could sleep. Which I will now go do." Alianna turned away from the Captain and took two steps before she crumpled, her muscles relaxed to the point of not being able to hold her up. Grumbling unintelligibly, she allowed Kirk to help her to her feet and let him take most of her weight.

"Are you going to be okay to take your overnight shift tonight?" the Captain asked, slipping his arm around her waist and slinging her other arm around his neck.

"I'll be fine. I just need to sleep. I'm exhausted."

The tone in her voice made him chuckle.

"Don't laugh at me."

"Sorry," he said, smiling down at her bright green eyes.

Half-dragging Alianna, Kirk made it almost back to her room, before she fell asleep. Her knees gave out underneath her, and if he hadn't been holding her as she was, she would have hit the deck hard. With some careful manoeuvring, the Captain got his security chief into his arms without dropping her, and he carried her into her room. He left her snoring softly on the bed, and he didn't realize until that moment, when he saw her completely relaxed, how tightly wound the woman kept herself. Kirk wasn't sure she knew how tense she was.

As he made to leave her quarters, the doors hissed open and revealed Sindari, her arms crossed over her uniform shirt. "Oh," she said upon realizing the Captain of the starship was standing in front of her. "Hello Captain."

"Lieutenant Lordeck." Kirk paused, and then said, "Ali's asleep."

Sindari looked at him, confused at the use of her sister's nickname, but glossed over it. "Oh. Well, I guess I'll talk to her later then."

"You seem distracted. Are you okay?"

"Yes sir. I'm fine. Just… Well, I like to bounce ideas of Ali, and, as impatient as she is, she's decent at doing research, and there's a lot of information in the Federation files about Klingon weaponry." Sindari sighed and dropped her hands to her sides. The pair had moved outside the range of the door's sensors, and were standing in the middle of the hall. "Ali also has a certain… familiarity with Klingon weapons. We both do."

Kirk raised a curious eyebrow. "You're going to have to explain that statement, Sindari," he said, slipping into informal speech. They were not on the bridge and Sindari was not on duty, so there was no need for the titles.

"Did Alianna tell you how she got onto the Marissa, sir?"

"Yes."

"Soon after she got onto the ship, they came in contact with a Klingon Bird of Prey and there was an altercation. The majority of the Klingon crew got on board to try and take over the ship. Obviously, the crew of the Marissa stopped them, but not without casualties of their own. I believe three of the engineering crew were killed along with two of the officers on the bridge, and many other people on board were injured, including Ali, who was almost gutted by a mak'leth." Sindari sighed again and ran her fingers back through her red hair as her eyes went distant, the young woman drifting away from the present and into the past. "She probably would have died if she hadn't been so close to sick bay when she was attacked. As it is," she said, snapping back into the now, "she has a nasty scar on her left hip and side, and since then, she's been obsessed with Klingon weapons."

"Why couldn't she identify the fragment? Why was she so against the idea of our enemy being Klingon?"

"She's more obsessed with knowing how to use the weapons."

Kirk nodded as if he understood completely, which he didn't. Alianna Lordeck was a puzzle and probably would remain a puzzle to the James Kirk for the rest of his life, but that didn't mean he had to admit that to anyone. "Have you uncovered anything about the cloaking technology or whatever weapon they're using?" he asked, switching the conversation back to business. When in doubt, go with what you know.

"Nothing concrete, sir. Although, from what I've read and what I know about the Klingon cloaking device, it doesn't seem that farfetched that they might have developed technology to remain cloaked while they fired whatever weapon they're using."

"Maybe no, but that idea scares the hell out of me."

"Why did you take us away, you human filth?" the captain of the Klingon vessel roared.

The tall, thin man stared at Captain Krang from under the edge of his heavy hood. His eyes were hard, weighed down with age and the wisdom that comes with age, but there was also bitterness and hate darkening the bright green orbs. "Do you want this mission to end before it has begun?" he asked in fluent Klingon. For a human, he had masterful control of the rough language. "That was the U.S.S. Enterprise. I have no doubt that you have heard of the ship's reputation under the command of Captain James Kirk. He would have fought us until they died or we did."

"Do you have such little faith in the weapons you have given us? Have you betrayed us?"

The man scoffed. "I hate the Federation as much as you."

"That is impossible. You are not Klingon."

"I have not and will not betray you. Together, we will bring down the corrupt Federation," he said, sticking his arms into the opposite sleeves of his cloak. For several long minutes, the human regarded Krang with his strange eyes. The Klingon captain was tall, broad, muscular and used to pushing people around. At first, he had been displeased by his inability to order the "lowly human" around, but lately, Krang seemed to have begun to see the Federation traitor as a worthy ally. "You know I do not lie Krang. Even now, I am taking you to yet another ship, this one closer to the centre of the Federation. Soon, you will be able to use your weapon and slaughter those who think they should be running the galaxy."

A savage grin split Krang's face, showing jagged and stained teeth. "We will cut of the head of the snake."

As the man nodded, a grin on his own face, another, smaller Klingon appeared on the bridge and came to stand in front of his captain. "We have entered the Sol system, Captain. We will reach the U.S.S. Castiel's location in a few hours."

Krang nodded and the officer disappeared into the dark corridor once more. "Are you sure the scientists you brought cannot make it so we can stay cloaked and travel at warp?"

The Klingons' inside man shook his head. "That ability was sacrificed so we can remain cloaked while using the weapon. The Castiel will not be able to detect us before we drop out of warp and activate the cloaking device. Do not worry, Krang."

"I was not worried."

The man nodded. "I must get back to my wife, Krang. I will return before it is time to attack the Federation."

Without waiting for any words of farewell, the green-eyed man departed from the Klingon bridge and headed through the utilitarian corridors, heading to the shuttle bay, following a path he now knew by heart. As he walked, he marvelled as he always did at the conditions in which the warrior race travelled through space: dark, narrow corridors and not a luxury in sight. The Klingons did not fabricate their ship with recreation in mind, only function. In fact, in was when the Klingons sought a moment a rest that the man first met Krang and discovered a means to the end of his rebellion. Getting the scientists had been easy. With his connections, and the complex net of favours he had woven over time, he had been able to fashion a team of brains able to advance the Bird of Prey's cloaking technology and to modify the phaser banks with parts from Federation vessels. It had taken time, but it was nothing the man hadn't planned for. Convincing the Klingons to join him had been easy as well, but that was thanks to their well-established hatred of the Federation. But now the plan was in action and it couldn't be stopped until the Federation had crumbled, until the galaxy was free of the corrupt system the Vulcans and humans were trying to impose on the unsuspecting races of the systems surrounding Sol and Vulcan.

The green-eyed man had worked for the Federation for his entire adult life, and his parents had worked for them before him, so he knew how deep the corruption ran in the Federation. He wasn't going to let it spread any further.

Author's Note.

Oh my God! A Star Trek update! Quick! Read it before it runs away.

… Or something witty to that effect. Yes, it's been a while since I updated. Am I sorry? Uhm, no. I don't write my fanfictions unless I have at least a molecule of inspiration for them, lest I turn out a bad chapter. I haven't had any inspiration for this fic in while, so I didn't update. You all seem to like this fic so much that I didn't want to screw it up with some lame-ass chapter. So what changed my mind? What brought back the waters of inspiration to the barren Star Trek desert?

Try the DVD being released, watching it, laughing my ass off while I made stupid comments (I do that in all movies) and enjoying a good two hours of special features, where it was revealed that the rest of the cast thought Chris Pine "wasn't all there" and that just made me love him more. Yes, I am going to marry that man.

Dude, chill out, I'm kidding.

My, my, aren't I feeling witty today…

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, even if it sucks. The planning for this one was kind of a lame, and I didn't remember was some of my obscure notes meant, so I kind of winged it. The next few chapters will be good. They've got some more action and revelations and connections… Wee, fun stuff.

I wonder who will catch the joke in this chapter… And Shauna, you don't count because you came up with the joke.

Every time I go to type "joke" I type "joker". Is that a Freudian slip, telling me to write my Batman fics? I think so! Off I go! *bounds away to write some Batman*

Next Chapter: A Moment.