Fic: Command Decisions | Star Trek XI/TOS | Kirk, Pike (gen) | PG | 1/1
Title: Command Decisions
Fandom: Star Trek XI (with hints of TOS)
Characters: Jim Kirk, Christopher Pike (gen)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,281
Summary: After the Enterprise returns to spacedock, Pike summons Kirk to his office for a chat about Jim's future.
Disclaimer: Paramount and CBS own it all. I own nothing. Darnit.
Author's Notes: Missing scene toward the end of Star Trek XI, because I couldn't get the idea out of my head about how Kirk really got his promotion. Also, wow, timeline research will really make your head spin!
Command Decisions
Three days after the Enterprise returned to spacedock and the cadet crew disembarked for the Academy, and after sitting through enough mission debriefings to last a lifetime, Jim Kirk stepped into Captain Pike's office in response to the older man's summons.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” he asked, bringing Pike's attention up from where he'd been scrutinizing what was most likely another mission report on a PADD.
“Ah, yes,” the Captain nodded, waving him into the office. “Have a seat.”
Taking one of the chairs opposite Pike's broad desk, Kirk folded his hands in front of himself and leaned forward on his elbows, expectant. After everything, cheating on the Kobayashi Maru, having McCoy sneak him onto the Enterprise, inciting a senior officer to violence, and good old-fashioned insubordination, he figured he was about to get his official booting from the Academy, along with a lifetime ban from the service. No time like the present, after all, considering he'd waited this long for the ax to fall.
Instead of getting right down to business, Pike picked up another PADD from his desk, pressed a few buttons, and glared at it thoughtfully for a moment. No doubt letting Jim sweat it out.
“Should I go ahead and start packing my bags, Captain?” he ventured, eager to just get it over with.
Pike cast him a questioning look at that, then tossed the PADD aside. “And just where for, might I ask?”
“You're giving me the heave-ho, right? I might as well get my things packed so I can catch the next shuttle out.”
The Captain's eyebrows shot up and he let out a harsh laugh. “Hardly. Don't get ahead of yourself.”
Sitting up straight, Kirk shook his head, confused. “Um... then, why did you want to see me?”
“Wanted to discuss your rank promotion.”
“I'm sorry. What?” he nearly choked, straightening the front of his red cadet's uniform involuntarily.
“Promotion,” Pike repeated, suddenly looking amused to no end as he sat back in his wheelchair and steepled his fingers in front of himself. “I'm sure you're aware that we lost seven ships this week, and along with them, seven Captains, seven first officers, and all the rest of seven crews, mostly cadets in line for eventual command positions.”
“Yes, sir,” Kirk swallowed, wishing he didn't feel somehow partially responsible for that loss.
“As of tomorrow morning at 0800, that tally will include one more Captain. Me.”
“Seriously?” he couldn't help but respond, not really sure what to make of that.
“Getting my own promotion, thanks in part to my physical status, along with my role in this whole disaster.”
A slow smile spread over Kirk's face. “Congratulations, sir.”
“Yeah, well,” Pike grumbled halfheartedly. “In any case, this leaves a very important position wide open, one I thought you might like to fill, since my XO has decided to temporarily resign his commission.”
Not quite able to process the Captain's statement, Kirk shook his head minutely. No way Pike could be saying what he thought he was saying.
“Congratulations, yourself, Captain.”
Kirk was only peripherally aware of Pike's own grin, his hand stuck out to offer a handshake. “I... what?” he managed weakly, a sudden flash of memory gleaned from his mind meld with the elder Spock hitting him. In the other timeline, Jim Kirk didn't make Captain until 2264, a full six years from now, after serving aboard the USS Republic and the Farragut. At thirty-one, that Kirk was―will be―the youngest Captain in Starfleet history, but this.... He wished to hell he didn't know that, considering the beatific look Pike was giving him.
“You heard right, Jim,” Pike went on, finally clasping his hand for a quick, firm shake over the desk. “Your field promotion was approved by the board, so your new rank is effective immediately, though you won't get your official bars and all the benefits of rank until the awards ceremony two and a half weeks from now. Then, you'll be taking the Enterprise out on her first official shakedown cruise. Work out the kinks in the systems, finalize your crew manifest, that sort of thing. And after that, she's all yours. What do you think?”
“I―” But really, what could he say to that? Captain at twenty-five. It wasn't even possible... was it?
Shaking his head to clear out the unexpected conflict he was facing from those flashes of memory, he started to come back to himself. “Thank you, sir,” he finally managed, feeling a little more composed and grinning lopsidedly.
“You're welcome, son. You've earned it,” the Captain replied easily, before folding his hands together and leaning forward over his desk, a more serious look on his face. “You need to understand that this isn't just some whim, though. I had to jump through a hell of a lot of hoops to get you promoted that far up the chain of command this fast, and that's saying something, considering my current circumstances. Starfleet Command could have transferred any XO from our remaining ships to command the Enterprise, but I managed to convince them to take a chance on you. Not an easy feat.”
“Understood, sir,” Kirk nodded, his sudden high almost as quickly sobered. Of course it wouldn't be so easy.
“You've got two and a half weeks to finish out the rest of your coursework and exams, not to mention three rank exams, and you'd damn well better pass them all with flying colors, you got me?” Pike finished, fixing him with a stern look.
“Yes, sir,” he said again, his stomach flipping briefly. He said he'd do it in three years; now was the time to collect on that promise. “Flying colors. Got it.”
“And no messing around, either. You want this command, you'd better act like it. That means no more upperclassmen shenanigans, no more carousing, no more fights, and no more dragging Leonard McCoy into your schemes. He's got enough on his plate, anyway, if he wants the CMO position permanently. We've got a fleet to rebuild, and we need capable, responsible officers to take the helm, so to speak, especially with the Enterprise already on the fast track to becoming the flagship of the Federation again.”
Eyes widening despite himself, Kirk nodded again, sitting up even straighter. So much for taking Bones out to decompress over drinks tonight. Man, Len was gonna kick his ass on general principle. But... the flagship. Damn. For that, he'd take the Boy Scout Oath right here and now. “You'll have to nominate me for sainthood, sir.”
Pike's stern expression softened into a grin again. “Good. Now that that's settled, you might as well get out of here and get to work. You're gonna be a busy man between now and, oh, the rest of your career.”
“Yes, sir!” he replied, steeling himself for the workload he was about to undertake to hold onto what he hadn't thought he'd have a chance in hell of getting in the first place. Standing, he snapped to attention and gave the Captain a proper salute. “Thank you again, sir.”
The older man straightened in his chair and returned the salute. “You're welcome, Captain Kirk. Dismissed.”
Barely suppressing his own blinding grin as his body thrummed with sudden energy and adrenaline, Kirk turned and strode out of Pike's office to go fill McCoy in on the morning's developments and possibly gloat a little. Captain Kirk. He could so get used to that.
* * * * *
Fandom: Star Trek XI (with hints of TOS)
Characters: Jim Kirk, Christopher Pike (gen)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,281
Summary: After the Enterprise returns to spacedock, Pike summons Kirk to his office for a chat about Jim's future.
Disclaimer: Paramount and CBS own it all. I own nothing. Darnit.
Author's Notes: Missing scene toward the end of Star Trek XI, because I couldn't get the idea out of my head about how Kirk really got his promotion. Also, wow, timeline research will really make your head spin!
Command Decisions
Three days after the Enterprise returned to spacedock and the cadet crew disembarked for the Academy, and after sitting through enough mission debriefings to last a lifetime, Jim Kirk stepped into Captain Pike's office in response to the older man's summons.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” he asked, bringing Pike's attention up from where he'd been scrutinizing what was most likely another mission report on a PADD.
“Ah, yes,” the Captain nodded, waving him into the office. “Have a seat.”
Taking one of the chairs opposite Pike's broad desk, Kirk folded his hands in front of himself and leaned forward on his elbows, expectant. After everything, cheating on the Kobayashi Maru, having McCoy sneak him onto the Enterprise, inciting a senior officer to violence, and good old-fashioned insubordination, he figured he was about to get his official booting from the Academy, along with a lifetime ban from the service. No time like the present, after all, considering he'd waited this long for the ax to fall.
Instead of getting right down to business, Pike picked up another PADD from his desk, pressed a few buttons, and glared at it thoughtfully for a moment. No doubt letting Jim sweat it out.
“Should I go ahead and start packing my bags, Captain?” he ventured, eager to just get it over with.
Pike cast him a questioning look at that, then tossed the PADD aside. “And just where for, might I ask?”
“You're giving me the heave-ho, right? I might as well get my things packed so I can catch the next shuttle out.”
The Captain's eyebrows shot up and he let out a harsh laugh. “Hardly. Don't get ahead of yourself.”
Sitting up straight, Kirk shook his head, confused. “Um... then, why did you want to see me?”
“Wanted to discuss your rank promotion.”
“I'm sorry. What?” he nearly choked, straightening the front of his red cadet's uniform involuntarily.
“Promotion,” Pike repeated, suddenly looking amused to no end as he sat back in his wheelchair and steepled his fingers in front of himself. “I'm sure you're aware that we lost seven ships this week, and along with them, seven Captains, seven first officers, and all the rest of seven crews, mostly cadets in line for eventual command positions.”
“Yes, sir,” Kirk swallowed, wishing he didn't feel somehow partially responsible for that loss.
“As of tomorrow morning at 0800, that tally will include one more Captain. Me.”
“Seriously?” he couldn't help but respond, not really sure what to make of that.
“Getting my own promotion, thanks in part to my physical status, along with my role in this whole disaster.”
A slow smile spread over Kirk's face. “Congratulations, sir.”
“Yeah, well,” Pike grumbled halfheartedly. “In any case, this leaves a very important position wide open, one I thought you might like to fill, since my XO has decided to temporarily resign his commission.”
Not quite able to process the Captain's statement, Kirk shook his head minutely. No way Pike could be saying what he thought he was saying.
“Congratulations, yourself, Captain.”
Kirk was only peripherally aware of Pike's own grin, his hand stuck out to offer a handshake. “I... what?” he managed weakly, a sudden flash of memory gleaned from his mind meld with the elder Spock hitting him. In the other timeline, Jim Kirk didn't make Captain until 2264, a full six years from now, after serving aboard the USS Republic and the Farragut. At thirty-one, that Kirk was―will be―the youngest Captain in Starfleet history, but this.... He wished to hell he didn't know that, considering the beatific look Pike was giving him.
“You heard right, Jim,” Pike went on, finally clasping his hand for a quick, firm shake over the desk. “Your field promotion was approved by the board, so your new rank is effective immediately, though you won't get your official bars and all the benefits of rank until the awards ceremony two and a half weeks from now. Then, you'll be taking the Enterprise out on her first official shakedown cruise. Work out the kinks in the systems, finalize your crew manifest, that sort of thing. And after that, she's all yours. What do you think?”
“I―” But really, what could he say to that? Captain at twenty-five. It wasn't even possible... was it?
Shaking his head to clear out the unexpected conflict he was facing from those flashes of memory, he started to come back to himself. “Thank you, sir,” he finally managed, feeling a little more composed and grinning lopsidedly.
“You're welcome, son. You've earned it,” the Captain replied easily, before folding his hands together and leaning forward over his desk, a more serious look on his face. “You need to understand that this isn't just some whim, though. I had to jump through a hell of a lot of hoops to get you promoted that far up the chain of command this fast, and that's saying something, considering my current circumstances. Starfleet Command could have transferred any XO from our remaining ships to command the Enterprise, but I managed to convince them to take a chance on you. Not an easy feat.”
“Understood, sir,” Kirk nodded, his sudden high almost as quickly sobered. Of course it wouldn't be so easy.
“You've got two and a half weeks to finish out the rest of your coursework and exams, not to mention three rank exams, and you'd damn well better pass them all with flying colors, you got me?” Pike finished, fixing him with a stern look.
“Yes, sir,” he said again, his stomach flipping briefly. He said he'd do it in three years; now was the time to collect on that promise. “Flying colors. Got it.”
“And no messing around, either. You want this command, you'd better act like it. That means no more upperclassmen shenanigans, no more carousing, no more fights, and no more dragging Leonard McCoy into your schemes. He's got enough on his plate, anyway, if he wants the CMO position permanently. We've got a fleet to rebuild, and we need capable, responsible officers to take the helm, so to speak, especially with the Enterprise already on the fast track to becoming the flagship of the Federation again.”
Eyes widening despite himself, Kirk nodded again, sitting up even straighter. So much for taking Bones out to decompress over drinks tonight. Man, Len was gonna kick his ass on general principle. But... the flagship. Damn. For that, he'd take the Boy Scout Oath right here and now. “You'll have to nominate me for sainthood, sir.”
Pike's stern expression softened into a grin again. “Good. Now that that's settled, you might as well get out of here and get to work. You're gonna be a busy man between now and, oh, the rest of your career.”
“Yes, sir!” he replied, steeling himself for the workload he was about to undertake to hold onto what he hadn't thought he'd have a chance in hell of getting in the first place. Standing, he snapped to attention and gave the Captain a proper salute. “Thank you again, sir.”
The older man straightened in his chair and returned the salute. “You're welcome, Captain Kirk. Dismissed.”
Barely suppressing his own blinding grin as his body thrummed with sudden energy and adrenaline, Kirk turned and strode out of Pike's office to go fill McCoy in on the morning's developments and possibly gloat a little. Captain Kirk. He could so get used to that.
* * * * *