Chapter 1 - House Net'no'kwa

A spy, like a writer, lives outside the mainstream population. He steals his experience through bribes and reconstructs it. ~ John Le Carre

“This is Jim Kirk,” he said when he finally answered the insistent phone.

“Please hold, Mr. Kirk,” the voice on the other end said. He knew it was his publishing company and as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t just hang up and pretend they weren’t calling.

“Mr. Kirk,” a smooth voice said on the other end. “This is Spock Shi'Kahr. I am your new representative with House Net'no'kwa.”

“What happened to Marjorie? She’s been my representative for 10 plus years.”

“Ten years, four months, and 12 days, to be precise.”

“Okay,” Mr. Kirk acknowledged. “Why are you calling me?”

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Chapter 2 - Prime Minister of Tajikistan

You get so used to lying that after a while it’s hard to remember what the truth is. ~Philip Agee

McCoy was in his bathroom trying to restore order to his thick black hair which he realized he should have had cut last week when he heard the front door open. He made is way down the hallway, stopping at the edge of the foyer. He wanted to be surprised that Jim and Scotty were in the foyer with a woman he didn’t know. Not yet anyway. She had really green skin and tumbling green curls. She was talking too rapidly and Bones couldn’t quite figure out what she was saying.

“...don’t know how you can. It’s just impossible,” she was saying breathlessly. She broke off abruptly when the two men focused on Bones.

“Hey,” Bones said, trying for serious even though he was standing in only a towel around his waist. The woman stared at him as he stared at Jim. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing,” Jim lied, still leaning against Scotty, his tie missing, several rips visible in his suit jacket. Bones would have been closer to being convinced if there wasn’t blood dripping from the end of the fingers on Jim’s left hand. Blood that was staining the entryway rug spread over the marble tiles. A real oriental that Jim had gotten from one of the sheiks he had rescued several years ago.

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Chapter 3 Shaken not Stirred

I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure. ~Clarence Darrow

Pike rang the bell and waited less than a minute before Hikaru opened the door to admit him.

“Hi ya,” Hikaru said in his usual cheerful manner. He was dressed in jeans and a dark blue sweater, frayed at the cuffs and neck. Chris thought it might actually be Jim’s sweater but gave it no more thought as Sulu moved aside to allow him to enter the toasty house.

“Sulu,” Pike said with a nod. “How are you?”

“Great. Couldn’t be better,” Sulu assured him, leading him across the foyer and into the living room. Jim was laying on the couch in jeans and a tattered sweatshirt, watching the fire dance. Bones was in his favorite chair with his favorite drink, apparently watching Jim but Chris was pretty sure his eyes weren’t entirely focused. Pavel was bent over his padd, studying it with near ferocious intensity. He didn’t even look up when Hikaru sat back down beside him. There was faint banging coming from somewhere in the back of the house

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Chapter 4 The Shi'Kahr Clan

The dumber people think you are, the more surprised they're going to be when you kill them.~William Clayton

Spock absolutely would not allow his impatience to show as he rang the doorbell for the second time. When door was finally opened, the man who could only Jim Kirk stared back at him. He wore blue jeans, a faded flannel shirt, and inexplicably, nothing on his feet.

“Mr. Kirk,” Spock said, his voice even, his face impassive as though he hadn’t been standing on the porch in the swirling snow for 2.335 minutes.

“Mr. Spock,” Jim returned, resignation in his voice. “You may as well come in.” Jim moved aside to allow his visitor to enter, carefully closing the door when Spock was in the foyer. Spock was a little surprised when Jim offered to take his coat, his demeanor entirely unwelcoming but his manners impeccable. Spock felt a little overdressed in his usual attire, traditional Vulcan pants and tunic in black and grey. He dismissed that thought as quickly as it formed, wondering why it had even surfaced.

“You are a very difficult man to find,” Spock told Kirk as he followed him deeper into the house. Jim led him into the large, modern kitchen, filling the shining kettle before putting it on the stove to heat.

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Chapter 5 - Sand is Suggested Revisions

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. ~Mark Twain

“Good lord, Jimmy,” Scotty said when Jim was back inside the house. “How OCD is he?”

“He’s a Vulcan,” Jim laughed. “Aren’t they really interchangeable?”

“Aye. I suppose they are at that,” Scotty had to agree, climbing off the step ladder. “Go make your revisions. I can handle this.”

“You sure?” Jim asked, watching him wind his way around the tree.

“Positive. If you make the revisions and send them right on, it’ll fly all over him. That alone will be worth it.”

“Yeah,” Jim laughed. “I’ll bring my laptop to the living room. In case you fall off the step stool.”

“That’s not goin’ happen,” Scotty assured him with a laugh.

“You weren’t drinking just Pepsi after lunch.”

“Ach,” Scotty said, shrugging it off. “Just a wee nip. To keep out the cold.”

“It’s not snowing inside the house,” Jim pointed out, laughing at Scotty.

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