Forwarded by the ASC-VSO 
Posted: 30 Mar 2004 19:12:09 -0800  
In: alt.startrek.creative 
From: djinn@djinnslair.com (Djinn) 
 

TITLE: The Lost Years: Chaos (Slayer Series)
AUTHOR: Djinn
CONTACT: djinn@djinnslair.com http://www.djinnslair.com
SERIES: TOS
RATING: PG-13
CODES: Ch, K, U, Others
PART: 2/7
SUMMARY: The seventh in the Lost Years series.




Christine glared at Uhura as she tried to keep up with her.  "Why are
you here, Ny?"

"Because our good friend and former boss said he was worried about
you.  And Nogura called a late meeting, or he'd be here too."  Uhura
sighed.  She didn't like this any better than Christine did.  "You do
seem a bit on edge."

"Really?"  Christine seemed about to say more, then suddenly turned,
scanning back the way they had come.

"What is it?"

Christine shook her head.  "Something's out here with us."

Uhura looked around.  "Wharton?"

Christine shook her head.  "Not him.  Not a vampire."  She frowned. 
"It's weird.  I get a feeling like we're being watched, and then it
goes away."  She stared at the bushes, as if willing something to rise
up out of them.

Footsteps sounded on the walkway behind them and they both turned.  A
young woman was coming toward them, holding a bunch of dead flowers in
her hand.

Uhura could see Christine tense.

"What are you doing?" her friend asked the girl.

"Visiting a grave.  What do you think I'm doing?"  The young woman
dumped the dead flowers into a bin.  "Who died and made you queen of
the cemetery?"

The girl was only about sixteen, Uhura decided.  But she was wearing a
lot of makeup and looked older.  The look worked until she opened her
mouth.  Her attitude screamed bratty teenager.

Christine suddenly pulled out a cross and laid it against the girl's
bare arm.

Her skin didn't sizzle.  

She looked down at the cross, shot Christine a look rife with disgust,
and jerked her arm away.  "You are a freak, lady."  She hurried down
the path toward the entrance.

"Well, she sure summed up my existence.  I'm a freak."  Christine
shoved the cross back in her pocket.  She sighed.  Then she looked off
to her side.  "Now, it's David."

"Where?"  Uhura looked around but saw nothing.

"In the bushes, to the left of that rhododendron."  The light colored
flowers glowed white in the lamplight.  "Hello, David.  We see you."

Uhura still couldn't see him, not until he stepped out of the bushes. 
"Hello, Christine.  Ah and Nyota, isn't it?  I'm sorry I had to leave
our last meeting so hastily."

"I'm not."

He laughed.  "I do like you.  Are you seeing anyone currently? 
Because if not, I'd love to get my name on your dance card."

"I'm seeing someone.  And I don't dance."

"Pity."  Wharton smiled; it was a calculated smile.  "Where is he, by
the way?  Your beau?"

Uhura could feel her face fall.  Len had been due back in a few days,
but he'd called earlier to tell her he was extending.  M'Benga needed
him; the sick and wounded needed him.  She hadn't asked him if it
mattered that she needed him.  He wouldn't be home until just before
she was due to ship out.  She'd been hard pressed to find a logical
reason why he should give up doing something that made him feel good. 
Something that helped so many others.  Especially when she was leaving
him very soon.  So she'd said she understood.  But it still hurt.

"Hit a nerve, did I?"

Christine looked at her, confused.

Uhura shook her head.  "I'll tell you later."  She glared at Wharton. 
"It's none of your business."

"Too bad.  I'd love it to be.  You're a very exciting woman."

Christine shot her a look laced with some dark amusement.  "I don't
know whether to be jealous or not?"

"Not." Uhura said.

"You know Dracula had his many wives, I'd be happy to reinvigorate
that tradition.  You two would be a wonderful start."  He laughed. 
"Maybe we can add that cute little werewolf."  He made a growling
noise.

Christine shook her head.  "I think not."

Uhura forced her thoughts back from the naughty place they'd just gone
and realized Christine was staring at her.  "Right.  Not interested."

Wharton laughed.  "So I assume you aren't just out here for your
health?  Looking for me, were you?"  He leaned in, a conspiring look
on his face.  "Or were you looking for a vampire you could actually
slay?"

"Haven't seen many of your fledglings lately, David.  You run out of
bad guys to turn?"

He shrugged.  "I'm not the cold blooded killer you deem me, Christine.
 It pains me to think that you hold me in such disregard."

"Right."  Christine touched her pocket, as if reassuring herself that
the stake was still in there.

Uhura knew she had one of the phasers Kirk had insisted they all start
carrying in her other pocket.

"Besides," Wharton said with a smile.  "There are plenty of older
vampires around for you to take on."  His smiled turned mocking. 
"We've gone over why they're here."

Uhura looked at Christine, her turn to be confused.

"There aren't any other slayers here, David.  Emma told me."

"And Emma is such a tower of truth."  He grinned at Uhura, as if the
two of them were in on some big joke.  "Her watcher is nothing like
the other watchers, you see.  She'd never lie to Christine."

"I trust her."

"And we've been over this, Christine."  Wharton was walking backwards
as Christine advanced.

Uhura followed along, feeling a bit helpless to fully understand the
dynamic between these two.

Wharton spun around, pulling out a stake as he did it.  "Time to pull
out that pretty crossbow, my dear."

Christine didn't even argue with him.  Uhura thought that was a bad
sign, knew she was right when she saw four vampires moving across the
lawn toward them.

Wharton turned to her, "Do you have a stake?"

She nodded, pulled it out.

"I hope you know how to use it."

She grinned as bravely as she could.  It had been a long time since
she'd admitted to anyone that she was afraid.  It still embarrassed
her that, when she was younger, she'd seemed to have no internal
censor.  "I can hold my own."  Her words came out a lot ballsier than
she felt.

"Just stay back," Christine said.  "Let us handle it."  

"Not a problem," Uhura muttered, backing up against a tree.

Christine loaded a bolt in the crossbow, let it fire.  The vampire
dodged and it caught him in the shoulder.  He screamed in pain but
didn't stop walking.

Christine loaded another bolt.  

Wharton looked over at her.  "Losing your touch, darling?"

"Oh, shut up.  You should have seen the shot I made a few nights ago."

"I did."  He smiled, an odd smile. "It was beautiful."

Christine seemed about to say something but the vampires charged.  She
and Wharton met them, arms and legs flying out in hard punches and
kicks.  The smallest vampire tried to rush around Wharton, toward
Uhura, but Wharton tripped him, kicking him hard in the ribs even as
he dodged a bone-crushing kick from one of the others.

Christine knocked her vampire off his feet, followed him down and was
about to stake him when the vampire she'd shot kicked her off his
buddy.  She turned the fall into a roll, was up to meet him as he
charged at her.  She kicked high, inhumanly high, jamming the crossbow
bolt in deeper.  He roared with pain again as she landed on her feet. 
Her stake flashed and he exploded into dust.

But the one she'd thrown to the ground was rising and he didn't turn
back to Christine, he rushed Uhura.  Christine saw him take off, was
about to go after him when the smallest vampire also headed toward
Uhura.  Wharton was too busy to stop him, so Christine went in
pursuit.

Which left Uhura to handle the one headed her way.  She pulled out her
stake, held it the way Christine had shown her.  But the vampire
stopped before he got too close.  "You're no slayer.  You don't smell
right."

"You're not one to complain about smell, mister."  She held up the
stake.  "I do know how to use this."

He moved in, and she tried to follow him but he was too fast.  She
brought the stake down, and felt it bite into flesh.  Unfortunately,
it was the flesh of his arm.  He pulled the stake out and tossed it
behind her.

"No more stakes?"  He laughed.  His breath nearly knocked her over as
he grabbed her, pulling her in for the bite.

"Something better."  She grabbed her phaser, held it to his shirt like
Kirk had said to do.  And watched as it caught fire.  She pulled away
from him.

The vampire screamed, hitting the ground and rolling.  As the flames
went out, she turned to look for her stake.  It was just at the edge
of the grass, and she leapt for it as the vampire yelled at her.  Her
fingers touched the stake and she picked it up, managing to turn as he
fell onto her, and directly onto the stake.

He was dust.  And the dust was settling all over her.  She coughed. 
"Oh, god, that's disgusting."  She saw Christine and Wharton walking
up, and pushed herself to a sitting position.  "Well, that wasn't
fun."

Christine helped her up, gave Wharton a warning look when he reached
down also.  "I can take care of her."

"Nice move with this," Wharton said, bending down and handing Uhura
the phaser she hadn't even been aware she'd dropped.

"We're not just whittling stakes anymore, David."  Christine shot him
a look.

"No.  I don't imagine you are."  He smiled at Christine.  The smile
was an odd one, seeming to be a mixture of pride and caution.

"We will take you down.  Unless you give this up."  She moved closer,
was about to touch his arm but seemed to think better of it.  "You're
more than this vendetta."

He laughed.  "No, I'm not.  I was a watcher, after all."  He smiled
fondly at Christine, then turned to Uhura.  "My dear, it was wonderful
to see you again.  If you'd ever like to have coffee..."

Christine turned Uhura toward the path home.  "She would not like to. 
Not ever."

"A great pity."  Wharton threw them both a courtly bow.  "You go home
now.  I'll patrol tonight."  For a moment he appeared gawky, and
unsure.

Uhura finally understood how Christine could have been fooled.  Once
he was gone, she said, "So that's what Thompson was like?"

Christine nodded.  Then she looked at her, started to laugh.  "He sure
does seem taken with you.  If I thought it would make any difference,
I might use you against him."

Uhura nodded.  "You would too.  You'd leave me all helpless with him. 
Alone with his vampire awfulness."

Christine laughed harder.  "Yeah, black hair and deep blue eyes being
such a hardship."  She touched Uhura's arm.  "You did great, by the
way."  She pulled out her phaser.  "I thought Jim was nuts when he
wanted us to carry these.  Now I can't wait to try beheading a vamp
with it."

"Okay, I could have lived without hearing that."  Uhura shook her
head.  "Can we go back to talking about Mister Tall, Deadly, and
Handsome?"

"Why, Miss Uhura," Christine said with an exaggerated southern accent.
 "What would Doctor McCoy think?"

Uhura could feel her face fall again.

"Ny?"

"He's not coming back.  Not for months."

Christine sighed.  "I'm sorry."

Uhura shrugged.  "I can't blame him.  I'm going away and he's making a
huge difference.  But I miss him, you know?"

Christine nodded.  She put her arm around Uhura's shoulder, pulled her
close.  "Men are so dumb."

Uhura just nodded, didn't want to let Christine know she was crying
softly.

Christine's arm tightened around her.  "So goddamned dumb."

-------------------------------------

Christine took another kick at the punching bag, then turned to watch
Emma pace.  "Are you going to tell me what Silver has planned?"

Emma reached into the chest of weapons, drew out a battle axe.  "No."

"Unless you get a shot at David's head, that won't work against him. 
Not if he's wearing body armor."

"I know."  Emma slammed the axe back down.  It made a loud crashing
sound as it hit the other weapons, and Emma closed her eyes as if in
pain.

"Emma?"

She shook her head.  '"It's just another migraine, Christine.  Stop
worrying."

"When this is all over, I'm going to do a full work up on you."

Emma turned to look at her.  "Yes, fine.  When this is all over." 
There was something odd in her expression, something dodgy.

"Emma, what the hell is wrong?"

"Other than the homicidal maniac who wants me and my colleagues dead,
you mean?"

Christine turned back to the punching bag.  "Yeah, other than that." 
She took a solid swing.

Emma came around to the other side, held the bag in place for her. 
"I'm sorry.  I'm just..."

"Scared?"

Emma looked away.

"It's not wrong to admit that you're frightened."  Christine shook her
head at her watcher's look of stubbornness.  "I won't think you're
weak.  Just human."

Emma sighed.  "Oh, I'm human, all right."  She shook her head. 
"Mortal."

"Yes.  It's what separates us from the toothy menaces we fight,
remember?  Human, mortal.  Vampire, immortal."

"I see you were paying attention to some of your early lessons."

Christine laughed.  "Roger wasn't tolerant of my goofing off."  She
sighed.  Roger hadn't been tolerant, period.

"Did you love him?"  Emma held a hand up.  "I mean as more than a
friend."

Christine thought about it.  "Roger was never my friend, Emma."

"But you cared for him?"

Christine shrugged, turned away from the punching bag and sat on the
mat to stretch.  Emma sat down near her.

Christine sighed.  "After Anticles killed Marcus, after I hunted
Anticles down and killed him for it, I was lost."

"Like you were this time?"

Christine thought about that.  "No, I think this time was worse
because I'd been there before."

"I can see that."  Emma waited for her to continue.  Finally said, "Go
on."

"I'd been a good slayer, fairly obedient, which I'm sure is hard for
you to believe." She laughed at Emma's expression.  "Until I met
Marcus, I didn't question things.  I just did what Roger told me. 
Maybe because my own father wasn't very strong, it was nice to have a
watcher father to take his place.  I always knew where I stood with
Roger.  If he was displeased, there was no doubting it."

She sighed.  It was so hard to balance what she knew now about Roger's
role in the Cruciamentum with the kind if strict watcher, and later
the tender lover, she'd known.  "He was the one who urged me to try
for college, he helped guide my curriculum."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "Yes, into exactly the field that would keep
you in his orbit."

Christine looked down.  "I guess."

Emma made a funny noise, and Christine looked up.  

"You do realize that as a father figure, he should not have taken your
relationship further?  To one of romance, of sex."  Emma shook her
head.  "It's deeply frowned upon by the council.  I can't begin to
tell you what an abomination it is.  To betray that level of trust, to
take it that direction--"

"--I was hurt and he took care of me.  I wanted to hunt Anticles down
and he helped me--he found out where the vampires were in direct
defiance of the council's orders.  He waited for me to come back, sure
that I would return.  And I did.  I know you think it's wrong, but at
some point, he fell in love with me.  And I was grateful for that
love."  She looked down again.  "I was never in love with him though. 
I just wanted to forget.  To be taken care of for once, not to have to
be the one doing the protecting.  He offered me sanctuary, and I took
it."  She laughed as she met Emma's eyes.  "And then he disappeared. 
So much for my sanctuary."

"The ship became your sanctuary while you searched for him, didn't
it?"

Christine nodded.  She knew what came next.  "And Spock."  She sighed.
 "The bond was the ultimate sanctuary."

"Yes, it was."  Emma lay back on the mats, massaging her temples. 
"What was it like?"

Christine took a deep breath.  "It was the most intimate touch, the
most reassuring love.  When we first bonded, I couldn't tell which
part of what I was feeling was really me and which was Spock.  It was
unimaginable.  To touch from within, to reach out and not just feel
him reach back but to feel him encompass me with his love, his
concern.  I know he kept me sane just before the Gotterdammerung.  I
was teetering."

Emma nodded.  "It must have been wonderful."

"It was."  Christine wiped at her eyes.  When had she started to cry?

"Why did you run away?"

Christine didn't answer.

"Why didn't you want it back?"

"I did.  But I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"  Emma closed her eyes, laid her hand over them as if
to block out the small amount of light coming through her lids.

"Afraid of losing that closeness again.  Afraid I wouldn't be able to
handle it, not after the orb."

"There has to be more to it than that."  Emma opened her eyes,
squinted at her.  "Were you afraid you'd drown in it?"

Christine looked away.  

"It was forever, wasn't it?"

Christine nodded. 

"Who's your sanctuary now, Christine?"  Emma sat up, stared hard at
her.  "Who keeps you safe?"

Christine began to smile.  "I don't have a sanctuary.  I have
friends."

Emma patted her hand.  "Very good, my dear."  She leaned back again,
closing her eyes.  "Although the bond sounds nice in some ways.  I
imagine the sex was amazing."

"It was."

Emma nodded.  "Vulcans always seem so stodgy."

"Coming from tweed-woman that's really saying something."

Emma stuck her tongue out.  "I've had quite a nice sex life, thank you
very much."

"Well, so have most Vulcans I've met."  Christine studied her watcher
for a moment.  "It must feel like such a betrayal.  That it's David, I
mean.  You loved him."

"Yes.  I did."  Emma pushed herself to her feet.  "I'm hungry.  Aren't
you?"  She pulled Christine to her feet.  "Let's go out."

"Now?"  

"To hell with David.  I want to eat out."

"It's not a good idea, Emma."

Emma glared at her.  "I don't care.  I'm sick of being trapped inside
these walls."  She hurried up the stairs.

Christine was right behind her.  As Emma got to the door, was about to
open it, Christine pulled her back.

"No, Emma.  No."

Emma's lip was trembling.  "I'm going to go crazy if I have to stay in
here."

"I'll stay here with you.  We'll order some food in, all right?"

Emma seemed to be shaking.  "I want to go out.  I need fresh air."

"Tomorrow.  When it's light.  You can spend the whole day out.  Just
stay in now, yes?"

Their eyes met, and a battle of wills seemed to be fought in their
stare.  Finally, Emma looked away.

"Yes.  Of course, you're right."  Emma seemed to stand straighter; she
walked slowly upstairs toward the comm unit.  "What are you in the
mood for?  Chinese?"

"Chinese is fine.  Whatever you want."

Emma shook her head.  "It doesn't matter anymore."  She closed her
eyes for a moment, then she dialed up the menu for the nearest Chinese
restaurant.

----------------------

Kirk was just getting ready to leave for the day when Commander Hall
commed him.  "Sir, there is a Lieutenant Chekov holding for you."

"Put him through."  Kirk waited for a moment, then said, "Pavel?  Tell
me you've got something to show me?"

"Aye, sir.  Can you meet us in firing range fourteen?"

"Us?"

Sulu's voice came over the comm.  "Pav didn't think you would mind
reinforcements, sir."

Kirk smiled.  "Two heads are better than one.  I can be there in
twenty minutes."

"Affirmative.  Chekov out."

Kirk shut off his lights and walked into the anteroom.  He nodded at
his aide.  "Good night, Commander."

Hall nodded, busy composing something on his terminal.

Kirk stopped.  "What made you take this assignment, Hall?"

"Sir?"

"Why are you here?  In admin?"

Hall smiled.  The expression looked genuine.  "Sir, I'd scrub the
floors if it meant serving under you."

Kirk waved the compliment away.  The answer didn't help him much.  It
was exactly what someone would say if they were trying to appear to
not be a spy.  "And you feel fulfilled in this assignment?"

Hall's smile was less bright.  "Sir, permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"You don't appear to trust me."

"What gives you that idea?"

"You don't talk to me much.  I don't feel as though I know you any
better now than when I started here.  It's a bit disconcerting."

Kirk pursed his lips.  "I'm sorry if I've made it seem I don't trust
you.  I'll try to do better."

Hall's smile was brilliant, but Kirk thought he saw a small note of
triumph in the expression.

He hated not being able to trust his own aide.  With a sigh, he nodded
goodnight and went out into the late afternoon sunshine.  The walk to
the firing range was short and the day was pleasant.

He pulled out his communicator and paged Chris.  She didn't answer,
and he got her service.  He decided not to leave a message.

He felt the small box in his pocket jab him in the ribs.  He moved it
slightly, so that it wouldn't poke him.  The box was well-padded
inside to keep the orb safe.  Kirk yawned; he was still tired from
what Weasel had shown him that morning.  Although the spell seemed
easy enough to execute, it was the prep work that had taken time.  If
he was going to be the one to use the spell, he had to put on the
final touches.  It had been exhausting...and exhilarating, like most
of the work he did with Weasel.

The firing range came into view and he walked in, nodding to the
ensign on duty.  "Range fourteen?" he asked.

"Down that way, sir, third door from the end."

"Thanks."  

"My pleasure, Admiral Kirk."  The ensign smiled, a smile full of hero
worship.  Another fan.

Kirk still found it hard to get used to the idea that kids like the
ensign were studying his exploits.  Using them as discussion
springboards in their Academy classes.  It made him feel good--and
old.

Range fourteen had the privacy lock on it.  He rang the buzzer, stood
in front of the ID slot.

The door opened.  "Come in, sir." Sulu said, peeking into the corridor
before closing the door again.

"Expecting someone, Hikaru?"

Sulu smiled.  "No.  But better safe than sorry."

Kirk laughed.  "Why?  We're not doing anything wrong."  He looked at
Chekov.  "Are we?"

"Making a new weapon is irregular, sir."

"But not unheard of."  Kirk grinned.

"Well.  No."  Chekov gestured toward the end of the range.  "I hope
that fits the specs?"

Kirk looked down the range.  A mannequin, in body armor, stood roughly
fifteen meters away.  "That's the ticket."

"Sir."  Sulu looked concerned.  "You're not going to be using this on
people, are you?"

"Well, not people in the normal sense of the word."

Chekov smiled knowingly.  "I told you this has something to do with
Christine.  And the vampires we're not supposed to know about."  He
looked at Kirk.  "Isn't that right, sir?"

"Something like that."  He grinned.  "So, show me how this works."

Chekov hefted the weapon, it was a little smaller than a phaser rifle.
 "Sorry, sir.  We tried to make it smaller but we couldn't get the
thrust we needed on the thermite rocket."

Sulu nodded.  "We wanted it to be something you could carry without
being noticed."  He held up a violin case that had been modified on
the inside to hold the gun.  "Next best thing?"

Kirk laughed.  "I'm a little old to be taking up orchestra."  He
nodded.  "But good idea."

Chekov hit a switch and pulled open a compartment in the middle of the
gun.  "This is where you load your ammo."  He reached into another
bag, pulled out a very small rocket.  "This goes here.  Pointy end
facing out."

Kirk shot him a look.

Sulu shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sir.  I am used to dealing with idiots."

Kirk laughed.  "No need to apologize, Mister Chekov.  Pointy end out. 
What next?"

Chekov closed up the hatch, then hit a switch.  The machine began to
hum.  "We wait for the weapon to charge.  The launch feature is
dependent on the weapon being fully powered up."

"How long does that take?"

"Two minutes max.  Depends on how much charge is remaining." 

Kirk nodded.  "I can pre-charge?"

Sulu nodded.  "It takes ten seconds to reach firing stage when fully
charged."

A light on the side of the weapon turned from red to green, and the
hum changed to a low whine.  "It's ready," Chekov said, hefting it to
his shoulder.  "Point it where you want it to go.  We have laser
sights, as you can see on the target."

Kirk looked, a small red dot illuminated the heart of the body armor.

"Or you can turn it off."  Chekov showed him the switch.  "It's a
squeeze trigger.  Not terribly sensitive, but there's a bit of a kick.
 My shoulder is sore from our preliminary tests."  He put the weapon
down, turned it off and took the ammo out.  "You try, sir."

Kirk loaded it up, turned it on, and waited for the light to go on. 
"Ready or not..."  He lifted the weapon to his shoulder.  He left the
laser site on, letting it show him where Wharton's heart would be.
Then he turned it off.  No need to give Wharton any warning.  And he
was going to have to be able to target it by eye.  "Just squeeze?"

"It helps to hold your breath," Sulu said.  "And be ready for the
kick."

Kirk took a deep breath, sighted again to make sure he was where he
wanted to be, and squeezed the trigger gently.  The weapon fired, the
gun kicked hard into his shoulder, and the rocket flew down the range.
 It hit the body armor, dug in enough to puncture it, then the
thermite warhead exploded, causing a bigger hole in the armor.  Fire
broke out, burning deep into the mannequin but none of the chemical
mixture fell to the floor.

"Stays where you put it," Kirk said with satisfaction.

Chekov smiled.  "I should think on a vampire"--he waited for Kirk's
look, smiled when he got it--"it will burn faster.  They seem to be
fire averse?"

Kirk looked down at the gaping hole in the body armor, just over where
the heart would be.  "Even if it doesn't, we've got ourselves an
opening.  And that's what we didn't have before."

Sulu took the weapon from him and placed it in the violin case.  There
was room for three rockets, and he set those in and shut the case. 
"The rockets aren't particularly flammable under normal circumstances.
 You need something thermite hot or hotter to light the mix we came up
with."

"This is great."

"We did our best, sir."

Kirk smiled.  "And your best is damned good."

They both grinned.

Sulu handed Kirk the other bag.  "More ammo.  In case you need it."

Kirk took it but he had a feeling they'd get one shot, maybe two, if
they were lucky.  Of course, it wouldn't hurt to keep the weapon
around.  In case some vampire friend of David's came to call once
Chris was gone.

He felt a pang.  Forced himself to say it again in his head.  Once
Chris was gone.  She was leaving.  She'd be on his ship with these two
and Uhura and Scotty.  And he'd be stuck here.

His look must have reflected his thoughts because Sulu said gently,
"Sir?  Are you all right?"

Kirk nodded.  "Just fine."  He slung the strap for the violin case
over his shoulder, hefted the ammo over the other one.  "I feel like a
pack mule."  He grinned at them.  "Thank you."

Chekov said, "It was nothing, sir."

Sulu nodded.

"It was everything.  To know I can count on you."  He smiled.  "Enjoy
yourselves on my ship," he said as he pushed the door button to get
out.  "Don't let Decker run her into a planet."

"Well, Hikaru will be steering, so it will be his fault, sir."  Chekov
laughed at Sulu's expression.

Kirk stared at them a moment, then smiled.  "I had the finest crew a
captain could want."  Then he turned and hurried away.


End part 2 of 7

--
Stephen Ratliff
ASC Awards Tech Support

http://www.trekiverse.us/ASCAwards/commenting/

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