'Sir, I must express my concern about this mission,' Spock informed his captain as they headed for one of the eateries. 'As both your first officer and your friend, I am compelled to say this is a most irregular invitation for us to fulfill.'

'In what way, Mister Spock?'

'First there is the fact that we are leaving the Enterprise when protocol dictates that any diplomatic mission pertaining to Star Fleet business be hosted on board a Star Fleet vessel or outpost.'

'And it is also part of Star Fleet protocol that when an invitation is extended, when permissible we show our good faith by accepting it.'

'Secondly, why have all official communications been referred through the deputy governor instead of Karidian?'

'Spock, isn't there plenty of stuff that goes through you before I approve it verbally and give you the okay to send it on its way?'

'Indeed there is, but those quite frequently pertain to my duties as your first officer within the chain of command, not as a politician making official decisions for an entire colony.' Spock opened his mouth once more, then closed it as he decided on a different tactic. 'Jim, there have been other rumours concerning Karidian's governance of the Tarsus colony.'

'Like what?'

'The mismanagement of resources to enrich the governor's wealthiest supporters, sudden disappearances of dissidents, even assassination of political enemies disguised as accidents. There appears to be a great climate of fear and many Star Fleet personnel are concerned they could become the next targets.'

Kirk stopped short. He knew his friend to be a man of sound mind and principles, and unless that time with the overdose of flu vaccination counted, never one to become hyperbolic in describing the world around him. If Spock was bringing this up, he didn't do so lightly. 'What is your source of this information?'

'Uhura had received reports from Star Fleet officers stationed on Tarsus Four as she was preparing information regarding-'

'And why am I only learning of it now?'

'My report was not completed until last evening during which time you were occupied by a much-needed personal break with Doctor Marcus, Doctor McCoy and Nurse Chapel for a social engagement.'

'How-'

'Nyota had proposed to Christine the scheduling of a social gathering last evening and subsequently informed me that she and Doctor McCoy were unavailable. When I pressed the matter further, she explained the Nyota was on shift I used the solitude to complete my report for our morning debriefing.'

Kirk nodded; it was easy somedays to forget the female friendships that had formed between the women in his immediate circle and how they impacted his friendships in turn. 'Alright, I'll have a look at this before we touch down later today.'

'This should be made part of our debriefing on the flight to the planet surface,' Spock insisted, then backed off when Kirk pinned him with a look.

'And it will be, Commander. Now, is there anything else pertinent to the mission you would care to share right now?'

'Not at this precise moment.'

'Outstanding.' Kirk gestured for Spock to walk ahead of him into the eatery, noting that Scotty had stayed silent the entire time but wore a look of concern similar to Spock's. 'What is it, Scotty?'

'He maybe be a pointy-eared pain in yer arse, Cap, but he's not wrong about those rumours. A great deal of sub-channel chatter has been making it's way out little by little and if even a fraction of it is true…' Scotty's frown deepened. 'Cap, are ye sure this is nothing more than a routine friendly meet-and-greet for the cameras?'

'I am.' Only Spock's supersonic hearing would have heard the microscopic shake in Kirk's answer. 'But as captain, I will review the information in my first officer's report and decide if it therefore behoves us as the efficient crew we are to speak with the governor and confront the issue head-on so it isn't dangling over us the entire trip.'

'You think a greasy politician would give you a straight answer? They've tongues crooked as a snake's back.'

Kirk sighed, relented. 'We can ask around, the dinner isn't the only interaction we'll have with them. In the mean time, we'll feel them out and see what's been going on.'

Scotty nodded, though he didn't look terribly satisfied with Kirk's answer and headed into the eatery ahead of him where they found Spock had already secured a table and two cups of black coffee along with the captain's treasured orange juice were already waiting.

'Ah, sweet elixir of life,' Scotty sighed as he added generous doses of cream and sugar to his cup, shook his head as Kirk swirled his iced juice with a straw. 'Dinnae understand how you can start the day without it, Cap.'

'I've taken the liberty of apprising the serving staff we would take the option of the custom omelette stations,' Spock informed them in his usual manner, though Kirk could see as he studied his friend how much worry he was suppressing.

'Spock, before we eat, send out a crew-wide DC-two memo.'

'Sir.' Spock gave a curt nod; a DC-two memo was the captain's personal shorthand for a top-priority communication that required immediate revision and attention to its contents.

'Tell them…' Kirk sighed, dragged his hand over his face; he knew he'd probably face a minor insurrection for it but given what had just landed in his lap with Spock and Scotty, he was in no mood to take any chances. 'Tell them, on pain of immediate court martial and dismissal from service aboard the Enterprise, only the diplomatic party is to go to the planet surface on any Tarsus system planet until I give an all-clear. They are free to stay on the satellite or the ship but if they so much as put an eyelash on terra-firm, it will be their necks.'

'I wasn't aware that Star Fleet had an execution policy,' he replied as he typed up the memo on his palm-PADD, making Scotty chuckle.

'He means they will be disciplined so hard they would wish they were dead, Mister Spock.'

'Oh.' Spock tapped a few more keys, adjusted his phrasing. 'Very well, Captain, should the crew be offered an explanation for the sudden curtailing of their shore-leave passes?'

'Yes,' Kirk replied, absently scratching at the hidden zipper-pocket of his uniform where his wedding ring was currently stored. 'Let them know due to circulating rumours of potential assassination attempts on Governor Karidian that the captain does not wish to put any crew members unnecessarily in harm's way.'

'Sir, I have doubts it is logical or ethical to put unsubstantiated information into an official memo, particularly where-'

'You told me of rumours, certainly that is a rumour that could make its way to my offices, yes Mister Spock? Implication,' he explained when Spock's angular eyebrows knitted into a single parabolic arch of consternation. 'We're using the guise of rumours to keep our people safe.'

'Understood.' Spock sent the memo, and seconds later, Scotty's pocket-PADD chirped to alert him to a high-importance alert. 'Should I circulate my report for the remainder of the diplomatic mission party?'

'No, I'll use the shuttle trip down to Syzonna to get them up to speed.'

'Cap, I know we're probably all overreacting but I do think this is the right call,' Scotty reassured him. 'I'm sure it'll be a grand time with no worrisome goings-on.'

'Yeah, Scotty,' Kirk agreed, rising with him to head for the omelette bar even as his stomach kept trying to sink with foreboding, 'I'm sure everything will be fine, too.'

'Doctor Marcus!'

Carol looked over as she exited the docking-ramp, her overnight go-bag clutched in a slightly nervous grip; it was such a funny sensation to board the Enterprise as a visitor, but she was thrilled to see Christine walking towards her with her own go-bag in her hand and a wide grin on her face.

'Nurse Chapel, you're here early.'

'Actually I'm a little late, I wanted to meet you on the satellite before you got on board so I could have a little more time to give you the business about keeping your relationship with the captain to yourself.'

'I knew you'd be pissed,' Carol started as she adjusted her hold on her bag, but Christine shook her head.

'Not at all, just a little annoyed you kept letting me go on and on the way I did about Bones before we actually got together when you were actually with Kirk.'

'I had my reasons, not the least of which was I didn't want you to feel like I was rubbing ti in your face I had someone and you didn't.' Carol smiled. 'Believe me, now that we know almost all of each other's secrets when it comes to the boys, you'll be getting an earful of way more than you ever wanted to know about James Kirk.'

'What do you mean, almost all the secrets, what other secrets are there?'

Damn, Carol thought with panic, but recovered without missing a beat. 'Well, I'm sure you and Bones have your kinks that are just your business, no?'

'This is very true,' Christine agreed on a grin - Carol most definitely didn't need to know about Bones' love of soapy shower fun time - then looked around as she saw Spock and Uhura coming down the hallway along with Lieutenant Jenna Allen, Scotty's second in command. 'So, any idea why Kirk is having us shuttle down instead of beaming?'

'No, but I agree, it is rather odd.' Carol frowned. 'Wouldn't we normally be having a pre-launch briefing?'

'Yeah, if we were beaming down, we'd meet and go over the finer points in somewhere like the conference room or even have a bulletin sent to our PADDs.'

'So we're having a briefing on the shuttle…but why so late?' Christine mused, looked at Uhura and Spock. 'Do you know?'

'Know what?'

'How come we haven't received anything about this mission briefing?'

'I'm sure the captain will keep us informed of everything we need to know,' Spock replied even, but the women weren't buying it.

'Mister Spock, an answer like that leads me to believe you know more than you're sharing,' Carol told him, with Christine nodding in agreement.

'Yeah, cough it up, pointy.'

'Nurse Chapel, are you aware that your prolonged proximity to Doctor McCoy has resulted in your adoption of his linguistic mannerisms?' Spock arched a perfectly angled eyebrow. 'To my knowledge, he is the only crew-member of my acquaintance who refers to me as pointy.'

'Not the point right now, Mister Spock.' Allen, an abnormally tall Cygnusian woman with violet skin and eyes so dark-blue they appeared black, smoothed long slim fingers over hair currently tinted a shade on par with electrified lemons. There was no questioning her authority, though - everyone knew that when Scotty wasn't around Allen was in charge and no one dared mess with her. 'We are the away mission team, we shouldn't feel like we are walking into a situation blind, Even a routine pick-up of cargo or fuel comes with memos, announcements, reminders, that sort of thing.'

'Agreed so what-'

The group gave a collective start as the shuttle-loading door opened and the captain stepped out, face serious as they'd ever seen it. 'Everyone, let's board,' he told them all, stepping aside to give them access; it did nothing to alleviate the rising group tension. Once inside, Carol looked around and saw another two women, one Talaxian, the other human, she didn't recognize seated beside Bones. All three were wearing expressions of grave concern; had it been only Bones Carol would have paid it no mind as she'd heard time and again from Christine about the doctor's fears of flying. Given that the others were looking equally worried she felt something cold begin to worm its way into her belly as she sat down, buckled in.