Standing Down

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Standing Down
Author(s):	Addison Reed
Date(s):	2007
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Standing Down is a Kirk/Spock story by Addison Reed.

It was published in the print zine The Legacy #1.

Summary

"After an absense of several weeks, Spock suddenly reappears -— with a mission Kirk neither wants nor understands. ST6 timeline."

Reactions and Reviews

A new story by Addison Reed!! At last – a new story by Addison Reed!! I was so excited just to see this author’s name beside a story in the Table of Contents. Look through some of the older zines and you’ll find the great stories she penned, and although Ms. Reed has been active in the fandom for a long time, she’s been absent from writing for quite some time. Way too long, in my opinion. [smiley emoticon] Her stories have been sorely missed. But time has taken nothing from this talented writer’s ability to tell a tale about our favorite pair, as Standing Down so eloquently shows.

The story follows the theme of Kirk’s retirement, and I guess it can also be seen as “spackle”, as it flows through the events of the last movie, The Undiscovered Country, filling in the K/S bits we couldn’t see but sure could imagine. And she does it flawlessly. Her characterizations of an older Kirk and Spock in an established, committed relationship, struggling with inner and outer conflicts, sharing tenderness and love, are just wonderful. This is a definite must-read.

Welcome back, Addison Reed! You’re better than ever with this story! I have noted another story in T’HY’LA 27, and I am eagerly anticipating reading it. I hope this means you’re back writing in K/S for good!

I'm standing up for this excellent story, even though it got me down. I didn't want to go where our two heroes were going--into (seeming) retirement, a la StarFleet. Captain Kirk is being treated like a tool, a Capt. Dunsel, an unnecessary loser! He's facing the media, brazen, nosey reporters, alone; his bondmate is and has been on a Classified Special assignment. Forty days and nights without Spock! Kirk is lonely and very angry. Me too!

Bad enough but then Spock cuts his lover out of the decision-making re the Klingon Empire's need for rescue. Seems they are on the brink of destruction and smarmy Starfleet wants to get rid of all their bases on the perimeter of their empire. Making nice. Hmmm, this galled me. Worse was Spock reccommending Kirk and crew for the "first olive branch" towards peace with the rotten species that had killed Kirk's son. And, we find, the ones who had degraded and tortured Spock long ago. I said to myself, as I had on viewing the last film, "Let them die!" just as Jim does, shocking even himself. But I felt vindicated.

I got over my mad, though reluctantly, then I got interested, grabbed by the events and needing to have all the spaces filled in by this imaginative writer. I was supremely rewarded because Kirk and Spock's love was woven cleverly in and out of the awful events we saw in ST:VI. So, as is my fanatic habit, I read on and it all seemed to make sense to me. One plus was that the story only touches briefly on the sordid prison experience and Valeris's traitorous actions.

So it entertained me no end and I had to go to the bitter end. Except it wasn't bitter, it was wonderful finding out how this author made it all turn out right and made it absorbing too. Being me I especially loved its unexpected warmth and sweet lovemaking. Big asset: Kirk's masturbating thinking of his bondmate! I loved it! And there are many other heartwarming and exciting things to keep your pulse pounding. Most of all I think it shows once again how Kirk has it in him to learn, to change, but to always keep within him those humane attributes he carries with him into the future. Our hero!

And it was fun how Ms Reed created alternative results for those scenes in Spock's quarters and the search for the enemy traitor. I felt no sorrow at Valeris's fate. As I turned my nose up at her in the film, I did so as I read. An extremely interesting take on the film events and a magical way of giving me a way to accept the movie I had not enjoyed.

If everyone doesn't read *all* the fiction in this first volume of our long-awaited "Legacy", you'll be missing out so much. I did read them all and loved every one of them. Time, though, is my enemy and the others will have to wait. Meantime, enjoy all you can.

‘Standing Down’ by Addison Reed is the third piece of fiction in Legacy. A story that I enjoyed on the second read through even more. The story takes place during the events of ST VI and adds so much dimension to the movie. The way it starts sets the mood, letting you know just where Kirk is at emotionally and just how much Spock’s actions really wound him even more. Throughout the first few scenes with Addison’s expert explanation of Kirk’s feelings, his actions make much more sense in the movie, due to the doubts and confusion he is experiencing. And oh, how very lovely, the corridor scene with Kirk and Spock so close together, they really do kiss! I shall watch the movie again and just stop and imagine this part. This truly is a wonderful story that really completes the movie. And the last conversation where Kirk explores what Spock really meant by stating Starfleet Command can “go to hell”, is great. Excellent story.

As I may have mentioned in an earlier review, this author‘s return to writing is much welcomed. I still recall the frisson of excitement and wonder I experienced when I saw in an earlier K/S Press reviews of NEW Addison stories...I had to have them, of course!

'Standing Down‘ takes place before, during and after the movie The Undiscovered Country. Have I mentioned that I just love this type of story?! As Jenna suggests, I read the challenges that were offered to the writers participating in this magnificent Legacy project, This is still a relatively new story, of course, but I won‘t be giving plot details away here—we know the story here, after all! Addison tells it from Kirk‘s point of view entirely: her Kirk is bitter and frustrated as the story opens, being seemingly eased out by Starfleet and subjected to 'inane‘ press conferences. He‘s also without Spock and has no idea, of course, of his whereabouts. Suddenly, I understood the depression so vividly portrayed. I was so-o pleased to learn that they were already bonded—we‘re not sure about this at first. Spock has been spirited off by ‘Fleet and Jim has to make do with his memories. And, oh, what memories: The author treats us to the one about the two of them purchasing their bed for the town house they share (sigh...) and this then seamlessly segues into a sad-yet-wonderful solitary sex scene. The writing here is so confident, so skillful... I love how their closeness, their lovemaking is shown to be so totally fulfilling for both of them and really feel for Jim when he wakes up alone, again, recalling the ‘complicated jumble of tenderness, love and strength that was uniquely theirs.‘ Isn‘t that a lovely description of the K/S relationship? Events move on and Kirk, expecting a declaration of war, is summoned to the debriefing hosted by the C in C that we are familiar with from the film. We see the other crew members and hear their lines from that scene, incorporated into the story. If Addison had difficulties with any of these, it was perhaps Kirk‘s. I have always cringed at his 'Don‘t trust them. Don‘t believe them‘ and 'Let them die!‘ Here, he has other, vivid, reasons for his hatred of the Klingons, and is acutely aware of how much he is hurting Spock with his inflexible attitude. It remains painful reading, though, and of course we can visualise the tableau so well. The blending of the scenes is beautifully executed—I actually had to check my STVI script to remind myself how this part closed to see which dialogue came just with this story... It‘s right after Jim says 'You should have trusted me...‘. Poor Spock.

The rift between them can only widen as the plot unfolds and I lapped up the brief moments of warmth, longing for the Dining on Ashes scene in Spock‘s quarters. I was not disappointed. All the love we actually saw, up on the big screen, coupled with the lovemaking scene that we knew happened following the fadeout. I must watch this movie again, soon! This carefully crafted, wonderful story will add so much to the viewing now. The epilogue scene, set after the credits have rolled, is again assured and tender. In bed, Kirk and Spock talk of their future and the writer once more depicts how totally satisfying sex between them feels: 'The sensation, the wonder of it had only sharpened over the years.‘ Wow!

Thank you, Addison, you‘ve lost none of your powers. Welcome back. You were missed.

First of all, I have to say once again how absolutely thrilling it is to have this author back writing K/S stories and as she did so often in the past, leave us with memorable pieces of work that never fail to make us wanting even more. This story is no exception.

Now as this author is not only a great writer, but also a close personal friend, she shared with me not only this incredible story, but also how it came to fruition. Like me, she always felt that when it came to the sixth movie, she wanted to see more of the Kirk/Spock relationship and after reading the novel, she decided the story just needed to be fleshed out and what better way to do so than to turn it into a K/S story. Hey, it works for me.

Now to be perfectly honest, when it comes to stories where the author incorporates actual scenes and dialogue from a series or movie, for some reason, I don‘t find many of them very memorable at all. This story, I am happy to say, is an exception to that. Even when writing a scene that causes her to quote directly from the movie as far as dialogue is concerned, the author allows the reader to see much more than what was seen on the screen. Here we are privy to Kirk and Spock‘s thoughts and feelings during those same moments and the scenes that follow afterward, scenes that come directly from the author‘s own fervent imagination, are written with such ease and familiarity that the entire story flows along as gently as a spring brook after the winter‘s thaw. This author knows these two characters as well as anyone and this is reflected in every word she puts down on the page. The result is a K/S story that, like all of her stories, lives on in the reader‘s mind long after that final page is read.