A Mission's End

Star Trek TOS Fanfiction
Title:	A Mission's End
Author(s):	Elwyn Conway
Date(s):	1982
Length:
Genre:	gen
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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A Mission's End is a Star Trek: TOS story by Elwyn Conway.

It was published as part of a serial in Nome.

Series

• A Mission's End ("Parted from Me" Book 1, Nome #5)
• Earthbound ("Parted from Me" Book 1, Nome #5)
• And Never Parted ("And Never Parted" Book 2, Nome #6, #7, #8)
• Never and Always ("Never and Always" Book 3 is made up of two stories, "What Are Friends For?" and "When Legends Meet," Nome #9)
• Touching and Touched (Nome #10)
• Genesis Aftermath (Nome #11)

Summary

"Pre K/S: At the end of the 5 year mission, Spock returns to Vulcan to try and obtain the Kohlinahr at Gol."

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Writer

In the 1980s, the large distance between the United States and Australia, the latter where Elwyn Conway lived, was made even more vast by the fact that before today's almost instantaneous fannish communication, fans had to rely on the extremely expensive long-distance phone call and/or the handwritten letter which took weeks to arrive at its destination. This meant that for Conway, feedback was slow and sparse, if present in any great amount at all. Considering that this series was written over at least a six-year period, it is amazing that she persevered as she did.

In 1988, Conway sent this letter to Nome #11's newly established LoC feature:

I just want to say how much I appreciated the LoCs you printed in the last issue, and especially the comments on my story, both positive and negative. You may remember, three or four years ago, when I said it was like writing into a vacuum, not getting any feedback, not knowing what people liked or disliked. Now your invitation to your readers to write LOCS has produced an abundance of feedback, and I'm very grateful for it. It was overwhelmingly encouraging, and sometimes quite touching. Before. I wasn't sure whether people understood or empathized with what I was trying to convey in my story. Now I am quite sure that many people do, and I would like to thank them for taking the time and trouble to say so.

Reactions and Reviews

An incredibly emotional scene; Kirk and Spock saying farewell; even more so because Kirk learns that Spock intends to try Kolinahr and he isn’t going tosee him ever again. Suddenly the depth of his feelings for his friend are revealed but it is too late. That crushing embrace sings a world of emotion and it brought tears to my eyes.