Hi guys!! Wow, I was so excited by the reaction to this story!! Thank you all soo much!! :D I orginally wanted to make this chapter much longer but then it felt too long so I just cut it in half and will post the completed second part soon. Mostly this chapter was just to get into the heads of the crew (somewhat). Hope it turned out alright!! :D


By the time the ship arrived back at Starfleet, Jim was back to usual cocky self. He teased and joked with the crew as they docked, flirted with a few of the female members, and all together had the look of a man who didn't have a care in the world. But, while most of the rest of the crew seemed fooled by the carefree demeanor, Bones could spot a front when he saw one. He'd known Jim long enough to recognize his many masks and this was just one other one he usually wore when he didn't want the world to see past the smile. Deep down, he knew the younger man was still fretting about the mission and the upcoming review board. However, if anyone was a master of playing it cool, it was Jim Kirk. Anyone else would have been worrying themselves sick with what was about to happen but not Jim. He wore a cool, easy smile and his body language appeared perfectly at ease; the world was just one more thing to prove wrong. With a soft sigh, Bones turned and made his way back to the sickbay, readying Emissary McNeil for transport off the ship.

The damage to the ship had been a little more severe than originally thought and it was going to take a few days to fix everything that had been rattled around in the collision. The engine definitely needed work and at least two of the computer systems were down, all together at least two full days of repairs were in order before their next scheduled mission; which happened to be three days away.

Uhura sat at her station, busily trying to break through the sequences of protective code her system had uploaded during the collision. It wasn't difficult, regular password and verification kind of pathways, but there were a lot of them and it wasn't going to go much faster than the pace she was at right now.

"How's it going, lieutenant?" A casual voice asked from somewhere off to her left.

Uhura suppressed a sigh and glanced over her shoulder at the captain. "Fine." She replied shortly, irritated from having her concentration broken at such a critical time. "The computer protects itself by shutting off and restarting. The only problem is the login sequence; it usually takes a while to get past all the barriers. I should have everything up and running within the hour…captain." The last word was tacked on for good measure, almost like an extremely polite equivalent of "fuck off sir". She knew full well that adding "captain" wasn't necessary; Jim usually insisted on people calling him Jim instead of Captain but it was still something he liked to use occasionally to get under everyone's skin.

It was no secret that Uhura held a strong dislike for Jim. She didn't hate him by any means, but he was far too bold and reckless, a risky choice for the captain of one of the newest and best ships in Starfleet. Jim was the kind of person to leap before he looked, even if the place he was leaping into was filled with broken glass, used syringes, and rattlesnakes. He did whatever he felt like doing at the time and be damned with the consequences. Sometimes that impulsiveness was alright, as in the case of their first encounter with Nero, but most of the time, it was just dangerous. Anyone who was willing to risk their ship and crew was a hazard and Jim was just about wrapped from head to toe in bright yellow caution tape. So no, Uhura didn't hate him, but she certainly didn't respect him; not yet at least.

Jim nodded behind her and turned to face another portion of the Bridge. "Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov. Any damage to the navigation systems?"

Sulu shook his head slowly, scrolling through a few of the computer's basic functions. "Not here, sir." He answered, half-turning in his chair to look at Jim.

Chekov continued scrolling through his system, his eyes darting back and forth between the read-outs and the information still on the screen. "Everything is fine here as well, Captain."

Jim smiled and nodded. "Good, great job guys." He knew better than to ask Scottie how everything was going in the engine room. The steady clank and bang of machinery beneath them was enough indication of the state of the crew below. Of all the crew, Scottie seemed to be the only one who had accepted Jim completely as captain. Partially because he was the one who had "rescued" him from that frozen wasteland, Delta Vega, and partially because he didn't know any better. He didn't know that Spock had been the captain before and that the rivalry between them extended beyond the ship. It wasn't until Jim had forced Spock out of his position as captain did Scottie have any real knowledge of the dynamics of the ship. Still, he seemed perfectly content to follow Jim's orders and run the ship as he saw fit. That meant he was neck deep in engine repairs right now and probably on the verge of tossing the extra crew members out into the hallway and locking the door. If there was one thing Jim had learned about Scottie, it was that he liked to do things his own way and tended to become slightly miffed if anyone tried to help or fix anything he'd already done. Asking how things were going right now would be like walking into an angry bear's cave.

The whirl of the engines died down and the ship became quiet, the various chirps and chatter of the computers filling the room. There was a gentle hum as the last of the engines were quieted and Jim focused out of the wide front window, waiting patiently. A blur of movement appeared to his right and he looked see Spock standing next to him, his expression calm and impassive. "Captain," He began evenly, his voice low enough to be considered a whisper but not quite as muted. "You have a meeting with the Review Board in one hour."

Jim nodded and stood smoothly. "Thank you, Mr. Spock." He smiled easily, ignoring the heaviness that had settled in his stomach. The very last thing he wanted to do was be evaluated on his performance right now but it was unavoidable. Time to face to music. "Let's not keep them waiting."

OOOOO

"You know, you didn't have to come with me to this." Jim muttered again once they'd arrived back at the academy.

"As your First Officer, it would appear only natural that I should accompany you to a Review Board." Spock replied coolly, walking in stride with his captain, his hands clasped comfortably behind his back. They had left the crew to continue repairs while they were gone, leaving the Bridge in Sulu's command. Hopefully, if everything went well, the ship could be repaired in half the time that had been originally estimated.

Jim snorted softly, a soft laugh in the back of his throat. "Liar. You just wanted to see me get ripped to shreds by the Board." He mumbled as the passed through the exit of the transport dock and into a much quieter hall leading to the main body of the academy.

"While I highly doubt mutilation would be part of the itinerary for your first Review, I am curious to see how you will react to their criticism." Spock replied as they continued to walk. His face remained calm but his voice held the teasing edge of a smile as he spoke. He had only seen his captain's performance evaluated twice: once with the Kobyashi Maru Exam (which had been cut short due to the Vulcan distress call) and the second time was when he relieved Admiral Pike of his duty. Both times had been special circumstances but the reaction was still the same: Jim would stand still as a plank, his blue eyes locked forward as if he weren't really seeing or hearing anything, but the urge to put in his own word was very apparent. It was obvious that Jim didn't take order and authority well so Spock was interested to see just how well the younger man would handle such a serious evaluation.

"Hn…Sadist." Jim muttered as they rounded another corner and appeared in front of a large presentation room much like the auditorium Jim had been in during his trial. It was smaller, about the size of a regular classroom, but the seating was tiered and open like the other room. The air smelled cold and sterile. A middle aged man with graying hair greeted them at the door and asked for their names. Once he'd logged them into the small, personal computer that curled around the length of his forearm, he opened one of the doors and nodded for Jim to go inside.

Spock was left to stand outside, resting his back against the opposite wall. He stood silently, watching the guard with a cool, impassive gaze that seemed to unnerve the man entirely. The meeting began behind the doors, the voices coming through clear as a bell thanks to his sharp hearing and Spock had to force himself to tune out the words, knowing it wouldn't be appropriate for him to listen to such a private conversation. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax against the wall, and waited for the meeting to end.


Oooh, the Board just started...what will they decide?? Stay tuned to find out!! -- Wow...that sounded lame O.o...I'm gonna go.... (wanders off aimlessly)