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Star Trek Chapter 24
"Captain Spock here to see you Admiral," the yeoman said from the door.
Kirk looked up at the office aid. She was a young Star Fleet Flight Apprentice, less than a year out of high school. Her waist length blonde hair was up in one of the bouffant hairdos popular with youngsters of her generation. Her Star Fleet office coveralls provided an excellent impression of the shapes below. Kirk had spotted her while giving the graduation speech at Star Fleet Recruit Training and 'recruited' her to be a Flag Staff aid; not for her professional expertise but for her eye candy appeal.
"Thank you Monica," Kirk replied. That was as far as he could allow his professionalism with an enlisted member to slip-using her first name when they were in private. She, of course, always addressed him by his formal rank.
"We've received a communique from our operative in "C" sector," Spock said as soon as the door had closed.
"What's up?"
"Petty Officer Cooper sent a short but quite informative message that was received by the rim sensors about an hour ago. He reported that, after his escape from Cardassian space he did not have sufficient fuel for a safe return except by his reverse course. Because the Cardassian's are able to track him, he decided to attempt to locate fuel in Charlie sector."
"I guess we'd better not be too sticky about the Prime Directive," Kirk commented.
"Precisely."
"OK, so what did he find?"
"He's rather vague about the details but it seems he became involved in an altercation with the revolutionary forces in the area and he took on, or rescued, two additional individuals involved in the fighting. One of these was a "Jedi Knight" as they're called and this person was able to direct him to a planet that could provide him the needed antimatter. The other person is the daughter of a planetary noble family who he returned to her parents."
"Seems our erstwhile Petty Officer has a talent for rescuing very young maidens."
"Quite," Spock responded with a raised eyebrow.
Kirk tried to cover his expression but knew that Spock saw right through it.
"Jim, I'm aware of Coopers...orientation...toward children. I felt that his qualifications for the assignment outweighed other considerations."
Kirk gave a short laugh of relief. "I've been kind of concerned since Bones told me about his psyc profile."
"I was familiar with it from the start. What Cooper probably doesn't know is that, if they have acted on her...drives related to an early-onset Pon Far, he has entered into a life-long relationship. Oddly, in studying them both, I believe that my daughter will be quite happy with her husband, as he will be with her."
"Husband?"
"Of course, it cannot be acted upon until she reaches legal age but, the ties will have biological aspects which will bind them."
"Come on Spock. She's just ten years old."
"Ask my wife about it," Spock said. "The link between Vulcan and Human in Pon Far is...overwhelming...for both members."
Kirk rocked back in his chair as he tried to form a response that would not offend his friend. He had been surprised by the strong relationship between Spock and Rand after she'd turned up pregnant and his devotion to his daughter was nothing short of astonishing.
Finally Kirk looked up with a smile. "Well, I hope I get an invitation to the wedding."
"I can assure you, you will," Spock replied with a rare smile.
"To continue," he went on, "the antimatter was obtained from a planet named Alderaan. His young passenger is the daughter of the planet's head of state. This was after dropping off the Jedi Knight on a different planet where he intends to go into hiding. Revenge is currently on a course to the Ferengi frontier. He asks that the Federation arrange his passage or send word to the Ferengi that he is authorized to pay using the funds we provided."
"It'd be easier if we pay up-front," Kirk replied. "Otherwise he's libel to be detained until word gets through that we authorized payment. The Ferengi, for all their mercantilism, don't like legal problems. I'll contact the Ferengi Charge d'Affairs here in San Francisco."
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