But the mistrust between the two powers was still too strong, so Rhenas Sherev had suggested using the back channel Spock had mentioned, the universal fraternity of scientists that transcended politics. She had worked with Kirk to arrange a meeting between civilian representatives, including herself, at a neutral site unclaimed by either power. She and a leading subspace physicist employed at the Renz Verus Shipyards, a descendant of the wartime director, had met at the Selvidge Archive on the neutral planet Bright Tree in the sparsely populated Kaleb sector. Despite its human name, the archive was a multispecies research institute and library comparable to the Federation’s Memory Alpha, but pointedly independent of any state and open to all.

Of course, both parties had been escorted by military vessels as a precaution, with both governments’ full knowledge. But maintaining the pretense of neutrality had been important, so the actual handoff had been performed by civilian representatives, with supporting military personnel attending unofficially in civilian attire (Kirk had no doubt that Uhura had had her own counterpart at the handoff). It had been a symbolic gesture, but then, the sword had been a powerful symbol to the Romulans. With luck, its repatriation would help build new trust between the powers, even if neither side openly admitted how the sword had come back to Renz Verus. The Romulans’ official story would be that Selvidge Archive researchers had discovered the sword drifting in space.

This had been a straightforward mission, but perfect for the Enterprise in its current capacity. Kirk had accepted his second promotion to the admiralty and the position of Starfleet Academy commandant with the proviso that he would be assigned the Enterprise as his personal flagship under Spock’s command, occasionally taking it out on special missions to ensure that Kirk’s talents in the field were not squandered behind a desk. Between such missions, the vessel served as an Academy training vessel and test bed for technology upgrades. Thus, as it was no longer active on the front lines, the Enterprise had been a suitably nonprovocative choice for this tentative peacemaking gesture.

As much as Kirk had enjoyed the reunion with his old friend Sherev, he felt envious that she had been the one in the thick of things instead of him. He valued these special missions as a chance to keep his skills honed, yet this one, for all its political sensitivity, had been little more than a milk run from his perspective. The admiral knew he should be grateful that it had proceeded so smoothly, but he still wished he’d gotten to do more.

Sherev, it seemed, felt differently. “Well,” she said, stretching languidly beside him, “I’m glad that’s all over. I’m eager to get back to my students.”

Kirk met her eyes and smiled. “There’s still a place for you at the Academy, you know. We’d love to have you.”