CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Uhura and I were in my VIP quarters on the Enterprise, talking about having breakfast when the door signal buzzed.
I went to the door and opened it.
"I didn't wake you, did I?" James Kirk asked.
"No," I said.
"You've had your do-not-disturb light on for almost forty-eight hours now," he said, looking at me closely. "You okay?"
I hadn't shaved in days, and although my eyes weren't red-rimmed anymore, I was starting to look like my good old self again. I was half afraid if I spent too many hours dressed like a Starfleet clone I'd start thinking pure thoughts. But the synth unit on the Enterprise didn't know what to make of my request for faded blue denim, and what it had substituted was unacceptable, so I wore standard Starfleet issue pants and their plain black t-shirt.
Kirk stepped into the room.
"Come on in," I said, since he already was.
Uhura waved at him demurely from the couch.
"Oh," Kirk stopped short. "I'm sorry, I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"It's okay," I said.
"We'll be pulling into Starbase Seven in about four hours," he said.
"Is that where you're dropping me off?" I said.
"If you like," Kirk said. "There'll be a debriefing."
I must've looked suspicious, because he laughed. "Don't worry," he added. "This whole episode is going to get placed in a high security clearance file. We'll leak some news of the Z'Narok affair to get people over the shock of the attacks on the outposts, but most of what happened will be known by only a few top Admirals and their staff."
"Why?" I asked.
Jim Kirk looked at me seriously. "To protect Commander Kajak. If news of his cooperation with the Federation were to get out, he would lose his command, and probably his life. As it now stands, he's a hero of the Empire, single-handedly repelling the Z'Narok forces."
"Can he trust his crew?" I asked, skeptical.
"Yes," Kirk said.
"So the Wolverine destroyed the Z'Narok base?" I asked.
Kirk nodded.
"And the Z'Narok who survived?" Uhura asked.
Kirk was silent. "There were no survivors," he said finally.
We were quiet for a moment, then I said, "I'm having some trouble getting your synth to work."
"I'll have Scotty contact you," Captain Kirk said. "Just let him know what you need."
"Can he synthesize the Avalon?" I said.
Kirk was silent. Finally he said, "No."
"Too bad," I said.
Captain Kirk turned to leave, but Uhura stopped him. "Captain," she said, "I want to show you something."
She stood up and crossed the room toward the door. I'd emptied my pockets onto a table there before throwing my clothes into the recyler and myself into the shower a few days ago. All that I had left in the universe was right there, on display.
Seven Gorbian Diamonds, a heavy duty phaser, an ammo belt with only eight power packs left, and...
Uhura picked it up and handed it to Captain Kirk.
"What's this?" he said curiously, turning it over in his hands. "It looks like---"
"The helm thruster control from the Avalon," I said. "It came off in my hand and for some reason I was carrying it around with me. Why did you want to show that to him?" I asked Uhura.
She just smiled at me.
Jim Kirk kept flipping it over and over. He began to chuckle. Uhura did, too. I didn't get the joke.
"Mind if I borrow this?" Kirk said.
I shrugged. "Why should I mind?"
Captain Kirk smiled. "I'd like you to be ready to beam over to the starbase with me in four hours."
* * * * * * * * * *
Starbase Seven hadn't changed a bit. Of course it had been only a few days since I was here. It just seemed like a year.
The base was clean and well lit, with lots of interesting reflecting glass and sharp angles. No plasti-wood in this place.
Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Doctor McCoy and Lieutenant Uhura and I beamed down into the lobby.
Kirk, Spock and McCoy headed off down a long hallway. Uhura and I trailed behind. Kirk was carrying a small plastic container.
"What's he got in there," I asked, "his lunch?"
"No," Uhura smiled.
"So, what? Are we going to the debriefing?" I asked.
But Uhura shook her head. "No," she said. "That has to be scheduled. Probably not 'til next week. We're going to be here for a while, so it doesn't matter."
"Speak for yourself," I said, wondering if this base had a bed rental unit. "I'm not going to be able to stay in the Enterprise's VIP suite forever."
We kept on walking down that great, long hallway. Finally I asked, "If we're not going to a debriefing, where are we going?"
Uhura just smiled at me.
"Come on, toots," I said, "tell me. All this brass makes me nervous."
But all she would say was, "Honey, you look much better when you shave."
Kirk led the way through a set of automatic doors and we followed him into a series of offices, stopping at a long counter.
"Hi," he greeted the Lieutenant who was working there. "I've got a repair order."
The Lieutenant stared.
Kirk smiled and tried again. "I'm Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise---"
"I think he knows who you are," Doc McCoy said to Kirk.
A door slid open in the back of the room, and the Lieutenant jumped hastily to his feet. An officer came out and up to the counter and shook Kirk's hand warmly.
"Jim!" he said, "Nice to see you. What brings you down here? Scotty's already alerted us to the fact that the Enterprise needs a half day or so in a space dock."
"It's not the Enterprise, Jack," Kirk said. "This is another ship."
Jack accessed a computer monitor. "I've got dock number two free for the next few months. Longer, actually," he said. "Bring 'er on in."
Kirk put the plastic container down on the counter with a firm clunk. "I've just brought her in," he said.
Jack looked from Kirk to the box then back to Kirk. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?" he said.
Kirk opened the box and pulled out - the helm control from the Avalon. I looked sharply at Uhura. She was beaming.
"Jim, we can't just---"
Kirk leaned forward. "This was a civilian ship, Jack, that was forced into Starfleet service. She's owned by a Federation civilian who risked his neck to take a Starfleet officer into Klingon Territory, on a mission of utmost importance to the Federation."
Klingon Territory. Kinda tough to ignore those words.
"Jim, you know the rules. We're talking re-build here - not repair. To rebuild, you've got to get approval from the top. To repair, you've got to have something that can be brought into space dock."
"Jack," Kirk said in a soothing voice. "Save me the effort of tractor beaming this thruster control into space dock."
Jack started to laugh. "You'd do it, too, wouldn't you," he said, "you bastard."
Kirk smiled. And nodded.
"I better not get my butt in a sling for this," Jack said, passing Kirk a compu-board. "Sign here."
Captain Kirk signed the board with a flourish.
Jack picked up the helm control. "I know it must seem obvious to you what model and size this ship was," he said, "but I'm going to need a little help here in picturing just what I'm 'repairing.'"
Jim Kirk motioned to me with a flourish. "Captain Webster will be happy to provide you with plans and specs."
Jack looked at me and sighed. "This is going to be lengthy," he said. "You better come on into my office and sit down."
"Sure," I said, then turned to Kirk. "Thanks," I said.
He smiled. "It's a repair, so it'll still be registered as the Avalon. Don't let 'em cut any corners on you."
"I won't," I said, then turned to Uhura. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"
She smiled.
If I know Starfleet, there's probably some rule that prohibits officers from kissing civilians in public in a Starbase. But I kissed her anyway. When I finally let go, she was still smiling. "Thanks, toots" I said.
"You're welcome, sugar," she said.
Commodore Jack was waiting for me none too patiently behind the counter. But Captain Kirk stopped me. "Hey," he said, softly, and I leaned closer to hear him. "I don't think I can swing the full five million credits to replace your lost cargo. Will you settle for two and a half?"
I think my mouth must've dropped open. Somehow I managed to say, "Yes."
"Good," Kirk said, then glanced at Jack. "I'll hit him up for it later," he said. "Now's probably not a good time."
"Probably not," I said.
Holy helldogs.
* * * * * * * * * *
The debriefing was scheduled for the following Wednesday, and the Enterprise was leaving orbit shortly after that.
After worrying so much about it, the debriefing turned out to be little more than an informal discussion of our adventure. It was no problem. I said almost nothing.
There was a small reception in the officers' lounge immediately after the meeting. There were an awful lot of top brass there. I was glad Uhura had bullied me into dressing up for the occasion.
The lounge looked out over Space Dock Two, and I stood near the vast viewports, watching them rebuild - or rather, repair - the Avalon. After only a week, I could see the outline of the hull.
Uhura came and stood next to me. "You get the credits from the Captain yet?" she asked.
I nodded. Yeah. Kirk had handed me a slip for two and a half million credits. It was marked 'Compensation for destroyed cargo.'
"It's time to go," she said.
We'd said our goodbyes earlier. Now she looked so professional, standing there in her dress uniform.
"I want to thank you again for everything," she said. "You helped me stop a war."
I smiled. "While I can't honestly say it was all fun, I gotta admit it was educational."
"Stay away from that big, ugly guy who sticks knives in your back," Uhura said.
"Garrett White," I said. "Check."
She stood on her toes and kissed me quickly, turning to go. I caught her arm.
"Hold on, sweetheart," I said. "I've got something for you." I handed her a small box. "Open it."
She opened it. And pulled out a gold necklace with one of the last seven Gorbian Diamonds mounted in the middle.
"Webster!" Uhura said. "This is beautiful!"
"A memento of our trip into Klingon Territory," I said.
She looked at me. "It's a Gorbian Diamond, right?" she said.
"It sure is," I said.
"Webster," Uhura said, narrowing her eyes, "is this legal?"
No.
But what did you expect from an intergalactic smuggler?
**************
The End!
Uneasy Alliance
A Star Trek Novel/Fan Fiction
by Suzanne Brockmann
Copyright 1990