Fic: "The Needs of the Few" (5/23)
Title: "The Needs of the Few"
Canon characters/Pairing(s): Kirk & McCoy, Pike, Finney
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 8,400 for chapter 5
Warnings: Foul language, political situations, military stuff.
Summary: As cadets on a summer internship, Kirk and McCoy are supposed to keep their eyes open and their mouths shut. As far as Bones is concerned, that’s just plain wrong on Jim Kirk, but Jim seems determined to follow orders and fall in line for a change. After all, they’ve both seen enough trouble in two years at the Academy, and this is the Peace Mission of Axanar. However, when a mystery starts to weave itself around the mission, and the senior officers don’t seem interested in investigating, how far can Kirk and McCoy let it go?
Previous chapters: One, Two, Three, Four(A), Four(B)
Chapter 5
“We’ll have three hours on the surface,” Lieutenant Finney said evenly.
Six cadets sat in rapt attention. Their first landing party. Part of the Axanar Peace Mission. It was huge.
It wasn’t Jim’s first time on another planet, but this... this was different. Tarsus IV hadn’t been a mission; it had been a nightmare. This, on the other hand, was the beginning of an adventure. He was a Starfleet cadet now, but not just a cadet. This time, he was an officer intern, functioning as a true representative of Starfleet and the Federation. Absently, his hand reached up and traced the insignia on his gray duty uniform as Finney continued with the briefing.
“We’ll beam down to the front terrace of the capitol building. After a brief formal welcome, Captain Porter and the Federation Ambassador will attend some meetings that we don’t have to worry about, and we’ll get a chance to look around. There will be a reception with refreshments, and that’s where I’m expecting you each to put your diplomacy training into practice. Engage yourselves in at least three diplomatic conversations - at least one with an Axanar, and if you can, try to interact with some of the other species, too. Also, I’ve been told that we can request a tour of the Capitol Square, so if you’ve finished your diplomatic small talk, feel free to ask for the tour.” His gaze skimmed over the assembled cadets. “Keep your eyes open, but be judicious about what you say. Observe more than you talk. We’re just getting to know these people. We’ll reconvene in front of the Hall of Lords for beam-up at 1400 hours. Then, once the higher-ups are ready, the Axanar ambassadors will come onboard along with the other delegates we’re transporting, and we’ll set course for Araxis. Questions?”
Jim found himself slowly shaking his head, along with the other cadets. This might be completely new, but with all the drills and training he’d been through, including first-contact and landing party simulations, it felt like all that remained was to simply do it. Additionally, Finney had given them an enormous information file at the end of duty yesterday. Homework, even in space. When his bunkmates had turned down for the night and grumbled at him to turn off the small light over his own bunk light, he’d gone to Bones’ room to finish reading.
Jim smiled to himself. He hadn’t even needed to guess that Bones would be wide awake at zero-fuck-hundred hours, working on his research. It had been good to spend some of the evening in Bones’ quarters, just studying. It felt comfortable. Neither of them mentioned Jim’s little breakdown a few nights ago, and Jim had regained his emotional footing just fine. He just needed to settle into his duties, keep his nose out of trouble, and do things the normal way for a change. It was an internship. He wasn’t in charge. It was okay.
Finney nodded to the cadets. “As we said, atmospheric methane isn’t toxic, and you’d be perfectly fine for much longer than three hours, but some of the natural byproducts might make you a bit queasy, so speak up immediately if you experience any unusual symptoms.”
“I still wonder how any culture can develop technology on a planet where lighting a fire could torch the whole atmosphere,” Nadeau said under his breath to Jim.
Jim looked at Nadeau cynically, but before he could say anything, Finney replied. “Are you making a joke, Nadeau?”
Nadeau’s head pulled back in surprise, and he replied hesitantly, “I was just wondering, sir. That’s all.”
“The atmospheric concentration of methane is just under 3%, cadet. Methane doesn’t burn below 5%. Didn’t you read the whole briefing file I sent to you?” His expression was neutral, but it was instantly obvious what he was digging at.
Nadeau opened his mouth, as though ready to protest, but he must have realized he’d already tipped his hand. He shook his head. “Not the whole file, sir. I concentrated on the historical background for the peace negotiations and the settlement of Araxis.”
Finney kept his poker face. “So, you figured that if there was something about the atmosphere that was worrisome for a landing party, one of the science officers or your section leader would tell you, right?”
Nadeau glanced side to side at the other cadets before saying, “I guess so, sir. I mean, if something like the atmosphere or geology of an area is dangerous, that’s always been at the forefront of the briefing. I was just curious about the rest of it. The overview of the mission said Axanar has a nitrogen-methane atmosphere, so I figured methane was one of the major components.”
“You figured, huh?” Finney’s voice was oddly nonchalant. “Often, designations for atmospheres are meant to indicate which components are outside the normal range for Class-M planets. If the atmosphere was flammable, Axanar wouldn’t be class-M... would it?”
“No....” Nadeau said, sounding a bit like he was grasping for a rope.
Finney nodded. “Go report to Commander Shao and ask for another duty assignment for the day, Cadet Nadeau. I don't think you're ready for the landing party. Dismissed.”
Nadeau’s mouth fell open, but without a word, he stood and left the briefing room. Finney watched him go, waiting for the door to slide shut before he spoke again.
“Cadets... when you get a mission briefing, whether you’re the low man on the team or the damned mission leader, you read every word, top to bottom. You never know what detail of a mission briefing might save your ass when your boots hit dirt. There is no way to know what’s important until after the mission is over, so you treat every word of that report as though your life depends on it. Do you hear me?”
“Yes sir,” came a weak chorus of replies from around the room. Jim kept glancing at the door, realizing just how easily any of them could lose privileges. This was real, and nobody was messing around. Yeah, he’d do well not to stick his neck out right now. Play completely by the book. Constraining himself to being just a cadet felt like wearing clothing that didn’t quite fit, but he’d get used to it. He was doing better already.
Lieutenant Finney looked as though he was about to speak again when the familiar intercom whistle sounded, followed by the deep voice of Captain Porter.
“Attention crew, this is the Captain speaking. We’ve arrived in orbit around Axanar. Greetings have been exchanged with the planetary authorities, and we are cleared to beam down landing parties. All landing party personnel, please report to the transporter room. And, might I say, here's to our whole crew for being part of such a historic event. Captain Porter out.”
Finney smiled. “You heard the man. Transporter room. Come on.”
Jim felt his heart speed up with anticipation as he fell into step with his squad, following Finney out of the briefing room. The corridors were buzzing with activity, and Jim could barely hold back the urge to walk faster. They rounded the corner into the transporter room, only to stop short behind the queue of landing party personnel. Security officers, a couple of science officers, the command team, and...
“Bones!” Jim kept his greeting as quiet and professional as possible. He hadn’t expected to see Bones lined up for the landing party, and he grinned broadly as his friend startled and spun around. “I didn’t think they’d send a doctor on a diplomatic mission.”
“Jim,” Bones said with a light grumble. “I'm here because, as a cadet, I’m supposed to go on a landing party. And...” He took a notably uneasy breath. “Doctor Brex insisted that studying the psychology of a landing party would be just as valuable as studying shipboard and flight phobias.”
Jim nodded, still grinning. “Sounds like an observant man.”
Bones shrugged. “I think he is. Besides, the Captain insisted that the Medical team needed to be represented in the landing entourage. Brex dislikes diplomatic posturing as much as I do... and he outranks me.”
Jim narrowly held back a chuckle as Lieutenant Finney clapped him on the shoulder.
“Kirk, form up. We’re the third group to beam down.”
Jim nodded at Finney, then he threw Bones a wink, earning him an eyeroll as he fell back into formation.
The first team approached the transporter platform. Three official delegates to the Peace Conference, accompanied by Captain Porter and Commander LaSalle, took their positions and faded from existence. Jim's eyes, however, were on Bones, and he watched as a deep shudder worked through the man. His grasp on his med kit was all white knuckles and straining fingers. He swore he could see the hairs on the back of Bones' neck stand up, and... was he sweating?
“Come on, Bones,” Jim whispered under his breath. “Don't tell me you're scared of transporters, too.”
At that, Bones' head whipped around - damn that man's superhuman hearing - and he glared at Jim, but the annoyance in his expression was undercut by thinly veiled panic. Before he could say anything, however, the transporter chief's voice cut through the room.
“Transport complete. Team two, please take your places on the transporter pad.”
Like a man being led to the gallows, Bones walked up the steps to the transporter pad and took his place behind one of the security officers. His stance was proper, and anybody else wouldn’t have noticed his hesitation, but Jim wasn't anybody else. Bones' gaze flashed from Jim, to the transporter chief's operations console, and back to Jim. For a moment, Jim was absolutely certain that Bones was going to bolt from the transporter pad and run like a madman back to sickbay.
Instead, despite the pallor and beads of sweat lining his brow, Leonard McCoy held his ground as the Lieutenant said, “Energize.” In the last fraction of a second before he disappeared, Jim saw him squeeze his eyes shut.
Damn, Bones, Jim thought, but his team was already being called up to the platform. He followed Finney up to the pad, and a moment later, the transporter room disappeared around him and the surface of an alien world resolved into view.
They were in a large, open square, elegantly tiled with a slightly opalescent stone resembling translucent marble. Abstract sculptures lined the terrace, and on all sides were massive buildings with architecture of the kind that Jim had only seen in cultural briefing documents. They looked like fortresses, both richly ornate and heavily fortified at once. There were plants with massive purple-green leaves forming hedges that divided up the terrace into smaller areas, sculpted benches made of an off-silver metal alloy, and a fountain in the center of the square. An entourage of Axanar officials was standing at the base of the steps of the largest building. They were humanoids with a reptilian appearance, dressed in ornate, formal robes. It was one hell of a first view on a new planet, and Jim had to admit, he was impressed.
But something was missing.
Bones.
Jim's eyes went wide as he realized he couldn't see Bones anywhere. He looked around at the whole landing party, but the telltale cadet’s gray duty uniform with the broad shoulders, ridiculous side-parted brown hair, and ever-present med kit were nowhere to be seen.
An Axanar official stepped forward, extending his arms in formal greeting as he addressed the landing parties. “My Federation friends, I am Chancellor Rshaxaan. Welcome to the Capitol Square of Axanar City. Ten years ago, this site was a mere pile of rubble, reduced to dust and grit by the horrible battle that our civilization narrowly survived. It was by the good graces and protection of your leaders, particularly of Commander Grath, that we have been able to rebuild. Our Capitol Square was completed only ten years ago, just in time for this ceremony, so it is with great pride that I present it to you. All that we have, we offer to you in gratitude.”
Jim was listening to the Chancellor, but his eyes were rapidly scanning the square. Bones should have still been standing with his group. It was possible that a slight miscalculation had deposited him a short distance away, but that didn’t happen often.
Captain Porter stepped away from the collective landing party. “Chancellor Rshaxaan, I am Captain Porter of the USS Athena, presenting representatives from the Federation planets of Fillandria and Kashet, as well as members of my crew. On behalf of my crew, we appreciate your hospitality.”
Jim almost broke rank, but he held his ground. Formal reception. Opening remarks. Major diplomatic event. Their first moments on a new planet. He had to hold it together. But fuck it all, because Bones was missing.
“No appreciation is necessary, Captain. It is our honor and duty. The delegates and representatives who have already arrived on the other ships are enjoying refreshments in the Hall of Lords,” he said as he indicated the tallest of the four buildings around the square, “and exploring our gardens of Capitol Square. Please, allow your crew to fully indulge in what we have provided.”
Jim thought he heard Captain Porter releasing the landing parties to explore the grounds, and his conscious mind caught the fact that he had permission to break formation. In a heartbeat, he began working around the square, looking behind plant hedges and around statues.
“Bones? Come on, man, where did you go? Bones?”
“Cadet Kirk, is there a problem?” Finney's voice was firm but definitely concerned.
Jim glanced back at Finney. “Bones... uh... Cadet McCoy beamed down with the second group, but I don't see him.” He shook his head, and started to reach for his communicator when he heard something.
“Dammit, Jim.”
The voice was muffled and coarse, but it sent a wave of relief through Jim as he followed the sound behind a hedge of plants to find Bones sitting on a bench with his head between his knees. Jim hurried over and sat down on the bench next to Bones. From there, it was obvious that the man was shaking.
“Shit, Bones, are you okay?”
“Found him, Kirk? Cadet McCoy?” Finney hovered for a moment, standing back.
Jim glanced at Finney and said, “I’ve got him, sir,” as Bones waved him off without looking up.
Finney nodded and said, “Report back to me before you go to explore the grounds. The other cadets are heading into the Hall of Lords, and I’ll be in there.”
“Aye, sir.”
Finney walked away, leaving Jim and Bones by themselves. After a moment, Bones lifted his head weakly, revealing a gray complexion and slightly bloodshot eyes. “Well, that proved one thing.”
“What's that?”
“Immersion therapy doesn't work for transporter phobias.”
Jim stared at Bones for a moment in bemused disbelief. “You’re scared of transporters, too? Seriously?”
“Never much liked them on principle,” he grumbled, “but I’ve never gone through one. Had hoped it wouldn’t be so bad.”
“What do you mean, it was bad? I mean, it kinda tingles a bit, but it doesn’t hurt.”
“Neither does flying unless you crash, genius.” He blinked, then gave Jim a quick apologetic look, and said, “Sorry. Didn’t mean it like that.”
Jim shrugged it off. “It’s in the past, Bones. But come on... transporters?”
Bones growled low in his throat. “Yes, transporters, you asshole. I’ve read medical reports on cadavers - or what was left of the cadavers - after transporter malfunctions. Molecules missing... parts scrambled...” His voice trailed off as he blanched and squeezed his eyes shut again for a moment. “Goddammit.”
“Wish you’d told me, Bones.” Jim waited for a moment, then shot him a devious look. “Do you need a doctor?”
That drew an instant scowl. “Shut up.”
“I could call up to the ship for a medic, if you’re too sick to continue the mission,” Jim continued, putting on his most obnoxiously helpful smirk.
“You’re an asshole, you know that?” he said, but the unhealthy green-gray tint to his skin was fading.
Jim grinned. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m the doctor, because you’re looking better already.” He got to his feet and held out a hand to Bones. “Come on, shake it off and join the party.”
Bones sighed. “I suppose now that I’m down here, I might as well enjoy it.” He took Jim’s hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. “Just don’t know how the hell I’m going to handle the return trip.”
“Got some anti-anxiety stuff in your medkit?” Jim asked as he started walking towards the Hall of Lords, with Bones falling into step beside him.
“Yeah,” he said under his breath. “But technically I can’t dose myself with anti-anxiety meds when I’m the doctor on duty.”
Jim gave him a sly look. “Then I’ll dose you. You’ve jabbed me with that damned hypospray enough times. Time for payback.”
“You’re still an asshole.”
“The finest asshole,” Jim said with a chuckle as they began climbing the steps to the Hall of Lords. “Now come on... three hours on Axanar, and we’ve got a whole planet determined to impress us. Let’s see what interplanetary hospitality is like.”
As they entered the building, a vast room opened up in front of them. It was even more ornate than the Capitol Square. Jim let out a low whistle. “Dang, fancy,” he mumbled.
“I’ll say,” Bones said back in an undertone. “I hope they put as many resources into taking care of the health of their people as they put into their architecture.”
“If they’re petitioning for entry into the Federation, I’m sure they do,” Jim said back, his eyes still taking in the high arches of the ceiling, carved artwork on the walls, and what appeared to be precious metals glinting in the light that shone through opalescent windows. He was so busy staring at everything as he moved into the room that he almost crashed into an Axanar who was approaching him with a broad platter.
“Honored guests,” the Axanar said, keeping his head slightly bowed, “please allow me to offer you refreshment. Do you desire food containing large quantities of sucrose? Ethanol-based beverages? High protein delicacies?”
Jim blinked, but before he could reply, Bones waved him off. “I’m not feeling so great, uh, sir, so... thank you anyway.”
If anything, this flustered the Axanar, who only bowed his head lower. “I am addressed without name or title, sir. I am here to serve you. If you are unwell, I shall fetch a healer for -”
“No, no... I... it’s okay. I’ll be fine.” Bones was rapidly looking even more uncomfortable, but instead of a gray pallor, his cheeks were flushing red.
And Jim had to admit, the degree of subservience being demonstrated by the Axanar felt positively awkward, almost creepy. Still, he’d been trained well enough to accept cultural differences without trying to apply human standards to them, so he quickly wrapped a hand around Bones’ upper arm and cut into the conversation. “We accept your hospitality. My friend doesn’t require medical assistance, but...” He mentally scrambled for something to say. “I’m curious, what are the windows made of? It looks a bit like a rare stone from my planet, but I’ve never seen such big pieces before. They’re... uh... impressive.”
The Axanar’s expression suddenly shifted to raw delight. “The windows of the Hall of Lords are carved from silacite, a compound with a complex molecular structure of silicon and rare impurities. We are honored that it pleases you.” Balancing his tray on one hand, he quickly plucked two cups off the tray and handed them over. “I am told that your species requires much water, even when you are uninterested in sustenance. This water is purified from the ice of our polar caps. Please accept our hospitality. I shall return soon with your desire.”
“My desire? What do you... mean?” Jim’s voice trailed off as he watched the Axanar scurry away from him. He blinked, glanced down at his cup, and then looked sideways at Bones, whose expression showed as much confusion as Jim felt. “What the hell was that all about? My desire? I...”
Bones was slowly shaking his head, staring off in the direction the Axanar waiter had gone. “My mamma taught me proper southern hospitality, Jim... but I’ve never seen anything like that. That was...”
“Weird. Yeah.” Jim took a small sip from his cup. The water was cold and refreshing, and sure tasted better than the reclaimed water he’d been drinking aboard the Athena. “The water is good, though. You should drink some.”
Bones looked down at his cup warily. “I’m starting to feel like if I don’t, I’ll start an interstellar diplomatic incident.”
Sipping their water, Jim and Bones wove their way through the loose crowd of Starfleet personnel, ambassadors of various species, and Axanar representatives and waitstaff engaged in polite discussion. Sure, Jim had known that the whole mission was going to be absolutely diplomatic in nature, and their only job was to look professional and observe everything, but this all felt awkward and staged, and they’d only been there for fifteen minutes. When he spotted Finney through the crowd, he tugged Bones’ sleeve and they made a beeline for the Lieutenant.
Finney greeted them with a nod. “Feeling better, McCoy?”
“Yes, sir,” Bones replied. “I think my stomach disagrees with being taken apart and reassembled atom-by-atom.”
Finney laughed softly. “So that’s what that was all about. If you’ve never done it before, it’s an odd sensation, but you’ll get used to it.”
“If you say so,” he replied noncommittally.
“Sir,” Jim cut in, “I know the cultural data we received said that the Axanar are extremely hospitable to guests, but... does this feel weird to you? After a long history of their contradictory behavior, it’s...” He paused, trying to find the right word.
“It’s unexpected by human standards, Kirk. And you’re right, it’s going to feel odd, but that’s how they run things.” He held up his own glass, which contained a deep purple liquid. “And I’ve got to admit, I’m rather appreciating their efforts. The server who brought this to me explained that they fully analyzed the chemical compositions of humans’ preferred beverages to select the best ones to serve at this event. Seems a bit extreme, but I can’t argue with the results. This tastes like someone combined the best red wine with the aroma of honey. You’ve got to try it.”
Jim frowned. “Maybe later, sir.”
Finney nodded. “Well, it’s good to see you’re back on your feet, McCoy. Now both of you go on. We’ve only got three hours here. Remember your assignment, Kirk. Three diplomatic conversations, and a full report on each of them when we get back to the ship.” He glanced at Bones. “I don’t know what Doctor Brex assigned you, but... try not to throw up.”
Bones pressed his lips together grimly. “Aye, sir.”
Milling through the crowd again, Jim let Bones break off from him. Jim found two of the other cadets, and he assumed Bones found the science staff. He kept sipping at his water, which would be refilled by one of the Axanar servers before he could even recognize that the cup was almost empty. After one dry conversation with a Benzite delegate about agriculture and another conversation with a small group of delegates about interplanetary economics, Jim found himself pulled into a lively discussion with an Axanar official, a Tellarite, and a Vulcan Ambassador about the colony planet of Araxis.
Sure, he’d read the briefings. Seeing as his group was going to Araxis for the main part of the mission, it had seemed pretty damned essential to know the history. It had been straightforward enough: classic colonization story with a few twists.
A couple of centuries ago, a small group of Axanar left their home planet to establish a colony. The reasons hadn’t been fully clear. It looked like a political disagreement in part, but also a desire on the part of the colonists to avoid the brutal harvesting attacks from the Zhitorans, a mercenary race from a nearby star system. The colonists had dubbed their new home Araxis, had renamed themselves as Araxians, and had avoided their parent planet for almost two centuries.
Since the Battle of Axanar, and the tentative truce between the Axanar and the Zhitorans, as well as the other worlds that had harvested the Axanar, it looked like the Araxians once again desired relations with their parent planet. More to the point of the Federation’s interest... Araxis had dilithium.
The Axanar and the Araxians hoped to enter the Federation together, and the dilithium was on the table as a bargaining chip. The Araxians seemed eager to provide their resources to become part of this agreement. After centuries of isolation from each other, two parts of the same species were coming back together. The various species that had once hunted and harvested the Axanar were making reparations, including the Zhitorans. The Federation ideals of cooperation and peaceful relations were coming full circle after they’d almost crumbled before the Battle of Axanar over a decade past. It looked like a deeply gratifying mission of homecoming, reunification, and new alliances.
At least, that’s what the briefings said.
However, the Tellarite and Vulcan in this small discussion had been digging for more information than the official briefings had given them, and Jim found it almost mind-blowing how elegantly they were working together to pull information.
The Vulcan, Telak, was watching the Axanar closely as he pressed his point. “So, Ambassador, we have been told that the Araxians have offered their dilithium as part of their request to rejoin Axanar, which will be part of your bid to become Federation members. Studying the history provided, this seems illogical. If the Araxians left and almost completely broke contact with Axanar, and managed to live for nearly two centuries without coming under harvesting attacks, why would they expose themselves at all? As successful isolationists, it would be counter-intuitive that they should wish to break that isolation. If they’d wanted to offer the dilithium to the Federation, it seems far more probable that they would do it on their own.”
The Axanar, a being named Kazhrin, bowed deeply. “From my understanding of your culture, sir, it would be difficult for you to understand. We Axanar find strength in numbers, and security in the ordered structure of society.”
The Tellarite - Jim hadn’t caught his name and was too embarrassed to ask - lifted his chin in a gesture Jim knew meant he was essentially scowling, throwing down a challenge. “As do we, Councilman. And as do Vulcans, and Terrans such as the Cadets here. Your assumptions about our cultures seem... limited.” Really, for a Tellarite, he wasn’t remotely confrontational. He’d obviously had extensive training in interspecies diplomacy to be an Ambassador for this event, seeing as he hadn’t insulted the Axanar’s parentage yet to instigate the debate.
Still, Kazhrin bowed more deeply, in nervous subservience. “I meant no offense, sir! I am merely trying to explain. The Axanar who left our world nearly 200 years ago broke with the deepest instinctive structures of our society. They did survive, but they did it without protection. They did it without the bonds of societal structure. It would be a life without purpose, cut off and disjointed. As the young ones on Araxis found their roots over the last few decades, and those who had led the exodus became too old to direct the colony, their natural need for our greater society returned.”
“In the short span of ten years?” Telak asked calmly. “It seems highly improbable.”
“The Vulcan is right,” said the Tellarite. “Such a complete turnaround in so little time? Ludicrous.”
Kazhrin stood a bit straighter again, and actually looked the Tellarite in the eye for a moment. “Over the past fifty cycles, small ships have traveled between our two planets. Axanar have rejoined lost family on Araxis, and some have become new colonists for no other reason than our need to reach out to our people... to bring them what they had lost.”
Jim raised a hand to interject. “Wait a minute. I’m sorry to interrupt, but the records we received said that there hadn’t been travel between the two planets until the Battle of Axanar, only ten years ago.”
The Axanar looked horrified for a moment, but quickly bowed again. “It was meant that no official transit took place until after the Great Battle.” His face twisted into an odd frown. “Individuals occasionally maintained contact between the worlds, and individuals decided to venture outside of the protection of Axanar to make their way to Araxis. But yes, as reported, official conversation between the planets began after the Great Battle.”
Really? Jim thought to himself as he filed away that tid-bit of information. This guy is saying that the official history the Axanar had reported was... wrong? “So...” Jim began carefully, “The Araxians had been out of contact for 150 years. Then, few rogue small groups left Axanar for Araxis, but otherwise, there was no real contact. Then, after the Battle, the Araxians decide to offer your planet all of their dilithium so that you can both join the Federation?”
Telak looked sideways at Jim and raised an eyebrow in what seemed like approval. “Precisely what I was wondering. It would seem to us that the dilithium belongs to the Araxians. Why would they simply come out of isolation and give everything to your planet, allowing their resources to be used for bargaining?”
The Tellarite again gave a challenging lift of his chin. “That’s what I’d like to know, too.”
Kazhrin actually seemed confused by this. “They have asked to rejoin the Axanar society... to come back under our structure. They wish to join the Federation as a colony of Axanar, not as the isolated planet of Araxis. Why would they not offer their dilithium as part of our people’s mutual resources?”
Cadet Wilcox looked sideways at Jim before saying, “They founded the colony, established a society, and took ownership of an otherwise uninhabited planet. If they had wanted so much to start their own society, but still had interest in joining the Federation, why wouldn’t they ask to join the Federation as their own planet?” She looked like she was trying to hold back. Jim could tell she was feeling as awkward as he was about some of the odd quirks of this culture.
For a moment, Kazhrin looked lost, and maybe a bit dumbfounded, but then he shook his head sadly. “I indicated that you might not understand. Please... in their hearts, our brothers on Araxis are Axanar. They had been lost, but they are with us again.” He looked past the Vulcan Ambassador’s shoulder, then bowed very deeply. “My honored guests, I have been summoned. Please, do enjoy our hospitality. All that we have is yours.”
The Axanar bowed again and hurried away, leaving two Ambassadors and a pair of cadets standing in awkward silence.
Jim looked around at the others before blowing out a slow breath and saying, “That was...”
“Damned peculiar, if you ask me,” came a familiar voice from behind him.
Jim automatically stepped aside to make a space in the small circle for Bones. “Oh? Did you hear what we were talking about?”
Bones gave a respectful nod to the Vulcan and Tellarite, saying, “Ambassadors,” before looking back at Jim. “I didn’t hear anything you folks were saying, but by the looks on your faces, I’d guess it was similar to the odd conversation I just had with the Secretary of Health Services for the Axanar here.”
Telak gave a tilt of his head. “Would you share the content of your conversation with the Secretary, Cadet...?”
“McCoy, sir. And it’s also Doctor McCoy. And...” He shook his head. “I know that every culture on every planet is different, and that as long as cultural quirks aren’t in violation of the basic ethical code of Starfleet, we’re not supposed to judge, but this is just uncanny.” He looked Jim square in the eye. “Did you know that doctors are considered incredibly powerful individuals on this planet?”
Jim startled, then puzzled, “I do now... but why is that such a bad thing, Bones? I mean, haven’t you been saying for ages that you wished doctors had a bit more clout?”
Bones started to nod, then shook his head. “Not like this.” He looked around the whole group again. “It seems as though the doctors around here are... I don’t know... revered. Patients will offer the doctors any and all of their belongings in exchange for treatment, as though the exchange for saving the patient’s life is... well... anything the patient has. Including himself.”
“A life for a life, only in a symbolic form?” ventured the Tellarite.
“Something like that,” Bones said, “I mean, the Secretary didn’t flat-out say any of it like this, and I pieced it together from there, but... something just isn’t sitting right with me.” He sighed. “But then, who the hell am I to say anything? This is the first time I’ve been on a planet other than Earth, so I guess everything’s making me uneasy.”
“It’s always a challenge to become comfortable around completely foreign cultures,” the Tellarite said. “I must admit, when I met a Terran for the first time, I attempted to engage him in debate, and discovered that Terrans mistake our finest discussions for... fighting. I believe my opening remark was taken as a true invitation to fight, which led to an exchange of words about our mothers, which didn’t make sense at the time.”
Jim couldn’t help himself - he laughed. “Must have been a good argument, sir.”
“It was a fine argument... until he struck me.” He wrinkled his nose. “I have since learned the value of restraining myself in diplomatic situations until I can better anticipate a being’s reaction to a good argument. Sadly, some species will never understand the thrill of the debate.”
Jim grinned. He’d debated a Tellarite once during the spring of his first year at the Academy. He’d had his ass handed to him, but it had been a lot of fun. He was about ready to offer the Ambassador a debate challenge (no shame in losing a debate to a Tellarite) when Telak cut in.
“I offer, as a hypothesis, a Vulcan axiom to explain the unusual behavior of the Araxians in their offering of the dilithium to the greater good of the entire Axanar-Araxian population. I propose that they function under the principle that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
Jim turned sideways to look at Telak straight on. “I remember reading that in the writings of Surak,” Jim said.
Bones startled and stared at him. “You’ve read Vulcan philosophy?”
Jim smirked. “Didn’t you say you’d never be surprised by anything I ever did again?”
Bones rolled his eyes.
“It is a logical philosophy,” Telak said with a nod. “If the Araxians do indeed consider themselves, once again, to be part of the Axanar species, it would be logical for them to use their resources to further the collective good of the many in their society. They have simply ritualized and integrated this principle at all levels of their culture and social structures.”
Jim nodded, but it still seemed as though he was missing something. He was about to ask if anyone knew of any other species that had such an extreme interpretation of that philosophy when his comm unit chirped. Wilcox’s comm unit was chirping, too. A split second later, Bones’ comm beeped. Jim looked over at Bones. “Well, looks like the party is over. That’s the recall signal for the cadets.”
Wilcox nodded quickly to the Ambassadors. “Thank you for the discussion, Ambassadors.”
“Ah, young cadet, this was not a real discussion. Someday you will enjoy the delights of a true discussion with a Tellarite! But for today, restraint in the name of diplomacy.”
Wilcox smiled and said, “Of course, sir. Thank you,” before hurrying off.
Jim gave a respectful tilt of the head to the Ambassadors, then grinned at the Tellarite. “I would welcome the chance to debate with you, Ambassador.”
The Tellarite gave a short, satisfied nod. “I suspect you would offer quality debate for a Terran. I accept your offer!”
“It has been satisfying to engage in diplomatic discussion with you, cadet,” the Vulcan said with a serene nod. “You have clearly been well-trained and have studied the appropriate materials for this occasion.”
Jim grinned broadly. High praise indeed from both of them. Maybe he could handle this whole just being a cadet thing. “Thank you, Ambassadors.” He grabbed Bones by the arm. “Come on, Bones, let’s get out of here.”
“Great... just what I need. Another ride through the atomic dis-assembly machine,” Bones grumbled, letting himself be pulled along.
“You worry too much. Did you have a good time down here at all, other than discovering that you might be worshipped if you lived here?”
“Not bad. I mean, the hospitality has been beyond compare -- and don’t you ever tell my Ma I said that -- but...”
“Yeah, I know, it’s a bit off-putting. We’re not used to a system of subservience, but Axanar society is structured on that. It seems balanced, though, and Starfleet has never seen any sign that any of this is forced slavery. It just seems to be what the Axanar like.”
“Hmmm,” Bones mused as they made their way around a knot of beings locked in discussion. “Makes me empathize with the Araxians for leaving. Even if it wasn’t forced, I don’t think I could live with that.”
“Neither could I, Bones. But hey, a whole galaxy of new planets and new species out there. We can’t necessarily agree with all of them.”
“I s’pose...”
“Starfleet Cadet, sir!”
Jim didn’t know why he was sure it was directed at him, but he stopped in his tracks and turned around to see an Axanar hurrying towards him, carrying a large, flat object wrapped in a blue cloth and tied with a silver cord. Then he recognized the Axanar as the first waitstaff who had approached him earlier with drinks and snacks. “Uh, yes, uh... Mr...?” Why hadn’t he gotten the guy’s name?
“There is no need to address me, sir,” he said as he came to a stop in front of Jim. With a formal bow, he held out the wrapped item. “I am sorry it took so long. I needed to gain permission from the groundsmaster, but I have brought you the object of your desire.”
Jim looked sideways at Bones with a sudden sinking sense that he’d said or done something he shouldn’t have. “The... uh... object of my desire? I didn’t... I mean...” Being tongue-tied wasn’t a normal experience for Jim Kirk, but he had to admit, he was stuck right now. This was his first landing party, and such an enormous occasion, and had he already fucked it up? He hadn’t asked for anything, had he?
The Axanar seemed to be getting flustered, and held out the package even closer to Jim. “Sir, you expressed that our silicite windows pleased you. Please accept the hospitality we offer.”
Jim blinked. Hard. The Axanar was giving him one of their opal windows. Maybe opal wasn’t as rare on Axanar, but this was a hugely valuable object, and how the hell could Jim accept something like this? He hadn’t asked for it! He wasn’t supposed to do anything except make small talk and observe. This wasn’t a souvenir-hunt!
An elbow in his side got his attention as Bones said in an undertone, “Jim, if you don’t regain your diplomatic bearing and accept the damned thing, you might start an interplanetary incident.”
“I...”
The Axanar looked positively distraught.
“Take the gift!” Bones hissed in his ear.
Quickly, Jim reached out and took the wrapped package, only slightly surprised by how heavy it was. He had enough training to cover himself. “I accept your generous gift. I’m sure that it will please the Federation.”
Instantly, the Axanar’s expression changed from distress to delight, and he bowed deeply. “On behalf of the Axanar, I am grateful that it pleases you.”
Without another word, he hurried off, no doubt to another task of service. Jim stared at him as he went, then looked down at the package in his hands, then up at Bones.
“Shut your mouth, Jim. You’re gonna catch flies like that.”
Jim closed his mouth and swallowed uneasily. “That was...”
“Damned peculiar,” Bones said under his breath. “Yeah, it was. So let’s get back to the rendezvous point and get out of here.”
Hoisting the heavy window up against his torso, Jim nodded as he followed Bones out of the doors to the main terrace. “I’m with you. Even the transporter seems less unnerving than this, right?”
Bones snorted. “Speak for yourself, kid.”
*********
The cadets were clustered around the table in the debriefing room, and Jim’s gift from the Axanar was laid out on the table. Apparently, he wasn’t the only person with an odd story to tell.
Liu was going over his experience. “And when I said I don’t eat real meat, the waiter just about fell over himself, because he’d been told, as he quoted, that humans appreciate the fruits of the hunt. Which, I’ve got to admit, made me nervous as hell that he thought our ‘hunting’ was the same as the Zhitorans who had hunted the Axanar.” He forced an uneasy laugh. “I’m just glad one of the Vulcan Ambassadors stepped in and helped to explain that some humans abstain from meat in the same manner as Vulcans. I keep forgetting that human diets are unusually varied compared to many other sentient species, so the Axanar figured we all eat the same things. Anyway, the Vulcan Ambassador’s explanation seemed to satisfy the waiter. But then he suddenly excused himself, and came back maybe two minutes later with a huge platter of fruit, hell-bent on making sure I had accepted his hospitality. And I’ve got to admit, that was some of the tastiest fruit I’ve ever had. Although I’d suggest not eating the yellow pods. They’re bitter.”
“I had one of those pods,” Hererra said. “The Axanar told me to remove the husk. The seeds inside are soft and sweet. Tasted a bit like chocolate with spices.”
Liu flushed. “Oops. Well, I amend my report - everything was amazing.”
Lieutenant Finney nodded and leaned back from the table, threading his fingers together over the back of his head. “So, all in all, everyone had a great time. You had top-notch dining, interacted with some of the most distinguished ambassadors and diplomats in the Federation, and saw some of the most incredible architectural art in the quadrant outside of Betazed. Some of you even brought pieces of it home.”
Jim groaned. “I told you, sir, I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay, Kirk. Don’t worry about it. You did the right thing. You gave them a compliment on something in an attempt to be diplomatic, you didn’t actually ask for it, and when presented with the item, you accepted graciously. The question for all of you now, is what does all this mean? You’ve studied the briefings and reports.” He looked around the table carefully. “I’ll admit, I’ve been on more than a few landing parties and I read the briefings for this one thoroughly, but I feel like we missed something. So, what do you fresh-faced cadets think?”
Jim pressed his lips together, then heaved a sigh and leaned his elbows on the table. “Sir, there wasn’t anything specific we observed that wasn’t perfectly in keeping with the reports we got. We were told that the Axanar are eager to please, detail-oriented, and have a strong ethic of hospitality, and that’s exactly what we saw. But... Cadet McCoy made an observation while he was speaking with the Axanar Secretary of Health Services. Doctors are almost... well... worshipped down there, from what McCoy said.”
Finney gave him a nod. “I heard about that, actually. It seemed odd until I looked at it in context. Come on, Kirk, you’re supposed to be a tactical genius, so put it together.”
Jim narrowly managed to keep himself from scowling at Finney. “Well, doctors help heal people, and the Axanar have a history of being attacked. Doctors would be some of the few people in a passive society that could effectively protect the population. And the Axanar put a premium on the concept of protection. That’s part of why we were told to expect over-the-top hospitality - that the Axanar are showing hospitality to us as potential protectors. But... McCoy said that the patients would offer doctors everything, sir. Their belongings, their wealth, their... their servitude. I know the briefings said that the Axanar don’t engage in any sort of slavery, but this seems really over the top.”
Finney was slowly nodding to himself. “I don’t need to give any of you the Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations lecture, so I won’t. The question to ask is... can we attribute what we’ve observed to IDIC?”
One by one, the cadets around the table nodded in turn. Jim nodded too, then stopped and looked down at the incredible chunk of opal sitting on the table. The Axanar called it silicite, but it was definitely opal, and it was intricately carved to accentuate the fire and color inside the stone. The Axanar would give away anything and everything of themselves to please the Federation in their bid for membership... and protection.
Jim thought about the conversation with the Tellarite and Vulcan Ambassadors. Perhaps Telak had been right, and this was a species in which the needs of the many always outweighed the needs of the few. It was... yeah, it was logical. But Vulcans subscribed to that philosophy, and they didn’t act like the Axanar. No, something was niggling at the back of Jim’s mind, something about how the Axanar were negotiating with the Araxians’ dilithium. He just couldn’t pin it down. He looked over at Wilcox, who had been in on the conversation, too. Wilcox seemed to be having the same sort of internal struggle he was, and it seemed just as fruitless. She glanced over at him and shrugged helplessly.
“As long as none of it is forced or coerced, then I guess I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Wilcox said for the both of them.
Jim started to nod in agreement, then frowned. He’d almost forgotten to mention this. “Sir, the official reports said that the Araxians only re-established contact with the Axanar after the Battle, right?”
“Yes, Kirk. Why?”
“Because one of the Axanar I was speaking with said that ships had been going back and forth between the planets for the past fifty years, unofficially. So the Axanar have been sending people to Araxis for half a century already. What do you make of that?”
Suddenly, Finney’s easy posture tensed up, and he leaned forward on the table. “They said that?”
Jim nodded. “Well, one of the Axanar officials said it, but I got the impression that what he said was accurate. And also that he seemed upset that he’d let it slip. That seems like an unusual oversight. I don’t know if that’s important to the reports, but... I thought I should mention it.”
“That’s definitely an unusual oversight,” Finney said.
“Do you think it means something?”
At that, Finney pressed his mouth into a flat line and tilted his head slightly. “I have no idea, but I’m going to put it into my final report. We’ll let people with a lot more rank deal with what it might mean.” His easy grin settled back into place. “For now, finish your written reports and have them ready to submit at 0800 hours tomorrow. We’ll convene for a brief meeting, and then you’ll receive your next set of shipboard assignments. I think you’ve all had enough excitement for today. Oh, and after all that food down on the planet, I might suggest a slightly longer stop by the fitness facility this evening. Dismissed.”
An amused groan echoed around the group as they stood and made their way to the door. Jim was about to exit when a hand caught his shoulder. “Just a quick moment, Kirk.”
Jim turned around and faced Finney. “Sir?”
Finney had a pensive look on his face. “Kirk, I know McCoy is under his own training and assignment schedule here, but could you ask him to write up a detailed report on his discussion with the Axanar Secretary of Health Services? I could ask Commander Shao to send the order through Doctor Brex, but rather than try to push something like that, I’d like to see if he’d just be willing to do the report anyway.”
“I... yes, sir. That shouldn’t be a problem. Why?”
Finney shrugged. “Because information should never be wasted. You know that.”
Jim gave a silent chuckle. Finney had drilled that fact into the whole Basic Tactics class. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. And also... take your pet rock with you.”
Jim’s mouth fell open. “Seriously?”
“They gave it to you, didn’t they?”
“Yes, sir, but... I mean, I didn’t ask for it! And it’s ridiculously valuable. How am I supposed to accept something like that? And besides, where am I going to keep that thing?”
Finney was laughing at him. “Graciously, cadet. You accept it graciously. Stick it under your bunk. Now go on, get out of my briefing room.”
Chagrined, Jim grabbed the opal window pane, tucked the folds of cloth around it, and hurried out the door.
*********
To Chapter 6
Canon characters/Pairing(s): Kirk & McCoy, Pike, Finney
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 8,400 for chapter 5
Warnings: Foul language, political situations, military stuff.
Summary: As cadets on a summer internship, Kirk and McCoy are supposed to keep their eyes open and their mouths shut. As far as Bones is concerned, that’s just plain wrong on Jim Kirk, but Jim seems determined to follow orders and fall in line for a change. After all, they’ve both seen enough trouble in two years at the Academy, and this is the Peace Mission of Axanar. However, when a mystery starts to weave itself around the mission, and the senior officers don’t seem interested in investigating, how far can Kirk and McCoy let it go?
Previous chapters: One, Two, Three, Four(A), Four(B)
Chapter 5
“We’ll have three hours on the surface,” Lieutenant Finney said evenly.
Six cadets sat in rapt attention. Their first landing party. Part of the Axanar Peace Mission. It was huge.
It wasn’t Jim’s first time on another planet, but this... this was different. Tarsus IV hadn’t been a mission; it had been a nightmare. This, on the other hand, was the beginning of an adventure. He was a Starfleet cadet now, but not just a cadet. This time, he was an officer intern, functioning as a true representative of Starfleet and the Federation. Absently, his hand reached up and traced the insignia on his gray duty uniform as Finney continued with the briefing.
“We’ll beam down to the front terrace of the capitol building. After a brief formal welcome, Captain Porter and the Federation Ambassador will attend some meetings that we don’t have to worry about, and we’ll get a chance to look around. There will be a reception with refreshments, and that’s where I’m expecting you each to put your diplomacy training into practice. Engage yourselves in at least three diplomatic conversations - at least one with an Axanar, and if you can, try to interact with some of the other species, too. Also, I’ve been told that we can request a tour of the Capitol Square, so if you’ve finished your diplomatic small talk, feel free to ask for the tour.” His gaze skimmed over the assembled cadets. “Keep your eyes open, but be judicious about what you say. Observe more than you talk. We’re just getting to know these people. We’ll reconvene in front of the Hall of Lords for beam-up at 1400 hours. Then, once the higher-ups are ready, the Axanar ambassadors will come onboard along with the other delegates we’re transporting, and we’ll set course for Araxis. Questions?”
Jim found himself slowly shaking his head, along with the other cadets. This might be completely new, but with all the drills and training he’d been through, including first-contact and landing party simulations, it felt like all that remained was to simply do it. Additionally, Finney had given them an enormous information file at the end of duty yesterday. Homework, even in space. When his bunkmates had turned down for the night and grumbled at him to turn off the small light over his own bunk light, he’d gone to Bones’ room to finish reading.
Jim smiled to himself. He hadn’t even needed to guess that Bones would be wide awake at zero-fuck-hundred hours, working on his research. It had been good to spend some of the evening in Bones’ quarters, just studying. It felt comfortable. Neither of them mentioned Jim’s little breakdown a few nights ago, and Jim had regained his emotional footing just fine. He just needed to settle into his duties, keep his nose out of trouble, and do things the normal way for a change. It was an internship. He wasn’t in charge. It was okay.
Finney nodded to the cadets. “As we said, atmospheric methane isn’t toxic, and you’d be perfectly fine for much longer than three hours, but some of the natural byproducts might make you a bit queasy, so speak up immediately if you experience any unusual symptoms.”
“I still wonder how any culture can develop technology on a planet where lighting a fire could torch the whole atmosphere,” Nadeau said under his breath to Jim.
Jim looked at Nadeau cynically, but before he could say anything, Finney replied. “Are you making a joke, Nadeau?”
Nadeau’s head pulled back in surprise, and he replied hesitantly, “I was just wondering, sir. That’s all.”
“The atmospheric concentration of methane is just under 3%, cadet. Methane doesn’t burn below 5%. Didn’t you read the whole briefing file I sent to you?” His expression was neutral, but it was instantly obvious what he was digging at.
Nadeau opened his mouth, as though ready to protest, but he must have realized he’d already tipped his hand. He shook his head. “Not the whole file, sir. I concentrated on the historical background for the peace negotiations and the settlement of Araxis.”
Finney kept his poker face. “So, you figured that if there was something about the atmosphere that was worrisome for a landing party, one of the science officers or your section leader would tell you, right?”
Nadeau glanced side to side at the other cadets before saying, “I guess so, sir. I mean, if something like the atmosphere or geology of an area is dangerous, that’s always been at the forefront of the briefing. I was just curious about the rest of it. The overview of the mission said Axanar has a nitrogen-methane atmosphere, so I figured methane was one of the major components.”
“You figured, huh?” Finney’s voice was oddly nonchalant. “Often, designations for atmospheres are meant to indicate which components are outside the normal range for Class-M planets. If the atmosphere was flammable, Axanar wouldn’t be class-M... would it?”
“No....” Nadeau said, sounding a bit like he was grasping for a rope.
Finney nodded. “Go report to Commander Shao and ask for another duty assignment for the day, Cadet Nadeau. I don't think you're ready for the landing party. Dismissed.”
Nadeau’s mouth fell open, but without a word, he stood and left the briefing room. Finney watched him go, waiting for the door to slide shut before he spoke again.
“Cadets... when you get a mission briefing, whether you’re the low man on the team or the damned mission leader, you read every word, top to bottom. You never know what detail of a mission briefing might save your ass when your boots hit dirt. There is no way to know what’s important until after the mission is over, so you treat every word of that report as though your life depends on it. Do you hear me?”
“Yes sir,” came a weak chorus of replies from around the room. Jim kept glancing at the door, realizing just how easily any of them could lose privileges. This was real, and nobody was messing around. Yeah, he’d do well not to stick his neck out right now. Play completely by the book. Constraining himself to being just a cadet felt like wearing clothing that didn’t quite fit, but he’d get used to it. He was doing better already.
Lieutenant Finney looked as though he was about to speak again when the familiar intercom whistle sounded, followed by the deep voice of Captain Porter.
“Attention crew, this is the Captain speaking. We’ve arrived in orbit around Axanar. Greetings have been exchanged with the planetary authorities, and we are cleared to beam down landing parties. All landing party personnel, please report to the transporter room. And, might I say, here's to our whole crew for being part of such a historic event. Captain Porter out.”
Finney smiled. “You heard the man. Transporter room. Come on.”
Jim felt his heart speed up with anticipation as he fell into step with his squad, following Finney out of the briefing room. The corridors were buzzing with activity, and Jim could barely hold back the urge to walk faster. They rounded the corner into the transporter room, only to stop short behind the queue of landing party personnel. Security officers, a couple of science officers, the command team, and...
“Bones!” Jim kept his greeting as quiet and professional as possible. He hadn’t expected to see Bones lined up for the landing party, and he grinned broadly as his friend startled and spun around. “I didn’t think they’d send a doctor on a diplomatic mission.”
“Jim,” Bones said with a light grumble. “I'm here because, as a cadet, I’m supposed to go on a landing party. And...” He took a notably uneasy breath. “Doctor Brex insisted that studying the psychology of a landing party would be just as valuable as studying shipboard and flight phobias.”
Jim nodded, still grinning. “Sounds like an observant man.”
Bones shrugged. “I think he is. Besides, the Captain insisted that the Medical team needed to be represented in the landing entourage. Brex dislikes diplomatic posturing as much as I do... and he outranks me.”
Jim narrowly held back a chuckle as Lieutenant Finney clapped him on the shoulder.
“Kirk, form up. We’re the third group to beam down.”
Jim nodded at Finney, then he threw Bones a wink, earning him an eyeroll as he fell back into formation.
The first team approached the transporter platform. Three official delegates to the Peace Conference, accompanied by Captain Porter and Commander LaSalle, took their positions and faded from existence. Jim's eyes, however, were on Bones, and he watched as a deep shudder worked through the man. His grasp on his med kit was all white knuckles and straining fingers. He swore he could see the hairs on the back of Bones' neck stand up, and... was he sweating?
“Come on, Bones,” Jim whispered under his breath. “Don't tell me you're scared of transporters, too.”
At that, Bones' head whipped around - damn that man's superhuman hearing - and he glared at Jim, but the annoyance in his expression was undercut by thinly veiled panic. Before he could say anything, however, the transporter chief's voice cut through the room.
“Transport complete. Team two, please take your places on the transporter pad.”
Like a man being led to the gallows, Bones walked up the steps to the transporter pad and took his place behind one of the security officers. His stance was proper, and anybody else wouldn’t have noticed his hesitation, but Jim wasn't anybody else. Bones' gaze flashed from Jim, to the transporter chief's operations console, and back to Jim. For a moment, Jim was absolutely certain that Bones was going to bolt from the transporter pad and run like a madman back to sickbay.
Instead, despite the pallor and beads of sweat lining his brow, Leonard McCoy held his ground as the Lieutenant said, “Energize.” In the last fraction of a second before he disappeared, Jim saw him squeeze his eyes shut.
Damn, Bones, Jim thought, but his team was already being called up to the platform. He followed Finney up to the pad, and a moment later, the transporter room disappeared around him and the surface of an alien world resolved into view.
They were in a large, open square, elegantly tiled with a slightly opalescent stone resembling translucent marble. Abstract sculptures lined the terrace, and on all sides were massive buildings with architecture of the kind that Jim had only seen in cultural briefing documents. They looked like fortresses, both richly ornate and heavily fortified at once. There were plants with massive purple-green leaves forming hedges that divided up the terrace into smaller areas, sculpted benches made of an off-silver metal alloy, and a fountain in the center of the square. An entourage of Axanar officials was standing at the base of the steps of the largest building. They were humanoids with a reptilian appearance, dressed in ornate, formal robes. It was one hell of a first view on a new planet, and Jim had to admit, he was impressed.
But something was missing.
Bones.
Jim's eyes went wide as he realized he couldn't see Bones anywhere. He looked around at the whole landing party, but the telltale cadet’s gray duty uniform with the broad shoulders, ridiculous side-parted brown hair, and ever-present med kit were nowhere to be seen.
An Axanar official stepped forward, extending his arms in formal greeting as he addressed the landing parties. “My Federation friends, I am Chancellor Rshaxaan. Welcome to the Capitol Square of Axanar City. Ten years ago, this site was a mere pile of rubble, reduced to dust and grit by the horrible battle that our civilization narrowly survived. It was by the good graces and protection of your leaders, particularly of Commander Grath, that we have been able to rebuild. Our Capitol Square was completed only ten years ago, just in time for this ceremony, so it is with great pride that I present it to you. All that we have, we offer to you in gratitude.”
Jim was listening to the Chancellor, but his eyes were rapidly scanning the square. Bones should have still been standing with his group. It was possible that a slight miscalculation had deposited him a short distance away, but that didn’t happen often.
Captain Porter stepped away from the collective landing party. “Chancellor Rshaxaan, I am Captain Porter of the USS Athena, presenting representatives from the Federation planets of Fillandria and Kashet, as well as members of my crew. On behalf of my crew, we appreciate your hospitality.”
Jim almost broke rank, but he held his ground. Formal reception. Opening remarks. Major diplomatic event. Their first moments on a new planet. He had to hold it together. But fuck it all, because Bones was missing.
“No appreciation is necessary, Captain. It is our honor and duty. The delegates and representatives who have already arrived on the other ships are enjoying refreshments in the Hall of Lords,” he said as he indicated the tallest of the four buildings around the square, “and exploring our gardens of Capitol Square. Please, allow your crew to fully indulge in what we have provided.”
Jim thought he heard Captain Porter releasing the landing parties to explore the grounds, and his conscious mind caught the fact that he had permission to break formation. In a heartbeat, he began working around the square, looking behind plant hedges and around statues.
“Bones? Come on, man, where did you go? Bones?”
“Cadet Kirk, is there a problem?” Finney's voice was firm but definitely concerned.
Jim glanced back at Finney. “Bones... uh... Cadet McCoy beamed down with the second group, but I don't see him.” He shook his head, and started to reach for his communicator when he heard something.
“Dammit, Jim.”
The voice was muffled and coarse, but it sent a wave of relief through Jim as he followed the sound behind a hedge of plants to find Bones sitting on a bench with his head between his knees. Jim hurried over and sat down on the bench next to Bones. From there, it was obvious that the man was shaking.
“Shit, Bones, are you okay?”
“Found him, Kirk? Cadet McCoy?” Finney hovered for a moment, standing back.
Jim glanced at Finney and said, “I’ve got him, sir,” as Bones waved him off without looking up.
Finney nodded and said, “Report back to me before you go to explore the grounds. The other cadets are heading into the Hall of Lords, and I’ll be in there.”
“Aye, sir.”
Finney walked away, leaving Jim and Bones by themselves. After a moment, Bones lifted his head weakly, revealing a gray complexion and slightly bloodshot eyes. “Well, that proved one thing.”
“What's that?”
“Immersion therapy doesn't work for transporter phobias.”
Jim stared at Bones for a moment in bemused disbelief. “You’re scared of transporters, too? Seriously?”
“Never much liked them on principle,” he grumbled, “but I’ve never gone through one. Had hoped it wouldn’t be so bad.”
“What do you mean, it was bad? I mean, it kinda tingles a bit, but it doesn’t hurt.”
“Neither does flying unless you crash, genius.” He blinked, then gave Jim a quick apologetic look, and said, “Sorry. Didn’t mean it like that.”
Jim shrugged it off. “It’s in the past, Bones. But come on... transporters?”
Bones growled low in his throat. “Yes, transporters, you asshole. I’ve read medical reports on cadavers - or what was left of the cadavers - after transporter malfunctions. Molecules missing... parts scrambled...” His voice trailed off as he blanched and squeezed his eyes shut again for a moment. “Goddammit.”
“Wish you’d told me, Bones.” Jim waited for a moment, then shot him a devious look. “Do you need a doctor?”
That drew an instant scowl. “Shut up.”
“I could call up to the ship for a medic, if you’re too sick to continue the mission,” Jim continued, putting on his most obnoxiously helpful smirk.
“You’re an asshole, you know that?” he said, but the unhealthy green-gray tint to his skin was fading.
Jim grinned. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m the doctor, because you’re looking better already.” He got to his feet and held out a hand to Bones. “Come on, shake it off and join the party.”
Bones sighed. “I suppose now that I’m down here, I might as well enjoy it.” He took Jim’s hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. “Just don’t know how the hell I’m going to handle the return trip.”
“Got some anti-anxiety stuff in your medkit?” Jim asked as he started walking towards the Hall of Lords, with Bones falling into step beside him.
“Yeah,” he said under his breath. “But technically I can’t dose myself with anti-anxiety meds when I’m the doctor on duty.”
Jim gave him a sly look. “Then I’ll dose you. You’ve jabbed me with that damned hypospray enough times. Time for payback.”
“You’re still an asshole.”
“The finest asshole,” Jim said with a chuckle as they began climbing the steps to the Hall of Lords. “Now come on... three hours on Axanar, and we’ve got a whole planet determined to impress us. Let’s see what interplanetary hospitality is like.”
As they entered the building, a vast room opened up in front of them. It was even more ornate than the Capitol Square. Jim let out a low whistle. “Dang, fancy,” he mumbled.
“I’ll say,” Bones said back in an undertone. “I hope they put as many resources into taking care of the health of their people as they put into their architecture.”
“If they’re petitioning for entry into the Federation, I’m sure they do,” Jim said back, his eyes still taking in the high arches of the ceiling, carved artwork on the walls, and what appeared to be precious metals glinting in the light that shone through opalescent windows. He was so busy staring at everything as he moved into the room that he almost crashed into an Axanar who was approaching him with a broad platter.
“Honored guests,” the Axanar said, keeping his head slightly bowed, “please allow me to offer you refreshment. Do you desire food containing large quantities of sucrose? Ethanol-based beverages? High protein delicacies?”
Jim blinked, but before he could reply, Bones waved him off. “I’m not feeling so great, uh, sir, so... thank you anyway.”
If anything, this flustered the Axanar, who only bowed his head lower. “I am addressed without name or title, sir. I am here to serve you. If you are unwell, I shall fetch a healer for -”
“No, no... I... it’s okay. I’ll be fine.” Bones was rapidly looking even more uncomfortable, but instead of a gray pallor, his cheeks were flushing red.
And Jim had to admit, the degree of subservience being demonstrated by the Axanar felt positively awkward, almost creepy. Still, he’d been trained well enough to accept cultural differences without trying to apply human standards to them, so he quickly wrapped a hand around Bones’ upper arm and cut into the conversation. “We accept your hospitality. My friend doesn’t require medical assistance, but...” He mentally scrambled for something to say. “I’m curious, what are the windows made of? It looks a bit like a rare stone from my planet, but I’ve never seen such big pieces before. They’re... uh... impressive.”
The Axanar’s expression suddenly shifted to raw delight. “The windows of the Hall of Lords are carved from silacite, a compound with a complex molecular structure of silicon and rare impurities. We are honored that it pleases you.” Balancing his tray on one hand, he quickly plucked two cups off the tray and handed them over. “I am told that your species requires much water, even when you are uninterested in sustenance. This water is purified from the ice of our polar caps. Please accept our hospitality. I shall return soon with your desire.”
“My desire? What do you... mean?” Jim’s voice trailed off as he watched the Axanar scurry away from him. He blinked, glanced down at his cup, and then looked sideways at Bones, whose expression showed as much confusion as Jim felt. “What the hell was that all about? My desire? I...”
Bones was slowly shaking his head, staring off in the direction the Axanar waiter had gone. “My mamma taught me proper southern hospitality, Jim... but I’ve never seen anything like that. That was...”
“Weird. Yeah.” Jim took a small sip from his cup. The water was cold and refreshing, and sure tasted better than the reclaimed water he’d been drinking aboard the Athena. “The water is good, though. You should drink some.”
Bones looked down at his cup warily. “I’m starting to feel like if I don’t, I’ll start an interstellar diplomatic incident.”
Sipping their water, Jim and Bones wove their way through the loose crowd of Starfleet personnel, ambassadors of various species, and Axanar representatives and waitstaff engaged in polite discussion. Sure, Jim had known that the whole mission was going to be absolutely diplomatic in nature, and their only job was to look professional and observe everything, but this all felt awkward and staged, and they’d only been there for fifteen minutes. When he spotted Finney through the crowd, he tugged Bones’ sleeve and they made a beeline for the Lieutenant.
Finney greeted them with a nod. “Feeling better, McCoy?”
“Yes, sir,” Bones replied. “I think my stomach disagrees with being taken apart and reassembled atom-by-atom.”
Finney laughed softly. “So that’s what that was all about. If you’ve never done it before, it’s an odd sensation, but you’ll get used to it.”
“If you say so,” he replied noncommittally.
“Sir,” Jim cut in, “I know the cultural data we received said that the Axanar are extremely hospitable to guests, but... does this feel weird to you? After a long history of their contradictory behavior, it’s...” He paused, trying to find the right word.
“It’s unexpected by human standards, Kirk. And you’re right, it’s going to feel odd, but that’s how they run things.” He held up his own glass, which contained a deep purple liquid. “And I’ve got to admit, I’m rather appreciating their efforts. The server who brought this to me explained that they fully analyzed the chemical compositions of humans’ preferred beverages to select the best ones to serve at this event. Seems a bit extreme, but I can’t argue with the results. This tastes like someone combined the best red wine with the aroma of honey. You’ve got to try it.”
Jim frowned. “Maybe later, sir.”
Finney nodded. “Well, it’s good to see you’re back on your feet, McCoy. Now both of you go on. We’ve only got three hours here. Remember your assignment, Kirk. Three diplomatic conversations, and a full report on each of them when we get back to the ship.” He glanced at Bones. “I don’t know what Doctor Brex assigned you, but... try not to throw up.”
Bones pressed his lips together grimly. “Aye, sir.”
Milling through the crowd again, Jim let Bones break off from him. Jim found two of the other cadets, and he assumed Bones found the science staff. He kept sipping at his water, which would be refilled by one of the Axanar servers before he could even recognize that the cup was almost empty. After one dry conversation with a Benzite delegate about agriculture and another conversation with a small group of delegates about interplanetary economics, Jim found himself pulled into a lively discussion with an Axanar official, a Tellarite, and a Vulcan Ambassador about the colony planet of Araxis.
Sure, he’d read the briefings. Seeing as his group was going to Araxis for the main part of the mission, it had seemed pretty damned essential to know the history. It had been straightforward enough: classic colonization story with a few twists.
A couple of centuries ago, a small group of Axanar left their home planet to establish a colony. The reasons hadn’t been fully clear. It looked like a political disagreement in part, but also a desire on the part of the colonists to avoid the brutal harvesting attacks from the Zhitorans, a mercenary race from a nearby star system. The colonists had dubbed their new home Araxis, had renamed themselves as Araxians, and had avoided their parent planet for almost two centuries.
Since the Battle of Axanar, and the tentative truce between the Axanar and the Zhitorans, as well as the other worlds that had harvested the Axanar, it looked like the Araxians once again desired relations with their parent planet. More to the point of the Federation’s interest... Araxis had dilithium.
The Axanar and the Araxians hoped to enter the Federation together, and the dilithium was on the table as a bargaining chip. The Araxians seemed eager to provide their resources to become part of this agreement. After centuries of isolation from each other, two parts of the same species were coming back together. The various species that had once hunted and harvested the Axanar were making reparations, including the Zhitorans. The Federation ideals of cooperation and peaceful relations were coming full circle after they’d almost crumbled before the Battle of Axanar over a decade past. It looked like a deeply gratifying mission of homecoming, reunification, and new alliances.
At least, that’s what the briefings said.
However, the Tellarite and Vulcan in this small discussion had been digging for more information than the official briefings had given them, and Jim found it almost mind-blowing how elegantly they were working together to pull information.
The Vulcan, Telak, was watching the Axanar closely as he pressed his point. “So, Ambassador, we have been told that the Araxians have offered their dilithium as part of their request to rejoin Axanar, which will be part of your bid to become Federation members. Studying the history provided, this seems illogical. If the Araxians left and almost completely broke contact with Axanar, and managed to live for nearly two centuries without coming under harvesting attacks, why would they expose themselves at all? As successful isolationists, it would be counter-intuitive that they should wish to break that isolation. If they’d wanted to offer the dilithium to the Federation, it seems far more probable that they would do it on their own.”
The Axanar, a being named Kazhrin, bowed deeply. “From my understanding of your culture, sir, it would be difficult for you to understand. We Axanar find strength in numbers, and security in the ordered structure of society.”
The Tellarite - Jim hadn’t caught his name and was too embarrassed to ask - lifted his chin in a gesture Jim knew meant he was essentially scowling, throwing down a challenge. “As do we, Councilman. And as do Vulcans, and Terrans such as the Cadets here. Your assumptions about our cultures seem... limited.” Really, for a Tellarite, he wasn’t remotely confrontational. He’d obviously had extensive training in interspecies diplomacy to be an Ambassador for this event, seeing as he hadn’t insulted the Axanar’s parentage yet to instigate the debate.
Still, Kazhrin bowed more deeply, in nervous subservience. “I meant no offense, sir! I am merely trying to explain. The Axanar who left our world nearly 200 years ago broke with the deepest instinctive structures of our society. They did survive, but they did it without protection. They did it without the bonds of societal structure. It would be a life without purpose, cut off and disjointed. As the young ones on Araxis found their roots over the last few decades, and those who had led the exodus became too old to direct the colony, their natural need for our greater society returned.”
“In the short span of ten years?” Telak asked calmly. “It seems highly improbable.”
“The Vulcan is right,” said the Tellarite. “Such a complete turnaround in so little time? Ludicrous.”
Kazhrin stood a bit straighter again, and actually looked the Tellarite in the eye for a moment. “Over the past fifty cycles, small ships have traveled between our two planets. Axanar have rejoined lost family on Araxis, and some have become new colonists for no other reason than our need to reach out to our people... to bring them what they had lost.”
Jim raised a hand to interject. “Wait a minute. I’m sorry to interrupt, but the records we received said that there hadn’t been travel between the two planets until the Battle of Axanar, only ten years ago.”
The Axanar looked horrified for a moment, but quickly bowed again. “It was meant that no official transit took place until after the Great Battle.” His face twisted into an odd frown. “Individuals occasionally maintained contact between the worlds, and individuals decided to venture outside of the protection of Axanar to make their way to Araxis. But yes, as reported, official conversation between the planets began after the Great Battle.”
Really? Jim thought to himself as he filed away that tid-bit of information. This guy is saying that the official history the Axanar had reported was... wrong? “So...” Jim began carefully, “The Araxians had been out of contact for 150 years. Then, few rogue small groups left Axanar for Araxis, but otherwise, there was no real contact. Then, after the Battle, the Araxians decide to offer your planet all of their dilithium so that you can both join the Federation?”
Telak looked sideways at Jim and raised an eyebrow in what seemed like approval. “Precisely what I was wondering. It would seem to us that the dilithium belongs to the Araxians. Why would they simply come out of isolation and give everything to your planet, allowing their resources to be used for bargaining?”
The Tellarite again gave a challenging lift of his chin. “That’s what I’d like to know, too.”
Kazhrin actually seemed confused by this. “They have asked to rejoin the Axanar society... to come back under our structure. They wish to join the Federation as a colony of Axanar, not as the isolated planet of Araxis. Why would they not offer their dilithium as part of our people’s mutual resources?”
Cadet Wilcox looked sideways at Jim before saying, “They founded the colony, established a society, and took ownership of an otherwise uninhabited planet. If they had wanted so much to start their own society, but still had interest in joining the Federation, why wouldn’t they ask to join the Federation as their own planet?” She looked like she was trying to hold back. Jim could tell she was feeling as awkward as he was about some of the odd quirks of this culture.
For a moment, Kazhrin looked lost, and maybe a bit dumbfounded, but then he shook his head sadly. “I indicated that you might not understand. Please... in their hearts, our brothers on Araxis are Axanar. They had been lost, but they are with us again.” He looked past the Vulcan Ambassador’s shoulder, then bowed very deeply. “My honored guests, I have been summoned. Please, do enjoy our hospitality. All that we have is yours.”
The Axanar bowed again and hurried away, leaving two Ambassadors and a pair of cadets standing in awkward silence.
Jim looked around at the others before blowing out a slow breath and saying, “That was...”
“Damned peculiar, if you ask me,” came a familiar voice from behind him.
Jim automatically stepped aside to make a space in the small circle for Bones. “Oh? Did you hear what we were talking about?”
Bones gave a respectful nod to the Vulcan and Tellarite, saying, “Ambassadors,” before looking back at Jim. “I didn’t hear anything you folks were saying, but by the looks on your faces, I’d guess it was similar to the odd conversation I just had with the Secretary of Health Services for the Axanar here.”
Telak gave a tilt of his head. “Would you share the content of your conversation with the Secretary, Cadet...?”
“McCoy, sir. And it’s also Doctor McCoy. And...” He shook his head. “I know that every culture on every planet is different, and that as long as cultural quirks aren’t in violation of the basic ethical code of Starfleet, we’re not supposed to judge, but this is just uncanny.” He looked Jim square in the eye. “Did you know that doctors are considered incredibly powerful individuals on this planet?”
Jim startled, then puzzled, “I do now... but why is that such a bad thing, Bones? I mean, haven’t you been saying for ages that you wished doctors had a bit more clout?”
Bones started to nod, then shook his head. “Not like this.” He looked around the whole group again. “It seems as though the doctors around here are... I don’t know... revered. Patients will offer the doctors any and all of their belongings in exchange for treatment, as though the exchange for saving the patient’s life is... well... anything the patient has. Including himself.”
“A life for a life, only in a symbolic form?” ventured the Tellarite.
“Something like that,” Bones said, “I mean, the Secretary didn’t flat-out say any of it like this, and I pieced it together from there, but... something just isn’t sitting right with me.” He sighed. “But then, who the hell am I to say anything? This is the first time I’ve been on a planet other than Earth, so I guess everything’s making me uneasy.”
“It’s always a challenge to become comfortable around completely foreign cultures,” the Tellarite said. “I must admit, when I met a Terran for the first time, I attempted to engage him in debate, and discovered that Terrans mistake our finest discussions for... fighting. I believe my opening remark was taken as a true invitation to fight, which led to an exchange of words about our mothers, which didn’t make sense at the time.”
Jim couldn’t help himself - he laughed. “Must have been a good argument, sir.”
“It was a fine argument... until he struck me.” He wrinkled his nose. “I have since learned the value of restraining myself in diplomatic situations until I can better anticipate a being’s reaction to a good argument. Sadly, some species will never understand the thrill of the debate.”
Jim grinned. He’d debated a Tellarite once during the spring of his first year at the Academy. He’d had his ass handed to him, but it had been a lot of fun. He was about ready to offer the Ambassador a debate challenge (no shame in losing a debate to a Tellarite) when Telak cut in.
“I offer, as a hypothesis, a Vulcan axiom to explain the unusual behavior of the Araxians in their offering of the dilithium to the greater good of the entire Axanar-Araxian population. I propose that they function under the principle that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
Jim turned sideways to look at Telak straight on. “I remember reading that in the writings of Surak,” Jim said.
Bones startled and stared at him. “You’ve read Vulcan philosophy?”
Jim smirked. “Didn’t you say you’d never be surprised by anything I ever did again?”
Bones rolled his eyes.
“It is a logical philosophy,” Telak said with a nod. “If the Araxians do indeed consider themselves, once again, to be part of the Axanar species, it would be logical for them to use their resources to further the collective good of the many in their society. They have simply ritualized and integrated this principle at all levels of their culture and social structures.”
Jim nodded, but it still seemed as though he was missing something. He was about to ask if anyone knew of any other species that had such an extreme interpretation of that philosophy when his comm unit chirped. Wilcox’s comm unit was chirping, too. A split second later, Bones’ comm beeped. Jim looked over at Bones. “Well, looks like the party is over. That’s the recall signal for the cadets.”
Wilcox nodded quickly to the Ambassadors. “Thank you for the discussion, Ambassadors.”
“Ah, young cadet, this was not a real discussion. Someday you will enjoy the delights of a true discussion with a Tellarite! But for today, restraint in the name of diplomacy.”
Wilcox smiled and said, “Of course, sir. Thank you,” before hurrying off.
Jim gave a respectful tilt of the head to the Ambassadors, then grinned at the Tellarite. “I would welcome the chance to debate with you, Ambassador.”
The Tellarite gave a short, satisfied nod. “I suspect you would offer quality debate for a Terran. I accept your offer!”
“It has been satisfying to engage in diplomatic discussion with you, cadet,” the Vulcan said with a serene nod. “You have clearly been well-trained and have studied the appropriate materials for this occasion.”
Jim grinned broadly. High praise indeed from both of them. Maybe he could handle this whole just being a cadet thing. “Thank you, Ambassadors.” He grabbed Bones by the arm. “Come on, Bones, let’s get out of here.”
“Great... just what I need. Another ride through the atomic dis-assembly machine,” Bones grumbled, letting himself be pulled along.
“You worry too much. Did you have a good time down here at all, other than discovering that you might be worshipped if you lived here?”
“Not bad. I mean, the hospitality has been beyond compare -- and don’t you ever tell my Ma I said that -- but...”
“Yeah, I know, it’s a bit off-putting. We’re not used to a system of subservience, but Axanar society is structured on that. It seems balanced, though, and Starfleet has never seen any sign that any of this is forced slavery. It just seems to be what the Axanar like.”
“Hmmm,” Bones mused as they made their way around a knot of beings locked in discussion. “Makes me empathize with the Araxians for leaving. Even if it wasn’t forced, I don’t think I could live with that.”
“Neither could I, Bones. But hey, a whole galaxy of new planets and new species out there. We can’t necessarily agree with all of them.”
“I s’pose...”
“Starfleet Cadet, sir!”
Jim didn’t know why he was sure it was directed at him, but he stopped in his tracks and turned around to see an Axanar hurrying towards him, carrying a large, flat object wrapped in a blue cloth and tied with a silver cord. Then he recognized the Axanar as the first waitstaff who had approached him earlier with drinks and snacks. “Uh, yes, uh... Mr...?” Why hadn’t he gotten the guy’s name?
“There is no need to address me, sir,” he said as he came to a stop in front of Jim. With a formal bow, he held out the wrapped item. “I am sorry it took so long. I needed to gain permission from the groundsmaster, but I have brought you the object of your desire.”
Jim looked sideways at Bones with a sudden sinking sense that he’d said or done something he shouldn’t have. “The... uh... object of my desire? I didn’t... I mean...” Being tongue-tied wasn’t a normal experience for Jim Kirk, but he had to admit, he was stuck right now. This was his first landing party, and such an enormous occasion, and had he already fucked it up? He hadn’t asked for anything, had he?
The Axanar seemed to be getting flustered, and held out the package even closer to Jim. “Sir, you expressed that our silicite windows pleased you. Please accept the hospitality we offer.”
Jim blinked. Hard. The Axanar was giving him one of their opal windows. Maybe opal wasn’t as rare on Axanar, but this was a hugely valuable object, and how the hell could Jim accept something like this? He hadn’t asked for it! He wasn’t supposed to do anything except make small talk and observe. This wasn’t a souvenir-hunt!
An elbow in his side got his attention as Bones said in an undertone, “Jim, if you don’t regain your diplomatic bearing and accept the damned thing, you might start an interplanetary incident.”
“I...”
The Axanar looked positively distraught.
“Take the gift!” Bones hissed in his ear.
Quickly, Jim reached out and took the wrapped package, only slightly surprised by how heavy it was. He had enough training to cover himself. “I accept your generous gift. I’m sure that it will please the Federation.”
Instantly, the Axanar’s expression changed from distress to delight, and he bowed deeply. “On behalf of the Axanar, I am grateful that it pleases you.”
Without another word, he hurried off, no doubt to another task of service. Jim stared at him as he went, then looked down at the package in his hands, then up at Bones.
“Shut your mouth, Jim. You’re gonna catch flies like that.”
Jim closed his mouth and swallowed uneasily. “That was...”
“Damned peculiar,” Bones said under his breath. “Yeah, it was. So let’s get back to the rendezvous point and get out of here.”
Hoisting the heavy window up against his torso, Jim nodded as he followed Bones out of the doors to the main terrace. “I’m with you. Even the transporter seems less unnerving than this, right?”
Bones snorted. “Speak for yourself, kid.”
*********
The cadets were clustered around the table in the debriefing room, and Jim’s gift from the Axanar was laid out on the table. Apparently, he wasn’t the only person with an odd story to tell.
Liu was going over his experience. “And when I said I don’t eat real meat, the waiter just about fell over himself, because he’d been told, as he quoted, that humans appreciate the fruits of the hunt. Which, I’ve got to admit, made me nervous as hell that he thought our ‘hunting’ was the same as the Zhitorans who had hunted the Axanar.” He forced an uneasy laugh. “I’m just glad one of the Vulcan Ambassadors stepped in and helped to explain that some humans abstain from meat in the same manner as Vulcans. I keep forgetting that human diets are unusually varied compared to many other sentient species, so the Axanar figured we all eat the same things. Anyway, the Vulcan Ambassador’s explanation seemed to satisfy the waiter. But then he suddenly excused himself, and came back maybe two minutes later with a huge platter of fruit, hell-bent on making sure I had accepted his hospitality. And I’ve got to admit, that was some of the tastiest fruit I’ve ever had. Although I’d suggest not eating the yellow pods. They’re bitter.”
“I had one of those pods,” Hererra said. “The Axanar told me to remove the husk. The seeds inside are soft and sweet. Tasted a bit like chocolate with spices.”
Liu flushed. “Oops. Well, I amend my report - everything was amazing.”
Lieutenant Finney nodded and leaned back from the table, threading his fingers together over the back of his head. “So, all in all, everyone had a great time. You had top-notch dining, interacted with some of the most distinguished ambassadors and diplomats in the Federation, and saw some of the most incredible architectural art in the quadrant outside of Betazed. Some of you even brought pieces of it home.”
Jim groaned. “I told you, sir, I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay, Kirk. Don’t worry about it. You did the right thing. You gave them a compliment on something in an attempt to be diplomatic, you didn’t actually ask for it, and when presented with the item, you accepted graciously. The question for all of you now, is what does all this mean? You’ve studied the briefings and reports.” He looked around the table carefully. “I’ll admit, I’ve been on more than a few landing parties and I read the briefings for this one thoroughly, but I feel like we missed something. So, what do you fresh-faced cadets think?”
Jim pressed his lips together, then heaved a sigh and leaned his elbows on the table. “Sir, there wasn’t anything specific we observed that wasn’t perfectly in keeping with the reports we got. We were told that the Axanar are eager to please, detail-oriented, and have a strong ethic of hospitality, and that’s exactly what we saw. But... Cadet McCoy made an observation while he was speaking with the Axanar Secretary of Health Services. Doctors are almost... well... worshipped down there, from what McCoy said.”
Finney gave him a nod. “I heard about that, actually. It seemed odd until I looked at it in context. Come on, Kirk, you’re supposed to be a tactical genius, so put it together.”
Jim narrowly managed to keep himself from scowling at Finney. “Well, doctors help heal people, and the Axanar have a history of being attacked. Doctors would be some of the few people in a passive society that could effectively protect the population. And the Axanar put a premium on the concept of protection. That’s part of why we were told to expect over-the-top hospitality - that the Axanar are showing hospitality to us as potential protectors. But... McCoy said that the patients would offer doctors everything, sir. Their belongings, their wealth, their... their servitude. I know the briefings said that the Axanar don’t engage in any sort of slavery, but this seems really over the top.”
Finney was slowly nodding to himself. “I don’t need to give any of you the Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations lecture, so I won’t. The question to ask is... can we attribute what we’ve observed to IDIC?”
One by one, the cadets around the table nodded in turn. Jim nodded too, then stopped and looked down at the incredible chunk of opal sitting on the table. The Axanar called it silicite, but it was definitely opal, and it was intricately carved to accentuate the fire and color inside the stone. The Axanar would give away anything and everything of themselves to please the Federation in their bid for membership... and protection.
Jim thought about the conversation with the Tellarite and Vulcan Ambassadors. Perhaps Telak had been right, and this was a species in which the needs of the many always outweighed the needs of the few. It was... yeah, it was logical. But Vulcans subscribed to that philosophy, and they didn’t act like the Axanar. No, something was niggling at the back of Jim’s mind, something about how the Axanar were negotiating with the Araxians’ dilithium. He just couldn’t pin it down. He looked over at Wilcox, who had been in on the conversation, too. Wilcox seemed to be having the same sort of internal struggle he was, and it seemed just as fruitless. She glanced over at him and shrugged helplessly.
“As long as none of it is forced or coerced, then I guess I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Wilcox said for the both of them.
Jim started to nod in agreement, then frowned. He’d almost forgotten to mention this. “Sir, the official reports said that the Araxians only re-established contact with the Axanar after the Battle, right?”
“Yes, Kirk. Why?”
“Because one of the Axanar I was speaking with said that ships had been going back and forth between the planets for the past fifty years, unofficially. So the Axanar have been sending people to Araxis for half a century already. What do you make of that?”
Suddenly, Finney’s easy posture tensed up, and he leaned forward on the table. “They said that?”
Jim nodded. “Well, one of the Axanar officials said it, but I got the impression that what he said was accurate. And also that he seemed upset that he’d let it slip. That seems like an unusual oversight. I don’t know if that’s important to the reports, but... I thought I should mention it.”
“That’s definitely an unusual oversight,” Finney said.
“Do you think it means something?”
At that, Finney pressed his mouth into a flat line and tilted his head slightly. “I have no idea, but I’m going to put it into my final report. We’ll let people with a lot more rank deal with what it might mean.” His easy grin settled back into place. “For now, finish your written reports and have them ready to submit at 0800 hours tomorrow. We’ll convene for a brief meeting, and then you’ll receive your next set of shipboard assignments. I think you’ve all had enough excitement for today. Oh, and after all that food down on the planet, I might suggest a slightly longer stop by the fitness facility this evening. Dismissed.”
An amused groan echoed around the group as they stood and made their way to the door. Jim was about to exit when a hand caught his shoulder. “Just a quick moment, Kirk.”
Jim turned around and faced Finney. “Sir?”
Finney had a pensive look on his face. “Kirk, I know McCoy is under his own training and assignment schedule here, but could you ask him to write up a detailed report on his discussion with the Axanar Secretary of Health Services? I could ask Commander Shao to send the order through Doctor Brex, but rather than try to push something like that, I’d like to see if he’d just be willing to do the report anyway.”
“I... yes, sir. That shouldn’t be a problem. Why?”
Finney shrugged. “Because information should never be wasted. You know that.”
Jim gave a silent chuckle. Finney had drilled that fact into the whole Basic Tactics class. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. And also... take your pet rock with you.”
Jim’s mouth fell open. “Seriously?”
“They gave it to you, didn’t they?”
“Yes, sir, but... I mean, I didn’t ask for it! And it’s ridiculously valuable. How am I supposed to accept something like that? And besides, where am I going to keep that thing?”
Finney was laughing at him. “Graciously, cadet. You accept it graciously. Stick it under your bunk. Now go on, get out of my briefing room.”
Chagrined, Jim grabbed the opal window pane, tucked the folds of cloth around it, and hurried out the door.
*********
To Chapter 6