Last Dance (Star Trek: TOS story by Beth Meenaghan)

Star Trek TOS Fanfiction
Title:	Last Dance
Author(s):	Beth Meenaghan
Date(s):	1997
Length:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:	online here
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Last Dance is a Star Trek: TOS Spock/OFC story by Beth Meenaghan.

It was originally posted to alt.startrek.creative and was the winner of an ASC Award.

Author's Comments

I very clearly remember exactly when I started this story. I was on an airplane in late February - 1996, that is. I put aside what I was working on and haven't picked it up since. I had a story I wanted to tell and ideas I wanted to play with while telling the story. But I also set out to improve my writing.

*Last Dance* is a sequel to *Masquerade.* I decided on a sequel because I really never told the story I set out to tell in *Masquerade.* I didn't want to rewrite *Masquerade* because when I thought about it, I knew I couldn't do a simple edit. It was going to get a complete reworking or nothing at all. I decided I'd rather spend the time on something new. By the way, the working title was *Mind Games,* but someone else got to that name before me. So if you're one of the people who's been waiting on me to finish a story called *Mind Games,* this is it.

This thing has been a long time in the making. True, I didn't write much throughout my pregnancy, but I was always thinking about the story, trying to work out bothersome plot details in my head. Killashandra and TJonesy were with me on it the entire, painful way! I'm sure they got tired of hearing about it when it seemed I was making no progress, but they were never discouraging. They've both made significant contributions to the story - it wouldn't be the same without either of them. Killa has really held my hand during the last couple of months while I finished up.

[snipped]

Now, about the story itself: I've read a lot of fanfic since writing *Masquerade,* and it has certainly influenced my writing by now. From one particular zine author, I borrowed a couple of lines of ritual. I've decided not to mention her name online, because I don't know her, and I do know other fanfic authors and editors who do not want their names on the net at all. But I want to give credit where it's due, so if you're wondering about it just e-mail me and I'll tell you.

I've borrowed one character from a profic novel. Sencus, Sulu's Vulcan first officer, appears in *The Fearful Summons* by Denny Martin Flinn. This is not meant as an endorsement of the book. IMO, he writes as if he's never seen an episode of Trek. But I liked Sulu having a Vulcan first officer, so we've got Sencus. I don't agree with Flinn's characterization of Sencus, whom he describes as "a man who lacked emotion entirely." Sencus is also referred to as "the old Vulcan," and I was given the impression that he is older than Spock. We don't really learn anything else about Sencus in Flinn's book. I wrote him the way I wanted him to be. The background that's here was developed by me.

*Last Dance* is rated R, mostly for violence, but it also contains sex. I think it's all important to the story line, and you're going to be reading a long time before you come across either.

When asked if she'd make this story part of a trilogy:

Thanks for all your comments. I'm glad you're enjoying it. A trilogy? Have you ever spent 15 months writing one story? I started having fantasies of making a Dara voodoo doll and tearing it to shreds with a large knife. Sometimes, entertaining that thought was the only thing that kept me going. <VBG> I'm certainly flattered you're interested and entertained enough to want one, though. I'm just dying to move on to something else!

Reactions and Reviews

Beth, Beth, Beth... my goodness woman, what are you doing to me? This story *rocks!* I've been dutifully saving each segment of Last Dance, hoping for a miraculous few hours to sit down and read the whole thing. Here and there (in the car, as my husband teased me for my single-minded concentration...) I managed to get up to chapter 13. I was so impressed with the beginning of the story, as I had been all those months ago when I read the first draft. The new edits were great. I kept thinking, this girl is really learning her craft. This is great stuff. Can't wait to get to the new parts I haven't read yet... Little did I know what I was in for I just happened to catch a bit of free time (free time? what's that?) this afternoon and started in on chapter 14, figuring maybe I could get in three or four chapters before anyone came looking for me. Now, an hour and a half later, I'm sitting here looking longingly at my computer screen, trying to figure out how I'm going to wait for chapter 33. Oh, man, you better hurry up and finish soon, because I am an emotional wreck. (Beth, looook into my eyes... You will now finish the rest of your story and post it immediately!) Your pal and biggest fan, Killa who is now doing a little dance and singing a song praising the goddess for the wealth of great TOS writers on a.s.c. Speaking of which, Greywolf, Mary & Lynn, and anyone else currently writing TOS stories--looook into my eyes...

Greywolf shakes head, fighting off dizzy spell. Oi! Out of my skull, d'ye hear me? <grumbles, mutters -- secretly delighted> I've got to echo Killa's comments here. I have been following this one right along, and it just keeps on getting better all the time!! Just got part 32 in tonight, haven't read it yet but going to as soon as I send this! Dis one is GOOD, folks. If ye haven't already, check it out -- "Last Dance", by Beth Meenaghan <sp?> Greywolf and Moondog say, Two Paws Up!

I very enthusiastically recommend Beth Meenaghan's Last Dance. This is a long, wonderful story with lots of character interaction and beautiful writing--but it also opens with a bang, a terrific battle sequence and aftermath along the lines of Starship Down. This is a terrific story that has everything.

Story that made me shout "Noooooooooo!" the loudest at the end: Beth Meenaghan's "Last Dance." Did I stop to think about the title? No, stupid me. Got what I deserved. But wonderfully done all the same. That note at the end

This one is sweet and moving. I have trouble at this stage in my life with reading Spock with anyone but Kirk, but this is a good alternative. I did like the idea of a Vulcan bred Human, a bit of a twist on what we are used to with the half-human Spock. I would have liked to have seen a bit more interaction with the other people in the story, but the action was quick and moved the story along well. I didn't like Spock making the choice for her to remove her memory, but, on the other hand, one of the best features of ST is that the characters make and learn from mistakes.

Very good with lots of action and a nice search and chase scene. The only bad thing was the sad ending. I liked it so much I had it at my web site for awhile. I still have the epilogue which still isn't attached to the story in the archive.

This one is sad -- but wonderfully put together. This one is the first invented female character I ever saw who I could even begin to imagine with Spock.