Avalon (Star Trek: TOS story)

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Avalon
Author(s):	Fiona James
Date(s):	1999
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Avalon is a Kirk/Spock story by Fiona James.

It was published in the print zine Encore.

Summary

"The Enterprise crew thinks they’re staying over at Avalon for a ship refit and a nice long shore leave. The incompetent commodore heading the ‘base shouldn’t be a problem to weary officers. But there’s murder at the starbase, deception and lies, and classified information being sent to…someone by…someone, and the bondmates Jim Kirk and Spock of Vulcan are right in the middle of it."

Author's Notes

I've been a Trek fan since 1969, when the series was first shown in Britain, and actively involved in fandom since 1974. It wasn't long alter getting Involved it fandom, either, that I first heard about K/S, although at that time not very much had been written, and pretty well AU of that was 'underground'.

By the time K/S zines started to appear, I was already well-known (in Britain at least) as a genzine writer; which was one reason why I used a pen name when I started submitting to K/S zines — Fiona James in America, Sara S Reynolds in Britain. Another reason for using pen names had to do with work; I was a teacher. Government employees have to be careful In what they're seen to be doing! I was pretty prolific as a writer during the 70s and early 80s, but eventually I began to feel that I was repeating myself; that I'd run out of... not so much new ideas as new ways of developing a story. It wasn't so much writer's block as a total staleness. I wrote something, read it a couple of weeks later, and it bored me. I felt I needed a total break from writing fiction. I didn't actually stop writing, though; I couldn't. All my life, since I was about 7 or 8, I've scribbled down stories. During the 80s and early 90s I wrote some booklets on local history for the schools in the area where I was working, compiling the material from a number of sources and putting it into a form that children of 10 — 12 could understand and work with. Eventually I realised I was beginning to think fiction' again, and set fingers to computer once more. "Avalon" was originally intended to be a gen story. However, K/S refused to go away; K &S looked at me and said loudly, 'Oy! We need each other...."

And for the future? After nearly 25 years of being very active in Trek fandom, I've taken a step backwards — for tho last two years. I've been sitting back and letting others do We work. Will I be happy to continue sitting back? Doubtful. One of these days another story idea will tap me on the shoulder and say, "Write me!"

Reactions and Reviews

During a stay over on a base called Avalon, a storekeeper is murdered which sets up a mystery involving subterfuge, Romulans and a spy.

Lots of different characters are suspects and they are cleverly depicted and interesting. There’s a spy afoot and coded messages and lots of intrigue in this story by this longtime British K/S writer. And even though the language and style is totally British, I was able to get past it for the most part, in order to see and hear Kirk and Spock. A primary character and suspect is Commander Bargas who’s odd and incompetent and only really concerned with animals and nature even though he’s the head of the starbase. There’s a fun subplot of Kirk and Spock going to a really good restaurant called “The Hungry Spaceman”. I adore that name! Anyway, there’s lots of comments about the quality of the restaurant and how great the food is, but—no description of what they ate! Rats! Spock, Kirk and McCoy go planetside to a cabin for several days. They go to this nice cabin in the woods and that’s all fine, but...horrors! They must decide on who does what housework—cooking, cleaning, dusting, dishes...aargh! I won’t reveal to you what happens in the end, but it’s very satisfying (except for the housework debacle).

Seriously, a fine story from an author whose work I’ve really enjoyed over the years. I’m so glad she’s writing again.