Captain Christopher Richard Pike

There was little doubt in Jim's mind that Pike saw him as useful. He'd be a fool not to, except for the part where Jim had no power here and very little influence at this point. His rift with the young captain went unhealed. But at the same time, Jim was aware that Pike was aware that it was Jim who saw fit to give Pike and Spock a chance. He was probably aware that Jim liked them both, at the same time that he was wary of them.

That didn't stop Jim from liking them, or taking an interest in seeing them beyond what he might term "business." No doubt Pike would consider that foolish. Jim just lived by different rules.

He showed up at the arranged time, at the new quarters Pike and Spock had secured for themselves and which Jim hadn't exactly done anything to prevent.

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Pike saw Jim as having a certain sense of power even if he had no control over the ship. Equally, Jim was a man to be respected and for that alone Pike found him useful. Whether or not either of them trusted each other enough to truly believe what the other side, there was a measure of them being allies. Both stranded in another universe, outside of their normal means, with knowledge they were both willing and unwilling to share.

Pike called out to the door to open, gesturing for Jim to join him at the small table where he was settled in with his padd and the cold cup of coffee. For some reason, he just had not needed it that morning. "Morning, Jim." Trying out the name for the first time, which was the one Jim had signed on their correspondence. Pike had pointedly signed his first name as well, though he despised being called by the shortened name of Chris.

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Spock had explored the confines of the other room, the - he could not say equivalent as it was most certainly not equal in size or appointment - room that was, for lack of a better term, his. But he reentered what he already thought of as their main room when he heard Christopher bid James T. Kirk to enter.

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Jim entered, nodding at both Pike and Spock and showing no sign of his surprise at Pike's use of his name. Interesting.

"Christopher. Spock," he said. "Good morning."

He sat, his posture casual but not disrespectful.

"Nice rooms."

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In turn, Jim using his own given name as well. "They'll do." Pike commented, glancing around only once before focusing on Jim again, "There's a lot to discuss, it seems." It was meant to be an opening for Jim to tell the child-Captain's side of the tale. Straight down to business, and once that was over, there could be... more.

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"Right," Jim said, sighing. He was not at all certain about how this was going to go. But he smiled briefly at Spock. "The Acting Captain. Is a rather confused young man. I don't think he meant what he said in your presence. I don't think he thought about it until it was done, actually."

Which worried him just as much, frankly.

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"That hardly seems an appropriate characteristic in a captain."

Spock's casual disdain was clear in his raised eyebrow.

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There was a pause, as Jim looked at both of them, thinking.

"No," he said finally. "Which is essentially what I told him."

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"Confusion isn't something that anyone would want in a captain, even an acting one." Pike agreed with his bond mate. "How are you so sure he didn't mean what he said, but now is just trying to cover it up?"

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Jim spread his hands. "I can't be," he said. "But I believed him, when he said it. I believe there was a certain logic in who he sent, apart from issues of... expendability. Other than not sending a medic, I might have done the same myself. Though I would have gone. I believe that he had no deliberate intention of letting us die. He needs Jim. He needs what my Spock has provided him. I think he made a mistake. And while it's not comforting, I believe it was not intentional. And I'm attempting to convince him of the logic of not making every decision without the input of anyone else when untried."

He also believed that Pike himself compromised Spock's control over his mouth. But that was a touchier issue.

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If Jim had desired to bring that topic up, Pike would have agreed with him. "You are a far more trusting person then I am. Considering that in one fell swoop the young captain would have been made captain, had a reason to destroy his enemy, and removed or crippled many of the strangers he has on board his ship, I simply can't think that he might have other intentions."

It was quite true. The true captain would have been dead, along with Jim and his Spock, along with his bond mate which would have left him for dead or crippled as they, unfortunately, knew. Many strangers on board seemed to be followers of Jim as Captain, and the rest would have been so angry at Nero's actions that they would have allowed Spock to do what he wished as long as he was intelligent about it.

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"I am," Jim agreed. "And you're correct, of course, by a certain interpretation. But consider this: I believe that there is a connection between young Spock and the young captain. A connection Spock values. As he does the connection to my Spock's Vulcan which he's shared. He's aware of the loss to him, should we have been lost. Spock is extremely isolated. I believe he's attempting to prove something to himself, and to others, that he can succeed solely on his own. I think he's learning that he cannot."

He shrugged.

"That may be of little assurance to you. It's my feeling that he's trying. And that if I can influence him, my worry will be eased. Yours may not. But to be perfectly honest, my meeting convinced me that he's confused and inexperienced. Not malicious. And one of those is easier to alter with influence than the other."

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"Meaning you believe he is acting like a stubborn, foolish child." Pike gestured with the flat of his hand, "That we are supposed to accept as our captain, trust with our lives, while the Romulan sits on our metaphorical doorstep."

Spock, what do you think? Pike questioned through the bond. He could understand Jim's interpretation, even if he would not let on that he did.

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Jim paused. This was sliding into mutiny, which was not his intent.

"I do," he agreed. "But I believe it expedient to accept him as the captain of this ship and maintain my relationship with him, and the captain, in the hopes that my opinions and experience may be taken into account."

Kirk. Kirk did not agree with him. Christopher likely would agree with Kirk about blowing that ship from the sky. And Jim could hardly blame either of them. Even if he disagreed.

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Stubborn, foolish child - that seems accurate. But I believe James T. Kirk's assertion that there was also much to be lost. If his Spock is sharing something of his own Vulcan with the child-Spock who has none, that is significant.

Spock would not accept anyone as his captain but Christopher - and they would be returning home.

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Can you explain what you both mean by that? Sharing something of his own Vulcan? Pike tilted his head towards Jim, but was listening closely to his bond mate.

"Tell me something, Jim." Pike steepled his hands in front of his face, focusing on Jim with his eyes. "In this universe, if a Captain is found incompetant, don't they do something about it?"

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the cultural bonds of Vulan, shared between all its people. I do not have them. But the child-Spock would have had them torn from his mind when his planet was destroyed. It may well be possible that the elder has... shared his own sky between them somehow. If this is true, the younger is dependent on him to, in some degree, stave off the madness of isolation.

Spock studied his tea then looked at James T. Kirk from under his lashes. This man's Spock might be more accomplished than realized.

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Jim's eyebrows rose.

"Of course," he said. "Starfleet Command can relieve them, if they have questions about reports that have come to them. On board, the CMO has considerable power if he believes the captain is unfit for duty. There are also regulations allowing other command officers to take over, if the captain's decisions are demonstrably faulty, via a competency hearing."

He paused.

"That more or less requires the Captain and First Officer to be capable of objective analysis of the situation."

It was not Jim's considered opinion that they were, regardless of his opinion about their fitness for command.

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Spock finally spoke.

"If they are not? What then, James T. Kirk?"

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"Ultimately, Spock, it's up to Starfleet Command. There are checks and balances. The captain and other command crew send regular reports. It's up to Starfleet to determine whether they're operating to the level expected of them. If they don't, it must be reasoned either that they approve of command decisions or that there is some other corruption up the line. If no reports are sent, obviously that's a red flag as well."

He shrugged. Obviously, when worst came to worst, one did whatever one had to to save the ship, the crew. They weren't there yet.

"Either way, you and I have no official position whatsoever. This isn't our world. Or our Starfleet. And this crew has done nothing, yet, that I would consider actionable. I worry about Kirk and Spock's states of mind. That's all I'm willing to admit, at this time."

When McCoy and Spock had thought him too close to the vampire cloud issue, they'd confronted him, per regulation. He had resented it at the time, confident in the rightness of his actions. But it had been the right thing to do. Had this Bones logged any medical reports about Kirk's mental state, he wondered?

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The 'yet' that Jim inserted into his sentence was very interesting. Did the other captain assume it would come to that at some point? Pike certainly did, after witnessing just how they reacted during a crisis situation. They are like a bunch of children playing with their toys.

"If you're concerned about their state of mind, wouldn't it be less of you to keep those opinions to yourself and not be heard by those who can test?" Pike raised a brow in Jim's direction. "If even outsiders can see that there might be something wrong, it means there is most likely a seed of it."

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You have said it before - children playing at Starfleet. Do you want to show them how to play as adults? Is that your goal?

Spock will do as Christopher plans but... he does not dislike them all. It would be a shame to, for example, be at odds with this James T. Kirk.

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