120U.S.S. Enterprise: A Linguist's Proposal
Act V
Part 4
A skillfully blank expression accompanied Kirk as he emerged from his Ready Room minutes later. He strode silently over to the captain's chair, and she, along with everyone else on the Bridge, had their eyes glued to him. Instead of sitting, he pushed the comm button on the armrest. "Mr. Scott?"
She gained a small comfort from hearing Scotty's voice so calm. More often than not, he'd respond with a curt greeting and a loud complaint. "Aye, Captain?"
"That weapon we discussed last time around," Kirk began. Her mind turned over the word: weapon. What weapon? She gauged the reaction of the other crewmembers, but no one jumped out at her as looking at all surprised. Being out of the loop was her one of her least favorite parts of serving at Yorktown. "Is it ready? When they drop out of warp, can we disable their engine?"
She can hear the hesitation to commit. "It's as ready as it can be. I've been trying to tweak it, sir, but the fact is we'll need to fire off the weapon when they're cloaked. Otherwise, we'll be hitting their shields, and then it's as good as useless." Kirk nodded and thanked Scotty before telling him to keep it at the ready. Hitting a cloaked ship with a makeshift weapon was about as Kirk-like of a plan as she had ever seen.
"Listen up," he addressed the Bridge after closing the line. "Our first priority is to avoid armed confrontation. When the Romulan ship drops out of warp, we need to hold them off, get them into cloak, and hit them with Mr. Scott's device. It should disable their engines, and keep them from going anywhere. They'll recover from the blast soon enough, but in that time, we have a window for negotiation on our terms. This needs to happen without casualties, without damage to their vessel, or we could start a war. No one fires without my command. Clear?"
Answering affirmations echoed around the Bridge. Kirk approached Chekov's station, and Spock joined a step behind. Nyota watched them, though with her ears tuned to subspace. He made it sound so simple, but this was a dangerous mission. The possibility for mistakes were endless, and real success - understanding the source of the Romulans' hostility and constructing an agreement around it - was narrow.
It couldn't have been more than a minute later when they followed the Romulans out of warp. The warbird stopped dead in its tracks, and Nyota listened for any sign of outward-bound communication from them. "What are they doing?" she heard Chekov mutter. She turned her eyes back to the viewing screen, witnessing a series of erratic cloaks. "Do we use it now, Captain?"
"Can the computer time it right?" Kirk asked.
"I think so."
"Do you think so or know so? We need a clear shot, Chekov."
"I can do it," Chekov said. Kirk gave the go-ahead, and her toes clenched when Chekov finally fired the first blast and missed as the other ship jerked and uncloaked, rasing their shields at just the right moment. The Romulans fired just off the Enterprise's left nacelle, causing a flurry of warning noises and reports to emit from her console. She spun to address them, all the while her mind conjured images of Enterprise's nacelles drifting in the atmosphere as Krall shoved her against the glass. It wouldn't happen like that again, surely, and repeating that to herself eventually dulled the thoughts.
The Romulans retreated, zooming with their thrusters back in the direction they came. The Enterprise followed close behind. "Why aren't they still firing?" Kirk muttered under his breath. She barely heard it over the call of reports from around the ship.
The ship cloaked again, and Chekov didn't wait for Kirk. He fired.
It was as though the entire Bridge was on pause. Nyota leaned forward.
Through the viewing screen, she watched as the Romulan ship flickered into focus, floating without direction. Hope, perhaps too early, filled her head, and she finally felt like she could breathe again.
Kirk called to her, "Uhura, try to establish contact. Maybe they'll want to talk now. Chekov, power down all weapons." He received a strange look from Chekov, but off the weapons went. She opened the ships channels to the Romulan ship and sent through a standard diplomatic message.
The ball was in the others ship's court. They waited. One moment, then two.
An answering call dinged in her ear. She nodded at Kirk, and put the feed on the viewing screen.
She stood outside the transporter room. People rushed past in a blur of red, gold, and blue, their voices blending together in a stream of chatter. Her nails bit into her arms as she tried to collect her thoughts.
Yesterday, in the observation deck, she should've said. Should've asked him. Why had she hesitated, the words caught in her throat? Spending the rest of their lives together was what she wanted, and she thought he wanted that, too.
Her mind raced over the last fifteen minutes.
The Romulans would talk. They would talk on their own ship, to both the captain and first officer. Those were their terms. And Kirk smiled, nodded, and off he went, taking Spock with him. Nevermind that neither of them spoke any Romulan. Spock might be familiar with some words, and they had a universal translator handy, but in what universe could it be acceptable to have their two highest ranking officers board an unfriendly ship in the middle of deep space with no security and no Romulan-speakers? Yorktown wasn't close enough to help in the moment if things went south. They were on their own.
Kirk had called for her and Sulu to follow them to the transporter, though she'd stuck as close to Spock's side as professionally possible. She walked all the way to the transporter room, outlining various diplomatic customs and gestures common when dealing with Romulans. The only positive had been her ability to maintain enough professionalism not to call Kirk out on the spot.
That was, until Kirk informed Sulu of what he needed to do should neither he nor Spock return. Leave them both and dock at Yorktown? Unthinkable, she had voiced, but Sulu had accepted the order with only the slightest hesitation. Kirk overruled her objections with more orders, and she was left to wonder whether Sulu would really go through with them. She watched the helmsman's face slip into a mask, and her hopes sunk to her feet.
Scotty waited at the transporter, and he and Kirk spoke in low voices once Sulu had gone back to the Bridge.
And Spock, he had looked down at her. "You should return to your post." Was that all he could say?
She had stared at him, forcing herself to keep a straight face. Perhaps she had stared too silently, too long because he stepped closer. Concern pulled his eyebrows down, but she knew it was concern for her, not himself. So she had smiled for him, even though it felt more like just the moving of muscles. "I love you. Come back."
His fingers had been gentle against hers. She had almost heard the words whispered back across her skin. "That is the goal," he said.
And then he had left, and she was here, outside the transporter room, wishing she had said more. What had happened to the Nyota who left Yorktown and promised to stop waiting? Why was this one question so unspeakable? She cursed her frozen tongue, stuck on the words. The ring was even in her pocket. Of course it was, for all the good it did her. It never left her side, these days. Another missed opportunity to regret.
"Uhura." Scotty stepped out of the transporter room.
She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders. "Hey. Heading back down?"
He shrugged, folding his arms. "It can wait. Wrenchy's holding down the fort, and chances are, all we'll be doing for the next while is sitting around. So." Again, he shrugged and made himself comfortable against the wall. "You're going back to the Bridge?"
"Should be." But Spock wasn't there.
She caught a hint of a bemused smile on his lips. "You're worried about him," Scotty said. "But you don't need to be. Captain might get himself into trouble, and our Commander might be more interested in the scanners than the negotiations, but they make a good team. They always manage to get back."
What if this time was different? "I know."
Scotty shook his head like he knew exactly what was on her mind. He clasped her shoulder. "It'll all work out in the end, lass. They'll come back, probably not a hair touched on either of their heads." She patted his hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks, Scotty." He headed down in the direction of the Engineering deck a few seconds later, and after a few deep, calming breaths, she made her way back to the Bridge. The best she could do for Spock now was to do her job. That's what he would say, anyway.
"Anything new from Command?" Sulu asked, stopping by her station. "From the ship?"
She shook her head. If only.
She had thought the last few days had been long. These last four hours had stretched into years. Every time she checked the clock, she imagined an hour had passed. In reality, it might have been a minute or so. Every blip in her earpiece was a signal, every squeak of someone's boot, their return. She had no right to be so anxious. They had been through worse.
But she was anxious, and no amount of internal reasoning could make it right.
In situations like these, the best course of action was to accept her anxiousness. Fighting it obviously wasn't doing her any good. So she let her hands tug through her ponytail, and she let her legs shake under the console, and she didn't worry what anyone else thought of it. If she looked like the overly-concerned girlfriend, then that's what she looked like. And if someone wanted to say something about it, then she'd jump at the chance to take her frustration out on them.
McCoy wandered onto the Bridge after a time. He lingered around the captain's chair, making quips to Sulu about how he fit it better than Kirk and about how he deserved a more permanent promotion for dealing with the idiocy of their captain and first officer.
But when she looked to where McCoy's hand fused with the seam of his shirt, Nyota more easily detected the underlying worry in each of his jokes. So she spoke up, casually implying she'd relay every word of theirs to said idiot captain and first officer. The ensuing back and forth between McCoy, herself, Sulu, and the occasional input from Chekov worked to distract them all.
As Sulu made a face at her for claiming that Kirk wore yellow better, a message from the transporter room sprang into her ear. "Don't tell me you wouldn't -" Sulu started, but stopped when she stood.
"They're on board," she announced. There was a visible shift in everyone's demeanors, including her own. A relieved buzz filled the air, far more effective at cutting the tension than anything else. A sliver of worry wormed its way through, though. She hadn't thought she would ever wonder if perhaps they had returned too soon. Only two minutes later, Kirk and Spock arrived on the Bridge, and Kirk relieved Sulu, while Spock settled on the opposite side as McCoy.
Kirk nodded back at her. "Open a channel." This time, the Romulans responded immediately. A different person, this one with a well-lined face and stiff uniform, appeared on the screen. "We have a team of engineers standing by to help with repairs, Commander Volan."
"While we appreciate the offer, we can manage alone. You caused little disruption." The Romulan frowned, eyes narrowed in a look not quite blank enough to hide a hint of annoyance.
"Alright. Then we'll wait for your signal. Kirk out."
After the channel closed, Spock wandered from Kirk's side to hers. She spoke without looking up from her console. "How'd it go?"
"Well. An agreement was reached." He was pleased, speaking in an unusually relaxed tone. "There will be a senior staff meeting in the Ready Room in ten minutes. Please alert the appropriate staff." His hand brushed her shoulder as he walked away.
Timed perfectly with the next shift rotation, the meeting in the Ready Room still couldn't happen quickly enough. Her curiosity kept growing. After all, what could Kirk and Spock have done that solved such a serious situation in less than a day.
Scotty was the last to arrive, face still buried in a padd even as he shouted out his arrival. All crowded together in the Ready Room, the senior staff fit together with familiarity. Spock hovered behind Kirk's shoulder, Chekov hardly left Sulu's side, Chief Floyd, Giotto's replacement, lingered closest to the door, and Scotty leaned on the wall beside her. The last of her worry drifted away seeing everyone in the same room.
Kirk cleared his throat and greeted them all. "Good to see you all here. It's been a day."
"Here's to that," Scotty agreed, looking up from his padd. Everyone broke into a relieved smile. She even caught a hint of one on Spock.
"So, the Romulans. They shouldn't be crossing the Neutral Zone again, at least for the foreseeable future." Kirk looked to Spock, who immediately broke into a report.
"Although displeased by the state of their engines, Commander Volan was willing and showed proof of authority to represent the Romulan Empire in our discussion. For context on the issue at hand, a military coup occurred last year on Romulus, at which time military leaders assumed control of the Romulan Senate. There had been a brief period of relative independence for the governing body; however, today most Romulan politicians associated with the split from the military have found themselves assassinated or exiled. Commander Volan claims the coup had widespread support among the people. According to him, many Romulans felt growing resentment toward the Senate's willingness to make concessions to the Federation following the destruction of Vulcan in 2258. He claims many Romulans are disenchanted with the Federation's radical ideology, in his words, and wish to distance themselves, which the current Praetor promises to provide."
Sulu interjected. "But why violate the treaty? Maybe they don't like us, but they can't actively want to start a war."
"The commander implied the Federation would not go to war over border violations," Spock said. "The Federation, apparently, agrees."
"We nearly started a war with the Klingons a few years ago. Surely the Romulans took note of that," Sulu argued.
Spock's hands went behind his back. "Actions Starfleet has pined solely on Admiral Marcus, an explanation which satisfies both the Klingon and Romulan characterizations of Federation species as generally peaceful with extraordinary exceptions." She couldn't help but watch Kirk's eyes narrow with displeasure at Spock's statement, but no one said anything more. He continued. "Regardless of their accuracy, stereotypes about the Federation can help us find diplomatic solutions otherwise impossible."
"You make it sound like we tricked them, Commander," Kirk said, his voice soft.
"We did not." Spock stiffened. "We informed them, on multiple points in our discussion, Altamid was not meant to be a site for armada expansion or colonization. The fault lies with their overwhelming paranoia, an unfortunate trait in an otherwise intelligent and innovative species."
"Altamid?" Nyota asked. What did Altamid have to do with the border violations?
Spock met her eyes. "Yorktown has already disassembled and evacuated Federation presence within the nebula as a show of good faith. Despite this, the Romulan Senate seeks that star system for themselves."
"I don't understand," Nyota shook her head. "The nebula is on our side of the border by at least a light year. And regardless, it shouldn't be up for negotiation. Altamid is already occupied by a sentient and, likely, native species. It's neighbor planet, Gorad, has an advanced civilization with warp capabilities spanning back at least a few centuries."
Kirk frowned. "It's the weapon. They think we're making a weapon with the help of the Maverians, and they've convinced the Ghozgada of that, too."
Ensign Syl's face lit up in her memory like a wildfire, Krall's scream of rage echoing in its wake. She fought to ignore the shiver of fear that rushed down her back. "No one," Nyota said, "is attempting to use the abronath. The main mission on Altamid was academic, exploratory -"
"Be that as it may," Kirk interrupted, "the Romulans aren't the only ones uncomfortable with our presence there. Stories about what the abronath can do have spread, and it's no secret the Federation has been studying it."
"But not for use. We're at peace." This could not be happening. Romulans practiced slavery and valued conquest over coexistence, and the Federation was choosing to leave the Ghozgada and the Maverians to the whims of their empire.
"For the Romulans, peace today is no guarantee of the same tomorrow. And Starfleet Command expected this months ago. Gorad has retracted their application to join the Federation and has opened diplomatic ties with the Romulans. The only ally we might have are the Maverians, but application of the Prime Directive is murky in their case, and even if it wasn't, they've been openly hostile towards us. Killed people. We're no longer welcome in that nebula. The right choice is simple: we've started negotiations to redraw the border in that area."
"They violate our treaty, and are then rewarded for it?" Chekov spoke up. All eyes turned to him, and he shifted in his chair. "Excuse me for interrupting, but doesn't this set a dangerous precedent? And what about Yorktown, so close to the Neutral Zone now?"
"It's not a reward so much as an acknowledgment of shifting attitudes in our neighbors. And in some ways, Yorktown being so close to the nebula provides a good window for mutual surveillance. Maybe even an opportunity for a better understanding of one another," Kirk argued good-naturedly.
"As long as everyone stays on their side," Sulu said. "They've shown they can't even do that. Yorktown isn't just a military station. Its civilian population far outnumbers Starfleet personnel." Ben and Demora were among them.
Kirk sighed. "I understand your concern, but our part in these negotiations is closed. Starfleet is under strict orders from the Executive Council to lower activity in this region of space. We'll escort any remaining Romulan ships in the area back to their side of the border, the other Starfleet ships will leave immediately after. The Enterprise is ordered to stay at the research outpost for the next few days, after which we'll transport a number of their samples to Rigel II. For now, the matter is closed." Kirk nodded when no one had anything left to say. "Dismissed."
As everyone filed out, Nyota stared at her boots. She had hoped one day to go back to Altamid, and she hadn't realized that until she knew she couldn't. Border changes like this one were rare. Likely, she would never get to return.
"Uhura?" Kirk rested his weight on the edge of his desk, arms crossed. She glanced up and saw that everyone had already left.
She took a breath and examined her feelings, only to find an intense force of anger lurking beneath the calm. "There's so much left to learn. We're wasting this chance."
"I know."
His curt answer only fueled the whirlwind of accusations she began to build in her head. "You know I respect you as Captain, but …" If it were anyone else, she'd have already spoken exactly what was on her mind.
"Say what you need to say," he nodded. "I'd rather we confront this sooner rather than later."
She crossed her arms. It was a testament to how different she viewed him now as opposed to in the Academy, that she was unsurprised in his request for an honest discussion. "You are making a mistake. This does a disservice to all our people who lost their lives on Altamid." There were Human bones on that planet, members of the crew, never laid to rest. Surely that meant something. It could've been her. It could've been any of them. "That nebula was not yours to give away."
Kirk didn't back down. "The safety of the Federation is also not mine to give away." She wasn't expecting such a fierce rebuttal. The tension in his arms tightened. "Any progress towards reconciliation with the Federation the Romulans have made is backsliding. They haven't been our enemies in decades. I won't be the captain who makes them our enemies again. Too many people have died already. You say giving up any claim to the nebula is what wastes their sacrifice. I'm telling you that not giving it up would be the real shame."
She mulled over his point, and in all fairness, she understood where he was coming from. But Romulans and Federation species weren't the only actors involved. "You know they don't have good intentions there."
"Romulan policy is not our responsibility," Kirk said.
"Maybe it should be."
"That has some dangerous implications, and I don't think you mean it."
Damn the implications and the moral grey area and the whole situation. "What's dangerous is a policy of appeasement."
Kirk nodded, though his expression hardened into stone. "If you think I haven't considered that, then you don't know me as well as I thought you did. Altamid is not the hill I want to die on, but that doesn't mean I won't take action if and when it's necessary to protect our values."
She believed him, she did, but it wasn't enough. "So where do you draw the line, exactly? Is it Yorktown? Or will you that become forfeit, too, in the name of peace?"
The room became quiet as she waited for him to shoot something back at her, like her clear bias in the situation or her stepping out of line, but instead Kirk grew solemn. His shoulders drew in. "I don't know. I have my own reservations about what I was asked to do today, but I'd like to think that I'll know when it's right to draw that line. Today wasn't that day."
"Then why..." she started automatically before catching herself. The anger, she knew, was misplaced. Kirk wasn't to blame for the situation. Sometimes it was easy to slip into the narrative people created for him. Captain Kirk could disregard any order, break any rule, and come out unscathed. But then she remembered to really look at him, and what she saw was her friend, who couldn't always ignore the consequences, even when he wanted to.
But if he couldn't, then neither could she, and that was hardly a comfort. "Of course you had reservations," she finally said. "You're doing what you need to do."
"I have to believe this is for the best, Uhura. But I'd be lying if I said it was ideal." He shook his head, eyes unfocused, almost haunted. "All I know is that I don't want to go to war. Not with the Romulans or the Klingons or anyone else that comes out of the shadows. I want us all to get to go home in a year."
"So do I."
Kirk stared at her a moment too long, like he wanted to speak further, but stopped at the last moment. The weight on his shoulders disappeared in an instant. "And we will," he grinned, pushing off the desk and straightening up. "All in one piece."
"If I were superstitious," she said with a wary smile, "I'd say you might be jinxing us."
"I'm a beacon of good luck," Kirk answered in defense as they both approached the door.
She snorted. "Since when?"
He interrupted for the sixth time. They weren't even twenty minutes into the film.
The temperature hovered at a comfortable medium between them, and they sat up against the headboard, pressed together at the side with one of her legs draped over his. This was the most relaxed either of them had been in a week, and she was so glad to be with him without the distraction of impending interplanetary conflict. Maybe she didn't want it any other way, and maybe that was okay.
"Did you hear my question?" he said, the crease between his eyebrows revealing his irritation.
"Hmm?" she hummed, distracted. She kept running over the lines of her conversation with Kirk. Was he right? Was she? Did it matter?
Spock employed the Vulcan version of a huff, a gesture consisting of a slightly too long exhale and pause, to grab her attention. "I do not understand the motivation behind including this particular graphic." He pointed to the screen. "It serves little purpose."
"Maybe not for someone with a specialization in interspecies ethics," she said absently. She had been the one to pick out the documentary, but with all that had happened, her attention couldn't stay on the screen. Pausing on the offending display, Spock stared at her. She stared back. Then she broke. "If we can't gain anything from the nebula, then what did anyone die there for?"
He took it in stride. It was a bit irritating that he always had a response at the ready. "We have gained considerable knowledge, even from the short time we were permitted in that space. I find it strange you do not acknowledge that, considering your own role in the process." He paused, appraising her. "Perhaps you have concluded no amount of data collected will equal the sacrifice sustained in its acquisition."
"That's remarkably non-utilitarian of you," she said.
He laced his hands together in his lap, and it was only then that she realized he had been holding hers moments before. Who ever said he didn't play dirty? "I am speaking in terms of my knowledge of your own views."
"Then what do you think?"
"When our disputes with the Romulans reach their peak," Spock said, "the loss of life sustained has overshadowed any gain either side makes in exchange. To avoid this should be our top priority." Like in the Ready Room earlier, the air became sober. She remembered now why she liked to avoid to much work-talk in their quarters.
"What if it comes to that anyway?" she asked.
"An uncharacteristic concern from someone who has always championed diplomacy and communication. Do you think war with the Romulans is inevitable?"
"No." And she didn't. "I just really wish things could be different."
"As do I. Maybe we will be witness to a change for the better in our lifetimes." They sat on that for a moment, and she reached for his hands, encapsulating them both between hers. She smiled when she felt his affection at the thought of their future. He spoke again after a while, drawing her attention to his eyes. "I hope," he began carefully, "you will be able to show me the caves of Altamid someday. It is one of the few places we haven't explored together."
And that was when she knew for certain.
She didn't need children. She didn't need "normal". She didn't need the three bedroom house, white picket fence dream. She didn't need simple or contractions or rounded ears. She didn't even need Spock. The past year had shown her that much. But she wanted him. She knew she could only stand beside him for half his life, but she was willing to give him all of hers if he'd just meet her halfway.
She could say all this to him, and she would, but for that moment, she ran to her uniform pants and searched in its pockets. "Nyota?" Spock asked, but she was on a mission, and if she stopped now she might lose her nerve. After she found the ring, she walked back to the bed and stood at the side, her thighs meeting the edge of the mattress. She held out her father's father's wedding band between them. It gleamed in the dim light of his quarters, and Spock's eyes were gleaming, too. She stared into them, analyzed the way his eyelids drooped in confusion and rose with understanding. She took that piece of time, and she committed it to memory. Every expression, every movement, every breath, every silence.
"Spock."
She had never said his name with so much of herself.
"Nyota?"
Hers was an inquiry, a mystery, and it had never sounded so beautiful as when he said it to her then.
And then she asked the question, and she asked in Standard because it belonged to both of them, and that was important. It was important because that would be their most important beginning of all the beginnings before then and after. It was only four words, but they were the hardest and the easiest she'd ever uttered. It was only four words, but there was so much meaning behind them, and she wanted everything to be perfect for him.
She inhaled and smiled softly.
"Will you marry me?"
A/N: Hello again.
It's done! Thank you to the ends of the Earth to everyone that read, reviewed, followed, etc. It means a lot to me that people still cared to know the end, despite how long it's taken. You guys are all really freaking awesome.
Also, I personally feel like this ending isn't a cliffhanger, but just in case there's ANY ambiguity, he says yes.
In other news, there will be a part four (of five!), starring Chekov? And/or Spock? It's a WIP. Gotta figure some stuff out. Regardless of POV, it will be Chekov focused. Just giving you all a heads up. :)
With that in mind, we'll be seeing each other soon enough, so bye for now!