As he started to unpack his bag Kirk nodded to himself. He would explain to them all how he was oddly overly mesmerized, actually more like captivated, by the sensation that different form of command had. They were a good crew, they knew him, they had been through worse together and were still the command team others wanted to be. It all seemed as though he were just following Fallet's lead. It had come on gradually as though the more he was with Fallet the more he craved that. He stopped and looked at the shirt in his hands.

His shirt. That morning and afternoon coffee. The way Fallet would always walk up behind his seat put his hands on his shoulders and comment on how great it was to be there in charge. In charge. No. Kirk shook his head. All his training had conditioned him against such an overpowering egotistical need. Had. Then why had he yielded to Fallet's way when it was so different from his? The hands on his shoulders. The gloved hands. Fallet's claim to needing the gloves to treat a skin condition. The coffee. Fallet always got their coffee. No. No, a man with Fallet's history, with his record. It was foolish to even think it. His fingers tightened on his shirt for a moment then he went to the desk-top communicator, "It's Captain Kirk here."

"Yes, Captain Kirk, what can we do for you?"

"I, I," he shook his head realizing as he said it how ludicrous it sounded. "I need to arrange an immediate complete medical diagnostic testing of myself and a complete scientific breakdown of all substances on some clothing. I need full results within ten standard hours."

He was aware that it was largely due to having seen Lieutenant Uhura deal with so many unusual transmissions that he understood the promptness and efficiency of the officer he was talking with, "I have ordered those for you, Sir and," there was a momentary pause, "A technician from the science labs will be arriving at your accommodation in six standard minutes and you are to report to the medical annex in fifteen minutes and see Doctor Wallis." Another pause, "The quickest way to the annex from your accommodation is to come down to the main lobby and through the door immediately opposite the reception desk, up the slight ramp and through the double doors on the left."

"Thank you."

The technician who came for his shirt acted as though it were the more normal thing to do at this hour and confirmed all the tests that were to be done that when the results were wanted. It had not taken him long at the medical annex, Doctor Wallis was totally unlike McCoy in personality but Kirk could tell from the questions the man asked that he was as thorough as McCoy.

Even as he finally went to sleep he found himself doubting himself and what had possessed him to act as he had, to treat his crew as he had. He had been ordered to let Fallet have command as it was to be Fallet's last trip on a starship, he had told the crew that those were the orders, but to have acted as he had, to have said what he had. Fallet had even said, "Kirk, you are the ideal First Officer. You agree with me and reinforce my command. The strong puppet as I liked my Firsts to be."

On the shuttle to Bannet Base McCoy had watched Spock. Total control. Everything in the shuttle had been positioned so they would be fully ready and operational when they arrived, there had been just enough room for Uhura and himself. Spock had even made it so they were unable to sit near him. They could talk to him but not get close to him. He could see the Vulcan slipping back into the near total Vulcan mode they had all been working so hard for so long to get him out of. On the second day of the trip Spock had turned and looked at them and for a moment McCoy saw the Spock they knew, watched as he handed them each a small bag, nodded, and turned back to his task of getting them to Bannet Base as quickly as possible, reverting to the Vulcan mode that was slowly reclaiming him.

Uhura had looked at him with a puzzled and worried look on her face but nodded and opened her bag, her right hand quickly covering her lips as she closed her eyes. Years ago they had been at Starbase Three at a time when an exhibition of old Earth items from the various continents was on display. She closed her eyes tighter to fight tears as the memories came back. The fee to get in to see the whole display was more than she could readily afford and she had been standing in line to get an hour long pass to see the music of the 1950's when Spock had walked up to her and she first thought there was something wrong with the ship. He looked at her and said, "Miss Uhura, I would be honoured if you would allow me to escort you through the whole exhibition; it will take us the rest of the afternoon." It had been wondrous and she had seen a part of Spock that day she had only suspected existed, she had seen him actually enjoying the music, the moment, without analyzing it. Carefully she lifted out of the bag an antique boxed set of some recordings she had started quietly singing and dancing to in the great hall. She remembered it had been one of the items available for sale and after the tour she had gone back and had asked the curator about getting a copy of the recording but was told that a buyer had already taken it and the other two that made up the set. She knew she would never ask what he paid for it as she knew Spock would never say. As she had felt something else in the bag she reached in again and pulled out a beautiful necklace from the same era.

McCoy nodded then opened his. After years of needling the man he dreaded to think that was in it for him. Carefully from in the bag he took out an old bag he recognized as one used by doctors on Earth in the nineteenth century and when he opened it he paused, a pair of medium-sized bottles encased in their original wooden presentation box. For a few seconds he looked at it then at the back of the Vulcan. Even on Earth this was a rare and very expensive drink. Three years ago, when they were on Starbase Four, there had been a bottle of this opened at another table and Spock had been able to get two shot glasses of it, one for Jim and one for him. It was the sort of drink you took your time with and savoured. Neither of them ever asked Spock how he was able to get the two small glasses but they had often talked about it and that taste. Two whole bottles, still in their original wooden box. There was something else at the bottom of the bag, a small register of some sort. He vaguely remembered having seen them in the old medical journals. A broad grin crossed his face, on earth in the twentieth century they were used by law enforcement to measure the alcohol content on the breath of a person driving a vehicle.

Slowly the most logical reason Spock had given them the items now became clear to McCoy. Spock would accept whatever punishment those on Bannet Base deemed necessary, even his death. He had made them give their word they would not interfere in any action he took or action taken toward him. As usual he was in control. But was it Vulcan control, Human control, or that unique control that was all his own? McCoy knew he would have to keep an eye on him.

When he looked at Uhura he could see she had also figured out what it meant and saw the determination on her face. As they looked at each other they realized that while neither of them would cause a scene or go against their agreement not to interfere neither would they willingly let him go.

"We will be arriving at Bannet Base in nine point six four hours. I suggest you two get some sleep as there is no knowing when you will next have the opportunity."

"Spock,"

"I will be fine, Doctor McCoy. I need not tell you that,"

"Yeah, I know about Vulcans." McCoy looked at Uhura who half-smiled and shook her head, "No side effects from that immunization shot?"

"Slight nausea as usual but it is manageable, thank you,"

McCoy smiled to himself, thinking Vulcans cannot lie but they can hide the truth for both he and Spock knew the immunizations shot would not protect him from Gainine and that Spock had only accepted the injection to allay Uhura's fears. "You just make sure you wake us before we get there."

"I will ensure you both are awake seventeen minutes before we arrive."

A light hand on her shoulder woke Uhura and she watched as Spock also woke McCoy with a light grip of his shoulder, "We are seventeen minutes from arrival. There is coffee and pastries in the box between you."

"Batten Base, Batten Base this Phoenix Star One from Federation Starbase Eight. We are carrying emergency supplies, medical supplies, and electronic equipment to repair your communications system. Personnel aboard are three: one highly skilled and experienced doctor, one communications expert, and a science officer. We are unarmed and request permission to land. I repeat. Batten Base, Batten Base this Phoenix Star One from Federation Starbase Eight. We are carrying emergency supplies, medical supplies, and electronic equipment to repair your communications system. Personnel aboard are three: one highly skilled and experienced doctor, one communications expert, and a science officer. We are unarmed and request permission to land."

"Welcome, Phoenix Star. Permission to land. Do not disembark your craft until security cleared."

"Understood. Thank you."

A mixed rabble of people surrounded the craft and Spock just looked at the two of them and said, "I will go first. Do not come out until I tell you to."

McCoy and Uhura watched as the obvious leader came forward with a mob behind him and Spock opened the door, stepping forward, "I am Spock. I represent Captain James T. Kirk and the starship Enterprise."

"He's one of them who attacked us," three burly men charged Spock, grabbed him and flung him to the ground and started kicking him.