Copyright Marketa J. Zvelebil
The landing party, led by Offer, had arrived safely on the planet. Offer had reported that the K'S'vaits with whom they dealt were very co-operative, and that they had settled in. All seemed to be under control. It was time to leave orbit and head for Vulcan, yet Jim felt uneasy at leaving.
He looked round the bridge and noted McCoy hovering impatiently. 'It is time to go or McCoy will have a nervous breakdown,' Jim grinned inwardly.
"Mr. Chekov, lay in an orbit to Vulcan."
"Already laid in, Sir."
"Very well. Ensign Taravitch take us out gently. Once we are free of the gravity-well goto warp two. Then slowly increase to warp seven." James Kirk was not certain about the proficiency of the new ensign and was going to make sure that they left without any further mishaps. The ensign cringed in embarrassment as the Captain detailed the specific steps for a standard orbit-departure.
"At last!" sighed McCoy when they were clear of Kavayak and cruising in 'other-space' at a steady warp-seven. "Now, Jim. That trip to sickbay..."
"Not now, Bones," he put up his hand to halt McCoy's protests, "we still have one, rather unpleasant, duty to perform."
"Which is?" asked McCoy with suspicion.
Spock, who had joined them, said: "Ensign LaPierre?"
"Yes, Spock. We will convene a hearing in half an hour. Arrange for LaPierre to be there, Spock."
"Yes, Captain, and although she did not ask I have arranged for Mr. Hedgworth to be present at the hearing. If there is a court martial, then he would be best suited to act as her defence."
"Very good, Spock. I am afraid it will have to come to a court martial."
"Indeed."
"Lieutenant Uhura, you have the conn. Can you also call Mr.Scott and pry him from his engines and ask him to join us in briefing room three. In his dress uniform."
Jim heard a pained groan from Bones behind him. "Yes, gentlemen, dress uniform. These things are recorded and must be done properly.
---
"This hearing is in session." Captain Kirk said gravely after he struck the antique ship-bell in front of him three times.
Ensign LaPierre sat alone facing the table at which were seated the Captain and his three most senior officers, all resplendent in their dress uniforms, but looking very sombre.
She felt nervous flutters in her stomach. 'What had she let herself in for?' she wondered. Would she spend long years in a re-education colony? She hoped not. The thought of being confined with so many 'inferior' beings increased her discomfort.
"Ensign LaPierre, you have been briefed as to the charges brought against you?" the Captain asked.
"Yes, Sir." she answered as calmly as possible. Her legal advisor had listed them, item by item. They made an impressively long list, starting with leaving the ship without permission to breaking the prime directive, including the aiding and abetting in the incitement of civil unrest.
"Good. Would you like to tell the hearing anything in your defence?"
She shook her head. They couldn't possibly understand.
"Captain, may I?" asked Lieutenant Hedgworth.
Kirk gave a short nod.
Lieutenant Hedgworth stood up to address the officers. He looked at each of them in turn before speaking in a tone filled with conviction.
"The ensign is young and comes from a planet where the Elders have full control of the society. She has been indoctrinated from early childhood to believe that only one way of life is correct. Even as a child she had been chosen and trained to infiltrate Star Fleet with the sole purpose of spreading The Way. She knew nothing else and followed the only path she could. I propose that Star Fleet is, in a small way, partly to blame for what has occurred. The entrance interview and psychological examinations should have picked up on her xenophobia."
"Thank you Mr. Hedgworth. We shall take that into consideration when writing our report." Kirk said and thought that Spock had chosen LaPierre's defense counsel well.
"Gentleman, do you wish to ask the defendant any questions, or make additional comments?' Kirk asked his officers. They looked at LaPierre, then at each other, Spock shook his head slightly as he replied:
"Negative, Captain."
"Ms. LaPierre, it is our opinion that you be detained pending court martial, probably on Earth. Mr. Hedgworth will accompany you."
LaPeirre looked scared, yet even now she held her head high and gave the Captain a challenging look.
"Under the authority invested in me by Star Fleet I adjourn this hearing till the court martial, where our reports and Mr. Hedgworth will accompany the accused. This hearing is closed." He said.
LaPierre and Hedgworth rose. Kirk rang the bell three times, slowly. The panel remained silent.
As LaPierre was being led away McCoy turned to Kirk.
"Jim, what's going to happen to her?"
"Well... she has done a lot of wrong, Bones. But she did them under extenuating circumstances. With Mr. Hedgworth as her defence lawyer and our reports she should get off very lightly. At most, a year in a Rehab. centre, then probably returned to her home planet. We will recommend however, stricter entrance examinations before admittance to the Academy, and an interview with a senior officer of the ship the cadet is initially assigned to, especially if the new candidate is from a world that has only recently been admitted to the Federation. Mr. Hedgworth is right, Star Fleet must take some blame for what has happened on Kavayak."
"Good, I would hate to see her waste her life in a rehabilitation centre,” McCoy said.
"So would I, Bones. I actually like her," admitted Kirk with a self-deprecatory smile.
"Illogical," Spock commented.
"Let's get out of these and back to normal business," Jim tugged at the collar of his dress uniform. The Doctor smiled at this unconscious reflection of his usual gesture.
"Yep, and you," McCoy pointed a finger at Jim, “down to sickbay."
"Okay, Bones, “Kirk chuckled, "Mind the store for a while longer, Spock?"
"Acknowledged," Spock said and headed to the bridge via his cabin to change.
---
"Well, Jim, you are one lucky man," McCoy smiled.
"Lucky?" Kirk tried hard to find the connection between luck and his present state of being flat on his back on a diagnostic bed. He sat up and put on his uniform-top.
"Yes, you are on the verge of developing a beauty of a peptic ulcer."
'That's luck?' Kirk thought
"With the new treatment we have we can get rid of both the pain and the pre-ulcer in a day, or two at most."
"What is the treatment?" asked Kirk eyeing McCoy suspiciously.
McCoy laughed. He remembered the time that he had confined the Captain to prolonged bed-rest to cure a previous ulcer. The truth of the matter was, that at the time he also had to cure an all consuming exhaustion and the ulcer just proved a good excuse.
"Just a couple a hypos and you can be on your way back to the bridge in five minutes," he assured the Captain, who clearly had also remembered that episode.
With a mixture of resignation and relief, Jim offered up an arm. McCoy was careful not to look too mischievous as he duly administered the drugs. "Had you worried there for a minute, didn't I?" he smirked to himself.
---
The bridge was full of mildly excited discussion about the now popularly named "IDIC" planet. Captain Kirk let the chatter continue - it was a safe way to release any residual tension.
"I cannot think with all this noise on the bridge," Spock snapped suddenly.
The ensuing silence was more deafening than the chatter that preceded it.
'Now why doesn't that have the same effect when I say it?' was Kirk's first thought. Then he realised what had just happened and turned, as did everyone else, to stare at Spock. Remembering their manners, they quickly all managed to be extremely occupied with their duties. Captain Kirk modified his gaze, which was still locked on Spock's now very expressive face.
Spock stood still, with annoyance still on his face, which turned instantly to shock followed by an extremely imperturbable mask. He turned stiffly back to his science console. In his turn Captain Kirk also swivelled the conn back to face the main screen. 'Just what was that all about?' he pondered.
The only other time Kirk remembered such strange behaviour from Spock, was during his Ponn-farr. 'Oh no!' he thought to himself, 'Not again.' the cuts made by the fearsome lirpa fresh in his mind. He also realised suddenly, that this was not the first time since they had left the "IDIC" planet that Spock had nearly lost his Vulcan equanimity. Kirk got up and walked to the lift saying:
"Mr. Spock, come with me please."
"Captain?"
"Please," the Captain repeated, his tone suggesting it wasn't really a request. He indicated the open lift doors.
Bemused, Spock acquiesced and joined the Captain in the lift.
"Sickbay," Kirk said, then turned to face his First Officer.
"Spock, it's all right. We'll arrive on Vulcan within 49 hours."
"49 hours, 13 minutes. I am well aware of that fact, Captain." Spock did not meet the Captain's eyes. He maintained his usual elegantly correct stance. Something shifted in the shoulders though.
Kirk looked at his friend with concern. Surely he wasn't going to deny it all again. Then to the utter astonishment of both, Spock laughed quietly.
"Spock! Spock?" Had the Vulcan gone utterly space-happy?
"Laughing is not prohibited by Vulcans, Captain, if the situation warrants it." Spock put the lift on manual and stopped it before it could reach its destination.
"Spock?" Reassured slightly, but still baffled.
"You have, prematurely, arrived at an erroneous conclusion, Jim." Spock returned the Captain's scrutiny, with the full force of his own. There was a warmth in it that most had never seen, and Kirk only rarely.
"Oh?" not convinced.
"I am not entering Pon farr." He leaned back against the lift bulkhead, crossing his arms in front of him.
Kirk looked relieved but puzzled. Spock continued, still smiling slightly.
"However, I believe my essential mind-meld with Lieutenant Sulu has affected me more then I first..." Spock stopped as he sensed Kirk's intense new concern for him. He realised suddenly what the problem really was. "It seems, Captain, that my normal unconscious ability to shield myself from the emotions of others has diminished significantly."
By composing his facial expression, Kirk tried to suppress his feelings in order to protect his friend.
"Captain....Jim. You do not have the training to successfully control your emotions fully. It is unnecessary in any case," he said not quite hiding his smile. "However, while you and Dr. McCoy are staying with my parents, I trust you will not be disappointed if I do not join you for the entire time.
Kirk's face fell slightly in disappointment. "Of course not, Mr. Spock. What do you have in mind, if one might ask?"
"One might," Spock sighed. "I mean no offence but...a period of solitude and contemplation is what is urgently required."
Captain Kirk realised just how difficult and wearing this must be on his friend. " Would you like to be relieved of duty until we arrive?" he asked, certain of the answer.
"Unnecessary, Captain."
"Well, Spock, I hope you'll be able to recharge your batteries when we get to Vulcan."
"Batteries, Captain?" Spock could not resist replying.
Kirk grinned and released the auto stop. The lift resumed the downward journey. Upon reaching its destination, the doors opened to:
"Damn it! Who's the idiot that's been holding up this....Uhhh..Captain...Mr.Spock...Sirs...I don't really need this lift anyway...." Uhura stammered, red faced.
Kirk hid a smile and said, inviting poor Uhura into the lift: "It's nice to see you too, Lieutenant. Are you on your way to the bridge? Do join us."
Uhura sidled in, not daring to look at either officer. During the return journey, the atmosphere in the lift was interesting to say the least.
Next Epilogue.