Date: 21 Dec 2013 08:04 Title: Letting Go
A good read.
I've always liked Kevin Riley, and this is very close to what I imagined happened to him as well. Those two events, which happened fairly close together, were just too embarrassing and too much for the young man. He would probably have been teased relentlessly for the Psi 2000 event, and then when Kodos returned, he was singled out again, first by being sent back down to engineering, and then because he tried to kill Kodos himself. Word spreads quickly in a confined space. That feeling, that everyone is looking at you, knowing what you've done, is disturbing to say the least, and I wouldn't have blamed him a bit for wanting a change of scenery.
And, of course, it was beautifully written with your usual sensitivity.
Date: 01 Sep 2013 07:32 Title: Letting Go
I really like how you've shown Jim's softer, more vulnerable and more empathic side here. How he handles it all is aces, and I'm sad to see Kevin tag the Enterprise in his mind to what happened to him back then. But I am glad he was self-aware enough to know what he needed to do for his own mental health and do it.
Author's Response:
Thanks. This is colored by my own views on the matter as I was drawing from the partially-written Tarsus novel which I've been working on for several years now. Jimmy and Kevin have a unique relationship in that piece, which obviously has changed and grown given their current circumstances.
I wanted to explain why we never saw Riley again after CotK, and this just seemed to be a plausible and realistic reason for his abrupt departure.
Date: 29 May 2013 00:50 Title: Letting Go
I had all kinds of thoughts running through my mind as I read the beginning of this story. I got the sense that Riley was disappointed that Kodos didn't die by his own hand. Kirk put it best when he said that at some point, a person is just wallowing in their anger and hate.
As an additional observation, I remember that "Conscience of the King" mentioned that Riley's family was killed but never said straight out whether anyone in Kirk's family was executed or if they were spared. And if not with his parents, what was he doing there when he was 13? That was certainly an important loose end indicating that Kirk lost an aunt and a cousin.
Date: 30 Nov 2012 10:07 Title: Letting Go
This is my favorite kind of story, and the kind I try to write as well (with huge inspiration from you!)--what happens between episodes that links all that we see in the episodes. I'm so glad you told us more about two very important things--what happened all those years ago, and what happened to Riley. I suspect that Kirk's willingness to let Riley have some control over his own life was very healing for Riley--he must have been experiencing a lot of the lack of control he experienced as a child in reliving those days.
I love what you said in the previous review about Kirk having to decide when to let go and when to hang on. He's strong enough to do both, and I love how you show both of those elements of his character. It was a very satisfying read, one that made me think, "Of COURSE that's how it happened!"
Date: 25 Nov 2012 20:49 Title: Letting Go
And that's why Kevin Riley-one of my favorites from TOS-never showed back up again, huh? Certainly understandable and completely plausible from a canon perspective. Nicely done.
Author's Response:
Thanks, trekfan. Just call me the little dutch girl who likes to plug all the holes in the dike. ;-) So many things were left unsaid or unresolved in TOS. I like to find plausible explanations for the things we weren't told.
I'm kinda thinking though that Riley's path should cross the Enterprise's again - within the confines of his new posting, of course. Something to write on a rainy day...
Date: 11 Nov 2012 03:20 Title: Letting Go
I like how Jim realized he had to give Kevin what he wanted (and needed), which was to be let go. Hey, ya gotta do that sometimes. It was for everyone's good - what do they say, the needs of the many ...?
Excellent, as always!
Author's Response:
Thanks, jespah. This was inspired by the free write 'Hold On.' I immediately thought that Riley would hold on to the holo of his family, but then began to wonder if he could let go of the past, as Jim did.
But this is about Jim letting go, too - letting go of his hatred for Kodos and what he did, letting go of Riley even though he disagreed with it, and realizing there are some people he'd never let go - like Spock and Bones. This was tested shortly after this episode as Spock dealt with the neural parasite that had infected him, and later his Pon Farr. In both instances, Jim refused to let go, and found a solution - just as we've come to expect of him.