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the-redhead-in-a-dress · 3 months

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So apparently making PikeUna lists is kind of my thing now...

Missing PikeUna or Pike & Una scenes I really wanted to see in SNW:

(Some of which I think have been really well covered in fanfics already)

Talking about La'an! Pike and Una are close, but she'd never mentioned La'an before she boarded the Enterprise, there's no way Pike doesn't beg Una for all of the gossip, or at least tips on how to approach and befriend this new Security Officer.

Honest conversation about Pike leaving Enterprise & Una following Discovery. After having spent much of that career together, that potentially could have been hurtful, especially as Chris didn't want to ever come back, and contemplated not doing so even when hearing she was missing. And even if it didn't hurt her, I think they need to talk about Pike's head space now he's back (even leaving the whole Boreth and the future thing aside). Make this either take place in sickbay (Una's leg was broken!) or after she's released, but I think having it in sickbay and MBenga being vaguely around, getting to see the two of them and their friendship for the first time would be good.

Talking about Una's revelation that she's Illyrian - We got a cute scene where Pike vehemently rejects her resignation and that heartbreaking moment at the end when Una questions whether Pike would have acted differently if she hadn't saved the ship. YET they don't talk about it!!!!!! That's a big deal, a massive secret that she's hid from him from decades. Chris must have so many questions, his head must he swirling. Una is anxious Chris only likes her still because she saved people. There are some big feelings that need sorting out, I can see them both being anxious about bringing it up, but there should have been a scene where they finally talk about it at some point in season 1. Maybe whilst doing the washing up one night it just comes flooding out.

Pike going to see Una after she almost died and had to be stitched up - A mix of fear that she almost died & anger that she could be so stupid & not seek medical attention earlier. I'd have liked to have this scene either take place in sickbay, or Una coming to the Captain's quarters (without approval to leave sickbay) still hurt but knowing that Pike needs somebody given that members of their crew died. A scene, to show their vulnerability with one another and that they have each other's backs.

Una and Pike trading stories after Spock Amok - Preferably a late night drinking scene, or she swings by for a late night snack in his kitchen. They're both in pajamas eating Brie and drinking wine, leaning against the counter. Pike bumping her arm that got shot with the phaser and Una wincing. She ends up revealing that she and La'an participated in Enterprise Bingo. Pike says he's proud of her and La'an for having some fun.

A fun scene between Neera, Una and Pike just after the trial- Something lighthearted to juxtapose the tension of the courtroom. Neera raises an eyerbow at Una 'seriously this guy?!! Have you seen his hair?!" Pike blushes, Una rolls her eyes. Pike is sheepish when he realises that after forcing Neera to travel across the galaxy to defend Una that he doesn't have anyway to return her to Illyria (it's not like the admirals are gonna let The Enterprise take a detour to that Non Federation colony right now). Neera commenting that unlike Una, his dimples don't work on her when he tries to apologize. Neera shakes her head and says she's already got a lift.

Una's return after the trial, Pike recounting all that she missed - Explaining all the stuff he did (abandon Enterprise against Star Fleet's orders, commandeer a spacecraft, go to Illyria, almost asphyxiate, find Una's old friend and the best civil rights lawyer and haul her ass to Earth...all to save his friend and keep Una in Star Fleet. Una yelling at him that he's so stupid to have risked his entire career, everything he'd ever worked for, for just her. Chris telling her quite frankly he can't do this without her, that he wasn't just going to abandon a friend he's had for decades. If they hadn't talked about her being Illyrian already this scene would be even more important. ALL the feelings need to come out here. It's raw, it's vulnerable, they're both crying, there's another hug.

Pike explaining the Illyrians' origin secrets that Spock and he found out (see The Illyrian Enigma comic) - I know he promised the Illyrians he wouldn't reveal it, but I figure Una is fair game, it is her heritage after all. Now that Pike has interacted with more Illyrians, and now know's a major historical secret, this would be an opportunity for Una to share some of her more personal experiences as an Illyrian (maybe). Now that she doesn't have to hide. Una is shocked that Pike reveals there may be other Illyrians in Star Fleet, he asks her what she wants to do. Una tells him she just wants to go back and do her job...but there's tension as she's torn between being selfish (focusing on protecting herself and her career) and helping others out there.

Debrief after Subspace Rhapsody - There's no way Una does not tease Chris mercilessly for lying to his girlfriend and being outed about it in song IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE bridge. On a serious note, I think Chris would also want to talk about Una's song 'Keeping Secrets' and what that meant. I think he'd be hurt by the lyrics of her song, that she always felt alone when he was right by her side through their careers. They'd have to have a tough conversation about the fact that Una had to hide, and she felt she had to to protect him, but also the joy now that she doesn't have to anymore. Something to talk about how things have changed now, and that she's figuring who she is now she doesn't have to hide.

Drinks after Boimler and Mariner go back to the future - Oh what a day. Like I know the episode ends with all the Enterprise crew drinking in Pike's quarters. But like, it would be cute to have a scene with Una giving Pike a birthday present and them talking about how they're actually feeling given events of the day. Like Una has to work through feelings that she's suddenly a Star Fleet pinup in the future even though right now a lot of people in the Fleet hate her. She'll joke about them being ahead of the times in celebrating a holiday (his birthday) 200 years before its cool and Chris would look sad. They'll talk about his future, but also what he wants his legacy to be.

I have more but this is already super super long....

#star trek strange new worlds #star trek snw #st snw #PikeUna #Missing Moments #chris pike/number one #una chin riley #christopher Pike #pikeone

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meddow · 25 days

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To celebrate International Asexuality Day I’m going go give reasons why Una Chin-Riley/Number One is a glorious Ace icon.

Opening episode character introductions: Pike is making breakfast in bed for Marie, Spock is desperately hoping T’Pring will propose, Una has…found two random scientists, taken a ship out with like zero crew for like some random space thing, decided to do a quickie first contact on the side, and managed to wind up in an alien prison attempting to escape with a spoon. Getting bored while your friends are moping about their relationships/oncoming cruel fate and winding up on a crazy adventure, that is some iconic Ace behaviour right there.

She’s spent most of her life pretending to be human, which means trying to hide the fact she’s got super strength and her body puts on a lightshow whenever exposed to pathogens – so the classic Ace cliché of being more interested in cake than an partnered physical activity in which there is much sharing of body fluids is probably a superpower for her.

Una has a queer-coded storyline: It turns out she has been hiding who she is, has a whole episode in which she has to come out multiple times and deal with an array of reactions, is immediately arrested and put on trial by the quasi-military organisation she works for as soon they find out, and then is much happier when finally being able to be herself in the workplace and even sings a whole song about keeping secrets. Saying that, did you know that according to Stonewall’s Ace in the UK report 2023 that people of asexual orientation are significantly less likely to be out to family, neighbours and work colleagues than other sexual orientations for fear of a negative reaction. I’m certain Una being terrified of revealing she’s Illyrian and ultimately choosing to reveal herself cos she’s tired of living a lie likely resonates with many, many different people and groups. But just noting that the fear of coming out is also very central to many people’s experience of being Ace.

Una/Neera can very much be read as that friendship which got messed up because it became a sexual relationship but the Ace person within it hadn’t figured out they were asexual yet – but then everything felt wrong and they couldn’t figure out why so reacted badly and the entire relationship went to shit, and it still hurts decades later.

Una knows how to invest in a friendship: and it’s making sure you win Enterprise Bingo together in the most spectacular/death risking fashion and also turning the gravity off during your life advice number in the musical episode so it is even more of A Moment.

Look, given there is so little Ace rep out there in media, I just think that having someone played by the ridiculously attractive Rebecca Romijn who has enough chemistry with other characters to be one half the fandom’s most popular het ship and one half of the fandom’s most popular femslash ship be Ace would be neat.

In conclusion:

(Inevitable disclaimer because it’s fandom: I’m not saying anyone is wrong about their view of Una and as a person who ships many Una ships, I love all her allo interpretations as well)

#star trek strange new worlds #una chin riley

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fanfic-phoenix · 2 months

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We Dare

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 1202

Read on AO3

Jim entered his room silently and found Spock, not asleep, but lying quietly in his bed in an approximation of rest. He felt Spock’s dark eyes following him as he kicked off his boots, pulled off his clothes, and crawled beneath the covers without showering. He lay on his side, facing Spock, and said, “Long day.”

***

Stiles' fear raised its head on the bridge. Spock voices his own fears to Jim.

Weakness is something we dare not show.

-Spock, Balance of Terror

Jim’s head pounded in time with his pulse - the inevitable consequence, of course, of clenching his jaw for so damn long. Add to that his throat, which ached, and his back, which was ominously stiff, and he was more than ready to be done with today. Yet he did not - could not - leave his chair. He would not leave until the shift was concluded; to do otherwise was to risk damaging morale. His crew needed to see him well, to see him confident and smiling, so see him they would.

The rest of Alpha crew, however, had already been signed off-duty. Jim had insisted upon it. It had been a too long, too stressful, too violent shift. They needed rest. Spock had shot him look at that, as he’d called through from Sickbay to announce it, but refrained from calling attention to his hypocrisy in front of the crew. Jim was grateful for it.

Spock. The desire to see him was almost overwhelming. The Vulcan had been discharged already - that constitution of his was good for something - and sent a message indicating that he had retired. To Jim’s quarters.

For the record, after a day like this, Jim was not looking for any… Vulcan biology. Nevertheless, the idea of returning to his quarters and finding Spock already there was pleasing. His younger self had never been one to dream about coming home to his lover - Jim’s dreams had been made of stardust and adrenaline even there - but now he could have that, he never wanted to let it go.

He shifted awkwardly in his chair, then stretched his arms over his head until he heard things start to pop. Jim loved the centre chair, of course he did, but it played hell with his spine. What he needed was a pillow - but he couldn’t have one of those on the bridge. Mortal frailty was, naturally, expected of Starfleet’s captains, but it was not acknowledged. It was not welcomed.

That was why, as he stood to leave, he made no mention of the terror they’d all lived through, of the pain that racked his overtired body, or the fact he was more than ready to slip into Spock’s arms, and not convinced he’d ever be prepared to leave.

“Days onboard the Enterprise are standardised.” Spock’s voice was low, slightly rough, but Jim could still hear the joke creeping in at the edge. “However, if you mean to say that today was challenging, I cannot disagree.”

“Challenging?” Jim reached out - slow enough that Spock could easily stop him - and traced the line of Spock’s cheek and jaw with his knuckle. He relished the slight prick of stubble. It’d be entirely removed come morning; Jim was the only man allowed to witness it. “Your talent for understatement… cannot be overstated.”

Spock did not smile, but there was a slight warmth in his eyes, and he leaned into Jim’s touch.

“Are you ready to sleep?”

“I am unsure,” said Spock. “Nevertheless, I wish to stay.”

“Then stay.”

Before Spock, Jim had never considered himself… cuddly. He’d indulge his partners, sure, if that was what they wanted, but it was never for his own sake. And, truthfully, he still didn’t consider himself cuddly. He simply acknowledged that his optimal sleeping position was on his side with Spock tucked close, typically with his forehead pressed to Jim’s shoulder blade as he burrowed a little deeper into the covers. Sometimes he’d wake and find that, at some point in the night, Spock had draped himself over Jim like a blanket, seeking his presence in his sleep.

And it was, apparently, Spock’s optimal position too. Close to him, but not trapped. Able to leave if necessary - although, so far, he had not.

He was surprised, then, when Spock presented his back and quietly, shyly, asked if they might change places tonight. If Jim would hold him, instead.

There was never any question of Jim saying no, of course, but he felt concern start to burn his stomach. He arranged himself as directed, slinging an arm over the lean waist, hooking his chin over one broad shoulder, and asked, “Spock?”

It seemed for a while that Spock wouldn’t answer. The silence stretched on, broken only by their breathing. And then Spock…

Sighed.

“I was not offended by Lieutenant Stiles’ distrust,” he said. His voice was little more than a rumble in his chest; Jim had to strain his ears to hear. “I was… Dismayed.”

Jim let no sound, no emotion, slip past his guard. To interrupt now would be fatal. Spock would not speak of this again.

“My entire adult life, I have served Starfleet. I have been stationed on the Enterprise for twelve years. If my loyalty is not yet proven…”

It was testament to his upset that there were no decimals, never mind that he’d allowed the sentence to fade away. Jim could fill the gaps. If Spock had not proven himself by this point, he never would. Or - perhaps worse - if the sight of the Romulans, the assumption of shared ancestry, could undo over a decade of hard work, what did it say about Spock? About Stiles? About Humanity?

“You have proven yourself a hundred times,” Jim said fiercely, rather than give voice to the fears that floated freely between them. “A thousand times. Stiles is one man. The rest of the crew… They trust you, Spock. More than that, they admire you. Respect you. Like you.” He couldn’t see it, but he could sense Spock’s raised eyebrow, and he huffed a laugh. “Believe it or not, they do. And a being is not obligated to like their commanding officer.”

“I am aware of your tumultuous relationship with Starfleet Command,” Spock said, but there was a smile in his voice. Just barely.

“I know I can’t make this better,” Jim said, though it rankled to admit to any kind of helplessness. “I know Stiles acted disgracefully, and I know there’s going to be more and worse on Earth when this gets out.” And it would get out, because these things always did, and if a crewman of the Enterprise, subject to a great many screenings and tests, could fall prey to xenophobia, it heralded a poor reaction from the general reaction, a blow to trust settled centuries before. They both knew this. “But the Entreprise is your home. I won’t let anyone disrespect you here.”

Spock was very quiet, very still. Anyone else, Jim might have suspected him of falling asleep. Jim knew that he hadn’t.

“And… you know my trust in you is absolute. It has never been in question. It never will be in question.”

A thin tremble ran through Spock’s shoulders. He murmured something in Vulcan, something Jim couldn’t translate, but Jim knew what he meant, even so.

#phoenix_rose #star trek: the original series #jim kirk #spock #post-episode s1 ep14: Balance of Terror #spirk #jim kirk/spock #established relationship

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raddocwrites · 6 months

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Do you even lift, Bro Una?

Una carrying members of the crew, becasue thats a thing now.

Una looked at captain pike with her eyebrow raised. “Captain, what did the ambassador just say?”

The captain had the decency to look chagrined. He cleared his throat. “Well…ambassador Talia said that as enterprises matriarch, it is ceremonial to carry me…um…your husband around the Mother Tree to demonstrate your strength, determination and selflessness. Thus concluded, we can begin negotiations for them to join Starfleet.

Una just stared at him unamused for a moment longer, making the captain squirm slightly under her piercing gaze. Then she turned to ambassador talia with a smile and gave a small bow. “Of course, ambassador.”

With that, she quickly scooped the captain up bridal style, held him easily in her arms and began to circle the giant tree while the rest of the Triani delegation followed, all holding hands.

“Chris,” una said somewhat exacerbated. “How does this keep happening?”

“What?” the captain asked with faux innocence. He draped his arms loosely around his number ones neck and beamed. He looked entirely too comfortable being carried like this.

Una rolled her eyes. “You know exactly what I mean.”

The captain just smiled up at her and kicked his feet a little bit. “What? I cant help it if everyone thinks we are married.”

Una scoffed. “Of course, you can. You really need to stop letting this happen.” She looked down at him with an eyebrow arched. “Remember the lecture la’an gave you after the mix up on Tsalia IV where they thought you and the entire away team were married?”

The captain grimaced. “Oof. Yeah, that was bad,” he agreed. La’ans lecture on potential security risks due to the captains egregious and overly effusive affection for the crew which led to a gross misunderstanding and required them to enact several DAYS worth of a fake married situation, still made him shudder.

“Yes,” una agreed. “And on Zelon III where they thought you and spock were married?” The captain tilted his head acknowledging unas words.

“Or Yshlyn prime, Pheora X and Lusitianan one where they ALL thought WE were married.”

“There is that,” the captain agreed lightly.

“Or my favorite, Cathlos II where we had to watch you and ortegas try not to bicker us all to death because they thought you were married.”

The captain groaned at the memory. He gave out a low chuckle. “That was…memorable.” He agreed. Then he snuggled further into una as she held him tightly. “I think my favorite was Moop’sey Mons where you and I were married and somehow la’an and spock were our kids.” The captain grinned.

Una snorted then rolled her eyes. But she didn’t argue. Because…it had felt right calling la’an her family. And it had been adorable watching la’an and spock squabble like true siblings.

“My point is,” una said severely. “This needs to stop happening.”

The captain just shrugged. “I will do my best,” he promised as una finished the walk around the tree and gently set him back down. She smiled softly as she steadied him a moment. She knew he would try. But she also knew chris. This would keep happening.

#star trek strange new worlds #una chin riley #number one #captain pike #CrewOfTheEnterprise #Una is insanely strong #Theres benefits to being Illyrian

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mysticalstuff · 1 month

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Bond by Logic-

Author’s note: Please note that this is a work of fiction, and the portrayal of “Spock”, may not align with the character as depicted in official Star Trek canon.

Summary: Y/N is a talented crew member aboard the USS Enterprise and her exceptional skills catch the attention of none other than Spock, the Vulcan science officer with a logical mind. However, unbeknownst to Y/N, Spock is about to venture into his darker side, where obsession consumes him and his logic becomes clouded by possessiveness.

In the Beginning,

It was a typical day on the USS Enterprise, and Y/N was going about her duties diligently as always. She had noticed Spock observing her quietly during their shared shifts, but she dismissed it as a professional interest at first. Little did she know that something deeper lurked beneath his calm exterior.

One day, Y/N finds herself alone in a secluded part of the ship, working on a critical mission. Suddenly, Spock appears out of nowhere, startling her. His eyes, usually so controlled, now hold a hint of possessiveness. He confesses his feelings for her, admitting that he cannot bear the thought of anyone else having her attention.

Y/N, taken aback, tried to reason with Spock, but his obsession has already taken hold. He insists that they belong together and that he will go to any lengths to keep her by his side. As their dangerous bond grew, Y/N tries to distance herself from Spock, seeking solace in the company of her friends. However, Spock's possessiveness escalates, and he becomes increasingly jealous of anyone who gets close to her. His logical mind battles with his emotions and slowly gives in to his dark desires.

Spock, who was reaching his breaking point, In a fit of rage and jealousy, Spock took drastic measures to eliminate anyone he perceives as a threat to his exclusive bond with Y/N. His actions become more violent, putting the entire crew's safety at risk. Meanwhile, Y/N realizes that she is trapped in a dangerous situation and must find a way to escape Spock's grip.

Y/N tried to break free from the unhealthy relationship, Y/N's resourcefulness and strength of character become her allies as she devises a plan to free herself from Spock's obsessive clutches. She seeks help from their loyal friends aboard the Enterprise, who join forces to neutralize Spock's dangerous behavior. Now, will that answer Y/N’s problems?

{ Sorry I have not posted in 2 months💀 }

#fanfic #yandere #yandere fanfics #sfw agere #star trek #spock #spock x reader

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whovianwatchingstartrek · 4 months

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A Whovian Watches Star Trek for the First Time: Part 116 - Tilly in the Network

Star Trek: Discovery - Season 2 Episode 5 - Saints of Imperfection

This episode picks up exactly where engineering left off, with May pulling Sylvia Tilly into the Spore Network, and Michael is kinda doing this thing of burying herself into her work to distract from her sadness about the situation. It's very Vulcan of her, and I can't wait to see how it tears her up.

Meanwhile, Discovery has come across Spock's shuttle, however Spock isn't responding, and Discovery are left with no choice but to open fire before the shuttle can enter a nebula through which Discovery can't follow. They successfully immobilise the SHuttle, and bring it aboard, but to everyone's surprise, Spock isn't on Board: Georgiou is.

Now, last season I didn't like a lot of what they did with Georgiou after leaving her universe, they were a few interesting moments towards the end, but I didn't like that she her comeuppance so bringing her into the main universe in the end kinda felt unjustified. I'm still holding out for some villainous downfall this season, and here specifically, putting her right next to Pike who has built up as very much archetype of the paragon Starfleet Captain, when she is very much the prime example of what I imagine most Terran Captains are like (Granted, my sample size is very limited for them), should be a really interesting point of contrast.

Also the music that plays when she enters, is just perfect. I don't feel like I highlight soundtracks enough on these, but I love Evil Georgiou's theme.

Georgiou is still pretending to be our Universe's Georgiou, but Pike apparently has history with her. Georgiou's current mission for Section 31 is to hunt down Spock. Unfortunately Section 31 ties Pike's hands, and Georgiou is allowed to go free.

Last time Section 31 showed up, a few episodes ago, a couple of you pointed out to me they're they shadowy Group Enterprise too, I don't they were given a name back there, but if this is the same group, they seem be at least slightly more publicly known by know, both Michael and Pike recognise the Section 31 Badge that Georgiou has, whereas in Enterprise they seemed to exist entirely outside of Starfleet's knowledge minus a few people. I kinda wanna know what caused that shift.

The Engineering team manage to confirm that Tilly isn't and indeed is in the Spore Network. Sylvia is rightfully pissed at May for bringing her here, however she is willing to listen to her out. Unfortunately she wants her to kill some sort of creature that entered the Spore Network when Discovery started making it's jumps, and is currently destroying the world of the Network.

Meanwhile on Discovery, as Georgiou leaves, Section 31 drops off an official Liaison, in the form of Ash Tyler. Pike confronts Michael about how different Georgiou is acting from how he remembers her, and that conversation gets put off, Michael and Ash have a small catch up, but nothing really happens immediately and Ash leaves to report to the Bridge.

Paul's plan to rescue Tilly is to jump Discovery into the network, essentially use the ship as a gateway between the real world world and mushroom world. There are a few risks involved, it's been previously established that the mycelium in the network eat normal matter, so the crew would only have an hour to find and extract Sylvia, and there is a risk crew members could just end up like the crew of the Glen if they're in the wrong place when the jump happens.

Pike approves of the Plan, and he gives a really good No Man Left Behind speech, and everyone gets ready to go, and the side of the ship sinks into the network, and Paul and Michael get to searching. Sylvia and May board the Discovery too, although she takes a path to the Armoury to deal with the creature, although they quickly meet up, and Tilly explains the situation

I love that the Monster remains completely unseen until just now, when we find out he is Hugh Culbur, somehow corrupted by the something. Which obviously leaves Paul in a state of conflict. He thought he lost his partner, and he's been grieving really hard since midway through last season, and now he has a chance to save him, but May is still desperate to get Sylvia and by extension the others to kill him. Honestly I was expecting the monster somehow be related to the Tartigrade, so the idea that he's Hugh was a shock, and a twist that I love, even if it's undoing the most impactful death of Season 1.

Meanwhile on the bridge, things are going bad, the Mycelium are still eating away at the Hull, and the Bridge is Starting to fall into the Network, meaning the bridge crew have less space to work. Tyler however calls in some assistance from Section 31, with hidden communicator. A section 31 ship, apparently capable of disguising itself as an asteroid appears out of nowhere, and starts physically towing Discovery out of the Network's space

This little sequence with Section 31 is beautiful, it really showcases how much further ahead they are than everyone else tech-wise.

Meanwhile, Paul trying to convince Hugh that he's real is heartbreaking, he pulls through, and Tilly convinces May to stand down. They rush back to the cube and... Heartbreakingly Hugh is unable to crossover. This scene breaks my heart. Paul had so so much hope, and it just got ripped away from him, and AAAA! I am crying. Fortunately, Sylvia manages to think of a plan to use the Cocoon that dragged her in to create a new body for Hugh on the other side. With that, Paul completes the jump out of the Network, and everything is calm. The team spend time watching the cocoon, waiting, until May fufills her side of the promise, and Hugh is saved.

After this Mission, Pike and the Section 31 leader, Leland have a conversation with the Admiral. Who, one forces them to put their differences aside and work together, and two gives us new information about the Signals. The sites with the Signals have something called Tachyon Radiation, which I'm assuming is the Star Trek equivalent of Artron energy because Leland immediately connects it's presence to Time Travel, although Pike also says could indicate a number of other things, namely Cloaking Devices and Transporters. A Mystery to think about, I can think multiple ways all three of these could be involved with whatever the Red Angels are, Spock is still the best lead.

This episode was a fun conclusion to the May and Tilly Arc, I had fun with it, the rescue mission itself was great, and seeing Section 31 in Action. I still have enough to go on to narrow down my theory on the Red Angels are, and the end of this one kinda widened up the possibilities to it could be anything now. This episode was fun!

#whovian watching star trek #star trek #star trek Discovery #Star Trek DIS #Star Trek DISCO #ST DIS #ST DISCO #DIS #st: disco #DISCO #st: discovery #Discovery #ST: DIS

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electronickingdomfox · 4 months

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"The Klingon Gambit" review

Novel from 1981, by Robert E. Vardeman. I don't have much to say about this one, neither praise nor a rant. Perhaps there's no worse fate than indifference? This novel is a return to the more episodic format of the old Bantam novels. Basically a rehash of "The Naked Time", with a bit of "This Side of Paradise" (as far as Spock is concerned), and Klingons in the middle. I don't think the plot has enough substance for a novel-length story, so a lot of times I had the impression of reading the same thing over and over, as if the author had to fill pages but didn't really have anything new to say.

Anyway, the writing's fine, and lets Kirk shine as a clever diplomat, always with an ace up his sleeve to avoid a confrontation. While the rest of the crew is infected by some virus of silly, Kirk seems to be the only one that keeps his cool (some scientist should study this man one day; he seems to be immune and special in every single way...). It's hard to judge the rest of the characters, since they're purposefully acting weird through most of the novel. Spock swinging between totally emotional and totally Vulcan was well-done, without being over the top. Though McCoy seems to me a bit too disrespectful and insulting (and I'm not entirely sure this is due to the strange influence affecting the ship). I'm also not sure about his reluctance to save an injured Klingon's life, on the basis of him being the enemy. The way I see it, McCoy is first a doctor, then a Starfleet officer. There's also a return of that weird idea from earlier novels, that Vulcans are completely unable to feel any love or sexual urge outside pon farr. I don't know why this notion was so widespread, when a full Vulcan like Sarek was seen in the series having a loving relationship with his human wife, while Stonn and T'Pring had an affair outside marriage.

As for the plot, it's very simple, so I'm just going to gloss over it without spoilers. The Enterprise finds a Vulcan science ship adrift, and everyone's dead aboard, without any discernible reason. The ship was part of an archaeological expedition on the nearby planet of Alnath II, led by a famous Andorian scientist. As there's also a Klingon ship orbiting the planet, the Klingon become the main suspects for the Vulcans' deaths. However, the lead scientist insists that the Klingons have only been a nuisance, as far as their activities disrupt his investigations of the ruins. Kirk doesn't have any proof that the Klingons are guilty (and they also have some rights over this planet in particular, since it doesn't belong to the Federation). So he enters into a tense situation with the Klingon captain, where none dare to attack the other, and break the Organian peace treaty. Things get worse when the crew of the Enterprise start acting irresponsibly, and almost mutinous. Everyone seems to just do whatever they want, disregarding their duties. Scotty becomes obsessed with improving the engines, and starts dismantling half the ship for spare parts. Chekov becomes too trigger-happy and anxious for battle. Uhura daydreams about M'Benga. Spock swings between his human and Vulcan sides, and is at times overrun by feelings of love for his female assistant. McCoy becomes paranoid about machines and technology, so he switches to primitive medical treatments... You get the idea. The answers, of course, lay in the planet below and its mysterious pyramid. Kirk has a showdown with the Klingons as well. The resolution is nothing special really, though there's a little surprise about the origin of the alien, deserted city.

Spirk Meter: 2/10*. Kirk seems more aware about Spock's mood swings than anyone else. And he's a bit distressed about Spock possibly reciprocating his assistant's feelings. There's also a scene where Spock loses his shit on the bridge and starts crying, so Kirk bitch-slaps him, to make him come to his senses, even at the risk of suffering the Vulcan's violence himself. And Spock catches his wrist and all that (it's very similar to the scene in "This Side of Paradise").

For his part, McCoy wants to go live in a farm with Jim. And he's awfully interested in Spock staying more human, and you know, loving and horny all the time. As you will, Doctor...

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

#star trek tos #star trek novels #novel review #spirk #k/s

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anewstartrekfan · 1 year

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Rambles about the Conscience of the King cuz it gave me brainrot last night

You know after reading some stuff, while I my angst loving self is bummed the whole “Kirk witnessed/survived a genocide,” won’t get brought up again, I’m kinda glad. It’s rare for protagonists to have something that traumatic happen to them while also having it not get brought up all the time. And I did like the way we see Kirk’s past influence him in the episode. Like he cared for the Doctor and believed an outlandish claim like “I have invented a new synthetic food source,” at the start but when the truth is revealed Kirk denies it. He wants this part of his life to stay buried and he uses the ship as cover. “How am I going to be able to explain this in my report?” Only after looking into it a bit did he realize a criminal might actually be on the loose and decided to investigate. His flirting with Kodo’s daughter appeared to be more playful, even genuine. Like he actually thinks she’s pretty but also wants information. But then the doctor was murdered.

And this snaps something in Kirk, tho he will try to not show it and nearly the entire enterprise crew doesn’t pick up on it. But after this, Kirk throws the Enterprise off course and his advances on Kodos’ daughter seems more of an act. She even basically calls Jim out for fishing during one of their “romantic,” walks around the ship. He gave her a tour to try to get her to trust him but this tour gave her the run of the ship, which let her track down and nearly murder the only other still living survivor, Riley, after Kirk moved him to engineering for safety.

I made a separate Sorta joke post as I was watching the story about Jim’s weirdass smile here but it’s true.

Jim is not in a good headspace here. He’s recklessly making decisions under the guise of seeking justice but leaving everyone he cares about out of the loop b/c it’s his personal business and he doesn’t want them to get hurt and he is attempting to bury his emotions to focus on this mission.

Aka basically what Spock just did in the Menagerie.

And so of course, Spock notices this instantly. And unlike Kirk, who was in denial about Spock’s lie until it was irrefutable, Spock follows logic, figures out what’s going on, and confronts Jim with Bones to make him see reason. That he’s needlessly risking his life here. And I think this is what ultimately snaps Kirk back to reality. Cuz after this he’s way less reckless. (The phaser nearly killing everyone on his deck also helped but still)

Kirk still confronted Kodos, even had the execution order he apparently memorized (god that is a whole other can of worms), but importantly, he’s almost sympathetic here. Like he sees a broken man and doesn’t want to take that away from him. He’s piecing together that Kodos isn’t the one killing the survivors.

And I like that Kirk stops Riley from killing Kodos but then still attempts to arrest Kodos before it all goes to shit. Kirk wants justice, not vengeance.

Best episode so far. I know these episodes were filmed out of order but whoever made the call to have this air after the Menagerie, thank you it works perfectly.

#star trek watch through #star trek tos #Star Trek conscience of the king #conscience of the king #tarsus iv #james t kirk #jim kirk #captain kirk

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anonymousewrites · 2 years

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Logos and Pathos (Book 1) Chapter Twenty

Chapter twenty: Content Paradise

Captain’s Log: We are on route to Omicron Ceti III, the sight of an Earth colony. It was recently discovered to be directly affect by Berthold Rays, a recently discovered particle which proves harmful after exposure. The Enterprise has been tasked with investigating the situation of the colony and assess their progress on turning the land to farming from before the Berthold Rays took their toll.

“Approaching Omicron Ceti III, sir,” said Sulu.

“Standard orbit, Mr. Sulu,” ordered Kirk.

“Captain, I’ve been transmitting a contact signal every five minutes as ordered, sir,” said Uhura. “All I get is dead air. Shall I continue?”

“Maintain transmission pattern until we’ve established orbit,” said Kirk.

“Aye, aye, sir,” said Uhura.

Kirk sighed and leaned against the wall by his senior officers. “There were a hundred fifty men, women, and children in that colony. What are the chances of survivors, Mr. Spock?”

“Absolutely none, Captain,” reported Spock. “Berthold Rays are such a recent discovery that we do not yet have full knowledge of their nature. It is known, however, that living animal tissue disintegrates under exposure. Sandoval’s group could not have survived after three years.”

“Well, that’s just lovely,” said (Y/N), sighing. “Those poor people built a future in a place they might not survive.”

“They were aware of the risk and persevered,” said Spock.

“And what about us? Can we afford to send people down to the planet surface?” asked Kirk.

“The breakdown of tissue does not develop immediately,” said Spock, nodding. “We can risk a limited exposure.”

“We’ve established orbit, sir,” said Sulu. “And I’ve pinpointed a settlement.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sulu,” said Kirk. “Mr. Spock, equip a landing party of five to accompany me to the planet surface.” He glanced at (Y/N). “I know it is not helpful to have no one to communicate with, but I believe your understanding of human adaptation and cultural growth may prove useful in regards to how the colony fared outside of the Berthold Rays.”

(Y/N) nodded. “Happy to help however I can, Captain.”

Kirk smiled. “Good. Spock, make sure Bones and a biologist are part of the group. Then we can get a full layout of the conditions surrounding the colony before the Berthold Rays damaged them. Starfleet expects a full report.”

Fifteen minutes later, the group was on Omicron Ceti III. Farmhouses lined with trees and green grass surrounded them, and a light breeze blew. It was abnormally picturesque compared to the truth that the entire colony had died due to harmful Berthold Rays.

Kirk led them through the small colony village in search of the inevitable bodies they would fine, but they were met with just unnatural silence and emptiness. There was no one and nothing around, dead or alive.

“Another dream that failed,” sighed Kirk, gazing around at the pristine homes around them. “There’s nothing sadder. It took these people a year to make the trip from Earth. They came all that way…and died.”

“Hardly that, sir,” said a cheery voice. The group turned to find three definitely alive men dressed in green work clothes smiling at them. “Welcome to Omicron Ceti III. I am Elias Sandoval.”

“Well, Captain,” said (Y/N) in surprise. “It seems I have people to talk to.”

“It’s lovely to see you!” said Sandoval happily, coming forward and shaking Kirk’s hand. “We haven’t seen anyone outside our own group for four years since we left Earth. We’ve been expecting someone for some time. Our subspace radio didn’t work properly, and I’m afraid we didn’t have anyone here who could master its intricacies.”

“Actually, Mr. Sandoval, we didn’t come here because of your silent radio,” said Kirk.

Sandoval smiled jovially ((Y/N) was surprised by the amount of joy radiating from him and his group, but it was pleasant change from their usual missions filled with fear). “It makes little difference, Captain. You’re here, and we’re happy to see you. Come, let me show you our settlement.” He began walking off.

“On pure speculation—and this is just an educated guess—but I’d say that man is alive,” said Bones.

“Captain, this planet is being bombarded by Berthold Rays, as our reports indicated,” said Spock. “At this intensity, well be safe for a week as necessary.”

“These people shouldn’t be alive,” said (Y/N). They furrowed their brow. “And yet they are. It’s not even a robot or something, they give of emotions. Really happy ones, at that.”

“There is no question on the fact that the Berthold Rays are incontrovertibly deadly, but there is also no question that these men are alive,” said Spock. “However, with no known cures or treatments for Berthold Rays, it seems impossible.”

“Gentlemen, we’re debating in a vacuum. Let’s go get some answers,” said Kirk, following Sandoval. (Y/N) shrugged and started after him as well.

Sandoval escorted them through the village where people were finally appearing to begin farming the small gardens they had. He chatted happily with them, getting their names, shaking their hands, never once losing his content emotions. In fact, everyone seemed healthy and content as they worked. As they looked around questioningly, the group entered the house at the center of the colony after Sandoval.

“There are two other settlements, but we have forty-five colonists here,” he said.

“What was the reason for the split?” asked Kirk.

“Well, we felt that three groups would have a better chance for growth,” said Sandoval. “If disease were to strike one group, then the others would be less likely to be affected. You see, Omicron is an ideal agricultural planet. We determined not to suffer the fate of expeditions that went before us.”

“Elias,” called a young woman, entering the room.

She wore a purple shirt beneath green overalls. She had a soft smile on a pretty face framed by soft golden hair. She was beautiful not only in appearance, but also in the joyful, content emotions radiating from her like the warmth of the sun in a sweet field of flowers.

Surprise ran through her as she saw the group, clearly recognizing one among them. (Y/N) followed her line of sight and saw it was Spock she was looking at with shock as many emotions raced through her, including love.

(Y/N) felt a pang in their heart. Although they were good-looking, they were no fool and saw how beautiful the woman was. They could not help but wonder what Spock thought of her. Swallowing, they focused on the situation at hand. (Y/N)’s slight jealousy was likely unfounded since Spock had never showed romantic interest in anyone and valued logic. Love was not logical.

“Ah, Leila, come meet our guests,” said Sandoval. He smiled at the Enterprise landing party. “This is Leila Kalomi, our botanist.”

She’s even a scientist like him, whispered the more self-deprecating part of (Y/N)’s mind. You focus on emotions, what he does not.

Shut up, shouted (Y/N) at themself.

“Leila, this is Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Mx. (L/N), Mr. Spock,” introduced Sandoval.

Leila smiled gently, great affection looming within her. “Mr. Spock and I have met before. It’s been a long time.”

Spock did not respond, and (Y/N), Kirk, and Bones glanced at him to see if he would give any reaction. (Of course, he did not)

Kirk cleared his throat. “Uh, Mr. Sandoval, we do have a mission here. Examinations…tests…”

“By all means, make them,” said Sandoval genially. “I think you’ll find our settlement an interesting one. Our philosophy is a simple one: that men should return to the less-complicated life. We have few mechanical things here. No vehicles, no weapons. We have harmony here, complete peace.”

Kirk smiled. “We’ll try not to interfere with your work.”

Sandoval gestured to the colony around them. “Make yourself at home.”

Sulu and the other officers stepped outside while Kirk and Bones went into a back room to begin looking over the colonists, starting with one of Sandoval’s right hands. Leila looked at Spock, who did not move.

(Y/N) bit their lip before saying, “I think I’ll go out and assess the mental state of the colonists and then check on the state of the colony.”

Spock nodded to them. “Very well. I will join you.”

(Y/N) smiled, and a pale blush dusted their cheeks. They were pleased Spock decided to go with them instead of staying with Leila, even if it was just for work.

An hour later, Spock and (Y/N) stopped atop a hill overlooking the colony. Each person they had encountered had been content with their life and fit perfectly into their role in the colony. It was a peaceful paradise like Sandoval described. No one was maladjusted or unhappy with being so cut off from other people.

Spock and (Y/N) had also noticed a more insidious fact, however. There was no life. No animals or insects, though farm creatures had been sent with the colony to Omicron. Only plants grew on the plains and mountains around them.

“Spock to Kirk,” said Spock, flipping out his communicator.

“Kirk here,” he responded.

“Captain, there seems to be a total absence of life on Omicron with an except of the colonists themselves and various types of flora,” reported Spock. He nodded to (Y/N). “And none of the colonists seem concerned.”

“Yes, they seem content and well-adjusted, even though they were sent with animals that are now…gone,” said (Y/N).

“Any explanations?” asked Kirk.

“Not at the moment, sir,” said (Y/N).

“I’m conducting various tests with the tricorder, but the results are inconclusive,” said Spock.

“Very well, continued investigations,” said Kirk. “Kirk out.”

(Y/N) nodded to the nearby gardens. “Shall we check out those next? Perhaps there is something in the food.”

Spock nodded. “A fair theory.”

As Spock scanned the plants and (Y/n) watched the workers walk by with contentment flying from them, Leila entered the garden.

“It can all be explained,” said Leila, anticipating their questions.

“The life despite exposure to Berthold Rays and the lack of insects and animals?” asked (Y/N).

Leila smiled. “Yes.”

Spock stood. “Please do.”

“Later,” said Leila.

Spock sighed and looked at (Y/N). “I’ve never understood the female capacity to avoid a direct answer to any question.”

(Y/N) shrugged. “They’re a mystery to me too.”

“And I never understood you, Spock, until now,” said Leila, walking forward.

(Y/N) shifted uncomfortably and was thankful when their communicator beeped. They took it out, and Kirk’s voice rang out. “Lieutenant (L/N), please report back to the main house of the colony. We are going to discuss the situation with Sandoval, and I would like you to monitor his emotions as it happens.”

“Yes, sir,” said (Y/N) before shutting off the communicator. They glanced between Leila and Spock for a moment. “I, uh, have go to.”

Spock looked and them at nodded. “I will continue the tests, and Miss Kalomi will answer my questions.”

“In a little bit,” said Leila assuredly, smiling.

“That’s wonderful…” said (Y/N).

(Y/N) entered the house and nodded to Kirk, who began speaking. “Mr. Sandoval, within the hour I’ve received orders from Starfleet Command to evacuate all personnel from this colony. Naturally, you’ll inform your people to begin preparations. We will have accommodations for you aboard the Enterprise.”

“No,” said Sandoval. His voice was slightly defensive, but very little irritation come through his emotions. It honestly surprised (Y/N) how much contentment remained around him.

Kirk remained formal. “This is not an arbitrary decision on my part, sir. I have my orders.”

“Captain, it’s entirely unnecessary. We’re in no danger here.” Sandoval smiled his usual smile.

“We’ve explained the Berthold Rays to you and their effect,” said Bones in exasperation. “Can’t you understand—”

“Doctor, how can I make you understand?” asked Sandoval. “Your instruments have shown that we’re all in perfect health. Mx. (L/N) has reported we are all happy and well-adjusted. We’ve had no deaths here.”

“What about your animals?” questioned (Y/N) to gage his reaction to more invasive questions.

Like Leila, he remained calm and smiled. “We’re vegetarians.” No direct answer, just like her.

“That doesn’t answer their question, sir,” said Kirk, curtly. “Why did all your animals die?”

Sandoval remained unperturbed. “Captain, you stress unimportant matters.”

Kirk bit his cheek in frustration and exchanged glances with (Y/N) and Bones.

“We will not leave,” said Sandoval with finality.

Kirk jerked his head to the door, and he, Bones, and (Y/N) walked out. “Lieutenant, your assessment?”

(Y/N) shrugged. “He remained content throughout the inquisition. There was only slight annoyance. No offense to humans, but they usually get frustrated when pressed to answer questions or do something they don’t want to, and yet Sandoval had only brushes of irritation. He was just…happy.”

“Perfect health and perfectly happy,” muttered Bones. “A paradisiacal situation.”

“But highly unusual,” said (Y/N). “There’s no evidence of such things here, but the serenity and complacency with life here is like those of people on certain drugs.”

Bones nodded. “Yes, but as you pointed out, there is no access to such things here, and their medical scans show nothing, either.”

Kirk crossed his arms and frowned. “I have a bad feeling about the situation.”

(Y/N) nodded. “I agree, sir. While the happiness is a nice change from the fear we encounter on some missions, there is something strange going on here.”

“It’s not much farther,” said Leila as she led Spock to a flower patch.

“You’ve not yet explained the nature of this thing,” said Spock.

Leila smiled. “It’s basic properties and elements are not important. What is important is it gives life, peace, love.”

“What you’re describing was once known in the vernacular as a ‘happiness pill,’ ” said Spock, stopping next to her. “You, as a scientist, should know that’s not possible.”

Leila just smiled serenely and placed a guiding hand on his forearm. “Come.” She pulled him next to a tall pink and white flower. “I was one of the first to find them, the spores.”

Spock furrowed his brow. “Spores?” As he spoke, white pollen burst from within the flower and landed all over him. Spock held his head as something took ahold of him and he fought back. “No…” he muttered, trying to regain control of himself. His tricorder fell from his hands, and he fell to his knees. Spock shook his head. “No!”

Leila frowned slightly. “It shouldn’t hurt.”

“No, I can’t,” muttered Spock. “Please don’t.”

“Not like this it didn’t hurt us,” said Leila.

Spock shook his head. “I am not like you.” He squeezed his eyes shut as his discomfort increased.

And then he was calm. His body relaxed. He opened his eyes. Seeing the change, Leila smiled and crouched by his side in the field. She stroked his face with one hand, and Spock allowed it, but some part of him wondered why. That part was drowned out by perfect contentment.

“Now…Now you belong to all of us,” said Leila. “And we to you. There’s no need to hide your inner face any longer. We understand,” she cooed. “You can love freely here.” She loved him, and now Spock was free to love her.

“I am happy,” said Spock instead. “I can love.”

In her content mind, Leila took this as confirmation of his affection. But in Spock’s, it meant something very different.

It meant he wanted (Y/N) by his side feeling the way he did.

#logos and pathos #tos spock #ambassador spock #star trek spock #mister spock #spock #nb reader #gn reader #star trek the original series #star trek fanfic #star trek tos #star trek #st tos #tos #spock x reader #s'chn t'gai spock

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bardicious · 2 years

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You know, I’ve been thinking about this ever since I watched Star Trek SNW and reading Star Trek TOS fics. From how I gather, most people assumed that Captain Pike’s captain-ship was more professional, less friendly banter and more no none sense job to do.

Fair, considering what we have of the TOS pilot and what we would have undoubtedly gotten if Pike continued as TOS captain. Jim automatically showed signs of being a more lighthearted and friendly captain, albeit, more confident and no none sense when he had to.

Now though?? Now Pike looks the equivalent of a dad watching over his kids?? He has moments together with his entire bridge crew and Spock, well you can see why Spock risked everything for the man, even Kirk’s trust to save him from a hellish living.

Kirk on the other hand does look like he keeps more to himself! He is friendly with all his people, cares about all his people, but he seems downright unsociable next to Pike. Not participating in any gathering outside of Spock and McCoy and rare moments with Scotty! (Though I believe we got more moments between Kirk and Scotty later on). And we know Kirk constantly struggles with feelings of loneliness. Of not being able to be too close with his crew due to being their captain.

The show usually plays it on Kirk not being able to have romantic entanglements, which is also true. But it extends to his friendships aboard, never wanting to look anything but the picture of confidence. His crew look up to him, he’s charismatic, confident, and compassionate but he’s also out of their reach. Constantly being placed on a pedestal.

What I find really appealing about this is that it makes him MORE alike to Spock than we originally thought (or at least I thought). Him and Spock are both dealing with feelings of loneliness, not fitting in, though Kirk masks it better. And we can only presume Spock has once again gone the way of repressing his emotions by the start of Kirk’s captaincy.

Taking control of his emotions while witnessing Pike’s destiny unfold, his engagement with T’Pring souring, the awkwardness that becomes his friendship with Christine and who knows what happens to the rest. In current SNW, Spock is attempting to reconcile his Vulcan side with his Human one, compared to TOS, where he attempts to ignore his human side all together.

Meanwhile, Kirk is possibly dealing with untreated PTSD from Tarsus IV. The survivors guilt that constantly haunts him and the general arms length he keeps people in except for a few exceptions that made his way. He doesn’t keep relationships, no doubt because eventually his lover realizes Kirk can’t get too close to them and so they leave. Kirk eventually uses the Enterprise as a reason for his lack of attachment, but between Kirk being a “stack of books with legs” as a cadet, a no none sense teacher and his quick rise to captaincy it paints a picture of an obvious workaholic.

For Kirk, his career is the wall between him and finally finding that inner peace and courage to love someone. A rank up to Admiral made sense for Kirk’s career, but as he quickly found out it didn’t make sense for the love he’d already begun to feel for his crew and especially Spock. For Spock, it’s his “Vulcan side” that leads him to purge all his emotions. But as we know, he could not go through with it and found his way back to Kirk despite what his Vulcan teachings tell him.

Anyway, so Spock and Kirk get married after The Motion Picture and that’s that.

#Spock #Kirk #Captain Kirk #Star Trek tos #Star Trek SNW #star trek tmp #Spirk #they’re so obviously married #im a 100% sure this meta is already done but idk #it’s actually just amazing to me how the depictions we assumed are actually inaccurate (at least now for sure)#Pike is the friendlier captain #Pike let’s himself be vulnerable in front of others like Kirk doesn’t (and if he ever has he’s hated it)#unlike Spock Kirk knows emotions are okay but he doesn’t believe a captain has the luxury to be anything but ready for command #which in a way is what Spock is doing with his Vulcan teachings #meanwhile you’ve got bones making fun of both of them lmao #Kirk can be very flirtatious with Spock and when he’s attempting to be companionable #but Pike seems to seek it out more naturally???#is this making sense???

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walkingstackofbooks · 8 months

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SNW 2x04 Among the Lotus Eaters thought-stream

[7 July '23]

You know it's gonna be good when the entire crew are featured in the recap! :D

I love to pieces that Pike is Always Cooking!

"Unless it's a red alert, I'm incommunicado for the next half hour." Allowing so little time, that's being pretty savvy

"Maybe we should pull it back a little." "Your timing is perfect." Yeah, Pike, so you think she really wants to be broken up with /just after she doesn't get a promotion?? Ouch

Erica nodding at "This is an undercover recon mission" - I can just imagine her saying groovy idk why XD

"Oh. You did that thing you do." Yep, Una sees through him straight away

I looove how excited Erica is

Oh nooo! You can't bench her! That's so unfair! She's got the hat and everything!

"I'm fine. Doctors love being tasked for a mission because of their combat skills." Oh, M'Benga.

Oooh that ringing is horrible

La'an, noo, it's not just a headache, you know better than to hide something that's wrong! There's only three of you!S

urely having a way to beam back to the shuttle would be worth the risk?

"We know you come from Starfleet." WELP this isn't going to be easy to get out of then!

"It's High Lord Zacarias.... I'm a long way from yeoman." Gosh I already love this guy as a villain but boy why do I feel this is going to be a tough episode?

"Haven't you noticed how hard it is to think?" Aghhhhh

"Reason doesn't exist here. You'll learn that." Wow.

Yes, we're back on the bridge - will Erica get to save the day after all?! (Moretegas, moretegas, moretegas)

"As long as it stays isolated to Uhura, we should be able to manage it." "Bridge to sickbay" Yeah, no, it's not gonna be that easy, Christine. Aaaand I'm terrified for what happens when the radiation gets to you.

Some random person is really risking themselves to say "Wait" to the guard? That's lovely.

This is a terrifying setup. Perfect for a tyrant to take control.

"You are guided by your emotions. They are your truth. I find them convincing." :3

"What is this place?" Oh no! Oh no! You can't forget the Enterprise!

"I believe the answer is here, but I cannot read this." fuuuuu-

Ohh is Erica gonna find her log from the start??

M'Benga is wild good even without serum, what!

"I'm Erica Ortegas. I fly the ship." Powerful

You'd have thought someone would have thought to get the computer to keep sending out reminders earlier?

Oh no! Pike could kill Zac and he wouldn't even know until after who he killed!

...Or suddenly his memory will come back and he'll freeze as he realises what he's doing?

That's all stuff Erica's done hundreds of times?? Who even is she? Majestic. We stan

"It figures you'd start a revolution." *manic laughter*

Oh jeez, Pike is gonna be so upset with himself after this

Why would Zac taunt Pike so much if he doesn't want to die?

"I don't blame Spock. He's still got a lot to learn." HAH

"Your logic... Feels sound to me." that switch in logic v feeling <3 <3

"There are only a handful of people in the galaxy who get what it is to be a Starfleet Captain." I get that, but that's not really a basis for a whole relationship...

Pike in this really has felt emotionally like the Pike in the pilot episode, when he talks to Boyce, idk? (Mind, I haven't watched that in a good while so might be off)

#SNW 2x3 #SNW spoilers #SNW Among the Lotus Eaters #Andi watches SNW #Finallly getting through my backlog at a little bit of pace!#WSB

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fiadorable · 2 years

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67 Great Things in Serene Squall

Strange New Worlds season one episode seven... we're starting a mutiny 🏴‍☠️

T'Pring gets the opening monologue!

Long distance relationships are hard - I like the ritual of Spock and T'Pring both sitting down with a PADD and a glass of wine to try to bridge the distance

Spock narrowly avoiding a spit take as T'Pring drops "I have been doing research on human sex" right out of the gate

T'Pring rightly does some research on human culture to better understand her boyfriend, but seems to skip the part where she confirms that Spock is ready to embrace or even acknowledge that part of himself

Spock being distracted while walking with Chapel is delightful

Chapel helping a friend out with his relationship trouble

"Spock, are you telling me your girlfriend is moving too fast for you?"

"Don't try to be smarter than the truth"

"Also - pro tip: Pay better attention to me when I'm talking because…" "You are very charming and I am completely missing it?"

Dr. Aspen/Captain Angel's character is so cool, they are a treat to watch laying the groundwork for the takeover as early as this dinner (calling Pike a boy scout to prompt him to take risks later on in the episode)

Pike is 100% Starfleet's boy scout, in the best sense

Looks like Pike made lasagna for dinner, but La'An interrupts with the announcement they've arrived before they can eat

Bridge troubleshooting!

Finally! Someone in Trek who listens to music that sounds like it was made later than the 1960s. It's the antagonist, but it's a start.

"Interesting. He hasn't snipped his emotions yet."

Pike and Ortegas bridge banter I

The sound design for the ship moving through the asteroid field is great - all of the external ship stuff is great in this episode. I feel like I have a real sense of how the ship is moving in relation to its surroundings.

Asteroid laser trap!

Camera shot from behind Pike so we see what he sees on the bridge - I like it

Kaboom!

The laser net is a great first test for Spock - if he fails, then I'm betting the trap would disable the ship and then the Serene Squall would swoop in and attempt to take over the Enterprise. But if he passes, then not only does Enterprise get to continue on and reach the point where the crew is separated, but Spock is now off kilter from being forced to use his "gut". Either way is a win for Angel, although I'm betting they were hoping Spock would be able to solve the puzzle so they could fuck with him some more

Visible sigh of relief from Number One and Ortegas as the puzzle deactivates

Angel's little crab-legged ship is cute

Spock and Angel's "maybe you're neither" nonbinary discussion

Pike and Ortegas bridge banter II

In the future people will be accepting enough of other people's fashion choices that they will deliberately ignore the increasingly villainous vibes from a self-professed humanitarian aid worker's wardrobe as they approach their destination

Headcanon: Pike had Una and La'An do rock paper scissors to see who was going to be on the away mission with him

And as Pike beams away with the chief of security, there's Angel's first check, but not mate

Very clean takeover of the ship all things considered

Spock is a beast in hand to hand combat, dang

Everything about Remy the pirate is a win as are Pike's very reasonable, non-threatening-yet-not-impressed facial expressions

Number One death glaring at Spock from down the hallway as they march her to the transporter room 😂😂

The entire interrogation scene from "Handsome and witty. Aren't you a charmer" to "What's wrong with my cooking?"

Chapel is wearing the perfect white jumpsuit to be camouflaged on this empty white ship

I know those are Jess Bush's actual tattoos on her wrists and hands, but I would love to see an in universe explanation for them, it's an interesting character beat

Action!Chapel and her Hypospray of Doom

Pike butters up Remy like he's a dinner roll at Golden Corral while dishing out chili (?) to a pirate crew - it's a nice parallel because he's using the same tactics as Angel

Never ever put the senior staff together in a holding cell, come on, guys

"More good news: I convinced these guys to sell us to the Klingons."

Bahahaha Number One is suspicious (and rightfully so) and Ortegas is convinced Pike's lost his mind

The idea that Pike and Number One regularly start mutinies on away missions gone wrong is amazing and I need fic, please

Chapel trying her damnedest to get that SOS out to Starfleet

Chapel is the fault in Angel's plan - she's the worst person who could be left on the ship with Spock

Once Captain Angel reveals themself, their sarcasm gives me life

Great twist that they don't need any information from Spock, they just need Spock himself as bait

Gasp STONN???

T'Pring immediately starts out with "Who are you", no hi hello nothing, just who are you and why are you calling me

Sarcastic death threats have never been sexier

Angel's look of incredulous disgust as Spock insists that Vulcans aren't swayed by emotion 😂😂😂

Angel being pissed that Chapel is on the stupid ship in the first place, ruining their little back and forths with Spock

"Love is the only thing that makes the cold loneliness of space bearable"

Setting the mutiny in motion 🏴‍☠️

"Now let's get those transporters hot and trade lovers" 😂 what am I watching

"Spock, you are failing to communicate effectively" 😂😂😂😂

"Oh, you guys are fun"

Angel's plan going completely to pot because one little nurse got missed when they took over the ship

The pirate ship has a goddamn steering wheel

Backdoor codes!

Pike and Ortegas bridge banter III

Chekhov's necklace

"The question isn't what you are. It's who you are"

"Our mutiny is still in progress" as pirates literally climb the walls in the background 😂

Just a normal shift on the bridge, on the way back into Federation space to deliver some pirates to the authorities. Then out of nowhere… "Arrrrgh me mateys!" Your captain affects an old Earth pirate accent and demeanor from behind you. It is hilarious and sudden. The Dad vibes are off the charts. You beg the captain to stop before you burst into giggles on the bridge and ruin the carefully cultivated image of "where fun goes to die". You feel his frown and hear him sit back in his chair, but he desists and ship travels on. Your reputation is intact and the morale is lifted.

T'Pring's unwavering faith in Spock's faithfulness is beautiful and heartbreaking, as is Spock's relieved "of course" as T'Pring confidently says the one thing he's wondering if he's capable of

"So I know for certain there's no feelings between us" uuuuugh the angst… the mutually unrequited feelings (because I do think Spock does feel something for Chapel even if he can't or won't accurately quantify it right now)

With this episode ending on Stonn and T'Pring walking to Sybok's cell together, I wonder if he helped her do the prisoner swap - maybe he was even on the ship with her and we just didn't see… hmmm…

Sybok and Captain Angel had better return in Season 2

#star trek strange new worlds #serene squall #st:snw #snw great things #such a good episode #such a palate cleanser after the previous week #i proofread this 11 times but if i messed up angel's pronouns someone have mercy on me and let me know

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