Detachment
A cool Vulcan voice cut through the Captain's restless abstraction - announcing, with utter detachment, their imminent arrival at planet Daernnus.
The detachment had an immediate, albeit unintended, effect: Captain Kirk removed his hand from the back of the command chair and - tugging once at the hem of his tunic - clasped them both behind his back, preparing for his first glimpse of a planet in distress.
A few minutes before, he had listened to the planetary distress call for what seemed like the dozenth time. The effect of the chancellor's frail, desperate voice was still chilling, but hearing it seemed almost pointless: Nothing more of value could be gained there. And yet… He sought his Science Officer, hoping for the attack confirmation (hoping, actually, for a definitive just-the-opposite) that - even as late as the briefing - the other still had been unable to provide.
Their hails had been met with silence.
Spock turned in his chair, the tips of two fingers just brushing the tiny data-streaming device emerging from his ear. Uhura looked toward him as he turned, but her focus returned to her own monitors as he removed the ear-piece, placed it at his station, and rose to his feet. If his eyes met hers, they didn't linger.
Approaching the planet, it didn't seem possible to Kirk that it should be anything other than peaceful, serene. Against the dazzling background of spark-scattered darkness revealed by the mid-range sensors, it appeared suspended, with an innate promise of motion that showed how vital it surely must be.
The Enterprise settled into synchronous orbit; the Captain stole one glance at the man who had moved to stand beside him. The other was as still, as silent, as ever, and his face revealed nothing of his thoughts as he directed dark eyes to the main viewer. Nevertheless, as they gazed together at the screen, Jim Kirk found himself suddenly glad that the deceptively peaceful-looking planet centered there was blue-and-green-and-mottled-white, with brown-bounded white-flecked landmasses both irregular and totally unfamiliar.
Red-and-gold blodged with black, Jim thought, would have been simply too painful to bear.