Skilled Mariner

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Skilled Mariner
Author(s):	Elise Madrid
Date(s):	2013
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:	online here
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Skilled Mariner is a Kirk/Spock story by Elise Madrid.

It was published in the print zine Bondmates #2.

About

From the print zine:

"Are Captain Kirk and Commander Spock having marital problems? Has Kirk reverted back to being a two-timing toots again? What's Commander Spock going to do about it? Find out what happens." -- "With a quick turn, Spock sidestepped Kirk's rush and brought him to the mats again. This time, he threw himself onto Kirk in an attempt to keep him from continuing this charade of a match. --"He tried holding Kirk down, but Kirk was having none of it. He continued to struggle against Spock's hold, forcing Spock to cling more tightly as Kirk used every weapon in his arsenal to break away."

Reactions and Reviews

This one is a treat! My favourite type of story: strongly episode-based, a spackle, no less! We join a troubled Spock soon after the events of Mark of Gideon, worried about the devotion to Kirk he'd seen in Odona. We are with them both following the Cloudminders, The Way to Eden and Requiem. What an excuse to rewatch the entire season! And Elise is amazing: she tells the story sometimes from Spock's point of view, sometimes from Kirk's. I love stories like this: the two of them, learning about each other, having a relationship during the five year mission, having problems but in the end, becoming stronger. (At one point, Kirk says to Spock "It's hard for me to imagine that you wouldn't know that I was yours. That I am yours." I loved this) McCoy's part in this story is a very perceptive one. He makes Jim look again at some of his decisions, and consider Spock's influence on them. This is very clever, especially as it explained bits I'd seen in Way to Eden.. And Jim's erratic behaviour with Rayna fits in well with Elise's story. Poor Spock, he has so much to cope with here. His blunting of the Captain's memories is well explained, and we hurt, along with Spock, until Jim recovers. This is one of those stories that you don't want to end. After all, there will be many more "difficult situations", as Spock realises, with a characteristic understatement. A great story and a wonderful new zine. Well done, to all those involved.