“Captain’s Log – Star date 5991.7.  We’ve left Earth to continue the exploration of space, to chart new systems and meet new cultures and people: going boldly where no one has gone before.”  Captain Janice Tiberius Kirk sat cross legged in her command chair.  She watched as Sulu and Chekov made sure the course of the ship was true and safe; to her right Spock analysed results on his science equipment, to her left Scotty and his deputy sat nursing the auxiliary engineering controls.  Behind her Uhura sat at the communication station, monitoring space for any signals.

She was the heart of the ship, the instinctive empathic control that determined the success or failure of the mission.  She’d kept Janice’s name as most knew the body by that name and it was a lot easier than James, which was so masculine, so alien to her now.  She’d spent half a year on Earth, first proving her identity and then training her body to get it into shape, then proving herself to star fleet, to keep her command.

They’d been reluctant at first, but she’d sat through all the simulators, proven her command ability, she still hated to lose, but they’d prevented her from manipulating the computer program for the Kobayashi Maru, instead she’d used her femininity and her extensive knowledge of Klingon culture to lure them into a false sense of security then disabled their ships before fleeing with the disabled ship in a trans-warp tractor beam.

“Captain.”  Spock looked up.  “I am detecting an unusual particle emanation.  It is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

“Location?”  Kirk asked.

“Three hours at warp four at heading 130 by 45 by 56.”

“Analysis?”

“It is not radioactive, but it does have an unusual organic signature.”

“Well we’re supposed to explore the unknown and a particle emanation is a nice way to ease us back into the job.”  She looked back across at Sulu.  “Maybe we should swing by that way, Mr. Sulu?”

“Aye Captain.”  Sulu made the necessary course change.  It had been difficult getting used to the soft delicate voice of the captain, but the crew had spent a lot of time together on Earth and he saw that the captain was still the captain, even though she looked and sounded different and she was more friendly and empathic than before.  She was altogether more pleasant but she was still the captain and commanded his respect and loyalty at all times.

The ship lurched to one side as an energy blast slammed into the side of the saucer.  A blast of energy surged through the ship and exploded out of Sulu’s console.  He was thrown backwards, landing by Kirk’s chair.  She knelt down beside him.  “Get bones up here, Sulu’s taken a nasty burn to his arm.”  She sat him up next to her chair, before looking at Spock.  “What hit us Spock?”

“An energy bolt, unknown type, it appeared from nowhere.”

“Can you plot its course based on the angle of impact?”

“Working.”  Spock turned his attention back to the data.

Kirk looked at Scotty.  “Any damage?”

“Just minor damage, captain, the shields took the sting out of the blast, just shook everyone up.”

“Captain, I’m getting reports that minor electrical surges have affected the ship.”  Uhura hated to be the bearer of bad news.

“That’s to be expected.”  Kirk looked back that Sulu’s console.  “Where’s Bones?”

The turbo lift doors opened and Christine Chapel emerged from it.  “I’m sorry I took so long, there are a few cases in the infirmary already and Dr. McCoy already has his hands full.”

“Yes, of course.”  Kirk moved over to stand by Christine as she examined Sulu.  “Is the damage extensive?”

“It’s nothing that we can’t treat.  He’ll just need time and rest.”

“Of course.”  Kirk stood back as two security officers arrived to lift Sulu up and take him to sickbay.  Then a replacement helmsman arrived at took his place next to Chekov.  Kirk walked over to Spock’s science station.  “Any luck yet?”

“Nothing definitive.”  Spock replied.  “I have a few rough calculations, nothing certain however.”

“Your guess is better than most people’s certainty.”  Kirk said with a giggle, before restraining herself.  It didn’t do to show so much emotion in front of junior officers, she’d learned that from Captain Nicola Janeway, her classmate at the academy and current captain of the USS Hamilton NCC 1702, the Enterprise’s sister ship.  “If we have a rough approximation then we can focus our efforts in that direction.”

“A logical statement, but not a practical one.”  Spock looked at the captain.  “The energy shows signs of a Romulan technology.”

“Romulans?”  Kirk gasped.  “They’re in Federation territory?”  She sat down on her chair.  “Can you detect a slight refraction of light around the cloaked ship?”

“I think we have a fix.”  Spock said slowly.  However another blast of energy battered the ship.

Kirk was thrown through the air and her head collided with the bright red railing.  She looked up at Spock as dimness nibbled at the edges of her mind.  “Find them, stop them.”  Then she succumbed to the pain and greyness of unconsciousness.

“She’s waking up.”  Nurse Chapel said to Dr. McCoy.

“Captain?”  Bones said slowly.  “Janice?”

Kirk smiled.  “That’s the first time you’ve called me Janice.”

“It is not.”  Bones said defensively.

“Yes it is.”  Kirk beamed a radiant smile at Bones.  “You always called me Captain, ever since I got this body.”

“Well it’s your name, isn’t it?”  Bones said nervously.  Not wanting to admit his attraction to his best friend.  How could he tell her that he loved her?  That he wanted to ask her on a date?  That he wanted to be…intimate with her?

“He’s just glad you’re feeling better, captain.”

Kirk nodded.  “Well I’m glad someone is.”  Kirk had told Christine how much she liked Bones, far more than before.  Her womanly instincts were aroused by Bones’ raw masculinity.  Christine had spoken of her attraction for Spock and they both agreed than they had feelings for men that neither thought would ever notice or return.  Uhura had a crush on Sulu and Kirk saw her standing by his bed, chatting to him.  “Do I have the all clear?”

“You can leave here, but I’d like you to rest in your cabin for the night, Janice.  Get a good night’s sleep.”

Kirk found herself wishing that Bones had said ‘with me’ at the end of that sentence, but she buried those feelings, for now.  He didn’t need his captain coming on to him, she had to let him lead the chase, that was the way of things for her now, to be the hunted prey in the game of love.

Spock sat in the captain’s chair, he’d taken command before and with the captain suffering a concussion and under orders to rest then it was only logical that he take command of the ship until she was recovered.  He looked at Mr. Scott.  “That Romulan cloak uses up a lot of energy, it must be emitting some sort of energy.”

Scotty nodded.  “It should, Mr. Spock, but all we can detect are those strange particles that you detected earlier.”

“Then we must assume that the two may be linked.  What is the location of the current emissions?”

“Straight astern.”  Scotty replied.

“Channel emergency power to the rear deflectors.”

Scotty did so, seconds later the rear of the ship was blasted by the energy weapon.  “Looks like you were right sir.”

“We still need a way to target this hidden vessel.”

“I have an idea.”  Scotty stood up.  “I’ll be down in engineering; I need the raw materials I have in storage down there.”

“Very good.”  Spock nodded as the engineering assistant took position on the main engineering panel.

Kirk awoke with a gasp.  She got out of bed and pulled her dressing gown over her thin nightgown.  She looked at herself in the mirror, she had dark bags under her eyes and maybe even a heavy foundation wouldn’t hide them.  She started the shower up and waited for the water to warm up, before undressing and stepping under the luxuriously warm water and washing her worries away with scented soap and shampoo.

Scotty worked on the stripped down guidance system of the photon torpedo.  It was a very simple device, a basic laser guidance system with a few extra tricks.  He needed something to sense these particles, to home in on them.  Luckily he was able to graft a tricorder into the guidance system, it might just work too.  He and his engineers worked double fast to reassemble the torpedo.  “Good work lads.”  He walked over to the communication panel.  “The solution is almost ready Mr Spock.”

Spock acknowledged the call.  “When you’re ready Mr. Scott.”  He looked up when the captain returned to the bridge.  “Captain, I thought you were resting.”

“How can I rest when my ship is under attack?  I feel fine, for now.  My place in on the bridge of my ship.”

Spock stood up.  “I agree.  The bridge is yours.”

“I’m sure Bones will play holy hell, but once this is over I’ll get a few hours rest.”  Kirk sat back down in her chair.

“The torpedo is ready to launch.”  Scotty said over the intercom.

“Very good Mr. Scott.”  Kirk replied.

“Captain?”

“Is there a problem, Mr. Scott?”  Kirk asked.

“No, it’s good to hear you back in command again, no offence to Mr Spock.”

“None taken.”  Spock replied.

Kirk almost laughed when Spock put on his ‘I’m pretending to look like I’m not annoyed face’ he had a great sense of humour, for a Vulcan.  No wonder he was her best friend, she could see why Christine had fallen in love with him.  “Fire when ready Mr. Scott.”

“Aye captain.”

Kirk waited a few moments before Chekov spoke.

“Photon torpedo is armed, auto-targeting system is online.  Mr. Scott is firing now.”

Kirk watched as the torpedo was fired and then looped up and struck nothing, to reveal the shape of a Romulan bird of prey.  “Open fire with forward phasers; try to take them alive for interrogation.”  She watched as her ship crippled the other one with devastating accuracy, destroying the critical systems but leaving non-critical ones intact.

A male Romulan face appeared on the view screen.  “Foolish human, wait, you are not James T. Kirk, can it be that our most hated enemy is dead?”

“I am Janice T. Kirk, the appearance may have changed, but I’m still captain of the Enterprise.”  Kirk smiled sweetly.  “Now if you’ll surrender I’ll tow your ship to the nearest star base and you can explain to our diplomats how this was all a big misunderstanding and how very much you don’t want to start a war and how grateful you are to me and my crew for rescuing you.”

“You do not understand.”  The Romulan replied.

“Captain, I recommend we withdraw, immediately.  I believe they have a failsafe device to prevent capture.”

“A bomb?  Withdraw, full speed.”  Kirk watched the screen and suddenly the Romulan ship exploded in a ball of blue light.  “I gave them an opportunity.”

“They did not take it.”  Spock replied.  “Suicide is not logical.”

“This could mean that the Federation starts a war with the Romulan Star Empire.”  Kirk sat back.  “I didn’t want that, I don’t want to be the one to start a war.”

“With all due respect Captain, they started the war, if it does indeed start, by invading Federation space.”

Kirk stood up.  “I’m going to my quarters, you have the bridge Spock.”

Janice, Christine and Nyota and sat in Janice’s quarters gossiping about their recent adventure.  “Bones did not say that I had to be alone, and to be honest I think I need to learn to relate more with the other women on my ship.  It’s been fairly easy up till now, but seeing those Romulans kill themselves was horrible, the loss of life over something so trivial was shocking to me.  I’ve never felt that way before.”

“Different cultures live by different rules.”  Christine said quickly.  “You have to accept that they’re different, you can offer help to anyone but not everyone’s going to accept it.  You just have to do what’s best for your ship and your crew and let their captain to the best for their crew.”

“You cared enough to offer them help.”  Nyota said soothingly.  “If they refused it then that’s their problem.  Some people just don’t want to be saved.”

Janice took a sip of wine.  “Mmmm, this is nice.  I never liked it before.  My taste buds are totally different, I can’t stand eggs now.”

“You also like men now.”  Christine joked.

“Yes, for some reason when I saw that Romulan all I could think of was ‘is my hair nice, is my lipstick on my teeth, is my dress tucked into my underwear?’ I could barely manage to say complete sentences.  I’m like that all the time when I see Bones; I just hope I don’t make a complete idiot of myself.”

“You’ve got the craze.”  Nyota laughed.  “I get it every time Hikaru and I are alone in the turbo lift.”

“Does it wear off?”  Janice asked.

“In six years there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t felt the craze when I’ve seen or talked to Spock.”

They all giggled and spent the rest of the night talking about normal, girly, things.