Kirk's Kahs-wan

Fanfiction
Title:	Kirk's Kahs-wan
Author(s):	Kate Daniels
Date(s):	2003
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Kirk's Kahs-wan is a Kirk/Spock story by Kate Daniels. It is a sequel to Man's Best Friend.

It was published in the print zine Prophets in the Wilderness.

Summary

"Kirk, his Beloved and his dog set out on a wilderness adventure and discover - exactly what Sarek intends them to!"

Reactions and Reviews

This one's cute. Kirk has the spaniel he was using as a heat pack prior to his hip replacement operation. One thing you can say about Daniels' stories is that you can never guess where they'll wind up. With a light and clever touch, she has Kirk saving the Vulcans from themselves yet again, while teasing Sarek and charming Amanda. I love Kate Daniels' style: "He loved Jim Kirk but the man had the concentration of a gnat—by Vulcan standards." "Kirk's plan was simplicity itself. Sarek was appalled but impressed. Kirk usually had that effect on him."

I thought this was a charming and funny story. The plot is perfectly summed up by Kirk‘s answer to McCoy‘s question about what he did while on vacation on Vulcan: “Well, Bones, let me think: I discovered that Sarek and Amanda really do sleep together, I solved a major political problem, Spock and I went camping, and after that we had a lot of really great sex.” While Kirk is recuperating on Vulcan after knee replacement surgery, at Sarek’s instigation Kirk and Spock go off on a Khas-wan type exploration of the desert. However, Sarek has an ulterior motive; a problem he wants Kirk and Spock to investigate and solve. Which Kirk does, in a uniquely Kirkian fashion.

I really enjoyed how Kate wrote all the characters in her story. (Including Red, the spaniel! I loved that Kirk had a dog on the Enterprise. The editorial stated that “Kirk‘s Kahs-wan” was a sequel to “Man‘s Best Friend“ in “Heroes in the Wilderness“. It was actually in “Singing in the Wilderness”, and that story is shorter, but very cute and explains how Kirk came to acquire Red. However, you don‘t have to read “Man‘s Best Friend“ first; “Kirk‘s Kahs-wan“ is a stand alone story.) This is an established relationship story, and I liked how Kate showed Kirk and Spock together—very comfortable with each other after decades together, but still eager to jump into bed at every opportunity (although that action takes place off the pages of this story). There’s some great scenes of dialogue between Kirk and Spock, too, and lots of gentle teasing. And this part made me laugh out loud: After Kirk and Spock make love while out in the desert, “Kirk found himself mysteriously energized, not the first time he’d noted this property of Vulcan seminal fluid. I wonder whether Amanda...O gods, no! Perish the thought!”

I also liked Kate’s Amanda and Sarek. Kirk and Spock show up on Vulcan earlier than planned, and obviously interrupt Sarek and Amanda having some afternoon delight—much to Spock’s consternation and Kirk’s amusement. Amanda is fun—momentarily dismayed by the interruption, but then handling it and Sarek’s displeasure with aplomb. (I liked the part about her different versions of “attending” Sarek.) Sarek is also fun to read about, too. When he hears of Kirk’s plan to solve the problem on Vulcan, “Sarek was appalled but impressed. Kirk usually had that effect on him.” This was really a delightful story.