Title: Drabble Challenge.

Author: Linstock

Code: Star Trek

Rating: K

Type: Humour, Romance, Adventure

Beta Credit: SpockLikesCats

Warnings: None.

Summary: Kirk finds Captaining can be a challenge. It's a good thing Spock is around to help..

Disclaimer: I do not own Star trek or any of the characters. I do not make any profit from this work.

AN: SpockLikesCats and I have a writing challenge running between us in an effort to get us off the fan fic benches and back into the game. We have decided "No more sitting on the sidelines!" It's time to dust it off our muses and grease the keyboards and get back into training. These ficlets (a bit long to really be drabbles, too short for a "story") are a sort of warm up session as we struggle to return to peak writing fitness. Wish us luck.

W have given each other a list of words and will write a short piece using the word in the text. We aim to take turns at posting. You can find SpockLikesCats in my favourite authors.

Three cheers for my beta reader Yeoman SpockLikesCats who helped whip the military terms into shape.

Muddled

Newly appointed Captain James T Kirk read the plasfilm dispatch.

"We regret to inform you your application has been rejected. The Commanding Officer's account for the USS Enterprise is registered to another party."

"I've told you three times, he is now Admiral Christopher Pike, stationed at Starfleet headquarters. The appropriate paperwork was lodged two weeks ago."(The "… you jerks!" was unstated. Even when ranting in his private quarters, Kirk remembered he was now a Captain, albeit a Captain without communication access on his own ship.)

For two weeks he'd been struggling with his greatest challenge so far … without success. It did not bode well for his Captaincy if he could not even arrange to get his own comms account!

He was Captain, damn it. And Captains should not have to deal with this.

Actually, he realized, he had assistants to deal with certain things, notably a first officer … a very logical first officer!

"Commander Spock, I'm having some problems with Starfleet Communications."

This statement earned him a raised eyebrow.

"My student account has been closed."

"As Starfleet Communication Procedure for Electronic Communication 12.3 states, 'Student access accounts shall be disabled within 14 days of graduation.' As you graduated 41 days ago, this is to be expected," replied Spock.

"Yes, fine, but I haven't been able to get a new active service account, let alone Captain's communication privileges."

Mr Spock raised both eyebrows now. "You have logged requests from AS 1.2.6 and QT 45?"

"You have requested privileges AS 1.2.6 Request for Active Service account via QT-45?"

"Yes, two weeks ago. And before you ask, I did not get the forms or channels muddled; I completed them and I sent them to the correct recipients."

The minor debacle with the food requisitions still rankled.

"Admiral Pike…"

Kirk cut Spock off before he finished his sentence. "Admiral Pike lodged his QT-46 as well."

"I see," replied Spock. "I will address the issue".

And he strode out of Kirk's office.

Five hours later, Kirk's console pinged and his comms screen was flooded with incoming messages.

"Commander Spock, can you share your secret?"

Spock looked confused. "To what secret do you refer, Captain?"

"How you sweet-talked Communications into processing my application?"

"No 'sweet talk' was required, Captain," replied the first officer. "I submitted a QT-46 and approved the transaction."

Kirk blinked. "But how was an application from the first officer relevant?"

"It was not, but an application from the 'Acting Captain' was."

Kirk opened and shut his mouth a few times before saying, "But I was appointed Captain three weeks ago."

"Indeed, but you must bear in mind how requests flow in Starfleet. The last record they held was of my Acting Captaincy as logged by Captain Pike . When you were appointed Captain, no one completed a TRS-44 notifying Communications."

"But it was all over the news feeds, it was discussed on every holo channel, it was announced at an official ceremony."

"Undeniably it was, but without a TRS-44 it was not recorded in the Communications records; so, as far as Communications was concerned, it had not happened. Their operations are commendably logical."

Kirk realized he would never fully grasp the nuances of these systems so humbly replied, "Thank you Commander."".

Spock [raised an eyebrow, then] nodded. "You are welcome, Captain."

Kirk he could not resist adding in a tone obviously more in sorrow than in anger, "Although, Commander, I hope in future you'll take care of matters like this a little earlier."

Spock paused, titled his head slightly and raising both eyebrow replied, "Indeed Captain."