Romulan Code, Romulan Regrets

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Romulan Code, Romulan Regrets
Author(s):	Jessica Daigneault
Date(s):	1985
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:
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Romulan Code, Romulan Regrets is a K/S story by Jessica Daigneault. It has a sequel called A Night of Rain.

It was published in the print zine Daring Attempt #3.

Discussed in Not Tonight, Spock!

See Sexuality in K/S Fiction: Anal Intercourse.

Reactions and Reviews

Kirk and Spock are imprisoned by the Romulans in a labor camp, sentenced to life. The Romulans can scent whether a male has been penetrated by their mate within the last eight days. They respect the sanctity of a bond, but if the inmates don't scent that odor, than they consider the person fair game, sexually. To prevent Kirk from being "taken" and abused by various other prisoners, Spock basically rapes Kirk to supply him with the protecting odor, and continues to do so every eight days. Kirk doesn't understand, won't allow himself to understand that Spock has violated all his principals in an effort to protect his captain from even worse degradation. He denies recognition of the bond and cooperation in his own protection, hating Spock for their enforced intimacy, the on-going rape, and for the mental bond which he blocks. Finally, Spock is almost killed in an explosion, and Kirk realizes his stupidity, his stubbornness in the face of enduring the camp without his Vulcan. The first story ends with his offer of reconciliation, his promise that he'll try to cooperate.

An intriguing story. I can't think of a better scenario where it actually makes sense that Spock would have to rape Kirk. They are prisoners of the Romulans, seeing no escape/rescue in sight. Spock explains to Kirk: once a Romulan fucks you, you will belong to him; it is only logical that we copulate, to keep the others away. Kirk says, no way.

In response to Spock's arguments. Kirk says, I'd think you want to fuck me. Spock says, I do.... What could have been a poignant moment is instead so painful for Spock, because it does not lead to love and acceptance. We seldom read where Spock's admission of his feelings to Kirk is not reciprocated or at least sparks Kirk in some way. This was so sad, it hurt to read it, that Spock says this thing he has been carrying around so deeply inside him, he gives this part of himself to Kirk, and is met with coldness.

Kirk feels very strongly; he cannot "submit/ cannot have sex with a man. Even though the other choice is to be raped by a Romulan?? At this point I actually hoped Spock would rape Kirk, fuck some sense into him. (Please take that in the spirit intended-freedom to express baser instincts, safe setting, consensual, reality and correctness aside and all that.)

This is cool: Vulcanoids leave a musk in their partner's body during intercourse. It reacts with the partner's chemistry and lingers for some number of days. Without this, all the Romulans know Kirk and Spock aren't having sex, and Kirk is fair game. If they mated, no one would bother them. And Kirk still won't do it.

After killing a Romulan about to rape Kirk, Spock rapes him! What a scene—in front of everyone, and having to rough Kirk up some too, to stop his struggles. He fucks him twice, and forms a link-bond.

Oh but it's so awful.... To save Kirk, Spock has to do what makes Kirk hate him. Intensely terrible, for him, for me. Five months this goes on, Spock fucking an unresponsive Kirk (even though only every eight days).

Then Spock is injured and won't go into a healing trance; he wants to die. Kirk says he will try to not hate Spock for fucking him, if he'll please please please just live. Eventually, a tender kiss from Spock; Kirk realizes or decides he can let himself like it. Such a good premise, but I think five months is too long for Kirk to do something he hates. Besides, I can't imagine Kirk never once succumbing to Spock's undoubtedly very loving, arousing attentions. Also, since Spock had formed this link-bond, it doesn't seem Kirk could have continued to keep himself so stubbornly apart from Spock. Then, Kirk capitulates too easily, and is so contrite. Even without the link, during all these five months, surely he would have been thinking and feeling this through, thinking about the real values of his and Spock's friendship, about his own false pride, etc, without something drastic having to actually happen before he could see his way clear. That's why if a shorter period than five months was stated to have passed, it would have worked better.

This was such a good idea; it could have been a more powerful (and longer) story. This might be the crux of the problem: though it was written really well, often we were only given the events; sometimes we were not privy to inside their heads or their hearts. All of this intensity, enhanced by letting us in on their feelings a bit more, would have been electrifying.

It was electrifying anyway. I loved it.

This is a great short story from a zine available from the lending library. Also, this piece is not your typical K/S read, for someone looking for something different. Without any background information, the story opens with Jim and Spock imprisoned deep in Romulan territory, without any hope of rescue ... ever. They have been there two weeks. Spock is desperate to have Jim bond with him and enter a physical relationship so that Spock can "mark" him with a musk scent Vulcans release during intercourse. This is so no other Romulan prisoner will try and claim Kirk as their code of honor forbids interference between a mated pair. But Jim is absolutely adamant that he will not allow Spock to do this since he does not care for him in any way that is sexual. Shortly after this, one of the Romulans tries to rape Jim in the prison court yard. At the last minute, Spock is able to intervene and kills the man. Spock instantly makes his decision and despite Kirk's protests bonds with him and has intercourse with him right in front of the other prisoners and guards. The story moves ahead five months into this unhappy bonding. Jim has almost come to hate Spock with the forced sexual relations. The author writes that for Spock this bastardized relationship was "a cancer eating at his very soul." Shortly after this miserable bedroom scene, Spock receives life-threatening injuries from an explosion in the prison kitchen. Because Jim has steadfastly refused to accept him as bondmate, Spock prevents himself from going into a healing trance. Jim then has second thoughts about the relationship and agrees to try to love Spock and improve things between them. The ending of this short story seems off just a bit. Jim is just so firm in his convictions throughout, that it is hard to believe that he would come around so quickly at the end. Still, I really enjoyed Romulan Code and thought the author had an idea that would have made a really good expanded story... There is an intriguing sequel to this story called The Eighth Day by Indra. It appears in California K/S Foreplay.

ROMULAN CODE, ROMULAN REGRET by Jessica Daigneault is another strange one. This story covers the conditions encounted by Kirk and Spock when they are imprisoned in Romulan Territory. The characters here are not our usual Kirk and Spock, but then neither are the circumstances our usual conditions. For what this story is, it is well done, but be warned that it is very unusual.

In "Romulan Code, Romulan Regrets," by Jessica Daigneault, Spock and Kirk are Romulan prisoners who must learn the harsh Romulan codes of behavior in order to survive with some dignity. I liked it.