Dilithium Dreams

Fanfiction
Title:	Dilithium Dreams
Author(s):	Islaofhope
Date(s):	2001
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Dilithium Dreams is a K/S story by Islaofhope.

It was published in the print zine Legends #1.

Summary

"As temporary captain of the all-Vulcan-crewed ship Surak, Kirk’s manner of addressing problems raises not a few eyebrows. Especially when his solution appears to involve his commitment to his bondmate, Spock."

Reactions and Reviews

This is a unique little story. The focus is gem-like, literally and figuratively. It's about Kirk's wedding ring from Spock—a band with six dilithium crystals. I've only begun to read this author's stories in print, and I understand she usually writes established relationship stories. I think this can tend to make us create unique scenarios, such as she has done here, when the first time isn't the main focus of the story. (Not that I have any objection to the scenarios of first-time stories!)

Kirk is acting captain of the Surak, with an all-Vulcan crew, on a shakedown cruise. It's not an A/U though, but an assignment after ST:TMP that we never saw.

It seems this author writes nice, clean POVs-in this story, Kirk's. And his perspective feels realistic. He tries to be not so "human" with all the Vulcans on board; but his personality shows through anyway. They're critically low on dilithium, and when he thinks of offering his ring, he thinks its a brilliant solution and that they'll all be impressed with his ingenuity. So, an interesting story developsas to Spock's reaction to his doing this; and the other Vulcans' reactions, too.

It's good writing that can show just a small scene and make us feel we see a whole picture of a person or a slice-of-life aboard the ship or whatever. There are good scenes here with various of the Vulcan crew.

To mention again established-relationship stories, I think they can provide a space for Kirk and Spock to have great fights. I love this fight they have, indeed. Not that it goes on very long with much angst and maybe a little rough-stuff, but it's good. Spock is upset Kirk treated his ring like a "spare part." It seems Kirk had publicly "divorced" Spock by taking off the ring; and presumably did it just to protect his big ego (he then wouldn't have lost face by having to call for assistance).

So they have it out. Not just about the ring incident, but how Kirk has been trying to be not-too-human on the Vulcan ship, and so they haven't been very close.

On this subject of fighting, I think it may be easy for us to see Kirk being the one who gets short-tempered and whatever else, with Spock being the one to pacify or else not buy into the argument-dynamic in the first place. Here, Spock is the one who's righteously pissed, and that adds to the appeal for me. That these are the older characters does, also.

And then, of course, they get to make up. Lovely, though short, sex scene; and sweet afterglow talk. I questioned Kirk calling Spock "sweetheart," but he did it without thinking so I'm not complaining, and I liked it anyway.

I look forward to reading more of Islaofhope's stories.

An AU of sorts, this storyline takes us where I don't remember going before. Kirk is Kirk and Spock is Spock, but they are assigned to a mostly Vulcan ship for a short duration. Kirk is trying hard to do things correctly in the eyes of the Vulcans, and Spock is attempting to be a Vulcan among Vulcans. This sounds stilted when I say it, but was not the case with the story. They were just trying to put their best face forward. They do find themselves without power and unable to obtain badly-needed dilithium crystals. Kirk's solution is, shall we say, unique. But it is a somewhat ill-conceived plan which Kirk has failed to think through to it's illogical conclusion. Without revealing the plot, I will tell you that it makes for a very logical disagreement between our favorite pair. Because they are in an established and open relationship, it is there for all to see and most see it before Kirk does. This time his command acumen is good but his sensitivity to his partner's feelings is a bit off. I'm not sure that this fits my "ideal" profile of Kirk, but it is a new twist and those are not easy to come up with in the land of K/S.