kalokagathia - a Star Trek Story [on hiatus]

Chapter 2 : Well, Second Best

"we are all broken. that's how light gets in."

Captain pike chuckled.

"You know I couldn't believe it when the bartender told me who you were," he said. Jim took another swig of his drink.

"And who am I captain pike?" he asked, a mocking tone to his voice. Pike looked at him, his eyes trying to puzzle him out.

"Your father's son," he replied, no note of anything but utter sincerity marking his voice. "For my dissertation I was assigned the U.S.S. Kelvin, something I admired about your dad. He didn't believe in no-win scenarios."

"Well he sure learned his lesson," he said, wiping at his bloody nose.

"well that depends on how you define winning, you and Cass are here aren't you?" Kirk looked at her curiously.

"My dad was captain of the Kelvin, and my mother died in the attack. Captain Pike raised me."

"That instinct to leap without looking, that was his instinct too, and if you ask me it's something Starfleet's lost," a harsh chuckled came from Kirk and Cass cast him a stern look that he either ignored or didn't register.

"Why are you talking to me, man," he said, obviously not taking this seriously.

"because I looked up your file while you were drooling on the floor," said pike, impatience and frustration were in there somewhere, Cass could tell, "your aptitude tests are off the chart so what is it? Do you enjoy being the only genius level repeat offender in the Midwest?"

"Maybe I love it,"

"Hey," Cass said, her tone terribly no-nonsense. Kirk glanced at her before turning back to pike.

"so your dad dies," the captain said, "you can settle for a less than ordinary life, but you feel like you were meant for something better. Something special." Kirk had gone very quite, almost glaring at his glass as pike spoke, there must've been truth in what he said. "Enlist in Starfleet," Kirk chuckled again.

"Enlist?" He looked at Cass, who was looking at him with her piercing blue eyes, as deadly serious as the captain, "you guys must be way down on your recruiting quota for the month."

"If you're half the man your father was Jim, than Starfleet could use you. You can be an officer in four years," continued pike, "have your own ship in eight. You understand what the federation is, don't you? It's important. It's a peacekeeping and humanitarian armada-"

"Are we done?" Kirk said, cutting him off. Captain pike looked over him again.

"I'm done." He stood up, and Cass did as well. Jim took another swig of his drink.

"The shuttle for new recruits leaves tomorrow, 0800, riverside shipyard." Kirk looked as though he wasn't really paying attention, but Cass was a much better judge of people than anyone suspected. He was considering it, she could tell.

"You know, your dad was captain of a starship for twelve minutes. He saved over 800 lives, including your mother's, and yours. I dare you to do better." Captain pike turned and walked out of the club, Cass following him.

When they got out the door he turned to the girl who he loved like a daughter.

"See what you can do," he said to her, glancing through the window back at the farmboy with the bloody nose and the fat lip. Cass looked as well before glancing back at the captain shaking her head.

"I can't do anything, he won't listen to me," she said dismissively.

"Cassidy," he said quietly, and Cass knew this wasn't just a request, it was an order.

"Yes sir," she replied, flipping her curly hair over her shoulder, standing up a little higher before walking back through the doors. She tilted her head to the side, looking down at him.

"I hope you're not gonna sit here all night looking sorry for yourself," she said, her hands resting on her hips.

"Why not?" he said, another drink in his hand.

"Because Pike was right." She said emphatically, "you could be the best officer Starfleet has ever had. Well, second best."

"Who's the first?"

"Me of course," Kirk chuckled and Cass smiled at him. She sat down in the chair left vacant by the captain, her eyes glancing at the drink in his hand.

"Can I get one of those, please?" she asked the bartender. She put her booted feet up on the table, leaning back in the chair, "so what's your story, farmboy?" she asked, her blue eyes twinkling.

"My dad died when I was born. My mom was hardly ever around. My uncle was a mean son of a bitch."

"So you turned to a life of being a total pain in the ass?" she said, quirking a perfect eyebrow. Kirk regarded her for a minute.

"Something like that." Cass took the drink the bartender put in front of her, clinking it against Kirk's.

"To being a pain in the ass," she said brightly, a smile curling her lip and downing the drink. Kirk watched her, almost puzzled by this rather strange young woman. Her blue eyes that seemed to question everything they laid on and pierce into your very mind, her blonde curls that shone even in the fluorescent bar lights, and her almost cheeky smile that lit up her face and was so infectious that he found himself smiling slightly too. She finished the drink with a happy sigh, raising an eyebrow at his still half full glass. He smirked at her before draining it.

"Can we get the same again," Cass asked the bartender, a challenging look in her eye.