Date: 01 Aug 2014 04:11 Title: Chapter 3
It was nice to see Kirk and Bones make up a bit (but, man, Bones you’ve got to have Jim Kirk’s back before a kid’s next time, okay?) and see Jim finally get the homecoming he deserved. Rand showing up to be his ‘escort’ was a nice throwback to the original series, as we all know she crushed hard on Kirk. I’m pretty sure, at this point in their careers, Kirk would be open to something. It seemed that way in the beginning.
As the party goes on, it really seems like Rand and Kirk are going to do something to make both of them feel better, but leave it to Bones to interrupt things. That made me laugh.
Kirk ultimately didn’t get Rand (shocker) but he did end up on the hottest planet around Christmas, Vulcan. The atmosphere is tense as everyone is saying goodbye to T’Beth without actually saying it and there are doubts, for sure, as there would be from anyone. Jim’s gift to Spock was a good one -- that’s how you use your admiral powers -- and it was good to see him and Bones back again aboard the Enterprise.
Now, Spock’s got to face down his father, his shame, and give his daughter the strength to battle through the Vulcans who will no doubt dislike her. Nice set up for the next tale and I enjoyed seeing Kirk back in action.
Author's Response:
McCoy definitely has a soft spot for T'Beth, and I think we all know it is because he missed so much of his own daughter's childhood. I also think he likes her spunk and the way she gets under her father's Vulcan skin.
Oh, it would have been nice if Kirk and Rand got that kiss...
Thanks for the read and comments!
Date: 01 Aug 2014 03:54 Title: Chapter 2
Wow, the ship really has changed a lot. Kirk and Spock are at war with one another and there doesn’t seem to be any way to stop it. Jim is baffled, as he rightly should be, about why everyone seems to have their shields up and phasers armed. T’Beth has absolutely changed the Enterprise in the short time she’s been there, but the biggest change is in Spock. He seems to be much more in touch with his darker emotions than he was before, probably because he’s raising a child now and feels the need to be protective of her.
But T’Beth is a little vixen and she plays Kirk like a fiddle. She gets him together, talks his ear off, and then makes a show when Spock sees them together. I’m at once surprised and disappointed Spock would take a child’s word over his friends, but Kirk has been gone. The friendship has suffered greatly and continues to degrade around Jim.
You capture his frustration with it all really well and Spock’s icy tones are up and down the page.
And then T’Beth shows up again and she pushes Kirk into beast mode. The girl needed a whooping and James T. Kirk gave it to her. The scene is one we’ve all experienced at one point in our lives, but it really seemed to be cathartic for Kirk. By the end of the whole affair I was sure he was done, but I had doubts.
Spock showing up could have made this a hell of a lot worse but Kirk got through to the girl. Now, will he be able to patch things up with Spock?
Author's Response:
Yes, T'Beth manages to get everyone on her side. She's heard a lot about Admiral Kirk and is very jealous of his friendship with her father. She would like nothing better than to destroy it. But she pushes things too far in Jim's cabin and Jim had me cheering when he laid it on. Then comes Papa Bear...
Date: 01 Aug 2014 03:38 Title: Chapter 1
Oh, Kirk. I do like the way you get into Jim’s more playful side, which in the TOS movie era was lost a bit. He seems genuinely happy to be back aboard the Enterprise and his glee is very apparent early on as he gets aboard and goes through the ship: I feel like this first part of the chapter is a peek into how Jim was as a child.
But his arrival surely speaks to something being amiss … all these things are clearly not usual for Spock and everyone seems to be in on it, even McCoy. Kirk’s confusion is absolutely warranted here and comes across well.
But then T’Beth shows up and wow, do the fireworks go. She’s just as forward and fiery as before but her presence has definitely changed the way the ship operates, including Spock. It’s jarring seeing Jim and Spock come into conflict as often as they do in this chapter, but at the same time understandable … I wish Jim would be a little more understanding, but Spock is dealing with a set of variables that he’s never had to deal with before. Where these two go in the next chapter is a question I have, but the scenes between them were tense, hot, and flammable. Nicely done.
Author's Response:
Thanks, trekfan! I see you are exploring the early days of my series. I think what annoys Jim more than anything is the fact that while he was flying a desk he got left out of the loop where T'Beth is concerned. The circumstances of T'Beth's birth have made it difficult for Spock to confide in him, but heck, the whole crew now knows that Spock has a daughter....and Jim doesn't? No wonder he's ticked.