Prologue

Stardate 3497.2, Capella IV

The afternoon was hot, bright, and deceptively serene. A deep blue sky dotted with white clouds stretched over the pastoral mountainside landscape. The distant scream of a bird echoed off the massive, sun baked rocks. The only other sounds were the rustling of leaves and the beating of hearts as Captain James T. Kirk and First Officer Mr. Spock crouched tensely near a cave within the rocky outcropping.

Beside them lay a small pile of handmade arrows and sharpened sticks. Mr. Spock made the final adjustments on a crude handmade bow and tested the string's tautness. He hoped that he and his Captain would not need to use many, if any, of their makeshift weapons stock. Peaceful by nature, Vulcans disliked violence. However, if need be Mr. Spock was willing and able to defend Jim and himself against the rebellious faction of Capellans and their furtive Klingon ally.

Captain Kirk rose and began pacing back and forth. "Things have been pretty quiet for a while now," he said, gesturing towards the adjacent cave. "Do you think everything's all right?"

"The doctor is an able physician," Spock replied. "He will perform as well as he is able to do so under these circumstances."

As if on cue, a high pitched wail broke through the still air. Several minutes later, Dr. Leonard McCoy emerged from the dark cave, mopping his brow with a handkerchief. He smiled broadly at his two friends and gestured for them to follow him into the entrance.

The inside of the cave was cool, moist, and dim. The rushing water of a small stream echoed from the rear of the cave. It was the cold water from this little mountain stream that provided the first short bath for Elissa's newborn son, Capella IV's newest Teer.

Elissa, the widow of the late Teer Akaar, lay resting against some mossy rocks by the cave wall; her infant son, blanketed in the black lining torn from his mother's cloak, lay next to her. McCoy leaned over Elissa and gently lifted the tiny child in his arms.

"Look," McCoy said softly, as he rose to show his friends the newborn. Kirk peered into the small bundle. The Capellans were humanoid, and indeed outwardly resembled humans so much that the baby looked no different than an infant of his own species. The child was fat, red, and wrinkled. His little hands were balled into fists, and he was very sleepy. Jim smiled. "He's beautiful, doctor."

McCoy approached Spock, suddenly handing him the bundle. Spock automatically thrust out his hands, clasping the infant in an awkward, unsteady position. The baby writhed and whimpered as his unsupported head rolled backwards. He flung out his little arms and began to cry. Spock stared at the baby with a mixture of curiosity, surprise, and panic. He felt an immediate aversion to the child, to this noisy little creature that seemed ugly and vulnerable and fragile. Spock was instantly uncomfortable. He didn't know why he felt so uneasy, but he did know that he wanted this baby out of his arms now.

"Now, Mr. Spock," Dr. McCoy chided. "That's no way to hold a baby. You put your . . ."

"I would rather not, doctor," he replied stiffly, quickly handing the infant back to McCoy.

McCoy smiled, accepting the bundle. He gently cradled the infant in his arms, and the crying stopped. "Not the maternal sort, huh Spock?"

"Indeed not," he replied. "And furthermore I see no logic in the human custom of non-caretakers passing around the infants of others. It seems neither safe nor desirable."

"Well, Mr. Spock," countered the doctor, "most normal red-blooded people actually like babies."

"Doctor, I neither 'like' nor 'dislike' children. Obviously, they are a logical necessity. I simply find no purpose in superfluous interaction with them."

McCoy rolled his eyes playfully. He was too pleased with his first successful delivery of a Capellan infant, particularly in such a rustic environment, to get annoyed with his colleague. "If you say so, Spock," he answered, handing the child back to his mother.

At the sound of distant voices, the trio exited the cave. "They're coming," observed Kirk. "And we've got to be ready to meet them. Mr. Spock, come along with me. We'll ambush them from those nearby rock faces."

"I'm coming with you," insisted McCoy.

"Doctor," replied the Captain. "You took a medical oath. And right now your responsibility is to that tiny patient in there. He needs you. Don't worry; we'll take care of the Capellans, and that Klingon snake."

As the two left the cave to defend their position, Spock's mind snapped back into focus. Now he was back in his element. He and the Captain would fend off their enemies, restore order on Capella, and then continue the mining treaty negotiations. Although this situation with the Capellan rebel faction and their Klingon ally was not anticipated, and neither of them really knew what to expect, they both did know that with teamwork they could complete the mission to the best of their abilities. Like he had done in the past, Spock would approach the current danger with strength, logic, and decisive action. As a Vulcan, Spock was virtually immune to hubris. But if he wasn't, he would take pride in knowing that he was a rational man, and that his Spartan discipline and flawless logic would guide him through any conflict that the world (or outer space, for that matter) could throw at him.