AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Although I do not own Star Trek itself, or any of the original characters, those characters which I have developed myself, and those situations which I have written about, and the story names I have created, belong to me, and may not be used by anyone else without my permission.

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Unfinished Business

Chapter 52 : Winding Down

April 2278

They were almost to the end of their current mission - the one that had started so strangely, with the crew coming back together in strange fits and starts, taking time to merge back into a strong working unit. And now they were stronger even than before, more finely attuned to one another, working as one even when strange things happened and red alerts sounded.

Kirk sat in his ready room, starting at the message he had received from StarFleet Command. It was almost certain that he was going to lose part of that well-oiled machine. People were going to be promoted, and in order for that to happen, they were going to have to be transferred off. He wanted his people to get the recognition that they deserved, but he didn't want to lose them. Whatever he did would be wrong. He sighed, and looked up as his First Officer entered. "I'm not going to be able to stop it this time, Spock. Not even if another threat like V'Ger comes along. Some of them are going to be gone when we start the next mission. Even I may be gone. I don't know whether I'll be able to hold them off or not."

Spock settled down in the seat across from him. "Do you know who will be promoted off the Enterprise?"

"No. And probably won't until they get their orders after their leaves are over. It's just going to be wait and see." He propped his elbows on the desk and sunk his chin down on his fists. "And who knows who we'll get in exchange. Certainly not anyone of the same caliber as the people who will be leaving. After all, the reason they are leaving is because there's no way to promote them on the Enterprise."

Spock only nodded, calmly, not adding to what had been said. After all, it was not logical to repeat truthful statements. The two men sat there for several minutes, lost in thought, until Kirk sighed. "Don't guess there's anything we can do about it except accept it."

"That does appear to be the case."

"Can you be back on board a week before we're scheduled to start our new mission, so that we can go over the changed crew and make new assignments as necessary?"

"Affirmative."

"And Uhura will come with you, right?"

"Most definitely. We will accept no assignments that separate us." This was said calmly, but with a very definite tone of voice. Kirk knew that he meant exactly what he said.

"What if they try to promote you to Captain? What will you do then? Leave me high and dry?"

"I will not accept. I have no wish for that responsibility. I am a scientist and wish to remain so."

"You may not get a choice."

"There is always a choice. It may not be the one that StarFleet prefers, but there is always an alternative to unacceptable orders."

Kirk did not understand how he could say such things so serenely. He shook his head. Well, if he was still on the Enterprise when it headed out-system again, then he would have his First Officer and Communications Officer both with him, or he would have neither of them. And he would not know until they all got their orders. He sighed again, and then he straightened up. "Okay, Spock, time for us to do something distracting, to take our minds off this."

One slanted eyebrow raised up. "You wish to be distracted?"

"Yes. Absolutely. What do you suggest?"

"I do not believe that a game of chess will suffice." He tilted his head slightly and focused on the bulkhead behind Kirk. "Perhaps...Yes. That will do." He stood up, and clasped his hands in front of him, raising them over his head. Without any warning whatsoever, he brought them down quickly, hitting dead center on Kirk's desk, breaking it in two.

Kirk jumped up out of his chair and backed up, yelling. "What the hell? Why did you do that?"

"I believe that you have been requesting more spontaneously sparring opportunities? Consider this one." Spock was now circling around the broken pieces of the desk, avoiding the spill of papers, PADDS, and comlink equipment on the floor, headed for Kirk.

A devilish grin appeared on Kirk's face, and he began to circle as well, trying to find an opening to make his attack. When McCoy opened the door ten minutes later, the entire room was a wreck, and Kirk was suspended in the air by Spock's hands, while the captain tried in vain to secure his release. Spock was just standing there, not even breathing hard. "What the hell are you two doin' in here?"

"The captain requested that I distract him. I believe I have succeeded."

"Distract him? It looks like you're tryin' to kill him!"

"No, Bones. If he was trying to kill him, his hands would be around my neck." Jim was still trying to get loose, without any success at all.

McCoy leaned against the wall and shook his head. "You two are just overgrown boys, playin' and havin' fun. I knew it all the time."

Spock turned his head in that direction and looked extremely put out. "I am just following my superior officer's orders. There is no fun involved."

"Yeah, right. Like I really believe that. You just keep on thinkin' that. See where it gets you." The doctor's face crinkled up and he laughed and shook his head, watching Jim's feet flailing a good foot off the floor.

It was when Nyota came to the door to see why he had not come to meet her for supper, and first gasped, and then joined Bones in laughing, that Spock began to think that perhaps he had gone just slightly too far in distracting the captain.