Empire Persuasion

Fanfiction
Title:	Who Follow Other Paths
Author(s):	Angel C. Soie
Date(s):	1986
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):
External Links:
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Who Follow Other Paths is a Spock/Kirk/OFC story by Angel C. Soie.

first page

It was published in the print zine Shades of Grey #1.

Summary

"Having sent the other Kirk back to his own universe, Spock and Marlena Moreau have to face their own Kirk and the new thoughts which the other put into their minds. Marlena has a plan to win Kirk over to their new way of thinking which rides on the fact that Kirk has a habit of watching his first officer on the Tantalus Field... especially during his most private moments."

Reactions and Reviews

EMPIRE PERSUASION is one possibility of how the Mirror universe Spock and Marlena Moreau might have dealt with their captain upon his arrival back to his own universe, Spock and Marlena decide to join forces, to join the growing resistance movement and decide the best way to sway Kirk over to their way of thinking is for Spock to seduce him. This is a cunningly humorous piece, very erotic, and generally a lot of fun.

I was impressed... by "Empire Persuasion", a Mirror story by Angel Soie. Other writers might do well to examine this story to learn how to do a piece that is explicitly erotic and well-plotted at once. It isn't necessary for a story to be only one long sex scene in order to have an erotic impact. This one succeeds very well in that quarter without abandoning the narrative function. And again I was glad to see that misogyny was avoided in this story as well. This zine has a really good track record with regard to female characters. In "Empire Persuasion" Marlena is shown to be strong, intelligent, passionate and sympathetic. She is a real woman and not a cardboard figure.

I borrowed a copy of SHADES OF GREY as only one story, in the mirror universe, piqued my interest. I think the reason for that was the fact that a female was involved, which leads me to suspect the "Mary Sue Syndrome" was creeping in. To be blunt, I was bored by all these stories.