Manna

You may be looking for the fans Manna LaDroit or Manna.

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Manna
Author(s):	Jenna Sinclair
Date(s):	1997
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:	online here
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Manna is a Kirk/Spock story by Jenna Sinclair.

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

Series

• Sharing the Sunlight
• Reflections on a Lunar Landscape
• Pursuing Hyacinths
• Heart's Delight
• Primal Scream
• Parallel Courses
• Double Trouble
• Son of Sarek
• Promises to Keep
• Setting Course
• Jagged Edges
• Manna
• Journey’s End
• One Night
• In the Shade

Summary

"Part of Jenna's "Sharing the Sunlight" series. Nearing the end of the five-year mission, the Enterprise celebrates, and even without the link, Jim and Spock celebrate too."

Reactions and Reviews

This is probably better called an incident than a story. It's one of three stories set between Promises to Keep and the next novel in the Sharing the Sunlight series, and is possibly the most explicit story in the entire zine. Basically it's just a senior officers' party, then the aftermath when K & S get to bed. I loved it.

A brief but poignant look at Kirk and Spock one hundred days before the end of the five year mission. They are both still coming to grips with the loss of Spock’s telepathic abilities as related in Promises to Keep.

I especially appreciated the way Spock stoically continues to plow through his days, putting one foot in front of the other, resolutely not giving in to the despair he feels. He thinks of himself as “Spock-the crippled- Vulcan,” and “1⁄4no longer the best first officer in the fleet, whose efficiency rating had dropped from 97 to 92 points.” Since his ego structure has always rested so firmly on these twin pillars of his personality, he is now forced to re-evaluate his life. Stripped of what makes him Vulcan, he must rely on his suspiciously-viewed human side to sustain himself. What a test of courage! I love the way the author has set this up, and I love her Spock who meets the test with bravery and hope and his ability to love intact!

Written in the third person, but from Spock’s most intimate viewpoint, Jenna has struck the perfect balance between Spock’s emotional reserve and the revelation of his deep sorrow. Tricky stuff and done perfectly.

Two bits I especially liked: The wonderful ways in which McCoy and the rest have chosen to show their regard and sympathy. McCoy and Uhura touch Spock more often now, Hunyady “seem[s] obsessed with his nutritional requirements,” and even Scotty engages him more often in technical discussions. There is another wonderful little passage where Spock “reads” an entire conversation just by what he sees in Kirk’s eyes.

There was only one thing which confused me. The author translates “What is, is” as “Cor yhr mor.” Why? I always thought that was what Kaiidth meant. (Hope I got the spelling right.) Perhaps Jenna will write in and give her reasons.

Beautifully written. A gem of a story from one of our best writers. Don’t miss it!

This short story goes along with the other two which follow Promises to Keep and precede the next eagerly awaited novel; and as I've said, I continue to follow avidly how Kirk and Spock are doing with Spock's loss of his Vulcan mental abilities.

This was a nicely focused (through a simple, day-in-the-life type storyline) look at Spock learning to do with what he has, about his finding the extremes of gratification through the sexual connection with his t'hy'la, even though unable to meld.

All the small touches are effective: Spock's automatically thinking about tightening his shields (entering a room full of partying humans) though he now has none. And when he walks into the room his thinking there are ten...no, eleven people. Also, the mentions of how his friends on board seem to feel more free to care for him in their human ways now. Beautiful little moments between Kirk and Spock, but of course the best was the sex. Wonderfully explicit, so...physical. Which is exactly the best way, in this case, to show what's happening with Spock. And not only explicit description; we also see/feel Spock's intense emotional awareness of this divine sexual pleasure, which is, of course, not merely physical, but that through which they feel and express their love. Melting me....

And even with the acute awareness that there is no meld, which is just plain sad, we are left with positive feelings.

A lovely vignette filling up a small gap between PROMISES TO KEEP and the long-awaited third novel. It's a hundred days until the Enterprise will be decommissioned and there's a party going on in the captain's quarters. We watch Spock interact with the crew and ifs immensely charming. Of course, his interactions with his lover are wonderfully portrayed (as always) by Ms. Sinclair. But the main thing I want to say is; Don't think for a second that I didn't notice the passing comment of the "possibility" that Spock would get his psychic abilities back! Oh boy! Oh boy!