In Tempest's Wake

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CONTENTS

Historian’s Note

In Tempest’s Wake

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Acknowledgments

About the Author

HISTORIAN’S NOTE

This story begins in 2269, five days after the destruction of Federation deep space station Starbase 47 ( Star Trek: Vanguard— Storming Heaven).

ONE

Stardate 5829.6

Starbase 12

James Kirk loved looking at his ship.

It was a rare luxury. Whenever circumstances permitted, Kirk relished the chance to gaze upon the Enterprise, noting each line and curve along with every hull plate and seam. Infrequent travel to or from the starship via one of its shuttlecraft provided such opportunity, but even then duty and schedules often prevented him from enjoying indulgences of this sort. Reviewing a computer-generated image or studying a technical readout, or even wandering its corridors and interior spaces, could not compare to beholding the sight of the Enterprisethe way it was meant to be seen—presenting itself to the stars.

Getting a little carried away with yourself, aren’t you?

Kirk smiled at his own mild rebuke as he leaned against the railing separating him from the large curved transparent aluminum window overlooking Starbase 12’s cavernous i

“Captain.”

Turning at the sound of the single word spoken from behind him, Kirk saw Commander Spock standing nearby. Was the scene outside the view port so engrossing that Kirk had failed to notice his first officer’s approach? For that matter, how long had he been waiting there? Had he made more than one attempt to gain his captain’s attention?

“I’m sorry, Mister Spock,” Kirk said, clearing his throat. “You weren’t waiting there long, were you?”

His hands clasped behind his back, Spock regarded the captain with his usual neutral expression. “Three point eight seconds from the time of my arrival, sir.”

Kirk chuckled. “I’ll try to do better from now on.” Gesturing over his shoulder toward the window and the Enterprisebeyond it, he asked, “Any updates on the repairs?”

“Battle damage repair and other maintenance tasks are proceeding on schedule,” the Vulcan replied, stepping toward the railing to stand next to Kirk. “With the Enterprise, Endeavour,and Sagittariuseach requiring attention, the station’s engineering and support staff is somewhat overextended. However, Mister Scott is supplementing their efforts with our own perso

Frowning, Kirk asked, “Why so long? I didn’t think we were hurt that badly.” He recalled no report from his chief engineer detailing the need for such extensive repairs.

Spock replied, “Mister Scott is taking advantage of station facilities to replace several major components of the ship’s warp drive and deflector shield generators. Though they suffered no severe damage, there was notable strain on both propulsion and defensive systems during the hostilities.”

“Well, that’s one way to put it,” Kirk said, recalling the ferocious battle in which the Enterprisehad so recently found itself. “Has it really been five days? What’ve I been doing all that time?”

Ever willing to help Kirk with a question for which he really did not need an answer, Spock said, “You spent most of that period sequestered in your quarters, responding to requests from Starfleet Command to provide reports and debriefing memos detailing the Enterprise’s role in the battle.”

“Right.” Kirk offered a knowing smile. “How could I forget?” Spock was being polite when he said that the captain had been sequestered. In truth, he had been all but confined to his cabin as he labored to complete what had felt like an endless stream of administrative artillery fired at him by various flag officers prowling the halls at Starfleet Headquarters back on Earth. The only thing more chaotic than the skirmish the Enterprisehad survived was the amount of scrambling Starfleet was doing to minimize the numerous and potentially devastating impacts the incident might leave in its wake. Though Kirk’s involvement, along with that of his ship and crew, was at best nominal compared to other perso

Lucky me.

It took another moment for him to realize that his first officer was standing in silence as though waiting to be prompted. “Something else, Spock?”

“I have received inquiries from several of the department heads,” the Vulcan replied. “They are curious as to when they might be allowed to grant full shore leave to the station.”

Kirk sighed. It was a question he himself had asked, posing the query more than once to the starbase’s commanding officer. In each case, the response had been the same. “Until we’re told otherwise, shore leave for all perso