#jm dillard

When you spend so much time together that you take on each other's mannerisms.

This was a look at what happened in between Season 3 of The Original Series, and, the first Star Trek Movie. Or, rather, it’s the stories of what happened with Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy between the two pieces of media.

We get to see Kirk after he has been bumped from Captain to Admiral, the good and the bad of it. He also apparently sorta gets a girlfriend-ish, sorta, it was unclear at some points. Spock makes some humongous decisions about his life in Starfleet and on Vulcan. And then there’s McCoy. Wow does McCoy get into some serious trouble in this one.

It was a fun book about all these guys, although, I do wish that it had actually been three books so that we’d have gotten to see more of characters like T’Sura on Vulcan, or McCoy’s “new friend” Keridwen Llewellyn. Both were such interesting characters that I definitely wanted more of on the page! On the whole though, it was a really fun read, and, come to find out, it’s sort of the start of a 4 part series that continues the stories started in this book. Fun.

You may like this book If you Liked: Moments Asunder by Dayton Ward, The Autobiography of Mr. Spock by Una McCormack, or Captain to Captain by Greg Cox

Was anyone going to tell me the people who horribly die in a defected transporter in the ST:TMP movie, right under Jim’s eyes, are little Sonak from the wonderful Recovery novel and Lori fucking Ciana, the fucking wife of Jim Kirk he married two years prior to the movie??

No wonder he’s in an awful mood until Holy Ti Amo Simple Feeling Spock steps in!

No wonder he demands Bones’ presence on the ship!

When you’ve read Jeanne Dillard’ ST novels, you’ll never watch the movies, especially the first, the same way ever again.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier by J.M. Dillard

The admiral, science officer and doctor direly miss each other.  💛💔💙

"The screen changed to show the bridge of the Paladin. McCoy felt the breath leave him in a gasp as an all-too familiar figure came to stand beside the captain's chair. Jim Kirk [...]. The doctor's eyes widened as he stared unbelievingly as Kirk grinned broadly at the viewscreen. [...] The sight caused a wave of homesickness to wash over him; for the first time in over a year, he realized how badly he missed his old friend, and being aboard the Enterprise. [...] "What's he doing here?" McCoy whispered, aghast. [...] For once in his life, McCoy was at complete loss for words. He watched his old mentor as she examined his stricken face and knew he didn't have to say a single word, that she knew and understood everything. Her dark eyes softened with sympathy. "I didn't realize things were that way between you. I'm sorry Leonard [...]." He couldn't answer her, so merely swallowed and turned away, unable to keep his eyes off of Kirk's amiable, relaxed visage. No wonder why you're smiling Jim. He thought bitterly. Being on a bridge was the only thing that ever made you happy... [...] Then McCoy blinked incredulously as he realized that a Vulcan sat at the science station, and fought back a dizzying rush of déjà vu. "

"McCoy forced his gaze away from Kirk's face."

"Then Jim turned to speak to the Vulcan behind him, and that simple act brought back too many memories for the doctor. There seemed no point in suffering through any more auld-lang-syne fantasies; McCoy rose and headed for the rear exit [...]."

"How Spock would have agreed."

"The Enterprise had been nearly torn apart that day. If it hadn't been for Spock..."

""Excuse me." McCoy angrily said. [...] "But to paraphrase a former associate of mine, you're not being very logical!""

"McCoy could almost hear Spock coming up with an accurate estimate of where [...] and when they would get there, without ever using the computer. But then Spock wasn't with Jim, was he? How did they ever come to this, scattered to the solar winds? The thought intensified his sense of bitter loss."

"Spock woke abruptly [...]. For a fleeting instant, an image from a dream glimmered in the darkness before him. It was Dr McCoy, standing upon the deck of an unfamiliar ship, his pale blue eyes wide with fear. This is Leonard McCoy. We need help. Help us, Spock... So urgent, so convincing [...] Spock was catapulted into consciousness; he drew a deep, calming breath and dissolved the impulse to rise, to rush to McCoy's aid. [...] It was a dream, no more. Yet the sense that McCoy was in danger did not ease. He had struggled the previous evening to rid himself of the sense that Kirk was in danger. Yet the feeling persisted [...]. Now, this overwhelming sense that McCoy too was in danger... [...] His image triggered another; one from Spock's recent memory, that of Jim Kirk trapped in an interstitial rift, floating ghostlike in his spacesuit on the Enterprise bridge. [...] The memory had evoked such strong emotion he was unwilling to sit still. [...] He had been unable to accept his friend's death. Indeed he had felt, with the inexplicable, irrational certainty of intuition, that Jim was still alive. Perhaps it had been a bond formed by friendship [...], perhaps it was something far more human. [...] Whatever the sensation's cause, Spock experienced the same certainty that now both Jim and McCoy, were in mortal danger."

"McCoy hadn't allowed himself to think of the Enterprise or his former crewmates in months; now everything conspired to remind him of them. The feeling of camaraderie he felt towards Riley [...] evoked fond yet painful memories of Jim and Spock. How many times had the three of them battled impossible odds in impossible situations and won?"

"The doctor hesitated as he tried to imagine what Jim and Spock might do."

I swear, that novel screams "Spones rights!" a thousand times louder than The Lost Years, and it already is a die-hard Spones relics.

""If Spock was there..." McCoy faltered for a moment, remembering the last time he'd seen the Vulcan. [...] “We shall not see each other again, Leonard McCoy. Live long and prosper."

"For a moment, the image of the Vulcan staring at his viewscreen [...] filled McCoy's mind. You know what it is, don't you Spock? If only you could help us now... McCoy brushed his fingertips reverently over the strange scrawl, as though by touching it, he could reach across time and space to Spock. And for an instant, no more, it seemed to McCoy that it was not a painfully young human that sat beside him, but his Vulcan friend. He could almost hear Spock's voice. [...] Then he looked down to see Josiah gazing curiously at him. He shook his head to clear it."

“As though by touching it, he could reach across time and space to Spock.”

Isn't this the mushiest, most clichèdly romantic syrup?? But the best is that it is followed further by THIS:

"Soon, Spock no longer stood [...] in a sanctuary [...] but instead sat in the captain's chair aboard the Enterprise. [...] A fresh image overlaid the other: the moment when he had turned to McCoy and said "[...] Forget it, Bones." And McCoy falling into his arms. Into his arms... Sekhet and Gol were forgotten; Spock could see the doctor before him, feel his cool human flesh in his hands. It was as though he had reached across time and space to physically touch his friend."

apqizfvbjnkqbkvnkkq!! I can't- TAT

I mean, they hadn't even shared Spock's katra yet at that time! And they already could touch each other despite being countless light-years apart?? You know what it means: the power of love. ♥

What’s MORE, the novel is mostly inspired from the most Spones and most Mcspirk episode of all: The Tholian Web.

"Jim stared, once more startled by the image of his oldest and best friend staring at his from the Paladin's viewscreen. [...] McCoy seemed to look straight at his old friend with his piercing sky-blue eyes. Kirk's gaze never left the screen. "Can he hear me? See me?" -"No, sir." Diksen said behind him, her tone regretful. [...] -"Once we get over there... "McCoy's expression warmed, and his tone grew faintly apologetic. "I figured you and I can share a little Saurian brandy and talk over some things. I'm... looking forward to that."