Kirk was uneasy as the tour came to an end. He had hoped that observing the Warborn at their studies would assuage Janith-Lau’s concerns about their possible exploitation and the increased militarization of Starfleet. Instead, it seemed to have deepened her concerns—and raised some questions in Kirk’s mind as well. Was Janith-Lau right that Rakatheema hoped to loosen Arcturian doctrine to allow the Warborn to fight for Starfleet? And if so, how did Kirk feel about that? As a military man, he was keenly aware of the potential advantages for Federation defense. But he was not blind to Janith-Lau’s arguments, or Spock’s, about the sentient-rights issues it raised or the dangerous precedent it could set.

The other cause of Kirk’s unhappiness was simply that his time in Janith-Lau’s company was coming to an end. His admiration for her had only grown as he had watched her demonstrate her compassion, her openness to learning, and the strength of her convictions. He would welcome the chance to spend more time in her company, with or without a professional reason.

As he escorted Janith-Lau to the edge of the Academy grounds where her colleagues awaited, Kirk contemplated whether to invite her to dinner. Normally he wouldn’t hesitate, but under the circumstances, he was concerned that she might misconstrue it as an attempt to influence her stance on the Warborn. He considered what the best way would be to broach the offer.

Yet Janith-Lau broke the companionable silence first. “Admiral… I’ve been meaning to ask you something. It’s… not a professional question.”

Kirk turned to her, his pulse quickening. Was she going to beat him to it? “Certainly—if you call me Jim.”

She smiled. “All right, Jim. And you can call me Ashley.”

“I’m honored, Ashley. Ask away.”

“Well… I was wondering…” She took a calming breath, then girded herself. “Jim… Do you know if Leonard McCoy is seeing anyone?”

Kirk stared at her. Even as his hopes sank, he felt laughter at his own expense rise up and burst from him.

“What? What’s so funny?”

He controlled himself. “Nothing. Sorry. I’m just… pleased on Doctor McCoy’s behalf. He’s very lucky to have such a remarkable woman interested in him.”

“So is he available?”

“Oh, definitely. If you want to ask him out, I say go right ahead.”

“Great! I’ll do that.” She clasped his hand warmly. “Thank you for everything. I appreciate your openness and your efforts on my behalf. I wish we could’ve come to a more satisfactory resolution.”

Kirk raised his eyebrows wistfully. “So do I.”

She gave him one last smile and headed off. He watched her go, letting out a heavy sigh and then a chuckle. It was a good feeling to turn the tables on Bones in the matchmaking game.