Scotty switched the cloaking device on, to test it.  “Let’s see how this wee beauty works then.”

Klarg let out a burp before having another drink of something called tequila.  “Kapla!”  He laughed as the device seemed to operate perfectly.

“Targeting locks have gone.”  Spock said to the captain.  “I’m picking up subspace communications.”

“So am I.”  Uhura replied.  “They’re broadcasting a message back to Romulus, they’ve declared that the Enterprise has been destroyed.”

“Engineer Scott to bridge.”

“What is it Scotty?”  Kirk asked.

“I’m conducting a trial run of the cloaking device.”

“Don’t turn it off, just yet.”  Kirk replied.  “We’re near a few Romulan ships, they were preparing to fire.”  She looked at Sulu.  “Tactical manoeuvres Mr. Sulu.  Put us behind them.  I want to slip past them.”

“Registering locator beam for Klingon formation.”  Chekov replied.  “They’re lining up to attack the Romulans.”

“Well we don’t want to deprive them of their prize.”  Kirk replied.  “Put us at a safe distance from them.”

Koloth’s eyes were wide with joy and pleasure as his ship’s cannons tore into the hull of the Romulan vessel.  “No survivors!”  He laughed with his crewmen and began to lead a battle hymn about Kahless the Mighty.

The battle was over, the Klingons had sated their blood-thirst, for now.  Janice left the bridge and headed back to her cabin, comfortable leaving Spock in charge to handle the situation with the cloaking device and the Klingons, for now.  She’d step in if necessary but she knew that Spock’s leadership would be weakened if she played too active a role when he was on watch.  She’d learned many years ago to step back when the situation didn’t call for her to be on the bridge and give her personal life a chance.  She was looking forward to it too.  Her life had taken a new and delightful turn, a whole new level had opened up for her.  She was engaged to be married to the man she loved most in the whole galaxy and she couldn’t be more happy to be his beautiful bride to be.  She was nearly forty and behaving like an academy cadet with a crush.  She walked into the cabin and found it illuminated only by candlelight.  She let out a gasp when she saw Leonard had arranged a massage table and he was dressed only in short cropped trousers.

“As chief medical officer it’s my personal duty to relieve you of any stress you might be experiencing.”

Janice smiled and turned around so that Leonard could unzip her dress for her.  “I bet you massage all the women you marry.”

“You’re the first.”  Bones replied.  “Helen and I fought almost as soon as we came back from our honeymoon.  Joanna was the only good thing we ever did right, then I saw her once a week for thirteen years until the day Helen…”  He let the memory of his dead lover pass.

“It’s alright Leonard.”  Janice replied.  “I know about your past and your daughter.  I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

“We’ve grown distant of late.”  Bones said softly as his fiancé continued to undress.  “I sent her a message, like you suggested.  But she didn’t want to hear me.  I tried contacting her partner, but she just said that Nancy had gone into town.  It’s the age old  sad story of fathers and daughters.  No matter how hard we try to be supportive we only make mistakes.”

“She loves you Leonard.  Even if she can’t admit it, not even to herself.  She’s your daughter and she’ll always have that connection with you.”

Bones sighed.  “Maybe, I’ll try and find her after we get back.  Ask her to come to the wedding.”

“Maybe I could have a talk with her?”

“Maybe.”  Bones replied.  “Now though I have a better idea.”  He patted the massage table.  “You’d better hop up on here before this oil cools down.”

Janice hopped up onto the table and lay face down on it, her face poked through the hole and she saw Leonard’s bare feet, then the warm oil on her back and Leonard’s hands softly working the oil into her body.  “Mmmm.  That feels good.”

Spock was on the bridge, resting comfortably in the captain’s chair.  “Bridge to engine room.”

“Scott here.”

“Have you completed your analysis on the cloaking device?”

“Aye, it’s a curious beastie and no mistake.”

“Please explain.”  Spock asked for clarification of the engineer’s colourful language.

“It’s got a wee temper but I think I’m managed to charm it into submission.”

“Do I take it that we have a fully operational cloaking device?”

“There are a couple of wee glitches I need to sort out but for practical purposes it’s behaving itself.  Of course once we get back home I’m looking forward to taking the blessed thing apart to see how it ticks.”

Commander Sharell glared as the human female brought her a plate of Vulcan cuisine.  “Take this filth away and bring me something I can eat.”

Yeoman Judy Tankris placed the tray down by the prisoner.  “This is all I was instructed to bring you.”

“Pitiful.”  Sharell scored the weak-minded human.  “Get out of here.”

Yeoman Tankris turned about and left.

Enterprise drew closer to the secondary objective.  Subspace communication on Romulan frequencies showed that Romulus was too heavily guarded.  However the more ships positioned there, meant that less ships were guarding Nelvana III, the top-secret research base of the Tal Shiar, the Romulan special operations security squad.

“Set photon missiles to maximum yield.”  Spock said to the gunnery officers over the controls from his science station.

Kirk was seated in her chair awaiting full combat readiness, so she could give the order to attack.  She knew Koloth and the rest of the Klingons were chomping at the bit to attack their hated enemies.  “Are we ready now?”

“Photon torpedo launchers report green lights across the board.”  Sulu replied.

“Fire.”  Kirk said simply, giving the order to begin the extermination of many warriors and technical civilians.  It was her duty to do this, but that gave her little comfort.  How many times had ‘only following orders’ been offered as an excuse for terrible war crimes?

Enterprise became visible and a moment later rained photonic death at the secret base.  Then the Klingon ships appeared too and completed the destructive process to its final solution.

Koloth’s face appeared on the Enterprise’s main view screen.  “Kapla!”  He shouted with a toothy grin.  “Today we will drink blood wine in celebration of our victory.”

“Victory?”  Kirk asked.  “This is just a minor blip in this long and bloody war.  If we’re going to ensure a final victory then we’re going to be wading hip deep in blood before this conflict is over.”

Koloth nodded.  “May that day come swiftly, so that our enemies lie as a carpet at our feet.  We will sing songs of the brave Federation warrior maid who helped us bring death, glorious death to the Romulan Star Empire.”

“I’m sure there’s enough honour to go around.”  Kirk replied.  “Now that our part in this drama is played out we’ll leave this sector of space to its new commanders, Kapla Captain Koloth, may your new territory bring honour and great riches to you.”  Kirk cut the communication channel and looked at Spock.  “Get us out of here, cloak on, maximum warp.”  The Enterprise vanished seconds before the Klingon ships exploded one by one.  “Only following orders.”  Kirk said to Spock.  “Damn Starfleet for this.  Making my plant Romulan explosives on those ships.  The Klingons expected an easy victory of a little territory and then they’d desert us.  Now they’re committed.  They’ll fight this conflict for us and slaughter billions.  Only following orders.”  Kirk stood up.  “Excuse me, I’ll be in my quarters.”  She made it to the turbo lift before her tears ruined her mascara.

Bones found Janice in her quarters sobbing her heart out.  “What is it?”

Janice looked at Leonard, her beloved, the man she loved.  “I’ve followed Starfleet command’s last order.  I cannot in good conscience carry out another.”  She explained the situation and noted how appalled he looked.

“They made you do what?  That’s monstrous.  I’ve got half a mind to kick them all on their collective posteriors.”

Janice showed Leonard her letter of resignation.  “They refused to accept it.”

“They want their precious heroine, the darling of their little war.”

“They promoted me Leonard.  They made me an admiral.  Effective immediately.  We’re to return to Earth for my disembarkation.  Spock will be formally given command of the Enterprise, but until then he’s effectively in command of the ship.  I guess they want to keep me in line.  Make sure I don’t do anything to hamper the war effort.”

“Well there’s one thing you can do that they can’t stop you from doing.”

“What?”

“You can marry me right now.”

“I’d love that.”  Janice kissed Leonard.  “Can we give it a couple of hours?  I need to fix my hair and may make up and I need to ask Nyota and Christine to be my maids of honour.”

“Who will give you away?”

“I was going to ask Spock once we got back home but as acting captain he’s the one who’ll actually marry us.  I guess I can ask Scotty, he’s always come though for me, for all of us, in a crisis.”

“I’ll ask Sulu and Chekov to be my best men.”

Janice kissed Leonard again.  “We’re getting married.”

Bones smiled.  “I can’t wait.”

Janice felt more nervous than she ever had in her whole life.  Luckily Christine and Nyota were there to calm her down and talk about how great her life would be afterwards, with the man she loved.  Then it was too late for cold feet as Scotty, replete in full ceremonial highland attire took her arm.  “Yer a bonnie bride.”

Janice couldn’t help smile at the old rogue’s compliment.  “Thank you for agreeing to do this for me.”

“Anything for a dear friend.”  Scotty replied.

The bridal march began and Janice was slowly led down the aisle.  Janice drew level with Leonard who was dressed in his formal blue silk uniform with all the medals and awards for his years of service.

The music stopped and Spock looked at the two friends he was about to marry.  “There is no better duty for any captain to perform than the age old tradition of marrying two people whom love each other very much.”  He looked at Dr. McCoy.  “Do you Leonard Horatio take Janice Tiberius to be your lawful wedded wife?”

Bones looked at Janice.  “I most certainly do.”

Spock continued.  “Do you Janice Tiberius take Leonard Horatio to be your lawful wedded husband?”

Janice smiled and gazed deeply into Leonard’s eyes.  “I do.”

Spock nodded before continuing.  “Then by the power invested in me by the United Federation of Planets I now pronounce you married partners in the eyes of whatever deity you choose to acknowledge.”  He looked at Dr. McCoy.  “Doctor, you may now kiss your bride.”

Bones held Janice in his arms and tenderly kissed her, their passions grew and the polite kiss became a much more intimate and fiery moment of blissful rapture.

“Ahem.”  Spock said after a moment.  Bones and Janice looked at each other and smiled.  “Formal celebrations will now be held in the galley, all off duty crewmembers are invited to attend.”

Sharell looked up as another insufferable human entered the room.  “Am I to be afforded no privacy?”  She shouted.

Ensign Holder glared at the prisoner.  “The prisoner will remain quiet or the prisoner will be sedated for the rest of the journey.”

“Look at me.”  Sharell snarled.  “I’m locked up in here all day, don’t I have rights according to your Federation?”

“Mr. Spock has given us explicit instructions.”  Holder replied.

“You want to take me.”  Sharell replied.  “You can’t get a human girlfriend, they don’t like you do they?  They talk about you behind your back.  That’s why you want to be here, abusing a prisoner makes you fell like a strong and powerful male, doesn’t it?”

“Shut up!”  Holder couldn’t control his anger and went to strike the prisoner but her restraints were gone and she was far stronger than he was, effortlessly she broke both of his arms, then his legs, before shooting him with his own gun.  “Humans, you’re no sport at all.”  She was determined to have her full measure of revenge against Captain Kirk and her crew.