Never the Twain

Fanfiction
Title:	Never the Twain
Author(s):	Ray Owen
Date(s):	1984
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Never the Twain is a Kirk/Spock story by Ray Owen.

It was published in the print zine Locusts.. and wild honey and is in the same universe as The Flight of Aymor.

Excerpt

Kor's eyes gleamed again and grew suddenly thoughtful: "That's not a bad idea - do away with them altogether. If the results could be guaranteed, we could breed them out in a couple of generations."

He gripped Kirk's knee rather painfully. "You understand how we feel about women. You always have. A man needs a man - someone who will put up a fight. With a woman there's no battle in it - no glory! They crush too easily. But you know all that - you and your Vulcan." He grinned reminiscently … "Just to you, Kirk - man to man - I'll admit that I made a mistake about you two back there on Organia. You especially, in your little yellow petticoats! But it was a good trick while it lasted. You let me think you were soft, the pair of you. Then you made out it was you who were the tough one - the one I should concentrate on - just to keep my attention from your Vulcan. Kevas and Trillium! By the balls of Gogdrenzil, he made no more of our mindsifter than we make of your Federation codes. He gives you pretty battles, I'll lay my bedknife - very pretty battles...."

Reactions and Reviews

Unknown Date

A wonderful take on the Klingon peace treaty, which brings old 'friends' together and mayhem and harem drill to the Enterprise. This is the only K/S story from this uniquely talented writer - more's the pity!

1984

Running at thirty seven pages, Ray Owen's 'Never The Twain' is the longest story in the zine. It begins with Kirk and Spock, now a long-married couple of twenty-three years standing, coming together again, after an absence of eleven months, to join a Federation team intent on persuading the Klingons to sign a Joint Peace Treaty. The leader of the Klingon faction is Kor, mellowed as the writer describes in a marvellous simile, into something like... "An old compost heap...rich and murky, seething with pungent surprises". The unlikely treaty is signed aftar some dubious and to me rather obvious double-dealing by Kirk; but our heroes' troubles are far from being over. In fact they are just beginning. To his horror, Kirk discovers he is expected to transport the seventeen members of the Klingon team back to their homes and as this story has homosexuality as the Klingon norm, regarding women as an insult, or an open invitation," we can sympathise with his dismay. Protecting his crewwomen from assault is not to be his only problem either. Halfway home, the Enterprise encounters a life-support capsule containing that other well known Klingon warrior Kang, now Kor's sworn enemy and his wife, Mara. The rest of the story deals with Kirk's attempt to keep Kang's presence secret from Kor, and the subsequent future when he fails. I was very impressed by the writing in "Never The Twain'. It is strong and crisp with some very clever dialogue but if the author had not reminded us every so often that we are reading K/S, I would have forgotten! It is a little hard to believe that even after twenty-three years, marriage to Kirk would be quite so bland, or that physical need has reached so low an ebb as to allow long periods of separation. Read as straight Trek with a nice mental bond though, it is an excellent story.

A grand reunion of Klingons forces Kirk to walk a political and moral tightrope in this carefully-conceived adventure story. The truce, foretold by the Organians, has been -- reluctantly -- signed, forcing Kor and Kirk to resume their battle of wits. Kor, always my favorite of the Klingons, has mellowed over the years, rather as an old compost-heap might mellow, into something rich and murky, seething with pungent surprises." And he remains this way throughout the story. I had 2 minor problems: The author tells us that the custom of kissing is the "usual greeting" which has replaced the handshake as a gesture of trust. Apart from my other objections, this could present many health problems. Also, under special circumstances, the telepathy between Kirk and Spock appears to be an instantaneous transmission, rather a novel concept when it involves a non-telepath like Kirk. As I said, minor, and not a deterrent to my enjoyment of this story with its interesting minor characters -- and I can't forget its "Harem Drill"!

1988

Kirk conducts peace talks with the Klingons—perhaps unlikely-sounding material for a hilarious story, but it is! Is hall never forget the author's description of Kor, who "had mellowed over the years, rather as an old compost-heap might mellow, into something rich and murky, something with pungent-surprises." The Klingon society presented here is aggressively homosexual and racist, with Kor regarding the dark-skinned Kang as a pervert for actually marrying a woman! The conflict is beautifully resolved, as is that between Kirk and Spock over Spock's making decisions for Kirk.